Last week's issue of New York Magazine was a double-issue; therefore, there isn't a new Approval Matrix this week. Please peruse the archives, and I'll be back next Monday with the new Approval Matrix.
Btw, last Monday the 23rd, was the one-year anniversay of Behind The Approval Matrix! Happy anniversary, and thanks for reading! You can read the very first post here.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Bridgeport Man Orders Python to Attack Police
4th\SW Quadrant The Approval Matrix
By MSNBC
Police here say they arrested a man after he ordered his pet to attack two officers.
Police Lt. James Viadero says 21-year-old Victor Rodriguez was charged with threatening police and disorderly conduct after Monday's incident. No one was hurt.
Officers were called to Rodriguez's apartment on a report that he was threatening his girlfriend with the pet reptile.
Viadero says that when the building superintendent opened the apartment door for the officers, Rodriguez allegedly threatened them with the snake and told it to "Get them!"
Rodriguez and his pet were both taken away: Rodriguez to jail on a $10,000 bond, and the albino python to the city's animal control shelter.
By MSNBC
Police here say they arrested a man after he ordered his pet to attack two officers.
Police Lt. James Viadero says 21-year-old Victor Rodriguez was charged with threatening police and disorderly conduct after Monday's incident. No one was hurt.
Officers were called to Rodriguez's apartment on a report that he was threatening his girlfriend with the pet reptile.
Viadero says that when the building superintendent opened the apartment door for the officers, Rodriguez allegedly threatened them with the snake and told it to "Get them!"
Rodriguez and his pet were both taken away: Rodriguez to jail on a $10,000 bond, and the albino python to the city's animal control shelter.
The Intelligent-Design Theme of "The Happening"
4th\SW Quadrant The Approval Matrix
By Annalee Newitz\io9
M. Night Shyamalan's critically-panned flick The Happening is Hollywood's first blockbuster to promote the anti-evolutionary theory of intelligent design. With its references to "unexplained acts of nature" and a science teacher main character who calls evolution "just a theory," The Happening is basically a giant propaganda machine for intelligent design.
Avowed Christian Shyamalan told us that The Happening is really about religious faith, and explained that he chose Mark Wahlberg to play science teacher Elliot Moore because of the actor's intense belief in Jesus.
By Annalee Newitz\io9M. Night Shyamalan's critically-panned flick The Happening is Hollywood's first blockbuster to promote the anti-evolutionary theory of intelligent design. With its references to "unexplained acts of nature" and a science teacher main character who calls evolution "just a theory," The Happening is basically a giant propaganda machine for intelligent design.
Avowed Christian Shyamalan told us that The Happening is really about religious faith, and explained that he chose Mark Wahlberg to play science teacher Elliot Moore because of the actor's intense belief in Jesus.
False Reports of Aniston-Connelly Feud
4th\SW Quadrant The Approval Matrix
By Jossip
Life & Style’s report that Jennifer Aniston refused to shoot a Marie Claire cover with all four of her co-stars is being shot down by her publicist Stephen Huvane.
The tabloid’s report fingered unexplained bad blood between Aniston and He’s Just not That Into You co-star Jennifer Conelly as the reason why Aniston refused to do the magazine cover if Connelly was on there too (though Aniston was supposedly fine with shooting alongside Drew Barrymore and Ginnifer Goodwin, who are also in the film, but only if she was front and center).
Immediately, Huvane was playing defense, insisting the reports are “absolutely absurd” and that “there is no drama whatsoever.”
Huvane, explaining further, says, “Marie Claire wanted Jennifer alone. It was our idea to make it a group cover. […] “The magazine only wanted to put three of [the actresses] on the cover, and definitely wanted Drew Barrymore. We recommended Ginnifer Goodwin because she is basically the lead role in the film… Jennifer got along great with Jennifer Connelly.”
By Jossip
Life & Style’s report that Jennifer Aniston refused to shoot a Marie Claire cover with all four of her co-stars is being shot down by her publicist Stephen Huvane.
The tabloid’s report fingered unexplained bad blood between Aniston and He’s Just not That Into You co-star Jennifer Conelly as the reason why Aniston refused to do the magazine cover if Connelly was on there too (though Aniston was supposedly fine with shooting alongside Drew Barrymore and Ginnifer Goodwin, who are also in the film, but only if she was front and center).
Immediately, Huvane was playing defense, insisting the reports are “absolutely absurd” and that “there is no drama whatsoever.”
Huvane, explaining further, says, “Marie Claire wanted Jennifer alone. It was our idea to make it a group cover. […] “The magazine only wanted to put three of [the actresses] on the cover, and definitely wanted Drew Barrymore. We recommended Ginnifer Goodwin because she is basically the lead role in the film… Jennifer got along great with Jennifer Connelly.”
Billy Ray Cyrus Speaks on Miley's "Vanity Fair" Pictures
4th\SW Quadrant The Approval Matrix
Billy Ray Cyrus says he wasn't around when Annie Leibovitz photographed his 15-year-old daughter, Miley, wrapped in a sheet with her back exposed, for the June issue of Vanity Fair magazine.
"I wasn't there at the time," the 46-year-old country star said in an interview Tuesday on NBC's
"Today" show.
"(Miley's) publicist was there, and everyone seemed in control," he said. "I didn't know they (were) gonna strip her down and wrap her with a blanket."
"So I was surprised when I saw it, you know, but ... stuff happens. That's life. Things happen and sometimes things get a little out of control and you just gotta deal with life," he said.
-- CNN
Billy Ray Cyrus on the "Today" Show
Billy Ray Cyrus says he wasn't around when Annie Leibovitz photographed his 15-year-old daughter, Miley, wrapped in a sheet with her back exposed, for the June issue of Vanity Fair magazine.
"I wasn't there at the time," the 46-year-old country star said in an interview Tuesday on NBC's
"Today" show.
"(Miley's) publicist was there, and everyone seemed in control," he said. "I didn't know they (were) gonna strip her down and wrap her with a blanket."
"So I was surprised when I saw it, you know, but ... stuff happens. That's life. Things happen and sometimes things get a little out of control and you just gotta deal with life," he said.
-- CNN
Billy Ray Cyrus on the "Today" Show
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Tennessee Offers $3 million in Incentives for "Hannah Montana: The Movie."
