Happy New Year from Rice, Beans And Razor Blades!

From all of us here at the Max Les'Shyerar Laboratory and Fried Chicken Shack, may you have a great and safe 2009!

And thank you for your support!

We will try keep on commenting on the news and weird stuff from Puerto Rico and around the world!

"Watchmen" Film in trouble!

Zack Snyder's adaptation of Alan Moore's and Dave Gibbon's graphic novel "Watchmen" is embroiled in a legal row, that might delay the flim release, schedule for March 06, 2009.

Read more...

The film adaptation of Alan Moore's and Dave Gibbons's Watchmen has been mired in production problems since the comic was published in 1986.

Years later, on the verge of release, Watchmen is facing production obstacles. 20th Century Fox is pursuing an order to delay the film's release.

Fox is claiming that it never fully relinquished the rights to the comic and so Warner Bros. Watchmen is copyright infringement.

U.S. District Court Judge Gary Feess agreed with Fox and said that he plans on holding a trial January 20th.

Warner Bros. is putting up a fight, claiming that Fox isn't entitled to distribution.

Reminiscent of a comic book plot we will have to stay tuned to find out whether or not Watchmen will see its March release date!

Will this controversy help or hurt the film?

Stay tuned!

Hallelujah! The Savior was born...In Peru!

Read this and try not to laugh too hard...

LIMA (Reuters) - Virgin Mary, a 20-year-old Peruvian woman, gave birth to a baby boy on Christmas day and named him Jesus, Peru's state news agency said on Friday.

The baby's father, Adolfo Jorge Huamani, 24, is a carpenter. Religious Peruvians compared him to Joseph the Carpenter in the Bible.

"Two thousand years later the story of Bethlehem is relived," read the headline about the birth in El Comercio, the main newspaper in Peru, a predominantly Catholic country.

The mother, Virgen Maria Huarcaya, delivered the 7.7 pound (3.5 kg) boy, Jesus Emanuel, in the early hours of Christmas at the central maternity hospital in Lima, the capital.

"A few days ago we had decided to name my son after a professional soccer player," the father said. "But thanks to a happy coincidence this is how things ended up."

Ok...

Right...

The Boricuas Beyond Christmas Animated Card

My friends at ALGARO Comics and Wewex delivered their new Christmas animated card. These guys are the forefront of comedy and animation in PR right now!

Guelo, Chizo and Wewex, Thanks!

Enjoy!

And the Box Office Champion this week is...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – It may have been a bleak Christmas for U.S. retailers but Hollywood enjoyed a bumper holiday as new films, led by the dog tale "Marley & Me" and awards contender "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," drew throngs of moviegoers to theaters across North America.
"Marley & Me" sold an estimated $37 million worth of tickets during the traditional three-day weekend beginning on Friday, distributor 20th Century Fox said on Sunday. Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson star in the adaptation of a bestseller about a couple and their golden retriever.
The movie about "life, love and family" -- according to Fox senior vice president of domestic distribution Bert Livingston -- played strongly with audiences of all ages seeking feel-good entertainment.
As with the four other new releases, "Marley & Me" opened on Thursday and earned $14.7 million -- a new Christmas Day record.
The old tally, set in 2001 when "Ali" opened to $10.2 million, was also broken by the new Adam Sandler comedy "Bedtime Stories" and by "Benjamin Button," starring Aniston's ex-husband Brad Pitt.
Overall Christmas Day sales reached $75 million, according to tracking firm Media By Numbers, up about $10 million from last year.
Still, Hollywood is on course for a down year. With three days left, year-to-date sales are off about 1 percent at $9.5 billion, while the number of tickets sold has slid 5.2 percent, Media By Numbers said.
"Bedtime Stories" was No. 2 for the weekend with $28.1 million and its Christmas Day haul of $10.5 million drove its total to $38.6 million, said Walt Disney Pictures. Sandler plays a man whose bedtime stories come true in real life.
"Benjamin Button," in which Pitt's character ages backward, did better on Christmas Day with a $12 million opening. Its weekend tally of $27 million took its total to $39 million, said Paramount Pictures.
The adaptation of an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story has racked up five nominations from the Golden Globes and eight from the Critics Choice Awards. Women accounted for 60 percent of the audience and 70 percent of ticket buyers were over the age of 25, Paramount said.
Tom Cruise's fact-based thriller "Valkyrie," about a failed plot to kill Adolf Hitler, opened at No. 4 with $21.5 million for the weekend and $30 million for the four days -- much better than skeptics had predicted. The United Artists movie has been plagued by bad publicity and shifting release dates.
"We had obstacles to overcome," said Erik Lomis, head of worldwide distribution at the studio's closely held Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer parent. "But the movie speaks for itself."
Male moviegoers comprised 55 percent of the audience and two-thirds of the audience was over 25 years old.
The only dud among the rookies was Lionsgate's comic book adaptation "The Spirit," which opened at No. 9 with $6.5 million for the weekend and $10.4 million for the four-day period.
After two weekends in limited release, "Doubt" expanded nationally and jumped five places to No. 10 with $5.7 million for the three-day period.
Miramax Films' adaptation of a Pulitzer-winning play about suspected child abuse by a priest stars Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. It has earned $8.8 million to date.
Last weekend's champ, the Jim Carrey comedy "Yes Man," fell to No. 5 with $16.5 million. The 10-day tally for the Warner Bros. release rose to $49.6 million.
Fox is a unit of News Corp. Paramount Pictures is a unit of Viacom Inc. Walt Disney Pictures and Miramax Films are units of Walt Disney Co.
Lionsgate is a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. Warner Bros is a unit of Time Warner Inc.

Your Christmas moment of Zen!

Yes, this is a real photo.

Taken in the Green Zone in Baghdad.

Santa- "Now, Have you been a good little girl?"

Soldier- "Oh yes Santa! I killed many Iraqis that didn't convert to our true religion today!"

Santa- "HO HO HO!"

This is wrong on so many levels...

so many!


