skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Finally the long wait has come to an end. Hosts and defending champions Germany are hoping to kick off the FIFA Women's World Cup 2011™ with a bang this Sunday in front of a record crowd at the legendary Berlin Olympiastadion. Victory is anything but a foregone conclusion, however, with opponents Canada determined to spoil the party on the back of their CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup triumph in 2010.....Go Canada!
Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), known by his stage names 2Pac or simply Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. Shakur had sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world. In the United States alone he has sold 37.5 million records. Rolling Stone Magazine named him the 86th Greatest Artist of All Time.He would have been forty years old today had he not died tragically in 1996. His music's still alive & well though!
The Battle of Quatre Bras, between Wellington's Anglo-Dutch army and the left wing of the Armée du Nord under the legendary, Marshal Michel Ney, was fought near the strategic crossroads of Quatre Bras on 16 June 1815.The battle cost Ney 4,000 men to Wellington's 4,800. Although a tactical draw, the allies had been unable to send forces to the aid of the Prussians at the Battle of Ligny. Wellington's Anglo-allied army, upon learning of the Prussian defeat, was forced to retreat north along the Brussels road further away from the Prussians, who retreated north-east towards Wavre.
There has been much debate of what would have happened if d'Erlon's I Corps had engaged at either Ligny or Quatre Bras. As he did not, Napoleon chose to follow Wellington with the bulk of his forces, and two days later met him at Waterloo.
The Invasion of Normandy was the invasion and establishment of Allied forces in Normandy, France, during Operation Overlord in World War II. The invasion was the largest amphibious operation in history. The Normandy invasion began with overnight parachute and glider landings, massive air attacks, naval bombardments, early morning amphibious landings on five beaches codenamed Juno, Gold, Omaha, Utah, and Sword and during the evening the remaining elements of the parachute divisions landed. The "D-Day" forces deployed from bases along the south coast of England, the most important of these being Portsmouth.
Sons of Anarchy is an American television drama series created by Kurt Sutter about the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in Northern California. The show centers on protagonist Jackson "Jax" Teller (Charlie Hunnam/Nicholas Nickelby), the Vice President of the club who begins questioning the club and himself.
Sons of Anarchy premiered on September 3, 2008 on cable network FX. Its second season debuted on September 8, 2009, and its third season began on September 7, 2010.
Sarah's Key is a French drama starring Kristen Scott Thomas and follows her journalist's present day investigation into the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup, and a story of a young girl's experiences during the Nazi occupation of France. It is an adaptation of the novel Elle s'appelait Sarah by Tatiana De Rosnay and has been critically well-received, currently holding an 88% fresh rating on the film review site Rotten Tomatoes.
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring various news sources and columnists. The site offers coverage of politics, media, business, entertainment, living, style, the green movement, world news, and comedy, and has news, blogs, and original content. The Huffington Post was launched on May 9, 2005, as a commentary outlet and alternative to news websites like the Drudge Report. On February 7, 2011, AOL acquired The Huffington Post for US$315 million making Arianna Huffington editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post Media Group.
The counter cultural equivalent of an archaeological dig, "Magic Trip" is Alex Gibney and Allison Ellwood's reconstruction of the LSD fueled, bus trip-cum-rolling revolution of Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters, long pinpointed as the start of the psychedelic '60s. Fans of the subject matter, especially students of the Beat era, will find this revisionist reconstruction indispensible; others will share the same tedium claimed by some of the principals on the bus. Nevertheless, this doc is like a hipster's King Tut's tomb, and History Films' involvement assures cable exposure. Arthouse openings also seem likely.
The F-bomb plea on the minds of every parent at one point or another is the title of a buzz magnet of a book parody written in kid-friendly rhyme. Beware, parents, it's decidedly unworthy of a bedtime readaloud.
