from the Popol Vuh

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Page from the Dresden Codex

The Popol Vuh is the ancient text of the Quiche', in territory we now call Guatemala. They were a Mayan people. My favorite part of the text isn't very studious in choice: one of the first men, Jaguar Quitze, had a wife named Not Right Now.

But what follows below comes before the advent of mankind. And at the beginning of the year, nothing better than to start at the beginning of the world: creation.

--
This is the beginning of the Ancient Word, here in this place called Quiche'. Here we shall inscribe, we shall implant the Ancient Word, the potential and source for everything done in the citadel of Quiche' , in the nation of the Quiche' people.
And here we shall take up the demonstration, revelation, and account of how things were put in shadow and brought to light by

the Maker, Modeler,
named Bearer, Begetter,
Hunahpu Possum, Hunahpu Coyote,
Great White Peccary, Coati,
Sovereign Plumed Serpant,
Heart of the Lake, Heart of the Sea,
plate shaper, bowl shaper, as they are called,
also named, also described as
the midwife, matchmaker
named Xpiyacoc, Xmucane,
defender, protector,
twice a midwife, twice a benefactor.

. . . . . .

This is the Account, here it is:
Now it still ripples, now it still murmurs, ripples, it still sighs, still hums, and it is empty under the sky.
Here follow the first words, the first eloquence.
There is not yet one person, one animal, bird, fish, crab, tree, rock, hollow,  canyon, meadow, forest. Only the sky alone is there; the face of the earth is not clear. Only the sea alone is pooled under all the sky; there is nothing whatever gathered together. It is at rest; not a single thing stirs. It is held back, kept at rest under the sky.
Whatever there is that might be is simply not there: only the pooled water, only the calm sea, only it alone is pooled.
Whatever might be is simply not there: only murmurs, ripples, in the dark, in the night. Only the Maker, Modeler alone, Sovereign Plumed Serpent, the bearers, begetters in the water, a glittering light. They are there, they are enclosed in quetzal feathers, in blue-green.
Thus the name, "Plumed Serpent". They are great knowers, great thinkers, in their very being.
And of course there is the sky, and there is the Heart of the Sky. This is the name of the God, as it is spoken.

And then came his word . . . .

--

The Heart of the Sky is the Hurricane. And this I think is all very interesting. It gets even more interesting. Just like our year will. I suppose we will start it with breakfast, and then it will get every minute more complex. It will be life.

Happy New Year to you all.

The Popol Vuh: The Definitive Edition of the Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life and the Glories of Gods and Kings. Revised Edition. Trans. Dennis Tedlock. A Touchstone/Simon & Schuster Book, (1985, 1996). Excerpts from pp. 63-65.  If you read Spanish, there is a lot of significant study on this manuscript taking place as they translate it from the Mayan language to modern Spanish. It might be worth looking up!

Snooki Polizzi Biography News Profile Relationships Wallpaper.

Nicole Polizzi is a cast member on MTV's Jersey Shore.She fake-tans and acts like a bit of a skank. Then again that sums up the whole cast, so what are you really gonna do. That's just what she does.Nicole has made headlines already by being closed-fist cocked in the dome on an early-season episode of the series, which began in late 2009.That and for having brown skin. Like for real brown. Not tanned, like she's been rolling in the mud or something. Yech. Got skin cancer yet?

Why is She famous
Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi is a reality TV star on MTV's Jersey Shore who likes to live hard, play hard and party harder. A short, busty human firecracker who could simultaneously mud-wrestle Paris Hilton and Heidi Montag and emerge victorious, Nicole Polizzi has gained substantial fame in the MTV crowd and on the guido circuit for her television exploits -- her crowning moment: getting punched in the face. The aliens observing our daily activities might be perplexed about her fame, but it's curiosities like this that keep them (and reality TV devotees) coming back for more.

60 Sex Appeal
Say what you may about Nicole Polizzi's claim to fame (or right to it), but there are a lot of guys in New Jersey who would gladly accept an invite to one of Snooki's wild parties with the hope of landing a date in the future. Her Spanish heritage and Italian upbringing have given her the kind of curvy figure and fiery demeanor that could stop traffic and keep Tiger Woods away from the Masters. Snooki's ample assets aren't the result of silicone enhancements and her tan is mostly just her exotic genes at work. Nevertheless, "dressing down" isn't in her vocabulary, and she lives by looking good -- even at the gym where she wears cosmetics in the throes of exercise.
Despite briefly hooking up with Mike Sorrentino, aka The Situation on Jersey Shore, Nicole Polizzi remains single, something she despises. While she would like to resolve that situation by dating someone in a similar state of single depression, she has thus far concluded that Mr. Right isn't anywhere near New Jersey. If she had it her way, Snooki would end her singlehood through one of her dream projects -- a spin-off reality series called Snookin' For Love, complete with what she likes to call a myriad of "guidos and juice heads." That frantic dialing you heard was Dr. Phil calling the Bad Taste Police.  

Snooki Biography
Nicole Polizzi, or Snooki, may be Italian-bred, but she was not Italian-born. Born to Spanish parents, she was adopted by the Polizzi family in Poughkeepsie, New York and given a crash course in the joys of Italian food, fashions and family bonding during her childhood years. Even with some of the wild antics that later accompanied her party-happy lifestyle, Nicole Polizzi's relationship with her family remained close.
If Nicole Polizzi's early Italian years were somewhat ordinary, things changed quickly when she moved to New Jersey. Her music got louder, her hair got bigger and adopted a signature poof, her fashions got racier, and she went the cheerleader route to star on the dance squad at Marlboro High School. With her mini-makeover, Nicole Polizzi eagerly sought out attention wherever she could and usually found it. One such moment came in 2007, when she did continuous handsprings for a beach full of admirers in a candid video recorded during Spring Break.

