The latest from one of our Canadian friends is that she just went to a Coldplay concert. This reminded me of a great song and video spoof of Coldplay that can be viewed here:
http://www.everythingsoundslikecoldplaynow.com/
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Thursday, March 09, 2006
More buzz about the iPod
Apple computer has made history and impacted society in many different ways since it’s conception. Most recently was with the introduction of the iPod and the one billionth iTunes download which occurred about a month ago. Now you can become more intimate with your iPod...
Introducing the iBuzz, an ingeniously designed vibrator that when connected to an MP3 player, emits stimulating pulses in time with the music. Turning up the volume increases the vibrations. Nor just for women, it comes with two his-and-hers attachments. Now you really can get down with Barry White, Nine Inch Nails or your favorite performer of the day!
Introducing the iBuzz, an ingeniously designed vibrator that when connected to an MP3 player, emits stimulating pulses in time with the music. Turning up the volume increases the vibrations. Nor just for women, it comes with two his-and-hers attachments. Now you really can get down with Barry White, Nine Inch Nails or your favorite performer of the day!
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Alien Loves Predator
Just for fun, a comic website fans of Aliens and/or Predators - or just fans of humor - need to check out. Meet Abe and Preston...
http://www.alienlovespredator.com/index.php
http://www.alienlovespredator.com/index.php
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Valentine's Day Books of the Week
Stumped on what to get your loved one for Valentine’s Day? Card, flowers and chocolate (Jelly Bellys for some) not enough? Here’s a few suggestions for your dilemma!
Position of the Day by the Editors from Nerve.com
The Kama Sutra has nothing on this tome of everyone’s favorite indoor (or outdoor) sport! This daily guide has a handy rating system listing calories used , equipment needed and the hazards and benefits per position. Complete with drawings of the positions! Like the title says, there’s 365 positions so there’s bound to be a position or two to strike your fancy. Like “The Edward Scissorhands” (February 12) or “The Very Curious George” (October 18). Then there’s “The Lord of the Rings” (May 27) and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (April 25). Some are more demanding than others, like the “Drop Me and I’ll Sue!” (September 9). Try them all!
How Animals Have Sex by David Strorm
Learn how various animals of the world do the wild thang! This cute little book has nice glossy pictures and descriptions of how varied animals species procreate. You will learn some fascinating facts such as the function of the snail love dart, what animal has a detachable swimming penis, what animal has the worst penis in the world, what animal engages in appophalation (you will have to look that one up on your own and be prepared to squeal!) and which animals are into golden showers. And for those who think they are studs, you should read about the animal who demands the male have sex up to 150 times a day for five days straight. Fun for all and you learn about animal behavior and physiology too! Who could pass that up?
Position of the Day by the Editors from Nerve.com
The Kama Sutra has nothing on this tome of everyone’s favorite indoor (or outdoor) sport! This daily guide has a handy rating system listing calories used , equipment needed and the hazards and benefits per position. Complete with drawings of the positions! Like the title says, there’s 365 positions so there’s bound to be a position or two to strike your fancy. Like “The Edward Scissorhands” (February 12) or “The Very Curious George” (October 18). Then there’s “The Lord of the Rings” (May 27) and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (April 25). Some are more demanding than others, like the “Drop Me and I’ll Sue!” (September 9). Try them all!
How Animals Have Sex by David Strorm
Learn how various animals of the world do the wild thang! This cute little book has nice glossy pictures and descriptions of how varied animals species procreate. You will learn some fascinating facts such as the function of the snail love dart, what animal has a detachable swimming penis, what animal has the worst penis in the world, what animal engages in appophalation (you will have to look that one up on your own and be prepared to squeal!) and which animals are into golden showers. And for those who think they are studs, you should read about the animal who demands the male have sex up to 150 times a day for five days straight. Fun for all and you learn about animal behavior and physiology too! Who could pass that up?
Monday, January 23, 2006
Scientology will never die
Scientologists do not mess with crop circles. Instead they carve their circles in the rock and dirt. According to a TV station in Albuquerque, NM, diamond-shaped symbols enclosed by two large interlocking circles has recently been observed from high altitudes etched into the ground at a known Scientology compound. The symbol matches the logo of the Church of Spiritual Technology, the Scientology corporation that built an underground vault in the 1980’s at that site. This vault contains the works of Ron L. Hubbard inscribed on stainless steel plates and encased in titanium. Obviously this was designed to withstand a nuclear catastrophe. Going rumor is the above ground etchings mark the location of the vault for the future return of Scientologists from outer space. I’m sure this makes Tom Cruise want to jump on more couches...
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Gifts for the geek who has everything
Do you have a geek to buy for and not a clue what to get them this holiday season? Despair not for here is the answer to the woes of geeky gifty-poo items:
A company called Solid Alliance has come out with a series of unique USB gadgets. First is the a plate of spaghetti that is actually a USB extension cable. And if you own a USB Shrimp Drive, you can place it on the fork in order to connect to your computer.
Then for the light hearted and animal lovers out there, there’s a new i-Duck USB Memory Storage device. The i-Duck uses a USB 1.1 interface and has a maximum storage capacity of 256MB. When plugged into your computer's USB port, the i-Duck will light up. Six different colors are available: Pink, Yellow, Blue, Tangerine, Army, and Heart. A six color set is also available. I can't wait for the Devil Ducky version!
