Entertainment News

Johnny Depp Turning Into Captain Jack!

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 15:01:00 +0000

E!News : JOHNNY Depp is taking his pirate role to the next level! The actor is apparently raising concerns on the set of Pirates of the Caribbean 4 with his dedication to his Jack Sparrow character.

“He never breaks character,” says a source on the set. “Everyone calls him Jack now, even between takes.

“The only difference to the movie Captain Jack is that Johnny tends to swagger around listening to his iPod but even that he has playing old sea shanties to help keep him in character.”

Recent reports claimed Depp’s character will hook up with a mermaid in Pirates of the Caribbean 4.

“This will be a central part of the next movie,” blabbed one loose-lipped Hollywood insider. “Captain Jack will fall foul of these seemingly perfect and seductive mermaids but they are not all they seem.

“Auditions are taking place now for sexy girls who can also sing opera.

“There is also a lead mermaid role which is attracting some big-name actresses.” (showbizspy)

Jolie, “I love them,”

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:55:00 +0000

E!News : ANGELINA Jolie has spoken about her body art in the latest issue of Australian magazine Post-Modern Ink.

“I love them,” Jolie, who raises six children with partner Brad Pitt, said of her tattoos.

“They’re body art. I don’t think it’s abnormal that someone who spends their life in other skins wants to claim their own by marking things on it that matter to them. My most recent is five vertical rows of ancient Cambodian script. It’s on my back and looks very sacred.

“Getting my dragon was perhaps the biggest surprise. I was in Amsterdam and got a little crazy, dropping my pants at a tattoo parlour and woke up the next morning and saw this really funny dragon.

“I’ve always wanted a dragon but this one had a funny blue tongue. To me a dragon is very much a woman, strong and elegant.”

Jolie then spoke about claims she once stabbed her ex Billy Bob Thornton.

“There was one when Billy and I were together that said I had stabbed him and then went into a nut house or something,” she said.

“I thought that was kind of funny. If I wanted to have killed him, I would have killed him.” (showbizspy)

Wayne Rooney Sex Scandal

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:01:00 +0000

E!News : Wayne Rooney's career will not be affected by allegations about his private life, publicist Max Clifford said on Sunday.

Despite the lurid headlines in two Sunday newspapers, Rooney is set to travel to Switzerland on Monday for England's Euro qualifier.

Team-mate James Milner said he expects the striker to continue performing for the national side and Clifford said as long as he keeps scoring goals the fans will not care.

Clifford said: "The only thing Wayne Rooney has to worry about is his wife, whether she like all the others, is prepared to accept her husband's alleged infidelities.

"Nobody in football gives a monkey's as long as he's winning on the pitch.

"Man United fans love him. He could be a mass murderer as long as he's scoring goals.

"(England manager Fabio) Capello can't demote him because that would mean he couldn't play and the team needs him.

"Rival fans will have something else to shout about, but so what?"

Clifford said Rooney's sponsors were also likely to stick with the player, adding: "Will it stop people drinking Tiger Beer? No. Will it stop people buying Coca-Cola? No. Will it stop parents buying Nike for their children? No."

Earlier, a spokesman for electronic game firm EA Sports, one of Rooney's sponsors, said: "This is a personal matter and we respect Wayne and his family's privacy.

"We have worked together for six years and Wayne continues to represent EA Sports. We will be making no further comment at this time."

Clifford continued: "It's almost expected that if you are a Premier League football star you're going to be playing away.

"It's become a pantomime. It's a farce. It's as if it doesn't really matter."

A press conference ahead of England's Euro 2012 qualifier against Switzerland was dominated by questions about the allegations.

The News of the World said Rooney paid more than a thousand pounds a time to have sex with a prostitute while his wife Coleen was pregnant with their first child.

Manchester City midfielder Milner said it was business as usual for the squad this morning and Rooney took part in the full training session.

Asked about the Manchester United player's demeanour following the allegations, Milner said: "He is a top player, he showed that Friday. He trained fully this morning, that's all I can tell you.

"You're going to have to ask him the other questions."

He said it was important the team made sure matters off the pitch did not affect their performance on it, adding: "You have highs, you have lows, and it's down to us to make sure the only thing that matters is on the field, come together and make sure we get the result."

Asked about whether it was important for fans to like the players, Milner said: "It's important that we go out there and win football matches. That's what we're out here firstly to do.

"And control ourselves on the field and off the field as best we can." (espn)

Brazilian superstar Ivete Sangalo plays NY arena

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:56:00 +0000

E!News : The most Earth-shattering event in Brazil this weekend took place in New York, where singer Ivete Sangalo played a sold out show at Madison Square Garden. Too bad, few Americans even noticed.

A superstar in her native Brazil, where she can pack a 70,000-capacity soccer stadium and commands crowds of millions during Carnaval, Sangalo kept the almost-entirely-Brazilian audience on its feet over the course of three hours and five costume changes.

Dancing frenetically, the crowd of 14,500 sang along with every word of her samba-inflected dance pop songs like "Festa" (Party) and "Acelere" (Accelerate).

"I just want you to be proud of me, and I want you to be proud of the show I brought here," Sangalo said from the top of a massive, thrusting stage pulsing with lights and video — designed by the man responsible for this year's Super Bowl halftime show, Bruce Rodgers.

In Brazil, Sangalo's show was touted as her first step toward conquering the U.S., placing her in a pantheon with the likes of Madonna, the Rolling Stones, Beyonce and U2.

But a 100-foot-high banner that hung outside the Garden for weeks advertising the show still required the helpful caption explaining Sangalo is "A Brazilian Star."

At a pre-concert news conference, the statuesque brunette said the relative anonymity didn't faze her.

"When I started in Brazil, I was also unknown, and Brazil is a gigantic place with lots of talent," the husky-voiced singer explained. "I haven't come here with the pretension of being well known, but what I've come do to here, I've come to do right."

As a Portuguese speaker, Sangalo may have had her work cut out for her, but promoters say selling out the Garden is a real accomplishment.

Shows by non-English-speaking acts there tend to top out at around 3,000 to 4,000 people, unless they sing in Spanish, which is spoken by a large and growing percentage of the U.S. population.

The only other Brazilian to headline a show at the Garden, singer Roberto Carlos, did so by reaching out to Latin audiences and singing in Spanish.

The closest comparison might be the Korean pop singer Rain, who sold out two nights at the smaller Madison Square Garden theater, which seats 4,000, in 2006.

Concert promoter John Scher said people have been calling him to ask who Sangalo is.
"I don't think there's been anything quite like this. There are Latin (Spanish speaking) artists who can sell out the Garden, but this is a pretty unique situation really," Scher said. "There's a lot of interest in the music industry, if not with the public."

Sangalo, 38, got her start singing as a teenager from the top of the sound trucks that ply their way through the packed streets of Salvador da Bahia during Carnaval time.

When she left the Carnaval group Banda Eva to go solo in 1999 she was already one of the country's biggest stars.

But her brand of Carnaval-inspired dance-pop, known as axe (pronounced ah-SHAY'), isn't what U.S. listeners usually think of as Brazilian music, and her audience tends to be concentrated among teenagers and twenty-somethings looking for a chance to hook up.

Her lyrics express the irrepressible optimism of youth, and her sound is a world away from the cool, cerebral bossa nova of Joao Gilberto or the smooth sounds of Caetano Veloso and Marisa Monte, all of whom are better known in the United States, even if Sangalo outsells them all at home.

As many as 5,000 fans had been expected to fly in from Brazil for the show, organizers say.
So despite all the conquering America swagger, Sangalo's intent is actually something entirely different: The Garden show was mainly intended to serve as a backdrop for her new DVD and a TV special to be broadcast in Brazil in December.

