Big News Blog

The 81st Annual Academy Awards This Sunday

2009-02-17T09:51:00.000-08:00

If you are a movie fan, you won't want to miss the 81st Annual Academy Awards show--otherwise known as the Oscars.

The show airs this Sunday, Feb. 22 at 8pm EST (that's 5pm PST) on ABC.

To get all the official buzz, check out the Oscars website

Whether your favorite part is the red carpet before hand and getting a peak at all the fantastic looking folks in even better gowns (well, some are better looking!) or the announcing of the winners of Best Actor, Best Actress or Best Picture--or perhaps one of the other categories, whether for supporting actors or director, etc--or maybe you like hearing the thank you speeches and see the reactions of the winners.

Have you watched all the movies before hand--and have your own ballot in hand ready to compare notes with the Academy?

Or do you wait and see who wins and then choose the movies you will watch based on the results?

See some of the highlights of past Academy Awards shows--since it's inception in 1927 there have been many, many memorable moments.

Here is a list of all the nominees! (Note: clicking the links will take you away from this blog...just hit the back button to return!)

Richard Jenkins
THE VISITOR

Frank Langella
FROST/NIXON

Sean Penn
MILK

Brad Pitt
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

Mickey Rourke
THE WRESTLER

Josh Brolin
MILK

Robert Downey Jr.
TROPIC THUNDER

Philip Seymour Hoffman
DOUBT

Heath Ledger
THE DARK KNIGHT

Michael Shannon
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

Anne Hathaway
RACHEL GETTING MARRIED

Angelina Jolie
CHANGELING

Melissa Leo
FROZEN RIVER

Meryl Streep
DOUBT

Kate Winslet
THE READER

Amy Adams
DOUBT

Penélope Cruz
VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA

Viola Davis
DOUBT

Taraji P. Henson
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

Marisa Tomei
THE WRESTLER

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

THE DUCHESS

MILK

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

THE BETRAYAL (NERAKHOON)

ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD

THE GARDEN

MAN ON WIRE

TROUBLE THE WATER

THE CONSCIENCE OF NHEM EN

THE FINAL INCH

SMILE PINKI

THE WITNESS - FROM THE BALCONY OF ROOM 306

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

The Baader Meinhof Complex

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

THE DARK KNIGHT

HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

"Down to Earth"
WALL-E

"Jai Ho"
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

"O Saya"
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

La Maison en Petits Cubes

AUF DER STRECKE (ON THE LINE)

MANON ON THE ASPHALT

NEW BOY

THE PIG

SPIELZEUGLAND (TOYLAND)

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

THE DARK KNIGHT

IRON MAN

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

Daytona 500 Start Your Engines for the 51st Time!

2009-02-15T09:47:00.000-08:00

The scheduled start time for the 51st annual Daytona 500 is 3:30 pm Eastern today.

However the AP is reporting that rain may delay the roaring of the engines:

Rain threatens start of Daytona 500

21 minutes ago

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Rain is threatening to delay the start of the Daytona 500.
Intermittent showers were expected to move across Daytona International Speedway a few hours before the start of the NASCAR race, which could potentially delay the green flag. It takes about two hours to completely dry the 2 1/2-mile superspeedway after a rainstorm.
NASCAR officials, though, were hopeful the season-opening race would be completed Sunday — even if the entire event had to take place under the lights and in prime time.
Local forecasts called for a 70 percent chance of rain and scattered showers all afternoon and throughout the evening.

Let's hope the rain clears out, leaving the 200 lap race at Daytona International Speedway ready to run.

The race, at Daytona Beach, Florida is the largest financial purse and many Nascar fans consider it to be the biggest and best race event of the year.

For details on the complete starting line up check out the Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Tweetathon for Clean Drinking Water

2009-02-14T16:36:00.000-08:00

I recently met Joel Comm and he unveiled a big event happening next week--be sure to participate in one of the Social Media's biggest events this Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009!

Joel is holding a "Tweetathon" to raise money for a charity project Water Is Life who provides a nifty new personal water filter that allows a child to drink clean water for a year--for only $10!!!!

Click this link to read more about the Water Is Life project

And click here to specifically read about this personal water filter.

Social Media powerhouses will be joining Joel Comm in this 12 hour fund-raising event--learn more about the tweetathon and help them reach the goal of saving 20,000 children from diseases like typhoid, cholera, dysentery, and diarrhea

Phish Summer Tour Tickets on Sale Today

2009-01-30T11:11:00.000-08:00

Tickets for Phish go onsale today.

Live Nation has its own ticketing system, go to livenation.com or www.phish.com for ticket info.

Selected locations are also available through ticketmaster.com or metrotix.com.

Here is the full Phish tour schedule:

6.04.09 Nikon at Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, NY
6.05.09 Nikon at Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, NY
6.06.09 Comcast Center, Mansfield, MA
6.07.09 Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ
6.09.09 Asheville Civic Center, Asheville, NC
6.10.09 Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, TN
6.16.09 Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO
6.18.09 Post Gazette Pavilion, Burgettstown, PA
6.19.09 Verizon Wireless Music Center, Noblesville, IN
6.20.09 Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI
6.21.09 Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI

Check out this article for more info on the tour

Want to learn more about Live Nation and their foray into ticketing?

