Popular Celebrity

Prince William Attends 'The Hobbit' Premiere, Minus Kate Middleton

2012-12-15T21:01:00.003-08:00

Prince William Attends 'The Hobbit' Premiere, Minus Kate Middleton - He had the red carpet, the Hollywood movie stars and the requisite black-tie attire.

All that Prince William was missing Wednesday night for the U.K. premiere of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" was his duchess, Kate Middleton.

Middleton, 30, was forced to cancel her appearance alongside her husband at the high-profile event because of the acute morning sickness that hospitalized her last week when the palace announced she was pregnant with the couple's first child, the would-be heir to the royal throne.

Middleton, suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, a condition that causes sustained nausea and discomfort, was released from King Edward VII Hospital in London last Thursday after a four-day stay. Palace officials announced Tuesday that the Duchess of Cambridge, as she is formally known, would continue to rest instead of attending the premiere.

William, nonetheless, stepped out without his wife of more than one year, and accepted fellow attendees' best wishes on her behalf.

"I passed on my best wishes to Kate and he said, 'She would have loved to have been here if she could,'" Tessa Street, manager of the cinema in London's Leicester Square where the premiere occurred, told reporters, according to People magazine.

William also mingled with the A-list stars of the highly anticipated film, including Cate Blanchett, Sir Ian McKellen and the film's director, Peter Jackson, on, what was in the this premiere's case, a green carpet in honor of the film.

Wednesday night's premiere benefited The Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund and, according to reports, the fund's supporters also expressed their appreciation to William, 30, for showing up despite his family obligations.

"I said to William, 'Thank you for taking the time to come and be here tonight' because I'm sure he wants to be at home making sure Kate's OK," Debbie Chalet, a fund trustee, told reporters.

While Prince William canceled some events in the wake of his wife's illness, he did attend another charity event Saturday where he reportedly also spoke about Middleton's condition, saying to a guest, "I don't know why they call it morning sickness; they should call it all-day and all-night sickness," according to the U.K.'s Telegraph. ( ABC News )

Mike Tyson sex change operation ‘a complete success’

2012-12-13T06:59:00.002-08:00

Mike Tyson sex change operation ‘a complete success’, say surgeons - Former undisputed heavyweight boxing champion of the world Mike Tyson is said to be ‘feeling fine’ after undergoing successful gender reassignment surgery at a clinic near Beverley Hills. Once known as ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’, the Brooklyn-born boxer told reporters that having his first menstrual cycle ‘would be a dream come true’, and that from now on he would be known as Michelle.

‘Some people might think it strange that I’m now a woman,’ said former rapist Tyson, who underwent complete facial feminization, orbital bone contouring and nasal surgery in an operation lasting over 16 hours. ‘But even at the height of my career, when pound for pound I was regarded as the best fighter in the world, I never lost touch with my feminine side and knew that one day I would grow breasts and have a vagina.’

Iron Mike – or Iron Maiden as he now likes to be called – was given the all-clear for gender reassignment surgery following a successful course in hormone replacement therapy which, in his autobiography, the boxer blamed for his 1996 defeat at the hands of Evander Holyfield. Although at the time Tyson insisted he was fit enough to carry on with the fight, referee Mitch Halpern stopped the bout in the 11th round saying Tyson looked flushed, was sweating profusely and appeared to be lactating heavily from his left breast.

Tyson, wearing a blonde wig and looking relaxed in blue jeans and a Vanessa Bruno T-shirt, today said he hoped having a clitoris would finally convince the American people that his ‘bad-boy’ days were over and he had turned over a new leaf. ‘I’m even keeping my surgically removed penis in a jar by my bedside to remind me what those sick perverts did to us pretty boys in prison.’

Although boxing commentators were initially stunned by Tyson’s revelation, many have admitted the signs were there. ‘In hindsight, he had shown a fondness for dressing up in gloves, long leather boots and silk gowns, and he always had a really close interest in earrings.’ ( newsbiscuit.com )

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Kim Kardashian, Kris Humphries: Engagement Ring Causing Drama In Divorce

2012-12-03T03:50:00.000-08:00

Kim Kardashian, Kris Humphries: Engagement Ring Causing Drama In Divorce - A multi-millionaire like Kim Kardashian certainly isn't hurting for money, so why is she refusing to give back her engagement ring to estranged hubby Kris Humphries?

According to Hollyscoop, Kardashian has no obligation to return the bling because the former couple's prenup states that she is entitled to keep the estimated $2-million-dollar rock.

But a source close to the situation told Radar Online, "Kris contends that the marriage was a total sham and that Kim only wed him for publicity so therefore she has no right to keep such an expensive gift."

Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger proposed to fellow Canadian Avril Lavigne in August with a gargantuan 14 carat pear-shaped rock. We want to know: can she even put her hand in her pocket with that thing on?!

This is the latest battle in the drawn-out Kardashian-Humphries divorce proceedings. The reality star filed for divorce from Humphries in October 2011 after just 72 days of marriage. He responded a month later by filing for an annulment on the basis of fraud and a legal separation.

Attorneys on both sides have accused each other of deliberately slowing down the divorce process, which has lasted five times longer than their marriage. Recently, Kardashian's attorney, disso-queen Laura Wasser, told the judge that her client is "handcuffed to Mr. Humphries" because his team is still not ready for trial. The estranged couple is set to return to court in mid-February to determine a trial date.

Watch the video above for more on the ongoing feud. Then, click through the slides below for Kardashian and five other A-listers who have sported some seriously massive engagement rings. ( huffingtonpost.com )

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Prince William and Kate Middleton's parenting plan, and more

2012-11-30T00:51:00.002-08:00

Prince William and Kate Middleton's parenting plan, and more - 5 top pieces of celebrity gossip — from Bill O'Reilly's "Gangnam Style" takedown to Yoko Ono's "sexy," John Lennon-inspired new clothing line

1. Kate Middleton, Prince William plan to become parents in 2013

By this time next year, Prince William and Duchess Kate may be the proud parents of a bouncing, British, royal bundle of joy, reports US Weekly. "In a dream situation, [William and Kate] would love to be a step closer at Christmas," confides a source, adding that the regal pair had hoped to get preggers even sooner, but needed to wait until their malaria medication had run its course. Ahhh, romance.

2. Bill O'Reilly is befuddled by "Gangnam Style"

"Gangnam Style" may be the most-viewed YouTube video of all time, but one person still hasn't been won over by Psy's breakout hit, reports MTV News: Conservative commentator Bill O'Reilly, who attacked the song on The O'Reilly Factor Tuesday night. "Remember 'The Pony'? He's just doing the Pony! […] Elvis Presley could sing, he had a good voice, his song had words…," complained O'Reilly. "Whatever you say, grandpa," sighed teenagers across the country.

3. Yoko Ono introduces clothing line inspired by John Lennon's "sexy bod"

Artist/activist/alleged Beatles breaker-upper Yoko Ono has unveiled a clothing line that she says was inspired by John Lennon's "sexy bod" — and the risque results are a lot closer to "Why Don't We Do It In The Road?" than "I Wanna Hold Your Hand." Entertainment Weekly offers a sample gallery, showcasing garments ranging from a "lightbulb bra" to a "padded jock strap," which Ono would be advised not to promote as "bigger than Jesus."

4. Shia LaBeouf dumps girlfriend for Nymphomaniac costar Mia Goth

Is there more than meets the eye to Transformers star Shia LaBeouf's love life? The New York Daily News reports that LaBeouf has quietly ended his relationship with longtime girlfriend Karolyn Pho and taken up with actress Mia Goth, his Nymphomaniac costar, in a joke that essentially writes itself.

5. Mike Tyson plans to hit the road with a one-man show

Following the trail blazed by Charlie Sheen, former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson is planning to tour the U.S. with his theater act, reports Reuters. Tyson has been performing the show, titled "Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth," since April as a one-man monologue — presumably to ensure that he doesn't bite the ears or threaten to eat the children of any unsuspecting costars. ( theweek.com )

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Halle Berry, Gabriel Aubry Secretly Married?

2012-11-28T09:16:00.002-08:00

Halle Berry, Gabriel Aubry Secretly Married? - Halle Berry called French model Gabriel Aubry her beau from 2005 to 2010, but were the pair more than just boyfriend and girlfriend?

