To an outsider, the idea that the financial crisis was caused in part by overconfidence is uncontroversial. An overconfident person is one who does not accurately evaluate the risk of his own failure, and isn't that what led banks to swallow billions in sketchily credentialed sub-prime mortgages? But discuss the theory with finance professionals, and eyes narrow and voices tighten.

One bank official commented to me that Gladwell was "full of it," engaging in "pop science," and that "you can make sweeping generalizations sound true if you tap the entirety of scientific and literary history to find sources." Gladwell's primary Wall Street example of overconfidence, former Bear Stearns chairman Jimmy Cayne, was hardly a revelation for many on Wall Street. "Jimmy is a colorful character, so that's too easy," one trader told me. "If the point was about overconfidence, then the story should have touched upon situations that Bear encountered when they said, 'We know better than the market.' That wasn't in there." Two others were surprised that Gladwell became distracted by the unrelated tale of military history at Gallipoli and didn't touch upon the classic Wall Street tale of overconfidence: the collapse of hedge fund Long-Term Capital Management, in 1998, a firm that was founded and run by Nobel Prize–winning economists. LTCM was leveraged close to 26 times, meaning it had 26 times more debt than cash to pay it off.

Carping about obvious examples and sweeping generalizations? Wall Street's critique of Malcolm Gladwell is not unfamiliar. But dig deeper, and it becomes clear that these traders weren't threatened by the charge that they had lost their touch at the game; it was Gladwell's attack on the game itself that bothered them. The kernel of Gladwell's argument is in this sentence: "Because ability makes a difference in competitions of skill, we make the mistake of thinking that it must also make a difference in competitions of pure chance."

The trading industry is built on the premise that the markets have a logic. Fund managers judge themselves by "benchmarks" that tell them how close they were to getting the market right. To say that Wall Street is a game of pure chance, as Gladwell does, is to imply that the market is a casino, and nothing gets a financier's blood boiling like the idea that he's a glorified croupier. A few months ago, a prominent bank executive upbraided me because I said his firm had made a good bet on some securities. "Look right there," he chided. "It's not a bet! You reporters are always writing about 'bets' in the market! We don't bet! We're not out there playing roulette. These are educated, considered decisions." A securities lawyer pointed out that "the odds are always with the house in a casino. If that were so, Bear and Lehman would still exist."

Oddly enough, just as Wall Street is vehement about its ability to make decisions, the market does in fact more closely resemble a spinning roulette wheel. On Thursday and Friday, Reuters, Bloomberg, and the New York Times all ran items critical of "high-frequency trading," in which computer programs scan markets and buy and sell stocks on behalf of some firms in milliseconds. That beats the market significantly enough to get people worried about firms "frontrunning," or profiting by trading before their clients do. If that's not the sound of the house winning, then what is?

Cocksure [The New Yorker]

Read more posts by Heidi N. Moore

Filed Under: business, malcolm gladwell, white men with money

Isaac's New Show, Rachel Roy's Pop-Up & Marc's Tees [Fashion]

• QVC has tapped Isaac Mizrahi to host a show that's "part pitch, part reality show." The shopping network will air eight hours of "Isaac Mizrahi Live!" a month beginning in December. [WSJ]
• Rachel Roy is opening a pop-up shop in Soho in September. [NL]
• Tory Burch has sold a stake in her company to a Mexico City-based private equity firm. [NYT]
• Marc Jacobs' latest collection of t-shirts take a stand on gay marriage. "I pay my taxes, I want my RIGHTS!" is stamped on the front. [Cut]

• A chat with Michelle Obama's "wardrobe consultant," Ikram Goldman. [SF]
• Speaking of Michelle, she did not chop off this week, in case you were concerned. It was just an uptuck. Oh, and in other political hair news, Jenna Bush is now a brunette. Glad that's been cleared up. [Politics Daily, HuffPo]
• Pics of Betsey Johnson's capsule collection for Opening Ceremony. And a few pics of Alexander Wang's first-ever collection for men. [FWD, Style.com]
• Today's saddest celebrity venture: Alicia Silverstone is launching "a cosmetics brush and cosmetics storage line in time for the holidays." [WWD]
• Models often look lifeless. But one Japanese designer is taking it to a new level: She used a robot as a model at her fashion show this week. [Sun]
• Did you know there's a Museum of Counterfeiting in Paris? There is. [LAT]

Dear Mr. Leibowitz [Open Letters]

Jon Stewart pokes fun at politicians who don't tell it like it is and fudge the truth almost every night. Now it looks like the tables have turned. Slate's Ron Rosenbaum has penned an open letter to Stewart. And he's asking the comedian to stop living a lie:

You probably don't recall, but I was one of your earliest, most enthusiastic media admirers. I wrote a column nearly a decade ago, shortly after you took over The Daily Show, when you were still struggling for recognition of your genius, before the massive media love-in that took a while to develop...

So please know I'm writing as an admirer, someone who thinks you have the courage as well as comedic smarts to take the simple but radical step I'm going to suggest.

I want you to change your name. Back to Leibowitz. Stewart is just so 20th-century, a relic of that dark age when Jews in show biz changed their names because they feared "real Americans" wouldn't accept the originals. 

An Open Letter to Jon Stewart [Slate]

Batman film in 2011? It's a mystery made for Holmes - Reuters

Straits Times

Batman film in 2011? It's a mystery made for Holmes Reuters SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Holy start date, Batman fans! Actor Gary Oldman, who starred in the recent blockbuster Batman movies let it slip on Friday that a new flick about the crime-fighting superhero is set to start filming next year ... Comic-Con: 'Batman 3' To Begin Shooting Next Year, Says Gary OldmanMTV.com Comic Con rumor: 'Dark Knight' sequel to film next yearSan Jose Mercury News Oldman dishes on `Dark Knight' sequel shootingThe Associated Press Entertainment Weekly -Los Angeles Times -guardian.co.uk all 209 news articles »

Week in Review: Sweet Like Possum Meat!

Do you ever find yourself sitting at your desk on Friday afternoon wondering where the heck the week went? Well, whenever that happens to your friendly Vulture editors, we take a stroll down Blog Lane and compile our Week in Review. So what DID happen this week, anyway? Well ...

• The Cavemen are back! We don't even really care that it's in a Three Doors Down video, either.

• The geeks invaded San Diego for Comic-Con, where Avatar made nerds (but not Quentin Tarantino) cream their jeans, Gary Oldman told everyone that Dark Knight 2 was on the way, and Thom Yorke confessed to loving vampires (sort of).

• Chris "Monster" Brown barely apologized for what went down with Rihanna, but somehow his comeback got jump-started by a viral video.

• Everyone wanted to know the twist ending of Orphan, but will anybody actually go see it?

• Katie Holmes got happy, the unfortunate by-product of which was making SYTYCD audiences get sad.

• We got a quick sneak peak at Mad Men season three and learned that Don Draper can sit still for two hours at a time.

• Not only is Conan O'Brien hurting in the late-night ratings, but now Jimmy Fallon is too.

• There's a whole new crop of British dudes to swoon after.

• The poor, idea-challenged Katherine Heigl was forced to work seventeen hours one day, which is ironic, considering her best friend T.R. Knight left the show because he wasn't working enough.

• Big week on late-night for 30 Rock stars: Alec Baldwin played with your look and Tracy Morgan considered pawning his Emmys.

• Judd Apatow showed Adam Sandler his penis, while Cameron Diaz likely never wants to see Lou Lumenick's.

• Beck will be contributing some songs for Scott Pilgrim.

• The "morons" who write Entourage took the piss out of Seth Rogen and he was none too happy about it.

• Paula Abdul is threatening to leave American Idol if she doesn't get $20 million per year to space out on television two nights a week. Don't worry, Simon, there's always Susan Boyle!

Read more posts by Mark Graham

Filed Under: roll credits

Zombies, fans converge at Comic-Con

You Lived the Week — Now Get the T-Shirt

This T-shirt will be funny until at least Sunday, and with continued antics from Jon & Kate Plus Kate (plus what's her name, the other one, Hailey?), it could even remain amusing into next week! After which you may have to retire it along with your Team Aniston and Mrs. Justin Timberlake T-shirts.

Get Your “I’m Dating Jon” T-Shirts!!! [Just Jared via Best Week Ever ]

Read more posts by Jessica Pressler

Filed Under: jon and kate plus eight, jon gosselin, kate major, los angeles

To All at Outside: Please Stop Stealing the Ice

Offices are so deceptive. They're blandly decorated and well lit, and everyone in them acts "professional," even though underneath it all, they're seething with fear and insecurity and angst and irritation. When you think about it, they're really weird, these offices: It's just bunches of people grouped together at random, forced into the same building, day after day after day, breathing the same stale air and performing the same menial tasks and occasionally suffering horrible personal indignities, all in pursuit of a fucking paycheck. It's crazy, actually. Still, we do it. Day in and day out, we do it. But every once in a while, someone breaks the banality of routine by going completely apeshit.

It might be a little thing that sets them off, a missing snack or a dirty bathroom, but whatever it is, the person will become so incensed that they will see no other recourse than to sit down at his or her desk and pen or type a furious missive to the entire company. A missive that says, in essence: "Enough! What are we, animals?!"

Here at Daily Intel, we believe these acts of bravery deserve a wider audience. That their howls should be heard above and beyond their carpeted cubicle walls. Which is why, earlier today, we published a note from a Gourmet staffer that, though on the surface was about dirty dishes, was really about class issues and feeling disrespected. And now we have received an e-mail sent to the staff at Outside, from someone who is fed up with people stealing her ice. The level of outrage it contains was was perplexing to the recipients of the e-mail, our tipster tells us, not least because the refrigerator at Outside comes equipped with an ice machine. But the ice, of course, was not really the point.

Without further ado, the email, in all of its exclamation-point-riddled glory:

From: "Redacted"

Date: July 13, 2009 10:51:33 AM MDT

To: (all of Outside Magazine)

Subject: Sad

Hello All,

You know, it makes me sad to think that some Outsiders would have so little respect for other Outsiders. It makes me wonder how friends & family are treated.

I spend MY money on ice for my purposes, but I have no problem sharing. All I ask is a little common courtesy and little note saying someone needed some ice. Instead I come back from the weekend and my whole bag of ice has disappeared!

I hate to harp on something so trivial, but this is the 3rd time this has happened. And this last time, the bag was clearly marked.

A little more respect, PLEASE! Exactly HOW old are we?

Read more posts by Jessica Pressler

Filed Under: business, media, office outbursts, outside, outside magazine, to: all

Eating & Drinking: Friday Edition [Roundup]

• According to Epicurious, the best burger in NYC is at DuMont's. [Epicurious]
• Mike Satsky and Brian Gefter, owners of the now-shuttered Stereo, plan to open a new spot called Provocateur in the Gansevoort Hotel this fall. [P6]
• The long-delayed, brunch-only spot Permanent Brunch opens Monday. [GS]
• A roundup of recent restaurant closings around town. [Eater]
• A roundup of where various celebs supposedly dined this week. [GS]
• That video of Gwyneth Paltrow cooking roast chicken? Until recently, she claimed she was a vegan and hadn't eaten meat in 15 years. [NYDN]

• The recession must be over: McDonald's reports revenues are falling. [BN]
• Rachel Maddow's favorite place for a cheap lunch: La Rosita Grocery & Taqueria in Hell's Kitchen. You know, just in case you were wondering. [F&W]
• The UWS branch of Academia di Vino opens this October. [FoodandThings]
• Some local politicos are pushing for a "green food resolution." [NYT]
• Those Greek "We are happy to serve you" coffee cups face extinction. [JVNY]

Publishers acquire Jackson autobiography rights (Reuters)

Reuters - Publishers including Random House have bought the rights to reprint Michael Jackson's best-selling 1988 autobiography, "Moonwalk," Random House said on Friday.

New Marc Jacobs Tees Demand Gays’ Right to Wed

Two new political T-shirts arrived in the Marc by Marc Jacobs Accessories store on Wednesday, both scrawled with the words, "I pay my taxes, I want my RIGHTS!" Our favorite of the two depicts a chic, presumably lesbian couple clad in stiletos and little black dresses, their arms draped around each other and a baby (who, adorably, also sports her own mini-LBD). The other version has a dollar sign and an American flag floating around the text. Both are $24 at 385 Bleecker Street, where assistant store manager Bret Paterson says they've been selling. The response has been positive as they've been unpacking them over the past couple of days — mainly a mix of "well, they deserve it," remarks and delighted laughter, he says. According to a rep from the showroom, both are available in limited runs of around 200.

Read more posts by Lauren Murrow

Filed Under: gay marriage, gay rights, marc jacobs, political style, shopping

Song of the Summer: Will Jay-Z Dominate?

Usually at this point of Song of the Summer season, the top contenders have been firmly established; a few newbies might have some nice runs, sure, but the ad nauseam tracks are the ad nauseam tracks. This year, however, may turn out a little different — in case you haven’t heard, the biggest rap star in the world has a new album coming out in the fall, and he’s pushing it hard now. “Run This Town,” the “official” first single from Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 is here, and it may have seismic effects.

If it does hit big, Jay should effusively thank Rihanna: It’s her epic choruses, reminiscent of the deathless “Live Your Life,” that will have junior-high girls rocking to this after school. But that’s the least compelling thing about the song. First is the beat, a squiggly, sneaky little guitar line that doesn’t quite sound like anything else on contemporary hip-hop radio (and is, at least to us, extremely reminiscent of Ratatat’s remix of “The Mule”). Then there’s the whole Jay vs. Kanye thing. We think both dudes killed it, actually, but ‘Ye wins by an inch — slowing down the beat for his verse was kind of genius, and eleventy million points for making getting fucked up on white wine sound cool: “I’m beasting / off the Riesling / and my n**** just made it out the precinct.”

1. Jeremih, “Birthday Sex”: Two straight weeks at No. 1 for the young upstart turned front-runner are even more impressive when you consider that this is his first-ever single. The only thing we’re disappointed in is the lack of remixes/covers/parodies as good as Mike Posner’s “First Date Sex” (“I met Jay-Z, yeah I’ll tell you about if we have …”).

2. Drake, “Best I Ever Had”: Supposedly “Run This Town” was actually going to be preceded by “Off This” featuring Drake, but plans were changed at a late stage. Which we actually think is a good thing: The increasingly ubiquitous Drake could probably use a little less exposure these days.

3. Jay-Z feat. Kanye West and Rihanna, “Run This Town”: On a side note: Once, Kanye proudly rapped “tank on empty, whipping my mama Volvo.” On “Run This Town,” he lets us know “I bought my whole family whips, no Volvos.” As longtime drivers of our mama Volvo, we feel sort of betrayed.

4. Tie: Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling,” “Boom Boom Pow”: We can’t quite bring ourselves to separate the conjoined twins yet, but let it be known that “Boom Boom Pow” continues to slip — both on the Hot 100, and in our hearts. Astounding, considering its early dominance, but it’s looking like “Boom Boom Pow” may eventually become, after “Blame It” (remember that song?), the summer’s second burnout victim.

5. Mariah Carey, “Obsessed”: Like with Carey’s “Fantasy,” “Honey,” and “We Belong Together,” we’re hoping that it’s the remix to “Obsessed” everyone ends up listening to. The tweaked video, which plays down the Eminem stuff in favor of Gucci Mane in a dapper white suit, should help.

6. Young Money feat. Lil Wayne, “Every Girl”: We don’t have much new to add on this one, so instead we’d like to take this space to direct your attention to the mix tape Young Money Menage, boasting what could be the year’s greatest cover.

7. Rob Thomas, “Her Diamonds”: We had not one hipper-than-thou comment about Mr. Thomas’s entry into the field last week, which disappoints us a little. There's no residual Matchbox 20 hate out there? None?

8. Princeton, “Calypso Gold”: An extremely pretty new track from an under-the-radar L.A. band that makes us feel like we’re driving home at dusk in a drop-top with no traffic and a Jolly Rancher slurpee. Or something.

9. Fabolous feat. The-Dream, “Throw It in the Bag”: Extra points for birthing a pretty good, sonically loosely connected remix, featuring … Drake.

10. Shakira, "She Wolf": This is an inevitable radio staple, but the latest from Shakira earns a spot on the list mostly owing to her previous triumphs. Let’s just say our hips are feeling very specious right now.

Read more posts by Amos Barshad

Filed Under: jay-z, music, song of the summer

But the lessor returned home yesterday to find her home in what she says is less-than-acceptable condition. In fact, she won't be giving CariDee her deposit back, and she's sent an e-mail to CariDee (and others, like Perez Hilton) explaining why. CariDee declined to respond to our questions about what she said were "extremely false" claims, but we've got a copy of the lessor's angry e-mail, in case you're wondering about the alleged living habits of a Top Model winner.

[IN CASE YA'LL WERE WONDERING HOW IT WORKED OUT. BTW: MODELS EAT POPTARTS, CUP 'O NOODLE AND FROZEN SKOR BARS.]

Ryan and CariDee,

I was shocked when I returned home yesterday to find a hole in the middle of my living room wall that was made during your stay. Coincidentally it's about the same size as the remote control, which is also broken. For this, I will be keeping your deposit.

