The Kingsington Post

Profile Playlist: John Williams – Film Composer, Conductor

2012-02-08T09:06:00.000-08:00

John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932) is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Hook, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, Home Alone and the first three Harry Potter films. He has had a long association with director Steven Spielberg, composing the music for all but two of Spielberg's major feature films.

Other notable works by Williams include theme music for four Olympic Games, NBC Sunday Night Football, the NBC Nightly News, the rededication of the Statue of Liberty, the DreamWorks Pictures production logo, and the television series Lost in Space. Williams has also composed numerous classical concerti, and he served as the principal conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra from 1980 to 1993; he is now the orchestra's conductor laureate.

Williams has won five Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, seven BAFTA Awards, and 21 Grammy Awards. With 47 Academy Award nominations, Williams is the second most nominated person, after Walt Disney. John Williams was honored with the prestigious Richard Kirk award at the 1999 BMI Film and TV Awards. The award is given annually to a composer who has made significant contributions to film and television music. Williams was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame in 2000, and was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004.

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STAR WARS (Main Theme) – Conducted Live - John Williams

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0uplUvP_Qg

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Superman - Intro Theme Song with Jor El Intro (voice: Marlon Brando) – Conducted by John Williams

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-crjakz3dw

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Star Wars: The Imperial March – John Willaims

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bzWSJG93P8

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JFK Soundtrack: Prologue – Conducted by John Williams

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuEhoHYnoBc

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Schindler's List Theme (violin solo by Itzhak Perlman) – Conducted by John Williams

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNrVFkBDte8

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Movie Poster: Tron Legacy

2012-02-08T09:03:00.000-08:00

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Movie Poster: The Birds - Alfred Hitchcock

2012-02-08T09:02:00.000-08:00

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Artist Profile: Norman Rockwell (1894-1978)

2012-02-08T08:51:00.000-08:00

Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was a 20th-century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening Post magazine for more than four decades.[1] Among the best-known of Rockwell's works are the Willie Gillis series, Rosie the Riveter (although his Rosie was reproduced less than others of the day), Saying Grace (1951), The Problem We All Live With, and the Four Freedoms series. He is also noted for his work for the Boy Scouts of America (BSA); producing covers for their publication Boys' Life, calendars, and other illustrations.

In 1943, during the Second World War, Rockwell painted the Four Freedoms series, which was completed in seven months and resulted in his losing 15 pounds. The series was inspired by a speech by Franklin D. Roosevelt, in which he described four principles for universal rights: Freedom from Want, Freedom of Speech, Freedom to Worship, and Freedom from Fear. The paintings were published in 1943 by The Saturday Evening Post. The United States Department of the Treasury later promoted war bonds by exhibiting the originals in 16 cities. Rockwell himself considered "Freedom of Speech" to be the best of the four. That same year a fire in his studio destroyed numerous original paintings, costumes, and props.

Shortly after the war, Rockwell was contacted by writer Elliott Caplin, brother of cartoonist Al Capp, with the suggestion that the three of them should make a daily comic strip together, with Caplin and his brother writing and Rockwell drawing. King Features Syndicate is reported to have promised a $1,000/week deal, knowing that a Capp-Rockwell collaboration would gain strong public interest. However, the project was ultimately aborted as it turned out that Rockwell, known for his perfectionism as an artist, could not deliver material as fast as required of him for a daily comic strip.

During the late 1940s, Norman Rockwell spent the winter months as artist-in-residence at Otis College of Art and Design. Students occasionally were models for his Saturday Evening Post covers. In 1949, Rockwell donated an original Post cover, "April Fool," to be raffled off in a library fund raiser.

In 1959, his wife Mary died unexpectedly, and Rockwell took time off from his work to grieve. It was during this break that he and his son Thomas produced his autobiography, My Adventures as an Illustrator, which was published in 1960. The Post printed excerpts from this book in eight consecutive issues, the first containing Rockwell's famous Triple Self-Portrait.

Read More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Rockwell

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Poem: Wide Open Spaces

2012-01-31T18:07:00.000-08:00

WIDE OPEN SPACES

Sound.
Open me up
Wide.

Sound.
See Inside this hollow shell.

Silence.
Ebb and Flows.

Steps beginning to awake me.
Inward and out.

Sound.
Fear and cold.

On the surface
I track a voice.

A red moon rises,
A black sun sets…

All that I needed.

Shift away,
Broken into pieces

Silence
Deaf to the surrounding crash

Darkness
In this light.

Sound.
Now, locked forever in this maze.

(On the path to greatness)

A horizon shattered,
Two nights scattered.

It burns with love,
The world gone gray.

Sound.

Ever.
Onward.
Fallen.
Sky.

A satellite set
To transmit life’s ambience.

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Profile Playlist: Phil Collins

2012-01-31T17:08:00.000-08:00

Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO (born January 30, 1951) is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis, Brand X, a solo artist, producer (Eric Clapton, John Martyn, Adam Ant, Howard Jones, Frida, Robert Plant etc.), author and session musician.

Collins sang the lead vocals on several chart hits in the United Kingdom and the United States between 1975 and 2010, either as a solo artist or with Genesis. His singles, sometimes dealing with lost love, ranged from the drum-heavy "In the Air Tonight", dance pop of "Sussudio", piano-driven "Against All Odds", to the political statements of "Another Day in Paradise".

Collins's professional music career began as a drummer, first with Flaming Youth and then more famously with Genesis. In Genesis, Collins originally supplied backing vocals for front man Peter Gabriel, singing lead on only two songs: "For Absent Friends" from 1971's Nursery Cryme album and "More Fool Me" from Selling England by the Pound, which was released in 1973. Following Gabriel's departure in 1975, Collins became the group's lead singer.

His solo career, heavily influenced by his personal life, brought both him and Genesis commercial success. According to Atlantic Records, Collins's total worldwide sales as a solo artist, as of 2000, were 150 million. Collins has won numerous music awards throughout his career, including seven Grammy Awards, five Brit Awards—winning Best British Male three times, an Academy Award, and two Golden Globes for his solo work. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010.

Collins is one of only three recording artists (along with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson) who have sold over 100 million albums worldwide both as solo artists and (separately) as principal members of a band. When his work with Genesis, his work with other artists, as well as his solo career is totalled, Collins had more top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the 1980s than any other artist. In 2008, Collins was ranked the 22nd most successful artist on the "The Billboard Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists".

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Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight (Official Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkADj0TPrJA

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Phil Collins - I Dont Care Anymore (Official Music Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLpfbcXTeo8&ob=av2e

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Phil Collins - Take Me Home (Vinyl)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-OKB7V57Gw

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Phil Collins w/ Genesis - Just A Job To Do

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26uFhClbjys

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Phil Collins w/ Genesis - That's All

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae7tASAkop8

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Phil Collins w/ Genesis - Tonight, Tonight, Tonight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy9a6AXn6_E

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Artist Profile: Alex Ross

2012-01-31T16:43:00.000-08:00

Nelson Alexander "Alex" Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an American comic book writer/artist known primarily for his painted interiors, covers and design work. He first rose to fame with the 1994 miniseries Marvels, on which he collaborated with writer Kurt Busiek for Marvel Comics. He has since done a variety of projects for both Marvel and DC Comics, such as the 1996 miniseries Kingdom Come, which Ross also co-wrote. Since then he has also done covers and character designs for Kurt Busiek's series, Astro City, and various projects for Dynamite Entertainment. His feature film work includes concept and narrative art for Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2, and DVD packaging art for the M. Night Shyamalan film, Unbreakable. He has also done covers for TV Guide, promotional artwork for the Academy Awards, packaging design for comic book tie-in video games, and his renditions of superheroes have been merchandised as action figures.

Ross' style has been said to exhibit "a Norman-Rockwell-meets-George-Pérez vibe", and has been praised for its realistic, human depictions of classic comic book characters. His rendering style, his attention to detail, and the perceived tendency of his characters to be depicted staring off into the distance in cover images has been satirized in Mad magazine. Because of the time is takes Ross to produce his art, he primarily serves as a plotter and/or cover artist. Comics Buyer's Guide Senior Editor Maggie Thompson, commenting on that publication's retirement of the Favorite Painter award from their CBG Fan Awards due to Ross' domination of that category, stated in 2010, "Ross may simply be the field's Favorite Painter, period. That's despite the fact that many outstanding painters are at work in today's comic books."

Read More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Ross

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Artist Profile: Jackson Pollock

2012-01-31T16:32:00.000-08:00

Paul Jackson Pollock (January 28, 1912 – August 11, 1956), known as Jackson Pollock, was an influential American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement.

During his lifetime, Pollock enjoyed considerable fame and notoriety. He was regarded as a mostly reclusive artist. He had a volatile personality, and struggled with alcoholism for most of his life. In 1945, he married the artist Lee Krasner, who became an important influence on his career and on his legacy.

Pollock died at the age of 44 in an alcohol-related car accident. In December 1956, the year of his death, he was given a memorial retrospective exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, and a larger more comprehensive exhibition there in 1967. More recently, in 1998 and 1999, his work was honored with large-scale retrospective exhibitions at MoMA and at The Tate in London.

In 2000, Pollock was the subject of an Academy Award–winning film Pollock directed by and starring Ed Harris.

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VIDEO: Pollock painting (1950)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bICqvmKL5s

It will work better using a SMALL SCREEN FORMAT. A fragment (going on a loop) of the film of Jackson Pollock painting - shot by Hans Namuth (1950) and released as "Jackson Pollock 51" (1951). Sound is not synchronous. Available (with another short clip and a text transcript of Pollock's comments) at http://www.nga.gov/feature/pollock/process3qt.shtm

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Pollock (2000) Trailer – Biographical Film starring: Ed Harris (Jackson Pollock) and Marcia Gay Harden (Lee Krasner) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0xiovbDML0

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Artist Profile: Yves Tanguy

2012-01-31T16:21:00.000-08:00

Yves Tanguy was born in Paris, France, the son of a retired navy captain. His parents were both of Breton origin. After his father's death in 1908, his mother moved back to her native Locronan, Finistère, and he ended up spending much of his youth living with various relatives.

In 1918, Yves Tanguy briefly joined the merchant navy before being drafted into the Army, where he befriended Jacques Prévert. At the end of his military service in 1922, he returned to Paris, where he worked various odd jobs. By chance, he stumbled upon a painting by Giorgio de Chirico and was so deeply impressed he resolved to become a painter himself in spite of his complete lack of formal training.

Tanguy had a habit of being completely absorbed by the current painting he was working on. This way of creating artwork may have been due to his very small studio which only had enough room for one wet piece.

Read More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yves_Tanguy

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Profile: J. R. R. Tolkien

2012-01-31T16:12:00.000-08:00

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE ( /ˈtɒlkiːn/, US /ˈtoʊlkiːn/; January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973) was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.

Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College, Oxford, from 1925 to 1945 and Merton Professor of English Language and Literature there from 1945 to 1959. He was a close friend of C. S. Lewis—they were both members of the informal literary discussion group known as the Inklings. Tolkien was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II on 28 March 1972.