According to a recent report from Extra, the ex-couple may have been secretly married. Aubry referred to Berry as his "ex-wife" in court papers he filed Monday in order to obtain a restraining order against her current fiancé, French actor Olivier Martinez.

News of their possible secret marriage comes days after Aubry and Martinez's Thanksgiving Day brawl. Aubry was arrested on battery charges Thursday after getting into a fight with Martinez outside Berry's Hollywood hills home. Aubry was dropping off Nahla -- his 4-year-old daughter with Berry -- when the incident occurred.

Following the altercation, a judge issued an emergency protective order against Aubry that forces him to stay 100 yards away from Berry, their daughter and her fiancé. Martinez maintains that Aubry started the fight, but Aubry reportedly insists that it was actually Martinez who threw the first punch.

Earlier in November, a judge denied Berry's request to permanently move Nahla to France to live with her and Martinez.

But Nahla is hardly the first celebrity kid to get caught in the cross-fire of her parents' messy split. Click through the slides below to see eight other celebrity kids who got wrapped up in their parents' divorce drama. ( huffingtonpost.com )

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Obama family’s Thanksgiving feast menu

2012-11-23T09:31:00.001-08:00

Obama family’s Thanksgiving feast menu - President Barack Obama is spending Thanksgiving at the White House on Thursday with family, friends and staff, enjoying a feast that features six (!) different kinds of pie.

American soldiers pray before eating a Thanksgiving meal at a dining hall at the U.S.-led coalition base in Kabul,

In keeping with tradition, the president also called 10 members of the armed forces deployed in support of the war in Afghanistan, the White House said. He called two in the Army, two in the Air Force, two in the Coast Guard, two in the Marine Corps and two in the Navy.

"The President thanked each of them for their service and sacrifice and wished them and their families a Happy Thanksgiving," the White House said.

Obama followed another presidential tradition on Wednesday, pardoning the National Thanksgiving Turkey. ( The Ticket )

Here is menu for the first family's Thanksgiving feast, as shared by the White House:

• Turkey
• Ham
• Cornbread Stuffing
• Oyster Stuffing
• Greens
• Macaroni and cheese
• Sweet Potatoes
• Mashed Potatoes
• Green Bean Casserole
• Dinner Rolls

Dessert:

• Banana Cream Pie
• Pumpkin Pie
• Apple Pie
• Sweet Potato Pie
• Huckleberry Pie
• Cherry Pie

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KitchenAid tweet about Obama’s dead grandmother brings apology

2012-11-23T09:21:00.002-08:00

KitchenAid tweet about Obama’s dead grandmother brings apology - KitchenAid, maker of dishwashers and other home appliances, has a big social media mess to clean up.

During Wednesday night's presidential debate, Barack Obama credited his tenacious grandmother who helped raise him and passed away three days before he was elected president.

This undated photo shows Barack Obama with his grandparents Stanley Armour Dunham and Madelyn Lee Payne.

Moments later, @KitchenAidUSA, the company's official Twitter account, sent this:

"Obamas gma even knew it was going 2 b bad! 'She died 3 days b4 he became president'."

The insensitive tweet not only went to the company's 25,000 followers, but also included a hashtag to make it a part of NBC News' social debate conversation.

The company hastily deleted the tweet, but the damage was done. Many quickly retweeted the comment, while others replied with scathing remarks.

"I love how people are going 4 @KitchenAidUSA 's throats. Now watch as the Breville sales increase." — AshLemonade, @Ashlemonade

"Never, ever, mix brand with personal. @KitchenAid is learning the hard way during their last tweet." — Kate-Madonna Hindes, ‏@girlmeetsgeek

KitchenAid, owned by Whirlpool Corp., immediately went into spin control by offering apologies on Twitter and other social networks. From its Facebook page:

"Hello, everyone. My name is Cynthia Soledad, and I am the head of the KitchenAid brand. I would like to personally apologize to President Barack Obama, his family and everyone on Twitter for the offensive tweet sent earlier. It was carelessly sent in error by a member of our Twitter team who, needless to say, won't be tweeting for us anymore. That said, I take full responsibility for my team. Thank you for hearing me out."

Some accepted the response, while others said the company had lost their loyalty.( The Lookout )

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Debunking myths about Prince Charles

2012-11-13T23:54:00.000-08:00

Debunking myths about Prince Charles - Prince Charles does not have seven eggs cooked for him for breakfast, according to the Royal Family's new website which aims to dispel popular myths surrounding the British monarchy.

"No, he doesn't and never has done, at breakfast or any other time", Clarence House said in response to the claims that were first made by BBC presenter Jeremy Paxman in his 2006 book "On Monarchy".

An emergency services member is reflected in the sunglasses of Britain's Prince Charles during a reception at Bondi Icebergs swimming club in Sydney November 9, 2012. REUTERS/Lukas Coch/Pool

Clarence House, Prince Charles' private office, usually renowned for protecting the secrecy of the direct heir to the throne, his wife and children, has changed tact and opted to debunk the myths in a new frequently asked questions section.

The website denies Prince Charles, who turns 64 on Wednesday, dislikes all modern architecture - an allegation he has frequently been accused of in his work to protect British heritage. http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/faqs

In response to the question, "Does The Prince advocate untested and dangerous alternative medical therapies?", the site also gives a forceful no.

"Not at all. The Prince is a keen advocate of integrated healthcare. This means taking a wider, preventative approach to healthcare by addressing the underlying social, lifestyle and environmental causes".

The Prince also pays tax, has not given any thought to his coronation, nor lent his support to the creation of a new Royal Yacht as a legacy for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

Neither does the Duchess of Cornwall smoke, the website assured. She "gave up smoking many years ago".

In response to a question about why Prince Charles, as an environmental campaigner, drives a Bentley, the site said the "car is required for some engagements for security reasons and is owned by the Metropolitan Police". ( Reuters )

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Unlicensed to sell! Middletons risk wrath of Bond producers with their 007-themed party range

2012-10-29T06:10:00.001-07:00

Unlicensed to sell! Middletons risk wrath of Bond producers with their 007-themed party range - An advert dedicated to the movie, complete with the James Bond Skyfall logo, has now been removed from website - Earlier this year they fell foul of strict advertising laws covering the London Olympics with a range of Games-themed goods

First they were accused of trying to cash in on the royal wedding, then they breached strict advertising laws surrounding the Olympics.

But this time, the Middletons seem to have offended an even more formidable foe: James Bond.

Just days before the new Bond film, Skyfall, was released, their party company was advertising apparently unlicensed 007 merchandise, urging online shoppers to throw their own ‘secret agent’ event.

The Party Pieces website featured an advert dedicated to the movie, complete with the James Bond Skyfall logo, its release date and an iconic black and white picture of the film’s star, Daniel Craig, seen through the barrel of a gun.

In hot water: Carole Middleton, right, with children Pippa and James, and husband Michael

But the Middletons’ keenness to make money out of the phenomenon appears to have raised eyebrows among the legendary Broccoli family, who not only produce the Bond films but own – and jealously guard – all product, image and merchandising rights.

A spokesman for their UK-based firm, Eon Productions, told the Mail they were aware who owned Party Pieces, set up in 1987 by the Duchess of Cambridge’s mother, Carole Middleton.

They said the issue had been passed on to the marketing and legal department – meaning that Party Pieces is very likely to be unlicensed to thrill.

Eon Productions was founded by Albert R. Broccoli, who died in 1996.

It is now owned by his daughter, Barbara Broccoli, and stepson, Michael G. Wilson, who also produce the Bond films.

The spokesman added: ‘It is not something we comment on but the film makers are very protective of everything they have built up.

'It is something we take very seriously.’

The offending advert: It has now been removed from the website

The situation is particularly awkward as the Duchess of Cambridge’s father-in-law, the Prince of Wales, and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, were guests of honour at the royal world premiere of Skyfall last week, where they met Daniel Craig and the Bond cast as well as Miss Broccoli.

Hours after the Mail contacted Party Pieces and Eon Productions on Friday, the offending banner disappeared from the company’s website.

But it is not clear whether the removal of the advert was the result of any threatened legal action from the Bond producers, as Party Pieces did not respond to a request for comment.

The goods, which are still available, are listed under the heading ‘James Bond Secret Agent Party’.

They include a £3.99 table centrepiece made up of two paper martini glasses and a stiletto shoe, and tuxedo-shaped gift boxes for 50p each.

