[scifinoir2] What Is Happening To Iron Man 2?
By Graeme McMillan http://io9.com/people/GraemeMcMillan/posts/ , 10:00 AM http://io9.com/5157428/what-is-happening-to-iron-man-2 on Sat Feb 21 2009, 16,692 views With the cast list seemingly falling apart in public and the studio apparently forcing actors out due to low pay, is Iron Man 2 http://io9.com/tag/iron-man-2/ becoming the movie that'll end Marvel's run of movie successes? If nothing else, the increasing to-and-fro surrounding the cast of the sequel to last year's best superhero movie (Don't groan, Dark Knight fans, you know it's true in your hearts) is becoming an unexpected black eye on the previously perfect public face of Marvel Studios http://io9.com/tag/marvel-studios/ , which only months ago was looking like one of the most successful independent studios in the business and unable to put a foot wrong. Perhaps we should have seen the warning signs when Terrence http://io9.com/5063025/terrence-howards-war-machine-replaced-by-don-cheadle Howard was unceremoniously replaced by Don Cheadle, and Howard's http://io9.com/5065619/terrence-howard-didnt-even-get-a-dear-john-letter public confusion over the move was met by somewhat http://io9.com/5073602/was-howard-replaced-on-iron-man-2-for-more-than-just -money dirty leaks from studio insiders, but even so; that seemed like a one-time thing at the time, instead of the start of a trend. Since then, of course, Samuel L. Jackson has hinted http://io9.com/5130878/if-sam-jackson-gets-canned-as-next-fury-is-rdj-next- in-line that Marvel are not bringing him back to reprise his role as Nick Fury, despite Fury appearing to be central to the planned Avengers movie (especially if it's as close to Mark Millar's Ultimates comic as has been rumored) because of a breakdown in negotiations over money. Just over a week later, Variety announces that the studio has offered Mickey Rourke http://io9.com/tag/mickey-rourke/ a http://io9.com/5136762/is-marvel-really-trying-to-nickel+and+dime-tony-star k stunningly low $250,000 to play one of the two lead villains in Iron Man 2... a move that led, earlier this week, to http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/02/vulture_exclusive_mickey_rourk .html Rourke saying that he wouldn't be doing the movie after all (The usual anonymous sources are saying http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/02/mickey-rourke-a.html?xid=rss-hollywo odinsider-Mickey%20Rourke%20still%20in%20%27Iron%20Man%202%27%3f%20%28And%20 other%20machismo%20movie%20news%29 that the deal isn't necessarily dead just yet). Marvel, of course, haven't officially commented on any of these situations - and it's unlikely that they will, particularly as the Rourke and Jackson negotiations are still, officially at least, ongoing - but the fact remains that Iron Man http://io9.com/tag/iron-man/ 2 is beginning to look like a movie that's being hamstrung by accountants with their eyes staring a little too intently on the bottom line. This isn't exactly news - director http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/marvel-locks-in-jon-favreau-for-iron- man-2/ and co-writer Jon Favreau has also complained about being lowballed by the studio in their initial offer to sign him for the sequel - but at this point, it's getting embarrassing for Marvel; the only actor who's not complained about the progress of the movie has been Robert Downey Jr. himself (Gwyneth Paltrow has griped http://splashpage.mtv.com/2009/02/12/exclusive-no-iron-man-2-script-yet-for -gwyneth-paltrow/ about not having seen a script yet, and the production seems to be having http://io9.com/5154778/please-dont-let-scarjo-anywhere-near-iron-man-2 trouble keeping the love interest that they cast... but at least neither of those are money-related). We're still a year away from the release of the movie - Iron Man http://io9.com/tag/iron-man/ 2 is scheduled to open May next year (Although, let's face it, that date may end up being as unrealistic http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/06/10/jon-favreau-thinks-iron-man-2-release-d ate-unrealistic/ as Favreau publicly declared it when it was first announced) - but that doesn't change the fact that Marvel needs to either start coughing up some more money for this movie - and considering the first made close to $600 million, that shouldn't be too much of a struggle - or else start putting together a more convincing PR push to explain that everything's going to be alright in the end. Because, right now, it's not looking as if Tony Stark's second outing is going to be quite as bulletproof as his first. http://io9.com/5157428/what-is-happening-to-iron-man-2
[RE][scifinoir2] What Is Happening To Iron Man 2?
Well... as, IMO, H'Wood lost its everlasting mind about twenty-odd years ago, this surprises me not in the least. -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] What Is Happening To Iron Man 2? Date : Sun, 22 Feb 2009 02:29:27 -0800 From : Tracey de Morsella tdli...@multiculturaladvantage.com To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, CINQUE cinque3...@verizon.net, ggs...@yahoo.com By Graeme McMillan , 10:00 AM on Sat Feb 21 2009, 16,692 views With the cast list seemingly falling apart in public and the studio apparently forcing actors out due to low pay, is Iron Man 2 becoming the movie that'll end Marvel's run of movie successes? If nothing else, the increasing to-and-fro surrounding the cast of the sequel to last year's best superhero movie (Don't groan, Dark Knight fans, you know it's true in your hearts) is becoming an unexpected black eye on the previously perfect public face of Marvel Studios , which only months ago was looking like one of the most successful independent studios in the business and unable to put a foot wrong. Perhaps we should have seen the warning signs when Terrence Howard was unceremoniously replaced by Don Cheadle, and Howard's public confusion over the move was met by somewhat -money dirty leaks from studio insiders, but even so; that seemed like a one-time thing at the time, instead of the start of a trend. Since then, of course, Samuel L. Jackson has hinted in-line that Marvel are not bringing him back to reprise his role as Nick Fury, despite Fury appearing to be central to the planned Avengers movie (especially if it's as close to Mark Millar's Ultimates comic as has been rumored) because of a breakdown in negotiations over money. Just over a week later, Variety announces that the studio has offered Mickey Rourke a k stunningly low $250,000 to play one of the two lead villains in Iron Man 2... a move that led, earlier this week, to .html Rourke saying that he wouldn't be doing the movie after all (The usual anonymous sources are saying odinsider-Mickey%20Rourke%20still%20in%20%27Iron%20Man%202%27%3f%20%28And%20 other%20machismo%20movie%20news%29 that the deal isn't necessarily dead just yet). Marvel, of course, haven't officially commented on any of these situations - and it's unlikely that they will, particularly as the Rourke and Jackson negotiations are still, officially at least, ongoing - but the fact remains that Iron Man 2 is beginning to look like a movie that's being hamstrung by accountants with their eyes staring a little too intently on the bottom line. This isn't exactly news - director man-2/ and co-writer Jon Favreau has also complained about being lowballed by the studio in their initial offer to sign him for the sequel - but at this point, it's getting embarrassing for Marvel; the only actor who's not complained about the progress of the movie has been Robert Downey Jr. himself (Gwyneth Paltrow has griped -gwyneth-paltrow/ about not having seen a script yet, and the production seems to be having trouble keeping the love interest that they cast... but at least neither of those are money-related). We're still a year away from the release of the movie - Iron Man 2 is scheduled to open May next year (Although, let's face it, that date may end up being as unrealistic ate-unrealistic/ as Favreau publicly declared it when it was first announced) - but that doesn't change the fact that Marvel needs to either start coughing up some more money for this movie - and considering the first made close to $600 million, that shouldn't be too much of a struggle - or else start putting together a more convincing PR push to explain that everything's going to be alright in the end. Because, right now, it's not looking as if Tony Stark's second outing is going to be quite as bulletproof as his first. http://io9.com/5157428/what-is-happening-to-iron-man-2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds
[RE][scifinoir2] Before Oscars, it's anti-Oscars time
Now, why don't they broadcast *this*? -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Before Oscars, it's anti-Oscars time Date : Sat, 21 Feb 2009 23:21:51 -0500 From : brent wodehouse brent_wodeho...@thefence.us To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=CinemaSectionPageamp;id=6d93e067-ffce-4868-bb9c-c82d62c910a3amp;MatchID1=4932amp;TeamID1=7amp;TeamID2=8amp;MatchType1=1amp;SeriesID1=1247amp;PrimaryID=4932amp;Headline=Before+Oscars%2c+it's+anti-Oscars+time Before Oscars, it's anti-Oscars time Andy Goldberg, DPA Los Angeles, February 21, 2009 For an industry that indulges in mere entertainment, Hollywood takes itself pretty seriously. But the overbearing self-importance displayed by many who work in the cinematic trades will be exquisitely deflated Saturday night when a group of renegade movie buffs delight in naming the worst movie moments of the year. The dubious Golden Raspberry dishonours, affectionately known as the Razzie awards, are now in their 29th year and never seem to lack worthy candidates. This year, the favourite for Razzie notoriety is the grossly overrated Canadian comedy star Mike Myers, who has a leading seven nominations for his truly awful movie The Love Guru. The movie was a worthy successor to the crude and unimaginative Austin Powers series, and got its just deserves at box offices, where it was one of the year's most notable flops. The film bomb was judged to be so bad by the hardened Razzie nominators that they chose it to compete in all the major categories including acting dishonours for Myers, Verne Troyer, Jessica Alba and even Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley. But The Love Guru has plenty of competition. Also featuring highly on the list of nominees was Paris Hilton, whose every screen moment seemed to yield a Razzie nod. She was nominated for worst actress for the classic comedy The Hottie and the Nottie, worst supporting actress for Repo: The Genetic Opera and as one-half of the year's worst screen couple together with both Hottie costar Christine Lakin or Joel David Moore. Hottie will compete for worst movie with The Love Guru, The Happening, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale and Meet the Spartans. Beside Myers, the worst-actor nominees include Eddie Murphy for Meet Dave, Al Pacino for both 88 Minutes and Righteous Kill, and Mark Wahlberg, who also scored a double nomination for The Happening and Max Payne. No less than nine women are vying for worst actress, thanks to an ensemble nomination for the cast of The Women, which featured Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Meg Ryan. The other nominees are Cameron Diaz (What Happens in Vegas), Kate Hudson (Fool's Gold and My Best Friend's Girl), Alba and Hilton. The biggest winner might turn out to be German director Uwe Boll, who will be the recipient of the worst career achievement for such timeless gems as the Bloodrayne series, Alone in the Dark and House of the Dead. Boll, who specialises in adapting video games to movies was also nominated as worst supporting actor for Postal and 1968: Tunnel Rats, while his In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale is up for the worst-movie award. Alone among cinematic auteurs, he seems to actually regard being the recipient of a Razzie with the honour it deserves, and even apologised in an online interview that he would be unable to attend in person to accept the prize. I will be filming out in South Africa, so I cannot be there in person, he said. Asked whether anyone else might deserve the worst career achievement more than him, he was indignant: No one, only me, he answered. Film fans may have other opinions, but at least with the Razzies they can do something about it. The Golden Raspberry allows anyone to vote - as long as they prove that they care enough to pay a $25 registration fee. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds
[RE][scifinoir2] Beyond the Oscar Spectacle, Hollywood Is Grumbling
