Pixar/Disney's WALL-E The reviews are in, and I wholeheartedly agree: "WALL-E" is a fantastic film from beginning to end. Of course, it's no surprise, really. Ever since "Toy Story" premiered 13 years ago, Pixar has churned out hit after hit. Now, they're nine for nine and have won nearly two dozen Oscars, a feat not achieved by any animation studio since the heyday of Disney -- and that was in the days when The Mouse didn't have a single competitor making animated features. Unfortunately, a large number of adults will never get to enjoy "WALL-E," due to their fears of seeing a "children's movie" (without a rugrat at their side to give them an excuse, that is). My brother-in-law is a big movie buff who makes his movie-going decisions based strictly on the critics' reviews, but he won't step near the box office if it's an animated picture -- regardless of how well it's received. It's kind of sad, and hurts me a little, in fact, knowing that there are so many people out there who just can't accept the idea that animated features can be just as good -- if not better -- than most of the live-action movies released these days (not to mention how amazing the animation looks). They make us laugh, of course, but some even bring us to tears. And the actors providing the voices sometimes give better performances than in their live-action pictures. And there are always gags that are meant for the grown-ups (sometimes, they're the entire plot). So what's your problem? Ego? Insecurity? Afraid some noisy brat sitting behind you will kick your seat throughout the entire movie? Well, the answer to that is simple: go to a late showing. The kids should all be in bed by 10:00, right? And as for your ego and insecurity, get over it! You're missing out on some great flicks! Suggested Sites... Upcoming Animated Movies - Yahoo! Movies Summer Movie Guide - view pics from the next lineup of animated films, including "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," "Space Chimps," "Madagascar 2," and Pixar's next movie, "Up." Animation History Blog - this blog features some cool videos of traditional animation and lots of vintage cartoons. The Iron Giant Montage - YouTube - the best animated movie you've never seen. Set to the soundtrack of the Coen Brothers' "Fargo." 70 Years of Disney Animation - YouTube - fan-made tribute to Disney's best. WALL-E Videos - Yahoo! Movies - features all of the trailers and several video clips from Pixar's latest.

Directory categories: Animated Films, Pixar, Animation, WALL-E

Archived under: Animation, Disney, Entertainment, Movies, Pixar

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Frank Avruch as Bozo Kids in the '50s didn't realize what a Golden Age they were living in -- especially when it came to television programs. Once post-war parents realized they could use the boob tube as a babysitter, local television stations, desperate for programming, were more than happy to shanghai announcers and other station personnel, dress them as sailors, cops, sheriffs, and less-authoritative figures, and entertain the kiddies with cartoons and other features for hours on end. What sparks this observation today is that June 27 marks another of those cosmic coincidences of which we're so fond. On this date in 1927, Bob Keeshan was born, and in 1949, Captain Video and His Video Rangers made its debut on the DuMont Television Network. Keeshan is best known as his televised persona, Captain Kangaroo, the avuncular custodian of the Treasure House, whose regular visitors included Mr. Green Jeans, Mr. Moose, and Dancing Bear. Unlike most of the other kiddie-show hosts, Keeshan tried to use his show as a vehicle for education and entertainment, rather than just as a time-killer or a medium to sell toys. Captain Video, on the other hand, was dedicated to distracting kids with thrilling interplanetary adventures which took place on cardboard sets with rudimentary special effects. Not to minimize the tribulations the good Captain had to endure, but depending on such actors as Arnold Stang, Tony Randall, and Jack Klugman to provide villainy might have been too much suspension of disbelief, even for children. As adults, we'll always have fond memories of such worthies as Engineer Bill, Sheriff John, Officer Joe Bolton, Jimmy Weldon and Webster Webfoot, and the numberless Bozo the Clowns who once beamed into our homes, providing us with hours of friendship and fun. Suggested Sites... Chicago Children's Television - remembrances of Windy City hosts and shows. Heartland Kids' Classics - guide to local children's TV shows of the Midwest. TV Acres: Children's Show Hosts - from Andy Devine to Xuxa. TV Party: Los Angeles Local Kid Shows - clowns, hobos, and a Frankenstein puppet. Marty's Corner: Tom Hatten - veteran kids' show host Tom Hatten reminisces.

Directory categories: Children's Television, Television Personalties, Bob Keeshan, Captain Kangaroo, Bozo the Clown

Archived under: 1950s, Birthdays, Cartoons, Celebrities, Children, Children´s TV, Coincidence, Entertainment, Kids, Nostalgia, TV

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Welcome back to our occasional feature telling you what's happening in the exciting world of the Yahoo! Directory -- America's favorite source of categorized Web destinations since 1995. Since our last meeting, our team of editors have gone deep into the Internet underbrush and brought back sites about things you're interested in now -- or soon will be. Perhaps the biggest thing happening in the Directory has been our quadrennial gearing up for the Olympic Games. Each Olympiad brings its own stars, but we're ready with content on all the big -- and not so big -- events. Of course, not every news story is as joyful as the Olympics, and we were moved to find good relevant sites when both Tim Russert and George Carlin died. In spite of those tragedies, the world of entertainment continued to tickle the fancies of Yahoo! surfers, and video games such as Secret Agent Clank, Battlefield: Bad Company, Requiem: Bloodymare, and the Guitar Hero series made their presence known. Not far behind was your (and our) continuing love of the movies, and we've created categories for such upcoming offerings as Spike Lee's "Miracle at St. Anna" and the proposed "Avengers" movie (teaming up Marvel Comics favorites Iron Man, The Hulk, and Captain America, among others). Television wasn't neglected, though, and we took note of both the Jonas Brothers and "Camp Rock." As always, health concerns came to the forefront -- not only the injuries suffered by Tiger Woods (which sparked interest in ACL repairs) and Curt Schilling, but also such diseases as Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, Typhoid Fever, and summertime perennial Lyme Disease. While no one can predict the future, you can be sure that if you're interested in something, we'll find the best stuff about it for you. Suggested Sites... Yahoo! Directory: Beijing Olympics - sites about athletes, events, venues, and mascots. Yahoo! Directory: Guitar Hero Series - from the original to Aerosmith and beyond. Yahoo! Directory: George Carlin - sites with sound and video clips of the late comedy legend. Yahoo! Directory: Jonas Brothers - Wycoff, New Jersey's gift to the Disney Channel Yahoo! Directory: Tiger Woods - more info than you can shake a 9-iron at.

