(Image credit: jpeepz [flickr])
Saturday, April 30, 2011
The Most Incredible Trees In The World
Check out these amazing trees - the most incredible trees in the world! (Click the image to see more.) Like this one of the Basket Tree...
(Image credit: jpeepz [flickr])
(Image credit: jpeepz [flickr])
Friday, April 29, 2011
WWE Smackdown results [April 29,2011]
Randy Orton RKO'd Drew McIntyre and Alex Riley (WATCH | PHOTOS)
When Randy Orton kicked off the night by introducing himself to the SmackDown audience, a slew of Superstars wanted their chance in the spotlight. However, The Viper quickly asserted his dominance with a pair of devastating RKOs to Drew McIntyre and Alex Riley. When Alberto Del Rio and Brodus Clay came calling, Christian rushed to Orton’s side. Before an all-out brawl, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long arranged for the foursome to officially meet in the night’s main event.
Randy Orton & Christian def. Alberto Del Rio & Brodus Clay (WATCH | PHOTOS)
If there was any question about what impact Randy Orton would make on SmackDown, he quickly made it known that he is a force to be reckoned with. In the night’s main event, The Viper downed big Brodus Clay to help secure a win for his team. Will Orton and Christian carry this momentum into their respective matches this Sunday at Extreme Rules? (Extreme Rules coverage)
When Randy Orton kicked off the night by introducing himself to the SmackDown audience, a slew of Superstars wanted their chance in the spotlight. However, The Viper quickly asserted his dominance with a pair of devastating RKOs to Drew McIntyre and Alex Riley. When Alberto Del Rio and Brodus Clay came calling, Christian rushed to Orton’s side. Before an all-out brawl, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long arranged for the foursome to officially meet in the night’s main event.
Randy Orton & Christian def. Alberto Del Rio & Brodus Clay (WATCH | PHOTOS)
If there was any question about what impact Randy Orton would make on SmackDown, he quickly made it known that he is a force to be reckoned with. In the night’s main event, The Viper downed big Brodus Clay to help secure a win for his team. Will Orton and Christian carry this momentum into their respective matches this Sunday at Extreme Rules? (Extreme Rules coverage)
WWE Extreme Rules 2011 preview [May 1,2011]
Randy Orton vs. CM Punk (Last Man Standing Match)
In what is sure to be their most chaotic and career-changing encounter yet, bitter rivals Randy Orton and CM Punk
will collide at Extreme Rules in a Last Man Standing Match.
The only way to emerge victorious in a Last Man Standing Match is to punish one’s opponent to the point where they can no longer rise to their feet in response to a referee’s 10-count. Judging by the tumultuous history between The Viper and The Second City Saint, these two competitors aim to settle the score under appropriately hazardous circumstances. With Orton and Punk separated by The Viper’s move to SmackDown in the 2011 WWE Draft, this could be their last chance to brutalize one another for quite some time.
Since there are no disqualifications in a Last Man Standing Match, Punk – backed by The New Nexus – would seem to have an advantage at Extreme Rules. However, Orton will no doubt look to capitalize on the group’s apparent instability as of late … and perhaps its waning faith in The Second City Savior.
Not one to forgive or forget, the New Nexus overlord harbored long-gestating resentment for WWE’s Apex Predator dating back to Unforgiven in 2008, when Orton punted Punk in the skull and cost The Straight Edge Superstar the World Heavyweight Championship. In 2011, Punk exacted revenge against Orton by interfering in The Viper’s WWE Title Match at Royal Rumble against defending Champion The Miz. In the weeks that followed, a seething Orton sought retribution by targeting Punk’s New Nexus underlings, punting each of them in the skull until only their leader remained.
To counter this physical threat, the calculating Punk elected to take the psychological route, stalking Orton’s wife and assaulting an off-guard Viper with a wrench just two weeks before their anticipated WrestleMania XXVII clash. Hobbled with an injured knee, Orton was unable to punt The Straight Edge Superstar as he did the rest of The New Nexus, but nevertheless sealed a decisive victory over Punk with an RKO on The Grandest Stage of Them All. (PHOTOS)
Although Orton had dealt The New Nexus a series of crippling blows – culminating with Punk’s humbling loss at The Show of Shows – the armbanded rogues recuperated, costing The Viper the No. 1 contendership to The Miz’s WWE Title during a Five-Man Gauntlet Match on the April 11 edition of Raw. With championship glory once again wrested from his grasp by The New Nexus, a determined Orton battled and defeated Punk again the following Monday night in a hard-fought WrestleMania rematch that only fanned the fires of their scorching mutual contempt.(WATCH | PHOTOS)
Will the coiled Viper sink his fangs into Punk yet again? Or will the self-aggrandizing Punk earn a tainted victory with the help of his New Nexus cronies? To find out, tune in to Extreme Rules, May 1, live on pay-per-view.
