One of my earliest sci-fi/fantasy favorites was Steven Gould’s 1992 novel , in which a teenager learns he has the ability to teleport. For me, had an tempt similar to Spider-Man. The hero, Davey, gets a lot of grief in return for his ability, makes choices he later regrets, and finds that his present won’t solve most of the problems in his life. The long-delayed 2004 sequel, , delved deeper, reflecting the maturity of both protagonist and initiator alike. Because of I sought gone Gould’s other works, and so I was able to add another title, , to the list of books I could read any number of times with joy.

I hadn’t heard that was being adapted into a film until Amazon recommended to me (because I’d purchased and ) Gould’s latest book, , a "side-quel" slated throughout August 2007 release. The accompanying blurb explained that this was the story of Griffin, a fellow teleport played by Jamie Bell in the forthcoming film version of , a $100-million putative blockbuster set to come out next year. For all I was happy to see that the idol was involved, I was perplexed about the character portrait – knowing as I did the Davey met no other teleports in and was anxious about whether he was alone in his abilities.

My perplexity turned to alarm when I checked IMDb and learned that the actor signed last year to play Davey was Hayden Christensen, who replaced the relatively obfuscate Tom Sturridge () when they kicked the budget up a notch. It was partly because of Christensen’s appalling playing in – particularly and especially his laughable professions of love for Padmé – that I walked out of the theater vowing I would conditions again willingly see that film. (The other justifiable was that the Emperor’s seduction of Anakin to the Dark Side, a moment that should have been the culmination of all six films, was so thoroughly unconvincing as to amount to a betrayal.) To belatedly discover that he was slated to play Davey Rice was the worst news programme I got all week.

I delved frantically for positive news and found smidgens of hope. The director is Doug Liman, best known now for the stylish shoot-em-ups and ; but I hope people still remember that he did the 1999 indie , one of my favorite all-time non-sci-fi films. The screenplay is from David Goyer, who did likewise suitable and the fantastic , as well as the films. Aside from Bell and Christensen, the cast also includes Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Lane, and Tom Hulce (!).

Liman seems to be exploiting the globetrotting the Davey does in the book into Bond/Bourne-style action travelogue material, shooting key scenes on location in famous cities (including an unprecedented three-day schoot in Rome’s Coliseum, according to the ). Despite setting up as the first in an effects-laden trilogy, though, Liman complained last month in Amsterdam that action flicks are becoming like porno films that use dialogue fasten together the force sequences – which is certainly true enough. "I want to make films that stand up without the action bits in them, and this is what I am doing with this film," Liman said.

So here I am tiring to look flippant to this overlay, for all it stars one of my least favorite actors. Liman and Goyer have shown they have the chops to make this kindly of movie – an action/adventure sci-fi/fantasy with a conflicted hero. And then there’s the fact that Natalie Portman was terrible in those love scenes, and yet she’s proven elsewhere (say, ) that she can act. If I can assuage my doubts about Christensen by transferring them to the subpar writing and direction of all-purpose punching-bag George Lucas, then maybe, just maybe, I can believe I’ll steal out of this film willing to catch a glimpse of it again.

Is there anything to generalize here about approaching the filming of valued material with a less-than-ideal cast? Only that it’s noted to remember that sometimes mediocre actors can be directed beyond our expectations, as I hope will be the case here.

Interesting alternate universe fact: apparently Eminem turned down the function before Christensen took it, according to WENN. Eminem may have a deplorable attitude toward women and gay people, but as an actor his potential is fundamentally untapped; that’s a movie I would have seen out of thorough curiosity.

Definition: A stated income loan is a type of low-documentation loan. Your lender asks how much you make, you walk out on out a troop, and they run with it.

Of course, qualifying for a stated profits loan is not as a last resort easy. At a minimum, you organize to require good credit. Furthermore, you’re supposed to tell the truth about your revenues even though you don’t have to prove it.

Stated income loans are useful for business owners and people who want to keep their income level private.

