It could have been Thursday in Chelsea on Wednesday night in Murray Hill, as the crowds maneuvered through sidewalk drinkers in front of the Day-Glo graffitied windows of the Romanian Cultural Institute (RCI). The RCI flew in three early-twenties graffiti artists to team up with Wooster Collective co-founders Sara and Marc Schiller and cover the gallery walls in brightly colored religious icons, serpents, spies, manimals, slogans, and symbols. Schiller, who spends his days collaborating with street artists, wanted to give these artists the opportunity to interact with New York. "As much as technology and the Web connect everything, you can't replicate the experience of being together."

The opening also merged street and multimedia art with screenings and interactive installations from Simultan, Romania's largest video and media-arts festival. It's still a relatively small festival, but Cristian Neagoe, the young new communications director largely responsible for bringing these artists here, says it's easier to get an authentic experience that way. "Here it's a bit more controlled," he says. "An artist becomes trendy and the media latch on. In Romania they're starting from scratch, nobody watches or gives a damn, and that way, they have the freedom to innovate." —Catrinel Bartolomeu

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 20 Jun 2008 | 8:30 pm

Christie Brinkley's Divorce to Have Its Close-Up

Christie Brinkley was never one to turn down a cover story. A New York judge ruled Friday that the former supermodel's divorce proceedings will remain open to the media, despite her...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 20 Jun 2008 | 8:30 pm

Vivienne Westwood Couldn’t Sit Through ‘Sex and the City’

There is one woman in the world who didn't love the Sex and the City movie: Vivienne Westwood. Yes, gasp aloud! We're serious! Though she made Carrie's wedding dress and even hand-wrote the note that appears with the dress in the film, she didn't like the clothes! WENN reports:

Westwood insists she was far from impressed with stylist Patricia Field's work on the big screen adaptation of the hit TV series.

She says, "I thought Sex And The City was supposed to be about cutting-edge fashion and there was nothing remotely memorable or interesting about what I saw.

"I went to the premiere and left after ten minutes."

OUCH. Those words even hurt us. Yes, Viv, the clothes were kind of ridiculous at times, but we still loved looking at them. Though we will admit all the pink graphics in the opening when they were doing the recaps of the characters' stories were rather gag-inducing. Maybe you can buy the DVD and skip over that part.

Westwood: 'Sex Movie Is Dull' [IMDb via Fashionista]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 20 Jun 2008 | 8:10 pm

Someone Is Spending a Lot of Time Thinking About Stuyvesant Town

Cobble Hill: Isn't it kind of sadistic of the Times to wait until the very end of this story to tell you that a beloved, imperiled tree on Kane Street actually survives? Oh, sorry for that spoiler, Kareem Fahim! [NYT]
Dumbo: Two Williamsburg artists have painted a really bright Aztec-themed mural on the outer wall of Pedro's, the nabe's iconic Spanish eatery at Front and Jay. Isn't it nice that stuff like this still happens in increasingly fancy hoods? We're being totally earnest! [Brooklyn Paper]
East Village: The ability of this blogger to keep coming up with fake news posts satirizing the gentrification of Stuyvesant Town, such as these high-end Port-A-Potties, must not go unremarked upon. So here we remark upon it. [Stuyvesant Town's Lux Living]

Forest Hills: Will someone please help the crazy Caribbean lady shouting obscenities on the eastbound platform of the LIRR before she hurts herself or someone else? [Forest Hills 72]
St. Albans: Folks here are trying to block a meat market that would slaughter goats, lambs, ducks, and chicken on site. So much for locavorism. [NYDN via Queens Crap]
Westerleigh: Joe McBratney, an actor from this part of Staten Island, recently won $200,000 on the TV show Don't Forget the Lyrics. He marveled: "I didn't know I knew the words to 'Karma Chameleon.'" C'mon, Joe. Lovin' would be easy if your colors were like our dreams. [SI Live]
Williamsburg: Following in the footsteps of Mayor Bloomberg's Summer Streets program, Williamsburg's proposal to "make Bedford from North 3rd to North 9th pedestrian only starting on 19 July and for the three Saturdays following" looks like it may go through. [Brooklyn11211 via Curbed]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 20 Jun 2008 | 8:07 pm

Orange You Glad You Don’t Have Hair Like Artist Ann Pachner?

Ann Pachner creates bright, voluptuous objects and images. She does wood carvings that look like casual teepees or leaves that a fairy might use to float down a river on. She presents five-foot pencil drawings in their original and digitized form, images that suggest fire, hair, or a lady's ballooning skirt. Here, it's not clear if Pachner is making the best of a bad hair day or if said bad hair day has provoked a nuclear reaction of sorts. Either way, we're hoping our next bad hair day looks as dramatic as this — and perhaps we'll also try and pass it off as art. Pachner's one-woman show closes at A.I.R Gallery in Chelsea tomorrow. —Emma Pearse

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 20 Jun 2008 | 8:00 pm

Can 'Camp Rock' Dethrone 'HSM'?

Disney's follow up to the "High School Musical" franchise premieres Friday.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 20 Jun 2008 | 7:38 pm

Isaac Brock Goes Nutso at Secret Modest Mouse Show

Walking down North 6th Street last night at 1:30 a.m. was like parting a Red Sea of bearded, bespectacled guys in plaid shirts. This strange fact owed to Modest Mouse having announced a secret Music Hall of Williamsburg show, following their gig opening for R.E.M. at Madison Square Garden earlier that day. (Tickets went on sale at noon and sold out in 30 minutes. Immediately after that, they were offered for $200 a pair on Craigslist.) Staggeringly long lines meant the band didn’t take the stage until 2:29 a.m., but they more than made up for any fan fatigue. By the second song, Isaac Brock was flailing on the floor, knocking over his mike. “It's fucking … it's really great that you all showed up here,” he told the crowd, sounding grateful and surprised. “I'm pretty sure that these are my prime hours.”

We’d have to second that notion: Brock then ripped out a banjo for a rendition of “Satin in a Coffin” that sounded like hillbilly death metal, thrashing around the stage with such abandon we started feeling sorry for the anxious guitar guy who kept following him around, making sure nothing came unplugged. At times Brock would pause to survey the crowd. He made fun of some gear-laden photographer, saying he looked like “bionic man.” (“I own both those items, but I've never used them together,” Brock said. “I'm not trying to pick on you, buddy. I'm just baffled.”) Best was the long nonsensical story he started telling about growing up in Montana (“The only reason for anyone to live there was because the settlers just gave up”). He found his point, lost it, circled it a few times, and somehow landed on “rednecks and dogs.” “I'm not just a drunk dude prattling onstage,” he said. Then someone handed him a beer. “Oh God. That's going to make the story longer!”

Finally the band just started playing “Wild Pack of Family Dogs” (apparently Brock’s rant was meant to introduce the song), and quickly segued into the best moment of the night, where Brock made his trademark lunge for the guitar with his teeth, then jumped into the crowd to mosh for a bit.

As we were exiting, around 4 a.m., we overheard this fine summary of the night:

Dude: “Best non-drug-fueled show of my life!”
Chick: “How do you know they weren't on drugs?”
Dude: “No, me. Me. I wasn't on drugs.”
Chick: “Wow, that's a good show. You're always on drugs.” —Jada Yuan

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 20 Jun 2008 | 7:30 pm

André Leon Talley’s Turban Fetish

It's official: André Leon Talley has a turban fetish. (Muumuus must be passé.) The Vogue editor has worn the headgear twice in recent weeks. First he wore an ivory Yigal Azrouël one to the CFDA awards, where he told us he was very into turbans at the moment; then on Tuesday he wore a navy one to the fund-raiser Vogue hosted in honor of Michelle Obama. Someone sure got inspired by Prada's spring '07 show.

But this isn't just something silly he's trying, the way you might wear an Ace of Base T-shirt to a concert. Talley has been carefully researching the art of wrapping turbans. According to Fashion Week Daily, he's been receiving lessons from the turban cowboy himself, hotelier Vikram Chatwal. Since Talley's adoring public can't register along with him for Turban Wrapping 101 with Chatwal, he'll write about his learnings in an upcoming "Life With André" column in Vogue. And it sure looks like Talley has been doing his homework. His turban at the fund-raiser is wrapped much differently from the turban from the CFDAs, and almost perfectly mimics Chatwal's. Maybe sticking Fred Leighton diamonds on such head pieces is considered amateur.

Life With André's Turbans [Fashion Week Daily]
Related: Hotelier Vikram Chatwal Discovers He Likes It Raw

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 20 Jun 2008 | 7:20 pm

Peggy Noonan Does Not Like to Be Profiled

In his lengthy WWD profile of Journal columnist Peggy Noonan, writer Jacob Bernstein takes a sound-bite stroll through memory lane with the former Reagan and Bush-41 speechwriter. She receives glowing praise from fellow journalists like Dan Rather (she's a "fiercely independent reporter"), William Greider of The Nation ("I think she’s terrific"), and the late Tim Russert ("The only predictable thing about her column is its unpredictability"). But the most interesting bit comes when Noonan talks about herself, and how, well, she hates talking about herself. In the story's lede, Bernstein reprints a nervous e-mail from Noonan, in which she tries to get him to drop the profile:

Please don’t be mad at me. I don’t mean to show disrespect for your time, or for you. You are a doll. I have to admit to second thoughts, none of which are connected to you. What I have been thinking each day is this: I really want the column to speak for me. Because it’s better at speaking for me than I am. The thing about writing is that, as you of course know, it requires — and allows — reflection and consideration and figuring out what you really think, what you really want to say. And each week I try to get to that, sometimes getting there and sometimes not. But when I talk I find myself more inclined to pop off, or go for a joke, or attempt to entertain, or fill silence lest silence be misunderstood….In the weeks after we spoke I sort of winced at things I’d said. (That would be just about everything.)

I feel I was babbly, nervous, and in general…wanting. And I felt, Oh, don’t be a noisy person, be quiet and write. (I was hoping you found me sufficiently boring not to go forward.) This is not in any way your fault as I’m sure you know or have a sense of, but mine. Could you allow this to just pass, and not do the piece? I would be so grateful.

We're pretty sure Noonan would have preferred not to have this e-mail reprinted in its entirety. But out of the whole piece about her brilliant career, this is the part that made us like her the most.

How Peggy Noonan Won the Democratic Primary [WWD]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 20 Jun 2008 | 7:15 pm

Tim Russert Immortalized by ‘Cursed’ Rug Maker

We were browsing at Chelsea's Mixed Greens gallery this week when we were struck by this particularly poignant portrait: a latched-hooked rug depicting Tim Russert. Created last year by artist Rob Conger, the 56-by-36-inch piece is made of woven acrylic yarn and is part of a series that includes portraits of Alan Greenspan and Wal-Mart's Sam Walton. "In the nineties, when everyone was gung-ho about money, like, who's the person? The person is Greenspan," he told us yesterday afternoon. "And now everyone is political, because they realize what they did by not being political for eight years, and now it's like, who's the person? And the person would be Russert."

Conger said he was a regular viewer of Meet the Press, and yesterday he wrote a post on the gallery's blog titled "Remembering Russert — And the apparent Conger Curse," in which he discusses the various people who died not long after he created a rug in their honor (Mr. Rogers, World's Strongest Man Johnny Perry). "I watched [Russert] religiously," he wrote. "I was looking to him as the 'mainstream needle' that gauged zero on the political spectrum … I thought that my show at Mixed Greens was going to foreshadow the elections as more and more people switched off American Idol (as well as Fox News, and Keith Olbermann) and turned to Meet the Press to see what 'normal' meant." For now, the rug, as well as a smaller version featuring Russert behind the Press desk, remains in the gallery unsold. —Lori Fradkin

Remembering Russert — And the apparent Conger Curse [Pit/Mixed Greens]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 20 Jun 2008 | 6:45 pm

Marc’s New Ads: Dude Looks Like a Lady!

Leave it to Marc Jacobs and Juergen Teller to come up with another kooky ad. The Marc by Marc Jacobs’ fall shots are out and feature a cute LBD with large bow detail. The overall effect’s a little Breakfast at Tiffany’s, down to the dark shades and chunky jewelry. But the twist (and with Marc there’s always a twist): The ads feature top male model Cole Mohr in said cocktail dress.  Could it be that male models are the new “It” girls? Watch out, ladies, your top runway spots are next! First Marc by Marc, soon the lads will be sporting angel wings in thongs. It could happen. —Kendall Herbst

Related: Cole in a Dress [Models.com]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 20 Jun 2008 | 6:40 pm

The Spitzer Family to Vacation in Southeast Asia

It’s been a tough year for the Spitzer family, to say the least. Now that the legislative session is coming to a close, and he’s no longer responsible for steamrolling lawmakers into achieving reforms anyway, papa Eliot is taking the whole gang on a summer vacation. On Monday, according to sources, the disgraced ex-governor, wife Silda and their three girls will depart for Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. A spokeswoman for the Spitzers, Anna Cordasco, confirmed the trip and said the family was going to Southeast Asia but didn’t know the specific countries. Spitzer is still under investigation by the Feds and could potentially serve jail time for using the services of an international prostitution ring and money laundering. Recently, other members of the ring have pleaded guilty to federal charges and are expected to serve as witnesses for the government if Spitzer is indicted. But the Southeast Asia trip was Spitzer's eldest daughter Elyssa's idea, Cordasco said. And yes, after ten days or so, Spitzer is planning on returning to the United States. —Geoffrey Gray

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 20 Jun 2008 | 6:31 pm

Chris Martin’s Self-Deprecation Is Almost As Insufferable As His Music

"Like millions of people in the world, I can't listen to Coldplay." —Chris Martin [LAT]

"I'm a teleporter … I'm here, I'm there, I'm everywhere. Boom, boom, boom!" —Black Eyed Peas rapper Will.I.Am on his character in the upcoming film X:Men Origins: Wolverine [MTV]

"I think I'm more comfortable with it. I know what my strengths are, and you just can't compete with Steve's ass." —Anne Hathaway on being competitive with Steve Carell [Reuters via Yahoo]

"I always bare my breasts." —Keira Knightley [People]

"Country music is the most underrated music in the world." — Is Snoop Dogg still trying to get into LeAnn Rimes's pants? [People]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 20 Jun 2008 | 6:00 pm

Froelich to Olbermann: I Know You Are But What Am I?

Oooh, Paula Froelich responded via Gawker to Keith Olbermann, who made her his "Worst Person in the World" last night after she wrote a mean item about him and Chris Matthews. According to Paula, Olbermann is "as infantile as he is narcissistic" and suffers from "a severe case of malignant self-obsession."

Oh. Really? Can't she do better than that? How about "His indignation is as believable as his snap-on hair," or "His whining reminds me of a constipated fox terrier." Or some such. Creative insults for both parties may be left in the comments. Let the real war of words begin!

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 20 Jun 2008 | 6:00 pm

Agyness Deyn and Albert Hammond Jr. Sitting in a Tree

We wondered why Agyness Deyn was attending the Songwriters Hall of Fame awards last night. We know she sings that song "Who" for the Five O'Clock Heroes and all, but was she really a member of the club so soon? Perhaps not quite yet. "Albert Hammond Jr. is bringing her," a PR woman handling the event told us before she arrived, referring to the Strokes guitarist. "Maybe there's something there," she happily added. She only recently broke up with Josh Hubbard of the Paddingtons, but could it be true? Are Aggy and Albert an item?

All signs pointed to yes as the night wore on. First the two unabashedly engaged in public displays of affection on the red carpet — an embrace here, a kiss on the cheek there. Once inside, we snagged a minute with the apparently happy couple, Hammond's arm never relinquishing Deyn's waist as the two sipped on cups of coffee. We asked Deyn, outfitted in a tight-fitting black cocktail dress, how her music career was going. "I just collaborated with a friend's band, just for fun. I think that's out in a few weeks in the U.K.," she answered. "Is it not out yet?" Albert asked her. "No, it's out June 26," she replied. "Really. So you kind of did promo before? She just came back from doing promo. It's amazing. I wasn't there, but." So he's keeping tabs like her No. 1 fan. Innnnnteresting.

Then when we innocently inquired how the two met, they cast telling gazes into each other's eyes. "That's a bit personal, sorry," Deyn replied. Back to music then! Will she tour this summer? "I really don't know my schedule," she said. And, just like that, the lights went dim, Desmond Child and Rouge took the stage, and we were ushered back to our seat left pondering a possible Agyness appearance in the next Strokes video and/or tour and what their first duet might be called. —Alisa Gould-Simon

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 20 Jun 2008 | 5:50 pm

Hats and heels reign supreme on Ladies Day

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 20 Jun 2008 | 5:47 pm

Naomi Campbell Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Cops

Temperamental model Naomi Campbell was sentenced to 200 hours of community service Friday after pleading guilty to assaulting two police officers after an "air rage" incident at Heathrow Airport.
Source: FOXNews.com | 20 Jun 2008 | 5:45 pm

Reality Check: 'Dance' Puts Dancers in Their Place

It was only a matter of time before I was going to have to take this year’s "So You Think You Can Dance" finalists off the pedestal I put them on ... I just didn’t think it would be so soon.
Source: FOXNews.com | 20 Jun 2008 | 5:43 pm

Naomi Campbell sentenced for 'air rage'

Supermodel Naomi Campbell has been sentenced to 200 hours of community service after pleading guilty to assaulting two police officers following an "air rage" incident at London's Heathrow Airport.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 20 Jun 2008 | 5:35 pm

The Stars of ‘Fat Guy Stuck in Internet’ on Writing Stoner Comedy While Stoned

The brand-new Adult Swim show Fat Guy Stuck in Internet follows the antics of a hefty, genius computer programmer named Ken Gemberling who’s forced to save cyberspace, while confronting his own issues with gluttony, after spilling a beer on his keyboard and being sucked into the Internet. Co-created by and co-starring Upright Citizens Brigade alums Curtis Gwinn and John Gemberling, it debuted this week and can be seen Sunday nights at 12:15 a.m. (or Monday mornings, if you prefer). Gemberling and Gwinn talked to Vulture about the dorkiness of Tron and the stupidity of the Internet.

What’s the secret to appealing to an audience that's 90 percent stoned people?
Gemberling: Let’s just wait and see if we do appeal to them.

To borrow a joke from the series, had you guys been “J.R.R. toking” yourselves when you conceived the show?
Gemberling: Are you asking if we were under the influence of drugs? No. That’s the funny thing about doing crazy comedy and stoner stuff. After the shows people come up and are like, “Aw, man, how high were you when you wrote that? You guys must have been wasted!”

Gwinn: The times I’ve tried to write or perform when I’ve been high have been the moments of the most dread I’ve ever experienced.

Gemberling: We actually sat down years ago when we were trying to come up with a live skit and said, “Let’s get high and write a comedy song.” It wasn’t that funny and it never got finished. It was an agonizing experience.

The antagonist Chains (played by Gwinn) is a bit of a stoner, but the main character Ken (played by Gemberling) is more of a booze-hound.
Gemberling: He’s more of a beer and food guy.

I guess there are not a lot of substances to be had in cyberspace.
Gwinn: We had written an entire episode where Chains is desperately trying to find weed and calling up old contacts, but that doesn’t make any sense because none of his contacts are in the Internet.

John, are you under a contractual obligation to maintain a certain weight, lest the name of the series no longer be accurate?
Gemberling: We were wondering that at the beginning. We thought it would be funny if I hit the gym and lost a bunch of weight. But that didn’t pan out for me. [Gwinn laughs.] The literal answer is no. I don’t think the network would particularly care one way or another, but I don’t there’s any fear that I’m in danger of getting super skinny.

How did you guys decide that pouring a beer on a keyboard is how one gets sucked into the Internet?
Gemberling: The show was originally a Web series, and actually the first idea was that I spilled an entire, like, big McDonald’s meal or something on the keyboard. The character we were originally conceiving of was more of a stoner-y, hapless loser, and then we kind of changed him into a cantankerous boozer.

Gwinn: Some people have criticized the show as a Tron ripoff, because Tron portrays a computer-programmer hotshot jerk who gets sucked into his computer. Well, yeah! But it’s not a ripoff, it’s a parody! Tron was trying to cash in on the popularity of the video games, so it had this programmer who was a fun, awesome guy. In 1982 there were no cool, freewheeling computer programmers. They were all pretty dorky. So we love the idea that this computer programmer is a badass.

You portray cyberspace as a dark and evil place. Does this reflect your actual views?
Gemberling: Oh, absolutely, but I don’t think the Internet is portrayed as an evil place, just sort of a land in decline. There’s no factual or intellectual compass. For every Website that says one thing, there will be twice as many that refute that.

Gwinn: We happen to think the Internet is a pretty stupid place. It’s the most incredible thing to come along in modern human history as far as communications are concerned. But it’s pretty stupid.

Gemberling: It’s the first instance in world history where literally everybody gets to put in their two cents, but most people don’t have two thoughts to rub together. And that’s not just my opinion. That’s fact. —Ben Westhoff

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 20 Jun 2008 | 5:30 pm

Hillary and Barack to Begin Campaigning Together Next Week

We heard earlier this week that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were going to appear together next Thursday at a fund-raiser for Hillary's donors in Washington, during which she would encourage them to give to Obama. Today, the Associated Press reports that the pair will officially begin campaigning together the next day, June 27. The Obama campaign announced the new development via e-mail but didn't give much information. On Wednesday, the candidate himself said that he had "not had conversations with Senator Clinton because she has been getting a well-deserved vacation." "We will be speaking I think in the next few days or certainly the next week," he continued, "and will be having an ongoing conversation." We're not quite sure what it is that makes Thursday's joint private appearance in front of ritzy donors not "campaigning" as opposed to whatever happens on Friday. Does it only count as "campaigning" if you do it around poor people?

Obama, Hillary Clinton to campaign together [AP]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 20 Jun 2008 | 5:30 pm

Pop Tarts: Is Jolie Better at Bashing Than at Kissing?

McAvoy was more turned on from having the pulp beaten out of him by the screen siren than he was during their makeout session.
Source: FOXNews.com | 20 Jun 2008 | 5:08 pm

Naomi and Linda’s Fall Campaigns Debut!

The new fall ad campaigns are trickling out and we're pumped. The nineties supers are coming back big this season, and Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista lead the pack. At top, we have Naomi for Yves Saint Laurent shot by Ines van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin and Linda for Prada shot by Steven Meisel. Funnily enough, our photo editor (not a fashion expert) thought these ads were from back in the day. We suppose he's right — they do look a little retro. Especially the Prada ad. Very frisky fifties housewife, no? Quite different from the Sasha Pivovarova ads we've gotten so used to, and a total departure from the fairy-themed spring campaign. And if anyone can bring disco back, it's Naomi in those fabulous pants. And she looks like she means business.

Memo Pad: Just Super [WWD]
Related: Step Aside, Actresses: The Supers Are Back

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 20 Jun 2008 | 5:00 pm

‘Martha Wanted to Wash and Blow-dry the Chickens’

MEDIA
• Executives in charge of working out Martha Stewart's new magazine concept for older women, M, are "working against the idea that Martha is a basket and frills person." But at a photo shoot, Martha got rather in the way. "Martha wanted to wash and blow-dry the chickens before the photo shoot." [WWD]
• Former Hearst CEO Frank Bennack is taking over the reins again after Victor Ganzi's sudden departure. People are speculating he'll sit on the Hearst throne for a while as the company takes its time finding a replacement for Ganzi. [NYP]
• Vladimir Nabokov's son Dmitri appoints superagent Andrew "the Jackal" Wylie to represent his father's estate. [NYO]

FINANCE
• Now that Matthew Tannin and Ralph Cioffi have been arrested, what former Bear Stearns executives could be next in line? Former CEO James Cayne, who told investors the bank had no liquidity issues just days before it went bankrupt, "could be in deep trouble," says professor of law at New York University's School of Law. [NYS]
• Meanwhile, Vikram Pandit is sweating: Citigroup surprised investors with the news that the firm expects "substantial" write- downs — on top of the $42 billion already lost in the past year. [NYP]
• Matthew Piper, the rogue trader who lost $120 million of Morgan Stanley's money, has a dachshund called Valerie. He also has terrible taste in hats. [London Times via DealBreaker]

REAL ESTATE
• The city's Rent Guidelines Board approved its highest rent increase in years — 4.5 percent for one-year leases and 8.5 percent for two-year leases — and New Yorkers are not happy about it. [NYT]
• The FBI has slapped around 400 individuals and nineteen companies with criminal charges as part of its "Operation Malicious Mortgage" sweep. [WSJ]
• Two years and $2 million later, the Macon branch of the Brooklyn Public Library has reopened. [NYT]

LAW
• Does Craigslist need to post an ad for a lawyer? After its legal tussle with eBay this spring, some think so. [Law.com]
• Defunct Manhattan firm Goldston & Schwab was awarded 2 percent of Bandwidth Technology Corporation's stock based on a retainer agreement that was signed during the dot-com boom. [Law.com]
• The mortgage-market crisis could be good for federal prosecutors in Brooklyn's Eastern District, which is seeking to up the number of white-collar cases they're handling. [WSJ]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 20 Jun 2008 | 5:00 pm

Nami Campbell to be new Yves Saint-Laurent muse

British supermodel Naomi Campbell, seen here in January 2008, is to be the new face of Yves Saint Laurent.
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 20 Jun 2008 | 4:30 pm

Alexandre Herchcovitch Pitches Fashion as Protest (Fashion Wire Daily)

Fashion Wire Daily - Clothing may be a universal concept, but fashion on the runway doesn't usually address larger issues outside of silhouettes, color palettes or fabric choices.

Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 20 Jun 2008 | 4:27 pm

'Destiny's Child' star raises AIDS awareness

She burst on the music scene as one-third of the mega-group Destiny's Child the highest-selling female group of all time.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 20 Jun 2008 | 3:02 pm

Poison Sues Label Over Royalties

Members of Poison say their record label has consistently underpaid them royalties throughout their career, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday.
Source: FOXNews.com | 20 Jun 2008 | 3:00 pm

Friday Night's Daytime Emmys to Mimic Golden Globes

Friday's live broadcast of the 35th annual Daytime Emmy Awards on ABC will feature talk show and game show hosts, TV judges and soap stars gathered around their own tables in a new setup similar to the Golden Globe Awards.
Source: FOXNews.com | 20 Jun 2008 | 2:56 pm

Florence cashes in on "pre-season" fashion wave (Reuters)

Reuters - Florence, where Italy's fashion industry got its start more than 50 years ago, is carving a new niche for itself by exploiting booming demand for pre-season collections.

Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 20 Jun 2008 | 2:56 pm

White House dinner honors American Jazz

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 20 Jun 2008 | 2:15 pm

Kate Moss Leaves Little to Imagination in See-Through Dress

Kate Moss bared her breasts in a long, sheer, black-and-white polka-dotted dress while attending an Istanbul art exhibit earlier this week with her 5-year-old daughter.
Source: FOXNews.com | 20 Jun 2008 | 2:14 pm

Keira Knightley: 'I Always Bare My Breasts'

Keira Knightley is topless in her new film — but that should come as no surprise.
Source: FOXNews.com | 20 Jun 2008 | 1:56 pm

Where Have All the Leading Ladies Gone?

Is it the season, or sexism, that accounts for fewer female-driven films?
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 20 Jun 2008 | 1:47 pm

'Love Guru' Fails to Achieve Enlightenment

Review: Though occasionally funny, Mike Myers' latest movie grows tedious.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 20 Jun 2008 | 1:37 pm

Gordon Ramsay: 'I'm Not Rude, I'm Honest'

Award-winning chef says a culinary career is all about pressure and perfection.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 20 Jun 2008 | 12:51 pm

Silvio Berlusconi

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi arrives for the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation dinner in Rome's Villa Madama on June 3. Italian movie distributors have baulked at the title of a new satirical...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 20 Jun 2008 | 12:46 pm

"Wanted" an audacious adrenaline rush (Reuters)

Reuters - It's good to be "Wanted."

Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 20 Jun 2008 | 12:40 pm

Do Baby Heels Say JonBenet or Miss Piggy?

Some say "How JonBenet," but novelty baby spikes are selling like "wildfire."
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 20 Jun 2008 | 11:30 am