Written by MoiN

Source | Email from a Friend – Credit: Original Poster (Still finding the designer)

Written by Jerry Dawson

1. Turn off your engine if you are going to be idling for more than 30 seconds. Millions of gallons of fuel are wasted each day from idling. Your starter and battery system can handle the increased activity.

2. Change your air filter every 10,000 miles. Just like a marathon runner, your car needs to suck in air without restriction.

3. Install a real-time fuel consumption meter if your car does not have one already. This way, you can see what you are doing while you are driving and make the needed adjustments to save fuel.

4. Pump up those tires. Higher tire pressures result in lower rolling resistance, so your mileage will improve. Not too high, mind you, but a tad over the “recommended” from your car and tire manufacturer. Remember, they don’t want you to get good mileage.

5. Turn off your air conditioning, but only at lights or in slow traffic. When you really get going, the open windows produce drag that will offset any savings you might imagine from having the AC off.

6. Reduce the weight of your car. Remove all non-essential items from the trunk and the interior of your car. Weight takes energy to move, so the lighter your car the less energy you will lose. Keep the spare tire and the jack, but almost everything else can go. If you don’t have a family, take out the back seat. Invest in custom wheels if they are significantly lighter than the stock wheels. Carbon fiber parts (like the hood or trunk) are great, too, although they may be a bit expensive.

7. Don’t keep your gas tank full all the time. Remember, fuel equals weight and you must do everything you can to make your vehicle lighter. Keeping about a half tank or less all the time should allow for emergencies but also keep your weight down.

8. Wax your car and keep it clean and waxed. Drag (friction with the air) greatly reduces fuel economy. A clean and waxed vehicle will have reduced aerodynamic drag, thus providing better mileage. If you have a luggage rack, take it off. If you have a moon roof, keep it closed. Smooth is what you want.

9. Don’t drive a lot with a cold engine. Cold engines do not run efficiently. Use a block heater to pre-heat your engine if you are taking many short trips. If you can combine your short trips it will help, as driving further will allow your engine more operating time at higher temperatures.

10. Use cruise control whenever possible. The car’s ability to maintain a constant speed is better than your ability to do so. Small, more precise, and constant adjustments made by the car’s cruise control system will save you fuel.

Ultimately, there are other, more drastic steps you can take to save on fuel. For instance, you could ride light rail instead of driving, car pool, ride your bike, buy a high mileage car like a MINI or a Toyota Corolla, or even move closer to where you work. One other thing to consider – invest in an oil company like Exxon-Mobil or BP. As the high cost of oil swells the profits of Big Oil, you will get a share of that ill-gotten wealth as an owner of the company.

Written by muchmusic

When compiling a list of the Most Powerful Musicians, one must take into account not just album sales, but also clothing lines, fragrances, sold-out tours, charities, endorsement deals and, of course, relevancy. When you throw all of these important ingredients together and bake for more than 15 minutes of fame, you get the following 12 entertainers.

12. 50 Cent The King of Drama

At the age of 12, Curtis James Jackson III (aka 50 Cent) started dealing drugs. He was then arrested, served 6 months, and got his GED. Then, in 2000, he was shot nine times – DRAMA! – only to come back stronger than ever, breaking into the music industry and being one of today’s most successful rappers. It’s a compelling story, hence the making of Get Rich or Die Tryin’, the semi-autobiographical movie in which he also starred. And then, even though he didn’t retire like he said he would after Kanye West sold more albums than he did, 50 Cent is proving he’s still a fighter: he has 6 – yes, SIX – movies in the works and a new album (most likely) coming out later this year – which is aptly titled Before I Self Destruct. Duly noted.

11. Christina Aguilera The Chameleon

Christina Aguilera is one of the most successful female recording artists of the decade. She has had 18 Grammy nominations, 5 Wins, and has sold over 37 million albums worldwide. Although she just gave birth to her first son in January, she shows no signs of slowing down. She doesn’t have a new album coming out in the near future, but she has 2 best-selling European perfumes with a 3rd on the way. She also has made her mark by avidly supporting such charities and organizations as Missing Kids, Women’s Cancer Research Fund, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur. She also donated all of her wedding gifts in support of Hurricane Katrina victims. Christina Aguilera wears many hats – a singer, a songwriter, a philanthropist – and she looks great in all of them.

10. Miley Cyrus The Teen Queen

At first glance, 15-year-old Miley Cyrus might just look like your typical well-to-do teenager: a bubbly, happy-go-lucky girl, making silly YouTube videos with her best friend, Mandy. But oh yeah – she is also the star of that hugely-popular Hannah Montana TV show; has a Hannah Montana clothing line; toured extensively with those Jonas Brothers, selling-out tickets in record speed; has had a number 1 album and is about to release another one that will most likely shoot to the top; and, according to Forbes magazine, is earning $3.5 million+ per year. She is a Disney dream come true, but a consumer’s nightmare since she is the sole reason that mom’s everywhere are breaking the bank – and that’s pretty damn powerful.

9. Bono The Global Ambassador

If there is one person who fully demonstrates that activism and celebrity can go hand-in-hand, it is Bono. By day he is merely the lead singer of U2, one of the greatest rock bands of all time, but by night, he is healing the world. To wit: he was the founder of the multinational non-government organization DATA (Debt, Aids, Trade in Africa), was the co-founder of Product Red and the ONE Campaign, was named a Person of the Year by TIME magazine, was an organizer of the Live 8 concerts, was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, and was even granted an honorary knighthood by the UK. The only logical next-step: Sainthood.

8. Kanye West The Loudmouth

Kanye West is kind of like that little kid at the grocery store who throws a fit when no one buys him that KitKat bar in the check-out aisle. You see, he will complain when he doesn’t win the Best Album Grammy and will storm the stage in outrage when he doesn’t win the Best Video Award at the MTV Europe Music Awards. But in the end, he still manages to sell a shitload of albums, sell-out concert after concert and wrangle fellow powerhouse performers to go on tour with him, such as Rihanna, Lupe Fiasco and N.E.R.D. So no matter how much kicking and screaming he does, the man’s got clout and talent – and in the end, he will always get that KitKat bar.

