Most Trending Celebrity of The Day

Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster

noreply@blogger.com (Games World) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 15:36:00 +0000

Jodie Foster:

Born: 19 November 1962

Birthplace: Los Angeles, California

Best Known As: The star of The Silence of the Lambs

Name at birth: Alicia Christian Foster

Tareq & Catherine

noreply@blogger.com (Games World) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 15:09:00 +0000

Tareq and Catherine Masud:

Tareque Masud was born in Bhanga Upazila, Faridpur District, Bangladesh. The Liberation War of Bangladesh fought against Pakistan in 1971 disrupted his life as it did the lives of countless others. After the war, he pursued a general education and completed his postgraduate Masters degree in History at Dhaka University.

Tareque Masud was chief executive officer (CEO) of ATN News. Tareque Masud was an award-winning Bangladeshi independent film director. He was known for directing the films Muktir Gaan (1995) and Matir Moina (2002), for which he won a number of international awards, including the International Critics' Prize and FIPRESCI Prize for Directors' Fortnight at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. He died in a road accident on 13 August, 2011 while returning Dhaka from Manikganj on the Dhaka-Aricha highway after visiting a shooting location. His microbus collided head-on with an oncoming passenger bus. His wife Catherine Masud was also injured seriously in the accident. The movie on which he was working at the time of his death is titled Kagojer Ful (The Paper Flower).

Filmmaker Tareq Masud, one of the pioneers in the film revival movement in Bangladesh, was killed in a road accident on August 13 on the Dhaka-Aricha highway in Ghior upazila of Manikganj. Ashfaque Munier and three others were killed when a passenger bus hit their microbus on the Dhaka-Aricha highway in Ghior upazila of Manikganj. He died in a road accident near Ghior Upazila on 13 August, 2011 while returning Dhaka from Manikganj on the Dhaka-Aricha highway after visiting a shooting location. His microbus collided head-on with an oncoming passenger bus. In the accident, his wife Catherine Masud was also seriously injured. He along with the other passengers were traveling to choose shooting locations for his new film. The name of his new movie is "Kagojer Ful" (The Paper Flower) filming of which was supposed to begin after shooting locations were elected. Masud’s wife, Catherine Masud, was critically injured along with painter Dhali Al Mamun and his wife Dolly. The three were rushed to the Square Hospital in Dhaka.

Police said Tareque Masud, Mishuk Munir, production manager Wasim, microbus driver Mustafiz and Jamal died on the spot. The accident occurred when a Chuadanga-bound passenger bus crashed into the microbus carrying the victims at about 12:30pm, leaving the five dead on the spot. Tareque Masud’s wife Catherine Masud, Chittagong University teacher Dali Al Mamun, his wife and an unidentified man were injured critically. The injured were first rushed to sadar hospital and then shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. The accident took place around 12:20pm when a Chuadanga-bound bus rammed into a microbus carrying them in Ghior upazila of the district. Rois Uddin, officer-in-charge of Ghior Police Station said, the bodies were kept at sadar hospital morgue.

Ann Coulter Joins Advisory Council of GOP Homosexual Group

noreply@blogger.com (Games World) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 06:41:00 +0000

Conservative author and commentator Ann Coulter is joining the advisory council of GOProud, a conservative organization comprised primarily of homosexuals.

The group announced Tuesday that Coulter is now an "honorary chair" and her official title will be "gay icon."

"Ann Coulter is a brilliant and fearless leader of the conservative movement; we are honored to have her as part of GOProud's leadership," board Chairman Christopher Barron said in the group's official statement. "Ann helped put our organization on the map. Politics is full of the meek, the compromising and the apologists -- Ann, like GOProud, is the exact opposite of all of these things. We need more Ann Coulters."

Coulter is an extremely outspoken conservative. She is against same-sax marriage and recently said she believed in what is known as "reparative therapy," a practice that works to turn homosexual men and women into heterosexuals. She has also said that she believes the military should only include heterosexual males.

Coulter joins anti-tax activist Grover Norquist, online media mogul Andrew Breitbart, and Republican strategist Roger Stone, all of whom serve on the organization's advisory board.

"I am honored to serve in this capacity on GOProud's Advisory Council, and look forward to being the queen of fabulous," Coulter said in a statement.

"Ann Coulter is a brilliant and fearless leader of the conservative movement; we are honored to have her as part of GOProud's leadership," board Chairman Christopher Barron proclaimed in the statement. “Ann helped put our organization on the map. Politics is full of the meek, the compromising and the apologists – Ann, like GOProud, is the exact opposite of all of these things. We need more Ann Coulters.”

Coulter is scheduled to headline the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Fla., this September. However, her honorary board position seems to be in direct opposition to CPAC’s parent group, the American Conservative Union (ACU), who recently voted against formally inviting GOProud to its 2012 conference.

Coulter, an outspoken conservative, has been an active participant in prior CPAC events. She has spoken out against same-sex marriage and recently said in an appearance on Joy Behar’s talk show that she believed what is known as “reparative therapy,” works in some cases and that the military should be comprised of only heterosexual males.

Coulter describes herself as a lifelong Republican and has documented her disagreement with Democrats over social issues in her books and various speeches.

ACU declined to reveal the vote count to The Christian Post. However, Tom Minnery, executive director of Focus on the Family affiliate CitizenLink, said, "It was a very substantial vote, I understand, in favor of the action that was taken."

Minnery said GOProud is fundamentally incompatible with conservatives because of its support for same-sex marriage.

"The definition of marriage is so central to a traditional understanding of what family is that having them as participants in the conference seemed to be at odds with the goals of the conservative movement," he said.

Last year, Coulter told attendees at GOProud's Homocon that she does not support same-sex marriage and that they do not have a "civil right" to marry.

Coulter, who also proclaimed she is a "conservative Christian," maintained her opposition to same-sex marriage during an interview on C-SPAN 2: Book TV last Sunday. She also told the C-SPAN host that many of her fans are homosexual and that she believes homosexuals' interests align with those of the Republican Party.

"Gays are a demographic group that has one of the highest incomes in America. They are victims of crimes. The Muslims don't think to highly of them. So, basically the entire Republican platform is fighting the some causes any sane gay person should care about," she shared.

She also defended GOProud, saying it does not have a position on same-sex marriage.

"They used to have a position in favor of gay marriage," Coulter said of GOProud.

However, she asserted, "They don't care about marriage. Gays talk about gay marriage because they think [Republican approval of same-sex marriage] will prove we like them and so I just tell them, 'we like you. We just don't like gay marriage.'"

