Entertainment Blog - Latest interesting News and Articles

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

M.F. Husain Smitten by Subhash Ghai's Musical 'Yuvvraaj'

2008-12-03T17:29:00.002+05:30

Subhash Ghai's found a new fan in M.F Husain. The legendary painter was so impressed by Ghai's latest offering 'Yuvvraaj' that not only has he watched in twice in the theatre but has also offered to make a painting on the movie.

Ghai's multi starrer has received mixed reviews everywhere, but it is Husain's appreciation of the movie that has Ghai feeling honored.

When contacted, the renowned painter was all praise for the movie. "Yuvvraaj is the kind of movie we get to see once in many years. I have always been extremely fond of Subhashji's work and Yuvvraaj is one of the finest movies I have seen in a long time. I wonder on what basis are the people criticizing the movie; I feel it is a beautifully made film with extremely melodious music and some brilliant performances."

"Yuvvraaj has been a marvelous experience. I am flattered by Husain ji's appreciation for the movie. It is an honor to hear such words of appreciation from a legend like M.F Husain. I am also very deeply moved by his offer to make a painting on Yuvvraaj; this is by far the biggest compliment I have received on this movie.", said the maverick director Subhash Ghai.

By movietalkies
Wednesday Dec 3 3:35 PM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Gossip: Gossip Girl Girl Kelly Rutherford Is Pregnant

2008-12-03T17:15:00.005+05:30

Nothing makes us happier than when a woman from a TV show we never watch announces that she’s got a bun in the oven.

So congratulations to Kelly Rutherford, who we’re told is a) a star of Gossip Girl and b) pregnant. We’re not experts on Gossip Girl or pregnancy, but we hear one involves backache, uncontrollable mood swings, a slack bladder, nausea and rabid constipation. The other one is pregnancy.

This will be Kelly Rutherford’s second child, following the birth of her… really, are you still actually reading this? Are people genuinely interested in Kelly Rutherfords’s pregnancy? Weirdos.

There’s a certain step-by-step guide that older American TV actresses need to follow when they get pregnant, because pregnancy at an advance age is fraught with danger. It’s essentially the guide laid out by Marcia Cross from Desperate Housewives, so in the next few months we’re expecting to see 40-year-old Kelly Rutherford from Gossip Girl demand that all her scenes are filmed in her own bed, partly as a safety precaution and partly because she’s embarrassed that the naked photos she took of herself have been leaked onto the internet.

Oh, and also Kelly Rutherford needs to also give her baby a name so stupidde rigeur for all celebrities anyway, not just middle-aged women off the telly who’ve got themselves knocked up. that’ll ensure it gets bullied at school, passed over for jobs in adulthood and dies alone and bitter at a tragically young age, but that’s

But, yes, Kelly Rutherford from Gossip Girl is pregnant. You know, Kelly Rutherford. She plays the mother in Gossip Girl. Gossip Girl, you know. It’s a bit like The OC, except not as many people care about it because we’re all that much older now. Anyway, if you don’t recognise Kelly Rutherford from Gossip Girl, then maybe you’ll recognise her for her role in E-Ring. No? Her role in Threat Matrix? No? Her role in Backflash 2: Angels Don’t Sleep Here? No? Her role in Melrose Place? Anyone?

Oh, anyway, look, someone called Kelly Rutherford is pregnant, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Philly Burbs reports:

"Kelly Rutherford is expecting her second child! A rep for the 40-year-old Gossip Girl star says she has a June due date. Kelly also tells people that the Gossip Girl set is very kid friendly so she won’t have to worry what to do with the newborn when she is filming. “We have such a nice set because people bring their kids and their dogs. It looks like we’re running a doggy daycare in the makeup room. It’s really something.”

Regardless of the fact that we don’t really know who she is, we wish Kelly Rutherford all the best for her pregnancy. As she no doubt knows herself, a baby is a like a little unwritten book, and nobody can ever be certain what its life will hold. Maybe it’ll discover the cure for cancer. Maybe it’ll just be content to stay at home and raise a family of its own. Or maybe it’ll become as famous as its mother.

If that last one’s the case, you shouldn’t really bother learning its name, by the way.

December 3rd, 2008 at 11:00 by Stuart Heritage

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Hollywood Celibrity

Box Office Report: 'Four Christmases' jingles all the way to the bank

2008-12-02T16:15:00.003+05:30

The long, always competitive Thanksgiving weekend is over, and Four Christmases has decked the halls with a big box office victory, easily outpacing Twilight, Australia, and all the rest of the movies at the multiplex along the way.

Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon's comedy won the robust weekend with a much-better-than-expected $46.7 mil from Wednesday through Sunday, according to early estimates. That makes it the third-best Thanksgiving weekend opener ever, after Toy Story 2 ($80.1 mil) and last year's EnchantedThe Break-Up's $39.2 mil two and a half years ago, and Witherspoon's best bow since Sweet Home Alabama's $35.6 mil more than six years back. ($49.1 mil). The film also grossed a hefty $31.7 mil over the traditional three-day weekend (and fair warning, I'm going to be giving both five-day and three-day totals in this report, so get focused -- you know, drink some coffee before reading on, or something). That's Vaughn's top premiere sum since

Credit a somewhat older, female audience that gave the movie a so-so CinemaScore grade of B. But, as I have said before, all of those statistics don't matter much when you consider one important fact: With the word "Christmas" in the title, this film is sure to hang on well into the yuletide season.

Twilight (No. 2) was next in the five-day rankings, with $39.5 mil, although its three-day weekend total was a more disappointing $26.4 mil, a steep 62 percent drop from its huge debut a week ago. Still, the Stephenie Meyer saga continues to draw in teen girls, and it crossed the $100 mil mark in just eight days (its domestic haul is $119.7 mil), so there's still plenty of good news there.

Third place over the long weekend went to Bolt, which grossed $36 mil from Wednesday through Sunday, and $26.6 mil in the three-day frame (sure enough, that's more than Twilight banked in the same period). Thus, Disney's animated feature enjoyed a rare thing in box office land: A week-to-week gain. Bolt was up 1 percent from its debut sum of $26.2 mil last time around. So, yeah, get accustomed to seeing this film in your local movie listings for weeks to come.

Quantum of Solace (No. 4) held strong with $28.1 mil over five days and $19.5 mil over three; its domestic sum is a stellar $142.1 mil to date. The Nicole Kidman-Hugh Jackman-Baz Luhrmann epic spectacle, Australia, rounded out the top five with an unspectacular $20 mil over five days and just $14.8 mil over three (this despite an A- CinemaScore grade from a largely older-woman audience). And Transporter 3 (No. 7) was also an afterthought with $18.5 mil from Wednesday through Sunday and $12.3 mil on the three-day weekend.

Indeed, there's no need to waste time talking about those films when we can applaud Gus Van Sant's limited-release biopic Milk, which cracked the top 10 while playing in only 36 theaters. The Sean Penn starrer grossed $1.9 mil over the five-day frame and $1.4 mil from Friday through Sunday, a marvelous average of $38,375 per venue.

Overall, the cumulative box office total was up about 4 percent from Thanksgiving weekend a year ago, when Enchanted and This Christmas led the way. And if you'll excuse me now, I'm going to start work on a movie I've been thinking about making -- it's called Christmas, Christmas, Christmas, Christmas, and although I only have a title, I know it's gonna be a blockbuster.

Dec 1, 2008, 09:45 AM | by Joshua Rich

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Hollywood

Ramu in the Line of Fire

2008-12-02T15:45:00.003+05:30

This time it seems that Ram Gopal Varma has gone too far. His act of accompanying the Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh to the terror ravaged sites of The Taj and The Oberoi has come in for sharp criticism from the film fraternity.

The fraternity is shocked at the perversity of the act. Everybody, beginning from a Vikram Bhatt, to Sudhir Mishra, Abbas Tyrewala, Anurag Kashyap, have an opinion on the subject. Of course, they have all been unanimous in voicing their concern at the insensitivity displayed by the Chief Minister in the first place for taking the director along. As for Ramu and his penchant for making quickies, one just hopes that the visit was not to get a first hand account of masalaa for the flick. If so, then Ramu could not have got it more wrong. Like our politicians, he seems to have misread the mood of the public at large, as well. The people are not in a very forgiving mood as the state deputy chief minister discovered to his peril, having to resign from his post in the aftermath. As for the film fraternity, they have decided to get together and march to the Mantralaya with a counter terrorism plan along with some other prominent figures from other fields. The list of celebs include Ronnie Screwvalla, Malaika Arora Khan, Karan Johar, Kim Sharma and many more along with Nandan Nilekani, Nisha Jamwal, Kishore Biyani, Anil Dharker, Bachi Karkaria and Peter Mukherjea.

By movietalkies
Tuesday Dec 2 3:14 PM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I say sorry and stand corrected: Simi Garewal

2008-12-02T15:12:00.003+05:30

Mumbai, Dec 2 (IANS) Bollywood's veteran actress Simi Garewal, who kicked up a storm with her comment on a TV show that slums in Mumbai can be seen sporting Pakistani flags, has apologised, saying she was wrong and stood corrected.

'I was wrong on that count and I apologise for that. In the slums near the Race Course in Mahalaxmi in central Mumbai which I was talking about, they sport Islamist flags; and you know it closely resembles the Pakistani flag. This was pointed out to me by somebody. So, I say sorry and stand corrected,' Garewal told IANS, after Mumbai's 60-hour terror siege in which at least 183 people were killed.

Stating that she stood by her views, verbalised in NDTV's 'We The People' programme anchored by Barkha Dutt Sunday, that India must dismantle the militant camps in Pakistan if the Pakistani government was incapable of doing so, Garewal asked: 'Hasn't the US Army gone in and uprooted the training camps situated in the tribal areas of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan?'

She said the government must stop being soft towards terrorists and emphasised that she was 'not all disrespectful towards Pakistan's sovereignty'.

'My suggestion is that the Indian Army should go into POK (Pakistan Occupied Kashmir), do the job and come back back without harming the country or its people.'

Garewal said she was 'still angry and frustrated because we are all so helpless in the face of terror'.

'When the terrorists from across the border strike India, the Hindus and Muslims suffer equally. We have seen that happening again and again,'

Excerpts from the interview with IANS:

Q: On the TV programme, 'We The People,' Sunday, you made very strong suggestions that India should bomb militant camps in Pakistan. Do you think it's easy to transgress the sovereignty of a country?

A: I still stand by what I said in the 'We The People' programme.' India knows where these militant camps are located in Pakistan. We have the video footage and proof. If the Pakistani government is unwilling or incapable of dismantling them, I reiterate that, for our own safety, India should.

Q: But Pakistan is a sovereign country. If India does what you have suggested, it might lead to another war between the two countries?

A: But can't we do that invisibly? Hasn't the US Army gone in and uprooted the training camps situated in the tribal areas of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan? If the US can do that, why can't we?

Q: It seems you are being too emotional to suggest that.

A: Perhaps I am being emotional. Like every Mumbaikar, I am angry and frustrated. How long can we live in fear of being attacked by terrorists from across the border? Are we going to be sitting ducks forever, waiting for the next attack?

Q: What do you want the government of India to do under the present circumstances?

A: I want to tell the government, stop being soft towards the terrorists. Act and act swiftly.

Q: The Indian government has already put tremendous pressure on the present Pakistan government to dismantle the terrorist camps there. The country is also under international pressure in the aftermath of 27/11.

A: But it's not working, is it? Has the Indian government received even a modicum of a favourable response from the Pakistan government in this regard? And anyway, will any country ever admit to it? Has Pakistan responded to India's request to hand over the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts accused Dawood Ibrahim after all these years?

Q: Don't you think India has done its best to make Pakistan understand the consequences of terrorists being let loose? The country itself has been a victim of terrorist attacks.

A: You are right. And yet it is not doing anything to rein in the terrorists and that is exactly what has angered me, like everybody else. If Pakistan is unable to do it, it must allow us to do it.

Here, let me emphasise clearly, I am not at all disrespectful towards Pakistan's sovereignty. Nor am I suggesting that India should invade Pakistan. No! My suggestion is that the Indian army should go into POK on a mission, do the job and come back without harming the country and its people. We cannot afford to suffer anymore because of Pakistan's inaction.

Q: Aren't you aware that both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers and such an impulsive act, if one would go by your suggestions, would assure muted annihilation for both the countries.

A: As I have said, I am not a war monger, nor am I a politician and I do not know anything about handling clever military operations. But the time has come for us to take some drastic steps, so that the citizens of India can live peacefully.

Q: On that programme you also made a remark that slums in Mumbai sporting the Pakistan flag. Have you actually been to a slum and seen any of these flags?

A: I was wrong on that count and I apologise for that. In the slums near the Race Course in Mahalaxmi in central Mumbai which I was talking about, they sport Islamist flags; and you know it closely resembles the Pakistani flag. This was pointed out to me by somebody. So, I say sorry and stand corrected.

Q: Do you believe all Muslims in India are anti-national and support Pakistan?

A: Oh no! Not at all! Absolutely not! I have never said that. When the terrorists from across the border strike India, the Hindus and Muslims suffer equally. We have seen that happening again and again.

Q: But the statement you made on that widely watched TV programme were very provocative. Do you regret your comments?

A. I don't. I never intended to provoke anybody. I made those statements as a patriotic Indian, and a Mumbaikar I was worked up. I am still angry and frustrated because we all are so helpless in the face of terror. I am only putting forward an agenda to let ourselves be out of the grip of fear. Because, as I see it, there are no other solutions left.

By indiaabroad
Tuesday Dec 2 1:35 PM

Article News Source
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

'Why the fuss?' asks Deshmukh after taking RGV to Taj hotel

2008-12-01T15:14:00.002+05:30

Mumbai, Dec 1 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh Monday defended his decision to visit the battered Taj hotel here with his actor son Riteish Deshmukh and Bollywood filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, saying it was 'no big deal'.

'It was decided on the spur of the moment. It wasn't pre-planned. Taj security chief Kapadiya called and asked me to visit the hotel. The two (Riteish and Varma) were around so I took them along. What's the big deal? Why the fuss?' Deshmukh asked mediapersons at a press conference here.

The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel, set up in 1905, was seized by terrorists Wednesday night along with a Jewish centre and the Oberoi Trident hotel. The gunmen killed people and then took hostages until commandos neutralised them Saturday.

Deshmukh visited the Taj hotel Sunday along with Riteish and Varma. From there, the chief minister went to the Oberoi.

Mumbaikars expressed anger that the chief minister chose to go to the scene of the terror carnage with a filmmaker, adding to the burden of an already stretched out security force.

'Did he take Ram Gopal Varma so that he (Varma) could make a realistic film one day?' asked Narendra Shinde, an employee of a multinational company.

'This is insensitive (on the part of the chief minister),' said Aruna Anand, a social activist. 'Politicians have to exhibit a sense of sensitivity when common people are suffering.'

Shiv Sena MP Bharat Kumar Raut said Deshmukh was trying to promote his son and 'bring him in front of the camera'.

'If they wanted to go to the Taj, they could have gone separately to express solidarity. However, if a film star goes there, it is a practical difficulty for security personnel. There was no necessity to go there. He could have sat at home and expressed solidarity.'

Ashok Pandit, also a filmmaker, called it a 'security lapse'.

'Even if Riteish is the son of the chief minister and Ram Gopal Varma is a filmmaker of repute, it is a serious security lapse... The chief minister should resign.'

Varma defended himself Sunday, saying: 'I have no intention of making a film ever on this issue. My visit was not to make a film on it.'

By indiaabroad
Monday Dec 1 2:55 PM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Events and News

Jethro Tull, Anoushka concert dedicated to Mumbai terror victims

2008-12-01T14:54:00.002+05:30

New Delhi, Dec 1 (IANS) Jethro Tull, one of the world's leading western music bands, and sitar exponent Anoushka Shankar brought a sense of hope to the capital with their two-hour concert dedicated to 'security forces who lost their lives defending Mumbai against terrorists and victims of the three-day siege'.

Jethro Tull and Anoushka fans at the packed Hamsadhwani stadium in Pragati Maidan were asked to observe a minute's silence in memory of the Mumbai terror attack victims before the concert began Sunday night.

The show was divided into three acts. A solo performance by Anoushka was followed by Jethro Tull and a 'tea with Anoushka jugalbandi session'.

The solo recital by Anoushka, the daughter of sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, acquired an element of pathos and sobriety because the sceptre of the Mumbai terror attack loomed large over the show.

Anoushka began her recital with a composition in Raag Jog - an evening raga and followed it up with Raag Panchamsegar - a classical raga created by her father Pandit Ravi Shankar.

