Richard Schuett, President & CEO of Solar Lighting, or Sol, inc., is seeking information on who is coordinating on-the-ground relief efforts in Haiti after the Haiti Earthquake and that is in need of solar lighting. His firm donated over 40 solar-powered lights after the 2007 Peru Earthquake.
Sol, inc has created solar powered light systems since 1990 and have 38,000 systems installed around the World, including Australia, Canada, USA, as well as parts of Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Central and South America.
If you have a need for donated solar lights for the Haiti relief effort, contact Richard Schuett at rschuett@solarlighting.com, website is www.solarlighting.com
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
UNICEF issues appeal for Haiti Aid in wake of Haiti Earthquake
The U.S. Fund for UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, has sent out a urgent appeal for aid to victims in the wake of the 7.0 Haiti Earthquake, regional tsunami warning, and subsequent 13 aftershocks above 4.0 on the Richter Scale.
Haiti's population of 9.6 million people is just barely larger than that of the San Francisco Bay Area. Half of Haiti's population is under the age of 21, and the country is severely impoverished. It's estimated that 80 percent of Haiti's residents live in total poverty.
UNICEF reports:
You can donate to UNICEF's effort at http://www.unicefusa.org/haitiquake or call 1-800-4UNICEF
Stay tuned.
Haiti's population of 9.6 million people is just barely larger than that of the San Francisco Bay Area. Half of Haiti's population is under the age of 21, and the country is severely impoverished. It's estimated that 80 percent of Haiti's residents live in total poverty.
UNICEF reports:
Funds are urgently needed to provide safe water, temporary shelter systems, essential medical supplies etc. UNICEF’s country office in Haiti and the regional office located in Panama has deployed emergency teams to assess the situation and determine what the additional emergency needs are for the people of Haiti.
You can donate to UNICEF's effort at http://www.unicefusa.org/haitiquake or call 1-800-4UNICEF
Stay tuned.
Help for Haiti after 7.0 Earthquake: updated donation list and information
This is an update of an earlier report on Help for Haiti after the 7.0 Earthquake. The organization list was updated such that new information was placed in alphabetical order.
Haiti's an impoverished nation that is asking for fiscal help in the wake of the terrible destruction from the 7.0 Earthquake, the largest ever in that region of the World. Moreover the nation's being battered with aftershocks.
Power is out everywhere and people are in the dark and need help. The capital city of Port-Au-Prince has been catastrophically damaged.
Fortunately, legitimate online help efforts are being established. Here are some of them as of this writing:
American Red Cross (Reportedly has contributed $200,000 to Haiti relief.)
AmeriCares Help For Haiti. Goes to their International Disaster Relief Fund.
Chuck Simmins also has this blog - http://northshorejournal.org/haiti-earthquake-aid - of coverage of the Haiti Earthquake Disaster and where to donate, including any organizations that may not be listed here.
Doctors without Boarders - not a Haiti Specific page as of this writing.
HaitiArise - HaitiArise has provided education and relief for the past six years. It's a registered Canadian charity and reports that 100 percent of donated funds go directly to Haiti.
Haiti Emergency Relief Fund - by Vanguard Public Foundation in San Francisco. Established for Haiti before the Earthquake.
Mercy Corps - Mercy Corps' website is devoted to the Haiti Earthquake Disaster; they're deploying a team bound for Haiti now.
Partners In Heath - You can use the drop-down menu to specify donations to Haiti.
Yele Haiti - Wyclef Jean's Haiti initiative to assist his native Haiti.
UNICEF - UNICEF has set up a special page for donations for the children of Haiti. In an email, UNICEF's Alissa Pinck reports: "UNICEF’s country office in Haiti and the regional office located in Panama is on the ground and have already deployed emergency teams to assess the situation and determine what the additional emergency needs are for the people of Haiti."
If there are any Haiti-specific efforts not listed here, please send an email to zennie@zennie62.com and this entry will be updated.
Haiti's an impoverished nation that is asking for fiscal help in the wake of the terrible destruction from the 7.0 Earthquake, the largest ever in that region of the World. Moreover the nation's being battered with aftershocks.
Power is out everywhere and people are in the dark and need help. The capital city of Port-Au-Prince has been catastrophically damaged.
Fortunately, legitimate online help efforts are being established. Here are some of them as of this writing:
American Red Cross (Reportedly has contributed $200,000 to Haiti relief.)
AmeriCares Help For Haiti. Goes to their International Disaster Relief Fund.
Chuck Simmins also has this blog - http://northshorejournal.org/haiti-earthquake-aid - of coverage of the Haiti Earthquake Disaster and where to donate, including any organizations that may not be listed here.
Doctors without Boarders - not a Haiti Specific page as of this writing.
HaitiArise - HaitiArise has provided education and relief for the past six years. It's a registered Canadian charity and reports that 100 percent of donated funds go directly to Haiti.
Haiti Emergency Relief Fund - by Vanguard Public Foundation in San Francisco. Established for Haiti before the Earthquake.
Mercy Corps - Mercy Corps' website is devoted to the Haiti Earthquake Disaster; they're deploying a team bound for Haiti now.
Partners In Heath - You can use the drop-down menu to specify donations to Haiti.
Yele Haiti - Wyclef Jean's Haiti initiative to assist his native Haiti.
UNICEF - UNICEF has set up a special page for donations for the children of Haiti. In an email, UNICEF's Alissa Pinck reports: "UNICEF’s country office in Haiti and the regional office located in Panama is on the ground and have already deployed emergency teams to assess the situation and determine what the additional emergency needs are for the people of Haiti."
If there are any Haiti-specific efforts not listed here, please send an email to zennie@zennie62.com and this entry will be updated.
Haiti Earthquake: Mexican Embassy issues help notice
This latest update comes from Twitter and is related to the Mexican Embassy:
Or...
The Mexican Embassy in Haiti has issued a number to call for Mexicans needing help in Haiti. The number is (509) 3804-6962 3804-7296 and email is bsanchezr@sre.gob.mx in Port au Prince.
(Mexicanos que necesiten auxilio en #Haiti llamar Embajada de #Mexico (509) 3804-6962, 3804-7296 bsanchezr@sre.gob.mx en Puerto PrÃncipe)
In related news, a 5.1 aftershock just erupted as of this writing. Reports are that buildings are still falling.
The 7.0 earthquake hit at 5 P.M. 10 miles and 6 miles below Haiti's capital city of Port-Au-Prince.
Stay tuned.
@HIValicious: Mexicans in need of help in #Haiti call Embassy of #Mexico (509) 3804-6962 3804-7296 bsanchezr@sre.gob.mx in Port-Au-Prince.
25 minutes ago from TweetDeck
Or...
The Mexican Embassy in Haiti has issued a number to call for Mexicans needing help in Haiti. The number is (509) 3804-6962 3804-7296 and email is bsanchezr@sre.gob.mx in Port au Prince.
(Mexicanos que necesiten auxilio en #Haiti llamar Embajada de #Mexico (509) 3804-6962, 3804-7296 bsanchezr@sre.gob.mx en Puerto PrÃncipe)
In related news, a 5.1 aftershock just erupted as of this writing. Reports are that buildings are still falling.
The 7.0 earthquake hit at 5 P.M. 10 miles and 6 miles below Haiti's capital city of Port-Au-Prince.
Stay tuned.
Help for Haiti after 7.0 Earthquake: updated donation list and information
This is an update of an earlier report on Help for Haiti after the 7.0 Earthquake. The organization list was updated such that new information was placed in alphabetical order.
Haiti's an impoverished nation that is asking for fiscal help in the wake of the terrible destruction from the 7.0 Earthquake, the largest ever in that region of the World. Moreover the nation's being battered with aftershocks.
Power is out everywhere and people are in the dark and need help. The capital city of Port-Au-Prince has been catastrophically damaged.
Fortunately, legitimate online help efforts are being established. Here are some of them as of this writing:
American Red Cross (Reportedly has contributed $200,000 to Haiti relief.)
AmeriCares Help For Haiti. Goes to their International Disaster Relief Fund.
Chuck Simmins also has this blog - http://northshorejournal.org/haiti-earthquake-aid - of coverage of the Haiti Earthquake Disaster and where to donate, including any organizations that may not be listed here.
Doctors without Boarders - not a Haiti Specific page as of this writing.
HaitiArise - HaitiArise has provided education and relief for the past six years. It's a registered Canadian charity and reports that 100 percent of donated funds go directly to Haiti.
Haiti Emergency Relief Fund - by Vanguard Public Foundation in San Francisco. Established for Haiti before the Earthquake.
Mercy Corps - Mercy Corps' website is devoted to the Haiti Earthquake Disaster; they're deploying a team bound for Haiti now.
Partners In Heath - You can use the drop-down menu to specify donations to Haiti.
Yele Haiti - Wyclef Jean's Haiti initiative to assist his native Haiti.
UNICEF - UNICEF has set up a special page for donations for the children of Haiti. In an email, UNICEF's Alissa Pinck reports: "UNICEF’s country office in Haiti and the regional office located in Panama is on the ground and have already deployed emergency teams to assess the situation and determine what the additional emergency needs are for the people of Haiti."
If there are any Haiti-specific efforts not listed here, please send an email to zennie@zennie62.com and this entry will be updated.
