HippoVario

Fall '07 Fashion Week

2007-09-06T01:37:00.000-07:00

See collection by designer.
BCBG
Carolina Herrera
Marc Bouwer
Oscar de la Renta
Red Dress
Sass & Bide

BCBG, Fashion Week Fall '07	Carolina Herrera, Fashion Week, Fall '07	DKNY, Fall '07 Fashion Week
Marc Bouwer, Fall '07 Fashion Week	Oscar de la Renta, Fall'07 Fashion Week	Red Dress, Fall '07 Fashion Week
Sass & Bide, Fall '07 Fashion Week

More Photo Galleries:

Spring '07

Source: http://fashion.about.com
From Cynthia Nellis

Price Guide for Barbie Dolls 1973-2007

2007-09-06T00:43:00.000-07:00

This dolls price guide presents modern Barbie dolls produced from 1973 through today. For each doll, photographs, dates of production, market prices and other information will be provided. All prices and values given are based on a combination of dealer and Internet pricing, and are based on dolls NRFB (never removed from box). Prices for dolls removed from box are approximately 40% lower. You may browse the price guide using photographs or the text index. For earlier dolls, please see the Vintage Barbie Dolls Price Guide.

35th Anniversary Reproduction Barbie Doll	New York Yankees Barbie Doll	Bead Blast Barbie
Holiday Memories Hallmark Barbie	Holiday Memories Barbie In Box	Barbie as Scarlett O'Hara #2 Red Dress and Ken as Rhett Butler
Delphine Silkstone Barbie	Southern Belle Barbie From The Great Eras Collection	Silken Flame Brunette Reproduction Barbie Doll
Solo in the Spotlight Barbie	Solo in the Spotlkight Reproduction Barbie in Box	Spanish Teacher Barbie

Spanish Teacher Barbie in Box	Holiday Presents Barbie Gift Set	Pink Inspiration Barbie Doll
Pink Inspiration Barbie Doll; Close-Up View	Hollywood Nails Christie	Hollywood Nails Christie In Box
Modern Circle Barbie	Modern Circle Barbie, Close Up	Barbie Pretty Treasures Accessory Set
Millenium Princess Teresa	Midge 35th Anniversary Reproduction Doll	Midge 35th Anniversary Reproduction Doll in Box

Barbie Goddess of the Moon by Bob Mackie

Barbie Goddess of the Moon by Bob Mackie, Close Up

Source:http://collectdolls.about.com
From Denise Van Patten

Farmer Feeds Viagra to Oysters to Create the Ultimate Aphrodisiac

2007-09-04T02:07:00.000-07:00

A farmer from Australia believes he has developed a technique able to produce the ultimate aphrodisiac - he feeds his shellfish Viagra.

George May, who is an oyster farmer, stated that the natural qualities of the oyster combined with Viagra, which is one of the best modern pharmaceutical drug to raise sexual desire, can in fact turn into a multi-million dollar market. The 59 years old farmer mentioned that feeding an oyster with Viagra firstly can create a powerful aphrodisiac and secondly it's a funny thing to do.

George May is a former marketing executive. After he was diagnosed with prostate cancer he lost his job (in which he was quite successful). It is worth mentioning that selling oysters in Australia requires strict regulations.

Pfizer, a pharmaceutical giant that produces Viagra, ordered the farmer to stop using the name of the most famous anti-impotence drug in his marketing campaign. However, May outlined that not one obstacle would stop spreading his idea around the world. He plans to sell his exclusive Sydney Rock Oysters around the world.

According to May he receives calls from Macau, Hong Kong and Moscow. He mentioned that the idea of feeding oysters with the drug came to him when he started "hanging around with the boys" after his retirement and prostate surgery.

When his doctor had prescribed a rather small dose of Viagra, in order to help May recover from the surgery, the farmer thought of feeding the drug to oysters. The idea meant to help the local farmers, the majority of whom had fought a disease that swept through their crops. May told that the farmers were going to feed oysters with Viagra and zinc, along with every other aphrodisiac he was able to find.

After a while feeding the oysters with Viagra along with magnesium, zinc and sea grass became a patented idea. The shellfish was fed only after it passed through a process of purification.

Today May has about 10 million oysters in cultivation. In addition he says he eats a dozen or two each day and he has had no ill effects of consuming a foodstuff that includes some medication.

Pfizer's spokesperson said that the company producing Viagra was concerned only about the use of its brand name, and thus it is an ordinary drug issue.

"No-one can stop me feeding Viagra to my oysters. The reason that Pfizer are jumping up and down is that I used the name Viagra," May said.

Russian Mine Blast at Novokuznetsk (coverage)

2007-09-04T01:57:00.000-07:00

Early morning, on May 24th, 217 people, workers at the "Yubileynaya" mine in Novokuznetsk in the Kemerovo Oblast (Russia), got into the elevator to go deep down the mine and collect more coal for their country. However, the scenario was rewritten at approximately 7:30 AM Moscow Time (4:30 AM GMT).

At approximately 520 meters (about 1700 ft) deep down the mine a highly dangerous gas - methane - exploded.

By the end of that day 38 people were reported dead and the rest 179 miners were evacuated - 7 of them with serious injuries; one of them was in a critical condition with a serious head injury and burns. These reports were given at 16 PM Moscow Time the same day.

About the same time the rain stopped. It started right after the explosion was heard.

Russian authorities have initiated an investigation of the case, lead by Rostehnadzor, an institution for security and safety issues at hazardous places of work. The results of the investigation is expected to be ready not earlier than two weeks.

The Governor of Kemerovo Oblast, Aman Tuleev, suggested that the blast could be caused by a breach in the coal-bed. According to him, 23 technicians, controlling the level of methane in the air, were also in the mine. He stressed that the explosion came absolutely unexpected, as the concentration of methane in the air in the mine had a normal level.

This tragedy happened just two months after an explosion at the "Ulianovskaya" mine, where 110 miners found their death.

Both the "Yubileynaya" and the "Ulianovskaya" mines are part of the "YuzhKuzbassUgol" union. A half of this union belongs to the metallurgic group "Evraz". After the Ulianovskaya blast, the upper mentioned Rostehnadzor threatened withdrawing the license for mining, because of discovering serious violations safety rules.

The investigation at the "Ulianovskaya" mine showed that the automatic system for methane level control was set up for a higher than normal level of methane concentration. According to one of the versions, the system was too sensitive to increases of methane concentration, therefore it automatically shut down the main power supply and hence overall productivity losses.

After that investigation several people have lost their jobs and have been punished, yet here is another tragedy that Russian miners have to face.

Rostehnadzor intended to close the "Yubileynaya" mine twice this year, but the court, which was appealed to in this issue, declined the request and let the mine proceed its extractions. However, the security institution managed to halt extractions in certain sections of the mine, among others sections 16-15, where the actual explosion happened.

Not so long before the incident, regional authorities, along with Rostehnadzor, were fighting to withdraw the license for 'industrial safety' from "YuzhKuzbassUgol". The company's administration replied that the mine is equipped with modern mine security systems, which were fully functional at the moment of explosion.

The mines of "YuzhKuzbassUgol" extract about 18 million tons of soldering coal, 900 thousands of which are extracted by "Yubileynaya" and the accident of this mine increases its chances to be closed. However, experts say that if a decision will be reached and the mine will have to be closed, this won't happen, at least not for a long time. The "YuzhKuzbassUgol" extracts a fourth part of the coal in Kuzbas, and a fifth part in the whole country, which makes the mines of the company of extreme national importance.

The accident has also aroused a wave of concern among the leaders of the country. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, demanded that the heads of coal extracting companies respected and followed all the rules of industrial security.

The company's administration still claims that the mine, except for the exploded section, is fully functional.

The "YuzhKuzbassUgol" promised to pay the families of the dead miners one million rubles (about $40,000) each. In addition, the Government promised to provide material support too, thus every family will be paid about 2 million rubles. Local authorities also plan to organize a center for solving various social and household problems of the dead miners' closest relatives.

Today, Saturday, May 26th, the miners have been honored with funeral processions. The material part of the funerals was taken by "YuzhKuzbassUgol".

The 38 dead miners were aged between 18 and 55 years. The youngest of them, Daniil Ilyin, the mine's mechanic, celebrated his 18th birthday in February; Boris Titov had his 55th year of live celebrated two weeks before the tragedy. Aman Tuleev, Governor of Kuzbas, was also present at the funerals.

Local administration has assigned a social worker and a psychologist to every family for moral support.

Due to the funeral processions the local television changed its schedule: all entertaining shows have been withdrawn.

Chinese Deliver Live Rats to Restaurants

2007-09-04T01:38:00.000-07:00

Central China, plagued with about two billion rats forced out by a flooded lake, trucks the live rodents to the south to be used in restaurant dishes. Some Guangdong Internet users have already offered rat recipes as a way to deal with the rat invasion problem. The idea to cook rat meat in restaurants was partially suggested by the lack of snakes, a popular dish in the south of China, and owls, traditionally used in Chinese medicine.

Some vendors asked the residents of a village in Hunan province, located near Dongting Lake, to sell them live rats, according to the Beijing News. Vendors offer 6 yuan for a kilo of live rats, but they keep silence as for where they are going to sell the rats. Villagers claim they could catch 150 kilos of live rats a night. As one of vendors from the capital of Guangdong province said, people are rich in the southern part of the country and enjoy eating exotic things, so his business develops really well.

There are restaurants in Guangdong promoting 'rat banquets'. The price for one kilo of rat meat is 136 yuan (that is $A20,7). Hunan local governments have been trying to stop the rats invasion. The rodents have already demolished about 1.6 million hectares of crops. They can also spread dangerous diseases, as reported by Chinese media centers. Some scientists have blamed Chinese Three Gorges Dam project and climatic changes for rodents invading dry land in Hunan.

British Invents Anti-Paedophilies Software

2007-09-04T01:36:00.000-07:00

A computer program that is aimed at haunting internet sex offenders, who are chatting under kids mask was released by a British inventor.

The innovative software is able to analyze the user's language patterns in relation to his age. This program is based on the knowledge that adults use more complicated phrases and punctuations when writing in the chartrooms. Even those who try to pretend they are kids cannot dodge the program, which can spot that a person uses simple words but speak in written form more often than a child would.

In addition to this, software takes into account such factors as sexual content in the course of all the chat relationships. If something looks dangerous, the text will be send to parents When the software find something suspicious it alerts the parents by sending them an e-mail or text excerpt.

