In its first fall season, So You Think You Can Dance overcame injuries, baseball, scheduling conflicts and the loss of one of its most revered choreographers, Mia Michaels. So, it was fitting that Wednesday’s season finale had to overcome some issues.
It ended triumphantly, however, with Russell Ferguson, the charismatic krumper from Boston, beating the odds — as well as his well trained competitors — and winning the title of America’s Favorite Dancer, $250,000 in prize money, a spot on the cover of Dance Spirit magazine and (along with Kathryn McCormick, the female dancer with the most votes) a part in the 2010 Oscars telecast.
“It feels crazy, a dream come true [and] everything into one,” an elated Ferguson told PEOPLE backstage after the results. “It feels like everything has just fell into place … everything is so perfect right now. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Despite his post-show bliss, Ferguson spent the majority of the broadcast masking pain and frustration onstage after he injured himself during a hip-hop routine with fellow contestants Jonathan “Legacy” Perez and Kevin Hunte.
“I went to jump back up onstage during my three-man piece and I came down on my leg a little wrong and it got real numb and swollen and it felt like something maybe got sprained,” he said. “I was fine enough to walk. I felt like I could dance. After they tested me backstage, they told me I couldn’t dance. That was the worst feeling.”
The hiccup, which occurred not long into a live broadcast, was quickly handled by host Cat Deeley, who at the time of the incident also had a faulty microphone, a finalist who couldn’t walk and results to announce.
“Did I save it? I’m not entirely sure if I did save it or not!” Deeley said backstage. “This is what happens in real life, so, it’s kind of ‘Okay, let’s get you on, let’s get a doctor, let’s take care of you, let’s carry on with the show, and let’s do it as smoothly as we can.’”
The two-hour finale, which revisited past routines and featured performances by Leona Lewis, Adam Lambert, Mary J. Blige and Jennifer Lopez, continued with Ferguson sitting on a stool as his scheduled routines played on the monitor overhead.
Still, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, who was unable to confirm whether there is going to be another fall season of the show or when the season 6 tour will kick off, did say he was “delighted” with the end to a memorable season.
“I’m really happy with the result,” he said. “I wouldn’t have minded Jakob [Karr, 19, the contemporary runner-up winning] or Russell. But for me and how I feel about dance — I want it spread everywhere — does that for me more than Jakob would have done. Dancers will look at Jakob and go, ‘Wow, what a brilliant dancer,’ because he is. But America will look at the charismatic performer that Russell is and will say, ‘If he has done that, I can do that.’ And remember, he didn’t win by krumping. He only krumped once the whole season, as I remember. He won by doing other styles, and that opens up for street kids.”
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Anti-fur campaign making strides in fashion industry
"Real Housewives of New York" star Bethenny Frankel is the newest in the large line of celebrities who have posed for PETA's "I'd Rather Go Naked" ad campaign promoting anti-fur. Actress Eva Mendes, reality stars Khloe Kardashian and Audrina Patridge and porn-star/actress Jenna Jameson have all posed for PETA ads, proving that anti-fur advocates range in all personalities and professions.Recently, faux fur has gained immense popularity in the fashion industry, after many decades when fur and leather were considered extremely chic and high-class. Even celebrity designers and boutiques are jumping on the faux fur bandwagon, including outspoken advocates Betsey Johnson, Stella McCartney and Todd Oldham, all who tolerate absolutely no aminal cruelty in their lines.
This fake fur trend is quickly turning into a fashion style here to stay. Even high-end retailers known for their extravagant furs are changing their policies to ban fur in their products. Some large companies that now incorporate fur and leather alternatives include Target, H&M, Wal-mart, Forever 21, Charlotte Russe, Bebe, Nike, Abercrombie & Fitch, Polo Ralph Lauren and BCBG - all of which can be found in the Columbus, Ohio area.
Another positive aspect to faux animal products is the reduced prices. Bags, shoes, belts, jackets and other accessories are now being made out of alternative materials, which prove to be better for the environment and for your wallet.
Monday, December 14, 2009
“I made out with Megan Fox” - Josh Brolin
Josh Brolin has revealed that he made the most of his love scenes with Megan Fox during shooting for Jonah Hex because he wanted to make his actress wife Diane Lane envious.
The actor plays the role of a disfigured bounty hunter Hex in the Western, a big screen adaptation of the popular comic books, with Megan Fox as his love interest. And he admitted he jumped at the opportunity to make his wife jealous because she has enjoyed romancing actors like Richard Gere, Viggo Mortensen and French actor Olivier Martinez on-screen over the years.
"I made out with Megan Fox, which was nice,” the Daily Star quoted him as saying.
He added: "Everybody says it's very uncomfortable doing love scenes. My wife has done a few movies with a couple of love scenes, maybe this was maybe a revenge of mine, of some sort. If you look at it from that perspective, it's kind of like the ultimate revenge. Megan Fox is the ultimate revenge, you hear what I'm saying?"
The actor plays the role of a disfigured bounty hunter Hex in the Western, a big screen adaptation of the popular comic books, with Megan Fox as his love interest. And he admitted he jumped at the opportunity to make his wife jealous because she has enjoyed romancing actors like Richard Gere, Viggo Mortensen and French actor Olivier Martinez on-screen over the years."I made out with Megan Fox, which was nice,” the Daily Star quoted him as saying.