Photo - AP / K. Mohammed

Thanks Petite Maoiste!

Merry Christmas to all! Now you all gonna DIE!!!!!

The Silly Season continues to collect victims!!!

COVINA, Calif. — A California man who carried out a Christmas Eve massacre and arson dressed as Santa at the home of his former in-laws apparently intended to flee to Canada but his plans were dashed after the inferno he created severely burned his arms and melted his costume onto his body, police said Friday.

Bruce Jeffrey Pardo, a laid-off aerospace worker, apparently shot some of his nine victims execution-style in a plot to destroy his ex-wife’s family after a costly divorce that was finalized last week. He had an airline ticket for a Christmas morning flight to Canada and $17,000 in cash on his body, some attached to his legs with plastic wrap and some in a girdle, Covina police Chief Kim Raney said. He did not know the Canadian destination.

Armed with four guns, wearing the Santa suit and carrying a fuel-spraying device wrapped like a present, Pardo showed up at the home at 11:30 p.m. local time Wednesday as a party of about 25 people was underway.

Raney said Pardo, 45, fired a shot into the face of an eight-year-old girl who answered the door and at first fired indiscriminately, then apparently targetted relatives of his ex-wife as other guests fled.

“There’s some information that he stood over them and shot them execution-style,” Raney said.

Pardo retreated to the front door and retrieved a device that mixed carbon dioxide or oxygen with high-octane racing fuel, police said. Fleeing guests saw him spraying the fuel inside the house when the vapour was ignited, possibly by a pilot light or a candle, and exploded.

“Mr. Pardo was severely injured during that explosion,” Raney said.

“He suffered third-degree burns on both arms and it also appears that the Santa Claus suit that he was wearing did melt onto his body.”

Pardo was able to drive to his brother’s home in the Sylmar area of Los Angeles, broke in and shot himself in the head. His brother discovered the body early Thursday.

More on this sordid story here!

This is what happens when the economy is destroyed and you want people to carry on as if nothing has happened!

If the freaking bailout would have helped people instead of the bankers and fat cats, maybe this tragedy could have been avoided!

Maybe we should begin celebrating Festivus from now on!

Merry Christmas! And for that special gift, give the scent of Hamburger!

Yes Neo! As you read, Burger King released a perfume called "Flame" that recreates the scent of a flame broiled hamburger for that special somebody. Seriously!

Just watch the video...



Really! People want this stuff? Sold out? Why don't you smear some french fries while at it!

Next we will hear about McDonald's new deodorant, "El Ronald" or Wendy's cologne "Square Bacon"!

Jeez!

And the Box Office Champion this week is...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Jim Carrey's new comedy "Yes Man" got the nod from moviegoers across North America, but brutal weather in key markets combined with holiday shopping distractions to hit overall ticket sales.
According to studio estimates issued on Sunday, "Yes Man" earned $18.2 million during its first three days, winning a closely watched duel with the Will Smith drama "Seven Pounds." The decidedly downbeat film opened to a lightweight $16 million, Smith's worst performance in seven years.
A third new entry, the mouse cartoon "The Tale of Despereaux," followed at No. 3 with $10.5 million. Last weekend's champion, the sci-fi remake "The Day the Earth Stood Still," fell to No. 4 with $10.2 million.
Ticket sales on the East Coast, Pacific Northwest and parts of the Midwest fell victim to a winter deluge of snow and ice. Boston, for example, is a top-10 market, but it plunged to the lower reaches of the top 25 on Friday, studio executives said.
The top 12 films grossed $83 million, essentially flat with last weekend but down 44 percent from the year-ago period, according to tracking firm Media By Numbers.
Warner Bros Pictures, which released "Yes Man," said the bad weather knocked about $2.5 million off the film's total. But the Time Warner Inc-owned studio hoped to make the money back in subsequent weeks.
Carrey plays a bank officer stuck in a personal and professional rut. After he attends a self-help seminar, he must say "yes" to all ideas and requests, leading to both comic and dramatic pitfalls. It cost in the $70 million range to make, said Dan Fellman, the studio's president of distribution.
BRUTAL TRUTH
The film is reminiscent of 1997's "Liar Liar," in which Carrey's mendacious character must tell the brutal truth.
"Yes Man" marks Carrey's best live-action opening since "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events," which kicked off with $30 million in December 2004 on its way to a domestic haul of $118.6 million.
Critics were generally negative toward "Yes Man," which played mostly to moviegoers aged under 25 and earned good exit reviews, the studio said.
Reviews were largely hostile toward "Seven Pounds," in which Smith plays a despondent man who decides to redeem himself by committing random acts of kindness before making the ultimate sacrifice.
The $55 million film was released by Sony Corp-owned Columbia Pictures, which said it would have earned about $20 million if the weather had been better. It marks Smith's worst opening since "Ali," which entered the ring with $14.7 million in 2001.
The new film was directed by Italian filmmaker Gabriele Muccino, who previously worked with Smith on "The Pursuit of Happyness." That drama opened to $26.5 million two years ago, and finished with $163.6 million.
"The Tale of Despereaux," based on an award-winning children's book, revolves around a heroic mouse voiced by Matthew Broderick who falls in love with a human princess.
The Universal Pictures release cost about $60 million to make, a relative bargain for a cartoon. With most schools now out on vacation, the General Electric Co-owned studio was confident that business would stay strong.
"The Day the Earth Stood Still," which stars Keanu Reeves as an alien, has earned $48.6 million. It was released by News Corp's 20th Century Fox, which hopes it will reach $85 million.
Films vying for Oscar attention sold well in limited release. Among the top performers was "The Wrestler," which opened to a knockout $209,474 from a total of four theaters in New York and Los Angeles. The acclaimed film, considered a certainty to be among the contenders when nominations are announced on January 22, stars Mickey Rourke as a self-hating wrestler past his prime. It was released by News Corp's Fox Searchlight.

Plane disaster, read it on Twitter!

Last night, a plane veered off on Denver's International Airport, there's more on this...