Adam Hildreth, 22 year old inventor, named Young Entrepreneur of the Year, who created the Anti-Grooming Engine in cooperation with Cambridge University claims that it's 99 percent accurate. No matter how smart a sex offender is, this software tool is able to detect his tricks and protect kids.

The idea was already supported by National Council of Parent Teacher Associations and The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Center - the Government's anti-child abuse agency. They consider any protective measures against child abuse online a "golden opportunity".

Most children now surf the web without parental supervision and as many as one in seven kids is approached by web sex offender.

Mr.Hildreth now offers the program for free to the first 10,000 people registering on his site. Later he is aimed to charge £2 a month.

Storm virus attacks blogs

2007-09-04T01:18:00.001-07:00

Storm virus is back again to infect blogs, webmails and bulletin boards. British and Korean computer security scientists claim it's a new variant of malware that is extremely difficult to detect.

The Storm worm looks like a message that features news about Europe's storms. In fact, this virus can evaluate network traffic on the computer and later insert a link to malicious website into user's post, webmail or bulletin board. The text that will appear on user's blog will have a link to the website that holds the threat together with a note to attract readers' attention to visit a website with fun videos or e-card.

British computer security experts say Storm worm makes up more than 50 percent of all malicious computer software that infects another computer and can use personal data of the user sending it to third parties.

Storm virus presents a real danger as it interferes in social networks. A lot of people who visit blog journals are not aware of the threat that may come from the common discussion on related topics with the author they trust. A link that will appear in blog's author site will lure them to check out an interesting video.

One of Symantec engineers, Eric Chien, said that some bulletin boards were already spammed. The threat of the Storm worm is that it can mask spam under a real user's post.

Anti-virus programs are not always effective at detecting the dangerous malware as this virus is dynamically repackaged and is able to change its appearance and mislead anti-virus solutions.

Most dangerous viruses

2007-09-04T01:18:00.000-07:00

HIV blood killed haemophilia patients
...the clotting agent Factor 8 and these supplies were taken from US prisoners. Specialists testing new blood products were neglectful of the danger and used blood from the donors who were infected with dangerous viruses. The official data to prove the terrible incident disappeared. As the government officials said, documents were deleted or not exposed to the public due to its confidentiality. From one of the letters...
read more »

Storm virus attacks blogs
...n, said that some bulletin boards were already spammed. The threat of the Storm worm is that it can mask spam under a real user's post. Anti-virus programs are not always effective at detecting the dangerous malware as this virus is dynamically repackaged and is able to change its appearance and mislead anti-virus solutions. ...
read more »

Chemical Found in Cosmetics, Soaps and Lubricants is Hazardous for Men
...thnic, cross-section sampling of the population living in the United States, gathered routinely by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the data from the period of 1999-2000, most recent years that the levels of the dangerous chemical were available, 1,451 adult men had data on chemical’s exposures, obesity, as well as waist circumference. A significant number of these men, and namely 651, in addi...
read more »

Pills Against Insomnia Cause Sleepwalking
...Ambien and Lunest are often prescribed sleeping pills. These pills, however, cause the most strange side effects. The Food and Drug Administration reported yesterday such strange behavior as eating or driving while asleep. These reports have provoked the F.D.E. to order the drug makers to make certain fliers for such sleeping drugs, where patients could read detailed instructions on how to use them. The investigation of...
read more »

Alcohol kills faster than ecstasy
...at government's drug policy was not paying enough attention to modern state of affairs and didn't take notice of the scientific findings. There should be no surprise that ecstasy drug was placed almost at the end of the list. One person a day dies from acute alcohol poisoning in comparison to 10 people a year who die from ecstasy overdose. A new classification brings to light many issues concerning drug policy with...
read more »

New Saliva Test to Save 1,000 Unborn Babies Each Year
...t a woman dies of pre-eclampsia. The only way to cure this condition is to deliver the baby. This, however, puts some infants at risk of death, due to the fat that they are being born prematurely. Most women that are at risk include: first-time mothers, women who are over their 40s, women that suffer from obesity and those that have a family history of pre-eclampsia. The pre-eclampsia was, for the first time, ident...
read more »

Plastic Blood and Airplanes Shifting Shapes – Close to Reality?
... replaced expensive organic materials, bioplastic produced from plants will probably replace materials dangerous for the environment. There already exists the Toyota Motor's I-unit, an electric car almost fully produced from material derived from sugar cane, corn, and the kenaf plant growing in Africa. Plastics has greatly revolutionized our life during the past 100 years. Who knows what it holds for us in future, bes...
read more »

Breakthrough - Healing Water to Regenerate Wounds Faster
...hat developed the "super-oxidized" water is called Oculus and it is located in California. The water was filtered through a salt membrane and according to the scientists from Oculus their water kills viruses, bacteria and fungi. The new type of water has shown good results against MRSA. New Scientist magazine reported that scientists from UK are already testing the water on patients that have diabetic foot ulcers. ...
read more »

Russian Mine Blast at Novokuznetsk (coverage)
...collect more coal for their country. However, the scenario was rewritten at approximately 7:30 AM Moscow Time (4:30 AM GMT). At approximately 520 meters (about 1700 ft) deep down the mine a highly dangerous gas - methane - exploded. By the end of that day 38 people were reported dead and the rest 179 miners were evacuated - 7 of them with serious injuries; one of them was in a critical condition with a serious head ...
read more »

Farmer Feeds Viagra to Oysters to Create the Ultimate Aphrodisiac
...ssful). It is worth mentioning that selling oysters in Australia requires strict regulations. Pfizer, a pharmaceutical giant that produces Viagra, ordered the farmer to stop using the name of the most famous anti-impotence drug in his marketing campaign. However, May outlined that not one obstacle would stop spreading his idea around the world. He plans to sell his exclusive Sydney Rock Oysters around the world. A...
read more »

Bird Flu - Back to Europe
... were cases of H5N1 type of avian influenza detected in Germany. This was reported by the German Ministry of Consumer Right Protection, Food Supplies and Agriculture. The H5N1 type of bird flu is the most dangerous type of this virus to people. Tests in German laboratories for microbiology have proven that three swans were infected by the dangerous H5N1 strain in a lake near Nürnberg, in the Southern land of Bava...
read more »

And now, it's banana flavored too
...Drug dealers develop new trends in cocaine flavors. Sacramento police reports growing traffics of flavored cocaine in the US. Yolo County is where the most recent arrests were made. Six people being affected in drug affairs were arrested with three pounds of fruit flavored powder. The police reported strawberry and coconut as most popular flavors. Roy Giorgi, commander of Yolo Narcotic Enforcement Team, said the ne...
read more »

British Invents Anti-Paedophilies Software
...iations and The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Center - the Government's anti-child abuse agency. They consider any protective measures against child abuse online a "golden opportunity". Most children now surf the web without parental supervision and as many as one in seven kids is approached by web sex offender. Mr.Hildreth now offers the program for free to the first 10,000 people registering on his site...
read more »

Chinese Deliver Live Rats to Restaurants
...at meat is 136 yuan (that is $A20,7). Hunan local governments have been trying to stop the rats invasion. The rodents have already demolished about 1.6 million hectares of crops. They can also spread dangerous diseases, as reported by Chinese media centers. Some scientists have blamed Chinese Three Gorges Dam project and climatic changes for rodents invading dry land in Hunan.
read more »

Wedding Dress, Made Out Of Condom??? Why Not!!

2007-08-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

From A Lot Of Source

History of Condom

2007-04-05T18:11:00.000-07:00

The condom is one of the oldest forms of contraception. Its history and use can be traced back thousands of years. It is believed that a form of modern-day condoms were used by the Egyptians as far back as 1,000 B.C.

The oldest condom in the world, made out of pig intestine, was found in Sweden. The prophylactic dates back to 1640 and was found with its Latin instructions. The manual suggests that users immerse the condom in warm milk prior to its use to avoid diseases (ancient spermicide?). The condom will be on display in the Tirolean County Museum in Austria with many other sex-related antique artifacts. (Picture is the oldest condom in the world)

The antique, found in Lund in Sweden, is made of pig intestine and is one of 250 ancient objects related to sex on display at the Tirolean County Museum in Austria this summer.

The history

The earliest evidence of condom use in Europe are scenes from cave paintings at Combarelles in France. Dated 100 to 200 AD.

The first known published description and trials regarding prophylactic condom use were recorded by the Italian Gabrielle Fallopius in the 1500's. He claimed to have invented a sheath made of linen and conducted trials amongst 1,100 men using the condom - none of who became infected with syphilis.

The origin of the word 'condom' is still unknown. Folklore attributes the invention to Dr. Condom or Conton, who was at the court of King Charles II in the 1600's. It is more likely, however, that the name derives from the Latin 'condus', meaning receptacle.

The condom, made of animal gut, became well known and increased in popularity in the 1700's. Literature of that time suggests that the condom's contraceptive (rather than just prophylactic) properties had already been realised. By 1766 many shops were producing handbills and advertisements.

Japanese are known to have used two types of condom. The 'Kawagata' or 'Kyotai' was made of thin leather and the 'Kabutogata' was made from tortoiseshell or horn.

Documentation also suggests that legendary 19th Century lover Casanova was a regular user of this type of contraception. He referred to condoms as 'Redingote Anglaise' (English Riding Coat).

The rubber condom was developed shortly after the creation of vulcanized rubber in the 1840's, by Goodyear and Hancock. Vulcanisation is the method or process of treating crude rubber with sulphur and subjecting it to intense heat. This process turns the rubber into a strong elastic material.

In the 1930's liquid latex manufacturing superseded crepe rubber. It is still the basis for manufacture today.

In the 1990's new technology considerably improved the condom and enabled the production of far more sophisticated versions.

The story of the New Condom Revolution begins with the invasion of the Japanese condoms on the US market in the early 90's. New condoms like Beyond Seven, Crown condoms and Kimono Microthin condoms started ruffling the feathers of the big boys like Carter Wallace and Ansell. These new condoms were much thinner than the condoms of old. Why these new condoms actually felt natural like a skinless skin, people were finally feeling pleasure when they had sex.

Dress Made Out of Condom

2007-03-28T04:48:00.000-07:00

Chinese transsexual has designed a dress made out of condom in an effort to promote safe sex. Twenty-five-year-old Liu Xuanyi from Nanning City, China used at least 300 condoms to make the racy outfit.

The condom dress also sports the red ribbon to raise worldwide awareness on HIV/AIDS. Liu is also said to be the first transsexual in Guangxi province.

