World News and Technology

Solar Eclipse Alert!

2013-04-19T09:27:00.004-07:00

Some amazing facts about Solar Eclipse

Witnessing a Solar or lunar eclipse is always a very stunning experience for those who love to see miracles. By the Way how many of you have witnessed the most recent Solar Eclipse which occurred yesterday on May 20, 2012? Have you ever thought how this rare phenomenon occurs? Let us put some light on it.
What is Solar Eclipse:
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon comes between the earth and sun while revolving, and blocks the sun partially or fully. It occurs only on new moon and it blocks the light of sun to reach the earth. In fact, the moon and the sun are in conjunction as seen from the earth so the sun is completely invisible. The moon does not have its own light because it relies on Sun’s light reflected by earth, so it becomes dark during this whole process.

Eclipse types
Total Eclipse: When the sun is completely hidden behind the moon leaving a solar corona behind that is visible to naked eye.

Image credit: Flickr maaco

Annular Eclipse: When the sun and the moon are in line but size of the moon is a bit smaller than the sun so it forms a bright ring around the sun.
Hybrid Eclipse: In fact, it is a combination of annular and total eclipse because at some specific points on earth it’s been observed as annular eclipse while on other points it is observed as the total eclipse.
Partial Eclipse: When the sun and the moon are not exactly in line and the Sun is partially hidden behind the Moon. This is the most observed type of Solar eclipse as it is witnessed in many areas even during the total and annular eclipses.
And now some amazing facts about the Solar Eclipse that one must know.
1) During a total Solar Eclipse, the temperature of the places where it is being witnessed, can be dropped by 20 degrees are more.
2) North Pole and South Pole are the only places where the Total Solar Eclipse cannot be observed but the partial solar eclipse.
3) The longest recorded duration of a total solar eclipse is about 7.5 minutes.
4) Annually, minimum 2 and maximum 5 solar eclipses can be observed on the Earth.
5) According to many astronomers, the time during the Eclipse period is considered inauspicious and they ask people to not to take baths, lunch and sleep during the eclipse.

Iron Man 3 trailer: A Deep Dive

2013-03-06T08:16:00.001-08:00

Image Credit: Marvel/Disney

Marvel released a new trailer for Iron Man 3 today that is positively brimming with new stuff: New scenes, new mysteries, a surprisingly new tone of dark romanticism. (You can watch the trailer here.) The film marks the official beginning of Marvel’s Phase 2, which also means that it marks the official beginning of “The Phase Where Marvel Has To Prove These Solo Movies Are Just As Good As Avengers.” Let’s take a closer look at the trailer and see what we can uncover, shall we?

The trailer focuses lots of attention on Tony’s relationship to lady love Pepper Potts. The two had a nice sparkly Hepburn-Tracy chemistry in the first couple movies, but it’s clear that Iron Man 3 takes their relationship very seriously. Obviously, nothing can go wrong!

A close-up on her necklace. THEORY: At some point in Iron Man 3, Iron Man will walk through a destroyed building, discover this necklace, hold it up in the air, and say “Noooooooo!” Or maybe “Pepperrrrrr!” Or possibly “Goooooooooop!“

Dennis Rodman calls Kim Jong-un 'a great guy' and defends North Korea trip

2013-03-04T07:00:00.001-08:00

Former NBA star says Kim is waiting for Obama's call as ABC host George Stephanopoulos presses on human rights violations

here is the video link:

http://abcnews.go.com/video

'You know, he's a good guy to me. Guess what? He's my friend,' Rodman said of Kim.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un wants President Barack Obama to pick up the phone and "call him", according to go-between and newfound friend to the isolated Asian nation, former NBA star Dennis Rodman.
The colourful former Chicago Bulls player appeared on ABC's This Week on Sunday to discuss his recent visit to Pyongyang, during which he seen laughing, drinking and generally being friendly with a man held up by human rights groups as a tyrant behind one of the most repressive regimes in the world.
But a different picture was painted by Rodman. "He's a great guy," the retired Hall of Fame player said of the dictator.
It echoed immediate comments to reporters on Thursday following the somewhat bizarre unofficial diplomatic mission, during which Rodman was accompanied by the Harlem Globetrotters, reporters from the magazine Vice and a film crew.
"I love him. He's awesome," Rodman said of Kim – comments that were immediately attacked by those who tend to focus on North Korea's human rights record.
But speaking Sunday, Rodman refused to backtrack from his assessment.
"You know, he's a good guy to me. Guess what? He's my friend. I don't condone what he does … [but] as a person to person – he's my friend," he told This Week.
Moreover, he had arrived back to the US with a message from Kim.
"He wants Obama to do one thing: call him," Rodman told host George Stephanopoulos, adding: "He said: 'If you can, Dennis – I don't want [to] do war. I don't want to do war.' He said that to me."
Dressed in sunglasses and a garish dollar bill suit, the former athlete even thinks that the two leaders have common ground.
"[Kim] loves basketball. And I said the same thing, I said: 'Obama loves basketball.' Let's start there."
Given that the two leaders differ on most other things – including the not-so-small matter of nuclear missile testing – it is unlikely that basketball diplomacy will yield similar results to the ping-pong variety that contributed to the thawing of Sino-American relations and a visit by Richard Nixon to China in 1972.
But having become the most high-profile American to have visited North Korea in some time, Rodman said he intended to return to the country soon.
In a parting shot, Stephanopoulos handed the former basketball player a copy of a Human Rights Watch's report on North Korea, pointing out references to prison camps and the plight of millions of starving citizens.
"Maybe ask some questions about that," the This Week host suggested for the next get-together with Kim.
"Don't hate me," was Rodman's response.

Richard III: Facial reconstruction shows king's features

2013-02-05T08:46:00.002-08:00


The unveiling of the reconstruction was attended by Michael Ibsen, Richard's 17th generation nephew, who also provided DNA for tests on the bones

A facial reconstruction based on the skull of Richard III has revealed how the English king may have looked.

The king's skeleton was found under a car park in Leicester during an archaeological dig.
The reconstructed face has a slightly arched nose and prominent chin, similar to features shown in portraits of Richard III painted after his death.
Historian and author John Ashdown-Hill said seeing it was "almost like being face to face with a real person".
The development comes after archaeologists from the University of Leicester confirmed the skeleton found last year was the 15th Century king's, with DNA from the bones having matched that of descendants of the monarch's family.
'Very handsome' Richard was killed in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, at the age of 32 and after just two years on the throne, having been challenged by the forces of Henry Tudor, the future Henry VII.

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'Very handsome'
Richard was killed in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, at the age of 32 and after just two years on the throne, having been challenged by the forces of Henry Tudor, the future Henry VII.

Interactive: Twisted bones reveal a king

Dr Ashdown-Hill, who wrote The Last Days of Richard III, said: "The most obvious features in portraits are the shape of the nose and the chin and both of those are visible in the facial reconstruction."

Richard III Society member Philippa Langley, originator of the search, said on a Channel 4 documentary earlier: "It doesn't look like the face of a tyrant. I'm sorry but it doesn't.
"He's very handsome. It's like you could just talk to him, have a conversation with him right now."
Layers of muscle and skin were added by computer to a scan of the skull and the result was made into a three-dimensional plastic model.
Dr Ashdown-Hill said: "I had said previously that when I stood by the grave in Leicester that I felt closer to Richard III than I had ever been, but when I saw the facial reconstruction I realised I had been close to a dead Richard III.
"It was just bones, just a body, whereas confronting a facial reconstruction, I felt almost in the presence of a living Richard III."

'Humped backs'
The reconstruction is particularly important because there are no surviving contemporary portraits of Richard III.
Dr Ashdown-Hill said: "All the surviving portraits of him - even the very later ones with humped backs and things which were obviously later additions - facially are quite similar [to each other] so it has always been assumed that they were based on a contemporary portrait painted in his lifetime or possibly several portraits painted in his lifetime."
The Richard III Society officially unveiled the reconstruction on Tuesday morning, at the Society of Antiquaries in London.
It is expected the reconstruction will be put on public display in future.


Richard III died aged 32 in the Battle of Bosworth

Experts from the University of Leicester said DNA from the skeleton matches that of a descendant of Richard III's family.
Dr Ashdown-Hill said: "We weren't certain whether the body was Richard III so the facial reconstruction - particularly if it hadn't been possible to get DNA from the bones - might have been an additional piece of evidence, and still is."
Caroline Wilkinson, professor of craniofacial identification at the University of Dundee, said: "It was a great privilege to be able to analyse a skull thought to be Richard III.
"The facial reconstruction was produced on the assumption that the remains were unknown and portraits of Richard III were not used as reference.
"When the 3D digital bust was complete it was replicated in plastic using a rapid prototyping system and this was painted, prosthetic eyes added and dressed with a wig, hat and clothing."
Prof Wilkinson said the Dundee team artist, Janice Aitken, only used the portraits of Richard III at this stage as reference for hair style and colour, eye colour, skin colour and clothing.
The team estimated the end result was as accurate as possible.
"Our facial reconstruction methods have been blind tested many times using living subjects and we know that we can expect that approximately 70% of the facial surface should have less than 2mm of error," said Prof Wilkinson.

