Lifestyle Absolutely

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Princess Kate Middleton Photo Collection

Catherine Elizabeth "Kate" Middleton (born 9 January 1982) is the fiancée of Prince William of Wales. Since their relationship began, Middleton has received widespread media attention and there was much speculation that they would eventually marry. On 16 November 2010, the office of the Prince of Wales at Clarence House announced their engagement. On 23 November, it was announced the wedding will take place on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey, with the day declared a bank holiday in the UK. Middleton grew up in Berkshire and, after attending Marlborough College, went to the University of St Andrews, where she met Prince William, also studying there, in 2001. They started a relationship, followed by media attention, triggering complaints by Middleton that the media were harassing her. In April 2007, the press reported that William and Middleton had split up. They continued to be friends, and later in 2007 they reunited. Since then, Middleton has attended many high-profile royal events. She has been admired for her fashion sense and has been placed on numerous "best dressed" lists.

Link roundup

1. Fascinating article about Stanley and Livingstone by Jess Nevins. (If you've enjoyed the various League of Extraordinary Gentlemen volumes, then you should definitely pick up his companion books.)

2. Steve Wing writing about comics:

And take the Hulk. The Hulk was this rampaging engine of destruction, sure, but still, deep down, he was basically a nice guy. That is, he was the reverse of how we actually were in seventh grade, me and Rick and Jerry: all too nerdishly nice on the surface, but underneath raging.

Via.

3. First 15 minutes of L.A. Noire.

4. First five minutes of Duke Nukem Forever.

Modern Wedding Dresses

Here are some tips on the modern wedding dresses. While you plan your wedding, don't forget to check these options and look the best in a trendy wedding dress.

As the definitions of fashion keep changing every day, the wedding wear is no exception! The wedding dresses are seen changing in each aspect of fashion. While the white wedding gown is not any more something that a bride needs to strictly opt for, there are a lot of alternative wedding dresses that she can go for. Well, each bride would prefer donning the modern wedding dresses instead of the boring regular wedding outfit. Here are some tips on the options available in the modern wedding dresses. Have a look and get the best one for the special day in your life.

Options in Modern Wedding Dresses

Dress Styles

Modern wedding dresses are all about colors, patterns and mainly about what's your style. Be it sexy strapless gowns, stylish spaghetti strapped flowy dresses or a simple modern wedding dresses with sleeves, wear what suits your style and figure. The most popular modern western wedding dresses are those with single sleeves, off shoulder or necklines featuring single straps. The asymmetrical look is the 'in thing' for the bridal dresses this season.

Body hugging gowns with sharp angles are the perfect ones amongst today's wedding dress styles. The modern wedding dresses will be mostly seen in nipped waists to have a sleek and slender outfit ready to highlight the hourglass figure. Slim shaped dresses are the most popular ones these days that show-off a fantastic figure. The runway fashion is popularly followed this season which includes trumpet, sheath and column wedding dresses.

Reduced Hemlines

The modern wedding dresses have more of the 'show-off' element. With brides not afraid to show off their best assets, the wedding dresses have changed a lot. From long bridal gowns to the short dresses you can don to the one that looks best on your figure. The tea-length dresses are becoming much popular. Its length falls between the bottom of the knee and the bottom of the calf, it is one of the perfect modern beach wedding dresses. The mini-shift dresses are the preferred style for destination weddings. Read more on backless wedding dresses.

Adding Colors

Colors are another element you can play with in the modern wedding dresses. Brides are experimenting with various colors to match their dresses with the wedding color theme. Adding a splash of dark color to the basic white gown is the most popular trend. For a dramatic look two-toned dresses with a colored bodice against a white or off-white skirt have become a hot favorite of the modern brides. Red metallic thread embroidery detailing done in curvy patterns all over a white colored body-fitting gown is sure to look mind blowing. Colorful embroidering in lilac, pink, blue or yellow for the hemlines is also a chic option. Read more on colored wedding dresses.

Detailing and Fabrics

Modern wedding dresses won't be finished without the use of beads, ruffles or bows. Apart from that, for the bodices, you can see huge bows and beaded belts to compliment the waist lines. Ruched wedding dresses that have repeated patterns of gathered fabric is best for larger figures. Dresses made of colored tulle or that with cascading layers till the floor are much popular. Chiffon, tulle, organza, taffeta are the fabrics used in modern wedding dresses. Light and airy fabric are highly preferred for the summer weddings. Colorful ribbon and lacy detailing is another trend this season.

Modern wedding dresses are all about expressing your personal style. Now you have a lot of options and a way to add your personal taste in the wedding wear. So with the above mentioned tips and own ideas, have your version of perfection for the wedding wear. By Mamta Mule

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Eastern Conference Finals

A sharp glance at the finalists in the Eastern Conference and you are likely to catch a few raised brows from NHL experts to casual fans. The Washington Capitals seemed poised for a deep run in the playoffs. We knew the Flyers had goaltender issues, but a red-hot offense had masked that flaw in the previous series against the Sabres. However, little did we know that two veteran goaltenders, Tim Thomas and Dwayne Roloson, would dominant the series' like they did. To recap, I had taken Boston in 6 and Washington in 6. Boston would instead sweep the Flyers and the Lightning quickly removed of the Capitals with a sweep of their own.

