AP - Conan O'Brien hit his head during a stunt for the "Tonight Show," an accident that halted production and brought back memories of a rare absence by his predecessor in the job.
AP - Spanish pianist Alicia de Larrocha, who thrilled music listeners for decades with polished and enthralling interpretations of great classical works and Spanish masters, has died aged 86.
AP - Spanish pianist Alicia de Larrocha, who thrilled music listeners for decades with polished and enthralling interpretations of great classical works and Spanish masters, has died aged 86.
Spanish pianist Alicia de Larrocha, who thrilled music listeners for decades with polished and enthralling interpretations of great classical works and Spanish masters, has died aged 86. Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 26 Sep 2009 | 2:41 am
MADRID, Spain - Spanish pianist Alicia de Larrocha who thrilled music listeners for decades with polished and enthralling interpretations of great classical works, has died aged 86. ... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 26 Sep 2009 | 2:21 am
Spanish pianist Alicia de Larrocha who thrilled music listeners for decades with polished and enthralling interpretations of great classical works, has died aged 86. Music producer and... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 26 Sep 2009 | 2:06 am
Works by painter Edward Hopper and several early 20th century American contemporaries like Georgia O'Keeffe and Man Ray were put on display at a Dutch museum in Rotterdam on Saturday, in... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 26 Sep 2009 | 1:41 am
File picture shows the painting "Summertime" by Edward Hopper (1882-1967). Works by Hopper and several early 20th century American contemporaries like Georgia O'Keeffe and Man Ray were put on display at... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 26 Sep 2009 | 1:41 am
AP - A self-proclaimed preacher who was on the TV beauty pageant "The Sexiest Bachelor in America" will be arraigned next week for allegedly torturing and murdering his girlfriend, an ex-adult movie actress.
US hip-hop band the Black Eyed Peas played in front of a multiracial audience in Malaysia this weekend after a ban on Muslims was lifted, although frontwoman Fergie was forced to cover up. Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 26 Sep 2009 | 12:55 am
Will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas, pictured earlier this month at "The Oprah Winfrey Show" Season 24 Kickoff Party oin Chicago, welocmed the move by the Malaysian government to drop the ban on Muslim Malays... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 26 Sep 2009 | 12:55 am
Malaysia's conservative Islamic party PAS held protests against Canadian rocker Avril Lavigne's concert last year after failing to have it banned, saying her performance would weaken the younger generation... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 26 Sep 2009 | 12:55 am
Fergie, frontwoman of The Black Eyed Peas, was forced to cover up when performing in front of a multiracial audience in Malaysia this weekend after a ban on Muslims was lifted. Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 26 Sep 2009 | 12:55 am
NEW YORK - The CW network's "The Beautiful Life: TBL" has become the first television series from the new fall crop to be cancelled. The network says it's being pulled after only two... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 26 Sep 2009 | 12:18 am
___ ABC's "This Week" _ Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. ___ CBS' "Face the Nation" _ Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Lindsey Graham, Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 25 Sep 2009 | 11:11 pm
The CW network's "The Beautiful Life: TBL" has become the first television series from the new fall crop to be canceled. The network says it's being pulled after only two episodes aired. Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 25 Sep 2009 | 10:36 pm
NBC says Conan O'Brien hit his head during a stunt for the "Tonight Show" and the production was halted. The accident occurred Friday. O'Brien was being examined at a hospital, according Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 25 Sep 2009 | 10:01 pm
The bigger they are, the harder they fall.
NBC will be airing a repeat of The Tonight Show Friday after Conan O'Brien fell during a skit being taped for tonight's episode and was...
AP - Seth Rogen has fulfilled a dream, and he's not talking about starring in the box-office hit "Knocked Up" or playing a superhero in the upcoming "The Green Hornet."
AP - Seth Rogen has fulfilled a dream, and he's not talking about starring in the box-office hit "Knocked Up" or playing a superhero in the upcoming "The Green Hornet."
Seth Rogen has fulfilled a dream, and he's not talking about starring in the box-office hit "Knocked Up" or playing a superhero in the upcoming "The Green Hornet." Rogen co-wrote an... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 25 Sep 2009 | 9:21 pm
Michael Jackson feared his father so much he would faint or vomit sometimes when his father entered the room -- even when the pop singer was an adult, according to a book written by a former Jackson confidant.
Reuters - In 90 minutes of superb theater, Los Angeles-based Croatian director Lenka Udovicki and her team put on a production of Euripides' "Medea" that knocks the stuffing out of the old tragedy. In the title role, Annette Bening thrashes about in extravagant outbursts of violent anger and tear-drenched remorse. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 25 Sep 2009 | 8:05 pm
The new fall season has already suffered its first casualty: The CW's Ashton Kutcher–produced, Mischa Barton–starring The Beautiful Life has been canceled after just two episodes, which were low-rated even by CW standards. [Live Feed/HR]
The mayor faced questions from reporters today about his decision to take a helicopter to the U2 concert at the Meadowlands last night (he wanted to "say hello" to his "friend" Bono), since he's been busy pushing environmental awareness the past couple of days. His response: "I suppose you could say that, but you know, there's other ways to get around and there are different ways of—some are more energy efficient. I could have walked and swum across the rivers as well. That would have used less." [NYT]
We know as New Yorkers we are supposed to be cool when interacting with celebrities. But occasionally we lose it. Earlier today we asked for your stories of awkward celebrity encounters, starstruck moments, and gross misidentifications, and after seeing your comments and our in-box, we now know for sure: We're not the only ones who spaz out every once and a while. (Also, we now know that apparently a lot of people tell Sarah Jessica Parker that she looks like a prettier version of the girl from Sex and the City — ouch.) But our favorite story of a celebrity interaction gone awry came from Danielle Kantor, a sales assistant in our own office. Her story is after the jump.
