Pocketburgers.com

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-06T15:20:00.000-05:00

Banksy at Occupy London: See the Street Artist's Monopoly Sculpture Before It Got Vandalized

2011-11-03T16:18:00.000-04:00

By Keith Plocek
From http://blogs.laweekly.com/

Angelenos aren't strangers to the works of British street artist Banksy. His participation in MOCA's street art show was a (predictably secret) given, and the man plastered L.A. during the run-up to the Oscars, inspiring residents of Westwood Village to petition for his works to remain. And don't get us started on the career of Mr. Brainwash, Bansky's special present to our fair city. LA Weekly photographer Colin Young-Wolff just got back from a tour of Europe, and he sent over a photo from Occupy London that is reputed to be a Banksy sculpture and has since been tagged over.
A blogger at ArtLyst explains: "The downside of leaving this amazing work of art in the middle of the grounds of St Paul's unprotected is that other protesters have drawn graffiti all over the sculpture to highlight their own particular brand of causes. Banksy has never been concerned with creating lasting or permanent works of art."
True that. The piece was made to be vandalized. But at least Colin got a great pic before it happened.

Colin Young-Wolff

20 Unusual Uses for Salt

2011-11-03T11:16:00.000-04:00

by Stephanie Rogers

from: http://ecosalon.com/

Because salt is for more than just high blood pressure.
Diamonds might be prettier and more durable, but there’s another translucent rock that’s even more valuable to us. We may not devote songs to salt or parade around with big hunks of it on our fingers, but we need it to survive, it makes food a hell of a lot tastier and it’s got hundreds – if not thousands – of practical uses. Here are 20 unusual and surprising household, beauty and health uses for salt, from cleaning the chimney to brightening your skin.

Drip-proof candles
Don’t you hate it when candles drip down as they burn, making a mess that’s practically impossible to clean? Prevent this from happening by soaking new candles in a strong salt solution for 2-3 hours.
Clean smelly food spills
A little cinnamon in a pinch of salt will make dripped-on messes in the oven easier to clean, and prevent them from stinking up the house. Just sprinkle the mixture onto the drip soon after it occurs, while the oven is still hot. Once it has cooled, brush away the salt and the mess will come with it.
Test egg freshness
Got a questionable egg? Add two teaspoons of salt to a cup of water, and drop in the egg. If it’s fresh, it will float; if it’s past its prime it will sink right to the bottom.
Sanitize sponges
Used sponges harbor a shudder-inducing variety of bacteria. To restore them and kill some of those germs, suds them up, rinse them thoroughly and then soak them in cold, heavily salted water for an hour or two.
Kill poison ivy
Nobody likes poison ivy, the irritating vine that has ruined many an otherwise pleasant outdoor experience. Three pounds of salt mixed with a gallon of soapy water, applied to the leaves and stems of poison ivy with a sprayer, will kill this tenacious pest of a plant.

Extend broom life
Natural fiber brooms can last a lot longer if you use this easy trick: soak them in hot, salty water before their first use.
Soothe a bee sting
Remove the stinger, wet the sting and immediately shake on a paste of salt and water. Let it dry, and it will reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
Remove soot from chimney
A handful of salt thrown onto the flames in your fireplace will not only produce pretty, vivid yellow flames, it will help loosen soot in the chimney, preventing chimney fires and improving air flow.
Relief for canker sores
A saltwater gargle will take the bite out of a toothache and ease the pain of canker sores and sore throats. Dissolve two teaspoons of salt in 1/4 cup of warm water and swish it around in your mouth for at least 20 seconds, gargling if you have a sore throat. It will likely burn at first, but it works.
Keep clothes from freezing on the line
Add a little salt to the rinse water when washing a load of laundry to keep the clothes from freezing stiff on the clothesline. Soaking the clothesline in salt water will also prevent clothes from sticking to it in cold weather.

Restore artificial flowers
Who has time to clean every individual petal of a bouquet of silk or nylon flowers? There’s an easier way. Just toss the flowers in a gallon-sized zip-lock bag along with about a cup of salt. Shake the bag well, and the salt will whisk away the dust and debris.
Keep milk fresh
Sour milk is the worst, especially if you don’t realize it’s gone bad until you’ve already poured it into your cake batter or coffee mug. Keep it fresh longer by adding a pinch of salt to the carton, pinching the spout closed and gently shaking to mix.
Make coffee less bitter
Over-brewed coffee that has taken on a bitter taste can be much improved with a tiny pinch of salt, which will also enhance the flavor.
Remove blood, wine and perspiration stains
Blot up spilled wine and then pour salt on top to absorb what’s left, pulling as much of it out of the fabric as possible. Blood-stained linens can be restored in cold saltwater followed by a wash in hot, soapy water. To remove perspiration stains from clothing, dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a cup of hot water and sponge it on.
Prevent sliced fruit from turning brown
Dip sliced apples, pears and other fruits susceptible to browning in lightly salted water to preserve their fresh look. If your apple slices have withered, salt water will also perk them up.

Keep windows frost-free
To keep frost from accumulating on the windows in your home and your vehicle, dip a sponge in salty water and run it over the inside and outside of the glass, then rub dry with a soft cloth.
Deodorize shoes
Suck the stink-worsening moisture out of canvas shoes by sprinkling a little salt inside them and then wiping it out. Don’t use this trick on leather or synthetic shoes, as it could dry them out too much and cause them to deteriorate.
Reduce eye puffiness
So you caught a late-night airing of The Notebook on cable and went through a box of tissues – nobody needs to know. Obliterate the evidence by mixing a pinch of salt in a little hot water and applying it to puffy, swollen areas around your eyes with a cotton pad. The salt will help draw out the moisture and tighten the skin.
Give your skin a glow
Massage a mixture of salt and olive oil into your skin in circular motions, leave it on for a few minutes and then wash it off. The massage increases circulation to your skin, the olive oil moisturizes and the salt buffs away dead skin cells.
Brighten yellowed linens
Dingy whites can be brought back to their crisp, white best without the use of bleach. Boil cotton or linen items in a big pot of water with a few tablespoons of salt plus a few tablespoons of baking soda.

5 Free iPhone Apps You Need for Family Travel

2011-11-03T10:48:00.000-04:00

By: Britt Reints
From: http://parentables.howstuffworks.com/
Photo: Britt Reints
With iPad apps to keep kids entertained and GPS systems to keep Mom and Dad from getting lost, today's family vacation has gone high-tech. We're not complaining. In fact, we're recommending a few more ways to let technology improve your next trip. The good news is all of these iPhone apps are free!

1. Sit or Squat

A long day of sightseeing is guaranteed to be interrupted at least once by a bathroom break. Sit or Squat helps you find the nearest public restroom, including ones that don't require a purchase to use them. Make your own contribution to the community by rating the bathrooms your family frequents.

