VIA Jackass Star Ryan Dunn dead at 34

Last picture: Just hours before his death, Ryan (left) tweeted this photograph of him enjoying a night out with friends
Police said they found the burning wreckage of his 2007 Porsche 911 GT3, which was capable of reaching 190mph, in the woods off the road fully engulfed in flames.
His body was so badly burnt that he had to be identified by his tattoos, NBC Philadelphia reported.
Just hours before the accident, Dunn tweeted a picture of himself with two male friends, all of whom were holding alcoholic drinks.
Sources told TMZ that Dunn drank at least three light beers and three shots between 10.30pm and 2.10am at Barnaby's of America bar before the accident.
Wreckage: The charred remains of the Porsche 911 GT3 are towed away as police survey the scene
Where the night started: Dunn spent the evening at Barnaby's bar in West Chester before the accident
Investigation: Police are still trying to determine the cause of the accident
Crash scene: Black marks on the road show where Dunn's car skidded out of control
Damage: Dunn's vehicle drove through a guardrail and into the woods
Crowd: News crews and onlookers arrived at the the site today following Ryan Dunn's horrific accident
Fellow Jackass co-stars also paid tribute to Dunn today.
Stephen 'Steve-O' Glover was too distraught to speak but later tweeted: 'I don't know what to say, except I love Ryan Dunn and I'm really going to miss him.'
Dunn's name began trending on Twitter soon after the news of the crash broke, with fans and celebrities quickly expressing their condolences.
It was Margera's mother, April, who first confirmed Dunn's death by calling into Jackass members Preston Lacy and Steve-O's radio show on WMMR 93.3.
She described him as being like a son to her and said he had even called her on Mother's Day.
A tearful April said: 'We just found out a few hours ago - it is the worst possible news.
'I have not been able to talk with Bam as he is in Arizona but I cannot believe that his friend is dead – I felt like I lost one of my own sons when I heard that Ryan Dunn had died.
'Ryan was a wonderful person he really was the sweetest and nicest guy - he was like my extra son, everybody loved him.'
Tributes: Flower were laid by the side of the road in memory of the reality star who died in the crash
President of MTV Networks Music/Films Group Van Toffler said in a statement: 'We are devastated by the tragic loss of Ryan Dunn – a beloved member of the MTV family for more than a decade.
'He made us all laugh and had the tireless enthusiastic approach to life of your favourite middle school friend,' the statement continued.
'Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Ryan’s family and friends. The Jackass brotherhood will never be the same.'
'He had a longterm girlfriend and she will be absolutely devastated - she has turned off her phone just now.
'It’s just so sad we cannot believe Ryan has gone - I’m too upset to say anything else just now.'
April said she is 'worried' about her son, adding that he is 'devastated' by the death of his firmed.
Dunn was born in Ohio and moved at age 15 to Pennsylvania, where he met Margera on his first day of high school.
Sports car: Dunn pictured in his Porsche 911 GT3 with a female companion on June 12

The crew: Dunn (far right) was part of the cast for MTV show Jackass
Jackass 3D | trailer #1 (2010)

source:dailymail

VIA Jackass star Ryan Dunn dies in horror crash

The Internet advert on a real estate website said the church’s relief and restitution were approved by the Bursa Council of Monuments. The 13th century church is filed under the top category “building more than 31 years old.”

The real estate agent who placed the ad, Nusret Akyüz, responded angrily to phone calls inquiring about the church.

“We are selling it. We cannot provide information about the owner of the estate. The details are in the ad. Do not make me repeat the same things. You are the 50th person who has called me since yesterday,” said Akyüz.

A document written by a Dr. J. Covel in 1676 states that the church was dedicated to Panagia Pantobasillissa (The Queen of All - Virgin Mary). The church’s dome and bell tower collapsed during an earthquake in 1855 and was restored in 1883.

After Greeks who had lived in the area for centuries emigrated to Trilye in the 20th century in the population exchange between Greece and Turkey, the church passed to private ownership.

This is not the first time news of the sale of historic sites and churches in Turkey has hit headlines.

Previously, an 18th century Greek church in the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri’s Melikgazi district was put onto the market via the Internet in a similar way.

In March, a family living in the Cappadocia region of the Central Anatolian province of Nevşehir’s Derinkuyu district put their house on sale, along with a church and underground passage under the house, for 900,000 Turkish Liras.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News [July 09, 2015]

