Science-fiction drama Knowing, an "apocalyptic kind of story"

American actor Nicholas Cage filming 13-week, $50 million flick down under

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TheAge.com.au reporter, Daniel Ziffer, filed a kinda-sorta profile piece on Nicholas Cage April 7, 2008 and I have pulled some of the quotes.

Describing a scene, Ziffer wrote, "a flustered Cage enters an exhibition about 2 a.m. in the Melbourne Museum. He sidles up to co-star Rose Byrne and introduces
himself. It's awkward. He thrusts his hand at her, too fast. But she accepts, smiles, and responds with her name. The meeting is important. He needs her to
help save the world," Ziffer wrote.
Nick said...
"It's subject matter that definitely makes one think about what one
would do in the face of these incredible circumstances, " Cage said
yesterday. "Where you go to find comfort, to survive it."

"It's important to be cautious, but it's also important to be
positive," he said, weighing each word before speaking. "It would be
uncomfortable to advocate doomsday, or the possibility of doomsday.
It would be more preferable to look at all the options and find
solutions to the various concerns, as opposed to writing it off as a
done deal."

"Cage smiled while describing an upcoming holiday he will take with his young family, who are living here during the 13-week shoot. With them, he said, he could go longer without feeling the desire to work," Ziffer wrote.

"It's getting better," (Cage) said. "The length of time is longer now, before the need to dive in is right there."

KNOWING

Director: Alex Proyas (I, Robot, The Crow, Dark City)
Starring: Nicolas Cage (National Treasure, Leaving Las Vegas), Rose Byrne (Troy, Two Hands)
Budget: $50 million+
Release: Autumn 2009
Synopsis: Cage plays a teacher who opens a time capsule dug up at his son's primary school. Chilling predictions are contained inside: some have come true and others seem about to.

Sunday News Wrap Up

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Mark Penn, the pollster and senior strategist for Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential bid, left the campaign Sunday after it was disclosed he met with representatives of the Colombian government to help promote a free trade agreement Clinton opposes.

“After the events of the last few days, Mark Penn has asked to give up his role as chief strategist of the Clinton Campaign,” campaign manager Maggie Williams said in a statement released Sunday. “Mark, and Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates, Inc. will continue to provide polling and advice to the campaign.”

Beckham gives in-laws $16mn Palm home
by Talal Malik on Sunday, 06 April 2008
ISLAND LIVING: England football star David Beckham has given his $16 million mansion on Dubai's Palm Jumeirah, pictured here in February, to the parents of his pop singer wife Victoria.England football star David Beckham has given his $16 million mansion on Dubai's Palm Jumeirah to the parents of his pop singer wife Victoria, press reports said on Sunday.

British weekly tabloid News of the World reported on Sunday that Beckham has given the keys to the waterfront villa on the palm-shape artificial island to his in-laws Tony and Jackie Adams, parents of ‘Posh' Spice Girls singer, Victoria.

An Indian girl, born with four eyes, two noses and two mouths is watched by another child as she rests on a cot at the Saini Village of Noida, some 55 kms from New Delhi, on April 5. The parents of the girl say that the toddler is doing well and that they have no plans for a surgery.
(AFP/Manan Vatsyayana)

Ronald Eugene Pincham, dead at 82, leaves rich legacy in law, the judicial process and the community

(left to right) Atty. Andre Mandell Grant, Ill. Appellate Judge, ret. R. Eugene Pincham, Atty. Lewis Myers. This photo was taken by a Chicago Defender photographer (Rod) on the steps of the Defender at 2400 S. Michigan, its old location, in connection with a story on the Ryan Harris case.

R.Eugene Pincham was born in Chicago, Illinois on June 28, 1925. He died Thursday April 3, 2008 of cancer.
According to a bio on nationalbar.org Judge Pincham's parents divorced when he was seven months old. Reared in a single parent home in Athens, Limestone County, Alabama he attended Trinity School, a grammar and high school founded in Athens in 1866, by an abolitionist organization, the American Missionary Association, to educate the newly emancipated slaves.
Read more about what the nationalbar.org had to say about the life of Judge Pincham.
Read what the Chicago Tribune wrote and watch the video of what Attorney Andre Grant said, about Judge Pincham.

I met Judge Pincham as a crime reporter with the Chicago Daily Defender during the initial legal proceedings against the two little boys accused of murdering Ryan Harris. As it was told to me, he and Attorney Andre Grant, who was defending one of the pre-pubescent boys accused of the little girl's heinous murder, worked on the boy's defense together.
Apparently, Mr. Grant had trouble accessing information from the Cook County State's Attorney Office. Judge Pincham aided in making that information accessible to Mr. Grant and spoke to the media about things like probable cause and the likelihood that 7 and 8 year-old boys could commit a sex crime against an 11-year-old girl. The case was historic and received world wide attention.
Judge Pincham woke up the entire black community that year.