He added: "Everybody says it's very uncomfortable doing love scenes. My wife has done a few movies with a couple of love scenes, maybe this was maybe a revenge of mine, of some sort. If you look at it from that perspective, it's kind of like the ultimate revenge. Megan Fox is the ultimate revenge, you hear what I'm saying?"
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Premiere of 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians'
Kim Kardashian screams on tonight's season premiere of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians", and can you blame her? Her sister Khloé just got married, her sister Kourtney is pregnant, and she's beginning to feel underappreciated.
"You guys make me feel like I'm the one that has to get married and have a baby," she shouts at the family, give or take a curse word for emphasis.
But that's misleading. In fact, she's given birth to a monster: a fame-obsessed clan sucking up every available inch of limelight. Kim is an enabler, and as "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" begins its fourth season, she's coming undone.
More shouting: "Can't we get rid of this wedding cake already? It's been here for a week!" Again, with a curse word for emphasis.
Kim, as ever, is ravishing, the unavoidable focus of visual attention on this show. But though she's been the conduit to celebrity for Kourtney and Khloé, who are essentially empty-vessel strivers, now, in some ways, they've usurped her -- the tabloid covers are theirs, not hers. The inmates have taken over the asylum.
It's hard to see Khloé's marriage (to Laker Lamar Odom) and Kourtney's pregnancy (with her on-and-off boyfriend Scott Disick) as anything other than passive-aggressive maneuvers against the alpha-ness of Kim. Earlier this year, they were the anchors of their own reality show on E!, "Kourtney & Khloé Take Miami," their metaphorical jailbreak toward individual celebrity. And yet here they are, back in Calabasas, straining toward domesticity.
Meanwhile, Kim's relationship with football star Reggie Bush is kaput, and she's moping, frowning through a photo shoot for her fragrance. "I just really don't care about my career anymore," she says with a sigh. "I feel like it's cost me my relationship."
Having emotionally gifted parents would be a boon here, for all the sisters, but mother Kris and stepfather Bruce Jenner remain as inscrutable as ever. Kris encourages Khloé to use sex to get Odom to purchase the house she wants and also opens the wedding gifts she's supposed to be the custodian of. Bruce's hair still appears as if he's caught in a windstorm, which in effect he is. That he still has a career giving motivational speeches is a shock, giving his persistent impotence on this show.
The Disick-Odom contrast provides the subtext of what will likely be this season's real tension, between Kourtney and Khloé.
Odom from the premiere appears to be sensible -- he's a multimillionaire basketball player, he largely avoids the cameras when they're around and he successfully talks Khloé out of her interest in a too-expensive home. "It's our love that makes the house, not our house that makes the love," Khloé says, and she might even mean it.
Disick, meanwhile, is portrayed as an ungrateful layabout, barely capable of feeding himself. In his preppy gear -- in one scene tonight, a mauve polo shirt, slim shorts and loafers -- and slicked-back hair, he appears to be auditioning for a regional theater production of "American Psycho." "Is this your wedding footage?" he asks Khloé. "Didn't you just live this? Do we need to watch it already?" (Ungrateful though not wholly unreasonable, as these things go.)
When the family joins Kourtney at the doctor's office to learn the sex of the baby -- a boy, thankfully, given this family's dynamics -- Khloé opts out. During a game of charades, she acts out the phrase "deadbeat dad," pointing at Disick. And at the end of the episode, she expresses her feelings for Disick with an open palm, hard to his cheek.
Throughout, when she's not burdened by her romantic misfortune, Kim looks on beatifically, the most sensible one of the bunch. Maybe she knows something we don't: With all this madness unfolding around her, she's beginning to look less like a victim and more like a conscientious objector.
"You guys make me feel like I'm the one that has to get married and have a baby," she shouts at the family, give or take a curse word for emphasis.But that's misleading. In fact, she's given birth to a monster: a fame-obsessed clan sucking up every available inch of limelight. Kim is an enabler, and as "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" begins its fourth season, she's coming undone.
More shouting: "Can't we get rid of this wedding cake already? It's been here for a week!" Again, with a curse word for emphasis.
Kim, as ever, is ravishing, the unavoidable focus of visual attention on this show. But though she's been the conduit to celebrity for Kourtney and Khloé, who are essentially empty-vessel strivers, now, in some ways, they've usurped her -- the tabloid covers are theirs, not hers. The inmates have taken over the asylum.
It's hard to see Khloé's marriage (to Laker Lamar Odom) and Kourtney's pregnancy (with her on-and-off boyfriend Scott Disick) as anything other than passive-aggressive maneuvers against the alpha-ness of Kim. Earlier this year, they were the anchors of their own reality show on E!, "Kourtney & Khloé Take Miami," their metaphorical jailbreak toward individual celebrity. And yet here they are, back in Calabasas, straining toward domesticity.
Meanwhile, Kim's relationship with football star Reggie Bush is kaput, and she's moping, frowning through a photo shoot for her fragrance. "I just really don't care about my career anymore," she says with a sigh. "I feel like it's cost me my relationship."
