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This review is mostly spoiler-free. I was less interested in analyzing the fine points of the Alice mythology than in talking about how this fantasy fits into the larger arc of Tim Burton’s career.

Was it Planet of the Apes?

Is that when Tim Burton started seeming derivative to me? The director who had long ago found the glory in the grotesque, the majesty in the macabre, had now emerged as a predictable, one-note pony?

To fully understand what I thought of Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, we must start with my expectations. I wasn’t expecting much. after being lulled into the sweeping, nostalgic, brilliant fantasy of Big Fish, I watched Burton go bleak in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, shallow in Corpse Bride and then unleash a brutal assault on the viewer with Sweeney Todd. I realize all of these movies received positive reviews elsewhere, earning praise for Burton’s visuals and inventiveness. But am I really the only one who felt like the more paint Burton splashed on the canvas, the less of it really congealed in my imagination? The further he pushed his aesthetic, the less accesible his films became.

Then, when I started seeing the trailers for Alice in Wonderland, depicting a bombed-out, black-sky Wonderland, I started rolling my eyes. Tim Burton: Skewing wonderland in favor of a hellscape. Not only did it seem not fun to me, but it didn’t seem the least bit original. Burton was playing the same note, yet again; cue the familiar chorus. (More at Techland: Bloodthirsty Babes – the hottest witches of all-time)

And then I saw the movie. The delightfully giddy, silly, delirious movie. The movie where it seemed like Tim Burton wasn’t being “Tim Burton” but was just having fun again, scrambling up the expected pieces into a puzzle so new and bizarre that it blindsides you with its sentiment. I will write more about this for Monday’s Freeze Frame, but there is a moment in the middle of all these hijinks when Burton pulls up on the reigns, and captures a heartwarming aside between one hell of a crazy mad Hatter and one wide-eyed aristocratic gir, who’s starting to feel more comfortable playing the hero. we see them from the front, and then from behind, gazing out at the moonlit landscape, as Alice says she doesn’t want to forget this crazy reality when she awakens. She wants to remember the Hatter, in all his mad glory, with his frayed orange hair. and just for a moment, amid all the chaos, we have a poignant aside about the wonderful pleasures of our fantasies.

That was the moment that made me fall back in love with Tim Burton.

24 hours after the screening, what lingers with me most about this Alice in Wonderland romp are the specific, hilarious characterizations; Burton’s style is not at the expense of Alice’s personalities, but in their service. Permit me some very mild spoilers: above ground, Alice is a strong, independent young woman fed up with routine existence. Everyone else expects her to fall in line, to be prim and proper, to accept the marriage proposal of a royal suitor. She flees instead down the rabbit hole – back into a dream world that seems strangely familiar to her. This plunge, by the way, might be the one sequence where Alice’s 3D feels like a valuable addition to the proceedings (in most scenes, the 3D effects aren’t worth dimming the picture so dramatically, through the 3D glasses)

Down here, there’s a real sense of discovery, as we meet the crew. Johnny Depp has a field day as the mad Hatter, in a performance that makes this character seem genuinely off his rocker. he flies off the handle into fits of rage, but then gets so excited about creating hats for the evil Queen of Hearts that he almost forgets he’s a prisoner, chained to the floor. Helen Bonham Carter, as the queen, meanwhile, really steals the movie. She’s vicious, but ragingly insecure, and Carter walks that fine line between being a terrifying wicked witch and just a hilarious, bitter sister of Anne Hathaway’s so-perfect-she’s-irritating White Queen.