But Minnery told The Christian Post, "They (GOProud) gave a number of interviews last year about their opposition to [traditional] marriage."

Despite her opposition to same-sex marriage, Coulter issued a statement approving her new role on the group's board.

"I am honored to serve in this capacity on GOProud's Advisory Council, and look forward to being the queen of fabulous," she said.

Coulter joins other noted conservatives on GOProud’s advisory board. They include: Margaret Hoover, Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform, Andrew Breitbart, Liz Mair, Chuck Muth, former CPAC director Lisa De Pasquale, Christian Josi, Republican strategist Roger Stone, Andrew Langer, Kathryn Serkes and Bob Carlstrom.

The Christian Post repeatedly attempted to contact the ACU for a statement on Coulter's affiliation with GOProud but did not receive a response.

Most hated person in America

noreply@blogger.com (Games World) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 05:33:00 +0000

The most hated person in America is Casey Anthony: poll

Casey Anthony:

Casey Anthony is the "Most Hated Person in America", according to a survey by California-based E-Poll Market Research. A new poll that tracks public perceptions of celebrities says Casey Anthony, the Florida woman who was found not guilty recently of murdering her two year-old daughter, is the most hated person in America. The 25-year-old Anthony is reportedly hiding after being released from jail last July. Her daughter would have been 6 years old yesterday as a group of people and the grandparents gathered to the place where the tot’s body was found. Anthony was more disliked than California’s “Octomom,” former football star O.J. Simpson and socialite Paris Hilton, according to the poll by E-Poll Market Research which was released Wednesday. Some legal pundits and millions of Americans were surprised when Anthony was acquitted in July of the murder case of her daughter Caylee Anthony after six weeks of trial. According to the latest E-Poll’s E-Score Celebrity research, 54 percent of those questioned were aware of Casey Anthony and her story, and 94 percent of those people disliked her. She was also considered “creepy” by 57 percent and “cold” by 60 percent of respondents. Following Anthony in the most hated list is former “The Hills” star Spencer Pratt and third placer is Nadya Suleman, the unemployed single California woman who gave birth to octuplets in 2009 despite already having six children. O.J. Simpson, another murder suspect, came fourth.

Casey Anthony stands for the arrival of the jury in her murder trial at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, Florida, in this June 9, 2011 file photo. Anthony, the Florida woman who was found not guilty recently of murdering her two year-old daughter, is the most hated person in America, according to a new poll that tracks public perceptions of celebrities. Anthony, 25, who is now in hiding after being released from jail in July, was more disliked than California's "Octomom," former football star O.J. Simpson and socialite Paris Hilton, according to the poll released on August 10, 2011 by E-Poll Market Research.

Who's the most hated person in America? Alas, this a nation with some mommy issues, as a new poll shows mothers Casey Anthony and "Octomom" Nadya Suleman flanking Spencer Pratt, the mother of all reality TV jerks, in a big, juicy "overall dislike" statistical sandwich. Anthony topped the list, which make sense given that it was only June when she was found not guilty of the abuse and murder of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, and America, being America, perhaps needs a few more minutes to heal. Or at least enough time to figure out where Ms. Anthony has club-hopped off to since her release from jail. More than half the people surveyed knew of Anthony, and 94% of those who knew of her disliked her. Heck, even the ubiquitous Kim Kardashian felt free to bag on Casey when the not-guilty verdict came down — at least until some folks on Twitter brought up some little trial Kimmie's dad was involved with back in the 1990s. Ditto in the no-surprises category for No. 3, Octomom, whose ill-behaved and nearly impossible-to-count children reminded America only recently on the "Today" show of the many reasons she should be banned, generally, from the public arena. In case we forgot about the video she did where she was flogging an adult radio personality who was dressed in a baby diaper. Less predictable though not surprising: Pratt and O.J., two dudes with staying power, only one of whom has been involved in a double-murder trial. If nothing else, they are clearly woven into the fabric of the uber-loathed, with Simpson popping back on the radar at the end of Anthony's trial, with the help of — you got it — Kim Kardashian. Coming in fifth was heiress Paris Hilton, which was a tad surprising, because the convicted drug offender, boyfriend-slapper and repeat stalker-bait hasn't reproduced or been accused of causing the death of another human being. Heck, she even ended her feud with Kim Kardashian, which has to count for something. Though Paris and Spencer do have that irritating reality-TV thing in common. OK, 'nuff said. E-Poll Market Research asked the questions in a survey that tracks, among other metrics, public awareness and the appeal of 6,000 celebrities. The goal apparently is to help clients "make informed decisions for endorsements, casting and product development." As if all those people considering hiring Casey Anthony, the Octomom, O.J., the "One Night in Paris" star or the hairier half of Speidi as a spokesmodel — Why is Larry Flynt the only name that comes to mind? — don't already know to think twice?

Ha Ji-won the Korea's Top action star.

noreply@blogger.com (Games World) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 17:07:00 +0000

Ha Ji-won the real name is Jeon Hae Rim. She is born in June 28, 1978. She is a South Korean actress. She is also the Grand Prize winner of 2006 KBS Acting Awards for her performance in TV drama Hwang Jin-i. Ha Ji-won is one of Korean cinema’s top actresses.

At a glance:

# Name: Ha Ji Won
# Real name: Jeon Hae Rim
# Profession: Actress and singer
# Birthdate: 1979-Jun-28
# Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea
# Height: 168cm
# Weight: 46kg
# Star sign: Cancer
# Blood type: A
# Education: Dan Gook University

She started her career playing supporting roles in television productions. In 2002, Ha Ji-won had her breakthrough role as the lead in the horror film Phone, earning her a best actress nomination at the Blue Dragon Film Awards. Since then she has gone on to make films like the Sex Is Zero, Reversal of Fortune, 100 Days with Mr. Arrogant and more recently Sector 7. She has also starred in the movie Haeundae. Ha has also starred in the TV series Something Happened in Bali in early 2004, co-starring Jo In-seong and So Ji-sub. In that project, she played tour guide Lee Soo-jeong, who consequently attracted two men whom she did not like. She won a Baek-Sang Best Actress Award for her performance in this drama.

