It seems the stuff that dreams are made out of, but within the next ten years, commercial airlines could be offering almost-affordable luxury cruises in space.
Formerly only available to mega-millionaires who forked out six figures to ride on Russian Rockets on a trip to the orbiting space station, commercial spaceflight crossed the event horizon into the realms of possibility today, with today's unveiling of a new type of crossover air-space craft which will make trips into the stratosphere to view the curvature of earth a possibility to commercial passengers.
The craft, appropriately named SpaceShipTwo, looks eerily similar to a Star Trek fanatic's childhood wall posters. Fixed between a 'mothership' of two powerful spacecraft joined together, the sleek, double-fronted beast will carry SS2 to launch altitudes before dropping away to let the spaceship carry on solo into space.
British billionaire Richard Branson and his family will be the first people to 'take her up,' and it is expected that Virgin Galactic - yes, that's its real name - will be offering Space Flights within the decade.
It's like watching the American Dream play out in Britain right now. Unemployed churchgoer Susan Boyle, a complete unknown (even in her own village) a year ago is now one of the biggest surprise stars of 2009. After wowing cynical judges on 'Britain's Got Talent' in summer '09 with her accomplished, operatic performance of 'I Dreamed A Dream', she shot to instant superstardom. Today, her debut album 'I Dreamed a Dream' sold over 700,000 copies, entering the Billboard charts at an astonishing #1.
The singing sensation has drawn frequent criticism over her frumpy looks - the bushy eyebrows, her reluctance to wear makeup or fashionable clothing, even at the height of fame, and in particular her untamable mane of gorse-like gray hair which has inspired many a caricature in daily papers. But there's a lingering feeling that we like her like that. When she plucked her eyebrows two weeks after demolishing opposition in 'Britain's Got Talent', it made front-page news. People were up in arms about it, and for good reason.
Why? Because Ms Boyle represents The Dream to all of us. She is a Nobody who has become a Somebody, whist reminding us that everybody, no matter how unknown, IS a Somebody. Her down-to-earth ways and awestruck attitude to fame shame those record company executives who spend millions of dollars 'creating' stars by hiring groups of pretty 16-year old's who can't sing, grooming and training and advertising them, then acting all surprised when they disappear without trace 12 months later.
If the musicbusiness is a monster, it seemed certain that it would eat Susan Boyle alive. Surprise surprise, she not only fought back, but chased the monster into a corner and beat it to death with a bagful of her own eyebrow clippings. Susan Boyle is here to stay, and you need only watch this video of her last performance on 'Britain's Got Talent' to see that.
With Halloween coming up this weekend, there's nothing better to put you in the mood for a night of spooky fun than a good old-fashioned monster movie. This weekend's offering includes Saw VI, The Vampire's Assistant, and the spooky-without-meaning-to-be musical movie 'Michael Jackson: This Is It.'
The main choice for most people under the age of 25 will be, of course, Stephanie Meyer's latest movie, 'New Moon,' a werewolf/ vampire love story that is predicted to hit #1 at the box office the weekend of its release.
Whether of not you're a fan of Stephanie Meyer, you can't deny that her Twilight series has captured the imagination of teens and adults alike. It seems like the classic rags to riches tale: after being initially rejected by 14 agents, the first book in her teen-oriented vampire romance series became the biggest-selling book of 2008, selling around 17 million copies around the world.
Since then, three other books have followed in quick succession: New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. As a series, the books have been praised by fans and casual readers alike for their readability, whilst drawing fierce criticism from some (including Stephan King) for their simple 'childlike' writing and for reinforcing old fashioned stereotypes of women.
It's not hard to see why - in book after book the heroine Bella Swan is constantly rescued by the hero, the vampire Edward Cullen, whilst following him around like a love-sick puppy and ignoring or even spurning the advances of other human boys her age.
Critics say the heroine provides an unhealthy role model for young women, whilst fans rave about the interplay between the vividly-drawn characters and the themes of forbidden love and realistically-portrayed teenage angst.
