Free Batman Coloring Pages

Here you will find websites that offer free Batman coloring pages, the free printable Batman coloring pages are a great way for kids to express their creativity in an inexpensive and easy accessible method.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/761513/free_batman_coloring_pages.html?cat=4

Murphy to Return as 'Beverly Hills Cop'

LOS ANGELES (May 29) - If Indiana Jones can make a successful comeback after almost 20 years, why not the Beverly Hills Cop?Paramount Pictures has given the go-ahead for a fourth installment of its "Beverly Hills Cop" franchise, with Eddie Murphy on board to return to the role that launched his movie career, the studio said Thursday.



Brett Ratner, the filmmaker behind the similarly themed "Rush Hour" movies starring Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, is in negotiations to direct the latest "Beverly Hills Cop" adventure, a Paramount spokesman said.Lorenzo di Bonaventura ("Transformers") will produce.



The film is expected to begin filming next year for a summer 2010 release.



According to Daily Variety, it was Murphy, 47, who approached the Viacom Inc-owned studio about reviving the film series in which he plays a Detroit police detective, Axel Foley, who ends up chasing crooks in Beverly Hills, California.



The original 1984 film and its two sequels, the last of which opened in 1994, collectively grossed more than $735 million in theaters worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. The first movie alone took in over $316 million globally.



The decision to make "Beverly Hills Cop IV" follows Paramount's success with the revival of its "Indiana Jones" franchise after 19 years. The fourth film in that series, "The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," opened last Thursday and grossed nearly $152 million in its first five days in domestic release.



Murphy's last two films, the live-action comedy "Norbit" and the animated storybook satire "Shrek the Third," in which he supplied the voice of a talking donkey, grossed $159 million and $799 million worldwide, respectively, according to Box Office Mojo.

Chapter 76.5: Another Day, Another Month...

Soon we will enter June, but in the final beautiful days of May, I sense a calmness in the New York area. For the Mets have started to win.

The streak is modest, to be sure; three game winning streaks should be commonplace for good teams. But these are Willie's Mets. Willie Randolph, who many fans thought would be fired this week, has survived so far and has his team looking more stable (albeit at the .500 mark) than they've looked since banging the Yankees ... my goodness, was it only two weeks ago!

As coincidence would have it, Willie's former colleague, Joe Torre, was back in New York as well, his Dodgers competing against the Mets, which allowed for an interesting article to appear in the New York Times. Harvey Araton, in his column, noted that the Yankees weren't quite as whiny when Torre was being insulted last fall as was being remembered this spring.

Araton writes:

Last October, Mike Mussina said of Torre, “If we don’t perform, it shouldn’t be a reflection on his ability.” Johnny Damon said: “We’re not just playing for him. We’re playing for a bunch of players in there.” ... Alex Rodriguez was too busy opting out and begging back in to worry about a manager. Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera were supposedly factoring Torre into their free-agent strategy, but the Yankees substituted an alternate Joe (Girardi) along with keys to the Steinbrenner vault. The band played on.

And the Mets fan looks at the standings, recognizes that the team is 3.5 games out of first place after taking two of three from the first-place Marlins (who are on their own three game losing streak), and says "Ok, Willie's safe for now. But don't let it happen again!"

We're fickle, we Mets fans.

As I've said to fellow Mets fans, who else is there right now? Short of importing Bobby Valentine from Japan, I don't think the Mets have a clear option that's better than -- or more importantly different from -- Willie. Jerry Manuel was a decent manager in Chicago (Cammy, Frank, correct me if I'm wrong), but his casual approach eventually allowed the players to get lazy. Laziness and complacency are killing the Mets. As for other options that have been voiced: Ken Oberkfell (Mets AAA manager) might have the chops, I really don't know; Gary Carter shot himself in the foot, which he'd already shoved in his mouth; Jim Fregosi doesn't impress me; and Tom Kelly is too smart to leave retirement for the New York circus.

I'd love to hear other people suggest other managers for the Mets, because I'm not convinced Willie's going to remain regardless of this little winning streak.

What I'd really love to see are Carlos Delgado and Carlos Beltran start to hit like they used to, Luis Castillo demonstrate why Omar lavished millions on him this past winter, and the pitching staff to work consistently and well into the latter third of the game. Is that too much to ask of a "championship-calibre team"?

The Multigenerational Household

In many cultures grandparents live in the same household as their children and grandchildren. Not so much in America. Why not? Is it because we need ample doses of personal space? Is it because greedy advertisers have taught us to reject our parents’ values to induce us to buy their latest stuff? Heaven forbid that we dress like mom or dad, or listen to their music. And once we reject their values, it’s easy to reject their company. Maybe that’s one of the reasons we put them in nursing homes when they get old, where they can watch yesteryear’s reruns. Maybe that’s why our own children might do the same thing to us in their time.

But something seems wrong with this picture. When I consider what the Bible says about multigenerational relationships (the discipleship of children and honoring of parents), I get the feeling many Americans have missed the point of family by a fat, country mile.

In the not-too-distant past, households were places of industry and productive work. Family farms were scattered all over the landscape, and people ran businesses out of their homes. Children were trained at home with their parent’s values, and they learned to contribute their share of the work on the family estate. Babies were born into the home and grandparents lived there until they died. The household was a cradle-to-grave enterprise.