2. TripIt

The free TripIt app syncs with your free TripIt account, where you can keep track of all of your travel plans and reservations. Long gone are the days of digging through your purse for print outs and confirmation numbers; the TripIt app keeps everything a finger click away. You can also check in to your flight, call your hotel, and get directions to the restaurant where you've made reservations -- all without leaving the app.

3. HopStop

Whether you're in your favorite American city or heading to Europe for the first time, chances are you'll find the directions you need to get around town in HopStop. This free app makes navigating public transit a breeze and can also provide directions by taxi or by foot. Do not leave home without it.

4. SnapShot Postcard

Choose a picture from your phone's photo album, type a message, and choose a mailing address from your contact list. BAM! Personalized postcards from your family vacation are printed and mailed for you by SnapShot Postcard. Each card costs as little as $0.80 per piece to print and mail (or as much as $1.99, depending on how many credits you buy at once.) Before you hit the road, set up a SnapShot account and purchase your credits so you're ready to send you favorite memories back home.

5. RoadAhead

Planning an epic family road trip? Plan to download RoadAhead before you go and you'll be able to see into the future. OK, not the future, but down the road and off the exit ramp. This app helps you plan where to pullover for gas and food, showing you which merchants are available at each exit, how far off the exit they're located, and which gas stations have the best price.
T

First GTA 5 Trailer Is Here And It is Amazing

2011-11-02T15:23:00.000-04:00

Guess what the date is? 11-02-11. What’s the significance of that date? Apart from Uncharted 3 being released in the EU? That’s right! Gran Theft Auto V. The king of all videogames is here. Rockstar revealed the game on their official website last week and teased the trailer, and the trailer is finally here.

There is no release date announced for the game yet, but oh boy, it looks fantastic. Rockstar truly knows how to captivate all the gamers out there.

Are you ready? You better be because it is amazing. Check out the fantastic trailer below.

Power Your Macbook, iPad and iPhone with One Charger

2011-11-02T15:11:00.000-04:00

From: http://mashable.com/

The gang at Twelve South, the company responsible for iPhone cases like the BookBook and stands for the iPad and MacBook Pro, has just unveiled their newest creation, an ingenious iPad/iPhone charger that seamlessly connects to a standard MacBook Air or MacBook Pro AC adapter.
Twelve South sent us a sample unit, dubbed the PlugBug and we’re in love.

It’s a simple idea with a winning premise of helping frequent travelers or those cramped for outlet space eliminate the need to carry a MacBook charger and a separate charger for a phone or iPad.

Here’s how it works: Attach the PlugBug to the normal duck cover on any MagSafe power brick (which includes the MacBook, MacBook Pro and Macbook Air). The PlugBug contains a two prong outlet and its own powered 10w USB port. What this means is that you can charge your iPhone or iPad without having to plug it into your laptop, all while also charging your laptop battery.

Why is this better than just using the USB port on your Mac to charge your device? Well, the reason is twofold:

First: That takes up an extra USB port. If you are using a MacBook Air, that might mean the device has to vie for space with other components.

Second: It can take a lot more time to charge an iPad via your MacBook or MacBook Pro than through a wall connection. In fact, if your USB port isn’t powered, charging the iPad can take a ton of time.

Third: For business travelers, this eliminates the need to pack the external phone or iPad charger alongside the laptop charger.

At $34.95, this is a slick and relatively cheap device. It also doubles as a standard iPad charger — and considering Apple sells those for $29.99 (granted, the Apple model also includes a 6′ extension cord), we think this is a good deal.

What I really like about this device is that it is styled to match the look and feel of the regular Apple adapter. Aside from its red cover, you would think this was a regular Apple dongle. It fits on the power port without adding much bulk, and the extra functionality of a powered USB port is great.

16-foot Python Swallows Entire Adult Deer

2011-11-02T14:51:00.000-04:00

From: http://blogs.discovery.com/

Eyes Clearly Not Bigger Than Stomach
A huge 16-foot Burmese python slithering through the Florida Everglades proved that her eyes weren't actually bigger than her stomach, by swallowing an intact 76-pound deer. The Everglades National Park wildlife biologists indicate that the python had a girth of 44.1 inches after devouring the adult female deer!

At 15.65 feet, the python isn't the largest on record, according to CNN, but the size of her prey both impresses and concerns state and federal wildlife scientists and land managers trying to control the non-native species.

As a large exotic animal that is not naturally from that area, experts assert that the python has the potential to wreak havoc on the natural Florida wildlife. Discovered by contractors who were spraying exotic vegetation on an island about 20 miles from Everglades National Park, the snake was dispatched with a single shotgun blast to the head, which is apparently protocol for non-native, predatory species.

Another Possible Example of Exotic Pets & Irresponsible Owners?
Officials indicate that they do see pythons on a regular basis and that they've dispatched hundreds of them in the past few years. While some of the snakes may have escaped enclosures after Hurricane Andrew's widespread destruction in 1992, experts assert a more likely cause for the problem is....

that some of these pythons were actually pets who grew bigger than the owner "planned" and they were released into the wild, which according to wildlife officials is the worst thing you can do.
Photo Source: South Florida Water Management District

19 Hilarious Toddlers & Tiaras Screenshots

2011-11-02T14:46:00.000-04:00

by: Drew V
from: http://www.forkparty.com/

Toddlers & Tiaras, better known as ‘the atrocious reality show on legal child abuse’, has become wildly popular. Whether it’s because you’re a shallow psycho who pimps out her own children like prostitutes, or a rubbernecking bystander who can’t help watching the train wreck, Toddlers & Tiaras has something for everyone. The one thing that reality TV has found to be successful is misery, and Toddlers & TIaras is full of that.

First gaining popularity over the controversy of an 8 year old girl crying on camera, begging not to undergo a painful eyebrow waxing procedure, this show is full of moments that will make you cringe. Besides the borderline child abuse, there are plenty of WTF one-liners (spoken by children and parents alike) and ridiculous imagery. Here are some of the funniest screenshots from this terrible show.

Don’t Mess With Bollywood – The Best Fight Scene Of All Time [Video]

2011-11-02T12:57:00.000-04:00

by: Steve

from: http://wgrd.com/

YouTube.com

What do you get when you shove Jean Claude Van Damme, Keanu Reeves, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Chuck Norris into a blender with with a dozen raw eggs and a fifth of jack… You get Singham – The best friggin action movie of all time! Screw The Expendables, that ain’t got anything on Singham.

Now all you gotta do is take a shot of that ass kicking drink you just mixed and get ready to get your mind blown! Bollywood brings you Singham – a story of… well, I don’t know the language they are speaking. So, I have no clue what the movie is about.

