Sunday, September 23, 2007

Happy Together




The Turtles. Happy Together.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

I Say A Little Pray'r ForYou

The Catcher in the Rye - ALL-TIME 100 Novels - TIME

The Catcher in the Rye (1951)
Author: J.D. Salinger


No matter how many high school English teachers try to domesticate The Catcher in the Rye in class, it will never lose its satirical edge. When Holden Caulfield learns he's going to be kicked out of yet another private school, he bails in the middle of the night ("Sleep tight, ya morons!" he yells) and heads to New York City to bum around for a few days—hitting on girls, thinking about his dead brother, worrying about where the ducks go in the wintertime—before he deals with his parents. The time passes in an agony of anhedonia that transcends the merely adolescent: It's a permanent reminder of the sweetness of childhood, the hypocrisy of the adult world, and the strange no-man's-land that lies in between.—L.G.

From the TIME Archive:
Some of my best friends are children,' says Jerome David Salinger, 32. 'In fact, all of my best friends are children.'
—TIME Magazine, Jul. 16, 1951 (Read This Review)

Link

Quotes from Catcher in the Rye

Quotations from
The Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger, 1945

What I was really hanging around for, I was trying to feel some kind of a good-by. I mean I've left schools and places I didn't even know I was leaving them. I hate that. I don't care if it's a sad good-by or a bad good-by, but when I leave a place I like to know I'm leaving it. If you don't, you feel even worse. ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 1


I don't even know what I was running for - I guess I just felt like it. ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 1


It was that kind of a crazy afternoon, terrifically cold, and no sun out or anything, and you felt like you were disappearing every time you crossed a road. ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 1


People always think something's all true. ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 2


People never notice anything. ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 2


I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It's awful. If I'm on my way to the store to buy a magazine, even, and somebody asks me where I'm going, I'm liable to say I'm going to the opera. It's terrible. ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 3


When I really worry about something, I don't just fool around. I even have to go to the bathroom when I worry about something. Only, I don't go. I'm too worried to go. I don't want to interrupt my worrying to go. ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 6


All morons hate it when you call them a moron. ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 6


In my mind, I'm probably the biggest sex maniac you ever saw. ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 9


It's really too bad that so much crumby stuff is a lot of fun sometimes. ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 9


Sex is something I really don't understand too hot. You never know where the hell you are. I keep making up these sex rules for myself, and then I break them right away. Last year I made a rule that I was going to quit horsing around with girls that, deep down, gave me a pain in the ass. I broke it, though, the same week I made it - the same night, as a matter of fact. ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 9


I was half in love with her by the time we sat down. That's the thing about girls. Every time they do something pretty, even if they're not much to look at, or even if they're sort of stupid, you fall half in love with them, and then you never know where the hell you are. Girls. Jesus Christ. They can drive you crazy. They really can. ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 10


There isn't any night club in the world you can sit in for a long time unless you can at least buy some liquor and get drunk. Or unless you're with some girl that really knocks you out. ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 10


It's no fun to be yellow. Maybe I'm not all yellow. I don't know. I think maybe I'm just partly yellow and partly the type that doesn't give much of a damn if they lose their gloves. ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 13


I mean most girls are so dumb and all. After you neck them for a while, you can really watch them losing their brains. You take a girl when she really gets passionate, she just hasn't any brains. ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 13


Goddam money. It always ends up making you blue as hell. ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 15


If a girl looks swell when she meets you, who gives a damn if she's late? Nobody. ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 17


"Take most people, they're crazy about cars. They worry if they get a little scratch on them, and they're always talking about how many miles they get to a gallon, and if they get a brand-new car already they start thinking about trading it in for one that's even newer. I don't even like old cars. I mean they don't even interest me. I'd rather have a goddam horse. A horse is at least human, for God's sake." ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 17, spoken by the character Holden Caulfield


Anyway, I'm sort of glad they've got the atomic bomb invented. If there's ever another war, I'm going to sit right the hell on top of it. I'll volunteer for it, I swear to God I will. ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 18


Boy, when you're dead, they really fix you up. I hope to hell when I do die somebody has sense enough to just dump me in the river or something. Anything except sticking me in a goddam cemetery. People coming and putting a bunch of flowers on your stomach on Sunday, and all that crap. Who wants flowers when you're dead? Nobody. ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 20


It's funny. All you have to do is say something nobody understands and they'll do practically anything you want them to. ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 21


Holden: "You know that song, 'If a body catch a body comin' through the rye'?..."
Phoebe: "It's 'If a body meet a body coming through the rye'!... It's a poem. By Robert Burns."
~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 22


"Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around - nobody big, I mean - except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff - I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be." ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 22, spoken by the character Holden Caulfield


"I have a feeling that you're riding for some kind of a terrible, terrible fall. But I don't honestly know what kind.... It may be the kind where, at the age of thirty, you sit in some bar hating everybody who comes in looking as if he might have played football in college. Then again, you may pick up just enough education to hate people who say, 'It's a secret between he and I.' Or you may end up in some business office, throwing paper clips at the nearest stenographer. I just don't know." ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 24, spoken by the character Mr. Antolini


