2AM‘s Jo Kwon recently revealed his close friendship with his fellow members and label mates including Junho and Wooyoung from 2PM.
Jo Kwon recently shared on his Twitter, “Just ate and we’re now relaxing… Kwon Udong”, along with a photo taken with Wooyoung who is widely known for his “udong” cheeks.
The selcas also show Jo Kwon and the other 2AM members smiling at the camera with comical expressions showing their playful side during rehearsal. Jo Kwon also shared a more serious, yet adorable selca taken with 2PM’s Junho.
Upon seeing the photos, fans commented, “All of the JYP artists seem so close”, “Jo Kwon is the atmosphere maker for whichever group he’s with”, and “2PM’s Junho is handsome even while just calmly looking at the camera.”
The JYP artists recently wrapped up their ‘JYP Nation in Japan 2012' concert on the 18th and 19th.
Source: Jo Kwon‘s Twitter, TV Daily via Nate via allkpop
2PM‘s Chansung shared a half naked picture of himself via Twitter.
He uploaded the above picture on August 21st and wrote, “Goodnight everyone ^^. Oh and this is not a photo for ‘Men’s Health’… anyways I’m going to bed~^^”
In the picture, Chansung showed off his sculpted chocolate abs and showed off the true meaning of what ‘beastly’ idol means.
Fans that saw this picture left comments saying, “He is so manly,” “I think he has the best body in 2PM,” and “I’m so jealous.”
On another note, 2PM and all the singers from JYP Entertainment recently held their ‘JYP Nation‘ concert(s) in Japan.
Jeffrey Ross James Holmes Joke - During the taping of Comedy Central’s roast of Roseanne Barr Sunday, Jeffrey Ross turned to Seth Greene and congratulated him on a “really big night.” Why? “You haven’t gotten this much attention since you shot all those people in Aurora,” the comedian joked in reference to alleged killer James Holmes, adding:
“I’m kidding! You’re nothing like James Holmes. At least he’s doing something in a movie theater that people remember.” Yeah. How did he respond to the obvious backlash?
Ross admitted that “Yes, I crossed a line” but that this is “what the roasts are all about. That’s what Roseanne is about … unapologetic comedy.”
“If I had held back, I would have done her a disservice.”
As for Ross’ disservice to the Colorado shooting victims, producer Jonas Larsen has already said the jokes will be cut from the August 12 telecast.
If Ross is at all sorry, he’s not exactly showing it.
“In these particular times – it is important to exercise freedom of speech,” he added. “Comedians are apologizing a lot. I am not saying that is right or wrong.”
“But it scares me when I start second guessing myself. I wanted to put it out there and remind people what America is about, and on some level, what roasts are about.”
“When I was a kid I said whatever I wanted. It was one of my favorite things about America,” he added. “So now I feel like I am a big kid.”
Wayne Brady Booed - common decency doesn’t necessarily take a holiday during these events. Consider the Sunday night broadcast of Comedy Central’s Roseanne Barr roast. Comic Wayne Brady, best known for his improv skills, told a joke during the telecast that was so cruel the audience quickly filled the hall with boos, not just laughter.
During Brady’s remarks, he was making fun of fellow roaster Jeff Ross.
“Now the thing is Jeff,” said Brady, “these are all jokes, and I really like you. I really, really like you. But a lot of people hate you, especially Sarah Palin because you remind her of what Trig is going to look like when he’s 40.”
This was greeted with a mixture of laughs and boos from the highly-partisan crowd leading Brady to say, “Oh, now you boo me? F-k y’all. I don’t want to hear that. These people say all of this s-t about me, and you boo me because of Trig.”
Comedy Central Roast Roseanne - The last few Comedy Central roasts have been such tired, predictable exercises that the most recent Roast of Roseanne was, at the very least, a step in the right direction. It was no less predictable, really, but at least the network figured out that if they're going to continue to do these roasts, they ought to have someone worth roasting. Roseanne Barr may be a lot of things -- comedian, actress, tyrant, reality show star, victim, bully, nut farmer, presidential candidate -- but there's little denying that she's a real-deal comedy icon. It's a big improvement over, say, David Hasselhoff.
Unfortunately, the lineup of roasters was a little less inspired, as it was made up of only half comedians, including current roast mainstays Amy Schumer, Anthony Jeselnik and, of course, Jeff Ross. The rest of the dais consisted of actors and TV stars, including Ellen Barkin (replacing Sharon Stone), Katey Sagal, Seth Green and Carrie Fisher. It wasn't long before every person on stage was reduced to a single character trait for the sake of comedy, so the roast consisted of different versions of the same jokes: Seth Green is short, Ellen Barkin is old, Carrie Fisher is washed up, Wayne Brady (who also appeared) isn't black enough. And when the obvious joke didn't just write itself, there was some strange consensus in which everyone on the dais made an unspoken agreement about what the joke would be. Amy Schumer became a "slut." Anthony Jeselnik was a "rapist." How this happened, I can't say, but it was like some sort of comedy talking point.
For her part, Roseanne seemed like a good sport -- even when ex-husband Tom Arnold made a surprise appearance and took a turn at the microphone, providing one of the evening's only spontaneous moments. Though her set wasn't any better than anyone else's, Roseanne genuinely seemed to have a good time. What's better is that it was obvious that the guest roasters actually respected and admired the person they were roasting for a change, lending the show at least a mild tone of reverence instead of the usual disdain and despair. Comedy Central is still going to have to shake things up a little if they intend to keep putting on these roasts, but at least The Roast of Roseanne offered some inoffensive wheel spinning.
New 'Live!' Co-Host for Kelly Ripa Coming Soon - After 59 guest hosts, Kelly Ripa's new co-host to be revealed, The producers of "Live! With Kelly" say a new co-host will be revealed on the show Sept. 4. Disney-ABC Domestic Television said Monday that Kelly Ripa will officially announce her new partner as he or she joins her on stage that morning. By then, Ripa will have welcomed 59 guest co-hosts since Regis Philbin retired from the show last November. The company says the chosen one will come from that large pack. The day before the big revelation, Ripa will host the show solo for the first time. Philbin, who created the show, exited at age 80 after presiding more than 28 years alongside several co-hosts. Ripa became his on-air partner in 2001.
Wayne Brady Age & Bio - Wayne Alphonso Brady (born June 2, 1972) is an American actor, singer, comedian and television personality, known for his work as a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and as the host of the daytime talk show The Wayne Brady Show. He was the original host of Fox’s Don’t Forget the Lyrics!, and currently hosts the 2009 revival of Let’s Make a Deal.
Brady was born in Columbus, Georgia to West Indian parents, and moved to Orlando, Florida as a young child to live with his grandmother and aunt. When Brady talks about his “Mom”, he is referring to his grandmother, Valerie Petersen, who raised him. At 16, he started performing in community theater and at the Orlando improv troupe SAK Comedy Lab where he first started developing his improv skills.
He attended Dr. Phillips High School, in Orlando, Florida, where he graduated in 1989. In 1990, he enrolled at the University of Miami. In 1996, he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he continued developing his acting skills.
Wayne Brady Palin Joke - Wayne Brady apologizes for Trig Palin joke, Comedian Wayne Brady, 40, is apologizing for a joke he made about Sarah Palin's youngest son, Trig. Brady received a lot of criticism for telling the joke at the Comedy Central roast of Roseanne Barr. The joke was apparently a dig at how Trig's condition will cause him look like another comedian when he is 40.
Multi-talented actor and comedian Wayne Brady has apologized for a joke he told at the Comedy Central Roast Of Roseanne Barr, reports TMZ. The joke, a crack about the appearance of fellow roaster Jeffrey Ross, sparked outrage amongst some parents and conservative groups after the show aired on August 12. During his set, Brady said to Ross, "...a lot of people hate you, especially Sarah Palin because you remind her of what Trig is going to look like when he’s 40."
Reports of Brady being booed for the joke were somewhat exaggerated, however, as a combination of groans, laughter and applause are not an uncommon reaction during the notoriously over-the-top shows. As the roast aired, Ross himself tweeted praise after Brady's set: During the hour and a half broadcast, Brady was the butt of many racially-themed jokes, all of which he took in stride, as "going too far" was the order of the night. In the days that followed the taping, Ross made headlines of his own for a joke that was not broadcast by Comedy Central, wherein he commented that Seth Green looked like James Holmes, the Aurora shooter.
Brady issued an apology on Friday via his Facebook page, and explained that while he did not write the joke himself, he owned performing it and felt it was important to apologize as a father. Here's the full text of Brady's apology:
This letter has taken me a few days to compose because of the conflicting emotions that I've experienced since the day of the Roast and it's subsequent airing. The environment of the Roast is a comedic (hopefully), tasteless (mostly always), affair that encourages everyone to out-filth each other. Not normally what I'm known for, right? But, when I was invited, I jumped at the chance to play outside of my perceived "norm" and have fun. The Jeff joke was written for me and at the end of the day I take full responsibility for saying it. It wasn't meant as a slam to Trig and at the time I didn't see it that way.