TV Shows:

    * Secret Garden (SBS, 2010)
    * Hwang Jin Yi (KBS2, 2006)
    * What Happened in Bali (SBS, 2004)
    * Damo (MBC, 2003)
    * Love That's Bigger Than Love (MBC)
    * Days in the Sun (KBS2, 2002)
    * Life is Beautiful (KBS2, 2001)
    * Secret (MBC, 2000)
    * School 2 (KBS1, 1999)
    * Tears of the Dragon (KBS1, 1996)

Movies:

    * Sector 7 (2010)
    * My Love By My Side (2009)
    * Haeundae (2009)
    * Seven Remedies (2008)
    * Fool/BA:BO (2008)
    * His Last Gift (2007, cameo)
    * Sex is Zero 2 (2007, cameo)
    * Miracle on 1st Street/1st Miracle (2007)
    * Duelist (2005)
    * Daddy Long Legs (2005)
    * All For Love (2005, cameo)
    * Love So Divine (2004)
    * Bunshinsaba/Ouija Board (2004)
    * 100 Days with Mr. Arrogant (2004)
    * Reversal of Fortune (2003)
    * Sex is Zero (2002)
    * Phone (2002)
    * The Scissors (2000)
    * Ditto (2000)
    * Truth Game (2000)
    * Nightmare (2000)

Awards:

    * 2010 SBS Drama Awards: Top Ten Stars Award (Secret Garden)
    * 2010 SBS Drama Awards: Netizen Popularity Award (Secret Garden)
    * 2010 SBS Drama Awards: Best Couple Award with Hyun Bin (Secret Garden)
    * 2010 SBS Drama Awards: Top Excellence Award, Special Drama - Actress (Secret Garden)
    * 2010 46th Baeksang Arts Awards: Best Actress Award ("My Love By My Side")
    * 2007 32nd Golden Chest International TV Festival: Best Actress Award (Hwang Jin Yi)
    * 2007 34th Korean Broadcasting Awards: Best Actress Award (Hwang Jin Yi)
    * 2006 KBS Drama Awards: Daesang (Grand Prize) (Hwang Jin Yi)
    * 2006 KBS Drama Awards: Best Couple Award with Jang Geun Suk (Hwang Jin Yi)
    * 2006 KBS Drama Awards: Netizen Award (Hwang Jin Yi)
    * 2004 40th Baeksang Arts Awards: Best TV Actress Award (What Happened in Bali)
    * 2000 21st Blue Dragon Awards: Best Supporting Actress Award ("Ditto")
    * 2000 37th Grand Bell Awards: Best New Actress Award ("Truth Game")

Harrison Ford

noreply@blogger.com (Games World) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 15:19:00 +0000

Harrison Ford was born July 13, 1942. His father was Irish, his mother Russian-Jewish. A younger brother, Terence, was born in 1945. Ford's grandparents, John Fitzgerald Ford and Florence Veronica Niehaus, were of Irish Catholic and German descent, respectively. Ford's maternal grandparents, Harry Nidelman and Anna Lifschutz, were Jewish immigrants from Minsk, Belarus (at that time a part of the Russian Empire). When asked in which religion he was raised, Ford has jokingly responded, "Democrat." He has also said that he feels "Irish as a person, but I feel Jewish as an actor."

He was a lackluster student at Maine Township High School East in Park Ridge Illinois. Ford was active in the Boy Scouts of America, and achieved its second-highest rank, Life Scout. He worked at a scout camp, Napowan Adventure Base, as a counselor for the Reptile Study merit badge. Because of this, he and Eagle Scout director Steven Spielberg later decided to depict the young Indiana Jones as a Life Scout in the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. They also jokingly reversed Ford's knowledge of reptiles into Jones' fear of snakes. In 1960, Ford graduated from Maine East High School in Park Ridge, Illinois. His was the first student voice broadcast on his high school's new radio station, WMTH, and he was its first sportscaster during his senior year (1959–1960). He attended Ripon College in Wisconsin, where he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. He took a drama class in his junior year, chiefly as a way to meet women. Ford, a self-described "late bloomer," became fascinated with acting.

He is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. His four-decade career also includes roles in several other Hollywood blockbusters, including Presumed Innocent, The Fugitive, Air Force One, and What Lies Beneath. At one point, three of the top five box-office hits of all time included one of his roles. Five of his films have been inducted into the National Film Registry. In 1997, Ford was ranked No.1 in Empire's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. As of July 2008[update], the United States domestic box office grosses of Ford's films total almost US$3.4 billion, with worldwide grosses surpassing $6 billion, making Ford the third highest grossing U.S. domestic box-office star. Ford is the husband of actress Calista Flockhart.

Ford is one of Hollywood's most notoriously private actors, guarding his personal life. He has two sons (Benjamin and Willard) with his first wife, Mary Marquardt, as well as two children (Malcolm and Georgia) with his second wife, screenwriter Melissa Mathison. Ford began dating Calista Flockhart after meeting at the 2002 Golden Globes, and together they are parents to her adopted son, Liam. Ford proposed to Flockhart over Valentine's Day weekend in 2009. They were married on June 15, 2010, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where Ford was filming Cowboys and Aliens. Ford has three grandchildren: Eliel (b. 1993), Giuliana (b. 1997), and Ethan (b. 2000). on Benjamin owns Ford's Filling Station, a gastro pub in Culver City, California. Son Willard is co-owner of Ford&Ching showroom as well as Ludwig clothing company. After dropping out of Ripon College in Wisconsin, where he did some acting and later summer stock, he signed a Hollywood contract with Columbia and later Universal. His roles in movies and TV ("Ironside" (1967), "The Virginian" (1962)) remained secondary and, discouraged, he turned to a career in professional carpentry. He came back big four years later, however, as Bob Falfa in American Graffiti (1973). Four years after that he hit colossal with the role of Han Solo in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). Another four years and Ford was Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Four years later and he received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for his role as John Book in Witness (1985). All he managed four years after that was his third starring success as Indiana Jones; in fact, many of his earlier successful roles led to sequels as did his more recent portrayal of Jack Ryan in Patriot Games (1992). Another Golden Globe nomination came his way for the part of Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive (1993). He is clearly a well-established Hollywood superstar. He also maintains an 800-acre ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Ford received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for Witness, for which he also received "Best Actor" BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations. He received the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 2002 Golden Globe Awards and on June 2, 2003, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has received three additional "Best Actor" Golden Globe nominations for The Mosquito Coast, The Fugitive and Sabrina. In 2006, Ford was awarded the Jules Verne Spirit of Nature Award for his work in nature and wildlife preservation. The ceremony took place at the historic Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. He received the first ever Hero Award for his many iconic roles, including Han Solo and Indiana Jones, at the 2007 Scream Awards, and in 2008, the Spike TV's Guy's Choice Award for Brass Balls. Harrison Ford received the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2000.

Obama’s approval numbers hit all-time low

noreply@blogger.com (Games World) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 14:33:00 +0000

Barack Hussein Obama born in Honolulu, Hawaii, in August 4, 1961. He is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Barack Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election. Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was the president of the Harvard Law Review. He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. He served three terms representing the 13th district in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004.

