Speed Racer and Mach 5 Come Alive In Emile Hirsch and Christina Ricci's Live Action Movie

Ok. When I was a kid, I lived for the cartoon "Speed Racer" and wanted to have a car just like the Mach 5 . If you remember the show from the 60s, Speed was constantly in a battle for racing supremacy with Racer X. But more important to car freaks like me was the Mach 5 itself and what it could do. It had twin retractable cutting blades that allow it to slice trees in a forest.

ALERT: New blog "Senator Barack Obama for President!

With the push of a button the car could seal passengers and travel underwater, while a periscope allowed a view of the elements above water. The Mach 5 had a before-its-time robot homing pidigeon that could fly around and come back to the car. It had "super jacks" on all four wheels which permitted it not only to be lifted off the ground, but cause the car to jump over creeks and rivers. The tires were fitted with extendable special treads for ice-covered pavement driving. And finally, the thing was just plain cool to look at: sleek, long hood, arrow fenders that cut through the wind. The Mach 5 was the real star of Speed Racer.

For those of you who remember the show which aired starting in 1966, here's a video of the opening:



Now, we have the live-action version of the cartoon, brought to you by Matrix directors the Wachowski brothers, produced by Joel Silver, and released by Warner Bros. Pictures. The Mach 5 will be an actual vehicle in the film. Instead of being driven on pavement, it will be hung from a crane and have its effects computer-generated. The real Mach 5 was unvealed last week and from what you see here, I think they got it right. Here's the car in this video:



I managed to find a snopsysis of the movie from MovieWeb.com:

Hurtling down the track, careening around, over and through the competition, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is a natural behind the wheel. Born to race cars, Speed is aggressive, instinctive and, most of all, fearless. His only real competition is the memory of the brother he idolized -- the legendary Rex Racer -- whose death in a race has left behind a legacy that Speed is driven to fulfill.

Speed is loyal to the family racing business, led by his father, Pops Racer (John Goodman), the designer of Speed's thundering Mach 5. When Speed turns down a lucrative and tempting offer from Royalton Industries, he not only infuriates the company's maniacal owner (Roger Allam) but uncovers a terrible secret -- some of the biggest races are being fixed by a handful of ruthless moguls who manipulate the top drivers to boost profits. If Speed won't drive for Royalton, Royalton will see to it that the Mach 5 never crosses another finish line.

The only way for Speed to save his family's business and the sport he loves is to beat Royalton at his own game. With the support of his family and his loyal girlfriend, Trixie (Christina Ricci), Speed teams with his one-time rival -- the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox) -- to win the race that had taken his brother's life: the death-defying, cross-country rally known as The Crucible.

Watch for Speed Racer coming May, 2008

Paris Hilton - Paris Hilton WIll Not Appeal Judge Sauer's Decision - TMZ.com

Paris Hilton issued this statement, according to TMZ.com: Also, she' not eating in jail at all.

"Today I told my attorneys not to appeal the judge's decision. While I greatly appreciate the Sheriff's concern for my health and welfare, after meeting with doctors I intend to serve my time as ordered by the judge.

This is by far the hardest thing I have ever done. During the past several days, I have had a lot of time to reflect and have already learned a bitter, but important lesson from this experience.

As I have said before, I hope others will learn from my mistake. I have also had time to read the mail from my fans. I very much appreciate all of their good wishes and hope they will keep their letters coming.

I must also say that I was shocked to see all of the attention devoted to the amount of time I would spend in jail for what I had done by the media, public and city officials. I would hope going forward that the public and the media will focus on more important things, like the men and women serving our country in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places around the world."

As much as I disagree with Judge Sauer's decision, perhaps this will go a long way toward ending the stupid ways people treat Paris Hilton. Several news accounts quote people calling her "a stupid dumb blonde" which itself is totally racist.

"Lauren's Sexy Bikinis!" Video - What's Ford Models Up To?

The top ranked video today is from -- drumroll -- Ford Models. It's called "Lauren's Sexy Bikinis!" and drew over 300,000 views. It's part of a new online initiative launched by the modeling agency and has videos on not just YouTube but 14 other video distribution services.

I applaud the 60-year-old fashion firm's forray into online marketing and see it as a revolutionary step -- and a logical one. Ford's in the image business; what better way to present their image and brand than digital media? Racy videos? Yes. But that's the nature of the apparel business -- presenting bodies that capture your attention wearing something you want to buy.

Ford "gets it."

Paris Hilton - LA County Sherriff Lee Baca Says Paris Hilton Has "Severe Problems"

According to TMZ.com , LA County Sherriff Lee Baca says that Paris Hilton has "severe problems." TMZ reports:

In a statement to the press, Baca said, "There's 20,000 inmates the largest jail system in the united states ... It's very overcrowded."

According to Baca, 90% serious felons -- many in his jail on murder charges or attempted murder charges.

Baca also said that he reassigned Hilton based on "her severe medical problems." Baca said that her "increasingly deteriorating problems" were evaluated and add, "This lady has some severe problems."

Paris Hilton - LA Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer Orders Paris Hilton Back To Jail Today - CNN

In a bizarre turn of events, Paris Hilton was ordered back to jail by Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer, according to CNN and other news sources. It seems the Judge didn't sign the documents that allowed her release from prison as the LA County Sheriff's Office had sent her home under house arrest, and the LA City Attorney signed a petition demanding to know why Hilton was released.

I think Judge Sauer's right in that he didn't sign the release and so procedure had to be followed. But I don't think Paris needs to be in jail. Hey, when Judge Sauer originally sentenced Paris to 45 days, he got a standing ovation in his church, so he feels emboldened to do this.

The basic reason I favor Paris Hilton going home is that it would be a direct negative reaction to the rise of this police state. It seems that we -- some of us -- want to see those who have more money than we do "get it" but aren't even considering the laws and the way they're enforced.

Look. Drinking and driving is dangerous and wrong. But we've taken things a little too far in how we allow constitutional rights to be smashed on. Paris had no business flouting the law, but the punishment doens't seem to fit the crime. Plus, and what I rail against, is that there's a weird lynch mob mentality out there, one that hungers to see Paris punished, at any cost.

Let's take some of the blogger's commentary, particularly angry ones like this one at "Boo-Hoo Paris" where the writer asks Paris to "Shut her mouth." Okay.. "No seriously" wants to know what's up with Paris head, although the writer seeems unmoved by her return to jail.



Or how about this angry post , which reads "Paris Hilton: Is she for real. Let's all of us common folk defy a judges order and see where that leaves us. I did and it landed me in PRISON for 30 months ( same Offense ). Jail--a drop in the hat, She could sleep for 45 days and leave. She's isolated--what could be better. Read a book or two if you know how to. Oh I forgot --there isn't a menu. Showers are refreshing but don't bend over. Give me a break. This spoiled rich Bitch thinks she can do anything she wants and buy her way out because she's rich. Hoo-ray for a judge who sticks to his gun's. Don't tell me that money doesn't buy freedom--just ask the idiot sherrif who released her because she didn't feel good or was he afraid of HOLLYWOOD. That's a whole different topic."

See? All these posts -- or most of them -- exhibit anger over the very mention of Paris Hilton. Do we have that many slackers in the USA, now? People who are so lazy and unambitous they'd rather see others dragged down to where they are, rather than be on a socially upward path? Well, not everyone thinks that way. Frank Paul supports Paris Hilton, stating "even though the Paris home is like super luxury...it would still be a punishment *For Paris* to be home-bound for 42 days.
I think that to a certain degree, celebrities should receive special treatment when it comes to matters like this becuase they are treated as special people of our society."

I agree. But only in the case of non-violent offenses. For example, who's going to protect Paris from the photo seekers in jail? I understand the LA Sherriff's office stands to gain $500,000 from any pict taken while she's in custody. That's not something which happens to "normal people" so the idea that Paris should be treated "normally" is silly because if she were "normall" no one would even have to make that statement. She's not common, so we should respect that; we can't change it and the very act of trying is proof that we can't.

Paris Hilton Gets House Arrest - Transfered From Jail Today

On Thursday May 17th I wrote a post called "Give Paris Hilton A Break - Why Not House Arrest?" Well, it seems the LA County Superior Court was reading my blog, because today she was released and placed under house arrest. The reasons given in the report were for "unspecified medical conditions" which could very well be claustraphobia. Hey, some people don't take to being in confinement.

Whatever the case, this in my view rights a real wrong of massive injustice -- the court seemed to give in to a kind of mob rule directed by jealous, poor, unhappy, resentful people who wish they had Paris' money and celebrity. They're going to holla back that she should be treated like everyone else. My retort is that she wasn't really treated like everyone else -- even in this case, she was treated like Paris Hilton.

That means she was subjected to jokes, an unsusually harsh sentence, people who wanted to make money off her jail photos, and that includes the LAPD.

In fact, I'll bet the real reason for her release had something to do with that. The LAPD is legally barred from profitting in such a matter, thus Paris mere existence in jail placed them in a bind.

See, the point is that because she's Paris Hilton, she's got the problem -- the blessing and the curse -- of being treated like Paris Hiton.

But for me this keeps the meritocracy intact. If you want to be Paris Hilton, you've got to work at it. Period.

Johnson's competition in match race could be tougher than he looks

From Pro Football Weekly

Johnson's competition in match race could be tougher than he looks

By Mike Wilkening
June 7, 2007

Bengals WR Chad Johnson is racing against a horse on Saturday. We know all about Johnson, and we are not surprised.

But what do we know about the horse?

His name is Restore the Roar, and he was named after a Bengals cheer bearing the same moniker. He has yet to win a race, but he has one second-place finish and one third-place finish in five career starts. The 4-year-old gelding has raced from distances from three-quarters of a mile to a mile and 70 yards, and always on dirt. Saturday’s race, at Cincinnati’s River Downs racetrack, will be his first try on grass.

Johnson, a turf sprinter if there ever was one, will have a head start. He'll break from the outside rail of the turf course at the sixteenth pole and run to the finish line, 110 yards in all. Restore the Roar, with retired jockey Patricia Cooksey in the saddle, will be breaking from a starting gate set up an eighth of a mile, or 220 yards, from the wire.

Restore the Roar is used to having to make up a lot of ground. He has never officially held the lead at any point in any of his five starts, and he has been at least 4½ lengths behind the leader entering the stretch in all of his races.

However, should Johnson make any Calvin Borel-like peeks over his shoulder, he could be alarmed at what he sees. The horse will be quickly covering ground, likely more than 20 feet per stride.

“That adds up pretty fast,” said River Downs publicity director John Englehardt.

The idea is to produce a photo finish, which is exactly what happened the last time a Bengals receiver raced a horse. The year was 1993, the Bengal was Cris Collinsworth and the horse was a first-time starter who defeated the talkative wideout by a nose. Cooksey had the mount that day. Now the deputy executive director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority, Cooksey joked that she was coming back to ride Restore the Roar because she was “undefeated against the Bengals and I plan on keeping it that way.”

This latest match race was the idea of Cincinnati radio host Andy Furman. Johnson, wanting to raise money for the charity Feed the Children, was game. Now they just needed four-legged competition.

That’s where Restore the Roar, son of Musical Dreamer and out-of-the-stakes-winning mare Princess Hawkins, comes in. The name made him a natural, as did his temperament. “You could probably blow a firecracker under his belly and he probably wouldn’t turn his head,” Englehardt said.

Englehardt approached the horse’s owner, Patricia Genn, who agreed to the race. She and her husband, Wilhelm, keep 15-20 show-jumping horses at Rheinland Farm in Lebanon, Ohio. They have only three of the racing variety, and Patricia Genn doesn’t rule out the possibility that Restore the Roar could change careers if he doesn’t take to racing. However, she believes the horse is simply going through a long, slow maturation process.

“He’s just figuring his job out,” she said.

Restore the Roar is coming off what may have been his worst race of his career, a six-furlong sprint vs. fellow Ohio-bred horses at River Downs on May 29. Restore the Roar was not quick enough to keep pace with the leaders, and he could not muster a closing kick in the stretch. He finished sixth in the field of 12, beaten by 14½ lengths.

Sprints, Genn admits, are not Restore the Roar’s game. “He can run all day,” she said. “Short distances, I don’t know.”

Advantage, Johnson.

Or is it?

If Restore the Roar takes to the grass, what a race Johnson could be in for, and what a race this could be. “His father’s biggest win was on the turf at River Downs,” Englehardt pointed out, referring to Musical Dreamer’s triumph in the Green Carpet Stakes 10 years ago.

The humans involved in this match race are primarily concerned with its charitable goals. River Downs is holding a silent auction of items autographed by Johnson, and the track will book “wagers” on the race, drawing winners for cash and prizes and donating some of the proceeds to Feed the Children. Also, Genn has pledged to donate a share of Restore the Roar’s future earnings to the charity.

To date, he’s made $4,354 for his owner. On dirt, he’s a one-paced plodder. On turf? No one knows, except maybe his daddy, and he isn’t talking. And that’s why Chad Johnson, who can cover 110 yards perhaps as fast as any human in the Cincinnati area, better not underestimate his competition, no matter what the racing form says.
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Ok So Chad's gonna race a horse. thats great, he just better not wind up looking like the horses rear!