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Ginger anodyne clears the palate

2010-10-22T11:39:00.001-07:00

Ginger anodyne clears the palate

Top 10 Box Office Movies of 2009

2009-12-28T20:53:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Box Office Movies of 2009:

In 2009, giant robots, teen wizards and high-flying houses dominated the box office, with moviegoers flocking to theaters to the tune of over $10 billion in ticket sales. Here are the top ten highest grossing films at the domestic box office this year.

THE BLIND SIDE

10. THE BLIND SIDE
Total Gross: $184,387,000

Boasting no explosions, CGI robots or vampires, but propelled by good word-of-mouth, this inspirational drama climbed its way into the number ten spot over the Christmas holiday weekend.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

9. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Total Gross: $196,573,705

Not only did the prehistoric critter crew return for their biggest box office outing yet, the third 'Ice Age' adventure conquered the number 2 spot at the worldwide box office with a massive $883.7 million.

Monsters Vs. Aliens

8. Monsters Vs. Aliens
Total Gross: $198,351,526

In a crowded field of animated titles this year, this monstrous adventure towered over the pack, stepping into the top ten with one of the biggest spring opening weekends ever.

AVATAR

7. AVATAR
Total Gross: $212,268,000

Arguably one of the most anticipated movies of the decade, director James Cameron's visionary sci-fi epic leaped into the top ten during the final weeks of the year.

Star Trek

6. Star Trek
Total Gross: $257,730,019

Live long and propser! Director J.J. Abrams' bold re-imagining of the classic sci-fi franchise proved popular with both old and new fans alike, easily grossing more than any previous Star Trek movie.

The Hangover

5. The Hangover
Total Gross: $277,322,503

Easily the surprise breakout hit of the summer, this tawdry tale of the ultimate Vegas bachelor party gone wrong defied all expectations to become the number one R-rated comedy of all time.

Twilight Saga: New Moon

4. The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Total Gross: $280,924,000

Hot off the success of 2008's 'Twilight,' the second installment of Stephanie Meyers' supernatural romance saga wolfed down a record-breaking $72,703,754 for the highest opening day earnings of all time.

UP
3. UP
Total Gross: $293,004,164

The animation wizards at Pixar did it again, soaring to number three, nabbing the studio its second highest grossing movie ever (behind Finding Nemo), and becoming the highest grossing 3D movie of all time.

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

2. HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
Total Gross: $301,959,197

The popular teen wizard returned for his sixth year at Hogwarts to grab second place, but cast a powerful spell on the worldwide box office, taking the top spot with a magical $929.4 million.

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN

1. TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN
Total Gross: $402,111,870

Autobots battled Decepticons to the top of the box office, not only becoming the top earning movie of the year, but also firmly planting itself at number 9 among the top ten highest domestic grossing films of all time.

MORE

Voters elect Annise Parker as Houston's first openly gay mayor

2009-12-14T11:10:00.000-08:00

Voters elect Annise Parker as Houston's first openly gay mayor:
Annise Parker made history Saturday by becoming Houston's first openly gay mayor, seizing 53.6 per cent of the vote in the city's hotly contested election.

"This election has changed the world for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community. Just as it is about transforming the lives of all Houstonians for the better, and that's what my administration will be about," Parker told supporters after former city attorney Gene Locke conceded defeat.

Of the more than 152,000 residents who turned out to cast ballots in the fourth largest U.S. city Saturday, 81,652 chose Parker - some 11,000 votes more than were placed for Locke.

The election battle leading up to Saturday's balloting was marked by fierce campaigning and anti-gay rhetoric.

Parker is a lesbian who has never made a secret or an issue of her sexual orientation. But that orientation became focus of the race after anti-gay activists and conservative religious groups endorsed the 61-year-old Locke and sent out mailers condemning Parker's "homosexual behaviour."

Meanwhile, gay and lesbian political organizations nationwide rallied to support the 53-year-old Parker by raising money for her campaign and making calls urging people to vote.

Locke tried to distance himself from the anti-gay attacks while courting conservative voters who could tip the race in his favour.

Although Locke condemned the divisive rhetoric, two of his key supporters contributed money to a conservative political action committee that sent out an anti-gay mailer earlier this month, urging voters not to pick Parker because she was endorsed by the "gay and lesbian political caucus."

Campaign finance reports show Ned Holmes, finance chairman of Locke's campaign, and James Dannenbaum, a member of the campaign's finance committee, each gave $20,000.

Late Saturday, Locke offered his congratulations to Parker and urged the city to move on from its most recent battle.

"Here's what our city needs now: It needs unity. It needs us to come together and heal like we've never healed before, and to move forward under a new administration," he said.

Parker will replace Bill White, who is term-limited after serving six years and is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor.

Several smaller U.S. cities have openly gay mayors, including Portland, Oregon, Providence, Rhode Island, and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Houston, the country's fourth largest city, is predominantly Democratic and about 25 per cent black and one-third Hispanic. About 60,000 of its 2.2 million residents identify as gay or lesbian.

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On the Net:

Harris County elections: http://www.election.co.harris.tx.us/

Annise Parker: Openly Gay Mayor Elected In Houston, Texas

2009-12-14T11:07:00.000-08:00

Annise Parker has an unbeatable lead over Gene Locke in Houston's hotly contested mayoral election, meaning she will become the city's first openly gay mayor.

The Harris County elections Web site says 53.62 percent of voters who turned out Saturday chose Parker.

Her rival, former city attorney Gene Locke, was pitching to become the city's second black mayor.

The election battle leading up to Saturday's balloting was marked by fierce campaigning and anti-gay rhetoric. Parker is a lesbian who has never made a secret or issue of her sexual orientation. If she wins, Houston will become the largest U.S. city to ever have an openly gay mayor.

The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund put out a press release calling this "a watershed moment in American politics." Full press release below:

Lesbian elected mayor of Houston, Texas

Washington, D.C.--Houston, Texas has become the largest city in the United States to elect an openly gay mayor after City Controller Annise Parker was declared the winner of a runoff election tonight. Social conservatives fought her election, funding a campaign aimed at turning out likeminded voters to support her opponent, former city attorney Gene Locke. But Parker's endorsements from labor, police, women's, gay rights and other groups were echoed by the Houston Chronicle, the area's major daily newspaper, and her campaign ran a superior get-out-the-vote effort.

Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which endorsed Parker, said her victory holds tremendous significance for the gay community. "This is a watershed moment in American politics. Annise was elected by fair-minded people from across the city because of her experience and competence, and we're glad Houston soundly rejected the politics of division. This victory sends a clear signal that gays and lesbians are an integral part of American civic life, that we're willing to lead, and that voters will respond to candidates who are open and honest about their lives," Wolfe said.

Parker praised the support of the Victory Fund and its donors, who raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to help fund her campaign. "I am so grateful to the Victory Fund and its supporters for believing in this campaign from the beginning. This race was about the future of Houston, and whether we will face that future proud to be an open, welcoming, and fair-minded city. Tonight Houstonians said yes to a future like that, and I am glad the Victory Fund helped make that happen," Parker said.

Parker's election was the Victory Fund's top political priority in 2009, a year that saw 54 of its 79 endorsed openly gay, lesbian bisexual and transgender (LGBT) candidates elected to public office.

Annise Parker :elected Houston's first openly gay mayor

2009-12-14T11:02:00.000-08:00

Annise Parker :elected Houston's first openly gay
mayor:

Annise Parker made history with her election as the first openly gay mayor of a big American city, but she insisted she'll concentrate on the brick-and-mortar duties of running the country's fourth-largest city.

"I realize that I'm a role model, but I've been a role model for my community for 30 years," said Parker, 53.

Garnering 53% of the vote in Saturday's election, Parker defeated former city attorney Gene Locke, 61, who had hoped to become Houston's second black mayor.

"[Houston is] a diverse, international city that welcomes everyone," Parker said.

Parker ran on a platform of firm fiscal conservatism.

Smaller U.S. cities, such as Portland, Ore., and Providence, R.I., have elected openly gay mayors, but it's the first time a major city has followed suit.

Parker's victory comes after several setbacks for gay rights, including the repeal by voters in Maine and California of same-sex marriage laws and the rejection of gay marriage legislation in New York.

Newly-elected Annise Parker hailed for being first openly gay mayor of Houston

2009-12-14T10:52:00.000-08:00

Newly-elected Annise Parker hailed for being first openly gay mayor of Houston:
The day after Houston voters chose Annise Parker to become the city's first openly gay mayor, she did as she had throughout a contentious, hard-fought campaign: She focused on the brick-and-mortar realities of running the country's fourth-largest city.

Parker told a Sunday press conference about her transition team, her plans to change the running of the Houston Police Department and the financial constraints the city faces.

Then she paused to reflect on the significance of the election, which made Houston the largest U.S. city to elect an openly gay mayor.

"It's a historic election for my community, and I believe an election that will change some people's minds about the City of Houston," said Parker, 53. "It's a diverse, international city that welcomes everyone."

Parker, who began her political career as a gay activist, rose through the ranks of local politics to serve first on the city council, then as city controller.

"I realize that I'm a role model, but I've been a role model for my community for 30 years," she said. "It's part of who I am, and I believe it makes me a better representative for the City of Houston."

Parker defeated former city attorney Gene Locke, 61, with 53.6% of the vote Saturday in a race that had a turnout of only 16.5%. Locke had hoped to become the city's second black mayor.

A little more than 152,000 residents turned out to cast ballots in the city, which has a population of 2.2 million. Of those voters, 81,743 chose Parker — some 11,000 more than voted for Locke. About 60,000 residents identify themselves as gay or lesbian.

A call to Locke's campaign was not immediately returned.

Parker's victory comes after several setbacks for gay rights activists. New York lawmakers earlier in December rejected a bill that would have made their state the sixth to allow marriage between same-sex couples. In November, Maine voters repealed the Legislature's passage of a state law allowing same-sex marriage there.

Several smaller U.S. cities, including Portland, Ore.; Providence, R.I., and Cambridge, Mass., have openly gay mayors.

Parker had not made a secret or an issue of her sexual orientation during the campaign or any of her previous runs for city office. Nevertheless, it became the focus of the election race after anti-gay activists and conservative religious groups endorsed Locke and sent out mailers condemning Parker's "homosexual behavior."

The race was also closely watched by gay and lesbian rights organizations around the country who endorsed Parker, contributed money to her campaign and staged get-out-the-vote phone banks.

"We think Annise Parker will be a fantastic mayor for Houston, and the increased visibility that comes with that would help our community," said Jenna Lowenstein, communications director for the Stonewall Democrats, a national gay and lesbian political organization.

On Sunday, a glowing Parker dismissed the attacks by the anti-gay activists, saying they have been waging "the same ugly, divisive campaigns attacking my community for a long time.

"I'm proud that the city of Houston has grown and matured, even though they have not," said Parker, who said she celebrated her victory with a bubble bath.

Parker's term will start Jan. 1.

MORE

Pitt, Jolie celebrate fifth anniversary in Los Angeles

2009-12-10T02:54:00.000-08:00

Cliff Lee

2009-10-08T00:28:00.000-07:00

Cliff Lee aces Rockies from the mound, bases:

"He got really, really good as the game went on," said Rockies manager Jim Tracy. "It was to the point where, by the third inning, I don't know if he missed a spot. ... We certainly didn't get too many pitches to swing at. He was pretty much on the corners."

Lee, the 2008 American League Cy Young award winner, was acquired by the Phillies to pitch big games in October, and he rewarded them Wednesday. The bottom line will say that he allowed six hits in a 5-1 victory in Game 1 of the National League division series. What it won't mention is this: Things could have been different, very different, if not for a couple of fortuitous developments. MORe

World Sight Day

2009-10-08T00:16:00.000-07:00

World Sight Day to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment:

World Sight Day, celebrated on October 8th, is an annual day of awareness to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment as a major public health issue. World Sight Day is coordinated by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) under the global initiative of VISION 2020. This year, the theme for World Sight Day is Gender and Eye Health.

Why is blindness so prevalent for women and children in the developing world? Women and children face a greater risk of vision loss as a result of men's ability to access eye care services twice as often as women. In essence, two-thirds of blind people around the globe are women and girls. Blindness has become a barrier towards women's independence and their meaningful contribution to their family and community at large.

Blindness has many causes, among them are sanitation, water and nutrition. The lack of access to reliable and affordable health care results in cataracts and trachoma advancing to the stage of blindness. The good news is that 80 per cent of blindness in the developing world can be prevented, in which effective strategies can also successfully address the inequality of eye care services between men and women.

