Saturday, May 5, 2012

The Scoop: Vampire Diaries, Kardashian divorce, Free Comic Book Day



CW orders more ‘Vampire Diaries’
Ahead of its upfront presentation to advertisers, the CW announced early pickups for “The Vampire Diaries,” “90210” and “Supernatural” – that’s right, the Winchester brothers aren’t going anywhere.
For those keeping tabs, that’ll put “The Vampire Diaries” in its fourth season, cult favorite “Supernatural” in its eighth season and “90210” in its fifth.
No word on the fate of freshman series “The Secret Circle,” “Ringer,” “Hart of Dixie,” or veterans “Gossip Girl” and “Nikita.”

– YVONNE VILLARREAL Los Angeles Times
Kim Kardashian wants divorce
Kim Kardashian’s attorney told a judge Friday that the reality star wants her divorce from Kris Humphries to move forward but that the case has been slowed by the NBA player’s hurt feelings and his desire for an annulment.
Humphries’ attorneys said they needed more time to gather information to decide whether to pursue allegations that the couple’s 72-day marriage was a fraud. Proving the allegations likely would require a trial, which Kardashian’s attorney Laura Wasser said could prove costly to her estranged husband.
The couple was married last summer in a lavish, star-studded and televised ceremony, but Kardashian filed for divorce Oct. 31. Humphries responded a month later asking for an annulment, claiming that the couple’s nuptials were based on a fraud, but not laying out specific evidence.
“I feel that (Humphries’) personal feelings and maybe some media drive is keeping this case alive,” Wasser said. She said the couple is eligible for a divorce, since it has been more than six months since Kardashian filed her petition.
“Certainly, they’ve been separated longer than they’ve been married,” Wasser said.
She said if the case goes to trial and Kardashian wins, she will ask that Humphries pay her hefty legal fees. Currently, Kardashian wants each side to pay their own fees.
The comments came during a routine hearing Friday in which a judge allowed Humphries’ Minnesota attorney, Lee Hutton, to take part in the case.
Humphries’ Los Angeles-based attorney, Marshall Waller, said they had to wait for the motion to be approved but that he expects to seek key information and the depositions of essential witnesses in the next few weeks.
Superior Court Judge Stephen Moloney told both sides to return to court Aug. 15 for a status hearing.
Neither Kardashian nor Humphries attended Friday’s proceedings.
Kardashian is the star of the E! Entertainment Television series “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” which was E! Entertainment Television’s top-rated show, averaging more than three million viewers in its sixth season.
Humphries, a power forward who has played with the New Jersey Nets, is an unrestricted free agent.
– ANTHONY McCARTNEY The Associated Press
‘Avengers’ one of free comics
For the 11th year, comic book shops and participating locations around the world will give away comics to customers and visitors.
Saturday marks the 11th celebration of Free Comic Book Day. Characters such as Spider-Man, The Avengers, Batman, The Simpsons and Charlie Brown star in special comics, sold at low cost to stores, to be given away free on this special day.
Free Comic Book Day was created by Concord, Calif., comic book retailer Joe Field, owner of Flying Colors Comics and Other Cool Stuff.
Retailers have given away more than 25 million comics since the first giveaway in 2002.
A dozen stores in the Oklahoma City area are participating.
Souece: www.nashuatelegraph.com

Community Corner: Free Comic Book Day, warthogs' zoo debut



Community events for May 5-6, 2012, include Next 50 Water & Habitat Weekend at Seattle Center; the Medieval Festival at Camlann Medieval Village in Carnation; and low-tide walks at Puget Sound beaches.

Next 50 Water & Habitat Weekend
Information, displays and interactive activities for all ages on water and watersheds, community ecosystems and local habitats, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday, Next 50 Plaza, Alki Courtyard and Intiman Playhouse, Seattle Center; Seattle; free (206-684-7200 or www.seattlecenter.com).
Opening Day: Seattle Yacht Club celebration of the opening day of boating season; Windermere Cup rowing competition with American and international crews racing University of Washington teams, 10:05 a.m.; parade of 250 boats, noon Saturday, Montlake Cut, Seattle (www.seattleyachtclub.org).
Free Comic Book Day: One free comic book per person Saturday, Golden Age Collectables, Pike Place Market, Seattle (206-622-9799) and other local comic book stores (www.freecomicbookday.com).
Warthogs and Visayan warty pigs debut: New African warthogs in the African Savanna and Visayan warty pigs in the Tropical Forest exhibit, keeper talks, activities, free piggy banks to the first 500 kids, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Woodland Park Zoo, 5500 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle; $11.50-$17.75 (206-548-2500 or www.zoo.org).

