May 16, 2010: Crescent Moon and Planet Venus

Above is an actual view of the moon about 7:00+ P.M May 16, 2010 in Bicol, Pili, Camarines Sur...

Photos courtesy of: Blesilda Bascara-Livelo (facebook)

About 10 hours Universal Time today. Unfortunately, this is not visible to North American or European observers, but we have not lost out entirely. Tonight, just as it gets dark, look to the western sky and, weather permitting, you should see a beautiful sight — bright Venus with the waxing crescent moon nearby. You should have no trouble finding either object as long as your skies are clear and you are facing west. Venus is a brilliant beacon to the lower right of the moon. Look early, as the two set less than three hours after the sun. By the way, the moon is currently said to be “waxing” in the sense that it is becoming a bit more full each evening.

If you are a regular reader of EarthSky Tonight, you may have noticed over the years that we have reported passages of the crescent moon near Venus several times. In fact, it is not that unusual. The moon passes somewhere near Venus about once a month, although we don’t always mention it simply because the conditions for observing are not always favorable. However, what you have not ever seen is a mention of the quarter moon, or gibbous moon, or full moon passing near Venus. Yet, we sometimes report when these phases of the moon pass near Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. So why is it that only the crescent moon ever passes Venus?

That is because Venus is “inferior.” No, I don’t mean that it is less valuable in any way. Used in this context, “inferior” means “lower than.” Venus is “lower than” the Earth relative to the sun. In other words, Venus is closer to the sun. Because of this, Venus never appears very far away from the sun in Earth’s sky. It oscillates back and forth from one side of the sun to the other, much like a race car moving from the left side to the right side of a circular track as we watch it from the stands. Thus, Venus sometimes appears in the evening twilight, and sometimes in the dawn twilight. The point is that it is never far from the sun. The farthest it can get from the sun (called an “elongation”) is slightly more than 47 degrees. Therefore, when the moon appears to pass Venus, it does so at about the same elongation from the sun. Since 47 and fewer degrees correspond to a crescent phase, only the crescent moon can appear to pass near Venus in the sky. The quarter moon is 90 degrees from the sun, and the full moon is 180 degrees, so you will never see those phases near Venus.

Mercury is an inferior planet as well, but its maximum elongation is only 28 degrees, so only a very thin crescent moon can ever appear near Mercury. On the other hand, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are farther from the sun than Earth, making them “superior.” From time to time, they can appear at any angle from the sun, and the quarter or full moon phases can pass near them (sometimes even occulting them).

Written by Larry Sessions

Source:www.EarthSky.com

Four more Hayden s*x videos

stir.ph-by: Edgar O. Cruz | STIR Editor (Chief Agitator)
18 May 2009 | 10:56 AM

“Yeah,” answers Vicki Belo when daughter Crystalle Henares asked her if she had seen the Hayden Kho and Katrina Halili “Careless Whispers” video.

Vicki had admitted Hayden and her are more than f___king friends. They have returned as boyfriend/girlfriend. The buzz is Hayden already got back his luxury SUV and high-end condo unit, both gifts from Vicki which she took back in their split last January. To start off Hayden on his own, Vicki is also going to build his own clinic. She did this despite Hayden’s confirmed streak of infidelity which is turning out to be psychological sickness.

It now appears the “Careless Whispers” video is just a preview to the release of the real thing: the Katrina-Hayden’s sex video!

First to come out is a 40-minute sex bout with Katrina Halili in what appears like a hotel room showing them in all kinds of sex including animal-style copulation. Two more videos are taken, before Hayden was notoriously popular, with a Filipina model that are

18 and 27 minutes long. Another video is with a Brazilian model. Except for the last one, video qualities are exceptionally clear, indicating they were purposely videotaped.

To be released next is Rufa Mae Quinto’s sex video with Hayden. To preempt public opinion, Rufa Mae has admitted she has a sex video. She strongly denied this before. Another sex video with Katrina is coming out. These sex videos has been compiled in DVD by Quiapo pirates known as the “Hayden Video Scandal.” And everybody’s worst fears...Hayden’s sex video with Vicki.
Somebody’s clearly not happy with the Vicki-Hayden reconciliation. The buzz is the person releasing these

videos is the same ex-best friend who gave Hayden’s stolen laptop to Vicki that caused their split. As previously reported by STIR, this person and his group of friends tried to get even with Hayden to punish him for wronging thisperson’s girlfriend.

It’s clear they are back at it again. If not, why are these sex videos appearing only now?