Whether you love or hate the series, the second movie in the series New Moon will be released next week, and introduces a new romantic rival for Edward - the young werewolf Jacob Black. Is Ms Meyer a genuine new talent in her own right, or simply yet another writer cashing in on the massive surge in popularity of vampires following the sadly-demised 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' super-series? Joss Whedon she ain't, but the girl sure knows how to spin a good yarn.
Check out the trailer for the upcoming New Moon movie and decide for yourself:
If you're a big werewolf or vampire fan, check out these great costume ideas for this Halloween:
How to do vampire makeup:
Do you love werewolves? Check out this awesome werewolf costume for inspiration:
So, Halloween is on Saturday night, and you're SO prepared for Halloween this year it's not even funny. You've got your costume sorted out, your house is blazing with lights and exotic spider-webs and plastic neon witches climbing up the guttering, and you have sackloads of candy for the local children and a bunch of scary movies by the DVD player.... in your dreams.
Okay, so in reality, you're kind of sort of thinking about maybe swinging by the costume store on Thursday night to see if they have anything cheap-ish left on sale, followed by a last-minute run to Target on Friday after work to pick up whatever cheap candy the Great Unwashed Masses have left (hopefully) untouched and (mainly) unchewed in the bargain bin. Take heart. You're not alone.
If you're like me and you can happily turn Halloween procrastination into an art form, here's a couple of tips to inspire you.
First-up, for a cheap costume, raid your girlfriends/ mothers/ sisters cosmetics drawers and check out the amazing creature make-up in this vid by Hollywood Mac experts:
Do you like zombies? Would you like to create some realisticly gory Zombie special effects make-up? Is there such a thing as having too many zombies? Find out in this fun video by the fabulously green Indy Moguls, How To Do ZOMBIE Special Effects Makeup.
And finally, if you want to get your own back at those annoying little sticky kids that turn up at your door and cover your hedge in toilet paper, check out this article and find out How To Scare Trick or Treaters.
So the latest furor over the use of the insanely popular social networking site Twitter is centered on the Raiders. Texas Tech recently issued a team-wide ban on the Raiders team's not-so-private usage of Twitter, after a senior linebacker confessed to his Twitter viewers Sunday afternoon that the season was not going as expected, in a Tweet which read:
His post has now been taken down, but Williams' gut-reaction to the Houston loss - "WTF I can't believe what happened man my senior season isn't goin' anything like what I busted my azz for... - still remains proudly posted, along with very similar sentiments from offensive lineman Brandon Carter:
"This is not how I saw our season," [Carter] wrote on Twitter early Sunday morning. "I just cried like am (sic) idiot. I want us to be so good my last year and I feel like I’m letting everyone down."
Carter also used the feed to break the news that he'd been suspended for next week's game against New Mexico and stripped of his captaincy. That post was also soon deleted, but not before it had fueled a round of high-profile wire stories Sunday night.
Obviously one might wonder why anyone even remotely famous would be using a public social networking site... but as the Raiders found out, it's not about what you say but how you say it. The danger of sites such as Facebook and Twitter (come on, is anyone actually using MySpace any more?) is that within seconds, a single random (and possibly career-destroying) thought can be broadcast worldwide to a phenomenally large audience.
They may not be sitting in front of a microphone, but stars and celebs alike need to realize that their 'private' usage of Twitter is akin to putting out a worldwide press-release each time they so much as report on what they're eating for breakfast.
Forget Drunk-Calling, Highway-Texting or Pants-Pocket Dialling, the Twitter Hangover is the latest and greatest social Faux-Pas. Whether you're famous or not, the fallout from an errant remark like this can be not only embarrassing, but potentially libelous. Here's five Tips on how to avoid embarrassing yourself on Twitter.
For those of us still in the Dark Ages on how to use Twitter, here's a nice simple introduction to the site:
Terry Pratchett, the bestselling fantasy author, is suffering from a rare form of Alzheimer's but would like it to be known that he is not dead yet.
In a statement posted on the website of his illustrator Paul Kidby, the author in typical humorous fashion describes the diagnosis as "an embuggerance."
He adds: "Frankly, I would prefer it if people kept things cheerful, because I think there's time for at least a few more books yet."
