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DALLAS –  When 5,700 fifth-grade boys in Dallas’ public schools recently went to see a movie about black fighter pilots in World War II, the girls stayed in school and saw a different movie instead.

One of the pilots is among those asking why.

A spokesman for the Dallas Independent School District said officials took only boys to see “Red Tails” Thursday because space at the movie theater was limited. Jon Dahlander told The Dallas Morning News that leaders of the district also thought boys would enjoy the movie more than girls.

“Red Tails” tells the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the legendary pilots during World War II who become the first black aviators to serve in the U.S. military. The movie opened last month.

Some female students were shown a different movie instead: “Akeelah and the Bee,” about an 11-year-old girl who competes in a national spelling bee.

Dahlander, who did not return several phone messages from The Associated Press, told the newspaper that the district often holds gender-specific events.

“It’s not out of the ordinary,” Dahlander said.

But an original Tuskegee Airman and others questioned why everyone didn’t get to see the same movie. Herbert Carter, who flew 77 missions in World War II with only one crash landing, said he was “almost speechless.”

“I’ve heard everything else,” said Carter, 94, in a phone interview. “This is the first time I’ve heard that it was unfit for female students.”

Carter’s wife of nearly 70 years, Mildred, who died in October, became the first black woman in Alabama to hold a private pilot’s license, their son Kurt Carter said.

But while Herbert Carter trained at Alabama’s Tuskegee Institute and went on to serve, Mildred Carter was barred by the military from flying, Kurt Carter said. She would go on to fly privately for decades after the war, he said.

“My wife would turn flip flops,” Herbert Carter said. “She thought that all human beings were equal, regardless of sex, race, creed or color. She would take great offense to young women being denied this (opportunity).”

The Tuskegee Airmen were not allowed to fight alongside their white counterparts. They earned respect for their success in escorting bombers during the war and distinguished themselves by painting the tails of their planes red.

The airmen were given the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007 by President George W. Bush and were invited to attend President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration. Obama screened “Red Tails” at the White House in January.

The field trip to see “Red Tails” cost Dallas schools about $57,000, which came from federal funds for low-income students, the newspaper reported.

Lisa Maatz, public policy director for the American Association of University Women, which advocates for gender equity in education, said news of the field trip showed “stereotypes are alive and well.”

“Part of what we did here was show the girls they weren’t as valuable,” she said. “That’s not a lesson that we want to teach our children.”

Ana Rios, 11, a fifth-grader at Nathan Adams Elementary School in Dallas, said she wanted to see “Red Tails” — especially since she had already seen, “Akeelah and the Bee.” She planned to watch the movie on her own.

“We are learning African-American history, and it would be a great movie to see,” she said.

Lucasfilm, the company founded by “Star Wars” creator George Lucas, produced the movie. In a statement, Lucasfilm said it did not know about the Dallas screening and declined to comment, “other than to say that we want all students — boys and girls — to enjoy ‘Red Tails.’”

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Follow Merchant on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/NomaanMerchant

Article source: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/02/10/schoolgirls-excluded-from-dallas-movie-screening/

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Denzel Washington is always good, but he’s best when he’s bad.

Director Daniel Espinosa would have done well to remember that in his film “Safe House.” Certainly Tobin Frost, the rogue CIA agent Washington plays, has a murderous reputation, and he snaps a few necks along the way. But too often Washington is made to simply sit and observe — which is not a fatal mistake, since he is such a good actor that even then he’s worth watching.

Worse, though, at times he’s gone altogether. That’s not the only flaw in the fairly straightforward thriller, but it’s the biggest.

When Washington is paired with Ryan Reynolds’ Matt Weston, an inexperienced agent trying to bring him in, the movie is intriguing; you can sense Frost seeping into Weston’s consciousness, despite Weston’s best efforts to prevent it. (“I’m already in your head,” Frost tells a defiant Weston at one point, and you can tell they both know it’s true.)

Weston has spent

12 months guarding a safe house in South Africa — a safe house with no one in it. He has a beautiful girlfriend in medical school (Nora Arnezeder), who knows nothing of his real work. Not that it’s very exciting. Weston spends his hours on duty bored out of his skull. He openly campaigns with his superior, David Barlow (Brendan Gleeson) for a better assignment, but for the time being he’s stuck where he is.

Enter Frost — literally.

Washington hasn’t won two Oscars for nothing; he’s a great actor. And Reynolds is underrated. But, without giving too much away, David Guggenheim’s script requires that they not spend the entire movie together, which is too bad.

The minutes in which Washington and Reynolds play their mind games together are the most rewarding. Everything else feels like there is something missing — no doubt because there is.

