[News] BBC - McKellen to star in Da Vinci code

BBC, McKellen 'joins Da Vinci movie', Thursday, 21 April, 2005, 07:45 GMT 08:45 UK:

British actors Sir Ian McKellen and Alfred Molina have signed up to appear in the film adaptation of the Da Vinci Code novel, according to a report.

The movie version of Dan Brown's best-selling book also stars Tom Hanks and French actress Audrey Tautou.

Hollywood paper Variety reported The Lord of the Rings star Sir Ian will play aristocrat Sir Leigh Teabing... more ...

Yessssss!!!!!!!!! But wait-a-minute, Sir Ian (Gandalf, in the Lord of the Rings) doesn't quite match the description of Sir Leigh in the Da Vinci Code. We shall see on May 19, 2006!

Here are Sir Ian's thoughts on this project:

20 April 2005

The Da Vinci Code is a publishing sensation. The world seems to be divided between those who have read it and those who have heard about it and then again between those who think it's a work of genius and those who think its theory is heretical balderdash.

The story, it can be no secret, concerns the Holy Grail -- what it is and where it is. The Catholic Church is upset by the suggestion that Jesus Christ was married and that his bloodline survives to this day. As an atheist I am indifferent. As a reader I couldn't stop turning the pages of Dan Brown's book.

Now there is to be a film and with Ron Howard directing and Tom Hanks starring all will be well and exciting too. I am thrilled to be working with them both for the first time. An extra delight is that this Hollywood studio movie is being filmed in Europe and for most of the shooting this summer, I shall be able to live at home in London. I start rehearsing at Shepperton Studios on May 3rd.

Images of Sir Ian (top) and Gandalf (bottom) from Wikipedia:


Technorati tags: Silverfox Admirer, Silverfox, McKellen, Ian, Ian McKellen, Da Vinci, Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown, 2006, Gandalf, LOTR

[News] Pope Benedict XVI

Wikipedia: Pope Benedict XVI:

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, (in Latin Benedictus PP. XVI), (born April 16, 1927, and baptized Joseph Alois Ratzinger), was elected Pope of the Roman Catholic Church on April 19, 2005. As such, he is Bishop of Rome (or better Metropolitan Archbishop of the Province of Rome), Sovereign of the Vatican City State, Patriarch of the West, Primate of Italy, and Supreme Pontiff of the worldwide Catholic Church in union with Rome, including those Eastern Rite Churches in communion with the Holy See. He will be formally installed as pontiff during the Mass of Papal Installation on April 24, 2005.

At 78 years old, he is the oldest pope elected since Pope Clement XII in 1730, and is the first German pontiff since Adrian VI (1522–1523) who was born in what is now the Netherlands, but which was then seen as part of Germany. The last pope to come from within the modern boundaries of Germany was Victor II, who died in 1057. Benedict XVI is the eighth German pope; the first was Gregory V (996-999). The last Benedict, Benedict XV, served as pontiff from 1914 to 1922 and thus reigned during World War I... more ...

His controversial views on homosexuality (Wikipedia)

Gay rights advocates widely criticized his 1986 letter to the Bishops of the church, On the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons, in which he stated that homosexuality is a “strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil; and thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder.” In an earlier letter dated September 30, 1985, Ratzinger reprimanded Seattle Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen for his liberal views on women, gays, and doctrinal issues, stating, "The Archdiocese should withdraw all support from any group, which does not unequivocally accept the teaching of the Magisterium concerning the intrinsic evil of homosexual activity." Archbishop Hunthausen was temporarily relieved of his authority.

Images from Wikipedia:



Technorati tags: Silverfox Admirer, Silverfox, Humor, Benedict, Ratzinger, Pope, XVI, Benedict XVI gay Homosexuality

[Humor] Trivia - White Afro Search

I was kidding around with P asking him what he'd look like in a white afro and it dawned on me that I'd never seen a true blue white afro before. Google turned up the following pictures (all wigs obviously).

(partyrama.co.uk)

(flickr/tecgirl)

If anyone has a picture of a silverfox with a real white afro, send it over (inretrospect.blog@gmail.com) or send me a link and I'll link it up! Hell, if your silverfox is sporting enough to put on that white afro, send it over anyway!

Technorati tags: Silverfox Admirer, Silverfox, Humor, Afro, White, White Afro,

[Internet] Silverfox plumber

(Bloglines)

Technorati tags: Silverfox Admirer,
Silverfox

[News] Charles and Camilla's big day

BBC, Charles and Camilla's wedding day, Saturday, 9 April, 2005, 16:23 GMT:

The Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles have finally become husband and wife - more than 30 years after their romance first began.