“What can I do?” Crystalle Henares says in frustration when questioned how she feels about the reconciliation of Vicki and Hayden. Elder brother Quark Henares and Crystalle are openly against the relationship. They have warned Vicki that they will leave the family house if Hayden enters it again. But brother and sister cannot slam their mother out of love for him Crystalle reconsiders, “Ang important ngayon masaya ang mommy ko.”

When told about her mom’s sex video, Crystalle could only exhale, “Naku! Huwag naman!”

(***Due to the sensitive nature of the videos, STIR decided not to post them. This article contains nude photos and is not advisable to be viewed minors***)

Windows XP integrated in Windows 7

In a few days, exactly April 30th, the Release Candidate of Windows 7, the operating system of Microsoft, will be available for download by MSDN and TechNet subscribers (public availability will begin on May 5th) and Microsoft announced that they have integrated in Windows 7 a feature Windows XP Mode (XPM).

Windows XP Mode is specifically designed to help small businesses move to Windows 7. Windows XP Mode provides you with the flexibility to run many older productivity applications on a Windows 7 based PC.

All you need to do is to install suitable applications directly in Windows XP Mode which is a virtual Windows XP environment running under Windows Virtual PC. The applications will be published to the Windows 7 desktop and then you can run them directly from Windows 7.

Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC are best experienced on your new Windows 7 PC. We will be soon releasing the beta of Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC for Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate.

Specifically designed to help businesses move smoothly to Windows 7, Windows XP Mode runs using the Virtual PC technology. Thus, many applications designed for Windows XP can be installed and runned without risk of incompatibility on a PC with Windows 7 and a processor based virtualization.

Available for Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate, all information will be accessible directly from the desktop of Windows 7.

Source:

• The Windows Blog
• CrystalXP on your site (RSS Feed)

Browser Battle: Firefox 3.1 vs. Chrome vs. IE 8

The browser wars are heating up by the week. Here is a breakdown of the browser battle lines for Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Firefox.

JR Raphael, PC World blogger

Mozilla's second alpha of Firefox 3.1 is upping the ante in the next-generation browser battle. So how do the main contenders stack up so far now? One thing's for sure, the Firefox team has taken note of Google's recent Chrome release and worked hard to make sure its offering can hold its own.

Mozilla had already claimed its 3.1 version could outperform Chrome when it comes to speed (and most independent tests show it at least tying). Now, the engineers have incorporated Chrome-initiated options such as the ability to drag and drop tabs in and out of browser windows. The second alpha release also adds support for the HTML 5 video tag, which gives Web developers expanded options for embedding video within a page. Don't forget, too, that Microsoft's new Internet Explorer 8 beta 2 -- released at the end of August and quickly eclipsed by Chrome's introduction -- is also vying for a piece of the pie.

Here's a breakdown of the high and lowlights of each offering and where it stands as far as a full release.

Contender #1: Google Chrome

The status: Windows beta released September 2. Mac OS X and Linux versions still under development and said to be coming soon. No indication of targeted full release date.

The good:

• Reliability. Chrome's multiprocess architecture makes a bad Web page less likely to take down the whole browser.
• Speed. Chrome loads fast and keeps your surfing super-fast.
• Simplicity. Its clean design wastes no screen space.
• Searching. The Omnibox lets you type search terms or URLs into a single spot and figures out what you want.
• Privacy. Chrome offers an "Incognito" mode that lets you easily leave no footprints from where you've been.

The bad:

• Privacy. Chrome's taken a lot of heat for its monitoring and collection of user data, some of which happens before you even hit enter.
• Security. It didn't take long for users to discover vulnerabilities in the beta browser. Several of these have already been patched.
• Reliability. Some sites and online services still don't work with Chrome.
• Consistency. Because Chrome is build on the WebKit system, it differs from the dominant platforms that most designers focus on.
• Support. Chrome doesn't yet have any add-ons or customization options available. It's yet to be seen how these, once developed, will compare to the rich options available for Firefox.

Contender #2: Firefox 3.1

The status: Second alpha build released September 5. Beta expected in the next month. Full release targeted for end of 2008.

The good:

• Strong foundation. Mozilla's already built a loyal following with Firefox, and it doesn't intend on letting that go. With Firefox 3.1, you know you'll have a powerful library of add-ons and support already at your fingertips, not to mention the slew of other assets unveiled in Firefox 3.0.
• Speed. Mozilla says its still-under-development TraceMonkey JavaScript platform will leave Google's V8 in the dust. The second alpha build revs things up, too, with added support for "Web workers" -- a system that lets multiple scripts run as background processes.
• Competitive edge. Mozilla's developers have good reason to watch what Chrome is doing -- and work to match it, if not one-up it.

The bad:

• Security questions. Some studies -- albeit, Microsoft-funded ones -- have suggested Firefox, with its frequent new versions, is more susceptible to threats than the other options.
• Crash potential. Unlike Chrome, Firefox does not have separate environments for each tab -- so one rogue page can still take the whole program down.
• Support. Firefox has worked hard to snag a small portion of the browser market share, and most early predictions show Chrome taking away more of its userbase than IE's.
• Google's focus on Chrome will also take away some of its previous focus on Mozilla's development efforts. Will Firefox be able to remain a key player in the browser war?

Contender #3: Internet Explorer 8

The status:: Second beta released August 27. Full release expected before the end of 2008.

The good:

• Support. Love it or hate it, Internet Explorer is hanging on to about three-quarters of the browsing market with its default status in all Windows machines. You know developers and designers are going to cater to it.
• Security. With Microsoft at its helm, IE hangs on to a reputation of safe and reliable browsing.
• Privacy. IE 8 was the first to offer a no-record browsing mode, branded here as InPrivate Browsing.
• Searching. IE 8's Smart Address Bar offers similar functionality to Chrome's Omnibox, letting you type in URLs or search terms and taking you to the right place.
• Added add-ons. IE 8 finally catches up to Firefox with a new "Gallery" full of third-party add-on options..

  The bad:

• Speed. Independent tests have found IE 8 to be significantly slower than the alternative choices. Resources. IE 8 uses a lot of memory compared to its competitors -- a factor that could considerably slow down the rest of your system.
• Crash potential. While IE 8 does use separate processes for tabs, similar to Chrome's approach, it does not do so to the same degree
• -- still leaving room for a total meltdown.
• Competition questions. Can IE's add-ons reach the level of Firefox's? Already, some users are complaining of problems even getting them to work.

That's the lowdown on the battle's current status. Remember, all three of these programs are still early in their development, so many of the pluses and minuses could change as things move forward. One thing's for sure, though: This battle is on, it's growing fierce, and each of its contenders will do anything it can to win.

Miss Universe 2008 - Miss Venezuela

Miss Venezuela - 22 years-old Dayana Mendoza, a professional model and an interior designer - won the Miss Universe pageant held today, beating runners-up from three other Latin American countries and Russia.

Leaving her family for the US at the age of 15, Mendoza signed a contract with Elite Model Management and modeled in Italy, England, the US, Greece, Spain, Germany, Mexico and Peru for Versace, Roberto Cavalli and a host of other top fashion designers. Mendoza is now fluent in Spanish, English and Italian, and is eager to add even more languages to her repertoire.





The 178-centimeter (five foot 10) beauty, who had been the favourite of many pageant watchers and online bookmakers, clinched the diamond-studded gold crown after answering a question on the difference between men and women.

"Men think that the fastest way to go to a point is to go straight," explained the trilingual contestant from Amazonas state. "Women know that the faster way to go to a point is to go to the curves."

Beating four runners-up, the Venezuelan was crowned with a tiara worth US$120,000.





Her prize package includes cash, a year-long contract promoting Miss Universe, world travel, a rent-free New York City luxury apartment and a giftbag stuffed with free designer shoes, dresses and beauty products.





The first runner-up is Miss Columbia Taliana Vargas (20 years old, 1.78 meters in height), the second Miss Dominica Marianne Cruz (23 years old, 1.81 meters), the third Miss Russian Vera Krasova (20 years old, 1.77 meters), and the fourth Miss Mexico Elisa Najera (21 years old, 1.83 meters). Miss Universe Vietnam, singer Nguyen Thuy Lam, was among Top 15.

The top 15 beauties: Miss Venezuela, Miss Kosovo, Miss Vietnam, Miss South Africa, Miss Australia, Miss Japan, Miss Dominican Republic, Miss Italy, Miss Colombia, Miss Russia, Miss Hungary, Miss Czech Republic, Miss USA, and Miss Spain.

Source : Thanh Nien Online

Filming Opening Number

The Contestants let loose in front of the cameras for the opening number of the 2008 Miss Universe Competition in their BSC Swimwear at Wonderpark and Resort, in Nha Trang.

Diamond Bay Pool Shoot

Watch the 2008 Miss Universe Contestants as they prepare and gather poolside at the Diamond Bay Resort and Golf to pose in their BSC Swimwear.

