Friday, August 20, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
'Toy Story 3' top-grossing animated film of all time
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Woody and his pals have elbowed aside the green ogre, with Disney/Pixar's "Toy Story 3" climbing above Paramount/DreamWorks' "Shrek 2" to become the top-grossing animated film worldwide.
Walt Disney Studios announced that "Toy" has taken in $920 million at the global box office, topping "Shrek's" $919.8 million. Globally, it's Disney's fourth-highest-grossing film, trailing two of the installments in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise and Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland ."
The 3D toon also has crossed the $400 million mark domestically, the second Disney film to hit that level, after 2006's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," which took in $423 million domestically.
In 1995, Pixar launched the "Toy Story" franchise, with its central characters of Woody, Buzz Lightyear and their fellow toys.
Released June 18, "Toy Story 3," directed by Lee Unkrich, recorded Pixar's highest-grossing opening weekend, taking in $109 million in North America, and was the 11th Disney/Pixar title to debut in the No. 1 position on its opening weekend of wide release. The movie will be released on Blu-ray and DVD November 2.
Walt Disney Studios announced that "Toy" has taken in $920 million at the global box office, topping "Shrek's" $919.8 million. Globally, it's Disney's fourth-highest-grossing film, trailing two of the installments in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise and Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland ."
The 3D toon also has crossed the $400 million mark domestically, the second Disney film to hit that level, after 2006's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," which took in $423 million domestically.
In 1995, Pixar launched the "Toy Story" franchise, with its central characters of Woody, Buzz Lightyear and their fellow toys.
Released June 18, "Toy Story 3," directed by Lee Unkrich, recorded Pixar's highest-grossing opening weekend, taking in $109 million in North America, and was the 11th Disney/Pixar title to debut in the No. 1 position on its opening weekend of wide release. The movie will be released on Blu-ray and DVD November 2.
13 Things An Identity Thief Won't Tell You
Former identity thieves confess the tactics they use to scam you.
1. Watch your back. In line at the grocery store, I’ll hold my phone like I’m looking at the screen and snap your card as you’re using it. Next thing you know, I’m ordering things online—on your dime.
2. That red flag tells the mail carrier—and me—that you have outgoing mail. And that can mean credit card numbers and checks I can reproduce.
3. Check your bank and credit card balances at least once a week. I can do a lot of damage in the 30 days between statements.
PLUS: 10 Ways to Protect Yourself Online
4. In Europe, credit cards have an embedded chip and require a PIN, which makes them a lot harder to hack. Here, I can duplicate the magnetic stripe technology with a $50 machine.
5. If a bill doesn’t show up when it’s supposed to, don’t breathe a sigh of relief. Start to wonder if your mail has been stolen.
6. That’s me driving through your neighborhood at 3 a.m. on trash day. I fill my trunk with bags of garbage from different houses, then sort later.
7. You throw away the darnedest things—preapproved credit card applications, old bills, expired credit cards, checking account deposit slips, and crumpled-up job or loan applications with all your personal information.
8. If you see something that looks like it doesn’t belong on the ATM or sticks out from the card slot, walk away. That’s the skimmer I attached to capture your card information and PIN.
9. Why don’t more of you call 888-5-OPTOUT to stop banks from sending you preapproved credit offers? You’re making it way too easy for me.
PLUS: 13 Things Your Financial Adviser Won't Tell You
10. I use your credit cards all the time, and I never get asked for ID. A helpful hint: I’d never use a credit card with a picture on it.
11. I can call the electric company, pose as you, and say, “Hey, I thought I paid this bill. I can’t remember—did I use my Visa or MasterCard? Can you read me back that number?” I have to be in character, but it’s unbelievable what they’ll tell me.
12. Thanks for using your debit card instead of your credit card. Hackers are constantly breaking into retail databases, and debit cards give me direct access to your banking account.
13. Love that new credit card that showed up in your mailbox. If I can’t talk someone at your bank into activating it (and I usually can), I write down the number and put it back. After you’ve activated the card, I start using it.
WASHINGTON – For 193 years the Ohio Clock has stood watch over the U.S. Senate, a subject of rumor, curiosity and misinformation.
Was it made in Ohio? Did senators stash whiskey inside it?
Now the elegant clock is making its first journey beyond the Capitol. That may not answer the questions, but it will give the clock a long-needed renovation, inside and out, Senate officials say.
The 11-foot-tall piece is a Capitol landmark. Countless press conferences are held there — reporters know "OCC" means Ohio Clock corridor — as are informal meet-ups of staffers and friends.
