Michael Jackson Wacko Purchase: Psychosexual Fortune Teller

By Lina Lecaro

Tabloids and gossip blogs had a field day with reports and pics of "Jacko at Wacko" last week, but all we could think of when we heard about -- and then saw this video of -- the King of Pop popping into our favorite Silver Lake chotchkee haven and art gallery -- also known as Soap Plant/La Luz de Jesus -- last week, was, what did he buy? Well, thanks to some sources inside the store, we've got the exclusive scoop and it's weirder than we might have imagined.

He purchased several books from the store's vast selection. Taschen tomes, non-fiction on China and architecture, the human body and soul music, and some children's books (of course). Interesting but not exactly shocking. Had the surgical mask-covered star seen the Pop Up Book of Celebrity Meltdowns they stock (which features a scary caricature of him and his baby "Blanket,") his reaction might have been. Though the shop was given only 15 minutes notice to clear out customers before he entered, someone had the good sense to hide it before he came in. A vintage MJ pillow stayed on display, but he didn't notice it during the 2 hour private shopping spree.

The purchase de résistance was found in the adjacent gallery, where the shop's popular group show "Everything But the Kitschen Sync" is the current exhibit. Michael apparently had to have a sculpture called "Freudian Fortune Teller," the work of local artist and La Luz fave Brian Poor (not so poor anymore). The old-timey looking piece, made from found objects had a recording device inside that spewed strange and offensive Sigmund Freud inspired psychosexual comments to those who fed it coins.
Sample "fortunes":


'You want to kill your father and sleep with your mother."

"You like the smell the of dog poop."

"You dream about going outside without your pants on."

The piece's price was $7500, and despite Jackson's attempt at haggling for a discount, he paid the full amount. Though the gallery's usual practice for show purchases is to keep them up (with "sold" stickers) until the exhibit's close, we hear they made an exception for
Jackson. He took his Freudian friend home right away, which surely made
his Id very happy. He sure seemed in a good mood while signing LPs for fans afterward.

Check out all the Everything But the Kitschen Sync art pieces at La Luz through March 29. Those not in LA, can see the entire show here.

Discovered: The 'fat controller' in the body that is the key to staying slim

By Fiona Macrae

A 'fat controller' in the gut could be the key to preventing obesity, diabetes and heart disease, research suggests.

Scientists have pinpointed an enzyme that determines whether the fat we eat is burnt off as energy or stored in the body.

The breakthrough raises the prospect of a pill being developed which targets the enzyme in people, allowing them to eat without worrying about putting on weight.

Want to stay slim? Call the fat controller

Research at the University of California focused on MGAT2, an enzyme found in the intestines of mice and humans.

Mice without the protein were able to eat a high-fat diet while remaining slim and healthy.

The fat they absorbed was burnt off as energy, rather than stored, the journal Nature Medicine reports.

The mice in the experiment also seemed better at processing sugar, cutting their risk of diabetes, and had lower levels of 'bad' cholesterol in their blood.

A pill that targets the enzyme in people could provide a new weapon in the battle of the bulge.

Obesity has become a staggering problem across much of the developed world over the past few years and this breakthrough could help sufferers

The researchers said: 'Our studies identify MGAT2 as a key determinant of energy metabolism in response to dietary fat and suggest that the inhibition of this enzyme may prove to be a useful strategy for treating obesity and other metabolic diseases associated with excessive fat intake.'

With almost a quarter of men and women obese and children faring little better, such a drug is likely to have mass appeal.

Even more appealing is the prospect of a pill that makes the body fit, as well as keeping it slim.

Last year, US scientists unveiled an experimental drug which fools the muscles into thinking they have worked long and hard, boosting fitness as well as burning off fat.

Mice treated with AICAR for four weeks burned more calories and had less fat than untreated mice and when tested on a treadmill, they could run almost 50 per cent longer.

Researcher Professor Ronald Evans, of the Salk Institute in California, said: 'We have exercise in a pill.

'It is tricking the muscle into "believing" it's been exercised daily.

'It proves you can have a pharmacological equivalent to exercise.'

But obesity experts say such pills are years from the market, and most people would benefit from eating less and exercising more.

Nokia to lay off 1,700 worldwide (AP)

HELSINKI - Nokia Corp. said Tuesday it will lay off 1,700 people worldwide to cut costs, as the global economic downturn strikes deeper into the mobile phone sector.

The world's top mobile phone maker said the job cuts will affect several sectors, including its devices and markets units, the corporate development office and global support functions.

"The number of employees we have to reduce is 1,700," Nokia spokeswoman Arja Suominen said, adding that details would be announced after the company begins negotiations with employees.

Nokia shares fell 2 percent in Helsinki to close at euro8.65 ($11.25) after the announcement, which came as the industry bellwether continues to struggle with falling demand and handset prices.