Haiti's an impoverished nation that is asking for fiscal help in the wake of the terrible destruction from the 7.0 Earthquake, the largest ever in that region of the World. Moreover the nation's being battered with aftershocks.
Power is out everywhere and people are in the dark and need help. The capital city of Port-Au-Prince has been catastrophically damaged.
Fortunately, legitimate online help efforts are being established. Here are some of them as of this writing:
American Red Cross (Reportedly has contributed $200,000 to Haiti relief.)
AmeriCares Help For Haiti. Goes to their International Disaster Relief Fund.
Chuck Simmins also has this blog - http://northshorejournal.org/haiti-earthquake-aid - of coverage of the Haiti Earthquake Disaster and where to donate, including any organizations that may not be listed here.
Doctors without Boarders - not a Haiti Specific page as of this writing.
HaitiArise - HaitiArise has provided education and relief for the past six years. It's a registered Canadian charity and reports that 100 percent of donated funds go directly to Haiti.
Haiti Emergency Relief Fund - by Vanguard Public Foundation in San Francisco. Established for Haiti before the Earthquake.
Mercy Corps - Mercy Corps' website is devoted to the Haiti Earthquake Disaster; they're deploying a team bound for Haiti now.
Partners In Heath - You can use the drop-down menu to specify donations to Haiti.
Yele Haiti - Wyclef Jean's Haiti initiative to assist his native Haiti.
UNICEF - UNICEF has set up a special page for donations for the children of Haiti. In an email, UNICEF's Alissa Pinck reports: "UNICEF’s country office in Haiti and the regional office located in Panama is on the ground and have already deployed emergency teams to assess the situation and determine what the additional emergency needs are for the people of Haiti."
If there are any Haiti-specific efforts not listed here, please send an email to zennie@zennie62.com and this entry will be updated.
Twitter news, 7.0 Earthquake in Haiti near Port-au-Prince reveals damage
A 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti just 10 miles from Port-au-Prince, the nation's capital city. According to CNN, the earthquake knocked down buildings and inflicted "a catastrophe on the impoverished Caribbean nation."
NBC's Brian Williams reports that it's the largest earthquake ever to hit that region of the World.
The earthquake hit at 5 P.M; little information has come since then, but Twitter tweets indicate many people have friends, relatives, and relations in Haiti, and can't contact them:
But a person named Musician Richard Morse is producing tweets from there, as he reportedly manages a hotel in Port-au-Prince:
These are the latest tweets from Richard Morse at http://twitter.com/RAMhaiti as of 4:48 PM PST / 7:48 PM PST and arranged latest tweet first:
NBC's Brian Williams reports that it's the largest earthquake ever to hit that region of the World.
The earthquake hit at 5 P.M; little information has come since then, but Twitter tweets indicate many people have friends, relatives, and relations in Haiti, and can't contact them:
reduceharm Can't get through to my aunt and some cousins who have phone access in Port-Au-Prince... who would've predicted.
2 minutes ago from web
Alexandros_ It appears situation in Haiti is bad. Really bad. Still no images or coverage from Port-au-Prince. Only scattered reports.
3 minutes ago from TweetDeck
But a person named Musician Richard Morse is producing tweets from there, as he reportedly manages a hotel in Port-au-Prince:
samseder Haiti 7.) earthquake RT@cbcconnect Musician Richard Morse, who also manages a hotel in Port-au-Prince, is tweeting updates @RAMhaiti
3 minutes ago from web
These are the latest tweets from Richard Morse at http://twitter.com/RAMhaiti as of 4:48 PM PST / 7:48 PM PST and arranged latest tweet first:
another aftershock..people are screaming and freaking out down towards the stadium..much singing and praying in large numbers
2 minutes ago from web
Collapsed UNIBANK building is on NYTIMES.com
11 minutes ago from web
people are needing medical supplies..food, housing; I don't know water situation;
12 minutes ago from web
I can't confirm what I hear about different buildings which are said to have collapsed but all reflects intensity of situation
14 minutes ago from web
A few people showing up @ Oloffson..roads are blocked by falling walls..much destruction on Grand Rue. I hear hospital General has collapsed
16 minutes ago from web
Phones are starting to work..got a call from some one who's house fell in, child is hurt but ok. .
19 minutes ago from web
we're ok..a little freaked out but ok..every one is hanging out outside on the driveway @mannysister
22 minutes ago from web
I see people on Rue Capois and I see some cars but i think getting around is difficult @tinoisette
23 minutes ago from web
isabelleMORSE much destruction on Grand Rue (Ave Dessalines) Daniel Morel's ok. Police Sta, Cathedral, Downtown teleco, Church St Anne all destroyed
31 minutes ago from web
Retweeted by RAMhaiti and 4 others
the tsunami warnings are for Jamaica and Cuba
about 1 hour ago from web
cars are starting to circulate..I see lights in the distance towards the wharf
about 1 hour ago from web
A huge hospital that was being built across from the Oloffson has collapsed
about 1 hour ago from web
Port au Prince is dark except for a few fires
about 1 hour ago from web
two helicopters have flown over head an hour ago but nothing since then
about 1 hour ago from web
they say it was a magnitude 7.0 earthquake..there are tsunami warnings here and in the Caribbean
about 1 hour ago from web
people are bringing people by on stretchers
about 1 hour ago from web
I'm told that parts of the Palace have collapsed..the UNIBANK here on Rue Capois has collapsed
about 1 hour ago from web
people are praying in groups..others are looking for relatives..no phone service..no electricity
about 1 hour ago from web
Our guests are sitting out in the driveway.. no serious damage here at the Oloffson but many large buildings nearby have collapsed
about 1 hour ago from web
lot's of rumors about which buildings were toppled..The Castel Haiti behind the Oloffson is a pile of rubble..it was 8 stories high
about 1 hour ago from web
Pete Carroll press conference at Seattle Seahawks
Former USC Head Coach Pete Carroll officially became the new head coach and executive vice president of The Seattle Seahawks in a press conference held at their headquarters today.
In his rambling, cheerleader way, Pete Carroll expressed how excited and happy he was to be in Seattle: "I am so fired up to be here today. Right from the beginning, they undersold. This is a tremendous place to come to work. It's really almost dreamlike for me."
Coach Carroll steps into a situation where, he says, the Seahawks are letting him do it his way: "They have embraced my approach (and) in a manner in which they want to wipe the path clear and give me the clearest opportunity to bring everything that I have to offer. That's really what I was looking for, the trust and belief from the top of the organization."
Pete Carroll leaves a legendary mark at USC. He has 97 wins and 19 losses, and two national championships. Pete Carroll's the only coach to have won the Rose Bowl three straight years, and has produced a record seven BCS bowl appearances.
And he leaves it all for Seattle and the Seahawks.
Pete Carroll takes over a team that's solid at quarterback with Matt Hasselbeck, but has questions in its defensive personnel. The Seahawks finished at 5 and 11, a record that led to the immediate ouster of Head Coach Jim Mora, Jr.
Here's a video of excerpts from today's press conference:
Pete Carroll will have a larger number of duties than just those of head coach. He will the kind of control that a general manager has but to a degree. Pete Carroll will actually pick his general manager, and work alongside, not for, that person. It's an arrangement that appears to circumvent the concerns of the Fritz Pollard Association, which advocated for the interviewing of and hiring of Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Leslie Frazier.
Stay tuned.
In his rambling, cheerleader way, Pete Carroll expressed how excited and happy he was to be in Seattle: "I am so fired up to be here today. Right from the beginning, they undersold. This is a tremendous place to come to work. It's really almost dreamlike for me."
Coach Carroll steps into a situation where, he says, the Seahawks are letting him do it his way: "They have embraced my approach (and) in a manner in which they want to wipe the path clear and give me the clearest opportunity to bring everything that I have to offer. That's really what I was looking for, the trust and belief from the top of the organization."
Pete Carroll leaves a legendary mark at USC. He has 97 wins and 19 losses, and two national championships. Pete Carroll's the only coach to have won the Rose Bowl three straight years, and has produced a record seven BCS bowl appearances.
And he leaves it all for Seattle and the Seahawks.
Pete Carroll takes over a team that's solid at quarterback with Matt Hasselbeck, but has questions in its defensive personnel. The Seahawks finished at 5 and 11, a record that led to the immediate ouster of Head Coach Jim Mora, Jr.
Here's a video of excerpts from today's press conference:
More duties than just coach
Pete Carroll will have a larger number of duties than just those of head coach. He will the kind of control that a general manager has but to a degree. Pete Carroll will actually pick his general manager, and work alongside, not for, that person. It's an arrangement that appears to circumvent the concerns of the Fritz Pollard Association, which advocated for the interviewing of and hiring of Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Leslie Frazier.
Stay tuned.
Chloe has Amanda Seyfried and Julianne Moore in lesbian sex scandal
Chloe is a new movie due out in March that's getting buzz for its daring lesbian sex scandal storyline that features Amanda Seyfried.
According to The Daily Mail UK, it features 24-year-old Amanda Seyfried in a hot relationship with 49-year old Julianne Moore who's character Catherine, hires the escort Chloe to seduce her husband, played by Liam Neeson, and who she suspects is cheating on her.
But the two meet in hotel bar and after some chat, Julianne Moore yanks off Amanda Seyfried's blouse before the two engage in a passionate kiss. The movie tagline is "She invited Chloe into her life, her home and her marriage. Big mistake."