Hubbard's experience supervising that business as well as Musictoday's direct-to-fan e-commerce operations have come in handy as he oversees the launch of Live Nation's ticketing division following the promotion giant's much-publicized split last year from Ticketmaster. Not only will Live Nation Ticketing service the company's own clubs and amphitheaters, it will also provide ticketing services for third-party venues and has entered a ticketing partnership with leading venue management firm SMG.

Given the narrow margins of concert promotion, Live Nation seeks to develop new revenue streams through its ticketing business. As the company's ticketing platform evolves, Hubbard and Live Nation Ticketing are charting a course that will have a big impact on the company's future and could alter the way fans buy tickets.

For full details on this great interview with Nathan Hubbard, CEO of Ticketing for Live Nation to to Billboard

Super Bowl 2009

2009-01-29T10:18:00.000-08:00

NBC covers the Super Bowl for the first time in over a decade.

Commercials are always a hot commodity for the Super Bowl--with even some viewers more intent on the commercials than the game!

Game features Pittsburgh Steelers vs the Arizona Cardinals: Will it be a blow-out? Or will it be a Cinderella story?

The Cinderella story continues for the Arizona Cardinals as they’ve made the Superbowl for the first time in franchise history after being underdogs in their last three games, for the Pittsburgh Steelers it’s just another day at the office as they go for their second Superbowl in four years. The Pittsburgh Steelers do battle against the Arizona Cardinals, Feb 1, 2009, at Tampa Bay’s Raymond James Stadium to be named 2009 Superbowl Champions. NFL oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com have the Pittsburgh Steelers as -240 moneyline favorites to win the 2009 Superbowl over the Arizona Cardinals who are listed as +200 underdogs. Get your 2009 Superbowl Money Line: Pittsburgh Steelers vs Arizona Cardinals in now at Sportsbook.com

Read Scott Burgess' complete story

So when is kick off? Tentatively set for 6:20pm Eastern, but that is not firm as pre-game festivities tend to push the time back.

So chill and enjoy the party!

Seussical: Musical Suess

2009-01-29T09:40:00.000-08:00

More than 20 beloved stories of Dr. Seuss are compiled into a musical production title, aptly, Seussical! Written by ex-Monty Python Eric Idle, the show remains true to the good doctor's stories and is a truly family-friendly show.

Go see and hear your favorite characters brought to life, including Horton and the folks from Whoville, The Grinch and of course, the Cat in the Hat--who leads you along the twisty, turny path of fun!

The catchy music is composed by Tony Award®-winning Stephen Flaherty. Announced today was Flaherty's latest composition, Ragtime will be performed at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts beginning this March!

Seussical is more than just kid stuff! The beauty of the Dr. Seuss stories is that there is deeper meaning behind ever one...it gives the brain something to chew on long after the story telling is done.

This fun show is being performed around the world. In the UK, and the USA --Idaho to Texas, St. Louis to Amherst, the colorful characters are filling the stage!

Richard Paul Evans New Book Release

2009-01-27T10:24:00.000-08:00

Richard Paul Evans is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author. His book on The 5 Lessons a Millionaire Taught Me has inspired countless people to take charge of their finances.

Now for 2009, Richard Paul Evans has released a version specifically written for women! The 5 Lessons a Millionaire Taught Me For Women, About Life and Wealth.

True to one of the tenants, giving back, the author is donating all his royalties from this book to charity.

In addition it is possible to win a signed copy of his book. To win, you must join his mailing list, go to http://richardpaulevans.com/ and click the "Join Richard's Mailing List" box on the left side of the page.

Other books by Richard Paul Evans: The Christmas Box, The Christmas Box Miracle, The First Gift of Christmas (a free downloadable copy available on his website), Grace, The Gift, Finding Noel, The Five Lessons a Millionaire Taught Me, A Perfect Day, The Last Promise, The Carousel, The Locket, The Letter, the Looking Glass, Timepiece and books for children: The Light of Christmas, The Tower, The Spyglass

All Richard's books are available from Amazon. Use the search box on this page to order your copy today!

American Library Association

2009-01-26T10:15:00.000-08:00

The American Library Association held its midwinter meeting in Denver and this morning announced winners of the coveted Caldecott, Newbery, Schneider Family, Coretta Scott King, Theodor Seuss Geisel and Printz awards to name just a few.

Two new awards were introduced this year, the William C. Morris Award and the Pura Belpre Award.

The ALA cited their list of the top books (print and audio) as well as videos for young people.

Two of the most well-known awards are the Caldecott, which honors the most distinguished American picture book for children and the Newbery for most distinguished contribution to children's literature.

The 2009 Caldecott Medal Winner is illustrator Beth Krommes for "The House in the Night" written by Susan Marie Swanson.

The 2009 Newbery Medal winner is author Neil Gaiman for "The Graveyard Book".