The^^ renegades^^

2013-01-26T09:23:00.001-08:00

the truth about cat and dog XD

Why women love guys with beards

2013-01-14T21:53:00.000-08:00

Like it when your man has a little facial scruff? According to new research, it could be because it makes him look like a total badass.

A new study published in the journal Behavioral Ecology found that guys appear more intimidating to other dudes when they have beards. Researchers found it has something to do with the way it makes his jaw look-a beard makes a guy's jawline look bigger, which can make him seem more aggressive when he's upset than a guy with a clean-shaven face. (Interestingly enough, the look doesn't intimidate women at all.)

Related: Can you ever be 'just friends' with a guy?

On the flip side, other studies have shown that people think bearded guys seem more intelligent, confident, and mature-it's just when a guy gets angry that he looks intimidating.

So basically, if you want your guy to seem really smart and confident, and like he won't take crap from anyone, encourage him to grow a beard. Sounds like a win-win to us.

Nintendo Boss Declares Wii U The Start Of The Next Console Generation

2012-11-20T06:05:00.001-08:00

The Wii U is not the last of the first wave of high-def consoles that began with 2005′s Xbox 360 and 2006′s PlayStation 3, according to Reggie Fils-Aime. It’s the first of what comes next.
“This is absolutely the beginning of a new generation,” Fils-Aime told me during a quick interview late Saturday night, just minutes before the official launch of Nintendo’s sixth home console. “With the innovation we’re bringing to bear, with the social community we’re bringing to bear, [and] with the video entertainment we’re bringing to bear, I think this is the start of a new generation. I think those who say otherwise are clearly trying to preserve sales on their current hardware. This is definitely the start of a new day.”
Those who beg to differ may wind up caught in semantics or in an un-winnable argument about whether a Wii U, destined to be vastly out-powered by the next PlayStation and Xbox as soon as late next year, is really the beginning a new gen. But it’s undeniable that Wii U is a new chapter for Nintendo and, as with any new console, a big risk.
It’s a risk for Nintendo to produce an interesting, unusual machine that adds a six-inch touch screen to the standard twin-stick controller.
It’s a risk for gamers who, every time there’s a new piece of hardware out, have to decide whether to spend a few hundred dollars investing in its future.

Fils-Aime: “This is definitely the start of a new day.”

Fils-Aime believes there are a great variety of games for people to choose from, which he thinks should compel them to pick up the console. He boasted on Saturday night of having 29 packaged games hitting stores, with a promise to get 50 games out through the end of March — the close of the console’s “launch window.” Among the forthcoming games announced for that window are Pikmin 3, The Wonderful 101 and Lego City Undercover. “I think we will continue to surprise the fans with announcements and information,” Fils-Aime said. “I would not go so far as to say you know everything in our launch window.”
It is, of course, necessary to convince gamers that the system will be around and have good game support for a long time. Nintendo’s own Zelda and Mario creations are guaranteed. It’s third-party games, which have shown up in abundance at launch, that are not ensured to be there in the months and years to come. Fils-Aime thinks those games will be there, now that there’s a Nintendo console that supports HD graphics and complex online play and communities. The original Wii lacked those things.
But some major upcoming third-party games for the first half of 2013 are not on the Wii U release calendar. There’s no BioShock Infinite and no Grand Theft Auto V, which are slated for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Fils-Aime deflected a question about those two games, which are published by Take Two, suggesting they were too far off in the future to be discussing on launch night. “We’re gratified when we read comments from companies like Take Two,” he said. “We’re gratified when we’re inspiring the world’s best developers to put content on our system.”
Some Wii U versions of games released on other platforms have good bonus features. Assassin’s Creed III and Mass Effect 3 both put the game’s map on the Wii U controller’s big six-inch screen. The latter also lets players pick weapons and powers without pausing or slowing the game’s action. But if Wii U versions lack elements of these games that are on other platforms, players might hesitate on getting the Nintendo console edition of the game. Who’s to blame? Nintendo? The game-maker? Or is this just a matter of imperfect launch-day ports, something that’s been an issue for just about every new console ever? For example, there had been rumblings — confirmed since then — that a Wii U version of Mass Effect 3 might not have the next downloadable content that the PS3/360 versions of the game will have. “We have no policy limitation on DLC or on business model for third party publishers,” Fils-Aime said, implying that any DLC would be welcome on the console. A rep for Mass Effect 3 development studio Bioware did not reply yet to a request for comment about why the Wii U version won’t get the game’s next expansion.
On the day after Fils-Aime and I spoke, the Wii U’s online services ran into problems. Its new social network, Miiverse, kept going offline. Even when it was up, Miiverse’s integration into Nintendo’s own games was only operating sporadically. As of this writing, things seem better again, but it’s just these kinds of issues that can worry a new consumer.
On Saturday night I’d asked Fils-Aime if potential Wii U buyers should worry about the delay of the much-hyped Nintendo TVii service from launch to December. In the US, that service is supposed to integrate a user’s Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime and even cable feeds into one on-demand video-viewing portal. The Nintendo president was proud to point out that Netflix was available on day one on the Wii U but shared this answer about the TVii delay. “People should not be concerned about it at all,” he said. “The fact that we are now launching it in December reinforces some key truisms about Nintendo: We launch a product when it is in perfect in our eyes, not just because a certain date in the calendar has come up. Probably any other company would have launched it tonight.”

Fils-Aime: “We launch a product when it is in perfect in our eyes, not just because a certain date in the calendar has come up.”

That promise of delivering perfection reads differently after a Sunday of Miiverse service problems on the heels of a shockingly large day-one firmware update that was required to access five of the 11 Wii U features advertised on the console’s box.
Fils-Aime declined to say specifically what problems had kept TVii from debuting on launch but promised the service would be high-quality when it launches.
The Wii U is an ambitious console. Nintendo is launching a new console, a new type of game controller and a complicated new online service that includes a new online store and a new social network. Things can’t possibly go perfectly. It can’t all be rosy. It can be, however, the start of a new era, if not for gaming then for Nintendo. Say this is the beginning of a new generation? Sure. Let’s hope it’s a good one and let’s hope Nintendo can deliver on what they’ve promised.

The most brutal ad you’ll see this election

2012-11-04T08:25:00.002-08:00

The most brutal ad you’ll see this election

I don’t think this requires much commentary, do you?

It was made by the crew over at ClimateSilence.org. They are raising money to put the ad on the air a few swing states, if you’re into that sort of thing.
See also: Watch Romney grin awkwardly as his audience shouts down climate activist

Google's Nexus 4: A closer look at Android's new flagship phone

2012-10-30T09:16:00.003-07:00

Google's Nexus 4: A closer look at Android's new flagship phone

Being an Android fan is a bit like being a kid in a candy store today. Along with its new Android 4.2 Jelly Beanrelease and all the new features it delivers, Google has officially launched two brand new Nexus devices: the Nexus 4, a highly anticipated new flagship phone, and the Nexus 10, a high-end 10-inch tablet made by Samsung.

Let's take an up-close look at the Nexus 4, shall we? The phone combines the basic structure of LG's Optimus G with Google's own design sentiments andpure Android software. Get ready, gang: This phone promises to provide the ultimate Android experience -- and it very well may have the goods to deliver.

Nexus 4: LG's hardware with Google's design

You can clearly see LG's Optimus G foundation in the Nexus 4, but make no mistake about it: This is a Nexus phone through and through. The Nexus 4 rocks a 4.7-in. True HD IPS display with the familiar Nexus-style curved glass. At a glance, its form actually looks very much like that of the Galaxy Nexus that preceded it.

Thinking about size? The Nexus 4 is 2.7 x 5.3 in. and 0.36 in. thick. It weighs 4.9 oz. Despite its larger screen, then, that actually makes it almost the same size and weight as the Galaxy Nexus -- just a hair thicker and a skosh heavier, but probably not enough to be terribly noticeable.

The larger screen is far from the only thing that separates the new Nexus phone from its younger brother, though. In general, LG's build with this line of devices feels far more solid and substantial than the plasticky-style approach favored by Samsung. The Nexus 4 puts a Googley twist on LG's distinctive back-of-phone design, with a sleek and premium-looking patterned material reminiscent of the classic Nexus wallpaper look.

Outward aesthetics aside, the Nexus 4's screen has a resolution of 1280 x 768 with 320ppi, all protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 2. Based on the time I spent with the Optimus G, which uses the same display technology, I expect the image quality on this thing to be wildly impressive.

And that's just the start.

Nexus 4: Power, power, power

Under its hood, the new Nexus 4 packs a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor along with a full 2GB of RAM. With that setup, the Optimus G zooms along as fast as any Android phone I've seen; combining it with pure Google software should deliver comparable -- and quite possibly even better -- levels of ridiculous speed.

The Nexus 4 has an 8-megapixel camera -- certainly a huge step up from the Galaxy Nexus's 5-megapixel lens, which was widely viewed as that device's Achilles' heel. If the Optimus G is any indication, I suspect the Nexus 4's camera will be good, though likely less good than the super-high-end cameras used on phones like HTC's One X and One S. The Nexus 4 also has a 1.3-megapixel shooter on its front for video chat and all those self-nudie pics you're always taking (you silly, silly pervert).

