Daily News Channel
Filming of the last Hobbit movie wraps up in Wellington today after an epic 14-year journey, with Sir Peter Jackson promising to live blog every step. ”Today is not exactly ‘average’, given it’s our last day of shooting, but if I don’t do it today, I never will!” Sir Peter posted on Facebook this morning
Keen New Year’s revellers may have to travel further afield to enjoy annual festivities as Waikato’s biggest celebration is set to take a sabbatical.
BEAT MANIFESTO Superturtle (Self released) Ex Chainsaw Masochist and bFM Electic Chair presenter Darren McShane says Beat Manifesto is the closest album he’s made to something he’d like himself. A strange thing to say, maybe
Arj Barker – Go time Opera House, Wellington, May 8 I’ve seen my fair share of High School Musical, and therefore, corny dance numbers, but Arj Barker’s song and dance as he made his way on stage to an audience that was only slightly amused was cheesy enough to make mac and cheese jealous. Unfortunately for Barker, he came on to a round of applause from about five people, and it was already clear he was facing a tough audience.
THE CROODS (G)(98 min) THREE AND A HALF STARS Directed by Kirk DiMicco, Chris Sanders. Starring (voices) Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Catherine Keener.
Michael Buble claims many singers are like “robots” because their vocals all sound the same. The star has waded into the auto tuning debate, which sees recording studios use special software to improve people’s pitch and sound.
Authorities and celebrities are grappling with how to respond to a website that posted what appears to be private financial information about top government officials and stars such as Jay-Z and Mel Gibson. Los Angeles police and the FBI said they were aware of the pages but declined to confirm they were investigating the site, which posted purported Social Security numbers and credit reports of the leaders of both agencies
Downplaying the old IQ numbers racket Though Actress Judy Holliday specialized in playing dumb blondes, legend has it that she possessed a towering 172 IQ. Spiro Agnew says his is 135, which puts him well into the ranks of the intellectually superior.
The anonymous call for a “jasmine revolution” in China’s major cities was made online, first on a website run by overseas dissidents, then on Twitter, which despite being blocked is still widely used by activists in China. But unlike what happened in Tunisia and Egypt, where such efforts prompted massive street protests that eventually toppled both governments, the biggest response in China was from the state.
The White House says Austan Goolsbee, a longtime adviser to President Barack Obama, will resign his post as the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers this summer to return to teaching at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Goolsbee has been the face of the White House on economic news, and is a regular every first Friday of the month explaining the administration’s take on the latest jobless numbers