7 Days Away

I first heard these guys on the new punisher album & there is no doubt in my mind that they will soon be huge. Coming from Connersville Indiana 7 days away first came together in 2006 to release “better days” then in January 2007 they recorded “death cannot separate”, then in august of 2008 they brought out the EP “stigmata”. the band is comprised of jay bales (lead vocalist) skylar nichols (lead guitarist) zack Jackson (rhythm guitarist) blake snoddy (bass guitarist) & trey sturgeon (percussion). They have successfully had releases featured on amazon/itune & other major music sites including emusic & rhapsody. The banned toured on “death cannot separate” for four months. Then in 2008 with the release of “stigmata” the band did a music video for the hit single “take me away”. soon after the band beat over 4000 bands to be featured in motion picture “the punisher 2 war zone”- they are listed on the album with such big names as slipknot/slayer/rob zombie/staticx/senses fail/seether/hate breed. The band are currently recording a new album that is set to be released in the summer of 2009 - some of their music can be found on you tube & is well worth checking out.

Metallica back in Ireland for 2009!

At first I thought this was just a rumour but before I get my knickers in a twist it seems to be true! & now its backed up on the bands official website, so I can happily announce that Metallica will be playing Dublin on saturday the 1st of august in Marlay Park - they played there last year on the 20th of august & were supported by Tenacious D - both bands rocked! Of course I attended & I attended before then too when Metallica played the RDS, it was first reported that the next gig would be played in Fairyhouse racecourse but its been confirmed now that it will definitely be Marlay Park again - tickets will go on sale on Tuesday the 10th of march & I will definitely be there for my ticket!

Agent Provocateur charity event

In February, Miami played host to the first ever 'Lingerie Miami' event held to raise money for the 7 Bar Foundation. Organised through the Micro Finance Community, the charity seeks to empower women around the world by raising funds to alleviate poverty.

Held at the Vizcaya Museum and set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Atlantic, Agent Provocateur turned up the heat with their biggest catwalk show in America to date. The show epitomised Provocateur's signature glamour and sophistication as the models took the runway by storm dressed in the latest show stopping looks. In true rock n' roll style Agent Provocateur showed Miami an unforgettable night whilst empowering all women.

Following the show, Eva Longoria offered the guests the unique opportunity to own 3 of the one off outfits from show which would be re created and hand crafted for the person with the highest bid. After much competition between two of the guests, Agent Provocateur agreed to offer the package twice, raising $28,000 for the charity.

Myla spring summer collection

The new spring-summer 2009 collection has just been launched at Myla &, except one or two sets very provocative & as usual for beautiful, like example the silk of Evelyn or the adorable Lilian Short which I will definitely be buying. The collection is fabulous while still being a little less Showtime than usual, which inspires a more soft seduction while always very Femme Fatale. La Perla have also launched their latest spring-summer collection “la perla black label” & so far it looks fab with subtle silk fringes. Another top brand for the coming season is “Der Kommissar”, very urban yet very provocative. Started in 2004 this latest collection is gorgeous & mysterious.

The last few days…

Well as you know Tuesday was “pan cake Tuesday” so of course I had pan cakes, not only that but I also attended a party for the occasion..ok so its not the best reason to have a party but it sure was fun. Wednesday was a buys day for me & I don’t think I put down my camera all day, between shooting protests on the streets of Dublin to shooting the streets themselves & then shooting some more in the evening around the coast. it really was a productive day! Most of the pics I took on the day can be seen on flickr/myspace/photoblog & I’m very chuffed with the overall results.

FAQ & you?

Getting to know you

How many people know about you?
Anyone I know or have ever met..that’s a long list but if we are talking online figures here I’d say the number is well over 50,000 but really who’s counting. I’m lucky to be blessed with a very understanding family & an amazing circle of friends & associates that I wouldn’t trade for all the tea in china.

Will you meet up with me?
I have a very busy schedule so meets are pretty much out the window, most of the people I do meet & contacts I make are through clubs & from being generally out & about so now I don’t do the traditional online “meet” thing.

Do you use msn/yahoo & do you cam?
I use msn from time to time but its so packed full of contacts now that I stopped accepting new chat requests, as for camming I grew out of that years ago.

What kind of people do you like?
Well a sense of humour is a must but mostly I like guys (yes guys) who are smart & interesting..& single, did I mention single? Would adding genuine & considerate to the list be too much?

How about cybering?
Cybering is another thing I grew out of years ago, its not real people.

What do you do?
In short I’m an entrepreneur, I run a few websites - work as a freelance photographer - work in film production/editing & I even dabble in a little linguistics now & then..hence my busy schedule!

