Budget Hotels Santa Clarita - Sam Raimi Re-Builds Oz For a 3D Audience

Source - http://www.bbc.co.uk/

By - Georgie Rogers

Category - Budget Hotels Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Budget Hotels Santa Clarita

As well as the Oscar-winning 1939 film, starring Judy Garland, there has been The Wiz - the Motown-produced version starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson - unofficial Disney sequel Return to Oz and even a Muppet version.

On stage the tale has also undergone many incarnations, including the recent Andrew Lloyd Webber West End production and the Tony award-winning musical Wicked - told from the perspective of the witches - which continues to be a hit in London and on Broadway.

For his new take on the tale, director Sam Raimi's plan from the outset was to make a film that serves as a prequel to Baum's book.

His 3D version, Oz The Great And Powerful, tells the untold story of how charming con-man Oscar Diggs became the wizard of Oz.

"Thank God we weren't trying to remake the sacred classic that everybody loves," says Zach Braff, who plays both Diggs' underappreciated circus assistant and provides the voice of a computer generated flying monkey.

"Audiences really like that world, so with all this amazing technology today... it made sense to tell an origin story of 'how did this guy end up behind the curtain?'" he says.

The film stars 127 Hours actor James Franco as Diggs, who finds himself in Oz after being caught up in a Baum-esque freak tornado.

He is greeted in turn by warring witch sisters Theodora, Evanora and Glinda, played by Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams respectively, who show him the good and the bad in the mystical land.

Academy Award-winner Weisz, says the chance to play a "good old-fashioned villainess" drew her to Evanora, in what marks her first fantasy film role.

"I thought it would be really fun to play someone really bad and evil... the more evil they are, the more fun they have." she says.

The actress recalls the 1939 MGM film as one of her first trips to the cinema.

"What makes that film very charming, is the sweetness," she says. "You can see the make-up and the special effects are at the beginning of what special effects can do."

Six Flags Magic Mountain - White House Calls for Cellphone 'Unlocking'

Source - http://online.wsj.com/
By - DANNY YADRON
Category - Six Flags Magic Mountain
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Six Flags Magic Mountain

Americans should be able to take their used cellphones and tablets freely from one wireless carrier to another if they aren't under contract, the White House said Monday, offering the latest victory to Internet activists seeking to shape U.S. technology policy.

Wireless companies have long sold cellphones at discounted prices in exchange for long-term service agreements. The catch: Consumers can't easily take what would otherwise be an expensive smartphone to a rival carrier who offers a better price while the phone is under contract.

Tech-savvy users have used computer programs as a workaround to unlock their phones. But last fall, the Library of Congress, which has oversight of certain copyright matters, banned the practice if a carrier doesn't give permission, saying cellphones should no longer be exempted from a section of copyright law. The move went into effect in January, prompting a backlash from activists who flooded a petition on the White House's website.

By the time the White House responded Monday, the "Make Unlocking Cell Phones Legal" petition at the White House's website had garnered more than 114,300 digital signatures. 

"Consumers should be able to unlock their cellphones without risking criminal or other penalties," R. David Edelman, an Obama administration adviser on Internet and privacy issues, said in the official response to the petition. He called the position "common sense" and "crucial for protecting consumer choice."

The White House said consumers should still be required to honor service agreements.

Both AT&T Inc. and Sprint Nextel Corp. already allow customers to unlock their phones after they have fulfilled their contracts, but activists call the procedure cumbersome and say users should be able to do it on their own. The latest phones from Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC, come unlocked, a spokeswoman said. 

The wireless industry defended their current practices.

"Customers have numerous options when purchasing mobile devices," Michael Altschul, general counsel for the wireless industry group CTIA, said in a statement Monday. "They may choose to purchase devices at full price with no lock, or at a substantially discounted price—typically hundreds of dollars less than the full price—by signing a contract with a carrier."

The Library of Congress's rules establish federal copyright penalties for unlocking a cellphone. Wireless carriers can collect statutory civil damages of between $200 and $2,500 per violation and criminal penalties can rise to $500,000, five years in prison or both for the first offense.

The response by the White House marks the latest effort by Washington to cater to Web activists, who have used a mix of online organizing, email blasts and occasional in-person protests to shape how Washington regulates new technology. 

Internet message-board regulars and corporate titans such as Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg effectively killed antipiracy bills in Congress last year that had seemed likely to become law. Many lawmakers said the heated and organized response caught them off guard. 

"People are just waking up to the impact they can really have," said Derek Khanna, a former technology staffer on Capitol Hill, who helped marshal support for the cellphone petition. "It's not just stopping bad legislation. They can really put new ideas on the table."

A former staffer for the Republican Study Committee, a leading group of House conservatives, Mr. Khanna wrote a memo last year that called for the liberalization of copyright law. The RSC retracted the report and said it didn't support it.

The RSC couldn't be reached for comment Monday.

Mr. Khanna said he received a phone call Monday from the White House's Mr. Edelman informing him of the administration's response shortly before the statement was posted online.

