Harry Potter Actor Now Naked on Stage (with photo)

In a previous post, I reported that Daniel Radcliffe was going to be naked in a new play. I made lots of jokes about Harry Potter and his magic wand. Etc. Well, he's off and done it now. Previews are beginning soon and he's posing for ads. I am amused. I am sure every teenage girl, upon seeing this photo, will run and buy a ticket. I predict this pedantic play will be a runaway success until Harry, um I mean Daniel, moves on to a new project, at which time it will close as everyone immediately loses all interest.


From the article entitled: 'Harry Potter' Stage Strip Stirs Storm


This photo, is a recent but undated photo of Daniel Radcliffe, the boy wizard from Harry Potter movies, who opens on the London stage in the Tony Award-winning drama "Equus" in Feb. The link is below.

From Associated Press

January 31, 2007 6:34 PM EST

NEW YORK - "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe, who strips for his new role in London's West End revival of the play "Equus," has ignited a bit of a media firestorm by posing for racy promotional photos for the production.

The Tony-Award-winning drama tells the story of a stable-hand who has an erotic fixation with horses. In one photo, Radcliffe, 17, dares to bare it all alongside a white horse; in another, he is pictured with a naked Joanna Christie, the actress who portrays his girlfriend.

"Equus," directed by Thea Sharrock, opens at London's Gielgud Theater on Feb. 27. Tony Award-winning actor Richard Griffiths plays a pyschiatrist who treats Radcliffe's character.

"Part of me wants to shake up people's perception of me, just shove me in a blender," Radcliffe said in a recent interview with Newsweek magazine.

"It's a really challenging play, and if I can pull it off - we don't know if I can yet - I hope people will stop and think, 'Maybe he can do something other than Harry,'" he said.

Radcliffe, who was discovered seven years ago in the audience of a London theater, reprises his role as the bespectacled boy wizard in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," slated for release July 13.

A whole slew of official pictures are here. Watch out world. Here comes Mr. Radcliffe, the courageous. Not many seventeen year-olds would get naked on a stage for all the world to see. How long before illicit mobile phone photos of the Magic Wand proliferate. Please do not send me any -- I don't want to see.

And another thought: can you imagine the scandal in this country if an under-18 decided to appear naked on a stage everyday for money?


(Due to popular demand, here's an index of all the Potter posts involving this play Equus)
I have made three previous posts about this and this is the fourth one (12 March 07):

1. I first blogged it on 7-28-06 when it made the news he might do it.
2. Then they made the first publicity photos on 1-31-07 and I blogged that. That's when I started getting teen girls and pervs asking for photos. (For the record I do not reply to those emails.)
3. And lastly on 3-4-07 I was amused that he doesn't want his castmates to see him naked.

Family Guy Jumps The Shark

Yes, it's happened. A show that was clever and witty, if not original has jumped the shark. I specifically point to the extended musical number with Stewie that was coupled with an old live-action dancer (Gene Kelly?). It was boring, contrived, and irrelevant.

To be funny you have to have a point of some sort or be going somewhere. I suppose Monty Python is proof I'm not totally right on this theory. But it doesn't change the fact the Shark Has Been Jumped.

It pains me to say it, but Family Guy's time has passed. It's over. Stick a fork in it, it's done. A few funny moments don't make a good show. They've stopped being creative and are relying solely on pop-culture references which simply isn't enough. And the episode really sucked.

Not that you care, but I posted a survey about me as a bulletin on MySpace while I was waiting for Blogger to update. And I ate a tube of Smarties. Yay.

Update on Dad.

Hi All:

There is an update on Dad. I want to thank those of you who have sent your support. He has gotten two opinions from two different doctors at two different hospitals and they concur on the diagnosis.

The cancer is stage 3. It has not responded to initial chemotherapy treatments. It has not shrunk. It is currently inoperable (a combination of the size of the cancer, his age, and his health). Starting next week he will begin much stronger chemo sessions and begin radiation treatment. This will be from four to eight weeks after which further tests will be performed and a further plan of action decided.