Lindsay Lohan Biography News Profile Relationships Wallpaper.

Name: Lindsay Lohan
Born: 2 July 1986 (Age: 24)
Where: Cold Spring Harbor, New York, USA
Height: 5' 5"
Awards: No major awards yet
Actress, singer. Born Lindsay Dee Lohan on July 2, 1986, in New York City. Lohan's father, Michael Lohan, ran his family's pasta business and worked as an investment banker. Her mother, Donata "Dina" Sullivan, was a Wall Street analyst. Lohan grew up in the wealthy Long Island suburbs of Cold Spring Harbor and Merrick.

Stints as a child model and commercial actress brought Lohan into the spotlight at the age of three. The star of more than 60 television spots and 100 print ads for clients like Toys 'R Us and Duncan Hines helped Lohan land the film role of twin sisters in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap. In the film, the sisters—one raised in England and the other in the U.S.—try to reunite their long-divorced parents, played by Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson. The movie performed well at the box office, making more than $92 million globally.
Lohan's success resulted in more Disney film roles, including the remake Freaky Friday (2003) also starring Jamie Lee Curtis. Her next role with Disney, the pre-teen comedy, Confessions of Teenage Drama Queen (2004), brought mild success. But it was her starring role in Paramount's film Mean Girls, written by comedian Tina Fey, that turned Lohan into a bona fide star. The movie recieved both popular and critical success; it became the 24th highest grossing movie of 2004 and earned Lohan a Teen's Choice Award and an MTV movie award for her performance sex appeal video nude scene.

Lohan returned to Disney in 2005 to star in Herbie: Fully Loaded, the fifth film in the Herbie the racecar series. The film earned $144 million worldwide and marked the actress' transition into more grown-up roles. in the meantime, Lohan also launched a music career. Thanks to her growing fan base, her first album, Speak, debuted in 2004 and hit platinum status. Her next album, A Little More Personal, hit stores in 2005 but didn't fare as well. Neither did her next two films, Just My Luck and A Prairie Home Companion, which made it to the big screen in 2006 to mild box office sales.
As her celebrity status grew, so did Lohan's attendance at New York nightclubs. Her wild party lifestyle made Lohan instant tabloid fodder in recent years, from her father's prison scandals to rumors of her own struggles with bulimia. On May 26, 2007, Lohan was arrested after crashing her Mercedes-Benz crashed into a tree in Beverly Hills. She was arrested again July 24 in Santa Monica after she allegedly engaged in a car chase with the mother of her former personal assistant. In both cases, Lohan was found in possession of small amounts of cocaine, below the .05 grams required for the more serious felony charges of drug possession, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney's office. After all her legal run-ins, Lohan was only charged with two counts each of driving under the influence, and a single count of reckless driving.

Tracie Rice, a woman who was a passenger in a car Lohan was accused of chasing on July 24, 2007, sued the star for assault and negligence. Lohan dodged felony charges when she reached a plea deal on misdemeanor drunken driving and cocaine charges on August 23. She got the minimum: four days in jail and credit for 24 hours already served. The sentence was then knocked down to one day in jail for doing 10 days of community service at a mortuary and in a hospital emergency room. That one day became 84 minutes because of overcrowding at the jail. Lohan turned herself in to the Los Angeles County women's detention center in Lynwood. She was searched, fingerprinted and put in a holding cell in the inmate reception area. She got to stay in her street clothes. Officials denied she received special treatment.

As with all long-running businesses, the selling of films has become ever-more sophisticated over the years. Audiences are now broken down into clear demographics and movies are conceived and pruned to target them. Perhaps the biggest market to have been recognised and tapped by major studios in recent times is the tweenie girl market, females who are still children but moving quickly towards maturity. Naturally, new stars were required to front the films and, predictably, there were many, many applicants. Many applicants but only two clear winners - Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff. Both would score smash hits onscreen, and both would engage in parallel careers in music. But it was Lohan, perhaps because of an already impressively lengthy CV, who'd come out on top. In 2004, Rob Friedman, Vice President of Paramount would say of her "Right now she's the reigning teen queen. Lindsay is identifiable. She's not an unreal personality. Audiences can relate to her". And how. Freaky Friday was a massive hit, she then headlined another in Mean Girls, then shared top billing with the world's most famous VW Beetle in Herbie: Fully Loaded. And she was smart about it, too. Though her stock had risen to the point where she was paid $7.5 million for playing the lead in the light comedy Just My Luck, she also cleverly sought out adult movie-making experience by taking a bit-part as Meryl Streep's daughter in Robert Altman's A Prairie Home Companion. The reigning teen queen was clearly preparing herself for the long haul.
She was born Lindsay Dee Lohan on the 2nd of July, 1986, spending her early years in Laurel Hollow, a tiny residential village on the western shore of Cold Spring Harbour, Long Island, New York. This place was a fair reflection of her Irish-Italian Catholic family's fortunes at this point. A former whaling village, it had been popularised in the early 1900s by well-to-do New Yorkers like Louis Comfort Tiffany, son of the founder of Tiffany's, who founded estates there. As time passed the area became famed for its bird sanctuary, the Muttontown Preserve woodlands and then a genetic and cancer research centre that spawned three Nobel Prize winners. Though just a few miles outside the New York conurbation, it was leafy, sparsely populated and rich. Come the year 2000 its population was still 91.3% white with a median income of over $200,000. It was Gatsby country.

So, the Lohans were doing well. Lindsay's father Michael was a Wall Street trader who'd apparently helped build up his family's pasta business. Unfortunately, his business dealings would be far from transparent, leading to much trouble both for himself and his family.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS HELPED MAKE THIS A GREAT YEAR!

AND BEST WISHES TO EVERYONE FOR 2011!!

Blood On The Cobbles - Soaps December Review

Okay, this is my last blog for 2010 and I might as well end the year with a soap one. It's been an interesting TV year for the most part and here's hoping 2011 maintains that in every TV medium.

Coronation Street - Tracy Barlow is a woman who certainly knows how to turn an entire cast against her, isn't she? Less than a week back on the cobbles, she's managed to insult everyone, bed David Platt (yuck) and got her head caved in as well. I think it's obvious to assume that Steve and Becky aren't guilty of this one, even if the next few weeks will keep them in the frame. Apart from that, Gary's PTSD storyline as well as Sally and Tyrone turning on Kevin have been the only other strong storylines going, post-tram. Oh and if Leanne can stop berating Nick for five minutes that would be nice too. I also have to admit to enjoying the presence of Claudia during tonight's New Year's Eve episode as well.

EastEnders - Every now and then, a soap writer gets the idea to ACTUALLY allow someone to get away with murder and despite Janine's best efforts over the Christmas, Stacey Slater managed to leave Walford without Ryan but with her baby and enough cash from Max to escape the coppers. As frustrating as I've found Stacey a lot of the time, a part of me was pleased that she did get away with killing Archie. However tonight's episode pleased me less with Ronnie's one day old son dying and her taking Kat's baby. I'm not a sensitive viewer but even I think this upcoming baby swap storyline is a little too cruel, despite the fact that I'm confident with both Jessie Wallace and Samantha Womack being able to deliver. On the plus side, Kim is still bags of fun and the less I focus on Carol/Connor or Ian/Glenda/Phil, the more bearable certain episodes are to watch.

Emmerdale - Ooh, I like a good wedding, especially if it's one where Chas finally got her revenge on Carl and Eve before the latter scurried off. As storylines went, the build up to this one has been great and the pay off was fun but in spite of all her hatred for him, I'm still betting that Chas will get back with Carl in 2011. Other highlights of the month have been the return of Eric's other son, the arrival of Declan's father Dermot and Aaron and Jackson actually getting some scenes together where it isn't an angst fest. Any chance things can be lighter for the pair next year?

Hollyoaks - For a soap aimed largely for teens, this has definitely been a darker and more hard hitting month for it. India got murdered in the most horrible way going, thanks to crazy Silas and Jasmine/Jason's GID storyline has finally become public knowledge with some predictable reactions from her family (and some humorous ones as well, courtesy of Mitzee). On the plus side, the show's also making progress in trying to develop Brendan as a character as his dyanamics with Danny, Ste and Warren have all taken interesting turns. I'm not sold on him still but he's definitely improving as a character.

Doctors - I rarely watch this show and with an episode called The Living Gaylights, I have to admit that I've probably seen better acting in panto but even I find Simon Bond rather cute. The episode where he was dreaming about being a gay James Bond, replete with hot scantily clad men and being tied up was definitely one of the sillier soap storylines done in a while. On the serious side, they also tackled a near suicide attempt with the character as well but luckily, there's still a hot gay guy in this soap.

The Best of the Rest

Yeah, this is primarily a music blog, but I am an avid devourer of pop culture of all sorts, so to cap off my year end countdowns, I want to share the other morsels of entertainment that rocked my 2010.

Top 10 Movies of 2010

Now, I'm no serious movie critic, but I did see 33 of this year's movies (which I think is a personal record), and I know what I like. My list'll be populated by a few more genre films than the typical "critic's list." I've developed quite a wide range of tastes when it comes to movies (just no lame romantic comedies, please).

Let Me In
A dark, scary coming-of-age film about the connection between outcasts. It just happens to have a vampire in it, too, but this is no Twilight. In my opinion, it managed to one-up the artier Swedish original. It can be a brutal watch at points, but absolutely worth it. (Coincidently, the film's star -- Kodi Smit-Mcphee -- also co-starred in my favorite movie of 2009, The Road. He's undoubtedly the best kid actor out there)

Inception
Lived up to the hype as an original, thinking man's action movie. Plus, it's got one of those endings that people will be talking about for years.

Black swan
The most beguiling of all this year's Oscar contenders, I wasn't sure exactly what I thought of it until that stunning, operatic ending.

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part One
The truest to the book, and by far the darkest, most character driven film in the series.

Salt
My favorite straight-up action thriller of the year. More twists and turns than any other movie in 2010 and one kick-ass heroine.

How To Train Your Dragon
The umpteenth "boy and his dog" story told in the movies, but this made it fresh with stunning visuals, endearing characters, and a sharp script with plenty of heart.

It’s Kind Of A Funny Story
The "smallest" film on my list, this slice-of-life coming of age in the psych ward indie was a pleasant surprise. Very endearing.

Tron: Legacy
Most impressive visuals of the year. This brought me back to when I was about ten years old. It's all about the suits and the cars and all that cool stuff, honestly.

127 Hours
Wasn't sure how they could form an entire film around this story, but the acting and direction proved to be enough to be at turns gripping and profound.

True Grit
From setting to dialogue (some of the best dialogue of the year, for sure) this deposited the viewer so clearly in a place that it was impossible not to be entranced. Plus, Hailee Steinfeld = birth of a star.