I think I have seen you on another site?
that’s very possible as I’m on a whole list of sites including myspace/face book/bebo/flickr/you tube etc etc, myspace is definitely my most visited haunt so feel free to send me a friend request there.

What do you do when you are not blogging/chatting?
Lots of things & I have a bunch of hobbies including photography/drawing/dancing/clubbing/video games/watching movies/listening to good music/travelling & cooking, even learning new languages.

lisa
x

Oscars 2009

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - Christian Colson
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Winner: Sean Penn for Milk (2008/I)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Winner: Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008)
Best Achievement in Directing
Winner: Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Winner: Okuribito (2008)(Japan)
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - A.R. Rahman, Sampooran Singh Gulzar(”Jai Ho”)
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - A.R. Rahman
Best Achievement in Editing
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - Chris Dickens
Best Achievement in Sound
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Resul Pookutty
Best Achievement in Sound Editing
Winner: The Dark Knight (2008) - Richard King
Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) - Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton, Craig Barron
Best Documentary, Short Subjects
Winner: Smile Pinki (2008) - Megan Mylan
Best Documentary, Features
Winner: Man on Wire (2008) - James Marsh, Simon Chinn
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Winner: Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008)
Best Short Film, Live Action
Winner: Spielzeugland (2007) - Jochen Alexander Freydank
Best Achievement in Cinematography
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - Anthony Dod Mantle
Best Achievement in Makeup
Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) - Greg Cannom
Best Achievement in Costume Design
Winner: The Duchess (2008) - Michael O’Connor
Best Achievement in Art Direction
Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) - Donald Graham Burt, Victor J. Zolfo
Best Short Film, Animated
Winner: Maison en petits cubes, La (2008) - Kunio Katô
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Winner: WALL·E (2008) - Andrew Stanton
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - Simon Beaufoy
Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Winner: Milk (2008/I) - Dustin Lance Black
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Winner: Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

What I have been up to..

Its been a busy enough month for me & I’m sure next month looks the same. On the 13th was the premiere screening of the latest Friday the 13th movie which was such a blast & the atmosphere was electric. The 14th saw another night of nimhneach with a huge turnout of people perhaps because it also shared the same date as valentines day, either way it was a great night & everyone had fun. It being a new year I thought I would start to update my photography blog more regularly & so last week I bought another slr camera to keep me snapping for the year. The results are pretty amazing & I will be doing more & more shooting in raw format, for those of you not in the know raw format is similar to jpeg/bmp format the main differences being in raw you lose less dynamic range/tone/image quality - its not as casually friendly because you cant just do things like direct printing & such, the image has to be processed first on your computer. If you do want to have a look at some of the shots I have been taking then drop by my other blog for a look http://lisa-tiffany-photography.blogspot.com/ or even if you have any questions about photography then leave me a note here & I’ll get back to you.

Huge protest over Irish economy

About 100,000 people have taken part in protests in Dublin city centre to vent their anger at the Irish government's handling of the country's recession.

They oppose plans to impose a pension levy on 350,000 public sector workers.
Trade union organisers of the march said workers did not cause the economic crisis but were having to pay for it. In a statement, the Irish government said it recognised that the measures it was taking were "difficult and in some cases painful". The pension levy was "reasonable", the government said. It reflected "the reality that we are not in a position to continue to meet the public service pay bill in the circumstances of declining revenue", it added. Reports say the plan could cost the 350,000 public sector workers between 1,500 euros and 2,800 euros (£2,500) a year.

There were conflicting estimates of the numbers of people at the march, which began on the north side of Dublin in the middle of the afternoon. Police said 100,000 people were on the streets, while organisers said they expected 200,000 to protest in total. One protester said he was "sick and tired of the way this government conducts itself and what it's doing to this country". "I've worked all my life, I've never broke the law, never walked out on strike. Instead I've went to work and done my job," he said. "I've a mortgage to pay, I've children to put through school, and now I'm being told I have to take cutback, after cutback, after cutback."
Ireland, which was once one of Europe's fastest-growing economies, has fallen into recession faster than many other members of the European Union. The country officially fell into recession in September 2008, and unemployment has risen sharply in the following months. The numbers of people claiming unemployment benefit in the Irish Republic rose to 326,000 in January, the highest monthly level since records began in 1967.

Study: Violent Games Make Players "Comfortably Numb" to Suffering of Others

A just-released research report claims that playing violent video games makes players "comfortably numb" to the pain and suffering of others. The study, conducted by University of Michigan professor Brad Bushman and Iowa State University professor Craig Anderson, appears in the March 2009 issue of Psychological Science. Both Bushman and Anderson have previously published research with negative findings about violent games. A press release describes the research methodology employed in the new report:

320 college students played either a violent or a nonviolent video game for approximately 20 minutes. A few minutes later, they overheard a staged fight that ended with the "victim" sustaining a sprained ankle and groaning in pain.