Having emotionally gifted parents would be a boon here, for all the sisters, but mother Kris and stepfather Bruce Jenner remain as inscrutable as ever. Kris encourages Khloé to use sex to get Odom to purchase the house she wants and also opens the wedding gifts she's supposed to be the custodian of. Bruce's hair still appears as if he's caught in a windstorm, which in effect he is. That he still has a career giving motivational speeches is a shock, giving his persistent impotence on this show.
The Disick-Odom contrast provides the subtext of what will likely be this season's real tension, between Kourtney and Khloé.
Odom from the premiere appears to be sensible -- he's a multimillionaire basketball player, he largely avoids the cameras when they're around and he successfully talks Khloé out of her interest in a too-expensive home. "It's our love that makes the house, not our house that makes the love," Khloé says, and she might even mean it.
Disick, meanwhile, is portrayed as an ungrateful layabout, barely capable of feeding himself. In his preppy gear -- in one scene tonight, a mauve polo shirt, slim shorts and loafers -- and slicked-back hair, he appears to be auditioning for a regional theater production of "American Psycho." "Is this your wedding footage?" he asks Khloé. "Didn't you just live this? Do we need to watch it already?" (Ungrateful though not wholly unreasonable, as these things go.)
When the family joins Kourtney at the doctor's office to learn the sex of the baby -- a boy, thankfully, given this family's dynamics -- Khloé opts out. During a game of charades, she acts out the phrase "deadbeat dad," pointing at Disick. And at the end of the episode, she expresses her feelings for Disick with an open palm, hard to his cheek.
Throughout, when she's not burdened by her romantic misfortune, Kim looks on beatifically, the most sensible one of the bunch. Maybe she knows something we don't: With all this madness unfolding around her, she's beginning to look less like a victim and more like a conscientious objector.
Emily Blunt as the young Queen Victoria
Emily Blunt sweeps into a local bar looking pretty in pink - specifically a tight-fitting pink strapless Moschino gown. She's accompanied by a small entourage including her fiance, John Krasinski from "The Office." They're the only folks in the bar, which has opened early for Blunt to do an interview before appearing at the Mill Valley Film Festival with her new movie, "The Young Victoria."
Blunt orders wine, explaining it will "help me down the red carpet." It is one of the few experiences in her life that gave her insight into Queen Victoria, whom she plays as a teenager in the years immediately before and after her coronation in 1837.
"You can't really let your true feelings show, which is that you are a bit nervous and you feel out of your depth. So there is an element of playing a part with one of these events," Blunt says of the red carpet hoopla.
She has learned to "treat it with a pinch of salt. It is frivolous and silly and you should just enjoy yourself. It is not to be fearful of."
"Young Victoria" is a step up the Hollywood ladder for the 26-year-old British actress, who made indelible impressions as a wealthy teen toying with lesbianism in "My Summer of Love" and as Meryl Streep's abrasive, put-upon assistant in "The Devil Wears Prada."
"I was much more nervous about playing Victoria than any other role, simply because I was in the movie more. I carry it, and I was wondering if my shoulders were broad enough," she said.
A story on the Internet has Blunt getting her hands on the "Victoria" script before anyone and badgering the producers for the title part. "I don't know where they got that from," she said of the rumor. "I come off being more pushy than I was. I wouldn't say I barraged my way. We went through the normal conservative way of conducting a meeting. I just said I loved the role so much and I would love for you to give me a go."
The movie appealed to her because it presents Queen Victoria in a different light. The common perception of her is as a widow mourning for the loss of her husband, Prince Albert, for 40 years.
"She is sour-faced and always with a hankie in her hand," said Blunt.
Researching the part, she was "taken aback" by the young Victoria's surprising vitality. She had an exuberance and a love for music, dance and theater. In contrast to her repressive family, theater was a passionate art form that allowed her to experience love vicariously.
"She was always a dreamer, and she dreamt she would meet somebody like Albert," Blunt said. "She had a romanticized idea of what love was, so I think that is why she never wanted to settle for any old suitor they paraded in front of her."
Blunt, who started acting onstage at age 17, said she could identify with what it was like to be a teenager in a job that was over her head and what it was like to fall in love for the first time. For Victoria, her first love would be her one and only.
"When Albert died, Victoria had to be carried out of the room where his body was," said Blunt, who brushed up on her history. "She kept saying, 'Now who will call me Victoria? I have no one to call me Victoria.' "
Blunt has gone through several boyfriends since her first love. She can't remember his name but does recall when the romance ended "My mum doing that sort of pat on the back saying. 'You are going to laugh about this one day.' "
Before meeting Krasinski, she lived with Canadian singer Michael Buble. "People move on," said Blunt, tapping her fingers and calling attention to a very large round engagement ring. She declined to say how many carats. "I can't give that away. That sounds cheesy."
Being glowingly in love helped Blunt understand the depth of her character's emotions. "She did talk about Albert in a very physical way. Her diary was so expressive. She talked about him on their wedding night, the way he looked and how he sat down gently next to her on the bed. Theirs really was a meeting of souls. When their kids were young, if he left for the weekend, a cloud descended down. She was just so miserable without him."
Sometimes she was miserable with him. "She and Albert used to fight. I mean she talked about doors just slamming and these screams reverberating around the castle. She really didn't care. She loved intensely."
"The Young Victoria" came about because of a royal intervention. Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, brought the idea to some Hollywood acquaintances.
