.. HB! ..

Christian Charles Philip Bale (also known professionally as Christian Morgan Bale; born 30 January 1974) is an English actor who is known for his roles in the films Newsies, Empire of the Sun, American Psycho, The Prestige and Batman Begins. Bale is also known for his versatility as an actor, including mimicking nearly any English-based accents, harsh regimens of shedding and gaining weight (particularly for The Machinist, Batman Begins and, most recently, Rescue Dawn), and generally inhabiting the characters he plays. Before he found success in playing Batman, he was heavily involved in independent films.

Christian Bale was born in Pembrokeshire, Wales. He is the youngest of four children. His parents are businessman David Bale and circus performer Jenny James, both English. Bale spent his childhood in several countries including the United Kingdom, Portugal, and the United States.


On January 29, 2000, Bale married Sibi Blazic, who had formerly been a model, a make-up artist, and a personal assistant to Winona Ryder. He now lives with her in Los Angeles. Together they have a daughter, Emmaline, who was born on March 27, 2005 in Santa Monica, California.






Bale has three older sisters – Erin Bale, a musician; Sharon Bale, a computer professional; and Louise Bale, a theatre actress and director. The Bale family is deeply rooted in show business, especially theatre. Bale is a distant relative of British actress Lillie Langtry, while his uncle, Rex Bale, and maternal grandfather were actors as well.

Like his father David, Bale is known as a conservationist and an animal lover, and is a supporter of conservation and animal welfare groups like Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund. Bale gained the famous feminist activist Gloria Steinem as a stepmother through his father’s marriage to her on September 3, 2000, before his death in 2003. Ironically, Steinem was one of the most vocal opponents of Bret Easton Ellis's novel American Psycho.


Happy Birthday Christian!

More Posters!

I admit, it's going to be a touch creepy seeing Heath Ledger in TDK. Creepy but I keep reading that his Joker is going to be awesome as well.







I know this is from Batman Begins, so sue me. It's a half nekkid Christian. ^_^

Why I Love Christopher Nolan

From Newsweek by Christopher Nolan.

Heath Ledger, 28, Actor



Best known for his haunting, Oscar-nominated performance as Ennis Del Mar, one of the gay cowboys in 2005 ' s "Brokeback Mountain," Ledger was a massive young talent on the cusp of greatness when he died last week in New York. The native Australian, who is survived by his 2-year-old daughter, Matilda, had recently finished work on this summer's "Batman" sequel, "The Dark Knight," in which he plays a villain, the Joker. Christopher Nolan, the film's director, shared these memories:

One night, as I'm standing on LaSalle Street in Chicago, trying to line up a shot for "The Dark Knight," a production assistant skateboards into my line of sight. Silently, I curse the moment that Heath first skated onto our set in full character makeup. I'd fretted about the reaction of Batman fans to a skateboarding Joker, but the actual result was a proliferation of skateboards among the younger crew members. If you'd asked those kids why they had chosen to bring their boards to work, they would have answered honestly that they didn't know. That's real charisma—as invisible and natural as gravity. That's what Heath had.


Heath was bursting with creativity. It was in his every gesture. He once told me that he liked to wait between jobs until he was creatively hungry. Until he needed it again. He brought that attitude to our set every day. There aren't many actors who can make you feel ashamed of how often you complain about doing the best job in the world. Heath was one of them.

One time he and another actor were shooting a complex scene. We had two days to shoot it, and at the end of the first day, they'd really found something and Heath was worried that he might not have it if we stopped. He wanted to carry on and finish. It's tough to ask the crew to work late when we all know there's plenty of time to finish the next day. But everyone seemed to understand that Heath had something special and that we had to capture it before it disappeared. Months later, I learned that as Heath left the set that night, he quietly thanked each crew member for working late. Quietly. Not trying to make a point, just grateful for the chance to create that they'd given him.


Those nights on the streets of Chicago were filled with stunts. These can be boring times for an actor, but Heath was fascinated, eagerly accepting our invitation to ride in the camera car as we chased vehicles through movie traffic—not just for the thrill ride, but to be a part of it. Of everything. He'd brought his laptop along in the car, and we had a high-speed screening of two of his works-in-progress: short films he'd made that were exciting and haunting. Their exuberance made me feel jaded and leaden. I've never felt as old as I did watching Heath explore his talents. That night I made him an offer—knowing he wouldn't take me up on it—that he should feel free to come by the set when he had a night off so he could see what we were up to.