People who had played a violent game took significantly longer to help the victim than those who played a nonviolent game 73 seconds compared to 16 seconds. People who had played a violent game were also less likely to notice and report the fight. And if they did report it, they judged it to be less serious than did those who had played a nonviolent game. In the second study, the participants were 162 adult moviegoers. The researchers staged a minor emergency outside the theater... The researchers timed how long it took moviegoers to "help"... Participants who had just watched a violent movie took over 26 percent longer to help than either people going into the theater or people who had just watched a nonviolent movie.

These studies clearly show that violent media exposure can reduce helping behavior. People exposed to media violence are less helpful to others in need because they are 'comfortably numb' to the pain and suffering of others, to borrow the title of a Pink Floyd song.

Some of the most violent games around.. Well according to me anyway

Mortal Kombat (series)
Beat em up style game like street fighter/tekken only this time with extreme violence such as heads being ripping off & spines being ripped out, sure it was not meant to be taken too seriously but on its release it gained instant notoriety.

Grand Theft Auto (series)
One of the best selling game series of all time with great stories & lots of lifespan the violence in this game is based more on real world rules & maybe that’s why it has gotten such a strong reputation.

Manhunt 1 & 2
From the same guys who made GTA this game is brutally violent to the point of number 2 getting an instant ban when it was due to be released. The player controls a death row inmate who gets a chance to win his freedom..by massacring his way through the game. it’s a lot like the film “the running man”.

Killer 7
Playing a lot like & resembling a comic this game was..well disturbing, I still to this day don’t know what was going on in the story. Between the moments of extreme violence & even full blown sex the game just plays really weirdly & definitely plays with your mind a bit, perhaps that’s why it disappeared from the stores so quickly.

ENDWAR - game review (PS3) also on Xbox 360/PC

EndWar is a (RTS) game - that’s “real time strategy”. this was the first RTS I really played & I have to say I really liked it. It plays a bit like the Command & Conquer games in that you have a top down view of the battle field, from there you have command of your troops & vehicles etc. from the start I didn’t like the idea of trying a RTS game I thought it would drag on slowly & there would be no real feel to the game - but what really made me buy this game was the story & what was possible.

Set in the year 2016 the game follows what happens after a nuclear attack hits Saudi Arabia , over 20 million people are wiped out & the worlds oil supply is under threat. Soon after the USA & the EU sign a treaty which enables both nations to work together on a state of the art ballistic missiles system. As new programs & satellite systems are worked on & tested both nations announce the end of strategic nuclear war but as the price of oil rises things start to spiral out of control. Ireland & the UK refuse to join & instead merge to create a new commonwealth. Russia ultimately controls the flow of the worlds so they raise the prices drastically opting to spend the profits on creating & modernizing their own missile programs/armed forces/space race capabilities. Space militarization reaches its highest in the year 2018, 2020 sees the launch of a new space station “the freedom star” which is used for not only civilian research purposes but to launch a powerful military response anywhere on the planet.

March 23rd 2020 sees the attack on European uplink sites in Croatia by an unknown terrorist group. Then again on April 4th 2020 the same terrorist group attack Kennedy space station followed by another attack at a petrol plant in Holland. The group identifies itself as “the forgotten army” & are comprised of failed states such as South America/the Balkans/Africa - after yet another attack this time to a Russian power plant near Minsk evidence is found that the European defence minister secretly funded the terrorist group. Russia retaliates by uploading a powerful virus into the EU military defence system causing it to shoot down the American space station “freedom star” - causing a war between the EU & the USA - Russia then invades part of Poland saying they are aiding the USA, but the USA sees it as an attempt to try & put the old eastern block territories back under Russian control & so attack Russia - world war III begins.
Because the story is so complex between the EU/USA/Russia the game allows you to play as either one of the factions, the EU faction is known as “the European federation enforcer corps/the USA known as the United states joint task force/Russia’s faction is the Russian spetsnaz guards brigade. Each faction has different abilities & specializations that can be upgraded as the game progresses. Russia for example specializes in heavy armour & weaponry while the USA are faster & more precise. Its because of the ability to play as each faction that the game really shines, this also helps create a much longer lifespan to your overall gaming experience. Command points are awarded & can be used on the battlefield to call in reinforcements/extra units/mission supports, the more uplinks your faction seizes control of the more command points they are award - command points are also awarded for overall strategic manoeuvring & your ability to make decisions. Weapons of mass destruction “wmds” can be used when the defcon level is raised, these result in crushing blows to your enemy whether they be long range missiles or short burst electromagnetic pulses “emp used to shut down the enemies electronics” - be careful using such weapons as they can also destroy your own troops if they are in range. Units available in the game include riflemen/engineers/command vehicles/transports/tanks/gunships & artillery, all can be upgraded in the barracks between games. Because the game plays in a rock-paper-scissors kind of way you need to learn what unit is best effective against hostile units, for example I was trying to take out a convoy of transports & I had over 9 helicopters attacking at once, the damage caused to the transports was minor while every helicopter was near destroyed, its because of this that you really have to think before you react.