The only way to emerge victorious in a Last Man Standing Match is to punish one’s opponent to the point where they can no longer rise to their feet in response to a referee’s 10-count. Judging by the tumultuous history between The Viper and The Second City Saint, these two competitors aim to settle the score under appropriately hazardous circumstances. With Orton and Punk separated by The Viper’s move to SmackDown in the 2011 WWE Draft, this could be their last chance to brutalize one another for quite some time.
Since there are no disqualifications in a Last Man Standing Match, Punk – backed by The New Nexus – would seem to have an advantage at Extreme Rules. However, Orton will no doubt look to capitalize on the group’s apparent instability as of late … and perhaps its waning faith in The Second City Savior.
Not one to forgive or forget, the New Nexus overlord harbored long-gestating resentment for WWE’s Apex Predator dating back to Unforgiven in 2008, when Orton punted Punk in the skull and cost The Straight Edge Superstar the World Heavyweight Championship. In 2011, Punk exacted revenge against Orton by interfering in The Viper’s WWE Title Match at Royal Rumble against defending Champion The Miz. In the weeks that followed, a seething Orton sought retribution by targeting Punk’s New Nexus underlings, punting each of them in the skull until only their leader remained.
To counter this physical threat, the calculating Punk elected to take the psychological route, stalking Orton’s wife and assaulting an off-guard Viper with a wrench just two weeks before their anticipated WrestleMania XXVII clash. Hobbled with an injured knee, Orton was unable to punt The Straight Edge Superstar as he did the rest of The New Nexus, but nevertheless sealed a decisive victory over Punk with an RKO on The Grandest Stage of Them All. (PHOTOS)
Although Orton had dealt The New Nexus a series of crippling blows – culminating with Punk’s humbling loss at The Show of Shows – the armbanded rogues recuperated, costing The Viper the No. 1 contendership to The Miz’s WWE Title during a Five-Man Gauntlet Match on the April 11 edition of Raw. With championship glory once again wrested from his grasp by The New Nexus, a determined Orton battled and defeated Punk again the following Monday night in a hard-fought WrestleMania rematch that only fanned the fires of their scorching mutual contempt.(WATCH | PHOTOS)
Will the coiled Viper sink his fangs into Punk yet again? Or will the self-aggrandizing Punk earn a tainted victory with the help of his New Nexus cronies? To find out, tune in to Extreme Rules, May 1, live on pay-per-view.
Guest Post: GW Thomas on John Hanson of The Space Patrol Service
Buck Rogers may have been the first recognizable hero in Science Fiction, so much so that his name became synonymous with the genre, but his fictional adventures were quite earthbound. Only once in the comic strips did he take off for the stars, quite often with little or no scientific basis. (For example, the classic Frank Frazetta cover from Famous Funnies #212 shows Buck and his beautiful damsel as well as some troll-like aliens, all flying about space without oxygen. Buster Crabbe did similar things in his serial appearances too.)
The next series hero after Buck is not a household name but anyone reading his adventures will immediately associate them with Science Fiction TV shows like Star Trek. The space patrol recollections of Captain John Hanson read today like the adventures of Captain Kirk. Appearing over thirty years earlier, the ten stories about Hanson and his crew of dependable spacemen, helped to establish the nautical feel of space opera. The stories contain the military ranks, submarine-style stations and the all-too-familiar military man who is not understood by civilians motifs.
The series creator was Sewell Peaslee Wright (1897-1970) a journalist, advertising writer, radio operator and Pulp writer who penned westerns, horror, mystery as well as Science Fiction. Wright published the entire series in Clayton’s Astounding Stories under editor Harry Bates, who would in turn create the next great hero (but more about that later). Bates’ attitude as editor was quite different from Hugo Gernsback’s, who believed Science Fiction and inventions could save the world. Bates offered his tales as entertainment and nothing more. Because of this, the John Hanson stories are not mired in lengthy description of gadgets but have a speed of pace similar to other Pulps.
Wright begins with an ancient device in adventure writing, the old man recounting his memoirs, in this case to young punk spacers who don’t know how hard it used to be out there. “It must be remembered that I am an old, old man, writing of things that happened before most of the present population of the Universe was born— that I am writing of men who, for the larger part, have long since embarked upon the Greatest Adventure.”His recollections of his old ships, first the Tamon and later the Ertak, feature a familiar crew as well known as McCoy, Spock and Scotty. These are the impetuous and scrappy First Officer Correy who “loved a fight more than any man I ever knew”, the staid and trustworthy Kincaide “a cool-headed, quick-witted fighting man, and as fine an officer as ever wore the blue-and-silver uniform of the Service” and the third officer Hendricks “while young and rather too impulsive, was a good rough-and-ready scientist, as well as a courageous and dependable officer.” The great screw-shaped door on its gimbals and the television disc which allows the men to see out of their ship are familiar devices while the menore was a clever invention of the author’s.
