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Of the hundreds of panels available at Comic-Con, which drew to a close on Sunday, none are more respected than the long-running Black Panel, hosted by the comic book creator and Milestone Media co-founder Michael Davis. Unlike most of the other panels at Comic-Con, the Black Panel has nothing to sell, and features guests who also have nothing to promote. Instead, it is a discussion between audience and panel members about black culture, a way for prominent figures in African American entertainment to reach out to those who hope to emulate their paths to success. Davis started the panel in...

She has only 3 fully formed legs because of a birth defect, she's named after an "Adventure Time" character -- and she's a terror on tissue rolls. --- Today's Monday Miracle is Shoko the Pirate, a peg-legged kitten who was scooped up from a foster situation after a pet store in Connecticut deemed her damaged goods. Despite her dinky fourth paw, Shoko still manages to hop and skip around with a playful verve -- and also seems to be cultivating a burgeoning portfolio of wrecked toilet rolls. Asked about the backstory to Shoko's shortened leg, her owner Lux Alptraum says,...

Ohio State University fired marching band director Jonathan Waters yesterday after a two-month investigation found that band leaders ignored a “sexualized” culture among students and didn’t take sexual-harassment training as recommended. The firing came two weeks after OSU leaders told Waters he could keep the job if he enacted a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment, his attorney, David Axelrod, said yesterday. The firing was a surprise to Waters, Axelrod said. “Jonathan has not decided precisely what action he will take,” Axelrod said. “He intends to defend his good name in one way or another.” Ohio State fired Waters, 38, after...

<p>An amateur photographer who took a fascinating photo is now making comparisons between God, Sean Connery and Karl Marx -- and it's not because he is a huge fan of James Bond or communism. Jeremy Fletcher was going for a evening walk near the Wash in Norfolk when he decided to take a picture.</p>

It may seem to some as something of a dream job - working alongside childhood heroes such as Mickey Mouse, Goofy and Donald Duck. But in order to get, and keep, a job as a character at a Disney park or resort, employees must abide by a number of strict rules, ranging from the obvious to the bizarre. For anyone thinking of trying to get a job at a Magic Kingdom, here is a rundown of some of the more idiosyncratic employee rules implemented by the bosses at Disney.

Watchmaking is a noble tradition stretching back hundreds of years when they would make all the parts by hand. While technology today has lightened some of their workload, it's still a fascinating sight when a watchmaker creates another mechanical beauty.

A tree planted in memorial to late Beatles guitarist George Harrison following his death in Los Angeles in 2001 has been killed by bark beetles amid California's epic drought, a local official said on Tuesday.

Reading all of today's headlines here on Free Republic, brought to mind this artist. No I have no idea what the words mean, but the Art speaks for itself. Youtube video so click through to watch

VIDEO: Anders Weberg tells The Local about the inspiration behind the the world's longest film, coping with the tragic loss of his son, and the 72 minute 'trailer' which has been wowing audiences. The 46-year-old artist, who lives in southern Sweden, has been working on the magnum opus entitled Ambiancé for the past few years. Weberg has made more than 300 films in the past and he intends Ambiancé to be his final work. "I've always been interested in time," he told The Local during a break from filming. "Time is something we can't do anything about. In the past...

After thunder bolts and lighting overnight over the UK , we bring you some spectacular images of lighting storms .

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) - A teacher and former councilman in Camden County faces prison after admitting he engaged in inappropriate sexual communications with 17 male students. Charles Reilly is scheduled to be sentenced Friday after he pleaded guilty to official misconduct, child endangerment and attempted child endangerment.

Here's photographic proof that the LOLCat phenomenon has a long history behind it. American photographer Harry Whittier Frees (1879-1953) created vignettes of animals dressed in tiny outfits made by his mother. These pictures, from the United States Library of Congress, showcase some of his works, which were typically used for postcards and children's books.

No, your eyes do not deceive you and thankfully this is no joke — Marvel has given an upgrade to one of its biggest superheroes. And by that we mean: there’s a new superlady in town and she’s wielding the hammer of Thor! As announced on “The View,” and confirmed by Marvel, a new comic written by Jason Aaron, with art by Russell Dauterman will launch ongoing this Fall, after the original God of Thunder loses the ability to wield his signature hammer. Thor doesn’t just look like a lady with those long and luscious Norse locks of his —...

On July 13, 1984, the young stars of The Last Starfighter saw their careers blast off into outer space, as a friendship was born that carries on three decades later. Today marks the 29th anniversary of the original theatrical release of the groundbreaking sci-fi classic The Last Starfighter, so we figured it’s a perfect time to take a fun look back at the film through the eyes of its stars, Lance Guest and Catherine Mary Stewart, both of whom attended a Q&A panel at the second Blood at the Beach Convention in Virginia Beach in 2012. Guest plays Alex Rogan,...

Fred Thompson's political career dates back to Watergate. Since, he has been a U.S. Senator and presidential candidate. He now does triple duty in talk radio, as a columnist and as a respected character actor; a profession he's enjoyed success in since 1987. In a Hollywood Reporter interview about his upcoming film "Persecuted," which opens in 600 theatres this Friday, Thompson admits things are tough for Republicans in Hollywood -- even for a veteran like himself: Is it tough to be a Republican actor in Hollywood? It's a tough business for everybody, but if you happen to run across a...

I posted this as a response in another thread, but thought I'd also post it as a vanity, in case someone else might see it and decide to look beyond the reputation of the city to see what it might really have to offer. I've lived in Baltimore almost my whole life. And despite its problems, I love it. Those who don't know it will knock it, but it really is a great place to live, politics notwithstanding. But Cleveland was a complete unknown to me until I forced my daughter to consider attending Case Western Reserve University for nursing...

To launch the high quality TV channel TNT in Belgium we placed a big red push button on an average Flemish square of an average Flemish town. A sign with the text "Push to add drama" invited people to use the button. And then we waited... Discover here what happened or visit http://www.tntdrama.com for more info. First it happened in Belgium. Then again in the Netherlands.

Camera Catches Breathtaking Shot of Sun Behind Christ the Redeemer During World Cup Final Jul 13, 2014 By YAZHOU SUN PHOTO: . The sun sets behind the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janiero, July 13, 2014. ABC Breathtaking. It's the most apt description for the shot of an amazing sunset behind the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during the World Cup final between Germany and Argentina. The statue towers above the famed Maracanã where the final was played today.

Winners of the 2014 Dronestagram Photo Contest have finally been selected! Picking winners was a very difficult task especially because of the great quality of the photos that have been submitted. We tried to reward the photos that show the best the fantastic potential offered by drones in terms of image. It’s been an amazing first edition with many photos entered from everywhere in the world. Thank you all for joining in.We would like to extend a special thanks to our contest sponsors National Geograpic, Go Pro, Picanova, Droneshop and Parrot for generously offering amazing gifts !Are you one of...

We saw Jersey Boys last night in our local movie theatre. It is the story of Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons, a singing group of the 1960s, and their rise to fame. It is an adaptation of a stage play. The movie is directed and produced by Clint Eastwood, which is eyebrow raising in itself because it does not seem like a typical Eastwood topic. I approached this movie with some trepidation because of the big, fat R after the title. Normally, I avoid R-rated movies; and I could not find out why it received this rating. However, the...

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer WEST PALM BEACH — A man who flew a drone into a fireworks show over West Palm Beach and captured stunning video that went viral over the weekend might have to answer to federal investigators. The Federal Aviation Administration said the video is “under investigation.” “The FAA is looking into multiple incidents in which unmanned aircraft flew into fireworks displays to determine if there was any violation of federal regulations or airspace restrictions,” the agency said in a statement to The Palm Beach Post. Punishments can include “a verbal warning and an order to stop...

Former U.S. president George W. Bush recently opened the doors to his gorgeous Texas ranch to reveal rooms where he once hosted world leaders and where he now bides his time painting them. Bush gave a tour of the Crawford home he completed just after becoming the nation's 43rd president in 2001 to Architectural Digest for the magazine's August cover story. It's a rare glimpse at the sprawling property where Vladimir Putin once rode shotgun in Bush's pickup and where the younger of W.'s twins, Jenna, held her intimate 2008 wedding. George and Laura Bush have retired to Dallas, Texas...

In case we needed any more proof of the disconnect between mainstream movie critics and the public ... enter America. The new docudrama from the team behind 2016: Obama's America, earned some of the surliest reviews in recent memory. Critics sniffed the film was "odious," "hypocritical," and filled with "outright lies." One august reporter directly told readers not to see the film. Here's how the critic at RogerEbert.com starts his review: In 2012, political commentator, author, disgraced former university president and convicted felon Dinesh D'Souza Others reveal their news biases directly, like this critique in the Salt Lake Tribune: The...