Operation Eyesight Universal is currently drilling wells in Kenya's Narok District as part of their Trachoma control project launched in 2007, and is implementing the World Health Organization's full SAFE strategy to eliminate trachoma. The SAFE strategy includes clear guidelines for Surgery, Antibiotics, Face washing and Environmental Infrastructures which consists of the building of wells and latrines to eliminate re-infection.

Operation Eyesight's ultimate goal is to eliminate blinding trachoma from this region for men, women and children. The provision of clean water will improve sanitary conditions in the communities, eliminate the potential for infection, and allow women to continually contribute to their families.

Trachoma is a disease of the eye caused by bacterial infection and is easily spread. The disease progresses gradually until scarring from prolonged infection causes the eyelashes to turn inward and scratch the cornea, leading slowly and painfully to complete blindness. In the developing world, about 80 million people are affected by trachoma and over 8 million suffer the late painful stage of the disease.

Source: OPERATION EYESIGHT UNIVERSAL

Queen Latifah: 'Persona' grata

2009-10-07T01:02:00.000-07:00

Queen Latifah: 'Persona' grata:

NEW YORK — Stepping off the elevator at a posh Midtown hotel, Queen Latifah is approached by a fan who notes, with some surprise, that she has slimmed down.

Latifah smiles easily. "I needed to," says the rapper/singer/songwriter/actress/film producer/celebrity spokeswoman, who last year added the Jenny Craig diet line to her string of endorsement deals.

But the multitasking artist born Dana Owens isn't here to discuss her weight loss, or to promote anyone's product other than her own. Settling into a booth in the lobby, Latifah orders English Breakfast tea, with milk and sugar, and begins talking about her new album, Persona. It's her first collection of original, hip-hop-driven songs in more than a decade, following two albums on which she covered traditional pop, jazz and soul tunes.

Persona contributors include fellow notables such as Missy Elliott, Mary J. Blige, Busta Rhymes and the production team Cool & Dre. Results range from the driving single Cue the Rain, which Latifah describes as "almost a rock record," to My Couch, "where I'm imagining that my guy has had a hard day of work, and I'm going to make sure he has all the loving he wants when he gets home. There's a lot of love on this album."

Latifah, 39, is less forthcoming about her romantic life. "I never comment on that," she says, gently but firmly. But she does open up about the inspiration for The World, an uncharacteristically hard-bitten track. In the song, Latifah alludes to having been molested as a 5-year-old child; her assailant was a male babysitter.

"It was important for me to write that, to get it off my chest," she says. "And to discuss it with a therapist, and tell my parents — which I did, eventually, though it took me about 20 years. And hopefully it will be helpful to someone out there who has gone through a similar situation."

The incident "left me not knowing how to deal with certain things. Boys can put pressure on you, and I didn't do so well with saying no. I had a lot to figure out, and I did eventually, but it was tough. We have to do a better job of looking out for our young girls, because there are predators out there."

Latifah also expresses concern for her female peers. "Never in my career do I remember rap being so male-dominated. In videos, women are basically shown as the girl you shake the booty with. They're objectified. There are females out there who can rap, who listen to rap. Missy and Lil' Kim and the young up-and-coming ones need an opportunity to be heard. I think we're all masculine and feminine, and a society can't be right if you don't honor the feminine voice."

Such forthright positions are integral to Latifah's enduring appeal, says former Vibe editor Alan Light. "Hip-hop applauds succeeding on your own terms, and she's done that. She's always been true to the image she created: proud, strong, socially aware. Those qualities are there whether in her music, her movies or when she's hosting award shows."

Though Latifah likes to play film characters who share her strength, "they don't have to be that way," she says. "A good script is always the starting point." Having voiced the role of a pregnant mammoth for this summer's animated Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, she'll turn up next year opposite fellow rapper/actor Common in the romantic comedy Just Wright.

Latifah also will kick off a month-long concert tour Nov. 1 in Seattle. "I know I'll have so much fun rocking these new songs on stage, and, of course, playing older favorites." Covergirl, the tour's sponsor, has launched a video contest on QueenLatifah.com to choose opening acts in select cities. A grand-prize winner will score a record contract and the chance to be featured in a national print ad for Latifah's Covergirl Queen Collection.

Light says there will be little pressure to boost Persona's commercial performance: "Her recordings are more important symbolically at this point, to show she hasn't left that world behind. She's never turned her back on hip-hop, but I think it's always been clear that she's not going to stay in just one place."

Or, he might add, rest on her laurels. "I've been in this business long enough that I've had great days and days when I'm over it," Latifah says. "But then someone will tell me their daughter was inspired by my being a big girl who's successful, or I'll meet a grown woman I inspired.

"The other morning I was (out shopping), and a lady told me how much I meant to her and to women of color, and women in general. When I hear that, I know that I'm doing the right thing, and that I should keep going."MORE

Serena Williams wins, will regain No. 1 ranking

2009-10-07T00:59:00.000-07:00

Serena Williams wins, will regain No. 1 ranking:

Serena Williams is headed back to the top.

Williams needed only to win her second-round match at the China Open on Tuesday to reclaim the No. 1 ranking, because the current top-ranked player, Dinara Safina, couldn't get past that early round at the tournament.

Coming in, Williams had to fare better than Safina in Beijing to move to the top of the rankings next week. Safina lost to local wild card entry Zhang Shuai in the second round Monday.

Williams then needed just over one hour for a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Ekaterina Makarova of Russia.

"It feels pretty good. I'm really excited, I guess," Williams said. "I don't want to put too much pressure on myself, but I'm obviously happy to be there because I feel like I've been working so hard all year and just happy to be back."

Safina's loss made No. 226 Zhang the lowest-ranked woman to defeat a No. 1. Julie Coin of France was ranked 188th when she beat then-No. 1 Ana Ivanovic at the 2008 U.S. Open.

"I would like to take some break now. ... I'm very upset with myself," Safina said.

In other action, Maria Sharapova rallied for a 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-5 win over Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, and Peng Shuai of China upset defending champion Jelena Jankovic 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.

Fourth-seeded Elena Dementieva of Russia beat Melinda Czink of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-3.

In men's play, defending champion Andy Roddick lost to Polish qualifier Lucasz Kubot 6-2, 6-4, and top-seeded Rafael Nadal had a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 win over Cypriot wild card Marcos Baghdatis.

Williams has spent a total of 72 weeks as No. 1, including from Feb. 2 to Apr. 19 this year. The American said her focus for the rest of the year would be the WTA Tour Championships in Doha at the end of October.

"This is a tough part of the year. It's kind of toward the end and everybody's bodies are starting to ache, you're really fighting and you just do your best," she said.

Sharapova, who last week won the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo for her first tournament victory since returning from a 10-month injury layoff, recovered from a 5-2 deficit in the final set, winning five games in a row as ninth-ranked Azarenka struggled.

After winning the second-set tiebreaker, Azarenka broke Sharapova three times to take a commanding lead. The tide turned in the eighth game, when Sharapova won a break of her own.

"I knew that if I just kept steady and maybe I got an extra ball back and kept going for it and being aggressive, maybe good things will happen," Sharapova said. "And today they did, and I certainly felt like I stepped it up when I needed to.

"I realized I certainly don't want to be going home. I don't want to be leaving China that soon, so I just went for it. I kept being aggressive and I stayed positive — I think that gets you a long way."

Jankovic, who retired in last week's Tokyo final, said her arm and wrist still bother her. She said it was especially apparent in the third set.

"I couldn't hit the ball hard enough," she said.

Roddick got an early flight home after his first-round loss.

"I was trying stuff out there and nothing seemed to be working too well," Roddick said.

James Blake of the United States will stick around longer. He stopped Florian Mayer of Germany 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

Safina's older brother, Marat Safin, enjoyed support from the Chinese fans on his way to a 6-4, 6-2 win over Jose Acasuso of Argentina.

Safin, a two-time Grand Slam champion and winner of the inaugural China Open in 2004, has announced plans to retire at the end of the year.MORE

Man Booker Prize

2009-10-07T00:10:00.001-07:00

Novel Set in Henry VIII’s Court Wins Booker Prize:

Hilary Mantel won the 41st annual Man Booker Prize on Tuesday night for “Wolf Hall,” a historical novel about Henry VIII’s court centered on the king’s adviser, Thomas Cromwell.In the run-up to Tuesday’s ceremony at the Guildhall in London, Ms. Mantel, 57, was the overwhelming favorite, with the bookmakers William Hill giving “Wolf Hall” odds of 10-11, the shortest odds ever for a nomineeMs. Mantel beat out the literary lions J. M. Coetzee and A. S. Byatt, both previous winners of the prize, and deprived Mr. Coetzee of the chance to become a three-time winner of the award. She was the first favorite to win since Yann Martel won for “Life of Pi” in 2002.

Accepting the award, Ms. Mantel said, “I had to interest the historians, I had to amuse the jaded palate of the critical establishment and most of all I had to capture the imagination of the general reader.”

James Naughtie, a BBC broadcaster who led the panel of judges, described “Wolf Hall” as “a thoroughly modern novel set in the 16th century,” praising it for the way it “probes the mysteries of power by examining and describing the meticulous dealings in Henry VIII’s court, revealing in thrilling prose how politics and history is made by men and women.”

Mr. Naughtie revealed that the decision was not unanimous and that the five-judge panel was split this year 3 to 2 in favor of “Wolf Hall.” In a report on the Web site of the Guardian newspaper, guardian.co.uk, Mr. Naughtie said the panel’s decision “was based on the sheer bigness of the book, the boldness of its narrative and scene-setting, the gleam that there is in its detail.”

The Man Booker Prize, Britain’s most prestigious literary award, is conferred every year to a novel written by an author from Britain, Ireland or the Commonwealth nations. The award comes with a check for about $80,000 and usually results in a bump in sales. Last year’s winner, “The White Tiger” by Aravind Adiga, for example, has sold 236,000 copies in paperback in the United States, according to Nielsen BookScan, which tracks about 70 percent of retail sales. “The Gathering” by Anne Enright, which won in 2007, has sold 300,000 paperback copies.

Ms. Mantel, who has written 10 novels, a collection of short stories and a memoir, spent five years writing “Wolf Hall” and is already working on a sequel. This was her first time being nominated for the Booker Prize.

“Wolf Hall,” published by Fourth Estate in Britain and Henry Holt & Company in the United States, was widely praised among reviewers. Writing in The New York Times on Monday, Janet Maslin said the book’s “main characters are scorchingly well rendered,” adding that “their sharp-clawed machinations are presented with nonstop verve in a book that can compress a wealth of incisiveness into a very few well-chosen words.”

And in The Sunday Telegraph of London, Lucy Hughes-Hallett wrote that Ms. Mantel “makes that world at once so concrete you can smell the rain-drenched wool cloaks and feel the sharp fibers of the rushes underfoot.”

The Booker Prize was perhaps most notable this year for its lack of controversy. In previous years, details of the judges’ deliberations have been catnip for London’s literary society and the shortlists have often been scrutinized as much for who is left off as for who is included. This year, several heavyweights — and former winners — were left off the long list of finalists, but that was largely viewed as a measure of the strength of the year’s offerings in literary fiction.

The shortlist of finalists for the award were Ms. Byatt for “The Children’s Book,” ; Mr. Coetzee for “Summertime,” Adam Foulds for “The Quickening Maze,” Simon Mawer for “The Glass Room,” and Sarah Waters for “The Little Stranger.”More

Man Booker Prize

2009-10-07T00:10:00.000-07:00

Man Booker Prize

2009-10-07T00:04:00.000-07:00

Novel set in Tudor times wins Booker prize:

LONDON (AFP) – "Wolf Hall," a historical novel about King Henry VIII's advisor Thomas Cromwell, won its British author Hilary Mantel the coveted Booker literary prize.

"I can tell you that at this moment, I'm happily flying through the air," said Mantel, 57, as she accepted the honour at a ceremony at London's Guildhall.

"I hesitated for such a long time before beginning to write this book -- actually for about 20 years."

One of the most prestigious awards in English-language literature, the annual Booker Prize goes to the best work of fiction by an author from the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland.

It comes with a winner's cheque for 50,000 pounds and all but guarantees worldwide readership and an upsurge in book sales.

Last year's winner was India's Aravind Adiga for his debut novel "The White Tiger", which has sold more than half a million copies and been translated into 30 languages.

"Wolf Hall" emerged the winner after more than three hours' deliberation by the Booker judges, who were split three to two on giving it the prize.

Chairman of judges and broadcast journalist James Naughtie said the book demands "hard work" but yields "fantastic rewards."

"Hilary Mantel has created what one of the judges has said was a contemporary novel, a modern novel, which happens to be set in the 16th century," he said.

