Pee Wee’s Playhouse in Amigurumi

Posted by Jill Harness in Art & Design, Crafts, Entertainment, TV on February 14, 2012 at 2:36 am

The Pee Wee’s Playhouse set was pretty cute already, but when handcrafted at home, it’s downright adorable. Better still, you can even have your own version at home and this Jambi even comes with an interchangeable screen.

Link Via CraftZine

 
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14 Geeky Valentine’s Day Cards

Posted by Miss Cellania in Art, Comics & Cartoons, Design, Holiday on February 13, 2012 at 9:59 am

Let your geekiness show in the valentines you send! Express your love for your sweetie plus your love for your favorite video game, online community, scientific discipline, movie, or TV show. There are lots to select from, but you won’t find them in your local greeting card store -no, these out-of-the ordinary valentines are found on the internet. Shown here are some valentines based on the TV series Breaking Bad, by Beth at Butt Horn. See the rest of the collection at mental_floss. Link

 
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Feline Sidekicks

Posted by Miss Cellania in Animals & Pets, Film, TV on February 8, 2012 at 8:46 am

A cat makes a great listener, and therefore makes a great sidekick for pop culture characters. How well do you know feline sidekicks from movies, and TV? The challenge at today’s Lunchtime Quiz at mental_floss is to match 10 kitty sidekicks with the main character he/she goes with. I only got half of them correct. You will do better! Link

 
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Mad Men Posters Improved

Posted by Miss Cellania in Advertising, Comics & Cartoons on February 5, 2012 at 7:26 am

AMC is promoting the return of the TV show Mad Men with a minimalist poster showing a falling man, with a blank expanse around him. The only other thing the poster contains is the date at the bottom right. That’s just asking to be embellished, and plenty of folks have great ideas about what to add. Gothamist asked for submissions,  and has been collecting the “improvements” to post for your pleasure. Link to gallery one. Link to gallery two. -via Laughing Squid

 
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The TV Thief

Posted by Alex in Advertising, Gadgets, Hacks & Mods, Video Clips on February 1, 2012 at 5:47 pm

Now this is advertising so clever it's criminal: Y&R agency in Amsterdam, The Netherlands came up with an unusual ad to feature the slim LG's new TV. Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] - via Ads of the World

 
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RIP Don Cornelius

Posted by Miss Cellania in Music, TV on February 1, 2012 at 8:30 am

Police were called to the home of producer and TV host Don Cornelius early this morning after gunshots were heard. Cornelius was found unconscious and was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Cornelius was best known for his television show Soul Train, which aired from 1970 to 2006. Cornelius hosted the show from its beginning until 1993.

“Soul Train” was one of the longest-running syndicated shows in television history and played a critical role in spreading the music of black America to the world, offering wide exposure to musicians such as James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson in the 1970s and 1980s.

“I am shocked and deeply saddened at the sudden passing of my friend, colleague and business partner Don Cornelius,” said Quincy Jones, according to the Associated Press. “Don was a visionary pioneer and a giant in our business. Before MTV there was ‘Soul Train.’ That will be the great legacy of Don Cornelius. His contributions to television, music and our culture as a whole will never be matched. My heart goes out to Don’s family and loved ones.”

Mr. Cornelius, a former disc jockey, created the show in 1970 in Chicago on WCIU-TV and served as its writer, producer and host. Quickly becoming a success, the show was broadcast nationally in 1971, beginning its 35-year run. Besides the performers, the program showcased young dancers who would strut their stuff, laying the groundwork for countless dance programs , including current hits like Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance?” and MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew.” “We had a show that kids gravitated to,” Mr. Cornelius said.

Cornelius’ death is being investigated as a possible suicide. He was 75. Link

(Image credit: MadVision Entertainment)

 
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10 Foreign Remakes of American TV Shows

Posted by Miss Cellania in TV on January 31, 2012 at 7:40 am

U.S. TV networks take shows from other countries and rework them to show to American audiences. In the same way, other countries do their own versions of American TV shows -but they often end up being quite different. Check out this list of 10 Foreign Remakes of American TV Shows Very Different Than the Original, with clips showing what some of your favorite sitcoms, cartoons, and dramas look  like in other parts of the world. Pictured here are the Russian versions of How I Met Your Mother, The Nanny, and Everybody Loves Raymond. Link -Thanks, Katina!

