Time To Get Away: LCD Soundsystem Bid Farewell Tonight

After a decade of Daft Punk references, white suits and Muppet videos, James Murphy announced the dissolution of LCD Soundsystem a little over a month ago. And now, with ticket scalping drama and four celebratory, three-hour-long shows at Terminal 5 past, their alleged final show ever as a band will take place tonight at MSG. But even if you didn't get tickets, you can watch anexclusive stream of the whole show at Pitchfork starting at 9 p.m. In the meantime, you can check outthe collective mourning process going on across the internet. Pitchfork has an excellent, definitive look back at the complete LCD Soundsystem oeuvre, which comes to a tidy 46 studio tracks, spread over three official albums, one instrumental album, and various singles. It's especiallyappropriate considering thatLCD Soundsystem were arguably the Pitchfork band of the decade; after all, they ranked Sound of Silver #17 in the 2000s albums of the decade list, and named This Is Happening the second best album of 2010.

Florida pastor Terry Jones’s Koran burning has far-reaching effect

The charred Koran that inspired a deadly attack and violent protests across Afghanistan now sits in a plastic Home Depot bag in a storage room here in a run-down church. It has beenstashed atop a pile of cardboard boxes, next to a tattered pair of boxing gloves. It still smells of kerosene. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/florida_pastor_terry_joness_koran_burning_has_far_reaching_effect/2011/04/02/AFpiFoQC_story.html?wprss=rss_homepage

NCAA Final Four: Kemba Walker Needs to Carry UConn Against Balanced Kentucky

NCAA Final Four Features Connecticut's Kemba Walker Against the Kentucky Wildcats As the Connecticut Huskies face off with thefavorite Kentucky Wildcats tonight in the Final Four, Kemba Walker's play should be the determining factor as to who will advance to the national championship game. But, then again, this is old news for Walker, who has put the Huskies on his back ever since the start of the Big East Tournament and carried them to one win shy of atitle opportunity. Against Bucknell in the Huskies' opening matchup in the NCAA Tournament, Walker scored 18 points and dished out 12 assists. Against Cincinnati, he put up 33 points. Against San Diego State, he dropped 36 points on 12-of-25 shooting. And against Arizona, he scored 20 points to go along with seven assists. It's beginning to make a lot of people wonder if Walker can indeed be stopped in March Madness, a guard who has risen in the eyes of NBA scouts based on his postseason heroics. But he may face his mostdaunting challenge tonight against the Wildcats, a team that just knocked out North Carolina and poses a fearsome duo in Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones, not to mention Josh Harrellson and the balance to roundit out. Walker will score his points, there's no doubting that, but he will also need to find his open teammates, particularly rising freshman Jeremy Lamb, who posted 24 points against San Diego State and 19 points against Arizona. The two have worked well together in the tournament and Lamb has clearly gained Walker's trust. But beyond that, Walker is going to have to find ways to split double teams and work for shots for himself if the Huskies are going to advance. Their success primarily lies in him, and is the reason they've gotten this far. Can the Wildcats contain Walker? I wouldn't be surprised at this point if they can't. For a look at Walker's developing NBA draft stock, check out James Evens' piece . Most recent updates: VCU Butler Score: Bulldogs Outlast Rams, Advance to National Championship Game Matt Howard: Can Butler Survive With Howard in Foul Trouble? Detroit Tigers: Are the Tigers In for Another Long Summer in the AL Central? http://m.bleacherreport.com/articles/652668-wayne-rooney-cricket-world-cup-final-four-and-saturdays-sports-news/entry/58507-ncaa-final-four-kemba-walker-needs-to-carry-uconn-against-balanced-kentucky

Ashley Boo Turns a Facebook Profile Into an Interactive Marketing Campaign

Ashley Boo’s Facebook profilemay look like any other page,but it isn’t long until Ashley jumps off the page and starts dancing, screaming or headbanging. That’s becauseBoo is actually an interactive Facebook app inspired by lastyear’s successful “Hunter Shoots a Bear” YouTube campaign. Ashley Boo is a video profile designed to promote Rounds , a video chat client for Facebook. The page, built in Flash, allows for a range of different user interactions, based on what you click or type. The key to the Ashley Boo campaign is the Facebook status update bar, which asks, “What would you like todo together?” Typing in something will trigger Ashleyto participate in one of 35 different activities, from shooting her friends to goingon a date. “We thought about what the best way to show the world what Rounds is all about, andalthough demos and screenshots are nice, with our product, they usually don’t fully transfer the full-blown experience,” Rounds CEO Dany Fishel told Mashable . “We believe the Ashley Boo campaign does it — it’s unique, it’s fun, it’s entertaining and it shows that you can do almost anything together with your friends on Rounds.” The interactive Facebook campaign is directly inspired by Hunter Shoots a Bear , a viral YouTube campaign by Tipp-Ex that gave users the option to wrestle, hug or chest bump a bear (among other things). So while the concept itself may not be original, Rounds has made sure to stock Ashley Boo’s page with plenty of Easter eggs. The company has published a partial list of Ashley’s different moves if you don’t want to discover them all on your own, but theit promises to give Ashley more to do over time. While we hope Rounds tones down the narrator constantly asking you to typein something (you can’t keep the tab open elsewhere because of it), Ashley (played by Maya Volberg) is definitelylikable, and the campaign caters to most imaginations (just type in “sex” or “undress” to see what I mean). Rounds has amassed 700,000users since its relaunch in August (it originally launchedas a web app called 6rounds in July 2009). However, if the success of “Hunter Shoots a Bear” is any indication, we bet Ashley Boo helps Rounds snag a bunch of new users in quick order.

Trendy Gay Hipster:"Jersey Shore" is this Summer's Must Gay Look!

It was a bittersweet moment in my life when I realized that MTV's Jersey Shore had completed its 3rd season. In fact, I became so depressed about it that I've been seriously lacking in the GTL department (Gym, Tanning, and Laundry). Seriously I’ve never looked sopale — it's gagging! Plus, my laundry is piling up so quickly! The guys of Jersey Shore What am I supposed to do with my Thursday nights now? Stimulate my brain by watching the History Channel? Gah! Give me Pauly D and a jar of pickles to snack on any day! So in honor of my love of the Shore , I wanted to share what is probably this year’s hottest fashion trend for gay men – the Guido Jersey Shore look! Guido apparel has been an underdog in the fashion industry for quite a few years, but thanks to reality television, the trend has caught on with the mainstream audience like anout-of-control wildfire — making it the must have lookfor every gay man’s summer wardrobe. via

