World War II fighter found in Egyptian desert

Just found this story from BBC News UK….Very cool…

A World War II RAF fighter, which crash-landed in a remote part of the Egyptian desert in 1942, has been discovered almost intact.

There was no trace of the pilot, Flt Sgt Dennis Copping, but the British embassy says it is planning to mount a search for his remains.

The RAF Museum in Hendon, north London, says it is hoping to recover the plane as soon as possible.

There are fears souvenir hunters will start stripping it.

The 24-year-old pilot, the son of a dentist from Southend in Essex, went missing over the Western Desert in June 1942, flying an American-made P40 Kittyhawk single-engine fighter.

Two-and-a-half months ago an aircraft believed to be his was discovered near a remote place called Wadi al-Jadid by a Polish oil worker, Jakub Perka.

His photographs show the plane is in remarkably good condition, though the engine and propeller have separated from the fuselage.

The original paintwork and RAF insignia are said to be clearly visible, almost perfectly preserved in the dry desert air.

But of the pilot there is no sign. He appears to have executed a near-perfect emergency landing, perhaps after becoming lost and running out of fuel, and to have survived the crash.

Read the rest of the article HERE

Mark Ruffalo Praises Edward Norton’s Hulk

With the announcement that Marvel was making an "Avengers" film, no character was as scrutinized by fans as much as the Hulk. Consequently, actor Mark Ruffalo received the brunt of the judgement as he signed on to helm the green monster with an uncontrollable temper. The previous actors who played the role were Eric Bana and Edward Norton who didn’t exactly leave comic fans begging for more.

Ed Norton was an Amazing Banner. He didn’t want to do it again. I was lucky enough to be asked to take his place. I did my best. I am happy.

— Mark Ruffalo (@Mruff221) May 14, 2012

As "The Avengers" smashes the box office with its success ($1 billion worldwide gross so far!), fans have been in agreement that Ruffalo’s portrayal of the gamma-radiated monster was the best yet—and they took to Twitter to let the actor know. After Ruffalo praised Norton, fans pointed the approval back at Ruffalo to which he replied, "Wow, Thanks to all. I wasn’t fishing, per say. I was more trying to Clarify how much I respect Ed and Eric."

Even though the actor revealed he signed a six-picture deal with Marvel when they hired him as Bruce Banner, it’s unclear whether a Hulk film will be made as some doubt the character’s ability to stand alone.

When Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige, spoke with the Huffington Post he said, "This was the third appearance of Hulk and everything that we had and were going for, we put in to Hulk’s appearance in ‘Avengers.’ So, I love that people are saying that and are feeling that way about Hulk, but mission accomplished at this point."

Did you like Mark Ruffalo’s version of the Hulk? Would you like to see him reprise the role in his own Hulk film? Spill your thoughts in the comments and on Twitter!

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Exit Humanity to Make DVD Debut Next Month

The next installment from the Bloody Disgusting Selects series, Exit Humanity, is heading to DVD, Video on Demand and Digital Download (iTunes/Amazon/XBOX/Playstation) on June 19th.

This Canadian production explores the struggle of one man in a zombie infested America just 10 years after the American-Civil War. 

In the aftermath of the Civil War an unexplained outbreak of the walking dead claims the life of Edward Young’s wife while his son disappears.  This sets him off on a harrowing journey into the plagued countryside.  Facing off challenges not just from the ferocious undead but also from the living, will Edward find an exit to the grotesque caricature of what humanity has become?  The War might be over but the fight has just begun.

Read more…

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Minecraft XBLA sold 1 million copies in five days

Yep, that’s a 1 followed by six 0s and two – count ‘em, two - commas. Minecraft on Xbox 360 has sold 1 million copies since its launch on May 9, Microsoft announced today. Minecraft runs $20 a pop on XBLA, making its initial revenue bump against $20 million, supposedly split between Mojang, port developer 4J Studios and Microsoft.

Players have so far spent more than 5.2 million hours mining on XBLA, played 4 million multiplayer sessions and clocked more than 2.4 million multiplayer hours, Microsoft reported. Original Minecraft developer Markus "Notch" Persson reacted to the news in what we think is an appropriate manner: "Wow."

