What kind of reaction have you seen today about the finale, and is it what you were expecting? I haven't really seen anything. I knew that I had really strong feelings about the finale, and I knew people would too. I decided I was just going to be off of Twitter. I know that there was a large reaction. The one thing that I wanted to know is if everybody got the point of the episode. Everyone is still so immersed in Who died?' and no one is talking about the thing that I actually think is important and was the point of the episode.

Which is? Which is they are still out there. They're still out there in the forest, and we don't know if they are going to be OK. We left it open for a reason becauseI hate to say this, but just because you saw people alive at the end of the finale doesn't mean they're going to be alive when the season starts up. We are completely jumping off into the unknown next season.

Fans have been asking this morning if there's any way Lexie (Chyler) could still come back. They don't even care if it's totally implausible. "Can't she come back as a ghost? Or it was a dream?" We saw Denny as a ghost, and people didn't really like that, did they? It was a really hard decision to let that character die versus send her off into the sunset somewhere. It was really difficult. It was not made lightly. I don't think we're going to see Lexie Grey ever again. That's not the intention, to see her again. It's a big loss. It's a big loss for the characters and it's a big loss for the show. We're busy feeling that loss.

Did you have other plans for Mark and Lexie? Is that why their final words to each other were "meant to be?" Yes. Honestly, I always felt like Mark and Lexie were meant to be together. If things had not turned out the way they had this season, I had a completely different thing planned for them. I was one of the people who loved Mark and Lexie together; I had a completely different thing planned for them. The introduction of Julie was part of planning a completely different storyline for them. So for me, there was a lot of heartbreak in that. There were so many moments and so many things that I had wanted to happen with those characters that we're never going to get to see. When Mark and Lexie say "meant to be," it wasn't about servicing the fans. That's how I felt. That's what was supposed to happen, and that's what I wanted to see. It was heartbreaking.

So when Mark tells Lexie as she's dying that they are supposed to get married and have kids and be happy together, were those your thoughts, too? Those absolutely were my thoughts. I loved the idea of them together. They played really well together. They were very charming and funny and great. We did the scene where Lexie confesses to Mark that she's still in love with him. That was bittersweet to me because it was like, "Look, they're so close, so close! And yet so far."

Any chance Kim Raver will be back at some point? I don't think that's a possibility that has been ruled out. At least not by me. I love Kim. I say to my partner Betsy [Beers] every once in a while, "We could do a series that's just Med Com." It could just be a Med Com series. I love Kim; she's amazing. I don't know. I think maybe it'd be cool one day if she could come back. We'll see.

Is this episode the hardest thing you've ever written? Yes, in a weird way, because of several things. One, I didn't like it, in the sense that right up until the last minute I kept saying, "Maybe they shouldn't get in a plane." I kept trying to come up with something different. My writers were so great, and they were like, "We're all 100 percent behind the idea!" They will tell you I say that every year at finale time. I turn around and say we should do something different. And then I write it and it's fine. Usually I question it right up to the table read, but then I'm fine. This one, I questioned it while we were shooting it and I questioned it once I saw the edit for it. And then once we got to the soundstage, literally Tuesday, I'm watching the show and I'm changing music at the last minute.

Why? Because it's so unsettling at the end. I think there's something very unsatisfying about the way that it ends for everyone. I like the ride. Doing the shooting episode was really great because while it was gut-wrenching and hard to do, I knew who was OK. And in this, we don't know who's OK. We still don't totally know who's OK. There's still choices to be made. It is very unsettling for me, and the idea of leaving my Meredith and my Cristina in the wilderness without a match, chewing half a stick of gum each, having each other, while beautiful, was really painful.

Ellen Pompeo and Sandra Oh did incredible work in this episode. The things that those two women did were amazing. I would like to point out that Ellen Pompeo had like three broken toes while running through that forest! Some silly home accident and she broke her foot like two days before we started shooting that finale. She had three broken toes, and Sandra Oh had to run around in really cold weather with one shoe. And Jessica Capshaw is nine months pregnant. It was not an easy shoot. I thought that Sandra and Ellen were amazing. I mean, I thought they all were, but they did great work.

Original post:
Grey's Anatomy Boss Shonda Rhimes Talks Shocking Finale and Cast Departures: Don't Assume Everyone Else Will Live

Say it isn't so!

Two Grey's Anatomy stars had their final episodes on Thursday night.

Creator Shonda Rhimes warned fans in an extra long tweet Thursday night that they would not be happy with the season eight finale -- explaining that actresses Chyler Leigh and Kim Raver had been written off the series.

PHOTOS: Grey's most memorable moments

"Okay. Callie said it best tonight: Life changes in an instant. Turns on a dime." she wrote. "This finale was incredibly hard to write. I did not enjoy it. It made me sick and it made me sad. We end the season not knowing anything about the future. Except for two things. We know we are definitely saying goodbye to two of my favorite people: Chyler Leigh (Lexie) and Kim Raver (Teddy)."