None of us are taking it very well.

My London Dream Shot to Hell

As you know London consistently ranks among the top 5 most expensive cities in the world. I've also expressed my long-standing desire to retire there on my 65th birthday. Although that desire has not changed, the reality has been sinking in.

On my last trip, I did research and found some very small places way out in Limehouse, Mudchute, and East India Quays for around US$1,000,000* -- basically 750 to 950 square foot apartments without parking or AC. I don't mind the suburbs, but I want a decent neighbourhood with access to the tube or DLR. There was one place I really liked for around £660,000 -- about £1,000 per square foot which was the going rate in London at the time (2004). And for shits and giggles I even looked on-line at a place that was almost identical to my current house (same size, rooms, parking, yard, amenities, everything) except that it had no AC. It was in Westminster and was only £4,400,000. Adding the AC will cost more, and London now has more and more days where it's needed, thanks to global warming.

Today's Miami Herald and Fishwrapper had an article on a dirty, dilapidated, 77 square foot (yes, seventy-seven) broom closet with no electric or facilities for US$335,000 or US$4,340 per square foot. You can touch both walls with your arms at the same time. This is smaller than my bathroom and I can't afford it.

For those who don't know, this is all way out of my price range. Which sucks, because my plan was to buy now, use it for the Olympics in 2012 so I'd have somewhere to stay, and then rent it out for the rest. But English tax law scotched that. Income tax is complex and high over there, and it might not work so well if I have regular income there. Plus, in the UK, in most cases, a mortgage can be taken out until the date you retire only. So if I'm retiring in 13-1/2 years, my mortgage is 13-1/2 years. In my case, we're looking at 23-3/4 and counting.

Anybody want to go halfers on a two-bedroom flat in the Docklands, or thirds on a three-bedroom? You can use it whenever you want except for two weeks in 2012 :) Seriously. I'll talk.

* All figures converted from £ to US$ at approximately 2 to 1, the current exchange rate.

The Pursuit of Happyness

The Pursuit of Happyness takes a long time, or it does if you go by the movie. I looked at my watch at least ten (10) times in this film, never a good sign. The acting was very good (at least by the Smiths). But the film was unbearably long. It was set in the early 1980s and one thing I noticed was very small details in the setting San Francisco. They went to the trouble to put up the proper BART maps on the walls of the train stations, but they left down the handicapped strips that were installed well after which any special effects person could have done. Yet they went to the trouble to get the fares right on the machine when they bought the ticket.

Oh, right, the film. I digress. I'd say something interesting about it, but it was really boring and interfered with my happiness. It's a real downer even with its uplifting ending. I was upset by the spelling in the title, but they happily explained it early on.

I cannot recommend this film to anyone if you want to see it for the film. If you want to see Will Smith show his range, then by all means consider it a recommendation.

Pachelbel Canon in D by Funtwo

NY Times Article (3 pages) on the amazing FunTwo video of him playing Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel. Below is a direct video link, but if you prefer to zip over to YouTube directly, here's that link.





I will be honest, this sounds very much like the Trans-Siberian orchestra, but all research I did (Google) indicates this kid is for real. If you read the article, you'll find that some guy arranged this music, and this Korean kid just blasted his guitar out. It's impressive. You really ought to watch it. Turn up the volume.

I have roof tiles!

In an amazing acheivement, there were approximately 10 pallets of roof tiles in my driveway when I got home. This may not seem exciting to most people who wonder where one would park with such an obstacle. Allow me to assure you this is the best thing that could happen. I am now closer to having a roof on my home. I have been without a roof since that bitch Wilma took it off in late October 2005.

More On Music and the 1 Terabyte Hard Drive

In my previous post entitled Music and the 1 Terabyte Hard Drive, I detailed my plans for this monumental project of ripping all my CDs into iTunes. It's been a much larger task than I thought but here's an update.

I am on the letter "S" today (remember, I'm only in my Pop/Rock library) and have 8.6 days of songs representing some 3600+ individual tracks. Once that's done, I have my classical, world, show tune, new age libraries. I also have libraries of Beatles and Elton John CDs which are not included in my regular rock/pop library.

I am (if you count by CD and not contents) just about 12% done. Current calculations indicate that my spoken word collection will not make the cut because I don't think the 1 TB hard drive will have space. This may change though because much of the stuff I haven't got to yet (live recordings) will be recorded at tighter bit rates and that will save space.

Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band -- Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood

Hollywood, FL - 1/11/07 at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino

And first, a word from me about the venue. Never again will I see a concert there. I understand that it's an Indian Reservation. I understand they are a Sovereign Nation. I fully support that and have no problems with that. I also understand it's a casino, and casinos allow smoking. But in Las Vegas, all showrooms are smoke-free. Not this venue. By intermission I was miserable. My eyes were watering and the air was smoke-filled. We're talking cigarettes and cigars. Absolutely horrible.

The venue is designed like, and has the sight-lines of, and acoustics of a junior-high gymnasium. It's not user friendly and it sucks eggs.

All that being said, the concert was awesome. I skipped the opening act. Sorry. But Seger was amazing. Worth every penny of the overpriced ticket. He rocked. He's still got it. I was duly impressed and blown away. Grandpa can still rock with the best of them. Truly impressive. He played on, and on, and on. He's a real trouper and gives a great show.


SET LIST
Roll Me Away
Tryin' to Live My Life Without You
Wreck This Heart

Mainstreet

Old Time Rock & Roll

Wait for Me

Face the Promise

No Matter Who You Are

Betty Lou's Getting Out Tonight

We've Got Tonight

Turn the Page

Travelin' Man

Beautiful Loser

Intermission

Simplicity

Ramblin' Gamblin' Man

C'est La Vie

Real Mean Bottle

Answer's In the Question

Sunspot Baby

Horizontal Bop

Katmandu

Encore #1

Night Moves

Hollywood Nights

Encore #2

Against the Wind

Rock and Roll Never Forgets

Sometimes you feel like a nut; sometimes you don't (Redux)

I had a post 8 December 2006 in which I quoted the old commercial: Sometimes you feel like a nut; sometimes you don't (for Mounds & Almond Joy). The post had nothing to do with that commercial, but it's obviously a popular topic because not one single day has gone by where I don't have a hit relating to that quote.

So, in honour of those people who come here in search of that ubiquitous commercial, you can now see one version over on YouTube.

iPhone, iPod, Beatles, and Apple's New Name

Welcome, Apple Inc. That's the new name of Apple Computer, Inc. The word "computer" has gone missing as they foray further and further into consumer electronics. Today the announcement of the iPhone (surprising absolutely nobody) and the Apple TV unit were met with great reviews.

Shares of all rival phone makers plummeted an average of 6% today on the markets as Apple's phone which is an iPod and phone rolled into one. It runs Mac OS-X, has Bluetooth, iPod, phone, and other features. It's pricey as hell, but Apple's never much cared about that.

And, get this, as reported previously in this blog, the Beatles are coming. Really .Soon. Now. Sure, that rumour has been going around forever. However, there was a big, not very subtle hint dropped at the unveiling. What was the first song played on the new iPhone? Lovely Rita, Meter Maid from the most widely acclaimed album of all time: Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The iTunes Store has officially sold more music than Amazon.Com and appears to be an unstoppable juggernaut.

Lots of other announcements, but the iPhone is apparently the big one, though right now it only works with Cingular so I have no interest. I expect after a waiting period, we'll see others come on board (probably one year exclusive deal). Your Mac running OS-X 10.4.8 already has iPhone drivers in it. Really. Go look.

Hollywood Censorship Courtesy of Dove

I hate telemarketers. I got a call yesterday and I'd love to know how they got my well-guarded number. It was from the Dove Organization -- they're into family values. That's a usually (not always) code word for "fucking nut jobs" so I decided to have a little bit of fun.

The nice lady asked what I thought about what's on television and if I thought it represented family values. She didn't wait for an answer and then asked if I thought it was a good idea to help convince "Hollywood" to change their films, quickly adding they don't believe in censorship.

I told her I thought it was a great idea to let the parents decide what the kids watch and that's why TVs had off buttons. She went into a long thing that I tried three times to interrupt on how Hollywood is corrupting the mores of children. I finally yelled stop talking. She did.

I told her we didn't see eye-to-eye and it's the parents job to police their children and if they can't, they've failed as parents. She got huffy and hung up. Spoilsport. I wasn't done.

Music and the 1 Terabyte Hard Drive

Everyone who knows me knows I love music. I own close to 1000 CDs, all store bought. Over the years, I have downloaded more than a few songs -- most I own but am too damned lazy to go find the CD, bring it upstairs, rip a track, put it back, and then update all the info -- but if I don't own it, and I like it I buy the album. If I don't, I delete the song. I really do believe the artist is entitled to their money. As a (former) software publisher, saying otherwise would be hypocritical. It's a great way to try new music and that short snippet on iTunes just isn't long enough to make up my mind whether I wish to buy an album. And, I buy my albums at Amazon because I won't support DRM because it interferes with my use of the song. Fuck that.

So, after saying all that, I have about 400 songs in my primary play list compiled over the past five or so years. Yay. Most were ripped track by track or downloaded to try t(as I said above). If I buy the CD I don't believe there's a real need to delete the song I downloaded and re-rip it from the CD I just bought. Even the RIAA can't be that fucking stupid. Well, okay, they're more stupid than that, but I digress: the RIAA is dumber than the shit in a baby's diaper and they smell about the same.

Anyway, I've always wanted to have my complete library available to me, but at current estimates I needed around 850 GB of disk space. Yeah, that's right, nearly a terabyte. And, mind you, that excludes spoken word discs, and some of my collections of various operatic works -- they came free with my old BBC music magazine, but they're really not worth putting on disc. That's an exorbitant amount of disc space, more than my computer's two internal hard drives had, and an expensive proposition.

Until Now.

Apple Store has on sale a 1TB (a terabyte is 1,000GB) external drive which is tri-port, accepting the ever-slow USB 2.0, the very fast FireWire 400, and the new and relatively rare Firewire2 (Firewire 800). It so happens my G5 has a FireWire 800 port and this baby flies. At $549 it's a fucking steal. Yeah, that's a real bargain. It configures as a Raid 0 or Raid 1 drive so you can use it as a 1TB drive or two 500GB mirrored drives. Default out of the box, it's a Raid 0 1TB drive and the Mac recognizes it right away and the default HFS+ journalled format means you're ready to rock immediately.

I am in the middle of ripping my Pop/Rock CDs right at the moment. Middle is not the right word. I'm in the middle of the letter "B" after two hours and have 520 songs for 1.4 days of playing time, at 2.41GB. Not bad really. I'm using either 160 or 192 bits depending on the recording. Most are being done at 160 because when they were recorded any real difference won't be noticeable, but I'll save tons of drive space. Newer discs are being done at the higher rate for better quality.

I wish iTunes let you have real dual libraries -- that is you could have two open at the same time and move songs back and forth. That would please me.

When I'm all done, then I'll probably start updating tags which should be done by the end of this year. I'm figuring 15,000 songs or so will be in the library when done. Why do I have to do this? Because as great as iTunes is, it sucks at some things. Let's take Jimmy Buffet, for example, his songs get tagged as Rock, Country, Pop, and Alternative. The soundtrack to Don't Stop The Carnival (get this disc) is tagged as Rock. It's just screwed up. So it's got to be fixed. And I'm slowly adding artwork too, because I'm anal that way.

After that I'll slowly check my other playlist, and remove songs that are in my master list. I want to make sure I legally own everything. Then I'll go on a shopping spree. Yay.

Advice, suggestions, and help solicited for this way cool project.