Tag Archives: winter

Republicans Demand Two-Month, Taxpayer-Funded Recess After Election

Posted on August 9, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

House Republicans are going forward with plans to introduce a resolution on Tuesday to prohibit the House of Representatives from assembling during the two-month period following the November elections. A GOP leadership aide confirmed to the Huffington Post that the resolution, authored by Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) for the purposes of preventing Democrats from passing legislative items during the lame-duck session, would be introduced before the House passes additional Medicaid and teacher funding. The aide argued that comments on Sunday by Carol Browner, the White House's top energy and environmental adviser, suggesting that energy legislation could be considered during the so-called lame duck period, proved that the resolution was pertinent. And yet, Price's resolution appears likely to produce nothing more than Kabuki theater — which that Democrats aren't necessarily averse to enjoying. For starters, the procedural process by which the issue will play out appears pre-ordained. Because he is introducing a privileged resolution, Democrats can't table Price's gambit from the get-go. Rather, the chair is going to rule that it is “out of order.” Price will appeal the ruling, after which members will vote on the chair's ruling (not the resolution itself). The issue, at that point, will be resolved. The majority will side with the chair. The political drama around the lame-duck session will, undoubtedly, remain. But even then it's not entirely clear what Price's resolution accomplishes. Certainly, it's a procedural maneuver that will please the conservative base. Freedom Works, the moneyed organization behind the Tea Party movement, has been pushing Price's resolution on its website. And former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has been touting the need to shut Congress down after the elections. But the notion that the House should take a two-month, taxpayer-paid break invites obvious political ridicule. One aide deemed it the “Republican Winter Vacation Act.” “Washington Republicans wrecked the economy and haven't lifted a finger to help us fix it,” said Doug Thornell a top aide to Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). “Now, the GOP wants to vote for a two-month long taxpayer-funded vacation because they believe the challenges middle class families face today should be ignored. This is the type of work ethic and arrogance that got us into this mess in the first place.” While Browner hinted that a vote on energy legislation may take place between the election and the seating of the new Congress, even that “option” is complicated by a host of factors that don'tjustify the GOP's fear of a lame-duck Congress. For starters, Democrats couldn't get 60 votes in the Senate for a comprehensive bill even when they had that many members caucusing. It's hard to imagine the votes would suddenly materialize after the election. added by: TimALoftis

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Ali Larter Pregnant

Posted on July 20, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

“Ali Larter and Hayes MacArthur are thrilled to be expecting their first child,” her rep tells us exclusively. The baby is due this winter. There#39;s a baby on the way for Ali Larter and her writer/actor husband Hayes MacArthur. Having a family has long been in the cards for the actress, 34, who wed MacArthur in Kennebunkport, Maine last August. “I told my boyfriend after three weeks that I wanted to marry him and that we could do it tomorrow,” Larter told Cosmopolitan in 2007. “I look forwa

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Paul McCartney Joins Ringo Starr At Radio City Birthday Concert

Posted on July 8, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Duo fittingly sang the Beatles’ ‘Birthday,’ following an all-star rendition of ‘With a Little Help From My Friends.’ By James Montgomery Ringo Starr performs while celebrating his 70th birthday Wednesday Photo: Kevin Mazur/ Getty Images In honor of his 70th birthday, Ringo Starr threw himself a party on Wednesday at New York City’s iconic Radio City Music Hall … with a little help from all his famous friends. It was, more correctly, a concert, one that saw Starr (backed by the latest incarnation of his All Starr Band) tear through more than two hours of Beatles tunes, covers, and even a solo hit or two, and, at the very end of the night, nearly bring the house down when he was joined onstage by his fellow former Beatle, Paul McCartney . Somewhat fittingly, the two remaining members of the Fab Four took on the White Album cut “Birthday,” with McCartney singing lead and Starr on drums (just like the good old days), as the sold-out Radio City crowd justifiably went nuts. And at the song’s conclusion, with the late John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono looking on from the side of the stage, McCartney and Starr embraced and walked off the stage to a standing ovation. It was the first time the duo shared the stage since another Radio City gig, a benefit show headlined by McCartney in 2009 . The Macca/Starr duet occurred just moments after an entire army of Starr’s famous friends — including Ono, Joe Walsh, Steve Van Zandt, Angus Young and Max Weinberg — joined him for another rather appropriate song, “With a Little Help From My Friends.” It was, in theory, the de facto finale, until McCartney sprinted onstage, much to the delight of everyone in the house. What can we say? When Ringo Starr throws a party, he really throws a party. Related Artists Ringo Starr Paul McCartney The Beatles

