Lynyrd Who?

Would ya lookit all those fuckin' longhairs?!<br /><br />Black Oak Arkansas, Live<br /><br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/TBnUC8p2wgw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Lynyrd Who?

Would ya lookit all those fuckin' longhairs?! Black Oak Arkansas, Live

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Yeehaw Y'all!

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/g-bB5l5j2sk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />You say yer how old?

Yeehaw Y'all!

You say yer how old?

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I Hear The Fishing Is Good Too.....

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuaQPvos4zxdRX4lbYMdf6RSVUn9S6jJtDj_5q9L06FBQ1zUUonCJTK4pWbOaEWzmdgCNCCsmtoFU6XMgE3C-CFOBZGPjVcLhbyR2-XAdeXZhz5kQTCAUxOBTHb_Q3UpQlmxQafiLODP6v/s1600/002.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuaQPvos4zxdRX4lbYMdf6RSVUn9S6jJtDj_5q9L06FBQ1zUUonCJTK4pWbOaEWzmdgCNCCsmtoFU6XMgE3C-CFOBZGPjVcLhbyR2-XAdeXZhz5kQTCAUxOBTHb_Q3UpQlmxQafiLODP6v/s640/002.jpeg" /></a>

I Hear The Fishing Is Good Too.....

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The Grand Parasitic Economic Theory of Everything

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOlRpm3844dmjVOYWf0San0u1fObgRs1QTITIXZ7084lJcr77tJMDWmZ8RLA_j-LoE9B7DZeBs2ctqouLS6ig2IrU2w9RX4WSSjOG8Lvu65l8YIvOyudDXnx_9UHlpawyy94ikCu7vPns/s1600/The+Grand+Paarasitic+Economic+Theory+of+Everything.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOlRpm3844dmjVOYWf0San0u1fObgRs1QTITIXZ7084lJcr77tJMDWmZ8RLA_j-LoE9B7DZeBs2ctqouLS6ig2IrU2w9RX4WSSjOG8Lvu65l8YIvOyudDXnx_9UHlpawyy94ikCu7vPns/s320/The+Grand+Paarasitic+Economic+Theory+of+Everything.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br />Average annual production and non-supervisory employee earnings adjusted for inflation are shown in blue.<br /><br />Annual personal income per capita adjusted for inflation is shown in red. I am excluding the wages seen in blue.<br /><br />Neither the host (in blue) nor the parasite (in red) look all that healthy. No matter how hard we try, we can't seem to cross the streams!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV40fqJPtbzkG36tgAyXKgbpTuDzFl13OAHLUgYjUzwSwJccaE8zxEujSip8AO_fc6N3ZXvXVKeGqDblvcZQQnfVcxHZbHBi9KA6aAGfM25AXYoDxOz9RrXsxBbCTYgQDM8WzW2BZWhdE/s1600/The+Difference+Between+the+Two+Streams.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV40fqJPtbzkG36tgAyXKgbpTuDzFl13OAHLUgYjUzwSwJccaE8zxEujSip8AO_fc6N3ZXvXVKeGqDblvcZQQnfVcxHZbHBi9KA6aAGfM25AXYoDxOz9RrXsxBbCTYgQDM8WzW2BZWhdE/s320/The+Difference+Between+the+Two+Streams.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/jyaLZHiJJnE" width="420"></iframe><br /><div style="color: #666666;"><br /></div><div style="color: #666666;"><i>Dr. Egon Spengler: Don't cross the streams.<br />Dr. Peter Venkman: Why?<br />Dr. Egon Spengler: It would be bad.</i></div><br />The future's so bright I gotta wear <a href="http://www.mattycollector.com/store/matty/en_US/pd/ThemeID.1298800/productID.285700600#.UiqyCFKxOQA">$110.00 Ecto Goggles</a>! They are currently sold out though! Say it isn't so!<br /><br /><b>Source Data:</b><br /><a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/?g=m9V">St. Louis Fed: Custom Chart</a>

The Grand Parasitic Economic Theory of Everything

Click to enlarge. Average annual production and non-supervisory employee earnings adjusted for inflation are shown in blue. Annual personal ...

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Matt Said, Jay Said 8002822882

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgFz_qCvqMsI9rCW8USNpMPFZ8icT9Wjq881D0EBVyNlN0t_5577onsvtXRMhfkWhqZyYgR_vBvcn9_eoQSfp3ka_1-q7L4CfZYkfvnuKij8vraJDLr-8ZgWwTUZ3Pku-hvxtUONqu0Ge/s1600/Jenny+Asber+Hot+Sexy+Naked+Syrain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgFz_qCvqMsI9rCW8USNpMPFZ8icT9Wjq881D0EBVyNlN0t_5577onsvtXRMhfkWhqZyYgR_vBvcn9_eoQSfp3ka_1-q7L4CfZYkfvnuKij8vraJDLr-8ZgWwTUZ3Pku-hvxtUONqu0Ge/s400/Jenny+Asber+Hot+Sexy+Naked+Syrain.jpg" width="286" /></a>Matt places the football.  Jay kicks the football.  You watch the football split the uprights.<br /><br />Matt:  Helloooooooo?<br />Jay:  ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!?<br />Matt:  Yes, and I won’t have to turn down the sound on the TV this season, because you just shattered my ear drums.<br />Jay:  Man, bummer.<br />Matt:  Okay…okay…the hearing is coming back now.<br />Jay:  Good thing.  Kinda hard to do a radio show if you can’t hear.  Just ask Rush Limbaugh.<br />Matt:  I know…and unlike gas bag Limbaugh, my temporary hearing loss wasn’t even oxycontin related.<br /><br />Jay:  Speaking of gas…<a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid/2013/09/08/ground-game-and-aerial-attacks" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">This Sunday</span></a>, we should talk about what’s going on and may go on in Syria.<br />Matt:  Oh I guess so…I mean, since nobody else on Talk Radio, Cable TV, or blogs is covering it.<br />Jay:  Ha!!  Oh My God!!  Who knew that FOX News and MSNBC had so many damn experts on Syria?<br />Matt:  It’s as if Sean Hannity and Rachel Maddow grew up together in Damascus, Jayman.<br />Jay:  Okay, so we can talk about our predictions about where this Syria thing is going to go.<br /><br />Matt:  Sounds good, and oh, by the way…What was for sup tonight?<br />Jay:  I went crazy and had McDonald’s tonight.<br />Matt:  Sweet.  Did you get the #6 meal?  The one with the Double Cheeseburger as usual?<br />Jay:  Nope.  I was feeling MANLY this evening so I upped my game, and got the Quarter Pounder meal.<br />Matt:  Holy Cow.  No wonder you are so worked up.<br />Jay:  I AM FEELING GREAT!!<br />Matt:  Ouch!! My ears again…Damn!!  Did they put Yelling Salts in your meal?<br /><br />Jay:  Sorry, but c’mon…This is the perfect time of year to be MANLY.<br />Matt:  Damn right.  The NFL Season kicks off in earnest this Sunday.<br />Jay:  YEAH BA----Sorry.  Yeah Baby!!<br />Matt:  We have to talk some football.<br />Jay:  Damn straight. I mean, who doesn’t like football?<br />Matt:  Communists and Euro Trash bitches!!<br />Jay:  And fuckin’ Mao-Tse-Tounge-Lickers.<br /><br />Matt:  We can make some predictions for the 2013-14 season, and who will wind up in the Super Bowl.<br />Jay:  We can talk about some of our favorite and least favorite announcers.<br />Matt:  Overrated and Underrated players.<br />Jay:  Things that women should make their men to eat while watching the game.<br />Matt:  Sweet!!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCAUoBKH5V83_O6oqJpdMhG4ssmnDAglnUWlReBjCPAeNfJ8K6iXHD-6An4dyrDIydmEROLmqGt2AoimL1HGmJO15aG39uI40bdsRWduJJla3cz-5AYIspdzqvBG8OpCA8-zArgpAzb6F9/s1600/titans+cheerleader+sexy+naked+boobs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCAUoBKH5V83_O6oqJpdMhG4ssmnDAglnUWlReBjCPAeNfJ8K6iXHD-6An4dyrDIydmEROLmqGt2AoimL1HGmJO15aG39uI40bdsRWduJJla3cz-5AYIspdzqvBG8OpCA8-zArgpAzb6F9/s400/titans+cheerleader+sexy+naked+boobs.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Jay:  Also, I know that Drew Peacock and Bobby Kraft have something to say, and perhaps Martin will have some meditations as well.<br /><br />Matt:  Sounds awesome…Slyder Balzcock is going to add his insight, along with musings from Stubby Stonehenge and Paul Piatt, as well.<br /><br />Jay:  This is gonna be a HUGE SHOW…Sorry.<br />Matt:  Ouch!! Damn that Quarter Pounder meal…but yes it is.<br />Jay:  The show is missing only one thing.<br />Matt:  What’s that?<br /><br />Jay:  A football field sized chat room full of live listeners…<br />Matt:  And a Syrian refugee camp sized switchboard full of live callers.<br />Jay and Matt:  Let’s Doooo Iiiiiiiiit!!<br /><br />Matt:  So, folks need to listen to <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid/2013/09/08/ground-game-and-aerial-attacks" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">IWS Radio LIVE tomorrow from Noon-2 PM ET</span></a> on Blog Talk Radio.<br />Jay:  If they do, their children will be spared a gas attack.<br />Matt:  If they don’t, everyone on their Fantasy Football team will break his leg.<br />Jay:  Bombs Away and Hike!!<br /><br />To catch us LIVE this Sunday for our IWS Radio <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid/2013/09/08/ground-game-and-aerial-attacks" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Ground Game and Aerial Attacks</span></a> show from Noon-2 PM ET, click <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid/2013/09/08/ground-game-and-aerial-attacks" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">HERE!!</span></a> </div><br /></div>