EndWar really has so much going for it that its tough to sum it all up. Key features include advanced optional voice command “play the game by issuing commands through a headset” - sitrep “used through your command vehicle to monitor the map & issue commands to your unit” - downloadable content “packs of maps & upgrades are available on the play station network & on xbox live” - locations/countries “there really are so many! usa,moscow,paris,ireland,uk,europe & more all are highly detailed & atmospheric” - on top of all that there is a huge online persistent multiplayer campaign that allows hundreds of people to join in on the action, & the action is fierce with territories being fought over constantly.”

Overall I was really surprised by this game, I only got it to see how RTS games play out & its really impressed me in every way possible. The story is taken from a Tom Clancy novel of the same name & I like how the story is not completely far fetched, WWIII occurring because of an oil crisis? Its possible. The units available & vehicles are modelled after actual units & I really prefer this to some alien race & its crafts like in a past Command & Conquer game. I liked that the game allowed for combat in over 40 real locations & that definitely made it feel more realistic that any other game of its kind. The controls were easy enough to get a grip with & once I learned the basics the real game began. Some of the menu options were a little misleading & awkward for example trying to change maps in the single player skirmish mode I had to look that up online. The game uses about 5 gigabytes on the PS3 & a lot of people might see that as a problem but other than that I cant see anything wrong with the game. EndWar might not be everyone’s cup of tea & I didn’t even think I would enjoy it but I did & I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to try a RTS style game.

Friday The 13TH 2009 - MOVIE REVIEW

Last Friday (Friday the 13th of February 09) I was lucky enough to get a ticket for the very first showing of the new Friday the 13th movie by director Marcus Nispel (the texas chainsaw massacre 2003) & apart from the usual guy secretly trying to film the movie then getting nabbed by staff it was one hell of a night. Well any serious movie fan knew this was going to happen some day. Much like the Texas chainsaw massacre & Halloween, Friday the 13th is one of those classic horror movies that made an impact on their original release. Funnily enough when Ft13th was first released it was given a may 9th date. Coming from the same director as the Texas chainsaw massacre remake it was a little predictable where this movie was going from the start to finish. Straight away its nothing like the original movie but has much more in common with the next 3 of the series.

The movie is set into three parts. The first part is about five minutes long & tells the story of Jason’s mother & why she did what she did. The second part is kind of Harold & Kumarish..a group of friends trek through the woods in search of a generous crop of marijuana - eventually crossing into Jason’s territory so you can guess what happens next. The 2nd part also sets up the back-story for Jason - told by a campfire by a slightly annoying character.

Part three is the main movie itself & is set about a month or so after the 2nd part. Here a group of college friends are staying over in a lake house that just happens to be located on..yep you guessed it Camp Crystal Lake. On their way to the house they come across a guy searching for his missing sister - she went missing a month ago, see where this is going? The gang arrive at the lake house & start to get comfortable but its not long before things start to kick off & Jason comes calling - & as you would have guessed the killing begins.

Its obvious the filmmakers filtered out some of the most memorable kills from the original movies & reinvented them for this new one.. But is that a bad thing. Well it is & it isn’t & as much as I loved the originals for their fresh approach to the horror scene I have to say they do work a little better in Fth13 09. Obviously the makers of this one had a much much bigger budget than the originals combined so they could easily achieve more in the visual effects but they didn’t overdo them to the point where they got to be too big for the story. The sets are really well done & camp crystal lake looked really good & atmospheric. There were even a few surprises when it came to the set, the main one being Jason’s lair.

The acting is good but not great but then I honestly didn’t expect an Oscar worthy performance from the main cast - that said it’s a horror movie & I didn’t go for the acting but more for the experience of being scared & for the shock factor. So is it actually scary? Yes it is, the audience were jumping out of their seats in the first few minutes so it really did do what it set out to do, no easy task for a horror movie especially a modern remake of a classic that not only delivered the thrills but set the standard for horror movies themselves.