There’s the skittish and bug-eyed March Hare, who is in a constant state of caffeine overload. There’s the croquet game with the cute little tied-up hedgehog, playing the part of the ball. There’s the dim-witted Tweedledum and Tweedledee, grunting as they thump around in the background. and then the Queen of Heart’s lover, played by Crispin Glover – a pathetic, clingy, petty little man who would rather kiss her hand than lose his head. There’s even the blue caterpillar, puff puff puffing away, and of course the Jabberwocky which has been more and more prevalent in the modern variations of Alice. (More at Techland: Percy Jackson and the all-time best sci-fi child heroes)

Now we’ve seen Burton mess with other franchises, altering storylines and inverting themes. But with Alice in Wonderland, he clearly feels a kinship for this universe, and the themes of fantasy, imagination and escape that are at play. In the friendship between Alice and the freaky mad Hatter, there’s a hint of Edward Scissorhands. In his barren Wonderland, the focus is less on the cryptic facade than about the fact that so many characters here are trying to break free of this drab existence. they want something better. just like Big Fish.

Alice in Wonderland is about this motley crew, how one frightened and overwhelmed girl learns how to team up with those around her – and return the kindnesses that she is afforded. It’s a coming of age stroll, shifted from a college campus to an otherworldly dimension. and through each encounter, I felt as if I was watching Alice gain a sense of courage, confidence and pride. For many kids in the audience, this will be a film about confronting your fears and embracing the challenge.

Over the past few days, I’ve been surprised by the number of people who have asked me about the film. clearly there’s curiosity out there, but also a fair bit of hesitation. There’s skepticism in their questions. and as I have shrugged in my replies, I haven’t tried to be negative. Tim Burton hasn’t reinvented the wheel here – a la Scissorhands or Batman – but he hasn’t interfered so much that he’s gutted the franchise of its magic (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). He’s taken a familiar story, lovingly molded it with state-of-the-art technology, and used his fascination with darkness as a way of creating contrast, helping us to see just how colorful and indelible Lewis Carroll’s creations were. He’s preserved the original, but then made it even more revealing in his telling.

More on Techland:

Hive Mind: What We’re Looking Forward To In March

A Practical Guide to … Traveling between Worlds

Tron Trailer: Your Reason To Get To Alice On Time

TV presenter Carol Vorderman is launching an online maths school for children and parents. Skip related content

The former Countdown star said she designed the lessons, which feature video instruction, music, games and rewards, to help youngsters “be the very best they can” with numbers.

Parents will be able to visit The Maths Factor website from Monday and sign up for classes on Wednesday.

It comes after a survey revealed almost one-in-five children of primary school age received extra help from a private tutor to improve their maths skills.

The YouGov poll also showed 96 per cent of parents believed it was essential for their children to have a good grasp of arithmetic to get a job in the future.

Also I have bunch of questions to ask about Canada. lower Canada was known as New france and later Quebec, what was upper Canada known as?Why are most French-speaking Canadians are Roman Catholic, while most English speaking Canadians are Protestant? what is Parti Quebecois? when John Cabot first explored Canada for the British,for what was he looking?
IF YOU CANT ANSWER ALL OF THESE, ANSWER THE ONE YOU KNOW WOULD HELP, Thanks

By: David Freddoso
Online Opinion Editor
03/04/10 11:31 AM EST

Yesterday’s trial balloon about Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., becoming the next Ways and Means Chairman has been popped. Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., who (like most people in America) has thrown fewer obscene tirades on video and audio tape than Stark, will replace Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., as the next Ways and Means Chairman.

Stark’s ailment, cited in this Washington Post account, was apparently not a consideration yesterday when the trial balloon was floated by an unnamed House leadership aide. but Democrats, beset by scandals over three of their New Yorkers in a single day, might have needed a break.

Pop singer Clay Aiken adds voice for gay rights campaign as gala speaker in NC hometown

February 24th, 2010 Clay Aiken takes NC stage for gay rightsRALEIGH, N.C. — More than a year after disclosing he is gay, Clay Aiken is speaking before a gay-rights event in his hometown.

Simon Cowell girlfriend’s boob-grope snap angers Afghans

February 14th, 2010 LONDON – Simon Cowell’s new girlfriend has enraged her fellow Afghans with a picture that shows her boobs being groped by a gay singing star. in the pic, American Idol make-up artist Mezhgan Hussainy, 36, can be seen grabbed by singer Clay Aiken, reports the Daily Star.

The 9th Annual Greater new York Human Rights Campaign

February 7th, 2010 more imagesTim GunnThe 9th Annual Greater new York Human Rights Campaign Gala held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

Ayla Brown Pictures Become most Searched Topic After Father’s Speech

January 21st, 2010 MASSACHUSETTS (GaeaTimes.com)- The daughter of recently elected Democrat Scott Brown, Ayla Brown became an overnight celebrity, flooded with offers from young men wishing to take her out, all thanks to the acceptance speech of her father. in his speech, Democrat Scott Brown let the whole world know that his daughters are free and “available,” on national television.

Reverend Fred Phelps calls Lady Gaga a ’slut’

December 26th, 2009 MELBOURNE – Lady Gaga has been branded slut by religious activists known for picketing the funerals of deceased soldiers and vocally opposing rights for gays and lesbians. A press release issued by the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church, led by the Reverend Fred Phelps, claimed Lady Gaga was ‘going to Hell’ for allegedly leading a ‘rebellion’ against God, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Lucas Pays Tribute to Late Ex

December 7th, 2009 LITTLE BRITAIN star MATT LUCAS paid tribute to his former partner KEVIN MCGEE at a memorial on Sunday (06Dec09). The actor was joined by Sharon Osbourne, Russell Brand and more than 200 guests at the tribute to the late TV producer, who was found hanged at his Edinburgh, Scotland apartment in October (09).

Washington Civil Rights Concert Tops Greatest Gigs Poll

November 25th, 2009 The March on Washington event in 1963, featuring BOB DYLAN, JOAN BAEZ and folk icon PETE SEEGER, has beaten THE BEATLES’ ED SULLIVAN shows and Dylan’s controversial Newport Folk Festival gig to top a list of America’s greatest concerts in the past 50 years. Elvis Presley’s NBC TV special in 1968, The Beatles at Shea Stadium, the Sex Pistols final show in San Francisco, California and Jimi Hendrix’s show-stealing performance at Woodstock also made the top 10 in Relix magazine’s poll.

Banner Postpones Rally over Safety Concerns

October 20th, 2009 Hip-hop star DAVID BANNER has postponed a community rally he organised in Chicago, Illinois over safety fears. The rapper’s Heal The Hood Foundation planned to hold the Something’s wrong Community Rally on Tuesday (20Oct09) to raise awareness and develop solutions regarding the city’s youth and gang violence issues.

Francis Defends Decision to Join Gay-rights March

October 13th, 2009 JOE FRANCIS has hit back at allegations he only took part in a gay rights march to boost his battered public image – insisting he understands how it feels to be stripped of your civil rights. The Girls gone Wild founder took to the street of Washington, D.C.

Nixon Marches for Gay Rights

October 12th, 2009 SEX AND THE CITY star CYNTHIA NIXON took to the streets of Washington, D.C. on Sunday (11Oct09) to lead a gay rights march.

Gaga Channels Lennon for Human Rights Rally

October 12th, 2009 LADY GAGA performed JOHN LENNON’s iconic hit IMAGINE to rally support for a gay rights march through the streets of Washington, D.C. on Sunday (11Oct09).

Lady Gaga to take to Washington streets for gay rally

October 8th, 2009 LONDON – Lady Gaga is all set to hit the streets of Washington, D.C. to campaign for gay rights.

Lady Gaga Calls for Supporters in Gay Rally

October 7th, 2009 LADY GAGA is taking to the streets of Washington, D.C. to lead a march in support of gay rights.

Not-so-political rally near Texas Capitol _ this one’s for new Robert Rodriguez film “Machete”

August 27th, 2009 No real rally, it’s Rodriguez movie shot in AustinAUSTIN, Texas — A political rally being staged near the Texas Capitol had nothing to do with real Republicans or Democrats. A stretch of Congress Avenue was closed to traffic Thursday as part of filming for the Robert Rodriguez action movie “Machete,” featuring Robert de Niro.