4th\SW Quadrant The Approval Matrix
Tennessee used more than $3 million in incentives to lure Walt Disney Pictures to the state to film "Hannah Montana: The Movie."
The Tennessean reported Sunday that state Film, Entertainment and Music Commission and its executive director, Perry Gibson, enticed Disney with the money to keep the company from taking the $28 million production about Miley Cyrus's alter-ego to Louisiana to shoot.
The Tennessean reported that it reviewed hundreds of Gibson's e-mail and text messages through a request under the state public records law.
Records also indicate that the commission forwarded potential crew resumes to Disney, some with names flagged, to show executives there was enough experienced labor in Tennessee for the company to meet the state's incentive requirements. -- WATE
Tennessee used more than $3 million in incentives to lure Walt Disney Pictures to the state to film "Hannah Montana: The Movie."The Tennessean reported Sunday that state Film, Entertainment and Music Commission and its executive director, Perry Gibson, enticed Disney with the money to keep the company from taking the $28 million production about Miley Cyrus's alter-ego to Louisiana to shoot.
The Tennessean reported that it reviewed hundreds of Gibson's e-mail and text messages through a request under the state public records law.
Records also indicate that the commission forwarded potential crew resumes to Disney, some with names flagged, to show executives there was enough experienced labor in Tennessee for the company to meet the state's incentive requirements. -- WATE
"Secret Diary of a Call Girl"
4th\SW Quadrant The Approval Matrix
The series was adapted from a bestselling book that began as a blog by an anonymous writer with the pen name Belle. The show is presented as the video diary of a high-class hooker who loves her work.
It’s a series that aspires to be a candid, incisive look at the oldest profession, but mostly it stares at it lasciviously, with all the seamier bits — sexually transmitted diseases, repulsive clients, police records, drug habits — airbrushed out. -- ALESSANDRA STANLEY\New York Times
Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Trailer
The series was adapted from a bestselling book that began as a blog by an anonymous writer with the pen name Belle. The show is presented as the video diary of a high-class hooker who loves her work.
It’s a series that aspires to be a candid, incisive look at the oldest profession, but mostly it stares at it lasciviously, with all the seamier bits — sexually transmitted diseases, repulsive clients, police records, drug habits — airbrushed out. -- ALESSANDRA STANLEY\New York Times
Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Trailer
Flip-Flops Are Bad For Your Feet
4th\SW Quadrant The Approval Matrix
As flip-flops become more popular, so too do the long- and short-term health problems that come with them.
"Flip-flops have singlehandedly caused more problems with people's feet in the last couple years than probably any other type of shoe," said Dr. Rock Positano, a podiatrist at New York's Hospital for Special Surgery.
"The problem with this is absolutely no support … the foot is able to go in any direction it wants to go in, and it directly impairs the ability of the foot to function as a shock absorbing part of the body," Positano explained.
Flip-flops present long-term health problems, too. Laura DePrizio had struggled with a nerve problem in her foot, but she had gotten it under control before this summer.
She couldn't believe her ears when Positano told her the culprit for the return of her problems was her flip-flops.
In addition to aggravating old problems, people with flat feet or high arches can also do long-term, serious damage by wearing flip-flops. -- ABC News
As flip-flops become more popular, so too do the long- and short-term health problems that come with them.
"Flip-flops have singlehandedly caused more problems with people's feet in the last couple years than probably any other type of shoe," said Dr. Rock Positano, a podiatrist at New York's Hospital for Special Surgery.
"The problem with this is absolutely no support … the foot is able to go in any direction it wants to go in, and it directly impairs the ability of the foot to function as a shock absorbing part of the body," Positano explained.
Flip-flops present long-term health problems, too. Laura DePrizio had struggled with a nerve problem in her foot, but she had gotten it under control before this summer.
She couldn't believe her ears when Positano told her the culprit for the return of her problems was her flip-flops.
In addition to aggravating old problems, people with flat feet or high arches can also do long-term, serious damage by wearing flip-flops. -- ABC News
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Albert Brooks on "Weeds"
3rd\SE Quadrant The Approval Matrix
Actor-filmmaker Albert Brooks will appear in at least four episodes of the Showtime's "Weeds" this season.
The past Oscar nominee will lend his signature neurotic touch to the role of Len, the estranged father-in-law of Mary-Louise Parker's character, Nancy Botwin, according to a network rep.
It was the death of Len's son, Judah (Parker's real-life ex-beau, Jeffrey Dean Morgan), that propelled Nancy into the bowels of suburban pot-dealing. This will be the first live-action, small-screen character role for Brooks since his '70s-era appearances on such fare as The New Dick Van Dyke Show and Love, American Style. His non-talk show or Saturday Night Live TV appearances over the past 15 years have been limited to some sporadic voice-over work on The Simpsons.
Brooks, 60, most recently directed and starred in the not-quite-documentary Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World, in which he plays a comedian named Albert Brooks who's dispatched by the U.S. government to India and Pakistan to find out what makes the locals laugh.
The fourth season of Weeds premiered June 16. --
Actor-filmmaker Albert Brooks will appear in at least four episodes of the Showtime's "Weeds" this season.The past Oscar nominee will lend his signature neurotic touch to the role of Len, the estranged father-in-law of Mary-Louise Parker's character, Nancy Botwin, according to a network rep.
It was the death of Len's son, Judah (Parker's real-life ex-beau, Jeffrey Dean Morgan), that propelled Nancy into the bowels of suburban pot-dealing. This will be the first live-action, small-screen character role for Brooks since his '70s-era appearances on such fare as The New Dick Van Dyke Show and Love, American Style. His non-talk show or Saturday Night Live TV appearances over the past 15 years have been limited to some sporadic voice-over work on The Simpsons.
Brooks, 60, most recently directed and starred in the not-quite-documentary Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World, in which he plays a comedian named Albert Brooks who's dispatched by the U.S. government to India and Pakistan to find out what makes the locals laugh.
