Thursday, December 22, 2005

I wanna run...I want to hide...


bono edge, originally uploaded by yojayy.

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

'Watchmen' on Duty at Warner Bros.

(Hollywood Reporter) – “Watchmen," the seminal DC Comics limited series created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, has found a home at Warner Bros. Pictures. The project has landed at the studio with original producers Larry Gordon and Lloyd Levin – but not with screenwriter David Hayter and director Paul Greengrass, who were with the project when it was let go from Paramount in June. The develop-ment of the movie has turned out to be almost as epic as the story the comic tells. Hollywood had for years been trying to bring the 1986 comic book series to the big screen. Joel Silver brought the project, which remains the only wholly owned DC Comics property to have ever left the fold, to Larry Gordon when the latter was based at Fox, where Terry Gilliam was developing a Sam Hamm-penned script back in 1989. "Watchmen" first landed at a studio in 2001, when it was set up at Universal with Hayter on board to adapt and Gordon, who holds the rights, producing.


I can only hope that this movie gets better treatment than Fantastic 4. What a disaster that was.

Monday, December 19, 2005

Lunacore Photoshop Tutorial - Beautify a Face (part 1/7)

This tutorial will show you how to beautify a face. The corrections that we're going to do will make the face look different, but at the same time we avoid to make the results look unnatural. Of course, the face we're going to work on is not going to look the same when we're done, but we will only make necessary and subtle changes. We will fix skin, remove blemishes and wrinkles, whiten and fix teeth, fix hair, fix eyebrows, increase definition in the eyes and crop and sharpen the image in the final steps.

Saturday, December 17, 2005

Malawi road


Malawi road, originally uploaded by Koffiemetkoek.

From flickr.com

20051210 Kimmel Center, Philadelphia, PA 055

From flickr.com

Friday, December 16, 2005

Ron Jon Gets Go-Ahead

PORT CANAVERAL (Florida Today) – Although they expressed reservations about the project, Canaveral Port Authority commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to begin negotiating with Ron Jon Surf Shop to build a theme-park-like hotel and resort at the port. The commissioners said they are opposed to giving Ron Jon control of Jetty Park – a campground, fishing spot and beach at the port's shipping entrance on the Atlantic Ocean. "It's important to point out that not everybody agrees with their proposal in its entirety," said Commissioner Ralph Kennedy. The hotel and resort – called Ron Jon World – would be built on a 26-acre Port Authority site on the Banana River, but Ron Jon wants to shuttle visitors to Jetty Park as an extra attraction. At an estimated cost of $147 million, the Ron Jon World proposal calls for a 400-room hotel with a high-rise tower and a five-story wing, a 20,000-square-foot conference center, a 72,000-square-foot store, a water and surf park, an exhibition hall, and an 1,800-car parking garage, among other features. The complex is projected to draw 700,000 visitors or more a year, with $135 million a year in direct spending.

  • The commissioners and others said they would like to see a larger conference center than the 20,000-square-foot facility that Ron Jon has proposed at the Banana River site.
  • In addition, Commissioner Chairman Ray Sharkey expressed concerns about the design of the proposed resort's surfboard-shaped hotel on the river – calling it a "200-foot monument to Ron Jon." He said it would look like "a big billboard," and suggested the company "tone down" the design, and get a major hotel company involved in the project.
  • Port Authority Chief Executive Officer Stan Payne said the authority will approach the negotiations with Ron Jon from the standpoint that "I would like the port to operate Jetty Park, and have Ron Jon enhance our operation of Jetty Park."
  • Ron Jon President Ed Moriarty responded that Jetty Park "is not going to be a Ron Jon park." He said the company would like to see the park's landscaping and campground facilities upgraded, as well as no longer charging admission at the park. In addition, Moriarty said the company found that a conference center larger than 20,000 square feet would not be "economically viable," although enlarging it some time in the future might be possible.

Cocoa Beach-based Ron Jon has been a major player in Brevard County's tourism industry for years, with its flagship store in Cocoa Beach. However, the Cocoa Beach store would close and a larger Ron Jon store would be part of the port resort at the port. In voting to pursue Ron Jon's plan, commissioners accepted the recommendation of Port Authority administrators, who selected Ron Jon over a competing proposal by Merritt Island-based Sheraton Group. Sheraton proposed a 370-room hotel with some units for extended stays, a 60,000-square-foot convention center, and an aquatic facility for sea life, among other features.

Dear Britney - What Happened?

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Showcasing thesuperficial.com's comments

15. Posted by Horatio on December 12, 2005 12:33 PM
I agree that Sean Penn's defense of Jude Law was both totally pathetic and totally awesome. And by totally awesome I mean totally pathetic. The bastard has no sense of humor. Example: he was not amused when I tried to steal his coke the other day.