The firm also sells ‘0’ and ‘7’ silver helium balloons at £6.99 each, and gold plastic martini party glasses for £1.49 a pop.

It is not the first time that the Duchess of Cambridge’s family has run into trouble over marketing issues.

Earlier this year they were asked to amend their website after falling foul of strict advertising laws covering the London Olympics with a range of Games-themed goods.

They were also accused by Britain’s Got Talent of illegally carrying its logo on their website and criticised for cashing in on the royal wedding with a range of themed items including corgi cake toppers and British trivia scratch cards.

Although the business’s accounts are not publicly available, the firm is clearly a money-spinner for the Middletons, who recently bought a £4.7million country home and have put their three children through private school.

It is a remarkable achievement for Mrs Middleton, who started the business from scratch by making party bags around her kitchen table. ( dailymail.co.uk )

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Felix Baumgartner's record-breaking jump: Lego style

2012-10-16T03:44:00.002-07:00

Felix Baumgartner's record-breaking jump: Lego style - When Felix Baumgartner broke the sound barrier by skydiving from 24 miles up, he became an instant celebrity. Reactions were tweeted by millions of watchers, who saw the leap from the safety of their laptop screens. Not bad.

The "bunny hop" represents a crucial moment for Lego Felix.

But we doubt even Baumgartner could have been prepared for the ultimate honor: Seeing his epic tumble to Earth re-created in Legos form. The video, an ad for the Model Maker Fair in Vienna, includes majestic music, squawky radio chatter and some impressive visuals.

But, while Baumgartner's daredevil jump lasted more than four minutes (it takes a long time to fall 128,100 feet), the Legos version is over and done in a matter of seconds and ends with a rather inglorious face-plant. Walk it off, Lego Felix.

This isn't the first time enterprising folks have sent toys skyward. Last month, a father-son team successfully launched a toy train into the stratosphere using a weather balloon and a small camera. ( The Sideshow )

========

Did You See This? The Lego Stratos Jump - A record 8 million people watched Felix Baumgartner’s 23-mile fall to Earth yesterday, live on YouTube, as the skydiver became the first to plummet faster than the speed of sound. At least one of those viewers has already followed up by recreating the feat using Legos.

The results, apparently filmed using an actual hot air balloon (made from what looks like a trash bag), are surprisingly dramatic. I’m still not sure exactly how our Lego filmmakers pulled this off, let alone so quickly. (Did they film this all beforehand? If so it still manages to be remarkably faithful.) But they deserve extra points for the helicopter shot at the end. Watch it in HD if you can. ( slate.com )

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Who is Felix Baumgartner's Girlfriend?

2012-10-16T03:36:00.000-07:00

Who is Felix Baumgartner's Girlfriend? - When Nicole Oetl's boyfriend says he's going to work, he means he's floating 24 miles above the earth, and then jumping down. It's not a relationship for the faint of heart.

On Sunday afternoon, when Felix Baumgartner broke the sound barrier with his record-setting jump, scientists, engineers and fans rooted for the former military parachutist. But girlfriend Nicole Oetl just wanted him to survive.

(Predrag Vuckovic/Red Bull Content Pool)

"I'll be relieved when Felix is [standing] before us," she told the crowd of media gathered in Roswell, New Mexico to watch the 43-year-old Austrian skydiver make history.

As the fastest human to skydive from the highest altitude, after his 128,097-foot free-fall, Baumgartner has a lot to be thankful for. Topping the list is his 30-year-old girlfriend, who wiped away tears as she watched her boyfriend's descent from a camera alongside his parents.

Oetl is a gymnast turned gymnastics instructor based in Linz, Austria. She's been with the record-breaking daredevil and pilot for at least two years, and in that time has watched him fly through and fall from the sky with some regularity.

Some of his accomplishments include jumping off the world's tallest building and skydiving across the English Channel. But this mission, which involved free-falling 23 miles, was his most dangerous.

It also may have brought the couple closer together. After his mission, Baumgartner claims to want to settle down with Oetl in the U.S. and in Austria, and just pilot rescue missions, you know, like a normal boyfriend.

But there's no going back to normalcy after Sunday night. Aside from capturing the attention of the more than a million viewers who tuned in to watch the fall, he's become a heartthrob in record time. One of the popular questions trending on Twitter was whether Baumgartner has a girlfriend.

Little is known about the couple's initial courtship, but Oetl appears to be a solid match for the skydiver. She's an athlete herself, and she doesn't seem to shy away from heights. She's accompanied Baumgartner in helicopters to high-altitude skydiving conventions and supported him during the months of training in preparation for the Stratos jump.

Baumgartner seems to pull his weight too. He wrote on his personal blog about a special visit he paid in 2010 to the young gymnastic team she coaches offering a little star power and inspiration.

After Sunday, however, he's off-duty for a bit. His rep told media on Monday he's skipping interviews and taking the day to rest. Maybe he's planning a follow-up to his pre-jump vacation. Two months ago, Baumgartner posted to his Facebook page an album of photos called "Weekend Getaway with my Girlfriend Nici." If there was any question about his relationship status, the handful of romantic images he posted said it all. In the not-so-extreme images, Oetl and Baumgartner are toasting in swimsuits, riding on a boat, and doing dock headstands just like any other couple in love.

Of the album, Baumgartner writes: "lake, boat, beer and girlfriend! Wonder what you guy's have done on your weekend. Guess pretty much the same?"

Maybe. But most of us weren't preparing to fall from the sky a few months later. ( yahoo.com )

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Felix Baumgartner's jump from space: By the numbers

2012-10-16T03:27:00.001-07:00

Felix Baumgartner's jump from space: By the numbers - The Red Bull Stratos mission reached its thrilling conclusion Sunday when the Austrian daredevil broke the sound barrier... with his own body

Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner stepped onto the edge of a specially rigged space capsule on Sunday, stared at the ground 24 miles below, and bravely leaped into the history books. The supersonic dive, broadcast live worldwide as part of the Red Bull Stratos mission, clinched multiple world records for the 43-year-old pilot. He became the first skydiver to break the sound barrier, completed the highest-altitude skydive in history, the longest freefall without a parachute, and the fastest speed ever achieved during a skydive. A brief look at Baumgartner's historic jump, by the numbers:

It took five years to plan Felix Baumgartner's Red Bull Stratos mission, and just 10 minutes for it to actually happen. Photo: Balazs Gardi /Red Bull Stratos via Getty Images

128,100

Altitude, in feet, from which Baumgartner jumped. That's 24 miles above the ground, and "four times higher than most passenger jets fly," says Ryan Owens at ABC News.

2.5

Hours he spent ascending through the atmosphere

10 to 20

Seconds Baumgartner spent spinning out of control when he first jumped out of the capsule. "At a certain R.P.M.," said Baumgartner, "there's only one way for blood to leave your body, and that's through your eyeballs. That means you're dead. That was what we feared the most." Luckily, he was able to gain control over his body once the atmosphere thickened.

260

Seconds that Baumgartner spent free-falling through space before deploying his parachute

690

The sound barrier, in miles per hour

833.9

The world-record speed, in miles per hour, that Baumgartner hit while falling (Mach 1.24)

119,846

Feet Baumgartner plummeted before deploying his parachute — also a world record

300

People who worked on the Red Bull Stratos mission, including 70 engineers, scientists, and physicians

Years of planning before the Red Bull Stratos finally happened

Cameras used to record the stunt

Television stations, including the Discovery Channel, that showed the jump live

8 million

People who tuned in to watch the jump online, easily crushing the 500,000 YouTube livestream record set by the London Summer Olympics

Minutes that passed from the time Baumgartner jumped to the moment he raised to raise his fist victoriously while standing on solid ground. "Soon he was hugged by his mother and father," says Zelle Pollon at Reuters. "And his girlfriend jumped up and wrapped her legs around him." ( theweek.com )

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Johnny Depp starting book imprint

2012-10-16T03:10:00.000-07:00

Johnny Depp starting book imprint — How cool is this: Johnny Depp is going to help run a publishing imprint.

Already on the list of books is one by Bob Dylan, "The Unraveled Tales of Bob Dylan," which aims to set the record straight on the songwriter's enigmatic life and career and will be based in part on interviews with Dylan by best-selling historian Douglas Brinkley.