After his death, Tolkien's son Christopher published a series of works based on his father's extensive notes and unpublished manuscripts, including The Silmarillion. These, together with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings form a connected body of tales, poems, fictional histories, invented languages, and literary essays about a fantasy world called Arda, and Middle-earth within it. Between 1951 and 1955, Tolkien applied the term legendarium to the larger part of these writings.

While many other authors had published works of fantasy before Tolkien, the great success of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings led directly to a popular resurgence of the genre. This has caused Tolkien to be popularly identified as the "father" of modern fantasy literature—or, more precisely, of high fantasy. In 2008, The Times ranked him sixth on a list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945". Forbes ranked him the 5th top-earning dead celebrity in 2009.

Read More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien

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Profile Playlist: Sarah McLachlan

2012-01-28T21:51:00.000-08:00

Sarah Ann McLachlan, OC, OBC (born January 28, 1968) is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter. Known for her emotional ballads and mezzo-soprano vocal range, as of 2009, she has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is Surfacing, for which she won two Grammy Awards (out of four nominations) and four Juno Awards. In addition to her personal artistic efforts, she founded the Lilith Fair tour, which showcased female musicians. The Lilith Fair concert tours took place from 1997 to 1999, and resumed in the summer of 2010. Since 2006 she has also been known as a highly visible supporter of the ASPCA, as well as various other charities.

Her 1991 album, Solace, was her mainstream breakthrough in Canada, spawning the hit singles "The Path of Thorns (Terms)" and "Into the Fire". Solace also marked the beginning of her partnership with Pierre Marchand. Marchand and McLachlan have been collaborators ever since, with Marchand producing all of McLachlan's albums and occasionally co-writing songs.

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Vox
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6i2Ph1BYXE

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Good Enough
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjKPJbtghvs&ob=av2e

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When She Loved Me (Toy Story 2 Soundtrack) (Live)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrfoEAzwHdI

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Sweet Surrender
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2JWJYLNUq4

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Fear - Live (from Mirrorball)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I7uc-aNVPc

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Movie Poster: Inception

2012-01-28T21:46:00.000-08:00

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Movie Poster: Enter The Dragon - A Bruce Lee Joint

2012-01-28T21:45:00.000-08:00

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Movie Poster: Fight Club - The Rules of Fight Club

2012-01-28T21:44:00.000-08:00

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Movie Poster: A Clockwork Orange II

2012-01-28T21:43:00.000-08:00

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Playlist: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

2012-01-27T21:11:00.000-08:00

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (German: [ˈvɔlfɡaŋ amaˈdeus ˈmoːtsaʁt], English see fn.), baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart (January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791), was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, operatic, and choral music. He is among the most enduringly popular of classical composers.

Mozart showed prodigious ability from his earliest childhood in Salzburg. Already competent on keyboard and violin, he composed from the age of five and performed before European royalty. At 17, he was engaged as a court musician in Salzburg, but grew restless and travelled in search of a better position, always composing abundantly. While visiting Vienna in 1781, he was dismissed from his Salzburg position. He chose to stay in the capital, where he achieved fame but little financial security. During his final years in Vienna, he composed many of his best-known symphonies, concertos, and operas, and portions of the Requiem, which was largely unfinished at the time of Mozart's death. The circumstances of his early death have been much mythologized. He was survived by his wife Constanze and two sons.

Mozart learned voraciously from others, and developed a brilliance and maturity of style that encompassed the light and graceful along with the dark and passionate. His influence on subsequent Western art music is profound. Beethoven wrote his own early compositions in the shadow of Mozart, and Joseph Haydn wrote that "posterity will not see such a talent again in 100 years."

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Piano Concerto No. 21 – Andante

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df-eLzao63I

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Symphony No. 25 in G minor

Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Performed by Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields - Conducted by Neville Marriner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lC1lRz5Z_s

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The Marriage of Figaro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OZCyp-LcGw

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Profile Playlist: Alicia Keys

2012-01-25T08:30:00.000-08:00

Alicia Keys was born Alicia Augello Cook on January 25, 1981, in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan, in New York City, New York. She is the only child of Teresa Augello, a paralegal and part-time actress, and Craig Cook, a flight attendant. Keys' mother is of Italian, Scottish, and Irish descent, and her father is African American; Keys has expressed that she was comfortable with her biracial heritage because she felt she was able to "relate to different cultures". Her parents separated when she was two and she was subsequently raised by her mother during her formative years in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan. In 1985, Keys made an appearance on The Cosby Show at the age of four, where she and a group of girls played the parts of Rudy Huxtable's sleepover guests in the episode "Slumber Party". Throughout her childhood, Keys was sent to music and dance classes by her mother. She began playing the piano when she was seven and learned classical music by composers such as Beethoven, Mozart and Chopin. Keys enrolled in the Professional Performing Arts School at the age of 12, where she majored in choir and began writing songs at the age of 14. She graduated in three years as valedictorian at the age of 16.

In 1994 Keys met long-term manager Jeff Robinson after she enrolled in his brother's after-school program. The following year Robinson introduced Keys to her future A&R at Arista Records, Peter Edge, who later described his first impressions to HitQuarters: "I had never met a young R&B artist with that level of musicianship. So many people were just singing on top of loops and tracks, but she had the ability, not only to be part of hip-hop, but also to go way beyond that." Edge helped Robinson create a showcase for Keys and also got involved in developing her demo material. He was keen to sign Keys himself but was unable to do so at that time due to being on the verge of leaving his present record company. Keys signed to Columbia Records soon after. At the same time as signing a recording contract with Columbia Records, Keys was accepted into Columbia University. At first, Keys attempted to manage both but after four weeks dropped out of college to pursue her musical career fulltime.

Keys signed a demo deal with Jermaine Dupri and So So Def Recordings, where she appeared on the label's Christmas album performing "The Little Drummer Girl". She also co-wrote and recorded a song entitled "Dah Dee Dah (Sexy Thing)", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 1997 film, Men in Black. The song was Keys' first professional recording; however, it was never released as a single and her record contract with Columbia ended after a dispute with the label. Keys was unhappy with the label because her career had stalled during her two years under contract at Columbia due to executive indecision over her direction and major changes within the company. Keys called Clive Davis, who sensed a "special, unique" artist from her performance and signed her to Arista Records, which later disbanded. Keys almost chose Wilde as her stage name until her manager suggested the name Keys after a dream he had. Keys felt that name represented her both as a performer and person. Following Davis to his newly formed J Records label, she recorded the songs "Rock wit U" and "Rear View Mirror", which were featured on the soundtracks to the films Shaft (2000) and Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001), respectively.

Keys released her first studio album, Songs in A Minor, in June 2001. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 236,000 copies in its first week. The album sold over 6.2 million copies in the United States, where it was certified six times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It went on to sell over 12 million copies worldwide, establishing Keys' popularity both inside and outside the United States, where she became the best-selling new artist and best-selling R&B artist of 2001. The album's lead single, "Fallin'", spent six weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The album's second single, "A Woman's Worth", was released in February 2002 and peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, as her second Top 10 single in both charts. The album's third single, "How Come You Don't Call Me", was released in June 2002 and peaked at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 30 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The album's fourth single, "Girlfriend", was released in November 2002 in UK and peaked at number 82 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The following year, the album was reissued as Remixed & Unplugged in A Minor, which included eight remixes and seven unplugged versions of the songs from the original.

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Alicia Keys – You Don’t Know My Name

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJiLcNQdye4

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Alicia Keys - Doesn't Mean Anything

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLclkP9x_68

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Alicia Keys - Un-thinkable (I'm Ready)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhuGQUZJot8

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TV Series: Unsung - Music Documentary Series

2012-01-24T18:41:00.000-08:00

Unsung, is an hour-long music documentary program that airs on TV One. Premiering in the fall of 2008, the series uncovers the stories behind once well-known R&B and soul music artists, bands or groups who exploded onto the Billboard music charts with a string of hits, only to have their career derailed by a major crisis that cause them to be essentially unappreciated by later generations of general Contemporary R&B listeners. Subjects profiled also include acts who were major and influential in the prime of their career, but a change in the interest of the music industry towards the act caused a steep decline in success.

Episodes are packed with testimonies from music industry insiders, friends & family, as well as artists who were contemporaries but whose careers continued to flourish through later decades.

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Unsung (Documentary) - Tammi Terrell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9iHLx8i-4g

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Unsung (Documentary) - Teddy Pendergrass

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgYiWRA1Ddw

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Comic Book: Fantastic Four 282 - 1985 - Marvel Comics

2012-01-24T18:38:00.000-08:00

Fantastic Four Vol. 1 - #282 - (1985) - Marvel Comics

Plot Summary: Franklin Richards is having a dream where he is in the ruins of New York City, and his parents are nowhere to be found. As he heads toward the river side he witnesses as an alien ship is shot out of the sky and crash lands to the ground. From the wreckage emerges one of the Snarks which tries to kill him. The frightened boy is saved by some mysterious super-powered beings who carry him to safety to a forest. There he comes across an injured humanoid with the head of a horse. He helps the alien up and helps it along to the side of a cliff where he sees his saviors: The Power Pack. Their leader Alex tells Franklin that they are friend and that they can help him. As they are being strafed by alien ships Alex reaches out telling Franklin that he has to come and find them. As alien ray blasts strike where they are standing Franklin wakes up as he falls out of bed and realizes it was all a dream.

Getting dressed, Franklin rushes to the lab within Avengers Mansion to tell his parents about the dream he has had. There Reed Richards is putting together the finishing touches on a new Reducto-Craft while in the presence of the Human Torch and She-Hulk. Reed explains that the being responsible for sending the Hate-Monger against Sue was likely their old foe Psycho-Man, however he wonders if they should be focusing their time on trying to learn what the Beyonder is up to. Sue walks in on them, having overheard everything and demands that they go after the Psycho-Man. Read More: http://marvel.wikia.com/Fantastic_Four_Vol_1_282

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Comic Book: Daredevil - 208 - (1984) Marvel Comics

2012-01-24T18:31:00.000-08:00

Daredevil - Vol. 1 #208 - (1984) Marvel Comics

Plot Summary: Title: "The Deadliest Night of My Life"
Daredevil has just finished busting up a robbery when he spies a little girl wandering lost in the snow. He decides to follow her and the little girl leads him into a dark alley. Daredevil walks into a trap and a heavy door slams down behind him. He begins chasing the little girl down a long, winding steel corridor. The girl turns out to be an artificial bomb and explodes.