The fourth season of Weeds premiered June 16. --
"The Sword and the Stone" DVD 45th Anniversary Ed. on DVD
3rd\SE Quadrant The Approval Matrix
Product Description
Dazzling color and brilliant animation bring the medieval legend of King Arthur to life in THE SWORD IN THE STONE. With a forest full of charm, spectacle, and wizardry, Disney's classic tale conjures up delightful entertainment for all ages! England is in the midst of a dark age and without a proper king, Young "Wart," an orphan and squire-in-training, is content with kitchen duties in his foster home -- until he drops in on the extraordinary wizard Merlin and his articulate owl, Archimedes. Through three life lessons, Wart learns to set his "sights on the heights," armed with the most powerful forces on earth -- intellect, wisdom, and love. When it's time to contest who will be king, Wart must use his newfound knowledge to do what no mighty knight has done before! Join in all the magical marvels that make THE SWORD IN THE STONE a classic animated film and pure Disney gold! -- Amazon
The Sword in the Stone is presented in fullscreen. Special features are divided into various categories. The “Music and More” section contains an 8 minute interview with the Sherman Brothers (from the Disney Channel methinks) and “Disney Song Selection” which allows you to jump to the songs in the film. The “Games and Activities” section contains Merlin’s Magical Academy game.
The “Backstage Disney” section contains a 7 minute black and white excerpt of Walt Disney Presents in which Uncle Walt tours a magical prop room (using the magical world Bippity Boppity Boo), a scrapbook with concept art, etc., and a film facts trivia page.
Finally there are some bonus shorts, the 7 minute “A Knight for a Day” Goofy short and the 9 minute Mickey Mouse short “The Brave Little Tailor.”
-- M & C
Product DescriptionDazzling color and brilliant animation bring the medieval legend of King Arthur to life in THE SWORD IN THE STONE. With a forest full of charm, spectacle, and wizardry, Disney's classic tale conjures up delightful entertainment for all ages! England is in the midst of a dark age and without a proper king, Young "Wart," an orphan and squire-in-training, is content with kitchen duties in his foster home -- until he drops in on the extraordinary wizard Merlin and his articulate owl, Archimedes. Through three life lessons, Wart learns to set his "sights on the heights," armed with the most powerful forces on earth -- intellect, wisdom, and love. When it's time to contest who will be king, Wart must use his newfound knowledge to do what no mighty knight has done before! Join in all the magical marvels that make THE SWORD IN THE STONE a classic animated film and pure Disney gold! -- Amazon
The Sword in the Stone is presented in fullscreen. Special features are divided into various categories. The “Music and More” section contains an 8 minute interview with the Sherman Brothers (from the Disney Channel methinks) and “Disney Song Selection” which allows you to jump to the songs in the film. The “Games and Activities” section contains Merlin’s Magical Academy game.
The “Backstage Disney” section contains a 7 minute black and white excerpt of Walt Disney Presents in which Uncle Walt tours a magical prop room (using the magical world Bippity Boppity Boo), a scrapbook with concept art, etc., and a film facts trivia page.
Finally there are some bonus shorts, the 7 minute “A Knight for a Day” Goofy short and the 9 minute Mickey Mouse short “The Brave Little Tailor.”
-- M & C
First-Ever Female Stephanie Wins "Top Chef"
1st\SE Quadrant The Approval Matrix
By Christopher Rocchio\Reality TV World
Stephanie Izard became Top Chef's first-ever female winner when she took home the Top Chef: Chicago title during last night's fourth-season finale broadcast on Bravo.
"It's real exciting being the first female to win Top Chef," said Stephanie after her victory was revealed. "I'm so glad that I was able to pull through. Finding out that after all this hard work and maybe doubting it a little bit, this is just a reaffirmation. This is what I'm meant to do in life."
The 31-year-old chef from Stamford, CT who currently resides in Chicago, IL claimed Top Chef: Chicago's grand-prize package of $100,000 in seed money to help open a restaurant; a feature in Food & Wine magazine; a showcase at the Annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen; and a "gourmet dream vacation" in the French Alps.
"I won Top Chef! Holy s**t! Really?" said Stephanie after her victory was revealed. "This is the biggest thing that's happened in my life. My life is about to change. It's going to be absolutely insane."
By Christopher Rocchio\Reality TV World
Stephanie Izard became Top Chef's first-ever female winner when she took home the Top Chef: Chicago title during last night's fourth-season finale broadcast on Bravo.
"It's real exciting being the first female to win Top Chef," said Stephanie after her victory was revealed. "I'm so glad that I was able to pull through. Finding out that after all this hard work and maybe doubting it a little bit, this is just a reaffirmation. This is what I'm meant to do in life."
The 31-year-old chef from Stamford, CT who currently resides in Chicago, IL claimed Top Chef: Chicago's grand-prize package of $100,000 in seed money to help open a restaurant; a feature in Food & Wine magazine; a showcase at the Annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen; and a "gourmet dream vacation" in the French Alps.
"I won Top Chef! Holy s**t! Really?" said Stephanie after her victory was revealed. "This is the biggest thing that's happened in my life. My life is about to change. It's going to be absolutely insane."
Ann Hathaway Breaks Up with Criminal
3rd\SE Quadrant The Approval Matrix
By KATI CORNELL, JENNIFER FERMINO and DAN MANGAN\New York Post
The longtime boyfriend of "Get Smart" star Anne Hathaway was busted by the feds yesterday for allegedly swindling investors - including Bill Clinton's close pal - out of millions of dollars by convincing them he had the Vatican's backing to flip Catholic Church properties in the United States.
Raffaello Follieri secretly siphoned millions from his real- estate-investment fund to pay for a lavish lifestyle, the feds charge. Follieri's loot allegedly helped him jet around the world with the beautiful actress, who recently dumped him, and even pay her medical bills.
Follieri, 29, was hospitalized last night after collapsing in the custody of US marshals following a Manhattan federal court hearing in which he was ordered held in lieu of a staggering $21 million bail.
"[Follieri] is a con man. He was able to con a lot of people out of a lot of money and did it over a long period of time," said prosecutor Reed Brodsky in court, where the high-living Italian national faced charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
By KATI CORNELL, JENNIFER FERMINO and DAN MANGAN\New York PostThe longtime boyfriend of "Get Smart" star Anne Hathaway was busted by the feds yesterday for allegedly swindling investors - including Bill Clinton's close pal - out of millions of dollars by convincing them he had the Vatican's backing to flip Catholic Church properties in the United States.