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Leonardo DiCaprio May Reteam With Ridley Scott On Wall Street Movie

Posted on July 8, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Long in the works ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ adaptation would be produced by Martin Scorsese. By Eric Ditzian Leonardo DiCaprio Photo: Jim Spellman/ WireImage Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese had been trying to bring an adaptation of Jordan Belfort’s tell-all memoir, “The Wolf of Wall Street,” to the big screen since early in 2007. Scorsese was set to direct, and Leo would play Belfort, a New York stockbroker who landed in prison for refusing to cooperate in a 1990s securities fraud case. “Sopranos” scribe Terence Winter came onboard to pen the screenplay. But the project stalled, and DiCaprio and Scorsese went off to make “Shutter Island.” Now the film is getting another shot, Deadline New York reports, and director Ridley Scott is in early discussions to helm “Wolf.” DiCaprio, who worked with Scott on 2008’s “Body of Lies,” would remain in the starring role and Scorsese would shift into the role of a producer. The film would reportedly be similar to DiCaprio’s “Catch Me If You Can” in terms of storytelling, as “Wolf” would focus on Belfort’s relationship with an FBI agent who tries to convert him into an informant. According to Deadline, all involved still love Winter’s script. “It is funny, dramatic and fast paced, and manages to make something of a sympathetic character out of a stockbroker who supervises a cadre of brokers who squeezed clients to buy stocks that paid off — for the brokers, who used the funds to live extravagantly until they were brought down by the feds,” Deadline’s Mike Fleming wrote. The only thing standing in the way of production is scheduling. Scott is plowing ahead on his 3-D “Alien” prequel and DiCaprio’s next role is “Hoover,” the biopic directed by Clint Eastwood. Which director do you think works best with Leonardo DiCaprio? Talk about it in the comments. For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Photos The Evolution Of: Leonardo DiCaprio

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Park Yong Ha funeral

Posted on July 2, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Fans of deceased South Korean entertainer Park Yong-ha cry during a funeral service at a hospital in Seoul July 2, 2010. Park, one of the most sought after actors in South Korea and a popular singer in Japan, was found dead in his home in Seoul on Wednesday in an apparent suicide, local media reported. News of South Korean actor Park Yong-ha#39;s demise shocked many in the Korean showbiz. Many of his friends turned up at his funeral to mourn his passing. The 33-year-old Winter Sonata star h

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Secret Police in unmarked vans snatch and grab at G20 Toronto 06.27.2010

Posted on June 28, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

This is footage of reported secret police snatch and grab outside the Mass Detention center in Toronto. added by: toyotabedzrock

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All McNuggets not created equal…