"We thought it was an extraordinary piece of story-telling."

Mantel, a 57-year-old former social worker, spent five years writing "Wolf Hall" and is currently working on a sequel.

Set in the 1520s, it tells the story of the ruthless Cromwell's rise to prominence in the Tudor court of Henry VIII.

South African-born Australian J.M. Coetzee was in the running for his fictionalised memoir "Summertime", while A.S. Byatt's "The Children's Book" was her nominated work.

Completing the shortlist of nominees was Adam Foulds for "The Quickening Maze", Simon Mawer for "The Glass Room" and Sarah Walters for "The Little Stranger".

Previous winners of the Booker Prize include Salman Rushdie, Kazuo Ishiguro, Margaret Atwood, Ben Okri and Thomas Keneally.

Man Booker Prize

2009-10-06T23:55:00.000-07:00

Mcdonald's Monopoly

2009-10-06T23:44:00.000-07:00

Play MONOPOLY HERE & NOW EDITION™:

What would MONOPOLY be like if it were invented today? Find out as this classic family favorite gets a modern makeover for today's would-be billionaires! Load your account with millions, roll the dice, and move all-new tokens around the board.

DOWNLOAD

Arnel Pineda

2009-10-06T23:34:00.000-07:00

Journey’s Arnel Pineda Rocks Out With Oprah:

There will always be a heavy contingent of Journey fans – and classic rock fans in general – who believe Journey is only Journey when lead singer Steve Perry is singing all those memorable hits. But the Arnel Pineda story is pretty damn good even if he doesn’t sing “Wheel in the Sky” quite as well as Perry. And hey, fans of Pineda would argue the opposite.

The whole inspirational Pineda story made it to Oprah Monday for a “Don’t stop believing”-themed show, which included a performance by Journey.The get discovered by Journey guitarist Neil Schon from a YouTube clip after a difficult life growing up in the Philippines is awesome. Is this movie in development already? If not, it should be. Like Metal God, but a lot better.

But the only reason this story really works is because the guy sounds so much like Steve Perry. You cannot have a voice like Dave Matthews and get away with belting out “Don’t Stop Believin’.” So kudos to Pineda for honing some killer vocal chops, and to Schon for realizing not only can the guy sing, but that he sounds so much like Perry that fans won’t have much trouble adjusting.

But it works. It absolutely works. The guy who once had a cover band call the Zoo, making a living covering everyone from Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin to Air Supply and The Eagles, is living the dream.more

Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs

2009-10-06T23:33:00.000-07:00

SEVEN DWARFS – FUN FACTS

“The seven dwarfs, we knew, were ‘naturals’ for the medium of our pictures. In them we could instill boundless humor, not only as to their physical appearances, but in their mannerisms, personalities, voices and actions.” - Walt Disney

By late 1933, Walt Disney began to crystallize his idea of making Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as a feature-length animated film. Development on the Seven Little Men began early on and by the Fall of 1934, from several early story meetings in Walt’s office, initial shapes and designs of these characters gave them more of a forest gnome look.

◊ Individually, each dwarf represents a type of human personality generally found in most offices, schools or neighborhoods.

◊ Other names considered for the dwarfs early on included: Wheezy, Puffy, Stuffy, Biggo-Ego, Jumpy, Baldy, Nifty, Gabby, Stubby and Burby.

◊ Six of the famed dwarfs have eyebrows fashioned after Walt Disney’s own expressive eyebrows as they fascinated everyone who ever sat in story meetings with him. Walt’s eyebrows tended to wander about, helping to more perfectly express anything Walt wanted to convey. Early on, the artists agreed on this resemblance however, Happy is the only one who is different as his eyebrows are white and bushy.more

Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs

2009-10-06T23:30:00.000-07:00

Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs:

In conjunction with the newly released Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition DVD/Blu-ray combo pack, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has released two video clips and several pieces of behind-the-scenes artwork on the seven diminutive heroes of the title:

Swine Flu Vaccine Risks

2009-10-06T23:25:00.000-07:00

Swine Flu Vaccine Risks:

"Why many Americans are wary of the swine flu vaccine":

Atlanta - As the H1N1 flu vaccine begins arriving at clinics around the country this week, Americans are confronting a difficult question: Is the risk of getting the swine flu higher than potential complications from a vaccination?

Most US doctors say the new H1N1 vaccine, though quickly tested, is safe and effective. The biggest problem right now, they say, is making sure there's enough vaccine for everybody who wants a shot.

But as the US embarks on its largest vaccine campaign in history, a number of concerns – including actual effectiveness, its effect on children with asthma, and the use of miniscule amounts of mercury as a preservative in adult doses – are feeding into a growing reluctance by as many two-thirds of all US moms and dads to give their children the shot, according to a recent Consumer Reports survey.

Health experts worry that the pushback could jeopardize the primary aim of government officials: to contain the spread of swine flu in day cares and schools by urging everyone between ages 6 and 24 to get vaccinated.

"Polls are showing that more parents are more concerned about giving their child another vaccination than the child getting seriously ill, and I think that's going to seriously blunt the government's effort to prevent a massive outbreak," says Sonja Gerrard, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

The government hopes nearly half of all Americans will get the shots. So far, between 500 and 600 fatalities have been reported in the US, compared with the oft-cited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) figure of 36,000 annual fatalities from seasonal flu, primarily among the elderly.

But some critics of the vaccine suggest that the flu shots are not particularly effective in children, and worse, could cause complications in children with asthma. Bill Sardi, a health journalist in San Dimas, Calif., worries that the vaccine could lead to a more virulent strain as the virus is forced, through what he calls "genetic pressure," to mutate.

So deep is the resistance that there have been reports of "flu parties" where parents expose themselves and their children to the flu. Their thinking is that they will strengthen their immune systems – what they see as a sort of natural vaccination.

For its part, the CDC says flu shots can reduce the risk of infection by as much as 70 to 90 percent in primarily healthy adults.

"There's no doubt there's some benefit" to vaccines, William Schaffner, an epidemiologist at Vanderbilt University, told American Medical News earlier this year.

In aggregate, even a small reduction in flu cases could have a huge impact on overall transmission rates across the country, says Dr. Gerrard of the University of Michigan. That is the main reason why the $3 billion vaccination program, despite variations in effectiveness, has become the country's primary strategy to fight the swine flu.

Partly to ease fears about H1N1 vaccination risks, the CDC is for the first time conducting an extensive survey to track side effects from the new H1N1 vaccinations, including effects on those with asthma. Officials hope this will help debunk other popular prejudices, such as the assertion that vaccinations are linked to autism – something that has never been proven scientifically.

"One reason why folks fear vaccines is that they're don't think they're being treated seriously when there are reactions or they think a particular condition might be linked," says Gerrard. "Now when we have a renewed effort towards maintaining an open discussion between people who are taking vaccines and scientists analyzing the data, people will become more comfortable with these public health measures."More

Five Endangered Cultural Monuments# Endangered...

2009-10-06T23:19:00.000-07:00

Five Endangered Cultural Monuments:
Since 1966 the World Monuments Fund has published a Watch List that includes cultural sites in danger of being demolished or permanently damaged due to encroaching development or environmental disasters. A total of 93 sites have now been denoted "at risk," but here's the good news: The attention brought to them through these efforts often helps to rally preservation and stewardship groups around the monuments. From the 2010 list, here are five that we think need the most help due to recent events.

Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras
Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, Luzon, Philippines
These stunning man-made terraces were built during the 16th century for the seemingly impossible task of cultivating rice on the steep cliffs. Today, these structures are still heralded as some of the world's best examples of soil conservation technology, but the terraces face abandonment as traditional rice farmers have moved on to other jobs. Here not only must a site be preserved, but also the way of life for an entire culture. And that is something that has changed exponentially in the
last few years--especially in light of the devastating flooding due to the double typhoons that recently plagued the region.MORE

Elizabeth Taylor Prepares For Heart Valve Surgery Via MitraClip

2009-10-06T23:07:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Taylor Prepares For Heart Valve Surgery Via MitraClip:My news wires just came alive with a fascinating story about Elizabeth Taylor’s anticipated heart valve surgery.

Although details are still coming out, it appears that Elizabeth Taylor suffers from mitral regurgitation (commonly referred to as a leaky heart valve or insufficiency). Also of significant interest… It appears
that the MitraClip, a new minimally invasive technology, may be used to repair Elizabeth Taylor’s diseased heart valve.
Here are the details from The Press Association:

Dame Elizabeth Taylor is to undergo surgery to repair a leaky heart valve, the veteran actress has announced via Twitter. The 77-year-old called on supporters to pray for her as she explained
in a series of messages the procedure to be carried out at an undisclosed hospital.MORE

Minnesota Twins take AL Central 6-5

2009-10-06T23:01:00.000-07:00

Minnesota Twins take AL Central 6-5:

Storm back from 7 games out to overtake Detroit Tigers

The ghosts of the Metrodome prevailed Tuesday night, giving the Minnesota Twins more than just a second wind.

The Twins capped their stunning comeback to the American League Central title in fitting style, as they overcame a three-run deficit and endured several game-changing twists during before seizing a 6-5 victory in 12 innings over the Detroit Tigers in the division tiebreaker.

A Metrodome regular-season record of 54,088 became delirious when Alexi Casilla's single with one out off closer Fernando Rodney scored Carlos Gomez with the winning run.

The Twins (87-76) advance to the AL Division Series, where they will open Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium with Brian Duensing facing CC Sabathia.

"I had that emotion inside where you just want to clap when it's over -- win or lose -- because it was such a wonderful baseball game," said Bobby Keppel, the Twins' seventh reliever who worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the 12th. "That game was special."

It marked one of the most memorable games in the 28-year history of the Metrodome. The Twins will move to outdoor Target Field next season, but everyone seemed aware of the zany circumstances that have seemed to favor the home team here over the years.

"You just know how it is here," said Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge, who unsuccessfully contested a Keppel pitch grazed him with the bases loaded that would have given the Tigers the lead in the top of the 12th.

"They're prone to coming back. But that doesn't change the way we go about it. We just have to play harder. And we did. It just didn't work out."

As excited as the Twins were, the Tigers (86-77) were just as disappointed after moving into first place May 8 and holding a seven-game lead on Sept. 7, only to skid into a tiebreaker at the Metrodome because the Twins took the season series.

"I'm still calling it one of the best games I've ever played in," said Inge, who had an RBI double in the 10th that gave the Tigers a 5-4 lead. "I'm going to take the outcome out of it. Pitch-to-pitch, inning-to-inning, out-to-out, at-bat to at-bat, it's the best game, by far, I've ever been in.

The Tigers surged to a 3-0 lead in the third behind Miguel Cabrera's two-run home run. Before the game, Cabrera told reporters he had apologized to his teammates for a domestic dispute with his wife that prompted police officers to arrive at his home around 6 a.m. Saturday.

The Twins, however, rallied behind home runs by Jason Kubel and Orlando Cabrera (that barely cleared the left-field wall) for a 4-3 lead after seven innings.

Magglio Ordonez tied the game with a homer in the eighth, but his line drive in the ninth turned into an inning-ending double play with Miguel Cabrera on deck. And in the 12th, umpire Randy Marsh ruled that Keppel's pitch eluded Inge's jersey, although television replays indicated otherwise.MORE

Tom DeLay expected to quit "Dancing"

2009-10-06T22:56:00.000-07:00

Tom DeLay expected to quit "Dancing":
the former Republican congressman turned TV celebrity -- is expected to quit popular program "Dancing With The Stars" on Tuesday night, according to media reports.

People magazine said DeLay will withdraw on Tuesday night's result show due to stress fractures in both of his feet.

DeLay, 62, known as "The Hammer" during his years as the tough Republican majority leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, was clearly suffering during Monday night's performance when he danced the samba with partner Cheryl Burke but scored the second to lowest mark from the judges.

Despite the score, DeLay's cha-cha-cha, tango, gaudy costumes and his background as a conservative politician have all made him one of the most talked-about contestants in the 9th season of the popular ABC TV ballroom dancing show.

The Texas politician ignored the advice of doctors and producers to quit the show ahead of Monday's third round after hurting his left foot. He had earlier injured his right foot.

DeLay was House majority leader from 2003-2005 before being forced to step down on charges of violating campaign finance laws.MORE

Halloween costume ideas

2009-10-06T22:52:00.000-07:00

Halloween costume ideas:October is here, which means Halloween will be here before we know it. To get into the spirit of this ghoulish holiday, here are some costume ideas that are easy to put together and are unique enough to keep people guessing.

Self-Absorbed - Attach sponges to normal clothing.

Quarterback - Wear normal clothing, and attach a quarter to the center of your back.