"This fall I think you're riding for - it's a special kind of fall, a horrible kind. The man falling isn't permitted to feel or hear himself hit bottom. He just keeps falling and falling. The whole arrangement's designed for men who, at some time or other in their lives, were looking for something their own environment couldn't supply them with. Or they thought their own environment couldn't supply them with. So they gave up looking. They gave it up before they ever really even got started." ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 24, spoken by the character Mr. Antolini


"Among other things, you'll find that you're not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You're by no means alone on that score, you'll be excited and stimulated to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. You'll learn from them - if you want to. Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It's a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn't education. It's history. It's poetry." ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 24, spoken by the character Mr. Antolini


Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody. ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 26

J.D. Salinger

Catcher in the Rye

...What gets me about D.B., though, he hated the war so much, and yet he got me to read this book A Farewell to Arms last summer. He said it was so terrific. That's what I can't understand. It had this guy in it named Lieutenant Henry that was supposed to be a nice guy and all. I don't see how D.B. could hate the Army and war and all so much and still like a phony like that. I mean, for instance, I don't see how he could like a phony like that and still like that one by Ring Lardner, or that other one he's so crazy about, The Great Gatsby. D.B. got sore when I said that, and said I was too young and all to appreciate it, but I don't think so. I told him I liked Ring Lardner and The Great Gatsby and all. I did, too. I was crazy about The Great Gatsby. Old Gatsby. Old sport. That killed me. Anyway, I'm sort of glad they've got the atomic bomb invented. If there's ever another war, I'm going to sit right the hell on top of it. I'll volunteer for it, I swear to God I will.

The Catcher in the Rye
Link

Monday, August 13, 2007

Love and Venus

Again, 17 years ago, John and I wrote this song.

LOVE AND VENUS

scared, scared to death
tired, running out of breath
hear me calling to you
woh

long, long are the nights
short, short are my arms
longing for you

how can i
how can i make it through
got to be
got to be with you
can't you see
can't you hear
have you an eye
have you an ear
have you a heart
that beats for love

they shattered the wall
venus and love
they make us fall
while i dream of you above
woh
while round and round and round
the world is going round


i'll shatter the wall
between us and love
i'll make them fall
i'll dream of you above

Sometimes I Get So Nervous

This is a song I wrote when I was just 19. Some 17 years ago. Back when I was still pessimistic about everything. I even claimed the "Mister Pessimister" of TFF as my own.

Sometimes I Get So Nervous

sometimes i get so nervous

on my way to the town circus

thinkin' by myself would the clowns show up

or are they tired already

sometimes it gets so scary

as i plan on climbin' the cherry

worryin' would the cherry fall

hit my head to the wall

is my tree so tall

or is it too small

does it look like a tree to thee

it doesn't to me...

sometimes i ask myself

would there be someone to watch over me

would someone listen as i sing this song

without thinking i just jumbled the words and this doesn't mean a thing

sometimes i ask is there someone out there

except god ...

sometimes i get so crazy

and i write a song about me

a song that many won't understand

as a clap of one hand

as a guitar buried in the sand

a song that goes.... on and on...

I wrote a song "Are You Out There?" - a song intended for God. Thing is, after a month or two, a strong earthquake happened. That was July 16, 1990. And I was in UST then. As I look above the Main of "my UST"... I saw the cross shaking....and it looked like a message or a vision. So the lyrics..."is there someone out there...except god.." is like a resignation that. Ok, he is there. But aside from him...?

Monday, June 11, 2007

Napoleon's sword sold

Napoleon's sword sold for $6.4 million (AP)

An auction house employee displays a gold-encrusted sword Napoleon wore into battle in Italy, the last of Napoleon's swords in private hands, during its auction at the Fontainebleau auction house, southeast of Paris, Sunday, June 10, 2007. The sword was sold on Sunday for more than euro4.8 million (US$6.4 million), the auction house said. The buyer was not immediately identified. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)AP - A gold-encrusted sword Napoleon wore into battle in Italy 200 years ago was sold Sunday for more than $6.4 million, an auction house said.


No profits for bookstore

Harry Potter magic spells losses for booksellers (Reuters)

Children crowd to get their copy of the new book 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' from the first box of the books to be opened at a Sydney book store in this file photo from July 16, 2005. Millions of people will descend on stores for a copy of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' in July, but deep discounts mean many will struggle to turn a profit from the jamboree. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters)Reuters - Harry Potter has no spell for bookstore profits.


Ocean's Thirteen lead them at $37.1 Million

Ocean's Away at the Box Office

Here's a rundown of the top 10 films based on Friday-Sunday estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations:
1. "Ocean's Thirteen," $37.1 million.
2. "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," $21.3 million.
3. "Knocked Up," $20 million.
4. "Surf's Up," $18 million.
5. "Shrek the Third," $15.75 million.
6. "Hostel: Part II," $8.75 million.
7. "Mr. Brooks," $5 million.
8. "Spider-Man 3," $4.4 million.
9. "Waitress," $1.65 million.
10. "Disturbia," $550,000.