A Continental Airlines jet taking off from Denver went off the runway and caught fire Saturday night, forcing passengers to evacuate on emergency slides and injuring nearly 40 people, officials said.

No deaths were reported, but 38 people were taken to hospitals, said Kim Day, Denver International Airport manager of aviation. No one was reported in critical condition. Many passengers suffered cuts, bruises and broken bones, according to Denver Assistant Fire Chief Steve Garrod.

The cause of the accident was not immediately known.The right side of the plane caught fire after it landed in a ravine between two runways on the west side of the airfield, CBS station KCNC reported.

The weather in Denver was cold but not snowy when Continental Flight 1404 took off from Denver International Airport for Houston around 6:20 p.m.

A fire broke out, but ground crews put out the flames quickly, said Denver International Airport spokesman Jeff Green. The 112 people on board made it out on through slides on the Boeing 737. Denver firefighters described a "surreal" scene upon arrival and worked to put out the flames quickly.

"It was described as a heck of a fire fight from the commanding officer on scene but he's very proud of how the crews reacted and the outcome of this incident," said Denver Fire Department Division Chief Patrick Haynes.

But that's not the rest of the story. Somebody on the plane was using Twitter, which is a micro-blogging program, to relate the whole incident. Here's an excerpt...

by the time the plane stopped we were burning pretty well and I think I could feel the heat even through the bulkhead and window about 7 hours ago from web

i believe it was after the jolt that the right engine, which was near my row, caught fire about 7 hours ago from web

i think we might have gone into a ravine and dropped some distance as there was a sudden bottom-dropped-out feeling and then a jolt about 7 hours ago from web

shortly after we veered off, the plane quite obviously left the runway at high speed (maybe 100 kts) and proceeded to go 4 wheel driving about 7 hours ago from web

a 1st class passenger I talked to indicated he saw the left engine come off at the time, but it's unclear if this was a cause or an effect about 7 hours ago from web

to all who've asked, it's hard to know exactly what went wrong -- we were in the middle of a normal takeoff when we suddely veered off about 7 hours ago from web

Thanks for all the well wishes everyone. Sorry for the radio silence, but my battery died in the middle of all this and I just made it home about 7 hours ago from twitterrific

You have your wits scared out of you, drag your butt out of a flaming ball of wreckage and you can't even get a vodka-tonic. Boo about 10 hours ago from twitterrific

Continental keeping us locked up at the presidents club until they can sort everything out. Won't even serve us drinks. :( about 10 hours ago from twitterrific

Can't see much, but that's the crash site. http://twitpic.com/ut2c about 12 hours ago from twitterrific

This was crash #2 for me. Maybe I should start taking the bus. about 13 hours ago from twitterrific

Ugh ... My glasses fell off in the mass exodus getting off the plane .. Can't see very well about 13 hours ago from twitterrific

Holy fucking shit I wasbjust in a plane crash! about 13 hours ago from twitterrific

More on this Twitter feed here!

Instant information for you!

Why you should wear the wrist strap when playing your Wii!

What the deuce???




Funny as hell!!!!

RIAA gives up on music piracy!

A sign of the times...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Recording Industry Association of America said on Friday it had abandoned mass lawsuits against Internet users who steal music, and instead would work with Internet service providers to discourage piracy.
The RIAA, which represents major U.S. record labels, will have the ISPs send warning notices to users who illegally download music files.
Since 2003, the music industry has sued about 35,000 Internet users for music piracy.
"We think this is going to be a different form of stick, but we absolutely think this will be a meaningful alternative approach that will have a significant impact," said Cara Duckworth, a spokeswoman for the RIAA.
Other measures will be taken against Internet users who ignore their first warning notice to stop illegally downloading music, and if those users continue they could find their Internet connections disconnected, the RIAA said.
The RIAA declined to say which ISPs had signed on for the initiative, and it said it reserved the right to sue Internet users who ignored the warning notices.
The RIAA said it would pursue lawsuits already pending against Internet users accused of illegal downloads.
The RIAA's change in strategy comes as Internet users have become increasingly aware that downloading pirated songs is illegal.
The group Arts+Labs, a collaborative between technology companies and creative artists, said in a statement that it was "encouraged by this new effort by the record companies."
Major record labels include Warner Music Group Corp, Universal Music Group owned by Vivendi SA, EMI and Sony Music Entertainment, part of Sony Corp.

RIAA are the greediest bastards in the world! They have sued old ladies and single moms. They haven't won a case, and the one they won (against the single mom) they lost on appeals at a higher court.

Simply put, lawsuits and DRM (Digital Rights Management) are not the solution to piracy. Tech pirates are going to their stuff don't matter what. But if you prohibit stuff to law abiding citizens, they'll become pirates! The solution, make everything easier so people will find that buying is better than pirating.

Beware of Little Brother too!

If you have been following or reading my blog, you know my penchant for voicing my disapproval of governments infringing on citizens rights on the Internet, so called "Big Brother" tactics ("1984" anyone?).
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for getting rid of perverts and child pornographers, they use the anonymity of the Web to commit crimes, but why go after a couple that post photos of themselves during sex on a private web site, or a nice, legal teenage girl that has a nude, paysite that is unreachable to minors, because she needs the money? Or a person that makes cartoon sex, on the pretense that is Child Pron, like they did in Nazi Australia recently. That's is abusive and stupid. Big Brother doesn't realize sometimes that's part of the appeal of the Internet, the flow of free ideas, even if those ideas are not your cup of tea! But sometimes, the denizens of the Web can be even worse than any goverment on Earth!

Submitted for your approval, the strange case of the Chinese virtual lynch mob!

BEIJING (Reuters) - A man who lost his job and was harassed by strangers after his infidelity to his late wife was detailed online has won China's first case against Internet vigilantism, the China Daily said on Friday.

A Beijing court ruled Wang Fei's reputation had been damaged by his late wife's university classmate, Zhang Leyi, who posted online the diary excerpts she wrote months before she killed herself, and by the internet company that hosted the comments.