More than 20,000 people cheered as they arrived at Windsor's Guildhall for their small private civil wedding... more ...

Guardian, Older folks wed with little ceremony and some pomp, Monday April 11, 2005:

"It was," Mrs Parker Bowles is reputed to have said, "just two old folks getting married." As such, the people in Windsor on Saturday were taking the wedding of the year in their stride...

...Peter Tatchell, the gay rights campaigner, whose demonstrations are becoming almost as traditional as the changing of the guard, found himself surrounded by policemen in fluorescent yellow jackets when he tried to produce a poster declaring "Charles can marry twice; gays can't marry once", and they ruthlessly tore down a banner unfurled by an elderly woman which proclaimed: "Illegal, Immoral, Shameful. Duty Before Pleasure. Not fit to be King"... more ...

The family photo from BBC:
(BBC)
The silverfoxes in the photo are Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Major Bruce Shand (Camilla's dad) (L-R)

Technorati tags: Silverfox Admirer, Silverfox,
royalty, British, Prince, Charles, Camilla, Philip, Bruce Shand

[Humor] Robo Urinal: Behold Your Porcelain Master

Gizmodo, Robo Urinal: Behold Your Porcelain Master, 6 Apr 05:

Shakeutron will never judge you. Shakeutron is here to help. Shakeutron would like to buy you a nice steak dinner. Shakeutron did not mean to offend you. Shakeutron would like you to come back. Shakeutron cries 1.5 gallons of tears... more ...

(Gizmodo)

I'd be a wee bit (silly pun unintended) careful about asking it to shake my tron! I'd rather have it hold my drink and files while I shake my own tron thank you very much!

Technorati tags: Silverfox Admirer, Silverfox, Humor, Urinal, robot, Shakeutron

[News] Potential popes analyzed online

MSNBC/Reuters, Potential popes analyzed online, 2:59 p.m. ET April 6, 2005:

ROME - The next pope may just be a mouse-click away.

Pope John Paul II, known as "The Great Communicator", broadcast his message to the world over loudspeakers, television screens, radio and newspapers.

Some of his possible successors have taken it one step further, using interactive Web sites to speak to their flock... more ...

MSNBC also has a summarized list of the potential candidates or papabile. Wikipedia has a write-up on the papal conclave with a much longer list of candidates. Cardinalrating.com is also a site with write-ups (and pictures) of the various cardinals' theological positions.

The following papabile list is based on MSNBC's article (pictures attributed to cardinalrating.com). Move your mouse over the picture for the papabile's name and click on the link to see his profile:


Technorati tags: Silverfox Admirer, Silverfox, Pope, Conclave,
Cardinalrating, Papabile, Antonelli, Arinze, Bergoglio, Carrera, Danneels,
Hoyos, Hummes,Kasper, Lehmann, Maradiaga, Napier, Alamino, Rodriguez, Re, Ruini, Schonborn, Scola, Sodano, Ratzinger, Tettamanzi, Vlk, Cardinal, Vatican

[News] New President of Iraq - Jalal Talabani

BBC, Kurd leader named Iraq president, Wednesday, 6 April, 2005, 08:47 GMT:

Iraq's parliament has chosen Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani as the country's new president after the first elections since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

His deputies will be former President Ghazi Yawer, a Sunni Arab, and Finance Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, who is Shia... more ...

(BBC / AFP)

More peace and stability to Iraq and the Middle East! But seriously, is it just me or does his name remind anyone of the Tellytubbies and the Taleban?

Technorati tags: Silverfox Admirer, Silverfox, Iraq, president, Talabani, Jalal, Tellytubbies, Taleban

[News] Obituary - Prince Rainier III, Saul Bellow

BBC, Monaco's Prince Rainier dies, 81, Wednesday, 6 April, 2005, 08:50 GMT:

Monaco's Prince Rainier, Europe's longest-reigning monarch, has died at the age of 81, after spending several weeks in hospital.

The prince, who had ruled the tiny Mediterranean principality since 1949, died at 0635 (0435 GMT), the royal palace said... more ...

(Wikipedia)

As mentioned in the previous write-up about the ailing Prince, he's passed on.

BBC, Obituary: Saul Bellow, Tuesday, 5 April, 2005, 23:05 GMT:

With an awareness of death and the miracle of life at the foundation of his work, Saul Bellow's novels brought him huge success, and both the Nobel and Pulitzer Prize. He is cited by many contemporary authors as a critical creative influence.

