Saturday, August 27, 2011

Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark Movie of August 2011 Reviews


Despite countless signs of imminent danger, the moronic adult characters in Troy Nixey’s remake of Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark never heed this classic Horror film warning. Instead, struggling architect Alex (Guy Pierce) and his assistant/girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes) cast a blind eye to the dangerous phenomena tormenting Alex’s daughter, Sally (Bailee Madison), an inquisitive and lonely young girl who moves into the labyrinthian mansion her father is renovating. Sally’s appearance sparks a supernatural reign of terror, and no matter how bad the situation gets her genuine pleas for help are attributed to an overactive imagination. Narrative cliches like this prove Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is just another example of numskull adults hiding their heads in the sand.



Sally’s fateful curiosity sets a very familiar haunted house story in motion. One day, while walking the ghostly grounds she discovers a hidden basement housing a Pandora’s Box of golem-like monsters. Cries and whispers start emanating from the darkness, and what first seems like an intriguing fantasy soon turns into Sally’s worst nightmare. A missing razor, shredded clothing, and billowing sheets are potent promises of violence to come, and Sally is often left alone to face her miniature tormentors with only her wits to fend off their advances. One cramped moment inside a bathroom is particularly brutal; Sally must battle a legion of creatures amidst a slippery tile floor and a host of sharp edged weapons, hinting at producer Guillermo del Toro’s brand of outlandish violence. Still, most of Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark lacks this kind of innovative severity and settles for inane jump-scares.

Nixey does display a keen sense of space during many of the interior scenes, lingering on the intricate set design for moody effect. Beautifully layered wood carvings define each wall, dimly lit stairwells seem to stretch on forever, and each antiquated room becomes a kind cob-webbed tomb for Sally. Pipes, vents, and doorways evoke the creepy anatomy of the house itself, swollen varicose veins potentially bursting with evil. But the leaden character conflicts (divorce, parenting, adolescence) are so overstuffed and obvious much of Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark turns into a tired merry-go-round of bitter arguments, blatant dismissals, and idle threats. When Alex and Kim do finally realize the figments of Sally’s imagination are knife-wielding devils hellbent on fulfilling some trite mythological prophecy, its far too late to take their cries for help seriously.



Reviews:
Don’t be Afraid of the Dark is co-written by Guillermo del Toro who teams with Mimic writer Matthew Robbins to rework of TV writer and producer Nigel McDeand’s 74-minute, 1973 teleplay for a TV movie.

It starred Kim Darby of 1969’s True Grit so how good could it be?

Don’t be Afraid of the Dark is done by first time director Troy Nixey who mimics — no pun intended — the lush cinematography and set-heavy directorial style of del Toro whose works include the Hellboy flicks and Pan’s Labyrinth, one of the best horror stories ever.

It’s a del Toro production and his style is stamped all over the picture. Admittedly the film is creepy. But creepy can only carry a movie so far. A so-so idea with almost nowhere to go is slowed down even more by the additional 25 minutes.

Style — in this case — overwhelms substance and an underwhelming plot.

Rated R for violence and mature themes. It opens Friday, August 26 at Regal’s Columbia Center 8 and at the Fairchild Cinemas 12.

Mr. Movie rating: 2 stars

5 stars/4 1/2 stars: Must see on the big screen

4 stars / 3 1/2 stars: Good film, see it if it's your type of movie.

3 stars / 2 1/2 stars: Wait until it comes out on DVD.

2 stars / 1 star: Don't bother.

0 stars: Speaks for itself

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni - Biography


Michelangelo
full name: Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was born at Caprese, a village in Florentine territory, where his father, named Ludovico Buonarroti Simoni was the resident magistrate. A few weeks after Michelangelo's birth the family returned to Florence, and, in 1488, after overcoming parental opposition he was formally apprenticed to Domenico Ghirlandaio for a term of three years. Later in life Michelangelo tried to suppress this fact, probably to make it seem that he had never had an ordinary workshop training; for it was he more than anyone else who introduced the idea of the 'Fine Arts' having no connection with the craft that painting had always previously been. His stay in the Ghirlandaio shop must also have coincided with his beginning to work as a sculptor in the Medici Garden, where antiques from their collection were looked after by Bertoldo. Although this connection drew him into the Medici circle as a familiar, the account by Vasari of an established 'school' is now discredited. It must, however, have been Ghirlandaio who taught him the elements of fresco technique, and it was probably also in that shop that he made his drawings after the great Florentine masters of the past (copies after Giotto and Masaccio; now in the Louvre, in Munich, and in Vienna). Michelangelo produced at least two relief sculptures by the time he was 16 years old, the Battle of the Centaurs and the Madonna of the Stairs (both 1489-92, Casa Buonarroti, Florence), which show that he had achieved a personal style at a very early age.


In 1492, Lorenzo de' Medici died. Michelangelo then studied anatomy with the help of the Prior of the Hospital of Sto Spirito, for whom he appears to have carved a wooden crucifix for the high altar. A wooden crucifix found there (now in the Casa Buonarroti) has been attributed to him by some scholars. The next few years were marked by the expulsion of the Medici and the gloomy Theocracy set up under Savonarola, but Michelangelo avoided the worst of the crisis by going to Bologna and, in 1496, to Rome. He settled for a time in Bologna, where in 1494 and 1495 he executed several marble statuettes for the Arca (Shrine) di San Domenico in the Church of San Domenico.

In Rome he carved the first of his major works, the Bacchus (Florence, Bargello) and the St Peter's Pietà, which was completed by the turn of the century. It is highly finished and shows that he had already mastered anatomy and the disposition of drapery, but above all it shows that he had solved the problem of the representation of a full-grown man stretched out nearly horizontally on the lap of a woman, the whole being contained in a pyramidal shape.

The Pietà made his name and he returned to Florence in 1501 as a famous sculptor, remaining there until 1505. During these years he was extremely active, carving the gigantic David (1501-4, now in the Accademia), the Bruges Madonna (Bruges, Notre Dame), and beginning the series of the Twelve Apostles for the Cathedral which was commissioned in 1503 but never completed (the St Matthew now in the Accademia is the only one which was even blocked in). At about this time he painted the Doni Tondo of the Holy Family with St John the Baptist (Florence, Uffizi) and made the two marble tondi of the Madonna and Child (Florence, Bargello; London, Royal Academy).