Chloe is a remake of the french film of the same name and is directed by Atom Egoyan. The release date is March 10, 2010. It the second girl-on-girl kissing movie for Amanda Seyfried, the first being Jennifer's Body, when she locked lips with the sultry Megan Fox.
Stay tuned.
According to The Daily Mail UK, it features 24-year-old Amanda Seyfried in a hot relationship with 49-year old Julianne Moore who's character Catherine, hires the escort Chloe to seduce her husband, played by Liam Neeson, and who she suspects is cheating on her.
But the two meet in hotel bar and after some chat, Julianne Moore yanks off Amanda Seyfried's blouse before the two engage in a passionate kiss. The movie tagline is "She invited Chloe into her life, her home and her marriage. Big mistake."
Chloe is a remake of the french film of the same name and is directed by Atom Egoyan. The release date is March 10, 2010. It the second girl-on-girl kissing movie for Amanda Seyfried, the first being Jennifer's Body, when she locked lips with the sultry Megan Fox.
Stay tuned.
Jack Del Rio to replace Pete Carroll at USC? Not so fast
Reports are swirling that Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Jack Del Rio will replace outgoing USC Head Coach Pete Carroll, who's about to join the Seattle Seahawks as their new head coach in a press conference today. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer claims that USC sent a contract offer to Jack Del Rio Monday.
While Jack Del Rio is a popular selection and ESPN reported last night that USC had their sights set on him, Jack Del Rio placed ice on that claim today, according to the USA Today. Del Rio said...
Jack Del Rio's record with the Jacksonville Jaguars is 58-57, the team finished at 7 and 9 in 2009 and missed the playoffs, and while he has a great relationship with team owner Wayne Weaver, reportedly Del Rio is to meet with Weaver for a review of the season this week.
Del Rio has an active contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars which has $15 million remaining that would have to be bought-out if he were to move to USC.
Stay tuned.
While Jack Del Rio is a popular selection and ESPN reported last night that USC had their sights set on him, Jack Del Rio placed ice on that claim today, according to the USA Today. Del Rio said...
"That's all speculation and hype. All of those things are manufactured. The only thing I can tell you is I've been busy working on the Jaguars for 2010. We're busy at work, trying to build this team strong. All of those other things are a figment of other people's imaginations."
Jack Del Rio's record with the Jacksonville Jaguars is 58-57, the team finished at 7 and 9 in 2009 and missed the playoffs, and while he has a great relationship with team owner Wayne Weaver, reportedly Del Rio is to meet with Weaver for a review of the season this week.
Del Rio has an active contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars which has $15 million remaining that would have to be bought-out if he were to move to USC.
Stay tuned.
Roxxxy sex robot lifesized girlfriend debuts at at AEE 2010
In what's sure to be viewed as a wrong-way direction for social change, "Roxxxy" the robot lifesized girlfriend was introduced at AEE 2010, the Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas. Roxxxy robot lifesized girlfriend is a anatomically correct facsimile of a woman dressed for sex, and with "servos" and other electronics to make it seem, well, real. It's maker calls it the first "sex robot."
Violet Blue, where are you?
Roxxxy robot lifesized girlfriend was created by former Bell Labs employee Douglas Hines, who's overweight, balding, bespectacled look fits the perfect image of a guy who would make such a thing.
Douglas Hines says that he developed Roxxxy robot lifesized girlfriend after losing a friend in the 9-11 terrorist attack. Just who that friend is, Douglas Hines does not say, leaving one to wonder if he just spent too much money at strip clubs.
Roxxxy robot lifesized girlfriend is designed to respond to touch: a grab of her wrist causes her to "say" something depending on the personality type that's installed. The whole thought bring the question of how Douglas Hines actually tested the product.
Roxxxy robot lifesized girlfriend is the first in what is going to be a line of products by "True Companion", including, for women, a male version called Rocky.
But why make this, really, is anyone's guess.
What is disturbing is that in the video below the Roxxxy sex robot just sits there in an open position. It does nothing and would seem to be the perfect image of what Douglas Hines wants his women to do: nothing and just lay there. Be, well, submissive. In the video, this blogger was longing to see Roxxxy robot slap the crap out of Douglas Hines, but he didn't program it to do that. But perhaps you can because Hines says you can "create your dream personality" to have.
But if it's 2010 and we have Roxxxy sex robot lifesized girlfriend, what will 2020 bring? What this shows is technology replacing the need for human contact in everything from phones where people send texts, to invisible online commenters on forums, to this. Perhaps one good thing is that men who elect to go in this direction tske themselves out of the pool of us who love the real thing.
Stay tuned.
Violet Blue, where are you?