Indeed, during the episode, Leigh and Raver made their exit -- via death and job changes. Following the devastating plane crash, Lexie's body was crushed under the wreckage and she died after an emotional farewell to Mark (Eric Dane). Teddy was fired by Owen in order for her to accept a position at a military hospital.

PHOTOS: TV's hottest doctors

"I know this season's finale had some surprises for viewers and the exit of Kim Raver was one of the big ones," Rhimes continued. "But Kim's series option was up and she was ready to give Teddy Altman a much-needed vacation. It's been a pleasure working with someone as talented and funny and kind as Kim; everyone is going to miss her terribly. I like to imagine that Teddy is still out there in the Grey's Anatomy universe, running Army Medical Command and building a new life."

"I love Chyler and I love the character of Lexie Grey," she added. "She was an important member of my Grey's family. This was not an easy decision. But it was a decision that Chyler and I came to together. We had a lot of thoughtful discussion about it and ultimately we both decided this was the right time for her character's journey to end. As far as I'm concerned Chyler will always remain a part of the Shondaland family and I can't wait to work with her again in the future."

PHOTOS: Stars who were fired

Continue reading here:
Chyler Leigh, Kim Raver Leave Grey's Anatomy

The eighth season finale of "Grey's Anatomy" aired Thursday night and fans of the show were forced to bid goodbye to not one but two cast members -- one of them in a very permanent way.

Although it was known in advance that someone would die in the season finale, there was some question as to who it would be. Could it be McDreamy (Patrick Dempsey)? Or Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) herself?

It turns out that the ill-fated cast member was a Grey, but not Meredith. Her half-sister, Lexie, played by Chyler Leigh, went to that big sexy hospital in the sky. The poor resident died following a plane crash that involved most of the cast.

"Grey's" creator Shonda Rhimes confirmed the departure via Twitter on Thursday night, telling fans, "I love Chyler and I love the character of Lexie Grey. She was an important member of my Grey's family. This was not an easy decision. But it was a decision that Chyler and I came to together. We had a lot of thoughtful discussion about it and ultimately we both decided this was the right time for her character's journey to end. As far as I'm concerned Chyler will always remain a part of the Shondaland family and I can't wait to work with her again in the future."

The other cast member to leave was Kim Raver, who played Dr. Teddy Altman. Her exit was not as grisly as Leigh's: Altman left Seattle Grace to head up the Army Medical Command.

Of Raver's exit, Rhimes tweeted, "I know this seasons finale had some surprises for viewers and the exit of Kim Raver was one of the big ones. But Kims series option was up and she was ready to give Teddy Altman a much-needed vacation. Its been a pleasure working with someone as talented and funny and kind as Kim; everyone is going to miss her terribly."

Fans can breathe a little easier about the rest of the cast now. It was reported by TVLine last week that series stars Pompeo, Dempsey, Sandra Oh, Justin Chambers, James Pickens Jr. and Chandra Wilson all signed contracts for two more years.

RELATED:

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Katherine Heigl open to returning to 'Grey's Anatomy'

See the original post here:
'Grey's Anatomy' season finale: Shonda Rhimes comments on cast exits

Yesterday was a tumultuous day for Brisbane's indigenous community, from a pre-dawn eviction of a makeshift tent embassy at Musgrave Park in South Brisbane and impromptu protest marches through the city centre. Amy Remeikis was there to document the entire day, from beginning to end.

The police moved in just before dawn.

Musgrave Park at West End was surrounded by officers.

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The media were directed to a staging point on the corner on Cordelia and Glenelg Streets, but getting there from the Cordelia Street side was difficult.

All side streets linking to the park were cordoned off, even for those on foot. While members of the media tweeted they were being escorted out of the tent embassy site, police were denying others entry.

Reaching the staging area required the showing of ID, both photo and a business card and following police directions to the letter; no, step back three steps please but once in the required area, the media were largely ignored.

For a while, nothing happened. Protesters came in support of the tent embassy members, establishing an area across the road from the park. A microphone and mobile speaker were quickly found. Speeches were made. Songs were sung. Across the road, those inside the fence erected around the embassy alternatively danced, cheered and yelled.

The sticking point in the negotiations was the sacred fire, started from embers from a similar fire at the Canberra tent embassy, where the idea for corresponding tent embassies across the nation was hatched.

Brisbane City Council wanted everything cleared before the Paniyiri Greek Festival this weekend, including the fire.

More:
Anatomy of a protest

FORTUNE -- Everyone from Greece's squabbling political parties to Europe's central bankers are expressing faith that Greece will remain in the Euro. That's not surprising, since simply talking about how to manage an exit would spread panic, making the exit inevitable. But the panic is already here. Greece's departure from the Euro could happen within a couple of weeks, if not a few days.

The pressing problem isn't a splintered legislature that may balk at delivering the reforms that the IMF and European Community are demanding in exchange for the next tranche of bailout money. It's a disastrous, old-fashioned run-on-the bank. "For a year, Greeks have been sending their savings from Greek banks to foreign banks," says Robert Aliber, retired professor of international economics from the University of Chicago. "Now, the flood has reached a crescendo." Indeed on Monday alone, outflows from the Greek banks reached almost $900 million.