Clad in a lavender and blue churidar-kurta, Anoushka held the audience, including her father, spell-bound with her performance.

Jethro Tull took the stage minutes after Anouska left it. With veterans Doane Perry and Martin Barre on drums and guitar respectively, and relative newcomers David Goodier on the bass guitars and John O' Hara on the keyboards, the band led by flutist and vocalist Ian Anderson cut an electrifying presence.

Anderson's virtuosity with the flute and his 'maverick piper image' on the stage added glitz to the show.

The band played all the old 60s hits, including its 1969 signature number 'Living in the past', 'My sunday feeling' (1966), a Rashaan Roland Kirk's jazz improvisation, 'Serenade to a cuckoo' and 'Heavy horses' from the 1970s. The band is known for its farm songs, most of which were written after Anderson moved to the countryside to manage his own farms in the 1970s.

The band even belted out its progressive rock hit of the 1970, 'Thick As a Brick', and an extended version of 'Aqualung', a 1971 chart buster that almost became the band's anthem song. The hysterical fans screamed for more.

Many in the audience regretted the fact that Jethro Tull and Anoushka were unable to perform in the 'maximum city'. The Mumbai concert, part of their five city tour, was called off Nov 29 because of the terror strikes.

'But we are planning to go back to Mumbai later this week for a benefit concert to help the victims,' Anderson said.

The high point of the concert was the Jethro Tull and Anoushka collaborative session, which saw a foot-tapping blend of rock, Western classical, Celtic and Indian classical music.

It featured fusion tracks, especially composed for the concert by Anderson, like 'Tea with Anoushka' - a peppy lounge dance number and 'Little grass folk' - a folksy-rock improvisation of German composer J.S. Bach's music written 300 years ago.

The track, from the band's farm series, used the banjo (Indian hand drums), block flutes, guitars, sitar and vocals.

'Celtic cradle', drawn from traditional Celtic music of north-west Europe - Anderson's homeland, evoked nostalgia of the centuries bygone with shades of Mesopotamian music.

'Breathing underwater', from the band's latest fusion album, blended traditional Western classical music with Indian classical.

The jugalbandi closed with 'Mother goose' - one of the band's old numbers with a special composition for Anoushka.

A music-struck Delhi on a chilly late November night could not have asked for more.

By indiaabroad
Monday Dec 1 2:25 PM

Article News Source:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Entertainment

Bollywood

'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' has simple, warm melodies

2008-11-29T12:37:00.003+05:30

Film: 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'; Music Composer: Salim-Suleiman; Lyricist: Jaideep Sahni; Singers: Sukhwinder Singh, Shreya Ghoshal, Roop Kumar Rathod, Sonu Nigam, Labh Janjua, Sunidhi Chauhan; Rating: ***

Yash Raj Films has roped in composer duo Salim-Suleiman for 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' and they have churned out light, warm, romantic numbers for the movie. With a few exceptions, 'Rab Ne...' may not be your album of the year but could go on to be really popular.

'Dance Pe Chance' doesn't sound too exciting or dance-inducing courtesy the lack of fizz in the number. While the rendition by Sunidhi Chauhan is full of gusto and zeal, the music's pace is not good enough despite its rhythms and beats. Labh Janjua's Punjabi vocals add some zing to the track.

'Haule haule' turns things around for the album. Firstly, Sukhwinder proves his worth as a romantic singer. Secondly, it is a simple and soulful number and that is exactly where its beauty lies. The music has been kept really light and instruments have been kept to a minimum. Finally, Jaideep Sahni's lyrics are simply marvellous. Simple yet effective, the song is surely going to connect with music lovers.

'Phir milenge chalte chalte' is an interesting track as bits and pieces from yesteryears' music are imbibed and fused together. Salim and Suleiman not just bring in the old in this track but also use a lot of new and contemporary sounds.

Melody and simplicity are once again the highlight of 'Tujh mein dikhta'. Yash Raj Films usually have this one melodramatic, soulful, romantic piece in every album of theirs and 'Tujh Mein...' fit the bill. It has been sung by Roop Kumar Rathod.

'Tujh mein dikhta' returns in a slower version where Shreya Ghoshal takes over the mike for a solo rendition. This one is also a pretty decent hear and audiences will like it over time.

'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' is Salim-Suleiman's attempt at not composing an over-hyped album. It is short, sweet and may not completely bowl you over, but is sure to grow on listeners once the film releases. Jaideep Sahni deserves special mention for penning incredible and unconventional lyrics that should surely strike a chord with listeners.

By indiaabroad
Saturday Nov 29 9:15 AM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Entertainment Movies

Bollywood Movies

Music to match your decor

2008-11-29T12:20:00.004+05:30

Imagine walking into an airy Upper East Side apartment with 18th-century antiques, gilt mirrors and chintz upholstery. Now imagine Metallica playing on the sound system.

Music can alter a space as much as lighting, fabrics and artwork, but until recently, most people relied on their own judgment when it came to sound. Now, though, an increasing number are hiring personal music stylists to pick out tunes for their homes just as they might hire an interior decorator to select furnishings.

While Muzak has for decades created what it calls "audio architecture" for commercial environments, it is just in the past five years that a handful of music consultants, mostly in New York and London, have begun to specialize in creating custom domestic soundtracks. From Aspen lodges to bungalows in Belize, they are compiling playlists to match their clients' decor.

"Hearing the wrong music in the wrong space can be very disorienting," said Coleman Feltes, a music stylist in New York City. A DJ known for creating mixes for Versace, Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana fashion shows, Feltes began his bespoke music service for individuals in 2006.

Feltes and other music stylists typically visit clients' homes or look at photographs of them to assess their decorating styles and to understand layouts. They may also peruse clients' music collections to learn the genres and artists they've liked in the past.

"Sometimes it's truly awful stuff," said Angus

Gibson, another stylist, like "love and moonlight" soundtracks from Meg Ryan movies. His London-based company, Gibson Music, furnishes custom sound systems as well as the music to play on them for clients in Europe, Asia and the United States.

Match music, space

Even if the music a client likes isn't insipid, stylists warn, it might be all wrong for a given space. "You're not going to have Johnny Cash playing in a fantastic retreat in the West Indies," Gibson said. "It just wouldn't work."

Though they consider clients' musical preferences, stylists said they are paid to be the final arbiters of what songs work in a space. "When clients hire me, they are buying into the Coleman brand of taste," Feltes said. Stylists typically charge $50 to $250 per hour of music, which they usually download onto iPods but which can also be delivered on CDs.

Joe Wagner, 50, a commercial real estate developer and investor, hired Feltes last year to provide music for two homes with very different styles — a rough-hewn stone, wood beam and stucco lodge in Aspen, Colo., and a white brick colonial in Palm Beach, Fla.

Feltes compiled about 48 hours of music divided into playlists particular not only to each residence but also the activity and time of day, like, for example, Latin jazz tracks for a lazy afternoon floating in the pool in Palm Beach or opera selections for a morning reverie while gazing at snow-capped mountains in Aspen.

"When someone walks in and hears great music, it's like looking at a wonderful painting on the wall that gives you certain emotions," said Wagner, who gets his playlists updated quarterly. "I love that I don't have to think about what to put on. It's already done for me."

With so many genres and artists, it's hard to stay on top of everything that's available. ITunes, the online music store, has a catalog of more than 8 million songs. And there are countless new performers whose work is not so widely distributed.

"Our clients are the type who send people all over the world to find the perfect spoon or doorknob or type of marble," said Jeffrey Reed, a club DJ and a founder of Audio Sushi, a custom music service in London with an international clientele. "My job is to find the perfect music."

Another service, Audiostiles in New York, helped Jessica Goldberg, 35, three years ago when she wanted music to match the apartment she and her husband, Billy, a doctor, had recently renovated in the West Village. With two small children, Goldberg said, "I'm not going to clubs anymore to hear what's new."

10 hours of music

The Goldbergs filled out a questionnaire about their daily life and their musical tastes. In a phone interview, they described their home, which has wide-plank wood floors, large windows and modern furniture. "It was amazing how they extrapolated from that what we liked and would fit our place," she said.

Most of the tracks on the 10-hour compilation that she continues to play are by acts she had previously never heard of, like the contemporary pop singer Joshua Radin and the folk artist Brett Dennen. The playlist has an overall warm sound, Goldberg said, which harmonizes with her apartment's open floor plan and casual, contemporary feel.

Goldberg hired Audiostiles again earlier this year to create a playlist to listen to at home while playing with her children. She said she wanted tunes that were "kid-friendly" and yet "wouldn't make me want to tear my hair out strand by strand." The resulting list included Stevie Wonder, the Barenaked Ladies and Simon and Garfunkel. "It's calming," she said. Daniel J. Levitin, a professor of neuroscience at McGill University in Montreal and the author of "This is Your Brain on Music" (Dutton, 2006), said background music, or "auditory wallpaper," cannot only change the way people see their environment, it can also profoundly affect their mood. Pleasurable music leads to the release of "feel-good hormones" like dopamine, he said.

Lori Hoffbauer, a personal music stylist whose company, Groove Gurus, is based in Brooklyn, said many of her clients want room-specific soundtracks.

She recalled a bachelor who wanted particularly "cheesy" amorous music (like songs by Barry White, she said) for the bedroom of his vacation house in the Hamptons. "That was one of those times when you learned more about the client than you wanted to know," Hoffbauer said.

By Kate Murphy

New York Times

Posted: 11/28/2008 12:00:00 AM PST

Article News Source:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Entertainment

Music

Whitney Houston denies getting back together with Bobby Brown

2008-11-29T11:58:00.001+05:30

Is Whitney Houston getting back with Bobby Brown? If it were up to her, she might say, "Hell to the no!"

But because going directly to the source is not how celebrity gossip works, the onetime singing sensation — well, they're both singers, but we mean Houston — is having her publicist issue the sort of denial married couples make about going splitsville.

Nancy Seltzer said Friday that a Houston-Brown reunification was "a complete fabrication," blaming the rumors on a report in Wednesday's Chicago Sun-Times that said Houston and Brown had been spotted together in Georgia "looking very romantic." Apparently any divorced couple that doesn't throw crockery at each other in public is considered "looking very romantic."

Houston and Brown divorced in April 2007 after 14 years of marriage. During their union, Brown was arrested on drug and alcohol charges, and Houston twice entered drug rehabilitation programs. Houston has custody of their teenage daughter, Bobbi Kristina.

ALL IS PEACHY KEEN: Also from the world of strong denial is Barbara Walters' defense of the camaraderie of the ladies of "The View."

The Associated Press report Friday didn't help matters by using the phrase "things have never been more cordial," which evokes images of one man's wife and mistress not throwing crockery at each other as opposed to five morning chat show hosts happily shooting the breeze on and off the ABC set.

"I don't know of any five women who get along as well as we do," Walters says of herself, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd. "We see each other off-camera. Whoopi is having a big Christmas party for everybody." And the conservative Hasselbeck and liberal Behar "love sparring."

Former "View" co-host Rosie O'Donnell told anyone who would listen last week that the others were only BFFs when the cameras were rolling, much to Walters' gall.

JUST ANOTHER NYC OUTING: So these two families of five spent Thanksgiving in New York City taking in a Broadway play, watching the Macy's parade from the Trump International Hotel, visiting the Big Apple Circus in Central Park and going on a horse-and-carriage ride.

Nobody you've heard of. A British family, Mr. and Mrs. David Beckham and sons — he's a "footballer" — and an American family, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Cruise Mapother, daughter and stepchildren. Oh, the Yanks don't use Mapother as the surname, but Cruise.

The Cruises and the Beckhams are longtime pals, and the play they saw the day before was "All My Sons," featuring Mrs. Cruise, the former Katie Holmes.

IT WAS A DARK AND FLACCID NIGHT: John Updike's been writing about bad sex for so long that it was about time someone gave him props for it.

Updike won a lifetime achievement award this week from judges of Britain's Bad Sex in Fiction Prize, which celebrates crude, tasteless or ridiculous sexual passages in modern literature.

The judges, editors of Literary Review magazine, said Updike had been shortlisted for the prize four times in its 16-year history. "Good sex or bad sex, he has kept us entertained for many years," they said in a statement.

The 76-year-old American novelist was a finalist for this year's Bad Sex prize for his description of an explosive oral encounter in his latest book, "The Widows of Eastwick," but lost out to British writer Rachel Johnson, who won for a passage in her satirical novel "Shire Hell" that describes a woman in the midst of a "mounting, Wagnerian crescendo" wondering whether "the Spodders are, as requested, attending the meeting about slug clearance."

Norman Mailer posthumously won last year's award for an overly vivid description of Adolf Hitler's conception in his novel "The Castle in the Forest."

SHE'S READING TOO MUCH UPDIKE: Natalie Portman has played queens and strippers, but she balked recently at playing a nun in the film version of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Doubt."

In the New York Post, playwright John Patrick Shanley, pretty much bullied to reveal the reason by "a blogger for gossipsauce.com," said it was because of the whole vows thing: "Natalie was very interested but kept saying she had a problem. And we finally nailed down as to what the problem was. She basically said she didn't understand celibacy."

Amy Adams, Oscar-nominated for playing a pregnant wife in "Junebug," had fewer qualms about the concept and took the part of Sister James. The film comes out next month.

By Vicki Walker
Contra Costa Times

Updated: 11/28/2008 08:58:47 PM PST

Article News Source:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Entertainment

Events News

Priyanka Chopra launches Tag Heuer Carrera Collection in Chennai

2008-11-28T13:47:00.004+05:30

As the rain gods unleashed their fury on Chennai, Bollywood's leading lady Priyanka Chopra arrived as a ray of sunshine in the city. She was here to launch the latest Carrera collection of watches of Tag Heuer, the leading international watch brand. The collection is inspired by Motor Sports and is a beautiful amalgamation of style and technology. Present at the occasion were Mr. Manishi Sanwal, General Manager, LVMH watch and jewellery; Mr. Ashok Doshi, Managing Director, The Helvetica; and Ms. Manmeet Vohra, Marketing Director, Tag Heuer. Also present was Mr. Prabhu of Accolade PR who handled the PR for the event in Chennai. The event began with VJ Cary welcoming the guests. Mr. Sanwal explained about the collection. Priyanka spoke about her association with Tag Heuer. She has been the brand ambassador for Tag Heuer for two years now. She also answered questions from the audience which ranged form her endorsement of the brand to her films. The star of Fashion and Dostana mesmerised the audience with her straightforward answers and down-to-earth persona When asked whether she would be interested in doing Tamil films, the gorgeous actress replied that she had made her debut through Tamil films (Tamizhan opposite Vijay) and Tamil Cinema was always very dear to her. So all of Priyanaka's fans can surely hope to see her in Tamil films! Galatta.com managed to get an exclusive video interview with this former Ms. World. Though she was on a flying visit to Chennai and had a flight to catch immediately after the event, she took the time to talk to us.

By galatta
Wednesday Nov 26 8:05 PM

Article News Source:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Bollywood News

Actresses

Barring one, filmmakers releasing movies as per schedule

2008-11-28T13:42:00.003+05:30

Mumbai, Nov 28 (IANS) Despite the terror attack in Mumbai, the makers of 'Sorry Bhai' and 'Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!' are going ahead as per the release plans, but the screening of director Kunaal Roy Kapoor's 'The President Is Coming' has been postponed.

Dibakar Banerjee was unsure about the release of 'Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye', which is being produced by UTV Motion Pictures.

However, Siddharth Roy Kapoor, CEO, UTV Motion Pictures, said: 'We're going ahead with the all-India release on Friday. But we're releasing in Mumbai on Saturday instead of Friday.'

Siddharth's brother Kunaal's film 'The President Is Coming', which was scheduled to hit the screens Friday, has been postponed.

'We're not going ahead with the release of my film this week. Given the current circumstances, it isn't proper,' said Kunaal.

Rohan Sippy, who has produced Kunaal's film, added: 'We've postponed the release in the light of the horrific developments in Mumbai. This is not the right time to release our film. We're only concerned about the victims of this terrible attack.'

Mumbai Mantra, which is distributing Onir's 'Sorry Bhai', too is going ahead with the release.

'We've cancelled the premiere of 'Sorry Bhai' due to the situation in Mumbai. But we believe life should return to normalcy and we shouldn't give in to the feeling of terror that these elements want to create. So we're going ahead with the release on Friday,' said Vikramjit Roy, head of media promotions of Mumbai Mantra.

Meanwhile, the shooting of Leena Bajaj's 'Teen Patti' featuring Amitabh Bachchan got postponed.