"They want a packed house and want to say 'we've sold out Madison Square Garden' and they've probably achieved that through various other means than from straight ahead ticket sales,'" says Gene de Souza, development director of the nonprofit Rhythm Foundation, who promoted Sangalo's Miami show.
In Miami, with a larger Brazilian population, Sangalo sold only 6,500 of the 7,000 seats put up for sale, de Souza said, in an arena where Britney Spears was able to pack in 18,500 fans.
On Saturday night Sangalo appeared well aware of her target audience, addressing the crowd as "Brazil" and dedicating the show to Brazilians living abroad.

Her only nods to local audiences were covers of Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" and Lionel Richie's "Easy" and a duet with Nelly Furtado, in which her English sounded good with only a slight accent.

She also reached out to the Spanish-speaking audiences, performing duets with Colombian superstar Juanes and Argentina's Diego Torres, but the warmest applause was reserved for Brazilian guests like Seu Jorge and fellow axe star Netinho, who appeared, briefly transforming the 25-minute-long encore into a mini-version of Carnaval.

"I didn't come with the objective to transforming anything or parting the waters for Brazilian music or anything like that," Sangalo said before the show. "I am a popular singer for the masses, and I will continue to be one, and this is my greatest pleasure." (yahoo)

Who will play Superman in Christopher Nolan's 2012 reboot?

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 08:33:00 +0000

E!News : IN DECEMBER 2012, a new Superman will soar on to the big screen, with Christopher Nolan producing and his brother Jonathan Nolan teaming up with David Goyer to write the screenplay.

At one point it was said Chris Columbus (Harry Potter 1 & 2, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief) was offered the chance to direct but that proved to be a baseless rumour. Instead, it's been claimed that Jonathan Nolan is in line to helm the feature in what would be his directing debut.

The one major missing ingredient is who will be playing the new Clark Kent/Superman.

But that hasn't stopped the speculation. Here we take a look at the candidates and give you the chance to vote on your favourite.

Chuck star Zachary Levi was said to have auditioned for the role, but he later dismissed the reports, telling IGN: "It's complete fiction. I start getting these text messages from my friends, saying 'What is going on? You didn't tell us any of this!' And I'm asking, 'What are you talking about?'"

Although most fans online didn't seem too keen on the 29-year-old as Superman, he says he is definitely interested: "I go and read all these comments and even comments on IMDB. The vast majority are like 'He couldn't be Superman!' And I'm like 'All right! I get it!'. I guess one of the things that I fear is that people pigeonhole me in the nerd role, because a lot them say 'I can see him as Clark Kent, but not as Supes'. I'm an actor! Just give me six months and a gym. Give me something."

Friday Night Lights star Scott Porter, 31, and True Blood actor Joe Manganiello, 33, have also been campaigning for the role.

Manganiello (pictured right) has gone on record saying he'd love to put on the cape and tights. He said: "I'm from Pittsburgh so the Man of Steel - it's the City of Steel, so that would go a long way back home." Fans have started a Facebook page to try to land him the part.

Another name was thrown into the mix when Think McFly Think reported that Mad Men star Jon Hamm was among those being considered by Warner Bros. The only possible drawback is that he's 39 - and he'd be older when the new Superman film is filmed and released - but, on the other hand, age hasn't stopped 45-year-old Robert Downey Jr playing Iron Man.

Meanwhile, Brandon Routh, who starred in Bryan Singer's 2006 release Superman Returns, has made no secret of the fact he's keen to reprise the role. He told Cinema Blend: "I certainly would [love to play Superman again]. As much as I say I'm working to shake that off or shake it up, I certainly don't want to extinguish or get rid of it because it was a great honour and I would love to be able to return as that character.

"I think the brothers Nolan are both very talented and so that makes it a different kind of film than Bryan's vision, which I think was a very nice film that I'm very proud of."

There have also been campaigns and petitions online for Smallville actor Tom Welling to play Superman on the big screen.

Welling, who finally dons the character's iconic costume in the next season of the long-running TV show, addressed the issue at San Diego Comic-Con, telling The Flick Cast: "I've always been open to the idea but it's not as simple as everybody would like to think. It's not as simple as me wanting to do it or not wanting to do it.

"I know that a lot of people jump on me or jump on Warner Bros - it's just not that simple and so there's a lot of elements that have to come together. I've always been open to it." (blogs.coventrytelegraph.net)

Milla Jovovich, Resident Evil and Sick

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 08:04:00 +0000

E!News : IF YOU'RE a fan of Milla Jovovich, you'll be able to get up close and personal with the Ukrainian-born model and actress when Resident Evil: Afterlife is released.

The fourth instalment in the video game adaptation series will be in 3D, with Milla and her co-stars - Heroes actress Ali Larter and Prison Break's Wentworth Miller - leaping out of the screen at the audience.

And Jovovich promises viewers they will love the immersive experience.

She said: "I'm blown away by the things that I've seen so far that we've done - I mean, we're flipping out doing it, so I would imagine people will flip out seeing it.

"It's in 3D, which is making this movie just come to life in a way that none of the other films can even pretend to, because it's sucking the audience in," she said.

"It is just the most action-packed, the most crazy, full-on experience that you could imagine from a Resident Evil movie. I think it's going to be 'sick'!"

Milla means 'sick' in the slang sense of awesome or excellent, of course.

She added that after playing superhuman security officer Alice in four Resident Evil films, the character has become a part of her.

"I'm attached to her now. Now I feel in a sense like it's family. It's really kind of become such a huge part of my world, and the training process, and being able to just to go through all these adventures, it's a lot of fun," she told Entertainment Tonight.

Resident Evil: Afterlife, directed by Milla's English husband Paul WS Anderson, will be released on September 10. (blogs.coventrytelegraph.net)

Venus move on at US Open

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 07:57:00 +0000

E!News : Venus Williams brought the glitter. Rafael Nadal brought the grit. On a Friday night that felt like bonus tennis at the U.S. Open, Williams and Nadal performed like players on a mission — maybe trying to outhustle a hurricane that never showed, or maybe, in Williams' case, trying to finish in time to catch the end of cocktail hour.

Wearing a black sequined dress she designed as a tribute to New York, the third-seeded Williams outclassed qualifier Mandy Minella of Luxembourg 6-2, 6-1. Also dressed in black from head to toe, the top-seeded Nadal handled the hustle and shotmaking of Denis Istomin with a 6-2, 7-6 (5), 7-5 victory highlighted by Rafa's rally from 5-1 down in the second-set tiebreaker.

Then off into the night they went — closing out the schedule on a day that was billed as a washout in the making but finished without a hitch, save a 25-minute rain delay in the afternoon that resulted from the small, and only, band from Hurricane Earl to sneak into the city.

A fortunate turn in the weather for Nadal, who caught the unfortunate end of the tournament's backloaded schedule. This was only his second-round match, and to win his first U.S. Open title, he'll now have to win six times in 10 days. A rainout Friday would have eliminated one of those days of rest.

"That's the U.S. Open and they do what they think is better, I think, for everybody," Nadal said. "I accept the rules. If I have to play second round on Friday, I play second round on Friday. No discussion of that." Nadal had to dig deep at the end of the second set, after Istomin skidded — and left a 10-foot-mark — then did the splits to get to a drop shot and hit a cross-court backhand winner that will go down as one of the best shots of the tournament. With the crowd going crazy, Nadal also clapped to show his respect ... then went about winning the next six points to take the set.