The flight of capital is sapping the deposits needed to refinance mortgages and small business loans, causing a full-blown credit crisis. Greeks are also extremely reluctant to spend their Euros on cars, dining or anything else, since they reckon those Euros will buy more at the supermarkets and auto lots in the weeks or months ahead. The disappearing consumer is further crippling the economy.

MORE: 'Austerity' isn't an evil word

Greece's exit is absolutely necessary. "Its prices and costs are far too high under the Euro, so it just cannot compete on international markets," says Aliber. "The Greeks have suffered far more through all these misguided bailouts than they've gained by lowering prices or costs." The political gridlock, argues Aliber, is actually a good thing because it will hasten abandoning a disastrously overvalued currency, just what's needed to get Greece growing again.

The mechanics of shelving the Euro for its own currency are pretty predictable. One day soon, imagine it's late on a Friday afternoon, the Greek government will declare all banks closed for the following week. By Monday, the legislature will vote an emergency law that designates a fixed exchange rate of, say, 1 drachma the Greek pre-Euro currency for each Euro. By Monday, all corporate and personal savings in Greek banks will be denominated in drachma.

The drachma will tumble in value, so that almost immediately, Greek consumers will need at least 1.5 Drachma to buy one Euro. A savings account that held 15,000 euros is now 15,000 Drachma. But those drachmas will soon fetch just 10,000 Euros. That's a "devaluation" of 33%. "That number is the low-end of the range for countries that exit a common currency," says Uri Dadush, an economist at the Carnegie Endowment.

What happens next is the pivotal issue, and top economists disagree strongly on Greece's post-Euro future. To be sure, this isn't a play by Aeschylus or Aristophanes where the audience knows the finale. Yanis Varoufakis of the University of Athens foresees a Greek tragedy in which a run on the banks is followed by a run on the drachma. "Greeks paid in drachma will go to the ATM then immediately exchange their drachma for Euros people have stashed in their freezers," says Varoufakis. He thinks that the drachma will keep plunging against foreign currencies, and Greeks will keep bailing, causing a new crisis of hyperinflation.

MORE: The 3 biggest benefits of producing more oil

But the disaster scenario isn't inevitable. "Other countries have left what's effectively a common currency zone without suffering hyperinflation," says Hans Humes, president of investment firm Greylock Capital, which holds Greek government bonds. Aliber thinks that Greece's exit will create the same growth dynamic that's recharged Iceland and Argentina, both of whom effectively shed overvalued currencies.

See the article here:
Greece: The anatomy of a default

MONDAY, MAY 14: "Bones"

"Bones" (8 p.m. ET on Fox) season finale
Evil tech genius Christopher Pelant (guest star Andrew Leeds), a suspect in a previous case Brennan and Booth handled, is back in court on appeal. Knowing what he is capable of, Brennan and Booth inform the judge that he is a suspect in two murder cases. Then, Brennan and Booth are called to the scene of a new murder. After determining the victim is Brennan's friend, who also is linked to Pelant, the Jeffersonian team works to prove he is guilty once and for all. But when law enforcement examines the team's findings, key pieces of evidence are tied to Brennan and suspicion falls on her.

"Gossip Girl" (8 p.m. ET on The CW) season finale
When Gossip Girl goes after Blair as she's never done before, Serena admits she may have unintentionally played an important role in Blair's latest nightmare. Meanwhile, Nate invites Lola to move in with him, and Lily must make a big decision about the future of her marriage. Finally, by episode's end, Blair will make a choice between the two men in her life ... will it be Chuck or will it be Dan? Followed by the finale of the also-renewed "Hart of Dixie."

"How I Met Your Mother" (8 p.m. ET on CBS) one-hour season finale
On Barney's future wedding day, when his wife is finally revealed, the gang reminisces about the time they encouraged Ted to follow his heart and go after the one that got away. Followed by the season finales of "Two and a Half Men" and "Hawaii Five-0."

"Make It or Break It" (9 p.m. ET on ABC Family) series finale
Eight weeks at the USA Training Center have led to this moment: who will make it onto the 2012 Olympic Gymnastics team and who will be left behind in the show's final episode. Payson decides to rework her floor routine at the risk of losing a spot on the team. Kaylie is at a loss when Jordan refuses her help. Still recovering from surgery, Lauren balances her health with her need to make it to the Olympics. Meanwhile, Kaylie is thrown for a loop when she is told that her drug test came back positive for a banned substance.

"The Bachelorette" (9.30 p.m. ET on ABC) season premiere
Fan-favorite Emily Maynard -- the first single mother in "Bachelorette" history -- begins her own search for love in Charlotte, NC in the eighth edition of the romance reality series. Season highlights include trips to Bermuda, London, Dubrovnik and Prague, and appearances from Dolly Parton, Gloriana, Luke Bryant and The Muppets.