 
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When The Simpsons Meet Skyrim

Posted by Jill Harness in Art, Art & Design, Comics & Cartoons, Entertainment, Gaming, TV on January 29, 2012 at 11:31 pm

Who knew Homer was speaking dragon this whole time?

Link Via The Daily What

 
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Goodbye, Farewell, and A*M*E*N

Posted by Miss Cellania in Bathroom Reader, TV on January 23, 2012 at 5:05 am

The following article is from the book Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Tunes Into TV.

The final episode of M*A*S*H aired on February 28, 1983. It wasn’t just a “TV event” …it was the most-watched episode in scripted TV history.

WAR IS SWELL

M*A*S*H was a sitcom based on a cynical movie inspired by a cynical book about an unpopular war. It was also one of the most successful TV shows of all time. Chronicling the doctors and nurses of the 4077TH Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War (1950-1953), the first season in 1972 drew such low ratings that CBS nearly canceled it. But they gave it a chance, and by season two, M*A*S*H was a top 10 show. For the remainder of its 11-year run, it never fell out of the top 20.

Until 1983, M*A*S*H was a fixture on Monday night at 9:00 PM on CBS. But by the time it ended, it had evolved into a much different show than it had been at the start.

FROM SILLY TO SERIOUS

The biggest reason for M*A*S*H‘s change in tone was Alan Alda, who starred as Captain “Hawkeye” Pierce, the unit’s chief surgeon. After series creator Larry Gelbart left the show in 1976, Alda took over as head writer. He, along with executive producer Burt Metcalfe, convinced CBS to phase out the laugh track and focus less on the doctors’ womanizing and pranks and more on character development and honest depictions of the horrors of war.

Result: M*A*S*H was no longer a comedy with occasional drama, but a drama with occasional comedy. “We’re recreating a time of suffering and joy and revelation that happened to real people at a real time,” said Alda. “We know what they went through. We can’t be casual in the face of that.”

THE BEGINNING OF THE END

M*A*S*H remained popular through all the changes, but after 10 seasons, Alda and company were running out of stories to tell about a three-year war. CBS wasn’t willing to call it a day, though, and convinced Metcalfe and Alda to return for a final season that would conclude in February 1983 with a movie-length finale.

That wasn’t Alda’s first choice. He wanted the last M*A*S*H to be a regular 30-minute episode. At the end of his version, the audience would hear the director yell “Cut!” and the camera would move back to reveal the crew. Alda would take off his surgical mask and address the viewers with a short, heartfelt tribute to veterans.

CBS nixed that plan, so Alda and eight other writers began penning “Goodby, Farewell, and Amen.”
more …

 
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When Community Goes Mutant

Posted by Jill Harness in Art, Art & Design, Comics & Cartoons, Entertainment, TV on January 19, 2012 at 11:14 pm

After all the fan movements to save the show, some artists are celebrating with Community-inspired fan art. While there are a bunch out there, this X-Men one might just be the best I’ve seen so far.

Link Via The Mary Sue

 
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Video Effects Breakdown

Posted by Miss Cellania in TV, Video Clips on January 19, 2012 at 7:40 am


(vimeo link)

Brainstorm Digital clues us in on how they provide effects for television, specifically for the second season of Boardwalk Empire. And it’s not all “special” effects, either. Productions now can do away with makeup, props, and even sets! It’s all computer magic. Warning: may cause disillusionment. -Thanks, özi!

 
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Lady Gaga or Jem?

Posted by Miss Cellania in Comics & Cartoons, Music, TV on January 17, 2012 at 9:59 am

Who was it: Stefani Germanotta or Jerrica Benton? These singers are better known as pop star Lady Gaga and ’80s cartoon rock star Jem. In today’s Lunchtime Quiz at mental_floss, you’ll be given twelve statements, and you decide which diva it applies to. Believe it or not, I scored 75% without knowing anything about either of them! How did you do? Link

 
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Jaaam

Posted by Miss Cellania in Music, TV, Video Clips on January 15, 2012 at 4:55 am


(YouTube link)

Nick Bertke, also known as Pogo, loans his signature style of remixing to the ’90s TV sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. The result is both hypnotic and nostalgic. -via The Daily What

Previously: Other Pogo remixes.