"She came up with the initial idea, which was very smart because it hasn't been done before. She's resilient. She's got a lot of connections and is quite the entrepreneur," said Blunt who spoke to the duchess after the movie was complete.
"I discovered that she responds much more to Albert's character, which is being the outsider."
Blunt considers herself fortunate in the range of roles that have come her way. Early next year she will be seen opposite Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins in "Wolfman," playing the fiancee of the title character's dead brother. Fans were in a dither when the movie got postponed first from an April release date then a November one.
"I have no control whatsoever over that," Blunt said. "I think maybe the fanboys are itching to see it - such a frenzy trying to get their teeth into the Wolfman, either to slam it or to love it."
Blunt orders wine, explaining it will "help me down the red carpet." It is one of the few experiences in her life that gave her insight into Queen Victoria, whom she plays as a teenager in the years immediately before and after her coronation in 1837."You can't really let your true feelings show, which is that you are a bit nervous and you feel out of your depth. So there is an element of playing a part with one of these events," Blunt says of the red carpet hoopla.
She has learned to "treat it with a pinch of salt. It is frivolous and silly and you should just enjoy yourself. It is not to be fearful of."
"Young Victoria" is a step up the Hollywood ladder for the 26-year-old British actress, who made indelible impressions as a wealthy teen toying with lesbianism in "My Summer of Love" and as Meryl Streep's abrasive, put-upon assistant in "The Devil Wears Prada."
"I was much more nervous about playing Victoria than any other role, simply because I was in the movie more. I carry it, and I was wondering if my shoulders were broad enough," she said.
A story on the Internet has Blunt getting her hands on the "Victoria" script before anyone and badgering the producers for the title part. "I don't know where they got that from," she said of the rumor. "I come off being more pushy than I was. I wouldn't say I barraged my way. We went through the normal conservative way of conducting a meeting. I just said I loved the role so much and I would love for you to give me a go."
The movie appealed to her because it presents Queen Victoria in a different light. The common perception of her is as a widow mourning for the loss of her husband, Prince Albert, for 40 years.
"She is sour-faced and always with a hankie in her hand," said Blunt.
Researching the part, she was "taken aback" by the young Victoria's surprising vitality. She had an exuberance and a love for music, dance and theater. In contrast to her repressive family, theater was a passionate art form that allowed her to experience love vicariously.
"She was always a dreamer, and she dreamt she would meet somebody like Albert," Blunt said. "She had a romanticized idea of what love was, so I think that is why she never wanted to settle for any old suitor they paraded in front of her."
Blunt, who started acting onstage at age 17, said she could identify with what it was like to be a teenager in a job that was over her head and what it was like to fall in love for the first time. For Victoria, her first love would be her one and only.
"When Albert died, Victoria had to be carried out of the room where his body was," said Blunt, who brushed up on her history. "She kept saying, 'Now who will call me Victoria? I have no one to call me Victoria.' "
Blunt has gone through several boyfriends since her first love. She can't remember his name but does recall when the romance ended "My mum doing that sort of pat on the back saying. 'You are going to laugh about this one day.' "
Before meeting Krasinski, she lived with Canadian singer Michael Buble. "People move on," said Blunt, tapping her fingers and calling attention to a very large round engagement ring. She declined to say how many carats. "I can't give that away. That sounds cheesy."
Being glowingly in love helped Blunt understand the depth of her character's emotions. "She did talk about Albert in a very physical way. Her diary was so expressive. She talked about him on their wedding night, the way he looked and how he sat down gently next to her on the bed. Theirs really was a meeting of souls. When their kids were young, if he left for the weekend, a cloud descended down. She was just so miserable without him."
Sometimes she was miserable with him. "She and Albert used to fight. I mean she talked about doors just slamming and these screams reverberating around the castle. She really didn't care. She loved intensely."
"The Young Victoria" came about because of a royal intervention. Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, brought the idea to some Hollywood acquaintances.
"She came up with the initial idea, which was very smart because it hasn't been done before. She's resilient. She's got a lot of connections and is quite the entrepreneur," said Blunt who spoke to the duchess after the movie was complete.
"I discovered that she responds much more to Albert's character, which is being the outsider."
Blunt considers herself fortunate in the range of roles that have come her way. Early next year she will be seen opposite Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins in "Wolfman," playing the fiancee of the title character's dead brother. Fans were in a dither when the movie got postponed first from an April release date then a November one.
"I have no control whatsoever over that," Blunt said. "I think maybe the fanboys are itching to see it - such a frenzy trying to get their teeth into the Wolfman, either to slam it or to love it."
Megan Fox's fight for celebrating Christmas
Megan Fox has reportedly fallen out with her boyfriend over where they'll spend Christmas.
The 'Transformers' actress - who has been dating actor Brian Austin Green on and off since they met in 2003 - had an argument with him after they were unable to agree on their festive holiday plans.
A source is quoted by website Absolute Now as saying: "Basically, Megan wanted it all her way with Brian joining her and her friends and family for the holiday but Brian isn't so keen.
"He is very loyal to his family and thought they would at least share the holidays between the two. It's all ended in another tiff which means they probably won't see each other at all over Christmas."
The 23-year-old actress might not yet know where she is going to spend Christmas, but she recently revealed she's already got Brian's present.