Said the film's cinematographer Aseem Bajaj: 'We were shooting on Wednesday night with Bachchan saab inside the Juhu Centaur, which is a step away from his residence Jalsa. At around 10.15 p.m. we came to know what was happening. We immediately packed up and made sure Mr. Bachchan got home. We weren't supposed to shoot with him on Thursday, we had shooting with Tinu Anand but it got cancelled. Today, Friday, we're back shooting. What choice do we have?'

By indiaabroad
Friday Nov 28 12:05 AM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Pizza over turkey? For some, yes

2008-11-28T13:09:00.005+05:30

Delivery guy stays busy on Thanksgiving

MANKATO —

Alex Hanel punches a few buttons on his Pioneer stereo, lights up a Camel and puts his Toyota Camry in gear. People are hungry, and it’s Hanel’s job to tame that hunger with a delicious pepperoni — or perhaps sausage — pizza.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://ads.cluster02.oasis.zmh.zope.net/oasis/oasis/oasisc.php?s=302&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;w=300&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;h=250&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;t=_top" target="_top"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;img src="http://ads.cluster02.oasis.zmh.zope.net/oasis/oasisi.php?s=302&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;w=300&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;h=250&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;t=_top" border="0" width="300" height="250"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

It’s Thanksgiving. Hanel has elected to work today, so instead of his regular pay, he’ll get time-and-a-half for delivering these pizzas.

He doesn’t mind working on Thanksgiving. He worked it last year, too.

“Everyone just seems happier on the holidays,” he says.

Sometimes maybe a little too happy, like the scantily clad crew he encountered last year. More on that later.

Domino’s is about the only pizza joint open on Thanksgiving. And even though some may think it un-American to consume Italian cuisine on this most American of holidays, remember the Domino’s company colors, and remember that most people consume more Domino’s than Butterballs over the course of any given year.

His first stop tonight is Brian Bonneville, born in Georgia, but now a member of the Mankato community. He’s the sound technician for live music at the What’s Up? Lounge.

Why, sir? Why pizza on Thanksgiving?

“I didn’t get a ride up to the Twin Cities for my parents’ gathering,” he said.

Still, there are grocery stores in town, here. Couldn’t you have thrown together a solo version of the bountiful feast?

“I was just lazy,” he says. Fair enough.

Hanel leaves him with a large pie with pepperoni, mushrooms and jalepeño peppers.

On the way to the next delivery, Hanel tells a little bit about himself. He’s done some college. Got most of his general education classes out of the way. Before he proceeds with higher education, he’d like to have a better idea of what he wants to do with his life. Maybe become an accountant. Follow in Dad’s footsteps.

For now, delivering pizzas suits him, even on Thanksgiving.

“We’re all poor,” he says of the Domino’s young, college-aged staff. “It’s nice to get time-and-a-half.”

By Robb Murray
Free Press Staff Writer

Article News Source:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Related Interesting Links:

Cooking

Food and Drinks

Mumbai under attack, 101 killed, 600 injured

2008-11-27T12:05:00.002+05:30

Gunmen killed at least 101 people in a series of attacks in India's financial capital Mumbai and troops began moving into two five-star hotels on Thursday where Western hostages were being held, local television said.

Gunfire and explosions were heard at the landmark Taj Mahal hotel and thick plumes of smoke rose from the building, witnesses said. There were also explosions at the Oberoi hotel and firing at a hospital where gunmen were surrounded.

"The terrorists are throwing grenades at us from the rooftop of the Taj and trying to stop us from moving in," Ashok Patil, a police inspector said.

Police said at least 600 people were wounded in the attacks which also targeted a railway station and the Cafe Leopold, perhaps the most famous restaurant and hang-out for tourists in the city.

An organisation calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen said it was behind attacks, television channels said. The previously little known group sent an email to news organisations claiming responsibility.

"I guess they were after foreigners, because they were asking for British or American passports," said Rakesh Patel, a British witness who lives in Hong Kong and was staying at the Taj Mahal hotel on business. "They had bombs."

"They came from the restaurant and took us up the stairs," he told a TV news channel, smoke stains all over his face. "Young boys, maybe 20 years old, 25 years old. They had two guns."

India has suffered a wave of bomb attacks in recent years.

The latest attack, apparently aimed at least partly at prosperous Western tourists, is bound to spook investors in one of Asia's largest and fastest-growing economies.

Hemant Karkare, the chief of the police anti-terrorist squad in Mumbai, was killed during the attacks, police said.

"We have shot dead four terrorists and managed to arrest nine suspected terrorists," PD Ghadge, a police officer at Mumbai's central control room, told Reuters.

Japan's Foreign Ministry said one of its nationals was killed in the Mumbai attacks and one injured.

TRAPPED HOTEL GUESTS

Mark Abell, a British lawyer, said he had locked himself inside his Oberoi hotel room after hearing two explosions.

Several hundred people had been evacuated from the Taj hotel, one witness said, but many more remained inside, some calling for help from the fifth floor. Firefighters broke windows to reach trapped guests.

"We came down the fire exit, but I think they took some more people, they are trying to get to the roof," one foreigner told local television. "I think about 15 people (have been taken hostage), about half of them are foreigners."

In Washington, the White House and US President-elect Barack Obama condemned the attacks, as did France, current President of the European Union, and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

A European official was among the wounded.

"My hotel is surrounded by police and there are gunmen inside," European lawmaker Ignasi Guardans told Spanish radio from the Taj. "We are in contact with some deputies inside the hotel, with one in a room and another hidden in the kitchen. There's another official hurt and in hospital."

Indian Home Minister Shivraj Patil said there were around four or five attackers in each of the two hotels.

"They have attacked hotels, they have attacked the hospitals, they have attacked the railway station," he said.

KOREANS, EUROPEANS CAUGHT UP IN ATTACKS

A driver told Reuters at least 50 Koreans were stuck inside the Taj with their drivers waiting outside.

"We were just getting ready to pick them up, when we heard the first blast, police did not let us get past and they (the Koreans) are not answering the phones," Deepak Aswar, the driver said. Europeans were also caught up in the attacks.

"I was in the restaurant inside Oberoi and I saw this series of gunshots and death which I don't want to see again," a Spaniard who declined to give his name told Reuters.

"I crawled out into the kitchen and waited there, until I sensed it was all quiet and seemed over."

Maharashtra state police chief A.N. Roy said attackers had fired automatic weapons indiscriminately, and used grenades, adding that they were still holed up in some buildings.

Sourav Mishra, a Reuters reporter, was with friends at the Cafe Leopold when gunmen opened fire around 9:30 p.m. He was injured and is in St George's Hospital.

"I heard some gunshots around 9:30. I was with my friends. Something hit me. I ran away and fell on the road. Then somebody picked me up. I have injuries below my shoulder," Mishra said from a hospital bed he was sharing with three other people.

Another Reuters reporter saw a hospital ward full of injured people with bullet and shrapnel wounds. Many people were crying as the injured were brought in on trolleys.

Thu, Nov 27 10:02 AM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

News and Media

Rachael Ray to Undergo Throat Surgery

2008-11-27T11:24:00.002+05:30

Daytime chatfest queen Rachael Ray will have less to talk about this Christmas — but that's only because she won't be able to talk.

"I'm having voice surgery on Dec. 16, so we're going to celebrate very quietly," Ray told People.

Ray is going under the knife to remove a benign cyst in her throat, but she is more worried about keeping quiet post-op than she is about the procedure itself. If she can keep her urge to speak under control, the TV chef plans to communicate to her husband John Cusimano via handwritten notes afterwards.

"I'm going to grow back the callous I had in grade school from writing," she said.

Ray will resume production on The Rachael Ray Show in January.

By JOYCE ENG
TV GUIDE

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Retailers hope Black Friday isn't dark day for sales

2008-11-27T11:04:00.003+05:30

Stores plan big promotions and discounts for the day after Thanksgiving, but consumers' willingness to open their wallets remains in question.
One of the biggest shopping days of the year could be more bleak than black. Every year on the day after Thanksgiving, known in the retail trade as Black Friday, stores extend their hours and offer "door-buster" specials on a wide selection of merchandise. And this Friday, bargains are going to be even more plentiful and seductive. But amid a continued economic crisis -- and after weeks of heavy markdowns and promotions designed to drive sales -- more consumers might opt to sleep in rather than wait in line to shop. A disappointing Black Friday would be a major blow to retailers who are counting on holiday sales to pull them out of a months-long sales slump. Analysts are predicting a spate of retail bankruptcy filings in January. "Black Friday is everything to retailers," said Britt Beemer, chairman of consumer behavior firm America's Research Group. This year, "the entire future's on the line." Some experts said falling fuel prices and pent-up demand could result in a high shopper turnout. But even a successful day after Thanksgiving would probably not be enough to save what is expected to be the worst holiday shopping season in years.

As usual, there will be treats for the early birds. Best Buy Co. and Toys "R" Us Inc. are opening stores at 5 a.m. again with promises of big promotions. And many retailers are gambling with even earlier store opening hours.

Disney Store will open half its roughly 230 U.S. and Canada locations Thursday at midnight, up from just 5% last year, said Paul Gainer, vice president and general manager of retail operations for Disney Store North America. The midnight openings include stores in Glendale and Montebello.

"We felt that was a key strategic objective this year, to offer that convenience," Gainer said. "We certainly felt like we were going to maximize every opportunity."

And some other stores aren't waiting until Friday.

San Francisco-based Gap Inc., parent of the Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy chains, will open 80 stores Thursday, double the number of their Thanksgiving openings from last year.

"We know it's a difficult environment and we know our customers are looking for the best value for their dollar," said Louise Callagy, a Gap Inc. spokeswoman. "We are doing what we can to compete."

In addition to extended hours, retailers are rolling out even more promotions on Black Friday, including discounts on entire purchases.

Bed, Bath & Beyond Inc. is offering its early-bird shoppers 20% off their total bill from 6 to 10 a.m. Friday, and Macy's Inc. customers can redeem a special "savings pass" -- good for $10 off a $25 purchase -- from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Kohl's Corp., which again will open its doors at 4 a.m., will offer 300 early-bird deals Friday until 1 p.m., 20% more than last year. Specials include 40% to 50% off designer women's apparel and 50% off the chain's entire selection of toys.

"We recognize the economy is challenging and there is less to go around this season," Kohl's spokeswoman Vicki Shamion said. "We're positioning ourselves to gain market share by offering tremendous deals and more frequent values."

The holidays are a crucial time of the year for retailers. The nickname Black Friday is linked to a myth that the day after Thanksgiving marks the day retailers begin making profits and move into the black. More recently, online merchants coined the term Cyber Monday for the Monday after Thanksgiving, when they tout free-shipping offers and Web-only specials.

But will it all be enough?

With consumers more worried about their mortgages, jobs and 401(k)s than what to put under the Christmas tree, nervous retailers have resorted to desperate measures in the weeks leading up to Black Friday. Even luxury retailers have held massive sales to move merchandise and attract shoppers.

At Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills last week, thousands of women packed the store, which was offering discounts of as much as 70% off on Marc Jacobs handbags and Prada shoes -- a deal many shoppers said they'd never seen before.

"This is the biggest madhouse I've seen in my life," said Michelle Klein, a student from Sherman Oaks, as she waited to try on half a dozen pairs of designer shoes at Saks last weekend. She didn't plan to shop on Black Friday.

"If you have this, why would you? There's no point," Klein, 24, said. "These deals can't be beat."

Another problem: the lack of a "must-have" gift. Shoppers flocked to electronics stores for GPS devices and Nintendo Wii consoles in 2007, but there doesn't appear to be a hot item this year.

"Where is this holiday's GPS?" said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at market research firm NPD Group. "So far nothing has surfaced."

With just hours to go before doors open for Black Friday, Macy's West Chairman Jeff Gennette said he was hoping for a good turnout but realistic in his expectations.

"We've spent a lot of time making sure we have the sharp values," Gennette said. Still, "we're conservative and I think that's the way you have to be in this."

Of course, there are some shoppers who will always turn out on Black Friday regardless of the economy.

Jacqueline Hurwitz, a marketing professional from Los Angeles, said despite taking advantage of some major sales recently, she still planned to hit the stores Friday.

"I don't like Black Friday," she said, "but it's like the necessary evil."

Chang is a Times staff writer.

By Andrea Chang > > >
8:02 PM PST, November 26, 2008

Article News Source:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Business News

Foreign Exchange

I'm getting good offers post 'Bigg Boss': Zulfi Syed

2008-11-26T13:54:00.002+05:30

New Delhi, Nov 26 (IANS) He might not have won season two of 'Bigg Boss', but model-turned-actor Zulfi Syed says he has been noticed by filmmakers after the reality TV show and is now getting good offers.

'Post-'Bigg Boss' I have got some very good offers. I'm going through some good scripts. Though I cannot divulge any details as of now, I will soon make a decision,' Zulfi told IANS over telephone from Mumbai.

But he denies that he accepted the show to get publicity.

'I wanted to be a part of show not only for money and popularity but because I wanted to see whether I'll be able to live without any communication from the outside world for days together. I wanted to experience something like this,' said Zulfi, who was the most shy among other housemates.

Zulfi started off as a model and did commercials for Raymond's, Warehouse and Levis among others. He also featured in various music videos and then made his Bollywood debut with 'Pyaasa', which flopped. It was followed by forgettable films like 'Taj Mahal', 'Chupke Se', 'Mr Hot and Mr Kool' and more recently 'Deshdrohi'.

'I do not regret doing the kind of films I have done. I'm not from a filmy background so I can't expect that I'll get a good film every day,' Zulfi said.

Now the actor says he is looking forward to a better career in films.

Does he feel bad on not winning 'Bigg Boss'?

'No, I'm not feeling bad at all on not being declared the winner because winning and losing is not the only thing. I came out with my dignity and that's more important to me.

'You have to stick to your character and your morals and I did just that. So I don't have any complaints or regrets,' said Zulfi, who really wanted close friend and 'Bigg Boss' co-participant Debojit Saha to win.

During the show, housemates and viewers often compared Zulfi's quiet demeanour to 'Bigg Boss' season one winner Rahul Roy's personality.

'I don't know why people compared me with Rahul Roy. Why would I follow him? The way I was inside the house is the real me. This is the way I am. This is my character. I did not put a mask. I don't like to shout and fight. In fact, I used to get irritated when people used to show this kind of behaviour,' he said.

About his experience in the house, Zulfi added: 'I did not dislike anyone. I was not very close to people but I was comfortable with everyone. In fact, I feel others might not have been comfortable with me since I never used to talk to them so much because that's how I am.'

By indiaabroad
Wednesday Nov 26 8:25 AM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Events and News

Farhan Akhtar to dabble in television production now

2008-11-26T13:46:00.003+05:30

New Delhi, Nov 26 (IANS) Four years after being a judge on dance reality show 'Nach Baliye', filmmaker-actor Farhan Akhtar is returning to TV as the host of 'Oye! It's Friday!'. And there are all chances of him turning producer for the small screen in the near future.

'Production for television is a strong possibility I have in mind for future. We have been thinking over it and I do have a team that has been brainstorming over the idea for some time now. But my hands are so full right now, it's tough to take a call on it,' Farhan told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

'As of now, I am dedicating my time entirely to my films. Devoting time to decide the creative aspect of a show we want to produce is not something I feel is possible. But it will happen sometimes,' he added.

Farhan is really excited about 'Oye! It's Friday!', which will go on air Dec 12 on NDTV Imagine.

''Oye! It's Friday!' seemed like just the concept I wanted to do. After I did 'Nach Baliye', I wasn't averse to the small screen, but everyone was offering me similar reality shows. But when I was approached for this show, I was quite excited.

'They are trying to do something different with TV content and the concept is something new for Indian production,' he said.

The show is all about entertainment sans any specific format. It has humour, music, dance performances, and celebrity guests all rolled into a one-hour show.

Farhan will host the first few episodes of the weekly show and then another celebrity will take over the task from him.

Farhan, who has proved his mettle as an actor with hit flick 'Rock On!', says he took up this show because he could bring alive his own creativity through it.

'I can use my original, signature style of humour to this show without having to use the usual stuff on TV, which is mostly slapstick. I am scripting the show and I hope to grab new eyeballs and add a new contingent to the small screen with this show.'

As a filmmaker, Farhan has given hits like 'Dil Chahta Hai', 'Lakshya' and 'Don - The Chase Begins Again' and he has felt a constant need to diversify.

With two acting projects - 'Luck By Chance' and a psychological thriller - already in his kitty, Farhan says his final calling is 'films and entertainment'.

'I don't think these two need to be broken down any further. Whatever I do, I believe I want to do it and I can do it. If there is even a one percent doubt in my mind about it, I'll never do it. So as long as I can experiment with various fields in entertainment, I will,' he said.

