Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie (born June 4, 1975), is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards. Jolie promotes humanitarian causes, and is noted for her work with refugees as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). She has been cited as one of the world's most attractive people, as well as the world's "most beautiful" woman, titles for which she has received substantial media attention.

Angelina Jolie Look very Beautiful

Though she made her screen debut as a child alongside her father Jon Voight in the 1982 film Lookin' to Get Out, Jolie's acting career began in earnest a decade later with the low-budget production Cyborg 2 (1993). Her first leading role in a major film was in Hackers (1995). She starred in the critically acclaimed biographical films George Wallace (1997) and Gia (1998), and won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the drama Girl, Interrupted (1999). Jolie achieved wider fame after her portrayal of video game heroine Lara Croft in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), and since then has established herself as one of the best-known and highest-paid actresses in Hollywood. She has had her biggest commercial successes with the action-comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) and the animated film Kung Fu Panda (2008).

Angelina Jolie Beautiful Smile

Divorced from actors Jonny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton, Jolie currently lives with actor Brad Pitt, in a relationship that has attracted worldwide media attention. Jolie and Pitt have three adopted children, Maddox, Pax, and Zahara, as well as three biological children, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne.

Angelina Jolie Sexy Pose
Angelina Jolie Strawberry Lips
Angelina Jolie on Grammy Awards
Angelina Jolie Soft Make Up
Angelina Jolie Tattoo

SCANDINAVIAN TOMTE

Tomte were mythical elf-like creatures of Scandinavian folklore.  They were believed to inhabit farms and take care of the farmer's home and children and protect them from misfortune, in particular at night, when the house folk were asleep

Sometimes a Tomten can be mischievous...





HEDGIE'S SURPRISE written and illustrated by Jan Brett.  After viewing Goosey-Goosey's brood of chicks, Henny the hen longs for her very own offspring. But each morning a greedy, elf-like "Tomten" steals her newly laid egg, insisting he needs "a little yummy for my hungry, hungry tummy." Henny awakens her friend, Hedgie the hedgehog, with a loud wail, "No eggs, no chicks, no peeping babies," and he offers to help Henny put a stop to the Tomten's thievery. (Click here to read my previous post about the author,  Jan Brett.)


THE TOMTEN by Astrid Lindgren, illustrations by Harald Wieberg.  I love the moonlit scenes of the quiet farm.  This is an adaptation of the poem written by Viktor Rydberg.  To read my previous post about Astrid Lindgren and this book, click here.

Rydberg's poem, written in the 1880's, with illustrations by Jenny Nystrom, was the beginning of the Tomten's association with Christmas.  

Rampage Jackson Edges Machida, Penn Destroys Hughes

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Quinton "Rampage" Jackson looked stunned beat Lyoto Machida.
B.J. Penn left no doubt against Matt Hughes.

In the UFC's first card featuring four former champions, one main event ended quickly and the other marquee matchup went the distance Saturday night.

Jackson was awarded a split-decision victory against Machida — after raising his opponent's hand.

"When he dominated me in the third round, I forgot what happened in the first two rounds," Jackson said. "At the time, I thought I got whooped because he landed a flurry on my face."

Penn, meanwhile, screamed as he celebrated a 21-second knockout of Hughes at UFC 123.
He knocked Hughes flat onto his back by countering with a right cross, then unleashed a flurry of shots to his head that led to their fight being stopped.

"He hit me hard," Hughes said. "When I felt the hit, I thought it was a knee or a kick."
There weren't many punches or kicks in the Jackson-Machida fight, but Jackson's aggressive style seemed to pay off for the judges against Machida's passive ways.

"I think that's the only reason that earned the decision," Jackson said.

Machida shuffled and backpedaled more than he punched or kicked, but took Rampage down in the third after two rounds without much action.

He didn't bristle at the decision that didn't go his way, losing a second straight fight after starting 16-0.

"If the judges saw that Quinton won, then they saw Quinton win," the Brazilian said through a translator.

Jackson (31-8) was determined to show he can still be a force in the UFC after playing B.A. Baracus in "The A-Team" movie. He was unimpressive in a loss to Rashad Evans in May, one of just two setbacks in a 10-fight stretch, and was lackluster against Machida.