In 1999, I wrote a number of news stories on the case and about the two boys. Eventually, Mr. Grant won his case against the Chicago Police Department in that his client was awarded an amount of money. I remember Mr. Grant and Judge Pincham saying to me that nothing in the world and no amount of money could blot out what happen to the boys or Ryan Harris--may her sweet soul rest in peace--and that his client deserved restitution.
If it had not been for Jugde Pincham taking me aside and explaining what the little boys were going through (I believe they were placed in a regular jail? at first) and how police needed to keep searching for the real killer of Ryan Harris I would have never written so many news stories about it. Judge Pincham stood up for those who were defenseless against wrongdoing. I will always remember him for that.

Autism in Action: Lauren Goes Bowling

My daughter, 16 and the special needs students at her high school, enjoyed a day at the bowling alley this week in nearby Merrillville Indiana.

Yeah and--So What Goes to Sen. Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign Office

Whassup with the Remy Ma and Lil' Kim Beef?

Found on youtube: Lil'Kim live at Shade45 with DJ Whoo Kid speaks on beef with Remy Ma--


Found on youtube: Comedy interlude on that issue and a few others--

Michael Baisden's Show off the Air in Los Angeles?

Well, I knew that something like this would happen. I am an avid Michael Baisden Show listener. A couple of days ago, the Bad Boy was sent a memo while on air asking him not to discuss the violence going on in Los Angeles.

I live in the Chicago listening area and was puzzled about said violence. Apparently, there is violence connected to the shooting of a high school football player who was murdered steps from his home in L.A. by an illegal Mexican immigrant recently released from jail. Apparently, Mr. Baisden was going to discuss it on his show that day and was asked not to do so by station managers and or producers. The Los Angeles radio station that carries his nationwide syndicated show threatened to take him off of the air in L.A. if he discussed the violence that has ensued there behind the senseless killing of yet another promising Black youth.

The Bad Boy was flabbergasted that he would be asked not to reach out to the community in which he too lives.
Yesterday it was announced that the station in L.A. was being sold and they would not keep his show on the air for whatever reason.
This is a travesty. How can that station's owners deprive all of L.A. of Michael Baisden? Every black person with ears listens to this man and some whites and Hispanics and everybody!
Why attack the messenger?

Michael Baisden is a very popular afternoon drive time radio talk show host. He is a connection between all of us in this country who want to be involved in our community.

But naw--not talking about things like single parenting, race relations, male/female relations, personal finance is best for L.A.
Why not take Rush Limbaugh off of the air? I don't listen to him nor do I think what he says is important. He is divisive and should be investigated by the FBI for interfering in the US Election process. However, to my knowledge he can keep spreading his typhoid across the airwaves unchecked.

I hope the people of Los Angeles stand up for Michael Baisden and his show--and in effect, themselves. They should sound off to the new owners and ask for a reversal of the decision to end the Bad Boy's show.
Mike also said that listeners who want to stay in touch should go to MingleCity.com and sign up for the newsletter.

Barack Obama N.Y. Economic Speech video

I blinked and it was over. I switched from channel to channel and no one was there. By the time I got to sit at my desk to stream Dem. Presidential Candidate Barack Obama's speech on the economy, he was wrapping it up and saying good day folks.

Well, there was breakfast to make and waiting for the computer to boot up just to get the stream, but it wasn't like last time.

Obama was on every channel and there was lengthy commentary afterward. Matter of fact there was more chatter about Rev. Wright during Obama's economic speech than any commentary on the speech itself.
Once again I had to scourge the 'net to find out what was said.
However, behind the speech about repairing the economy, of course Fox, msnbc and the crew were still talking about race and Jeremiah Wright.

The economic plan Sen. Obama talked about was stumped by racist news politics. Most of these people aren't Obama supporters and aren't going to vote for him so why should Obama and his supporters care. Like Rev. Wright or not.

Does Rush Limbaugh care about how a black democrat feels about stuff--or anyone in the GOP? No, they don't. They don't even seem to care about the poor and jobless who still want to cling to so-called conservative GOP values--the folk in their own party.

So, why should Sen. Obama care about a racist that has no plan to cast a vote in his favor? No one is going to appease the racist news poltical commentator ever again.

Anyway, I'm still looking for that video. Okay I found the video.

Who Wants Milk?

Wal-Mart Offers Private Label Milk Produced Without Artificial Growth Hormone

Suppliers pledge to provide milk from cows not treated with rbST

BENTONVILLE, Ark., March 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wal-Mart announced today that its Great Value milk is now being sourced exclusively from cows that have not been treated with artificial growth hormones like recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST). Sam's Club is also exclusively offering milk selections from suppliers that have pledged not to treat cows with rbST.

While the FDA has stated that milk from cows treated with rbST poses no risk to human health, many Wal-Mart customers have expressed a desire for milk choices. Today's announcement is evidence that Wal-Mart is committed to keeping its product selection in line with what customers expect to find when shopping its stores.

"We value our customers' opinions and understand how important variety is in all aspects of the business," said Pam Kohn, senior vice president, general merchandise manager, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. "We've listened to customers and are pleased that our suppliers are helping us offer Great Value milk from cows that are not treated with rbST."

Wal-Mart's entire dairy selection -- including organic and conventional offerings -- meets USDA and FDA standards. Suppliers of the company's Great Value milk have pledged to source exclusively from cows that have not been treated with artificial growth hormones.