A Christmas Story (DVD) Review

Adapted from humorist Jean Shepherd's hilarious memoir In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash, A Christmas Story has climbed the ranks of the annual holiday classic films list to claim its spot among the hallowed elite of the genre. If youve ever tried to lick a frozen telephone pole, or found yourself in a ridiculous bunny outfit on Christmas morning, then A Christmas Story is one comedy you wont want to miss

A Christmas Story focuses on one central character, fifth grader Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) and his all-encompassing quest to receive a Daisy Brand Red-Ryder BB rifle for Christmas, although I dont think he realizes he could put an eye out with one of those things Thwarting Ralphie at every turn are his mother (Melinda Dillon) and father (Darren McGavin) who seem absolutely oblivious to their young sons dream.

Unable to come right out and say what he wants, Ralphie drops subtle hints around the house such as placing clipped-out magazine ads for the gun in his parents nightstand reading material. When prodded for his true Christmas wish, Ralphie blurts out that he wants a Daisy Brand Red-Ryder BB gun, but his mothers only reply is, You dont want one of those. You'll shoot your eye out!

A Christmas Story is filled with memorable scenes and highlights that have helped built a cult following around the life of a young boy obsessed with Christmas who is surrounded by a varied cast eccentric friends and family members. When Ralphies father beams with pride at his ability to win a newspaper contest, his proudly displays his prize in the front window of the family home, a three-foot lamp with a womans long, stocking-covered leg as its base. Embarrassed, Ralphies mother accidentally breaks it, sparking a war of words with her husband. Meanwhile, Ralphie dreams of saving the whole family with his Red-Ryder BB gun, thus earning the familys undying gratitude.

One of the best sequences in the film involves a family trip to the local department store, where Ralphie and his little brother Randy meet with the store Santa Clause near closing time. Following a long, extended wait to reach the front of the line to see Santa, Ralphie is so brimming with anticipation to tell Santa what he wants that he cant speak. So, Santa convinces Ralphie that he wants a football. But before Santas helper can push Ralphie down the North Pole slide, Ralphie blurts out his true wish, only to hear Santas reply, Youll shoot your eye out with that, kid!

One of the best Christmas comedies ever made, although few come close to National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story is a memorable holiday classic the entire family can enjoy. Much like Its A Wonderful Life, the film has only grown in popularity in the years since its release. The timeless nature of its subject matter lends itself well to annual holiday viewing, and it remains one of a handful of must see films for the Christmas season

About the Aut hor

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the A Christmas Story (DVD).

Author:: Britt Gillette
Keywords:: a christmas story dvd review
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BBC Tasks

The BBC was formed in nineteen twenty six as a public company. It was recognized by an act of legislative body, Royal Charter, and a declaration about what the administration is and what the main purposes of it are. BBC has numerous objectives which it has to fulfil. Over the years he BBC has in addition become more commercialized as they are attempting to get a superior split of audience.

They have come under great external scrutiny as well as increasing commercial competitive pressures, and they know a modern business has to understand the drivers of its performance in order to prepare itself for this very tough competitive environment.

BBC has also reviewed its strategy and has made this into a system which supported their strategic business.

The BBC is a corporate body, governed by a Board of Governors, as provided for in the Charter. The independence of the BBC is noted in the preamble to the Charter and explicitly guaranteed in Clause 2.1 of the Agreement in the following terms:

The Corporation shall be independent in all matters concerning the content of its programmes and the times at which they are broadcast or transmitted and in the management of its affairs. The governing structure, both internal and regulatory, is not conducive to ensuring respect for independence in practice, notwithstanding the formal guarantee. Too much power is concentrated in the hands of the government, both directly and indirectly through its powers of appointment of the Governors. Crude interference in the running of the BBC is rare, though not unknown, but more subtle pressure undoubtedly exists and has been the subject of some debate. Despite this, it would appear that there was little support during the White Paper process in 1994 for reducing government control by establishing an independent broadcasting council to take over functions currently exercised by or by making the BBC subject to the jurisdiction of the existing ind ependent broadcasting regulators.

Their functions which include: approving clear objectives and monitoring compliance with those objectives; ensuring that the Corporation meets the highest standards of probity, propriety and value for money; and setting the overall strategy for the various services (Home, World and Commercial). For the Home Services, this strategy should ensure that the Corporations services, programmes and other activities reflect the needs and interests of the public. The Governors are also responsible for ensuring appropriate consultation with the various Councils and due regard for the views of listeners; monitoring fulfillment of legal and contractual obligations; and appointing a Director General and other senior members of management. Neither the Charter nor the Agreement sets out the appropriate relationship between the Governors and BBC officers and staff, although their respective roles have become clearer in recent years. Although it is cle ar that Governors have a legal right to assume control over programme matters, in practice they do so only in exceptional circumstances.

Another regulatory board which shapes up BBC objectives is OFCOM. OFCOM, as the independent regulator with responsibility for the UK broadcasting sector, should ensure that all public service broadcasters are effectively and transparently regulated with clearly defined public service remits. Regulation of the BBC - including the approval of new services, enforcement of the fair trading guidelines and determining whether it is achieving its public service objectives - should fall within the remit of OFCOM. It is anomalous, particularly in matters relating to competition, product placement, and undue prominence and programme standards that the BBC should fall outside the remit of OFCOM.

OFCOM should have the ability to monitor on an annual basis the commercial and market impact of the BBC's activities to ensure that excessive ma rket distortion does not occur. Furthermore the role of the Governors of the BBC should be refocused to deal with internal management and value for money rather than on regulatory functions.

Mary Anne Winslow is a member of Essay Writing Service counselling department team and a dissertation writing consultant. Contact her to get free counselling on custom essay writing.

Author:: Mary Anne Winslow
Keywords:: BBC tasks
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Movie Industry Invading Privacy "You Can Click But You Can't Hide"

No sympathy for the Giant Unregulated Motion Picture Industry was to be found by a defiant individual in Boca Raton, Florida. If anything, the Motion Picture Industry should be on trial here for lackluster products and over-priced Movie tickets. The theatres alone make a huge fortune on their $4.50 sodas and popcorn. One might ask Why is a 16 oz. soda 3 dollars more in a theatre then at your neighborhood 7-11? Is it a special top secret Movie theatre only soda?

So they spend millions making a motion picture, but they make a hundred million dollar profit just at the theatre alone. Then we have pay per view, followed by Pay station Cable, and then of course the Movie goes on sale as a DVD. And if that's not enough they end up in Video rental stores. So where do these Internet Pirates come in? You know the people who share their Movies off their computers, from their homes. How dare the Motion Picture Industry cry about one citizen sharing a Movie with another citizen. What's next, video rentals.

What if you should spend $4.00 to rent a Movie, but before you returned you let your brother take it home and watch it? Does that necessarily imply that youre a Pirate because you shared a Movie with someone that didn't pay the video store their $4.00? Can we even say for sure that they would have even spent the money to watch the Movie in the first place? Am I to assume that the video store would consider me a Pirate and could say I caused them to lose money? Where will it end? If someone were to sell the Movie for profit, grant it, make him walk the plank. Aye!

This is an absurd quote from Dan Glickman, Chairman and CEO of MPAA. We won't stand by while people steal valuable Copyrighted material with no regards whatsoever for the law or for the rights of creative people to be paid for their efforts. With these Lawsuits, our message to internet THIEVES becomes loud and clear - you are not anonymous, we will find you, and you will be he ld responsible: You can Click but you can't hide. Whoa, whoa, whoa...did he actually say You Can Click but you can't hide? It's kind of a mixture of The Sheriff of Nottingham and J. Edgar Hoover.

Are you kidding me, it's all about squeezing the public for more blood money. Who do you think gets the money from the Lawsuits? Do you think the directors get it, or maybe the actors, or perhaps the so called Creative People? And when they say You are not anonymous, doesn't that imply that we have no privacy in our own homes. People, they are saying we know whats on your computer, in your house, and we don't need a search warrant to come on in either. Think about it, YOU CAN CLICK BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE, Big brother is watching us and his name is The Motion Picture Industry. If they get away with invading our privacy just to make some rich lawyers even richer, then what's next? Where does it stop? Where do they draw the line and haven't they already crossed it. This isn't about T he rights of the creative people. They got paid and this has nothing to do with them, so don't expect them to be compensated because this money is going to the people who don't need any more money. The greedy and not the needy.

I don't know maybe I'm getting a little paranoid, but when an Industry as powerful and influential as The Motion Picture Association of America tells us they know what were clicking on and we can't hide from them, then this issue becomes way bigger than some Movie being shared on the internet, it becomes an issue of Civil Rights, Privacy, and protection under our own Constitution. They couldn't care less if people are sharing their Movies on the internet, they're more interested in the bigger picture, which is setting a precedent of personal privacy invasion, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Thats the opening of Pandoras Box.