The 'Jennifer's Body' star was searching auction website eBay with her lover when she came across a classic red 1966 Mustang Fastback at a bargain price, although the vehicle needed a lot of repairs.
She said: "We were going through cars on eBay and I found one in really good condition that was beautiful and for a good price."
The 'Transformers' actress - who has been dating actor Brian Austin Green on and off since they met in 2003 - had an argument with him after they were unable to agree on their festive holiday plans.A source is quoted by website Absolute Now as saying: "Basically, Megan wanted it all her way with Brian joining her and her friends and family for the holiday but Brian isn't so keen.
"He is very loyal to his family and thought they would at least share the holidays between the two. It's all ended in another tiff which means they probably won't see each other at all over Christmas."
The 23-year-old actress might not yet know where she is going to spend Christmas, but she recently revealed she's already got Brian's present.
The 'Jennifer's Body' star was searching auction website eBay with her lover when she came across a classic red 1966 Mustang Fastback at a bargain price, although the vehicle needed a lot of repairs.
She said: "We were going through cars on eBay and I found one in really good condition that was beautiful and for a good price."
Friday, December 11, 2009
Catherine Zeta Jones wants to star in one woman show
Catherine Zeta Jones trod the boards on the New York stage for the first time last month (Nov09) when she began previews for the musical revival with Angela Lansbury.And the star admits she'd love to be the centre of attention in her own solo show - she just has to come up with the perfect storyline first.
She tells USA Today, "One of my biggest dreams is to do a one woman show, with dancing and singing. I just have to figure out the concept."
In the meantime, Zeta Jones wants to try starring in a more traditional performance.
She adds, "I want to do a straight play next."
Zeta Jones portrays Glynis Johns' beloved role of Desiree in Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music, which features hits like Send in the Clowns and Every Day a Little Death.
The Welsh actress started out as a star on London's West End and won an Oscar for her portrayal of Velma Kelly in movie musical Chicago.
Lindsay Lohan spent time at Bihar to seek spiritual succour
Amid speculation that Hollywood starlet Lindsay Lohan might spend some time at an undisclosed ashram in Bihar during her India sojourn, the state has recorded a fourfold increase in the number of foreign tourists in the past three years.
This year, the state has witnessed the arrival of 356,446 foreign tourists against 94,446 in 2006, according to Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation. It is a record number, said an official.
Boasting Buddhist sites like Bodh Gaya and Nalanda, and the Jain sites like Rajgir and Pawapuri, Bihar has always been a favoured destination. But bad road connectivity, lack of amenities and poor law and order situation prior to 2005, probably, deterred tourists from visiting the state.
“The sharp rise in the number of foreign tourists reflects the improvement in road connectivity, amenities and the law and order situation. Gaya airport, recently upgraded to an international terminal, may have also helped,” said BSTDC managing director Saadat Hasan Pintu.
Officials said that Bihar witnessed the first sudden convergence of a large number of tourists from the US, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Germany besides many other Asian countries at Taregna, on the outskirts of Patna, during the total solar eclipse on July 21.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar, who had gone to Taregna to watch the rare celestial event, had made special arrangements for the foreign tourists converging on the place where ancient Indian scientist Aryabhatta had set up his observatory during Mauryan period.
“The famous cattle fair at Sonepur alone got 65 tourists mainly from the UK and other European countries,” Pintu said.
Unconfirmed sources said Lohan might spend sometime in a secluded ashram in the state during the documentary project on trafficking. Arun Singh, the head of Bhumika, which works on human trafficking, also got an email about Lohan working on the issue. But government officials are tight-lipped on her visit, probably because of security reasons.
The government was also aggressively pursuing plans to set up an international university at Nalanda, the site of ancient Buddhist learning. The university has been drawing attention from China, Japan and other Buddhist countries though it promises to be a modern centre of excellence.
BSTDC officials said that hotels at Nalanda and Bodh Gaya had been upgraded to ensure comfort for tourists and all the roads connecting to the heritage sites had been repaired with consistent police patrolling. The corporation, for the first time, has got four Volvo buses exclusively to cater to the foreign tourists visiting the Buddhist sites.
Earlier, a few foreigners wanted to visit Valmiki Nagar Tiger Reserve on the India-Nepal border in north Bihar.
This year, the state has witnessed the arrival of 356,446 foreign tourists against 94,446 in 2006, according to Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation. It is a record number, said an official.
Boasting Buddhist sites like Bodh Gaya and Nalanda, and the Jain sites like Rajgir and Pawapuri, Bihar has always been a favoured destination. But bad road connectivity, lack of amenities and poor law and order situation prior to 2005, probably, deterred tourists from visiting the state.
“The sharp rise in the number of foreign tourists reflects the improvement in road connectivity, amenities and the law and order situation. Gaya airport, recently upgraded to an international terminal, may have also helped,” said BSTDC managing director Saadat Hasan Pintu.
Officials said that Bihar witnessed the first sudden convergence of a large number of tourists from the US, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Germany besides many other Asian countries at Taregna, on the outskirts of Patna, during the total solar eclipse on July 21.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar, who had gone to Taregna to watch the rare celestial event, had made special arrangements for the foreign tourists converging on the place where ancient Indian scientist Aryabhatta had set up his observatory during Mauryan period.
“The famous cattle fair at Sonepur alone got 65 tourists mainly from the UK and other European countries,” Pintu said.
Unconfirmed sources said Lohan might spend sometime in a secluded ashram in the state during the documentary project on trafficking. Arun Singh, the head of Bhumika, which works on human trafficking, also got an email about Lohan working on the issue. But government officials are tight-lipped on her visit, probably because of security reasons.
The government was also aggressively pursuing plans to set up an international university at Nalanda, the site of ancient Buddhist learning. The university has been drawing attention from China, Japan and other Buddhist countries though it promises to be a modern centre of excellence.
BSTDC officials said that hotels at Nalanda and Bodh Gaya had been upgraded to ensure comfort for tourists and all the roads connecting to the heritage sites had been repaired with consistent police patrolling. The corporation, for the first time, has got four Volvo buses exclusively to cater to the foreign tourists visiting the Buddhist sites.
Earlier, a few foreigners wanted to visit Valmiki Nagar Tiger Reserve on the India-Nepal border in north Bihar.
Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt are Hollywood's Biggest Givers
Hollywood's glamour couple, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, may also be its most generous couple. The movie stars gave a combined 6.8 million dollars to charity in 2008.According to the 2008 tax return for the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, the amount was more than double what the Hollywood couple gave in 2007. The biggest recipients were Global Health with 2 million dollars, Human Rights Watch with 1 million dollars and Pitt's Hurricane Katrina charity, the Make it Right Foundation, with 1 million dollars.
Other notable contributions included 500,000 dollars to the Armed Services YMCA of the US Army and about 1 million dollars to projects in Cambodia, the country from which Jolie adopted her first child.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Lindsay Lohan Saves 40 Lives in a Day & Applies for Ms. Superhero
At times it may seem like Lindsay Lohan is barely in control of her own life. But to hear her tell it, she's saving the existence of others at a mind-boggling rate.
The Just My Luck actress, who's currently in India filming a BBC documentary about the trafficking of women and children, took a break from her journalistic pursuits on Wednesday to let the world know that she managed to spare dozens of tots' lives in the space of a single 24-hour period.
In a Twitter message that has since been deleted from her account—because she's just that humble—Lohan declared, Bravo, Miss Lohan!
Next up: Lindsay lifts a burning school bus full of children from a ravine, then spins the earth backwards on its axis to reverse time so that the accident never happened.
Is this news is true above the earliest post today on her - "Lindsay Lohan's Naked Pictures And Video with MUSE magazine - Fashion? Art? or Real?"
Please comment on this, what is true and what she do for publicity stunt... as a active blogger, this is my responsibility to post all the news related to her.
The Just My Luck actress, who's currently in India filming a BBC documentary about the trafficking of women and children, took a break from her journalistic pursuits on Wednesday to let the world know that she managed to spare dozens of tots' lives in the space of a single 24-hour period.
In a Twitter message that has since been deleted from her account—because she's just that humble—Lohan declared, Bravo, Miss Lohan!
Next up: Lindsay lifts a burning school bus full of children from a ravine, then spins the earth backwards on its axis to reverse time so that the accident never happened.
Is this news is true above the earliest post today on her - "Lindsay Lohan's Naked Pictures And Video with MUSE magazine - Fashion? Art? or Real?"
Please comment on this, what is true and what she do for publicity stunt... as a active blogger, this is my responsibility to post all the news related to her.
Tiger Woods Disses Wife in Emails, Jaimee Grubbs Says Sorry
An e-mail written by Tiger Woods to mistress Rachel Uchitel has been released to the public, and it seems that Woods was a bit insecure about whether or not Rachel really loved Tiger for Tiger. The e-mail reveals that Tiger was worried that Rachel was only involved with him for the fame.
In an e-mail obtained by In Touch Weekly, Woods wrote to Uchitel, "I don't know if this is going to work. I thought I was getting to know you, but it feels like I'm just another person who happens to be famous. Every time I think about it, I get a lump in my throat.... I don't know what person I was falling for so hard. The one I got to know on the phone, e-mail, text and in person. Or the one who likes famous people. I am so confused, because what my brain is saying and what my heart is saying are two different things... It guts me to think I've fallen for the wrong one."
In what we imagine were happier, more secure times, Tiger texted Rachel, "I know it's brutal on you that you can't be with me all the time...I get it. It f**king kills me, too. I finally found someone I connect with.... someone I have never found like this. Not even at home." He might want to keep any stray golf clubs away from Elin Nordegren after this.
Speaking of fame-chasing mistresses, it's been revealed that Jaimee Grubbs (Mistress Number Two) also dated George Clooney. Grubbs played it cool when asked by Us Weekly if she'd slept with Clooney saying only, "I know him."
But a friend of hers completely threw her under the bus, and confirmed that she had indeed slept with the actor. Not that it comes as much of a shocker. We doubt it will be the first or last time that Clooney has sex with a Los Angeles cocktail waitress. He's probably just glad he got to her before Tiger Woods...that guy gets around.