Dear H'Wood, Stop b*tching and moaning, and MAKE BETTER MOVIES. -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Beyond the Oscar Spectacle, Hollywood Is Grumbling Date : Sat, 21 Feb 2009 23:19:13 -0500 From : brent wodehouse brent_wodeho...@thefence.us To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/business/media/22steal.html?ref=business Scene Stealer Beyond the Oscar Spectacle, Hollywood Is Grumbling By MICHAEL CIEPLY Published: February 21, 2009 LOS ANGELES SWEATY hands will finally clutch their Oscars on Sunday night, putting an end to a Hollywood awards season that may go down as one of the most downbeat in memory. Movers and shakers in the film industry dont like to grumble openly about the Oscars. After all, nobody wants to be caught talking down a ritual that has been very good, for a very long time, to a very large number of people in the glamour business. Still, the Hollywood table-talk this year has been much less about Oscar prospects and more about the process. And an overriding theme is this: The movie prize cycle had better become shorter, brighter and more popular in its bent - or some major players are pulling back. The conventional wisdom has it that Slumdog Millionaire, the big-hearted little film made in Mumbai and distributed in the United States by Fox Searchlight, locked up the best-picture award months ago. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, whose voting membership is about 5,800, is increasingly foreign- and indie-oriented. The fellow best-picture nominees are The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, from Paramount and Warner Brothers; Frost/Nixon, from Universal; Milk, from Focus Features; and The Reader, from the Weinstein Company. These films have supposedly been along for an expensive ride, competing for an odd Oscar in other categories while burning up millions of marketing and promotional dollars. But they are widely reckoned to have no real hope of winning the big prize, and most have not quite hit their targets at the box office. For executives, filmmakers and publicists, the real shock came with the exclusion of The Dark Knight from this years list of best-picture nominees. It wasnt so much about admiration for the picture itself, though there was plenty of that. Insiders read the snub more as a rejection by the academy, once comfortably regarded as an adjunct of the industry that created it, of what the inner circle does best: Build complex, monumental films that move millions. To keep the mood here from curdling wouldnt have taken much of a bow toward the audience. A best-picture nomination for Wall-E, from Walt Disney and its Pixar Animation unit, if not The Dark Knight, from Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures, might have done it. Even an acting nomination for Clint Eastwood, whose crusty appearance in Gran Torino, from Warner, turned out his biggest box office to date, would have helped. But the academy gave no points for popularity. And the company folks noticed. Some executives, speaking on condition of anonymity to protect their relationships with those who vote for prizes, have said in the last few weeks that they do not expect their studios to make any movie in the foreseeable future as a specific Oscar bet. If honors happen to come, as they came to The Departed, a Warner film that was a surprise best-picture winner in 2007, so be it. But few are looking to make the next Frost/Nixon, a smart, critically acclaimed film that got Ron Howard a nomination as best director this year. Frost/Nixon has taken in less than $20 million at the domestic box office, and may not make a profit when the cost of its long Oscar-season promotional campaign is added to its relatively modest $25 million budget. AS little as a year ago, the prestige that came with an Oscar contender could seem worth at least a small financial loss to studios that could always make up for it with their summer hits. In tougher times, not so. Already, 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures have become only occasional players in the Oscar game, allowing associated specialty units, Fox Searchlight and Sony Pictures Classics, to be contenders with relatively small films. If companies like Paramount, Universal and the now-smaller DreamWorks also step back, the academy - protective of an enterprise that brings it more than $70 million a year - will almost certainly start looking for adjustments to a system that still needs big stars and the big studios that pay them. The last significant structural change to the Oscars occurred in 2004, when they were moved up a month, to late February from late March. The shift was meant to lighten the expense and fatigue factor of a movie awards season that was then consuming nearly half the year. The next step could well be Oscars in January. That idea has been popping up in conversation here lately. One version suggests compressing the Oscars into the
[scifinoir2] Cartoonists Tread Lightly When Drawing Obama
Lalo Alcaraz, mentioned in the article below, is a gifted cartoonist - both a talented artist and a astute social commentator. I think he is the most talented political cartoonist working today. I am therefore disappointed that he is often on the opposite side of political spectrum from where I choose to reside. WISN.com Cartoonists Tread Lightly When Drawing Obama Drawings Must Contend With US History Of Racial Imagery POSTED: 7:31 pm CST February 20, 2009 Editorial cartoonists are bending over backwards a lot these days, as they try to satirize the nation's first black president. And when they don't, the result is the kind of outcry that erupted this week after a New York Post cartoon featured a bloody chimpanzee -- intentionally or unintentionally evoking racist images of the past. The problem is, cartoonists make their living by making fun of people -- especially presidents -- and exaggerating their features and foibles. The best political cartoons are like an X-ray machine, said Amelia Rauser, an art history professor at Franklin Marshall College and author of Caricature Unmasked, which examines the art form's historical role in political discourse. You have to deform someone facially in order to make a larger point about their character, Rauser said. But that deformity reveals their inner truth and makes them look more like themselves. The late Herblock often saddled Richard Nixon with an enormous cartoon nose. Liberals drew George W. Bush like a simpleton, or worse. There have been minor kerfuffles from the left about drawing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as insufficiently feminine, and from the right about depicting Condoleezza Rice as servile to Bush. Drawings of President Barack Obama, however, must contend with America's history of degrading racial imagery, from ape comparisons to enormous Sambo lips. Caricatures of the president's admittedly large ears have so far escaped scrutiny.Cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz was in front of a classroom full of black and Latino kids, drawing presidents. He sketched Bush, then Clinton. Next came his favorite: Obama. Hey, those lips are big, Alcaraz heard a black girl say from the back of the room. Alcaraz was disturbed. I try to bend over backwards not to make him look like a cartoon stereotype, and certainly not a racial stereotype, he said. Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
[scifinoir2] EW: 'Watchmen' Exclusive! Six EW Covers!
W! My subscription issue came with the Comedian on the cover! ~(no)rave! http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20260130,00.html 'Watchmen' Exclusive! Six EW Covers! Unveiling the six portraits from Zack Snyder's outrageous new movie that make up our collector's set, on sale Friday (and available for purchase right here) Are you a true Watchmen fanatic? Then feast your eyes on the entire collector's set of Entertainment Weekly covers highlighting our inside look at Zack Snyder's outrageous new movie, based on the classic graphic novel. Different copies of the magazine feature Rorschach, the Comedian, Dr. Manhattan, Silk Spectre, Nite Owl, and Ozymandias. Get your first look at them all by clicking on each thumbnail or on the word Next below; then, you can follow the link here to purchase all six of EW's exclusive Watchmen covers.
[scifinoir2] Watchmen: Sex! Blood! Superheroes!
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20259927,00.html By Jeff Jensen They have come to glimpse the miracle. They have come to witness the revolution. They have come for Watchmen the allegedly unfilmable superhero movie, the long-awaited adaptation of the comic book that changed the face of comic books forever. On this warm July morning, over 5,000 fans attending the annual geek pop summit known as Comic-Con have assembled inside the San Diego Convention Center for a first look. Many spent the night on the sidewalk. Some have come in costumes most modeled after Rorschach, a vigilante with an inkblot mask and a pitiless brand of justice that makes Batman look like Bambi. Behind the stage, indie-movie icon Kevin Smith, a.k.a. the Most Famous Fanboy in the World, parks himself in front of a closed-circuit TV, a happy grin on his bearded mug. ''You have to understand, I've been waiting for this moment for years,'' says Smith. ''This is it, man. This is the pinnacle. You have no idea how f---ing pumped I am.'' All this, for a violent, ironic superhero epic that doesn't like superheroes in the first place. Directed by 300's Zack Snyder, Watchmen presents a set of familiar superhero archetypes and then subverts them completely, turning them into criminals, jerks, narcissists, megalomaniacs, and plain ol' whiny wusses. Rorschach (Jackie Earl Haley) is like the Spirit...except he's a joyless, hard-line misanthrope. The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is like Captain America...but loyal only to sadistic thrills and a corrupt worldview. Nite Owl (Patrick Wilson) is part Batman, part Iron Man...except he's also a schlubby, impotent coward. Ozymandias (Matthew Goode) is the resident genius...who's built an empire on superhero toys. (You see what we mean by irony.) Says Billy Crudup, whose blue, naked Dr. Manhattan is an almighty Superman dangerously detached from his own humanity: ''Watchmen is a kind of thrilling thought experiment. What would people who dress up in costumes to fight crime actually be like? Well, they'd probably be fetishists who lived on the fringes of society. They'd all be a bunch of freaking lunatics.'' Yet for all its self-awareness and cynicism, Watchmen isn't some cheap-and-silly Scary Movie parody. Adapted faithfully, if not completely, from the celebrated 1986 comic-book series, Snyder's film is visually and intellectually ambitious, filled with heady ruminations about savior figures, pop culture, and the politics of fear. At a time when superhero stories are commonplace and our shaken country is pinning its recovery on an idealistic new president, Watchmen's director believes his movie can serve as a bracing blast of healthy skepticism. ''Someone asked me if I thought that because Barack Obama had been elected president, the movie was no longer relevant. I said, 'Wow, that's a very optimistic view of the future!''' says Snyder. ''The movie, like the comic, says, 'These superhero stories you've been feasting on? What if we took them seriously? What if we thought through the consequences? Where do they get us?' That's the fun.'' NEXT PAGE: ''I felt like Watchmen was this very, very bad thing that I shouldn't be reading, and if my mom caught me with it I'd be f---ing doomed.'' http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20259927,00.html
[scifinoir2] Watchmen: Sex! Blood! Superheroes!
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20259927,00.html By Jeff Jensen They have come to glimpse the miracle. They have come to witness the revolution. They have come for Watchmen the allegedly unfilmable superhero movie, the long-awaited adaptation of the comic book that changed the face of comic books forever. On this warm July morning, over 5,000 fans attending the annual geek pop summit known as Comic-Con have assembled inside the San Diego Convention Center for a first look. Many spent the night on the sidewalk. Some have come in costumes most modeled after Rorschach, a vigilante with an inkblot mask and a pitiless brand of justice that makes Batman look like Bambi. Behind the stage, indie-movie icon Kevin Smith, a.k.a. the Most Famous Fanboy in the World, parks himself in front of a closed-circuit TV, a happy grin on his bearded mug. ''You have to understand, I've been waiting for this moment for years,'' says Smith. ''This is it, man. This is the pinnacle. You have no idea how f---ing pumped I am.'' All this, for a violent, ironic superhero epic that doesn't like superheroes in the first place. Directed by 300's Zack Snyder, Watchmen presents a set of familiar superhero archetypes and then subverts them completely, turning them into criminals, jerks, narcissists, megalomaniacs, and plain ol' whiny wusses. Rorschach (Jackie Earl Haley) is like the Spirit...except he's a joyless, hard-line misanthrope. The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is like Captain America...but loyal only to sadistic thrills and a corrupt worldview. Nite Owl (Patrick Wilson) is part Batman, part Iron Man...except he's also a schlubby, impotent coward. Ozymandias (Matthew Goode) is the resident genius...who's built an empire on superhero toys. (You see what we mean by irony.) Says Billy Crudup, whose blue, naked Dr. Manhattan is an almighty Superman dangerously detached from his own humanity: ''Watchmen is a kind of thrilling thought experiment. What would people who dress up in costumes to fight crime actually be like? Well, they'd probably be fetishists who lived on the fringes of society. They'd all be a bunch of freaking lunatics.'' Yet for all its self-awareness and cynicism, Watchmen isn't some cheap-and-silly Scary Movie parody. Adapted faithfully, if not completely, from the celebrated 1986 comic-book series, Snyder's film is visually and intellectually ambitious, filled with heady ruminations about savior figures, pop culture, and the politics of fear. At a time when superhero stories are commonplace and our shaken country is pinning its recovery on an idealistic new president, Watchmen's director believes his movie can serve as a bracing blast of healthy skepticism. ''Someone asked me if I thought that because Barack Obama had been elected president, the movie was no longer relevant. I said, 'Wow, that's a very optimistic view of the future!''' says Snyder. ''The movie, like the comic, says, 'These superhero stories you've been feasting on? What if we took them seriously? What if we thought through the consequences? Where do they get us?' That's the fun.'' NEXT PAGE: ''I felt like Watchmen was this very, very bad thing that I shouldn't be reading, and if my mom caught me with it I'd be f---ing doomed.'' http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20259927,00.html
[scifinoir2] Hugo Awards add Graphic Novel Category
Fri Aug 29, 2008 by Robert Greenberger Hugo Awards add Graphic Novel Category 2009 to Debut New Award When The Watchmen won the 1988 Hugo Award for Best Novel, horrified science fiction purists saw to it that graphic material be excluded from consideration. Until now that has remained the case but next year, the World Science Fiction convention will be adding the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story to the ballot to honor works in which illustrations are integral to the movement of the plot, whether or not text is present. The special Hugo, to be called Best Graphic Story, will cover any science fiction or fantasy narrative in graphic form appearing for the first time in 2008. It may potentially be ratified as an annual award at the WSFS Business meeting at the convention. Material to be considered will be any science fiction or fantasy narrative in graphic form appearing for the first time in 2008. Those who purchased memberships to this year's World Con, held in Denver, and next year's, will be eligible to nominate works whern the process begins next spring while only those holding 2009 memberships will be eligible to vote for the winner. The 2009 World Con will be Anticipation, held in Montreal from August 6-10 with guests of honor including Neil Gaiman, Élisabeth Vonarburg, Ralph Bakshi, Taral Wayne, Tom Doherty, David Hartwell, and Julie Czerneda.