I could defend it as a performer, but I would rather apologize from the bottom of my heart as a father. I understand how a parent, who loves their child, who tries to nurture and shield them when they cannot defend themselves, would take offense.. I have many times experienced this feeling. I've had awful things said about my daughter.. Violent and most times racial stabs. Being in the spotlight I have built a thick skin to these sorts of things. My daughter ( who's now old enough to understand ) is another story. That being said I write this letter with sensitivity and a strong stance of responsibility for my actions.
I thank everyone who's expressed their opinion for reminding me that my voice is heard... It's easy to forget sometimes in front of cameras and lights. To the Palins, please know that no malice or harm was meant. To the other families who were touched negatively, I hope you'll be able to accept this apology as well. I've always said that people in the public eye should be held responsible for what you say and I'm no hypocrite. Thanks for reading and letting me express my side.
The Little Leftover Witch Chris Colfer Disney Channel - Glee star Chris Colfer will be busy over his hiatus, shooting a pilot he sold to the Disney Channel entitled The Little Leftover Witch. Chris Colfer wrote the pilot based on the children’s book series by Florence Laughlin.
The story centers on a young witch who crash lands her broom and is taken in by another magical family. Production is said to start soon on the pilot, although it isn’t clear if casting decisions have been made, or if Chris Colfer will also star in the pilot.
This is turning out to be quite the busy summer for Chris Colfer. We reported in January that the actor will star in Struck by Lightning, which also starts production this summer. Chris Colfer also wrote the screenplay for Struck by Lightning. Chris Colfer will return for Glee’s third season this fall on Fox.
Struck By Lightning Chris Colfer - “Glee’s” Chris Colfer has a young adult novel coming in November, based off of “Struck by Lightning,” the indie film he wrote and stars in, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers announced today. The book will be released simultaneously in print, ebook and audio on Nov. 20. It follows on the heels of Colfer’s just-published children’s book “The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell,” which debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times Children’s Chapter Books bestseller list.
The novel, “Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal,” is not a straight adaptation of the film so much as an extension of the story told in the movie.
In a release, Colfer said, “When production wrapped, I wasn’t ready to say good-bye to these characters and was thrilled when Little, Brown asked me to adapt the story into a novel. I felt the best way to tell Carson’s story was through his critical eyes in a journal.”
He further described the book as “a story about adolescence, told through the eyes of a teenager, for other teenagers.”
The movie is a dark comedy about Carson Phillips (Colfer), who blackmails the most popular students in his school into contributing to his literary journal to help his chance of getting into Northwestern University. It received a strong reception when it debuted in April at the Tribeca Film Festival.
It also stars Allison Janney, Christina Hendricks, Dermot Mulroney, Sarah Hyland, and Polly Bergen, and is scheduled for release in theaters later this year.
The Land Of Stories - The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell is a children’s fiction novel written by Chris Colfer. It was released on July 17, 2012.
The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell is described by Colfer as a “modern day fairytale,” following twins Alex and Connor Bailey as they fall from the real world into a world full of fairytales they have only ever read about before. But after run-ins with trolls, goblins, wolves, and witches, getting home might be more difficult than they previously thought.
Colfer said in an interview with Piers Morgan that the twins in his novel are based on himself, because he is a Gemini. He added that although The Land of Stories is a children’s book, he thinks it is something that can be enjoyed by all ages. Later it is revealed that Colfer plans on making a movie based on the book. In the same interview, he reveals that he has been creating the world in The Land of Stories since a very young age, and that when he was a child it was a means of escaping the real world for him.
Colfer recorded his audio book using his own voice.
The book was number one on the New York Times Bestseller List as of July 25, 2012.
Chris Colfer ‘TIME’ 100 Most Influential People - It’s that time of year again — time for TIME magazine to release it’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. And while the 2011 list boasts the usual political suspects — such as Barack and Michelle Obama, Joe Biden and Julian Assange — there are some pop-culture surprises on there as well.
Emmy-winning actor Chris Colfer, who has won raves for his role as openly gay teen Kurt on Glee, made the list! The TIME blurb about Colfer is written by his Glee cast mate, Dianna Agron, who has this to say about her costar: “Chris, 20, lives by extreme truth, speaking out against the epidemic of bullying that he, too, faced in high school. The honesty that he infuses into his Glee character, Kurt, leaves you reeling.”
We certainly agree with that, and we look forward to Colfer’s continually impressive performances on Glee, as well as to his upcoming movie debut in Struck by Lightning and the TV pilot he just sold to Disney. Colfer is a talented young man whose message of kindness and tolerance has obviously influenced millions of people.
Young singing sensation Justin Bieber also made the cut, and while it might seem strange to see Barack Obama and the Biebs on the same list, Justin’s friend Usher has this to say about the young star in TIME: “From the minute I met Justin, I knew this kid possessed a certain confidence that only a star could have. He was born a star. He knew what he wanted to accomplish; all he had to do was get everyone else to believe it. Now, looking back at his incredible run, the reality of who he is and what he’s accomplished far exceeds anybody’s expectations of him.”
In just four years, the 17-year-old Bieber has managed to turn a couple of Youtube clips into a gigantic entertainment phenomenon, generating him a huge fortune and adulation the world over. What is next for the young star? TIME will tell!
Also landing a spot on the list are Gossip Girl actress Blake Lively, Grammy-winning singer Bruno Mars, controversial Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Parks and Recreation comedienne Amy Poehler, soon-to-be-weds Prince William and Kate Middleton, and — of course — Oprah Winfrey.
StePhest Colbchella ’012: RocktAugustFest - Oklahoma City-based psychedelic rockers The Flaming Lips appeared on “The Colbert Report” Thursday night to help host Stephen Colbert close out his “Pepsi Presents StePhest Colbchella ’012: Rocktaugustfest,” and we’ve got the video for you right here via ColbertNation.com.
For his special music festival, Colbert, whose show airs Monday-Thursday nights on Comedy Central, aired performances and interviews with various artists throughout the past week. Besides the Lips, acts on the bill included fun., Grandmaster Flash, Grizzly Bear and Santigold.
The event was taped at New York City’s Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, and Colbert and Lips frontman Wayne Coyne conducted their interview inside one of the museum’s space capsules.
Lying side by side in the close, appropriately spacy quarters, the comedian and the musician discussed Coyne’s longtime stint working at an Oklahoma City Long John Silver’s, the Lips’ collaborations with Yoko Ono and Ke$ha on the recent album “The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends” and whether the singer-songwriter would give up sex or music if he could only have one or the other. (Despite my general intolerance for all-Okies-are-hicks jokes, I must admit I laughed out loud when Colbert quipped that Coyne is “the leader of a psychedelic rock group from Oklahoma. Huh. I didn’t know you could get high on corn.”)
The band’s performance of their new song “Ashes in the Air” (off the “Heady Fwends” album) aired Thursday night on “The Colbert Report,” and Coyne and Colbert then closed the show and “StePhest Colbchella ’012: Rocktaugustfest” crowd-surfing side-by-side in two of the rocker’s trademark giant hamster balls.
The Colbert Report Two-year Contract Extension - Comedy Central has ensured that Colbert Nation and fans of Jon Stewart will continue to see their favorite late night comics for the next two years. The cable channel negotiations two-year contract extensions with Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Stewart will remain the host of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and will keep his position as executive producer and writer through the middle of 2012, reports Deadline. This will give Stewart 19 years on the air. His current contract was set to expire during summer 2013.
Colbert’s current contract was set to end at the end of this year, reports The Los Angeles Times. The new contract will keep him as host, executive producer and writer for The Colbert Report.
Both shows have experienced significant jumps in the key 18-49 rating demographic, drawing more viewers in the demo than any other late night talk show on TV. The Daily Show has been up 10 percent in the key demo, while Colbert is up 11 percent. Both shows, which are heavy with political satire, typically experience ratings increases during election years.
The shows have successfully drawn away the young audience from NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and CBS’ Late Night with David Letterman.
Sources close to Stewart told The New York Times that his success has meant that there was virtually no chance that he would have actually left Comedy Central when his contract ran out. The only question is how long he wants to continue hosting the show. There might have been interest in Colbert from other networks, but the fact that Colbert signed the extension is seen as a great coup for the Viacom-owned network.