Bellow's message was one of hope and affirmation. He said, "In the greatest confusion, there is still an open channel to the soul." ... more ...

(BBC)

Yes, Saul Bellow, a Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winner, has also passed on.

Technorati tags: Silverfox Admirer, Silverfox, Obituary, Rainier, monaco, bellow, Pulitzer, Nobel

[Humor] On oral sex, teenagers, illustrations and Bill Maher

Xinhua, US teenagers prefer oral sex: survey, 2005-04-05 09:37:17:

BEIJING, April 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Near twenty percent of US teenagers have the experience of oral sex, which is considered safer by them, according to a report released on Monday.

Published in the April issue of Pediatrics, the study surveyed 580 Northern California ninth graders and found 19.6 percent having tried oral sex, while 13.5 percent said they had vaginal sex.

About 31 percent intended to have oral sex within the next six months, compared to 26.2 percent who intended to have vaginal sex... more ...

What's so funny you ask? Well, the choice of graphics that Xinhua used for one! Mmmmmm

(Xinhua)

But I guess it's a little better than what other online papers were using. And it would be a tad too much to use the following picture.

(sexeducation.org)

Oh, I also spotted this really funny Bill Maher segment (Quicktime video clip) from onegoodmove on this issue. Some choice Maher quotes:

... Taking the [virginity] pledge also makes a teenage girl 6 times more likely to perform oral sex, and 4 times more likely to allow anal (smacks lips) ... where were these pledges when I was in high school?

... These kids did with their pledge, what everybody does with contracts. They found loopholes ... 2 of them to be exact ...

... Is there any greater irony, than the fact that the Christian right actually got their precious little adolescent daughters to say to their freshly-scrubbed boyfriends, "Please, I want to remain pure for my wedding night, so only in the ass!"

Technorati tags: Silverfox Admirer, Silverfox, Humor, Humour, Funny, oral, sex, Oral Sex, Maher, Clinton, Teenagers

[News] Obituary - Pope John Paul II

BBC News, Pope John Paul II dies in Vatican, Sunday, 3 April, 2005, 01:39 GMT:

Pope John Paul II, the third longest-serving pontiff in history, has died at the age of 84.

The Pope died in his private apartment at the Vatican at 2137 local time (1937 GMT) on Saturday, surrounded by his closest Polish aides... more ...

(Wikipedia)

The Pope has finally succumbed to his illnesses as mentioned previously.

Technorati tags: Silverfox Admirer, Silverfox, Pope, John Paul, Obituary

[News] Obituary - Fred Korematsu

The Oakland Tribune, Internment defier, 86, dies, Article Last Updated: 04/01/2005 03:57:26 AM:

Fred Korematsu, the Oakland native whose refusal to go to an internment camp for Japanese Americans during World War II and resulting legal battle to clear his name made him a symbol of civil rights, died Wednesday. He was 86.

His attorney said the longtime San Leandro resident died at his daughter's Larkspur home. The cause was respiratory illness.

Korematsu's four-decade fight with the U.S. government ended in 1983, when the 9th Circuit federal court in San Francisco overturned his conviction for opposing internment orders. He was also instrumental in winning a national apology and reparations for internment camp survivors and their families in 1988... more ...

(PBS)

PBS produced a documentary about Fred in 2001 entitled "Of Civil Wrongs and Rights: The Fred Korematsu Story".
Technorati tags: Fred Korematsu, Korematsu, Obituary, Silverfox, Silverfox Admirer

[Humor] How horny can you get?

Are you as horny as the Watusi cow? It measures 38 inches round and 7 feet long (well, from tip to tip anyway). I hope that's good enough for size queens!



Technorati tags: Silverfox Admirer, Silverfox, Watusi Cow, Watusi, Humor

[News] Peace in South Asia

Xinhua Online, India committed to dialogues with Pakistan: Singh, 2005-03-31 08:40:

BEIJING, Mar. 31 -- Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says India is committed to a final solution to all outstanding issues with Pakistan.

Meeting Tuesday with a Pakistani government delegation led by former premier Shujaat Hussain, Singh said history obliges India and Pakistan to seize all opportunities to pursue peace... more ...

(Wikipedia) (Wikipedia)
Manmohan Singh (L) and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain (R)
Technorati tags: Silverfox Admirer, Silverfox, Manmohan Singh, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain