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Monday, October 31, 2011

Bionic exoskeleton helps wheelchair users walk

From: http://news.yahoo.com/
The Launch Of Bionic Exoskeleton Ekso

 LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 21: Engineer Thomas Dwyer stands with the new Bionic Exoskeleton next to Amanda Boxtel during its launch at the Excel centre on October 21, 2011 in London, England. The bionic device developed by Ekso Bionics is a wearable, battery-powered, robotic exoskeleton, designed to aid wheelchair users and those who have suffered from spinal chord injuries to stand and walk. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

 

 

Her most intricate Halloween outfit yet? Heidi Klum goes all out as she's wheeled in to annual party on an autopsy table

By Sarah Bull
From http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

    Her annual Halloween party is undoubtedly the most highly-anticipated of the spooky holiday, with celebrities going all out to try and outdo the host.
    But there was no chance of anyone upstaging Heidi Klum at her party last night.
    The 38-year-old model was wheeled in to the event on an autopsy table by two blood-spattered doctors.

    Her most intricate Halloween outfit yet? Heidi Klum went all out for her annual party, and was wheeled in to the TAO nightclub on an autopsy table by two blood-spattered doctors
    Her most intricate Halloween outfit yet? Heidi Klum went all out for her annual party, and was wheeled in to the TAO nightclub on an autopsy table by two blood-spattered doctors

    And when they lifted the sheet, Klum's outfit could be seen in its entirety, with the intricacies of the costume clear to see.

    Project Runway host Klum decided to dress up as a dead body for the event, and spent the majority of the day being airbrushed with make-up to ensure her appearance was as realistic as possible.

    Talking about the outfit, Klum said:
    'It’s kind of like a dead body with the first layer of skin ripped off.  It’s basically like me naked.

    Leaving nothing to the imagination: Heidi's 'dead body' costume showed the body with the first layer of skin ripped off
    Leaving nothing to the imagination: Heidi's 'dead body' costume showed the body with the first layer of skin ripped off

    Next to nothing: Heidi was actually wearing very little, but said she didn't feel naked because it is so colourful
    Next to nothing: Heidi was actually wearing very little, but said she didn't feel naked because it is so colourful
    Next to nothing: Heidi was actually wearing very little, but said she didn't feel naked because it is so colourful

    She's all muscle: Heidi's unique costume offers up a inside look of the human anatomy
    She's all muscle: Heidi's unique costume offers an inside look of the human anatomy

    Life of the party: Heidi stands out from the crowd as she mingles with her guests inside the party
    Life of the party: Heidi stands out from the crowd as she mingles with her guests

    Get your drink on: Heidi enjoys a cold one as she checks out the action on the nearby dance floor
    Get your drink on: Heidi enjoys a cold one as she checks out the action on the nearby dance floor

    Smile: A party attendee snaps a picture of Heidi on the dance floor
    Smile: A party attendee snaps a picture of Heidi on the dance floor

    'All my veins and blood will all be visible… You don’t feel quite naked with it because it is so colourful!'

    Klum teamed her extraordinary outfit with a pair of sky-high black heels, and impressively realistic rotten teeth.

    The German supermodel had been keeping her fans updated on the progress of her outfit throughout the day, posting pictures of each stage on Twitter.

    Preparations: Heidi kept fans updated on the progress of the costume by posting shots of the stages on Twitter
    Preparations: Heidi kept fans updated on the progress of the costume by posting shots of the stages on Twitter
    Preparations: Heidi kept fans updated on the progress of the costume by posting shots of the stages on Twitter

    Getting there: Heidi posted a shot which showed the 'road map' of the make-up, before sharing one which showed her having the make-up applied by airbrushing it on

    Getting there: Heidi posted a shot which showed the 'road map' of the make-up, before sharing one which showed her having the make-up applied by airbrushing it on
    Getting there: Heidi posted a shot which showed the 'road map' of the make-up, before sharing one which showed her having the make-up applied by airbrushing it on

    Finishing touches: Heidi completed the astonishingly realistic outfit with a pair of rotten teeth
    Finishing touches: Heidi completed the astonishingly realistic outfit with a pair of rotten teeth
    Finishing touches: Heidi completed the astonishingly realistic outfit with a pair of rotten teeth

    From having the skull cap applied, to showing the basic 'road map' of the dead body design on her face, to finally showing off the airbrushed make-up before heading to the event, there is no doubt that Klum's outfit is the most intricate and
    time-consuming of the occasion.