Along with that, there was fake orange tan dust all over everything: the pillows, the sheets, the towels, the bathmat, the walls, everywhere. The icing on the cake were the short black hairs all over the entire bathroom, as well as black sludge and lipstick smeared along walls. Fruit flies formed a thick cloud in the kitchen. Bandaids stuck to the floor, etc. etc. etc. Both puzzling and sickening.

People on Craigslist rent out their homes, not their hotel rooms. It's for mature, respectful people. If you throw things at walls, you are neither. Tanning dust, black sludge, black hairs hairs, and wall holes are for hotel rooms where a maid comes everyday. I've been doing this for five years, and I've never had anyone treat my home this way.

I don't think that you two were intentionally disrespectful--I can see you two tried to wash the sheets--it's probably just how you roll. But if you roll that way, stay in a hotel. Take responsibility for your profoundly tantastic lives.

If I hear about you renting off Craigslist again, I will post my story of the Tanning Dust/Black Sludge Nightmare as a warning to other renters. Actually I just might do that anyway, after I get done cleaning the bathroom, which should take a week. Regardless, no more Craigslist for you two.

[Name Redacted]

P.S. You left your diarrhea medicine on the floor.

Again, CariDee denies this. In which case, what did she do to piss off this girl so much? Craigslist: It never ends well.

Read more posts by Jessica Coen and Amy Odell

Filed Under: americas next top model, caridee english, models, reality tv, television, unfortunate things

Source: The Cut | 24 Jul 2009 | 11:10 pm

Unlikely literary pioneer E. Lynn Harris dies

E. Lynn Harris, the author who introduced millions of readers to the "invisible life" of black gay men, was a literary pioneer whose generosity was as huge as his courage, friends said Friday.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 24 Jul 2009 | 11:07 pm

Peaches Goes Grunge

Peaches Geldof opted for a grunge look at the opening of Wright's Nightclub in Dublin.

Would you mix patterns like that?

Read more posts by Amina Akhtar

Filed Under: look of the day, peaches geldof

Source: E! Online (US) - Top Stories | 24 Jul 2009 | 10:30 pm

Michael Jackson Had Some Money After All!

The King of Pop may have been $400 million in debt, but it turns out he had some money stashed under the proverbial mattress. The executors of Michael Jackson's estate have recovered...

Source: E! Online (US) - Top Stories | 24 Jul 2009 | 10:29 pm

Condé Nast's New Business Model—Revealed! [Exclusive]

 

Earlier this week, Condé Nast announced that it had hired McKinsey & Co. to help it "rethink" how it does business and "develop new perspectives on optimizing our approach to business [and] growing revenues." Is it a coincidence that Condé's parent company filed a lawsuit against the British West Indies today?

Unfortunately, a digital copy of the suit hasn't been filed with the New York Southern District Court yet, so we can't say why Si Newhouse is now training his legal firepower on a group of sub-tropical islands, or what he's hoping to gain extract from our neighbors to the south. (The summary filing does indicate that Condé's suit involves a breach of contract of some sort.) 

In the meantime, we're going to go ahead and assume that Newhouse's vacation to Turks and Caicos this Christmas is totally not happening now.

Source: Cityfile.com - Dailyfile | 24 Jul 2009 | 10:24 pm

Josh Lucas’s Dog Is More Popular Than He Is

Josh Lucas.

Earlier this week, at the launch for the Humane Society’s Stop Puppy Mills Project, we caught up with some cute celebrities and their even cuter pooches. But Josh Lucas’s dog might be too cute for his own good. “I’m sometimes a bit jealous about how much energy and attention he gets,” Lucas told us. “People will call me and say, ‘I want to hang out with your dog.’ What about me?” View our Party Lines slideshow to see which celebrities have good dogs and bad dogs.

Read more posts by Bennett Marcus

Filed Under: josh lucas, party lines

Source: Daily Intel | 24 Jul 2009 | 10:17 pm

Average Dad Proves Man Girdles Actually Work

A Time reporter and average dad tried on some man girdles and let his daughters judge how effective they were. The mirdle by Equmen brought his 104-centimeter waist down to 99. The mirdle by Ript Fusion also took five centimeters off. So they work! But it's not surprising — why does everyone think women's Spanx are so popular? Because they feel nice to wear and are easier to put on than underwear? Of course not. Props to this dad for being brave enough to dance around in these things before America. [Time]

Read more posts by Amy Odell

Filed Under: equmen, men are the new women, mirdles, ript fusion

This Could Be Some New Daft Punk Music [Playlist]

Read more posts by Lane Brown

Filed Under: daft punk, movies, robots, tron 2, tron legacy

Source: Vulture | 24 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

The Long, Tortured History of the Second Avenue Subway

This week, the MTA announced further delays on the long-awaited, almost mythical Second Avenue subway line. But given the history of the line, the news was met with little surprise. In fact, the project has been delayed time after time over a span stretching back 80 years.

• 1929: NYC Board of Transportation budgets $86 million for its newly proposed Second Avenue T line, predicted to open between 1938 and 1941.

• September 2, 1929: A New York Times headline blares “MANHATTAN SALES: Second Avenue Subway Project Causes 50 Percent Rise in Prices.” A month later, the Great Depression begins. Opening date hoped for is between 1938 and 1941.

• 1930: The Times reports on a “Subway loop to link 125th and 34th Sts … to run beneath Second Avenue.” However, the proposal is still in “tentative form.” Tentative indeed.

• 1931: Great Depression continues. New proposed opening date: 1948.

• 1939: The subway’s cost estimate balloons to $249 million.

• 1941: The Pearl Harbor attacks launch U.S. into World War II, causing funds and manpower for the line to be further postponed.

• 1944: Back to square one, the subway’s design undergoes alterations. New proposed opening date: 1951.

• 1949: The subway’s cost estimate rises to $504 million. New York Board of Transportation orders ten $100,000 trains custom-made for the T line. One now sits in the New York Transit Museum.

• 1950: More tinkering with the design plan. The onset of the Korean War brings inflation and costlier materials.

• 1951: City approves a $500 million bond for the subway — only $112 million ends up going toward the T. Construction set to start in 1957 or the following year.

• 1957: The New York Times’ front page presciently comments that “It is highly improbable that the Second Avenue subway will ever materialize.”

• 1967: New York State passes a $2.5 billion bond for transportation, including $600 million for New York City.

• 1968: The city applies for $254 million in federal funds, receiving an initial grant of $25 million. This marks the first time the federal government has helped fund new subway construction in New York City. At this point, the line is expected to cost $335 million.

• 1972: The T sees its first ground-breaking. New expected price tag: $1 billion. Federal government demands completion by “the end of this decade.”

• 1973: Expected price tag: $1.3 billion.

• 1974: Mayor Beame proposes six-year freeze on T funds to divert money to the rest of the system. Completion now expected between 1981 and 1983 — or as a top federal transit official had predicted a month earlier, 1986.

• 1975: Financial crisis halts construction after three years. Progress report: three noncontiguous strips of tunnel.

• 1978: State Comptroller Arthur Levitt declares that New York City “does not now intend nor does it have the resources to complete” the long-planned 14.3-mile Second Avenue subway line. There’s some transparency for ya.

• The 1980s and 1990s: The Second Avenue subway plan goes into a decadelong period of realistic dormancy due to a lack of funds for anything beyond system maintenance.

• 1999: City Councilman A. Gifford Miller gripes to a City Council committee that “if the subway represents the arteries of our city, the Lexington Avenue line is about to cause us cardiac arrest.”

• 2001: DMJM Harris/Arup Joint Venture (DHAJV) is awarded a contract to design and engineer the Second Avenue subway.

• 2005: New York State passes the $2.9 billion Transportation Bond Act, supplying concrete funds for phase one, an extension of the Q train across 63rd Street and along Second Avenue to 96th Street. New tunnel-boring technology will be used in an attempt to minimize street disruption — an appropriate term, considering how long we’ve waited. New expected completion date: 2012, to wishfully go along with the city’s dreams of a 2012 Olympic bid.

• April 12, 2007: Ceremonial ground-breaking; construction begins eleven days later. The Jets bet they can commit more false starts.

• October 1, 2007: New York Construction magazine reports that the Lexington Avenue line, the East Side’s only subway, is running at 120 percent capacity.

• 2008: DMJM Harris | AECOM releases a status report heralding the Second Avenue subway as the “first major subway construction project in New York City to be undertaken in the 21st century.”

• February 20, 2009: Mayor Bloomberg declares that the construction “is literally destroying every business on Second Avenue.”

• Summer 2009: Subterranean signs tease subway riders with the prospect of a 2015 T-line opening.

• July 22, 2009: The MTA reveals that construction could stretch into 2018, and the federal government frets about a potential $5.7 billion budget. Here’s to a century of T-line teases!

