Heidi Klum has made headlines in recent weeks for stepping out with her bodyguard and new lover, Martin Kristen . But the supermodel is in the news now for a far more benevolent reason: she is posing without any makeup in the name of charity. The image was snapped by photographer Rankin and taken on behalf of a new campaign that encourages women in Great Britain to go makeup-free on November 9 to help raise money for disadvantaged kids. “I am so proud to be taking part in this year’s BBC Children in Need BearFaced campaign,” the 39-year-old mother of four said. “Having worked in the fashion industry for a number of years, I am a firm believer of encouraging women’s empowerment. And what better way to do so than [by] supporting such a fantastic charity.” It’s a great cause. Of course, if you wish to see this beauty truly going all natural, feast your eyes on a Heidi Klum nude pic. Hubba, hubb a, huh, fellas?
And you know Mittens’ camp is trying to act like this isht ain’t no thang. We can only assume that Bloomberg made up his mind today after the disgusting comments some Republicans have been making about Governor Christie hugging the Black President. That plus their claims that Sandy is ‘convenient’ for the Obama campaign probably pushed Bloomie over the edge! SMH. According to The New York Times , Bloomberg wasn’t planning to endorse either candidate: In a surprise announcement, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said Thursday that Hurricane Sandy had reshaped his thinking about the presidential campaign and that as a result, he was endorsing President Obama. Mr. Bloomberg, a political independent in his third term leading New York City, has been sharply critical of Mr. Obama, a Democrat, and Mitt Romney, the president’s Republican rival, saying that both men had failed to candidly confront the problems afflicting the nation. But he said he had decided over the past several days that Mr. Obama was the better candidate to tackle the global climate change that he believes might have contributed to the violent storm, which took the lives of at least 38 New Yorkers and caused billions of dollars in damage. “The devastation that Hurricane Sandy brought to New York City and much of the Northeast — in lost lives, lost homes and lost business — brought the stakes of next Tuesday’s presidential election into sharp relief,” Mr. Bloomberg wrote in an editorial for Bloomberg View. “Our climate is changing,” he wrote. “And while the increase in extreme weather we have experienced in New York City and around the world may or may not be the result of it, the risk that it may be — given the devastation it is wreaking — should be enough to compel all elected leaders to take immediate action.” Mr. Bloomberg’s endorsement is another indication that Hurricane Sandy has influenced the presidential campaign. The storm and the destruction it left in its wake have dominated news coverage, transfixing the nation and prompting the candidates to halt their campaigning briefly.Both the Obama and Romney campaigns had aggressively sought the mayor’s endorsement, in large part because they believed he could influence independent voters around the country. Mr. Bloomberg had recently signaled he would not make an endorsement, telling reporters several weeks ago that he had decided whom he would vote for, but that he was not sure he would share that decision with the public. Mr. Bloomberg did not endorse a presidential candidate in 2008, when Mr. Obama ran against Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, and until Thursday, he had steadfastly withheld his support from both presidential candidates this year, largely because he had grown frustrated with the tone and substance of the presidential campaign. He recently derided as “gibberish” the answers that Mr. Obama and Mr. Romney gave during a debate to a question about an assault-weapons ban. He has expressed disappointment with Mr. Obama’s performance over the past few years and concern about what he has described as the shifts in Mr. Romney’s views over time.In making his endorsement, Mr. Bloomberg listed the various steps that Mr. Obama had taken over the last four years to confront the issue of climate change, including pushing regulations that seek to curtail emissions from cars and power plants. But the mayor cited other reasons for endorsing Mr. Obama, including the president’s support for abortion rights and for same-sex marriage, two high-priority issues for the mayor. At the same time, Mr. Bloomberg said he might have endorsed Mr. Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, except for the fact that the Republican had abandoned positions that he once publicly held. “In the past he has taken sensible positions on immigration, illegal guns, abortion rights and health care — but he has reversed course on all of them, and is even running against the very health care model he signed into law in Massachusetts,” the mayor said of Mr. Romney. In a statement, Mr. Obama said he was “honored to have Mayor Bloomberg’s endorsement.” The president acknowledged Mr. Bloomberg’s chief concern, saying climate change was “a threat to our children’s future, and we owe it to them to do something about it.” Coming on the heels of Gov. Chris Christie’s public embrace of Mr. Obama, the endorsement by Mr. Bloomberg left aides to Mr. Romney a bit flustered, and they privately dismissed its importance. With only five days left, we’re sure a whole lot of shady isht is going to come out swingin’. Images via WENN