Matt Said, Jay Said 8002822882

Matt places the football.  Jay kicks the football.  You watch the football split the uprights. Matt:  Helloooooooo? Jay:  ARE YOU READY FOR ...

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NFL schedule: Week 1

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="byline" style="color: #292727; float: left; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm -37.5pt 3.75pt 0cm;"><br /></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm -37.5pt 3.75pt 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Brant Parsons | <a href="http://orlandosentinel.com/sports/blogs/brant"><b><span style="color: black;">Brant's Blog</span></b></a>Orlando Sentinel<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 宋体; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1.5pt -37.5pt 7.5pt 0cm;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #d55317; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">8:20 p.m. EDT, September 5, 2013<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 宋体; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 宋体; font-size: 18pt;">THURSDAY<br />Baltimore at Denver, 8:30<br />SUNDAY<br />Tampa Bay at N.Y. Jets, 1<br />Kansas City at Jacksonville, 1<br />Miami at Cleveland, 1<br />Atlanta at New Orleans, 1<br />Cincinnati at Chicago, 1<br />New England at Buffalo, 1<br />Tennessee at Pittsburgh, 1<br />Seattle at Carolina, 1<br />Minnesota at Detroit, 1<br /><a href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/us/illinois/cook-county/chicago/oakland-%28chicago-illinois%29-PLGEO100100501256700.topic" title="Oakland (Chicago, Illinois)"><b><span style="color: black;">Oakland</span></b></a>at Indianapolis, 1<br />Green Bay at San Francisco, 4:25<br />Arizona at St. Louis, 4:25<br />N.Y. Giants at Dallas, 8:30<br />MONDAY<br />Philadelphia at Washington, 7:10<br />Houston at San Diego, 10:20<o:p></o:p></span></div><span class="byline bordered" style="display: block;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></div><div id="story-body-text" style="background-color: white; color: #292727; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;"><br /></div></div></div>

NFL schedule: Week 1 NFL schedule: Week 1

Brant Parsons |  Brant's Blog Orlando Sentinel 8:20 p.m. EDT, September 5, 2013 THURSDAY Baltimore at Denver, 8:30 SUNDAY Tampa Bay at ...

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NFL 2013 Season Kickoff: The State Of The League

