9 Celebrities Who Look Like Chaz Bono

by Wookie Johnson

from http://www.screenjunkies.com/

Much to the chagrin of many viewers, Chaz Bono (formerly Chastity) made his appearance on Dancing With The Stars this week. A firestorm of controversy erupted when the transgender star was announced as a member of this season’s cast with some devoted viewers boycotting the program, and others applauding the casting.

We here at Screen Junkies don’t watch the show because we were naturally blessed with two hype feet and fly off into a rage whenever we hear the voice of Tom Bergeron. Therefore, we don’t really have an opinion on this matter beyond, “What’s the big deal?”

He was a she and now he’s wearing a stylish vest and squaring off against Nancy Grace. There’s no harm in that. Besides, there are several beloved celebrities who resemble Chaz Bono. For instance….

Val Kilmer

He’ll be starring in movies alongside 50 Cent in no time.

John Goodman

Mostly it’s the shirt. Chaz should hold on to that in case he wants to be Dan Tanner for Halloween.

Kevin Smith

There’s no way they’d be able to sit next to one another on the same flight.

Billy Bob

This one’s kinda freaky actually.

Violent J

It stands to reason that if Chaz Bono looks like John Goodman then Chaz Bono also looks like the Insane Clown Posse’s Violent J.

Steven Seagal

Now I really want to see Seagal on Dancing With The Stars.

Smash Mouth

Throw on a porkpie hat and some Oakley’s and the resemblance would be uncanny.

David Holbrook

What’s worse? Resembling Creepshow 2′s Fatso Gribbens or paying surgeons to make you resemble Creepshow 2′s Fatso Gribbens?

P.J. Pete

This one’s also kinda freaky actually.

ESPN Mag delivers all-Boston issue

Posted by Chad Finn, Globe Staff
http://www.boston.com/

Sweet rings, sweet cover about Boston's winnahs, and sweet distraction from the submerging Red Sox. Or as Kevin Garnett put it in a classic commercial for ESPN Mag back in the day before he was part of the Boston sports scene, it's tastefully done.

While the suspicion here is that this week's all-Boston issue will include more references to "Beantown'' than most true Bostonians would ever actually say -- that would be one or greater -- a glimpse at the table of contents suggests it should be appealing overall even to the most parochial Boston fan.

Hey, anything with an article about Boston sports titled "Decade of Dominance" is off to a good start as far as I'm concerned. Also, Bill Simmons -- Grantland Sports Guy these days -- returns to the magazine to write a back-page piece on why the issue was a bad idea.

I know there's a punch line there, but I'm not finding it. So let's consider five other articles included in the issue, in order of appeal:

The Front Office Diaries -- A look inside the thinking of the Red Sox farm system featuring the scouting reports on some of the team’s best homegrown players, such as Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz, and Jonathan Papelbon. Sounds like required reading for those howling without context or a clue that Theo Epstein should be fired.

How to Rob Fenway Park -- Chuck Hogan’s novel “Prince of Thieves” was turned into “The Town,” a well-reviewed and wholly Boston movie directed by and starring Ben Affleck. (Jeremy Renner, a Modesto, California native, had the most accurate Boston accent in the movie, however.) Following the movie’s release, there was a string of copycat bank and armed car robberies utilizing techniques seen in the movie. But no one has tried to copy the film’s heist of Fenway Park -- yet. Other than perhaps John Lackey every fifth day.

Bruins in the Bean -- This photo essay will show why the Stanley Cup champion Bruins are the most Bostonian of all the pro athletes in the Hub, with vignettes of their daily lives and what they love about Boston. No wisecrack here. Could not agree more with the premise.

Debating Boston -- Artie Lange (a Yankees fan) and Denis Leary face off to argue that Boston’s sports teams are awful and amazing, respectively. Then they rip apart the other’s view. Kudos to ESPN for going with two legitimately funny personalities to rep the two fan bases rather than, say, Billy Crystal and Lenny Clarke.

Who Does Tom Brady Think He Is? -- An examination of why Tom Brady is hard to relate to and "insufferable." Presumably co-bylined by Terrell Suggs and Bridget Moynahan.

Regarding that last article, I'm going to do what Brady does so well: pass. But I am looking forward to checking the issue out. It should arrive in subscribers' mail boxes today or tomorrow and is available on the newsstand Friday.

My beautiful streaming NFL weekend

By Ryan Lawler

From http://gigaom.com/

Like most folks without cable, the biggest drawback I’ve found is the inability to keep track of my favorite sports teams. While MLB.tv takes care of that need during the baseball season (Disclosure: I’m a big Phillies fan), keeping tabs on the NFL season is a whole different beast. But what if you could stream every NFL game over the Internet? That’s what I did over the weekend, as I got my weekly dose of football not on TV at a friend’s house or at the local pub, but in the comfort of my own home, on my laptop and iPad.

Don’t (expect to) try this at home

It’s important to note that this isn’t a guide to streaming games without paying for cable or satellite TV. The iPad apps I used — DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket to Go and ESPN’s WatchESPN app — aren’t available for free. DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket package costs $350 for the season, for instance. I was lucky enough to score a login to Sunday Ticket from a PR contact with an invitation to test out the service, but those without DirecTV satellite service can sign up for the streaming option if they’re willing to shell out the cash.