Starting in 1817 it stood in the old Senate chamber. Since 1859 it has held its current post, outside the modern-day chamber's south door.
[Related: News outlets split in describing mosque]
Soon it will travel to Boston, where furniture restorers will work on the dark wooden case, and a clockmaker will overhaul the working parts, said Senate curator Diane K. Skvarla. The clock has been repaired and revarnished on site over the years, she said, but never "professionally conserved."
Workers will try to peel away layers of varnish on the case to revive the "rich patina" lurking beneath, she said.
"The quality of the wood is going to be beautiful," she said.
The clock, which is lubricated regularly and wound weekly, still keeps accurate time, as it has for nearly two centuries. But engineers recently concluded "this is a clock that is waiting to stop," Skvarla said, and the overhaul of the working parts may be extensive.
The renovations will make the piece lovelier, she said, but they won't solve the mystery of the old clock.
To begin with, Skvarla said, no one knows how it became associated with Ohio. It was made in Philadelphia, as the face clearly states, and it reportedly came straight to Washington.
One theory holds that the clock commemorates Ohio becoming the 17th state, because the case's shield has 17 stars. No records support that story, however, and Louisiana had become the 18th state before the clock was built.
Then there's the long-standing rumor that senators hid whiskey in the case. There's no proof of that, either, Skvarla said.
However, some news reporters admitted keeping booze there when they were temporarily stationed in the corridor in the late 1940s. (See, sometimes you really can blame the media!)
The clock has taken some lumps. The blast from a bomb planted in 1983 just outside the Senate chamber broke the glass covering the clock's face. The "Armed Resistance Unit" took credit for the bomb, retaliating the U.S. military's involvement in Grenada and Lebanon. The piece that replaced the glass was too heavy, causing problems for the hinges, Skvarla said, so a lighter piece of glass will be installed.
One thing won't be fully restored: the chimes, which stopped working years ago. Workers will repair the clock's bell, Skvarla said, but not activate it, lest the chimes interrupt news conferences and other events in the corridor.
When the refurbished clock returns to the Capitol in October, all will be well in a place that loves its traditions and history.
After all, as Skvarla notes, "Everybody says 'Meet you at the Ohio Clock.' They don't say 'Meet you at the George Washington portrait.'"
1. Watch your back. In line at the grocery store, I’ll hold my phone like I’m looking at the screen and snap your card as you’re using it. Next thing you know, I’m ordering things online—on your dime.
2. That red flag tells the mail carrier—and me—that you have outgoing mail. And that can mean credit card numbers and checks I can reproduce.
3. Check your bank and credit card balances at least once a week. I can do a lot of damage in the 30 days between statements.
© Comstock/Thinkstock
4. In Europe, credit cards have an embedded chip and require a PIN, which makes them a lot harder to hack. Here, I can duplicate the magnetic stripe technology with a $50 machine.
5. If a bill doesn’t show up when it’s supposed to, don’t breathe a sigh of relief. Start to wonder if your mail has been stolen.
6. That’s me driving through your neighborhood at 3 a.m. on trash day. I fill my trunk with bags of garbage from different houses, then sort later.
7. You throw away the darnedest things—preapproved credit card applications, old bills, expired credit cards, checking account deposit slips, and crumpled-up job or loan applications with all your personal information.
8. If you see something that looks like it doesn’t belong on the ATM or sticks out from the card slot, walk away. That’s the skimmer I attached to capture your card information and PIN.
9. Why don’t more of you call 888-5-OPTOUT to stop banks from sending you preapproved credit offers? You’re making it way too easy for me.
PLUS: 13 Things Your Financial Adviser Won't Tell You
10. I use your credit cards all the time, and I never get asked for ID. A helpful hint: I’d never use a credit card with a picture on it.
11. I can call the electric company, pose as you, and say, “Hey, I thought I paid this bill. I can’t remember—did I use my Visa or MasterCard? Can you read me back that number?” I have to be in character, but it’s unbelievable what they’ll tell me.
12. Thanks for using your debit card instead of your credit card. Hackers are constantly breaking into retail databases, and debit cards give me direct access to your banking account.
13. Love that new credit card that showed up in your mailbox. If I can’t talk someone at your bank into activating it (and I usually can), I write down the number and put it back. After you’ve activated the card, I start using it.
CAPITAL CULTURE: Mystery of the Old Clock persists
WASHINGTON – For 193 years the Ohio Clock has stood watch over the U.S. Senate, a subject of rumor, curiosity and misinformation.
