All My Children Comes To An End, After 41 Years

Soap was first to tackle gay marriage, abortion . All My Children ," which spent four decades introducing controversial issues like abortion, date rape, teenage alcoholism and gay marriage into daytime drama, wraps up its 41-year ABC run on Friday afternoon. AMC," which produced one of the all-time great soap villains in Susan Lucci 's Erica Kane and helped launch the careers of actors like Kim Delaney , Sarah Michelle Gellar , Kelly Ripa , Michael B. Jordan , Michelle Trachtenberg , Christian Slater and Jesse McCartney , joins the slow march of traditional soap operas to television's graveyard. It's possible the show itself will live in some other form. ABC sold the rights to the production company Prospect Park , which is trying to keep it alive on the Internet and also trying to sell it to a cable network. How much of the current cast would be involved is not clear. Cameron Mathison and Lindsay Hartley say they have signed up. Lucci said last week she is undecided. But as fewer TV viewers stay home during the daytime and the number of choices has exploded for those who do, broadcast networks are clearly shedding their soaps, which once anchored daytime programming with a dozen popular shows. In addition to "AMC," ABC is dumping "One Life To Life" as of January. CBS recently axed "The Guiding Light " and " As the World Turns . So daytime is now down to four major soaps: "General Hospital" on ABC, " Days of Our Lives " on NBC and "The Bold and the Beautiful" and "The Young and the Restless" on CBS. Ironically, soap-style and soap-influenced dramas are thriving on television these days. ABC's younger sister network, Family, has built its successful prime-time bloc almost exclusively on soap-style stories for teenagers, while networks like MTV and Disney also draw heavily on soaps for their teen dramas. Prime-time broadcast TAV doesn't have the sweeping soaps it had in the days of " Dallas " or " Knots Landing ," but it keeps getting new dramas like "Revenge," " The Playboy Club " and "Pan Am. All My Children" had much more traditional soap opera DNA, though it often dealt with subjects that had previously been shunned on soaps. AMC" actresses were arguing about the Vietnam war a year before Archie Bunker came to television, and Lucci's Kane was the first TV actress to have an abortion - shortly after the Supreme Court declared the procedure legal in 1973. Making it more controversial, she did it not for medical reasons, but because pregnancy could have hurt her modeling career. The core soap lineage of "All My Children," though, was firmly rooted in the radio dramas of the 1930s, which spawned the tongue-in-cheek phrase "soap opera" because the shows were sponsored by household product manufacturers like Procter & Gamble that wanted to reach stay-at-home women. All My Children" was conceived in the 1960s by Agnes Nixon , who was then writing "The Guiding Light. She moved on to "Another World," where she created a prototype for the Erica Kane character, and after she then created " One Life to Live ," ABC asked if she had anything else. That was "All My Children," which debuted Jan. 5, 1970, as a half-hour drama set in fictional Pine Valley, Pa. Nixon wrote the show's mission statement in the form of a poem, which read like something borrowed from the Bible: The Great and the Least, The Rich and the Poor, The Weak and the Strong, In Sickness and in Health, In Joy and Sorrow, In Tragedy and Triumph, You are ALL MY CHILDREN At first it foundered near the bottom of the daytime ratings, but by the late 1970s its edgier content had caught on. It expanded to an hour in April 1977 and was the No. 1 show in daytime for the 1977-78 season. While it spent most the 1980s in second place to "General Hospital," those are widely considered the show's golden years both for popularity and artistic creativity. Those are also the years when it started to become a running gag that Lucci would be nominated as best actress in a daytime drama and not win. Like many soap operas, "All My Children" had a number of celebrity fans who made guest appearances over the years. These included Rihanna , Oprah Winfrey , Ne-Yo , Carol Burnett , Celine Dion , Warren Buffett , Kathy Bates , Donald Trump , Montel Williams , Tom Wopat , Donna Hanover , Regis Philbin , Kathy Lee Gifford, Dick Cavett , Melba Moore , Ed Koch , Jimmy Buffett , Stevie Wonder , Aaron Neville , Gwen Verdon , Robert Morse , Cheryl Tiegs , Rosie O'Donnell and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen . Like most long-running soaps, "AMC" had considerable cast turnover, but long-time fans were particularly saddened in recent years by the departures of veterans like Ray MacDonnell , David Canary and Julia Barr . The show also lasted long enough for several cast members to pass away, including Ruth Warrick , Eileen Herlie and James Mitchell . All My Children" was shot in New York for its first 39 years, moving to Los Angeles for the last two. Fan groups have been protesting ABC's cancellation decision since it was announced this spring, but the network has replied that a profitable audience just isn't there any more. The show has lately averaged around two million viewers a day, down 75% from its peak. ABC is replacing "All My Children" with "The Chew," a lifestyle talk show built around food. The network says it hopes "AMC" fans will find many of the same dramatic elements and friendly characters they have found on the soap. In recent months the show has brought back a number of alumni and alumnae for farewell appearances. But as of 2 p.m. Friday, ABC closes its "All My Children" photo album for the last time.