The Weekend My Mom and I Met Paul McCartney
By Danielle Kantor
So. I was staying with my mom in the Hamptons many summers back (I was about 15), and we stopped in a store East Hampton to pick up a scented candle (to cover the musty smell of our crappy hotel room), and standing in the store, buying wrapping paper, was Sir Paul McCartney. He looked adorable, wearing a red baseball cap, a button-down, cargo shorts, and Birkenstocks — a very hippie-looking Paul.
So we edged farther into the store to get a good look. My mom, who grew up in South Africa and never had the chance to see the Beatles perform, was ecstatic. I was thrilled, too, but at a loss for what to say. For some reason I still don't know, I was wearing a Superman T-shirt, and as were are standing, watching Paul check out with his wrapping paper, he turned to me and said: "Oh, so you're Superwoman, I've always wanted to meet you."
He stuck out his hand, which thank God I remembered meant I should shake his. My only response was to nod like an idiot.
And with that Paul left the store.
Of course, this dominated our conversation for the rest of the day, and my mom came up with what she thought was the cleverest line to respond to Paul: "If she's superwoman, then you're a superstar."
I was only too pleased she had missed the opportunity.
That was until the next day, when at the Amagansett farmers' market she once again spotted Paul McCartney.
Old friends that they were, she screamed, "PAUL!" to which he turned around, quite alarmed. She rushed over and said: "Thank you so much for saying hello to my daughter yesterday; she'll always remember that."
Paul, puzzled, politely asked: "Who?"
My mom: "Superwoman!"
Paul: "Oh, of course! Not a problem."
My mom: "You know, Paul, after you left, I came up with the perfect response."
Paul: "Yeah?"
My mom: "If she's Superwoman, then you're a superstar."
Paul: (After a silent pause) "Don't you hate when that happens; you get the perfect line after the moment has passed."
Moral: Paul McCartney is a gracious man. My mom is embarrassing.
If you see Mischa Barton on the street this weekend and she looks a little worse for the wear, and you strongly suspect her "toothache" has returned, go easy on her. The job that brought her to NYC last month—the CW show The Beautiful Life—was canceled today after just two episodes, making it the first victim of the fall television season. Like 10 percent of America, she's now unemployed. But she'll get by somehow, we imagine. [LA Times]
Style blogs across the Internet are positively distraught over Selfridge’s latest men’s offering, mantyhose by lingerie brand Unconditional. These tights for men cost £70 per pair and come in black, beige, and charcoal. Selfridge’s menswear director David Walker-Smith says, “The ‘mantyhose’ are extremely versatile and we expect men to be wearing them not only as a way to give legs an extra boost of warmth on the chilliest nights, but as a true style statement.” People with opinions around the globe may be horrified, but we support the man tights movement.
In all seriousness, they wouldn’t look terrible under cropped pants. And if men have become bold and secure enough with themselves to embrace Spanx-esque shapewear, then why not mantyhose? For the truly fashion-forward man who wants to make a statement by way of tights, this guy and this guy look pretty rad. It may be easier to pull off crazy tights on the streets of Harajuku than on the streets of Soho. But if women worldwide are supposed to wear diapers next spring, men could at least try their hand at fashion ridiculousness this fall to make us feel a bit less absurd in our nappies and giant clear plastic beads.
New track! Sufjan Stevens! New, new, new! The baseball-capped troubadour debuted “There’s Too Much Love” at a show earlier this week, and yesterday some kind soul uploaded the clip to YouTube. We think Sufjan is prodigiously talented and refreshingly ambitious and all, but even his best stuff is sometimes just too somnolent for us — and that’s why we’re especially digging this one, which dutifully runs through a well-constructed catchy hook (“There’s too much riding on that / there’s too much, too much, too much love”) laid over a squiggly drum-machine beat before completely freaking the fuck out. About halfway through the seven-plus-minute track, the vocals drop out altogether and Sufjan’s crew piles on horn stabs and Radiohead-like computer effects, building the track up to a spooky, harsh climax. On a related note, Mr. Stevens’s upcoming Bowery Ballroom shows are already sold out.
Why is little Shiloh losing her teeth when she's only 3? I can see why Pax is, but not Shiloh.
—MamaMe, via the Answer B!tch inbox
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have...
Hey, Janet Jackson, we are feeling your biz-casual getup for the Giorgio Armani fashion show in Milan. We endorse your use of the sandy browns and prep school argyle. We do.
But...
Every fall, the bell tolls first for someone. This year, it tolls for thee, Mischa Barton.
She and the rest of the comely cast of The Beautiful Life are out of a job, with the CW opting...
1. Take No Shit: “Everybody use the recession as an excuse,” he says. "Everybody in the music industry, they be like, ‘We can’t pay you. It’s the recession, it’s the recession.’ Recession my ass, motherfuckers. People got to get paid for what they’re worth. You know what I’m saying? You making a hundred thousand on a show, and you only be giving me some crumbs. That shit gonna run out.”
2. Avoid risky investments: “Put that shit away and forget about it. Nothin’ risky. That shit will kill you.”
3. MONKEYS!:
VF: Should we be focusing on money over power or power over money?
Warren G: Hmmm. [Long pause] You get the power, and then you get the money.
VF: But how do you get power if you don’t have any money? Isn’t it a catch-22?
Warren G: You got two options. One way to get some power is to get a bunch of gorillas and just start terrorizing the neighborhood. Then I got the power, and everybody going to be respecting me.