"He played a great point," Nadal said. "I think I stayed very well mentally in that moment. I was playing with big calm and big concentration." Between sets, Istomin needed a break to get his thigh worked on by the trainer. Nadal waited patiently, then went out saved five break points in the third set to close out the match. He won all seven break points he faced on a night when his serve topped out at 134 mph.

"For the moment, it's working really well," Nadal said.

For Williams, there was no such drama — only a methodical victory that spoke to the fact that she's rounding into shape despite coming into the U.S. Open without much training time, on the mend from a sprained left kneecap. "It's something you think about," Williams said. "But my whole thing was to try to bank on my experience, which so far is working."

With her injured sister, Serena, looking on from the stands — about the only thing in doubt during this match was who had the better dress. Serena's was red and Venus' was black with silver sequins — a creation of her own design.

"It's about a celebration of me playing my best, obviously at home, and kind of doing what I love and being able to wear something fun while I do it," she said.

Earlier, the day's best match involved 18-year-old American Ryan Harrison, who couldn't convert on any of his three match points in a fifth-set tiebreaker and lost 6-3, 5-7, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6) to Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine.

The young man, ranked 220 in the world, kept his perspective.

"I'm trying to hopefully get to the top 10, so I feel like one match doesn't make or break that," Harrison said. "It's the experience of playing these type of matches that is really going to help me to get there."
Two of the top Americans left in the draw won. No. 18 John Isner defeated Marco Chiudinelli and No. 20 Sam Querrey beat Marcel Granollers, then complained that none of the four U.S. men who've moved on to the third round have appeared on the show court in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"Hopefully, we can have four in the round of 16," Querrey said. "I think we've got a great shot to do that. Hopefully they'll put some of us on center court. Not a huge fan of the scheduling this week."

James Blake goes first, set to play No. 3 Novak Djokovic in Ashe Stadium on Saturday.
Winners in Ashe on Friday included No. 4 Andy Murray, 12th-seeded woman Elena Dementieva and No. 2 Kim Clijsters, whose next match is against Ana Ivanovic.

Ivanovic, the world No. 1 after winning the French Open in 2008, fell as low as No. 65 after nearly two years of injuries and inconsistent play. Now, she's at No. 40 with a chance to move up more if she beats friend Clijsters, the defending champion.

"When I was struggling, she was messaging me. She was very supportive," Ivanovic said. "That's really rare and really nice to see. In those times, you know who your friends are." (yahoo)

Michael Jordan's Son’s Gambling Causes Casino Investigation

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:06:00 +0000

E!News : MGM Resorts International is now under investigation following a tweet from the son of NBA legend Michael Jordan.

Marcus Jordan’s tweets about partying at a Las Vegas Strip nightclub has prompted Nevada gambling regulators to look into whether the casino operator violated laws prohibiting drinking or gambling by minors, Nevada Gaming Control Board enforcement chief Jerry Markling said Monday. More details about the investigation sparked by Marcus Jordan on the other side.

As previously reported, Jordan’s 19-year-old son Marcus Jordan tweeted Aug. 20 about spending $35,000 at Haze at Aria Resort & Casino.

“Last night was stupid… 35K at Haze,” the University of Central Florida sophomore guard said. “Totals 50K something the whole day.”

The tweet has since been removed from the site. And Marcus Jordan apologized for the twit.
“I didn’t mean it the way it came across,” he said. “My family and friends know the type of person I am.”

Wow, one tweet can cause all this ruckus! People still don't respect the power of social networks. (http://dimewars.com)

Pics : Rihanna Waxwork Madame Tussauds Washington, DC

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:30:00 +0000

E!News : Good Girl Gone Wax! Rihanna is the latest star to be enshrined in a big ball of wax by the creative gods at Madame Tussauds Museum! A waxwork of the “Shut Up & Drive” hitmaker smartly dressed in a black lace number went on display in the Nation’s Capital on Tuesday.

Tourists and visitors to Madame Tussauds’ Washington, DC location will now get to take pictures alongside Everyone’s Favorite Barbados-born pop queen without the superstar songstress even being in the same zip code!

Madame Tussauds gifted the first 50 visitors at Tuesday’s morning’s unveiling with free umbrella if they mentioned the word “umbrella.” (We’re guessing that adding the “-ella, -ella, -ella” part aftewards was optional.) The promotion was so successful, the museum is keeping it going. Now through Sept. 30, fans who stop by Madame Tussauds Washington DC and mention the word “umbrella” will receive a buy-one-get-one-free admission! Visit MadameTussauds.com for more information on that.

Artists studied photographs and video footage of Rihanna to pinpoint the edgy look that has become her calling card. The singer donated the figure’s outfit of a black lace corset, fitted jacket, pants and black silk heels, which appears to be modeled after an outfit that Rihanna wore during Paris Fashion Week last October. (www.popcrunch.com)

Kim Kardashian And Family To Launch Fashion Line For QVC

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:23:00 +0000

E!News : The famous sisters Kim, 29, Kourtney, 31, Khloe, 26, and their mum Kris Jenner, 54, are teaming up with QVC for K-Dash by Kardashian, a new clothing and accessories collection.

The line includes everything from belts to faux fur-trimmed vests, with prices ranging between $20-$240.

K-Dash by Kardashian is set to debut on QVC as part of Fashion's Night Out, and will air live from the Rockefeller Centre, New York, on September 10.

The Kardashian design team will be on hand on the show and will be joined by other designers such as Bradley Bayou and Marc Bouwer. (www.musicrooms.net)

Mafia II Game Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:56:00 +0000

E!News :We bring you a sneak peek at 2K Games new gangster epic Mafia II - feel the thrill of clawing your up the legions of an organised crime world starting out in 1940's America.

Mafia II will be available to buy on Sony PlayStation3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 on August 27, 2010.

Mafia II will have an ESRB Rating of M for Mature due to violence and adult themes contained within the game.

From the developers of the award-winning Mafia comes Mafia II, a beautifully crafted look into the dark and unforgiving world of the Mafia where clothing, cars, music and advertising are meticulously created to replicate an American city in the ‘40s and ‘50s. Players will easily become engaged in the game’s cinematic, Hollywood-style experience with strong, believable characters in a living, breathing city that transports them to a time when rock-n-roll first strummed its guitar and chrome-plated hot rods roared down boulevards.

Powered by 2K Czech’s next-generation Illusion Engine built specifically for Mafia II, players will experience the true evolution of the game. Gunfights, hand-to-hand combat and vehicular exploration feature new depth and dimension that allow players to experience the world of Mafia II in a way that will keep them coming back for more.

Storyline:

Born the son of a poor immigrant, Vito is a beaten down Italian American who is trying to escape the life of poverty that consumed his childhood. It was on the streets that Vito learns that joining the Mafia is the only route to wealth and respect for people of his standing. Wanting to escape the life of hardship that his father led, he dreams about becoming a “made man.”

A petty criminal his whole life, Vito, along with his childhood friend, Joe, will descend into the world of organized crime. Together, they will work to prove themselves to the Mafia as they try to make their names on the streets. Starting with low-level jobs like robbery and stealing cars, Vito and Joe escalate quickly up the Mafia family ladder…but the life as a wise guy isn’t quite as glamorous as it seems.

Features:

Action-Packed Gameplay: Take part in heart-stopping car-to-car chases, visceral hand-to-hand combat and intense gunplay, all of which come together to form a deep and engrossing gameplay experience.

Epic Gangster Story: Inspired by iconic mafia drama, the compelling characters and cinematic presentation will pull players into the allure and impossible escape of life in the Mafia.

Immersive World and Period: Enter the world of Empire City—World War II is raging in Europe and the architecture, cars, music and clothing all echo the period. As time passes, hot rod cars, 50s fashion and some of the era’s best music reflect the birth of a cool new era.

