Joss Whedon’s ‘Dr. Horrible’ Totally Adorable

Nathan Fillion and Neil Patrick Harris in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.Screen cap courtesy of drhorrible.com

The first installment of Joss Whedon's low-budget online video Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog just went up, and it's as thoroughly charming as we hoped! The musical series follows Dr. Horrible, a low-level costumed villain, as he attempts to win entry into the Evil League of Evil, defeat Captain Hammer, and win the love of that cute girl at the laundromat — video-blogging all the while.

Act One introduces Neil Patrick Harris as Dr. Horrible, who's not your typical super-villain: He's a little bit nerdy, extremely shy, and not yet all that good at what he does. But over the course of Act One's thirteen minutes, he'll finally talk to that girl and face off with his nemesis, Captain Hammer ("He dislocated my shoulder last week. Again," grumps Dr. Horrible about the conceited hero played by Nathan Fillion). The series freely borrows from any number of revisionist superhero comedies, from The Venture Bros. to Austin Grossman's Soon I Will Be Invincible, but its winning performances and snappy dialogue mark it as a Whedon production through and through. Though it has better production values than your typical Web video, it still looks pleasantly cheesy. And the songs are just as cute — and as half-baked — as you'd expect from the guy who wrote the Buffy musical episode.

Of special note: The very funny Simon Helberg as Dr. Horrible's roommate, Moist, who, when Dr. Horrible launches his evil plan, helpfully asks, "Ya need anything dampened? Or made soggy?" The series runs all week and disappears on Sunday night.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog [Official site]


Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 15 Jul 2008 | 3:30 pm

Kate Moss Lands August ‘Vogue’ Cover; Thom’s High-Waters Get Stares

• Kate Moss landed the cover of Vogue's August age issue, shot by Mario Testino. All that speculation was spot-on. [BryanBoy]

• Diane Von Furstenberg will unveil a capsule collection inspired by Wonder Woman this October. Sales from the line, a collaboration with Warner Bros. and DC Comics, will help raise money for charity. [British Vogue]

• Nicole Miller on dressing Major League Baseball players' wives for the All-Star events: "We thought maybe this gift was falling into our laps this year, and we would get to dress Madonna. But she's not coming — oh well!" [WWD]

• Vanity Fair received more than 900 "mostly negative" letters in response to the Miley Cyrus photo shoot. [WWD]

• When Thom Browne wore his signature high-waters to a reception at the White House hosted by Laura Bush for the winners of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Awards, he "drew more than a few curious glances, including those from several military guards." [WWD]

• Heatherette's Richie Rich is gearing up to launch his first album, which includes music by Madonna, the Scissor Sisters, Lil Mama, and others. It's called Celebutante (just like his Hot Topic clothing line), and he'll officially launch it in Miami this month. [Fashion Week Daily]

• Garrett Neff is starring in Calvin Klein's new underwear campaign. Bruce Weber shot the ads on a Miami Beach. [British Vogue]

• Scarlett Johansson randomly models in Rachel Antonoff's look book. The designer used to co-design Mooka Kinney. [Nylon]

• A trend-analyst company just released a list of the world's "Top Fashion Cities." The top five are New York, Rome, Milan, Paris, and London. [WWD]

• Steve Madden is supposedly manufacturing and supplying all the shoes, handbags, and belts for Kimora Lee Simmons's new Fabulosity juniors' line at JCPenney. [NYP]

• Tyra Banks was named the hardest-working celebrity in a new online poll. [Showbiz Spy]


Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 15 Jul 2008 | 3:00 pm

Found Hound to Get Book Deal?

Rocco's journey: Soon to be a major motion picture?Photo: istockphoto

We were as heart-warmed as anyone by this morning's story in the Post about Rocco, the beagle who was returned to a Queens family after being reported missing five years ago. Last week Rocco turned up in Georgia, of all places. The shelter where he was dropped off identified him by the microchip implanted in his skin, and now he's back in the arms of 11-year-old Natalie Villacis, the adorable Queens girl who had never stopped loving him. "Every night I would wish, 'Please Rocco, come home,'" she told the Post, and now that wish has come true." We admit it, we teared. But then we got to a passage that made our veins run cold.
Embracing Rocco, Natalie asked her mother, "Where do you think he has been all this time?" "I don't know," her mother told her. "But if he could tell us, I'm sure he has more than enough material for a novel."
Oh no. Oh please no. Please publishing industry: We know what you're thinking. You're so easy these days — something succeeds and you just want to make it over and over again. Rocco's Journey: The Extraordinary Story of an Extraordinary Beagle, or some such. Red jacket. Rocco's head cocked just so. Christmas release. Appearance of quotable little girl on Oprah leads to massive hardcover sales leads to issuing of an illustrated version leads to a major motion picture, a Homeward Bound for the new, microchip-implanted generation. Abigail Breslin stars, or maybe she's too old? Oh God, make it stop. This is totally going to happen, isn't it?

LOST & HOUND IN QNS. [NYP]


Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 15 Jul 2008 | 2:47 pm

Charles Joffe, longtime Woody Allen producer, dead

Read full story for latest details.


Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 15 Jul 2008 | 2:46 pm

Now Who the Heck Is Going to Pay for All These Movies?

Because they've been responsible for Indiana Jones 4, Iron Man, and Kung Fu Panda — three of the highest-grossing movies in another record-busting year for Hollywood — we'd naturally assumed that Paramount was okay on money these days. As usual, though, we were completely wrong! The Financial Times reports today that the studio has just lost a deal for $450 million in financing that would've gone to pay for 30 upcoming movies, including surefire hits like J.J. Abrams's Star Trek reboot and Transformers 2. Apparently what happened is Paramount had been bargaining with Deutsche Bank for the funding, but walked away after failing to agree on terms of the loan. Then, in a possibly related story, Deutsche Bank decided to shutter its film financing unit.

Studio sources tell Nikki Finke that this isn't as awful as it sounds, and that Paramount will just seek financing for individual movies on a one-to-one basis from other partners, at least until the current credit apocalypse is over. But Finke also wonders how much the soured deal has to do with Paramount's upcoming divorce from DreamWorks, which, along with Marvel, has been responsible for most of the studio's recent big hits. We bet Deutsche Bank just found out about Paramount's sinister plans to put Shia LaBeouf in everything and, quite reasonably, decided to get out of the movie business.

Paramount forced to suspend $450m financing [FT]
Paramount Financing Loss: Crisis Or Not? [Deadline Hollywood Daily]

NJ Bishop Sold Home To Con-Man Raffaello Follieri [NYP]
749 West Oak Ave [Condo.com]

Skate or Die: Whoopi Goldberg is taking a break from The View to appear in the Tony-nominated Xanadu as one of the scheming muses, stepping in for Jackie Hoffman as Caliope, for those of you listening to the soundtrack as you read this. It's a little too easy to make fun of Whoopi these days, but we're not above letting Dave Angelo's Whoopi Goldberg Impression Contest do the dirty work for us. [AP]

LCT Schedule Includes Haidle, Weidman: Noah Haidle's Saturn Returns, the story of one man's life as played by three actors, will premiere at Lincoln Center Theater next year, followed by John Weidman's Happiness, a musical about a group of New Yorkers stuck on the subway. No cast has been announced for the Susan Stroman–directed Happiness, and a pitched casting battle is expected between actors auditioning for the role of Kid Selling M&M's, Not for Any Organization or Anything, Just to Stay Off the Streets and Earn an Honest Dollar. [NYT]

Being Mandate: John Malkovich has signed a two-year first-look deal with Mandate Pictures with the aim of producing no less than one film a year under his Mr. Mudd banner, a collaboration that helped bring Juno to life. First up on their new slate is Broken City, a cop-turned-P.I. story where sadly no one crawls into John Malkovich's head. [Variety]

Metcalf Can't Stop Crying: Visual-effects supervisor Brian Metcalf will make the leap to director with Fading of the Cries, based on a fantasy script he wrote all by himself. Story follows a guy, played by forgotten American Pie star Thomas Ian Nicholas, who must use a magical sword to rescue both his town and Nicholas's career. [HR]

Three Take Summer Vacation: Thirteen's Nikki Reed, DJ Qualls, and William Sadler will headline The Last Days of Summer, Vlad Yudin's story of a pissed-off burger flipper who is about to get revenge on his cruel boss when a beautiful customer makes him change his mind. Yudin most recently directed a documentary on big-boned rapper Big Pun, so he probably knows a thing or two about anger/fast food. [Variety]

WB Finds Lost Planet: Warner Bros. and Capcom are teaming up to make a feature out of Lost Planet, a video game about searching for an energy source on an ice planet that isn't Hoth. Watchmen's David Hayter will write the script. Fun Fact 1: Hayter is also the voice of Solid Snake in the Metal Gear games. Fun Fact 2: If you're excited by this, you need a girlfriend. [Variety]


Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 15 Jul 2008 | 2:00 pm

Sales: 50 Percent Off Araks Lingerie; 60 Percent Off Jimmy Choo

STARTING TODAY
• Journelle's fancy selection of lingerie and underwear from the Lake & the Stars, Vera Wang, Eberjey, and Araks is up to 50 percent off. Through 7/20. 3 E. 17th St., nr. Fifth Ave. (212-255-7800); Mon.–Sat. (11–8), Sun. (noon–7).

• Get 60 percent off Jimmy Choo's selection of shoes, bags, and accessories at this two-day sample sale. Through 7/16. Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th St., nr. Sixth Ave.; Tues. (3–8), Wed. (9–6).

• Get three free nail polishes from Zoya with any online order. Just type BLOG3 at checkout. Through 7/18.

• For two weeks, Bare Escentuals is marking down their signature SPF 15 Foundation and full-coverage Kabuki brush combo to $35 (originally $53). Through 7/27. 1140 Third Ave., nr. 66th St. (646-537-0070); Mon.–Sat. (10–8), Sun. (11–6).