Source: http://www.nyasatimes.com/

30% of British Men Would Quit Sex for £1 Million

2007-03-28T04:44:00.000-07:00

A recent survey by condom maker Durex has revealed 25% of men would want to bed celebrity Anglina Joile with 30 percent of British men preferring to quit sex in exchange for £1 million. Certainly, money is better than sex for them.

Others would embrace a lifetime of celibacy if they never had to work again (9%) or if their football team won the treble (3%), the study by Company magazine and condom manufacturer Durex found.

A lifetime supply of alcohol would be enough to persuade 1% of men to give up sex, while another 1% would take up abstinence for one final night with their dream celebrity.

Only 0.59 per cent chose Victoria, while four per cent said would pick David if they had to sleep with a man.

One in three men admitted to faking having a good time during sex.

Ruth Gresty of condom firm Durex, which joined with Company magazine to quiz 2,000 men asked: "What has become of the red-blooded male?"

source: www.nyasatimes.com

Breast -- Women Type VS The Form of Their Breasts

2007-03-16T03:29:00.000-07:00

The unusual science sternomancy, the art of telling fortunes by the form of a female breast, appeared in Spain in the 18^th century. Since that time, the science has considerably advanced, and today men can learn about women judging by the form of their breasts.

A Spring-Board
Fox’ nose is bosom curved like a spring-board. Women with such bosoms have Nordic temper and keen brains. Ladies having this bosom shape are industrious as a rule which helps them become middle rank managers. It is infrequent that such women attain high positions in business. They are rather lazy to take the initiative. Women of the type easily adapt to living with any man that means they are good wives. It is important that women with fox nose bosoms are faithful wives who at the same time insatiable and rather inventive in bed.

The Apple
A great number of women having even round bosom looking like an apple are frigid. It may take men much effort to make such women reach an orgasm. But women of the type are ready to try any posture in bed to make their men really happy. Such women do not like changing sex partners. Usually, these women get married in their early age and become obliging housewives. Often, these women turn out to be cleverer than their husbands.

The Pear
Women with bosom resembling the pear shape are independent, willful and silly to some extent. At that, these characteristics help them to lead men by the nose. Marriage with such a woman guarantees wonderful sex and big rows.

The Triangular
Ladies with breasts of the triangular form are believed to be the most excitable and emancipated type. Nothing is forbidden in sex for them. They may have several sex partners a day. Women of the type usually become great actresses and masterly prostitutes.

An Aubergine
Women whose bosom looks like an aubergine are full of love and enjoy their life. They are nice in every sphere of life. They wonderfully suit for the position of a storehouse director. But any men close to such a woman inevitably becomes a henpecked.

Silicone Busts
Girls with silicone busts are good for romantic traveling for a couple of days, but never for having a family. Majority of women with silicone breasts are subject to serious psychological problems: diffidence, fear of competition and narcissism. Sex with these girls turns out to be formal and not sensual. At that, many of silicone girls have rather high IQ.

Upstanding
Upstanding nipples are typical of generous, autocratic and dominating women. They love cunnilingus and position top on men.

Retracted Small
Retracted small nipples reveal their owner is a calculating mind and is hiding her real intentions. These women believe there is nothing particular about sex but ready to fulfill any of men’s sex fantasies.

Rose-Colored
Rose-colored areas around nipples indicate a woman is tender, hearty and kind. Swarthy skin around nipples mean a woman is passionate and adventurous.

Source: http://english.pravda.ru/

Fake Professor in Wikipedia Storm

2007-03-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

Internet site Wikipedia has been hit by controversy after the disclosure that a prominent editor had assumed a false identity complete with fake PhD.

The editor, known as Essjay, had described himself as a professor of religion at a private university.

But he was in fact Ryan Jordan, 24, a college student from Kentucky who used texts such as Catholicism for Dummies. He has now retired from the site.

Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia open to all, written by volunteers worldwide.

'Trust and tolerance'

Under the name Essjay, Mr Jordan edited articles and also had the authority to arbitrate disputes between authors and remove site vandalism.

In his user profile, he said he taught both undergraduate and graduate theology, and in an interview with the New Yorker in July 2006, was described as a "tenured professor of religion".

His real identity came to light last week when the magazine added an editorial note to the piece highlighting the deception.

"At the time of publication, neither we nor Wikipedia knew Essjay's real name," the note said.

Essjay told them he hid his identity because "he feared personal retribution from those he had ruled against online", the magazine's note said.

Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales, writing on the site on 3 March, said that Mr Jordan was apologetic, but that Wikipedia was "based on twin pillars of trust and tolerance".

"Despite my personal forgiveness, I hope that he will accept my resignation request, because forgiveness or not, these positions are not appropriate for him now," he wrote.

And in a post the next day, Mr Jordan announced his retirement from the site.

"I hope others will refocus the energy they have spent the past few days in defending and denouncing me to make something here at Wikipedia better," he said.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Taste Korea -- Yaksik, Sweet Rice with Nuts & Jujubes

2007-03-06T03:43:00.000-08:00

2 cups Korean or Japanese type sweet glutinous rice*, soaked overnight in cold water then rinsed and drained(*Available from Korean grocers and supermarkets with well-stocked Asian food sections.)
1 packed cup brown sugar
2 cups water
2 teaspoons soy sauce
¼ cup pine nuts
1 can (13-ounces) chestnuts in syrup, drained
3 tablespoons raisins
15 dried red dates (Korean jujubes)*, rinsed and drained

(10 to 12 servings)

How to Cook

1. Put soaked rice in rice cooker. In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar and water until sugar is completely dissolved. Add to rice cooker. Add soy sauce, pine nuts, chestnuts, raisins and dates to rice but do not stir in.

2. Close rice cooker and cook rice according to manufacturer's instructions. When rice has finished cooking, let sit on the "keep warm" setting for at least 10 minutes before serving.

3. The finished rice will have a slightly crusty layer on the bottom; serve some of this layer as well as the softer rice and goodies with each serving. (Be sure to remind your guests that the dates have seeds!)

Taste Korea -- Tteok-kuk, Rice Cake Soup

2007-03-06T03:34:00.000-08:00

Lunar New Year's Day is just around the corner. Most of you may understand how important it is in Korea, and there is one thing you can't miss that day. It is Tteok-kuk, a rice cake soup. You may have Tteok-kuk any time or any place you want, but eating Tteok-kuk on Lunar New Year's Day is the traditional way. It tastes special and you will finally feel that Lunar New Year's Day has come. Now, are you ready? Here's the recipe!

Ingredients: (serving 5 persons)

a spoonful of soybean sauce
2 eggs
2 sheets of toasted seaweed (kim)
a teaspoonful of powdered sesame seeds mixed with salt
a spoonful of a minced green onion
200g of minced beef (or 150g of beef cut in small pieces and 50g of minced beef)
sesame oil
a piece of green onion
5 cups of white rice cake sliced in small, thin pieces

How to cook:

Heat the pot and spread it with sesame oil. Pan-fry the minced beef and addsoybean sauce for seasoning. Pour water enough for 5 persons and boil.(1-1: Or you can boil water with beef cut in small pieces in a medium pot.)
Add the tteok and boil again for 10 minutes. Overcooking will cause tteok to lose its consistency.
Add salt and soybean sauce for seasoning.
Fry the egg whites and yolks separately in thin layers.
Cut the fried whites and yolks in thin strips, which is called Jidan.
Crush the toasted seaweed.
Serve Tteok-kuk with Jidan and crushed seaweed on top.

(In the case that No. 1-1 is used, you have to cook the minced beef with soybean sauce in a saucepan. Then put it with the egg and the seaweed on top of Ddeok-kuk.)

Corned Beef And Cabbage

2007-03-05T09:43:00.000-08:00

Cabbage is a popular vegetable that is used for cooking and is also known for its medicinal properties (it said to contain chemicals that can prevent cancer).

Corned Beef And Cabbage

1 corned beef brisket
1 large head cabbage (preferably savoy)
8 peppercorns
6 cloves garlic, whole peeled
4-5 parsnips
1-2 turnips
2 bay leaves
1 pound carrots, peeled
6 large potatoes
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
3 whole cloves
1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning1/4 tsp black pepper, ground

Instructions

Wash brisket. Make small X slits in the meat and insert garlic and cloves pieces.
Place the meat into a stockpot (at least 8 quarts). Cover the meat with water. Add bay leaves, peppercorns, Old Bay, 2 carrots and sliced celery. Bring to a boil, skim off foam and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer 2-3 hours, or until meat is nearly tender.
Meanwhile, prepare vegetables. Quarter the cabbage, peel potatoes, carrots, turnips and parsnips. Slice vegetables into 2 inch chunks.
During last half hour, add remaining vegetables and cook until tender.
Drain and serve with yellow mustard.

Fragrances and Perfumes -- Do's and Don't

2007-03-04T08:14:00.000-08:00

The use and enjoyment of fragrancesÂ and perfumes have endured throughout the centuries, from the rituals of ancient cultures to the diversity of todays lifestyles. Here some tips

Do's

Do keep fragrances safe from extreme cold or heat.

Once a bottle of perfume is opened it should be used. Otherwise it will begin to fade or change its character with time. Long exposure to strong sunlight or extremes in temperature can disturb the delicate balance of the perfume and change its scent. Perfume, to last, should be kept in a cool, dry place away from direct light, preferably in its beautiful box. Just as books must be read... records played... fragrances must be worn to be enjoyed.

Do make it a rule never to try more than three scents at one time when you are shopping for a new fragrance.

Your nose will lose its ability to tell the difference. Apply fragrance directly to the skin when you are testing new scents. You cannot get a true reaction to the fragrance from the bottle. Apply a few drops to your wrist. Allow the heat of the body to develop the fragrance on your skin and then sniff. If you would like to test one or two additional scents, apply one to the other wrist... wait...and then apply the third to the inside bend of the elbow. If you want to delay your decision while you shop, be sure to write down which fragrance you put where, so you'll be able to refer back to it later on.

Do introduce the enjoyment of fragrance to every young person you know.

It is never too soon for them to experience the fun and benefits of fragrance.

Do use fragrance throughout every day.

It will increase your feelings of well being... add a special degree of graciousness to daily living... make life for you and those around you infinitely more pleasurable and enjoyable.

Don't

Don't hoard your fragrance.

Open each bottle with anticipation and pleasure. Enjoy its fragrant contents regularly or you may be disappointed to discover it has spoiled or evaporated before your eyes.

Don't put fragrance directly on furs or fabrics.

It may stain.

Don't make your final judgements on a new fragrance

until at least ten minutes after you have applied it. By that time the alcohol will have evaporated and the blending of the fragrance with your own skin's chemistry will give you a true impression.