Associated Press - FILE - In this Sept. 8, 2012 file photo, actor Johnny Depp participates in a photo call and press conference for the film "West of Memphis" at TIFF Bell Lightbox during the Toronto International Film Festival, in Toronto. HarperCollins Publishers announced Monday, Oct. 15, 2012, that Depp will help run an imprint that will be a home for “authentic, outspoken and visionary” books. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Depp's imprint will share its name with his production company, Infinitum Nihil, meaning "Nothing is forever." The imprint will be part of HarperCollins Publishers, which announced Monday that Depp will seek "authentic, outspoken and visionary ideas and voices."

"I pledge, on behalf of Infinitum Nihil, that we will do our best to deliver publications worthy of peoples' time, of peoples' concern, publications that might ordinarily never have breached the parapet," Depp said in a statement released by HarperCollins. "For this dream realized, we would like to salute HarperCollins for their faith in us and look forward to a long and fruitful relationship together."

Brinkley, who recently wrote a cover story on Dylan for Rolling Stone, said he and Depp thought the Dylan book was "the ideal way" to inaugurate the Infinitum Nihil series.

"Bob has been very warm and forthcoming with us," Brinkley said in a statement. "His music has inspired us both deeply since we were teenagers."

The Dylan book is scheduled for 2015. Dylan and Brinkley also will collaborate on the editing and publication of a previously announced novel by one of Dylan's heroes, folk musician Woody Guthrie, who died in 1967. The novel, "House of Earth," was completed by Guthrie in 1947 but was only recently discovered. It's scheduled for January.

Depp, whose movies include "Edward Scissorhands" and the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, already has ties to the book world. He was a close friend of Hunter Thompson and starred in film adaptations of Thompson's "Rum Diary" and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." He also narrated parts of the audio edition of Keith Richards' memoir "Life."

Other celebrities with their own imprints include Chelsea Handler and Rachael Ray. ( Associated Press )

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Prince Harry Reportedly 'Risking His Life' in Afghanistan

2012-10-14T02:53:00.002-07:00

Prince Harry Reportedly 'Risking His Life' in Afghanistan - Britain's Prince Harry is "in the thick of" fighting in Afghanistan and has had "multiple engagements" with the Taliban during his time in the war zone, according to a new report in the UK's The Sun.

Harry, 28, is one month in to a four-month tour of duty as a chopper pilot in Afghanistan. He is stationed at Camp Bastion in Helmand province, on the front line. Citing an unnamed "military source," the Sun reports that Harry, known as Captain Wales in the British Army, is part of a four-man team on around-the-clock standby to both fire at the enemy and provide cover for aircraft rescuing wounded soldiers.

"Think World War Two Spitfire pilot and The Battle of Britain," the source told the Sun. "He can be sat in a deckchair for hours then scrambled immediately. When in the air his role is diverse."

The palace has had no comment on Harry's time in Afghanistan.

The prince, and third-in-line to the British throne, also served a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2008 that was cut short because of publicity and concerns for the safety of him and his fellow soldiers.

The news of Prince Harry's reported direct engagement with Taliban fighters comes less than one month after Camp Bastion was attacked by 15 Taliban fighters dressed in U.S. Army uniforms.

Two U.S. Marines were killed in the attack, and nine others were wounded, including one civilian contractor. NATO officials said at the time that Prince Harry was several miles away, and was never in danger during the attack.

Just as Prince Harry arrived in Afghanistan last month, a Taliban spokesperson said that the terror group would use "all our strength" to kidnap or kill the prince.

"We are using all our strength to get rid of him, either by killing or kidnapping," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters by phone around Sept. 10. "We have informed our commanders in Helmand to do whatever they can to eliminate him."

Mujahid made the same threat in an earlier interview with Agence France Presse, saying the Taliban had a "high-value plan" to get the prince. "It is not important for us to kidnap him," he said. "We will target him and we will kill him."

Harry qualified as an Apache helicopter pilot in February after completing a rigorous 18-month training program in the United Kingdom and United States that left him and his fellow trainees, "up to the challenge of operating one the of the most sophisticated attack helicopters in the world," according to a statement from Britain's Defense Ministry.

The Sun broke news last January that the 18-month training program included Harry, who first entered the military in 2005, being hooded and threatened in intense hostage training to prepare him for a possible return to Afghanistan.

Harry, the third in line to the throne, is the first British royal to complete that level of intense training, according to the Sun. His current tour of duty in Afghanistan will make him one of the most decorated Royals in history.

After completing his U.K. and U.S.-based training, in February, Prince Harry was named as the best front-seat pilot, or co-pilot gunner, from his class of more than 20 fellow Apache helicopter pilots. Harry's award was one of only two given at the end of the training course and marked the student whose "overall performance during the course is assessed as the best amongst their peer group," the ministry noted. ( ABC News )

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‘John Lennon Letters’ Reveal Bitterness Toward George Martin As Well as McCartney

2012-10-08T21:43:00.003-07:00

‘John Lennon Letters’ Reveal Bitterness Toward George Martin As Well as McCartney - It's no surprise that John Lennon harbored some ill will toward Paul McCartney in the aftermath of the Beatles' breakup. In the new book The John Lennon Letters, a previously seen handwritten 1971 note from John and Yoko On0 to Paul and his wife Linda (whom Lennon sarcastically addressed as "you noble people") confirms what everyone already knows about that enmity, as Lennon chides McCartney to "get off your gold disc and fly!"

What's not so well known: the tiff between Lennon and producer George Martin, a beloved figure not usually known for his participation in Beatle beefs.

In one of the angrier missives included in The John Lennon Letters, the then-bitter ex-Beatle lays into Martin for supposedly taking too much credit for the group's sound. He also smacks the producer down for giving McCartney too much credit for some of the songwriting.

"When people ask me questions about 'What did George Martin really do for you?,' I have only one answer, 'What does he do now?' I noticed you had no answer for that! It's not a putdown, it's the truth," wrote Lennon, who had brought in Phil Spector to redo Martin's work on Let It Be and then continued to work with Spector as a solo artist.

"I think Paul and I are the best judges of our partners," Lennon wrote, less than politely. "Just look at the world charts and, by the way, I hope Seatrain is a good substitute for the Beatles."

Can you say "snap, squared"? Seatrain, as very few people will recall, was the unremarkable California roots-rock band Martin was assigned to produce by Capitol Records immediately after the Beatles' breakup.

What angered Lennon so? In the larger sense, armchair psychologists might suppose that a would-be "working class hero" like Lennon possibly harbored some resentment over having his musical revolution seen as reliant on a stiff-upper-lip establishmentarian like Martin. But in the immediate sense, Lennon was reacting to a Melody Maker interview in which Martin made some seemingly innocent remarks that got the rocker's considerable gander up.

"Now on to 'Revolution No. 9,' which I recorded with Yoko plus the help of Ringo, George and George Martin. It was my concept, fully," Lennon wrote in a letter co-addressed to the Melody Maker interviewer. "For Martin to state that he was 'painting a sound picture' is pure hallucination. Ask any of the other people involved. The final editing Yoko and I did alone (which took four hours)...

"Of course, George Martin was a great help in translating our music technically when we needed it, but for the cameraman to take credit from the director is a bit too much. I'd like to hear what the producer of John Cage's 'Fontana Mix' would say about that... Don't be so paranoid, George, we still love you," ended the main part of the note, signed by " John (and Yoko who was there)."

Looking back at Martin's 1971 Melody Maker, it's not hard to pick out some other passages that might have set Lennon off. "John's become more obvious in a way," Martin told the British music weekly, then a bit less circumspect than he later became. "'Power To The People' is a rehash of "Give Peace A Chance," and it isn't really very good. It doesn't have the intensity that John's capable of. Paul, similarly with his first album ... it was nice enough, but very much a home-made affair, and very much a little family affair. I don't think he ever really rated it as being as important as the stuff he'd done before. I don't think Linda is a substitute for John Lennon, any more than Yoko is a substitute for Paul McCartney."

Martin managed to step into a dispute over authorship that continues to confound Beatles fans to this day when he was asked if he remembered anything about the writing of "Eleanor Rigby." "Not the song, but I do remember the recording taking place. I had assumed that it was all Paul," Martin told Melody Maker. "In fact I do remember, actually at the recording Paul was missing a few lyrics, and wanting them, and going round asking people 'What can we put in here?' and Neil (Aspinall) and Mal (Evans) and I were coming up with suggestions. Rather petty, really... everyone contributed things occasionally."

Lennon bristled at that, big-time, in a P.S. "At least 50% of the lyrics of 'Eleanor Rigby' was written by me in the studio and at Paul's place, which was a fact never clearly indicated in your previous article."

(Estimating percentages can be an unwise errand, as Mitt Romney recently learned the hard way. After claiming credit for "at least 50%" of the "Rigby" lyrics in this note, a year later, Lennon told Hit Parader, "I wrote a good lot of the lyrics, about 70 per cent." McCartney responded, "I saw somewhere that he says he helped on 'Eleanor Rigby.' Yeah. About half a line. He also forgot completely that I wrote the tune for 'In My Life.' That was my tune. But perhaps he just made a mistake on that." Many years later, a more magnanimous McCartney came up with a slightly more generous ratio: "John helped me on a few words but I'd put it down 80-20 to me, something like that.")

But there were bigger issues at play than just one song. Last year, in an interview with London's Independent newspaper, Martin talked about what he considered the ultimate insult from Lennon: hearing Lennon say that he wished they could re-record every song the Beatles ever put on tape.

"I said to him: 'I can't believe that. Think of all we've done and you want to rerecord everything?' 'Yeah, everything.' And I said: 'What about 'Strawberry Fields'?' And he looked at me and said: 'Especially 'Strawberry Fields'.' Which I was very disappointed with. If he felt that way about it, he should have recorded the bloody thing himself."

Of course, it's Lennon's previously revealed broadsides against McCartney that will again get the most attention with the release of The John Lennon Letters. Linda McCartney had written a letter to John about some of his public statements about Paul, and Lennon told her to "get off your high horse."

"I was reading your letter and wondering what middle-aged cranky Beatle fan wrote it. I resisted looking at the last page to find out... What the hell—it's Linda!... Who do you think we/you are? The 'self-indulgent doesn't realize who he is hurting' bit—I hope you realize what s--- you and the rest of my 'kind and unselfish' friends laid on Yoko and me, since we've been together. It might have sometimes been a bit more subtle or should I say 'middle class'—but not often. We both 'rose above it' quite a few times—& forgave you two—so it's the least you can do for us, you noble people. Linda, if you don't care what I say, shut up! Let Paul write—or whatever."

In talking about the Beatles' breakup, Lennon even seemed to insinuate that McCartney was destined to divorce himself from the Eastman family, if not Linda herself. "About not telling anyone that I left the Beatles: PAUL and Klein both spent the day persuading me it was better not to say anything—asking me not to say anything because it would 'hurt the Beatles'— and 'let's just let it peter out'—remember? So get that into your petty little perversion of a mind, Mrs. McCartney: the [expletives] asked me to keep quiet about it. Of course, the money angle is important—to all of us— especially after all the petty s-- that came from your insane family/in-laws. And GOD HELP YOU OUT, PAUL. See you in two years. I reckon you'll be out then..."

Lennon didn't reserved his zingers just for ex-compatriots, as the letters show.

On a postcard to an anti-Yoko fan, he wrote, "Why don't you open your box and dig 'Mind Train' on (Ono's album) Fly—your prejudice can't be that deep... P.S. YOU might have an ageing (sic) problem. Me? I wouldn't go back ONE DAY!"

A review of Ono's art installation by the Syracuse Post-Standard brought about a memorable letter to the editor, in which he resented being brought up in the criticism. "What on earth has what the husband of the artist said, four or five years ago, got to do with the current [show] by Yoko Ono?... I mean, did people really discuss Picasso's wife's gossip?" He went on to refer to the criticism as "bourgeoisie mealy-mouth gossip" from "blue meanies."

He could be fairly tongue-in-cheek even when he was angry... and also get in a good product plug. Writing to Melody Maker (again) after a joint interview with Ono, he scribbled, "She never, but never, wears clogs (or anything resembling clogs) on her most divine and beautiful little feet! (This is shown by sexy Polaroid Lennon photograph of Yoko's above mentioned extremities on back of her fantastic new double-album Fly…)"

As fans know, Lennon mellowed considerably in the latter half of the '70s, and had his rapprochement with McCartney, if any eventual communiques with Martin are lesser known. But "Tell us what you really think, John" was surely even then never uttered in anything but jest. ( Stop The Presses! )

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Michelle Obama, : I stay away from the West Wing

2012-10-08T21:35:00.001-07:00

Michelle Obama : I stay away from the West Wing - First lady Michelle Obama is campaigner-in-chief when it comes to stumping for her husband and a key asset on the trail, yet she rarely talks about the inner workings of her marriage.

"Nightline" was granted wide-ranging access to Mrs. Obama, who opened up about adjusting to life in the White House, but said she no longer has any doubts that they are doing what's best for their family and the country, and is looking forward to another four years.

Michelle Obama 'I Rarely Step in the West Wing' (ABC News)

Mrs. Obama is the president's biggest supporter and often his most honest critic. But she admits, there are times when it's best to temper her responses.

"In a job like this, the last thing the president of the United States needs when he walks in the door to come home is someone drilling him and questioning him about the decisions and choices that he's made," Mrs. Obama told "Nightline" anchor Cynthia McFadden in an interview at the White House. "There are definitely times when I may feel something, but I'll hold back because I know he'll either get to that on his own or it's just not time."

The first lady was adamant that she steers clear of influencing her husband's policy, opting instead to champion her own issues, such as the fight against childhood obesity and her work with military families.

"I rarely step foot in the West Wing. In fact people are shocked when they see me there," she said. "I rarely walk in that office because the truth is he's got so many wonderful advisers. He's got a phenomenal cabinet. He's got people who are in the trenches on these issues every single day and I'm kind of stepping in and out and I've got my own set of issues. So I don't even have the kind of expertise and the time in to be able to provide the kind of advice and guidance that he's already getting."

The first lady has acknowledged that she was reluctant to raise their two daughters in the White House, but four years later, she is confident they are doing what's best for their family, and the country.

Part of their success has been finding a way to preserve family time. "One of the things that Barack and I try to do in our lives which I think is one of the reasons our family is so whole, is that we make sure family is family -- it's not this sort of quasi-business relationship. We really do -- we're two people who love each other and put a lot of our energy into our kids and into our family unit," she said.

But the first lady was not always on board. Her brother Craig Robinson recently told ABC News that then-Senator Obama recruited him to help convince his sister that a run for the White House was the right move.

"He said to me 'you've got to do me a favor,'" Robinson explained. "'You've got to talk to her because she is not gonna go for it.' I said 'you're right. You're darn right she's not gonna go for it.'"

"I eventually talked to her, and I said to Michelle you know, I said you cannot penalize Barack for being good at what he does," he said.

Ultimately, Mrs. Obama said she felt she had to acquiesce.

"In the end, Barack, our family is priority for him, and I knew that if I said no he wouldn't do this," she said. "And then I had to think of whether I would want to be responsible for not having somebody like Barack you know, someone with his level of intellect, his honesty, his compassion, his vision. Would I want to be the one who stood in the way of this person potentially running this country? And I couldn't do that, because then I had to think beyond myself and my family and I had to think of sort of the broader benefits that this country could gain from his leadership." ( Good Morning America )

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I was bullied by Mean Girls at school, reveals Lindsay Lohan in Twitter exchange with Katie Couric

2012-10-04T05:03:00.003-07:00

I was bullied by Mean Girls at school, reveals Lindsay Lohan in Twitter exchange with Katie Couric - She was the target of bullies in her hit film Mean Girls, and it seems the same happened in real life for Lindsay Lohan.

The Liz & Dick actress was moved to tears by chat show host Katie Couric's interview with bullied 16-year-old Whitney Kropp, who was elected prom queen by her peers as a joke, and Lindsay took to twitter to take a stand against bullying.

Bullied: Lindsay Lohan, pictured here in New York on Tuesday, has revealed she was mocked by her classmates while in school

The 26-year-old, who was spotted in New York on Tuesday, revealed she was targeted by her classmates for landing successful acting roles as a teenager and was mocked for her dysfunctional family situation.

In a message to the talk show host, she wrote: '@katiecouric I think what you did today on your show for #WhitneyKropp was lovely. It had me crying. I'd love to meet her.#stopbullying'.

She continued: 'I was actually bullied @ my public school when i would leave to film. Whenever I came back girls & boys would call me names.

Opening up: The star shared her story on Twitter in a message to Katie Courie

'They would also mock me because of my home situation, when people found out that my father was in jail.'

The tormenting got so bad that the actress - who famously played a school misfit turned bully in teen comedy Mean Girls - decided to drop out of school in favour of home tutoring.

Lindsay added: 'They would yell things, try to trip me & more. I moved to home-schooling instead. In 11th grade. I stuck it out for a while.'

Inspired: Lindsay was moved to tears by Katie's interview with Whitney Kropp

Meanwhile Lindsay wants police to reopen their investigation into the man she claims attacked her.

She filed a report claiming she was choked and thrown to the floor by Christian LaBella after she confronted him for taking pictures of her in a New York City hotel room at the weekend but after police decided to drop all charges, Lindsay revealed she is furious and 'in shock'.

She told the New York Post’s Page Six: 'He isn’t going to get away with this. I’m in shock and it was a really scary situation.'

However, Christian’s uncle Peter Jessop insists his nephew is innocent and blasted Lindsay’s mother Dina Lohan for her remarks about the incident.

He said: 'He doesn’t deserve this. It’s amazing that her mom said, "Thank God he didn’t have a weapon" - of course he didn’t have a weapon. He’s a good kid, he’s worked for two congressmen. He just went to New York for the weekend. Hopefully this doesn’t cost him his job. He is in shock about how the media has twisted this story.'

Lindsay had claimed Christian befriended someone in her group at 1 Oak nightclub with the intention of getting closer to her.

She said they later got into a heated physical argument after she found out he had taken more than 50 photographs of her and was emailing them to his friends.

Lindsay reported the incident to police at 4:30am on Sunday and alleged she was choked from behind and thrown on to the ground in her room at the W Hotel in Manhattan where she was staying with friends. ( dailymail.co.uk )

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Oprah Winfrey, Lady Gaga Top List Of Celebrity Power Women

2012-10-04T04:40:00.000-07:00

Oprah Winfrey, Lady Gaga Top List Of Celebrity Power Women — It took us a while to come around to the notion that celebrities—actors, singers and entertainers — could be counted among the world’s most powerful women. It wasn’t until 2010, in fact, a full seven years after FORBES inaugural list, that any entertainer with the exception of Oprah (who, to be fair, is a multi-hyphenate philanthropist with some of the world’s deepest pockets) was counted in the ranks.

Oprah, it should be noted, debuted on the FORBES Power Women list at No. 9 in 2005, and even back then we weren’t just interested in her pretty face or hard-won interviews. “With a net worth of more than $1 billion, an Academy Award nomination, a hit television show, a successful magazine and a cable channel,” we wrote at the time, “There seems to be little else that Winfrey, 51, can do to add to her status as an international media phenomenon… Winfrey is also a vocal advocate for the education and well-being of women and children around the world, giving to those in need via Oprah’s Angel Network and her personal charity, the Oprah Winfrey Foundation.”

While Oprah still reigns supreme as the empress of celebrity power, we stay true to the precedent set in 2005 when we began our search of the women who most impacted the world over the past twelve months. The celebrity change-agents, taste-makers and world shakers are anything but the Photoshopped faces of the weekly gossip rags. (Well, some of them are that as well). Instead, all of the female entertainers considered for the 2012 list of the World’s Most Powerful Women all have an additional hyphenate that gives credit to the breadth of their impact around the globe.

Take Angelina Jolie, UN Ambassador and tabloid fodder bride-to-be. The Academy Award winning actress, UN Goodwill Ambassador, and, as of April 2012, a special envoy to the High Commissioner of the UNHCR, the UN’s special agency for refugees, is a fierce advocate for women and children around the world. The mother of six has had a busy 12 months despite not releasing a single big-budget film; she pulled in $20 million on residuals and smart ad campaigns.

But one half of Hollywood’s most sought-after couple doesn’t just lend her name to the cause, she puts her time and money to work: in June she donated $100,000 to the UNHCR to assist Syrian refugees, telling reporters that “Every individual refugee matters. Each has their own story. Each has suffered more than I could ever bear.” In her work with the UNHCR the two-time speaker at the World Economic Forum in Davos has made over 40 field visits to conflict zones in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Haiti, Iraq and Sudan, and has personally donated over $5 million to build schools in Kenya and Afghanistan. All that and the mother of six only lands at No. 66 on this year’s list.

Far above her are Lady Gaga, Beyonce andShakira, who mobilize their personal (and exceedingly active) fan-bases around their various causes. The three women have a combined 50 million Twitter followers (roughly the population of South Korea or about five New York Cities piled on top of one another) and put their clout to good use.

This year Lady Gaga, an outspoken champion of underrepresented youth—particularly in the GLBT community—launched the Born This Way Foundation with a mission of safety, skills and opportunity for young people. In its first year a major sponsorship took off: in July, Office Depotofficials say they hope to create a “braver, kinder school year” for students by partnering with the Born This Way Foundation for back-to-school. The retail outlet pledged $1 million to Gaga’s campaign.

For her part Beyonce took up with the Obama administration in 2012, lending her support to the First Lady’s healthy eating and fitness initiatives for children in the U.S. The “Get Me Bodied” music video she made for the campaign has been viewed more than 22 million times on YouTube.

And in South America, Shakira is an advocate for education. The UNICEF ambassador is the founder of the Barefoot Foundation, which she established in 1996 to improve and provide early education systems around the world. To promote her cause, she’s met with world leaders like U.S. President Barack Obama and Israel President Shimon Peres and recruited power players like Howard Buffett, son of the famed investor, to Barefoot’s board, which lobbies governments to provide more funds to education and school construction.

Other celebrities make our list of Power Women for work that’s possibly more self-interested but no less significant: building lucrative businesses. TakeJennifer Lopez—FORBES No. 1 Most Powerful Celebrity in theWorld for 2012—and the powerhouse behind a multi-media empire. Through her company Nuyorican Productions she produced and starred in Latin singing competition show Q’Viva for Fox and is developing an hour-long drama for ABC Family. In 2012 she launched her first international music tour–making stops in the US, South America, Europe and the Middle East–but decided not to return to reality competition series ‘American Idol,’ where she was a judge for two years. “I’m a little bit tired now, I’m not going to lie,” Lopez told FORBES at the time.

With all that the 43-year-old still manages to give back: through her family foundation she’s developing telemedicine programs in Puerto Rico, Panama and Los Angeles and, perhaps more notably Lopez is the first female spokesperson of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America in its 152-year history.

Another Latina businesswoman, Sofia Vergara,makes her debut on the ranking of the world’s most powerful women at No. 75. The recent FORBES cover girl is the co-owner of a media company that focuses on the burgeoning U.S. Hispanic economy, estimated to top $1 trillion in coming years. Media companies Fox, ABC and NBCUniversal are taking note and as one half of LatinWE, the Modern Family star–who is the highest paid actress on U.S. television--is considered to be the leader of the focus on the lucrative demographic. ( Forbes )

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Madonna: “We Have a Black Muslim in the White House”

2012-09-27T06:35:00.001-07:00

Madonna: “We Have a Black Muslim in the White House” -Madonna almost got kicked off the stage in Russia last month over her vocal support for gay rights, but a concert she held in Washington this week is generating a whole different kind of head-scratching.

While praising President Obama’s historic presidency during her two-hour set, Madonna declared: “We have a black Muslim in the White House.”

Video of her comments quickly made the rounds and prompted the pop icon to clarify that she was being “ironic.”

“The point I was making is that a good man is a good man, no matter who he prays to,” she said in a statement. The irony will no doubt be lost on the fringe elements out there who persist in believing that the President is Muslim, despite all the evidence that he is in fact Christian.

As for Madonna, at least her allegiances are clear. At a recent concert in New York, the Material Girl ripped off her shirt to reveal a large “OBAMA” tattoo on her back. ( slate.com )

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French court backs UK royals on topless photos

2012-09-19T03:00:00.003-07:00

French court backs UK royals on topless photos — A French court ordered a magazine publisher to hand over all digital copies of topless photos of the Duchess of Cambridge within 24 hours and blocked further publication of what it called a "brutal display" of William and Kate's private moments.

Under the ruling Tuesday, the publisher of the French gossip magazine Closer faces a daily fine of €10,000 ($13,100) if it fails to hand over the photos featured in Friday's "world exclusive" issue of Prince William's wife Kate. The photos were taken without authorization during the royals' vacation at a private residence in southern France.

The court also handed out an injunction to stop Closer France from republishing the offending pictures — including on its website and its tablet app — as well as re-selling them.

A statement Tuesday from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said they "welcome the judge's ruling." Maud Sobel, a lawyer for the royal couple, described it as "a wonderful decision."

"We've been vindicated," Sobel said.

Although the decision was seen as a victory for the royals, it only affects the 14 partially clad snapshots of Kate that were in Friday's edition. It's unclear if Closer France possesses more pictures — but if they did they could technically go on and publish them, as the ruling has no power over that.

In any case, if the royal family had hoped to block international publication, it's already too late. An Italian publication "Chi," published dozens even more racy photos of the duchess in a 26-page spread. An Irish newspaper editor, meanwhile, was suspended after he chose to publish some of the topless photos in the "Independent Star."

Tuesday's ruling only affects the French magazine branch of Mondadori, Closer's publisher, which also faces a €2,000 ($2,600) fine.

"These snapshots which showed the intimacy of a couple, partially naked on the terrace of a private home, surrounded by a park several hundred meters from a public road, and being able to legitimately assume that they are protected from passers-by, are by nature particularly intrusive," the French ruling decreed. "(They) were thus subjected to this brutal display the moment the cover appeared."

The photos showed Kate relaxing at a private villa in Provence, in southern France, sometimes without her bikini top and, in one case, her suit bottom partially pulled down to apply sunscreen.

The case is the first of two parallel legal actions by the British royals. In a reflection of just how intent they are on protecting their privacy — and likely dissuading paparazzi from future ventures — St. James's Palace said family lawyers would be filing a criminal complaint against 'x' — the unnamed photographer who took the pictures.

The criminal lawsuit is thought to be aimed at flushing out the mystery photographer's name and — by targeting the source — allow the royal couple to stop the photos spreading further around the world. If the criminal case goes ahead, 'x' could face a large fine and up to one year in prison.

Christopher Mesnooh, an American lawyer who works in Paris, said French law strongly protects privacy rights but tabloids have their own reasons for publication, even when they might violate the law.

"It appears to give satisfaction entirely to the royal couple," Mesnooh said of Tuesday's ruling.

But he added the amount of damages is nowhere near enough to dissuade the publication of similar photos.

"Damages are no more than €50,000 ($65,270) under French law... If you sell 100,000 copies, you're ahead of the game," he noted.

The ruling listed the royal couple by their full names: William Arthur Philip Louis Mountbatten-Windsor and Catherine Elizabeth Middleton. ( Associated Press )

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Lady Gaga's Fame perfume smells like princesses and unicorns, not little monsters

2012-09-14T22:44:00.003-07:00

Lady Gaga's Fame perfume smells like princesses and unicorns, not little monsters - Lady Gaga was after semen and blood. The neo-burlesque superstar announced months ago that those racy substances would inspire or even infuse her new perfume, a Coty release called Fame that made its department-store debut at the end of August.

I imagined bleachy and metallic. But, unbeknownst to me, Gaga had back-pedaled on her big bloody plans before I made my way to Macy’s, surrendered $83 and took home my own egg-shaped bottle of purple-black liquid. I was predisposed to like the perfume because I often like Coty’s mass-market confections, including Sarah Jessica Parker’s Lovely, but the Fame bottle is topped with a horrid brass top with three deco-gargoyle talons that seem to clutch it. The talons rattle unpleasantly. I hate the top.

Lady Gaga spotted in London on September 8 and 9, 2012 -- Getty Premium

The scent, Gaga had later said, would be “based on molecules” of blood (her own!—that was further rumored). In 2011, Gaga promised that Fame would smell like “an expensive hooker.”

The liquid would also look black in the bottle, though it would spray clear. In reality, it’s the color of prune juice in the bottle, and even, briefly, on the skin.

“Black,” reads the ad copy on the back of the box, “like the soul of fame.”

The copy on the box is not bad, actually. It emphasizes, with some originality, the violence inflicted on ingredients that give up their essences that blockbuster perfumes might be made to broaden the franchises of pop stars like Lady Gaga. “Tears of Belladonna,” it reads. “Crushed heart of tiger orchidea, with a black veil of incense, pulverized apricot and the combinative essences of saffron and honey drops.”

Blood and semen are nowhere to be found.

Because Fame no longer has its origins in Lady Gaga’s own circulatory system, its hook is now that it’s black, though invisible when airborne. That’s clever. Perfumes are notoriously hard to tell apart, visually, when they’re out of their packaging. On eBay, you can pass off a vial of Teen Spirit as a decant of something from Guerlain; with a black liquid you’d have a tougher time. Black also sets the tone for something frightening and goth—clearly what Ms. Gaga is going for, even as Fame emerged as a sweet, bland floral.

Fame does not smell like a hooker, or a vampire, or a pop star in a dress made of meat. Fame smells like a department store. It smells like whatever. It smells fine.

It’s jammy and fruity and fake at the start, with something of a “grape” popsicle to it. As it wore on, I found a girly teen kind of floral with maybe some very faint incense, like the kind that sellers burn on New York City streets.

Or wait, no: teenagers in church is about right. Lady Gaga, as Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Manhattan. Maybe Fame smells like a confirmation ceremony in a Catholic Church. Not sacramental, though. More festive and nervous and pretend-pious. I see that church as packed with adolescents, trying to be serious, mostly psyched for the after-party. And—I’m inhaling Fame deeply now—it’s possible that one of these kids, for whatever reason, smells of blood and semen.

Perfume is big business, a gigantic business. According to Women’s Wear Daily, Coty will spend around $30 million promoting Fame in its first year.

There’s a reason for this. It’s hell making money from digitizable objects now: music, videos, movies. But stuff in 3-D, like perfume bottles, and stuff that simply can never be distributed on the Internet or in apps, like perfume itself—that stuff people will pay for. That’s more than the zero dollars they spend listening to Lady Gaga on Pandora and Spotify and YouTube. They buy the perfume, I believe, as a token of their commitment to a set of inchoate digital experiences; the perfume is a concrete souvenir that says I have been to the Gaga headspace.

Like so many pop stars, then, Lady Gaga has moved to merchandising her intellectual property (the songs and dances and videos, which are all spirited and interesting) with non-intellectual property. In this case, she’s offering a banal floral perfume. And, because life is a mystery and maybe has the black heart as Gaga surmises, fans currently pay for the derivative stuff and expect the masterwork for free. ( yahoo.com )

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Facebook CEO dangles search and mobile, shares rally

2012-09-12T06:20:00.004-07:00

Facebook CEO dangles search and mobile, shares rally - Facebook Inc CEO Mark Zuckerberg soothed investors in his first major public appearance since the No. 1 social network's rocky May IPO, breathing life into its struggling shares after hinting at new growth areas from mobile to search.
The 28-year-old co-founder looked confident in a gray T-shirt and jeans, asking Wall Street to be patient as the company developed new products, addressing issues such as employee morale, and dashing rumors Facebook may build a smartphone.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during a question and answer session at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco, California, September 11, 2012. REUTERS/Beck Diefenbach

The chief executive, who has himself lost billions of dollars on paper since Facebook's market debut, admitted to disappointment about his company's crumbling share price, but argued Wall Street has yet to grasp the full potential of its fledgling mobile business.

His delivery helped drive Facebook shares up more than 3 percent after hours to above $20, building on a 3.3 percent gain in regular trade on Tuesday.

While declining to offer details, Zuckerberg hinted that the company was "halfway through" a cycle to "retool" and offer new advertising products. He also said he believed search could be a ripe area of growth for Facebook and was working to offer a competitive search product -- comments that likely interested executives at Google Inc, one of Facebook's fiercest competitors.

"Facebook is uniquely positioned to answer a lot of questions people have," Zuckerberg told the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco. "We have a team working on search."

Zuckerberg repeatedly emphasized that the company would focus on building Facebook's smartphone application, while conceding that he had erred years ago by using a programming language that slowed the development of Facebook apps for Apple and Android phones.

But he again quashed a years-long rumor that Facebook is wading into the hardware business and developing a branded phone.

Building a smartphone would be "clearly the wrong strategy for us," Zuckerberg said.

He conceded that the company's downward spiraling stock was not helping staff morale, but stressed he still thought it was a good time to join the company and "double down."

"It's not like this is the first up and down that we've ever had," he told hundreds of attendees at the conference. "I would rather be in the cycle where people underestimate us."

Facebook became the first U.S. company to debut on stock markets with a value of more than $100 billion. But it has since lost more than half of its capitalization as investors fret about slowing growth.

Shares in the company ended Tuesday at $19.43, well off their $38 debut price. The stock crept above $20 in extended trade on Tuesday. ( Reuters )

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Selena Gomez's Toronto Film Festival Date: Justin Bieber's Little Sister!

2012-09-10T02:43:00.000-07:00

Selena Gomez's Toronto Film Festival Date: Justin Bieber's Little Sister! - Justin Bieber has been noticeably absent from girlfriend Selena Gomez's side at the Toronto Film Festival this week, but never fear -- another Bieber stepped in as the big screen beauty's date for the evening on Saturday.

The actress, 20, brought another member of the Bieber family as her date to the Toronto premiere of her new animated film, "Hotel Transylvania," on Saturday - Justin's 4-year-old sister, Jazmyn.

Selena has been pulling double-duty at the famed film fest this week as she's starring in two films premiering in Toronto - "Hotel Transylvania" with Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Andy Samberg and Steve Buscemi; and the raucous adventure comedy "Spring Breakers," alongside James Franco, Ashley Benson and Vanessa Hudgens.

"Hotel Transylvania" hits theaters on September 28. "Spring Breakers" is slated for theatrical release next spring. ( Access Hollywood )

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Suri Cruise to Get $400,000 a Year Allowance, Says Report , The High Cost of Being a Celebrity Kid

2012-08-25T14:44:00.003-07:00

Suri Cruise to Get $400,000 a Year Allowance, Says Report. The High Cost of Being a Celebrity Kid - Katie Holmes may have lost out on a massive payday, but she spared her 6-year-old daughter the trauma of a lengthy courtroom custody battle.

After her divorce from $250 million ex-husband Tom Cruise was finalized on Monday, she reportedly walked away with $400,000 a year in child support and not much more, according to TMZ. The website, which leaked alleged details from an insider, claims Tom Cruise will pay the six-figure annual sum until Suri turns 18, in addition to expenses like medical treatment, dental, insurance, education, and "extracurricular" costs. It's a significant amount of money for most people. But most people aren't A-list celebrities.

Suri Cruise with mom Katie Holmes in New York on Friday.

Both Charlie Sheen and rapper Nas pay about $200,000 more annually in child support. That's not counting spousal support, something TMZ's insider also insists Holmes has forgone.

But a big bargaining chip in the couple's agreement may not have been the money. Parties agreed not to send Suri to a "residential school," according to the website, leading speculators to believe Holmes wanted to keep her daughter from attending one well-known Scientology boarding school.

Now Suri will be assigned a little less than $5 million over the course of her childhood. That's a hefty trust, but for the world's most famous 6-year-old, it might mean cutting back on her designer wardrobe. Her closet already includes a $2,000 Dolce & Gabbana coat and a matching mommy-and-me $800 Ferragamo bag. And all those custom-made kid heels? The collection's rumored to be worth $150,000, so says the Daily Mail.

But if she ends up wearing a uniform when she enters school this fall, she won't need them. It's been widely reported that Suri will likely attend a New York City private school with an estimated $40,000 a year, which dad would cover, per TMZ's report. But security details protecting the hyper-photographed child could cost up to $20,000 a month, based on A-list security salaries.

And we haven't even gotten to childcare. According to Forbes, celebrity nannies make anywhere between $100,000 to even $1 million a year. Some are also provided travel and living expenses as well.

If Tom Cruise plans to cover Suri's 'extracurricular' activities, that could mean paying $500 a semester for classes at a popular Manhattan athletic center where Suri's a regular. It could also mean flying his daughter and her human shield of security around the globe. According to Newsweek, Suri could be attending a school with satellite centers in Egypt, France and Argentina, offering students the chance to study abroad. All those private planes and first class tickets add up.

Living in New York's Chelsea district doesn't come cheap either. Holmes's new 2-bedroom rental costs $12,500 a month, according to E! News.

Suri has spent her young life like royalty—for proof, refer to the Cinderella quarters she stayed in with dad during a recent trip to Disneyland. But since her parents split she's been pictured doing slightly more down-to-earth kid things with mom, like riding a bike in the park, and hopping cabs instead of private planes.

"Katie's primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter's best interest," Holmes' attorney Jonathan Wolfe told press with regards to her divorce proceedings.

If Suri's life does become a little less ostentatious in mom's care, that's not a bad thing. Better still is being spared a drawn out, and very public battle between her folks. Reducing the trauma of divorce for a kid--that's something money can't buy. ( Parenting )

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Celebrity Baby Names, The Newest, Hottest Inspiration

2012-08-25T14:30:00.003-07:00

Celebrity Baby Names : The Newest, Hottest Inspiration - Celebrity names from Ava Gardner to Angelina Jolie, Miles Davis to Michael Jordan have influenced the names of real live babies over recent years.

But now there's a brand new generation of stars whose names are proving inspirational to parents in search of cool baby names. From the worlds of music, sports, and reality TV along with films, these celebrity names are showing major gains on the new popularity lists in both the U.S. and the U.K.

We combed the official baby name statistics to identify which names moving quickly up the lists were tied to hot young celebrities. Many of these new celebrity names are unusual, exotic, rarely heard before their famous bearers brought them to our attention. And their current popularity can be attributed directly to the stars who made them shine.

The newest, hottest celebrity names today are:

Mila - Natalie Portman may have won the Oscar for Black Swan, but Mila Kunis takes the prize for most influential name. This Eastern European diminutive - the Ukraine-born actress's real name is Milena - is the fourth highest jumper the most recent popularity list, up nearly 200 places. Mila is pronounced Mee-la, making it a logical successor to the Top 10 Mia.

Harry - You might be forgiven for guessing that the ginger-haired Prince propelled the name Harry to the new Number 1 spot in Britain, but the real inspiration is Harry Styles, Britain's answer to Justin Bieber. The X Factor contestant is a member of the boy band One Direction.

Bristol - While Palin has been heard as a baby name, Bristol has emerged as the hottest name out of the former Vice Presidential candidate's family. The place name, which debuted on the Top 1000 in 2009, moved up over 100 places last year, to Number 434.

Iker - Iker? Really?? The unlikely Basque name, pronounced ee-keer, is the second fastest-rising boys' name in the U.S., up 267 places thanks to World Cup-winning goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

Amelia - Amelia has risen to Number 30 on the US charts on the heels of former first place sister names Emma and Emily, but in Britain it's exploded at Number 1 this year thanks to X Factor contestant turned hit singer Amelia Lily Oliver.

Kellan - Kellan Lutz has propelled not only his own unusual name but both those of his Twilight character Emmett Cullen up the popularity charts. The Irish Kellan, spelled Kellen in its native land and meaning slender, is now Number 363 in the U.S.

Audrina - Audrina Partridge of The Hills launched her name onto the Top 1000 in 2007. It's now leapt up 365 places. Audrina is an elaboration of the ancient saint's name Audrey, which has also been enjoying greater popularity.

Jenson - While Jenson has not yet cracked the Top 1000 in the U.S., it's the Number 69 name in Great Britain, where Jenson Button is a champion race car driver. This surname name means "son of Jens," the Scandinavian form of John - though some parents have been known to use it to honor an ancestral Jenny or Jennifer.

Adele - Singing sensation Adele has turned her old French name, which had disappeared from view for over 40 years, into a fresh new hit. Originally a short form of Adelaide, Adele jumped more than 250 places in the most recent popularity count.

Logan - Logan has been a Top 100 name for two decades now, but Percy Jackson star Logan Lerman, along with the mutant Logan character played by Hugh Jackman in Wolverine, are working together to keep the name Logan in the limelight.

Elle - There have been attractive film characters named Elle, in Legally Blonde and Kill Bill, along with supermodel Elle Macpherson, but young actress Elle Fanning is the one who made this French word for "she" - one of the most feminine of names -- into a baby-worthy star.

Niall - Irishman Niall Horan joins fellow One Direction band member Harry Styles in having a name sure to influence a new generation of babies. The ancient Irish Niall, name of a mythological hero, is pronounced by Horan like the River Nile. ( Parenting )

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