Most Dissonant EndingRoseMarie youtube.com/watch?v=tBuzxwbfM-c&feature=youtu.be“Cadence” is something we all recognized in harmony, a kind of “Amen” that signifies completion and finality at the end of a musical phrase. This movie, 1936's “Rose Marie” with Nelson Eddy and Jeannette MacDonald, has a completely dissonant, unresolved cadence.

"After seven days in Cancun, the Patriots Cheerleaders have returned from their 2015 swimsuit calendar shoot. Check out behind-the-scenes photos from each day."

Here in Boone, NC, the most perfect and beautiful spot in all of America (and therefore the universe), the sky is blue and the air is cool and dry. For that reason, a movie festival is probably not on my agenda this holiday weekend. But for those of you stuck inside, what better way is there to celebrate the 4th of July than with a movie binge that takes you through the history of this great country of ours. My list is not perfect. Lists never are. It's a starting point. Feel free to make your own recommendations.

Couple Avoids Jail: Will Keep Record Store Open by Judith Schumann Weizner Back Issues of Heterodoxyhttp://www.discoverthenetworks.org/viewSubCategory.asp?id=337(April/May 2000)The Musikants Today, Ernest and Sylvia Musikant are breathing easy for the first time in many months , having won an eleventh-hour reprieve of the prison sentence they were to begin serving this morning for a violation of the Racial Equity in Employment Act.The couple, whose classical record store, We’ll Get Bach To You, has been a fixture on Manhattan’s West Side since 1968, had been ordered to report to the Federal Race and Hate Crimes Correctional Facility on Ward’s Island to begin their...

Some great photos.

<p>The auction house said it was very rare for an artist to attend an auction, and it demonstrated the connection Emin felt to the highly personal work.</p> <p>The price reached for Emin's work, described by the auction house as an iconic piece of 1990s British art, quadrupled her previous sale price record, but Christie's said the market was not overheating.</p>

“I felt as though a vast, endless scream passed through nature,” painter Edvard Munch famously wrote. But he didn't mean it quite as literally as this. 'Scream' tree brings angst to US Christmas (04 Dec 13) Scream loses place as priciest painting (13 Nov 13) Hundreds gather to 'scream' in Munch tribute (15 Aug 13) Munch Museum sees 40 percent surge in visitors (31 Jul 13) "I was just having a walk along the river here, and I just happened to stumble over this stump," Kjell Marius Mathisen, who works with cultural heritage for Oppland county council, told The Local....

With a natural 3 day weekend coming for the 4th of July, Independence Day 2014, we have plenty of time for some of our favorites in movies, music and TV! What are you, my fellow FReeping Patriots, going to be enjoying? In your answers some of your fellow readers might find missing gems so offer up your favorites, famous and not.An EASY query for the scholars, what are the other non-floating Federal Holidays?

(Las Vegas, NV) — Legendary comedian Steve Rossi has been transferred to hospice care after a battle with stage 4 cancer. Rossi is half of the world famous comedy team of Allen and Rossi. He lives in Las Vegas. Steve Rossi teamed up with Marty Allen in 1957, where they became America’s number one comedy team. They appeared on more than 700 television shows, including 44 appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show. Rossi’s personal assistant, Christine Kramar, says he believes in the power of prayer. He is living the last days in accordance with his faith and is grateful for...

In an effort to get a glimpse of how the world thinks about beauty, the journalist Esther Honig sent out a photo of herself to graphic designers in more than 20 countries. Their task: to edit the photo to make Honig look "beautiful" — however the designer defined the term. The results are telling. Each photo represents the personal and cultural beauty standards of the designer, with the American editor giving Honig bright blue eyes and long hair, and the Israeli designer darkening her eyes and skin.    

In an effort to get a glimpse of how the world thinks about beauty, the journalist Esther Honig sent out a photo of herself to graphic designers in more than 20 countries. Their task: to edit the photo to make Honig look "beautiful" — however the designer defined the term. The results are telling. Each photo represents the personal and cultural beauty standards of the designer, with the American editor giving Honig bright blue eyes and long hair, and the Israeli designer darkening her eyes and skin. You can read more about the project at Honig's website. Click below to...