Raffaello Follieri secretly siphoned millions from his real- estate-investment fund to pay for a lavish lifestyle, the feds charge. Follieri's loot allegedly helped him jet around the world with the beautiful actress, who recently dumped him, and even pay her medical bills.
Follieri, 29, was hospitalized last night after collapsing in the custody of US marshals following a Manhattan federal court hearing in which he was ordered held in lieu of a staggering $21 million bail.
"[Follieri] is a con man. He was able to con a lot of people out of a lot of money and did it over a long period of time," said prosecutor Reed Brodsky in court, where the high-living Italian national faced charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
"Camp Camp"
3rd\SE Quadrant The Approval Matrix
Product Description:
Dear Former Campers,
Do you recall your glory days at summer camp as some of the best months of your life? Was your camp experience
*OK
*fun
*bunktastic!
When you think about camp, what are your best memories?
*singing "If I Had a Hammer" around the campfire
*winning color war two years in a row
*getting to third base with your camp crush
Open Camp Camp and head back to the one place on earth where appropriated Native American terminology, competitive sports, social heirarchy, and libido-soaked nights lived in wholesome harmony. Here is your trip down memory lane, a trip so beautifully illustrated and fully remembered that you can almost smell the pine of the cabins when you open the pages.
Camp Camp is a love letter to camp, a chance to relive every Champion sweatshirt-wearing, accidental-bed-wetting, sky-hook-wedgie-receiving, tie-dye-making golden moment via hundreds of photographs and stories straight from the source, including tall tales from AJ Jacobs, Rachel Sklar, Paul Feig, David Wain, Jamie Denbo, and Rodney Rothman.
Do you miss...
*camp friendships
*camp freedom
*camp fun
If so, then Camp Camp is your one-way ticket back to this magical world in which Fantasy Island met Lord of the Flies.
-- Amazon
Product Description:Dear Former Campers,
Do you recall your glory days at summer camp as some of the best months of your life? Was your camp experience
*OK
*fun
*bunktastic!
When you think about camp, what are your best memories?
*singing "If I Had a Hammer" around the campfire
*winning color war two years in a row
*getting to third base with your camp crush
Open Camp Camp and head back to the one place on earth where appropriated Native American terminology, competitive sports, social heirarchy, and libido-soaked nights lived in wholesome harmony. Here is your trip down memory lane, a trip so beautifully illustrated and fully remembered that you can almost smell the pine of the cabins when you open the pages.
Camp Camp is a love letter to camp, a chance to relive every Champion sweatshirt-wearing, accidental-bed-wetting, sky-hook-wedgie-receiving, tie-dye-making golden moment via hundreds of photographs and stories straight from the source, including tall tales from AJ Jacobs, Rachel Sklar, Paul Feig, David Wain, Jamie Denbo, and Rodney Rothman.
Do you miss...
*camp friendships
*camp freedom
*camp fun
If so, then Camp Camp is your one-way ticket back to this magical world in which Fantasy Island met Lord of the Flies.
-- Amazon
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Thomas Frank
2nd\NW Quadrant The Approval Matrix
Thomas Frank (born 1965) is an American historian who writes about what he calls "cultural politics". His writings, which draw heavily on the theory of the Frankfurt School, tend to analyze both the political and cultural economy of the modern American culture wars from a Left perspective. He is the founder and editor of The Baffler and the author of several books, most recently What's the Matter with Kansas? Other writings include essays for Harper's Magazine, Le Monde diplomatique, and the Financial Times.
He began writing a weekly column in the Wall Street Journal on May 14, 2008.
Thomas Frank (born 1965) is an American historian who writes about what he calls "cultural politics". He began writing a weekly column in the Wall Street Journal on May 14, 2008.
Lin-Manuel Miranda & Mark Rylance Tony Awards Acceptance Speeches
2nd\NE Quadrant The Approval Matrix
2008 Tony Awards Lin-Manuel Miranda Acceptance Speech
2008 Tony Awards Mark Rylance Acceptance Speech
2008 Tony Awards Lin-Manuel Miranda Acceptance Speech
2008 Tony Awards Mark Rylance Acceptance Speech
Tiger Woods Comes Through, Big Brown Doesn't
2nd\NE Quadrant The Approval Matrix
By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer
Tiger Woods cradled the silver U.S. Open trophy in his right hand and limped toward the edge of the Pacific bluffs, each step as much a burden as the 91 holes he played at Torrey Pines for a major that might have been his most amazing yet.
Out of competition for two months because of knee surgery, he won the toughest test in golf. For the second straight day, Woods came to the 18th hole one shot behind and stood over a birdie putt to avoid a shocking collapse.
His knee throbbing and heart pounding, he delivered. He always does.
From the Chicago Tribune
The photograph of a dislodged shoe on Big Brown's right hind hoof in the June 21 issue of The Blood-Horse magazine might explain the colt's stunning meltdown June 7 in the Belmont Stakes. An extreme close-up shows the hoof about 200 yards into the 1½-mile race, in which the Triple Crown hopeful was eased and finished last.
So was it the extreme heat, the loose shoe or the track that brought down Big Brown? It's a moot point, because no excuse can ease the emotional or financial pain. Iavarone said not sweeping the Triple Crown cost IEAH "$60 million plus" in potential income from book and movie deals and licensed merchandise. It also impacted the colt's fee per mating when he begins his stud career next year in Kentucky.
"We only sold a minor portion of his breeding rights," Iavarone said, "and there would have been huge bonus
By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer
Tiger Woods cradled the silver U.S. Open trophy in his right hand and limped toward the edge of the Pacific bluffs, each step as much a burden as the 91 holes he played at Torrey Pines for a major that might have been his most amazing yet.
Out of competition for two months because of knee surgery, he won the toughest test in golf. For the second straight day, Woods came to the 18th hole one shot behind and stood over a birdie putt to avoid a shocking collapse.
His knee throbbing and heart pounding, he delivered. He always does.
From the Chicago TribuneThe photograph of a dislodged shoe on Big Brown's right hind hoof in the June 21 issue of The Blood-Horse magazine might explain the colt's stunning meltdown June 7 in the Belmont Stakes. An extreme close-up shows the hoof about 200 yards into the 1½-mile race, in which the Triple Crown hopeful was eased and finished last.
