Human sex from the inside out

Sex as you've never seen it before: the first video of a couple getting it together in an MRI scanner

30 Funny Photomanipulations of Animals by HumanDescent

abduzeedo.com — Very funny collection of photomanipulation!: 30 Funny Photomanipulations of Animals by HumanDescent

Freak waves spotted from space

Esa tasked two of its Earth-scanning satellites to monitor the oceans with their radar

The shady phenomenon of freak waves as tall as 10 storey buildings has finally been proved, the European Space Agency (Esa) said on Wednesday.

Sailors often whisper of monster waves when ships sink mysteriously but, until now, no one quite believed them.

As part of a project called MaxWave - which was set up to test the rumours - two Esa satellites surveyed the oceans.

During a three week period they detected 10 giant waves, all of which were over 25m (81ft) high.

Strange disappearances

Over the last two decades more than 200 super-carriers - cargo ships over 200m long - have been lost at sea. Eyewitness reports suggest many were sunk by high and violent walls of water that rose up out of calm seas.

But for years these tales of towering beasts were written off as fantasy; and many marine scientists clung to statistical models stating monstrous deviations from the normal sea state occur once every 1,000 years.

The waves exist in higher numbers than anyone expected Wolfgang Rosenthal, GKSS Research Centre, Germany

"Two large ships sink every week on average," said Wolfgang Rosenthal, of the GKSS Research Centre in Geesthacht, Germany. "But the cause is never studied to the same detail as an air crash. It simply gets put down to 'bad weather'."

To prove the phenomenon or lay the rumours to rest, a consortium of 11 organisations from six EU countries founded MaxWave in December 2000.

As part of the project, Esa tasked two of its Earth-scanning satellites, ERS-1 and ERS-2, to monitor the oceans with their radar.

The radars sent back "imagettes" - pictures of the sea surface in a rectangle measuring 10 by 5km (6 by 2.5 miles), which were taken every 200km (120 miles).

Around 30,000 separate imagettes were produced by the two satellites during a three-week period in 2001 - and the data was mathematically analysed.

Esa says the survey revealed 10 massive waves - some nearly 30m (100 ft) high.

"The waves exist in higher numbers than anyone expected," said Dr Rosenthal.

Wave map

Ironically, while the MaxWave research was going on, two tourist liners endured terrifying ordeals. The Breman and the Caledonian Star cruisers had their bridge windows smashed by 30m waves in the South Atlantic.

Sailors often whisper of monster waves when ships sink mysteriously

The Bremen was left drifting for two hours after the encounter, with no navigation or propulsion.

Now that their existence is no longer in dispute, it is time to gain a better understanding of these rogues.

In the next phase of the research, a project called WaveAtlas will use two years' worth of imagettes to create a worldwide atlas of freak wave events.

The goal is to find out how these strange cataclysmic phenomena may be generated, and which regions of the seas are most at risk.

Dr Rosenthal concluded: "We know some of the reasons for the rogue waves, but we do not know them all."

3,000-year-old butter found in Kildare bog

An oak barrel, full of butter, estimated to be roughly 3,000 years old has been found in Gilltown bog, between Timahoe and Staplestown.

The amazing discovery of the barrel, which is being described by archaeology experts in the National Museum as a "really fine example" was found by two Bord na Mona workers.

The pair, John Fitzharris and Martin Lane, were harrowing the bog one day in late May when they noticed a distinctive white streak in the peat.

"We got down to have a look. We knelt down and felt something hard and started to dig it out with out bare hands," John explained.

"We could smell it. And it was attracting crows," he added.

What they found was an oak barrel, cut out of a trunk, full of butter.

It was largely intact, except for a gash towards the bottom of it caused by the harrow. It was head down, and had a lid; something that has excited the archaeologists.

"We couldn't believe it," said Mr Lane.

The barrel is also split along the middle, which is common with utensils filled with butter found in the bogs. A conservator at the National Museum, Carol Smith, told that the butter expands over time, causing the split.

The barrel is about three feet long and almost a foot wide, and weighs almost 35kgs, (77lbs).

The butter has changed to white and is now adipocere, which is essentially animal fat, the same sort of substance that is found on well-preserved bodies of people or animals found in the bog.

The two men put the barrel in the cab of their tractor and brought it back to their base.

"We put it in a black plastic bag," Mr Fitzharris explained.

And last Tuesday in the Conservation Department of the National Museum of Ireland in Collins Barracks, the two men were reunited with the barrel in the company of Monasterevin man and one of the museum's keepers, Pádraig Clancy and conservator Carol Smith.

Mr Clancy was contacted by Bord na Móna's archaeological liaison officer who reports to the museum on finds like this. He travelled to the site and took the barrel to Collins Barracks.