Saturday, June 09, 2007

Bono

Bono, lead singer of the group U2, arrives at the G8 summit ...

photo(Reuters) - Bono, lead singer of the group U2, arrives at the G8 summit in Heiligendamm June 6, 2007. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper told reporters on Thursday that meeting Bono was not a priority on the sidelines of a Group of Eight summit. (Jim Young/Reuters)


Friday, June 08, 2007

Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy






Oooh-la....Oooh-la

Al Pacino

Al Pacino recognized with AFI honor (AP)

Al Pacino arrives at the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award event honoring him in Los Angeles on Thursday, June 7, 2007. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)AP - Al Pacino made grand speeches on screen as Michael Corleone and Tony Montana. But when the actor was honored with the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award, he was practically speechless.


Thursday, June 07, 2007

Chinese fishing

A Chinese man casts his line as he fishes along the banks of ...

photo(AFP/File) - A Chinese man casts his line as he fishes along the banks of the Songhua river in 2005. Fishery officials were caught out trying to restock the river when the 13 truckloads of carp they unloaded were netted by over 1,000 villagers downstream, state media reported.(AFP/File)


Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Pac Man a swan song for founder about to retire

New Pac Man for Xbox is swan song for founder (Reuters)

A screenshot from 'Pac Man Championship Edition' in an image courtesy of Namco Bandai Games. Pac Man will be reborn on Microsoft's Xbox Live online service on Wednesday as a final tribute for designer Toru Iwatani, who is retiring from the $30 billion games industry he helped ignite. (Handout/Reuters)Reuters - Pac Man will be reborn on Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox Live online service on Wednesday as a final tribute for designer Toru Iwatani, who is retiring from the $30 billion games industry he helped ignite.


The Price is Right's Last Episode

Bob Barker fans line up for finale (AP)

Alise Raya , Oakland Calif., left, and Colleen Anderson Berkeley, Calif., wear matching 'Bob's Belles' shirts waiting in line Tuesday June 5, 2007 outside CBS Studios for a spot on Bob Barker's final 'The Price is Right' show in Los Angeles on Wednesday.  (AP Photo/Nick Ut)AP - For the fans who traveled across the country and slept on the sidewalk outside CBS Television City, this was their day — the day of Bob Barker's last "Price is Right."


House is number one last week

Wives, Dancers, Dr. House Dominate; NBC Not So Much

Most watched prime-time programs for week ended June 3, per Nielsen Media:

1. "House," Fox, 17.23 million
2. "CSI," CBS, 12.09 million
3. "Two and a Half Men," CBS, 10.75 million
4. "So You Think You Can Dance" (Thursday), Fox 10.58 million
5. "CSI: NY," CBS, 10.1 million
6. "NCIS," CBS, 9.97 million
7. "Boston Legal," ABC, 9.93 million
8. "CSI: Miami," CBS, 9.4 million
9. "So You Think You Can Dance" (Wednesday), Fox, 9.33 million
10. "Shark," CBS, 9.27 million

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Jurmala sunset

Jurmala sunset : Swans fly over the Baltic sea during a sunset ...

photo(AFP) - Jurmala sunset : Swans fly over the Baltic sea during a sunset in Jurmala, near Riga.(AFP/Janek Skarzynski)


World record on guitars

1,683 guitarists play 'Smoke on Water' (AP)

Nate Gueltzau, of Maysville, Mo., joins 1,683 fellow guitarists on the field at Community America Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan., Sunday, June 3, 2007. The guitarists attempted a world record by playing the Deep Purple song 'Smoke on the Water' at the same time. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)AP - More than 1,680 guitar players turned out, tuned up and took part in what organizers say was a world record rendition of Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" — a song that was the first many of them ever learned.


Rutka Laskier

The journal of Rutka Laskier is seen during a ceremony marking ...

photo(AP) - The journal of Rutka Laskier is seen during a ceremony marking it presentation at Yad Vashem Holocaust museum Monday, June 4, 2007. The diary of a 14-year-old Jewish girl, dubbed the 'Polish Anne Frank,' unveiled Monday by Israel's Holocaust museum more than 60 years after the teenager wrote it, vividly describes the world crumbling around her as she came of age in a Jewish ghetto. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)


Paris wax figure

Veronica Sareau poses with the wax figure of Paris Hilton dressed ...

photo(Reuters) - Veronica Sareau poses with the wax figure of Paris Hilton dressed in prison wear at Madame Tussauds in New York June 4, 2007. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)


Valley of Geysers

Russia's most noted natural wonders, the Valley of Geysers, ...

photo(AP) - Russia's most noted natural wonders, the Valley of Geysers, on the Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, is seen in this March 2006 file photo. A severe landslide has nearly obliterated the Valley of Geysers, officials and environmental activists said Monday. The landslide dumped millions of cubic meters of mud and stones and destroyed most of the valley's geysers and dozens of thermal springs stopping meters away from the valley's only hotel, a park ranger said. Tourists and park personnel had to be evacuated, but no injuries were reported.(AP Photo/Roman Denisov, File)


Veterans commemorate Battle of Midway

Veterans commemorate Battle of Midway (AP)

George Chockley, 87 of Mebane, N,C., listens during the presentation of colors at the 65th Anniversary of the Battle of Midway on Midway Island, Monday, June 4, 2007. Chockley was a 22-year-old Navy chief petty officer on the USS Enterprise during the battle. (AP Photo/Lucy Pemoni)AP - Holding their hands over their hearts, six veterans of the Battle of Midway stood as a Navy band played the national anthem to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the fight that marked a turning point in World War II.


