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Boney M Singer Bobby Farrell Dead

Frontman of ’70s disco band died at age 61 while on tour in Russia. By Gil Kaufman Bobby Farrell Photo: Gary Merrin/Getty Images Bobby Farrell, the energetic frontman of 1970s disco band Boney M, died on Thursday (December 30) in his hotel room in St. Petersburg, Russia, at the age of 61. Reuters reported that Farrell was found dead in his room the day after a show in the city where the band achieved some of its career highlights during the Soviet era. “He did a show last night as part of Bobby Farrell’s Boney M and they found him this morning dead in his hotel room,” agent John Seine told Reuters. “He did not feel well last night and was having problems with his breathing, but he did the show anyway.” The cause of death was not immediately released. The group, which formed in West Germany in the late 1970s, was put together by German record producer Frank Farian, best known for assembling the musicians who sang the vocals for sham 1990s pop duo Milli Vanilli. Farian, who made a career out of ghostwriting songs, was unable to make it as a singer, but when his tune “Baby Do You Wanna Bump” became a hit in 1976 under the stage name Boney M, he hired Farrell to act as the lead “singer” of the group. Though former exotic male dancer Farrell and fellow Boney members Marcia Barrett and Liz Mitchell sang live during concerts, Farrell’s vocals were largely absent from their biggest hits, including “Daddy Cool,” “Sunny,” “Ma Baker,” “Rivers of Babylon” and “Rasputin.” The group was well-received and scored a string of hits in Europe and Russia, but never really crossed over to the United States. They sold 80 million albums in their heyday and 1978’s “Rivers of Babylon”/”Brown Girl in the Ring” is still the fifth-best-selling British single of all time. By the time the group’s fifth studio album, Boonoonoonoos, was released in 1981, Farrell, known as the “King of Disco,” had been kicked out and replaced by another singer. Farrell (born Alfonso Farrell in Aruba on October 6, 1949) was slated to perform on New Year’s Eve in Italy. Related Artists Boney M

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Boney M Singer Bobby Farrell Dead

Celebrity of the Year Finalist #3: Miley Cyrus!

With 2010 drawing to a close, it is with much pride that THG unveils its 10 finalists for its prestigious, Fourth Annual Celebrity of the Year award. These stars all gave us their best, their worst, their nude pics (sometimes) and their scandals (often). This month, THG honors that greatness. After the Jersey Shore cast fist-pumped its way to #4 , we present one of our most polarizing figures at #3 … Miley Cyrus! Perhaps more than any celebrity we cover, 2010 was a year of ups and downs for Miley, lows and highs ( literally! ). It began with the official announcement that Cyrus would be saying farewell to the role of Hannah Montana, and it ended with a bong-smoking controversy that epitomized the lengths this star had gone to over the past 12 months to prove she was transforming into an adult artist. In between, Miley… … dated Liam Hemsworth multiple times. … sang a duet with Bret Michaels. … hosted the 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards. … got slammed by critics for her portrayal in The Last Song. … made out with a female dancer to prove her maturity. … feuded with Perez Hilton over that blogger being an idiot . … rarely wore pants. … suffered through her parents’ divorce. … turned 18. As you can tell, it was a year of starring roles and scandalous actions for Miley Cyrus. Ardent supporters stuck by her side, arguing that she was simply growing up as a person and a celebrity. Critics, meanwhile, crushed the star for her misguided decisions, coming down on her for abandoning a young fan base and trying too hard to prove she was evolving. Where do you stand? It’s a question we’ve asked often and will likely continue to do so. This divisiveness is a significant reasons why Miley had such an impact on pop culture in 2010.

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Celebrity of the Year Finalist #3: Miley Cyrus!

Was Scarlett Johansson fooling around on Ryan Reynolds?