"It's rare to find a barrel as intact as that," Mr. Clancy explained, "especially with the lid intact, and attached. It's a really fine example."

He estimates that the barrel is approximately 3,000 years old, from the Iron Age.

At the moment it is being dried out by staff at the Conservation Department. Once dry it will be soaked in a wax-like solution which preserves it.

"At 35ks, it's a pretty big one," Ms. Smith explained. Other examples of bog butter they showed tended to be less intact and much smaller.

It is thought that the butter was put in the bog for practical reasons, rather than ritual.

"There are accounts dating back to the 1850's with people used to wash their cattle once a year in the bog and then put some butter back into the bog. It was piseogary," Mr. Clancy explained, adding that the butter was usually "stolen by the following week!

"It's open to interpretation, but we're inclined to think that 3,000 years ago they were just storing it."

Such a large amount of butter, he estimated would have probably been the harvest of a community rather than an individual farmer.
Ms. Smith and Mr. Clancy explained that bog butter has been tasted before, "but not by us!

"It's a national treasure, you can't be going hacking bits of it off for your toast!" Ms. Smith joked.

"It's important to say that we have a good relationship with Bord na Mona," Mr. Clancy explained. "They are one of the better organisations for reporting finds."

And the bogs of Kildare have yielded quite a lot of artefacts from the past, including spear heads, pottery and bodies.

"We've found no body parts in Gilltown bog," Ms. Smith said, before adding, "but here's hoping!"

Bureau Report

VIDEO: The first human synth

VIDEO: The first human synth

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AMPSURF gets wounded veterans riding waves

Operation Restoration IV, a learn to surf clinic hosted by The Association of Amputee Surfers, took to the surf on Pismo Beach, Calif. to ride the waves from August 13th - 20th. AMPSURF is an organzation set up to help disabled veterans and local disabled, along with wounded active duty servicemen, to learn adaptive surfing and feel the healing power of the ocean and the sport. Photographer Ezra Shaw shows us the triumphs and challenges of the event. Regular viewers of this blog will recognize Shaw's terrific photography, which frequently appears here. ( 18 photos total)

Triple amputee Jake Speed rides a wave during Operation Restoration IV August 15 in Pismo Beach, Calif. Speed lost the bottom portion of both his legs and his right arm from frostbite when he was caught out in a storm in Greenland for three days while on a research trip. He received his prosthetic legs just two weeks ago. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

2

Local surfers walk in to the waves as the sun rises before the start of Operation Restoration IV on August 14. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) #

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Amputee surfer Timothy Norton changes his prosthetic leg to a special prosthetic leg made for use in the water August 15. Norton was a Section Sergeant May 1, 2008 when his platoon was assigned to clear houses in Mezrah, Iraq, and he was shot and had to have his leg amputated. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) #

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Amputee surfer Ryan West practices standing up on his board August 14. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) #

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Amputee surfer Timothy Norton walks out of the water August 14. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) #

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Former Army serviceman Karl Dorman from Washington DC carries his surfboard up the beach August 14. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) #

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Amputee surfer Julie Carruthers, a.k.a. One-Legged-Joe, catches a wave August 14. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) #

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Jose Sanchez catches a wave with a help of of local volunteer August 14. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) #

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Amputee surfer Mario Rodriguez catches a wave August 14. Rodriguez, USAF Retired, suffered a disarticulation of the right hip while serving overseas. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) #

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Amputee surfer Timothy Norton stands on his board August 14. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) #

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Paralympian Mark Barr catches a wave August 14. Barr competed for the USA in swimming during the 2008 Paralympics in China. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) #

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Paralympian Mark Barr falls off his board August 14. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) #

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Former Army serviceman Karl Dorman from Washington DC rides a wave August 15. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) #

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Former Army serviceman Karl Dorman from Washington DC rides a wave August 15. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) #

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Amputee surfer Ryan West rides a wave August 15. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) #

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Amputee surfer Greg Birkholz receives a hug from a volunteer after catching a wave August 15. Birkholz, who was one of the original founders of AMPSURF, lost his leg in a motorcycle accident. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) #

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Timothy Norton (L) and Mario Rodriguez leave the water after a surfing session August 16. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) #

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Amputee surfer Timothy Norton washes his prosthetic leg in the shower after a surfing session August 16. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) #

Michael Jackson Dance Tribute - STOCKHOLM

This is the official clip from BOUNCE & Friends. More than 300 dancers met at 15.30, got informed and then
learned the choreography in 30 min. Less then 1 hour later they performed it.
A big thank you to all the dancers who made this possible....*
OneLove

US doctor offers British couples chance to choose sex of child

Jeffrey Steinberg, a US doctor, is offering British couples the chance to choose the sex of their child at his New York clinic.