Is the court to rule that my personal computer is not Personal at all? David faces Goliath alone and only ar med by the Constitution of The United States and the rights each citizen is guaranteed and protected under. Or will the court rule that Big Industry is above even our own constitution, after all, they are a very powerful and influential group with an army of the best attorneys money can buy. They have the defendants in this action settling over the phone for $5,000 on up. A separate law office has been hired to do nothing else but make as much money as they can by scaring everyday, law abiding citizens into settlements.

Although most of the defendants in these suits were unaware of any law prohibiting peer-to-peer file sharing, they were cited Copyright law from 1976 pre-Internet and even told they could do prison time of up to 5 years and face statutory damages of as much of $30,000 for each motion picture on their computer, whether in whole or in part. The hotline advised this writer that their client was willing to settle for $6,000, and told there was plenty of evi dence and whether one knew it was illegal or not, that had no bearing on the case. This is where Mr. Bartels enters the picture.

Mr. Bartels contacts the attorneys after being given a summons. The attorneys say they cant discuss the case and all they can do is direct Mr. Bartels to the settlement hotline. The phone call to the settlement hotline is very reminiscent of taking a time share tour.

Mr. Bartels goes on to tell the settlement agent that he does not and never did know of any law he had violated. He asks the agent how do you know whats on my computer and did you actually go on my computer and view the two Movies you claim I have on there, because if you did then you would have seen that they are not what you claim they are. How did you get access to files on my computer, dont you need a warrant for that? Who would issue a warrant for something so minute anyway The voice on the other end seems a bit caught off guard and could only come up with we have plen ty of evidence against you and you should settle now while you still can.

It is at this point that Mr. Bartels demanded disclosure of any and all evidence against him, advising agent that he would be defending himself and therefore had the right to see if this hotline was set up as a Money making bluff. They informed him that they would ask the law firm they were sub contracted out to and let Mr. Bartels know in a day or 2, and that was the last he heard of them.

There are Real Pirates and counterfitters out there who intentionally break the law and cause billions of dollars a year. These people are criminals who know theyre breaking the law, yet continue to break it anyways. Then we have those who are browsing online and join Peer-To-Peer groups that make it possible to share files with others. It could be a Movie, it could be a book, or it could be a collection of poems. It doesnt matter. If there are companies on the internet that make it possible for anyone t o connect to MILLIONS of users, then thats who they should concentrate on. There should be some sort of warning as to what is and what isnt acceptable to download, as well as prohibiting, instead of encouraging the use of these files.

The Movie industry has had their day in court many times over the last few years with the Internet Sites over these very issues, but the companies are still up and running, no changes, disclaimers, no problem. That sends a message to the users of these sites that everything is legal or else we wouldnt be here still. If laws are being broken, then take it up with the companies that are providing the service, not the end users that have no intention to violate any Copyright laws and are just there to have some fun.

This is a far stretch from what is considered Pirating, in fact the money that the industry actually looses are from Real Pirates who make and sell quality bootleg copies of Movies, not from the guy next door who has no int ention of breaking any laws, if in fact any laws actually exist at all. What are we going to do about the people who have their own Movies which they purchased on their computers as part of the newest home media set up? Are these people going to be labeled as Distributors? What if I buy a Movie and show it at my own home to 20 people. Are you coming after me? I guess I have to keep in mind the immortal words of the MPAA, You can click, but you cant hide, or translated into proper English, Big Business Is Watching You. Now, walk the plank ye Pirate.

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Author:: Jay Bartels
Keywords:: Movie, motion picture,Lawsuit,Pirate,Pirating,Copyright,Mpaa,Disney,motion picture industry,
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If this is Quality Programming Why am I Yawning?

What does that mean - Quality programming? And who exactly is deciding that for us? We, the masses, optimistically think good Quality, or high Quality when we hear that word, yet the phrase is used in relation to television Shows that would never be considered Prime Time material.

Apparently Prime Time Programs are chosen for their entertainment value, not their Quality which means that laughter (oh, those sitcoms!) or excitement (catch that bad guy, Keifer) don't count when adding up the elements of Quality programming. Instead, that term appears to be reserved for the low-budget, high-disinterest documentaries viewers happen upon by accident, or by lack of turning the channel in a timely manner at the end of a more entertaining program, or because there's nothing on.

I once watched a sho w called Cowboy Poets. It was on the television and I caught bits of it when I walked by (now and then, I'd stop to watch with freakish fascination). Men with dried apple faces and leather necks wore checkered shirts, felt or straw hats, and drawled out poems on the life of a Cowboy. Bulls, cows, horses, rodeos, ranches, sun ups and downs, homes on ranges, Betty Lou's apple pie - they didn't miss a stereotypical beat. Other wizened ranchers, the non-poets who knew a good-sounding poem when they heard one, by golly, talked about how they loved the poetry of a true Cowboy, the kind who could capture, with eloquence, the nature of a Cowboy's life.

Personally, eloquent is not a word I would have teamed with Cowboy. I have nothing against drawls, or Cowboys in particular, or even poetry, but the combination can be a little startling when you're not expecting it.

It's nice to know we all have our niches, but I will never be brought to tears by the poetry of a Cowboy - at least, not for the same reasons they'd be. I found the program to be mildly Boring since drawled poems, in my opinion, sound remarkably like a whole lot of droning. In fact, it sounds sort of like the western version of the Gregorian chant, which I understand some people love, though I will never fathom why. So, freakishly fascinating, sure, but Quality programming? That's still debatable.

Since that ever-so interesting program aired, I have inadvertently found myself watching other such unexpected treasures. Did you know that simply by turning on your television, you can learn about the mating rituals of bees, the growth rates of various types of lawn grass, and even learn how a doorknob is made? There are even some home renovating Programs available where you can watch paint dry. (Paige Davi s and Ty Pennington Shows excluded since they definitely have elements of anti-Quality entertainment value.)

Not long ago, I watched a documentary about Vancouver Island, Canada, and its smaller, surrounding islands. If the year was 1972, and I was a school teacher, I'd have felt as though I hit the mother lode for a grade six geography lesson. The facts were presented (and narrated) with the precision only found in dryly-worded text books and school-board-approved film accompaniments, replete with the deep-voiced announcer (made famous in scratchy reels of the sixties).

I was watching the program with wide-eyed psuedo-interest, simply because of my fascination that such a dull documentary could actually be aired. I know from personal experience that Vancouver Island is an incredibly beautiful place, but I'd never have known it had that film been my first introduction to the island.

Now, there's a documentary on about the (Yawn) amazing life of Jake Penopsc ott. Never heard of him? Are you serious? Okay, well neither have I. But, apparently, The Great They have deemed this stranger a Quality kinda' guy.

So, have I been watching Quality programming? Good Quality - not really. Bad Quality - I am leaning in that direction. I'll just stifle this huge Yawn and give it some Quality thought.

Kim-Marie Ward is a writer and book editor who loves what she does for a living. She is also an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Creative Writers. Visit her portfolio at Kim-Marie on Writing.Com.

Author:: Kim-Marie Ward
Keywords:: Cowboy, Quality, Humor, Boring, Yawn, Vancouver Island, TV, Shows, Programs
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The Hunt For Red October (Movie Review)

Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin star in The Hunt For Red October, a brilliantly conceived storyline drawn from the pages of military thriller and superstar writer Tom Clancy's first novel. Blessed with a cutting-edge plot and dripping with suspense, The Hunt For Red October is one of the best Soviet/US spy films ever produced (and right on the cusp of the Cold War's end). Perhaps the Soviet Union's collapse was hurried along by its fear of a civilian populace that could write stories so close to reality. After all, if a US civilian could estimate the capabilities of the new Soviet submarines, what had their government uncovered? Regardless of its real life implications, The Hunt For Red October is an entertaining film rivaled by few in its class

When Captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery) is appointed to command the newest and most technologically advanced submarine in the Soviet fleet - the Red October, he orders his crew to do the unthinkable - defect to the United Stat es. Diverting the sub from its designated course, he causes alarm among the ranks of the entire Soviet military establishment. The United States takes notice as well, informed by the Soviet Union that the renegade commander is intent on attacking the United States.

But CIA operative Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) has another theory. Suppose that Ramius was attempting to defect? Would the Soviet Union really inform its greatest enemy of a defection, or would they simply attempt to enlist its services in immediately destroying the sub? Ryan banks on the latter and does everything within his power to convince the top brass that he's right. Now, the hunt is on between the two largest superpowers in the world. Which one will find the Red October first?