[scifinoir2] Fw: World Science: The psychology behind suicide attacks
ahar...@earthlink.net Interesting science stuff. Subject: World Science: The psychology behind suicide attacks * Richest biological zones found to suffer most wars: More than four in five wars in recent times arose in areas identified as the most biologically diverse, a study indicates. http://www.world-science.net/othernews/090221_war * Green Comet visits neighborhood: Astronomers are keeping a close eye on a greenish comet fast approaching Earth's vicinity. http://www.world-science.net/othernews/090220_lulin * Collective rituals spur support for suicide attacks: researchers: A new study proposes that acts of war by self- destruction are part of a larger psychological phenomenon. http://www.world-science.net/othernews/090219_suicide * Running hamsters, tapping fingers tapped for energy: A rodent may be doing its own small part to provide a renewable electricity source. http://www.world-science.net/othernews/090217_energy * Cosmologists aim to reveal time's first moments: Scientists want to test whether random, microscopic fluctuations in the fabric of space and time spawned the universe. http://www.world-science.net/othernews/090216_origins * HIV gene therapy trial results seen as positive: A new treatment appeared to safely boost the number of immune system cells of a type normally attacked by HIV, according to researchers. http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/090215_oz1 World Science homepage Don't forget to visit our homepage for Science In Images; links to top science news from other publi- cations; and other recent World Science stories! http://www.world-science.net World Science archives To new readers especially: you need not miss our ex- citing past stories, though they won't appear in future newsletters. See archives for any year by typing that year after the homepage address: for example, http://www.world-science.net/2007 Invite friends to join World Science! Click here to open an invitation email you can send friends and colleagues so they can join you in sub- scribing to World Science at no charge. Feel free to change the email text (although you might want to leave the subscription instructions unchanged.) More information This is the World Science newsletter. To cancel your subscription, please reply to this email address with cancel in the subject line. To subscribe, write to this email address with subscribe in the subject line. To change the address where you receive the newsletter, simply subscribe the new address and cancel the old one. Any World Science article may be reproduced on another website, on condition that it is reproduced along with a link to the World Science homepage, http://www.world-science.net. Linking to the page of the original article is optional. No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.0.237 / Virus Database: 270.11.2/1965 - Release Date: 02/21/09 15:36:00
[scifinoir2] Is Lost found?
I hear Lost is good again. Anybody watching? (EW Subscriber: It is better to have loved Lost and lost than to have never loved Lost at all.). ~rave?
[scifinoir2] The Death of Ghost Whisperer
http://ghostwhispereroncbs.wetpaint.com/thread/2132621/The+Death+of+Ghost+Whisperer?t=anon Fans of the Jennifer Love Hewitt drama were left heartbroken last season when an accidental shooting left the psychic's husband, Jim (David Conrad), in a coma in hospital. Hewitt's character woke up at his bedside to see her husband apparently awake and well, only to discover that she was speaking to his ghost. Yes, Jim had died and Ghost Whisperer fans are livid. Then they discovered Jim wasn't dead. Well, he was, but his spirit was still alive and living in another body! And Hewitt's character is the only one who can see him (good news for David Conrad who suddenly has something to do)! Complication: he doesn't remember her or their marriage! Payoff: fans get to see them fall in love all over again! ~(no)rave!
[scifinoir2] Re: Yo Adrianne!
--- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, ravenadal ravena...@... wrote: Hey, Adrianne, tell me true...can Vegans wear pearls? Coming up dry here, I posted this question at Yahoo! Answers. So far I have received two responses. Here they go: Q. Can Vegans wear pearls? A1. No...not if they are cultured. A2. What a silly question. Are you eating the pearls? No. Does it kill an oyster to create a pearl? No. Does it kill an oyster to harvest the pearls? No. Are pearls alive? No more than fingernails. Pearls are made from grains of sand my friend. They have no brains, no circulatory system, no intelligence. Oysters are not an endangered species, and no one has ever been prosecuted for the mistreatment of oysters. Oysters create pearls to get rid of irritation. Perhaps yahoo needs a similar way of encapsulating irritating questions! Well, that certainly clears that up. My next question: Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep?
Re: [scifinoir2] Is Lost found?
I'm watching... And, well, not to sound like a negative nelly, cause really I'm not... I don't agree that the series has redeemed itself. I'm still watching though only when I get around to clumps of episodes on DVR. So far this season, if you haven't been watching, there have been a lot of flashes of light and a lot of nose bleeds. That's about it. And those two things are the hallmark of what I am calling: The Time Travel Trident (and I don't mean the kind Poseidon carries) . Seriously, the time travel device in this series has been like taking a Sam's Club sized pack of Trident and chewing like mad to plug holes in the hull of an aesthetically pleasing, wonderfully innovative, but disastrously engineered ship. I'd like it to succeed but don't really see how it can. Spoiler alert... I guess? Now, I haven't seen the show where they actually get back on to the island yet. I'm going to do that this evening between watching basketball and *not* watching the Academy Awards. But, I've heard it was great. My bff said she has been on the edge of her seat all season and that show was epic. We've been known once or twice to disagree on these things. Someone charged that what's wrong with this season is that there has been little action because, finally, many questions are being answered. I stick some well chewed Trident to that opinion. My questions haven't been answered, but that could be because I've held on to those raised in the first couple of seasons. I have not been distracted by the bright shiny light in the sky and luckily have not succumbed to a bitch of a nosebleed. We did see Danielle Rousseaux show up on the island pregnant with her Bande des Frères. A bunch of the fellows fall in a hole and come out differnt (not misspelled, I'm from Alabama, that's how we say it). She shoots them and before our eyes, or rather I should say Voilà! We get a glimpse of the crazy she becomes later. The only mission she gets before everyone is dead, by the way, is to get to the radio tower to call for help. Convenient, but not an explanation. We already knew she came with a team. We already knew she was pregnant. We already knew she believed her team to have been infected with a disease. So what did I gain from that story line? Zip. I'm still confused about the survival/purpose of her kid, ya know the one that got the axe in front of Ben last year... or was it the year before... It occurs to me that I've spent too much time on this Lost silliness... Damn, somebody get me a beer... Or, better yet, somebody tell me why you think this season is great. I long to feel differently because despite me thinking that the writers of Lost are like the bank's in October (they got a big stimulus package but instead of offering any help and forging forward to build, they decided to do housekeeping, balance their books, only to demand more resources and patience later), I'm still watching the show. Grayson Reyes-Cole http://www.graysonreyescole.com Facebook Bright Star When evil is done for the greater good, a price must always be paid... In Print April 6, 2009 Ghost Writer Reviews: Grayson-Reyes Cole is an incredibly imaginative and original writer, and fans of dark fantasy, modern fantasy, and science fiction will enjoy “Bright Star” . Read the full review at http://ghostwriterreviews.com/index.php?main_page=product_infoproducts_id=608 From: ravenadal ravena...@yahoo.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 9:16:49 AM Subject: [scifinoir2] Is Lost found? I hear Lost is good again. Anybody watching? (EW Subscriber: It is better to have loved Lost and lost than to have never loved Lost at all.). ~rave?
Re: [scifinoir2] The Death of Ghost Whisperer
Why, Rave? Why? Grayson Reyes-Cole http://www.graysonreyescole.com Facebook Bright Star When evil is done for the greater good, a price must always be paid... In Print April 6, 2009 Ghost Writer Reviews: Grayson-Reyes Cole is an incredibly imaginative and original writer, and fans of dark fantasy, modern fantasy, and science fiction will enjoy “Bright Star” . Read the full review at http://ghostwriterreviews.com/index.php?main_page=product_infoproducts_id=608 From: ravenadal ravena...@yahoo.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 9:24:41 AM Subject: [scifinoir2] The Death of Ghost Whisperer http://ghostwhisper eroncbs.wetpaint .com/thread/ 2132621/The+ Death+of+ Ghost+Whisperer? t=anon Fans of the Jennifer Love Hewitt drama were left heartbroken last season when an accidental shooting left the psychic's husband, Jim (David Conrad), in a coma in hospital. Hewitt's character woke up at his bedside to see her husband apparently awake and well, only to discover that she was speaking to his ghost. Yes, Jim had died and Ghost Whisperer fans are livid. Then they discovered Jim wasn't dead. Well, he was, but his spirit was still alive and living in another body! And Hewitt's character is the only one who can see him (good news for David Conrad who suddenly has something to do)! Complication: he doesn't remember her or their marriage! Payoff: fans get to see them fall in love all over again! ~(no)rave!
Re: [scifinoir2] What Is Happening To Iron Man 2?
I think they're reaping what they have sowed. I dropped a link several months ago to an NPR interview with Terrance Howard where he straight out said that Marvel gave him a verbal commitment to a second movie. It was a handshake deal, Howard says, and he didn't even know he was dumped until someone told him. That might be business as usual, but usual business isn't always *right* business, and it bespeaks volumes about the studio. It was a tacky, classless move. Now they're pulling the same on Jackson, too? Well hell: you knew damn well what Howard, Jackson, and Paltrow all demanded for salaries when they were hired for the first movie, and you should have the smarts to know that a successful first movie make them think they'd be rewarded. Marvel looks greedy, tight-fisted, and unprofessional. As for Rourke, I don't know if the 250K salary figure is right, but, come on: why the hell else would an actor do a superhero movie like this--even a good--one if not for a fat paycheck? It's insulting to lowball Rourke. Given his current cachet, even if he *doesn't* win the Oscar last night, I'm pretty sure Rourke can get a hell of a lot more from another project right now. Oh-and I disagree with the author's saying we know Iron Man was the best superhero flick last year. It was fun and entertaining as heck, but Dark Knight is superiour. - Original Message - From: Tracey de Morsella tdli...@multiculturaladvantage.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, CINQUE cinque3...@verizon.net, ggs...@yahoo.com Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 5:29:27 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] What Is Happening To Iron Man 2? By Graeme McMillan , 10:00 AM on Sat Feb 21 2009, 16,692 views With the cast list seemingly falling apart in public and the studio apparently forcing actors out due to low pay, is Iron Man 2 becoming the movie that'll end Marvel's run of movie successes? If nothing else, the increasing to-and-fro surrounding the cast of the sequel to last year's best superhero movie (Don't groan, Dark Knight fans, you know it's true in your hearts) is becoming an unexpected black eye on the previously perfect public face of Marvel Studios , which only months ago was looking like one of the most successful independent studios in the business and unable to put a foot wrong. Perhaps we should have seen the warning signs when Terrence Howard was unceremoniously replaced by Don Cheadle , and Howard's public confusion over the move was met by somewhat dirty leaks from studio insiders , but even so; that seemed like a one-time thing at the time, instead of the start of a trend. Since then, of course, Samuel L. Jackson has hinted that Marvel are not bringing him back to reprise his role as Nick Fury , despite Fury appearing to be central to the planned Avengers movie (especially if it's as close to Mark Millar's Ultimates comic as has been rumored) because of a breakdown in negotiations over money. Just over a week later, Variety announces that the studio has offered Mickey Rourke a stunningly low $250,000 to play one of the two lead villains in Iron Man 2 ... a move that led, earlier this week, to Rourke saying that he wouldn't be doing the movie after all (The usual anonymous sources are saying that the deal isn't necessarily dead just yet ). Marvel, of course, haven't officially commented on any of these situations - and it's unlikely that they will, particularly as the Rourke and Jackson negotiations are still, officially at least, ongoing - but the fact remains that Iron Man 2 is beginning to look like a movie that's being hamstrung by accountants with their eyes staring a little too intently on the bottom line. This isn't exactly news - director and co-writer Jon Favreau has also complained about being lowballed by the studio in their initial offer to sign him for the sequel - but at this point, it's getting embarrassing for Marvel; the only actor who's not complained about the progress of the movie has been Robert Downey Jr. himself (Gwyneth Paltrow has griped about not having seen a script yet , and the production seems to be having trouble keeping the love interest that they cast ... but at least neither of those are money-related). We're still a year away from the release of the movie - Iron Man 2 is scheduled to open May next year (Although, let's face it, that date may end up being as unrealistic as Favreau publicly declared it when it was first announced ) - but that doesn't change the fact that Marvel needs to either start coughing up some more money for this movie - and considering the first made close to $600 million, that shouldn't be too much of a struggle - or else start putting together a more convincing PR push to explain that everything's going to be alright in the end. Because, right now, it's not looking as if Tony Stark's second outing is going to be quite as bulletproof as his first.