It’s Hitchcock in the morning, Hitchcock in the evening, Hitchcock at supper time given the upcoming Hitchcock movie, the recently-aired HBO flick The Girl , Blu-Ray releases of Dial “M” for Murder (in 3D!) and Strangers on a Train , and now a sumptuous new collection of the Master of Suspense’s work. On the other end of the spectrum is a kids’ holiday movie that never got the acclaim it deserved — but now that director Paul Feig has gone on to make a little film called Bridesmaids , maybe it has a shot at cult status. HIGH: Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection (Universal Studios Home Entertainment; Blu-Ray $299.98) WHO’S RESPONSIBLE: This impressive set features 15 films directed by the Master of Suspense. WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: Hitchcock plied his trade at a number of movie studios over the years, so this is hardly a complete retrospective of his legendary career. That said, Universal offers a sumptuous array of some of his best movies (and a few that aren’t the greatest). Recent Sight & Sound magazine chart-topper Vertigo pops up, alongside such cherished classics as Psycho , North by Northwest and The Birds . The box set also includes such lesser-known but equally unforgettable films Shadow of a Doubt , Frenzy , Rope , Marnie and Saboteur . WHY IT’S SCHMANCY: Hitchcock’s career is notable for more than his directorial talent. After David O. Selznick brought him to the U.S., Hitchcock became one of the most successful Hollywood filmmakers of his time. Then the French film critics who later started the New Wave, made the case that Hitch wasn’t merely a genre director but rather an artist and auteur . He scored a trifecta of sorts when the Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV show, featuring his droll wrap-arounds, made him a household name in this country in a way few directors ever accomplish. All three Hitchcocks — the journeyman, the visionary and the self-promoter — are on display here. WHY YOU SHOULD BUY IT (AGAIN): Only a few of these titles have been previously available on Blu-Ray, and there are enough extras here to stun an ox, from audio excerpts of the famous Hitchcock/Truffaut interviews to trailers and documentaries. Leonard Maltin even pops up to provide a defense for one of my least-favorite Hitchcock movies, Topaz. If anyone’s going to make me rethink a film, it’s Maltin. LOW: Unaccompanied Minors (Warner Home Video; DVD Double Feature with Dennis the Menace Christmas $12.97) WHO’S RESPONSIBLE: Written by Jacob Meszaros and Mya Stark, based on the story by Susan Burton; directed by Paul Feig; starring Dyllan Christopher, Gina Mantegna, Lewis Black, Wilmer Valderrama. WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: Spencer (Christopher) and his younger sister Katie (Dominique Saldaña) are flying on their own — “unaccompanied minors,” in airline-speak — to spend the holidays with their father when they get snowed in at a Midwestern airport. Big brother and a bunch of other solo-traveling youngsters must outsmart the airport’s Christmas-hating manager (Black) to make sure Katie gets her present from Santa. WHY IT’S FUN: OK, yes, it sounds like your typical Home Alone rip-off, but Unaccompanied Minors deftly mixes youthful angst (they’re all the children of divorce) and hilarious hijinks in a way you’d expect from Feig, the creator of Freaks and Geeks . As with his critically-acclaimed NBC series, Feig has a great eye for casting the kids (the juvenile cast includes Brett Kelly from Bad Santa and Everybody Hates Chris ’ Tyler James Williams). He also loads the cast with a team of comedic all-stars that includes Teri Garr (as a woman whose holiday decorations are so aggressive that they scare passers-by), Rob Corddry, Sandra Tsing Loh, Mindy Kaling, B.J. Novak, Jessica Walter, Tony Hale, Dave “Gruber” Allen and three of The Kids in the Hall. WHY YOU SHOULD BUY IT: If you’ve got kids you need to keep entertained this holiday season, or if you want to check out a comic gem that was mostly ignored at the time of its release, this one’s absolutely worth picking up. Alonso Duralde has written about film for The Wrap , Salon and MSNBC.com. He also co-hosts the Linoleum Knife podcast and regularly appears on What the Flick?! (The Young Turks Network) . He is a senior programmer for the Outfest Film Festival in Los Angeles and a pre-screener for the Sundance Film Festival. He also the author of two books: Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas (Limelight Editions) and 101 Must-See Movies for Gay Men (Advocate Books). Follow Alonso Duralde on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
How cute is this picture of Kobe Bryant with wife Vanessa and kiddos Natalia And Gianna? The Black Mamba is flexing his blogging skills in a new write-up about voting and how his kids help motivate him to the polls. Via iVillage.com : Why vote? The idea that each vote matters and that we individually have the power to influence how we are governed is why so many of our men and women have made the ultimate sacrifice. WE MATTER. That’s a powerful feeling, one that I’ve taken for granted in the past. In the past I believed that not exercising my right to vote would not make a difference in who became the next president so why should I take the time to learn the issues? I’d rather be shooting hoops! The change occurred when Vanessa and I had our babies. Neither of us grew up in politically charged households so the issues weren’t things we were necessarily excited to read about and discuss to say the least. It was ESPN for me and “Carrie Fever” (Sex and the City) for her. (Yes, I watched the show and loved it… It was quite “informative.”) As parents, the importance of the world we live in became a priority. Nothing is more important than the future of our little munchkins. They are now nine and six and are learning about the civil rights movement and the fight for women’s rights so they naturally have questions. Why were African Americans forced to sit in the back of the bus? Why couldn’t women vote? The most important answer we can give them outside of the ones found in our history pages is that our world has CHANGED for the better because individuals fought for their rights while inspiring others to do the same. We tell them, YOU too can change the world if you so dream and that YOUR opinion matters, YOU MATTER. Yes, voting is about doing your part as a responsible citizen but what really moves us to vote and learn about the issues is the example we set for our children and honoring the history of DEMOCRACY that our beautiful country stands for. Thank you for your time. Don’t forget to vote. That was really touching and for a moment we almost forgot what a tool-bag the Kobester is. But seriously, we should applaud his effort to motivate the public to exercise their civic duty. Keep up the good work Black Mamba! On another note, y’all peeped how he made the Hov reference about Vanessa talking about “Carrie Fever.” We think somebody must be trying to improve his public image and show how his matrimony-dom is still going strong.