    Klum is no stranger to dressing up for Halloween, going bigger and better every year.
    However, she has also previously caused controversy with some of her outfits, with her 2008 costume of the Goddess Kali sparking outrage from Hindu leaders who demanded an apology.
    Kitty cat: 2007 was the last year that saw Heidi sex up her costume, husband Seal was a Frankenstein character
    Kitty cat: 2007 was the last year that saw Heidi sex up her costume, husband Seal was a Frankenstein character
    Kitty cat: 2007 was the last year that saw Heidi sex up her costume, husband Seal was a Frankenstein character

    Controversial: Klum's decision to dress up as Hindu goddess Kali in 2008 wasn't received well by members of the faith
    Controversial: Klum's decision to dress up as Hindu goddess Kali in 2008 wasn't received well by members of the faith
    Controversial: Klum's decision to dress up as Hindu goddess Kali in 2008 wasn't received well by members of the religion
    'I loved my costume and I love Halloween,' Klum said at the time.
    'I mean that is one of my most favorite times of the year. I've done so many different things. This was probably my tenth time and I've done so many people like Betty Boop and Lady Godiva and it’s always a take on someone. You’re not that person.'
    In 2009, Heidi and husband Seal dressed up as birds of a feather, but Klum said the outfits were difficult to cope with.

    She said: 'It was bad. My husband was driving and he could hardly see anything...
    When you have a beak on, you can't talk to anyone, you can't really
    drink. It's not a good costume!'


    Something to crow about: Heidi and Seal were birds of a feather in 2009
    Something to crow about: Heidi and Seal were birds of a feather in 2009
    Something to crow about: Heidi and Seal were birds of a feather in 2009

    Transform her: Last year Heidi and Seal upped the ante by becoming Transformers, complete with hydraulic crane shoes in Heidi's case
    Transform her: Last year Heidi and Seal upped the ante by becoming Transformers, complete with hydraulic crane shoes in Heidi's case
    Transform her: Last year Heidi and Seal upped the ante by becoming Transformers, complete with hydraulic crane shoes in Heidi's case 

    Kitty overload: Real Houswives Of New York star Bettheny Frankel dressed head-to-toes in Hello Kitty attire for the occasion
    Kitty overload: Real Houswives Of New York star Bettheny Frankel dressed head-to-toes in Hello Kitty attire for the occasion

    Fox To Reboot ‘In Living Color’ With Keenen Ivory Wayans; 2 Specials Set For Midseason

    From: http://www.deadline.com/
     
    EXCLUSIVE: Fox is bringing back its groundbreaking 1990s sketch comedy series In Living Color with the series’ creator and star, Keenen Ivory Wayans, on board as host and executive producer. Fox has ordered two In Living Color half-hour specials to air as part of the network’s 25th anniversary celebration in midseason with a series option behind them, meaning that in success, the reboot will join Fox’s schedule as a regular series next season. I hear it was Wayans’ idea to revive the popular sketch comedy series with a new cast. The new In Living Color will be produced by his production company Ivory Way Prods. in association with 20th Century Fox TV’s Fox 21.



    Like the remake, the original In Living Color, which was produced by Ivory Way Prods and 20th TV, also launched in midseason, premiering on April 15, 1990. It broke stereotypes by employing a cast of mostly black comedians and introducing hip-hop and dancing to mainstream television. The show helped launch the careers of a slew of comedy actors — its cast included Wayans; his siblings Damon, Shawn, Kim and later Marlon; as well as Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx and David Alan Grier — and of course Jennifer Lopez as one of the Fly Girls. It spawned such iconic characters as “Men on Film,” starring flamboyant film critics Blaine Edwards (Damon Wayans) and Antoine Merriweather (Grier); Homey D. Clown (Damon Wayans), a dour urban kiddie entertainer whose catchphrase was “Homey don’t play that!”; streetwise scam artists “The Home Boys” (Keenen Ivory and Damon Wayans); and Fire Marshall Bill (Jim Carrey), a disfigured safety expert. In Living Color gave its actors freedom to improvise and it skewered everyone, particularly black America. In probably the most successful programming stunt opposite the Super Bowl ever, a special live edition of In Living Color drew some 25 million viewers during the halftime of the 1992 Super Bowl on CBS. But the show’s fearlessness when it comes to the targets of its jokes and the unapologetic political incorrectness of its skits often ran afoul with Fox’s censors. The frequent clashes contributed to Wayans’ departure from the show after the third season though he remained an executive producer. In Living Color ended its run in May 1994 after five seasons.