Roxxxy robot lifesized girlfriend was created by former Bell Labs employee Douglas Hines, who's overweight, balding, bespectacled look fits the perfect image of a guy who would make such a thing.
Douglas Hines says that he developed Roxxxy robot lifesized girlfriend after losing a friend in the 9-11 terrorist attack. Just who that friend is, Douglas Hines does not say, leaving one to wonder if he just spent too much money at strip clubs.
Roxxxy robot lifesized girlfriend is designed to respond to touch: a grab of her wrist causes her to "say" something depending on the personality type that's installed. The whole thought bring the question of how Douglas Hines actually tested the product.
Roxxxy robot lifesized girlfriend is the first in what is going to be a line of products by "True Companion", including, for women, a male version called Rocky.
But why make this, really, is anyone's guess.
What is disturbing is that in the video below the Roxxxy sex robot just sits there in an open position. It does nothing and would seem to be the perfect image of what Douglas Hines wants his women to do: nothing and just lay there. Be, well, submissive. In the video, this blogger was longing to see Roxxxy robot slap the crap out of Douglas Hines, but he didn't program it to do that. But perhaps you can because Hines says you can "create your dream personality" to have.
But if it's 2010 and we have Roxxxy sex robot lifesized girlfriend, what will 2020 bring? What this shows is technology replacing the need for human contact in everything from phones where people send texts, to invisible online commenters on forums, to this. Perhaps one good thing is that men who elect to go in this direction tske themselves out of the pool of us who love the real thing.
Stay tuned.
Spider-Man drops Tobey McGuire and Sam Rami; Taylor Lautner?
In what has been viewed as a massive film business blunder, the Spider-Man property dropped Tobey McGuire and Sam Rami after a dispute over script direction. But there's word that Avatar Director James Cameron still has "fire" to do a Spider-Man film. And, speculatively, the stage could be set for Taylor Lautner to be the new Peter Parker.
According to Nikke Finke at Deadline Hollywood, the creative problems led to a dispute that on Monday, officially ended the Spider-Man relationship between Columbia Pictures, Marvel Comics, Tobey McGuire, and Sam Rami, who starred in and directed the first three blockbuster films.
The problems started in December 2009, and with a Spider-Man 4 script written by screenwriters Jamie Vanderbilt, David Lindsay-Abaire, and Gary Ross, that according to Aint It Cool News, had something to do with Peter Parker, Mary Jane, and a baby. It's widely reported that Sam Rami hated the script, and didn't feel he could make a May 11, 2011 deadline with the technical demands it called for.
Finke reports that once Sam Rami said he was out, Columbia Pictures' Matt Tolmach and Sony Pictures co-chairman Amy Pascal wanted to "reboot" the franchise, in the way that J.J. Abrams was assigned to reboot the Star Trek franchise.
Reportedly, Rami wanted a script from Spider-Man Producer Laura Ziskin's husband and script writer for the Spider-Man 2 and 3 movies, Alvin Sargent. But Finke reports that her sources said the movie can't be made given the script issue, unless the script could be fast-tracked. To this date, as of this writing, that has not happened. Originally, the date for filming was February, and now it's undetermined. What is sure is that Alvin Sargent's working on a new script that involves Peter Parker in high school.
For several reasons, this blogger thinks Sony and Columbia have Taylor Lautner in mind for the new Peter Parker role. This is a hypothesis, but consider that Taylor Lautner is 17, right at high school age and has a strong 13 to 17 demographic that studios have been hot to capture of late (Miley Cyrus, for example). Moreover, Pascal says - and fans hate - that Sony and Columbia want to explore Peter Parker's teenage years and how he deals with those problems. That's a perfect vehicle for Taylor Lautner, who's now a hot property after the success of Twilight: New Moon.
In other words, they didn't want to deal with an adult Peter Parker for business reasons.
As for the reaction to all of this, fans are divided over at Aint It Cool News, but some patterns are obvious: first, many didn't like Tobey McGuire as Peter Parker because they didn't feel he matched the comic book version. Second, fans hate the idea of a Spider-Man reboot for a franchise that doesn't need one. Star Trek did and everyone knew it. Differences aside, the Spider-Man formula worked, even if Spider-Man 3 was too heavy on special effects and not on story. Tobey McGuire brought a certain innocence to the role that's hard to replicate.
Who will replace Sam Rami has not been determined, but Aint It Cool News reported a conversation with Avatar Director James Cameron at last year's Comic Con, who told Harry Knowles of AICN that he still has the "fire" in him to do a movie based on a treatment he penned several years ago, and is not intimidated by the success of the first three movies.