The White House confirmed the phone call but wouldn't comment on the discussion.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski recently said he intends to look into the issue of unlocked cellphones, a move the White House said it would support. It is unclear what regulatory authority the commission has in this case.

Attractions In Santa Clarita - Chinese Smog Is Choking My Creativity, Says Film-Maker

Source - http://www.guardian.co.uk/

By - Press Release

Category - Attractions In Santa Clarita

Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Attractions In Santa Clarita

Some say success is the enemy of creativity; others have blamed the pram in the hall. But one of China's best-known film directors has found a new culprit: smog.

"Cornered by the terrible weather, I have nowhere to go … I am unable to focus on my artistic creation," said Chen Kaige, who won the Palme d'Or for his 1993 film Farewell My Concubine.

His comments reflect growing public concern about China's environmental record, exacerbated by the severe air pollution in Beijing and other areas this winter, water pollution scandals and the government's refusal to release research on soil pollution.

Chen, 61, described the weather as weird, appalling and unbelievable, according to the state news agency Xinhua. He cited the death of a prized jujube tree two years ago as proof of Beijing's deteriorating environment, asking: "If a tree dies like this, how can humans fare any better?"

He said the government should take speedy action to shut down polluters instead of trying to undo the damage already done.

Chen himself was criticised over environmental issues several years ago when a watchdog in Yunnan province said a lake had been damaged during the filming of his movie The Promise.

Xinhua said Chen had been elected to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's top political advisory body, which began its annual session on Sunday and includes several celebrity members such as the actor Jackie Chan, the Nobel literature laureate Mo Yan and the basketball star Yao Ming.

Its meeting runs alongside that of the country's largely rubber-stamp legislature, the National People's Congress.

On Saturday, the spokesman for the session said the official timetable for cities to meet national air quality standards was too long. "Eighteen years is too long to wait," said Lyu Xinhua. "We wish to shorten the period."

In January, the ministry of environmental protection said cities where average air pollution levels were 15% above the standard or less should meet the standard by 2015. The worst-hit cities, with pollution 30% or more above the national standard, should tackle the problem by 2030.

Hotel In California - ICC World Cup 2015 Chairman James Strong Dies

Source - http://sports.ndtv.com/

By - Agence France-Presse

Category - Hotel In California

Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Hotel In California

Prominent Australian businessman James Strong, the chairman of the organising committee for the 2015 cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, has died aged 68.

The former Qantas chief executive passed away in Sydney on Sunday after complications following surgery, his family said on Monday.

The ICC World Cup organising committee said it was saddened.

"James possessed a passion and vision for the tournament that set the tone for the entire organisation," the committee said in a statement.

ICC World Cup chief executive John Harnden, who worked with Strong for almost 20 years, praised his contribution to corporate and sporting life in Australia and New Zealand.

"We will continue the work he began on the World Cup and deliver a tournament in 2015 that would make him proud," he said.

Harnden said a statement regarding Strong's successor would be made in due course. The World Cup takes place in Australia and New Zealand from February to March in 2015.

Strong was the chief executive and managing director of Australian airline Qantas between 1993 and 2001.

He was also a chairman of V8 Supercars and Kathmandu Holdings, and a former chairman of the Insurance Australia Group and Woolworths.

Australian Formula One driver Mark Webber said Strong would be missed.

"Sorry to hear the news that James Strong has passed away. He was very special towards my junior racing career. Great guy. Will be missed," Webber wrote on Twitter.

Accomodations In Santa Clarita - Spain Suffers Worst Corporate Slide Of Crisis

Source - http://www.ft.com/

By - Miles Johnson and Tobias Buck

Category - Accomodations In Santa Clarita

Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Accomodations In Santa Clarita

Spain’s largest companies suffered the worst drop in quarterly earnings since the country’s crisis began as new data showed the Spanish economy was shrinking at a faster rate than expected.

On a day when more than a third of Spain’s Ibex 35 index reported full-year results Bankia, the nationalised lender, reported a net loss of €19.2bn, the largest in Spanish corporate history. Meanwhile, ongoing restructuring woes at Spanish carrier Iberia saw International Airlines Group swing to a near €1bn full-year pre-tax loss from a profit the year before.

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“It has been the worst year for corporate earnings in Spain since the crisis began,” said Emmanuel Cau, European equity strategist at JPMorgan. “Earnings have collapsed in Spain for domestically focused businesses, which reflects a sharp fall in domestic GDP.”

With eight companies still to report, the Ibex 35 index as a whole reported a net loss of €2.7bn in the fourth quarter, according to analysis by Mirabaud, the worst since the crisis began, with banks contributing to the bulk of the losses.

But while the earnings reports highlighted the depth of the economic downturn last year, several corporate leaders voiced confidence that their companies would enjoy a better performance in 2013. The turnround is set to be especially pronounced at Bankia, which predicted it would post a full-year profit this year, while Telefonica pleased investors by showing signs that the deterioration in its Spanish business was stabilising.