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">From: <a href="http://www.forbes.com/">http://www.forbes.com</a><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/f3coKH-EfHk?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe> <div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Kickoff</strong></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">The NFL’s 2013 season kicks off tonight when the reigning Super Bowl champion, Baltimore Ravens, take on the <a class="exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/profile/peyton-manning/" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Peyton Manning</a>-led Denver Broncos. Customarily, the Super Bowl champ gets its first game at home, but this one is in Denver thanks to obstinate Baltimore Orioles owner, Peter Angelos, <a href="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/18/report-ravens-open-at-denver/" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">who refused to move</a> one of his team’s regular season games to accommodate the Ravens. At least there is someone out there who stands up to the NFL.</div><br /><aside class="vestpocket" data-position="4" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-top-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 5px; float: left; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; margin: 8px 30px 1px 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 20px; position: relative; width: 175px; word-wrap: break-word; z-index: 1;"><div class="box gallery" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 5px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 20px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 175px;"><a class="thumb" href="http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mlm45ekfed/1-dallas-cowboys-4/" style="border: 0px; color: black; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 0px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px 0px 5px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="num_images" style="background-color: #069eec; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; bottom: 0px; color: white; display: block; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; left: 0px; line-height: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 2px 6px; position: absolute; vertical-align: baseline;">32 images<span class="icon" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span><img alt="" src="http://specials-images.forbes.com/imageserve/09T53x88cg0oQ/176x176.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(184, 184, 184) 1px 1px 6px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgb(184, 184, 184) 1px 1px 6px; margin: 0px; max-width: 175px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></a><a href="http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mlm45ekfed/1-dallas-cowboys-4/" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="label" style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Photos: </span>NFL Team Values 2013</a></div><div class="box article" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 5px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 20px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 175px;"><a class="thumb exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/monteburke/2013/08/14/think-the-nfl-is-in-decline-because-of-head-trauma-issues-think-again/" style="border: 0px; color: black; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 0px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px 0px 5px; max-height: 175px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="icon" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><img alt="" src="http://b-i.forbesimg.com/thumbnails/blog_991/pt_991_5136_o.jpg?t=1376503500" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(184, 184, 184) 1px 1px 6px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgb(184, 184, 184) 1px 1px 6px; margin: 0px; max-width: 175px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></a><a class="vp_text exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/monteburke/2013/08/14/think-the-nfl-is-in-decline-because-of-head-trauma-issues-think-again/" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Think The NFL Is In Decline Because Of Head Trauma Issues? Think Again.</a><cite class="box_byline clearfix" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10px; font-style: normal; line-height: 14px; margin: 10px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/monteburke/" style="border: 0px; color: black; display: block; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Monte Burke" class="avatar" src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/d1f1fc52384979e9725bda4bceb49bf5?s=40&r=pg&d=http%3A%2F%2Fb-i.forbesimg.com%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Favatars%2Fgeneric_profile_image_40.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; float: left; height: 20px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: 3px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 20px;" /><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Monte Burke</strong><span class="desc" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; display: block; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Forbes Staff</span></a></cite></div></aside><br /><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">It is fitting that the NFL’s first game is out west. The white heat of the game has moved that way, a sort of football Manifest Destiny fueled by stout defenses and read-option offenses. In the NFC, most folks have been talking about the Seattle Seahawks and last year’s Super Bowl runner-up, the San Francisco 49ers. The dynamic running quarterbacks for each team (Russell Wilson in Seattle and Colin Kaepernick in San Fran) get a lot of the headlines, but these two franchises are more grounded in the old-school fundamentals. The Seahawks have a fast-twitch defense and the high-motor running back, Marshawn Lynch. The 49ers’ defense is a sledgehammer and they, too, have a good old plowhorse at running back in Frank Gore.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">In the AFC, the Broncos seem to be the popular pick. Their defense—despite the loss of Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller (six games for the latter), is stout and they have the elder Manning at the offensive controls.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">Eight of the eleven writers asked for <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000236443/article/2013-nfl-predictions-seahawks-49ers-rule-in-super-bowl-picks" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Super Bowl predictions on NFL.com</a> chose one of these three teams to win it all.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Dollars</strong></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">The NFL is a behemoth that soaks up all noise not its own. League revenues are currently at $9.2 billion, up from $6.5 billion when commissioner, Roger Goodell, took over in 2006. Goodell’s stated plan: <a class="exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/monteburke/2013/08/17/how-the-national-football-league-can-reach-25-billion-in-annual-revenues/" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Get those revenues up to $25 billion by 2027</a>. There is every reason to believe the NFL will get there.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">Of course, the league will now be spending some cash that Goodell had probably initially not put in the budget. The NFL recently settled a class-action lawsuit filed by some 4,500 players for $765 million. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-grundvig/nfl-concussion-settlement_b_3843088.html" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The plan is to pay it as an annuity over the next 17 years</a>, making it a pretty good deal for the league, all things considered. This settlement won’t make the problem totally go away, though. The NCAA will have to deal with <a href="http://timesfreepress.com/news/2013/sep/04/ex-vols-sue-ncaa-over-head-injuries/" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">something similar soon</a>, and retired NFL players who are suffering the effects of head trauma won’t be disappearing from view overnight.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">Corporations don’t seem to pay much mind to the issue though, which will keep the NFL coffers brimful for years to come (<a class="exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/monteburke/2013/08/14/think-the-nfl-is-in-decline-because-of-head-trauma-issues-think-again/" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">see this article</a>). Some 40% of all corporate sponsorship money spent on the four major sports leagues in the U.S. goes to the NFL. That’s helped team values rise to an <a class="exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/nfl-valuations/" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">average of $1.2 billion this year, up 5% from last year</a> and 30% from seven years ago. Owning an NFL team remains a great investment. Which brings us to:</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Owners</strong></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">–Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, signed an estimated $500 million, 25-year naming rights deal with AT&T for the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium in late July. Rumor had it that AT&T’s CEO, Randall L. Stephenson, was bent out of shape for not getting the chance to bid on the NFL’s mobile app, which Verizon Wireless won with a four-year, $1 billion deal. But Stephenson, through the Cowboys, still got a piece of the NFL and paid a handsome sum for it. The deal was a great example of the way the NFL garners big revenues from slicing and dicing up its rights, and getting competitors in any given field to pony up big money to get in the game.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">–New England Patriots owner, Robert Kraft, <a href="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/23459432/robert-kraft-very-much-wanted-tim-tebow-to-make-patriots" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">told Charlie Rose</a> that he “very much” wanted quarterback, Tim Tebow, to make his team after coach Bill Belichick couldn’t find a place for quarterback. One wonders if Kraft wanted to keep Tebow as much for his locker room karmic presence as his football skill, especially after the Aaron Hernandez murder charge. As polarizing as Tebow is, he seems to be universally thought of as a good person.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">–Owner Woody Johnson is at the helm of the nut house known as the New York Jets. Coach Rex Ryan seems to be hanging on by a thread. The team has a no-name defense. It will start rookie Geno Smith on week one, even after he had a terrible preseason, because the presumed starter, Mark Sanchez, was injured late in a meaningless preseason game. Johnson <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/26410/woody-on-super-bowl-rexs-job-security" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">summed up</a> the Sanchez injury thusly: “I wished he hadn’t gotten hurt, but you’ve got to protect yourself too.” Words to live by.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">–Washington Redskins owner, Dan Snyder, was suspiciously quiet during the off-season.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">–Pittsburgh Steelers owner, Dan Rooney, is back from a <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/dan-rooney-settles-into-new-role-with-steelers-681972/" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">three-year sojourn</a>as ambassador to Ireland. His Steelers—my team—are not predicted to fare well this year. In recent years, whenever the team was predicted to do poorly, they’ve done the opposite. Here’s hoping the trend continues.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">–Stephen Ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins, <a href="http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9633142/miami-dolphins-owner-stephen-ross-give-200m-univeristy-michigan" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">announced a donation of $200 million</a> to the University of Michigan’s business school and athletic programs, following in the footsteps of fellow billionaire, T. Boone Pickens, who pledged $165 million to Oklahoma State University’s athletic program.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">–New Cleveland Browns owner, Jimmy Haslam, remains <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/08/browns_owner_haslam_faces_anot.html" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">in hot water</a>, with more than two dozen suits filed against his Pilot Flying J company for fraud. The FBI and IRS raided his company’s offices on tax day this year. This seems like it will someday soon come to a head. Goodell and Haslam’s fellow owners may end up having some tough decisions to make.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">–Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons, <a href="http://www.ajc.com/s/new-falcons-stadium/" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">got the go-ahead</a> for a retractable roof stadium that will be ready for the 2017 season. He can thank Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Roddy White for that.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">–And finally, Ravens owner, Stephen Bisciotti, remains the most reclusive NFL owner around, even after winning a Super Bowl. Once a year for the past five years, I’ve asked for an interview with him. And every time, I’ve “gotten the Heisman,” as we used to say in college. I will try again next year.</div></div>

NFL 2013 Season Kickoff: The State Of The League NFL 2013 Season Kickoff: The State Of The League

From:  http://www.forbes.com The Kickoff The NFL’s 2013 season kicks off tonight when the reigning Super Bowl champion, Baltimore Ravens, t...

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Jacoby Jones gets pummeled by teammate while fielding a punt

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="byline" itemprop="author" style="background-color: white; color: #292727; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px;">By Chuck Schilken</span><br /><div class="date" style="background-color: white; color: #930000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; margin-top: 3px; padding: 0px;"><span class="dateString" style="display: inline;">September 6, 2013</span><span class="dateTimeSeparator" style="border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; color: white; display: inline; font-size: 10px; letter-spacing: -1px; margin-left: 6px;">, </span><span class="timeString" style="display: inline; text-transform: lowercase;">9:14 a.m.</span></div><div class="date" style="background-color: white; color: #930000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; margin-top: 3px; padding: 0px;"><span class="timeString" style="display: inline; text-transform: lowercase;"><br /></span></div></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CdGGfa3K8Zc?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe> <br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;"><a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/football/jacoby-jones-PESPT0012629.topic" id="PESPT0012629" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Jacoby Jones">Jacoby Jones</a> was the hero of the <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/football/baltimore-ravens-ORSPT000161.topic" id="ORSPT000161" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Baltimore Ravens">Baltimore Ravens</a>' upset of the <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/football/denver-broncos-ORSPT000040.topic" id="ORSPT000040" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Denver Broncos">Denver Broncos</a> in the divisional round of the playoffs last year, hauling in a 70-yard touchdown pass from quarterback <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/football/joe-flacco-PESPT0000012410.topic" id="PESPT0000012410" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Joe Flacco">Joe Flacco</a>with less than a minute remaining to force overtime.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">In the season-opening rematch between the two teams Thursday night, Jones barely got the chance to repeat his heroics.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">After pulling in three passes for 24 yards in the first quarter, Jones was back to field a punt early in the second quarter when his night ended prematurely.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">Just after signaling for a fair catch, Jones was plowed over by rookie teammate <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/football/brynden-trawick-PESPT0016842.topic" id="PESPT0016842" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Brynden Trawick">Brynden Trawick</a>.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">Jones left the game with a sprained right knee, and Trawick got a talking-to from Coach <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/football/john-harbaugh-PESPT00008918.topic" id="PESPT00008918" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="John Harbaugh">John Harbaugh</a>.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">“Tried to teach him that he's got to be willing to turn his head," Harbaugh said. "That's an experience problem. He's an inexperienced guy.”</div></div>

Jacoby Jones Jacoby Jones gets pummeled by teammate while fielding a punt

By Chuck Schilken September 6, 2013 ,  9:14 a.m. Jacoby Jones  was the hero of the  Baltimore Ravens ' upset of the  Denver Broncos  i...