Following an unsuccessful bid against the Democratic incumbent for a seat in the United States House of Representatives in 2000, Obama ran for United States Senate in 2004. Several events brought him to national attention during the campaign, including his victory in the March 2004 Democratic primary and his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004. He won election to the U.S. Senate in Illinois in November 2004. His presidential campaign began in February 2007, and after a close campaign in the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries against Hillary Rodham Clinton, he won his party's nomination. In the 2008 presidential election, he defeated Republican nominee John McCain, and was inaugurated as president on January 20, 2009. In October 2009, Obama was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

As president, Obama signed economic stimulus legislation in the form of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in February 2009 and the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act in December 2010. Other domestic policy initiatives include the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act. In foreign policy, he gradually withdrew combat troops from Iraq, increased troop levels in Afghanistan, signed the New START arms control treaty with Russia, ordered enforcement of the United Nations-sanctioned no-fly zone over Libya without congressional approval, and issued a direct order to a small group of American military forces to kill al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. In April 2011, Obama declared his intention to seek re-election in the 2012 presidential election.

President Barack Obama’s approval rating sank to a new low Friday, according to Gallup’s daily presidential tracking poll, averaging 40% in July 26-28 Gallup Daily tracking. His prior low rating of 41% occurred several times, the last of which was in April. As recently as June 7, Obama had 50% job approval. Just 40 percent of Americans say they approve of Obama’s performance as president. That is down three percentage points from Thursday. 50 percent say they do not approve of the job he is doing. The poor rating comes amidst an increasingly chaotic debate over raising the debt ceiling, as the deadline to raise it or risk the government defaulting on its debts looms. Just 41 percent of the public said they approved of the way Obama was handling the debt-ceiling negotiations, while 52 percent disapproved, according to another Gallup poll released Thursday. Nonetheless, Obama still polls better than congressional leadership. Speaker of the House John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid both received even lower approval rates. The president’s 40 percent approval rating follows a Pew Research Center for the People and the Press poll released Thursday that found Obama’s support among independents has eroded a great deal. 54 percent of independents disapprove of Obama’s performance as president, according to the Pew poll, the most during his time in office. Just 36 percent approve of the job he is doing. Obama has also lost ground against a generic Republican challenger — getting 41 percent of the vote when matched with an unnamed Republican who polled 40 percent. Obama’s approval rating is below that of former President Bill Clinton’s lowest approval rating during the government shutdowns of 1995. At the very end of the shutdown, Clinton’s approval rating was down at 42 percent, but quickly rebounded back to over 50 percent. His lowest approval rating ever was 37 percent in mid June of 1993.

Lisa Nowak

noreply@blogger.com (Games World) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 11:53:00 +0000

Nationality       : American
Born                : May 10, 1963 (1963-05-10) (age 48)
Status            : Dismissed
Washington, D.C., United States
Previous occupation    : Test Naval Flight Officer
Rank               : Commander, USN, Retired
Time in space : 12d 18h 36 m
Selection        : 1996 NASA Group
Missions        : STS-121

`Lisa Nowak'~ The full name is Lisa Marie Nowak born in May 10, 1963 is a former American naval aviator naval officer and NASA astronaut. Born in Washington, D.C., she was selected by NASA in 1996 and qualified as a mission specialist in robotics. Nowak flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery during the STS-121 mission in July 2006, where she was responsible for operating the robotic arms of the shuttle and the International Space Station. Lisa Nowak is the daughter of Alfredo and Jane Caputo of Rockville, Maryland. She first became interested in the space program when she was six years old, watching the Apollo moon landings. Nowak followed the space shuttle program, particularly the introduction of women astronauts, while she was growing up. She graduated from Charles W. Woodward High School in Rockville in 1981, and received her Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1985. Nowak earned a Master of Science degree in aeronautical engineering, and a degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering in 1992 from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

Nowak married Richard T. Nowak, a classmate at both the Naval Academy and naval flight school, in 1988. Richard Nowak is employed by a contractor to NASA at Johnson Space Center. The Nowaks have three children, a son born in 1992 and twin daughters born in 2001. A statement from the family indicated that the Nowaks separated in January 2007 and have subsequently divorced.

Nowak received her commission from the U.S. Navy in 1985. In 1987, she became a naval flight officer via the Tactical Navigation syllabus at Training Squadron 86 (VT-86) at NAS Pensacola, Florida. Nowak was then assigned to Electronic Warfare Aggressor Squadron 34 at Point Mugu, California, where she flew in EA-7L and ERA-3B aircraft, supporting the Pacific Fleet in small and large-scale exercises with jamming and missile profiles. In 1993, she was selected for both Aerospace Engineering Duty, and the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at NAS Patuxent River. After graduating from the Naval Postgraduate School, Nowak stayed at Patuxent River working as an aircraft systems project officer at the Air Combat Environment Test and Evaluation Facility and at Strike Aircraft Test Squadron, flying in the F/A-18 and EA-6B. Nowak was then assigned to the Naval Air Systems Command, working on acquisition of new systems for naval aircraft, when she was selected for the astronaut program. She has logged over 1,500 hours of flight in over 30 different aircraft during her career in the Navy. On August 20, 2010, a panel of three US Navy Admirals recommended that she be discharged from the Navy and her rank reduced from captain to commander. The final decision in such matters lies with the Secretary of the Navy.

Nowak gained international attention on February 5, 2007, when she was arrested in Orlando, Florida, and subsequently charged with the attempted kidnapping of U.S. Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman, who was romantically involved with astronaut William Oefelein. Nowak was released on bail, and initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, which included attempted kidnapping, burglary with assault, and battery. Her assignment to the space agency as an astronaut was terminated by NASA effective March 8, 2007. On November 10, 2009, Nowak agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to charges of felony burglary of a car and misdemeanor battery. Nowak remained a U.S. Navy captain until August 2010, when a naval board of inquiry, composed of three admirals, voted unanimously to reduce Nowak in rank to commander and to discharge her from the navy under "other than honorable conditions". In this Aug. 24, 2007 file photo, Lisa Nowak makes a brief statement to the media outside the courtroom after a hearing at the Orange County courthouse in Orlando, Fla. Nowak, banished from NASA after she attacked a romantic rival, will retire from the Navy with an "other than honorable" discharge and her pay grade will be knocked down one rank, Assistant Secretary of Navy Juan Garcia said in a statement.