By Tom Leonard in New York

Dr Steinberg provoked anger earlier this year when he said his fertility clinic could allow parents to produce "designer babies" - choosing eye, hair, skin colour and gender.

Under American law, he is allowed to use pre-implentation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to reveal an embryo's sex. In Britain, it can only be used in screening for genetic diseases.

Half of the embryos undergoing tests in Dr Steinberg's laboratory reportedly belong to British couples while four more will be tested next month.

"Britain is far more conservative than it used to be. They were the innovators but now they've got handcuffs on," Dr Steinberg said.

"From a business standpoint, it's the best thing going. From a medical standpoint, it's a travesty."

America has allowed sex selection - known by its supporters as "family balancing" - since 2001, but US pro-life groups have criticised the destruction of embryos deemed undesirable. Earlier this year, the Pope attacked the "obsessive search for the perfect child" and said a "new mentality is creeping in that tends to justify a different consideration of life and personal dignity".

In Britain, officials have warned parents who go overseas for treatment - often after spotting advertisements on the internet - that they should understand the relevant laws and the impact of the selection on any child who is subsequently born.

Other American medical centres have reported receiving interest from British couples, including the Genetics and IVF Institute in Virginia.

The institute said that up to 15 per cent of the 400 PGD cases it handles a year come from abroad. It said it counsels parents before the procedure.

Gary Harton, its PGD scientific director, told The Times that he tells British patients: "You're no different to any other patient. You're here to get what you want. To get a baby."

'Basterds' gives Tarantino his best global launch

Pic tops "Pulp," Bill" and opens first in over 12 markets

By Frank Segers

"Inglourious Basterds" is off to a rousing start on the international circuit.

Quentin Tarantino's World War II opus starring Brad Pitt blasted its way to $27.5 million during the weekend from 2,630 locations in 22 markets, claiming the No. 1 spot with a muscular $10,456 per-screen average.

"Basterd's" international opening was the biggest ever for Tarantino, who has had a mixed record overseas. 1994's "Pulp Fiction" grossed a total of $101.9 million offshore, and 2003's "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" made $111.4 million, per Weinstein Co. figures. But "Kill Bill: Vol 2" in 2004 grossed $86.6 million, while 2007's "Death Proof" logged only $28.7 on the foreign circuit.

The film opened No. 1 in the U.K. with $5.8 million drawn from 441 screens, nearly a quarter of the market.

In France, "Basterds" also opened in the top spot with $6.1 million from 500 situations, or 30% of the market, per Universal figures. The first-place Germany intro produced $4.3 million from 443 sites and a 26% market share. Australia also provided a No. 1 berth and $2.7 million from 204 situations, while Russia contributed $2.5 million from 340 dates.

In all, "Basterds" topped at least a dozen markets. With its No. 1 North American debut, the worldwide opening-weekend tally was $65.1 million.

The film's foreign campaign extends to 42 additional foreign territories during the next four months concluding with Japan in December, somewhat similar to the eight-month distribution pattern Disney adopted for its summer release of Pixar's "Up." This week's "Basterds" openings include Argentina, the Netherlands, Denmark, Portugal and Iceland.

Universal, which splits worldwide revenue the Weinstein Co., could use a boost from "Basterds." 2009 overseas boxoffice for the distributor's films through Aug. 31 totaled about $800 million, half the $1.6 billion take during the same period for the year's top-grossing major studio, Fox.

The best Universal performer in 2009 so far is action title "Fast & Furious," which tallied $195 million foreign, along with $155.2 million domestic. Still playing overseas is the distributor's "Public Enemies," which tallied 5.1 million on the weekend from 3,000 situations in 56 territories. International cume for director Michael Mann's period crime drama starring Johnny Depp stands at $85 million.

No. 2 on the weekend was Paramount's "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," which had spent the past two weekends at No. 1 overseas. It grossed $14 million this round from 6,952 spots in 51 territories; foreign cume stands at $118 million while the worldwide tally is $238.5 million.

Finishing third was "G Force," Disney's digital animation produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, which pushed its cume to $54.4 million thanks to a $9.1 million weekend at 2,508 situations in 22 markets. A No. 1 Russia opening produced $3.4 million from 325 screens.


Fourth was "Up," which continues its marathon overseas campaign with $8.7 million on the weekend at 2,237 sites in 19 territories. Cume stands at $142.3 million. Warners' "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" finished No. 5 with $8.6 million garnered from 6,400 screens in 64 markets. International gross total stands at $596 million and at $886.1 million worldwide.