Read more posts by Sam Jewler

Filed Under: mta, second avenue subway, stand clear of the closing doors, subway

Source: Daily Intel | 24 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

E. Lynn Harris, Black Fiction Scribe, Dies

Pioneer author of gay black fiction dies at age 54, cause unknown.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 24 Jul 2009 | 9:59 pm

LeAnn and Hubby Not Living Together—Surprised?

You mean those tender PDAs were just for the cameras? We feel so used!  No one's using the D-word yet, but it turns out that LeAnn Rimes and her husband of seven years, Dean...

Source: E! Online (US) - Top Stories | 24 Jul 2009 | 9:56 pm

The Jimmy Fallon Health Care Bill Workout Plan

While Congress is struggling to push through a health care bill to President Obama, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon is simply pushing us to work out—using the 1,000 page bill known as...

Source: E! Online (US) - Top Stories | 24 Jul 2009 | 9:50 pm

Spaced Arrives to Hulu

Before Shaun of the Dead and before Hot Fuzz, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Edgar Wright collaborated on two seasons of the cult BBC show Spaced. If you were too cheap to buy the DVD set when it came out last year (like we were), rejoice! Both seasons of the show are now available to watch on Hulu. [Hulu]

Read more posts by Mark Graham

Filed Under: bbc, edgar wright, nick frost, simon pegg, spaced

Source: Vulture | 24 Jul 2009 | 9:45 pm

Twilight Star Ashley Greene's Ex Wanted Eclipse

If things had gone differently, Ashley Greene could have been making Twilight movie magic with her ex-boyfriend, former Desperate Housewives star Josh Henderson. "I talked to Ashley...

Source: E! Online (US) - Top Stories | 24 Jul 2009 | 9:45 pm

Scarlett Goes Red; Illamasqua Comes Stateside

HAIR
• Scarlett Johansson is the latest star to switch up her hair color. The actress went from a deep auburn to a rich strawberry blonde. Do you like it? [Beauty Counter/Style.com]

SKIN
• Elizabeth Arden’s new Prevage Day moisturizer is the first cream to meld SPF with environmental protection factor (EPF). Yes, there's more to worry about than just the sun, ladies! [WWD]

FRAGRANCE
• Viktor & Rolf’s follow-up to their women’s fragrance Flowerbomb, called Eau Mega, will hit stores worldwide in October. The scent is aquatic with notes of violet leaf, green basil, and pear. [WWD]

MAKEUP
• Can lash-growing products make you grow hair in places other than your lids? Apparently, if your rub your eyes after applying, it just might. [Fashionista]

• Illamasqua fans, rejoice! The Brit beauty brand is coming to the States, hitting Sephora stores at the end of the month. (It's available at Sephora.com now.) [Nylon]

Read more posts by Kathryn Cusimano

Filed Under: beauty, beauty marks, elizabeth arden, fragrance, hair, Illamasqua, prevage, scarlett johansson, viktor & rolf

Source: The Cut | 24 Jul 2009 | 9:40 pm

Bernanke: Only 25 Financial Firms Matter

Today on Capitol Hill, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told the House Financial Services Committee that of the many financial companies in the U.S., there were only about 25 financial companies the federal government deemed too big to fail. The professor hastened to add this was a "very rough guess" and then deigned to name any names because identifying the winners would have just made the losers obvious, and look, there's no need to embarrass anyone, we're all adults here, and anyway, it's not like there's really a "list" somewhere, specifically not a black-and-white composition notebook hidden in a hollow tree along the Potomac, the location of which is known only to him and Tim Geithner, and if there is one and you opened it and CIT Group was listed at 26, well, like Bernanke said, there's no notebook. What notebook?

Bernanke Says About 25 Financial Firms Systemically Important [Bloomberg]

Read more posts by Jessica Pressler

Filed Under: ben bernanke, business, finance, the redneck bank

Source: Daily Intel | 24 Jul 2009 | 9:40 pm

Whitney Houston's comeback album

Whitney Houston swept into the room in full diva mode -- hair, makeup and entourage. She looked the part.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 24 Jul 2009 | 9:38 pm

WATCH: Quick Fix: Moon Landings and Home Runs

Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 24 Jul 2009 | 9:34 pm

In the Loop Director Armando Iannucci on Sneaking Into the State Department

Armando Iannucci may not yet be a household name in the U.S., but things might change with today’s release of his much-buzzed-about political comedy In the Loop, a caustic, hilariously potty-mouthed satire about the backroom dealings between American and British politicians in the run-up to an unspecified war against an unspecified Arab country. The Glasgow-born writer and comedian has been a mainstay of British comedy over the past couple of decades, having produced the hit mock-news shows On the Hour and The Day Today (which have been seen by some as precursors to The Daily Show), and, more recently, the political comedy series The Thick of It. Along the way, Iannucci has found time to develop slews of other shows, publish several books, write a weekly newspaper column, and lecture at Oxford. Oh, and he broke into the U.S. State Department last year, while doing research for Loop.

So, do you have any plans to break into more government buildings when you screen In the Loop in D.C.?
I have heard that the State Department made a number of changes to their security after I did that. I mentioned the break-in in May, when we came for the Tribeca Film Festival, and it got onto the Drudge Report. So suddenly, it got picked up, and at the State Department press briefing they were asked if they’d known about it. They then carried out a complete review of their security procedures.

But the State Department break-in was really part of a rather-more-prosaic time spent just meeting lots of people in Washington, to get a feel for what they’re like. I told people: I’m not after the scandal, I’m after the dull stuff. What time of the day people come into work, what time they go home — that sort of thing. Who do they work with, what they’re like. Someone told me that a lot of Washington business is conducted at lunches and buffets and early dinners, so we went to an early dinner where Chuck Hagel was speaking. And Dennis Kucinich took us on a tour of the Senate and the House, which was great, actually.

How would you assess the difference between British and American politicians?
I find that American politicians know that they have influence, but spend a lot of their time saying little as possible, because they have this regular electoral cycle they have to go through. Whereas British politicians have very little power and influence — so when they’re standing for election, they try to give the impression that they’re doing a lot more than they actually can. They fill in for the power gap by pledging a lot more.

You once said that what distinguishes the U.K. from the U.S. is how little the British mythologize the political process.
A U.K. politician gave a speech some time ago asking why we can’t make more shows that are more like The West Wing and less like The Thick of It. To which the answer is: People wouldn’t take it seriously. They would laugh, but for all the wrong reasons. We just cannot believe that they are all gifted, intelligent, good-looking individuals with enormous intentions uncorrupted by power.

Could that be in part because the Americans have no royalty?
Your President is the Head of State, so the office has a prestige and an aura around it irrespective of who’s inhabiting it, and you have to show due deference to the office. We don’t have that. We conveniently have all the aura and prestige in this little old lady in Buckingham Palace, and no aura and no prestige attached to the inhabitants of 10 Downing Street.

So would you say maybe the British equivalent of The West Wing is something more like Elizabeth?
Yes. We can delve back into our history for the virtues that we’re telling ourselves don’t exist now. Whereas you don’t have a history past 300 years, so you delve into the institutions, the buildings, and the office for that.

In the Loop is actually not technically about the run-up to the Iraq War, but rather about an unnamed country we’re considering attacking now. Did you ever consider making the film more overtly about Iraq?
I didn’t want the film to be about what we think actually happened. It’s a fiction. If much of our fiction bears a resemblance to what actually happened, then that’s slightly terrifying. Plus, I wanted to do something that was up-to-date, rather than something that was taking place six years ago. And I also wanted to suggest, in the background, that it could all happen again.

Back in January 2006, you gave a series of lectures at Oxford on British comedy, wherein you stated: “Over the next five years, TV comedy has the chance to either reclaim the mass-appeal, large-viewing-figure slots that were previously theirs by right, or become a fragmented web of innovative, interesting but niche programs.” It’s been three and a half years. How are things now?
I’m still worried about it, actually, especially in the current economic climate, because comedy’s still quite expensive to make. It’s far cheaper to shove six people in a room, fix cameras on them, and drop spiders in. It’s harder to ask writers to come up with a story and find locations and all that. And it used to be that when a comedy show was on air, if it didn’t quite hit the mark in its first season, it would be allowed to come back for a second one, to allow it a chance to find its audience over time. Now, that’s not the case. If it doesn’t hit the mark in the first season, it’s just gone.

I think a panic is setting in slightly in the comedy-commissioning circuit in the U.K. People are reluctant to take risks — which is worrying, because comedy is built on risks. U.K. television has been going through this thing of taste and decency and not causing offense and all that. And with comedy, you cannot say your intention is not to offend, because someone is bound to be offended at some point.