To learn more about the American Library Association, go to their website www.ala.org.

For specific award announcements go to ALA Youth Media Awards

And you will be able to get the actual webcast on demand!

MSNBC also has a great synopsis of the different awards--what they represent and who the winners were this year.

Inauguration Day: Obama Dancing

2009-01-21T06:08:00.000-08:00

In addition to the serious events of the day there was the dancing! And did they dance.

As the country danced in their hearts (if not at the many balls around the Capitol), President and First Lady Obama looked regal as they danced to cap off their first day as the First Couple.

To read more details about the balls, see this news article by Richard Huff, Daily News TV Editor

Learn more about Michelle Obama's ball gown, designed by Jason Wu, in this article by Cathy Horn for the NY Times

And to see lots of great photos and a timeline of the evening's events, check out this Google post

Inauguration Day: Historic Events

2009-01-21T05:46:00.000-08:00

Like so many Americans, I was glued to my television as I watched history in the making. It isn't often that we KNOW history is being made when it happens. This reminds me of watching the landing on the moon when I was a child. Will the children of today remember this day in say 20, 30 or 40 years? While it seems like a watershed moment to my generation, perhaps it will be "what was the big deal?" to them...and maybe that would be a good thing!

The inauguration speech was solemn, thoughtful and powerful. You can read the full text here

There was streaming video, citizens watching the events on their iphones and so many cell phones in use taking pictures that the systems became overloaded. The official inaugural website gives more details about the luncheon (from Lincoln's era) and all the events that surrounded the changing of power.

Obama Inauguration Today

2009-01-20T06:14:00.000-08:00

The inauguration of our 44th president takes place at the Lincoln Memorial. Anyone serious about being there for the event is already there even though the ceremony begins at noon.

Many schools are suspending normal activities--including exams--to allow students to witness the historic event on television.

Some critics believe the kids should be studying...I believe they will be studying and living history. This will have a greater impact on their lives, no matter their political persuasion, than going over the math tables another time.

The biggest controversy so far about the inauguration is the cost.

In keeping with Obama's embrace of technology, there will be streaming video of the inauguration.

Obama Inauguration shines on Linux too with Moonlight

By Ryan Paul | Published: January 20, 2009 - 08:09AM CT

We learned on Monday that incoming president Barack Obama's Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) selected Microsoft's Silverlight framework for the official Internet video stream of the inauguration ceremony. This choice has generated some controversy among Linux enthusiasts, because it requires Silverlight 2.0, which is not yet supported on the open source operating system.

Lost In Space Robot Bob May

2009-01-19T09:13:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite television shows as a kid was Lost in Space.

I readily identified with the characters portrayed by Billy Mumy and Angela Cartwright since they were kids. And who didn't idolize that perfect mom, June Lockhart. And we got a pleasure out of hating Jonathan Harris' character... and enjoying when he surprised us with a bit of humanity and kindness!

One of my favorite characters was the robot--the deeply humanized robot who was always there to protect and serve. I still flail my arms about and shout "Danger, Will Robinson". Anyone from my generation in this country knows what I'm doing.

The man behind the robot was actor Bob May who died Sunday of congestive heart failure at age 69.

To read more about Bob May and how he got the role as the robot, check out some of these articles:

Bob May, "Lost in Space" Actor, Dies at 69

Associated Content, USA- Jan 19, 2009

June Lockhart, the actress who played Maureen Robinson, the female matriarch on "Lost In Space," told the Associated Press that May always said he got the ...

The Original Iron Man Gone

Radar Online, USA- Jan 19, 2009

"It was one of those wonderful Hollywood stories," said June Lockhart, who starred as "mom" Maureen Robinson. "He just happened to be on the studio lot when ...

'Lost in Space' actor Bob May dies at 69

USA Today- Jan 18, 2009

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Actor Bob May, best known for playing the robot on TV's Lost in Space, has died. He was 69. May's daughter Deborah May says her father ...

Inaugural Celebration

2009-01-18T14:08:00.000-08:00

There is celebrating all over the country as the inauguration of Barack Obama approaches.

I find it especially fitting that the inauguration occurs just two days after Martin Luther King Jr Day.

Today there was a celebration at the Lincoln Memorial including the "We Are One" concert which featured performers Sheryl Crow, Beyonce, John Legend, James Taylor, U2, Stevie Wonder belted out "Higher Ground" with Shakira and Usher.

To read more about the concert and inaugural celebration read this CNN post.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

2009-01-17T17:56:00.001-08:00

One of the absolute greatest movies of all time.

We get to admire beautiful scenery and a couple of great looking guys on horseback. Lots of shoot em up and suspense. There's also a wonderful love story--not so much to turn the guys off.

This classic film debuted in 1969. Stars are Robert Redford, Paul Newman and Katharine Ross.

Catch the movie on television this week or rent it if it isn't viewing in your area.

Once you have refreshed your memory and love of the characters, check out the new book coming this spring--Etta by Gerald Kolpan and get the real story!