"As Zhang was spreading the details of the affair, he also gave out details of Wang's real name, name of his company and even family addresses, which infringed the plaintiff's privacy rights," the chief judge said.

More on this news here!

Little Brother can be as annoying as the big guy!

Remember, even if you are a public figure, you have a right to your privacy! Don't let anybody take that away from you!

Majel Barrett Roddenberry 1932-2008

Sad news and a sadder world today.



from E! Online

In a more enlightened age, Majel Barrett Roddenberry might have rated a Federation command. As it was, she helped rule the Star Trek universe.
Roddenberry, the actress whose best-known role was the wife and, later, widow of Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, died today at her Bel Air, Calif., home, Roddenberry.com said. The reported cause of death was leukemia.
Billed through much of her acting career as Majel Barrett, the dark-haired Roddenberry played Dr. McCoy's blonde, beehived assistant, Nurse Chapel, on the original 1966-69 Trek series. She also supplied the voice of the USS Enterprise's computer—a service she continued to provide through the franchise's various offshoots, including J.J. Abrams' upcoming big-screen reboot, Star Trek.
As prominent as those roles were, Roddenberry very nearly played a much larger one.
In the original Trek pilot, shot in 1964, Roddenberry was Number One, the Enterprise's No. 1-ranking officer after its then-captain, Christopher Pike (played by Jeffrey Hunter). Number One was smart, competent, and just so happened to be a woman, not to mention a brunette. The network executives at NBC balked—truth be told, they weren't big fans of the weird-looking guy with the pointy ears, either.
To get his show on the air, Gene Roddenberry consented to lose Number One. But he kept the actress on as Nurse Chapel, albeit a much lower-profile role, and married her portrayer in December 1969. In a final twist to the suits, he gave Number One's old job to the weird-looking guy with the pointy ears, Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy).
Majel Barrett Roddenberry reprised Nurse Chapel for brief appearances in 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture and 1986's Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. She played the recurring role of Counselor Deanna Troi's mother on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Gene Roddenberry died in 1991 at the age of 70.
After his passing, Majel Barrett Roddenberry helped bring alive one of his pet projects in the form of the 1997-2002 series Earth: Final Conflict but said she had nothing to do with running the at-times-flailing Trek ship.
"Gene sold out all of his rights to Star Trek way back 15, almost 20 years ago," she told SciFiDimensions.com in 2000. "So, they ask nothing. I volunteer nothing. They invite me to a few of their shindigs. I'll bet you I haven't been on that lot in two years."
Still, Roddenberry welcomed the recent digital remastering of the original series and Abrams' theatrical take, seeing them as validations of her husband's legacy.
"What's nice is you know a Star Trek movie is still one that everybody wants," she told The Hollywood Reporter in 2006.
In a statement today on Roddenberry.com, her son, Eugene Roddenberry Jr., said his mother appreciated the role fans played in keeping the Trek franchise running for 40-plus years.
"It was her love for the fans, and their love in return," he said, "that kept her going for so long after my father passed away."

Another sad loss to Star Trek fans everywhere.

The Silly Season turns deadly in Puerto Rico

If you have a problem with a parking spot in a mall here in PR, let it go! Looked what happened to this guy.

Damian Fernández Rodríguez, 25, went to Plaza las Americas in San Juan to exchange some tennis shoes. Allegedly, he got into an altercation with a yet unidentified individual or individuals. Leaving his pregnant girlfriend in the car, he went inside. After coming out, he was pursued by the individuals and was shot within distance of his own car. The murderers escaped but last night the car they were riding was impounded. Identification and arrest of the persons behind this crime is imminent.

Meanwhile in Bayamón, Eliezer Omar Encarnación Alicea, 13, was playing "hide and go seek" near his house, when he decided to hide in a nearby house, not knowing that it was an underground drug laboratory. The occupants inside, fearing that it was an attack by a rival gang, shot and hit Eliezer in the chest, killing him instantly. They fled and are on the run.

Just my two cents here. There's only two solutions for the drug problem that taker Eliezer and hundreds of young lives each year. Either we legalize drugs and the government takes over the drug trade and cuts the middle man, or we become a ultra right Fascist government and kill all drug dealers.

Either way, these are two alternatives that we lazy-ass Puertorricans are unable to come to grip with or implement. We are too complacent in our stupid consumerist lives to actually give a damn.

Puerto Rico on Christmas, island in flames! Enjoy!

Photo: Heriberto Castro / Primera Hora

Egad!!! A human being was elected for President!

Time Magazine today chose Barack Obama "2008's Person of the Year", caping a magnificent year for the Hawaiian born African-American President elect.

Time also uncovered a long forgotten photo of him, when he was in college, smoking what appears to be a joint! Actually it was a hand rolled cigarette, but he looks so freaking cool!!!!

I also found an old photo of our actual lame-duck-shoe-dodging President in college being a male cheerleader.

Somebody please throw more shoes at this guy!!!

And light a doobie for our benign new overlord!

If its Goya, it has to be...a human ear?

While looking for black panthers in Cupey and cute chibi cosplayers in San Juan, this news came as a surprise.

Juana Hernandez was getting ready to prepare dinner for her family in her Carolina home, when she opened a can of Goya tomato sauce. To her surprise, she found something that resembled a human ear.

A human ear.

You read right.

Immediately police and forensics were called and took the "ear" away for analysis.

No word yet from the authorities on whether the thing actually is human in origin.

Meanwhile, the family hired an attorney and made a statement to Goya to re-check their procedures and to investigate.

Humm! Cooked ear for supper!

Yummy!

UPDATE - 12-17-08

It was not a human ear, it was identified as a fungus ball! Not as cool, but unappetizing never the less.

Photo: Patricia Ortiz / Primera Hora

Hilarious!!!!

Lame duck president George W. Bush went on a surprise visit to Baghdad. The surprise was on him!

