Eva Green
Hollywood’s newest superhero is going to be played by the unlikely Seth Rogan. Yes, the guy from Superbad and Knocked Up.
Rogan’s taking the lead role of Britt Reid — a bored playboy who inherits his father’s crusading newspaper and spends his nights fighting crime with his sidekick, Kato. Rogan as a playboy, that’s acting!! Rogan reportedly is also writing the script for the DC comic charcter The Green Hornet with his writing partner, Evan Goldberg (Superbad) and it’s due in theaters in 2010. Perhaps it will be a comedy spoof? My recollection of the original Green Hornet was a dapper fellow. The 1966 tv series featured Van Williams as The Green Hornet and Bruce Lee, as Kato. That was casting! This casting is reminiscent of Micheal Keaton playing the role of Batman. Who knows it could work.
June 4, 2008 at 11:23 pm | main | No comment
It was one birthday celebration after another for Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes this weekend!
Daughter Suri turned 2 on Friday. A four-tiered yellow cake with flowers, butterflies and green trim from Sweet Lady Jane was delivered to their Hollywood Hills home, in addition to bundles of brightly colored balloons. “Happy Birthday Suri!” was written in chalk on the driveway.
The celebration continued Sunday as Holmes and Cruise joined Eva Longoria and David Beckham at Victoria Beckham’s 34th birthday party at Santa Monica restaurant Via Veneto.
Victoria, whose actual birthday was April 17, also celebrated with David and their three sons at Beso restaurant in Hollywood last Wednesday.
April 22, 2008 at 8:27 am | main | No comment
Ocean Drive, the premier luxury lifestyle magazine, famous for its covers of the hottest celebrities and supermodels, celebrated its highly anticipated 15th Anniversary in true Hollywood style on Saturday night. Presented by Ocean Drive magazine, Midtown Miami and CTV24, the event attracted the crème de la crème of VIPs, local socialites and leading tycoons of the media and publishing world.
Crowds gathered outside The Station, located on Midtown Boulevard, Midtown Miami, anticipating a star-studded annual event, billed as “The Oscars� of Miami, after rumors of a seven-figure production established the party as the most highly sought-after and extravagant to date.
The exclusive, invitation-only party for 3,000 of the country’s most coveted VIPs was produced by event impresario Barton G., the creative mastermind behind the design of the purpose-built venue in Midtown Miami, dubbed “The Crystal Palace.â€? As people entered the 20,000-square-feet marquee tent, whispers could be overheard about the astonishing centerpiece to the mesmerizing interior design — two 12-foot-high chandeliers floating above the crowd complete with models inside each fixture. DJ Ruckus ruled the groove with an eclectic collection of sounds while crowds enjoyed lavish buffets and complimentary cocktails from the Imperia Vodka and Martin Miller Gin bars located throughout the venue. The “Ed Hardy Fragrance Barâ€? presented by Ed Hardy Fragrance and the “Sada Fashion Lounge,â€? presented by Sada & Company, captured the epitome of elegance for the event’s glamorous VIP crowd.
“Ocean Drive was the catalyst to our company, Niche Media becoming the largest city luxury magazine company in the country,” said Jerry Powers, President of the Publishing division of Niche Media and co-founder of Ocean Drive. “Twenty-five hundred of the best and most important people in the country flew in from all parts of the world to celebrate with us tonight at our 15th anniversary,” he added.
The annual Ocean Drive anniversary event is known for its slew of attending celebrities and VIPs, and this year was no exception. Notable names at the event included Jerry Powers, President of Niche Media/Publishing Division/co-founder Ocean Drive; Joe Cayre, founder and Principal of Midtown Equities; Michael Cayre, principal of Midtown Equities; Gabriel Martinez, CEO of CTV24; Michael Carr, President of Greenspun Media Group, parent company of Niche Media; Jason Binn, CEO of Niche Media; Tico Torres, drummer from Bon Jovi; baseball stars Alex Rodriguez and Mike Piazza; Hollywood director Michael Bay; Barton G; Oscar Feldenkreiss, owner of Supreme International; Supermodel Ines Rivero; Nicola Siervo, co-owner of Quattro and Mokai; Dana Schou, Dom Perignon ambassador; Zalman Lekach, founder New Wave fragrances (Ed Hardy Fragrance); Christian Audigier of Ed Hardy; Scott Rothstein, principal of RRA Law; “Itâ€? couple Amanda and Mark Tamis, regional vice president of Morgans Hotel Group; Anthony Juliano, managing director of The Dubai Group; David Sosa and Asia of Sada and Co.; Ken Gorin, principal and president of The Collection; Brian Elias, managing partner of Fowler and White; musician Ricky Elias; Michael Capponi; TV host Cindy Taylor; male supermodel Bryce Draper, star of VH1’s smash hit The Agency; artist Carlos Betancourt; conceptual artist Janine Antoni; designer Debbie Ohanian; Deco Drive co-anchor Louis Aguirre; restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow and wife Linda; designer Lei Marco; designer Christopher Ciccone; Scottie Pippin; socialite and philanthropist Claudine Smurfit; Shareef Malnik, owner of The Forge; Sabrina Cruise, owner of Blink Agency and actor Anthony Michael Hall. Even stars from the literary world attended, including novelist Bob Antoni, Brian Antoni and Jennifer Valoppi; Designer Lei Marco created a red carpet statement, flanked with two models draped in black middle-eastern Burkhas, with open backs plunging to the lower curve of their spines.
Following an Oscar-style red carpet entrance in front of the world’s media, celebrities took to the Imperia VIP Lounge located behind the DJ booth. Actor Anthony Michael Hall was seen moving furniture to make room for Alex Rodriguez and Mike Piazza. Director Michael Bay, who recently bought a house in Miami Beach, was overheard reliving memories of shooting Bad Boys in Miami 15 years ago, the same year that Ocean Drive magazine launched. Other gossip included baseball star Mike Piazza being snuck in through a side door after being denied entrance to the party because he forgot to bring his VIP wristband.
Jason Binn, Michael Carr, Alex Rodriguez & Jerry Powers
Tico Torres, Jerry Powers & Michael Cayre
February 19, 2008 at 7:22 am | main | No comment
Six different types of prescription drugs were found in Heath Ledger’s apartment - including anti-anxiety medications and sleeping pills - though the cause of his death won’t be known for several days after a preliminary autopsy Wednesday was inconclusive, authorities said.
A rolled-up $20 bill was also found on the floor near the Australian actor’s bed, but lab tests detected no traces of drug residue. Police also said no illegal drugs were found in the apartment.
Among the prescription medications found were pills to treat insomnia and anxiety, and an antihistamine, according to two law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing. Three of the drugs were prescribed in Europe, the sources said.
The $20 bill was found on the floor near Ledger’s bed, and New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said lab tests found nothing to indicate it had been used to snort drugs.
The Australian-born actor was found dead Tuesday by his housekeeper and a massage therapist - lying naked and face-down on his bed, police said. The pills were found in bottles in Ledger’s bedroom and bathroom, and police said the death was caused by a possible drug overdose and appeared to be accidental.
Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner’s office, said the autopsy on the 28-year-old actor was inconclusive and that more would be known in about 10 days, when more tests were completed.
Police said Ledger probably died Tuesday between 1 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. At 1 p.m., the housekeeper went into his bedroom to change a light bulb, saw him sleeping and heard him snoring.
At 2:45 p.m., the massage therapist showed up for Ledger’s appointment, knocked on his door and got no answer. She later noticed Ledger was unconscious and called Mary-Kate Olsen, whose number was programmed into Ledger’s cell phone, to seek advice.
Olsen said she would send over her private security. In the ensuing moments, the massage therapist realized that Ledger might be dead, and called 911. Paramedics - and Olsen’s security people - arrived minutes later.
News of the death stunned family, fans and colleagues.
“Working with Heath was one of the purest joys of my life,” said Ang Lee, who directed Ledger in “Brokeback Mountain.” “He brought to the role of Ennis more than any of us could have imagined - a thirst for life, for love and for truth, and a vulnerability that made everyone who knew him love him. His death is heartbreaking.”
Lee Daniels, who produced the critically acclaimed “Monster’s Ball” in which Ledger starred, strongly disputed any notion that Ledger had a drug problem.
“The definition of substance abuse is really up to one’s perspective,” Daniels said. “I didn’t see him as a drug addict. I saw him as someone who enjoyed life. I know drug addicts, he was not a drug addict.”
He said he saw Ledger a couple months ago and that he was in great spirits. “He was in a good mood, he was in a great place … he was excited about living in New York.”
Before moving to Manhattan, Ledger lived in Brooklyn with then-girlfriend Michelle Williams in a four-story, sage-green brownstone with a black wrought-iron fence. Yellow tulips with red stripes were among the bouquets left by well-wishers Wednesday.
At the Brawta Caribbean Cafe two blocks from the residence, owner Jennifer Ewers said Ledger was a frequent guest who always ordered jerk chicken, rice and beans, and sorrel.
“He was a perfect gentleman. He comes in here with his hoodie on, reads a book, and gives you a peace sign,” she said. “He was always with his daughter, playing hide-and-seek among the plants, or on his skateboard, peeking his head in.”
Speaking in Australia, Ledger’s father called the death “tragic, untimely and accidental.”
“Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life,” Kim Ledger said. “Please now respect our family’s need to grieve and come to terms with our loss privately.”
Fans left flowers and candles Wednesday outside Ledger’s apartment in the tony SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan on Wednesday. Khaled Ali, 41, a stage manager for a Broadway show, dropped off a candle on his way to work, saying he and fellow cast members were devastated.
“I felt a connection with him as an actor, as a fellow in the theater community,” he said. “With `Brokeback Mountain’ he touched me personally in telling the story of my community. It was very touching.”
Ledger was known for grueling, intense roles that became his trademark after he got his start in teen movies like “10 Things I Hate About You.” Thereafter, he avoided the easy path in favor of roles that forced him to bury his Australian accent and downplay his leading-man looks: the tormented gay cowboy Ennis Del Mar in “Brokeback Mountain”; a drug addict in “Candy”; an incarnation of Bob Dylan in “I’m Not There.”
Playing the Joker in the upcoming Batman movie “The Dark Knight,” may be his final finished performance.
Ledger split last year with Williams, who played his wife in “Brokeback.” The two had a daughter, the now 2-year-old Matilda. Early Wednesday, Williams and Matilda left Trollhattan, Sweden, where the 27-year-old actress had been shooting scenes for the upcoming film “Mammoth,” said Martin Stromberg, a spokesman for film production company Memfis Film.
“She received the news at her hotel late last night,” Stromberg said, adding he had not spoken to the actress after she learned of Ledger’s death.
The actor’s personal strife was accompanied by professional anxiety. He said in a November interview that “Dark Knight” and “I’m Not There” took a toll.
“Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night,” Ledger told The New York Times. “I couldn’t stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going.” He said he took two Ambien pills, which only worked for an hour.
A day after Ledger’s death, at least six TV satellite trucks were parked on the block or around the corner from his Manhattan apartment, with a stream of TV reporters doing their standups. There were bouquets, letters and candles piled in front of the building.
A handwritten letter on plain white paper anchored by votive candles read:
“Heath, how could anyone hate 10 things about you. We couldn’t find one bad thing about you. God bless your soul, you’re in our prayers.”
January 24, 2008 at 7:29 am | main | No comment
PARDEEVILLE, Wis. — Authorities in Columbia County said a 36-year-old man tied up his young son with tape after the boy refused to wear a Green Bay Packers jersey during the team’s game last Saturday.
Sheriff’s Lt. Wayne Smith said Mathew Kowald was cited for disorderly conduct for the incident involving his 7-year-old son at their home in Pardeeville.
Kowald was accused of restraining the boy for an hour with tape and also taping a jersey onto him during that time.
Kowald was arrested on Monday after his wife called authorities. Kowald was taken to the county jail and held until Wednesday, when he pleaded no contest, paid a fine of $186 and was released.
Kowald defended his actions in a phone call to WISC-TV, saying he did tie his child up but that it was in a playful manner.
“I taped his legs. He thought he couldn’t get out; I let him out. The other two wanted me to do it to them to get him out,” Kowald said. “It was just a joke, like, ‘I’m not wearing them because you like them, dad.’ I said, ‘Yeah, you are.’ We only had it on them, he took it off. Once the shirt was off, it was off.”
Kowald said that when police arrived at his door, he was stunned.
“I had no idea anything like this was even possible. It wasn’t like I kept them there and trapped them. It was just when they couldn’t get out, we let them out,” Kowald said.
The Columbia County clerk said that two felony charges Kowald was arrested on suspicion of — causing mental harm to a child and false
imprisonment — were dropped on Wednesday morning. Kowald was expected to appear in Columbia County Circuit Court on Wednesday, but didn’t have to appear because the two felonies were dropped.
Columbia County District Attorney Jane Kohlwey said there wasn’t enough evidence against the father to support felony charges. She said there is no physical injury to the child and that there is no evidence to warrant further evaluation of any emotional damage.
“I am in no way condoning this action by a parent, but I have to follow what the law says,” Kohlwey said.
Sheriff’s Lt. Wayne Smith said that Kowald’s wife filed a restraining order Wednesday, so Kowald will not be able to have contact with his family. Smith said other domestic issues have surfaced, though he wouldn’t elaborate.
(source)
January 18, 2008 at 7:32 am | main | No comment
 
Finally, someone who feels the same way I do about Posh’s dress sense! On Tuesday, Mr. Blackwell crowned the pouty Spice Girl as the Worst Dressed in 2007, crushing Mrs. Beckham’s hopes of being L.A’s newest fashion scion since moving to America last year with football star hubby David Beckham.
“In one skinny-mini monstrosity after another, pouty ‘Posh’ can really wreck-em�
The fashion veteran said, in his usual acidic manner.
The 2007 top 10 worst-dressed list (with Blackwell’s critiques):
10. Alison Arngrim: “Little Nellie of the prairie, looks like a 1940’s fashion editor for the Farmers Almanac.”
9. Lindsay Lohan: “Lindsay the fashion frenzy strikes again! Lohan takes fashion to a new low.”
8. Jessica Simpson: “Forget the Cowboys. In prom queen screams, can it get any worse? She’s a global fashion curse!”
7. Avril Lavigne: “Gothic make-up courtesy the mad spatula — Fashions provided by … The house of Dracula!”
6. Eva Green: “Stuck in neon nightmares not fit for the sane. Fashion this loud could give Bond a migraine! A profusion of confusion from toes to nose!”
5. Kelly Clarkson: “Her heavenly voice soars above the rest … but those belly-baring bombs are hellish at best! She may be the queen of ‘Pro-Active’ — but that wardrobe looks downright radioactive!”
4. Fergie: “Another style-free ‘Fergie’ in fashion’s hall of shame? Yes, when it comes to couture chaos, guess it’s all in a name!”
3. Mary Kate Olsen: “YIKES! In layers of cut-rate kitsch, Mary Kate’s look is hard to explain … she resembles a tattered toothpick-trapped in a hurricane!”
2. Amy Winehouse: “Exploding beehives above … tacky polka-dots below … she’s part 50’s car-hop horror.”
1. Victoria Beckham: “Forget the fashion spice — wearing a skirt would suffice! In one skinny-mini monstrosity after another, pouty posh can really wreck-em.”
Copyright 2008 Reuters.
January 10, 2008 at 10:59 pm | main | No comment
Golf Channel suspended anchor Kelly Tilghman for two weeks on Wednesday for saying last week that young players who wanted to challenge Tiger Woods should “lynch him in a back alley.”
Tilghman was laughing during the exchange Friday with analyst Nick Faldo at the Mercedes-Benz Championship, and Woods’ agent at IMG said he didn’t think there was any ill intent.
But the comments became prevalent on news shows Wednesday, and the Rev. Al Sharpton joined the fray by demanding she be fired immediately. Golf Channel didn’t know who would replace Tilghman in the booth this week at the Sony Open or next week at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.
“There is simply no place on our network for offensive language like this,” Golf Channel said in a statement.
Tilghman became golf’s first female anchor last year when the PGA Tour signed a 15-year deal in which Golf Channel broadcasts the first three events of the year, weekday coverage of all tour events, and full coverage of the Fall Series and opposite-field events.
The suspension ends in time for the Buick Invitational on Jan. 24, when Woods will make his 2008 debut.
Faldo and Tilghman were discussing young players who could challenge the world’s No. 1 player toward the end of Friday’s broadcast at Kapalua when Faldo suggested that “to take Tiger on, maybe they should just gang up for a while.”
“Lynch him in a back alley,” Tilghman replied.
“While we believe that Kelly’s choice of words was inadvertent and that she did not intend them in an offensive manner, the words were hurtful and grossly inappropriate,” Golf Channel said in its statement. “Consequently, we have decided to suspend Kelly for two weeks, effective immediately.”
Woods and Tilghman have known each other 12 years. She was picked to host a club demonstration with Woods in south Florida when he talked about new products from Nike Golf.
Tilghman was helped when Mark Steinberg, Woods’ agent at IMG, said it was a non-issue and considered the matter “case closed.”
“Tiger and Kelly are friends, and Tiger has a great deal of respect for Kelly,” Steinberg said Tuesday night in a statement released by Golf Channel. “Regardless of the choice of words used, we know unequivocally that there was no ill-intent in her comments.”
Tilghman had said in a previous statement she apologized directly to Woods, and the immediate support from Woods’ camp was critical.
After Woods won the 1997 Masters at age 21 to become its youngest champion, Fuzzy Zoeller referred to him as “that little boy,” and suggested that Woods not serve fried chicken or collard greens, “or whatever the hell they serve,” at the Champions Dinner.
Woods, who had a different management team in his first full season, did not respond for three days to Zoeller’s apology, and it took Zoeller years to recover from the fallout.
Tilghman’s comment made the rounds Wednesday on TV shows such as CNN’s Headline News, and it was prominently discussed on blogs and message boards on the Internet. It also was a topic on the practice range at the Sony Open.
“I’m sure Kelly wishes she never said that,” Jim Furyk said. “I haven’t spoken with Tiger, but I’ve been told that they’ve had their talk and they’ve discussed it. Anything I say is kind of just like pouring salt in the wound at this point. Obviously, she would love to not have said that and for it not to be news. I’m glad that her and Tiger spoke.”
Fred Funk only heard about the comment Wednesday morning.
“There was no ill intent at all,” he said. “I think it was just a slip, and they said that Tiger has already forgiven her. I think when you’re in the TV tower for that many hours, you’re going to wish you didn’t say some things probably, and that was one thing that slipped out. I think you’ve got to give them a little grace.
“Her integrity, how Kelly is respected out here, is pretty good. I think Tiger really likes Kelly, so that helped squash it. Because Tiger could have run off with that if he took it the wrong way. But he didn’t, so that was good.”
Before her suspension was announced, Sharpton spoke earlier on CNN’s “Prime News” and continued to push for her firing, saying he wanted to meet with Golf Channel because the comments were “an insult to all blacks.”
“Lynching is not murder in general, it’s not assault in general,” Sharpton said. “It’s a specific racial term that this women should be held accountable for. What she said is racist. Whether she’s a racist … is immaterial. She’s a broadcaster. The channel has to be accountable to the public.”
January 10, 2008 at 6:47 pm | main | No comment
French actor Mathieu Amalric has been reportedly confirmed as Daniel Craig’s nemesis in the next 007 (Bond 22) movie.
The actor is receiving rave reviews for his starring role as a paralyzed sufferer of locked-in syndrome in Julian Schnabel’s critically acclaimed new film, ‘The Diving Bell and the Butterfly’. Amalric, 42, refused to reveal details about his villainous character in the Casino Royale follow-up, although Bond girl Eva Green has hinted that Amalric will be her Casino Royale character’s boyfriend, which would make sense now that rumors are Green will not appear in the next film, though photos of her character will.
When asked if he will play the villain by Empire today, Amalric says, “I will, it’s true. I play the villain, yes. It has to do with childhood, you know? To be a villain in James Bond is just so funny. I never dreamt about that. It’s not what I want to do with my career. It’s just that I have kids and it’s so funny to do that.”
This news seems to  indicate that the Denver Post was wrong in claiming Robert Knepper would be playing the next Bond villain. Unless, of course, there are multiple bad guys?
Shooting for the un-named Bond 22 begins in January 2008.
source
Daniel Craig Mathieu Amalric
December 8, 2007 at 4:50 am | main | No comment
‘The Golden Compass’ is based on the first book in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, and stars Kidman as an evil villain to 13 year-old newcomer Dakota Blue Richards’ character, young heroine Lyra Belacqua. Daniel Craig plays Lyra’s uncle and guardian Lord Asriel. Eva Green is typecast as a witch who helps Lyra on her quest. If the film, released on December 5, is a success it will pave the way for adaptations of the other books in Pullman’s trilogy - The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass.
Click on the arrow to activate the trailer:
glam_affiliate_id=102286790;glam_video_id=287220150;glam_video_type=0;
Daniel Craig Nicole Kidman
December 5, 2007 at 10:30 pm | main | No comment
The stars were out at the premiere of the children’s fantasy The Golden Compass last night in London. The film is based on the first book in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, and stars Kidman as an evil villain to 13 year-old newcomer Dakota Blue Richards’ character, young heroine Lyra Belacqua. Daniel Craig plays Lyra’s uncle and guardian Lord Asriel. Eva Green is typecast as a witch who helps Lyra on her quest. If the film, released on December 5, is a success it will pave the way for adaptations of the other books in Pullman’s trilogy - The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass.
This is kind of a recirculated rumor that is likely true but unconfirmed. Daniel Craig is reportedly engaged to his long time girlfriend Satsuki Mitchell (below). The 38-year-old star apparently popped the question during a romantic break in Italy. Satsuki, a film producer, has been spotted wearing a huge ring (you can see a little of it in the picture) on her wedding finger ever since their summer vacation. It will be the second marriage for Daniel - he was married to British actress Fiona Louden and they have a daughter together, Ella, who is 15!
Daniel Craig Nicole Kidman
November 29, 2007 at 12:51 am | main | No comment
It’s good to be Bond. 007 Daniel Craig is said to be hand-picking his Bond girls for the new Bond flick, due out at the end of next year.
“Daniel campaigned for Eva Green to do Casino Royale and is having a similar input in the casting of the next film,” according to a source in the know.
“There’ll be four girls, all of whom will look Latin-American as much of the film is set in Panama, and Daniel is having a hard time choosing between those screen testing.”
It’s rumored that beautiful Brazilian actress Cleo Pires and Israeli Moran Atias are in the running.
In other Daniel Craig news. A recent celebrity body poll of 1,800 people was carried out for fitness experts Premier Training International and  Daniel Craig, topped the men`s list, followed by rugby hero Jonny Wilkinson.
US star Brad Pitt was third, followed by Hugh Grant, who beat David Beckham in fifth place. Sean Connery finished 10th ahead of Prince William (11th), Clooney (14th) and Law (15th).
Celebrity Gossip
November 13, 2007 at 1:19 am | main | No comment
September 28, 2007 at 4:39 am | Uncategorized | No comment
He’s the son of a KGB spy, heir to a billion-pound fortune, friend of Elton John…and sure-fire source of publicity. So what DOES Geri Halliwell see in her new toyboy?
One warm summer evening in St Tropez, a gaggle of red-wigged models in matching Union Jack outfits are belting out a deafening and tuneless medley of Geri Halliwell’s hits.
Their performance has all the marks of a spoof of the unique vocal style of the former Spice Girl.
And there, beaming in the front row, is Miss Halliwell herself, apparently enjoying this musical homage.
Seated next to her is the man responsible for the night’s festivities, the 26-year-old Russian heir to a billion-pound fortune who is being described as Geri’s toyboy lover.
Dark-haired Evgeny Lebedev, voted London’s third most eligible bachelor in a recent poll by Tatler magazine, has taken charge of the singer’s surprise 35th birthday party.
As well as paying for this sumptuous event, he has, say friends, been bestowing breathtakingly expensive gifts on a delighted Geri. No wonder she’s smiling.
The couple, who were introduced by Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, have been keen to put their burgeoning romance on display.
Meanwhile, Geri has been only too happy to show off her slimmed down figure by wearing skimpy bikinis. (Her yo-yoing figure is now a tiny size six; she has lost two-and-a-half stone since becoming a mother 14 months ago.)
At the same time, her “friends” have been telling anyone who will listen that Geri is desperate for a sister or brother for her baby daughter Bluebell Madonna.
Such fevered speculation, and those daily photo opportunities, have put Geri back in the spotlight.
The publicity of being linked to the famous Miss Halliwell has not exactly done any harm to the previously little-known but assiduously self-promoting Lebedev, either. (He is the son of former KGB spy Alexander Lebedev, one of the world’s richest businessmen.)
Witness their overly amorous display a month ago at a party at the Serpentine Gallery in Hyde Park.
The other guests were treated to Lebedev groping his laughing date’s bottom on the dance floor, before blurting out: “Are you wearing a thong, darling?”
The high-living Lebedev Junior, who is launching his own London restaurant and clothing firm with his father’s money, seems determined to place himself firmly on the capital’s social map.
In June, he and his father hosted a £1.3 million charity party at Hampton Court Palace, attended by Mikhail Gorbachev and Baroness Thatcher.
Guests were entertained by Elton John and the outrageous camp band the Scissor Sisters, whom Lebedev regards as personal friends.
And yet the flamboyant Evgeny does not seem typical husband and father material.
With a dandy-like taste in clothes, and a love of art and diamond jewellery, he persuaded his father, who is worth an estimated £1.75 billion, to buy him a stake in trendy British-based fashion house Wintle.
Friends say he is known for his generosity and can regularly be seen paying the bills of virtual strangers at Volstead, the 1920s-inspired hedonistic private members’ club just off Regent Street.
Leaving a London club on a date with Geri recently, he cut a colourful figure.
Wearing large sunglasses (although it was dark at the time), he sported two-day stubble and a shiny designer suit - the likes of which were last seen on TV series Miami Vice.
Lededev is not known to have had any long-term relationships. Given Geri’s inability to hold down one serious relationship in her adult life, this does not auger well for a life of domestic bliss.
Her most notable boyfriend has been 41-year-old Sacha Gervasi - the British-born former public schoolboy, now a Hollywood scriptwriter, who fathered Geri’s daughter Bluebell during a six-week fling in 2005.
Geri has, allegedly, stopped him seeing his child, however, and didn’t invite him to the star-studded christening in London in April.
Few who know Lebedev well expect this latest fling to be more than a passing fancy.
But then, as previous objects of Geri’s affections such as Robbie Williams and Chris Evans can testify, she tends to scare men off.
Friends say the woman famous for inventing Girl Power, with her Spice Girl companions, transforms from strong, demanding woman to doe-eyed doting little girl when a potential suitor appears.
“I know it sounds harsh,” says one of her circle, “but around men she is attracted to, Geri gets overly clingy almost immediately and frightens them off.
“If they hang around long enough, her puppy-dog phase soon wears off and she is back to being demanding again.
“Also, with all this talk of her desperation to have another baby, every man she meets feels he is being weighed up for his suitability as a father.”
Geri’s plans for more children will have to go on hold anyway until after the Spice Girls’ reunion tour, which starts in Canada in December.
She is said to have been the only group member to be asked to sign a contract which bans her from getting pregnant until after the 14-date, six-continent tour.
Not that she is in a position to complain, though, particularly as she was forced to go cap-in-hand to her former bandmates - most notably Victoria Beckham - as her own music career slumped.
Sources close to the five Spice Girls say Geri has been lobbying for three years to persuade them to reform.
It was only the prospect of playing to fans in the US - where Victoria is desperate to promote herself since husband David’s switch to LA Galaxy - that made Posh relent.
But despite the girls’ staged show of togetherness, insiders say the bitter rivalries that saw Geri leave the group in 1998 are as evident as ever, with Halliwell the focus of much of the feuding.
Sources say the towering egos of the former members - Geri, Victoria, Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton and Melanie Chisholm - were in evidence when they made their announcement of the reunion in Greenwich at the end of June.
Each travelled separately to the event in their own limousines, with a retinue of up to 12 of their own PAs, press agents, make-up artists and hair stylists.
Meanwhile, Geri is said to be angry that, despite talk of a £10million payday for each girl, she will earn much less from a Greatest Hits album due out at Christmas than the other four, because she will not be entitled to royalties for songs the group recorded after she walked out.
Yet she is said to have signed up respected singing coach Zoe Tyler to make sure her much-derided singing voice is up to live performances.
The team surrounding the reformed pop group is also buzzing with rumours of tension between Geri and Victoria over Halliwell’s attempts to resume her position as unofficial band leader.
Even so, the reunion could not have come at a better moment for Geri, given the uncertain state of her career in recent times.
Her once successful solo career (she had four Number Ones of her own after quitting the Spice Girls) crashed with the release of her last album, Passion, in 2005.
The record was branded “embarrassing” by critics and sold fewer than 10,000 copies; while a single, Desire, reached only Number 18.
In desperation, she has recently written a children’s book, and done some television presenting.
She has been trying to remodel herself as a new Cilla Black, fronting a Saturday evening show where celebrities help members of the public who lack confidence.
Last week, though, ITV insiders revealed the idea had been quietly dropped.
In October, Geri closed her company, Waterfall Productions, after giving herself a final payment of £250,000 - a fraction of the £6.2 million-ayear she was earning with the Spice Girls.
Until recently, she has been staying rent-free in a house owned by her close friend George Michael in Primrose Hill, North-West London.
In the meantime, of course, as she waits for those millions to roll in, she can rely on the generosity of the big-spending Lebedev.
A friend of the Russian told the Mail: “I get the impression that they are both getting something out of it.
“They are equally keen to see their pictures in the papers, and Evgeny is generous to a fault with his friends.”
Given Miss Halliwell’s famous love of attention (not to mention all those expensive gifts), it sounds like a perfect match.
(source)
August 23, 2007 at 1:55 pm | Uncategorized | No comment
According to reports, Angelina Jolie is upset over the fact that heart recent biopic - about Mariane Pearl and her slain husband, journalist Daniel Pearl - was box office failure.
According to a source close to Angelina Jolie, 32, the actress is “devastated� by the audience rejection of her movie A Mighty Heart (it has earned just $9 million).
“She poured her heart into the story and can’t believe people don’t understand how important it is,â€? the insider tells Us Weekly in this week’s issue. (source)
Angelina, wanna guess why nobody went to see it? WE KNOW THE ENDING. We saw the whole gruesome thing play out on CNN just a few years ago. Why watch a movie that dramatizes an already traumatic event in our very recent - and very raw history. We were just getting used to not seeing beheadings on Youtube and you go and make a movie about it. That’s kinda rubbing it in our faces - and not in a good way. It’s a funny aspect about American viewing audiences we’re not the type to go for that. We’re brash that way. We don’t mind sad stuff, (hell I cried when they shot Ole Yeller), and we don’t mind biographies that end in tragedy, but give us some time let the rawness fade before you shove it right back down our throats in the thinly veiled guise of a reminder of a terrible tragedy. We got that part. Really.
Here’s a clue:
- Movie about 911 and New York being devastated that ends with two lucky survivors? FLOP.
- Movie about a giant robots devastating NY that ends with two lucky survivors: BOX OFFICE SMASH.
True story. People see movies to forget how shitty the world can be, not to be reminded. Real life is outside our windows and on our 50″ plasmas 24/7. We need a god damn break sometimes. Not smug, psuedo-activism shoved down our throats by privileged Hollywood elite of the type who fly to environmental benefits in private jets and “greenlight” films that tiptoe extremely close to exploitation. The reason A Mighty Heart failed is the same reason Babel didn’t. Not in my back yard applies in full force here - and a very real American dead guy is all up in our backyard. So from me, and everybody else, can you go back to doing some T/A movies. And for god’s sake,eat some fried chicken or something. Here’s Angelina in ELLE thinking about ways to make you cry. Plus one NSFW for old times sake.
Angelina Jolie,
Breasts,
Film,
Hotties,
WTF?,
WTFF?
July 26, 2007 at 8:47 pm | Uncategorized | No comment
Asked to sum up boyfriend Marilyn Manson’s appeal in just one word, Evan Rachel Wood barely hesitates: “Eyeliner.”
“If you’ve ever dated me, then you would have ended up wearing eyeliner at some point,” she tells the British edition of Elle in its August issue. “All my boyfriends have.”
Makeup aside, Wood says the rocker – whom she calls simply “Manson” – is “lovely, really human and just amazing. It may surprise you just how healthy and loving our relationship is.”
“He’s crazy!” she says, laughing. “And crazy, by the way, is the highest compliment I pay. Manson is definitely crazy. Hopefully I am, too.”
Wood, 19, says she and Manson, 38, met at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles, “both of us hiding in the corner of a party neither of us wanted to be at.”
She says they became “movie buddies,” until one night – after he separated from wife Dita Von Teese in December 2006 (Von Teese filed for divorce five days later) – “we just suddenly looked into one another’s eyes and knew.”
(Sources told PEOPLE in January that Manson’s relationship with Wood was a factor in Von Teese’s decision to file for divorce.)
Despite Manson’s hard-partying reputation, Wood says she herself is “hopeless at drinking.” Asked about drugs, she says: “I’m not saying I’m an angel, I just don’t have an addictive personality. Even today, with Manson, I’m happier staying home watching movies.”
She also gushes about her beau’s influence on her: “You should see his house, omigod, it’s a hurricane of creativity. And it’s making me feel more creative than ever before. I’m writing poetry, songs, taking photographs, experimenting with fashion, everything.”
Other things she’s learned from her relationship: “Just how cruel people can be. I’ve seen blogs where I’ve been called a slut, a whore, that say I should be condemned to death simply because I’ve fallen in love. Surely the fact that we are both prepared to go through all this proves just how important – and real – our love is, no? Everyone is so worried that I’m losing myself but really I’m finding myself. I’ve never been more comfortable in my own skin.”
Previously, Wood dated Billy Elliott actor Jamie Bell, whom she met at the Sundance Film Festival in 2005. She has a ‘J’ tattooed in green on her left ankle – and for the record, yes, Bell wore eyeliner when he dated her. (”He looked great in mascara,” she says.)
(source)
July 12, 2007 at 4:57 am | Uncategorized | No comment
Paris Hilton Shops At Hawaiian Banana Republic - Into Gossip
iPhone Is The New Crackberry - City Rag
Rebecca Gayheart Topless Bikini Candids - Drunken Stepfather (NSFW Site)
Paris Hilton Bikini Candids in Hawaii - The Feeding Tube (NSFW Site)
Lindsay Lohan’s Lawyer Is Pissed Off About Cocaine Findings - Girls Talkin Smack
Kim Kardashian’s Booty Still Big…Now Green - Ninja DudeÂ
Vanessa Minnillo and Nick Lachey Get Caught On Film Naked - Derek Hail
Jessica Simpson’s New Movie Sucks So Bad It’s On Hold - The BlemishÂ
Eva Longoria In Worlds Ugliest Swimsuit - Bumpshack
Jessica Biel’s Body Might Be Too Hard - Gabby Babble
Even More Eva Longoria Bikini Candids - Jordan Is Your HomeboyÂ
Kimberly Stewart Hooks Up With Tommy Lee…That Is Wrong On So Many Levels - Celebrity Smack
Victoria Beckham Upskirt With Panties (SFW Picture Also) - Seriously? OMG! WTF!Â
July 3, 2007 at 12:57 am | Uncategorized | No comment
Jordin Sparks grew up on “American Idol,” watching the show since she was 12 years old and telling her mother it was what she wanted to do.
“Now I’m actually doing it,” the 17-year-old told reporters backstage after winning the competition in Wednesday’s season finale.
The announcement that the Arizona teenager bested Blake Lewis, 25, the beat-boxer from Washington, came at the end of a two-hour extravaganza at the Kodak Theatre.
“I’ve just been trying to top myself each week,” Sparks told The Associated Press. “I would sing my song and after I was done I was like, `OK, what am I going to do next week that’s going to be … either just as good or better.”
Sparks, with a floor-length gown and movie-star hair, gushed like a teenager when her name was called.
“Thank you so much for everything,” she told the crowd. “Mom, Dad, I love you. Nana, Papa, P.J., thank you guys.”
Then she began “This Is My Now,” the tune picked by viewers in a new online “American Idol” songwriting contest. Both she and Lewis performed the track Tuesday, and judge Simon Cowell reiterated Wednesday the song sold him on Sparks.
“If I’m going to call it, based on the last song, congratulations Jordin,” Cowell said, before the winner was announced.
The contest came down to the stronger singer, Sparks, or the better entertainer, Lewis. Sparks delivered her songs simply and powerfully; Lewis’ flourishes included beatboxing and sharp dance moves.
Lewis said backstage that he didn’t mind coming in second.
“I picked Jordin Sparks at the top 24 as the American Idol winner,” he said proudly. “I was actually going to try to wear a `Vote for Jordin Sparks’ T-shirt last night but they wouldn’t let me do it.”
Lewis compared his sound to Michael Jackson and Jamiroquai and said his forthcoming album will be “like electro pop, very danceable.”
Sparks won a recording contract as part of her “Idol” prize, but Lewis hasn’t yet secured a deal.
“Hopefully some creative minds would like to work with me,” he said.
The finale pulled out the stops and the stars, with Gwen Stefani, Smokey Robinson, Tony Bennett, Bette Midler, and Green Day among the performers.
Stefani sang her new single, “4 in the Morning,” via satellite from a tour stop in Massachusetts.
Midler took the stage as the show drew near its close, singing “The Wind Beneath My Wings.”
Past “Idol” winners and this season’s contestants got a hefty share of attention, starting with first-season winner Kelly Clarkson. She performed her new single “Never Again,” the gritty rock song matched by her black dress and thigh-high boots.
Carrie Underwood, the fourth-season idol, sang “I’ll Stand by You” and was honored by legendary music mogul Clive Davis for reaching 6 million in sales for her debut album, “Some Hearts.”
Taylor Hicks, last season’s winner, also had his moment, as did Ruben Studdard, the winner from year two.
Robinson, a Motown great, performed “Being with You” after the top six male contestants, including fan fave Sanjaya Malakar, sang “Ooh Baby Baby,” a hit for Robinson and his group the Miracles.
“All the guys are very nice guys, wonderful young people” Robinson said of the Idol finalists backstage. Sparks deserved to win, he said.
“She is an awesome singer. She sings so good it’s hard to believe she’s 17,” he said. “To sing like that, you would have to have lived for a long time. She’s an old soul.”
Blake, whose beat-boxing scored with viewers and brought a hip-hop element to “Idol,” performed with veteran rapper Doug E. Fresh on his old hit, “The Show.” It was a signature moment for a contest that has introduced young viewers to Gershwin and other standards.
“True originals,” host Ryan Seacrest said of the duo.
Backstage, Fresh called Lewis “an incredibly talented, good guy.”
“He just has such an incredible energy and he loves hip hop so much,” Fresh said from behind aviator sunglasses.
Gladys Knight took the stage with the six female finalists, belting out “I Feel a Song” and “Midnight Train to Georgia.” Bennett performed a mellow version of “For Once in My Life” that ended with a big finish.
“A true idol, Tony Bennett, ladies and gentlemen,” gushed Seacrest.
Melinda Doolittle, arguably the best “Idol” contestant to miss out on the finale, returned to impress the crowd again as she sang “Hold Up the Line” with gospel stars BeBe and CeCe Winans.
“She has proven in the last few months to be spectacular,” BeBe Winans said backstage of Doolittle.
The show took a serious turn when Green Day performed “A Working Class Hero is Something to Be,” a single from “Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur,” a fundraising album for the embattled region.
Viewers cast more than 74 million votes in making Sparks the winner. Hundreds of “American Idol” fans lined Hollywood Boulevard leading up to the theater before the show.
On Tuesday, judges Cowell and Randy Jackson made it clear Sparks was their favorite. Diplomatic Paula Abdul kept her counsel as usual, praising both singers. Although the judges didn’t have a say in the decision, their opinions can sway voters.
May 24, 2007 at 7:09 am | Uncategorized | No comment
Fans Across the Country Can Enter to Win the Midnight Fantasy Tick-Tock Photo Diary Contest on Britneyspearsbeauty.Com
Now you can listen to your favorite songs on an iPod signed by the world-famous pop star, Britney Spears!
Elizabeth Arden is giving away ten limited-edition 30-gigabyte video iPod’s autographed by Britney Spears as part of the Tick-Tock Photo Diary Contest, a three week competition that launches today on www.BritneySpearsBeauty.com.
The Tick-Tock Photo Diary Contest is in support of Britney’s most recently launched fragrance, MIDNIGHT fantasy BRITNEY SPEARS(TM). Her newest scent is a sophisticated twist on fantasy BRITNEY SPEARS(TM), and the latest in a line of four record-setting scents.
Applicants can conceptualize their favorite midnight fantasy and send a photo entry that best conveys the experience to a panel of experts.
Judges will select the top photos, which will be featured on the Britney Spears Beauty website. The ten winners will receive a 30-gigabyte video iPod autographed by Britney Spears. You can enter to win at www.BritneySpearsBeauty.com.
“Fragrances are one of the many ways I express my creativity,” says Britney Spears. “My fans are so talented and I hope that they enjoy capturing their own creative visions with the Tick Tock Photo Diary Contest.”
MIDNIGHT fantasy BRITNEY SPEARS(TM) is available at department stores nationwide. Find out more information about Britney Spears fragrances at www.BritneySpearsBeauty.com.
About Elizabeth Arden
Elizabeth Arden is a global prestige beauty products company. The Company’s portfolio of brands includes the Elizabeth Arden fragrance
brands: Red Door, Elizabeth Arden 5th Avenue, Elizabeth Arden Green Tea and Elizabeth Arden Provocative Woman; the Elizabeth Taylor fragrance
brands: White Diamonds and Elizabeth Taylor’s Passion; the fragrance brands of Britney Spears: curious Britney Spears(TM) and fantasy Britney Spears(TM); the Hilary Duff fragrance With Love … Hilary Duff; the Danielle Steel fragrance Danielle by Danielle Steel; the classic
fragrances: Design, Giorgio Beverly Hills, Halston and Halston Z-14, White Shoulders and Wings; the men’s fragrances: Daytona 500, GANT, Geoffrey Beene’s Grey Flannel, the HUMMER(TM) Fragrance for Men and PS Fine Cologne for Men; and the designer fragrance brands of Alfred Sung, Badgley Mischka and Bob Mackie; the Elizabeth Arden skin care lines, including Ceramide, Intervene and PREVAGE(TM) anti-aging treatment and the Elizabeth Arden color cosmetics line.
(courtesy of Britney Spears Beauty.com - check out the website today!!)
April 19, 2007 at 8:58 pm | Uncategorized | No comment
+ Clay Aiken is the bearded lady [Dlisted]
+ Courtney Love Bikini Pictures are Very Scary [Egotastic!]
+ That chick from That 70s Show has a huge rack [Drunken Stepfather]
+ The contrast is striking. Striking [Bastardly]
+ Eva Longoria best feature (HINT: not her face, her ass) [College Humor]
+ Why is Lindsay so freaking happy all the time? [I’m Not Obsessed]
+ Who has the better ass crack: Jessica Simpson or Kate Beckinsale? [CityRag]
+ Jude law really gets around [The Evil Beet]
+ What film defined our generation? [Pajiba]
+ Why is Ashlee so freaking sad all the time? [ICYDK]
+ Jenna Jameson had some work done … down there [Yeeeah!]
+ Check out Beyonce’s new music videos. [popbytes]
+ Penelope Cruz and Olivier Martinez are banging [Popsugar]
WonderBra Ad - If only she were a B-cup, this ad would work…
April 2, 2007 at 9:16 am | Uncategorized | No comment
“I’m such a fan of different forms of music,� Nya says. “My goal from the start was to make a record where no two songs sounded exactly the same, with my voice tying it all together.�
Watch “Live”, the new video from Nya Jade!
http://www.redmusic.com/streams/NyaJade/nyajade.asx
Nya Jade
My Denial - In Stores NowKatako Records
http://www.nyajade.com
http://www.myspace.com/nyajade
About Nya Jade:
Cruising effortlessly through irresistible ballads, buoyant rock, and soulful pop symphonies, singer/songwriter Nya Jade’s debut album “My Denial� stands as a potent introduction to a resourceful and gifted young artist. The San Francisco-based singer/songwriter has already drawn acclaim throughout the Bay Area for her unique music, a bold blend of sounds utterly unbound by genre, unified by Nya’s passionate, perceptive vocals. Songs such as the turbulent title track “My Denial� and the provocative first single, “One Pill� mark the emergence of a remarkable new talent, one whose fierce intelligence burns as brightly as her uncommon creativity.
“I’m such a fan of different forms of music,� Nya says. “My goal from the start was to make a record where no two songs sounded exactly the same, with my voice tying it all together.�
Born in Ghana, Nya’s gift for freely traversing artistic boundaries stems from her transient youth. Her father, a doctor with UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations program on HIV/AIDS, traveled frequently, and as a result, Nya grew up in such exotic locales like The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and Canada. Her childhood in the Caribbean exposed her to a diverse range of music, from calypso and reggae to salsa and classic R&B.
“My doors were always open,� she recalls, “and a whole bunch of different influences came in and really expanded my musical palette.�
Nya first began exploring her interest in music while at Boston’s Noble and Greenough School, singing in the boarding school’s Jazz-Pop Octet called Octazz. After Noble and Greenough, Nya began attending Stanford University, focusing on a career in medicine. She also joined Talisman, perhaps the most elite unit among the university’s nine acapella groups. With their mixture of gospel, pop, and traditional African music, Talisman sang in competitions as well as concerts, including a performance at the 1996 Olympic Games
Her interest in music soon led to writing songs, expanding on a lifelong habit of penning personal poetry. Before long, Nya realized that if she was going be a serious songwriter, she would need to learn to play guitar. “I had all these ideas for melodies,� she says, “but it was so hard to convey them I realized I needed to pick up an instrument for myself.�
But with the pressure of being a pre-med student, Nya found herself conflicted between a career in medicine and her love of singing. After two years, she resigned from Talisman in order to fully devote her time to her studies.
“Talisman was a time-consuming commitment and something had to go,� she recalls. “So I left to focus on Organic Chemistry and all that other fun stuff.�
Fate, as it often does, interceded in the winter of Nya’s junior year at Stanford. Crossing a street after attending a Talisman performance, Nya was hit by a speeding car. “I was really lucky,� she says. “It could’ve been much, much worse. My head smashed the windshield before I flew off and landed on my shoulder. Had I not landed like that, I would’ve landed on my head and that would’ve been that.�
Nya suffered a dislocated shoulder, along with injuries to her head, back, and knees, forcing her to take a semester off to heal and attend physical therapy. As she restored her body to health, Nya found herself rethinking her priorities.
“It’s cliché, but it was a painful rude awakening,� she says. “I realized that there was a lot of truth to the old saying, ‘here today, gone tomorrow.’ The difference of a split second and I might not be here anymore.�
She decided that life’s too short not to live one’s dream. Nya dropped pre-med, but determined to get a degree, switched majors to Economics. Her guitar lessons became a crucial part of her physical therapy, while songwriting helped her heal emotionally.
“When you go though an experience like that,� she says, “you tap into a whole well of feelings.�
Friends and acquaintances were knocked out by Nya’s emotive voice and heartfelt lyrics, giving her the courage to try playing her songs in a Stanford coffee house. “The college environment is very encouraging,� she says. “Everyone is open to exploring new music. That made me think, ‘Maybe there’s something to this,’ so I started playing in cafés around San Francisco.�
Nya began frequenting open mic nights around the Bay Area, and with each passing gig, her fan base grew. Still, she had yet to fully invest in the idea of a career in music. Upon graduation, she chose “the safety net of staying in college� and continued onward at Stanford, pursuing a master’s degree in Organizational Studies. It wasn’t until she took a position at a Silicon Valley start-up company that she realized that a desk-bound life was not her destiny. “I was bored to tears,� she says. “I realized that wasn’t I the type of person to spend my life sitting on the phone.�
Intent on going full-on with her music, Nya put together a band through craigslist and started playing out as often as possible. She also recorded a series of tracks with up-and-coming Bay Area producer Tone, known for his work as a studio engineer for artists such as Green Day and Santana. The songs scored airplay on the local alternative station, Channel 104.9 FM, whose support led to Nya’s sharing stages with the likes of the Donnas, Evanescence, Ben Kweller, and Maroon 5. In summer 2004, Nya and her band wowed the side stage audience at Dave Matthews Band’s Sacramento show. Taking in the rapturous response, Nya had an epiphany: “For the first time, I thought, ‘Hey, this is really happening.’�
While she was determined to make a career for herself, Nya was hesitant about staking her artistic future on the whims of the ever-fickle music industry.
“My music isn’t cookie-cutter pop that you can market to young kids,� she says. “I knew the labels were thinking, ‘How do we market her?’ I realized that the music industry today is more about promotion and distribution, not developing artists. I knew that if I was going to be serious about a career in music I was going to have to pave my own path.�
A Silicon Valley Venture Capitalist – and avowed fan of her work – encouraged Nya to put together a business plan for starting a label of her own. She reached out to former Atlantic Records President Ron Shapiro, admiring his philosophy of allowing young artists to develop their own unique potential. Widely regarded as among the music industry’s most innovative and accomplished executives, Shapiro responded positively to Nya’s music and vision and came aboard as manager.
As she explored ins and outs of the business, Nya attended the annual NEMO Music Conference where she struck up a fast friendship with legendary producer Jack Douglas (Aerosmith, John Lennon). When the time came to record, Nya headed down to Los Angeles’ Westlake Audio, where the studio veteran enlisted a line-up of session players including bassist Dan Rothchild (Beck, Sheryl Crow, Fiona Apple), guitarist Rick Dufay (Aerosmith), and drummer Dan Potruch.
“It was exciting,� she says, “but since I’d had some studio experience with Tone, I wasn’t intimidated about working with Jack. I wasn’t afraid to speak up for myself and make sure that what we recorded was my vision.�
Combining the Douglas-produced sessions along with those helmed by Tone, the resulting “My Denial� is unquestionably representative of Nya’s multi-faceted personality. The songs touch upon a range of life’s big issues – from our pharmacologically obsessed culture (“One Pill�), to romantic ennui (“Leave It All Behind�), and questions of faith and redemption (“Best I Can�) – all informed by the songwriter’s witty and intuitive lyrical perspective. At turns poignant, humorous, and fraught with great beauty, Nya explores the complex emotional terrain of interpersonal connections in all their many permutations.
“The songs are predominantly about relationships,� she says. “Ultimately, that’s what life is all about. Whether they’re romantic or friendship or political, our lives are a tangled web of relationships.�
“My Denial� will be the debut release on Katako Records – the label name comes from the initials of Nya’s family members. Nya will serve as both artist and CEO, an unusual but indisputably thrilling dual role. With her musical gifts more than matched by a daring desire to reshape the very face of the industry, Nya Jade is poised to spread her wings and bring her songs to the world in unprecedented fashion.
“It’s so exciting,� she says. The music business is changing and the field is wide open for creative, alternative ways to get music out there. I truly feel like the possibilities are endless.�
(story and media courtesy of ThinkTank Marketing)
March 22, 2007 at 10:04 pm | Uncategorized | No comment
I don’t mean to brag, but I’m a pretty good judge of character because of all my work in the peace corps and local churches feeding the downtrodden. And because of my amazing dance moves that keep the ladies groovin’ the funky beat. That’s why I can see that Megan Fox is a bitch. And she hates your girlfriend. Why else would she continue to remain this hot, knowing that it’s only going to piss people off? I’ll tell you why.
Because there is no hope left in the world.
Just like when you thought Leo DiCaprio was going to take Matt Damon to jail and be vindicated at the end of The Departed. That was hope. Then Martin Scorsese took that hope away by blowing Leo’s brains all over an elevator and leaving several plot lines hanging with no closure. Martin Scorsese is a dreamcrushing hopekiller. And the Departed sucked. How did I start talking about this? Oh yeah. Megan Fox is hotter than your girlfriend. And Brian Austin Green is a dick. Here are some screen caps from the new Transformer movie. Or as I like to call it The Megan Fox Movie with some other stuff and that guy whose name sounds like steak.
March 15, 2007 at 9:48 pm | Uncategorized | No comment
Neighbors have seen them come and go and can’t be more tickled that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have moved into the French Quarter.
“It’s great if they’re here to stay and to be a part of the community,” said Rayna Nielsen, who lives across the street from the early-1830s masonry mansion where the celebrity couple has been spotted in recent weeks.
Nielsen said the street was closed off while the couple moved in earlier this month.
Pitt’s latest film, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” has been filming in New Orleans since November.
Real estate records for the house, which is near the French Market, show it was purchased for $3.5 million in cash on Jan. 2. Neither Pitt nor Jolie are named in the transaction. Mondo Bongo Trust is listed as the buyer.
A real estate listing for the property shows the house has a grand spiral staircase, elevator, gourmet kitchen, a large private courtyard and a separate two-story guest house. It also has private parking for two cars - a luxury in the French Quarter.
As for whether the house will be their home, just how much time Pitt and Jolie and their three children will be spending in it remains unknown.
Their five-year-old son, Maddox, is old enough to be enrolled in school, though it is unclear whether the couple has selected a school for him in New Orleans. The other two children are daughters Zahara, 2, and 7-month-old Shiloh.
Calls to Pitt’s publicist were not immediately returned Wednesday.
Regardless of how much time they spend in New Orleans, residents here say they are a welcome addition to the city.
“They’re always trying to make a difference. They’re always trying to help out,” said Christina Cody, a waitress at a nearby restaurant whose co-workers have seen Pitt, though Cody has not.
“I want them to come in and eat,” she said.
The celebrity couple has helped raise awareness of the city’s devastation following Hurricane Katrina. Pitt, an architecture enthusiast, teamed up last year with Global Green USA to sponsor an eco-friendly design competition to rebuild parts of the city that were the hardest hit by the August 2005 storm.
Construction on the project will begin in the Holy Cross neighborhood in the city’s devastated Lower Ninth Ward in February or March, said Trevor Neilson, philanthropic and political adviser for the couple.
The project will include 12 apartment units, six single-family houses, a community center and day-care facility to be built on 1.5 acres along the Mississippi River, Neilson said.
Pitt’s film has a budget of $150 million, making it one of the most expensive productions in the state since Louisiana began offering tax incentives for the film industry in 2002.
The film also stars Cate Blanchett.
January 18, 2007 at 9:40 pm | Uncategorized | No comment
There’s so much fashion at the Golden Globes that I decided to condense it into two mega-posts…
The 2007 Golden Globes Hits are…
Hayden Panettiere…
This girl is gorgeous! She’s my favourite of the night…the dress is amazing, and her hair looks flawless!!!
Reese Witherspoon…
She looks fabulous! Her hair is so flat and gorgeous, and that dress looks so great on her newly-trim figure…
Vanessa Minnillo…
Nick Lachey’s new squeeze set jaws dropping with her silky, bronzed look! She’s another one of the night who should give her stylist a raise - fabulous!!!
Beyonce Knowles…
Fishtail dresses seem to work for Beyonce, so why not stick with ‘em? She looks a million bucks…good luck with Dreamgirls!!!
Eva Longoria…
Desperate Housewive or not…Eva sure knows how to put a knock-out ensemble together!!! The colour is too die for, and the beading around the neck…superb!!!
Last but not least…Drew Barrymore…
This is soooo much better than that green disaster she wore!!! She looks so lady-like and innocent…her hair and make-up is perfect (and her date’s a bit gorge as well)!!!
Well, those are the hits (in my opinion) of the night…but where are the misses, you say…
Coming right up!!!
[Image Source]
Technorati Tags: golden globes, hits, glamour, drew barrymore, hayden panettiere, eva longoria, vaness minnillo, reese witherspoon
January 16, 2007 at 12:26 pm | Uncategorized | No comment
Gerald R. Ford, who at 93 was America’s oldest living President, has died.
In a statement released by his wife Betty, no cause, place or time of death was named. Ford had been in and out of the hospital the past several months, and was most recently treated for pneumonia.
“My family joins me in sharing the difficult news that Gerald Ford, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather has passed away at 93 years of age,” Betty Ford said in the statement, issued from her husband’s office in Rancho Mirage, Calif. “His life was filled with love of God, his family and his country.”
President Bush called the former leader a “great American” in a statement issued by the White House, and offered sympathy, along with First Lady Laura Bush, to his wife and surviving family.
Among Ford’s chief distinctions is that he was never elected to the highest office in the land. When President Richard M. Nixon shocked the world in 1974 with his resignation as his administration was collapsing under the pressure of the Watergate scandal, Ford – who had replaced Spiro T. Agnew as Nixon’s Vice President – took office.
“He assumed the presidency in an hour of national turmoil and division,” President Bush said. “With his quiet integrity, common sense and kind instincts, President Ford helped heal our land and restore public confidence in the presidency.”
As one of his first acts in office Ford pardoned Nixon, which effectively brought an end to the investigation of Nixon and his advisors’ involvement in the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington’s Watergate Hotel complex.
” When he ran for election in 1976 against Democrat Jimmy Carter, Ford failed to win – in part because of his party’s continued taint of Watergate.
Born in Omaha, Neb., on July 14, 1913, to Leslie Lynch King and Dorothy Ayer Gardner King, Ford’s given name had been Leslie Lynch King, Jr. – though his parents separated only two weeks after his birth. Two years later his mother remarried, to Gerald R. Ford, a Grand Rapids paint salesman, and the family was comprised of Gerry, who was called Junior, as well as three younger half-brothers.
Excelling at sports, Ford played football at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he graduated in 1935 with a major in economics and political science. Despite receiving two offers to play pro for either the Detroit Lions or the Green Bay Packers, Ford chose instead to work as boxing coach and assistant football coach at Yale in order to attend its law school. He graduated in 1941 – one year after he had been introduced to politics by campaigning for Republican candidate Wendell Willkie, who put up a noble fight against incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Joining the U.S. Naval Reserve during World War II, Ford was nearly killed by a vicious typhoon in the Philippine Sea in December 1944. Eventually he was discharged as a lieutenant commander in February 1946.
Returning to Michigan, he became a partner in a Grand Rapids law firm and successfully ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1948 election. More important, during the campaign he met and married Elizabeth Ann “Betty” Bloomer Warren, a department store fashion consultant, and eventually they had four children: Michael Gerald, John Gardner, Steven Meigs, and Susan Elizabeth.
Ford was re-elected 12 times, serving in the House from 1949 to 1973.
When Spiro Agnew resigned late in 1973 after pleading no contest to a charge of income tax evasion, President Nixon appointed his old ally, Ford, to the position. He was sworn in on Dec. 6, 1973. Nine months later, on Aug. 9, 1974, Ford gave his first address to the country as President, stating “the long national nightmare is over. Our Constitution works.”
Still, besides Watergate, the nation was also facing the war in Vietnam and financial inflation. During his time in office, Ford also built the reputation of something of a bumbler, by tripping at official events – a trait lampooned by Chevy Chase on Saturday Night Live.
After leaving the White House, the Fords still remained in the public eye. In 1982, Betty, having bravely battled breast cancer and owned up to a drinking problem, opened the Betty Ford Clinic in Rancho Mirage, where patients dealing with substance problems are treated.
Gerald, meanwhile, published two books: a 1979 memoir, A Time to Heal: The Autobiography of Gerald R. Ford, and 1987’s Humor and the Presidency.
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