Saturday, January 29, 2011
FRANCOAND HATHAWAY PREPARE TO HOST ACADEMIES
James Franco and Anne Hathaway have appeared in some ads to promote the upcoming 83rd Annual Academy Awards. The first video is not quite impressive, showing them practicing the best way to say their promotional lines but the actress still feels she is not good enough at the end.
The other promo video is funnier as it follows them preparing for the worst possible live-show disasters. The "127 Hours" star, who is nominated for Best Lead Actor at the show, lets his co-host fall during a dance mishap, but he comes to Hathaway's rescue when she has a wardrobe malfunction on stage.
DREAMING OF … SNAKES
To see a lone snake and feel threatened by it shows that you have a bad enemy that is working against you, it also a warning against bodily harm from an enemy.
To dream of many snakes in a pit is the foreboding of much bad luck in love or business.
Should you overcome and kill a threatening snake in your dream shows that you will overcome your adversary and win out.
EXPENSIVE FOUNTAIN PENS
CREW 60TH White Gold – Tebaldi fountain pens
Price: $43,000
TIBALDI Pens CREW 60TH are a landmark in pen making history with Bentley, the automobile giant creating its own handcrafted pen sets in association with the world’s best Italian luxury designer pen maker, Tebaldi.
These expensive Tebaldi for Bentley pens have a two-tone 18-carat yellow gold nib covered in rhodium and ruthenium. The pen’s barrel has the fine finish identical to Bentley’s dashboard. This finish was first used in Bentley’s earliest car with a technique called engine tuning. The pen’s cap and upper and lower barrel parts are knurled for a good grip while writing for the executive.
You can see the level of ink through the transparent window of the Tebaldi for Bentley pens. A handmade tie shaped clip on the pen marks Tebaldi’s signature.
The Tebaldi for Bentley Crewe 60th white gold fountain pen collection is a limited edition of 40 solid white gold fountain pens
LANGUAGE TRIVIA ... THROWING HAT IN THE RING
The term "throw one's hat in the ring" comes from boxing, where throwing a hat into the ring once signified a challenge. Today it nearly always signifies political candidacy.
REMINISCING … BRITT EKLAND
SUPERSTITIONS … ACORNS
An acorn should be carried to bring luck and ensure a long life. |
An acorn at the window will keep lightning out |
A COLLECTION OF CUTE SAYINGS
In 1989, Michael J. Irvin distributed the following brief collection of cute sayings:
• A closed mouth gathers no feet.
• A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance.
• A penny saved is ridiculous.
• All that glitters has a high refractive index.
• Any small object when dropped will hide under a larger object.
• Of the choice of two evils, I pick the one I've never tried before.
• Death is Nature's way of saying, "Slow down."
• Don't force it; get a larger hammer.
• Don't hate yourself in the morning—sleep till noon.
• Drive defensively—buy a tank.
• Entropy isn't what it used to be.
• Fairy tales: horror stories for children, to get them used to reality.
• Familiarity breeds children.
• History does not repeat itself; historians merely repeat each other.
• It's not hard to meet expenses; they're everywhere.
• Lynch's Law: When the going gets tough, everyone leaves.
• Mediocrity thrives on standardization.
• Never lick a gift horse in the mouth.
• Old MacDonald had an agricultural real estate tax abatement.
• "Reality"—the only obstacle to happiness.
• The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.
• The road to success is always under construction.
• Those who can't write, write Help files.
• To err is human; to really foul things up requires a computer.
• Today is the last day of your life so far.
• When all else fails, read the instructions.
• When in doubt, don't bother.
FAT MAKING CENTRAL HEATING
Central heating can make you fat. Experts say many of us now keep our homes so cozy that we no longer have to burn as many calories to naturally warm up our bodies. Even when we do venture out, it is often via heated cars to offices and workplaces where the temperature is carefully controlled.
If the body is already warm it does not need to convert a brown fat known as adipose tissue into energy to generate heat. This latest study suggested that prolonged exposure to comfortable warm temperatures may permanently reduce the body’s ability to burn this brown fat.
TRIVIA BITS ... COLOURED STATUES
Until the time of Michelangelo, many sculptors colored their statues, and most from ancient Greece and Rome at one time had been painted or “polychromed.” Over the course of years, rain washed the colors off the marble.
JUDI DENCH COMFIRMED TO PLAY M
Dame Judi Dench has confirmed she'll be back as James Bond's boss in the much-anticipated 23rd 007 adventure "Bond 23". The British thespian has played MI6 boss M in six Bond films and she'll return for her seventh this year.