VF: Wait, are we talking about guerrillas with a “ue” or gorillas like the primate?
Leaders at today’s Group of Twenty summit, in Pittsburgh, pledged to crack down on risk-taking by financial companies, adding that they have drafted a plan that will force banks to tie bonuses to long-term performance and raise the amount of capital they hold. “There is no return to the bad old days,” Prime Minister Gordon Brown told reporters. “There is no going back to systems of bonuses that were based simply on short-term speculation and not on the long- term success of companies.” According to Leon Brittan, a former European Union trade commissioner and the vice-chairman of UBS, they weren’t just paying lip service to the still-angry public (above). The revamp of regulation is “for real,” he told Bloomberg News. No word on whether they responded with "For real, for real," causing Brittan to quip, "Reals."
Michelle Obama reemerged in Pittsburgh today, wearing a black-and-blue printed dress that covered most of her arms by Zero + Maria Cornejo. See the full look in the Michelle Obama Look Book.
How else would you explain this? It’s the cover for Swords, a self-curated B-sides compilation out November 3 in the States that sounds pretty awesome: It features eighteen tracks, including one with backup vocals from Chrissie Hynde and a cover of David Bowie’s “Drive-In Saturday” whose lyrics are tweaked to be about the New York Dolls. But honestly, we’d buy this thing for the cover photo alone. Our theory is that Moz was supposed to leap exuberantly into the air and was gathering himself for the moment when suddenly the photo session went over-budget and record-company execs shut it down. And so they had to go with this shot of the dude, looking somewhere between bewildered, constipated, and post-jog winded.
FRAGRANCE
• Steven Klein shot Enrique Iglesias for the Azzaro Pour Homme fragrance campaign, which shows him getting groped by a faceless woman. [StyleWatch/People]
• Elie Saab is branching into fragrances. The designer just signed a ten-year deal with Beauté Prestige International, a division of Shiseido. [WWD
MAKEUP
• Makeup artist Lloyd Simmonds of M.A.C. cosmetics and hairstylist Sam McKnight were instructed to give models a "girls-on-vacation" look by designer Anna Molinari at Blumarine . [WWD]
• L'Oréal's Collier Strong says that anyone can wear the red-lip trend this fall, from brights to berries. Also, teal eye shadow is big this season. Just don't wear them together. [Teen Vogue]
NAILS
• Lace is the latest trend for nail decorations. Blake Lively and Jennifer Lopez both wore the look. [All Lacquered Up]
Any moviegoers disappointed this Thanksgiving to discover that John Hillcoat's bleak, challenging movie adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's The Road isn't the thrilling romantic-comedy action spectacular advertised in its trailer might do well to check out the Hughes Brothers' upcoming Book of Eli, starring Denzel Washington as a handsome, ass-kicking apocalypse survivor, beating up dudes all across America on a quest to save humankind. Unlike the unexplained world-ending event that precedes the action in Road, Eli's Armageddon will be explicitly blamed on the sun's explosion. Plus, there's a still-alive love interest, a creepy-acting Gary Oldman, a hard-rocking soundtrack, and no obnoxiously helpless 10-year-olds to slow down the action. We'll probably skip this one.
Erin Wasson: "There are so many young girls that get tied into this old, super-glammed up look because it's safe. I look at girls like Megan Fox and think, God, you're not 35. Come on. Have fun! It's the people that make those lists that I'm most interested in, because they are wearing something that's thought-provoking." [FWD]
Realer Than Rufus Being More Scared of Lily Than Serena Is
• The kids are becoming their parents: Serena runs away from growing up, Chuck yells evil invectives at stupid kids for ruining his deals, and Dan makes waffles for Serena just about the same time as Rufus does for Chuck. Plus 3. —SHAWNAMUFFIN
• Blair's line at the party, "Dan's a writer?" Plus 20 because honestly, after I thought about it, why would she know? —RGH
• Plus 5 for Dan dethroning Blair — especially loved him metaphorically stealing her crown by telling her to lose the headband. —WRITEFASHIONISTA
• Plus 3 for Serena knowing the exact amount of bra to show when trying to make up with the boy you have been keeping on the back burner. Just enough that he can see it while pretending to look you in the eye. —SPOTTED423
• Plus 1 for the shots of girls hauling cart after cart of stuff into the dorm while the guy only lovingly totes his stereo. Because everyone knows guys don't bring anything but electronics and a suitcase to college. —LEGALLYBORED
• Regarding the whole rooftop hookup: To quote the very wise Charlie Harper, "crazy chicks are the best in the sack". Obviously Dan is still dreaming about the BJ Georgina gave him in S1, which is why he is so quick to believe her. Everyone knows any teenage boy will throw his entire belief system if there is a possibility of getting laid. So as much as it hurts me to do so ... Plus 20. —STILETTO33
• Plus 10 Dan ... because "I hear girls at NYU aren't at all particular" —JUDGEMENT_FACE
• Plus 10 for C/B spooning, and plus an additional 2 for B being the big spoon, again. —JPISANI
• Plus 5 for hoping that Dorota employed disguises and Blair-esque deception to get into Miss Blair's room early and prepare it for her arrival. And, of course, pimp it out like an Upper East side Xzibit (note chandelier in background). —JUDGMENTEYE
Faker Than Vanessa and Dan Not Buying Used Books
• Minus 10 for the writers not letting any of the new 'relationships' have any tension. The pre-hookup tension is what gossip girl does best and without it none of these new interactions seem even slightly believable. —BLOB
• Minus 5 for no Jenny — because even though that means that the makeup crew saved hundreds on eyeliner and dark lipstick, this also means no Eric, and those two are a package deal. Kind of sadsies. —BEANHEAD
• Minus 5 because Stern freshmen would totally be at Blair's party. As future business leaders, they would want to partake in sushi and sake. —BEJEWELED
• Dan would be full-blown hipster by now, not the most outgoing kid at the party. Minus 4. —ISGOODATMATH