Don't choose a fragrance because you like it on someone else.

Fragrance is never the same on different people. Everyone is created equal until they use fragrance. It is your individual body chemistry which makes a fragrance special, unique and flattering for you.

Don't forget fragrances for men.

They have never been more of a basic part of masculine good grooming. Colognes, shaving foams, after-shaving lotions, skin conditioners, soaps, after-shower body rubs, talcs, all add a refreshing and delightful dimension to the masculine living.

Chocolate -- Perfect Chocolate Covered Strawberries

2007-03-02T02:38:00.000-08:00

A typical chocolate covered strawberry has less than 100 calories and is a healthy low fat delicious treat. But just because it is low on calories does not mean that it is low on taste. The combination of luscious fruit on the inside and smooth chocolate on the outside makes them an irresistable desert, perfect for special occasions, romantic dinners for two and dinner parties, offering all the taste that anyone could wish for, without the guilt.

Beautiful chocolate covered strawberries can of course be bought from specialised shops and online stores, but it is more fun to make them yourself. This also allows you to control the amount and content of the chocolate covering and so the calories.

Here the simple steps to make perfect chocolate covered strawberries:

Fresh and best quality strawberries are essential
Wash them well and dry thoroughly.
Either milk or dark chocolate can be used to make the dipping sauce, but for the best result you may choose a fine good quality chocolate.
Melt the chocolate slowly in a bowl by carefully placing the bowl in a pan of boiling water. Add an equal amount of cream and gently mix in.
Dip each strawberry and leave to set on wax paper. An alternative method is to pierce the stem end of the strawberry with a cocktail stick, use the stick to dip the strawberry and then stand it in some polystyrene. This also makes it easier to decorate after the chocolate has solidified. Try piping melted white chocolate or even dipping again in a different chocolate to provide a double layer - delicious but not good for calorie counting !
Keep in the fridge and ideally eat on the day they were made. They do not keep well.

Chocolate –- The History

2007-03-02T02:20:00.000-08:00

How Chocolate Became A Popular Flavor

The chocolate is such a world wide super commodity that it deserves some research into its background and history. Well, to start with, the history of chocolate began with the domestic plantation of coco plants by the Olmec Indians way back in 1500 BC. Not that they made a handful of chocolate bars, packed in beautiful cartons for sale in the open market. Their traditional method of consuming this wonder commodity was by drying it first and then making a brew of it, not unlike the way we brew coffee now. This delicacy was meant only for the elite and not for the common man. History, however, took a back seat here when a shipload of coco beans was intercepted by Columbus who had reportedly ordered the cargo destroyed on the presumption that it was nothing but "sheep's droppings".

How Europe first got the taste of chocolate

Christopher Columbus, nevertheless, amended his mistake and brought the first consignment of coco beans to Spain after returning from America. But nothing much about coco or chocolate could be heard for quite sometime until some Spanish monks discovered the taste of crushed coco beans in a the form of a hot beverage. Soon Chocolate Houses opened all over Europe that served the beverage to a clientel that was stinking rich. Grinding the roasted coco bean was an expensive labor oriented affair. During the 1700, mechanized coco grinders appeared in the market that led to a formidable drop in the price of ground coco, the mother of all chocolates.

Chocolate's trip across the Atlantic

During the end of 1700 chocolate was sold in the form of cakes, rolls and sundry chocolate-coated pastries and desserts. These tasty treats were available in Chocolate Houses and in wealthier homes across Europe. The company that initiated the process of making chocolates in America in a big way was named Bakers Chocolate Company. This happened about 10 years before the American Revolutionary War broke out.

Chocolate gains popularity through its own history

No other condiment in recent history had been as popular as the chocolate. Some even thought that it contained medicinal values and one of the reasons for the Baker's Chocolate Company in America to flourish were its products were believed to be linked with therapeutic properties. In Amsterdam a process known as "Dutching" was invented, in which the coco butter is removed from the chocolate resulting in a smoother texture in the still popular beverage form of the chocolate.

The chocolate candy

It was not until the middle of the 1800's when chocolate could be produced in the molded form and thus was born the chocolate candy. It was found that if the "Dutched" chocolate was sweetened then added back into the coco butter it made a delicious sweet and moldable treat. And so what we know today as a chocolate bar was born. Candies in both milk and Swiss chocolates followed it. Valentines Day has been a favorite occasion and when Cadbury's came out with a heart shaped box of chocolates it became a great success. Today we know how important an occasion that was in the history of chocolate.

Chocolate and the modern day America

Ever since the day the chocolate set its foot on American soil, people fell for it, making thousands of variations where chocolate is often the main theme. The first published recipe for the beloved Brownies appeared in the Sears Roebuck Catalogue during the end of the 19th century. The renowned Hershey Company has minted millions by selling chocolates only and so has the Nestlé Company. Enthusiasm soared so high that a Belgian confectioner opened Godiva Chocolate Company in the year 1926 and may God bless them all, they are all still doing fine.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com

Da Vinci Code -- Foucault’s Pendulum as Inspiration

2007-02-28T07:21:00.000-08:00

When Dan Brown's novel was released, it caused quite a stir amongst academics, clerics and religious followers and critics across the world. Some argued his theories were purely illogical, even heretical, while others said they only gave validity to ones that have existed for many centuries. His most controversial theory is his account of the Holy Grail, which he asserts is not a chalice, but a human being - namely, Mary Magdalene.

His story suggests that this truth was suppressed by the church in order to conceal the Sacred Feminine, an ancient principle dictating that God has both male and female elements - one that Jesus himself supposedly adhered to. He uses Leonardo Da Vinci's painting of the Last Supper as evidence of this fact.

However, this is not his only contentious claim: he also states that Jesus and Mary were married, and moreover, that they had a child, named Sarah, who would carry on the bloodline in secret, only to be known by a privileged few. This minority, called the Priory of Sion (who would later become the Knights Templar) carried this secret through history; encoded evidence of which can be found on some historic mounments, including the famed Rosslyn Chapel.

However, Brown was not the first to make such assertions. Learn more about Foucault's Pendulum, and its role as inspiration for the book.

What is Foucault’s Pendulum

The Foucault pendulum, named after French physicist Léon Foucault, was an instrument that was conceived to demonstrate the natural rotation of the earth. The pendulum is free to oscillate along any vertical plane, while running continuously uninhibited by friction (ideally a motor should be utilized to factiliate this). The physics behind it dictate that the direction in which the pendulum swings will rotate along with the earth’s rotation.

Foucault’s first demonstration of the pendulum took place in 1851 at the Pantheon in Paris, when he suspended a 28-kilogram bob with a 67 meter-wide wire from the dome. Although the theory of the earth’s rotation was well known at the time, the experiment demonstrated its veracity in a manner that could be easily comprehended.

Fictional References

In addition to the physical structure of the pendulum, Italian author Umberto Eco also wrote a novel entitled Foucault’s Pendulum, which un-coincidentally figured as a form of indirect inspiration for Dan Brown’s novel.

The book also treats the theme of conspiracy and codes, and it even addresses the plausibility of the Holy Bloodline and the Knights Templar, though this is all done in a satirical manner to demonstrate the futility of such theories.

The story centers around Belbo, Dioatavelli and Casaubon, three friends working for a publisher in Milan, who decide to invent a satirical conspiracy game after reading too many of such theories at work. However, as they get further into their “Plan,” the lines between fiction and reality become increasingly blurred, and what’s worse, followers of conspiracy theories take their “game” seriously, believing Belbo to be the true keeper of the lost treasure of the Knights Templar.

Source: www.jesusfamilytomb.com

Jesus Buried in Talpiot -- Claimed by Filmmaker

2007-02-28T05:51:00.000-08:00

The Israeli-born, Canadian-based filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici is reigniting claims, first made over a decade ago, that a burial cave uncovered 27 years ago in Talpiot, Jerusalem, is the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth and his family.

At a press conference in New York on Monday, the two-time Emmy winner Jacobovici and his team - including Hollywood director James Cameron (Titanic director) - will detail claims that of 10 ossuaries found in the cave when it was discovered in 1980, six bear inscriptions identifying them as those of Jesus, his mother Mary, a second Mary (possibly Mary Magdalene), and relatives Matthew, Josa and Judah (possibly Jesus's son).

Their documentary will be screened this week in the US, UK, on Channel 8 in Israel and around the world. The producers are said to have worked on the project with world-renowned archeologists, statisticians and DNA specialists.

But Bar-Ilan University Prof. Amos Kloner, the Jerusalem District archeologist who officially oversaw the work at the tomb in 1980 and has published detailed findings on its contents, on Saturday night dismissed the claims. "It makes a great story for a TV film," he told The Jerusalem Post. "But it's impossible. It's nonsense."

Kloner, who said he was interviewed for the new film but has not seen it, said the names found on the ossuaries were common, and the fact that such apparently resonant names had been found together was of no significance. He added that "Jesus son of Joseph" inscriptions had been found on several other ossuaries over the years.

"There is no likelihood that Jesus and his relatives had a family tomb," Kloner said. "They were a Galilee family with no ties in Jerusalem. The Talpiot tomb belonged to a middle-class family from the 1st century CE."

A spokeswoman for the Israel Antiquities Authority had no comment herself on the documentary and referred inquiries to Kloner, who no longer works for the IAA.

The spokeswoman did say, however, that the IAA has loaned out two of the ossuaries that were found in the Talpiot tomb for display by the filmmakers at Monday's New York press conference. She said it was a routine procedure to lend out such artifacts provided the borrowers complied with the necessary handling, transport and insurance requirements and that it did not signal any IAA authentication of claims made in the documentary.

Kloner said the IAA had been "very foolish" to agree to the loan. "The left hand there doesn't know what the right hand is doing," he said.

The Daily Telegraph reported this weekend that the 10 ossuaries removed from the tomb when it was first excavated "were taken initially to the Rockefeller Archaeological Museum outside the Old City of Jerusalem. Nine were catalogued and stored but the tenth was left outside in a courtyard. That ossuary has subsequently gone missing."

But Kloner said the IAA routinely left ossuaries in the courtyard if they were not inscribed and were unremarkable, since it had no room for them all "under our roofs." He added: "Nothing has disappeared."

The Jacobovici documentary comes more than 10 years after similar speculation about the so-called Jesus family tomb made world headlines, prompting a London Sunday Times feature entitled "The Tomb that Dare Not Speak Its Name" and a BBC documentary.

The assertion that the ossuaries found in the Talpiot tomb were those of Jesus of Nazareth and family members was branded by The Sunday Times at the time as an archeological discovery "that challenges the very basis of Christianity."

The makers of the documentary are refusing to discuss its content prior to their New York press conference.

source: www.jpost.com

The Tomb Of Jesus in Jerusalem?

2007-02-28T02:39:00.000-08:00

In 1980, in East Talpiot, Jerusalem, a bulldozer accidentally uncovered what may be the most explosive archaeological discovery of all time.

Of the ten ossuaries, or stone coffins, found inside the first-century tomb, six bore inscriptions: Jesus, son of Joseph; Maria; Mariamene (the name by which Mary Magdalene was known), Joseph, Matthew, and Judah, son of Jesus. At first dismissed by archaeologists as coincidence, the ossuaries were deposited in the endless warehouses of the Israel Antiquities Association and forgotten.

Twenty-five years later, a group of scientists, researchers, mathematicians, film maker and Emmy-winning journalist Simcha Jacobovici and his team, Felix Golubev, journalist and producer; Hollywood kingpin James Cameron; Paleo-biologist and best-selling author Charles Pellegrino; and renowned Biblical scholar James Tabor, took a fresh look at this astounding cluster of New Testament names.

They claim to have discovered the family tomb of Jesus in Jerusalem. Not only that but have produced a website, a book, and also a feature docuemtanry about the tomb. All will be revealed, we are told. on Monday 26th of February when the news will be announced via a press conference in New York. Granted unparalleled access, but battling a host of problems, the team goes in search of the ossuaries…and the lost tomb…

Feb. 25, 2007

New scientific evidence, including DNA analysis conducted at one of the world's foremost molecular genetics laboratories, as well as studies by leading scholars, suggests a 2,000-year-old Jerusalem tomb could have once held the remains of Jesus of Nazareth and his family.

The findings also suggest that Jesus and Mary Magdalene might have produced a son named Judah.

The DNA findings, alongside statistical conclusions made about the artifacts — originally excavated in 1980 — open a potentially significant chapter in Biblical archaeological history.

A documentary presenting the evidence, "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," will premiere on the Discovery Channel on March 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The documentary comes from executive producer James Cameron and director Simcha Jacobovici. Discovery has set up a special Web site, www.discovery.com/tomb, to provide related in-depth information and to allow viewers to come to their own conclusions about the entire matter.

The Talpiot Tomb

On March 28, 1980, a construction crew developing an apartment complex in Talpiot, Jerusalem, uncovered a tomb, which archaeologists from the Israeli Antiquities Authority excavated shortly thereafter. Archaeologist Shimon Gibson surveyed the site and drew a layout plan. Scholar L.Y. Rahmani later published "A Catalogue of Jewish Ossuaries" that described 10 ossuaries, or limestone bone boxes, found in the tomb.

Scholars know that from 30 B.C. to 70 A.D., many people in Jerusalem would first wrap bodies in shrouds after death. The bodies were then placed in carved rock tombs, where they decomposed for a year before the bones were placed in an ossuary.

Five of the 10 discovered boxes in the Talpiot tomb were inscribed with names believed to be associated with key figures in the New Testament: Jesus, Mary, Matthew, Joseph and Mary Magdalene. A sixth inscription, written in Aramaic, translates to "Judah Son of Jesus."

"Such tombs are very typical for that region," Aaron Brody, associate professor of Bible and archaeology at the Pacific School of Religion and director of California's Bade Museum told Discovery News.

Ossuary Inscriptions

At least four leading epigraphers have corroborated the ossuary inscriptions for the documentary, according to the Discovery Channel.

Frank Moore Cross, a professor emeritus in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University, told Discovery News, "The inscriptions are from the Herodian Period (which occurred from around 1 B.C. to 1 A.D.). The use of limestone ossuaries and the varied script styles are characteristic of that time."

Jodi Magness, associate department chair of religious studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told Discovery News that, based on the New Testament writings, "Jesus likely lived during the first century A.D."

The inscriptions on the ossuaries found in the Talpiot Tomb in 1980 by a bulldozer read as follows:
Ossuary 80/500: “Mariamene e Mara” – “Mariamne, also called Master”
Ossuary 80/501: “Yehuda bar Yeshua” – “Judah, son of Jesus”
Ossuary 80/502: “Matia” – “Matthew”
Ossuary 80/503 “Yeshua bar Yosef” – “Jesus, Son of Joseph”
Ossuary 80/504 “Yose” or “Yosa” – a nickname for “Joseph”
Ossuary 80/505: “Maria” – a Latinized version of the Hebrew “Miriam.”
Ossuaries 80/506-508 were plain, with no inscriptions. And no one knows anything really about Ossuary 80/509. It disappeared before it could be checked for inscriptions or ornamentation.

Of the ten ossuaries pulled from the niches of the burial chamber, inscriptions were recorded as occurring on six, a very high ratio considering that only 20% of the thousands of ossuaries ever found bear such inscriptions.

In addition to the "Judah son of Jesus" inscription, which is written in Aramaic on one of the ossuaries, another limestone burial box is labeled in Aramaic with "Jesus Son of Joseph." Another bears the Hebrew inscription "Maria," a Latin version of "Miriam," or, in English, "Mary." Yet another ossuary inscription, written in Hebrew, reads "Matia," the original Hebrew word for "Matthew." Only one of the inscriptions is written in Greek. It reads, "Mariamene e Mara," which can be translated as, "Mary known as the master."

Francois Bovon, professor of the history of religion at Harvard University, told Discovery News, "Mariamene, or Mariamne, probably was the actual name given to Mary Magdalene."

Bovon explained that he and a colleague discovered a fourteenth century copy in Greek of a fourth century text that contains the most complete version of the "Acts of Philip" ever found. Although not included in the Bible, the "Acts of Philip" mentions the apostles and Mariamne, sister of the apostle Philip.

"When Philip is weak, she is strong," Bovon said. "She likely was a great teacher who even inspired her own sect of followers, called Mariamnists, who existed from around the 2nd to the 3rd century."

DNA Analysis

Jacobovici, director, co producer and writer of "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," and his team obtained two sets of samples from the ossuaries for DNA and chemical analysis. The first set consisted of bits of matter taken from the "Jesus Son of Joseph" and "Mariamene e Mara" ossuaries. The second set consisted of patina — a chemical film encrustation on one of the limestone boxes.

The human remains were analyzed by Carney Matheson, a scientist at the Paleo-DNA Laboratory at Lakehead University in Ontario, Canada. Mitochondrial DNA examination determined the individual in the Jesus ossuary and the person in the ossuary linked to Mary Magdalene were not related.

Since tombs normally contain either blood relations or spouses, Jacobovici and his team suggest it is possible Jesus and Mary Magdalene were a couple. "Judah," whom they indicate may have been their son, could have been the "lad" described in the Gospel of John as sleeping in Jesus' lap at the Last Supper.

Robert Genna, director of the Suffolk County Crime Laboratory in New York, analyzed both the patina taken from the Talpiot Tomb and chemical residue obtained from the "James" ossuary, which was also found around 1980, but subsequently disappeared and resurfaced in the antiquities market. Although controversy surrounds this burial box, Genna found that the two patinas matched.

"The samples were consistent with each other," Genna told Discovery News.

Upon examining the tomb, the filmmakers determined a space exists that would have fit the "James" ossuary. Given the patina match and this observation, Jacobovici theorizes the lost burial box could, in fact, be the "James" ossuary.

Statistical Data

Director James Cameron (Titanic director) and a team of scholars showed two stone ossuaries, or bone boxes, that he said might have once contained the bones of Jesus and Mary Magdalene."This is the beginnings of an ongoing investigation," Cameron said. "If things come to light that erode this investigation, then so be it." The filmmakers said that statistically there was a 1 in 600 chance that the names found on the inscriptions were not the family of Jesus.

Cameron's theory is parallel to that put forward by the Da Vinci Code book, in which it argues that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married. Mr Cameron said: “It doesn’t get bigger than this. It’s one of the greatest archaeological finds of all time. We’ve done our homework; we’ve made the case. Now it’s time for the debate to begin.” The empty 'coffins' were among ten first found by builders in Jerusalem in 1980.

A possible argument against the Talpiot Tomb being the Jesus Family Tomb is that the collection of names on the ossuary inscriptions could be coincidental.

But Andrey Feuerverger, professor of statistics and mathematics at the University of Toronto, recently conducted a study addressing the probabilities that will soon be published in a leading statistical journal.

(From various source)

Gaspard Ulliel -- The Young Hannibal Lecter in Hannibal Rising

2007-02-21T06:25:00.000-08:00

He is a French actor and former male fashion model. He began appearing in made-for-television films during the late 1990s and early 2000s, and has since become known as a film actor in France, as well as starred in the title role in the horror/thriller Hannibal Rising.

Ulliel's most recent role is playing the young Hannibal Lecter, the title character of the prequel Hannibal Rising, which was released on February 9, 2007. Ulliel initially hesitated to audition for the role because of the character's popularity. The part is his second English-language film, and the first film where he speaks English in a leading role. It has not yet been decided whether there will be another film featuring Ulliel as Lecter. Ulliel's next role will be in a Niki Caro directed drama scheduled to film in New Zealand and France.

Ulliel was born November 25, 1984 in the Parisian suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt to a runway show producer mother and a stylist father. He has a scar on his cheek as a result of a dog's scratch from when he was six years old. Ulliel attended the University of Saint-Denis, where he studied cinema. Gaspard Ulliel's dream has always been to direct a movie, and after completing his studies at the lycée (French high school), he majored in cinema at the University of Saint-Denis. However, fate had other plans, and he is currently pursuing an acting career. It began when Ulliel was 12 years old when he appeared in the TV film "Une femme en blanc" (1997) (mini). During the following years, Ulliel continued working on TV and was cast in short films such as Alias (1999). He played a young shepherd who was injured by The Beast in Pacte des loups, Le (2001), and was then discovered by director Michel Blanc, who offered him a part in Embrassez qui vous voudrez (2002) which also starred veteran actress Charlotte Rampling. Ulliel then took summer stages at Les Cours Florent and was asked by director André Téchiné to star in Égarés, Les (2003) as Emmanuelle Béart’s lover. His role as Manech opposite Audrey Tautou in Un long dimanche de fiançailles (2004) brought him to stardom. He has been nominated thrice for Most Promising Male Newcomer at the César Awards (the equivalent of the Oscars in France) in 2003, 2004 and 2005; he won the last one. Ulliel's lead roles include Dernier jour, Le (2004), Jacquou le croquant (2007) and Hannibal Rising (2007), his first major English-language film.