Marine Cpl. John Dolezal poses with Cchaz, a Belgian Malinois, at Twentynine Palms in California. (Wondering about that spelling? Dogs bred at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, the military’s primary canine facility, are given names that begin with a double letter.)   This photo and the ones below it are part of photographer Adam Ferguson's touching series about military working dogs to be published in the June issue of National Geographic magazine.   The scouting, tracking and sentry skills of dogs have been used on the front lines of some of the most dangerous battlefields in history. Working dogs...

There are fears that a piece of artwork in Cheltenham by the street artist Banksy is to be removed. "Spy Booth", depicting three spies "snooping" on a telephone box appeared on a house in Hewlett Road in April. On Wednesday, a specialist firm - used to remove a piece by the artist in North London - erected scaffolding around the work. The borough council said it "believes" the owner had arranged it due to the "condition of the render". But local street artist Dice67 said there was "no way" the scaffolding was there "to do any work on the walls"....

Eli Wallach, a gravelly voiced character actor who appeared alongside such giants as Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe in The Misfits, Clint Eastwood in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Al Pacino in The Godfather: Part III, died Tuesday, his daughter Katherine told The New York Times. He was 98.

Eli Wallach, the actor best known for his roles in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and The Godfather franchise, has died. He was 98.

Image credit:  ACCT Philly June is almost over, but there’s still a week left in Adopt-A-Cat Month from the American Humane Association. The spring crop of kittens are old enough to go to new families and there are plenty of mature cats who need a place to call home. To this end, many animal shelters are going the extra mile to grab your attention and many offer special discounts on pet adoptions. They also come up with clever and enticing ads to pique your interest. In 2012, the Shelter Pet Project ran an ad campaign that turned cats into...

Did Angkor really see a dinosaur? Jonathan O’Brien and Shaun Doyle The September 2007 Creation magazine back page feature article ‘Angkor saw a Stegosaur?’ showed a stone carving on a temple of Angkor, Cambodia, (a. 1200 AD), depicting what looks like an artistic impression of a stegosaurian-type dinosaur.1 As such evidence clearly supports the biblical view of dinosaurs, it naturally provoked the ire of vocal atheists. Here are their objections: “If it is a dinosaur, they carved it from fossils” The plates along the back of the animal are unlike all the other decorative designs in the temple walls. One...

same link here

Burned out from her job and still mourning the loss of her father, Jinna Yang decided to dramatically shake up her life and honor the memory of a man who always put others first. In April, Yang, 25, quit her job in digital media in Manhattan, sold about 80 percent of her belongings and bought a one-way plane ticket to Iceland. Before she left, she took an old photo of a tuxedo-clad Jay Yang and had a company she found online make a life-size cardboard cutout of her father, who died from cancer at 52 on Aug. 24, 2012. Jay...

One character, his torso already relieved of arms and legs, is tossed onto the barbecue. Another’s hands and tongue are severed to keep her from reporting a crime. (She’s then stabbed to death anyway.) Two more characters are beheaded; one behanded; one hanged. For those who like their violence more ironic, there’s this happy couple: the man left buried up to his neck to starve, the woman fed a pie made from the minced remains of her sons. The meal may give her heartburn, but it’s the subsequent stabbing that kills her. A Game of Thrones episode? No, it’s Titus...

John Adams said he learned that the Metropolitan Opera was scrapping plans to transmit his opera “The Death of Klinghoffer” to movie theaters around the world when the Met’s general manager, Peter Gelb, told him on Sunday by telephone that he had gotten “unimaginable pressure” from some Jewish groups that oppose the work. “I asked Peter if, before summarily canceling this, he would open it up to some kind of a public dialogue,” Mr. Adams recalled on Tuesday, in his first interview since the Met announced that it was dropping the opera, scheduled to appear this fall on its popular...

Los Angeles radio host Larry Elder will also receive a star, being the only one from the radio category to do so.

VFA-87 Slot Check on board the USS George H. W. Bush.

With an opening weekend take of $28 million, Tom Cruise’s new sci-fi film “Edge of Tomorrow” — which debuted June 6 — did even worse than his last sci-fi movie, 2013’s “Oblivion.” In the last eight years, Cruise has had only one hit (2011’s “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol”). It looks like he’s nearing the end of his run as a major movie star, though we’ll see how “Mission: Impossible 5” does when it comes out next year. The 51-year-old is not alone in his midlife crisis: Here are seven more movie stars whose careers are in trouble.