Never again will you have to choose between having sushi or having a USB memory drive - thanks to the USB sushi drive. The convincing USB sushi drive comes in several flavors and in a 32MB or 128MB size.
Finally. the makers of the Swiss Army Knife introduces the Victorinox SwissMemory Alox multitool as a new option for the popular SwissMemory. The rugged Alox housing incorporates a high-performance USB 2.0 data storage device with other practical features. The USB memory stick is easily removable from the tool for safekeeping. Comes in a 256MB or 1GB size.
A company called Solid Alliance has come out with a series of unique USB gadgets. First is the a plate of spaghetti that is actually a USB extension cable. And if you own a USB Shrimp Drive, you can place it on the fork in order to connect to your computer.
Then for the light hearted and animal lovers out there, there’s a new i-Duck USB Memory Storage device. The i-Duck uses a USB 1.1 interface and has a maximum storage capacity of 256MB. When plugged into your computer's USB port, the i-Duck will light up. Six different colors are available: Pink, Yellow, Blue, Tangerine, Army, and Heart. A six color set is also available. I can't wait for the Devil Ducky version!
Never again will you have to choose between having sushi or having a USB memory drive - thanks to the USB sushi drive. The convincing USB sushi drive comes in several flavors and in a 32MB or 128MB size.
Finally. the makers of the Swiss Army Knife introduces the Victorinox SwissMemory Alox multitool as a new option for the popular SwissMemory. The rugged Alox housing incorporates a high-performance USB 2.0 data storage device with other practical features. The USB memory stick is easily removable from the tool for safekeeping. Comes in a 256MB or 1GB size.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
For all you Pervy Hobbit Fanciers out there (and you know who you are!)
Ok, first of all I’m back after some picture hosting snafus with Tinypic.com. I apologise for all 3 of you or so who have been waiting patiently for me to whip out more fun and exciting otter blogs.
Pervy hobbit fancier point of interest #1:
Elijah Wood is set to play Iggy Pop in an upcoming film about the legendary musician. As Neo would say, “Whoa...”
Wood has stated: "I'm scared to death of doing it, because I love him (Iggy Pop) so much and I respect the music so much. I don't want to be the person responsible for screwing that up."
Shooting for the film will begin in 2006. Not since Tom Cruise was cast to play Lestat has there been such an interesting choice of casting.
Pervy hobbit fancier point of interest #2:
"The Lord of the Rings ", the first major stage musical adaptation of JRR Tolkien's classic trilogy, opened in London this spring. A Toronto opening is set for 2006 where the City of Toronto is hoping that it will become the 2nd largest musical hotspot, right behind NYC. A US opening is planned for either 2007 or 2008. The officicial website is http://www.lotr.com/ or www.thelordoftheringsmusical.com (both require the Macromedia Flash player 7 plug-in).
The fun aspect of LotR becoming a musical is that fans have already started suggesting song titles (many based on actual show tune songs) such as “These are a few of my favorite Rings.” Lyrics to this and more song titles are as follows:
“These are a few of my favorite Rings.” Seven Rings wrought for the deep-delving dwarrows, Nine Rings for humans, awaiting their barrows, Three for the elves (or, at least, for their kings); These are a few of my favorite Rings. One Ring to rule them, and one Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them, and in the dark bind them; That, and the other nineteen of the things, All are a few of my favorite Rings. So when Sauron Takes the Tow’r on, And the Nazgul shriek, I just toss a ring in the Fire of Doom, And then things don’t seem so bleak.
From BoingBoing.net:
News today that a musical version of The Lord of the Rings is in the works. Suggest songs and plot-points here. Potential titles include: 'I'm gonna wash that orc right out of my hair' (Legolas), 'You're the One Ring that I want' (Sauron in Act I, then Gollum in Act II, and Frodo, Gollum and Sauron in Act III), 'People will say we're in love' (Frodo/Sam duet, Act II, theme echoed by Gimli and Legolas during Battle of Pelennor Fields), 'City with the Tree on Top' (Gandalf's arrival at Minas Tirith), 'How do I solve this problem, my dear Grima?' (Theoden introduction), and Gollum's Act III showstopper, 'Memorieses'.