Cowboys & Aliens

noreply@blogger.com (Games World) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 19:39:00 +0000

Director:

Jon Favreau
Writers:
Roberto Orci (screenplay), Alex Kurtzman (screenplay), and 7 more.
Stars:
Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde

Sci-fi Western. Starring Daniel Craig, right, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde. A spaceship arrives in Arizona, 1873, to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region. A posse of cowboys are all that stand in their way. Sensing his genre-blending movie would be a tough sell to moviegoers during a summer rife with established film brands, filmmaker Jon Favreau has stumped for months, all across the country, in support of Universal's "Cowboys & Aliens."

But it seems certain that, despite Favreau's extensive campaigning for the $163 million film, it won't do big business at the weekend box office. Various box office watchers predict that the PG-13-rated film, which was executive produced by Steven Spielberg, stars Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde, and opens up in 3,750 locations in the U.S. and Canada, will only premiere to around $40 million-$45 million this weekend.

Harrison Ford was on David Letterman promoting his latest film "Cowboys & Aliens" when Letterman ran his hand through Ford's hair. That or an old-fashioned slug right in Letterman's kisser. Letterman has some nerve. Running his hand through Fords' carefully coiffed hair is close to the equivalent of putting his hand down, let's say, Kim Kardashian 's cleavage to feel if her breasts are real. She would have boffed him one with her handbag. That or slapped him with a lawsuit. Long live Harrison Ford. Don't know about David "The Groper" Letterman. And let us not forget the courage of Bruce Willis who has let his hairline grow out with grace over the years.

"Cowboys & Aliens" is a ridiculous title. Ridiculous concept. But it works. To a point. This is Daniel Craig's film with Ford and his hat as Craig’s side kick. Craig's magnetic baby blues mesmerize and he manages to pull the film together with his lasso-like appeal, but it is the aliens who steal the show in the town of Absolution. Their creepy bodies, tentacles, and movements at times will make you gasp. You have to see the film to catch on to these monsters entrances and exits that are frightening at times menacing. The aliens are a bit reminiscent of Ridley Scott's "Alien," but then how far can one go in creating an alien? Lucas films did a pretty good job creating an original terror in these flying monsters. The plot starts out as your average gunslinger confrontation between Jake Lonergrin (Craig) and Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford) ... One difference is Lonergrin has no memory of his past and wears a mysterious shackle on his wrist. When suddenly out of the flaming skies arrives a spaceship with aliens intent on abducting people from the town for research. One by one they pull select towns folk into their spaceships by means of a bungee jumping technique and fly away. These aliens have come to the West in search of gold.

Elusive Ella Swenson (Olivia Wilde) is in the town when the aliens arrive. She and Lonergrin strike up a 'haven't we seen each other somewhere before' kind of antagonistic repartee. Colonel Dolarhyde's son (Percy Dano) is the town's loser and takes on Lonergrin who overpowers him. They both end up in jail, until the aliens arrive and kidnap half of the town. Craig sports a bracelet- like-weapon that can shoot down the aliens. Colonel Dolarhyde, Lonergrin, and a few of the towns folk create a posse and set off into the desert to find the people the aliens have abducted. Dolarhyde and Lonergrin though on polar opposites bury their hatchets and unite against the common foe -- the aliens. The Apaches with the use of peyote help Lonergrin revive his memory and thus they are able to find the aliens' spaceship.

The look of the film is dusty and desert-like hot. Filmed in New Mexico that is meant to be Arizona the mountain ranges are spectacular. When the alien space ship becomes part of the desert, it is almost hidden like camouflage as it resembles the mountains rock formation. Ford will keep you entertained with his expressions and his appeal though the dialogue in the film is flat and lacks energy. Olivia Wilde is enchanting as an alien from quite a different universe than the enemy aliens abducting all the good folk. Still it is all the way with lead gunslinger Daniel Craig who has little to say, but looking at him writes volumes. This is your usual tale of good vs evil. Alas, "Cowboys & Aliens" falls short of being a great movie. There is too much of a "been there done that" feel to the entire film as original as the concept is. The antagonism of aliens and cowboys while creative needs a bit more unpredictability and mystery to make this concept a complete success.

The reason for "Cowboys & Aliens" - the justification for it, the appeal of it, the whole point of it - is contained in the title. Take a cowboy movie, add space aliens. That's a gimmick that could easily have exhausted itself after 20 minutes, but director Favreau, a team of screenwriters and some well-cast actors keep it alive, and the result is a crowd-pleasing summer movie with more wit than most. The more you know Westerns, the more you'll enjoy "Cowboys & Aliens." Every Western cliche is pumped up and blown out, not only the cliches of story but of character, costume and set design. Sam Rockwell, as a merchant, shows up with the little round spectacles and plastered-down hair that you've seen in a hundred movies. Paul Dano as a spoiled, sniveling drunken brat on a rampage starts shooting up the town, like every obnoxious skinny kid with a gun from a thousand Westerns. And the shots of the rickety old town, a few structures in a vast nothingness, are a little more forlorn than usual. At the center of it all, of course, is a lonesome stranger with a dark past. This time it's Daniel Craig, as stern and unsmiling as Clint Eastwood, who wakes up in the movie's first scene in the middle of nowhere, with an elaborate metal bracelet on his wrist and suffering from amnesia. But he does remember how to fight. When he takes down four creepy guys - they're filthy with long beards and look like something out of Western central casting - the audience settles in for a good time. For the most part, "Cowboys & Aliens" delivers. Favreau has a subtly satirical sensibility that can suggest absurdity simply through camera placement, as when Craig stands framed in a doorway, like some Western God, and then says "Hello?" - sounding just a little unsure and ridiculous. The script is sprinkled with funny moments for viewers in the know. At one point, an exasperated Rockwell turns on someone and says, "Why don't you sing a song, cook some beans, do something useful!" But the movie's most inexhaustible source of delight is Harrison Ford as a cranky old entrepreneur in an Indiana Jones hat. It's a given in every Ford movie that he's ticked off about something. The trick is to give him a reason to be so surly. Space aliens taking his son? Alien death rays burning up his cattle? OK, these are good reasons. Ford doesn't exactly play for laughs, and in fact the movie provides him with several dramatic moments that he seems to relish. But Ford knows who he is onscreen and what he has come to mean over the decades. He knows exactly where the laughs are, and he nails every one of them. On the downside, "Cowboys & Aliens" is not the Western answer to "Inglourious Basterds." Here genre isn't exaggerated to jar audiences from their complacency or to discover new truths. The movie combines cowboys with science fiction only for the sake of doing it, for the fun of it. Like the novel "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," you already have the best joke going in. Lacking an overarching purpose or viewpoint, the movie is no better than it happens to be in the moment, and there is a 20-minute stretch, about a quarter of the way in, that drags. But "Cowboys & Aliens" gets better as it goes along and benefits from a director with a solid command of tone. The actors may know they're in a comedy, but the characters certainly don't. That's an important difference that allows us, once the premise's novelty has worn off, to care whether Daniel Craig can rescue a very somber Olivia Wilde from the clutches of an alien spaceship, for example. Or to maintain a reasonable interest in the fate of a humanity threatened by gigantic, green, snorting monsters.

enjoy it.....