By indiaabroad
Wednesday Nov 26 8:45 AM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Not enough gifts for 'Four Christmases'

2008-11-26T13:38:00.003+05:30

One and a half Christmases is about all that's worth celebrating in Four Christmases (* * out of four).

The film has its funny moments, but they are too few to make the holiday excursion worthwhile. This predictable and dyspeptic story presents yet another dysfunctional family gathering, as we've come to expect in modern yuletide movies.

But it's not darkly comic enough to qualify as devilishly misanthropic, à la Bad Santa. And with its cloying-as-sticky-pudding conclusion, the movie undercuts whatever black humor it managed to muster in earlier scenes.

Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon play Brad and Kate, a happily unmarried couple who prefer sunny getaways to going home for the holidays. Each year, they convince their parents that they're off to do charity work in a distant land, when in fact they're headed for a lazy, exotic getaway. Both are products of divorce, and the holidays are fraught with painful memories.

When their winter holiday to Fiji is postponed, they are compelled, through a funny, if forced, turn of events, to visit the four homes of their respective parents.

They head first to see Brad's father (a dull Robert Duvall). Jon Favreau and Tim McGraw are Vaughn's cage-fighter brothers, and the trio engage in overlong bouts of unfunny wrestling. There also is a mean-spirited gift-giving scene that has to do with limited finances, which, given the economic climate, feels in particularly poor taste.

Next stop is a houseful of cougars, and the joke quickly runs out of steam. Kate's mother (Mary Steenburgen) sidles up to Brad, while her sister (Kristin Chenoweth) flirts with him. Shots of Brad eyeing her cleavage don't get funnier with repetition.

On it goes. Brad's mother (Sissy Spacek) has an unlikely new beau in a segment that flounders. The final stop is with Kate's dad (Jon Voight). Perhaps the funniest moment involves a Christmas pageant in which our no-longer-so-happy couple take key roles.

The day is marked by mayhem rather than mistletoe. All that's missing is a pratfall caused by spiked eggnog. It's the sort of nasty broad comedy that is better suited to Vaughn than Witherspoon, who looks almost sheepish.

The more the merrier definitely does not apply to Four Christmases. (Rated PG-13 for some sexual humor and language. Running time: 1 hour, 28 minutes. Opens today nationwide)

By Claudia Puig, USA TODAY

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Festivals

Family Snapshots in the Splendor of HD

2008-11-26T13:29:00.003+05:30

This Thanksgiving, families across the country will gather around the television just as quickly as they gather around the turkey. And with good reason: Many people will be staring at beautiful high-definition TV sets. (According to the Consumer Electronics Association, 47% of U.S. households had HDTVs as of July, a percentage that's likely to increase as the date for analog-to-digital conversion approaches.) But if Eastman Kodak has its way, many people will be gathered round the TV this holiday season, gazing at family memories in full HD splendor.

This week I tested the Kodak Theatre HD Player, the photo-centric company's attempt to snag valuable real estate in the living room. This small, black box pulls photos and videos from computers around the house and displays them on an HDTV. It also enables the sending and receiving of photos via Kodak Gallery, and connects to Web-based photos stored on Flickr, Facebook, Picasa, .Mac and others. Podcasts, Internet Radio and updates from news feeds, weather forecasts and stock quotes are also accessible using the HD Player. And it has a terrifically simple motion-sensing remote that works like using a mouse on a TV screen.

But the HD Player isn't all smiles. Its $299 price doesn't include any built-in storage for keeping content directly on the device. It currently has no way of accessing HD movies or television shows, nor will it work with Macs. In comparison, Apple's $229 Apple TV has 40 gigabytes of storage, can access HD television shows and movies via the iTunes Store, and works with Macs and Windows PCs. This is important because as budgets tighten in the current economy, gadgets have to prove their value and versatility more than ever.

After using the Kodak Theatre HD Player with Windows XP and Vista machines over the past week, I can conclude that this device's interface shines in its simplicity and is a lot of fun to use. Kodak teamed with Hillcrest Labs to make the player's motion-sensitive remote and corresponding software, which includes satisfying extra features like images that automatically magnify when the remote control's cursor points at them and icons that make chirping sounds when selected. The remote itself is shaped to rest comfortably in a hand and has three simple buttons and a scroll wheel.

Quick-access memory-card slots for six types of memory cards appear on the box's front, and two USB ports can connect to digital cameras or USB storage devices.

Currently, the player's software works directly with Flickr, RadioTime (8,750 radio stations) and FrameChannel, which grants access to various "channels" like Facebook, .Mac, Picasa, People.com news and National Geographic. Kodak says it will incorporate YouTube access in January; I got a sneak peek at the interface for this and it looks well-organized.

Yet the HD Player's smart combination of software and remote left me wishing it did a bit more. Photo sharing is enabled only via Kodak Gallery, so you can't use another Web-based account to share photos directly from your TV. Likewise, a blue light on the box slowly blinks only when new Picture Mail (a message containing shared photos) is received on a Kodak Gallery account, not when new photos are added on other sources such as Flickr Photostreams or Facebook pages.

The Home screen of the HD Player shows four categories: Pictures & Videos, Kodak Gallery, Music and Entertainment. Subcategories are where you might guess they would be, for example podcasts are listed under Entertainment. And a tiny Home icon appears in the top right corner of every screen so you can always get Home with one click. The Pictures & Videos category holds photos and videos from a currently selected Windows PC.

An unlimited number of Windows PCs can wirelessly pair with the player as long as they have special Kodak software installed on them. But only one PC's content can be accessed at a time. I toggled between two paired computers without a problem, but would've preferred accessing music and photos from both sources simultaneously.

The HD Player's motion-sensing pointer remote works much like a Wii remote control. Wherever you move it, a tiny leaf-shaped cursor appears on-screen. A Hide button on the remote will hide the cursor while you watch slideshows. The remote's Back button is helpful; when pressed, it backs you out of one screen using visual effects that make the screen shrink into the TV as if you were moving backward.

A play button appears on the first photo in a folder so users can select this icon to quickly start slideshows. Whenever the HD Player receives new Kodak Gallery Picture Mail, or a slideshow is created on a connected PC, yellow alert circles appear on the screen to notify users and a number in the middle of these yellow circles indicates how many new items are available for viewing.

Some content on my PCs took a little while to be recognized by the HD Player, including podcasts that I subscribe to on iTunes. When they did show up, both audio and video podcasts played without issue and on-screen playback buttons made them easy to control.

The HD Player uses your photos to create automatically generated slideshows, called Picture Chronicles, once a week. These Picture Chronicles use up to 50 photos from the same time of year in all of your folders, for instance grouping all Thanksgiving photos together from the past five years.

Kodak has plans to make its player Mac-compatible in the future and also hopes to add other partnerships with new types of content following its YouTube announcement early next year.

The Kodak Theatre HD Player does its job well, bringing photos and videos that might otherwise live only on your PC to your big screen HDTV. For the holidays, this device could be a real plus. But Kodak has some work to do to make this a more useful Web-connected tool.

—Edited by Walter S. Mossberg

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Television

Program TiVo From Your Cell Phone

2008-11-26T13:10:00.002+05:30

TiVo has launched a mobile site that lets Series 2 and Series 3 owners schedule recordings from any Internet-enabled cell phone.

Relief will be here soon for those who forgot to record the big game or their favorite sitcom, as TiVo has launched a mobile Web site that enables customers to program their digital video recorders from a cell phone.

The new mobile site, m.tivo.com, lets Series 2 and Series 3 DVR owners schedule recordings from any Internet-enabled cell phone. The site has been optimized for the smaller screen, which should make navigating though shows and setting recording

"TiVo started out making television a more convenient, personal experience, and this is the next step to give television lovers total control over their media," said Jim Denney, VP of product marketing at TiVo, in a statement. "Whether you are standing in line at the bank or talking about a new show with friends at dinner, you can now find and record shows whenever, wherever; a perfect tool for everyone."

Non-TiVo users can visit the site to browse, search, and discover television shows, TiVo said. The site will have many of the same characteristics of the set-top box, including "Most Popular," a daily recommendation, and the ability to search by keywords and actors. TiVo's mobile site is in beta, but it will be rolled out to the masses over time.

This is just the latest move by TiVo to extend its presence beyond the living room. In the mobile space, the company is working on a dedicated application that will let BlackBerry users control their boxes wirelessly, as well as bring television content to the handset. TiVo has also struck deals with the likes of Best Buy, Amazon.com, Netflix, and even Domino's Pizza.

By Marin Perez
InformationWeek
November 25, 2008 03:51 PM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Electronics Equipments

BLUR: New game zone at Sathyam Theatres

2008-11-25T12:00:00.004+05:30

Sathyam Cinemas – a name that evokes insurmountable joy in all – is always engaged in opening up new vistas of entertainment. Today Sathyam Cinemas is not just about films but provides a complete solution for anyone who seeks entertainment beyond cinema too. On November 7th, it opened its exclusive and modern game zone BLUR which promises incredible entertainment to avid video gamers. Going beyond just video games, Sathyam Cinemas has also opened up a small restaurant proving delicious food. Sathyam Cinemas have dedicated two floors completely for the video gamer’s paradise called BLUR, which will dazzle you the moment you enter. The entire floor is filled with top-class games and big screens that can beam lifelike images. In this virtual world, you can surf, race, play tennis, and enjoy a whole lot of fun activities. It is nothing short of the virtual-reality-based practice room shown in superhero films! The guests who attended the BLUR launch were: directors Linguswamy, Vijay and Vasanth; actors Ajmal, Meena, Narain, Sanghavi, Abbas and his wife Erum Ali, and Vijay Adhiraj (small screen); and Commissioner of Police V. Sekar. The biggest attraction would be Gears of War 2 from Xbox 360, whose launch coincided with the launch of Sathyam Cinema’s BLUR. Vijay Yesudas, Parthiva Sureshwaran and many avid gamers from the city were present at the launch. Boy! As soon as the game’s launch was announced, a few samples from the game were screened. From that moment, it felt like we were transported into the game, it felt so real. It all ended with the fitting tag line: Be the action. Thereafter, the guests for the evening – Vijay Yesudas and Parthiva Sureshwaran – had a ball playing this new version of Gears of War. Some of the invitees also got a chance to try their hands at this game and the winners were awarded exclusive merchandise from Sathyam.

By galatta Monday Nov 17 8:25 PM

Article News Source: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Entertainment

Events and News

I balance my work, family well: Ajay Devgan

2008-11-25T11:52:00.003+05:30

Ajay Devgan, who is basking in the success of his recent release 'Golmaal Returns', says he doesn't need to 'chalk out' time for his wife Kajol as he has maintained a good balance between both his worlds.

'Kajol and I get enough time to spend with each other. I have never had a problem on that front. I have always balanced my work and family life very well,' Ajay told IANS.

As of now, both Ajay and Kajol are working on their animation film titled 'Toonpur Ka Superhero'.

'It's a very different animation film and it's been a great experience shooting for it. Both, Kajol and I, live animated characters in the film,' he said.

Apart from 'Toonpur Ka Superhero', Ajay has a variety of films in his kitty including Vipul Shah's 'London Dreams' and Prakash Jha's 'Rajniti'.

By indiaabroad
Tuesday Nov 25 11:45 AM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Bollywood Actors

Great Holiday Gift Ideas for Your In-Laws

2008-11-25T11:30:00.003+05:30

Are you like many who find it almost impossible to please your in-laws? Do you feel like you never quite measure up to their expectations for the partner of their "golden boy" or "daddy's little girl"? If so, finding the right gift can be quite challenging. In PersonalShopper.com's nationwide holiday survey, women shared that their in-laws topped the list of most difficult to buy a gift for because they seem to have it all or are just too picky. The survey also revealed that 85% of women will do all or most of the shopping this year, including buying gifts for her husband's parents and family. With so many of us women facing this daunting challenge, I would like to help you win their approval this holiday season with some unique gift ideas that will please even the most persnickety in-laws.

Gifts your In-Laws can enjoy together

For the Puzzle & Game Gurus: The Sudoko DVD Game ($24.99) or Sudoko Jigsaw Puzzle are sure to please the number masterminds. The Scrabble Deluxe game in a collectible wooden box is sure to be a hit if your in-laws are living dictionaries. They'll have fun remembering the "good old days" with the Reminiscing New Century edition game.
For the Gourmet Food and Wine Lovers: Set the stage for a pleasurable afternoon get away with this handcrafted willow basket with wine and cheese service for two or a Mariposa bamboo cheese cutting board with wine accessories. Complete the romantic culinary experience with Chocolate covered Strawberries or tender Italian Figs stuffed with whole almonds, dipped in dark chocolate from Formaggio Kitchen.
For the ardent Road Trip Travelers, give them a GPS Navigation System. With this digital guide's voice instructions through intuitive maps they'll never lose their way.

Gifts for your Mother-in-Law

For the Spa Lover: Rejuvenate her with the Terranova Gardenia Candle & Spa Set and start her day with the sound of music with this durable Digital Shower Radio.
For the Health Conscious: The Juice Extractor will help her stay healthy and take the work out of her favorite fresh squeezed juices. Refresh her home with the Air Revitalizer by HoMedics, an all natural odor removal system that eliminates bacteria and odors caused bysmoke, pets, and cooking. Give peace of mind for the "germaphobe" for less than $30 with the Zapi Toothbrush Sanitizer which kills germs in minutes using UV light.

Gifts for your Father-in-Law

For the Time Sensitive Weather Buff: If he wants the latest weather forecast always at his fingertips, the Wireless Weather Forecaster is a great gift for under $35 (42% off) or get him the Smart Weather Clock to keep at his bedside.

If this is the year to spend the holidays with your side of the family, go the extra mile and send a basket of gourmet food such as The Chocolate Delights Hamper Basket or Deluxe Fruit & Cheese Sausage Basket for your partner's family to enjoy.

If you are still stumped on what to buy your eccentric in-laws, try PersonalShopper.com's free MyGifts service. Just share a little about their interests and it will go to work sifting through hundreds of thousands of products and then recommend unique gift ideas within your budget.

What are your most humorous or frustrating holiday memories with your in-laws?

By Laura Silsby

November 23, 2008

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Online Shopping

The 'Judy Bird' — turkey everyone loves

2008-11-25T11:20:00.003+05:30

After more than 20 years of writing Thanksgiving turkey recipes, I thought I had seen it all. And then came the "Judy Bird." Inspired by the chicken-cooking technique of my friend Judy Rodgers, chef and owner at San Francisco's Zuni Cafe, it couldn't be simpler:

You just salt the turkey a few days in advance, give it a brisk massage every so often to redistribute the salt, and then roast it.

The results are phenomenal. Without the fuss and mess of wet-brining, you still get the deep, well-seasoned flavor. And while wet-brining can sometimes lead to a slightly spongy texture, with dry-brining, the bird stays firm and meaty.

To find out just how well it would work, the Los Angeles Times Test Kitchen tested this method two years ago against three other turkey recipes we'd used successfully in the past: steam-roasting (cooking in an old-fashioned covered roaster), high-heat roasting (cooking the bird as you would a chicken, from start to finish at 400 degrees), and the aforementioned wet-brining (soaking the turkey in a saltwater solution for several days before roasting).

I wish everyone who had ever told me that "turkey is turkey" could have been there for the judging. These were remarkably different birds, and the clear winner was the dry-salted Judy Bird.

Our readers clearly agreed. The first week the recipe ran, I received more than 200 e-mails about it, many of them saying it was the best bird they'd ever cooked. Already this holiday season, I've gotten more than 30 e-mails from readers who saw the recipe online. This turkey technique has legs, too: Several major food magazines have since done their own versions.

What makes this turkey so great? It's pretty simple, really: The salt draws moisture from the meat, but then the meat reabsorbs the liquid. So in effect, you're brining the turkey in its own juices.

There have been some questions about the process.

- No, the turkey is not salty. In the first place, you season it only lightly, about a tablespoon of salt for every 5 pounds of turkey - that's only a little more than if you were seasoning it normally. Then the saltiness is further reduced because the seasoning is absorbed through the meat rather than remaining on the surface as it normally would. This is also why you don't need to rinse or brush the salt from the skin before roasting - there shouldn't be any there.

- Yes, you can shorten the salting period. The technique is best if you allow three days for salting and then half a day of air-drying outside the bag in the refrigerator. That half-day is mainly to thoroughly dry the skin so it browns and crisps nicely during roasting. If you're pressed for time, you can simply pat the skin dry with a towel. If absolutely necessary, you can even shorten the salting period to two days, although the seasoning won't be quite as effective.