My Generation

Buster Martin, who is 100-years-old, is the oldest band member ...

photo(AFP/Pimlico Plumbers/File) - Buster Martin, who is 100-years-old, is the oldest band member in The Zimmers -- a group of 40 elderly rockers whose single "My Generation" entered the singles chart at number 26. (AFP/Pimlico Plumbers/File)


Monday, June 04, 2007

Another day of war

Newsvine - Get Smarter Here

The setting sun shines through smoke from shelling in the besieged Nahr el-Bared refugee camp near the city of Tripoli in Lebanon Sunday, June 3, 2007, as the Lebanese army continued to battle against Islamic militants barricaded in the Palestinian...

Pirates gets knocked

Pirates Gets Knocked Around a Bit

The sailing wasn't quite as smooth for "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" this weekend, but the booty was still plentiful.

Despite seeing a 62.4 percent drop from its dominant $114.7 million opening over Memorial Day weekend (not including Monday), the swashbuckling sequel's $43.2 million was enough to keep it in first place and bring its two-week total to $216.5 million, despite what turned out to be stiff competition from Judd Apatow's latest offering to the cerebral gross-out genre, according to figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations.

Apparently being impregnated by Seth Rogen isn't as disturbing a concept as "Knocked Up's" movie posters would have you believe, with moviegoers forking over $29.3 million to get in on the unplanned-pregnancy shenanigans, giving the well-received R-rated comedy a solid second-place finish at the box office.

Sunday, June 03, 2007

To dance the Tango

Robinson Valencia and Alejandra Cardona of Colombia dance the ...

photo(Reuters) - Robinson Valencia and Alejandra Cardona of Colombia dance the tango during a qualifying session for the Tango Dance World Championship at the Jorge Isaacs theater in Cali June 2, 2007. REUTERS/Carlos Duran (COLOMBIA)


Oscar Orjuela (R) and Olga Arcila of Colombia dance the tango ...

photo(Reuters) - Oscar Orjuela (R) and Olga Arcila of Colombia dance the tango during a qualifying session for the Tango Dance World Championship at the Jorge Isaacs theater in Cali June 2, 2007. REUTERS/Carlos Duran (COLOMBIA)


Saturday, June 02, 2007

It was 40 years ago today

The rock group, The Beatles, are shown in 1967. From left, are: ...

photo(AP) - The rock group, The Beatles, are shown in 1967. From left, are: Ringo Starr, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison. The Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight, the Fray and other popular rock groups have joined to record songs from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in honor of Friday's 40th anniversary of The Beatles' epochal album. (AP Photo/ho/FILE) NO SALES


Platinum Skull

British artist Damien Hirst poses with 'For the love of God', ...

photo(Reuters) - British artist Damien Hirst poses with 'For the love of God', a life size cast of a human skull in platinum in this undated handout image released in London June 1, 2007. The Skull is covered by 8,601 pave-set diamonds weighing 1,106.18 carats. (Prudence Cuming Associates/Handout - /Reuters)


French Spiderman

Intrepid climber Alain Robert, nicknamed the "French Spiderman", ...

photo(AFP) - Intrepid climber Alain Robert, nicknamed the "French Spiderman", gestures as he climbs up Shanghai's 430-metre (1,420-feet) Jin Mao Tower. Robert has been jailed for five days after scaling China's tallest building.(AFP)


Friday, June 01, 2007

Hogwarts Castle

Hogwarts Castle - 'The Wizarding World of Harry Potter' will ...

photo(AP) - Hogwarts Castle - 'The Wizarding World of Harry Potter' will be anchored by the most recognizable landmark in Harry Potter's world: Hogwarts castle. Fans will get the chance to experience some of their favorite locations both within Hogwarts and around the castle grounds when the new land opens at Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Universal Orlando Resort are partnering to create the world's first fully immersive Harry Potter themed environment based on J.K. Rowling's books and the Warner Bros. films. Opening in 2009, 'The Wizarding World of Harry Potter' will feature rides and attractions, as well as shops and restaurants that will enable guests to sample fare from the wizarding world's best known establishments. Credit: (C) 2007 Universal Orlando. All rights reserved. HARRY POTTER: TM & C Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights (C) JKR. (s07). (PRNewsFoto/Universal Orlando Resort)


Thursday, May 31, 2007

Gabriel Marquez

Colombia's Literature Nobel Prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez, ...

photo(AP) - Colombia's Literature Nobel Prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez, sticks out his tongue to photographers upon his arrival on a train to Aracataca, his hometown in northeastern Colombia, Wednesday, May 30, 2007. At right is his wife Mercedes Barcha who accompanied the writer on his first visit to his hometown in 25 years. (AP Photo/William Fernando Martinez)


192k for Audrey dress

Picture taken in 1961 of actress and film star Belgian born ...

photo(AFP/HO/File) - Picture taken in 1961 of actress and film star Belgian born Audrey Hepburn on the set of the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's. A pink cocktail dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in the film sold for 192,000 dollars in New York on Wednesday, more than six times its highest pre-sale estimate.(AFP/HO/File)


All aboard for the Harry Potter rollercoaster

All aboard for the Harry Potter rollercoaster (Reuters)

Author J.K. Rowling attends a news conference before a charity reading event in New York, in this August 1, 2006 file photo. Rowling, who became the world's first billion dollar author on the back of Harry Potter's success, has given the go-ahead for the creation of a Florida theme park dedicated to the schoolboy wizard. (Mike Segar/Reuters)Reuters - J.K Rowling, who became the world's first billion dollar author on the back of Harry Potter's success, has given the go-ahead for the creation of a Florida theme park dedicated to the schoolboy wizard.