Illusion EngineTM: 2K Czech’s proprietary Illusion Engine, allows gamers to explore Empire Bay’s 10 square miles of beautifully rendered outdoor environments and intricately designed interiors.

Soundtrack Reflects the Mood of the Era: Players will be immersed in the Golden Era of America as Mafia II features tracks from some of the era’s most influential artists. (contactmusic)

Little Fish - Baffled and Beat Album

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:53:00 +0000

E!News : Little Fish have been building momentum on the back of some fairly high profile support slots with bands like Blondie, Hole and Alice in Chains (where I first encountered them) in preparation for the release of this, their debut album Baffled and Beat.

Given the Seattle sound of a large proportion of the bands they've toured with, Baffled and Beat contains only momentary flashes of grunge influence; Am I Crazy features a Cobain-esque howling scream and album opener Bang! Bang! Offers a ferocious grunge kick, albeit with a melodic streak the size of a truck running through its core.

Elsewhere on the album, Little Fish deliver some brilliant indie-pop. Recent single Darling Dear has a lazy guitar hook and a laid back vocal delivery with sultry lyrics like "my darling dear, come back to bed". The song builds and builds to an unexpected frantic finish with what can only be described as a squeal. It is a horrible noise, but you have to respect the length it goes on for, and just pray you never meet anyone capable of creating such a sound.

The album's real strengths are its slower, more introspective moments like the aforementioned Am I Crazy and Heroin Dance, a melancholy number, with heartfelt lyrics and a passionate delivery. Album closer Sorry State follows a similar vein with clean guitars and a massive chorus hook. It has to be said that without the big choruses this album would be one of the most miserable things you will have heard in a long time. Luck's Run Out is another downbeat song, its piano refrain recalling Radiohead's Karma Police. It is yet another gem on a strong album.

The album is not without fault though. Title track Baffled and Beat is more like two unfinished songs sandwiched together, and at times the album shows its influences a little too much; but these are minor points: when faced with the perfect pop of You, Me and the TV it is easy to let these things slide.

Overall, Little Fish have come out swinging with a confident and fun debut album to be proud of. It is good rock music with heart and soul. Vocalist Juju is one of the most engaging and passionate front women since pre-meltdown Courtney Love. Baffled and Beat cements Little Fish as definite ones to watch (contactmusic)

Dog Pound

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:33:00 +0000

E!News : Shot like a clear-eyed documentary, this unnerving teen prison drama draws us in by never sensationalising its story or characters. Clearly an homage to Alan Clarke's 1979 classic Scum, this film re-deploys cliches with originality and skill.

Three teens enter a Montana juvenile detention centre together: hot-tempered Butch (Butcher) is 17, ladies-man Davis (Kippel) is 16, and young tough-guy Angel (Morales) is 15. They're immediately challenged by the top echelon of inmates and singled out for abuse, while their guard (Bayne) is just as harsh when they refuse to rat out their attackers. Still, they make a friend in the outcast Max (Twig), and find ways to survive and even thrive. But the violence is about to erupt in a very nasty way.

Filmmaker Chapiron creates a remarkably ordinary atmosphere that makes the situations and characters bracingly believable. Even when the formula kicks in (involving things like back-handed cruelty and the inmates' drug ring), scenes are underplayed nicely, making it feel authentic rather than overwrought. That doesn't mean that the emotional gut-punch is weakened; this is a provocative movie that isn't very easy to watch, especially as it keeps reminding us that these hardened criminals are really just children.

The cast of mostly non-actors is extremely effective, playing the roles as if they're improvised from real experience. They continually reveal little flashes of personality and humour within the scenes, while also showing us the weaknesses in their thick skins. Butcher is especially impressive; he has an electric screen presence and channels fearless bravado so sharply that we want to lean back from the screen. Meanwhile, Kippel has the more comical role, regaling the boys with his stories of conquest and then facing the film's most wrenching attack.

In some ways, the script is rather too constructed, playing a little too heavily on the irony of the "punishment" that's meted out (or not) to each of the three protagonists, their guard and their nemeses. It sometimes feels too deliberately grim, but these moments are counterbalanced by the longer scenes of sharply observed camaraderie punctuated by tiny jolts of sudden violence.
It's certainly not a film that you can get out of your head very easily. (contactmusic)

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore Movie Review

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:26:00 +0000

E!News : Things have been ramped up considerably in the nine years since Cats & Dogs, and it's not good news. This film is more of a full-on spy spoof, but unlike the original it's too talky and chaotic to engage with either kids or adults.

Diggs (voiced by Marsden) is a brave but impulsive K-9 cop sacked from the San Francisco police force but recruited by the top-secret dog intelligence agency to work with veteran Butch (Nolte) to stop the menacing Kitty Galore (Midler) from taking over the world. But the cats aren't happy with Kitty's evil plan either, so feline spy Catherine (Applegate) teams up with the dogs. Yes, dogs and cats working together! Of course, Diggs' human partner (O'Donnell) and Kitty's magician owner (McBrayer) are oblivious.

The film kicks off with considerable promise as early scenes are packed with smart puns and witty sight gags. But once the plot cranks up, the incessant dialog gets increasingly irritating as it describes in aching detail everything that's going on. This completely sucks the energy out of the film; even though it's fast and frenetic, nothing much is actually happening on-screen. And when an action set piece does come along, the direction and editing are incoherent and uninspired.

There's also the problem that most of the cats are animated this time. The juxtaposition of real animals is part of what made the first film so charming, but this one feels more controlled from the beginning. It's also much more interested in spoofing other movies, from gadget-heavy Bond adventures (including Moore as the voice of the top cat) to the appearance of the previous film's villain Mr Tinkles (Hayes) in Hannibal Lecter mode.

Actually, the best bits are the random asides that seem to exist in the film's margins, including one scene in the catnip haze of an Oakland cat lady's house. On the other hand, the chatty sidekick pigeon (Williams) is just another annoying variation on Shrek's Donkey. But what really sinks the film is the fact that, while there are moments of inspired silliness, it's just not very much fun. (www.contactmusic)

Anna Nicole Smith - Birkhead Opens Up About Smith's Drug Abuse

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:57:00 +0000

E!News : ANNA NICOLE SMITH's ex-lover LARRY BIRKHEAD has opened up about the tragic model's battle with prescription drugs, revealing his fears for their unborn daughter as she appeared impaired during the pregnancy.

The photographer gave a candid interview on U.S. breakfast programme Good Morning America on Monday (30Aug10), opening up about being a single parent to three-year-old Danielynn.

He revealed: "Until I got my daughter back, I worried every single day. But once I got her back and took her to the doctors and took her to all these different specialists to make sure everything is OK, they all assured me, 'Your daughter's healthy, she's happy...' I got lucky."

Birkhead also spoke candidly about being a witness in the ongoing trial of Howard K. Stern - Smith's former boyfriend and lawyer - and two doctors who are accused of illegally supplying Smith with drugs that led to her 2007 overdose death.

He previously faced off with Stern in a 2007 paternity case, which proved Birkhead to be Danielynn's father. But now he's stepped to the defense of his former love rival, calling the charges against Stern "unfair".

He explains: "Howard's being held, in my opinion, to the same standards as the doctors, almost as if he prescribed the medications."

Now, Birkhead says he's trying to move past the scandal, and focus on raising a healthy little girl. But the dad admits he'll struggle to explain Smith's tragic legacy to the youngster, and he's scared she'll be bullied about her mum.

He says, "I do worry that kids in school might say something .. and some of those things could be cruel at times.