Article source: http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20120210/ENTERTAINMENT/302100010/Movie-review-Safe-House-

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Rachel McAdams wakes up in the hospital after a serious car accident with no memory of the past five years and discovers she’s married to Channing Tatum, lives in a spacious, boho-chic loft and has a successful career as a Chicago artist.

That wouldn’t suck, right?

Nevertheless, she must reject this foreign existence in her confused state because “The Vow” requires some conflict.

This old-fashioned amnesia tale would seem totally implausible and manufactured for maximum melodrama; as it turns out, director Michael Sucsy’s film is indeed based on a true story. But it might have been even more compelling with some different casting. McAdams, as the perplexed Paige, is her usual likable self and Tatum, as Leo, again proves he’s an actor of greater depth than his good looks might suggest.

But what if Paige woke up and found she was married to someone who looked like, say, Paul Giamatti? That might have offered an intriguing little wrinkle.

He loves her fiercely and madly and deeply and all those intense proclamations meant to make the teen girls in the audience swoon.

He’s willing to fight for her, to help her retrace how they met and what their life together was like in hopes of jogging her memory.

He’s even prepared to withstand the condescension and disapproval of her wealthy parents (Sam Neill and Jessica Lange), who wanted her to become a lawyer and from whom she’s been estranged all this time. But he looks like Giamatti.

Instead, “The Vow” serves as a series of precise moments and emotional cues we must endure to the inevitable reconciliation, complete with intrusively heart-tugging score.

It’s a nice idea: experiencing what it’s like to fall in love all over again for the first time. McAdams and Tatum sometimes make the execution of it more tolerable than it should be, but not often enough.

Article source: http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20120210/ENTERTAINMENT/302100011/Movie-review-Vow-

Published on Saturday 11 February 2012 15:13

ROBOTIC mops, breathable food and self-driving cars – welcome to a Sheffield home set many years in the future.

But the Perera family, of Ecclesfield, have been experiencing that hi-tech life of gadgets and gizmos for the past year already.

They were transported to the future for a new reality television series and saw their life transformed, from having their home totally refitted and filled with new technology in a £250,000 revamp to changing the way they think about the world’s resources.

Before the show begins on Sunday parents-of-six Michele and Tony gave the Star an exclusive look at their life in the future.

Michele, aged 51, said: “When we first started living in the future it was totally different, we felt as though our life had been turned upside down. Life has been a bit more exciting. Now I’d definitely stay living in the future, I’m waiting for a lot of the gadgets we had to come out on the market!”

And were there gadgets.

Worldwide one-offs, like a 3D ‘printer’ that builds physical objects from plastic, and a bin camera which posts pictures of household waste online to show off your recycling rate were sent to the Perera home in the experiment.

An interactive mirror, breathable food sprays, UV cleaner and solar charged toothbrushes that don’t require toothpaste…the list of gadgets they used is endless.

Businessman Tony, 61, said: “I used to be able to watch television with the automatic lawnmower, carpet cleaner and mop going at the same time. But the biometric front door lock couldn’t read my fingerprint for some reason!.”

Son Joel, 25, added: “The experience has made me think about the future consciously. It’s changed the way we live. Actual keys?

“You can do it with your fingerprints. Keys seem so old-fashioned now.”

Aside from technology the family were asked to experience scenarios expected in the next 20 to 50 years, like soaring food prices or being banned from short car journeys.

They grew their own fish, food and even ate bugs as well as cutting waste through eco-friendly measures.

Michele said: “They are saying that in the future meat is going to be really expensive, you won’t be able to afford it. We ate the bugs and I think people will in the future.

“I think the whole experience has made the family come together more. We’re excited and nervous to see the show.”

* Home of the Future, co-funded by energy company E.ON, starts Sunday, February 12, on Channel 4, from 7pm,

Future Gadgets:

The Aerogarden, grows plants in nutrients and water rather than soil. £109.99.

Samsung Navibot automatic vacuum cleaner. £359

An Underarmour Body Recharge Suit. Uses compression to repair muscles after working out. £89.95

Light activated ionic toothbrush. £9.99

Lightsleeper – ceiling light that aids sleep. £12

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Article source: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/gadget_guru_sheffield_family_get_tv_show_feel_for_tomorrow_s_world_1_4239813

Technology is not the only thing that is advancing, kids nowadays are becoming more aware (as well as dependent) on the gadgets that we enjoy everyday. And if you want to give your kid a good Android fix, the just-announced MEEP! Android tablet might be the way to go.

The MEEP! tablet is manufactured by Oregon Scientific, and has a 7-inch display, WiFi connectivity and a G-Sensor (for improved viewing angles). It also features a helpful amount of parental controls, which can be modified and controlled from any computer or smartphone with an internet connection.