Therefore, it's the Tampa Bay Lightning versus the Boston Bruins for the chance to win Lord Stanley's Cup. In an effort to freshen up the experience I'll give a brief scouting report on the offense, defense, and goalies of the respective teams and who I think has the advantage.

Offense

The Lightning offense is quick to strike.

The Tampa Bay Lightning unquestionably carry the more recognizable weapons in this category. Stamkos has picked his game up, Marty St. Louis leads the East in points, and Sean Bergenheim has been on a torrid pace putting him in a tie for goals thus far in postseason play. Not to mention a stable that houses Vinny Lecavalier, Steve Downie, and Simon Gagne who is returning from an injury. The Bruins on the other hand, rely on contributions from a supporting cast that consists mostly of young talent. They will be without Patrice Bergeron which could spell trouble for the B's in this series. The burden will then be placed on the shoulders Brad Marchand, Nathan Horton, and David Krejci. With the goaltender play on each team, goals could be at a premium. Time to see if the young guns on Boston can get timely goals or the Lightning simply overpower the Bruins with that explosive core.

Advantage: Tampa Bay Lightning

Can Chara's phyiscal play keep Tampa at bay?

Defense
The Bruins have a blue line group that is anchored by big man Zdeno Chara. He is supported by Dennis Seidenberg, Andrew Ference, and Johnny Boychuk. They are a big, physical group that loves to stand in front of their goaltender and block shots. Keep an eye on any adjustments Claude Julien might make with his defensive pairings throughout the series to try and neutralize the Lightning. The Lightning's defensive unit will take a hit depending on how long they expect Pavel Kubina to be out. The Lightning defense also was key in shutting down the Capitals power play. Expect lots of hitting from each team on the blue line.

Advantage: Boston Bruins

Goaltending
They play thus far by Roloson and Thomas speaks for itself here. Roloson posts marginally better statistics with a 2.01 Goals Against Average and .941 Save Percentage compared to Thomas' numbers at 2.03/.937 respectively. They are the best in the playoffs so far in keeping the puck out of the net and I don't expect a change in this series. Each goaltender realizes the importance that one mistake can make in a series which is why every minute of every period is so crucial in the Conference Finals.

Advantage: Push

I think this series will maintain the excellent play that we've seen in the playoffs this year. Hopefully, that includes a few OT games and maybe another Game 7 in what would be a rocking TD Garden crowd anxious for one of its teams to beat a team with Florida zip code. I think that the 'X-Factor' in this series is Dwayne Roloson because he doesn't have quite the defense that Tim Thomas camps behind. Sometimes the pressue can get to a goalie, but with a veteran like Roloson he should be up to the task.

Tampa Bay Lightning win 4-2

Image roundup

A few gems from Reddit:

Rainbow hair.

Tiny turtle.

Portal poster.

If you look over a typist's shoulder in Doom 3, he'll notice.

Rap enthusiast.

Link roundup

1. Top 50 scifi and fantasy novels. (Not sure why I Am Legend is classified as fantasy.)

2. Supposedly, criminals in Turkey are knocking on doors, dressed as doctors, giving people "medicine" that turns out to be sedatives, and then ransacking their homes while they sleep. Via.

3. Washed up celebrity chefs trying to make a comeback. David Rosengarten "recently produced a YouTube pilot for a show called Hava Lasagna!" Via.

The worst baseball cap in history

The 1969 Seattle Pilots - - ESPN's pick for the worst baseball cap in history. There's ten more here.

Link roundup

1. Massive Voodoo is giving away an impressively-painted (and based) miniature.

2. HAL (2001) phone wallpaper.

3. Batman paper toy.

A Paris Hilton album you want to buy

Spin:

Over the weekend, British papers discovered that Banksy, the artist who notoriously sneaked fake versions of famous paintings into art galleries last year, replaced as many as 500 retail store copies of Paris Hilton's debut CD with a retouched and remixed version. Now, it has been revealed that Danger Mouse -- the producer behind Gnarls Barkley, Gorillaz, and the famous Grey Album -- is behind the remix portion of the disc. Along with completely reworked liner notes that included topless photos of Paris slathered with slogans like "Every CD you buy puts me even further out of your league," the CD featured remixes of Hilton songs by someone credited as "DM," letters that stand for Danger Mouse. The song titles were also changed to names like "Why Am I Famous," "What Have I Done," and "What Am I For." According to an email from his management company obtained by SPIN.com, Danger Mouse met Banksy in London while shopping for disguises. The two had one singular statement about the project: "It's hard to improve on perfection, but we had to try."

NSFW photos of the enhanced version here.

UPDATE: As the commenters point out, this happened in 2006.