Meanwhile, live video on the WatchESPN iPad app is only available to Time Warner Cable, Brighthouse Networks and Verizon FiOS customers who subscribe to ESPN. Again, I was able to log in through a test accountI had received from ESPN when the application was launched. The good news is that NBC’s Sunday Night Football stream is still free, although that means those without cable or satellite will only be able to stream one game a week.

In other words, unless you’re a Time Warner Cable subscriber who also wants to pay for Sunday Ticket streaming, don’t expect to be able to simulate this exercise. That said, here’s a rundown of what I thought of each service:

NFL Sunday Ticket

DirecTV’s Sunday Ticket iPad app has pretty much everything a football fan could want on game day. It has live scores from around the league and the ability to switch between virtually any game shown on CBS or Fox during the 1:00 p.m ET or 4:00 p.m. ET time slots. It also provides stats and game highlights from each game shown during that time period.

Most importantly, the Sunday Ticket app has the Red Zone Channel, which jumps between games whenever a team gets into scoring position. Red Zone is perfect for the football fan who has ADD, or who might not be rooting for any particular team on Sunday, but just wants to be updated on all the scoring action happening from around the league.

The one thing Sunday Ticket doesn’t have on the iPad is a video archive, meaning it’s pretty much useless except for a period of about six hours every Sunday. But for those six hours, it might be a football fan’s best friend.

Sunday Night Football All Access

NBC has continued its tradition of live streaming its Sunday Night Football broadcast online, making it available to viewers through NBCSports.com. For viewers who don’t pay for cable, that means there’s at least one free game a week. I was particularly interested in this week’s matchup, which was between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons. (Disclosure: I am also an Eagles fan.)

While the other two apps are available on the iPad, NBC’s Sunday Night Football broadcast leverages Microsoft Silverlight for playback, so it can’t be streamed on mobile devices. As a result, I watched it on my laptop. On the plus side, the service gives viewers a choice between multiple camera angles throughout the broadcast.

That said, video playback was just ok, and suffered from occasional buffering — something I wasn’t used to or expecting in the age of adaptive bit-rate streaming. It was an experience that reminded me how much I prefer HTML5-based HLS streaming on the iPad. One final downside to the SNF experience was a lack of diversity in the video ads that ran during breaks. If I never see the Toyota Venza Facebook commercial again, I’ll die a happy man.

Monday Night Football on WatchESPN

After a disappointing streaming experience on my laptop, it was nice to get back to watching football on the iPad. With WatchESPN, the iPad once again transformed into a personal football machine. While I was mostly interested in watching Monday Night Football, the ESPN app isn’t built for that. In fact, viewers can watch live streams from ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPNU on the application.

The MNF broadcast on the iPad was more or less the same as what was on TV, which is a plus for viewers who might not be at home for whatever reason. Interestingly enough, while WatchESPN allows viewers to tune in on the Apple tablet device, those checking from their mobile phones are blacked out due to an exclusive mobile distribution agreement with Verizon.

When business trumps technology

If there’s one thing that I learned this weekend, it’s that the technology for distributing live streams of popular content like NFL games is fully baked, but access to those streams is being held back by contractual obligations.

DirecTV is paying about $1 billion a year for exclusive access to all Sunday Ticket games over the next four years, so you can’t really blame it for not being more open and selling the online portion at a discount to the satellite package it offers subscribers. After all, the whole point of NFL Sunday Ticket isn’t to collect the annual $350 charge from users — although that’s a nice bonus — but to get more subscribers signed up, who will hopefully stick with the satellite TV provider year-round.

As for the WatchESPN app, the biggest issue is that it’s not available to more cable or satellite subscribers, simply because the operators in their area haven’t struck a deal with ESPN. Hopefully that will change with time. In the meantime, streaming Monday Night Football on the iPad serves as a great example of good value-added service to consumers that is being held back by rights agreements.

Football photo courtesy of (CC BY 2.0) Flickr user Tom Newby.

Schweddy Balls Boycott: One Million Moms Angered Over Ben & Jerry's 'SNL' Flavor

From: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

Maybe they would have preferred Bill Brasky's balls, instead?

The humorless, fun-averse conservative group One Million Moms, an offshoot of the American Family Association, is -- once again -- none too pleased with frozen treat liberals, Ben & Jerry's. The very vanilla organization is calling for a boycott of the ice cream maker's new, buzzy flavor, the "Saturday Night Live" skit-inspired Schweddy Balls.

In a public letter sent to its members, the organization acknowledges the origin of the rum-tinted, malt ball-filled flavor, describing the Alec Baldwin-starring NPR spoof skit in great detail.

He then explains that he sells popcorn balls, cheese balls, rum balls--balls for every taste--and the ball puns proceed for about four minutes. Ben & Jerry's chose to go with fudge-covered rum and malt balls for their flavor. The skit culminates in Baldwin stating that "No one can resist my Schweddy Balls."