I also wonder what’s going to happen in the next five years, regarding how programs are made. The idea of networks and schedules have become a lot more ambiguous. My eldest son is 16. He doesn’t sit down at such and such a channel at ten o’clock to watch a show. No, he records it, he downloads it, watches it whenever he wants.

And yet, British comedy is still a very popular brand in the U.S.
We have the same thing about America, though. We consider Seinfeld, Frasier, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Daily Show to be smart, sophisticated. I think it’s just a case where we get the best of your stuff and you get the best of our stuff. And remember, reality TV also came from the U.K.

Read more posts by Bilge Ebiri

Filed Under: armando iannucci, chat room, in the loop, movies

"As a journalist, I get it," the 26-year-old former...

Source: E! Online (US) - Top Stories | 24 Jul 2009 | 9:11 pm

Reshma Shetty Hopes to Live An Extraordinary and Passionate Life

Name: Reshma Shetty
Age: "Old enough to know not to tell you!"
Occupation: Actress, currently playing Divya on USA's Royal Pains
Neighborhood: Gramercy

Who's your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional?
Maria Callas. She lived quite an extraordinary and passionate life.

What's the best meal you've eaten in New York?
Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar, in the East Village, one of the most stupendously stunning gastronomical experiences I have ever had! Quite an endorsement, but it was quite a meal!

In one sentence, what do you actually do all day in your job?
I spend the day practicing my craft with talented actors who also happen to be my friends.

Would you still live here on a $35,000 salary?
I have lived here making less than that!

What's the last thing you saw on Broadway?
Neil LaBute's Reasons to Be Pretty. It was opening night, and it was brilliant! Raw, full of power, honesty, and sadness. The perfect Broadway emotional blend.

Do you give money to panhandlers?
I tend to give food. To really talented musicians, I do give money. By the by, there is an excellent opera singer at the 53rd Street 6/E stop!

What's your drink?
Vodka and soda when I am on a diet, and Cosmos when I do not care. :)

How often do you prepare your own meals?
Hmmm. Not often anymore. I am a Whole Foods deli-counter addict!

What's your favorite medication?
I only take Advil. And multivitamins. Sorry to be boring.

What's hanging above your sofa?
A Jack Vettriano painting ... print, of course.

How much is too much to spend on a haircut?
When I was in college, I spent $9 on my haircuts. I have become a little more high-maintenance lately, but over $200, I think, for a woman's haircut is a bit much. That's including tip. And including the New York surcharge!

When's bedtime?
Depends on my morning call time. Today it's 9 p.m., as I have to be awake at 4 a.m.

Which do you prefer, the old Times Square or the new Times Square?
Neither. Times Square is a lot of neon lights and then more neon lights.

What do you think of Donald Trump?
I think he is a very successful and intelligent man. He owns quite a lot of New York and the world. I think he is doing something right!

What do you hate most about living in New York?
The continuous construction on the subway lines ... most recently the weekend A line. Anyone else agree?

Who is your mortal enemy?
Time.

When's the last time you drove a car?
Last week. I drove Divya's Mercedes SUV.

How has the economic downturn affected your life?
It has made me even more frugal and even more thankful for my job!

Times, Post, or Daily News?
I love the Times. The look of the paper in its crisp state at Starbucks in the early morning calls for you to buy it. Oh, and the content is not half bad either. :)

Where do you go to be alone?
I am not a fan of being alone, but I like unique, dimly lit coffee shops.

What makes someone a New Yorker?
A New Yorker is someone who can tell when a taxi driver is taking the longest route to your destination — and calls him out on it!

Read more posts by Chris Rovzar

Filed Under: 21 questions, reshma shetty, royal pains

Source: Daily Intel | 24 Jul 2009 | 9:10 pm

K.Stew and R.Pattz Forced Apart in San Diego?

Is Rob Pattinson's off-camera romance with Kristen Stewart again being quashed by the Twilight studio suits at Summit? First, there's no doubt the New Moon crew stole the...

Read more posts by Amy Odell

Filed Under: bling, hilary clinton, jewelry, venus jewelers

Source: The Cut | 24 Jul 2009 | 9:05 pm

Megan Fox Wants to Sink Her Teeth Into R.Pattz

At Comic-Con, Megan Fox showed once again that she's always good for a sound bite. First, the Jennifer's Body star gave props to her Transformers costar Shia LaBeouf. Some silly...

Source: E! Online (US) - Top Stories | 24 Jul 2009 | 9:05 pm

E. Lynn Harris Dead at 54

E. Lynn Harris, the prolific, best-selling novelist whose protagonists were most often gay black men indulging their sexuality in secret, died at 54 last night, according to his publicist. No cause of death has yet been given. [AP]

Read more posts by Lane Brown

Filed Under: books, e. lynn harris, obit

Source: Vulture | 24 Jul 2009 | 8:45 pm

Hot Tub Time Machine Trailer Has Us Concerned That the Title Might Be the Best Thing About the Film

Hot tubs have a long and storied history in the entertainment sphere. From reality-television programs like The Real World to serious, adult-minded dramas like About Schmidt (Kathy Bates!) to hilarious eighties-era goof-off flicks like Ski School (which has been re-airing on HBO lately, you should totally re-watch it), hot tubs have had a wide range of cinematic uses throughout the years. However, it's safe to say that the premise of Hot Tub Time Machine could very well be the Avatar of Jacuzzi-based entertainment product, in that it will shatter your very perceptions of what can be done with a few gallons of warm and bubbly water. Put aside the fact that audiences will have to dig deep to maintain their suspension of disbelief when they are asked to accept that Craig Robinson and Clark Duke would EVER be friends with John Cusack in real life; the simple fact that a major studio financed a film with the title Hot Tub Time Machine is reason enough to pre-order tickets on Fandango. That said, this teaser isn't showing us much; let's hope this film has more than just a great title.

Red Band Teaser Trailer: Hot Tub Time Machine [Big Screen Little Screen]

Read more posts by Mark Graham

Filed Under: clark duke, craig robinson, hot tub time machine, john cusack, movies, rob corddry, steve pink, trailer mix

Source: Vulture | 24 Jul 2009 | 8:30 pm

Obama Dials Back Gatesgate, Apologizes (Sort Of!)

President Obama has always enjoyed turning controversies into "teachable moments," and today he took the opportunity to do just that with the spiraling scandal hilariously known as Gatesgate. Making a surprise appearance at this afternoon's press briefing, Obama divulged that he had called Sgt. James Crowley and offered to sit down with him and Henry Louis Gates Jr. for a beer. Although it's unclear whether Obama explicitly apologized to Crowley, he did relay to the White House press corps the regret he expressed over his remark on Wednesday. "Because this has been ratcheting up," Obama said, "and I obviously helped to contribute ratcheting it up, I want to make clear that in my choice of words, I think I unfortunately gave the impression that I was maligning the Cambridge police department, or Sgt. Crowley specifically, and I could have calibrated those words differently." Obama also placed some blame on Professor Gates for the first time: "I continue to believe, based on what I've heard, that there was an overreaction in pulling Professor Gates out of his home to the station. I also continue to believe, based on what I've heard, that Professor Gates probably overreacted as well." Watch the whole thing for some classic Obama bridge-building.

Read more posts by Dan Amira

Filed Under: barack obama, gatesgate, henry louis gates jr, the post-racial world

Source: Daily Intel | 24 Jul 2009 | 8:30 pm

JCPenney and Ann Taylor Have Pretty Cute Stuff for Fall

Speaking of surprisingly cute fall merch, mass-market retailers Ann Taylor and JCPenney are stepping away from the shoulder-padded mock turtlenecks and acid-wash Mom jeans they're usually associated with, and are instead busting out fashionable items for people who don’t DVR Lifetime specials. Last year, Ann Taylor lured Senior V.P. of Design Lisa Axelson away from Club Monaco to revamp the brand, and her new collection starts trickling into stores next month, with everything landing by September 1. Even seasoned (and, okay, snobby) fashion writers like us were surprised, and found a lot to love, from leopard ballet flats to boyfriend blazers. Axelson’s jewelry seems, dare we say it, Lanvin-inspired. Think pearl-and-grosgrain necklaces.

And with JCPenney about to open its first Manhattan location next week, the store is upping its designer cool factor. Their simple, casual knits aren't half bad — if we squint, we can almost see Mary-Kate in one of their light-gray sweater dresses or fedoras. Almost. Taking a page from Target, they carry lines by well-known designers. (American Living, FYI, is code for inexpensive Ralph Lauren.) For fall, we can't help but like Allen B. by Allen B. Schwartz’s cropped leather jackets and plaid button-downs. Charlotte Ronson’s I Heart Ronson line sticks to her theme of downtown girly hipsterwear. Check out her belted sweater vests and pleated skirts. (Both Allen B. and I Heart Ronson have been at the store since spring '09.) Click ahead for some picks that just might surprise you.