Master Gardeners Plant Sale: Native plants, perennials, ornamentals, veggies, tomatoes, garden art vendors, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 N.E. 41st St., Seattle (www.mgfkc.org/events/plant-sale).
Medieval Festival for May: Medieval games, minstrels, archery, blacksmithing, 1 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Maypole dance and May Queen, 4:30 p.m.; lunch available noon-3 p.m., Saturday-Sunday, Camlann Medieval Village, 10320 Kelly Road N.E., Carnation; $4-$6 (425-788-8624 or www.camlann.org).
Bicycle Sunday: Lake Washington Boulevard closed to vehicle traffic for bicyclists, walkers, runners and skaters, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday; Lake Washington Boulevard from Mount Baker Beach to Seward Park, Seattle; professionally fitted bicycle helmets available for $10, 1-4 p.m., Seward Park (206-684-4075 or www.seattle.gov/parks).
"The Very Hungry Caterpillar": Seattle Children's Theatre drama story for kids ages 2-8, noon Sunday, Secret Garden Bookshop, 2214 N.W. Market St., Seattle; free (206-789-5006 or www.secretgardenbooks.com).
Seattle Aquarium Beach Naturalists: Explore sea life at low tide, drop in anytime 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sunday; Carkeek Park, Golden Gardens, South Alki and Lincoln Park in Seattle; Richmond Beach in Shoreline; Seahurst Park, Burien in Des Moines Beach; free (www.seattleaquarium.org).

Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch's musical legacy: Changing all games, all the time


Adam “MCA” Yauch’s death today leaves a Beastie-size hole in pop music. Though the trio were not the most prolific legends on the landscape (over the course of 25 years, they released only seven proper albums), their impact has been gigantic. Starting with 1986′s Licensed to Ill, the Beastie Boys rewrote the rules for commercial hip-hop, the mainstreaming of hardcore punk, the state of sampling, and the treatment of the old school.
Licensed to Ill, one of the early full-lengths released by influential hip-hop label Def Jam Records, is often referred to as the first rap album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart. That title is a little unfair, as those sales were powered by the wildfire success of “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)” — a track that many at the time considered more rock than rap.

