Stars Without retouching

Stars Without retouching

Cate Blanchett
The actress appears Photoshop-free on the March/April 2011 cover of the Economist's Intelligent Life. The magazine's editor, Tim de Lisle, said, "When other magazines photograph actresses, they routinely end up running heavily Photoshopped images, with every wrinkle expunged." He wanted to try something different with Blanchett. "She looks like what she is--a woman of 42, spending her days in the office, her evenings on stage, and the rest of her time looking after three young children," said de Lisle of her cover photo.

Celebrities are retouched beyond recognition for ads and magazine covers and we hate it. Besides establishing completely unreasonable standards of beauty, these retouched photos make women look like Barbie dolls. We searched high and low for freckles, smile lines, and knee caps (seriously, editors airbrush out everything!) and compiled refreshing images of stars as they really appear, without an art director "improving" their faces and bodies. These ladies are gorgeous without computer-generated features. Here's to going natural! By Joanna Douglas, Shine Staff

Makeup Artist's Amazing Celebrity Transformations, from Mona Lisa to Angelina. Promise Phan Tells Shine Who's Next

 

Some women spend thousands on surgery to look more like Angelina Jolie. Promise Phan does it in minutes with some lip liner and an eye pencil. She can also transform into Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift or even Michael Jackson on a whim.

More: Celebrity lookalike plastic surgery feeds tourism
Call her 'the human chameleon,' or as many have dubbed her in recent weeks, 'the Internet's newest beauty guru.' The young video blogger's talent for transforming into celebrities with little more than a blush brush and some eye shadow is changing the way people think about makeup.

Posting under the innocuous username dope2111, Phan has churned out viral YouTube hits using her face as a blank canvas and celebrities as her muses.

A makeup artist's guide to runway-ready skin
"I have drawn portraits ever since I was a little girl," Phan tells Shine. "Now I use makeup instead of a pencil to draw with, and my face instead of paper to draw on."

Last week, she transformed into Mona Lisa using some unconventional makeup approaches. She began with an Elmer's glue stick on her brow, and used scar wax to reshape her nose. In less than five minutes, she was worthy of the Louvre.

Phan, a petite 22-year-old Nepalese American, doesn't stop at female celebrities. In January, she made a jaw-dropping transformation into pop star Drake. Using eye shadow, a stippling blush brush and a healthy glob of hair gel, she obtained not only the stubble and bone structure of the teen heartthrob, but also the swagger. 

 

That 3-minute video was viewed almost 2 million times. Impressive, but hardly Phan's record. That title goes to her Angelina Jolie tutorial: 13 million people viewed her five-minute transformation into Brad's bride-to-be. For the record, all it took was some lip-liner, fake lashes, and an artist's touch with a shadow brush.

With 9y million hits since launching her YouTube channel in 2009, Phan is close to trumping the YouTube's biggest beauty tutorial guru, Michelle Phan. The fact that the two women share the same last name is not a coincidence. Promise is married to Michelle's brother Steve.

"I used to watch Michelle's YouTube videos and was a huge fan of hers," says the Florida-based Promise. "We later became friends through Facebook, and then I got to meet her her mother, sister and brother."

Video: Michelle Phan hosts Yahoo's Primetime in No Time
The rest is viral video history. Now Michelle and Promise are joining forces for a series on FAWN, a new YouTube women's network. She's also keeping up with her celebrity series. Up next? "I am thinking about transforming into J.Lo," she tells Shine.

For the record, Steve doesn't share the same talents as his wife and sister. In one video posted by Promise, he attempts to turn his wife into Snooki under her makeup tutelage. The end result is proof of what we already suspected: Celebrity makeup transformations only really work when Promise is holding the brush. 

 

Wardrobe staples that instantly shed the pounds

It’s time to wear skirts without tights and move the cozy sweaters to the back of the closet, which also means it’s time to get ourselves into warm-weather shape. If you haven’t already done that -- while you hit the gym and eat healthy, of course -- why not employ the following wardrobe tricks to make you look as if you’re already there? In this episode, let us introduce you to our slimming secrets for spring. 