From Crookedtimber.org:
“Into the Woods” (Pippin and Merry while being chased by Random Orc; Into the Woods ) “Aragorn Superstar” (“do you think you’re who they say you are?”; Jesus Christ Superstar ) “The Elves of Old Lothlorien” ( 1776 ) “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Your Feet” (Frodo to Sam; My Fair Lady ) “Whatever Sauron Wants” (Sauron to Saruman; Damn Yankees ) “Me and My Ring” (Frodo; later reprised by Gollum; Me and My Girl ) “It’s Too Darn Hot” (Frodo, Sam and Gollum inside Mt. Doom; Kiss Me, Kate ) “Orcs Are Busting Out All Over” ( Carousel ) “You Could Drive A Person Crazy” (Gollum to Ring, later reprised by Bilbo and Frodo; Company ) “Massacre Tonight” (random Orc attack; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum )
Sheer Habit, sung by Bilbo and the Hobbits of Hobbiton during the opening sequence (to the tune of “Tradition” from Fiddler on the Roof ). Nine Evil Wraiths from Mordor Are We, sung by the Nazgul at their first appearance in the Shire (to the tune of “Three Little Maids from School Are We” from the Mikado ). Song of the Ranger General, sung by Strider / Aragorn on his appearance in Bree (to the tune of “Song of the Major General” from Pirates of Penzance ). Theme reprised during his later coronation. Rings, sung by the Witch-King of the Nazgul after losing Frodo again at Weathertop (to the tune of “Stars” from Les Miserables ). Ane Dream Will Do / Give Me My Coloured Robe, sung by Saruman (to the tune of “Give Me My Colored Coat” from Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat ). The Confrontation, duet by Gandalf and the Balrog of Moria (to the tune of Javert and Valjean’s song of the same name from Les Miserables ). Crumpled Hats and Wistful Fables, sung by the Fellowship of the Ring after losing Gandalf in Moria (to the tune of “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” from Les Miserables ). I Know Your Fate Well, sung by Galadriel on her first meeting with Frodo (to the tune of “I Know Him So Well” from Chess ). A Band of Orcs in Motion, sung by Aragon, Gimli and Legolas as they track Merry and Pippen (to tune of “A Lotta Locomotion” from Starlight Express ). Master of the Hall, duet by Grima Wormtongue and Eowyn on his first appearance (to the tune of “Master of the House” from Les Miserables ). Waltz of the Istari, duet by Saruman and Gandalf during their final confrontation at Orthanc (to the tune of “Waltz for Eva and Che” from Evita ). One Night in Gondor, sung by Peregrine Took (to the tune of “One Night in Bangkok” from Chess ). I’ll Be Horrendously Bad For You, duet by Denethor and Sauron (to the tune of “I’d be surprisingly good for you” from Evita ). Reviewing the Situation, sung by Saruman at the beginning of his exile as “Sharky” in the Shire (to the tune of Fagin’s song of the same name from Oliver ).
Feel free to add your own and post!
Pervy hobbit fancier point of interest #1:
Elijah Wood is set to play Iggy Pop in an upcoming film about the legendary musician. As Neo would say, “Whoa...”
Wood has stated: "I'm scared to death of doing it, because I love him (Iggy Pop) so much and I respect the music so much. I don't want to be the person responsible for screwing that up."
Shooting for the film will begin in 2006. Not since Tom Cruise was cast to play Lestat has there been such an interesting choice of casting.
Pervy hobbit fancier point of interest #2:
"The Lord of the Rings ", the first major stage musical adaptation of JRR Tolkien's classic trilogy, opened in London this spring. A Toronto opening is set for 2006 where the City of Toronto is hoping that it will become the 2nd largest musical hotspot, right behind NYC. A US opening is planned for either 2007 or 2008. The officicial website is http://www.lotr.com/ or www.thelordoftheringsmusical.com (both require the Macromedia Flash player 7 plug-in).
The fun aspect of LotR becoming a musical is that fans have already started suggesting song titles (many based on actual show tune songs) such as “These are a few of my favorite Rings.” Lyrics to this and more song titles are as follows:
“These are a few of my favorite Rings.” Seven Rings wrought for the deep-delving dwarrows, Nine Rings for humans, awaiting their barrows, Three for the elves (or, at least, for their kings); These are a few of my favorite Rings. One Ring to rule them, and one Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them, and in the dark bind them; That, and the other nineteen of the things, All are a few of my favorite Rings. So when Sauron Takes the Tow’r on, And the Nazgul shriek, I just toss a ring in the Fire of Doom, And then things don’t seem so bleak.
From BoingBoing.net:
News today that a musical version of The Lord of the Rings is in the works. Suggest songs and plot-points here. Potential titles include: 'I'm gonna wash that orc right out of my hair' (Legolas), 'You're the One Ring that I want' (Sauron in Act I, then Gollum in Act II, and Frodo, Gollum and Sauron in Act III), 'People will say we're in love' (Frodo/Sam duet, Act II, theme echoed by Gimli and Legolas during Battle of Pelennor Fields), 'City with the Tree on Top' (Gandalf's arrival at Minas Tirith), 'How do I solve this problem, my dear Grima?' (Theoden introduction), and Gollum's Act III showstopper, 'Memorieses'.