+ a few more worth a mention:
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid, Toy Story 3, Unstoppable, Kick-Ass,

Top TV

British Invasion

Misfits
I loved it last year, and adored it this year. Robert Sheehan is without a doubt my breakout star of 2010. His Nathan is a force to be reckoned with and well worth watching even if you're not a fan of genre shows. The series grew in both quality and depth this year, introducing some sci-fi inspired mystery into its already potent blend of Heroes (anti)super-heroism and creepy/funny Twin Peaks-esque plot lines.

Skins
Yeah, I'm a couple of years late on this one. I've only made it through the first two seasons (with the unbeatable, original cast), but what I've seen thus far has been the best teenage drama I can remember being put to screen. Look past the sex and drugs and romantic triangles and you've got an incredibly natural, sharply written coming-of-age story with one of the strongest ensemble casts in recent memory. And
no series this year has upset/gripped/touched me more than Skins in its final two episodes.

X-Factor
Quite bluntly, it took over my life this Fall (as it does every Fall, to be honest). But this year was the biggest and best yet. More controversy, more interesting contestants (bar the eventual winner, who was the definition of "bland") and a larger than life, coliseum style live show that cemented the X-Factor as appointment TV. I only hope the American version is as addicting.

And on my own Shore:

Weeds
America's best series reinvented itself yet again as a twisted road trip dramedy. It was in a lot of ways the series' most inconsistent, strange season and lost a lot of steam in the middle, but at the same time I felt like the writers really tried to push the characters to new levels this year. Both the beginning and the end of the season were amongst the strongest this show's been, and that final episode stands as one of the best (if not the best) half-hour Weeds has given us so far.

United States of Tara
Tara had one of my favorite debut seasons of any show last year. The four central actors are enough to keep me watching no matter what they do. Throw in the ongoing mystery element that season two got closer to solving and I was completely hooked. Basically, this show makes me want to travel to Kansas and live with this family for a day. It's just so endearing.

The Middle
Modern Family's gotten all the love (and mostly deserves it), but my preferred Wednesday night sitcom is its companion piece, The Middle. I was a huge fan of Malcolm In The Middle when it was on the air, and this is in a lot of ways very reminiscent (in title, even). I'm a sucker for a good, light family comedy and 2010 proved that this series is one to watch. The cast is gelling, the quality's improving, and it often gets more laughs from me than its more-critically praised ABC counterpart.

Top Books

Will Grayson/Will Grayson
Two very different books this year. Will Grayson was the first book in awhile to literally make my mouth drop at one point. Strong characterization and an interesting dual-narrative format made this a standout.

The Marbury Lens
Quite simply, one of the most gripping books I can remember reading. Often times it's as close to a nightmare as you can get on the page, but the book's real power is its ability to draw you back in and stay with you after you've finished. It's a real mystery of a story, but one I'll never forget.

Top Stage

I don't often get to go see shows (unfortunately), but I managed a couple this year, and even though I've mentioned it before on the blog, this one still warrants another mention:

Billy Elliot
It's, by a hundred miles, the best show I've seen. I can't remember ever leaving a show/concert/movie feeling better than I did after this one. You'd think a show about a young boy who wants to dance would be schmaltzy and sugary -- a strictly "for the kids" affair, but like the movie they managed to retain the wit, darkness and adult subtexts. No wonder it won all those awards. I can't wait to see it again this Spring.

That's it for 2010! What do you guys think? Agree? Disagree? I'd love to hear your own lists. I'll be back in the new year with a five part tribute/review/analysis of the best band in the world, who will be celebrating their last year together in 2011...

Being Human - Season 3 First Trailers

Okay, an airdate still need confirming but there are some small bits for the new season to behold.

First up, Lacey Turner is appearing in the first episode of Season 3 of Being Human, playing a character called Lia that's instrumental in helping Mitchell locate Annie and it'll be interesting to see how she fares as this is her first role after leaving EastEnders. It'll be interesting to see what lays ahead for Mitchell, Annie, George and Nina this year.

Elsewhere, Michael Socha (This Is England 86 and brother of Misfits actress, Lauren Socha) will be part of a father/son werewolf duo. His character, Tom and father McNair (played Robson Green) will be hunting vampires but over the course of the season, Tom apparently bonds with Mitchell and this year, the villains are many and different. Expect Herrick to be different than the character we knew in the first year and also expect a zombie in the mix as well. I'll do another blog when an airdate for the new season and some proper promotional caps surface.

Trailers: http://www.spoilertv.com/2010/12/being-human-uk-season-3-3-promos.html

2010 - A Year In General

Best Show (UK): Misfits. Spent the last five months catching up with this superlative series. So glad a third season is coming.

Worst Show (UK): The Deep. Just terrible to be honest.

Best Show (US): True Blood. Because both Seasons 2 and 3 kept me hooked like no other show.

Worst Show (US): The Event. More like non-Event to be honest.

Best Villain: Arthur Mitchell in Dexter. Honorable mentions go to Dream Lord in Doctor Who and Russell Edgington in True Blood.

Worst Villain: Smoke Monster in Lost. Much as I liked Season 6, I grew tired of that fecking monster.

Best TV Death: Um, everyone's in Ashes To Ashes. Not many TV deaths affected me this year.

Worst TV Death: Freddie's in Skins. I was never a big fan of the character but he deserved better.

Shocking TV Moment: Bill being revealed as a total bastard in True Blood. Also Rita's death in Dexter.

Sexiest Male On TV: Matthew Rhys in Brothers And Sisters. Just cos.

Sexiest Female On TV: Going with Karen Gillan in Doctor Who. Even I'm drawn to Amy Pond.