Searching further into the maze, Daredevil learns that the corridors lead to the underbelly of a gigantic mansion. The entire two-acre estate has been turned into an elaborate death-trap. Daredevil avoids being killed by various pitfalls including trap doors, sliding ramps, spikes from the floor, snakes, quicksand etc. Read More: http://marvel.wikia.com/Daredevil_Vol_1_208

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Comic Book: Power Pack 1 - 1984 (Marvel Comics)

2012-01-24T18:26:00.000-08:00

Power Pack - Vol 1. - #1 (1984) - Marvel Comics

Artist: June Brigman - Writer: Louise Jones Simonson

Plot Summary: High above the Earth's atmosphere, a white alien ship dodged blasts from a group of golden spaceships. Friday, the Whitey the Kymellian had sent information of Dr Power's discovery back home, but the signal had been intercepted & jammed by the Snarks, who then set out to attack Whitey & his Smartship Friday. Meanwhile, inside a beach-side family home, the Power family remained oblivious of how their destiny was about to change. Eldest son Alex tinkered with his new telescope. Middle children Jack & Julie did the dishes (their father was impressed that Julie could read books while doing the dishes, while Jack threatened to throw the newly cleaned glasses at his brother). The radio announced UFO sightings, so youngest daughter Katie peered through the windows hoping to see aliens. As the alien fight raged, they entered Earth's atmosphere. So when Friday was hit, Katie saw the light-show & screamed for everyone to see. Julie's book fell in the water, and Jack insulted Katie for making it all up. To keep their kids quiet, James & Margaret Power decided to let them sleep on the porch. Read More: http://www.comicvine.com/power-pack-power-play/37-24611/

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Profile Playlist: Neil Diamond

2012-01-24T09:27:00.000-08:00

Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present.

As of 2001, Diamond had sold over 115 million records worldwide including 48 million in the United States alone. He is considered to be the third most successful adult contemporary artist ever on the Billboard chart behind Barbra Streisand and Elton John. His songs have been covered internationally by many performers from various musical genres.

Diamond was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. Additionally, he received the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000 and in 2011 was an honoree at the Kennedy Center Honors. He has eight number one hit singles with "Cracklin Rosie", "Song Sung Blue", "Desiree", "You Don't Bring Me Flowers", "Love On The Rocks", "America", "Yesterday's Songs", and "Heartlight".

Diamond continues to record and release new material and maintains an extensive touring schedule as well.

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I Am I Said

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht0zsE9GPrs

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Play Me (Live)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKdDdzdMUW4

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Love On The Rocks From the film, "The Jazz Singer" with Neil Diamond

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbvxP08FlMs

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Hello Again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3Id4_t2izk

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Heartlight - written by Neil Diamond, Carole Bayer Sager and her then-husband Burt Bacharach and recorded by Diamond in 1982

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzNnFARrdg0

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Neil Diamond – Classic Playlist:

1. Solitary Man

2. Shilo

3. Cracklin’ Rosie

4. Soolaimon

5. Play Me

6. I Am, I Said

7. Be

8. I’ve Been This Way Before

9. Longfellow Serenade

10. If You Know What I Mean

11. September Morn

12. Forever In Blue Jeans

13. Love on The Rocks

14. Scotch on The Rocks

15. Hello Again

16. Yesterday Songs

17. Heartlight

18. Brooklyn Roads (Live)

19. I Am I Said (Live)

20. All I Really Need Is You (Live)

===========================================

Profile: Ernie Kovacs (1919-1962)

2012-01-23T06:22:00.000-08:00

Ernie Kovacs (January 23, 1919 – January 13, 1962) was an American comedian and actor.

Kovacs' uninhibited, often ad-libbed, and visually experimental comedic style came to influence numerous television comedy programs for years after his death in an automobile accident. Such iconic and diverse shows as Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, Saturday Night Live, The Uncle Floyd Show, Captain Kangaroo, Sesame Street, The Electric Company, and TV hosts such as David Letterman and Craig Ferguson have been influenced by Kovacs. Chevy Chase thanked him during his acceptance speech for his Emmy award for SNL. Chase appeared in the 1982 documentary called Ernie Kovacs: Television's Original Genius, speaking again of the impact Kovacs had on his work.

On or off screen, Kovacs could be counted on for the unexpected, from having marmosets as pets to wrestling a jaguar on his live Philadelphia television show. When working at WABC (AM) as a morning-drive radio personality and doing a mid-morning television show for NBC, Kovacs disliked eating breakfast alone while his wife was sleeping in after her Broadway performances. His solution was to hire a taxi driver to come into their apartment with his own key and whose job was to make breakfast for them both, then take him to the WABC studios.

While Kovacs and his wife Edie Adams received Emmy nominations for best performances in a comedy series in 1957, his talent was not formally recognized until after his death. The 1962 Emmy for outstanding electronic camera work and the Directors' Guild award came a short time after his fatal accident. A quarter century later, he was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame. Kovacs also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in television. In 1986, the Museum of Television & Radio (now the Paley Center for Media) presented an exhibit of Kovacs' work, called The Vision of Ernie Kovacs. The Pulitzer Prize winning television critic, William Henry III wrote for the museum's booklet:

Kovacs was more than another wide-eyed, self-ingratiating clown. He was television's first significant video artist. He was its first surrealist... its most daring and imaginative writer. He was... television's first and possibly only auteur. And he was a genius. In commercial terms, a genius is any entertainer... who finds a new way to make money. Kovacs never fit that description. Kovacs' genius lay in the realm of art. There, a genius is someone who causes an audience to look at the world in a new way.

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VIDEO: Ernie Kovacs – Tribute presented by Carl Reiner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4VVpOxfAQo

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Ernie Kovacs - Between the Laughter – TV Movie starring Jeff Goldblum as Ernie Kovacs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86WafFyoKII

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Playlist 012112: Be The One

2012-01-21T15:07:00.000-08:00

It's you, it's you, it's all for you / Everything I do / Tell you all the time / Heaven is a place on earth with you / Tell me all the things you wanna do / I heard that you like the bad girls / Honey, is that true? / It's better than I ever even knew / They say that the world was built for two / Only worth living / If somebody is loving you / Baby now you do - "Video Games", Lana Del Rey

=========================

You give me the sweetest taboo / That's why I'm in love with you / You give me, you're giving me the sweetest taboo / Too good for me / You've got the biggest heart / Sometimes I think you're just too good for me / Every day is Christmas, and every night is New Year's Eve / Will you keep on loving me / Will you keep on, will you keep on / Bringing out the best in me - "The Sweetest Taboo", Sade

=============================

Lana Del Rey – Video Games

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO1OV5B_JDw

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Sade - The Sweetest Taboo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcPc18SG6uA&ob=av2e

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Aaliyah - At Your Best (You Are Love)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i0XGs39BrQ

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Etta James – At Last

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1uunRdQ61M

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Moby - Be The One

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_GBSiCLT9M

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VIDEO: Sade - Your Love Is King (LIVE)

2012-01-18T15:20:00.000-08:00

Sade - Your Love Is King (LIVE)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCT18u7RsRc

=======================================================

Profile: Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

2012-01-17T17:00:00.000-08:00

Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706 [O.S. January 6, 1705 – April 17, 1790) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. As a scientist, he was a major figure in the American Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. He invented the lightning rod, bifocals, the Franklin stove, a carriage odometer, and the glass 'armonica'. He formed both the first public lending library in America and the first fire department in Pennsylvania.

Franklin earned the title of "The First American" for his early and indefatigable campaigning for colonial unity; as an author and spokesman in London for several colonies, then as the first United States Ambassador to France, he exemplified the emerging American nation. Franklin was foundational in defining the American ethos as a marriage of the practical and democratic values of thrift, hard work, education, community spirit, self-governing institutions, and opposition to authoritarianism both political and religious, with the scientific and tolerant values of the Enlightenment. In the words of historian Henry Steele Commager, "In a Franklin could be merged the virtues of Puritanism without its defects, the illumination of the Enlightenment without its heat." To Walter Isaacson, this makes Franklin "the most accomplished American of his age and the most influential in inventing the type of society America would become."

Franklin, always proud of his working class roots, became a successful newspaper editor and printer in Philadelphia, the leading city in the colonies. He was also partners with William Goddard and Joseph Galloway the three of whom published the Pennsylvania Chronicle, a newspaper that was known for its revolutionary sentiments and criticisms of the British monarchy in the American colonies. He became wealthy publishing Poor Richard's Almanack and The Pennsylvania Gazette. Franklin gained international renown as a scientist for his famous experiments in electricity and for his many inventions, especially the lightning rod. He played a major role in establishing the University of Pennsylvania and was elected the first president of the American Philosophical Society. Franklin became a national hero in America when he spearheaded the effort to have Parliament repeal the unpopular Stamp Act. An accomplished diplomat, he was widely admired among the French as American minister to Paris and was a major figure in the development of positive Franco-American relations. For many years he was the British postmaster for the colonies, which enabled him to set up the first national communications network. He was active in community affairs, colonial and state politics, as well as national and international affairs. From 1785 to 1788, he served as governor of Pennsylvania. Toward the end of his life, he freed his slaves and became one of the most prominent abolitionists.

His colorful life and legacy of scientific and political achievement, and status as one of America's most influential Founding Fathers, have seen Franklin honored on coinage and money; warships; the names of many towns, counties, educational institutions, namesakes, and companies; and more than two centuries after his death, countless cultural references.

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VIDEO: Walter Isaacson: "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpNcBBi4gFo

In this University of Pennsylvania program, Walter Isaacson, president and CEO of the Aspen Institute, discusses the life of one of Americas most influential figures: Benjamin Franklin. In his recent book, "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life," Isaacson reveals the personal life of Benjamin Franklin and all the intricate details of this revolutionary leaders life that have made him unique among a group of leaders. The presentation was given at the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania.

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Profile Playlist: Sade

2012-01-16T12:22:00.000-08:00

Helen Folasade Adu OBE (born January 16 1959; better known as Sade), is a British singer-songwriter, composer, and record producer. She first achieved success in the 1980s as the frontwoman and lead vocalist of the Brit and Grammy Award winning English group Sade.

Sade was born in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Her middle name, Folasade, means honour confers your crown. Her parents, Adebisi Adu, a Nigerian lecturer in economics of Yoruba background, and Anne Hayes, an English district nurse, met in London, married in 1955 and moved to Nigeria. Later, when the marriage ran into difficulties, Anne Hayes returned to England, taking four-year-old Sade and her older brother Banji to live with her parents. When Sade was 11, she moved to Holland-on-Sea to live with her mother, and after completing school at 18 she moved to London and studied at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.

While at college, she joined a soul band, Pride, in which she sang backing vocals. Her solo performances of the song "Smooth Operator" attracted the attention of record companies and in 1983, she signed a solo deal with Epic Records taking three members of the band, Stuart Matthewman, Andrew Hale and Paul Denman, with her. Sade and her band produced the first of a string of hit albums. Their debut album Diamond Life was in 1984. She is the most successful solo female artist in British history, having sold over 110 million albums worldwide.

In 2002, she appeared on the Red Hot Organization's Red Hot and Riot, a compilation CD in tribute to the music of fellow Nigerian musician, Fela Kuti. She recorded a remix of her hit single, "By Your Side", for the album and was billed as a co-producer.

=====================================

Your Love Is King

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1ljpLQ1V6Y

===================================

Hang On To Your Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5O4_nkQdXQ

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The Sweetest Taboo - Sade Lovers Live

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B44bYsxD-SU

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Kiss Of Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmOau-PMWJk

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Stronger Than Pride (Mad Professor's Lovers-Rock Mix)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcDUYWeFppM

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Album: I Care 4 U - Aaliyah

2012-01-16T10:06:00.000-08:00

I Care 4 U is the fourth album and first compilation album by the American singer Aaliyah, released posthumously by Blackground Records on December 10, 2002, in the United States. Along with her hit singles, a number of shelved tracks were included on the album, including the singles "Miss You", "Don't Know What to Tell Ya", and "Come Over". The unreleased tracks are generally less edgy than her last album, focusing on R&B rather than rock with the exception of the Nine Inch Nails influenced beat of "Erica Kane". A special edition was issued with a bonus DVD.