Jason Voorhees is one of my favourite movie characters & I didn’t know what to expect from him in this one. Over the last 8-10 years or so I was used to seeing Jason as an unstoppable almost supernatural boogieman that would always return for his revenge so seeing him so human in Fth13 09 wasn’t so thrilling. For me he has always been more scary because he moves so slow but gets to where you are going before you, of course in this one he has to run & at one point even operates a bow & arrow. that’s really only quarrel with the movie & I will admit I’m on the losing side of the argument because he had to be human or the story wouldn’t make sense. If you are a fan of the originals or even a fan of movies in general then definitely check this movie out for a good scare - it wont disappoint & its sure to lean up at the box office.

Today i made pasta with chicken mushroom cream sauce

Ingredients: 448 g farfalle (bow tie) pasta, 15 g butter, 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, 80 g onion, diced, 12 shiitake mushrooms, 235 ml heavy cream, salt to taste
6 g coarsely ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.

2. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken until no longer pink, and juices run clear.

4. Transfer chicken to a cutting board, and thinly slice; set aside. Saute onion until tender and translucent.

5. Add mushrooms, and gradually stir in cream.

6. Cook, stirring constantly, for 7 to 10 minutes, or until sauce is thickened.

7. Stir in chicken, and season with salt and pepper.

8. Cook 5 minutes, or until heated through.

9. Toss with cooked pasta until evenly coated.

Friday the 13th..coming soon

With a new version of the classic movie Friday the 13th just around the corner I’m stuck between excitement & fear. Sure Halloween & even the Texas chainsaw massacre have been remade into more modern versions of themselves but have they always been good remakes? - Halloween worked because it had rob zombie behind it & even now he is filming another Halloween movie but the Texas chainsaw massacre/hills have eyes 2 & another number of remakes failed to really bring anything new or worthwhile to the fans. This latest Friday movie is the 12th of the series (if you include freddy vs. Jason) & so far its looking like it may have stayed true to the original. We are living in a more modern age with countless numbers of horror movies bringing in the big bucks at the box office so its not surprise that in this latest re-imagining that the filmmakers have opted to make Jason appear more human, whether this will work or not is something we wont know until the movie debuts on Friday. I suppose it really comes as no surprise that the same director of the Texas chainsaw massacre remake has been given the reins on this new movie & the internet has been buzzing for weeks with news on the production & its cast. There are a number of early reviews & previews circulating right now but I really would recommend going to see it as most if not all of them are loaded with spoilers & they really will ruin the movie for you. Not surprisingly a new documentary has been released to coincide with the new movie & I have to say its actually really good. The documentary called “his name was Jason” is 90 minutes of interviews/stories & even never before seen footage from the series, though aimed at diehard Friday fans its entertaining enough to keep most movie goers watching. I’m off to see the movie on Friday & will definitely be posting a review on my blog, in the meantime here’s some Friday facts you probably didn’t know.

Friday facts...

The original "Friday the 13th"was the most successful instalment in the series grossing over $37 million in revenue. The series as a whole has grossed in excess of $250 million.

The budget for "Friday the 13th" was only $500,000.

The film was shot over a 3 month period from September-October 1979.

The movie was filmed at Camp Nobebosco in New Jersey. The camp is still in operation to date, and they have a wall of Friday the 13th paraphernalia to honor the fact that the movie was set there.

This is Kevin Bacon's first leading role in a feature film. He made his feature film debut in "National Lampoon's Animal House"(1978).

Betsy Palmer was chosen to play Jason's mother strictly for the fact that she could provide her own transport to the set.

While the movies are all available on DVD I bought the boxset which was missing "jason goes to hell & jason x" so really you are only getting the first 8, some of the packaging lies as many of the extras advertised are missing from the final boxset.

Composer Harry Manfredini has said that contrary to popular belief, the famous "chi chi chi, ha ha ha" in the film's score is actually "ki ki ki, ma ma ma". It is meant to resemble Jason's voice saying "kill kill kill, mom mom mom" in Mrs. Voorhees' mind. It was inspired by the scene in which Mrs. Voorhees seems to be possessed by Jason and chants "Get her mommy....kill her!" Manfredini created the effect by speaking the syllables "Ki" and "Ma" into a microphone running through a delay effect.