In January, Nokia warned of major cost-cutting measures after its fourth-quarter net profit crashed 70 percent to euro576 million ($744 million). It also lost market share, which fell to 37 percent from 38 percent in the previous quarter and 40 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007.

Nokia said it would aim for annual savings of euro700 million at its handset unit, but gave no details at the time.

Last month, Nokia said it will close a research center, ax up to 320 jobs and temporarily lay off 2,500 workers in Finland. It also announced a global voluntary resignation program, open to employees until May 31, in a move aimed at cutting personnel by 1,000.

It has also said it plans to increase short-term unpaid leaves and sabbaticals, and has appealed to employees to accept holiday time as payments, instead of cash, for overtime work in 2009.

Based in Espoo near Helsinki, Nokia last year remained the No.1 cell phone maker selling 468 million handsets, up 7 percent on 2008. It employs 128,400 people worldwide.

____

On the Net:

Nokia: http://www.nokia.com.

The best Samus papercraft…ever

Samus Aran

Ever since I started papercrafting, I have wanted a high-quality model of Samus. We've had models of Samus before, and, though they were good, they weren't as detailed as I would have liked. So, I went ahead and made my own!

Since we've already had a few Samus models already, there's not much extra I can say about the character, but I can still talk about the model. First of all, as you can probably tell from the picture, this is not a good craft for beginners! The model stands 12 inches tall (about 30 cm), has 13 pages, and has 347 pieces. So, if you are fairly new to papercrafting, then I recommend you get a bit more experience before attempting this model.

Oh, also, before you start building this, you should read the included text file. It has a few things in it that you need to know before you start building.

Download it here

More Phish Summer Tour Dates

by C. Brahkowski

Hey did you know Phish is back together? NO? Well it’s a good thing you stopped by on a day where we just happend to have a post up discussing their return. Lucky you.

FOUR DAYS AT RED ROCKS.

TWO DAYS AT THE GORGE.

SICK.

I’ve seen shows at both venues and believe you me those are two of the most amazing places to see a show in the country … this shit is gonna be ridiculous.

The newly added dates are:

07/30 - Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Morrison, CO - ONSALE 3/26
07/31 - Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Morrison, CO - ONSALE 3/26
08/01 - Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Morrison, CO - ONSALE 3/26
08/02 - Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Morrison, CO - ONSALE 3/26
08/05 - Shoreline Amphitheatre - Mountain View, CA - ONSALE 3/29
08/07 - The Gorge - George, WA - ONSALE 3/27
08/08 - The Gorge - George, WA - ONSALE 3/27
08/11 - Toyota Park - Chicago, IL - ONSALE 4/04
08/13 - Darien Lake Performing Arts Center - Darien Center, NY - ONSALE 3/27
08/14 - Meadows Music Theater - Hartford, CT - ONSALE 3/28
08/15 - Merriweather Post Pavilion - Columbia, MD - ONSALE 3/27
08/16 - Saratoga Performing Arts Center - Saratoga Springs, NY - ONSALE 3/27

Phish.com

Nottingham Rugby Boosts Attendance With Inflatable Fans

Total Pro Sports - When times are tough and stadiums are empty, teams should follow in the footsteps of the Nottingham Rugby Club.

This past Sunday the Nottingham Rugby team filled their stands with 1000 inflatable dolls provided by Airheads a local company that specializes in enhancing crowd scenes for films, TV, commercials and promotional work.

"Nottingham Rugby managed to get 1,000 extra "supporters" on Sunday when they took on title-chasing Exeter Chiefs at Meadow Lane.

The inflatables added to a crowd of 1,305 at Notts County's stadium, who watched Nottingham go down 15-14 to the Chiefs."

The Inflatable fans are being used at Nottingham's games to encourage support of their local teams and the entire sport of rugby.

"Hopefully it will add to the atmosphere, and inspire people to come back again next week and help the team qualify for the Cup Final by beating Leeds."

Hats off to Nottingham's great idea and best of luck in their quest to the Twickenham Final.

Queen Elizabeth 3: £365M, 90,000 Ton Luxury Ship

By Paul Harris

She might rank as the swishest and most modern cruise ship of her generation.

But Cunard's brand new Queen Elizabeth liner will turn the clock back more than 70 years when she makes her maiden voyage in October next year.

There will be striped blazers and boaters... lawn bowls and paddle tennis on deck... not forgetting the occasional tea dance and jitterbug evenings.

The Queen Elizabeth's Yacht Club will host 1940s dances and events

An artist's impression of the £365 million, 90,000 ton liner Queen Elizabeth, which will enter service in October 2010

In art-deco opulence and glamorous surroundings, the £365million ship will attempt to recall those halcyon days when the first of the Queen Elizabeth liners ruled the waves.

It was an age when international commercial travel was anything but routine - and when Britain was making the most of its social life during the inter-war years.

But yesterday it became clear that nostalgia can't recreate a bygone era in every glorious detail.

For the new vessel that is set to become a flagship liner for Britain is being built in Italy - and will take many of its 1,000 crew from countries around the world.

Official details of the 90,000-ton Queen Elizabeth were announced for the first time yesterday in London.

Passengers will consume 1.5 million eggs as well as nearly 13,000lb of smoked salmon every year in the art-deco restaurant

The games deck will be equipped with a full croquet green and bowling green

She succeeds the recently retired QE2 and will serve as a sister ship to the two other new Queens in Cunard's fleet, the Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2.

The new QE will carry the same royal standard that Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother presented when she launched the original Queen Elizabeth liner in 1938.

Although she will be the third Queen Elizabeth liner she won't actually be called the QE3 because the company wants to keep alive the memory of the original.

Quite whether this was the right time to announce the launch of a luxury liner in recession-gloomy Britain is the subject of some debate.

For those missing home comforts the liner even comes equipped with a full-scale West End-style theatre

The courtyard reflects the grandeur of Cunard's classic liners of the past

But Cunard president Carol Marlow said there had been 'tremendous interest' in the new ship, adding: 'We've done a lot of research and it's told us that people are still going to be taking their holidays.

'We are quite confident that this ship will be a success. There is a rise in the number of people looking for something more traditional and authentic and we have a unique product.'

The new QE, which will be able to accommodate 2,092 guests, will have a West End-style theatre with private boxes, a 4,000 sq ft shopping arcade, a games deck featuring a bowls green and croquet lawn, plus a 10,000 sq ft spa and fitness centre.

The pavilion pool on the Queen Elizabeth, where guests can relax as they travel round the globe

Guests can relax in the green surroundings of the garden lounge

A total of 85 per cent of the berths will boast outside views and 71 per cent will have balconies.

Cunard intends to create a traditional 1930s and 1940s on board with country house-style parties beneath the glass roof of the garden lounge, glamorous evening balls, dance marathons and classic films from the 1930s and 1940s.

The rather different feel of the Second World War, in which the original Queen Elizabeth played a gallant role as a troop ship, will be ignored - save for inviting passengers to learn wartime dances and let their hair down to big band sounds.

Enlarge

The QE2, the Queen Elizabeth's predecessor, bottom, sails past its sister ship, the world's largest ocean liner Queen Mary 2, top, to berth opposite the Sydney Opera House in 2007

The interior will boast what the company described as an 'art deco flourish', plus some solid, traditional materials such as oak, mahogany, stained glass and marble.

Almost certainly, a member of the Royal family will maintain seven decades of association with the Elizabeth liners by formally naming the ship when she is completed after sea trials in summer 2010.

Last to do so was the Duchess of Cornwall, who carried out the ceremony for the Queen Victoria 15 months ago.

Famously, the Champagne bottle failed to smash when Camilla let it swing towards the hull. Would the unnamed royal be invited to practise this time, I asked?

'It is our firm intention to make sure that the Champagne bottle does smash,' said Miss Marlow.

The Queen Elizabeth will depart on its maiden voyage from Southampton to the islands of the Atlantic on October 12 next year.

This 13-night voyage will include stops at Lisbon, Tenerife and Madeira and fares will range from £1,489 up to almost £16,000 per person for one of the grand suites.

Zac Efron poses with nude babe, teenage girls cry.

Romp ... Zac Efron lays on the beach with naked model

COPYRIGHT: MIKAEL JANSSON/INTERVIEW MAGAZINE - www.interviewmagazine.com

ZAC EFRON has shocked his teen fans by appearing in a raunchy photoshoot with a naked girl.

The High School Musical heartthrob has the beauty's bare boobs in his face as he lays on the sand with his arm around her.

The pics run alongside a chat he gave to Interview magazine ahead of the release of his latest movie, 17 Again.

Efron's clean-cut image has helped him become Disney's golden boy, however it seems he's eager to distance himself from the teen market.

His girlfriend and HSM co-star VANESSA HUDGENS is also no stranger to controversial pictures.

In 2007 private photos of the actress posing naked were leaked online, forcing her to make a public apology.

The April edition of Interview containing the feature on Zac Efron is released on March 24.

10 Celebrities You Can Talk With On Twitter

Posted by ronation

There are, of course, large numbers of “celebrity fakers” and fictional characters on Twitter as well. The accounts below are operated by the people named, or by their staff.

* The list comes with no guarantees, and some of the following may also be fakes.