The remainder of Licensed to Ill is pure mid-’80s hip-hop: grimy, tricky, and funny. The rhyme trading on “Fight for Your Right” was child’s play compared to the exchanges on “Hold It, Now Hit It,” “She’s Crafty,” and “Paul Revere.”  Though it is hard to believe now, the Beastie Boys’ race rarely came up — in part because hip-hop was a new genre, but also because they had the legitimate skills to counter criticism.
It helped that they kept pushing the form forward on subsequent releases. Though 1989′s Paul’s Boutique was a commercial failure at the time, it is now held up as a brilliant piece of art way ahead of its time. Working with the Dust Brothers, the Boys constructed a pastiche that flowed so deftly that it became common for owners of the vinyl to play “Spot the Sample.” For DJs and genre-bending artists like Beck, Paul’s Boutique was a keystone holding up a cathedral of sonic possibilities.
Though hip-hop had always incorporated rock samples and toyed with live instrumentation (Afrika Bambaataa liked to toss Rolling Stones records into his break beats), Licensed to Ill also essentially invented rap-rock. “Fight for Your Right” is the obvious example, but Slayer’s Kerry King (another signee of Def Jam co-founder Rick Rubin) also lent some shredding guitar to “No Sleep Til Brooklyn.” “Rhymin’ and Stealin’” is built around samples from Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and the Clash.
Yauch’s first love was hardcore punk — the early Beastie Boys were a speedy, noisy act who opened for Black Flag and Bad Brains. Those fixations ran through Licensed to Ill through the group’s two peak albums, 1992′s Check Your Head and 1994′s Ill Communication. It wasn’t so much that they brought punk attitude to hip-hop (Public Enemy figured out that trick at the end of the ’80s), but it was about the fact that traditional rock music — and later, jazz — could coexist next to traditional rap.
Over the course of their last three albums — 1998′s Hello Nasty, 2004′s To the 5 Boroughs, and last year’s Hot Sauce Committee Part Two — the Beasties looked to be returning to everyone else’s old school, tapping into elements of classic hip-hop that had disappeared as the style became the preeminent movement on pop radio. Hello Nasty sounds like a reaction to the Diddy-fication of rap in the late ’90s, with its focus on breaking down hip-hop into core sonic elements and executing them with breathtaking precision.
It’s most evident on the classic call to arms “Three MCs and One DJ,” but it’s also plastered across tracks like the funky “Super Disco Breakin’,” the minimalist “Instant Death,” and the neck-snapping single “Intergalactic.” To the 5 Boroughs and Hot Sauce Committee Part Two both work to preserve hip-hop’s past rather than trying to innovate, but the trio’s curatorial minds are so sharp that they both act as a living tribute to the New York streets that birthed rap. They are reflective, thoughtful albums that leave room for fun.
You can hear the Beastie Boys’ influence all over the place, from Rage Against the Machine’s sonic firebombs to OutKast’s playful genre-bending to the Odd Future crew’s open-minded mix of the serious and the absurd. Even if Adam Yauch hadn’t become an excellent video director, launched an influential film company, created the Milarepa Fund, and worked to assist victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks, he would still be regarded as a legend who deserves serious accolades not just for his musical and cultural impact but for the trails he blazed.
Source

'In Plain Sight' series finale: Sweet satisfaction


Spoiler Alert: Five seasons of witness wrangling, crime-stopping tales came to end on tonight’s series finale of In Plain Sight. While it’s gloomy to see it go just as the season hit its stride with Mary (Mary McCormack) dealing her impromptu decision to keep little baby Norah and still being a kick-ass U.S. Marshall, the show’s swan song gave us so much to be happy about.
Albuquerque WITSEC is staying put, Marshall (Frederick Welller) and Stan (Paul Ben-Victor) both got promoted, Mary made peace with the memories of her dad, and runaway bride Brandi (Nichole Hiltz) returned sober and wiser. But the main event last night was the closure for the series-long ‘will they or won’t they’ of Marshall and Mary.
I’ll admit I’ve flopped back and forth when it comes to a Marshall and Mary romance. My uncertainty meant I wasn’t sure what ending would leave me satisfied as a fan—that was until I saw it tonight.
Marshall asking Mary to “release” him actually made me tear up a little bit. I was confused at first but as he continued his plea, it made so much sense.

“Because if you call, I’ll come,” he added. “Every time.” You only need to close your eyes and pick an episode for proof of that. In the last two alone, he stood up the minister for his wedding and left his fiancé in the wee hours of the morning to help Mary through slapping the cuffs on daddy dearest. So moving forward with his upcoming nuptials can’t possibly be a solo decision, Mary has to stop calling.
What that conversation did was close the chapter on a romance without actually destroying Marshall and Mary. This show stands strong on the chemistry between the nerdy, sarcastic duo. They’re each other’s “you know”. All the kooky witnesses, bureaucratic struggles, and dysfunctional family events are just the white noise to their distinct fine-tuned melody. So when Marshall delivered that balcony speech, it finally clicked for me as a fan. This makes the most sense for them. Mary is his work wife but she would never work as his real wife.
There’s no question that Abigail (Rachel Boston) is perky to a fault but she is also sweet and sensitive and most importantly she makes him happy. Almost every scene with those two and their dog throws me into a diabetic coma. Mary took the words right out of my mouth when she said Marshall deserves to be happy. He really does and while, yes Mary makes him happy she’s also a ticking bomb that Marshall always feels he has to handle. That sense of obligation doesn’t make for a functional relationship. He’s on much lighter, even ground with Abigail.
Having Mary accept that and even attempt a romance of her own was just the cherry on top. Her eagerness to jump right in bed with Kenny (Josh Hopkins), “as single dad devoid of any moves” was initially worrisome. Mainly because it followed finding out that Raph (Cristián de la Fuente) was happily married and Marshall was engaged. Any arm chair television addict therapist could see what that one-night romp would have really been about. Yet telling him about her father’s death and bringing him to a dinner with everyone who matters to her proved she might like this guy. That’s saying a lot for Mary and having someone else who’s willing to let her lean on him bodes well for her being able to release Marshall. It was everything I needed to say farewell a satisfied fan.
Were you as content with the finale? Are Marshall and Mary really better as best friends? Do you think his “I love you” were more than platonic?
 Source: Plain Sight