Taking to the stage to accept the BAFTA, stars Sam Faiers and Amy Childs were literally jumping up and down and screaming with glee, while Mark Wright said: 'We're absolutely overwhelmed to be here tonight, even to be nominated. But to win, it's incredible.'
And Amy wanted to have her own input, leaning over to the microphone and saying her catchphrase 'Shut up!' into the microphone.
Screams all round: The group take to the stage to accept their award
Screams all round: The group take to the stage to accept their award
After winning the prize, Joey Essex told MailOnline: 'It's reem!'
While Mark elaborated: 'I'm in shock. There's no way I thought we were giong to win.
And when they called our names out, and all the screaming... I'm still in shock.'
Amy added: 'I couldn't believe it when they called our names out. I just hope I didn't trip over my dress! Did you see me and Sam jumping up and down on stage?'
Victory! Sam, Amy, Lauren and Lydia pose with their award
Other awards during the ceremony tonight included the best drama series prize, which was presented to BBC1's Sherlock.
The hit series beat shows such as ITV1's Downton Abbey, as well as BBC3's Being Human and E4's Misfits.
Sherlock - based on Conan Doyle's timeless stories - was launched last summer and became a huge hit, despite running to only three episodes although new shows are now in production.
Writer and co-creator of the modern day adaptation of the detective shows Mark Gatiss said: 'It's a huge honour and a fantastic surprise. Thank you so much - it's a huge thrill.'
Big Fat disappointment: Big Fat Gypsy Weddings stars Paddy Doherty and wife Roseanne Doherty must have been disappointed to miss out to TOWIE
The New Media prize went to Wallace And Gromit's World Of Adventure, beating online spin-offs and apps for the BBC's Brain Test Britain, the Thick Of It and Misfits.
Another early winner at the awards bash at London's Grosvenor House was the BBC1 film Between Life And Death which was named best single documentary.
Presenter Graham Norton raised a chuckle as he lined up the International TV Show award when he cracked a gag about Geordie Cheryl Cole's recent recruitment for the US version of the X Factor.

Stunned: Misfits star Lauren Socha took home the best supporting actress prize at the awards ceremony
'Just because a programme has subtitles doesn't mean it can't be successful - just look at Cheryl Cole on American X Factor.'
The prize went to epic Danish crime drama The Killing. Norton joked: 'Thank you Denmark - first bacon, now The Killing.'
Gatiss and Steven Moffat first had the idea for Sherlock after a conversation on a train about their love for the Victorian detective but did not take it any further. Moffat said the credit for getting it off the ground should go to his wife.
Delighted: David Attenborough won the specialist factual award for Flying Monsters 3D
Speaking backstage, he said: 'For two-and-a-half-years we just talked about it and I casually mentioned it to my wife, Sue, who is a producer and she leapt at it so we would still be on the train.'
Benedit Cumberbatch, who plays the master sleuth, said he was proud to be in the 'very, very good company' of his fellow nominees.
He said: 'I'm a big Misfits fan so I thought they were in with a shot.'
Moffat also confirmed there could be more series of Sherlock to come, saying: 'Of course it's got legs. It is 100 years old and still a hit.'
Famous friends: Benedict Cumberbatch (left) and Martin Freeman with the best Drama Series award for Sherlock
Success: Vicky McClure won the leading actress award for This Is England '86, presented by Cuba Gooding Jr
Smile please! Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall with the Features award and Mark Austin with the News Coverage award
Delighted: Daniel Rigby with the Leading Actor award
Sir Trevor McDonald with the Bafta Fellowship award and Graham Norton with the Entertainment Performance award
Delight: Sandy Johnston and Izzy Mant of Harry and Paul with Sheridan Smith
Grins all around: The ITV News at 10 team with their news coverage prize


Essex cast pick up their BAFTA

source:dailymail

VIA The Only Way Is Essex beats Downton Abbey and Sherlock to take home the YouTube Audience prize at the BAFTA Television Awards

Sucker Punch (directed by Zack Snyder)

That Snyder, he sure is one stylish motherfucker. This image hit the net a few days ago via an Emily Browning fansite and is the first look at the bad-ass babes of Zack Snyder’s new film Sucker Punch. It’s scanned from a spread in Entertainment Weekly where they give an overview of the films appearing at Comic Con this week (insert jealous grumble here). Thoughts? If I wasn’t a straight woman, I would have a boner by now because frankly, it looks fetish-aboulous. It’s a shame Browning has had to revert from brown to blonde locks, but I’m willing to overlook that cliché in light of the general wickedness this film promises. So, in a similar vein to my overall wraps on Inception and Tomorrow, When The War Began, here is what we know about Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch so far:

The Plot

Sucker Punch is a reimagining of Alice In Wonderland in the 1950s when a young girl, Baby Doll, is institutionalised by her wicked stepfather who intends to have her lobotomized in five days. She escapes to an alternative reality as a coping strategy, and in that universe she starts to plan her escape from the facility with her newfound inmate friends. Needing to steal five objects to achieve freedom, Snyder famously described the film to First Showing as “Alice In Wonderland with machine guns”. Apparently dragons, B-52 bombers and brothels also feature. Snyder came up with the story and wrote the script with Steve Shibuya, a former special-effects and tech whiz. It’s Snyder’s first original film without any source material from comics or previous films.