With the advent of industrialization, men began to leave their homes to join the urban work force. Thus was born the apartment building, the subdivision and the single-family home. Dads went off to industrial factories and children went off to industrial schools, Eventually moms went off to work, too. Homes became like hotels, places to eat, do homework, watch TV, and snooze.

But things are starting to change. Thanks to the internet, UPS and FedEx, more and more people are using their homes as places of education and business again. Many parents are deciding to teach their own children there. No need to bus the children off to an institution. The same books that can be read at school can be ordered on line and delivered to the family's front door. The family's home computer can access the same web sites as those in the school’s computer lab. At home the children can receive individualized instruction and enjoy enriching curricula that is tailored to their particular interests, and is in accord with their parent’s values. Clubs, sports leagues and church groups are all available to enrich the social life of the family.

A number of young entrepreneurs have discovered that they can do the same work from a computer at home as they would from one at a work station in a downtown office cubicle. Many of them are thinking outside the box, and integrating their work with the functions of their household. They are finding that when family members work in their business, instead of outside employees, it is easier to have a harmonious work environment. There are also significant tax advantages to a family business, which translates into greater profitability.

Some people are bucking the nursing home trends as well. They are making room in the house for grandma and gramps. And the benefits are substantial. The costs of running two separate households are reduced to one. Energy consumption is lowered. Expenses on utilities, meals, child care and education can be consolidated. The retirement income of the grandparents can be used to help remodel the home for their privacy and comfort. Everybody wins.

Is there a down side to the multi-generational, multi-family household? Yep. Everyone must get along, which is tough for a bunch of imperfect people bumping into each other in a common kitchen, or waiting for the bathroom. And there’s always the potential for lazy adult kids to sponge off their parents, or for control freak parents to rule over their children like serf-lords. The good news is that where sin abounds, God’s grace can abound all the more.

Keep an eye out for developments in the multi-generational household. It might just be that our ever-rising gas prices and general economic downturn will be the incentive for many Christians to return to a more biblical way of “doing family” together.

Holy Milk Mustache, Batman!

Batman has got milk and his body [armor] has never looked better! Batman's milk mustache is bound to make lots of fans thirsty for some milk.

In one of the many promotions for the upcoming Dark Knight Batman movie sequel, Batman sports a milk mustache. It's quite a positive cross promotion in terms of getting kids of all ages to think healthy and drink low fat or fat free milk.

This is also a first close up look at Batman's new Dark Knight Bat suit featured in the movie this summer. It has more detailed muscles throughout the gold metallic color really highlights the Bat Belt. And of course, the over all black, mysterious nature of the suit itself leaves everyone wondering, what gadgets are hiding where in that suit of his!

Besides benefiting from a cold and refreshing glass of milk, Batman fans also have the amazing once in a life time chance to be drawn in a Batman Comic, fill in this form on the Body by Milk web site.

Pastor Rick Warren’s P.E.A.C.E. Plan

I thank God for Pastor Rick Warren’s vision and organizational skills. His latest efforts to unite church leaders in the world to do good works through the P.E.A.C.E. Coalition is highly commendable. As an antidote to what Warren sees as the five “global giants” on the planet (1) spiritual emptiness, (2) self-centered leadership, (3) poverty, (4) pandemic disease and (5) illiteracy, he offers the following goals by way of the acronym P.E.A.C.E.

Promote reconciliation
Equip servant leaders
Assist the poor
Care for the sick
Educate the next generation.

“First and foremost, the P.E.A.C.E. Plan is about reclaiming the primacy of the local church's role in global missions,” says Warren, whose Saddleback Church has invested $3 million in producing software and training modules to implement the plan.

“At a wedding the bride is the main character, the centre, the star of the show - everyone else is supporting cast, but the glory goes to the bride," says Warren. "The P.E.A.C.E. Plan is built on the same principle. The Bride of Christ - of which the church is its local expression around the world - deserves the focus, the credit and the glory for faithfully serving their communities year after year."

Actually the Bride Groom, Christ Jesus, is the star of the show. I don’t mean to be a hair splitter, but the distinction between who receives the glory seems important. As soon as we shift our focus from His glorious work on the cross, and His justifying, sanctifying, mediation for His elect, we set ourselves up to be the measure of righteousness on earth based on our good works. The principle that right doctrine precedes right deeds, is as important as it ever was. Christ is the head, the church is His body.

Our striving to solve the problems of the world is noble and necessary. After all, the Bible declares that faith without works is dead. And we are called to let our light shine before others, so that they may see our good works. Yet all things are to be done to the glory of the Father, not to the church (see Matthew 5:16).

Perhaps I’m overreacting to Warren’s illustration, which might simply need some fine tuning. I hope so.

I pray that the Lord will use the P.E.A.C.E. Plan to glorify the PRINCE of PEACE in the world and to proclaim His GOSPEL.

Happy Memorial Day!

Picture Credit

Memorial Day can mean many things to many different people.

It's often thought of as the kick off for summer, warm weather, sunshine, grilling, BBQs and the beach. Many take the opportunity for a long weekend vacation. However you celebrate this holiday, please take a moment to ponder the reason behind it, a memorial to our fallen troops, remember those who have paid the ultimate price while protecting our freedom and our country.

The Extreme Halloween Family would like to take this time to express our gratitude to our military troops, past and present who have served or are currently serving to protect the freedoms we hold dear.

THANK YOU!

The TULIPs of Preaching

Here are five principles to help rookie pastors like myself blossum in their preaching.

T = True to the Text
The foremost purpose of preaching is to faithfully declare what God has said in His Word. My desire as a pastor and teacher is to faithfully exposit the scriptures. My aim is to understand God’s inerrant, infallible Word in its historical, grammatical, and doctrinal context. Since scripture interprets scripture, I must examine any text in light of the full counsel of God. I must be familiar with the entire canon of scripture, Old and New Testaments, and appreciate God’s sovereignty over the transmission of His Word through diverse, human prophets and scribes over time. It has been said that any text without a context is a pretext. Scripture must not be made to conform to our current cultural dispositions. We must conform to the scriptures. To depart from the text is transgression, whether by detraction or embellishment. Preach it true to the text.

U = Useful
God’s Word is intended to transform, bless, and direct the lives of believers. The Scriptures are intended to accomplish God’s purposes for those who read it and hear it. The Bible is meant to be obeyed and practiced. It is essential for godliness. Pastors do well to present the usefulness and applicability of scripture to transform the way we think and behave, and to equip the body of Christ for the works of ministry. Preach it useful.

L = Loving and Logical
Preaching must be sincere and understandable. As a shepherd, it is prudent for me to consider the condition and maturity of my flock as I attempt to lead and teach them. I must be loving, patient and as clear as possible in my instruction. The outcome of my teaching should be greater understanding, rather than confusion. I have found it useful to state the objective of my messages and give a roadmap of direction for moving through my sermon content. The logical flow of the main proposition, broken into key points, and supported by details and illustrations, helps the learner to follow along without getting lost. It is a comfort to the young wigglers in my congregation (and their parents) to know when the end of a message is in sight. Preach it loving and logical.

I = Interesting & Inspiring
I wish all my messages were inspiring. Realistically, I strive to make them interesting. A judicious blend of faithful, theological exposition and interesting illustrations helps to keep the congregation awake and engaged. Candor, humor and self-disclosure are useful in proper measure. Both laughter and seriousness are good for the soul. I find that using relevant, personal illustrations, deepens my relationship with my listeners and helps them track with me as I develop a message. I happen to have a background in graphic art so I can’t resist using photos, graphs, diagrams and lists to emphasize points. Power Point slides should not be the tail that wags the dog. Still it's good to recall that a picture is worth a thousand words. Preach it interesting and inspiring. Or try to.

P = Passionate
Preaching is more than conveying information. It is imparting God’s very Word to the hearts and minds of the hearers. Energy and passion is appropriate when one is sharing the good news of the gospel or the hazards of sin. If you don’t care about what you’re preaching, others won’t either. While the pulpit is not a theatrical stage for dramatic performances, sermons need not be delivered like emotionless lectures. Preachers should preach as if lives depended on it. They surely do. Preach it passionate.

Acknowledgment
I’m not the first person to use the TULIP acronym for preaching tips. Steve Brown (speaker for KeyLife, a prof at Reformed Seminary, and a Preaching Magazine senior consulting editor), has used it to suggest that preaching be ...

T-therapeutic
U-unconventional
L-lucid
I-illustrated
P-passionate

Happy Universal Day fo the Jedi

I hope you are having fun celebrating the 31st anniversary of the release of Star Wars Episode IV A new Hope. Here are some tributes to Star Wars: pictures, videos, and articles.

Celebrate the Universal Day of the Jedi - Go to Church Dressed as a Wookiee!

10 of the Coolest Star Wars Videos Ever Made

10 of the Coolest Star Wars Pictures Ever Made

Before the Galaxy Far, Far Away: Influences on 'Star Wars'

In Honor of Universal Day of the Jedi

Indiana Jones vs. Han Solo: Who Would Win?

Have fun surfing the Internet Galaxies!

Chapter 76.4: Cat Calls

I know that I shouldn't expect much of a cat, but our boy's been clammoring for the past 10 minutes for me to play with him. I've been trying to write (having already "enjoyed" cleaning the gutters; God, that stuff is disgusting!), and he keeps popping his mouth off, flicking his tail at my nose, and bopping his head under my chin.

Or maybe he's saying, if you let me out in the back yard on this lovely day, you can finish the last few pages of revisions to your novel in the porch you cleaned up. Wouldn't that be nice?

Maybe with a scotch.

Star Wars Images from the Web - Part II

Counting down to Universal Day of the Jedi with my friends at The-TrukstoP.com

10 more of the coolest Star Wars images ever made

The first compilation of 10 of the coolest Star Wars images ever made gathered quite some interest. So, bearing that in mind, & with two [days] to go until Universal Day of the Jedi, I figured I would grab some more pics you may not have seen and go for Round 2... or should I say, "Episode II"?

As with the last list, there's a variety of pictures that I've selected: awesome compositions, humorous images, and others. Click on the pics for the full sizes. Here we go:

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10. Mr. Toda

You have to hand it to the folks over at Worth1000.com. Not only do they have some of the most awesome Photoshop tutorials, but the creativity of their contest entrants is amazing. Mr. Toda, the winning entry of the Celebrity Star Wars contest by mjhaylor, is testament to this. The composition is not only hysterical, but justification for just how outstanding digital art can be. "Gettin' on no spaceship, I am not - pity the fool, I do!"

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9. Rockabilly Yoda

Someone took the trend set by Sith Lords Rock and Star Wars Rocks, and created Yoda gettin' ready to bring the noise rockabilly style. Fairly creative, worth a mention, and is a pic that seems to be gathering some popularity on MySpace.com.

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8. Someone Missed A Meeting

Being a KISS fan, I couldn't help but include this one here. Obviously, someone missed a meeting at some point. This pic was found over at Bloggerheads.com.

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7. Jedi Frodo from Hogwarts

Another Worth1000.com contest entry, this one made by MadWasabi for the Triple Cliche Heck contest: a contest where entrants had to combine elements from three different films into one. This one rated high on the list, and has been included here because it's indicative of a geeky fanboy's wet dream come true.

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6. The Real Asajj Ventress

The Expanded Universe of Star Wars has spawned so many memorable characters, such as Mara Jade, Thrawn, and Xizor... but if there was one character from the Clone Wars era that stands out as a notable EU character, it would be Asajj Ventress. Fans have read about her, seen her on the Clone Wars cartoon, and played as her on the bonus levels from Battlefront II. Every so often, a digital artist comes along that attempts to bring a realism of life to the character - and this composition is of no exception. The above image is part of a series of wallpaper designs at RabitTooth.com.

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5. Chewie Cops A Feel

I am guessing that this photo takes place sometime either when Han wasn't looking, or when he was put in carbonite. Either way, I guess it explains the scene where a very angry Wookiee tries to beat down Xizor's door in Shadows of the Empire, interrupting Xizor and Leia. Sith hath no fury like a Wookiee scorn.

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4. Beepity Beep Whistle Crack Splat

This is yet another Worth1000.com image - one from a contest we mentioned in the last list (the one with Attack of the Muppets). Nice photoshop work - very creative. Check out all the other entries here.

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3. Female Mandalorian

Expanded Universe fans will remember a few Mandalorian female bounty hunters, such as Ailyn Vel and Mirta Gev, but outside of the EU many fans have tried to visualize female Mandalorian warriors in the past - somewhat unsuccessfully. Most of the renderings I have come across are either cheap rip-offs of Boba Fett's green armor, or pink Mandalorian armor. This image on the other hand is different and unique. It successfully highlights that the women of Mandalore are just as brutal as their male counterparts, and unique. Definitely one of my favorite Star Wars images ever. This image was composed by Tom Hodges (and was included in an issue of Star Wars Insider), and can be seen, along with some other awesome artwork, over at ComicArtFans.com.

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2. Wookieevolution

Another Star Wars Insider image, this one made by Randy Martinez, proves two things: evolution is real, and you are not cooler than a Wookiee - period.

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1. Gandhi-Yoda

If Ghandi was in Star Wars, he would be Yoda. This image was made by paraloid, and was the theme post (the image to get the ideas going for contestants) in the Star Wars Celebrities contest at Worth1000.com - the same contest Mr. Toda came from. I love this picture not only because it is well made, but because both identities - Ghandi and Yoda - share many similarities.

Star Wars Images from the Web

With Universal Day of the Jedi approaching, here is a tribute to Star Wars from fans through pictures from my friends at The-TruckstoP.com:

Star Wars fandom certainly has grown exponentially since the Internet came our way. It's opened the doorway for custom made items (costumes and figures) by fans, fan films, and of course, fan art. & with two months to go until Universal Day of the Jedi, I figured I would take a look at 10 of the coolest Star Wars pics online that you may not have seen.

There's a variety of pictures that I've selected. Some of them are just awesome compositions that add to the saga, others are humorous, and others are just, well, just cool and odd. Click on the images for the full sizes. Here we go:

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10. Sith Lords Rock

I'm not sure who made this one - but was obviously made in homage to another one, Star Wars Rocks, you'll see shortly. I just like the idea of Maul and Vader bringing the noise together. Mosh, anyone?

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9. Temptation of Jedi

I've always gravitated towards the artworks of Salvador Dali, so I couldn't help but share this one as well - an awesome abstract composition. This artwork is by Hanelle aka Elle from Fark - and was one of the winning entries in Fark's 2005 Photoshop contest.

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8. Dark Leia

In the world of Star Wars, with Infinities and fan fiction, there's always a realm for non-canon alternative concepts. Here's one pic in that vein that grabbed my attention. Daddy's little girl is more than just a princess in this one.

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7. Attack of the Muppets

Worth1000.com has had a few Star Wars related Photoshop contests and this was the winning entry from one of them. Very funny stuff - you can go here to check out some more from the contest over at their site. This awesome picture was made by Puffnasty.