Was it made in Ohio? Did senators stash whiskey inside it?
Now the elegant clock is making its first journey beyond the Capitol. That may not answer the questions, but it will give the clock a long-needed renovation, inside and out, Senate officials say.
The 11-foot-tall piece is a Capitol landmark. Countless press conferences are held there — reporters know "OCC" means Ohio Clock corridor — as are informal meet-ups of staffers and friends.
Starting in 1817 it stood in the old Senate chamber. Since 1859 it has held its current post, outside the modern-day chamber's south door.
[Related: News outlets split in describing mosque]
Soon it will travel to Boston, where furniture restorers will work on the dark wooden case, and a clockmaker will overhaul the working parts, said Senate curator Diane K. Skvarla. The clock has been repaired and revarnished on site over the years, she said, but never "professionally conserved."
Workers will try to peel away layers of varnish on the case to revive the "rich patina" lurking beneath, she said.
"The quality of the wood is going to be beautiful," she said.
The clock, which is lubricated regularly and wound weekly, still keeps accurate time, as it has for nearly two centuries. But engineers recently concluded "this is a clock that is waiting to stop," Skvarla said, and the overhaul of the working parts may be extensive.
The renovations will make the piece lovelier, she said, but they won't solve the mystery of the old clock.
To begin with, Skvarla said, no one knows how it became associated with Ohio. It was made in Philadelphia, as the face clearly states, and it reportedly came straight to Washington.
One theory holds that the clock commemorates Ohio becoming the 17th state, because the case's shield has 17 stars. No records support that story, however, and Louisiana had become the 18th state before the clock was built.
Then there's the long-standing rumor that senators hid whiskey in the case. There's no proof of that, either, Skvarla said.
However, some news reporters admitted keeping booze there when they were temporarily stationed in the corridor in the late 1940s. (See, sometimes you really can blame the media!)
The clock has taken some lumps. The blast from a bomb planted in 1983 just outside the Senate chamber broke the glass covering the clock's face. The "Armed Resistance Unit" took credit for the bomb, retaliating the U.S. military's involvement in Grenada and Lebanon. The piece that replaced the glass was too heavy, causing problems for the hinges, Skvarla said, so a lighter piece of glass will be installed.
One thing won't be fully restored: the chimes, which stopped working years ago. Workers will repair the clock's bell, Skvarla said, but not activate it, lest the chimes interrupt news conferences and other events in the corridor.
When the refurbished clock returns to the Capitol in October, all will be well in a place that loves its traditions and history.
After all, as Skvarla notes, "Everybody says 'Meet you at the Ohio Clock.' They don't say 'Meet you at the George Washington portrait.'"
46 smart uses for salt
How many ways can you use salt? According to the Salt Institute, about 14,000! The salt website has tons of handy tips for using salt around the house, and the best of the bunch -- plus my additions -- are listed below.I can't think of another more versatile mineral. Salt is the most common and readily available nonmetallic mineral in the world. In fact, the supply of salt is inexhaustible.
For thousands of years, salt (sodium chloride) has been used to preserve food and for cleaning, and people have continued to rely on it for all kinds of nifty tricks.
So with its nontoxic friendliness and status as an endlessly abundant resource, let's swap out some toxic solutions for ample, innocuous, and inexpensive salt.
There are a number of forms of salt produced for consumption (and by default, housekeeping!): unrefined salt (such as sea salt), refined salt (table salt), and iodized salt. Kosher salt is sodium chloride processed to have flat crystals. And in case you're wondering, Epsom salt is an entirely different stuff: magnesium sulfate to be exact (which is a salt that I consider to be, essentially, miraculous).
Here are just a few of the many ways you can put salt to good use in your home:
In the Kitchen
Aside from all of the alchemy that salt performs in terms of baking chemistry and food flavor, salt has a number of other great applications in the kitchen.Test egg freshness.
Put two teaspoons of salt in a cup of water and place an egg in it -- a fresh egg will sink, an older egg will float. Because the air cell in an egg increases as it ages, an older egg is more buoyant. This doesn't mean a floating egg is rotten, just more mature. Crack the egg into a bowl and examine it for any funky odor or appearance -- if it's rotten, your nose will tell you. (Bonus fact: if you have hard-boiled eggs that are difficult to peel, that means they are fresh!)
Set poached eggs.
Because salt increases the temperature of boiling water, it helps to set the whites more quickly when eggs are dropped into the water for poaching.
Prevent fruits from browning.