"I was really going for the knock out," he said. "I am kind of disappointed in my performance a little bit."

It looks as if Penn made the right decision to keep fighting.

SOME GRINCH TRIVIA...

Like Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL, it's the ending of this story that brings us back to it every Christmas season.  The Grinch realizes - after stealing all the Who's decorations, presents, and feasting food - that he can't stop Christmas from coming...

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.

"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"

And what happened then...?

Well...in Who-ville they say

That the Grinch's small heart

Grew three sizes that day!

HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS was written and illustrated by Theodor Geisel, otherwise known as "Dr. Seuss", in 1957.   The animated musical television version, directed by Chuck Jones, was first televised in December of 1966, with narration done by Boris Karloff.  The original "book" Grinch appears white and black (like everything else in the book), with occasional pink and red splotches.  In the animated cartoon, he is green.

Karloff was the voice of the Grinch, but the song, "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" was sung by Thur Ravenscroft, who also lent his vocal talents to Disney, including for "Fritz" (the German parrot in the Tiki Room), the original narration for the Disneyland Railroad (which was changed in 2001), and for many Disney feature films. Another of Thur's claims to fame was as the well-known voice of Tony the Tiger. 

Although the character of Max the dog was minor in the book, Jones made him a major character in the cartoon, partly because "he represented the audience, including me…. He was the one you wanted to rescue."

I didn't particularly like the live-action feature film adaptation of HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS, starring Jim Carrey.  But I do find it interesting that Carrey brilliantly portrayed and voiced Scrooge in the CGI animated Disney movie (directed by Robert Zemeckis) A CHRISTMAS CAROL.  And now I'm back to where I began in this post!

To read my other posts about Dr. Seuss, click here.

N.C. WYETH'S PILGRIMS

N.C. Wyeth is renowned for his illustrations of children's classics like Treasure Island, Robin Hood, and Robinson Crusoe. The paintings used to illustrate PILGRIMS are from a series of brilliantly sumptuous murals commissioned by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in the late 1940's, which bring to life the carefully researched text by well known children's book author Robert San Souci. (ages 8-12)

Another beautifully illustrated book about Thanksgiving:
THE THANKSGIVING STORY by Alice Dalgliesh, pictures by Helen Sewell.  Five illustrated chapters for ages 6 and up.  The story follows three Pilgrim children--Giles, Constance, and Damaris Hopkins--as they experience a trip on the Mayflower, settling in New Plymouth, being afraid of but then befriending some Indians, and finally sharing a feast together, each thanking God in their own way.


As the Thanksgiving holiday draws closer, the anticipation of getting our homes ready to welcome family seems to pre-occupy all of us. At our house, even our kids got involved with scrubbing, cleaning, and polishing.  In my Christmas book recommendation for today, the same thing is happening with some animals who are waiting for "someone" (Mary and Joseph)...WHO IS COMING TO OUR HOUSE?  by Joseph Slate, illustrations by Ashley Wolfe, is a sweet book for 3-6 year olds.  I love the black-line borders around the illustrations.

Happy Birthday, Dear Frances

Yesterday marked the 50th birthday for Russell Hoban's little badger, Frances. Carol Baicker-McKee, an author/illustrator that I've written about, wrote a special tribute to Frances that you can read from her blog, DOODLES AND NOODLES, here.

Carol Baicker-McKee has lent her fun 3-dimensional art photographs to several children's books, one of which I have on my Christmas Book List. It's MERRY CHRISTMAS, CHEEPS!, by Julie Steigemeyer. I love Carol's style. Click here to see her other books and read my past blog post.

Frances was in the broom closet, singing:

Happy Thursday to you,

Happy Thursday to you,

Happy Thursday, dear Alice,

Happy Thursday to you.

"Who is Alice?" asked Mother.

"Alice is somebody that nobody can see," said Frances. "And that is why she does not have a birthday. So I am singing Happy Birthday to her."

"Today is Friday," said Mother.

"It is Thursday for Alice," said Frances...

"I am sure Alice will have cake and candy on her birthday," said Mother.

"But Alice does not have a birthday," said Frances.

