★ News - Microsoft Buys Skype For $8.5 Billion In Cash Today! - TGN

★ News - Microsoft Buys Skype for $8.5 Billion in Cash Today! - TGN

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Dear Visitors,



We were now going to Share a very nice and very helpful linux Course for every 1.
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1.Introduction to Linux


2.First Steps on the Command Line


3.Shell Expansion


4.Pipes and Commands



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6.Local User Managment


7.File Security


Download Link:
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In This Guide Learners Should be able to Learn about :


1.Introduction to Linux


2.First Steps on the Command Line


3.Shell Expansion


4.Pipes and Commands



5.Scripting


6.Local User Managment


7.File Security


Download Link:
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How To Use Skype Integrated Facebook Video Chat

How to use Skype integrated Facebook Video Chat

In order to get facebook's video chat you have to go to facebook.com then your computer should automatically enable it, then facebook has you ...

Bunraku Brings Beauty to Hollow Puppets

Bunraku

Bunraku premiered at last year’s TIFF as part of the Midnight Madness program. The film’s first screening received very positive reviews so I went in to the second screening with rather high expectations. As it was the last film I watched at the festival that year, I was ready to sit back and enjoy the ride. Unfortunately, while a visual treat, I could not fathom what caused the rave reviews that I had heard going into the film? After spending the last year touring the festival circuit, Bunraku is finally hits theatres today in limited release.

A mishmash of both the martial-arts and western genres, Bunraku focuses on a nameless man, referred to as Drifter (Josh Hartnett) who has strolled into town looking to exact revenge on the notorious crime lord Nicola the Woodcutter (Ron Perlman). In a world where guns have been banned, Nicola uses nine specific assassins to do his bidding. To get to Nicola, Drifter must team up with a samurai, Yoshi (Gackt), who has his own score to settle, in order to bring down Nicola’s reign. However, one assassin in particular, Killer No. 2 (Kevin McKidd), is determined to ensure that Drifter does not succeed.

Normally I will rally behind any action film that has a unique style, Bunraku has this in spades. You could take several frames from the film and easily convert them into a beautiful poster. Visually speaking, the film is just wonderful. Director Guy Moshe clearly has an astute eye for colour and detail. The set design alone, especially in the jail break scene, is worth seeing.

What hinders Bunraku though, is that the film offers nothing more than pretty visuals. Sure the fight scenes have good choreography, but they are not thrilling. The fights also become repetitive rather quickly. If you are making an action film with a thin plot, you better make sure that the action sequences are outstanding. Sadly only one of the fight scenes is somewhat memorable.

The talented cast is underused for the majority of the film. While it is clear the actors are having fun with their roles, their characters are extremely one dimensional. There is really no reason for Demi Moore to be in the film. Her character, Alexandra, is only there to show that Nicola has weaknesses, which is something that could have easily been established without her. The real standout actors in the film are Woody Harrelson and Kevin McKidd. Harrelson brings a comedic touch to the film as the wise bartender who teaches Drifter and Yoshi how to co-exist. McKidd is fantastic as the cold-blooded Killer No. 2. He brings both style and swagger to the character. Besides the great visuals, McKidd’s work is the only other highlight in Bunraku. If you are expecting something more than pretty visuals, Bunraku is not the film for you.

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Which is Better?

Aaron Eckhart

10 sample films:

In the Company of Men
Thank You for Smoking
Erin Brockovich
The Dark Knight
Any Given Sunday
The Core
Your Friends & Neighbors
The Black Dahlia
Rabbit Hole
Battle Los Angeles

or

Sam Rockwell

10 sample films:

Moon
Matchstick Men
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Frost/Nixon
Choke
Charlie’s Angels
Galaxy Quest
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
Cowboys and Aliens

Which do you prefer? Let us know in the comments section

Hierarchy

I can act as an expert on parenting and marriage because I'm not a parent or a spouse. Smirk.

A lot of times I feel like there are many couples making glaring mistakes in parenting.  Maybe the mistakes aren't glaring to them because they're center isn't the same as mine.  I think having the right center makes things much more obvious.

I was watching the new season of The Middle tonight.  Next to Modern Family, I find The Middle one of the more entertaining family comedies out there right now.
In tonight's episode, the question of hierarchy comes up in the family.  Mom tries to point out that the kids are not in charge ... mom's in charge!  She goes so far as to draw a family hierarchy... Mom, kid, kid, kid. In birth order - which of course inspires more arguments, until the question, "What about dad?"
Fine.  She writes "Dad" next to "Mom".

At this point I think, "That's right sister!"


Then the kids argue that Dad is above Mom.  Mom protests.

Personally, I start thinking... "Yeah, the man should be the head of the household.  Why is this mom so opposed to this?"  
The program continues to display the drama of who is in charge.   Then it dawns on me.  The Hecks have the hierarchy all wrong.   Of course the wife is going to be uncomfortable if her husband is 'above' her.  she was right the first time - with Dad on the same level as Mom.  But she forgot to write God, above both of them.