Most of us use lemon or vinegar to stop peeled apples and pears from browning, but you can also drop them in lightly salted water to help them keep their color.
Shell nuts more easily.
Soak pecans and walnuts in salt water for several hours before shelling to make it easier to remove the meat.
Prevent cake icing crystals.
A little salt added to cake icings prevents them from sugaring.
Remove odors from hands.
Oniony-garlicy fingers? I like soap and water, then rubbing them on anything made of stainless steel (it really works), but you can also rub your fingers with a salt and vinegar combo.
Reach high peaks.
Add a tiny pinch of salt when beating egg whites or whipping cream for quicker, higher peaks.
Extend cheese life.
Prevent mold on cheese by wrapping it in a cloth moistened with saltwater before refrigerating.
Save the bottom of your oven.
If a pie or casserole bubbles over in the oven, put a handful of salt on top of the spill. It won't smoke and smell, and it will bake into a crust that makes the baked-on mess much easier to clean when it has cooled.
mosquitobite
Personal Care
Extend toothbrush life.Soak toothbrushes in salt water before your first use; they'll last longer.
Clean teeth.
Use one part fine salt to two parts baking soda -- dip your toothbrush in the mix and brush as usual. You can also use the same mix dissolved in water for orthodontic appliances.
Rinse your mouth.
Mix equal parts salt and baking soda in water for a fresh and deodorizing mouth rinse.
Ease mouth problems.
For cankers, abscesses, and other mouth sores, rinse your mouth with a weak solution of warm saltwater several times a day.
Relieve bee-sting pain.
Ouch? Immediately dampen area and pack on a small pile of salt to reduce pain and swelling. More bee-sting tips here.
Treat mosquito bites.
A saltwater soak can do wonders for that special mosquito-bite itch -- a poultice of salt mixed with olive oil can help too.
Treat poison ivy.
Same method as for treating mosquito bites. (Salt doesn't seem to distinguish between itches.)
Have an exfoliating massage.
After bathing and while still wet give yourself a massage with dry salt. It freshens skin and boosts circulation.
Ease throat pain.
Mix salt and warm water, gargle to relieve a sore throat.
Around the House
Deter ants.Sprinkle salt at doorways, window sills, and anywhere else ants sneak into your house. Ants don't like to walk on salt.
Extinguish grease fires.
Keep a box of salt near your stove and oven, and if a grease fire flares up, douse the flames with salt. (Never use water on grease fires; it will splatter the burning grease.) When salt is applied to fire, it acts like a heat sink and dissipates the heat from the fire -- it also forms an oxygen-excluding crust to smother the fire.
Drip-proof candles.
If you soak new candles in a strong salt solution for a few hours, then dry them well, they will not drip as much when you burn them.
Keep cut flowers fresh.
A dash of salt added to the water in a flower vase will keep cut flowers fresh longer. (You can also try an aspirin or a dash of sugar for the same effect.)
Arrange artificial flowers.
Artificial flowers can be held in place by pouring salt into the vase, adding a little cold water and then arranging the flowers. The salt become solid as it dries and holds the flowers in place.
Make play dough.
Use 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt, 1 cup water, 2 tablespoons oil, and 2 tablespoons cream of tartar. Stir together flour, cream of tartar, salt, and oil, and slowly add water. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until dough becomes stiff. Spread onto wax paper and let cool. Knead the dough with your hands until it reaches a good dough consistency. (Read about juice dyes here.)
Repair walls.
To fill nail holes, fix chips or other small dings in white sheet-rock or plaster walls, mix 2 tablespoons salt and 2 tablespoons cornstarch, then add enough water (about 5 teaspoons) to make a thick paste. Use the paste to fill the holes.
Deter patio weeds.
If weeds or grass grow between bricks or blocks in your patio, sidewalk, or driveway, carefully spread salt between the cracks, then sprinkle with water or wait for rain to wet it down.
Kill poison ivy.
Mix three pounds of salt with a gallon of soapy water (use a gentle dish soap) and apply to leaves and stems with a sprayer, avoiding any plant life that you want to keep.
De-ice sidewalks and driveways.
One of the oldest tricks in the book! Lightly sprinkle rock salt on walks and driveways to keep snow and ice from bonding to the pavement and allow for easier shoveling/scraping. But don't overdo it; use the salt sensibly to avoid damage to plants and paws.
Tame a wild barbecue.
Toss a bit of salt on flames from food dripping in barbecue grills to reduce the flames and calm the smoke without cooling the coals (like water does).