Some of the Star Trek parallels, which are unavoidable for a ST fan reading today, include: getting stranded on an asteroid and having to fix the ship, killer trees, a world with a hidden dark culture working against the other, time travel, a scene in which an officer tells the captain he is too valuable to go on an away mission, nostalgia for Earth, a piece of Earth technology being confused for a god, laser weapons, and giant space amoebas.
“The Forgotten Planet” (Astounding, July 1930)
“The Terrible Tentacles of L-472” (Astounding, September 1930)
“The Dark Side of Antri” (Astounding, January 1931)
“The Ghost World” (Astounding, April 1931)
“The Man from 2071” (Astounding, June 1931)
“The God in the Box” (Astounding, September 1931)
“The Terror from the Depths” (Astounding, November 1931)
“Vampires of Space” (Astounding, March 1932)
“Priestess of the Flame” (Astounding, June 1932)
“The Death-Traps of FX-31” (Astounding, March 1933)
John Hanson and his tales are not well-remembered after eighty years. The Golden Age of Science Fiction would eclipse much of what came before it but Hanson did go before the Space Opera heroes to come from Hawk Carse to Captain Future and beyond into television with Captain Video, Tom Corbett to Star Trek, and beyond. Sewell Peaslee Wright went ahead of many of them, and his work still stands as enjoyable entertainment.
2011 WWE Draft Recap
The 2011 WWE Draft will forever be remembered as the time John Cena was sent to SmackDown — and then back to Raw in the same night. It may have been fleeting, but the sight of the Monday night mainstay clad in a blue SmackDown T-shirt was unexpected, startling and unforgettable — exactly what the WWE Universe has come to expect of the yearly shakeup.
Cena's ping-pong between brands was only one of many surprises during the two-day event. It would be hard to argue that there was a bigger Draft pick than Randy Orton this year. Returning to SmackDown for the first time since 2006, The Viper will quickly assert himself in his new surroundings. Just like the Apex Predator he is, Orton will look for the toughest guy on the brand and strike him down. (Full Draft results)
Raw may have lost a huge Superstar in Orton, but they gained one in Rey Mysterio. One of the cornerstones of SmackDown for the better part of a decade, The Master of the 619 should be a top contender to the WWE Championship — a title he has never held before. Unfortunately, fans will have to wait for the dream match between Mysterio and Sin Cara. During the Draft, the rookie high-flyer was sent to SmackDown, where he should continue to wow the WWE Universe.
Days before he faces Christian for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship in a Ladder Match at Extreme Rules, Alberto Del Rio was drafted to Raw. It’s an interesting situation, to say the least. If The Mexican Aristocrat wins the bout on Sunday, he’ll bring the title with him to Raw, meaning both the World Heavyweight and WWE Championships will be on the red brand. SmackDown is experiencing a similar state of affairs right now. With Sheamus being sent to Friday nights, the United States Championship and Wade Barrett's Intercontinental Title will both be defended on that show.
Then again, should Christian walk away with the World Heavyweight Title at Extreme Rules, there will be no shortage of new challenges for him on SmackDown. This week, heavy hitters like The Great Khali and William Regal became a part of the blue brand. Still, the most imposing force headed to Friday nights may be Mark Henry. In the main event of Monday’s Raw, The World’s Strongest Man demonstrated an unexpectedly brutal side of himself when he pummeled teammate John Cena during a Six-Man Tag Team Match. Henry's rage could be a bad sign for the SmackDown crew. When a man of his size is focused, he's nearly unstoppable.
The Texas powerhouse wasn't the only Superstar looking driven this week. Former Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston proved he was ready for Raw when he won both a Battle Royal and a bout against Sheamus on Monday night. Big Show looked just as dominant this week, and he will be a force to be reckoned with — as always — when he returns to the Raw brand.
For ring warriors like Daniel Bryan, Beth Phoenix and even a former World Heavyweight Champion like Jack Swagger, the WWE Draft presents the perfect opportunity for these talented competitors to establish themselves on a new night. For an example of how significant this can be to a career, just look at The Miz. After moving to Raw in the 2009 WWE Draft, The Awesome One went from playing second banana to John Morrison to winning the WWE Championship and performing in the main event of WrestleMania. Clearly, a single move can make a huge impact.