1. Arnold Schwarzenegger

- http://twitter.com/schwarzenegger

- Actor and politician

2. Greg Grunberg

- http://twitter.com/greggrunberg

- Matt in Heroes

3. Jimmy Fallon

- http://twitter.com/jimmyfallon

- American comedian, actor

4. LeVar Burton

- http://twitter.com/levarburton

- Star Trek actor

5. Maria Kochetkova

- http://twitter.com/balletrusse

- Russian ballet dancer

6. Britney Spears

- http://twitter.com/britneyspears

- Pop singer

7. MC Hammer

- http://twitter.com/MCHammer

- Rapper

8. Snoop Dogg

- http://twitter.com/snoopdogg

- Rapper

9. Adam Savage

- http://twitter.com/donttrythis

- Actor/show moderator ( scientist)

10. Shaquille O’Neal

- http://twitter.com/THE_REAL_SHAQ

- basketball player, rapper

There are many other names in lists sorted at the Twitter Fan Wiki

20+ Bizarre Homes for Pets

All this while, we have been posting about how to make your home beautiful and make it a more beautiful place for YOU to live in. Have you ever thought about your pets? Ever wondered how they find your home and whether it is comfortable for them to live too? No? Here is your chance then. Take a look at some of these solutions that provide comfortable spaces for pets and yet remain attractive and stylish for you to watch.

We will start off with dogs then. Denhaus is a firm specializing on creating designer crates for dogs. Crates come in a variety of materials including fiberglass, metal and wood.

[via Freshome]

The Refined Feline is another company that does the same service for cats. Their designs not just stop with crates.

This beautiful wood cat litter box is both sturdy and functional. It includes hinged doors, sliding tray for litter removal, top storage drawer, and reversible walls for left or right entry. Constructed in pine wood and ply with pine veneer. Matches your home decor and hides unsightly litter trays.

The Kitt-In Box is a cat bed which can attach to the side of a desk or be placed on top it. Felt pads protect the desk top. Cats are drawn to the soft cushion bed and the high walls, which are perfect for nesting. The Kitt-In Box can support a 20 lbs cat and even small dogs!

Is your cat more adventurous? How about shelves then?

by Nefarious Cupcake

Or Towers?

If you have a pair of really lazy ones, how about this?

by Missie Maven

Here is a home that by design is suited for playful cats.

Here is another home that is really considerate to its resident cats. Includes open air catwalks, cat doors, separate bathrooms(!), and a playful nooks throughout. That is one cat friendly owner!

[via]

If you thought that was the ultimate cat home, check out the one below. We don’t know about you, but if we find a cat home that has plexiglass windows, 2.5 inch sheepskin rug, a front porch, and paintings hung inside we call that Deluxe!

by Leo

Enough with cats, then. Let’s start birds.

(We promise, that’s a birdhouse!)

(bird feed)

Okay, here is a rather bizarre bird cage. Actually, the cage itself is not too odd. It is just its placement - in the middle of a fishtank!

If you are a fan of aquariums, don’t miss this one: Amazing Aquariums

Best Mac prices: 10 refurbs for under a grand

And, a half dozen of those are priced to sell for less than $900. This special deals line up includes a pair of 20-inch iMacs, a hard to find BlackBook and the ever popular $999 MacBook Air.

And, at the very bottom of this write up don’t miss Apple’s last-gen Mac minis—these are clearance units so they’re brand new and never used.

Take your refund and re-invest it in your most valuable asset—you—by putting a new, more powerful Mac on your desk.

• iMac 20-inch 2.0GHz, $799 (1099)
— 1GB, 250GB, 8x SuperDrive, 2400 XT w/ 128MB

• MacBook 2.0GHz, $799 (999)
— 1GB, 80GB, Combo drive
— White

• MacBook 2.1GHz, $849 (949)
— 1GB, 120GB, Combo drive
— White

• MacBook 2.1GHz, $849 (949)
— 1GB, 120GB, 8x SuperDrive
— White

• iMac 20-inch 2.4GHz, $849 (999)
— 1GB, 250GB, 8x SuperDrive, 2400 XT w/ 128MB

• MacBook 2.2GHz, $899 (1149)
— 1GB, 120GB, 8x SuperDrive
— White

• MacBook 2.4GHz, $949 (1149)
— 2GB, 160GB, 8x SuperDrive
— White

• iMac 20-inch 2.66GHz, $999 (1199)
— 2GB, 320GB, 8x SuperDrive, 2600 PRO w/ 256MB

• MacBook Air 1.6GHz, $999 (1399)
— 2GB, 80GB hard disc drive

• MacBook 2.2GHz, $999 (1199)
— 1GB, 160GB, 8x SuperDrive
— Black

Clearance: Last, but far from least, don’t miss closeout pricing on the last-gen Mac mini with both models in stock for likely a very, very limited time only. These are new, never used not refurbished units.

• Mac mini 1.83GHz, $499 (599)
— 1GB, 80GB, Combo drive

• Mac mini 2.0GHz, $549 (599)
— 1GB, 120GB, SuperDrive