C. C. I.
C. C. I.
C. C. I.

Shawn Kemp: PROS vs JOES

Shawn Kemp Crashes the Boards
Tags: Shawn Kemp Crashes the Boards

Link roundup

1. Comment and win a Kindle.

2. How to "Move From Blogger to WordPress Without Losing Google Rank."

3. "Houston Press apologizes for 'hottest sex offenders' list."

Oh My Michigan

While the NBA and college basketball provide memorable highlight reel dunks and game winners, there is something to be said about hockey goals that require so much skill and coordination, that only a few times have they been performed in elite level competition. Many kids growing up have seen what is dubbed as "The Michigan" hockey move. That goal tied the game in the '96 NCAA West Regional and Michigan would go on to defeat Boston University that year in the Frozen Four Championship Game. Compare that video to this gem that I believe trumped "The Michigan:"

Mikael Granlund, who hails from Finland, added a twist to the move that resembles a lacrosse style goal. As he skates behind the net, you'll notice he brilliantly pops the puck up onto the blade of his stick. What makes this goal greater than "The Michigan" is that fact that Granlund, a draft pick of the Minnesota Wild, never stops his forward motion. There are a lot of filthy goals floating around on YouTube, but the attention to detail and display of advanced hockey skill, makes this one my favorite.

-Pat

Updated Greek Myths

Updated versions of Argus, Medusa and more star in Varitan's Illustrated Greek Myths, which is on sale at Amazon. You can read more about the book here, and there's going to be a reading as described here:

Via.

Lego microscale attack of Gozer the Gozerian; Stay-Puft S'mores

Lego microscale Stay-Puft marshmallow man by Rod Gillies.

Relatedly, Stay-Puft S'mores sculpture:

*Buy Ghostbusters toys at eBay.

À sétima é de vez

Como já escrevemos aqui antes, nos playoffs é quando o basquetebol da NBA atinge o seu expoente máximo. Tudo é elevado a um novo nível, a emoção, a incerteza, as grandes exibições e as soluções tácticas. E tudo isso é ainda elevado a um outro nível num jogo 7. Um jogo 7 é o pináculo dum série de playoffs. É o auge da emoção, o máximo da incerteza, a cúpula da adrenalina, a cereja no topo dum bolo de jogos. Não há forma mais emocionante, excitante e memorável duma série terminar que um jogo 7.

E amanhã temos o primeiro destes playoffs. Com a vitória dos Grizzlies esta noite passada, o cenário está montado para o final electrizante desta disputadíssima série. Domingo é o dia. 15.30, a hora (20:30 em Portugal). E a Oklahoma City Arena, o palco. E se este jogo 7 for como os seis que o precederam, é imperdível.

Pois esta tem sido uma das melhores séries (a melhor série?) destes playoffs. Duas equipas que representam uma nova vaga de estrelas da NBA, duas equipas jovens, sem historial na liga (os Thunder eram antes os Sonics e têm história em Seattle, mas não em OKC, pelo que podemos considerá-los uma nova equipa), que atingem aqui o ponto mais alto da sua curta história. Duas equipas muito atléticas, com ataques dinâmicos (mais colectivo o dos Grizzlies, mais dependente das acções individuais das suas estrelas o de OKC) e defesas duras e aguerridas. E se tem havido intensidade e emoção ao longo de toda a série, amanhã estas vão estar nos píncaros.

Recorrendo àquela imortal expressão doutro desporto, se os prognósticos fazem-se no fim do jogo, então num jogo 7, não há prognósticos possíveis. E com duas equipas novas nestas andanças (ambas no primeiro jogo 7 da sua história), tudo pode acontecer.

Se nos playoffs temos o melhor basquetebol do mundo, num jogo 7 temos o basquetebol mais emocionante do mundo. E o duelo de amanhã promete isso mesmo. Até amanhã!

Illustration roundup

Roger and Tetsuo by Michael Dialynas.

How to make oatmeal wrong (i.e., the McDonald's way) by Ben Mullins.

Santánico Pandemónium (Salma Hayek in From Dusk Til Dawn) by Jason Levesque for an upcoming Tarantiono/Coen Bros-themed show. You can buy prints from the first show here.

Alice by Joseph Fox - - the winning entry in Dark Horse's Alice: Madness Returns art contest.

In this video tutorial, Todd McFarlane shows how to draw "dynamic hands."

*Buy Akira toys at eBay.

Derek Boogaard Found Dead

One of the most feared fighters in the NHL today was found dead in his Minneapolis apartment on Friday. There still aren't any details as to the exact cause of death, but he was found at 6:10 pm CDT.

He played in just 22 games this year. He missed the rest of the year and the post-season action that the Rangers were part of with a concussion stemming from this fight with Ottawa's Matt Carkner:

Some are speculating that Boogaard's death came from symptoms of this concussion but I'll wait for autopsy results before I pass judgement on it.

Despite being an enforcer on the ice, Boogaard was regarded to be one of the nicest guys in the league. Several teammates and even counterparts have tweeted about his death, sending regards to the family of the Saskatchewan native. He also was very active in the communities of the two teams he played for: the Minnesota Wild and now the New York Rangers.

You know what they say, only the good die young. Boogaard was 28.