Zara Phillips

noreply@blogger.com (Games World) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:58:00 +0000

Member of the Order of the British Empire

Zara Anne Elizabeth Phillips was born in 15th May 1981. She is the second child and only daughter of Princess Anne, Princess Royal and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips. She is the eldest granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. At the time of her birth she was sixth in line to succeed her grandmother the Queen. As of the birth of her niece Savannah Phillips in 2010, she is 13th in the line of succession to the thrones of 16 independent countries. An equestrian, Phillips is the former Eventing World Champion who won the World Championship in Aachen and was voted 2006 BBC Sports Personality of the Year that year by the British viewing public. She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2007 New Year's Honours List for her services to equestrianism. She has an older brother, Peter Phillips, born 15 November 1977, and two half-sisters: Felicity Tonkin, born in 1985 to her father and his former mistress Heather Tonkin and Stephanie Phillips, born 2 October 1997 from her father's second marriage to Sandy Pflueger. At the request of their mother, the children of the Princess Royal do not hold any royal title, nor are they entitled to one by right of birth, as they are the grandchildren of a monarch in the female line. During her time at school, she excelled at many sporting activities and represented her schools in hockey, athletics and gymnastics. She later qualified as a physiotherapist specialising in Equine Physiotherapy from the University of Exeter. Phillips' often stormy relationship with former fiance and National Hunt jockey Richard Johnson attracted the attention of the British paparazzi, and the couple's split in November 2003 became On 21 December 2010, Buckingham Palace announced her engagement to rugby union player Mike Tindall, who plays for Premiership side Gloucester and the England national team. She lives with Tindall at their home in Gloucestershire. The couple met during England's Rugby World Cup-winning campaign in Australia in 2003. The wedding will be held on 30 July 2011 at the Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland.

In 2009 it was announced that Phillips would be designing her own range of equestrian clothing for Musto Outdoor Clothing. The range is named ZP176 after the team number Zara was given when she first represented her country.

The range was officially launched in July 2010. Zara Phillips will marry the England rugby star Mike Tindall in front of her grandmother Queen Elizabeth II in Edinburgh on Saturday (30th July 2011). As those involved begin their final preparations for the ceremony, attention has turned to the likely designer of Phillips wedding dress, reports the Associated Press. Although interest in the bride's gown is unlikely to rival that of Kate Middleton's choice for the Royal Wedding in April, fashion experts have nonetheless begun speculating on Zara's choice of dress. Arabella Dupont, executive retail editor of Brides magazine, said, "I think it will be a very classic, very traditional English wedding gown". Most press attention has focused on designer Stewart Parvin, who holds a royal warrant from the Queen. Others in contention include Paul Costelloe and veteran designer Bruce Oldfield - who many predicted would create Middleton's dress. Police have already warned that Edinburgh's Royal Mile holds limited space for potential spectators hoping to catch a glimpse of the bride. Joe Little, editor of Majesty magazine explained, "It's the complete opposite end of the royal wedding spectrum.William and Zara are both the queen's grandchildren: He's got the title, he's going to be the monarch, but Zara thinks of herself more as a sportswoman than as a royal". Zara Phillips, a world class equestrian hoping to compete in the London Olympics next summer, is the daughter of Princess Anne and her first husband MARK PHILLIPS.

(CBS) Another royal wedding is coming up - that of Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter Zara Phillips to rugby player Mike Tindall - and the bride-to-be has reportedly chosen a designer for her gown. The 30-year-old equestrian has selected couturier Stewart Parvin to design the wedding dress, the U.K.'s Daily Mail reports.

Parvin is the queen's "favorite couturier," according to the report, and Phillips' mother, Princess Anne, is also a fan of his designs. "They wear his ensembles for Ascot and the Queen wore a white Stewart Parvin dress for Barack Obama's state visit," says a fashion source told the paper. "Zara doesn't want a high-fashion dress similar to Kate Middleton's Sarah Burton design [for Alexander McQueen]," the source added. "But Stewart is the youngest Royal couturier, so the dress will still be modern and chic." Phillips and Tindall will wed on July 30 at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland. They announced their engagement in December.

Trojan asteroid

noreply@blogger.com (Games World) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:07:00 +0000

Trojan asteroid: NASA has discovered that Earth has an asteroid companion traveling just ahead of our planet as it orbits the sun. This so-called Trojan asteroid could serve as a stepping stone to celestial objects farther afield. This artist's concept provided by NASA illustrates the first known Earth Trojan asteroid, discovered by NEOWISE, the asteroid-hunting portion of NASA's WISE mission. The asteroid is shown in gray and its extreme orbit is shown in green. Earth's orbit around the sun is indicated by blue dots. The objects are not drawn to scale. The first in a long-sought type of asteroid companion to Earth has now been discovered, a space rock that always dances in front of the planet along its orbital path, just beyond its reach.

The asteroid, called 2010 TK7, is nearly 1,000 feet (300 meters) across and currently leading the Earth by about 50 million miles (80 million kilometers). The asteroid is the first in a category known as Earth's Trojans, a family of space rocks that could potentially be easier to reach than the moon, even though its member asteroids can be dozens of times more distant, researchers said. Such asteroids, which have long been suspected but not confirmed until now, could one day be valuable destinations for missions, especially loaded as they might be with elements rare on Earth's surface, they added. To imagine where Trojan asteroids are, picture the sun and Earth as being two points in a triangle whose sides are equal in length. The other point of such a triangle is known as a Trojan point, or a Lagrangian point after the mathematician who discovered them. The sun and Earth have two such points, one leading ahead of Earth, known as its L-4 point, and one trailing behind, its L-5 point. The sun and other planets have Lagrangian points as well, and asteroids have been seen at those the sun shares with Jupiter, Neptune and Mars. Scientists had long suspected the sun and Earth had Trojans as well, but these companions would dwell mostly in the daytime sky as seen from Earth, making them largely hidden in the sunlight. Now, with the aid of the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) satellite launched in 2009, astronomers have discovered Earth's first probable Trojan, a rock that spends its time at the sun-Earth L-4 point.