Posted on June 28, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

U.S. McNuggets not only contain more calories and fat than their British counterparts, but also chemicals not found across the Atlantic. CNN investigated the differences after receiving a blog comment asking about them. American McNuggets (190 calories, 12 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat for 4 pieces) contain the chemical preservative tBHQ, tertiary butylhydroquinone, a petroleum-based product. They also contain dimethylpolysiloxane, “an anti-foaming agent” also used in Silly Putty. By contrast, British McNuggets (170 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat for 4 pieces) lists neither chemical among its ingredients. “I would certainly choose the British nuggets over the American” says Ruth Winter, author of “A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives.” McDonald’s says the differences are based on the local tastes: In the United States, McNuggets are coated and then cooked, in the United Kingdom, they are cooked and then coated. As a result, the British McNuggets absorb less oil and have less fat. “You would find that if you looked at any of our core food items. You'd see little, regional differences,” says Lisa McComb, who handles global media relations for McDonald's, which has more than 32,000 restaurants in 117 countries. “We do taste testing of all our food items on an ongoing basis.” One apparent difference is only a matter of labeling, according to McComb. U.K. McNuggets list ground celery and pepper, which are labeled simply as “spices” in the United States, she says. Marion Nestle, a New York University professor and author of “What to Eat,” says the tertiary butylhydroquinone and dimethylpolysiloxane in the McNuggets probably pose no health risks. As a general rule, though, she advocates not eating any food with an ingredient you can’t pronounce. Dimethylpolysiloxane is used as a matter of safety to keep the oil from foaming, McComb says. The chemical is a form of silicone also used in cosmetics and Silly Putty. A review of animal studies by The World Health Organization found no adverse health effects associated with dimethylpolysiloxane. TBHQ is a preservative for vegetable oils and animal fats, limited to .02 percent of the oil in the nugget. One gram (one-thirtieth of an ounce) can cause “nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, delirium, a sense of suffocation, and collapse,” according to “A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives.” In 2003, McDonald’s launched smaller, all-white-meat McNuggets after a federal judge dubbed the food “a McFrankenstein creation of various elements not utilized by the home cook.” Among the ingredients that remained in the new McNuggets: tBHQ and dimethylpolysiloxane. Christopher Kimball, the founder and publisher of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and host of the syndicated cooking show America’s Test Kitchen, says he suspects these chemicals are required for the nuggets to hold their shape and texture after being extruded into nugget-shaped molds “The regulations in Europe, in general, around food are much stricter than the U.S.,” …Kimball says… added by: eden49

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Report: Landon Donovan Knocked Up British Chick

Posted on June 28, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

U.S. soccer star Landon Donovan may be facing a crisis much bigger than his team’s elimination from the World Cup this past weekend – a forthcoming love child. A newspaper in the UK will allege that a British woman is pregnant by Donovan, who is separated from his wife, actress Bianca Kajlich, but not divorced from her. His relationship with Kajlich became the subject of great interest last week after they shared an emotional phone call following his winning goal against Algeria. Donovan, who played for the Liverpool football club Everton this winter, blew her a kiss during an interview, fueling speculation that the couple might reconcile. “It would surprise no one if Landon and Bianca were back together very soon,” said one of her friends. “They have remained in contact and are very close.” Landon Donovan is separated from wife Bianca Kajlich. The fact that he may have fathered a love child with someone else may not aid his bid to reconcile with her . The identity of Donovan’s baby mama is unclear at this time, as is how Bianca will feel about his attempts to win her back if this love child rumor proves to be legit. Regarding the pregnancy rumor, Donovan did not deny it might be true, telling Sports Illustrated’s Web site: “I was informed of the possibility during the World Cup.” “If I need to take responsibility, then I will provide the appropriate support,” he added. “This is a private matter, and I will refrain from further comment at this time.” Donovan has spent most of his career in the U.S., but played on loan in Liverpool earlier this year, becoming a fan favorite – apparently with one woman in particular. He was a hero for the USA at the World Cup, scoring three goals and guiding the team to the knockout phase, where they were eliminated on Saturday by Ghana.

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MRC’s Dan Gainor Responds to Gay Parenting TV on CNN

Posted on June 24, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

If you’ve noticed more gay characters with children on television and in movies, you’re not alone. CNN has noticed too, and they’re calling it “the new normal.” In a June 24 segment, Corinne Water reported that homosexuals “hope TV shows like ‘Modern Family,’ ‘Glee’ and the new film ‘The Kids are Alright’ represent a growing trend in Hollywood storylines: gay parents.” The segment featured one opponent to Hollywood ’s normalization of gay parenting: Media Research Center Vice President for Business & Culture Dan Gainor. “ Hollywood has done a great deal of work causing acceptance in American culture for homosexuality,” Gainor said. He added later, “Again, what they’re trying to do is normalize something that a lot of people, certainly in those states, don’t want to normalize.” But Winter’s segment presented Gainor’s view as the abnormal one (even showing his picture in black-and-white for an unexplained reason). Actress Julianne Moore, who stars in “The Kids are Alright,” argued that “the entertainment world reflects popular culture. I think that this was happening in the world. So what you’re seeing in television and in film is what’s going on in our society at large, which is a great thing.” Winter closed the segment by asking a gay couple if they thought they were normal. To absolutely no one’s surprise, they said they were normal parents, and Winter left it at that. However, Winter didn’t mention statistics that suggest Hollywood is not reflecting what’s going on in society, or that gay parenting is not normal. According to Colage , an “national movement of children, youth, and adults with one or more” gay parent, Census data found that that “more than 250,000 people under the age of 18 [were] living with unmarried same-sex couples” in 2000.   Colage argues the number of children with gay parents is higher, but acknowledges that other estimates are speculative. Assume for a moment that a full 250,000 children live with gay parents. They would represent 0.003 percent of the 72.4 million children counted in the 2000 Census. The number itself is extremely small, and it’s not even close to proportionate. Commonly cited estimates guess 10 percent of the population is homosexual. (The Centers for Disease Control found the number was closer to 4.1 percent for each gender in 2002.) CNN anchor Kyra Phillips used the segment to tease an upcoming special, “ Gary and Tony Have a Baby .” Soledad O’Brien’s one-hour special highlights what Phillips called the “struggle” of two gay man trying to have a biological child of their own.