- If you normally stuff your turkey, you can continue to do that, just salt the stuffing a little less than you normally would. (This is a major difference from wet-brining, which does make stuffing too salty.) Be aware, though, that food safety experts recommend cooking stuffing to a temperature of 160 degrees in the center, at which point the breast meat will probably be about 180 degrees and starting to dry out. But if that hasn't bothered you in the past, this recipe will be no different.

- By the same token, neither are the pan drippings so salty that you can't make gravy from them. But you will want to add salt just to taste and only at the very end.

- You don't need to do anything different during the cooking; this technique changes only the seasoning.

- If the turkey isn't quite as brown as you'd like it, you can return the oven temperature to 450 degrees for the last 20 minutes of roasting for better color. Don't brown for too long or the breast meat will dry out.

- You can adapt this technique to a turkey breast, using the same proportion of salt to weight and roasting the breast as you normally would.

- The one issue still unresolved is whether you can use this technique if you're starting with a frozen bird. Theoretically, the answer is yes. But because we still haven't tried that variation in the Test Kitchen, our recommendation is to start with a fresh turkey.

In dry- brining, salt is rubbed into the skin of the fresh turkey. The results have been called phenomenal.

By Russ Parsons | Los Angeles Times • November 24, 2008

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

News and Events

Cooking

Dancing Pros: Julianne Hough Quickstepped Off DWTS Too Hastily

2008-11-25T10:53:00.003+05:30

Watch out, Bruno and Carrie Ann. Dancing With the Stars pros Alec Mazo and Edyta Sliwinska have been judging Julianne Hough's departure...and they feel her timing is off.

"I think she needs to be a little bit more careful about how she represents herself," Mazo told E! News at the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting at the Grove Sunday. "That's her fan base. The last thing you want to say is 'I'm not coming back.' It's an ultimatum."

Hough told E!’s Ryan Seacrest Thursday she is leaving the show "to focus on the music and, you know, kind of be taken seriously."

But Sliwinska said she thinks Hough shouldn't forget her roots. “I think that the show brought her up, the show is where she started. If I was her, I would be doing both—dancing and singing.”

Unbeknownst to fans, Hough apparently gave her farewell performance as a competitor when she and partner Cody Linley were eliminated from the show last week. The hot hoofer's eponymous first album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country chart in May.

—Reporting by Elizabeth Chambers

Today 2:11 PM PST by Breanne L. Heldman

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Hollywood Celebrity

Gay talk goes mainstream in Bollywood with 'Dostana'

2008-11-24T15:39:00.003+05:30

New Delhi, Nov 24 (IANS) Out of the closet and into mainstream cinema, not as a serious statement on sexuality but as breezy comic fare - with 'Dostana', homosexuality may finally have rid itself of its taboo status in Indian films.

As John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan keep the audience in splits, it is tempting to believe that Bollywood may be ready to break away from the tried and tested. Some have hated the film, saying that it just perpetuates the gay stereotype, others have loved it.

But 'Dostana' is well on its way to becoming a super hit. It has tickled the funny bone of viewers with its story about two strapping young men pretending to be gay and their friendship with their landlady Priyanka Chopra.

Parmesh Sahani, editorial director of Verve magazine, India, is upbeat about the change.

'Films like 'Dostana' are playful and funny that bring sexuality as a dinner table conversation piece. Bollywood is open to diversity in terms of subjects including sexuality and the audiences are ready to accept diversified subjects,' Sahani told IANS.

'The texture of Bollywood has changed drastically over the past few years and even our society is changing. People are becoming comfortable with the fact that it's perfectly all right to love someone from the same sex.'

Directed by Tarun Manuskhani, the film sees Abhishek and John's open innuendos about their same sex affinity in a rib-tickling fashion.

'We took a topic that is still considered taboo in our society and used it as the impetus for a hilarious comedy. No one's cringing at the image of Abhishek and John frolicking in the sand, and no one's walking out of cinema halls in discomfort,' Karan Johar, who has produced the film, wrote on his blog mynameiskaran.com.

'Our male lead characters are playing gay to their advantage, quite the opposite of those who feel the need to stay in the closet because of the narrow-mindedness that exists in our country,' added Johar.

The first Indian film to explicitly depict such an issue was Deepa Mehta's 'Fire' (1996) that triggered protests by right-wing Hindu groups for its uncensored depiction of homosexuality after its release in India in 1998.

The after-effects of the controversy injected apprehensions among Indian filmmakers, who became hesitant to focus on the issue in films.

But they did not flinch from weaving gay sub-plots in the stories to evoke cheap laughter. An example is Johar's 2003 hit 'Kal Ho Naa Ho' that made popular the scenes between Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan where they were incorrectly assumed to be a gay couple.

Since then films like 'Rules: Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula' (2003), 'Girlfriend' (2004), 'Kalyug' (2005), 'Page 3' (2005), 'Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.' (2007) and 'Fashion' (2008) dealt with the issue in minimalist appeal with the exception of Onir's 'My Brother Nikhil' (2006) where a family comes to terms with their son being gay and HIV-positive.

Vikram, an activist with the 'Gay Bombay' group, said: 'The film industry is a commercial entity, it has to show something that sells. But it is for the first time that Bollywood is showing two people openly accepting that they are gay and that too in a way that says it is not bad to be a gay.'

However, homosexuality still remains taboo and an offence in India with punishment up to 10 years' imprisonment. Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code treats sexual relations among people of the same gender as 'unnatural' and a criminal act.

Ad-guru Prahlad Kakkar thinks that though the movie has opened barriers for other filmmakers with its bold attempt, it is very unlikely that it will act as a catalyst in society's acceptance of gays.

' 'Dostana' has dealt with the gay issue in a funny way without making fun of gays but of the characters. But, suddenly after the movie, if people think that gays will be acceptable in Indian society, that's not true because middle-class people are horrified of such issues,' he said.

Some of the other critically acclaimed films made on the gay theme are director Sridhar Rangayan's 'Yours Emotionally' and 'The Pink Mirror', 'Happy Hookers' by Ashish Sawhny and Manan Singh Katohora's 'When Kiran Met Karen'.

By indiaabroad
Monday Nov 24 11:35 AM

Article News Source:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Related Interesting Links:

Entertainment

Bollywood,

Bollywood News

The Week that was at the Box Office

2008-11-24T15:32:00.003+05:30

It was an important week for very many reasons. The first of them was the fact that the showman Subhash Ghai was making a comeback of sorts with his latest film, Yuvvraaj. He tried to go back to his old formula of making films in his attempt to breakthrough the series of flops which have plagued him since Yaadein.

But unfortunately for him, Yuvvraaj has failed to worked its magic at the box office. It does not augur well for leading man Salman Khan, who has given three flops so far this year, Hello, Heroes and God Tussi Great Ho. The film had a poor opening with 25 per cent collections on the opening day itself. Overall, taking in the entire weekend, the film fared between 30 to 35 per cent at the box office. It is faring slightly better up north. But the the collections are not expected to improve. A dud at the box office. Last week's release, Dostana, continues with its good run at the box office. The film is doing very well at the multiplexes in the metros, though not so well in the smaller towns and single theatres. Quite understandable that. The other film, Dasvidaniya has not been able to create any impact at the box office. EMI from the previous week is also on its way out. The next week promises to be quite exciting with Dibakar Banerjee's Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, Onir's Sorry Bhai and Kunal Roy Kapoor's The President Is Coming set for release.

By movietalkies
Monday Nov 24 3:13 PM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Bollywood

Bollywood Movies

Quick-cook brown rice retains nutrients

2008-11-24T15:26:00.001+05:30

Q. I know brown rice is more nutritious than white rice, but is that true of the quick-cooking versions, too?

A. Fortunately, yes. While the cooking time required for regular brown rice is not a problem when preparing casseroles or other dishes with longer cooking times, sometimes you want rice that can be prepared quickly.

With advances in food technology, now you don't need to sacrifice nutrition to save time. Brown rice that is completely or partially precooked is currently available in frozen, boxed and ready to microwave varieties (or dehydrated and ready to cook on the stove) and can be prepared in 2 to 15 minutes.

Whole-grain brown rice - even quick cooking versions - retains the complete rice grain, which supplies more fiber, vitamins B-6 and E, selenium (an antioxidant mineral) and health-promoting phytochemicals.

When purchasing, be sure to avoid products that are seasoned with salt-based flavorings, as this can raise the normally low-sodium content of rice significantly. If the higher price tag of quick-cook brown rice has you concerned, one alternative is to cook regular brown rice yourself and then freeze it in freezer bags. You might have to thump the bag on the counter to loosen it up a little, but you'll be able to remove whatever amount you want to reheat in the microwave.

Q. Any suggestions on how to serve pumpkin, short of putting it in a pie?

A. Pumpkin is a nutritious selection, especially as a high-fiber standout and source of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant. You can add chunks of fresh pumpkin to stews and stir-fries just like winter squash. Additionally, canned pumpkin is also a great timesaver and is just as nutritious.

When purchasing canned varieties, make sure you buy pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie mix, which has a lot of added sugar. This smooth mashed pumpkin is ready to add to muffins and quick breads or to make delicious pumpkin soup. The soup can be a flavorful and filling side dish or made into a hearty main dish if beans, brown rice and some other vegetables are added.

Q. Following a workout, is it better to eat or not?

A. If your exercise routine is a low-level, moderate activity like walking, special attention to food or drink is probably not needed - especially if you are trying to lose weight. However, after a strength-training workout or vigorous sports or endurance exercise, food and drink are important to future success.

The first one or two hours after a workout are known as the recovery period. During this time, changes in hormones and blood flow to muscle offer a unique window of opportunity where nutrients can have extra impact.

Sports nutrition experts highlight three priorities during this recovery time: replenishing fluids lost through sweat; providing carbohydrate to restore muscle glycogen (the carbohydrate fuel muscles use during exercise); and providing protein to promote repair and rebuilding of muscle.

Eating a full meal within this time frame is not necessary, but a snack is important. Most sports nutritionists suggest about 50 to 100 grams of carbohydrate and 10 to 20 grams of protein, depending on body size and intensity of the workout. Examples include: cereal (or a cereal bar) with milk; fruit and yogurt; bread with sliced turkey; or a sports drink or juice with nuts. If you choose foods with enough carbohydrate, plain water is suitable to meet your rehydration needs.

By Karen Collins | Columnist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Cooking

David Mamet's 'American Buffalo' falls apart in NY revival

2008-11-24T14:56:00.002+05:30

NEW YORK – The four-letter words are intact, but just about everything else is amiss in the slack, unsatisfying Broadway revival of David Mamet's American Buffalo.

The production, which opened Monday at the Belasco Theatre, shrinks a play that already was small to begin with – small in the sense that it is a carefully constructed, minimalist character study of three losers, small-time Chicago hoods planning a heist of rare coins.

American Buffalo requires precision because of Mr. Mamet's spare, obscenity-flecked dialogue. It's this banter that defines the trio of sad sacks onstage and provides much of the atmosphere that is one of the chief pleasures of the play.

Director Robert Falls has cast the production with names – John Leguizamo, Cedric the Entertainer and Haley Joel Osment. They are a diverse crew, not only ethnically, but also in their ability to handle the back-and-forth chatter that is at the heart of American Buffalo. Unfortunately, each seems to be operating on his own wavelength.

Mr. Leguizamo has the evening's showiest role: the aptly named Teach, the volatile, big-mouthed mastermind of the robbery.

The actor has had some illustrious predecessors. Robert Duvall played the part on Broadway in 1977. Al Pacino followed, off-Broadway and on, in the early 1980s. More recently, William H. Macy portrayed Teach off-Broadway in 2000.

Audiences should get an uncomfortable feeling about Teach. He's the play's tension builder. Mr. Pacino, particularly when he performed the role off-Broadway at the now long-gone Circle in the Square on Bleecker Street, prowled the stage as if he were a panther. You never knew when he was going to pounce.

Mr. Leguizamo is too nice a guy to unnerve an audience. Even when he is spewing Mamet's foul language or battering the hapless young Bobby, you get the feeling he doesn't really mean it. The actor is naturally funny, which is not necessarily a bad thing. And American Buffalo, despite its undercurrent of violence, exudes a lot of laughs, particularly when Teach learns there is real money to be made in the selling of old coins.

Those lessons come from Donny, the owner of the junk shop where the action takes place. It's an establishment piled high with refuse, and designer Santo Loquasto's remarkably cluttered set gives the feeling that we are in the middle of a trash heap, the perfect environment for these three members of America's underclass.

Cedric's Donny is low-key, laconic and a bit bland. He often seems to disappear into the mountains of junk piled around the Belasco stage. And there is little of the crisp, punchy quality needed to accentuate the give-and-take of Mr. Mamet's pungent conversations.

Mr. Osment, too, displays a tentativeness onstage, but it fits in more with the character of Bobby, a dimwitted, baby-faced ragamuffin whose future undoubtedly will be as bleak as his present. And Mr. Osment generates some sympathy for the lad, a quality that is hard to come by in Mr. Mamet's hard-boiled plot.

Yet these three are victims as much as they are victimizers. There is a desperation to their antics, a sense of impotence at being locked out of the American Dream. Their frustration is fierce and their inability to find a solution ever fiercer. But it's that anger that is missing from this lackluster revival of American Buffalo.

By MICHAEL KUCHWARA The Associated Press

12:00 AM CST on Sunday, November 23, 2008

Article News Source:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Entertainment news

Annika Sorenstam says bye to LPGA

2008-11-24T13:22:00.004+05:30

Annika Sorenstam’s storied LPGA Tour career is over.

The 72-time tour winner shot a 3-over-par 75 yesterday at the ADT Championship in West Palm Beach, Fla., leaving her 5-over through two rounds of the season-ending event. Only 16 players advanced to the third round in the 32-woman field, and Sorenstam finished 2 shots out.

“All of a sudden, the time is here,” Sorenstam said. “You’re standing there on the 18th fairway and it’s your last approach shot in an LPGA event. A lot of thoughts go through your head . . . and what’s been the coolest thing this week is all these people who showed up that I don’t know, my fans.”

Even in the first few minutes of a presumed retirement, Sorenstam was forced to submit a random drug test, her second in recent weeks.

“I really don’t know what’s going on,” she said. “They’re not going to let me go (away).”

Hong Kong’s Jason Hak, 14, became the youngest player to ever make the cut at a European Tour event, breaking the record set by Sergio Garcia. Hak (70-70) just made the even-par 140 cut at the Hong Kong Open.

Acton’s Kirk Hanefeld carded a 1-under 71 in the final round of Champions Tour Qualifying School in Coral Springs, Fla., to finish tied for 11th at 2-over. He received conditionally exempt status for next season. Worcester’s Rick Karbowski ended up tied for 30th at 8-over and will be eligible to compete for spots in open qualifiers in 2009.

South Shore Country Club in Hingham will remain open for play throughout the winter, weather permitting. Lower fall rates will be in effect.

By Herald Wire Services
Saturday, November 22, 2008

Article News Source:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Sports

Golf

Naa Anevaadu in November

2008-11-22T12:10:00.003+05:30

Naa Anevaadu (‘Okkadunte Chalu’) stars Rajiv Kanakala, Harish and Tanuja, whose beauty captivates both heroes in the movie. Produced and directed by Prashanta Reddy and produced under Sadguru Sai Creations banner, the film revolves around friendship and provides a good definition for what an ideal friendship should be like. Prashanta commented, “The shooting and post production has been wrapped up and the first copy is ready. The movie narrates the story of two friends; we are portraying the consequences of selfless friendship and love in this film. Every possible element like love, friendship and other emotions are present. Rajiv's performance will move every one.” Bhanuchandar, M.S. Narayan, Srinivas Reddy, Velu and Chitram Srinu are the supporting star cast. Surya has handled the camera, Saket Sairam has composed the music and writer Mohan has penned the dialogues. The co-producers are Venugopal and Lakshma Reddy who also does the production work. All five songs in the album were appreciated by listeners and the album is doing very well on the charts. The movie is planned for release in November.

By galatta
Monday Nov 17 8:35 PM

Article News Source:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Related Interesting Links:

Entertainment,

Bollywood

Akbar Khan blames Subhash Ghai for poor show of 'Taj Mahal'

2008-11-22T11:57:00.004+05:30

Mumbai, Nov 22 (IANS) Akbar Khan, who is planning to re-release 'Taj Mahal - An Eternal Love Story', has hit out at Subhash Ghai for alleged unprofessional distribution of his film which led to its poor performance at the box office on its first release.