[scifinoir2] Dark Knight Billionaire
The Dark Knight has become the fourth movie in history to take in more than $1 billion at the box office worldwide, according to Variety.com. Warner Bros. announced Friday that the movie has taken in $1 billion in theaters, including $533 million in North America. The other three movies to cross the $1 billion barrier are Titantic,The Lord of the Rings:The Return of the King, and The Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Of course, most of the above is bullshit. The top grossing movies of all time, adjusted for inflation are: Gone with the Wind, Star Wars, and The Sound of Music. The Dark Knight is number 27. ~rave!
[scifinoir2] Re: Is Lost found?
Thanks large for your opinion and your spoilers. I want to love this show but I haven't been a regular viewer since they killed Mr. Eko (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje)and Ana-Lucia Cortez(Michelle Rodrigues) - and had Michael Dawson (Harold Perrineau) shoot her - in the same season. Broke my heart. They lured me back with the story-line featuring slippery Ben Linus (Michael Emerson)and the other side of the island but then the writer's strike came and well...I haven't been back since. I keep telling myself I will watch the whole thing on DVD some day...but I prolly won't. ~rave? --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Grayson Reyes-Cole grayson.reyesc...@... wrote: I'm watching... And, well, not to sound like a negative nelly, cause really I'm not... I don't agree that the series has redeemed itself. I'm still watching though only when I get around to clumps of episodes on DVR. So far this season, if you haven't been watching, there have been a lot of flashes of light and a lot of nose bleeds. That's about it. And those two things are the hallmark of what I am calling: The Time Travel Trident (and I don't mean the kind Poseidon carries) . Seriously, the time travel device in this series has been like taking a Sam's Club sized pack of Trident and chewing like mad to plug holes in the hull of an aesthetically pleasing, wonderfully innovative, but disastrously engineered ship. I'd like it to succeed but don't really see how it can. Spoiler alert... I guess? Now, I haven't seen the show where they actually get back on to the island yet. I'm going to do that this evening between watching basketball and *not* watching the Academy Awards. But, I've heard it was great. My bff said she has been on the edge of her seat all season and that show was epic. We've been known once or twice to disagree on these things. Someone charged that what's wrong with this season is that there has been little action because, finally, many questions are being answered. I stick some well chewed Trident to that opinion. My questions haven't been answered, but that could be because I've held on to those raised in the first couple of seasons. I have not been distracted by the bright shiny light in the sky and luckily have not succumbed to a bitch of a nosebleed. We did see Danielle Rousseaux show up on the island pregnant with her Bande des Frères. A bunch of the fellows fall in a hole and come out differnt (not misspelled, I'm from Alabama, that's how we say it). She shoots them and before our eyes, or rather I should say Voilà! We get a glimpse of the crazy she becomes later. The only mission she gets before everyone is dead, by the way, is to get to the radio tower to call for help. Convenient, but not an explanation. We already knew she came with a team. We already knew she was pregnant. We already knew she believed her team to have been infected with a disease. So what did I gain from that story line? Zip. I'm still confused about the survival/purpose of her kid, ya know the one that got the axe in front of Ben last year... or was it the year before... It occurs to me that I've spent too much time on this Lost silliness... Damn, somebody get me a beer... Or, better yet, somebody tell me why you think this season is great. I long to feel differently because despite me thinking that the writers of Lost are like the bank's in October (they got a big stimulus package but instead of offering any help and forging forward to build, they decided to do housekeeping, balance their books, only to demand more resources and patience later), I'm still watching the show. Grayson Reyes-Cole http://www.graysonreyescole.com Facebook Bright Star When evil is done for the greater good, a price must always be paid... In Print April 6, 2009 Ghost Writer Reviews: Grayson-Reyes Cole is an incredibly imaginative and original writer, and fans of dark fantasy, modern fantasy, and science fiction will enjoy Bright Star . Read the full review at http://ghostwriterreviews.com/index.php?main_page=product_infoproducts_id=608 From: ravenadal ravena...@... To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 9:16:49 AM Subject: [scifinoir2] Is Lost found? I hear Lost is good again. Anybody watching? (EW Subscriber: It is better to have loved Lost and lost than to have never loved Lost at all.). ~rave?
RE: [scifinoir2] Re: Is Lost found?
I have an insane girl crush on Michelle Rodrigues so I was very upset when she bit the dust, too! Similarly, I love Adewale Akinnoye-Agbaje (big and complex, yummy) so was also not thrilled about him going either. Aubrey Leatherwood www.aubreyleatherwood.com FaceBook * MySpace The People You Know, The Sex They Have ROMANTIC TIMES NOMINEE FOR BEST CONTEMPORARY EROTICA 2008 ISBN: 978-0-9818905-0-0 Lyrical Press. Inc To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: ravena...@yahoo.com Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 16:28:27 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Is Lost found? Thanks large for your opinion and your spoilers. I want to love this show but I haven't been a regular viewer since they killed Mr. Eko (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje)and Ana-Lucia Cortez(Michelle Rodrigues) - and had Michael Dawson (Harold Perrineau) shoot her - in the same season. Broke my heart. They lured me back with the story-line featuring slippery Ben Linus (Michael Emerson)and the other side of the island but then the writer's strike came and well...I haven't been back since. I keep telling myself I will watch the whole thing on DVD some day...but I prolly won't. ~rave? --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Grayson Reyes-Cole grayson.reyesc...@... wrote: I'm watching... And, well, not to sound like a negative nelly, cause really I'm not... I don't agree that the series has redeemed itself. I'm still watching though only when I get around to clumps of episodes on DVR. So far this season, if you haven't been watching, there have been a lot of flashes of light and a lot of nose bleeds. That's about it. And those two things are the hallmark of what I am calling: The Time Travel Trident (and I don't mean the kind Poseidon carries) . Seriously, the time travel device in this series has been like taking a Sam's Club sized pack of Trident and chewing like mad to plug holes in the hull of an aesthetically pleasing, wonderfully innovative, but disastrously engineered ship. I'd like it to succeed but don't really see how it can. Spoiler alert... I guess? Now, I haven't seen the show where they actually get back on to the island yet. I'm going to do that this evening between watching basketball and *not* watching the Academy Awards. But, I've heard it was great. My bff said she has been on the edge of her seat all season and that show was epic. We've been known once or twice to disagree on these things. Someone charged that what's wrong with this season is that there has been little action because, finally, many questions are being answered. I stick some well chewed Trident to that opinion. My questions haven't been answered, but that could be because I've held on to those raised in the first couple of seasons. I have not been distracted by the bright shiny light in the sky and luckily have not succumbed to a bitch of a nosebleed. We did see Danielle Rousseaux show up on the island pregnant with her Bande des Frères. A bunch of the fellows fall in a hole and come out differnt (not misspelled, I'm from Alabama, that's how we say it). She shoots them and before our eyes, or rather I should say Voilà! We get a glimpse of the crazy she becomes later. The only mission she gets before everyone is dead, by the way, is to get to the radio tower to call for help. Convenient, but not an explanation. We already knew she came with a team. We already knew she was pregnant. We already knew she believed her team to have been infected with a disease. So what did I gain from that story line? Zip. I'm still confused about the survival/purpose of her kid, ya know the one that got the axe in front of Ben last year... or was it the year before... It occurs to me that I've spent too much time on this Lost silliness... Damn, somebody get me a beer... Or, better yet, somebody tell me why you think this season is great. I long to feel differently because despite me thinking that the writers of Lost are like the bank's in October (they got a big stimulus package but instead of offering any help and forging forward to build, they decided to do housekeeping, balance their books, only to demand more resources and patience later), I'm still watching the show. Grayson Reyes-Cole http://www.graysonreyescole.com Facebook Bright Star When evil is done for the greater good, a price must always be paid... In Print April 6, 2009 Ghost Writer Reviews: Grayson-Reyes Cole is an incredibly imaginative and original writer, and fans of dark fantasy, modern fantasy, and science fiction will enjoy Bright Star . Read the full review at http://ghostwriterreviews.com/index.php?main_page=product_infoproducts_id=608 From: ravenadal ravena...@... To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 9:16:49 AM Subject: [scifinoir2] Is Lost found? I hear Lost is good again. Anybody watching? (EW Subscriber: It is better to have loved Lost and lost than to have never loved Lost at all.). ~rave?
Re: [scifinoir2] The Death of Ghost Whisperer
And that's why I watch Medium. Because JLH's boobs can only compensate for so much. Justin On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 10:24 AM, ravenadal ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: http://ghostwhispereroncbs.wetpaint.com/thread/2132621/The+Death+of+Ghost+Whisperer?t=anon Fans of the Jennifer Love Hewitt drama were left heartbroken last season when an accidental shooting left the psychic's husband, Jim (David Conrad), in a coma in hospital. Hewitt's character woke up at his bedside to see her husband apparently awake and well, only to discover that she was speaking to his ghost. Yes, Jim had died and Ghost Whisperer fans are livid. Then they discovered Jim wasn't dead. Well, he was, but his spirit was still alive and living in another body! And Hewitt's character is the only one who can see him (good news for David Conrad who suddenly has something to do)! Complication: he doesn't remember her or their marriage! Payoff: fans get to see them fall in love all over again! ~(no)rave! -- Read the Bitter Guide to the Bitter Guy. http://thebitterguy.livejournal.com
RE: [scifinoir2] The Death of Ghost Whisperer
I adore medium. And to be fair, Mrs. Thomas Jane's boobs are bigger. Aubrey Leatherwood www.aubreyleatherwood.com FaceBook * MySpace The People You Know, The Sex They Have ROMANTIC TIMES NOMINEE FOR BEST CONTEMPORARY EROTICA 2008 ISBN: 978-0-9818905-0-0 Lyrical Press. Inc To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: justinmoha...@gmail.com Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 11:50:10 -0500 Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] The Death of Ghost Whisperer And that's why I watch Medium. Because JLH's boobs can only compensate for so much. Justin On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 10:24 AM, ravenadal ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: http://ghostwhispereroncbs.wetpaint.com/thread/2132621/The+Death+of+Ghost+Whisperer?t=anon Fans of the Jennifer Love Hewitt drama were left heartbroken last season when an accidental shooting left the psychic's husband, Jim (David Conrad), in a coma in hospital. Hewitt's character woke up at his bedside to see her husband apparently awake and well, only to discover that she was speaking to his ghost. Yes, Jim had died and Ghost Whisperer fans are livid. Then they discovered Jim wasn't dead. Well, he was, but his spirit was still alive and living in another body! And Hewitt's character is the only one who can see him (good news for David Conrad who suddenly has something to do)! Complication: he doesn't remember her or their marriage! Payoff: fans get to see them fall in love all over again! ~(no)rave! -- Read the Bitter Guide to the Bitter Guy. http://thebitterguy.livejournal.com _ Windows Live™ Hotmail®…more than just e-mail. http://windowslive.com/howitworks?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_t2_hm_justgotbetter_howitworks_022009
Re: [scifinoir2] The Death of Ghost Whisperer
True, but they aren't the stars of the show. Justin On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 11:57 AM, Aubrey Leatherwood aubrey.leatherw...@hotmail.com wrote: I adore medium. And to be fair, Mrs. Thomas Jane's boobs are bigger. Aubrey Leatherwood www.aubreyleatherwood.com FaceBook * MySpace The People You Know, The Sex They Have ROMANTIC TIMES NOMINEE FOR BEST CONTEMPORARY EROTICA 2008 ISBN: 978-0-9818905-0-0 Lyrical Press. Inc To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: justinmoha...@gmail.com Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 11:50:10 -0500 Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] The Death of Ghost Whisperer And that's why I watch Medium. Because JLH's boobs can only compensate for so much. Justin On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 10:24 AM, ravenadal ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: http://ghostwhispereroncbs.wetpaint.com/thread/2132621/The+Death+of+Ghost+Whisperer?t=anon Fans of the Jennifer Love Hewitt drama were left heartbroken last season when an accidental shooting left the psychic's husband, Jim (David Conrad), in a coma in hospital. Hewitt's character woke up at his bedside to see her husband apparently awake and well, only to discover that she was speaking to his ghost. Yes, Jim had died and Ghost Whisperer fans are livid. Then they discovered Jim wasn't dead. Well, he was, but his spirit was still alive and living in another body! And Hewitt's character is the only one who can see him (good news for David Conrad who suddenly has something to do)! Complication: he doesn't remember her or their marriage! Payoff: fans get to see them fall in love all over again! ~(no)rave! -- Read the Bitter Guide to the Bitter Guy. http://thebitterguy.livejournal.com Windows Live™ Hotmail(R)…more than just e-mail. See how it works. -- Read the Bitter Guide to the Bitter Guy. http://thebitterguy.livejournal.com Post your SciFiNoir Profile at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add?fmvn=mapYahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: mailto:scifinoir2-dig...@yahoogroups.com mailto:scifinoir2-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: scifinoir2-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[scifinoir2] Re: The Death of Ghost Whisperer
That was my exact same thought! It is Ms. Hewitt's hip-to-waist ratio that makes her yummy...but I digress. ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Aubrey Leatherwood aubrey.leatherw...@... wrote: Mrs. Thomas Jane's boobs are bigger. Aubrey Leatherwood www.aubreyleatherwood.com FaceBook * MySpace The People You Know, The Sex They Have ROMANTIC TIMES NOMINEE FOR BEST CONTEMPORARY EROTICA 2008 ISBN: 978-0-9818905-0-0 Lyrical Press. Inc To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: justinmoha...@... Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 11:50:10 -0500 Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] The Death of Ghost Whisperer And that's why I watch Medium. Because JLH's boobs can only compensate for so much. Justin On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 10:24 AM, ravenadal ravena...@... wrote: http://ghostwhispereroncbs.wetpaint.com/thread/2132621/The+Death+of+Ghost+Whisperer?t=anon Fans of the Jennifer Love Hewitt drama were left heartbroken last season when an accidental shooting left the psychic's husband, Jim (David Conrad), in a coma in hospital. Hewitt's character woke up at his bedside to see her husband apparently awake and well, only to discover that she was speaking to his ghost. Yes, Jim had died and Ghost Whisperer fans are livid. Then they discovered Jim wasn't dead. Well, he was, but his spirit was still alive and living in another body! And Hewitt's character is the only one who can see him (good news for David Conrad who suddenly has something to do)! Complication: he doesn't remember her or their marriage! Payoff: fans get to see them fall in love all over again! ~(no)rave! -- Read the Bitter Guide to the Bitter Guy. http://thebitterguy.livejournal.com _ Windows Live Hotmail® more than just e-mail. http://windowslive.com/howitworks?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_t2_hm_justgotbetter_howitworks_022009
[scifinoir2] The Dollhouse - The Target espisode: WTF?