From Crookedtimber.org:
“Into the Woods” (Pippin and Merry while being chased by Random Orc; Into the Woods ) “Aragorn Superstar” (“do you think you’re who they say you are?”; Jesus Christ Superstar ) “The Elves of Old Lothlorien” ( 1776 ) “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Your Feet” (Frodo to Sam; My Fair Lady ) “Whatever Sauron Wants” (Sauron to Saruman; Damn Yankees ) “Me and My Ring” (Frodo; later reprised by Gollum; Me and My Girl ) “It’s Too Darn Hot” (Frodo, Sam and Gollum inside Mt. Doom; Kiss Me, Kate ) “Orcs Are Busting Out All Over” ( Carousel ) “You Could Drive A Person Crazy” (Gollum to Ring, later reprised by Bilbo and Frodo; Company ) “Massacre Tonight” (random Orc attack; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum )
Sheer Habit, sung by Bilbo and the Hobbits of Hobbiton during the opening sequence (to the tune of “Tradition” from Fiddler on the Roof ). Nine Evil Wraiths from Mordor Are We, sung by the Nazgul at their first appearance in the Shire (to the tune of “Three Little Maids from School Are We” from the Mikado ). Song of the Ranger General, sung by Strider / Aragorn on his appearance in Bree (to the tune of “Song of the Major General” from Pirates of Penzance ). Theme reprised during his later coronation. Rings, sung by the Witch-King of the Nazgul after losing Frodo again at Weathertop (to the tune of “Stars” from Les Miserables ). Ane Dream Will Do / Give Me My Coloured Robe, sung by Saruman (to the tune of “Give Me My Colored Coat” from Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat ). The Confrontation, duet by Gandalf and the Balrog of Moria (to the tune of Javert and Valjean’s song of the same name from Les Miserables ). Crumpled Hats and Wistful Fables, sung by the Fellowship of the Ring after losing Gandalf in Moria (to the tune of “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” from Les Miserables ). I Know Your Fate Well, sung by Galadriel on her first meeting with Frodo (to the tune of “I Know Him So Well” from Chess ). A Band of Orcs in Motion, sung by Aragon, Gimli and Legolas as they track Merry and Pippen (to tune of “A Lotta Locomotion” from Starlight Express ). Master of the Hall, duet by Grima Wormtongue and Eowyn on his first appearance (to the tune of “Master of the House” from Les Miserables ). Waltz of the Istari, duet by Saruman and Gandalf during their final confrontation at Orthanc (to the tune of “Waltz for Eva and Che” from Evita ). One Night in Gondor, sung by Peregrine Took (to the tune of “One Night in Bangkok” from Chess ). I’ll Be Horrendously Bad For You, duet by Denethor and Sauron (to the tune of “I’d be surprisingly good for you” from Evita ). Reviewing the Situation, sung by Saruman at the beginning of his exile as “Sharky” in the Shire (to the tune of Fagin’s song of the same name from Oliver ).
Feel free to add your own and post!
Saturday, September 03, 2005
VHS finally goes the way of vinyl
For anyone still clinging to the VHS video format, this fall movie studios will prompt you to make the switch. 20th Century Fox and LucasFilm will release one the season's top sellers, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith on DVD format only. This will be the first major new release to bypass the VHS format. According to the latestVideo Business trade journal, Buena Vista Home Entertainment will be the most aggressive to eliminate VHS, phasing them out completely early next year. Their fall releases such as Dark Water, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Herbie: Fully Loaded will released on DVD only. Just a portent of things to come...
Friday, August 26, 2005
Parodies strike again!
Sometimes a book gets popular enough to warrant a parody, but after something like 86 printings later, The Da Vinci Code gets three. This latest one will be published in another month or so. (Check out the July 4th blog for the other two earlier ones.) Mitch Albom's latest popular book, The Five People You Meet in Heaven gets only one.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
X-Men III
Note: After a little snafu with Tinypic.com, pictures posted on this blog are slowly being reconverted and being posted back online. I am converting older ones little by little. So if you missed the pics from earliert postings, please be patient as they will be back.
Info on X-Men III in theaters 5/26/06
Yep, the third installment of the successful comic book film is on it’s way. Early reports indicate the plot will revolve around the Phoenix saga, going straight to the Dark Phoenix story. Returning characters (other than the standards) will be
Nightcrawler, Colossus (Yes, more of the mighty Commrade in bioarmor!), Iceman, Pyro and Lady Deathstrike. New characters are rumored: Gambit, Beast, Angel, Psylocke, Emma Frost (Hmmm.... Wonder what kind of wardrobe this one would have?), Dazzler, Juggernaut and possibly the Sentinals. Much of this maybe pipe dreams as I’m sure the special effects for numerous characters would be prohibitive. Possibly some will be cameos (like Colussus in X-Men II).
But the casting has commenced and here’s were it stands now:
Cameron Bright (The Butterfly Effect) will portray the mutant Leech. Hmmm... I’m somewhat unfamiliar with this character. I liked Toad better I think..
Cayden Boyd (The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3D) will be playing a young version of Angel. And I mean young - this kid is only eleven. The older version of Angel will be played by Ben Foster (The Punisher).
Vinnie Jones (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels ) will portray Juggernaut. Who would have thunk Juggernaut would have a British accent?
Actress Ellen Page (in a bunch of movies and TV shows I never heard of) will be Kitty Pride. I heard originally this role was to go to Maggie Grace (TV show Lost) but they may have wanted to go with a younger looking actress.
And lastly, but not least, Beast will be played by none other than Kelsey Grammer. No pic for Kelsey; I think most everybody knows what he looks like...
Info on X-Men III in theaters 5/26/06
Yep, the third installment of the successful comic book film is on it’s way. Early reports indicate the plot will revolve around the Phoenix saga, going straight to the Dark Phoenix story. Returning characters (other than the standards) will be
Nightcrawler, Colossus (Yes, more of the mighty Commrade in bioarmor!), Iceman, Pyro and Lady Deathstrike. New characters are rumored: Gambit, Beast, Angel, Psylocke, Emma Frost (Hmmm.... Wonder what kind of wardrobe this one would have?), Dazzler, Juggernaut and possibly the Sentinals. Much of this maybe pipe dreams as I’m sure the special effects for numerous characters would be prohibitive. Possibly some will be cameos (like Colussus in X-Men II).
But the casting has commenced and here’s were it stands now:
Cameron Bright (The Butterfly Effect) will portray the mutant Leech. Hmmm... I’m somewhat unfamiliar with this character. I liked Toad better I think..
Cayden Boyd (The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3D) will be playing a young version of Angel. And I mean young - this kid is only eleven. The older version of Angel will be played by Ben Foster (The Punisher).
Vinnie Jones (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels ) will portray Juggernaut. Who would have thunk Juggernaut would have a British accent?
Actress Ellen Page (in a bunch of movies and TV shows I never heard of) will be Kitty Pride. I heard originally this role was to go to Maggie Grace (TV show Lost) but they may have wanted to go with a younger looking actress.
And lastly, but not least, Beast will be played by none other than Kelsey Grammer. No pic for Kelsey; I think most everybody knows what he looks like...
Thursday, July 28, 2005
The History of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Much of the information about the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince many know about, but there are certain aspects that are more obscure. It is kind of fascinating in a weird sort of way.
June 29, 2004
J. K. Rowling announces the title of her next book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
December 21, 2004
J. K. Rowling delivers the manuscript to Bloomsbury and Scholastic and a laydown date of July 16, 2005, is announced.
March 30, 2005
Scholastic announces a first printing of 10.8 million copies. (Trees around the world shudder.)
April 28, 2005
Listening Library signs Jim Dale to record Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, for a first printing of 635,000 copies, the largest ever for an audiobook.
May 5th, 2005
5.5 million temporary tattoos sent to retail accounts.
June 1, 2005
Scholastic announces a library sweepstakes where the winner is to receive the first signed copy of the US edition.
June 3, 2005
First related security breach where two men were arrested occurs in England after they tried to sell two copies of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to a reporter. Both were ordered to stand trial and released on bail.
June 4, 2005
10,000 flashing Harry potter pens were given out at the BEA. Attendees make a beeline to eBay where these pens are now selling for $4.99.
June 20, 2005
Barnes & Noble announces more than 750,000 preorders for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince have been generated. Final tally will top one million while Amazon’s US orders go over 800,000.
June 27, 2005
First shipment of the books arrive at Barnes & Noble’s main warehouse in NJ. The company expects to receive 124 tractor-trailor loads weighing more than 4 million pounds. They expect to sell 50,000 copies an hour. (B&N CEO Riggio is a media slut)
July 1, 2005
Scholastic announces the 10 winners of its “Why I Love Reading Harry Potter” essay contest. 8000 entries were received (there was an age limit). The winners will be flown to England on the evening of July 15 to hear J. K. Rowling read from the book. They given a copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to read on the flight.
July 2, 2005
The single signed copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince for the library sweepstakes arrives in NYC on the Queen Mary 2. It was packed in a steamer trunk and met by an armored car for pick-up. Almost more security than for the actual Queen.
July 7, 2005
The Real Canadian Superstore in Coquitlam, British Columbia, sells 14 copies of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Raincoast Books, Harry Potter’s Canadian publisher, gets a pre-emptive injunction to prevent disclosure of the book’s contents. Purchasers of the book were asked to return their copies in exchange for a signed book plate. White House senior advisor Karl Rove denied responsibility.
July 11, 2005
Greenpeace starts a campaign called Save Muggle Forests where they urge Americans to buy Raincoast’s Canadian edition of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince as a protest of Scholastic’s not printing the book on 100% recycled paper.
July 12, 2005
A pharmacy in upstate NY sells one copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The nine-year old customer admits to having read two pages and immediately makes 2000 new freinds.
July 13, 2005
In the wake of the London terrorist bombings, WH Smith changes the venue of its Harry Potter party from King’s Cross train station to Wimbledon High Street.
July 15, 2005
5000 stores prepare for Harry Potter release parties. No live owls available for rent anywhere.
July 16, 2005
Many did not sleep that night, but instead read the book through the wee hours of the morning after purchasing after midnight. Websites immediately start selling t-shirts depicting who killed who.
With the Harry Potter titles, Scholastic has pulled itself up by the boot straps and is now the strutting publisher of the decade. But it is interesting to note that even though Scholastic publishes the Harry Potter titles, they aren’t the only publisher and business to cash in on it. For instance UPS made a killing just by handling the 800,000 Amazon orders. Running Press, who prints the mini books and small sideline-type kits made off with a good impulse buy ratio during the Harry Potter release week. But the big one, in a little-known deal, publisher HarperCollins has been handling all billing for Scholastic since 2001. An estimated $8-9 million was made via this deal for the new book and over the life-time of the book it could grow to $200 million. And let us not forget J. K. Rowling, whose gross net now probably rivals the Queen’s.
June 29, 2004
J. K. Rowling announces the title of her next book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
December 21, 2004
J. K. Rowling delivers the manuscript to Bloomsbury and Scholastic and a laydown date of July 16, 2005, is announced.
March 30, 2005
Scholastic announces a first printing of 10.8 million copies. (Trees around the world shudder.)
April 28, 2005
Listening Library signs Jim Dale to record Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, for a first printing of 635,000 copies, the largest ever for an audiobook.
May 5th, 2005
5.5 million temporary tattoos sent to retail accounts.
June 1, 2005
Scholastic announces a library sweepstakes where the winner is to receive the first signed copy of the US edition.
June 3, 2005
First related security breach where two men were arrested occurs in England after they tried to sell two copies of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to a reporter. Both were ordered to stand trial and released on bail.
June 4, 2005
10,000 flashing Harry potter pens were given out at the BEA. Attendees make a beeline to eBay where these pens are now selling for $4.99.
June 20, 2005
Barnes & Noble announces more than 750,000 preorders for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince have been generated. Final tally will top one million while Amazon’s US orders go over 800,000.
June 27, 2005
First shipment of the books arrive at Barnes & Noble’s main warehouse in NJ. The company expects to receive 124 tractor-trailor loads weighing more than 4 million pounds. They expect to sell 50,000 copies an hour. (B&N CEO Riggio is a media slut)
July 1, 2005
Scholastic announces the 10 winners of its “Why I Love Reading Harry Potter” essay contest. 8000 entries were received (there was an age limit). The winners will be flown to England on the evening of July 15 to hear J. K. Rowling read from the book. They given a copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to read on the flight.
July 2, 2005
The single signed copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince for the library sweepstakes arrives in NYC on the Queen Mary 2. It was packed in a steamer trunk and met by an armored car for pick-up. Almost more security than for the actual Queen.
July 7, 2005
The Real Canadian Superstore in Coquitlam, British Columbia, sells 14 copies of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Raincoast Books, Harry Potter’s Canadian publisher, gets a pre-emptive injunction to prevent disclosure of the book’s contents. Purchasers of the book were asked to return their copies in exchange for a signed book plate. White House senior advisor Karl Rove denied responsibility.
July 11, 2005
Greenpeace starts a campaign called Save Muggle Forests where they urge Americans to buy Raincoast’s Canadian edition of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince as a protest of Scholastic’s not printing the book on 100% recycled paper.
July 12, 2005
A pharmacy in upstate NY sells one copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The nine-year old customer admits to having read two pages and immediately makes 2000 new freinds.
July 13, 2005
In the wake of the London terrorist bombings, WH Smith changes the venue of its Harry Potter party from King’s Cross train station to Wimbledon High Street.
July 15, 2005
5000 stores prepare for Harry Potter release parties. No live owls available for rent anywhere.
July 16, 2005
Many did not sleep that night, but instead read the book through the wee hours of the morning after purchasing after midnight. Websites immediately start selling t-shirts depicting who killed who.
With the Harry Potter titles, Scholastic has pulled itself up by the boot straps and is now the strutting publisher of the decade. But it is interesting to note that even though Scholastic publishes the Harry Potter titles, they aren’t the only publisher and business to cash in on it. For instance UPS made a killing just by handling the 800,000 Amazon orders. Running Press, who prints the mini books and small sideline-type kits made off with a good impulse buy ratio during the Harry Potter release week. But the big one, in a little-known deal, publisher HarperCollins has been handling all billing for Scholastic since 2001. An estimated $8-9 million was made via this deal for the new book and over the life-time of the book it could grow to $200 million. And let us not forget J. K. Rowling, whose gross net now probably rivals the Queen’s.
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
There's hope for all the fanboys in the world...
...and her name is Meghann Marco. Not only is she smart, witty and pretty, she's also the author of Field Guide to the Apocalypse: Movie Survival Skills for the End of the World. How can you resist a face like this:
An an author bio that goes like this:
"Meghann Marco grew up outside of Chicago, in a loving family environment relatively free from dysfunction. Were it not for hearing the words penis breath in the movie E.T., she would have probably turned out all right.
"I thank God daily that future generations will be spared the gratuitous physical violence of Han Solo shooting first," the traumatized author says.
Meghann invites fans to stay tuned for Field Guide to the Apocalypse: Special Edition, in which the word fuck will be replaced with little pictures of walkie-talkies.
This is her first book."
But all that's besides the point. If you survived an apocalyptic event in your neighborhood this book will be your bible because it isn't the event itself that's the problem, but surviving the aftermath. It will be you against them...
Ms Marco goes into detail on aspects of survival gleaned from SF films, both good and bad, extoling the virtues of preposterous movie science. Examples include how to convert a car to run on bathtub gin and how to synthesize a species-saving vaccine from your own mucus. There's also how to conceal free will and how to recognize a dream world. And if you want to have it all, there's how to be a warlord. Great fun for all you Mad Max wannabees!
An an author bio that goes like this:
"Meghann Marco grew up outside of Chicago, in a loving family environment relatively free from dysfunction. Were it not for hearing the words penis breath in the movie E.T., she would have probably turned out all right.
"I thank God daily that future generations will be spared the gratuitous physical violence of Han Solo shooting first," the traumatized author says.
Meghann invites fans to stay tuned for Field Guide to the Apocalypse: Special Edition, in which the word fuck will be replaced with little pictures of walkie-talkies.
This is her first book."
But all that's besides the point. If you survived an apocalyptic event in your neighborhood this book will be your bible because it isn't the event itself that's the problem, but surviving the aftermath. It will be you against them...
Ms Marco goes into detail on aspects of survival gleaned from SF films, both good and bad, extoling the virtues of preposterous movie science. Examples include how to convert a car to run on bathtub gin and how to synthesize a species-saving vaccine from your own mucus. There's also how to conceal free will and how to recognize a dream world. And if you want to have it all, there's how to be a warlord. Great fun for all you Mad Max wannabees!
Friday, July 15, 2005
More fun than the current urban US styles
The world of High Fashion, to me, is very overrated and as about comprehensible as the game of cricket. However, there always will be certain fashion statements that are commendable and more to the point, fun. Take for instance the swank area of Toyko, Harajuku, where back in the mid to late 90s, photographer Shoichi Aoki started documenting street fashion that changed from following American and European fashion to something completely their own. Teenagers were designing their own fashion, combining traditional Japanese dress with homemade and other designer fashions. The completed ensembles run the visual gamut from goth to anime and a combination of everything in-between. Aoki started a monthly photographic fanzine titled FRUiTS that showcased these teenagers and their wondrous accomplishments and in 2001, Phaidon Press (a publisher of fine art books) published a compilation of Aoki's photographs titled FRUiTS. This was followed up by a second volume just now published titled FRESH FRUiT.
Here's a sampling of some of the images as they are difficult to describe. They are , in fact, something to just view and absorb. Weird? Maybe. Silly? Maybe. But one can not deny the uniqueness that now High Fashion is attempting to copy.
Here's a sampling of some of the images as they are difficult to describe. They are , in fact, something to just view and absorb. Weird? Maybe. Silly? Maybe. But one can not deny the uniqueness that now High Fashion is attempting to copy.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
High altitude baking issues
Do your cookies turn out flat and hard? Do your pies come out like a fallen souffle and all mushy? Yes, living in the high country wrecks havoc with the uninititated baker. Over the years high altitude cookbooks have been published and now we can ad another to the ranks, Pie in the Sky: Successful Baking at High Altitudes : 100 Cakes, Pies, Cookies, Breads, and Pastries Home-tested for Baking at Sea Level, 3,000, 5,000, 7,000, and 10,000 feet (and Anywhere in Between) by Susan G. Purdy.
Unlike it's predecessors Susan Purdy took the time to test recipes at varying altitude levels to get the right proportion of ingredients, baking temperature and time. So now you can bake here at home in Denver and then bake like a professional when you trudge to the cabin at Grand Lake!
Here are some of the more popular high altitude cookbooks available: High Altitude Baking: 200 Delicious Recipes & Tips for Great Cookies, Cakes, Breads & More : For People Living Between 3,500 & 10,000 Feet by the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Patricia Kendall; New High Altitude Cookbook by Beverly M. Anderson; Baking at High Altitude: The Muffin Lady's Old Fashioned Recipes by The Muffin Lady (aka Randi Levin, a baker out of Evergreen); and High Country Herbs: High Altitude Growing, Gifting & Cooking With Herbs by Cheryl Anderson Wright.
Unlike it's predecessors Susan Purdy took the time to test recipes at varying altitude levels to get the right proportion of ingredients, baking temperature and time. So now you can bake here at home in Denver and then bake like a professional when you trudge to the cabin at Grand Lake!
Here are some of the more popular high altitude cookbooks available: High Altitude Baking: 200 Delicious Recipes & Tips for Great Cookies, Cakes, Breads & More : For People Living Between 3,500 & 10,000 Feet by the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Patricia Kendall; New High Altitude Cookbook by Beverly M. Anderson; Baking at High Altitude: The Muffin Lady's Old Fashioned Recipes by The Muffin Lady (aka Randi Levin, a baker out of Evergreen); and High Country Herbs: High Altitude Growing, Gifting & Cooking With Herbs by Cheryl Anderson Wright.
Friday, July 08, 2005
Yet another book award
The literary world has entered into the mainstream media with a series of awards that offer the glitz and glamor usually reserved for movie, TV and music awards. This new award is aptly named The Quills and is sponsored by Reed Business Information (the parent company of Publisher's Weekly, Variety and other publications). Similar to the focus of the Emmy and the Oscars, The Quills will be a consumer's choice award, where bookstore consumers and library users will decide the outcome. The Quills will honor the best books of the year in over a dozen different categories ranging from romance to history, biography to graphic novels. Ancillary awards will be giving for best cover, best film adaptation and best book club title as well as a Lifetime Achievement award. Winners will be announced in an awards ceremony replete with dinner party and celebrity presenters. NBC will broadcast this event on October 22.
In a quick perusal of some nominees, I found 3 local Colorado authors listed in the SF/Fantasy/Horror category: Orphanage by Robert Buettner, Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Prodigal Son by Dean Koontz and Kevin J. Anderson and Sister of the Dead by Barb and J.C. Hendee.