The Nexus 4 comes with either 8GB or 16GB of internal storage, and --following the typical Nexus model -- unfortunately does not support SD cards. It does support wireless charging, though, and will have an incredibly slick-looking wireless charging orb (yes, orb) accessory.

The Nexus 4 has a 2100mAh battery that's listed for 15.3 hours of talk-time and 390 hours of standby.

Nexus 4: The nitty-gritty

All right, let's get down to brass tacks: Google is focusing primarily on direct unlocked sales of the Nexus 4, which isn't a huge surprise after the Verizon Galaxy Nexus debacle. You'll be able to grab GSM/HSPA+ versions of the phone starting November 13 from the Google Play Store. (There is no LTE version -- something Android head honcho Andy Rubin describes as a "tactical" decision.)

Translation? For those of us in the U.S., the phone will work on either T-Mobile or AT&T with HSPA+-level 4G speeds; you'll buy the device outright from Google and then use it either with your existing plan or a new plan. You can also opt to use it with a prepaid smartphone plan -- something I'd strongly suggest considering.

The 8GB version of the device will be available for $300 and the 16GB version for $350. The phone will launch initially in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Germany, France, Spain, and Australia; Google says Europe, Central and South America, Asia, CIS and the Middle East will follow later in the month.

(In the U.S., T-Mobile will also sell the 16GB version of the phone for $200 with a new two-year contract. Between you and me, though, most people will do far better by buying directly from Google and then picking a usage-appropriate plan without the contract.)

Some start to the week, eh? And we're barely even scratching the surface. I'll be spending a lot of time with the Nexus 4 as well as the Nexus 10 over the next several days and will be sharing my detailed hands-on impressions with you soon.

Keep an eye on Android Power for updates or join me over on Google+ if you want to chat about this stuff even more.

Soldiers Guard the Tomb of Unknowns During Hurricane Sandy

2012-10-30T08:35:00.001-07:00

A photo of soldiers guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from September that went viral on the Internet today, as Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast. (Karin Markert/OldGuard/Facebook)

An inspirational picture making the rounds on the Internet today is reminding people of the service of the elite soldiers who guard Arlington Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknowns in any kind of weather, even during Hurricane Sandy. That the picture was actually taken in September is another matter, because even as Hurricane Sandy makes its way along the Eastern seaboard, soldiers are there, guarding the tomb in the fierce wind and rain.

Tomb Sentinels from the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment’s “The Old Guard” have guarded the Tomb for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year regardless of the weather, since 1948.

A photo of three Tomb Sentinels standing at attention before the Tomb of the Unknowns in a driving rain in what is supposed to be Hurricane Sandy took the Internet by storm today, but it turns out the photo was actually taken on Sept. 18. It is one in a series taken that day by photographer Karin Markert and posted on a photo sharing site.

Quickly becoming an Internet sensation on social media sites, the photo garnered universal positive comments of pride for the duty and commitment to service of those serving in the U.S. military.

The picture might not be from today, but it does represent the faithful duty of the Tomb Sentinels from the Old Guard who have remained at their posts during Hurricane Sandy.

See more photos of soldiers at the Tomb of the Unknown SoldierHERE.

“The Old Guard has guarded the tomb minute of every day since April 6, 1948. Today will be no exception,” says an official posting on the unit’s Facebook site.

The site also includes pictures of the Sentinels protecting the Tomb today during Hurricane Sandy’s heavy rains and winds.

Spc. Brett Hyde, Tomb Sentinel, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), keeping guard over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during Hurricane Sandy, at Arlington National Cemetery, Va., Monday, Oct. 29, 2012. (Sgt. Jose A. Torres Jr.,/U.S. Army Photo/AP Photo)

A caption for one of the photos says Spc. Brett Hyde lives by the Sentinel’s Creed which in part says “Through the years of diligence and praise and the discomfort of the elements, I will walk my tour in humble reverence to the best of my ability.”

Arlington Cemetery was closed to the general public today, but the Old Guard continued with its normal duty of honoring the fallen at funeral services.

The Sentinels execute precise steps before the Tomb that is the final resting place for unknown soldiers from World War I, World War II and the Korean War. The Changing of the Guard at the Tomb is a popular stop for Washington tourists.

They remain at their posts rain, snow or shine and extreme weather is not a concern. They remained at their posts during Hurricanes Isabel and Irene as well as the 2010 blizzard, nicknamed “Snowmaggedon“, that shut down the capital for days.

Typically when it rains, Tomb Sentinels have the option of standing their watch under a green tent located to the side of the Tomb where they usually remain during wreath-laying ceremonies at the tomb.

According to the Society of The Old Guard’s website, Tomb Sentinels “are completely dedicated to their duty of guarding the Tomb. Because of that dedication, the weather does not bother them. In fact, they consider it an honor to stand their watch (we call it “walking the mat”), regardless of the weather. It gets cold, it gets hot – but the Sentinels never budge. And they never allow any feeling of cold or heat to be seen by anyone.”

The Society is an alumni association for the more than 400 soldiers who have earned the Sentinel badge since 1958.

The website for The Society says that despite their commitment, the welfare of the soldier is never put at risk: “The Tomb Guards have contingencies that are ready to be executed IF the weather conditions EVER place the Soldiers at risk of injury or death — such as lightning, high winds, etc. This ensures that Sentinels can maintain the Tomb Guard responsibilities while ensuring soldier safety. It is the responsibility of the Chain of Command from the Sergeant of the Guard to the Regimental Commander to ensure mission accomplishment and soldier welfare at all times.”

microsoft surface tablet price

2012-10-17T09:38:00.001-07:00

Can Microsoft's $499 Surface tablet lure you away from iPad?

Microsoft announced prices ranging from $499 to $699 for its Surface RT tablets, the company's first branded computing devices.

The Microsoft Surface tablet, which can come with a separate cover that doubles as a keyboard.

Is a Microsoft Surface tablet priced at $499 good enough to entice you away from that Apple iPad you might be considering?

That's the question Microsoft faces now that it has announced the prices of Surface with Windows RT, the company's first branded tablets, launching Oct. 26.

The tablet will come in at three price points, Microsoft said Tuesday:

• $499 for a 32-gigabyte version of the tablet.

• $599 for a 32GB version that comes with a black Touch Cover.

• $699 for a 64GB version that comes with a black Touch Cover

The Touch Cover — a thin tablet cover that doubles as a keyboard and attaches to the Surface magnetically — is one of Microsoft's key selling points for the tablet. The company is also selling the Touch Cover — which comes in black, white, magenta, cyan and red — separately for $119.99.

Microsoft also is selling separately the Type Cover — a slightly thicker Surface cover with moving keys that feel more like traditional keyboards. It will sell for $129.99 and come in black.

The Surface will be available for pre-order atwww.surface.com, or for purchase starting Oct. 26 in Microsoft Stores, as well as the 34 holiday pop-up stores Microsoft is opening. It will also be available for sale online in the U.S., Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong and the U.K.

The prices disclosed Tuesday are in line with what Microsoft executives hinted all along.

In the initial unveiling of the Surface in June, they said the price for the Surface RT would be comparable to other tablets. Apple's new iPad starts at $499 for the 16GB version.

And last month, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said in an interview with The Seattle Times that the "sweet spot" in the bulk of the PC market would be between $300 and $700 to $800.

The Surface RT runs Windows RT, the version of Windows 8 designed to run on ARM-based processors. (Many of today's tablets, including the iPad, run on chips built on technology developed by ARM Holdings, a British company. ARM-based chips are notable for conserving on battery use.)

It comes with a version of Office installed that includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote. It will not run legacy Windows apps.

Another version of the Surface tablet, Surface with Windows 8 Pro, is expected to launch in about three months. The Surface Pro will run on x86 processors produced by the likes of Intel and AMD and will be priced higher, comparable to ultrabooks, Microsoft executives have said. The Surface Pro will run Windows 8 and will run legacy Windows apps.

The Surface is Microsoft's first foray into making its own branded computing devices.

It's part of Microsoft's larger efforts — including the launch of Windows 8, also on Oct. 26 — to gain a foothold in the mobile market.

Whether it can break through and get people's attention enough for them to try out and buy it is the big question.

Ads for Surface have already started running.

And though the prices announced Tuesday are "not as aggressive as I would've liked to have seen them get," said Tom Mainelli, an analyst with research firm IDC, "I think it's competitive."

One challenge will be the limited number of places where people can get their hands on a Surface — namely, Microsoft's retail and temporary holiday pop-up stores.

"I think a lot of people would really like to be able to try out that keyboard before they pull the trigger," Mainelli said.

Another challenge comes in the number of apps available in the Windows Store, which lags far behind the number for the iPad.

Still, if reports are accurate, it sounds like Microsoft plans to sell a lot of Surfaces.

The Wall Street Journal, citing component suppliers in Asia, reports Microsoft has placed orders to produce 3 million to 5 million Surface tablets in the fourth quarter.

"That's a big number," said Mainelli, who notes Amazon shipped 5 million of its Kindle Fire tablet when it launched last year and Google's Nexus 7 has shipped close to 2 million to date. Apple sold 17 million iPads last quarter.

The challenge Microsoft faces is not necessarily the Surface's price point, said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst with research firm Gartner.