Terry Pratchett, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in December, recently donated $1 million to the Alzheimer's Research Trust to help find a cure.
The best-selling author said:
"I am proud to become a Patron of the Alzheimer's Research Trust. Alzheimer's is a nasty disease, surrounded by shadows and small, largely unseen tragedies. I understand the desperation of sufferers and their carers and their hopes for, if not a cure, at least some regime that might help us live with Alzheimer's. Frankly, I'd eat the arse out of a dead mole if it offered a fighting chance. It was a shock to find out that funding for Alzheimer's research is just 3% of that to find cancer cures. Right now, one thing we can do is make certain that Alzheimer's does not remain out in the shadows. Once upon a time, cancer was only spoken of as "a long illness". When people felt able to talk about it, the battle could begin. The same thing can happen with Alzheimer's. Before you can kill the demon, you have to say its name."
Rebecca Wood, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said: "We're so pleased to have Terry's continued support. He is an inspiration to the 700,000 people who have dementia and 25 million friends and family affected by the disease. With a force like Terry demanding a drastic increase in dementia research funding, the government must recognize soon that it can no longer put off urgently needed reform."
Pratchett, 59, is best known for his satirical Discworld novels and he has sold more than 55 million books.
Pat Cadigan started an online campaign (dubbed "Match it for Pratchett" by participants) on her blog to get half a million Discworld fans to each donate a pound (that's about two dollars in U.S. currency) to Alzheimer's research, thus matching the half-million pounds/a million dollars donation Terry Pratchett made yesterday to the Alzheimer's Research Trust in the U.K. Cadigan says on his blog, "So whaddaya say, guys? … You can spare that much. Go here and make your donation. Tell them it's in honour of Terry Pratchett."
The Match It For Pratchett site, www.matchitforpratchett.org, has been set up for more information. A Facebook page has also been set up by the originator of the initiative, which includes a letter from the Alzheimer's Research Trust.
Check out this latest interview with Terry Pratchett (below). You can donate directly to the trust by going to their official site at the Alzheimer's Research Trust.
If you're a music fan, one of the greatest joys of summertime is the opportunity to enjoy your favorite bands outside, in the fresh summer air (or the not-so-fresh air, if you live in LA right now).
This weekend, I was fortunate enough to get a VIP pass (ok, so they were lawn seats. So I'm cheap. So what?) to one of the most talked-about concerts of the Rock Summer -the much touted Poison/ Def Leppard summer tour. This show was at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine.
THE VENUE - THE GOOD
As a venue, the Verizon Ampitheatre holds its own with the best of them. The stage itself is a good size, although the seating is on a very steep hill - which is actually good if you want to see the show but you can't afford to shell out $150 for stageside seating. Even those right up on the lawn at the top get a fairly decent, unobstructed view of the stage, and the two Jumbotron screens provide close-ups of the action.
THE VENUE - THE BAD
If you're a fan of the traditional pre-show tailgate parties, be aware that the venue practices a zero-tolerance policy against Outside Alcohol - even in the parking lot. Be warned that dozens of uniformed officers on segways (licence plate: PRTYPOOPER) patrol every inch of the parking lot hours before the show. If you are caught with alcohol (even unopened bottles or jello-shots in a cooler) you will be asked to pour it all out or leave - and no, drinking it all in one go if caught is not an option. (We tried). Just a little heads up!
Drinks inside the venue are (typically) over-priced, starting at $8 for a Red Bull, $10 for a beer, $18 for a frozen margarita and $22 for a bottle of white wine.
THE SHOW
The show itself was a mixed bag. The two rock dinosaurs Leppard and Poison were supported by Cheap Trick, who gave a solid if short performance with 4 old songs and one new song. After 35 years together, their sound was tight and lead singer Robin Zander proved he's still got what it takes to get 16,000 people on their feet and cheering for more... despite the odd onstage temper tantrum.
POISON
For me, Poison was the highlight of this lineup. One might make fun of lead singer Brett Michaels for his high-publicity reality-show appearances, but as a frontman he's still got the looks and the moves that leave others in his genre far behind.