Best Finale: Dexter's fourth season finale, The Getaway.

Yes, Kids Are Annoying: Cooper and Paige in Brothers And Sisters. Sorry, but they irritated me this year.

Neither Use, Nor Ornament: Holly Harper and Ryan Lafferty in Brothers And Sisters - again. Though at least one of them is long gone and forgotten by all.

Good Reality TV: The Apprentice. Both Irish and UK versions this year.

Bad Reality TV: Big Brother 11. Well, the parts that were the John James and Josie show.

Best Gay Couple: Kevin Walker/Scotty Wandall in Brothers And Sisters. Emily and Naomi from Skins come a close(ish) second for the second and last time.

Worst Gay Couple: Bob and Lee in Desperate Housewives. Shockingly dull those two.

Best Straight Couple: Dexter Morgan and Lumen Pierce in Dexter. It shouldn't have worked but damn it did.

Worst Straight Couple: Jason Stackhouse and Crystal Norris in True Blood. Something lacks with those two.

Best Guest Appearance: Julia Stiles in Dexter. Though she was practically a regular in Season Five.

Worst Guest Appearance: Will Young in Skins. I like the guy but I found his cameo in Freddie's episode jarring for some reason.

Killed Too Soon: Ivan in Being Human. I liked him towards the end.

Difficult Season: Heroes. Even with it's fourth season, this show couldn't get it's act together. A shame really.

Best Male Character: The Doctor in Doctor Who. Because bowties, stetsons, fezzes and everything else is cool according to him.

Worst Male Character: Dave Karofsky in Glee. Just go away please.

Best Female Character: Sue Sylvester in Glee. She might be cartoonish but she is fun to watch.

Worst Female Character: Beth in Desperate Housewives. Dull, dull, dull, dull.

Most Improved Show: Misfits. Season 1 was fun but Season 2 was sublime TV.

Least Improved Show: Desperate Housewives. Season 7 has been all over the place to be honest.

Best TV Partnership: The Doctor/Amy Pond in Doctor Who. Amy might not sit well with certain viewers but damn, I like her.

Worst TV Partnership: Sean and Christian in Nip/Tuck. In the end, they went their seperate ways. Doesn't say a lot about friendship, eh?

Best Use Of Music: Skins. One of the best things of Season 4.

HoYay Award: Sherlock/Moriarty in Sherlock. The hoyay went stratospheric during The Great Game when these two finally met.

2011 Hopeful: Boardwalk Empire, which looks awesome.

Happy New Year everyone.

7 Innovative Traffic Lights

1.UniSignal Traffic Light



2.Hourglass Traffic Light



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5.Projected Traffic Light



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7.Countdown Traffic Light

Nicole Richie Biography News Profile Relationships Wallpaper.

Socialite, actress. Nicole Camille Escovedo was born in Berkeley, California, on September 21st, 1981. Her biological mother was a backstage assistant for singer and musician Lionel Richie. Her biological father is often cited as Peter Michael Escovedo, a member of Lionel Richie's band and brother to pop percussionist Sheila E., but this has not been confirmed.At age three, for financial reasons, Nicole moved in with her father's bandmate Lionel, and Lionel's wife Brenda Harvey-Richie. Six years later, the Richies officially adopted Nicole.

Shortly after the adoption, Lionel's affair with another woman became fodder for the tabloids. Apparently feeling guilty about their highly-publicized divorce, the Richies indulged Nicole's every whim.

As a child, Richie pursued her passion for figure skating and also studied the guitar, cello, violin and piano.Nicole's formative years were spent at the prestigious Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California, where she met Paris Hilton, the heir to the Hilton empire.

As a teenager, Richie began partying hard and experimenting with drugs and alcohol. Following her graduation from Montclair Preparatory School in 2000, she decided to go to college. She attended the University of Arizona in Tucson, and studied arts and media. Nicole dropped out after two years and returned to Los Angeles.
Continuing the pattern of her teenager years, Richie was busted in February 2003 when police found heroin in her Mercedes-Benz. She plead guilty to all charges and was sentenced to probation and ordered to attend the Sierra Tucson drug rehab center in Arizona.

Ten days after leaving rehab, Nicole was reunited with childhood friend Paris Hilton to star in The Simple Life, after Paris' sister, Nicky, bowed out. Richie continued working with Hilton through their very public falling out, but reconciled in 2006 before starring in their show's fifth season.

Nicole also pursued a musical career, joining the rock band Darling in 2004, featuring model Josie Maran and socialite sisters Soleil and Sofia Alberti. Richie then made her acting debut as a cheerleader in the movie Kids in America in 2005. Richie went on to write a semi-autobiographical novel, The Truth About Diamonds in 2005.

Often accused of being too thin, Richie became a style icon, with endless coverage of her shrinking frame and on-and-off relationships. In February of 2005, Richie and boyfriend Adam Goldstein, better known as club disc-jockey DJ AM, became engaged. They split ten months later.

Richie was arrested on December 11th, 2006, after she drove her black Mercedes-Benz sport utility vehicle the wrong way on a freeway in Burbank, California. She reportedly told authorities she had smoked marijuana and taken the prescription painkiller Vicodin. Richie pleaded guilty in July to a misdemeanor charge, avoiding a potential year in jail because it was only a second DUI conviction.
Richie began dating guitarist Joel Madden of the band Good Charlotte in 2006. On July 31, 2007, Richie announced that she and Madden would be having their first child together. She gave birth to daughter Harlow Winter Kate Madden on Jan. 11, 2008, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Nicole Camille Escovedo was born in Berkeley, California, on September 21, 1981. Her biological parents were Peter Michael Escovedo, a member of Lionel Richie's band and brother to '80s pop percussionist Sheila E., and an anonymous backstage assistant.

At the age of 3, for financial reasons, Nicole moved in with her father's bandmate Lionel and his then-wife Brenda Harvey-Richie. Six years later, Richie officially adopted Nicole.

There are plenty of privileges to being raised in affluent circles. Nicole's formative years were spent at Los Angeles' prestigious Buckley School, where she met and befriended Paris Hilton the heir to the Hilton empire.

But money is also often synonymous with the fast lane, and as a teenager Nicole began partying hard and experimenting with drugs and alcohol. Following her high school graduation in 2000, she decided to go to college.

She enrolled in the University of Arizona, the same school as pro basketball player Luke Walton and actress Heather Blair. Nicole dropped out after two years.

At this point, with the influences of her youth still fresh in her mind, Nicole decided to become a musician. She founded the rock band Darling with model Josie Maran and socialite sisters Soleil and Sofia Alberti.

On her own and on the loose, Nicole never broke out of the pattern of her teenage years. In February of 2003, the police pulled her over in Malibu. She was questioned and it was soon discovered she was driving with a suspended license. Upon searching her Mercedes-Benz, police found heroin in the car and Nicole was immediately arrested. She later plead guilty to all charges. Nicole was sentenced to probation and ordered to attend a drug rehabilitation program.
Nicole was first signed on to The Simple Life as a replacement for Paris' sister Nicky, who was approached by FOX executives, but wasn't interested in participating. The show aired in December of 2003 and was successful enough to justify a sequel series, which aired the following summer.

The fame that The Simple Life earned her allowed Nicole to branch out. She made appearances on such shows as Eve (starring rapper Eve), Punk'd, Rock Me Baby, and MADtv. She was cast alongside Julie Bowen in Kids In America, and is still working on breaking into the music industry.

Fats Waller: Lulu's On The Town!!! (1935)

For all of you going out tonight, be sure and dress like you're running into Lulu somewhere. And that means sharp, baby. Totally for effect.
But most of all, don't drink and drive. Lulu wants you to get where you're going. All Right Now! Fats!

Natale sottotono, Capodanno ed epifania verso il tutto esaurito

Complici le prenotazioni last-minute saltate per il maltempo e la chiusura di molte strutture, Natale e Santo Stefano hanno registrato percentuali generalmente basse di occupazione nelle strutture di montagne e di lago del territorio: sui laghi dove la clientela straniera è più marcata e le prenotazioni erano anticipate le strutture aperte hanno registrato per Natale e Santo Stefano tassi di occupazione medi del 40-50% con qualche
struttura vicina anche al 90%, mentre in montagna, dove la clientela è prevalentemente italiana i tassi di occupazione sono stati più bassi, nell'ordine del 20% delle disponibilità, con qualche eccezione vicina al 50% , favorita dal turismo termale o da particolari eventi.

Molto buone invece le prenotazioni e le aspettative per Capodanno ed Epifania, dove si prospetta un po' ovunque il tutto esaurito: saranno gli italiani a prendere d'assalto le nostre località di montagna, favorite anche dal bel tempo che durerà per tutto il lungo “ponte” festivo, con permanenze medie di 3-4 giorni.
Alcune presenze straniere, per lo più tedeschi e qualche finlandese, in Formazza mentre nelle altre valli sono per lo più gli italiani gli ospiti attesi.

Verso il tutto esaurito anche le strutture aperte sui laghi, dove la clientela è al 50% rappresentata da italiani e al 50% da stranieri: ad oggi le prenotazioni raggiungono in molte strutture l'80% delle disponibilità con molte opzioni anche per l'Epifania.

Da registrare anche l'affluenza in questi giorni di comitive di turisti tedeschi in transito in giornata sui laghi e interessati alle isole: “E' un segnale da seguire con attenzione” - commenta il Presidente del Distretto Turistico Antonio Longo Dorni - “in vista anche dell'auspicato prolungamento della stagione turistica, che in effetti quest'anno ha visto l'apertura di un numero maggiore di strutture”

“Per quanto riguarda invece la montagna” - continua Longo Dorni - “stiamo coordinando con
Provincia del VCO, impiantisti e operatori commerciali, il progetto Neveazzurra che sta dando
ottimi risultati così come la commercializzazione della nuova card “Neve e Benessere” che può
essere richiesta anche on-line sul sito www.distrettolaghi.it”

Every Year

Every year I keep a journal. Not a diary, because I can't fit a day in a tiny page.
Some days need no writing; other days pages and pages.

This year I kept it on-line, on a closed site. When I was at my worst, and couldn't go on-line, I couldn't use my journal either. Lessons learned.

Every year I buy one poetry book from one living poet. We love the poems tested by time, but we need to keep this craft going. I realize my one poetry book is not going to keep this going, but it's a start.

Every year I have black-eyed peas for New Year's Day. One of my concessions to good luck aggregation. And it's painless-what's not to like?
I also have a horseshoe over my door.

Every year I make a list of resolutions. Oh, who am I kidding? Every other day I make a list of resolutions.
Time to get cracking--I've got an hour or so left.

Upcoming Posts & Traditions
I have been working on some posts for January. I don't know if sixteen months and 535 posts allows me to qualify for tradition, but I think maybe so. (I started this gig in September 2009. The posts for August 2009 are all back-dated.)

Every month the Ann T. Hathaway blog remembers the sacrifices of law enforcement officers here. The post for December will go up January 2, 2011. I'm going to keep doing this throughout 2011.