Illusion dresses

Even svelte celebrities rely on these once in a while for a little extra body slimming. A so-called “illusion”  dress is really just a tight dress with a darker pattern along the sides that acts as shading to make your overall shape appear narrower.

Wide leg pants + heels

You can go with super dark denim or any other material as long as it’s a dark color. The extra width in the pant leg means no tightness on your thighs-in-progress. Let the hem of the pants skim the floor so only a tiny bit of heel is revealed and your legs will look extra long. 

Oversized bags

Celebrities know this trick well. If you want to look smaller, stand next to something bigger. The same is true for accessories, if you think about it. An oversized bag -- and who doesn’t need one anyway? --will make you appear smaller by comparison. Go for a bag with a long strap that will draw the eye downward.

Tuxedo jackets

One of the best tools you can use to camouflage bulk is a bit of structure, which is exactly what at tuxedo jacket provides. The long, skinny lapels also have a slenderizing effect. 

Monochromatic black

It’s true that neons and florals are swirling all around us at the moment, but it is also true that there is no better virtual weight-loss trick than simply wearing head-to-toe black. The key is to vary the texture of the pieces you put together: A black bouclé blazer with a black cotton T-shirt, black denim skinny jeans and some black strappy wedges, for example.

Do you have any slimming wardrobe tricks? Let us know by posting on our Facebook wall.

Check out the latest from The Thread below. 

 

 

 

Lamborghini’s not-so-secret SUV leaks early as the Urus

 

The least-kept secret of the Beijing Motor Show spilled out today with the leak of these renderings showing Lamborghini's proposed new sport utility vehicle. Dubbed the Urus, the concept SUV would be Lamborghini's bid to cash in on the booming global market for high-end luxury SUVs -- if customers can accept the strange blend of supercar angles and racing tires on a high-riding hatchback.

While Lamborghini has flourished with new models under its ownership by Volkswagen, profits have remained elusive. With Porsche thriving thanks to its Cayenne SUV, other automakers now wonder just how big the market for people movers with some off-road capability might be; BMW keeps adding to its already full range of luxury SUVs, while Lamborghini stablemate Bentley's idea of the EXP 9F concept shows the dangers inherent in the concept. Lamborghini execs have said they have yet to win approval to build it -- but given demand for big vehicles in China and the Middle East, that seems like a formality ahead of a 2017 arrival.

Unlike Bentley, Lamborghini has a history with trucks; the LM002 SUV set the mold that the Hummer H2 would attempt to fill two decades later. The Urus -- named for the ancestor of modern bulls in Spain -- looks nothing like the LM002, drawing its styling from what a four-door Aventador might look like and its underpinnings from either the Cayenne or corporate cousin Audi. Many details such as specific engine choices remain under embargo; we'll have the full story on the Urus this weekend, but until then you can debate whether a Lamborghini SUV stands as a savvy move or just a lot of bull.

Warning Graphic Photo: Possible New Evidence Shows George Zimmerman's Bloodied Head

A new photograph obtained exclusively by ABC News showing the bloodied back of George Zimmerman's head, which was taken three minutes after he shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, gives possible credence to his claim that Martin had bashed his head against the concrete as he fought for his life. 

The revelation comes as his attorney and prosecutors prepare for Zimmerman's bail hearing today, which could result in his being released from jail. Zimmerman, 28, is being held on charges of second-degree murder for the Feb. 26 shooting of Martin, which could carry a life sentence if he is convicted. 

The exclusive image shows blood trickling down the back of George Zimmerman's head from two small cuts. It also shows a possible contusion forming on the crown of his head. The original police report that night notes that the back of Zimmerman's head was wet, and that he was bleeding from the nose and head. 

Zimmerman told police that night that he shot and killed the teenager in self-defense after Martin punched him and pounced on him. Zimmerman told police that Martin then bashed his head into the concrete sidewalk during the altercation that took place in the tidy middle-class development of the Retreat at Twin Lakes in Sanford, Fla. 