Friday, May 4, 2012

Celebrate the Kentucky Derby with ‘bourbon slush’ mint julep


The Kentucky Derby is tomorrow, marking the high holiday of one of the Great American Cocktails, the mint julep.
It’s essentially a bourbon slush: a big splash of bourbon with a dash of simple syrup poured over plenty of shaved ice that cones up over the rim of a traditional silver julep mug and is then topped by a by sprig of aromatic mint that tickles the nose with each sip. It’s also pretty damn good in a mason jar, too, which is how I serve them on Derby Day. Either way, great stuff.
With Boston’s explosion of cocktail bars and proliferation of knowledgeable mixologists, great mint juleps will be easier than ever to find tomorrow. Below are two places to check out Saturday for big-time bashes and for their recipes for icy mint juleps.

In the meantime, the great beer and spirits writer Lew Bryson once penned a very cool ode to the mint julep for me at Cold, Hard Football Facts. Wrote Bryson: “the mint julep is one of the most wonderful booze confections known to drinking man.” He prefers his juleps in a tall Tom Collins glass.
The Julep Bar “decked out in roses”
The Julep Bar is the host of Boston’s “official” Kentucky Derby party, at least according to champagne maker Moet, which is a major sponsor of the race.
“Guests will arrive to horse & carriages and a red carpet, featuring a step & repeat, stationed at the High
Street entrance,” reads a press release from the bar’s publicist. “The entire interior will be decked out in roses, and the staff will be dressed for the derby (think, BIG hats).”
The bash takes place from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Can’t make it? Here’s how the Julep Bar gang whips up its
mint juleps.

Julep Bar’s Mint Julep

Leaves from 4-5 mint sprigs
1/2 oz simple syrup
2½ oz. bourbon
Another mint sprig for garnish
Place mint and simple syrup into a silver julep cup. Muddle well to dissolve sugar and to release oil and aroma of the mint.  Add bourbon. Fill with crushed ice and stir well until glass becomes frosty. Garnish with mint sprig. Makes 1 cocktail.
(Julep Bar, 200 High St., Boston, 617-261-4200, www.julepbar.com)
Drink’s “Run for the Roses”
Drink in Fort Point hosts a rocking “Run for the Roses” bash each year. The fourth annual Derby party begins Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and includes three drink, Southern treats, a Derby cup and a hat contest. Call 617.695.1806 for tickets.
Drink master mixologist John Gertsen once told me: “(The mint julep) smells great. It tastes great. And people are always excited by how beautiful it looks. It’s eye candy.” Here’s how he makes them.
Drink’s Classic Mint Julep
Plenty of fresh mint
Crushed ice
½ oz. simple syrup
¾ oz. Old Fitzgerald or Eagle Dear bourbon
Shaved ice
Pack three to six leaves in the bottom of a julep mug or rocks tumbler and press gently to release oils. Fill three quarters with crushed ice. Add syrup and bourbon. Use a spoon in an up and down motion to mix together syrup, bourbon and mint aromas, being careful not to tear mint. Top off mug with shaved ice, forming into a cone just above the rim. Create a small indent in the center of the ice with an ice pick and add 3 to 4 sprigs of mint, gently pressing leaves between thumb and forefinger. If using silver mug, let sit 3 to 4 minutes until outside of mug begins to frost. Makes 1 mint julep.
(Drink, 348 Congress St., Boston, 617-695-1806, www.drinkfortpoint.com)