"It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might've well not lived at all." -- J.K. Rowling
(Harvard Commencement Speech, June 2008)

Please enjoy this insightful interview with billionaire Harry Potter author, JK Rowling, which aired on US Television on October 1, 2010.

Please click the links to watch all six parts below:

She is truly an inspiration! Whether she writes Part 8 and onward, Joe has created an amazing legacy of books and characters for the world for which she will always be honored and exalted.

This is really amazing and strangely beautiful. The Associate Professor of Music, Tin-Shi Tam, at Iowa State University responded to a Facebook request to play Lady Gaga's Bad Romance from the campus bell tower.

Had to pass it along!

Exclusive: First Look at Teddy Newton’s Day & Night

 

I’m excited to be the first place in the world to debut this exclusive still from writer/director Teddy Newton’s new short, Day & Night. This still really shows off the 2D characters of Day & Night and the 3D images inside. The short will make its debut alongside Toy Story 3 on June 18th in North America. Day & Night is produced by Kevin Reher with music by Michael Giacchino.

To refresh your memory, here’s the summary of the short:

When Day, a sunny fellow, encounters Night, a stranger of distinctly darker moods, sparks fly! Day and Night are frightened and suspicious of each other at first, and quickly get off on the wrong foot. But as they discover each other’s unique qualities–and come to realize that each of them offers a different window onto the same world–the friendship helps both to gain a new perspective.

I’m also pleased to present this recent photo of Teddy Newton courtesy of Pixar and their photographer extraordinaire Debby Coleman.

 

 

Toy Story 3 is the talk of the town if you are a Disney fan, but Pixar's new short, Day & Night, by writer/director Teddy Newton, will accompany the film when it releases next month.

The accompanying picture for the short doesn't make much sense at first, as it appears that the characters, especially "Day," the larger of the two, has tattoos or Vinylmation art (the latest passion for Disney collectors) on its lower body... It's actually much more than that.

These Day & Night characters have 3D animation showing in their silhouettes in tandem with their regular 2D actions & reactions. That's quite remarkable, even for Pixar.

Day & Night appears to be an experimental short that creates a fusion of traditional & modern animation elements. Knowing the excellence of work from Pixar, however, I think this experiment will be a hit with audiences.

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Last night, ABC presented "Prep and Landing," an inventive, appealing story about Christmas elves who work like an elite unit of spies.

John Lasseter (Pixar) worked on this special, and his team's attention to all of its spy details are done with passion for its subjects. The spy lingo, awesome gadgets, cockpit dialogue and rooftop airstrips mixed in with Santa's Christmas Eve magic PACK this unique 20-minute Christmas special.

To top it all off, the elves' voices are incredibly well-done. I don't usually fall for the little green characters, but I love these elves!

"This is sooo TINSEL!!"
I dare you not to repeat a single line from this special.

Watch Disney's "Prep and Landing" for FREE on Hulu before January 1, 2010.

"Security breach--Subject has been sparkled."

"Ohh. Frostbite."

via amazon.com

I cannot recommend this gadget enough!
The Flip UltraHD Camcorder is one of the BEST recording devices on the market that is now at a fantastic price.

I use my Flip UltraHD Camcorder much more than my digital camcorder, because it's very portable, it's as small as my digital camera, it films high-definition digital video, and it plugs directly into my laptop USB port. Plus, it's a cordless, rechargeable device. This product should be very attractive to any amateur who has a desire to film monkeys at the zoo, record an exciting celebrity sighting or movie premiere... or just record home movies of their family.

There are no excuses for uploading grainy videos with poor audio anymore. The videos I get from this product are ALWAYS high definition, featuring some of the clearest picture and sound you can buy for any handheld camcorder... I think it looks like DVD-quality video. It is THAT good.

I bought the Flip UltraHD for over $225 last summer. I would pay it all over again. Amazon.com just put it on sale for $150 with free shipping--it's the best price out there.

If you could use a top-of-the-line & affordable recording device, this is it. It is PERFECT for vacations, family reunions, birthday parties, a wedding gift or a baby shower gift. It looks like a toy, so people might laugh when you record them with it initially, but they will be blown away by the quality of what you can capture.

NOTE: There are inexpensive Flip products that have unimpressive, low resolution, like video from a digital camera or cell phone. Ick. That's not exciting. The only thing the UltraHD has in common with its previous models is the frame and its portable size. I am only recommending the "Ultra HD" model.

This is an AMAZING product, and I hope my review helps someone who is sitting on the fence about it. Jump on this price!

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I saw half of The Princess and the Frog in September 2009 at the D23 Expo, and heard Anika Noni Rose perform a song live. What an honor! The characters--human and amphibian--and the songs are timeless, and I truly believe The Princess and the Frog is going to be a classic.

If you enjoy animated films as I do, I really encourage you to experience Princess and the Frog in a theater! You will not want to wait for DVD on this one. The fun, Mardi Gras/Louisiana feel of the songs will have nearly everyone's toes tapping. I am proud that Disney made this movie!

I love Weezer's latest song that features Sara Bareilles! I've heard this unique acoustic version five times today, and I'm not tired of it yet. It's going straight to my iPod, and I wanted to share it with you too!

Those of you who have followed my posts know that I have loved Weezer's music for years, but I didn't know much about Sara before I heard this song... I always thought she had a cool last name. Well, after I Youtubed her other work, and I heard "Love Song" again. I'm sure you've heard it too...("I'm not gonna write you a love song; 'cause you asked for it; 'cause you need one") and I realized that I have loved Sara's songs all along!

Enjoy this latest song, a fun toe-tapping duet: "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" by Weezer, featuring Sara Bareilles. I love this single; the official music video is great, but this acoustic version sounds even better!