In order to get benefits, women in Pennsylvania will have to prove that they reported their assaulter they accused of rape . According to The Huffington Post : …the measure, proposed by five Republican state lawmakers, seeks to eliminate an increase in benefits if a child is conceived while a woman is covered under the Temporary Assistance To Needy Family program. A woman can seek an exception to this if the child is conceived as a result of rape. However, she must prove that she reported the incident to the authorities and gave the police her assaulter’s identity. The bill reads: Elimination of benefits under subsection (d) shall not apply to any child conceived as a result of rape or incest if the department: (1) receives a non-notarized, signed statement from the pregnant woman stating that she was a victim of rape or incest, as the case may be, and that she reported the crime, including the identity of the offender, if known, to a law enforcement agency having the requisite jurisdiction or, in the case of incest where a pregnant minor is the victim, to the county child protective service agency and stating the name of the law enforcement agency or child protective service agency to which the report was made and the date such report was made. According to the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network, 54 percent of rapes and assaults are not reported to the police. Last month, New Mexico’s Children, Youth and Families Department considered a similar measure that would have only exempted victims of “forcible rape” from having to file child support claims against an absent parent. Gov. Susana Martinez (R) quickly pulled the “forcible” language after the proposal sparked backlash. Once again, Republicans are showing their true colors when it comes to womens rights and government assistance. Images via facebook
Chicago’s “cruel summer” has come to an end, but now that it’s fall, the homicides are still piling up. One of the latest victims of the incessant gun violence is Terrence Wright, a high school student who was shot and killed as he was leaving school, Friday (Oct. 19)… Continue
Too bad Mittens snubbed the kiddie town hall …he may have gotten more votes! Mitt can’t even fool the “little people” today! According to The Grio : It’s a landslide for President Barack Obama — at least among people too young to vote. Nickelodeon’s Linda Ellerbee said Monday that the president captured 65 percent of the vote to beat Republican Mitt Romney in the network’s “Kids Pick the President” vote. More than 520,000 people cast online ballots through the children’s network’s website over one week earlier this month. Since it began in 1988, the kids have presaged the adults’ vote all but once, when more youngsters voted for John Kerry over George W. Bush in 2004. Obama answered questions submitted by Nickelodeon viewers for a special earlier this month. Romney didn’t participate. Images via WENN
The search for missing Whitney Heichel, 21, has come to a close. Police located her body and arrested a neighbor, Jonathan Holt, 24, in connection with her death. Police reportedly found Whitney Heichel’s body on Larch Mountain, a 40-minute drive up winding roads from the Starbucks barista’s home in Gresham, Oregon. Authorities arrested an acquaintance and neighbor, after a series of interviews reportedly didn’t add up and they found his fingerprints and DNA in her recovered car. “Really words can’t begin to express the sadness that our families are experiencing tonight,” family spokesman Jim Vaughn said following the discovery of the body. Heichel, 21, was reported missing on Tuesday morning when she did not show up at 7:30 for work at Starbucks, which was just a five minute drive from her home. Not long after, her car was found in a Walmart parking lot with its passenger side window shattered. Her husband, Clinton, reported her missing at 10 a.m. “I called her several times,” Clinton Heichel said. “I texted her several times and then about 9:30ish, her phone got to the point where it went straight to voicemail.” Whitney Heichel’s bank card was used at two different gas stations within eight minutes, her husband said, and police had been studying a surveillance video. A man told police he recognized Heichel sitting in the passenger seat of her car at another station shortly before 9:30 a.m., but a man was driving. Children playing outside an apartment building found Heichel’s phone in some bushes on Thursday. Earlier in the week, a search team discovered tire tracks, broken glass and Heichel’s license plate on Larch Mountain, where they would later find her body. Our thoughts go out to Whitney’s family and friends in this difficult time.