The Business End

Snyder, whose previous credits include the Dawn Of The Dead remake, 300, Watchmen and the up and coming animated owl flick Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls Of Ga’Hoole, is producing the film with his regular collaborator and wife, Deborah. Snyder has been an active filmmaker since 2004 and in that short time he has established himself as one of the few who can consistently deliver style and substance. He’s a visionary who pumps out films more often than the Octomum pumps out babies. It’s also good news that despite Warner Brothers announcing the film would be converted to 3D post-production, the Snyder husband and wife team have fought, and won, to keep their baby in 2D (the way it was filmed and intended). There will be no Clash Of The Titans-muddle here folks. Music is set to play an integral part in the film and mark the transition from reality to alternative-reality. The cast trained in 3 months to be able to perform the stunt and fight scenes before production kicked off in Vancouver from September, 2009 to January, 2010. Sucker Punch has a budget of $85 million.

The Cast

Emily Browning: Baby DollOne of my favourite Australian actresses, 21-year-old Browning stepped up to the role after Amanda Seyfried dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Thank heavens for that, because as far as I’m concerned Seyfried has ruined herself with all the atrocious rom-com’s she has starred in of late. After a bunch of appearances in Australian TV productions and films such as Ned Kelly, Browning broke into the Hollywood market with her captivating performance in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. Followed by her role in supernatural thriller The Uninvited, Browning will be one to watch after Sucker Punch and her role as Lucy, a university student who becomes a prostitute in Julia Leigh’s erotic version of Sleeping Beauty due for release next year.

Jena Malone: RocketReplacing Evan Rachel-Wood, who also dropped out over scheduling conflicts, is former child star Jena Malone. Having amassed an accomplished body of work, Malone is just another feather in the bow of accomplished young actresses at the fore of Sucker Punch.

Abbie Cornish: SweetpeaWhat can you say about Cornish? Except that she is ridiculously awesome and my favourite Australian actress behind Cate Blanchett! Since her breakout performances in Australian flicks Somersault and Candy, with Heath Ledger, Cornish has gone from strength to strength in mainstream Hollywood blowing me away with turns in Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Stop-Loss and, her Oscar-deserving role in Bright Star. Mainly a dramatic actress, I’m looking forward to seeing Cornish in an action-flick where her attitude and beauty are just as important as acting chops. She has worked with Snyder previously, voicing one of the central characters in Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls Of Ga’Hoole.

Vannessa Hudgens: BlondieOkay, so I’m not her biggest fan, but this is clearly Hudgens effort to make the transition from slutty Disney teen-starlet, to slutty Hollywood actress. But hey, if she shows some teeth in an action film I might be willing to overlook her previous efforts (hello there High School Musical and Bandslam). The jury is still out on her Twilighty-looking Beastly.

Jamie Chung: AmberChung has proved herself to be a sufficiently meaty action babe after Dragonball: Evolution, Sorority Row and her decency in Grown Ups. Toting a lollipop and fishnets in this though, she’s sure to bring that hot-Asian chick flavour a la Lucy Liu amongst a largely Caucasian cast in Charlie’s Angels.

Carla Gugino: Mrs ShulzThe lass with arguably the best natural rack in the industry (remember her topless scene as Lucille in Sin City?), Gugino plays a nurse in the asylum. Like Cornish, she has worked with Snyder previously, but as the original Silk Spectre in Watchmen.

Others Along for the ride are Scott Glenn, Oscar Isaac, Jan Hamm and Black Dynamite himself Michael Jai White (above)! Woo! Exclusive clips from the film are being screened at Comic Con this week, so as soon as some lucky bastard who’s attending posts them online... as will I. In the meantime, stay tuned for Sucker Punch news, updates and trailers.

P.S. By the time you read this I will be dead. Ha, just kidding, but my review of Inception will be posted above and therefore my online video review of Creation pales in significance. Alas, I’m posting it anyway - to watch click here. Connelly had really let herself go after her Oscar win. In semi-related news, my review of Inception is now the third most-read article on the Gold Coast Bulletin website AND it was only posted last night! Me thinks that gives plenty of juice to the `people regularly read and enjoy reviews’ argument.

VIA Snyder Delivers a Sucker Punch to Your Pants

City design

VIA «Fosters and FXFOWLE have won award World Architecture News»

Ah I don’t know what has gotten into me lately – I have been blogging like a mad woman! At least two posts a day for the past weekish. There are stints when I find little to no movie news or reviews that interest me but lately... lately there has been tonnes. Dawn French tonnes. If there hasn’t been a new cinema-plex opening or a new movie worth reviewing, then there’s hordes of news which interests me and I want to write about it. I’m hoping this post will satisfy my insatiable urge to write blog posts at the moment and I intend to have at least a day break after this. But seriously, I just HAD to give you the run down on some up and coming new releases. I had a YouTube binge last night and caught up on a bunch of trailers I hadn’t seen and rewatched some I had. Anywho, here’s my selection of MUST SEE movies for the months of June and July.

James Gray, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Nay, let me count the films; Little Odessa (digged), The Yards (blew my freakin' mind), We Own The Night (adored). Now we have his latest offering and Joaquin Phoenix’s alleged last foray in to acting, Two Lovers. The theme of love and the dark comedic elements are new features in a Gray film which has previously dealt with family relations and crime. However, Two Lovers does look like a splendid adult-drama with a juicy cast. It was released in Australia last week but won’t be screening on the Gold Coast until this Thursday (if we’re lucky).