President George W. Bush ducked two shoes thrown at him by a man during a press conference in the Iraqi prime minister’s office to mark the signing of a security agreement.

Bush wasn’t hit by the shoes, which both sailed over his head after they were thrown one after the other. The president shrugged and said “I’m OK” after the incident in Baghdad today. “All I can report is it is a size 10,” Bush said afterwards.

In Arab culture, throwing shoes is a grave show of disrespect. “This is the farewell kiss, you dog,” the man shouted in Arabic.

After U.S. troops pulled down a statue of former dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003, Iraqi bystanders tossed shoes at it, according to news reports at the time. Bush said today’s incident was an example of free speech in a democracy.

The man threw the shoes from about 25 feet away as Bush, standing with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, made formal remarks before the signing of the Iraqi-U.S. agreement. Maliki tried to block the second thrown shoe as it flew toward Bush, according to video of the incident shown on television.

The shoe-thrower, who was in a group of journalists, was wrestled to the ground and taken away. “This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq,” shouted the man, later identified by the Associated Press as Muntadar al-Zeidi, a correspondent for Al-Baghdadia television, an Iraqi- owned station based in Cairo, Egypt.

At the signing ceremony, Bush said a free and democratic Iraq will now become “a force for freedom” and a “source of stability in a volatile region.”

“There is still more work to be done,” Bush said. “The war is not over.” The president said that with the agreement, “and the courage of the Iraqi people, and the Iraqi troops, and American troops and civilian personnel, it is decisively on its way to being won.”

You can watch the video here!

Man! There is nothing more to say! Enjoy!

Wolverine to host the Oscars?

Yup! This sounds like a desperation move to me.

After last year's disappointing performance by John Stewart, that resulted in the lowest ratings ever for the telecast, the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences have asked Hugh Jackman, actor, singer and dancer, best known for his roles in the X-Men series as Wolverine, to host the 81st Academy Awards in Hollywood on Feb. 22nd of next year.

The Academy says that a "new look and a new direction is needed".

In other words, the have fallen behind in the times!

The couldn't capture the younger audience they want!

They say, and I quote, "There will be more emphasis in dance and song this time."

Get ready to see crappy Oscars next year!

I don't dislike Hugh Jackman as a host, he has been a great host at the Tony Awards for theater, and will give some glamour back at the ceremony that was lacking in the last few years. But if the Academy wanted a new direction, why don't they try this method...

Nominate movies that actually people watch!!!!

Look at the Golden Globes this year, they have nominated a lot of art films that have bombed at the box office.

Can somebody say what film was this year's top performer?

That's right class..."The Dark Knight"!

How many nominations for the GG's? One for Heath Ledger.

BORING!!!! Bet your sweet bippy I'm not watching that old fart snooze fest!!!

If the Oscars are going that way, in ten years, they'll be gone from TV.

The perfect Christmas gift...

After sad news, it's good to come back to outrageousness and laughter.

Here's a Christmas gift that should be included in every list...

A Lego-style figurine resembling an Islamic terrorist strapped with explosives and made by a small American company has caused an uproar among Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

The controversial miniature figure, created by Seattle-based Will Chapman as part of his BrickArms military fighters line, is a bearded militant with a face-covering hood, a tiny toy assault rifle, a little grenade launcher and plastic bombs that can be attached to an explosives belt.

The character is called "Bandit — Mr. White" and sells for $14.

The jarring toy has outraged the British Muslim organization known as the Ramadhan Foundation, which called the figurine "absolutely disgusting," according to Sky News.

The foundation's chief executive, Mohammed Shafiq, complained that the toy is "glorifying terrorism."

More on this item here!

C'mon! Admit it! It's freaking cute!!!

I'm getting one, you infidels!!!

Bettie Page, 1923-2008

We read the sad news this morning.

Bettie Page, the brunet pinup queen with a shoulder-length pageboy hairdo and kitschy bangs whose saucy photos helped usher in the sexual revolution of the 1960s, has died. She was 85.

Page, whose later life was marked by depression, violent mood swings and several years in a state mental institution, died Thursday night at Kindred Hospital in Los Angeles, where she had been on life support since suffering a heart attack Dec. 2, according to her agent, Mark Roesler.

More on this sad story, click here.

Goodbye Bettie!
We will miss you!

Damn! 2008 has been brutal!
First Dave Stevens, then Forrest J. Ackerman.
They do go in threes!

Chipmunks take over lady's car!

Weird you want, weird you get!

Aw, nuts. That's likely what Hope Wideup thought when her car's turn signal and windshield wipers wouldn't work. It's also what she found later when she opened the hood. "There were thousands in there. They were everywhere," she said, speculating a chipmunk found its way into her car, which had been sitting idle for several weeks, and used the engine compartment as a storage depot for a trove of
black walnuts.

Wideup thinks it all started last fall when a chipmunk snatched a garden glove from her yard. She later found the glove in the engine compartment when she was trying to repair the broken turn signal.

Unable to fix the problem, however, Wideup let the car sit unused for a couple of weeks and then heard a loud revving sound from the engine when she tried to start the vehicle.

That's when she looked under the hood again and found the walnuts.

"Apparently this little guy stuffed a bunch of these nuts in the accelerator throttle," said Wideup, who had to spend $242 for towing and repairs.

The chipmunk hasn't returned, Wideup told the Post-Tribune for a story published Wednesday. But she's not taking any chances, alternating use of her two cars so neither one is sitting too long.

"It's funny, but it's not," she said.

Alvin, get off that car...
Alvin...
ALVIN!!!!!

A panther? In Puerto Rico???

In the last two days, an astounding tale is making the rounds in the local press and media.
After the death of a couple of dogs, a goat and a sheep (Yes, we have sheep in PR. For what pourpose, Heaven only knows!), local authorities have disclosed what kind of animal it is.

It's a black panther.

Really.

I'm not joking.

And it's in the Caimito ward, right in the middle of the San Juan Metroplex!

Right!!!!

I'm sorry, I'm a skeptic. Until I see the freaking animal captured and on TV, I think somebody is pulling everybody's collective leg.