If that clip made you crap your pants in excitement, be sure to watch the whole film here.
*If you do watch the full thing, be sure to check out 13:40 for a wicked tiger slap and 1:47:50 for a rocking duet with our hero and his lady.

Your Band Sucks

2011-11-02T11:57:00.000-04:00

From: http://imgur.com/gallery/y0pxU

Must be the same kid:

Dubstep Is Now Officially Soundtracking a Southern Comfort TV Commercial

2011-11-02T11:12:00.000-04:00

By Ian S. Port

From http://blogs.sfweekly.com/

You're a wild type. A rebel. The kind of person who likes life a little spicier. The kind of person who wants a flash of Tabasco™ lighting up your shot of Southern Comfort™. Like a fling between liquor and pepper sauce, you're a radical -- you probably even listen to that dubstep music.

Er, sorry, fans of bowel-shuddering wobble, but your favorite sound has just become a hipness signifier for the desperately uncool. Showing up in songs by Britney Spears and Maroon 5 probably told us dubstep was on its way here (along with brostep's ubiquity and Skrillex on the cover of SPIN, among many other signposts). But at least Skrillex looks a little scary, and -- real talk -- "Hold It Against Me" isn't so bad. Much worse, at least if you're dismayed by the distance dubstep has come from its gritty south London roots, is the gutbomb of subterranean rumble now bringing a Southern Comfort TV spot to its climax. Witness:

The track is an instrumental version of Crush Effect's "Burn it Down," featuring Vokab Company (here's the original), but does it really matter? Capitalist America found one of the darkest, most uncompromising movements in recent music, got it drunk on sweetened booze and watery hot sauce in a New Orleans bar, and is now fucking it senselessly for as much cool juice as possible. The worst part is that it's brilliant -- SoCo was a preferred slurp of the rubgy-shirt-and-golf-visor set where we went to school, and aren't those same dudes right now torturing their dorm-mates with Rusko?

Dubstep purists, we know you are dismayed, but deal with it. The best underground movements are only hot stars being inevitably pulled into the black hole of commercial usefulness at the center of the musical galaxy. But it probably didn't help that Burial titled one of his tracks "Southern Comfort."

Glowing brain tumour trial begins

2011-11-02T10:37:00.000-04:00

By James Gallagher Health reporter
BBC News

The tumour glows under UV light

The idea of making brain cancers glow to help surgeons operate is being tested in the UK.

Patients will be given a drug, 5-amino-levulinic acid (5-ALA), which causes a build-up of fluorescent chemicals in the tumour.

The theory is that the pink glow will clearly mark the edges of the tumour, making it easier to ensure all of it is removed.

More than 60 patients with glioblastoma will take part in the trial.

They have cancerous glial cells, which normally hold the brain's nerves cells in place. On average patients survive 15 months after being diagnosed.

No room for error

In some cancers, such as those of the colon, some of the surrounding tissue can be removed as well as the tumour. Removing a brain tumour needs to be more precise.

“Treating brain tumours is a real challenge facing clinicians and we urgently need new treatments”

Kate Law Cancer Research UK

Dr Colin Watts, who is leading the trial at the University of Cambridge, told the BBC that surgeons "don't want to take too much functional tissue away".

The trial will then test whether applying drugs directly to the tumour improves survival rates.

After the tumour has been removed under UV light, a thin drug-soaked wafer will be placed in the space left behind. This should slowly release chemotherapy drugs over four to six weeks to kill any remaining cancerous cells.

This could overcome one of the challenges with chemotherapy for brain tumours.

Dr Watts said: "One of the problems with chemotherapy is we don't actually know the extent a drug penetrates a tumour because of the blood brain barrier."

By applying the drug directly to the tumour it should be at a higher dose.

Charles Meacock, 56, from Norfolk, who has already taken part in the trial, said: "Hopefully it will benefit me, but will also help people in my situation in the future.

"It's four weeks since my surgery and my recovery seems to be going as it should. I just have to wait and see now."

The study has been funded by the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust and Cancer Research UK.

The founder of the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust, Neil Dickson, said he was proud to be funding the trial.

"Brain tumour research receives a fraction of the funding of that of higher profile cancers and it is our priority to redress the balance," he added.

Kate Law, Cancer Research UK's director of clinical research, said: "Treating brain tumours is a real challenge facing clinicians and we urgently need new treatments to help more people diagnosed with the disease."

Trials involving more patients will take place if this one is successful.

The Archipod Comes To America. But Will It Catch On?

2011-11-02T09:55:00.000-04:00

Lloyd Alter
Green Architecture
From: http://www.treehugger.com/

archipod/Promo image
I have had an ongoing debate with Alex Johnson of Shedworking, a british website devoted to the subject of working from garden sheds, about whether shedworking would actually catch on in North America. Our own Sami Grover does it in North Carolina, but he is a British expat so probably doesn't count; I thought that it wouldn't fly in North America. My reasons, stated in an earlier post:

The climate is more extreme in much of America;
People have greater expectations of the temperature and humidity of their workplace being stable and within a couple of degrees of ideal;
People have bigger houses, often with basements, so that they can find space within the home to have an office;
People are more security conscious and would not leave expensive hardware in a backyard shed;
People are obsessed with the price per square foot of everything and find them too expensive.
Where's the fridge?

archipod/Promo image
Now we are about to find out if it will work in North America, as the Archipod lands on these shores. (Bonnie saw it in London here) This one is more of a land yacht than a shed, made from curved plywood, mineral fiber and foil insulation, and western red cedar shingles. It has air conditioning and heating and is not meant to be the cheapest shed on the block:

Our 'Pod' has been specifically designed to meet a high standard rather than a low budget. This includes it's unusual and contemporary look, its ergonomic interior placing the user at the centre of the curved desk, and the quality of the fixtures and fittings. There are cheaper garden offices on the market, but our intention is to provide a more interesting and better quality alternative.

And indeed they are not cheap; Hammacher Schlemmer sells the larger 12' diameter unit for $ 40,000. That is $ 666 per square foot.
According to the Business Desk, managing director Darren Buttle says

It’s going extremely well in New York. It’s such an important city for us when you consider the size and scale of the business community... Orders are already coming through, and we’re confident we can build on our success to date in the US and continue our upwards trajectory.

archipod/Promo image
The Archipod addresses quite a few of my concerns about sheds in America; it is well insulated and secure. It will be interesting to see if it catches on. Check it out at Archipod.

The 7 Creepiest Places on Earth (Part 3)

2011-11-01T14:56:00.000-04:00

#3. Prague's Old Jewish Cemetery

CxOxS
We can hardly see the creepy for all the tombstones.

In Prague, there is a cemetery where the gravestones are crammed against each other in a standing-room-only mass of the dead:

CxOxS
Brain eating? Take a ticket and queue.