7. Beyonce The Bootylicious Businesswoman

Her body may be Bootylicious, but both Beyonce’s vocal talent and business-savvy are what have propelled her to the top of her game. She no longer is the lead singer of some passe girl group, but rather a solo artist/brand who has won 5 Grammy Awards for her chart-topping albums, been nominated for 2 Golden Globe Awards for her hit movie Dreamgirls, has launched a fashion line with her mom called House of Dereon, and is the face of Pepsi and L’Oreal. She’s got piles of personality and charm to boot and it also doesn’t hurt that she recently married R&B rapper/producer/ultimate-moneymaker Jay-Z. With so much going for her, Beyonce has proven that she truly is Irreplaceable.

6. Timbaland The Music Maestro

Timbaland is the man with the Midas touch. He has produced chart-topping beats for all the musical heavy-hitters and is the man responsible for putting OneRepublic on the map with that little ditty Apologize. You may have heard of it. His latest endeavour was Madonna‘s Hard Candy which recently debuted at number one in 27 countries, proving once again that Timbaland knows how to spin dance-able gold and that’s simply The Way He Are.

5. Hilary Duff The Mini Mogul

Once upon a time, Hilary Duff was the star of a little Disney TV show called Lizzie McGuire. What followed was a career explosion which included a successful solo career (selling over 13 million albums worldwide), an affordable personal clothing line (Stuff by Hilary Duff), lucrative endorsements (namely with Elizabeth Arden), and now a blossoming film career (War, Inc.), all while avoiding the controversies of sex-tapes and DUIs. This 20-year-old “good girl” reigns supreme; however she better watch out – Miley Cyrus is taking notes and is set on dethroning Queen Duff. Let the war of the Disney Darlings begin…

4. Diddy The Unstoppable Entrepreneur

P. Diddy, Puff Daddy, Sean Combs, call him whatever you want – the man has proven that he is more than just a name. In a career speckled with controversy (such as being held partly responsible for trampled audience members at a charity concert, charges of assault, and an arrest for weapons violations), there is no denying that the man is a marketing juggernaut. Along with his successful rap career, he has his own extremely lucrative clothing line Sean John, re-invented the Making The Band TV show, and has even appeared on Broadway – but perhaps his biggest contribution to the music industry has been his founding of Bad Boy Records which houses the likes of Yung Joc, Keyshia Cole and Danity Kane. Oh yeah – his butler, Farnsworth Bentley, has even become famous simply for being Diddy’s butler. You know when that happens that you’re dealing with Hollywood royalty.

3. Madonna The Living Legend

There is a reason Madonna “Madge” Ciccone has been nicknamed Her Madgesty; she truly is the Queen of Pop, ranked by the Recording Industry Association of America as the “Best Selling Female Rock Artist of the Twentieth Century.” She has an estimated net worth of over $400 million, her last 4 albums have debuted at number one, her new buddy Justin Timberlake just inducted her into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, and she recently signed a 10-year contract with concert promoters Live Nation for $120 million! Showing no signs of fatigue, 49-year-old Madonna is as fit, healthy and savvy as ever, proving that she’ll be around for more than just 4 Minutes.

2. Jay-Z The Franchise

It takes a lot of guts to retire from the music industry, only to come back a few years later, bigger than ever – but that’s exactly what Jay-Z did. And it takes a lot of guts to head up a successful record company, only to eventually leave it for an even better deal – but (again) that’s exactly what Jay-Z did. In 2004, he was appointed as president and CEO of Def Jam Recordings, where he signed such major newcomers as Ne-Yo and Rihanna, but when Live Nation came a’callin’ with a $150 million deal, Jay-Z was quick to take it. With 25 Grammy nominations and 7 wins, he is allowed to take risks – but for Jay-Z, it has all just been a walk in the park.

1. Justin Timberlake The New King of Pop

Back in 1991, the “King of Pop” Michael Jackson released an album entitled Dangerous, which launched 6 Top 20 hits. Flash forward 15 years and Justin Timberlake releases his second solo album, FutureSex/LoveSounds, which goes on to launch 6 Top 20 hits. The only difference here is that when Michael Jackson accomplished said feat, he was nearing the end of his musical career – Justin Timberlake is only just beginning. Girls love him, guys want to be him, and parents think he’s the perfect boy to have over for Christmas dinner. He inducts Madonna into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he dates respectable women, and he loves getting Punk’d. He sings, he dances, he plays piano and guitar, he beatboxes, and now he acts. It seems the man can do no wrong, and thus he ends up at number 1. The New King of Pop, indeed.

Photographs Courtesy Getty Images

Written by fabulously40

And Lastly…

WHEN YOU FIND OUT YOUR FRIEND IS PREGNANT YOU CONGRATULATE THEM INSTEAD OF ASKIN “OH SHIT, WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?”

Photo Source: features.cgsociety.org

Written by Lifehacker

The newest version of our favorite open source web browser, Mozilla Firefox 3, offers dozens of new features and fixes, but only a handful will make the most dramatic difference in your everyday browsing. After 17 months of alphas and betas, Mozilla’s finally made a feature-complete release candidate available, so it’s time to spotlight the biggest improvements that will make “Gran Paradiso” the browser to beat. Nearly everything in the open-source app has gotten a second look from the minds at Mozilla, from back buttons to bookmarks, address bars to add-ons, passwords to performance, and the changes will make Firefox 3 worth the upgrade come its official release date, slated for sometime next month. Let’s take a look at the 10 best upgrades in Firefox 3, and how they’ll bolster your browsing, after the jump.

Note: Firefox 3 hasn’t been officially released yet-a public preview release is available and intended for testers only. While it’s a very stable preview, only use it if you’re willing to deal with bugs and instability as the Mozilla teams ready the official release.

That said, our favorite Firefox 3 features include:

10. Souped-up Add-ons manager

A big part of what makes Firefox so special to power users is its extensibility with extensions, add-ons, plug-ins and themes, and Firefox 3’s Add-ons dialog got the attention it deserved. The Fox’s Add-Ons menu is more robust and intuitive on at least two fronts. You can search and install extensions and themes right from the pop-up box, no browsing required. Also, a new plug-in manager lets you enable and disable third-party helpers like Flash, QuickTime, and anything else that makes content work (and causes you grief).

9. More intuitive interface overall

Mozilla tweaked and updated a whole lot of little things here and there throughout Firefox 3, which amounts to a big overall boost in usability. Most noticeably when you first switch, the Back button only appears on the address bar if there is a page to go back to, and when it does, it’s bigger and easier to click. Users who want to make sites with small text more readable permanently are in luck; Firefox 3 can increase the size of images and text, or just the text, on hard-to-read sites. In addition, Firefox 3 applies favicons more consistently to bookmarks, you can click a site’s favicon to get extended site identification information, you can resize the search box to hold more than two words, and the find-on-page search box automatically grabs the currently selected word, just to name a few new UI improvements.

In the long term, once webapps catch up, Firefox 3 will let you do really neat stuff in your browser, like register your favorite webapps to open certain file types, and access your online data even when you’re not connected to the ‘net. To get a taste, see how you can configure Firefox 3 to launch Gmail for mailto links.

8. Stronger phishing and malware protection

Firefox 3 has stronger filters and protection against malware, phishing sites, cookies, and other tools that compromise privacy and security. A malware warning shows up when you visit sites known to install malicious software, Firefox 3 doesn’t show the content of knock-off sites (like PayPal “Update Your Account” phishing scams) by default, and Firefox 3 checks against Google’s ever-growing blacklist of phishing sites. Now you can feel even better switching your less tech-aware relatives over to the open-source browser.

7. Improved download manager

Never wonder where a download came from, or went to, again. Gran Paradiso’s download manager lets you search through recent files, resume big downloads after a crash or restart, and lets you keep an eye on your transfers in the status bar.

6. Native looks for every system

Your browser is a serious part of your computer time, so having it look like nothing else on your system can be seriously annoying. Firefox’s designers made system integration a priority with this release, and it shows-even Windows XP’s and Vista’s button layouts have subtle differences in color and shading. There’s differences at deeper levels, too, with Cover Flow-type styling in the add-ons manager for OS X, transparencies in key places in Vista and OS X, and other tweaks that make your browser feel like a natural extension of your system.

5. Streamlined “Remember password” handling

No more guessing whether you’re saving the right password or clicking “Cancel” on unnecessary pop-up requests. Gran Paradiso only asks you to utilize its password-saving function once you’re already in and sure everything worked, and it won’t block you from seeing the logged-out version of a page if you don’t want to sign in.

4. Smart bookmarks

Much like iTunes’ Smart Playlists, Firefox 3’s new Smart Bookmarks function can analyze your browsing habits and create lists of links based on it. The default bookmark toolbar only comes with three standards, “Most Visited,” “Recently Bookmarked,” and “Recent Tags” (more on that later), but it’s none too hard to make your own.

3. Places Organizer replaces the Bookmark Manager

Previous versions of Firefox’s bookmark organizer have been pretty utilitarian affairs that make you drag and drop your links around nested folders. With Firefox 3’s new Places Organizer, those with reams of URLs can find them using boolean rule searches and multi-column results, as well as keep them better organized with a tagging system. Better still, you can save those smart searches for when you next need them.

2. Smart Location Bar learns how you browse

Like a personal assistant who telepathically knows when you’re going to need just the right phone number (or Starbucks fix), Firefox 3’s address bar, now dubbed the Smart Location Bar, helps you get to your frequently visited, or recently discovered, sites in super-quick fashion. That application you just read about on Lifehacker, but can’t remember the name? Type “li” into your address bar, and Firefox instantly pulls the relevant sites from your history. The bar also learns through repetition, so the next time you start searching with “li,” it knows you’re looking for Lifehacker, not Linux.

1. Insanely improved performance

It’s not flashy, and it doesn’t have any social networking features, but Firefox 3’s actual performance is the best reason anyone should consider upgrading, or making the switch to the ‘fox. Firefox’s engineers claim that their third major release is 9.3 times faster than Internet Explorer 7 in JavaScript performance, and 2.7 times faster than Firefox 2. This means snappier browser performance when you’re using webapps like Gmail, Remember the Milk, and more. Even more important, especially for Mac users, is the improved memory usage and more than 15,000 improvements that make for a less crash-prone browser. I’ve seen noticeable speed-ups in page loading in Linux, XP, and Vista, but the real reason I’ve switched over to using Release Candidate 1 is that I haven’t had to cross my fingers every time a Flash-based video loads. Graphed comparison of memory use amongst browsers in Vista courtesy of John Resig.

What features or changes have made you a true believer in Firefox 3? What upgrades are you still waiting to see added to the mix? Let’s hear your take in the comments.

Written by Point Lessbanter

One subject that I have always been interested in is the cultural impact of generations. Each generation brings different changes to the cultural landscape and leaves a lasting impact. Well… except for generation Y or “generation whine” as some cynical experts call it.

First let me define what generation Y is. Gen Y is basically includes anyone that was born after 1981. The previous generation, Gen X, is anyone that graduated high school in the 1980s. (Which puts me in this odd category because I don’t fall into either group. This allows me to criticize both without having to take sides, which is a nice bonus.)

Most of the criticisms of Gen Y are that they are distracted (always multitasking but never doing a good job), feel a sense of entitlement, they are the most marketed to generation ever (not only do they accept it, they relish in it), have chosen to date or have sex with me (which says something about their taste), and there is a gaping void when it comes to cultural contributions. I feel the first couple of points can be debated because they always seem like a typical swipe at younger generation that happens every few years. The one I want to look at is the cultural contributions because you can see some real issues there.

Music

Generation X: Grunge, Hip-hop, and Indie Rock
There really is no debate about the lasting contributions of the music of this era. Although everyone want to distance themselves from Vanilla Ice, which everyone in generation x agrees about.

Generation Y: Pop punk?

(Fall Out Boy doesn’t make me want to beat it… )

Gen Y’s music can be defined as wholly unoriginal and the band Fall Out Boy personifies it. They aren’t original enough to come up with their own video concepts; they have to adapt stuff that was created by the generation before them. Their pop music is prepackaged Disney stars that are created by a massive marketing machine. There is no real movement here, mostly co-opting the culture of the previous two generations.

Movies

Generation X: Kevin Smith, Reality Bites, Singles
Gen X had movies and filmmakers that helped define a generation. We are all lazy, mistrusting, weed smoking, coffee swilling, cynical smart asses… I have come to accept that personification. Oh and we all want to bang a young Wynonna Rider.

Generation Y: All those crappy comedy parody films
The comedies that are created for teens aren’t even original to come up with their own ideas. It is all prepackaged pop culture references jammed into 90 minutes. I’ll even give you Juno and you still just have a shit load of pop culture references and nothing that defines that generation.

Reality Television

Generation X: The Original Real World
We gave you a show that talked about race. That had Kevin Powell who is going on and running for Congress. Musicians who actually put out music and got signed by labels like Becky, Heather B, and Andre. Plus a founder of Gay Entertainment television. And who can forget Eric Neiss who brought us… um… uh… excellent aerobics shows?

Generation Y: The Hills and the Real World Hollywood

It isn’t a good sign that even Gen Y’s reality television turned out to be scripted and fake. Plus when you look at the shift generationally from the first few Real World seasons to the last few where the shows just include attention whores and people that want to be famous for being famous… Well it isn’t a good sign.

Although it did bring us the greatest episode of the Real World ever that included court, strip clubs, a guy going to alcohol rehabilitation, threats to roommates, some of the most pointless conversation ever, and possibly cemented this cast as the one I have the most disdain for ever. So I guess I need to give them points for that.

Where does this place Gen Y? Are they just going to be known for the mash-up? Combining the cultural production of others into their own products?

Has Gen Y produced anything of value?

This is going up at humor-blogs.com

Good looking people can get away with ***** like that. It’s cute and adorable when a good looking guy does that, but creepy and awkward when an ugly guy does it.

I love the signature… and then the printed name underneath (just in case she wasnt sure who it was).

Written by Edward Wong

The ruins of a workers’ dormitory in Shifang, China, from which a couple was rescued. (Shiho Fukada for The New York Times)

Click here to support earthquake relief in China

SHIFANG, China: At the moment of greatest despair, Wang Zhijun tried to kill himself by twisting his neck against the debris.

Breathing had become harder as day turned to night. The chunks of brick and concrete that had buried him and his wife were pressing tighter by the hour, crushing them. Their bodies had gone numb.

Then there was the rain, sharp and cold, lashing at them through the cracks.

“I don’t think I can make it,” he told his wife, Li Wanzhi, his face just inches from hers, their arms wrapped around each other.

She sensed he was giving up. “If God wants to kill us, he would have killed us right away,” she said. “But since we’re still alive, we must be fated to live.”

And they lived. They were pulled from the rubble of their collapsed six-story workers’ dormitory 28 hours after last Monday’s earthquake, spared the end met by at least 32,000 others.

Their tale of survival is also one of a rekindled love, of two people who might have died had they been trapped alone.

They whispered to each other. They talked of their 14-year-old daughter – who would take care of her? They recalled their life together, the shape of it before and the shape of it to come, all the changes they would make if they ever got out alive.

Days after their rescue, they lay in separate beds in Shifang People’s Hospital, a loud place with too many patients and too few doctors. Wang’s stout body was covered in cuts scabbed over with blood and pus, and he drifted in and out of sleep while talking to a reporter.

Li, 38, her petite frame dressed in a pink nightgown, spoke softly and stared at the ceiling with tears in her eyes. A white blanket covered her left side, where her arm had just been amputated. She had pleaded with a doctor not to cut it off, but there had been no choice: It had turned gangrenous after being trapped beneath Wang in the collapse.

Yet they were both thankful. “My colleagues said, ‘You’re the lucky one. You don’t know how many people died,’ ” Li said of the reaction of her fellow factory workers.

Of the 28 hours, Wang said, “It was more terrifying than facing the god of death.” Like for millions of Chinese, the life they knew was completely eradicated at 2:28 p.m. last Monday, when the 7.9-magnitude earthquake sent wave after wave of tremors through the river valleys and glaciated mountains of Sichuan Province, one of the most beautiful corners of China.

Wang, 40, had just returned home two days earlier, after traveling around the country for half a year and trying his hand at small businesses. He had lost a lot of money. He and his wife rarely spoke. He spent the Chinese New Year in the city of Guangzhou by himself, skipping China’s most important family holiday.

Wang is the kind of itinerant worker found in China by the millions, wandering from city to city in these boom years, and so it was chance that brought him home two days before the earthquake.

Li was raising their daughter, Xinyi, on her own while working at a chemical factory in the town of Luoshui. “My husband doesn’t have a stable life,” Li said. “He goes wherever he can get a job. I told him, ‘Why don’t you have a rest? Stay away from business. Just try and enjoy life for a while.’ “

Last Monday, she and her husband had just sat down in her fourth-floor apartment to watch a police soap opera on DVD when the dormitory, which houses dozens of factory workers, began shaking violently.

He flung an arm around her as they sprinted for the bathroom eight feet away. The entire building collapsed right as they got there, knocking them to the ground. The wooden bathroom door slammed against Wang’s back. Clouds of dust filled their lungs.