Looks like this little gem from the director of Old School is shaping up to be the surprise comedy hit of the year, but it’s still early days. The trailer is hilarious and in the US it opened to a $46 – $53 million weekend ahead of the Will Ferrell blockbuster Land of the Lost. The critics are frothing for The Hangover too with the almighty Empire giving it four stars. Pretty impressive for a comedy-formula that seems tired. Apparently one of the many benefits here is instead of covering the dramas of a bachelor party, The Hangover starts once the party is over and the three mates have lost the groom (and their memories). Sounds a like a frat-pack version of Memento but the trailer is very appealing, plus Bradley Cooper is great in pretty much anything he’s in.

Try and ignore the controversy if you can, but you simply cannot ignore the brilliance of the Bruno trailer. There are few times I have laughed so hard during a trailer. I enjoyed Borat but from the snippets of Bruno I’ve seen, I think Sacha Boren Cohen’s latest character will trump him. The best recommendation I can give this movie is the trailer, I particularly love the African American scenes.

Everytime I watch this trailer I get goosebumps. Whether that's because the trailer is actually good or because I'm a massive fan of the books, it's hard to know. I do know this, this movie begins to build towards the Harry Potter series climax which will come to life on screen in the from of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (to be released six months apart respectively). I’ve never been a huge fan of the films but the last two have certainly improved my expectations dramatically and this looks Potteriffic.

Easily the film I’m most excited about on this list. Long before director Sam Raimi did the Spiderman films he dominated the horror genre with his Evil Dead series (among others). Apparently Drag Me To Hell is a hilarious and horrific return to form for one of the genre’s heroes. It premiered at Cannes and since then has got rave reviews from every Tom Dick and Harry film critic. Horror is one of my favourite genres but recently there have been only a handful of decent films. Going off the trailer, Drag Me To Hell looks like an awesome ride and I can’t wait to be genuinely scared at the movies again. Its been too long.

I know, it’s hard to get past the vomit-inducing movie poster complete with Abigail Breslin and Cameron Diaz looking cute. My Sister’s Keeper has been a long awaited adaptation of Jodi Piccoult’s best selling novel. I heard great things about the book and was sincerely disappointed upon finishing it. The book was drawn out, self-indulgent and overly soppy. To my surprise, the trailer looks like its done a much better job of compacting the themes and storyline of the novel. Cameron Diaz looks like she’s about deliver a stellar performance but one of the major reasons to see this film has to be Sofia Vassilieva. Here she plays cancer-ridden Kate but most of you would recognise her from tv’s Medium. She’s a superb little actress and I look forward to seeing this movie despite the misleadingly happy poster (when really this is a film about cancer, death and family relations).

That Land of the Lost shiz is out this Thursday too and as much as I love Will Ferrell, I don’t think I can sit through two hours of him trying to do a Brendan Fraser in Journey to the Centre of the Earth. There’s this other movie you may or may not have heard of, Transformers something? Transformers 2, that’s it. The Bayhem hits screens on June 24 which is, like, so soon for the fanboys patiently waiting. Ew.

p.s. Mickey Rourke’s turn as Russian baddie Whiplash certainly makes Jack Sparrow look straight as a ruler. This, dear readers, is the latest image off the set of Iron Man 2, the sequel to the Robert Downey Jr hit of `08. Rourke stars as the thorn in Tony Stark’s metallic side for the sequel along with Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer. This is the first look at Rourke as Whiplash and was pointed to off Jon Favreau’s Twitter account. I must say, the get-up is a bit... erm... campe? With Scar-Jo in leather as Black Widow and Rourke rocking the bondage, it seems the sequel will be catering to all fetishes. Bunuel would be proud kinky has gone so mainstream.

VIA Two Lovers, The Hangover, Bruno, Harry Potter, Drag Me To Hell, and My Sisters Keeper

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the damage occurred when government forces blew up a tunnel dug by insurgents under the city, while the state news agency said the tunnel was blown up by rebels.

Moving forward: The leggy model put on a daring animal print dress for her first night out
Kelly ventured out with the support of friends after two weeks of laying low at her farmhouse in Kent, where she was being comforted by family and friends including fiancé Thom Evans.
But the beautiful brunette seemed determined to make her first tentative steps towards moving forward with her life, stepping out in a slinky pink animal-print dress and towering heels.
Kelly appeared to be enjoying her night out in London as she chatted to her girlfriends in the back of a cab, while fiancé Thom was nowhere to be seen.
Heartache: Kelly lost her baby five months into her pregnancy earlier this month
The day before Kelly was spotted out for the first time since the terrible news emerged on May 10.
She ventured out on her own on a shopping trip near her home.
Wearing a backless summer frock and a Panama hat, the Piranha: 3D star was pictured carrying groceries to her car, including a large bunch of roses.
Miss Brook was almost five months pregnant when she lost the daughter she was expecting with ex-Scottish rugby international Thom Evans, 26.
Tragic loss: Kelly looked subdued as she carried a large bunch of roses to her car
The former TV presenter was said to be ‘over the moon’ at the prospect of becoming a mother for the first time.
She had announced she was pregnant after only four months of dating Evans.
After news that she had lost the child, friends described her as ‘devastated’. One said: ‘She’s at home and she’s being looked after by Thom and her mum Sandra.
‘There’s nothing you can say to anyone at a time like this – she just needs to be allowed some time alone to grieve.’
source: dailymail

VIA Brave Kelly Brook smiles for the cameras on her first night out since tragic baby loss

'It was the worst phone call I ever got in my life waking up to that,' the 31-year-old wept.
Raw grief: Bam could barely hold it together as he gave an interview to a local news station
Margera, who was in Arizona at the time of the crash, visited the crash scene in Philadelphia on Tuesday evening.
He was visibly overcome with emotion, rocking back and forth in agony at the guardrail that the car crashed through.
'I've never lost anybody that I cared about. It's my best friend,' he told local TV station WPXI, weeping.
'Worst phone call of my life': He paid tribute to his childhood friend and asked how he would cope with the loss he wept: 'I can't, I can't'
'He was the happiest person ever, the smartest guy. He had so much talent, and he had so many things going for him. This is not right, not right.'
Margera stood at the guardrail that Dunn pierced with his Porsche Monday morning with such force that the car slammed through about 40 feet of trees before exploding into flames.
When asked how he'd get through this ordeal, Bam replied: 'I can't. I can't.'
Dunn's brother, Eric Dunn, said in an emailed statement to the AP that his family was 'devastated'.

Memories: The cast of Bam's show Viva La Bam, a spin-off from Jackass, featuring Bam, front centre, his father Phil, far left, mother April and Dunn, back centre which ran for five seasons between 2003 and 2005
Emotional: Close friends of Dunn visited the spot where his car smashed into a guardrail before careering off the road and into woodland and exploding into flames
In good spirits: A new picture shows Jackass star Ryan Dunn in high spirits as he parties at a bar with friends and fans shortly before he crashed his Porsche yesterday morning, killing himself and another passenger
Childhood friends: Ryan and Bam, pictured back in November 2003
Wreckage: The charred remains of the Porsche 911 GT3 is towed away as police survey the scene

Investigation: Dunn's Porsche was found engulfed in flames in woods beside the road
Margera, who appeared in her son's MTV show 'Viva La Bam' with Dunn, says he was not the type of person to get behind the wheel while drunk.
'He is going to be missed by everyone,' April tearfully told the NBC Today Show.
'I have yelled at him for lots of things but he was not a big drinker and he was always responsible as far as I know, so I cannot believe he would do that.
'I am sick because it is a waste, sick because I loved him, sick because he was talented and sick because he is gone.'
Meanwhile the passenger killed in Dunn's fatal car crash has been identified.
Police have confirmed Zachary Hartwell, 30, perished in a fireball car crash in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Hartwell, from West Chester, Philadelphia, had been with Dunn at Barnaby's and appeared in one of the last photographs to be taken of the daredevil before the accident.
The two were drinking with a third unidentified male in a Twitter picture, which was posted hours before the accident.
Speaking out: Bam Margera's mother April says she does not believe Dunn was driving drunk at the time of his death
While Hartwell was not a member of the Jackass crew, he is listed as a production assistant on the second Jackass movie.
He is also credited on IMDb as a 'car stunt driver' in Bam Margera's film Minghags.
He was reportedly a recently married Iraq war veteran
Dunn who was famous for his vulgar stunts in the multimillion-dollar TV and movie franchise Jackass, was driving his 2007 Porsche on a highway when it left the road, flipped over a guardrail and crashed into woods before bursting into flames.
Speed may have been a factor in the crash, West Goshen Township police said.
The force of impact shattered the vehicle into several twisted and blackened pieces, leaving the Porsche 911 GT3 unrecognisable except for a door that was thrown from the crash and not incinerated. A 100-foot-long tyre skid marked where the car left the road.
Police said they were able to identify Dunn through his tattoos and hair.
Dunn appeared on MTV shows Jackass and Viva La Bam and the three Jackass big-screen adaptations. He also was the star of his own MTV show, Homewrecker, and hosted Proving Ground on the G4 cable network.
G4 spokesman Dave Welch said Proving Ground, which premiered on June 11 with the second episode due to air today, was being shelved until the network could discuss its future.
Dunn's long-time friend and fellow Jackass daredevil Johnny Knoxville tweeted last night: 'Today I lost my brother Ryan Dunn. My heart goes out to his family and his beloved Angie. RIP Ryan, I love you buddy.'
Passenger: Zachery Hartwell (right) was killed in Dunn's fatal car crash yesterday. The pair were at a bar with an unidentified friend in Philadelphia before the accident
Dunn also starred in the yet-to-be-released film Living Will. The film's website describes Dunn's character as a 'party bum slacker (who) returns from the dead as a mischievous and perverted ghost'.
MTV praised Dunn's tireless humour and enthusiasm and said he would be missed.
'We are devastated by the tragic loss of Ryan Dunn - a beloved member of the MTV family for more than a decade,' said Van Toffler, president of MTV Networks Music/Films Group. 'The Jackass brotherhood will never be the same.'
Dunn was born in Ohio and moved at 15 to Pennsylvania, where he met Bam Margera on his first day of high school, according to a biography on his website.
Dunn, Margera, Christopher Raab (known as Raab Himself) and Brandon DiCamillo, under the moniker CKY for 'Camp Kill Yourself', started making videos that featured them skateboarding and performing stunts.
Where the night started: Dunn and Hartwell were both at Barnaby's in West Chester hours before the accident
Dunn was working as a welder and petrol station worker when Knoxville, a friend of Margera's through the skateboarding circuit, asked the crew to allow their videos to be part of the series Jackass, which became a hit on MTV and ran from 2000 to 2002.
Perhaps his most famous stunt, in 2002's Jackass: The Movie, involved inserting a toy car into his bottom and going to a hospital casualty unit, where he made up a story that he was in mysterious pain after passing out at a fraternity party. Dunn's X-ray from the hospital became a popular T-shirt for Jackass fans.
In a 2000 stunt, he dived into a tank at a raw sewage plant wearing flippers, a mask and a snorkel.
Crash scene: Black marks on the road show where Dunn's car skidded out of control
Devastation: Dunn's car span off the road, through a guardrail and into the woods
Bam Margera Breaks Down After Hearing About Ryan Dunns Death

source: dailymail

VIA Raw grief of Jackass star's best friend: Heartbreaking video shows inconsolable Bam Margera as he visits spot where Ryan Dunn died in fiery crash

The move came just a day after Diyarbakir’s wall and its nearby Hevsel Gardens were added to the list as well.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Permanent Representative of Turkey to UNESCO Hüseyin Avni Botsalı – who headed the Turkish delegation at the session – described the unanimous approval of Ephesus as a great success.

“In fact, we have a great responsibility on our shoulders in terms of cooperation of the international community in this field. We will make significant efforts for the protection of civilizational values and cultural properties,” he added.

Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Ömer Çelik celebrated the development in a series of Twitter posts.

“We have just received the second good news from Germany. Ephesus is now officially on the world heritage [list],” he said.

The minister said Ephesus had always been a key port city, as well as a cultural and commercial center, throughout history.

“A principal city of science, culture and art of its era, Ephesus had been a residential area starting from the pre-historic era and through the Hellenistic, Roman, Eastern Roman periods and also under the Ottoman Empire for about nine millennia without interruption,” he said.

Çelik also said Ephesus, which draws 2 million visitors a year, was a place that the whole world agreed was a site of global cultural heritage.

In a later interview with Anadolu Agency, Çelik noted the threat that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) posed to world heritage in neighboring countries like Syria.

“While a terrorist group called Daesh destroys cities, it is a significant message against this barbarism that Turkey as a Muslim country in the Muslim world managed to put its properties on the world heritage list,” he said, using the Arabic acronym for ISIL.

In May, ISIL militants seized the Roman ruins at the Palmyra World Heritage site in Syria’s Homs Governorate. Last week, members of ISIL destroyed a peerless statue of a lion at the site on the grounds that it is idolatrous, while it has also allegedly conducted executions at the ancient city’s famous theater.

Describing Ephesus, UNESCO said: “The Temple of Artemis, which was considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is situated on the edge of this small town. The city which was situated at the beginning of the Persian Royal Road has survived sufficiently enough to enable us to understand the ancient way of life in Ephesus. It is one of the cities which played an impressive role in the beginnings of Christianity and during the period of its proliferation (St. John Church and the shrine of the Virgin Mary). It contains one of the most spectacular examples of religious architecture of the Seljuk Period.”

Turkey first entered the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1985 with Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia and the Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği – both in central Turkey – and the historic areas of Istanbul.

The Hittite capital Hattuşa was added to the list in 1986, followed by Mount Nemrut in Adıyaman 1987, and Hierapolis-Pamukkale in Denizli and the ancient city of Xanthos-Letoon between Muğla and Fethiye in 1988.

In 1994, the city of Safranbolu was approved as a world heritage while the archaeological site of Troy was added to the list in 1998. In recent year, Edirne’s Selimiye Mosque and its social complex was added in 2011, as was Konya’s Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük in 2012.

The latest entries in 2014 were Bursa’s Cumalikızık village which witnessed the birth of the Ottoman Empire and İzmir’s ancient city of Pergamon and its multi-layered cultural landscape.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News [July 06, 2015]

The head of the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums, Ahmad Deeb, said Friday that the materials include 69 antiquities and eight mosaics that were retrieved from Lebanon.

Thousands of antiquities have been looted or smuggled outside Syria since its crisis began in March 2011.

In December, UNESCO called on the United Nations to curb multi-billion dollar artifact trafficking from Syria and Iraq, where Islamic State group terrorists destroyed archaeological sites.

Deeb said Friday that authorities have closed some museums after taking antiquities to safe areas for fear they might be looted or destroyed.