What's going on there? Well, it's normally considered an instant haunting when you build on top of an old cemetery. But in Prague, they decided to build over a 15th century cemetery with more cemeteries. Prague's Old Jewish Cemetery (this is its actual name) now features 11 cemeteries stacked on top of each other.
As of this day, there are about 12,000 visible headstones around the Old Jewish Cemetery, with an estimated 100,000 bodies buried beneath the ground in up to 12 layers of dead folks like some weird necrotic bean dip.

Madjo
We hope those bars hold.

The cemetery was in use from around 1439 to 1787, in a time when Jewish people from Prague were not allowed to bury their dead outside the Jewish Quarter of Josefov. The Hebrew faith also forbids the moving of headstones, so given just this one place to bury all of their dead, the graves kept piling up until the whole area went from "sacred place of solemn remembrance" to "corpse minefield."

Catherine Murray
"Seriously, the ground here is like a pinata full of dead people."

Naturally, the bizarre eeriness of the Old Jewish Cemetery has lent itself to a number of stories over the centuries. For example, one of the cemetery's most famous permanent residents is Judah Loew ben Bezalel, a 16th century rabbi who, according to legend, created the magical Golem of Prague, a monster made from clay to destroy the enemies of the Jews.

CxOxS
Judging by the photo, the Golem did not succeed.

The cemetery was also believed to be the secret meeting place of the Elders of Zion, a group of powerful people plotting to take over the world and give rise to the New World Order (although their efforts up to this point seem to have been marginal at best, so maybe they should've met at Showbiz Pizza instead).

#2. Staten Island's Tugboat Graveyard

undercity
You can cut the tetanus in the air with a knife.

North of Rossville, Staten Island lurks the Tugboat Graveyard, where the busted, decayed shells of old harbor vessels are kept. From tugboats to barges to ferries, most of the remains there date back to the early 20th century, when the New York harbor was still bustling with life. Now they've all been forgotten and left to rot away in the shallow waters of Arthur Kill, presumably because Scary Boat Bay was already full.

opacity
Don't feel sad. When you're not looking they go on adventures and learn the value of friendship.

In 1990, there might have been as many as 200 boats abandoned in the Tugboat Graveyard, but over the years the number dwindled, the ships long ago stripped of any valuable parts by looters, vandals and tentacle phantasms.

undercity
Or carried off to a secret treasure cave by a petulant teenage mermaid.

Looking at the pictures, you can almost hear them, creaking and groaning in the lazy currents with the faint skittering of rats and lurking nautical serial killers. Nobody died on these boats, as far as we know, but you can't tell us at least one of these vessels doesn't have a decaying skeleton standing at the wheel.

undercity
Pulling the weight of the world behind it.

#1. Actun Tunichil Muknal

Megan Greenfelder

Actun Tunichil Muknal ("Cave of the Stone Sepulcher") is an important Mayan archeological site in Belize. It was only discovered in 1989, but in the short time since it has already proven itself invaluable as a window into the ancient Mayan culture. And of course by that, we mean this:

V31S70
Oh, so the Mayans had bones, too. Neat.

That is, one chamber in the cave is believed to have been used for human sacrifices, a theory suggested by the characteristic markings on some of the pottery found inside it. And by "pottery" we of course mean "murdered skeletons."

mybestlifefulfilled
If we know our CSI, natural deaths don't cause skull holes.

They've found several skeletons in the cave, and most of them are, uh, small. That is, most of the sacrificed were children.
They were probably sacrifices to Chaac, the Mayan god of rain, during a particularly severe drought. But don't worry -- these kids didn't have their hearts cut out while still alive or anything. No, evidence shows that they were all killed by having their skulls crushed, which is way more genial and to the point. They were dealing with children, after all.
Over hundreds of years, the bones became calcified and fused with the cave floor, which is why modern excavators have just left them there without a proper burial (though seriously guys, maybe like throw a tarp over them or something?). The most famous skeleton in the cave is that of a teenage girl, nicknamed the Crystal Maiden because her bones have partially crystallized and now sparkle in the light.

Joshua Berman
Oh, well that's not scary at all then.

Only a few selected guides have received permission from the Belize Department of Archeology to take tourists into the chamber. And you will need a guide, because to get there you have to trek through a dense jungle, swim through a cavern lake, dodge big-ass cave spiders and navigate a labyrinthine ancient bludgeoning cave.

James Snyder / art.co.uk
After all this, that cave better have leprechaun gold in it or something.

Once you make it inside, though, you have more or less unrestricted access to the cave's ancient remains. You're free to touch them, take pictures with them, even decorate them with novelty top hats and pretend that they're talking in a British accent. Anything you feel is necessary to get your money's worth of entertainment out of the bones of ritualistic murder victims.

Ron Brinkmann
Go wild. After all, you never knew him.

Chinese Shenzhou craft launches on key space mission

2011-11-01T14:42:00.000-04:00

By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent,
BBC News

The Shenzhou 8 spacecraft is lifted into orbit by a Long March 2F rocket

China has taken the next step in its quest to become a major space power with the launch of the unmanned Shenzhou 8 vehicle.

The spacecraft rode a Long March 2F rocket into orbit where it will attempt to rendezvous and dock with the Tiangong-1 lab, launched in September.

It would be the first time China has joined two space vehicles together.

The capability is required if the country is to carry through its plan to build a space station by about 2020.

The Long March carrier rocket lifted away from the Jiuquan spaceport in the Gobi Desert at 05:58, Tuesday (21:58 GMT Monday). TV cameras relayed the ascent to orbit.

It will be a couple of days before Shenzhou 8 is in a position to attempt the docking

Shenzhou separated from the rocket's upper-stage about nine minutes into the flight. Confirmation that its solar panels had been deployed was received a short while after.

It will be a couple of days before Shenzhou is in a position to attempt the docking, which will occur some 340km above the Earth.

The vehicles will be using radar and optical sensors to compute their proximity to each other and guide their final approach and contact.

The pair will then spend 12 days circling the globe together before moving apart and attempting a re-docking. Finally, Shenzhou 8 will detach and its return capsule will head back to Earth.

This will allow experiments carried into orbit to be recovered for analysis. The German space agency has supplied an experimental box containing fish, plants, worms, bacteria and even human cancer cells for a series of biological studies.

Tiangong-1 was launched in September on a Long March 2F rocket
The unmanned laboratory unit was put in a 350km-high orbit
Shenzhou 8 will will try to rendezvous and dock with Tiangong-1
The project will test key technologies such as life-support systems
China aims to start building a 60-tonne space station by about 2020

Assuming the venture goes well, two manned missions (Shenzhou 9 and 10) are likely to try to make similar dockings in 2012.