Also, in a move that she probably considered the "right thing to do," but that we just think is adding insult to injury, Grubbs thought it was a good idea to address Nordegren directly. In an interview with "Extra," in which she leaked more details about her affair with Woods and basked in her 15 minutes of fame, she decided to toss in an apology to Elin. "I guess I would be deeply sorry for never considering her during the whole process. And him not bringing her up was just a way for me to pretend that he didn't have one [wife] and for me not to deal with it," she said. "I couldn't describe how remorseful that I am to have hurt her family and her emotionally." But don't blame her, Elin: "If it wasn't me, it was going to be the other girls."
And that makes it all OK.
In an e-mail obtained by In Touch Weekly, Woods wrote to Uchitel, "I don't know if this is going to work. I thought I was getting to know you, but it feels like I'm just another person who happens to be famous. Every time I think about it, I get a lump in my throat.... I don't know what person I was falling for so hard. The one I got to know on the phone, e-mail, text and in person. Or the one who likes famous people. I am so confused, because what my brain is saying and what my heart is saying are two different things... It guts me to think I've fallen for the wrong one."
In what we imagine were happier, more secure times, Tiger texted Rachel, "I know it's brutal on you that you can't be with me all the time...I get it. It f**king kills me, too. I finally found someone I connect with.... someone I have never found like this. Not even at home." He might want to keep any stray golf clubs away from Elin Nordegren after this.
Speaking of fame-chasing mistresses, it's been revealed that Jaimee Grubbs (Mistress Number Two) also dated George Clooney. Grubbs played it cool when asked by Us Weekly if she'd slept with Clooney saying only, "I know him."
But a friend of hers completely threw her under the bus, and confirmed that she had indeed slept with the actor. Not that it comes as much of a shocker. We doubt it will be the first or last time that Clooney has sex with a Los Angeles cocktail waitress. He's probably just glad he got to her before Tiger Woods...that guy gets around.
Also, in a move that she probably considered the "right thing to do," but that we just think is adding insult to injury, Grubbs thought it was a good idea to address Nordegren directly. In an interview with "Extra," in which she leaked more details about her affair with Woods and basked in her 15 minutes of fame, she decided to toss in an apology to Elin. "I guess I would be deeply sorry for never considering her during the whole process. And him not bringing her up was just a way for me to pretend that he didn't have one [wife] and for me not to deal with it," she said. "I couldn't describe how remorseful that I am to have hurt her family and her emotionally." But don't blame her, Elin: "If it wasn't me, it was going to be the other girls."
And that makes it all OK.
SHAKIRA explains bizarre lyrics
SHAKIRA certainly knows how to break the mould when it comes to singing bizarre lyrics.
While most chart-toppers sing about broken hearts, the Colombian singer is far more unpredictable.
Whenever, Wherever was her first track to get noticed back in 2001, after the interesting line about her boobs.
She sang: "Lucky that my breasts are small and humble/ So you don't confuse them with mountains."
But Shakira insists it's not because of the mis-translation into English and instead because she likes to use words that rhyme.
Shakira said: "It's hard to explain my lyrics because sometimes I just write things because they rhyme."
Her latest oddball lyric was for lycanthropic song She-Wolf when she sang: "I'm starting to feel just a little abused/ Like a coffee machine in an office."
Shakira said: "I found this metaphor and I thought it made a lot of sense.
"A coffee machine in an office has everybody's fingerprints on it. Sometimes I feel like that.
"When I write, my subconscious somehow finds its way to the surface. It's not such an intellectual process, it's more organic."
While most chart-toppers sing about broken hearts, the Colombian singer is far more unpredictable.Whenever, Wherever was her first track to get noticed back in 2001, after the interesting line about her boobs.
She sang: "Lucky that my breasts are small and humble/ So you don't confuse them with mountains."
But Shakira insists it's not because of the mis-translation into English and instead because she likes to use words that rhyme.
Shakira said: "It's hard to explain my lyrics because sometimes I just write things because they rhyme."
Her latest oddball lyric was for lycanthropic song She-Wolf when she sang: "I'm starting to feel just a little abused/ Like a coffee machine in an office."
Shakira said: "I found this metaphor and I thought it made a lot of sense.
"A coffee machine in an office has everybody's fingerprints on it. Sometimes I feel like that.
"When I write, my subconscious somehow finds its way to the surface. It's not such an intellectual process, it's more organic."
Lindsay Lohan's Naked Pictures And Video with MUSE magazine - Fashion? Art? or Real?
In the world of fashion we often witness the good, the bad, and the ugly. And we certainly have found the ugly: the once adorable Lindsay Lohan is the current cover girl for MUSE, a Fashionart Magazine. In the pictorial which is inspired by the relationship between Johnny Depp and Kate Moss in the 90's, Lohan is seen in various stages of undress baring partial breasts, and butt while depicting sexually provocative, and arguably raunchy behavior including a ménage a trios, or as we so affectionately call them, threesomes.
I guess we shouldn't be surprised by this behavior. After being christened as the Artistic Director for Ungaro in September, Lohan had a downright disastrous showing at Paris Fashion Week. Her Ungaro Spring/Summer 2010 collection was almost literally laughed off of the runway. Those who weren't laughing were busy sneering in utter disgust. She was roasted mercilessly by the critics. However, I personally had to wonder, when exactly did Lindsay Lohan become the fashion icon? Did I miss the memo? I don't recall anyone being thirsty to emulate her style. And at a time where everyone wants to be young, and claims that "40 is the new 20", what does it say about this 23-year old that she looks well, 40. Mmmh, not so fashionable.