Having rolled up an international cume of $615 million, Fox's "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" continues to show boxoffice spark by grossing $6.4 million on the weekend from 4,687 situations in 57 territories. Warners' "The Hangover" logged $7 million from 3,100 screens in 52 markets for a foreign cume of $148.5 million and $416.8 million worldwide.

Disney's "The Proposal," starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, drew $4.2 million from 2,410 in 37 territories for a cume of $110 million. Sony's sophomore "District 9" registered $3.5 million from 755 screens in nine markets including those not handled by Sony. Its Cume is $14.1 million.

The No. 2 film in Germany is Constantin Film's release of "Horst Schlammer-isch Kandidier" (Horst Schlammer Is a Candidate), a political satire about an eponymous Borat-type character (played by comedian-author Hape Kerkeling) running in the upcoming German parliamentary elections. Four-day opening gross was an eye-catching $3.4 million from 654 locales.

In Japan, Fox's "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" finished No. 1 in its second weekend at 625 sites grossing $1.92 million, lifting its market cume to $14 million. Total international gross for the Ben Stiller family sequel is $228.1 million.

In France, SND's release of "9," the latest animation outing from writer-director Shane Acker featuring the voices of Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly and others, opened at No. 4. The Focus Features/Relativity co-production, a postapocalyptic adventure, drew and estimated $1.6 million from 390 locations.

The most popular local-language film was TFM Distribution's "Neuilly sa mere!" (Neuilly My Mother), a comedy about a Muslim teenager living with a traditional French family, which finished No. 3 in its second weekend at 389 locations with an estimated $2.6 million and a market cume of $6.3 million.

Other international cumes: Sony's "The Ugly Truth," $17.3 million; Universal's "Drag Me to Hell," 9.1 million (in six Universal territories only); Fox's "Taken," $44.7 million (Fox territories only); Sony's "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3," $36.5 million; and Fox's "I Love You, Beth Cooper," $551.297.

Burgerville Chain Adds Calorie Counts To Receipts

By Carrie McLaren

We've heard about fast food restaurants posting calorie counts on menus, but a small regional chain in the Northwest is experimenting with putting nutritional information on receipts.

At a Burgerville in Portland, Oregon, customers get calorie counts that fit the details of their orders.

"Guests order and ask for different things: different buns, different cheeses, different sauces, different everything," said Jeff Harvey, president and CEO for Burgerville. "So to put a label on the menu is not going resolve that challenge."

But if the calorie info only appears on the receipt, isn't it too late? Under this plan, the only way to find out how many calories you'd save by ordering a fruit smoothie instead of a shake is to buy both.

To its credit, Burgerville is also planning a bicycle drive-through program. So by encouraging cycling, they're allowing customers to consume more calories than they otherwise would. Everyone wins!

Burgerville: Get your calorie bill here [KATU.com] (Thanks to Hillary Gibson!)
Burgerville Opens Drive-Thrus to Bikes

(Photo: Brynt D. Payne)

15 Stunning Sunrises and Sunsets

Enjoy these breathtaking photos taken on the cusp of night or day

By Olivia Putnal

Some of the quietest and most calming moments in the day are when the sun rises and sets over the landscape—and photographers have a special knack for immortalizing these magical occasions. From a purple sunset over Ocean City, Maryland, to the multicolored sunrise on the Balearic Islands, these 15 landscapes were the perfect setting for a picture like no other. Take a look at these eye-catching photographs and you too might be inspired to start capturing your own special dawn or dusk moments.

Port de Pollença, Spain

On the morning of March 15, 2009, Spain’s Balearic Islands were home to this magnificent multicolored sky. With a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H camera, photographer Miquel shot this sunrise in a small fishing village on the island of Majorca. According to his fans, he captured this image as “not only a photographer, but a magician of light and color and imagination.” Photo courtesy of Miquel via Flickr.com.

Seattle, Washington

In July 2006, Amy Barr was sitting on her porch overlooking the Cascade Mountains in Washington. Having just returned home from the airport earlier that morning, she decided to stay awake despite her jet lag and exhaustion, and good thing she did! Using her Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT, she was able to capture this orange and yellow sunrise along with a couple of other beautiful photos. Photo courtesy of Amy Barr via Flickr.com.

St. Augustine, Florida

In the flatlands of Florida, St. Augustine stands out as one of the most cultured destinations in the state. James Watkins was able to photograph this outstanding scenery over the Atlantic Ocean in January 2009. If you look closely you can see the planet Venus in the sky as the sun sets. Watkins said “every five minutes the sky was going through a different color cycle and it was amazing.” Photo courtesy of James Watkins via Flickr.com.