"I just hope that I get the opportunity to explain some of the things before she gets to the point to where people come and tell her. There's so many (things) that I have to worry about telling her. She's running but I'm still taking baby steps." (yahoo)

Stars do sunset shades on Emmys red carpet

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:13:00 +0000

E!News : A late-summer sunset with vibrant purple, red and blue gowns dominated the horizon at the 62nd Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. One-shoulder silhouettes, updos and bold jewelry also were big trends.

Lea Michele, a fairly new player to the red-carpet frenzy, nailed it in a very grown-up navy Oscar de la Renta gown with a strapless neckline and ruffled mermaid bottom.

"I wanted to do blue — I've done black and green," Michele said. "I was ready for blue to be the color, and I love Oscar de la Renta so when I saw this, it was like he read my mind."

This could have been a too-mature look for Michele, but her youthful energy was her best accessory, said Lawrence Zarian, of TV Guide Network's Fashion Team.

Michele is petite, noted Karla Martinez, fashion market director for W magazine, but the silhouette of her gown accentuated her shape just right.

"Glee" co-star Jane Lynch was one of the biggest — and surprising — hits of the night. The purple one-shoulder by Ali Rahimi "suited her spectacularly," Zarian said.

January Jones and Christina Hendricks, both from the heavily stylized "Mad Men," lived up to their on-screen fashionista counterparts in colorful look-at-me gowns. Jones wore a bright, electric-blue corset gown with an uneven hem and stiff A-line skirt by Versace, and Hendricks wore a pale lilac Zac Posen with feathers on the sleeves and hemline and the very low neckline audiences have grown accustomed to seeing her — and her hourglass figure — in.

But Zarian said that while he appreciated the risks both actresses took, they ended up with dresses that would get more attention than they would for wearing them.

"January's dress was very architectural, a beautiful blue, but the dress wore her. January has a such a passion for fashion herself, so she tends to dress the other end of the spectrum and not do a conservative Betty Draper," he said.

As for Hendricks, Zarian said the soft color was right for her, but the detailed gown, which was lovely on its own, had too much going on for such a voluptuous figure.

Sofia Vergara went with the statuette look in a gold, ombre beaded Carolina Herrera that Martinez loved, but she thought the matchy-matchy, oversized gold earrings were too much. She did like the diamond Stephen Russell pins that new mom Amy Poehler used to jazz up her tank-strap slate-blue Max Azria gown and the floral Lorraine Schwartz earrings on Jane Krakowski.

Krakowski also touched on the blue, one-shoulder and updo trends in her custom Escada gown and soft, wavy locks.

Elisabeth Moss wore a chic, dove-gray Donna Karan one-shoulder, and Julie Benz had one a white one by Pamella Roland. Emily Blunt's goddesslike, lilac gown had cream-colored beads on the straps. Edie Falco went very sleek in a one-shoulder, black Bottega Veneta.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus found a way to stand out in black: She tapped longtime friend Narciso Rodriguez to make her black, square-neck gown with a sheer panel on the bodice that should send everyone to the gym. Her Irene Neuwirth turquoise earrings and bracelets captured the right seasonal, boho vibe.

Tina Fey, in an Art Deco-style Oscar de la Renta, and Eva Longoria, in a tight-bodice, ruffled-bottom Robert Rodriguez, also were in the black-dress club that's always in force at awards shows.

Kelly Osborne, who's joining E!'s "Fashion Police," showed off her post-"Dancing With the Stars" shape in a sophisticated black gown with a V-neck and jeweled gathered at the shoulders by Tony Ward.

Heidi Klum did black, but she went short in a micro-mini by Marchesa. "Well, you kind of look at what the choices are and then you kind of go with what you love the most," she said. "It's not like there's a whole game plan, it has to be short, or anything like that."

Marchesa also designed the white, jeweled halter gown worn by Kim Kardashian.

Jamie Cadwell, director of the Diamond Information Center, noted that Kardashian did the stacks of diamond bracelets that is "the modern way to do diamonds." (Kardashian's platinum cuff bracelet with 80 carats of champagne and white diamonds were by Lorraine Schwartz.)

Cadwell said a slew of classic diamond drop, stud and chandelier earrings gave balance to the mostly colorful, contemporary gowns. But "classic" doesn't have to mean subtle — Jones' 10.12-carat Cartier platinum-and-diamond stud earrings were valued at $1.2 million.

Julianna Margulies had a fair amount of glitz on her embellished, midnight-blue L'Wren Scott gown, and Claire Danes' Giorgio Armani Prive bronze strapless gown was fully encrusted with Swarovski drop crystals and iridescent sequin beading.

Anna Paquin's black gown was practically gold plated around its shoulders and bustline. Newlywed Paquin matched husband Stephen Moyer in Alexander McQueen; he opted for a classic tux but hip skinny tie.

W's Martinez was pleased to see so many men in classic bow ties, though, Jimmy Fallon and Jon Hamm, among them.

"Glee" creator Ryan Murphy bought into the blue trend big time, wearing a blue jacket, tie and mirrored sunglass lenses. He gave the rare shout-out to the designer Tom Ford in his acceptance speech after winning the award for directing a comedy series. (yahoo)

WWE Star Luna Found Dead

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 15:41:00 +0000

E!News : The wrestling world is in mourning again with the news that former WWE star Luna Vachon has died. The female wrestler and manager was found dead at her mother's home in Florida at 10am on Friday morning.

She was 48 and had two sons and one granddaughter.

Her death follows the recent passing of Lance Cade, 29, in a horrid month for the wrestling business.

Luna - who also worked for ECW and WCW - had struggled with demons and depression. The WWE had paid for her to go to rehab on more than one occasion.

The federation confirmed the news on their website, posting: "World Wrestling Entertainment has been made aware of the passing of Gertrude (Luna) Vachon. WWE extends its deepest condolences to the Vachon family.

"Ms Vachon was under contract with WWE at various times from 1993 through 2000, and performed under the name 'Luna' Vachon. She last performed for WWE in early 2000."

The story is being carried by a number of prominent outlets in the States, including celebrity gossip website TMZ.

Meanwhile tributes have been pouring in from Luna's peers on Twitter.

Tommy Dreamer said: "Luna was the first Queen of Extreme. My first manager. Luna passed away on the night of two moons. Pretty unique just like her. Strong woman."

WWE star Goldust remembered her comedic side, posting: "Luna was as freaky as me...maybe even more...love her and will miss her...hopefully she's in a better place." (thesun)

Michael Jordan in Black History

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 05:28:00 +0000

E!News : Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York) is a former National Basketball Association player, considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time.

A remarkable force at both ends of the floor, Jordan ended a career of 15 full seasons with a regular-season scoring average of 30.12 points per game, the highest in NBA history (ahead of Wilt Chamberlain's 30.06). He won six championships, notched 10 scoring titles, and was league MVP five times. He was named to the All-Defensive First Team nine times, and led the league in steals three times. In 1991, he was named Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year." These and other achievements have persuaded many fans that Jordan was the best ever to play the game.

University of North Carolina

As a UNC freshman, Jordan was an exciting but not dominant player. He ended the 1982 year in grand style, hitting the winning shot in the 1982 NCAA championship game against Georgetown, led by future NBA rival Patrick Ewing. By his sophomore year, he was clearly the team's biggest star; as a junior, he was named the national player of the year. He was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 1984 NBA Draft as the third pick overall.