After the completion of the David in 1504 he began to work on the cartoon of a huge fresco in the Council Hall of the new Florentine Republic, as a pendant to the one already commissioned from Leonardo da Vinci. Both remained unfinished and the grandiose project of employing the two greatest living artists on the decoration of the Town Hall of their native city came to nothing. Of Michelangelo's fresco, which was to represent the Battle of Cascina, an incident in the Pisan War, we now have a few studies by him and copies of a fragment of the whole full-scale cartoon which once existed (the best copy is the painting in Lord Leicester's Collection, Holkham, Norfolk). The cartoon, which is known as the Bathers, was for many years the resort of every young artist in Florence and, by its exclusive stress on the nude human body as a sufficient vehicle for the expression of alt emotions which the painter can depict, had an enormous influence on the subsequent development of Italian art - especially Mannerism - and therefore on European art as a whole. This influence is more readily detectable in his next major work, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. In fact, however, the Battle of Cascina was left incomplete because the Signoria of Florence found it expedient to comply with a request from the masterful Pope Julius II, who was anxious to have a fitting tomb made in his lifetime.

The Julius Monument was, in Michelangelo's own view, the Tragedy of the Tomb. This was partly because Michelangelo and Julius had the same ardent temperament - they admired each other greatly - and very soon quarrelled, and partly because after the death of Julius in 1513, Michelangelo was under constant pressure from successive Popes to abandon his contractual obligations and work for them while equally under pressure from the heirs of Julius, who even went so far as to accuse him of embezzlement. The original project for a vast free-standing tomb with forty figures was substantially reduced by a second contract (1513), drawn up after Julius's death; under this contract the Moses, which is the major figure on the extant tomb, was prepared as a subsidiary figure. Two others, the Slaves in the Louvre, were made under this contract but were subsequently abandoned. The third contract (1516) was followed by a fourth (1532), and a fifth and final one in 1542, under the terms of which the present miserably mutilated version of the original conception was carried out by assistants, under Michelangelo's supervision, in S. Pietro in Vincoli (Julius's titular church) in 1545. Michelangelo was then 70 and had spent nearly forty years on the tomb.

Meanwhile, the original quarrel of 1506 with Julius was made up and Michelangelo executed a colossal bronze statue of the Pope as an admonition to the recently conquered Bolognese (who destroyed it as soon as they could, in 1511). In 1508, back in Rome, he began his most important work, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican for Julius, who, as usual, was impatient to see it finished. Dissatisfied with the normal working methods and with the abilities of the assistants he had engaged, Michelangelo determined to execute the whole of this vast work virtually alone. Working under appalling difficulties (amusingly described in one of his own poems), most of the time leaning backwards and never able to get far enough away from the ceiling to be able to see what he was doing, he completed the first half (the part nearer to the door) in 1510. The whole enormous undertaking was completed in 1512, Michelangelo being by then so practised that he was able to execute the second half more rapidly and freely. It was at once recognized as a supreme work of art, even at the moment when Raphael was also at work in the Vatican Stanze. From then on Michelangelo was universally regarded as the greatest living artist, although he was then only 37 and this was in the lifetimes of Leonardo and Raphael (who was even younger). From this moment, too, dates the idea of the artist as in some sense a superhuman being, set apart from ordinary men, and for the first time it was possible to use the phrase 'il divino Michelangelo' without seeming merely blasphemous.

The Sistine Ceiling is a shallow barrel vault divided up by painted architecture into a series of alternating large and small panels which appear to be open to the sky. These are the Histories. Each of the smaller panels is surrounded by four figures of nude youths - the Slaves, or Ignudi - who are represented as seated on the architectural frame and who are not of the same order of reality as the figures in the Histories, since their system of perspective is different. Below them are the Prophets and Sibyls, and still lower, the figures of the Ancestors of Christ. The whole ceiling completes the chapel decoration by representing life on earth before the Law: on the walls is an earlier cycle of frescoes, painted in 1481-82, representing the Life of Moses (i.e. the Old Dispensation) and the Life of Christ (the New Dispensation). The Histories begin over the altar and work away from it (though they were painted in the reverse direction): the first scene represents God alone, in the Primal Act of Creation, and the story continues through the rest of the Creation to the Fall, the Flood, and the Drunkenness of Noah, representing the human soul at its furthest from God. The whole conception owes much to the Neoplatonic philosophy current in Michelangelo's youth in Florence, perhaps most in the idea of the Ignudi, perfect human beauty, on the level below the Divine story. Below them come the Old Testament Prophets and the Seers of the ancient world who foretold the coming of Christ; while the four corners have scenes from the Old Testament representing Salvation. The Prophet Jonah is above the altar, since his three days in the whale were held to prefigure the Resurrection. On the lowest parts - and very freely painted - are the human families who were the Ancestors of Christ. There can be no doubt that the splendour of the conception and the size of the task distracted Michelangelo from the Tomb, but he at once returned to it as soon as the ceiling was finished, from 1513 to 1516, when he returned to Florence to work for the Medici. (For details on the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel take a guided tour.)

His new master was Pope Leo X, the younger son of Lorenzo de Medici, who had known Michelangelo from boyhood; he now commissioned him to complete the façade of S. Lorenzo, the family church in Florence. Michelangelo wasted four years on this and it came to nothing. In 1520 he began planning the Medici Chapel, a funerary chapel in honour of four of the Medici - two of them by no means the most glorious of their family. The chapel is attached to S. Lorenzo. Leo X died in 1521 and it was not until after the accession of another Medici Pope, Clement VII, in 1523 that the project was resumed. Work began in earnest in 1524 and at the same time he was commissioned to design the Laurenziana Library in the cloister of the same church. Both these buildings are turning-points in architectural history, but the sculptural decoration of the chapel (an integral part of the architecture) was never completed, although the figures of Giuliano and Lorenzo de' Medici set over their tombs, eternally symbolizing the Active and the Contemplative Life, above the symbols of Time and Mortality - Day and Night, Dawn and Evening - are among his finest creations. The unfinished Madonna was meant to be the focal point of the chapel.

In 1527, the Medici were again expelled from Florence, and Michelangelo, who was politically a Republican in spite of his close ties with the Medici, took an active part in the 1527-29 war against the Medici up to the capitulation in 1530 (although in a moment of panic he had fled in 1529) and supervised Florentine fortifications. During the months of confusion and disorder in Florence, when he was proscribed for his participation in the struggle, it would appear that he was hidden by the Prior of S. Lorenzo. A number of drawings on the walls of a concealed crypt under the Medici Chapel have been attributed to him, and ascribed to this period. After the reinstatement of the Medici he was pardoned, and set to work once more on the Chapel which was to glorify them until, in 1534, he left Florence and settled in Rome for the thirty years remaining to him.

He was at once commissioned to paint his next great work, the Last Judgement on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel, which affords the strongest possible contrast with his own Ceiling. He began work on it in 1536. In the interval there had been the Sack of Rome and the Reformation, and the confident humanism and Christian Neoplatonism of the Ceiling had curdled into the personal pessimism and despondency of the Judgement. The very choice of subject is indicative of the new mood, as is the curious fact that the mouth of Hell gapes over the altar itself where, during services, stands a crucifix symbolizing Christ standing between Man and Doom. It was unveiled in 1541 and caused a sensation equalled only by his own work of thirty years earlier, and was the only work by him to be as much reviled as praised, and only narrowly to escape destruction, though it did not escape the mutilation of having many of the nude figures 'clothed' after his death. Most of the ideas of Mannerism are traceable implicitly or explicitly in the Judgement and, more than ever, it served to imprint the idea that the scope of painting is strictly limited to the exploitation of the nude, preferably in foreshortened - and therefore difficult - poses. Paul III, who had commissioned the Judgement, immediately commissioned two more frescoes for his own chapel, the Cappella Paolina; these were begun in 1542 and completed in 1550. They represent the Conversion of St Paul and the Crucifixion of St Peter.

Michelangelo was now 75 years old. Earlier, in 1538-39, plans were under way for the remodeling of the buildings surrounding the Campidoglio (Capitol) on the Capitoline Hill, the civic and political heart of the city of Rome. Although Michelangelo's program was not carried out until the late 1550s and not finished until the 17th century, he designed the Campidoglio around an oval shape, with the famous antique bronze equestrian statue of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius in the center. For the Palazzo dei Conservatori he brought a new unity to the public building façade, at the same time that he preserved traditional Roman monumentality. However, since 1546 he had been increasingly active as an architect; in particular, he was Chief Architect to St Peter's and was doing more there than had been done for thirty years. This was the greatest architectural undertaking in Christendom, and Michelangelo did it, as he did all his late works, solely for the glory of God.

In his last years he made a number of drawings of the Crucifixion, wrote much of his finest poetry, and carved the Pietà (now in Florence Cathedral Museum) which was originally intended for his own tomb, as well as the nearly abstract Rondanini Pietà (Milan, Castello). This last work, in which the very forms of the Dead Christ actually merge with those of His Mother, is charged with an emotional intensity which contemporaries recognized as Michelangelo's 'terribilità'. He was working on it to within a few days of his death, in his 89th year, on 18 February 1564. There is a whole world of difference between it and the 'beautiful' Pietà in St Peter's, carved some sixty-five years earlier.

Unlike any previous artist, Michelangelo was the subject of two biographies in his own lifetime. The first of these was by Vasari, who concluded the first (1550) edition of his 'Vite' with the Life of one living artist, Michelangelo. In 1553 there appeared a 'Life of Michelangelo' by his pupil Ascanio Condivi (English translations 1903, 1976 and 1987); this is really almost an autobiography, promoted by Michelangelo to correct some errors of Vasari and to shift the emphasis in what Michelangelo regarded as a more desirable direction. Vasari, however, became more and more friendly with Michelangelo and was also his most devoted and articulate admirer, so that the very long Life which appears in Vasari's second edition (1568), after Michelangelo's death, gives us the most complete biography of any artist up to that time and is a trustworthy guide to the feelings of contemporaries about the man who can lay claim to be the greatest sculptor, painter and draughtsman that has ever lived, as well as one of the greatest architects and poets. He is the archetype of genius.

Pure fresco was his preferred painting technique; he despised oil-painting, though the now authenticated unfinished Entombment (London, National Gallery) is in oil over a tempera underpainting. The Doni Tondo is in tempera. In sculpture, his usual method was to outline his figure on the front of the block and, as he himself wrote, to 'liberate the figure imprisoned in the marble', by working steadily inwards, with perhaps a few more finished details. Occasionally he made drawings for parts of a figure, and a few small wax models survive as well as one large one, made for the guidance of assistants working on the Medici Chapel figures. The four abandoned Slaves intended for a later version of the Julius Tomb (Florence, Accademia) and the two marble tondi left unfinished in 1505 provide fine examples of his direct carving technique and his consistent use of various sizes of claw chisel. No modelli exist for any paintings or frescoes, and only one cartoon (London, British Museum), made to help Condivi, has survived.

The Founder of Apple Company- Steve Jobs


Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs, who quit as Apple chief executive amid more fears over his health, is credited with changing people's lives "immensely" with his vision and products.

The 56-year-old with a passion for minimalist design has altered the course of personal computing and the entertainment industry.

The company's gadgets, such as the iPod, iPhone and iPad, have inspired an almost cult-like following and its chain of sleek, modern shops are popular around the world.

He is seen as the heart and soul of the firm which was briefly the most valuable in America this month.

Mr Steve Jobs
- a college dropout and Buddhist with links to the West Coast counter-culture of the 1960s - started Apple Computer with his friend Steve Wozniak in 1976.

He reportedly sold his VW camper van to help finance the original design of the Apple l.



Vidya Balan played Silk Smitha role in The Dirty Picture : Ekta Kapoor


'The Dirty Picture' is based on the life of southern sex siren 'Silk Smitha'. The first look of ‘The Dirty Picture' was released on Friday.



In the picture, Vidya is looking hot and sexy in deep-neck red-blouse and red lipstick. Vidya is surrounded by Naseeruddin Shah, Emran Hashmi and Ritesh Deshmuk.

Ekta Kapoor and Milan Luthria team up once again after the blockbuster Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai to create a bold, humorous and dazzling multi-starrer set in the 80′s south film industry.

Billed as Moulin Rouge meets Himmatwala in terms of its look, The Dirty Picture chronicles the romantic journey of the erstwhile sensation Silk Smitha (played by Vidya Balan) her rise to stardom and her subsequent fall.

Talking about her look in the film, Vidya says, “Silk was made to give Indian men sleepless nights! She doesn’t leave much to imagination. Silk is every woman’s wild side and yet she’s soft where it matters. She was spunky, yet she can shock you with a straight face.”

The Dirty Picture also sees Vidya Balan reunite with her Ishqiya co-star Nasseruddin Shah. Produced by Balaji Motion Pictures and directed by Milan Luthria, the film also stars Tusshar Kapoor and Emraan Hashmi who play the key romantic interests in Silk’s life.


Movie Vidya's first look in 'Dirty Picture' :


Silk Smitha had received huge popularity by her nude and semi nude scenes but she became of victim of financial crisis soon.

Our Idiot Brother Hollywood Movie Reviews


You know what Our Idiot Brother isn't? Title aside, it's not stupid nor does it fall into the trap so many R-rated comedies do where gross-out humor and the use of dirty language substitute for a smartly written script. And unlike a lot of R-rated comedies, it's not mean-spirited and it doesn't resort (other than in one very small scene) to potty humor to get an easy laugh. What Our Idiot Brother is is a surprisingly sweet film, with Paul Rudd in the title role delivering an absolutely charming and disarming performance that's quite possibly the best he's been since Anchorman.


Story of The Movie :

Ned is a free spirit who accepts people at face value. He's like a throwback to the '60s, a hippie-ish laid-back optimist who believes people are genuinely decent. And because he's a pacifist who's willing to see the best in everyone, he's easily taken advantage of. And, in fact, it's his sweet disposition and willingness to help out that gets him in trouble with the law. See, selling pot to a uniformed cop just because he tells you he's having a lousy day and really needs it isn't exactly the smartest move a bio-dynamic farmer can make. But that's what Ned does and so off to jail he goes. But even there he makes friends with the guards and his fellow inmates. He's just that kind of dude, you know?

However, after doing his time he discovers his girlfriend (Kathryn Hahn) has moved on and doesn't want him back helping out on the farm. She's got a new guy (TJ Miller) to boss around, so Ned finds himself girlfriend-less and homeless. And to make matters worse, she refuses to give him custody of their dog, Willie Nelson, who obviously wants to be with Ned. So with nowhere else to go, he heads to his mom's house for a short stay before moving on to spend time with each of his three sisters.


While Ned's sweet, innocent, uncomplicated, and doesn't filter his thoughts, his three sisters - Liz (Emily Mortimer), Miranda (Elizabeth Banks), and Natalie (Zooey Deschanel) - are a pretty messed up group. Liz's marriage is in trouble and she doesn't even know it (and she's raising her son in a world in which he's not allowed to play or have fun). Miranda is willing to sell her soul to get a scoop to impress her bosses at Vanity Fair, and she's blind to the fact she's stuck the one guy who really wants to be with her (played by Adam Scott) in the friend zone. And Natalie is confused about her sexuality and cheating on her lesbian lover (Rashida Jones) with an artist (Hugh Dancy) who she poses for nude. As Ned hangs out with each of his sisters in turn, he turns their lives upside down. Of course they blame him for ruining everything when in actuality he's just trying to open their eyes to the truth they're too busy/blind to see.

Director Jesse Peretz (The Ex) has his hands full juggling so many characters, and there are a few times where balls get dropped. But, overall, Our Idiot Brother is just a sweet, gentle (a strange yet fitting word to use with an R-rated film) comedy that's refreshing in its focus on a character who completely lacks any cynicism. It's a feel-good film that's engaging, smartly paced, and entirely likable.

GRADE: B+

Our Idiot Brother was directed by Jesse Peretz and is rated R for sexual content including nudity, and for language throughout.

Theatrical Release date : 26 August, 2011

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Dad Punches Daughter On Her 14 B’day Party

A girl ended her 14th birthday in protective custody after her father allegedly punched her because she tried to stop him from fighting during her birthday party Sunday in Big Cottonwood Canyon.

The man, 42, had been drinking and fighting with guests at the girl’s party at Storm Mountain in Big Cottonwood Canyon, said Unified Police Lt. Manfred Lassig. The man threatened the guests with a fire poker, a knife and a beer bottle, Lassig said.

The girl tried to intervene, and the man punched her, Lassig said, and when she tried to intervene a second time, he punched her again.

The man was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault and child abuse, Lassig said. The girl was placed in protective custody.

Japan’s Balloon Dress Pics & Video

But the 35-year-old artist has been working with balloons for 10 years so she has everything pretty much figured out. She started her career as a florist, before switching to balloon art and opening her very own studio, Daisy Balloon.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Justin Bieber Working On Two Albums

If you've been dying to hear new music from Justin Bieber, the wait is almost over!

But the news gets better than that - the teen dream is reportedly working on not one but two albums.

Justin has been in the studio for a few weeks now with producers like will.i.am and the very young Julian Swirsky (yes, that's the same 16-year-old buddy Justin set up with Kendall Jenner!), and he's already collaborated with Chris Brown. Sadly, no word yet on if he'll work with GF Selena Gomez.

Justin is excited about his hard work too. He Tweeted Tuesday, "in the studio writing with @TrickyStewart - last time this happened a song called BABY happened. LEGGO. #believe"

What's with the hashtag? Though the singer does have a penchant for starting Twitter trends, this one has some meaning behind it - though it hasn't been officially announced, "Believe" is expected to be the name of his album dropping this fall.


Justin opened up about his upcoming album in June, saying he wanted to focus on himself and write a lot. He told MTV News, "[I'm] writing about how I feel and producing. I've been producing on my laptop and on my computer. I've been really into it and, hopefully, this next album will be huge."

Justin has also been working hard in and out of the studio. He made an appearance at the Do Something Awards! Sunday. The show will air Thursday night at 9/8 on VH1.

Ever the Tweeter, Justin added "#MAKEACHANGE" when reminding fans to watch the awards show. He seriously loves his hashtags!

Thursday, August 18, 2011

WATCH: Georgetown Brawls In China (Video)


Georgetown Fights In China: Brawl Breaks Out Between Hoyas And Chinese Team During Goodwill Tour (VIDEO
BEIJING -- A wild brawl broke out between Georgetown and a Chinese men's basketball team Thursday night, putting an immediate end to a supposed goodwill game that coincided with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's visit to the country.

The benches cleared and fights erupted all over the court with about 9 1/2 minutes left in the fourth quarter. The rest of the exhibition between Georgetown and the Bayi Rockets was called off.
Biden did not attend the game. On Wednesday, he watched the Hoyas beat the Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons 98-81.

The Washington Post reported Georgetown and Bayi players tackled and threw punches at each another. Chairs and water bottles were tossed as the Hoyas headed to the locker room with the score 64-all in a testy, foul-plagued matchup.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Man Dies After Police Use Taser During Arrest

Cumbria Police said officers were called to an address on Hartington Street in Barrow on Tuesday evening following reports of a man causing a disturbance.

A police spokesman said: "Neighbourhood police officers attended the scene and arrested a male on suspicion of causing criminal damage.

"During the arrest, a Taser was deployed.

"The man became unwell following the arrest and was taken to Furness General Hospital by officers."

The man, who was in his 20s, died later in the evening.

The incident has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

Woman Swept Over Niagara Falls, Presumed Drowned

NIAGARA FALLS, Ontario -- Authorities say a woman is presumed to have drowned after being swept over Niagara Falls when she fell from a railing along the Canadian side of the Niagara River.

Niagara Parks Police in Ontario say two female students in their 20s from the Toronto area were visiting the falls around Sunday night when one of them climbed onto a railing near the river's edge and sat on a block pillar, with her legs straddling the railing.

Police say the woman stood up and apparently lost her footing, falling into the river about 80 feet upstream from the brink of the falls. Officials say the river's swift current swept her over the falls.

Police say foul play isn't suspected.

The search for the woman's body is expected to resume Monday morning.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Kanye West Falls Off His Throne During Concert (Video)

Kanye West is used to commanding the stage ... but not following down on it!

During his show Wednesday night in Norway, the outspoken rapper took a header during one of his numbers. Fall from grace? Maybe ... but he got back up.

The show must go on! Kanye and Jay Z recently released an album together "Watch The Throne." Check out a clip from their upcoming video for "Otis" ... after the jump.




Taylor Lautner Stars In 'Abduction,' 'Twilight' Star In Action Movie (WATCH)

Coming off the heels of Mark Wahlberg's prophesy that Taylor Lautner will develop into a mega star who will make every other actor obsolete, his new movie 'Abduction' embraces his new leading man stature.

In the John Singleton film, Lautner plays a high school kid blissfully unaware that he is adopted and that his parents are spies--despite his father's sick fighting moves.

Then the absurdly good-looking teen embarks on the road to self-discovery and turns into an action prodigy to avenge his parents death.

With a impressive supporting cast of Danny Glover, Sigourney Weaver, Alfred Molina, Michael Nyqvist, Maria Bello, and Jason Isaacs, Lautner may be taking over sooner than we thought.

WATCH:

Jani Lane Dead: Warrant Singer Dies At 47

LOS ANGELES — Jani Lane, the former lead singer of the metal rock band Warrant, has died in Los Angeles. He was 47.

Officer Sara Faden says Lane's body was found Thursday in a Woodland Hills hotel. She had no immediate information on the cause or circumstances of his death.

With his long blond hair and tight leather outfits, Lane embodied the excess of 1980s "hair metal" rock bands. He joined Warrant in 1984 and wrote such hits as "Heaven," "Down Boys" and "Cherry Pie."

He had an on-and-off relationship with the band, leaving it in 1992 before returning and quitting again several times.

In recent years, he appeared in VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club" and made news for a drunken driving arrest.

He is survived by two daughters from two previous marriages.

Republican Debate Open Thread

Tonight is the Big Republican Debate on Fox News. Candidates appearing are Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty, Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, Herman Cain, Jon Huntsman and Newt Gingrich. And of course, ever present in this debate will be the corporate "persons."

Jeff Bridges Promotes Debut Album

As if Oscar-winning actor Jeff Bridges doesn’t have enough to brag about already, the singer-songwriter-musician will release his self-titled debut album August 16.

Bridges has added visits to Charlie Rose, NPR’s Morning Edition, PRI and WNYC’s Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen, and NBC’s The Tonight Show With Jay Leno to his press schedule.

“What A Little Bit of Love Can Do” is the first single off the album, and is currently in rotation at AAA and Americana Radio. The video premiered on the AARP website yesterday.

Appearances on shows such as The Colbert Report and Live! With Regis & Kelly are also booked in the near future.
Bridges will play a show at the American Thunder Music Festival at the 2011 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally before heading to New York for a Q&A with his Big Lebowski co-stars at Lebowski Fest New York.

Famed producer T Bone Burnett produced the album. The two have previously collaborated on Bridges’ film Crazy Heart. His song “The Weary Kind” won the 2009 Oscar for Best Original Song.

Jeff Bridges Tour Dates:
8/11/2011 – American Thunder Music Festival – Buffalo Chip, SD
8/24/2011 – Marin Center – San Rafael, CA
8/26/2011 – The Mountain Winery – Saratoga, CA
8/28/2011 – Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery – Woodinville, WA

IELTS Results India 2011

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Paul and Santorum clash over US-Iran relationship


AMES, Iowa -- Congressman Ron Paul says rival White House hopeful Rick Santorum has his history wrong on Iran, arguing that the United States has been at war with Iran since it helped orchestrate regime change in the 1950s.

Paul and Santorum clashed during Thursday's debate over Iran's nuclear ambitions and its threats to the United States. Paul says Santorum engages in "war propaganda." Santorum says Paul is "obviously not seeing clearly" on the subject and does not understand the threats to the country from Islamic militants.

Paul, a tea party favorite who opposes U.S. military engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan, says the United States is agitating in that region without reason. Santorum, the former No. 3 Republican in the Senate, says Iran is responsible for U.S. deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/08/11/3832670/paul-and-santorum-clash-over-us.html#ixzz1UoaNC7wr

GOP Debate: Tim Pawlenty Goes After 'Obamneycare' In Iowa (VIDEO)

When moderator Chris Wallace gave Tim Pawlenty a chance to go after Mitt Romney on health care, this time, he didn't pass it up.

During a June debate, Pawlenty declined to use the word "Obamneycare" to slam the Massachusetts health care plan Romney signed into law, even though he had used the phrase earlier, raising questions about whether he was ready to go toe-to-toe with Romney.

Tonight, Pawlenty was more aggressive: "I don't want to miss that chance again, Chris. Look, Obamacare was patterned after Mitt's plan in Massachusetts. And for Mitt or anyone else to say there aren't substantial similarities or they are not essentially the same plan -- it just isn't credible. So that's why I called it Obamneycare, and I think that's a fair label. I'm happy to call it that again tonight."

Romney cited the 10th amendment to argue that Massachusetts had the right to implement its plan, whereas the federal Affordable Care Act was an overreach. When host Chris Wallace asked where in the Constitution it says that the government can implement an individual mandate, Romney challenged Wallace:
Are you familiar with the Massachusetts constitution? I am. The Massachusetts constitution allows states for instance, to say our kids have to go to school. It has that power. The question is, is that a good or bad idea? I understand different people come to different conclusions. What we did in our state was this: We said, we're finding people are going to the hospital and getting the state to pay for them. Taxpayers are picking up hundreds of millions of dollars of costs from people who are free riders. We said we are going to insist those people who can afford to pay for themselves do so. We believe in personal responsibility. ... That was our conclusion. The right answer for every state is to determine what is right for those states, not to impose Obamacare on the nation. That's why I would repeal it.

Chimpanzees Display Behavior Thought To Be Unique To Humans (VIDEO)

Chimpanzees may be more generous than we thought.

Chimps spontaneously displaying empathy by consoling each other after fights and sharing food has been documented by scientists. However, altruistic behavior thought to be unique to humans was shown in previous research to only occur when the chimps were tricked or pressured, the Daily Mail reports.

A new report has found they are more giving than previous studies have credited them for. "Spontaneous Prosocial Choice By Chimpanzees," published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reports that chimpanzees are as co-operative as their human cousins, particularly when their partners are patient.

Study leader Dr. Horner told The New York Times the study suggests that rather than altruism being a behavior unique to humans, it is the number of instances in comparison to other mammals that is different.

"We were excited to find female after female [chimpanzee] chose the option that gave both her and her partner food," Dr. Horner told the Daily Mail.

The study found the chimps were much less likely to share the food if their partner kicked up a fuss.

Dr. Horner told LiveScience: "For me, the most important finding is that like us, chimpanzees take into account the needs and wishes of others."

Researcher Frans de Waal said empathy had also been found in capuchin monkeys, marmosets and tamarins, and he expected to find it in dogs and rats as well.

"Since empathy is an old mammalian trait, there is no reason why the sort of altruism we describe should be unique for the primates," de Waal told Discovery News.

Not everyone supports the findings. The New York Times reports that Michael Tomasello at the Max Planck Institute feels the study is poorly designed. Having conducted his own experiment, he came to a different conclusion: “Chimps help others, but what they do not do is give up food themselves so others can have it,” he said. “So they are prosocial when it is not costly, but when it is, not so much.”

An increasing number of studies are showing that other animals share many similar traits to humans. For example, this year, studies have shown that monkeys doubt themselves, and they also show regret and disappointment, just like humans.

WATCH:

Venice Introduces New Tourist Tax To Save City From Sinking (PHOTOS)

The future for one of the world's most romantic cities has long seemed uncertain. But now, Venice is finding new ways to fight for its survival and hopefully reverse, or at least stall, the environmental catastrophe it faces.

Italian heritage group Italia Nostra recently warned that the large number of tourists visiting the town known locally as "La Serenissima," which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is contributing to the gradual destruction of its ecosystem.

As the Vancouver Sun is reporting, officials will implement new tourist taxes in an effort to save the Italian city from the rising sea levels and provide much-needed maintenance. Visitors staying in five-star hotels will see 4.5 euros added to their bill from Aug. 24, while those staying in less luxurious accommodation will pay according to a sliding scale of fees as the city edges closer to the long-advocated idea of an entrance fee.

"This tax is a new and important opportunity for the city," Sandro Simionato, Venice deputy mayor, is quoted by the Daily Mail as saying. "The fundamental objective, which will also involve tourists who visit and love Venice, is to save this unique city, which is precious and fragile. The tax will help finance tourism, maintenance of cultural heritage sites, the environment, as well as public services."

View stunning photos of Venice here:

Robert Pattinson Talks Sex Scene With Kristen (Video)

The last six years have all built to this. That's not all that long in vampire years, but since Stephenie Meyers' first "Twilight" book was released in 2005, the excitement for the first Edward-Bella sex scene has grown bigger and bigger.

This November, it's finally coming.

Covering Entertainment Weekly's Fall movie preview issue, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart tease details about the first "Breaking Dawn" film, the epic finale to the vampire romance saga that is being split into two more manageable chunks. Vampire Edward Cullen, played by Pattinson, and human love Bella, played by Stewart, finally get married in the film, which means they can finally make violent undead love.

Pattinson, his usually wry self, joked about the scene and his character's mix of brute strength and passion, which leads him to tear apart the bed.

"I wanted to have it as a line so much, 'I bit through all the pillows. Every. Single. One,'" he told the Magazine. "And then [Edward would] start crying. By the way, that's what he should be ashamed of in the morning. All those beautiful pillows! Egyptian cotton! 'I ruined this bed!'"

Whether it actually makes it into the film remains to be seen, but director Bill Condon has said before that they did not hold back when it came to the bedframe-rocking scene.

"We shot everything -- whether it's the lovemaking or the childbirth -- as potent and powerful as it can be," he told EW earlier in the year. "It will be interesting to see whether there will be people who think it too disturbing for this universe."

They also tease the birthing scene, which Pattinson told the audience at Comic-Con was "hardcore" and "graphic."



Justin Bieber's Alter Ego 'Derek' Tops Twitter Trends (VIDEO)

Don't worry there isn't another Bieber, it's only Justin.

But if you were wondering why "Derek Bieber" has been trending on Twitter since yesterday, it's because the teen heartthrob was just having a little fun with an annoying paparazzo.

TMZ caught up with Bieber while he was walking around L.A. and asked the pop star about being called a "brat" by American Airlines. Bieber -- who has definitely had some good media training -- refused to play the cameraman's games, replying:

"I've never heard that rumor, ever... I don't think you should believe everything you hear. People say I'm dead today; that's the rumor."

It's amusing to watch the 17-year-old take the unrelenting cameras in his face with stride, then joking he was actually heading to his own funeral.

And when asked how he responds to hearing things like being called a brat, Bieber sarcastically replied:

"I'm famous? I'm a celebrity? I didn't even realize. My name is Derek, I don't know what you guys are talking about. I'm just a lookalike. I don't know why you guys are following me around with cameras and stuff."

Well played, Bieber. Guess we can add Derek to the growing list of Bieber's aliases that include: Jason McCan, Jason Deeps, Shawty Mane, and Purple Ninja.


WATCH:

Republican Debate: GOP Presidential Candidates Fact-Checked

The debate began with the two most similar candidates– Minnesotans Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Rep. Michele Bachmann– pulling no punches in disparaging each other’s records. It wouldn’t take long for the two most different candidates to have at it, and the foreign policy conversation between. Rep. Ron Paul and Rick Santorum delivered just as much as the experience one among the Minnesotans.

Rep. Paul brought his vintage A-game to the debate on foreign policy tonight, attacking America’s foreign policy on Iran and arguing that they were entirely justified in wanting nuclear weapons. Arguing that the USSR had nuclear weapons and “they were the greatest danger in our history,” he concluded it made no sense to stop the Iranians, who were not a threat. Paul and Santorum clashed during Thursday's debate over Iran's nuclear ambitions and its threats to the United States. Paul says Santorum engages in "war propaganda." Santorum says Paul is "obviously not seeing clearly" on the subject and does not understand the threats to the country from Islamic militants.

Paul, a tea party favorite who opposes U.S. military engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan, says the United States is agitating in that region without reason. Santorum, the former No. 3 Republican in the Senate, says Iran is responsible for U.S. deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan.

'So You Think You Can Dance' Crowns Melanie Moore as Winner

The final result of "So You Think You Can Dance" season 8 did not fall from predictions. Having been judges' favorite since her audition, Melanie Moore was announced as the champion on the Thursday (August 11) show, with 47 percent of total vote.

Another female dancer on the top four, Sasha Mallory, was placed second. Meanwhile, 22-year-old Marko Germar, who once made Lady GaGa cry with his routine on Top 8 performance night, and 25-year-old Tadd Gadduang were the third placer and fourth placer respectively.

On the final result show, all top 20 dancers from this season returned to stage to perform. The judges, that include Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Robin Antin and Lil' C, picked the routines that were performed by the contestants that night.

Later, the top 10 dancers from the season are scheduled to embark on a 32-city tour on September 17. The stops include Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City on September 30 and the Prudential Center in Newark on October 4.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Subway Punching Bags: Chinese Commuters Get To Vent Their Frustrations (VIDEO)

Commuting is far from a stress-free experience, especially in a city of 23 million. But now Shanghai's subway riders can take out their frustration on massive punching bags, instead of fellow passengers.

Adidas installed the punching bags in Shanghai's subway station as part of a quirky ad campaign.

Across the bags, a slogan reads (when translated into English), "Every year you have to wait on the platform for about 1,824 minutes. Don't waste your time, come and have some punch!" , reports Treehugger.

Perhaps this initiative could inspire a bit of exercise and help tackle China's growing obesity epidemic. The Telegraph reports Chinese obesity rates grew from 18 million in 2005 to 100 million last year, or nearly 8 per cent of the population. Meanwhile, about 39% of China's population is overweight, according to a study from Shanghai's Jiaotong university.

Tiger Woods Texts Steve Williams, Congratulates Caddie Despite Comments

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. (Associated Press) -- Tiger Woods is taking the high road in his nasty split with caddie Steve Williams.

Woods says Wednesday he was happy to see Adam Scott win a World Golf Championship last week. He said he even sent a text of congratulations to his ex-caddie, who now works for the Australian.

He says he was surprised that Williams took a shot at him on national TV when the tournament was over, and that they have exchanged texts since then. Woods says that's between him and his former caddie, and he doesn't want to speculate why Williams was so motivated to win.

As for his own hopes in the PGA Championship, Woods says it's always about winning. He also revealed, though, that his improved health is enough to make this year successful.

In case you missed it, check the controversial comments that Woods was referring to below. Williams admitted on Tuesday that his remarks were "a bit over the top."

WATCH:




Raksha Bandhan Festival Preparations Begin (Photos)

Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs across India are preparing for Raksha Bandhan, or the “bond of protection” festival, which falls this Saturday.

The annual festival, also known as “Rakhi”, always falls on a full moon and symbolizes a sister’s love for her brother, and brother’s life-long vow to protect his sister.

On the day of the Raksha Bandhan, a sister ties a decorative thread called “rakhi” on the wrists of her brother. In return, he gives her money, sweets, and other gifts.

See photos of the brilliant colors of Raksha Bandhan below:


Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Female Curator Beaten By Police In Art Gallery

A female curator was allegedly beaten for 'indecent' behavior by a police station supervisor in Lahore, Pakistan on August 2, at an art gallery owned by well-known Pakistani architect Nayyar Ali Dada. The offending behavior included wearing sleeveless clothing and interacting with men.

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the officer and his subordinates entered the gallery without a warrant and began harassing female guests. The curator was "brutally assaulted," and, according to an Express Tribune blog post, "her colleagues who came to her rescue were taken to the police station and booked under an obsolete ordinance."

Nairang Art Gallery is known locally as a destination for left-leaning intellectuals, the sort of clientele that is generally less inclined to strictly observe Sharia law. Zee News quotes eminent Urdu writer Intizar Hussain, who said, "This is the only place left in Lahore where intellectuals can sit for a while."

So far, no action has been taken against the policeman, the Station House Officer of Lahore's Shadman police station, though it has been condemned by human rights groups and local commentators.

Below is a video from a previous exhibition at the gallery.

WATCH: Sawyer Glacier Ice Breaks Off Near Alaskan Tourists

If anybody ever thought staring at ice was boring, they need just look at this video of a 200-foot chunk of ice breaking off of Sawyer Glacier in Tracy Arm Fjord in Alaska to realize that ice can certainly perk up a tourist's day.

Or not. In the Youtube description the author says that, "a woman was injured and broke her leg."

Below is another video where the author says a chuck of ice nearly took off her head, and that a seal having a very bad day.

"Seal also gets taken out. Damn nature, you scary!"

Checking out glaciers in Alaska is a supremely popular tourist activity, but it always benefits one to remember that nature can pop up and bite you on the "Holy Crap!" from time to time.

Luckily there were no glacial tourists off Antarctica during the Japan Tsunami when an iceberg the size of Manhattan was broken off.






Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Rescuers Save Stranded Baby Humpback Whale


Rescuers saved a stranded baby whale in Australia's Gold Coast on Monday, helping it get back to sea.

The baby whale had become separated from its mother. Rescuers dug a hole in the sand to allow the whale to get off the beach once the tide came in.

Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch the Throne (Full Album)

After countless teasers, snippets, visual trailers, rumors and whatnot, Jay-Z and Kanye West’s collaborative project, Watch the Throne, has been released today exclusively today on iTunes with a physical release following on August 12. It is also worth pointing out that this is the first time since the dawn of the internet age that one of the year’s most anticipated albums has avoided the leak trap. You can stream the LP in its full audio glory below, but make sure to support. It sure is worth it.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Gavin DeGraw Hospitalized After Attack in New York (Video)

Singer Gavin DeGraw was hospitalized after he was viciously assaulted by multiple attackers late Sunday night in New York City .

A source close to Gavin tells the singer -- who lives in New York City -- was outnumbered by several people during the attack.

Gavin's rep says he is still under observation at Bellevue Hospital tonight ... but would not be specific about his injuries.

Gavin has been touring with Train and Maroon 5 ... and their next stop was scheduled for Tuesday night in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Pirelli Calendar 2011 Photo Shoot (Video)

It’s definitely nudity, but not as we know it – this is nudity in its highest art form. The world’s most beautiful women, shot by one of the most celebrated artists of our time, Karl Lagerfeld. Natasha Poly, Lara Stone, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Julianne Moore and Freja are just some of the gorgeous models in this year’s Pirelli calendar, based on the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology. Makeup by Peter Phillips, and hair by Sam McKnight.

Rioting, looting spread in London; 225 arrested


LONDON - The rioting and looting that convulsed poorer parts of London over the weekend spread to the eastern neighborhood of Hackney yesterday evening, as hundreds of hooded youths confronted squads of riot police officers on the main street, smashing store windows, and attacking police cars and double-decker buses.

The new outbreak came as the police vastly increased the number of riot-control officers deployed in London to deal with the worst unrest the city has seen in decades.

The disturbances also reached outside London for the first time, spreading to the central city of Birmingham, where dozens of people attacked shops in a main retail district, and to Liverpool, where police said vehicles were set ablaze and buildings vandalized in the city’s southern neighborhoods.

Buildings, vehicles, and trash dumps were set on fire, stores burglarized, and police officers pelted with bottles and fireworks in London yesterday, as groups of young people rampaged through neighborhoods across the capital.

Fire crews battled to control a fire that swept through a 100-year-old furniture store in Croydon, in south London, and forced nearby homes to be evacuated.

Police said that they had arrested more than 225 people and that about 35 officers had been injured since the rioting began Saturday. About half the people arrested are age 21 or younger, they said.

The violence caught many British leaders abroad on vacation, including Prime Minister David Cameron, who cut short a vacation to Italy yesterday and was returning to London to hold an emergency Cabinet meeting. Home Secretary Theresa May also flew home from a holiday to help manage the mayhem, which recalled earlier spasms of violence rooted in deep social problems.

The latest rioting may have been amplified by the use of social media, and many looked for causes in the painful austerity cuts in Britain’s national budget that have shriveled programs for unemployed urban youth.

But police officials and some neighborhood activists said many of the rioters and looters appeared to be thrill seekers and thugs.

Erika Lopez, a spokeswoman for an advocacy organization who has been monitoring the violence, called the rioters “groups of people who are just taking advantage of the situation to create a horrid atmosphere in London.’’ Her group, Haringey Young People Empowered, is based in the Haringey area of north London, which has so far remained calm.

Steve Kavanagh, deputy assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said: “These people don’t represent communities. They are criminals out to exploit an opportunity.’’

Kavanagh said May had conferred with top London police officials and had stressed the need for dispatching large numbers of police officers quickly into areas of trouble. He said the number of riot officers deployed in London since Saturday had been quadrupled but did not specify how many, although they are in the thousands.

The violence started Saturday when a small antipolice demonstration in Tottenham over the fatal police shooting of a local man, Mark Duggan, spiraled into looting and violence.

Then, across London, skirmishes broke out again Sunday between groups of young people and large numbers of riot police officers drawn from forces around the city. Sunday night’s clashes, which the police called “copycat violence,’’ seemed less serious but more widespread.

Tottenham was quiet yesterday. But the police were alerted to possible trouble in Hackney by late afternoon and sent a large number of riot police there. The violence apparently began after they arrested someone, and it lasted at least an hour.

Grabbing anything that resembled a weapon, bands of hooded youths even broke into a tree surgeon’s truck, pilfering a pickaxe and staves of wood to smash store windows.

They also grabbed shopping carts and steel chairs to hurl at the police, who responded by charging them with truncheons and blocking off side streets to prevent the rioters from running away.

A BBC news helicopter showed footage from overhead, including a police officer violently striking one hooded protester.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Lady Gaga Beats Justin Bieber In Twitter Followers

Lady Gaga, the American pop sensation, has made internet history by becoming the first person to collect 10 million Twitter followers.
Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga has 400,000 more followers than the next largest Twitter user, Justin Bieber, who has 9.6 million followers. President Barack Obama has around 8 million, while pop superstarBritney Spears has ‘only’ acquired 7.8 million followers.
Lady Gaga, one of the most prolific celebrity ‘tweeters’, has consistently gathered more followers than digital rivals such as Britney Spears andJustin Bieber.
The site notes that in July 2010, Gaga was the first living person to achieve 10 million Facebook ‘likes’, and in October 2010 she became the first to reach 1billion views on YouTube.American actor Ashton Kutcher is regarded as a likely contender to steal Gaga’s Twitter crowd. The 33-year-old was recently unveiled as Charlie Sheen’s replacement on ‘Two and a Half Men’, and he already has over 6 million followers.

Justin Bieber T-Shirt Sends the Wrong Message‎

Shocking Justin Bieber T-Shirt Sends the Wrong Message The Stir Justin Bieber! Between the tattoos and this t-shirt, you’re turning into such a bad boy! I just don’t know what to do with you anymore.
The Biebs shocked fans — or, more likely, parents of fans — when he was spotted wearing a Cee Lo Green “F**k You and F**k Her Too” t-shirt while doing some shopping at Sunset Plaza.

Well, there exists a pop star variation on this directive: To whom many billions of dollars have been given from the pockets of parents whose children are suffering from Bieber-fever.

Heather Locklear in London


Actress Heather Locklear and her little black dress attended the Shooting Stars Benefit Pairing Dinner in London, England yesterday at Asprey.

Shoes = Love.

Preeti Jhangiani caught without panty (Photos)



The next celebrity, who has lately joined the list of the Bollywood babes, who were caught without panties in public is actress Preeti Jhangiani. The actress was recently in Delhi to promote her first produced movie, ‘Sahi Dhandhe Galat Bande’.

The actress was accompanied with her husband Pravin Dabas, when the paparazzi had caught the oops moment. Preeti was seen wearing a black short dress and was seated on a chair when she had revealed a bit too much.

Earlier, actresses like Yana Gupta, Shamita Shetty and Neetu Chandra were among the celebrities who had appeared without their essentials in public. Actress Preeti and her husband Pravin have recently become proud parents of a baby boy, due to which the actress has put on some inches.

While talking about parenting the new parents said that they are currently enjoying their parenthood and their irregular sleeping schedules due to the baby. Regarding fitness, Preeti says that she is not really the fitness kind but her husband constantly inspires her to get back to her lean figure.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

10 Year Old Girl Who Became A Mum to Her 13 Year Old Cousin


This is the 10-year-old girl who has become one of the world’s youngest mums.
Elena Chiritescu gave birth naturally to a baby girl called Nicoleta who weighed 6lb 6oz.
The baby’s father was her 13-year-old cousin Gheorghe Mecic.
The Romanian gipsy couple – pictured above when Elena was three months pregnant – are no longer together.
Elena’s dad died in Bucharest when she was just ve and mum Olympia, crippled by poverty, went to Spain to nd work along with her sister.
The young girl and her cousin Gheorghe were left in the care of grandmother Petra Tiberie.

Take the Money and Run, Season 10 Episode 1


So the premise of "Take the Money and Run" is that a pair of people get a briefcase with $100,000 inside. They have an hour to hide it anywhere in their city. Then some real investigators have 48 hours to find the money.

If they find it, the investigators keep it. If it stays hidden, the pair keeps it. The rules of the investigation are that the investigators get access to the pair's cellphones, any receipts they acquire during the hiding period and the GPS coordinates from their vehicle.

The premiere pair were the Bustamante brothers Raul and Paul in San Francisco. They drove around to a bunch of locations, called a variety of people as decoys and ultimately buried the briefcase in Lafayette Park.

After the hide the money, the investigators treat this as a real investigation, which actually surprises me. They decide that Raul is the Alpha and Paul is the weak link, which turns out to be totally true. Paul is a terrible, terrible liar and he's getting so nervous. Dude, relax! This isn't real.

Then the investigators call the guys' mom and she just gives up the third brother's address. The investigator straight-up says, "Paul and Raul can't come to the phone, I'm calling for them. They want to go visit their brother Rob for his birthday, but they don't know his address" and she just gives it up. You're a fortress, mom. Well done.

Meanwhile, the other investigators are playing Paul like a violin. He's a weak-ass mama's boy and he is crumbling on the fake heist TV show. Nut up, dude! Get it together. Seriously, I hope this guy watches this and feels deeply shamed.

He absolutely cracks under the "pressure" because he "wants to go home." It's 48 HOURS! For $100,000! And you have like 18 hours left! What is wrong with this guy? He now straight-up just tells them where the case is. W.T.F.?!

This is embarrassing. The investigators find the case with 17 hours to go. Because stupid Paul gave them up so he could go back to his mama's house

Float Giant Mermaid in Alster Lake Germany

The 12-foot-tall floating artwork was reportedly designed in three pieces by Oliver Voss, artist, advertising executive and head of the advertising academy.
Workers in the German city of Hamburg are assembling an eye-catching aquatic sculpture called “Giant Mermaid” in Alster Lake.
A man adjusts a sculpture “Giant Mermaid” on the Alster lake in the northern German city of Hamburg on August 1, 2011. The sculpture is created by art and advertising agency Oliver Voss.
When put together, the sculpture should resemble a woman bathing in the picturesque lake. But the crew installing the oversized art piece ran into some technical trouble Monday.

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