Americas Best Dance Crew

It's the last bastion of good MTV programming. And it's much better than the mid-30's Square darling "Dancing With The Stars." The music is current, fun and the dancing?? HOLY SHIT. I had no idea the human body could pull off these moves. It isn't about likability or star power. It's about who can put together the most INSANE routine in 7 days, and many times, crazy rules are applied to make it harder. San Diegos own Jabbawocky won the first season and ever since then this ratings hit has been one of my favorite things to catch online. Check out an episode from this seasons Britney Challenge. You may hate her but her music is DANCE MUSIC and that's exactly what these people do.

America's Best Dance Crew (Season 3) - MTV Shows

Sight And Sound, Saturday!

Ray at Night Website Featuring Sight and Sound

On This Day In History: Gandhi sssassinated in New Delhi

Mohandas Gandhi, the world's chief advocate of non-violence, is assassinated in New Delhi by a terrorist sponsored by a right-wing Hindu militia group. The murder came only 10 days after a failed attempt on Gandhi's life. Thirty-nine-year-old Nathuram Godse shot the great Indian leader as he made his way through a small crowd to lead a prayer session.

The father of Indian independence had angered Hindu extremists by his efforts to bring peace in the wake of the British withdrawal from India. Muslims and Hindus had been fighting a civil war since the decision to the Muslim-dominated western region of India had become separated as Pakistan. Religious-inspired riots were breaking out all over India when Gandhi went on a hunger strike in September 1947.

The fast almost killed Gandhi but it successfully suspended the fighting. However, he was forced to fast again in January in order to finally bring the sides together for a peace pact. Hindu extremists saw this as selling out the nation and plotted Gandhi's death. On January 20, the group detonated explosives inside the wall of a New Delhi house where Gandhi was, but stopped short of throwing a grenade at Gandhi because they feared that bystanders would be killed.

Gandhi was instrumental in driving the British out of India. His non-violent protests and boycotts crippled England's ability to control the populace and brought unwanted attention to one of the world's last major bastions of colonialism. He was a leader in the Indian National Congress, and led the revolution for independence. His ideas and tactics were later borrowed by Martin Luther King, Jr., who used them successfully in the 1960s civil rights protests.

The assassin Godse tried to kill himself after the attack, but was grabbed before he had the chance. Four accomplices were arrested over the next several days. Godse showed no remorse for his crime. Along with Narayan Apte, Godse was hanged to death on November 15, 1949, against the wishes of Gandhi's sons, who argued that the execution stood against everything Gandhi believed in.

COACHELLA LINEUP IS OUT

COACHELLA WEBSITE

On This Day In History: Beatles last public appearance

Perhaps the most influential musical group of all time, the Beatles make their last public performance on this day in 1969, giving an impromptu concert on the roof of their London recording studio. Neighbors complained about noise, and police broke up the concert. John Lennon closed the performance announcing, "I'd like to say thank you very much on behalf of the group and myself and I hope we passed the audition." In April 1970, Paul McCartney formally announced the group's breakup.

The Beatles, who led the rock-music movement called the "British Invasion," revolutionized popular music around the world and achieved unprecedented popularity. The band started as Johnny and the Moondogs, featuring Liverpool musicians John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison. When Stu Sutcliffe joined as their bassist, they changed their name to the Silver Beetles, later modified to The Beatles. Tommy Moore joined the band as drummer, but Pete Best replaced him in 1960. Sutcliffe left in 1961 to become a painter (he died of a brain hemorrhage less than a year later), and the band returned to Liverpool as the quartet that would rock the world.

Label after label rejected them in Europe. Then in 1962, Best left the band, Ringo Starr joined up, and they recorded "Love Me Do," their first Top 20 hit in the United Kingdom. In 1964, they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, and Beatlemania began in the United States.

The band's shaggy-haired stars, boasting an unrivaled playful and eclectic synergy, were among the first rock bands to write most of their own material. As the band evolved, its members experimented with a variety of different musical styles that ranged from the simple ("I Want to Hold Your Hand") to the innovative ("Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band,"which used electronic music and a sitar to achieve an eerie sound to go along with its unconventional lyrics).

The Beatles received the Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1965 at Buckingham Palace, and their immense popularity prompted Lennon to tell a newspaper reporter, "We're more popular than Jesus Christ right now." Beatlemaniacs searched for hidden meanings in Beatles songs and album covers, and the release of Abbey Road, allegedly filled with coded clues, sparked rumors that McCartney was dead.

When the band broke up, the members continued their musical careers as solo artists or band leaders. They were often asked to reunite, but that idea dissolved when Lennon was murdered by a deranged fan in 1980. Eight years after his death, the Beatles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and a retrospective anthology was released in 1995. It included the previously unrecorded "Free as a Bird," which was written by Lennon and recorded by the surviving band members in 1994 and 1995. It became one of the fastest-selling albums in history.

FREE FOOD AT HOUSE OF BLUES, TODAY ONLY!!

Girl Scout cookies: Now fewer and smaller

The recession is even hitting Girl Scouts! I remember when the boxes cost $2.50 and now I have to budget just to have some damn frozen thin mints! We've all got our favorites!! What are yours? I freaking love them all man. I was a top notch cookie seller for a long time and I didnt even have one of those lame ass parents who sold them FOR me annoying everyone in their office and social groups. I still avoid those pleading cookie selling faces when I head into the grocery store....god I must have been annoying...

LA TIMES

It’s cookie season again, and Girl Scouts will have a lighter burden as they stand on doorsteps nationwide this year.

As the cost of baking and transporting the group’s famous sweets shoots through the roof, the Girl Scouts of the USA has decided to package fewer cookies into boxes of Thin Mints, Do-si-dos and Tagalongs and to shrink the Lemon Chalet Creme cookies.