 
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Reality Shows for the Gaming Industry

Posted by Miss Cellania in Gaming, TV on January 12, 2012 at 9:20 am

There are all kinds of reality-based television shows built around what people do: their workday, their obsessions, their love lives -so why don’t television producers reach out to the world of gamers? Unreality has some suggestions for show premises that would draw in gamers, if the production is entertaining enough to make them put down their controllers! Link

 
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Why Do Nerds So Often Wear Glasses?

Posted by Miss Cellania in Film, Neatorama Exclusives on January 11, 2012 at 5:03 am

Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website.

Why do nerds so often wear glasses? This is an interesting question, and obviously it has a significance in my own life and career.

The word “nerd” was actually coined by my favorite fiction writer, the great Dr. Seuss. In 1950, in Dr. Seuss’s book If I Ran the Zoo, Seuss drew a non-human creature called a ‘nerd” from the land of Ka-roo. This is the first instance of the word “nerd” in print. Some theorists believe the word started at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the 1940s. The students who liked to party there were called “drunks” and the quieter, less-inclined-to-party types were labeled “knurds.” See, “drunk” spelled backwards is “knurd,” the precursor to the modern “nerd.”

In 1957, in Glasgow, Scotland, “nerd” was first defined as “square.”

Motion pictures, the most powerful medium of communication in human history (before television) had, of course, a huge impact on the lives of almost everyone on earth. The “nerd” in movie history has not, to my knowledge, ever been fully written. As far as I can determine, the first nerd in movie history was the popular silent comedian Harold Lloyd. Lloyd played a weak, underdog type of comedic character, one bullied by men and ignored by women. But in the end, he would triumph and inevitably get the girl of his dreams. The Lloyd character wore trademark glasses. In fact, Lloyd always referred to his character as the “glasses” or “glass” character, much as Charlie Chaplin was “the Tramp.”

After Lloyd, the nerd character was on the shelf for many years in movies -with sporadic exceptions. Ironically, Cary Grant, perhaps the most dapper actor in movie history, donned glasses and played a nerd character in 1938′s classic comedy Bringing Up Baby.

In the 1950s and ’60s, the great Jerry Lewis often played a nerd-type character in his wonderful comedies. Once in a while, Jerry would wear glasses in his films, notably The Nutty Professor and The Ladies Man. One of his early films with Dean Martin (That’s My Boy) Jerry played a classic glasses-wearing nerd. Jerry as “Junior Jackson” is a shy, clumsy nerd who is trained to be a football player by the handsome, popular Dean Martin. Lewis almost always played a semi-nerd, but it was always a bit of a very cool nerd with Jerry Lewis. While Jerry was always a dumb klutz in his films, he always danced gracefully and also, Jerry was a relatively good-looking fellow, unlike most nerds (or comedians) in comedies. And of course, Jerry did not usually wear glasses. But the movies next classic nerd did.
more …

 
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13 Simpsons Jokes That Actually Came True

Posted by Miss Cellania in TV on January 3, 2012 at 6:00 am

Four years ago, we published an article called Life Imitates The Simpsons, containing six plots from the TV show The Simpsons which later happened in the real world. In the years since, many more Simpsons plots were prescient of, or else inspired, real-life incidents. Ranker now has a list of 13 Simpsons Jokes That Actually Came True, and I was amazed to find no overlap in the two lists! Check this out: the picture on the left shows a promotional billboard for Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie, which was featured on The Simpsons in 1992. On the right is a billboard for Kill Bill, which came out in 2003. Read all the details at Ranker. Link

 
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The Ultimate Gift For An Arrested Development Fan

Posted by Jill Harness in Christmas, Entertainment, Holiday, TV on January 1, 2012 at 9:41 pm

If you watch Arrested Development, then you know there’s always money in the Banana Stand,  which is why this is such a great gift for any fan of the show.

Link

 
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What’s on TV: 81 Christmas Marathons and Specials

Posted by Miss Cellania in TV on December 23, 2011 at 9:46 am

TV Line has a schedule of Christmas movies, specials, and marathons for today through Sunday. The marathons provide relief for those who like TV but need a break from relentless holiday cheer. And you’re going to need something to do when the relatives starts getting on each other’s nerves. Link

 
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Christmas in Space!

Posted by Miss Cellania in Mentalfloss on December 23, 2011 at 5:22 am

Apollo 8 wasn’t just a NASA mission; it was the biggest, coolest, most mind-blowing Christmas special of all time.