    Fox has long been looking to launch a successful new sketch comedy series. Last season, it tried with In The Flow With Affion Crockett, executive produced by In Living Color alum Foxx, which was originally slated for midseason but ultimately aired in the summer to low ratings. Keenen Ivory Wayans, repped by UTA, has been focused on features for the past 15 years, directing, writing and producing the successful Scary Movie franchise as well as White Chicks and Little Man, on which he worked with his brothers. At Fox 21, In Living Color joins series Homeland, Breakout Kings and Sons Of Anarchy.

    5 Halloween Parties Too Badass to Be Real (That Totally Are)

    Let's face it, Halloween will never be as cool as it was when you were a kid. Yes, as an adult you get the joy of slutty costumes and spending the evening drunk, but it's just not the same. Haunted houses aren't scary, costumes are lame and the parties are just cardboard decorations and people weeping quietly (your experiences there may vary).
    Well, it turns out you just need to know where to go. There are some places where the true spirit of Halloween lives on in grand fashion ...

    #5. Eastern State Penitentiary's Badass Haunted House

    First, let's talk about the Halloween staple, the haunted house. Unless you're 12, you probably can't remember the last time you were actually scared at one of these. Sure, you might have been startled at one, when the guy with the hockey mask and toy chainsaw jumped out at you. But not scared. You're far too old and jaded to ever go running home to mommy because of some big building with cheesy horror decorations taped to the walls.
    Now allow Pennsylvania to prove you wrong with Terror Behind the Walls. It's a Halloween attraction (talk about stretching a term) set in Eastern State Penitentiary, a goddamn bona fide haunted prison complex.
    walkwithyoung
    Once you enter, you can never leave (except through the gift shop).
    Built in 1829, the ESP had a reputation as a pretty nightmarish place when it was operational -- a visiting Charles Dickens described it as "worse than any torture of the body."
    easternstate
    "Although a lot of that is just Philadelphia."
    And the people who ran the place were as insane as the environment -- they happily imprisoned and messed up prisoners as young as 12 and even goddamn dogs. Combine that with some fairly creative torture methods, such as "the mad chair," and it should come as no surprise that reports of paranormal activity on the site have been pretty abundant. And now, every Halloween, the long-closed penitentiary opens its doors to allow the public to revel in its arrested decay.
    weekendamerica
    They've even kept some of the prisoners around on a steady diet of man flesh.
    This, by the way, means the building is as abandoned as Chernobyl and about as well preserved, so it might be a good idea to make sure your Halloween costume includes a hard hat.
    thejamisonian
    And maybe a dental dam.
    The Terror Behind the Walls event is a "low gore" walk through the pants-shitting premises, with plenty of actual gory historical facts mixed with balls-out-insane ghost stories to go with the top-notch production values. It all adds up to the scariest Halloween event in America.
    easternstate
    An honor taken last year by that terrible Rocky Horror episode of Glee.
    Yeah, if you think you're too cool to be scared by masked actors chasing after you, you need to experience it happening while you're walking through the crumbling real-life equivalent of Arkham Asylum.
    A haunted one.
    thejamisonian
    This is why Batman has Robin -- bait.
    And while we're on the subject of haunted houses ...