Trivia

His parents are both stylists.
His scar on his left cheek is the result of a doberman's attack when Gaspard was 6.
His Height is 5' 10¾" (1.80 m)
Felt faint at Cannes film festival because of his shyness.
Favorite actress is Jeanne Moreau.
Keen sportsman: is a competition skier and loves swimming, waterskiing, skateboarding, rollerblading and tennis.
Speaks fluent English.
Big fan of Milan Kundera.
French citizen.
Has the same hometown as fellow French actor Guillaume Canet (from The Beach (2000/I) and Jeux d'enfants (2003)).

Box Office Movies -- Norbit

2007-02-19T09:35:00.000-08:00

Theatrical Release Feb 9, 2007, Wide
Directed by: Brian Robbins
Release Company DreamWorks Distribution LLC
Starring Eddie Murphy, Thandie Newton, Terry Crews, Clifton Powell, Mighty Rasta
Genre Comedies, Comedy, Romance, Love Triangle
Certification: USA:PG-13 (crude and sexual humor, some nudity and language; edited for re-rating) / Singapore:NC-16 (cut) / UK:12A / Ireland:15
Runtime:USA:102 min
Country:USA
Language:English
Sound Mix: DTS / Dolby Digital / SDDS
Box Office Total: $34,195,434
Box Office Opening:$34,195,434
No. of Weeks at #1:1
No. of Weeks in Top 10:1

Tagline
Have you ever made a really big mistake?

Synopsis

Eddie Murphy's new movie Norbit raked in the big bucks at the box office last weekend, when it claimed the top money-making spot. Though Eddie Murphy gives it his all, Norbit's material is crass and largely unfunny.The portrayal of an overweight, bossy, mean black woman has many African-African women angry.

Norbit (Eddie Murphy) has never had it easy. As a baby, he was abandoned on the steps of a Chinese restaurant/orphanage and raised by Mr. Wong (Eddie Murphy). Things get worse when he’s forced into marriage by the mean, junk food-chugging queen, Rasputia (Eddie Murphy). Just when Norbit's hanging by his last thread, his childhood sweetheart, Kate (Thandie Newton), moves back to town. In the comedy "Norbit," he'll show them all that nice guys sometimes finish first.

Official Movie Site

• The Official Norbit Site

Box Office Movies -- Hannibal Rising, Connections and Contradictions

2007-02-19T08:44:00.000-08:00

Theatrical Release Feb 9, 2007, Wide
Directed by Peter Webber
Written by Thomas Harris
Director of photography, Ben Davis
Edited by Pietro Scalia and Valerio Bonelli
Music by Ilan Eschkeri and Shigeru Umebayashi
Production designer, Allan Starski,
Produced by Dino de Laurentiis, Martha de Laurentiis and Tarak Ben Ammar
Released by Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) and the Weinstein Company.
Starring with Gaspard Ulliel (Hannibal), Gong Li (Lady Murasaki), Rhys Ifans (Grutas), Kevin McKidd (Kolnas), Dominic West (Inspector Popil) and Richard Brake (Dortlich).
Running time: 121 minutes.
MPAA Rating R, for strong grisly violent content and some language/sexual references
Genre Dramas, Cannibalism, Coming Of Age, Thriller, World War II, Serial Killers, Teenagers, Psychology, Based On A Novel
Box Office Total: $22,127,340
Box Office Opening:$13,051,650
No. of Weeks in Top 10:2
Highest Ranking:2

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About The Novel
Hannibal Rising marks the first time in the award-winning series that best selling author Thomas Harris ("Red Dragon," "Silence of the Lambs") writes the screenplay – reaching back to explore the origins of Lecter’s rage, terror and savagery. This is the fourth in a series featuring his most famous character, Hannibal Lecter. The novel, a prequel to Harris' Lecter novels, chronicles the iconic serial killer's childhood and early adulthood. The novel was released on December 5, 2006 with an initial printing of at least 1.5 million copies and had a mixed response, many thinking that the book reduced Lecter to a simple psychological case. A CD version has also been released, with Harris reading the text.

Movie Synopsis
Hannibal Rising reduces the horror icon to a collection of dime-store psychological traits. In RED DRAGON we learned who he was. In SILENCE OF THE LAMBS we learned how he did it. Now comes the most chilling chapter in the life of Hannibal Lecter – the one that answers the most elusive question of all - why?

The story begins in Eastern Europe at the desperate end of World War II. For many it was no longer a conflict of nations but one of individual survival – at any cost. A young Hannibal watches from only steps away as his parents violently die, leaving his cherished young sister in his care. This horrific moment will soon pale in comparison to the atrocities he is forced to witness, changing him forever.

Alone and without any means of support, he is forced to live in a Soviet orphanage that once served as his family’s beloved home. He flees to Paris to find his uncle has died but his beautiful and mysterious Japanese widow, Lady Murasaki (Gong Li) welcomes him. Even her kindness and love cannot soothe the nightmares and sorrows that plague him. Showing a cunning aptitude for science he is accepted into medical school, which serves to hone his skills and provide the tools to exact justice on the war criminals that haunt him day and night. This quest will ignite an insatiable lust within a serial killer who was not born, but made.

Connections and Contradictions

Hannibal Lecter's documented and actual birthdate and age where his sister died are not consistent. It is stated that he fabricated dates in order to avoid capture. In the novel Hannibal, he dreams of being six years old when his sister died; in Hannibal Rising, he is 12 when the tragedy occurs.
No mention is made of Lecter's bizarre condition on his left hand called mid-ray duplication polydactyly, or a fully functional sixth finger (duplicated middle finger).
In Red Dragon protagonist Will Graham says that, as a child, Lecter displayed sadism toward animals. In Rising, however, Lecter exhibits a degree of compassion to a group of swans and his family's horse.
In Hannibal, Lecter dreams of seeing Mischa's baby teeth in a reeking stool pit after the deserters' men kill her. In Rising, he has similar visions, but when he later visits Mischa's remains before giving her a dignified burial, he notes that all her teeth are intact.
A Dragunov Sniper Rifle is mentioned in the book multiple times. It is first mentioned in a sequence taking place in 1946 when Lecter is 13 years old, and then again in 1951 when he is 18. The Dragunov Sniper Rifle is based on the AK-47 and wasn't invented until 1958

Box Office Movies for the Week Ending February 16th

2007-02-18T22:48:00.000-08:00

Norbit
Theatrical Release: Feb 9, 2007 Wide
Box Office Total: $34,195,434
Box Office Opening:$34,195,434
No. of Weeks at #1:1
No. of Weeks in Top 10:1
Directed by Bryan Robbins
Hannibal Rising
Theatrical Release: Feb 9, 2007 Wide
Box Office Total: $22,127,340
Box Office Opening:$13,051,650
No. of Weeks in Top 10:2
Highest Ranking:2
Directed by Peter Weber
Because I Said So
The Messengers
Night at the Museum
Epic Movie
Smokin' Aces
Pan's Labyrinth
Dreamgirls
The Queen

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer – The Review

2007-02-18T09:07:00.000-08:00

Details

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 512 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Pub. Date: October 5, 2005
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316160172
ISBN-13: 978-0316160179
Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.7 x 1.6 inches

Review

In a style reminiscent of Anne Rice, Meyer brings the macabre to a small Washington town in a novel combining mystery, romance, fantasy, and sensuality. Isabella Swan has moved to her father's house in tiny Forks, Washington, a twilight town where perpetual rain and mist stand in stark contrast to her mother's home in Phoenix. Isabella is the new girl who discovers that small town life is pretty slow-paced, and small town people are pretty friendly. She settles in quickly, and finds the most intriguing thing about her new school to be the Cullen family, a group of four amazingly beautiful young people who keep to themselves in school. Edward Cullen is Isabella's lab partner, and he avoids interacting with her or even looking at her. However, when an accident almost ends her life, Isabella finds out the truth about Edward and his family, a group of benevolent vampires who have chosen the misty city so that they can blend in and live among humans without discovery. Isabella and Edward begin a courtship dance in which they are drawn closer and closer, knowing the danger of their being together. Isabella soon discovers that not all vampires are kind, and the book shifts into suspense mode with Isabella running for her life. Meyer's description of the lovers' emotions is palpable, and readers will be drawn into the couple's spiraling dance, feeling the intense longing that comes from being a hair's breadth away from the thing you want most in the world.

Link

Browse Sample Pages from Front Cover, Copyright, Table of Contents in here.

Anna Nicole Smith

2007-02-17T04:45:00.000-08:00

The major story of last week was Anna Nicole Smith's death on Thursday, February 8. Anna Nicole Smith (39), a former Playboy centerfold, actress and television personality who was famous, above all, for being famous, but also for being sporadically rich and chronically litigious, was found dead in a hotel room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, Florida. The official cause of her death is still unknown, although foul play was ruled out by the medical examiner and there were no traces of drugs found in her stomach. Her body will be preserved until February 20 so that a hearing in the paternity suit over her daughter, Dannielee, can be held.

Although Anna Nicole's partner, Howard K. Stern, is listed as Dannielee's father on her birth certificate, there are three other potential fathers. These men include photographer Larry Birkhead, Prince Frederic von Anhalt, and even Smith's late husband, J Howard Marshall. (Anna Nicole's sister, Donna Hogan, has said that Anna was inseminated with Marshall's sperm.)

A personal nurse traveling with Ms. Smith called the hotel operator at 1:38 p.m. to report she had found Ms. Smith alone and unconscious in her sixth-floor suite, the police said. Ms. Smith’s bodyguard arrived a few minutes later and tried to revive her with cardiopulmonary resuscitation, as did paramedics, who arrived after 2 p.m., they said, but she was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital at 2:49 p.m. The office of the Broward County Medical Examiner was to perform an autopsy on Friday morning.

A paramedic with the Hollywood Fire Rescue Department told WTVJ-TV that Ms. Smith was not breathing when he and other rescue workers arrived in her suite, and that they had tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully to restore her heartbeat.

A lawyer for Ms. Smith, Ronald Rale, said she had complained of flulike symptoms earlier in the week and was “run down” from her recent troubles, including the death of her 20-year-old son and a paternity suit over her infant daughter. Mr. Rale would not say why she was visiting Florida, but a spokesman for the hotel, a flashy, sprawling complex on Seminole Indian land, said Ms. Smith had stayed there several times since it opened in 2004.