Shenzhou 8 carries experiments developed with the German space agency

Chinese astronauts - yuhangyuans - are expected to live aboard the conjoined vehicles for up to two weeks. There is speculation in the Chinese media that one of these missions could also include the country's first female yuhangyuan.

The 10.5m-long Tiangong-1 module was launched on 29 September and has been operating well, according to Chinese officials.

Its orbit has been lowered slightly and the vehicle turned 180 degrees in preparation for its upcoming union with Shenzhou 8.

Beijing sees the Tiangong and Shenzhou dockings as the next phase in its step-by-step approach to acquiring the skills of human spaceflight operations.

It is a learning curve China hopes will eventually lead to the construction of a space station, starting at the end of the decade.

At about 60 tonnes in mass, this future station would be considerably smaller than the 400-tonne international platform operated by the US, Russia, Europe, Canada and Japan, but its mere presence in the sky would nonetheless represent a remarkable achievement.

Tiangong-1 was launched in September

Concept drawings describe a core module weighing some 20-22 tonnes, flanked by two slightly smaller laboratory vessels.

Officials say it would be supplied by freighters in exactly the same way that robotic cargo ships keep the International Space Station (ISS) today stocked with fuel, food, water, air, and spare parts.

China is investing billions of dollars in its space programme. It has a strong space science effort under way, with two orbiting satellites having already been launched to the Moon and a third mission expected to put a rover on the lunar surface.

Next week should see its first Mars orbiter - Yinghuo-1 - begin its journey to the Red Planet.

The Asian country is also deploying its own satellite-navigation system known as BeiDou-Compass.
Bigger rockets are coming, too. The Long March 5 will be capable of putting more than 20 tonnes in a low-Earth orbit. This lifting muscle, again, will be necessary for the construction of a space station.

Let Me GOOGLE That For You - Great Costumes

2011-11-01T12:51:00.002-04:00

Phish's Trey Anastasio Talks About His First Musical

2011-11-01T12:44:00.000-04:00

'Hands on a Hardbody' to debut in California next year

By Benjy Eisen

From: http://www.rollingstone.com/

Trey Anastasio (composer) and Amanda Green (composer/lyricist) work on La Jolla Playhouse’s world premiere production of HANDS ON A HARDBODY, book by Doug Wright, directed by Neil Pepe and choreographed by Benjamin Millepied

Photo Credit: Aiden Schultz-Meyer

A prolific songwriter, Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio quietly spent part of the past two years working on a score for a new musical – an adaptation of the documentary Hands on a Hardbody – which will debut this spring in La Jolla, California. With a book written by Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright and dance numbers choreographed by Benjamin Millepied (Black Swan), Anastasio certainly isn't the only marquee name involved with the project. But his involvement will, no doubt, be of interest to a rabid audience of Phish-heads who may not necessarily be known as avid theater-goers.

Playwright Wright tells Rolling Stone that he was "surprised" when Anastasio expressed interest in getting involved, but was nonetheless "stunned" when the guitarist quoted musical riffs from Gypsy at their very first meeting.

"A lot of rock & roll artists have tried their hand at writing for the musical stage and failed," says Wright. "It's a very tricky medium. Songs play a very specific role in the theater; they have to reveal character, forward the show's narrative, and amplify its key themes. Music can't exist onstage merely for its own sake. But Trey intuitively understands this; he's not just a musician, but a born storyteller. He knows how to employ music to achieve dramatic ends."

For his part, Anastasio has always put himself in new situations, from assembling acid-jazz ensembles (Surrender to the Air) to composing symphonic scores and performing with orchestras including the New York Philharmonic. He once toured as a member of Dave Matthews and Friends, and his own solo band continues to explore the possibilities of big band jazz rock.

With Phish, Anastasio has always incorporated diverse elements of barbershop, bluegrass, jazz fusion, funk, folk...and, yes, even Broadway. In this exclusive interview, he tells Rolling Stone why working with composer Amanda Green on the score for Hands on a Hardbody has still been an entirely different experience.

What made you decide to want to do this project?
I've always loved musical theater. It's a bit of a family tradition. My grandmother was a single mother of two, living in New York City in the Forties and Fifties, and she took my mother to see many Broadway plays. They saw Mary Martin, John Raitt, Gypsy, South Pacific, Oklahoma, everything. When I was growing up in New Jersey, my mom would regularly take my sister and I into the city to see shows. I have many fond memories of standing in the half-price ticket line in Times Square and going to matinees. At home, there were always soundtrack albums playing. Lots of Stephen Sondheim, West Side Story, Hair and other shows.

Even before moving to the city from Vermont permanently seven years ago, my wife Sue and I made a point to continue the tradition. We take our daughters and my nephew to Broadway shows regularly. It makes me so happy that they love the theater today.

I was introduced to Amanda Green a few years ago by a mutual friend who thought that we would enjoy writing together, and he was absolutely right. Everything clicked from the very first day. We wrote three or four songs over the course of a month or two, at which point Amanda explained to me that she and her friend Doug Wright had been working on a musical – Hands on a Hardbody. Apparently, they were looking for a third collaborator and had been exploring various options for the music. She invited me to join them on the creative team. I was honored and thrilled. They are both phenomenally talented artists and I was particularly attracted to the idea of a play about a group of hardworking people from an economically depressed region, struggling together over many days without sleep, to win a truck. Considering the problems in our country today, it seemed like a relevant and very American story.

What was the most unexpected challenge of writing your first real score?
It's been a steep learning curve. I've learned that in the theater the story is everything. Every lyric, every line and every musical gesture has to propel the journey of a given character or the overall plot. We've had workshops that take place over two or three week periods. In the workshops, actors run thru each number with minimal props and blocking. Sometimes a song doesn't land the way we expected it to. The solution is often not what I would have anticipated.

In one case, there was a song that Amanda and I had written that we were particularly excited about. When the actor sang it in the workshop, it didn't have the same emotional impact as it did on the demo. Amanda, Doug and I huddled up in the hallway to talk about it. I suggested re-writing the song, but Doug disagreed. He explained that in this case, he didn't think that the issue was the song. He felt that the character needed a few more lines of dialogue to set the song up, so that the audience understood the intent behind the song before they heard it. He changed the actor's lines, we ran it again and it was stunning. This was a complete revelation to me. In the past, I've habitually led with the music. I've learned so much from this experience.

Did writing theatrically minded music throughout your career – including Gamehenge (a sort of rock opera that Phish has performed) – prepare you to write for the stage, or was it a whole different experience?
I've certainly dreamed of doing this for my whole life, but I would have to say that it was a whole different experience. The actors are so creative and talented and fun to be around. Everyday, during the workshops, we would go downtown to a little room near Union Square, six days a week, from 10:00 a.m. till 6:00 p.m., and listen to twelve phenomenal singers pouring their hearts and souls into our songs in glorious harmony – two feet in front of our heads. It's indescribable.