"Kurt Sutter's Outlaw Empires" (10 p.m. ET on Discovery) series premiere
"Sons of Anarchy" creator Kurt Sutter enters the realm of the gangs and families who have dominated our streets and helped shape our nation's history. Steered by Sutter's compelling insight, each episode tells the complete story of an iconic American outlaw dynasty -- directly from the mouths of people from the inside. Through their no-holds-barred accounts, the series takes an unvarnished look at moment-by-moment experiences that were not only pivotal for the organizations themselves, but life-changing for the individuals telling the stories.

"Smash" (10 p.m. ET on NBC) season finale
The big night is finally here. Tom and Julia race against time to save the show, while Derek makes a decision that will change the lives of Karen and Ivy forever. Ellis reveals his true colors (hmm) -- but when he finally makes his move to save "Bombshell," will it be for or against Eileen? In the midst of it all, another bombshell goes off -- this time in Karen and Dev's relationship.

"Glee" (8 p.m. ET on Fox) double-bill
As the countdown to graduation continues, the kids of New Directions prepare a high-concept routine for Nationals. When Tina bumps her head, the world of New Directions is turned upside down in her eyes. Then, the New Directions perform at Nationals for celebrity judge Lindsay Lohan (guest-starring as herself). Worth watching for the Lohan trainwreck factor alone, no?

"Cougar Town" (8 p.m. ET on ABC) double-bill
Now that the underappreciated (and still genius) comedy has officially made the move to TBS, ABC seems to be in burn-off mode with two weeks of hour-long blocks -- but we're just happy that it'll be around for another year. In the first episode, Grayson moves in with Jules after the hurricane damages his house, but the sudden togetherness makes them wonder if they're going to make the same mistakes in their upcoming marriage that they made in their past relationships. In the second, when Jules realizes that the cul-de-sac crew didn't celebrate Thanksgiving together, she decides to celebrate the holiday, even though it's spring. The "Private Practice" season finale airs at 10 p.m. ET.

Link:
'Grey's Anatomy' Finale: Bloody Season 8 Sneak Peek (VIDEO)

ABC

By Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter

"Grey's Anatomy" viewers, buckle up: you're in for screams, blood, exposed bones and a completely stressful episode if the first six minutes of Thursday's Season 8 finale are any indication of what's coming.

STORY: "Grey's Anatomy's" Shonda Rhimes on the deadly finale: "We're literally saying goodbye to people"

After a plane carrying some of Seattle Grace's best and brightest crashed into a forest, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), Derek (Patrick Dempsey), Cristina (Sandra Oh), Lexie (Chyler Leigh), Mark (Eric Dane) and Arizona's (Jessica Capshaw) lives were left hanging in the balance.

STORY: "Grey's Anatomy": Sarah Drew on the boards, April and Jackson's steamy hook-up and the finale "event"

Showrunner Shonda Rhimes has warned that the episode, fittingly titled "Flight," will include what she calls a "pretty big death."

STORY: "Grey's Anatomy" Recap: Whose lives are hanging in the balance?

"We're not talking [about] some guest star [who] is going to come in and die kind of thing; it's a big death and it's fairly shocking," she told The Hollywood Reporter during a recent interview. "It was hard, it was hard to write, it was hard to listen to at the table read. It is a difficult thing to do and not done lightly. When one of your main characters dies, it always affects the heart and soul of the hospital."

So who will survive the first six minutes? Watch the clip to find out, but be warned: it's graphic and severely cringe-inducing.

Follow this link:
Who survives 'Grey's' finale plane crash?

Grey's Anatomy

Who's going to die on the Grey's Anatomy eighth season finale?

Six doctors Meredith, Derek, Cristina, Mark, Lexie and Arizona crash-landed somewhere in the woods on their way to Boise. Though we'd like to think that April (Sarah Drew), who failed her boards, would kill herself and save us the torment of a more shocking loss the promos seem to indicate that it's one of the Stranded Six who won't make it out alive.

Grey's Anatomy Exclusive Finale Scoop: A Seattle Grace exodus and a "dark and twisty" event

So which character bites the dust? We weigh the pros and cons for each potential Seattle Grace casualty in order from most to least likely to die:

1.Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh) Why She Will Die: We have come to love Little Grey, so when Shonda Rhimes told us the prospect of a reunion with Mark might be "bittersweet or painful," we were worried. Our guess? They finally reconcile just in time for one of them to die, which is why they're both at the top of this list. Why She Won't: Meredith has already stated that Lexie is one of the reasons she'd stay, so if the writers are planning to keep Mer at Seattle Grace, then why would baby sis have to die?

2. Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) Why He Will Die: Let's face it, Mark is only interesting when he's in a relationship with Lexie, and it's been an entire season since they were dating. And anyway, we're sick of the will-they-won't-they dynamic for a couple that was already together! Also: Rhimes' bittersweet comment above could also apply to Mark. Why He Won't: Slexie fans would be furious if the duo never did get back together. Plus: Do we really want to see Lexie have another mental breakdown like she did after the shooting?