"We know consumers will spend $499 for something they want," Gartenberg said. What Microsoft has to do is convince consumers that "this is different. And why different is better.

"This is a huge challenge for Microsoft in terms of not only getting the product right but also the message and the marketing right," Gartenberg said. "The challenge is directly with the iPad, which is very much perceived by consumers as the base choice. Microsoft has to convince them they're not buying into the wrong platform."

There's another big shadow hanging over Surface: Apple announced Tuesday an event on Oct. 23. It's expected the company will announce an iPad Mini, a smaller — and presumably cheaper — version of its tablet market-dominating iPad.

Though the Surface aims to be a different tool — more productivity-oriented — than the smaller and less expensive 7-inch tablets such as Kindle Fire and the expected iPad Mini, it still will compete with the companies that produce them.

That's because the larger battle now is not merely between devices. Those devices are simply ways for consumers to access the large array of services the companies provide and a way for those companies to keep selling services to customers.

"It's not iPad vs. Surface vs. Nexus," Gartenberg said. "It's the Microsoft ecosystem vs. the Google ecosystem vs. the Apple ecosystem."

Maura Murray never seen again after crashing car in New Hampshire in 2004

2012-10-16T09:21:00.002-07:00

Who is the 'sadistic madman' taunting family of missing coed with trolling video eight years to the day that she disappeared?

Creep calling himself Mr112dirtbag posts footage of himself cackling uncontrollably
Maura Murray never seen again after crashing car in New Hampshire in 2004
Family dismiss videos as 'cruel and hideous'

Baffling and disturbing videos have emerged on YouTube that are taunting the family of Maura Murray, a University of Massachusetts coed who disappeared in 2004.
The most frightening of these shows an old man cackling uncontrollably, followed by the words 'Happy Anniversary.'
It was posted eight years, to the day, after Murray, 21, went missing from rural Haverhill, New Hampshire.
The cryptic videos were posted by a user calling himself Mr112dirtbag. Murray's car was found smashed into a tree on Route 112 February 9, 2004. Murray was never found.
Scroll down for videos

Vanished: Maura Murray was 21 when she disappeared after crashing her car into a tree

Cackling: This video, of a man laughing uncontrollably, was posted on the eighth anniversary of Murray's disappearance

The laughing video, and another showing a lift pass for the nearby Bretton Woods Ski Resort dated two days after her disappearance, have since been removed.
Fox News Boston and investigative journalist and filmmaker James Renner have suggested the man may have some link to Murray's disappearance.

However, her family has issued a statement urging people to ignore the postings and calling them 'cruel and hideous.'
The New Hampshire Attorney General's office, which is still investigating the Murray case, told Fox Boston that officials are watching the videos but they offer no new evidence in the case.

Never found: It's still unknown what happened to Murray after she went missing in 2004

Cryptic: Many of the videos are simply indecipherable. Are they meaningless babble or cryptic messages?

Whatever the man's link to the Murray case, the videos are the work of a madman, Northeastern University criminologist Jack Levin told the TV station.
'The sadistic urge to inflict pain and suffering on other people is always a way of making individuals feel powerful. That's what it's all about. He wants to be in charge,' he said.
'He wants to feel important. We may see it as a hideous crime. He may see it as his greatest accomplishment in life that has affected so many people. Even if it's in a nasty way.'

Bizarre: This video, of the man playing an electric keyboard is called 'No Hope for Mental Wannabe'

Drawings: Many of the videos are simple drawings. This one is titled 'Black eye'

The videos are uniformly bizarre and cryptic. One shows a simple line drawing a girl's face with a black eye. Another, a shot out of a car window in the rain.
The description for several of the videos contains an essay about the reliability of the last known person to see Murray alive, who said she appeared .
Others make reference to marriage, inbreeding and the genetic disorder Tay-Sachs.
The poster also references the 2000 disappearance of Molly Bish, 16, whose remains were found in rural Massachusetts, and Patric McCarthy, a 10-yea-old boy who disappeared in 2003 and was found dead five days later.

'The Walking Dead Season 3 premiere recap: Seed plants the foundation for a new direction

2012-10-14T23:05:00.002-07:00

You wanted walkers? You wanted walker kills? You got 'em. The third season premiere of"The Walking Dead" played like a direct response to complaints that the show had become too slow, too light on action and too sedentary during Season 2's life on the farm arc.

"Seed" didn't betray the established tone or style -- this is still the gritty, quiet, mournful, cinematic series we've come to know over 19 episodes -- but it ramped up the action to a level beyond even last season's eventful finale "Beside the Dying Fire" (which was also directed byErnest Dickerson and written by showrunner Glen Mazzara). There may have been more walkers killed in this episode than in the last two seasons combined. It was impossible to keep track with the number of multiple kills in one shot, kills in wide shots, kills only heard not seen... Rick and company had themselves a full-fledged walker massacre.

But it wasn't just violence for the sake of violence. There was a clear mission in "Seed": Take over at least one secure area of a massive walker-infested prison so the group could have a place to rest for awhile. They accomplish the mission with focused, determined teamwork. Clearly the group has become a well-oiled machine in these past few months, and even previously weaker members of the group (like Carl and Carol) have found their niche when it comes to fighting walkers.

RELATED: "Walking Dead" Season 3 interview with Chandler Riggs (Carl)

Finding a secure place to stay was especially important with Lori on the verge of delivering her baby. And speaking of Lori's baby, she's more than a bit concerned there may be a little walker growing inside her. She hasn't felt the baby kick for days, and she confesses her fears to Hershel (she and Rick are barely speaking, so she can't find much comfort from him). Lori gives Hershel specific instructions that if anything goes wrong during the birth, he better not think twice about protecting the larger group: "Me. The baby. If we're walkers, you don't hesitate and you don't try to save us," she tells him.

Lori's not just carrying a baby, she's carrying the guilt of what Rick did to Shane. "I put him and Shane at odds. I put the knife in his hand," she tells Hershel. But Hershel is a no-nonsense guy and he makes sure she understands to focus on her baby, not on what happened between Rick and Shane. Of course, things like that are easier said then done when her own son won't speak to her and her husband only does so when necessary.

Lori opened up to Hershel because he's the group's doctor, but now we know that may not do her much good. On a mission with Rick, Glenn, Maggie, Daryl and T-Dog, Hershel went and got himself bit -- a walker chomped down on the back of his leg like it was a KFC drumstick. And Rick, thinking fast and with no other options, hacked off Hershel's lower leg in an attempt to stop the walker bite from spreading through his system.

As the hour came to a close, Hershel was bleeding out while everyone else stood by horrified. And then discovered they weren't the only humans inside the prison...

Other highlights:

- Ever wonder what owl tastes like? Just ask Daryl.

- Although "Seed" was heavy on action and light on conversation, there were signs that even fringe members of the group (T-Dog, Hershel's daughter Beth) are being positioned for prime roles this season. T-Dog actually spoke (more than once!) and Beth had that lovely rendition of the Irish folk song "Parting Glass." It also seemed like Carl is nursing a little crush on Beth...

- Speaking of crushes, Daryl and Carol were in full on flirty mode tonight with backrubs and playful teasing. How far will the show take this relationship, which seemed on the verge of collapse after Sophia's death shattered everyone, especially these two?

- While Rick and company have coalesced as a team, the same thing seems to have happened to Andrea and Michonne. We don't know what went down between them in the time that transpired between the end of Season 2 and start of Season 3, but we do know Andrea has already saved Michonne's life several times. They're so tight that Michonne is determined to find a way to cure Andrea's current illness. They set off from their own safe haven with Michonne's two pets in tow...

Canine heroes of 9/11 set example for new generation

2011-09-09T01:49:00.000-07:00

Annapolis: While there were hundreds of human heroes in the days following the September 11 attacks, there were four-legged heroes too -- the dogs who searched for survivors and bodies in the rubble of buildings and planes.
A decade later, the 9/11 dogs still alive are long retired, but there's a new generation coming up behind them.
Red, a 12 year-old labrador who searched the rubble of the Pentagon with her handler, is among those retired as an active search dog. Her legs are not as spry as they once were but in her temperament Red still appears to have that same devotion to the search.

Not long after American Airlines flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon on September 11, Red was at work. She was 18 months old and only recently certified as a rescue dog, a rookie among more veteran canines.
Red searched the debris pile with an energy that surprised even her handler, Heather Roche.
"I never thought she would be a successful search dog and actually at six months old I found a pet home for her and had found another dog. I thought ... her personality is not what is needed for a working dog," Roche told Reuters TV.
"And then, no matter what I asked her to do -- whether it was climbing up things, going somewhere (as) I stayed far away, ladders, you name it -- she did it every single time and she did it perfectly," Roche said.
For weeks, Red navigated the hazards of the rubble piles amid the clatter and chaos following 9/11. After Red discovered dozens of bodies, Roche was sure that, among the rescue dogs working the pile, hers was one of the greats, though the dogs generally were impressive.
"They worked so hard and it was so hot and we were on a daytime shift, so it melted all of us. Just the work basically -- 12 hour shifts out in the sun."
By the time we were done every day, they slept hard ... but they were willing the next morning. They were rejuvenated and pulling on the leash to go back to work," Roche said.
Ten years on, Roche, who keeps Red with her in Annapolis, Maryland, is still deep in the tight community of canine search and rescue. She and other handlers train their dogs in a simulated disaster environment such as one in suburban Washington with an obstacle course of a fabricated rubble site made of concrete blocks and wooden pallets.
Roche says the experience of 9/11 has demonstrated the importance of training dogs in these hazardous environments.
In her retirement, Red still tags along on some search missions. She wants to work, even if her body has lost a step or two in these past 10 years.
And, just as the human first responders continue to suffer ailments attributed to their work at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the handlers of estimated 300 canine search and rescue teams know the dogs who worked in the days and weeks following September 11, 2001 also gave up a part of themselves.
"With her, you know she's earned the right to do anything she wants," Roche said.