Wednesday, May 30, 2007

18-karat gold bath tub

A model poses in a bathtub made of 18-Karat gold and stainless ...

photo(AFP/File) - A model poses in a bathtub made of 18-Karat gold and stainless steel during a promotional press preview to attract customers, at a jewelry shop in Tokyo, June 2005. A similar bathtub has disappeared from a Japanese resort hotel, with police having no clues to help to catch the cunning thief or thieves.(AFP/File/Kazuhiro Nogi)


Police tours again after 23 years

Police back on duty for first tour since '84 (AFP)

Lead singer Sting (L) and lead guitarist Andy Summers of The Police perform on stage in Vancouver, Canada, 28 May 2007. It was the band's first major public concert since their last 1983 album, drawing screams and cheers from a bedazzled Vancouver crowd.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Jeff Vinnick)AFP - Legendary rock band The Police on Monday staged their first major public concert since breaking up in 1984, kicking off a reunion tour and drawing fans screams from a bedazzled crowd.


Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Memorial Day

Sun glints through the American flag placed by a gravestone ...

photo(AP) - Sun glints through the American flag placed by a gravestone for a fallen soldier from the Vietnam War to mark Memorial Day at Fort Logan National Cemetery in the south Denver suburb of Sheridan, Colo., on Sunday, May 27, 2007. Various celebrations including a parade and several ceremonies are planned to mark the Memorial Day holiday in the Denver area on Monday. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)


2.3 million dollars

Chinese classical painting sells for 2.3 million dlrs in Hong Kong (AFP)

This handout picture shows a hanging scroll entitled "Landscape in the Manner of Wang Mang" by Qing Master Wu Li, which was sold at Christie's auction in Hong Kong.(AFP/Christie's-HO)AFP - A painting by the 17th century classical Chinese artist Wu Li was sold at auction in Hong Kong Monday for 2.34 million US dollars, more than 10 times its estimate.


Monday, May 28, 2007

Man burns books as protest

Mo. man burns books as act of protest (AP)

Tom Wayne lights books on fire at Prospero's Books in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, May 27, 2007. The book store owner burned the books to protest the lack of reading in America. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)AP - Tom Wayne amassed thousands of books in a warehouse during the 10 years he has run his used book store, Prospero's Books.


Pirates misses record

'Pirates' nabs $112.5M, missing record (AP)

This undated photo released by Disney Enterprises shows actors Johnny Depp, left, as Jack Sparrow and Orlando Bloom in a scene from 'Pirates of Caribbean: At Worlds End.'   Pirate films are almost as old as movies themselves.  Depp defines the pirate of the new millennium with his drunken, dreadlocked scamp at the center of Disney's 'Pirates of the Caribbean' trilogy. With his flamboyant style and campy charm, Depp's Jack Sparrow is a departure from the macho swashbucklers of yore, yet with the same good looks and rebellious edge that have long made pirate films so popular. (AP Photo/Disney Enterprises, Stephen Vaughan)AP - Box-office treasure is a little harder to come by on the new voyage of "Pirates of the Caribbean." The third installment in the Walt Disney Co. franchise, "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," hauled in $112.5 million from Friday to Sunday, well below last summer's $135.6 million opening weekend for its predecessor, "Dead Man's Chest."


Sunday, May 27, 2007

Newman to retire

Paul Newman to retire from acting (Reuters)

Paul Newman is all smiles during an appearance on 'The Tonight Show,' hosted by Jay Leno at NBC Studios in Burbank, California, April 8, 2005. Newman's career has included winning an Oscar, establishing a food company to fund charities, and operating a restaurant, but he said this week he is retiring from acting. (Jim Ruymen/Reuters)Reuters - Paul Newman's career has included winning an Oscar, establishing a food company to fund charities, and operating a restaurant, but he said this week he is retiring from acting.


Friday, May 25, 2007

Iowa town to toast the Duke

Newsvine - Iowa Town to Toast 'The Duke' in Style

In this photo released by Warner Bros., actor John Wayne plays Ethan Edwards in the 1956 film "The Searchers." Director John Ford and frequent leading man Wayne forged one of Hollywood's most enduring partnerships. Wayne, born Marion Robert Morrison, would have turned 100 on Saturday, May 26, 2007. He died at the age of 72 of stomach cancer in June of 1979 after a career that spanned more than 170 films (AP Photo/Warner Bros.)



Record before it opens

`Pirates' opens to record theater count (AP)

This undated photo released by Disney Enterprises shows actors Johnny Depp, left, as Jack Sparrow and Orlando Bloom in a scene from 'Pirates of Caribbean: At Worlds End.'   Pirate films are almost as old as movies themselves.  Depp defines the pirate of the new millennium with his drunken, dreadlocked scamp at the center of Disney's 'Pirates of the Caribbean' trilogy. With his flamboyant style and campy charm, Depp's Jack Sparrow is a departure from the macho swashbucklers of yore, yet with the same good looks and rebellious edge that have long made pirate films so popular. (AP Photo/Disney Enterprises, Stephen Vaughan)AP - Even before it opened, "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" already had one box-office record in hand.