Read More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Care_4_U

==================================

Profile: Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968)

2012-01-15T20:30:00.000-08:00

Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. King has become a national icon in the history of modern American liberalism.

A Baptist minister, King became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957, serving as its first president. King's efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. There, he expanded American values to include the vision of a color blind society, and established his reputation as one of the greatest orators in American history.

In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other nonviolent means. By the time of his death in 1968, he had refocused his efforts on ending poverty and stopping the Vietnam War.

King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and Congressional Gold Medal in 2004; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a U.S. federal holiday in 1986.

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VIDEO: Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute featuring Pride (In the Name of Love) – U2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HY-WfDPm7s

============================================

ComicBook: Uncanny X-Men - 183

2012-01-14T17:05:00.000-08:00

Uncanny X-Men - Vol 1. - #183

Back from his ordeal on Battleworld and Japan, Colossus has come to bring the hard news to Kitty Pryde that while he was gone he fell in love with another. The revelation crushes Kitty, however she hides the hurt from him until she is back at the room that she shares with Illyana. Both Illyana and Lockheed try to comfort her when she breaks down into tears. At a bar in Manhattan, Wolverine tries to get Colossus to realize that his "romance" with Zsaji on Battleworld was not a relationship, and the two come to odds over Peter's true feelings for Kitty. During the conversation, Logan picks up the Juggernaut's scent and realizes that their old foe is drinking at the bar. Not wishing for a fight to break out, Logan suggests that they leave. When Colossus decides to be difficult, the slightly drunk mutant stumbles and spills his drink on the Juggernaut. Read More: http://marvel.wikia.com/Uncanny_X-Men_Vol_1_183

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ComicBook: G.I. Joe 21 - Larry Hama - Silent Interlude

2012-01-14T17:03:00.000-08:00

G.I. Joe - #21 - Silent Interlude

Arguably the greatest Joe story ever told. Written and drawn by Larry Hama, but without a word in it. Various comic book writers have said that they received inspiration from this issue. The first appearance of Storm Shadow. It also hints at a link between Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes: they both have the same tattoo. Read More: http://www.yojoe.com/comics/joe/joe21.shtml

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ComicBook: Thor 359 - Walter Simonson - 1985

2012-01-14T17:00:00.000-08:00

The Mighty Thor #359 (Marvel Comics)

Walter Simonson (writer, penciler, inker, cover) - "The Grand Alliance! or Life with Loki!!!" - Thor under Lorelei's spell, make's his bid to put Loki in power at his lover's command. Thanks to the Enchantress, Thor later catches Lorelei in bed with Loki, and Lorelei's hold over him is broken. Later, with Beta Ray Bill's assistance the Asgardians are returned home. - Publish Date: SEPT. 1985

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TV Series: One Life to Live – 1968-2012

2012-01-13T09:15:00.000-08:00

One Life to Live (also abbreviated as OLTL) is an American soap opera which debuted on the ABC television network on July 15, 1968 Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social issues. One Life to Live was expanded from 30 minutes to 45 minutes on July 26, 1976, and then to a full hour on January 13, 1978.

Focused on the members and relationships of the Lord family since the show's inception, actress Erika Slezak has portrayed original and central heroine Victoria "Viki" Lord on One Life to Live since March 1971 and has won a record six Daytime Emmy Awards for the role. In 2002 the series won an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. Daily repeat broadcasts of the series appear weeknights on SOAPnet with a day-behind repeat airing the following weekday morning and a rebroadcast of all the previous week's episodes on Saturday nights. Taped in New York City, One Life to Live is the last American soap opera based outside the Los Angeles area.

On April 14, 2011, ABC announced that it had canceled One Life to Live, citing low ratings, high production costs and viewers' changing tastes. On July 7, 2011, production company Prospect Park announced that it would continue the show as a web series after its run on ABC, but later suspended the project due to numerous complications.[9] The final scenes of One Life to Live were taped on November 18, 2011. One Life to Live is scheduled to air its final episode on January 13, 2012

One Life to Live is set in the fictional city of Llanview, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The show originally concentrated on the wealthy Lord family, the less wealthy Siegels (the first attempt to showcase a Jewish family on daytime television), the middle-class Rileys and Woleks, and the African-American Grays. One Life to Live has been called "the most peculiarly American of soap operas: the first serial to present a vast array of ethnic types, broad comic situations, a constant emphasis on social issues, and strong male characters."

Since its inception, One Life to Live has centered on the character of Victoria "Viki" Lord (originated by Gillian Spencer), who has been portrayed by six-time Emmy winner Erika Slezak since March 1971. Long-suffering heroine Viki has weathered love and loss, widowhood, rape, divorce, stroke, and breast cancer, and has been memorably plagued by dissociative identity disorder (or DID, once known as multiple personality disorder) on and off for decades. Viki has also had heart problems, leading up to having the heart of her dying husband transplanted into her, to save her life.

The apparent murder of Marco Dane by Viki Lord and ensuing Karen Wolek prostitution storyline in 1979 garnered widespread critical acclaim and several Daytime Emmy Awards. The 1980s brought great ratings success and rose to prominence Viki's sister, Tina, and the Buchanan family. Into the 1990s, the show introduced the first married interracial couple in soap operas, attorneys Hank and Nora Gannon, and the story of the involvement of Viki's estranged brother, Todd, with the rape of Marty Saybrooke, called "one of the show's most remembered and impactful."

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Tribute to One Life To Live 1968-2012 Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7KI1ZgL7jw

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Tribute to One Life To Live 1968-2012 Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7KI1ZgL7jw

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Tribute to One Life To Live 1968-2012 Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niz8_s385lU

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Tribute to One Life To Live 1968-2012 Part 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2_bDKTbhh0

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Tribute to One Life To Live 1968-2012 Part 5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNlE1zloSFU

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Tribute to One Life To Live 1968-2012 Part 6

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-eY6hVrA6Q

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Tribute to One Life To Live 1968-2012 Part 7

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-73JUMoW6XQ

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Tribute to One Life To Live 1968-2012 Part 8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGqXCtJr7DY

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Tribute to One Life To Live 1968-2012 Part 9

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFo0B_H9SYU

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Profile Playlist: Rod Stewart

2012-01-10T19:04:00.000-08:00

Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE (born January 10, 1945) is a British singer-songwriter, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry.

With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with The Jeff Beck Group and then Faces. He launched his solo career in 1969 with his debut album An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down (US: The Rod Stewart Album). His work with The Jeff Beck Group and Faces proved to be influential on the formation of the punk rock and heavy metal genres.

With his career in its fifth decade, Stewart has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best selling artists of all time. In the UK, he has garnered six consecutive number one albums, and his tally of 62 hit singles include 31 that reached the top 10, six of which gained the number one position. He has had 16 top ten singles in the U.S, with four of these reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked him the 17th most successful artist on the "The Billboard Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists". He was voted at #33 in Q Magazine's list of the top 100 Greatest Singers of all time, and #59 on Rolling Stone 100 Greatest Singers of all time. As a solo artist, Stewart was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, and will be inducted a second time, as a member of Faces, in April 2012.

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Rod Stewart - Sailing (HQ) |Top of The Pops 09-23-1976|

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DppHwVX5bn0

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Rod Stewart - Do ya think I'm sexy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmMNc_ySHAE

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Rod Stewart - My Heart Can't Tell You No

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWugD3jlFts

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Rod Stewart & Ron Wood - Reason to Believe (Unplugged)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzGWo9osFsg

================================================

Movie Poster: Rear Window - Alfred Hitchcock

2012-01-10T18:56:00.001-08:00

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Movie Poster: A Clockwork Orange

2012-01-10T18:55:00.001-08:00

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Movie Poster: Black Swan

2012-01-10T18:54:00.000-08:00

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Movie Poster: The Iron Giant

2012-01-10T18:52:00.000-08:00

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Profile Playlist: Jim Croce 1943-1973

2012-01-10T08:58:00.000-08:00

James Joseph "Jim" Croce (January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973) was an American singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles. His singles "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" and "Time in a Bottle" were both number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

From the mid-1960s to early 1970s, Croce performed with his wife as a duo. At first, their performances included songs by artists such as Ian and Sylvia, Gordon Lightfoot, Joan Baez, and Woody Guthrie, but in time, they began writing their own music. During this time, Croce got his first long-term gig at a rural bar and steak house in Lima, Pennsylvania, called "The Riddle Paddock". His set list included every genre from blues to country to rock 'n roll to folk.

In 1968, Jim and Ingrid Croce were encouraged by record producer Tommy West to move to New York City. The couple spent time in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx and recorded their first album with Capitol Records. During the next two years, they drove more than 300,000 miles, playing small clubs and concerts on the college concert circuit promoting their album Jim & Ingrid Croce.

In 1970, Croce met the classically trained pianist/guitarist and singer-songwriter Maury Muehleisen from Trenton, New Jersey through producer Joe Salviuolo (aka Sal Joseph). Salviuolo had been friends with Croce when they attended Villanova University together, and Salviuolo later discovered Muehleisen when he was teaching at Glassboro State College in New Jersey. Salviuolo brought the Croce and Muehleisen duo together at the production office of Tommy West and Terry Cashman in New York City. Initially, Croce backed Muehleisen on guitar at his gigs but in time their roles reversed, with Muehleisen adding lead guitar to Croce's down-to-earth music.

In 1972, Croce signed to a three-record deal with ABC Records and released two albums, You Don't Mess Around with Jim and Life and Times. The singles "You Don't Mess Around with Jim", "Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)", and "Time in a Bottle" (written for his then-unborn son, A. J. Croce) all received airplay. Croce's biggest single, "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown", hit #1 on the American charts in July 1973.

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Jim Croce - Operator

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RA4MykPm4s

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Jim Croce - Time In A Bottle (1973)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHDt2t0oO7g

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Jim Croce - I Got A Name (Original Studio Version)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9hYpM0o7x8

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Jim Croce - I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RA4MykPm4s

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Jim Croce - Operator (Live) [remastered] performance by Jim Croce and Maury Muehleisen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPu_G-T28iU

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Profile Playlist: David Bowie

2012-01-08T20:23:00.000-08:00

David Bowie (born David Robert Jones - January 8, 1947) is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s. He is known for his distinctive voice, and the intellectual depth and eclecticism of his work.

Bowie first caught the eye and ear of the public in July 1969, when his song "Space Oddity" reached the top five of the UK Singles Chart. After a three-year period of experimentation he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with the flamboyant, androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust, spearheaded by the hit single "Starman" and the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Bowie's impact at that time, as described by biographer David Buckley, "challenged the core belief of the rock music of its day" and "created perhaps the biggest cult in popular culture." The relatively short-lived Ziggy persona proved merely one facet of a career marked by continual reinvention, musical innovation and striking visual presentation.