'My film suffered because of poor distribution and marketing. It was a complete lapse on the part of the distributor, which was Mukta Arts headed by Subhash Ghai. I trusted them and I was betrayed. It was callously and most unprofessionally marketed and distributed,' Khan told IANS.

'I could never think that he (Ghai) would handle the thing so badly. I don't intend to speak to him any more. He is a shabby man,' he added.

Based on the lives of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal, the film was released in November 2005. It was pulled out of theatres in the second week.

Now Khan, who produced and directed the film with Zulfi Syed, Sonia Jehan and Kabir Bedi in lead roles, is set to re-release it in 2009.

'I'm confident that it would do well this time. Even Raj Kapoor's 'Mera Naam Joker' did not do well when it was released first time because a few of his adversaries played a trick. But it became a landmark film when it was released a second time,' Khan said.

Khan said he had planned for a mega release of the film with 400 prints in India, but only 120 prints were distributed across the country.

'I spent nearly Rs.20-30 million on prints but of no use as they were never used. Only 110 prints of the film were released in India and that too in all the B-grade theatres in the country.

'Besides, 70 percent of show time that was allotted to the film was a single show at 11:30 a.m., which hardly had any audience,' he added.

Khan said posters worth nearly Rs.10 million were dumped in a godown.

'I had given posters of various sizes worth Rs.10 million to the distributor to distribute it to various theatres across the country, but they were dumped in the godown of the distributor and were never used,' he said.

Khan said the film was made on a budget of Rs.500 million and he had given the distribution rights to Mukta Arts on a profit- sharing basis.

'I did not sell the film to the distributor, but I promised them 10 percent commission.'

The film, which received two National Awards for best costumes and art direction in 2006, has been screened in various film festivals, including the Dubai International Film Festival and the Damascus Film festival.

It will also be screened at the Cairo International Film festival, the 39th International Film Festival of India in Panaji and the Film Festival in Russia in 2009.

Khan is also planning to release the film in internationally with the director's cut version.

'As it was well received by international audiences at various screenings, I will be dubbing the film in various foreign languages and then releasing it in countries like Indonesia, Egypt, Damascus, Germany and France with the director's cut version keeping the taste of international audience in mind as it will have two songs out of the total six,' he said.

The music for the film has been scored by legendary composer Naushad.

By indiaabroad
Saturday Nov 22 9:15 AM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Bollywood Movies,

Ski resorts ready for winter

2008-11-22T11:47:00.002+05:30

Boyne Highlands, Boyne Mountain opened this week

TRAVERSE CITY -- It's time to hit the slopes.

The blast of early-season snow means several local ski resorts are primed to open on Thanksgiving weekend or earlier, and two major resorts already are up and running. Resort managers welcome the jump-start to the season and hope skiers show despite a sluggish economy.

Boyne Highlands in Emmet County opened Wednesday, and Charlevoix County's Boyne Mountain opened Thursday. It marks their earliest opening in at least a dozen years.

"It's very exciting; Thanksgiving normally is our target date," said Erin Ernst, spokeswoman for Boyne USA Resorts. "To open up a week and a half earlier is tremendous."

Pete Meyer, manager of Caberfae Peaks near Cadillac, said his resort opens by Thanksgiving only about half the time but plans to do so this season.

"It's a big deal when we're able to do it," he said. "We've had some phenomenal weather."

Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville also is slated to open Thanksgiving. Early snow means early business, and it also builds up a solid snow base for the crucial holiday rush in late December, Crystal spokesman Brian Lawson said.

"The earlier we can get started, the better," he said. "We like to see the cold weather."

Early snow also helps protect against mid-season thaws, said Steve Kershner of Shanty Creek Resorts in Bellaire, which also plans to open on Thanksgiving.

"We're getting some really good snow-making temps ... what we can build up will get us through any hiccups in the weather," he said.

Thanksgiving openings have been rare at Shanty in recent years, Kershner said. It last happened in 2005.

Season pass sales and holiday bookings are on track with or better than past years, managers said, but resorts still aren't sure if they'll see a dip in total visitors because of the sour economy.

"It's hard to gauge at this point," Lawson said. "I think there's a level of concern for everyone."

The tough times could benefit the nonprofit Mt. Holiday near Traverse City, where Manager Rick Van Tongeren is expecting solid crowds throughout the season. It plans to open Dec. 12.

"People are having the tendency, due to the financial environment that we're in, to do things closer to home," he said. "We're right in their backyard."

A similar impact could be seen at Crystal and other area resorts.

"Maybe instead of getting on a plane to go out West, they'll come out here to see us," Lawson said.

By ART BUKOWSKI
akbukowski@record-eagle.com

November 21, 2008 09:55 am

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

News and Media

Louis Vuitton iPod trunk is the ultimate party box

2008-11-22T11:39:00.002+05:30

Remember this Fendi's iPod trunk by Karl Lagerfield? Modeled after his personal iPod carrying case, the Juke Box could hold up to 15 iPods, and set you back about $1,500. At the time it was released, Karl Lagerfield owned 40 iPods according to Vogue's editor-at-large, so it's no surprise to hear this iPod fanatic needed a bigger bag. This time, the Chanel kingpin went to Louis Vuitton with a request for a the ultimate party-in-a-trunk. The Louis Vuitton iPod Trunk is made of black Taiga leather accented by brass fittings, a red microfiber interior, and Karl Lagerfield's initials right below the trunk's handle. Not only does this special LV trunk hold 20 iPods in a separate mini-trunk, but it has several compartments for a set of JBL iPod speakers, subwoofer, and iPod docks. Don't expect to see this special party box in stores anytime soon, unless you're a special client willing to wait eight months and spend thousands of dollars on one.

Fri Nov 21, 2008 10:39PM EST

Article News Source:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Entertainment,

News and Media

Karolina Kurkova Named World’s ‘Sexiest Woman’

2008-11-22T11:25:00.005+05:30

Perhaps you considered your wife, girlfriend or current crush as the world’s most attractive female. Perhaps yourself. Perhaps you find intelligence sexy, and have long regarded Hilary Clinton as the epitome of groin-stirring eye candy.

Well…you were WRONG.

Setting the record straight with their recent top 10 list of the world’s “Sexiest Woman,” E! has named Czech supermodel Karolina Kurkova as planet Earth’s most arousing female specimen, based on…we’re not really sure, actually.

Noting only the international variety offered in their list, E! said in a statement Friday, “Far from being a U.S.-centric list, you'll find a face, and body, from six continents."

As opposed to a list of domestic cute fat girls and butterfaces?

With E! offering no clear distinction on how they arrived at their aesthetically based conclusions, we at AA consulted a trusted online source (Wikipedia) for answers.

According to fashion photographer Mario Testino, “The proportions of [Kurkova’s] body and her face, as well as her energy level, make her a model who could fit almost into any moment.” According to fashion designer Marc Jacobs, Kurkova “has an angelic look with a dark side, she's sweet and fun but looks like she could be an evil bewitching child.”

Our trusted online source went on to reveal that the 22 year-old is the old supermodel, aside from Heidi Klum, to model Victoria’s Secret’s annual multi-million dollar jewel encrusted bra twice, first in 2002 and again in 2006.

Coming in second on E!’s “Sexiest” list is Bar Rafaeli, the Israeli born supermodel currently dating Leonardo DiCaprio. DiCaprio’s ex-girlfriend, Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen, came in 4th on the list, behind Brad Pitt’s current girlfriend and baby-mama Angelina Jolie.

Rounding out the list:

At #5: Recently married actress Scarlett Johansson.

At #6: Brazilian Victoria’s Secret model Adriana Lima

At #7: Victoria’s Secret model Heidi Klum

At #8: Tweety Bird doppleganger and actress Penelope Cruz

At #9: Italian model Manuela Arcuri

At #10: Columbian singer/belly dancer Shakira

BY: Actress Archives | Friday, November 21, 2008

Article News Source:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Entertainment,

Hollywood Celebrities,

Hollywood Actresses

Bollywood is my future: Rahul Mahajan

2008-11-21T12:07:00.003+05:30

Mumbai, Nov 20 (IANS) Rahul Mahajan has been bitten by the acting bug. After leaving the 'Bigg Boss' house, the most popular inmate of the reality show says he will now make his career by acting in Bollywoood films.

'Working in Bollywood is what I see myself doing. I've to make a living. And that would be through the entertainment industry. But no matter what I do, I'd remain the same Rahul in blue jeans and white shirts. I want people to love and respect me,' Rahul told IANS in an interview.

Rahul, the son of late Bharatiya Janata Party leader Pramod Mahajan, says he is flooded with acting offers.

'A lot of acting offers are coming my way. Do you know my mom and dad were stage actors? And they met for the first time on stage. That's how they fell in love. I think both politics and acting are in my blood,' Rahul said.

Excerpts:

Q: Now you're out of 'Bigg Boss' what do you want to do with your life?

A: Working in Bollywood is what I see myself doing. That would be a professional decision. A lot of people ask if I'd be joining politics. But politics koi dhanda nahin hai (politics is not a business). If I've to do it for the country's sake, I'd do it. But I've to make a living. And that would be through the entertainment industry. But no matter what I do, I'd remain the same Rahul in blue jeans and white shirts. I want people to love and respect me.

Q: Which turns you on more, politics or acting?

A: A lot of acting offers are coming my way. Do you know my mom and dad were stage actors? And they met for the first time on stage. That's how they fell in love. I asked my dad why he wasn't in the movies. He was going to do a movie once. I teased him, 'Why are you promoting yourself, when you should be promoting me in movies?' I think both politics and acting are in my blood.

Q: Since you didn't need money, why did you go into 'Bigg Boss'?

A: First of all, everyone needs money to survive. But I had bigger issues on hand. I needed to go in there to show people the real Rahul Mahajan. I wanted people to stop judging me without knowing who I was. This is what people were doing before I went in the house.

Q: Your facial packs, fast talking flirtations.... made 'Bigg Boss' a soap opera?

A: I was just being myself. I wasn't pretending to be someone else. People saw the naughty Rahul on the show and then they saw the mature Rahul who leaves the show just five days before it was meant to end. Both the child and the mature Rahul are me. If I was just an irresponsible child, I wouldn't have been able to cope with all the troubles in my life in the last few years. When it comes to trying times, I rise to the occasion. That's what I proved on 'Bigg Boss'. I was able to take decisions on behalf of the whole team. And when I had to quit I did so.

Q: Why did you quit 'Bigg Boss'?

A: You know last week we broke out of the house because there was no food in the house. And I didn't know how to cook. So I wasn't the kitchen in-charge. The four of us in the house were psychologically demoralised. I can't explain the group psychology to you. You've to be there to know what we went through. We were like animals migrating from home when hungry. We left to have food. After 90 days, we were under a lot of pressure. And after we did, one of us had to take the rap on behalf of all four housemates. So I quit.

Q: So do you regret leaving the house without permission?

A: No I don't regret it at all. It was the decision of the moment. Maybe another time I'd deal with the situation more maturely.

Q: Who's the real love of your life Payal Rohatgi or Monica Bedi?

A: Neither. They're both friends.

Q: We saw you you openly flirting with both?

A: If one stays in the same house with others there's bound to be some fun. I've known Payal for many years. I made a friend out of Monica in the 'Bigg Boss' house. And I'm not a fair-weather friend. I'll continue to be friends with them through thick and thin.

Q: Have you succeeded in showing the real Rahul Mahajan to the world?

A: I think I have. Like I said, I was being myself. Whether it was playing Krishna or leaving the house for food, I was being my honest genuine self. Hate me or love me. But you can't ignore me.

Q: Does the world look different to you now?

A: The world is the same. I probably look different to the world.

By indiaabroad
Thursday Nov 20 8:15 PM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Bollywood

What do our Bollywood body beautifuls eat?

2008-11-21T11:45:00.002+05:30

Mumbai, Nov 21 (IANS) Avoid fried food and carbs, don't miss your workout and don't deprive yourself. Just some of the suggestions by Bollywood's svelte and superfit stars who tell all about their daily regimen.

Shilpa Shetty: I don't avoid any food. My calorie intake is about 2,000 per day. I don't need that much carbs because I don't do manual work.

I eat non-vegetarian food every day except Thursday. My breakfast is a bowl of porridge and normal tea. Then I work out (three-four times a week). After I return, I've a protein shake, two dates and eight black raisins. My lunch at 2.30 p.m. comprises one roti (bread) made of five different kinds of grain. And I must have ghee (butter) on my roti, can't do without ghee on my roti, vegetables done in refined oil, chicken and daal.

Then if I've a craving for something sweet I have a kulfi or a chocolate. I've green tea late afternoon and I've lots of hot water throughout the day. Evening, I've a flavoured soya milk. Then a cup of tea, no food until dinner, unless I feel hungry, then maybe an omelette sandwich.

Dinner at 9.30 - lettuce salad with pomegranate or apple. And I avoid roti in the night. I'm a late sleeper.

Suniel Shetty: I take about 1,500-2,000 calories per day. But I work out. For me it's breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper. I don't avoid any food and I eat as much as I like without stuffing myself.

I don't monitor my carbs and calories. I go by my body requirements. For breakfast, I've mom's cooked stuff, etc. Sometimes I try brown bread and egg white. I don't avoid carbohydrates during the day. I've brown rice with two vegetables in the afternoon. Dinner is soup and salad and fish or meat. Thrice a week I don't have meat. But I'm not vegetarian. At 11.30 a.m. I have fruits. Then at 4 p.m. I snack on biscuits or something light. Early dinner at 7.30 p.m. is very important.

I don't belong to the protein-shake or steroids school at all. But my body knows its requirements. And the fact that I've a 30-inch waist at 47 proves I'm getting my food right. I binge on Saturdays. I've a sweet tooth and my wife Mana has to keep it away from me. Thai food is my favourite. It's healthy and when I was shooting in Bangkok, my fitness level was at its peak. Mana makes wonderful Thai food. Chef Solomon (the head chef of the Taj group) is my favourite cook.

Himesh Reshammiya: I'm following the 1,400 calorie a day diet. I've stopped rice, rotis and sweets completely. When I'm not dieting I eat everything, no restrictions on quantity or intake.

Neil Nitin Mukesh: My calorie count would be about 2,500 a day. Then I burn out approximately 1,000 to 1,100 per day. These days I'm eating steamed fish for both lunch and dinner. I take in approximately 140 grams of proteins. Besides that, I avoid carbohydrates and fatty food as much as possible because there's a tendency to put on weight in my family.

Tusshar Kapoor: 'Protein shake with muesli in the morning after workout. For lunch I take roti, tandoori chicken with vegetables. In the evening I have egg white. For dinner, I follow the same diet as lunch, but avoid roti.

Celina Jaitley: I eat seven mini meals every day after every two-and-a-half hours. Breakfast is a must. I've lots of fruits and nuts. I also drink seven-eight cups of green tea a day. But no calorie count because my intake depends on the amount of stress per day.

Bipasha Basu: I follow no diet regime at all. I just work out like crazy in the gym and keep on my toes the whole day.

Rahul Khanna: I don't have any one diet plan to stick to. I try and eat as healthy as possible. I prefer home-made food and plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and gallons of water.

Riya Sen: I can't diet! As soon as I think of dieting, I start thinking of chocolates. But I'm into controlled eating. Every time I'm hungry during the day I eat. But I control the quantity. I'm not over-ambitious about my workouts. I've never had a really major weight problem. I hate the over-worked-out look in women. I believe Indian women look best when they're slightly voluptuous. I love to swim, do light weights, attend dance classes and I do spinning.

Rohit Roy: Never followed a diet chart, nor counted my calories. I avoid deep fried food, alcohol and sweets. Being a Bengali I fall for the temptation of sweets. I avoid that the most.

By indiaabroad
Friday Nov 21 8:15 AM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Bollywood,

Bollywood Actress

Jennifer Garner wins restraining order against creepy stalker

2008-11-21T11:33:00.003+05:30

Jennifer Garner can sleep easier for the next three years.

The "Alias" actress was granted a court order Thursday barring an infatuated mental patient from contacting or coming near her and her family until 2011.

Neither the pregnant Garner, 33, nor her alleged stalker, Steven

Burky, 36, were at the Los Angeles hearing - and the judge didn't exactly agonize over his decision.

"Steven Burky?" Judge Richard Rico asked, apparently familiar with the accusations against the Pennsylvania drifter.

PHOTOS: CELEBRITIES WHO'VE BEEN STALKED

"I don't think you need any documents. ... Based upon the declaration, I'll grant the request," he said.

Burky - a born-again Christian who believes he was the victim of satanic ritual abuse as a child - has been harassing Garner since 2002.

He's traveled across the country trying to meet her and flooded her with love letters peppered with religious references.