When you get into the edit suite after shooting a movie, you feel a responsibility to an actor who has trusted you, and Heath gave us everything. As we started my cut, I would wonder about each take we chose, each trim we made. I would visualize the screening where we'd have to show him the finished film—sitting three or four rows behind him, watching the movements of his head for clues to what he was thinking about what we'd done with all that he'd given us. Now that screening will never be real. I see him every day in my edit suite. I study his face, his voice. And I miss him terribly.


Back on LaSalle Street, I turn to my assistant director and I tell him to clear the skateboarding kid out of my line of sight when I realize—it's Heath, woolly hat pulled low over his eyes, here on his night off to take me up on my offer. I can't help but smile.

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Bless you Mr. Nolan. ^_^

Mute Monday: Collection(s)

Its the best I can do so early and so sleepy.

**Happy Mute Monday**

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Ta!

Because it was a slow day

Therefore Raven opens PhotoShop.




Ghods I love these photos. I can't stop looking at them and since I can't stop looking at them, I've made it the banner for my El Jay Blogger. *sighs dreamly*

Although I have to say its damn annoying to have 98% of my brushes, graidiants and textures MISSING because the evil minions switched servers. Meh. So this banner was done almost with nothing but layers and minimal textures and brushes.

But Raven was thinking *somewhat* ahead and has an older back up copy of those things somewhere at home. Now all I have to do is figure out where the disc is.

Why?

This is my youngest whom I call Impboy and/or Dame. Now I truly LOATH the thought he's inherited my pension for migrianes. He's only nine years old. It kills me inside to see him quietly crying because his head hurts so much and he buries himself under blankets to block out the light or he ends up puking anything he manages to eat or drink.

His doctor has prescribed meds to help with migraines but they're pills which Dame refuses to swallow. Rather a catch 22 don't you think? Although the light at the end of the tunnel, his doctor said if kids inherite this trait, boys will have them until they reach puberty and then the headaches will slack off until adulthood. Ya, some light, a blaring beacon of hope.

So what's the point of this entry your asking, Dame stayed home yesterday because he woke up crying he had a headache and was feeling dizzy. Okay, one day away from school is not the end of the world and I take his complaints of headaches serious since my parents never did and I am still a chronic suffer of headaches.

What am I to think when he wakes up again crying of a headache? Yes, he's back at grandpa's today. Is there something going on at school? Is he not eating enough? Because let me tell you if you've ever met a stubborn boy, my Impboy is him. If he doesn't want to eat something, he flat out won't. He will starve himself until he gets something he likes. Not to mention the last time he had a check up, his doctor said he was about 10 pounds over weight.

*blinks*



Dame, 10 pounds over weight. Look at the boy! He is and always has been a skinny little boy. Seriously he's not a big boy, he's not "hefty" like his brother and he heard what the doctor said. All he ate yesterday was a bowl of soup and we managed to get two pieces of baked chicken down him for supper otherwise - if we'd let him - he'd drink sodas and juices and yogerht sticks all day long.

Is it his eyesight? Is he playing too much of his Nintendo DS? What?! What's causing the string of headaches and dizziness? For last weekend he complained of dizziness and not feeling well and was throwing up and it's becoming more and more frequent.

I have a call into his teacher to see if she's noticed anything unusal going on at school because even when he's throwing up sick, does he ever stay home more than one day much less two days in a row.

These are the times I miss Judy horribly, she was the boy's confidant. She could get them to eat and get them to say if anything was wrong, get them feeling better. I guess my point is, I just don't know what to do.

Torchwood!

So Raven has discovered TORCHWOOD

Okay I admit it! I used to watch Dr. Who, back when Tom Baker was the Doctor and I even wanted a scarf like his.



But then I lost interest when Tom Baker left the show.

So what I gather, Torchwood is a spin off of Dr. Who. Hey whatever! So long as Captian Jack keeps kissing the men! Raven is happy. *nods* So I give you a spoiler from the upcoming premier Season 2 episode.