The men of Apollo 8 -Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders- had their work cut out for them. They were slated to become the first humans ever to leave the Earth’s orbit, enter lunar orbit, and see the far side of the Moon. But as their launch date approached in December 1968, NASA added an even more terrifying task to the crew’s to-do list: public speaking. The agency wanted the astronauts to host a live broadcast from the spacecraft on Christmas Eve. Worse still, the men were given only one cryptic instruction: “Say something appropriate.”

The astronauts were in a tough spot. When millions of people of different faiths and backgrounds are listening, what exactly constitutes appropriate? To make matters trickier, 1968 had been a grim year for Americans -the Vietnam War was raging, and Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. had both been assassinated. How could the astronauts simultaneously orbit the Moon, introduce millions to outer space on TV, and buoy the American spirit?

The men were stumped. They began enlisting the help of media experts, who were mostly just as clueless as they were. The answer finally came from the wife of Joe Laitin, a former reporter who’d worked as a public affairs officer under five presidents. She made an elegant, simple suggestion: Why not just read from the book of Genesis?

The astronauts jumped at the idea. They reasoned that genesis had a broad enough appeal across religions to add a hint of spirituality without ostracizing non-Christians. Borman, the mission’s commander, had the first ten verses typed onto fireproof paper and tucked the sheet into his flight plan. The astronauts had their script.

The broadcast began with the crew showing some of the first images of Earth ever seen from space. Lovell remarked, “The vast loneliness up here of the Moon is awe-inspiring, and it makes you realize just what you have back there in Earth.”

Viewers were captivated. But as airtime dwindled, Anders revealed that the crew had a special message for all the people of the planet. He started with the familiar “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the Earth…”

He read the first four verses; Lovell read four more. Borman recited the last two and ended the show, saying, “And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with a good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you -all of you on the good Earth.”

In the end, the crew’s effort paid off. Half a billion people tuned in, making it the largest TV event in history at the time, and the reception was overwhelmingly positive; even Walter Cronkite admitted that he had tears in his eyes. Of course, not everyone on Earth was thrilled; one atheist activist sued NASA for interjecting religion into a government project, but the Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit. Enough nitpicking! The Christmas Eve special won an Emmy, and Time made the crew the magazine’s “Men of the Year” for 1968. The broadcast was truly out of this world.


(YouTube link)

_______________________

The article above, written by Ethan Trex, is reprinted with permission from the Scatterbrained section of the November-December 2011 issue of mental_floss magazine. Get a subscription to mental_floss and never miss an issue!

Be sure to visit mental_floss‘ website and blog for more fun stuff!

 
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Batman Intro in LEGO

Posted by Miss Cellania in Crafts, Toys, TV, Video Clips on December 18, 2011 at 6:06 pm


(YouTube link)

The 1966 TV show intro recreated, to the smallest detail, in LEGO bricks! For comparison purposes, here is the original. (via Buzzfeed)

 
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A Few More Facts About The Simpsons

Posted by Miss Cellania in Comics & Cartoons, Neatorama Exclusives, TV on December 16, 2011 at 5:12 am

Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website. This post is in honor of The Simpsons anniversary tomorrow.

On December 17, 1989 The Simpsons made its debut on Fox TV. What can you say about The Simpsons? Now in its 23rd season, it is, without a doubt, one of the most brilliant television shows of all time. Let’s take a look at some Simpsons trivia you may not have known

Why are they yellow?

Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons, said he made the characters yellow to grab the attention of channel surfers.

How much does Maggie cost in the opening sequence?

O.K. we’re all familiar with the classic opening sequence on the show, where Marge and Maggie are at the supermarket checkout line and Maggie goes through the market scanner. Ever wonder how much she scans for? Maggie originally scanned for $847.63, which was the price of raising a baby for one month back in 1989 (when the show debuted). Now things have changed and Marge’s groceries add up to $243.36. When Maggie is added and scanned, she doubles the tab to $486.52.

Tracy Ullman sued the show.

The Simpsons is one of the most successful spinoffs in history, spawning from The Tracy Ullman Show. Tracy Ullman’s variety show ran for three years on Fox, and The Simpsons originated as brief cartoon vignettes on the show. Dan Castellanetta (the voice of “Homer”) and Julie Kavner (“Marge”) were regulars on the series, nancy Cartwright (“Bart”) and Yeardley Smith (“Lisa”) were brought in to do the voiceovers for the cartoons. After The Simpsons took off on its own, Tracy Ullman sued, unsuccessfully, to earn a share of The Simpsons‘ merchandising bonanza. (So far, The Simpsons has lasted twenty years longer than the show that spawned it.)