Then, they make a point to air out their dairy delight grievances, including another rejection of any sort of gay-themed treat.

In the past, Ben & Jerry's has released controversial ice creams, like a special edition of Chubby Hubby called Hubby Hubby last year which celebrated gay marriage. It seems that offending customers has become an annual tradition for Ben & Jerry's.

The ice cream is being released in a limited batch, which means it will be distributed nationwide but only for three or four months. If it proves popular, another batch might be forthcoming, but we hope not.

Finally, a call to action, asking for vigilance in the face of a full frontal ball assault.

Please send Ben & Jerry's Public Relations Manager, Sean Greenwood, an email letter requesting that no additional Schweddy Balls ice cream be distributed. Also, highly recommend they refrain from producing another batch with this name or any other offensive names or you will no longer be able to purchase their products.

Those at the Huffington Post, however, heartily embraced the Schweddy Balls; read our taste test reviews here.

WATCH:

That will come in handy: Ultra-realistic limbs that have freckles, hairs and even tattoos

By Claire Bates

From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

A prosthetic technology company has unveiled an ultra-realistic range of limbs with features such as freckles, hairs and even tattoos.

Scottish company Touch Bionics have been hand-crafting upper limb prostheses for years but have recently introduced a new photographic system that is designed to make passive prostheses look as real as possible.

Ultra-realistic: Scottish company Touch Bionics have recently introduced a new photographic system that is designed to precisely match a prosthesis to a person's skin tone

Touch Bionics add freckles and hair to help the prosthetic blend in

The products, which come in parts of fingers, whole fingers, hands or arms, are known as passive prostheses - although light joints can be built in so they can be manually bent into different shapes.

Made from high definition silicone, they are part of the 'Living Skin' range and are designed with the help of a patent-pending imaging system called 'Living Image'.

Living Image has been under development for a couple of years and was revealed on Tuesday at Las Vegas at the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association National Assembly.

If a patient needs a single prosthetic such as a hand or finger, experts use the system to scan the skin tone, features and shape of their remaining limb.

The system, which simulates natural light for the best colour match, sends the resulting image via the internet to the production facility in Scotland. The resulting prosthetic is hand-painted to exactly match skin tone and appearance.

Perfect match: A prosthetic arm unveiled at the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association National Assembly in Las Vegas

Livingimage: The device is used to make a passive prosthetic far more realistic

Touch Bionics spokesman Danny Sullivan, told Mail Online: 'We've tested the system on 100 patients and it has been very successful.

'Clients have been very satisfied, especially with the colour of the 'skin.' The aim is to create a prosthetic that is as close a match as possible.'

The scanning process removes the need for time-consuming and error-prone matching practices and results in a highly realistic prosthetic in a shorter amount of time.

'It used to take five weeks to create a finger and seven weeks to create a hand,' Mr Sullivan said.

'But the imaging system has shortened this process by two to three weeks. It's also more reliable and makes far better use of clinical time.'

There are several systems at Touch Bionic centres in the U.S and one in use in the UK at the headquarters in Livingston in Scotland. There are tentative plans to either sell or rent systems to other prosthetic centres.

'We want to bring living skin to as wide a population as possible,' Mr Sullivan said.

The company also unveiled i-limb ultra, an upgraded version of its flagship prosthetic hand solution, which they say is the most versatile prosthetic hand available.

It has multiple functions including pushing, pulling, stabilising, supporting, light grasping and typing. It is the only prosthetic that can gradually increase the strength of its grip on an object.

Mr Sullivan said living image could be used to create coverings for their latest products.

For more information visit www.touchbionics.com

Ticketmaster's CEO dishes on new interactive seat maps

From: http://www.forbes.com/

Ticketmaster’s new interactive seat maps combine two things that I absolutely love: social media and music. Now, as soon as you load a seat map on Tickmaster’s site, you see where everyone you know at the concert is sitting. The interactive maps pull data from ticket-buyers’ Facebook profiles.

To learn more about Ticketmaster’s interactive maps, I caught up with the company’s CEO Nathan Hubbard about the inspiration for the maps, how Ticketmaster protects fan privacy, and what’s down the road, including geosocial developments.

Photo by: Rick Diamond and John Shearer

Jesse Thomas: How did the idea come about to pull Facebook data into Ticketmaster’s interactiveseat maps?

Nathan Hubbard: We are laser focused on making the experience of buying a ticket and going to an event awesome. A big part of that is expanding the passion and energy of a live event into the digital space before, during and after the event. Social is the best platform we know of to do that, because event going is an inherently social experience. We sell almost three tickets per order. So first and foremost, we wanted to make the crowd come to life in the digital space. Secondly, one of the challenges in our industry is awareness of events. Historically people have used social to talk about what they are doing in real time, or to share what they’ve done through photos and posting. But that means people don’t always know about an event until after it happens. So we wanted to use social to spread awareness of events at the moment of purchase to drive awareness. Lastly, we wanted to make it really easy for people to coordinate their experiences, sit together and find new friends. The seat map is the perfect vehicle to do all of this.

Jesse: What has the response been to that data?