Earth's first Trojan asteroid

Asteroid 2010 TK7 has a bizarre, chaotic orbit. Trojan asteroids typically do not orbit right at the Lagrangian points but in tadpole-shaped loops around them, due to the gravitational attraction of other bodies in the solar system. However, 2010 TK7's tadpole orbit is unusually large, at times taking it nearly as far as the opposite side of the sun from the Earth. "This one has behavior much more interesting than I thought we would find," study co-author Martin Connors, an astronomer at Athabasca University in Canada, told SPACE.com. "It seems to do things not seen for Trojans before. Still, it had to have some kind of extreme behavior to move it far enough from its Lagrangian point to get within our view."

Connors and his team began their search for an Earth Trojan using data from WISE's asteroid- and comet-hunting project, called NEOWISE, named after Near-Earth Objects and WISE. The WISE telescope scanned the whole sky in infrared light from January 2010 to February 2011, a hunt that resulted in two candidates, one of which, 2010 TK7, was confirmed to be an Earth Trojan after follow-up observations at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The researchers have calculated the asteroid's orbit well enough to understand where it will be over the next 10,000 years — 2010 TK7 will not approach Earth any closer than 12.4 million miles (20 million kilometers), which is more than 50 times the distance from Earth to the moon. "It's as though the Earth is playing follow the leader," said Amy Mainzer, the principal investigator of NEOWISE at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who was not a part of the study. "Earth is always chasing this asteroid around." The fact that 2010 TK7's behavior is chaotic enough to take it quite far from its rather stable Trojan point suggests it is only marginally trapped there, having perhaps only recently been disturbed from its original position. The researchers will run more computer models of its orbit to find out what happened, Connors said. Asteroid 2010 TK7 may be the first confirmed Earth Trojan asteroid, but there are several space rocks known to exist in relatively stable orbits in our planet's neighborhoods. They include asteroids Cruithneand 2010 SO16, which have vast horseshoe-shaped orbits, and at least two others. But none of these other asteroids have been conformed to be Earth Trojans.

Still much unknown
So far 2010 TK7 does not have a formal name. "Its orbit needs to be nailed down before a name is considered, so it'll take a couple of years more observations before the WISE team can give it one," Connors said. No color information of it is at yet available of 2010 TK7 to shed light on its composition. In principle asteroids could have a similar makeup to Earth's, but since they are smaller they would have cooled down faster, meaning that heavier substances would not have had time to sink to their centers as they did on our planet. As such, elements that are uncommon on Earth's surface might be more accessible on asteroids.
"We could be mining these things one day," Connors said. Unfortunately, 2010 TK7 is not a good target because it travels above and below the plane of Earth's orbit, which means it would require large amounts of propellant to reach. However, if other Earth Trojans do exist, they could prove more accessible. Now that the researchers have found one, "it makes you want to wonder if there are any more," Connors said. He noted hopefully the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) array of telescopes and cameras aimed at detecting near-Earth objects could turn more up. The scientists detailed their findings in the July 28 issue of the journal Nature.

Olivia Wilde

noreply@blogger.com (Games World) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:17:00 +0000

Olivia Wilde was born in New York City on March 10, 1984. She is an American actress and model. Her mother, Leslie Cockburn (née Redlich), is a 60 Minutes producer and journalist. Her father, Andrew Cockburn, who was born in London, England, and raised in Ireland, is a journalist, as are her uncles Alexander Cockburn and Patrick Cockburn. Her older sister, Chloe Cockburn, is a civil rights attorney in New York; her late aunt, Sarah Caudwell, was a writer, and her paternal grandfather, Claud Cockburn, was a novelist/journalist. She began acting in the early 2000s, and has since appeared in a number of film and television parts, including roles in the serial-drama The O.C. and The Black Donnellys. She portrays Dr. Remy "Thirteen" Hadley in the TV drama House and in 2010 starred as Quorra in Tron: Legacy.

Olivia Wilde has said that as a result of her family background, she has a "strong journalistic streak", being "really critical and analytical". Both her parents were prominent in the Washington social scene, hosting dinner parties. Her mother once recounted a story of a young Wilde eavesdropping one night on a conversation between Richard Holbrooke and Mick Jagger until Jagger noticed her and shooed her to bed. She has wanted to become an actress since the age of two. For a short time, Wilde's family had a house in Guilford, Vermont. She attended Georgetown Day School in Washington, D.C., as well as Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, graduating in 2002. She also attended The Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, Ireland for a short time.

Olivia Wilde has dual citizenship in the United States and Ireland. She derived her stage name "Wilde" from Irish author Oscar Wilde. She changed her surname while in high school, to honour the writers in her family, many of whom used pen names. She is a vegan. She married Italian-American documentary filmmaker, flamenco guitar player, and son of an Italian prince Tao Ruspoli, on June 7, 2003, in Washington, Virginia, on a school bus with only a pair of witnesses, when she was 19 years old. She later said the marriage occurred in an abandoned school bus; it was the only place they could be completely alone, as the marriage was a secret at the time. On February 8, 2011, she and her husband announced that they were separating. Wilde has filed for divorce in Los Angeles County Superior Court citing "irreconcilable differences."

Wilde is a board member of Artists for Peace and Justice, which provides education and health services in Haiti, and the ACLU of Southern California. Previously, Wilde was a supporter of the youth voter organization, 18 in '08. She serves on their advisory council and appeared in a public service announcement that debuted June 30, 2008. In the fall of 2008, Wilde campaigned with actors Justin Long and her former House castmate Kal Penn for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama. She also appeared in the Moveon.org mock-PSA "supporting" the right of the healthcare insurance industry. Wilde was commended by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, an unorthodox farmworkers' union, for supporting the Fair Foods campaign.

Recent:

Since her March split with husband of seven years Tao Ruspoli, "Cowboys & Aliens" star Olivia Wilde has been linked to several of Hollywood's hottest stars (Bradley Cooper, Ryan Gosling and Justin Timberlake). But in the August issue of Nylon, the 27-year-old actress makes a surprising confession: "Dating is new to me." Wilde said it's especially hard in the modern world, where a lot of flirting happens via technology. "I see the whole thing like someone who's been in a coma and I've come out like, 'Wait, people text message? They text love? How do you text about love?'" she asks. "Three Xs and a smiley face? Emoticon? Deal breaker!"