They were frightened but did not feel any pain at first. “In our minds, everything was clear,” Li recalled. “We were buried in the rubble.

“As a woman, as a mother, my first thought was, ‘What about my daughter? Who’ll take care of her if I die?’ ” she said.

They lay entwined on their sides, not knowing whether they were bleeding or any bones had been broken. A large chunk of concrete loomed inches above their heads. Shifting their bodies, they knew, could cause it to drop down on them.

Li’s left arm was wedged beneath her husband. The pain was excruciating at first, until the arm went numb.

“My mobile phone is in my pants pocket,” said Wang, who was wearing a tracksuit. “See if you can get it out.”

With her free hand, Li managed to fumble it out, but there was no signal. She thought she heard her cellphone ringing elsewhere in the rubble. It rang over and over for a while. Family and friends must be calling, she thought. Then it stopped.

They tried yelling, even though it was hard to breathe. “Save us! Save us!” they screamed. They yelled whenever they heard any noise outside. Li told her husband, “We need to keep our heads clear and pay attention to what’s happening.”

Li tried to focus her mind on only two things: How can I get out? How can I stay alive? But of course she and Wang thought of their family and friends, whether they were suffering in the same way. Their daughter was at school when the earthquake hit. Their parents and siblings, mostly farmers, also lived in the area.

“I want you to make it out,” Wang said. “We have a child, and I want you to raise her.”

Through a crack in the rubble, they could see the light fading. The rubble was moving. It was pressing down, slowly crushing them. They no longer felt any pain because their entire bodies had gone numb. Nor did they feel hunger and thirst.

They had to take turns breathing. When Li took a deep breath, her chest expanding, Wang held his breath.

Li looked at the cellphone at 11 p.m. Still no signal. But at least they had the phone, their one lifeline. They kept it on. The battery meter showed one bar of power left.

The cold rain started sometime during the night. Wang could hear it pounding the debris like a drum: da-da-da-da-da. It came down through the cracks. Wang also heard other noises, stones crashing against stones. Were those landslides?

They looked again at the cellphone. The battery had died.

“I gave up hope that night,” Wang recalled. “No one was going to save us.” He thought about what it would be like to die slowly, minute by minute, and he made a decision. “I tried bending my neck against the wall to kill myself,” he said.

That was when Li told him that since God had not killed them right away, they were meant to live. She also told him he was born in the Year of the Monkey, and monkeys can live for 500 years. She said he had to remember their daughter.

Maybe he would spend more time at home, he said. Settle down, see more of their daughter.

“Let’s try to get some sleep and save our energy,” she said.

But they were too terrified to fall asleep.

Then slowly the daylight began coming back through the crack. Hours later, they heard crunching footsteps on the rubble. Their voices were hoarse, but they began yelling again.

Someone shouted back, “Who are you?”

Li recognized her boss’s voice. “I’m Li Wanzhi,” she said.

Then came the words, “Hold on, we’re going to save you right now.” A constellation of voices, some familiar, swirled overhead. They could not understand what was being said, only that the people were weighing different plans.

At last, they heard rumbling of heavy machinery, which went on for perhaps five or six hours, the couple guessed. Afterward, a straw came down through the crack, and they took turns sipping sugar water.

“They were using their hands now,” Wang recalled. “The crack was getting bigger.” Then they heard rescue workers say that only one of them could be pulled out at a time. That risked rubble collapsing onto the other. But there was no other way.

The workers told the couple they were going to pull Li out first. “I can’t feel my legs, so I think I’m stuck under something,” Li told them. “You should get my husband out first.”

Two pairs of hands grabbed him, and within minutes he was out of the hole and being led to an ambulance, where his sister was waiting.

The rubble had not collapsed farther into the hole. On the contrary, Li felt a sudden expansion of space when her husband was lifted out, and now she could breathe more easily. But her lower body was still pinned down by heavy bricks. “Can you get some tools to pull me out?” she asked.

They said no. And at that moment, beyond exhaustion, she gave them the signal to get her out any way they could: “Well, I can’t feel anything anyway.”

She felt hands gripping her. After a powerful tug, she was out, just like that. In the ambulance, she was put down on a bench opposite her husband. “I wanted to hug him, but I couldn’t move my body,” Li said.

Nearly a week after the rescue, both were still in tremendous pain. Wang said it felt as if his heart were being squeezed. He still cannot sit up on his own.

Every aftershock terrifies Li. She thinks of being buried alive again. No one has told her how many of her co-workers were killed. But their daughter was unhurt, and she refused to leave their side in the hospital.

They have no home to return to, but that is another problem for another time.

“The only thing we had was each other,” Wang said. “We encouraged each other to live on, and we said once we got out, we’d live a good life and care for each other. Now we have a new start.”

Click here to support earthquake relief in China

Written by Empress Eve

When I was 12, I went down to my local video store and rented the VHS tape of The Hotel New Hampshire. In the film’s credits, I learned that the movie was based on the novel of the same name by John Irving. At that time, I kind of understood that there were these people called “screenwriters” who wrote movies, but this was the first time I made the connection that sometimes, movies were adapted from books.

From then on, if I found out a movie was based on a book, I’d run down to the library and borrow a copy of the book. But this was pre-Internet days, so this information wasn’t too easy to come by, especially not to a kid. So, I’d always be alert during the film’s opening credits to catch this information, then, if I enjoyed the movie, I’d read the book.

Covering entertainment news every day, I often write about books being adapted for film, so I’ve been running under the assumption that the average person also knows this information. Turns out, that’s not so. I’ve met people who didn’t know Atonement and The Kite Runner were based on books, and forget it if the movie was based on a graphic novel – no one seems to have that on their radar.

That’s why I’ve compiled a list of 10 movies coming out this year which were adapted from book/graphic novels, along with related source material to get you ready for the 2008 mega-movie season.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Source Material: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Author: C.S. Lewis
Screenplay: Andrew Adamson, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
Cast: Ben Barnes, Liam Neeson (voice), Sergio Castellitto
Release date: May 16, 2008

In this tale that continues The Chronicles of Narnia fantasy saga, the Pevensie children – Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy – find themselves transported out of England and back into the magical land of Narnia. The children find that while it’s only been one year in their time that they’ve been away, 1300 years have passed in Narnia and much has changed there since the siblings ruled greatly as Kings and Queens of the land. After usurping the throne, the evil King Miraz now rules over Narnia instead of its rightful heir, Miraz’s nephew Prince Caspian, who lives in exile.

Non-canon tidbit: Susan and Prince Caspian’s ages are slightly advanced in order to creating a budding romance between the two characters.

Related Reading: The Chronicles of Narnia Complete Collection with Narnia Timeline by C.S. Lewis – This collection includes all seven Narnia books, as well as a Narnia timeline. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe marks the first appearance of the Pevensie children.

Sex and the City

Source Material: Sex and the City
Author: Candace Bushnell
Screenplay: Michael Patrick King
Cast: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon
Release date: May 30, 2008

Just about everyone knows the long-running HBO series, which starred Sarah Jessica Parker as relationship columnist Carrie Bradshaw and her trio of close-knit NYC socialite girlfriends. But how many people remember that the cable television series – created by Darren Star – was actually first a best-selling book by Candace Bushnell? Bushnell’s book was a collection of essays the author wrote for the New York Observer about her and her friends’ experiences in the Manhattan social scene.

Non-canon tidbit: In the book, Carrie has a wider range of friends and the three presented as her inner circle on the show – Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha – are minor characters with much different personalities.

Related Reading: Sex and the City: The Movie, the official movie companion by Amy Soln and Sex and the City: Kiss and Tell Updated Edition by Amy Soln, the official companion to the television series.

Midnight Meat Train

Source Material: The Midnight Meat Train from Books of Blood
Author: Clive Barker
Screenplay: Jeff Buhler
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Roger Bart, Vinnie Jones, Brooke Shields
Release date: May 14, 2008

After falling asleep on a New York subway train, the unemployed Leon Kaufman, awakens to find himself at the last stop of the line – a secret station where a killer named Mahogany has the bodies of the people he’s butchered hanging like animal carcasses at a meat warehouse. Leon must fight the killer for survival, but winning means more than just staying alive, but a whole new way of life.

Non-canon tidbit: In the film, Leon is a photographer on the trail of a subway serial killer, and reports are that the story has been expanded on for the adaptation.

Related Reading: Books of Blood by Clive Barker – A six-volume collected anthology of horror fiction short stories. No other stories relate to Midnight Meat Train, but the collection does include The Forbidden (adapted to film as Candyman) and The Last Illusion (adapted to film as Lord of Illusions), as well as The Book of Blood, which is currently being adapted for film.

Wanted

Source Material: Wanted
Author: Mark Millar (writer), J.G. Jones (illustrator)
Screenplay: Derek Haas, Michael Brandt, Chris Morgan, Dean Georgaris
Cast: James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie
Release date: June 27, 2008

Unenthusiastic slacker Wes is a hypochondriac whose job makes him miserable, as does his live-in girlfriend who cheats on him. He has no hope for his life and lives a bleak existence, until one day a bad-ass assassin named Fox comes into his life and reveals that Wes is actually the son of The Killer, the recently killed leader of a sect within the secret supervillain organization called The Fraternity. But Wes’s inheritance is more than large sums of money; it also comes his father’s position in The Fraternity, which sets Wes on a path of violence that let’s him have everything he’s ever wanted and more. Director Timur Bekmambetov’s big-screen version stars James McAvoy as Wes, with Angelina Jolie playing his mentor and lover Fox.

If you think you’ll fancy the movie, then pick up the Wanted (Assassin’s Editon) version of the graphic novel, which contains the original series, plus the Wanted Dossier, excerpts of Millar’s script, interviews, and behind-the-scenes developmental art.

Non-canon tidbit: Word is that the first half of the film follows the story of the graphic novel and that the ending is similar, but that the superhero attire was axed (not sure if this means that the entire superhero element was ditched, too). Also, the film introduces a new plot element by having the organization follow death orders commanded by the Fates, weavers of every human’s lifeline.

Related Reading: Savage Dragon #127 & 128 by Erik Larsen – Some Wanted characters appear in these two issues of Image Comics’ Savage Dragon #127 and #128, a story published after the end of Wanted. These issues have yet to be collected into trade paperback at this time.

Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D

Source Material: Journey to the Center of the Earth
Author: Jules Verne
Screenplay: Michael Weiss and Mark Levin
Cast: Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, Anita Briem
Release date: July 11, 2008

In this Jules Verne classic, an eccentric professor and his nephew decipher a coded manuscript which leads them to Iceland where they descend into a volcano. Once inside “the center of the earth” the duo and their guide encounter dangerous prehistoric conditions and species.

Non-canon tidbit: Aside from modernizing the 1864 science fiction tale, the professor (Brendan Fraser) and his nephew are now guided by an attractive female named Hannah. Not much is known about the character yet, but I’m guessing there will be a love connection between Hannah and Fraser’s character.

Related Reading: Verne wrote many adventuring tales, though none that were specifically related to Journey. For another popular Verne tale there’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Completely Restored and Annotated), or check out Jules Verne: The Definitive Biography to learn more about this extraordinary author.

Choke

Source Material: Choke
Author: Chuck Palahniuk
Screenplay: Clark Gregg
Cast: Sam Rockwell, Anjelica Huston
Release date: September 26, 2008

The novel from Fight Club author Palahniuk tells the tale of Victor Mancini, whose unfit mother kidnapped him from various foster homes as a child. As an adult, Victor is a med-school dropout and sex addict who becomes a con man in an effort to get the money to support his mother, who’s now in a nursing home. His con involves “choking” on his food at restaurants so that someone can “save” him; after they do, Victor preys on their sympathies, getting them to pay his bills.

Non-canon tidbit: In an interview with IndieWire, writer/director Clark Gregg said of his adaptation: “After spinning my wheels in a reverent haze for nearly a year, I finally threw the book in a drawer and decided to write my own personal version of this story, one that Chuck would probably have me removed from. This, of course, is when the adaptation finally started to work and to my surprise, Chuck was extremely supportive of its departures.” Translation: expect this adaptation to be loosely based on the novel.

Related Reading: Nothing Choke-specific, but for another Chuck Palahniuk book-to-film, check out Fight Club: A Novel.

City of Ember

Source Material: The City of Ember
Author: Jeanne Duprau
Screenplay: Caroline Thompson
Cast: Bill Murray, Tim Robbins, Saoirse Ronan
Release date: October 10, 2008

Not much is known about the film City of Ember besides the casting, its director Gil Kenan (Monster House), and that its screenplay is by Caroline Thompson, who penned such greats as The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, and The Secret Garden. Oh, and that one Tom Hanks is the producer. The children’s book takes place in the city of Ember, where there is no natural light and all electricity is powered through a often-failing generator. Once the lights go out for good, the people of Ember are doomed. Because of the lack of moveable light, the people are trapped in the city, but 12-year-old Lina and Doon believe there must be a way out, so they set out to find out how, which involves deciphering clues from an old mysterious letter they discovered.

Non-canon tidbit: The plot summary released for the movie follows the book exactly – so far, so good! Though, the film’s official synopsis has Lina and Doon as teenagers, not 12-year-olds.

Related Reading: The People of Sparks and The Prophet of Yonwood by Jeanne Duprau – Ember is the first book of the series and Sparks is its sequel; Yonwood is the third book, but it’s actually a prequel to Ember.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Source Material: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6)
Author: J.K. Rowling
Screenplay: Steve Kloves
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson
Release date: November 21, 2008

The young wizard Harry Potter, now 16 years old, and his friends return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for their sixth year. In this installment, Harry comes into the possession of a Potions textbook containing useful notes written by the book’s previous owner, a former student known only as “the Half-Blood Prince.” While the notes seem helpful, they could also be a trap of some kind set by Harry’s long-time nemesis, the evil Lord Voldemort. This sixth offering is a much darker tale as Harry faces the greatest dangers of his life as he slowly uncovers the mystery of Voldemort’s past and prepares to square off with the dark lord’s minions, the Death Eaters.

Non-canon tidbit: Producer David Baron confirmed that a scene is being added to the film that was not in the book which will take place at the Burrow.

Related Reading: Harry Potter Boxset Books 1-7 by J.K. Rowling – This set contains all seven of the Harry Potter books in hardcover, but if tackling six of the seven HP books prior to the sixth movie’s release seems daunting, then start with book 5, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, then move on to the Half-Book Prince book.

Twilight

Source Material: Twilight
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Screenplay: Melissa Rosenberg
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson
Release date: December 12, 2008

This first book of the teen vampire series, published in 2005, has been a great hit recently with young teens. In the novel, Bella Swan moves to a new town with her father and into a new high school, where she meets the mysterious Edward Cullen, who at first seems to dislike her. But when Bella is almost hit by a car, Edward saves her and they eventually fall in love. Bella soon realizes that Edward is no ordinary boy, but a vampire, as his supernatural abilities come to light and the lovers are threatened by other vampires.

Non-canon tidbit: The film’s plot follows that of the book, and so far, no persions from the book have been reported (but, hey, there’s still time!).

Related Reading: The sequels: New Moon (The Twilight Saga, Book 2), Eclipse (The Twilight Saga, Book 3), and due out on August 2, 2008 Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4).

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Source Material: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Screenplay: Eric Roth
Cast: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett
Release date: December 19, 2008

Fitzgerald’s short story follows the life of Benjamin Button, who was born an old man in 1860 to a prominent family in Maryland, and over time, ages in reverse. The story is dramatic, but also comedic as Benjamin’s friends and loved ones absurdly remark how he should try to control his strange aging. Not much is known at this time about the David Fincher-directed film adaptation, which stars Brad Pitt as the title character, but chances are, it will take many liberties interpreting the details in Button’s life that were only touched upon in the book – his life was as full of eventful moments, much like Forrest Gump’s life was. Also, Pitt’s baby daughter Shiloh Jolie-Pitt makes a cameo.

Non-canon tidbit: In the film, Button is born in 1919 and the events in his life go through till the year 2000.

Related Reading: Six Tales of the Jazz Age by F. Scott Fitzgerald – The Six Tales of the Jazz Age short story collection was originally the only place to read Benjamin Button, but the story is now available in its own book to tie-in with the film (see Source Material link). While the character of Benjamin Button does not appear in any of Fitzgerald tale, the Jazz Age collection contains similar fantastical stories.

The Spiderwick Chronicles

Source Material: The Spiderwick Chronicles Books 1-5
Author: Holly Black and Tony Diterlizzi
Screenplay: Karey Kirkpatrick, David Berenbaum, John Sayles
Cast: Freddie Highmore, Sarah Bolger, David Strathairn
Release date: February 14, 2008

The Grace children along with their mom move into the Spiderwick Estate, where they discover a book – Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You – which awakens the surrounding magical world of faeries, goblins, and an evil powerful ogre to their presence.

The film is based on the five novels in this children’s book series – The Field Guide; The Seeing Stone; Lucinda’s Secret; The Ironwood Tree; The Wrath of Mulgrath – though not all of the elements from the books made it into the film.

Non-canon tidbit: The screenplay departs quite a bit from the books, though that could be because some elements from the books will be used in the film sequels. A subplot about the children’s parents is introduced, and there’s an alternate more audience-friendly ending.

Related Reading: Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You by Holly Black and Tony Diterlizzi – This is the field guide left behind by Arthur Spiderwick that the children use to help them combat the evil magical creatures surrounding the Spiderwick Estate.