• Minus 10 for Chuck's tie. Billionaires, young and otherwise, know that the end of your tie should not exceed your belt buckle, as Chuck's so glaringly did. —BASSIST
• If Eric had just been in this episode for 5 minutes, he could have straightened this Serena mess out. Minus 5. Minus 5 for every episode without Eric. —TWINSFINDME
• Ok I know we're supposed to believe that Rufus is helping to take care of Lily's shit when she's out of town, but does that seriously mean missing his own kid's first day at college to send off his trampy, soon-to-be stepdaughter who he's barely seen or missed all summer? Minus 10 cause no one's buying that. —KDOW3
• When Rufus showed up at the loft to talk to Serena, there was coffee ready. Who made the coffee? Certainly not Serena. She wouldn't know how to boil water let alone make *instant* coffee. Minus 5. —fsuzann
• Minus 5 For lack of weed smoking at rooftop party, because ... there would be some, somewhere. —HAUNT_FOX
• Minus 3 for Georgina handing out FLYERS for her rooftop party. Has the girl never heard of a Facebook invite? —COWT
• There were not nearly enough gay guys in this episode to prove that it was about NYU, Minus 2. —CENSORAMA
*We realized this week that we had never said "emeritus" out loud before. Of course, the only person who knew how to pronounce it correctly was our Ivy Leaguer, Chris. And speaking of commenter Emeriti (is that a word? It is now), Miss Alexandra Martell will be assigning out the commenter recaps from now on, since, as you may have noticed, Chris and Jessica dropped the ball last time. If you're interested in partaking, e-mail her at alexandra.martell[at]nymag.com, subject line: TIGHTS ARE NOT PANTS.
We've been waiting forever for Khloé Kardashian to unveil her ginormous engagement ring.
Today she finally decided to give us a peek of the 9-carat diamond...
Spring makeup and hair are usually pretty, feminine, and full of pinks. This Fashion Week, designers and their teams let loose, painting rainbow colors on eyes (all at once at Derek Lam), and intertwining bright bursts of color in hair at Zac Posen. Rodarte used body paint to create memorable tribal art that very nearly stole the show. Marc Jacobs opted for geisha-like makeup, setting off his ode to Rei Kawakubo. But fret not, fans of pretty pinks: Tuleh had rosy faces, and Tommy Hilfiger showed the best blowouts a girl could dream of. See all these and more in our best-of-beauty roundup.
After all the great plot twists at the end of last season, you had to figure Fringe would need a stand-alone throat-clearing episode before dishing out its next surprises. But this “monster of the week” tale still introduced a new element to the show — if you count recuperating Agent Dunham’s limping around on a cane in a hopeless funk. (Maybe it’s some synergistic promotion for Fox’s House?). Then again, gloomy has been Dunham’s trademark.
The Evil: In rural Pennsylvania, an underground creature is kidnapping townspeople and doing very bad things to them in its subterranean lair.
The Determination: The Gollum-like monster is actually the son of a scientist who tried mutating him in the womb so his wife’s lupus wouldn’t leave him stillborn. The child survived but is now doomed to a life as a flesh-eating freak. Even worse, he has to live in rural Pennsylvania.
Intel on Massive Dynamic: Nina Sharp advises Dunham to seek counseling from a Sam Weiss to get over the emotional trauma of her near-fatal car crash. But the address Sharp gives Dunham leads her to a bowling alley, where the guy behind the counter identifies himself as Weiss. “Have the headaches started yet?” he asks her ominously. When she says no, he replies, “They will.” He seems friendly enough, even if he looks like the ne’er-do-well cousin of the Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne.
Wacky Factor: Convinced Dunham visited a parallel universe, Walter tries to replicate her accident with a model car, a bunch of Polaroid cameras, and a frog. Plus, he wins the coveted Best Line Award when he cuts a local sheriff down to size by telling him, “We’re all victims of our own gene pool. Someone must have peed in yours.”
Paranoia Level: Medium. Dunham insists that she’s on the mend, but she still can’t remember that she entered an alternate New York and met William Bell. Plus, the experience has given her freakishly amazing hearing, which kicks in without warning — The flies! So loud! — and is beyond her power to control. She also doesn’t know that Agent Charlie Francis has been replaced by the parallel-reality shape-shifter that caused so much trouble last episode. But it appears that Evil Charlie doesn’t want to kill Dunham — not yet, anyway. Communicating with the Cool Typewriter, Evil Charlie is instructed to help jog Dunham’s memory about her fantastic voyage, which suggests that this mysterious group is less interested in her than they are in what she knows about Bell’s whereabouts.
A solid stand-alone episode, but we’re mostly glad for the promise of juicier developments — hopefully coming soon.
Despite Obama's place of birth being a totally answered question, some people still just won't give it up. Like Gary Kreep, executive director of the Birther group United States Justice Foundation, who co-produced an amateurish 30-minute infomercial that he says is running late at night in markets around the country. Talking Points Memo, tipped off by one of its readers who saw the infomercial after The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson last night, put up the first five minutes of the infomercial and a link to the rest. Five minutes with host and liveprayer.com founder Bill Keller is more than enough. Give us that disgusting Ped Egg infomercial any day over this. [TPM]
(Reuters) Reuters - A truly confident woman lets herself be vulnerable at the right time. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 25 Sep 2009 | 3:06 pm
Gossip Girl's Sebastian Stan was a student at local acting school Applause NYC as a child, and he returned to the school to give a special class to its students. Our Tim Murphy was there to listen as Stan imparted his wisdom to the group of 8-year-olds ("I think about Mystic River, where Sean Penn screamed after his daughter — I don't know if you guys have seen that ...") and got some feedback on his own acting work. Watch him make love to the camera like Carter Baizen in this video.
Ever wish you could rest your rear end in a seat where the President and First Lady once sat? Now you can! The owners of the Belasco Theatre are auctioning off the seats that the Obamas sat in when they attended a performance of "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" during their "date night" in NYC last spring. [NYP]
Hopefully, we're not the only ones highly amused by this.
Diet Coke's better-tasting fraternal twin, Coca-Cola Light, held a fashion show in Milan to raise money following last year's tragic earthquake in Abruzzo. Italian designers including Moschino, Versace, and Etro redesigned bottles for the runway show. Milan residents can buy Coke Light in these bottles starting today, with profits funding scholarships for young women affected by the earthquake. [Metro.co.uk]
Look at them! They are rich and having an amazing time!
Here's who's winning the recession: wacky old folks. Coupon-clipping old biddies were the butt of jokes for years, and now that's totally "in vogue," according to the Times, which does not know that "in vogue" is no longer in vogue as a turn of phrase. Stuffing a mattress with cash proved to be a much sounder investment plan for some people than getting in with an investment fund that promised good, steady returns. And eccentric old dudes everywhere should bow down to Terry , the 55-year-old Brit who just found a major cache of Anglo-Saxon gold, proving that walking around with a metal detector is not a daffy thing to do!
"People laugh at metal detectorists," Herbert said Thursday at a news conference at the Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, where the objects will go on display on Friday for two weeks. "I've had people go past and go, 'Beep, beep, he's after pennies.' Well, no, we're out there to find this kind of stuff, and it is out there."
Ha-ha, yeah, 'Beep, beep,' IN YOUR FACE, suckers. If anyone needs us, we will be digging out our old stash of stamps for the Eight O' Clock coffee rewards program and trying to find a game of Bingo in the area.
The awesome feud continues today between Franco Zeffirelli, director of the Met's legendary 1985 version of Tosca, and Luc Bondy, helmer of the new smutty version that was booed on its opening night this week, who are basically the Werner Herzog and Abel Ferrara of opera now. Answering Bondy, who Wednesday wrote him off as a "second assistant of Visconti," Zeffirelli tells the Times that the new production is "a crime" and he calls his foe "a very bad director for my money ... He should not be allowed to touch these masterpieces. He's always done an irreverent approach to these works of art." [ArtsBeat/NYT]
Randy and Evi Quaid are the gift that keeps on giving. But not paying.
Despite the duo's (handwritten) claims that they've already made good on their tab at the San Ysidro Ranch,...
Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursdays (or, as we call it, SNL WUT) was back last night, only days before SNL’s season premiere, and if anything, it whetted our appetites for Fred Armisen’s brilliant impressions. Specifically, his Governor David Patterson, which captures both the man’s physical nuances, but more specifically his blind hatred of New Jersey. Truly, if Gov. Patterson were this hilarious, he would surely get re-elected.
Review in a Hurry: From the producers of the Resident Evil movies comes...a Resident Evil rip-off in space! An actual Resident Evil sequel in space would have been better—at least then...
TOMORROW
• Wilhelmina Models is teaming up with Shape and Men's Fitness to hold an open casting call. Ten finalists will be invited to New York, where a panel of judges will offer a Wilhelmina contract to one male and one female winner. See additional details here. Wilhelmina Models, 300 Park Ave. South, nr. 23rd St., second fl.; 10–3.
SALES STARTING TOMORROW
• Spring and summer menswear and womenswear are up to 85 percent off at Project No. 8's sample sale. Through 9/27. 138 Division St., nr. Ludlow St. (212-925-5599); S (1–9), Su (1–8).
ENDING TOMORROW
• Chocheng is hosting a sample sale featuring up to 70 percent off the spring collection and select pre-fall coats, suits, and blazers. 51 E. 63rd St., nr. Park Ave. (212-967-5044); Th–F (11–7), S (11–5).
STARTING SUNDAY
• Olive & Bette's is having a one-day end-of-summer sale, offering apparel from Free People, Shoshanna, Splendid, and more at up to 75 percent off. Theory pants are $59 (originally $295), Free People vests are $30 (originally $115), and Splendid tunics are $38 (originally $150). Through 9/27. 252 Columbus Ave., at 72nd St. (212-579-2178); 10–6.
ENDING SUNDAY
• Lingerie from Vera Wang, Elle McPherson, Le Mystere, and others is up to 80 percent off at the Only Hearts sample sale. Check out more items at the Columbus Avenue Street Fair on Sunday. 386 Columbus Ave., nr. 73rd St. (212-724-5608); Th (11–7:30), F (11–8), S (1–6:30), Su (11–6).
• Shop deep discounts at the Built by Wendy fall sample sale. Oversize wool felt coats are $180 (originally $405), wool drop-waist button-front jumpers are $85 (originally $279), canvas fishtail parkas are $100 (originally $326), and men's herringbone sports jackets are $100 (originally $280). 46 N. 6th St., nr. Wythe St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-384-2882); F–S (10–8), Su (noon–6).
• Handbags and accessories are up to 60 percent off at the Hermès sale. Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 W. 18th St., nr. Sixth Ave. (212-463-0200); W (9–6), Th (9–8), F–S (9–6), Su (1–5).
