True Blood Season 2 promo..premiere June 14th…
You heard it here at MiM first, and HBO now running the official summer premiere promo. Previous MiM post on interview tidbits for S2 here
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Meredith Whitney- The “Great White Wash” of 1Q Bank Earnings – Bloomberg
Live! From New York, NY: Exclusive Interview with Meredith Whitney (Taking Stock)
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Breaking: Ninth Circuit incorporates Second Amendment into 14th Amendment Rights (Nordyke v King)…
Update: .pdf of ruling here
Go read it all at AceHQ complete with flaming skull:
From the decision:
We therefore conclude that the right to keep and bear arms is “deeply rooted in this Nation’s history and tradition.” Colonial revolutionaries, the Founders, and a host of commentators and lawmakers living during the first one hundred years of the Republic all insisted on the fundamental nature of the right. It has long been regarded as the “true palladium of liberty.” Colonists relied on it to assert and to win their independence, and the victorious Union sought to prevent a recalcitrant South from abridging it less than a century later. The crucial role this deeply rooted right has played in our birth and history compels us to recognize that it is indeed fundamental, that it is necessary to the Anglo-American concept of ordered liberty that we have inherited.
The actual ruling upholds some state limits on this right, but makes CLEAR that the limits put in place are themselves limited and must meet a standard, Ace explains:
Now, as big a victory as this is, note that the gun ordinance being challenged was in fact upheld. I suppose this will be the style of analysis then: Yes, you superficially have 2nd Amendment right, but we are going to read that as being an extremely limited one.
Even so, if that is the game, this is important. Even if it’s being interpreted to provide as little actual rights as possible, it still imposes some restrictions on state and local government, and still grants some genuine rights to citizens.
More on the ruling from Eugene Volokh via Instapundit and Ace
…This sort of “fundamentalness” reasoning in naturally mushy — as it has been throughout the Court’s selective incorporation cases — but here’s roughly how the panel goes through it: (1) It points to evidence that the right was seen as very important by the Framers, and concludes, “This brief survey of our history reveals a right indeed ‘deeply rooted in this Nation’s history and tradition.’ Moreover, whereas the Supreme Court has previously incorporated rights the colonists fought for, we have here both a right they fought for and the right that allowed them to fight.”
(2) It points to continued support for the right from the Framing on, noting among other things that 44 state constitutions contain a right-to-bear-arms provision.
(3) It particularly points to the support of the right, including its self-defense component, around the time the Fourteenth Amendment was ratified….
X-Men Origins: Wolverine will premiere in Tempe, AZ…
Update; Spoke to the folks at CineCapri in Tempe. The peeps who make it into the auditorium for the announcement at noon enter a drawing to win passes to the premiere…get down there X Fans…
woohoo!! we won!!
The April 27 premiere is expected to include appearances by film stars Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds and Liev Schreiber in a red-carpet, Hollywood-style party at the theater complex at Rio Salado Parkway and McClintock Drive in Tempe.
The theater won the premier through a contest on YouTube pitting nearly 3,000 cities against each other. Tempe climbed into the top 10 after Harkins Theatres across the Phoenix area began promoting the contest. Over the course of last week, Tempe climbed to third nationally before taking the lead on Thursday and holding the top spot through the end of voting on Friday night.
“We’re ecstatic,” said Dan Harkins, owner and CEO of the theater chain in a statement. “I want to thank each and every person who took the time to vote and coordinated voting efforts. I’m always happy to have such incredible support from the community, but this is really something special.”
Tempe, Ariz., won the contest to host the world premiere of X-Men Origins: Wolverine next Monday night, narrowly defeating Davis, Calif., 20th Century Fox announced on Monday.
The announcement caps two weeks of voting during which entrants launched campaigns for their hometowns. The list had been narrowed to 10 cities before Tempe prevailed…
Harkins Cine Capri at >Marketplace will host the world premiere of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” by virtue of winning an online contest held by Twentieth Century Fox. Star Hugh Jackman is scheduled to attend the gala, which is set for Monday, April 27.
“These fans have driven the success of the”X-Men”franchise over the years, and (the contest) has been a chance to say, ‘This is for you,’ ” Jackman, who stars as the title character in the prequel, told Today.
“People were so excited to get involved, and it was just amazing,” Jackman said. “I do love meeting the fans, particularly with these movies. I know how passionate they are, and I love to share it with them.”