During National Fire Week, the Ann T. Hathaway blog noted the sacrifices of the fire and EMS services. And again next year.

Every year the Ann T. Hathaway blog mentions the sacrifices of our military personnel over the past year.
Those posts will be going up on Sundays in January (the 9th and 16th so far)  until this blog has noted them all--not every fear or pain or triumph--of course not--but a complete record of the fallen.

Continuing Series
Judging by the numbers, my gang pages are used and looked at. I'm going to try to fill in some interesting things on that over the next year.

The "Cities Crime and Economics Series" will get more posts. It is not as well-read as the gang pages, but I think useful from time to time for my readers. It also keeps me sharp.

This coming year, I want to take more photographs. But, I want to get brave and take street-side portraits. You'll see if I meet that goal.

And the Personal
Plus, I am sure there will be more on the Condo Board. There will be more poetry from the living and the dead. I want to include more passages from books on strategy, more memories, more street-side stories.

My biggest Ann T. resolution is to include advances in the present-day, non electronic world--maybe even some fiction published here and there. Thanks to my readers for cheering me on this year.

Come see your achievements--your good influence--because you have been. Thanks for everything you've done. Thanks for my advances, however uneven my performance at times, in 2010. Thanks for everything. I mean that.

Have a great day!

Every year I keep a journal . . . .

Greens for the New Year

These are the white versions of ornamental Kale. A looseleaf one and a tighter-headed one.

I couldn't find them yesterday evening. Here you go, Bob and The Observer! More Martian lettuce. Although these don't look quite as wild as the other one did.

Norway bans Fur from Oslo Fashion Week

Oslo Fashion Week has barred all fur from the runway, Ecouterre reports, becoming the 1st fashion week that we know of to take such action.

The move was spearheaded by Mote Mot Pels (Fashion Against Fur), "an anti-fur initiative that has received the support of more than 220 Norwegian fashion industry insiders who refuse to work with fur, including designers Leila Hafzi, Thomas Ryen of Undorn, and John Erling Vinnem of JohnnyLove, as well as Norwegian Elle, Norwegian Cosmopolitan, KK, and Det Nye," Ecouterre writes. Care2.com also mentioned the involvement of Norwegian animal rights group NOAH and designer Fam Irvoll.

General Manager of Oslo Fashion Week Paul Vasbotten said, "It has been a very natural choice for us because we do not want [Oslo Fashion Week] to appear as an arena in which to promote products based on the treatment of animals [as] prohibited by animal welfare concerns in several countries."

By contrast, Norway's neighbor Denmark has no plans to keep fur off the catwalk. Eva Kruse, the CEO of Copenhagen Fashion Week, remarked, "We believe that fur is a central part of fashion and we have no plans to ban fur from Copenhagen Fashion Week, adding, "Fur farms are shut down in Norway, the production would just move to other countries like China. Then we will lose all control of how animals are treated."

Olympic champ Wanjiru on Death threat charges

Olympic marathon champ Sammy Wanjiru has been charged with death threats to his wife and the illegal possession of an AK47 rifle in his native Kenya.

Wanjiru denied the accusations when he appeared before a court in his home town of Nyahururu, Kenyan television reported Thursday. The court was told that the 24-year-old athlete made the threats after an argument with his wife, Tereza Njeri, the previous night.

He was also charged with threatening to kill a domestic helper, and wounding a security guard. Prosecutors alleged that Wanjiru was drunk when he returned home before making the threats.

Wanjiru was held overnight in a police cell and released on bail, with the case set to be heard in full in February.

Wanjiru accomplished worldwide fame when he became Kenya's first Olympic marathon champion at the Beijing Games in 2008. At 21, he was the youngest gold medal winner at an Olympics since 1932.

After his Beijing triumph, Wanjiru has set about dominating the marathon distance, claiming 2 wins in Chicago and also winning the London marathon last year. It helped him to be crowned as the men's champion in the 2009 and 2010 world marathon majors’ series.

Wanjiru is also a twice world half marathon record holder and would be a favorite to defend his Olympic title in London in 2012.

Brie Larson Biography Profile Relationships Wallpaper.

Real Name: Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers
Birthday: 10/01/1989
Birthplace: Sacramento, CA, USA
Occupation: Actor/Singer
Sign: Libra

Big was born on October 1st, 1989 in Sacramento, CA. Brie decided she wanted to be an actress when she was six years old. She found an agent in San Francisco, who told her, not much later, that she needed to be in Hollywood. So that's where Brie went. She met lots of agents and decided to go with Cindy Osbrink, who she has been with for six years. Brie's first job was doing sketches on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno". She worked on the show for over a year and had done numerous other guest-starring roles when she landed a television pilot for FOX called "Schimmel". The star of the show was Robert Schimmel. The show never aired though, because right before filming, Robert Schimmel was diagnosed with cancer. But that didn't stop Brie, a few weeks later she auditioned for a new show on the WB, which at the time was called "In Your Dreams", Brie got the part of Emily and the show was re-named "Raising Dad". Raising Dad, sadly, was cancelled late in the season. Right after wrapping up filming, Brie was cast in "Right on Track", a Disney Channel original movie. Brie played Courtney Enders, the younger sister of Erica Ender(played by Beverley Mitchell). Brie is recording her first CD now. You can hear some of her music on her Official Site. Brie was also cast in the pilot for the Abcsitcom, Hope and Faith, but she and some of the other cast were dropped. She will soon be seen on the big screen in the feature film "Sleepover". She will play the vicious popular girl Liz.