Self Portrait - Put a picture frame around your neck and sign your shirt.

Chick Magnet - Dress in black or gray clothing and attach stuffed baby chicks to your shirt.

Piece of Gum Stuck to Your Shoe - Dress in all pink and attach a shoe to the top of your head.

Hell-On-Wheels - Dress as a devil and wear roller blades.

Static Cling - Wear mismatched clothing and pin dryer sheets and socks to the outfit. Use hair gel to make hair stick up.

Bed Bug - Wear pajamas and fuzzy slippers. Attach bug antennae to your head.

Emma Watson ‘Being Stalked at Uni’

2009-10-04T05:27:00.000-07:00

http://todays-top-youtube-vedio.blogspot.com/Emma Watson is being stalked — at university!

The Harry Potter star is currently attending Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

She reportedly become a victim of “an orchestrated campaign of Ivy League harassment” as Harvard beat Brown 24-21 in Cambridge last weekend.

Watson was targeted by students from the monthly Harvard Voice magazine, who recorded the actress’ whereabouts during the game via Twitter.

Before the game, a blog post on the mag’s website said, “We will be Live-Tweetin’ the game and possibly stalking Emma Watson, so keep your eyes peeled for that, too!”

In one message on Twitter, they wrote, “Let’s go Hermione! Lolz,” in reference to her character in Harry Potter.

Another said, “EMMA WATSON HAS BEEN SPOTTED!!!”

The Harvard Voice also posted a picture of Watson on its Web site and proclaimed its stalking mission a “success.”

Some readers were furious. “There is a locatable cause of Watson’s experience at Harvard Stadium and a blameworthy party,” read one online rebuke. “Anybody can do anything unfeelingly to anybody in this day and age, especially if they feel imbued with entitlement from membership in Harvard College.”

The Voice eventually attached an editor’s note to its post of Watson’s photo, saying, “There seems to be much ado about nothing over this photo and liveblog. Understand that these live tweets were made to be intentionally outrageous and overblown.”

Emma, 19, has previously said she wants her time at uni to be as normal as possible.

“Until something comes along that I feel strongly about, like Hermione, I don’t want to act again,” she said in September.

“I probably sound like a paranoid nut, but I’m doing this because I want to be normal. I really want anonymity.”

50 Cent - Flight 187

2009-09-06T11:01:00.001-07:00

50 Cent - Flight 187:

Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow

2009-09-06T10:58:00.000-07:00

Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtGlHPFCH8A

David Guetta feat. Akon - Sexy Bitch [HQ] Nice Sound / Bass [2009 new]

2009-09-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

David Guetta feat. Akon - Sexy Bitch [HQ] Nice Sound / Bass [2009 new]:

Miley Cyrus - 7 Things - Official Music Video (HQ)

2009-09-06T10:55:00.002-07:00

Miley Cyrus - 7 Things - Official Music Video (HQ):

Michael Jackson - Bad

2009-09-06T10:55:00.001-07:00

Michael Jackson - Bad:

Category: Music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG5NhkxQJQc

Michael Jackson - They Don't Care About Us

2009-09-06T10:54:00.000-07:00

Michael Jackson - They Don't Care About Us:

Category: Music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCqQ2JcQWGs

Jay Sean - Down: Clean Version

2009-09-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

Jay Sean - Down: Clean Version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m34xyw8E-Qs

Michael Jackson - Beat It

2009-09-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

Michael Jackson - Beat It:

Michael Jackson Beat It from the album Beat It
© 1982 MJJ Productions Inc.

Category: Music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqxo1SKB0z8

Miley Cyrus - Party In the USA (Highest Quality)

2009-09-06T10:50:00.000-07:00

Miley Cyrus - Party In the USA (Highest Quality):

This was just released! (not even released...)
This is an EP for her new clothing line (thanks peaceandlove966)
Please Enjoy! THis is the best quality out there!
Im not the biggest Miley Cyrus Fan....but this song pretty good!
No Copyright infringment intended!

***I know it says Party in the US idk why I just checked back to the video and it even says i put in usA it just wont show up! ugh

************I know you have to skip to 35 seconds. Im doing it for copyright rights so they dont do an audio swap!

**HONORS :D**

#19 - Most Discussed (This Month) - Music
#82 - Most Viewed (This Month)
#27 - Most Viewed (This Month) - Music
#39 - Top Favorited (This Month) - Music
#91 - Top Rated (This Month) - Music

Category: Music

Linkin Park - "New Divide"

2009-09-06T10:49:00.000-07:00

Linkin Park - "New Divide":

The official music video for New Divide, filmed on the set of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, directed by Joe Hahn. Get the song at iTunes now. The soundtrack from the film is in stores 6/23.

Category: Music

Michael Jackson - Thriller

2009-09-06T10:48:00.002-07:00

Michael Jackson - Thriller:

Category: Music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtyJbIOZjS8

Pitbull - Hotel Room Service ( Official Video ) HD 2009

2009-09-06T10:48:00.001-07:00

Pitbull - Hotel Room Service ( Official Video ) HD 2009:

Pitbull - Hotel Room Service ( Official Video ) HD

This is the Outstanding brand new Official Video for ( Pitbull - Hotel Room ) with the best sound on youtube. This is gonna be big world wide i just know it. i'v just had it sent to me about 10mins ago and you know how we do on Tuff Jamma TV lol ( allways the 1st and the best ). Pitbull has been doin some big things latey and this song is deffinitely up there with the best. i thort it was gonna be hard to top the smash hit ( i know you want me / Calle Ocho ) but pitbull has been in the game for a few years now so he knows what everyone wants. the man is gettin bigger and bigger all the time and 2009 is deffinitely his year with the like of eminem and lady gaga. pitbul is unstoppalbe and he cant stop makin hits. this one is deffinitely gonna get every1 up on the dance floor ( deffinitely the ladys ) i know for a fact so if u like it ( which i know u will lol ) plz buy it from itunes ( make sure its from Pitbulls record lable be'coz they deserve all the credit ). i'm just a big fan of pitbulls work and on tuff jamma we mainly work as promoting all the smash hits with no money involded and we just mainly do it for you so u know whats gonner be big ( and the fact you see it 1st ). plz check out all of pitballs music and all of pitballs record lables music ( Ultra/Warner Bros ). anyways thank you for you time and plz share this with every1 you know so we can get pitball as number 1# in the charts with this amazin song. peace and god bless. holla..................... P.S............. Plz RATE, COMMENT, FAV AND SUB. This gives us a will to carry on. THANK YOU. Peace

Category: Music

David Guetta ft. Akon Sexy Bitch

2009-09-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

David Guetta ft. Akon Sexy Bitch:

Miley Cyrus - The Climb - Official Music Video (HQ)

2009-09-06T10:46:00.002-07:00

Miley Cyrus - The Climb - Official Music Video (HQ):

The Climb is the brand new hit single from Miley Cyrus available on Hannah Montana: The Movie Soundtrack in stores March 24! Hannah Montana: The Movie only in Theaters April 10
Click (more info) for Lyrics.

I can almost see it
That dream I'm dreaming but
There's a voice inside my head sayin,
You'll never reach it,
Every step I'm taking,
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking but I
Got to keep trying
Got to keep my head held high

There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes you going to have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what?s waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing,
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes they knock me down but
No I'm not breaking
I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm going to remember most yeah
Just got to keep going
And I,
I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on, cause

There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes I'm going to have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes you going to have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

Keep on moving
Keep climbing
Keep the faith baby
It's all about
It's all about
The climb
Keep the faith
Keep your faith

Category: Music

Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling

2009-09-06T10:46:00.001-07:00

Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMxASjxRk1w

Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling (Official Music) HQ

2009-09-06T10:45:00.002-07:00

Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling (Official Music) HQ:

The OFFICIAL "Run This Town" Video

2009-09-06T10:45:00.001-07:00

The OFFICIAL "Run This Town" Video:

Check out the official "Run This Town" video! Jay-Z! Rihanna! Kanye West! Roc Nation stand up!

www.Jay-Z.com

Category: Music

Beyoncé - Halo

2009-09-06T10:44:00.001-07:00

Beyoncé - Halo:

Beyoncé Halo from the album Halo
(c) 2008 Sony Music Entertainment

Category: Music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70AgyIEnBRE

Lady Gaga - Just Dance

2009-09-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

Lady Gaga - Just Dance:

Music video by Lady Gaga performing Just Dance
with Melina [Video Director], Kim Dellara [Video Producer]
(C) 2008 Interscope Records

Category: Music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M65zI9LH-as

Keri Hilson - Knock You Down

2009-09-06T10:40:00.002-07:00

Keri Hilson - Knock You Down:

Music video by Keri Hilson performing Knock You Down
with Chris Robinson [Video Director], Rosanne Cunningham [Video Producer]
(C) 2009 Mosley Music/Interscope Records

Category: Music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF5Q1jr28PM

Michael Jackson - Billie Jean

2009-09-06T10:40:00.001-07:00

Michael Jackson - Billie Jean:

Category: Music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En-cHBv7UpA

Pitbull - I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho) (Available on ULTRA HITS NOW!) OFFICIAL VIDEO

2009-09-06T10:39:00.000-07:00

Pitbull - I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho) (Available on ULTRA HITS NOW!) OFFICIAL VIDEO:

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart "Young Adult Friction"

2009-09-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart "Young Adult Friction":

The new single from their self-titled debut album. Directed by Art Boonparn.

Category: Music

Jennifer Hudson gives birth to boy

2009-08-12T03:59:00.000-07:00

Singer and actress Jennifer Hudson has given birth to her first child -- a boy named David Daniel Otunga Jr, her publicist said on Tuesday.

Hudson, 27, suffered both triumph and tragedy in the last 12 months winning a Grammy award four months after the murders in her Chicago home town of her mother, brother and nephew.

The Oscar-winning star of "Dreamgirls" has been engaged for almost a year to actor David Otunga.

"The baby is beautiful and perfect," said Hudson's publicist Lisa Kasteler. "His parents are ecstatic."MORE

About Edward M. Kennedy

2009-08-12T03:55:00.001-07:00

Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (born February 22, 1932) is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. In office since November 1962, Kennedy is currently in his eighth full (and ninth overall) term in the Senate. He is the second most senior member of the Senate, after Robert Byrd of West Virginia, and the third-longest-serving senator of all time. The most prominent living member of the Kennedy family, he is the youngest brother of President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, both victims of assassinations, and the father of Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy.

Kennedy was born in Boston and raised in Massachusetts, New York, Florida, and England. He was educated at Harvard College, where he was expelled for cheating on an exam but later readmitted, and the University of Virginia School of Law. His 1958 marriage to Virginia Joan Bennett would later end in divorce. He was a manager in his brother John's successful 1960 campaign for president, then worked as an assistant district attorney for Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Kennedy entered the Senate in a 1962 special election to fill the seat once held by John. He was seriously injured in an airplane crash in 1964 and still suffers from back pain as a result. Kennedy was elected to a full six-year term in 1964 and was reelected in 1970, 1976, 1982, 1988, 1994, 2000 and 2006.

In the 1969 Chappaquiddick incident, the car Kennedy was driving ran off a bridge and plunged into water, resulting in the death of passenger Mary Jo Kopechne. Kennedy pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and was given a suspended sentence; however, doubts about his account of the accident significantly damaged his chances of ever becoming President of the United States. Kennedy's one run for the office, in the 1980 presidential election, ended in a primary campaign loss to incumbent Democratic President Jimmy Carter. Kennedy is known for his oratorical power, with his 1968 eulogy for his brother Robert and his 1980 Democratic National Convention rallying cry for American liberalism being his best-known moments. Kennedy's heated rhetoric helped lead to the defeat of the 1987 Robert Bork Supreme Court nomination and usher in an era of intense political battles over federal judicial nominations. Kennedy's personal behavior became the subject of public ridicule in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but his 1992 marriage to Victoria Anne Reggie stabilized his life.MORE

About Edward M. Kennedy

2009-08-12T03:55:00.000-07:00

Lincoln penny unveiling expected to attract thousands

2009-08-12T03:52:00.000-07:00

Thursday’s unveiling of the third of four 2009 commemorative Abraham Lincoln pennies is expected to attract large crowds to the Old State Capitol, where U.S. Mint Director Ed Moy and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., will front a 30-minute ceremony beginning at 10 a.m.

The four pennies, introduced this year in honor of Lincoln’s bicentennial, depict different aspects of Lincoln’s life on their backsides. The first two recall Lincoln’s birth in Kentucky and his boyhood in Indiana. The penny unveiled on Thursday represents Lincoln’s professional life as an attorney in Springfield and portrays Lincoln standing in front of the Old State Capitol.