Most unnecessary translation switch.

The Simpsons is dubbed in by foreign-speaking actors for its runs in many different countries. In episodes dubbed in French, Homer’s catchphrase “D’oh!” is translated and read as “T’oh!”

Most Parodied movie?

The Simpsons is always incredibly clever satire. One of the show’s favorite satire targets is, of course, the movies. According to the show’s creators, the show’s most parodied film is Citizen Kane. “They could create an entire film from Simpsons clips,” a Simpsons writer has stated, referring to the amount of Citizen Kane gags they’ve used.he added that The Godfather films were very popular targets, too. Specifically, the show’s creators listed the show’s four most popular movie targets for satire as:

1. Citizen Kane
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey
3. The Shining
4. A Clockwork Orange

What celebrity guest star has played the most roles?

The Simpsons is not only the longest-running animated TV show in history, but it holds the record for the most celebrity guest star appearances. Albert Brooks has made the most guest appearances in the most different roles: five different appearances as five different characters.

Many last names come from actual streets.

Matt Groening got many of the last names of characters on the show from streets in his hometown of Portland, Oregon. Lovejoy, Quimby, Flanders, Kearney, Terwilliger, and Burnside are all actual street names in Portland.

Who is the only character on The Simpsons to have five fingers on a hand?

The Simpsons characters, like almost all animated characters, have only four fingers on each hand.Only one Simpsons character has ever had five fingers. “God” is the only character portrayed on The Simpsons to ever have five fingers.

Secret Hidden Beatles Message

In the episode “Lisa the Vegetarian,” Paul McCartney made a guest appearance, along with his wife, Linda. In the closing credits of the episode, Paul sings “Maybe I’m Amazed.” There is a background voice on the song that does not appear on the record. The voice is Paul’s. If you play it backwards, the voice is a recipe for lentil soup read by Paul.
Six celebrity guests have played both themselves and also a fictional character.

Of all the hundreds of Simpsons celebrity guest voices, just six have appeared in episodes as both themselves and as a fictional character. They are Elizabeth Taylor, Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin, Mark Hamill, Steve Buscemi, and Joe Montagna.

Sensitive guest voice.

Former heavyweight boxing champion “Smokin’” Joe Frazier guested on a Simpsons episode. In the episode, Joe gets into a fight with the local drunk, Barney Gumbel. Joe objected to Barney beating him in a fight, so the writers changed the scene so Joe would win.

For more on The Simpsons, see The Birth of The Simpsons, Life Imitates The Simpsons, and Meet Omar Shamshoon.

 
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Tastes Like TV

Posted by Miss Cellania in Bathroom Reader, Food & Drink, TV on December 12, 2011 at 5:12 am

The following article is from the book Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Tunes Into TV.

When TV characters cook, the results are often disgusting.

Drink: Flaming Homer

Show: The Simpsons (1991)

Origin: Homer is bored at home one night -forced to watch his in-law’s vacation slides- and he doesn’t have any beer, so he makes a cocktail from whatever he can find. He pours the leftover bits from several liquor bottles into a blender, along with the accidental addition of “Krusty’s Non-Narkotic Kough Syrup.” Homer thinks it tastes okay… but it’s even better after it’s lit afire by a stray cigarette ash. “I don’t know the scientific explanation, but fire made it good,” Homer says when he recreates the “Flaming Homer” at Moe’s Tavern. Moe then steals the idea and starts serving the drink (for $6.95) and renames it “The Flaming Moe.”

Food: Chocolate Salty Balls

Show: South Park (1998)

Origin: When the Sundance Film Festival comes to town, the soul-singing school cafeteria cook Chef (voice of Isaac Hayes) opens a stand to sell cookies to tourists. His most popular item: His “Chocolate Salty Balls.” It’s a blatant double entendre, and Chef even sings a song about them: “Hey, everybody, have you seen my balls? They’re big and salty and brown!” The song (which reached #1 in England) gives the recipe: cinnamon, egg whites, melted butter, flour, unsweetened chocolate, brandy, vanilla, and sugar. (Curiously, it doesn’t call for salt.)

(Image credit: Garnished Adventures)

Drink: Thankstini

Show: How I Met Your Mother (2005)

Origins: This cocktail, a martini, invented by booze-swilling playboy Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), combines Thanksgiving food with booze. It’s made from two ounces of potato vodka, four ounces of cranberry juice …and a bouillon cube for that poultry flavor. Barney remarks that it “tastes just like a turkey dinner.”

more …

 
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11 Rock Star Television Cameos

Posted by Jill Harness in Entertainment, Music, TV on December 4, 2011 at 11:39 pm

Rock stars aren’t generally known for their amazing acting skills, but that doesn’t stop television executives from working them into different cameo roles whenever possible. Mental Floss has a great article with some of the greatest (and most terrible) musician cameos ever made. My personal favorite was Michael Stipe in The Adventures of Pete & Pete. Any of you remember these episodes?

Link

 
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Kittens Enjoy Figure Skating

Posted by Miss Cellania in Animals & Pets, Video Clips on November 30, 2011 at 6:05 pm


(YouTube link)

A litter of six Bengal kittens and their mother watch Japanese skater Daisuke Takahashi perform on television. And try to catch him. I was surprised by this, as my cats prefer nature documentaries to sports.  -via Buzzfeed

 
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11 Facts You Might Not Know about Battlestar Galactica

Posted by John Farrier in Entertainment, Features, Neatorama Exclusives, Science Fiction, TV on November 30, 2011 at 5:15 am

In 1978, Glen A. Larson launched his ambitious space saga Battlestar Galactica. It was a grand story of a clash of civilizations and battle for survival. But its ratings could not justify its enormous production expense, and the show folded. A brief return in 1980 offered hope, but that came to nothing. For a generation, Battlestar Galactica fans lobbied for a revival and their efforts finally came to fruition in a re-imagined version of the show in a 2003 miniseries, followed by four seasons of storytelling. Here are eleven facts that you might not know about that latter series.


1. Laura Roslin’s swearing-in ceremony as the President of the Twelve Colonies was modeled after that of Lyndon Johnson onboard Air Force One after the assassination of President Kennedy.

2. Grace Park initially auditioned for role of Dualla. She was turned down, but told by directors to audition for the role of Starbuck. She did so, but was instead offered the role of Boomer.

3. At 22, Katee Sackoff was much younger than what the directors had in mind for Starbuck, but she aced the audition and was given the role. The decision to make Starbuck a woman although the original Starbuck had been a man was deeply controversial among BSG fans. Dirk Benedict, the actor who played Starbuck in the 1978 series, strongly and repeatedly objected to this change. But eventually he and Sackoff came to an understanding that allowed them to work together.

4. Sackoff has a tattoo of the Latin words bona fiscalia, which means “public property.” It’s a reminder to her that she is a role model to people and that this entails a high responsibility.
more …

 
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A Short Look At The Muppet’s Long History

Posted by Jill Harness in Entertainment, Features, Film, Neatorama Exclusives, TV on November 23, 2011 at 5:16 am

I don’t know about you guys, but I have loved The Muppets since I was in diapers and I can’t wait to see the new Muppet movie that’s coming out today. But as long as we’re celebrating The Muppets’ return to the big screen, we may as well celebrate their original rise to the small screen. So for all the fans out there, here’s a little history and general trivia info on the greatest puppet team ever created.

Inspiring the Classics

We’ve talked about Jim Henson’s show Sam and Friends, where Kermit originated, before, but that wasn’t Jim Henson’s first experience working with puppets. It actually started all the way back in 1954 when Henson was still attending high school. He was quite ambitious because before he graduated, he already was creating puppets for a Saturday morning kid’s show called The Junior Morning Show featured on WTOP-TV.

Interestingly, Jim didn’t really intend to work on puppets for a career. He actually originally went to the University of Maryland, College Park, to become a commercial artist. But when he was only a freshman, he was asked to create a five-minute long puppet show for WRC-TV named Sam and Friends. The show ended up playing a huge role in the inspiration for The Muppets and featured a prototype version of Kermit the Frog.

Image Via zhurnaly [Flickr]

So Who Was Sam and What’s Up With His Friends?

(Video Link)

Well, Sam was a puppet that looked like a human and his friends were a variety of other human puppets, a few weird monstery creatures, a snake and a lizard that eventually morphed into the world’s most famous frog. The show started out just featuring the puppets lip-synching to popular songs, but as the show started gaining popularity, they started writing real sketches, many of which involved featured spoofs of popular TV shows.