    #4. Steampunk Haunted House: Through the Looking Glass

    If you don't have a "clearly really haunted" prison to turn into a haunted house, you can still present a pretty kickass experience. All it takes is a high production value and a little style. For instance, there's the Steampunk Haunted House in New York.
    evolvepuppets
    Behold Hipsterween.
    It has so many advantages over its "fake blood and plastic skeletons" peers that it's almost unfair. First off, it's steampunk themed, which is creepy all by itself. Second, it's based on Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass, the freakier sequel to the already pretty deranged Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
    steampunkhauntedhouse
    We're not sure what the label on her cupcake said, but we're not touching it.
    And trust us, that unholy combination works. Until NASA finds a way to actually enter Wonderland through a steampunk Stargate, Third Rail Projects' Steampunk Haunted House: Through the Looking Glass remains as close as you'll come to Looking-Glass Land this side of American McGee's Alice. Third Rail's take on the Ye Olde Haunted House routine is basically a straight-up steampunk museum in a century-old playhouse decked out in a Wonderland theme. It focuses on only the darker themes of Carroll's work, and also all your favorite Alice characters and settings now look like this:
    Chad Heird
    This is far more accurate than the Disney version ever was.
    And while you do have a tour guide, his main function is, in true Carroll fashion, to deliberately get you lost, give you impossible tasks and turn off the lights just when you need them.
    Adding to the insanity cake mix is the fact that the whole building is as deliberately nonsensical as New York housing law will allow. In short: Picture dropping acid before watching the animated Alice in Wonderland, and you'll have a fraction of an idea what you're in for.
    steampunkhauntedhouse
    Taking acid before visiting the Steampunk Haunted House ends with either the morgue or a bestselling children's novel.

    #3. Halloween at the House on the Rock

    So as you can see, the best Halloween hangouts are the kind of places that are terrifying year-round. Which brings us to House on the Rock, aka The Most Insane Place in America.
    brassgoggles
    We're pretty sure we've spotted at least 14 things here that will rip you to shreds.
    Architect Alex Jordan Sr. and his son Alex Jordan Jr. started building House on the Rock as a way to get back at Frank Lloyd Wright, who thought Jordan Sr. was a hack and kicked him out of his art school. We can tell Senior took this a bit personally, because he immediately started planning and building the most mind-bending house his peculiar architectural style could come up with -- in the vicinity of Wright's own house in Wisconsin. Then, the son turned the house's rooms into loosely themed crap exhibitions and proceeded to live his life in seclusion like a poor man's Howard Hughes.
    joelbrinkerhoff
    In terms of taint-curling horror and giant sea monsters, he was as rich as creosote.
    Every single inch of the House on the Rock is a horror movie waiting to happen. Let's begin with the Infinity Room, which juts out 218 feet for no other reason than to mess with your head.
    puroticorico
    Well this just seems infinitely unscary.
    The terrifying part is that the room is quite high from the ground and has no supports underneath. Here's the outside:
    When you enter the Infinity Room, you're essentially walking a 200-foot long plank, hoping against hope that Jordan Sr. (who, remember, was laughed out of the profession by one of the most influential architects in history) had his shit together.
    Speaking of which, let's take a look at the other rooms. The house features several "exhibitions," with all exhibits out in the open and contributing to the peculiar smell of rot that permeates the building. One room gives us what is allegedly the world's largest indoor carousel.
    dchamberlinarchitect
    Or at least the largest possessed carousel.
    Another features a frozen orchestra of mannequins.
    satamkemet
    No music. Just a steady stream of muffled coughs and far-off screams.
    There's a circus room ...
    ... a room full of organs ...
    joelbrinkerhoff
    All completely unplayable by the hands of man.
    ... an indoor old-timey street that brings to mind the Rapture ...
    thehouseontherock
    "Those hats belong to the previous occupants. They left rather suddenly."
    ... and another orchestra, only these are controlled by invisible robots, because everything is better with robots.
    florador
    Ghosts, too.
    Wow. That's just ... wow. It's as if they've taken everything even remotely sinister in life and put them under the same roof to bear upon the wary visitor.
    And then there's the Halloween parties. Last year, for instance, the House on the Rock hosted a costume contest (judged by Neil Gaiman), and the winners got to ride that enormous carousel. Although, as evidenced by their disclaimer on Facebook, this is not necessarily a reward -- the riders are specifically told not to bring "open flames, weapons, smoke and sharp projections" and that "as the carousel was not meant to be ridden, there are sharp claws, fragile appendages, etc."
    So, it's a carousel with sharp claws that was not meant to be ridden, and you're specifically told not to take weapons with you? There is no way you're getting out with your soul intact.
    viceland
    Or your lunch.