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6. Southern Falcon

If Han and Chewie were from the Southern states... what are those Duke boys up to this time? This pic was found over at x-dezyn.com

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5. Star Wars Rocks

I recently posted this to Digg.com - where it had been edited into a motivator poster. The artwork is by Hugh Fleming and hangs in one of the hallways of ILM. Star Wars does indeed rock.

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4. Anakin Vader

This classic pic was initially made for a couple of Lucasfilm CD-ROMs that were released just before or around 1999. It's a nice image of the journey Skywalker will take.

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3. Squirrel Jedi

Okay, it's cheesy and a little lame, but it's one seems to be popular on MySpace - some clever Photoshop work there.

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2. A Jedi Can Be Anyone

Don't trust anyone - stand up and support your Empire.

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1. Grief

Possibly the best Star Wars image I've come across online. It perfectly captures Anakin's loss - and realization that he was manipulated into making his mistakes and poor choices for longer than he can remember.

Demographic Winter

Another letter to the editor of the local newspaper.


Dear Editor,

Did you know we’re in the autumn of a demographic winter? I didn’t, until I watched a recent documentary by The Heritage Foundation. The sociologists, demographers and economists in the film present research data on depopulation trends around the globe. According to their findings, the overpopulation predictions of the past have given rise to an anti-child mentality in the world. The implications are chilling.

As one sociologist puts it, the population explosion of the recent past was “not because people started reproducing like rabbits. It was because they stopped dropping like flies. It was a health explosion.”

Ironically, the advances in medicine and technology that led to larger and healthier populations, have produced declining birth rates. Contraception and abortion are readily available worldwide, and children are commonly viewed as an economic liability rather than an asset. Birth rates have now fallen below replacement levels in many of the world’s nations, and the ratio of young people to the elderly is slowly being inverted. In time there will be too few workers to support the dependent elderly among them. The long term solvency of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid in the United States are in jeopardy due to such trends.

The researchers have found a curious exception to the case. People of faith still value children, and they are raising them. The Bible declares that “children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Psalm 127:3). May God bless America with children. It could be a short winter, followed by a beautiful spring.

Indiana Jones seen raiding the lost box office

From a Reuters article on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull:

To say Steven Spielberg's fourth "Indiana Jones" installment is highly anticipated doesn't come close to describing the buzz surrounding a film that many in Hollywood hope will revive a sluggish box office.

Days after its world premiere at the Cannes film festival in France, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" opened commercially on Thursday amid expectations that it could top $180 million in North American ticket sales through Memorial Day.

If its Friday-through-Monday tally crosses the $140 million mark, the film would surpass last year's "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" as the biggest domestic opening yet for a Memorial Day weekend.

Sony Corp's "Spider-Man 3" still holds the record for a traditional weekend opening with $151.1 million collected in its first Friday-through-Sunday frame in May of last year.

Help add to the weekend box office total! Go see Indiana Jones this weekend! And remember to get your brown fedora and your bull whip at Anniescostumes.com!

Plethora of characters - UPDATED

New and returning Soul Calibur IV characters are coming out of the woodwork faster than I can remember to write something about it. Two of the most recent have caught my eye.

Shura was designed by Hiroya Oku, the guy behind the Gantz series (which I love). Her outfit is a bit on the trashy side, but I dig it. It’s such a bizarre combination - stylized chaps, thong, swords, and massive skull shoulder armor. It shouldn’t be appealing yet it is, at least to me.

Ashlotte is easily the coolest guest-created character so far. Designed by Oh Great! (Tenjho Tenge, Air Gear), Ashlotte looks like a true maiden of death. She has a deceptively cute face and outfit that diverts your attention from the sharp iron dress frame and deadly spear ready to slice you open.

UPDATED: Original post only had the two-page scan. Nice large non-watermarked pics were just posted on strategy informer. Sweet.

Chapter 76.3: Got Change for a Dollar?

Have you finally gotten used to the "new" designs of U.S. currency? Well, it may be about to change once again, and possibly in a major way. The U.S Court of Appeals ruled that our current currency design descriminates against people who are blind.

While the five dollar bill has that big huge "5" in one of the back corners, that's not helpful for people who can't actually see. So our money may have to become more like some European countries, which make their bills of different sizes.

The government's argument was pretty flimsy, as the article points out. They claimed that people can help the blind to distinguish between bills (we all know how that can work out if a cashier is unscrupulous) or crease bills according to their designation so they know which is which. (Do the blind only receive uncreased bills when they receive change, and are they certain the unscrupulous cashier has given them appropriate change?)

The court made the right decision.

To be honest, I'm surprised the government hadn't fixed this years ago. Our coins are purposely shaped; a dime has ridges to help distinguish it from a penny, so too a quarter to keep it distinct from a nickel or GASP! a Sacagewea or Susie B buck.

Now comes the tricky part.

I'd imagine that at some point during the next president's new administration, there will be a commission that is tasked with overhauling U.S. currency. Shape will be considered. Color. Size. And there'll be complaints from cash register corporations that must redesign their registers, and vending machine companies who'll have to install new thingamajigs to read the bills. There'll be debates on the floor of Congress about whether we should do away with the penny and possibly a movement to get rid of the $1 dollar bill; perhaps we'll see the Thomas Jefferson $2 bill become more common. [I had to add this link, which I find very funny. Apparently one of the reasons for an anecdotal resurgence in the use of $2 bills is because they're commonly used in strip clubs. Boy, I've been out of circulation a long time!]