So was it the extreme heat, the loose shoe or the track that brought down Big Brown? It's a moot point, because no excuse can ease the emotional or financial pain. Iavarone said not sweeping the Triple Crown cost IEAH "$60 million plus" in potential income from book and movie deals and licensed merchandise. It also impacted the colt's fee per mating when he begins his stud career next year in Kentucky.
"We only sold a minor portion of his breeding rights," Iavarone said, "and there would have been huge bonus
Stan Winston April 7, 1946 – June 15, 2008
2nd\NE Quadrant The Approval Matrix
By DERRIK J. LANG\AP
Friends, relatives and show-business colleagues gathered Sunday to remember Oscar-winning special-effects maestro Stan Winston, the man responsible for bringing the dinosaurs of "Jurassic Park" and other iconic movie creatures to life.
Winston died at his home in Malibu surrounded by family June 15 after a seven-year struggle with multiple myeloma. He was 62.
Colleagues including "Iron Man" director Jon Favreau, Sigourney Weaver, Tom Arnold, Ernie Hudson and Robert Patrick joined Winston's family and friends to reminisce and listen to personal stories from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rabbi Judith Halevy, brother Ronny Winston, uncle Mitchell Karlan, son-in-law Erich Litoff, and directors James Cameron and Steven Spielberg.
In a career spanning four decades, Winston created some of the most memorable visual effects in cinematic history. He helped bring the dinosaurs from "Jurassic Park," the extraterrestrials from "Aliens," the robots from "Terminator" and even "Edward Scissorhands" to the big screen.
He was a pioneer in merging real-world effects with computer-generated imagery.Winston won visual effects Oscars for 1986's "Aliens," 1991's "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and 1993's "Jurassic Park." He also won a makeup Oscar for "Terminator 2." He was nominated for his work on "Heartbeeps," "Predator," "Edward Scissorhands," "Batman Returns," "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" and "A.I."
By DERRIK J. LANG\APFriends, relatives and show-business colleagues gathered Sunday to remember Oscar-winning special-effects maestro Stan Winston, the man responsible for bringing the dinosaurs of "Jurassic Park" and other iconic movie creatures to life.
Winston died at his home in Malibu surrounded by family June 15 after a seven-year struggle with multiple myeloma. He was 62.
Colleagues including "Iron Man" director Jon Favreau, Sigourney Weaver, Tom Arnold, Ernie Hudson and Robert Patrick joined Winston's family and friends to reminisce and listen to personal stories from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rabbi Judith Halevy, brother Ronny Winston, uncle Mitchell Karlan, son-in-law Erich Litoff, and directors James Cameron and Steven Spielberg.
In a career spanning four decades, Winston created some of the most memorable visual effects in cinematic history. He helped bring the dinosaurs from "Jurassic Park," the extraterrestrials from "Aliens," the robots from "Terminator" and even "Edward Scissorhands" to the big screen.
He was a pioneer in merging real-world effects with computer-generated imagery.Winston won visual effects Oscars for 1986's "Aliens," 1991's "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and 1993's "Jurassic Park." He also won a makeup Oscar for "Terminator 2." He was nominated for his work on "Heartbeeps," "Predator," "Edward Scissorhands," "Batman Returns," "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" and "A.I."
"Jollyship the Whiz Bang"
2nd\NE Quadrant The Approval Matrix
Brooklyn’s nautical rock wunderkind Jollyship the Whiz-Bang is (alternately or simultaneously) a puppet troupe, rock band, and theater production company. They have performed in festivals the world over, invited on the renown of their legendary live shows, which incorporate music, puppetry, video and comedy in elaborate spectacles.
Jollyship the Whiz-Bang was conceived in 2002 by playwright Nick Jones and composer Raja Azar. The origin of the group really began with a song, "Pyrate Love," performed while the two were working for the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus. The warm response to this ballad of rape and murder became the central premise for an expanding musical and theatrical universe. A mission was forged to create a massive live musical pirate puppet sea saga, to be performed in sequential episodes developed and presented over the course of many years. 4 years later, this has yielded 6 full length multimedia productions (or “episodes”) linked sequentially, including several full scale theater productions (“Sleepless Fishes,” and its sequel “Crabquistador: Scavenger of God”) as well as generating hours of inventive musical material.
-- The Whiz Bang
Jollyship the Whiz-Bang in "Cabin Boye Fever" (2007)
Brooklyn’s nautical rock wunderkind Jollyship the Whiz-Bang is (alternately or simultaneously) a puppet troupe, rock band, and theater production company. They have performed in festivals the world over, invited on the renown of their legendary live shows, which incorporate music, puppetry, video and comedy in elaborate spectacles.
Jollyship the Whiz-Bang was conceived in 2002 by playwright Nick Jones and composer Raja Azar. The origin of the group really began with a song, "Pyrate Love," performed while the two were working for the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus. The warm response to this ballad of rape and murder became the central premise for an expanding musical and theatrical universe. A mission was forged to create a massive live musical pirate puppet sea saga, to be performed in sequential episodes developed and presented over the course of many years. 4 years later, this has yielded 6 full length multimedia productions (or “episodes”) linked sequentially, including several full scale theater productions (“Sleepless Fishes,” and its sequel “Crabquistador: Scavenger of God”) as well as generating hours of inventive musical material.
-- The Whiz Bang
Jollyship the Whiz-Bang in "Cabin Boye Fever" (2007)
Monday, June 23, 2008
False Reports Bloomberg-Paterson Feud
1st\NW Quadrant The Approval Matrix
By Danny Hakim\New York Times
Gov. David A. Paterson dismissed a verbal broadside he is said to have made against Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg...The story on Monday [June 16, 2008], by Fredric U. Dicker, a columnist and the state editor for The Post, reported that Governor Paterson said of the mayor, “You can’t trust him.”
“He has the same kind of anger that reminds you of Spitzer,” the governor was reported to have said, referring to former Gov. Eliot Spitzer, and he added, “The public generally hasn’t seen the nastiness and the outbursts that were seen during the past week.”
Governor Paterson, at a press conference on Monday, said he did not make the comments attributed to him, but would not ask for a correction or retraction.
For his part, Mr. Bloomberg, speaking at a news conference in the East Village, also played down the significance of the report in The Post.
When asked to characterize his relationship with the governor, the mayor said: “I don’t think David Paterson and I have ever exchanged a cross word. He is as likable and as easygoing and as nice a guy as you’d ever want to meet.