• Stock up on skin care and cosmetics from Borghese at their sample sale. Just bring your own shopping bag. Through 7/16. 10 E. 34th St., nr. Fifth Ave. (212-659-5300); Tues.–Wed. (10–2).

• Callalilai's sale offers 20 percent off your first summer dress, 40 percent off the second one, and 50 percent off other selected items. Through 7/20. 296 Atlantic Ave., at Smith St., Boerum Hill, Brooklyn (718-875-1790); Mon.–Thurs. (11–7), Fri.–Sat. (11–9), Sun. (11–7).

• Makeup Mania is giving away a free Pink-A-Mania lipstick (which matches their color scheme) with every $12 minimum purchase. Through 8/31. 182 Allen St., nr. Houston St. (212-533-5900); Mon.–Sat. (noon–7).

• Bird is moving its Park Slope store and marking down Loeffler Randall sling-back pumps, United Bamboo pleated dresses, and Rachel Comey tops. Through 7/27. 430 Seventh Ave., nr. 14th St., Park Slope, Brooklyn (718-768-4940); Mon.–Sat. (noon–8); Sun. (noon–7).

STARTING TOMORROW
• Gear up for a one-day bridal bonanza featuring designer gowns up to 90 percent off. The Upper East Side consignment shop Michael’s is unloading bridal gowns from Vera Wang, Carolina Herrera, and Reem Acra for $349 each. 1041 Madison Ave., at 79th St., second fl. (212-737-7273); 4–8; cash only.

• In the mood for something girlie? Tracy Reese is having a spring sample sale. Score flirty dresses and pretty shoes on the cheap. Through 7/17. 336 W. 37th St., nr. Eighth Ave., eleventh fl.; Wed. (8–8); Thurs. (8–7).

• It’s going out of business, so this is the last chance to get Joan Vass cashmeres, caftans, and dresses (from $110 for leather bags and totes). Through 7/17. 208 W. 30th St., nr. Seventh Ave., fourth fl. (212-213-0405); 10–5.


Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 15 Jul 2008 | 2:00 pm

Do You Guys Still Care About Madonna?

Madonna Guy Ritchie

The Ritchie family yesterday in New York.Photo: Getty Images

Maybe you guys can help us with something. We can't tell if this whole Madonna–A-Rod–C-Rod–D-Rod thing is interesting or boring anymore. On the one hand, we love Cynthia Rodriguez and are totally fascinated by her whole role in all of this. On the other hand, everything Madonna is doing seems so tired and contrived — especially the endless Kaballah prosthelytizing. Are you interested? Should we keep writing about it?

There's endless material. For example, here's what we learned this morning:

• Madonna loves all the attention she is getting from her rumored affair with Alex Rodriguez and is thinking of going to the All-Star Game just to keep it up. [NYP]
• A-Rod, for his part, is now comfortable talking about the issue and is trying "roll with it." [NYDN]
• Meanwhile, Cynthia thinks the Yankee third-baseman has been spying on her. [NYP]
• Madonna and Guy Ritchie reportedly have a "five point plan" to save their marriage. One "point" is: "Madonna will cut her gym work-out time from four to three hours a day." How can they fail?? [Daily Mail]
• This morning, Christopher Ciccone, Madonna's brother, was talking on Good Morning America again talking about his book, Life With My Sister Madonna. He says he still "loves" his sister but isn't sure if he "likes" her. He also alluded to "very private medical matters" that Madonna was worried he'd include in his book (he didn't, but now that he mentioned them on television, of course everyone's going to try to figure out what they are).

Sure, there's plenty to talk about. But is it interesting? Or are we (and by "we," of course, we mean "Madonna") just too old for all of this?


Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 15 Jul 2008 | 2:00 pm

Former 'L&O' star was skeptical about new role

Read full story for latest details.

If you've been dry-cleaning your cashmere, stop (and however you do launder your sweaters, please tell us that you did it months ago, before the weather got warm). For one thing, dry-cleaning cashmere makes it brittle, and brittle cashmere is entirely beside the point. And then there's the ecological angle of all those chemicals. Much better (and in the long run, cheaper) to use Lucien Pellat-Finet's new Cashmere Shampoo, which preserves the oils and lanolin in cashmere and wool. And it smells nice, too. Lucien Pellat-Finet Cashmere Shampoo, $74 for 16 oz., available at Lucien Pellat-Finet, (212) 255-8560.

Photo: Nicola Kast



Source: The Style File | 15 Jul 2008 | 1:56 pm

get blown out, for half off

Blow

For women who have been dealt a bad hand by the hair gods, a blow-out can be a long, arduous process involving lots of upper-arm pain. But in New York, where you can have just about anything done to you, at any time, anywhere, an obvious question arose: Why wash your hair and blow it out yourself when you can pay someone to do it for you, without having to invest time and money in the whole "salon experience"? Thus was born Blow, the downtown blow-dry bar where a $40 blow-out plus chair-side manicure forever changed the meaning of "lunch hour." With a new Lexington Avenue location (where blow-outs are half off through July), kinky-haired girls from the Meatpacking to the Upper East Side can now keep up smooth, silky appearances—and the entire city can sleep better at night. Blow Uptown, 843 Lexington Avenue, (212) 452-0246.

—Celia Ellenberg

Photo: Courtesy of Blow


(AP)

In this March 10, 2008 file photo, John Mellencamp performs after his induction during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, file)AP - Farm Aid, the long-running benefit concert, will be held this year in New England for the first time.



Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 15 Jul 2008 | 1:35 pm

John Mellencamp to announce Farm Aid concert (Reuters)

Reuters - Even the most hardened celebrity watchers were taken aback by reports of an $11 million deal for exclusive rights to the first photographs of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's newborn twins.
Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 15 Jul 2008 | 1:05 pm

Economics and accuracy lost in "Brangelina" baby rush (Reuters)

Reuters - Even the most hardened celebrity watchers were taken aback by reports of an $11 million deal for exclusive rights to the first photographs of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's newborn twins.
Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 15 Jul 2008 | 1:05 pm

Director was "nervous" mounting Batman film sequel (Reuters)

Reuters - When Chris Nolan took on the job of directing "The Dark Knight," the highly anticipated sequel to his 2005 box office smash "Batman Begins," he knew what he was getting into. After all, he'd done it before.
Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 15 Jul 2008 | 1:00 pm

Los Angeles Jail Caught Up With Kardashian

Reality TV's Khloe Kardashian gets jail time for violating probation on DUI.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 15 Jul 2008 | 12:55 pm

Miss USA: 'Like I was on Rollerblades'

Read full story for latest details.


Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 15 Jul 2008 | 12:53 pm

Jolie's dad happy about new twin grandchildren - The Associated Press


Washington Post
Jolie's dad happy about new twin grandchildren
The Associated Press - 2 hours ago
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Jon Voight says he's doubly happy about his ultra-famous new grandchildren. Voight says he's "so excited" that daughter Angelina Jolie has given birth to twins in southern France.
Jon Voight as "Excited as Everybody Else" About Jolie-Pitt Twins E! Online
Jolie twins doctor admits to pre-birth pressure Reuters
Los Angeles Times - Hilton Head Island Packet - China Daily - eFluxMedia
all 2,855 news articles

Source: Google News - Entertainment | 15 Jul 2008 | 12:51 pm

It's splitsville for Kimmel and Silverman

Read full story for latest details.


Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 15 Jul 2008 | 12:16 pm

New Guns N' Roses track for 'Rock Band 2' - NME.com


New York Times
New Guns N' Roses track for 'Rock Band 2'
NME.com - 2 hours ago
A brand new Guns N Roses song has already been confirmed to feature on the forthcoming second version of 'Rock Band' video game.
New Guns song heads to "Rock Band 2" Reuters
New Guns N’ Roses Track To Debut On ‘Rock Band 2′: Is The ... MTV.com
WTHI - New York Times - San Francisco Chronicle - DotMusic.com
all 172 news articles

Source: Google News - Entertainment | 15 Jul 2008 | 12:13 pm

Jolie's dad happy about new twin grandchildren (AP)

In this April 30, 2008 file photo, Jon Voight arrives for the premiere of 'Iron Man' in Los Angeles. Voight says he's doubly happy about his ultra-famous new grandchildren. Voight says he's 'so excited' that daughter Angelina Jolie has given birth to twins in southern France. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, file)AP - Jon Voight says he's doubly happy about his ultra-famous new grandchildren.



Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 15 Jul 2008 | 12:09 pm

TV show provides look into Colombian drug cartel (AP)

The book 'El Cartel de los Sapos' or 'The Cartel of the Snitches' written by Colombian author Andres Lopez is shown in Miami, Wednesday, June 18, 2008. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)AP - The highest-rated TV show in Colombia follows a rather grim plot line: Boy meets girl. Boy smuggles tons of cocaine. Longtime pals betray each other. Everyone ends up dead or in jail.



Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 15 Jul 2008 | 12:02 pm

Heath Ledger's Parents Approve of Batman - FOXNews


Times Online
Heath Ledger's Parents Approve of Batman
FOXNews - 3 hours ago
By Roger Friedman AP Batman: The Dark Knight premiered last night in New York, and Heath Ledger’s parents and family were there to see the results.
Video: Ledger Lauded at 'Dark Knight' Premiere AssociatedPress
Dark Knight is great: You heard it here first Atlantic Online
NY1 - New York Times - Reuters - USA Today
all 6,387 news articles

Source: Google News - Entertainment | 15 Jul 2008 | 11:56 am

The Who: Nostalgic but not slowing (AP)

This combination of 2 undated photos provided by Fox shows Jessica King, left, and Comfort Fedoke of Fox's 'So You Think You Can Dance'. King is out and Fedoke is getting another shot on 'So You Think You can Dance,' Fox TV said Monday, July 14, 2008. (AP Photo/FOX)AP - Jessica King is out and Comfort Fedoke is getting another shot on "So You Think You can Dance," Fox TV said Monday.



Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 15 Jul 2008 | 11:11 am

From 'Real World' to Real Politics?

Kevin Powell's making his pop culture status part of his congressional campaign.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 15 Jul 2008 | 11:00 am

Jolie's dad happy about new twin grandchildren

Actor Jon Voight says he's doubly happy about his ultra-famous new grandchildren. Voight says he's "so excited" that daughter Angelina Jolie has given birth to twins in southern France.
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 15 Jul 2008 | 10:31 am

Lucy Liu says 'Kung Fu Panda' an improv adventure

Lucy Liu had some trouble learning her lines for the hit summer animated film "Kung Fu Panda." But that wasn't her fault _ a lot of the time, she said, there weren't any lines to learn. ...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 15 Jul 2008 | 10:29 am

Prosecution has new witness for Spector retrial

Phil Spector's prosecutor has found a sixth woman who wants to testify that the music producer threatened her life, according to a new motion that sets out facts similar to those alleged in
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 15 Jul 2008 | 9:40 am

Pedophiles Thrive on Parental Trust

Award-Winning Educational Films Now Available to Parents In Order to Stem the Tide of Child Sexual Abuse PORTLAND, Ore., July 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Recent studies shed...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 15 Jul 2008 | 9:07 am

Stolen Shakespeare first edition found in Washington

A first folio edition of a William Shakespeare book that was stolen from Durham University 10 years ago, has been found in Washington and a suspect arrested in Britain, the FBI has said.
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 15 Jul 2008 | 9:00 am

A first edition of Shakespeare's plays, published in 1623

A first folio edition of William Shakespeares' plays, published in 1623, seen at Sotheby's in London. A first folio edition of a William Shakespeare book that was stolen from Durham University 10 years...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 15 Jul 2008 | 9:00 am

Inner Tube: 'So You Think You Can Dance' loses Jessica King - New York Daily News


CTV.ca
Inner Tube: 'So You Think You Can Dance' loses Jessica King
New York Daily News - 6 hours ago
By CRISTINA KINON Jessica King has left the show, and recently eliminated semifinalist Comfort Fedoke will take her place. Executive producer Nigel Lythgoe was not at liberty to discuss King's injury Monday, but did say, on the advice of her doctors, ...
'So You Think You Can Dance': Jessica's out, Comfort's in Entertainment Weekly
MB dancer leaves show with injury Myrtle Beach Sun News
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Source: Google News - Entertainment | 15 Jul 2008 | 8:14 am

The Hold Steady rarely does - New York Daily News


Wall Street Journal
The Hold Steady rarely does
New York Daily News - 6 hours ago
By JIM FARBER Everyone gets high and feels needy in the songs of the Hold Steady. Characters fumble drunkenly for each other, lunging for last-call sex, hoping for transcendence but settling for release.
New CDs: the Hold Steady and Randy Travis Los Angeles Times
The Hold Steady Keep The Faith Idolator
Entertainment Weekly - San Francisco Chronicle - Salon - Glide Magazine
all 52 news articles

Source: Google News - Entertainment | 15 Jul 2008 | 8:09 am

Will Wright, creator of computer game hits such as SimCity and The Sims

The "Spore" alien population is exploding, boding well for the September launch of the latest brainchild of computer game legend Will Wright, seen here
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 15 Jul 2008 | 6:39 am

'Spore' computer game's alien population exploding

The "Spore" alien population is exploding, boding well for the September launch of the latest brainchild of computer game legend Will Wright. Electronic Arts-owned Maxis...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 15 Jul 2008 | 6:39 am

Laser show harms vision for dozens of Russian concertgoers

MOSCOW - Russian news reports say a laser show at a music festival damaged the vision of more than 30 people. Reports say some concertgoers lost up to 80 per cent of their vision after
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 15 Jul 2008 | 6:39 am

Indian man nearly dies after TV stunt goes wrong

An 22-year-old Indian man was seriously ill in hospital after taking part in a competition linked to a reality TV programme that went wrong, reports said Tuesday. Anjar Khan...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 15 Jul 2008 | 6:09 am

A television showroom in New Delhi

A television showroom in New Delhi. An 22-year-old Indian man was seriously ill in hospital after taking part in a competition linked to a reality TV programme that went wrong
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 15 Jul 2008 | 6:09 am

James Brown auction gets legal go-ahead

Read full story for latest details.


Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 15 Jul 2008 | 5:52 am

Charles Joffe, co-producer for Woody Allen's films, dies

Charles Joffe, a dealmaker for Woody Allen who co-produced most of his films and managed other US comedians, has died after a long illness, the Los Angeles Times reported. He was 78.
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 15 Jul 2008 | 5:47 am

Woody Allen arrives at the Cannes International Film Festival

US director Woody Allen arrives to attend the screening of his film 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' at the Cannes International Film Festival in May. Charles Joffe, a dealmaker for Allen who co-produced most...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 15 Jul 2008 | 5:47 am

New animated show `Cleveland' goes multiethnic

A "Family Guy" spinoff show featuring the character of Cleveland Brown is mixing up its voice cast, ethnically speaking. Mike Henry, who is white, will continue to provide the voice for...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 15 Jul 2008 | 4:22 am

Jon Voight as "Excited as Everybody Else" About Jolie-Pitt Twins

Jon VoightThings aren't perfect between Angelina Jolie and her dad, Jon Voight. But at least the arrival of new babies is a blessed event everyone can get behind. "All I can say is, like...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 15 Jul 2008 | 1:29 am

Shia's Got a Need for Speed

Shia LaBeoufOr maybe he just wanted a break from spending all that time with cars (and the pesky transforming kind at that). Hollywood "It" boy Shia LaBeouf hit the pavement over the weekend...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 15 Jul 2008 | 12:30 am

Live CD/DVD To Chronicle Police Reunion Tour

As expected, the Police plan to release a live CD and DVD from its reunion tour later this year. Drummer Stewart Copeland tells Billboard.com the group filmed and recorded two shows, Dec. 1-2 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for the projects, which are due out later this year.
Source: Billboard News - Daily | 15 Jul 2008 | 12:00 am

Coldplay Kicks Off Summer Tour In Los Angeles

Coldplay opened its North American tour last night (July 15) at the Forum in Los Angeles, treating the sold-out crowd to a career-spanning, 20-song set list. Amid a host of different stage incarnations, the show featured a two-song jaunt up in the top most colonnade of arena seats.
Source: Billboard News - Daily | 15 Jul 2008 | 12:00 am

Secret Tapes Show That L.I. Rabbi Who May Topple Olmert Has a Threatening History

Talansky

Photo: Getty Images

Morris Talansky is the ordained rabbi, former Great Neck macher, and sometimes successful businessman who may bring down the government of Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert. In May, Talansky told Israeli prosecutors that he delivered envelopes of cash to Olmert, which he claimed were for both campaign and personal expenses. Olmert insisted on cash, Talansky said. “I just didn't really understand the system in Israel,” said Talansky, and so he acquiesced.

But in cross-examination scheduled for this week in Israel, Olmert’s lawyers are expected to paint the roly-poly 75-year-old Talansky as an aggressive, threatening businessman who has long had a reputation as a bully. Talansky has characterized himself as a naïve lover of Israel taken advantage of by a cunning politician.

A transcript of secret tapes obtained by New York Magazine suggests that Talansky can indeed be willful and determined, and even threatening.

Twenty years ago Talansky invested in a Pittsburgh office building which quickly went bust. He felt he’d been fleeced by the sellers, among them a couple of Long Island rabbis.

In the 29-page handwritten transcript, Talansky demanded his money back at meetings and in phone calls, which were secretly recorded. If he didn’t get it, he said, there’d be consequences. At one point an angered Talansky suggested that a bomb would be placed in the car of Richard Penzer, the lead seller on the building. One rabbi confronted Talansky over this.

“There were threats mentioned about blowing up his” — Penzer’s — “car,” he told Talansky.

At first Talansky denied that any threats had been made, then he acknowledged the bomb threat.

“Yeah, okay,” he conceded. “That was the anger when millions of dollars are at stake.”

Talansky, who one participant at the meetings described as a “wild man,” also introduced a mysterious character named Bernie into discussions. Bernie, he said, had lost a lot of money in the deal. No one ever met Bernie. But Talansky, Bernie’s confidant, let the rabbis know that Bernie was not someone to be trifled with. The transcripts make clear that the rabbis were afraid. For good reason: Bernie apparently wanted to kill one of the participants before Christmas.

Is he “some type of Mafia guy?” one rabbi asked.

Another participant responded, “That’s what Talansky implies … Someone told me this guy Bernie is someone you want to stay away from.”

The rabbis grew more frightened when, on Sunday morning, January 19, 1992, three bulky “goons” showed up at the Lawrence, New York, home of Richard Penzer. One of them, Michael Sciotto, later said that he’d gone to collect a debt for Morris Talansky, according to Sciotto’s affidavit.

“I was petrified,” says Penzer. “I had young kids at home.”

Sciotto later changed his story. After viewing a photo of Talansky, he said the person who sent him to Penzer’s door wasn’t Talansky, but someone who said he was Morris Talansky.

Talansky’s career has involved more than one charge of aggressive behavior. He’s currently under investigation by Nassau County for allegedly assaulting his 84-year-old former dentist over a bill dispute. Once he accosted Fed Schulman, a former business associate he claimed owed him $300,000, according to a police report filed by Schulman. Later a man calling himself “Rocco” and an associate began showing up at Schulman’s office. He claimed he’d bought the $300,000 note. He left threatening messages on Schulman’s phone, one of which Schulman recorded. Schulman’s attorney, Sheldon Gopstein, summarized the message this way: “We’ve been patient long enough. You owe us $300,000 … Me and my partner are going to come up there.” —Steve Fishman


Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 14 Jul 2008 | 11:50 pm

The ‘Times’ on East Village Gentrification: ‘No Day But Today!’

Avenue B Tower of Toys

Avenue B's Tower of Toys: no longer.Photo: Courtesy of Curbed

In the Times yesterday, we were struck by the article "Bohemia Takes Its Final Bow." We had happened to eat dinner Saturday night at the Life Café on 10th Street (or, as we like to call it, Tompkins Square Park North) and noticed that they were having contests for tickets to the final shows of Rent. So we flipped through the story and immediately had a feeling of déjà vu. Every city publication, including ours, runs endless stories about the gentrification of various neighborhoods. But we swore we'd already read this particular story, comparing the Alphabet City of today to the one portrayed in the Broadway musical Rent.

The feeling of familiarity was not unfounded; the Times did write the same story, in November 2005, but then it was called "From Grit to Gloss." When they did it in September 2007, it was called "Paths of Resistance in the East Village" (this time they added fascinating history of an older sort). Our crack intern Kari Milchman tracked down several other iterations of the same theme.

The Times is far from incorrect — the area has changed immensely. And, you know, there are only so many neighborhoods getting gentrified in the city that one can write about. So no judgment — just a plea: Stop writing about the East Village before it actually becomes the West Village, okay?

Bohemia Takes its Final Bow [NYT]


Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 14 Jul 2008 | 11:35 pm

Victoria Beckham Will Launch Her Men’s Line on Schedule

Victoria Beckham, prolific men's pants designer.Photo: Getty Images

Last week This Is London reported the launch of Victoria Beckham's dVb menswear line had been pushed back since retailers weren't interested in stocking it. Kitson in L.A., it reported, was supposed to launch the line this fall but would push it back until next year. But today a rep from dVb told us the report was inaccurate and the dVb men's collection is in fact on target to launch in stores for holiday 2008 as scheduled. So good for Posh! In the meantime we'll look forward to the launch of her frock line, which may happen at Fashion Week in September.

Earlier: Retailers Shun Men’s Jeans Designed by Victoria Beckham


Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 14 Jul 2008 | 11:30 pm

Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman end romance (AP)

In this April 3, 2008 file photo, Television host Jimmy Kimmel, left, and actress Sarah Silverman pose on the press line at the Jimmy Kimmel Show's 1000th Episode Party in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg, file)AP - Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman have broken up, their publicists said Monday. "Jimmy and Sarah have no further comment," Kimmel's spokesman Lewis Kay told The Associated Press, confirming the split that was first reported on Vanity Fair magazine's Web site.



Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 14 Jul 2008 | 11:26 pm

Kardashian Sister Headed to Jail

Khloe KardashianThe Kardashians can keep a low profile if they really want to. Khloe Kardashian, Kim's 24-year-old little sis, is headed to jail this week to start serving a 30-day sentence for...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 14 Jul 2008 | 11:19 pm

How William Rast Execs Convinced Justin Timberlake to Star in the Campaign

Justin Timberlake in the new William Rast campaign with Erin Wasson.Photo: Courtesy of William Rast

Justin Timberlake "never really wanted" to be the face of his clothing line, William Rast, according to WWD. But the label's higher-ups managed to talk him into starring in the latest campaign for its first full collection:
"We came up with this idea for him to play a role as this guy named William Rast," [creative director] Johan Lindeberg said. "So it isn't meant to be Justin, it's Justin playing a role, as an actor. When we explained the idea, he instantly loved it and got really into building the profile of this character."

In fact, Justin plays this William Rast character in a series of short Internet movies called "My Name Is William Rast" debuting at williamrastmovie.com later this month. In them William Rast is a rebel who runs from the police with Birdie, his lady friend, played by model Erin Wasson. The couple wears head-to-toe William Rast and apparently have committed some mysterious crime. As they flee the police they stop from time to time for "steamy make-out sessions," eventually dashing into the forest together as gunshots go off in the background.

Hm. It sounds like the injury Wasson suffered shooting this campaign just might have been worth it.

Timberlake Becomes 'William Rast' [WWD]
Related: Erin Wasson Down!


Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 14 Jul 2008 | 11:00 pm

The Rehabbing Mailroom Worker

Once a week, Daily Intel takes a peek at what your friends and neighbors are doing behind doors left slightly ajar. Today, the Rehabbing Mailroom Worker in an Open Relationship: 35, male, Upper West Side, straight, in relationship.

DAY ONE
1 p.m. Obsessing about on-and-off girlfriend, Vanessa, who broke up with me a couple of days ago at an event with her sister. She's a single mom that I fell in love with at outpatient rehab, after leaving my music-industry job to get a handle on crack and Ecstasy. The drugs are no longer an issue, but the sex and rock and roll are in full swing.
8 p.m. I spent the entire day wondering how it all went so wrong. I love her, love her baby, and her family wants to kill her for seeing me. The baby's father is older than her own father, and she can't keep the straw out of her nose.

DAY TWO
10 a.m.: Never the one to shy away from a confrontation, I visit rehab (I've already graduated successfully) to see Vanessa. I'm looking good but feeling weird. I'd like to know what really made Vanessa wig out on me.
12:05 p.m.: I pour my heart out to an older Puerto Rican mommy. She just got dumped too! We might mend our broken hearts together (she's got an awesome ass), though the bunions might keep me away. Yes, I'm that vain.
4:10 p.m.: I'm at work now. I work with a bleached-blonde Irish girl dripping with sex appeal. We sit across a table from each other at work. I stare at her feet under the table and scope her booty whenever she gets up to leave the room. If she had a little more junk in her trunk, working with her would be agonizing.

DAY THREE
3:20 p.m.: It's pay day, and I really want to treat myself to a rub-and-tug. Train fare, $2. Prostate massage orgasm for 30 minutes, priceless. (Well, $60.) The last time I got to tongue kiss and return the massage. Korean girls love the brothas.
5 p.m.: I've forgotten that I volunteered to go to an overnight vigil for housing justice. It means that I'm going to sleep in the park tonight. Hooking up with a socially conscience chick could be equally grand.
7 p.m.: I can't possibly make this up. I'm on my way to the vigil to get my civil disobedience on and who do I see on the train? Vanessa's best friend, a hot ghetto-fab female. She's all like, "You need to call her — she really misses you." I'm like, "She just spazzed out on me. Whatever." I was looking forward to taking my mind off of the whole deal.
10 p.m.: The housing vigil is a total bore. Socially conscience women are not the easiest to look at. There are plenty of jokes, though. Sprinklers turning on; liberals scurrying about; me downloading porn on the park's Wi-Fi signal.

DAY FOUR
6 a.m.: I get back home after not sleeping all night in the park. I pop my "get my six-pack back" pills and go to take a nap. There was not even a chick hot enough to masturbate to at the vigil.
10 a.m.: I wake up from my nap to find out that my masturbation sleeve just arrived in the mail (gamelink.com's three-day 40 percent sale). I check out the "mega butt" porn I downloaded last night. Wow, I'm too big for the sleeve! There is a God.
Noon: I've been thinking of asking Vanessa for our vibrator back. I bought a Rub My Duckie for her from Babeland, and a Pocket Rocket for the two of us as a Mother's Day gift. We never used it and I'm feeling spiteful.
1 p.m.: On my way to do some laundry I pick up a way-too-expensive laptop bag and a killer wool hat that fits over my dreadlocks. I am a chick magnet.
4:30 p.m.: After watching some fine women walk past me while I washed my clothes, I'm worked up enough for some "me" time. Belladonna in an all-girl orgy. It's a lot of salad tossing, foot licking, and toe sucking — brilliant! I needed a release. Vanessa had been taking medications that made it impossible for her to orgasm. I told her that I would go on an orgasm strike in solidarity. Boy, is that over.
5:45 p.m.: Vanessa texts my roommate. He says I should call her. I do. She tells me that we need to talk. I consent. Okay, the truth? Here's a beautiful women with a nice booty. A woman that loves me and would love to take it up the bum while using a vibrator on herself. I'm a simple man. I have to give her a chance.
7 p.m.: Meet with Vanessa. She has the baby with her. I've missed them both dearly. She tells me that she acted immaturely, that her sister acted like an ass, and above all that she loves me. I voice some concerns, but mostly I'm glad to be with her. When I'm around her, I feel all goofy, I feel powerful, I feel loved, I feel content, and I feel special. I'm a simple man…
8:30 p.m.: Between my roommates and the baby, sex won't happen. Vanessa leaves. I'm okay with how things went. I've really missed her.

DAY FIVE
10 a.m.: I woke up today with major wood. I dreamed about casinos, gangsters, and a winning Superfecta ticket. My neighbor is an OTB junkie.
11 a.m.: I Google Vanessa's dad out of curiosity. Scary! He thinks I'm a street kid. Another in a long list of people for whom my prep-school education is of no consequence.
Noon: Riding the subway to Soho, to walk and think. I love New York when the weather is warm. The legs and the toes are out in full force. I'm feeling the dark nail polish. I chose a blonde in her early twenties to stare at on my trip downtown.
4 p.m.: I decide to pick out a card and pour my heart out to Vanessa. I write about how I feel and decide that at least if I've communicated I can't go wrong. I spend the rest of my day watching sports and laying back.

DAY SIX
10 a.m.: I volunteer at a drug-crisis center on Monday mornings. It's time for me to leave for work. I ask a Latin pre-op (there for therapy) to help me match a tie to my shirt. My mother didn't raise a homophobe.
10:30 a.m.: After choosing the red tie, I leave for work. I stop first to drop off my love note to Vanessa's counselor. She promises to deliver it. I'm a little scared.
5 p.m.: I've spent the day nervous and jittery. I've never poured my heart out to a woman like I did with that card. I hope I did the right thing.

DAY SEVEN
9 a.m.: I'm a nervous wreck! I haven't heard from Vanessa. I hustle to the rehab to see if I can run into her.
11 a.m.: Vanessa finally shows up. She tells me that no one has ever written anything that special to her. We don't cry together, but it gets close a couple of times. I am relieved. I can't lie on my heart.
Noon: I'm late for work so Vanessa walks me to the subway. We make out. My knees turn to jelly. I think she's one of the "great ones" — we only come across a few in life. The make-up sex from this one will be the stuff of legends.

Totals: Zero acts of intercourse or oral sex; one act of masturbation to Belladonna all-girl orgy; one rekindling with girlfriend following emotional outpouring into a card to on-and-off girlfriend; one aborted trip to the rub-and-tug; one racy make-out session near the subway platform.


Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 14 Jul 2008 | 11:00 pm

Sam Shepard treads familiar ground in 'Dead Horse' (AP)

In this image released by The Public Theater, Stephen Rea is shown in Sam Shepard's 'Kicking a Dead Horse,' now playing off-Broadway at the Public Theater in New York. (AP Photo/The Public Theater, Joan Marcus)AP - In Sam Shepard's latest play, "Kicking a Dead Horse," which opened Monday at off-Broadway's Public Theater, the iconic writer treads on familiar ground — the wide-open frontiers of the American West.



Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 14 Jul 2008 | 10:49 pm

On Set With Britney Spears: The Madonna Video

Britney Spears Video ShootIt's Britney, bitch—and only E! News has the exclusive pictures of the pop star while filming a top-secret music video for pal Madonna's upcoming Sticky & Sweet...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 14 Jul 2008 | 10:47 pm

Hilarity and horror thrive in 'Bette and Boo' (AP)

In this image released by Boneau/Bryan-Brown, actors, from left, John Glover, Julie Hagerty, Christopher Evan Welch, Kate Jennings Grant and Charles Socarides are shown in a scene from Christopher Durang's 'The Marriage of Bette and Boo,' now playing at the Roundabout Theatre Company's Laura Pels Theatre in New York. (AP Photo/Boneau/Bryan-Brown, Joan Marcus)AP - Abject misery has never been choreographed with such wit and pizazz as it is in the new production of Christopher Durang's "The Marriage of Bette and Boo."



Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 14 Jul 2008 | 10:37 pm

Golf With Morgan Freeman Clubs Angelina's Jacket

Morgan FreemanSharing threads with Angelina Jolie? Hot. Sharing a tee time with Morgan Freeman? Way hot! A round of golf with the sonorous thesp sold for $49,000 earlier this month in an online...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 14 Jul 2008 | 10:35 pm

Sarah Silverman and Jimmy Kimmel Split Up, Inspire Profane Headlines

Photo: Getty Images

Silverman Now Fucking Matt Damon Exclusively: After five years, Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman have ended their relationship, which is terrible news for them, but wonderful news for all bloggers allowed to use the F-word in their headlines. [VF]

As If Eddie Murphy Didn't Already Feel Bad Enough Today: The nice folks at Best Week Ever have compiled an impressive list of 50 movies that outgrossed Meet Dave in their opening weekends, including Soul Plane, Freddy Got Fingered, and Jonathan Taylor Thomas's Man of the House. [Best Week Ever]

Leaving Your Couch No Longer Necessary: Finally that XBox 360 taking up space under your television will be good for more than just hours upon hours of endless Guitar Hero–related entertainment! Microsoft today announced a deal to bring Netflix's movie-streaming feature to their video-game console, thus eliminating your need for envelopes or a mailbox. [Engadget]

Whoopi to Save Broadway: Whoopi Goldberg announced today that she'll play Caliope in Xanadu on Broadway this summer. Producers hope the show will benefit from the exposure of her daily gig as a television host and have further announced their intentions to cast David Letterman and Wolf Blitzer in critical roles. [Variety]

Record Company Turns Profit: EMI has reportedly turned a profit in the first quarter of this year, and it came at the miniscule cost of eliminating 2,000 employees. [Variety]


Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 14 Jul 2008 | 10:30 pm

Jay Z and P. Diddy Are Higher Maintenance Than We Thought

Yes, P. Diddy, you two have something in common.Photo: Getty Images

HAIR
• Us Weekly reported that both P. Diddy and Jay-Z wax their hair down there. That's what we call too much information. [Daily Beauty Reporter/Allure]

SKIN
• Michael Kors created Leg Shines, a glide-on shimmer stick that looks like deodorant and comes in three shades. So your skin, too, can shine like a Victoria's Secret Runway model's or Kimora Lee Simmons's. [British Vogue]

• Madonna's dermatologist, Dr. Brandt, created Daily UV Protection SPF 30 for the Face. It's a tinted moisturizer that's nice and lightweight. [Lucky]

MAKEUP
• The first half of 2008 was "catastrophic" for the beauty industry's stocks. Who wants to welcome them to the club? Hm, Fannie Mae? [Cosmetic News]

NAILS
• The Nic's Sticks by OPI are nail-polish pens. They're good for travel, touch-ups, and avoiding paying for polish changes at the nail salon. [Beauty 411]

• A yellow shade by OPI called Lemonade Stand By Your Man isn't quite yellow enough. It took one tester six coats for the nail color to match the saturated banana shade in the bottle. [Mischo Beauty]


Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 14 Jul 2008 | 10:30 pm

A-List Secrets: How to Infiltrate an Entourage

Ashlee Simpson, Pete Wentz, BodyguardI was wondering how to become part of a Hollywood type's entourage? —Brandon Wyatt, Northern Arizona Sure, sure. Brad and Angie are bound to discover Arizona as...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 14 Jul 2008 | 10:30 pm

Lindsay Lohan Gets (Pineapple) Juiced

lindsay lohanWith Samantha Ronson by her side, Lindsay Lohan hosted a barbecue for about 75 people on Saturday night at the DKNY House in Malibu. The event kicked off at about 6...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 14 Jul 2008 | 10:25 pm

Naomi Campbell Isn't a Bad Person, Really

Naomi Campbell, Sobe AdRemember when Naomi Campbell did the "Thriller" dance with a bunch of CGI lizards for some drink we still have no interest in? Yeah, she's got nothing on these guys. Anyway,...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 14 Jul 2008 | 10:20 pm

Idiot’s Guide: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Freddie MacPhoto: Getty Images

Are you behind on the whole Fannie Mae–Freddie Mac affair? Maybe you were out of the office last Friday and haven't had a chance to catch up. Or perhaps you did try to catch up, but an ocean of words and opinions fell upon you, and subsequently that desire to learn was suffocated. Or perhaps you don't pay attention to these things at all, but know that something happened with the country's biggest mortgage lenders and are idly curious as to what it was. Or maybe you are merely wondering: Who are those farm children, and why are they in trouble? In any case, we understand. Which is why we've compiled a short, incomplete but pretty much readable cheat sheet for your perusing pleasure after the jump. A "For Idiots, by Idiots" guide, if you will.

What Are Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?: The Federal National Mortgage Association, a.k.a. Fannie Mae (FNMA, say it fast) was formed as part of Roosevelt's New Deal in 1938, in order to make money available to people for the purchase of homes; in 1968, it became a shareholder-owned corporation. It and its spinoff/sibling Freddie Mac (the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation — FRE) borrow money in the form of mortgage loans from banks, repackage them as securities, and sell them to investors. Simultaneously, they borrow money from the debt markets and use it to buy mortgages for their own investments. Also, they are kind of corrupt and mismanaged, and that has caused some problems in the past. But for now know this: Between the two of them, they guarantee about $5 trillion in loans, half of the nation's $12 trillion mortgage market.

What Happened?: Like other lenders, Fannie and Freddie have been suffering because a lot of people who maybe shouldn't have been approved for home loans were, and now they are not paying back said loans. FM&FM have a bunch of outstanding guaranteed mortgages, and more and more delinquencies are rolling in every day. But they've guaranteed the loans and have to pay back their investors! Awkward. Like when Nate lost $5,000 to the Russians and did not have the money in his trust fund, it's a sticky wicket, only on a much, much larger scale. Also, it's been steadily getting stickier. Investors have been losing confidence in the companies' ability to operate as usual and are pulling out their money by dumping their shares. Also losing confidence in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are the banks: They've not been crazy about the idea of lending to them, because they are afraid of not getting paid back. And so Fannie and Freddie were kind of chugging along, with very little liquidity in their engines, when last Friday, a New York Times story came out about how the Bush administration was working on plan to have the government take over one or both of the companies if things worsened. "The officials involved in the discussions stressed that no action by the administration was imminent, and that Fannie and Freddie are not considered to be in a crisis situation." And then things worsened: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's stock dropped by 50 percent. The stock market slid after it. Crisis situation!

Something About the Government Helping? Everyone always has figured that, if Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were in deep distress, the government would step in and help them: Not only because the government created the companies but because they're so big, their failure would basically cause the U.S. housing market to freeze: If Fannie and Freddie stop buying loans, banks might stop making new loans. Mortgages would be like chocolate in the Soviet Union, or cigarettes in prison. (We think?) Anyway: They'd be way harder to get and prohibitively expensive. But we found out: Things moved quickly after the stock drop Friday, and late last night/early this morning the government announced a plan in which the Treasury would buy shares in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the Federal Reserve would give them access to the Federal Reserve's credit line, capping them each at about $2.25 billion each. This rankled tax payers, whose money it was, after all.

"I don't know where these guys get the audacity to take our money, taxpayer money, and buy stock in Fannie Mae,'' ex–George Soros partner Jim Rogers, 65, told Bloomberg News. "So we're going to bail out everybody else in the world. And it ruins the Federal Reserve's balance sheet and it makes the dollar more vulnerable and it increases inflation…"

But it made the market happy — at least at first. This morning, the Dow went up, and so did Fannie and Freddie shares. But then everyone in America remembered that thing we all learned in college, which is that having a credit line is only cool in the short term and in the end those leather pants will end up costing you far more than what it actually said on the price tag. Er. Anyway. Shares went back down again.

“The market opened with a sigh of relief,” Arthur Hogan, an analyst at Jefferies & Company, told the Times. “But upon reflection, we realized that the government’s plan doesn’t quell our concerns about the economy.”

Also, many people are saying things that end with lines like "worse recession than World War II" and "worse than the Great Depression." And that's kind of where we are right now. Are we going to have to learn to sew?

Lots More Here: Treasury and Fed Pledge Aid For Ailing Mortgage Giants [WSJ]
Stocks Fall Back After Early Gain On Rescue Plans [NYT]
About Fannie And Freddie [NYT]
Parsing Paulson [Market Movers/Portfolio]
Fannie Plan a `Disaster' to Rogers; Goldman Says Sell [Bloomberg]


Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 14 Jul 2008 | 10:15 pm

Kristen Bell to Give 'Em Elle on Heroes

Kristen Bell Heroes Trading CardKristen Bell is coming back to give Heroes a jolt. The Gossip Girl narrator will be reprising her role of the electricity-slinging Elle Bishop on the NBC drama's third season, a...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 14 Jul 2008 | 10:15 pm

How Will Roland Emmerich Destroy the World in ‘2012’?

Photo: Getty Images

If you, like us, are fans of the first half-hour of The Day After Tomorrow and the first half-hour of Independence Day, you might be eagerly awaiting the first half-hour of Roland Emmerich's newest Earth-gets-fucked disaster opus, 2012, coming out next summer. Thanks to Emmerich, we've seen some awesome weather porn and awesome aliens-exploding-things porn; what could possibly be next? What could surpass that tidal wave hitting Manhattan, or the White House being blown to bits?

Well, now we can find out! Ain't it Cool News reviews the script of 2012, and in addition to referring to it as the "splendidly stupid" work of "supreme bullshit artists" — "Whatever Emmerich's and Harald Kloser's screenplay for 2012 lacks in originality, it more than makes up for in rampant imbecility" — the review reveals what it is that will wreck our beautiful Mother Earth for the first 30 minutes of 2012, i.e. the only watchable part:

Earthquake porn!

In some ways, 2012 seems to combine all that was best about those wondrous first acts of Roland Emmerich's past. There's pseudoscience, and low-level government officials trying to convince their superiors that the pseudoscience is real. There's the Everyman hero who's trying to win back the love of his life. There's the president as a game man of the people. And there's the White House being destroyed … by a tidal wave … that carries upon it the USS John F. Kennedy.

It's like Emmerich found a way to combine the money shots of not only The Day After Tomorrow and Independence Day but also Titanic! The man's a genius.

Mr. Beaks Looks Forward to Roland Emmerich's Splendidly Stupid 2012 [Ain't It Cool News]


Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 14 Jul 2008 | 10:00 pm

Kate Hudson's a Nine

Kate HudsonSomeone's making sweet music with Kate Hudson—and it's not Lance Armstrong! The Oscar nominee has joined the cast of director Rob Marshall's movie adaptation of the hit...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 14 Jul 2008 | 10:00 pm

With Jolie birth, French paper wins

Read full story for latest details.


Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 14 Jul 2008 | 9:55 pm

The Leggings LiLo Designed Are Now on Sale!

6126 LeggingsPhoto: ShopIntuition.com

Behold! The first items up for sale from Lindsay Lohan's leggings line, fittingly called 6126 after Marilyn Monroe's birthday. You can now buy them at L.A.-based store Intuition. We know what you're thinking — just in time for the hottest weeks of the year! But these are not for the comfort of an air-conditioned gym by any means. Those leopard ankle gloves cost $42, and the "Mr. President" leggings with the built-in real leather knee pads (go ahead and make an unsavory sex joke in your head) are $142. The shiny "Glimmer" leggings are a bit less at $99, but if you want the pair with side vents in the form of shiny silver zippers, be prepared to shell out $123. So while these would make you the envy of everyone in Pilates class, the price points illustrate they're far more suited for wear to a high-end nightclub than a smelly workout studio. They only come in sizes 0, 1, 2, and 3, which could be Lindsay's interpretation of the S, M, L scale. Or maybe these are just made for skinny people.

6126 by Lindsay Lohan [Shop Intuition]
Related: Lindsay Lohan’s Leggings Line Sounds Fancy


Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 14 Jul 2008 | 9:50 pm

milking it: from mariachi to a mechanical bull, this gallery knows how to party

Fumanchu

The crowds massing outside Milk Gallery last Thursday may have shown up expecting yet another air-kissy art do, but once inside, the scene proved rather otherwise. For the studio's tenth anniversary Summer BBQ & Staff Photography Show, Milk went all out, even trucking in a mechanical bull. After taking in the photos, natch, folks spilling out onto 14th Street passed the loooong wait in line for grilled goods by rubbing elbows with anyone and everyone from Sue Stemp to Russell Simmons, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld to Terry Richardson, David Schwimmer to Kirsten Dunst. And after a chorus of "La Cucaracha" by the mariachi band, Fu Manchu took the stage. What did all of this have to do with art? Not much, according to Milk creative director Mazdack Rassi. "We just wanted to do something memorable for our employees and the people who support Milk every day," Rassi says. "A mariachi band and a mechanical bull—who's going to forget that?"

—Maya Singer

Photo: Jimi Celeste/PatrickMcmullan.com


Source: The Style File | 14 Jul 2008 | 9:43 pm

Music Review: Randy Travis' new CD (AP)

In this image released by Warner Bros., the latest CD by Randy Travis, 'Around The Bend,' is shown. (AP Photo/Warner Bros.)AP - Randy Travis, "Around The Bend" (Warner Bros.)



Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 14 Jul 2008 | 9:35 pm

Prepare Your Angry Introduction: Ahmadinejad Is Coming Back to New York

Ahmadinejad

"Fuhgeddaboubit!"Photo: Getty Images

According to the Jerusalem Post, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has told the national television news agency there that he will attend the next U.N. General Assembly here in New York in September. He will "defend Iran's rights" (to nuclear capability as well as Photoshop, we imagine) and "propose changes to what he called the 'unjust' Western system of administering international organizations."

Last time Ahmadinejad was in New York, he was invited to speak at Columbia University, where school president Lee Bollinger really laid into him in his introduction. He called him a "cruel and petty dictator." Students also tried to corner him on his deadly anti-gay policies, to which replied: "We don't have homosexuals. In Iran we do not have this phenomenon, I don't know who told you that we have it."

Now's your chance NYU: Invite him onstage and get him to pretend there are no women in Iran, and you'll be able to totally rub it in Columbia's face.

State TV: Ahmadinejad says he'll attend UN General Assembly meeting [Jerusalem Post]
Earlier: Live-Blogging Ahmadinejad


Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 14 Jul 2008 | 9:35 pm

‘Generation Kill’: Police That Mustache!

Photo: Paul Schiraldi/HBO

“Hurry up and wait”: It’s a ruling concept of military life, and it was the ruling conceit of the first installment in HBO’s seven-part Iraq-war mini-series — which, after all, was written by David Simon and Ed Burns, reality-obsessed masterminds of The Wire, and based on the account of an embedded reporter for Rolling Stone. So, yeah, nothing really happened last night: As we meet them, the First Reconnaissance Battalion Marines are hanging around Camp Mathilda in Kuwait, indulging their homoerotic impulses and wondering when they’ll get to invade Iraq; then they begin leading the invasion of Iraq. But this onion’s got layers, of course. And if the tears aren’t flowing yet, the series has at least started revealing itself. We’ve color-coded our recap: Red for the hawkish, un-p.c. stuff, Blue for the blue-state bait, and Rainbow, well, that’s where we round up all the homoerotic happenings.

Red
An opening monologue, delivered over a robust piss, ends this way: “It’s destiny, dog. White man’s gotta rule the world.” We’re not sure, but this may prove germane to the animating conflict of the series. Mostly, though, our grunts jabber for bravado’s sake. A letter from a schoolboy elicits a ha-ha rant from Corporal Ray Person (James Ransom — Ziggy from The Wire) that turns on the phrases “Wine-sipping Communist dicksuck” and “Peace sucks a hairy asshole.” And then you have the charming Corporal James Chaffin (Eric Ladin) telling Scribe (Lee Tergesen), as he arrives from Rolling Stone and is assigned a bunk, “They got you in the ghetto” as a prelude to some racial slurs that we didn’t even realize were in use anymore. The ensuing tension wends its way to Chaffin declaring that he and a buddy should go and “talk about what we’re gonna do when we get out of the Corps — join border patrol and shoot us some wetbacks.” It all comes to a fine point as they Marines are told how to deal with the fact that they might not able to distinguish Iraqi innocents from enemies: “If in your mind you fire to protect yourself or your team, it’s the right thing.” (Whispered aside: “Yo, I don’t wanna shoot no fuckin’ farmer.” Offscreen rejoinder: “I’d shoot a fuckin’ farmer.”)

Blue
Muses Corporal Jeff Carisalez, as he wrenches on his broke-down Hummer (we bet it’s not properly armored, either): “Once a year we need holiday where the blue-collar man gets to go into the home of the white-collar man, eat his food, sleep in his bed, and fuck his shit up.” Replies Person: “Jeff, you realize you’re a Communist.” “Fuck I am!” Class war, though, isn’t the issue here — it’s plain war, and whether the troops are properly supplied and supported. Captain America is already a fount of bitterness. Scribe, he’s from the liberal media, so naturally he’s gonna ask, “You’re invading Iraq with just one translator?” But when we finally meet some Iraqis, on the run from the death squads, and they are “unsurrendered” so the soldiers can keep on the move, we witness the kind of thing that makes your heart bleed: that one translator confiscating the Iraqis’ cigarettes as they trudge off, destination unknown.

Rainbow
Well, there’s Rudy “Rhymes With Fruity” Reyes (apparently playing himself). He likes being naked around the other guys; he talks of moving to San Francisco after the war — with his girlfriend, which prompts some good-natured jeers. And of course there’s all the chatter (Person, shortly after shoving a truck part between Jeff’s legs: “I had to suck an officer’s cock to get this”), some intense shirtless wrestling, and close moments made possible by Hustler. Sergeant Major Sixta, meanwhile, uncorks his rage when he notices improperly trimmed facial hair (“Police that mustache!”) or an untucked shirt (“What are you, some kind of goddamn hippie faggot?” — and what if Person said he was?). It’s all very cute, until one of those surrenders is found to have a photo of himself embracing a male friend, and the excitement ratchets up to something like you might see on a battlefield. —Nick Catucci


Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 14 Jul 2008 | 9:30 pm

mariacarla in paradis: on newsstands this week

Paradis

Staunch supporters of the more-is-more aesthetic should keep an eye out for the fourth issue of the two-year-old, biannual French publication Paradis when it hits American newsstands later this week. The mag features a 50-page fashion spread of Mariacarla Boscono photographed by Juergen Teller. "It's an absurdly indulgent erotic journey which was shot over three days in Rome last month," reveals publisher/art director Thomas Lenthal. "In the end it's quite beautiful, romantic, and sometimes shocking. It's almost as if you are purchasing a book!" Also highlighted in the 300-plus-page glossy is an interview with Pierre Hardy (accompanied by an editorial styled by the designer himself) and a profile of British architect Norman Foster, written by Hans Ulrich Obrist.

—Linlee Allen

Photo: Courtesy of Paradis



Source: The Style File | 14 Jul 2008 | 9:20 pm

Meet the New Girl: Julie Mordovets

Photo: Imaxtree

Our latest notable mannequin, Julie Mordovets, has been working hard for her moment in the model spotlight. The blue-eyed girl began modeling in 2006 and that fall scored the cover of Russian L’Officiel. Mordovets worked steadily for all of 2007, appearing in a Nordstrom’s catalogue and a few resort presentations for the likes of Nicole Miller and Badgley Mischka. Still, she hadn't caused a major sensation with casting agents. That is, however, until this year’s couture season. The brunette Ukrainian bowled everyone over with bookings at Givenchy, Valentino, and Chanel. Heading into September, expect her momentum to keep her riding high. —Kendall Herbst

Model Profile: Julie Mordovets

Browse thousands more photos of almost 400 top runway stars in our Model Manual.


Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 14 Jul 2008 | 9:15 pm

laird loves ebay: maud frizon

Frizon

I'm pregnant and I need comfortable shoes. In my mind, this justified my recent eBay purchases of vintage Maud Frizon shoes. I usually look for her signature cone heels, which the French designer and former model—a favorite of André Courrèges—introduced in the 1980's, which seem fairly sturdy, but I couldn't resist this more streamlined pink pair with a turned-up toe for summer.

—Laird Borrelli-Persson



Source: The Style File | 14 Jul 2008 | 9:03 pm

Lily Allen Acts Civilized for Once

Photo: Getty Images

1. Lily Allen, "Who'd Have Known"
In this sunny new demo, Allen seems surprised that she's actually found a healthy relationship with "just the right amount of awkward." We're even more surprised that she's recorded a song in which no one gets told off. [Zeon's Music Blog]

2. Feist, "1234" (live on Sesame Street)
Elmo lends his star power to this kid-friendly version of up-and-coming artist Leslie Feist's most notable hit. [Pitchfork]

3. LL Cool J feat. the American Dream, "Baby"
LL falls for a woman "who's looking for a man who could give her a break, like Usher or Justin Timberlake," but he hopes she'll settle for the hundredth next best thing. [Mixtape Maestro]

4. Starters DJs, "If I Ruled Viva la Vida"
Nas is definitely the gravy on this Coldplay mash-up. [Hot Biscuits]

5. Kissy Sell Out, "You're on Fire"
English D.J. Kissy Sell Out goes from "pimps up/hos down" to "primp up and hoedown" on this insanely awesome new track. [Fuck You on Friday] —Ehren Gresehover


Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 14 Jul 2008 | 9:00 pm

Nacho Figueras Explains Polo to Us

Nacho Figueras

Photo: Getty Images

The Hamptons polo season starts this Saturday, and one of the world’s most famous players, occasional Ralph Lauren model Nacho Figueras, moves into his Sag Harbor summer rental to prepare. (Okay, let's face it, he's the only famous polo player. Why is he the only one anyone ever talks about? Because he's hot? Okay, that's fair.) He’ll be playing in Bridgehampton each Saturday through mid-August. The eternally adorable Argentine explained the appeal of the game to Julie Earle-Levine and answered our ultimate burning questions about polo: Isn't it really just about wearing pastel and drinking Champagne? (Answer: apparently not.)

Does anyone in the U.S. actually follow polo?
New Yorkers are obviously very into baseball and football, but I think that New Yorkers are very open-minded, so they are really into any sports.

But isn’t the polo thing really just about the Hamptons social scene?
No! Polo is a sport that is very underrated and has a lot more to offer. It is a great thing to do with family. I play polo with my son, who is 8 years old. He is learning the sport. It is a very special thing. The bond you have with horses is very, very special. They are wonderful creatures. You cannot be a polo player unless you have special relationship with horses.

And you think the Bridgehampton crowd appreciates that bond?
Of course some people are there to socialize. But after the matches, many people come up and tell me about the game, and I realize they have been following it. When I first got to America, in 1999, I couldn’t understand baseball. It is the same with polo. You need to learn the game and watch it. Then you can appreciate it.

Is it played in places more accessible to normal people than the Hamptons and Greenwich?
You need room, like fourteen acres. There is a polo club in Meadow Brook, Long Island, a club in Greenwich, and a club in Millbrook, upstate New York.

And the crowd seems to be all models, media barons, and hedge-fund guys.
I think polo is for everyone. Polo is for kids, family, and everyone. Polo is a sport that brings together people from all over the world. I mean, a guy like me, from middle-class family in Argentina, I met the Queen and played polo there, and then I spend a lot of time with the grooms in the barns.

Related: http://nymag.com/nymetro/travel/hamptons/features/6305/They've Got Game, Argentina in the Hamptons [NYM]


Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 14 Jul 2008 | 8:47 pm

Blair Rocks As Superhero Girlfriend

"Hellboy II" star makes her comeback on the big screen and does it with a bang.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 14 Jul 2008 | 8:45 pm

Music Review: John Mellencamp's dark new CD (AP)

In this image released courtesy of Elaine Mellencamp, musician John Mellencamp is shown. Mellencamp's latest CD is titled, 'Life, Death, Love and Freedom.' (AP Photo/courtesy Elaine Mellencamp)AP - John Mellencamp, "Life, Death, Love, and Freedom" (Hear Music)



Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 14 Jul 2008 | 8:42 pm

Introducing the Cut’s Daily Newsletter!

Over here at the Cut we understand that from time to time you have to actually work instead of checking this page incessantly for new posts. So you don't miss any fashion news, we've just launched a new daily Cut newsletter. That's right, all your Agyness Deyn updates will go straight to your in-box! Plus, we'll also fill you in on the magazine's latest articles and our new Shop-A-Matics. Sign up for your daily dose of e-fabulous here.


Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 14 Jul 2008 | 8:40 pm

‘The Wackness’ vs. ‘Kids’: Which Is More Authentically 1994?

Sure, the new movie The Wackness — about a New York City teen whose weed-dealing exploits take him all over the city in the summer of '94 — is chock-full of references to Zimas, pagers, Kurt Cobain, and A Tribe Called Quest. But really, how on the money is it? To find out, we consulted another film about New York City teens that was actually filmed in 1994: Larry Clark's burnout-teens vérité Kids. What’s more true to the NYC nineties we remember: Zima or AIDS? Let’s take a look. —Piper Weiss

 
Kids
The Wackness
Story line NYC kids spend one day in the summer of ‘94 smoking weed and deflowering virgins. NYC prep-school kid spends the summer of ‘94 dealing weed and getting himself deflowered.
Uniform Backpacks, loose T-shirts, baggy khakis, Adidas. Backpacks, loose T-shirts, baggy khakis, Adidas.
References to Giuliani, Kurt Cobain, pagers, and 90210 Zero. Eight.
References to AIDS Too many to count. Zero.
Uses of the word "wack" Zero. Too many to count.
Creepy real-life character from the streets of New York The "I have no legs" guy on the subway. Mary-Kate Olsen.
Dramatic slow-motion walking scene A group of kids with 40s walking down the Park Avenue median. Ben Kingsley and Josh Peck strolling down a street, bridge in the background.
Main character's worst fear realized Getting AIDS. Moving to New Jersey.
Reaction from a New Yorker who was actually a teen in 1994 Aside from all the sex, fairly realistic. Totally unbelievable: We never added a suffix to the word "wack."


Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 14 Jul 2008 | 8:30 pm

Juan Luis Guerra finds the beat of the heart (AP)

Dominican singer and songwriter Juan Luis Guerra gestures as he talks to a reporter in Miami, Thursday, July 10, 2008. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)AP - Sitting in the back of a darkened arena, a Celtics hat pulled low on his head, a black warm-up suit covering his lanky frame, Dominican bachata and merengue star Juan Luis Guerra cuts an unassuming figure.



Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 14 Jul 2008 | 8:24 pm

Music Review: Black Kids smart, relevant on debut (AP)

In this image released by Almost Gold Records, the latest Black Kids CD, 'Partie Traumatic,' is shown. (AP Photo/Almost Gold Records)AP - Black Kids, "Partie Traumatic" (Almost Gold)



Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 14 Jul 2008 | 8:02 pm

Calvin Klein Demotes Toni Garrn, But Her Star Still Rises

Top, Suvi in Calvin Klein's fall campaign; bottom,
Toni in Calvin Klein's spring campaign.Photo: Courtesy of Calvin Klein

Calvin Klein is known for launching Kate Moss and Natalia Vodianova's careers, but the house most recently thrust German 17-year-old Toni Garrn into the spotlight as the star of their spring campaign. Last year the house dropped Natalia as its face and picked up Finnish model Suvi Koponen to star in its fall ad campaign. But in September Garrn landed a worldwide exclusive opening and closing the Calvin Klein runway show and swiftly replaced Koponen in the campaign. (If we may toot our own horn, we saw her star potential before all that, picking her as one of our favorite faces of the spring season.) Many expected Garrn to become the "new Natalia," remaining the brand's face for seasons to come. However Calvin Klein's new ad campaigns are out, and Suvi is back in the top spot as the face of the label. Garrn has been demoted to the CK Jeans campaign, starring alongside Ali Stephens.

Francisco Costa told WWD Suvi was the "perfect choice" for the fall campaign since the collection is "characterized by sharp, angular lines with a real emphasis at the waist, torso, and legs." But even though Calvin demoted Garrn, she's picking up steam elsewhere. Since February she's appeared in W, i-D, and V, while working with star-making photographers Steven Meisel and Mario Testino. And let's not forget Testino even said Garrn may be the new Claudia Schiffer. She also just landed her first cover, for German Vogue, so we dare say she's here to stay. Click through to see her CK Jeans campaign and German Vogue cover. —James Lim

That's Toni on the floor and Ali Stephens standing up.Photo: Courtesy of Calvin Klein

Memo Pad: THE MANY FACES OF CALVIN [WWD]
Calvin Klein Jeans F/W 08.09 by Steven Meisel [Fashion Spot]


Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 14 Jul 2008 | 8:00 pm

Artist Mary Reid Kelley Goes to War

Still from Mary Reid Kelley’s Camel Toe (2008).Courtesy of Marvelli Gallery, New York.

“I am the lover of two women,” announces Mary Reid Kelley in her naughty, noirish video in which she plays a cartoony male WWI aviator. Kelley, as the pilot, recites a poem lamenting a present he gives his bride, a ballerina named Camel Toe. The gift is "bright and round — when you plug it in the wall, it makes a jolly buzzing sound." Camel Toe takes it into the bathroom and is never heard from again. Kelley's video is part of a group show about happiness at Marvelli Gallery through August 8. —Emma Pearse


Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 14 Jul 2008 | 8:00 pm

Race for First Brangelina Twins Pics Begins!

The highly anticipated Brangelina twins have arrived...who will get the photos?
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 14 Jul 2008 | 7:54 pm

liberte, fraternite, and cocktails

Ferebeeolivia

That Bastille Day is neither an American holiday nor on July 12 mattered not to socials Olivia Chantecaille and Ferebee Bishop Taube, who, together with St-Germain liqueur, celebrated France's Fête Nationale on Saturday night with a little shindig at East Hampton's Kobe Beach Club. Partyhopping Hamptonites, including Calvin Klein's Francisco Costa, Jill Stuart, and Robert Buckley, sucked down St-Germain cocktails like they were going out of style—they're not, by the way; elderflower-infused liqueur happens to be more addictive than crack—and noshed on French bistro snacks like baguette grilled cheeses. It was très Paris-by-way-of-the-Long Island Expressway, which, with the dollar this weak, is probably the closest we'll get to the City of Light for a while.

—Evelyn Crowley



Source: The Style File | 14 Jul 2008 | 7:52 pm

Stripper, 80, still taking her clothes off

Read full story for latest details.


Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 14 Jul 2008 | 7:46 pm

Music Review: The Hold Steady get more polished (AP)

In this image released by Vagrant Records, the latest CD for The Hold Steady, 'Stay Positive,' is shown. (AP Photo/Vagrant Records)AP - The Hold Steady, "Stay Positive" (Vagrant Records)



Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 14 Jul 2008 | 7:36 pm

Basic Envy? Star's Brother Tells All in Book

Tell-all book could spell end of relationship between Madonna and her brother.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 14 Jul 2008 | 7:22 pm

Hunter Thompson Killed by Gonzo, and Other Culture Highlights From This Week's ‘New York’

Photo: Ernie Leyba

In this week's issue of New York, John Lombardi remembers Hunter Thompson. Jeremy Carter says Damn Yankees is no damn good. Jerry Saltz assesses the three Jeff Koons sculptures currently sitting atop the Met. John Leonard reviews The Cleaner. Jada Yuan raps with joke-book author Jim Holt. David Edelstein was not impressed with The Dark Knight. Plus, Vulture's own Dan Kois plays cricket with Netherland author Joseph O'Neill.


Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 14 Jul 2008 | 7:15 pm

Christian Makes Bank With Fierce Hair, Fierce Book; We're Fiercely Over It

Feeling fierce today?Photo: Getty Images

With the fifth season of Project Runway premiering on Wednesday, you can finally forget about last season's winner Christian Siriano. Oh, who are we kidding? His Fierceness isn't ready to share the spotlight with anyone. This week Christian told Details that he's branching into hair products by doing a project with TRESemmé called "Fierce Hair" (seriously) as well as taking on the literary world by penning a book about the millions of ways to be fierce, complete with quotes from Heidi Klum (who he says is very skinny now), Vanessa Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, and more.

We must've been fools to think he already exhausted all the uses of these catch phrases on his way to the top. Nope! He's capitalizing, hard-core. "It's making me money and that's wonderful," Siriano said. "Shoot, if they want to use my words, that's fine. Just pay me — I don't want to be a struggling designer forever."

Certainly we appreciate his frankness — everyone's gotta make a buck. But when our mom called a stranger's outfit a "hot tranny mess," we realized enough is enough. We've hit our fierceness limit. Let's remember, Christian didn't just win Project Runway for his personality. Now it's time to let his clothes speak for themselves. —Sharon Clott

60 Seconds With Christian Siriano [Details]

Related: Heidi Klum Doesn’t Starve Herself, But Loses Weight, Anyway


Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 14 Jul 2008 | 7:15 pm

marchesa on sephora.com. sort of

Stilamarchesa

In their most recent beauty/fashion collaboration, Stila Cosmetics has created a limited-edition compact inspired by the makeup at Marchesa's Fall 2008 runway presentation. "We look for designers who represent our philosophy of how we see ourselves," Sarah Lucero, Stila's director of artistry and education, says of the brand's Backstage Beauty Collection. And how is that? "Classic but modern," Lucero says, adding, "We can represent our beautiful makeup with their beautiful designs." The black patent compact houses an eye palette of whites, peaches, and grays to conjure the "dreamy, Elizabethan classic girl" that Lucero helped create to complement Marchesa's jewel-toned gowns. As a bonus, there's a faux-leather rosette wrapped around the packaging that can be worn as a bracelet—or a necklace, if you're feeling that whole early-nineties choker vibe.

—Celia Ellenberg

Photo: Stila Cosmetics



Source: The Style File | 14 Jul 2008 | 7:09 pm

Brendan Fraser gets goofy

Read full story for latest details.


Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 14 Jul 2008 | 6:38 pm

art deco meets the bronze age via r&y augousti

Boxes

I'm a huge fan of R&Y Augousti, which is based in Paris and designed by the husband-and-wife team of Ria and Yoiuri Augousti. It was launched in the nineties as a home-furnishings collection, but it's since expanded into more of a lifestyle brand. The furniture has an Art Deco feel, and features exotic materials such as shagreen, eel, python, mother-of-pearl, and horn. The handbag collection has the same thirties feel, and uses just as many unusual skins and fabrics. My favorite is the egg-shaped clutch in bronze. I'd love to be carrying it right now, but I'll have to wait until it hits stores this fall. $900, available at Barneys New York, (212) 754-7940.

—Marina Larroude



Source: The Style File | 14 Jul 2008 | 5:12 pm

Multi-Million-Dollar Fight for Brangelina Twins

Two magazines are fighting for the rights to the official first photographs of the Jolie-Brad Pitt twins.
Source: FOXNews.com | 14 Jul 2008 | 4:38 pm

Josh Brolin Arrested in Bar Fight

Actors Josh Brolin and Jeffrey Wright, along with members of a crew filming an Oliver Stone movie, were arrested during a bar fight Saturday morning, police said.
Source: FOXNews.com | 14 Jul 2008 | 4:19 pm

sienna's married (for now) man; the twins are here!

Siennamiller_3

Sienna Miller continues to cavort with Balthazar, but it's cool, because he's getting a divorce. Removing the tattoo of his wife's name from across his chest may prove more difficult.

The Brangie twins are here (!), and their names are vaguely French. We thought the French were supposed to be reserved and above celebrity scandal, but their doctor totally dished about his feeling for Brad and what went down in the delivery room. Memoir to come, we're sure.

In a blow to America's already unfavorable global image, our Miss Universe contestant can't walk in heels. Oh, the shame!

—Alison Baenen

Photo: Richard Young/Rex USA



Source: The Style File | 14 Jul 2008 | 4:10 pm

rompers, jellies, and denim: a summer sunday in williamsburg

Pool1 Pool2 Pool3

Pool4 Pool5 Pool6

Pool7 Pool8 Pool9

Pool10 Pool11 Pool12

At the Breeders concert that Topshop co-sponsored at McCarren Park Pool yesterday, "the beat was a-bumpin' and the girlies was hot," to borrow a phrase from the Beastie Boys. Williamsburg lovelies drove "all the young dudes" (sorry, we're on a song lyric binge) to distraction in hipster daywear staples like rompers, gladiator sandals, denim shorts, and vintage sundresses. Also in the trend mix? Heart-shaped sunglasses à la Sue Lyon in "Lolita" and the shoe that refuses to die, the jelly. And let's not forget that the Billyburgettes deserve props for knowing how to dress on a dime. American Apparel, H&M, and Forever 21—or, as more mature shoppers call it, Forever 28—were all well represented. No doubt Topshop will be, too, when it opens its first U.S. outpost in Soho this fall.

—Evelyn Crowley

Photo: Nicola Kast



Source: The Style File | 14 Jul 2008 | 3:40 pm

Video game characters getting smarter

Read full story for latest details.


Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 14 Jul 2008 | 3:15 pm

Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza Crowned Miss Universe

Miss Venezuela was crowned Miss Universe 2008 on Monday in a contest marked by the spectacle of Miss USA falling down during the evening gown competition for the second year in a row.
Source: FOXNews.com | 14 Jul 2008 | 2:51 pm

Peter Cook Tells Geraldo He Regrets Affair

If he had the chance to do it over, Peter Cook would resist the teen lover who broke up his marriage and stay true to Christie Brinkley, he told FOX News Channel's "Geraldo at Large" on Sunday.
Source: FOXNews.com | 14 Jul 2008 | 1:42 pm

Humorist is done being 'bratty' -- almost

Read full story for latest details.


Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 14 Jul 2008 | 1:17 pm