Following Facebook campaign, actor James Franco pulls out of UCLA commencement speech

June 6th, 2009 Actor James Franco pulls out of UCLA grad speechLOS ANGELES — Actor James Franco says he has dropped a plan to give a commencement speech at the University of California, Los Angeles, a move that may have been prompted by pressure from students. Franco issued a statement saying he canceled his June 12 appearance because of conflicts with preproduction demands for his next film.

USGS Earthquake Hazards Program responsible for monitoring reporting and researching earthquakes and earthquake hazards.

In response to reports that initial volumes of Apples iPad in late March will be lower than originally planned and the launch will be only in the US market because production by Foxconn Electronics has been delayed Foxconns component.

Politics By Politics on March 3 2010 at 859 pm. filed a lawsuit against the Taiwanese HTC corportation for infringing on 20 Apple patents related to the iPhones user interface.

The 2010 Taiwan Research Visiting Scholar Grant program is funded by the Ministry of Education Republic of China Taiwan aiming to promote independent or collaborative research on Taiwanrelated topics by international scholars.

TAIPEI Taiwan AP a powerful earthquake has hit southern Taiwan.

On March 2 2010 Apple Inc. the Central Weather Bureau says Thursdays 6. TAIPEI Taiwan News in a protest outside the Presidential Office Wednesday environmentalists called on President Ma Yingjeou to change his policies and call a Tags Politics tw. 6magnitude temblor in central Taiwan in 1999 killed more than 2300 people. 4 according to the USGS. 7magnitude quake south of Kaohsiung severed undersea cables and disrupted telephone and Internet service to millions throughout Asia. Local news reports said several people were injured. 4magnitude quake was centered in Kaohsiung.

A strong Taiwan earthquake was reported Thursday morning registering at 6.

Kochi March 3 Taiwan which has established trade and technical collaboration with various Indian states in recent times Wednesday expressed keen interest. the earthquake took place in southern Taiwan 25 miles from Taitung Taiwan. 4magnitude earthquake rocked southern Taiwan on Thursday causing widespread damage and disrupting communications around the island. the topic climbed quickly on twitter trend and has become one of the most.

S.H.E is a Taiwanese girl group whose members are Selina Jen, Hebe Tien, and Ella Chen. the name of the group is an alphabetism derived from the first letter of each member’s name. Since releasing their first album Girls Dorm (2001), S.H.E has recorded 12 albums with sales totalling over 4.5 million, and set ticketing records in each of their two concert tours. the group has acted in seven drama series, hosted two variety shows, and contributed 10 songs to six drama soundtracks. S.H.E has endorsed more than 30 companies and products, including Coca-Cola and World of Warcraft. thanks largely to S.H.E’s success, other Taiwanese record labels began forming their own girl groups.

In 2000, Jen, Tien and Chen signed up for a singing contest, and the winner, Jen, was award

Posted by Thombeau of Fabulon…

Kevin Aucoin, the late, great makeup-artist to the stars, had a gift for changing faces. Featured here are a few prime examples; well-known actresses portraying legends of another era. Can you tell who they are and who they’re paying tribute to? (If you’re already familiar with Aucoin’s books, please keep their identities to yourself and let others have a guess. It’ll be fun!) the answers will be given in a later post. no prizes, but if you name them all correctly you can feel pretty damn good about yourself because you are fabulous, darling!

Concepcion, Chile (CNN) — Aid and increased security were flowing Wednesday into hard-hit areas of Chile, but some residents complained that they still had not received food or water since Saturday’s massive earthquake killed more than 800 people.

President Michelle Bachelet urged residents Wednesday to remain calm despite the shortages and lawlessness in Concepcion, Talcahuano and other areas of central and southern Chile. For the second consecutive day, she also warned that looting will not be tolerated.

“Nobody can argue that taking a refrigerator is an act of survival,” Bachelet said. “That is simply vandalism and delinquency.”

An overnight curfew remained in effect for the third day in Concepcion, the scene of the worst looting. Authorities said they would take whatever steps are necessary to keep order, and 35 people were arrested for curfew violations.