Zimmerman was treated at the scene by paramedics, then cuffed and driven in a police cruiser to the Sanford police station. He was questioned for hours and later released. In police surveillance video obtained last month by ABC News Zimmerman's wounds are not apparent, and there were no bandages on his head.

Zimmerman was not admitted to a hospital or given stitches the night of the incident. 

The photographer told ABC News exclusively that they did not see the scuffle that night, but did hear it. The source saw Martin's prostrate body on the wet grass and claims the gunpowder burns on Martin's gray hoodie were clearly visible; the gunpowder marks could show that Martin was shot at very close range. 

The photographer says that after the shooting Zimmerman asked to call his wife. When the photographer asked what to say, Zimmerman allegedly blurted out "man, just tell her I shot someone." 

ABC News has learned that investigators have seen the photo.

"How bad could it have been if they didn't take him to the hospital [and] didn't stitch him up," Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump said in a statement to ABC News in response to the image. "The special prosecutor has seen all the evidence and still believes George Zimmerman murdered Trayvon Martin." 

Zimmerman's attorney Mark O'Mara says his client has spent enough time behind bars.

"He needs to get out. He should not be in jail," O'Mara said. "I want him out because I need him out. He wants to get out. His family wants it out. It should happen." 

If Zimmerman is released, his attorney tells ABC News that he has a number of potential safe houses prepared. In the meantime O'Mara says the former altar boy, who has become America's highest profile defendant, has been reading the Bible while in protective custody. 

In a bail hearing in Florida, the burden of proof to deny bail, even in a second degree murder trial, is higher than necessary to seek a conviction in a trial. 

"They would have to prove that the presumption of guilt is great, and that the proof is evident," said O'Mara.

In the capias -- similar to a warrant -- filed against Zimmerman last week, Special Prosecutor Angela Corey and her team set bail at "none." In order to reduce that to bail at a set monetary sum, Corey's team would have to essentially prove their case -- something experts tell ABC News is unlikely at this point in the legal process. 

O'Mara said he doubts the prosecutor will reveal their case before trial, even before discovery.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits(2012)- Production Details

Synopsis

With a rag-tag crew at his side, and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the Captain has one dream: to beat his bitter rivals Black Bellamy and Cutlass Liz to the much coveted Pirate Of The Year Award. It's a quest that takes our heroes from the shores of exotic Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London. Along the way they battle a diabolical queen and team up with a haplessly smitten young scientist but never lose sight of what a pirate loves best: adventure!

Production Details

In Theaters	April 27, 2012
MPAA Rating	PG (for mild action, rude humor and some language)
Genres	Adaptation, Comedy, Animated, Action/Adventure
Run Time	1 hour 27 minutes

"The Pirates! Band of Misfits" Stills

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Directors

Peter Lord	Director
Jeff Newitt	Co-Director

CAST

Hugh Grant	Voice of Pirate Captain
Martin Freeman	Voice
Brendan Gleeson	Voice
Russell Tovey	Voice
Ashley Jensen	Voice
Salma Hayek	Voice of Cutlass Liz

Five Film Facts: 'Chimpanzee'

 

Just in time for Earth Day on April 22nd, Disneynature's "Chimpanzee" opens this weekend, with a plot more captivating, actors more endearing, and relationships more complex than in many other Hollywood films. The talented filmmakers who brought us the beautiful "Earth" and "Oceans" documentaries now lug their cameras to the heart of the African rainforest for their latest True Life Adventure. We all know chimpanzees make great big-screen stars, but here are a few things you might not know about this magical film.

Workplace Hazards
The crew filmed for more than three years in the remote Tai forest of the Ivory Coast. To get to the isolated location, the filmmakers drove 10 hours on paved roads, 4 hours on dirt roads (that were nearly impassable in the rainy season), then hiked for some 2 hours into the center of the forest. Their camp was designed to allow wildlife to run through it, which made for some unwelcome guests, including army ants, rhinoceros vipers, whip scorpions, and swarming bees. "I've made wildlife films on almost every animal on this planet, in almost every habitat on the planet. By far the most challenging is working with chimpanzees in the rainforest," says co-director Alastair Fothergill. 