Every single tabloid has a big Ryan Reynolds/Scarlett Johansson story this week, for some reason. I mean, I get it, they were a young, hot Hollywood couple, but from the breathy, wall-to-wall coverage, you’d think that it was the shock of the century that they split. Anyway, in addition to sounding like a whiny little baby and pushing “victim” stories in the press , Ryan might have been a busy little beaver framing ScarJo as the bad guy in other tabloids too. Here’s a run down of some of the stories, courtesy of Jezebel: In Touch Weekly: Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson were “torn apart by jealousy.” A source says: “He said it sounded like she was yelling every time she spoke to him.” Sometimes she was yelling! She allegedly “went nuts” in his trailer while he was filming The Proposal. Another source says that Ryan can be “an overbearing control freak,” and went on a solitary motorcycle ride across Europe this summer, then asked Scarlett to drop everything and come to him when he wanted to see her. She threatened to take off her wedding ring when he refused to go to Comic-Con with her. An insider says: “He doesn’t seem sad and mopey. He seems to be getting on with his life.” Star Magazine: Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds have been having “secret dates.” Well, not really. But he visited her in Austin and went with her, baby Louis and her bodyguard to her sister’s cupcake shop. This other time in L.A., they had dinner at a restaurant and then went into a photobooth, and a witness says, “Who knows what they were doing in there.” Um, taking pictures? Life & Style : RyRen and ScarJo’s marriage crumbled because she has “major abandonment issues.” They talked about having a baby to save the relationship, but her friends talked her out of it. [From Jezebel’s tabloid round-up ] Eh. I doubt ScarJo was ever seriously considering having a baby – she never really seemed to care (and she’s still so young, after all). As for Reynolds and Sandra Bullock… yeah, I doubt it. They just don’t seem like they would have any sexual chemistry. But they’re probably still friends, and maybe they’re just hanging out together. Plus: I totally see Reynolds rebounding with someone like Blake Lively, don’t you? Regarding Reynolds being an “overbearing control freak” – can we just call him a gerbil-faced jag and be done with it? Ugh. ANYWAY… my favorite version of the post-split analysis comes via Us Weekly . Mainly, this interests me because it seems like the biggest pro-Ryan story, and because there’s some good dirty gossip about those old rumors regarding ScarJo and her Broadway costar, Liev Schreiber, and their alleged romance. Schreiber is Naomi Watts’ partner, mind you, and there was a lot of gossip last Spring about how close Schreiber and ScarJo were when they worked together, and how Naomi and Liev were very close to splitting . I even suggested that it could be on between Schreiber and ScarJo! Here are the highlights from Us Weekly : While ScarJo was on Broadway, Ryan would fly home from his NOLA location on weekends to spend time with her, but sources close to the couple say that communication broke down. “They went from speaking once every two days to once every two weeks,” says the source. Also, Ryan took an impromptu trip to Las Vegas with his friend Kevin Connolly, which sent ScarJo into a rage when she found out. “Kevin is friends with Scarlett, and he was on the phone with her. She was like, ‘What? Ryan’s there?!?’… she was not happy.” Ryan began telling friends last spring that he and Scar were having problems. He told friends that “she treated him badly, she was very focused on her own career, and it never seemed like she made him a priority, and she’s not as emotionally mature as Ryan.” Their eight-year age difference, says the source, “became an issue.” As the marriage circled the drain, both bonded with other people. ScarJo and her Broadway costar Liev Schreiber “seemed weirdly close,” says a source. “She would often go for late-night rides on his Vespa.” But a pal says: “Completely platonic.” Meanwhile, Reynolds and his Green Lantern costar Blake Lively “were like brother and sister,” says a source. Some have hinted as a romance, but “nothing happened” a source says. In the end, it’s only a matter of time before one of them files for divorce. “They’re still talking and things are civil, but he’s very hurt.” [From Us Weekly , print edition] Yes, Ryan is very butt-hurt. BAD SCARJO. Now, the Vespa thing is very interesting, isn’t it? I bet ScarJo rode more than his “Vespa”. Personally, I think ScarJo is catnip for older men. It’s the voice, the demeanor, the Lolita thing. I could see Liev being into it. Plus, he has a thing for blondes. I’m calling it: ScarJo and Liev Schrieber were probably boning. I’m also calling it: it’s funny to me that there are so many photos of Schreiber and ScarJo together, and barely any of ScarJo and Ryan. HA. One last thing: if ScarJo did fool around, I’m not blaming her. I can’t imagine being hitched to a butt-hurt gerbil like Ryan. I would be screwing around too. Photos courtesy of WENN.

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Was Scarlett Johansson fooling around on Ryan Reynolds?

Sheila Marquez in Harper’s Bazaar Spain 2011 Calendar of the Day

I have no idea who this Sheila Maquez bitch is, I just know she’s some Spanish model and she’s in some Harper’s Bazaar Spain Calendar, because I guess they don’t have computers, smartphones or anything else that made the calendar obsolete the last 5 years….. She is not showing her tits even though Europe is supposed to be all about the tits, leaving me in a confused mess…kinda like this assortment of pictures that I thought about putting in order but realized why the fuck would i waste my time doing that, I don’t really respect dates or times, but more importantly, even people who do don’t use them either, so I’m not sure what the point of this is….no tits, no point, but that’s just what I do here.