Miss Universe 2008 Contestant Rehearsals

Watch the contestants rehearse for the upcoming 2008 Miss Universe Competition at Diamond Bay Resort. They will compete in the 57th annual Miss Universe competition which will take place in Nha Trang, Vietnam at the Crown Convention Center.

Miss Universe 2008 Swimwear Photoshoot

Miss Universe contestants pose for a photo in their BSC swimwear at the Ho Chi Minh City host hotel, New World Hotel Saigon.

Fake iPhone Is Fairly Convincing, Expensive

The C-002 is a very cleverly named iPhone clone.

This is the ultimate rock solid 99% iPhone clone and is selling like crazy. It is unlocked so just plug your SIM card in and you are good to go. Comes with one year warranty. Sells for only $239. No contracts. No rate plans. Just your existing SIM card is enough.

First, I've got the feeling that more than 1% of iPhone functionality is missing here. Secondly, I thought fake iPhones were sold by men in trenchcoats and/or in back alley markets for $40. I mean $240? That's real money. For a not real iPhone. However I may have to drop for one after reading a particularly poignant review.

this phone is shitting on people if i get this can i use any sim card that is not cut on or do i have to have sim card that is turned on plz respond asap

Hmm, well it appears that person doesn't own one, but has heard from a reliable source that the unit defecates on people. Interesting feature, but I'll pass after all.

A worthwhile video of the thing in action (why he chose that Eminem song is a mystery to me) and product specs after the jump.

Main features at a glance:

1. 3.5" big screen that supports finger touch and no keypad, touch pen needed.
2. Dual SIM slots that holds two SIM chips and supports SIM card switching.
3. Triband GSM 900/1800/1900MHz that supports USA GSM standard.
4. Web addresses entering; web browsing, WAP setting, web address management.
5. Unlocked to any major network carrier.
6. SMS, MMS, voicemail and cell broadcast
7. MP3, MP4, file playing, recording, phone call recording.
8. Capturing, video capturing, photo viewing, playing

~Original Post from:http://www.geekologie.com

Autopsy on Actor Is Inconclusive as Calls for Help Are Revealed

By ANDY NEWMAN and AL BAKER

Published: January 24, 2008

The cause of the actor Heath Ledger’s death could take two weeks to determine, the New York City medical examiner’s office said on Wednesday. An autopsy was conducted Wednesday morning, but the results were inconclusive and blood and tissue tests need to be completed, said Ellen Borakove, the spokeswoman for the office.

Ruth Fremson/The New York Times

A makeshift memorial cropped up outside Heath Ledger’s apartment in SoHo on Wednesday, a day after he was found dead in bed there.

Related

Appraisal: Prince of Intensity With a Lightness of Touch (January 24, 2008)

Heath Ledger, Actor, Is Found Dead at 28 (January 23, 2008)

Other details surrounding Mr. Ledger’s death emerged on Wednesday as rumor and speculation swirled. Police officials said that the masseuse who discovered Mr. Ledger unconscious told them that she made two phone calls to the actress Mary-Kate Olsen, a friend of Mr. Ledger’s, moments before she called 911.

Mr. Ledger, 28, the Australian-born star of “Brokeback Mountain,” was found dead on Tuesday afternoon in bed in his apartment in SoHo, with a bottle of prescription sleeping pills nearby.

Although the police said on Wednesday that a rolled-up $20 bill was also found, they said that tests of the bill found no trace of drugs and that they had turned up no illegal drugs anywhere in the apartment. Mr. Ledger left no suicide note, the police have said.

The authorities found six different types of prescription drugs in Mr. Ledger’s apartment, including sleeping pills and antianxiety medicine, according to a law enforcement official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is continuing. Three of the drugs were prescribed in Europe, said the official, who noted that Mr. Ledger had recently returned to the United States from London.

According to the police, the masseuse who found Mr. Ledger on Tuesday, Diana Wolozin, arrived at Mr. Ledger’s apartment, at 421 Broome Street, about 2:45 p.m. to give him a massage and saw his bedroom door closed.

When he had not emerged by around 3 p.m., she called his cellphone, got no answer and entered the bedroom, where she saw him in bed.

She went to the closet, took out a massage table and started to set it up near his bed, the police said. Then she went over to Mr. Ledger and shook him, but got no response. Using his cellphone, she pressed a speed-dial button and called the 21-year-old Ms. Olsen, who she knew was a friend of Mr. Ledger’s, to ask for help.