Chicago Bulls

Jordan played 13 seasons for the Bulls, generally as a shooting guard, but his height (6'6", or 1.98 m), skills, and physical conditioning also made him a versatile threat at point guard and small forward. He won six NBA Championships (1991-1993 and 1996-1998) and was league MVP five times (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996 and 1998). He was also named Rookie of the Year (1985) and Defensive Player of the Year (1988), and won the Finals MVP award every year the Bulls reached the Finals -- a feat not likely to ever be duplicated. He also earned the elusive MVP triple crown (league, finals, all-star game) twice when he won All-Star MVP in both 1996 and 1998 (he also won in 1988). Only Willis Reed (1970) and Shaquille O'Neal (2000) have won all three MVP awards in the same season. In 1997, he also recorded the only triple-double in an All-Star game.

Jordan's coach was Phil Jackson. He had the following to say about Jordan:

"The thing about Michael is he takes nothing for granted. When he first came into the league in 1984, he was primarily a penetrator. His outside shooting wasn't up to professional standards. So he put in his gym time in the off-season, shooting hundreds of shots each day. Eventually, he became a deadly three-point shooter".
Perhaps weighed down by the August 1993 murder of his father, Michael retired from basketball two days before the 1993-94 NBA season, and the Bulls retired his #23 jersey.

Baseball Career

Jordan spent the next year pursuing a childhood dream: professional baseball. He had an unspectacular professional baseball career for the Birmingham Barons, a Chicago White Sox farm team, batting .202 with 3 HR, 51 RBI, 30 SB (tied-5th in Southern League), 11 errors and 6 outfield assists. He led the club with 11 bases-loaded RBI and 25 RBI with runners in scoring position and two outs. He was never called up to the majors. Many consider this brief stab at baseball the only tarnish on his athletic career.

Back To The Bulls

He ended his basketball retirement on March 19, 1995 by rejoining the Bulls. Because jersey #23 had been retired, he wore #45, his Barons number. Jordan led the Bulls to the Eastern Conference Semifinals that year. As he struggled with unaccustomed playoff difficulty, he broke out his old #23 jersey during a second-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic. The switch did not immediately bring him luck, and the Magic prevailed. But it was back to winning ways the following year, the Bulls won three consecutive NBA titles between 1996 and 1998.

Jordan retired again on January 13, 1999.

Washington Wizards

In 2001, he came out of retirement a second time to play for the Washington Wizards, though his skills were noticeably diminished by age. Yet despite an injury-plagued 2001-02 season, he still averaged nearly 23 points per game. Playing through pain, especially in his knee, he was still an important player for the Wizards. He returned for the 2002-03 season and averaged 20 points. He played in his 13th and final NBA All-Star Game in 2002-03. The 2002-03 season was heralded from the beginning as Jordan's final goodbye to his fans and he retired for the third time at the season's conclusion.

At the beginning of the 2001-2002 basketball season, Michael Jordan donated his $1 million salary to help the victims of the September 11 attacks.

Out of respect for Jordan's legacy, the Miami Heat retired his #23 jersey on April 11, 2003, even though he never played for the Florida team. It was the first jersey the Heat retired in their then-15-year history, and it was half Wizards blue, half Bulls red.

The Olympics

Jordan played on two Olympic gold medal-winning American basketball teams: as a college player in the 1984 Summer Olympics, and in the 1992 Summer Olympics as a member of the original "Dream Team," with other legends such as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. It is often rumored that Jordan kept guard Isiah Thomas off the roster due to personal differences. Nonetheless, it was a star-studded roster that cruised through pool play and the medal round, restoring America to its place atop the basketball world.

Personal life

Jordan spent his childhood in Wilmington, North Carolina. He attended Emsley A. Laney High School, where he was a standout in football, baseball, and basketball. At UNC, he majored in geography.

Michael Jordan has two older brothers, Larry and James R., one older sister, Delores, and one younger sister, Roslyn. James R. Jordan is a Sergeant Major in the 35th Signal Brigade of the XVIII Airborne Corps in the U.S. Army. James gained certain celebrity when he announced, at the age of forty-seven, that he intended to stay in Iraq until the U.S. occupation ended.

Michael Jordan currently lives in Highland Park, Illinois.

Father's murder

Jordan's father, James, was murdered in August 1993. While returning from the funeral of a friend, he pulled over onto the side of an interstate highway in North Carolina for a nap. Two local criminals killed him and stole his Lexus, a gift from Michael. The perpetrators made several calls from James' cell phone and were quickly captured. But James' body was not immediately identified. Michael and family did not immediately file a missing persons report, because the elder Jordan frequently took long trips by himself. By the time a report was filed, James' body had been cremated per local health laws as a John Doe.

Businessman

Jordan is one of the most marketed sports figures in history. He has been a major spokesman for such brands as Nike, Gatorade, McDonald's, and MCI. He first appeared on Wheaties boxes in 1988, and acted as their spokesman as well.

Nike created a signature shoe for him, called the Air Jordan. The hype and demand for the shoes even brought on a spat of "shoe-jackings" where young boys were robbed of their sneakers at gunpoint. The innovation of designer Tinker Hatfield spurred the basketball shoe industry to new heights. Subsequently Nike spun off the Jordan line into its own company. Athletes who endorse the company include Ray Allen, Michael Finley, Derek Anderson, Gary Payton, and Jason Kidd. It has even crossed over into other sports, with athletes such as Randy Moss, Derek Jeter, and Roy Jones Jr. wearing Jordan apparel.

He has also been connected with the Looney Tunes. A Nike commercial in the 1991 Super Bowl where he and Bugs Bunny played basketball against some Martians inspired the 1996 live action/animated movie Space Jam, which also starred Michael and the Looney Tunes in a fictional story set during his first retirement. They have subsequently appeared together in several commercials for MCI.

After his second retirement, Jordan formed the MVP.com sports apparel enterprise with fellow sports greats Wayne Gretzky and John Elway in 1999. Unfortunately, it fell victim to the dot-com bust, and the rights to the domain were sold to CBS SportsLine in 2001. (source : http://www.collegehoopsnet.com)

Is Einstein the sexiest man in history?

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 05:15:00 +0000

E!News : With his shock of white hair, woolly moustache and amiable, distracted air, Albert Einstein has given society its defining image of an eccentric scientist: lovable, brilliant but unworldly.

Things are about to change, however. Next year a global campaign is to be launched to mark Einstein Year. An unprecedented fusillade of shows, exhibitions and products will be unleashed round the world, each aimed at turning the great physicist into one of the sexiest figures of the 20th century. Make way, Che Guevara.

Apart from the Einstein posters, mugs, T-shirts, calendars, and bookmarks already churning off production lines, there will be an Einstein experiment pack for Glastonbury festival-goers; an Einstein screen saver that will help computer owners track down gravitation waves; kiddies' Einstein party packs; an Einstein ballet by the Rambert dance group; and a series of concerts, in Israel, to mark his lesser-known achievements - as a violin player.

Major exhibitions dedicated to the German-born physicist have already opened in the United States, and journals - including the current Scientific American - have dedicated entire issues to the great man's life and works. That soup-strainer moustache and floppy white mane will be hard to avoid in the next few months.

'This is a chance to get people to appreciate what physics has done for the modern world,' said Caitlin Watson, Einstein Year co-ordinator for the UK Institute of Physics. 'There is nobody to touch Einstein for that.'

Scientists have chosen 2005 to be Einstein Year (as well as International Year of Physics) because four of his greatest scientific papers were published in 1905. They included his theory of relativity, which redefined our ideas about space and time, and the paper that introduced the idea that energy and matter are interchangeable. This notion is summed up by his equation E=mc2 , the most enduring, scientific icon of the last century.