Stephen Colbert Maurice Sendak interview - STEPHEN COLBERT’S INTERVIEW WITH MAURICE SENDAK IS AS AWESOME AS YOU HEARD IT WAS,
You may have heard about the two-part interview that Stephen Colbert conducted with author/illustrator Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are). You may have also heard that it was pretty awesome, and everything you’ve heard is correct. We’ve posted both parts here, and we invite you to join this highly intellectual discussion on who Sendak really writes for and his opinions on one of the current presidential candidates. If we’d been a fly on the wall for this, we would have buzzed around Maurice Sendak just to see what kind of curmudgeonly reaction he’d have. Part 2 appears after the jump.
And here is Part 2, in which Sendak teaches Colbert how to write a children’s book and then they both sniff markers.
America Again: Re-becoming The Greatness We Never Weren’t - Stephen Colbert’s “America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren’t” is set to be released on October 2nd, 2012.
The book will be published by Grand Central Publishing, and will be available in hardcover, e-book and as an audio book.
“Book store nation, in the history of mankind there has never been a greater country than America. You could say we’re the #1 nation at being the best at greatness.
But as perfect as America is in every single way, America is broken! And we can’t exchange it because we’re 236 years past the 30-day return window. Look around–we don’t make anything anymore, we’ve mortgaged our future to China, and the Apologist-in-Chief goes on world tours just to bow before foreign leaders. Worse, the L.A. Four Seasons Hotel doesn’t even have a dedicated phone button for the Spa. You have to dial an extension! Where did we lose our way?!
It’s high time we restored America to the greatness it never lost!
Luckily, AMERICA AGAIN will singlebookedly pull this country back from the brink. It features everything from chapters, to page numbers, to fonts. Covering subject’s ranging from healthcare (“I shudder to think where we’d be without the wide variety of prescription drugs to treat our maladies, such as think-shuddering”) to the economy (“Life is giving us lemons, and we’re shipping them to the Chinese to make our lemon-flavored leadonade”) to food (“Feel free to deep fry this book-it’s a rich source of fiber”), Stephen gives America the dose of truth it needs to get back on track.”
I Am America (And So Can You!) - I Am America (And So Can You!) is a 2007 satirical book by American comedian Stephen T. Colbert and the writers of The Colbert Report.
It was released on October 9, 2007, with the audiobook edition released several days earlier. The book is loosely structured around the fictional life story of Stephen Colbert as he appears on The Colbert Report.
As of the April 6, 2008 publishing, the book had been on the New York Times Bestseller List in the Hardcover Nonfiction category for twenty-four weeks, ranking number one for fourteen of them.
I Am A Pole (And So Can You!) - I Am a Pole (And So Can You!) is a 2012 children’s book written by Stephen Colbert and illustrated by Paul Hildebrand. The book tells the story of a fictional pole finding his purpose in life. The title is a play on Colbert’s first book, I Am America (And So Can You!) All proceeds from the book go to USVETS, a non-profit dedicated to returning troops.
The book is notable for a blurb of endorsement on the cover attributed to children’s writer Maurice Sendak. During a January 2012 interview of Sendak by Colbert, Colbert shared a draft of the book with Sendak, to which Sendak stated “The sad thing is, I like it!”; the statement was used as the blurb for the cover. Soon afterward, Colbert reportedly secured a publishing deal for the book. Sendak coincidentally died the morning of the book’s release, and, in tribute, The Colbert Report aired uncensored previously unreleased clips of the interview, with Colbert encouraging those unfamiliar with Sendak’s work to “read his books. And for those who don’t read, they’ve got lots of pictures.”
Reviewers of the book noted that this book, while seemingly targeted to children, contains imagery which may be considered adult in nature, such as a scene of a stripper performing striptease on the eponymous pole. Colbert mentioned on his show that the book is “the perfect gift to give a child, or grandchild, for their high school or college graduation. Also, Father’s Day. Also, other times.”
Laura Bush + National Book Festival + 2001 to 2008 - Formed in 2008 by Casting Director team Shakyra Dowling and Kristina Erdely, Dowling Erdely Casting is one of the UK's top casting duos. With over 30 years combined experience in the industry and lasting relationships with high profile brands and renowned directors, Shakyra and Kristina understand exactly what makes a great casting experience for all involved. Each project, whether television, film, commercial, corporate or viral is treated with the unique care and individual artistic vision that it deserves.
Dowling Erdely Casting are proud to be at the cutting edge. They constantly strive to seek out fresh new talent, building on their vast network of actors on both sides of the Atlantic. In addition, they fully embrace new technologies that enable a modern way of casting and are happy to offer clients remote access to auditions via a live video stream, through a secure server.
Laura Bush International AIDS Conference - About 25,000 of world’s top AIDS researchers, political leaders, diplomats and other stakeholders are gathering for Sunday’s International AIDS Conference. The biennial conference will take place July 22-27 in Washington, a city faced with one of the United States’ highest rates of HIV infections. The HIV virus usually leads to AIDS.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former President Bill Clinton and former first lady Laura Bush will speak at the conference. Other high-level speakers include World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, and Microsoft chairman and philanthropist Bill Gates.
AIDS is a disease that alters the immune system, making people much more vulnerable to infections and diseases.
HIV is found in the body fluids of an infected person and is passed from one person to another through blood-to-blood contact, sexual contact, or from a mother to her child during pregnancy or through breast feeding.
The United Nations says 34 million people lived with HIV/AIDS and 1.7 million died from the disease in 2011.
On Friday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Michel Kazatchkine as his special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where HIV continues to grow.
Last week Mr. Ban appointed former U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro as the special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, the continent most affected by HIV.
Ana’s Story Jenna Bush - A Journey of Hope by Jenna Bush, one of the president’s 25-year-old twin daughters, describes a teenage single mother in Panama who has survived enough heartbreak to rival Job in the Old Testament. The non-fiction book aimed at teens is based on Bush’s work as an UNICEF intern. It can be read as a primer that deals with questions such as the use of condoms to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, but ultimately, Bush’s narrative is too earnest for its own good.
Ana, identified only by her first name, is a 17-year-old orphan who was born with HIV. Her first memory, at age 3, is being told her 2-month-old sister had died, probably of AIDS, Ana later learns.
Ana’s parents also died of AIDS. Ana is beaten by her grandmother and molested by her grandmother’s boyfriend. At 10, she’s told she has HIV and must keep it a secret.
But in the book’s preface, Bush describes a meeting of women and children with HIV or AIDS in which Ana, at 17, declares: “We are not dying with AIDS. We are living with it. We are survivors.”
Based on six months of conversations that followed, Bush has drawn what she calls a “mosaic” of a life, “using words instead of shards of broken tile.”
The book is easy to read. It’s divided into 102 chapters, some as short as two sentences, and is illustrated with 49 subtle photographs by UNICEF intern Mia Baxter.
It will be most valuable to teens who harbor their own damaging secrets or haven’t thought about what it’s like to be one of the 2.3 million children in the world with HIV or AIDS.
Included are 35 pages on information sources and addressing myths such as “You can get HIV from kissing.”
The format is an awkward hybrid: not quite an “as-told-to” story but written in the third person. Ana’s voice rarely punches through.
The addendum advises: “If you decide abstinence is right for you, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. … If you decide that you’re ready for a sexual relationship, the best way to protect yourself … is to be faithful to your partner and use a condom every time. No exceptions — ever.”
The book tells an important story, but it ignores the debate over how much U.S. support should go to organizations that distribute condoms as opposed to conservative religious groups that promote only abstinence.
Read All About It! Laura Bush - Tyrone rules the school! He’s king of the monkey bars, a math machine, and a science whiz. The only thing he doesn’t like about school is reading. Books are so boring! But when strange visitors start dropping by the classroom for story hour, Tyrone discovers there’s more to books than just words on pages.
Tyrone and his friends are swept up in a mysterious adventure that lands them in a most unexpected place. Mrs. Laura Bush and her daughter Jenna create a classroom adventure that will leave readers racing to the shelves!
Jenna Bush Hager: George Bush Daughter - Jenna Welch Bush-Hager (born November 25, 1981) is the younger of the sororal twin daughters of the 43rd U.S. President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush, and a granddaughter of the 41st U.S. President George H. W. Bush. She and her sister, Barbara, were the first twin children of a U.S. President. Hager is a teacher’s aide, an author, and a correspondent for NBC’s Today show.
Hager was named after her maternal grandmother, Jenna Hawkins Welch. She was educated at several primary and secondary schools. In Dallas, Texas, she and her sister attended Preston Hollow Elementary School and then The Hockaday School. In 1994, after her father was elected Governor of Texas and the family moved to Austin, Texas, Bush was a student at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, and attended Austin High School from 1996 until her graduation in 2000.