According to the authorities, Ms. Wolozin told Ms. Olsen, who was in California, that Mr. Ledger was unconscious. Ms. Olsen said she would call private security people she knew in New York.

Ms. Wolozin again shook Mr. Ledger, called Ms. Olsen a second time, and said she feared Mr. Ledger might be dead and would call 911.

Ms. Wolozin called 911 at 3:26 p.m. to say that Mr. Ledger was not breathing. The call was made less than 15 minutes after she first saw him in bed and only a few moments after the first call to Ms. Olsen. The 911 operator urged Ms. Wolozin to try to revive Mr. Ledger, but Ms. Wolozin’s efforts were not successful.

Emergency medical workers arrived at 3:33 p.m., at almost exactly the same moment as a private security guard summoned by Ms. Olsen. The medical workers moved Mr. Ledger’s body to the floor and then used a defibrillator and CPR, to no avail. He was pronounced dead at 3:36 p.m. By that point, two other private security guards summoned by Ms. Olsen had arrived, as had police officers.

Mr. Ledger had been snoring around 1 p.m. when a housekeeper, Teresa Solomon, arrived at the apartment, she told the police. Ms. Solomon went into Mr. Ledger’s bedroom to change a light bulb in an adjacent bathroom and saw Mr. Ledger face-down on the bed.

The police said that all five witnesses — Ms. Solomon, Ms. Wolozin, and the three guards summoned by Ms. Olsen — were cooperating with the authorities.

The police said they could not immediately say if Ms. Wolozin was a licensed masseuse. There is no Diana Wolozin listed in the state database of licensed massage therapists. It is a felony to practice massage without a license in New York.

After the two-hour autopsy at the medical examiner’s headquarters Wednesday, Ms. Borakove, the spokeswoman for the office, said that the cause of death was still unclear.

“If you have no apparent cause, you have to do further testing,” she said. The two types of tests that still have to be performed include toxicology, which examines the adverse effects of chemicals in the bloodstream, and histology, in which thin slices of tissue are analyzed by pathologists.

“Toxicology is done on blood and urine and what is in the stomach contents,” Ms. Borakove said. “It does not take one day. It takes 10 days to two weeks.”

It is the medical examiner’s office that will ultimately determine whether Mr. Ledger died of suicide, natural causes, accident or foul play. The police have said that there is no evidence of foul play and no note or any other obvious evidence pointing toward suicide.

Mr. Ledger, whose breakthrough role as a gay cowboy in the 2005 movie “Brokeback Mountain” earned him a nomination for an Academy Award, moved to SoHo sometime after he separated last summer from his companion, the actress Michelle Williams, and left the town house they and their 2-year-old daughter shared in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn.

He led a high-visibility life in Manhattan, and was often spotted at clubs and bars with actresses and models.

Mr. Ledger’s death has drawn international attention and even affected President Bush’s schedule. Out of deference to Mr. Ledger, the president postponed an appearance Wednesday to promote an advertising campaign on preventing prescription drug abuse, Reuters reported.

“We did not want anyone to think we were trying to link into that story in any way,” said Dana Perino, his spokeswoman.

Outside Mr. Ledger’s home in SoHo and his former residence in Brooklyn, news crews clustered for a second day and mourners and fans trickled by to leave flowers or notes.

Ms. Williams returned to the Brooklyn house shortly before 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

On the doorstep was a letter taped to a teddy bear, signed by the Melendez family.

“Stay strong,” the note said. “Just remember he loved you and your baby very much.”

Sewell Chan and Christian Hansen contributed reporting. (Source:http://www.nytimes.com)

Why Mary-Kate Olsen was called first?

By Gemma Jones and Stefanie Balogh in New York

January 25, 2008 12:00am

THE woman who found a dead or dying Heath Ledger in his New York apartment made four desperate calls to child-star Mary-Kate Olsen before she finally dialled emergency services, it was revealed yesterday.

In a panicked period lasting at least 10 minutes, Ledger's masseuse Diana Wolozin twice phoned Olsen - who was in California - after she found Ledger "cold to the touch" and in obvious need of medical help.

But instead of immediately calling for an ambulance, the masseuse scrolled to Olsen's number on Ledger's mobile telephone and called her to reveal the drama.

New York Daily News have reported that a police source said Wolozin's first call was "for guidance" - she wanted to check with Olsen before doing anything with her movie star client.

"She knows when something goes bad, you call 'insiders' first to see how to handle things," another source said.

Wolozin, who was panicking at the time, probably didn't realise how grave the situation was at the time and was seeking advice on how to handle the delicate situation.