• Return to the Low Documentation Loans page

NEW YORK (AP) — The Rockefeller family and shareholders pushing Exxon Mobil to concentration more on renewable energy now have the backing of a powerful advisory group for institutional investors.

The RiskMetrics Group also came out in support of another proxy supported by the Rockefellers, who yearn for the position of chief executive and chairman, currently held by Rex Tillerson, to be split.

The resolutions will be put to a vote May 28 at Exxon Mobil’s annual meeting.

The put together said it "believes that the separation of the roles of chairman and CEO would increase the independent charge of management."

Peter O’Neill, a great-great grandson John D. Rockefeller, Sr., who founded the company that became Exxon, said Friday that RiskMetrics’ support "added considerable momentum" to the shareholder resolution.

The Rockefellers are trying to break the company free of what it considers a stodgy management structure that has failed to plan properly for changes in future liveliness markets.

Some family members said earlier this week they are concerned that Exxon Mobil is too focused on short-term gains from soaring oil prices and should do more to invest in cleaner technology for the time to come. They argue that separating the leadership roles will better position the following to cow future challenges.

Some shareholders, including some Rockefeller descendants, have launched a campaign to novice support for their position. The group, called "Exxon For Owners," said it plans to meet with institutional investors and representatives of other proxy advisory firms to garner support in the service of their initiatives over the next two weeks.

Exxon Mobil, now the world’s largest publicly traded oil proprietorship, was formed by spinoffs of John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Trust.

It recently reported its first-quarter profit climbed 17% to $10.9 billion - the second-biggest U.S. three-monthly corporate profit ever.

Exxon (XOM, Fortune 500) shares fell 25 cents to $89.28 in late trading Friday after falling as low as $87.97 earlier in the seating. 

Freezing Your Starter for Later UseNot everyone has time to bake sourdough bread once or twice a week and caring for a starter may sometimes be too much to handle because of a busy schedule. Then, in warmer months, a starter may become too brisk and produce more yeast than you need.

Instead of pouring your excess starter down the lost, freeze it. The yeast can influenceable being frozen.

Simply freeze one cup of starter in a freezer disconcert or sealing baggie. When it’s needed, remove from freezer and allow to thaw in a bowl.

SEATTLE (Fortune) — When Microsoft walked away from its blockbuster bid due to the fact that Yahoo, the media sought desperately to keep the front-page news coming even when there wasn’t much left to explain. That seems to be how The Wall Street Journal came up with the notion that Microsoft had approached Facebook about an acquisition. It’s not true.

Good sources at Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) recently have told me several things. First, that absent a shocking new development, the Yahoo pursuit really is over. Second, that there is no near-term interest in "replacing" the Yahoo deal with the purchase of another giant Internet business. Instead, smaller acquisitions of various sizes wishes continue over time.

Finally, there is virtually no likelihood of a deal soon either to buy Facebook or to increase Microsoft’s share in the popular social networking locality. Facebook remains of great interest to Microsoft management, but the fact that Microsoft’s investment bankers may have contacted Facebook says little, if anything, about the true intentions of their client. (Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg isn’t identical around these days to broker a mega-deal. He’s on a long around-the-world vacation trip, and is currently in India.)

Last year, Microsoft paid a royal price for a tiny piece of Facebook - $240 million for about 1.6%. Much has been made of the $15 billion valuation that the deal placed on Facebook.

Interestingly, a number of others have subsequently invested in Facebook, including Hong Kong billionaire Li Kai-Shing and German venture capital group Founders Fund. Rumors have it that some subsequent investments were done at a lower valuation than the one Microsoft accepted.

If true, that certainly underscores the theory that Microsoft was, and as likely as not remains, keenly interested in Facebook. If it invested at that valuation without a provision to check others from paying less, Microsoft must have wanted to get in the door at any cost.

Microsoft Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie is a friend and mentor of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and the two talk oftentimes. It’s worth remembering, too, that the investment was done in conjunction with another large deal of undisclosed size in which Microsoft sells display advertising for Facebook.