Other large Spanish companies continued to be sheltered by profits from their international businesses while earnings at home were hurt by domestic woes, with one in four people jobless. Telefonica, Spain’s former state telecoms monopoly, said sales at home slumped 13 per cent over last year, while Repsol, the oil group, saw fuel sales at domestic petrol forecourts fall 9 per cent.

The flurry of earnings reports came as new data revealed that the Spanish economy contracted at a faster pace than previously thought late last year.

In a sign of the continuing weakness in the country’s credit-starved economy, output fell 0.8 per cent in the last three months of 2012 – the sharpest quarterly drop in more than three years – Spain’s national statistics office said.

Analysts said the fall highlighted the challenge faced by the Spanish economy this year. “Official forecasts for the economy look far too optimistic,” said Jonathan Loynes of Capital Economics, pointing out that the government was predicting a fall in GDP of only 0.5 per cent in 2013, about one point less than consensus forecasts.

Analyst expectations for corporate earnings in Spain has collapsed since the crisis began, with 12 month forecasts for earnings per share growth down by 42 per cent from their peak five years ago, according to analysis by JPMorgan.

“Everyone is saying we have seen the worst, and the second half is going to be better, but there are few signs of this. We have heard this before,” said Ignacio Méndez Terroso, head of strategy at Mirabaud in Spain.

Hotel Reservations In Santa Clarita - Facebook Knows Where You Shop, Even Offline

Source - http://www.brw.com.au/

By - Jane Lindhe

Category - Hotel Reservations In Santa Clarita

Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

 

Hotel Reservations In Santa Clarita

Facebook will now be able to track where its users shop, how much they spend and what they’re buying, even if they’re not online.

Facebook has inked deals with four data collection firms, Datalogix, Acxiom, BlueKai and Epsilon to use their data about customers’ offline purchases to its controversial marketing tool, Custom Audience.

In layman’s terms, Facebook will now be able to target ads based on a user’s offline shopping habits as well as their online presence.

Custom Audiences, a marketing product that was released in September last year, allows advertisers to identify users through their Facebook ID, email or phone number. The new partnerships will allow advertisers to match that information with the data that is collected by retailers through loyalty programs.

By adapting these third party tools, marketers can improve Facebook advertisements to be more customer-specific in two ways: business can integrate information they’ve already received from third parties to create campaigns on Facebook or they can use Facebook’s third parties to create customer-specific programs.

“Business of all sizes will now be able to target categories like ‘soda drinkers’ or ‘people who browsed for a specific make on my website,’ ” Facebook says in a blog on its website.

“For example, an auto dealer may want to customise an offer to people who are likely to be in the market for a new car. To do this many businesses work with third party companies to better understand who might be in the market for a new car.”

The move has sparked privacy concerns, with bloggers suggesting that Facebook is opening the floodgates by providing personal information to marketers. But Facebook denies that any personal information is exchanged between the site, marketers and third parties.

Instead it says that the third parties use “hashes” of customer information to create audience groups. When advertisers reach these groups of people with ads, they will get back the same anonymous aggregate ad reporting that marketers on Facebook currently receive.

“We think carefully about how we can best honour the commitments we’ve made around privacy by giving people control over their information, being transparent about how we use that information and being accountable to our users and regulators,” Facebook says.

In other news, overnight Facebook agreed to buy campaign management software suit Atlas Advertiser Suite from Microsoft for an undisclosed amount.

California Vacation Packages - Teenage Girl's Father Launches Facebook Court Challenge

Source - http://www.bbc.co.uk/
By - Press Release
Category - California Vacation Packages

Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

California Vacation Packages

A Northern Ireland man has launched a legal challenge to compel Facebook to stop his teenage daughter using the site or publishing suggestive images.

The social media company should be forced to do more to stop the 13-year-old girl having highly sexualised contact with men, the High Court heard.

The case could have major implications for Facebook in the UK.

If the girl's father wins, it could make it much harder for children to use the social networking site.

In court on Wednesday, a lawyer for the girl's father claimed Facebook's open registration system allowed children to log-in and warned that it could put them at risk from paedophiles.

Under Facebook's policy, no-one under 13 is allowed to use the site. But the girl from Northern Ireland, who is subject to a care order, has reportedly posted suggestive images of herself on it since she was 12.

She has used up to four different accounts on the site and has been in contact with a man who is restrained from any contact with her, the court sitting in Belfast heard on Wednesday.

Her father's lawyers want to secure an injunction compelling Facebook to take steps to prevent her using the site or publishing images.

A barrister claimed there had been a breach of her privacy. He argued that her highly sexualised contact with men on the site was degrading, abusive and harassing.

He said that Facebook's open registration system was flawed because 13-year-olds cannot enter a contract or legally consent to their data being used.

Even younger children could claim to be the required age and give themselves a fake name, the lawyer argued.

He said Facebook could change its terms of registration to require users to verify their identity and age.

A judge is to deliver his decision on whether to grant the injunction later this week.