In 1975, Bowie achieved his first major American crossover success with the number-one single "Fame" and the hit album Young Americans, which the singer characterised as "plastic soul". The sound constituted a radical shift in style that initially alienated many of his UK devotees. He then confounded the expectations of both his record label and his American audiences by recording the minimalist album Low (1977)—the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno over the next two years. The so-called "Berlin Trilogy" albums all reached the UK top five and garnered lasting critical praise.

After uneven commercial success in the late 1970s, Bowie had UK number ones with the 1980 single "Ashes to Ashes", its parent album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), and "Under Pressure", a 1981 collaboration with Queen. He then reached a new commercial peak in 1983 with Let's Dance, which yielded several hit singles. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bowie continued to experiment with musical styles, including blue-eyed soul, industrial, adult contemporary, and jungle. His last recorded album was Reality (2003), which was supported by the 2003–04 Reality Tour.

Buckley says of Bowie: "His influence has been unique in popular culture—he has permeated and altered more lives than any comparable figure." In the BBC's 2002 poll of the 100 Greatest Britons, Bowie was placed at number 29. Throughout his career, he has sold an estimated 140 million albums. In the UK, he has been awarded nine Platinum album certifications, 11 Gold and eight Silver, and in the US, five Platinum and seven Gold certifications. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him 39th on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time", and 23rd on their list of the best singers of all-time.

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David Bowie - Space Oddity (stereo version)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKE3FSPJu-4

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David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n0pf7anLa4

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David Bowie - Let's Dance (Official Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4d7Wp9kKjA

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David Bowie - China Girl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlaUlb_obbI

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David Bowie - Slow Burn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0Kjlt5X7vA

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TV Series: Seinfeld 1989-1998

2012-01-08T15:37:00.000-08:00

Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself. Set predominantly in an apartment block on Manhattan's Upper West Side (but shot in Los Angeles), the show features a host of Jerry's friends and acquaintances, in particular best friend George Costanza, former girlfriend Elaine Benes, and neighbor across the hall, Cosmo Kramer.

Seinfeld was produced by Castle Rock Entertainment and distributed in association with Columbia Pictures Television and Columbia TriStar Television; Sony Pictures Television has distributed the series since 2002. It was largely co-written by David and Seinfeld with input from numerous script writers, including Larry Charles, Peter Mehlman, Gregg Kavet, Andy Robin, Carol Leifer, David Mandel, Jeff Schaffer, Steve Koren, Jennifer Crittenden, Tom Gammill, Max Pross, Charlie Rubin, Marjorie Gross, Alec Berg, Elaine Pope, and Spike Feresten.

A critical favorite, commercial blockbuster and cultural phenomenon, the show led the Nielsen ratings in its sixth and ninth seasons and finished among the top two (along with NBC's ER) every year from 1994 to 1998. In 2002, TV Guide named Seinfeld the greatest television program of all time. In 1997, the episodes "The Boyfriend" and "The Parking Garage" were respectively ranked #4 and #33 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.

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Funniest Seinfeld - Moments Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaPxSsK6ZQA

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Funniest Seinfeld - Moments - Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go5g96vKF1U

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Funniest Seinfeld - Moments - Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsdYckwR1qc

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Funniest Seinfeld - Moments - Part 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6FRtMi9NWI

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Profile: Boris Vallejo - Artist and Painter

2012-01-08T14:15:00.000-08:00

Boris Vallejo (born January 8, 1941) is a Peruvian-born American painter. He immigrated to the United States in 1964, and he currently resides in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He frequently works with Julie Bell, his wife, painter, and model.

Vallejo works almost exclusively in the fantasy and erotica genres. His hyper-representational paintings have graced the covers of dozens of science fiction paperbacks and are featured in a series of best-selling glossy calendars. Subjects of his paintings are typically Sword and sorcery gods, monsters, and well-muscled male and female barbarians engaged in battle. Some of his male figures were modeled by Vallejo himself, and many of his later female characters were modeled by his wife. His latest works still retain heavy fantasy elements, but lean more towards the erotic rather than pure fantasy themes.

Vallejo has been named as the artist guest of honor at Renovation, the 69th World Science Fiction Convention.

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Profile Playlist: Elvis Presley – The King of Rock n Roll

2012-01-08T11:04:00.000-08:00

Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".

Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, Presley moved to Memphis, Tennessee, with his family at the age of 13. He began his career there in 1954, working with Sun Records owner Sam Phillips, who wanted to bring the sound of African American music to a wider audience. Accompanied by guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, Presley was one of the originators of rockabilly, an uptempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country and rhythm and blues. RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, who would manage the singer for over two decades. Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel", released in January 1956, was a number one hit. He became the leading figure of the newly popular sound of rock and roll with a series of network television appearances and chart-topping records. His energized interpretations of songs, many from African American sources, and his uninhibited performance style made him enormously popular—and controversial. In November 1956, he made his film debut in Love Me Tender.

Conscripted into military service in 1958, Presley relaunched his recording career two years later with some of his most commercially successful work. He staged few concerts however, and guided by Parker, proceeded to devote much of the 1960s to making Hollywood movies and soundtrack albums, most of them critically derided. In 1968, after seven years away from the stage, he returned to live performance in a celebrated comeback television special that led to an extended Las Vegas concert residency and a string of profitable tours. In 1973 Presley staged the first concert broadcast globally via satellite, Aloha from Hawaii, seen by approximately 1.5 billion viewers. Prescription drug abuse severely compromised his health, and he died suddenly in 1977 at the age of 42.

Presley is regarded as one of the most important figures of 20th-century popular culture. He had a versatile voice and unusually wide success encompassing many genres, including country, pop ballads, gospel, and blues. He is the best-selling solo artist in the history of popular music. Nominated for 14 competitive Grammys, he won three, and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36. He has been inducted into multiple music halls of fame.

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Don't Be Cruel (Live)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6D206o0Hws

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Can't Help Falling In Love (Live - Remastered Audio)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmakK7BSRnE

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Viva Las Vegas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPuKoqu6kMk

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Suspicious Minds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtsmuVA0m7c

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Elvis vs JXL - A Little Less Conversation ft. Elvis Presley (Tribute)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx5TZryPYY8

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NEWSFLASH: Star Trek - Joe Bodolai - Ben Breedlove

2012-01-02T14:32:00.000-08:00

‘Star Trek 2′ Comic Book Tie-In and Timeline Discussion - Writer Mike Johnson reveals the ongoing ‘Star Trek’ comic book series will connect to the ‘Trek’ movie sequel. Meanwhile, director J.J. Abrams talks about the film’s altered timeline. Read More: http://screenrant.com/star-trek-2-timeline-comic-book-sandy-145602/
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MSN's Top 10 Movies of 2011 - http://movies.msn.com/movies/year-in-review/top-10-movies/

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Movies 2011: Hits and Misses - http://movies.msn.com/paralleluniverse/2011-hits-and-misses/photo-gallery/feature/

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After Christmas death, teen leaves online message behind - Ben Breedlove, an 18-year-old high school senior in Austin, Texas, died on Christmas Day of a heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, something he'd had all of his life. But he left behind two wordless videos on his YouTube channel, in which he used a series of note cards with handwritten messages to tell his life story, including the three times he "cheated death." His family discovered the videos in the hours after his death, reports NBC's Austin, Texas, affiliate station, KXAN. Read More: http://todayhealth.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/28/9773999-after-christmas-death-teen-leaves-online-message-behind

Watch Part 1 of Ben Breedlove's video message, which he called, "This is my story."

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'Fresh Prince' Aunt Rips Will Smith - Janet Hubert explains why she boycotts all reunions - http://social.entertainment.msn.com/tv/blogs/tv-buzz-blog.aspx?blog=2080&feat=ebc9e283-5493-43a1-b40a-4764ea704ea5

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Tebow Was Fined by Teammates for Billboard Telling Coach to Let Him Play - http://news.yahoo.com/tebow-fined-teammates-billboard-telling-coach-let-him-010304626--spt.html

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Forbes Magazine's 30 Under 30 - Art and Design Profiles: http://www.forbes.com/special-report/2011/30-under30-12/30-under-30-12_art.html

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Cops: Woman burned to death owed suspect $2,000 - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45711605/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/man-charged-womans-elevator-burning-death/#.TvER25efegc

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Report: Former 'SNL' writer commits suicide - Joe Bodolai, a former "Saturday Night Live" staff writer who co-wrote the first draft of the 1992 "Wayne's World" movie, was found dead at a Los Angeles hotel on Monday after apparently committing suicide, TMZ reported. Read More: http://entertainment.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/27/9743137-report-former-snl-writer-commits-suicide

Check out Joe Bodolai's last blog post: IF THIS WERE Y0UR LAST DAY ALIVE WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

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Sony PlayStation Vita Still On Track With No Price Cut Imminent - http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngaudiosi/2012/01/02/sony-playstation-vita-still-on-track-with-no-price-cut-imminent/?partner=yahootix

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The best places for trading back holiday games - http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/best-places-trading-back-holiday-games-172612389.html

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Former Miss Venezuela dies of breast cancer at 28 - http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45727845/ns/today-style/#.TvlhCZefegd

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Man Allegedly Infected Thousands with HIV (VIDEO) - Authorities in Grand Rapids, said David Smith, 51, was arrested after he turned himself in and confessed to police that he was infecting sexual partners with the human immunodeficiency virus, according to woodtv.com - http://global.christianpost.com/news/man-allegedly-infected-thousands-with-hiv-66060/
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TV Series: The Twilight Zone

2012-01-01T13:48:00.000-08:00

The Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode (156 in the original series) is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist. A popular and critical success, it introduced many Americans to serious science fiction and abstract ideas through television and also through a wide variety of Twilight Zone literature.

The program followed in the tradition of earlier shows like Tales of Tomorrow (1951–1953)—which also dramatized the short story "What You Need"—and Science Fiction Theatre (1955–1957), as well as radio programs such as The Weird Circle and X Minus One, and the radio work of Serling's hero, dramatist Norman Corwin.

The success of the series led to a feature film, a radio series, a comic book, a magazine, and various other spin-offs that spanned five decades, such as two "revival" television series. The first ran on CBS and in syndication in the 1980s, and another that ran on UPN from 2002 to 2003.

Read More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twilight_Zone

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VIDEO: Top 10 Twilight Zone Episodes - Cinemassacre.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqdlDyNcPko

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VIDEO: U2 - New Years Day

2012-01-01T13:17:00.000-08:00

All is quiet on New Year's Day / A world in white gets underway / I want to be with you / Be with you night and day / Nothing changes on New Year's Day / On New Year's Day / I will be with you again / I will be with you again.....

U2 - New Years Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6Y-t85vs4g

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TV Series: Mad Men – AMC Channel

2011-12-31T13:36:00.000-08:00

Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series airs on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and is produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each season has consisted of 13 episodes. The fifth season is scheduled to premiere on March 16, 2012.