    #2. The White House Halloween Party

    Remember when we said you can arrange a kickass party literally anywhere? We weren't kidding. This is what you get at a White House costume party:
    nytimes
    Surrealism and massive balls.
    While you may not immediately think of the White House for your list of "best party places in the world," people tend to forget that it is one of the best-equipped places for most occasions -- up to and including getting wild. In 1975, Gerald Ford's daughter, Susan, held her high school's senior prom there, and for good reason: the White House has everything anybody would need for the best freaking party ever. It features a movie theater, a ballroom, plenty of bedrooms, its own bowling alley, a basketball court and a swimming pool ... hell, there's even a hot tub.
    What's more, as you can see above, the festivities are now hosted by a President of the United States who is an unabashed Star Wars and comic book nerd. This translates to the exact thing you'd hope for and expect:
    The White House
    That's a fantastic President of the United States costume.
    Hey, look at this! It's somebody dressed up as Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter:
    fanpop
    Hang on ...
    Yeah, that person would be Johnny Depp. Also at the party in 2009 was Tim Burton and Deep Roy (the guy who played all of the Oompa Loompas in the Willy Wonka remake).
    fanpop
    Sasha looks adorably terrifying.
    See, this is why you want to grow up to be president, kids. You get to use your status as the most powerful man in the world to have R2-D2 stare down an Ent.
    nytimes
    "Could have used you on Endor, beep beep."

    #1. The Queen Mary's Dark Harbor

    As you leave the trick-or-treating stage of your life behind and enter the beer-and-wacky-dick-costumes phase of Halloween celebrating, you tend to be less about the candy and more about the partying. Woe is you, however, when you find out that Halloween parties tend to be pretty much the same as your regular Friday nights, only everyone wears even dumber clothes than usual and there are little plastic bats everywhere.
    Yet with the right mindset (and some cash to burn), you can arrange a kickass Halloween at the Queen Mary at Long Beach, California.
    queenmarydarkharbor
    That's the one where they refuse to let out Cabin B340 because of the murdered little girl living there.
    It's your average retired ocean liner that's been converted into a hotel/museum. And while that might seem more or less like the trifecta of lameness to most, the owners of the Queen Mary took a double take on their property and realized that what they had was a creepy-ass giant ship (that looks a bit like the Titanic for good measure) that is also a creepy-ass hotel.
    nerdsociety
    Using a corpse as a mattress? Eh, we've done worse.
    So they have taken to annually converting the Queen Mary into a giant Halloween complex for an event called the Dark Harbor. The end result is the lovechild of The Shining's Overlook Hotel and a giant ghost ship and HOLY SHIT WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!
    nerdsociety
    He's there to take your bags, don't be rude.
    Yeah. The Halloween-ready ship features, among other things, three onboard and two onshore mazes, some 160 monsters, all the special effects you can eat and some big ass pyrotechnics.
    nerdsociety
    It's not a holiday without pillars of fire.
    The horror action that takes place in and around the "damned" ship -- which, as they helpfully remind you during the event, is rumored to be haunted in real life as well -- follows a different script every year. This year's story revolves around a trio of she-demons who make it their mission to hunt the shit out of everyone entering the boat after sunset -- up to, including and especially you.
    nerdsociety
    The service is impeccable in that respect.
    Oh, hell yeah. This is the kind of haunted house you get when the people setting it up have some serious money behind it.
    pitchengine
    We hope they also have some serious firepower.
    And in case you still think this is kid stuff, please note that there will be boobs there (video NSFW).
    Happy Halloween, indeed.
    queenmarydarkharbor
    Sleep tight.
    For more Halloween fun for the whole family, Jacopo asks that you pick up a copy of Little Goblins Ten, a cute little children's book by the very same Pamela Jane that Jacopo is currently writing a Cracked-inspired children's book with.