Capcom Confirm Dead Rising 2 for PS3/360/PC

It's been rumoured for a while, but today Capcom have officially confirmed via press release the existence of Dead Rising 2. The sequel is set several years after the first game with the zombie virus having spread beyond the mall and town of Willamette, featuring a new lead (and as yet unnamed) protagonist and with the action taking place in "gambling paradise" Fortune City. The game is being handled by Blue Castle Games, with Capcom promising that members from the original Dead Rising team will be involved with the production. And it's going to be on the big three platforms (the Wii getting Chop 'Til You Drop later this year), which i have already seen for pre-order in local game shops. The main complication holding back a sequel to Dead Rising was the legal battle with the MKR Group.

The MKR Group, who holds the copyright to both the 1978 Dawn of the Dead film and its 2004 remake, sent letters on February 6, 2008 to Capcom, Microsoft, and Best Buy, claiming that Dead Rising infringes on the copyrights and trademarks of these films. In a complaint filed February 12, 2008 to seek an injunction preventing a lawsuit from MKR, Capcom asserted that "humans battling zombies in a shopping mall" is a "wholly unprotectible idea" under today's copyright laws; Capcom further points to the warning "label" on the box cover as a preemptive measure to separate the game from the films. The MKR Group has since filed a lawsuit after failing to reach an agreement with Capcom over the dispute.The lawsuit was dismissed in October 2008, with United States Magistrate Judge Richard Seeborg stating that MKR failed to demonstrate the similarity of any protected element of Dawn of the Dead to that of Dead Rising, with many of the elements MKR claimed were similar being part of the "wholly unprotectable concept of humans battling zombies in a mall during a zombie outbreak".

Great Depression 'skyscraper' heels back in fashion

Women are buying skyscraper heels last popular in the 1930s, providing further evidence of the parallels between the current economic crisis and the Great Depression.

Tall stilletos are one of the fashion trends of the year, thanks in part to celebrities including Victoria Beckham and Gwyneth Paltrow. The designer Christian Louboutin even plans to create "extreme" eight inch heels after the success of his six and seven inch pairs Heel heights are meant to fall during times of financial hardship – under the fashion industry's so-called "stiletto index" – but it seems women are instead dealing with the recession by buying big. The last time super-high heels were in vogue was during the Depression that followed the 1929 Wall Street Crash. Ali Hall, editor of fashion magazine Look, told The Sun: "All the main shoe trends are mega high – and even more death defying." Feminist academic Germaine Greer has predicted that the popularity of high heels will collapse as the recession worsens. "Now is the towering shoe moment of the Noughties, which will be followed by the inevitable fall," she wrote. Women may enjoy window-shopping for towering stilettos but "few of them will have the spare cash to invest in shoes that can be safely worn only in bed," she added. The historian Amanda Foreman blamed the growth of high heels on male fashion executives who want to restrain female rivals in the jobs market. "These shoes are obviously not for the working woman, they aren't designed for cobbled streets. They're not real life, but a little fantasy."

Facebook no safe haven

Facebook just turned 5 years old. But a week that should have been filled with reflection and good times was instead marred by a series of breaking news reports detailing sex scandals, phishing, and other malicious activity on the world's largest social network.

On Tuesday, February 3rd, it was reported that thousands of sex offenders (many of whom were previously booted from MySpace) were lurking on Facebook (they've since been removed). Ok so these might not have necessarily been MySpace 'refugees' in the sense that they migrated en masse from MySpace to Facebook - they likely maintain profiles on multiple social networks. But the fact remains that there were thousands of convicted sexual offenders on a social network that is generally perceived as safe. On Wednesday news broke of an elaborate and disturbing sex ring involving at least 31 high school students. An 18 year-old man named Anthony Stancl has allegedly been masquerading as high-school girls on Facebook, flirting with underaged male classmates and convincing them to send him nude photographs. He would then use the photographs to blackmail the boys into performing sexual acts with him, which he took pictures of using a cell phone. Stancl has been charged with 12 felony counts and up to 300 years of jail time. (In a somewhat bizarre twist, Facebook responded to news of the sex ring by stating that fewer than 1% of its 150 million users are affected by impersonation schemes. So, around 1.5 million people. Not exactly a confidence-inspiring statistic.)

The same day, Facebook updated its Terms of Service, rewording many of its rules to make them easier to understand and explicitly prohibiting some common transgressions, like including false information in profiles or creating fake accounts. But there was one far more timely addition: "If you are required to register as a sex offender in any jurisdiction, you may not use the Facebook Service." Facebook spokesman Barry Schnitt says that sex offenders had previously been banned through a number of other more general statements in the Terms of Service, but that the company wanted to make it more explicit. On Friday, CNN reported on an increasing number of phishing attacks seen on Facebook, using a technique that was first heard about in January. After gaining access to compromised accounts, scammers are now using Facebook to ask the victims' "friends" for cash. The attacks can be particularly effective because the scammers can easily look up personal details of the people they're contacting.