How will the drafted Superstars and Divas fare on their new brands? Stay tuned to WWE in the coming weeks to find out.
Cena's ping-pong between brands was only one of many surprises during the two-day event. It would be hard to argue that there was a bigger Draft pick than Randy Orton this year. Returning to SmackDown for the first time since 2006, The Viper will quickly assert himself in his new surroundings. Just like the Apex Predator he is, Orton will look for the toughest guy on the brand and strike him down. (Full Draft results)
Raw may have lost a huge Superstar in Orton, but they gained one in Rey Mysterio. One of the cornerstones of SmackDown for the better part of a decade, The Master of the 619 should be a top contender to the WWE Championship — a title he has never held before. Unfortunately, fans will have to wait for the dream match between Mysterio and Sin Cara. During the Draft, the rookie high-flyer was sent to SmackDown, where he should continue to wow the WWE Universe.
Days before he faces Christian for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship in a Ladder Match at Extreme Rules, Alberto Del Rio was drafted to Raw. It’s an interesting situation, to say the least. If The Mexican Aristocrat wins the bout on Sunday, he’ll bring the title with him to Raw, meaning both the World Heavyweight and WWE Championships will be on the red brand. SmackDown is experiencing a similar state of affairs right now. With Sheamus being sent to Friday nights, the United States Championship and Wade Barrett's Intercontinental Title will both be defended on that show.
Then again, should Christian walk away with the World Heavyweight Title at Extreme Rules, there will be no shortage of new challenges for him on SmackDown. This week, heavy hitters like The Great Khali and William Regal became a part of the blue brand. Still, the most imposing force headed to Friday nights may be Mark Henry. In the main event of Monday’s Raw, The World’s Strongest Man demonstrated an unexpectedly brutal side of himself when he pummeled teammate John Cena during a Six-Man Tag Team Match. Henry's rage could be a bad sign for the SmackDown crew. When a man of his size is focused, he's nearly unstoppable.
The Texas powerhouse wasn't the only Superstar looking driven this week. Former Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston proved he was ready for Raw when he won both a Battle Royal and a bout against Sheamus on Monday night. Big Show looked just as dominant this week, and he will be a force to be reckoned with — as always — when he returns to the Raw brand.
For ring warriors like Daniel Bryan, Beth Phoenix and even a former World Heavyweight Champion like Jack Swagger, the WWE Draft presents the perfect opportunity for these talented competitors to establish themselves on a new night. For an example of how significant this can be to a career, just look at The Miz. After moving to Raw in the 2009 WWE Draft, The Awesome One went from playing second banana to John Morrison to winning the WWE Championship and performing in the main event of WrestleMania. Clearly, a single move can make a huge impact.
How will the drafted Superstars and Divas fare on their new brands? Stay tuned to WWE in the coming weeks to find out.
Happy Arbor Day!
Today is Arbor Day. I must confess that I haven't planted a tree in years, though my boy scout troop planted a bunch of pines on the campus of Bearden High School, from which I graduated, across the river in West Knoxville. The last time I drove by they were still there along Gallaher View Road. I don't think Sarah has ever planted a tree. We'll have to correct that deficiency.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Copyright Credit for Images - diagram
You all know about my soap box over copyright protection. Well, Pia, Erin and Yvette have created a wonderful visual break down of how to know if you can or shouldn't post an image. Click here to see a larger version at Yvette's site. (And yes, they give permission to share it - with credit!) They're even talking about making it available as a poster. Groovy.
Do you wonder how you can properly use my Coloring Page Tuesday images? I try to make my copyright guidelines clear with my Angel Policy.
Thanks to Swiss Miss for the link via DesignSponge for the heads up.
Thanks to Swiss Miss for the link via DesignSponge for the heads up.
Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day
Today is Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Since I am away from my office, Sarah won't be able to participate today, but she is no stranger to the justice center. Sherry and I spent the year Sarah was three working out of our home as we were in the process of moving from Nashville to Maryville, so she has plenty of experience seeing her parents at work.
According to the event's official website,
Designed to be more than a career day, the Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® program goes beyond the average “shadow” an adult. Exposing girls and boys to what a parent or mentor in their lives does during the work day is important, but showing them the value of their education, helping them discover the power and possibilities associated with a balanced work and family life, and providing them an opportunity to share how they envision the future and begin steps toward their end goals in a hands-on and interactive environment is key to their achieving success.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Western Wednesday
In honor of this summer's Mondo Sasquatch anthology and my Western Bigfoot Steampunk story therein, the middle day of the week will henceforth be known as Western Wednesday on this blog and will celebrate all things Western, Bigfoot, and Steampunk.
By Alex Schomburg. [Golden Age Comic Book Stories]
By Craig Wilson.