Long-term, Microsoft will probably seek to buy Facebook or up its wall in b mark off. Here’s one key reason why: As Facebook grows worldwide, the information it collects about individuals and their activities grows as doubtlessly. But search engine software delight in Microsoft’s cannot "crawl" this data as it could a regular website. Most of the data is available only with a password and in many cases requires social-network "connections" to the people involved.

Microsoft, Google (GOOG, Fortune 500), and Yahoo - the big three of Web search - all have reasons to want to get close to Facebook so their search engines can derive the search data there. Microsoft succeeded in besting Google for the right to make a slight investment mould year. No doubt it will fight hard to retain that advantage.

But Zuckerberg, Facebook’s youthful founder, has no interest in relinquishing control of his pride and joy. And Facebook doesn’t really distress another infusion of money right now.

That said, money talks. A sufficiently-high bid of, divulge $20 billion for the whole shit, would probably climb up Zuckerberg’s attention. But for now there is no reasoning for Microsoft to pay that much. With Yahoo (YHOO, Fortune 500) it would have gotten the world’s largest collection of online advertising inventory. Facebook is still figuring out how to make money out of the collective activity of its 70 million full members.

But perhaps another option presents itself to Microsoft. This week News Corp. president Peter Chernin, in explaining slower-than-expected increase at company’s MySpace business, was downbeat about the challenges of selling advertising on social networks.

MySpace is still the people’s largest social network, and it is especially etched in the United States. Perhaps now News Corp. (NWS, Fortune 500) would be willing to sell it. For now, Google is its big advertising partner. That’s all the more reason to imagine Microsoft making a move for MySpace - when it’s finally ready.

____________

Disclosure: I’ve just agreed to write a paperback about Facebook, entitled The Facebook Effect, to be published next year by Simon & Schuster. 

Forget bakery blueberry muffins. These blueberry muffins (click for larger corporealization) are so tender and sweet, everyone resolution be asking you for this recipe.

I’ve had the most suitable results with frozen organic blueberries for this recipe, but use whatever you have on hand. The lemon-sugar streusel topping adds amazing flavor to this blueberry muffins recipe.INGREDIENTS:1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour1/2 cup granulated sugar1/2 tsp. baking soda1/4 tsp. salt1 large egg1/3 cup vegetable oil1/2 cup buttermilk1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (preferably organic)For the Lemon Sugar Topping:1 Tbsp. lemon zest1/4 cup granulated sugar1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes2 Tbsp. all-purpose flourPREPARATION:Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Line a muffin tin with critique cups or spray with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda and punch.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, fuel and buttermilk.
Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir, with a fork, until just combined, but do not overmix. You don’t want to see lumps of flour, but you don’t want to beat it, either.
Stir in the blueberries.
Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 of the velocity to the top.
Prepare topping by mixing lemon zest and sugar together with a fork.
Cut in butter, using a pastry blender or two knives.
Cut in flour until the mixture becomes crumbly.
Spoon over muffins, coating generously.
Bake 20-25 minutes, until muffins are blissful brown. Makes 8-10 muffins.

SEATTLE

Fewer than 5 gallons of fuel spilled at Pier 15 on Harbor Island at about 6:45 p.m. as it was being transferred to a tugboat at Rainier Petroleum, said an Ecology Department spokeswoman, Mary Ellen Voss.

A valve apparently did not shut off at the wind up of the fuel transmit, Voss said.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Eight in 10 Americans believe that the government’s $110 billion essay to help consumers will not boost the economy, according to a poll released Friday.

A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll conducted April 28-30 found that 82% of Americans believe the stimulus package will fall short - compared to 70% in February.

The program, passed with bipartisan support earlier this year, will give tax rebate checks to about 130 million Americans. Most single Americans earning $75,000 or less who filed a encumbrance form will receive up to $600, and married couples earning $150,000 or less could get up to $1200.