Monday, December 12, 2005

How Bob Iger Saved Network TV

Here is an excerpt from Mark Cuban's weblog. I say follow the money, and if he is spending his time here, then maybe we should too.

On the ITunes Store, you can buy the latest episode to Lost and some other shows the day after they air on Network TV. in this case ABC, for $1.99. Sounds simple and reasonable. Not anything earth shattering right ?

Content has been available for download for years and years. That content could be played on any number of devices, from computers to DVD players to PDAs. Being able to playback a video from the new Video Ipod just like you can play a song from a current IPod, certainly is not a technical marvel.

It is a business marvel. Bob Iger has gone contrary to what every current and previous TV network head has and would have done had Bob not turned the industry on its head with his announcement with Apple yesterday. Bob Iger has saved Network TV.

How ?

By completely changing the economic model.

...

Friday, December 09, 2005

Best Action Figure Ever?



Exactly why he comes with an AK-47, he only knows.

Scenic Views


scenic views, originally uploaded by yojayy.

This is the best way to sell a townhome for $260,990

Thursday, December 08, 2005

Top 100 Nightclubs and Bars Selected by Nightclub & Bar Magazine

OXFORD, Miss. (PRNewswire) – Oxford Publishing Inc., publisher of national trade magazine Nightclub & Bar, has named its Editors' Top 100 bars and clubs in the United States, which will be honored in a spe-cial presentation at the Nightclub & Bar/Beverage Retailer Beverage and Food Convention & Trade Show ("The Show") in Las Vegas, held March 5-8, 2006. Nightclubs and bars from all over the United States were chosen based on a number of criteria, including annual revenues, marketing and advertising effec-tiveness, promotional expertise, uniqueness to market, food and beverage programs and much more. The following bars and clubs, listed in alphabetical order, made the Editors' Top 100. The city designated in parentheses for each is the city in which it is located, or, if the concept has multiple locations, the city of its first location.


1. 115 Bourbon Street Pub (Chicago)
2. 32 Degrees (Philadelphia)
3. AJ's (Destin, FL)
4. Ampersand (New Orleans)
5. Ava Lounge (New York)
6. Aria (Boston)
7. Avalon and Spider Club (LA)
8. Beach Bar at the W Hotel (San Diego)
9. B.E.D. (Miami)
10. Billy Bob's Texas (Fort Worth, TX)
11. Blue Martini (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
12. Cabo Wabo Cantina (Lake Tahoe)
13. Caramel Bar and Lounge (Las Vegas)
14. Carlos & Charlie's (Lake Travis, TX)
15. Carousel Bar (New Orleans)
16. Casbah (Atlantic City, NJ)
17. Chilkoot Charlies's (Anchorage)
18. Club Chameleon (Las Vegas)
19. Club Deep (Miami)
20. Coyote Ugly (New York)
21. Crobar (New York)
22. Dave & Buster's (Dallas)
23. Denim (Philadelphia)
24. Dream (Washington, DC)
25. e4 (Scottsdale, AZ)
26. Eight 75 (Biloxi, MS)
27. Elements, the Lounge (Sea Bright, NJ)
28. Eleven50 (Atlanta)
29. ESPN Zone (Baltimore)
30. Elysium (Detroit)
31. Excalibur (Chicago)
32. Fado Irish Pub (Atlanta)
33. First Avenue (Minneapolis)
34. Flatiron Lounge (New York)
35. Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce (Hollywood / Vegas)
36. Fox Sports Grill (Scottsdale, AZ)
37. Vicci (Austin, Texas)
38. Galapagos (Brooklyn, NY)
39. ghostbar (Las Vegas)
40. Green Parrot (Key West, FL)
41. Good Hurt (Los Angeles)
42. Ground Zero Blues Club (Clarksdale, MS)
43. House of Blues (New Orleans)
44. ICE (Las Vegas)
45. Jillian's (Dallas)
46. Jimmy'z At The Forge (Miami)
47. Kahunaville (Wilmington, DE)
48. Key Club (Hollywood, CA)
49. Le Passage (Chicago)
50. Light (Las Vegas)
51. Long Street (Columbus, OH)
52. Lotus (New York)
53. Mango's Tropical Cafe (Miami)
54. Marquee (New York)
55. Medusa (Seattle)
56. Mercy Wine Bar (Addison, TX)
57. Midnight Rodeo (San Antonio)
58. Mickey's Hangover (Scottsdale, AZ)
59. Mynt (Miami)
60. Mie N Yu (Washington, DC)
61. Nikki Beach (Miami)
62. Ocean Club (Honolulu)
63. Pangea/The Gryphon (Hollywood, FL)
64. Pat O'Brien's (New Orleans)
65. Prey (Los Angeles)
66. Pure (Las Vegas)
67. Pin-Up Bowl (St. Louis, MO)
68. Purple Moon (Flint, MI)
69. Rain in the Desert (Las Vegas)
70. Remote Lounge (New York)
71. Rise (Denver)
72. RockStar (soon to be renamed) (Destin, FL)
73. rumjungle (Las Vegas)
74. Senses (Memphis)
75. Sharkeez (Huntington Beach, CA)
76. Shelter (Los Angeles)
77. Sherlock's Baker Street Pub (Houston)
78. Six (Scottsdale, AZ)
79. Sloppy Joe's (Key West)
80. Studio 54 (Las Vegas)
81. Tabu Ultra Lounge (Las Vegas)
82. The Abbey (West Hollywood, CA)
83. the bosco (Ferndale, MI)
84. The Crocodile Cafe (Seattle)
85. The Dresden Room (Los Angeles)
86. The Funky Buddha Lounge (Chicago)
87. The Greene Turtle (Ocean City, MD)
88. The Library Bar & Grill (Tempe, AZ)
89. The New Crown & Anchor (Provincetown, MA)
90. The Ranch (Midland, Texas)
91. The Viper Room (Los Angeles)
92. Tipitina's (New Orleans)
93. Tobacco Road (Miami)
94. Tongue & Groove (Atlanta)
95. Tootsie's Orchid Lounge (Nashville)
96. Top of the Mark (San Francisco)
97. Vine Street Lounge (Los Angeles)
98. Whiskey Blue (Los Angeles)
99. World Bar (New York)
100. XYZ (Los Angeles)