You may or may not be able to get tix by being one of the first 100 peeps to show today at Tempe Marketplace for the announcement. The email was recalled sorta but the announcement we won is official sorta…
CONGRATULATIONS, Tempe! You will be the first to Witness the Origin on Monday, April 27th when Hugh Jackman and the rest of the cast from X-Men Origins: Wolverine brings the WORLD PREMIERE to Tempe. JOIN us for a special event and announcement from Hugh Jackman today at 12PM at the Harkins Theater at Tempe Marketplace. The first 100 fans to arrive will receive tickets to the WORLD PREMIERE the following week!
TSCC: Season Two on Blu-Ray confirmed…
From HDR:
The second and likely final season (no dammit!!!!) of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles starring Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker, Summer Glau and Brian Austin Green has appeared for pre-order in Blu-ray Disc and DVD flavors at Amazon.com….
…The Blu-ray set for Terminator The Sarah Connor Chronicles carries an SRP of $79.98 with Amazon pricing currently standing at $55.99. It currently ranks #7 on Amazon’s Blu-ray hourly bestsellers chart….
It is impossible to find without the linky, here it is
The Force is With Them: Star Wars fan donates kidney to fellow stormtrooper….
A Star Wars fan got help in the battle for his life from a stormtrooper: Specifically, a Long Island resident and member of the fan club known as the 501st Legion, CBS reported.
501st in the Rose Day Parade 2007 Pasadena, CA
Jeff Romanoff is also part of the Philadelphia fan club that puts on costumes from the films for charity. He met Eric Seemann, a fellow 501st member from Long Island, at a convention.
See that, lives are saved as a result of scifi conventions, knew that must somehow be true :0)
Seemann later learned that Romanoff was suffering from cancer and needed a kidney transplant to survive. Seemann got tested and learned he was a perfect match.
Ten years ago, Seemann’s brother donated his kidney to a family member, and two years ago, his mother was diagnosed with leukemia. That was all the motivation he needed to donate his own kidney to Romanoff. They underwent the life-saving surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio….
Long long ago,
in a galaxy far far away,
there is a place called Singapore which celebrates St. Patrick’s Day. This is the 3rd year that 501st Legion Singapore Garrison is participating. Even with a heavy downpour, the troops still marched on with pride.
Learn more about the 501st Legion on StarWars.com:
…”I think it’s important the public learn from the service-minded example the 501st sets,” Legion founder Albin Johnson says. “If more people gave back to their communities while enjoying their hobbies, the world would be a much better place. Our club engenders a positive attitude of giving, not just taking. We actually gain from our friendships and the work we do. That’s a unique experience few other hobbies can boast.”
The 501st Legion contributes time and money to numerous charities including Ronald McDonald House, Toys-for-Tots, Make-a-Wish, Candle Lighters Fund, and the Jimmy Fund. Each garrison has also visited countless hospitals, daycare centers, schools and community centers to entertain children throughout the U.S. and around the world.
Tournament of Roses Parade 2007 Star Wars Stormtrooper 501st Legion
In addition to their charity work, 501st members have extremely varied and important careers. “We have our share of IT specialists, software engineers and librarians,” 501st.com webmaster and Carolina Garrison member Dean Plantamura says. “But we are also lawyers, fashion models, ex-rollerderby stars, police officers, professional divers, pyro-technicians, butchers, teachers, air traffic controllers, nurses, social workers, security officers, musicians, accountants, graphic designers, illustrators, postal workers, helicopter pilots, pediatricians, dentists, nuclear plant operators, bankers, meteorologists, crime scene investigators, firefighters, DJs, paramedics, airplane mechanics, ex-pro wrestlers, actors, video game designers, stay-at-home moms, small business owners, chimney sweeps, archeologists, as well as many members who are currently serving in the Armed Forces.”…
A few of the garrison went bowling to benefit Make a Wish.
UPDATE: Bank of America Earnings- Behind the Numbers…
Bloomberg update on BofA earnings and talk of govt taking shareholder position in the common equity:
Analysis and discussion with Marshall Front of Front Barnett Associates talking about the latest report of Bank of America. (Bloomberg News)
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Cubs Fans Cemetery Opens…
wow! Darren Rovell reports on why Cubs fans really are diehards:
Two years ago, when Dennis Mascari went to visit his father at a cemetery, he came up with an idea: Build an area for deceased Cubs fans.
Mascari, who said he was broke at the time, made this his mission, and tomorrow his company Fans Forever will open Beyond the Vines, an internment area modeled after Wrigley Field’s centerfield wall.
“The goal was to try and take away some of the gloominess and depression from a cemetery visit,” Mascari told me.
…Mascari bought plots at the Bohemian National Cemetery on Chicago’s North side. He then built a red-brick wall modeled after the one that stands in centerfield at Wrigley Field. The structure includes a stained glass scoreboard….
Moderate in the Middle 