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Sheila Marquez in Harper’s Bazaar Spain 2011 Calendar of the Day

Lunar Eclipse December 20th 2010

A combination of photographs shows the gradual lunar eclipse ending with a total eclipse as seen over the skies of Mexico City December 21, 2010. During the eclipse, the Earth lined up directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting Earth#39;s shadow over the Moon. Weather permitting, skygazers in northern America and Europe are in for a treat in the early morning hours of Tuesday, when the first total lunar eclipse in almost three years is poised to turn the Moon pink, coppery or even a blood r

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Lunar Eclipse December 20th 2010

Maroon 5 Announced As Critics’ Choice Movie Awards House Band

Group will perform classic tunes and their own hits at show, which airs January 14 on VH1. By James Dinh Maroon 5’s James Valentine, Adam Levine and Jesse Carmichael Photo: Jamie McCarthy/ Getty Images are known for their talent, charm and pop-rock-flavored hit songs. And it’s just those qualities that will be showcased when the group serves as the evening house band for the 16th Critics’ Choice Movie Awards . During the ceremony, which airs live on VH1 on Friday, January 14, at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, the band will perform classic tunes and its own hit songs between awards and during commercial breaks. According to a press release , the group will also treat guests and attendees to numbers when they perform in the middle of the red carpet during the live pre-show and official after-party festivities. This marks a first for the awards show’s house band. VH1 president Tom Calderone spoke about the group’s role during the evening ceremony. “The nominees, presenters and guests in the house at the annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards are all A-list,” he said in the release. “We’ve been huge supporters of Maroon 5 since the beginning of their career, and watched them become an international success. Having them join our production as the house band brings an unprecedented level of excitement and musical talent to the show.” Shortly after their gig at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, Maroon 5 will venture out of the United States and onto a worldwide trek with stops throughout Europe, Asia and Australia. Are you excited to see Maroon 5 perform during the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards ? Sound off in the comments below. Related Artists Maroon 5

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Maroon 5 Announced As Critics’ Choice Movie Awards House Band

Thaci faces probe over alleged organ trafficking

Hashim Thaci, Kosovo’s newly re-elected prime minister, is coming under fresh scrutiny over his guerrilla past as European foreign ministers examine allegations about organ trafficking in the 1998-99 war. Dick Marty, a Council of Europe rapporteur, presented a report on Thursday to members of the 47-country organisation that alleges that Mr Thaci, a leader in the Kosovo Liberation Army against Serbia, also formed a powerful “mafia” network among former guerrilla fighters for narcotics and organ trafficking. The council, which promotes human rights, democracy and the rule of law around the continent published the report on its website and tabled it for discussion next month. (more at this link – http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f4ec439c-093f-11e0-ada6-00144feabdc0.html#axzz18KdRyuM… – this is all over the news in Europe) added by: Vierotchka

Colossal "rape mine" where more than 300,000 women and girls have been brutalised

Hundreds of women and children were raped over and over during 3 days in July, another incident reported in August… estimates indicate many thousands of women and girls are brutalized each year on a gross scale …for the creature comforts of civilized society. Efforts to combat illicit mining of coltan and other minerals are gaining traction, as politicians in Canada and other Western governments look to establish tough penalties against the practice. When we glance at the holocaust in Congo, with about 7 million dead, the clich

What to get the person that has everything? How about a Beer Bath?

For some, simply relaxing after work or dinner with a beer is enough. But for others, their enthusiasm for beer teeters on the border of insanity and complete genius. If simply introducing beer into your body internally by drinking it isn’t enough, and you feel the urge to submerge your entire person into several gallons of it in a hops ridden frenzy, then a trip to Europe might just be for you… more: http://drinkphilly.com/articles/read/247 added by: DrinkPhilly

Europe’s Grassland Butterfly Species In Alarming Decline

Photo by andy.v via Flickr Creative Commons Butterflies are one of the major pollinators and a vital component to a functioning ecosystem. We’ve seen dips in butterfly populations worldwide, and the latest report from Butterfly Conservation Europe is that 17 species of grassland butterflies are in a dramatic decline across Europe, with as much as a 70% drop in numbers over the last 20 years. The loss of butterflies means a loss of flower-rich meadows, which could have a trickle effect impacting mammals, birds and other species. … Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Europe’s Grassland Butterfly Species In Alarming Decline