The role of Jack Ryan, so brilliantly portrayed by Alec Baldwin, falls to Harrison Ford for the next two Tom Clancy novels adapted to the big screen - Patriot Games and Clear And Present Danger. Ben Affleck would later star i n the role of Ryan for the 2002 film release of Sum Of All Fears. But Baldwin is clearly in command of the character in this initial onscreen depiction of the now famous Jack Ryan.

However, the true star of The Hunt For Red October is Sean Connery, the former James Bond regular, who plays the role of Captain Marko Ramius. Connery is more than believable as the headstrong, renegade commanding officer of the Red October. In addition to its strong casting, The Hunt For Red October is further enhanced by the screenwriter's decision to stick as close as possible to Tom Clancy's original work. A surprising #1 best-seller, The Hunt For Red October became a national phenomenon following its less than ambitious initial print-run of 15,000 copes by the Naval Institute Press. Its best-seller status wasn't the result of luck, as this film will attest. The first in a series of blockbuster Jack Ryan films, The Hunt For Red October is a definite must-see film no one should miss...

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of The Hunt For Red October (DVD).

Author:: Britt Gillette
Keywords:: hunt for red october Movie review
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Getting Your Reality TV Show Idea in Front of the People Who Make Them

More, more, more for less, less, less is what the networks are saying about Reality television because the popularity has staying power that is here to stay forever.

There will always be a new Reality show coming out with new ideas coming from every aspect of life and there are even television stations dedicated to Reality TV 24 hours a day. I feel the next wave will be even wilder that the what we are seeing now. Its going to get kind of weird folks, which in turn makes for great television. Sorry to all my buddies in Hollywood that act or are so called real writers

In my opinion Reality TV show writers are just that; writers but they are also creators as well which is an interesting duality that is really unique to them. Everyone has got an idea but who is able to lay it out so a producer can envision their show idea, who knows the ins and out and which hoops to jump through. Who knows what will be a colossal waste of time and at the same time knows exactly t he proper path to take? The path that can lift your idea from just an idea to a simple proper one page treatment across the right desk of the right person, in the right fashion, without smacking of desperation and looking as if it has been put together by someone lacking experience...

This just came out last week........

If your idea is good, you might want to move ahead with it NOW. This Ebook has the CURRENT list of 150 top production companies that do Reality shows along with names of the people in development etc. All 150 addresses + are able to be printed out on sticker mailing labels to make it easy for you to send out your letters and/or treatments. THIS EBOOK ALSO HAS ALL THE INFO on how to do everything else you need to know about getting your Reality show idea into an easy and proper format (There is a certain way to do this). Like how to write a BRIEF ONE PAGE TREATMENT, HOW TO PROTECT YOU IDEA, TIPS ON WRITING, SAMPLE TREATMENTS, etc..............

I WISH I HAD THIS EBOOK TWO YEARS AGO, THE TIME I WOULD HAVE SAVED ABOUT 90% OF MY TIME AND EFFORT.

James Marthaler
http://Reality-Tv-show-pitch.marinerblue.com/

Reality TV is a different kind of animal: Donald Trump

Author:: James Marthaler
Keywords:: REALITY, TV, SHOW PITCH, EBOOK, PRODUCERS LOOKING FOR IDEAS, SUBMIT, HOLLYWOOD, Series, right way
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Criminal Stars

Thievery is alive and well in Hollywood. The glamorization of Crime invariably tickles the curiosity of the public. Criminals have been portrayed as exciting, daring and cunning tantamount to hero status. They are the risk takers who should not be completely judged upon their criminal expression but rather looked at as individuals with some merit. They are cast sympathetically as their relationships are examined and ultimately lend credence to the justification, in their minds, of the criminal choices they have made. But worst of all, they are often shown as being cool, even as they hurdle towards the death of their freedom.

Take, for example, the Jewelry or art Thief. Movies like the Italian Job, the Score and Oceans Eleven display criminals as generally model citizens, other than when they are committing Crimes. There may be such criminals but are they so suave in their real lives? Are they seemingly morally upright in their relationships with others? Are they real ly just good guys who happen to commit Crimes? In real life the majority of criminals are not suave, cool or sympathetic figures. They are cutthroat, ruthless and to a degree, sociopathic. Mob figures are the best example of the paradox between the glamorization of criminal life and reality of criminal behavior.

All agree that the Sopranos, a show about Mob life in New Jersey, is a great show. The production value is high, the actors are skilled and the plot lines are well conceived. People get whacked, money gets laundered and criminals get promoted for good work. Yet, in order for the audience to tune in every week they must connect with the characters. Hence, the boss of the family, Tony Soprano is shown as a father, a husband and as attempting to improve his relationships with the outside world by visiting a therapist. This is a ploy to create sympathy for a ruthless Murdering Crime boss. And it works, as the Sopranos is a hit. What then are the real criminals doing?

True Mob figures dont give a damn about the outside world. Their loyalty lies with their Crime families. They lie, cheat and Murder for riches and would stomp on the average person, literally, to further their gains. A true Jewelry Thief is usually a two bit criminal who robs the local family owned Jewelry store, as can be verified by FBI criminal statistics. Real criminal life is fraught with betrayal, pain and stints in prison. Most criminals are caught at some point with over 13 million arrests made in the US in 2005 alone, according to the FBI.

The Business side of Hollywood is reactionary in nature. The glamorization of criminal life is partly in response to a demand by the public. Interest in stylized underworld figures comes from a public perhaps bored with their average daily existence. The idea that there are people who survive in a world where they ignore the law, fascinates us. But when the glamour is shaken off, and the dust clears, there is only an empty fancy suit left, where a Thief once stood.

Derek Belay holds a BA in English Literature from Cal State Pomona. He writes part time primarily as a hobby. He currently works for Jewelry Payless.com as a marketing manager.

Author:: Derek Belay
Keywords:: Movies, Tv, Mob, Crime, Sopranos, Hollywood, Business, Jewelry, Thief, Murder
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Jack Nicholson Mini Bio

One and only. A true original. An acting genius hiding behind that disarming wide shark grin. Jack!

My first memory of Jack Nicholson goes back to the Easy Rider (1969), that unforgettable counter-culture classic of a road-buddy movie.

And other classics followed quickly from this unexceptionally talented Actor born in Neptune, New Jersey on April 22, 1937.

His fantastic record includes Films such as One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (1975), Chinatown (1974), The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), Prizzis Honor (1985), Terms of Endearment (1983), Batman (1989), A Few Good Men (1992), As Good As It Gets (1997), About Schmidt (2002), and Somethings Gotta Give (2003).

He has been nominated 12 times for the Academy Award and won it in 1976 for Best Actor in a Leading Role in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), in 1984 for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in Terms of Endearment (1983) , and for a THIRD time in 1998 for Best Actor in a Leading Role in As Good as It Gets (1997).

Did you know these trivia facts about Nicholson?

1)He was abandoned by his father after he was born. For years he thought his grandmother was his mother and his mother was his sister.

2)He was asked to play Michael Corleone in the Godfather before the role ultimately went to Al Pacino.

3)He loves and collects fine art. Owns a few paintings by Picasso.

4)He once said You only lie to two people in your life: your girlfriend and the police.

5)His motto is more good times.

Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a Creative CopyWriter, Editor, an experienced and award-winning Technical Communicator specializing in fundraising packages, direct sales copy, web content, press releases, movie reviews and hi-tech documentation. He has worked as a Technical Writer for Fo rtune 100 companies for the last 7 years.

In addition to being an Ezine Articles Expert Author, he is also a Senior Member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), and a Member of American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI).

You can reach him at Writer111@gmail.com for a FREE consultation on all your copywriting needs.

You are most welcomed to visit his official web site http://www.Writer111.com for more information on his multidisciplinary background, writing career, and client testimonials. While at it, you might also want to check the latest book he has edited: http://www.lulu.com/content/263630

Author:: Ugur Akinci
Keywords:: ugur akinci,jack nicholson,Films,Movies,Hollywood,Actor,Oscar,Biography,Celebrities,Writer,Editor
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Last Comic Standing: Review of the Popular Reality Show

Last Comic Standing is a reality television show featuring stand up comics battling for a development contract with NBC and a comedy special that will appear on Comedy Central and Bravo. The show premiered in 2003, and is wrapping up its 4th season during the summer of 2006. Season 5 is planned to air during the summer of 2007.

One of the more enjoyable parts of the show is the open casting calls that are held by NBC talent scouts Ross Mark and Bob Read. Mark and Bob hold auditions in several US cities, and select comics to move on to the callback auditions which are held in front of live audiences. The agents then select a final group of comics and these individuals are invited to participate in the next round.