Treasury has sent out nearly 30 million payments totaling $27.2 billion. But of the more than 1,000 people polled, only 13% thought the stimulus was sufficient to facilitate economic conditions.

The White House begs to differ.

"It will boost the economy - it’s impossible that it won’t," said President Bush’s Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto. "It’s like saying if I pour water into a cup, will it get wet?"

President Bush said last week that the stimulus checks will take leisure to have an effect, but they will help American consumers in the long consort with a trace.

"You can’t put $150 billion of stimulus into the economy and not getting a boost," said Fratto. "People make a negative view of the economy and have a pessimistic perspective, but that won’t change stimulus’ impact."

Many economists agree that the stimulus checks disposition have a positive bumping on the U.S. conciseness. Wachovia economist Mark Vitner said he believes gross domestic product will be boosted in the second and third quarters because the stimulus package will lead to a jump in consumer spending.

At the same time, Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson acknowledged that the high pump prices - which reached a record $3.67 a gallon Friday - would negate much of the impact that the stimulus payments will take on the economy.

"Obviously, the high cost out of gasoline is displeasing and is a challenge and is a headwind," he said.

Washington politicians pull someone’s leg suggested that the best way to turn around the frugality is to boost consumer spending. As fuel and food prices continue to rise, consumers are spending less on big-ticket items equal to cars and television sets, which has sent the auto and retail sectors into wide losses.

Only 24% of respondents, however, said they would spend the check on something they need or want. Nearly half - 45% - of those polled said they would use the check to pay off bills, and 22% said they would put it in the bank.

But most economists think that Americans will indeed go through their stimulus checks - whether they have faith it or not.

"Folks are going to spend the means," said Vitner. "Many say they will save it or pay down debt, but they’re prevalent to assign it."

Vitner said that Americans on regular spend 99.8 cents for every dollar that’s left after paying taxes. "If they do pay down their commendation card, they’re going to go out and devote what’s left on their credit card," Vitner added. First Published: May 9, 2008: 12:02 PM EDT

When those coals get cookin’ it’s time to throw on this delicious chicken for some tangy and zesty Mexican flavor!INGREDIENTS:5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs4 dried red chiles 4 limes3 tablespoons lime juice1 jalapeno2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely diced1/2 teaspoon saltPREPARATION:Rehydrate the chiles and puree them with the garlic, lime power and the jalapeno. Slice the limes into 1/4 inch slices and and fold the slices into the chile mixture with salt. Coat the chicken with the mixture, cover and cold after up to 8 hours. Toss on a hot grill and cook until the meat is no longer pink inside.

There are 46,055 square miles in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which means it is obviously not big plenty for two NHL teams in May.

On the one end of this great, diverse state is Philadelphia, now 25 years removed from its last pro sports championship. At the other end is Pittsburgh, which, relatively speaking, collects titles the way Lindsay Lohan attracts the paparazzi. Other than license plates and garrulous, sports-loving governor Ed Rendell, these cities, and their hockey teams, share almost nothing other than a healthy animosity for each other.

Thank goodness.

The flood is back in the NHL.

For all the general carping about the post-lockout schedule — there have been more sightings of Sasquatch in Western Conference cities than of Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby — the overload of eight regular season games against division opponents actually did help put a measure of passion back in the game that the experimental rules had leeched out. (Column aside: the optimum way of fueling fierceness is to overhaul the playoff system and oblige teams to play their way into public notice of their division each spring, but until two expansion teams are rammed down your throat, and at some point they will, the idea is hardly practicable.)

Familiarity itself doesn’t breed contempt, but seven straight playoff games virtually always do. In any case, slights that have been accumulating during a lengthy history sometimes also do the bamboozle. Given the current on the up of vitriol, the Penguins and the Flyers to hold a biography that started about 20 minutes after the founding of colonial Penn’s Woods.

Although Detroit and Colorado had the most disputatious rivalry of the past 15 years — a badge of honor that should be retired after that four-game pillow fight between the Red Wings and Avalanche in the second there in — the matches between the Penguins and Flyers are now hockey’s most combustible and most entertaining. (Don’t think that Penguins coach Michel Therrien isn’t cognizant. Pittsburgh’s mild capitulation in the last regular-season game against the Flyers, which allowed it to avoid playing Philadelphia in the in the first place round, is unuttered acknowledgement.)

Unlike the improbable bad marriage between the Wings and Avs, which had nothing going on until 1996 when a dirty Claude Lemieux smack from behind basically rearranged Kris Draper’s brashness, the Flyers-Penguins rivalry is more typical of the genre. While playoff meetings just can create rivalries — think Celtics vs. Lakers in the 1960s and again in the ’80s — the majority of the best rivalries are rooted in proximity.

The backyard brawl is often the most compelling, whether it’s North Carolina-Duke in basketball, Texas-Oklahoma in football, or Packers-Bears in the NFL. Since the NHL expanded in 1967 by six teams — the Flyers and Penguins were both charter members of the Original 12 — almost every rivalry worth mentioning has been between teams that are within driving distance: Edmonton-Calgary, Montreal-Quebec and New York-Long Island.

The hoary chants of "Potvin Sucks" still echo from the blue seats at Madison Square Garden at least a few times a game. There probably would have been a blood feud between the New York Rangers and Islanders in any case, but even natural rivalries allowances from a flashpoint. In New York, the great Denis Potvin’s check on the Rangers’ Anders Hedberg in 1979– Hedberg caught his stake in a rut in the Garden ice and broke his ankle — added a dollop of bile to an already toxic brew.

For a few years early in this decade, Ottawa - Toronto, a modern-day albeit short-lived Hatfields vs. McCoys, was bolstered by the arrogance of Daniel Alfredsson, who hit the Maple Leafs’ Darcy Tucker from behind and then went in to score the winning goal in Game 5 of their 2002 playoff Battle of Ontario.

The Flyers and Penguins demand Nov. 16, 2005.

In that match in the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia defenseman Derian Hatcher high-sticked a precocious Penguins rookie named Crosby in the face. Hatcher, who has a reputation for head hunting, split Crosby’s lips and loosened three front teeth with the unscheduled Sher-Wood root canal. Crosby went ballistic, shoving Hatcher and chewing gone from the referees who had failed to call a high-sticking mulct. Crosby, in gyrate, was whistled for unsportsmanlike conduct.

When he reached the penalty box, Crosby slammed his helmet against the wall. (For the mob at the Wachovia Center, this was red meat.) Crosby returned with four stitches and wound up scoring the overtime winner that night, but the Flyers remained unimpressed. Their coach, Ken Hitchcock, said the no more than time he noticed Crosby was on some breakaways.

Indeed, the Flyers labeled Crosby a diver, a canard the Rangers also tossed at him in their second-round series this month. The following season, Crosby torched the Flyers with six points in an 8-4 earn as Pittsburgh swept the eight games between the teams.

It’s odd how things task. For Pittsburgh, multiple playoffs against Washington had fixed the Capitals as a equal. And from a Philadelphia point of view, the Penguins mostly were a foe, including in the playoffs, but never the archenemy the Rangers were 90 minutes up the New Jersey Turnpike. Crosby and Hatcher raised the temperature of the games nigh 20 degrees, a heat sign likely to continue for a decade because of the closeness of a superb core of young Flyers talent that can grow old in lockstep with the 20-year-old Crosby.

Mike Richards is the perfect foil for Crosby, a two-way center who will be in his kitchen, especially when the Flyers make the last change back in Philadelphia. And a talented defenseman, Braydon Coburn, will continue the harassment of Crosby long after Hatcher is collecting a pension check. After dispatching the Rangers in Game 5 last Sunday, Crosby acknowledged that the Flyers-Penguins series adds some "spice" to the playoffs.

Cayenne pepper, anyone?