Aside from that, we do not know any more details. Oregon Scientific claims that this is an affordable tablet, though, as well as durable. And it might be important to note that it is geared towards children of age 6 and above. We know that those kids will be running around with these devices, so let’s see just how durable this device ends up being.

Education should be one of the main concerns with such devices. The manufacturer will also offer accessories, which include musical instruments for all the little musicians out there.

Hit the press release and stay tuned for more details to come during TIA Toy Fair, this weekend, if you are interested in purchasing a new gadget for your little ones.

Android-Based MEEP! Tablet to Feature Music, Movies, e-books, Parental Controls and more OREGON SCIENTIFIC MEEP!

Oregon Scientific Unveils MEEP!, a new Android-based tablet for kids! (PRNewsFoto/Oregon Scientific) NEW YORK, NY UNITED STATES

NEW YORK, Feb. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Oregon Scientific, a leading designer and worldwide marketer of personal electronics, today announced its entry into a hot new category: kid’s tablets. Leaving cartridge-based devices behind in the dust, the new Wi-Fi enabled MEEP! tablet runs on the Android operating system and offers music, movies, e-books, and apps from leading developers – all on a large, 7-inch color touch screen! The MEEP! tablet will be unveiled for the first time at the Toy Industry Association’s (TIA) 109th American International Toy Fair this weekend.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120210/NE51475 )

Sharing a mobile device is a tough feat, especially for parents, when there is a risk it could be dropped, broken, scratched or rendered useless. The MEEP! tablet is an affordable fix for a tech -hungry generation of kids, featuring a tough design and an enhanced rubber silicon sleeve for added protection. Geared for children age 6 and up, the MEEP! tablet is Wi-Fi enabled, allowing access to a sea of web content that can be downloaded to its internal memory or SD card and viewed from any angle courtesy of the tablet’s internal G-Sensor. All websites and content can be monitored through intuitive parental controls that are adjusted remotely on any computer or mobile device with a browser and an Internet connection.

The MEEP! tablet from Oregon Scientific will feature a variety of accessories sold separately, including musical instruments.

[Source: PR Newswire Via: Engadget]

Article source: http://phandroid.com/2012/02/11/meep-tablet-to-be-the-next-gadget-for-the-kiddos/

A few weeks ago I posted a review of Zevia Stevia sweetened soda where I told everyone about my quest to find a healthier replacement for Diet Coke. While I really enjoyed some of the Zevia flavors, the price was way too high for me to justify buying it on a regular basis, so it wasn’t a good solution for me. I’m happy to say that I’ve found one alternative that is cheaper and healthier than the Zevia.

By healthier I mean that it doesn’t include any artificial gunk like Aspartame or Splenda. I’m still using Stevia as my sweetener of choice, but this time I’m using real Stevia instead of Erythritol like Zevia uses.

I’ve purchased several 2 oz. bottles of SweetLeaf and NuNaturals brand flavored Stevia drops, which I mix with Seltzer water. SweetLeaf offers a variety of flavors such as Orange, Grape, Berry, Rootbeer, Chocolate, Chocolate Raspberry, Lemon, Peppermint, Apricot and others. NuNaturals has a great Vanilla flavor that I like. The best place to purchase the Stevia drops that I’ve found so far is iHerb, which offers most of the flavors for less than $10 a bottle. That’s a great savings over Amazon and other places that sell them for about $15 a bottle. 2 ounces might not sound like a lot, but these drops really go a long way. You only need a dropper full for a large 16 oz drink.

For the seltzer part of the recipe, I just buy whatever is the cheapest at Walmart. The brand pictured above is about 98 cents for 1 liter. Another brand I buy is Vintage, which is only about 64 cents a liter. All I do is put it in the refrigerator over night to get it really cold and then I pour some in a glass, add a few drops of one of the Stevia flavors, stir with a straw and add ice. The seltzer water is just carbonated water with nothing else added, but it gives the drink the soda “bite” that I crave. I also tried seltzer with lemon and lime, and club soda, but found I like regular plain seltzer best for the drinks I make.

So far my favorite is the NuNaturals Vanilla drops. Mixed with the seltzer water, it makes a great creme soda. I could drink it all day. My next favorite is the Berry flavor. I even tried SweetLeaf’s Chocolate drops in seltzer water. Not bad, but I think I’ll save that flavor for adding to milk.

This solution works great for home, but I still need a solution for work. I don’t have access to a refrigerator there, so I don’t have a way to keep a 1 liter bottle of seltzer cold. I could bring warm bottles of seltzer to work and just walk down to the cafeteria for ice, but the cafeteria isn’t open all day. One possible solution that I’m thinking of trying is the Fizz Giz. It’s a small handheld soda maker that uses 16-gram food grade CO₂ cartridges and can carbonate any liquid in many existing soda bottles (except for Coca Cola products). Think of it as a SodaStream, only infinitely more portable and less expensive. You just add your own beverage to the bottle, screw on the special Fizz Giz cap and carbonate. I’m going to order one to try, so if anyone is interested in how it works out, let me know.