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Marvel Digital Comics–Free Mondays (5/14/2012)

This week’s free digital comics from Marvel:

Welcome to Free Focus! Each week we focus on all of the newly digitized books you can read for free inside the greatest collection of Marvel comics available online: Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited! Not only are you getting a free peek inside Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited, but each free Digital Comic either gives you a look at a book featured in a recent collection or a comic that’s in stores now.
Available now

VENGEANCE (2011) #5
RED SKULL (2011) #5
CLOAK & DAGGER (2011) #3
ALPHA FLIGHT (2011) #1

Coming soon*
ALPHA FLIGHT (2011) #6
ASTONISHING X-MEN (2004) #43
AVENGERS ACADEMY (2010) #15
AVENGERS ACADEMY (2010) #20

More on Marvel.com:

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The Avengers Passes $1 Billion Mark Worldwide in 19 Days!

Walt Disney Pictures reports that Marvel’s The Avengers is expected to cross the $1 billion global box office mark today on its 19th day of release! It will be the first Marvel film and fifth Disney release to reach $1 billion.

Domestically, the Joss Whedon action adventure added $103.2 million, which is the first time in history a film has crossed the $100 million mark its second weekend. Last weekend, the film set the opening weekend record with $207.4 million. Internationally, "The Avengers" earned $95.4 million this weekend. The film has earned an estimated $373.2 million now in North America and $628.9 million overseas for a worldwide total of $1,002.1 million.

That means in just 19 days, the $220 million-budgeted film has surpassed The Dark Knight‘s $1,001.9 million and has climbed to the 11th spot on the all-time worldwide list. It’s also the fastest film to reach the $200 million mark domestically in three days, the fastest to reach $300 million in nine days, it has the highest Saturday ($69.5 million) and Sunday ($57 million) totals of all time, and the second-biggest single-day gross of all time ($80.8 million).

Internationally, "The Avengers" began opening April 25 and is the biggest opening weekend of all time in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Central America, Peru, Bolivia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, and United Arab Emirates. "The Avengers" has now opened in all major markets except Japan (August 17).

"We’re obviously thrilled with the global success of ‘The Avengers,’" said Robert A. Iger, Disney�s Chairman and CEO. "It’s a fantastic movie and an extraordinary franchise that will continue with more great stories and compelling characters for years to come."

On May 8, Disney announced that a sequel to Marvel’s The Avengers was in development, following last month’s announcement that a follow-up to 2011′s Captain America: The First Avenger will be released April 4, 2014. A sequel to last summer’s Thor is scheduled for release November 15, 2013, and the third installment of the hit "Iron Man" series, which has earned over $1.2 billion worldwide, will arrive in theaters May 3, 2013.

Opening in second place domestically was Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows, which earned an estimated $28.2 million from 3,755 theaters. Starring Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Eva Green, Chlo� Grace Moretz, Bella Heathcote and Gully McGrath, Warner Bros.’ big screen adaptation cost about $150 million to make.

Third place belonged to Screen Gems’ Think Like a Man, which added $6.3 million for a total of $81.9 million after three weeks.

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‘The Avengers’ Leads To Increased Sales in Shawarma

Yes, because of The Avengers, restaurants from coast to coast are experiencing increased sales in the Middle-Eastern food known as shawarma. Reading that you have one of three reactions.

1. You’ve seen The Avengers and understand the link the film and the meat.
2. You saw the movie but don’t really understand the connection.
3. You have no idea what’s going on having not seen the movie.

Whether or not you’re in group one or two, you should click below. If you are in three, see the movie, then click below.

In The Avengers, Tony Stark mentions twice that after the climactic battle, he wants to get shawarma, a Middle-Eastern meat staple. Then, if you stay after the credits, well, click here if you don’t know what happens.

Now, major cities who have restaurants serving shawarma are experiencing sellouts directly related to being mentioned in the almost billion dollar hit movie.

TMZ reports Los Angeles restaurants saw an 80% increase in sales. St. Louis. Boston. You google it and, odds are, that city has written an article. GAS even says the Google Analytics show a huge pop in searching.

Did you have a hankering after leaving the theater?