Not yet out, the 32-pager from a tiny Brooklyn publisher has hit No. 1 on Amazon.com and has sold more than 100,000 copies in pre-orders since it surfaced less than a month ago. After bootleg copies leaked, Akashic Books moved up publication from October to June 14, for Father's Day. Here's a sample: "All the kids in day care are in dreamland. The froggie has made its last leap. Hell no, you can't go to the bathroom. You know where you can go? The f**k to sleep."
For the 150th anniversary of America’s deadliest war, Ridley Scott and his brother Tony are teaming up with the History Channel to produce Gettysburg, a new feature documentary which reinvents how we look at the historic battle. In the four years of conflict between the Union and Confederate armies, over 600,000 American lives were lost. So it’s quite fitting that the Gettysburg is being described as “a visceral, terrifying experience.”
The Scott brothers plan to use re-enactment footage alongside CGI in order to tell the story of the soldiers on the ground. Gettysburg will be one part of a week-long theme event dedicated to the Civil War on The History Channel. This commemoration will be an annual event on the channel for the next four years.
So I've had lots of folks tell me to watch the show Glee. Last night I saw the Rumours episode. I saw the 'kids' performing songs from the classic Fleetwood Mac album and I thought it was pretty cool. However, I'll have to wait for the dvd because I can't abide live tv's commercial breaks....they drove me nuts....so I'll start watching the dvds. I'll pick up the first season today!
Heavyweight boxer Henry Cooper, one of Britain's most popular sportsmen who was best known for knocking down Muhammad Ali while he was still known as Cassius Clay, died today. He was 76.
The first boxer to be knighted and receive the title "Sir" from a British monarch, Cooper died just two days before his 77th birthday, the British Boxing Board of Control said. He died at his son's house in Oxted, Surrey, in southern England, after an extended illness.
Sarah Palin has morphed into the classic WWII poster, often called Rosie the Riveter.
That original poster was created by J. Howard Miller for Westinghouse's War Production, in 1942, from a photo of Geraldine Boyle, a Michigan factory worker. Consequently, with government-commissioned works, the poster is in the public domain.
Rosie was also a 1943 Saturday Evening Post cover, painted by Norman Rockwell. The original sold for nearly $5 million in 2002. His Rosie is a little more classical in her proportions, and she's crushing a copy of Mein Kampf under her work boot, not the Idiot's Guide To The Constitution as in this Dan Nance parody!
Allan Pinkerton's story opens in Chicago on the eve of the American Civil War. After battling con men, train robbers, and vicious gunmen, Pinkerton senses that change is in the air. Already committed to the abolitionist cause and the Underground Railroad, he allies himself with John Brown's radical antislavery crusade. Upholding the law with one hand, he unapologetically breaks it with the other.
Kate Warne joins the Pinkerton Agency and quickly takes her place as Allan's closest confidante. He asks Kate to join him, and she embraces his cause in all its contradictions and extremes. Together they save the life of Abraham Lincoln on his inaugural journey to Washington, root out Confederate spies within the Union government, and establish the nation's first Secret Service.
L.A Noire is an interactive detective story set in the classic noir period of the late 1940’s. L.A. Noire blends action, detection and complex storytelling and draws players into an open-ended challenge to solve a series of gruesome murders. Set in a perfectly recreated Los Angeles before freeways, with a post-war backdrop of corruption, drugs and jazz, L.A. Noire will truly blend cinema and gaming.The release date is May 17th. 2011
Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare is the fifth and final downloadable content (DLC) pack released for Red Dead Redemption. It was released for the PlayStation 3 and for Xbox 360 on October 26, 2010. Undead Nightmare follows the exploits of John Marston, as he looks to find a cure for an infectious zombie plague that has swept across the American Old West.
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Specifically, steampunk involves an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century and often Victorian era Britain—that incorporates prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology or futuristic innovations as Victorians may have envisioned them; in other words, based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, art, etc. This technology may include such fictional machines as those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne or real technologies like the computer but developed earlier in an alternate history.
America, early 1900's. The era of the cowboy is coming to an end.
When federal agents threaten his family, former outlaw John Marston is sent across the American frontier to help bring the rule of law. Experience intense gun battles, dramatic train robberies, bounty hunting and duels during a time of violent change.