Nathan: This is one of the most well received innovations Ticketmaster has announced in recent history and the response continues to be phenomenal. Fans are using this new feature to expand their group of friends attending an event. They are using this functionality to help plan their event and coordinate the logistics of everything from travel to where to sit. And as a result it is driving new levels of awareness and engagement.

Jesse: What privacy protections did you put in place to avoid problems?

Nathan: Throughout the development and integration of Facebook into our interactive seat maps we carefully thought through privacy protections for our fans, as the safety and welfare of our fans is paramount. To that end, we made it so fans always had to opt-in first before their seats were shown on the map. Also, whenever fans opt in, we always give them the option to choose if they want to share with everyone or just their friends.

Jesse: Have you encountered any privacy concerns from anyone nonetheless?

Nathan: No, but we’re always listening. We made it very easy for fans to share or not share their event going information. Our fans using this feature haven’t notified us of any privacy concerns. The response has been uniformly positive.

Jesse: Is the interactive map available at all venues where Ticketmaster sells tickets?

Nathan: We currently have over 9,000 events featuring interactive seat maps with Facebook tagging available, and we’re continuing to add more seat maps each week.

Jesse: Is there any geosocial element to make seating purchases or arrivals available inreal time, or is that down the road?

Nathan: We’re one of the few ecommerce companies that gets to connect with each of ourcustomers in person. They tell us where they will be at a given date and time, down to the exact seat location. So enhancing the event with geosocial is a cool part of the evolution of the experience and part of our roadmap ahead.

Jesse: Are there certain venues or types of concerts for which you’re seeing heavier useof the interactive seating maps?

Nathan: So far, we’re seeing the most tagging activity in concerts and sports games, but theater and family shows are definitely getting their share of tags as well. Some of the most
tagged events have been the US Open games, NASCAR, and college football. But the most tagged event to date is actually Bone Bash XII with Judas Priest at Sleep Train Pavilion in Concord, CA.

Disclosure: JESS3 has proudly worked with Facebook, which is referenced in this interview.

Small is beautiful: Amazing miniature origami sculptures that fit on the tip of your finger

By Mail Foreign Service

From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

The Japanese have been making origami sculptures of dragons for thousands of years - but they're never normally this small.

These miniatures are so tiny they can fit on a fingertip and they take days to make using a toothpick and paper no bigger than an inch wide.

Artist Anja Markiewicz spends days working on some of her remarkable sculptures, taking a break every two hours to keep up her concentration levels.

Enlarge

Artist Anja Markiewicz creates her mini-sculptures, such as this dragon, using a toothpick and inch-wide paper

The 24-year-old has created around 500 of the pieces and sells them for around £10 each on her website.

Anja had the idea five years ago after she made an origami ship with foil from a chocolate wrapper while bored at college.

She said: 'After I finished eating the chocolate, I started to fold the wrapper and ended up with a tiny ship.

Enlarge

Anja's favourite sculpture is this yellow ball, which takes 10 hours to make

Enlarge

This snowflake required the most paper to create - a mere 38mm square

Enlarge

Anja stumbled on her art while playing with a chocolate wrapper while bored at college

'I cut the paper to make it smaller and was still able to fold a ship - my friend gave it a go but couldn't do it.

'On the way home I bought some very thin paper from a craft shop and spent hours making more sculptures.

'It was very pleasing to me. I created more figures, using a toothpick for the really intricate parts.

Enlarge

Enlarge

A diamond rose and a tiny crane

'My favourite is the origami ball, because that took me the most effort.

'All in all, it was about ten hours, and I had to take breaks because it's tiring.

'I also like the rat, as it's quite a famous design in origami art but I have taken it down to a minuscule level.'

Anja, from Potsdam, near Berlin, Germany, added: 'Some pieces I can do in as little as five minutes and I love selling my work online.

'It gives me great satisfaction to know that people are buying my art and enjoying it.'

Enlarge

Anja sells sculptures, including this beetle, for £10 a time

Electric Tron Lightcycle Is Street-Legal & Amazing

from: http://mashable.com/

There’s no denying it: every Tron fan pictured himself on one of those amazingly designed, super-fast bikes from the movie. Parker Brothers Choppers turned that dream into reality a year ago, when they created the first Tron Lightcycle, but now they’ve taken it a step further and turned the gas-guzzling beast into an electric bike.

The all-new Electric Tron Lightcycle is powered by a 96 volt electric motor and lithium ion batteries. Its top speed is in excess of 100 mph, and its range is 100 miles on a single range, with a mere 35-minute recharge time.

As for practicality, we’re not experts on motorcycles, but it does seem a bit hard to ride. We guess it’s a small price to pay for the looks you’ll be getting when riding this beauty — especially at night, when the bike lights up just like the one in the movie. .

Pricing and availability are unknown at this point, but as a reference, the old, gas-powered version costs close to $55,000. Check out a video of the Electric Tron Lightcycle in action below.

Conjoined Twin Engaged

From: http://www.celebritydarling.com/

It was announced on XM Radio that conjoined twin Brittany Hensel is engaged. The connected twins were born in Minnesota and sky-rocketed to fame the moment they were born. To heighten peoples’ curiosity, Brittany and Abby filmed a popular documentary for the TLC channel and have been seen in various esteemed magazines.