"Yes, she does," said Mother. "Even if nobody can see her, Alice has one birthday every year, and so do you. Your birthday is two months from now. Then you will be the birthday girl. But tomorrow is Gloria's birthday, and she will be the birthday girl."

"That's how it is, Alice," said Frances. "Your birthday is always the one that is not now."
From A BIRTHDAY FOR FRANCES, by Russell Hoban, with charcoal illustrations by his wife Lillian Hoban

Bosh’s season-high 35 lift Heat past Suns, 123-96

Bosh scored a season-high 35 points before sitting out the fourth quarter, LeBron James finished with 20 points and the Miami Heat ran away from the Suns 123-96 on Wednesday.
“We’re smart,” Bosh said. “And we know how to play the correct way.”

Dwyane Wade(notes) added 17 points, six rebounds and six assists for Miami, which used two big runs—a 24-9 spurt to end the first half, followed by an 18-3 flurry that closed the third quarter—to snap the Suns’ three-game winning streak. James also had nine assists and eight boards, but deferred afterward to Bosh’s breakout night.

“I think he was due—well overdue—for one of these games,” James said.

Eddie House scored 15 points and Carlos Arroyo added 10 for Miami, which enjoyed its biggest win over Phoenix in nearly 14 years and held Suns point guard Steve Nash to an uncharacteristically low two assists.

“Well, we weren’t necessarily expecting that result,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We just wanted to focus on our game, our energy and really having a defensive edge to us again. That’s one of the most challenging teams to defend.”

The top criticisms of the Heat this season, in no particular order, had been how they struggled against big-time point guards, how they couldn’t seem to put teams away and that Bosh’s numbers had taken a hit as he adjusted to his new role in Miami.

None of those issues were issues against the Suns.

“They just outplayed us the entire game,” Nash said. “We only have ourselves to blame. We didn’t play hard. We didn’t play with enough aggressiveness or urgency and I think it showed.”

Slowed by a sore groin, Nash scored 17 points for Phoenix. But the last time he had only two assists was Dec. 29, 2008, against Oklahoma City, 141 games ago. And Wednesday marked only the ninth time in 737 games where Nash played at least 29 minutes and failed to get more than two assists, according to STATS LLC.

“I kind of took a little risk,” said Nash, who may consider sitting out Thursday in Orlando. “It didn’t feel great, but I don’t think I did serious damage to it.”

Controlling Nash, who came in averaging 12 assists in his last five games, was a huge point of emphasis for the Heat. In Miami’s four losses this season, opposing point guards—Rajon Rondo twice, Deron Williams and Chris Paul — averaged 16.5 assists per game.

Grant Hill scored 15 for Phoenix, which also got 14 from Channing Frye , 11 from Jason Richardson and Goran Dragic , and 10 from Hedo Turkoglu . The Suns were outrebounded 42-32.

Bosh started quickly—not a surprise given his recent history against Phoenix.

“When CB comes out as aggressive as he was, I think that helps us a lot,” James said.

He hit his first four shots and had 14 points by the time the game was 9 minutes old. He has topped 30 points in three of his last six meetings with Phoenix—yet oddly, hadn’t been part of a win over the Suns since Feb. 10, 2004.

By the time Bosh went to the bench for the evening, snapping that streak was certain.
“We just never came close to guarding Bosh tonight,” Suns coach Alvin Gentry said.

Miami wasted a 22-point home lead at home against Utah last week, and for a moment in the third quarter, the Heat seemed on the brink of blowing another huge edge. Phoenix frustrated Miami briefly with zone defense and Nash’s finger-roll with 3:14 left in the third cut what had been a 25-point Miami edge minutes earlier to 82-70.

Some anxiety pulsed through the building.

No need.

“We didn’t panic,” Bosh said. “We didn’t get out of place or anything. We just continued to play solid basketball.”

Bosh scored the game’s next seven points, kickstarting a run that put things away for Miami.
Reserve House hit a 3-pointer with 35 seconds left to get the lead back to 24, and Wade had a spectacular three-point play—defensive rebound at one end, drive downcourt, finger-roll layup while getting fouled and then highstepping past photographers—to make it 100-73 entering the fourth.