Mad Men is set in the 1960s, initially at the fictional Sterling Cooper advertising agency on Madison Avenue in New York City, and later at the newly created firm of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. The focal point of the series is Don Draper (Jon Hamm), creative director at Sterling Cooper and a founding partner at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, and the people in his life, both in and out of the office. As such, it regularly depicts the changing moods and social mores of 1960s America.

Mad Men has received critical acclaim, particularly for its historical authenticity and visual style, and has won multiple awards, including fifteen Emmys and four Golden Globes. It is the first basic cable series to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, winning it in each of its first four seasons in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011

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VIDEO: Mad Men Tribute - "The Infanta" by The Decemberists - A Mad Men montage featuring the best moments of the fourth season, from the first up to the tenth episode. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdLc3blCOLY

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Quotes 2011 - 11 Favorite Quotes of 2011

2011-12-31T12:58:00.000-08:00

OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD. Thank you EVERYONE

– The Arcade Fire twitted this after winning the Grammy Award: Album of The Year for their critically-acclaimed CD, “The Suburbs”

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There's a fire starting in my heart / Reaching a fever pitch, it's bringing me out the dark....

– Adele, “Rolling In the Deep”

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"I am on a drug. It's called 'Charlie Sheen.' It's not available because if you try it once, you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body."

- Charlie Sheen

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"There were points in my life where I felt oddly irresistible to women. I'm not in that state now, and that makes me sad."

- Jack Nicholson

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The open road, the path of greatness / It's at your fingers / Go be the one that keeps on fighting / Go be the stranger / Just put your foot in front' the other / Crow like the rooster / We are allowed to get us something / Free as a danger

– “The Immortals”, Kings of Leon

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Bobby: You discovered it. You get to name it.

Dean: Jefferson Starships. Huh? Because they're horrible and hard to kill.

– “Mommy Dearest”, Supernatural Season 6, Ep. 19

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“Its been a real Disney weekend…A girl married a prince and a bad guy died in the end... “

– Various social network posts concerning the weekend wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton (Friday, April 29, 2011) and the official announcement on the death of Osama bin Laden (Sunday, May 1, 2011)

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Michael J. Fox bout to be Michael J. f**ked up in a minute!! Shaky motha f**kers like that, ya know little kids and s**t, old people, motha f**kers who can't defend themselves, and you. That's perfect. You two face off, that s**t is even steven.

– Leon Black to Larry David on why he shouldn't confront Michael J. Fox about his stumping in the night and why Larry should in "Larry vs. Michael J. Fox”, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Season 8

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If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal... you become something else entirely. A legend, Mr. Wayne, a legend.

- Ra's al Ghul, Batman: The Dark Knight Rises Teaser Trailer

VIDEO: The Dark Knight Rises - Official Teaser Trailer [HD]

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“You can’t buy it back — you can’t buy your privacy back.” - Daniel Craig on The Kardashian family - “…‘Ooh I want to be alone.’ F—- you. We’ve been in your living room. We were at your birth. You filmed it for us and showed us the placenta and now you want some privacy?”

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I let my haters be my motivators

- Blithe from the movie, The Sitter

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Profile: Tyrone Power (1914-1958)

2011-12-31T12:46:00.000-08:00

Tyrone Edmund Power, Jr. (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958), usually credited as Tyrone Power and known sometimes as Ty Power, was an American film and stage actor who appeared in dozens of films from the 1930s to the 1950s, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads such as in The Mark of Zorro, Blood and Sand, The Black Swan, Prince of Foxes, The Black Rose, and Captain from Castile.

Though renowned for his dark, classically handsome looks that made him a matinee idol from his first film appearance, Power played a wide range of roles, from film leading man to light comedy. In the 1950s, he began placing limits on the number of films he would make in order to have time for the stage. He received his biggest accolades as a stage actor in John Brown's Body and Mister Roberts. Power died from a heart attack at the age of 44.

Power went to Hollywood in 1936. The director Henry King was impressed with his looks and poise, and he insisted that Power be tested for the lead role in Lloyd's of London, a role thought already to belong to Don Ameche. Despite Darryl F. Zanuck's reservations, he decided to go ahead and give Power the role, once King and Fox editor, Barbara McLean, convinced him that Power had a greater screen presence than Ameche. Power was fourth billed in the movie, but he had by far the most screen time of any actor. He walked into the premiere of the movie an unknown, and he walked out a star, which he stayed for the remainder of his career.

Power racked up hit after hit from 1936 until 1943, when his career was interrupted for military service. In these years, he starred in romantic comedies such as Thin Ice and Day-Time Wife; in dramas such as Suez, Blood and Sand, Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake,The Rains Came, and In Old Chicago; in the musicals, Alexander's Ragtime Band, Second Fiddle, and Rose of Washington Square; in the westerns, Jesse James (1939) and Brigham Young; in the war films, Yank in the R.A.F. and This Above All; and, of course, the swashbucklers, The Mark of Zorro and The Black Swan. Jesse James was a very big hit at the box office, but it did receive some criticism for fictionalizing and glamorizing the famous outlaw. The movie was shot in and around the Pineville, Missouri area and was Power's first location shoot and his first Technicolor movie. Before his career was over, he would have filmed a total of 16 movies in color, including the movie he was filming when he died. He was loaned out once, for MGM for 1938's Marie Antoinette. Darryl F. Zanuck was angry that MGM used Fox's biggest star in what was, despite billing, a supporting role, and he vowed to never again loan him out. Though Power's services were requested for the role of Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind, Joe Bonaparte in Golden Boy, Paris in King's Row, by Harry Cohn for several films throughout the years, and by Norma Shearer herself for her planned production of The Last Tycoon to play Irving Thalberg, Zanuck stuck by his original decision.

He was named the second biggest box office draw in 1939, surpassed by only Mickey Rooney

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VIDEO: The Mark of Zorro 1940 (Full Original Movie) - Starring Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell and Basil Rathbone - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMcTKNDB2TM

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol – Questions and Comments

2011-12-31T12:28:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, I saw the latest installment to the Mission: Impossible film series, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and must say its better than I thought it would be….However, I feel Mission: Impossible III is the best in the series. That movie had more of a sense of urgency for the main character, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and dealt with his own personal life vs. his life as a secret agent. Plus it had the best villain in the series so far, Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman).

Only a few questions/comments this time around….

1) Why wasn’t the villain given a more distinguishable look? Most villains in spy movies are sooo over the top sometimes but it would have been cool to have the villain in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol with one-arm or a scar or a patch over his eye…something to make him more menacing… AND that goes for his goon too…Put some metal in his mouth or something!!

2) Why is the locale and scenes soooo limited to the Middle East and Russia? Couldn’t we get a trip to the Alps or the Pacific Islands as well? Not that it was bad, its just I was looking forward to more scenery…felt like I was watching an episode of 24…everything happening in a day and in the same place.

3) And speaking of 24, the actor, Anil Kapoor, who plays the wealthy target of the team Brij Nath also played the character, President Omar Hassan in 24. Had much respect for his performance on that show and other movies he's been in…but in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol he is played like a real chump…any new actor could have played an oversexed, arrogant billionaire playboy but Anil’s performance or just being in this role just seemed out of place, especially for such a great actor who has been doing movies since the 1980s.

4) And, of course, critics have been talking about the plot with the Russian missiles and the goal of the villains to start a nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia…ummm, the Cold War has been over for a while guys…Not unless the writers and producers know something we don’t….

5) Simon Pegg’s character Benji Dunn came very close to becoming annoying…and not good annoying but Joe Pesci (Leo Getz) Lethal Weapon 3 bad annoying…but he eventually tone it down a bit as the movie progressed…

6) Any mission that agent Jane Carter (Paula Patton) is accepting, I will accept also…

7) Great job to director Brad Bird for this being his first live-action film.

8) At one point, I was beginning to wonder Where the hell is Ving Rhames? He’s been in every Mission Possible movie up to this point but eventually they do address that later…as well as other minor things that I began to question….Great ending and very exceptional way they cleared up things in the last few minutes….

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Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol Trailer 2 (HD)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl6vmRNAUsE

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Playlist 2011 – Favorite Songs of The Year

2011-12-30T01:20:00.000-08:00

Here, submitted for and despite your approval, are my favorite and/or most listened to songs of 2011. Some of them are new, while other songs are a bit older that I either discovered or re-discovered, that is, songs that either grew on me from albums of previous years or I had not listened to in a long while or music that just fit a certain mood for me during the certain points in time of my life throughout the past year.. – I’ve also posted a selection of song videos that I feel sums up my personal musicality during the past year among humanity….

Now, The Kingsington Post Playlsit 2011 in order of titles alphabetically…..

1. A Beautiful Mine - RJD2 (theme from the television series Mad Men)
2. A House Wife Love Song – Starflyer 59
3. After – Moby
4. Alive – Pearl Jam
5. At Your Best (You Are Love) - Aaliyah
6. Be The One – Moby
7. Best And Marsh – New Order
8. Birthday – Kings of Leon
9. Black – Pearl Jam
10. Blue Collar Love – Starflyer 59
11. Blue Moon – Moby
12. Body and Soul – Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse
13. Come To My Aid (Live) – Simply Red
14. Commotion – Creedance Clearwater Revival
15. Daydreams – Lemon
16. Derezzed – Daft Punk (from the motion picture soundtrack Tron: Legacy)
17. Dog Days Are Over - Florence + The Machine
18. Dreaming in Metaphors – Seal
19. Duel Overhead Cam – Starflyer 59
20. End of Line - Daft Punk (from the motion picture soundtrack Tron: Legacy)
21. Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall – Coldplay
22. Fake – Simply Red
23. Fall - Daft Punk (from the motion picture soundtrack Tron: Legacy)
24. Give Me Everything - Pitbull Featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer
25. Go – Pearl Jam

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Fake - Simply Red

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olr1ySlWmBs

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26. Harmony – Starflyer 59
27. Hazelwould – Starflyer 59
28. How You Like Me Now – The Heavy
29. I Drive A Lot – Starflyer 59
30. I Will Be Your Friend (Remix) – Sade
31. I’m Alive – Seal
32. If I Could – Seal
33. Imitation of Life – R.E.M.
34. In the Air Tonight (Cure & Cause Remix) - Phil Collins
35. In the Night (Electric Allstars Radio Edit) – Lemon
36. Inner Universe – Origa (from the Anime Television Series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex)
37. It's The End Of The World As We Know It (and I Feel Fine...) – R.E.M.
38. Kiss of Life (Unreleased House Mix) – Sade
39. Lacrimae – Moby
40. Lie Down In Darkness – Moby
41. Love Song – Adele
42. Lunatic Fringe - Red Rider
43. Magneto Theme - Henry Jackman (from the motion picture soundtrack X-Men: First Class)
44. Man Or Muppet - Jason Segel and Walter (from the motion picture soundtrack The Muppets)
45. Modern Man – Arcade Fire
46. Monarchy of Roses – Red Hot Chilli Peppers
47. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera
48. No Light, No Light - Florence + The Machine
49. No Money – Kings of Leon
50. Not Even Close – Lemon

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Inner Universe – Origa (from the Anime Television Series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5c4_8soYxY