Did you learn anything new about songwriting that you expect you’ll take with you?
The experience will certainly affect future songwriting. These songs are, by their very nature, far more direct emotionally than many songs that I've written or co-written in the past. Writing for singers other than myself, or another band member, has been incredibly liberating. And on top of all that, working with Amanda and Doug has been like attending a master class. Even the concept of writing in the best range for a given singer was something that I didn't give much thought to before. Now I understand that transposing a song a half step can effect the believability of a lyric. Who knew?

How was working with Amanda Green different than working with your longtime collaborators and songwriting partners?
Meeting Amanda has been an absolute gift, as has meeting and working with Doug; I've learned so much from both of them. I'm not sure how it's different. I consider myself extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to work with so many great collaborators in my lifetime. I've always loved the experience of working together with other people toward an artistic goal.

Of course, anyone who writes knows that ultimately the majority of your time is spent alone in a room with a piano or a guitar, no matter what the project is. Ernie Stires, my mentor and composition teacher, used to say to me, "Composition is a lonely business..." Maybe that's what's different and so exciting about this. Working on a play is a vibrant and collaborative business. Everyone from the choreographer to the music director to the director to the writers work together toward the same goal, and everyone chimes in on everything.

It's so refreshing. People are constantly huddling in little circles, asking questions. It's satisfying and challenging on so many levels. I'm very grateful to be a part of this team.

'Hands on a Hardbody' will premiere at the Mandell Weiss Theatre in La Jolla, Calif. on April 27th.

Boeing to Build Spacecraft at Shuttle Hangar

2011-11-01T11:08:00.000-04:00

Associated Press
http://www.foxnews.com/

ORLANDO, Fla. – Boeing is taking over one of NASA's old space shuttle hangars to build a new capsule that the company hopes will lift astronauts to orbit in four or five years.

More than 100 Boeing, NASA and state and federal officials gathered in the massive empty hangar -- Orbiting Processing Facility No. 3 -- for the announcement of the first-of-its-kind agreement allowing a private company to take over the government property.

The aerospace company expects to create 550 high-tech jobs at Kennedy Space Center over the next four years, 140 of them by the end of next year. That's less than 10 percent of the approximately 6,000 shuttle jobs lost in Florida over the past several years, but Gov. Rick Scott and other lawmakers at the ceremony said they expect additional hirings by the commercial space industry.

NASA is counting on companies like Boeing, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and others to ferry cargo and astronauts to and from the International Space Station in three to five years. Until then, the space agency will continue to shell out tens of millions of dollars per seat on Russian Soyuz spacecraft.

The Soyuz is the only way to get astronauts to and from the space station, ever since Atlantis returned from the final shuttle flight in July. A Soyuz rocket failure in August highlighted the risk of relying on just one type of craft.

During Monday's hourlong ceremony, lawmakers said the commercial industry is America's last hope, anytime soon, for U.S. astronauts to fly on U.S. spaceships from U.S. soil.

The Obama Administration requested $850 million in NASA's 2012 budget for the commercial space effort. The House slashed that to $312 million, but the Senate got it to $500 million, a reasonable figure given the nation's current economic situation, said Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., a one-time space shuttle flier.

Boeing expects to start removing shuttle platforms and modifying the hangar to suit its own purposes in the next few months.

John Mulholland, vice president and program manager of commercial programs for Boeing, said it will be sad to see all the shuttle equipment go.

"The shuttle's such an iconic vehicle. These marvelous buildings have a lot of memory," said Mulholland, a former shuttle manager. "But you've always got to be looking forward. So while the shuttle is remarkable, we're looking forward to the next phase of space exploration."

Boeing wants to ferry astronauts not only to the International Space Station, but to a commercial scientific outpost planned for orbit by Bigelow Aerospace. Each capsule will hold seven people. A test flight is planned by 2015.

The agreement calls for Boeing to use the hangar for 15 years, with an option to renew for another five. Then it will be up to Boeing to demolish the building, on NASA's get-rid-of list. Boeing is not paying NASA any rent, officials stressed, but rather will cover all operation costs and utilities.

The hangar is 197 feet long, 1,650 feet wide and 95 feet high. It was last used to ready the shuttle Discovery for its final launch earlier this year.

NASA wants to turn the space center -- long a government-only local -- into a multi-user spaceport. Other buildings are also up for grabs. Space Florida, a state agency, is working on more deals.

Tourists, meanwhile, are about to gain entree into areas that were once strictly off limits.

On Tuesday, the Vehicle Assembly Building -- where fuel tanks and booster rockets were attached to space shuttles -- will open its doors to public bus tours for the first time since 1978.

Throughout the ceremony, NASA officials and others stressed that Kennedy Space Center is not going out of business.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the dream is alive," Nelson told the crowd.

NASA relinquished its shuttle fleet to concentrate on new rockets and spacecraft that will be able to carry astronauts beyond low Earth orbit. An asteroid is the first stop. Mars is the prize.

Is this $1million human slinky the most expensive Halloween costume on earth?

2011-11-01T10:43:00.000-04:00

By John Stevens
From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

This costume may not be the scariest thing to wear to a Halloween party on Monday, but the price tag will certainly give you a fright.
Priced at $1 million, this human slinky could be the most expensive fancy dress costume on earth.
The item is currently listed on eBay with the seven-figure 'Buy it Now' price tag, with 10 per cent going to the American Cancer Society.
Scroll down for video

Dressed up: Priced at $1 million, this human slinky could be the most expensive fancy dress costume on earth

The 'one size fits most adults' costume thankfully comes with free shipping.

The buyer gets five years permission to perform on stages across the world in the costume, which has previously been seen on 'America's Got Talent' and The Late Show with David Letterman.

You can also wear the costume for a lifetime at Halloween and private parties.

The costume, which is listed as being located in Florida, rainbow coloured in the same style as the classic eighties toy.

It is not clear if the outfit comes with any instructions or training so that the new owner can master the tricks showed off by the seller.

Uploaded by VeniaminShowsInc on Jul 24, 2010

http://VeniaminShows.com Romanian profesional entertainer Ioan Veniamin Oprea A.K.A. Human Slinky® as seen on David Letterman in 1997 New York, America's Got Talent 2007-2009, The View, Viva Variety - Comedy Central, Britain's Got Talent audition, Paul O'Grady, Fuji and NTV Japan, most important Broadcast Televisions, in Italy, Germany, Austria, Chile, France, Sweden, UK, Spain, Portugal, Romania, South Korea, China, India ...

Veniamin's Home are in Orlando where establish his business Veniamin Shows Inc, Florida Corporation specialized on Unusual Variety Acts.