A military presence and citizen patrols appeared to maintain order in the nation’s second-largest city, though CNN’s Sara Sidner said that about 10 percent of the stores in the downtown business district appeared to have been looted.

“There was a moment when this was no-man’s land,” one resident said. “This place was like the Wild West.”

Some supermarkets were open, though checkout lines lasting two to three hours were common.

The death toll increased to 802, with nearly 600 of those fatalities occurring in the Maule region, the National Emergency Office said Wednesday. Nineteen people were missing, said Patricio Rosende, the assistant interior secretary.

Thirty trucks loaded with food and water arrived late Tuesday in Concepcion. the supplies were being distributed Wednesday.

The city’s mayor, Jacqueline Van Rysselberghe, said it was a good start but not nearly enough.

The aid, she told CNN Chile, would be distributed in areas where there has been little or no looting.

Concepcion is less than 10 miles inland from Talcahuano, but the two towns suffered far different fates. In Concepcion, the fatalities and injuries were largely the result of buildings that collapsed.

In coastal Talcahuano, the damage was caused by a tsunami that roared into town about an hour after the quake. When the waters receded, they left large boats stranded inland. In spot, four shrimping vessels lay in a heap, stacked on top of each other.

Much of the gritty port city looked as if a bomb had exploded in it: its buildings reduced to rubble, which was covered with debris.

See scenes of devastation from the quake

The greatest number of deaths occurred in the Maule region, where disaster visited two cities in different ways.

In the central city of Talca, an ancient municipality, the earthquake wiped out many of the older adobe structures, crushing hundreds of residents.

In the coastal city of Constitucion, a large wave caused most of the deaths; officials said half of the city was damaged.

Many Maule area residents said they had received no help.

“We have not received any aid from anyone. Nothing. Nothing,” said Carlos Basoaldo, one of 6,000 residents of the coastal hamlet of Pelluhue.

“They are only concerned about the big cities,” Basoaldo told CNN Chile.

Security, too, remained a concern.

The mayors of Concepcion, Hualpen and Talcahuano had urgently requested military help, and Bachelet said that more than 13,000 soldiers were being dispatched. Many of those soldiers started to reach their destinations Tuesday.

But World Vision’s emergency operations manager said the situation was safe enough for the non-governmental organization to distribute aid in two villages near Concepcion.

“Fortunately enough, we had the collaboration of the government and the army,” Michael Black said from Santiago.

He credited the extension of the curfew from 6 p.m. until noon.

“What emergency operations are doing is, they’re trying to arrive with supplies through the city of Concepcion during the curfew,” he said. “That has worked really well.”

Among the items distributed by the Christian humanitarian group were 10,000 blankets, 5,000 liters of water, 3 tons of food and thousands of sleeping bags, he said.

Santiago, which suffered damage from the quake but was well on its way to recovery Wednesday, is about 270 miles (435 km) northeast of Concepcion.

Concerns about the safety of those buildings that were damaged in the quake were heightened Wednesday afternoon, when a 5.6-magnitude aftershock struck 30 miles south southwest of Valparaiso, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Residents in coastal cities in Chile started to evacuate Wednesday after officials in the fishing village of Dichato and in the city Concepcion warned of a possible tsunami and said they had one hour to leave low-lying areas. the evacuations were halted minutes later when the National Emergency Office said there was no tsunami warning.

Since Saturday’s 8.8-magnitude earthquake, the region has suffered more than 120 aftershocks of 5.0 magnitude or greater, USGS Geophysicist Don Blakeman said. eight of them have been 6.0 or stronger, he said.

The aftershocks further stressed a frightened population.

“The vast majority of the population, if not everyone at this moment, has some symptoms like anxiety, fear, depression,” said Dr. Graciela Rojas, a psychiatrist at the University of Chile’s clinical hospital. “I would say that the next three months will be a time of fear and sadness.”

“Basically, we are all under great stress,” Dr. Matias Gonzalez, a psychiatrist at the University of Chile. “People are afraid; they want to protect their families, and they function emotionally, not rationally.”