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Rubik's Professor


I got one of these yesterday from a friend for Christmas. Wow is it hard.

Riders have gone


Riders have gone, originally uploaded by Maxresolution.

This is a cool photo from flickr.com.

Our Lady


Our Lady, originally uploaded by dbgp.

Skagit County Tulip Festival (Washington State, USA)

Biff-Bang Stamps

(NY Times) – Batman, Superman and other DC Comics characters will be featured on commemorative stamps from the United States Postal Service next year. The series of 20 stamps, which will be issued next summer, will salute 10 costumed heroes. Half the stamps will feature portraits of the characters, including Aquaman, Hawkman and Wonder Woman. The other 10 are to showcase classic and modern comic book covers, the post office announced. Other commemorative stamps scheduled for next year include "Favorite Children's Books Animals," "Art of Disney: Romance" and "Baseball Sluggers."

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Why?

Yahoo! Avatars

Man charged with hiding body of lottery winner's granddaughter

I've highlighted in red everything you need to know about this story.


WINFIELD, West Virginia (AP) -- The body of a Powerball jackpot winner's 17-year-old granddaughter was hidden under a van for weeks after she died of a drug overdose, police said.

The teen's boyfriend, Brandon Crosier, 19, was charged Thursday with unlawful disposal of a body and with two unrelated felony drug charges.

Brandi Bragg died December 5, 2004, of a drug overdose in the home of Steve Crosier, Brandon Crosier's father. Her death came two years after her grandfather, Jack Whittaker, won nearly $315 million in the Powerball lottery -- the largest single jackpot in history.

Brandon Crosier found Bragg dead, then wrapped her in a tarp and blanket, took her body outside and hid it under a broken-down van in his family's front yard, state police said.

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Thursday, December 01, 2005

Downloading for Dollars

(Slate) – Once upon a time, the movie business was about making movies. Nowadays, it is about creating intellectual property that can be licensed in a raft of different markets. The Hollywood studios still make movies, of course, but by 2005, only 14.2 percent of their revenues came from movie ticket sales, while 85.8 percent came from licensing or selling their products for use in the home. Until 2005, the studio's principal access to the home market came through pay TV, free television, video rentals, and DVD sales. But now, with products such as Apple's video iPod and TiVo-type digital recorders becoming widely avail-able, Hollywood is inching toward an even more lucrative way of exploiting the home market.

? Disney's ABC network has already made a deal with Apple that will allow iPod users to download and watch shows, such as Desperate Housewives, for $1.99 an episode. The company has also been talking to Comcast about a similar pay-per-view arrangement for Comcast's 23 million cable sub-scribers.
? CBS, which is still controlled by Sumner Redstone, and NBC, a subsidiary of NBC Universal, have announced plans to release their programs for 99 cents a viewing whenever a customer wants to see them, through linkups with cable and satellite providers.
? Meanwhile, the satellite giant DirecTV, which Rupert Murdoch controls, is in the process of equipping its 12 million subscribers with TiVo-like digital video recorders that have extra storage capacity for eight hours or so of programming.
? Fox, which Murdoch also owns, can then download its shows onto an encoded section of subscribers' hard disks, which they can pay to view.