County Wicklow, Ireland

Commonly called “The Gateway to the Garden of Ireland,” Bray in County Wicklow has many attractions such as scenic drives, the Blessington Lakes, aquariums, gardens, waterfalls and farms. Among all of these activities, walking along the beaches and cliffs remains the most popular. This seascape image was shot above the Irish Sea as the sun was setting over the water near Bray Head. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Sado Island, Japan

Paolo Negri captured this beautiful sunset shot on the island of Sado in Japan’s Niigata Prefecture. Photographers often scope out this area, which is on the sixth largest island of Japan, while tourists take ferries and hydrofoils back and forth among the islands as the sun rises and sets. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Lorain, Ohio

Lakeview Beach is a common spot for sun-gazing along Lake Erie in Northern Ohio. In 2008, Howard McGuire snapped one of the first sunsets of summer with a Nikon D40 camera, which resulted in a sky filled with a gorgeous mix of blue, purple, orange and yellow set above placid water along the lake’s shoreline. Photo courtesy of Howard McGuire via Flickr.com.

Ocean City, Maryland

Amanda Lockwood was definitely “in the right place at the right time,” as she says, to capture this purple sunset over Assawoman Bay in Ocean City, Maryland. In the winter of last year, while Lockwood was sitting on the docks, this photo op was right in front of her—and later sparked an interest in nature photography. Photo courtesy of Amanda Lockwood via Flickr.com.

Ojochal, Costa Rica

Frank Scott, a guide for Costa Rica Photo Tours, has been interested in nature photography for a number of years. One morning, Frank noticed this unique cloud pattern near his home in Ojochal and decided it was the perfect shot. Even though Hurricanes Caesar and Mitch blew through the area, this tree still stands tall—and is often a perch for toucan and aracari birds. Photo courtesy of CRPhotoTours.com.

Florence, Italy

Setting his camera directly in front of Italy’s Ponte Vecchio bridge to observe the beautiful summer sunset, this photographer captured not only one of nature’s best phenomenons but also a historic Italian landmark. Built during the Middle Ages, Ponte Vecchio is one of the few remaining bridges that is still lined with an array of shops as it spans the River Arno. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Worthing, United Kingdom

Brian Spicer has been interested in photography since the 1970s and loves experimenting with older film cameras (though recently he has invested in digital cameras and is learning how to use image altering software programs). One evening, along the low tide beaches of West Sussex, Spicer was able to digitally record this purple landscape with his Canon EOS 40D. Photo courtesy of Brian Spicer via Flickr.com.

San Francisco, California

The Golden Gate Bridge attracts millions of people each year, and on this particular afternoon, photographer Mitchell Funk went to the area to observe the beautiful sunset scenery. Floating out on the Pacific Ocean in his boat, Funk captured the full span of the famous bridge just after dusk. The New York City native began his photography career in 1966 and now works on projects in both New York City and San Francisco. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Botswana, Africa

As a travel and wildlife photographer, Steve Allen has been shooting nature scenes for over 37 years, traveling to 78 countries and all seven continents. Recently, Allen traveled to Botswana, Africa, to capture a variety of animals in their surroundings, including these giraffes set in the forefront of a Chobe National Park sunset. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany

Horst and Daniel Zielske, a German father and son photography duo, watched this magnificent combination of colors appear one morning in their native land. Inspired, they took this photo of a bare tree during sunrise at Jasmund National Park on Germany’s largest island, Rügen. The two also enjoy taking photographs of buildings and streets—especially in the rain. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Phoenix, Arizona

Born and raised in Southwestern Minnesota, Morey Milbradt has been taking pictures since 1991, and is now a freelance photographer. Milbradt had the idea of shooting a palm tree against a brilliant sunset background before actually taking this photograph. Generally, he enjoys taking photographs of wilderness landscapes throughout the Midwest. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Piha, New Zealand

Piotr Zurek is a professional photographer and blogger who resides in Auckland, New Zealand, and has a passion for travel and photography. On the afternoon of February 18, 2009, Zurek was enjoying his normal coastal view when this moment appeared before him. His Nikon D700 helped him memorialize the spectacular reflection of a sunset off the water so others could enjoy it as well. Photo courtesy of Piotr Zurek via Flickr.com.

Mini Launches Roadside Assistance App for iPhone, BlackBerry

by Rory Jurnecka

Flat tire on your new Mini Cooper? As the Apple commercials say, "There's an app for that." Mini USA has just launched a new roadside assistance application for iPhone and BlackBerry smart phones that not only allow owners to pinpoint their exact location to service headquarters through their phone's GPS tracking system, but also offers a menu system to pinpoint the exact issue their Mini has.

Once the application is launched, the Mini owner punches in their personal information and the vehicle's VIN, followed by the general problem, including running out of fuel, getting a flat tire, or locking keys in the car. The information is then forwarded to the nearest service center to the location of the vehicle and Mini informs the owner of when he can expect help to arrive.