Stay tuned. The press release is below:
Taylor Lautner
According to Nikke Finke at Deadline Hollywood, the creative problems led to a dispute that on Monday, officially ended the Spider-Man relationship between Columbia Pictures, Marvel Comics, Tobey McGuire, and Sam Rami, who starred in and directed the first three blockbuster films.
The problems started in December 2009, and with a Spider-Man 4 script written by screenwriters Jamie Vanderbilt, David Lindsay-Abaire, and Gary Ross, that according to Aint It Cool News, had something to do with Peter Parker, Mary Jane, and a baby. It's widely reported that Sam Rami hated the script, and didn't feel he could make a May 11, 2011 deadline with the technical demands it called for.
Finke reports that once Sam Rami said he was out, Columbia Pictures' Matt Tolmach and Sony Pictures co-chairman Amy Pascal wanted to "reboot" the franchise, in the way that J.J. Abrams was assigned to reboot the Star Trek franchise.
Reportedly, Rami wanted a script from Spider-Man Producer Laura Ziskin's husband and script writer for the Spider-Man 2 and 3 movies, Alvin Sargent. But Finke reports that her sources said the movie can't be made given the script issue, unless the script could be fast-tracked. To this date, as of this writing, that has not happened. Originally, the date for filming was February, and now it's undetermined. What is sure is that Alvin Sargent's working on a new script that involves Peter Parker in high school.
For several reasons, this blogger thinks Sony and Columbia have Taylor Lautner in mind for the new Peter Parker role. This is a hypothesis, but consider that Taylor Lautner is 17, right at high school age and has a strong 13 to 17 demographic that studios have been hot to capture of late (Miley Cyrus, for example). Moreover, Pascal says - and fans hate - that Sony and Columbia want to explore Peter Parker's teenage years and how he deals with those problems. That's a perfect vehicle for Taylor Lautner, who's now a hot property after the success of Twilight: New Moon.
In other words, they didn't want to deal with an adult Peter Parker for business reasons.
As for the reaction to all of this, fans are divided over at Aint It Cool News, but some patterns are obvious: first, many didn't like Tobey McGuire as Peter Parker because they didn't feel he matched the comic book version. Second, fans hate the idea of a Spider-Man reboot for a franchise that doesn't need one. Star Trek did and everyone knew it. Differences aside, the Spider-Man formula worked, even if Spider-Man 3 was too heavy on special effects and not on story. Tobey McGuire brought a certain innocence to the role that's hard to replicate.
Who will replace Sam Rami has not been determined, but Aint It Cool News reported a conversation with Avatar Director James Cameron at last year's Comic Con, who told Harry Knowles of AICN that he still has the "fire" in him to do a movie based on a treatment he penned several years ago, and is not intimidated by the success of the first three movies.
Stay tuned. The press release is below:
Culver City, CA (January 11, 2010) -- Peter Parker is going back to high school when the next Spider-Man hits theaters in the summer of 2012.
Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios announced today they are moving forward with a film based on a script by James Vanderbilt that focuses on a teenager grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises.
The new chapter in the Spider-Man franchise produced by Columbia, Marvel Studios and Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin, will have a new cast and filmmaking team. Spider-Man 4 was to have been released in 2011, but had not yet gone into production.
“A decade ago we set out on this journey with Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire and together we made three Spider-Man films that set a new bar for the genre. When we began, no one ever imagined that we would make history at the box-office and now we have a rare opportunity to make history once again with this franchise. Peter Parker as an ordinary young adult grappling with extraordinary powers has always been the foundation that has made this character so timeless and compelling for generations of fans. We’re very excited about the creative possibilities that come from returning to Peter's roots and we look forward to working once again with Marvel Studios, Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin on this new beginning,” said Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
“Working on the Spider-Man movies was the experience of a lifetime for me. While we were looking forward to doing a fourth one together, the studio and Marvel have a unique opportunity to take the franchise in a new direction, and I know they will do a terrific job,” said Sam Raimi.
“We have had a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration and friendship with Sam and Tobey and they have given us their best for the better part of the last decade. This is a bittersweet moment for us because while it is hard to imagine Spider-Man in anyone else’s hands, I know that this was a day that was inevitable,” said Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures, who has served as the studio’s chief production executive since the beginning of the franchise. “Now everything begins anew, and that’s got us all tremendously excited about what comes next. Under the continuing supervision of Avi and Laura, we have a clear vision for the future of Spider-Man and can’t wait to share this exciting new direction with audiences in 2012.”
"Spider-Man will always be an important franchise for Sony Pictures and a fresh start like this is a responsibility that we all take very seriously," said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures. "We have always believed that story comes first and story guides the direction of these films and as we move onto the next chapter, we will stay true to that principle and will do so with the highest respect for the source material and the fans and moviegoers who deserve nothing but the best when it comes to bringing these stories and characters to life on the big screen."