As Ledger's distraught ex-fiancee Michelle Williams returned to New York from Sweden with their daughter Matilda, 2, yesterday, the frantic final minutes of Ledger's life emerged.

Ms Wolozin, 21, phoned Olsen - who authorities yesterday revealed had been involved in a relationship with Ledger - and cried down the phone: "Heath is unconscious, I don't know what to do!"

Police have revealed she spent nine minutes trying to reach Olsen three times, before they spoke during her fourth phone call after checking Ms Wolozin's phone records.

Olsen, the former Full House star, did not suggest to Ms Wolozin to call 911, instead telling her: "I'm sending my private security there."

In a second and more desperate phone call moments later, Ms Wolozin told Olsen: "I think he may be dead, I'm calling 911," with Olsen telling her: "I already have people coming over."

Police said the desperate emergency call at 3.26pm was made within 15 minutes of Ms Wolozin finding Ledger naked and "unconscious and unresponsive" after a suspected drug overdose.

Ms Wolozin tried in vain to resuscitate Ledger, following instructions from the 911 operator. The paramedics arrived shortly after, briefly trying CPR and shocking Ledger's heart with a defibrillator but the star was pronounced dead at 3.33pm.

Ledger's final hours became clearer yesterday. In possibly his last words, he told his friend Shekhar Kapr on Monday night to call again in the morning to "wake me up".

His housekeeper Teresa Solomon let herself into his sprawling apartment at 12.30pm on Tuesday and saw Ledger snoring in bed at 1pm when she went to change a light bulb in his ensuite.

"The last time I saw him he was lying down on his face," Solomon told The New York Post. "I didn't think anything was wrong. I thought he was sleeping."

Police yesterday said Ledger died between 1pm when Ms Solomon saw him snoring and 2.45pm when Ms Wolozin went into his room and began setting up a massage table before realising he was dead.

To a phalanx of waiting paparazzi, Williams last night returned to the Brooklyn home she had shared with Ledger, clutching Matilda. She held her daughter tight in the passenger seat as her black 4WD pulled up outside the historic brownstone.

It had been an emergency dash back from Sweden for Williams, 27, after learning of the death of Ledger - a man she had fallen for during the filming of Brokeback Mountain in 2005, when they played husband and wife.

Williams and Ledger, 28, never wed but shared a close relationship that included a once-happy family life with Matilda in Brooklyn.

Matilda's footprints and her name are stamped into the concrete outside their Brooklyn home, a reminder of happier times.

Clearly devastated by the loss of Ledger, Williams travelled to New York to be comforted by her mother Carla Williams and other family.

Source: The Daily Telegraph

Heath Ledger: 10 Things' You Didn't Know About The Actor

In the wake of Heath Ledger's tragic death this week, the Oscar-nominated star is being remembered as a loving father and a talented, charming actor. But while Ledger left behind a burgeoning career that stretched from starring roles in 1999's "10 Things I Hate About You" through July 18's Batman sequel, "The Dark Knight," and beyond, his résumé is even deeper than you probably thought. And as Hollywood continues to come to grips with Ledger's death, there's a lot about the soft-spoken star that most people didn't know. Here are "10 things" about Heath Ledger that might help shed more light on the sadly departed 28-year-old.

1. His name has roots in a classic British novel.

Heath and his sister Katie are named after characters in Emily Brontë's 1847 classic, "Wuthering Heights." The protagonist of the book is Heathcliff, a violent and sadistic villain, according to Columbia University professor Nicholas Dames, who specializes in 19th century British literature.

"One of the things that Heathcliff is known for in the novel is laughing, although only laughing at the spectacle of someone else's pain. In that sense, he's a deeply screwed-up figure. ... That's kind of like the Joker," Dames said, referring to Ledger's "Dark Knight" character. "The funniest thing for the Joker is hurting somebody else."

On a side note, Ledger and Michelle Williams bought a house in 2004 in Bronte Beach, a suburb of Sydney, Australia.

2. He was a Shakespearean actor.

Ledger's first major Hollywood role was in the teen comedy "10 Things," a modern-day remix of William Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew." But Ledger had actually dabbled in Shakespeare before that. In the mid-'90s, he joined the Globe Shakespeare Company in his hometown of Perth, Australia.

3. He was obsessed with Nick Drake.

Nick Drake was a British singer/songwriter who died in 1974 at age 26 after overdosing on antidepressants. One of Ledger's final artistic statements was a music video for Drake's song "Black Eyed Dog" that he directed and in which he starred. At the end of the clip, Heath depicts himself drowning in a bathtub.