The Times article notes that the altered currency might open up new hiring opportunities for the blind, but I suspect that age-old prejudice will keep the blind struggling to find jobs to which they're best suited.

Stay tuned. This ought to be worth several years of late night humor and frustration. And by the time they've figured out what to do, we'll all be using debit cards for everything.

Cue the Indiana Jones Theme Song!

Can you hear it? Is that awesome Indy adventure music playing in your head too? Its been in my head for a while now and is getting louder each passing day! Most movie buffs would agree that is one of the best movie scores ever played. That John Williams sure is an amazing musician!
Here's a tribute to the past Indy movies with that awesome theme music:



Just three days now for the movie we have waited for almost twenty years! I can't wait, its gonna be amazing!

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull opens May 22, 2008. Get your brown fedoras and your bull whips ready. . . set. . . action!

Indiana Jones movie trailer:

Chapter 76.2: Time to Strike the Match, Willie

I'm sorry to say this, but I think it's time for Willie Randolph to go. I won't belabor the point, because the arguments I'll make are pretty much the same ones that have been bandied about already.

The fact is, the Mets are playing like an uninspired, mediocre team. Billy Wagner is right that the players need to be held accountable; moreover, he's correct in saying he's not the one who should be answering reporters' questions about what's wrong with the team. (He's a reliever, already! He's not the reason the bullpen has been so bad. The guy hasn't given up an earned run all year.) But there's more to it than just that. The team is listless.

Don't blame the injuries, either. No one really expected much from Pedro or El Duque. The team should be hitting better than this. Part of the problem is that Carlos Delgado is past his prime. We could tolerate a .260 batting average from him with 20-22 home runs and maybe 80-90 RBI if Carlos Beltran were hitting, but neither of them are producing as expected. For that matter, neither is David Wright at the moment. Thank God for Ryan Church! But what has happened to Jose Reyes?

What kills me is that the way the Mets are playing is not what I have come to expect of a Willie Randolph club. When he was playing, Randolph was a hard-nosed, strong-willed player, proud of his abilities and too stubborn to accept losing. Ask him if he's worried about his team's performance now, however, and he gives an answer of "No, not yet. ... It's just one game. ... You can't judge a season on a couple games..."

Willie, a quarter of the season is behind you. If you can't get this club playing like champions by now, why should you be allowed to keep at it?

Ignite that fire in your belly, Willie. We all know it was there in the past. But if you don't find the fire, you'll find yourself fired.

New Friday the 13th Movie

It seems that the filmmakers behind the upcoming rehash of the Friday the 13th series have found just what they were looking for in youngster Caleb Guss.

According to WorstPreviews, Guss has been cast in the role of iconic mass murderer Jason Voorhees, in the film’s flashbacks of Voorhees as a child. As we all know, the legendary masked killer was himself first killed in an accident at the summer camp Crystal Lake, and then reincarnated as the six-and-a-half-foot dude that we’ve all come to know and love.

In other news, producer Brad Fuller revealed the movie will carry an R rating (previous reports indicated that it would be PG-13). The film is set for release on February 13, 2009.

Chapter 76.1: A Contrast in Humanitarian Crises

Clearly, all the world is aware of the two natural catastrophes that befell countries in Asia recently. Cyclone Nargis ravaged Myanmar/ Burma days before a massive earthquake rocked the Sichuan region of China.

Neither Myanmar, which has been under military rule for the better part of forty-five years, nor China, the last Communist power in the world, is known for being the bastion of humanitarian work. Indeed, protests against Chinese treatment of Tibet have seemingly called into question the legitimacy of this summer's Beijing Olympic games. And that's not even the half of the atrocities that have been laid at the feet of numerous Chinese strongmen.

But this quote in a New York Times article reflects one important difference between the emergency response in China and that of the military junta government in Myanmar:

“I am Grandpa Wen Jiabao,” the prime minister said as he watched two children being pulled from the rubble, according to Xinhua, the official state news agency. “Hold on, kids! You’ll definitely be rescued.”

The difference is a level of humanity. A matter of respect. But a question lingers: Is it real?

Of course, it's a comment from a politician. And politicians, in general, lie through their teeth. The article goes on to describe terrible acts of dehumanization in which parents are not allowed to view the bodies of their children. These are accusations by the people, not ironclad facts, but one fact remains clear: the people of China are devastated. I can only imagine how bad it is in Myanmar, where bodies may lie festering in the Irrawaddy delta; or perhaps worse, they may have been removed by a government that fears what might happen if the people were allowed to know the truth. They might rise up and topple them.

Neither of those nations deserve praise for their response to these humanitarian relief efforts. Indeed, for the country of Myanmar/Burma it may be the beginning of the end of military rule. Surely, no one can be so insulted without striking back. If I were a survivor in the Irrawaddy delta, I'd consider the actions of the Burmese leaders to be dehumanizing. And like a ghost, I'd arise.