Directory categories: Olympic Games, Video Game Titles, Tim Russert, Disney Channel, Sports Injuries

Archived under: Athletes, Captain America, Celebrities, China, Comedians, Comic Books, Comics, Directors, Disease, Disney, Disney Channel, Entertainment, Events, Filmmaking, Games, Golf, Guitar Hero, Health, Heavy Metal and Hard Rock, Hollywood, Medicine, Movies, Music, News, Olympics, Rock Star, Rock and Roll, Superheroes, Surgery, TV, Video Games, Yahoo!, Yahoo! Directory

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(Photo by Krazy Kyles) Despite skyrocketing oil prices and ever-increasing airfares, we seem to be traveling more than ever. With environmental issues like carbon footprints and peak oil saturating the media, it seems that travel has its price -- and not just in dollars, but also in ecological guilt. Plenty of travel agents and airlines are now offering consumers carbon offsets when they purchase flights as a way for individuals to shoulder some of the environmental burden (and assuage their carbon guilt), and many other companies are selling offsets directly to the public. Carbon offsets essentially let you, the road-tripping, jet-setting consumer, pay someone else to reduce their carbon output in order to balance your own. It may sound like passing the buck, but for many of us, those hours on the road or in the air are unavoidable, and many believe that paying someone else to be responsible is better than doing nothing. Offset projects typically fall into a few categories: renewable energy (investing in wind, solar, and biomass energy production), energy efficiency (improving the energy consumption of individuals and industries), and biological sequestration (purchasing land to preserve it from deforestation, or changing land-use or forestry practices to minimize long-term environmental impact). Critics complain that some projects have less impact than others (or even a negative impact on the environment), and consumer advocates note that not all companies and organizations selling offsets are the selfless, Earth-loving environmentalists you might expect. While some are non-profit organizations, others are decidedly for-profit corporations, with money fattening company coffers as much as it goes to windmills and tree-planting. As with any purchase, if you choose to buy a ticket to greener travel, it's always wise to do your research. Luckily, you've got plenty of help at your fingertips. Suggested Sites... Voluntary Carbon Offset Information Portal - evaluates companies offering consumer offsets for travel, plus a good overview of how offsets work. How Carbon Offsets Work - an easy introduction for carbon-neutrality newbies. Carbon Trade Watch - these environmentalists are skeptical of the ecological value of carbon offsets. Read more in their PDF, "The Carbon Neutral Myth." Do Carbon Offsets Live up to Their Promise? - a closer look at the value of offset projects.

Directory categories: Consumer Carbon Offsets, Emissions Trading, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Carbon Sequestration, Carbon Cycle

Archived under: Carbon Offsets, Energy, Environment, Global Warming, Green Living, Issues and Causes, Pollution, Science, Sustainability, Travel

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Jimmy Hoffa: Still missing Ambrose Bierce was a cynic, a muckraker, and a satirist. In the late 19th century, it would have been hard to find a more famous writer and journalist. Unfortunately, most of his works have been neglected in the 21st century. The most salient fact about him: in 1913, while traveling with Pancho Villa's army in Mexico, he disappeared without a trace. Bierce was hardly the first or last celebrity to utterly vanish, but since today would have been his 166th birthday, we couldn't help but be reminded of some of those other missing celebrities. The roster includes such notables as Judge Joseph Crater, an associate justice on the New York Supreme Court. Crater had led a more-or-less unremarkable life (despite some shady connections and extramarital affairs) until one night in 1930, when he got into a New York taxicab and became famous for never being seen again. Aviatrix Amelia Earhart was the most famous female pilot in the world when she set out on an attempted around-the-world flight in 1937. She made it as far as the South Pacific before sending an emergency message that she was low on fuel. Her plane disappeared and despite weeks of searching (and hundreds of rumors), neither she nor the plane have ever been found. In recent years, the gold medal for vanishing acts must go to Jimmy Hoffa. Hoffa, the former boss of the powerful Teamsters union, had numerous mob ties until he took a powder in 1975. Numerous theories have been offered as to his final disposal and whereabouts, which have ranged from suburban Detroit to the New Jersey Meadowlands. But despite countless tips, books, and investigations, no one knows -- or if they do know, they're not talking. "Dead men tell no tales," indeed! Suggested Sites... The Ambrose Bierce Site - original art, fiction, drama, and essays about Bierce. What Happened to Judge Crater? - all about the "missingest man in New York." Amelia Earhart.com - official site with biography, photos, quotes, and accomplishments. truTV Crime Library: The Disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa - as many of the facts as we know. Wikipedia: List of People Who Have Disappeared - includes those who were famous before and after they vanished.

Directory categories: Ambrose Bierce, Judge Joseph Force Crater, Amelia Earhart, Jimmy Hoffa, Missing Persons

Archived under: Amelia Earhart, American History, Birthdays, Celebrities, Conspiracies, Cover Ups, Crime, Dead Celebrities, Disappearances, Jimmy Hoffa, Missing Persons, Murder, Mysteries, Unsolved Crimes

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