"[In] ancient Greek culture, drowning was the worst possible death simply because your body couldn't be found," Dames said. "For a while in the 19th century, there was a fascination with drowning. ... Virginia Woolf comes to mind. ... There is this fascination [with drowning] as a method of suicide because it comes from Shakespeare."

4. His "Brokeback Mountain" character wasn't his first gay role.

Ledger wasn't afraid to play gay. And not just because he was dreaming of Oscar glory. Long before "Brokeback," one of the actor's first parts came in 1996 via an Australian TV series called "Sweat." Ledger was offered a choice of roles on the show, and he picked the character of Steve "Snowy" Bowles, a gay bicyclist. Later he reasoned that very few gay parts were being portrayed on Aussie television, and by taking the part he was more likely to be noticed.

5. He was a music man.

Last year, Ledger announced plans to start a record label with Ben Harper called "Masses Music Co." Heath also directed the rocker's 2006 video for "Morning Yearning." The song is melancholic and beautiful, and the clip depicts dancers and violinists in silhouette, drenched in sunlight and shrouded by fog.

6. His daughter's name might have an unusual connection.

Ledger and Michelle Williams' 2-year-old daughter is named Matilda Rose. We don't know why they gave their daughter this name, however, it's worth noting that there's a famous Australian folk song called "Waltzing Matilda." The lyrics tell a story that involves the death of a shepherd who commits suicide by drowning himself in a lake.

7. Jake Gyllenhaal is Matilda Rose's godfather.

Ledger and Gyllenhaal famously co-starred in "Brokeback Mountain," the heartbreaking story of two cowboys in love. In the award-winning film, Gyllenhaal played the role of Jack Twist, who dies at the end of the film, and Ledger was Ennis Del Mar. Matilda Rose will now have Jack Twist as a surrogate father figure.

8. Ledger was a jack-of-all-trades.

As a kid, Ledger was a chess player.

"He played younger groups ... and may have played in the state tournaments, even the state championship," Norbert Muller, a spokesman for the Perth Chess Club, said. But, he added, "I don't really remember him performing that well."

Ledger also enjoyed painting.

"I love what I do, but if it all came crashing down, it wouldn't be the end of the world," he told The Sunday Times in 2000. "I'd just sit on my arse and paint."

But the young Ledger wasn't afraid of getting his hands dirty, either. He played hockey. His dad, Kim, was a race-car driver, and according to CNN.com, he spent quite a bit of time at the racetrack in his youth.

The site posted a note from a reader who identified himself as "R. of Perth," who claimed to have grown up with Ledger near a speedway racing circuit.

"I remember the night he was a little boy and his dad was racing speed cars at Claremont Speedway (my dad was in the race, too)," the reader wrote. "His dad was coming third, then, in the final corner, the two lead cars spun out and Heath's dad ... took the lead and won the state title race.

"Heath was standing a couple of rows in front of me with his mum and sister, and they were all so excited, jumping up and down and cheering," the reader continued. "He was about as happy as a little boy could be watching his dad become a champion. ... Later Heath would pit crew for Graham Jones, and I crewed for my dad and brother. Heath and I were both the youngest on our crews, so that meant our job was to take the fiberglass bonnets over to the hoses and wash the mud off after each race. Really dirty work, but he managed to stay cleaner than the rest of us."

9. Perth was Ledger's refuge.

The actor's homeland was his safe place, his refuge. Ledger's final trip to his native country was for Christmas 2007. It was a happy time.

10. Ledger's first acting role was as Peter Pan.

He played the character in a school-theater production when he was 10. Like the mystical boy who could fly, Ledger would never grow old. (www.mtv.com/movies/news)

Tata Nano: $2500 Unveiled in India

After months of rumors and tantalizing leaks -- and as we first told you earlier this week -- Indian automaker Tata Motors has finally unveiled the Tata Nano -- its already legendary $2,500 (1-lakh)car. As expected, the car that Tata claims will change the face of not only the Indian car market, but the global auto industry will be a four door, five seat hatch, powered by a 30 HP Bosch 624 cc four stroke engine mounted out back and mated to a CVT. That makes the Nano the first time a 2-cylinder gasoline engine will be used in a car with a single balancer shaft. The Nano's also expected to get 54 US miles per gallon. Yes, but will it blend? Full press release after the jump with all the details. By the way -- are we the only ones happy to see a Tata Nano sporting what looks like a bra above? Also -- how long do we think it'll take before Apple files a lawsuit over the name? Update: We've got video of the unveil posted HERE