The minister of public works said the country’s major highways are open and no part of the country is isolated. In addition, Sergio Bitar said, air connections were being re-established, ports were being fixed, and food and fuel supplies were sufficient.

“There is public order,” he said. “It was a giant earthquake, but we are handling it well.”

But Chile’s economy, considered by many the most competitive in Latin America, also has taken a hit.

About 70 percent of the nation’s economic production has been affected, particularly fruit and mining sectors, CNN Chile said, citing analysts’ observations.

But officials said Wednesday that they are working to fix some sectors affected by lack of electricity and other necessities. For example, Treasury Minister Andres Velasco said, about 60 percent of the nation’s banks are open.

“Our economy has dealt very well with this situation,” Velasco said. he and Bachelet tried to reassure Chileans that there were sufficient supplies of food, fuel and other goods and urged residents not to hoard.

CNN’s David Ariosto and Tom Watkins contributed to this report.

two days, two deals for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

One day after bringing in defenseman Jordan Leopold from Florida, Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero acquired forward Alex Ponikarovsky from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night. Defenseman Martin Skoula and minor-league forward Luca Caputi are headed to the Leafs.

On Monday, the Penguins acquired Leopold for a second-round pick in the 2010 Entry Draft.

Ponikarovsky did not dress for Toronto’s 5-1 home loss to Carolina at the Air Canada Centre on Tuesday night.

Ponikarovsky, 29, like Leopold, will be a free agent in July. the Kiev, Ukraine, native has 19 goals and 44 points in 61 games this season and is plus-5 with 44 penalty minutes. the Maple Leafs’ fourth-round pick (No. 87) in the 1998 Entry Draft has 114 goals and 143 assists for 257 points in 477 NHL games and is plus-56 with 318 penalty minutes. He has 19 power-play goals and 12 game winners.

Ponikarovsky’s plus-56 rating on a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in the prime of his career can’t be ignored, nor can his 6-foot-4, 229-pound frame.

Shero is hoping these deals are as successful as the moves he made a year ago, primarily the acquisitions of Chris Kunitz from the Anaheim Ducks and Bill Guerin from the New York Islanders. those two joined Sidney Crosby on Pittsburgh’s top line and combined with him for 60 points in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Caputi, 21, was the Penguins’ fourth-round pick (No. 111) in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. A pure shooter, he had 51 goals and 111 points for the 2007-08 OHL Niagara Ice Dogs. He joined AHL Wilkes-Barre for the 2008 Calder Cup Playoffs and helped them to the final with four goals and four assists in 19 playoff games. the Penguins were defeated in six games by the Chicago Wolves.

Caputi is in his second full season with Wilkes-Barre and has 23 goals and 47 points in 54 games, second on the Baby Pens. He also had a goal and an assist with Pittsburgh in a four-game callup after getting a goal in five games with the Pens last season. Caputi, a Toronto native, is 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds.

Skoula, 30, who signed with Pittsburgh just before the start of the season, is 3-5-8 in 33 games, but has been a healthy scratch for much of the season.

The SyFy cable television show Destination Truth did an episode last week on the Ghosts of Chernobyl. They did a paranormal investigation of the town.

You may recall that I did a post on Chernobyl as it is one of the greatest examples of a Modern ruin. It also shows the potential outcome that a man made industrial disaster can have on a city that is moderately populated.

I did two posts on Chernobyl that can be read here.

The episode of this show that is the 4th episode in the 3rd Season on Destination Truth can be seen here.

I am not a big fan of the show and don’t usually watch, but the best ghost hunters in the business today Jason and Grant from the SyFy show Ghost Hunters (one of my favorites) analyse the data collected from the site and believe to to be paranormal.

Well I would imagine in a horrible disaster like at Chernobyl there would be the potential for paranormal activity. However, determining if it s a ghost or haunt would be difficult. The high levels of radiation definitely taint any investigation here as one does not know how the scientific equipment used to detect ghosts reacts around such high levels of radiation. It is still a great episode and very relevant to stuff I have written about before.