The discussion about whose breasts are bigger - Miss Love Hewitt or Mrs. Thomas Jane(?) reminded me of how much I hated this week's episode of The Dollhouse. WTF was that? It was like a life action version of the video game where the sole intent is to throw Laura Croft off the cliff and to feed her to wild cougars. I mean the misogyny quotient was so high on that episode that I actually felt dirty fast forwarding through it. I understand there is a thin line between what passes for television drama and porn (especially that which is most popular with the moral majority) but jeez louise! I mean, come on...a human hunt? Phallic arrows? The woman as prey? Whose rape fantasy is this, anyway? ~(no)rave!
RE: [scifinoir2] The Death of Ghost Whisperer
Indeed, Justin! Aubrey Leatherwood www.aubreyleatherwood.com FaceBook * MySpace The People You Know, The Sex They Have ROMANTIC TIMES NOMINEE FOR BEST CONTEMPORARY EROTICA 2008 ISBN: 978-0-9818905-0-0 Lyrical Press. Inc To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: justinmoha...@gmail.com Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 12:00:54 -0500 Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] The Death of Ghost Whisperer True, but they aren't the stars of the show. Justin On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 11:57 AM, Aubrey Leatherwood aubrey.leatherw...@hotmail.com wrote: I adore medium. And to be fair, Mrs. Thomas Jane's boobs are bigger. Aubrey Leatherwood www.aubreyleatherwood.com FaceBook * MySpace The People You Know, The Sex They Have ROMANTIC TIMES NOMINEE FOR BEST CONTEMPORARY EROTICA 2008 ISBN: 978-0-9818905-0-0 Lyrical Press. Inc To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: justinmoha...@gmail.com Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 11:50:10 -0500 Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] The Death of Ghost Whisperer And that's why I watch Medium. Because JLH's boobs can only compensate for so much. Justin On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 10:24 AM, ravenadal ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: http://ghostwhispereroncbs.wetpaint.com/thread/2132621/The+Death+of+Ghost+Whisperer?t=anon Fans of the Jennifer Love Hewitt drama were left heartbroken last season when an accidental shooting left the psychic's husband, Jim (David Conrad), in a coma in hospital. Hewitt's character woke up at his bedside to see her husband apparently awake and well, only to discover that she was speaking to his ghost. Yes, Jim had died and Ghost Whisperer fans are livid. Then they discovered Jim wasn't dead. Well, he was, but his spirit was still alive and living in another body! And Hewitt's character is the only one who can see him (good news for David Conrad who suddenly has something to do)! Complication: he doesn't remember her or their marriage! Payoff: fans get to see them fall in love all over again! ~(no)rave! -- Read the Bitter Guide to the Bitter Guy. http://thebitterguy.livejournal.com Windows Live™ Hotmail(R)…more than just e-mail. See how it works. -- Read the Bitter Guide to the Bitter Guy. http://thebitterguy.livejournal.com Post your SciFiNoir Profile at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add?fmvn=mapYahoo! Groups Links _ It’s the same Hotmail®. If by “same” you mean up to 70% faster. http://windowslive.com/online/hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_AE_Same_022009
RE: [scifinoir2] The Dollhouse - The Target espisode: WTF?
I haven't watched it yet, and now I'm a little scared. But I'm going to be brave... for the group's sake. Aubrey Leatherwood www.aubreyleatherwood.com FaceBook * MySpace The People You Know, The Sex They Have ROMANTIC TIMES NOMINEE FOR BEST CONTEMPORARY EROTICA 2008 ISBN: 978-0-9818905-0-0 Lyrical Press. Inc To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: ravena...@yahoo.com Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 17:12:18 + Subject: [scifinoir2] The Dollhouse - The Target espisode: WTF? The discussion about whose breasts are bigger - Miss Love Hewitt or Mrs. Thomas Jane(?) reminded me of how much I hated this week's episode of The Dollhouse. WTF was that? It was like a life action version of the video game where the sole intent is to throw Laura Croft off the cliff and to feed her to wild cougars. I mean the misogyny quotient was so high on that episode that I actually felt dirty fast forwarding through it. I understand there is a thin line between what passes for television drama and porn (especially that which is most popular with the moral majority) but jeez louise! I mean, come on...a human hunt? Phallic arrows? The woman as prey? Whose rape fantasy is this, anyway? ~(no)rave! _ It’s the same Hotmail®. If by “same” you mean up to 70% faster. http://windowslive.com/online/hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_AE_Same_022009
Re: [scifinoir2] The Death of Ghost Whisperer
Blasphemy! BLASPHEMY! (ducking out nearest door, pointing at large Just Kidding sign on wall) -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : Re: [scifinoir2] The Death of Ghost Whisperer Date : Sun, 22 Feb 2009 11:50:10 -0500 From : Justin Mohareb justinmoha...@gmail.com To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com And that's why I watch Medium. Because JLH's boobs can only compensate for so much. Justin On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 10:24 AM, ravenadal wrote: http://ghostwhispereroncbs.wetpaint.com/thread/2132621/The+Death+of+Ghost+Whisperer?t=anon Fans of the Jennifer Love Hewitt drama were left heartbroken last season when an accidental shooting left the psychic's husband, Jim (David Conrad), in a coma in hospital. Hewitt's character woke up at his bedside to see her husband apparently awake and well, only to discover that she was speaking to his ghost. Yes, Jim had died and Ghost Whisperer fans are livid. Then they discovered Jim wasn't dead. Well, he was, but his spirit was still alive and living in another body! And Hewitt's character is the only one who can see him (good news for David Conrad who suddenly has something to do)! Complication: he doesn't remember her or their marriage! Payoff: fans get to see them fall in love all over again! ~(no)rave! -- Read the Bitter Guide to the Bitter Guy. http://thebitterguy.livejournal.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds
Re: [scifinoir2] The Dollhouse - The Target espisode: WTF?
Rave, I love you, but I have to say I think you're quite mad. This is just a retelling of a story that's older than pottery; The Most Dangerous Game is one of my favourite stories from childhood. The backstory to Dollhouse is finally being established. We're finally getting some sort of detail about the who and what's of it, and I'm thinking that it's good that we're getting questions. If a show's going to be a good serial, you need to be able to end an episode with a little WTF? on you. Justin On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 12:12 PM, ravenadal ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: The discussion about whose breasts are bigger - Miss Love Hewitt or Mrs. Thomas Jane(?) reminded me of how much I hated this week's episode of The Dollhouse. WTF was that? It was like a life action version of the video game where the sole intent is to throw Laura Croft off the cliff and to feed her to wild cougars. I mean the misogyny quotient was so high on that episode that I actually felt dirty fast forwarding through it. I understand there is a thin line between what passes for television drama and porn (especially that which is most popular with the moral majority) but jeez louise! I mean, come on...a human hunt? Phallic arrows? The woman as prey? Whose rape fantasy is this, anyway? ~(no)rave! -- Read the Bitter Guide to the Bitter Guy. http://thebitterguy.livejournal.com
[RE][scifinoir2] Dark Knight Billionaire
rave, *any* number, in the right math adept's hands, is bull's hit. And I forgive you for your use of the T-Word... -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Dark Knight Billionaire Date : Sun, 22 Feb 2009 16:17:27 - From : ravenadal ravena...@yahoo.com To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com The Dark Knight has become the fourth movie in history to take in more than $1 billion at the box office worldwide, according to Variety.com. Warner Bros. announced Friday that the movie has taken in $1 billion in theaters, including $533 million in North America. The other three movies to cross the $1 billion barrier are Titantic,The Lord of the Rings:The Return of the King, and The Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Of course, most of the above is bullshit. The top grossing movies of all time, adjusted for inflation are: Gone with the Wind, Star Wars, and The Sound of Music. The Dark Knight is number 27. ~rave! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds
[RE][scifinoir2] Is Lost found?
The question posed - Is 'Lost' found? The answer, to paraphrase Soul Brother #1, It's LOST... in the wilderness... Martin (bad quips can be avoided with a generous donation to the Martin Baxter Comic Book Fund) -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Is Lost found? Date : Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:16:49 - From : ravenadal ravena...@yahoo.com To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com I hear Lost is good again. Anybody watching? (EW Subscriber: It is better to have loved Lost and lost than to have never loved Lost at all.). ~rave? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds
[RE][scifinoir2] Hugo Awards add Graphic Novel Category
What do I see in my crystal ball? Why, it's Watchmen winning the first-ever Best Graphic Novel Hugo Award! Martin (hoping that Locke amp; Key wins) -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Hugo Awards add Graphic Novel Category Date : Sun, 22 Feb 2009 14:17:09 - From : ravenadal ravena...@yahoo.com To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Fri Aug 29, 2008 by Robert Greenberger Hugo Awards add Graphic Novel Category 2009 to Debut New Award When The Watchmen won the 1988 Hugo Award for Best Novel, horrified science fiction purists saw to it that graphic material be excluded from consideration. Until now that has remained the case but next year, the World Science Fiction convention will be adding the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story to the ballot to honor works in which illustrations are integral to the movement of the plot, whether or not text is present. The special Hugo, to be called Best Graphic Story, will cover any science fiction or fantasy narrative in graphic form appearing for the first time in 2008. It may potentially be ratified as an annual award at the WSFS Business meeting at the convention. Material to be considered will be any science fiction or fantasy narrative in graphic form appearing for the first time in 2008. Those who purchased memberships to this year's World Con, held in Denver, and next year's, will be eligible to nominate works whern the process begins next spring while only those holding 2009 memberships will be eligible to vote for the winner. The 2009 World Con will be Anticipation, held in Montreal from August 6-10 with guests of honor including Neil Gaiman, Élisabeth Vonarburg, Ralph Bakshi, Taral Wayne, Tom Doherty, David Hartwell, and Julie Czerneda. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds
[RE][scifinoir2] Watchmen: Sex! Blood! Superheroes!