Anyone else out there making their own fizzy drinks and have some good recipes? Please share them!

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Article source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/02/11/julies-gadget-diary-02-11-12/

With graduation on the horizon and no news yet on whether or not the cameras will follow Rachel as she goes after her dreams of becoming a Broadway star, Lea Michele still has some decisions to make about her life after Glee.

Before Michele took her voice to the small screen and made herself a household name, she was performing on Broadway in the musical Spring Awakening. E! Online reports that Michele could reprise her role in an upcoming movie adaptation of the show to be directed by McG.

“We’re talking to Lea Michele because she made the role of Wendla famous and we’;; see if that pans out and works with the timing of her schedule on [Glee],” said McG. “I love Lea; we’ve talked about it. When I first got turned onto the show she was in it so it’s her voice that echoes in my heart. I really think she’s wonderful and we’ll see where it takes us.”

Although the actress has said she is not currently in talks to be in the film, Entertainment Weekly reported that it’s not out of the question. A rep for the actress released a statement saying that while early conversations about the project did happen, there is nothing confirmed at this time.

“Spring Awakening is so special to me as is the character Wendla,” said Michele in a statement. “We have discussed this as a possibility, and we’ll see what happens.”

The play, which is based on a German play with the same name, is about a group of teenagers who are discovering their sexuality and dealing with tough subjects that often face adolescents like abortion, rape, suicide and masturbation. The show won eight Tony Awards during its run on Broadway.

Article source: http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/lea-michele-reprise-her-role-movie-version-spring-awakening-02-11-2012

By Bill Wine
KYW Newsradio 1060

Talk about an affair to remember. Or is it a marriage to forget?

The Vow is a sweet-natured strumming of the heartstrings with an interesting premise:  an amnesiac who cannot remember her husband.

It’s a romantic melodrama that tries to make us fall in love with a couple in which the husband has to try to make his wife fall in love with him all over again.

Rachel McAdams stars as Paige, a sculptor married to Leo, a recording studio owner played by Channing Tatum.

When they’re involved in a tragic car accident as a result of a skidding truck slamming into their parked car on a snowy night and Paige being hurtled through the windshield, Leo suffers a few cuts and bruises but Paige ends up in a coma.

And as a result of her brain trauma, when she wakes up she experiences severe memory loss, so extreme that she can’t remember anything from the last five years — including her husband, whom she doesn’t recognize.

Paige’s selective amnesia prevents her from being able to recollect her life with her husband, but she recalls pretty much everything else that preceded their relationship.  What she cannot determine is when and how she became the person that her husband now claims she has been in recent years.

In reverting to her previous personality, she remembers her ex-fiancé, Jeremy, whom she broke it off with (played by Scott Speedman), and her wealthy parents (played by Jessica Lange and Sam Neill), whom she does not recall being estranged from.

The three of them are intent on wrenching Paige from Leo’s grasp.

Wanting desperately to regain the love of the woman he married in sickness and in health, Leo does manage to convince her to stay with him anyway, hoping that once back in their home, she will regain her recent memories.

But he’ll have to re-woo her.

In his feature debut, the director, Michael Sucsy (HBO’s “Grey Gardens”), working from an intelligent inspired-by-true-events screenplay by Sucsy, Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein, and Jason Katims from a story by Stuart Sender, keeps his twice-in-a-lifetime love story relatively low-keyed and quietly moving, veering just slightly off course just when we think things are about to get overly clichéd.

The memory loss as a story device turns out to be much less generic and familiar than it sounds on the surface.

So, is this simply a knee-jerk, three-hankie weepy for incurable romantics?  Not as long as the endearing McAdams can make you like her despite her standoffishness.  And Tatum, not the most expressive of actors, is nonetheless convincing as a sincere suitor.

McAdams and Tatum trail their Nicholas Sparks-sparked romdram credentials behind them — she for The Notebook, he for Dear John — although The Vow employs more of a light, humorous touch to the proceedings than either of those serious heart-tuggers.

But it’s the individual and collective appeal of the sympathetic, engaging leads that mitigates against the film’s more predictable tendencies.

So we’ll recall 2½ stars out of 4 for this schmaltzy, forget-me-not romantic drama.  The Vow may not be all that memorable, but it’s charming and pleasant and winningly warmhearted.

More Bill Wine Movie Reviews

Article source: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/02/11/movie-review-the-vow/