“In order to give the customer the product they’re used to instead of raising the price, this was the only alternative, lowering the weight of the cookies rather than asking the customers to pay more,” said Michelle Tompkins, a Girl Scouts spokeswoman. “I’m sure that in the future, you’ll see more of these changes go into effect.”

Other cookie brands have raised prices, she said. In the last year, the cost of flour has jumped 30%, cocoa rose 20% to 30% and baking oil has soared between 40% and nearly 200%. Transportation expenses are up 30% to 40%.

Girl Scouts traditionally sell the cookies to practice setting goals, managing money and working in teams. Each local council sets its own price, sometimes as high as $4.50 a box, though the nationwide average is $3.50.

In a typical year, the budding businesswomen do $700 million in business, selling 200 million boxes.Thin_mints

“The lessons concerning the impact of the global market is a good one for the girls to learn, especially in these challenging times,” Tompkins said.

This week, the organization was busy batting off suspicions that some of the peanut butter used in its cookies might have come from the supplier involved in the current nationwide Salmonella outbreak.

Both of the licensed bakers affiliated with the Girl Scout cookies, ABC Interbake and Little Brownie Bakers, have said that they do not get their peanut butter from the Peanut Corporation of America, which is being investigated by regulatory agencies.


--Tiffany Hsu

On This Day In History: Liliuokalani proclaimed queen of Hawaii

(Note: I wanted to make sure and note this special day for me personally. I lived in Hawaii for five years and feel a deep connection to the land and people. Queen Liliuokalani is still highly revered. Hawaiian culture is absolutely amazing, the language,dance and philosophies are beautiful. It's also great to remember that Hawaii once had queens and kings and was it's very own country before, in very American fashion, we took it over, raped it, and fucked it up in the name of democracy. And all Hawaii ever did was give us Obama and a set for LOST....)

Hawaii, first settled by Polynesian voyagers sometime in the eighth century, saw a massive influx of American settlers during the 19th century, most coming to exploit Hawaii's burgeoning sugar industry. In 1887, under pressure from U.S. investors and American sugar planters, King Kalakaua agreed to a new constitution that stripped him of much of his power. However, in 1891, Liliuokalani ascended to the throne and refused to recognize the constitution of 1887, replacing it instead with a constitution that restored the monarchy's traditional authority.

Two years later, a revolutionary "Committee of Safety," organized by Sanford B. Dole, a Hawaiian-born American, staged a coup against Queen Liliuokalani with the support of U.S. Minister John Stevens and a division of U.S. Marines. Stevens recognized Dole's new government on his own authority and proclaimed Hawaii a U.S. protectorate. Dole submitted a treaty of annexation to the U.S. Senate, but most Democrats opposed it, especially after it was revealed that most Hawaiians did not want annexation. President Grover Cleveland sent a new U.S. minister to Hawaii to restore Queen Liliuokalani to the throne under the 1887 constitution, but Dole refused to step aside and instead proclaimed the independent Republic of Hawaii, which was organized into a U.S. territory in 1900.

Liliuokalani herself spent much of the remainder of her life in the United States, where she unsuccessfully petitioned the federal government for compensation for seized property and other losses. The territorial legislature of Hawaii finally voted her an annual pension of $4,000 and permitted her to receive the income from a small sugar plantation. In additional to her political fame, Liliuokalani is also known for composing many Hawaiian songs, including the popular "Aloha Oe," which translates to "Farewell to Thee."

On This Day In History: There is a school shooting in San Diego

Brenda Spencer kills two men and wounds nine children as they enter the Grover Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego. Spencer blazed away with rifle shots from her home directly across the street from the school. After 20 minutes of shooting, police surrounded Spencer's home for six hours before she surrendered. Asked for some explanation for the attack, Spencer allegedly said, "I just don't like Mondays. I did this because it's a way to cheer up the day. Nobody likes Mondays."

Spencer was only 16 years old at the time of her murderous attack. She was a problem child who was widely known as a drug abuser with a violent streak. She repeatedly broke the windows at the Cleveland school with her BB gun. Still, her father gave her a .22 semi-automatic rifle and ammunition as a Christmas gift at the end of 1978.

This seemed to inspire Spencer into more grandiose plans, and she started telling her classmates that she was going to do something "to get on TV." When Monday morning rolled around, Burton Wragg, the principal of Cleveland Elementary, was opening the gates of the school when Spencer started firing her rifle from across the street. Wragg and custodian Michael Suchar were killed. "I just started shooting. That's it. I just did it for the fun of it," explained Spencer.

Spencer's hatred for the first day of the school week was later memorialized by Bob Geldof, the leader of the rock group The Boomtown Rats, in the song, "I Don't Like Mondays."

Spencer, who pled guilty to two counts of murder and assault with a deadly weapon, is currently serving a term of 25 years to life at the California Institution for Women in Corona, California. She has been denied parole four times, most recently in 2005.

Zombies Loose in Austin

LINK TO ARTICLE AND VIDEO
(the one above keeps screwing up...)

Super Bowl Health Tips

Fatty foods are a fact at Super Bowl parties but with Americas expanding waist line and deteriorating health we need to be conscious of the crap that you fill your bodies with. The CNN report below has some helpful tips. Fruits and veggies shouldn't been seen as lame food. Foods filled with chemicals and trans fats are the lame foods, don't confuse healthy with being uptight!!!

Reptile Becomes a Father at 111 Years Old

From the BBC:

A rare New Zealand reptile has fathered 11 babies at the age of 111.

The keepers of Henry, a tuatara, had thought he was past his prime as he showed no interest in females during 40 years in captivity.

But he mated with 80-year-old Mildred last July and all of the eggs she produced have now hatched.