It'll make the studio its money back, easily. But there will be a LOT of disappointed (read p*ssed-off) fans coming out of the theaters. Martin (again waving the Animation Now, Animation Forever banner) -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Watchmen: Sex! Blood! Superheroes! Date : Sun, 22 Feb 2009 14:00:04 - From : ravenadal ravena...@yahoo.com To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20259927,00.html By Jeff Jensen They have come to glimpse the miracle. They have come to witness the revolution. They have come for Watchmen the allegedly unfilmable superhero movie, the long-awaited adaptation of the comic book that changed the face of comic books forever. On this warm July morning, over 5,000 fans attending the annual geek pop summit known as Comic-Con have assembled inside the San Diego Convention Center for a first look. Many spent the night on the sidewalk. Some have come in costumes most modeled after Rorschach, a vigilante with an inkblot mask and a pitiless brand of justice that makes Batman look like Bambi. Behind the stage, indie-movie icon Kevin Smith, a.k.a. the Most Famous Fanboy in the World, parks himself in front of a closed-circuit TV, a happy grin on his bearded mug. ''You have to understand, I've been waiting for this moment for years,'' says Smith. ''This is it, man. This is the pinnacle. You have no idea how f---ing pumped I am.'' All this, for a violent, ironic superhero epic that doesn't like superheroes in the first place. Directed by 300's Zack Snyder, Watchmen presents a set of familiar superhero archetypes and then subverts them completely, turning them into criminals, jerks, narcissists, megalomaniacs, and plain ol' whiny wusses. Rorschach (Jackie Earl Haley) is like the Spirit...except he's a joyless, hard-line misanthrope. The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is like Captain America...but loyal only to sadistic thrills and a corrupt worldview. Nite Owl (Patrick Wilson) is part Batman, part Iron Man...except he's also a schlubby, impotent coward. Ozymandias (Matthew Goode) is the resident genius...who's built an empire on superhero toys. (You see what we mean by irony.) Says Billy Crudup, whose blue, naked Dr. Manhattan is an almighty Superman dangerously detached from his own humanity: ''Watchmen is a kind of thrilling thought experiment. What would people who dress up in costumes to fight crime actually be like? Well, they'd probably be fetishists who lived on the fringes of society. They'd all be a bunch of freaking lunatics.'' Yet for all its self-awareness and cynicism, Watchmen isn't some cheap-and-silly Scary Movie parody. Adapted faithfully, if not completely, from the celebrated 1986 comic-book series, Snyder's film is visually and intellectually ambitious, filled with heady ruminations about savior figures, pop culture, and the politics of fear. At a time when superhero stories are commonplace and our shaken country is pinning its recovery on an idealistic new president, Watchmen's director believes his movie can serve as a bracing blast of healthy skepticism. ''Someone asked me if I thought that because Barack Obama had been elected president, the movie was no longer relevant. I said, 'Wow, that's a very optimistic view of the future!''' says Snyder. ''The movie, like the comic, says, 'These superhero stories you've been feasting on? What if we took them seriously? What if we thought through the consequences? Where do they get us?' That's the fun.'' NEXT PAGE: ''I felt like Watchmen was this very, very bad thing that I shouldn't be reading, and if my mom caught me with it I'd be f---ing doomed.'' http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20259927,00.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds
Re: [RE][scifinoir2] Is Lost found?
Martin... charging is cruel. Grayson Reyes-Cole http://www.graysonreyescole.com Facebook Bright Star When evil is done for the greater good, a price must always be paid... In Print April 6, 2009 Ghost Writer Reviews: Grayson-Reyes Cole is an incredibly imaginative and original writer, and fans of dark fantasy, modern fantasy, and science fiction will enjoy “Bright Star” . Read the full review at http://ghostwriterreviews.com/index.php?main_page=product_infoproducts_id=608 From: Martin Baxter truthseeker...@lycos.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 11:36:35 AM Subject: [RE][scifinoir2] Is Lost found? The question posed - Is 'Lost' found? The answer, to paraphrase Soul Brother #1, It's LOST... in the wilderness.. . Martin (bad quips can be avoided with a generous donation to the Martin Baxter Comic Book Fund) -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Is Lost found? Date : Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:16:49 - From : ravenadal ravena...@yahoo. com To : scifino...@yahoogro ups.com I hear Lost is good again. Anybody watching? (EW Subscriber: It is better to have loved Lost and lost than to have never loved Lost at all.). ~rave? http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=JQdwk8Yntds
Re: [RE][scifinoir2] Hugo Awards add Graphic Novel Category
The Hugos tend to be for newer material. Plus, Watchmen already won one. Justin On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 12:39 PM, Martin Baxter truthseeker...@lycos.com wrote: What do I see in my crystal ball? Why, it's Watchmen winning the first-ever Best Graphic Novel Hugo Award! Martin (hoping that Locke amp; Key wins) -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Hugo Awards add Graphic Novel Category Date : Sun, 22 Feb 2009 14:17:09 - From : ravenadal ravena...@yahoo.com To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Fri Aug 29, 2008 — by Robert Greenberger Hugo Awards add Graphic Novel Category 2009 to Debut New Award When The Watchmen won the 1988 Hugo Award for Best Novel, horrified science fiction purists saw to it that graphic material be excluded from consideration. Until now that has remained the case but next year, the World Science Fiction convention will be adding the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story to the ballot to honor works in which illustrations are integral to the movement of the plot, whether or not text is present. The special Hugo, to be called Best Graphic Story, will cover any science fiction or fantasy narrative in graphic form appearing for the first time in 2008. It may potentially be ratified as an annual award at the WSFS Business meeting at the convention. Material to be considered will be any science fiction or fantasy narrative in graphic form appearing for the first time in 2008. Those who purchased memberships to this year's World Con, held in Denver, and next year's, will be eligible to nominate works whern the process begins next spring while only those holding 2009 memberships will be eligible to vote for the winner. The 2009 World Con will be Anticipation, held in Montreal from August 6-10 with guests of honor including Neil Gaiman, Élisabeth Vonarburg, Ralph Bakshi, Taral Wayne, Tom Doherty, David Hartwell, and Julie Czerneda. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds -- Read the Bitter Guide to the Bitter Guy. http://thebitterguy.livejournal.com Post your SciFiNoir Profile at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add?fmvn=mapYahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: mailto:scifinoir2-dig...@yahoogroups.com mailto:scifinoir2-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: scifinoir2-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[scifinoir2] Re: The Dollhouse - The Target espisode: WTF?
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. - Sigmund Freud There is no spoon. - Buddha Boy in The Matrix --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Justin Mohareb justinmoha...@... wrote: Rave, I love you, but I have to say I think you're quite mad. This is just a retelling of a story that's older than pottery; The Most Dangerous Game is one of my favourite stories from childhood. The backstory to Dollhouse is finally being established. We're finally getting some sort of detail about the who and what's of it, and I'm thinking that it's good that we're getting questions. If a show's going to be a good serial, you need to be able to end an episode with a little WTF? on you. Justin On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 12:12 PM, ravenadal ravena...@... wrote: The discussion about whose breasts are bigger - Miss Love Hewitt or Mrs. Thomas Jane(?) reminded me of how much I hated this week's episode of The Dollhouse. WTF was that? It was like a life action version of the video game where the sole intent is to throw Laura Croft off the cliff and to feed her to wild cougars. I mean the misogyny quotient was so high on that episode that I actually felt dirty fast forwarding through it. I understand there is a thin line between what passes for television drama and porn (especially that which is most popular with the moral majority) but jeez louise! I mean, come on...a human hunt? Phallic arrows? The woman as prey? Whose rape fantasy is this, anyway? ~(no)rave! -- Read the Bitter Guide to the Bitter Guy. http://thebitterguy.livejournal.com
[scifinoir2] Staid catalog now sells sex aids
I love this story. It encapsulates everything I know and believe. Is this a great country or what? ~rave! http://www.freep.com/article/20090217/NEWS07/902170310 February 17, 2009 Staid catalog now sells sexy But some say adding love aids to lineup is offensive BY JOHN CURRAN ASSOCIATED PRESS WESTON, Vt. -- For 64 years, it's been a mailbox staple, offering home remedies, kitchen wares and long-forgotten brands in hopes of helping consumers solve life's little problems, from spider veins to unwanted nose hair. But recently, the Vermont Country Store catalog made a surprising addition: sex aids. The inclusion of an Intimate Solutions section selling six-speed vibrators, instructional sex videos, pleasure gels and an all- natural arousal cream has prompted cancellation notices, irate letters and calls, and a sort of identity crisis for the staid New England brand. It's hard to read the customer letters, said Cabot Orton, 39, wincing as he sat in the store last week, talking about the response. His father, Lyman, is the store's proprietor. It makes me a little ill, really. The catalog started by Lyman Orton's father as a 12-page mailer in 1945 is now a $100-million-a-year business with retail locations in two Vermont towns. Its stock in trade: purveyors of the practical hard to find. You'll find heavy-duty toenail clippers and Vermont-made suspenders, Lanz of Salzburg nightgowns and pine tar soap and waterproof handbags, all presented with a dose of Yankee sensibility. Orton, a spry 67-year-old with a country storekeeper's sense of what sells and what doesn't, said the idea of helping older folks keep sexually active was his. It certainly would seem at odds with their wholesome, good-old-days approach, said George Hague, senior marketing strategist for J. Schmid Associates, a marketing research company in Mission, Kan. Anytime you stray beyond what is your marketing niche, there's always a concern. Orton's three sons, who are partners in the business, were leery at the prospect of adding something blue that might make customers see red. We thought he was crazy. We thought he was out of his mind, said Cabot Orton. The customers responded, all right -- some with their pens, some with their pocketbooks. I am one of the women who respects her God-given human femininity, wrote another now-former subscriber, in a longhand letter. These items are offensive to me. Orton figures he got 600 letters, most of them critical. Some called the offerings pornographic. Others told Orton his father wouldn't have approved. You'd think I suggested that we sell nuclear devices to terrorists, Orton said. In fact, the intimate items have been big sellers, though the company won't give sales data or say which items are moving the fastest. It turns out they wanted these products, and they spoke with their wallets, Cabot Orton said.
[scifinoir2] Re: The Dollhouse - The Target espisode: WTF?
--- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Justin Mohareb justinmoha...@... wrote: Rave, I love you, but I have to say I think you're quite mad. You say that like its a bad thing.
[scifinoir2] Oscar shorts: Oktapodi Rules!