At this stage the qualifying comics are divided up into two groups -- usually of 15-20 comics -- who compete against each other at the famed Radio City Music Hall in New York City. This round is very important and is held in front of celebrity judges, f amed comics as well as the show's producers. This judging panel selects the final 10 comics, who are then moved into a house where they are filmed in reality TV style 24 hours a day. Of course, drama erupts in the house, adding a background to the talent competition. It is this formula that makes so many competitive reality shows successful.

Once in the house the comics are challenged to some sort of comedic performance or stunt, such as arriving unprepared for a morning radio show or performing at a roast at the Friar's Club of Beverly Hills. The contestants are judged by how well they think on their feet and how innovative they are with their material

The winner earns immunity for the next challenge and the bottom two comics participate in a head to head challenge in front of a live audience, occasionally featuring hecklers. The studio audience votes and the comic with the most votes returns to the house while the other is eliminated

The routine changes w hen 5 comics remain, and judging power then switches to the television audience who phone in their votes much in the style of American Idol. The comic who receives the lowest number of votes is eliminated, until one remains -- truly, the last coming standing.

Find more out about Last Comic Standing and the entire reality t.v. world at http://www.Tv-reality-star.com.

Author:: Edward Charkow
Keywords:: Last Comic Standing
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Matrix Revolutions Eats Its Own Fans

Don't get me wrong: I really like Matrix Revolutions for its powerful scenes and its dialogue and never-seen-before battles. It's one of the finest pieces of film history.

But what's wrong with Matrix Revolutions then?

I reproach the Movie for its lack of answers. Answers to questions that Matrix Reloaded raised (and seemed to promise to answer in Revolutions). Dude, where is my matrix?

Imagine you make a Movie and suddenly your hero has telekinetic powers: He stops 4 incoming war machines just by thinking it. Wow, that is a twist.

Matrix fans around the globe discussed for MONTHS how this was possible and what would the twists be that the Wachowski brothers had up their sleeves for Revolutions?. Fans were looking for the same kind of twists we loved in Matrix 1 and Matrix 2.

The brothers created one of the biggest cliffhangers of Movie history. I think it was meant to electrify and I think the Wachowskis wanted to raise these forum discussions (they are computer fans themselves).

And how did the Wachowskis decide to resolve this riddle in Matrix Revolutions?

The fans expected something.....BIG.

But they got....Hollywood:

Neo: Tell me how I stopped 4 sentinels by thinking it...
Oracle: The power of the One extends beyond this world. It reaches from here all the way back to where it came from: The Source.

Ahem, excuse me?

THIS IS THE WHOLE ANSWER TO THE BIGGEST RIDDLE OF THE T RILOGY?

Even a third-rate scriptwriter could come up with something more intelligent after 5 minutes in the toilet (I am talking about the solution to the riddle here, not about the Movie as a whole.)

Shall the Oracle's words really explain why Neo is blind and can see everything in gold code? His ability to feel and to burst the sentinels? How he can be in the Matrix while not jacked-in?

No, the Oracle doesn't answer ANYTHING. She merely restates the question. She gives an answer like Why do you ask? or Because you are the One.

Now it seems that the Wachowskis were powerless against the united creativity of the Matrix community. This cliffhanger hanged the brothers. Victims of their own riddles. Discredited by the words of their own heroes.

More info about Matrix and others Movie you find at: http://www.infofilmes.com

Owner of http://www.infofilmes.com site.

Author:: Joel Alexandre
Keywords:: filmes matrix
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Vintage Movie Review: Dangerous Corner The Study Of An English Lady Romance Novelist

Doris Lloyd takes on the character of Miss Maud Mockeridge, English lady Romance Novelist in the twisty Dangerous Corner (1934 US). Forget the plot and surprise ending; just study Maud.

(Virginia Bruce as Ann, Melvyn Douglas as Charles)

Publishing partners Ann and Charles are also romantically flitting around each other, though this has been pushed aside in the busyness of manuscripts and Authors.

Opening scene: Ann is about to host a breakfast interview on her apartment balcony for Romance Author Maud Mockeridge. The English lady Novelist has already published A Flame, Scarlet Flowers, Burnt Wings and Paradise For Two. Over kippers and toast they discuss her new book Ecstasy and a possible contract before Maud travels back to England.

Charles arrives unexpectedly before Miss Mockeridge and lighthearted Romance takes place. The maid answers the door to the famous dame of love.

Ann, anxious about being discovered with a man in her apartment before breakfast declares to Charles: Stand in the middle of floor and look innocent.

Charles: Yeah, that's our great trouble. We are innocent. All we ever do is stand in the middle of the room.

Maud Mockeridge's bosom rises in poetic moral amusement: I came in a minute too early. He lingered a moment too late in fond farewell.

She adds in haste: I have my own moral code. It's quite simple. Two baths a day and mind your manners.

Later that morni ng Ann joyfully announces to her publishing partners that she has secured a three year contact with Miss Mockeridge. Next month Ecstasy will be ready. Six months later Emma The Passionate and in one year Sleeping Dog.

Some time passes and the partners gather for a dinner party where Maude's new novel Sleeping Dogs brings a foam of questions about truth. The title is based on an old proverb meaning don't disturb the truth.

Charles: Which the chief character, the husband, insisted on disturbing with strange and disastrous consequences.

The truth is questioned by all. Ann: Well there's truth; and then there's truth.

A bagful of views on truth and complete truth is unloosed. Arguments arise and Maud is mentally taking notes of the situation. Perhaps she is adding to her mind's collection of notes for future novels? She leaves with a Miss Marple style Goodbye thus showing her dislike of unharmonious gatherings.

Maud Mockeridge is a wonderful example of the 1930's style Romance Author... refined, sophisticated, unhurried, and sought after by a sighing following of women. Publishers wooed her. Not crimped by the winds of today's frantic marketing, she was free to do what Authors do best. She just wrote!

Full graphics version here

Esmerelda Jones... Writer Of Desires

Author of: The Higher Self expressed in Ancient Wisdom, Beauty, Goddess Sensuality, Golden Wealth, Poems For The Passionate, Ecstatic Romance. Writings of the struggling Lower Self in tales of Victoriana, Victorian Swoon Flash Fiction, Old Curiosities, Bushrangers and Quaint Collections.

Autho r:: Esmerelda Jones
Keywords:: Writer,Author,Novelist,movie review,class movies,dangerous corner,doris lloyd,melvin douglas,Romance
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Smallville (Season 2) DVD Review

Leaping onto the television landscape in Fall 2001, Smallville follows the exploits of a young Clark Kent in the years leading up to his emergence as the beloved Superman. Following a slew of TV renditions of the character's life since the comic book first appeared, Smallville sets itself apart by focusing on the lesser discussed niche of Clark's earliest developmental days. Superb casting and consistent writing have combined to make Smallville one of the more popular shows on television (especially in international markets), making the show one of the WB network's most successful creations to date

Tom Welling stars in the imminent role of teenager Clark Kent, a refugee from the dying planet of Krypton. His ship having landed in the rural American town of Smallville, Clark is raised by locals Martha (Annette O'Toole) and Jonathan Kent (John Schneider - of Dukes of Hazzard fame) as their own son. Unlike some of the film and TV spin-offs, Smallville attributes powers t o other individuals in the area as a result of some of the debris associated with Krypton's destruction. As a result, Clark is forced to keep his own powers a secret while battling against other individuals who are more powerful than traditional human criminal elements. The show also provides a glimpse into the early friendship experienced between Clark and Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum) as well as Clark's romance with two high school classmates, Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack) and Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk). Part sci-fi fantasy and part teenage soap, Smallville is an instant television classic

The Smallville (Season 2) DVD offers a number of exciting episodes including the season premiere Vortex in which Clark rescues Lana from certain death while Jonathan is buried alive with a obnoxious journalist (who's uncovered the story of Clark's secret powers). Meanwhile, Lex Luthor struggles with his own personal guilt while at the bedside of his critically injured father Other notable episodes from Season 2 include Red in which Clark first comes into contact with the dreaded red kryptonite, prompting a change in his personality and demeanor, and Rush in which the entire student body of Clark's high school becomes infected with a bug that causes them to participate in outrageously dangerous behavior

Below is a list of episodes included on the Smallville (Season 2) DVD:

Episode 22 (Vortex) Air Date: 09-24-2002
Episode 23 (Heat) Air Date: 10-01-2002
Episode 24 (Duplicity) Air Date: 10-08-2002
Episode 25 (Red) Air Date: 10-15-2002
Episode 26 (Nocturne) Air Date: 10-22-2002
Episode 27 (Redux) Air Date: 10-29-2002
Episode 28 (Lineage) Air Date: 11-05-2002
Episode 29 (Ryan) Air Date: 11-12-2002
Episode 30 (Dichotic) Air Date: 11-19-2002
Episode 31 (Skinwalker) Air Date: 11-26-2002
Episode 32 (Visage) Air Date: 01-14-2003
Episode 33 (Insurgence) Air Date: 01-21-2003
Episode 34 (Suspect) Air Date: 01-28-2003
Episode 35 (Rush) Air Date: 02-04-2003
Episode 36 (Prodigal) Air Date: 02-11-2003
Episode 37 (Fever) Air Date: 02-18-2003
Episode 38 (Rosetta) Air Date: 02-25-2003
Episode 39 (Visitor) Air Date: 04-15-2003
Episode 40 (Precipice) Air Date: 04-22-2003
Episode 41 (Witness) Air Date: 04-29-2003
Episode 42 (Accelerate) Air Date: 05-06-2003
Episode 43 (Calling) Air Date: 05-13-2003
Episode 44 (Exodus) Air Date: 05-20-2003

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Smallville (Season 2) DVD.