The product of a hardscrabble Texas girlhood, Ms. Smith, at least in her mature years, was obtrusively voluptuous and almost preternaturally blonde. A ninth-grade dropout, she rose quickly from life as a small-town wife and mother to a high-profile career as a topless dancer; pinup; model; film actress; reality-show star; clothing designer; product endorser; and, briefly but most notably, wife of a tycoon nearly four times her age in a marriage that would eventually propel her to the United States Supreme Court in a fight over his billion-dollar estate.

For gossip columnists and supermarket tabloids, Ms. Smith’s life provided endless fodder. She often found herself in court, as either the complainant or the defendant. She publicly battled bankruptcy, drug addiction and wild fluctuations in her weight. And she was much in the headlines last fall when, over three days, her second child was born and her first died abruptly.

Ms. Smith was widely known to television viewers as the star of “The Anna Nicole Show,” broadcast on the E! network from 2002 to 2004. The show chronicled the minutiae of its heroine’s daily life, which showed her on visits to her dentists and giving Prozac to her dog. Ms. Smith was also familiar as a spokeswoman for TrimSpa, a diet supplement. (In a class-action suit filed in Los Angeles this month, Ms. Smith and TrimSpa’s manufacturer were accused of false and misleading marketing.)

She appeared in several movies, among them “The Hudsucker Proxy” (1994) and “Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult” (1994). Her other cinematic credits include “Playboy Video Playmate Calendar” (1993); and “Playboy’s 50th Anniversary Celebration” (2003).

Ms. Smith was born Vickie Lynn Hogan on Nov. 28, 1967, in Mexia, Tex. Her parents divorced when she was an infant, and her mother, Virgie, a police officer, reared her alone. When she was a teenager, she married Billy Smith, a 16-year-old fry cook. Their son, Daniel, was born in 1986; the couple divorced in 1987.

Ms. Smith worked as a waitress, later becoming a topless dancer in Houston. After submitting photos to Playboy, she appeared on the cover of the March 1992 issue. In 1993, she was named Playmate of the Year.

In 1994, Ms. Smith married J. Howard Marshall II, a Texas oil billionaire and former professor of trusts and estates at Yale Law School whom she had met in the course of her dancing career. She was 26; he was 89. Married life for Ms. Smith was a bounteous stream of clothes and jewelry.

In 1995, after 14 months of marriage, Mr. Marshall died, setting off a series of legal victories and reversals, which for Ms. Smith included these: fighting Mr. Marshall’s son E. Pierce Marshall for the right to inherit his father’s estate; being awarded $474 million in federal court; having the award reduced to just under $89 million; having it overturned altogether; and appealing the case to the Supreme Court.

In May of last year, the justices ruled that the dispute properly belonged in federal court, giving Ms. Smith another chance to collect millions. Although E. Pierce Marshall died in June after a brief illness, the case was still pending at the time of Ms. Smith’s death.

On Sept. 7, 2006, Ms. Smith gave birth to a daughter, Dannielynn. Recently, Anna Nicole's life has been rife with tragedy. On September 10, 2006, her son, Daniel, died while visiting his mother and newborn sister at a hospital in the Bahamas. A medical examiner hired by the family found that the death was the accidental result of the interaction of methadone with antidepressants.He reportedly was killed by a combination of Lexapro, methadone, and Zoloft.

Besides her daughter, Dannielynn, Ms. Smith is survived by Mr. Stern, a lawyer who she said was the child’s father. (Last fall, Larry Birkhead, a former boyfriend of Ms. Smith, filed suit, claiming he had fathered Dannielynn.) Information on other survivors could not be confirmed.

Mr. Rale, Ms. Smith’s lawyer, said the paternity issue would be addressed at a court hearing on Friday in Los Angeles. In an interview with Los Angeles magazine in 1994, Ms. Smith was asked whether her rapid success troubled her in any way.

Peter Pan Peanut Butter Recall -- The Salmonella Outbreak

2007-02-17T03:43:00.000-08:00

Peter Pan Peanut Butter is being pulled off the shelves all over

U.S.

A Missouri family is suing Conagra foods for salmonella poisoning linked to the snack food. The CDC has traced the salmonella outbreak back to contaminated peanut butter.

Symptoms of salmonella include fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Salmonella can cause life-threatening infections in people in poor health or who have weakened immune systems. Salmonella sickens about 40,000 people a year in the U.S. and kills about 600.

Any such illnesses should be reported to state or local health authorities, the FDA said.

This outbreak follows major food-borne illness scares in 2006 involving spinach, tomatoes and iceberg lettuce. One expert said he's not surprised that these outbreaks are continuing to plague U.S. consumers.

"This is not an unusual event. Salmonella is a very prevalent organism," said Dr. Philip Tierno, the director of clinical microbiology and immunology at New York University Medical Center and author of the The Secret Life of Germs and Protect Yourself Against Bioterrorism.

According to Tierno, these contamination problems arise because the FDA does not regulate the safety of produce -- and he doubts that the food industry can monitor itself. The government is moving toward making a change. Outside monitoring is the way to go.

Tierno said food poisoning strikes an estimated 80 million people in the United States each year. Nine (thousand) to 10,000 people die annually from food poisoning.

U.S. Government and company scientists went through one of the nation's largest peanut butter plants Friday, trying to figure out how salmonella got into batches of the spread.

Warning from FDA

FDA Warns of Salmonella-Contaminated Peanut Butter. Consumers should not eat certain jars of Peter Pan peanut butter or Great Value peanut butter because they may be contaminated with Salmonella Tennessee, a bacterium that causes food-borne illness, U.S. officials said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning is based on data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the CDC, there have been 288 cases of food-borne illness in 39 states tied to eating Peter Pan peanut butter. Salmonella is carried by animals, but somehow was transferred during the manufacturing process to the peanuts.

People can identify the affected jars of Peter Pan or Great Value peanut butter by looking for a product code -- located on the lid -- that starts with the number 2111. Both brands are made in a single plant in Georgia by the ConAgra company. Great Value peanut butter made by other manufacturers is not affected, according to the FDA.

The FDA is recommending that all affected jars of Peter Pan or Great Value peanut butter purchased since May 2006 be discarded.

The outbreak appears to have started in August 2006. As a result of testing and recent case control studies, the CDC was finally able to identify Peter Pan peanut butter as the likely cause of illness.

From a lunchtime gathering place for area farmers a few miles west of town, there's been "some talk" about the salmonella outbreak. But that isn't stopping people from ordering peanut butter and jelly sandwiches off the menu.

It was unclear how the dangerous germ that commonly originates from the feces of birds and animals got into the peanut butter.

U.S. Government and industry officials said the contamination may have been caused by dirty jars or equipment. Peanuts are usually heated to high, germ-killing temperatures during the manufacturing process. The only known salmonella outbreak in peanut butter -- in Australia during the mid-1990s -- was blamed on unsanitary plant conditions.

ConAgra says none of its previous routine testing of plant equipment and peanut butter has tested positive for salmonella. The Food and Drug Administration last inspected the plant in February 2005 and found no problems, agency spokesman Michael Herndon said.

At least some the salmonella victims' peanut butter jars are being tested, but the results are not expected for days.

The Omaha, Nebraska-based food giant said Friday that it still had not determined yet how many jars are affected by the recall. The plant is the sole maker of the nationally distributed Peter Pan brand, and the recall covers all peanut butter produced by the plant since May 2006.

ConAgra Action

ConAgra announced Thursday that it was recalling all varieties of Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Great Value Peanut Butter beginning with product code 2111. Shoppers are being asked to toss out jars having a product code on the lid beginning with that code, which denotes the plant. ConAgra said they can return their lids or full jars of peanut butter to the store where they bought them for a refund.

Although none of ConAgra’s extensive product tests have indicated the presence of salmonella, ConAgra are taking this precautionary measure because consumer health and safety is our top priority. They are working closely with the FDA to better understand its concerns, and they will take whatever additional measures are needed to ensure the safety, quality and wholesomeness of our products.

As part of its investigation, the FDA has sent investigators to ConAgra's processing plant in Sylvester, Ga., to review records, collect product samples and conduct tests for Salmonella Tennessee.

Out of the scientists' way, about 40 workers did maintenance work at the ConAgra Foods plant, a ConAgra spokesman Chris Kircher said. But no jars of peanut butter rolled off the lines at the shuttered plant.

The plant has been shut down since Wednesday, when federal health officials linked its peanut butter -- Peter Pan brand and certain batches of Wal-Mart's Great Value house brand -- to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened almost 300 people nationwide since August. No deaths have been reported.

The plant employs about 100 people, and other than the local hospital, it is the largest employer in Sylvester, a town of about 5,900 people in south Georgia's peanut country. All workers are getting paid during the shutdown.

Tuesday, that ConAgra is also recalling more than 400,000 pounds of pasta and meatball meals that may have been underprocessed. The recall involves 36.6-ounce cartons of Banquet brand Homestyle Bakes Pasta & Meatballs in Marinara Sauce produced between Oct. 19, 2006 and Jan. 25. There have been no reports of illnesses linked to the product, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said.

For more information on salmonella, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Box Office Movies -- Because I Said So

2007-02-15T21:47:00.000-08:00

For the Week Ending February 9th

Directed by Michael Lehmann
Produced by Paul Brooks, Jessie Nelson
Written by Karen Leigh Hopkins, Jessie Nelson
Starring Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, Gabriel Macht, Tom Everett Scott, Lauren Graham, Piper Perabo and Stephen Collins
Music by David Kitay
Cinematography Julio Macat
Editing by Paul Seydor, Troy Takaki
Distributed by Universal Studios
Release date(s) February 2, 2007
Country USA
Language English
Genre Comedies, Family Interaction, Romance, Love, Dating
Box Office Total $25,805,720
MPAA Rating PG-13, for sexual content including dialogue, some mature thematic material and partial nudity
Official Movie Site The Official Because I Said So Site

Trailer
- Hi-Res (21.8Mb)
- HD 480P (45.2Mb)
- HD 720P (117Mb)
- HD 1080P (181Mb)

Because I Said So is a 2007 romantic comedy film directed by Michael Lehmann and starring Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, Lauren Graham, Piper Perabo and Stephen Collins. This film is rated PG-13 for sexual content including dialogue, some mature thematic material and partial nudity. It was released on February 2, 2007.

This film is an unfunny, cliche-ridden mess that manages to make Diane Keaton temporarily unlikable.

Synopsis
Powerhouse actresses Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, Lauren Graham and Piper Perabo serve up the laughs when they join wickedly funny director Michael Lehmann (The Truth About Cats & Dogs, 40 Days and 40 Nights, Heathers) in his new film about cutting the apron strings, Because I Said So.