Thursday, May 24, 2007

It's Jordin

Jordin Sparks crowned `American Idol' (AP)

Jordin Sparks reacts to being announced the winner of American Idol at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 23, 2007. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)AP - Jordin Sparks grew up on "American Idol," watching the show since she was 12 years old and telling her mother it was what she wanted to do.


Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Streisand criticized

Streisand criticized for high tix prices (AP)

Barbra Streisand performs in Toronto  on Oct. 17, 2006.  Italian consumer groups want authorities to cancel Streisand's concert in Rome  on June 15 because of exorbitant ticket prices. (AP Photo/CP, Adrian Wyld)AP - Italian consumer groups want authorities to cancel Barbra Streisand's concert in Rome next month because of excessive ticket prices.

Stamp of approval

Harry Potter gets stamp of approval (Reuters)

J.K Rowling's schoolboy wizard will feature on seven first class stamps to be released in July. (Royal Mail/Reuters)Reuters - After weaving his magic with best-selling books and blockbuster films, Harry Potter is hoping to cast a spell over stamp collectors.


Nobel for Manga

Japan invents "Nobel prize" for manga comics (Reuters)

Reuters - Japan has set up a "Nobel prize" forforeign manga comic artists in the hope of spreading its popculture and winning more fans for its robot villains, mutantheroes and saucer-eyed heroines.

Monday, May 21, 2007

122 Million!

'Shrek' sets animated record with $122M (AP)

This undated handout photo provided by DreamWorks Animation SKG shows Antonio Banderas along with Puss in Boots, the character he voices in the animated comedy 'Shrek the Third.'     (AP Photo/DreamWorks Animation SKG, Saeed Adyani)AP - The big green ogre keeps getting bigger. "Shrek the Third" took in $122 million in its first weekend, breaking the franchise's own record for best debut ever for an animated film, according to studio estimates Sunday.


Sunday, May 20, 2007

We're Fools to Make War With Our Brothers In Arms




There's so many different worlds.
So many different suns.
But we live in just one world.
But in different ones.

Shrek 3 opens at 39Million Dollars

'Shrek the Third' pulls in $39 million (AP)

In this computer animated image released by Paramount Pictures Shrek and Fiona are awakened by their old friends Donkey and Puss In Boots in a scene from DreamWorks' 'Shrek the Third.'  The 'Shrek' films have made blockbuster business out of subverting classic children's stories, presenting lovably goofy alter-egos out of shiny knights and fair damsels and maybe bringing them a little closer to our own not-so-happily-ever-after reality. (AP Photo/DreamWorks Animation S.K.G., Paramount Pictures)AP - It isn't easy being green, even if you're an ogre. "Shrek the Third" opened to good business Thursday but its studio declined to predict Saturday whether it would break the opening weekend record for an animated film set by "Shrek 2" three years ago.


U23D

U2 rock Cannes before 3D film screening (AP)

U2's Bono performs prior to the screening of the movie 'U2 3D,' at the 60th International film festival in Cannes, southern France, on Sunday, May 20, 2007. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)AP - U2 rocked Cannes' famous red carpet Saturday, playing to thousands of filmgoers and fans before a late-night screening of their new concert movie, "U23D."


Fats Domino returns to New Orleans

Newsvine - Get Smarter Here

This image provided by the Tipitina's Foundation shows Fats Domino took preforming before a sold-out crowd of hundreds at Timitina's nightclub in a New Orleans Saturday, May 19, 2007 marking the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's first public performance since Hurricane Katrina. Fans who for years longed to see Domino perform such hits as "Blueberry Hill," "Blue Monday," "Ain't That a Shame" and "Walkin' to New Orleans" finally got their wish. (AP Photo/HO)

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Internet censorship growing worldwide

Internet censorship grows worldwide--study

LONDON--Internet censorship is growing worldwide, with 26 out of 40 countries blocking or filtering political or social content, a study reported Friday.

For sale - $15Million

Newsvine - Mass. Castle for Sale for $15 Million

More pictures of Castle for sale

Newsvine - Mass. Castle for Sale for $15 Million

'The Simpsons' turns 400

Happy 400th, Homer

And to think, Homer once worried that he wouldn't live to see his children die. But here he is, clocking in at 400.

"The Simpsons'" 399th and 400th episodes air Sunday on Fox, starting at 8 p.m., and the yellow-skinned patriarch, not to mention his blue-haired wife and spiky-headed children, is none the worse for wear.

Over the course of 18 seasons, with at least one more in the works, the 23-time Emmy winner has become both a mainstream hit and a cult classic, pulling in millions of viewers and attracting the sort of fanatical attention to detail that would make any Trekkie proud.

The animated sitcom--only the fourth scripted primetime series in history to reach the 400 episode mark--has spawned reams of episode guides, trivia books, academic studies and treatises on "The Simpsons'" influence on television, language, philosophy and pop culture in general. And speaking of the national lexicon, "D'oh!" made it into the Oxford English Dictionary in 2001.