Free Horror Movies To Download Legally This Halloween

2011-11-01T10:30:00.000-04:00

enigmax
from: http://torrentfreak.com/

Thanks to the public domain, Creative Commons and free distribution, there are lots of horror movies that can be downloaded and watched legally this Halloween.

Here is a short collection, all either obtainable from services like VODO, The Pirate Bay or Public Domain Torrents.

For those who prefer to watch via their web browser, YouTube has a selection of free horror movies here.

Night of the Living Dead

The plot of the film follows Ben Huss (Duane Jones), Barbra (Judith O’Dea), and five others trapped in a rural farmhouse in Pennsylvania while the house is attacked by reanimated corpses, commonly known as ‘ghouls’ or ‘zombies’. Night of the Living Dead is the origin of six other Living Dead films directed by George A. Romero. (IMDb)
Download from Public Domain Torrents here.

The Tunnel

In 2007 the New South Wales government suddenly scrapped a plan to utilise the water in the disused underground train tunnels beneath Sydney. In 2008, chasing rumours of a government cover-up and urban legends surrounding the sudden backflip, investigative journalist Natasha Warner led a crew of four into the underground labyrinth. They went down into the tunnels looking for a story – until the story found them. (IMDb)
Download from VODO here.

The Little Shop of Horrors

Classic black comedy about young schnook who develops a bloodthirsty plant and is forced to kill in order to feed it. Directed by Roger Corman, the film was the basis for the later hit stage musical.
Download from Public Domain Torrents here.

Driller Killer

An artist slowly goes insane while struggling to pay his bills, work on his paintings, and care for his two female roommates, which leads him taking to the streets of New York after dark and randomly killing derelicts with a power drill. (IMDb)
Download from The Pirate Bay here, or Public Domain Torrents here

The Phantom of the Opera

A mad, disfigured composer seeks love with a lovely young opera singer. (IMDb)
Download from The Pirate Bay here, or Public Domain Torrents here

Other viewing

To see the full range of Public Domain Torrents’ free and legal horror movies, click here.
The Internet Archive also has a horror/sci-fi section, as does Open Culture.

Bionic exoskeleton helps wheelchair users walk

2011-10-31T13:28:00.000-04:00

From: http://news.yahoo.com/

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 21: Engineer Thomas Dwyer stands with the new Bionic Exoskeleton next to Amanda Boxtel during its launch at the Excel centre on October 21, 2011 in London, England. The bionic device developed by Ekso Bionics is a wearable, battery-powered, robotic exoskeleton, designed to aid wheelchair users and those who have suffered from spinal chord injuries to stand and walk. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Her most intricate Halloween outfit yet? Heidi Klum goes all out as she's wheeled in to annual party on an autopsy table

2011-10-31T13:16:00.002-04:00

By Sarah Bull
From http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

Her annual Halloween party is undoubtedly the most highly-anticipated of the spooky holiday, with celebrities going all out to try and outdo the host.
But there was no chance of anyone upstaging Heidi Klum at her party last night.
The 38-year-old model was wheeled in to the event on an autopsy table by two blood-spattered doctors.

Her most intricate Halloween outfit yet? Heidi Klum went all out for her annual party, and was wheeled in to the TAO nightclub on an autopsy table by two blood-spattered doctors

And when they lifted the sheet, Klum's outfit could be seen in its entirety, with the intricacies of the costume clear to see.

Project Runway host Klum decided to dress up as a dead body for the event, and spent the majority of the day being airbrushed with make-up to ensure her appearance was as realistic as possible.

Talking about the outfit, Klum said:
'It’s kind of like a dead body with the first layer of skin ripped off. It’s basically like me naked.

Leaving nothing to the imagination: Heidi's 'dead body' costume showed the body with the first layer of skin ripped off

Next to nothing: Heidi was actually wearing very little, but said she didn't feel naked because it is so colourful

She's all muscle: Heidi's unique costume offers an inside look of the human anatomy

Life of the party: Heidi stands out from the crowd as she mingles with her guests

Get your drink on: Heidi enjoys a cold one as she checks out the action on the nearby dance floor

Smile: A party attendee snaps a picture of Heidi on the dance floor

'All my veins and blood will all be visible… You don’t feel quite naked with it because it is so colourful!'

Klum teamed her extraordinary outfit with a pair of sky-high black heels, and impressively realistic rotten teeth.

The German supermodel had been keeping her fans updated on the progress of her outfit throughout the day, posting pictures of each stage on Twitter.

Preparations: Heidi kept fans updated on the progress of the costume by posting shots of the stages on Twitter

Getting there: Heidi posted a shot which showed the 'road map' of the make-up, before sharing one which showed her having the make-up applied by airbrushing it on

Finishing touches: Heidi completed the astonishingly realistic outfit with a pair of rotten teeth

From having the skull cap applied, to showing the basic 'road map' of the dead body design on her face, to finally showing off the airbrushed make-up before heading to the event, there is no doubt that Klum's outfit is the most intricate and
time-consuming of the occasion.

Klum is no stranger to dressing up for Halloween, going bigger and better every year.
However, she has also previously caused controversy with some of her outfits, with her 2008 costume of the Goddess Kali sparking outrage from Hindu leaders who demanded an apology.

Kitty cat: 2007 was the last year that saw Heidi sex up her costume, husband Seal was a Frankenstein character

Controversial: Klum's decision to dress up as Hindu goddess Kali in 2008 wasn't received well by members of the religion

'I loved my costume and I love Halloween,' Klum said at the time.
'I mean that is one of my most favorite times of the year. I've done so many different things. This was probably my tenth time and I've done so many people like Betty Boop and Lady Godiva and it’s always a take on someone. You’re not that person.'
In 2009, Heidi and husband Seal dressed up as birds of a feather, but Klum said the outfits were difficult to cope with.

She said: 'It was bad. My husband was driving and he could hardly see anything...
When you have a beak on, you can't talk to anyone, you can't really
drink. It's not a good costume!'

Something to crow about: Heidi and Seal were birds of a feather in 2009

Transform her: Last year Heidi and Seal upped the ante by becoming Transformers, complete with hydraulic crane shoes in Heidi's case

Kitty overload: Real Houswives Of New York star Bettheny Frankel dressed head-to-toes in Hello Kitty attire for the occasion

Fox To Reboot ‘In Living Color’ With Keenen Ivory Wayans; 2 Specials Set For Midseason

2011-10-31T12:39:00.000-04:00

From: http://www.deadline.com/

EXCLUSIVE: Fox is bringing back its groundbreaking 1990s sketch comedy series In Living Color with the series’ creator and star, Keenen Ivory Wayans, on board as host and executive producer. Fox has ordered two In Living Color half-hour specials to air as part of the network’s 25th anniversary celebration in midseason with a series option behind them, meaning that in success, the reboot will join Fox’s schedule as a regular series next season. I hear it was Wayans’ idea to revive the popular sketch comedy series with a new cast. The new In Living Color will be produced by his production company Ivory Way Prods. in association with 20th Century Fox TV’s Fox 21.