This downloading strategy is particularly appealing to the broadcast networks. Under long-standing FCC regulations, they have the right to negotiate with cable operators about carrying their programming. But, the broadcast networks rarely receive cash payment – instead they are compensated with such things as free ad time. Cable networks, such as ESPN, who are under no such mandate, get paid a hefty "carriage fee" for allowing cable operators to show their programs. A cost of 99 cents a pop is hardly trivial when multiplied by an audience of 23 million subscribers. The studios stand to gain even more from a huge au-dience willing to pay to download movies from their libraries. Unlike DVDs, which require manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, and disposing of returns, it costs almost nothing to download a movie or car-toon. Indeed, all the costs of transmission would be born by the cable operator (or a site like the Apple Music Store), whose cut would be less, under present arrangements, than retailers get on DVDs. The real issue for the Hollywood studios is how they can dig into this potential gold mine without undermining their existing revenue streams. Since the 1980s, the studios have managed their revenue by employing a sys-tem of "windows" to release their products to different markets. First, movies play in theaters, then, six months later, the video window opens, followed by the opening of the pay TV and then free television window. With the possibility of costlessly providing millions of downloads to consumers of both their older and new films, the studio heads are openly discussing radically revamping the window system. Holly-wood's downloading option, by whatever device it may be realized, is just one more part of the transfor-mation of movies from a big- to a small-screen experience and from a theatrical to a home – or even mo-bile – product.

'A Charlie Brown Christmas' Leads TV Pack

LOS ANGELES (USA Today) – Good grief, network executives said when they first saw Charles Schulz's A Charlie Brown Christmas. "They thought it was too slow," executive producer Lee Mendelson recalls being told by the powers-that-were at CBS in 1965. But the special was an instant hit with critics and au-diences. Forty years later, its ruminations on the spirit of Christmas, backed by a lilting jazz score by Vince Guaraldi, remain fresh and affecting. A Charlie Brown Christmas airs 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, on ABC. It's paired with Charlie Brown Christmas Tales, based on Schulz's work and featuring each of the Peanuts characters, including Snoopy, in individual vignettes. Among the other old favorites and new-comers marking the holiday season (all times ET, check local listings for PBS programs):

Animation
? Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, CBS. A shy reindeer battles the Abominable Snowmonster and finds that his vibrantly colored nose makes him a hero, not a misfit, when Santa Claus needs a guiding light.
? The Happy Elf, 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, NBC. Harry Connick lends his voice and original songs to the story of Eubie the elf, who must rescue the unhappy town of Bluesville.
? Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, ABC. Fred Astaire was the narrator for this 1970 tale about how Kris Kringle (Mickey Rooney) overcomes a ban on toys in his native Sombertown and ends up becoming Santa Claus.
? I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown! 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, ABC. Rerun, younger brother of Linus and Lucy, gets more than he bargained for when Snoopy the beagle invites his brother, Spike, for a visit.
? Rugrats Chanukah Special, 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, Nickelodeon. Grandpa Boris and his old rival, Shlomo, perform in a play about the holiday's meaning and, with the help of the babies, find a way to reconcile.
? Frosty the Snowman, 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, CBS. Jimmy Durante narrated the tale of the brave snowman pursued by evil Professor Hinkle on a mission to rescue the North Pole. Followed at 8:30 p.m. by Frosty Returns, narrated by Jonathan Winters.
? A Rugrats Kwanzaa, 8:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 26, Nickelodeon. When Aunt T. arrives to celebrate the Kwanzaa holiday with the Carmichaels, little Susie learns what it means to honor "the legacy of our great people."
? Arthur's Perfect Christmas, 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 24, PBS. Elwood City is abuzz with plans for the perfect holiday, whether Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, but everything doesn't go as planned for Arthur, D.W. and their family and friends.
? Chanukah Stories, airing on PBS stations in December (check local listings). Two children's books, The Tie Man's Miracle and Moishe's Miracle, were adapted for this special, featuring Jami Gertz and Bob Saget.