Watch The Video

Google Honors the birth of Jackson Pollack

Paul Jackson Pollock (January 28, 1912 – August 11, 1956) was an influential American painter and a major force in the abstract expressionist movement. (Wikipedia)

MAKE A POLLOCK STYLE PAINTING YOURSELF

Whether you think he is an artistic genuis or youre one of those people who says "I could do that" when viewing his works, youre thinking about him. I'm a Pollock lover, the colors, the movement, the concept. Today is his birthday and Google has made a special nameplate in honor of him. I also found this BAD ASS website where you can "make" a Pollock style painting online. You drag your cursor around the webpage and click to change the color you are using. Just used about 15 minutes at work doing this....haha

READ MORE ABOUT JACKSON POLLOCK

THE KEY (1946)


LAVENDER MIST (1950)

On This Day In History: The space shuttle Challenger Exploded

At 11:38 a.m. EST, on January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Christa McAuliffe is on her way to becoming the first ordinary U.S. civilian to travel into space. McAuliffe, a 37-year-old high school social studies teacher from New Hampshire, won a competition that earned her a place among the seven-member crew of the Challenger. She underwent months of shuttle training but then, beginning January 23, was forced to wait six long days as the Challenger's launch countdown was repeatedly delayed because of weather and technical problems. Finally, on January 28, the shuttle lifted off.

Seventy-three seconds later, hundreds on the ground, including Christa's family, stared in disbelief as the shuttle exploded in a forking plume of smoke and fire. Millions more watched the wrenching tragedy unfold on live television. There were no survivors.

In 1976, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) unveiled the world's first reusable manned spacecraft, the Enterprise. Five years later, space flights of the shuttle began when Columbia traveled into space on a 54-hour mission. Launched by two solid-rocket boosters and an external tank, only the aircraft-like shuttle entered into orbit around Earth. When the mission was completed, the shuttle fired engines to reduce speed and, after descending through the atmosphere, landed like a glider. Early shuttles took satellite equipment into space and carried out various scientific experiments. The Challenger disaster was the first major shuttle accident.

In the aftermath of the explosion, President Ronald Reagan appointed a special commission to determine what went wrong with Challenger and to develop future corrective measures. The presidential commission was headed by former secretary of state William Rogers, and included former astronaut Neil Armstrong and former test pilot Chuck Yeager. The investigation determined that the explosion was caused by the failure of an "O-ring" seal in one of the two solid-fuel rockets. The elastic O-ring did not respond as expected because of the cold temperature at launch time, which began a chain of events that resulted in the massive explosion. As a result of the explosion, NASA did not send astronauts into space for more than two years as it redesigned a number of features of the space shuttle.

In September 1988, space shuttle flights resumed with the successful launching of the Discovery. Since then, the space shuttle has carried out numerous important missions, such as the repair and maintenance of the Hubble Space Telescope and the construction of the International Space Station.

On February 1, 2003, a second space-shuttle disaster rocked the United States when Columbia disintegrated upon reentry of the Earth's atmosphere. All aboard were killed. Despite fears that the problems that downed Columbia had not been satisfactorily addressed, space-shuttle flights resumed on July 26, 2005, when Discovery was again put into orbit.

On This Day In History: Elvis First Appears on Television

Young country-rock singer Elvis Presley makes his first-ever television appearance on the TV musical-variety program Stage Show on this day in 1956. Presley sang "Heartbreak Hotel," which quickly became a hit single. In total, Elvis appeared on six shows. The program was hosted by swing band leaders Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. Elvis went on to appear on Ed Sullivan's immensely popular variety show, Toast of the Town, in the fall of 1956. The appearance made Elvis a household name.

On This Day In History: A Killer Couple Strikes The Heartland

On this day in 1958, Charles Starkweather, a 19-year-old high-school dropout from Lincoln, Nebraska, and his 14-year-old girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate, kill a Lincoln businessman, his wife and their maid, as part of a murderous crime spree that began a week earlier and would ultimately leave 10 people dead. The killer couple’s deadly road trip, which generated enormous media attention and a massive manhunt, came to an end the following day, when Starkweather and Fugate were arrested near Douglas, Wyoming. The crimes later inspired a slew of books, movies and music, including Terence Malick’s 1973 film "Badlands," starring Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek, and Bruce Springsteen’s 1982 song "Nebraska."

Growing up, Charles Starkweather (1938-1959) was bullied and did poorly in school. He later idolized James Dean and identified with the actor’s rebellious, outsider image. Starkweather committed his first murder on December 1, 1957, when he robbed a gas station and killed the attendant. Reportedly, an attendant at the station had previously refused Starkweather’s attempt to buy a present for Fugate (1943- ) on credit.

Starkweather turned serial killer on January 21, 1958, when he shot Fugate’s stepfather and mother after arguing with them at their home, and strangled Fugate’s two-and-a-half-year-old sister. Starkweather and Fugate remained holed up at the scene of the crime for several days, before taking off in Starkweather’s car and murdering three more people--a farmer and two teenagers--on January 27. On January 28, the couple killed another three people--the Lincoln businessman, his wife and their maid. Starkweather and Fugate’s final victim, a shoe salesman, was killed on January 29; the couple was captured later that day.

Starkweather and Fugate were convicted of murder. He was given the death penalty and died in the electric chair on June 25, 1959. Fugate was sentenced to life in prison, but was released in 1976.

Michael Jackson's Thriller Coming to Broadway

From Pitchfork:
If dissonant PJ Harvey scores can't save Broadway, maybe a fake Michael Jackson turning into a werewolf can? The New York Times reports that production company the Nederlander Organization has acquired the rights to turn Michael Jackson's 1982 album Thriller and its title tracks iconic video into a Broadway musical. There's no creative team announced yet, but the show will feature songs from both Thriller and 1979's Off the Wall albums. And, yes, Jackson himself will be involved.

As everyone who's watched one of those VH1 greatest-videos-ever countdowns knows, the "Thriller" video is some top-shelf cheese. And the songs from Thriller and Off the Wall are definitely grand and ridiculous and great enough to work on a Broadway stage. But there's no way in hell the Nederlander Organization is going to improve on this.

In any case, it'll be interesting to see how these folks shoehorn all these songs into a halfway coherent narrative, especially a narrative that climaxes in a zombie group-dance. I am hoping for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (Brains)".

Posted by Amy Phillips on Tue, Jan 27, 2009 at 6:00pm

THRILLER MUSIC VIDEO

FULL THRILLER MOVIE

Missed Connection: Classic Tale of Jock n Nerd Love

Nerdy Girl in Geology Class - m4w - 25 (gc)
Reply to: pers-1009351476@craigslist.org
Date: 2009-01-26, 11:55PM PST


you rock. I want to see your notes.

• Location: gc
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 1009351476

Obama Inaguration Photographs

This one is my all time favorite

Residents of Kibera, one of the poorest quarters in Nairobi gather to watch the inauguration ceremony of US President Barack Obama in Nairobi on January 20, 2009. (YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images)



See More At Boston.Com

Obama Signals New Tone in Relations With Islamic World

Finally a President who speaks FOR the people honestly. We aren't terrorists, we don't want to go bombing other countries and killing their people for our monetary gain, for power, for show of might. We'll at least the people I know don't. It feels so new to be proud of our leader and in turn proud of our country. I can't wait for this ship to turn around, to start doing some good!!

By ALAN COWELL
Published: January 27, 2009

PARIS — In an interview with one of the Middle East’s major broadcasters, President Barack Obama struck a conciliatory tone toward the Islamic world, saying he wanted to persuade Muslims that “the Americans are not your enemy.” He also said “the moment is ripe” for negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.
The interview with Al Arabiya, an Arabic-language news channel based in Dubai, signaled a shift — in style and manner at least — from the Bush administration, offering what he depicted as a new readiness to listen rather than dictate.

It was Mr. Obama’s first televised interview from the White House and the first with any foreign news outlet.

In a transcript published on Al Arabiya’s English language Web site, Mr. Obama said it is his job “to communicate to the Muslim world that the Americans are not your enemy.”

He added that “we sometimes make mistakes,” but said that America was not born as a colonial power and that he hoped for a restoration of “the same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago.”

Mr. Obama spoke as his special Middle East envoy, George J. Mitchell, arrived in Egypt to begin an eight-day tour that will include stops in Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, France and Britain. In Egypt, Mr. Mitchell planned to meet President Hosni Mubarak.

In discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Mr. Obama told Al Arabiya that “the most important thing is for the United States to get engaged right away.” He said that he told Mr. Mitchell to “start by listening, because all too often the United States starts by dictating.”

“Ultimately, we cannot tell either the Israelis or the Palestinians what’s best for them. They’re going to have to make some decisions,” Mr. Obama said. “But I do believe that the moment is ripe for both sides to realize that the path that they are on is not going to result in prosperity and security for their people. And that, instead, it’s time to return to the negotiating table.”

Right on!!
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On This Day In History: National Geographic Society founded

On January 27, 1888, the National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C., for "the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge."

The 33 men who originally met and formed the National Geographic Society were a diverse group of geographers, explorers, teachers, lawyers, cartographers, military officers and financiers. All shared an interest in scientific and geographical knowledge, as well as an opinion that in a time of discovery, invention, change and mass communication, Americans were becoming more curious about the world around them. With this in mind, the men drafted a constitution and elected as the Society's president a lawyer and philanthropist named Gardiner Greene Hubbard. Neither a scientist nor a geographer, Hubbard represented the Society's desire to reach out to the layman.

Nine months after its inception, the Society published its first issue of National Geographic magazine. Readership did not grow, however, until Gilbert H. Grosvenor took over as editor in 1899. In only a few years, Grosvenor boosted circulation from 1,000 to 2 million by discarding the magazine's format of short, overly technical articles for articles of general interest accompanied by photographs. National Geographic quickly became known for its stunning and pioneering photography, being the first to print natural-color photos of sky, sea and the North and South Poles.

The Society used its revenues from the magazine to sponsor expeditions and research projects that furthered humanity's understanding of natural phenomena. In this role, the National Geographic Society has been instrumental in making possible some of the great achievements in exploration and science. To date, it has given out more than 1,400 grants, funding that helped Robert Peary journey to the North Pole, Richard Byrd fly over the South Pole, Jacques Cousteau delve into the sea and Jane Goodall observe wild chimpanzees, among many other projects.

Today, the National Geographic Society is one of the world's largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions. National Geographic continues to sell as a glossy monthly, with a circulation of around 9 million. The Society also sees itself as a guardian of the planet's natural resources, and in this capacity, focuses on ways to broaden its reach and educate its readers about the unique relationship that humans have with the earth.

Cliff Gliding, The Closest Man Has Got to Flying

You maybe have seen this video, who cares, hard to resist not watching it a million times, especially if you're like me and you are craving the ability to fly. Anybody know where this is shot?? Have the beauty of the movie is the scenery. It looks like some land that dosen't exist. Lush green and cliffs that never end, canyons deeper than any I've ever seen. I need to travel again....

Lil' Waynes Rock Album Comes Out Today

NO LIE. Can't wait for the reviews, puns, witty commentary, oh and then the music itself...

Movie Review: Man on Wire

I got super blazed right before watching this movie and was confused at first. It was a documentary with many players being presented to you one right after the other with no explanation who they were. They were telling a story with no reference points, starting from nearly the end. There were occasional subtitles. And they were incredibly passionate, about what I had no idea! But I had a vague idea what the story was about so I let myself be taken over by their unabashed emotion. They are French, it's easy to let their passion grab you. Man on Wire is a documentary about Philipe Petit, the man who walked on a wire between the two towers of the World Trade Center in the 70's. He is a magical man, best way to put it, his confidnce is astonishing, he (and soon I) was completely convinced that his destiny was to walk on that line, it was intoxicating. The movie is shot with a mixutre of real live video, well done black and white dramatization and great photos and new clippings. It's a work of art in itself really. And the music is incredible, soothing and perfectly fitting, another mixture of classical greats and period ambient cuts. I wasn't prepared to find wiring walking itself so appealing. I am deathly afraid of heights but his being so close to the edge of life and death brought me there for a second and left me breathless, lucid, light headed and full of adrenaline. He dosen't just walk on that wire, he performs and it's gorgeous. I had tears on my face as the film was wrapping up. My favorite idea in the movie sums it , he was doing it for no other reason than it was beautiful, hurt no one and it was his destiny.

***NOTE***
Friend Amanda brought up a great point. Why have there been NO accounts from the loved ones of 9/11 victims in the form of books or movies?? Over 2500 people died. Many times that were affected. Movies have been made about the tragedy as a whole but NONE have come from the perspective of anyone involved personally in the attack. Decide for yourself HOW that could have happened because a book from a family that lost someone and how that has changed them, for instance, would sell for millions. There must be some reason someone hasn't exploited their stories, espeically in what was once capatalistically driven USA. Thoughts??

I Love You Man Trailer

40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. These dudes are churning them out faster than Will Ferrel movies! But I like them (save for the unrealistic nonsense of Knocked Up). They are honest and hilarious and have pot smoking related humor. This one looks cool because the girlfriend isn't some hateful bitch that you have to keep wondering why the guy is even sticking around. Paul Rudd is so damn cute and don't we all just love movies where the main charcters are extreme juxtapositions of each other? The uptight sensitve square and the uncouth raunchy crazy guy rubbing off on each other and becoming more balanced as the movie ends. Aaaah formula...
Heres the trailer....

Missed Connection: Public Service Annoucement

Community Warning: Watch out for this GUY!!!! - m4w

Reply to: pers-1004504350@craigslist.org
Date: 2009-01-23, 9:48AM

All greed and no caring.
What can you buy for me?
Where can you take me?
How much can I take you for?
Im cute,short (only 5 ft 6...So that means you cant wear heels), use steriods and can only last 5 minutes (or less) in bed. I cant handle a real relationship, but I will tell you anything you want to hear to get to your pocketbook. I have every story to tell too. You will never see your money again! I work in Pacific Beach, but get beat easy in fights. The last guy broke some of my ribs

• Location: liar-ville
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Original URL:http://sandiego.craigslist.org/esd/mis/1004504350.html

Saving Polaroids

New York Times
January 22, 2009, 7:03 am
Polaroid Fans Try Making New Film for Old Cameras
By Jenna Wortham
Before the advent of the digital camera, Polaroid reigned supreme when it came to photographs you could view in an instant. When the company announced last year that it would cease film production and abandon the technology that made it famous, the format seemed doomed to disappear.

Now a group of Polaroid enthusiasts are trying to create an entirely new instant film product, compatible with Polaroid cameras, that would keep the medium alive.

André Bosman, a former Polaroid employee, and Florian Kaps, a former manager of the Lomographic Society, an online community for film enthusiasts, solicited financing from private donors to purchase the remainder of the film manufacturing equipment from Polaroid. The two also leased the company’s factory in the Netherlands for their effort, cheekily called “The Impossible Project.”

The Impossible Project

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Cheesy Obama "Feel Good" Cartoons

My aunt is a nurse and forwards all her cheesy, womany, feel good stuff, rape avoidance stuff my way. Usually I delete them but these really DID make me feel good

Obama Already Killin It in Office

In a good way! So far Obama has allowed stem cell research to continue and has allowed states to set more strict auto emission standards. A president who cares about shit other than his own pocket...who would have thought? Oh he is also setting new standards for how to love your wife, raise children and stay fit and healthy. A leader, an example, I love this guy!

Bring On The Rain....

Raise your hand if you could hardly get out of your cozy bed this morning? God I love when it rains here...those 4 times a year are magical.

(the picture is actually San Francisco, there aren't too many San Diego rain pictures. It's always over by the time I scurry to get my camera...maybe Ill start a "Rare Rain Pictures of San Diego Blog....haha)

Change-A-Pets-Life Day, January 24th in San Diego!

Press Release:
Hills Science Diet Pays for Adoptions Divided Among Three County Shelters for
"Change a Pet's Life Day"

The County Department of Animal Services will receive a donation from Hills
Science Diet to provide 10 free adoptions, divided among three County Animal
Shelters on Saturday, Jan. 24 for "Change a Pet's Life Day." As part of
Hills' program, families may choose any dog, cat, puppy or kitten regardless
of age.

To compliment Hills' Program, Animal Services is also waiving adoption fees
on all dogs and cats five years or older all day on Saturday.

"We are grateful that a company like Hills Science Diet is donating this
money to encourage more people to adopt shelter pets when they are looking to
add a family member," said Dawn Danielson, Director of the Department of
Animal Services. "I would also ask families to make sure they can afford to
care for these animals properly and that they are ready to make a lifetime
commitment to the animal they adopt."

Families who adopt a pet on Saturday will receive a starter kit that includes
free Science Diet pet food and tips to give their adopted cat or dog the best
start in their new life. All pets that are adopted are vaccinated, spayed or
neutered, microchipped, and adopters will be provided with a free health exam
for their new pet at participating veterinary hospitals in the community.

Free adoptions are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Free adoptions are available at:

5480 Gaines Street, San Diego (offering three free adoptions)

2481 Palomar Airport Rd., Carlsbad (offering four free adoptions)

5821 Sweetwater Rd., Bonita (offering three free adoptions)

For more information, contact the County Department of Animal Services at
(619) 767-2675, or visit www.sddac.com

On This Day In History: Toy company Wham-O produces first Frisbees

On this day in 1957, machines at the Wham-O toy company roll out the first batch of their aerodynamic plastic discs--now known to millions of fans all over the world as Frisbees.

The story of the Frisbee began in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where William Frisbie opened the Frisbie Pie Company in 1871. Students from nearby universities would throw the empty pie tins to each other, yelling "Frisbie!" as they let go. In 1948, Walter Frederick Morrison and his partner Warren Franscioni invented a plastic version of the disc called the "Flying Saucer" that could fly further and more accurately than the tin pie plates. After splitting with Franscioni, Morrison made an improved model in 1955 and sold it to the new toy company Wham-O as the "Pluto Platter"--an attempt to cash in on the public craze over space and Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs).

In 1958, a year after the toy's first release, Wham-O--the company behind such top-sellers as the Hula-Hoop, the Super Ball and the Water Wiggle--changed its name to the Frisbee disc, misspelling the name of the historic pie company.

A company designer, Ed Headrick, patented the design for the modern Frisbee in December 1967, adding a band of raised ridges on the disc's surface--called the Rings--to stabilize flight. By aggressively marketing Frisbee-playing as a new sport, Wham-O sold over 100 million units of its famous toy by 1977.

High school students in Maplewood, New Jersey, invented Ultimate Frisbee, a cross between football, soccer and basketball, in 1967. In the 1970s, Headrick himself invented Frisbee Golf, in which discs are tossed into metal baskets; there are now hundreds of courses in the U.S., with millions of devotees. There is also Freestyle Frisbee, with choreographed routines set to music and multiple discs in play, and various Frisbee competitions for both humans and dogs--the best natural Frisbee players.

Today, at least 60 manufacturers produce the flying discs--generally made out of plastic and measuring roughly 20-25 centimeters (8-10 inches) in diameter with a curved lip. The official Frisbee is owned by Mattel Toy Manufacturers, who bought the toy from Wham-O in 1994.

FDA approves human embryonic stem cell study

Bring on the progressive changes, Viva Obama!!

By Miriam Falco
CNN Medical News Managing Editor

(CNN) -- Federal regulators have cleared the way for the first human trials of human embryonic stem-cell research, authorizing researchers to test whether the cells are safe to use in spinal injury patients, the company behind the trials announced Friday.

Embryonic stem cells are blank cells found in embryos, which have the ability to turn into any cell in the body.

The tests could begin by summer, said Dr. Thomas Okarma, president and CEO of the Geron Corporation. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the trials, which will use human stem cells authorized for research by then-President George W. Bush in 2001.

The patients will be those with the most severe spinal cord injuries, called complete spinal cord injuries.

"A complete spinal cord injury has no hope of recovery below the injury," Okarma told CNN. "This is significant because it's the first clinical trial of a human embryonic-based product."

The primary purpose of the trial will be to see whether injecting these cells into patients is safe, but Okarma said researchers will also look for any signs of recovery. Scientists will monitor the patients for a year after the injections to see if they are regaining any function below the injured point.

"If there is any movement below the injury, they will measure that and record it," he said.

The trials will involve eight to 10 patients who are completely paralyzed below the third to tenth vertebra, and who sustained their spinal cord injury within seven to 14 days. The tests will use stem cells cultured from embryos left over in fertility clinics, which otherwise would have been discarded.

Using the stem cells, researchers have developed cells called oligodendrocytes, which are precursors to nerve cells and which produce a protective layer around nerve cells known as myelin. Researchers will inject these nerve cells directly into the part of the spine where the injury occurred.

Embryonic stem cells are blank cells found in four- to five-day-old embryos, which have the ability to turn into any cell in the body. However, when stem cells are removed, the embryo is destroyed -- which has made this one of the most controversial medical research fields in the past decade.

Federal research funds were prohibited for embryonic stem-cell research until August 2001, when Bush approved spending for research using only already-existing cell lines. Scientists later discovered that fewer than two dozen of those lines were useful for research, but abortion opponents opposed any legislation that would lift Bush's restrictions, and Bush twice vetoed congressional efforts to roll back his rules.

President Obama is expected to loosen the restrictions, which many researchers and advocates have complained severely set back work toward curing disease such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and diabetes.

Okarma said Geron did not use any federal funding for its research, and that the Bush restrictions had "devastated the field."

"People didn't think this would happen for another five years," Okarma said. "But it will happen soon, and it would have happened sooner if it weren't for the ridiculous Bush policies."

Read The Rest

HACER, VICE, and ASR Weekend

ASR Weekend is upon us. Say what you will, I NEVER get tired of seeing tall hot skaters roam around our downtown for 3 Days twice a year for the Action, Sports, Retail Convention Downtown. There are shows, new people, parties and drink specials all over town from lame nights at smoozy places downtown to Anti-ASR Parties at Tower Bar in City Heights. Here are two events I will be hitting up, they are in walking distance (Only Seven Blocks Apart!) from each other and one right after the other. It will be fun to have a reason other than Lotus Thai and Pokez hankerings to be anywhere near the Gaslamp Area. If you've been talking shit about Gaslamp for years and plan on shunning ASR like you do every year try something new and make it out to these sure-to-be-fun/hot-skater-laden-events!! They aren't in the heart of Downtown they are off the beaten path in East Village so calm down, It's going to be interesting either way!