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Wolfenstein 3D celebrating its 20-year history by going free on browsers, iOS

Yesterday, Wolfenstein 3D was a measly 19 years and 364 days old. Puh-shaw, we say. Today, however, the game is a full 20 years old, and id Software is throwing the classic FPS a celebration. Rather than sending all the game’s fans party hats and individual slices of cake, though, id’s ported Wolf 3D to web browsers, making it totally free!

But perhaps you’re not around a computer at the moment, and you’d prefer to play on the go? id’s got that covered too, making the iOS port of Wolfenstein 3D free for today only (the iTunes page still reflects a $1.99 price as of this writing, but Bethesda says it’ll flip to free "later today").

Or maybe you’ve already played Wolf 3D more than you’ll ever need to? Creator John Carmack recorded a director commentary aimed at superfans of the series, which we’ve embedded just below the break. Let us know if he talks about rockets at all!

Continue reading Wolfenstein 3D celebrating its 20-year history by going free on browsers, iOS

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Highest-graded copy ever of Batman #1 breaks record at auction

A top-quality copy of the Batman No. 1 from 1940 has broken an auction record for the issue, which is one of the most highly sought-after out there. So how much did it bring?

The pristine copy of Batman #1, featuring the Caped Crusader and Boy Wonder swinging into action, sold for a whopping $850,000 in a private auction at Heritage Auctions. That’s the most ever paid for the issue.

Certified in "Near Mint" status, the comic was sold by a private collector and purchased by an investor partnership.

According to the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, Batman #1 is the sixth most valuable Comic Book in "near mint" condition.

The sale was a primer of sorts for a larger comic auction planned by Hertiage Auctions, set for May 10-11 in Dallas, Texas.

"It’s amazing that three years ago, no comic book had ever sold for even half that amount," said Heritage Auctions vice president Ed Jaster said in a statement. "Heritage is holding a $4+ million comics and comic art auction in Dallas May 10-11. Many collectors and dealers will be watching to see how Golden Age comics perform there."

Though that’s a solid performance for Bats, it pales in comparison to the $2.16 million Superman’s first appearance in Action Comics No. 1 brought, in a sale by actor Nicolas Cage.

(Via Heritage Auctions)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A Better Queue Mines Netflix’s Instant Offerings for Critically Acclaimed Gems

Netflix already has its own sophisticated algorithm for tailoring recommendations to each individual user, but there are times when their suggestions can be a little too customized. Like, say, when you’re looking to expand your horizons with a critically acclaimed classic you expect to admire more than like, or dip your toe into a genre you rarely explore.

For those needs, Dave Jachimiak has invented A Better Queue. The simple but useful program cross-references Netflix and Rotten Tomatoes to help you mine the Watch Instantly catalog for the very best it has to offer, from any genre or time period you choose. Hit the jump for more details.

A Better Queue allows you to choose multiple genres, set your own range of release dates, and decide how high a Tomatometer score you’re looking for. Once you enter that information and hit “filter,” the program spits back a list of matching titles, in no particular order. You can go to any movie’s Netflix page by clicking on the poster image, or its Rotten Tomatoes page by hitting the Tomatometer number. My first search — for comedies rated above 75% and dated between 1990 and 2012 — served up lots of titles I’d already seen or had in my queue, but it also yielded several films I didn’t know were on the site or hadn’t even known existed, which is exactly the point of a program like this.

Jachimiak admits that his own program isn’t perfect yet, and writes in his blog that he’s already got a few improvements in the works. Among them are an improved website UI, a mobile app, and an “Add to Instant Queue” button. In addition, Jachimiak plans to improve the reliability of the Tomatometer scores by accounting for how many reviews a film has, not just how many of them are positive. Personally, I’d also love to see him update the categorizations so that a film can fall under more than one genre. For example, Rango currently falls only under “Children & Family,” even though it could just as easily suit the needs of someone looking for a comedy or an animated film.

Of course, one big caveat is that Rotten Tomatoes itself isn’t always a perfect indicator of how good a movie is or how much you’ll personally enjoy a movie. If you find yourself generally disagreeing with Rotten Tomatoes’ critics, A Better Queue may not be of much use to you. If, on the other hand, you’re a Roger Ebert-loving cinephile hunting for some of Netflix’s hidden gems, A Better Queue is a fantastic first stop.

[Source: The Verge via Lifehacker]

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