That's not Wilde's only dating concern. Since her marriage ended, the actress admits she's packed on a few pounds. "I got a divorce and self-medicated with food," she says. "But I figure that's better than self-medicating with crack cocaine." Wilde recently spoke to Marie Claire in detail about her marriage to Italian prince Ruspoli, 35, admitting that "the trauma of the whole thing has been humbling, and for the first time, I'm a little bit wobbly. I'm a case of arrested development, in a way -- from spending your 20s with someone who really loves to take care of you, as my husband did. But I think it's very healthy to spend time alone. You need to know how to be alone and not be defined by another person." Fortunately, Wilde and her ex remain on good terms. "We're friends; his family is my family. You always have a choice to feel angry and not be friends," she told Marie Claire. "But I can't handle the idea of walking into a room and seeing someone I have bad blood with. I can't keep any negative relationship with anyone."

Scarlett Johansson

noreply@blogger.com (Games World) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 03:18:00 +0000

Scarlett Johansson born in November 22, 1984. Who is an American actress and singer. Johansson made her film debut in the 1994 film North and was later nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her performance in 1996's Manny & Lo. Johansson rose to fame with her roles in 1998's The Horse Whisperer and 2001's Ghost World. She transitioned to adult roles with her performances in Girl with a Pearl Earring and Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation, for which she won a BAFTA Award, and both films earned her Golden Globe Award nominations in 2003. A role in A Love Song for Bobby Long earned her a third Golden Globe for Best Actress nomination. Following an appearance in The Island, Johansson garnered a fourth Golden Globe nomination, for Best Supporting Actress, for her role in Woody Allen's Match Point. She also starred in other Allen movies, such as Scoop, with Hugh Jackman and Allen, and Vicky Cristina Barcelona, alongside Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz and Rebecca Hall. Scarlett Johansson appeared in films such as Christopher Nolan's The Prestige and the summer blockbuster Iron Man 2. A role in the 2010s Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's A View From the Bridge gave her some of her best reviews for her acting, and she received a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play. On May 20, 2008, Johansson debuted as a vocalist on her first album, Anywhere I Lay My Head, which comprises mostly cover versions of Tom Waits songs. Her second album, Break Up, with Pete Yorn, was released in September 2009.

Recent:

Sgt. Dustin L. Williams produced a YouTube video inviting Scar-Jo to the Marine Corps Ball, but the actress said while she is honored and thankful for the service of Sgt. Williams, she has prior commitments. She did send a case of champagne to help soften the blow.

Scarlett Johansson Declines Invitation to Marine Corps Ball Due To Work Conflict:

"In my absence, I raise a glass to you and all the men and women of the U.S. Marine Corps..." Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic Scarlett Johansson is the latest celebrity to score an invite to the Marine Corps Ball in November. Sgt. Dustin L. Williams posted a two-minute video last week in which he asks Johansson to be his date to the November 10 ball. As you may remember, "Friends With Benefits" stars Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake both received similar video invites in recent weeks (and both stars have said they'll attend). Johansson, however, won't be able to make an appearance as she'll be in Europe shooting a film at the time, her rep told The Famous. But she will be sending a case of champagne in her stead. "I feel incredibly honored to have been invited to the Marine Corps Ball by Sgt. Dustin L. Williams," Johansson said in a statement to Zap2It. "Not only does Sgt. Williams deserve recognition for his bravery, selflessness and dedication to the United States and its people, but he also displays a cheeky talent for film making. Sgt. Williams, unfortunately due to prior commitments I will not be able to attend the Ball with you this year but I am sending you a case of Moet and Chandon with gratitude. In my absence, I raise a glass to you and all the men and women of the U.S. Marine Corps, past and present, in thanks for your continued commitment to preserving the safety of our nation."

A kind and gracious response, no?

It sounds like Williams will be understanding of Johansson's conflict.

He told Zap2It before learning of Johansson's reply, "If I was told she could not attend, I would understand. I would not believe the invitation would be denied without good cause. With her current career I would imagine Scarlett Johansson is a busy woman." Kunis and Timberlake's invites brought about a flurry of Marine Corp Ball video invites directed at celebrities, including ones for Betty White (she sent her regrets), Linda Hamilton (she said yes) and Miley Cyrus (she hasn't responded, as far as we know)

Kate Bosworth

noreply@blogger.com (Games World) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:46:00 +0000

Kate Bosworth and Alexander Skarsgard spend a day out shopping at Bristol Farms in … Alexander Skarsgard may be on the hunt for some new "Blood." The actor, 34, and Kate Bosworth have called it quits after nearly two years of dating, according to Us Weekly. "It was very mutual," a source told the mag. "And it happened a while ago." Alexander -- who plays ruthless (although recently amnesiac) vampire Eric Northman on the HBO hit series, "True Blood" -- and Kate were spotted getting cozy as recently as April, when the two were photographed holding hands and chatting with friends at the Coachella Music Festival in Indio, Calif.

Kate Bosworth and Alexander Skarsgard split:

The now-former couple will soon be seen together on the big screen (alongside James Marsden and Dominic Purcell) in the upcoming thriller "Straw Dogs" - due out in theaters on September 16. Kate, 28, dated former "Pirates of the Caribbean" star Orlando Bloom for four years and was also previously linked to British model James Rousseau, while Alexander is rumored to have briefly dated "Letters to Juliet" beauty Amanda Seyfried, as well as his "True Blood" co-star Evan Rachel Wood. After almost two years together, the actress has split from boyfriend Alexander Skarsgard. Us Weekly reports that the breakup occurred "a while ago." Though they are split in real life, fans can catch them together on the big screen in the September thriller "Straw Dogs." Kate Bosworth and Alexander Skarsgard have confirmed their split. The pair have been an item for almost two years, but decided to end their relationship a little while ago, according to sources. Reports suggest that the break-up was amicable. “It was very mutual,” a source told US magazine. “And it happened a while ago.” Meanwhile, the former couple seems to be embracing single life. Kate, 28, was spotted giving her former flame, Orlando Bloom – who is now married to Miranda Kerr – a hug earlier this month, while Alexander, 34, has been enjoying his new-found bachelor lifestyle. During a Comic-Con bash in San Diego recently, he reportedly flirted with a brunette party-goer and ended up leaving the event with her. “He’s single and he is loving the attention!” the source added. The former couple was notoriously shy about their romance - refusing to confirm their relationship status throughout. Kate has previously gushed about the ‘True Blood’ actor however, insisting that she holds him in very high regard. “That’s a minefield, man! I’m not stepping into that. I’ve learned too well from being on that road,” she previously explained when asked about her relationship status. “We are very good friends, He’s a wonderful, wonderful man. I adore him.”