Read more posts by Sarah Bernard and Aja Mangum

Filed Under: allen schwartz, ann taylor, charlotte ronson, jcpenney, who knew? slideshow

Source: The Cut | 24 Jul 2009 | 8:30 pm

Rockettes Will Perform This Year and Every Year “For the Foreseeable Future”

Madison Square Garden spokesman Barry Watkins is testy about a CityFile story this morning, which alleges Cablevision's Jim Dolan is "contemplating a final curtain call for the legendary Rockettes" after a year of bad ticket sales. "This story is fundamentally false, completely irresponsible, and preposterous on its face," he told Daily Intel, adding that more than 1 million people saw the show in New York City in 2008, in addition to millions around the country. "The Radio City Christmas Spectacular will go on this year and every year for the foreseeable future," he said. "We anticipate 2009 will be a successful season and look forward to creating memories for families for years to come."

Former Post writer Teri Buhl stands by her story. "Sourcing is strong from inside the show," she tells us. "I have two sources." Well, then.

Jim Dolan To Kill Christmas In July? [Cityfile]

Read more posts by Jessica Pressler

Filed Under: christmas, christmas in july, cityfile

Read more posts by Lane Brown

Filed Under: chris brown, dancing weddings, music, negative side effects

Because being thrifty is never disgusting.

Source: Best Week Ever | 24 Jul 2009 | 7:57 pm

Will Ikram Goldman Dress Michelle Obama in Alexander McQueen?

Ikram Goldman, who owns Michelle Obama's favorite boutique, Ikram, in Chicago, and essentially serves as the First Lady's stylist, seldom gives interviews. She's not a see-and-be-seen fashion type — which is a rare thing in this industry — and she doesn't often go to parties or events. But she's currently in town placing orders for pre-collections. She wouldn't reveal what she's thinking of for the First Lady, but she did tell Style.com what she liked. From that we may conclude that we might see Michelle in:

1. Well, pre-collections! Ikram loves them. "I think they have a much longer shelf life," she said.
2. Gaultier, which Ikram indicated she's buying. Hard to imagine, but not everything he does looks like a Madonna stage costume.
3. Moschino, which MObama wears every now and then.
4. Alexander McQueen! "I thought McQueen had beautiful dresses this season," Ikram said.
5. Erickson Beamon jewelry, which she's worn in the past.
6. Jason Wu, obviously. He and Ikram "keep in touch all the time."
7. Thakoon (again, obviously), which Ikram called "probably my favorite collection that I’ve seen so far, in terms of ready-to-wear, for pre-collections."

We are in love with the idea of Michelle in McQueen. Doesn't that fall '09 outfit look so cute Photoshopped onto her?

Checking In With Ikram Goldman, Michelle Obama’s Go-To Gal [Style File/Style.com]

Read more posts by Amy Odell

Filed Under: alexander mcqueen, designers, erickson beamon, ikram goldman, jason wu, jean paul gaultier, mobama watch, moschino, thakoon, viktor and rolf

Read more posts by Lane Brown

Source: Vulture | 24 Jul 2009 | 7:45 pm

Give Us Your Poor, Your Tired, Your Entire Country

"According to the latest data, the number of vacant U.S. homes touched 18.7 million in the second quarter. That is a daunting figure, of course, but it is more fun to put it in context. Assuming four people per household, the U.S. currently has enough surplus housing [in which] to put the entire population of the U.K., with room left over for Israel." Or, you know, the entire populations of Iraq and Afghanistan, with room left over for Darfurians, if you wanted to be a little more open-minded about it. [Infectious Greed via Bloomberg]

Read more posts by Jessica Pressler

Filed Under: business, housing, mcmansions, The Greatest Depression

Source: Daily Intel | 24 Jul 2009 | 7:45 pm

See the Short Film That Won In the Loop’s Peter Capaldi an Oscar

The British comedy In the Loop, released today, is a film that offers many pleasures, but we think the greatest one may be Peter Capaldi’s Tasmanian Devil–like performance as the British prime minister’s unspeakably foulmouthed director of communications — a performance we’re hoping will be remembered come awards time. It may surprise you, though, to learn that Capaldi already has an Academy Award: In 1995, his Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life won the Best Short Film Oscar. As the Capra-Kafka wordplay in the title suggests, it’s a feel-good comedy — albeit a surreal and occasionally quite disturbing one — about the famously tormented author (played by the never-not-awesome Richard E. Grant) attempting to write the opening line of The Metamorphosis. Seriously, it will somehow both warm your heart and creep into your dreams. If you like this, check out the other shorts available along with it in the Vanguard DVD.

Read more posts by Lane Brown

Filed Under: franz kafka's it's a wonderful life, in the loop, movies, peter capaldi, vulture picture palace

Source: Vulture | 24 Jul 2009 | 7:30 pm

Pretend You’re Dating Jon Gosselin With This Handy New T-Shirt, Or Just Actually F*** Him

I never thought I’d find a replacement for my “It’s not a bald spot, it’s a solar panel for a SEX MACHINE” t-shirt (that’s right – I only own one shirt. And no pants), but Just Jared came through with this new shirt that says what we are all thinking!!!!!!!!!!!

Just imagine how amusing this shirt’s gonna be, say, five weeks from now! It’s a solid long-term investment, plus it’s great for family members of all ages:

(Ed Note – I do not, in reality, only own one t-shirt. I also own “Big Johnson Football: We’re playing football and also my d*ck is huge!”)

Source: Best Week Ever | 24 Jul 2009 | 7:28 pm

Posh Shoots Another Ad Campaign for Her Fancy Frocks

Victoria Beckham decided to photograph models on swings in London for the second ad campaign for her dress line. Wearing one of the dresses, she even got on a swing herself, to either show the models how to swing or just to have a little fun. This is, to the British press, perhaps one of the most exciting things to have occurred in London recently. See Posh's last commercial here. [Daily Mail]

Read more posts by Amy Odell

Filed Under: advertising, swingers, victoria beckham

Source: The Cut | 24 Jul 2009 | 7:20 pm

TRAILER MIX: Dorian Gray as Close to Ladyporn as a Rated R Movie Can Get

The trailer for Dorian Gray has been leaked. The movie stars Colin Firth in a pointy little beard that does little to no good for him, and Ben Barnes from the Narnia franchise as Dorian Gray. The trailer has all thing things a good ladyporn should have: A hot young actor, a butt chin, blindfolds, string instruments, corsets, kissing of the hands, waistcoats. And thankfully, unlike other hotly anticipated movies that are coming out way, way, far away from now in 2010 (when the Jetsons were born, theoretically), this movie is coming out on September 9, 2009, or 999, which when flipped over, is 666, which is the Devil’s batsignal, which means this will be a devilishly good time. [/reretheories.biz]

But seriously, this looks really good. Let’s hope it doesn’t pull an Other Boleyn Girl on us…

Source: Best Week Ever | 24 Jul 2009 | 7:11 pm

'New Moon' motorcycle scene footage from Comic-Con: [Insert screams] - Entertainment Weekly

E! Online

'New Moon' motorcycle scene footage from Comic-Con: [Insert screams] Entertainment Weekly Oh, we do love Twi-hard commentary. Below, a video a fan took of the crowd's sneak peek at new Twilight Saga: New Moon footage at Comic-Con. [Screams] Jacob touching Bella's hands as he teaches her how to ride her motorcycle: "Sensual," says the fan. ... SDCC 2009: We Speak with the Cast of 'New Moon'FEARnet.com 'New Moon' Stars Give Bella And Jacob Details At Comic-ConMTV.com Twihards Overpower Cosplayers as "New Moon" Hits Comic-ConRolling Stone E! Online -New York Daily News -Los Angeles Times all 1,106 news articles »

Source: Entertainment - Google News | 24 Jul 2009 | 7:11 pm

May We All Live to See the Day We Can Wipe Our Asses with Puppies

Dear Cottonelle,

BWE.tv would like to personally thank you for your latest brilliant ad campaign featuring a young yellow lab puppy being primped and pampered interlaced with images of toilet paper. Not only is that puppy an absolute theatrical genius (seriously? The tub scene? Paws? *cough*Emmy*cough*), but even more importantly, repeated viewings have started to make me think that there is no better heaven than the one that allows you to wipe your “a” with a newborn puppy. This is truly our gentlest dream. They wouldn’t even probably not care!

So thanks, Cottonelle, for helping us realize our dream.

Sincerely,
The TSoA (Tenderanes Society of America)

Source: Best Week Ever | 24 Jul 2009 | 6:52 pm

This Weekend’s Events and Sales: Drinks, Music, and Vintage Shopping in Williamsburg

EVENTS
TOMORROW
• The former Calypso Outlet is reopening as Calypso St. Barth au Marché and is offering opening-day discounts. The newly renovated store is inspired by Parisian summer markets, offering silk dresses, gauze tunics, cotton T-shirts, and cashmere cardigans. 426 Broome St., nr. Lafayette St.; 10–6.

SUNDAY
• Sodafine is hosting a mini-flea-market at Williamsburg bar and event space Bruar Falls. The market includes local vintage sellers and boutiques like Treehouse Brooklyn, Franny & Roey, Orange Marmalade, and Sweet Virginia. 245 Grand St., nr. Roebling St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn (347-529-6610); 9 p.m.–2 a.m.

MONDAY
• Bags for the People teams up with 3rd Ward to host "Sweatshop Socials" the last Monday of each month. Bring fabric and they'll provide sewing machines, instructions, drinks ($1 if you bring a cup; $3 if you don't), snacks, and live music. 195 Morgan Ave., nr. Stagg St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-715-4961); 7–10

SALES
ENDING TOMORROW
• Jewelry from designers like Arena CPH, Anne Sportun, Jamie Joseph, Nancy B, and Melissa Joy Manning is 25 to 50 percent off at the annual Greenwich Jewelers summer sale. 64 Trinity Pl., nr. Rector St. (212-964-7592); M–F (11–7), Su (11–5).

ENDING SUNDAY
• Spring 2009 merchandise is up to 70 percent off at the Billy Reid sale. The Menswear Blazer for women is $285 (originally $475), the Tuscumbia Button Down is $54 (originally $155), and samples from the exclusive Billy Reid Limited Edition collection for men and women are $20 to $100. Bourbon and Southern-fried chicken will be served. 54 Bond St., nr. Bowery (212-598-9355); noon–9.

• Button-down shirts are up to 50 percent off at Jeremy Argyle. 160 Spring St., nr. W. Broadway (646-781-9050); F–Su (11–7).

• Select Cut-It-Out pieces are on sale for $60 to $200 at Eva. Additional merchandise is 35 to 75 percent off: The Henrik Vibskov cerulean-blue pants are $177 (originally $273), the C Neeon knit hoodie is $245 (originally $540), and the Black Label baby-doll dress is $99 (originally $297). 355A Bowery, nr. 4th St.; F–Su (noon–9).

STARTING MONDAY
• Dresses are $45, jackets are $60, jumpsuits are $40, and pants are $45 at the Theory one-of-a-kind women's sample sale. Through 7/30. 261 W. 36th St., nr. Seventh Ave., second fl. (212-947-8748); M–Th (11–7).

• Apparel and shoes from Lauren Moffatt, Fremont, Dagmar, Whitley Kros, 80%20, and more are 35 to 75 percent off at Dear Fieldbinder. Through 8/2. 198 Smith St., nr. Baltic St., Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn (718-852-3620); M–S (11:30–7:30), Su (noon–6).

Read more posts by Lauren Murrow

Filed Under: fashion calendar, sales, shopping

Source: The Cut | 24 Jul 2009 | 6:45 pm

Astor Trial Goes Low-Glam [Trials]

There's a reason why you haven't heard much about the Brooke Astor trial in recent weeks, according to the New York Times' A.G. Sulzberger: "[T]he parade of celebrity witnesses has come and gone, and as the testimony has narrowed to the observations of her hired help, the gallery has mostly thinned out to the usual suspects: reporters, lawyers and court employees." Celebrity witnesses may have left the building, but celebrity newspaper reporters are still on the scene, apparently. [NYT]

Source: Cityfile.com - Dailyfile | 24 Jul 2009 | 6:36 pm

Coming Next Fall, Saw VII: Back To The Sawing Board

Lionsgate greenlights a seventh Saw movie:

Source: Best Week Ever | 24 Jul 2009 | 6:17 pm

Doubles Anyone? Federer Has Twin Girls

The tennis star's wife gave birth to twin girls early Friday in Switzerland.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 24 Jul 2009 | 6:15 pm

WATCH: Gwyneth Paltrow Shows Off Her Cooking Skills

Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 24 Jul 2009 | 6:11 pm

Review: Little to love in 'The Ugly Truth'

Humiliation and comedy have always been natural bedfellows, but the one doesn't guarantee the other, as poor Katherine Heigl discovers in this crude, sub-par stab at a modern screwball comedy.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 24 Jul 2009 | 6:06 pm

BREAKING NEWS: Leno/Eubanks Comedy Dream Team To Remain Intact

Don’t worry, all you Kevin Eubanks diehards out there, which I imagine is the majority of our blog readers — er, wait, no, our readers are people who enjoy having pain inflicted on them in the form of ab-puns. Well whoever you are, you can put your fears of an unemployed Eubanks or musicless Leno punchlines aside:

Kevin Eubanks to join Jay on The Jay Leno Show!

NBC confirmed today that Kevin Eubanks is returning as the musical director on the Jay Leno Show!

While Kevin Eubanks’ band will stay on the new Jay Leno show, Leno announcer John Melendez is leaving his post to join the 19 person writing staff for Jay.

Umm…it takes 19 people to write Jay Leno’s show?

Writer #7: Wait, you guys – what was Clinton’s first name again?

Writers #13 and #17: Bill.

Writer #7: Ah, that’s right, thanks. Alright, I think I got a good one…

Source: Best Week Ever | 24 Jul 2009 | 5:44 pm

Diana Taylor: Between a Rock and a Hard Place [Banking]

 

You have to feel a little sympathy for Diana Taylor today. As one of three new boardmembers of beleaguered Citigroup, the former banking regulator will now have to spend part of her days with Citi chief Vikram Pandit and then her evenings curled up in bed with Michael Bloomberg. [NYT/Dealbook]

Source: Cityfile.com - Dailyfile | 24 Jul 2009 | 5:29 pm

Gilliam Previews Heath Ledger's Final Film

Surreal vision of "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus" debuts at Comic-Con. Terry Gilliam appeared in Comic-Con's mammoth Hall H on Thursday afternoon to discuss his forthcoming movie The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus — "forthcoming" meaning "no specific release date yet," although one may be announced very soon. It's a Gilliamesque fantasy — grotesque, lush, Brueghelian — about an immortal doctor with an anachronistic, traveling theatrical troupe and a magic, reality-transforming mirror, who's bound to give up his daughter to the Devil on her imminent...

Source: Rolling Stone: Features | 24 Jul 2009 | 5:25 pm

This is What Most Bloggers Looked Like in the 5th Grade

Oh, you salty old prostitute known as The Past, you’ve done it again. Above, my own 5th grade class photo, uploaded by a long ago friend on Facebook. The year was 1992, the Miami weather balmy as usual, as the 30 or so backward-panted youngsters were ushered unto a grassy lawn where our awkwardness would be captured for a lifetime.

And despite the fact that I was sporting the same haircut worn by the woman in Ferris Bueller who spits soda into Principal Rooney’s face, and despite the fact that I had spent the last year of my life with a short haircut right as Pat was making it big on SNL, I still wanted to dress up for the big day. So, I sported my favorite sweatshirt at the time: An oversized white number that said “Collins” on the front, along with the Collins family crest. Nevermind the fact that this was a fabricated last name which replaced my original, much Jewier birth name. That sweatshirt spoke volumes about my sophisticated fake English past. And the good news is? They still almost make it!

Hopefully, you’ve figured out which one I am above.

Though say what you will about my haircut, this photo is certainly an improvement over my own personal fashion choices from only a few years earlier…

As they are wont to say, “You still got it, Collins.”

Source: Best Week Ever | 24 Jul 2009 | 5:18 pm

Salzburg director Juergen Flimm is to leave Salzburg in 2010 for Berlin opera

The Salzburg Festival's artistic director Juergen Flimm, seen here in 2007, announced Friday he had signed a deal allowing him to quit Salzburg in 2010, a year early, to join the Berlin State Opera.
Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 24 Jul 2009 | 5:12 pm

Carrie Prejean: From Pageants to Pop Princess?

Will the former Miss California's recent vocal performance earn her a new career as a singer?
Source: FOXNews.com | 24 Jul 2009 | 4:52 pm

"Titanic" Director James Cameron Premieres First Footage of Sci-Fi Epic "Avatar"

Film boasts next-level CGI effects, eye-popping 3-D, Sigourney Weaver Writer/director/producer James Cameron was on hand at Comic-Con for the first public showing of footage from his sci-fi epic Avatar, his first full-on feature film since Titanic. He closed his introduction with two questions: "How many of you have ever wanted to go to another planet?" The 6,500-strong crowd in Hall H of San Diego's Convention Center roared. "Are you ready to go to Pandora?" Another, even louder roar. (Click here for photos...