Scarface Returns to the Big Screen for One Night Event!

2011-08-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

Scarface comes back to the big screen August 31

Blasting onto the silver screen with the intensity of its original release nearly 30 years ago, the pop culture phenomenon Scarface, starring Al Pacino and directed by Brian De Palma, returns to movie theaters in a one-night Fathom event on Wednesday, August 31 at 7:30 p.m. local time.

Presented by NCM Fathom and Universal Studios Home Entertainment, audiences nationwide will get the opportunity to experience one of the most influential gangster classics ever made like never before - with all-new restored high-definition picture and enhanced audio. Fans who attend this special event will also get an exclusive look at a 20-minute special feature that showcases interviews with popular filmmakers and talent expressing how this epic feature redefined the gangster genre, leaving an enduring influence on cinema.  

Tickets for the Scarface Special Event () are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom website (theaters and participants are subject to change). The Scarface Special Event will appear in more than 475 select movie theaters across the country via the new digital cinema projection systems.  

"Almost 30 years after its initial release, Scarface remains iconic and stirs passionate responses from audiences around the world," said Daniel Diamond, vice president of NCM Fathom. "Now, fans can experience Scarface like never before in theaters with spectacularly updated visual and sound quality, and never-before-seen elements in an historic, one-night event." 

Scarface is a 1983 American crime drama and masterful collaboration between acclaimed director Brian DePalma and Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Oliver Stone. Produced by Martin Bregman, Academy Award® winner Al Pacino stars as Tony Montana, a Cuban immigrant who finds wealth, power and passion beyond his wildest dreams...at a price he never imagined. Scarface was nominated for three Golden Globe® Awards (including Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Score), and was named one of the Top 10 Gangster Films of All Time by the American Film Institute.   

This one-night, in-theater event celebrates the first-ever Blu-ray release of Scarface on September 6 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Fans of Scarface will enjoy the restored high-definition picture and 7.1 audio plus see exclusive new bonus content that reveals the film's iconic legacy as one of the greatest crime sagas of all time. For a limited time only, the Scarface Special Limited Edition Blu-ray comes with collectible SteelBook packaging, 10 exclusive art cards, a digital copy of the film and a DVD of the original 1932 Scarface, making it a must-own addition to every film fan's library. And, for the ultimate collector and cigar enthusiast, an elegantly handcrafted Scarface-themed Humidor Blu-ray will also be made available in an exclusive, never-before-available, limited edition.

Scarface was released December 9th, 1983 and stars Al Pacino, Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Robert Loggia, Miriam Colon, F. Murray Abraham, Paul Shenar. The film is directed by Brian De Palma.

Giant hogweed has arrived, city and weed expert confirm

2011-07-05T19:02:00.000-07:00


hogweed A stand of giant hogweed near Waterloo. The noxious and prolific weed has been found in Guelph.

GUELPH — Giant hogweed is here.
City staff recently confirmed the noxious plant was found in the front yard of a residence on Dufferin Street in downtown Guelph.
Jessica McEachern, a biologist by training who has conducted plant identification in the past, inspected the weed with Randy Drury, Guelph’s civic weed inspector.
“Both of us, when we saw the plant, knew what we were looking at,” said McEachern, a City of Guelph environmental planner.
François Tardif, an expert in weed science at the University of Guelph, has confirmed two cases within the city limits: the plant at the Dufferin Street address and another stand in nearby Highview Park, where it overflows into a private backyard.
But others are not so certain the Dufferin Street plant is bona fide hogweed.
The resident at the home in question, reportedly an ecologist who has mapped and inventoried hogweed in the past, insists the plant is cow parsnip, and refuses to remove it, McEachern said.
“I believe there was a difference of opinion about what was being observed,” McEachern said. “I don’t think there was any intention of removing it.”
Nigel Finney, a natural heritage ecologist with Conservation Halton who also saw the Dufferin Street plant, said he is “almost certain” it is hogweed.
But whether it’s hogweed or cow parsnip, “they both cause photosensitivity in some people and should be removed,” he said.
Even Tardif said he was only 95 per cent sure. “I may be wrong. Scientists are never 100 per cent sure,” he wrote in an email.
McEachern said she recognized the plant by its height and the purple pubescents on its stalk.
“I mean, no one’s broken the plant to see if it causes photodermititis,” she said. “All I can really say is that both myself and Randy felt very confident with what we were looking at.”
While the city is responsible for destroying hazardous plants found on public property, homeowners have historically been expected to handle plants in their private backyards and gardens.
As public awareness and fear of the plant grows, many residents have mistaken similar plants in the parsley family, such as cow parsnip and wild carrot, for giant hogweed.
Heracleum mantegazzianum, better known as giant hogweed, was carried from Asia to Canada in the mid-1900s and has been spreading throughout southern Ontario in the past decade.
It contains a phototoxic sap that can burn skin, permanently damage the eye or, in extremely rare cases, lead to asphyxiation. A prolific breeder, a single hogweed flower produces thousands of seeds that travel by wind, water or wildlife to adjacent lands.
Asked if the plant is likely to burgeon in Guelph, McEachern said, “It seems to be the general trend in all other locations where it’s been identified. So without proper disposal, I suppose it is a risk.”
The proximity of Dufferin Street to local waterways might be cause for extra concern, Finney said, since the plant could put the floodplain area around the Eramosa and Speed Rivers at risk.
McEachern said the city is “starting to get the ball rolling” on a public education campaign about the weed. “We’re definitely starting to do that now, as we speak,” she said.
Attempts to reach the owner of the house on Dufferin Street were unsuccessful.

Team Fortress 2 'Uber Update' gets more details

2011-06-22T08:58:00.000-07:00

Valve says the so-called 'Uber update' will be "the biggest, most ambitious update in the history of Team Fortress 2."

'Timbuck Tuesday' reveals two more new character models following on from day one, this time The Sniper and The Demoman get a going over. Each comes with new weapons and accessories to increase their effectiveness in the field.

The Sniper gets a new rifle and a sword called 'The Shahanshah', while Demoman gets a shield, a sword and 'Ali Baba's Wee Booties' which provide a health boost when worn.

Team Fortress 2 is also free to play this week. Check out all the Timbuk Tuesday details in the screen grabs below.

[ Source: Team Fortress 2 website ]

Top 5 Summer Diets of 2011

2011-06-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

Everyone is tired of dieting without getting the results, but fear not, we've found some powerful diets that'll get you in beach-ready shape in no time.
Jenny Craig - With the help of you Jenny Craig personal consultant you will achieve that summer body you have always wanted. For those of you who are on lower budgets this diet may not be for you since the cost of the program starts at about $600 per month. The consultant customizes a meal program which includes three packaged meals and one snack per day. You are allowed to add your own fruits and vegetables after they are approved by your consultant. So what are you waiting for call Jenny today!

Weight Watchers Diet - Weight Watchers has been helping us slim down since the 1960s. This diet program defines each food you consume as points, and depending on your goal weight you are allowed only a certain amount of points per day. The program really focuses on portion size and how to forever moderate one's food intake. Weight Watchers weight-loss support groups, which are both online and in person, help you make this adjustment that can totally change the way you eat. Hey, it is nice to have long lasting results.
17 Day Diet - summer is here and for some it's getting down to the wire to shed those extra pounds before putting on that swimsuit. Dr. Michael Moreno has discovered a way for us to start shedding the pounds in as little as 17 days as well as speed up the metabolism. This diet has three cycles and a fourth long-term maintenance cycle. The 17 Day Diet encourages a diet of beneficial eating, without the use of sugar, processed foods, fried foods, and other unhealthy foods. This new diet has become a phenomenon across America!

Zone Diet - this low calorie diet helps change your metabolism and prevent certain health problems. When you are on the zone diet you attain in 30 percent calories of your daily intake from protein, 40 percent calories from carbohydrates, and 30 percent calories from fat. There are many books on the zone diet which tell you what specific foods to eat and stay away from.
Ornish Diet - The diet is definitely for those of you who are going hardcore in the race to stay healthy and lean. The Ornish diet plan, discovered by M.D. Dean Ornish, is a very low-fat, high fiber, vegetarian diet. Therefore, the diet eliminates meat, fish, and poultry. Only less than 10 percent of your daily calorie intake will come from fat. With this diet and exercise, you will be on your way to that beach body in no time.

'Green Lantern's Ring' Shines in NASA Space Photo

2011-06-16T07:25:00.000-07:00

This glowing emerald nebula seen by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope is reminiscent of the glowing ring wielded by the superhero Green Lantern.