STARTING MONDAY
• Select jewelry from Catherine Angiel is up to 20 percent off during the shop's fall sale. Through 10/5. 43 Greenwich Ave., nr. Seventh Ave. (212-924-4314); M–S (noon–7), Su (noon–6).
If you’ve been following our exhaustive coverage of Katherine Heigl, you’ll know that she’s signed on for this season, and incidentally you might’ve learned that T.R. Knight was released from his contract in order to pursue his film career. Good luck with that, T.R.! So it’s no surprise when in the opening of this episode Izzie wakes up and George flies away to B-list-actor heaven. There’s a moment after his death in which Lexie questions his identity (“He’s too tall! Look at his feet!”) but that’s all put to rest when Callie I.D.'s the Texas-shaped freckle on his hand. Since the staff is crying and raging over O’Malley’s untimely demise, there are only two patients to speak of. But true to Grey’s Anatomy form, both of them handily reflect back on the lives of the weepy doctors who treat them. [Updated.]
Arizona gets: A teenager, whose mother is played by Martha Plimpton, with leg and back pain. A different doctor had sent him home with “growing pains,” but his symptoms have gotten worse, and Mom’s worried. What it means: This kid represents the fact that even though these people have suffered a loss, they’re still doctors, and have to keep treating others in need. Everyone at the hospital’s distracted by George’s pulpy, lifeless body, and Plimpton’s character starts to worry that her son won’t get the best care. Arizona assures she’ll make him “her person” and figure out what’s wrong; she forces a grieving Bailey to talk through his case with her (“This kid is still alive! I need you to work!”). She still can’t diagnose him, though, and sends him home prematurely. The outcome: After the patient gets worse, the Chief negs his extra tests because of money issues (and a looming power struggle with the board) and there’s more nothing Arizona can do. She experiences the same helplessness she does trying to comfort Callie, who’s freaking out about George. We’ll have to wait till next week to see if this teen pulls through.
Lexie gets: A young backpacker from London who was in a speedboat accident, lost one leg, and had two arms re-attached. She was traveling with two semi-friends who bailed the first moment they could, leaving Lexie as her only bedside companion. What it means: Lexie sees the woman’s friends’ actions and is reminded of her own relationship with George — she moved out of their apartment after George rejected her romantic advances. We’re not quite clear how this makes her a “bad friend,” but whatever. The outcome: Thank God for McSteamy, who provides some comic relief. After comforting Lexie, who’s crying about neglecting George, he says, “What did that guy have? Was he hung?” No, McSteamy, we doubt it. The patient, meanwhile, becomes more despondent about her situation, eventually calling Lexie “a little bitch.” Ouch. At the end of the show, she’s suicidal. Perhaps next week we’ll get a slightly sunnier doctor-patient situation.
Everyone else gets … George! We must touch on the funeral scene, in which Meredith, Izzie, Cristina, and Alex laugh and laugh about the absurdity of their respective situations. We get the writers’ nod to the increasing ridiculousness of the plotlines, but you know what, writers? Start crafting better stories for these people, and you won’t have to incorporate clever references to the excessive drama! Yeesh.
Editor’s note: The recap above only covered the first hour of last night’s two-hour premiere. Here’s a quick wrap-up of the second half.
The outcome, Patient No. 1: After trying to refuse more surgery (she doesn’t want a “poo bag” — gross), and sinking deeper into depression, the patient, a.k.a. Ceviche, turns a corner after Owen sympathizes with her plight and tells her to “work the muscles now!” He’s referring, of course, to his therapy sessions for his PTSD. And guess what? After the patient listens, Owen has a breakthrough, and he and Cristina finally get to have sex. Good for them.
The outcome, Patient No. 2: After bouncing between Seattle Grace and Mercy West (where Callie is now chief resident), the patient finally gets the tests he needs after Derek intervenes on Arizona’s behalf. It turns out he has a tethered spinal cord, whatever that means, and after a few snips, he’s cured. Yay for doctors treating patients instead of crying over O’Malley!
And oh, yeah, Izzie’s cancer is miraculously cured. And the kicker is that Mercy West and Seattle Grace are merging, with layoffs to come.
Many people are pissed off at bankers in the wake of the financial crisis. Dalton Chiscolm is angrier than most. He's filed a lawsuit against Bank of America for "$1,784 billion trillion," damages he says he deserves because BofA didn't deposit a couple of checks into his checking account. (As for how much "$1,784 billion trillion" actually is, it's approximately 9 trillion times more than Bank of America is worth.) The good news: The judge assigned to the case is Denny Chin who presided over Bernie Madoff's $65 billion Ponzi scheme case, so he's used to big numbers. [Daily Finance, Dealbreaker]
Rotten Tomatoes has released its list of the 100 worst movies from 2000 to today, as determined by their freshness scores, and it is indeed chock-full of crappiness. There are a bunch of flicks tied at 0 percent, but it's forgotten Lucy Liu–Antonio Banderas shoot-’em-up Ballistick: Ecks vs. Sever that takes top honors. We combed through to find something to defend, but the best we can do is Stephen Dorff gangster flick Deuces Wild, which we vaguely recall seeing in theaters and not hating. Also, a bone to pick: Would it kill Rotten Tomatoes to make its database searchable by scores all the time, IMDb-style, rather than just putting out these lists at their whimsy?Update: We figured out how to do it! So what was the point of this list, then? [Rotten Tomatoes]
AP - "The Informers" (Riverhead Books, 347 pages, $25.95), by Juan Gabriel Vasquez: A father accuses his son of betrayal, but in the end, it is the father who betrays his son.