Friday, May 18, 2007

BitTorrent founder loses appeal on Internet piracy case

Hong Kong man loses Internet piracy appeal

HONG KONG -- The first person in the world to be convicted of distributing movies over the popular online BitTorrent network on Friday lost an appeal against a jail sentence in Hong Kong.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Bo Diddley suffered a stroke.

Rock Pioneer Bo Diddley Sidelined by Stroke

The Originator is on bed rest.

Pioneering rock-and-roller Bo Diddley suffered a stroke Sunday and is currently in intensive care at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, according to a publicist for his management team.

Tests showed that the stroke affected the left side of the "Who Do You Love" singer's brain and has impaired his speech and speech recognition, rep Susan Clary said. She had no other information regarding his condition, which is listed as "guarded," or how long his stay in the hospital is likely to be.

The 78-year-old Diddley, who has a history of hypertension and diabetes, was said to be acting disoriented during a concert in Council Bluffs, Iowa, earlier in the day.

Despite being known as one of the great musical minds who helped put the rhythm in rhythm 'n blues, Diddley's star was eclipsed over the years by artists such as Elvis Presley and the Rolling Stones, who borrowed from Diddley's signature beats.

Bee Movie

Entertainment Photos on Yahoo! News Photos

American comedian Jerry Seinfeld, dressed as a bee, glides through the air connected to a wire during a publicity stunt for the film 'Bee Movie,' at the 60th International film festival in Cannes, southern France, on Thursday, May 17, 2007. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Heard in American History X


Abraham Lincoln: First Inaugural Address. U.S. Inaugural Addresses. 1989

We are not enemies, but friends.

We must not be enemies.

Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.

The mystic chords of memory,

stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart

and hearthstone all over this broad land,

will yet swell the chorus of the Union,

when again touched, as surely they will be,

by the better angels of our nature.

***In American History X, once again we are reminded that violence begets violence.  Hatred begets hatred.  In the end, the death of someone dear hurts the violent man more than he would be, by his own death.

Norah Jones

American actress-singer Norah Jones poseS during a photo call ...

photo(AP) - American actress-singer Norah Jones poseS during a photo call for the film 'My Blueberry Nights,' at the 60th International film festival in Cannes, southern France, on Wednesday, May 16, 2007. (AP Photo/Jeff Christensen)


Magic Gourd

In this photo released Wednesday, May 16, 2007, by The Walt ...

photo(AP) - In this photo released Wednesday, May 16, 2007, by The Walt Disney Co., shown is the main character from the Chinese-language Disney movie 'The Magic Gourd'. Disney announced Wednesday the movie, the company's first co-production with China, will be released this summer. 'The Magic Gourd' marks a departure from Disney's strategy of promoting its core characters in China. (AP Photo/The Walt Disney Co., HO)


Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Cornwell in a row against fellow author

Crime writer accuses author of libel (AP)

Author Patricia Cornwell talks to reporters during a visit on July 20, 2005, in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Cornwell has filed a libel lawsuit in Richmond,Va., against another author and is asking a federal judge to bar him from posting defamatory messages about her on the Internet.(AP Photo/Wade Payne)AP - Best-selling crime writer Patricia Cornwell has filed a libel lawsuit against another author and is asking a federal judge to bar him from posting defamatory messages about her on the Internet.


Do not spoil plot

Potter author pleads: Don't spoil plot (AP)

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling listens to a question from the media during a press conference in this Aug 1, 2006 file photo, in New York. Rowling has pledged a major contribution to a $3 million for the safe return of a British girl who has gone missing in Portugal, a newspaper said, Sunday, May 13, 2007.  (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, file)AP - J.K. Rowling has a request for those with inside dirt on her seventh and final Harry Potter book: Please keep it to yourself.

***Those who know, post it in Wikipedia.  I won't read.  Promise.


Monday, May 14, 2007

Spidey takes $60M in second week, still number 1

Spidey takes a fall but still nets $60M (AP)

Tobey Maguire and  Kirsten Dunst pose for photographers as they stand  in front of a large poster depicting the film Spiderman III, before the French Premiere  of the the film in Paris, Friday April 27 2007. (AP Photo / Michael Sawyer, File)AP - Sony's "Spider-Man 3" took in $60 million in its second weekend, a hefty 60 percent drop from its record debut a week earlier but good enough to easily outdistance the competition and remain the No. 1 movie, according to studio estimates Sunday.


The Simpsons versus The OJ Simpsons

An undated image of "The Simpsons" courtesy of Fox. ...

photo(Reuters) - An undated image of "The Simpsons" courtesy of Fox. An Internet parody of the show has drawn the ire of 20th Century Fox. The studio is pressuring online video hub Broadcaster.com to remove "The O.J. Simpsons" three animated clips that reimagine the Fox series starring the former football star. REUTERS/Handout



Comics by Stephen King?

Authors like King, Lethem trying comics - Yahoo! News

(AP) NEW YORK - Author Jonathan Lethem was a big fan of the comic "Omega the Unknown" when he was a boy growing up in Brooklyn, and he was pretty depressed when the superhero vanished from corner store shelves.   (Read full article on Yahoo! News)

Music piracy nets college kids

Music piracy crackdown nets college kids (AP)

University of Nebraska-Lincoln advertising major Sarah Barg recounts her music downloading experiences , in Lincoln, Neb., Thursday, May 3, 2007. Barg is one of hundreds of students at college campuses across the country whose semester changed when they got a letter from the Recording Industry Association of America, telling them they could either pay a settlement or be sued for illegally downloading music. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)AP - At first, Sarah Barg thought the e-mail was a scam. Some group called the Recording Industry Association of America was accusing the University of Nebraska-Lincoln sophomore of illegally downloading 381 songs using the school's computer network and a program called Ares.