 

Speak No Evil
Chimpanzees communicate with one another both verbally and nonverbally. Every chimpanzee community has its own repertoire of intraparty calls. Some calls can be heard from as far away as two miles. Each individual chimp within the community even has his or her own distinct call, known as a pant hoot, so the other chimps always know who is making the call. The pant hoot is but one of 32 calls that chimpanzees use to "speak" to one another.

 

 See 'Chimpanzee,' Save Chimpanzees
If you see the film in theaters during its first week (April 20-26), a portion of the proceeds will go to the Jane Goodall Institute's "See 'Chimpanzee,' Save Chimpanzees" program, which preserves habitats, educates kids, and helps to look after orphaned chimps. "By going to see the film, you are contributing to helping chimp survival in the wild. It's unbelievable. It's really fantastic," says Goodall, who is widely considered to be the world's foremost chimpanzee expert. She's certainly the only chimpanzee expert who has appeared in a Gary Larson "Far Side" cartoon. 

Once in a Lifetime
The film was originally intended to be about a newborn chimp named Oscar, and his mother, Isha, who would teach her son to become part of their tight-knit chimpanzee community. Unfortunately, the film was nearly derailed when a tragedy took Isha's life. But then, the story took a rare turn that had never been filmed in the wild before. Goodall explains: "The mother of Oscar was killed by a leopard, and [the filmmakers] thought, 'The whole film is destroyed. What are we going to do?' Then amazingly, the top-ranking male, who was a crusty kind of guy chimp, adopted this baby." And then the story really gets interesting: Think "3 Men and a Baby" (1987) meets "Every Which Way but Loose" (1978).

Handy Chimps
Chimpanzees are a whole lot like us, more so than many people first thought.  During her 45-year study of chimpanzees in the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania, Goodall discovered that chimpanzees use their surroundings to create tools, which was long thought to be a line in the sand separating man from beast. This phenomenon is shown in the film when Oscar learns how to use the rainforest as his personal hardware store. To crack open coula nuts for feeding, Oscar uses a wooden log, almost like a hammer. Like many chimpanzee's survival skills, it is passed down through the generations from mother to baby. The most skilled chimps eat upward of 270 nuts a day. The least skilled smash their fingers a lot. No word yet on whether this part of the film was "Tool Time" veteran Tim Allen's favorite part to narrate. 

 

Newest Michigan museum showcases racist artifacts

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — The objects displayed in Michigan's newest museum range from the ordinary, such as simple ashtrays and fishing lures, to the grotesque — a full-size replica of a lynching tree. But all are united by a common theme: They are steeped in racism so intense that it makes visitors cringe.

That's the idea behind the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia, which says it has amassed the nation's largest public collection of artifacts spanning the segregation era, from Reconstruction until the civil rights movement, and beyond.

The museum in a gleaming new exhibit hall at Ferris State University "is all about teaching, not a shrine to racism," said David Pilgrim, the founder and curator who started building the collection as a teenager.

Pilgrim, who is black, makes no apologies for the provocative exhibits. The goal of the $1.3 million gallery, he explained, is "to get people to think deeply."

The displays are startling. The n-word is prevalent throughout, and many items portray black men as lazy, violent or inarticulate. Black women are shown as kerchief-wearing mammies, sexually charged Jezebels or other stereotypes.

The shocking images exact an emotional cost.

"There's parts in that room — the main room — where it's quite gut-wrenching," said Nancy Mettlach, a student conduct specialist at Ferris. "And the thought that was going through my mind was: 'How can one human being do this to another human being?'"

Pilgrim, a former sociology professor at Ferris State, started the collection in the 1970s in Alabama. Along the way, he "spent more time in antique and flea markets than the people who work there." His quest for more examples was boundless.

"At some point, the collecting becomes the thing," he said. "It became the way I relaxed." He spent most of his free time and money on acquisitions.