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‘Glee’ Soundtrack Tops Billboard, While Christina Aguilera Debuts at #3

Posted on June 16, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Bionic is Christina’s lowest chart debut to date. By Gil Kaufman Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals Photo: Columbia Records Christina Aguilera is used to jousting with fellow female divas on the charts, but after a four-year layoff to start a family, the bondage-loving good-girl-gone-bad ran into the most formidable foes of her career this week: the glee club and teen vampires. Try as she might, Aguilera’s Bionic could not beat back the forces of “Glee,” as the hit show’s fifth soundtrack, Glee: The Music — Journey to Regionals easily topped the Billboard 200 albums chart in its debut, moving 152,000 copies and giving the show its third straight #1 album, according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan. Coming in just behind at #2 is the “Twilight Saga: Eclipse” soundtrack , which moved 144,000 copies. That means that after two #1 debuts and a #2 bow for her first three studio albums of original English-language songs (which sold between 252,000 and 346,000 or more in their first week), Bionic represents the lowest chart debut to date for Aguilera at just over 110,000. The soft sales come just weeks after Aguilera scrapped an already-announced summer tour , citing scheduling conflicts in promoting the album and her winter big-screen debut in “Burlesque.” Also making chart debuts this week are rapper Plies with his long-awaited album Goon Affiliated (#5, 56,000), country star Dierks Bentley with Up on the Ridge (#9, 38,000) and Jewel , whose country-flavored Sweet and Wild came in at #10 on sales of 31,000. The rest of the top 10: Jack Johnson , To the Sea (#4, 89,000, down 63 percent from its debut), Justin Bieber , My World 2.0 (49,000), Glee: The Music — Vol. 3, Showstoppers (#7, 40,000) and Lady Antebellum , Need You Now (#8, 39,000). Further down the line, jam-band circuit faves Grace Potter and the Nocturnals hit #20 with their self-titled fourth album (18,000), Gym Class Heroes singer Travie McCoy landed at #27 with his solo debut, Lazarus, and one-time boy band Hanson managed a #30 bow for their soul-flecked latest, Shout It Out (14,000). Former anarchy-loving punks Against Me! planted White Crosses at #34 (12,000) and rapper Lil Jon’s years-in-the-making Crunk Rock slipped in the top 50 at #49 on sales of 9,000. One of the week’s biggest tumbles came from UK crooner Taio Cruz , whose Rokstarr plummeted 42 slots to #50 in week two on sales of 9,000 as business dipped 64 percent. The week’s biggest gainer was the “Get Him to the Greek” soundtrack album from Russell Brand ‘s fake band, Infant Sorrow, which shot up 67 spots to #81 in its second week as sales increased by 67 percent to 6,000. Gleeks should hold a quick party, but Drake all but has a lock on a #1 debut next week with his eagerly anticipated Thank Me Later, which has hit stores along with the first album of new material from Sarah McLachlan in seven years, another Now compilation and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers ‘ first new disc since 2002. Related Photos ‘Glee’ Returns For 2010 ‘Glee’ Tour Serenades Los Angeles Related Artists Christina Aguilera

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