These latest tragic turns have only been preceeded by numerous stints in rehab, spots in and out of the tabloids, and basically one train wreck scenario after another. Didn't Ms. Lohan used to act? I seem to recall her being in movies. This is really unfortunate because she really is a talented actress. Well, for the sake of all of us fashion lovers, perhaps she should spare us her "penchant for couture", and get back to what she does best, if anyone will have her. I really do hope she gets it together.
What do you think of Lindsay's new fashion spread? Art, fashion or foolishness?
Source: CHICAGO Now
I guess we shouldn't be surprised by this behavior. After being christened as the Artistic Director for Ungaro in September, Lohan had a downright disastrous showing at Paris Fashion Week. Her Ungaro Spring/Summer 2010 collection was almost literally laughed off of the runway. Those who weren't laughing were busy sneering in utter disgust. She was roasted mercilessly by the critics. However, I personally had to wonder, when exactly did Lindsay Lohan become the fashion icon? Did I miss the memo? I don't recall anyone being thirsty to emulate her style. And at a time where everyone wants to be young, and claims that "40 is the new 20", what does it say about this 23-year old that she looks well, 40. Mmmh, not so fashionable.These latest tragic turns have only been preceeded by numerous stints in rehab, spots in and out of the tabloids, and basically one train wreck scenario after another. Didn't Ms. Lohan used to act? I seem to recall her being in movies. This is really unfortunate because she really is a talented actress. Well, for the sake of all of us fashion lovers, perhaps she should spare us her "penchant for couture", and get back to what she does best, if anyone will have her. I really do hope she gets it together.
What do you think of Lindsay's new fashion spread? Art, fashion or foolishness?
Source: CHICAGO Now
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Tiger Woods proclaimed love in email to Rachel Uchitel
In an email that he sent to Rachel Uchitel, Tiger Woods didn't actually use the 'L' word but implied he loved her and trashed his wife, Erin Nordegren, in the process.
Woods wrote in email:
"I know it's brutal on you that you can't be with me all the time. I get it. It f***ing kills me, too. I finally found someone I connect with, someone I have never found like this. Not even at home. You want someone to witness your life. I want you to lay next to me, lay on me or where ever you want to lay. F***. Why didn't we find each other years ago. We wouldn't be having this conversation."
The email is one of the many obtained by In Touch weekly which collectively show that Woods was ready to leave Erin and their two kids to be with Uchitel.
In another email, Woods comes through as insecure about his relationship with Uchitel and frets over her past.
"I don't know if this is going to work," Tiger said. "I thought I was getting to know you, but it feels like I'm just another person who happens to be famous...Some of the other parts of your past really get to me. I don't know what person I was falling for so hard. The one I got to know on the phone, e-mail, text and in person. Or the one who likes famous people."
The In Touch report corroborates an earlier report in Us magazine that Woods' relationship with Uchitel was special but he wasn't comfortable about her past.
"I had a dream we were married and I was leading the tournament," Woods reportedly wrote. "I came home, excited to see you, and there you were in the bedroom getting f**ked by Derek and David. Some part of me thinks you would like that."
Woods' special relationship with Uchitel was also evident from a TMZ report that he had wanted to continue his relationship with her even after the car crash early morning on Friday, November 27.
Woods wrote in email:
"I know it's brutal on you that you can't be with me all the time. I get it. It f***ing kills me, too. I finally found someone I connect with, someone I have never found like this. Not even at home. You want someone to witness your life. I want you to lay next to me, lay on me or where ever you want to lay. F***. Why didn't we find each other years ago. We wouldn't be having this conversation."The email is one of the many obtained by In Touch weekly which collectively show that Woods was ready to leave Erin and their two kids to be with Uchitel.
In another email, Woods comes through as insecure about his relationship with Uchitel and frets over her past.
"I don't know if this is going to work," Tiger said. "I thought I was getting to know you, but it feels like I'm just another person who happens to be famous...Some of the other parts of your past really get to me. I don't know what person I was falling for so hard. The one I got to know on the phone, e-mail, text and in person. Or the one who likes famous people."
The In Touch report corroborates an earlier report in Us magazine that Woods' relationship with Uchitel was special but he wasn't comfortable about her past.
"I had a dream we were married and I was leading the tournament," Woods reportedly wrote. "I came home, excited to see you, and there you were in the bedroom getting f**ked by Derek and David. Some part of me thinks you would like that."
Woods' special relationship with Uchitel was also evident from a TMZ report that he had wanted to continue his relationship with her even after the car crash early morning on Friday, November 27.
Rihanna and Megan Fox!!! Is it ok
MTV’s U.K. site is reporting that sexy singer Rihanna has said she could be attracted to women, and that she’d love to play a gay assassin with just-as-sexy actress Megan Fox of “Transformers” fame as her girlfriend.The Mtv site cites quotes on “various Web sites” in saying that Rihanna has said “I’d love to be an assassin. Either that or a lesbian. Maybe both. Hey, a gay assassin, there’s nothing hotter than that. Megan Fox would play my girlfriend — hands down. She’s yummy. She’s hot.”
The site also had this quote from Rihanna: “All humans are born with the ability to be attracted to both sexes. I mean, I could see myself in a relationship with a girl.”
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