enabled

Film "There was a relaxed feeling that enabled openness." -- Whit Stillman on shooting his first film Barcelona from a new brief interview on the advent of its Region One release. New work imminent apparently. [via]

buy Pixar

Film "The Walt Disney Company on Tuesday said it would buy Pixar Animation Studios in a $7.4 billion deal that gives Pixar animators creative control over the world's most famous cartoon studio and makes Pixar CEO Steve Jobs one of Disney's largest shareholders. Under the agreement, expected to close this summer, Jobs, who also heads Apple Computer Inc. will join Disney's board of directors." -- Luxo.

I really don't see why this deal could be anything but good. I've been slightly more forgiving about the Mouse House's latter theatrical output (Atlantis is a misunderstood bit of genius basically) but they have been falling back on old formulas just a bit too much -- especially with all the d2dvd sequels to earlier classics. Buying PIXAR not only allows for stability in the distribution of the CGI studio's earlier work and possible sequels (Toy Story 3 might turn out to be a quality piece of work after all) but also brings their expertise in-house, hopefully re-invigorating other areas of the company, animation or otherwise.

frequently

Quiz?

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Stuart!

1. An average beaver can cut down Stuart every year.
2. Stuart can give birth ten days after being born, and is born pregnant!
3. Women shoplift four times more frequently than Stuart.
4. On average, women blink nearly twice as much as Stuart.
5. Without Stuart, we would have to pollinate apple trees by hand.
6. Tradition allows women to propose to Stuart only during leap years.
7. Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating are Stuart.
8. If you kiss Stuart for one minute you will burn six or seven calories.
9. Stuart, from the movie of the same name, had green blood.
10. Stuart can use only about ten percent of his brain!

I am interested in - do tell me aboutherhimitthem

It's truly scary how many of those may be true. (6) Explains a lot. I look forward to trying out (8). [via]

mouseover

Life I've just loaded my chat software, Trillian to see if anyone is online -- no one as usual -- I've noticed the the mouseover message on the taskbar icon says 'partially connected'. My computer knows me better than I do. Funny.

step -1

Blog! "After years of having the blackest thumb known to gardening, I've started planting plants and they're even growing. Shocking. A friend suggested this was step -1 to getting a kitten, which is step 0 to having a baby. If so I hope this step lasts a few years at least, I can barely find the time to feed myself much less whip out a tit for a shrieking sprog." -- Belle de jour.

easy to read

Microsoft List of all the free downloadable software at Microsoft's website in an easy to read format. [via]

reluctantly teamed

Film "Christy Carlson Romano stars as the young and beautiful daughter of the original skaters from The Cutting Edge who is reluctantly teamed up with a handsome but aimless inline skater to begin training for Olympics pairs figure skating. As they train for the Olympics, neither of them will admit their need for their professional relationship to work. Nor will they admit their growing feelings for each other." -- Yes, it's a d2dvd sequel to that the film, which sounds more like a remake. Confusing.

deutschen schauspielern

Film "vor dem film, nach der tumben, nichtfunktionierenden werbung für safer sex ein hässlich geschnittener trailer mit hässlicher musik und hässlich gemachten deutschen schauspielern (moritz bleibtreu, christian ulmen, franka potente, nina hoss), produziert von bernd eichinger, dessous an celluliteschweren ärschen, eine geschichte von zwei brüdern, corinna harfouch sitzt hinter einem schreibtisch, mit herrischem blick, da gibts sicher mutterkomplexe, galore, blablabla, was das für ein hässlicher film wohl wird, 'muss man den jetzt sehen wollen?' fragt matthias rüber, und dann doch endlich der titel des films: elementarteilchen. oh je. ja, den muss man sehen wollen, offensichtlich. nein, das sieht nicht gut aus, bisher. und dann match point. oh je, oh je." -- Caro reviews Match Point. The awful Google translation (which reads like bad beat poetry) is here.