Keaton stars as Daphne Wilder, a mother whose love knows no bounds or boundaries. She is the proud mom of three daughters: stable psychologist Maggie (Graham), sexy and irreverent Mae (Perabo) and insecure, adorable Milly (Moore)-who, when it comes to men, is like psychotic flypaper.

In order to prevent her youngest from making the same mistakes she did, Daphne decides to set Milly up with the perfect man. Little does Milly know, however, that her mom placed an ad in the online personals to find him. Comic mayhem unfolds as Daphne continues to do the wrong thing for the right reasons...all in the name of love.

In a hilarious battle of strong wills, the mother-daughter dynamic is tested in all its fierce, wacky complexity. The girls help Daphne finally discover the truths and impossibilities of motherly love, all while trying to answer the questions: where does it begin and where should it end?

Plot Synopsis
The movie opens at a wedding. The bride, Maggie (Lauren Graham), her sister Mae (Piper Perabo) and mother, Daphne (Diane Keaton), are trying to set the youngest sister, Milly (Mandy Moore), up with a bachelor at the reception. As they send her off to introduce herself, Daphne warns her not to do her nervous laugh. Almost as soon as she starts talking to the guy, she breaks out into snorting laughter.

At another wedding, Mae is the bride and Milly has stolen away into a bedroom with a guy that she met at the wedding. She uses her cell phone to call her sisters because she thinks the guy might have "a bun on his hot dog". They are happy that she's found someone until they realize that the man she's with is married.

Further scenes establish the family dynamic; Milly has been unsuccessful in her romantic relationships and Daphne, widowed from an unhappy marriage, spends all of her time trying to steer her daughter into love, rather than focus on her own lonely life.

Finally, Daphne decides to place a personal ad for her daughter. She goes to a restaurant to meet the bachelors that have responded to the ad. After a series of interviews with less than ideal candidates, the guitarist from the restaurant band sits down to talk to her. The guitarist, Johnny (Gabriel Macht), wants to meet Milly but Daphne decides that because he's a tattooed musician, he'll just break Milly's heart. Johnny sneaks one of Milly's cards when Daphne is distracted by the final bachelor, Jason (Tom Everett Scott).

Jason is a successful architect and Daphne decides that he's perfect for Milly. She suggests that his company hire her catering firm so that the two can meet. Milly and Jason meet and start dating.

In the meantime, Johnny uses the business card to find Milly's catering business where he meets Milly and they also start dating. Milly is much more relaxed and natural around Johnny, but she's not sure if she's ready to be a mother-figure to his son, Lionel. Milly continues to date both men.

The situation escalates at Daphne's birthday party when Jason announces that he's going to introduce Milly to his parents and hints that he wants to be a part of the family. When it becomes apparent that Daphne is coming down with a cold, the sisters do rock-paper-scissors to determine who she'll stay with. Milly looses, so Daphne goes to stay with her while she recuperates. As they watch old movies, Daphne admits that she's never had an orgasm, because her husband never cared enough to take the time to please her.

One night, while Milly is out with Johnny, his father, Joe (Stephen Collins), comes over with Lionel because he's locked himself out of the house. As they wait for Milly and Johnny to return from their date, there is instant chemistry between Daphne and Joe.

Milly goes to dinner with Jason's parents and when he drops her off, Johnny is waiting and sees them together. He confronts her and is angry that she's been seeing Jason at the same time she's been seeing him. He breaks it off with her.

Milly is at Jason's when she overhears his mother on the phone saying that he met his girlfriend on the internet. Milly confronts Jason, thinking that he's dating someone else, but he reveals to her that her mother posted an ad for her on a dating site. Milly is angry and when her chocolate soufflés burn, she takes this as the final sign that Jason is not right for her, because she can't be herself and trust her instincts with she's with him.

Angry, Milly goes to Daphne's to confront her. When she arrives, she overhears Daphne and Joe having sex and realizes that her mother's having the first orgasm of her life. Milly leaves without letting them knowing that she's been there.

Milly goes back to her previously unhappy life and Daphne and Joe continue to see each other. By this time, Daphne sees that Johnny will make Milly happy and encourages Milly to try to win him back. Milly tries to see Johnny, but he won't talk to her. Finally, Daphne confronts Johnny and tells him that his pride is getting in the way. Johnny takes her advice and interrupts Milly's cooking class and gives her a big kiss.

The movie closes at another wedding. The three sisters are wondering where the bride, their mother is. They call Daphne's cell phone and interrupt her having sex with Joe.

Box Office Movies -- The Messengers

2007-02-15T07:34:00.000-08:00

For the Week Ending February 9th

Directed by Oxide Pang, Danny Pang
Produced by Lou Arkoff, Joseph Drake, Nathan Kahan, Jim Miller
Written by Stuart Beattie, Todd Farmer, Mark Wheaton
Starring Kristen Stewart, Dylan McDermott, Penelope Ann Miller and John Corbett
Distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment
Release date(s) February 2, 2007
Language English
Budget $16 million
Box Office Total $24,742,205

The Messengers is a 2007 supernatural thriller film. The plot of the film is about an ominous darkness that invades a seemingly serene sunflower farm in North Dakota, and the Solomon family is torn apart by suspicion, mayhem, and murder. The film was released on February 2. Although the setting of the film is in North Dakota, filming actually took place in the Qu'Appelle Valley near the small community of Abernethy, Saskatchewan. The graphic novel adaptation will be published in January 2007 by Dark Horse Comics, written by Jason Hall and illustrated by Kelley Jones. The Messengers is an atmospheric but derivative rip-off of countless other horror movies.

Synopsis
THE MESSENGERS, a thriller starring KRISTEN STEWART as Jess, DYLAN McDERMOTT and PENELOPE ANN MILLER as Jess' parents Roy and Denise Solomon and JOHN CORBETT as field hand John Burwell, the Solomon family has left the fast paced life of Chicago for the secluded world of a North Dakota farm. Amidst the tranquil sway of the farm's field of sunflowers, Jess, 16, soon realizes how terrifying seclusion can be when she and her brother Ben, 3, begin seeing ominous apparitions invisible to everyone else. When those specters become violent, Jess' sanity is questioned – a double jeopardy for the tormented teen. Her troublesome past comes face to face with the past of those who once lived in the house, a perilous confrontation that leaves her believability in question with those she desperately tries to warn before it is too late.

Plot and/or Ending Details Follow
Spoiler warning:
At the movie's beginning, a frightened woman is with her son, telling him that he has to be strong and that everything is going to be okay. She hears something coming towards the door and makes her son hide under the bed. The door bursts open and something throws the woman against the wall. The son, terrified, runs out of the room and into his sister, who is also scared. She grabs him and runs down the stairs. The boy hides under a table, but his sister is caught and dragged away, down into the cellar. The boy runs into the kitchen and hides in a cabinet, but he is soon found and killed as well.

Five years later, a new family is moving into the house from the city, hoping to start a sunflower farm. The main character, Jess Solomon, is angry about having to move away from her friends. She once got into a car accident with her toddler brother because she was drunk, and he became a mute. Her brother, Ben, sees things the others cannot see...the past owners of the house. Jess' father, Roy, hires a man named John Burwell to work on his sunflower farm for him. The house always seems to have crows flying around it; some crows even attack Roy. Jess has an encounter with one of the ghosts, the mother, in the closet. She calls 911 and the authorities come, only to find a terrified Jess. They dismiss it as a false alarm, and Jess is in disbelief. She later finds out more details about the Rollins family that lived in the house and suddenly left, and sees a picture of them, with John in it. As it turns out, the man who killed the past owners of the house in a fit of madness is actually John, who was the head of the Rollins family, and now attacks Jess and her family. John's turn to insanity is caused by crows attacking him, representing the family's avengers. John calls Jess' mother, Denise, "Mary" and Ben "Michael," finally attacking Jess and Roy. John is absorbed into the cellar floor as the spirits grab him and pull him in.
Spoilers end here

MPAA Rating
PG-13, for mature thematic material, disturbing violence and terror.

Release Company
Columbia Pictures

Gendre
Horror/Suspense, Ghosts, Psychic Forces, Supernatural, Family Life, Farms, Psychic Powers

Official Movie Site
• The Official The Messengers Site

Box Office Movies for the Week Ending February 9th

2007-02-15T05:32:00.000-08:00

1	The Messengers	Theatrical release on Feb 2, 2007, Wide. Box Office Total: $24,742,205 Box Office Opening:$14,713,321 No. of Weeks at #1:1 No. of Weeks in Top 10:2
2	Because I Said So	Theatrical release on Feb 2, 2007, Wide. Box Office Total: $25,805,720 Box Office Opening:$13,122,865 No. of Weeks in Top 10:2 Highest Ranking:2
3	Epic Movie	Theatrical release on 2007, Wide. Box Office Total: $35,594,259 Box Office Opening:$18,612,544 No. of Weeks at #1:1 No. of Weeks in Top 10:3
4	Night at the Museum	Theatrical release on Dec 22, 2006, Wide. Box Office Total: $232,150,355 Box Office Opening: $42,212,651 No. of Weeks at #1: 3 No. of Weeks in Top 10: 8
5	Smokin' Aces	Theatrical release on Jan 26, 2007, Wide. Box Office Total: $31,174,140 Box Office Opening:$14,638,755 No. of Weeks in Top 10:3 Highest Ranking:2
6	Stomp the Yard	Theatrical release on Jan 12, 2007, Wide. Box Office Total: $59,080,670 Box Office Opening:$21,833,312 No. of Weeks at #1:2 No. of Weeks in Top 10:4
7	Dreamgirls	Theatrical release on Dec 25, 2006, Wide and on Dec 15, 2006, NYC/LA Box Office Total: $97,006,872 Box Office Opening:$378,950 No. of Weeks in Top 10:8 Highest Ranking:3
8	Pan's Labyrinth	Theatrical release on Dec 29, 2006, Limited Box Office Total: $26,619,057 Box Office Opening:$568,641 No. of Weeks in Top 10:4 Highest Ranking:7
9	The Pursuit of Happyness	Theatrical release on Dec 15, 2006 Wide. Video release on Mar 27, 2007 (DVD) Box Office Total: $160,490,618 Box Office Opening:$26,541,709 No. of Weeks at #1:1 No. of Weeks in Top 10:8
10	The Queen	Theatrical release on Oct 6, 2006, Limited, and on Sep 30, 2006, NYC and on Jan 19, 2007, Wide. Box Office Total: $48,897,648 Box Office Opening:$122,014 No. of Weeks in Top 10:5 Highest Ranking:9

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2007-02-14T22:10:00.000-08:00

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