More on this later.

Another important message from Natalie Portman and Rashida Jones

When they speak, we listen!

NATALIE PORTMAN & RASHIDA JONES Speak Out Once More by Natalie Portman

Happy Holidays!

Cn u rd ths? Gd! Thn u r a jrk! LOL!

Another study from Nazi Germany...oops...Australia, says that short text messages are more difficult to decipher than regular English...

A short snippet of this story...

University of Tasmania lecturer Nenagh Kemp asked 55 undergraduate students to compose, and then to read aloud, text messages in English and in "textese."

While students were significantly faster using textese, it took almost half the number of students twice as long to read these messages aloud than messages written in proper English.

The students also made more errors reading the textese messages compared to the ones written in English.

More on this absorbing story here!

So thr! Dat ws 2 kewl 4 wds...Wat? Wat?

Signs that Australia is the new Nazi Germany!

First, there was the case of the guy that reposted the viral "Baby swinging" video on LiveLeak and was arrested for child abuse (even thou he had nothing to do with the video).

Now comes this case...

An appeal judge in Australia has ruled that an animation depicting well-known cartoon characters engaging in sexual acts is child pornography.

The internet cartoon featured characters from the Simpsons TV series. The central issue in the case was whether a cartoon character could depict a real person.

Judge Michael Adams decided that it could, and found a man from Sydney guilty of possessing child pornography on his computer…

Justice Michael Adams said the purpose of anti-child pornography legislation was to stop sexual exploitation and child abuse where images of “real” children were depicted…

He ruled that the animated cartoon could “fuel demand for material that does involve the abuse of children,” and therefore upheld the conviction for child pornography.

WTF!!!
Have Australians gone crazy?
Whats wrong with this people???

>>>REALITY CHECK<<<
CARTOONS ARE NOT REAL!!!!
I say again, for all of you mates out there, putting a shrimp on the barbie...
CARTOONS ARE NOT REAL!!!!
>>>END TRANSMISSION<<<

How can unreal persons commit real crimes???
This is as stupid as saying that animals commit crimes!
Yet, this was the law in the Middle Ages!!!!
It took centuries for reason to win out!!!

Yes, Virginia, this is the beginning of Thought Crimes! (Read George Orwell's "1984" for more info!)

SIEG HEIL AUSTRALIA!!!

You used to be cool...Mad Max, Men at Work, Crocodile Dundee and the Crocodile Hunter.

Now you are just another FACIST country!

Oh honey..yes...YES...I'm gonna...OH CRAP! YOU SHOT ME!!!

Yes! Even sex has become a dangerous challange.

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — A Tri-State woman is in critical condition Wednesday after police say her husband shot her while they were having sex.

Timothy Havens, 38, told Springfield police he was reaching for something on the nightstand when the pistol went off, hitting his estranged wife Carolyn in the upper chest.

Carolyn Havens, 42, is being treated at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton.

This is isn't the first time there's been trouble for the Havens. Court documents showed Timothy served 60 days in jail for assaulting his wife and was ordered to go to anger management classes.

His arrest Tuesday for the weekend shooting was for violating a civil protection order that Carolyn had taken out against him earlier this year.

Bond was set at $75,000 after prosecutors asked for a high bond, "due to alleged prohibited contact between the parties (and) the suspicious nature of the circumstances surrounding (her injury)."

The guy is bulls@#$ing!

25 cents say somebody is gonna make a porno out of this!
(Rule 34 of the Internet is strictly enforced here!)
Don't know what Rule 34 is? INFIDEL!!!

iPhones - $99 at Walmart!

This tech news has caught us by surprise...

The San Jose Mercury News reports, for example, that iPhones could be on sale at Wal-Mart stores by the end of December, and possibly even before Christmas, although pricing is still not known. Bloomberg also reports that Wal-Mart is preparing to sell two versions of the iPhone.

The blogosphere has been rife with rumors of a 4GB $99 iPhone, sold via Wal-Mart, during recent weeks, although the MacRumors blog told a different story Monday.

"Based on available Wal-Mart training materials and advertising we've received, however, it seems that this rumor is unlikely," it said. "The advertising shown only lists 8-Gbyte iPhones for sale at $197, without any hints of a cheaper model."

More on this news item here!

Ok...it's kinda of nice...but...
The iPhone coolness factor will drop down to almost zero when every Tom, Dick and Harry will have one.
And this price doesn't include the ATT phone plan! Be ready to fork some serious dough!