I think it would be easy to love a man, trust a man, and honor a man who put God before not just me, but before himself.   I have long stressed that I believe that is the way it should be... and I know there are those that have trouble with the concept.  
Actually it came up on a friends FB wall once when someone posted that their kids are FIRST in their lives!! Rah Rah!  I pointed out that I thought the God, Spouse, Kids hierarchy was better suited to family harmony.  Someone asked how that works... how could you put your man before your kids?!  What if the man is abusive?  Well, an abusive man is not a man who has God first, now is he?  A man who puts God before all else will be a good man by default.  Oh, she hadn't thought of that.
Really?  (Well, I guess that's why she's married and I'm not.  Clearly I'm too picky looking for a man who puts God first. )

Then there is the knowledge that a man of God is wise enough to lead side-by-side.  I read once that the husband in the Dugger family says that the decisions he's made that were worst for his family, were the once he made without first consulting his wife.

Well, the Hecks didn't have that epiphany tonight.  Instead, they realized (once dad took on some of mom's duties and failed - it's a comedy after all.)  that in a family, sometimes everyone pitches in and leads in their own way.   Sometimes a sister helps in a way a parent can't. Sometimes kids help parents.  (all true)

I guess they couldn't land on the God theory in a program produced for a mass audience and with big corporate sponsors.   Look to reruns of 7th Heaven for that!

Blow Out the Candles: Naomi Watts

Naomi Watts
Born September 28, 1968

Naomi Watts’ filmography is one of great variety. Since she wowed critics and audiences alike in her role in David Lynch’s psychological thriller, Mulholland Drive, she has appeared in several films, all very different from each other.

Mulholland Drive launched Watts’ career, bringing her out from under the radar and into the consciousness of filmmakers and moviegoers. She’s a subtle actress, yet she possesses a powerful screen presence, holding her own next to heavyweight actors and consistently executing both quiet and bold performances in many genres of film.

No film showcases Watts’ range as an actress as in her breakthrough role in Mulholland Drive. In a way, Watts could identify with the character she plays in the film since one of the film’s various plot lines revolves around a young Hollywood starlet (played by Watts) trying to fulfill her dreams of movie stardom. Before landing the role, Watts was trying to do just that in her own life.

Watts didn’t have it easy trying to forge a film career and an identity for herself in the movie industry. She was 31 when she got her first big break in Mulholland Drive, a relatively late start compared to her counterparts in the biz who had established themselves as film heavyweights in their twenties, long before Watts made an impression on David Lynch. But the struggle to make it is where the similarity between Watts and naïve, small-town girl, Betty Elms, whom she portrays in the film, ends.

Watts has managed to star in good movies while remaining out of the glaring spotlight and off the tabloid train. Even after two high-profile romances – a two-year long relationship with the late Heath Ledger and her current long-term union with actor, Liev Schreiber – Watts has avoided becoming the fodder for gossip, and doesn’t seem to set flashbulbs a-popping wherever she goes. She’s achieved critical acclaim as an actress and has brought a character focus to films that could simply have been special effects vehicles (The Ring and King Kong), and she’s made a mark on-screen without personal drama to raise her profile.

She followed her star-making turn in Mulholland Drive with an entirely different kind of film – a remake of the Japanese horror film The Ring. The film is a dark and suspenseful one about a video that brings certain death seven days after you watch it. Although the look of The Ring is good and certain scenes make your spine tingle, the storyline was, in my opinion, a bit absurd and the climax too drawn out. That said, Watts brings a degree of legitimacy to the movie as the female lead and saviour.

Watts played another splendid heroine in the blockbuster remake of King Kong. Although a tad long with some unnecessary scenes with monsters and such, the film is a slick, stylized and entertaining one. Watts delivers the film’s strongest performance by expressing a superb range of emotion in her interactions with Kong, instilling the outlandish premise with a sense of authenticity and believability.

The role that stands out most for me on Watts’ resume is her Academy Award nominated performance in 21 Grams. Watts’ performance as a recovering drug addict, whose stable, happy recovery is derailed by unimaginable tragedy and loss, is gripping and deeply moving. I remember how absorbed I became as I watched Watts’ character set off on a path of renewed substance abuse and revenge.

Watts may not be out there all the time like other actresses, gracing magazine covers every month or headlining entertainment shows, but her work earns her plenty of notice and recognition, and it’s nice to watch a performance by an actress without all of the other outside stuff getting in the way and colouring it.

What performances by Naomi Watts are your favourite? Let us know in the comments section.

When Never-Marrieds Date the Divorced

Now that I've managed to malign a population of our society... I may as well take a whack at yet another.

You know, I like to think that anyone could be a match... but the fact is  I am looking for a Catholic man and I would prefer that he's not divorced.  But at my age... at least half of the available men are going to be divorced.   So... you know... we must date them.

It's pretty tricky trying to determine from an online profile if a guy is a good candidate to commit to meeting.  Even tricker I think when they're divorced.

First of all, I don't even entertain dating anyone whose status is "separated".   Ahem, I'm a little uncomfortable to point this out but... you are still married. There is no reason for me to get involved.  Quite frankly... I think you ought to be at least two years out of the final divorce proceedings before you date.  Seems to me there is a lot of healing to work through and there's no point dragging someone else into the messiness.   But I think men in particular are not going to wait that long to get back on the scene.  Women tend to know they need healing. Men, in general want to get on with it.

So actually, second is - be healed from your divorce before you date me.

Third.  
I met a guy a couple weeks ago.  We met for beverages of some sort and talked for quite a while.  I felt that he told me too much about his divorce too soon.  
I mentioned this to a friend who is in the same dating situation as I - and she said she's experienced the alternative... which was the guy hadn't said a word about his divorce until she asked him casually on the fourth date... and he looked shocked and dumbfounded!    That's no good either.  You shouldn't be surprised that it comes up.

In my case, I felt he told me too much about his kids and about their schedules.  (not in a stalker-ish way)  But you barely know me, and I'm here to get to know YOU.  Naturally, your kids are part of your life... yes, tell me about them  - but on the first date that should be limited to a synopsis of their ages, maybe genders, and one or two remarkable things about them (she's a ballerina, loves horses, he's a great soccer player).  You don't have to tell me what you think about their soccer coaches this year, or how much time you spend shuttling them between activities.   I don't need to know that. Yes, I may want to know eventually - but can I please get to you first?
See.. I don't have kids... so quite frankly I can't even relate to getting up early enough to get children to school before the first bell!   By talking about your kids, you've pretty much put me at a loss for words.   Am I supposed to talk about work now?  My car?  My parents?  My condo?
Let's talk about what we love to do.  Hiking, skiing, geo-tracking?  Let's talk about what we'd like to do... you want to visit Italy again... Great, that's the first place on my bucket list!  Let's talk about that!

Fourth.
I guess I do need to know why you got divorced... but please, not too much detail.
She cheated on you?   She up and left?  She never loved you?  You never loved her?  None of it reflects well on you.
Actually, I have a litmus test on this topic, especially if she cheated or initiated the divorce.  I'll ask if it was a complete shock.  Did he think everything in his marriage was just fine and had no idea that anything was wrong or that she was unhappy?  RED FLAG!
My response to that is... "So where were you?"  Was he checked out of the marriage?  Was he content with his needs being met and so never noticed that she was bored, or unfulfilled, or overworked as a mom?
You'd be surprised how many guys say, "Yeah! Total shock!"  That's when I prepare my exit.
I guess the next thing would be to ask what he's learned from his divorce... but that seems like more of a fourth date question... not the first.

See how this is so tricky?

Fifth.
If you're telling me that ALL your friends are getting divorced... that scares me.
Granted, you're going to want to support your friends through the same thing that you went through.  But if you're only associating with other divorced guys... well... that tells me that you think it's okay.  I'd rather hear that you're moved to help them reconcile.  I want to know that divorce was so awful you wouldn't want to wish it on anyone else.  
Maybe I'm too idealistic... but you know what they say, birds of a feather flock together.  If I said all my friends were hoodlums, would you believe that I'm the Mother Theresa trying to straighten them all out - or would you think that maybe I'm a shady character too?
Weird correlation I suppose... but it's reasonable for me to think that if you're only socializing with people in the midst of divorce ... er... that's where you're comfort zone is.
I can see that it's probably different with kids... because you want them to know they're not the only kids in the world with divorced parents.

Sixth.  The future.
This last divorced guy started ticking off qualities that he expected of his next wife.  That's okay for the most part... not ticking them off, but having an idea.   It just felt wrong when I could add up that he was looking for qualities the exact opposite of his ex-wife....  I mean OBVIOUS.  And I've never met her!   To me, that says he thinks it will all work out if he can identify the bugs in a particular model and build his own divorce proof robot.

Granted, I know what qualities I want to avoid in men ( most of which were gleaned from my relationship with Mr. Burns)  but I see it more as being able to identify those qualities and avoid them and not be fooled again.   Not sweeping generalizations... but more about identifying behavior.

Seventh.  More about the future.
This one is pretty specific.  This last guy mentioned (on the first date/meeting mind you!) that if he got married again it would be a casual affair.  In the mountains or on the beach or something.  I replied that I would want a Mass in a Church... the whole Sacrament.  I've been waiting my whole life for this, it's going to be official!   He whimpered a bit and said, "Oh, I can't do that.  I'd have to get an annulment."
"Oh. " I said, "Well, you sort of need one of those to date me in the first place."
He looked at me a bit shocked... crossed with impressed.

See... I'm not playing around.  I'm not going to get involved with someone who isn't going to be serious. In my book, an annulment says your marriage is over and you've done everything you can do to be healed.  You really ought to be healed and ready if you're going to start dating.

What is dating if marriage is not the goal?
That's just setting people up for disappointment.

When I'm looking at profiles, I look for a few specific details, especially in the profiles of divorced guys...  A) Divorced for at least two years B) if they have kids, they have at least 50/50 custody.   A guy who lives more than an hour from children is a flag.  I have no interest in a guy who has abandoned his children, even if it would be easier on me! C) That he might be open to having more children.  Obviously, I may not be able to have kids of my own, but I'd like the guy to be open to it - we should be at a similar starting point and let God sort it out.

I know Divorced folks have their opinions on dating the Never-Married as well....  and it's true, we come from completely different worlds.
Often the divorced married right out college and have never been alone...  and for the never-married... the exact opposite.    Different worlds.

What's your experience?