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'ROAR With Katy Perry' Contest: 'Good Morning America' Official Rules

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><iframe height="360" id="kaltura_player_1378523777" src="http://cdnapi.kaltura.com/index.php/extwidget/embedIframe/entry_id/0_08l8ttsq/widget_id/_483511/uiconf_id/5590821?referer=http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/give-america-best-roar-ultimate-katy-perry-contest-20176350&flashvars[autoPlay]=false&addThis.playerSize=392x221&freeWheel.siteSectionId=nws_offsite&closedCaptionActive=false&addThis.playerSize=640x360&closedCaptionsOverPlayer.fontsize=18" style="border: 0px solid #ffffff;" width="640">Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames.</iframe> <br />From: <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/">http://abcnews.go.com</a><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;">Give America Your Best 'Roar': Ultimate Katy Perry Contest</span><br /><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">You've heard Katy Perry "Roar." Now Katy Perry and "Good Morning America" want to hear your school roar. </em></div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Send us a two minute video of you and others at your school performing your own rendition of "Roar" for a chance to win "Good Morning America"'s "Roar With Katy Perry" contest. The qualified school of one lucky student representative entrant will win a live concert by the chart-topping artist to be held at the school on or about October 25, 2013. The concert will also be broadcast on "Good Morning America." </em></div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Wouldn't you like to have Katy Perry roar into your school? Then enter between September 11th and October 1st for a chance for your school to win!</em></div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;"></div><div class="e_video e_left" id="e_video_container_20176239" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; float: left; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px 25px 0px 0px; min-height: 200px; padding: 0px 15px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;"><div class="e_video_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="e_video_thumb" style="height: 169px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8896966065785019252" id="e_video_20176239" name="lpos=widget[embed]&lid=view[Video]" style="color: #2e538f; display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><img alt="VIDEO:Perry proves she's more than just a teenage dream with chart-topping hits." border="0" height="169" src="http://a.abcnews.com/images/GMA/abc_gma_katy_130906_wb.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="300" /><span class="play_icon" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://a.abcnews.com/assets/images/v3/media_icons.png); background-position: -3px -5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; bottom: 60px; height: 45px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; width: 45px; z-index: 1000;"></span></a></div><div class="e_video_caption" style="background-color: #ededee; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 8px 11px; position: relative; width: 278px;">Katy Perry Roars Her Way to Top</div></div></div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;"></div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">GOOD MORNING AMERICA'S "ROAR with Katy Perry" OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES</strong></div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. </div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Eligibility Guidelines:</strong></div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">Contest sponsored by Good Morning America ("GMA") and American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. ("ABC"), (collectively, the "Sponsors"). </div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">Entrants to Good Morning America's "ROAR with Katy Perry" Contest ("Contest") must be currently enrolled as high school students, legal residents of the 48 contiguous United States or the District of Columbia and 13 (thirteen) years old or older. An entrant will be considered a student representative of his or her school, which, in order to qualify for the grand prize, must be exempt from taxes under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. To be considered a valid submission, all entrants are subject to confirmation of their enrollment status, qualification of their school's tax exemption status, and the willingness of their qualified school to host the Katy Perry grand prize concert on or about October 25, 2013.</div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">Any individuals (including but not limited to employees, consultants, independent contractors, and interns) who have, within the past six months, performed services for the Sponsors, any organizations responsible for sponsoring, fulfilling, administering, advertising or promoting the Contest or supplying the prize, and their respective parent, subsidiary, affiliated and successor companies, and immediate family and household members of such individuals, are not eligible to enter. "Immediate family members" shall mean parents, step-parents, children, step-children, siblings, step-siblings, or spouses. "Household members" shall mean people who share the same residence at least three months a year.</div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">How to Enter: </strong></div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">To enter, navigate the Internet to <a href="http://gma.yahoo.com/" style="color: #2e538f; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="external">www.goodmorningamerica.com</a> and click on the link for Good Morning America's "ROAR with Katy Perry" Contest which will take you to the Contest home page. There you will find instructions on the appropriate and acceptable file formats and sizes for submitting your entry electronically. </div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">Submit a video up to two minutes in length of your own interpretation of any portion of Katy Perry's song "ROAR". You MUST use Katy Perry's audio recording of "Roar" in your submission. You are prohibited from using any other music, songs, melodies, recordings, or lyrics in your videotaped entry.</div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">Submissions may include singing or lip synching to the song. You may ONLY (a) lip synch silently to the music or (b) sing along to the music. Any variation from or violation of this rule shall result in disqualification of the entry. </div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">Submissions may also include dancing or other types of performance. All participants in the video must be affiliated with your school and may include students, teachers and administrators. </div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">Included in your submission must also be a brief essay, up to a maximum of 100 words, that describes the idea behind your video. </div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">You warrant and represent that all of the Materials submitted by you are original to you (and not based on or derived from any other materials), that you own all necessary rights in and to the Materials (with the exception of the rights to "Roar") which are fully transferable, and that you are not subject to any recording agreement, production agreement, union or guild agreement, or any similar agreement which would interfere with your ability to enter into this Contest or grant all of the rights to be provided hereunder. Accordingly, you further warrant and represent that you have the right to enter into this agreement and grant the rights hereunder without the need for permission from or payment to any other party and the exercise of the rights set forth herein [and in the Contest Rules] by the Sponsors will not violate any third party rights and will not violate any contractual obligations or confidential relationships which you may have to or with any third party.</div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">Any entries submitted with inappropriate or offensive content will be immediately disqualified. No entry may be submitted in any other contest or promotion.</div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">Upon submission, you will see a thank you message on your screen indicating that you have successfully entered. You will not receive a further acknowledgement. Free internet access is available at most public libraries.</div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">Incomplete entries will be disqualified. Proof of entering information at the Contest website or registration form is not considered proof of delivery to or receipt by Sponsors of such entry. Personal information collected in connection with this Contest will be used in accordance with ABC.com's privacy policy, available at <a href="http://corporate.disney.go.com/corporate/pp.html" style="color: #2e538f; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="external">http://corporate.disney.go.com/corporate/pp.html</a>.</div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">Contest Entry Period: Good Morning America's "ROAR with Katy Perry" Contest entry period begins 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time ("ET") on September 11, 2013 and ends at 5:00 p.m. ET on October 1, 2013 (the "Contest Period"). Sponsors' computer is the official clock for this Contest. </div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Judging Procedure, Notification and Finalists Judging: </strong></div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">Eligible entries will be judged on the basis of creativity, on-air appeal, "wow" factor, originality and feasibility of a live performance at the entrant's qualified school. Decisions of the judges are final as to all Contest-related matters. </div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">One entry will be chosen as the winning entry by the judges. The entrant's qualified school is considered the Winner ("Winner"), and an authorized administrative representative from the school must acknowledge acceptance of the prize on behalf of the entrant and the school. For the avoidance of doubt, the entrant who submitted the winning entry is a student representative of his or her qualified school, and he or she is not eligible to receive a prize in his or her individual or personal capacity.