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Seven-figure book deal for Simon Pegg
Like a decorative centrepiece at the dining table of UK comedy, Simon Pegg has earned his gold stripes over the past decade, starring in and writing television and film notables such as Spaced, Big Train, and Shaun of the Dead. Now the redoubtable face of sitcom is set to pen three non-fiction books, including a memoir of his career, a humour title, and an opulently illustrated hardback. Like a decorative centrepiece at the dining table of UK comedy, Simon Pegg has earned his gold stripes over the past decade, starring ... more
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Tyra Banks HOT, Janet Jackson NOT (photos)
Banks and Jackson huddled backstage in Jackson’s dressing room before the singer’s performance at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on September 19, 2008. Not long afterwards, Jackson was stricken with a mystery illness that has caused the cancellation of her Rock Witchu Tour. Banks and Jackson huddled backstage in Jackson’s dressing room before the singer’s performance at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Septemb... more
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Sneak Peeks: “Johnny Cash’s America” and “At Folsom Prison”
Johnny Cash’s life is explored a new in a documentary that will air on the Bio Channel on October 23rd at 9 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT. Johnny Cash’s America will also screen at the Country Music Hall of Fame, the American Cinematheque in Hollywood, the Memphis Indie Film Festival and the Paley Center in New York throughout October before coming to CD/DVD on October 28th. Johnny Cash’s life is explored a new in a documentary that will air on the Bio Channel on October 23rd at 9 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT. Johnny... more
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Scientist: Holographic television to become reality
Picture this: you're sat down for the Football World Cup final, or a long-awaited sequel to the "Sex and the City" movie and you're watching all the action unfold in 3-D on your coffee table.
It sounds a lot like a wacky dream, but don't be surprised if within our lifetime you find yourself discarding your plasma and LCD sets in exchange for a holographic 3-D television that can put Cristiano Ronaldo in your living room or bring you face-to-face with life-sized versions of your gaming heroes.
The reason for renewed optimism in three-dimensional technology is a breakthrough in rewritable and erasable holographic systems made earlier this year by researchers at the University of Arizona.
Dr Nasser Peyghambarian, chair of photonics and lasers at the university's Optical Sciences department, told CNN that scientists have broken a barrier by making the first updatable three-dimensional displays with memory.
"This is a prerequisite for any type of moving holographic technology. The way it works presently is not suitable for 3-D images," he said.
The researchers produced displays that can be erased and rewritten in a matter of minutes.
To create television sets the images would need to be changing multiple times each second -- but Peyghambarian is very optimistic this can happen.
He said the University of Arizona team, which is now ten-strong, has been working on advancing hologram technology since 1990 -- so this is a major step forward. He believes that much of the difficulty in creating a holographic set has now been overcome.
"It took us a while to make that first breakthrough, but as soon as you have the first element of it working the rest often comes more rapidly," he said. "What we are doing now is trying to make the model better. What we showed is just one color, what we are doing now is trying to use three colors. The original display was four inches by four inches and now we're going for something at least as big as a computer screen."
There are no more great barriers to overcome now, he said.
The breakthrough has made some long-time researchers of the technology believe that it could now come to fruition.
Tung H. Jeong, a retired physics professor at Lake Forest College outside Chicago who had studied holography since the 1960s told NJ.com; "When we start talking about erasable and rewritable holograms, we are moving toward the possibility of holographic TV ... It has now been shown that physically, it's possible."
And what might these holographic televisions look like?
According to Peyghambarian, they could be constructed as a screen on the wall (like flat panel displays) that shows 3-D images, with all the image writing lasers behind the wall; or it could be like a horizontal panel on a table with holographic writing apparatus underneath.
So, if this project is realized, you really could have a football match on your coffee table, or horror-movie villains jumping out of your wall.
Peyghambarian is also optimistic that the technology could reach the market within five to ten years. He said progress towards a final product should be made much more quickly now that a rewriting method had been found.
However, it is fair to say not everyone is as positive about this prospect as Peyghambarian.
Justin Lawrence, a lecturer in Electronic Engineering at Bangor University in Wales, told CNN that small steps are being made on technology like 3-D holograms, but, he can't see it being ready for the market in the next ten years.
"It's one thing to demonstrate something in a lab but it's another thing to be able to produce it cheaply and efficiently enough to distribute it to the mass market," Lawrence said.
Yet, there are reasons to be optimistic that more resources will be channeled into developing this technology more quickly.
*********CONTINUES Picture this: you're sat down for the Football World Cup final, or a long-awaited sequel to the "Sex and the City" movi... more -
Chuck Norris Wife Gena O'Kelley is Young and Gorgeous (Photos)
Norris, a martial arts expert, is staying fit for his wife. He said, “Gina wants to celebrate our 50th anniversary together. I’ll be 108 but I intend to be there.” Norris, a martial arts expert, is staying fit for his wife. He said, “Gina wants to celebrate our 50th anniversary together. I’ll be... more
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Citizens Want Debate Moderators to Challenge Candidate Spin
NEW YORK -- John McCain's supporters seemed happy with the ground rules of the second presidential debate in Nashville. Barack Obama's supporters seemed happy with the results.
A large portion of the questions were his own. "Brokaw's balance of issues received high marks from partisans of both candidates," said Andrew Tyndall of the Tyndall Report, who designed the survey. "And their complaints about bias were in perfect balance, too."
The panel thought that Brokaw's decision not to fact-check the candidates or challenge their spin was a problem: 83% of Obama supporters and 75% of McCain supporters wanted to see more challenging follow-up questions from the moderator.
"Like other moderators before him, Brokaw allowed the senators to avoid answering questions and meander to their own comfort zones," said one volunteer rater.
Republican McCain has long insisted that he prefers the town hall format for political debates. And, according to the panel, his supporters share his preference. Almost half the McCain partisans (48% vs. 24% for Barack Obama supporters) judged the town hall format in Nashville to be superior to the moderated format 11 days ago in Oxford, Miss.
By contrast, almost twice as many Obama supporters in the panel preferred Jim Lehrer of PBS, the Mississippi moderator, over Brokaw (43% vs. 21%) in a head-to-head comparison. After the Mississippi debate, 42% of Obama supporters rated Lehrer's performance as "excellent"; after the Nashville town hall, Brokaw received a lower 28% "excellent" rating from Obama's fans.
Despite the format, Obama's supporters were more likely to say their candidate won in Nashville (92% vs. 76% in Mississippi), whereas McCain's supporters saw no improvement (84% said he won both). McCain's supporters distinguished between their candidate's performance in the foreign policy sequence of the town hall compared with economic and social policy: 92% said McCain won in foreign policy, only 80% and 70% in the latter issues.
Almost half the volunteers in the panel stated that it taught them nothing new (45% of Obama supporters, 55% of McCain's) about their opponent's views, a steep rise from the 29% and 37%, respectively, who said the debate in Mississippi was "not at all" helpful in learning the candidates' stances on the issues.
Brokaw received high praise for his choice of issues. More than half of each group of supporters (64% of Obama supporters, 50% of McCain's) found the questions "extremely" serious and relevant. Brokaw received a "just right" rating from more than half of the members of both groups for his focus on four economic issues -- housing, taxes, the financial crisis and federal spending (62%, 62%, 59% and 59%) -- as well as energy and health care (70% and 74%). He also drew praise as "just right" for his focus on war and peace, terrorism and human rights and genocide (66%, 70% and 65%).
Criticism of Brokaw mostly concerned what he omitted. A majority of both groups complained about Brokaw's lack of questioning on crime and abortion (71% and 70%). Almost all McCain supporters (92%) wanted questions on immigration; almost all Obama supporters (85%) wanted questions on poverty.
There were few complaints about Brokaw's bias toward one candidate or the other. Most of the members of each group of supporters found no favoritism (74% of Obama's, 70% of McCain's); a minority saw evidence of bias, almost always against their preferred candidate.
Although Free Press extended outreach to all parts of the political spectrum, Obama supporters considerably outnumbered McCain's in survey respondents, as they have in our two previous panels. To avoid drowning out the Republican perspective, Tyndall contrasted the ratings of the two groups rather than combining them. Consisting of volunteers rather than a random sample, these results cannot be projected to the population at large. NEW YORK -- John McCain's supporters seemed happy with the ground rules of the second presidential debate in Nashville. Barack Ob... more -
Death of a Korean Actress Shocks Immigrant Community
The death of a popular South Korean actress sent a shockwave throughout the Korean immigrant community in the United States and raised awareness of the importance of mental health, reports the Korea Times published in Los Angeles. Choi Jin-sil, 40, was a fixture of Korean prime-time television drama. She was found dead Thursday hanging from a shower stall with an elastic band tied around her neck in her home in southern Seoul. Choi, a single mother of two, was lately dogged by rumors circulating on the Web that she may have played a role in the suicide of an actor who took his own life last month after reportedly being pressured by loan sharks to pay off his large debt, reports the newspaper. The loss of the motherland's iconic entertainer raises a question of why a soaring number of Koreans rush to kill themselves, report the Korea Times. The story suggests that Koreans have to think about why they have earned the title, "the citizens of Republic of Suicide." The death of a popular South Korean actress sent a shockwave throughout the Korean immigrant community in the United States and raised... more
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NBC10 Anchor Lori Delgado Resigns After Vince DeMentri Lawsuit (Photos)
Delgado and DeMentri were involved in a relationship until things went sour. Delgado, who is married, filed a police report with Lower Merion police claiming that DeMentri vandalized her car while it was in the company parking lot. Not long afterward, DeMentri disappeared from NBC 10 after reportedly meeting with VP of news Chris Blackman. Delgado and DeMentri were involved in a relationship until things went sour. Delgado, who is married, filed a police report with Lowe... more
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Noah McCullough For President 2032 - Teenager a Presidential Prodigy (Photos)
The teenager has been traveling across the country since he was 9, speaking at schools, churches, motivational seminars about his passion for all things presidential. He has been a hit on the talk show circuit with appearances on Jay Leno, Martha Stewart, Oprah and Conan O’Brien to name just a few. The teenager has been traveling across the country since he was 9, speaking at schools, churches, motivational seminars about his pass... more
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Grey's Anatomy star donates $50,000 to support gay marriage
Grey’s Anatomy star T.R. Knight donated $50,000 to 'No on 8' to fight Proposition 8, which would outlaw same-sex marriage in the state.
The donation comes one day after Equality California called for an emergency LGBT media briefing and reported that contrary to published reports, Yes on 8 is ahead in the polls.
Knight’s donation comes after Ohio entrepreneur Jonathan Lewis issued a challenge of sorts to Los Angeles's entertainment industry -- raise $500,000 for No on Prop. 8, and he and his family will match the contributions dollar for dollar. Grey’s Anatomy star T.R. Knight donated $50,000 to 'No on 8' to fight Proposition 8, which would outlaw same-sex marriage in... more -
London Hip Hop Street Teams
Street teams is a short film by multimedia journalist Adrian Cline-Bailey.
The film is a factual music piece about how young London hip hop musicians market themselves the old skool way.
They sell their music directly to consumers in the streets. Street teams is a short film by multimedia journalist Adrian Cline-Bailey. ... more -
United Kingdom Talk Thursday 9th October 2008
Thursday's edition of my three times a week talk show.Watch the show here on CURRENT TV on Tues, Thurs & Sats.
In today's show :
Tissues are standing by.
Mombasa.
I've never had bad neighbours.
Advice on the new rides in Orlando.
Sometimes the translation between languages doesn't quite work out.
My peppers have been eaten.
Where's that bit of paper ?
Fly that plane Robert !
Tea bags on the garden.
Anyone been on a safari ?
We can't be getting up too early on holiday.
Joe's back from Peru.
Too much homework.
Plastic's.
Merlin - making things out of mud.
A shield of snakes.
Bjork.
A Wildebeest and a pregnant Giraffe.
They try very hard.
Teeth Whitening.
A suggestion from Suko.
Justin in concerned.
An accident in the studio.
Spiders everywhere.
Banging on the ceiling.
chris@unitedkingdomtalk.co.uk
WWW.UNITEDKINGDOMTALK.CO.UK Thursday's edition of my three times a week talk show.Watch the show here on CURRENT TV on Tues, Thurs & Sats. ... more -
Zachary Quinto’s Trek To Fame
Zachary Quinto is in the rare position to have two equally anticipated projects. Trekkies and general sci-fi fans want to see his take on the young Spock in J.J. Abrams' new Star Trek, but also want to know what's up with Sylar in the new season of Heroes.
Click on link above for full interview. Zachary Quinto is in the rare position to have two equally anticipated projects. Trekkies and general sci-fi fans want to see his take... more -
Sarah Palin Newsweek Cover Photo - No Photoshop Here! Intentional?
The story, written by Jon Meacham, is entitled She’s One of The Folks (And that’s the problem). A fair amount of criticism has been leveled against Newsweek for putting Palin on the cover in a photo that shows all of her pores, wrinkles, age lines and blemishes. Most covers are a product of Photoshop magic to the nth degree. The story, written by Jon Meacham, is entitled She’s One of The Folks (And that’s the problem). A fair amount of criticism has been ... more
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Katie Holmes Sprayed on Leather Leggings (Photos)
How about those leather pants on Katie? Fashion hit or miss? We’ve seen any number of fashion statements, including baggy man jeans rolled at the cuff while Katie has been staying in the Big Apple. How do you get into and out of those tight, tight leggings? How about those leather pants on Katie? Fashion hit or miss? We’ve seen any number of fashion statements, including baggy man jeans ... more
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Sexiest Woman Alive 2008 HALLE BERRY (Photos)
Halle Berry has been named the Sexiest Woman Alive 2008 by Esquire magazine. The 42 year old actress has been an A-Lister for nearly 20 years and recently became a first time mother. She is definitely at the top of her game and sizzles with sexy appeal. You definitely got it right Esquire! Halle Berry has been named the Sexiest Woman Alive 2008 by Esquire magazine. The 42 year old actress has been an A-Lister for nearly ... more
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What Tina Fey Would Do For A SoyJoy
Product integration has taken over on television in a huge way... from reality TV, to sitcoms, it's practically second nature nowadays... But how does it affect the ethics of television, not to mention our favorite programming...?
From The Article:
"...Patric Verrone, the president of the WGA, defined “branded entertainment” for the FCC. He emphasized that it involves not merely sponsored props but elaborate interweavings of brands into scripts, ads indistinguishable from the show itself. “Most Americans, like the proverbial frogs in the slowly boiling water, may not notice how prevalent it has become. Yet Nielsen Media Research tells us that product integration has occurred more than 4,000 times on network prime-time television in 2006.”
Since Verrone’s testimony, that proportion has risen vertiginously, jumping 39 percent in the first three months of this year versus the same time period last year. Within the top-ten broadcast-TV shows, advertisers paid for 26,000 product placements in 2007. And in June the WGA presented a startling proposal to the FCC, demanding that networks declare their sponsors in a banner at the bottom of the screen..." Product integration has taken over on television in a huge way... from reality TV, to sitcoms, it's practically second nature now... more -
The Obama Channel
The Dish Network has a new channel called OBAMA - Channel 73.
The description for Channel OBAMA reads: "Sen. Obama lays out his plan for a strong and prosperous America. See his plan to revitalize the economy and put the middle class first."
The channel apparently plays a continuous loop of the following Barack Obama commercial detailing his plan for change:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONM7148cTyc The Dish Network has a new channel called OBAMA - Channel 73. ... more -
Sarah Silverman and Jimmy Kimmel Like 'Demi and Bruce' (Video)
The comedian and Jimmy Kimmel split in July 2008 ending a five year relationship. Their relationship is different now but still ongoing. Silverman says “there is no weirdness about us” and indicates they have a “Demi and Bruce” thing going on now. They talk every day and she will be on his show at the end of the month. See her new Obama commercial 'The Great Schlep' video and walk down memory lane with her Emmy winning Matt Damon video. The comedian and Jimmy Kimmel split in July 2008 ending a five year relationship. Their relationship is different now but still ongoi... more
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Jerome Corsi 'Obama Nation' Smear Author Detained in Kenya
Corsi traveled to Kenya to launch his diatribe when he was detained by immigration officials who claim that he doesn’t have a work permit. There appears to be more to it than that. Apparently Jerome Corsi’s promotional literature for the book revealed that he claims Barack Obama has sinister links to Kenyan politicians. This has apparently not sat well with the African nation, where the Democratic presidential nominee is very popular. Corsi traveled to Kenya to launch his diatribe when he was detained by immigration officials who claim that he doesn’t have a work per... more
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