For physics, 1905 was an annus mirabilis , thanks to an unprepossessing Swiss patent office clerk who, working quietly on his own, utterly changed our ideas about the universe. Within 10 years, Einstein had been made a professor at the University of Berlin. A few years later he won the Nobel Prize, and not long after he published his general theory of relativity, which transformed our ideas about gravity and the universe.

This was a man who stretched time and bent space. As Scientific American puts it: 'Albert Einstein looms over 20th-century physics as its defining, emblematic figure.' Hence the lavish nature of next year's celebrations, although not every plan has been welcomed universally.

An Austrian proposal to mark the 50th anniversary of Einstein's death, which falls on 18 April, 2005, by holding a 'light relay' - a sort of astronomical Mexican wave in which thousands of people round the world will shine torches into the night sky - is to be boycotted by British astronomers. Light pollution is already ruining our study of the heavens, they say. However, most other ideas have been enthusiastically seized on by scientists - such as the Einstein at Home project. 'People will be able to send off for software that will allow their computers to operate at night using data, automatically downloaded from observatories, to spot minute fluctuations in data that reveal the existence of gravitational waves,' said Professor Jim Hough, of Glasgow University.

Gravitational waves, predicted by Einstein's general theory of relativity, are ripples in the curvature of space-time triggered by massive energetic events, such as supernovae - when stars explode and destroy themselves. None has ever been detected. 'There could be no better way to celebrate Einstein's great year than finding one this way,' added Hough.

Then there is the 'Einstein at Glastonbury' pack which physics students will display at the festival next June. Among the marvels of modern physics to be demonstrated will be rockets powered by water and fizzy Alka-Seltzer tablets and a levitating lemon that will be raised by some strange use of pint glasses, ashtrays and water. Normal fare for Glastonbury, in short.

The Einstein pack for kiddies' parties will include games for sticking kebab sticks through balloons without bursting them. 'You can learn a lot of physics this way,' said Caitlin Watson.

All of which should make Einstein a new folk hero as well as making the Hebrew University of Israel very rich. Through a Californian law firm, they control use of Einstein's image, and have to give permission, often in exchange for royalties, for the use of the great man's face or name on any products. Given what is about to be unleashed, things can only get better for them. (source : www.guardian.co.uk)

Diana, Princess of Wales

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 05:01:00 +0000

E!News : Diana was born in 1961 as the third daughter of Edward John Spencer and his wife Frances Ruth Burke Roche. Diana grew up in a very privileged family that had a long history of close ties with the royal family. When Diana's paternal grandfather passed away in 1975, Diana's father became the 8th Earl of Spencer and Diana gained the title of "Lady."

In 1969, Diana's parents divorced. Her mother's affair helped the court decide to give custody of the couple's four children to Diana's father. Both of her parents eventually remarried, but the divorce left an emotional scar on Diana.

Diana attended school at West Heath in Kent and then spent a short time at a finishing school in Switzerland. Although she was not an excellent student academically, her determined personality, caring nature, and cheerful outlook helped her through it. After returning from Switzerland, Diana rented an apartment with two friends, worked with children at the Young England Kindergarten, and watched movies and visited restaurants in her free time.

It was about this time that Prince Charles, in his early 30s, was under increasing pressure to choose a wife. Diana's vibrancy, cheerfulness, and good family background caught the attention of Prince Charles and the two began dating in mid-1980. It was a whirlwind romance for on February 24, 1981, Buckingham Palace officially announced the couple's engagement. At the time, Lady Diana and Prince Charles seemed truly in love and the whole world was awed by what seemed like a fairytale romance.

It was the wedding of the decade; nearly 3,500 people attended and approximately 750 million people from around the world watched it on television. To the envy of young women everywhere, Lady Diana married Prince Charles on July 29, 1981 at St. Paul's Cathedral.

Less than a year after the wedding, Diana gave birth to William Arthur Philip Louis on June 21, 1982. Two years after William was born, Diana gave birth to Henry ("Harry") Charles Albert David on September 15, 1984.

While Diana quickly gained the love and appreciation of the public, there were definitely problems in her marriage by the time Prince Harry was born.

The stresses of Diana's numerous new roles (including wife, mother, and princess) were overwhelming. These pressures plus the extreme media coverage and post-natal depression, left Diana lonely and depressed.

Although she tried to maintain a positive public persona, at home she was crying out for help. Diana suffered from bulimia, cut herself on her arms and legs, and made several suicide attempts.

Prince Charles, who was jealous of Diana's extra media attention and unprepared to handle her depression and self-destructive behavior, quickly started to drift away from her. This led Diana to spend the mid- to late-1980s, unhappy, lonely, and depressed.

During these lonely years, Diana tried to find a place for herself. She had become what many describe as the most photographed woman in the world. The public loved her, which meant that the media followed her everywhere she went and commented on everything she wore, said, or did.

Diana found that her presence comforted many who were sick or dying. She dedicated herself to a number of causes, most especially to the elimination of AIDS and landmines. In 1987, when Diana became the first famous person to be photographed touching someone with AIDS, she made a huge impact in dissolving the myth that AIDS could be contracted merely by touch.

In December 1992, a formal separation was announced between Diana and Charles and in 1996, a divorce was agreed to which was finalized on August 28. In the settlement, Diana was given $28 million, plus $600,000 per year but she was to give up the title, "Her Royal Highness."

Diana's hard-won freedom did not last long. On August 31, 1997, Diana was riding in a Mercedes with her boyfriend (Dodi Al Fayed), bodyguard, and chauffer when the car crashed into a pillar of the tunnel under the Pont de l'Alma bridge in Paris while fleeing from paparazzi. Diana, age 36, died on the operating table at the hospital. Her tragic death shocked the world.

Initially, the public blamed the paparazzi for the accident. However, further investigation proved that the primary cause of the accident was that the chauffer had been driving under the influence of both drugs and alcohol. (source : http://history1900s.about.com)

Biography on Michael Jackson

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 04:38:00 +0000

E!News : The Bio History of Michael Joseph Jackson began when he was born on the 29th of August 1958 in Gary, Indiana. He was the 7th of nine children. (brothers: Sigmund "Jackie", Toriano "Tito", Jermaine, Marlon, Steven "Randy", and sisters Rebbie, Janet and La-Toya Jackson.

Michael began his musical career at the age of 5 as the lead singer of the Jackson 5 who formed in 1964. In these early years the Jackson 5, Jackie, Jermaine, Tito, Marlon and lead singer Michael played local clubs and bars in Gary Indiana and moving further afield as there talents grew and they could compete in bigger competitions. From these early days Michael would be at the same clubs as big talented stars of there days, such as Jackie Wilson and would be learning from them even back then.

In 1968 the Bobby Taylor and The Vancouvers discovered the Jackson five and from there they got an audition for Berry Gordy of Motown Records. The Jackson 5 signed for Motown and moved to California. Their first 4 singles, "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There" all made US No1 hits. The Jackson 5 recorded 14 albums and Michael recorded 4 solo albums with Motown.

The Jackson 5 stayed with Motown until 1976, wanting more artistic freedom they felt they had to move on and signed up with Epic. The group name Jackson 5 had to be changed as it was owned by Motown, so they reverted to The Jacksons as they had be known in the early days. Brother Jermaine married Berry Gordy's daughter and stayed with Motown. Youngest brother Randy joined in his place. The Jacksons had a number of hit records and in total made 6 albums between the years of 1976 and 1984.

In 1977 Michael made his first film debut when he starred in the musical 'The Wiz' playing Scarecrow with Diana Ross in the lead role of Dorothy. It was at this time Michael met Quincy Jones who was doing the score for the film.

Michael teamed up with Quincey Jones as his producer for his first solo album with Epic Records. The album titled "Off The Wall" was a big success around the world and the first ever album to release a record breaking 4 No1 singles in the US.