8 ½ in Eight Words

I was originally planning to write about my experiences watching Federico Fellini’s cinematic masterpiece 8 ½ in a regular review. The more I thought about it, I realized that writing about eight specific points that stood out would be more fitting as this film has been analyzed to death. Then my lovely wife suggested that I sum up the film in eight simple words. I told her that it was impossible to sum up a film like in only eight words, but the look on her face clearly implied that the challenge had been laid down. So below is my feeble attempt to sum up my thoughts on 8 ½ in just eight words:

Visually striking dreamlike exploration of memory and film




8 ½ is part of our "The Must See List" series.

NEW Facebook Video Calling Feature Joined With Skype - Tech Vlog 13

NEW Facebook Video Calling Feature Joined With Skype - Tech Vlog 13

Get It Here: www.Facebook.com Today Facebook announced and released their new Video Calling feature project joined with Skype. By simply ...

Small Bites: Hanna, The Lincoln Lawyer, and Stake Land

Hanna

Unique take on the coming of age tale. Not quite the action film I was expecting, but I enjoyed it for the most part. The action sequences work well and the set design in the last act is fantastic. There is something a little off about the pacing that irked me. However, I doubt it will be noticeable upon repeat viewings. For her part, Saoirse Ronan does a nice job blending both Hanna’s naivety and her killer instinct. Cate Blanchett is the weak link in the film. She just never reaches the level of her counterparts. Tom Hollander routinely steals Blanchett thunder with his chilling performance as the sadistic Issac.

The Lincoln Lawyer

Just as I was starting to lose faith in Matthew McConaughey’s career choices, he turns it around and reminds me that there may be some magic left. McCounaughey brings his trademark charm to the role of shady lawyer Micky Haller. The film is very reminiscent of Primal Fear though Ryan Phillippe is not as memorable as Edward Norton was in that film. The one major issue I had with the film is that it has multiple endings. The conversation with the mother and the scenes outside Maggie’s (Marisa Tomei) house are completely unnecessary. Last act aside, The Lincoln Lawyer ended up being better than I expected. I would have no problem seeing Mickey Haller in another film.

Stake Land

Although I like to think of this film as its own entity, if pressed I would say it has a Zombieland meets 28 Days Later vibe. The major difference being that this film takes a far more realistic approach to the post-apocalyptic genre. Similar to the zombies in 28 Days, the vampires are the least of mankind’s worries. The real terror in the film comes from the religious zealots whose skewed view causes more damage than anything the vampires can dish out. Director Jim Mickle’s script really shapes the film into a character study about mankind rather than a straight vampire flick. Beside the solid story, it was nice to see both Kelly McGillis and Sean Nelson back on the big screen in prominent roles.

In This Guide Learners Should be able to Learn about:

1. Introduction to the Ubuntu Desktop Guide
2. Conventions 
3. Contributing and Feedback 
1. Getting Started 
1. About Ubuntu 
2. Getting Ubuntu 
3. Linux Basics 
2. Adding, Removing and Updating Applications 
1. Introduction 
2. Add/Remove Applications 
3. Synaptic Package Managers
4. Command Line Package Management 
5. Installing a

In This Guide Learners Should be able to Learn about:

1. Introduction to the Ubuntu Desktop Guide
2. Conventions 
3. Contributing and Feedback 
1. Getting Started 
1. About Ubuntu 
2. Getting Ubuntu 
3. Linux Basics 
2. Adding, Removing and Updating Applications 
1. Introduction 
2. Add/Remove Applications 
3. Synaptic Package Managers
4. Command Line Package Management 
5. Installing a

Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum Movie!

This looks fantastic!

Adventures in Podcasting: LAMBcast #85 - Bande à part

I return to the LAMBcast podcast to discuss Jean-Luc Godard’s Bande à part (Bande of Outsiders). As this was my first experience with Godard I was not sure what to expect. Needless to say the film led to a rather lively discussion. Also in this episode, I test my knowledge of Benicio Del Toro and Dennis Hopper films in the Last Lamb Standing game.

Others who took part in this episode:

Dylan (host) – Man, I Love Films
James – Cinema Sights
Steve – 1001 Plus
Fredo – Film Yarn

Give the episode a listen below:

Review: Official Skype For IPad

Review: Official Skype for iPad

Here is skype for the iPad, enjoy :) Gaming Channel: www.youtube.com My Website: www.itsmemaverickblue.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com Twitter ...

Arron of the Black Forest On Sale Now!!

Arron is the last of his kind. The sole survivor of the Twelve Tribes of the Black Forest. And he's on the run.

Pursued through a raging hurricane by a ruthless bounty hunter known as the Hound, Arron is driven into the dark embrace of a crumbling old house on the edge of the world.

The mansion once known as Dragon's Cliff hasn't seen a living soul in decades. And what waits within has grown impatient. Ruled by greed and hate, the spirits that call Dragon's Cliff home want Arron as much as the bounty hunter does.

But all the Hound wants is Arron's head. The ghosts have more gruesome plans.

The New York Times best-selling fantasy author Philip Athans and veteran storyteller Mel Odom join forces to create a new sword and sorcery adventure series in the tradition of Robert E. Howard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and H.P. Lovecraft.

But Arron isn't your grandfather's barbarian. This is a whole new world of adventure.

This is the world of Arron of the Black Forest!

Sharing the Blogging Love

Wondering what bloggers have been chatting about this week?

Here is Your Reading and Listening Schedule for Today:

10 am: Episode 52 of the Can’t Stop the Movies podcast discusses Drive and Robert Pattinson’s career options after Twilight.

11 am: In Episode 59 of the Cinematic Method podcast, the guys talk about Abduction, Killer Elite and more.

12 pm: The Scarlet Sp1der is holding a poll to see who are the two best movie sidekicks

1 pm: Brett and Ty remind me why I need to see Gymkata.

2 pm: Never Too Early Movie Predictions has their latest rankings for next year’s Best Actor Oscar race.

3 pm: Castor list the six best Ryan Gosling performances.

4 pm: Steven has a great review of Bande à Part. A film I recently talked about for an upcoming episode of The LAMBcast.

5 pm: Aziza reviews Revolutionary Road.

6 pm: Andy shares a few thoughts on Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives. A film I rather enjoyed.

Today: The Sky IS Falling!!!!

Story here about falling satellite!

Duck and cover!

All The Earth, Thrown To The Sky

My buddy Joe has a new book out, and this one is for younger readers!  Review here.

Jack Catcher's parents are dead—his mom died of sickness and his dad of a broken heart—and he has to get out of Oklahoma, where dust storms have killed everything green, hopeful, or alive. When former classmate Jane and her little brother Tony show up in his yard with plans to steal a dead neighbor's car and make a break for Texas, Jack doesn't need much convincing. But a run-in with one of the era's most notorious gangsters puts a crimp in Jane's plan, and soon the three kids are hitching the rails among hoboes, gangsters, and con men, racing to warn a carnival wrestler turned bank robber of the danger he faces and, in the process, find a new home for themselves. This road trip adventure from the legendary Joe R. Lansdale is a thrilling and colorful ride through Depression-era America.

The unforgettable face of an unforgettable actor

Film just won’t be the same without Pete Postlethwaite. Despite a lengthy battle with cancer, the news of his death in January was still a shock. With his unique name, his rugged, raw-boned face and his resume of versatility, Postlethwaite was a casting director’s go-to guy for conveying characters with brutality and violence as well as those with sweet stoicism and gentle kindness. That’s how I remember Postlethwaite’s roles – supporting characters of opposite poles; at times brutish, bad, menacing and violent; at other times tender, heroic, loving or amused.

I was introduced to Postlethwaite when he played a good guy in Jim Sheridan’s true-life drama about the Guildford Four, In the Name of the Father. In the film, Postlethwaite plays law-abiding, protective and fiercely loyal father, Guiseppe Conlon, on a doomed mission to save his son who is falsely accused of murder. In the end, both father and son are wrongfully arrested for being Irish Republican Army terrorists, and Postlethwaite’s character becomes the sacrificial figure that dies in prison before his son’s release. Postlethwaite’s role was impressive and powerful and it earned him an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor.

In what has become an iconic supporting role, Postlethwaite played a bad guy in Bryan Singer’s mystery thriller The Usual Suspects. In the film, Postlethwaite emerges as Mr. Kobayashi, an enigmatic, sinister figure who works for the mythical, criminal mastermind Keyser Söze. Postlethwaite’s unconventional looks perfectly befit the role of the shady lawyer shrouded in mystery and guile, suspected at times to be Keyser Söze himself.

One of my favourite Postlethwaite roles is his turn as the good friar in Baz Luhrmann’s modern-day version of Romeo and Juliet. Postlethwaite was perfect as Friar Lawrence, the kind, well-intentioned confidante to both Romeo and Juliet who is always ready with a plan. Postlethwaite’s delivery of the famous “two households” monologue to set the scene was masterful (the iambic pentameter just rolled off his tongue), likely something his Shakespearean stage acting helped to perfect.

In another role as the meanest of men, Postlethwaite portrayed the unrepetant, villainous and ferocious lawyer intent on suppressing evidence of illegal slave-trading in Steven Spielberg's period drama Amistad.

Postlethwaite strayed from period pieces and edgy thrillers when he starred in the action-packed, special effects film – The Lost World: Jurassic Park. The film is a needless sequel after the stellar original, but Postlethwaite’s turn as a wild game hunter tasked with hunting and killing the male Tyrannosaurus Rex makes the film worth watching.

In 2010, Postlethwaite returned to his wheelhouse of playing bad men and delivered a superb performance in The Town, proving that he could do more in a small role than some actors do in a lead one. In the film, Postlethwaite plays Fergie the Florist, a Boston crime boss who works out of his flower shop. Postlethwaite commanded the screen in his few scenes in the film, exuding understated terror as he casually trimmed long-stemmed roses while delivering deadly threats and ultimatums to his lackeys.

His name may have been hard to pronounce, but his face and his work, are unforgettable.

What are your favourite Pete Postlethwaite movies? Let us know in the comments section.

Skype For IPad 2 App Review

Skype For iPad 2 App Review

My quick review of the new Skype App for ipad 2. Free in the Itunes App store, feel free to add me my username is mrphatlim :) Facebook - www ...

Which is Better?

Amy Adams

10 sample films:

Junebug
The Fighter
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Sunshine Cleaning
Catch Me If You Can
Serving Sara
Enchanted
Doubt
Charlie Wlison’s War
Julie & Julia

or

Michelle Williams

10 sample films:

Blue Valentine
Brokeback Mountain
Dick
The Station Agent
Shutter Island
Wendy and Lucy
Prozac Nation
I’m Not There
Synecdoche, New York
Meek’s Cutoff

Which do you prefer? Let us know in the comments section

IGDaily - Microsoft Buys Skype, Diablo 3 Beta, Hitman: Absolution - 5 ...

IGDaily - Microsoft Buys Skype, Diablo 3 Beta, Hitman: Absolution - 5 ...

www.youtube.com Click here to watch IGDaily - Alan Wake 2, PSN Restoration Date, Diablo III Beta - 5/9/11 IGDaily - Microsoft Buys Skype, Diablo 3 ...

Biggest Loser!!!

It started!   Biggest Loser premiered last night.  Well, I think I could train with either one of those guys (Bob or Dolvett)...ha! (And hubby would gladly train with Anna!)

I had to kinda cheer for the old team as that is where I'd be...   :-)

Anyone else watch?  (I know, I'm kinda strange....)

Best Picture? What a Foreign Concept!

Over the last eleven year’s TIFF has slowly become a major when it comes to Academy Award winners. Two of the last three Best Picture winners (Slumdog Millionaire and The King’s Speech) were also winners of TIFF’s prestigious People’s Choice Award. 2009 Best Picture winner, The Hurt Locker, did not win the People’s Choice Award, but it screened at the festival the same year as Slumdog Millionaire. If you look closely at the Best Picture nominees over an eleven year span you will noticed that eighteen of the sixty-five nominated films screened at TIFF. This number increases drastically when you start factoring in all the other Academy Award categories.

One less publicized area where TIFF seems to have an outstanding track record is in the Best Foreign Language film category. In the past eleven years, every winner of this category has screened at TIFF. Despite its track record with foreign language films, TIFF has been unsuccessful in changing people’s perceptions of the Best Picture with respects to foreign language films winning. This year’s People’s Choice winner was Where Do We Go Now? The weeks leading up to TIFF, and especially during, people were speculating which films would win the award and thus become a front-runner for the Best Picture award. Many of the film titles being thrown around featured several well known actors/actresses. Then something strange happened, a Lebanese film was announced as the People’s Choice winner and the mood shifted immediately. No longer were the media outlets talking Best Picture buzz, but almost lackadaisically referred to the film as having a shot in the Foreign category.

The fact that a foreign language film immediately gets discredited from the Best Picture debate is still rather shocking in this day and age. Even more disturbing is that a foreign language film still has not won the Best Picture award. The last two foreign language films to even get nominated in the Best Picture category were Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in 2000 and Letters from Iwo Jima in 2006. Both of those films lost to Gladiator and The Departed respectively.

Of course some will point to the fact that foreign language films have their own specific category; others will simply state that not every film can be nominated for Best Picture. However, these are probably the same people who will turn around and champion the merits of Pixar films such as Up or Toy Story 3 winning the Best Picture award instead of being relegated to the Best Animated category. The sad thing is that animated films, while good in their own right, still stand a better chance of snagging a Best Picture award than a foreign language film.

What is it about foreign language films that keep Academy voters away? Maybe the lack of Best Picture support is merely a reflection of the current film going culture. At the end of the day people want to cheer for stars they know. Critics and bloggers now post list of possible award hopefuls well before the actual film is released. Their views are often based simply on the film’s synopsis, director and cast. Clint Eastwood making a film on J. Edgar Hoover with Leonardo DiCapro immediately gets thrown in the Oscar discussion just based on the idea. Whether the film is actually good or not is the last thing considered. Foreign language films on the other hand are usually judged by the strength of their story.

It is a shame that with all the technology we have today, foreign language films are still viewed with a bit of distain. Although access to foreign language films has increased, it seems many are still not willing to look at them as serious Best Picture contenders. No matter how much people love a film like Amélie, at the end of the day films like A Beautiful Mind will most likely walk away with the Best Picture praise.

Books and Movies

Some Recent reads~~

• Room  (Yes--disturbing...but GOOD!)
• The Help  (Aweome---highly recommend)
• Water for Elephants (Started slow, and then couldn't put it down!)
• A Stolen Life (Ok...pretty much followed the news articles (Jaycee Duggard story))

Some Recent Movies~~

• The Help (GREAT....loved it!)
• Unknown (Good)
• The Rabbit Hole (zzzzzzz...thumbs down)

What do you recommend?

Dead Man Picked Up By Amazon.com

Big News From Lee Goldberg

Amazon's Thomas & Mercer imprint has picked up THE DEAD MAN series in a unique and exclusive 12-book digital and print deal ... with an option for more. But that's not all. Brilliance Audio will be also be rolling out their own editions of the books.

The five books that we've already published -- FACE OF EVIL, RING OF KNIVES, HELL IN HEAVEN, THE DEAD WOMAN, and THE BLOOD MESA -- will be re-released in the days leading up to Halloween ... so keep your eyes peeled for great offers.

The sixth book in the series will be released in November and will be followed each month by another new adventure in the continuing saga of Matt Cahill, a man resurrected from the dead to battle evil among us that only he can see.

Amazon will also be releasing three-book compilations of THE DEAD MAN series in trade paperback (as well as in specially priced digital editions). The release dates of the first compilation, and the Brilliance Audio editions, have not been determined yet ... but we’re hoping they'll be ready for Christmas.

Bill Rabkin and I will continue to run the series, which we're writing with a terrific group of action, horror, mystery, SF and western authors, like James Daniels, David McAfee, James Reasoner, Harry Shannon, Joel Goldman, Mel Odom, Jude Hardin, Lisa Klink, Mark Ellis, Matthew Mayo, Joe Nassise, Bill Crider, Marcus Pelegrimas, Matt Witten, Burl Barer, and Phoef Sutton.

And we couldn't have hoped for a better partner than Amazon’s Thomas & Mercer. I just returned from meeting with the Thomas & Mercer team (including editors Terry Goodman and Andy Bartlett) in Seattle and was blown away by their creativity, enthusiasm, and eagerness to see THE DEAD MAN reach its full potential. They get exactly what Bill and I are trying to do with this series.

And what is that, you ask?

We want to capture the spirit of the “men’s action adventure” paperbacks of the 70s and 80s – short, tightly-written books full of hard-boiled heroes, outrageously sexy women, wild adventure, and gleefully over-the-top plots – and reboot the genre for a new generation that maximizes the potential of the Kindle.

And with Thomas & Mercer behind us, I don't see how we can fail.

Arron of the Black Forest Coming Soon

Book 1 should be out next week, but here's a preview of Book 2.

Cover is by Keith Birdsong.

This Guide will give an Hand On Experience to The Newest Linux Users.
So Study out and start linux with the most common techniques.


Download Link:
http://www.ziddu.com/download/16451649/intro-linux.pdf.html

This Guide will give an Hand On Experience to The Newest Linux Users.
So Study out and start linux with the most common techniques.


Download Link:
http://www.ziddu.com/download/16451649/intro-linux.pdf.html

Summertime at the Movies: Not this Year

It used to be that summertime was my favourite time to go to the movies. I’d go to the theatre on every opening weekend to see the week’s newest big release. I remember great opening weekend releases that I looked forward to with excitement and that delivered on their hype like Jurassic Park, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and The Dark Knight. I found the slate of summer movies this year pretty underwhelming with too few appealing and original films to move me.

The summer movie lineup over the past couple of years has been dominated by too many prequels, sequels, comic book, 80’s cartoon and TV show adaptations, and reboots. I appreciated the comic book genre when it made a major splash by offering up some great film fare like Spider-Man, X-Men, Batman Begins, Iron Man and The Dark Knight. But a good thing was ruined when studios began to flood theatres during summer with substandard adaptations and mediocre sequels and reboots. This summer was the precursor to the upcoming The Avengers movie, so studios gave us Thor and Captain America, and also available was the Green Lantern and the graphic novel adaptation Cowboys and Aliens. Add to that the slew of prequels, sequels and remakes like X-Men: First Class, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Conan the Barbarian, Fright Night, and Final Destination 5, and one cartoon adapted for the big screen, The Smurfs, and there was little left for me to get excited about seeing.

This summer I went to the movies just once and saw The Hangover 2, which was a big letdown. I steered clear of the comic book films because, quite frankly, I’m a little burned out on them. I prefer to remember the cartoons of my childhood as they were – simply animated and classically entertaining – versus the film adaptations of today that take beloved cartoon characters, create a CGI equivalent and place them in a live action world. And films based on television programs have, in my opinion, been the least effective film vehicle adaptation of the bunch. Thankfully, movie audiences were spared this summer from painful, regrettable adaptations of summer’s past like Bewitched.

As a big movie fan that enjoys going to the movies, it’s been hugely disappointing to feel like there is so little in theatres to look forward to. Studios are dragging out franchises to the point where they’re becoming ineffective and unmemorable (like the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, for one), and sequels are suffering their usual fate of not standing up to their predecessors (The Dark Knight and Toy Story 3 excluded.) The lack of original material is becoming increasingly frustrating and so is the trend that seems to have emerged – that studios are banking on the safest bets possible by turning out recycled goods and franchises that come with built-in audiences that are easier to sell, and what’s resulted is a dire crop of summer movies. What I hope is that studios will get off this safe track and start taking risks to offer some glimmers of light amidst the unoriginality to move me out to theatres during summer as in the good ol’ days.

Facebook Launches Video Chat With Skype

Facebook launches video chat with Skype

Social networking service Facebook is hoping to connect its users face to face across the Internet. On Wednesday the company launched a video chat ...

Remember when?

I was watching a movie about a girls basketball team in the late 60's and it showed them in pe class...wearing these! 

We had something very similar when I was in PE in school (however, we did later get to wear shorts and t-shirts).

Ours were green.   Lovely, don't you think?!

Scene Stealer: Boogie Nights

Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights is a provocative, complex, risky and memorable film. Boogie Nights is about the adult film industry during a time when movies were shot on film and played in theatres. Jack Horner (played perfectly by Burt Reynolds) is an adult film director who dreams of making adult movies with good stories that will keep audiences watching for more than just the sex.

Boogie Nights has many memorable scenes thanks to its superb ensemble cast and several subplots depicting how the different characters make lives for themselves in the adult film industry and what transpires when they leave it.

One of the film’s finest scenes is a startling one featuring William H. Macy. Macy plays Little Bill, a middle-aged man employed as an assistant director in the adult film industry who is married to a porn star. Little Bill’s wife (played by porn star Nina Hartley) gets it on with every man she can except for her husband and she isn’t shy about it. In one scene, Little Bill discovers his wife having sex in the driveway surrounded by appreciative on-lookers. When Bill asks his wife what she’s doing, she replies “Shut up, Bill. You’re embarrassing me.”

The startling scene comes later at a New Year’s Eve party to ring in the year 1980. Little Bill discovers his wife once again being unfaithful in the house where the party is being held. Driven to the ultimate breaking point from having been humiliated and betrayed numerous times before, Little Bill, dazed, goes out to his car, removes a handgun, and returns to the room where he discovered his wife, shoots her and her lover, then puts the gun in his mouth and pulls the trigger.

The shot sequence is itself a spectacular presentation of Anderson’s skills as a director as it’s one long steadicam shot. Anderson is a self-made film director without any formal film education, which makes his incredible aptitude of staging complicated camera movements that much more impressive. The long tracking shot is not an easy technique to master, yet Anderson uses it masterfully to film this scene stealer in Boogie Nights. The shot continuity makes the heart wrenching collapse of Little Bill powerfully startling for it’s not until he pulls the trigger that the shot is cut. What is doubly effective about this scene and its execution is how it’s used as the catalyst for the dark times that will engulf all of the characters in the 80’s.

The Long and Short of It

I've been single for a long time.  Since, you know, birth for starters.

Over the years, I've considered myself pretty open-minded about who I would date.  I've chastised other women for rejecting men who didn't meet their height requirements... or hair-to-scalp ratio.    Bald? I don't care... bald can be HOT!  (seriously girls, date ONE bald guy, you'll see.  Or maybe I just dated a really hot bald guy to start with.  hmmm.  that's still a nice memory!)  Tall, short... who cares?  I've dated men shorter than I.  Heck, I figure if God made a complete man before he reached 5'10"... he's probably a mighty good man!

In the past, I even boasted that I'd go out with anyone who asked me out.  (that comment even bit me in the butt once.  That's another story... maybe I'll share some day.)

But today, it seems that the only dating that occurs, begins online.   When I meet men in real life... it doesn't seem to occur to them to ask me out.  (in fact, one real life man in whom I was briefly interested, told me that he's not looking to meet anyone at all the events we end up at together.  Hmmm?  Who wants to be alone?  Does not compute.)

Back to the online thing.  So, I'm dutifully perusing my online sources... meeting a few men.

Mr. Potential still has his hat in the ring, but no grand efforts just yet.  Many very sweet, kind gestures but he's not pursuing hard, we are casually getting to know one another, which I enjoy.

So here's the thing.  As I'm shopping for men online... and meeting them in person... the common theme seems to be that they're either divorced or divorcing (and I won't date anyone who says they're 'separated' - hi, how dumb do you think I am?!) or they're shorter than 5'10".

Now remember... I don't care about height.  (I thought)

One friend, who had a big hang up about dating someone who wasn't taller than she... and ended up marrying he who is her exact height... said about more than one prospect of mine, "Maybe that's the only reason he's single... because he's short."

I'm still not sure what I think about that statement.
It suggests that too many women couldn't see a good man because they were blinded by his lack of stature.   But then again, it suggests that height was a sufficient reason to discard a good man.   It suggest yet another statement that I can't seem to put into words...

But what is bugging me... is that despite the fact that I don't care about height...  I'm learning that when I meet the men who I know are 'short'... and I encounter them in real-life... there is a moment of disappointment.  (What?)

Actually, think it has less to do with their height than with the fact that they're small all the way around.
Listen.  I'm only 5'5" (depending on who measures... I've been accused of being shorter!)  and I have a rather slight frame.  But sometimes these men make me feel like I'm bigger than them.   I don't understand it.
Mr. Potential, for example, is very fit and lean - but when I put my arms around him, I feel like I'm holding onto less than what he is holding onto!   It feels odd.

So now, thanks in part to what my friend said... I'm starting to feel like these small guys are (ooh... I don't want to say it... )  leftovers.

Ack.   I don't like that!  But there it is.
I don't really feel that way... but when I see a profile that describes a man that doesn't quite appeal to me... and then check his height status... it seems to confirm the theory.

Oh well.  These are just thoughts. Not hard and fast facts or even well-thought-out opinions...
It's just that I want to wrap my arms around someone substantial.  Someone who feels like a man, strong, protective...

In fact, I've dated shorter men who did present that physical security... so I don't understand what has changed.   Maybe our age impacts  the meaty factor?

Okay folks... don't jump down my throat here.    You know I don't normally target like this.  Any thoughts?