[Calvin's Canadian Cave of Cool]
[From the Files of the Canadian Cave of Cool]
[Calvin's Canadian Cave of Cool]
By Alex Schomburg. [Golden Age Comic Book Stories]
By Craig Wilson.
[Calvin's Canadian Cave of Cool]
[From the Files of the Canadian Cave of Cool]
[Calvin's Canadian Cave of Cool]
WWE Smackdown spoilers for April 29,2011
Randy Orton will be having his first appearance as a Smackdown superstar.Click read more for the spoilers.
Smackdown opens with Randy Orton coming out to a huge pop, introducing himself to the Smackdown fans. Drew McIntyre, wearing a Raw shirt, comes out and interrupts. McIntyre goes for his DDT but Orton slips out and drills him with the RKO. Alex Riley tries to interrupt but before he can say a word, he eats an RKO as well. The crowd loves all of this. Alberto Del Rio, Brodius Clay and Ricardo Rodriguez come out. Alberto says he will bring the World title to Raw. Clay squares off with Orton but Christian hits the ring to even the sides. Teddy Long announces a tag match main event for tonight.
Randy Orton & Christian defeated Alberto Del Rio & Brodius Clay when Orton hit the RKO on Clay to win the match.
Source
Smackdown opens with Randy Orton coming out to a huge pop, introducing himself to the Smackdown fans. Drew McIntyre, wearing a Raw shirt, comes out and interrupts. McIntyre goes for his DDT but Orton slips out and drills him with the RKO. Alex Riley tries to interrupt but before he can say a word, he eats an RKO as well. The crowd loves all of this. Alberto Del Rio, Brodius Clay and Ricardo Rodriguez come out. Alberto says he will bring the World title to Raw. Clay squares off with Orton but Christian hits the ring to even the sides. Teddy Long announces a tag match main event for tonight.
Randy Orton & Christian defeated Alberto Del Rio & Brodius Clay when Orton hit the RKO on Clay to win the match.
Source
Administrative Professionals Day
Today is Administrative Professionals Day, on which we honor the many office professionals who make the world of business and government run effectively and efficiently. My office at the justice center is staffed by eight dedicated and hard-working professionals all of whom I appreciate very much, and I have been fortunate to have been assisted and supported throughout my professional career as an attorney by administrative professionals who have made my life easier and the provision of services to my clients, and now the public, less expensive and more pleasant. They are the people on the front lines, and they don't get enough appreciation, especially from the public they serve.
Capstone Training at Montgomery Bell State Park
For the next several days I shall be at the Inn and Conference Center at Montgomery Bell State Park in Burns, Tennessee, which is about four hours from Maryville and about forty minutes from where we used to live in Bellevue on the west side of Nashville. I will be participating in the Capstone training provided by the County Officials Certificate Training Program of the County Technical Assistance Service, and at the program's conclusion I hope to achieve the status of Certified Public Administrator. The sixty hours of training I've had so far have focused on laws applicable to county government in Tennessee and on management and leadership issues, and I will complete another twenty hours in training over the next few days. I expect they will be busy, and I trust that CTAS will do their usual fine job during the training sessions.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
100 Things I Love About The Movies
Inspired by Cinema Fanatic and Jason.
1. Raul Julia and Angelica Huston as Gomez and Morticia Addams
2. Harrison Ford's caving to Gary Oldman in order to save his daughter's life in Air Force One
3. Grumpy the dwarf
4. Nick and Nora
5. Disney's version of Captain Nemo's Nautilus
6. Mr. Whitmore and Helga in Atlantis: The Lost Empire
7. The five notes from Close Encounters of the Third Kind
8. Both performances of Peter Pan in Finding Neverland
9. Ernest as the snake farmer in Ernest Saves Christmas
10. Bowing to the Hobbits in Return of the King
11. Alastair Sim's standing on his head in Scrooge
12. Michael Wincott's voice
13. Tracey Walter and Grace Jones' giving Olivia d'Abo a sex ed lesson in Conan the Destroyer
14. Helvetica Black's theme song in Shorts
15. Bill Murray's almost having a perfect Groundhog Day, but screwing it up because Andie Macdowell thinks he's been stalking her
16. Watching the Harry Potter cast grow up
17. Robert Downey Jr.'s comeback
18. Alfred Hitchcock's surprises
19. Errol Flynn's swagger
20. Kate Beckinsale's look in Underworld
21. Jean Rogers as Dale Arden in Flash Gordon
22. Mysterious strangers in boarding houses
23. Christopher Reeve's Clark Kent
24. "In space no one can hear you scream."