By Danny Hakim\New York Times
Gov. David A. Paterson dismissed a verbal broadside he is said to have made against Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg...The story on Monday [June 16, 2008], by Fredric U. Dicker, a columnist and the state editor for The Post, reported that Governor Paterson said of the mayor, “You can’t trust him.”
“He has the same kind of anger that reminds you of Spitzer,” the governor was reported to have said, referring to former Gov. Eliot Spitzer, and he added, “The public generally hasn’t seen the nastiness and the outbursts that were seen during the past week.”
Governor Paterson, at a press conference on Monday, said he did not make the comments attributed to him, but would not ask for a correction or retraction.
For his part, Mr. Bloomberg, speaking at a news conference in the East Village, also played down the significance of the report in The Post.
When asked to characterize his relationship with the governor, the mayor said: “I don’t think David Paterson and I have ever exchanged a cross word. He is as likable and as easygoing and as nice a guy as you’d ever want to meet.
The Gadget-Obsessed Are Arrogant Too
1st\NW Quadrant The Approval Matrix
By Jason Chen\Gizmodo
[T]here's now an online study of 25,000 people that confirms what we've all been thinking.
Apparently, people who are early adopters of technology score high on personality traits like assertiveness, but low in modesty. Those who have high points in assertiveness and leadership are more likely to have bought three or more computers in the last two years, or a new cellphone immediately when it hits the market. Also, people who score low in modesty (you jerks) have a tendency to buy luxury brands.
By Jason Chen\Gizmodo
[T]here's now an online study of 25,000 people that confirms what we've all been thinking.
Apparently, people who are early adopters of technology score high on personality traits like assertiveness, but low in modesty. Those who have high points in assertiveness and leadership are more likely to have bought three or more computers in the last two years, or a new cellphone immediately when it hits the market. Also, people who score low in modesty (you jerks) have a tendency to buy luxury brands.
False Rumor About Michelle Obama
1st\NW Quadrant The Approval Matrix
The Truth about Michelle
Lie: On May 30th, Rush Limbaugh said he had heard a rumor that a tape exists of Michelle Obama using the word “Whitey” from the pulpit of Trinity United Church of Christ.
Truth: No such tape exists. Michelle Obama has not spoken from the pulpit at Trinity and has not used that word.
Lie: Blogger Larry Johnson wrote on May 31st that he would add “New and dramatic developments. This is a heads up. I’ll post the news Monday morning by 0900 hours. Now I know why people who have seen the videotape say it is stunning. Barack’s headaches are only starting.”
Truth: Johnson posted no such update.
Lie: Proven GOP sleazemeister Roger Stone said on Fox News on June 1st that “there's a buzz, which I believe now to be credible, that some indelible record exists” of a tape of Michelle Obama using the term “whitey.”
Truth: Stone conceded on June 2nd that he hasn’t met anyone who has seen the tape and that it therefore may be a hoax.
-- Barack Obama
The Truth about Michelle
Lie: On May 30th, Rush Limbaugh said he had heard a rumor that a tape exists of Michelle Obama using the word “Whitey” from the pulpit of Trinity United Church of Christ.
Truth: No such tape exists. Michelle Obama has not spoken from the pulpit at Trinity and has not used that word.
Lie: Blogger Larry Johnson wrote on May 31st that he would add “New and dramatic developments. This is a heads up. I’ll post the news Monday morning by 0900 hours. Now I know why people who have seen the videotape say it is stunning. Barack’s headaches are only starting.”
Truth: Johnson posted no such update.
Lie: Proven GOP sleazemeister Roger Stone said on Fox News on June 1st that “there's a buzz, which I believe now to be credible, that some indelible record exists” of a tape of Michelle Obama using the term “whitey.”
Truth: Stone conceded on June 2nd that he hasn’t met anyone who has seen the tape and that it therefore may be a hoax.
-- Barack Obama
Saturday, June 21, 2008
26% Of NYC Residents Have Virus That Causes Herpes
4th\SW Quadrant The Approval Matrix
By Medical News Today
About 26% of New York City's adult residents in 2004 had the virus that causes genital herpes, compared with 19% of adults nationwide, according to a study recently released by the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the New York Post reports (Mangan, New York Post, 6/10).
According to Bloomberg, most people with HSV-2 have few or no symptoms, although the disease can cause genital sores. However, the virus can increase the risk of HIV, as well as increase viral loads for HIV-positive people. "Genital herpes alone will not cause serious problems for most people, but some people will have painful genital sores, and the infection fosters the spread of HIV," Julia Schillinger -- lead author of the study...
Schillinger said that HSV-2 prevalence is likely higher in the city than nationwide because the virus is more prevalent among blacks and Hispanics. The study found that about 49% of blacks [WTF!] in the city were living with the virus, compared with 37% of Hispanics, 17% of Asians, and 14% of whites. About 36% of women in the city were living with the virus, compared with 19% of men (Lite, New York Daily News, 6/10).
By Medical News TodayAbout 26% of New York City's adult residents in 2004 had the virus that causes genital herpes, compared with 19% of adults nationwide, according to a study recently released by the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the New York Post reports (Mangan, New York Post, 6/10).
According to Bloomberg, most people with HSV-2 have few or no symptoms, although the disease can cause genital sores. However, the virus can increase the risk of HIV, as well as increase viral loads for HIV-positive people. "Genital herpes alone will not cause serious problems for most people, but some people will have painful genital sores, and the infection fosters the spread of HIV," Julia Schillinger -- lead author of the study...
Schillinger said that HSV-2 prevalence is likely higher in the city than nationwide because the virus is more prevalent among blacks and Hispanics. The study found that about 49% of blacks [WTF!] in the city were living with the virus, compared with 37% of Hispanics, 17% of Asians, and 14% of whites. About 36% of women in the city were living with the virus, compared with 19% of men (Lite, New York Daily News, 6/10).
Roger Clemen's Off-Field Antics
4th\SW Quadrant The Approval Matrix
Rusty Hardin said the Rocket’s wife, Debbie Clemens (left), knew Mindy McCready (right) and that the singer had traveled on his plane.