CREDIT: NASA/JPL-Caltech

A glowing ring spotted in space seems at first more like superhero fiction than science fact. But that's what NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope found in the murky clouds encircled by the tail of the constellation Scorpius.

The new photo of the bright emerald nebula, released Wednesday (June 15), is reminiscent of the glowing ring wielded by the comic book superhero Green Lantern, who derives his strength from the band forged by the diminutive Guardians of the Planet "Oa," according to a NASA description. The film version of "Green Lantern", starring Ryan Reynolds as iconic hero Hal Jordan, on Friday (June 17). [See NASA's photo of a 'Green Lantern' nebula]

In reality, the cosmic ring is a region of hot gas and glowing dust sculpted by the powerful light of giant "O" stars, which are the most massive type of star known to exist.

'Green Lantern' Stars: Don't Try Superhero Fashion At Home!

2011-06-16T06:23:00.000-07:00

At the movie's Hollywood premiere, Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively and others weigh in on when it's cool to wear spandex.

HOLLYWOOD, California — No matter how different the characters, costumes and mythology, there are a lot of similarities among comic book superheroes, especially those of the big-screen variety. The latest entry into the comic book movie annals is this week's "Green Lantern," in which star Ryan Reynolds sports a fashion commonly associated with superhero types: spandex.

Well, his co-star Blake Lively insists the Green Lantern isn't wearing a suit of spandex, but rather a suit of "energy." Still, given the fact that these characters seem so comfortable sporting outfits of the stretchy, pliant variety, we asked the stars and attendees at Wednesday's "Green Lantern" premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre when they think it's cool for dudes to wear spandex — outside the superhero realm, of course.
"Ooh wow, that's good," Ryan Reynolds said of our query. "Ballet. Definitely ballet. That's in the top five at least."
Mark Strong, who plays the soon-to-be-evil Siestro, suggested that the appropriate time is "on a bicycle. And that's about it."
"I wear spandex every day," revealed NBA All-Star Blake Griffin. "So I'd say 24/7. I have red, white, blue, green, orange, purple, navy, pink," he joked, before correcting himself. "I just wear white and black under my basketball shorts. I don't really go that far."
Reynolds had a definite idea of when not to wear the fabric: "I don't think when it's sexy time. That's probably not a good idea."
Maybe it depends on what color you wear for said sexy time?
"[Maybe] lavender, with little gold flecks?" Reynolds allowed, with a smile.
"If people could walk around in suits of energy, that would be cool," Blake Lively said, taking our question seriously. "Other than that, I don't think men should wear spandex."
Check out everything we've got on "Green Lantern."
For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.

Clash of the Titans (2010) Review

2011-05-30T07:47:00.000-07:00

My review of the 2010 version of 'Clash of The
Titans

Having not seen the original 'Clash' in 1981, I am judging this film as any other film - not comparing to it's original, just a average movie review.

'Clash of the Titans' (as said) is a remake of the 1981 film of the same name. The story follows the Greek myth of Perseus (Sam Worthington who you may know as Jake Sulley in 'Avatar') who must capture Hades, the god of the underworld (played by Harry Potter's nemesis, Voldemort, Ralph Fiennes) while Zeus (Liam Neeson) tries to guard Hades' wanted revenge after Zeus tricked Hades and sent him to the underworld. Perseus has a very difficult task: He must defeat Hades, the infamous Medusa (the one you don't want to look in the eye, remember?), and Hades' created creature, the kraken.

First off: Casting. Sam Worthington seems to get mixed reviews on his acting by some critics - some love him, some are medium on him, some can't stand him. From the two films I've seen him in now (Avatar is the other) I have found him to be a pretty solid actor - not amazing, but he has delivered two very nice performances in both films I have seen him in - he was the main character\good guy in both, too so you get to see plenty of him. So with that being said, I thought Worthington played Perseus outstanding - some of you may have other thoughts about his performance in 'Titans', but I thought he played Perseus great.
Ralph Fiennes is also rock-solid as Hades - you really feel his "evilness" in the film - other villains in other films aren't acted as great, but I think Fiennes was perfect for the role. Lo (Gemma Arterton) who had kept an eye on Perseus throughout his life is a very beautiful character and likeable, too. Arterton was also rock-solid in her role. Liam Neeson on the other hand... some reason I had mixed feelings on his role as Zeus - he was good, but not great. I don't know what it is (I will probably get questions on why I didn't like him as well - I honestly can't say - just something about him seemed a little "off" but to each his own, right?) Mads Mikkelson (sorry, I can't help but laugh at that hilarious name) plays Draco great, too. While Princess Andromeda (surprisingly doesn't have that many scenes when you consider she is a princess after all - but I haven't seen the original yet, either, so.. yeah.) who is played by Alexa Davalos is pretty good, too. I didn't see many flaws in the casting in this film, either besides maybe Neeson as Zeus, but even he wasn't terrible.. so I think the cast is all around nothing short but great.

One of the big highlights in this film is the amount of badass creatures and villains - some fierce creatures and villains were aplenty in this film (especially creatures) as it seemed there wouldn't be 5 minutes without some kind of battle going on. Which is a very good plus since that brings much action, and much interest in viewers. So I give action a A+. I also got to mention that the movie goes by very swiftly - it goes by rather quick. (It's 106 minutes, by the way).

One thing you guys may want to check out (if you don't have a Blu-Ray) is a interesting alternate ending that came to the Blu-Ray version of the movie - so you might wanna search "Clash of the Titans Alternate Ending" on Youtube to check it out if you don't have Blu-Ray (like me).

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at how good this film was - casting was very good, villains and creatures aplenty, and action non-stop. I may shock some people by saying this, but I have to give this film a 9.5\10. Because I just feel that if I made it a .5 lower, it wouldn't be right. I recommend checking this film out for sure - it will be worth the rent!

May 21st doomsday movement harms christianity

2011-05-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

In January 1961, a few days before John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as president, he invited Billy Graham to spend a day with him in Key Biscayne, Florida. After a round of golf, Kennedy and Graham were returning to their hotel when Kennedy stopped the white Lincoln convertible he was driving by the side of the road.

“Billy, do you believe that Jesus Christ is coming back to Earth one day?” Kennedy asked.

“Yes, Mr. President, I certainly do,” the evangelist responded.

“Then why do I hear so little about it?” Kennedy wondered.

Were Kennedy alive today, he probably wouldn't be asking the same question.

During Kennedy’s lifetime, few mainline Protestant churches discussed the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Fifty years later, however, televangelists, network television programs, movies and books like the "Left Behind" series — which has sold more than 60 million copies — have succeeded in placing the return of Jesus Christ in the public consciousness.

A 2004 Newsweek poll revealed that 55 percent of Americans believe in the Rapture, the snatching away of all Christians prior to the end of the world and the return of Jesus Christ.

As a pastor who preaches often about Bible prophecy, I am grateful for the general awareness people have of the promised return of Jesus Christ.

But our culture’s newfound interest in the end times has a downside. Bible prophecy inherently attracts fanatics. As a seminary professor of mine used to say to our class, “Remember, wherever there is light, there are bugs!”

One of those fanatics is Harold Camping, the founder of the Christian broadcasting ministry Family Radio in Oakland, California. Camping has predicted that the Rapture will occur at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 21, followed by the end of the world five months later on October 21, 2011.

Family Radio has plastered billboards across the nation with the warning “Judgment Day, May 21, The Bible Guarantees It!”

Road trip to the end of the world

Readers should note that Camping first predicted the world’s end in 1994. He says he was wrong due to a mathematical miscalculation.

Now I am going to make my own prediction which I’m (almost) willing to stake my life on: May 21 will come and go without any Rapture.

How can I be so certain of my prophecy? The Bible itself says that no one can know the date of the end of the world.

Predicting the apocalypse

In discussing His return to Earth, Jesus told His disciples, “... of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” (Matthew 24:36).

If God has not even revealed to his own son the date the world will end, I doubt he has revealed it to Harold Camping.

My hunch is that the date God ultimately has chosen is one that will not be plastered on billboards around the country.

What harm is there in an 89-year-old preacher making prognostications about the end of the world?

First, such predictions give non-Christians one more reason to discount the Bible.

For example, many secularists have dismissed the Bible because they assume that it teaches the world is only 6,000 years old. In reality, the Bible never makes such a claim about the Earth’s age. Instead, some well-intentioned Christians have misused the genealogies in the Bible to attempt to ascertain the date of creation.

Similarly, when next Saturday passes without a Rapture, some will say, “See, the Bible was wrong again,” when, in fact, it will have been Harold Camping who was wrong — again.

Second, predictions about the end of the world always lead some people to make foolish decisions. When a self-professed prophet named Edgar Whisenant predicted that the Rapture would occur in 1988, a couple I know responded by charging their Visa card to the limit with a trip to Disney World, believing the bank would be left with the bill once they had left the Magic Kingdom for God’s kingdom.

Obviously, things did not go as planned.

A look at the ways the world could end

Just as every teacher knows how unproductive and unfocused students are the week before school lets out, God knows how tempted we would be to neglect the responsibilities he has entrusted to us if we knew the date we would be raptured into heaven. That is why God refuses to show us his calendar and instead instructs us to focus on our assignment.