Exclusive Grey's Anatomy Video: Which doctors will be leaving Seattle Grace?

3. Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw) Why She Will Die: When Arizona cried to Callie (Sara Ramirez) about the impending loss of her friend Nick, she begged Callie to never leave, but moments later, Arizona was the one who took Alex's spot on the plane and flew off to Boise. When writers use the old foreshadowing technique like that, we get anxious. Also, how poetic would it be if the one person who wasn't supposed to be on the plane ended up dying? Writers love that! Why She Won't: Rhimes might fear the wrath of the LGBT community with whom she works closely with and is receiving a GLAAD award from should she kill off one of the few lesbian characters on network television.

4. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) Why He Will Die: His death would singlehandedly reinvigorate the series because it would be a rebirth for Meredith. Sure, she would be sad and go through yet another long "dark and twisty" phase, but to see her come out the other side "bright and shiny" and single again would be a fun journey. (We'll be expecting your hate mail soon!) Why He Won't: He just finished the McMansion! In all seriousness, the likelihood of Derek being killed off is slim considering Dempsey, Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh, Justin Chambers, Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. all reportedly signed two-year contracts last week, which Dempsey later confirmed at least for himself.

Excerpt from:
Who's Going to Die on the Grey's Anatomy Season Finale?

MORE: Get the Latest Scoop on Vampire Diaries, Glee, Once Upon a Time and More Courtesy of Our Daily Spoiler Chat!

Chanel in Houston: I'm seriously going to DIE this summer without New Girl scoop to obsess over!! Any suggestions to help save me from a Jess-free three months? Whoa! Well our first suggestion would be that you enroll in some acting classes because it seems like the dramatics come very naturally to you. With that said, we think that you should perfect the art of the slow chicken dance. (Remember that facial expressions are also a key part of the dance.) Then we say you gather all the youths you know and clearly lay out the drinking rules of the "True American" game. Bonus points if you can get your landlord to play too!Lastly we think that every morning you should take at look at this ridiculously cute first-look picture for season two and try to absorb as much of their awesomeness as possible. And this has been Team WWK's guide to the ultimate New Girl summer. You areverywelcome.

MORE: Renewed or Canceled? Your TV Cheat Sheet on the Fate of Your Favorite Shows!

Gretchen: Anything on the Glee season finale would be perfect.We don't want to give too much away, but we will say that we are very excited for Santana's storyline in the final episode of the season.

DevonCarruthers: True Blood, please? Get ready to meet a whole slew of new monsters later in the HBO hit's fifth season as the show is introducing several new fairies(some who bring Jason to their special fairy club!), a few new vamps (including the Minister of the European Vampire League!) a new werewolf with a warning: there's a new breed of vampires in town!

Natafree1994: What's happening with CSI: NY?? Feel free to pop the champagne (or apple cider if you're under 21!) as sources tell us CSI: NY has been picked up for another season. If you don't want to jinx it, keep the champagne on ice until Wednesday, which is when CBS is set to unveil their fall lineup.

Additional reporting by Tierney Bricker, Jenna Mullins, Christina Dowling & Leanne Aguilera

See the original post:
Spoiler Chat Daily: Grey's Anatomy and Gossip Girl Finale Scoop! Plus, The Walking Dead and More

Summary: A malicious attack aimed at Google but routed through Plaxo highlights the growing importance of API security using the forthcoming OAuth 2.0 protocol, which protects the users credential information.

Address book service Plaxo is moving to shore up its API security after being sucked in as a back-door, silent victim in an attack on Google.

Last week, a spammer armed with stolen credentials for a number of Google accounts routed their attack through Plaxos servers by taking advantage of connections the two maintain and an aging Plaxo authentication mechanism called Address Book (AB) Widget, which enables Plaxo users to import Gmail contacts.

Copyright: Brian Campbell

Given the avenue of the attack, it was hard for Google to detect the malicious traffic being proxied through Plaxos IP address.

The two worked together to dissect the hack and Plaxo has since retired its AB Widget and will update its Plaxo-Google Sync in a few weeks to support OAuth 2.0 and take advantage of its secure authentication capabilities.

The moral of the story is that security should be of paramount concern for APIs as they become a preferred point of integration within the concepts of cloud computing.

To wit, over the past two years, companies such as Twitter, Facebook, Google, Netflix, eBay and NPR have each been processing billions of API calls per day.

OAuth 2.0 is a forthcoming Internet Engineering Task Force specification that uses tokens for authenticating API end-points, which eliminates the need to share credential information among providers.

End-users wont know the technology they are using is OAuth, said Preston Smalley, general manager and head of product for Plaxo. But over time users are becoming more and more sensitive to sharing their user names and passwords with anyone other than their account provider.

View original post here:
Anatomy of hack on Google leads Plaxo to up API security

Via Techmeme

FORTUNE -- It is perhaps a measure of how badly broken today's commercial TV viewing experience is -- the cookie-cutter sitcoms, the ridiculous reality shows,the ever-shifting channel line-ups, the relentless, merciless commercial breaks -- that the tech press is so desperate to believe even the slimmest rumor that Apple (AAPL) is getting ready to solve all that by building its own television set.