Movies
? Holiday Inn, 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, AMC. Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire star as two showmen whose New England country inn, open only on national holidays, becomes a success.
? Recipe for a Perfect Christmas, 9 p.m., Monday, Dec. 5, Lifetime Television. Bobby Cannavale, Christine Baranski and Carly Pope star in a romantic comedy about a fledgling food critic whose scheme involving her mom and a restaurant owner doesn't go according to plan.
? It's a Wonderful Life, 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10, and 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 24, NBC. Frank Capra's classic 1946 fantasy about troubled George Bailey (James Stewart) and his enlightening an-gel,Clarence (Henry Travers).
? Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, ABC. Jim Carrey stars as the unpopular Grinch in the film based on the Dr. Seuss book.
? The Santa Clause, 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15, ABC. Tim Allen stars as a man who becomes the unwilling successor to Santa Claus and has to quickly learn the ropes.
? National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18, NBC. Life on the road isn't easy for Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and family, but at least his Christmas bonus is coming.
? Christmas Lights, 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 23, BBC America. Two lifelong friends – and rivals – become locked in a holiday house decoration contest that gets out of control and ultimately forces them to re-flect on what really counts.
? I'll Be Home for Christmas, 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 24, ABC. College student Jake (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) is on a homeward holiday trek, determined to win back his girlfriend and get a '57 Porsche, to boot.
? Finding John Christmas, 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 25, CBS. Valerie Bertinelli, Peter Falk, David Cubitt and William Russ star in the tale of a woman whose search for her long-missing brother brings her together with a newspaper photographer and a helpful angel.

Stocking Stuffers
? Christmas in Rockefeller Center, 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, NBC. A celebration of the lighting of the famous New York tree, with music by Rod Stewart, Sheryl Crow, Carrie Underwood, Brian Wil-son, the Brian Setzer Orchestra and Earth, Wind & Fire.
? Entertainment Weekly's Best Holiday Movies, 10:15 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, AMC. Actor French Stewart hosts this rundown of yuletide movie favorites.
? Creative Juice for the Holidays, 10 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5, DIY Network. Hosts Cathie Filian and Steve Piacenza demonstrate affordable holiday craft projects, including turning foam snowballs into snowmen and tomato wire cages into Christmas trees.
? The White House Christmas 2005, 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7, HGTV. The special, with host Gail O'Neill, takes viewers into the holiday planning process for the White House and includes first lady Laura Bush's discussion of her choice for this year's theme.
? Christmas in Washington, 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14, TNT. Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood and Ciara will perform at the annual event attended by the president, first lady and other prominent Wash-ingtonians. Phil McGraw (Dr. Phil ) and his wife, Robin, are the hosts.
? LA Holiday Celebration, 10 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15, PBS. A multicultural program of music and dance with performers of African, Asian, European, Middle Eastern and Hispanic backgrounds mark-ing the season. Elayne Boosler hosts.
? A Home for the Holidays, 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 21, CBS. George Lopez and Jamie Lee Curtis are among those featured in this annual effort to spotlight the issue of adoption.
? Renee Fleming: Sacred Songs and Carols, 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 21, PBS. In this Great Per-formances program recorded at Germany's Mainz Cathedral, the opera singer is backed by an or-chestra and full choir.
? Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 21, and 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 24, PBS. Audra McDonald and Peter Graves take part in a concert that includes African-American spirituals and contemporary favorites.
? A St. Olaf Christmas in Norway, 10 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 21, PBS. The choir of St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., joins with a Norwegian girls' choir and mezzo Randi Stene in a program taped at Tronheim's Nidaros Cathedral.
? Christmas at Belmont, 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 22, and Sunday, Dec. 25, PBS (check local listings). Country singer Josh Turner, a Belmont University alumnus, is set to perform at the school's annual concert Hall, as are students, faculty and the Nashville Children's Choir.
? Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade, 10 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 25, ABC. Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa host the 22nd annual telecast of the resort's parade, with guests including Vanessa Williams, Julie Andrews, Tiger Woods, Fantasia and Hayden Christensen.
? Live from Lincoln Center, 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, PBS. The New York Philharmonic presents its annual New Year's Eve gala, featuring a program of Italian opera with soprano Angela Gheorghiu.
? Tournament of Roses Parade, 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 2, NBC. The 117th edition of the Pasadena parade includes performances by LeAnn Rimes, Toni Braxton and magician Lance Burton, along with the flower-bedecked floats, parade royalty and many horses.

Auld Lang Syne
? New Year's Eve with Carson Daly, 11:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, NBC. Daly rings in 2006 from New York City's Times Square.
? Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve 2006, 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, ABC. Ryan Seacrest joins Clark in hosting the celebration in Times Square.
? New Year's Eve Live, 11 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, Fox. Regis Philbin is the host for these Times Square festivities, including music, celebrities and a look back at the events of 2005.