One of the best-known sketches involved Kermit nibbling on something that looked like a worm, but eventually turned into the tongue or nose of the character Big V, a giant monster, who would eventually eat him. Near the end of the show’s run, Esskay Meats started showing ads at the end of the show, which would feature characters from Sam and Friends.

While the show was best known for introducing Kermit to the world, it also played a huge role in letting Henson perfect his puppetry techniques that would eventually change the way puppets were shown on television forever. One of his biggest innovations was setting up the camera shots so the people operating the puppets would not be seen on screen. He also made the puppets more flexible than puppets previously seen on television so they could express a wider array of emotions on screen.

Making It Big

more …

 
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Nissin Cup Noodle Ad Featuring Yoda

Posted by Zeon Santos in Advertising, Business, Entertainment, Film, Science Fiction, TV, Video Clips on November 22, 2011 at 12:14 am

(YouTube Link)

Apparently Nissin instant ramen noodles are Jedi Council approved, since Yoda has now come forward with his endorsement of the Cup Noodle. I can totally imagine Yoda sitting down in his cave on Dagobah to a hot cup of ramen noodles, they’re good for those cold swamp days.

–via BuzzFeed

 
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Have You Seen This Show?

Posted by Jill Harness in Entertainment, TV on November 19, 2011 at 8:40 pm

Ever since NBC announced that Community would be put on a temporary (read:possibly permanent) hiatus, fans have been rallying behind the show. Here’s my personal favorite effort to bring support to the show.

What do you guys think about the show? Are you upset about the hiatus?

Link Via Buzzfeed

 
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Great Food Ideas For A Fantasy and Sci-Fi Themed Thanksgiving


Thanksgiving is great, but let’s face it –sometimes it’s just not relatable enough for those of us obsessed with fantasy and sci-fi tales. If pilgrims and natives aren’t your thing, then turkey, cranberry and pumpkin might not cut it either. For those of you who are thankful for good contributions to geek culture, here are a few ideas to make your own Thanksgiving feast a little more memorable.

Game of Thrones

This fantasy epic is filled with so many delicious food and drink ideas that there is already more than one blog out there dedicated to creating the tasty treats in real life. Inn At The Crossroads is the best known of these blogs and the site even has a cookbook coming out soon.

For those looking to spice up their Thanksgiving with some kingly delights, may I recommend the Rack of Lamb in a Crust of Garlic and Herbs served with a cup of Salladhor Saans Hot Wine. If you’d like something a little more exotic for your main course though, the Grilled Snake, served with a spicy mustard sauce, looks rather delightful.

Dune

If you’re familiar with Dune, then you know that it is all about the spices. That being said, the two best recipes from this story are both beverages. Whether you prefer Spice Beer or Spice Coffee, I’m sure either one would make a great contribution to your Thanksgiving menu. Grumpy Frenchman suggests adding cinnamon to your beer for Spice Beer, but he also warns that that makes the foam go crazy, so pour accordingly. Meanwhile, GeekChill has a fantastic recipe for Spice Coffee that blends Chai tea, coffee and cinnamon –yum!

Lord of the Rings/ The Hobbit

Middle Earth is awash with great food and drink, but because most of Tolkien’s stories take place on the road, we tend to hear about the ones that are good for travel…which are not necessarily the most delicious treats around. That being said, while the hobbits seem to tire of Lembas bread, it is certainly the most delicious travel-friendly bread around and The Geeky Chef has a great recipe to make your own.

As for The Hobbit, the many mentions of seed cake seem to indicate that it is certainly one of Bilbo’s favorite foods and Historical Foods has an excellent recipe based on the time period for which Tolkien based the setting for his classic tales. That means, this seed cake is about as close to what Bilbo would eat as possible.

Harry Potter

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Thanksgiving Episodes

Posted by Miss Cellania in Holiday, TV on November 14, 2011 at 12:12 pm

No matter how busy we are with family on Thanksgiving, we always find a way to watch a little TV around the holiday, and that includes Thanksgiving stories on our favorite series. Today’s Lunchtime Quiz at mental_floss will test your nostalgia for those shows. You’ll be given a Thanksgiving plot, and you guess what show its from. It’s not that hard; I scored 9/11 (82%) even though I hadn’t seen even half these shows. Link

 
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