"Today I tried to contact you my visiting you at home. For any inconvenience, I am sorry for this, yet I felt it important," he wrote in an Oct. 21, 2008, note.

RELATED: JENNIFER GARNER LIVED IN FEAR OF STALKER

"Your very kind maid greeted me - and gave me her lunch even," he wrote.

Garner, one of Hollywood's more down-to-earth stars, was apparently driven to take legal action by Burky's confession that he had visions of her being persecuted.

In court papers, she said she was "extremely frightened" for her safety and for husband Ben Affleck, 2-year-old daughter Violet and her unborn child.

After a temporary restraining order was issued Nov. 7, Burky was picked up by cops and has been under observation in a psych ward since.

He has not been charged with any crime.

His family told the Daily News that he has a diagnosed mental illness, is supposed to be on medication and is not dangerous - just love-sick.

Garner's lawyer, Blair Berk, had no comment.

BY NANCY DILLON in Los Angeles and TRACY CONNOR in New York
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Thursday, November 20th 2008, 4:03 PM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Hollywood Actresses

Angelina Jolie’s Carefully Orchestrated Image

2008-11-21T11:24:00.002+05:30

LOS ANGELES — When Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt negotiated with People and other celebrity magazines this summer for photos of their newborn twins and an interview, the stars were seeking more than the estimated $14 million they received from the deal. They also wanted a hefty slice of journalistic input — a promise that the winning magazine’s coverage would be positive, not merely in that instance but into the future.

According to the deal offered by Ms. Jolie, the winning magazine was obliged to offer coverage that would not reflect negatively on her or her family, according to two people with knowledge of the bidding who were granted anonymity because the talks were confidential. The deal also asked for an “editorial plan” providing a road map of the layout, these people say.

The winner was People. The resulting package in its Aug. 18 issue — the magazine’s best-selling in seven years — was a publicity coup for Ms. Jolie, the Oscar winner and former Hollywood eccentric who wore a necklace ornamented with dried blood and talked about her fondness for knives before transforming herself into a philanthropist, United Nations good-will ambassador and devoted mother of six.

In the People interview, there were questions about her and Mr. Pitt’s charity work and no use of the word “Brangelina,” the tabloid amalgamation of their names, which irks the couple.

Through a spokeswoman, People magazine, which is owned by Time Inc., released a statement denying that any conditions were placed on coverage. “These claims are categorically false,” the statement said. “Like any news organization, People does purchase photos, but the magazine does not determine editorial content based on the demands of outside parties.”

While all celebrities seek to manipulate their public images to one degree or another, Ms. Jolie accomplishes it with a determination, a self-reliance and a degree of success that is particularly notable. The actress does not employ a publicist or an agent. The keys to her public image belong to her alone, although she does rely on her longtime manager, Geyer Kosinski, as a conduit.

Jennifer Lopez, who sold pictures of her twins to People for an estimated $6 million in February, has a team of eight to help her navigate such situations. Ms. Jolie, 33, has her cellphone, a lawyer and Mr. Kosinski (and, of course, the counsel of her partner, Mr. Pitt). Getty Images handled the photography and some negotiations.

“She’s scary smart,” said Bonnie Fuller, the former editor of Us Weekly and Star magazines. “But smart only takes you so far. She also has an amazing knack, perhaps more than any other star, for knowing how to shape a public image.”

Ms. Jolie did not respond to interview requests and neither did Mr. Kosinski. Her lawyer, Robert Offer, declined to comment. But through interviews with nearly two dozen people who have worked directly with her over the years, a picture emerges of how she skillfully works the press.

Ms. Jolie expertly walks a line between known entity and complete mystery, cultivates relationships with friendly reporters and even sets up her own photo shoots for the paparazzi.

Most skillfully, she dictates terms to celebrity magazines involving their coverage of her and her family, editors say, creating an awkward situation for publications that try to abide by strict journalistic standards.

Ms. Jolie showed her skill at handling the news media in other negotiations. People magazine bid successfully for photos and an exclusive interview after she gave birth to her first child in 2006. Those pictures sold for an estimated $4.1 million, a sum that she and Mr. Pitt said they donated to charity.

In a separate 2006 negotiation with People, Ms. Jolie invited magazine editors — through her philanthropic adviser, Trevor Neilson — to bid on exclusive photos of her and her adopted Cambodian son, Maddox. But she made coverage of her charity work part of the deal.

“While Angelina and Brad understand the interest in their family, they also expect that the publications who purchase these photos will use them in a way that also draws attention to the needs of the Cambodian people,” Mr. Neilson wrote in a December 2006 memo to editors.

He went on to promise that Ms. Jolie would provide “exclusive quotes” to the publication that purchased the photos. “Publications are invited to comment on their editorial plans when submitting their bids,” Mr. Neilson wrote.

By BROOKS BARNES
November 20, 2008

Article News Source:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Related Interesting Links:

Entertainment,

Hollywood Actress

Exclusive: 'Gossip' Guy Nixes Contract

2008-11-21T10:53:00.003+05:30

Warning: If you're an out-of-work actor, this story may induce uncontrollable head-scratching and/or violent convulsions.

Gossip Girl third-stringer Connor Paolo, who plays Blake Lively's little (and recently outed) brother, Eric van der Woodsen, has rejected an offer from the show to become a series regular.

OMFGRUSERIOUS? Totally serious.

So what's the deal? Is he scared to be gaycast, as Thomas Dekker allegedly was circa Heroes? Nah. My Gossip rumor monger insists that the One Life to Live alum is "totally comfortable playing a gay character." More likely, it's about dollars and common sense.

See, the deal that was put before Paolo was not for all episodes produced, or ASP as it's called in the biz. Rather, the contract called for him to appear in only half of this season's 25 episodes, which is about what he's been averaging as a recurring player, anyway. So, basically, by remaining a free agent, he's got the same gig with none of the strings attached.

"He probably didn't want to commit to being ninth fiddle on a show," theorizes one TV agent. "Sure, he'll make less money, but he's free to accept other opportunities in TV and film should they come along. It's not a bad move if you have aspirations to do other things."

And although a Gossip rep declined to comment, and so did Paolo's agent, my insider stresses that, contract or no, the young thespian remains happily committed to TV's hottest soap for the foreseeable future. Schedule permitting, of course.

So what do you think? Is Paolo a JV David Caruso with an ego that's bigger than his resume? Did he go all nervous Nellie over the prospect of setting off casting directors' gaydar forevermore? Or is this all much ado about less than nothing? Theories below!

Nov 20, 2008, 11:02 AM | by Michael Ausiello

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Celebrity Hollywood

Don’t start search for digital camera before resolving Megapixel Myth

2008-11-20T16:14:00.003+05:30

Don't start your search for a digital camera before you have resolved the Megapixel Myth.

It happens to all of us: the moment when one finds out that more megapixels and better photographs aren't always the same thing. To be disabused of the Megapixel Myth -- this decade's analog of the Megahertz Myth -- can lead to an existential buyer's crisis in miniature.

Disbelief, at first, gives way to a sort of embarrassing self-questioning: You mean, 15 megapixels isn't three times better than 5 megapixels? This year's model isn't better than last year's? I spent all that money upgrading -- for nothing?

The panicky consumer is then faced with the choice of dumping digital electronics or learning about camera technology and taking control of purchasing decisions.

Upon pursuing this latter path, one soon realizes that all is not lost. Newer generations of digital cameras and camcorders, which almost always have more megapixels or higher resolutions, still tend to produce great output.

But there is more to a digital camera's sensor than resolution. Understanding some of the basics may just convince you that, at least this year, buying last year's model is a smart move.

In a sea of specifications, one of the most overlooked is the size, not the number, of pixels on a camera's sensor. Bigger sensors usually mean bigger pixels, which provides some advantages when it comes to making an image.

The mechanics of this can be understood by thinking of a digital camera sensor as a flat sheet of material pocked with millions (hence "mega") of cylindrical, cuplike pixels. In other words, picture the digital sensor as a tiny cupcake tin.

Photons (light particles) pass through a camera's lens and are captured by the cups in the tray. Each cup is either red, yellow or blue (the three colors that are the building blocks for all other colors). The more photons a cup catches, the brighter that cup's color. Totally empty cups record black; totally full cups record white.

By RUSS JUSKALIAN, New York Times
November 18, 2008

Article News Source:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Related Interesting Links:

Entertainment,

Photography

The Great American Smokeout

2008-11-20T16:03:00.003+05:30

If there's one thing a smoker needs to quit, it's moral support — mostly from friends and family subjected to the short temper and irritability that usually accompany one of mankind's most daunting tests of willpower. In 1977, the American Cancer Society offered smokers even more support, launching the Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday in November. On this day every year, smokers across the country try to do what feels impossible — give up their cigarettes for 24 hours. The idea is that many will quit puffing away all together. (In this spirit, this year's campaign includes an aptly named initiative next week called "Stay Quit Monday.")

The idea of quitting collectively came 22 years after the landmark U.S. Surgeon General's report connecting tobacco use to lung cancer, low birth weight, and coronary disease. Lynn Smith, a newspaper editor in Monticello, Minn., and a former smoker, wrote editorials in the 1970s urging others to do quit. Smith, who once told the New York Times he started smoking "as a teenager by picking up butts from the street during the Depression," organized a local event called "D-Day," or "Don't Smoke Day" in 1976. The next year, the California chapter of the American Cancer Society sponsored a similar event and by 1977, the Great American Smokeout was born. In subsequent years, the Smokeout has encouraged millions of Americans to set aside their packs and cartons, if only for one, brief breathable day.

By its fourth year, the American Cancer Society claims, as many as 16.5 million people participated in the Smokeout, with a million dropping the habit for good. The campaign was directed in particular at young people; anti-smoking activists said it was harder to keep teenagers from picking up the habit than it was to get older people to drop it. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 1980 21% of high school students were habitual puffers. Over the years, the Cancer Society has enlisted celebrities and health officials to promote the Smokeout campaign — everyone from Dallas star and ex-smoker Larry Hagman (1981) to Mr. Potato Head, who was 1987's "Spokespud." (Some reports at the time said that he turned over his plastic pipe to the surgeon general in the process.) Throughout the Smokeout's history, other gimmicks have been employed, including free giveaways (apples or ice cream scoops in exchange for packs of cigarettes), friendly intimidation (volunteers dressed as smoke detectors blowing kazoos at smokers on the street) and slogans (Kiss me, I don't smoke).

The smoking rate among Americans has fallen steadily since the 1964 Surgeon General's report, from 42% that year to 19.8% of adults in 2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Smokeout organizers claim some responsibility, saying the campaign "set the stage for the cultural revolution in tobacco control that has occurred over this period." For younger generations of Americans, it's hard to imagine that as recently as the 1980s smoking was allowed on commercial airplanes and in hospitals. The Smokeout has helped, to be sure, but so too have restrictions on tobacco advertising, local bans, and, notably, the Tobacco Master Settlement, which ordered cigarette makers to pay some $200 billion to states to cover smoking-related health costs and public education efforts. The 10-year anniversary of the settlement is this month.

By Kate Pickert Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008

Article News Source:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'
Related Interesting Links:

News and Media

Health and Medicine,

Side Effect of Smoking

Rep: Winona Ryder's 'fine' after mystery illness

2008-11-20T15:47:00.002+05:30

Winona Ryder fell ill on a flight from Los Angeles to London's Heathrow Airport Wednesday, prompting the airplane to perform a special landing.

Ryder was taken to a West London hospital "as a precaution" and has already been released, her publicist Mara Buxbaum told the Associated Press.

"[Winona's] fine now," she said, without detailing the mystery illness afflicting her client.

The British Airways flight from LAX to Heathrow radioed for priority landing shortly before arriving in England after a female passenger "required medical attention," the airline said in a written statement.

"Our cabin crew looked after [Ryder] as much as they could onboard and our passenger services staff also accompanied her to the hospital. We wish her well."

The actress, best known for her starring roles in '90s flicks "Little Women" and "Girl, Interrupted," has tried to stay out of the limelight following her 2002 felony conviction for stealing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from a Beverly Hills' Saks Fifth Avenue.

By HEATHER STEIN
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Wednesday, November 19th 2008

Article News Soruce:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Related Interesting News:

Entertainment,

Hollywood

Review: 'Twilight' stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart

2008-11-20T15:11:00.003+05:30

"Low-key" is not the adjective you'd expect to describe a highly anticipated vampire movie, but there it is.

"Twilight" is a film of intelligent strengths and easily avoidable weaknesses, a modest film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's publishing phenomenon. It is faithful to its source material, which will likely please the fan base. It's also better written than Meyer's book, which tends toward froth and fulmination. (Sample line: "I was in danger of being distracted by his livid, glorious face.") Screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg delineates the cliques and claques of the Forks, Wash., high school students, human and otherwise, with an eye toward actual teen dynamics. And she tones up her heroine, who was a passive Victorian simp—pure fainting-couch material—on the page.

Director Catherine Hardwicke, who made "Thirteen" and "Lords of Dogtown," didn't have the money (or, likely, the impulse) for blockbuster machinery. She keeps the scale of things intimate, focusing on all the fervent, sexually charged but doggedly chaste murmurings of her charismatically sullen stars: Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan, the new kid with the "Daria" vibe and the complicated emotional defense system, and Robert Pattinson (cue the teen screaming) as Edward Cullen, tortured, sensitive vampire with astonishing fwoopy hair. I mean it: astonishing. The first time Bella accidentally brushes against Edward, she recoils. "Your hand is so cold," she utters. She may as well add: "And your hair is so fwoopy!"

Young Bella relocates from Arizona to rainy Washington to be with her police chief father (Billy Burke, who seems to be about 10 years older than she is). Unexplained "animal attacks" have beset his quiet corner of the world. The movie wastes no time explaining the unexplained, jumping right in with a blurry forest pursuit involving a spooked deer and its crafty, fleet-footed predator.
The way Edward peers into Bella's soul and ravishes her with his unholy gaze, she's all, like, "zing went the strings of my heart," and while he must control his animal urge to drain her of her blood, he's fighting the good fight. Besides, he belongs to a special "vegetarian" vampire sect, and feasts on critters, not humans. So he's a bad boy and a good boy. True to Meyer's Mormon beliefs, there is neither hanky nor panky nor anything resembling a third or even a second base between Bella and her dreamboat. At least not in Book 1.

So where does the movie fall down? On a simple but crucial matter of visual magic. Whenever something fantastic requires straightforward on-screen depiction, "Twilight" looks like a weaker episode from Season 6 of "Charmed." The superfast running effects, with Edward dashing up mountains, or rival, evil vampires swooping here and there at amazing speed, look genuinely cheesy, like the guy running the race in the smart-phone ad. I'm surprised Hardwicke and her colleagues couldn't solve this one more effectively. Set pieces such as a vampire baseball game fall flat as well.

Hardwicke was right to concentrate on getting the smoldering down between her stars, but the story depends on Bella's (and the audience's) amazement at this strange new world of supernatural feats.

If there's a sequel—and there likely will be—here's Job One: Show us, in a striking way, what these undead can do when they're not letting their hair do the fwooping.

November 20, 2008

Article News Soruce:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Entertainment,
Hollywood Celebrity

'Dancing With the Stars': Cody Linley not saved by teenage girls

2008-11-19T14:49:00.002+05:30

This has been a dramatic week for “Dancing With the Stars” celebrities past and present: Cloris Leachman reportedly came down with pneumonia (or at least a bad cough); the SEC charged Mark Cuban with some mavericky insider trading; Brooke Burke performed poorly for the first time; and, as of tonight, squealing teenage girls failed to save Cody Linley from elimination. I wonder: if Cody retains his celebrity over time, would he be allowed back in a future season to compete again? I bet he’d be a real contender in a few years. In any case, next week will bring not just Thanksgiving but also the “DWTS” finals, and the lineup will be Lance Bass, Brooke Burke and Warren Sapp.

In tonight’s special two-hour results show, after watching 40 minutes of recaps, the Ballroom Kids finalists performed. (As an aside, I should note that the recap showed me that only one shoe was lost in Lance and Lacey’s jitterbug last night: I guess I wasn’t kidding when I said the jitterbug was too fast for my mind to absorb. In addition, I discovered that during Brooke’s salsa, her underpants -- minimal though they may have been -- were showing.) Anyway, first up among the kids were Kirill and Hanna, whose Staten Island school gave them a pep rally. Pro Tony was assigned to train them; Tony’s good cheer made him a nice fit for coaching kids. They danced the cha-cha, and Kirill’s hips were really liquid; Kim Kardashian could have used some pointers from him. Len admired their crisp footwork; Bruno cited the precision of their arm placement; and Carrie Ann applauded their confidence, leg action and hip action.