Second wave of Opening Day starts with Roy Halladay and the Phillies

The second wave of Opening Day games begin today. There are nine home openers on tap, 11 games in all. CAPTION By David Goldman, AP The day begins with NationalLeague Cy Young winner Roy Halladay on the mound as he and the Philadelphia Phillies host the Houston Astros. It ends with American League Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez and Seattle Mariners ace against the Oakland Athletics. The nine openers (all times ET): Astros at Phillies, 1:05 p.m.; Pirates at Cubs, 2:20 ; White Sox at Indians, 3:05; Red Sox at Rangers, 4:05; Diamondbacks at Rockies, 4:10; Twins at Blue Jays, 7:07; Orioles at Rays, 7:10; Mets at Marlins, 7:10; and Mariners at Athletics, 10:05. Follow the afternoon action in the Daily Pitch, starting at 1:05 p.m. ET: PHILLIES-ASTROS BOX SCORE 3:41 p.m. ET: Howard singles up the middle on closer Brandon Lyon. Runners on first and second. 3:32 p.m. ET: The Phillies are down to their final three outs. With Jimmy Rollins on first, Ryan Howard can tie the game with one swing of the bat. 3:09 p.m. ET: The Phillies two-run seventh inning closes the lead to 4-2. 2:49 p.m. ET: Astros break it open in the seventh on a two-run triple by Michael Bourn. Bourn makes it 4-0, scoring on a sacrifice fly. 2:34 p.m. ET: The Astros get to Halladay and take a 1-0 lead after a Hunter Pence double and Bill Hall infield outin 6th inning. Halladay is pinch-hit for the bottom of the inning. His day is over. 2:24 p.m. ET : Bad news for Cardinals fans. Left fielder Matt Holliday to undergo an appendectomy procedure today after going 3-for-4 on opening day Thursday. 2:14 p.m. ET: The Astros havethree hits through 5 innings. Myers has two of them. 2:10 p.m. ET: On deck - the Cubs host the Pirates at Wrigley Field. Ryan Dempstervs. Kevin Correia. A $125 million payroll vs. $45 million. Guess which team has the smaller payroll? 2:09 p.m. ET: Ben Francisco, Jayson Werth's replacement in right field, gets fooled by afly ball in the wind and drops the ball. Astros' Humberto Quintero reaches second base. 2:05 p.m. ET: Myers is matching Halladay in a pitching duel. Only four hits allowed after four innings. 1:38 p.m. ET: Halladay's no-hitter through 2 2/3 inning was broken up by former Phillies pitcher Brett Myers. Score remains 0-0. 1:20 p.m. ET: c Of the 846 players on the 25-man opening day rosters, disabledor restricted list, 234 (27.7%)are foreign-born players. TheNew York Yankees have the most. 1:16 p.m. ET: A strong start for Halladay, a 1-2-3 first inning. 1:05 p.m. ET: The heart-and-soul of the Phillies, ChaseUtley, will sit out the opener and the next few weeks witha knee injury. 1:04 p.m. ET: For those who forgot, Halladay threw a perfect game last May and a no-hitter in the National League Division Series. 12:59 p.m., ET: Roy Halladay ready to make his ninth consecutive opening day start, second with the Phillies. It's the longest streak in the majors.

'Top Chef All-Stars' finale: We have a winner(and a really, really sad loser)

You know who wants to be "Top Chef?" These dudes. After several false alarms, the actual "Top Chef: All Stars" finale kicked off with Richard Blais and Mike Isabella indulging their self-congratulatory soliloquies about deserving to win. Then, they both proceeded to explain why they're the underdog. (Wait a minute... Let's get one thing clear. Richard Blais is not the an underdog. He went into this competition as the most likely to succeed.Most of us were probably surprised that Mike Isabella was even cast. Just saying!) To decide on which of the 15 fallen "All-Stars" would help out the final two in their restaurant challenge, each cooked a dish for a blind taste test that Mike and Richard would pick from to choose their sous chefs. That's right. They have to compete to prolong their embarrassment. Richard picks... Antonia, Spike and Angelo . Mike picks... Carla, Tiffani and Jamie (ha!). They plan their menus and come up with the restaurant names. Richard settles on"Tongue and Cheek" and Mike picks "Iz." Superficial advantage: Blais. Because this is a truly epic finale, we even get a live interlude from a Los Angeles hotel. Padma is yelling compliments at Antonia and Fabio . Really, why is she yelling? The split up in their respective kitchens, where the judges will visit in separate groups. Tongue & Cheek Poor Richard. Homeboy couldnot be putting more pressure on himself over this, but at least he's not cracking. He offers up a meal of raw hamachi, black cod, braised short rib and cornbread with foie gras ice cream -- the latter of which he retools for the second group of judges. (Padma and co. were not impressed.) The food looks great, and we're happy to see no big snafus, but the real winner here is Spike. Abandoning hissous-chef to gauge judge reactions, the editorialized game of telephone that playsout when he reports back to Richard is fantastic. Why wasn't he this funny earlier in the season? Iz "I don't know if anyone would have picked you getting here..." Tom tells Mike while he's cooking the most important meal of his life. Um, us neither, but we certainly wouldn't choose now to tell him. (Tom spends his time out of the kitchen asa freelance parade-rain-on-er.) As for the food, it starts out alittle weak (beat salad, nondescript fish), but it picks up with a pepperoni-glazed braised pork shoulder and a magical flan-esque thing. Thejudges eat it up. Food pun! Judges' table Before deliberating the meals course by course, the judges share some pretty spot on observation. Tom briefly crawls out of his garbage can on Sesame Street to pronounce it "the best food of any finale." The much sweeter Gail observes that she would choose Mike'srestaurant on a weeknight and Richard's restaurant on aweekend. Hmm... portentous. Since it's the finale to end all finales, Bravo flew out the duo's respective families to watch their shining/humiliating moment.Richard's wife isn't there -- because she's so freaking pregnant. But lucky her because she's having a baby and a winner. Richard wins, making every annoying elimination of the season suddenly worth the journey. This was his season to lose, and his ample tears make us forget every time we ever questioned that. We love you, Richard. Now drop a little of that $200k on a razor and nix the Jersey turnpike facial hair.

The Biggest Find Since the Dead Sea Scrolls

The Daily Mail has the story about an amazing find in a Jordanian cave. From the piece ... If the dating is verified, the books would be among the earliest Christian documents, predating the writings of St Paul. The prospect that they couldcontain contemporary accounts of the final years ofJesus’s life has excited scholars – although their enthusiasm is tempered by the fact that experts have previously been fooled by sophisticated fakes. David Elkington, a British scholar of ancient religious history and archeology, and one of the few to have examined the books, says they could be ‘the major discovery of Christian history’. ‘It is a breathtaking thought that we have held these objects that might have been held by the early saintsof the Church,’ he said.