"Mini owners appreciate technological innovation and will welcome the additional peace of mind that comes from having fast, easy access to the free roadside services provided during their warranty period."

Dubbed Mini Road Assist, the application is free to download at: www.allstateroadsideservices.com.

Source: Mini USA

Black Swan - Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis in da sac?

Posted by Carson Reeves

Genre: Psychological (Supernatural?) Thriller
Premise: A ballerina competes against a rival dancer who may or may not be another version of herself.
About: Black Swan will star drool-worthy starlets Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis and is being helmed by visionary director Darren Aronofsky. Aronofsky originally tried to set up the project in 2007 but Universal put it in turnaround. Thanks to "The Wrestler" doing so well though, Portman twirled onto the project a couple of months ago and everything's been full steam ahead since.
Writer: Mark Heyman (original script by John McLaughlin)
Details: 131 pages - March 25, 2009 draft.

Natalie will play the part of Nina.

Can I just tell you why none of my review matters? Can I just tell you why my review is absolutely pointless?

Because in this movie, Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis have sex.

Yeah. You read that right. And not just nice sweet innocent sex either. We're talking ecstasy-induced hungry aggressive angry sex. Yeah so...this movie is already on the must-see list of 2010. But how good is it? Does the story that surrounds the sex disappoint or excel?

Black Swan is a very intriguing story with a quiet slow burn. So slow, in fact, that I nearly lost interest halfway through it. Heyman focuses on the tiniest of things. The way shoes sound as they click against the pavement. The way a slight breeze tussles at your hair. You know how as film evolved, we've been encouraged to cut out all the meaningless stuff? For example, instead of showing a character walk from their house to the train, we should just cut to the train? Yeah, Heyman doesn't do that. If someone needs to walk somewhere, we walk with them. And after awhile, it really begins to test your patience. And if you're looking for the culprit in the 131 page screenplay length, that's where you'll find him. But it's pretty clear these are the moments Aronofsky is interested in in Black Swan. He wants you living every second of this character's life, lulling you into a sense of security so that you get used to the mundane. That way when the extraordinary happens, it slams into you like an SUV.

Wrestler success has allowed him to finally make the movies he wants to make.

Nina is a ballerina in one of New York City's top ballet companies. She appears to be the only sweet girl of the bunch however, as it's established early on that these companies are packed with jackals, every seemingly sweet-natured princess scheming to backstab the girl next to her if only it gets her one rung higher on the ladder. High School's got nothing on these bitches. Nina's sorta friend, Beth, who has been the school's running lead in all the productions, is nearing the end of her career, and everyone's gunning to take her place in the next big ballet: Swan Lake.

The lead role is the part of Odette, the Swan Queen. The role is complicated by the fact that the ballerina must be able to play both sweet, the "White Swan," and dark, the "Black Swan". It is the ultimate challenge. Of course, Nina has the white swan down. But does she have the darkness to nail the Black Swan?

The director of the production is the handsome but sinister Yevna. He sees something in Nina but before he gives her the part, he wants to speak with her privately. It is there, in his office, that he pries into Nina's mind, searching for her dark side, even going so far as to force a kiss on her. But it's unclear whether Yevna is trying to seduce Nina or simply seeing how she'll react. As the sweet polite girl she is. Or as the raging disturbed woman she will have to be. In the end, Nina is given the role. But it's clear Yevna has doubts as to if she can pull it off.

As the days go by and Nina searches desperately to find her darkness, she begins noticing another girl around town and at the ballet company who looks exactly like her. But not just "exactly." We're talking identical. Yet every time Nina tries to get close, the girl turns away or hides her face. Finally, Nina meets this mysterious doppelganger after rehearsal. Her name is Lily. And while she definitely looks like Nina, she's by no means an identical replica. Was it Nina's imagination perhaps?

Whereas Nina is calculated about every move she makes, Lily is the opposite - uncaring and uninterested in perfection. Everything she does seems so...effortless. The two begin a tepid friendship, one which Nina is constantly trying to pull away from. But while she is afraid of Lily, she is also drawn to her in some way. And then there's those strange fleeting moments where Lily looks exactly like her.

Umm...Yes.

As they get closer to production, Nina's world starts to spin out of control as Lily befriends Yevna and continues to move up the ballet company ladder. The girls will go out, get drunk, and Nina will show up at rehearsal late the next day only to find that Lily is standing in for her. Is Lily scheming to steal her role as the Swan Queen? Or is Nina making this all up in her head in order to find her dark side? That is the ultimate question.