Up next were Mitchell and Maria, who were cheered on by the firefighters, police and EMTs back in Philadelphia. You’d think that in a big city like Philadelphia such people would be too busy to cheer on some dancing adolescents, but “DWTS” has a special allure. Julianne was their assigned coach, causing Mitchell to swoon. Their samba exuded the Brazilian party spirit that was lacking in so many of the stars’ sambas this season. Bruno liked their sharp movements. Carrie Ann said the samba was “poetry in motion” and sophisticated. Len said that Mitchell and Maria were better than Julianne and Mark at their age. Whoa!

Craig and Samantha were the last couple to perform. They also received a pep rally, complete with cheerleaders. Maks was their assigned coach, and he did a better job with the young people than I might have expected. They danced the jive, which was a nice fit with their cuteness. The synchronization in their side-by-side dancing was excellent. Carrie Ann thought they were fantastic and animated. Len was knocked out by their performance. Bruno called it energetic, accurate and light (in a good way). It’s time for you to vote, fans. The winner of the Ballroom Kids competition will be revealed next week, but you can at least rest easy in the knowledge that all six kids get a trip to Disneyland. Or Walt Disney World.

In the “real” results portion of the evening, co-host Samantha Harris’ hair was again appropriately styled, to my relief. The musical guests in tonight’s “most performance-packed results show ever!” were Julianne Hough, John Legend, Leona Lewis and Aretha Franklin, who was looking majestic in a silken muumuu or caftan or dishdasha. Basically, it was a big, forgiving piece of fabric. Last season’s champion Kristi Yamaguchi and partner Mark were back for a performance during Aretha Franklin’s second number, “Respect.” Kristi was still looking fit, elegant and sharp. Their synchronization -– so excellent all last season -– was perhaps slightly off, but that’s to be expected when you’re no longer practicing eight hours a day. In other filler, we heard from the semifinalists’ family members. In short, they’re supportive. And they vote. We also got the obligatory trash-talking sequence, this one staged in some smoke-machined industrial setting.

So who will take home the mirror-ball trophy next week? Lance is surging at exactly the right time. Brooke brings her technical precision, consistency and I-can’t-believe-she-has-four-children hotness. And Warren, of course, is a winsome crowd pleaser. I think it’ll be an interesting final –- more interesting than I might have suspected earlier in the season. Your comments, analysis and predictions are welcomed.

By Sarah Rogers
Nov 18 2008

Article News Source:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Related Interesting Links:

Entertainment,

Celebrities

Disney's Mickey Mouse Turns 80

2008-11-19T14:32:00.005+05:30

Walt Disney's world-famous character Mickey Mouse turns 80-years-old Tuesday.

Mickey made his starring debut as a mischievous deckhand aboard a riverboat in the animated movie Steamboat Willie on November 18, 1928. His creator, Walt Disney, provided the voice.

hough the familiar squeaky voice remains the same, Mickey's appearance has changed a bit since Disney sketched the first images of a rounded rodent with big ears and small shorts. Mickey Mouse is now a little rounder and a little squatter with iconic white gloves and red shorts.

Today, Mickey's ears are one of the most recognized corporate symbols in the world.

The U.S.-based Walt Disney company has theme parks in several countries and television channels in more than 100 countries, helping turn characters such as Mickey and his companion Minnie Mouse into global icons.

By VOA News
18 November 2008

Article News Soruce:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Related Interesting Links:

Entertainment,

Kids and Teens

Bachelor Winner Mary Delgado Arrested (Again)

2008-11-19T14:06:00.003+05:30

The winner of The Bachelor's sixth season is accused of acting more like a contestant on Rock of Love. Police arrested Mary Delgado and charged her with public intoxication, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

Delgado was arrested after refusing to leave a bar in Del Rio, Texas on Saturday, The Associated Press reported. Delgado was "loud and belligerent" while being transported to the Val Verde Country Correctional Facility, even kicking the radio inside the squad car, according to TMZ.com.

Delgado was released about an hour after the arrest, the AP said.

This isn't Delgado's first run-in with the boys in blue. In November 2007, she was taken into custody on a battery charge after punching her Bachelor fiancé Byron Velvick in the mouth. Those charges were later dropped, and TMZ reported that Velvick posted Delgado's bond for her most recent arrest.

Delgado accepted pro fisherman Velvick's proposal of marriage on national TV in 2004. Prior to the show, Delgado was an NFL cheerleader for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

By ADAM BRYANT
TV GUIDE Tuesday, November 18, 2008

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Hollywood Actresses

DVD sets are extra-special

2008-11-18T18:54:00.002+05:30

LOS ANGELES -- Pixar animator Andrew Stanton says his inner geek is served by DVD, including his own WALL- E releases.

Stanton's movie shows up today in five options: In standard DVD, there is a single-disc edition, a two-disc version, and a fully loaded three-disc Special Edition with a digital upload copy; in Blu-ray, there is a two-disc version and a three-disc set offering the most extras of all.

Pixar now goes fullbore on DVD extras, Stanton says. "I do wonder how much is right. But the genie is out of the bottle ... It's hard for me not to be the film geek fan first. I always want to see how it's done -- like a film school. Because I'm interested in that stuff, I'm always assuming that other people would be interested."

The evolution at Pixar meant hiring a full-time, in-house staff just to produce DVD content. That allows animators to focus and not be distracted, because the DVD team is part of the studio setup, Stanton says.

"We can control it. We can filter it. So you don't have to be worrying about it. And, particular to the WALL- E DVD, I think the DVD team we have has just been getting better every picture. So I finally feel there is a level of sophistication and depth to our behind-the-scenes stuff that matches how serious and how hard-working and how thought-provoking we are about everything we do."

Tue, November 18, 2008
By BRUCE KIRKLAND

Article News Resource:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Food Allergies among Children in the US on the Rise

2008-11-18T18:27:00.003+05:30

(NaturalNews) Food allergies among children in the United States are on the rise, according to a study led by Amy M. Branum of the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It found that almost 4%, or 3 million, children aged below 18 in the United States suffered food allergies in 2007, an increase of 18% from 1997.

The number of children in the US hospitalized each year for food allergies also increased greatly between 1998 and 2006.

About Food Allergies

Allergies are responses by one's immune system to a particular substance, either a food, inhalant, or chemical. With regard to food allergies, the most common types of foods causing the vast majority of reactions include eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree nuts and wheat.

Allergic reactions can be mild, for example a slight itch, but can also be as serious as death. The exact mechanisms behind which a person develops an allergy is something which is not very well understood.

Generally, children are more susceptible to food allergies than adults. Most children are said to 'grow out of' their food allergies, although some people may experience a lifelong allergy to certain foods.

Details of Study

The CDC study looked at data collected during the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The NHIS is a multi-purpose survey which is conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics of the CDC.

In 2007, about 9,500 children were sampled. In order to make national estimates, each sampled child had to be assigned a weight to give a sense of their proportionate representation of the entire US child population.

The study also used data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) to obtain estimated figures of the number of children discharged each year, whose hospitalization was related to diagnoses of food allergies.

The NHDS collected data from about 270,000 inpatient hospital records, obtained from about 500 hospitals nationwide.

Findings of Study

The study found that almost 4 out of every 100 children under the age of 18 had reported food or digestive allergies in 2007. This translates to an estimated 3 million children.

For children under 5, this figure was significantly higher – about 4.7% had reported food allergies in the 12-month period. There was no significant difference in the rates between males and females, although girls had a slighter higher rate. Hispanic children also had lower reported rates of food allergies.

In general, the numbers are rising, a fact which seems to be consistent between the US and what is reported in other countries. Between 1997 and 2007, the rate of reported food allergies among children below 18 in the US rose 18%. Rates for those below 5 and above 5 both increased during the said period.

The study also found that children with food allergies were a lot more likely to suffer from asthma (29.4%, compared with 12.4% for children without food allergies), eczema or skin allergy (27.2% versus 8.1%) as well as respiratory allergies (31.5% versus 8.7%). These confirmed the findings of previous research. The first of these three findings is the most significant, as children with both food allergy and asthma may be more likely to get anaphylactic reactions to foods and have a higher risk of death.

In terms of the absolute number of children below 18 who were hospitalized each year with diagnoses related to food allergies, there has been a sharp increase, too. From 2004 to 2006, the average annual number of discharges related to food allergies for this group was 9,537. This is marked higher than the corresponding figures of 4,135 from 2001 to 2003, and 2,615 from 1998 to 2000.

Discussion

Branum tells us that the 18% increase which the study arrived at is significant enough to be more than just a statistical blip.

However, the study is not without its limitations. For example, the higher numbers could be because parents these days have better awareness and are more likely to send their children to doctors and specialists for possible allergic reactions.

Also, the NHIS just asked parents if their children had suffered any food allergy in the past 12 months – it did not ask if there was a formal diagnosis by a doctor, nor were medical records checked. Some parents, for example, may not be aware of the difference between food allergies, which are triggered by one's immune system, and digestive issues, such as lactose intolerance. This fact could skew the findings of the study.

Even then, we should note that the findings of the CDC study were quite consistent with previous national estimates which had been obtained by extrapolating data from smaller and more intensive studies. So, there may be some credibility in the numbers, after all.

What we can do to reduce allergies

Avoidance of the foods which are commonly associated with allergies, mentioned above, is one possible way to prevent the problem.

In addition, the use of probiotics may help, as they aid in improving digestion by helping the body to control the absorption of food allergens as well as by changing the body's immune response to foods.

For certain types of allergies, nutritional substances such as flavonoids, quercetin and vitamin C may also be helpful, as they have been shown in animal, test tube and other preliminary studies to have antihistamine properties. However, research demonstrating that these substances can help with allergic reactions in humans is still lacking.

Further, certain herbs, like cacao and stinging nettle, as well as raw honey, can help one cope with some symptoms of allergies.

Broadly speaking, the root causes of allergic reactions are a state of over-toxicity in the body, or poor health and a weak immune system in general. When the body is overloaded with toxins, it cannot cope as well as it should with certain foods.

The best long-term solution to any health problem is to get to the root of the issue. A solid detoxification program to clean up the body thus goes a long way in eradicating allergy conditions.

Main Source

Branum AM, Lukacs SL. Food allergy among U.S. children: Trends in prevalence and hospitalizations. NCHS data brief, no 10. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2008.

Monday, November 17, 2008 by: Reuben Chow

Article News Source

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Related Interesting Links:

News and Media

Cooking

Where is Google voice-powered search?

2008-11-17T17:09:00.002+05:30

Reporters were put into a frenzy this week when Google announced it was set to launch version two of its mobile search application for the iPhone that included the addition of voice-powered search, allowing you skip the keyboard altogether. But now the question is, where is it? My colleague Josh Lowensohn reported on the application on Thursday, and duly noted on Friday afternoon that it still wasn't available in Apple's App Store. But as of Saturday afternoon, the application was still MIA. A search on the App Store returned only the older version of the Google Mobile App.

According to The New York Times, Google planned to release the free application through the iTunes Store "as soon as Friday." The application, an update to Google Mobile App, is meant to allow you to talk into your phone, ask any question, and the results of your query will then be offered up on your iPhone.

One reason for the delay could be that it has been bogged down by Apple's App Store approval process, which can take days or even months. Indeed, the Google Earth app for the iPhone took several days to appear in the App Store after its release. And Buzzd CEO Nihal Mehta noted that it took three months for his company's application to arrive in the App Store after it had been submitted. In other words, it's difficult for third-party developers to determine exactly when the application is going to be made available.

Perhaps from now on, when developers release an iPhone app, they'll learn to add a caveat that while the application has technically been released, it may take several days or even longer for it to actually show up in the App Store.

Posted by Desiree Everts

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Interesting Links:

Internet

Yuvraj overwhelms England once again

2008-11-17T16:52:00.005+05:30

India 292 for 9 (Gambhir 70, Yuvraj 118, Pathan 50*, Broad 4-55) beat England 238 (Shah 58, Flintoff 43, Yuvraj 4-28) by 54 runs

Few would have expected Yuvraj Singh to improve on his performance in Rajkot, where he destroyed England by scoring 138 off 78 balls, but he did precisely that in Indore. Not only did he score another hundred to rescue India from a top-order collapse but he also dismissed four out of England's top five batsmen. He knocked England out of the contest by getting rid of Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen in the same over, ensuring that India wrapped up the win by 54 runs.

Just when England's bowlers seemed to exercise control over India's powerful batting line-up, they were once again attacked by Yuvraj. England were on top early in the game, having reduced India to 29 for 3, but the hosts recovered despite the difficult batting conditions through a brisk partnership of 134 for the fourth wicket between Yuvraj and Gautam Gambhir. Yuvraj went on to score 118 off 122 balls and led India to 292 for 9.

The target was always going to challenge England and they seemed out of the contest as the asking-rate soared towards nine runs an over. However Pietersen decided to take the batting Powerplay and gave Flintoff the license to break free. He obliged and smashed Harbhajan thrice for six - two over deep midwicket and one straight - in the 33rd over. Flintoff continued his awesome assault and England scored 59 off the final Powerplay, reducing the equation to 110 off 13 overs. As soon as Mahendra Singh Dhoni could spread the field again, he gave Yuvraj the ball and the left-arm spinner trapped Flintoff lbw with a faster one and bowled Pietersen through the bat-pad gap in the space of four balls. Those two blows virtually secured India's 2-0 lead in the series.

More to follow ...

50 overs India 292 for 9 (Gambhir 70, Yuvraj 118, Pathan 50*, Broad 4-55) v England

Just when England's bowlers seemed to exercise control over India's powerful batting line-up, they were once again attacked by Yuvraj Singh, who scored his second hundred of the series in Indore. England were decidedly on top early in the game, having reduced India to 29 for 3, but the hosts recovered despite the difficult batting conditions through a brisk partnership of 134 between Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj.

England tried to salvage the situation towards the end of the innings by dismissing Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yuvraj just as India were beginning to go for broke. They conceded only 37 off India's Powerplay, taken between the 43rd and 48th over, but were assaulted by Yusuf Pathan, whose late surge included brutal hits over the long-on and midwicket boundaries. Pathan reached 50 off 29 balls, his maiden ODI half-century, and scored 18 off the final over. India ended with 292 for 9, leaving England with a tough task to win their 500th ODI.

Dhoni had said after winning the toss that it was difficult to predict a good total on this pitch but added that it was definitely not a 380 to 400 surface. This pitch, unlike the batting paradise in Rajkot, was two-paced and had variable bounce. Several deliveries reached Matt Prior on the second bounce, while others surprised batsmen with sudden lift. Driving and hitting through the line - a feature of several innings in Rajkot - was hard, for the speed at which ball came on to bat was slower than the batsmen expected. There was spin as well for Kevin Pietersen, who turned the ball across the left-handers from leg stump.

Stuart Broad used the conditions cleverly, holding his length back and getting the ball to move into the right-hander, and was rewarded with three wickets in his first spell. Virender Sehwag, who had survived an inside edge off James Anderson in the first over, played too early and dragged one on to his stumps; Suresh Raina closed the face of his bat too early and got a leading edge to square leg; Rohit Sharma, promoted ahead of Yuvraj to keep the right-left combination going, was early on the hook and offered an easy catch to square leg.

India's situation bordered on dire when Yuvraj began his innings in the eighth over and he got a lifter from Broad straightaway. He hit his stride in the next over from Andrew Flintoff, glancing a no-ball off his pads to four and pulling the free hit into the stands at midwicket. Those couple of balls seemed to settle him down and thereafter he placed a flurry of pulls and drives into gaps in the outfield to give the innings direction.

Partnering Yuvraj was Gambhir, who grasped the nature of the pitch early and played accordingly. He rarely went hard at the ball and did not play away from the body. His offside options were restricted because of a strong field but he did not get bogged down, instead nudging and pushing for runs while waiting for the boundary opportunity. England, and Anderson in particular, bowled several deliveries on leg stump which Gambhir flicked to find the boundary either side of the fielder at long leg. His confidence grew and he eventually stepped out to Steve Harmison and lofted towards the deep square leg boundary.

India scored only 57 off the first 14 overs but Yuvraj and Gambhir took 106 off the next 16. Gambhir reached his half-century off 56 balls, brought up 1000 runs in 2008, and left England ruing a missed run-out opportunity off the very first ball off the match. Yuvraj took longer to reach his fifty - 61 balls - but his next 61 balls produced 66 runs as he attacked England's weaker bowlers. There was no trace of the back injury that had troubled him in Rajkot as Yuvraj peppered the leg-side with 12 out of his 17 boundaries.

The Bulletin by George Binoy

November 17, 2008