Although initially Michaels sounded very hoarse on a number of songs (payback perhaps for a summer schedule chock-full of gigs), he was able to guide the band with enviable energy through a scorching back-catalog of hits such as 'Nothing But A Good Time' and 'Every Rose Has It's Thorn.' Every song was greeted with a rousing chorus of cheers and a forest of flickering cigarette lighters. The fact that the vast majority of the audience was in its early 20's and dressed to the nines with eyeliner and Big Hair gives fans hope that glam rock is not yet dead!
Guitarist C.C. Deville stole the show as always with a blistering solo matched with a truly impressive light display synched to his playing. Bassist Bobby Dall was absent for this performance.
C.C Devillie up to his usual tricks!
DEF LEPPARD
Def Leppard headlined the set, but despite their far more elaborate set and infinitely superior sound mix, fans knew it was more of a co-headline. 'The Lep' may have some of the most loyal fans in rock today, but even though I count myself as one of them, I felt that they were outdone by Poison on this particular performance in terms of energy and performance.
Don't get me wrong. I've been a Def Leppard fan since I was a kid, but seeing them paired with Poison draws attention to some of their music shortcomings.
Yes, this summer's tour provides a stunning show. Yes, if this is your first show it will blow you away. You certainly get your money's worth. But for me, Def Leppard's set felt very over-produced compared to the rougher, rawer energy of Poison.
Whereas Poison had real pyro and lots of it, Leppard had banks and banks (and more banks) of 50-foot high video-screens showing - you've guessed it - videos of pyro. And therein lay the problem. I watched the pretty backdrop videos with rapt attention throughout the first two songs before I even noticed the band was on the stage too.
The theatrics should've been turned off after the first song, or at the very least used sparingly rather than run at full two-million megawattage blast through EVERY SINGLE SONG. The colors were bright, the images house-sized and ever-changing. The flames morphed into beautiful women and stormy cloudscapes and moody clocks swirling over purple alien landscapes, prompting the questions a) who made this beautiful monster, and b) why won't it let go of my eyes?
Where's Waldo? Spot the band on this stage!
Musically, Def Leppard matched their over-elaborate, attention-sucking backdrop with similar layers of backing tracks. It's no shame to play with a click-track, especially not in this day and age when two gee-tars and a drum don't cut it no more, but after the clean-cut live sound of Poison, I felt like I was drowning in Leppard's harmonies. I had to look very carefully to see who was actually doing the singing, and pause every few songs to pour about two pints of Reverb out of my left ear.
Frontman Joe Elliot's voice was also a little lacking, perhaps because of the heat or the exhaustion of trying to keep up with the over-energetic visuals. It was hard not to notice how his vocals were carefully turned down as he approached some of the higher notes, then turned back up afterwards. But he made up for it via sheer force of personality and his trademark charm. His between-song banter went down particularly well, and as a Brit myself it was very refreshing to hear some personality coming from a frontman instead of the usual 'Lemmie-hear-a-'Hell-Yeah!'' pseudo-cool banter so beloved of many lead singers.
The other attention-stealer in the Leppard set was (you've guessed it) guitarist's Phil 'Shirtless Wonder' Collen's ever-exposed washboard stomach. It shone. It gleamed. It made you stop dancing to 'Photograph' to ponder whether he used Olive-oil or turtle wax to keep it looking so shiny.
But like Def Leppard's backdrop (The flames! The women! The 3D bubbles!), it was a constant distraction. Whereas the others changed costume several times during the set to match the mood of the music, Colleen's jaw-dropping figure was proudly on display at all times. Don't get me wrong, if I was in such great shape myself, I would go around shirtless all the time. I would give my stomach its own Facebook page, and possibly shares in Wunder-Tan. But when every conversation you hear around you in the audience seems to center on what exercise/ diet routine the guitarist uses to look that tanned and toned, you can't help but wonder what happened to the music.
To sum up, if Def Leppard wants to keep winning the headlining slot over Poison, they'd do well to watch themselves play from the lawn seats at the back of the stadium, and perhaps tone down their show just a touch. They may have a fifty-foot high all-singing, all-dancing backing video, but for the majority of Leppard fans out there, just a photograph is (more than) enough.