Source: The Associated Press [May 09, 2015]

My friend Becky is starting this new site called Patchwork Posse, every month there are new sewing related projects and lots of fun stuff. So, today I won a membership! YAY! Go check it out, I am excited about it, I think she has come up with a great idea and I am excited that I get to be a part of it!

In other news: I know some of you have probably already seen it, but I did a pattern review for Sew Mama Sew!


Here's the link!

Also, Dana from MADE won a package of things from me awhile back and she repurposed a towel I sent her into these adorable aprons she made for her kids! She is the queen of repurposing I tell you! So cute!

I hope you all had a Happy New Year!

Following the conversion of two Hagia Sophia into museums, which were initially built as churches and then turned into mosques and, subsequently, museums, the third Hagia Sophia in Edirne’s Enez district will be reconverted into a mosque, according to Foundations General Director Adnan Ertem, despite previous debates on turning it into a museum after reconstruction.

Speaking to state-run Anadolu Agency, Ertem said the Edirne Culture Assets Protection Regional Board approved the reconstruction project of the structure, which he called a “mosque” during the interview.

Ertem said the project would start as soon as possible, adding that the Hagia Sophia has been taken into the Foundations General Directorate’s investment program.

Explaining why it should be re-opened as a mosque, Erdem said the building was a “sanctuary that was consecrated as a mosque.”

“It is a foundation that can be put into service in line with its foundational charter. Thus its function will be preserved,” said Ertem.

Enez’s Hagia Sophia is located inside the ancient city of Ainos and although there are no records, it is thought to date back to the 12th century. It is located along the border with Greece and stationed on top of a hill seen from all around.

The district governor of Enez, Fatih Baysal, said in 2012 the usage of the structure as a mosque or not was a matter to be decided after the renovation.

“But even if it is used as a museum or a mosque, this place really needs to be [opened],” said Baysal.

Enez Mayor Abdullah Bostancı said the structure would have similar properties to the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

The main Hagia Sophia, which has been a museum since 1935, was built in the fourth century and converted into a mosque, when Mehmet the Conqueror took Istanbul in 1453.

The Hagia Sophia in Turkey’s western district of İznik, which was initially constructed as a church in the eighth century and turned into a mosque when the city was conquered by the Ottomans in the 14th century, became a museum in the Turkish Republic. The building was later converted into a mosque in November 2011.

Another Hagia Sophia church, located in the Black Sea province of Trabzon, had been a mosque for many years after the conquest of the city and registered as a mosque in its land title. It was then turned into a museum and transferred to the Culture and Tourism Ministry. It was retransferred to the Trabzon Regional Directorate of Foundations through a court decision and reopened for Muslim worship in July 2013.

After the conversion from museum to mosque, 33 historic artifacts from the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman eras in the garden of Trabzon’s Hagia Sophia were moved to the Trabzon Museum in January 2014.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News [May 01, 2015]

Rumkale and its vicinity, which straddles the boundary between the southeastern Turkish provinces of Gaziantep’s Nizip and Yavuzeli districts and Şanlıurfa’s Bilecik and Halfeti districts, is home to structures from the Urartu, Babylon, Sumerian, Graeco-Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman eras.

The Apostle John is said to have settled in Rumkale during the Roman era and reproduced copies of the Bible.

The area was occupied by various Byzantine and Armenian warlords during the Middle Ages. The castle served as the seat of an Armenian patriarch in the 12th century.

From 1203 to 1293, it was the residence of the supreme head (Catholicos) of the reunified Armenian Church. In 1293, it was captured by the Mamluks of Egypt, following a protracted siege.

Monastery Restoration

Restoration work is currently continuing in the Barşavma Monastery, which was built in the 13th century and is located in the north side of the castle.

Yavuzeli District governor Ömer Faruk Güngen said Rumkale was a hidden haven and shining star in the southeastern Anatolian region.

Speaking of its importance in nature and faith tourism, Güngen said, “We need to offer Rumkale to tourists. People should know about the ruins and natural beauties here.”

He said facilities would be established in the area for tourists to spend more time in the region, adding, “Our projects will also employ people living here. Our goal is to increase the contribution of Rumkale to the Turkish economy. This place is a hidden haven that people cannot come and see. It has a rich history. More artifacts are found as excavations deepen. Rumkale’s promotion is important to us.”

The head of the excavations, Bora Cem Sevencan, said Rumkale also had importance in terms of art history and a common heritage of humanity. “The area will be a junction point for faith tourism when the work is done,” he said.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News [April 24, 2015]

“Restoration works have been continuing to bring the triumphal arch [of Anavarza (Anazarbus)] to tourism. Most parts of the arch are still strong. The restoration process will begin soon. The monumental city gate, which is a legacy from the ancient world, will regain its original [glory] within a year,” said Çukurova University academic Fatih Gülşen, who is acting as a scientific consultant on excavations in the ancient city of Anavarza.

The arch, now located in the province’s Dilekkaya village, was 22.5 meters wide and 10.5 meters high, with a wall thickness of 5.60 meters, he said.

Gülşen said after their victory against the [[Parthians in the first century BC]], the Romans built the arch in Anavarza, the military camp city of the Roman Empire in the east.

Gülşen said 502 block stones that had fallen from the arch would be placed in their original places.

“The monumental gate, which is an artistic wonder, had three arches,” he said. “Some parts of the western arch collapsed but the main arch in the middle and the one in the east still survive. We finished the drawings of the collapsed and missing blocks. The pieces that fell from the gate have been numbered and have undergone laser scanning. We will put them in their own places during the restoration. The triumphal arch has high-quality workmanship; smooth square lime, marble and granite stones were used in the construction. Tougher and high-quality limestone was used in its curves. It is a huge and unique structure decorated with Corinthian heads, columns, pilasters [rectangular columns] and niches. Because of these features, it is the only one in the region that we call Çukurova today, and one of the few monumental city gates within the borders of Turkey.”

Gülşen said the triumphal arch opened onto a 34-meter-wide, 2,700-meter long, two-lane street.

“The Culture and Tourism Ministry has allocated 1 million Turkish Liras for the excavations and research in the ancient city of Anavarza. The revival of the triumphal arch is one of most important stages of our work here. We are working with a team of 45 people – 10 are technical staff.”

Source: Hurriyet Daily News [May 01, 2015]

The church is located in the Dağeteği neighborhood on the outskirts of the Germüş Mountains, 10 kilometers away from the city center. But since it does not have an inscription, the exact date of its establishment is unknown.

Estimated to have been built with cut stones in the beginning of the 19th century, the church has three lancet windows at the entrance.

The historic church, which has partly lost some of its features during previous restorations done, is located close to Göbeklitepe, one of the world’s oldest temples located in the city.

Şanlıurfa Regional Tourist Guides Chamber Chairman Kamil Türkmen said that the city had recently gained momentum in tourism. He said that foreign tourists came to the region especially for Göbeklitepe and also visited the Germüş Church.

Türkmen said that Armenians lived in the Germüş village during the Ottoman era and that the area was a protected site.

“The church draws attention mostly from foreign tourists. They come here but the church is not completely ready. This is why it should be restored as soon as possible,” he said.

Culture and Tourism Deputy Director Aydın Arslan said that work had been initiated for the church to promote its tourism, adding, “The surveying, restitution and restoration projects have been finished. The restoration project was included in the GAP Action Plan and will start in the coming days. We will also carry out archaeological work in the area.”

The former village head of the neighborhood, 85-year-old Mansur Özdemir, said that they had been trying to protect the church and structures in the vicinity but treasure hunters had done excavations and damaged the church. He said some Armenian families used to live in the region in the past, and later moved to their relatives in Syria.

Özdemir said that his father told about the stories from the World War I and explained:

“In the final years of the Ottoman state, young people from neighboring villages joined the war and only old people and women remained in the houses. Since the Armenians did not join the war, they continued living here. But the French and Russians took advantage of this and made them massacre people in the neighboring villages. When they heard our soldiers were returning, they left their houses and escaped the village.”

Source: Hurriyet Daily News [May 22, 2015]

Historical artifacts were discovered during the construction of Silivri Energy A.Ş.’s wind power plant belonging to businessman Abdullah Tivnikli in the village last February.

Among the artifacts were many Hellenistic- and Roman-era tombs and one-meter walls. After the protection board failed to declare the area a first-degree archaeological site, the company reportedly suggested to the board: “We cannot protect the field against treasure hunters. Let’s pour concrete on it and build wind turbines on it.”

The suggestion provoked a heated discussion on the preservation board, with only Dr. Aslıhan Yurtsever Beyazıt speaking out against the proposal. While other members recommended documenting the findings before pouring concrete on the site, Beyazıt demanded examinations at the site, but no investigation has yet been conducted.

On June 15, 2011, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality made amendments to its master plan for the construction of the wind power plant close to Silivri’s Fener, Kurfallı and Akören villages. The amendment was approved by the Istanbul Municipal Council in 2012.

A decision was subsequently made to build 21 52.5 MW turbines on an area of 440,000 square meters. The company started the construction last year, while the archaeological artifacts were found on the land of two turbines at the beginning of this year.

The Istanbul Archaeology Museum was informed about the artifacts, and further excavations by museum officials unearthed valuable architectural remains dating back to the late Byzantine era in the 11th and 12th century A.D.

The presence of many Byzantine-era tombs in the immediate vicinity suggests there could be a monastery in the area, according to officials. “This is a very important development for Thrace and Istanbul archaeology. It should be declared a first-degree archaeological site immediately,” one of the officials said.

“Since brick pieces were not found in the remains of the wall and a roughhewn stone was seen, it might be a Roman-era settlement,” the Istanbul Archaeology Museum said in a statement. “The remains of a structure, which is made up of big block stones, is thought to have been a wall from the Hellenistic era. The area might have been a Hellenistic and Roman settlement because the ceramic pieces around this structure show Hellenistic and Roman-era characteristics. The area might have served as a graveyard in the Byzantine era.”

Author: Ömer Erbil | Source: Hurriyet Daily News [July 10, 2015]