I'm proud that this country neither deserves nor desires such revolution. I'm no fan of the Bush administration. I don't trust many of the words that come out of the White House; for that matter, I take the statements coming out of Democratic-controlled Congress with several grains of salt. But at least here we have a media that is generally able (albeit not always willing) to root out the bullshit and find the truth. They, like the government, need to be prodded but not eradicated.

In the wake of the Katrina tragedy, the Bush administration was raked over the coals for responding too slowly, for allowing too many people -- too many African Americans, especially --to be left vulnerable and powerless. It was a life-changing time for many in the United States; those fools who didn't recognize what 9/11 meant for this nation I hope recognized what Katrina meant and still means. But President Bush took his criticism and I believe he is well aware that his legacy will reflect his lack of leadership during the Katrina debacle. I respect that he's willing to be criticized and possibly vilified by American history; he's not going to try to rewrite it.

This isn't Myanmar; this isn't China.

Speed Racer Costumes

The new Speed Racer live action movie was just released this past weekend. Whether you prefer the original Speed Race cartoon or the new Live action movie, Annies Costumes has the costumes for you.

Currently in stock are the cartoon version Speed Racer costumes in adult sizes.
Speed Costume


Racer X Costume


The costumes from the live action movie will be coming in soon and are expected to be among the most popular costumes this Halloween. The movie costumes will include costumes for Speed, Racer X, and Trixie in both child and adult sizes!

Speed Racer Movie Costume:

Chapter 76: Are You an Australian Platypus Or a Tasmanian Platypus?

If you're like me, you were fascinated by cryptozoology and the eccentric animals of Australia as a kid. Ok, maybe I didn't know the term cryptozoology until I was past my dinosaur period, but what I'm getting at is: Who doesn't like a platypus?

So when this story ran in the Washington Post the other day, I knew I'd have to blog about it. At some point after second grade, I must have forgotten that the platypus wasn't discovered until 1799. Of course, it wouldn't surprise me if people in Tasmania knew about them in the same way that the folks in Madagascar were aware of the coelacanth, that is: food. What I knew about platypi (I prefer the Latin plural) was that they were mammals that laid eggs, they make milk but have no nipples, and they have poison for a defense mechanism like a snake. Yes sirree, the platypus is one interesting animal.

Now, it turns out they're even more interesting than was previously imagined. They have approximately as many genes as humans and two-thirds more molecular bits of DNA (sorry if I'm dumbing it down). "The genome was completely unknown, and we knew it was going to be fairly weird," said Jennifer Marshall Graves of Australian National University in Canberra, who led part of the analysis after the St. Louis team derived the basic sequence. "You'd look at some of these repetitive sequences and think, 'What on Earth is that?' "

What on Earth indeed! These creatures can't even be straight forward in determining sex. For all those folks who freak out at the seeming variety of sexual preferences people exhibit, watch out for the platypus. Where we have X and Y chromosomes (double X for females, XY for males), the platypus has ten different chromosomes!

For all my forgetfulness, I'm fairly certain that I never knew about this final point: Poet Ogden Nash appreciated the platypus. He wrote:

I like the way it raises its family
Partly birdly, partly mammaly

Amen, Odgen.

LOL Dogs in Costumes & Disguises!

moar funny pictures

'Iron Man' likely to remain box-office champ for another weekend

For “Iron Man,” the sequel is two years away. But the encore comes this weekend. After starting Hollywood's summer with a $98.6-million bang, the Marvel Studios' production should return to the top of the box-office heap with an additional $45 million or more in ticket sales this weekend.



Until recently, Warner Bros.' family-friendly “Speed Racer” had been seen as a potential blockbuster, but the candy-colored, effects-driven adaptation of the 1960s Japanese cartoon show now looks more likely to become the summer's first major misfire.



The live-action movie, a sharp departure for those edgy, dystopian auteurs the Wachowski brothers, could open in the $25-million-to-$30-million range. That would be enough to beat “What Happens in Vegas,” the new Cameron Diaz-Ashton Kutcher romantic comedy, for No. 2, but disappointing in light of the movie's high cost.



Midweek sales have been robust for "Iron Man," starring Robert Downey Jr. as the metal-clad superhero, though they cooled a bit Tuesday and Wednesday. The film has a chance to become one of the extended summer season's few $300-million blockbusters at the domestic box office, thanks to enthusiastic word-of-mouth. Reviews are 93% positive, according to RottenTomatoes.com, and users at IMDB.com rate the movie 8.4 out of 10.



Produced for an estimated $140 million, "Iron Man" launched Marvel Entertainment Inc.'s feature production business in style, although the advance buzz is mixed for the mini-studio's follow-up, "The Incredible Hulk." That's slated for a June 13 release.



"Iron Man" also began the summer on a high note for distributor Paramount Pictures, which gets a slice of the gross after recouping its costs for prints and advertising. Paramount's “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” coming Memorial Day weekend, is tracking for an enormous opening, based on consumer surveys, and on June 6 the studio releases DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.'s promising "Kung Fu Panda."



This weekend's results could signal whether "Iron Man" will fade quickly, like most of the "X-Men" movies, or hang tough in the marketplace like the first "Spider-Man," "Batman Begins" and "Transformers."