Based on the estimated 3,000 to 4,000 who attended the May unveiling of the second penny in Lincoln City, Ind., Thursday’s ceremony could be packed.

“In Indiana, there were many, many, many people,” said Mint spokeswoman Jana Prewitt. “(The line) was snaked around the park, down the sidewalks and roads leading to the amphitheater and parking lots.”

Each child 18 and younger in attendance Thursday will receive a free Springfield penny. An exchange will be held afterward, when the public will be able to purchase up to three two-roll packs of the new pennies. Each roll contains 50 cents.

The exchange will be dollar for dollar, Prewitt said. The Mint also will sell the pennies online, but at a steeper price. Each two-roll pack — 100 pennies — will sell for $8.95 plus $4.95 for shipping and handling.

“At the events, we do exchanges for the public. Nobody makes any money. It’s an even exchange. But our Web site requires us to process orders and have an ordering infrastructure that is customer-service based,” Prewitt said.

The ceremony is expected to last about 30 minutes. Mayor Tim Davlin and various government officials also are expected to attend. Singer Debbie Ross will perform the National Anthem a cappella. The Lincoln Troubadours also are scheduled to perform. WICS-TV anchor Jerry Lambert will be master of ceremonies.

The fourth Lincoln penny, honoring Lincoln as president, will be unveiled in November at a location still to be determined.

Pete Sherman can be reached at 788-1539.MORE

Isabelle Fuhrman’s the face of evil in ‘Orphan’

2009-07-27T08:48:00.000-07:00

“If America hates me, I’ve done my job,”

says Isabelle Fuhrman, the child star of

Friday’s “The Orphan.” Fuhrman plays

9-year-old Esther, a somber, disturbed

little girl whose malicious nature is

unleashed on her adoptive parents, played

by Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard. The

film has raised the ire of adoption

advocates, who claim evil little Esther

gives orphans a bad name.

For Fuhrman, 12, Esther is the biggest

break of her career - and a unique one.

“This is an evil character and most of the

evil children are male; not many are

females,” she said, citing Macaulay Culkin

as “The Good Son” and the devil disguised

as the boy Damien in “The Omen.”

http://todays-top-youtube-vedio.blogspot.com/

Esther, who wears oddly formal,

old-fashioned clothes, doesn’t just

manipulate her adoptive family with mind

games and terrorize her siblings. She

murders anyone who gets in her way.

“A lot of people expect me to be this

freaky child who walks around giving this

glare,” Fuhrman said. “But I’m not.”

“I’m supposed to be like that but I

totally am different than Esther. And you

may try to feel sorry for her, but she’s

totally mean.”

How did Fuhrman get inside such a monster?

“The minute I’d get my hair curled and

into my dress I’d transform into her, and

throughout the day I’d be Esther.

Something clicked. Every morning I’d say,

‘Let’s go.’

“Mainly I read the script and talk about

the character with my coach and he lets me

figure out what things I could do that

could make Esther totally different from

me. Some people bite their nails, chew ice

or put their fingers through their hair,”

she said, laughing.MOREhttp://todays-top-youtube-vedio.blogspot.com/

Posters of of Isabelle fuhrman:

ORPHAN - Review:
ORPHAN would seem like another entry into horror’s ‘scary kid’ sub-genre but in reality it draws upon another tried and true plotline, that of the psychotic stranger entering the lives of normal people. We saw the psychotic neighbor in PACIFIC HEIGHTS; the psychotic nanny in THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE; the psychotic new dad in THE STEPFATHER; and countless others. For whatever reason, this is a formula that generally tends to produce a decent film. Perhaps it’s the turn from normalcy into deranged killer that fascinates us so much.

John (Peter Sarsgaard) and Kate (Vera Farmiga) (and boy, were those names an accident or a shot at the annoying reality TV stars) have just lost what would have been their third child due to a miscarriage. Distraught Kate is a recovering alcoholic and it seems that her emotional stability can be gained when they decide to adopt a child. They make the tough decision to adopt an older child, nine year old, Russian-born Esther, who immediately forms a bond with John due to her intelligence and maturity.

Esther also quickly bonds with Max, the couple’s deaf, four year-old daughter, although older son Daniel thinks his new sister is a freak. These types of films all use the same basic structure…At first, all is well in the new household but it’s not long before Esther’s behavior starts giving Kate reason for concern. Kate learns that Esther’s family died in a fire and she was the only survivor, and suspects that the fire was no accident. Kate’s suspicions of Esther only put a wedge between her and John who thinks his new daughter can do no wrong.

Orphan relies on its final reel plot twist but unfortunately the film’s trailer basically gave the twist away. I mean doesn’t anyone check this stuff? Give credit to Isabelle Fuhrman who plays Esther. Just ten years old at the time, Fuhrman is able to pull off a remarkable and chilling transformation. She coolly delivers her lines with a skill that goes far beyond her years. She is the best thing about this film. On the other hand, John is about as dense a father as we’ve seen in film. Even though this girl is a complete stranger John sides with her over his own wife and children…all for the sake of a pretentious conflict with Kate. And are we really supposed to belive that the orphanage was not checking up on Esther UNTIL she was actually adopted? That’s like GM wanting to road test a car after its been sold. Dumb..dumb…dumb.

ORPHAN just proves that even though you don’t have an original plot, strong performances and a couple of small story twists can make all the difference in the world.

Not a whole lot in the extras. The DVD comes with four deleted scenes and an unsettling alternate ending which is actually better than the ending they used. Funny how often directors choose the wrong ending.

Isabelle Fuhrman interview for Orphan (the creepy girl haha)

Isabelle Fuhrman in Ghost Whisperer:

ISABELLE FUHRMAN at 2009 Teen Choice Awards Pre-Party August 5, 2009:

Isabelle Fuhrman Sundance Interview:

Biography for Perrey Reeves

2009-07-27T08:44:00.000-07:00

Biography for Perrey Reeves:

Date of Birth
30 November 1970, New York City, New York, USA

Height
5' 5½" (1.66 m)

Mini Biography
Perrey Reeves was born in New York City

and raised in the countryside of New

Hampshire by her academic parents, who

preferred not to own a television but

rather submerge their children in the vast

realms of literature. Thus, her

educational background ranged from years

abroad in France and Italy to the Ivy

League colleges of the US. Drama studies

were what really interested her, however,

resulting in her choosing an acting

career. Her interests are as eclectic and

diverse as the roles she has played and

the life she has led. A lifelong

vegetarian, she finds mental and physical

balance in meditation and yoga, which she

has faithfully practiced for over a

decade. In the midst of acting, she also

focuses much of her creative energies

renovating a new home with her fiancée.

She describes their abode as a "quaint

country oasis in the hills of Hollywood".

When not standing in line at Home Depot,

she passionately donates her time to The

International Fund for Animal Welfare and

lives with many furry creatures.

She joins the comically dynamic cast in

DreamWorks' October release, Old School

(2003), directed by Todd Phillips.

Co-starring opposite Will Ferrell, she

plays his traditional wife who is

dedicated to the white picket fence dream.

Vince Vaughn, Luke Wilson, Leah Remini and

Ellen Pompeo round out the stellar cast.

Perrey is accomplished on both the big and

small screens. She has co-starred in

features such as Tri-Star's The Suburbans

(1999), Miramax's Smoke Signals (1998),

Trimark's Kicking and Screaming (1995) and

Universal's Child's Play 3 (1991). She has

landed series regular roles in four pilots

and has guest starred on numerous

television shows ranging from Fox's "The X

Files" (1993) to the WB's "Off Centre"

(2001). She has played lead roles in

made-for-television movies, including CBS'

An Element of Truth (1995) (TV) and ABC's

Escape to Witch Mountain (1995) (TV).

Perrey showcased her talents on stage in

theater productions of "High Tor", "House

Arrest", "Women of Manhattan", "Picnic"

and "Last Night at Ballyhoo" at The Canon

Theatre in which she played Rhea Perlman's

daughter.MORE

Fred Durst marries in Las Vegas

2009-07-22T08:43:00.000-07:00

Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst has got married.

The Rollin' singer wed Esther Nazarov last week in a Las Vegas ceremony where they exchanged diamond and platinum wedding rings.

Fred wrote on his Twitter blog: "Cheers to the universe from me and my lovely wife Esther Durst! We are now one and complete."

After their ceremony, the newlyweds celebrated with a meal at the city's Prime Steakhouse before watching a performance of Cirque de Soleil's O show. The couple also reportedly went backstage to meet the cast after the performance.

Also during their visit to the US gambling capital, Limp Bizkit took to the stage to play their first show in eight years. The concert took place at the Pearl Concert Theater at the Palm Casino Resort on Saturday.

During the show Fred, 38, gave a number of shout outs to his new wife, as well as introducing them to the crowd.

Posting on his Twitter blog again, he wrote: "Life is so much better knowing I have a wonderful wife and family. I love being married and I am the luckiest man alive to be so in love."

Fred announced his engagement to Esther via Twitter in April.MORE

Total solar eclipse viewed in Bangladesh

2009-07-22T08:38:00.001-07:00

Total solar eclipse viewed in Bangladesh

Dhaka, July 22 : The long-awaited total solar eclipse was observed Wednesday morning in northwestern Bangladesh that lasted for little more than three minutes.

Despite the cloudy weather, tens of thousands of astronomy enthusiasts gathered in the South Asian country's northwestern Panchagarh district, about 440 km from here, observed the greatest celestial spectacle of the century.

Panchagarh district, the nearest town to the central line of the Umbra was earlier declared as the Capital of the Total Solar Eclipse 2009 in Bangladesh.

The total solar eclipse started there at about 07:56 a.m. (0056 GMT) and lasted about three to four minutes, creating a night-like situation in the town.

The crowed celebrated this rare moment with clapping and bursting out in joy, which were broadcast live on DIGANTA TV Channel.

President of the Total Solar Eclipse Observation Committee in Bangladesh, A.R. Khan, told Xinhua Tuesday that Wednesday's total solar eclipse would be a historic event in Bangladesh as there would be no such event in the coutry until Aug 14, 2114.MORE

Total solar eclipse viewed in Bangladesh

2009-07-22T08:38:00.000-07:00

Total solar eclipse viewed in Bangladesh

Hollywood eyes Michael Jackson movie: report

2009-07-21T09:58:00.001-07:00

A Hollywood movie made using footage of Michael Jackson rehearsing for his planned series of comeback concerts could hit theaters by the end of this year, US media reports have said.

Daily Variety reported that Sony Pictures studio was close to agreeing a 50-million-dollar deal for worldwide rights to nearly 80 hours of footage showing pop icon Jackson rehearsing before his death.

The report said AEG Entertainment, the company which owns the material and had been behind Jackson's proposed series of concerts in London, had screened the footage to Hollywood studio executives last week.

Variety reported that Kenny Ortega, the choreographer for Jackson's new "This Is It" concerts and the director of hit film "High School Musical," was expected to direct the movie.

So far only a brief snippet of Jackson's concert rehearsals have been revealed to the public.

Footage released on July 2 showed Jackson practicing a song-and-dance routine at Los Angeles's Staples Center two days before his death, supporting accounts he had been in good health.

Associates of Jackson have described the 50-year-old pop star as being in good form, including at another rehearsal the day before his death.MORE

Hollywood eyes Michael Jackson movie: report

2009-07-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

10 Reasons Why The Apollo 11 Moon Landing Was Awesome

2009-07-21T09:38:00.000-07:00

About Apollo 11:
The Apollo 11 mission was the first manned mission to land on the Moon. It was the fifth human spaceflight of Project Apollo and the third human voyage to the Moon or Moon orbit. Launched on July 16, 1969, it carried Mission Commander Neil Alden Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin Eugene 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr. On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin became the first humans to land on the Moon, while Collins orbited above.

Reasons :

The mission fulfilled President John F. Kennedy's goal of reaching the moon by the end of the 1960s, which he had expressed during a speech given before a joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961: "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth."

Yesterday marked the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. 40 years ago Mission Commander Neil A. Armstrong and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin Eugene ‘Buzz’ Aldrin, Jr. walked on the moon while Command Module Pilot Michael Collins orbited above. Today however, marks the 40th anniversary of the day people really reacted to what just happened. As with all major events in time, there is always a day of reflection. I’d like to honor that day of reflection with the top 10 thoughts about the Apollo 11 moon landing.We made the Russians look like chumpsWe won the Space Race by putting a man on the moon. Sure, the Russians were there first having bounced their Luna 2 spacecraft off the moon 10 years earlier, but we left our footprints there. The Cold War may have lasted another 15 years or so after that, but it gave us the confidence to make movies like “Red Dawn.MORE

'Harry Potter' star Emma Watson teams up with Marilyn Manson

2009-07-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

Emma, by Jane Austen, first published in December 1815, is a comic novel about the perils of misconstrued romance. The author explores the concerns and difficulties of genteel women living in Georgian-Regency England; she also creates a lively 'comedy of manners' among her characters.