These are the most resourceful, resilient and enterprising octopi I have ever seen in my life! If they can do this without back bones (heck, without backs) - Yes I can! ~rave! http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100684339
Re: [RE][scifinoir2] Hugo Awards add Graphic Novel Category
I know, Justin. Still... I'm sure you've gotten one of those feelings that just won't go away. This is mine. -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : Re: [RE][scifinoir2] Hugo Awards add Graphic Novel Category Date : Sun, 22 Feb 2009 12:58:37 -0500 From : Justin Mohareb justinmoha...@gmail.com To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com The Hugos tend to be for newer material. Plus, Watchmen already won one. Justin On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 12:39 PM, Martin Baxter wrote: What do I see in my crystal ball? Why, it's Watchmen winning the first-ever Best Graphic Novel Hugo Award! Martin (hoping that Locke amp; Key wins) -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Hugo Awards add Graphic Novel Category Date : Sun, 22 Feb 2009 14:17:09 - From : ravenadal To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Fri Aug 29, 2008 — by Robert Greenberger Hugo Awards add Graphic Novel Category 2009 to Debut New Award When The Watchmen won the 1988 Hugo Award for Best Novel, horrified science fiction purists saw to it that graphic material be excluded from consideration. Until now that has remained the case but next year, the World Science Fiction convention will be adding the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story to the ballot to honor works in which illustrations are integral to the movement of the plot, whether or not text is present. The special Hugo, to be called Best Graphic Story, will cover any science fiction or fantasy narrative in graphic form appearing for the first time in 2008. It may potentially be ratified as an annual award at the WSFS Business meeting at the convention. Material to be considered will be any science fiction or fantasy narrative in graphic form appearing for the first time in 2008. Those who purchased memberships to this year's World Con, held in Denver, and next year's, will be eligible to nominate works whern the process begins next spring while only those holding 2009 memberships will be eligible to vote for the winner. The 2009 World Con will be Anticipation, held in Montreal from August 6-10 with guests of honor including Neil Gaiman, Élisabeth Vonarburg, Ralph Bakshi, Taral Wayne, Tom Doherty, David Hartwell, and Julie Czerneda. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds -- Read the Bitter Guide to the Bitter Guy. http://thebitterguy.livejournal.com Post your SciFiNoir Profile at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add?fmvn=mapYahoo! Groups Links http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds
[RE][scifinoir2] Staid catalog now sells sex aids
rave, at times, when I fall across things like this, I'm reminded of the title of a Brian Wilson album from a few years back. I Just Wasn't Made For These Times... -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Staid catalog now sells sex aids Date : Sun, 22 Feb 2009 18:02:36 - From : ravenadal ravena...@yahoo.com To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com I love this story. It encapsulates everything I know and believe. Is this a great country or what? ~rave! http://www.freep.com/article/20090217/NEWS07/902170310 February 17, 2009 Staid catalog now sells sexy But some say adding love aids to lineup is offensive BY JOHN CURRAN ASSOCIATED PRESS WESTON, Vt. -- For 64 years, it's been a mailbox staple, offering home remedies, kitchen wares and long-forgotten brands in hopes of helping consumers solve life's little problems, from spider veins to unwanted nose hair. But recently, the Vermont Country Store catalog made a surprising addition: sex aids. The inclusion of an Intimate Solutions section selling six-speed vibrators, instructional sex videos, pleasure gels and an all- natural arousal cream has prompted cancellation notices, irate letters and calls, and a sort of identity crisis for the staid New England brand. It's hard to read the customer letters, said Cabot Orton, 39, wincing as he sat in the store last week, talking about the response. His father, Lyman, is the store's proprietor. It makes me a little ill, really. The catalog started by Lyman Orton's father as a 12-page mailer in 1945 is now a $100-million-a-year business with retail locations in two Vermont towns. Its stock in trade: purveyors of the practical amp; hard to find. You'll find heavy-duty toenail clippers and Vermont-made suspenders, Lanz of Salzburg nightgowns and pine tar soap and waterproof handbags, all presented with a dose of Yankee sensibility. Orton, a spry 67-year-old with a country storekeeper's sense of what sells and what doesn't, said the idea of helping older folks keep sexually active was his. It certainly would seem at odds with their wholesome, good-old-days approach, said George Hague, senior marketing strategist for J. Schmid amp; Associates, a marketing research company in Mission, Kan. Anytime you stray beyond what is your marketing niche, there's always a concern. Orton's three sons, who are partners in the business, were leery at the prospect of adding something blue that might make customers see red. We thought he was crazy. We thought he was out of his mind, said Cabot Orton. The customers responded, all right -- some with their pens, some with their pocketbooks. I am one of the women who respects her God-given human femininity, wrote another now-former subscriber, in a longhand letter. These items are offensive to me. Orton figures he got 600 letters, most of them critical. Some called the offerings pornographic. Others told Orton his father wouldn't have approved. You'd think I suggested that we sell nuclear devices to terrorists, Orton said. In fact, the intimate items have been big sellers, though the company won't give sales data or say which items are moving the fastest. It turns out they wanted these products, and they spoke with their wallets, Cabot Orton said. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds
Re: [RE][scifinoir2] Is Lost found?
LMNAO!!! I keep telling people that I'm fundamentally evil, but no one believes me... ;-) -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : Re: [RE][scifinoir2] Is Lost found? Date : Sun, 22 Feb 2009 09:45:44 -0800 (PST) From : Grayson Reyes-Cole grayson.reyesc...@yahoo.com To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Martin... charging is cruel. Grayson Reyes-Cole http://www.graysonreyescole.com Facebook Bright Star When evil is done for the greater good, a price must always be paid... In Print April 6, 2009 Ghost Writer Reviews: Grayson-Reyes Cole is an incredibly imaginative and original writer, and fans of dark fantasy, modern fantasy, and science fiction will enjoy “Bright Star” . Read the full review at http://ghostwriterreviews.com/index.php?main_page=product_infoamp;products_id=608 From: Martin Baxter To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 11:36:35 AM Subject: [RE][scifinoir2] Is Lost found? The question posed - Is 'Lost' found? The answer, to paraphrase Soul Brother #1, It's LOST... in the wilderness.. . Martin (bad quips can be avoided with a generous donation to the Martin Baxter Comic Book Fund) -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Is Lost found? Date : Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:16:49 - From : ravenadal To : scifino...@yahoogro ups.com I hear Lost is good again. Anybody watching? (EW Subscriber: It is better to have loved Lost and lost than to have never loved Lost at all.). ~rave? http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=JQdwk8Yntds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds
RE: [RE][scifinoir2] Is Lost found?
I BELIEVE you, Martin! You KNOW I believe you!!! LOLLOL!!! And who says that's a BAD thing??? _ From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:scifino...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Martin Baxter Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 4:15 PM To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [RE][scifinoir2] Is Lost found? LMNAO!!! I keep telling people that I'm fundamentally evil, but no one believes me... ;-) -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : Re: [RE][scifinoir2] Is Lost found? Date : Sun, 22 Feb 2009 09:45:44 -0800 (PST) From : Grayson Reyes-Cole grayson.reyesc...@yahoo.com To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Martin... charging is cruel. Grayson Reyes-Cole http://www.graysonreyescole.com Facebook Bright Star When evil is done for the greater good, a price must always be paid... In Print April 6, 2009 Ghost Writer Reviews: Grayson-Reyes Cole is an incredibly imaginative and original writer, and fans of dark fantasy, modern fantasy, and science fiction will enjoy Bright Star . Read the full review at http://ghostwriterreviews.com/index.php?main_page=product_infoproducts_id=6 08 From: Martin Baxter To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 11:36:35 AM Subject: [RE][scifinoir2] Is Lost found? The question posed - Is 'Lost' found? The answer, to paraphrase Soul Brother #1, It's LOST... in the wilderness.. .. Martin (bad quips can be avoided with a generous donation to the Martin Baxter Comic Book Fund) -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Is Lost found? Date : Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:16:49 - From : ravenadal To : scifino...@yahoogro ups.com I hear Lost is good again. Anybody watching? (EW Subscriber: It is better to have loved Lost and lost than to have never loved Lost at all.). ~rave? http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=JQdwk8Yntds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds
RE: [scifinoir2] The Death of Ghost Whisperer
Amen to that. Additionally, Medium evolves every season. It is not just the dead person of the week. I love what they are doing this season. Long Live Medium!! From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:scifino...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Grayson Reyes-Cole Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 7:49 AM To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] The Death of Ghost Whisperer Why, Rave? Why? Grayson Reyes-Cole http://www.graysonreyescole.com http://www.graysonreyescole.com/ Facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1404676985 Bright Star http://www.lyricalpress.com/bright_star.html When evil is done for the greater good, a price must always be paid... In Print April 6, 2009 Ghost Writer Reviews: Grayson-Reyes Cole is an incredibly imaginative and original writer, and fans of dark fantasy, modern fantasy, and science fiction will enjoy Bright Star . Read the full review at http://ghostwriterreviews.com/index.php?main_page=product_info http://ghostwriterreviews.com/index.php?main_page=product_infoproducts_id= 608 products_id=608 _ From: ravenadal ravena...@yahoo.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 9:24:41 AM Subject: [scifinoir2] The Death of Ghost Whisperer http://ghostwhisper eroncbs.wetpaint .com/thread/ 2132621/The+ http://ghostwhispereroncbs.wetpaint.com/thread/2132621/The+Death+of+Ghost+W hisperer?t=anon Death+of+ Ghost+Whisperer? t=anon Fans of the Jennifer Love Hewitt drama were left heartbroken last season when an accidental shooting left the psychic's husband, Jim (David Conrad), in a coma in hospital. Hewitt's character woke up at his bedside to see her husband apparently awake and well, only to discover that she was speaking to his ghost. Yes, Jim had died and Ghost Whisperer fans are livid. Then they discovered Jim wasn't dead. Well, he was, but his spirit was still alive and living in another body! And Hewitt's character is the only one who can see him (good news for David Conrad who suddenly has something to do)! Complication: he doesn't remember her or their marriage! Payoff: fans get to see them fall in love all over again! ~(no)rave!
RE: [scifinoir2] The Death of Ghost Whisperer
MEOW :-) -Original Message- From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:scifino...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Justin Mohareb Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 9:01 AM To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] The Death of Ghost Whisperer True, but they aren't the stars of the show. Justin On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 11:57 AM, Aubrey Leatherwood aubrey.leatherw...@hotmail.com wrote: I adore medium. And to be fair, Mrs. Thomas Jane's boobs are bigger. Aubrey Leatherwood www.aubreyleatherwood.com FaceBook * MySpace The People You Know, The Sex They Have ROMANTIC TIMES NOMINEE FOR BEST CONTEMPORARY EROTICA 2008 ISBN: 978-0-9818905-0-0 Lyrical Press. Inc To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: justinmoha...@gmail.com Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 11:50:10 -0500 Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] The Death of Ghost Whisperer And that's why I watch Medium. Because JLH's boobs can only compensate for so much. Justin On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 10:24 AM, ravenadal ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: http://ghostwhispereroncbs.wetpaint.com/thread/2132621/The+Death+of+Ghost+Wh isperer?t=anon Fans of the Jennifer Love Hewitt drama were left heartbroken last season when an accidental shooting left the psychic's husband, Jim (David Conrad), in a coma in hospital. Hewitt's character woke up at his bedside to see her husband apparently awake and well, only to discover that she was speaking to his ghost. Yes, Jim had died and Ghost Whisperer fans are livid. Then they discovered Jim wasn't dead. Well, he was, but his spirit was still alive and living in another body! And Hewitt's character is the only one who can see him (good news for David Conrad who suddenly has something to do)! Complication: he doesn't remember her or their marriage! Payoff: fans get to see them fall in love all over again! ~(no)rave! -- Read the Bitter Guide to the Bitter Guy. http://thebitterguy.livejournal.com Windows LiveT Hotmail(R).more than just e-mail. See how it works. -- Read the Bitter Guide to the Bitter Guy. http://thebitterguy.livejournal.com Post your SciFiNoir Profile at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add?fmvn=mapYa hoo! Groups Links
[scifinoir2] Another sign of the Apocalypse: Madea goes to Jail=$41 million box office
The subject line says it all. In better news, Friday the 13th declined 81%.