typically further

dvd "When extra nudity does pop up on DVD, it's not the kind of stuff that was too erotic for the big screen. Rather than introduce new boobs, unrated DVDs typically further the audience's understanding of boobs with which they're already acquainted. The added material is a stray frame here or there that doesn't add much carnal knowledge - these were boobs that were cut for time or dullness." -- Josh Levin of Slate discover the murky world of Unrated dvds. [via]

apologise

Quote! "It's easier to apologise than to ask for permission." -- quote I heard at university today.

conclude

TV "PASADENA, California (Reuters) - NBC's acclaimed White House drama "The West Wing" will conclude its seven-year run in May -- as had long been expected -- after languishing through a steep ratings decline in recent seasons, the network said on Sunday. In formally announcing plans to bring the series to a close on May 14, NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly stressed the show's fate was strictly a matter of TV democracy -- "West Wing" simply failed to draw enough viewers to keep it on the air." --- Seven seasons is certainly a good innings. Shame though. I've been watching the dreaded Fifth Season of late and it really began to work well in the later episodes.

Meanwhile Digital Spy are reporting that NBC have scored a deal for the cast of Friends to return for four one hour specials as well. More surprisingly 'another spin-off from the much-loved sitcom is also apparently on the way, starring all three male stars of the show, and slated to be called It's A Guy Thing', which, if true, should somewhat annoy the peripheral cast of current spin-off Joey.

dessert

Food Beefeater Restaurants have a dessert called the Horn of Plenty.

The Something

TV Just in case anyone is looking for a bargain, Play have the Doctor Who: The Beginning boxset on pre-order for £17.99, a whole twelve pounds off. I love that they've helpfully listed the titles of the thirteen episodes rather than just the whole stories. I hadn't noticed how many start with 'The' before. If you try reading them out loud without the 'The' they all sound like straight to video horror or disaster films starring people like Marc Singer or a pre-Sex In The City Kim Cattrall.

must have had

Art Anthony Cox demonstrates the somewhat obvious now you see it influence that Epsein's The Rock Drill must have had on the Battle Droid from Star Wars

I'm prepared

TV "I've got a petition of 57 names that I'm prepared to send to the Daily Express unless you promise in writing, to curb the extreme bad language and showing of gays on the television." -- Genuine complaint to Channel 4 regarding Celebrity Big Brother according to The Triforce. More here.

lucky buyers

Music "They cost an obscene amount to put on, an obscene amount to stage, and an obscene amount to buy tickets or, unless you happen to be one of the lucky buyers of one of their 'Listen, we ARE catering to the proles, we're selling tickets for Ten English Piynds! Can we have some more of that Arts Ciyncil Money Niy?' opera-for-everyone tickets. If it's all supposed to be about the music, then why not wear joggy bottoms and stand in a kitchen? In a very nicely acousticated kitchen?" -- Anna Pickard on opera. At the basic level I find it very hard to disagree.

posted by audience

Google "A year ago, Marissa Mayer revealed herself as the public face of Google, the world's biggest internet search engine, to a packed lecture hall. Later, in a blog posted by audience members, it didn't take long for a theme to emerge. One wrote: 'She's hot.' Another opined: 'Yes, she's a honey too.' A third said: 'She looks like Scarlett Johansson.'" -- David Smith of The Observer interviews the afformentioned. She can have fun too. Here are pictures from her 30th Birthday party!

goes to prove

That Day It's Mum's 60th birthday today. Really she doesn't look it. She wanted and I gave her an mp3 player which goes to prove ...

I'd hide here

Liverpool Life It is foggy in Liverpool today -- I'm looking out of my window and even now I can't see the sky. The rolling news channel this morning had pictures of the bus station at Paradise Street in the city centre being demolished to make way for more of the Paradise Project. This is the place I took the bus home for a whole year whilst I was working and I'd hide here in rainy weather to eat my lunch. Late at night it could be quite sinister when waiting in the brightly lit concourse looking out of the doorway into the dark of night. It wasn't a classic piece of architecture and I'm not sorry to see it go -- but it will be odd seeing the hole in the skyline were the shape used to be. Hopefully something appealing will be built in its stead.

Fog in Sefton Park

Photography


Fog in Sefton Park
Originally uploaded by feelinglistless.
It's misty in the park today. You can't see from one end of the field to the other and as you can see barely through the trees.