And the Box Office Champion this week is...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – "Four Christmases," a holiday comedy starring Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn, led the North American box office for a second weekend on Sunday, while the spotlight shifted to a handful of Oscar hopefuls playing in limited release.
In a traditionally quiet weekend following the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, "Four Christmases" sold about $18.2 million worth of tickets during the three days beginning Friday, taking its 12-day haul to $70.8 million, said distributor Warner Bros. Pictures.
The Time Warner Inc-owned studio expects the film to end up with just over $100 million. Witherspoon and Vaughn play a couple who must divide their holiday among each of their divorced parents. It earned a "Bah, humbug!" from critics.
Only two new films entered the top 10: the action sequel "Punisher: War Zone" at No. 8 with just $4.0 million. It played in almost four times as many theaters as the music biopic "Cadillac Records," which opened at No. 9 with a solid $3.5 million.
Among more-pedigreed releases, "Frost/Nixon" earned a hefty $180,000 from three theaters, one each in New York, Los Angeles and Toronto. Universal Pictures' fact-based drama about a face-off between British TV interviewer David Frost and former President Richard Nixon will add 20 markets next week.
In its second weekend, Sean Penn's gay-hero saga "Milk" earned $1.7 million. Despite almost tripling its theater count to 99 venues, the Focus Features release was up just 16 percent. Its total stands at $4.1 million. Both Universal and Focus are units of General Electric Co's NBC Universal.
Former chart-topper "Twilight" moved up one place to No. 2 with $13.2 million in its third weekend. Closely held indie studio Summit Entertainment's vampire romance has earned $138.6 million to date.
It swapped places with the Walt Disney Co canine cartoon "Bolt," which dug up $9.7 million, also in its third weekend. Its tally rose to $79.3 million.
The next two movies also reversed rankings. After a disappointing start last weekend, the big-budget epic "Australia" rose one place to No. 4 with $7 million, bringing its 12-day tally to $30.9 million.
The 20th Century Fox period romance, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, reportedly cost upward of $125 million to produce, and is hoping for awards-season attention to boost business. Its 53 percent drop was one of the slightest in the top 10.
"The word of mouth is very positive on this movie. People really want to see it," said Chris Aronson, senior vice president of domestic distribution at the News Corp-owned studio.
The James Bond thriller "Quantum of Solace" slipped one place to No. 5 with $6.6 million, and has earned $151.5 million after 4 weekends. It is about $12 million ahead of where star Daniel Craig's 007 debut "Casino Royale" was at the same point in its run in 2006; that film ended up with $167 million. The films were distributed by Columbia Pictures, a unit of Sony Corp.
Sony also distributed "Cadillac Records," a $12 million movie about Leonard Chess, the founder of the Chicago blues label that bears his name. Adrien Brody plays Chess, and is joined by Beyonce Knowles as Etta James and Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters. Sony said the film skewed to older women. It played in 686 theaters, while the other movies in the top 10 averaged 3,000 theaters each.
"Punisher: War Zone" stars Ray Stevenson in the title role of the Marvel comic book adaptation. Previous Punishers included Dolph Lundgren and Thomas Jane. The film was released by Lionsgate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.

Saw Four Christmases. POS! Saw "Punisher: War Zone" Lotsa fun!

I don't get it!

Bettie Page in a coma

1950's pinup model, Playboy bunny and cult figure Bettie Page is in the hospital in serious condition.

LOS ANGELES ˆ Bettie Page, a 1950s pinup known for her raven-haired bangs
and saucy come-hither looks, was hospitalized in intensive care after
suffering a heart attack, her agent said Friday.

"She's critically ill," Mark Roesler of CMG Worldwide told The Associated
Press.

He said the 85-year-old had the heart attack Tuesday and was hospitalized
Friday in the Los Angeles area.

A family friend, Todd Mueller, said Page was in a coma. When asked to
confirm, Roesler said, "I would not deny that," but he would not comment
further on her condition.

Page, a secretary turned model, is credited with helping set the stage for
the sexual revolution of the rebellious 1960s. She attracted national
attention with magazine photographs of her sensuous figure that were tacked
up on walls across the country.

Her photos included a centerfold in the January 1955 issue of then-fledgling
Playboy magazine, as well as controversial sadomasochistic poses.

Page later spent decades away from the public eye, and during that time
battled mental illness and became a born-again Christian.

After resurfacing in the 1990s, she occasionally granted interviews but
refused to allow her picture to be taken.

Mueller credits his business dealings with Page for bringing her out of
seclusion. He said he first met her in 1989 when he offered her "a bunch of
money" to show up at autograph signings.

"I probably sold 3,000 of her autographs, usually for $200 to $300," he
said. "Eleanor Roosevelt, we got $40-$50. ... Bettie Page outsells them
all."

Bettie Page was the inspiration for the character and love interest of Cliff Secord, the hero of "The Rocketeer"

Our thoughts are with her.

Forrest J. Ackerman 1916-2008

We received word that long time Sci-Fi legend Forrest J. Ackerman has passed away.

Here's the story.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Forrest Ackerman, a writer and editor who coined the term "Sci-Fi" and helped inspire the likes of author Ray Bradbury and film maker George Lucas, has died. He was 92.
Ackerman died of heart failure on Thursday at his home in Los Angeles, said Kevin Burns, president of Prometheus Entertainment and a trustee of his estate.
He is widely credited with coining the term Sci-Fi in 1954. Science fiction had been around as a genre for years before, but Ackerman was a big promoter of it.
"He was really considered the godfather, or what I call the Pied Piper of science fiction and horror," Burns said on Friday.
Ackerman encouraged Bradbury, who went on to write classics such as "The Martian Chronicles" and "Fahrenheit 451," early on in the author's writing career.
Ackerman edited the magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland, which was launched in 1958 and lasted more than 20 years.
And he filled his eight-bedroom Los Angeles home with tens of thousands of science fiction books and props from Sci-Fi and horror movies. The house became a repository for fans of the those genres, who often visited for tours on Saturdays.
Lucas, the film maker behind the "Star Wars" franchise, said in a statement that Ackerman "never stopped believing in the magic of the movies and the possibilities presented by science fiction."
Ackerman died with no surviving family members.

It has to be pointed out that Forrest was also the first person to dress up as a character to a Sci-Fi gathering in LA in 1935. So he was the first "cosplayer" in the world.

The world is a sadder place today.

Another example why countries run by religions don't work!

This is why Teocracies (Goverments run by certain religions) are a bad idea all around!

Read the snippet and ponder...

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Police have arrested 49 people this week in a northern Iranian city during a crackdown on "satanic" clothes, IRNA news agency reported Thursday.

The measures are the latest in a country-wide campaign against Western cultural influence in the Islamic Republic, where strict dress codes are enforced.

"Police confronted rascals and thugs who appeared in public wearing satanic fashions and unsuitable clothing," Qaemshahr city police commander Mahmoud Rahmani told IRNA.

Rahmani also said that five barber shops were shut and 20 more warned for "promoting Western hairstyles."

More on the report here.

That's why I'm a firm believer in the separation of Church and State!!!

The 10 worst movies of 2008

The New York Post has compiled the 10 worst stinkeroos of this year.
Here's the list!

10. "Beverly Hills Chihuahua"
We thought the whole talking dogs fad was over, but apparently, it's not. George Lopez and Drew Barrymore provide voices for this 2008 flop about zany California dogs.