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51. Not In Love - Crystal Castles ft Robert Smith

52. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – John Barry

53. On The Floor – Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull

54. Our Day Will Come – Amy Winehouse

55. Out of Touch (DJ Kue Remix) - Hall and Oates

56. Paradise – Coldplay

57. Party Rock Anthem – LMFAO Featuring Lauren Bennett & GoonRock

58. Personal Jesus (Stargate Remix) 2011 – Depeche Mode

59. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People

60. Pyro – Kings of Leon

61. Raise Your Glass – Pink

62. Ready to Start – Arcade Fire

63. Rockets – Moby

64. Rolling in The Deep – Adele

65. Set Fire to The Rain – Adele

66. Sevastopol – Moby

67. Sex is On Fire – Kings of Leon

68. Somewhere Beyond (Radio Edit) - Michael Gray and Steve Edwards

69. Spirit ( Original 12 Inch B-side) – Sade

70. Stella Maris – Moby

71. Strangelove (Tim Simenon, Mark Saunders Remix) – Depeche Mode

72. Strip My Mind – Red Hot Chilli Peppers

73. Sub-Culture – New Order

74. Sukiyaki - Kyu Sakamoto

75. The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie - Red Hot Chilli Peppers

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Rolling in The Deep – Adele

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYEDA3JcQqw&ob=av2e

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76. The Broken Places – Moby

77. The Day – Moby

78. The End – Kings of Leon

79. The Ends – Basement Jaxx (from the motion picture soundtrack Attack The Block)

80. The Face – Kings of Leon

81. The Immortals – Kings of Leon

82. The Low Hum – Moby

83. The One – Elton John

84. The Perfect Kiss (Hot Tracks Mix) – New Order

85. The Right Thing – Moby

86. The Suburbs – Arcade Fire

87. The Undoing – Interpol

88. The Violent Bear It Away – Moby

89. Try it On (Live @ Space 15 Twenty) – Interpol

90. Unthinkable – Alicia Keys

91. Until the End of the World – U2

92. Valerie – Amy Winehouse

93. Vanishing Point [Instrumental Making Out Mix] – New Order

94. Victoria Lucas – Moby

95. We Found Love - Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris

96. We Got Love (Frank Iengo Remix) – Lemon

97. When the World is Running Down (Different Gear Remix) - The Police

98. When You Are Old – Moby

99. Wish I Didn't Miss You - Angie Stone

100. Won't Back Down - Eminem feat. Pink (from the motion picture trailer for Mission : Impossible - Ghost Protocol)

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The Immortals – Kings of Leon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A736xJ50tg

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The Ends – Basement Jaxx (from the motion picture soundtrack Attack The Block)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG7TD0p0Zg4

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MyMovies: The Lord of The Rings - Film Series

2011-12-20T22:15:00.000-08:00

The Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003).

The films were directed by Peter Jackson and distributed by New Line Cinema. Considered to be one of the biggest and most ambitious movie projects ever undertaken, with an overall budget of $285 million, the entire project took eight years, with the filming for all three films done simultaneously and entirely in Jackson's native New Zealand. Each film in the trilogy also had Special Extended Editions, released on DVD a year after the theatrical releases. While the films follow the book's general storyline, they do omit some of the plot elements from the novel and include some additions to and other deviations from the source material.

Set in the fictional world of Middle-earth, the three films follow the hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) as he and a Fellowship embark on a quest to destroy the One Ring, and thus ensure the destruction of its maker, the Dark Lord Sauron. The Fellowship becomes divided and Frodo continues the quest together with his loyal companion Sam (Sean Astin) and the treacherous Gollum (Andy Serkis). Meanwhile, the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), heir in exile to the throne of Gondor, unite and rally the Free Peoples of Middle-earth, who are ultimately victorious in the War of the Ring.

The trilogy was a great financial success, with the films collectively being the sixth highest-grossing film series of all-time (behind Harry Potter, James Bond, Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Shrek). The films were critically acclaimed and heavily awarded, winning 17 out of 30 Academy Awards nominated in total. The final film in the trilogy, The Return of the King, won all 11 of the Academy Awards for which it was nominated, tying it with Ben-Hur and Titanic for most Academy Awards received for a film. The trilogy received wide praise for the innovative special effects, both practical and digital.

Read More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings_film_trilogy

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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - Official Trailer [2001]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIgkpEgCV-I

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The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - Official Trailer [2002]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBNSOdEjtZs

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The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - Official Trailer [2003]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atKEVOpFL5Q

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The Lord of the Rings - Trilogy Super Trailer [2001-2003]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ63fpBxAw0

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BONUS: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Trailer HD

(Release Date: December 14, 2012) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0k3kHtyoqc

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MyMovies: It's a Wonderful Life 1946

2011-12-20T10:44:00.000-08:00

It's a Wonderful Life is an American Christmas drama film released on December 20, 1946; Produced and directed by Frank Capra and based on the short story "The Greatest Gift" written by Philip Van Doren Stern.

The film stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man whose imminent suicide on Christmas Eve brings about the intervention of his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers). Clarence shows George all the lives he has touched and the contributions he has made to his community.

Despite initially being considered a box office flop due to high production costs and stiff competition at the time of its release, the film has come to be regarded as a classic and a staple of Christmas television around the world. Theatrically, the film's break-even point was actually $6.3 million, approximately twice the production cost, a figure it never came close to achieving in its initial release. An appraisal in 2006 reported: "Although it was not the complete box-office failure that today everyone believes ... it was initially a major disappointment and confirmed, at least to the studios, that Capra was no longer capable of turning out the populist features that made his films the must-see, money-making events they once were."

It's a Wonderful Life was nominated for five Oscars without winning any, although the film has since been recognized by the American Film Institute as one of the 100 best American films ever made, and placed number one on their list of the most inspirational American films of all time.

Read More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It's_a_Wonderful_Life
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It's A Wonderful Life Original - Uncut Version 1946
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQoXV6oCzsQ

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Saturday Night Remix – 80s Hits

2011-12-17T17:31:00.000-08:00

PLAYLIST: Saturday Night Remix – Mega Hits of The 80s

Genesis - Land of Confusion (CA-Traxx Remix)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jLAtoGWbr4

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Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (House Remix)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTMnJ2RtutY

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Madonna - Into the Groove (CA-Traxx Remix)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPi0ypGSJEU

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Duran Duran - The Reflex (DB Night Club Remix)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzB44ARhKxE

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Hall and Oates - Can't Go For That (2001 White Label House Bootleg Mix)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lgow-u6wd4g

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X-Men First Class - Movie Questions Without Answers

2011-12-17T17:21:00.000-08:00

X-Men: First Class – Movie Questions Without Answers

Watched X-Men: First Class a few months ago and have been meaning to post my thoughts about it. Though I liked the movie as a stand-alone interpretation of the X-Men story (and probably one of the best superhero films ever produced), I don’t think it adds up chronologically to the rest of the movie franchise or even historically (someone needs to either watch the TV show, Madmen or read up on their 1960’s history).

At some points I found it hilarious (the funniest was that Mystique and Charles Xavier were BFFs?? And living in the mansion???)

Here are few questions that I start to bring up while watching it and moments thereafter:

1. Who was Xavier’s mother? How did he inherit or have all the money to afford that castle? And was he suppose to be English?

2. How did Erik escape from Sebastian Shaw during the years of torture?

3. Wait…Whose movie is this about anyway? Last I heard it was called X-Men, not Magneto Men but yet Erik is allowed to make a grand speech while Charles takes a bullet for good measure….The title of this movie should have been X-Men: The Rise of Magneto.

4. Not to sound chauvinistic, but was there any women working for the CIA in 1962 as a agent or spy? At what level is she to call the director directly while he’s in a meeting with the military and others? And also wearing short mini-skirts in 1962 (this is again, 1962 and not 1969)….

5. What? No Stan Lee cameo? LOL

6. Why didn’t Emma Frost sense the presence of Moira hiding in the room.

7. Damn, just how many women does Magneto need to be by his side?

8. What was Shaw’s endgame? Destruction? Take over? Burning down the White House?

9. While shooting at Shaw at the CIA compound a guy just happens to have Bazooka. Who brings a Bazooka to a gun fight?

10. Who was the dude with the power to control the wind? Storm’s father???

11. Why did the only Black guy in the movie get killed…but the Red devil guy is running around killing everybody?

12. Why did the Russians make the helmet for Shaw in the first place?

13. Ummm, not really a question but….that girl with the wings is NOT the real Angel!!

14. Uh…I thought Alex Summers was Scott’s little brother and not the other way around???

15. How did the United States and Russia agree to attack the mutants so quickly when they refused to agree on the missile blockade….and even that went back and forth for 13 days…plus, are the writers saying both Kennedy and Kruschev were mutant haters? That they ordered the assault on these people on the island? Did they even know what a mutant was/is...?

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Check out this video that tries unsuccessfully to explain and connect all the X-Men movies and related films:

The F'd Up Timeline of X-Men: First Class

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs3C6d-9_tA

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And since I really like the soundtrack, check out the Magneto theme:

X-Men First Class Soundtrack: Magneto (Theme)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnJM1xsKbsI

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Inception: An Introspective Overview by Torrence King

2011-12-17T16:54:00.001-08:00

INCEPTION An Introspective Overview by Torrence King

Christopher Nolan attempts an epic task with his dream-based film but its accomplishment hinges on the world in which it inhabits.

Was it all a dream? Or just a reflection of a distorted reality…slightly bent?

Christopher Nolan’s Inception is the sum of humanity’s most shared in-between life-to-death experience. No one can remember being born; Very few has ever come back from the dead and live to tell about it. But everyone eventually sleep and, therefore, dream. Inception presents no exception to that rule. In this reality, dreams, may well be, the stuff of life.

Some viewers of the film have called Inception a “masterpiece”, while others, “visually stunning”. Critics and moviegoers alike have applauded the mere daring of such a creative undertaking.

I, for one, must say that it is, for lack of a better word, interesting.

So far, my favorite movies by Nolan, are Memento, Batman Begins and The Prestige. While, to me, his most popular movie to date, Batman: The Dark Knight was too quick in its edits and did not include the nonlinear Nolan-style from scene to scene which was completely obvious in comparison to its predecessor Batman Begins. Nolan was out of his usual element with doing such a straight, blockbuster of a movie. (What? No flashbacks? No out-of-sync time-lines?)

My opinion is that Heath Ledger’s untimely death changed the way that movie was edited and expectation demanded a “summer blockbuster” and Nolan complied. It was a huge hit but not a Nolan-styled movie. For this, I cannot say I hate Dark Knight but neither can I say I love it. I will say I’ve seen it several times to get at the heart of Nolan's vision and that itself speaks for his gift. His movies make the viewer think, try to understand it and/or dissect it. Thus is the way I felt about Inception; it’s not a “love it or hate it” movie, it’s a motion picture work of art, whether you care or do not.

Then again, there are several questions lingering within Inception from scene to scene.

Such as, was it all a dream? Maybe.

Another question I pose: How can you use machines to put a dreamer to sleep within a dream of a dream?