As in all Aronofsky movies, there are some controversial moments. In one scene, Nina basically gets raped by Yevna. It's cold and off-putting, and yet it's an important moment as it demonstrates just how high the stakes are in this seemingly innocent world. The script is steeped in darkness (surprise surprise) and makes you feel so uncomfortable at times that you can't read it without constantly resituating yourself.

Black Swan is an interesting read. As I mentioned before, it takes its time. But if there's any director who knows how to make the quiet moments work, it's Aronofsky. He's rarely boring as a director. Much has been made of the "supernatural" aspect of Black Swan, with some even comparing it to, "The Others." (one of my favorite scary films btw) But I never saw it that way. To me it was clear that Nina was always imagining her relationship with Lily. I never doubted that Lily was real. But I believe Nina made up the more elaborate aspects of their friendship in order to discover her dark side. I wouldn't be surprised if this was a talking point of the film after its release, which, if the film is good, will surely help word of mouth and repeat business.

As a screenplay, I thought Black Swan was good. It definitely could've moved faster and I would've preferred we get some answers sooner instead of being strung along with weird unexplained moment after weird unexplained moment. After awhile that just gets exhausting. But the feel of the story is just so original. It's not quite like anything I've read or seen before. If you like your scripts dark and moody, check out Black Swan for sure.

[ ] What the hell did I just read?
[ ] barely kept my interest
[x] worth the read
[ ] impressive
[ ] genius

What I learned: Don't be afraid to explore the details in your screenplay if they help tell the story. It's okay to create mood and atmosphere. Just make sure you don't go overboard with it. I don't think Black Swan would have a prayer on the spec market because it's just sooooooooo slow at times. But some movies require you to indulge in the seemingly mundane things. That's fine if you know when to stop.

25 Great Pirate Bay Alternatives

Written by Ernesto

The end of the Pirate Bay is nearing. Even if the deal with GGF doesn’t go through the current owners are likely to sell to one of the other interested parties. For many BitTorrent fans this means that they have to find an alternative. Luckily there are plenty of good ones out there.

Replacing The Pirate Bay is easier said then done. The tracker is currently responsible for approximately half of all public torrent transfers, which represents a significant percentage of global Internet traffic.

However, history has shown that BitTorrent users are an adaptive species that simply migrates to the next site when their home bases become uninhabitable.

While private trackers certainly have their place and will accommodate those lucky enough to get an invite, for this article we are interested in sites that are open to everyone, ranging from full Pirate Bay replacements to a do-it-yourself setup.

Full Pirate Bay Alternatives

The only full Pirate Bay alternatives are sites that index torrent files, are open to everyone and also have a working tracker. Unfortunately, there are only a few sites out there that offer this full package -there are four of them below. We decided to include Demonoid here because it tracks many public torrents.

1. Torrentbox

2. 1337x

3. H33t

4. Demonoid (semi-private)

Torrent Indexers

Torrent indexers are sites that have a searchable directory of torrent files, but don’t host a (public) tracker of their own. Mininova has a tracker, but they only allow ‘featured’ torrents uploaded through their content distribution service. The most used torrent indexers are:

5. Mininova

6. isoHunt

7. Torrentreactor

8. BTjunkie

Torrent Meta-Seach Engines

BitTorrent meta-search engines are yet another brand of torrent sites. They don’t have a tracker and don’t host any torrent files on their servers. Instead they search for and link to torrents hosted on third party sites.

9. Torrentz

10. Nowtorrents

11. Qtorrents

12. Torrent-Finder

Private Trackers (open signup)

Most of the larger private trackers require an invite to join, but there are always a few that allow new members. Below are four of these (open) private trackers and more can be found on Btracs.

13. RTN

14. BiteMyTorrent

15. BitShock

16. TorrentIt

Standalone BitTorrent Trackers

Torrent indexers and meta-search engines can be used to find torrents, but none of them will be of much use without a stable BitTorrent tracker. Standalone BitTorrent trackers are much needed, they handle the communication between downloaders but don’t index any torrents themselves.

17. OpenBitTorrent

18. PublicBitTorrent

19. The Hidden Tracker

20. Denis.Stalker

DIY Pirate Bay Alternatives

The last category of Pirate Bay alternatives are the do-it-yourself projects. By using the three ingredients below The Pirate Bay can be easily rebuilt. It might take a few hours, but then the path to world domination is clear.

21. Pirate Bay Torrents Clone

22. Pirate Bay HTML Clone

23. Torrage: Torrent API

24. Tracker Software

Last but not Least

Google, the mother of all search engines has a filetype:torrent search command that allows you to find torrent files scattered across the Internet. Also, Google’s custom search allows everyone to create their own torrent search engine. Don’t tell the MPAA and RIAA.

25. Google

If you think we missed any good alternatives, please feel free to add your own in the comment section below, while clearly noting which category they fit into.