Executives at rival studios expect "Iron Man" to wind up at $270 million domestically, but a drop of less than 50% this weekend would point to a higher total. With sturdy legs, the movie could reach $300 million in the U.S. and Canada and $600 million worldwide.



The superhero's Achilles' heel could be his competition. Two high-profile sequels are coming in the next two weeks, “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”:-prince-caspian on May 16 and "Indiana Jones" on May 22.

Summer Movie Costumes

This summer definitely has one of the most anticipated movie line ups!

Summer 08 Movies include:
Iron Man (May 2, 2008)
Speed Racer (May 9, 2008)
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (May 16, 2008)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (May 22, 2008)
The Incredible Hulk (June 13, 2008)
The Love Guru (June 20, 2008)
Hell Boy 2: the Golden Army (July 11, 2008)
The Dark Knight (Batman) (July 18, 2008)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (August 15, 2008)

As you can see, it's a steady stream of blockbusters week after week! All these popular movies this summer movies will spawn popular Summer Movie Costumes which will also translate into popular Halloween costumes this fall, or in the mean time, they are great for dress up!

10 Iron Man Costumes You Won't See in the Movie

From The-TrukstoP.com:

The Summer Movie season of 2008 has exploded with the release of Marvel Studios' Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr and directed by Jon Favreau. Audiences are set to be blown away by the realism of the film and how close it is to the comic book series.

In the context of the film, Favreau focuses on Tony Stark's Iron Man armor evolution, with the Mark 1, Mark 2, and the final Mark 3 suit.

Yet, as comic fans would know, these three armors are far from being the only Iron Man designs ever created by Stark. In fact, there are many more, and while a majority of them stay in the red-and-gold theme, there are a few that are quite different from the ones you will see in the Iron Man movie.

Here are ten of them...

Silver Centurion

While Stark faces the Iron Monger in the movie wearing the classic Mark III armor, in the comic book series, it is the Silver Centurion Armor (technically referred to as Model XII or Mark XII) he dons while fighting Stane. This costume design is perhaps one of the more well-known alternates in the Iron Man series, and was first introduced in the 1980's.

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War Machine

In the comic series, James Rhodes becomes the second Iron Man; but much later on he takes on the superhero identity of War Machine wearing the armor of the same name. It is almost certain we will see Rhody become the second Iron Man in the sequels, and it is also possible he may wear this armor, designed specifically for concentrated warfare.

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Stealth Armor

As the name implies, this armor is designed completely for stealth. You won't see this in the movie, though it is possible it might make an appearance in sequels. Artistically, it is often depicted in a dark blue shade, though it is supposed to be jet black. There have been some variations of this armor over the years but the concept has always remained the same.

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Outer Atmospheric Armor

In the comics, throughout his career as Iron Man, Tony Stark has designed and used several variations of space armor concepts. The Outer Atmospheric Armor is one of these designs, first seen in the Iron Man: Bad Blood mini-series. Fans would no doubt see a variety of influences in the design from other armors, including the Heroes Return design, and the Silver Centurion highlighted above.

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Hulkbuster

The name on this one pretty much says it all, and as to why it is not in the movie. Obviously, Stark had this one designed in mind for defense (or attack) against the green behemoth known as the Hulk. While it is unlikely that we'll ever see this armor on the big screen, the chances of an appearance do increase as development on the Avengers movie continues...

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Arctic Armor

Designed for the harsh weather conditions of the Arctic, this version of the Iron Man armor has only made one appearance in the comics to date; though its cameo had an impact on fans that made it memorable. Loosely based on the Silver Centurion and Modular armor designs, the Iron Man Arctic Armor allows Stark to stay warm while located in sub zero temperatures.

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Modular Armor

As far as Iron Man history goes, it was the Modular Armor design that was probably the first to add more specific and finer detail to the classic "red-and-gold". Storywise, it also was a revolutionary idea for Stark - instead of being one integrated suit, it was literally "back to the drawing board" in which this new armor became made up of individual modular components - each specifically design for particular tasks. What does that mean? It means that Stark could use additional modules onto the suit based upon the objective he had ahead of him.

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Ghost Armor

The Ghost Armor was only ever seen in Black Panther comics - in which the two heroes would face each other. Often considered to be the third generation of the Stealth armor above, this baby had numerous technological advances over the original Stealth design. The best part? The inclusion of hologram generators that allow Stark to literally become invisible.

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Hydro Armor

Okay, so Stark had stealth, arctic, and space designs... obviously he needs an underwater suit as well, right? The Hydro Armor is specifically designed for that purpose. It looks somewhat campy and bulky, but there's reason for that. This is actually two suits in one. The larger bulky armor you see is the external shell, while inside, Stark wears a specialized smaller version in case of damage to the larger shell.

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O.N.E. Armor

You most likely won't see this armor in any film, but it looks pretty bad-ass. The O.N.E. Armor, also known as the Sentinel Armor, was designed by Stark for use by James Rhodes in his role as trainer of the pilots of the 21st Century Sentinels. Rhody became leader of the Sentinel Squad, and had been selected by Tony Stark himself.

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Some of the Iron Man renderings above can be found at this location. You can also find a very detailed description of each of the above armors and more over at The Iron Man Armory