Source: Rolling Stone: Features | 24 Jul 2009 | 4:52 pm

Bloomberg Takes the Blame [Non-Scandals]

Idle-gate appears to have reached its conclusion. Earlier this week, Mayor Bloomberg was totally busted for allowing the SUVs that ferry him around town to idle for hours while waiting for him. Now comes word the mayor has informed his staff that he plans to set a better example in the future. Let's hope so! [NYDN, previously]

Source: Cityfile.com - Dailyfile | 24 Jul 2009 | 4:51 pm

Gallery: Celebrities at Comic Con

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 24 Jul 2009 | 4:34 pm

BWE ASKS: Guess Which Twilight Star is Hungover?

The masses descended upon San Diego yesterday, as Comic-Con kicked off its 3 day sci-fi-batory festival, with nerds of all kinds attending from the world over. And you couldn’t ask for a more fangasmy opener than reuniting the cast of New Moon, the Twilight sequel, a movie about sexy vampires who sometimes get to first base with each other. And judging by the photos… one of them is a liiiiiiiiiil bit hungover… but who? Could it be Looks Like a Brit It girl Kristen Stewart or Teen With a Thousand Abs Taylor Lautner?

The answer? After the jum– oh f**k it, it’s Kristen Stewart:

Don’t be madddd KK! On the bright side, Robert Pattinson showed more personality in 15 minutes than he had ever before previously shown…

(Ahead, RPattz & a Twilght Gallery)

And you know what?

He actually knows…

How to…

Feel.

Cue this guy.

Check out the gallery below for all of your Twilight needs:

Source: Best Week Ever | 24 Jul 2009 | 4:29 pm

No Doubt? More Like AB-BA!!!

Gwen Stefani showed off her new, intimidating-ass six pack at a recent No Doubt concert in an attempt to get into the 2010 NYC Firefighters Calendar. Also, she’s floating (because of the abs):

Here’s a dozen more Getty Images, to prove that it’s not some sort of ablusion (abs + illusion. Ablusion. Yaayyyy it’s Fridayyy…)

Source: Best Week Ever | 24 Jul 2009 | 4:23 pm

The Czech Republic is pulling out of the Eurovision Song Contest due poor television ratings

The logo for the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest. The Czech Republic is pulling out of the Eurovision Song Contest due poor television ratings, the country's public service broadcaster said Friday.
Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 24 Jul 2009 | 4:07 pm

A Uighur woman reads a newspaper with a full page dedicated to Rebiya Kadeer and the Dalai Lama in Urumqi

A Uighur woman reads a newspaper with a full page dedicated to Rebiya Kadeer and the Dalai Lama in Urumqi. A Chinese director who boycotted Australia's biggest film festival in protest at a controversial...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 24 Jul 2009 | 4:07 pm

Twihards Overpower Cosplayers as "New Moon" Hits Comic-Con

"Twilight"'s sizable imprint on pop culture on display in San Diego If you have never been to Comic-Con International San Diego, it can be hard to understand how freaking huge it is. It is, simply, the biggest pop culture get-together in America, with every major fantasy or action movie of the next year represented, as well as video games, books, music, and, of course, comics. The 130,000 or so tickets sold out months ago; the con, which started back in 1970 as 300 geeks in a hotel basement, now overflows the entire mammoth San Diego convention center, and is...

Source: Rolling Stone: Features | 24 Jul 2009 | 4:04 pm

Nintendo doubles the fun in `Wii Sports Resort' (AP)

AP - How do you create a sequel to a product that changed the way people think about video games?

Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 24 Jul 2009 | 3:42 pm

Vodka, bowling, outfits part of Lebowski Fest

The Dude was in the house.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 24 Jul 2009 | 3:26 pm

Katie Holmes dances Fox to ratings win

Front Page: Actress guest stars on 100th episode of 'Dance' -- With guest star Katie Holmes making an appearance on its 100th episode, "So You Think You Can Dance" defeated its primetime competition to give Fox another Thursday night win.  

Source: Variety.com - Front Page | 24 Jul 2009 | 3:24 pm

Katie Holmes’ So You Think You Can Dance Performance Exactly As Terrible As Expected

It’d be easy to just say “Hey everyone, check out this Katie Holmes performance on So You Think You Can Dance, don’t we all hate her so much???” without even watching the clip, but man, I can’t even devil’s advocate my way out of this one. The singing and dancing in this clip is just… I don’t know… really, really bad.

I love that Fox bought the set from The Mask off Ebay, though:

Source: Best Week Ever | 24 Jul 2009 | 3:20 pm

So 'Ugly' It's Delightful - Washington Post

Telegraph.co.uk

So 'Ugly' It's Delightful Washington Post "The Ugly Truth" takes everything that is romantic comedy to the manic max. This Mars-Venus skirmish, set in a TV newsroom, is a self-conscious glut of creamy skin, magazine-ready homes, misogyny, man-hatred, predictable romance and incessant banter. ... 'We're working on it,' Heigl says of childrenmsnbc.com Faith Film Review: The Ugly TruthOregon Faith Report Sorry Ladies! Gerard Butler Says 'The Ugly Truth' Is Actually A ...MTV.com E! Online -Kansas City Star -Access Hollywood all 827 news articles »

Source: Entertainment - Google News | 24 Jul 2009 | 3:18 pm

Katie Holmes on 'SYTYCD': What'd YOU think of her homage to Judy? - Entertainment Weekly

Telegraph.co.uk

Katie Holmes on 'SYTYCD': What'd YOU think of her homage to Judy? Entertainment Weekly Unless you've been living under a rock, far away from pop culture, you know that Mrs. Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, performed a tribute to Judy Garland on Fox's dancefest competition So You Think You Can Dancelast night. Party to celebrate the show's 100th ... Holmes' dance fails to impressCanada.com Katie Holmes's Sexy Song & DancePeople Magazine Arts, Briefly Katie Holmes Is 'Happy,' but CBS Wins the NightNew York Times MTV.com -Gay Wired -Los Angeles Times all 218 news articles »

Source: Entertainment - Google News | 24 Jul 2009 | 3:13 pm

Not much rattling Nicolas Cage these days

Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage has pretty much got this acting thing down. After all, he started acting at the age of 15 and, well, he's got that Oscar.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 24 Jul 2009 | 3:08 pm

WATCH: Britney Goes Sweet as Candie's Girl

Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 24 Jul 2009 | 2:45 pm

Michael Jackson's Doctor Target of Manslaughter Probe

A lawyer for Jackson's doctor says police were searching the clinic for evidence of manslaughter
Source: FOXNews.com | 24 Jul 2009 | 2:35 pm

Report: Michael Jackson's Prosthetic Nose Is Missing

Michael Jackson wore a prosthetic nose, according a report — and it was missing from his surgically mangled face as he lay in an LA morgue
Source: FOXNews.com | 24 Jul 2009 | 2:29 pm

Jamie Lee Curtis Joins Club of Star Pill Poppers

The actress reveals past addiction to painkillers, muses about Michael Jackson.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 24 Jul 2009 | 1:24 pm

'Hung's' Middle-Aged Male Escort: Fact or Fiction?

In real life, experts say, men would have a tough time selling sex to women.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 24 Jul 2009 | 1:22 pm

Secrets behind wacky Web wedding aisle dance - msnbc.com

KBCI CBS 2

Secrets behind wacky Web wedding aisle dance msnbc.com AP By Michael Inbar Most couples wait until the reception before breaking out into the Funky Chicken on their wedding day, but Kevin Heinz and Jill Peterson figured, why wait to unleash their unbridled joy? The 28-year-olds floored their wedding guests ... Wacky Wedding Wows the WebPeople Magazine Wedding dance latest YouTube sensationChicago Tribune Minn. couple's wedding aisle groove a YouTube hitThe Associated Press New York Daily News -Minneapolis Star Tribune -Entertainment Weekly all 384 news articles »

Source: Entertainment - Google News | 24 Jul 2009 | 1:00 pm

Amy Winehouse found not guilty of assault

A London court cleared singer Amy Winehouse of assault Friday after a two-day trial, her spokesman told CNN.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 24 Jul 2009 | 12:35 pm

The Bayreuth Festival opera house

The Bayreuth Festival opera house. The show will go on at the Bayreuth Festival this weekend, after unions and management reached a pay deal for stage and technical staff, the Verdi services sector union...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 24 Jul 2009 | 12:16 pm

Disclaimer | About

World : News Archives | Business | Entertainment | Sports | Technology | Science | Marketplace Audio

India : News | Business | Entertainment | Sports | Telugu |

Blogs : Humor pages | Norkay's Blog | Kids Stories | Indian Recipes | Database Tech Blog

Sundries : World Video Clips | Songs Clips | Indian Video Clips |