62 percent women feel domestic abuse is right!

Sheesh!
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If a wife burns the food or demurs to have sex, her husband can beat her. And if she goes out without telling her mother-in-law or doesn't bring in dowry, the mother-in-law can do the same.
That is how a large chunk of women in Nepal's patriarchal society feels, a sample survey has discovered.
The Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2010, covering 24 of Nepal's 75 districts, focused on the state of women and children in two regions most vulnerable to disasters and the most underdeveloped: the midwest and the farwest.
These are also the districts that were the most affected by the 10-year Maoist insurgency and see thousands going to India across the border every year due to food scarcity and natural disasters.
Conducted by Nepal's Central Bureau of Statistics and supported by Unicef, the survey covered almost 6,000 households, talking to over 7,000 women about their family lives, health issues and children.
The survey, conducted from September to December 2010, found that 48 percent women, aged between 15-49 years, felt their husbands had the right to beat them if they spoilt the food while cooking, refused to have sex, neglected the children or argued.
Also, a whopping 62 percent believed mothers-in-law were justified in beating them if they failed to bring in dowry, went out of the house without telling them, didn't finish housework in time or argued.
Though Nepal's laws make it a punishable offence for a girl to marry before she is 18, the survey found an overwhelming 60 percent had been married before the legal age of consent.
Sixteen percent got married while below 15.
Though women dominated the population with the male-female ratio being 100:92.9, the dreaded tradition of chhaupadi still prevailed, despite being banned by the government.
Chhaupadi is the custom of regarding menstruation as a period of impurity during which women are not allowed to touch anything, including water, plants and their husbands.
Though it is not observed so rigidly in the capital and major cities, in the remote villages girls and women are confined to cowsheds during menstruation. Both girl students and women teachers are barred from
attending school.
The survey found the midwestern mountain region to be the worst affected -- 52 percent, while the farwestern hilly region reported a 50 percent prevalence.
'It is unacceptable,' said Hanna Singer, Unicef representative in Nepal, referring to the high prevalence of the chhaupadi system and the early marriages.
'The legal structure is protective of women but the implementation needs monitoring.'
Singer linked the violence against women to the violence targeting young children.
A whopping 83 percent of the children interviewed said they had been disciplined either by severe psychological abuse or physical punishment.
'It creates a continuous cycle of violence against women (and also) subjects women to longer cycles of child-bearing (that) has grave consequences for children's and women's health,' Singer said.

George Harrison's memorabilia set to be showcased in exhibition

With the release of Martin Scorsese's new film about late Beatle George Harrison, the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles will organise a major exhibition on his life and music on Oct11, titled George Harrison: Living in the Material World - which is also the name of Scorsese's film.
Memorabilia that include guitars, clothing and lyrics from George Harrison's collection during his solo career days, as well as the time he spent as a member of Beatles and the Traveling Wilburys, will be exhibited in the museum.
The Grammy museum is in constant touch with Harrison's widow, Olivia Harrison and his son Dhani, to delve deep into the musician's life, reported Contactmusic.
The show will also feature never-before-seen photographs taken by Harrison.

Explore the sea with underwater technology

New technology sensors planted five km deep  can now enable humans to explore the sea, say researchers.
Researchers have completed tests on an undersea network of sensors that could capture volcanic eruptions on the seabed.
A team using special bots (automated tools) spent three weeks examining the sensors placed off the coast of the Pacific.
They took pictures of the cables and the sensors to make sure the project remains on track, the Daily Mail reports.
Once it is completed, the network will allow scientists to measure changes to the ocean's chemical, biological, physical and geological processes simultaneously.
The latest tests involved sending a 274-foot research vessel called Thomas G Thompson five km down.
 The network has already filmed a volcano that erupted last spring off the coast of Oregon.

Coming soon: Sony Ericsson's Xperia Arc S that can take 3D pictures

Sony Ericsson has announced its new line of smartphones, which can take 3D panoramic images on a standard 2D camera - the first of its kind on the mobile phone market.
Pictures taken on the new, top-of-the-range Xperia Arc S can be viewed on any compatible television set.
The phone, however, will display them only in two dimensions. Nor will it be able to produce 3D video output, reports the Daily Mail.
The camera works by taking several simultaneous images and 'stitching' them together.he phone, which runs Google's Android operating system, has a 4.2" screen and the camera definition is 8.1 megapixels, according to the Sunday Telegraph.
Any 3D images are viewed by connecting the phone to a 3D TV using the HDMI output.
The company said the Arc S will come in five colours - white, blue, silver, black and pink.
The device was unveiled at the IFA technology fair in Berlin.