She attended The University of Texas at Austin and took summer classes at New York University. She was a legacy member of Kappa Alpha Theta, both her mother’s and twin sister’s sorority. While there, Jenna and her sister Barbara made national headlines when they were both arrested for alcohol related charges twice within 5 weeks: on April 29, 2001, Jenna was charged with a misdemeanor for possession of alcohol under the age 21 in Austin. On May 29, 2001, Jenna was charged with another misdemeanor – attempting to use a fake ID (with the name Barbara Pierce, her paternal grandmother’s maiden name) to purchase alcohol. She pleaded no contest to both charges. Jenna Bush graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in English in 2004.
Margaritaville Entertainment Complex Atlantic City - Resorts Casino is bringing one of Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurant and entertainment complexes to Atlantic City, where casino and government officials are hoping the singer’s legion of fans known as Parrotheads will help revive the shore resort. The project, due to open in 2013, will be built as part of Resorts, which said it will also re-theme its Boardwalk facade with the Margaritaville brand.
The tropical-themed Margaritaville will be partly carved out of current space inside the casino hotel, Resorts said. A restaurant and year-round beach bar will also be added to the property.
Gov. Chris Christie, joining Resorts officials and Buffett at a news conference to announce the plans, called them another important step forward in efforts to revitalize Atlantic City, whose casino revenues have been on a downward spiral.
He said Atlantic City’s success is important both to the region and the state.
Buffett operates a casino and restaurant business internationally under the Margaritaville brand, inspired by the 1970s hit song of the same name. The first one opened in Florida’s Key West.
Resorts owner Morris Bailey said getting a Margaritaville is a coup for Atlantic City, providing a must-see attraction for the resort.
Buffett, who is scheduled to perform at Boardwalk Hall on Aug. 4, said he is eager to help the city regain its place as a beach vacation destination. Resorts said he will own the Margaritaville properties at Resorts.
Four years ago, Buffett was involved in an effort, which fell through, to transform the former Trump Marina Hotel Casino into a Margaritaville resort.
A Pirate Looks At Fifty - A Pirate Looks at Fifty is the autobiography of the singer and songwriter Jimmy Buffett, revolving around the singer’s fiftieth birthday. The book was released on June 3, 1998.
Buffett chronicles important happenings up to his fiftieth (the beginnings of his career, his plane crash, etc.) and his birthday celebrations – plane hopping in South America and the Caribbean.
The book headed the New York Times Bestseller non-fiction list in June 1998, making him the sixth author in that list’s history to have reached #1 on both the fiction and non-fiction lists.
Trouble Dolls Jimmy Buffett - When Lizzy Rhinehart’s father is lost in the Florida Everglades, she calls on the help of her golden retriever, tiny Guatemalan “trouble dolls,” and a magic blue macaw to save him before a ferocious storm begins. “A welcome blend of myth and reality, set in modern times but connected by folklore to the world of animals and magic.”– It was about a little girl who went on a trip to find her Dad.
These four trouble dolls helped her. Trouble dolls are dolls that come alive when you need them. They are about 2 inches tall. She finds her Dad and a storm comes and his plane breaks so they have to get out of the storm quickly and get back home. They got the Dad back home safely. I didn’t like this book because it is weird how the trouble dolls come alive.
It James William “Jimmy” Buffett (born December 25, 1946) is a singer, songwriter, author, businessman, and recently a movie producer best known for his “island escapism” lifestyle and music including hits such as “Margaritaville” (No. 234 on RIAA’s list of “Songs of the Century”), and “Come Monday”. He has a devoted base of fans known as “Parrotheads”. His band is called the Coral Reefer Band.
Parrotheads Jimmy Buffett Fans - Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefers are scheduled to play their first ever show in downtown Detroit’s Comerica Park Saturday. Doors are scheduled to open at 6 p.m. But well before Buffett and opening act Lionel Richie take the stage, a Beach Bash is set to begin at 10 a.m. and is likely to attract a good number of Buffet faithful, often referred to as “parrotheads.”
“Jimmy Buffett fans are invited to soak in the full Margaritaville tailgating experience, starting Saturday at 10 a.m., with a FREE downtown beach party for all to enjoy,” says the website for Olympia Entertainment, which is hosting the event. “Lounging At The Lagoon Tour Party, located on the grounds surrounding Comerica Park, will feature a LandShark Lounge, margarita tasting, hula hooping, a variety of midway games, live entertainment and much, much more.”
Buffett fans, known for their beach-themed, liquor-soaked tailgate parties, are more than just casual concertgoers.
View full sizeMike Glinski | MLive DetroitJimmy Buffett has taken over the tiger in front of Comerica Park in downtown Detroit. Parrotheads are community of fans with Jimmy Buffett at the epicenter, but the term, they say, refers more to the laid-back lifestyle than their love for the musician — although they also love the musician.
And they’re organized. Groups of like-minded fans have formed Parrothead groups in cities across the U.S., including Detroit.
The Detroit Parrothead Club formed in 1992 and boasts more than 200 “fun-loving” members, its website claims.
Another fan website describes a parrothead like this:
Simply put, Parrotheads are fans of singer–songwriter Jimmy Buffett’s tropically influenced beach/rock/folk music. They know the words to all of his songs and the punch lines to all of his jokes. When Jimmy and the Coral Reefer Band come to town, parking lots are turned into beaches and cars become tiki bars. The yearly concert tour is a rite of summer passage for Parrotheads that combines the best of Mardi Gras, Carnival, the Fourth of July, and a beach party.
Being a Parrothead is also much more. For most Parrotheads, there is a specific state of mind that comes with their condition… Through his music and writings, Parrotheads vicariously experience Jimmy’s lifestyle: the party, the ocean, the sunshine, and a relaxed sense of freedom are a part of it. And that freedom is most appealing; it allows us to express our feelings and creativity in whatever manner we choose and allows us to escape from the rat race to our own little tropical paradise, if only for a little while.
Jamael Orondé Barber & Bio - Jamael Orondé “Rondé” Barber (born April 7, 1975) is an American football cornerback/safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia.
Barber attended Cave Spring High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and was a standout in football, wrestling, and track. In football, he was a three time All-District selection. In track, he won the national title in the 55-meter hurdles as a senior.
Drafted in the third round pick of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of the University of Virginia. His brother Tiki was also drafted the same year, but went a round earlier than Ronde to the New York Giants. In his first season with the Bucs, Barber was unable to force his way into the lineup and played little, making a rare appearance in one game in the 1997 season (he did earn the nickel back job in the playoffs).
However, Barber had clearly made an impression on the then Bucs Head Coach Tony Dungy, and in his second season Barber started nine games, recording 81 tackles, 3 sacks, and 2 interceptions. On November 25, 2007, he took the record from Donnie Abraham for the most interceptions in Buccaneers team history by catching his 32nd against the Washington Redskins. He is the longest-tenured member of the team. He is the active leader in consecutive starts for a non-kicker, and is tied with London Fletcher for consecutive games played for a non-kicker.
Atiim Kiambu Hakeem-Ah Barber - Atiim Kiambu Hakeem-Ah “Tiki” Barber ( born April 7, 1975) is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia.
Barber retired from the NFL at the end of the 2006 NFL postseason as the New York Giants’ all-time rushing and reception leader. On February 13, 2007, he was formally introduced as a correspondent for NBC’s The Today Show and Football Night in America/Sunday Night Football. Tiki was also the host of NBC’s pre-show for the 66th Golden Globe Awards with Brooke Burke and Nancy O’Dell. On September 18, 2007, Barber’s book, Tiki: My Life and the Game Beyond was published.
The autobiography was co-written by Gil Reavill. His second book, Tiki Barber’s Pure Hard Workout, which was released on November 13, 2008, by Gotham Books, reveals Barber’s intensive lifting program. The book is coauthored by his trainer, Joe Carini. He is the identical twin brother of Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber. On March 8, 2011, Barber filed papers with the NFL to come out of retirement.
Ronde Barber Safety - At 37 and entering his 16th NFL season, Ronde Barber is embracing the challenge of learning a new position with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Buc Ronde Barber, right, enters his 16th NFL season with a new position and the responsibility of teaching rookie safety Mark Barron the ropes.
A five-time Pro Bowl cornerback who’s making the transition to safety in first-year coach Greg Schiano’s system, Barber not only is receptive to the move but excited about the team’s prospects of rebounding from a 4-12 finish that included 10 consecutive losses to end last season.
“It’s not very often you get not only to play 16 years, but to find new challenges in your 16th year and new opportunities to prove yourself,” Barber said. “I’m very comfortable not being status quo and not doing what I’ve always done. … There’s no apprehension at all.”
Schiano was lured away from Rutgers to replace the fired Raheem Morris. He’s bolstered one of the league’s youngest rosters with the addition of veterans Vincent Jackson, Carl Nicks and Eric Wright and re-signed Barber to a one-year deal with expectations that the twin brother of former Giants RB Tiki Barber can continue to perform at a high level.