In 1996, Pilgrim donated his 2,000-piece collection to the school after concluding that it "needed a real home."

The collection spent the next 15 years housed in a single room and could be seen only by appointment. Thanks to the financial support of the university and donors — notably from the charitable arm of Detroit utility DTE Energy — Pilgrim's collection now has a permanent home, which will have a grand opening ceremony April 26. Admission is free.

Today, the school has 9,000 pieces that depict African-Americans in stereotypical ways and, in some cases, glorify violence against them.

Not all of the museum's holdings are on display, but the 3,500-square-foot space in the lower level of the university library is packed with items that demonstrate how racist ideas and anti-black images dominated American culture for decades.

Visitors can forget about touring the exhibits and retiring untroubled to a cafe or gift shop. Some leave angry or offended. Most feel a kind of "reflective sadness," Pilgrim said.

But that's not enough. If the museum "stayed at that, then we failed," he said. "The only real value of the museum has ever been to really engage people in a dialogue."

So Pilgrim designed the tour to give visitors a last stop in a "room of dialogue," where they're encouraged to discuss what they've seen and how the objects might be used to promote tolerance and social justice.

Some of the objects in the museum are a century old. Others were made as recently as this year.

Ferris State sophomore Nehemiah Israel was particularly troubled by a series of items about President Barack Obama.

One T-shirt on display reads: "Any White Guy 2012." Another shirt that says "Obama '08" is accompanied by a cartoon monkey holding a banana. A mouse pad shows robe-wearing Ku Klux Klan members chasing an Obama caricature above the words, "Run Obama Run."

"I was like, 'Wow. People still think this. This is crazy,'" Israel said.

One of the first rooms in the museum features a full-size replica of a tree with a lynching noose hanging from it. Several feet away, a television screen shows a video of racist images through the years.

The location of the museum — in the shadow of university founder Woodbridge Ferris' statue — also catches some by surprise. The mostly white college town of Big Rapids is 150 miles from Detroit, the state's largest predominantly black city.

Ferris, who later served as Michigan governor and as a U.S. senator, founded the school more than a century ago. He once said Americans should work to provide an "education for all children, all men and all women."

Pilgrim, who is also Ferris State's vice president for diversity and inclusion, initially considered giving his collection to a historically black college, but he wanted to be "near it enough to make sure it was taken care of."

Most of the objects "are anti-black caricatures, everyday objects or they are segregationist memorabilia," he said. Because they represent a cruel, inflammatory past, they "should either be in a garbage can or a museum."

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SMK 2 Manado akan rakit mobil pick-up

Kali ini giliran SMK 2 Manado akan membuat mobil rakitan sendiri. Jika Kota Solo, Jateng punya mobil Esemka, siswa-siswi di Kota Manado Sulut pun tak mau ketinggalan. Diam-diam, hampir setahun ini pelajar SMKN 2 Manado mulai belajar merakit mobil sendiri.

Kepada wartawan kemarin, Kepala Sekolah SMKN 2 Manado Julian Watung SPd menjelaskan, dalam tahapan ini anak didiknya mulai belajar bongkar pasang mobil dan berekperimen cara membuat komponen mobil.

“Sekolah mulai dalam tahapan penjajakan merakit mobil dan kami telah menandatangani Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) dengan Perusahaan Fodai PT Tosuro Technology dengan SMK Perakit Komputer di Guangzhou, Cina. Jadi, kami mendapat bantuan 3 unit mobil pick up dobble ban bertenaga diesel yang belum diberi merk. Nantinya siswa jurusan otomotif belajar membongkar pasang mobil ini yang tujuan akhirnya adalah siswa dapat mengetahui bagaimana cara merakit sendiri sebuah mobil,” jelas Watung yang ditemui di ruang kerjanya.

Upaya tadi, lanjut Watung, dilakukan menyusul SMKN 2 Manado menjadi 1 dari 10 SMK di Indonesia yang mendapat bantuan dari Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan (Kemdikbud) RI senilai Rp1,950 Miliar.