But the most harmful consequence of Camping’s false prediction is that it discourages people from making the necessary preparation for the real event when it actually occurs.

Remember the boy who cried wolf once too often? The villagers were so hardened to the boy’s false alarms that they were unprepared when the wolf finally arrived.

When May 21 passes and Camping’s prophecy is added to the ash heap of discredited prophecies, some will be tempted to join the chorus of cynics whom the Bible predicts will mockingly say, “Where is the promise of Christ’s coming?” (2 Peter 3:3-4).

Make no mistake about it. As Billy Graham affirmed to President Kennedy, Jesus is coming back some day. Over 1,800 verses in the Old Testament and 300 verses in the New Testament prophesy of the lord’s return.

Don’t allow the Harold Campings of the world keep you from making the necessary preparation for the end — whenever it may be.

May 21st Doomsday: Harold Camping is a Fraud

2011-05-18T07:36:00.001-07:00

So you may be looking to May 21st, 2011 as the rapture according to Christian radio host Howard Camping. But according to him the world isn’t actually ending on May 21st. That’s a convenient little out. That won’t happen until October 21st, 2011. So even he knows it isn’t happening.

Judgment Day isn’t going to happen this weekend or any time soon if ever. Jesus isn’t coming down out of those clouds to save the oppressive peoples out there who believe that they’re right. If Camping really believed this, he wouldn’t be spouting this garbage on an isolated radio station that about three people above the Mason-Dixon Line listened to prior to his rapture scoop.

He’s just trying to get an audience. This isn’t going to happen. He’s be touring churches throughout the country free of charge trying to get who he believed would be saved ready for the rapture. He would’ve given up this life as a hack radio host and lived life to its fullest. By spreading the word of God, Camping means getting enough people to listen consistently to get a high paycheck.

That’s why he’s said the actual end of the world will not come until October 21st. That way if nothing happens this weekend, he’ll come up with some other doomsday scenario where either nobody was saved or it would just be delayed. If October 21st passes and nothing happens, then he’s got a problem but by that time, he probably will have gained a much larger audience and gotten a fat new paycheck.

Priests breaking news of the rapture has happened tons of times now and how many raptures have we had? One guy is spitting nonsense and it ascends to the top of Internet trends and captures peoples’ imaginations? Why? Do they actually believe this? No they just want to make more money and they do that by getting higher ratings and people will surely be listening to his last broadcast before the rapture.

Harold Camping is a fraud. Every right thinking rational human being knows this. The world isn’t coming to an end this Saturday. It’s just beginning. We should go live our lives because we can, not because Harold Camping is a blowhard moron.

So please, everyone: Internet, people on the streets, and everyone else: be quiet. Nothing is happening this Saturday of any world-ending interest. Please be quiet Camping. At least you gonna get your money thanks to the morons that take you seriously.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey Recap: Anatomy of a Brawl

2011-05-17T08:40:00.000-07:00

Note: The Subtext Translator is currently on break after the last exhausting Housewives run. Not to worry, because judging by the season premiere of Real Housewives of New Jersey, all subtext has taken a break too!

The season opens with the Giudices arriving at a reception venue called the Manor, florid signage and all. Baby Audriana has so many feathers on her headpiece, it’s like somebody told that poor kid she was going to the royal wedding instead of her cousin Joey’s Christening. For the first time, we meet Melissa Gorga, mother of Joey and Teresa’s estranged sister-in-law, and I totally respect her for squeezing in her baby’s baptism before a huge night at the slots, which is the only logical explanation for her wearing a hot-pink mini-toga with bedazzled neckline and chainwork to this event.

Teresa comes over to her brother Joe’s table to congratulate him on this holiest of days, and you can already see trouble brewing in Joe Gorga’s eyes. And by trouble, I mean a lot of alcohol. It’s like his eyeballs are submarine windows and you can actually see them lowering into an ocean of alcohol. When Joe hears the word “congratulations,” it’s as if Teresa has hit upon a deep Clockwork Orange trigger that someone implanted in his subconscious, and immediately he’s shaking as he orders Teresa to “just walk away. Go.” She doesn’t back off, so he takes that Gorga intensity up a notch by growling at her that she’s “garbage,” and when even that doesn’t do the job, he goes ahead and violently pounds the table with both fists. I’m bracing for a full-on table flipping when Teresa’s husband, Joe Giudice, decides that he wants to get up in the mix. And then it’s Joe (!!) on Joe (!!) as …

the show cuts to a title card reading “One Week Earlier.”
I’m guessing this 500 Days of Summer approach is supposed to create procedural suspense by taking us back through the clues of what Teresa did to bring on Joe’s double-fisted game of Whac-A-Mole, but it also makes the rest of the story lines feel completely inconsequential. Once I’ve seen the baptism party, I’ve just got to get back there. And it doesn’t help that the other women’s story lines are extremely quiet this week, so let’s get them out of the way.

Caroline Manzo’s grown boys, Albie and Chris, are finally moving out into their own apartment, and it’s incredibly refreshing to see cheap carpeting and vertical blinds on this show, because the eye needs a rest every once in a while from marble and gilding. Caroline starts to cry about Chris being “her baby,” and those words are like my own “congratulations” trigger because I also have a mom who thinks I’m 12-months-old, but just weirdly articulate and mobile for my age. I love Caroline and she’s looking fantastic, but it’s time to let your grown men go and masturbate into their own towels, you know?

Back at the Manzo mansion, the whole family’s making a southern dinner, dissing southerners by accusing them of doing pasta sauce from the jar, but I didn’t see anyone around that kitchen island hand-cutting lard for those biscuits! Chris decides to really turn the knife in his mom’s back about his future absence by pulling out a “Cajun” accent that totally slays her, but the accent is pretty much just a bad Popeye crossed with Sling Blade. Caroline brings up Chris’s “wit” as evidence that he’s going to do great in the world, and that right there is a portrait of a mother’s love: It’s blinder and deafer than the family’s aging dog.

Over dinner, Caroline decides to press her daughter Lauren’s boyfriend Vito about when he’s going to Zales, and Vito is about as romantic as an Excel spreadsheet because he “has a timeframe.” It must make Lauren swoon to know that Vito’s kind of like a toaster and someday he’s just going to ding with a proposal. Jacqueline and Caroline’s brother Christopher are also at this dinner, and their whole story line this week is about how Jacqueline’s daughter Ashley continues to be clueless and entitled, except now she’s got Lizzie Grubman to mentor her.

Earlier in the episode, Jacqueline went to visit Ashley at her Grubman internship and gave her a public dressing-down because Ashley suggested that her mom should fund a move to Manhattan, even though Ashley is making a little under zero dollars per hour. I say a “little under” because Lizzie is chemical peeling her way to subcutaneous tissue, and having to see that every morning is like a wage deduction. When Ashley starts crying, Lizzie rushes to hug her while squealing, “Why are you crying? Noooooo,” which tells me that there is no chance for Ashley to undergo any amount of personal growth at that company. The best thing anybody could do for her at this point would be to laugh in her face every time she demands something without earning it. Jacqueline is starting to understand this, but there’s also the sense that it’s just too late — that instead of giving Ashley an SUV for doing kiiiiiind of average in summer school, they should have tried to get her cast on Survivor.

And now, at last, we can get back to Teresa Giudice and the satellite players in the Saga of the Christening Congratulations. Before returning to the big-ticket action, the show brings us up to date on what’s been going on with Teresa during the hiatus (bankruptcy) and gives a more lengthy introduction to Melissa Gorga and cousin Kathy. All you need to know is that Juicy Joe’s been working at the pizza shop while Teresa makes bank selling her Skinny Italian books. Gia shows up to her mom’s signing with a fresh blowout, and walks around the table smiling and cheating out like Vanna White going to turn a letter. Joe’s there wearing a shirt with denim side panels like he came over from an apparel class at Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts.

We meet Melissa next, and she’s wearing a purple-fur jacket, which is not the last of purple that you’re going to see from her over the course of this season, I can promise you that. Homegirl loves purple. You can tell she’s one of those people who thinks purple means something. She’s married to Teresa’s brother Joe and they live in a Hugh Hefner–esque 15,000-square-foot home, and I realize that they’re perfect for each other when she describes his “work ethnic” and he, in a totally separate interview, describes her “worth ethic.” Melissa has a habit of making a super-bouncy sign of the cross and throwing kisses to heaven, but she also likes to give regular shout-outs to Jesus, whose name she says like he’s a baby up in heaven. Like she’s just saying, “Jesus,” but somehow there’s a silent coochy-coo in her pronunciation.

There’s also cousin Kathy, but the most notable things about her so far are that she can open her eyes wider than Teresa and she’s married to a Lebanese Jon Lovitz. Honestly, I’m more interested in her teenage kids, who both have mysterious whispers of danger about them. Sixteen-year-old Victoria has glamour shots on her wall in which she’s wearing, alternately, leather and a masquerade mask, and her mom casually remarks that you “don’t mess with her.” Then there’s cute little Joseph, who has “so many friends” and “is such a sweetheart,” but we meet him unsheathing a knife as he relaxes in bed.