Take, for example, last week's report that Hon Hai chairman Terry Gou announced at a press conference in Shanghai that his Foxconn subsidiary was "making preparations for iTV."

By Friday the report had spawned dozens of headlines. A sample:

What none of these reporters mentioned (or apparently bothered to consider) is that Gou -- whose factories assemble 40% of the world's electronic devices -- is one of the industry's most secretive executives. He is privy to the future product plans of the most valuable electronics brands -- not just Apple, but also Sony (SNE), Microsoft (MSFT), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and the rest. He is trusted by his business partners because he never leaks their secrets.

Terry Gou. Photo via M.I.C. Gadget

Given how jealously Apple guards its own secrets, and how relentlessly it pursues those who spill them, what are the chances that Gou would say anything -- ever -- about an unannounced Apple product, real or imagined?

I'd say, nil.

So what was the source for this latest iTV story?

It was single item in China Daily -- an English-language newspaper based in Beijing. The dateline is Shanghai. The byline isGao Changxin. The headline reads: "Foxconn plans renewed shift into distribution."

See the original post here:
Anatomy of an iTV rumor

I love these delectable creatures of the nautical sublime, especially their seaweed bracelets and headdresses. As described on the Beauty, Virtue and Vice online exhibit of the American Antiquarian Society website (from which the images is also sourced):

Mermaid Polka. Lith. of Napoleon Sarony, 1850. [H. D. Hewitt]

In the nineteenth century, informal musical entertainments were a very common American pastime, and the piano was a common presence in American parlors. The piano’s rise in popularity coincided with advances in printing technology, and a booming sheet music industry was one result of these simultaneous developments.

American consumers purchased particular pieces of music for various reasons. Certainly, popular songs of the American musical stage became bestselling sheet music, but it is clear that sheet music publishers recognized that American consumers would buy even unfamiliar music if the cover art was appealing enough. Pictorial sheet music covers did double duty within the household: displayed above a keyboard even when a piano wasn’t in use, they functioned as decorative art.

Nineteenth-century pictorial sheet music covers capitalized on an endless array of already popular subjects, ideas, and themes in order to capture buyers’ attention. Over the course of the nineteenth century, sheet music images of beautiful women remained the most consistently popular type of illustration. In Mermaid Polka, these nude and loosely robed young women are graceful, demure, and carefree. They embody various ideas about women’s nature, with a titillating erotic accent. This lavish visual fantasy of beautiful young sea nymphs frolicking in the moonlight was meant to appeal to a wide variety of potential buyers. While women and men alike might have enjoyed this image for its pictorial beauty and expression of innocent romantic pleasure, men might also have associated it with antebellum dancing-girl performances (which were enjoyed by overwhelmingly male audiences) and European paintings like Botticelli’s celebrated fifteenth-century work, The Birth of Venus.

More here. Click on image to see much finer, larger version.

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I am very excited to announce a wonderful looking new exhibition curated by friend-of-Morbid-Anatomy and Minnesota Rogue Taxidermist Robert Marbury. With the ever increasing popularity of taxidermy in the fine arts world, this "Rogue Taxidermy Biennial Taxidermy Show"comes not a second too soon, and features the work of such creative-taxidermic luminaries as Sarina Brewer (top, "Sweet Dreams"), Adam Wallacavage, Jeanie M. (center, "Arabian Squirrel on a Flying Carpet"), Jessica Joslin, and our own Daisy Tainton (bottom, "A Patient's Despair"), teacher of Saturday's Anthropomorphic Insect Shadowbox workshop (more on that here).

If I was in Los Angeles, I would be on my way to see this right now! For those of you in the area, full info follows:

ROGUE TAXIDERMY
Our Biennial Taxidermy Show
La Luz de Jesus Gallery
May 4th – 27th, 2012

The Rogue Taxidermy 2012 Biennial, curated by Robert Marbury, features 25 of the most interesting artists working in taxidermy today. Rogue Taxidermy, a mixed-media art utilizing taxidermy materials, is more closely related to surrealism than to mainstream taxidermy. The work in this show spans genres and materials to expresses the individual artist's approach to and love of natural history and preservation.

There are some great photos from the opening here.
All members of the MINNESOTA ASSOCIATION OF ROGUE TAXIDERMISTS implicitly pledge by merit of their membership to abide by the following ethical regulations:

1. All members pledge to continually strive to make efficient use of the animals and parts of animals employed in the creation of their art. Wastefulness is strongly discouraged.

2. Animals shall be procured in a manner that does not require their termination for the explicit purpose of mounting or displaying. Collecting road-kill, accepting, purchasing animals from supply companies and from grocery stores are all considered to be acceptable, ethical means of procuring animals. Recycling and re-use are primary tenets of the association.