Author:: Britt Gillette
Keywords:: smallville season 2 dvd review
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The Weather Channel Gives You Instantaneous Information So You Can Plan Ahead!

The Weather Channel provides up to date Weather conditions and forecasts locally, nationally, and world-wide at any time of the night or day. The Weather Channel has been accessible to many people subscribing to cable for years, but if you are not a cable subscriber, you might have seen presence of the < b>Weather Channel elsewhere. You can use the Weather Channel to plan an outside event, pack appropriate clothing for your vacation, and even to forecast a high pollen weekend.

Watch The Weather On T.V.

Cable or satellite television will give you complete information on your local Weather, which will include the most current temperature and other Weather information. You can get your local forecast every 8 minutes, to ensure easy planning in your daily activities or weekend adventures. The Weather Channel on television is not the only way we can have access to complete Weather information, although it is one of the most used. You can also see Weather Channel sponsored links on the internet and on your cell phone.

See The Weather On The Internet

The Weather Channel is a sponsor of Weather.com, which is a generally free of charge, Weather website found online. The Weather Channel website can be personalized, so it shows you current forecast and temperature in your specific zip code. Simply by spending a few moments to register on the site, you will have your current temperature displayed on your computer screen directly next to where the time is displayed. The website has forecasts for driving excursions, including the scenic routes, travel forecasts to other countries, and recreation reports, such as boating and aviation. You will also find forecasts for major sporting events, pollution reports, and an aches and pains forecast. The list of the available features of the Weather Channel website is both impressible and lengthy. The Weather Channel has found almost every possible way to keep you informed about Weather related information.

Watch The Weather On Your Cell Phone

Cell phones are another way to access a great deal of information from virtually anywhere. There are several cellular phone companies that have teamed up with the Channel to give you access to up to the moment forecasts, alerts, and radar images, as well as live Weather reports. This way you can always be ready for any sort of Weather-related activity.

Start Planning!

No matter if you are a Weather junkie, or you just want to be better informed about the Weather and its affect on your lifes plans, there is a tool for you. The Weather< /b> is not something you can control, but it is something you can prepare for and deal with in a proper manner. Enjoy taking a look at the Channel and all its possibilities to help you through your rainy (or sunny) day!

By Margarette Tustle, who writes ideas and helpful information for family and home. For more Weather resources go to yeWeather.com

Author:: Margarette Tustle
Keywords:: Weather Channel, Weather t.v., Weather, Weather television, Weather resource, Weather planning
Post by History of the Computer | Computer sa fety tips

Getting Ready for the Ball: Pride and Prejudice Revisited!

Afterwards Mrs. Bentley sought out her niece to direct her remaining hours in preparations for the ball that night. It seemed outlandish, but she insisted Ariana soak in a hot tub, and then quickly into and out of a cold one. She called this polishing the skin. Harrietta (the lady's maid) then took over, trimming the nails on her feet and hands, and supplying her with an enormous array of vials and lotions, perfumes and powders and other solutions. Some were for her face and neck, others for her hands, elbows, and even her feet!

Later Ariana was allowed a small meal, followed by tea. Then, to her surprise, Mrs. Bentley announced it was time to earnestly prepare for the evening. Ariana had to wonder what they had been doing all along, if not earnestly preparing for the evening!

They fussed over her hair, her chemise, her stockings, her Gown. By the time the two women had finished pulling, pinching, poking and pressing, Ariana felt more than ready to face the Pa ragon. Her hair was coifed elegantly atop her head, with curled tendrils about her face. (Ariana wished she had jet black hair, but Mama always said her lighter tresses matched the light in her eyes, and indeed, this night her words rang true.) Ariana was a picture of sparkling, beauteous youth.

Still, Mrs. Bentley insisted upon loaning her a matching set of jewels consisting of a necklace, earrings, brooch and bracelet. And, as a last dignifying element, a tiara: a delicate, lightly embellished headpiece, which was placed gingerly over her head and fastened into place with pins.

When at last she stood quietly resplendent in a pale pink Gown of satin and net, with elegant white gloves that reached past her elbows and pale pink satin slippers upon her feet, even Mrs. Bentley had to smile. You do me credit, my gel, she said, almost affectionately. Even Mornay will be smitten, I daresay, eh, Harrietta? Oh, yes, maam! breathed Harrietta, fully as pleased with the wa y Ariana had turned out as her mistress. So tall and strikin as miss is, just like a princess! Arianas aunt smiled. I thought at first you were too tall, she admitted, but it turns out that tall can be statuesque as well! Ariana was bustled out of the room and downstairs, to wait in the parlour.

copyright 2006 Linore Rose Burkard

Linore Rose Burkard is the author of Before the Season Ends, an Inspirational Regency Romance, from which this article excerpt was taken. Before the Season Ends is the first in a projected five-part series called, The Regency Light Chronicles. Book Two of the series is due out in late spring of this year. To learn more about Ms. Burkard, or to subscribe to her free monthly eZine, Upon My Word! Facts, Fashion and Figures of the Regency, go to http://www.LinoreRoseBurkard.com

Author:: Linore Rose Burkard
Keywords:: Fashion, Costume, Historical, Regency, Jane Austen, Gown, ball Gown, History, nineteenth century
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Some Thoughts on "Flight 93"

Before I begin, there is no doubt that the actions taken by passengers on Flight 93 averted a much greater disaster. Period! It doesnt matter what the group or individual motives may have been. The tragic heroic result speaks for itself. I, for one, will be forever grateful to those ordinary people for finding extraordinary bravery amidst the paralysis of the deepest kind of fear.

I am troubled by the recently released movie, Flight 93. I have seen the trailers. I have no intention of seeing the movie. My guttural objection has nothing to do with the usual reasons: its too soon, its too graphic, its too commercial. My reaction was immediate and it was raw. The trailers focus on the passengers planning, talking and acting. My concern is no one, especially Hollywood, knows exactly what was said by whom for what purpose with what action. To reenact an imagined scenario stitched together by cell phone conversations to loved ones and tape recordings from the cockpit seems wrong to me when it is weaved into a real time story using real dialogue and real actions. I know this is the formula for most historical events portrayed on film, but this time it strikes me as exploitive rather than necessary.

If the film stayed out of the cabin of Flight 93, out of the unknown, Id feel differently, for the real story is compelling enough without the sensationalism of presenting what might have happened within the plane. But it is the very drama within the cabin that the trailers draw us to. And that drama is too easy to manipulate, consciously or subconsciously, to some preconceived point of view or to influence an audiences emotion. At best it is the creation of a writers educated guess and a directors interpretation. At worst it is a producers self serving fantasy. Neither serves the passengers or public well.

However, the early reviews are in and apparently overwhelmingly quite favorable. Oh well, it wouldnt be the first time I sat on the wrong side of a branch I was sawing. Its just that I find some events way too important to unnecessarily bend and turnthis being one of them.

This article was written by Robert Crane. Author of Still Living in the Sixties and The Single Adventure of Inlin Freebosh, Robert also writes a popular blog of casual observations and polical commentary, almost always unfair and never balanced, all of which can be freely read at his website located in the outer edges of the internets:

http://www.cranelegs.com

Author:: Robert Crane
Keywords:: flight 93, 9/11, Terrorism, Movies, movie reviews
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Will & Grace (Season 4) DVD Review

Premiering in the Fall of 1998, Will & Grace has become one of the most celebrated shows of its time. Nominated for 49 Emmys, and winner of 12 (including Outstanding Comedy Series in 2000), the show follows the lives of two best friends who live together. With a plethora of other award nominations - 24 Golden Globes, 14 SAG Awards, and 6 People's Choice Awards, Will & Grace continues to light up the small screen with its unique brand of comic humor and groundbreaking sitcom format

Debra Messing stars in the role of Grace Adler, a straight interior designer who moves into an apartment with her best friend Will (Eric McCormack). Friends since college, Will is a successful lawyer who also happens to be gay (thus, keeping their relationship from becoming a permanent romantic one). Having dated before Will came out of the closet, the two maintain a more intimate relationship than mere casual friends. The comic sequences involving the two are complimented by Will's flamboy antly gay friend Jack McFarland (Sean Hayes) and Grace's sarcastic, alcoholic assistant Karen Walker (Megan Mullally)

The Will & Grace (Season 4) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere The Third Wheel Gets the Grace in which Will returns from vacation to find that Grace's relationship with her neighbor, Nathan, has steadily grown into something serious. But Nathan has a problem when Will and Grace's friendship seems to be closer than his relationship with Grace Other notable episodes from Season 4 include Star-Spangled Banter in which Will and Grace feud over their choice of candidates in the city's election for mayor, and Cheatin' Trouble Blues in which Will presents his parents with a surprise cruise for their anniversary, but is troubled to learn they are both involved in secret affairs

Below is a list of episodes included on the Will & Grace (Season 4) DVD:

Episode 72 (The Third Wheel Gets the Grace) Air Date: 09-27-20 01
Episode 73 (Past & Presents) Air Date: 10-04-2001
Episode 74 (Crouching Father, Hidden Husband) Air Date: 10-11-2001
Episode 75 (Prison Blues) Air Date: 10-18-2001
Episode 76 (Loose Lips Sink Relationships) Air Date: 10-25-2001
Episode 77 (Rules of Engagement) Air Date: 11-01-2001
Episode 78 (Bed, Bath & Beyond) Air Date: 11-08-2001
Episode 79 (Star-Spangled Banter) Air Date: 11-15-2001
Episode 80 (Moveable Feast: Part 1) Air Date: 11-22-2001
Episode 81 (Moveable Feast: Part 2) Air Date: 11-22-2001
Episode 82 (Stakin' Care of Business) Air Date: 12-06-2001
Episode 83 (Jingle Balls) Air Date: 12-13-2001
Episode 84 (Whoa, Nelly) Air Date: 01-10-2002
Episode 85 (Grace in the Hole) Air Date: 01-17-2002
Episode 86 (Dyeing is Easy, Comedy is Hard) Air Date: 01-31-2002
Episode 87 (A Chorus Lie) Air Date: 02-07-2002
Episode 88 (Someone Old, Someplace New) Air Date: 02-28-2002
Episode 89 (Something Borrowed, Someo ne's Due) Air Date: 03-07-2002
Episode 90 (Cheatin' Trouble Blues) Air Date: 03-28-2002
Episode 91 (Went to a Garden Potty) Air Date: 04-04-2002
Episode 92 (He Shoots, They Snore) Air Date: 04-11-2002
Episode 93 (Wedding Balls) Air Date: 04-18-2002
Episode 94 (Fagel Attraction) Air Date: 04-25-2002
Episode 95 (Hocus Focus) Air Date: 05-02-2002
Episode 96 (A Buncha White Chicks Sittin' Around Talkin') Air Date: 05-09-2002
Episode 97 (A.I. Artificial Insemination: Part 1) Air Date: 05-16-2002
Episode 98 (A.I. Artificial Insemination: Part 2) Air Date: 05-16-2002

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Will & Grace (Season 4) DVD.

Author:: Britt Gillette
Keywords:: will and grace season 4 dvd review
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Cartoons Bugs Bunny

Cartoons may or may not have been made just for kids, but one thing is for certain. Cartoons have made an everlasting impression on all people both young and old. Some Cartoons fade into obscurity quickly while others stand the test of time. We're going to be starting a series of some of the most famous and arguably most important Cartoons of all time.

Bugs Bunny has been a cartoon character seen not only on the Cartoons but in commercials for a number of products. Bugs has become a household name and an American institution.

Bugs Bunny was originally created in 1939, but it wasn't until 1940 when he took on a new voice in the person of Mel Blanc that Bugs became the character that we have grown to love. The truth is, nobody really knows who created Bugs Bunny. Speculation is that he was created by a number of people. Bugs did go on to become the first Warner Brothers cartoon and to this day, still the most popular. Speculation is that the character of Bugs Bunny was created to mimic the real life person of Groucho Marx. This may or may not be true, but there is a definite similarity between the two.

Bugs was a rather devilish character. He'd always manage to get everyone around him into all kinds of trouble while avoiding the same. He was the cartoon character's con man and escape artist. No matter how tough a spot he was in he always found a way out of it. Kind of like a Superman without the super powers.

And oh, the targets of his conniving. Bugs had a host of characters to play off, all of which were just as important in cementing the Bugs Bunny legacy as Bugs himself.

Probably the most famous and the one who Bugs got the best of was Elmer Fudd. Poor Elmer. All this man wanted to do was hunt, as he would say, wabbits. Mel Blanc brought such wonderful life to this character with his garbled speech and dumb sound. Fudd was indeed what we call bumfuzzled or simply confused. No matter what trap he set for Bugs, the rascally rabbit was always able to weasel his way out of it.

Then there was Daffy Duck . Daffy was the wise guy kid and class clown who you both hated and loved in high school. Poor Daffy was also many times the victim of Bugs' schemes. In one very memorable cartoon, Fudd was hunting rabbits and while Bugs and Daffy were together, Bugs managed to convince poor old Elmer that it was duck season. So instead of shooting Bugs, he'd shoot Daffy. And of course the head would go spinning around until he was looking behind him. A real person would have been dead. But these characters just kept coming back again and again.

Not all of the Bugs Bunny, or what was known as the Loony Toons Cartoons, revolved around Bugs. There of course was the classic matchups of Tweety and Sylvester, and Road Runner and Wyle E. Coyote. To see each of these duos try to out fox each other alone was wort h the price of admission.

Books could be written about these and so many other Bugs Bunny characters. If you haven't seen the Cartoons then do yourself a favor and pick up a DVD from Amazon or wherever you can get a hold of one. The resulting hours of laughter will be more than worth the price.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Cartoons

Author:: Michael Russell
Keywords:: Cartoons
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Sex And The City (Season 4) DVD Review

Based on the bestselling novel by Candace Bushnell, the HBO original series Sex And The City took the television world by storm following its release in the summer of 1998. Following the exploits of four young and educated female friends living and working in New York City, the show revolves around the various relationships and life problems experienced by each member of the group. Sporting an experienced and talented cast, the show has developed a strong, borderline fanatic following

Sarah Jessica Parker (the de facto lead character of the show) stars as Carrie Bradshaw, a popular sex columnist for a local newspaper who travels in numerous Manhattan social circles. Carrie is engaged in a tempestuous on-again, off-again relationship with a mystery man always referred to as Mr. Big. The young urban professional shares her life with three best friends who have similarly interesting jobs - Miranda Hobbs (Cynthia Nixon), a lawyer tired of being single given the societal ramifications; Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall), a promiscuous publicist who enjoys non-exclusive relationships; and Charlotte McDougal (Kristin Davis), an art museum curator who is relatively less open about her sexuality Together, the women seek each other's advice on the ever-present and varying predicaments in which they find their romantic relationships

The Sex And The City (Season 4) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere The Agony and the 'Ex'stasy in which Carrie celebrates her 35th birthday. The milestone gives cause for the various women to reflect - Samantha is happy with her various sexual liaisons, Miranda realizes that marriage does not equate with happiness, Charlotte loses her appetite for Trey following a late night incident, and Carrie is disappointed when her dinner party bombs, but she perks up when Mr. Big arrives unannounced with a bottle of Champagne Other notable episodes from Season 4 include Defining Moments in which each of the women defines a new set of boundaries in each of their various relationships, and Baby, Talk is Cheap in which Samantha meets a man who enjoys baby talk in bed and Charlotte and Trey decide against trying to conceive after attending a dinner party with their married friends and children

Below is a list of episodes included on the Sex And The City (Season 4) DVD:

Episode 49 (The Agony and the 'Ex'stasy) Air Date: 06-03-2001
Episode 50 (The Real Me) Air Date: 06-03-2001
Episode 51 (Defining Moments) Air Date: 06-10-2001
Episode 52 (What's Sex Got to Do With It?) Air Date: 06-17-2001
Episode 53 (Ghost Town) Air Date: 06-24-2001
Episode 54 (Baby, Talk is Cheap) Air Date: 07-01-2001
Episode 55 (Time and Punishment) Air Date: 07-08-2001
Episode 56 (My Motherboard, My Self) Air Date: 07-15-2001
Episode 57 (Sex and the Country) Air Date: 07-22-2001
Episode 58 (Belles of the Balls) Air Date: 07-29-2001
Episode 59 ( Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda) Air Date: 08-05-2001
Episode 60 (Just Say Yes) Air Date: 08-12-2001
Episode 61 (The Good Fight) Air Date: 01-06-2002
Episode 62 (All That Glitters) Air Date: 01-13-2002
Episode 63 (Change of a Dress) Air Date: 01-20-2002
Episode 64 (Ring a Ding Ding) Air Date: 01-27-2002
Episode 65 (A Vogue Idea) Air Date: 02-03-2002
Episode 66 (I Heart NY) Air Date: 02-10-2002

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Sex And The City (Season 4) DVD.

Author:: Britt Gillette
Keywords:: sex and the city season 4 dvd review
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First pic from "Resident Evil:Extinction"

First ever images from ResidentEvil:Extinction, which hits theaters next year have surfaced. Resident Evil:Extinction also stars Mike Epps, Sienna Guillory, Iain Glen, Oded Fehr, Ashanti Douglas, Debra Marshall, Ali Larter, and Chris Egan. In the film...Milla Jovovich is back as Alice, and she's running with a new pack of humans, leading a caravan that's cutting through the Nevada desert on a long trek to Alaska. Hunted by the minions of the perpetually scheming Dr. Isaacs, Alice has zombies hungry for her flesh, and lab rats hungry for her blood...while Alice is hungry for only one thing...Revenge.

Resident:Evil Extinction is current shooting in New Mexico and is expected to wrap within the next few months. A fourth Resident Evil film is expected to follow the upcoming third movie titled Resident Evil:Extinction. No official title has been leaked as of yet regarding the fourth film, but it is expected to be set in Toyko Japan and will possibly be the finale of the s eries, even though rumors persist the Resident Evil film series might possibly stretch as long as 7 films. The characters of Albert Wesker and Chris Redfield have also been rumored to possibly be in the third film.

You can view one of the new stills of Milla Jovovich as Alice in the film Here.

Mr. HoRrOr at Horror Movies &stuff - http://www.HorrorMoviesandstuff.hothere.com

Author:: Nikki Jones
Keywords:: article submission, Articles, Writers, Writing, Publishing, Ezine, Email marketing, Email newsletter, Email
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Kiss The Girls (Movie Review)

Based on author James Patterson's best-selling thriller, Kiss The Girls is one of those rare films that translates well from the pages of a novel to the Hollywood big screen... Such a transition is especially fluid when Morgan Freeman is cast in the role of the leading character. Like Tom Clancy's books (which did well as films with big name stars filling the lead roles), James Patterson's books exhibit immense promise as tinsel-town screenplays. Along Came A Spider is the latest example. But Kiss The Girls can stand on its own as a thrilling murder mystery steeped in suspense

When Washington DC Detective Dr. Alex Cross (Morgan Freeman) learns that his niece, Naomi (Gina Ravera), has been kidnapped, he travels to North Carolina in an effort to aid in her recovery. When a pattern of similar events draws authorities to the conclusion that the kidnappings are the work of a serial killer who calls himself Casanova, Alex Cross begins working alongside Dr. Kate McTiernan, a woman who recently escaped becoming the vicious serial killer's latest victim

But as Alex Cross and Kate McTiernan get closer to uncovering the true identity of Casanova, a killer who preys solely on young and beautiful women, Kate is yet again targeted by the killer - who's deeply disappointed she escaped the first time. Is Naomi still alive? Will Kate and Alex catch the killer before he catches them? And what is the true identity of this criminal mastermind? Kiss The Girls will keep you guessing until the end with its brilliantly conceived and well authored screenplay

Ashley Judd exhibits the talents which turned her into a Hollywood star with her role as Dr. Kate McTiernan, but the true show stealing performance belongs to Morgan Freeman for his role as the lead character Alex Cross. Patterson goes to great lengths to build a bond between Cross and his readers in Kiss The Girls, and that character development translates well onto the big screen. Moreover, Fr eeman is a likeable guy. He speaks in soft, but assertive, whispers. He's always in control of himself, and he plays characters that are generally honest, straight-forward, and humble. How could you not like a guy like that?

Freeman's wide-reaching appeal among audience members adds depth to a Movie that would otherwise consist solely of plot (which isn't necessarily bad for a Movie in this genre). But that's why Kiss The Girls is a better than average murder mystery. In between the clues and the thrilling suspense sequences, the viewer isn't bored. That results in a more enjoyable Movie experience, and that's one of the reasons why Kiss The Girls is a definite must-see film you won't want to miss

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Kiss The Girls (DVD).

Author:: Britt Gillette
Keywords:: kiss the girls Movie review
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Chantelle Celebrity Rock'n'Roll and The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle

In the beginning, you see, there were only the stars. There were the music hall stars, then there were the radio stars, then you had the movie stars, and after came pop and rock stars. Eventually a whole industry grew up around them to tell us all about them, about their likes and their dislikes, their lives and their loves, and to document, wherever possible, their every waking moment.

It got to be so that, eventually, there was more media to comment upon them than there were of stars themselves - just not enough to go round - so the media industry turned towards the environment that nurtured the stars, see if it couldn't catch them on the way up, as it were, help'em along a little, maybe. And tell us all about howe things were going with them in the meantime.

Let's talk about how this affected rock and roll, for example. I can personally remember when just about every rock writer, in an effort to get famous by being the writer who discovered the Next Big Thin g, would be writing enthusiastically about supposedly fantastic groups that no one else on the planet had ever heard of. The more obscure they were, the better. If they hadn't made an album, that was good. If they hadn't actually gigged yet, that was better. This would typically last for roughly one week per band, which meant that readers were regaled on a weekly basis with enthusiastic and detailed overviews of bands we'd never heard of and, after that one week, would never hear of again.

Which didn't hurt us any. We just stopped reading the music press. But the implications for up-and-coming bands, the genuine ones, the ones that could of made it if they'd just been left alone, was a whole lot more serious.

It got to be, you see, that in paying such close attention to the environment that nurtured stars, the press destroyed that environment, and so stopped any new stars from coming into being.

The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle says that, roughly speaki ng, if you shine a light on a sub-atomic particle, reason being you want to know where it is at some particular time, due to its extreme tinyness it gets affected by the beam of light you're shining at it, and that beam of light shoves it over a bit from where it was before you shone the beam of light at it. If you want to know where it was before you shone that beam of light at it, you're kind of screwed, because you have no way of looking at it without shining that light at it, which means in turn that....etc.etc. Similarly, in paying such close attention to the environment that stars were created in, namely, obscurity, the media so altered that environment that it couldn't produce stars anymore, which meant in turn that...etc.etc.

So, we now had a situation in which not only were there not enough stars to go round for the media to feature, we now had a situation in which it was impossible for stars to be able to mature and develop their potential and thus come into being. In the same way that the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle suggests that by observing the behaviour of sub-atomic particles we alter it, in trying too hard to spot nascent stars we stop them from ever forming. Stardom needs obscurity to find its feet in, you need to develop out of the spotlight if you're ever going to be good enough to be in it.

This left the media in a total spot. They needed stars to write about and feature so they could pay for food for the table, the roofs over their heads etc. so, in the absence of any real stars, or any up-and-coming stars, stars had to be invented.

Hence Reality TV shows. Hence Pop Idol. Hence Big Brother, and most of all, hence Chantelle.

She didn't exist as a Celebrity, so the media had to invent her.

Oh look; - they did!

B ig Bill Kruse probably watches far too much tv. Also, he operates Posters & Art Prints, Crystal & Glass Gifts and SEO Services sites.

Author:: Bill Kruse
Keywords:: Chantelle,Celebrity
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Collateral (DVD) Review

Nominated for two Academy Awards, Collateral is an electrifying, high-energy drama about a paid assassin who kidnaps a cab driver in order to carry out his work. With a high quality performance by Jamie Foxx, Collateral is a Movie that draws viewer interest with relative ease. Tom Cruise turns in an outstanding performance as the noted hit man, and Jada Pinkett Smith enjoys one of her more notable roles as a high profile assistant district attorney. One of the best action-packed thrillers of 2004, Collateral is an unforgettable glimpse into the seedy underworld of drug-running and criminal activity. You wont want to miss it

Collateral centers around the life of a Los Angeles taxicab driver named Max (Jamie Foxx), an easy to get along with guy, a guy with big dreams of owning his own company and vacati oning on a beautiful Caribbean island. When he picks up an unusually beautiful fare, an attorney named Annie (Jada Pinkett Smith), the two hit it off real well. Before Annie leaves, she hands Max her card and the two agree to go out on a date. However, Maxs next fare has other ideas in mind

When Max picks up the silver-haired, well-dressed Vincent, he thinks hes got himself just another paying customer. But Max is actually a highly trained professional hit man, and he wants to utilize Maxs services for the entirety of the night, in order to take out each of his allotted victims. Regardless of the money flashed in his face, Max doesnt want anything to do with the killings, but Vincent threatens to kill Max if he doesnt comply.