Frances Keirnan hadn't seen Brooke Astor's embattled daughter-in-law Charlene Marshall since the latter showed up to challenge the author's unflattering portrait of her at a reading for her book, The Last Mrs. Astor: A New York Story . Keirnan assumed she would hate Marshall forever. Then they came face-to-face when reaching for paper towels in the courthouse ladies' room, and bonding ensued. [NYM]
The predominant theme of spring accessories was bondage, which peeked through in the details. Naughty elements appeared at several shows: chains, spikes, lacing, and ties that bind. Heels were tougher, especially at Vera Wang and Rodarte (watch for spikes), and the va-va-voom factor was upped at Narciso Rodriguez, Derek Lam, and Phillip Lim. On the other end of the spectrum, Calvin Klein showed easy-to-wear platform wedges, and Marc Jacobs, shockingly, had flats. Bags were colorful, beaded, chained, roped, and tasseled. Check out all these accessories and more.
RottenTomatoes.com has released its list of the 100 worst movies of the decade list. What's No. 1? And how do they come up with the list? Find out the details and watch clips of the Top 25 worst movies listed by the site.
3. You can become the mayor of a town with a horrible secret that will eventually cost you the election.
For East Cleveland Mayor Eric Brewer, the choice was simple: #3, all the way. And today, #3 is coming back to haunt him. That’s because Eric, who had quite a beautiful lady face without even a stitch of makeup, is now facing the embarrassing consequences of taking some scandalous photos while wearing a wig, bra and panties, which are now being circulated only days before the election.
Just how scandalous are these pictures?
This is probably the most ladylike one we could get away with posting here:
But what would a cross-dressing photo scandal be without your requisite sexy Myspace shot? Not one worth blogging about, that’s for sure:
Just a day after Al Gore bathed Mayor Bloomberg in a sea of praise for his environmental record, Hizzoner admitted that flying in a helicopter to New Jersey for Thursday's U2 concert was a waste of energy, but added that "it would also be more efficient to swim across the Hudson River." It would be easy to scold Bloomberg for not acknowledging that he could also take the train like everyone else, but let's be real — if we had more money than the GDP of some small island nations, we'd do what we could to avoid this, too. [1010Wins]
There's a new billionaire in town. And he happens to be single, too! This week, Russia's richest man, Mikhail Prokhorov, cut a deal with real estate developer Bruce Ratner to buy the Nets as well as part of the new Nets arena under construction in Brooklyn. Today the Times compares Prokhorov to one other non-married billionaire in New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg. So how different are the two men? Let's take a look, shall we:
Both are kind of vague when it comes to their height:
Mr. Prokhorov's height has been reported as being anywhere from 6-feet-6 to 6-feet-9. Mr. Bloomberg's height has been reported as being anywhere from 5-feet-6 (in news articles) to 5-feet-10 (on his driver's license).
Both are really rich:
Mr. Prokhorov may be the richest person in Russia, but Mr. Bloomberg is ahead of him on the Forbes list of the world’s billionaires. In March, Forbes ranked the mayor at No. 17, with a net worth of $16 billion. Mr. Prokhorov was No. 40, with a net worth of $9.5 billion.
Both had humbling jobs early in their careers:
On his first job at Salomon Brothers, Mr. Bloomberg stripped to his underwear. He was working in a sweltering bank vault, counting stock and bond certificates, and it was hot.
By some accounts, Mr. Prokhorov's early career involved selling jeans in Moscow in the late 1980s.
There's one way in which they're very different, though. Unlike the hopelessly boring mayor, Prokhorov seems to have a bit of a dirty side:
Consider the four days he spent in custody in an Alpine ski resort in 2007 when investigators suspected call girls were being brought in. He was quoted as saying they were students and models, not prostitutes.
Okay, so he's into hookers. And that probably doesn't make him the greatest catch for single New York women. But at least NYC's escort population can look forward to having a fantastic new customer on its hands.
Khloe Kardashian’s fiancee and Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom celebrated his bachelor party last night alongside his good pal, The Real-Life Inspiration For American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman:
It’s actually Scott Disick, the father of Kourtney’s baby. He also does a lot of coke and murders people in 1980s Manhattan.
Jews traditionally aren't supposed to wear leather to synagogue on Yom Kippur, as a symbol of modesty and humanity. Crocs have been a favorable alternative because they're plastic, comfortable, and breathable. The footwear has earned a reputation as "the new Jew shoe." However, an influential Lithuanian rabbi is telling Jews not to wear Crocs to services for Yom Kippur, because the shoes are too damn comfortable. On this day of atonement and fasting, Jews are supposed to know suffering. Now, one might argue the counter viewpoint — that wearing Crocs would impart a certain degree of suffering on the fashionably conscious. Then again, if you're fasting, you don't want to wear bad shoes with your skinny outfit. And any ban on Crocs is certainly always welcome.
Who would ever have imagined that January Jones is brave enough to jump into the ocean to swim with sharks?
But that's exactly what she did recently in the Bahamas with Oceana, an...
Simon van Kempen and wife Alex McCord of the Real Housewives of New York City spent much of Fashion Week attending parties for the free champagne and gift bags. One of his employees, however, clearly wasn't in the mood to party. Last week a maintenance worker at the crummy hotel that van Kempen manages, the Hotel Chandler, slapped the property with a lawsuit for refusing to pay workers for overtime, a violation of New York's labor laws. Does this mean Simon's chances of winning the award for "Hotel Manager of the Year" are now totally dashed? While you ponder that very real possibility, you can look at the full lawsuit after the jump.
The reaction to Mackenzie Phillips' detailed account of her sexual relationship with her father, John Phillips, has been explosive, and some of the strongest statements have come from her family.
The Office took an unexpected but welcome turn back into Plot Towne last night, following up an innocuous but hilarious episode of Michael lies with a monumental step forward, as David Wallace promoted Jim to be Michael’s co-manager. Michael’s reluctance to acknowledge Jim as his peer — “I am also being promoted, to co-manager, we will be co-managers together…” — and Dwight’sunambiguous reaction hinted pretty clearly at the roadblocks we’ll encounter in the weeks to come (at least, unless the show gets into a weird midseason streak of stand-alone episodes that mysteriously don’t mention anything about the plot, which is very likely).
Overall, the episode wasn’t as funny as the Season 6 premiere, but like the Michael Versus Dwight episode from last year, The Office forced us to confront how much we really do care about what happens to these characters, with a dilemma far more engaging than any throwaway crime drama murder. I really did feel bad for Jim when Michael half-understandingly threw him under the bus. And, as awkward as Dwight is, he’s always been the branch’s hardest worker, and now he’s gonna have to answer to his once-equivalent rival?
The episode still did have plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, including maybe the most uncomfortable cold open yet, and the following moment, Michael’s impeccable Michael Winslowey “door opening” routine:
Episode thoughts? Favorite parts / lines? Jim/Dwight reactions? Season predictions? Leave ‘em in the comments!
Visitors look at early paintings showing urban lanscapes from the 1940s by Horia Damian, a Romanian sculptor and painter born in 1922, part of an exhibition organized at The Romanian Museum of Contemporany... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 25 Sep 2009 | 10:20 am
A visitor looks at "Sleeping Lancelot" by Horia Damian, a Romanian sculptor and painter born in 1922, part of an exhibition organized at The Romanian Museum of Contemporany Art (MNAC) in Bucharest. This... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 25 Sep 2009 | 10:20 am
Earlier this week, Bill Clinton and Matt Damon presented the UN with a joint resolution / steamy threeway image, and today, Clinton continued Sexy UN Week by chatting it up with none other than Brad Pitt — if this doesn’t solve whatever problem requires male sexitude to be solved, then nothing will:
Next up in Clinton’s hot seat? Jon Hamm, hopefully. Is what someone who was into dudes would say, I mean. I was just doing an impression of that. Hey, more pics!
Back to back sexy dude posts in the morning? Hey, you write what you know.
A man tries a game for Sony's game console Playstation 3 at the Asian Game Show in 2007. Sony's PlayStation 3 video game console outsold Nintendo's Wii nearly fivefold in Japan in the three weeks to September... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 25 Sep 2009 | 10:09 am
Boxes of Wii Nintendo consoles are seen in a shop in 2008. Sony's PlayStation 3 video game console outsold Nintendo's Wii nearly fivefold in Japan in the three weeks to September 20, helped by the launch... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 25 Sep 2009 | 10:09 am
Davey Salms (what everyone calls him) appeared on the Tonight Show last night for Lion Cub Part II: Bigger And Could-Easily-Kill-You-er. Part three of the saga will just be The Lion King verbatim:
After the jump, Animalfest Part II, including a bear who loves marshmallows (SPOILER):
Eight years ago model Crystal Renn thought she had the world at her feet as one of the fashion industrys rising young stars Source: FOXNews.com | 25 Sep 2009 | 7:45 am
Actress Mackenzie Phillips has said that she believes she had a "genetic predisposition" to the life of sex, drugs and rock and roll that have come to define her.
Reuters - A new fashion magazine built on daydreams, fantasy and fairy-tales in an unashamed flirtation with teenaged girls has become this season's "must read" at London Fashion Week.
Fashion Wire Daily - Hanging miniature chandeliers from Perspex high heels might seem a bit tricky, and enmeshing models in string vests of crystals could sound like a tall order, but these were just some of the novel visual takes that shone out in the brilliant stylistic tour de force that was Prada's latest runway show, staged Thursday, Sept. 24, in Milan.
The bigger they are, the harder they fall.
NBC will be airing a repeat of The Tonight Show Friday after Conan O'Brien fell during a skit being taped for tonight's episode and was...
Why is little Shiloh losing her teeth when she's only 3? I can see why Pax is, but not Shiloh.
—MamaMe, via the Answer B!tch inbox
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have...
Hey, Janet Jackson, we are feeling your biz-casual getup for the Giorgio Armani fashion show in Milan. We endorse your use of the sandy browns and prep school argyle. We do.
But...
Every fall, the bell tolls first for someone. This year, it tolls for thee, Mischa Barton.
She and the rest of the comely cast of The Beautiful Life are out of a job, with the CW opting...
We've been waiting forever for Khloé Kardashian to unveil her ginormous engagement ring.
Today she finally decided to give us a peek of the 9-carat diamond...
Randy and Evi Quaid are the gift that keeps on giving. But not paying.
Despite the duo's (handwritten) claims that they've already made good on their tab at the San Ysidro Ranch,...
Review in a Hurry: From the producers of the Resident Evil movies comes...a Resident Evil rip-off in space! An actual Resident Evil sequel in space would have been better—at least then...
FlashForward, Grey's Anatomy, The Mentalist and CSI: Which show didn't the future look bright for last night?
First, let's run down what the answer...
Who would ever have imagined that January Jones is brave enough to jump into the ocean to swim with sharks?
But that's exactly what she did recently in the Bahamas with Oceana, an...
The Office took an unexpected but welcome turn back into Plot Towne last night, following up an innocuous but hilarious episode of Michael lies with a monumental step forward, as David Wallace promoted Jim to be Michael’s co-manager. Michael’s reluctance to acknowledge Jim as his peer — “I am also being promoted, to co-manager, we will be co-managers together…” — and Dwight’s 