In 1982 Michael Jackson released the world's largest selling album of all time, 'Thriller'. This album produced 7 hit singles, breaking yet again more records, and went on to sell over 50 million copies worldwide. Michael was keen to use music video or short films as he called them to promote his singles from the album. He worked with the best directors and producers, using the latest technology and special effects for the hit song 'Billie Jean' The short film 'Thriller' used the latest make-up artists technolgy combined with fantastic dancing and cherography, to produce a 14 minute video, with a start, a middle and an ending. So successful was this video that 'The Making Of Michael Jackson's Thriller' became the world's largest selling home video combined with soaring album sales. In 1983 Michael performed the now legendary moonwalk for the first time on the 'Motown 25 years' anniversary show. This performance alone set Michael undoubtable into the realm of a superstar.

In 1984 Michael won a record breaking 8 Grammy awards in one night. The awards were for his work on the 'Thriller' album and his work on the narrative for the 'ET Storybook'.

On December 9th 1984 at the last concert of the Jackson's Victory Tour, Michael announced he was splitting from the group and going solo.

In 1987 Michael released his much awaited third solo album, titled 'Bad', and lauched his record breaking first solo world tour. 1988, Michael wrote his first autobiography, Moonwalk, talking for the first time on his childhood and his career. At the end of the 1980s Michael was named 'Artist Of The Decade' for his success off of his 'Thriller' and 'Bad' albums.

In 1991 Michael signed with Sony Music the largest ever recording contract and released his fourth solo album, 'Dangerous'. He toured world again in 1992, taking his concerts to countries that had never before been visited by a pop/rock artist. Also Michael founded the 'Heal the World Foundation' to help improve the lives of children across the world.

In 1994 Michael married Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of rock legend Elvis Presley. The marriage only lasted for 19 months, as they divorced in 1996.

1995 saw Michael release a fifth solo album, 'HIStory', which was a double album, first half new material and second half half greatest hits. Michael toured again over a legs covering a 2 year period. In between legs of the tour on November 14th 1996, Michael married for his second time to Debbie Rowe who was a nurse that Michael had met in the treatment of his skin pigment disorder. Together they had their first child Prince Michael Joseph Jackson jr born on February 13 1997 and a daughter Paris Michael Katherine Jackson born on April 3rd 1998.

In 1997 Michael released the remix album 'Blood On The Dance Floor' which also contained 5 new song linked with a 38min film "Ghosts". This film Michael played 5 roles using the latest special effects and make-up artistry, combined with his dance and music.

In September, 2001 Michael celebrated his 30th anniversary as a solo artist with two concerts to be held in New York, USA. Many artists such as Whitney Houston, Usher, Destinys Child, Shaggy and many more performed there own and Michael Jacksons past songs. Michael then reunited with all of his brothers and performed there biggest hits. Michael then went onto perform solo some of his biggest hits.

In October 2001 Michael released the album 'Invincible' releasing only 2 singles including the big hit "You Rock My World". Shortly after the albums release there were rumours of a rift with Sony Music and a clear lack of promotion of the album. The second single "Cry" was released with a very poor music video which did not feature Michael and no other singles were released.

In November 2003 a new single "One More Chance" was released as a single and was also a track on new compilaition album "Number Ones".

In March 2009, Michael annouced a shock comeback tour at the O2 Arena in London to start in July 2009, intially for 10 dates but the total grew to a sold out 50 dates with over 750,000 tickets sold. All sold tickets sold out within minutes of being released.

On June 25th 2009 Michael Jackson died suddenly of a reported cardiac arrest. He was 50 years old. (source : www.allmichaeljackson.com)

For a more indepth biographical look at Michael Jacksons life read the following era's;
The Jackson 5 Era
The Jacksons Era
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Alesha Dixon, Stroply Come Dancing

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:23:00 +0000

E!News : But Alesha Dixon got into a bit of argy-bargy with another group of privileged revellers on Thursday. The Strictly Come Dancing judge was enjoying a night out with pop pal Rian Peters after promoting her new single on The One Show.

But a fellow partygoer took a pop at her mate at London's trendy Movida nightclub and the row continued outside. A source said: "Alesha tried to break up the fight and stood up for her friend. "She didn't want it to spoil her evening."

The former Mis-Teeq singer, 31, won the BBC1 dance contest in 2007. Last year she caused controversy when she replaced Arlene Phillips on the judging panel. (thesun)

Balotelli in car crash Drama

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:17:00 +0000

E!News : MANCHESTER CITY hitman Mario Balotelli emerged unscathed from a car crash this morning. The Italian, who joined City in a £24million move from Inter Milan earlier this month, was at the wheel of his Audi A8 when it collided with another car in Manchester.

Balotelli, 20, was uninjured but was breathalysed in accordance with standard practice. Police were called to the scene in Chester Road, Hulme, and spoke to Balotelli and the driver of a BMW and checked the striker's documentation, which was all in order. Police are no longer investigating.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: "At 9.45am today we were called to Chester Road in Hulme to reports of a two-car collision. "Officers attended and found a black BMW had been in collision with an Audi A8. "Nobody was injured. "Both cars were damaged and removed from the scene."

Balotelli was later able to train with his team-mates but he will not travel to the game at Sunderland tomorrow because of an existing knee injury. Manchester City declined to comment. (thesun)

Bill's a Potter Rotter

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:10:00 +0000

E!News : ACTOR BILL NIGHY looks wand-erfully mean - as Minister of Magic in the latest Harry Potter film. Bill, 60, plays tough Rufus Scrimgeour in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. His role in the wizard series is a dream come true for the star - who previously complained he was "the only British actor who hasn't been in Harry Potter".

But as Scrimgeour he has quite a fight on his hands after Lord Voldemort and his "Death Eaters" infiltrate the ministry and magically manipulate his staff. And he eventually pays a heavy price for refusing to betray Harry Potter. Meanwhile, DANIEL RADCLIFFE shows how much he has changed since his debut as the boy wizard at the age of 12 (see slideshow).

The actor, now 21, sports a haunted look in snaps for film seven - a far cry from the character's beginnings in The Philosopher's Stone. Part one of Deathly Hallows comes out in November. Part two is out next July. (thesun)

Paris Hilton Cocaine Arrest

noreply@blogger.com (Cyber News) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:05:00 +0000

E!News : Paris Hilton has been arrested on a cocaine charge in Las Vegas, cops said today. The socialite, 29, was a passenger in a car stopped by officers in the US city late on Friday. Her boyfriend Cy Waits, a night club mogul, was driving.

Cops became suspicious when they saw what looked like marijuana smoke coming from the black Cadillac Escalade. After a search, cops allegedly discovered Hilton in possession of a controlled substance. Tests later showed it was cocaine. It is not clear how much of the drug was found.

She was later released without bail — but faces jail if found guilty of possessing the drug. Hilton hasn't commented on the arrest publicly, but appeared to be tweeting in the hours following her brush with the law. After her arrest, she told fans she was in bed watching the television show "Family Guy" and later said she was going to bed. It wasn't clear if she or someone else was sending the tweets.

Her agent was not immediately available for comment today. A Las Vegas police spokesman said: "Officers noticed a vehicle leaving smoke trail of a controlled substance (and) made a stop based on that."

Hilton was arrested this summer after the Brazil-Holland World Cup game in South Africa, on suspicion of possession of marijuana. The case was dropped at a midnight court hearing. Hilton also pleaded no contest in 2007 to alcohol-related reckless driving and was sentenced to 45 days in jail. She was released after 23 days. (thesun)