3. Please note that it is your responsibility to check with your local Department of Natural Resources and fish & wildlife authorities regarding your taxidermy activities. Be aware that endangered, threatened and protected species (including, but not exclusive to, raptors and songbirds) can only be mounted for museums and educational institutions providing all necessary permits. Roadkill is not excluded from these regulations. Additionally, in accordance with state and federal law, anything utilizing waterfowl, crows, or other restricted birds can only be mounted for the client who provides the animal with all attending permits.

4. If approached to create a custom mount which is generally considered to be a specialty of another M.A.R.T. member, it is strongly suggested that you recommend the services of that member to the potential customer before accepting the commission.

5. Members are greatly encouraged to participate in the care and conservation of living animals.

6. M.A.R.T. seeks to create an open dialogue about the place of animals in our culture. Protests, slander, and admonitions shall be greeted with an attempt to foster conversation. Reacting to criticism in a cruel or indignant way is considered antithetical to the M.A.R.T. mission statement.

You can find out more about this exhibiiton by clicking here. If you are interested in signing up for Daisy Tainton's class, click here for more.

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I am very excited to announce a few open slots in this Saturday's long sold-out Anthropomorphic Insect Shadowbox Workshop with Former AMNH Senior Insect Preparator Daisy Tainton, part of The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy at Observatory. Full details for the class follow; send an email to morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com to be added to class list. First come, first served!

Anthropomorphic Insect Shadowbox Workshop with Former AMNH Senior Insect Preparator Daisy Tainton
With Daisy Tainton, Former Senior Insect Preparator at the American Museum of Natural History
Date: This Saturday, May 12
Time: 1 - 4 PM
Admission: $65
***Must RSVP to morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com to be added to class list
This class is part of The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy

Rhinoceros beetles: nature's tiny giants. Adorable, with their giant heads and tiny legs, and wonderful antler-like protrusions. If you think they would be even more adorable drinking tiny beers and holding tiny fishing poles, we have the perfect class for you! In today's workshop, students will learn to make--and leave with their own!--shadowbox dioramas featuring carefully positioned beetles doing nearly anything you can imagine. An assortment of miniature furniture and foods will be made available to decorate your habitat, but students are strongly encouraged to bring any dollhouse props they would like to use. 1:12 scale is generally best.

Daisy Tainton was formerly Senior Insect Preparator at the American Museum of Natural History, and has been working with insects professionally for several years. Eventually her fascination with insects and  love of Japanese miniature food items naturally came together, resulting in cute and ridiculous museum-inspired yet utterly unrealistic dioramas. Beetles at the dentist? Beetles eating pie and knitting sweaters? Even beetles on the toilet? Why not?

You can find out more about this class here, and more about The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy by clicking here.

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Tonight at Observatory! Hope to see you there.

The Odditorium: The Architecture and Allure of Extremes
Illustrated lecture and booksigning with Melissa Pritchard, author of The Odditorium
Date: Monday, May 7
Time: 8:00
Admission: $5
Presented by Morbid Anatomy

Tonight, please join--Melissa Pritchard, award winning fiction writer, essayist and journalist--for an illustrated lecture on some of the more extreme and unusual historical personalities and architectures featured in her highly praised new collection of stories, The Odditorium. From the enigma of the German feral child, Kaspar Hauser, to St. Pelagia, Russian "holy fool," to Robert Ripley of Believe it or Not fame and the Wild West Show's sharpshooter Annie Oakley, Pritchard will discuss her own fascination with the bizarre, the haunted, the fantastic and the grotesque, including short excerpts from several stories while asking of herself and her audience the bigger question: What lies behind our cultural obsession with extremes, from the tragic to the sublime, from the monstrous to the transcendent?

Melissa Pritchardis a Flannery O’Connor, Janet Heidinger Kafka, and Carl Sandburg Award-winning author. She has also been an embedded journalist in Afghanistan, where she befriended Ashton Goodman, a young soldier she memorialized for O, The Oprah Magazine, and authored a biography of Virginia Galvin Piper that US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’ Connor called “a delight to read.” Founder of the Ashton Goodman Fund and a member of the Afghan Women’s Writing Project, helping to promote literacy and education for Afghan women and girls, she teaches at Arizona State University.

More here.

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MORE:Grey's Anatomy: Patrick Dempsey, Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh and Justin Chambers Set to Return!

No Wedding Bells: So Ben (Jason George) was pretty grumpy all episode. Turns out that his perfect day for Bailey (Chandra Wilson) was actually an elaborate proposal attempt. Turns out Bailey didn't have to finish that crossword puzzle after all because Ben's accepted a new job as well.

ONE-LINERS

"I'm sorry I messed up your proposal. But I'm wearing a thong and this is as sorry as I get." Bailey

"Oh no, they did. I just figured that's what you'd sound like in the face of rejection." Cristina

"Mark'll buy it. His dreams have always been my dreams." Derek (Patrick Dempsey)

"She's not leaving you, she's leaving me." Owen

"No one's ever wanted me like this." Alex (Justin Chambers)

"He should be with someone who wants a baby. And you should be with someone who wants you." Meredith

WHAT LIES AHEAD

Read the rest here:
Grey's Anatomy Redux: Doctors Make Big Career Decisions, but a Shocking Cliffhanger Changes Everything!