Baseball star Roger Clemens carried on a decade-long affair with country star Mindy McCready, beginning when she was a 15-year-old aspiring singer performing in a karaoke bar and Clemens was the 28-year-old Boston Red Sox ace and married father of two, according to a shocking report in the New York Daily News. -- The Hollywood Gossip
The News reported Clemens also had affairs with Paulette Dean Daly, the ex-wife of golfer John Daly and a one-time Bob Hope Chrysler Classic Girl, and former Manhattan bartender Angela Moyer, often flying women around the country in his private plane. The News also reported that Clemens flew with a New Orleans woman named Jennifer on a private jet to a University of Florida basketball game, presenting her with diamond earrings in the presence of at least two friends.
According to sources, the FBI has inquired about several women involved with Clemens, as well as other people agents have already interviewed. They include trainer Kelly Blair, the owner of a Houston-area gym, Shaun Kelley, the owner of a Houston weight-loss center and Jose Canseco, Clemens' former teammate and an admitted steroid user. -- Daily News
Rusty Hardin said the Rocket’s wife, Debbie Clemens (left), knew Mindy McCready (right) and that the singer had traveled on his plane.
Baseball star Roger Clemens carried on a decade-long affair with country star Mindy McCready, beginning when she was a 15-year-old aspiring singer performing in a karaoke bar and Clemens was the 28-year-old Boston Red Sox ace and married father of two, according to a shocking report in the New York Daily News. -- The Hollywood Gossip
The News reported Clemens also had affairs with Paulette Dean Daly, the ex-wife of golfer John Daly and a one-time Bob Hope Chrysler Classic Girl, and former Manhattan bartender Angela Moyer, often flying women around the country in his private plane. The News also reported that Clemens flew with a New Orleans woman named Jennifer on a private jet to a University of Florida basketball game, presenting her with diamond earrings in the presence of at least two friends.
According to sources, the FBI has inquired about several women involved with Clemens, as well as other people agents have already interviewed. They include trainer Kelly Blair, the owner of a Houston-area gym, Shaun Kelley, the owner of a Houston weight-loss center and Jose Canseco, Clemens' former teammate and an admitted steroid user. -- Daily News
Viral Video for Ashanti's "The Way That I Love You"
4th\SW Quadrant The Approval Matrix
By Daniel Kreps\Rolling Stone
Hoping to bring some notoriety to her new single and video “The Way That I Love You,” the marketing geniuses behind former Murder Inc. princess Ashanti have posted a fake news clip alleging that the music video (about a woman who gets revenge on a deceitful boyfriend by killing him) has inspired a rash of copycat crimes. Things get weird and uncomfortable when police at the fake crime scene find a blood-splattered message on the wall that reads “Black children will die.” The police name the main suspect in the crime “Commercial Hip Hop,” and “Commercial Hip Hop” wants to kill black children because they are “playing me like a fool.”
... the video has sparked a protest in Los Angeles, where several groups are condemning Ashanti and Universal Music Group for glorifying violence and demanding the video be taken down.
The site has since been taken down.
By Daniel Kreps\Rolling Stone
Hoping to bring some notoriety to her new single and video “The Way That I Love You,” the marketing geniuses behind former Murder Inc. princess Ashanti have posted a fake news clip alleging that the music video (about a woman who gets revenge on a deceitful boyfriend by killing him) has inspired a rash of copycat crimes. Things get weird and uncomfortable when police at the fake crime scene find a blood-splattered message on the wall that reads “Black children will die.” The police name the main suspect in the crime “Commercial Hip Hop,” and “Commercial Hip Hop” wants to kill black children because they are “playing me like a fool.”
... the video has sparked a protest in Los Angeles, where several groups are condemning Ashanti and Universal Music Group for glorifying violence and demanding the video be taken down.
The site has since been taken down.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Killer Tomatoes
4th\SW Quadrant The Approval Matrix
By BINA VENKATARAMAN\New York Times
The Food and Drug Administration may never be able to pinpoint the origin of salmonella-tainted tomatoes that have sickened hundreds of people, an agency official said Wednesday [June 18, 2008].
“We may not ultimately know the farm where these came from,” Dr. David Acheson, the agency’s associate commissioner for foods, told reporters in a conference call. “Some trace-backs that we thought were looking pretty good have been falling apart.”
The agency is investigating a cluster of nine people who ate tomatoes at the same restaurant chain, but has not disclosed the chain’s name or location. Also on Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised its count of people who have become sick from eating raw tomatoes, to 383 in 30 states and Washington, D.C., up from 277 cases in 28 states and Washington.
And the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said it had confirmed six new cases in addition to a previously known one. More cases might still be confirmed, the department said.
Dr. [Robert] Tauxe [of the disease center] sadded, “We do not think the outbreak is over.”
By BINA VENKATARAMAN\New York Times
The Food and Drug Administration may never be able to pinpoint the origin of salmonella-tainted tomatoes that have sickened hundreds of people, an agency official said Wednesday [June 18, 2008].
“We may not ultimately know the farm where these came from,” Dr. David Acheson, the agency’s associate commissioner for foods, told reporters in a conference call. “Some trace-backs that we thought were looking pretty good have been falling apart.”
The agency is investigating a cluster of nine people who ate tomatoes at the same restaurant chain, but has not disclosed the chain’s name or location. Also on Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised its count of people who have become sick from eating raw tomatoes, to 383 in 30 states and Washington, D.C., up from 277 cases in 28 states and Washington.
And the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said it had confirmed six new cases in addition to a previously known one. More cases might still be confirmed, the department said.
Dr. [Robert] Tauxe [of the disease center] sadded, “We do not think the outbreak is over.”
Jewel Judges Reality Show “Nashville Star”
4th\SW Quadrant The Approval Matrix
Singer-songwriter Jewel is a judge on the reality show “Nashville Star.” She’ll joins John Rich of Big & Rich as a judge/mentor on the country music reality series, which premiered on June 9. Last year, Jewel hosted the national talent search, which seeks to find the next country music star. This year’s series is hosted by Billy Ray Cyrus.
“As a young artist, I really benefited from having great mentors like Bob Dylan and Merle Haggard. They took me under their wings and encouraged me to stand up for things that, as an artist, are important,” she said. “They constantly reminded me that an artist’s only concern is being great, not being famous. If you are truly great, success should follow.”