The reality is that no matter what these social networks do, they'll never have the technology or the manpower to stop every threat. Which is why they need to stop pretending that they're safe. Facebook's (and MySpace's) goal is to connect as many people as possible, and the sad truth is that many people are very naive when it comes to online safety. These social networks need to step up their education and awareness efforts, perhaps even offering a 'safe mode' for users (even adults) who aren't adept at navigating the web's pitfalls. Because sharing is only fun until someone gets hurt.

No PS4 any time soon

Sony has once again stuck to its guns over the PlayStation 3's "10 year life-span", stating that it sees sales of the console "far outlasting" that of the PS2.Speaking in a statement given to T3 magazine, the company said: "PS3 won't celebrate its second birthday in the UK until March of this year, and we've said all along that the life-cycle for this generation of hardware will be longer than previous models.

"PS2 was still going strong after eight years, and with the power the Cell processor provides, not to mention the fact that PS3 is inherently future-proof, we see the PS3 sales curve far outlasting that of PS2."PC gaming giant Crytek recently joined the many developers predicting the launch of the next console in "2011, or 2012."Going on Sony's statement though, we're not expecting an unveiling any time soon...at all.

cell phone explosion kills man in china

In China today a man has died after putting a new battery in his phone. After the initial charging, he put the phone in his pocket and shortly thereafter it exploded, killing him. This is the ninth such explosion reported since 2002. The Chinese daily Shin Min Daily News reports the accident occurred on January 30 at 7:30pm local time at what may have been a Lenovo shop. A nearby employee heard a loud bang, looked over and saw her co-worker lying on the floor in a pool of blood. While the make and model of cell phone is not yet known or not being reported, police are currently investigating whether or not the phone and/or battery were counterfeit. Authorities have issued warning tips that cell phones and batteries should not be tampered with or replaced with counterfeit parts. In 2007, a 22-yr old welder died from chest wounds when his mobile phone exploded while working at an iron mill. Authorities concluded in that case that the battery had been exposed to sparks and high heat in the iron mill.

Spring 2009 make-up collections

Nars

“My inspiration for spring was a very sexy woman,” explains François Nars, Founderand Creative Director of NARS Cosmetics. “I wanted a bit of a ‘70s feeling,somewhere between Guy Bourdin and Chris Von Wangenheim’s photographs—aggressive, but very sensual and fragile at the same time.”

A striking matte brick-red eyeshadow, made infinitely more wearable in combinationwith a pearly white shadow or simple black liner, is tempered by a sweet, baby pinkglossy lip; while eyes painted in pastel hues of dusty rose, sage and lilac are a fittingmatch for a statement-making berry lip. And everything should be paired with theonly cheek for spring: sparkling and sculpted.

Blush Duo ($37)-Hungry Heart- Iridescent gold ivory and pink sand with golden sheenDuo Concealer ($30)- 2 lightweight, creamy, crease resistant concealers that you can blend together or use alone. Fragrance free.-Vanilla/Honey- Fair complexions -Custard/Ginger- Light to medium complexions-Praline/Toffee- Medium to dark complexionsDuo Eye Shadow ($32)-Egea- Frosted sage and smoky lilac-Hula Hula- Strawberry with gold particles and hazelnut with gold glitterparticlesSingle Eye Shadow ($22)-Baby Girl- Cotton candy with golden undertones and gold particles-Grenadines- Matte garnet -Night Sun- Bright marigold with gold particlesThe Multiple Duo ($45)-Orgasm/South Beach- Peachy pink and apricot with shimmerThe Multiple Bronzer ($37)-Cap Vert- Medium to dark complexions with red undertonesLip Gloss ($24)-Sweet Revenge- Sheer pink grapefruitLipstick ($24)-Shrinagar- Metallic raspberry

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Givenchy

Inspired by the sensual and refined beauty of Indian women, this precious collection offers touches of bright, joyful oranges and pinks that are evocative of the culture's ornate clothing and makeup. Together, the sultry shades create a seductive look expressed through a soft healthy complexion, sensual lips, and most of all intense, magnetic eyes.