Biography and Career :
When she was seven years old she saw "The Sound of Music" performed at the acclaimed Music Circus and started loving the acting world. She attended the American Conservatory Theater and was one of the youngest students. In 1998 she moved to Los Angeles and Cindy Osbrink became her agent after she saw many but decided to work with him.
She appeared at "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and later at a television show called "In Your Dreams". In 2004 she acted in "Sleepover" and then in "13 Going on 30", "Hoot", "Farce of the Penguins" and "The Beautiful Ordinary". She is a beautiful and talented girl and she
has a long career ahead. In 2003 she recorded the tracks "Not A Freak" and "Go, Goodbye". After one year she released the debut single called "She Said" and in 2005 came the debut album "Finally Out Of P.E". In July 2005 another single was released: "Life After You". If she continues this way she can be one of the greatest stars in America and not only. She has many fans and they can't wait to see her new album and movies.

Brie Larson mini-bio: Larson was born in Sacramento, California, and decided to be an actress when she was six years old and was one of the youngest students of the American Conservatory Theater. She moved to Los Angeles in 1998, right before her 9th birthday and met lots of agents, but decided to go with Cindy Osbrink, who she has been with for six years. Larson's first job was doing sketches on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and soon after, was cast in two back-to-back television series, Schimmel which was announced but never aired, because right before filming, Robert Schimmel was diagnosed with cancer. After being "on hold" for ten months, Fox cancelled the show. Three weeks later she auditioned for a new show on The WB, which at the time was called "In Your Dreams", Larson got the part of Emily (the youngest daughter to Bob Saget's character) and the show was picked up for the 2001-2002 fall season and was renamed Raising Dad. The show, however, was cancelled late into the season, so she was not able to audition for a new series until next pilot season. Larson was also cast in the pilot for the ABC sitcom, Hope and Faith, but she and some of the other cast were dropped.
In July 2004, she co-starred with a large cast of teen actors in the film Sleepover, playing the vicious popular girl Liz. Larson's latest role is in the film Hoot, opposite Logan Lerman and Cody Linley. The film opened on May 5, 2006. Brie's voice is also featured in the movie Farce of the Penguins, as the teenage penguin and she'll play Angie in the comedy/drama The Beautiful Ordinary. brie larson united brie larson album brie larson 2011 brie larson 2009 brie larson bra brie larson sex appeal.

Candace Cameron Biography News Profile Relationships Photo Wallpaper Video.

Candace Helaine Cameron (born April 6, 1976) is an American actress sex appeal best known for playing Donna Jo (D.J.) Tanner on the television show Full House. She is the sister of actor and Christian evangelist Kirk Cameron, and is married to ice hockey player Valeri Bure.Besides acting in Full House, Cameron has also appeared in a variety of TV movies, including Monster Mash and Big Foot.

Known to many as big sister DJ on the sitcom Full House, actress Candace Cameron followed in the footsteps of her older brother Kirk_Cameron, who was an actor on the series Growing_Pains. Starting with guest appearances on shows like Alice and St._Elsewhere, Cameron eventually won the role of DJ in 1987, when she was 11 years old. Following the cancellation of Full House in 1995,
she continued to act in a wide variety of projects, many under her married name, Candace_Cameron_Bure, including 1997's Night_Scream, 2007's The_Wager with Randy_Travis, and 2008's Moonlight and Mistletoe bra size.
Actress. Born on April 6, 1976, in Panorama City, California. Cameron is the daughter of Barbara, a talent manager, and Robert, a gym teacher. She is also the younger sister of Kirk Cameron, an actor best known for his role on the 80s sitcom Growing Pains.

At age five, Cameron launched her acting career with several national commercial spots. After earning guest roles on the series Alice, St. Elsewhere, and Who's the Boss?-and playing opposite Eric Stoltz in Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)—11-year-old Cameron was cast in Full House as D.J.
Tanner, the eldest of three sisters. The part, which showcased her wry wit and charm, fully launched her career. In her down time she worked on films such as Punchline (1988) and sitcoms including Growing Pains.
During her Full House years, Cameron attended a charity hockey game in which co-star Dave Coulier was playing. Coulier introduced her to Russian-born Valeri Cameron, a professional NHL player. The two began dating, and were married in 1996. After their wedding,
Valeri sent Coulier a hockey stick inscribed with the following: "Dear Dave, thank you for Candace.' Around this time, Cameron appeared in several made-for-television movies: No One Would Tell (1996), She Cried No (1996), and NightScream (1997).

In 1998, Cameron gave birth to daughter Natasha. Son Lev followed in 2000. That same year, at the age of 24, she committed herself fully to the Christian ministry, and when son Maksim was born in 2002, Cameron took a hiatus from her acting career to enjoy life as a wife, Christian and mother.
Five years later, Cameron returned to the small screen with a cameo on Disney's That's So Raven. She followed the appearance with two film roles: The Wager (2007), and the Christmas-themed Moonlight and Mistletoe (2008).
With her re-entry into the acting world underway, Cameron landed a principal role on ABC Family's Make It or Break It, a dramatic series about aspiring Olympic gymnasts.
She continues to lecture and work with philanthropic Christian organizations, and is a columnist for Christian Women Online Magazine.
Filmography
Nightscream - 1997 (TV Movie)
No One Would Tell - 1996 (TV Movie)
Freshman Fall/She Cried No - 1996 (TV Movie)
Visitor's of the Night - 1995 (Movie)
Sharon's Secret - 1995 (TV Movie)
Monster Mash - 1995 (TV Movie)
Kidz in the Wood/Mr Foster's Field Trip - 1994 (TV Movie)