Before she began the novel, Austen wrote, "I am going to take a heroine whom no-one but myself will much like."[1] In the very first sentence she introduces the title character as "Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich." Emma, however, is also rather spoiled; she greatly overestimates her own matchmaking abilities; and she is blind to the dangers of meddling in other people's lives.
Emma Watson is taking the next step in her fairy-tale career.

The actress is taking on another role based on a story for young people as the lead in a new film version of "Cinderella," Perez Hilton reports.

Lest anyone think Watson's all sugar and spice, the consummate good girl in the "Harry Potter" movies is teaming up with an extremely naughty boy for the project - though sometimes it's hard to tell whether he's a boy or a girl.

Watson will be working with Goth shock-rocker Marilyn Manson, British paper The Sun first reported on Tuesday.

Big Brother 11

2009-07-13T07:13:00.000-07:00

Big Brother 11 is the 11th season of the American reality television series Big Brother which premiered July 9th, 2009 on the CBS television network. The show airs three times a week; Sundays at 8 p.m., Tuesdays at 9 p.m. and Thursdays at 8 p.m . Julie Chen returned as host, and Allison Grodner, Rich Meehan and Scott Einziger are the executive producers. The show is produced by Endemol USA and Alison Grodner Productions.
This weekend was intense for the Big Brother 11 houseguests, with the PoV competition and ceremony already finished. Over at the 24/7 live feeds, there's been plenty of smack talk, game talk and plain-old-boring talk among the contestants.
First off, there are the fights. I expected more of these from the Athletes, but the Off Beats have proven me wrong. Being on the block must really bring out the devil in them. Casey and Lydia have done nothing but discuss how Chima needs to be kicked out of the house, but it seems as though the journalist is getting the others on her side.

Casey opened up about something he called "white guilt," which is what he's feeling about voting to evict Chima. He tells his fellow clique-member not to campaign against the Braniac because someone else will eventually go off on Chima anyway. It would be best for the Tattooed One to lay low.
Unfortunately, she didn't. Lydia even plotted to seduce HoH Jesse, telling him she thinks he's a sanctuary. She opens up to him and says she wants to be snuggle buddies, which makes me wonder if it's still worth rooting for her. Apparently it still is, since it's actually a ploy to get in his good graces. It didn't seem to work though, as Jesse surprisingly saw through it and kept avoiding her.

On Saturday, not much went on except for more discussions of the game. At this point, no one knew which HG is genuine since they're all backstabbing one another already. Even so, they all decided to have some fun. Other than several failed games of chess, some of the contestants discussed their celebrity look-alikes.
Ronnie Dorko (ah, the inescapable high school nicknames) says he resembles Conan O'Brien, except he has red hair. Meanwhile, Jeff claims he's Nick Lachey, but others say he's more like Jerry O'Connell and Justin Bateman.
Things went from comic to tragic afterwards, but then again Chima's voice makes the drama sound like TV static. As-a-matter-of-factly, she recounts the experience of being raped by a serial killer. Everyone was appalled and in disbelief, especially since the storyteller hardly expressed any emotions as she related her tale.
Perhaps in an attempt to get sympathy, Chima said that the suspect broke into her sorority house, cut the phone lines and assaulted her at gun point. She fought back, and he was soon caught and put to death.

Later, another fight breaks out in the house, and this time it's between the Athletes. Surprisingly, there were no fists involved. Russell and Jeff end up yelling at one another and cursing a lot. It looks like the only muscle that Russell is flexing is his tongue.
"Why are you here?" he shouts at Jeff. "You can't win any challenges, not physical, not mental. You're worthless!"
Jeff responds to this by saying: "Why don't you get in a real ring, and fight real fighters? Instead of running around fighting the air!"
Moving on, the rest of the HGs are thinking up another twist that Big Brother might introduce. It's either they're being wily or just paranoid. Kevin, Chima, Lydia and Laura are suspecting Ronnie of being involved in something big. He's been in the Diary Room too often, and the rest think he's America's Player. They soon call him the "Teacher's Pet," which is actually appropriate given the guy's house standing. They also think he's secretly eating lunch in the DR, using a slop pass.

Big Brother 11 Promo - Mike Boogie, Brian Hart & Robyn Kass on Early Show 3-19-09

Big Brother 11 HOUSEGUESTS REVEALED!

Exclusive Interview With Big Brother 11 Cast Member Jeff Schroeder

Joyce Anne

2009-07-07T10:49:00.000-07:00

Joyce Anne DeWitt was born April 23, 1949 is an American actress most famous for her role as Janet Wood on the television situation comedy Three's Company.

Biography

Early life

Dewitt was born in West Virginia to Norma and Paul DeWitt. Although she was born in West Virginia, Joyce grew up in Speedway, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis. After she received a bachelor's degree from Ball State University, she moved to California to earn her masters degree from the University of California at Los Angeles . While attending UCLA, she worked part-time as a house painter and once was hired to paint the actor Abe Vigoda's garage doors. This painting job spawned a friendship between DeWitt and Vigoda which still endures.

Joyce DeWitt

Overview

Date of Birth:

23 April 1949, Wheeling, West Virginia, USA

Mini Biography:

Joyce DeWitt was born the second oldest of four to parents Paul and Norma...
Trivia:

Is a part of the LIFE (Love Is Feeding Everyone) organization where she... more

NewsDesk:

Sarah Palin Opens Up About Her Resignation
From Popsugar. 7 July 2009, 9:30 AM, PDT
Actress Joyce DeWitt Busted For DUI
From iCelebz. 7 July 2009, 12:55 AM, PDT
Alternate Names:

Special Guest Star

Additional Details
Other Works:

Entertainment Tonight Weekend: "Three's Company", aired 10/16 or 10/17/1999, depended on location!

Publicity Listings:

1 Portrayal | 1 Art
icle | 1 Pictorial | 2 Magazine Cover Photos

Genres:

Comedy | Documentary | Drama | Game-Show

Plot Keywords:

TV Special | Character Name In Title | Non Fiction | Sitcom more

Syesha Mercado American Idol

2009-06-28T01:59:00.000-07:00

Syesha Raquel Mercado was born January 2, 1987 is an American singer, songwriter, actress and model. Mercado was the second runner-up on the seventh season of the television series American Idol.

Syesha Mercado American Idol Top 6 2008

Kim Kadarshian has a “girl crush” on Megan Fox

2009-06-26T04:13:00.000-07:00

Megan Denise Fox was born May 16, 1986 is an American actress and model.
After having a successful career as a model, Fox launched her acting career in 2001, in which she played a supporting role as Brianna Wallace in Holiday in the Sun, starring opposite Mary Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen.

Fox then guest starred in various television series, including What I Like About You, Two and a Half Men, The Help, Ocean Ave. and having a recurring role on Hope and Faith.

Kim Kardashian has said that she has a “crush” on world’s sexiest woman Megan Fox. "Megan Fox is so hot. She is, like, my girl crush -- and I don't have girl crushes!" Us magazine quoted Kardashian as telling Entertainment Tonight.

Kadarshian, who attended L.A. premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which stars Fox, said: "That's really the only reason I'm here," while also hinting that her beau Reggie Bush also has a thing for the actress.MORE

FOR MORE PIC

Megan Fox's Top Pictures

2009-06-26T04:01:00.000-07:00

Megan Denise Fox was born May 16, 1986 is an American actress and model.

After having a successful career as a model, Fox launched her acting career in 2001, in which she played a supporting role as Brianna Wallace in Holiday in the Sun, starring opposite Mary Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen. Fox then guest starred in various television series, including What I Like About You, Two and a Half Men, The Help, Ocean Ave. and having a recurring role on Hope and Faith.MORE

Overview:

Date of Birth:

16 May 1986, Rockwood, Tennessee, USA

Mini Biography:

Megan Fox was born May 16, 1986 in Tennessee. She has one older sister.
Trivia:

She has Irish, French and Cherokee ancestry.
STARmeter:

Up 66% in popularity this week.

Awards:

6 nominations

NewsDesk:

Movie Review :

'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'
(From Get The Big Picture. 26 June 2009, 12:46 AM, PDT)
First Look at Michael Fassbender in 'Jonah Hex'
(From Get The Big Picture. 25 June 2009, 8:08 PM, PDT)
Alternate Names:

Megan Denise Fox

Additional Details:

Other Works:

Guest-starring appearance in the ABC's 2004/2005 comedy pilot, News To Me.
Publicity Listings:

3 Interviews | 1 Article | 3 Pictorials | 4 Magazine Cover Photos
Genres:

Drama | Romance | Comedy | Action more
Plot Keywords:

Character Name In Title | Beautiful Woman | High School | Awards Show. MORE

'King Of Pop' Michael Jackson Dies at 50

2009-06-26T03:53:00.000-07:00

Michael Joseph Jackson was August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009 was an American recording artist and entertainer. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of The Jackson 5 and began a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group.

Referred to as the "King of Pop" in subsequent years, his 1982 Thriller is the world's best-selling record of all time and four other solo studio albums are also among the world's best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995).

Michael Jackson has died after suffering a cardiac arrest, sending shockwaves sweeping across the world and tributes pouring in for the tortured music icon revered as the "King of Pop."

Jackson, 50, collapsed at his rented mansion in the exclusive Los Angeles neighborhood of Holmby Hills and was rushed to hospital by paramedics before being pronounced dead at 2:26 pm (2126 GMT).

One of the most influential figures in pop history whose career included the highest-selling album of all-time, "Thriller," Jackson had been preparing for a concert comeback in London next month he had dubbed "the final curtain."

News of his death triggered an outpouring of grief as shocked celebrities, foreign governments and devoted fans from Beijing to Beverly Hills paid tribute to the troubled star.

Lieutenant Fred Corral, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Coroner's office, said an autopsy would likely be carried out on Friday and would not speculate on the exact cause of death.MORE

top 10 michael jackson songs:

My Top 20 Early Michael Jackson Songs! (FanVid):

My Top 20 Jacksons Songs! (FanVid):

Michael Joseph Jackson

2009-06-26T03:35:00.000-07:00

Ed Mcmahon Is Dead At Age 86

2009-06-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

Ed mcmahon is dead at age 86
Edward Leo Peter "Ed" McMahon, Jr. (March 6, 1923 – June 23, 2009) was an American comedian, game show host, announcer, and television personality. Most famous for his work on television as Johnny Carson's announcer on Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992, and as the host of the talent show Star Search from 1983 to 1995, he later also became well-known as the presenter of American Family Publishers sweepstakes, which arrives unannounced at the homes of winners. He subsequently made a series of Neighborhood Watch Public Service Announcements parodying that role.

McMahon annually co-hosted the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon. He performed in numerous television commercials, most notably for Ed McMahon dies at 86

Budweiser. In the 1970s and 1980s, he anchored the team of NBC personalities conducting the network's coverage of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

McMahon appeared in several films, including The Incident , Fun With Dick and Jane , Full Moon High , and Butterfly, as well as briefly in the film version of Bewitched . According to Entertainment Weekly he is considered one of the "greatest sidekicks"

Date of Birth:

6 March 1923, Detroit, Michigan, USA
Date of Death:

23 June 2009, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, California

Mini Biography:

Ed McMahon's first appearance before a microphone was as a 15-year-old
Trivia:

Graduated from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

Awards:

2 wins

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen

2009-06-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is an American science fiction action film which was released on June 19, 2009 in the United Kingdom, and due for release on June 24, 2009 in North America.It is the sequel to 2007's Transformers, which was the first live action Transformers film. Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg return respectively as director and executive producer, while Shia LaBeouf reprises the role of Sam Witwicky, the human caught in the war between Autobots and Decepticons. The film introduces many more robots and the scope has been expanded to numerous countries, most notably France and Egypt.

Director:

Michael Bay
Writers:

Ehren Kruger &
Roberto Orci

Contact:

Release Date:

24 June 2009 (USA)
Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi
Tagline:

Revenge is coming.
Plot:

Decepticon forces return to Earth on a mission to take Sam Witwicky prisoner, after the young hero learns the truth about the ancient origins of the Transformers. Joining the mission to protect humankind is Optimus Prime, who forms an alliance with international armies for a second epic battle. | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:

Giant Robot | Based On Toy | Sequel

Additional Details:

Also Known As:

Prime Directive
Transformers 2
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - The IMAX Experience

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, language, some crude and brief drug material.