Sari Glow Iridescent Blush ($42)-44 Maharani Orange- Luminous Rosy Pink-43 Maharani Pink- Luminous Golden PeachPrismissime ($53)-21 Maharani Pinks-22 Maharani ApricotsMagic Kajal Eye Pencil ($21.50)-1 Magic BlackPrecious Sari Glittering Eyeshadow ($26)- A non-sticky, non-oily glittering gel eyeshadow.-1 Maharani Silver- True Silver Shimmer-2 Maharani Gold- True Gold ShimmerRouge Interdit Satin Lipstick ($27)-40 Maharani Rose- Deep Vivid Rose-41 Maharani Henna- Warm Brick Red

Sweep Of MySpace Nets 90,000 Sexual Predators

An ongoing sweep of MySpace.com has netted 90,000 sex offenders -- twice the number the company anticipated when it agreed to stricter safety standards last year. MySpace and Facebook.com claim more than 170 million combined users -- many of whom are children.

The social networking sites agreed to do more to protect those young users -- including banning convicted sex offenders. "The social networking sites are a fertile playground for sexual predators," Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler said. MySpace used a database that takes the names, physical traits and other distinctive characteristics of sex offenders and compares them to MySpace members. Gansler is part of a national push to make social networking safer and said that many sex offenders use fake profiles to avoid getting caught. "One of the things we're trying to do is make it so children under 14 can't get on these sites in the first place. There's no real reason for them to be there. If you reduce the supply, you'll reduce the demand," Gansler said. But more and more kids are creating profiles. "It's private, so nobody can get on it. If I don't know the person who sends a friend request, I spam or deny it," MySpace user Kayla Lake said. In addition to the ban on convicted sex offenders, MySpace and Facebook said they're taking other steps to protect kids. That includes adding a better age verification process and imposing a limit on member searches to prevent adults from trolling for children. Connecticut's attorney general said an initial sweep of Facebook turned up a substantial number of sex offenders. But he said the site has not officially responded to a subpoena of its records.

La Senza for Valentines Day

One of my favourite stores La Senza have just released their new range of lingerie for valentines day & so far its looking great. One of the biggest sellers will definitely be the new antique lace baby doll. This breathtaking babydoll has stunning black lace overlaying a pink mesh base creating a luxurious antique look. The lightly padded cups are styled with lace frills along the neckline and a large pink ribbon bow at the centre front. The body is panelled and boned at the front with a large ribbon bow at each side. The theatrical mesh back has a lower gathered hem with layers of lace frills. Comes with matching mesh thong and detachable suspender straps. Another possible for valentines day is the new lipgloss cami set. Its a gorgeous cami & knickers set is sure to make you feel fabulously flirty & girly! The pink and red cami has a v neckline with an elasticated underband for shape and support. The cami has ‘he loves me... he loves me not’ printed all over in red with gorgeous red lace along the neckline and is finished off with a large red satin bow, The matching red and white polka dot knickers have pink ruffle detail to the sides and red piping and bow detail on the front. Along with the ones mentioned there are also some great little bra & knickers sets & even a selection of valentines inspired jewellery, La Senza have really landed on their feet this valentines.

Today i made autumn veg with goats cheese & pumpkin-seed oil

Ingredients:1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes4 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil1/4 cup Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed and sliced into 1/8-inch disks (optional)2 parsnips, scrubbed and sliced into 1/4-inch disks1 teaspoon ground cumin1 leek, white part only, cut into 3-inch julienne pieces1/2 celery root, peeled and cut into julienne pieces1/4 pound mizuna, watercress, or frisee2 tablespoons sherry vinegarKosher salt, to tasteFreshly ground black pepper, to taste4 1-inch baguette slices, toasted for 2 minutes in 400°F oven1/4 pound fresh goat cheese2 tablespoons pumpkin-seed oil (available at specialty stores)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 475°F.
2. Place the butternut cubes and chopped sage on a cookie sheet; drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and roast until light golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Set aside in a large salad bowl to cool.
4. Place the Jerusalem artichokes on the same cookie sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
5. Roast in the oven for 6 to 7 minutes.
6. Remove and set aside with the squash.
7. Place the parsnips on the cookie sheet and toss with the cumin and 1 more tablespoon of olive oil.
8. Roast for 6 to 7 minutes, and then set aside with the other vegetables.
9. Bring 6 cups of water to boil and set up an ice bath near the stove.
10. Plunge the leeks into the boiling water and cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
11. Remove the leeks from the boiling water and submerge them in the ice bath until cool. Remove the leeks from the ice bath, pat dry with paper towels, and set aside.
12. Add the leeks, celery root and mizuna to the salad bowl with the roasted vegetables.
13. Add the remaining olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper and toss gently to coat well.
14. Divide the mixture evenly among four chilled dinner plates, mounding it like a haystack.
15. Generously spread fresh goat cheese on each baguette slice and place on top of each “haystack.”
16. Drizzle the pumpkinseed oil around each mound and serve immediately.

yum!