“Program ini dimulai dari Kemdikbud yang memberikan bantuan dana bagi 10 SMK perakit di Indonesia, salah satunya SMKN 2 Manado. Masing-masing sekolah menerima Rp1,950 Miliar langsung ke rekening sekolah,” lanjutnya.

Ditemui di lokasi yang sama, salah satu guru otomotif sekaligus Panitia Pelaksana Perakitan H Kariso, menjelaskan, bantuan dari pemerintah pusat tadi digunakan untuk pembuatan rehabilitasi bengkel untuk perakitan mobil, membeli mobil yang akan dibongkar pasang, biaya pelatihan dan lain sebagainya.

“Kalau bengkel perakitan sekarang fisiknya sudah siap 95 persen. Dana ini juga diperuntukan juga untuk membeli komponen mobil dari Cina yang belum memiliki merk. Untuk mobil pick up yang sudah ada di sekolah, itu harganya Rp90 juta/unit di luar ongkos kirim dari Jakarta ke Manado sebesar Rp20 juta/unit,” tandasnya.

Disamping itu, lanjutnya, bantuan diperuntukan untuk membeli mobil dari berbagai jenis seperti Toyota (Avansa), Daihatsu (Grandmax) dan Nissan. “Tahun ini siswa dilatih bongkar pasang bahkan perakitan mobil. Sebelumnya teman-teman guru dan siswa akan dilatih dan yang akan mendampingi dari pihak industri,” papar Kariso.

Ditambahkannya, kedepan diharapkan SMK bisa mengadakan komponen mobil dengan melibatkan mitra kerja mulai dari industri kecil maupun menengah.

“Kalau komponen mobil sekarang tidak ada di Manado, kita akan adakan dari Pulau Jawa. Tapi tahun 2014 nanti, komponen semua dari Indonesia (diciptakan orang Indonesia). Kedepan SMK juga diusahakan bisa menghasilkan beberapa komponen yang bisa dipakai di seluruh Indonesia,” timpal Kariso yang juga menambahkan, proyek ini ditarget tuntas bulan Mei 2012.

 

Manado (ANTARA News) - Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan (SMK) Negeri 2 Manado akan merakit ujian mobil pick-up.

"Perakitan mobil ini akan kami lakukan dengan perusahaan dari Jakarta bernama Osaro yang sudah lama bekerjasama dengan Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia,"Kata Kepala SMK Negeri 2 Manado Julian Watung, di Manado, Selasa.

Watung mengatakan kesepakatan bekerjasama dengan perusahaan tersebut akan ditandatangani pada Mei.

Watung mengatakan, siswa-siswa SMK Negeri 2 Manado akan diminta untuk merakit tiga unit mobil pick-up, kemudian akan diperiksa untuk dipastikan apakah memenuhi standar atau tidak.

"Kami berharap nantinya kerjasama ini bisa berjalan seperti yang diharapkan, dan siswa-siswa di SMK Negeri 2 Manado bisa merakit mobil seperti yang diharapkan," kata Watung.

Watung mengatakan SMK negeri 2 sangat mendukung siswa-siswa jurusan otomotif, yang akan merakit mobil tersebut agar bisa membuatnya, sebagai pembuktian kalau hal apa yang sudah mereka dapatkan selama ini tidak sia-sia, dan bisa dipraktekan dengan benar.

Kepala Dinas Pendidikan Manado Dante Tombeg, mengatakan mereka sangat mendukung kerjasama yang akan ditandatangani oleh SMK negeri 2 Manado dan perusahaan tersebut, karena akan sangat baik untuk kemajuan sekolah di Manado.

Tombeg mengakui sangat mendukung kerjasama ini, karena merupakan hal yang baik sangat baik, apalagi menjadi pembuktian kemampuan sekaligus kualitas penyerapan pelajaran para sisa di Manado.
(ANT)

Sumber : http://swaramanadonews.com/?p=3081

               http://www.antaranews.com/berita/306739/smk-2-manado-akan-rakit-mobil-pick-up