Detroit Tigers must play capable defense

Outside of Austin Jackson, you're not going to find many Gold Glove caliber players on the Detroit Tigers. They'll have to play solid defense to help their pitchers. This week we will explore five keys for the Tigers as they make a run at the Central Division title. Those keys are staying healthy, playing better on the road, finding success against right-handed pitching, finding a starting pitcher to step up and join Justin Verlander andMax Scherzer as front line starters, and playing better defense than expected. Do teams need a stellar defense to win Major League Baseball games? Of course not. Does it help? Of course it can help. For the Tigers , defensive will definitely play an important role. Why's that? Pitchers who putthe ball in play will be inhabiting the mound for quite a few innings this year.Obviously, that's not the casewith Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. But look at the strikeout rates of the next three in the rotation: Brad Penny had rates of 5.66 strikeouts per nine innings each of the past two years. Rick Porcello 's career rate is 4.67 strikeouts per nine innings. Phil Coke 's rate was a more palatable 7.49 per nine innings but was just 5.81 during spring training. Infield defense might be especially important to Penny and Porcello, both of whom have striven to keep the ball low in the zone and have the groundball rates to show for it: better than 50% groundball rates for each. On paper, there's reason to worry about the Tigers defense. No one makes any claims that Jhonny Peralta isa good fielder. Even his general manager points out his range is limited. First baseman Miguel Cabrera may destroy the baseball at the plate, but he is not known for his range in the field, either. At second base, the scouting report on Will Rhymes and Scott Sizemore peaks at"average." If Carlos Guillen returns to the position with his surgically repaired knee, below average is likely to be seen. That leaves Brandon Inge as the infield's lone plus infielder, and even he has quickly dropped in his abilities the past few years. Reason to worry? Maybe. I'm not sure I'd use the word"worry" quite yet though. A better word to choose might be "concerned." One should definitely be a bit concerned about the overall team defense this season. So an early theme to watch will be the team's defense. The defensive efficiency is one way to do that. Basically,it's a measure of how many balls in play are turned into outs. When Detroit went to the playoffs last, the DEF was.702, the best in the American League. In 2009, it was a division-leading .695. In 2008? A division-worst.685. How about 2010? The team finished in third place in the division, and the DEF was a middling .691. Defense isn't everything. Theidea in baseball isn't scoring the most runs, or allowing the least. It's run differential that helps you win ballgames. But putting a good defense on the field hashelped the team in the past, and putting a poor one on the field managed to bring a highly-hyped 2008 club back to earth. How the TIgers' defense actually plays out will go a long way to deciding if they are a true Central Division contender this year.

Golden girl: Katy Perry transformed into gladiator for new music video E.T.

She's already been transformed into an alien forher new video E.T. But it looks like Katy Perry may be seeking inspiration from this world as well, as she becomes a female gladiator. In a new promotional shot from her forthcoming new video, which premieres on Thursday, the singer wear a gold breastplate and dramatic make-up, inspired by the ancient Roman look. Going for gold: Katy Perry looks like a gladiator in her gold breast-plate in a promotional shot for her new single E.T. Inspiration: A woman re-enactor dressed as a female gladiator (file picture) The new single, which is already in the top of the U.S. Billboard charts, sees Miss Perry team up with rapper Kanye West. Over the last week, Perry hasbeen leaking sneak peeks of the video shoot before the promo is seen in its entirety on Thursday. Perry's other worldliness appearance is inspired by the lyrics of the song, about falling in love with a foreigner. The song contains many extraterrestrial references, hence Perry's sci-fi appearance in another image. Perry is currently on the UK and Ireland leg of her California Dream World Tour. On Monday, she was embroiled in a Twitter row after Scottish DJ Calvin Harrispulled out supporting her Dublin gig. Calvin was scheduled to openfor Katy’s gigs but cancelled at the last minute after being angered over set arrangements. The furious I Kissed A Girl singer vented on Twitter, posting: ‘Calvin Harris will NOT be joining in on the fun and has CANCELLED last minute.’ Spaced out: With the help of some extreme make-up, Perry transformed herself into an alien in her new video

Is Candice Swanepoel Victoria’s Secret Latest Fallen Ange

ViaVictoria's Secret model Candice Swanepoel is wondering right now if that almond she ate yesterday is making her look fat. The 5'9" South African beauty was supposedly promoting the new 2011 swimwear collection for Victoria's Secret yesterday in Hollywood with fellow models Alessandra Ambrosio and Adriana Lima, but peoplecouldn't see her. She'd turn to the side and vanish. It really confused Ale and Adriana. Aren't Victoria's Secret models supposed to be sexy and somewhat soft? I mean, their bodies are totally unbelievable, but what I admire most about them is that they're not runway sticks who eat cotton balls. They look healthy, like they've been playing beach volleyball their whole lives onthe shores of Ipanema. But maybe Candice's concave stomach and invisible thighs are the new VS trend ? If so, I'm totally canceling thebagillion VS catalogs I get every month. I don't want to see someone who looks hungry try to sell me cute underwear and push-up bras.I want to see an effortlessly gorgeous woman with unattainable curves and cheekbones I'd give my left foot for in lace-lined lingerie and patterned one-pieces. I've always thought that the Victoria's Secret models were sort of our last bastion of sanity in the modeling world. Its models are the members of the Lost Colony of beautiful, exotic, and"curvy" women upon which we can place our hopes and dreams for bigger breasts and toned buttocks. If they introduce this new breed of Candice into the Commonwealth, it will kill off the natives. It starts with a skinny mini and ends with glossy pages full of emaciated half-beings.Save the VS models we knowand love! Just say "no" to the under 100-pound gaggle. They have their places on European catwalks and velvet couches in nightclubs -- keep them out of Victoria'sSecret. Someone throw some pasta bolognese at Candice and tellher to get on board, the VS train is pulling out of the skinny station. Do you think Candice looks too thin? Or do you think she fits right in with other VS models?