Cleaning
Salt works as an effective yet gentle scouring agent. Salt also serves as a catalyst for other ingredients, such as vinegar, to boost cleaning and deodorizing action. For a basic soft scrub, make a paste with lots of salt, baking soda and dish soap and use on appliances, enamel, porcelain, etc.Clean sink drains.
Pour salt mixed with hot water down the kitchen sink regularly to deodorize and keep grease from building up.
Remove water rings.
Gently rub a thin paste of salt and vegetable oil on the white marks caused by beverage glasses and hot dishes on wooden tables.
Clean greasy pans.
Cast-iron skillets can be cleaned with a good sprinkling of salt and paper towels.
Clean stained cups.
Mix salt with a dab of dish soap to make a soft scrub for stubborn coffee and tea stains.
Clean refrigerators.
A mix of salt and soda water can be used to wipe out and deodorize the inside of your refrigerator, a nice way to keep chemical-y cleaners away from your food.
Clean brass or copper.
Mix equal parts of salt, flour, and vinegar to make a paste, and rub the paste on the metal. After letting it sit for an hour, clean with a soft cloth or brush and buff with a dry cloth.
Clean rust.
Mix salt and cream of tartar with just enough water to make a paste. Rub on rust, let dry, brush off and buff with a dry, soft cloth. You can also use the same method with a mix of salt and lemon.
Clean a glass coffee pot.
Every diner waitress' favorite tip: add salt and ice cubes to a coffee pot, swirl around vigorously, and rinse. The salt scours the bottom, and the ice helps to agitate it more for a better scrub.
winestain
Laundry
Attack wine spills.If a tipsy guest tips wine on your cotton or linen tablecloth, blot up as much as possible and immediately cover the wine with a pile of salt, which will help pull the remaining wine away form the fiber. After dinner, soak the tablecloth in cold water for 30 minutes before laundering. (Also works on clothing.)
Quell oversudsing.
Since, of course, we are all very careful in how much detergent we use in our laundry, we never have too many suds. But if someone overfills ... you can eliminate excess suds with a sprinkle of salt.
Dry clothes in the winter.
Use salt in the final laundry rinse to prevent clothes from freezing if you use an outdoor clothes line in the winter.
Brighten colors.
Wash colored curtains or washable fiber rugs in a saltwater solution to brighten the colors. Brighten faded rugs and carpets by rubbing them briskly with a cloth that has been dipped in a strong saltwater solution and wrung out.
Remove perspiration stains.
Add four tablespoons of salt to one quart of hot water and sponge the fabric with the solution until stains fade.
Remove blood stains.
Soak the stained cloth in cold saltwater, then launder in warm, soapy water and boil after the wash. (Use only on cotton, linen, or other natural fibers that can take high heat.)
Tackle mildew or rust stains.
Moisten stained spots with a mixture of lemon juice and salt, then spread the item in the sun for bleaching -- then rinse and dry.
Clean a gunky iron bottom.
Sprinkle a little salt on a piece of paper and run the hot iron over it to remove rough, sticky spots.
Set color.
Salt is used commonly in the textile industry, but works at home too. If a dye isn't colorfast, soak the garment for an hour in 1/2 gallon of water to which you've added 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/2 cup salt, then rinse. If rinse water has any color in it, repeat. Use only on single-colored fabric or madras. If the item is multicolored, dry-clean it to avoid running all of the colors together.
Do You Know What This Symbol Means?
Do you recognize the symbol here? It lights up in your instrument panel and looks like a U-shaped pictograph with treads and an exclamation point in the middle.
Do you understand what it means now?
If you guessed a low tire-pressure warning, you are right. If you didn’t recognize the symbol, that’s also understandable because one out of three drivers do not, according to Schrader, a company that makes tire pressure monitoring systems.
He warning for the TPMS lights up when one or more of your vehicle’s tires is 25% below the manufacturer’s recommended pressure. The system is now required on all vehicles starting with the 2008 model year.
The issue here seems to be that the public hasn’t been properly educated on the warning symbol, which is supposed to be “idiot proof” and understandable across a wide variety of cultures and languages. Yet 46% of drivers couldn’t figure out that the icon represents a tire and 14% thought the symbol represented another problem with the vehicle entirely, according to Schrader.
As we said earlier in the week, properly inflated tires are vitally important to your safety. Low pressure will affect your braking, acceleration, stability, cornering and fuel economy. The government instituted the TPMS mandate after the Bridgestone/Firestone tire failures on the Ford Explorer in 2000, a controversy that was partly attributed to inadequately inflated tires.
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