[scifinoir2] UFO Sighting Hot Spots in America
U.S. Map of the Top UFO Hotspots and How to Report a Sighting Where is UFO country? PM went to the Center for UFO Studies' database to find out where the top counties for UFO spotting reside and how they coincide with air traffic control boundaries. Here are the top regions for UFO spots along with tips on how to report a sighting. By Phil Patton, with additional reporting by Davin Coburn, Erin McCarthy, Joe Pappalardo and Erik Sofge Where is UFO country? To find out, PM consulted the Center for UFO Studies, which maintains a database http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/air_space/4304768.html?series=74 of sightings reported from 1947 to 2005. Illinois-based CUFOS gathers data from UFO reporting groups and public records, including Project Blue Book. (If several people report the same sighting, CUFOS registers it as a single event.) For a broad comparison, we ranked both metropolitan and more sparsely settled counties. http://services.nirvanix.com/polldaddy/polldaddy/images/a8769832-a77f-47bb- 83cd-48a599d5901c.jpg http://services.nirvanix.com/polldaddy/polldaddy/images/a8769832-a77f-47bb-8 3cd-48a599d5901c_sml.jpg Do you think that UFOs are alien spacecraft? Yes, and I've seen them. I want to believe. No way! View Results javascript:PD_vote1388233(1); Do you http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/1388233/ think that UFOs are alien spacecraft? ( surveys http://www.polldaddy.com ) Why did these 10 top the list? Perhaps because some are close to military training http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/air_space/4304768.html?series=74 zones called Special Use Airspace. An uptick in sightings over Santa Rosa County, Fla., could stem from the presence of an air wing that tests every fighter, bomber, unmanned aerial vehicle and -weapon in the Air Force inventory. Military refueling lanes crisscross the nation, and lights from air tankers and warplanes flying at night in close formation could appear as triangles of light from the ground. Psychology may also play a role. Westmoreland County, Pa. (pop. 362,326), which records more sightings than the metro Houston area (pop. 3.9 million), includes Kecksburg, the location of a reputed 1965 UFO crash. Residents there may be more likely to report strange lights to a UFO group. _ What to do Before You Report a UFO By Joe Pappalardo So you've just seen some eery lights in the sky, glowing orbs that moved in strange ways. This is a UFO report waiting to happen. But before you go tell all to the MUFON http://www.mufon.com/ it could help to check what's in the sky in your area. Here is your 3-step checklist. 1. Is it Venus? First, you might want to check with your local astronomer to determine the location of Venus. The uncanny brilliance of the planet has inspired many UFO reports, including one made by President Jimmy Carter. The remainder of February is a great time to watch for Venus because it will be at its brightest in the evening twilight sky. In the weeks ahead, Venus will be coming closer still to Earth, the dedicated skywatchers at www.earthsky.org wrote yesterday. But it will be showing us less and less of its lighted hemisphere as it prepares to pass between us and the sun. So now is the time of maximum brilliance. Earthsky.org http://www.earthsky.org/ and Space.com http://www.space.com/nightsky/ have updates on prominent celestial happenings that might explain your UFO. If you feel like spending money, programs http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/air_space/4304768.html?series=74 like Starry Night are available for download. 2. Is it a military exercise? There's no way to tell when and where the military is conducting flights, right? Wrong. The FAA needs to tell pilots when military airspace is being used to keep collisions from happening. This website http://sua.faa.gov/sua/Welcome.do tracks which sections of special use airspace will be used for military flights. This includes military operations areas and aerial refueling Missions. For a list of airbases, airports and special use airspace, also see seeandavoid.org http://www.popularmechanics.com/www.seeandavoid.org/ , a website established by the Defense Safety Oversight Council to deter midair collisions. 3. Is it an Earthling's spaceship? Satellites and spacecraft can be tracked via NASA's http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/ website. They use data from flight centers to track satellites and spacecraft. There is a text-based version and an 300 K appl http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/air_space/4304768.html?series=74 image001.jpg
Re: [scifinoir2] The Dollhouse - The Target espisode: WTF?
I agree with Justin about the show. I don't know if Rave is mad or not ;) It seems to me that Joss is doing most stuff right. He's laying good ground work and already developing strong sympathetic characters. If you're not watching this, you're making a big mistake. If you don't like it, you probably need to revisit it. This is Joss Whedon doing what he does best though admittedly not at his absolute best thus far. That said, the stage is set for him to really shine. If this show survives, I'm sure he will deliver the goods as always. Bosco --- On Sun, 2/22/09, Justin Mohareb justinmoha...@gmail.com wrote: From: Justin Mohareb justinmoha...@gmail.com Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] The Dollhouse - The Target espisode: WTF? To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Date: Sunday, February 22, 2009, 11:24 AM Rave, I love you, but I have to say I think you're quite mad. This is just a retelling of a story that's older than pottery; The Most Dangerous Game is one of my favourite stories from childhood. The backstory to Dollhouse is finally being established. We're finally getting some sort of detail about the who and what's of it, and I'm thinking that it's good that we're getting questions. If a show's going to be a good serial, you need to be able to end an episode with a little WTF? on you. Justin On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 12:12 PM, ravenadal ravena...@yahoo. com wrote: The discussion about whose breasts are bigger - Miss Love Hewitt or Mrs. Thomas Jane(?) reminded me of how much I hated this week's episode of The Dollhouse. WTF was that? It was like a life action version of the video game where the sole intent is to throw Laura Croft off the cliff and to feed her to wild cougars. I mean the misogyny quotient was so high on that episode that I actually felt dirty fast forwarding through it. I understand there is a thin line between what passes for television drama and porn (especially that which is most popular with the moral majority) but jeez louise! I mean, come on...a human hunt? Phallic arrows? The woman as prey? Whose rape fantasy is this, anyway? ~(no)rave! -- Read the Bitter Guide to the Bitter Guy. http://thebitterguy .livejournal. com
Re: [scifinoir2] Another sign of the Apocalypse: Madea goes to Jail=$41 million box office
I took my wife to see The International today at a theatre in Buckhead, the rich/party area of Atlanta. It's a five-dollar theatre that few people know about--at least, even with those cheap prices, I rarely see showings that are full. But today, walking out of our movie, I was greeted by the sight of dozens of people standing in line. And what were they going to see? You guessed it... - Original Message - From: ravenadal ravena...@yahoo.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 6:43:41 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] Another sign of the Apocalypse: Madea goes to Jail=$41 million box office The subject line says it all. In better news, Friday the 13th declined 81%.
[scifinoir2] Re: The Dollhouse - The Target espisode: WTF?
I may be mad but am I wrong? (Maybe I was just creeped out by the Mark Singer doppleganger who played the bad guy. Mark Singer has always creeped me out with his long, lean, muscular angularity - Ron Ely and Charleston Heston have affected me the same way - yeech!). But for real doh - guy has sex with gal and then gives her a five minute head start with nothing but the clothes on her back before he goes after her with a high-powered bow and arrow? Rhianna had more of a chance with Chris Brown. I mean, the human chase may be a time-honored narrative convention (and by that I mean I shopworn and cliched) but I didn't think this scenario was cute when Rutger Hauer was the hunter and Ice-T was the hunted in a little movie called Surviving the Game (1994) - a movie surprisingly (not!) similar to The Target except Hauer fattens Ice-T up by feeding him a sumptuous meal before giving him his five minute head start. A good lay instead of a good meal? Nothing misogynistic about that. ~(no)rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Bosco Bosco ironpi...@... wrote: I agree with Justin about the show. I don't know if Rave is mad or not ;) It seems to me that Joss is doing most stuff right. He's laying good ground work and already developing strong sympathetic characters. If you're not watching this, you're making a big mistake. If you don't like it, you probably need to revisit it. This is Joss Whedon doing what he does best though admittedly not at his absolute best thus far. That said, the stage is set for him to really shine. If this show survives, I'm sure he will deliver the goods as always. Bosco --- On Sun, 2/22/09, Justin Mohareb justinmoha...@... wrote: From: Justin Mohareb justinmoha...@... Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] The Dollhouse - The Target espisode: WTF? To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Date: Sunday, February 22, 2009, 11:24 AM Rave, I love you, but I have to say I think you're quite mad. This is just a retelling of a story that's older than pottery; The Most Dangerous Game is one of my favourite stories from childhood. The backstory to Dollhouse is finally being established. We're finally getting some sort of detail about the who and what's of it, and I'm thinking that it's good that we're getting questions. If a show's going to be a good serial, you need to be able to end an episode with a little WTF? on you. Justin On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 12:12 PM, ravenadal ravena...@yahoo. com wrote: The discussion about whose breasts are bigger - Miss Love Hewitt or Mrs. Thomas Jane(?) reminded me of how much I hated this week's episode of The Dollhouse. WTF was that? It was like a life action version of the video game where the sole intent is to throw Laura Croft off the cliff and to feed her to wild cougars. I mean the misogyny quotient was so high on that episode that I actually felt dirty fast forwarding through it. I understand there is a thin line between what passes for television drama and porn (especially that which is most popular with the moral majority) but jeez louise! I mean, come on...a human hunt? Phallic arrows? The woman as prey? Whose rape fantasy is this, anyway? ~(no)rave! -- Read the Bitter Guide to the Bitter Guy. http://thebitterguy .livejournal. com
[scifinoir2] Re: Oscar shorts: Oktapodi Rules!
The Octopi lost! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, ravenadal ravena...@... wrote: These are the most resourceful, resilient and enterprising octopi I have ever seen in my life! If they can do this without back bones (heck, without backs) - Yes I can! ~rave! http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100684339
[scifinoir2] FW: Gene Therapy Offers Hope of Cure for HIV
-Original Message- From: African-Americans in Higher Education [mailto:afam...@listserv.muohio.edu] On Behalf Of Coates, Rodney D. Dr. Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 6:57 PM To: afam...@listserv.muohio.edu Subject: [AFAMHED] FW: Gene Therapy Offers Hope of Cure for HIV Gene Therapy Offers Hope of Cure for HIV by: Jeremy Laurance The Independent UK 12 February 2009 http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/gene-therapy-offers-hope-of-cure-for-hiv-1607227.html Doctors have succeeded in ridding a man of the HIV virus by giving him a bone marrow transplant in what they claim is the closest treatment yet to a cure for the disease. The remarkable case gives new impetus to the development of gene therapy for HIV which could ultimately replace the need for expensive and toxic antiretroviral drugs. Instead of taking drugs for life, HIV sufferers might instead have a one-off treatment that would leave them virus-free. The 42-year-old American had been infected with HIV for a decade. He was treated with antiretroviral drugs in Berlin, where he lives, for four years to hold the disease in check, but then developed leukaemia. Since being given a bone marrow transplant two years ago, he has not taken antiretroviral drugs to control HIV and has had no resurgence of either disease. He is believed to be the longest HIV-free survivor who was previously treated with antiretroviral drugs. Full details of the case are published for the first time today in The New England Journal of Medicine. An editorial in the journal says it places further emphasis on gene therapies for HIV, adding: The case paves the way for innovative approaches that provide long-lasting viral control with limited toxicities for persons with HIV infection. The man's treatment began with a search by doctors at Berlin's Charité Hospital for a bone marrow donor with a genetic resistance to HIV. One of the strangest features of the disease is the way some people who have been exposed to the virus on many occasions remain uninfected. Twenty years ago, it was noticed that certain prostitutes in Nairobi remained uninfected despite exposure to the virus through thousands of sexual contacts. It has since emerged that some people carry a mutation of a gene (CCR5) that confers protection against HIV. In Western populations an estimated one to three per cent have the mutation. Dr Gero Hutter, a haematologist at the Berlin Charité Hospital, and colleagues tested 61 potential donors before they found one with the CCR5 genetic mutation, who agreed to the operation. The American recipient of the transplant, who runs a holiday rentals business in the German capital, has undergone regular checks in the two years since the treatment. The doctors have tested his bone marrow, blood and tissues and found no sign of HIV. For as long as the viral load remains undetectable, this patient will not require antiretroviral therapy, they say in the journal. Speaking to The Independent yesterday, Dr Hutter said there had been several previous reports of patients being virus-free following treatment but none to compare with the latest case. The difference is that in our patient we had a plan. It was not an accident, he added. It is the longest time someone who has had antiretroviral therapy and stopped has lasted without the virus rebounding. Normally it rebounds within weeks. It is the closest we have come to a cure. Dr Hutter said a bone marrow transplant would be too risky as a routine treatment for HIV and too difficult to find donors with the right genetic make-up. But a modification of the approach using gene therapy to render a patient HIV-resistant could work, he said. Even a costly treatment could be worthwhile. The price of treatment with antiretrovirals in Europe is _70,000 to _80,000 (£63,000 to £72,000) a year compared with a one-off cost of _20,000 to _30,000 for a bone marrow transplant. Dr Hutter said: When I started in medicine, HIV was completely untreatable. Now the situation has changed completely. Perhaps our case is a glimpse of hope for the future. Professor Jay Levy, an AIDS specialist at the University of California, and author of the US journal's editorial, said claims that the patient had been cured of HIV would be premature because of the virus's capacity to hide in other parts of the body including the brain, gut, liver and lymphatic system, from which it could always re-emerge. Nevertheless, the results ... provide further encouragement for those examining approaches to treatment that reduce CCR5 expression in persons with HIV infection, he writes. In 2007, an estimated two million people died from AIDS and 2.7 million were newly infected with HIV. 25 Years of Research: The HIV Virus When the discovery of HIV was announced in 1984, US politicians predicted that a cure for AIDS would be found within five years, but it is still a distant