25. Kirk's refusing to lose in Wrath of Khan
26. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine
27. Syndrome's island base in The Incredibles
28. River Tam's becoming badass in Serenity
29. Hulk vs. tanks in the desert in Ang Lee's Hulk
30. Friends becoming lovers as in Some Kind of Wonderful and When Harry Met Sally...
31. The creature from the Black Lagoon
32. Elizabeth Swan in Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3
33. The Dread Pirate Wesley
34. Robert Newton as Long John Silver
35. Joe Jr. in While You Were Sleeping
36. Any Vera Ellen dance number in White Christmas
37. The cantina scene in Star Wars
38. Orson Welles' laugh
39. Cary Grant's suits
40. John Hughes' soundtracks
41. Every song in Disney's The Jungle Book
42. "No smoking in the Skull Cave."
43. Johnny Weissmuller's Tarzan yell
44. Maureen O'Sullivan's outfit in Tarzan and His Mate
45. Buster Keaton's lack of facial expression
46. Clint Eastwood's squint
47. Bela Lugosi's accent
48. The flying cars in Blade Runner
49. The Star Destroyer fly-over at the beginning of Star Wars
50. "I don't know. I'm making this up as I go along."
51. Batman's trying to get rid of a bomb in the 1966 Batman
52. Yvonne's crying during "La Marseillaise" in Casablanca (hell, the whole scene)
53. "Now I have a machine gun. Ho. Ho. Ho."
54. John Rambo outnumbered in the woods or jungle
55. "Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves, Moriarty?"
56. Keira Knightley in King Arthur
57. Angelina Jolie's lips
58. Jody Foster's voice
59. Jody Foster's legs in Inside Man
60. Gerard Butler as Alex Rover in Nim's Island
61. Peter Lorre's eyes
62. Claude Rains' voice
63. George Sanders' voice
64. Ingrid Bergman's face
65. Sean Connery's first line in Dr. No
66. Harrison Ford as the bellhop in Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round
67. The theme song to Diamonds Are Forever
68. Roger Moore's pushing a car - with the villain still inside - over a cliff with his foot in For Your Eyes Only
69. Eddie Murphy's improv in his early films
70. Nicole Kidman's hair in Far and Away
71. The Bride of Frankenstein's hair and dress
72. Lou Costello when he's scared
73. German Expressionism
74. Lon Chaney Jr. as Larry Talbot
75. Everything about Curse of the Demon
76. Captain Jack Sparrow
77. Ray Parks in Phantom Menace and Sleepy Hollow
78. The Monster's fur vest in Son of Frankenstein
79. Brandon Lee on the fire escape in The Crow
80. Keifer Sutherland in The Lost Boys
81. Sidney Poitier's "I owe you nothing" speech to his dad in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
82. Harrison Ford's hat in American Graffiti
83. The last five minutes of Rocky
84. The leg lamp in A Christmas Story
85. Helena Bonham Carter in period dramas
86. John Bender in The Breakfast Club
87. Steff in Pretty in Pink
88. The baby name suggestions during the credits of She's Having a Baby
89. Kenneth Branagh and Shakespeare
90. Keira Knightley's making my heart stop in Love Actually
91. King Kong's fighting three T-Rexes in Peter Jackson's version
92. The music in Gojira
93. "I am not a gun."
94. "I thought you said your dog did not bite." "That is not my dog."
95. Hilary Swank as Maggie Fitzgerald in Million Dollar Baby
96. Ian McKellen's "butter" sermon in Cold Comfort Farm
97. Don Cheadle as Mouse in Devil in a Blue Dress
98. John Travolta's watching A Touch of Evil in Get Shorty
99. Ashley Judd's sweat in A Time to Kill
100. Keyser Söze
1. Raul Julia and Angelica Huston as Gomez and Morticia Addams
2. Harrison Ford's caving to Gary Oldman in order to save his daughter's life in Air Force One
3. Grumpy the dwarf
4. Nick and Nora
5. Disney's version of Captain Nemo's Nautilus
6. Mr. Whitmore and Helga in Atlantis: The Lost Empire
7. The five notes from Close Encounters of the Third Kind
8. Both performances of Peter Pan in Finding Neverland
9. Ernest as the snake farmer in Ernest Saves Christmas
10. Bowing to the Hobbits in Return of the King
11. Alastair Sim's standing on his head in Scrooge
12. Michael Wincott's voice
13. Tracey Walter and Grace Jones' giving Olivia d'Abo a sex ed lesson in Conan the Destroyer
14. Helvetica Black's theme song in Shorts
15. Bill Murray's almost having a perfect Groundhog Day, but screwing it up because Andie Macdowell thinks he's been stalking her
16. Watching the Harry Potter cast grow up
17. Robert Downey Jr.'s comeback
18. Alfred Hitchcock's surprises
19. Errol Flynn's swagger
20. Kate Beckinsale's look in Underworld
21. Jean Rogers as Dale Arden in Flash Gordon
22. Mysterious strangers in boarding houses
23. Christopher Reeve's Clark Kent
24. "In space no one can hear you scream."