I spent most of this last Sunday watching the BBC channel which ran Torchwood episodes allllllll day. Yup, offically hooked.

Sorta kinda but not *REALLY* tagged by Artful Sub

I've been tagged by Zee Troll to reveal SEVEN UNUSUAL THINGS ABOUT RAVEN.

Or maybe not really. Perplexed yet? Come further and continue reading.

The catch to Not Really - Artful Sub just *HAD* to be different, Raven must state in order said facts of life from Fledgling to Ravenhood, like The Troll did.

Dude, have you NOT read the name of Raven's blogger? Hummm?

-->> GOLDFISH MEMORY <<--

Now usually I get Tagged many times over at *EL Jay* with these types of Memes and I try and keep it original but, hey! It's new over here!

Okayyyyyy, here we go.

::ONE::

Age: Negative 9 Months.

I have/had seven half siblings. Of which I've only ever met one half sister. I was born out of wedlock, my father was half Eskimo, half Russian and my mother a full blooded Navajo. My father had divorced his wife to marry my mom but sadly died in auto accident before the event took place and hence Raven - then known as Brooke was placed for adoption because my mother couldn't take care of us all.


::TWO::

Age: 5.

I must have started Kinden garden by now and in all likiehood I've been separated from half sister because my adoptive parents couldn't handle the two of us together or as I found out later on, it was my adoptive mother didn't like the competition for her attention from me by my half sister, so she was sent back to the adoptive agency. Which BTW, ours were the last few adoptions by Non Native Americans to adopt Native Americans.


::THREE::

Age: 11 thru 13.

Honestly I don't remember. Why? You'll read about it later on.



::FOUR::

Age: 17.

Junior in High school and now well on my way into my future of making Pysanky.



Self taught from a kit, Raven continued to make these for the next 30 years. Raven was also considering a career in U.S. Navy, had even begun the process of applying for appointment to the Navel Academy.


::FIVE::

Age: 18.
Ohhhh, graduated now! Did not join the Navy because of a mess up in the mail and missed out on the entry date and now was considered officially "Too Old" to join the academy. Even though mother never said so out loud, the disappointment is great. The old silent treatment. Have also learned bead weaving and silver smithing.



::SIX::

Age: 23.

Oh! The start of my legal career! Was hired on by New Mexico's Oldest Law Firm as their Runner/office slave/indentured servant where I am still working. I have been living my then boyfriend for two years now.



::SEVEN::

Age: 25-41.

Have been married now for Eighteen years, I have two beautiful boys, age 12 and 9, almost dying during Mer's birth from bleeding out. Also began the long - long road of chronic back pain, facial pain, migraines and FMS. For which one of the treatments for the migraines were Epidural injections which during sedation for the second injection, the sedation had an interesting side affect. I lost part of my memories, including a great chunk of my childhood, hence I can't really tell you all that I have done. I have also since worked my way up in the law firm to book keeper, always having to prove that I can do so much more than people give me credit for and I will continue to work until my boys are college bound. *cringes*

I also no longer do Pysanky because of FM I have lost a strength in my hands and I can't hold anything in my hands for long periods of time and considering it takes at the very least an hour up to weeks to create one egg, I had to give it up.



How I miss it at times along with silver smithing and being a volunteer EMT-I for the same reasons. Serioulsy how many patients would trust a medic who's hands shake like a paint mixer and is holding and intending to stick you with an 18g anigocath? Hummm? Would you. =P

I also legally changed my name from Vanessa to Raven, I kept Brooke because my mom named me this even though she wants nothing to do with me and I've never met her. She's still out there somewhere.

Soooo consider yourself tagged if you want to share the same Meme but let me know so I can read! Because Raven is Nosey. Ta!

Graphics

Like my new banner?

Ya, me too. *iz a Happy Raven*

Mute Monday!

Sorry for missing out on last week's MM, I am not sick any more so Let's do it!

Mute Monday #27: Elements

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First the "Usual"



















Then the slighlty different:

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and.... you tell me.
Here's a hint, its just one Element. :D

































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Ta everyone! :D