Star Trek 11 - Hunt for Scotty's remains

The Search for Scotty's Ashes (E! Online)

The Search for Scotty's Ashes(E! Online)E! Online - Call it Star Trek 11, the hunt for Scotty's remains.


JK Rowling contributes $3Million

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling listens to a question from ...

photo(AP) - Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling listens to a question from the media during a press conference in this Aug 1, 2006 file photo, in New York. Rowling has pledged a major contribution to a $3 million for the safe return of a British girl who has gone missing in Portugal, a newspaper said, Sunday, May 13, 2007. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, file)


Serbian fans

Entertainment Photos on Yahoo! News Photos

Fans greet Serbia's singer Marija Serifovic (not in picture), winner of the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest, upon her arrival in Belgrade May 13, 2007. Serifovic was given a hero's welcome Sunday by thousands of fans when she returned to Serbia after winning the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest in Finland. REUTERS/Ivan Milutinovic (SERBIA)

Kenny G

Kenny G plays and shakes hands with the crowd as he performs ...

photo(AP) - Kenny G plays and shakes hands with the crowd as he performs at the Players Championship golf tournament, Sunday, May 13, 2007, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.(AP Photo/Phil Coale)


Dr. Edge

The Edge, guitarist with the Irish rock band U2, who received ...

photo(AP) - The Edge, guitarist with the Irish rock band U2, who received an honorary doctorate, claps during Berklee College of Music commencement, Saturday, May 12, 2007, in Boston. (AP Photo/Lisa Poole)


Publishing Gamble (NYT)

The New York Times > Business > Image > The Publishing Gamble

Advance or not.  The Publishing Gamble

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Ewan performs on stage on minimum wage

McGregor earns minimum wage on stage (AP)

AP - Ewan McGregor may earn millions making movies, but the actor has decided to perform Shakespeare on the London stage for minimum wage.

Saturday, May 12, 2007

New restrictions on smoking

Movie group slaps new restrictions on smoking - Yahoo! News

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Attention film producers: smoking may now be hazardous to your movies.

The film industry group that rates U.S. movies in terms of their suitability for children on Thursday unveiled new rules affecting tobacco use in films that would stop children from seeing movies that glorified on-screen smoking.

Les Paul returns home

Guitar innovator Les Paul returns home (AP)

Guitar legend Les Paul performs at the Iridium Jazz Club in this  Feb. 26, 2007 file photo, in the  Manhattan Borough of New York. Guitar legend Les Paul enthralled a hometown crowd Thursday night May 10, 2007 at a concert that raised more than $100,000 for an exhibit on his life. The 91-year-old Grammy winner hadn't played in Waukesha in decades. (AP Photo/ Colin Archer, file)AP - Guitar legend Les Paul enthralled a hometown crowd at a concert that raised more than $100,000 for an exhibit on his life.


Rainbow after the storm

Photo Highlight on Yahoo! News Photos

A rainbow hangs over Great Falls, Mont., after a thunder storm passed through the area, Thursday, May 10, 2007. (AP Photo/Great Falls Tribune, Robin Loznak)

Friday, May 11, 2007

Terminator, yes. Governator, no.

Terminator Will Be Back, Without Arnold (E! Online)

Terminator Will Be Back, Without Arnold(E! Online)E! Online - The Terminator is making good on its coming-back word. The Governator, not so much.


Les Paul raises more than US$100,000

Guitarist Les Paul plays for hometown (AP)

AP - Guitar legend Les Paul enthralled a hometown crowd Thursday night at a concert that raised more than $100,000 for an exhibit on his life.

Sunset at Belarus

Photo Highlight on Yahoo! News Photos

The sun sets over Belarussian Pripiat river in the village of Turov, some 270 km (167 miles) south of Minsk, May 5, 2007. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko (BELARUS)

McCartney album available for download

McCartney's Memory Downloaded; Beatles Next?

Better clear some space on your hard-drive for "Memory Almost Full."

Paul McCartney's upcoming solo album is going to be available for downloading and streaming via PCs and cell phones, marking the first time an entire disc from the former Beatle will be obtainable through legal online channels.

The contemplative "Memory Almost Full," which McCartney has described as "evocative, emotional" and "rocking," is due out June 5 on Starbucks' recently formed Hear Music label. As part of its digital marketing push, the international java chain will prominently feature McCartney's latest effort in the Hear Music section of Apple's iTunes Music Store.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Tale of Peter Rabbit

Entertainment Photos on Yahoo! News Photos

Assistant Yui Takeda looks at the first edition of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" as she poses for a picture at the Beatrix Potter Museum established by Daito Bunka University in Higashi Matsuyama, north of Tokyo, May 10, 2007. Japanese researchers have discovered a translation of Potter's much-loved children's classic "Peter Rabbit" dating back to 1906, making it the oldest known foreign-language version of the book. REUTERS/Kiyoshi Ota (JAPAN)