The 33-year-old singer, whose full name is Jewel Kilcher, says she’s honored to continue that tradition with “Nashville Star,” which switched to NBC this year after five seasons on cable’s USA Network. -- MSNBC
Singer-songwriter Jewel is a judge on the reality show “Nashville Star.” She’ll joins John Rich of Big & Rich as a judge/mentor on the country music reality series, which premiered on June 9. Last year, Jewel hosted the national talent search, which seeks to find the next country music star. This year’s series is hosted by Billy Ray Cyrus.“As a young artist, I really benefited from having great mentors like Bob Dylan and Merle Haggard. They took me under their wings and encouraged me to stand up for things that, as an artist, are important,” she said. “They constantly reminded me that an artist’s only concern is being great, not being famous. If you are truly great, success should follow.”
The 33-year-old singer, whose full name is Jewel Kilcher, says she’s honored to continue that tradition with “Nashville Star,” which switched to NBC this year after five seasons on cable’s USA Network. -- MSNBC
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Hummus Jokes in "Don't Mess with Zohan"
3rd\SE Quadrant The Approval Matrix
By Zach Lawrence\SlashfilmZohan is a kick ass, hacky sacking, huge cock having, anti terrorist, super strength James Bond-Sexed crazed Austin Powers mix, but Jewish. He wants to give up killing and move to the states to become a hair stylist. With his Borat knowledge of style and music he is as hip as well, Borat, and once he gets to New York, everything is so much of a clusterfuck you can’t even absorb it. The jokes revolve mainly around his huge package and (I’m not kidding) hummus jokes. There are an uncountable amount of hummus jokes and him having sex with a ton of old ladies. After about 20 minutes, I asked my fiancé if she wanted to head out, but I think she liked him brushing his teeth with hummus so much that she wanted to stick it out.
TRAILER
By Zach Lawrence\SlashfilmZohan is a kick ass, hacky sacking, huge cock having, anti terrorist, super strength James Bond-Sexed crazed Austin Powers mix, but Jewish. He wants to give up killing and move to the states to become a hair stylist. With his Borat knowledge of style and music he is as hip as well, Borat, and once he gets to New York, everything is so much of a clusterfuck you can’t even absorb it. The jokes revolve mainly around his huge package and (I’m not kidding) hummus jokes. There are an uncountable amount of hummus jokes and him having sex with a ton of old ladies. After about 20 minutes, I asked my fiancé if she wanted to head out, but I think she liked him brushing his teeth with hummus so much that she wanted to stick it out.TRAILER
Kimbo Slice Mania
3rd\SE Quadrant The Approval Matrix
Kimbo Slice is an mixed martial arts fighter. He originally was an underground bare-knuckle boxer, appearing in several fight videos online. He is currently being trained by former MMA fighter Bas Rutten in an effort to become a professional fighter.
Kimbo first gained attention as a street brawler. Many of his fights were videotaped and broadcast over the internet. His most notable fight was in 2004 against former police officer Sean Gannon. Gannon defeated Slice amid controversy for being accused of using illegal moves. The popularity of the video led to Gannon fighting for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Slice has his first sanctioned fight in 2007 against Ray Mercer. Slice defeated Mercer with a choke hold in the first round. After the fight, Slice issued a challenge to Tank Abbott, who was in the audience. Abbott accepted the challenge and the two fought on February 16, 2008. Slice won the fight by knockout in the first round. -- Mahola
Kimbo Slice Interview and Footage (Warning: Very Violent!)
Kimbo Slice is an mixed martial arts fighter. He originally was an underground bare-knuckle boxer, appearing in several fight videos online. He is currently being trained by former MMA fighter Bas Rutten in an effort to become a professional fighter.Kimbo first gained attention as a street brawler. Many of his fights were videotaped and broadcast over the internet. His most notable fight was in 2004 against former police officer Sean Gannon. Gannon defeated Slice amid controversy for being accused of using illegal moves. The popularity of the video led to Gannon fighting for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Slice has his first sanctioned fight in 2007 against Ray Mercer. Slice defeated Mercer with a choke hold in the first round. After the fight, Slice issued a challenge to Tank Abbott, who was in the audience. Abbott accepted the challenge and the two fought on February 16, 2008. Slice won the fight by knockout in the first round. -- Mahola
Kimbo Slice Interview and Footage (Warning: Very Violent!)
Alex Robinson's "Too Cool to be Forgotton"
3rd\SE Quadrant The Approval Matrix
Product Description:
From the critically-acclaimed cartoonist behind Box Office Poison and Tricked comes the delightful 2 Cool 2 B 4Gotten, a story of second chances. Andy Wicks is a forty-something father of two who's making one final attempt to quit smoking: hypnosis. He's skeptical it will work, but is stunned to find that when he emerges from his trance, he's fifteen years old - and it's 1985! Is he doomed to relive the worst four years of his life or will this second go-round finally give him the answers he's been missing all his life? If nothing else he'll finally get to ask out Marie Simone from history class... -- Amazon
You can read an exclusive excerpt here.
Interview with Author
Product Description:
From the critically-acclaimed cartoonist behind Box Office Poison and Tricked comes the delightful 2 Cool 2 B 4Gotten, a story of second chances. Andy Wicks is a forty-something father of two who's making one final attempt to quit smoking: hypnosis. He's skeptical it will work, but is stunned to find that when he emerges from his trance, he's fifteen years old - and it's 1985! Is he doomed to relive the worst four years of his life or will this second go-round finally give him the answers he's been missing all his life? If nothing else he'll finally get to ask out Marie Simone from history class... -- Amazon
You can read an exclusive excerpt here.
Interview with Author
WuChess.com
2nd\NE Quadrant The Approval Matrix
WuChess.com is the worlds first online chess and Hip-Hop community. You can create and share profiles with your friends and triumph over enemies on the 64 squares. Not just against people in your neighborhood but from all over the world.
Play live chess with people from all over the world and get your learn on.
WuChess.com lets you get knowledge from REAL chess masters
WuChess.com is the worlds first online chess and Hip-Hop community. You can create and share profiles with your friends and triumph over enemies on the 64 squares. Not just against people in your neighborhood but from all over the world.
Play live chess with people from all over the world and get your learn on.
WuChess.com lets you get knowledge from REAL chess masters