Tata Shakes Loose The Nano

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Tata Motors unveils the People's Car

A comfortable, safe, all-weather car, high on fuel efficiency & low on emissions

Mr. Ratan N. Tata, Chairman of the Tata Group and Tata Motors, today unveiled the Tata 'NANO', the People's Car from Tata Motors that India and the world have been looking forward to. A development, which signifies a first for the global automobile industry, the People's Car brings the comfort and safety of a car within the reach of thousands of families. The People's Car will be launched in India later in 2008.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony at the 9th Auto Expo in New Delhi, Mr. Ratan N. Tata said, "I observed families riding on two-wheelers - the father driving the scooter, his young kid standing in front of him, his wife seated behind him holding a little baby. It led me to wonder whether one could conceive of a safe, affordable, all-weather form of transport for such a family. Tata Motors' engineers and designers gave their all for about four years to realise this goal. Today, we indeed have a People's Car, which is affordable and yet built to meet safety requirements and emission norms, to be fuel efficient and low on emissions. We are happy to present the People's Car to India and we hope it brings the joy, pride and utility of owning a car to many families who need personal mobility."

Stylish, comfortable
The People's Car, designed with a family in mind, has a roomy passenger compartment with generous leg space and head room. It can comfortably seat four persons. Four doors with high seating position make ingress and egress easy.

Yet with a length of 3.1 metres, width of 1.5 metres and height of 1.6 metres, with adequate ground clearance, it can effortlessly manoeuvre on busy roads in cities as well as in rural areas. Its mono-volume design, with wheels at the corners and the powertrain at the rear, enables it to uniquely combine both space and manoeuvrability, which will set a new benchmark among small cars.

When launched, the car will be available in both standard and deluxe versions. Both versions will offer a wide range of body colours, and other accessories so that the car can be customised to an individual's preferences.

Fuel-efficient engine
The People's Car has a rear-wheel drive, all-aluminium, two-cylinder, 623 cc, 33 PS, multi point fuel injection petrol engine. This is the first time that a two-cylinder gasoline engine is being used in a car with single balancer shaft. The lean design strategy has helped minimise weight, which helps maximise performance per unit of energy consumed and delivers high fuel efficiency. Performance is controlled by a specially designed electronic engine management system.

Meets all safety requirements
The People's Car's safety performance exceeds current regulatory requirements. With an all sheet-metal body, it has a strong passenger compartment, with safety features such as crumple zones, intrusion-resistant doors, seat belts, strong seats and anchorages, and the rear tailgate glass bonded to the body. Tubeless tyres further enhance safety.

Environment-friendly
The People's Car's tailpipe emission performance exceeds regulatory requirements. In terms of overall pollutants, it has a lower pollution level than two-wheelers being manufactured in India today. The high fuel efficiency also ensures that the car has low carbon dioxide emissions, thereby providing the twin benefits of an affordable transportation solution with a low carbon footprint.
(For more information: www.tatapeoplescar.com )

About Tata Motors
Tata Motors is India's largest automobile company, with revenues of US $ 7.2 billion in 2006-2007. With over 4 million Tata vehicles plying in India, it is the leader in commercial vehicles and the second largest in passenger vehicles. It is also the world's fifth largest medium and heavy truck manufacturer and the second largest heavy bus manufacturer. Tata cars, buses and trucks are being marketed in several countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia and South America. Tata Motors and Fiat Auto have formed an industrial joint venture in India to manufacture passenger cars, engines and transmissions for the Indian and overseas markets; Tata Motors also has an agreement with Fiat Auto to build a pick-up vehicle at Córdoba, Argentina. The company already distributes Fiat branded cars in India. Tata Motors' international footprint includes Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Co. Ltd. in South Korea; Hispano Carrocera, a bus and coach manufacturer of Spain in which the company has a 21% stake; a joint venture with Marcopolo, the Brazil-based body-builder of buses and coaches; and a joint venture with Thonburi Automotive Assembly Plant Company of Thailand to manufacture and market pick-up vehicles in Thailand. Tata Motors has research centres in India, the U.K., and in its subsidiary and associate companies in South Korea and Spain.

src:jalopnik

Craziest Shoes

These are the best 21 weird shoes I found in the past 2 hours. You might discover something you like… that is, if you enjoy nails, breaking your feet in half, wearing a bishop’s hat on your ankle, looking like a cartoon, playing with dogs, getting sweaty, being chained up, or having bird of paradise shins. There.

src:shoemi