Image credit: Randy Holmes/ABC

GONE, BABY, GONEDon't be deceived by Arizona and Callie's happy faces -- there's not much to smile about when this episode ends.

Earlier today, creatorShonda Rhimes told EW that in addition to a big death, viewers should be prepared for something bad to happen in next weeks season finale.

Knowing that, I watched the penultimate episode with bated breath, constantly looking for clues of what impending doom might befall Seattle Grace next week. I watched Arizona break the news to her brothers best friend Nick that his cancer was incurable, and thought that maybe this would lead to a bigger storyline. I watched April lose all possible job offers, including a place at Seattle Grace, and surmised, Oh, this is setting up her downfall. I got my answer, however, in the last moments of the episode when a closing shot of an airplane carrying majority of our doctors crashed.

Yes, you read that right, and no, you didnt stumble upon one of Doc Jensens old Lost recaps, may they rest in peace. We dont know any details yet, but a plane carrying Meredith, Derek, Cristina, Arizona, and Sloan has crashed, split open in the middle of the wilderness. Maybe some of you predicted this when you saw them all on the plane, but -- paint me oblivious -- I actually gasped in those last moments. I know thats a lot to process (it certainly was for me), so while you get your bearings, lets start at the beginning.

Chief Hunt and the other head surgeons are in game-time mode in the conference room as they try and figure out which of their docs are leaving the nest. But while the surgeons powwow, the doctors with the real decisions to make are partying at Casa de la Grey, taking celebratory shots, and turning the music off every time a phone rings, lest it be a hospital with an offer. That included April, who got her first of many calls from hospitals revoking their offers. The second "retract call" came during lunchtime at the hospital where Cristina was on hand to pick up, put on her best high-pitched Kepner voice, and stick it right back to the bad news bearer.

I absolutely loved seeing Cristina stand up for Kepner when there have been so many moments when shes really laid it on her. To me, it showed a true moment of unity as these doctors all go their separate ways. But though that moment was a bright spot, things continued to go downhill for April until she landed smack down at the bottom when Hunt told her that even Seattle Grace couldnt keep her on staff. April is seriously unraveling, and even though shes a pretty irritating character, I can't help but really feel for her.

NEXT: Mixed signals abound...

More here:
'Grey's Anatomy' recap: Don't Know When I'll Be Back Again

People News

May 10, 2012, 19:01 GMT

Ellen Pompeo

'Grey's Anatomy' stars Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey have signed up for two more seasons of the show.

Ellen, Patrick, Sandrah Oh, Justin Chambers, James Pickens Jr. and Chandra Wilson have reportedly put pen to paper on new two-year deals that will see the ABC medical drama continue through the 2013/14 season, taking the programme past a 10th series, according to TVLine.

'Grey's Anatomy' - which is currently in its eighth season - attracted 9.25 million viewers in the US last week, and the show looks set to become one of the longest-running medical dramas in TV history.

Earlier this year, Katherine Heigl admitted she wants to return to the show, despite leaving in a storm of controversy in 2010 after criticising her character Dr. Izzie Stevens.

She previously said: 'I've told them I want to [return]. I don't know ... Being a showrunner and being a writer of a TV series like that is so complicated that I mean she's got how many characters are there now? There's a lot and so she's balancing about 40 different storylines, so I don't know if it fits in to their sort of vision for this season or next or however many seasons it goes.'

Series narrator and lead female star Ellen - who has played Meredith Grey since the show started in 2005 - insisted she would be happy to continue portraying the surgical resident.

She explained: 'If I hear from the fans that they want us to keep going, then I would continue because we owe them everything.'

Go here to read the rest:
Grey's Anatomy stars sign up for two more seasons

ABC has renewed seven of its series: "Grey's Anatomy," "Revenge," "Once Upon a Time," "Suburgatory," "The Middle," "Modern Family" and "Castle."

Quite a mouthful, eh?

"Modern Family," though experiencing a dip in viewers, will come back for Season 4, and "Grey's Anatomy" will enter its ninth. "Castle" has been a steady performer in its Monday slot; its renewal will take the crime dramedy into its fifth season, helping it reach the 100-episode benchmark.

"The Middle" has held its own on the network in the Wednesday comedy block -- helping to pass the viewer baton as a lead-in for freshman series "Suburgatory."

"Suburgatory" has some fellow rookies with which to revel in the renewal elation: The fairy-tale drama "Once Upon a Time" had an impressive debut last fall, with 13 million viewers and a 4.0 in the 18-49 demo, and it has continued to perform well for the network, helping the show to land a spot next season. The devilishly soapy "Revenge" also will get a sophomore season.

The renewals come on the heels of news that "Cougar Town" is moving from ABC to TBS.

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ABC renews 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Revenge,' 'Once ..." and more