Tom Hayes: Consequences of "gotcha politics" aimed at Senator Reid
Melissa Harris-Lacewell offers an excellent perspective in her piece "What Reid's Race Gaffe Tells Us About Inequality" today at The Nation. Nobody's surprised that the opposition party would leap on such a gaffe, but if they really want to accomplish change they'd be focused on more than one politician. The focus has clearly been a virtual frenzy - a "tar-and-feather the heathen" first, ask questions later approach - the sort of "gotcha" that McCain and other prominent GOP members famously claim to oppose.Is Senator Reid above criticism? Absolutely not. His choice of language reveals something of his social context and the resultant view of the world. Clearly conversations about race in his circle are lacking, and his experience is insulated from the way most Americans live.
But creating what political theorist Nancy Fraser calls, "a difference-friendly world, where assimilation to majority or dominant cultural norms is no longer the price for equal respect," isn't what the elite right-wing strategists or the supporting talk-show punditocracy is calling for, (or presumably hoping to achieve.) Their goals appear much less lofty: attack the party of the President to weaken his political influence, one member of Congress at a time.
Naturally some of GOP politicos and voters are applauding the response to the gaffe. But rather than the tactics Americans who want to reclaim moral high-ground while rebuilding the leadership role for their country on the world stage need to succeed, these reveal a willingness to return to the arrogant do-anything, say-anything tactics of fear for short-term political advantage that most Americans voted to curtail in 2008.
Thomas Hayes is an entrepreneur, journalist, and political analyst who contributes regularly to a host of web sites on topics ranging from economics and politics to culture and community.
Mark McGwire's steroids cry means Barry Bonds stays silent
Mark McGwire shocked the Sports World Monday with his explanation that he did indeed take steroids and performance enhancing drugs through his career in Oakland and all the way to his record setting 1998 season when he broke the Single-Game Home Run Record. Mark McGwire issued this statement Monday:
“I remember trying steroids very briefly in the 1989/1990 off season and then after I was injured in 1993, I used steroids again. I used them on occasion throughout the ’90s, including during the 1998 season. I wish I had never touched steroids. It was foolish and it was a mistake. I truly apologize. Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era.”
The statement turned Major League Baseball upside down, but don't look for former San Francisco Giants Slugger Barry Bonds to say he used steroids anytime soon. To do so, in Barry's mind, would mean that "the system" beat him.
Barry Bonds wants to beat "the system" because he sees it as racist. This view, and he has some fair reason to assert this, has unfortunately backed him into a corner that he's going to remain in for the rest of his life.
For Barry Bonds to admit any use of steroids absent under immunity, which he should have been granted long ago, is to perjure himself and write his ticket to jail. Anyone who's foolish enough to say or write that Barry Bonds should say he used steroids knows this. Moreover, in Barry's mind, he's already said he didn't know what he was being given. Proving that he did know is next to impossible.
Meanwhile, Barry Bonds rests with the belief that had he been white and broke McGwire's record, there would not have been the tremendous scrutiny placed on him. As one of my blogger friends Hodaka Kajita wrote in 2004, Barry Bonds was the target of sports reporters who "have hoarded Bonds in order to extract a comment that tarnishes his public image."
Of course, Hodaka's blog post caused a good debate, and that will continue today. But the bottom line is Barry Bonds felt he was the target of a racist witch hunt, author David Zirin believed this as well and expressed it in 2006, and I agree with both Bonds and Zirin.
Mark McGwire was given kid glove treatment in part because he's white and in part because he's a nice person. There's no argument here that some of Barry Bonds problems have been caused by the perception that he has an alleged legendary attitude, but even this is in question. Skip Bayless pointed to Sports Illustrated's Rick Reilly as the person who stsrted the torrent of "Bad Barry" columns and pres.
Bayless said this is so because San Francisco Giants' Jeff Kent, who didn't at all get along with Bonds at the time, was filling Reilly's notebook with negative Barry Bonds information and Reilly was soaking it up. Meanwhile, it was Jeff Kent who had the bad attitude according to Deadspin.
So all of that can be distilled to this: Barry Bonds is backed into a corner such that talking the way Mark McGuire did on Monday would give him a trip to the slammer for perjury and obstruction of justice. Bonds has nothing to gain from "pulling a McGuire" and letting his enemies get the best of him.
Meanwhile, the real question is what did the Commissioner of Baseball know about this and when. I personally don't believe he didn't know what was going on because too much money was at take not to. All of this was in the middle of a home-run race that fueled the creation of a baseball stadium boom that gave us everything from Camden Yards in Baltimore to AT&T Park in San Francisco.
AT&T Park is the house that Barry Bonds built. I believe he knows it and so does MLB Commissioner Bud Selig.
Stay tuned.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)