Runtime:

150 min
Country:

USA
Language:

English
Color:

Color
Aspect Ratio:

1.44 : 1
Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS
Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Ireland:12A | South Korea:12 | Japan:G | Hong Kong:IIB | Singapore:PG
Filming Locations:

Alamogordo, New Mexico, USA
Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen Official Trailer #3

MC Hammer's New TV Show

2009-06-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

Stanley Kirk Burrell was born March 30, 1962, known better by his stage names MC Hammer and Hammer, is a multi-platinum selling MC and dancer most popular during the late 1980s until the mid-1990s, known for his dramatic "rise and fall" from fame and fortune and his trademark Hammer Pants. He became a preacher during the late 1990s, a television show host, record CEO and as of 2008 works as a co-creator of a dance website called DanceJam, while still performing occasionally at concerts and other functions. In addition, he is Executive Producer of his own reality show called Hammertime which airs Sundays at 10 PM EST on the A&E Network.

Don't call it a comeback, but it looks like reality television is giving one more rapper a second chance.

It's not who you think, even though the new series on A&E is called Hammertime and it focuses on the life and family of MC Hammer, the '90s music and dance icon. While the king of parachute pants and modern-day Internet entrepreneur is at the center of the show, you'll want to watch for someone else too - a rapper from the Toledo area who goes by the name Dasit.

An official with the series confirms that the local man, whose real name is David Shinavar and who is signed with Hammer's FullBlast music label, will appear in a couple of episodes of the series that debuts Sunday at 10 p.m.

If Dasit, the Woodward High School graduate's nom de rap, sounds familiar, maybe it's because this isn't his first appearance on cable television. Two years ago, the 31-year-old was a contestant on VH1's ego trip's The Rapper Show.

Now Dasit will be getting more screen time thanks to Hammer, who signed him to a record deal even before his appearance on VH1. He said he spends a couple of months at a time away from his Rossford home working with Hammer, and they've developed a close relationship.

"He's like my big brother," Dasit said.

While the A&E series focuses on Hammer's biological family, viewers will get to see his business one too. On the July 12 episode, Hammer takes his crew to Las Vegas to launch their music and Dasit gets plenty of face time, according to Stephen Harris, an executive producer.

"These guys are real talent. The wisdom that they get from is just invaluable," he said. "You get a little bit of a sense of that in Season One."

Dasit said his mentor, who has been through the highs and lows of the business, has been a tremendous help in big ways and little ones. Hammer (born Stanley Burrell) is the one who suggested that Dasit change his image by shaving his head. He's also the one who suggested the name of Dasit's upcoming album, "American White," a nod to Dasit's skin color that makes him a minority in his musical genre.

"It's basically Hammer saying: It's OK to be yourself," Dasit said. "I'm proud to be a white guy. It's alright."

More importantly, Hammer allowed the North Toledo native, a former factory worker, to do what he'd always wanted: make music full time.

"It's hard to get from Toledo to the top. There's a lot of people doing music and most of them are failing," he said.

Appearing on a network that reaches millions of homes can only help.

"It's always good when you can promote yourself," Dasit said. "You need people to know about you. It's another step to get people to see my face. This is two shows now. It's going to start turning over faster and faster."

MORE

U Can't Touch This - MC Hammer

MC Hammer - Have You Seen Her

Anna Paquin's Top Picture

2009-06-14T03:50:00.000-07:00

Anna Helene Paquin was born July 24, 1982 is a Canadian-born New Zealand actress. Her breakthrough performance was in the New Zealand film The Piano, which earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1994, making her the second youngest winner in history at the age of 11. She is also the first Canadian-born actress to win Best Supporting Actress.

Jessica Alba's HOT picture

2009-06-12T11:38:00.001-07:00

Jessica Marie Alba was born April 28, 1981 is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack 1994. Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel 2000–2002.

Alba later appeared in various films including Honey (2003), Sin City (2005), Fantastic Four 2005, Into the Blue 2005, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Good Luck Chuck both in 2007.

Alba appears frequently on the "Hot 100" section of Maxim and was voted AskMen.com's number one on their list of "99 Most Desirable Women" in 2006, as well as "Sexiest Woman in the World" by FHM in 2007.

The use of her image on the cover of the March 2006 Playboy sparked a lawsuit by her, which was later dropped.

Alba has won various awards for her acting, including the Choice Actress Teen Choice Award and Saturn Award for Best Actress for her acting in the series Dark Angel, though her acting has also been criticized, as she has been nominated for numerous Razzie Awards as well

Jessica Alba's HOT picture

2009-06-12T11:38:00.000-07:00

Jessica Marie Alba was born April 28, 1981 is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack 1994. Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel 2000–2002. Alba later appeared in various films including Honey (2003), Sin City (2005), Fantastic Four 2005, Into the Blue 2005, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Good Luck Chuck both in 2007.

Alba appears frequently on the "Hot 100" section of Maxim and was voted AskMen.com's number one on their list of "99 Most Desirable Women" in 2006, as well as "Sexiest Woman in the World" by FHM in 2007. The use of her image on the cover of the March 2006 Playboy sparked a lawsuit by her, which was later dropped.[9] Alba has won various awards for her acting, including the Choice Actress Teen Choice Award and Saturn Award for Best Actress for her acting in the series Dark Angel, though her acting has also been criticized, as she has been nominated for numerous Razzie Awards as well

Black Crowes offers Free Bonus CD

2009-06-11T14:04:00.000-07:00

The Black Crowes will release their new studio CD, Before the Frost... on September 1, 2009. A second album, titled …Until The Freeze, will be given away for free exclusively through a unique download code which is included in Before The Frost… as a "thank you" to their fans for two decades of continued support.

Before the Frost and its corresponding free album …Until The Freeze, were recorded over a series of five nights at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY. Although both are studio albums, all the new material was performed and recorded in front of an intimate audience of the band's fans, making them a part of The Black Crowes musical history.

The innovative technique of inviting fans into the studio as part of the process during recording is a rare experience.

Before the Frost... features eleven new and previously unreleased Black Crowes songs including Good Morning Captain, I Ain't Hiding, Been a Long Time (Waiting on Love), and other original songs that will serve to spotlight the bands ability to make emotional connections through their music. The free album …Until The Freeze is a nine-song collection featuring eight new original Black Crowes songs plus a cover version of the Stephen Stills classic So Many Times.

A limited edition vinyl release of Before The Frost…Until The Freeze, featuring all 20 tracks, will also be available on September 1, 2009.

Chris Robinson conceived the concept of Before the Frost...Until The Freeze. "I think we fulfilled a musical commitment to continue on the golden road of artistic independence. Approaching 20 years into our careers, we still are ambitious enough to push ourselves to create somethin g unique that we have never done before."

As The Black Crowes approach the upcoming 20th anniversary of their release of one of rock's most influential records, Shake Your Money Maker, which produced such hits as Jealous Again, She Talks To Angels and Hard to Handle, they are time and again hailed as one of Rock and Roll's best live acts.

The Black Crowes - Brixton - May 2009 - NEW SONG

"Sometimes Salvation" - The Black Crowes

The Black Crowes-American band

2009-06-11T13:56:00.000-07:00

The Black Crowes are an American, blues-oriented hard rock jam band that has sold over 20 million albums.

They were hailed by Melody Maker as "The Most Rock 'n' Roll Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World".In 1990, the readers of Rolling Stone named it the 'Best New American Band'. The band has toured with acts such as Aerosmith, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, The Who, AC/DC, The Grateful Dead, and Neil Young. The Crowes - as fans refer to them - are listed at #92 on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock".

Britney Spears Spend More Time With Kids

2009-06-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

Britney Spears and ex-husband Kevin Federline have renegotiated the terms of their custody agreement, giving the pop superstar more time with their two young sons while she's on tour.

The Toxic hitmaker is currently wowing fans across Europe with her Circus show, and Federline - who has primary custody of Sean Preston and Jayden James - has taken the kids along for the ride to ensure the singer doesn't miss out on quality family time.

And the arrangement is going so well, Spears has been granted extra time with the boys while she works, putting the children in her care for more than 50 per cent of the time, reports TMZ.com.

Legal documents detailing the new custody agreement have been filed by lawyers for both Spears and Federline with Los Angeles family law Commissioner Scott Gordon, revealing the deal will remain in place until the end of August.

The custody terms will revert back to the former couple's original arrangement once Spears wraps up the European leg of her tour.

The news comes just days after the superstar announced plans to take the Circus to Australia, touring there for the first time in her career. Spears will head Down Under in November.

Britney Spears Kids Dancing to Baby One More Time

Kaka Moves To Real Madrid For $100M

2009-06-11T10:16:00.000-07:00

After completing a move for Kaka, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has said he intends to talk to Manchester United in a bid to convince the club to let Crisiano Ronaldo join the Spanish giants.

"I have not yet spoken to them but I will do it in the coming days," he told Spanish public radio late on Tuesday.
kaka the best player of the world

Spanish media have reported that Real have a pre-agreement to sign the 24-year-old Portuguese winger from Manchester United but Perez said he has never seen this agreement, which was allegedly made by his predecessor.

However sports daily AS reported Wednesday that Perez had decided to pay 89 million euros (124 million dollars) for the 2008 FIFA World Footballer of the Year under the terms of this pre-agreement.

Rival paper Marca reported Wednesday that he had already spoken to David Gill, Manchester United's chief executive, who told the new Real Madrid president that the player would cost 96 million euros (134 million dollars).

Ronaldo, who is under contract with United until 2012, was involved in a protracted transfer tug-of-war between the English and Spanish sides last summer, with the player having publicly admitted he wanted to join Real.

Real announced Monday that they had signed Brazilian playmaker Kaka, the 2002 FIFA World Footballer of the Year, from AC Milan for a reported fee of 65 million euros.

It was the club's first signing since Perez was sworn in once again as president of Real Madrid on June 1.

Top 10 Best Goals-Ronaldinho, Kaka

Kaka - Brazilian Magic

Kaka-2009

2009-06-11T10:10:00.000-07:00

Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite was born April 22, 1982, best known as Kaká, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as forward and midfielder for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team. He was the recipient of both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards in 2007, and was named in the 2008 and 2009 editions of the Time 100.

As of February 2009, Kaká and Internazionale striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic are the highest salaried football players in the world.

Sonic Youth — The Eternal

2009-06-11T09:57:00.000-07:00

Sonic Youth are one of the very few bands who still release stylistically progressive and artistically relevant records nearly three decades into their career.

Their late period output has belied their age and their last album, 2006's Rather Ripped, was easily their strongest since the band's untouchable string of releases between 1988's Sister and 1995's Washing Machine. This is because of the group's unfailing insistence on moving forward, and The Eternal, the perennial New Yorkers' fifteenth LP and first for indie rock haven Matador, continues this trend.

Where Rather Ripped improved upon the meandering Sonic Nurse, The Eternal turns up the volume and trims all the fat, and makes for Sonic Youth's most fluid and cohesive record in years. Its upbeat nature evokes their early '90s material, but this album has the art rock gods showing off new tricks, like the disco beat/call-and-answer rhythm of "Anti-Orgasm."

It's easily the most energetic and aggressive they've been since the Goo/Dirty era, yet they offset this with some subtle post-rock moments, like the Kim Gordon-led closer, "Massage The History," or the groove-based Lee Ranaldo cut, "What We Know" — which, as is often the case with Ranaldo's contributions, is the album's standout track.

The Eternal is arguably the best Sonic Youth record of this decade, but it's still very much a Sonic Youth album, and nothing here is particularly uncharacteristic. That said, the band have taken what they do best and made one of the most well-rounded records of their already outstanding career.

Sonic Youth - Antenna - Later... With Jools Holland - 2009

Sonic Youth New Music

2009-06-11T09:52:00.000-07:00

Sonic Youth is an American rock band formed in New York City in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore (vocals and guitar), Kim Gordon (vocals, bass, guitar), Lee Ranaldo (vocals and guitar), Mark Ibold (bass) and Steve Shelley (drums).

In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City. Part of the first wave of American noise rock groups, the band carried out their interpretation of the hardcore punk ethos throughout the evolving American underground that focused more on the DIY ethic of the genre rather than its specific sound. As a result, Sonic Youth was pivotal in the rise of the alternative rock movement.

Sonic Youth -Youth Against Fascism

Sonic Youth have expressed a wide variety of influences, ranging from the influential protopunk musician Patti Smith to composer John Cage. The band has been praised for having "redefined what rock guitar could do",[1] using a wide variety of unorthodox guitar tunings, and preparing guitars with objects like drumsticks and screwdrivers to alter the instruments' timbre.