This brings up the fact that there are two forms of Science Fiction/Fantasy storytelling difficult to convey: Time-Travel and Dream-Worlds. Both are not easy to accomplish if one point of the story is not covered. For example: In Back To The Future when Marty McFly saw himself at different points in time and could not prevent the other from accomplishing their missions or in Nightmare on Elm Street when someone falls asleep and Freddy Kruegar is in complete control of their dream world. With Inception, the effort is hampered by the fact that there is no origin or simple base story to be your guide through the twists and turns of the movie.

Was this “entering” of one’s dream a gift? A power? A scientific experiment only a chosen few are allowed to master?

And, also, what era are we to assume the “outside” world takes place? Past, present or future? No one will ever know because Nolan never explains it.

I would have appreciated some foundation given the fact that this journey is new to audiences in general.

When you watch a James Bond or Mission: Impossible movie, you have a preconceived notion of spy movies, though they may be different in their styles and delivery, you eventually come into a Jason Bourne or any other spy movie with some sort of expectation and your mind is pretty much on auto-pilot not unless there is a unexpected twist along the way.

Inception feels not so much like a fresh start but more like starting in a story’s middle with no beginning and no ending. Just know that you’re here and really don’t know how you got here.

The lyrics to Once In A Lifetime by the Talking Heads come to mind:

And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself: “Well...How did I get here?

Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Dominic Cobb addresses that in the movie to explain to student Ariadne (Ellen Page) what it feels like when you fall asleep and dream. No point of origin. You’re just there.

Did Nolan want audiences to feel that way too? You’re here. Enjoy the ride. Destination unknown.

To take us on this journey are a top-notch ensemble of actors: DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy, Ken Watanabe, Tom Berenger, Dileep Rao, Pete Postlethwaite, Lukas Haas and Michael Caine. Their performances are all played well with Tom Hardy and Joseph Gordon-Leavitt’s characters being the great action heroes of the story.

Pivotal scenes and camera angles are also excellent and reminiscent to another great director, Stanley Kubrick. I noticed this even in the first set of trailers. Most recently, I learned that the Christopher Nolan was influenced greatly by Kubrick, so I approach this film with that in mind. By my estimation, I do believe Kubrick would have been proud of Inception with its style and cinematography as a reminder to his approach to film making.
There are very few directors like Nolan and Kubrick that want the movie audience to be a participant of their films no matter how uncomfortable visually or mentally it can be. (A Clockwork Orange, anyone?)

Finally, for our viewing pleasure there were some noteworthy points of reference Nolan may or may not have intended to present:

1) Édith Piaf's song "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien" plays in various scenes. Actress Marion Cotillard who plays Mallorie "Mal" Cobb, Dominic Cobb's deceased wife, also starred as Piaf in 2007 film about her life, La Vie en rose.

2) On a somewhat lighter note, there is a scene with DiCaprio where his character Cobb is trying to talk someone down from leaping to their death. I could only be reminded of him doing the same thing in Titanic over 10 years ago as the doomed character, Jack Dawson calming down Rose (Kate Winslet) from jumping off the edge of the ship. That effort doesn’t bode so well this time.

Besides the loops and turns of this film, moviegoers are definitely in for a treat. Nolan has done it again visually but making it all work as a story only distracts slightly.

Then again, not unless it was all a dream. At which point, the story doesn’t matter and the scope of Inception can be taken in for all its daring.

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December 7 1941 - The Attack on Pearl Harbor

2011-12-07T00:04:00.000-08:00

The attack on Pearl Harbor (called Hawaii Operation or Operation AI by the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters (Operation Z in planning) and the Battle of Pearl Harbor) was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941 (December 8 in Japan). The attack was intended as a preventive action in order to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering with military actions the Empire of Japan was planning in Southeast Asia against overseas territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States.

The base was attacked by 353 Japanese fighters, bombers and torpedo planes in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers. All eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged, with four being sunk. All but two of the eight were raised, repaired and returned to service later in the war. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship,[nb 2] and one minelayer. One hundred eighty-eight U.S. aircraft were destroyed; 2,402 Americans were killed and 1,282 wounded. The power station, shipyard, maintenance, and fuel and torpedo storage facilities, as well as the submarine piers and headquarters building (also home of the intelligence section) were not attacked. Japanese losses were light: 29 aircraft and five midget submarines lost, and 65 servicemen killed or wounded. One Japanese sailor was captured.

The attack came as a profound shock to the American people and led directly to the American entry into World War II in both the Pacific and European theaters. The following day (December 8) the United States declared war on Japan. Domestic support for isolationism, which had been strong, disappeared. Clandestine support of Britain (for example the Neutrality Patrol) was replaced by active alliance. Subsequent operations by the U.S. prompted Germany and Italy to declare war on the U.S. on December 11, which was reciprocated by the U.S. the same day.

There were numerous historical precedents for unannounced military action by Japan. However, the lack of any formal warning, particularly while negotiations were still apparently ongoing, led President Franklin D. Roosevelt to proclaim December 7, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy".

Read More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor

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Attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMa0LNnI-iA

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Pearl Harbor Attack announcement - Radio Announcement December 7 1941
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xEWvIn-YNc

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Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Pearl Harbor Address
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VqQAf74fsE

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Poem: Love in Time

2011-11-17T14:42:00.000-08:00

LOVE IN TIME

Love can hold time.
Love can measure time.
Love can make time stand still.

Love is the substance of all things.
Those things hidden from the eye,
Those things hidden from the ears.

Into the sky, under the ocean,
Love endures the shifts and changes.

Every rain, every storm.
Love stands against it all.

What burden?
What worry?
What fear?
What sorrow?

Love conquers them all
And with every mile,
Moves forward.

This power is strong.
This thing called love.
Time may seem stronger
It may test this mortal world.

Time,
O, it may age us all
But a love that binds
Is ageless.

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©1998 All Rights Reserved. From the poetry-art collection "The Kiss of Life"

To view and order The Kiss of Life – Go to:
http://torrenceking.blogspot.com/2011/08/kiss-of-life-poetry-art-collection.html
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Stardust the Super-Wizard - Kaos Strikes The Planet Earth

2011-10-22T17:42:00.000-07:00

Stardust the Super-Wizard: Kaos Strikes The Planet Earth!! Comic Book, Posters and Cards

Written/Illustrated by Torrence King - Based on Stories and Characters created by Fletcher Hanks

(Published by Thom Kane Publishers)

Synopsis: The intergalactic villain known as Kaos unleashes a threat against the planet Earth and its up to Stardust, the Super-Wizard to stop him!

To order, click “Add To Cart” below:

Stardust the Super-Wizard: Kaos Strikes The Planet Earth Comic Book: $3.99

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Stardust the Super-Wizard - Trading Cards (8-Card Set includes sketch art, character designs and more!): $3.99

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Stardust the Super-Wizard: Kaos Strikes The Planet Earth! Comic E-Book: $1.99 - Available 11-11-11

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Stardust the Super-Wizard 11x14 Glossy Poster Print: $14.99

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FanFilm: X-Men First Class - Opening Credit

2011-09-14T20:54:00.000-07:00

X-Men First Class - Opening Credit - Joe D Version

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0Hqi3JHhR8

Created by Joe D at SecretUndergroundHeadquarters.com - Great Saul Bass-inspired main title sequence for the new Matthew Vaughn X-Men film.

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Joe D's X-Men: First Class Main Title (Remix)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xaljr24edI

From Zob10701 @ YouTube: Joe D over at SecretUndergroundHeadquarters.com created this great Saul Bass-inspired main title sequence for the new Matthew Vaughn X-Men film. I replaced the audio with a cue from the late, great Jerry Goldsmith—who would've probably ended up scoring the movie had it been made in the 60s—with a cue from the score to "Our Man Flint" edited to fit the sequence.

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VIDEO: Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse - Body And Soul

2011-09-14T20:06:00.000-07:00

Music video by Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse performing Body And Soul.

Amy Winehouse's Final Video Leaves a Bittersweet Legacy - Posted by Linda Sharps on September 14, 2011 at 12:49 PM

From: http://thestir.cafemom.com/entertainment/125945/amy_winehouses_final_video_leaves

She sings the lines and her voice soars, purrs, and becomes a presence that's almost visible in the studio: I spend my days in longing/And wondering why it's me you're wronging/I tell you I mean it/I'm all for you body and soul. Afterward, Amy Winehouse kisses her gold necklace and briefly looks up and points to the ceiling.

This is the last video and song recorded by Winehouse, and it's a beauty. Gone is the bizarre behavior that often accompanied her live concerts, and no fancy camera tricks or special effects make this video anything more than what it is: a perfectly lovely duet performance of "Body and Soul." Sharing the spotlight with Tony Bennett, Amy Winehouse truly looks like she's been resurrected from a healthier, happier time.

Her hair is piled up in that signature bouffant, her eyes are kohl-lined as always, and she appears in glowing good health and spirits. It's all the more tragic that the song was recorded in London's Abbey Road Studios this March, just months before her death.

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September 11 2001 – The September 11th Attacks

2011-09-11T10:25:00.000-07:00

The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/11) were a series of four coordinated suicide attacks upon the United States in New York City and Washington, D.C. on September 11, 2001. On that morning, 19 terrorists from the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger jets. The hijackers intentionally crashed two planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City; both towers collapsed within two hours. Hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth jet, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to take control before it could reach the hijacker's intended target in Washington, D.C. Nearly 3,000 died in the attacks.

Suspicion quickly fell on al-Qaeda, and in 2004, the group's leader Osama bin Laden, who had initially denied involvement, claimed responsibility for the attacks. Al-Qaeda and bin Laden cited U.S. support of Israel, the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, and sanctions against Iraq as motives for the attacks. The United States responded to the attacks by launching the War on Terror, invading Afghanistan to depose the Taliban, who had harbored al-Qaeda members. Many countries strengthened their anti-terrorism legislation and expanded law enforcement powers. In May 2011, after years at large, bin Laden was found and killed.

The destruction caused serious damage to the economy of Lower Manhattan. Cleanup of the World Trade Center site was completed in May 2002. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is scheduled to open on September 11, 2011. Adjacent to the memorial the 1,776 feet (541 m) One World Trade Center is estimated for completion by 2013. The Pentagon was repaired within a year, and the Pentagon Memorial opened, adjacent to the building, in 2008. Ground was broken for the Flight 93 National Memorial in November 2009, and the memorial was formally dedicated on September 10, 2011.

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September 11 Memorial Playlist:

U2 - One (Studio)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYyWVlh8NLM

Bruce Springsteen - Into The Fire - 9/11 WTC Tribute Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKuRGt7LnzU

Bruce Springsteen - You're Missing - A Tribute to 911 Victims

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDEgTV0QV9E

The Hollies - He Aint Heavy, He's My Brother - 9/11 Tribute
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4v6ERmYGMo

Ennio Morricone - Four Friends - The Untouchables Soundtrack

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB-AmMK9oRs

Interpol – NYC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psmOqOvIzPI

Moby - Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzTxXpgCjFk

Maurice Ravel - Pavane for Dead Princess
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKkeDqJBlK8

Moby - In This World

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GwlWJkrHSk