Red Sox starting five lined up to thrive

For a group that has faced itsshare of criticism, the five members of the Red Sox [ team stats ] starting rotationcarry some pretty impressive resumes. Jon Lester looks like he could win a Cy Young Award beforehis career is through, with anAll-Star berth, no-hitter, and 19-win season already underhis belt. John Lackey started and won Game 7 of the 2002 World Series for the Angels as a rookie. Since 2004 he has won more games (97) than all but seven pitchers. Clay Buchholz built off an outstanding second half in 2009 to make his first All-Star appearance last year.Had he not injured a hamstring running the bases,he might have been able to put himself in a position to win the Cy Young Award. Fourth starter Josh Beckett [ stats ] is merely one of the best big-game pitchers of this generation, even if he is coming off a horrible 2010. He has dominated two postseasons, taking World Series MVP honors as a 23-year-old with the Marlins in 2003, and then basically carrying the Red Sox to the 2007 title. In the fifth spot, the Sox have Daisuke Matsuzaka [ stats ] , the subject of one of the most intense bidding wars inbaseball history. The two-time World Baseball Classic MVP won 15 games asa rookie and then added another victory in the World Series. He followed that up with an 18-win 2008, and even if his results have been inconsistent since, he is nonetheless one of the best fifth starters in the game. Oh, and let’s not forget the sixth starter, knuckleballer Tim Wakefield [ stats ] . He’s won more games in his career than any other active pitcher. “We’ve got five guys here who could have started Opening Day,” said Lester, who’ll get the nod tomorrow in Texas. “I really can’t describe it any other way other than to say it’s an honor. At the same time, if any of the other four guys got it, it wouldn’t have hurt my feelings. The talent and experience we have in this rotation, flip a coin. Anybody is worthy.” The Sox have had great rotations in the past, but they were typically top-heavy. Think Curt Schilling [ stats ] and Pedro Martinez in 2004, or Roger Clemens and Bruce Hurst in the late ’80s. Their supporting casts were solid, but unspectacular. If this group pitches like it can, however, it would be strong from 1-5. That would separate it from virtually every other rotation in team history, particularly when viewed relative to its era; the 1903 squad only fielded six pitchers all season, for instance. “We can be as good as anyone, for sure,” Lackey said. “We’ve got guys with pretty good track records. If we perform up to our capabilities, it’s going to be pretty good.” Sox starters have been easy targets since struggling through an uneven 2010. While Lester and Buchholz were outstanding, Beckett was an unmitigated disaster,Lackey didn’t quite meet expectations, and Matsuzakawas a lost cause from almostthe moment he hurt his back early in spring training. There’s reason to think 2011 will be different, however. Lackey arrived at camp in the best shape of his career, down roughly 10 pounds. Beckett pitched poorly in FortMyers, but seemed encouraged by his stuff, which could bode well for theseason. Even Matsuzaka, often a punching bag, made a small adjustment to his offday routine that paid dividends during two consecutive excellent starts. “The most important thing, I think, for our pitching staff is starts and innings,” Lester said. “With the offense we have and the defense we have, if you outlast the other guy, you’re going to get a lot of wins. But this team, this organization isn’t built around what we do during the regular season. It’s built around what we do in the postseason. Everybody’s goalin that clubhouse is to win the World Series this year, and everybody’s pretty excited about it.”

Atlanta Braves (0-0) at Washington Nationals (0-0), 1:05 p.m.

Though they are coming off their first playoff appearance in five years, the Atlanta Braves are still set to begin a new chapter of their storied franchise. The Washington Nationals will just be happy if they can take some baby steps forward in bringing a winning season to the nation's capital. Led by new manager Fredi Gonzalez, Atlanta kicks off its2011 season against Washington in the opener ofa three-game series at Nationals Park. The Braves will begin a season without Bobby Cox astheir manager for the first time since 1989, one year before Cox began his second tenure with the club. In total, he managed the Atlanta franchise for 25 seasons, winning over 2,000 games, five National League pennants and the 1995 World Series before retiring at the end of the 2010 season. Atlanta tried to send Cox out on top, winning the NL Wild Card to return to the postseason for the first timesince 1995, but was defeated in four games by the San Francisco Giants in the National League DivisionSeries. Gonzalez was hired on Oct. 13 to replace Cox after beingfired by the Marlins in June. He spent four season's on Cox's staff from 2003-06 andwent 276-279 during his three-and-a-half year tenurewith Florida. Dan Uggla will start at second for the Braves after being acquired from Florida this offseason and he will add some power to Atlanta'slineup. Uggla set career bests last season with a .287average, 33 homers and 105runs batted in, and is the only second baseman in MLB history to notch four straight seasons of at least 30 homers. The acquisition of Uggla costthe Braves All-Star utilityman Omar Infante andreliever Mike Dunn and also moved All-Star Martin Prado to left field, while rookie Freddie Freeman is set to start at first. Not everything is new for Atlanta as Chipper Jones is back for his 18th season with the club. Set to turn 39 in April, Jones is looking to bounce back from left knee surgery that ended his season early last year and the former MVP and 2008 NL batting champion hit .387 in 21 games this spring. Taking the ball for the Braves on Opening Day for a third straight season is 37-year Derek Lowe, who was second on the club last year with 16 wins but also had a club-high 12 losses in 33 starts with a 4.00 earned run average. The righty, though, did win his final five starts of 2010 with a 1.17 ERA before yielding just three runs in a pair of playoff losses. Lowe faced the Nationals five times last year, going 2-3 with a 3.52 ERA. Washington will counter with its own veteran in Livan Hernandez, who went just 10-12 in 2010 despite a solid 3.66 ERA over a club-high 33 starts. The 36- year-old also topped 200 innings pitched for the 10th time in his 15 seasons. The right-handed Hernandez, who is set to make his fourth Opening Daystart with the franchise, went 2-1 with a 2.35 ERA in five starts against the Braves a season ago, yielding two runs or less in four of those outings. Hernandez will try to get Washington's season off on the right foot after the club posted its fifth straight losing season last year. Though they avoided a third straight 100-loss campaign, the Nationals haven't finished above .500 since the Montreal-based club went 83-79 in 2003. Help is on the way as Stephen Strasburg, the top pick of the 2009 draft, had an outstanding debut last season that was cut short due to an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. He should be able tocontribute again full- time by 2012, which is also when 2010 top overall pick Bryce Harper may be ready for the big leagues. Those two will join third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and right fielder Jayson Werth to form a solid core inWashington. Werth will make his Nats debut this afternoon after signing a seven-year, $126 million dealt this offseason. He spent his previous four yearswith the Phillies, hitting .296last season with a career-high 106 runs scored while averaging 29 homers and 84RBI over the previous three campaigns. Washington, though, did losefirst baseman Adam Dunn tofree agency and replaced him with former Diamondback Adam LaRocheafter failing to land both Derrek Lee and Carlos Pena. LaRoche, who began his career with the Braves, had a career-best 100 RBI a season ago with 25 homers and a .261 average. Second base will also feature a new look in Danny Espinosa, who should improve a defense that committed 127 errors last season. Center fielder Rick Ankiel, another new addition, should also help. Nationals catcher Ivan Rodriguez enters his second season with the club and the14-time All-Star will play in the 2,500th game of his career today. Washington won the season series with Atlanta last year,besting its NL East rival in 10of the 18 meetings. That included a victory in six of nine at Nationals Park.

Detroit Tigers (0-0) at New York Yankees (0-0), 1:05 pm

Following one of their most disappointing offseasons in recent memory, the New York Yankees open their 2011 campaign against the Detroit Tigers this afternoonat Yankee Stadium. After losing in six games to the Texas Rangers in the American League Championship Series last October, New York went intothis winter with one plan - get Cliff Lee. However, things did not work out, as the free-agent pitcher turned down the Yankees' money to go to Philadelphia. Then to make matters worse, left-hander Andy Pettitte retired, leaving the Yankees with two huge holes in their rotation. Young Ivan Nova was the Yankees' best pitcher this spring and secured one of the vacancies, while veteranFreddy Garcia nailed down the fifth spot ahead of former Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon, who will pitch out of the bullpen after not pitching in the league at all last season. As many concerns as the Yankees may have at the back of their rotation, there are none as it pertains to left-hander CC Sabathia, whowill take the ball this afternoon following a season that saw him go 21-7with a 3.18 ERA. "He was not on the bubble," Yankee manager Joe Girardi said with a smile. "His spot in the rotation really wasn't up for discussion. For him, the spring was just about getting ready and getting his stuff sharp." This will mark Sabathia's eighth career Opening Day start, having drawn the honors five times with the Cleveland Indians as well as in each of his first two seasons with New York. However, he has yet to win in either of his two assignments with the Yankees. Sabathia figures to get plenty of run support, as the Yankees field basically the same lineup that scored a major league high 859 runs a year ago. In fact that vaunted offense may be even better than last season, as Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez all had down seasons. Detroit manager Jim Leylandonce referred to the Yankees' lineup as"Murderer's Row and Cano". Well, Robinson Cano is no longer a supporting cast member. The second baseman distinguished himself as not only one of the best all-around players on the Yankees last season, but in the league as well. He hit .319 with 29 home runs, 109 RBI and 103 runs scored,while also playing a near-flawless second base to claim his first Gold Glove Award. Rodriguez, though, had a phenomenal spring, as the three-time AL MVP batted.388 (19-for-49) with a team-leading six homers and 15 RBI. Jeter, meanwhile, enters the year 74 hits shy of becoming the first player in pinstripes to record 3.000 for his career. Also, Girardi announced that Jeter will be moved from theleadoff spot against right-handers, with speedy Brett Gardner filling the role. Jeter will still lead off against lefties. Jeter will be in the two-hole this afternoon against JustinVerlander, who is coming offanother sensational season. One of the few bright spots on the Tigers a year ago, Verlander was 18-9 with a 3.37 ERA. Verlander seems to have picked up right where he leftoff a year ago, as he pitched to a 0.96 ERA in six spring starts. The American League Central figures to be a three-team race this season and unlike last year, the Tigers should be right in the thick of it. After losing a one-game playoff for a division title to the Minnesota Twins in 2009, the Tigers began the process of clearing out payroll and it showed, as they stumbled out of the gates and never recovered before eventually finishing.500. On the bright side, Miguel Cabrera put forth the best season of his career with virtually no protection in thelineup. As good as he was last year, the first baseman could be even better this season with the addition of newly- signed Victor Martinez. Things did not get off to a great start for the Tigers, though, as Cabrera was charged with DUI following arun-in with police shortly after the start of spring training. Leyland and Cabrera insist his problems are behind him and he is ready to get going. The Yankees split their eight matchups with the Tigers last season, but are 9-5 against them since the start of the 2009 campaign.

The Best Tech-Related April Fools’ Day Pranks Tweet

With April 1st just around thecorner, it’s time to start planning your attacks on friends, colleagues, and even loved ones to ensure they’re suitably mocked, embarrassed, and shamed on April Fools’ Day. We want to make sure that no one gets off lightly this year, so to help you formulate your plan, we’ve put together a list of the best tech-related pranks and practical jokes foryour disposal. They’re all quick and easy to perform with minimal effort,and ensure your April Fools’ Day victims don’t get away from a little light-hearted pranking. The Annoy-a-Tron from ThinkGeek The Annoy-a-tron is essentially a high-tech fart machine, but with a little more taste. It’s $12.99 from ThinkGeek and features 6 annoying sounds that go off at random to irritate anyone within earshot. Turn it on, hide it under a co-worker’s desk, and observe them as they try to work out where the sound of a cricket is coming from. It’s a tiny device that’s easy to conceal,and if your target does manage to find it, they won’thave a clue what it is. Check out the rest of our pranks after the break! Remap Keyboard Shortcuts with Shortcuts After using a Mac for some time, many users pick up a ton of keyboard shortcuts that save them a little bit of time here and there throughout their day. Whether it’s to make a simple copy & paste, save a document, display bookmarks in Safari, or refresh mailboxes, these handy shortcuts soon become commonplace, and we often don’t notice how much we use them. Using Shortcuts for Mac, it’s quick and easy to remap keyboard shortcuts and customize their functions. With a little imagination, thisis one of the easiest and most effective ways of sabotaging a colleague’s computer while they’re away at lunch. Change their copy shortcut to play a song in iTunes, and their print shortcut to launch an application, and you’ll be guaranteed a hilarious afternoon. Change the Language of the Keyboard Input Unless your friend or colleague can read and writein all of the languages supported in the Mac operating system, this one promises to wind them up. Change the language of their keyboard input and witness their bemusement when they find everything they type into that report they’re working on is in Arabic. You don’t need any additional software for this one – just navigate to System Preferences and clickon ‘Language & Text’. Click onthe ‘Input Sources’ tab and select the language you’d like to change to, a flag will appear in the menu bar near the clock and you can click onit to select the language you’ve chosen. Then remove the tick next to the ‘Show Input menu in menu bar’ (as in the picture above) to remove the flag and all evidence of your prank. Change iPhone Display to ‘White On Black’ One of the accessibility options on the iPhone is for users who prefer a higher contrast, and it’s called ‘white on black’. This changesthe look of an iPhone completely with a weird and wonderful combination of high contrast colors that makes everything look completely different. To someone who doesn’t know about this feature, picking uptheir iPhone to find what looks like a complete display malfunction is rather worrying. I recommend playing this trick on a loved one while they’re out of the room. To enable white on black, go to the iPhone’s Settings app and navigate to the ‘Accessibility’ options within the ‘General’ tab. Switch the ‘White on Back’ toggle to on and the colors will change instantly. The same effect can be achieved on a Mac by pressing Control-Option-Command-8 together. Disable a Friend’s Mouse Not so long ago, it was all tooeasy to remove the tracker ball from a friend’s mouse while they were away and disable it completely in time for their return. However, didyou know that it’s just as easy to disable a modern daylaser mouse? Simply take a piece of black tape and coverup the laser on the base of the device, then place bets with the rest of your friends on how long it’ll take your victim to realize what’s happened. Blue Screen of Death & Kernal Panic Screensavers We’ve all had them, and we all hate them. You’re sat there working away on that huge document you started three hours ago, and all of a sudden, everything dies and you get a nice big error message to rub it in your face. For Windows users it’s the blue screen of death, andfor the Mac, it’s the kernal panic. The Windows guys willbe more familiar with this than those lucky enough to own a Mac, but they’re just as frustrating whatever you’re using. Unless, of course, it doesn’t happen to you – then it’s hilarious. A quick Google search will help you find the images above which you can save to your victim’s computer. Thennavigate to their screensaver preferences andsetup your attack. When theyreturn to find the error staring them in the face, take pleasure from their frustration as they restart their computer unnecessarily. Phantom Keystroker The second ThinkGeek product to feature in our roundup is the Phantom Keystroker – another $12.99 device that plugs into your target’s USB port and causes chaos on their screen by making random keystrokes and mouse movements. A switch on the side of the device lets you choose between typing complete garbage, caps lock toggle, annoying mouse movements, or a mixture of all three if you’re feeling really evil. There’s also a dial that allows you to set the duration between attacks. This device works on any computer with a USB port (although caps lock toggle won’t work on a Mac) – all you need to do is plug it in. That concludes our roundup of the best quick and easy tech-related pranks. We hope this feature has helped you to prepare for April Fools’Day. If you try out any of the pranks above, or you’d like toshare your own, leave us a comment below!

Google Doodle pays tribute to Bunsen Burnerinventor's 200th birthday

For generations of school children, the Bunsen burner conjures up fond memories of practical experiments during science lessons. In honour of inventor Robert Bunsen's ongoing contribution to science, Google has today marked what would have been his 200th birthday with an animated tribute. The new 'doodle' shows a flame changing colour from blue to purple as various chemicals bubble brightly in pots and test tubes. Tribute: Google is today celebrating Bunsen burner inventor Robert Bunsen's 200th birthday Robert Wilhelm Eberhard Bunsen was born on March 31, 1811 in Gottingen, Germany. Among his many achievements was discovering caesium and rubidium, alongside Gustav Kirchhoff, and pioneering photochemistry. But he will forever be remembered for developing the Bunsen burner with his laboratory assistant Peter Desaga in 1855 to study the colour spectrum of different heated elements.

NewsGush: Weird Advertising From Belgian Dating Website

Belgium, Belgian, Commercial, Advertising, Dating, Website, TV, Television, Vindeenlief, Advert

The ad below was banned in Belgium where it was originally put out.
It’s a weird hybrid of some admirable arthouse flick, Sex Lives of The Potato Men and that ‘Godfather III’ Match.com abomination. It’s also ruined my Wednesday morning. Video below.

Via

Survey: Justin Bieber Will Be In Rehab By Age 30

According to a recent study by 60 Minutes and Vanity Fair, 30% of 11,000 adults interviewed in a poll carried out on a phone believe that teenage popstar Justin Bieber, 17, will be in rehab by the age of 30-years-old. Many may consider Bieber at his peak right now, but it seems that people think that Bieber’s future is more gloomy than the present.

PHOTOS: Justin Bieber hand-in-hand with Selena Gomez in Santa Monica
20% of those asked believe that Bieber will be still in the spotlight singing to his fans by the age of 30. 18% said that Bieber would be married by then, living a quiet life with his partner. Bieber, however, is working hard to make sure that that isn’t the case. MSNBC recently reported that Bieber spends a lot of time looking at the long list of celebrities who have derailed from their initial fame.

Clueless's Stacey Dash Hasn't Aged a Day

Stacey Dash played Camille on The Game back when it was on the CW network in 2009. Fans of the cult flick Clueless were in heaven—it was good to see Dionne in action! But then the show took a two-year break, and when it resurfaced on BET Stacey was gone. Until last night, that is! Much to the delight of thousands of Tweeters, she reappeared on the finale—looking better than ever.
Now, what you may not realize is that when Stacey played 16-year-old Dionne in 1995, she was actually 29 years old, which means she is now 45! Unbelievable, right? Especially because you can barely tell the difference between how she looks today (left) and how she looks in the Clueless cast picture in ‘95, at right. There must be something it that Beverly Hills water.

Jon Jones and Muhammad Ali: Setting the Record Straight

Not many voices in combat sports come any bigger--literally--than that of Bruce Buffer.
About two months ago, the UFC ring announcer took it upon himself to make waves with a little freelance announcement: light heavyweight Jon Jones "in the next six years not only will become a champion, he will become the Muhammad Ali of our organization."
And this was before Jones broke down Shogun Rua at UFC 128 to capture the light heavyweight title.
Bruce was just having fun when he made the statement (when is he not?). But given Jones' mind-bending run to the championship, Buffer is far from the only one broaching the subject. Now that Jones has the belt, the debate is growing ever louder.
Is Jon Jones the Muhammad Ali of mixed martial arts? Is he destined to be the greatest of all time? Is it fair to compare him to Ali?
Depending on when and where these questions come up, they can cause a lot of different reactions. Eyes roll. Mouths turn up. Forehead veins twitch. Stomachs churn. Jones is too young, comes the response. He hasn't fought anyone. He's "just an athlete." People claim sacrilege when Ali's name is even mentioned in a comparison scenario.
But given the way Jones mows people down, it's clear the question isn't going away. So let's cut the wheat from the chaff, shall we? It's time to take an objective look at the facts as they exist right now when comparing young Bones Jones against The Greatest of All Time.

Via

Brazil’s Post Office will not be privatised, minister pledges

Brazil’s communications minister Paul Bernardo has declared that the country’s postal operator Correios will not be privatized.

Bernardo was speaking last week as the company celebrated 42 years in its current form, the Post and Telegraph Company (ECT or Correios).

He said at the ceremony at the headquarters of the Postal University in Brasilia that the Brazilian government was pledging “loud and clear” that the privatization was not an option for Correios.

The minister insisted: “Correios is a company that is absolutely important to Brazil, and this government - like the last government - will never allow such a thing.”

The Ministry of Communications said Bernardo’s speech was a response to “false rumours” that the federal government was considering selling off ECT divisions to the private sector.

During Bernardo’s speech, he noted that Brazil’s new President, Dilma Vana Rousseff, had handed his ministry the major task of strengthening and modernizing Correios, to enhance the postal company’s presence in the market and in Brazilian society.

He said improving the conditions for Correios employees would be an important step in strengthening the company and would lead to improving service quality for the people.

Correios is currently in the process of hiring 9,190 new staff – including 8,136 middle level workers such as office workers, clerks, sorting and transport operators, as well as 844 upper-level positions including analysts, medical and safety officers – as its previously defunct recruitment system was re-started last week.

Via http://postandparcel.info/37261/regulation/brazil%E2%80%99s-post-office-will-not-be-privatised-minister-pledges/

Today, the air is flush with rumors -- now from three credible journalists -- that iPhone 5 won't debut during Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference 2011, in June. Rumors like these are great for generating pageviews and for sending some Wall Street analysts or Apple shareholders into cardiac arrest. But other than a few 911 calls for emergency services, does it really matter?

Technically, there is no iPhone 5 delay, contrary to reports about one. Apple hasn't announced a release date, so there can't be a delay. Now there is, based on four previous releases, reasonable expectation iPhone 5 would debut at WWDC and ship in June or July. That has been Apple's pattern for the four previous models, but it's not beholden. The rumors also put iOS 5's delivery later, too. That certainly makes sense. Why not have one but the other?

Via http://www.betanews.com/joewilcox/article/Apple-shouldnt-rush-iPhone-5-and-neither-should-you/1301354815

iPad 2 orders scheduled for April delivery begin shipping

Image via Mac Forums

Buyers of the iPad 2 from the Apple online store who originally received projected shipping dates should be happy to know that these orders have begun shipping. Users via Twitter are reporting this, with some ordering on launch day.

iPad 2 ordering opened with 3-5 day shipping times, but that quickly turned to 2-3 weeks, then 3-4 weeks, and now 4-5 weeks. Be sure to let us know if yours is getting shipped early, too.

Via

Free Mac Delivery Code

Hey Ladies

I thought I'd tell you there's a free shipping code on all Mac orders at the moment & the code is below!!

I personally would like Gleam eyeshadow, studio tech foundation, a new eyebrow pencil & a couple of other boring essentials, but very much resisting as I don't need them! (can you tell I watched the new Pixwoo video today)

The Code - GAGA (until the 25th)

And also the Lady Gaga Viva Glam 2 is back in stock!

Happy shopping! & remember to enter my No7 Giveaway whilst you're here!

Let the people decide: Mrs Lina Chiam

Vicki Yang / Benjamin Cheah /
Lina Chiam is proud of the office of the Potong Pasir Town Council. Located at Block 121 in the Single-member Constituency, it was fought for by Mr Chiam See Tong in 1984, when he first won the elections in that ward. It was only five years later that the Housing and Development Board (HDB) developed the office from the void deck area, Mrs Chiam tells The Online Citizen (TOC).
Political recognition does not come easy. Mrs Chiam will face her battle in the upcoming General Election – in the very ward which her husband has represented as MP for 27 years. .
Her credentials come in the form of 35 years of experience of supporting and helping her husband run the town and in his campaign in eight elections, beginning in 1976, when Mr Chiam contested Cairnhill seat.
This makes Mrs Chiam arguably the most experienced fresh candidate for the upcoming elections. Far from a passive bystander, Mrs Chiam has been involved in conducting door-to-door interviews, campaigning, serving on the Potong Pasir Town council as vice-chairman, and helping Mr Chiam prepare for his parliamentary sessions. When the Singapore People’s Party decided to field her as his replacement, it was almost as if her role as her husband’s successor is a natural extension of what she has been doing since the early days of Mr Chiam’s political career. In fact, as she describes, her husband and her “mirror each other”.

Via http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/03/let-the-people-decide-mrs-lina-chiam/

Brandon Belt makes SF Giants' roster

Travis Ishikawa hit .266 with three homers in 158 at-bats... Lance Iversen / The Chronicle

A conga line of Giants approached Brandon Belt's locker to welcome the kid to the 25-man roster Wednesday afternoon. When Buster Posey arrived, he offered a handshake and just two words:
"Beller, congratulations."
Beller?
Perfect. Hey, Major League Baseball, make way for Buster & Beller. The B&B Boys. If Belt makes a splash in 2011 anywhere near Posey's in 2010, the rest of the National League West is in trouble.
The Giants made it official Wednesday, confirming what was expected earlier in the week. They made Belt their starting first baseman, and with a name like Belt, who really needs a nickname?
"I've been dreaming of this my entire life. It's come true now," said Belt, who cried when hearing the good news from manager Bruce Bochy and remained teary-eyed long afterward. "I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack. I want to cry at the same time. I don't know what to think right now."
Travis Ishikawa was designated for assignment because the Giants no longer needed a defensive-minded first baseman even though Ishikawa was at times a dandy pinch-hitter. Belt's game is all-encompassing. He's an above-average defender, and management obviously believes he is ready offensively.
Belt, who hit .352 with 23 homers and 112 RBIs in 136 games at three minor-league levels last year and finished spring training at .282 with three homers and 13 RBIs, will be in the lineup today when the Giants open defense of their championship at Dodger Stadium. Bochy said he has no reservations about starting Belt, probably as the seventh hitter, against Clayton Kershaw, a lefty-lefty matchup.
With a crowd at Belt's locker, a voice was heard from across the clubhouse:
"Hey, Belt, you crying?"
It was Aubrey Huff.
Belt: "A little bit."
Huff: "Why you crying? I'm the one who's gotta play right field every day."

BREAKING NEWS: Brandon Belt wins spot on Giants’ roster, will make big league debut on opening day

Giants Manager Bruce Bochy went to the mat to keep Brandon Belt and the skipper got his wish.

Alex Pavlovic just reported via Twitter that Belt was informed he’ll be on the team. Check back for more updates, but Belt will be the starting first baseman and he’ll make his major league debut on opening day for the defending World Series champions. Oh, and the game is at Dodger Stadium.
That’s a lot of pressure to put on a kid with one professional season and just 13 games at Triple-A. But Bochy believes that Belt is something special, both in terms of talent and temperament. So count on Aubrey Huff moving to the outfield.
Belt said he cried when Bochy gave him the news that he made the team. Already, the rookie is taking some hazing. “You crying yet Belt?” Huff said. “Tear up…I’m going to be tearing up the rest of the year in right field.”
The move to purchase Belt’s contract was unexpected as little as 48 hours ago simply because the Giants would have to designate another contributing player. Travis Ishikawa, who scored the tying run in a critical Game 3 win at Atlanta in the NLDS, is saying his goodbyes right now. Ishikawa could go to Triple-A if he clears waivers; we’ll see if another team snaps him up.
The Giants will have to part ways with another player — Aaron Rowand? Nate Schierholtz? — in a few weeks when Cody Ross’s’ calf heals and he’s ready to come off the disabled list. (Theoretically, it could be Belt who gets subtracted for Ross. But Brian Sabean has said many times that ideally, when the kid comes up, he never goes back down.)
Left-hander Dan Runzler also was told he’s on the team. Check back for more from Alex on today’s big news, and I’ll meet up with the club — Belt included — tomorrow at Chavez Ravine.

Via http://blogs.mercurynews.com/extrabaggs/2011/03/30/breaking-news-brandon-belt-wins-spot-on-giants-opening-day-roster/

Concert review: Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks take us back to the 1970’s at the St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa (with photos)

Stevie Nicks

Rod Stewart

safety of tap water in Mitaka

【転載】（3月30日更新）三鷹市の水道水の安全性について

東京都による水道水の放射能測定結果について

　3月23日午後2時過ぎに、東京都水道局より、放射性ヨウ素等の測定結果に基づき、乳児による水道水の摂取を控えるように発表されました。
　この数値は、長期にわたり摂取した場合の健康影響を考慮して設定されたものであり、代替となる飲用水が確保できない場合には摂取しても差し支えないとし、都では濃度の変動を引き続き監視し公表していくとのことでした。

　3月24日以降、東京都水道局は金町浄水場などの水道水の放射性ヨウ素等が指標値を下回っていることから、乳児を含めすべてのかたが摂取しても問題ないことを公表しています。

三鷹市の水道水の安全性を確認しました

　三鷹市の水道水の構成の約60パーセントは三鷹市の深井戸で汲み上げた水で、そのほかの大半が利根川・荒川水系から取水した朝霞浄水場系の水です。
　ここに、金町浄水場系の水が、ごく少量含まれています。

　東京都によれば、金町浄水場系の水は最大でも全体の6パーセント程度ということであり、三鷹市の水道水の約94パーセントは金町浄水場系以外の水です。

　したがって、三鷹市の水道水が、食品衛生法に基づく乳児の飲用に関する指標値を超えている可能性は極めて低いと考えられていましたが、念のため、3月 24日午前6時に市内の水道水を採水して検査を独自に行い、3月28日に得られた検査結果から、放射性ヨウ素等は東京都水道局の基準でいうところの「不検出」であることを確認しました。

　また、市では金町浄水場からの送水を遮断するよう要請していましたが、3月23日午後11時に送水系統が切り替えられ、現在三鷹市内には金町浄水場系の水が送水されていないことを、3月29日に東京都水道局からの連絡により確認しました。

　なお、三鷹市の水道は、平成14年4月に東京都の水道事業に統合して以降、事務委託を受け、都営水道として営んできており、水道水質については、すべて東京都水道局で監視を行っています。

1歳未満の乳児がいるご家庭にペットボトルの飲料水を配布しました

　三鷹市では、東京都水道局の発表を受け、23日の夜、乳児を受け入れている市内の認可保育所などの計45か所に20リットル入りタンクを2個ずつ配布しました。
　また、東京都水道局などから提供を受けた550ミリリットル入りペットボトル水を、24日の午後、配布対象となっている乳児がいる家庭に戸別配布を行いました。
　25日にも、放射能の測定結果が指標値を下回ったものの、保護者の不安も多いものと考え、24日同様に配布しました。

皆さんへのお願い

　今後も大きな余震が考えられますので、いざという時に備え、水のくみ置きをお願いします。
　洗浄した密閉できる容器に、口元一杯まで水道水を入れ冷暗所に保管してください。
　安全を見て、3日程度で入れ替えをお願いします。

関連リンク
東京都健康安全研究センター（外部リンク）
東京都水道局　放射能に関するQ&A（外部リンク）

このページの作成・発信部署
災害対策本部
〒181-8555　東京都三鷹市野崎一丁目1番1号
電話：0422-45-1151

～転載終わり～

Jeff Beck on Les Paul, Rod Stewart and John Mayer as the 'New Eric Clapton'

Watch Jeck Beck Honour Les Paul With a Rendition of 'How High the Moon'

Pam Grier: Brains, not cup size, key to success

Self-love and self-appreciation are key to leading a successful life, actress and former Metro student Pam Grier said.Grier spoke March 3 and 4 at Metro’s annual Bridging the Gap event, sponsored by The Women’s Institute at Metro.Each year, the school brings in a black woman to speak during February – Black History Month – and March – Women’s History Month. Grier also spoke about women’s progression in today’s society. Approximately 300 students filled the Tivoli Turnhalle to hear Grier speak March 3.
“I’ve been in this business for almost four decades. And in the end it was my brain, not my bra size, that kept me relevant,” Grier said.
Grier’s career as an actress began in the late 60s and continues to blossom today. She’ll star opposite Tom Cruise in a new movie, she said.
Most famously known for her roles as Foxy Brown and Coffy, her career took her to many places, including TV shows “The L-word” and “Miami Vice.”

Via http://themet.metrostudentmedia.com/news/2011/pam-grierbrains-not-cup-size-key-to-success/

Jeremy Irons: ‘Borgias’ star talks waste

"I separate my rubbish. I encourage people not to use these terrible plastic bottles. I pick up my dog’s sh*t," Jeremy Irons enumerates his efforts to be more eco-friendly. The British Oscar winner comes to TV April 3 in "The Borgias," Showtime’s nine-episode biography of the notorious Italian Renaissance family headed by Irons’ character Rodrigo, who became Pope Alexander VI.

"It was a time quite unlike the time we live in today," Irons sets the scene, "There were murders in Rome every night, poisonings most weekends. There was incest here and sodomy there. Life was very violent, very visceral. Life was cheap. Torture was commonplace. People carried swords, daggers, poison rings."

He found Rodrigo, a married man with many mistresses, and a schemer of the highest order, to be an enigmatic, riveting figure. "You can’t play someone like that and think, ‘I’m a bad person.’ Most of the time I thought I was quite a good guy. But George Bush probably thought he was quite a good guy, too. I mean, they all do. Stalin probably liked himself," Irons muses wryly. "He’s fallible — religious leaders do have feet of clay, and power corrupts. We see the contradictions within him and that’s why he’s fascinating to play."

In the fall, Irons returns to a contemporary setting in "Margin Call," a thriller with Kevin Spacey and Paul Bettany set during the Wall Street financial crisis in which he plays "a guy that’s trying to get out of trouble pretty quickly, as they all were at that time." For his next project, he’s eyeing a project set in 1920 in Europe, based on a novel. "It’s about love. That’s all I can tell you," he says. "I hope to be making it in May if it all comes together."
"Stalin probably liked himself," Irons muses wryly." LOL

SOURCE
Via Jeremy Irons: ‘Borgias’ star talks waste

The Red Jacket

For this look, I am using Taine, one of MADesigns’ Complete Avatars. The complete avatars come with the skin, hair, eyes and shape. The Complete Avatars range from 1500 L$ to 2500 L$ depending on the skin. Taine cost 2000 L$. If you’re new to Secondlife or just want to make a quick change, the Complete Avatars are the best, and the cheapest way to go.

Please visit Designer Directory for store locations.

I choose to use Taine for this look because I wanted an avatar which came with a mohawk for a more rocker look. While many of MADesign’s avatars come with mohawks, the DNA skin paired with this shape gave Taine a more young, boyish face. The skin also came with eyeliner which was perfect for the look I was going for. When it came down to the outfit I wanted hints or bright bold color. This Red blazer from NSD did the trick. I paired the red of the blazer with the red of the graphic tee and with the details on the boots. I kept the color of the pants dark to balance out the brightness of the jacket. These pants from Armidi, while old, still do the trick with a nice black color but white details to bring up the level of interest. To finish the look, a simple yet unique necklace, and finger tape with worn out nail polish.

BODY

HAIR: MADesigns ~ FAME ~ Copper V
SKIN: DNA ~ AXEL -TYPE 3 HAIR EYELINER
EYES: MADesigns ~ PROMISE – blue 11
SHAPE: MADesigns ~ COMPLETE AVATARS – Taine 1
NAILS: SiniStyle ~ Taped Fingers & Black Nails

OUTFIT

JACKET: NSD ~ Playboy Blazer rolled up Red
SHIRT: Emery ~ Top Bowie – Pure
JEANS: Armidi Limited ~ Modern Pants – Simply Black
NECKLACE: MStyle ~ Deer Necklace – Black
BOOTS: DECO ~ Test Boots – Red Laces

Via The Red Jacket « MAD Image

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