The reader's have spoken... Here's wishing Robert, Kevin and the Hendees the best of luck!
In a quick perusal of some nominees, I found 3 local Colorado authors listed in the SF/Fantasy/Horror category: Orphanage by Robert Buettner, Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Prodigal Son by Dean Koontz and Kevin J. Anderson and Sister of the Dead by Barb and J.C. Hendee.
The reader's have spoken... Here's wishing Robert, Kevin and the Hendees the best of luck!
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
You got to love parodies...
...and The Da Vinci Code is not immune from their onslaught. One even is a chick lit book!
More movie tidbits part deux
Ok, after this I promise to get back to some book info. It looks like New Line Cinema has Viggo Mortensen back in a David Cronenberg directed graphic novel adaptation, Yep, another graphic novel... Told ya they are hot commodities for Hollywood now. This one's from a smaller press and is titled A History of Violence written by John Wagner and art by Vince Locke. John Wagner may be the Dennis Lehane of the graphic novel world.
Viggo stars as the owner of a small town diner who prevents a robbery and thus attracts the attention of mobsters (William Hurt and Ed Harris). With Cronenberg at the helm this could be a wild ride indeed.
Viggo stars as the owner of a small town diner who prevents a robbery and thus attracts the attention of mobsters (William Hurt and Ed Harris). With Cronenberg at the helm this could be a wild ride indeed.
Monday, July 04, 2005
More movie tidbits
Movies based on comic books have now just begun to really hit their stride, some being more spectacular than others. On November 4th the long awaited V for Vendetta will premiere on the big screen. Looks like they are wrapping up post production now. The Wachowski brothers are adapting this Alan Moore piece. It stars Natalie Portman (you may have seen recent pictures of her with a shaved head done for the movie) and was going to star James Purejoy in the lead role, but that fell through and Hugo Weaving stepped in to make it his own. Let's hope they do it right... Just the other day they unveiled the official movie poster:
The film version of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons Watchmen apparently is in Paramount Studio limbo. Rumors of select role casting came out with John Cusak as Nite-Owl, Sigourney Weaver as Silk Spectre and David Craig as Rorschach. Cross your fingers on this one folks...
If you haven't read either of the aforementioned graphic novels, you now have about five months to do so with V for Vendetta before it hits the theaters. I would highly recommend it as well as reading Watchmen. These two graphic novels propelled the graphic format into the literary world. Awesome and powerful stuff.
The film version of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons Watchmen apparently is in Paramount Studio limbo. Rumors of select role casting came out with John Cusak as Nite-Owl, Sigourney Weaver as Silk Spectre and David Craig as Rorschach. Cross your fingers on this one folks...
If you haven't read either of the aforementioned graphic novels, you now have about five months to do so with V for Vendetta before it hits the theaters. I would highly recommend it as well as reading Watchmen. These two graphic novels propelled the graphic format into the literary world. Awesome and powerful stuff.
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Vacation's over and now it's blog time with something a tad different!
This is for all you TV and film buffs out there. Just recently word has come out about near future DVD releases and I'd like to share a few of the more interesting ones.
First of all finally streeting on August 8th will be Oliver Stone's Alexander. I'm not sure what the delay was but it maybe related to the dual nature of the release itself. Apparently Oliver Stone wanted a broader audience so he created a director's cut which will be released simultaneously with the theatrical version. In this case, the director's cut doesn't mean a longer movie wth additional footage, but rather an edited version where he trims some of Alexander's scenes with Hephaistion. Obviously Mr. Stone wanted to try to garner sales from those offended by reality. To make it easier to determine which is which, there will be two different covers!
Two weeks after that on August 16 Sin City will be released on DVD. You will have a choice of 5 covers for this release. That's right, 5. There's a regular cover
and then there's 4 collectible covers, each one devoted to one of the film's storylines. This cover art strategy for DVDs hasn't been used since A Bug's Life and Scream had different covers for thie VHS releases.
Then on September 6 the TV series Lost will have it's first season out on DVD. As always it will come chock full of extras, but the neatest will probably be new unaired flashbacks that will show more insight into the people on the island.
First of all finally streeting on August 8th will be Oliver Stone's Alexander. I'm not sure what the delay was but it maybe related to the dual nature of the release itself. Apparently Oliver Stone wanted a broader audience so he created a director's cut which will be released simultaneously with the theatrical version. In this case, the director's cut doesn't mean a longer movie wth additional footage, but rather an edited version where he trims some of Alexander's scenes with Hephaistion. Obviously Mr. Stone wanted to try to garner sales from those offended by reality. To make it easier to determine which is which, there will be two different covers!
Two weeks after that on August 16 Sin City will be released on DVD. You will have a choice of 5 covers for this release. That's right, 5. There's a regular cover
and then there's 4 collectible covers, each one devoted to one of the film's storylines. This cover art strategy for DVDs hasn't been used since A Bug's Life and Scream had different covers for thie VHS releases.
Then on September 6 the TV series Lost will have it's first season out on DVD. As always it will come chock full of extras, but the neatest will probably be new unaired flashbacks that will show more insight into the people on the island.
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