Like the remake, the original In Living Color, which was produced by Ivory Way Prods and 20th TV, also launched in midseason, premiering on April 15, 1990. It broke stereotypes by employing a cast of mostly black comedians and introducing hip-hop and dancing to mainstream television. The show helped launch the careers of a slew of comedy actors — its cast included Wayans; his siblings Damon, Shawn, Kim and later Marlon; as well as Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx and David Alan Grier — and of course Jennifer Lopez as one of the Fly Girls. It spawned such iconic characters as “Men on Film,” starring flamboyant film critics Blaine Edwards (Damon Wayans) and Antoine Merriweather (Grier); Homey D. Clown (Damon Wayans), a dour urban kiddie entertainer whose catchphrase was “Homey don’t play that!”; streetwise scam artists “The Home Boys” (Keenen Ivory and Damon Wayans); and Fire Marshall Bill (Jim Carrey), a disfigured safety expert. In Living Color gave its actors freedom to improvise and it skewered everyone, particularly black America. In probably the most successful programming stunt opposite the Super Bowl ever, a special live edition of In Living Color drew some 25 million viewers during the halftime of the 1992 Super Bowl on CBS. But the show’s fearlessness when it comes to the targets of its jokes and the unapologetic political incorrectness of its skits often ran afoul with Fox’s censors. The frequent clashes contributed to Wayans’ departure from the show after the third season though he remained an executive producer. In Living Color ended its run in May 1994 after five seasons.

Fox has long been looking to launch a successful new sketch comedy series. Last season, it tried with In The Flow With Affion Crockett, executive produced by In Living Color alum Foxx, which was originally slated for midseason but ultimately aired in the summer to low ratings. Keenen Ivory Wayans, repped by UTA, has been focused on features for the past 15 years, directing, writing and producing the successful Scary Movie franchise as well as White Chicks and Little Man, on which he worked with his brothers. At Fox 21, In Living Color joins series Homeland, Breakout Kings and Sons Of Anarchy.

5 Halloween Parties Too Badass to Be Real (That Totally Are)

2011-10-31T12:14:00.000-04:00

#2. The White House Halloween Party

Remember when we said you can arrange a kickass party literally anywhere? We weren't kidding. This is what you get at a White House costume party:

nytimes
Surrealism and massive balls.

While you may not immediately think of the White House for your list of "best party places in the world," people tend to forget that it is one of the best-equipped places for most occasions -- up to and including getting wild. In 1975, Gerald Ford's daughter, Susan, held her high school's senior prom there, and for good reason: the White House has everything anybody would need for the best freaking party ever. It features a movie theater, a ballroom, plenty of bedrooms, its own bowling alley, a basketball court and a swimming pool ... hell, there's even a hot tub.
What's more, as you can see above, the festivities are now hosted by a President of the United States who is an unabashed Star Wars and comic book nerd. This translates to the exact thing you'd hope for and expect:

The White House
That's a fantastic President of the United States costume.

Hey, look at this! It's somebody dressed up as Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter:

fanpop
Hang on ...

Yeah, that person would be Johnny Depp. Also at the party in 2009 was Tim Burton and Deep Roy (the guy who played all of the Oompa Loompas in the Willy Wonka remake).

fanpop
Sasha looks adorably terrifying.

See, this is why you want to grow up to be president, kids. You get to use your status as the most powerful man in the world to have R2-D2 stare down an Ent.

nytimes
"Could have used you on Endor, beep beep."

#1. The Queen Mary's Dark Harbor

queenmarydarkharbor

As you leave the trick-or-treating stage of your life behind and enter the beer-and-wacky-dick-costumes phase of Halloween celebrating, you tend to be less about the candy and more about the partying. Woe is you, however, when you find out that Halloween parties tend to be pretty much the same as your regular Friday nights, only everyone wears even dumber clothes than usual and there are little plastic bats everywhere.
Yet with the right mindset (and some cash to burn), you can arrange a kickass Halloween at the Queen Mary at Long Beach, California.

queenmarydarkharbor
That's the one where they refuse to let out Cabin B340 because of the murdered little girl living there.

It's your average retired ocean liner that's been converted into a hotel/museum. And while that might seem more or less like the trifecta of lameness to most, the owners of the Queen Mary took a double take on their property and realized that what they had was a creepy-ass giant ship (that looks a bit like the Titanic for good measure) that is also a creepy-ass hotel.

nerdsociety
Using a corpse as a mattress? Eh, we've done worse.

So they have taken to annually converting the Queen Mary into a giant Halloween complex for an event called the Dark Harbor. The end result is the lovechild of The Shining's Overlook Hotel and a giant ghost ship and HOLY SHIT WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!

nerdsociety
He's there to take your bags, don't be rude.

Yeah. The Halloween-ready ship features, among other things, three onboard and two onshore mazes, some 160 monsters, all the special effects you can eat and some big ass pyrotechnics.

nerdsociety
It's not a holiday without pillars of fire.

The horror action that takes place in and around the "damned" ship -- which, as they helpfully remind you during the event, is rumored to be haunted in real life as well -- follows a different script every year. This year's story revolves around a trio of she-demons who make it their mission to hunt the shit out of everyone entering the boat after sunset -- up to, including and especially you.

nerdsociety
The service is impeccable in that respect.

Oh, hell yeah. This is the kind of haunted house you get when the people setting it up have some serious money behind it.

pitchengine
We hope they also have some serious firepower.

And in case you still think this is kid stuff, please note that there will be boobs there (video NSFW).
Happy Halloween, indeed.

queenmarydarkharbor
Sleep tight.

For more Halloween fun for the whole family, Jacopo asks that you pick up a copy of Little Goblins Ten, a cute little children's book by the very same Pamela Jane that Jacopo is currently writing a Cracked-inspired children's book with.

Tom Cruise is a Pro: Mission Impossible 4

2011-10-27T15:18:00.000-04:00

Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol: Burj Khalifa sizzle

Exclusive behind the scenes video of Tom Cruise doing his own stunts on the tallest building in the world in Dubai. Experience the spectacular IMAX scenes in cinemas this December. Come back to MSN on Friday 27th of October for the exclusive theatrical trailer launch. The movie is released on the 26th of December.

<a href='http://video.uk.msn.com/watch/video/mission-impossible-ghost-protocol-burj-khalifa-sizzle/107ewrubl?from=null&src=v5:embed::' target='_new' title='Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol: Burj Khalifa sizzle'>Video: Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol: Burj Khalifa sizzle</a>