9. "Witless Protection"
Larry the Cable Guy followed up 2006's "Larry The Cable Guy: Health Inspector" and 2007's "Delta Farce" with this "Witless" effort. Larry's 0-for-3. So bad, we didn't bother reviewing it.

8. "Rambo"
Did we need another "Rambo"? No, but Sly Stallone gave us one - an ultra-gorefest, even by Stallone standards.

7. "You Don't Mess With The Zohan"
Adam Sandler makes the list with his tale of an Israeli special forces soldier who dreams of being a hairstylist. Childish humor from a familiar source.

6. "Babylon A.D."
Starring master thespian Vin Diesel, "Babylon A.D." went way over budget and there were reports of ego clashes between Diesel and director Mathieu Kassovitz. Released six months after its original release date, the film wasn't even screened for New York critics.

5. "10,000 B.C."
"10,000 B.C" could be called the movie the Museum of Natural History doesn't want you to see. Full of special effects but lacking a shred of authenticity, the film was widely panned.

4. "What Happens In Vegas"
"What Happens In Vegas" stars Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz as two people who get married after a booze-fueled night in Sin City, and the wacky adventures that transpire after they also win a large sum of money. The easy joke is that this bomb should have stayed in Vegas. We took the easy way out.

3. "Mad Money"
With a trio of actresses like Diane Keaton, Katie Holmes and Queen Latifah, what could have possibly gone wrong with "Mad Money"? Everything, apparently. But mostly the fact that this comedy had no laughs.

2. "The Hottie & The Nottie"
Is it worth describing the plot to this Paris Hilton-starred stinker? We won't bother, because you shouldn't bother watching it. According to Box Office Mojo, the film grossed less than $1.6 million as of Nov. 26, which sounds generous.

1. "The Love Guru"
Our number one worst movie is "The Love Guru," co-written and starring "SNL" alum Mike Myers as Guru Pitka, a man on a quest to become the #1 guru. Films like "Guru" and 2003's "The Cat in the Hat" are destroying all the comedy credibilty Myers built through the "Wayne's World" and "Austin Powers" films. Thank goodness for "Shrek." "Guru" also stars acting legends Jessica Alba and Justin Timberlake.

Man! They still stink!!!!

Save us, chocolate Baby Jesus!

I'm serious. The Germans are having problems.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's churches criticized a businessman on Tuesday for selling thousands of Jesus chocolates.

Frank Oynhausen set up his "Sweet Lord" chocolate Jesus-making business saying he wanted to restore some traditional religious values to Christmas in Germany.

But the German Protestant Church criticized the idea as "tasteless" and the Roman Catholic Church was not amused.

"I started thinking about how I could reintroduce traditional religious values into this commercial world," said Oynhausen, who had been unemployed since losing a recycling business two years ago.

Together with a friend, a local chocolatier, Oynhausen, 54, developed the concept of "Sweet Lord." It is growing fast in his home town of Duisburg and on the internet (www.goldjesus.com).

Oynhausen said thousands of people have put in orders for the figures wrapped in gold foil.

But church associations expressed dismay.

"It is terrible that Jesus is being wrapped up in gold foil and sold along with chocolate bunnies, edible penguins and lollipops," said Aegidius Engel, a spokesman for the archbishopric of nearby Paderborn.

"This is ruining the symbol of Jesus himself," he added.

Oynhausen is now custom-producing the chocolate Jesus figures, but by Easter he hopes to have a partnership with a mass producer.

"We're hoping to be able to export them around the world one day," Oynhausen said. He reckons there are parts of the United States where they will be especially popular.

In 2007, a life-size chocolate sculpture of a naked Jesus caused an outcry from Roman Catholics when an art gallery in New York wanted to exhibit it in a window.

Hey! I have an idea! On Easter, we should have a chocolate Jesus crucified and when you bite him, strawberry "blood" should flow!

No.

Come On!? Mel Gibson loved it!!!!

When mating Polar Bears go wrong.

Ok. You have to read this to believe it!

TOKYO (Reuters) - Handlers of a popular polar bear, brought to mate with a female in a zoo in northern Japan, found their breeding plan was doomed when they noticed that he, in fact, was a she.

Tsuyoshi, a four-year-old, 200 kg (441 lb) cream-colored polar bear, had been living in harmony with a female polar bear since June, the two often playing together, Masako Inoue, a zookeeper at the Kushiro Municipal Zoo, said on Wednesday.

"We thought he was a male, so we never had any doubts as we took care of him," she said.

"But one day we realized that the two bears urinate in the same way, and we thought, is that how males do it? And once we started to look at things that way, we weren't quite so sure."

After two DNA examinations of Tsuyoshi's hair and a manual exam, the Kushiro Municipal Zoo found Tsuyoshi to be a female.

"We do have mixed feelings," said Inoue.

"But because Tsuyoshi was supposed to be a male, she came here, and because she came here, we were able to take care of her since she was very small."

It is not uncommon for the sex of polar bears to be misread, Inoue said, as their long hair makes it difficult to distinguish, especially when the bears are young. Tsuyoshi was pegged as a male three months after birth, Inoue said.

The Kushiro Municipal Zoo will talk with other zoos in the area to see what to do about their breeding plan, she added.

Ok. Nothing wrong with that. But if you want them breeding...aren't they supposed to be of different sexes?
Just asking!

Death by Breadfruit!

Filed under only in Puerto Rico!

Early Sunday morning, Aníbal Vázquez Dávila, 48, from Luquillo was driving it's Daimo motorcycle near High Park Hotel in the direction to Trujillo Alto, when he encountered some breadfruit laying on the road from a nearby tree.

Trying to evade them, he lost control of the vehicule, falling into a ditch. He hit his head on the concrete embankment, and even thou he was wearing a helmet, the hit was so severe, he died instantly.

Víctor Candela García, a friend of the victim and in another motorcycle when the accident happened, identified his friend's body to authorities.

Jeez! Even Breadfruit can get you killed!
Enjoy while it lasts!