Teacher allegedly paid student after sex

Helper » Victim's mother says teen got up to $1,500.

By Melinda Rogers

The Salt Lake Tribune

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Melissa Andreini

A former Helper Junior High School teacher charged with having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old male student paid her victim between $1,400 and $1,500 after the encounters, court documents allege.

New details about the relationship between Melissa Ann Andreini and her alleged victim emerged from a probable cause statement recently filed in 7th District Court.

According to the statement, the victim's mother confronted Andreini at Andreini's home in Helper on July 3 after finding out the teacher was supposedly having sex with her son. Andreini admitted to the boy's mother that she had sex with the teenager on several occasions at her home, according to the statement.

A Utah Division of Child and Family Services worker along with police interviewed the boy about his relationship with Andreini, which he said started during the 2008-09 school year, according to the statement.

The boy told police Andreini used to bring him and his friends coffee two to three times a week before school started. The boys went to Andreini's classroom to get the drinks, according to the statement. The victim reported to police that Andreini paid him money after three separate sexual episodes at her home in June.

Court documents do not specify if the money exchanged was for sex or to keep the boy quiet about the encounters. The victim's mother told police Andreini admitted to paying the boy between $1,400 and $1,500 when the mother confronted

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Andreini on July 3, according to the statement.

Andreini, 28, was charged Monday in 7th Distirct Court with three counts of third-degree felony unlawful sexual activity with a minor. Her first court appearance is scheduled for Sept.28 before Judge Douglas Thomas in Price. If convicted, Andreini faces up to five years in prison on each count.

Last week, Helper police announced Andreini was under investigation for sexual activity with a boy who recently completed ninth grade at Helper Junior High School.

Another teacher at Helper Junior High School is also accused of sexual misconduct with a student in a case unrelated to Andreini's, police said. Charges against that teacher are still being screened, said Carbon County Attorney Gene Strate. He said it's possible the other teacher will not be charged.

Robert Cox, special programs director for the Carbon County School District, told The Salt Lake Tribune earlier this week that Andreini was hired as a special education teacher in the fall of 2006.

The school district received word of the allegations against Andreini and the other teacher in late July from Helper police and Carbon County sheriff's deputies, Cox said.

Cox said Andreini submitted a letter of resignation to the district on Aug. 3. The other teacher has been placed on administrative leave.

Cox said the district is using the case as an opportunity to reinforce the district's rules about professional practices. He said Andreini's alleged victim was a student at the school, but not one of her special education students.

"We take very seriously the safety of our students," Cox said. "We want our students to feel safe and feel comfortable in school. We regret that this would happen in our district or in any other district."

Andreini was booked into the Carbon County jail earlier this week, but was released after posting $10,000 bail. She did not return a phone call from The Tribune seeking comment Friday afternoon.

mrogers@sltrib.com

The day the Red Arrows were upstaged by Mother Nature

By Ryan Kisiel

Their twisting aerial manoeuvres with coloured smoke trailing in the wake is not normally upstaged.

But the Red Arrows's display was not the only thing to light up the sky yesterday.

A rainbow cast itself across the coast of Fowey in Cornwall just as the RAF acrobatic team were about to perform its stunts.

Plane brilliant: The usually spectacular Red Arrows display was given a helping hand by Mother Nature

The burst of colour brought to life the spectacle that is normally reserved only for the tiny red aircraft.

The team of five planes were performing at the town's annual Royal Regatta in front of thousands of people.

It is the 32nd year-in-a-row that the Red Arrows have taken to the skies above the town at speeds of more than 400mph.

Crowd pleaser: The display brightened up the grey skies above the Fowey estuary

But the colourful display could have not happened if RAF chiefs had got their way.

Three years ago, senior officers who were ordered to cut millions from their budgets proposed saving £500,000 a year by restricting 'The Reds' to cheaper white smoke.

But ministers realised the plans would be a public relations disaster and ordered a rethink in 2006.

Double the fun: As the Red Arrows race through the rainbow, a second can be seen

Coloured trails have been a Red Arrows trademark since they formed in 1965. People all over the world watch their breathtaking stunts as the nine jets criss-cross the sky 6ft apart at 400mph, trailing Union Jack colours.

To create the smoke, diesel is sprayed into the Hawk jets' exhaust plumes, where it vaporises into white gas. This is vital for safety as it helps pilots pick out other planes quickly.

But the red and blue smoke uses costly specialist dyes, extra tanks and hydraulic nozzles.

The Red Arrows perform around 85 displays a season and have flown in 52 countries. The RAF has been staging aerobatic displays since 1920.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1208202/Plane-beautiful-The-day-Red-Arrows-upstaged-Mother-Nature.html#ixzz0P7ShiDJq