The franchise career interceptions leader also is being counted on to be a mentor for rookie safety Mark Barron, the seventh overall pick in this year’s draft.
With 43 interceptions and 27 sacks, Barber is the only player in NFL history with at least 40 career picks and 25 sacks. His stretch of 224 consecutive games played is tied with former teammate Derrick Brooks, Kevin Carter and London Fletcher for the second-longest streak for a defensive player since 1970. In addition, Barber’s string of 199 consecutive starts are the most among active players.
Barron, signed to a four-year contract that includes a signing bonus of about $8.9 million, is looking forward to learning from Barber, the only player remaining on the roster from Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl victory following the 2002 regular season. The Bucs have not won a playoff game since.
“There’s pretty much nothing I can’t ask him,” the rookie out of Alabama said following the team’s first training camp workout Friday. “He’s been in the league 16 years, he pretty much knows everything about the game. That’s a great benefit to me in trying to become the player I want to be.”
Barber entered the league as a third-round draft pick under then-Bucs coach Tony Dungy. He’s remained with the Bucs through three head-coaching changes, helping Jon Gruden win the club’s only Super Bowl title and providing leadership on and off the field since Morris and general manager Mark Dominik launched a rebuilding project in 2009.
Barber became an unrestricted free agent following last season. He re-signed for $3 million and has bought into Schiano’s program. “He’s done a really good job of presenting his message and his clear vision of what he wants out of this football team,” said Barber, who’s scored 11 career touchdowns on interception and fumble returns.
Tiki Barber Traci Lynn Johnson - Tiki Barber, 37, and Traci Lynn Johnson, 25, in NYC Thursday, the couple announced on Twitter. The former New York Giants running back from the University of Virginia and his sweetheart opted for a quiet City Hall ceremony.
The two met when she was an NBC intern and he was a “Today” correspondent — an event, according to New York media reports, that presaged the end of both his 11-year marriage to Ginny Cha (with whom he has four children, including twins born just after their separation) and his broadcast career.
Now pursuing business ventures after his bid for an NFL comeback fell short last year, Barber sounded overjoyed on Twitter: “Excited for the next chapters.”
Tiki Barber Divorces Pregnant Wife - Ex-Giants superstar Tiki Barber has dumped his 8-months-pregnant wife, Ginny, for sexy former NBC intern Traci Lynn Johnson, sources told The Post last night. The football star-turned-”Today” show-correspondent left his wife of 11 years, Ginny, for the 23-year-old blonde, who also worked at 30 Rock, the sources said.
Ginny, who is expecting twins, found out about the relationship late last year, after the run-around running back moved out of their Upper East Side home.
Johnson, a model-thin bombshell, was photographed sitting next to Tiki last month at a Washington, DC, screening of a documentary on Senegal that he hosted for the Travel Channel. Sources believe Johnson also accompanied Tiki to Senegal for the filming late last year, when Ginny was three months pregnant.
By My Brother’s Side - Tiki and Ronde were each other’s best friends. Together from the start, these twins might not have been the strongest or the tallest, but they were fast and worked hard at what they loved. And they loved sports, especially football.
Then one day Tiki badly hurt his knee in a biking accident, and he was sure he’d never be able to play again. Their mother had always told them, “You are each other’s best friends. Stick together, believe in yourselves, and you can do anything.” They kept her words in their hearts and never gave up.
Based on the childhood of National Football League superstars Ronde and Tiki Barber, this inspiring book about the values of family, hard work, and determination is the story of what it takes to be a champion.
Ronde Barber Tampa Bay Buccaneers - During the NFL offseason, you often will find Bucs great Ronde Barber on the golf course, pursuing his longtime passion. It’s a habit he picked up from an older teammate years ago, when cornerback Anthony Parker played for Tampa Bay. “He was the guy who dragged me to the golf course when I first got here,” said Barber, a third-round pick in 1997.
But Parker passed on lasting lessons of a different kind, too, such as how to approach football as a profession and the kind of work ethic needed to stick around in a cutthroat sport in which the average career length hovers around three years.
Little did Barber know he would be imparting similar knowledge on young teammates 15 years later. His latest project: first-round draft choice Mark Barron.
With Barber moving from cornerback to free safety, one of the NFL’s oldest players finds himself next to a 22-year old strong safety expected to be a cornerstone of the franchise.
Barber, 37, was wise enough to know he should absorb those lessons from Parker and other elder teammates. And Barron, an All-American for national champion Alabama last season, recognizes the value of doing so, too.
“He’s been through pretty much anything you can go through as an NFL player,” Barron said. “I feel like if there’s anything I need to know, I can go ask him.”
Don’t think it’s a given a player grasps the value of that.
“I think (Barron) understands he’s fortunate to have a guy like Ronde to mentor him,” Bucs coach Greg Schiano said. “Sometimes, guys fresh out of college don’t realize how fortunate they are to have that. It’s come easy (in the past), and they think it’s going to continue to come easy. But it’s a different level of competition.
“Ronde, on the flip side, has been willing to help and share, which I think is great.”
But here’s the twist: Barber, the five-time Pro Bowl selection at cornerback who holds the franchise’s interception record, said the learning goes both ways.
“There are definitely some things that I learn about the position from him,” Barber said. “I’ve seen a lot over the years, and I’ve played with some great safeties. So I’m not worried about my confidence level back there. But it’s good being out there with Mark. I’m figuring out what to do, and he’s figuring out the defense. I’m trying to teach him to be a professional. There are definitely things that are beneficial.”
It’s an ideal relationship for the Bucs. They have the consummate professional in Barber — a player who has surprised even the team’s first-year coaching staff with his uncompromising work ethic — teaming with a businesslike rookie they believe can be great.
“We’ve got a young group of (defensive backs) who are here in camp,” defensive backs coach Ron Cooper said. “For them just to be able to sit in the meeting room with Ronde, who is a total professional, to watch how he studies and how he works and how he takes notes, how he works on the field, watch his attitude, it’s a plus for everybody.”
Assistant defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley watches in awe.
“One of the hardest workers I’ve ever been around,” he said. “It’s perfect for Mark. For a young guy to come and see how it’s done, that’s special right there.”
Tiki Barber New York Giants - Tiki Barber has tried to set up a face-to-face meeting with New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin in an attempt to bury the hatchet, but Coughlin won’t accept one, the franchise’s all-time leading rusher told ESPNNewYork.com’s Ian O’Connor during an interview on ESPN New York 1050.
“We tried. He said no, through his agent, (Giants vice president of communications) Pat Hanlon,” Barber said. “But one of these days I’m sure it’ll happen, because as we know, time heals all wounds. And I think at the end of the day, Giants fans, despite their dislike of me at times, know that I was one of the guys that put (it) on the line every time I put on my uniform.”
Former Giant Tiki Barber with Ian O’Connor says he’s done, no more comebacks, and that he was rebuffed when he reached out to Tom Coughlin to bury the hatchet. It has been well-documented how Barber never saw eye-to-eye with Coughlin during his playing days, and the two eventually had a falling out. Barber had said in the past that it was the Coughlin’s militant and “demeaning” coaching style that drove him from the field into the broadcast booth. On Nov. 29, a day after the Giants were blown out by the Saints in New Orleans, Barber wrote an online column criticizing Coughlin.
“I took pride in what I did. I knew there were 52 other guys counting on me every week,” Barber replied when asked why he was able to rise to the occasion on Sundays despite his rocky relationship with Coughlin. “One issue I’ve ever had with Tom is he never respected that. He always tried to vilify me.”
One player who’s earned Barber’s respect is quarterback Eli Manning.
Barber, who once questioned Manning’s leadership capabilities, said his ex-teammate has greatly improved in that department, and is no longer rattled by adversity.
Barber even thinks Manning has a chance to outplay Aaron Rodgers in Sunday’s NFC divisional playoff game.
“Here’s what I look for when I’m looking for an elite quarterback. Someone that no matter the circumstances — whether you’re playing great, whether you’re playing horrible — has that unfettered drive to succeed,” Barber said.
“That’s what Eli has learned over the last five or six years — from the early days when I saw him where everything used to rattle him — to now. No matter what happens, he’s always into the football game and doing something to help his team win.
“That’s my definition of an elite quarterback, and why Eli is in on that conversation now.”
Barber retired following the 2006 season, but attempted to make a comeback in 2011. He worked out with the Miami Dolphins in August, but they didn’t offer him a contract, and neither did any other NFL team. Barber’s former teammate, Plaxico Burress, was surprised, prompting Burress to say that Barber was “better than half the backs in this league.”
Barber agrees with Burress’ assessment, but said he won’t be attempting another comeback again.
“No. No. I’m not trying to come back,” Barber said. “It was an excuse for me to get up off the couch and do something, and it worked, because now I’m engaged in a few different things and I feel really strong about where I am personally, and that’s all that matters in life.”
Barber questioned Manning’s ability as a leader following his retirement, saying Manning’s pregame speeches were “almost comical.”
To which Manning famously responded: “I’m not going to lose any sleep about what Tiki has to say. I guess I could have questioned his leadership skills last year with calling out the coach and having articles about him retiring in the middle of the season, and (how) he’s lost the heart (to play). As a quarterback, you’re reading that your running back has lost the heart to play the game and it’s about the 10th week. I can see that a little bit at times.”
Nicki Minaj And American Idol - Mariah Carey took Jennifer Lopez's judge's seat on the next season of "American Idol," and now it looks like Nicki Minaj is going to replace Steven Tyler, leaving Randy Jackson the sole male on the 2013 judge's panel. Multiple sources tell US Weekly that Minaj has gotten the green light from "Idol" producers. The hip hop star is "100% confirmed to judge American Idol," a source told the tabloid. Reps for FOX had no comment when contacted by FOX411.com.
Minaj, 29, raised eyebrows earlier this year with a Grammy performance that leaned heavily on Catholic imagery. She even walked the red carpet with a guy dressed like the pope. “Stay offended. Not a single F**K is given,” she said via Twitter in the aftermath of her widely-panned song-and-dance routine. Minaj also made headlines in May when she performed before a live audience for Good Morning America with her left breast popping out of her tank top.
Rage Against The Machine And Paul Ryan - Paul Ryan may be a fan of Rage Against the Machine, but the feeling is far from mutual. The band's guitarist, Tom Morello, sounded off about Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's running mate in an op-ed for Rolling Stone Thursday, saying "Paul Ryan's love of Rage Against the Machine is amusing, because he is the embodiment of the machine that our music has been raging against for two decades." And that was just the beginning. Mitt Romney selects Paul Ryan as his running mate "Paul Ryan is clueless about his favorite band, Rage Against the Machine. Ryan claims that he likes Rage's sound, but not the lyrics. Well, I don't care for Paul Ryan's sound or his lyrics. He can like whatever bands he wants, but his guiding vision of shifting revenue more radically to the one percent is antithetical to the message of Rage." "I wonder what Ryan's favorite Rage song is?," Morello continued. "Is it the one where we condemn the genocide of Native Americans? The one lambasting American imperialism? Our cover of 'F--k the Police'? Or is it the one where we call on the people to seize the means of production? So many excellent choices to jam out to at Young Republican meetings! "Don't mistake me, I clearly see that Ryan has a whole lotta 'rage' in him: A rage against women, a rage against immigrants, a rage against workers, a rage against gays, a rage against the poor, a rage against the environment. Basically the only thing he's not raging against is the privileged elite he's groveling in front of for campaign contributions." Something tells us Ryan might be taking the band's hits out of his workout mix.
Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel married in Wyoming - Did Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel get married in Wyoming this weekend? According to a report, the couple pulled off the ultimate secret plan and got married without the media finding out. On August 18, Janet Charlton reported that Timberlake and Biel tied the knot in Jackson Hole, Wyoming over the weekend.
According to Charlton's blog, friends and family of the Timberlake's and the Biel's stayed at the local Four Seasons and attended the ultra private (read sneaky) nuptials of the famous couple. They all celebrated and partied in privacy with not even one paparazzi lens nearby. Quite the fete for a celebrity couple, isn't it?
If Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel married in Wyoming it's going to be a hard thing to prove. Obviously they didn't want anyone knowing about their plans and it's not really like them to make any formal announcements. Heck, when they got engaged it was kept secret for some time and they barely confirmed it during interviews.
As previously reported, Biel said that she had no idea about wedding plans and that she and Justin weren't really making any definitive decisions. If Charlton is right about this wedding, the joke is totally on everyone. Biel fooled us all. It sounds like they were determined to keep their day just about them—and they totally succeeded.
Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel married in Wyoming likely because it's where they reportedly got engaged. This makes perfect sense, and if it's true, congratulations to the happy couple.
Hank Williams Jr. Slams President Obama at Iowa State Fair - Country legend Hank Williams Jr. played to a crowd of nearly 8,500 at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand Friday night.
You may recall, criticism of President Barack Obama on a Fox News program last year led to ESPN dropping Williams’ “Monday Night Football” theme song after 22 years. Friday, Williams shot barbs at Obama, ESPN and “Fox & Friends” in his opening song “Keep the Change” before launching into “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight,” the basis for the “MNF” theme.
Williams was lively and over the top, strolling the stage, strumming his guitar, sawing on his fiddle and hammering on the piano during a nearly two hour set. Performing is in Williams blood, and the lineage of talent was on clear display.
He paid tributes to those roots, telling the crowd stories of growing up in a house where it wasn’t unusual to find Fats Domino, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley and others over for dinner. Williams showed a knack for mimicry, performing a version of his dad’s “Your Cheatin’ Heart” as in the style of Domino and a version of Lewis’s “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” that included Williams playing the piano with both his boots and his booty.
He unapologetically refers to himself as a dinosaur, as evidenced by the song of the same name. Of course, “Dinosaur” was written when he was 30, and Williams is 63 now. He’s made it a long way for a supposedly extinct animal, and from the vitality he showed Friday night he will likely survive another age or two.
He also used the song as a great segue to his dad’s “Tear in My Beer.” Even though he’s been gone nearly 60 years, Hank Williams still casts a long shadow. Jr. is clearly his own man, but he’s wisely not running from his legacy. The younger Williams is just one of a generation of country singers who owe as much to Hank Williams as rock singers owe to Elvis.
For a good portion of the concert it seemed like Williams had moved beyond issues of politics and was putting the focus on the Bocephus party. But those made their way back into the show in a much more straightforward way later in the set.
Following the song “We Don’t Apologize For America” a chant of “USA, USA” broke out amongst the crowd. Williams smiled, telling the crowd that he was their mouth piece and adding:
“We’ve got a Muslim president who hates farming, hates the military, hates the US and we hate him!”
The cheers that followed were loud and enthusiastic.
When reached for comment Saturday, Brad Anderson with the Obama campaign in Iowa said in an email, "That type of absurd nonsense doesn't really deserve a response."
Williams closed his set with an extended tradition of “Family Tradition” before performing a segment of Kris Kristofferson’s “If You Don’t Like Hank Williams” letting the world know that if you don’t like his dad, or him, or Johnny Cash or Kid Rock, Van Halen or others, you can kiss his …
The part of him he used to play piano earlier. And not his boots.
Amanda Bynes Accident - Amanda Bynes Investigated After Los Angeles Car Crash Accident, Los Angeles police are investigating a minor traffic accident involving actress Amanda Bynes after a person reported the actress left without providing her information. Police Lt. Andy Neiman said Sunday the 26-year-old actress stopped after the accident and looked at the other vehicle and determined there wasn’t any damage. Police said Bynes drove away without giving her information, which is required by law. Neiman said police will turn over the case over to the city attorney’s office for review. No one was injured and the damage to the other person’s vehicle in the Aug. 4 incident was more than $800. Bynes has pleaded not guilty to a driving under the influence charge after she was arrested in April for grazing a sheriff’s patrol car.
Kobe Bryant 68 Points - Kobe Bryant scores 68 points in 15 minutes in Chinese charity game, As his team nursed a double-digit deficit, Kobe Bryant heard the legions of fans chanting his name. They wanted Bryant to come back into the game. They wanted him to lead a comeback victory. They also simply wanted to chant his name because they adore him.
This kind of episode happens all the time at Lakers' home games at Staples Center, but the circumstances on Saturday were different. Bryant was in China as part of a weeklong tour sponsored by Nike. He participated in a celebrity charity game that also featured Chinese pop singer Jay Chou. For unknown reasons, Bryant revealed on his Facebook account, fans were able to vote through text message that the Lakers star's team trail by an additional 20 points after already facing a nine-point first-half deficit. "I wanted to play it cool," Bryant said on his Facebook page. "But what the heck, the place was packed with fans who'd sang an early happy birthday to me and really wanted to watch me go to work." Bryant, who turns 34 on Thursday, did just that. He scored 68 points in 15 minutes. He swiped the ball numerous times from players that lacked any dribbling drills. With the opposing players all too eager to give him a clear path to the basket, Bryant attacked with ferocity. Having every advantage in terms of height, size and skill, he tried a wide array of post moves, pull-up jumpers and ducks.
Tony Scott Death (Had Inoperable Brain Cancer) - Director 'looked nervous' before jumping off bridge, "Top Gun" director Tony Scott appeared nervous before leaping off the Vincent Thomas Bridge on Sunday afternoon, a witness said.
"He was on the roadway close to the fence looking around. He was looking around and fumbling with something at his feet. He looked nervous," witness David Silva said in an interview with The Times. "I thought it was some extreme sports guy."
Silva says he was a passenger in a car on the north side of the bridge heading to Palos Verdes while Scott was on the south side.
Silva said Scott was wearing sporty orange and gray attire with shorts.
Silva said he "paused a couple of seconds and then began to climb the fence. He put his foot on the top of the fence and paused again. And then he threw himself off. I immediately thought, that guy is dead."
At first, he and other motorists thought it was an extreme-sports stunt. Then they realized the man didn't have a parachute or safety cord.
Silva said he called 911 immediately.
Scott, 68, had just completed a new movie and there had been no public reports of health problems. But Los Angeles County Coroner's officials said Monday's planned autopsy will look for signs of a serious health problem and that that is part of the investigation's focus.
ABC News reported that Scott suffered from brain cancer. Craig Harvey, a chief at the coroner's office, said authorities have heard that and other reports and are looking into them. He stressed, however, that the coroner has not formed any conclusions about what led to Scott's death.
The coroner's office said all evidence suggests Scott took his own life.
Scott left a suicide note at his office, law enforcement sources said, but police have not revealed what was in it. Harvey said Scott also left several "instructional" notes to family and friends.
Simon Halls, a spokesman for Scott's family, said the family asked "that their privacy be respected at this time."
Los Angeles police first learned of the incident after 12:30 p.m. from a 911 caller who said that an unidentified man had leaped off the suspension bridge that connects San Pedro and Terminal Island. It's a 185-foot fall from the bridge roadway to the waters of the Los Angeles Harbor.
Authorities have been talking to those on the bridge at the time of the incident.
A source said officials looked inside the car and determined it belonged to the famed action-movie director and producer. A note in the car had contact information for his wife. A suicide note was later found in his office, according to law enforcement sources. Its contents were not revealed.
His body was pulled out of the water several hours later by divers from the Los Angeles Port Police.
The coroner's office identified Scott on Sunday evening.
Scott was a respected director and producer who made "Man on Fire," "Enemy of the State" and "Beverly Hills Cop II."
The last film that he directed was "Unstoppable," a 2010 thriller about a runaway freight train.
His career in television included executive producing the series "The Good Wife" and "Numb3rs," both on CBS.
The British director, who lived in Beverly Hills, was best known for the 1986 hit "Top Gun," starring Tom Cruise as a Navy aviator. The movie grossed $21.6 million in its first 11 days of release.
Scott was one of three sons born to working-class parents in northern England.
He established his career as a commercial director and continued to make television spots late into his career. Before becoming a filmmaker, Scott was a painter.
Distinguished by a kinetic visual style that aimed to take audiences into his high-octane action scenes, Scott also produced a number of blockbuster movies, most recently "Prometheus," directed by his brother Ridley Scott, and "The A-Team."
At the time of his death, he had recently completed filming on "Out of the Furnace," a drama he was producing about an ex-con starring Christian Bale. The movie is set to come out next year.
Scott was also preparing to produce a science-fiction drama called "Ion" and had served as executive producer on "Stoker," set to come out next March.
His debut feature, 1983's vampire movie "The Hunger," starred Catherine Deneuve and established Scott's cinematic style. He followed that movie with "Top Gun," which not only boosted the career of Tom Cruise but also ushered in a series of Scott's action movies, which included "Days of Thunder," also starring Cruise, and "Crimson Tide," starring Denzel Washington.
Though his movies were consistent box-office hits, he rarely attracted critical praise and was never nominated for an Academy Award.
He was more successful with reviewers in television, however, for his work on "The Good Wife."
Scott was married three times and had twin sons with his third wife, actress and model Donna Wilson.
Willie Nelson Hospital - Willie Nelson feeling better after canceling Colorado performance, A representative for Willie Nelson says he is feeling better after canceling a performance over the weekend, and will be back on the road.
The 79-year-old Nelson was scheduled to perform Saturday at a private home in Castle Pines Village, Colo. The benefit was for an organization that provides animal care and shelter in the Denver area.
Reports said the country music legend pulled out of the appearance after suffering breathing problems.
"I was told Willie woke up and had trouble breathing, so he was taken to the hospital," the host of the fundraiser, Fred Bartlit, told The Denver Post.
KUSA-TV reports that an announcement made to the crowd said Nelson suffered from "breathing problems due to high altitude and emphysema."
But Elaine Shock said Monday that Nelson was not hospitalized and no other concerts will be canceled. His next performance is scheduled Tuesday in Dallas.
Megan Boken Murder - Police in St. Louis said today they are looking at surveillance video for leads into the shooting death of a woman who died hours before she was supposed to play in a volleyball game at her alma mater.
Megan Boken, 23, who was a former volleyball standout at St. Louis University, had been in town to play in a match that pitted alumni against student athletes, kicking off the fall season.
"We don't have a motive but are investigating it from a robbery standpoint," said David Marzullo, director of public information for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Boken, who had graduated with a degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing from St. Louis University in 2011, was shot to death while sitting in her Volkswagen Saturday afternoon, police said.
Saint Louis University Dept of Athletics Megan Boken was shot in St. Louis while... View Full Size
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It was unclear whether the suspect had been in the car with Boken or had opened the door and fired into the car, Marzullo said.
"We have no evidence that she knew [the gunman]," he said.
Witnesses told police the suspect is in his early 20s and is around 5-foot-5 or 5-foot-6 with a thin build.
"This was our central west end. This is a very very unusual event for that area," Marzullo said.
Mayor Francis Slay said Boken's death made him feel "angry and frustrated and determined."
"I am frustrated because American cities, including ours, are awash in guns. Crime has trended down in St. Louis for the past six years in almost every category except gun violence," Slay wrote on his blog.
"I am determined that we will find who did this and bring him to justice. The police have asked for the help of every resident to identify the gunman. Let's help them," he wrote.
Rielle Hunter & John Edwards - John Edwards quietly asked mistress Rielle Hunter about her growing baby bump — and in the next breath insisted to campaign staffers that the two were not having an affair, a political aide testified yesterday. “I heard him ask Rielle if she was showing yet,” former campaign “body man” John Davis said about a September 2007 phone call he overheard between Edwards and Hunter in a New Hampshire Holiday Inn. “Can people tell that you’re showing?’’ asked Edwards, who commonly borrowed Davis’ cellphone for private calls to Hunter, the aide said. But when Davis inquired about an affair, Edwards denied it. Soon afterward, at a Detroit hotel, Hunter went into Davis’ room and explained that “she and Senator Edwards were very much in love,” Davis said. The next morning, Edwards “told me that she was crazy and we needed to make sure she did not contact him,” Davis said. Davis and other staffers couldn’t figure out what she did for the campaign. “Everyone else on the team had a political background. Rielle didn’t have that sort of résumé. She talked a lot about meditation and yogis,” he said. Eventually, Elizabeth Edwards forced her husband to fire Hunter, but the hanky panky continued. Davis was also tasked with ditching the “Batphone” — Edwards’ secret, pay-as-you-go cell. “He had told me to get rid of it, but not in my house, in case somebody would go through my garbage,” Davis said He kept the phone — and later turned it over to the feds.
Rachel Uchitel Motherhood - RACHEL Uchitel has tamed her wild ways since becoming a mom.
Uchitel — who famously had an affair with golfer Tiger Woods, destroying his marriage with Elin Nordegren — says giving birth to her first child has made her less selfish.
“Being a mum has changed me. I’m more focused on my daughter now than I am on myself,” she said.
The 37-year-old former New York City club hostess, who is now a San Francisco party planner, gave birth to daughter Wyatt on May 15. The child is fathered by her husband, insurance broker Matt Hahn.
Rachel added that she had moved on with her controversial past and admitted she won’t be open about her history until her baby Wyatt is old enough to understand.
“I have moved on. I have a plethora of life experience that I will absolutely discuss with her. Because, frankly, every right and wrong turn I’ve made has made me who I am. I’m thankful for all of my experiences,” she said.
Thomas “TJ” Earle Ashley Dupre - Former Spitzer prostitute Ashley Dupre reveals she's pregnant and engaged to be married to asphalt scion, Ashley Dupre, the call girl most famous for her bedding former New York governor, Eliot Spitzer, is engaged to be married and expecting a baby in just two months. The New Jersey native revealed to the New York Post that she is set to wed long time love, Thomas 'TJ' Earle now that he is divorced from the wife he cheated on with Ms Dupre only months after the 'Love Guv' scandal broke. Much has changed for the one-time prostitute, 27, who, aside from her romantic news, opened a lingerie and swimwear store in Redbank in May. Rumours have been circulating since Femme by Ashley customers started noticing the large 'rock' on Ms Dupre's finger and her obviously swollen stomach, but details of the wedding plans and sex of the baby are being kept a secret. Asked about her pregnancy, Ms Dupre told the Post, 'So far so good!' She and Mr Earle began an illicit affair shortly after news of her dealings with Mr Spitzer hit the headlines but the asphalt heir was still married to wife Alisa with whom he has two children. After meeting at a Jersey Shore restaurant, Mr Earle had reportedly boasted to a friend, 'I could have had her for free.' When their steamy affair was exposed later, the Earle Companies executive publicly apologised to his wife calling his actions a 'grave mistake'. Ms Dupre meanwhile, went on to make a name for herself, this time as a New York Post agony aunt, fielding questions from readers on sex and relationships and being commended by many for her bravery in speaking out about her experience. In a final piece for the column, to which she contributed for two and half years, she said: 'I'm proud to say that Ask Ashley has been a greater success then I ever thought. 'Not a financial one, but rather a success in letting people see that I'm more than just the girl in the headlines from 2008.' When Mr Spitzer was accused of paying Ms Dupre $2000 for sex at a Washington hotel the night before Valentine's Day in 2008, a can of worms was opened that revealed the governor's long time penchant for expensive call girls and culminated in his resignation. Now making headlines for all the right reasons, Ms Dupre says she's 'matured' and has 'moved on' from the scandal. According to Mr Earle's lawyer, Mitchell Ansell, his client and ex-wife Alisa have been divorced for over a year and are on good terms. He confirmed: 'They divorced amicably. She has moved on, and he has moved on. There’s nothing scandalous. No one's running around. [Ashley] is pregnant, and [TJ and Ashley] are planning on getting married.'
Ashley Dupre Writes Sex Advice Column - The New York Post has hired the 24-year-old to write a weekly advice column dealing with sex and relationships.
In a video announcing her new job posted by the paper, she dons office wear and glasses to explain her new advisory position in between posing for a photo shoot.
“I used to be on the front page of the New York Post. Now, I’m writing for it,” she said. “Ask me anything about love, sex and relationships.
“Take it from me, someone who could have used a little advice in the past — there’s nothing better than learning from someone else’s experiences,” she concluded.
In Dupre’s column on Sunday, one reader asked if she needs to tell her boyfriend how many men she's slept with. Dupre’s answer: "It's really none of his business (and vice versa)." The new columnist was in the news before her Post gig, for giving her take on the women who had affairs with Tiger Woods.
“I don’t agree with coming forward,” she told Extra. “I mean, he has a family, he has a wife, he has kids. For people who just come out and say things … that’s really wrong. You’re messing with some one else’s life.”
Thomas Earle Dating Ashley Dupre - To borrow one of many classic Office Space quotes, we recommend Thomas Earle use protection - because Ashley Dupre gets around. Like a record.
Poised to ruin yet another marriage, the 23-year-old former prostitute spent a day - and night - cavorting around Manhattan with the handsome, rich president of a major New Jersey asphalt company, Thomas Earle, a.k.a. T.J. Earle, 35.
Earle, 35, lives with a beautiful wife and their two kids fewer than two miles from Ashley Dupre's family home in the Garden State.
Thomas Earle and Ashley Dupre were spotted entering the Gramercy Park Hotel.
They rented a room Tuesday after a long day drinking, dining, shopping and snuggling together in limos, The New York Post reports...
The two then separately left the Gramercy the next afternoon, after spending close to 24 hours straight in each other's company. They walked out of the hotel 10 minutes apart, seemingly to avoid celebrity gossip photographers.
Ashley Dupre, whose trysts with New York Gov. Spitzer - who used to pay $4,300 an hour to tap that - led to his resignation, then hopped into a black Range Rover and sped off. She refused to answer questions from a reporter.
Within two hours, Thomas Earle, who is vice president of The Earle Companies construction business, showed up alone at his McMansion in Wall, N.J.
He parked in back, went inside and then walked upstairs to the bedroom where his gorgeous blond wife, Alisa, was waiting patiently for him.
The Earles - whose home is just 1.6 miles from the house where Dupre lives - refused to talk to the Post when questioned about Ashley.
But when a neighbor was shown photos of Thomas Earle with Ashley Dupre, who was wearing a skin tight leather short skirt, a sexy tank top, sunglasses and stiletto heels, he let out a shocked, "Oh, boy!"
Eliot Spitzer Prostitution Scandal - Ashley Alexandra Dupre is being credited by The New York Times for being the real identity of the prostitute involved in the sex scandal surrounding New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. These pictures are from her MySpace page. While The Times has been in contact with a source that confirmed the identity of the prostitute “Kristen,” who met with Spitzer during a liaison on Feb. 13 as per a federal affidavit, Dupre’s lawyer told People magazine, “We cannot and do not confirm that Ashley is Kristen.”
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, i.e. the Today show, two “friends” of Dupre’s sat down with an interview with Meredith Vieira to chat about their buddy, Ashley, whom they described as “a strong independent woman” who “has the biggest heart.”
And, how interesting…her two buddies are aspiring hip-hop artists with names and aliases of their own. Robert “Mysterious” Cummings and Freddie “Logan” Sagastume showed up to Today in their screen-printed best to give a shout-out to their girl. I’m not saying that they’re in it for the free publicity, but they probably are. You can check out the video after the jump..
Ashley Dupre Pregnant Engaged - Ashley Dupre, infamously known as former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's call girl, is apparently admitting that she is seven months pregnant and engaged. Dupre and her new fiancé reportedly started seeing each other back in 2008 while he was married . He is now divorced and reportedly helped Dupre open her new business.
Looking polished and contented at a family party, one-time call girl Ashley Dupre, made famous for bedding former New York governor Eliot Spitzer, posed next to her fiancé after it was revealed she was expecting the couple's first child in two months. The New Jersey native revealed to the New York Post that she is set to wed long-time love, Thomas 'TJ' Earle now that he is divorced from the wife he cheated on with Miss Dupre only months after the 'Love Guv' scandal broke. The pair were pictured at a family celebration in New Jersey in April. Much has changed for the one-time prostitute, 27, who, aside from her romantic news, opened a lingerie and swimwear store in Redbank in May. Rumours have been circulating since Femme by Ashley customers started noticing the large 'rock' on Ms Dupre's finger and her obviously swollen stomach, but details of the wedding plans and sex of the baby were being kept a secret. Asked about her pregnancy, Ms Dupre told the Post, 'So far so good!' She and Mr Earle began an illicit affair shortly after news of her dealings with Mr Spitzer hit the headlines but the asphalt heir was still married to wife Alisa with whom he has two children. After meeting at a Jersey Shore restaurant, Mr Earle had reportedly boasted to a friend: 'I could have had her for free.' When their steamy affair was exposed later, the Earle Companies executive publicly apologised to his wife calling his actions a 'grave mistake'. Ms Dupre meanwhile, went on to make a name for herself, this time as a New York Post agony aunt, fielding questions from readers on sex and relationships and being commended by many for her bravery in speaking out about her experience. In a final piece for the column, to which she contributed for two and half years, she said: 'I'm proud to say that Ask Ashley has been a greater success then I ever thought. 'Not a financial one, but rather a success in letting people see that I'm more than just the girl in the headlines from 2008.' When Mr Spitzer was accused of paying Ms Dupre $2,000 for sex at a Washington hotel the night before Valentine's Day in 2008, a can of worms was opened that revealed the governor's long time penchant for expensive call girls and culminated in his resignation. Now making headlines for all the right reasons, Ms Dupre says she's 'matured' and has 'moved on' from the scandal. According to Mr Earle's lawyer, Mitchell Ansell, his client and ex-wife Alisa have been divorced for over a year and are on good terms. He confirmed: 'They divorced amicably. She has moved on, and he has moved on. There’s nothing scandalous. No one's running around. [Ashley] is pregnant, and [TJ and Ashley] are planning on getting married.'
50 Cent Car Accident New York - Rapper 50 Cent was rushed to the hospital early Tuesday morning after suffering injuries from a serious car accident on the Long Island Expressway in New York. Photos posted on the rapper’s website Thisis50.com show the “In da Club” singer conscious as he’s strapped to a stretcher and wearing a neck brace.
According to the site, the 36-year-old rapper was riding in his bullet-proof SUV when a red Mack truck rear-ended the vehicle and caused it to nearly flip over.
NYPD and FDNY could not immediately confirm reports on the accident, however a rep for the rapper has issued a statement regarding the incident.
“(50 Cent) was taken to New York Hospital Queens where he was treated for minor neck and back injuries,” the rapper’s rep tells the Daily News. “He was released this morning and is doing fine.”