25. Kirk's refusing to lose in Wrath of Khan
26. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine
27. Syndrome's island base in The Incredibles
28. River Tam's becoming badass in Serenity
29. Hulk vs. tanks in the desert in Ang Lee's Hulk
30. Friends becoming lovers as in Some Kind of Wonderful and When Harry Met Sally...
31. The creature from the Black Lagoon
32. Elizabeth Swan in Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3
33. The Dread Pirate Wesley
34. Robert Newton as Long John Silver
35. Joe Jr. in While You Were Sleeping
36. Any Vera Ellen dance number in White Christmas
37. The cantina scene in Star Wars
38. Orson Welles' laugh
39. Cary Grant's suits
40. John Hughes' soundtracks
41. Every song in Disney's The Jungle Book
42. "No smoking in the Skull Cave."
43. Johnny Weissmuller's Tarzan yell
44. Maureen O'Sullivan's outfit in Tarzan and His Mate
45. Buster Keaton's lack of facial expression
46. Clint Eastwood's squint
47. Bela Lugosi's accent
48. The flying cars in Blade Runner
49. The Star Destroyer fly-over at the beginning of Star Wars
50. "I don't know. I'm making this up as I go along."
51. Batman's trying to get rid of a bomb in the 1966 Batman
52. Yvonne's crying during "La Marseillaise" in Casablanca (hell, the whole scene)
53. "Now I have a machine gun. Ho. Ho. Ho."
54. John Rambo outnumbered in the woods or jungle
55. "Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves, Moriarty?"
56. Keira Knightley in King Arthur
57. Angelina Jolie's lips
58. Jody Foster's voice
59. Jody Foster's legs in Inside Man
60. Gerard Butler as Alex Rover in Nim's Island
61. Peter Lorre's eyes
62. Claude Rains' voice
63. George Sanders' voice
64. Ingrid Bergman's face
65. Sean Connery's first line in Dr. No
66. Harrison Ford as the bellhop in Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round
67. The theme song to Diamonds Are Forever
68. Roger Moore's pushing a car - with the villain still inside - over a cliff with his foot in For Your Eyes Only
69. Eddie Murphy's improv in his early films
70. Nicole Kidman's hair in Far and Away
71. The Bride of Frankenstein's hair and dress
72. Lou Costello when he's scared
73. German Expressionism
74. Lon Chaney Jr. as Larry Talbot
75. Everything about Curse of the Demon
76. Captain Jack Sparrow
77. Ray Parks in Phantom Menace and Sleepy Hollow
78. The Monster's fur vest in Son of Frankenstein
79. Brandon Lee on the fire escape in The Crow
80. Keifer Sutherland in The Lost Boys
81. Sidney Poitier's "I owe you nothing" speech to his dad in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
82. Harrison Ford's hat in American Graffiti
83. The last five minutes of Rocky
84. The leg lamp in A Christmas Story
85. Helena Bonham Carter in period dramas
86. John Bender in The Breakfast Club
87. Steff in Pretty in Pink
88. The baby name suggestions during the credits of She's Having a Baby
89. Kenneth Branagh and Shakespeare
90. Keira Knightley's making my heart stop in Love Actually
91. King Kong's fighting three T-Rexes in Peter Jackson's version
92. The music in Gojira
93. "I am not a gun."
94. "I thought you said your dog did not bite." "That is not my dog."
95. Hilary Swank as Maggie Fitzgerald in Million Dollar Baby
96. Ian McKellen's "butter" sermon in Cold Comfort Farm
97. Don Cheadle as Mouse in Devil in a Blue Dress
98. John Travolta's watching A Touch of Evil in Get Shorty
99. Ashley Judd's sweat in A Time to Kill
100. Keyser Söze
WWE Supplemental Draft 2011 results [April 26,2011]
13. Kelly Kelly to Raw
One of the most beautiful Divas in WWE, Kelly Kelly has proven herself to be just as awe-inspiring since journeying to SmackDown. And now that she is returning to Raw to challenge all comers with her devastating K-2 legdrop and endless spirit, could a Divas Championship be in the blond bombshell's future?
One of the most beautiful Divas in WWE, Kelly Kelly has proven herself to be just as awe-inspiring since journeying to SmackDown. And now that she is returning to Raw to challenge all comers with her devastating K-2 legdrop and endless spirit, could a Divas Championship be in the blond bombshell's future?