Luce Loft (1037 J Street in East Village) is beautiful and this is a great way to start your night off with food and pre party drinks! Proceeds go to charity and word on the street is there will be round the clock pinata beatings!! More info on the Sezio Website


Right after Hacer head over (walk off some of that alcohol, these events are seven blocks apart!) to new downtown haunt El Dorado (Sticks and Stones Feature) for the Vice Party. This will most likely be a huge hipster/skater smooze fest but could be fun as they usually throw a crazy party! Also our own Ikah Love is DJing and he has never let me down on the dance floor! I'm going to people watch and I haven't checked out El Dorado yet, this will be perfect timing. Make sure and e-mail the address on the flier to reserve your spot at this one! Live performances by Saviours and Annihilation Time (1030 Broadway&11th Ave)

On This Day In History: Roe vs. Wade

The Supreme Court decriminalizes abortion by handing down their decision in the case of Roe v. Wade. Despite opponents' characterization of the decision, it was not the first time that abortion became a legal procedure in the United States. In fact, for most of the country's first 100 years, abortion as we know it today was not only not a criminal offense, it was also not considered immoral.

In the 1700s and early 1800s, the word "abortion" referred only to the termination of a pregnancy after "quickening," the time when the fetus first began to make noticeable movements. The induced ending of a pregnancy before this point did not even have a name--but not because it was uncommon. Women in the 1700s often took drugs to end their unwanted pregnancies.

In 1827, though, Illinois passed a law that made the use of abortion drugs punishable by up to three years' imprisonment. Although other states followed the Illinois example, advertising for "Female Monthly Pills," as they were known, was still common through the middle of the 19th century.

Abortion itself only became a serious criminal offense in the period between 1860 and 1880. And the criminalization of abortion did not result from moral outrage. The roots of the new law came from the newly established physicians' trade organization, the American Medical Association. Doctors decided that abortion practitioners were unwanted competition and went about eliminating that competition. The Catholic Church, which had long accepted terminating pregnancies before quickening, joined the doctors in condemning the practice.

By the turn of the century, all states had laws against abortion, but for the most part they were rarely enforced and women with money had no problem terminating pregnancies if they wished. It wasn't until the late 1930s that abortion laws were enforced. Subsequent crackdowns led to a reform movement that succeeded in lifting abortion restrictions in California and New York even before the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade.

The fight over whether to criminalize abortion has grown increasingly fierce in recent years, but opinion polls suggest that most Americans prefer that women be able to have abortions in the early stages of pregnancy, free of any government interference.

LOST Season 5 Premiere Party at The Whistlestop, TONITE!

We've made great gift bags for trivia winners, fish biscuits like Sawyer used to eat in captivity, we've got Apollo Bars, LOST related drink specials, Sawyer nickname nametags, a huge screen with booming PA and much much more!! This is essential for Losties, can't believe LOST is back on tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Enjoy hobnobbin with fellow LOST lovers and converts afterwards, hump day is LOST DAY this week!!!
More info at Front&Ivy

CNN Article: Black First Family 'changes everything'

(CNN) -- Jamaal Young was watching Barack Obama and his family greet an ecstatic crowd in Chicago, Illinois, on Election Night when he realized that something seemed wrong. President Obama and his wife, Michelle, and their daughters, Malia and Sasha, greet the nationObama didn't shout at his wife, Michelle, to shut up. The first lady didn't roll her eyes and tell Obama to act like a man. No laugh track kicked in, no one danced, and no police sirens wailed in the background.

Young had tuned in to celebrate the election of the nation's first African-American president. But he realized that he was witnessing another historic first. A black family was being featured as the first family, not the "problem family" or the "funny family."

"They are not here to entertain us," says Young, a New York Press columnist. "Michelle Obama is not sitting around with her girlfriends saying, 'My man ain't no good.' You're not seeing this over -sexualized, crazy black family that, every time a Marvin Gaye song comes on, someone stands up and says, 'Oh girl, that's my jam.' "

The nation didn't just get a glimpse of its new first family when Obama and his family waved to the crowds on Inauguration Day. The Obamas are offering America a new way to look at the black family, Young and other commentators say.

America has often viewed the black family through the prism of its pathologies: single-family homes, absentee fathers, out of wedlock children, they say. Or they've turned to the black family for comic relief in television shows such as "Good Times" in the '70s or today's "House of Payne."

But a black first family changes that script, some say. A global audience will now be fed images of a highly educated, loving and photogenic black family living in the White House for the next four years -- and it can't go off the air like "The Cosby Show."

"The last time we had an image of a black family that was this positive it was "The Cosby Show" but this is the Real McCoy," says Jacqueline Moore Bowles, national president of Jack and Jill of America Inc., a predominately black organization for youths.

Read The Rest on CNN.com

Beautiful

Raise your hand if you feel like for the first time in eight years we're in good hands?

**Non Typing Hand Raised Here**

Animal Cruelty or Couture Dog Grooming?

Not the finest hour for the poodle breed. Or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles....

On This Day In History: President Carter Pardons Draft Dodgers

On this day in 1977, U.S. President Jimmy Carter grants an unconditional pardon to hundreds of thousands of men who evaded the draft during the Vietnam War.

In total, some 100,000 young Americans went abroad in the late 1960s and early 70s to avoid serving in the war. Ninety percent went to Canada, where after some initial controversy they were eventually welcomed as immigrants. Still others hid inside the United States. In addition to those who avoided the draft, a relatively small number--about 1,000--of deserters from the U.S. armed forces also headed to Canada. While the Canadian government technically reserved the right to prosecute deserters, in practice they left them alone, even instructing border guards not to ask too many questions.

For its part, the U.S. government continued to prosecute draft evaders after the Vietnam War ended. A total of 209,517 men were formally accused of violating draft laws, while government officials estimate another 360,000 were never formally accused. If they returned home, those living in Canada or elsewhere faced prison sentences or forced military service. During his 1976 presidential campaign, Jimmy Carter promised to pardon draft dodgers as a way of putting the war and the bitter divisions it caused firmly in the past. After winning the election, Carter wasted no time in making good on his word. Though many transplanted Americans returned home, an estimated 50,000 settled permanently in Canada, greatly expanding the country's arts and academic scenes and pushing Canadian politics decidedly to the left.