Jumper

Source Material: Jumper: A Novel
Author: Steven Gould
Screenplay: Simon Kinberg
Cast: Hayden Christensen, Jamie Bell, Samuel L. Jackson, Rachel Bilson
Release date: February 14, 2008

The 1992 novel follows the story of Davy, a teenager who discovers that he has the power to teleport. He uses that power to get away from his abusive father and search for his long-lost mother, resorting to criminal activities to get what he wants. The film does follow that part of the book, giving Davy (now David) a similar childhood appearance and the same love interest, teleportation skills, and initial criminal motives. But instead of showing Davy’s progression and maturity, David becomes a spoiled, whiney, hurtful person who wants what he wants when he wants it and thankfully he’s got this lovely teleportation power to do it. (Is this the only type of character Hayden Christensen can play?)

Non-canon tidbit: See above; also the film added in Paladins, religious fanatics who track down “jumpers” like David to kill them.

Related Reading: Jumper: Griffin’s Story and Reflex by Steven Gould – Griffin’s Story is a new adventure that revolves around a character created specifically for the film, a 9-year-old jumper Griffin O’Conner, while Relex is Jumper‘s sequel, which follows the life of the adult David.

The Other Boleyn Girl

Source Material: The Other Boleyn Girl
Author: Philippa Gregory
Screenplay: Peter Morgan
Cast: Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana
Release date: February 29, 2008

Phlippa Gregory’s historical fiction masterpiece is told from the perspective of Mary Boleyn, the younger fairer sister of Anne Boleyn. Before Anne infamously wedded the 16th-century King Henry VIII and gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth I, the lesser-known Mary was the King’s mistress. The novel gives us what the PG-13 film, which stars Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson as the rivaling sisters, could not – an R-rated and more realistic portrayal of these real-life events.

Non-canon tidbit: Many, many liberties are taken in this film adaptation, though that’s to be expected considering the source material was a fictional retelling of historical events. Much of Anne and Mary’s childhood is omitted from the film, and how the two sisters became involved with the King is changed from the book.

Related Reading: The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn by Robin Maxwell – While Philippa Gregory has gone on to tackle more Tudor subjects, The Other Boleyn Girl is her only novel focused on Anne and her sister Mary. Maxwell’s novel is another fictional account of Anne Boleyn’s life told through Anne’s diary, as read by her daughter Elizabeth I.

Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who

Source Material: Horton Hears A Who!
Author: Dr. Seuss
Screenplay: Ken Daurio, Cinco Paul
Cast: (voices) Jim Carrey, Steve Carell
Release date: March 14, 2008

“A person’s a person no matter how small” is what we learn from this Dr. Seuss tale about Horton, an elephant who stumbles upon a speck of dust which contains an entire town of microscope people in it. No one will believe the elephant’s claims that there are people living in the dust; instead they mock Horton’s efforts Horton to protect the town, called Who-ville, from harm. Horton’s cause is a noble one and he works together with the people of Who-ville to convince the disbelievers to come around.

Non-canon tidbit: The film follows the events and characters of the original tale. But because the 1954 illustrated storybook runs only 30 pages, the CGI-animated film elaborates on the story, and obviously, the dialogue.

Related Reading: How the Grinch Stole Christmas! and Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss – Grinch is a post-Horton tale involving the people of Who-ville, while Horton Hatches an Egg is our first introduction to the elephant Horton.

Written by Gretchen Rubin

There’s a lot of advice out there about getting good sleep — it’s VERY important. We quickly adjust to being sleep-deprived, and don’t notice that we aren’t functioning at a normal level, but lack of sleep really affects us. If you’re feeling blue or listless, try going to sleep thirty minutes earlier for a week. It can really help.

Here are tips that have helped me get good sleep:

Good habits for good sleep:

1. Exercise most days, even if it’s just to take a walk.

2. No caffeine after 7:00 p.m.

3. An hour before bedtime, avoid doing any kind of work that takes alert thinking. Addressing envelopes–okay. Analyzing an article–nope.

4. Adjust your bedroom temperature to be slightly chilly.

5. Keep your bedroom dark. Studies show that even the tiny light from a digital alarm clock can disrupt a sleep cycle. We have about six devices in our room that glow bright green; it’s like sleeping in a mad scientist’s lab. The Big Man has a new pet, a Roomba (yes, he loves his robot vacuum) that gives out so much light that I have to cover it with a pillow before bed.

6. Keep the bedroom as tidy as possible. It’s not restful to fight through chaos into bed.

If sleep won’t come:

7. Breathe deeply and slowly until you can’t stand it anymore.

8. If your mind is racing (you’re planning a trip, a move; you’re worried about a medical diagnosis), write down what’s on your mind. This technique really works for me.

9. Slather yourself with body lotion. This feels good and also, if you’re having trouble sleeping because you’re hot, it cools you down.

10. If your feet are cold, put on socks.

11. Stretch your whole body.

12. Have a warm drink. Supposedly warm milk contains melatonin and trytophan and so helps induce sleep, but in fact, a glass of milk doesn’t contain enough to have any effect. But it’s still a soothing drink. My nighttime favorite: 1/3 mug of milk, add boiling water, one packet of Equal, and a dash of vanilla. A real nursery treat.

13. Yawn.

14. Stretch your toes up and down several times.

15. Tell yourself, “I have to get up now.” Imagine that you just hit the snooze alarm and in a minute, you’re going to be marching through the morning routine. Often this is an exhausting enough prospect to make me fall asleep.

16. If you still can’t sleep, re-frame: re-frame your sleeplessness as a welcome opportunity to snatch some extra time out of your day. I get up and tackle mundane chores, like paying bills, organizing books, or tidying up. Then I start the day with a wonderful feeling of having accomplished something even before 6:45 am.

What am I missing? Are there some more great sleep-inducing strategies out there?

If you’d like to read more about happiness, check out Gretchen’s daily blog, The Happiness Project.