Down on the Farm
We visited our friends Rat and Renee on their farm between Conover and Statesville, North Carolina, last weekend, and Sarah was fascinated by their chickens. They have five Golden Comet chickens, and the chickens lay about one egg a day each.
Coloring Page Tuesday! - Ballerina Bunny
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I know Easter is over, but I still have bunnies on the brain! All that bouncing around, surely they throw in a pirouette or two?
Click here to view the entire Coloring Page Tuesday collection.
Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send your colored image (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog!
Learn more about my fun picture book Glitter Girl and the Crazy Cheese - click the cover.
I know Easter is over, but I still have bunnies on the brain! All that bouncing around, surely they throw in a pirouette or two?
Click here to view the entire Coloring Page Tuesday collection.
Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send your colored image (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog!
Learn more about my fun picture book Glitter Girl and the Crazy Cheese - click the cover.WWE RAW results [April 25,2011] - Draft
Kofi Kingston def. U.S. Champion Sheamus in a Non-Title Match; Randy Orton drafted to SmackDown (WATCH | PHOTOS)
Boom! Boom! Boom! SmackDown’s Kofi Kingston came up big for blue when he faced off against United States Champion Sheamus in a non-title bout to determine which brand would earn another draft pick. The Dreadlock Dynamo leveled the Irishman and welcomed Randy Orton to the SmackDown roster.
Boom! Boom! Boom! SmackDown’s Kofi Kingston came up big for blue when he faced off against United States Champion Sheamus in a non-title bout to determine which brand would earn another draft pick. The Dreadlock Dynamo leveled the Irishman and welcomed Randy Orton to the SmackDown roster.
Randy Orton def. Dolph Ziggler; Mark Henry and Sin Cara drafted to SmackDown(WATCH | EXCLUSIVE: HENRY REACTS | PHOTOS)
With a drastic change in appearance, Dolph Ziggler may be new, but he’s not improved. Not enough, anyway. As his business associate, Vickie Guerrero, looked on, Ziggler lost his match to recent SmackDown draftee Randy Orton. The Viper’s victory earned the blue brand two new draft picks: Mark Henry and Sin Cara.
With a drastic change in appearance, Dolph Ziggler may be new, but he’s not improved. Not enough, anyway. As his business associate, Vickie Guerrero, looked on, Ziggler lost his match to recent SmackDown draftee Randy Orton. The Viper’s victory earned the blue brand two new draft picks: Mark Henry and Sin Cara.
After the bout, Orton’s Extreme Rules opponent, CM Punk, grabbed the spotlight and goaded WWE’s Apex Predator before their Last Man Standing Match.
Aunt Lucy's Apple Cake With Penucke Icing
My mother recently found my Aunt Lucy's recipe for Apple Cake with Penucke Icing, which Mom says was one of the best cakes she ever tasted. Aunt Lucy was my Grandmother Ogle's sister, pictured second from the left in the photograph above. Pictured from left to right are four of the seven children of Ira and Lillie Spencer, my Aunt Fay Simpson, Aunt Lucy Brandon, Aunt Vesta Carroll and Grandmother Ogle, whose first name was Willie, though she went by Bill. Mom says that the recipe, which is the image below, is in Aunt Lucy's own hand, which is cool. I will try to make this recipe.
AUNT LUCY’S APPLE CAKE WITH PENUCKE ICING
APPLE CAKE
2 ½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
¾ teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 cup oil
2 eggs
3 cups chopped apples
1 cup nuts
Mix ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes in a 8 x 13 pan.
PENUCKE ICING
2/3 stick margarine
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
½ cup milk
Put margarine in skillet to melt. – Add brown sugar and melt thoroughly. Pour in milk and let it come to a rolling boil. Remove from heat, [and] place in cold water to cool to touch. – Pour mixture into confectioner’s sugar.
Monday, April 25, 2011
My kind of town
What a weekend. What a city.
Several great meals, including a magnificent dinner at one of the best restaurants anywhere followed by an unexpected bonus: a tour of the kitchen (including a quick hello and thank-you to the executive chef) provided by an unbelievably gracious waiter. A lot of walking and public-transportation-riding. (Kinda forgotten how to do that in L.A.) A solo late-night photo expedition. A completely-worth-it 90-minute wait to get into the one-and-only Hot Doug's. A picture-perfect day for Cubs baseball at Wrigley Field, which, as my wife pointed out, "smells amazing." Reunions with a couple of very special friends. First encounters with, seemingly, dozens of new high-rises that have sprung up since I left just a few years ago, including the stunning Aqua (bottom photo). And, a return to the exact spot where my wife and I first met, five years ago.
Going to have to get back for another visit soon. If I'm lucky, I'll get a few more sights like these:
