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Jensen Ackles In Ten Inch Hero

torimidori — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:12:33 -0800

The Movie and actresses look awful...but this look is kinda sexy for Jensen...mmm I'm downloading the movie as we speak.

Whose birthday is it again, exactly?

KerryG — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:52:23 -0700

Oh, that's right.

Happiest of birthdays to Jared Padalecki, who's turning 25 today!

There's also a new picture of Jensen, from his recent film Ten Inch Hero, making the rounds.

Jensen Ackles as Priestly in Ten Inch Hero

There will be a screening of the film in LA on July 25th at 7:30 PM and tickets are still available. Find out more here.

hiptobesqare's favorite oscar winning films

hiptobesquare — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:53:11 -0800

1) My Fair Lady
Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison absolutely dazzle me every single time I see this film. It has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid, when we watched it on 2-VHS set. "I Could have Danced all Night," "The Rain in Spain," and all the other wonderful songs make this movie worth the watch, over and over.

2) The Sound of Music
I can not tell you how much I love this movie. Every part of it, (though I could do without "Climb Every Mountain," my mom's favorite) is beautiful and so much fun. Even when they're running away from the Nazi's. Christopher Plummer is bloody attractive (he has aged so well, as evidenced in "The Last Station) and Julie Andrews shines (Every last inch of her performance is top notch). The kids are a great, too

3) Breakfast at Tiffany's
My favorite love story, and there is nothing that even compares to the ending, when Paul Varjac helps Holly find Cat. I love, also when they spend a day in idyllic 1960's NYC, and steal from the 5 and 10 store. I watch it whenever I'm sad and it picks me right back up.

4) Forrest Gump
Life is, indeed, like a box of chocolates. I love this movie, I love Robin Wright, I love Tom Hanks. I live in Washington, DC, and I can not go to the Lincoln Memorial without thinking of Jenny running to Forrest. Also, the re-dubbed interviews and technical elements are so ahead of their time.

5) Casablanca
Humphrey Bogard is one of my all time favorite leading me, so obtuse, but yet so endearing. He and Ingrid Bergman play out a killer love story, filled with quotable lines, and heartbreaking songs ("As Time Goes By).

6) Shakespeare in Love
I so wish this were true. As a person of the theatre, I find this even more wonderful. The costumes are lovely, Queen Elizabeth shines, and Colin Firth is exactly *not* the leading man. Joesph Finnes oozes sex appeal and Gweneth is radiant.

7) No Country for Old Men
I didn't think I'd like this movie. The story is addicting, you really feel for Josh Brolin's character. The ending, isn't even a little bit what you think it's going to be. The film is stunning and well acted.

The Departed
I liked this move because for nearly the entire thing I had no idea what was going on. The ending was a bit much, but wow, what a story!

9) The Pianist
Despite my love for this movie, I am not sure I could watch it again. It is graphic and dark, but also so beautiful. The music Adrian Brody's character plays helps the viewer escape from the grim Holocaust to a lighter, happier place. If you haven't seen it, I suggest you do, even if it's only for the one time.

10) Babe
Baa Ram Ewe, Sheep be true! It's cute, it's clever, it's a treat. At the end, when the farmer says, "That'll do, Pig," I get weepy. A classic, no doubt.

Chile earthquake may have shortened days

MartiniLush — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:40:20 -0800

The massive 8.8 earthquake that struck Chile may have changed the entire Earth's rotation and shortened the length of days on our planet, a NASA scientist said Monday.

The quake, the seventh strongest earthquake in recorded history, hit Chile Saturday and should have shortened the length of an Earth day by 1.26 milliseconds, according to research scientist Richard Gross at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "Perhaps more impressive is how much the quake shifted Earth's axis," NASA officials said in a Monday update.

The computer model used by Gross and his colleagues to determine the effects of the Chile earthquake effect also found that it should have moved Earth's figure axis by about 3 inches (8 cm or 27 milliarcseconds).

The Earth's figure axis is not the same as its north-south axis, which it spins around once every day at a speed of about 1,000 mph (1,604 kph).

The figure axis is the axis around which the Earth's mass is balanced. It is offset from the Earth's north-south axis by about 33 feet (10 meters).

Strong earthquakes have altered Earth's days and its axis in the past. The 9.1 Sumatran earthquake in 2004, which set off a deadly tsunami, should have shortened Earth's days by 6.8 microseconds and shifted its axis by about 2.76 inches (7 cm, or 2.32 milliarcseconds).

One Earth day is about 24 hours long. Over the course of a year, the length of a day normally changes gradually by one millisecond. It increases in the winter, when the Earth rotates more slowly, and decreases in the summer, Gross has said in the past.

The Chile earthquake was much smaller than the Sumatran temblor, but its effects on the Earth are larger because of its location. Its epicenter was located in the Earth's mid-latitudes rather than near the equator like the Sumatran event.

The fault responsible for the 2010 Chile quake also slices through Earth at a steeper angle than the Sumatran quake's fault, NASA scientists said.

"This makes the Chile fault more effective in moving Earth's mass vertically and hence more effective in shifting Earth's figure axis," NASA officials said.

Gross said his findings are based on early data available on the Chile earthquake. As more information about its characteristics are revealed, his prediction of its effects will likely change.

The Chile earthquake has killed more than 700 people and caused widespread devastation in the South American country.

Several major telescopes in Chile's Atacama Desert have escaped damage, according to the European Southern Observatory managing them.

A salt-measuring NASA satellite instrument destined to be installed on an Argentinean satellite was also undamaged in the earthquake, JPL officials said.

The Aquarius instrument was in the city of Bariloche, Argentina, where it is being installed in the Satelite de Aplicaciones Cientificas (SAC-D) satellite. The satellite integration facility is about 365 miles (588 km) from the Chile quake's epicenter.

The Aquarius instrument is designed to provide monthly global maps of the ocean's salt concentration in order to track current circulation and its role in climate change.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35662192/ns/technology_and_science-space/?GT...

Lindsey Vonn's Low-Fat Banana Bread Recipe

fuzzles — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 12:01:55 -0800

I just found this recipe on the website of our local NBC affiliate. It sounds scrumptious, so I thought that I'd share. Lindsey Vonn. She skis, she bakes, and she hails from Minnesota. Pure awesomeness.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 stick butter, melted (Cool slightly after melting.)
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup cinnamon apple sauce

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees
* Spray a 9-inch X 5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray
* In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
* In a separate bowl combine melted butter, mashed bananas, brown sugar, egg and apple sauce.
* Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, just until combined.
* Bake for 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
* Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting to remove the bread from the pan.

Enjoy!

A Love Story that Never is…

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:29:56 -0800

I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with Sir Francis. My friend only gave me his number because she wanted to divert my attention from the guy who once broke my heart. Well, the truth is, I have no right to feel depressed over RJ. See, he courted me…I mean, ME! I got a huge crush on him and the next thing I knew, he’s after me. I was really gonna give him a chance but I wasn’t in a rush or anything because love is patience (haha! Nah, the truth is, I want to have a degree first before I jump into any relationship.) But honestly every inch of me wanted to have him back then. What did they say about opportunity knocking only once? Besides, he’s got looks and brain and kindness – or at least that’s what I thought at first. Maybe, he also got tired pursuing me coz knowing me, “pa hard-to-get ang drama”.

One night, I prayed like I’ve never prayed before. I don’t know what entered my mind but I said, “Please God, if he’s not the one, show me now.” The answer to my prayer came pouring faster than a speed light coz after a few minutes, he sent me a message. I don’t want to elaborate it anymore but the gist of his message says he’s gonna stop courting me coz he and his ex-girlfriend decided to rekindle the fire they once had. You could just imagine what I felt like; it’s as if somebody unseen squeezed my heart so hard.

Of course, there was an insurmountable regret. Like, what if I just said yes to him before? Would it spell out a difference? Would I be less hurt? Or would the heartbreak be twice as much?

In one extreme, I felt I should’ve just stroke while the iron was hot but on another extreme, what happened was a blessing in painful disguise. It’s good to know EARLY that I was nothing but a rebound girl to him. Besides, there is still plenty of iron out there which is in dire need of my strike. (Haha).

But I would be a total lying wh*re if I say that I wasn’t affected over him. He asked me if I was okay. Gosh, of course I wasn’t! Did he actually expect me to jump with joy? I wanted to slap him, asphyxiate him and grind him so fine to make him disappear on the face of the planet forever. But knowing me again, I’m the best actress of all times. Yep, that’s my greatest talent – hiding the obvious. When we talked over the phone that night, I projected a tone as if everything’s fine. Even more surprising was the fact that I was able to give him the impression that I was happy with the whole thing. (Here’s the clue, if I get extra elated over anything, it only means I’m dying inside.)

But I have to look at things at its bright side. As they always say, when God closes a door, he opens a window. Besides, RJ is a beautiful cake with a cockroach inside. Another thing, there’s always a light at the end of a dark tunnel (and RJ beside Aljen has been one of my darkest tunnels. Of course, Aljen is still the darkest of the darkest.)

But then just when you thought one dark tunnel is over, another darker one comes up!

His name is Sir Francis (and I call him sir coz I’m four years younger than he is).

Handmade with Love – Fruit Tarts

glitzy — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 06:36:32 -0800

With Valentine's Day round the corner, maybe it's time to get busy in the kitchen and bake some sweet desserts for your loverboy!
INGREDIENTS

Pastry

1/4 lb butter, cold, chopped into pieces
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3 egg yolks

Custard

2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk (full fat)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping

3/4 cup apricot jam
Various fresh fruits (or canned)

PROCEDURES
1. To make pastry: Using fingertips, rub butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in sugar and egg yolks, press mixture together to form a ball and refrigerate in plastic wrap for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Meanwhile, make custard: In medium bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar and flour until the mixture turns thick and pale. Then, heat the milk in saucepan until it is almost boiling, remove from heat. Slowly dribble in hot milk into egg mixture, whisking continuously, until all of milk has been added. Return custard to pot and cook, over medium-low heat, until custard has thickened and coats the back of a spoon (5-7 minutes). Place piece of plastic wrap directly onto surface of custard (this prevents a 'skin' from forming) and allow to cool completely.
3. Roll pastry between two sheets of wax paper, making the pastry large enough to cover base and sides of a buttered 9-inch fluted tart pan.

i) Place sheet of foil into pastry and fill with pie weights (we used rice grains). Trim edges of the foil. ii) Bake for 20-25 minutes. Then, remove the foil and rice grains from the pastry and bake a further 5 minutes. iii) Allow the pastry to cool. 4. To assemble: Spoon custard into baked pie crust and smooth. Place pieces of fruit attractively over the tart. Heat apricot jam until it is quite liquid and brush this generously over the fresh fruit to set and seal the tart. Refrigerate the tarts.
Voila!

Spiceless Spice Cake

suziryder — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:08:14 -0800

This cake is legendary in my family. It’s probably the most-requested birthday cake that my mom has made through the years. My mom has an arsenal of cake recipies that stir up fond memories, a burst of sentimentality and a desire to head to the kitchen and break out the flour: devil’s food cake (my favorite), blueberry buckle, gingerbread with lemon curd, a chocolate chip sheet cake with a crinkly cinnamon and sugar top, busy day cake, and of course the spiceless spice cake.

This cake was born out of a mistake – my mom was putting together a spice cake, but she completely forgot to add the spices. And, having a family of cake-hungry fiends in the next room salivating over the thought of another of her made-from-scratch wonders, and having nothing but a spiceless spice cake to serve them, my mom slathered on some buttercream and served it up.

And it was awesome. It’s a dense, moist cake with a delicate vanilla flavor. We all gobbled it up and declared that she should always forget to include the spices. And so spiceless spice cake was born.

Spiceless Spice Cake
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup shortening (crisco)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9 inch baking pans, line with parchment paper and grease again. Into a large mixing bowl, measure all ingredients. Blend on low speed 1-2 minutes, scraping bowl constantly.
Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
Pour into prepared pans. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Bake 35-40 minutes. Cool and frost. Buttercream is traditional, but cream cheese frosting is also good.

modern victorian

emilysparkles — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:01:34 -0800

The t-shirt is the center of this look; it was designed by a friend in honor of an author we know. It's paired with a black, above-the-knee skirt; teared with lace and silk panels. Black tights and 5 inch patent black heels complete the lower half. I accessorized with long black bead necklaces wrapped as bracelets, large clear rhinestone chunky bracelet, and a 3-string pearl bracelet. An over-sized pearl/diamond ring and a hand-made black-feather/Victorian cameo hair clip complete the look!

Naomi Campbell,Kate Moss Among Alexander McQueen's Mourners

kty — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:19:29 -0800

By Blane Bachelor
Thursday's funeral service for British fashion designer Alexander McQueen at London's St. Paul's Church in Knightsbridge may have been billed "family-only," but apparently that label also extended to his close friends Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Stella McCartney. The designers and models, dressed in black, were among those who paid their respects to the Scottish-born McQueen. Admired in celebrity circles for his edgy designs, McQueen, 40, was found dead in his London apartment Feb. 11 (the eve of his mother's funeral), the victim of a self-inflicted hanging. According to London's Evening Standard, McQueen's family at the ceremony included his father, Ronald, and Ronald's five children, including Janet McQueen, who identified her brother's body at the time it was discovered. Wearing five-inch heels and a black fur stole, Moss hugged other mourners before entering the church, which was filled with bouquets of lilies and white roses. A memorial service that will be open to McQueen’s friends and supporters is to take place later this year, although no date or venue has been confirmed, according to a spokeswoman for McQueen's label. "We are focusing right now on the Paris show, which takes place on March 9," she said.