What Religion is Your Bra?

A man walked into the ladies department of a Macy's
And shyly walked up to
The woman behind the counter and said,
"I'd like to buy a bra for my wife."
"What type of bra?"
Asked the clerk..
"Type?" inquires the man, "There's more than one type?"
"Look around,"
Said the saleslady,
As she showed a sea of bras in every shape, size, color
And material imaginable.
!
"Actually,
Even with all of this variety,
There are really only
Four types of bras to choose from."
Relieved, the man asked
About the types..
The saleslady replied:
"There are the Catholic,
The Salvation Army,
The Presbyterian,
And the Baptist types.
Which one would you prefer?"

Now totally befuddled,
The man asked about
The differences between them.
The Saleslady responded,
"It is all really quite simple. ..

The Catholic type
Supports the masses;
The Salvation Army type lifts the fallen;
The Presbyterian type keeps them staunch and upright; and
The Baptist makes mountains out of molehills."

Have you ever wondered why A, B, C, D, DD, E, F, G, and H are the letters used
To define bra sizes?
If you have wondered why,
But couldn't figure out
What the letters stood for,
It is about time
You became informed!

(A} Almost Boobs...
{B} Barely there...
{C} Can't Complain!...
{D} Dang!...
{DD} Double dang!......
{E} Enormous!...
{F} Fake...
{G} Get a Reduction...
{H} Help me, I've fallen
And I can't get up!...

Beware, tattoos could be cancerous!

More and more people are getting tattoos - thanks to the trend set by celebrities like singers the late Amy Winehouse and Christina Aguilera, actors Angelina Jolie and Jake Gyllenhaal, and soccer star David Beckham.
However, recent studies have found that the inks contain a host of dodgy substances, including some phthalates, metals, and hydrocarbons that are carcinogens and endocrine disruptors, prompting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to launch a probe.
One chemical commonly used to make black tattoo ink called benzo(a)pyrene is known to be a potent carcinogen that causes skin cancer in animal tests, reports the Daily Mail.
According to scientists, coloured inks often contain lead, cadmium, chromium, nickel, titanium and other heavy metals that could trigger allergies or diseases.
Some pigments are industrial grade dyes 'suitable for printers' ink or automobile paint,' says an FDA fact sheet.
The FDA has launched an investigation into the long-term safety of the inks, including what happens when they break down in the body or fade from light exposure.
"The short answer is we don't know if the chemicals in tattoo inks represent a health hazard," Joseph Braun, an environmental epidemiologist at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, told Environmental Health News.

JC Penny pulls controversial top for girls

Sheesh people bitch to fucking much!
Lol!
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JC Penny, the major US clothing brand, has pulled a controversial long-sleeve T-shirt for girls after a string of complaints from parents.
The JC Penny T-shirt for girls is white with colourful, fun letters emblazoned on the front that read: “I'm too pretty to do my homework so my brother has to do it for me”.
The clothing brand marketed the T-shirt as cute and fun for young girls between the ages of 7 and 16, but critics have lambasted it as sexist and stereotypical.
“I advocate for girls and against this kind of gender stereotyping in the marketplace,” influential clothing designer, Melissa Wardy wrote on her Facebook page, alongside a picture of the T-shirt. “My little girl starts kindergarten tomorrow... I don't want her to see a shirt like that on her classmate, something saying that pretty is cute and right and the academics should be left to the boys.”
Many parents agreed with her, inundating JC Penny with complains and forcing the company to remove the item from their Web site. 
Ironically, the T-shirt is made by a US company called Self-Esteem, which makes Wardy’s comment rather poignant.
“Why are we conditioning kids to wear something that degrades their self-worth?” she asked via Facebook.
“We agree that the 'Too pretty' T-shirt does not deliver an appropriate message,” JC Penny said in a stamen, “and we have immediately discontinued its sale... We would like to apologize to our customers and are taking action to ensure that we continue to uphold the integrity of our merchandise that they have come to expect.”
However, many parents have pointed out that JC Penny’s statement is in direct contrast to the caption they had on their Web site alongside the offending item, which parents found as offensive as the T-shirt itself.
“Who has time for homework when there’s a new Justin Bieber album out? She’ll love this tee that’s just as cute and sassy as she is,” read JC Penny’s description of the T-shirt.
Similar children’s T-shirts have caused offense in the past, such as the white David & Goliath T-shirt that read in pink on the front, “I’m too pretty to do math” and another that read “Future Trophy Wife”.