</div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">The Entrant who submitted the winning entry on behalf of his or school will be notified on by email or phone on about October 10, 2013 that his or her school has been selected for the grand prize. The entrant has forty-eight (48) hours to acknowledge the notification of Sponsors' selection of his or her school as the winner. Failure to do so may result in forfeiture of the grand prize. Upon satisfaction of all rules and conditions, including the additional acknowledgment of prize acceptance from an authorized administrative representative from the Entrant's school, the Entrant and other members of the school must be available to be videotaped by Good Morning America sometime between October 10 and October 25, 2013 for one or more videotaped and live segments the broadcast may produce related to the Contest and Concert. The school that wins must also be willing and able to host the Concert on school grounds on or about October 25, 2013. </div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">In the event the Entrant or school ("Winner") is deemed ineligible, fails to comply with contest procedures, or a sufficient number of school members are not available to participate as specified, then the first runner-up Entrant's school will be selected to host the Katy Perry concert on Good Morning America, time permitting, or Sponsors reserve the right to terminate the contest at their discretion.</div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">In the event of a tie, the entry with the highest score in the creativity category will be declared the winner.</div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Prize:</strong></div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">The Contest prize is a live concert by Katy Perry on or about October 25, 2013. The concert will also be broadcast on Good Morning America. Final concert details (time of concert, length of concert, location of concert, etc.) are at the sole discretion of the Sponsors. </div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">The Entrant and Entrant's winning school will be featured in videotaped and/or live broadcast segments on Good Morning America, as determined by the Sponsors.</div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">All videotape and live production will be determined at the sole discretion of the Sponsors. The winning school is not entitled to exchange or transfer the prize or to obtain cash or other substitutes, but Sponsors, in their sole discretion, may substitute prizes of equal or greater value.</div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">Any appearance on Good Morning America is subject to availability. Sponsors are not responsible for cancellation or preemption of show or for other circumstances that make it impractical or impossible to fulfill this element of the prize. The appearance portion of the prize has no approximate retail value and if it becomes impractical or impossible to fulfill this or any element, Sponsors' only obligation will be to provide the remainder of prize, if any.</div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">Federal, state, and local taxes associated with the receipt or use of the prize, if any, are the sole responsibility of the winning school. An authorized administrative representative of the winning school must provide a validly completed IRS Form W-9 to the Sponsors. An IRS Form 1099 reflecting the final actual value of any prize valued at $600 or more, if required by law, will be issued to the winning school by the Sponsors. The approximate retail value of the prize is $250,000.00. (Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars).The final value of the prize will be determined at the sole discretion of the Sponsors based upon elements used to fulfill the prize.</div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Releases: </strong></div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">By participating, Entrants and the winning school agree to be bound by these official rules and the decisions of the Sponsors/Judges, which shall be final in all respects. By entering the Contest, Entrants and authorized administrative representatives of the schools agree to execute in a timely manner and by any deadline set by Sponsors any and all paperwork requested by the Sponsors which may include, but is not limited to, background checks and any release forms, prior to any on-line or on air appearance of Entrants and nominated schools participating in the videotaped or live broadcast, or use of Entrants' submissions or related materials.</div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">All submissions will become the sole property of the Sponsors, which may reprint or otherwise exploit the entries in any manner, in any media, worldwide, in perpetuity. Entrants and authorized administrative representatives of the winning school may be required to sign and return an affidavit of eligibility, release and indemnification within seven days of notification of winning. By participating in this contest, Entrants and their schools agree to release, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Sponsors, their parent, subsidiaries, and affiliated companies, sponsoring, advertising and promotion agencies and prize suppliers, licensees, and each of their respective officers, directors, agents, representatives and employees, as well as each of their respective successors, representatives and assigns (collectively, the "Released Parties") from including, but not limited to, any and all actions, complaints, claims, injuries, liabilities, fees (including reasonable attorney's fees), royalties, costs, losses or damages arising in any manner, directly or indirectly, by whomever or wherever asserted, from a.) Entrants' participation in the contest, b.) Sponsors' exercise of the rights granted herein and/or c.) the acceptance, use or misuse of any prize or portion of any prize. Sponsors are not obligated to use any of the above mentioned information or materials, but may do so and may edit such information or materials, at Sponsors' sole discretion, without further obligation or compensation to the entrants, their schools, or any other affiliated party.</div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">By submitting materials hereunder, you hereby grant to the Sponsors, their parents, subsidiaries, licensees and affiliated companies, and each of their respective officers, directors, agents, servants, representatives, shareholders and employees, as well as each of their respective successors, representatives and assignees the exclusive right to use and distribute your submission, as well as your likeness, picture, voice, name and biographical material (all such materials are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Materials") in any and all manner, methods, formats and media now known or hereafter created, including without limitation, all forms of television, radio, internet, cable, satellite, wireless applications, home video products and devices, etc., in connection with the Contest, the Production, ABC's programming, and/or the Artist, and in all advertising and promotion for the foregoing, throughout the universe, in perpetuity.</div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">Entrants and qualified schools acknowledge that any entry materials may be included and/or discussed in a broadcast, that such discussion may include statements or opinions by the broadcast talent or others about the entrants and the schools, the entrants' appearances and/or the materials, and that those statements and opinions may be considered surprising, humiliating, embarrassing, derogatory, defamatory or otherwise offensive or injurious to them, Sponsors' employees, their studio or at-home audience and/or other third parties. Entrants and qualified schools release the Released Parties from any actions, claims, injury, loss or damage allegedly caused, directly or indirectly, by any such statements or opinions made during a broadcast.</div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">Sponsors are not responsible for failed, partial or garbled computer transmissions, or for technical failures of any kind, including but not limited to electronic malfunction or damage of any network, hardware or software. If for any reason the Contest is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or other causes that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the contest, Sponsors reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, and to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the contest. No responsibility is assumed for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries; or any problems or technical malfunctions of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers, or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any e-mail or electronic entry to be received on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any Web-site, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to entrant's or any other person's computer related to or resulting from participation in or downloading any materials from this contest. In the event of a dispute over an electronic entry, prize will be awarded to the owner of the e-mail account, not the name on the entry form.</div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">To claim prize: (a) Entrant for the winning school must provide proof of age, identity and residency; (b) authorized administrative representative(s) for the winning school must sign and return affidavit of eligibility/compliance with rules, publicity/liability release and indemnification, and (c) Entrant and authorized administrative representative(s) for winning school must also agree to complete and submit any additional releases, indemnifications and other requisite paperwork as specified at the discretion of the Sponsors, all within the time period specified by Sponsors.</div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Miscellaneous; Winner Posting: </strong></div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">Void where prohibited. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. </div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">Sponsors reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process and to cancel, terminate, modify and/or suspend the contest in the event of tampering or other circumstances, including but not limited to acts of God or civil disturbance that render it impractical or impossible to complete or fulfill the contest as originally planned.</div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px;">Official rules will be posted on goodmorningamerica.com; For a winner's list, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Good Morning America's "ROAR with Katy Perry" Contest, c/o ABC News, Room 616, 7 West 66th Street, New York, New York, 10023, by November 15, 2013. </div><span id="nextVideo" style="display: block; font-weight: normal; margin: 5px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: capitalize;"><br /></span><br /><div style="font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>

Katy Perry 'ROAR With Katy Perry' Contest: 'Good Morning America' Official Rules

Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames. From:  http://abcnews.go.com Give America Your Best 'Roar': Ultimate Katy Perr...

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First trailer for 'RoboCop' remake with Joel Kinnaman

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">FROM: <a href="http://www.latimes.com/">http://www.latimes.com</a><br /><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Yq9ym2mAjsU?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe> <br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">Honestly, between the twerking controversy and the "Fifty Shades of Grey" casting uproar, sometimes it's a wonder anyone wants to do anything anymore, lest they incur the scornful wrath of the collective consciousness of the Internet.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">That intersection between man and machine is explicitly explored in the first trailer from the upcoming remake of "Robocop." Starring Joel Kinnaman in the role played by <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/peter-weller-PECLB0000007829.topic" id="PECLB0000007829" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Peter Weller">Peter Weller</a> in the 1987 original, the new film puts a drone-era twist on the original's story of a wounded man encased in a robotic outfit in hopes of becoming the ultimate tool of law enforcement.</div><div class="articlerail" style="background-color: white; clear: both; float: left; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 234px; z-index: 4;"><div id="story-leftrail-ad" style="clear: both; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; width: 234px;"><div style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 234px;"><div style="border: 0px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 234px; z-index: 9999;"><a href="http://adclick.g.doubleclick.net/aclk%253Fsa%253DL%2526ai%253DBa3vnhZgqUrucHsevlAKTpoCAB-iPku8DAAAAEAEgADgAWLjo7OpUYMm-7IbIo5AZggEXY2EtcHViLTk1NDc4ODIwOTEyNzA2ODCyAQ93d3cubGF0aW1lcy5jb226AQlnZnBfaW1hZ2XIAQnaAYIBaHR0cDovL3d3dy5sYXRpbWVzLmNvbS9lbnRlcnRhaW5tZW50L21vdmllcy9tb3ZpZXNub3cvbGEtZXQtbW4tcm9ib2NvcC1yZW1ha2Utam9lbC1raW5uYW1hbi1maXJzdC10cmFpbGVyLTIwMTMwOTA2LDAsNTczNTg2MC5zdG9yecACAuACAOoCKDQwMTEvdHJiLmxhdGltZXMvZW50Ly9uZXdzLy9tb3ZpZXMvL2Jsb2f4AoLSHpADrAKYA-ADqAMB0ASQTuAEAaAGIA%2526num%253D0%2526sig%253DAOD64_2KB0hBIAKRtzOMirgJPEwHzK9SIw%2526client%253Dca-pub-9547882091270680%2526adurl%253Dhttp://circulars.latimes.com/%3Fp%3Dlatimes%26locale%3Den%26utm_source%3Dfsm%26utm_medium%3Dfsm_96%26utm_term%3Dfooter%26utm_campaign%3Dwishabi_1_0%23!/flyers/orchardsupplyhardware-circular%3Fflyer_run_id%3D4425" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="60" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/imgad/dot.gif" style="border: 0px; display: inline; float: none; margin-right: 5px; padding-right: 8px;" width="234" /></a></div></div></div><div class="articleRelates module" style="border: 1px solid rgb(231, 231, 231); margin: 0px 0px 30px; padding: 10px 10px 0px;"><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li class="newRelatedItem" style="clear: both; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;"><a href="http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/robocop-first-look-jose-padilha-tackles-drone-politics-in-reboot/#/0" style="clear: both; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; display: block; text-decoration: none; width: 212px;" target=""><img alt="'RoboCop' first look: Jose Padilha tackles drone politics in reboot" height="105" src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-522910f7/turbine/la-et-hc-robocop-first-look-jose-padilha-drones-20130905-thumbnail/187/187x105" style="border: 0px; display: block; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-right: 5px; padding-right: 8px;" title="'RoboCop' first look: Jose Padilha tackles drone politics in reboot" width="187" /></a><a href="http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/robocop-first-look-jose-padilha-tackles-drone-politics-in-reboot/#/0" style="clear: both; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; display: block; text-decoration: none; width: 212px;" target="">'RoboCop' first look: Jose Padilha tackles drone politics in reboot</a></li><li class="newRelatedItem" style="clear: both; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-elysium-directors-chappie-will-be-like-robocop-but-hilarious-20130813,0,3380694.story" style="clear: both; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; display: block; text-decoration: none; width: 212px;" target=""><img alt="'Elysium' director: 'Chappie' will be 'like RoboCop but hilarious'" height="105" src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-520a8921/turbine/la-et-mn-elysium-directors-chappie-will-be-like-robocop-but-hilarious-20130813/187/187x105" style="border: 0px; display: block; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-right: 5px; padding-right: 8px;" title="'Elysium' director: 'Chappie' will be 'like RoboCop but hilarious'" width="187" /></a><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-elysium-directors-chappie-will-be-like-robocop-but-hilarious-20130813,0,3380694.story" style="clear: both; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; display: block; text-decoration: none; width: 212px;" target="">'Elysium' director: 'Chappie' will be 'like RoboCop but hilarious'</a></li></ul></div></div><div class="konafilter pm-ad tpl02 pm-device" id="pmad-rail" style="background-color: white; clear: left; float: left; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px 10px 5px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 4;"><div class="medium_rectangle medium_rectangle_google_img" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; height: auto; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 232px; word-wrap: break-word;"><div class="ad_body" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; word-wrap: break-word;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">Directed by Brazilian-born filmmaker José Padilha, the film's impressive cast also includes <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/movies/samuel-l.-jackson-PECLB002552.topic" id="PECLB002552" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Samuel L. Jackson">Samuel L. Jackson</a>, <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/movies/gary-oldman-PECLB003339.topic" id="PECLB003339" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Gary Oldman">Gary Oldman</a>, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/jay-baruchel-PECLB0000006675.topic" id="PECLB0000006675" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Jay Baruchel">Jay Baruchel</a>,<a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/jackie-earle-haley-PECLB0000006550.topic" id="PECLB0000006550" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Jackie Earle Haley">Jackie Earle Haley</a>, <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/jennifer-ehle-PECLB0000006722.topic" id="PECLB0000006722" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Jennifer Ehle">Jennifer Ehle</a> and <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/michael-k.-williams-PECLB0000008111.topic" id="PECLB0000008111" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Michael K. Williams">Michael K. Williams</a>.</div><div class="normal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-fall-movie-sneaks-2013-pictures,0,2427169.photogallery" style="color: #2262cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: 700;">PHOTOS: Fall movie sneaks 2013</span></a><span style="font-weight: 700;"></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">In an<a href="http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/robocop-first-look-jose-padilha-tackles-drone-politics-in-reboot/#/0" style="color: #2262cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"> interview with the L.A. Times' Hero Complex</a>, Padilha spoke to the political undercurrents that percolate in both the original and his film.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">"The thing that distinguishes 'RoboCop' from most superhero movies is if you look at a movie like <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/movies/spider-man-%28movie%29-ENMV00010402.topic" id="ENMV00010402" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Spider-Man (movie)">'Spider-Man'</a>or <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/movies/iron-man-%28movie%29-ENMV000056.topic" id="ENMV000056" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Iron Man (movie)">'Iron Man,'</a> every kid wants to be Spider-Man or aspires to be Iron Man.... RoboCop, he cannot touch his wife and his son, he cannot relate to humans in the way he related before he became RoboCop, so there’s no <em>aspiration to be</em>RoboCop.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">"This is not what the original movie was about. It wasn’t a movie sold or designed based on that. It was designed based on a character that has more like a Frankensteinian characteristic. You don’t want to be Frankenstein. You don’t want to be RoboCop. But RoboCop embodies a philosophical idea and a political idea. It talks about fascism."</div><div class="normal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesneaks/" style="color: #2262cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: 700;">SNEAKS: Movie trailers, full coverage</span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">Looks exciting, especially with such small touches as the RoboCop suit now rendered in black rather than the iconic metallic silver of the original.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">The general response via Twitter seemed dubious. The tech and entertainment website <a href="http://io9.com/all-the-things-that-make-us-nervous-and-excited-in-th-1265155617" style="color: #2262cc; text-decoration: none;">i09</a> said the trailer "made us feel a lot of things. Some excitement, but mostly dread."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">We'll all find out when the film is released Feb. 7, 2014.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">For sake of comparison, here's the trailer to the original:</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;"><br /></div></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/h96IdEwITY4?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe></div>

RoboCop trailer First trailer for 'RoboCop' remake with Joel Kinnaman

FROM:  http://www.latimes.com Honestly, between the twerking controversy and the "Fifty Shades of Grey" casting uproar, sometimes...

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USS Kathleen ... anchors aweigh!

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjvjqDXP9aDHeMjuCPJQC0TuoTNxUpMHXjF1nCskEIbV8ylrCK4HiPCZdJPdhyphenhyphenjLZ67TEgD7Dhh1luXkJDrNTc6JkwIv_34CxoseVdq9AtKjEvT5DqJFFo8aM5QbCddaUBCiAE3ue5s3v/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjvjqDXP9aDHeMjuCPJQC0TuoTNxUpMHXjF1nCskEIbV8ylrCK4HiPCZdJPdhyphenhyphenjLZ67TEgD7Dhh1luXkJDrNTc6JkwIv_34CxoseVdq9AtKjEvT5DqJFFo8aM5QbCddaUBCiAE3ue5s3v/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span class="userContent">Nautical conditions were perfect Friday as my step-dad sailed the <i>USS Kathleen </i>on Lake Salisbury. A childhood possession named after his mother, he restored the remote control battery-operated boat and set her asail. Anchors aweigh!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZp9Gk4vgVcHa6s9jYFiZcu5b-bOUnCOp8fXU6mXH-oiAb1-4FxXfvUuVEDX6OocfprV0vHOl-Z0JTAO-ZOvMudxPh4Gm9_b42LnS_ZhyphenhyphenB0ej6GoRdfCnCo5E9YEogxG0AW2hWLz70Pzib/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZp9Gk4vgVcHa6s9jYFiZcu5b-bOUnCOp8fXU6mXH-oiAb1-4FxXfvUuVEDX6OocfprV0vHOl-Z0JTAO-ZOvMudxPh4Gm9_b42LnS_ZhyphenhyphenB0ej6GoRdfCnCo5E9YEogxG0AW2hWLz70Pzib/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Bringing the <i>Kathleen</i> back to shore.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-gmuz4HtgIv6tK__fkMeTqPYYhllulSg86pr_DG0ew_b8XaEy3k5Kcg_dsWUERZXnbGQQ6QMkcLMWNj16r2huN_dUV9yKt4OyCEn9SGzqNqmpT0zsAJZqiyyY7y2LkL1t0C9ZlFuBEgW/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-gmuz4HtgIv6tK__fkMeTqPYYhllulSg86pr_DG0ew_b8XaEy3k5Kcg_dsWUERZXnbGQQ6QMkcLMWNj16r2huN_dUV9yKt4OyCEn9SGzqNqmpT0zsAJZqiyyY7y2LkL1t0C9ZlFuBEgW/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">It's a good thing she came back under her own steam or we would have had to flip a coin to see who was going into the semi-warm water to retrieve this sea-faring vessel. LOL. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo50MzxSPiomRuvCswRUiozancaweJc-B7kAUWwAaoEbOfKuUyUtec9j6z7D-ev559qfxG8IvlqlupYCD9XeIv3rB7fKn0buFLUR2J_U4UvlEVMt3QVw5rS4vc18e-haHMGmU7k7S5wMdY/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo50MzxSPiomRuvCswRUiozancaweJc-B7kAUWwAaoEbOfKuUyUtec9j6z7D-ev559qfxG8IvlqlupYCD9XeIv3rB7fKn0buFLUR2J_U4UvlEVMt3QVw5rS4vc18e-haHMGmU7k7S5wMdY/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuOOXOn5f3SU_fweHf4OwQNndWfSJy9-ZHSyrNGs4gQqggX6_LFYok2sR89gQFWL7-Jnn6vCjnrzzhNcq1Q2-R8MenIwMbj4dNC1RpgK68LcZVZxdCRXSxOOImy4sxjBlV33vOcR-WaadP/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuOOXOn5f3SU_fweHf4OwQNndWfSJy9-ZHSyrNGs4gQqggX6_LFYok2sR89gQFWL7-Jnn6vCjnrzzhNcq1Q2-R8MenIwMbj4dNC1RpgK68LcZVZxdCRXSxOOImy4sxjBlV33vOcR-WaadP/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />September 6, 2013

childhood memories family Lake Salisbury USS Kathleen USS Kathleen ... anchors aweigh!

  Nautical conditions were perfect Friday as my step-dad sailed the USS Kathleen on Lake Salisbury. A childhood possession named after his ...

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Austenland: What would Jane say?