Red Dead Redemption is an epic battle for survival in a beautiful open world as John Marston struggles to bury his blood-stained past, one man at a time.
Developed by Rockstar San Diego, Red Dead Redemption is now available for PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360®.
A two-part film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is directed by David Yates and written by Steve Kloves. Part 1 is released on 19 November 2010, and Part 2 on 15 July 2011. Filming began in February 2009 and ended on 12 June 2010, marking the conclusion of ten years of filming the Harry Potter franchise.
Call of Duty: Black Ops is a first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch, published by Activision and released worldwide on November 9, 2010 for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Nintendo DS (separate version developed by n-Space consoles. Announced on April 30, 2010, the game is the seventh installment of the Call of Duty series, and the first to be set in the Cold War. It is the third in the series to be developed by Treyarch, and is a sequel to the developer's Call of Duty: World at War.
Within 24 hours of going on sale, the game sold more than 5.6 million copies in the U.S. and U.K., breaking the record set by its predecessor Modern Warfare 2 by some 900,000 copies. A subtitled version will be released in Japan on November 18, 2010, and a Japanese-dubbed version will be released on December 16, 2010.
The Eagle is an upcoming film adaptation of the 1954 historical adventure The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff. Directed by Kevin Macdonald from a script by Jeremy Brock, the film is set in the second century AD and tells of a young Roman officer's search to discover the truth about the disappearance of his father's legion in the north of Britain. The story is based on the legend of the Ninth Legion.
The film stars Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland and Mark Strong. Filming began on August 24, 2009 and took place in Hungary and Scotland. The film is a United Kingdom – United States co-production and is intended for release on February 25, 2011, through Focus Features.
Starring James Franco in a career-defining performance as Allen Ginsberg, HOWL is the story of how the young poet’s seminal work broke down societal barriers in the face of an infamous public obscenity trial. In his famously confessional style, Ginsberg – poet, counter-culture icon, and chronicler of the Beat Generation – recounts the road trips, love affairs, and search for personal liberation that led to HOWL, the most timeless work of his career. HOWL interweaves three stories: the unfolding of the landmark 1957 obscenity trial; an imaginative animated ride through the prophetic masterpiece; and a unique portrait of a man who found new ways to express himself, and in doing so, changed his own life and galvanized a generation.
Centurion Quintus Dias, the sole survivor of a Pictish raid on a Roman frontier fort, is rescued by the legion of Titus Flavius Virilus, which has been ordered into Caledonia to wipe out the Picts and to kill their king, Gorlacon. When the legion is wiped out in a surprise attack, Dias and six other survivors race to rescue their captured general before they can head back toward the safety of the Roman frontier.
"Time has moved on in the Anno Dracula world, and a World War has
started. Dracula, fiend that he is, is fighting for Germany. At least
by proxy, anyway, as shapeshifting vampires like the Red Baron really
don't need too much in the way of planes.
Edwin Winthrop is the protagonist here, and the new agent must lead
the charge to stop The Bloody Red Baron and friends. G-8 and mates
would be very handy, here.
Others must try and counter the pen of the vampire Edgar Allan Poe, also working for Germany."
Hey PT, if you enjoyed Abe as a vampire hunter you'll probably love this gripping WW1 tale!
"The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium. An Imperial French army under the command of Emperor Napoleon was defeated by combined armies of the Seventh Coalition, an Anglo-Allied army under the command of the Duke of Wellington combined with a Prussian army under the command of Gebhard von Blücher. It was the culminating battle of the Waterloo Campaign and Napoleon's last. The defeat at Waterloo put an end to Napoleon's rule as Emperor of the French and marked the end of his Hundred Days' return from exile."
"Aristotle wrote much about happiness – but if we are to believe Annabel Lyon, his own lessons were lost on himself. In her debut novel, The Golden Mean, the acclaimed short-story writer shows us life through the great philosopher's eyes, and the view is largely cloudy. Cursed with both “a freakish brain” and a wit “as dry as mouse droppings,” this is a man for whom contentment exists only in the abstract." This was a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. If you relish Classical Studies this brilliant first novel will be right up your alley!
"Since their inception in Athens, Georgia in 1986, Widespread Panic has risen to elite status among American jam bands. Following in the steps of other southern rock jam bands such as The Allman Brothers, they have influences from the southern rock, blues-rock, progressive rock, funk and hard rock genres. They are frequently compared to other jam band "road warriors" such as the Grateful Dead and Phish. Widely renowned for their live performances, as of 2008, they hold the record for number of sold out performances at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO at 32 and Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA at 17."
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals is the moniker of a Vermont-based band that gained national attention in 2007 with its first album,This Is Somewhere. Their newest studio album, the eponymous Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, will be released today, June 8th. The band blends funky blues, soul, rock & reggae from the psychedelic sixties and early seventies. They were a natural choice to do a redux of Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit for Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland.
The lead vocalist is twenty six year-old multi-instrumentalist Grace Potter who attended St. Lawrence University for two years before heading off into the world of music. She plays the Hammond B3, Fender Rhodes and Wurlitzer Electric Piano, and electric and acoustic guitars.Give this great cd a listen!
"Director Niki Muellerschoen's "The Red Baron" will not only reintroduce one of Germany's most famous historical figures to a nation that has long forgotten his exploits, it also promises to be one of the most expensive Teutonic films of all time." I watched the dvd last night and really enjoyed this movie. It's not good history, however it's great WW1 entertainment. The aerial battles are terrific, CGI has really enhanced what can be done and the battlefields of France look authentic, not to mention the skies above! I enjoyed it more than the recent WW1 offerings of Flyboys or Passchendaele.
"Drive-By Truckers are an alternative country band based in Athens, Georgia, though three out of six members are originally from The Shoals region of Northern Alabama. Their music is noteworthy for its "three axe attack," or three guitars as well as bass and drums. Like most alternative country acts, the Drive-By Truckers record in analog, resulting in a lower-fi but more 1970's rock'n'roll sound. However, unlike the majority of their contemporaries, the Drive-By Truckers have consistently pushed their labels to also release the band's records in a vinyl format."
"Imagine… John Lennon's childhood. Liverpool 1955: a smart and troubled fifteen year—old is hungry for experience. In a family full of secrets, two incredible women clash over John: Mimi, the buttoned—up Aunt who raised him, and Julia, the prodigal mother. Yearning for a normal family, John escapes into the new and exciting world of rock n' roll where his fledgling genius finds a kindred spirit in the teenage Paul McCartney. Just as John begins his new life, tragedy strikes. But a resilient young man finds his voice — and an icon explodes into the world..."
"Living in the back room of his father’s doctors office, broke and frustrated ladies man Julian (Jake Hoffman) scores his big break when he lands the job directing an off Broadway version of Hamlet. Except it’s a bizarre adaptation written by a pale Romanian impresario named Theo (John Ventimiglia) who is actually a master vampire. Theo hopes to lure the real Hamlet (Kris Lemche) out of hiding so the two can end a century’s long feud over Shakespeare’s Ophelia".....Sounds great to me, a mix of two things I really find fascinating. Shakespeare and vampires are right up my proverbial alley!
"There are over 1.4 million Arabs who are citizens of Israel, facing the challenge of living in a Jewish state while maintaining their Arabic heritage. In Israel, soccer is king, and Bnei Sakhnin has become the first team from an Arab town to win the prestigious Israeli Cup- and represent Israel in European competition. Fielding Arab, Jewish and foreign-born players, owned by an Arab, and coached by a Jew, Bnei Sakhnin’s success has begun to represent a symbol of coexistence, a potential bridge between Arabs and Jews in Israel."
King Raven Trilogy: Book I
Robin Hood: The Legend Begins Anew
"For centuries, the legend of Robin Hood and his band of thieves has captivated the imagination. Now the familiar tale takes on new life, fresh meaning, and an unexpected setting.
Hunted like an animal by Norman invaders, Bran ap Brychan, heir to the throne Elfael, has abandoned his father's kingdom and fled to the greenwood. There, in the primeval forest of the Welsh borders, danger surrounds him—for this woodland is a living, breathing entity with mysterious powers and secrets, and Bran must find a way to make it his own if he is to survive.
Like the forest itself, Hood is deep, dark, and at times savagely brutal—yet full of enchantment and hope. Internationally-acclaimed author Stephen R. Lawhead has created a lyrical rendering of a time-honored story that will lead you down strange pathways into another time and place."
"Sebastian Faulks's latest novel, set in one week in December 2007, is very ambitious. It aspires to be a state-of-the-nation book, a satirical comedy of metropolitan literary life, a sweeping, Dickensian look at contemporary London, a serious examination of Islam and the reasons for radicalism among young Muslims, a thriller, a satire on the Notting Hill Cameroonians and a detailed look at the sharp financial practices that led to the collapse. There's London football, reality TV, cyber porn, a love story or two. As if all that weren't enough, it is a roman a clef, which has already provided fun for metropolitan journalists as they speculate about the identity of the various characters."
I never was big on the divine right of kings n' queens, but as far as entertaining stories go they sure can whip up a frenzie of interest. I just watched The Young Victoria last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. Not really good history, yet really great fun to watch the dazzling array of historical figures engage each other in plots n' intrigues. The Iron Duke Wellington, salty old King Willy and the snake oil salesman Lord Melbourne, they're all here to enjoy. The music's exceptional except for the closing credits song by Sinead O'Connor which really does not fit at all... I think I'm in love with Emily Blunt though...ha ha..recently seen in The Wolfman and before that The Devil Wears Prada. Nice twist with Albert taking a bullet for Vicky too! Tons of fun and dazzling costumes and sets to boot! I highly recommend it if you enjoy this sort of thing.
I must say that the long wait for a new studio recording from the brilliant Jeff Beck was certainly worth it. What an experience to hear the Fender bendin' Stratocaster version of Puccini's gem Nessun Dorma, and if it does not bring a tear to your eyes or at least some semblance of a sentimental buzz, you may be dead. Also, hearing Joss Stone sing the daylights out of the Screaming Jay Hawkins' classic I Put A Spell On You is worth the price of admission.We even get to hear Jeff play the wonderful wizard's Somewhere Over The Rainbow in his own inimitable style.There's a wah-wah infected real gritty rocker/jazzer called Hammerhead that should suitably curl your toes! Give it a listen and you won't be disappointed. I'm enjoying it more than the Ronnie Scott's live cd!
"Philip Pullman’s The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ was bound to become something of a hornet’s nest. Known for his dislike of organised religion and the unflattering portrait of God in his trilogy His Dark Materials, Pullman has been branded as a latter-day anti-Christ by those who evidently feel that the Christian spirit is best served by threat and unreflective antagonism.
Written at the prompting of one of Pullman’s admirers, the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams - who asked Pullman during a public debate why having tackled God he had neglected to write about the figure of Jesus - the Pullman version of the Gospel stories is inevitably, well, unchristian. What it is certainly not, however, is anti-Jesus – which is the book’s main point."
What happened at the Velodrome? The Vélodrome d'Hiver (or Winter Velodrome) was an indoor stadium situated on the rue Nélaton, near the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Famous cycling races were held here. The building was generally referred to by its contracted name : "Vel' d'Hiv". In June 1942, the French government of Vichy working under Nazi orders planned to arrest 30,000 foreign adult Jews with the help of 9,000 French policemen. Arrests started at dawn on July 16th. The round up's code name was ironically poetic: "Operation Spring Breeze". 13,000 Jewish people were arrested that day (including 4,000 children, most of them born in France). According to all accounts one can read, inside the Vel d'Hiv was sheer hell. People went crazy, committed suicide, died, women gave birth. Some people, but only very few, were able to escape.