She says, "I'm looking forward hugely to working with Daniel (Craig) again and with (director) Sam Mendes, who I've only ever worked with in the theatre." The new Bond film is expected to go into production later this year and will hit cinemas in November, 2012.
Friday, January 28, 2011
AN IMAGE CHANGE FOR RUPERT GRINT?
Actor Rupert Grint is planning to follow his "Harry Potter" co-star Emma Watson's lead by completely changing his image to mark the end of the wizard franchise.
The stars wrapped filming on the final instalment of the movie series last year and Watson celebrated by chopping off her locks to sport a long-desired pixie crop.
And Grint is also planning a drastic transformation.
He tells Britain's Daily Star, "I'm going to shave off my hair or at least dye it. People always recognize me because of this hair"
TRIVIA BITS … ATLANTIC CHARTER
The Atlantic Charter (1942) had four ambitions: to promote democratic government, to encourage free trade, to support a fair distribution of prosperity and to facilitate arms reduction.
MOVIE ADAPTATION OF “GIRLS LIKE US”
MOVIE TRIVIA … LAST CINEMA RELEASES
Bette Davis 1989 Wicked Stepmother
Synopsis:
A family discovers that an aged stepmother is actually a witch. Davis walked off the film shortly before she died, and was replaced by Carrera. Davis's move was wise; the result is dismal, and would have been had she stayed. As it is the viewer wonders: How come the stepmother isn't Davis anymore? Davis's unfortunate last role.
Marlene Dietrich 1978 Just a Gigolo
Synopsis:
Bowie stars in this unusual melodrama about a Prussian war vet turned male prostitute. He spends most of his time working for the sexiest of women. Splendid cast, but a bit incoherent.
Errol Flynn 1959 Cuban Rebel Girls
Written and narrated by Flynn, who was sympathetic to Fidel Castro at the time, the film is a semi-documentary. It is filmed in black and white with a screen time of 68 minutes. The storyline follows a group of mercenaries helping Castro against Fulgencio Batista.
DREAMING OF … A DECEASED PERSON
If you should dream of a deceased person and this person speaks only to you, pay close attention to what the spirit is telling you as it could be very important to you.
To dream of seeing a deceased person is normally a dream of warning, and it tells you that the influences around you at this time do not bode well for your affairs, and you should not enter into any binding contracts or verbal agreements.
A TIME TO DO NOTHING!
A new website Do Nothing For 2 Minutes.com is challenging you to do absolutely nothing, for two whole minutes.
The site shows a photograph of the ocean at sunset and plays the sound of waves crashing on a beach. It advises: “Just relax and listen to the waves. Don’t touch your mouse or keyboard.”
If you don’t follow the instructions and begin to fidget, type, scroll, or move your mouse, the two-minute timer resets itself and a red “FAIL” appears on the screen. Check it out: http://www.donothingfor2minutes.com
“HOBBIT” DELAYED DUE TO JACKSON SURGERY
Director Peter Jackson has undergone surgery for a perforated ulcer after he was admitted to hospital with acute stomach pains on Wednesday, January 26. The moviemaker, who is in his native New Zealand, began suffering discomfort earlier this week and on Wednesday he checked into Wellington Hospital.
He underwent an operation to treat a perforated ulcer and is now resting comfortably, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Production on the highly-anticipated "Lord of the Rings prequel", "The Hobbit", will be postponed to allow Jackson to make a full recovery.
LANGUAGE TRIVIA ...BOWIE KNIFE
James Bowie (1790-1836) was an American pioneer who invented the curved sheath knife named after him. He was killed at the Battle of the Alamo.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
JET LI IS NOW SINGAPOREAN CITIZEN
Chinese movie star Jet Li has become a Singaporean citizen. The kung fu legend was born in Beijing, China, but has held an American passport for the last two decades.
He has settled in Singapore in recent years and has now confirmed he's become an official citizen of the Asian country so his children can benefit from the education system which teaches both English and Mandarin to Chinese students.
COUPLES DON’T AGREE TO BE MONOGAMOUS
A lot of couples actually don’t agree on monogamy. A study at Oregon State University, that involved 434 young heterosexual couples ages 18-25, found in 40 percent of couples — both married and unmarried — only one partner says the couple agreed to be sexually exclusive, while the other partner said there was no agreement.
Even among the couples who agreed they had an explicit agreement to be monogamous, almost 30 percent say at least one partner had sex outside the relationship. Interestingly, couples with children were less likely to have a monogamy agreement in place, while married couples were no more likely to have an explicit monogamy agreement than unmarried couples.