Back in the U.S., Carter's decision generated a good deal of controversy. Heavily criticized by veterans' groups and others for allowing unpatriotic lawbreakers to get off scot-free, the pardon and companion relief plan came under fire from amnesty groups for not addressing deserters, soldiers who were dishonorably discharged or civilian anti-war demonstrators who had been prosecuted for their resistance.

Years later, Vietnam-era draft evasion still carries a powerful stigma. Though no prominent political figures have been found to have broken any draft laws, Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and Vice-Presidents Dan Quayle and Dick Cheney--none of whom saw combat in Vietnam--have all been accused of being draft dodgers at one time or another. Although there is not currently a draft in the U.S., desertion and conscientious objection have remained pressing issues among the armed forces during the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

How To Dodge a Draft in Korea

Hilarious Sheppard Fairy-esque Obamaish Posters

See More at ObamaIconMe

Obama Inaguration Schedule

For us West Coasters it's going to be an early morning if you want to catch the inauguration live. The 3 hour difference will be well worth it to see history being made. Here is the schedule for the ceremonies!

Gates to The Inauguration open at 8 AM/5 AM (Eastern/ Pacific)
Festivities Begin at 10 AM/7AM (Eastern/Pacific)

Kicking off in front of the U.S. Capitol, festivities will include:

• Musical Selections: The United States Marine Band, followed by The San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus.

• Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks: Senator Dianne Feinstein.

• Invocation: Dr. Rick Warren.

• Musical Selection: Aretha Franklin.

• Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will be sworn into office by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable John Paul Stevens.

• Musical Selection: John Williams, composer/arranger with Itzhak Perlman, (violin), Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Gabriela Montero (piano) and Anthony McGill (clarinet).

11:30 AM/8:30 AM (E/P): Swearing- In

President-elect Barack Hussein Obama will take the Oath of Office, using President Lincoln’s Inaugural Bible, administered by the Chief Justice of the United States, the Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr.

• Inaugural Address.

• Poem: Elizabeth Alexander.

• Benediction: The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery.

• The National Anthem: The United States Navy Band “Sea Chanters”

2:30 PM/11:30 AM (Eastern/Pacific) Inaugural Parade

After President Obama gives his Inaugural Address, he will escort outgoing President George W. Bush to a departure ceremony before attending a luncheon in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall. The 56th Inaugural Parade will then make its way down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House with groups traveling from all over the country to participate.

7 PM/4 PM (E/P)Inaugural Balls Begin
Later that day, the Presidential Inaugural Committee will host 10 official Inaugural Balls.

When and Where To Watch Online 4 a.m.: Broadcast networks: ABC (Ch. 7), CBS (Chs. 5, 46) and NBC (Chs. 8, 11) begin coverage with their morning shows at 4 a.m. 7 a.m.: Univision (Ch. 14) starts its coverage 8 a.m.: PBS (Ch. 9) and Telemundo (Ch. 48) Prime time: The networks will all have one-hour wrap-ups (9 p.m. on CBS, 10 p.m. on ABC and NBC), while ABC also has two-hour coverage of the first-ever Neighborhood Inaugural Ball (tape delay at 8 p.m.) Cable: CNN starts its coverage at 2 a.m., Fox News, MSNBC and C-Span at 3 a.m. BBC America begins its telecast at 8 a.m.; BET at 8:30 a.m.

Restaurant Review: The Glass Door

I noticed The Glass Door when I craned my neck upwards while walking out of Blick in Little Italy. It sat on the top floor of recently renovated, four story high, Porto Vista Hotel. It is on the corner of Fir and Columbia. The sun was setting and spectacular and people were dining on a sun bathed deck overlooking the harbor, sailboats and Cabrillo Point. It was gorgeous and I knew I had to check it out.
I went on a Friday night with four friends and reservations at 8 PM. We sat right inside but there are enormous sliding glass doors between the restaurant and deck and when theyre open it feels like youre outside. There is a large beautiful bar and sort of a modern morrocan theme going on, tons of great lamps and chandeliers were hanging everywhere. There was a flat screen tv if you want to plop down and watch tv but it took away from the dark amber glow in the restaurant. The faire was New American and the wine list included great interntional and local wines. Price were resaonsable for a nice place and they serve food for every meal Supposedly their brunch is awesome!! Our host and server were very nice, helpful and patient and the other people in the restaurant were kind too, no snooty downtownies! We ordered the house Cab, which was delicious ($32/bottle) and four appetizers to try. The starters were VERY reasonable so if youre on a budget get wine and some things to share with your party. We had pomme frites of course, a delioucious large serving of skinny french fries. We had crab cakes as well. They were large and less crispy on the outside than I like and VERY crabby, I like things a little less intense on the flavor side there. We tried the macoroni and cheese which was DELICIOUS. It was more creamy than cheesy and had anduoliie sausage. We also ordered the chicken Jidori which came with a large side of lettuce and dressing. The chicken was dry and a bit flavorless though, sort of disspointment. All in all, I had a great time just because the wine was good, I was with friends, the staff was great and the atmopshere outstanding. If I went back id check out a meal I could enjoy at sunset! I'd also probably just order wine and enjoy cigarettes and pomme frites or branch out a bit more and get one of their more expsensive but delicious sounding entrees. Let me know if you go and what you have!!
Check out The Menu at The Glass Door
For reservations call 619. 544. 0164
Hours:

Monday - Friday

Breakfast - 6:00 am to 10:30 am

Lunch - 11:30 am to 2:30 pm

Dinner - 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Late nite - 10:30 pm to 1:00 am

They also serve brunch all day Saturday and Sunday, from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm.

David Lee Roth Soundboard

DLR Soundboard Baby!!

What "Want to go for a drink" means for men and women: Israeli Drinking Ads