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b><i>Austenland</i> </b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b>(2013) • <a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/sony/austenland/" style="color: #27a9c5; text-decoration: none;">View trailer</a></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b> </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b>Four stars. Rating: PG-13, for sexual candor and inneundo</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>By <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885694730612878577" style="color: #27a9c5; text-decoration: none;">Derrick Bang</a> • </b></span>Originally published in <i><a href="http://www.davisenterprise.com/" style="color: #27a9c5; text-decoration: none;">The Davis Enterprise</a></i>, 9.6.13</b></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles></xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <br /><div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This film is <i>completely</i> bonkers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the best possible way.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYhPY1lTjoFcLJ-nUrzqywp77pKCT120-4r23DXaSzn9trxVQuAcsMgtbi9s5bJ-bmBSiDMm0ngiliBhEXswCzd0IFynu-spYwbQjsJ8KswtYNngECxno72ys90haV7eZmsvcLZkHWvM/s1600/Austenland+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYhPY1lTjoFcLJ-nUrzqywp77pKCT120-4r23DXaSzn9trxVQuAcsMgtbi9s5bJ-bmBSiDMm0ngiliBhEXswCzd0IFynu-spYwbQjsJ8KswtYNngECxno72ys90haV7eZmsvcLZkHWvM/s400/Austenland+blog.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Determined to take control of her fantasy vacation, Jane (Keri Russell, foreground) bats<br />her eyes at "Col. Andrews" (James Callis, left), while an irritated "Henry Nobley" (JJ Feild,<br />right) prepares to bolt. These shenanigans are viewed with alarm by Mrs. Wattlesbrook<br />(Jane Seymour, right rear), whose carefully orchestrated plans seem to be going awry.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Austenland</i> is a gleefully barbed swipe at über-fans who take their passions <i>far</i> too seriously, to the point of becoming social outcasts. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Initially restricted to Trekkies who’d craft elaborate costumes for sci-fi conventions, such behavior recently has accelerated through the mainstream, captivating (afflicting?) fans of pop-culture properties ranging from the <i>Twilight</i> books to, yes, Jane Austen’s novels. Indeed, Austen has begat her own sub-category of worship, whether affectionate or twisted: Bridget Jones’ fixation on Mark Darcy, in Helen Fielding’s two books, or Karen Joy Fowler’s clever <i>Jane Austen Book Club</i> (all of which have been made into films), and Seth Grahame-Smith’s <i>Pride and Prejudice and Zombies</i> (also on its way to the big screen).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So while one might imagine that the events depicted in the adorably embroidered <i>Austenland</i> are the stuff of exaggerated farce ... well, maybe not. I’m perfectly willing to believe that such a business model could exist, and perhaps quite profitably. To paraphrase H.L. Mencken, nobody ever went broke overestimating the rabid devotion of obsessed Americans.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And while a college-level study of Austen’s books probably isn’t essential to the enjoyment of director/co-scripter Jerusha Hess’ charming comedy, a passing familiarity with the milieu will greatly enhance the experience.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mousy Jane Hayes (Keri Russell), unhappy with her drab life, has taken solace in the elegantly romantic early 19th century British setting of Austen’s novels. Jane’s obsession has blossomed even further of late, her devotion to Colin Firth’s performance as Mr. Darcy in the 1995 production of <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> making it impossible for any 21st century boyfriend to compete.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><a name='more'></a><br /><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When a loutish office co-worker contemptuously dismisses her behavior and offers himself as “her best and only chance,” Jane recoils by blowing her life savings on an overseas vacation at a stately Jane Austen “theme experience.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Excited beyond words, Jane dresses in a Regency-era frock and bones up on Austen’s best literary <i>bon mots</i>, fully prepared to embrace the role-playing. Alas, upon arrival at the appointed stately manor, Jane discovers that her travel agent booked her into Austenland’s <i>economy</i> package: a distinction waspishly defined by the haughty Mrs. Wattlesbrook (Jane Seymour), who stage-manages the experience.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thus, while the wealthier guests are shown into gorgeous suites and given a range of luxurious clothing, Jane finds herself in a simple room in the servants’ quarters ... and is forced to don a plain dress that Elizabeth Bennet would have recognized.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite suffering belittlement by Mrs. Wattlesbrook at every turn, Jane is not without friends. First and foremost is the brash, brassy “Miss Elizabeth Charming” (guests adopt Austenian names during their stay), a man-hungry cougar brought to spectacular life by the always hilarious Jennifer Coolidge. Although the epitome of a vulgar wealthy American, in her “regular” life Miss Charming has suffered her share of indignities from contemptuous idiots, and thus cloaks Jane in a protective embrace.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then, too, Jane — now going by the <i>nom-de-Austen</i> of “Miss Erstwhile” — earns sympathetic glances from Martin (Bret McKenzie), a groundskeeper and faux coach driver who, as one of Mrs. Wattlesbrook’s “menials,” is forbidden contact with the paying guests.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jane will need these allies, because the full-immersion Austen experience — due to her “lowly” financial status — offers little beyond discrimination and scorn at every turn, particularly from the condescending “Lady Amelia Heartwright” (Georgia King, recognized from TV’s late, lamented <i>The New Normal</i>). But the resident gentlemen are equally intimidating, whether the flamboyantly stuffy “Col. Andrews” (James Callis) or the aloofly arrogant “Mr. Henry Nobley” (JJ Feild).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Indeed, Jane’s initial encounter with the latter, marked by deliciously cutting remarks on both sides, is an amusing echo of Elizabeth Bennet’s first meeting with Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, in <i>Pride and Prejudice</i>. Which it’s supposed to be, of course.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps to her own surprise, however, Jane doesn’t wither beneath this constant, contemptuous onslaught; indeed, she blossoms ... and that’s the best part of this story, as adapted from Shannon Hale’s 2007 novel of the same title. (Hale collaborated with Hess on this film’s screenplay.) Despite being given every opportunity to surrender to this “true Regency experience,” Jane retains a critical eye and comes into her own, no matter how crazy the planned activity.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And things do get crazy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The narrative offers an endless series of manic set-pieces, which Hess shrewdly builds from the merely daft to the hilariously comical. Jane’s initial drawing room experience is quirky enough, with the faux aristocratic gentlemen attempting to maintain their sangfroid in the face of Miss Charming’s snorting, come-and-get-me enthusiasm. Things get even funnier with the arrival of hunky “Capt. George East” (Ricky Whittle), and also when Mrs. Wattlesbrook “impulsively” orchestrates a stage play, which everybody is expected to participate in.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then, too, Jane must avoid being left alone with Mrs. Wattlesbrook’s lecherous old goat of a husband.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Additional fun comes from the not-entirely-comfortable manner in which Mrs. Wattlesbrook’s various employees play their lesser roles, notably the body-builders hired to be eye-candy as footmen and butlers. Indeed, our first glimpse of Austenland’s off-limits “staff section” is a stitch in its own right, as we see these various characters during off-hours.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that’s when this cheeky script begins its perceptive exploration of human nature: At what point does play-acting artifice become uncomfortable, and perhaps even emotionally hazardous?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Russell, well remembered from 2007’s <i>Waitress</i> and TV’s <i>Felicity</i>, makes an endearing heroine; she’s warm, intelligent and — as the narrative progresses — resourcefully defiant. We naturally care for Jane, from the moment we meet her (Austen fixation notwithstanding), and Russell rewards our loyalty by allowing her character to blossom in all the right ways. As we saw in <i>Waitress</i>, she has a genuine gift for romantic comedy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The larger-than-life Coolidge is a total hoot as a ravenous man-hunter, her clumsy efforts at come-hither gazes even funnier than her inappropriately earthy remarks. Aside from being a member of Christopher Guest’s repertory company — and a memorable presence in <i>Best in Show</i>, <i>A Mighty Wind</i> and <i>For Your Consideration</i> — Coolidge remains notorious as Stifler’s mother in the <i>American Pie</i> series, not to mention a host of TV show appearances. She’s utterly fearless, when it comes to making fun of her own plus-size configurations, and more power to her.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seymour is properly imperious as Mrs. Wattlesbrook, her withering gaze able to cut down lesser mortals at 50 paces. She’s subtly, wickedly catty: a contrast to King, overstated and constantly a-flutter as Lady Amelia, who — at first — seems little more than a walking sight-gag. But watch King’s expressions; as the story progresses, and Lady Amelia’s part expands, she delivers some droll hooded frowns and double-takes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By design, the men in Jane’s theme holiday are polar opposites: Field a picture of aristocratic impatience as the aloof Nobley, while McKenzie’s Martin couldn’t be kinder, gentler ... or more vexed, as time goes on, and he fears that Jane is falling under the spell of this make-believe nonsense.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hess made her splash as half of the married team who uncorked the darkly humorous <i>Napoleon Dynamite</i> roughly a decade ago; they were less successful with follow-ups <i>Nacho Libre</i> and <i>Gentlemen Broncos</i>. This new film marks Hess’ ascent to the director’s chair, on her first project without husband Jared. She and Hale clearly share the same snarky sense of humor, and their collaboration here is rich with both verbal and physical comedy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">But I fear <i>Austenland</i> is destined to remain in the cinematic hinterlands; based on the sparse audience that attended Tuesday’s preview screening, mainstream viewers don’t seem to get the extended joke. To be sure, Austen fans will return for multiple viewings, but — despite the recent flurry of adaptations — </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">their numbers aren’t legion</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Too bad, because the rest of you won’t know what you’re missing. This film is a stitch from the first scene to the last, and be sure to remain seated when the story proper concludes, for not just one, but <i>two</i> surprise epilogues. (Shades of Bollywood musicals!)</span></span></div><!--EndFragment-->

2013 Bret McKenzie Comedy Four Star Films Georgia King James Callis Jane Seymour Jennifer Coolidge JJ Feild Keri Russell romantic Austenland: What would Jane say?

Austenland   (2013) •  View trailer   Four stars. Rating: PG-13, for sexual candor and inneundo By  Derrick Bang  •  Originally published in...

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