Though Brittany is engaged, Abby (her other half) is not engaged. They also have separate driver’s licenses, favorite foods, distinct personalities and so forth. So why is it so shocking to know one is engaged? What about sex? Let’s face it. Sex is the question on everyone’s mind. It’s not like one can leave while the other is having sex. Will both enjoy the sex together? If they have children whose child will it be? I suppose what is awkward to us is normal to them. Best of luck Brittany, and congratulations on your engagement.

The Anatomy of the twins from Wikipedia:

Most of Abigail's and Brittany's shared organs are located at or below the level of the navel and their merging coccyx.

•2 heads
•2 completely separate spinal cords
•2 spines with ribs bridging the two columns

•2 arms (originally 3, but rudimentary central arm was surgically removed, leaving central shoulder blade in place)
•1 broad ribcage, with surgery to correct scoliosis and expand the pleural cavities
•2 breasts
•2 highly fused sternums, traces of bridging ribs
•4 lungs (medial lungs moderately fused, not involving Brittany's upper right lobe); three pleural cavities
•1 diaphragm with well-coordinated involuntary breathing, slight central defect
•2 hearts in a shared circulatory system (nutrition, respiration, medicine taken by either affects both)
•2 stomachs
•2 gallbladders
•1 liver, enlarged and elongated right lobe
•Y-shaped small intestine which experiences a slightly spastic double peristalsis at the juncture
•1 large intestine with one colon
•2 left kidneys, 1 right kidney
•1 bladder
•1 set of reproductive organs
•2 separate half-sacrums, which converge distally
•1 slightly broad pelvis
•2 legs

Click here to read the Comments: http://www.celebritydarling.com/conjoined-twin-engaged/

9 Deadly Words Used By A Woman

Watermelon skin carving

Watermelon skin carving from Vid Nikolic on Vimeo.

The sickest soccer juggling skills [VID]

By Nick Rowlands

From: http://matadornetwork.com/

This young kid from Alexandria, Egypt, who goes by the name of Disha, is an absolute genius with a football. Check it out!

HE HAS SOME INCREDIBLE MOVES, and some of his groundwork looks like a weird cross between Brazilian Ju-Jitsu, football, and contact juggling.

The video is just shy of four-and-a-half minutes, and it’s well worth watching the whole thing, as it gets better and better. Make sure not to miss:

• 0.46 – contact juggling using his head, outside the Alexandria Library


• 1.00 – yogic football balancing


• 1.58 – on a tank… yes, a tank


• 3.11 – some shin-up action


• 3.44 – stomach-ups (parental advisory only)

Make sure you check out his Facebook page, too.

J. Edgar Trailer: Leonardo DiCaprio Ages, Recreates American History For an Oscar Nomination

by Julie Miller
from http://www.movieline.com

“We must never forget our history,” Leonardo DiCaprio warns in the brand new trailer for J. Edgar. Conveniently, this narrative demand means that you should probably see the very biographical drama from director Clint Eastwood that this trailer advertises. Take a look at DiCaprio as FBI director J. Edgar Hoover below in the film’s first trailer.

To see the trailer in high definition, head on over to Apple. Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar will follow the career of J. Edgar Hoover from the Palmer Raids onwards. The Warner Bros. picture also stars Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts and Judi Dench and is scheduled to arrive in U.S. theaters on November 9.

Nuts for each other: The too-cute-for-words baby squirrels rescued after being blown out of nest by aftermath of Hurricane Katia

By Chris Slack

From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

When your companions are so soft and inviting it must be hard to resist snuggling up to them like this.

And these four baby red squirrels have a closer bond than most after surviving being just hours from death.

They were blown out of their tree-top nest by high winds as Britain was struck by the tail-end of Hurricane Katia last week.

Safe and sound: The four baby red squirrels sleep in their bed at the rescue centre. They were found by a passer-by after being blown from their tree-top nest by high winds

The squirrels, who are just five weeks old, were found by a passer-by in the aftermath of the gale-force winds.

The rescued animals were taken to a vets' surgery in nearby Alnwick, Northumberland before being sent to the Sanctuary Wildlife Care Centre at Ulgham near Morpeth.

Sanctuary owner Kim Olson said that if the animals had not been found they would have died within hours, attacked by either magpies of cats.

She added that the animals, which weighed just 70grams, had gone into shock and were very sleepy and still.

The woman who found the baby squirrels was not able to find their mother and sanctuary workers fear that she may still be looking for her offspring.

Before they can be released the five-week-old animals need round the clock care and are being looked after by volunteer Eileen Welsh at her home.

A bit of a handful: The five week old kittens play on volunteer Eileen Walsh's arm at her home

Give us a kiss: One of the baby squirrels give its friend a peck on the cheek

Thirsty work: One of the squirrels drinks his latest bottle of goat's milk, which he is fed at three hour intervals

She uses a tiny bottle to feed them goat's milk every three hours and will continue to care for them over winter.

Kim said: 'At this time of year the squirrels would be collecting food for winter but even if we released them in November they wouldn't have enough time.

'We're planning to release them gradually back into the wild next spring at our special unit, which is at a secret location in Northumberland.

'They're doing absolutely brilliantly now, they're extremely lively and mischievous.'

Refreshment: With drops of milk across his face, this squirrel takes its turn to be fed by Eileen

The sanctuary cares for injured and abandoned wildlife, as well as many unwanted farm animals and pets. It currently has 150 animals.

The centre also organises special days for children with special educational needs or behavioural issues.

It was established by Kim, 49 and her husband, Alan Petterson, in 1993 but struggling to find the £70,000 a year running costs Kim fears that the sanctuary's days are numbered.

She said: 'We're probably the largest animal sanctuary in the whole of the North East.

'We look after so much wildlife; we've got a badger cub, young foxes and injured birds of prey.

'"It's a bleak future for North East wildlife if we don't pull through.'

• For more information visit www.wildlife-sanctuary.co.uk

'Avatar' Theme Land Headed to Disney Parks

by Alex Ben Block

from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/

Courtesy of Twentieth Century-Fox

The first themed "land" will be built at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, with construction expected to start by 2013.

The blue people are coming to Disney.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide has sealed a deal with filmmaker James Cameron and producer Jon Landau, Fox and Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment to create themed attractions at Disney parks based on the 2009 movie.

The first themed "land" will be built at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, with construction expected to start by 2013.

The first Avatar attraction will be inside the Animal Kingdom park. Disney said this was chosen because "with its emphasis on living in harmony with nature, Animal Kingdom is a natural fit for the Avatar stories, which share the same philosophy."

Cameron and Landau, through Lightstorm, will be creative consultants and partner with Walt Disney Imagineering in the design and development of the Avatar attractions, which eventually will be at other Disney parks worldwide as well.

The deal is exclusive to Disney, which plans to roll out other Avatar attractions over time. Some of that will depend on discussions with joint venture partners on parks outside the U.S.

The parks will not only play off the huge hit movie which dominated the box office for months in 2010, but also benefit from the release to two more movies now in pre-production. Cameron has announced plans to release those movies at Christmas 2014 followed by the second at Christmas 2015.

Avatar was a movie that broke new ground in terms of presentation and technology, especially in the use of 3D. It is expected that the theme park attractions will also use that technology and new innovations to engage park visitors.

“James Cameron is a groundbreaking filmmaker and gifted storyteller who shares our passion for creativity, technological innovation and delivering the best experience possible,” said Robert A. Iger, President and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. “With this agreement, we have the extraordinary opportunity to combine James’ talent and vision with the imagination and expertise of Disney.”

“Avatar created a world which audiences can discover again and again and now, through this incredible partnership with Disney, we'll be able to bring Pandora to life like never before. With two new Avatar films currently in development, we'll have even more locations, characters and stories to explore,” said James Cameron. “I'm chomping at the bit to start work with Disney's legendary Imagineers to bring our Avatar universe to life. Our goal is to go beyond current boundaries of technical innovation and experiential storytelling, and give park goers the chance to see, hear, and touch the world of Avatar with an unprecedented sense of reality."

"This exciting new venture combines the world of Avatar with the enormous reach of Disney and the incomparable talent of Jim Cameron,” said Fox Filmed Entertainment chairmen Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman. “While Jim is bringing audiences further into Pandora with the next two chapters in the Avatar motion picture saga, the theme park attraction will likewise bring a new dimension to the amazing universe he created."

"Avatar is a uniquely powerful franchise that has global appeal with audiences of all ages. Its spectacular settings, intriguing characters, imaginative creatures, and strong themes of family and loyalty make it a perfect fit for Disney,” said Thomas O. Staggs, Chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “We can’t wait to give our guests the ability to journey to Pandora and explore the incredible immersive world of Avatar in person.”

Euro Trip 2009 - Photo Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

Fla. teen reels in 800-pound alligator

From: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

It was a battle of man versus beast Friday evening on Florida's picturesque St. Lucie River.

Proud dad: 'I'm gonna mount the head for him so he can put it in his room'

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The contenders: Tim Stroh, a 6-foot-3, 160-pound 19-year-old against a three-legged alligator, more than 12 feet in length and 800 pounds in weight. Armed with what his dad described as a "puny" fishing rod, the teen triumphed.

Gator-hunting runs in Tim Stroh's blood. His parents, Steve and Rachel Stroh, own a taxidermy shop in their hometown of Hobe Sound, Fla. Steve Stroh told Florida's TCPalm.com that he's hosted guided gator hunts since 1989.

So naturally, the family was excited when they heard rumors of a large alligator in the locks of the St. Lucie River, reported TCPalm.com. The three of them, plus a friend, loaded up a gator-hunting boat Friday, not knowing what they would find — if anything.

Then, within an hour of being out on the boat, TCPalm.com reported, they spotted it.

"I thought it was just a 9-footer," Tim Stroh told TCPalm.com. "Then I saw how big it was."

Others on the boat tried reeling in the alligator first, but couldn't. Then Tim, using a "puny bass rod," tossed his line, Steve said.

Video: Teen catches 800-pound gator with fishing pole (on this page)

Advertise | AdChoices

Advertise | AdChoices

Advertise | AdChoices

The 12-foot, 3-inch reptile chomped down, according to WPTV. It wasn't until he was reeling in the alligator that Tim realized its true size — its tail alone was as thick as his waist, according to TCPalm.com. To guarantee his victory, Tim hit the alligator with a "bang stick," a .44-caliber gun shell on a stick.

"I had adrenaline pumping through me and I was just like, 'Oh my God,'" Stroh said, reported WESH.com. The alligator "came up and he was popping his jaw and stuff."

Once on land, four more friends joined to help carry the alligator, which was missing one of its back legs, into the family's truck.

"We have a big box cooler we normally would put a gator into, but he wouldn't fit. We had to keep him in the truck overnight and throw in ice to keep him cool," Tim said.

Stuffing its head, eating its meat
Up until Friday, the biggest catch the Strohs had ever had was a 400-pound gator, reported WPTV.

The family has special plans for this one.

"I'm gonna mount the head for him so he can put it in his room," Steve told WPTV.

As for the rest of the creature? According to TCPalm.com, Rachel Stroh will be making a lamp from the gator's back leg; the family has plans to make keychains from the gator's bony back; and there are 250 pounds of gator meat in their freezers waiting to be fried or made into gator sausage.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials say they have had bigger catches. The longest gator ever caught in the state was more than 14 feet long; the heaviest was over 1,000 pounds, according to NBCMiami.com.

Alligator hunting season runs until Nov. 1. The Strohs have permits to legally hunt.

Tim Stroh, who did not return messages from msnbc.com, said the gator put up a good fight.

"He had a lot of character, and I had a lot of fun," he told TCPalm.com.

© 2011 msnbc.com

Fringe Season 4 Premiere: Our Top 5 Favorite Things About Fringe’s Return

Author: Steve West
From: http://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/

Season 4 of Fringe starts up in just a few days, and we have questions galore. With one of the biggest WTF endings in recent memory last season it stands to reason that the premiere would be packed with answers. Well, you’ll get no spoilers here (I would never do that to my fellow Fringe fans) but the truth is that there’s more to do than have everyone sit around asking where Peter went. After all, none of the characters even know that a Peter Bishop existed.

I can’t wait to share thoughts and theories with everyone after season 4 premieres this Friday, but for now I wanted to share my top 5 favorite things about Fringe’s first episode back. Don’t worry about spoilers, I have no plot spoilers in this story, but if you want to know absolutely nothing about the episode you should turn back now.

Without further ado, here are my 5 favorite non-plot spoiling things from “Neither Here Nor There.”

Observers as Greek Chorus
It’s fantastic how in a modern sci-fi show such an old method of exposition is utilized. And not in a throwaway, we have no better idea, kind of way. The Observers are integral to the plot; we’ve figured that out. The season 4 premiere has them acting as the audience’s anchor to Peter Bishop, and it’s a genius way to solve the problem of an absent Peter. Fringe is also aware that they need to be getting new viewers, and the Observer Chorus in the premiere is used to explain how the universe now works with the original timeline erased from existence.

Walter Without Peter Is Untethered
Sure we all love quirky Walter, with his love of candy. But there’s a genuine depth of emotion when it comes to the connection between Walter and his son Peter. Without Peter the genius scientist who is the brains behind Fringe division isn’t the same. The interesting thing is that it has nothing to do with controlling or calming Walter, a task that Astrid and Olivia prove to be quite capable of handling. A world without Peter is incomplete for Walter.

Lincoln Lee Steps Up To The Plate
New Fringe division team member Lincoln Lee steps in without a problem. With his geek chic Cillian Murphy inspired look and demeanor, the man is perfect for this show. He’s so good that even if we lost Peter forever, I think the series would survive. Lee is a geek through and through, he just happens to be an FBI geek. It’s a fantastic idea to bring him further into the fold, and the character is a wonderful bridge between the crazy fringe science and investigation aspects of the show.

Is This A Wonderful Life
The audience experiences Peter’s absence, but the other characters really don’t. Fringe is doing something wonderful by not having the erasure of Peter mean that the whole universe is changed. Everyone is still working at the job they had, and you have to truly watch to see the changes. It’s so subtle that the Observer Chorus mentioned above is required for anyone new to the show. No one is learning a lesson about what they mean to the world.

It’s A Monster A Week
Probably the most divisive thing about the premiere is that it’s a tried and true monster of the week episode. I’ll go no further than that, but it was a surprising choice that took guts by the creators. Especially considering how rabid we sci-fi fans can be.

Season 4 of Fringe premieres Friday, September 23rd at 9 PM ET.

Solar-Powered iPhone Case from Mobius Is A Good Back-Up Plan

by Jaymi Heimbuch

from http://www.treehugger.com/

Image via Amazon.com

Back in early 2009, a solar-power skin for the iPhone was huge news. Now, it's not quite as unusual but it's still pretty exciting for iPhone owners. This time, the company is Mobius, and they're offering a pretty sweet looking case that will power up your battery with the sun.

Image via Hammacher Schlemmer

I love how Red Ferret justifies this case:

It's hard to think about being eco-friendly with your gadgets. After all, just owning one isn't very "green". Just think of all of the materials that went into constructing your favorite device, and how much energy was used to craft it. Then you go out and by cases and accessories, which will no doubt end up in a landfill someday. The very least you can do is try to occasionally recharge it with something other than a wall outlet.

Um. Can I just say "ditto" and be done?

Well, I guess you'll want to know a little bit about it before we wrap up.

The Eton Mobius NSP300B Rechargeable Battery Case with Solar Panel for iPhone 4 is priced at $78 on Amazon. That is certainly not cheap for an iPhone case, especially considering you can make your own solar charger for iPhones in about 30 minutes for about $30. However, the price is part of the sleek package. It's handy that this fits over your phone, rather than being crammed in an Altoids tin.

The skin is a rechargeable battery inside a case, wrapped in a solar cell so you can set your case out in the sun, get a charge, and wrap it around your phone for both added protection and back-up battery power. You can also charge up with solar power while it is on the phone, with the charge going straight to the phone's battery, but that means your phone is sitting out in sunshine and we don't really recommend that for the longevity of your phone. It even has a "Proprietary snap fit design that prevents your iPhone's back-glass from being scratched."

A full battery will provide up to 10 additional hours of talk time, Internet use, or video playback and up to 40 additional hours of MP3 playback. However, it will likely take a couple day's worth of sunlight to fully charge the battery. For every hour of direct sunlight, you get about 25 minutes of talk time. The battery can also be recharged via wall outlet if you want to be sure you have a full back-up battery.

All in all, it looks like a sleek and smart back-up plan if you're going to be off-grid for awhile. And though I already have an iPhone case and avoid getting too excited over solar gadgets, I have to say I think this might just go on my wish list for when I'm on road trips if I don't get around to making that Altoids tin charger.

If you're looking for a fancy and functional skin for your iPhone, this one seems like a pretty good deal.

Clever Tunnel System Makes Chickens Do The Gardening (Video)

by Sami Grover

from http://www.treehugger.com/

Image credit: Ecofilms Australia

We've already seen how one farmer trains her chickens to eat slugs, and the internet is full of examples of chicken tractors—portable coops that can be moved to allow hens to till, fertilize, and weed a plot while providing pest control in the process. (see also this overview of chicken tractors at Planet Green.) But one Australian permaculturist has taken this idea to the next level—designing an intricate system of "chook tunnels" that let him funnel his ladies into any part of his garden. The amount of work that these creatures can do is actually quite amazing.

Of course many vegans will object to the idea of animals being used as "slave labor", but a system like this does go a large way toward answering the accusations of inefficiency so often leveled against animal husbandry. As soon as we stop thinking about chickens, or any other domesticated creature for that matter, as meat or egg production "machines", but rather as a productive, integrated member of a broader ecosystem, the efficiency equation starts to look a little different.

From processing weeds and food scraps into eggs and fertilizer, to replacing the need for human and/or mechanized labor in tilling, this really is yet another example of farming with animals the right way.

More on Chickens in the Garden

• DIY Chicken Tractors
• Chook Tractors Provide Mobile Chicken-Labor
• Training Chickens to Eat Slugs

Roomier Prius V Hybrid (aka Mama Prius) Going on Sale in US Next Month

by Michael Graham Richard
from http://www.treehugger.com

Photo: Toyota

58% More Cargo Space, Starting at $26,400
After releasing more details on the 2012 Prius Plug-in, Toyota is now announcing that the Prius V (which I dubbed the 'Mama Prius') will go on sale in the United States at the end of October.

Photo: Toyota

What's Different, What's the Same
The Prius V is built on the same drivetrain - and most of the same exterior - as the regular third generation Prius, but it offers 58% more cargo space, "resulting in more cargo space than 80% of all small SUVs", according to Toyota Division Group Vice President and General Manager Bob Carter.

The Prius V has 34.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats.

Photo: Toyota

Prius V Fuel Economy
The Prius v will deliver estimated EPA fuel economy ratings of 44 mpg city, 40 mpg highway and 42 mpg combined (5.35, 5.88 and 5.6 L/100km, respectively). This is significantly better than other vehicles that provide the same amount of interior space, though it is worse than the regular Prius which gets 50 MPG combined.

A plug-in version should come out at some point in the next couple of years, since Toyota has said that all Prius family members would be plug-in by 2014.

Photo: Toyota

Pricing
According to Toyota, the Prius V will offer three configurations: "the value-driven Prius v Two, the mid-range Three, and the premium-level Five. The base MSRP for the Prius v are $26,400 for the Prius v Two model; $27,165 for the Prius v Three; and $29,990 for the Prius v Five. The Prius v will arrive at Toyota dealerships in late October."

See also: Toyota Unveils 2012 Prius Plug-in (87 MPGe, $32k)

Via Toyota, GCC

Truth About Bottled Water

i.imgur.com