The result is a night in which Vincent methodically carries out murder after murder while Max becomes human collateral, used by Vincent in a war between a murderous drug cartel and eye-witnesses who threaten to destroy them via federal grand jury testimony. As Vincent commits each of his murders-for-hire, the police follow up with an investigation of their own. Slowly, they piece things together. A number of past killings with a similar MO occurred in LA in years ago and always ended with a dead cab driver. As the cops chase after them, the fates of both Vincent and Max become intertwined. Through Vincents manipulations, Max becomes a tool enlisted to act in other capacities besides driving. And as the night wears on, and Vincent approaches the conclusion of his killing spree, the identity of his last victim becomes glaringly clear, and only Max can stop the notorious hit man before its too late

Wrought with suspense and a number of high-energy action sequences, Collateral is an enjoyable film. The blood and gore is not excessive, and the violence is tempered with comic relief, interesting banter, and the evolving relationship between Vincent and Max. The onscreen relationship between the two characters m akes an otherwise humdrum script a very fun Movie. With stellar performances by Jamie Foxx and Tom Cruise, Collateral is a film well worth seeing.

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Collateral (DVD).

Author:: Britt Gillette
Keywords:: collateral dvd review
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Jack LaLanne The Godfather of Fitness

Jack LaLanne recently celebrated his 90th birthday. Known to millions of TV viewers as The Godfather of Fitness, Jack is still looking good, going strong and a great inspiration. Youve got to work at living, Jack says. 99.9% of Americans work at dying! Youve got to eat right, exercise and have goals and challenges.

Jack didnt always lead a healthy lifestyle. As a kid, he says, I was a sugarholic. I was a junk food junkie. It made me weak and it made me mean. But at a lecture in 1929, pioneering nutritionist Paul Bragg called 15 year old Lalanne a human garbage can. Ever since then Jack has been following Braggs philosophy If you obey natures laws, youll be born again.

And Jack certainly was born again. He immediately changed his diet no white flour, no sugar, no meat and lots of fish, fruits, vegetables and nutritional supplements. He also started lifting weights and became a bodybuilder, eventually being named Professional Mr. America in 1955 when he was in his 40s.

LaLanne also became a hard working businessman. At 18, he ran his own bakery selling healthy breads. At 21, he opened the first health club in the country with a gym, health food store and juice bar in downtown Oakland, California. His club became the prototype of all modern health spas. Today more than 200 clubs still bear the Jack LaLanne name.

But it was on TV that Jack became famous all over the world. In 1951, he started the first exercise show. Critics thought hed be off the air in six weeks, but The Jack LaLanne Show ran for an amazing 34 years. Black and white reruns of the jump-suited LaLanne can still be seen twice each weekday morning on ESPN Classic.

Jack loves the limelight and over his seventy year career, he always used it effectively to promote himself, his show and his gyms. Hes written books, produced exercise videos and acted in dozens of TV shows and films, usually playing himself. But hes probably best known for his amazing fea ts of strength.

At 41, he swam from Alcatraz to Fishermens Wharf in San Francisco wearing handcuffs. At 45, he performed a thousand push-ups and a thousand chin-ups in an hour. And once on an old TV show, he did 1,033 sit-ups in 23 minutes. At 60, he repeated his Alcatraz swim, but this time he did it handcuffed, shackled and towing a thousand-pound boat. And at 70, handcuffed and shackled, LaLanne towed 70 boats holding 70 people for a mile and a half across Long Beach harbor.

Jack LaLanne is definitely one of a kind. At 90, even though his hair is thinner and grayer and his walk a little slower, Jack still maintains his strict diet and exercises daily, including lifting weights and an hour of swimming. He claims to feel better than ever. Ive got no aches and no pains. If I get a sniffle, its gone the next day. Everythings working. Just look at my wife. Shes smiling.

LaLanne believes a half hour of exercise four or five times a week is more than enough for the average person. You dont have to work out seven days a week like I do. he said. Im a nut. I just want to see how long I can keep this up.

For years LaLanne talked about swimming the 26 miles from Catalina Island to Los Angeles underwater to celebrate his 90th birthday. Elaine, his wife and partner for fifty years threatened to divorce him if he tried such a stunt. When asked what he would do instead, Jack answered with a grin, Tow my wife across the bathtub.

I was 40 years ahead of my time, La Lanne says. People thought I was a charlatan and a nut. Doctors were against me. Id be 6 foot 2 if the medical profession hadnt beaten me down. (Jack is 5 foot 6.) They said that working out with weights would give people heart attacks and they would lose their sex drive; women would look like men. And today all the world class athletes work out with weights.

When asked about the difference between public attitude when he opened his first gym in 1935 and now, Jac k laughs and answers with a gleam in his eye, Back then I was a crackpot. Today Im an authority. And believe me, I cant die. It would ruin my image.

Katie Byrd will take you by the hand and teach you the skills she's used to journey from a financially strapped, bad credit nightmare to debt free abundant living. To find out more visit: http://abundanceandwealth.bellaonline.com

Author:: Katie Byrd
Keywords:: life fitness,fitness shows,health and fitness,fitness guru,fitness coach,fitness expert,jack lalanne
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An Iranian Foreign Film Fails To Promote Real Understanding

Children of Heaven is an Iranian Movie with subtitles about a boy who accidentally loses his sister’s worn out Shoes after being sent to get them repaired, and must share his own worn out sneakers with her in a sort of relay while each attends school at different times during the day.

He bargains with his sister not to tell his father that he has lost her Shoes, as the father will beat both of them.

This is a family literally living hand-to-mouth in a one-room rental with no, and I mean no, amenities, except a tea pot and television. There is no visible kitchen, no bathroom (one assumes they share a bathroom in the building), no beds (they sleep on the floor), and no apparent heat. Jeez, this is living in poverty in parts of the war-torn Middle East.

If you were born in America, you may have no idea how fortunate you are to be the one child among every 50 Children born into the world who lives in a relatively free, democratic society, in the most pr osperous nation on the face of the earth.

We have so much more of everything in America that even our less fortunate people live better than the majority of the people in undeveloped and underdeveloped nations around the world, but back to Iran and these particular Children.

The shoe exchange in Children of Heaven goes on for days with predictable results, the boy is continually late for school and reprimanded, his sister longs for a pair of Shoes, and she even suffers the humility of seeing one of her classmates wearing her missing Shoes (a street vendor inadvertently picked up the repaired Shoes while picking up refuse at a vegetable shop).

The same classmate then gets a brand new pair of Shoes, and his sister must suffer the indignity of hearing that her old, repaired Shoes were thrown away.

Alas, all is not lost, as the boy learns of a 4 kilometer foot race (approximately 2.5 miles), and the 3rd place prize is a pair of new sneakers. He knows he c an run fast (he has been unknowingly practicing by having to run each day to school to get there on time) and decides to beg his way into the race, finish 3rd, and give his hard-earned prize to his sister.

Imagine the start of this race among his peers, it looked like the start of the Boston Marathon in America with 10,000+ competitors. The race footage is well done. In the end, the boy does not finish 3rd, he wins the race, but not the sneakers.

Now get this, because this is important: At the end of the story, the father is able to finally buy his daughter a new pair of sneakers, the boy feels like a failure for not winning the sneakers, and his sister is sorely disappointed that he could not get the job done. The Film ends on this note.

There is no Resolution in this Film, it is like I imagined the Middle East culture and mentality all over again, no consensus on anything, no meaningful result to anything, and negative to the end.

If it were not for this terrible ending, this Film would have a 3-star rating rather than 2, however, I am not about to reward poor story telling.

Children of Heaven has some touching moments, and is instructive because it reminds us that no matter what the politics are, Children are Children; and they act like Children, everywhere, and in every corner of the world. This Film is worth the look, but brace yourself for an unsettling ending.

The postscript to this Film from NETFLIX says "Children of Heaven is just that—Heavenly." It is absolutely not, despite having some Heavenly moments. Be advised that NETFLIX has some descriptions that belie the Film’s actual presentation.

NETFLIX has lulled me to sleep once too often. I have rented NETFLIX Films that are characterized as a &qu ot;romantic comedy" when, in reality, I have been given a Film with two funny scenes and a very heavy dose of disturbing human conflict with raw emotions and passion.

Copyright © 2006 Ed Bagley

Ed Bagley is the author of Ed Bagley's Blog, which he publishes daily with fresh, original writing intended to delight, inform, educate and motivate readers. Visit Ed at . . . http://www.edbagleyblog.com

Author:: Ed Bagley
Keywords:: Movie, Review, Foreign, Film, Iranian, Children, Heaven, Shoes, Middle, East, NETFLIX, Resolution
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