In preparation for a return to the baptism reception, the following is my CSI “assembling the clues” montage about why there’s bad blood between the Giudice’s and the Gorgas:

1. Teresa and her brother Joe used to be close, but she feels that his marriage to Melissa pushed her away. He feels that she stopped making an effort to be there for family.
2. (Because both men are Joe G’s, I’m going to go with “Teresa’s Joe” and “Melissa’s Joe” to keep them straight.) Melissa’s Joe is under the belief that Teresa’s Joe has curried the Gorga father’s favor and somehow torn down that relationship.
3. Teresa didn’t invite Melissa and Joe to some book reading/signing. (Believe me, Melissa and Joe, this was a gift. Do you understand how boring book readings are?? I spend so much effort trying to get out of them!)
4. Teresa didn’t tell Melissa that her home was beautiful.
5. Teresa didn’t come to the hospital when baby Joey was born.
6. Teresa threw away some Christmas cookies that Melissa brought over.

These preexisting bad feelings get amplified the day of the Christening when Teresa shows up late to the church and Joe’s not with her. He’s home with a case of diarrhea, and later at the reception, when Melissa’s Joe gets insulted that Teresa’s Joe doesn’t want to slam back shots with him, I’m saying to myself, “Just tell him you had diarrhea! This will all be resolved if you just tell him you had diarrhea!” In my life, I’ve found that people are incredibly sympathetic when you tell them you’ve been on the toilet all morning, and I feel like this would have been the perfect ice breaker for the two Joes. But Teresa’s Joe just keeps that stiff, sweaty upper lip, and everything goes downhill from there.

The kids are in purple vests, purple outfits. There’s so much purple eyeshadow. Melissa’s Joe has got on a purple-silk shirt. There are a lot of purple dresses. Melissa’s in the aforementioned hot-pink number, but I’m guessing it has more lilac in it than what’s reading on-camera. You’ve got your cross ice sculpture, standard. You’ve got your translucent crosses hanging from the branches in the centerpieces like cross-shaped dew. You’ve got the huge diamond cross dangling from Melissa-Joe’s neck.

As previously mentioned, Melissa’s Joe is getting wasted. He has just welcomed his son to God’s kingdom, and you’ve got to wash that down with something. Teresa and her Joe have the nerve to slow dance with Baby Joey (thank God in his kingdom for that "y"), and once they do that, there is no turning back. Some lady comes and rips that baby out of their arms like she’s from Child Services and they were injecting Joey with Botox, but the damage is done. It’s all coming together, like Memento. I just wait to catch up in time.

And then I am back at the pounding of the table, and there’s Teresa’s weakened dad, who is doing his very, very best to ignore the situation and eat his dinner, but his plate is jumping beneath his fork. Melissa’s sister begins screaming “One side! One side!” indicating that even though she and Teresa have done some phone chatting in the past, she is now drawing the line, and Teresa is out there on her own. Except she isn’t. There’s Juicy Joe coming in, swinging at Teresa’s brother for calling his wife a piece of garbage, and he’s got a lot of fight in him for someone who’s probably extremely dehydrated from diarrhea! Once Joe’s got a punch in, suddenly there’s a huge crowd of guys in suits rushing forward in a circle. Being a Jew, the only party reference I have for this is that it looks like the Hora, minus the people up on chairs.

Everybody’s going nuts. Some guy in a blue shirt whom I’ve never seen before is flailing and convulsing with anger while other guys hold him back, and I have no clue what his problem is, but boy, is he scrappy. Women are kicking. Kids are crying. A guttural screech goes up through the Manor ballroom like in Clue: The Movie. The fight has at least three lives because the uproar keeps waxing and waning, and it’s almost comedic, except it’s also psychotic. One of the Bravo cameramen does a spectacular job, continuing to film even after he’s apparently knocked to the floor, and I also appreciate the fine touch of the Bravo editor who inter-cuts a shot of a cross sparkling in a centerpiece.

The episode closes on Melissa’s Joe, his head tipping like a boxer in the last round after a devastating head injury, as he wails at his sick father in Italian out in the lobby. He wants approval. He wants his father to favor him over Teresa’s Joe. He wants love, and he wants to believe in the utmost importance of blood. “You’re my father!” he cries. “My father!” He wails from the bottom of his soul, and the pathos of this scene holds its own against anything that The Sopranos ever submitted for Emmy consideration.

My dog just threw up on the bed next to me, so with that, I’ll see you next week.

7 'unlucky' money and investing mistakes to avoid on Friday the 13th and all other days

2011-05-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

Unless you happen to trip over a black cat while walking under a ladder outside your financial adviser's office, nothing should really spook you about your money on Friday the 13th.

Still, it's a good time to remind yourself of money mistakes to avoid throughout the year. Successful investing and money management, after all, are not about luck.

Here are seven common and costly errors to avoid:

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1. Delaying saving.

There are lots of reasons given for putting off saving for retirement, such as low income, unemployment or paying off college loans. But anyone who waits to save misses out on the power of compounding interest over time. For young adults in particular, the difference can be stunning. Someone who saves $3,000 a year starting at age 25 will produce a nest egg of $777,170 by age 65. That's more than five times the $137,286 balance of someone who starts at age 45. The calculations by Principal Financial assume an 8 percent annual return. Even if the person starting at 45 doubles the annual savings to $6,000, the total by 65 will still be just $274,572, far short of the early starter's total.

2. Letting emotions guide investing decisions.

Plenty of investors have been tempted to buy a hot stock because of the buzz it's generating, as they get swept up in the market fervor; or to sell a stock or mutual fund in fear when the market is plunging. Making emotional short-term decisions with long-term money can be disastrous, however. Investors who bought shares of high-flying Krispy Kreme Donuts saw just how quickly things can change — the stock took a freefall from nearly $50 a share in 2003 to less than $5 in less than two years. You can also ask those who bailed out of stock funds in their 401(k) after the meltdown of 2008-09, only to see the market's value double in the last two years.

Investors should make a plan and have the patience and courage to stick to it, advises Judith Ward, a senior financial planner for T. Rowe Price. "Your objective should be to achieve your goals, not outperform the market, your best friend, or your neighbor with the newest, hottest investment idea."

3. Skimping on an emergency fund.

Emergencies that prompt a quick need for cash can set back your finances for months or years if you haven't set money aside for anything from car repairs to a layoff. Build an emergency fund that can cover at least three to six months of living expenses.

First have a rough idea of what you spend in an average month. Check your records and receipts to get a handle on the total of your monthly non-discretionary expenses — housing, food, utilities, gasoline. Now work at increasing your emergency fund to the necessary level, even if you have to temporarily divert other savings in order to do so.

4. Having an unbalanced portfolio.

Maintaining a mix of investments is critical for investors to achieve their goals. But being sufficiently diversified is harder than most think, according to Kate Warne, investment strategist for the Edward Jones investment firm in St. Louis. It involves owning a wide variety of stocks and bonds, or the proper mix of funds.

"People think if they own a couple of stocks and a couple of bonds, they're diversified," Warne says.

Many do just that. Nearly a third of Charles Schwab's two million investors hold more than 20 percent of their assets in a single stock, the brokerage says. That leaves their portfolios vulnerable to a nosedive in the stock because of a slump, scandal or even bankruptcy.

Setting and forgetting your allocations within a 401(k) plan is another risky oversight, because recent results can tilt your portfolio to be more stocks-laden, or less, than you intended. You should review your plan at least annually, rebalancing investments and increasing your savings rate if necessary.

5. Assuming that a low-priced stock is cheap.

Too many investors judge a stock's value by its price per share, says Bill Stone, chief investment strategist for PNC Wealth Management. The key is P/E — price-to-earnings ratio. The lower the P/E, the less investors are paying for every dollar of the company's profits.

"The stock price is meaningless." Stone says. It's more important for investors to think about the value of the stock in terms of how many times earnings are they paying per share.

There are ways that management can directly influence the price of a stock, such as through stock splits and reverse splits. Citigroup Inc. put a 1-for-10 reverse stock split into effect this week that boosted its stock price from $4.52 at the end of last week into the mid-$40s, but the stock's underlying value didn't change.

6. Paying avoidable or excessive fees.

If you're not careful, it's possible to rack up hundreds of dollars a year in avoidable bank, airline, credit card and other fees.

Using an out-of-network ATM is getting costlier; $5 fees may be just around the corner. Free checking is getting harder to find, as banks find ways to charge monthly maintenance fees.

Airline fees are ever-higher. Checking two bags will cost up to $60 on the biggest carriers such as American, United and US Airways, booking by phone is up to $20, and changing your ticket could set you back $150.

Then there are hotel "resort fees," gift-card activation fees and expensive rental-car insurance fees — one of the most avoidable fees of all, since most auto insurance policies and many credit cards cover your rental.

7. Getting overly conservative with investments in retirement.

Many retirees believe they should adjust their portfolios to become much more conservative when they finish working. That overlooks the fact that retirement can last for decades thanks to longer lifespans and improved medical care.

It's essential to continue to seek long-term growth in retirement by investing in stocks and riskier assets than just CDs and bonds, says Patrick Egan, director of asset management marketing for Minneapolis-based Thrivent Investment Management. The aim is to protect your savings against inflation and minimize the risk of running out of money.

Financial advisers recommend planning for a retirement that could last a full 30 years or more, until age 95. That makes 65 almost the new 35, Egan suggests, when it comes to investing in stocks.