'Rock Of Love Tour Bus'-Bret Michaels

2009-06-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

Bret Michael Sychak was born March 15, 1963 in Butler, Pennsylvania is best known as the lead vocalist of the glam metal band Poison. Besides his career as lead singer, he has several solo albums to his credit, as well as one chart single.

He has also starred in the VH1 reality show Rock of Love with Bret Michaels and its sequels, and as a judge on the talent show Nashville Star.

On June 7, 2009, Michaels suffered a fractured nose and cut lip at the Tony Awards show after performing Poison's song "Nothin' but a Good Time" with the cast of the musical "Rock of Ages." When Michaels turned to exit the stage, a descending piece of the set hit him in the head before he could duck under it, knocking him on his back.

Michaels' spokeswoman reported the following day the singer had x-rays and a CAT scan taken as precautionary measures.

Rock singer, Poison frontman, and reality TV star Bret Michaels brings The Rock of Love Tour Bus tour to Myrtle Beach House Of Blues (4640 Highway 17, 843-913-3740) on Wed. June 10.

Known best among younger fans for his featured role in the VH-1 reality series Rock of Love, in which some two dozen women compete for a date with the singer, Michaels will incorporate elements of the show into this month's tour. "I've got to be honest, it was really strange to have cameras around me,' the singer told City Paper contributor Alan Sculley.

"It felt very uncomfortable doing a lot of the stuff. What made me do it beyond season one — besides the fact that I get to meet some beautiful girls — was that also they didn't change it. They didn't say, 'Okay now Bret, we're going to do this, you're going to wear this, you're going to try this.' They didn't tell me who I was. They let me just be who I am."

I didn't hear about Michaels' unfortunate, Spinal Tap-esque brush with a stage prop at this week's televised Tony Awards show until Monday morning … he got plopped pretty well while Stockard Channing kicked into her number.

Showtime at the HoB is 8 p.m. Tickets are available for $76.50 and $32. See hob.com and bretmichaels.com for more.

Downtread at Myth/Bret Michaels Rock of Love Tour

Kirsten Dunst And Spider Man 4

2009-06-11T09:41:00.000-07:00

Kirsten Dunst Signs up For Spider Man 4

2009-06-11T04:45:00.000-07:00

Kirsten Caroline Dunst was born April 30, 1982. is an American actress ,singer ,dancer ,and a model. She made her film debut in Oedipus Wrecks, a short film directed by Woody Allen for the anthology New York Stories (1989). At the age of 12, Dunst gained widespread recognition

playing the role of vampire Claudia in Interview with the Vampire (1994). She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for this performance. That same year she appeared in Little Women, to further acclaim.

Spider-Man has netted his leading lady - director Sam Raimi has persuaded Kirsten Dunst to sign up for the fourth instalment of the web-slinging superhero franchise.

Dunst's return to the role of Mary Jane Watson was thrown into doubt after Raimi told reporters the actress was still pondering whether to rejoin the cast.

But it has been confirmed the 26-year-old will reunite with Tobey Maguire - who had already agreed a deal to appear in the fourth and fifth movies.

Now, film bosses are left with just one more challenge - finding the perfect villain.

Producer Todd Black tells MTV.co.uk, "We're just coming up with who the villain's going to be now. We'll be shooting in New York again. Trust me - people will appreciate who we pick, because it'll be a big part of New York."

The movie is slated for a 2011 release.
SPIDERMAN 3 FINAL TRAILER

Break the Ice Remix By Britney Spears

2009-06-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

Break the Ice Remix By Britney Spears:

Britney Spears - "Womanizer"

2009-06-09T09:15:00.001-07:00

Britney Spears - Womanizer:

Britney Spears live at the O2 Arena

Britney Spears - "Womanizer"

2009-06-09T09:15:00.000-07:00

Britney Spears - Womanizer:

Britney Spears live at the O2 Arena

Britney Spears - "Circus"

2009-06-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

Britney Spears - Circus:

Britney Spears Circus from the album Circus

Britney Spears - "If U Seek Amy"

2009-06-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

Britney Spears - If U Seek Amy:

Maria Sharapova beats Dubois at Aegon

2009-06-09T08:58:00.000-07:00

Maria Yuryevna Sharapova was born April 19, 1987 is a formerly World No. 1 Russian professional tennis player. She has won three Grand Slam singles titles. In 2004 at the age of 17, she won Wimbledon, defeating Serena Williams in the final. She has since won the 2006 US Open, defeating Justine Henin in the final, and the 2008 Australian Open, defeating Ana Ivanovic in the final. Sharapova has represented Russia in Fed Cup, although her appearances have been controversial.

Hot Maria Sharapova

Highlights:

Maria Sharapova has beaten Stephanie Dubois 6-4, 6-2 in Aegon Classic opener
Sharapova hit strong groundstrokes and solid serves on Monday
The former top-ranked Russian next plays Alexa Glatch of the United States
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Sexy Maria Sharapova

BIRMINGHAM, England Maria Sharapova has beaten Stephanie Dubois 6-4, 6-2 in the first round of the Aegon Classic.

Hot Maria Sharapova

Returning after being out 10 months due to shoulder surgery, Sharapova hit strong groundstrokes and solid serves on Monday.

The former top-ranked Russian next plays Alexa Glatch of the United States, a 7-6, 6-3 winner over ninth-seeded Bethanie Mattek-Sands, another American.

Hot Maria Sharapova

The tournament, a warmup for Wimbledon, helped launch Sharapova's career when she won it in 2004, aged just 17. Three weeks later she beat Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final.

Patrick Swayze's TV show has been cancelled.

2009-06-09T05:24:00.000-07:00

Patrick Wayne Swayze was born August 18, 1952, is an American actor, dancer, and singer-songwriter. He is best-known for his roles as Orry Main in the North and South television miniseries, and as romantic leading men in the films Dirty Dancing and Ghost. He was listed by People magazine as its "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1991.

Diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer in January 2008, he is publicly battling the disease. He claimed to Barbara Walters in January 2009, that he is "kicking it". He is the lead in a new television series, The Beast, which began airing on January 15, 2009. However, due to a prolonged decline in health, Swayze has been unable to promote for, or even appear in the series. The last episode that aired was on April 23, 2009; has since cancelled The Beast in his absence.

Industry sources claim police drama The Beast - which saw the cancer-stricken star play a rogue FBI agent in Chicago - will not return for a second season because Swayze is too ill, according to Variety magazine.

The 56-year-old actor was shooting the first 13-episode series of the programme when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year.

He completed filming, despite spending several weeks in hospital fighting pneumonia.

The show did not rate well, but sources expected network A+E to commission a second series.

One of the actors was put on a contract hold last August, while several others were reportedly keeping their schedules open in case the show was renewed.

Now it appears Swayze is too ill to continue acting, and executives cannot find a suitable replacement.

Network officials have refused to confirm a cancellation, insisting they are yet to make a decision about the programme.

All About Action- MEGAN FOX

2009-06-09T04:47:00.000-07:00

MEGAN FOX

In 2004, Fox went on to have a film career starring opposite Lindsay Lohan in Confessions Of A Teenage Drama Queen. Her other films include Crimes Of Fashion , How to Lose Friends & Alienate People and Whore . Fox's breakout role was playing Mikaela Banes, Shia Labeouf's
character's love interest in the 2007 blockbuster film Transformers, a role for which Fox won and was nominated for various Teen Choice Awards. Her upcoming films include the sequel to Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Jennifer's Body, Jonah Hex, and The Crossing.

MEGAN FOX-HOT

Megan Fox Shows Some Leg at Transformers Premiere
Megan Fox says new movie 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' is more about action than the story.

MEGAN FOX-HOT

Megan Fox says 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' is all about action.
The actress - who plays Mikaela Banes, the girlfriend of Shia LaBeouf's character Sam Witwicky in the second instalment of the warring robot saga

SEXY MEGAN FOX

insists people should not criticise the movie for a lack of plot or spend too much time searching for a meaningful message because the film has purely been made to entertain.
She said: "I don't know if this movie is about the story. I don't know if anyone's going in and trying to analyse the story and if they are, they shouldn't.
"We're not pretending this is a story-driven film. It is what it is. It's fun, it's not meant to be life-changing."

BEAUTIFUL-MEGAN FOX

As well as being proud of her action-packed new movie, Megan is also proud of her sex symbol status.
The 23-year-old star - who was voted the Sexiest Woman in the World by FHM magazine in 2008 - proudly said: "I think it's wonderful I'm viewed as a sex symbol.
I didn't decide to be an actress because I want to be respected for how I play chess. Part of Hollywood is being perceived as attractive."

MEGAN FOX

Megan Fox Voted Sexiest Woman in the World

Britney Spears Top 10 Songs

2009-06-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

Spears Top 10 Songs:

LA Fashion-TOP TEN INTERNET MODEL-2009

2009-06-08T16:05:00.000-07:00

Be sure to see me at www.imdb.com and www.istardom.com .... Even though Stella has been very busy working on a number of projects she wanted to share this from her recent attendance as celebrity guest for Supa Star fashion show. This was a special presentation by Stella's friend and top designer, Rachael Michelle Broussard. As usual there were beautiful models showing her fantastic line of clothing. Afterwards, there was a real nice party. A great night. There were celebrity actresses and models.
Stella hopes to soon be working on more videos, though she is afraid her bondage series may be just too much for Youtube to handle, and if she posts them she will find her channel removed. It looks like she will be back to lingerie, bikini and pinup (or is it pin up) videos. I may also have some new things from Las Vegas. I recently went there in my Mustang GT.

TOP Ten BEST CELEBRITY COUPLES 2009

2009-06-08T16:03:00.001-07:00

BEST CELEBRITY COUPLES:

TOP Ten BEST CELEBRITY COUPLES 2009

2009-06-08T16:03:00.000-07:00

BEST CELEBRITY COUPLES:

Top 11 Most Funny-2009

2009-06-08T16:02:00.000-07:00

Super Bowl Commercials 2009:

Top 10 Songs - May 2009

2009-06-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

10) The Climb - Miley Cyrus
9) Halo - Beyonce
8) Blame It - Jamie Foxx (feat. T-Pain)
7) Day 'n' Nite - Kid Cudi
6) (see video)
5) Sugar - Flo Rida (feat. Wynter)
4) Poker Face - Lady Gaga
3) Old Time's Sake - Eminem (feat. Dr. Dre)
2) No Surprise - Daughtry
1) B00m B00m Pow - Black Eyed Peas

"Edie Falco" On Nurse Jackie

2009-06-08T15:16:00.000-07:00

Jackie Peyton Falco is an ER nurse in a New York hospital who has back problems, and snorts OxyContin and other stuff for relief. She remains competent on the job - and seems to suggest her addiction has saved her from the unemployment line. Jackie's a dichotomy: cynical and profane but also loving and idealistic. A grade school nun told her that the people with "the greatest capacity for good
the greatest capacity for evil." A description, perhaps, of our heroine? She berates a glib doctor, Dr. Fitch "Coop" Cooper who misdiagnosed a bike messenger's fatal injuries. But she's also got a boyfriend at the hospital, Eddie , who supplies her with drugs and sex.

Meanwhile, there's some gold-plated Broadway talent on screen, notably Tony nominee Eve Best as Jackie's friend, Dr. Eleanor O'Hara; and playwright Anna Deavere Smith as hospital administrator Gloria Akalitus.

And that theme song? Dionne Warwick singing the Dory and Previn title song from 1967's "Valley of the Dolls."

BOTTOM LINE: Showtime's comedies - or at least " Weeds," "Californication" and now this one - have the whole God-Is-Dead thing down to a science. The universe is indifferent and so, by association, are their characters. They fornicate, get high and find time to craft one-liners that draw blood. "I don't like 'chatty,' " Jackie spits at an eager underling. "Quiet and mean - those are my people."

As she prepared to do her first post-"Sopranos" series, Edie Falco was looking for a New York-based show that would guarantee a stable home life for her and her young son and daughter, Anderson and Macy.

"And I wanted to be involved a lot," she adds. "On 'The Sopranos,' I would show up every third day and hear about things that happened while I wasn't there, and I hated that!" "The Sopranos" was not a committee project, she notes. David Chase was the undisputed auteur.

"It was totally his show, and I trusted that. So he told me to do this and wear this, and I said 'OK.' But now they're saying, 'What do you think Jackie should do, and what should she wear?' And I say, 'I have no idea.' And then I say, 'What if she wore pink shoes?' And they say, 'C'mon, let's try it.' I wanted her to have short hair - because I could. I was going to cut my hair, anyway."

Nurse Jackie - New Show time Dark Comedy Series Starring Edie Falco: