These pages present some of work done by Beowulf translators and scholars. I am a Beowulf hobbyist (how nerdy can you get!) and not an expert on Anglo-Saxon literature or translation. The only contribution I am making to Beowulf scholarship is to bring other people's work together into one place. These pages are not meant for scholars, they are for people who are just starting to learn about Beowulf.
The Thorkelin translation of Beowulf was into Latin, the 1820 Grundtvig translation was into Danish, and the 1826 Conybeare translation was only of parts of the poem. The first complete English language translation of Beowulf was published by J. M. Kemble in 1837 (although his first partial translations were published in 1833 and 1835).
There have been many translations of Beowulf into German (which is not surprising, given that Anglo-Saxon is a Germanic language -- there were, at one time in the 19th century, more German translations than English ones), as well as translations into Danish, Swedish, Italian, French, and other languages (the best list of early translations might be that of Chauncey Brewster Tinker). I cannot read any of those languages, and so I have not acquired any versions in languages other than English, but I would like to own some of them -- particularly those from the 19th century -- so that I have a more complete collection, and so that I can see what sort of illustrations might have been included in them. As I acquire them in the coming years, I will add references to them to these pages. Acquiring translations in other languages should allow me to push my collection to over 100 different versions of Beowulf, plus several dozen books of commentary and analysis.
Many of my own comments on these pages have been strongly influenced by the book Beowulf and the Beowulf Manuscript (1996 revised edition), by Kevin Kiernan. Professor Kiernan is described by the British Library as "the world's leading authority on the history of the Beowulf manuscript." He has also won the Beatrice White Prize, which is awarded for outstanding scholarly work in the field of English Literature before 1590. His reports on the results of his research with the physical manuscript, and his conclusions about the authorship and dating of the poem, are very compelling.
I have read a fair amount of analysis and commentary on Beowulf and I am finding that the more I read, the more I think that I shouldn't try to present summaries of those analyses on these pages. When I first started reading the notes in the front of the various translations I had the feeling that I had a pretty good handle on the origins, dating and significance of the story, and when I first set up these web pages I wrote with confidence that Beowulf was composed by a single person in the eighth century and written down by two scribes (who made many mistakes) in the early eleventh century. I have found however that the more I read about these things, the less confident I feel that there is any consensus at all about the authorship and dating of the story.
I try to keep in mind however the reasons why I like this story, and the reasons why I wanted to set up these pages in the first place. It is an exciting story, and it is interesting to read the various translations, and I try not to get too caught up in the academic discourse. I suspect that if I were studying Beowulf as an undergraduate student that I would not have the luxury of enjoying the story without the analysis. I know that many of the hits I get on these pages are from students who are beginning to study Beowulf for the first time. I hope that you are fortunate enough to have an instructor who makes the story seem interesting and well worth reading, rather than making it seem like just another boring old book.
You might find that prose translations like the ones by Constance B. Hieatt and David Wright are a little more accessible at first because they are written in a modern style, and you might want to choose one of those versions for your first reading in order to learn the details of the story without having to acclimatize yourself to the possibly unfamiliar rhythm of the style of the Old English version. I hope you find however that the alliterative translations are much richer and more enjoyable to read, and that you will take the time to read the story a second, or even a third, time.
Note that with the Howell D. Chickering Jr. version I tried to use all of the proper Old English letters and I think I have typed them all correctly (it is difficult to proof-read a language you do not understand) except for the lowercase æ diaeresis/umlaut character (æ with a line over it), which does not seem to be available in the usual 8-bit character codes used in HTML (although I am sure it is available in the 16-bit Unicode character set). I have used "æ" (without a line over it) instead, which means that the reader of the pages on this site will not know when the æ is supposed to have a line over it and when it is not. In addition, it is not clear to me which HTML characters I am supposed to use to get a letter with a straight line over it. In HTML we have, for instance, â (â - a with diaeresis) and ä (ä - a with circumflex), but neither of these has a straight line over it. Likewise for e, i, o, u and y. I have used the diaeresis but I am going to have to look into this further.
The original Old English version of the story is included in about a dozen different books. There is an indicator in the book comparison table as to whether each book has the Old English text, a modern English translation, both, or neither. The various Old English editions do not always agree precisely on how to spell the Old English words in the story, and you will see, when examining the various images of the manuscript on this site, that the letters which actually appear in the manuscript do not always match the letters in the Old English printing of the text in books. It seems that modern printing of the Old English text is done to allow modern readers to pronounce the words properly, rather than to precisely emulate the manuscript.
I have noticed that I am getting a lot of hits on these pages by people searching for "Beowulf translated by Burton Raffel." I think that that translation is one of the least interesting of the ones I have read. I suppose it is popular because it is available in an inexpensive paperback and the language is reasonably straightforward. I hope that some of you will make a bit of an effort and try one of the more interesting translations such as those by Frederick Rebsamen, Tim Romano, Ruth P. M. Lehmann, Benjamin Thorpe, Lesslie Hall, Seamus Heaney, Edwin Morgan and Francis B. Gummere.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Macaroon Sweet Potato Bake: Your holiday Menu is Not Complete if it Doesn't Include Sweet Potatoes. Add this unique dish to the table this season.
Macaroon Sweet Potato Bake
This casserole can be made the night before and chilled. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking. Top with the buttered crumbled macaroons before putting in the oven. You Will Need6 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes (about 3-1/2 pounds) 6 tablespoons plus 4-1/2 teaspoons butter, melted, divided1/2 cup packed brown sugar1/4 cup amaretto liqueur or 1/4 teaspoon almond extract1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon ground ginger1/2 cup chopped pecans1/4 cup orange marmalade6 macaroons, crumbledWhat to Do1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, 6 tablespoons butter, brown sugar, amaretto or extract, salt and ginger; beat until smooth.2. Stir in the pecans and marmalade.3. Transfer to a greased 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish.4. Toss macaroons with remaining butter; sprinkle over the top.5. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 30-35 minutes or until heated through.Serves 8
This casserole can be made the night before and chilled. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking. Top with the buttered crumbled macaroons before putting in the oven. You Will Need6 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes (about 3-1/2 pounds) 6 tablespoons plus 4-1/2 teaspoons butter, melted, divided1/2 cup packed brown sugar1/4 cup amaretto liqueur or 1/4 teaspoon almond extract1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon ground ginger1/2 cup chopped pecans1/4 cup orange marmalade6 macaroons, crumbledWhat to Do1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, 6 tablespoons butter, brown sugar, amaretto or extract, salt and ginger; beat until smooth.2. Stir in the pecans and marmalade.3. Transfer to a greased 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish.4. Toss macaroons with remaining butter; sprinkle over the top.5. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 30-35 minutes or until heated through.Serves 8
The 2007 L.A. AUTO SHOW
2007 LA Auto Show, Audi, BMW, GMTag Links: 2007 LA Auto Show, Audi, BMW, GM
The New Audi Cross Cabriolet Concept, BMW 135i, M3 Sedan and Chevy Silverado Hybrid were today's showstoppers so far today, at the 2007 LA Auto Show!We showed you the first photos yesterday but the show did not officially open until today! Check out the photos from today so far and keep checking back as we will be adding more this afternoon and tomorrow.2007 LA Auto Show, LA Girls and Models Photo Gallery
Lincoln, MKSTag Links: Lincoln, MKS
Ford has unveiled the 2009 Lincoln MKS full-size luxury sedan at the 2007 LA Auto Show. Seen earlier this morning, we now bring you live images of the new Lincoln flagship.The 2009 Lincoln MKS is powered by Lincoln’s new 3.7 liter V6 engine that produces 270 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque. Lincoln says that the MKS offers the power and torque of a V8 while delivering a fuel-economy that of a V6.Pricing for the base 2009 Lincoln MKS starts at $37,985 while the fully loaded MKS will go for $48,120.
2007 LA Auto Show, LA Girls and Models Photo Gallery
The New Audi Cross Cabriolet Concept, BMW 135i, M3 Sedan and Chevy Silverado Hybrid were today's showstoppers so far today, at the 2007 LA Auto Show!We showed you the first photos yesterday but the show did not officially open until today! Check out the photos from today so far and keep checking back as we will be adding more this afternoon and tomorrow.2007 LA Auto Show, LA Girls and Models Photo Gallery
Lincoln, MKSTag Links: Lincoln, MKS
Ford has unveiled the 2009 Lincoln MKS full-size luxury sedan at the 2007 LA Auto Show. Seen earlier this morning, we now bring you live images of the new Lincoln flagship.The 2009 Lincoln MKS is powered by Lincoln’s new 3.7 liter V6 engine that produces 270 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque. Lincoln says that the MKS offers the power and torque of a V8 while delivering a fuel-economy that of a V6.Pricing for the base 2009 Lincoln MKS starts at $37,985 while the fully loaded MKS will go for $48,120.
2007 LA Auto Show, LA Girls and Models Photo Gallery
Matt Damon named 'sexiest man alive'
Matt Damon has been named the "sexiest man alive" by People magazine, an honor that has been bestowed twice on his pals George Clooney and Brad Pitt.
The 37-year-old actor is featured on the cover of People's annual issue, on newsstands Friday. Damon, who is married to Luciana Bozan, said the honor came as a surprise.
"You gave an aging suburban dad the ego boost of a lifetime," he says in a letter published in the magazine. "My 9-year-old stepdaughter now thinks I'm cool — well, cooler."
Damon, who has a 1-year-old daughter, Isabella, with Bozan, says "all the campaigning" by Clooney and Pitt had finally paid off.
"Unfortunately, after all those years out on the trail, the meet and greets, the fundraisers, the stump speeches, I've finally come to terms with the fact that this is a mantle I wasn't meant to hold," he says in the letter, which was signed "Matty."
"Don't get me wrong, though. I was really shocked and happy (Lucy said I actually blushed) when I heard the news. So I can't thank you enough for that."
People's "sexiest man alive" list began in 1985 with Mel Gibson. Others on the list: Clooney (1997 and 2006), Pitt (1995 and 2000), Denzel Washington (1996) and Johnny Depp (2003).
Damon won a screenwriting Oscar with Ben Affleck in 1998 for "Good Will Hunting." Both Damon and Affleck starred in the movie.
He has also starred in "The Departed," "Syriana," the "Ocean's" franchise with Clooney and Pitt, and "The Bourne Identity" and its two sequels.
The 37-year-old actor is featured on the cover of People's annual issue, on newsstands Friday. Damon, who is married to Luciana Bozan, said the honor came as a surprise.
"You gave an aging suburban dad the ego boost of a lifetime," he says in a letter published in the magazine. "My 9-year-old stepdaughter now thinks I'm cool — well, cooler."
Damon, who has a 1-year-old daughter, Isabella, with Bozan, says "all the campaigning" by Clooney and Pitt had finally paid off.
"Unfortunately, after all those years out on the trail, the meet and greets, the fundraisers, the stump speeches, I've finally come to terms with the fact that this is a mantle I wasn't meant to hold," he says in the letter, which was signed "Matty."
"Don't get me wrong, though. I was really shocked and happy (Lucy said I actually blushed) when I heard the news. So I can't thank you enough for that."
People's "sexiest man alive" list began in 1985 with Mel Gibson. Others on the list: Clooney (1997 and 2006), Pitt (1995 and 2000), Denzel Washington (1996) and Johnny Depp (2003).
Damon won a screenwriting Oscar with Ben Affleck in 1998 for "Good Will Hunting." Both Damon and Affleck starred in the movie.
He has also starred in "The Departed," "Syriana," the "Ocean's" franchise with Clooney and Pitt, and "The Bourne Identity" and its two sequels.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Feds launch criminal probe into San Francisco oil spill
The container ship MV Cosco Busan hit the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Wednesday and is being held in Oakland for repairs, said Adm. Thad Allen, the commandant of the Coast Guard on Sunday night.
Although the captain and crew were not allowed to leave the vessel due to federal shipping laws, they were not officially detained, said Coast Guard spokeswoman Anastasia Belvin.
Allen had told reporters Sunday that no restrictions had been placed on the crew.
Twenty wildlife teams are expected to search the bay Monday for birds sickened by the an estimated 58,000 gallons of heavy-duty bunker oil that oozed into the water after the collision, said a Department of Fish and Games official. Watch Allen on the criminal probe »
The Cosco Busan was departing Oakland for South Korea in dense fog when it hit a tower supporting the western suspension span of the Bay Bridge, the Coast Guard said. After the accident, the ship moored near Treasure Island, which the bridge crosses.
The spilled oil formed globules along the San Francisco city waterfront and out of San Francisco Bay, beneath the Golden Gate Bridge toward Marin County.
Seven miles of containment equipment stretched across the bay has collected 12,271 gallons of oil so far, while another 4,000 gallons has evaporated, officials said. See where oil spilled »
The 902-foot container ship has a 212-foot-long, 12-foot-wide gash in its side that allowed the oil to leak from partially filled fuel tanks, according to National Transportation Safety Board spokeswoman Debbie Hersman.
The NTSB is reviewing the ship's voyage data recorder, which should have recorded captain and crew conversations on the bridge and other information in the 12 hours leading up to the bridge collision, Hersman said.
Nearly 200 dead birds have been recovered from the bay, while another 465 birds have been rescued alive but oiled, according to Lisa Curtis, administrator of Department of Fish and Games office of spill prevention and response. See photos of oil coating the bay »
The crew was new to the ship, which was built six years ago in South Korea but purchased just last month by the current owner, Hersman said. They were on their first voyage in the vessel, she said.
The U.S. attorney in San Francisco opened a criminal investigation over the weekend to see if federal maritime laws may have been violated by the captain and crew, Allen said. "The vessel is detained in port under a captain of the port order because it is unsafe to sail."
Several beaches and shorelines were closed to the public and fishing was banned in certain locations on Port of San Francisco property.
"This an incident which, in my view, should not have happened," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, said Sunday after being briefed by Coast Guard officials.
Rear Adm. Craig E. Bone, the Coast Guard's director of inspection and compliance, echoed Feinstein's comments.
"There's systems, there's capabilities, there's licensed operators, there's a pilot on board the vessel, there's the capacity and the capability to safely navigate through this port and waterways every day," he said.
He added, "But we have to move beyond the incident and the fact that it occurred and move forward into the response."
On Friday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency, freeing money to clean up the spill.
Some lawmakers -- including the state's other U.S. senator, Democrat Barbara Boxer, and Maine Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe -- initially criticized the Coast Guard's handling of the collision and resulting spill.
"I am deeply concerned about the recent news reports that the Coast Guard had underestimated the severity of the spill and after learning of the spill's true size failed to report that information for more than four hours," Snowe said in a statement Saturday.
Snowe is the ranking member of the Senate's Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and the Coast Guard.
"I am very troubled by the Coast Guard's delay in delivering accurate information to the public and to the city of San Francisco," Boxer wrote Thursday in a letter to Allen.
The Coast Guard initially reported that the ship's owner had said only 140 gallons had spilled from the Cosco Busan, Boxer said.
Feinstein touched on the criticism Sunday. "There's room for improvement, obviously," in how the accident and spill were handled, she said. But she acknowledged that fog had hindered initial aerial reviews of the accident site.
On Saturday, the National Transportation Safety Board announced it was sending a team to San Francisco to investigate the accident.
"If there are people responsible or accountable for the causal factors of this, they'll be held accountable," Bone said.
The California Department of Transportation said the collision did no structural damage to the bridge and there was no interruption of bridge traffic -- more than 250,000 vehicles daily.
Although the captain and crew were not allowed to leave the vessel due to federal shipping laws, they were not officially detained, said Coast Guard spokeswoman Anastasia Belvin.
Allen had told reporters Sunday that no restrictions had been placed on the crew.
Twenty wildlife teams are expected to search the bay Monday for birds sickened by the an estimated 58,000 gallons of heavy-duty bunker oil that oozed into the water after the collision, said a Department of Fish and Games official. Watch Allen on the criminal probe »
The Cosco Busan was departing Oakland for South Korea in dense fog when it hit a tower supporting the western suspension span of the Bay Bridge, the Coast Guard said. After the accident, the ship moored near Treasure Island, which the bridge crosses.
The spilled oil formed globules along the San Francisco city waterfront and out of San Francisco Bay, beneath the Golden Gate Bridge toward Marin County.
Seven miles of containment equipment stretched across the bay has collected 12,271 gallons of oil so far, while another 4,000 gallons has evaporated, officials said. See where oil spilled »
The 902-foot container ship has a 212-foot-long, 12-foot-wide gash in its side that allowed the oil to leak from partially filled fuel tanks, according to National Transportation Safety Board spokeswoman Debbie Hersman.
The NTSB is reviewing the ship's voyage data recorder, which should have recorded captain and crew conversations on the bridge and other information in the 12 hours leading up to the bridge collision, Hersman said.
Nearly 200 dead birds have been recovered from the bay, while another 465 birds have been rescued alive but oiled, according to Lisa Curtis, administrator of Department of Fish and Games office of spill prevention and response. See photos of oil coating the bay »
The crew was new to the ship, which was built six years ago in South Korea but purchased just last month by the current owner, Hersman said. They were on their first voyage in the vessel, she said.
The U.S. attorney in San Francisco opened a criminal investigation over the weekend to see if federal maritime laws may have been violated by the captain and crew, Allen said. "The vessel is detained in port under a captain of the port order because it is unsafe to sail."
Several beaches and shorelines were closed to the public and fishing was banned in certain locations on Port of San Francisco property.
"This an incident which, in my view, should not have happened," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, said Sunday after being briefed by Coast Guard officials.
Rear Adm. Craig E. Bone, the Coast Guard's director of inspection and compliance, echoed Feinstein's comments.
"There's systems, there's capabilities, there's licensed operators, there's a pilot on board the vessel, there's the capacity and the capability to safely navigate through this port and waterways every day," he said.
He added, "But we have to move beyond the incident and the fact that it occurred and move forward into the response."
On Friday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency, freeing money to clean up the spill.
Some lawmakers -- including the state's other U.S. senator, Democrat Barbara Boxer, and Maine Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe -- initially criticized the Coast Guard's handling of the collision and resulting spill.
"I am deeply concerned about the recent news reports that the Coast Guard had underestimated the severity of the spill and after learning of the spill's true size failed to report that information for more than four hours," Snowe said in a statement Saturday.
Snowe is the ranking member of the Senate's Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and the Coast Guard.
"I am very troubled by the Coast Guard's delay in delivering accurate information to the public and to the city of San Francisco," Boxer wrote Thursday in a letter to Allen.
The Coast Guard initially reported that the ship's owner had said only 140 gallons had spilled from the Cosco Busan, Boxer said.
Feinstein touched on the criticism Sunday. "There's room for improvement, obviously," in how the accident and spill were handled, she said. But she acknowledged that fog had hindered initial aerial reviews of the accident site.
On Saturday, the National Transportation Safety Board announced it was sending a team to San Francisco to investigate the accident.
"If there are people responsible or accountable for the causal factors of this, they'll be held accountable," Bone said.
The California Department of Transportation said the collision did no structural damage to the bridge and there was no interruption of bridge traffic -- more than 250,000 vehicles daily.
Schwarzenegger Has Surgery to Remove Plates from Leg -----Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger
HOLLYWOOD - Actor-turned-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger underwent a 20-minute surgical procedure on Saturday to remove a metal plate and cables from his leg.The Terminator star broke his upper thigh bone while skiing in Sun Valley, Idaho, last December and had the plate and cables fitted to help him heal from his injury. Now that he has fully recovered, Schwarzenegger underwent the procedure at a Los Angeles hospital. He will use a crutch for several days. Dr. Kevin Ehrhart, who performed the operation, said, "(Schwarzenegger) is in excellent health and there were no complications in this morning's successful follow-up medical procedure."
Dust Mites
Dust mites do not live in air ducts in homes. Many people spend much time and money cleaning the air ducts to reduce dust mites. This is not necessary because dust mites need about 70 percent relative humidity or higher to live, and they need food. Areas where people spend much time, like a bed or a favorite plush chair, are prime sites for dust mites. The top part of mattresses containing fibrous material is a favorite place for dust mites during warm and humid times. The deeper parts of mattresses may provide protected areas for the dust mites during unfavorable conditions. Clothing is used by dust mites as a means of transportation from room to room or even from house to house. Complete elimination of dust mites is unlikely. Reducing populations is the only likely way to reduce allergens in the air. Reducing humidity in the home by using a dehumidifier may help reduce populations, but reducing humidity levels in microclimates, such as in bed fibers or carpet fibers, is impossible. Chemical control is not necessary, nor will it have a lasting effect on dust mite populations. Regular cleaning and vacuuming will have a greater impact.
Amelia Earhart Opens
A traveling exhibit about our country's most famous female pilot will open Monday at the largest air museum in our area. Amelia Earhart: Taking Flight in Kansas will run through November 25th at the Mid-America Air Museum in Liberal.The exhibit explores the Kansas women's life as a child, and also exhibits her passion for flying, women's rights, and aviation safety. The museum is located at 2000 West Second St. in Liberal.
VIDEO from Medialink and Guinness World Records: Records Shatter Across the Globe in Honor of the Third Annual Guinness World Records Day
People from countries all across the globe celebrated Guinness World Records Day on November 8th. After two years of successful celebrations, the world's biggest international event was back bigger and better than ever, with record-breaking feats scheduled in countries all around the world. By the day's end, more participants made their bids to enter into the world's best-selling copyright book and the chance at Guinness World Record stardom than ever before.
(See video from at: http://media.medialink.com/WebNR.aspx?story=34097)
The U.S. once again took center stage in record-breaking action with a full slate of unbelievable feats. The Tallest Man in the United States was revealed -- an astounding 7 feet 8 inches! As if that wasn't big enough, for the second year in a row, the World Sport Stacking Association (WSSA) led more than 130,000 people in local schools, community centers, parks and senior citizens homes to STACK UP! and break the record for Most People Sport Stacking In One Day.
Other record attempts included:
- Sharing a Bathtub with the Most Rattlesnakes (75)
- The Unveiling of the Most Expensive Frozen Dessert ($25,000)
- Most Balloon Sculptures in One Minute (13)
- Most Jump Rope Skips on Stilts in One Minute (108)
- Smallest and Tallest Dogs Meet
For more information about Guinness World Records 2008 or to find out more about Guinness World Records Day 2007, go to: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/
Registered journalists can access video, audio, text, graphics and photos for free and unrestricted use at http://www.mediaseed.tv/.
(See video from at: http://media.medialink.com/WebNR.aspx?story=34097)
The U.S. once again took center stage in record-breaking action with a full slate of unbelievable feats. The Tallest Man in the United States was revealed -- an astounding 7 feet 8 inches! As if that wasn't big enough, for the second year in a row, the World Sport Stacking Association (WSSA) led more than 130,000 people in local schools, community centers, parks and senior citizens homes to STACK UP! and break the record for Most People Sport Stacking In One Day.
Other record attempts included:
- Sharing a Bathtub with the Most Rattlesnakes (75)
- The Unveiling of the Most Expensive Frozen Dessert ($25,000)
- Most Balloon Sculptures in One Minute (13)
- Most Jump Rope Skips on Stilts in One Minute (108)
- Smallest and Tallest Dogs Meet
For more information about Guinness World Records 2008 or to find out more about Guinness World Records Day 2007, go to: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/
Registered journalists can access video, audio, text, graphics and photos for free and unrestricted use at http://www.mediaseed.tv/.
Aung San Suu Kyi
Detained opposition head Aung San Suu Kyi is "very optimistic" about the UN-promoted process for reconciliation between Myanmar's military government and pro-democracy forces, top members of her party said yesterday.
Three executive members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and a party spokesman were allowed to meet Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday for the first time in more than three years.
Their meeting was permitted by the government after UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari on Thursday completed a six-day visit to Myanmar to promote a dialogue between the ruling junta and the Nobel peace prize winner.
NLD spokesman Nyan Win, speaking after he and his colleagues met for about an hour with Aung San Suu Kyi, said she believes the military authorities now have the will to achieve national reconciliation.
He said she told them that the government's crackdown on September's mass pro-democracy demonstrations was "devastating for the NLD, the government and the people."
"She said a healing process such as the release of political prisoners is essential," Nyan Win said.
Authorities in Myanmar say the Sept. 26 and Sept. 27 crackdown on pro-democracy protests killed 10 people, though diplomats and dissidents say the death toll was much higher. Thousands were arrested, with the events triggering intense global condemnation.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been in government detention for 12 of the past 18 years, and continuously since May 2003.
Asked to describe Aung San Suu Kyi's condition after being under house arrest continuously for more than four years, Nyan Win said she looks "fit, well and energetic like before. She is full of ideas."
Aung San Suu Kyi also held talks with Aung Kyi, who was appointed the junta's "minister for relations" with her last month.
The government unexpectedly announced on Thursday that Aung San Suu Kyi would be allowed to meet with her party's top officials.
Its statement, broadcast on state radio and TV, came just hours after Gambari ended his second mission to broker negotiations between the military regime and pro-democracy leaders.
He met with Aung San Suu Kyi for an hour Thursday and later released a statement on her behalf.
"In the interest of the nation, I stand ready to cooperate with the government in order to make this process of dialogue a success," Aung San Suu Kyi said in her statement, which Gambari read aloud on Thursday evening in Singapore.
The statement was apparently Aung San Suu Kyi first since her latest detention began in 2003. This story has been viewed 589 times.
Three executive members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and a party spokesman were allowed to meet Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday for the first time in more than three years.
Their meeting was permitted by the government after UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari on Thursday completed a six-day visit to Myanmar to promote a dialogue between the ruling junta and the Nobel peace prize winner.
NLD spokesman Nyan Win, speaking after he and his colleagues met for about an hour with Aung San Suu Kyi, said she believes the military authorities now have the will to achieve national reconciliation.
He said she told them that the government's crackdown on September's mass pro-democracy demonstrations was "devastating for the NLD, the government and the people."
"She said a healing process such as the release of political prisoners is essential," Nyan Win said.
Authorities in Myanmar say the Sept. 26 and Sept. 27 crackdown on pro-democracy protests killed 10 people, though diplomats and dissidents say the death toll was much higher. Thousands were arrested, with the events triggering intense global condemnation.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been in government detention for 12 of the past 18 years, and continuously since May 2003.
Asked to describe Aung San Suu Kyi's condition after being under house arrest continuously for more than four years, Nyan Win said she looks "fit, well and energetic like before. She is full of ideas."
Aung San Suu Kyi also held talks with Aung Kyi, who was appointed the junta's "minister for relations" with her last month.
The government unexpectedly announced on Thursday that Aung San Suu Kyi would be allowed to meet with her party's top officials.
Its statement, broadcast on state radio and TV, came just hours after Gambari ended his second mission to broker negotiations between the military regime and pro-democracy leaders.
He met with Aung San Suu Kyi for an hour Thursday and later released a statement on her behalf.
"In the interest of the nation, I stand ready to cooperate with the government in order to make this process of dialogue a success," Aung San Suu Kyi said in her statement, which Gambari read aloud on Thursday evening in Singapore.
The statement was apparently Aung San Suu Kyi first since her latest detention began in 2003. This story has been viewed 589 times.
Leaning Tower of Pisa loses tilting title
Berlin - A 15th century church steeple in Germany has snatched the accolade of the most tilted tower in the world from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Guinness Book of World Records confirmed on Thursday.The 27-metre-high steeple in the northern village of Suurhusen tilts at an angle of 5,19 degrees compared to just 3,97 degrees for the Pisa tower.In a ceremony to mark Guinness World Records Day on Thursday, the book's editors handed over a certificate to mark the accomplishment to church officials."We have always known it, but now it's official," said the pastor of the church, Frank Wessels.According to local historian Tjabbo van Lessen, the church was built in marshy land in 1450 on foundations of oak tree trunks which were preserved by the water in the ground.When the land was drained in the 19th century, the wood rotted, causing the tower to tilt.The steeple was closed to the public in 1975 for safety reasons, but re-opened 10 years later after being made safe.Suurhusen is a village of 1 200 residents near Germany's border with the Netherlands.
Jeff Haney profiles Nevada's biggest sports handicapping contest, in which pros to date have been less than impressive
The Friday afternoon installment of the Leroy's "Money Talks" football invitational handicapping contest takes place at Fitzgeralds on Fremont Street, on a stage in a well-appointed showroom normally reserved for country music celebrity impersonators.
And a cynic might say, judging by the results to date, the entrants in this year's contest have been impersonating actual football handica ...
Nah. Too easy.
We'll refrain from cheap shots, even if the contestants have posted a combined record of 101 wins, 112 losses and 11 pushes against the point spread (47 percent) heading into today's action.
After all, each of the 32 contestants put up $5,000 to compete in the single-elimination, bracket-style tournament, the highest entry fee for a sports handicapping contest in Nevada. It's also the most visible contest, with handicappers discussing their picks and their gambling philosophy in weekly presentations, free to the public, that air on sports radio stations in Las Vegas and elsewhere in the state.
In some ways, the field resembles a miniature World Series of Poker main event, an analogy drawn by Fezzik, the one-name Las Vegas professional gambler who lost in the first round of the contest with a 3-4 record.
It contains professional handicappers and full-time bettors like him , but also hopefuls from other lines of work. Paul Sonner, for instance, owns a chain of sports bars in the Reno area and has vowed to donate his prize money to charity if he wins.
"I give the recreational bettors an A-plus for putting their money up and going for it," Fezzik said. "They're willing to put up $5,000 and gamble. God bless 'em.
"Myself and the other professionals, I give us an F. We're the ones who are supposed to know what we're doing."
Last Friday's match up at the Fitz featured a pair of pros. Handicapper Jorge Gonzalez, who was born in Cuba 37 years ago but has lived in Las Vegas since he was a year old, went 4-3 in his seven picks to advance. He eliminated Ken "the Shrink" Weitzner (3-3-1), a former psychiatrist from Virginia who built up a sports betting Web site, sold it for a reported $2.4 million, then started another.
Winning streaks and prolonged slumps are all in the game for professional bettors, Weitzner pointed out, and almost anything can happen in a span of just seven games during a single weekend.
Getting hot at the right time goes a long way in determining the recipient of the contest's winner-take-all $160,000 prize.
"My dog could throw darts at the board and be right in the mix," Weitzner said, mixing a couple of common gambling metaphors (dart-throwing and a dog making selections against the point spread by choosing between two bowls of food).
Last week's evening portion of the contest, a second match up at the Riviera, further highlighted the field's diversity. (Several first-round matchups also took place at John Ascuaga's Nugget in Sparks to accommodate Northern Nevada entrants.)
Leroy's spokesman , Jimmy Vaccaro, hosting the program with John Kelly and Arne Lang, used an old Lee Pete line on Sal Selvaggio (4-3 including a best -bet winner), telling the young-looking 28-year-old he has socks older than he is.
Selvaggio, of Maddux Sports, a service in the Chicago area, is clearly from the new era of sports bettors. He says his most memorable winning wager was against a friend on a Nintendo Wii game. The stakes? His buddy had to gain 25 pounds.
His opponent in the Leroy's contest was former Bishop Gorman and Arizona basketball star Matt Othick (4-3 but a best -bet loser). A proxy delivered Othick's selections because Othick, a backer of the Broadway production of the Chazz Palminteri play "A Bronx Tale," was detained in New York.
After the segment at the Riv, Vaccaro invited members of the audience to the nearby Peppermill restaurant "for hamburgers." It was a nice gesture, one that might be difficult to sustain in the coming years if Vaccaro's ambitious plans for the Money Talks contest reach fruition.
A driving force behind the 3-year-old contest, Vaccaro aims to secure corporate sponsorship to back Leroy's and place the contest on national TV, ideally on Saturday mornings as a lead - up to the day's college football action.
"We're very pleased with the way the contest is going," Vaccaro said. "The following it has developed has been unbelievable. The amount of e-mails and phone calls we get about it has been incredible.
"It's getting bigger, but I still firmly believe we haven't touched our full potential. If we can get a sponsor and TV, we can take it to the next level."
Meanwhile, without TV, the trappings of the contest remain amiably low-tech.
After signing off from the radio broadcast at the Riv, there was Vaccaro, one of the most influential bookmakers in Las Vegas history, pulling raffle tickets from a hat - a baseball cap he had borrowed from an audience member. The drawing was to award some restaurant gift certificates to attendees.
By all appearances, Vaccaro was enjoying the spectacle, slowly and dramatically "squeezing out" the numbers on the raffle tickets as if he were a pai gow poker player, the better to prolong the suspense.
And a cynic might say, judging by the results to date, the entrants in this year's contest have been impersonating actual football handica ...
Nah. Too easy.
We'll refrain from cheap shots, even if the contestants have posted a combined record of 101 wins, 112 losses and 11 pushes against the point spread (47 percent) heading into today's action.
After all, each of the 32 contestants put up $5,000 to compete in the single-elimination, bracket-style tournament, the highest entry fee for a sports handicapping contest in Nevada. It's also the most visible contest, with handicappers discussing their picks and their gambling philosophy in weekly presentations, free to the public, that air on sports radio stations in Las Vegas and elsewhere in the state.
In some ways, the field resembles a miniature World Series of Poker main event, an analogy drawn by Fezzik, the one-name Las Vegas professional gambler who lost in the first round of the contest with a 3-4 record.
It contains professional handicappers and full-time bettors like him , but also hopefuls from other lines of work. Paul Sonner, for instance, owns a chain of sports bars in the Reno area and has vowed to donate his prize money to charity if he wins.
"I give the recreational bettors an A-plus for putting their money up and going for it," Fezzik said. "They're willing to put up $5,000 and gamble. God bless 'em.
"Myself and the other professionals, I give us an F. We're the ones who are supposed to know what we're doing."
Last Friday's match up at the Fitz featured a pair of pros. Handicapper Jorge Gonzalez, who was born in Cuba 37 years ago but has lived in Las Vegas since he was a year old, went 4-3 in his seven picks to advance. He eliminated Ken "the Shrink" Weitzner (3-3-1), a former psychiatrist from Virginia who built up a sports betting Web site, sold it for a reported $2.4 million, then started another.
Winning streaks and prolonged slumps are all in the game for professional bettors, Weitzner pointed out, and almost anything can happen in a span of just seven games during a single weekend.
Getting hot at the right time goes a long way in determining the recipient of the contest's winner-take-all $160,000 prize.
"My dog could throw darts at the board and be right in the mix," Weitzner said, mixing a couple of common gambling metaphors (dart-throwing and a dog making selections against the point spread by choosing between two bowls of food).
Last week's evening portion of the contest, a second match up at the Riviera, further highlighted the field's diversity. (Several first-round matchups also took place at John Ascuaga's Nugget in Sparks to accommodate Northern Nevada entrants.)
Leroy's spokesman , Jimmy Vaccaro, hosting the program with John Kelly and Arne Lang, used an old Lee Pete line on Sal Selvaggio (4-3 including a best -bet winner), telling the young-looking 28-year-old he has socks older than he is.
Selvaggio, of Maddux Sports, a service in the Chicago area, is clearly from the new era of sports bettors. He says his most memorable winning wager was against a friend on a Nintendo Wii game. The stakes? His buddy had to gain 25 pounds.
His opponent in the Leroy's contest was former Bishop Gorman and Arizona basketball star Matt Othick (4-3 but a best -bet loser). A proxy delivered Othick's selections because Othick, a backer of the Broadway production of the Chazz Palminteri play "A Bronx Tale," was detained in New York.
After the segment at the Riv, Vaccaro invited members of the audience to the nearby Peppermill restaurant "for hamburgers." It was a nice gesture, one that might be difficult to sustain in the coming years if Vaccaro's ambitious plans for the Money Talks contest reach fruition.
A driving force behind the 3-year-old contest, Vaccaro aims to secure corporate sponsorship to back Leroy's and place the contest on national TV, ideally on Saturday mornings as a lead - up to the day's college football action.
"We're very pleased with the way the contest is going," Vaccaro said. "The following it has developed has been unbelievable. The amount of e-mails and phone calls we get about it has been incredible.
"It's getting bigger, but I still firmly believe we haven't touched our full potential. If we can get a sponsor and TV, we can take it to the next level."
Meanwhile, without TV, the trappings of the contest remain amiably low-tech.
After signing off from the radio broadcast at the Riv, there was Vaccaro, one of the most influential bookmakers in Las Vegas history, pulling raffle tickets from a hat - a baseball cap he had borrowed from an audience member. The drawing was to award some restaurant gift certificates to attendees.
By all appearances, Vaccaro was enjoying the spectacle, slowly and dramatically "squeezing out" the numbers on the raffle tickets as if he were a pai gow poker player, the better to prolong the suspense.
Have your kids create an easy Turkey craft to decorate the Thanksgiving table.
"Every year I find a gobbler project that I make for Thanksgiving," he notes from Middlebury, Indiana. This time, though, he came up with a design of his own. "I remembered how I used to trace around my hand in kindergarten to draw a turkey," he notes. "So I sorted through my mother's box of unmatched winter gloves and picked out one to dress up with felt and feathers. We put it on the table as a centerpiece." You can create a tom, too!
First, ask a parent for the materials and help if you need it. Then follow the simple instructions we have here. You Will NeedPatterns (below) Tracing paper Pencil Scissors Scraps of red and yellow felt Brown knit glove Polyester fiberfill Clean empty pudding cup Two types of feathers (sold in craft stores) Two 10 millimeter wiggle eyes Low temperature glue gun and glue stick. What to Do1. Trace patterns onto tracing paper and cut out. Cut felt as directed on patterns. Stuff thumb and fingers of glove with polyester fiberfill. Turn pudding cup upside down and pull open end of glove over cup so glove stands.
2. Referring to the photo above for position, glue a wiggle eye on each side of the thumb for a face.
3. Fold the beak in half so the points match. Apply glue to the back of the fold and attach it to the front of the thumb. Glue the narrow straight end of the wattle under the beak. 4. Glue feathers to all sides of fingers. Finished size: Turkey shown is about 7 inches high x 6 inches wide. Size will vary with the glove used.
First, ask a parent for the materials and help if you need it. Then follow the simple instructions we have here. You Will NeedPatterns (below) Tracing paper Pencil Scissors Scraps of red and yellow felt Brown knit glove Polyester fiberfill Clean empty pudding cup Two types of feathers (sold in craft stores) Two 10 millimeter wiggle eyes Low temperature glue gun and glue stick. What to Do1. Trace patterns onto tracing paper and cut out. Cut felt as directed on patterns. Stuff thumb and fingers of glove with polyester fiberfill. Turn pudding cup upside down and pull open end of glove over cup so glove stands.
2. Referring to the photo above for position, glue a wiggle eye on each side of the thumb for a face.
3. Fold the beak in half so the points match. Apply glue to the back of the fold and attach it to the front of the thumb. Glue the narrow straight end of the wattle under the beak. 4. Glue feathers to all sides of fingers. Finished size: Turkey shown is about 7 inches high x 6 inches wide. Size will vary with the glove used.
Kellie Pickler's estranged mom
Kellie Pickler can stop wondering -- Cynthia Malone, the mother who abandoned her when she fled an relationship with Kellie's father, is indeed thinking about her.
"Leaving my baby [was the worst thing I felt]... Leaving my baby. That was the hardest decision I had to make," Malone said during a television interview that aired while her estranged daughter, whom she abandoned when Kellie was a toddler, was performing her single "I Wonder" at the 2007 County Music Association Awards ceremony on Wednesday night. "The only regret that I have looking back at my life... I have to forgive myself for what I did," Malone told WGHP-TV, a North Carolina Fox affiliate. "If I had a choice, or if I had the tools that I have today, I would have done something so much different."
The song centers on the American Idol fifth-season finalist's relationship with Malone -- and Kellie was visibly emotional throughout the performance, leaving Nashville's Sommet Center stage in tears and speaking the last line of the song instead of singing it. The 38-year-old Malone currently resides in Triangle, NC and referred to herself during the interview as Kellie's "mystery mom" and said she decided to talk because "a lot of misproof has been printed" about her. "I wanted to speak-out for me, and for the victims [of domestic violence]," Malone told WGHP-TV. As a child, Malone said she was abused by her own father, who would "hit" her with "anything" he could find. At the age of 16, Malone said she met Clyde Raymond Pickler Jr. and almost immediately found herself pregnant with Kellie. She said her mother gave her the ultimatum of "have an abortion or leave," so Malone told WGHP-TV she left home and married Clyde. "It started out with the alcohol and then from there, it went to other drugs," Malone recalled about Clyde to WGHP-TV. "The further along I got [in my pregnancy], the worse it got... I was being hit, [almost] miscarried several times with Kellie." During a July interview with Raleigh, NC's The News & Observer, Malone said it was those near miscarriages that helped her realize "God had to have a purpose" for her unborn daughter. Malone told WGHP-TV that family members and friends knew the abuse was taking place during the pregnancy. Kellie was born in 1986 -- and while Malone told The News & Observer Clyde would never hit Kellie because she was his "princess" -- he was still abusing her, and she made the decision to flee in Summer 1988. "When you're in that place, you have to make a decision: [Kellie's] life or yours," Malone The News & Observer. "I'd given her life, but I didn't want to lose mine." Malone said she and Kellie were then estranged until 1995, when a judge granted her custody of the fourth-grader, according to The News & Observer. However since her daughter was raised by her grandparents due to Clyde's constant troubles with the law, Kellie still yearned to be with them and her relationship with her mom came unglued once again. While Clyde was unable to be there for Kellie's Spring 2006 Idol stint because he was completing a three-year prison term in Florida on charges of felony battery and aggravated assault for stabbing his neighbor in 2003, Malone told The News & Observer she recorded every episode and would watch them over and over again. Malone told WGHP-TV she "refuses" to speak publicly about whether she has a relationship with Kellie, although the former Idol finalist claims a relationship does not exist.
"Leaving my baby [was the worst thing I felt]... Leaving my baby. That was the hardest decision I had to make," Malone said during a television interview that aired while her estranged daughter, whom she abandoned when Kellie was a toddler, was performing her single "I Wonder" at the 2007 County Music Association Awards ceremony on Wednesday night. "The only regret that I have looking back at my life... I have to forgive myself for what I did," Malone told WGHP-TV, a North Carolina Fox affiliate. "If I had a choice, or if I had the tools that I have today, I would have done something so much different."
The song centers on the American Idol fifth-season finalist's relationship with Malone -- and Kellie was visibly emotional throughout the performance, leaving Nashville's Sommet Center stage in tears and speaking the last line of the song instead of singing it. The 38-year-old Malone currently resides in Triangle, NC and referred to herself during the interview as Kellie's "mystery mom" and said she decided to talk because "a lot of misproof has been printed" about her. "I wanted to speak-out for me, and for the victims [of domestic violence]," Malone told WGHP-TV. As a child, Malone said she was abused by her own father, who would "hit" her with "anything" he could find. At the age of 16, Malone said she met Clyde Raymond Pickler Jr. and almost immediately found herself pregnant with Kellie. She said her mother gave her the ultimatum of "have an abortion or leave," so Malone told WGHP-TV she left home and married Clyde. "It started out with the alcohol and then from there, it went to other drugs," Malone recalled about Clyde to WGHP-TV. "The further along I got [in my pregnancy], the worse it got... I was being hit, [almost] miscarried several times with Kellie." During a July interview with Raleigh, NC's The News & Observer, Malone said it was those near miscarriages that helped her realize "God had to have a purpose" for her unborn daughter. Malone told WGHP-TV that family members and friends knew the abuse was taking place during the pregnancy. Kellie was born in 1986 -- and while Malone told The News & Observer Clyde would never hit Kellie because she was his "princess" -- he was still abusing her, and she made the decision to flee in Summer 1988. "When you're in that place, you have to make a decision: [Kellie's] life or yours," Malone The News & Observer. "I'd given her life, but I didn't want to lose mine." Malone said she and Kellie were then estranged until 1995, when a judge granted her custody of the fourth-grader, according to The News & Observer. However since her daughter was raised by her grandparents due to Clyde's constant troubles with the law, Kellie still yearned to be with them and her relationship with her mom came unglued once again. While Clyde was unable to be there for Kellie's Spring 2006 Idol stint because he was completing a three-year prison term in Florida on charges of felony battery and aggravated assault for stabbing his neighbor in 2003, Malone told The News & Observer she recorded every episode and would watch them over and over again. Malone told WGHP-TV she "refuses" to speak publicly about whether she has a relationship with Kellie, although the former Idol finalist claims a relationship does not exist.
Guinness Book of World Records
Haute chocolate: A New York eatery is offering a $25,000 dessert bulging with top-grade cocoa, edible gold and shavings of a luxury truffle. The Frrrozen Haute Chocolate was declared the most expensive dessert in the world this week by Guinness World Records. It was created by Serendipity 3, a restaurant featured in a John Cusack movie.
The dessert is a frozen, slushy mix of cocoas from 14 countries, milk and 5 grams of 24-carat gold topped with whipped cream and shavings from a La Madeline au Truffle. It is served in a goblet with a band of gold decorated with 1 carat of diamonds.
The dessert is a frozen, slushy mix of cocoas from 14 countries, milk and 5 grams of 24-carat gold topped with whipped cream and shavings from a La Madeline au Truffle. It is served in a goblet with a band of gold decorated with 1 carat of diamonds.
Vince Vaughn plays Santa's brother
There's benefits to being the brother or sister of a prime minister, president, Nobel prize winner, sports star or Oscar winner.
There's probably plenty of negatives about living in a successful sibling's shadow.
Imagine being the brother of Santa Claus.
The plus would be St Nick would not be stingy with presents for the family each Christmas and you could probably score a ride on Rudolph or Blitzen, but it's a large, rotund shadow to live in if you're his brother or sister.
How could you compete with one of the world's most beloved men?
It's a concept Hollywood studio Warner Bros explores in its new family Christmas comedy, Fred Claus, with lanky comedian Vince Vaughn playing Santa's under-achieving brother.
Paul Giamatti, the star of Sideways and Cinderella Man, fills the role of Santa.
With Vaughn standing just under 2m tall, and Giamatti, a balding red head at the other end of the height scale at 1.74m, it's the oddest brother casting since Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito teamed up in the 1988 comedy, Twins.
Vaughn, 37, who last year was a target for the paparazzi when he became Jennifer Aniston's first love interest since her break-up with Brad Pitt, says there is no sibling rivalry with his two sisters, who are five and six years older.
Vaughn's Hollywood career, including recent high-grossing comedies Wedding Crashers, The Break-Up and his breakthrough role in 1996's Swingers, reached a milestone with Fred Claus, picking up a reported $US20 million ($A21.63 million) pay packet.
It places him in an elite earning club that includes Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler and Julia Roberts.
Back when he was a kid, things in the Vaughn home in Minneapolis, Minnesota, were not so jovial.
Sibling rivalry with his sisters, Victoria and Valeri, was out of control.
"I was the youngest," Vaughn told reporters during an interview on the Warner Bros lot.
"I had two older sisters and we would play board games like Monopoly and they didn't want me to play.
"They'd yell out to mum 'He's knocking over all the pieces' and because they were older they would be allowed to go out and do more things than me.
"And they'd say, 'Why doesn't he do more around the house? When we were his age we had to cut the grass'.
"Then as you get older and get out of the house it changed.
"We're really tight now and they're my best friends.
"We laugh at all that stuff now."
His sisters also played a role in one of his most disappointing Christmas memories.
Vaughn was six-years-old and two older kids who lived next door to his family delivered some unwanted news to him.
"They said: 'You know there's not a Santa Claus, right?'," Vaughn recalled.
"Of course you don't want to be caught off guard so you say 'Yeah, yeah, yeah I know.'
"Then I went and saw my sisters who were five and six years older than me, so they were 11 and 12, and I felt so betrayed.
"My sisters were like, 'OK, be quiet, but you can't tell mum and dad you know or we're not going to get gifts anymore'.
"I felt I had to keep it going or otherwise we wouldn't get any gifts.
"So, years on I was 16 years old and shaving and still saying 'So when's Santa coming? When's Santa coming?'."
Vaughn and Aniston broke up earlier this year.
He had been friends with Pitt, co-starring with the actor on the 2005 action-comedy, Mr and Mrs Smith. It was on Mr and Mrs Smith where sparks began to fly between Pitt and the film's female lead, Angelina Jolie.
Vaughn and Aniston teamed up a year later on the ironically titled romantic comedy, The Break-Up, where their friendship turned into romance.
The public exposure was a relatively new experience for Vaughn, whose previous romances never put him on the cover of The National Enquirer.
He has no regrets.
"If you like someone you like someone," Vaughn said.
"I think when you're younger we all say 'I'll never date anyone like this' but then you end up dating someone like that because that's what love is.
"You can't pick it from a logical place.
"You connect with people.
"For me the people I've dated for any period of time, there's always a friendship there.
"I think that becomes the ultimate thing."
The actor said the media landscape in Hollywood had dramatically changed in the past 20 years.
"When I first came out to LA I was 18 and there was only one show focused on celebrities and that was Entertainment Tonight," he said.
"There was no E! channel and my friends, like the guys from Swingers, were all vulnerable actors and none of us ever even thought about being famous.
"We wondered if we could be working actors.
"I was happy to get a TV commercial or a couple of lines on TV show."
Fred Claus opens in Australia November 15.
There's probably plenty of negatives about living in a successful sibling's shadow.
Imagine being the brother of Santa Claus.
The plus would be St Nick would not be stingy with presents for the family each Christmas and you could probably score a ride on Rudolph or Blitzen, but it's a large, rotund shadow to live in if you're his brother or sister.
How could you compete with one of the world's most beloved men?
It's a concept Hollywood studio Warner Bros explores in its new family Christmas comedy, Fred Claus, with lanky comedian Vince Vaughn playing Santa's under-achieving brother.
Paul Giamatti, the star of Sideways and Cinderella Man, fills the role of Santa.
With Vaughn standing just under 2m tall, and Giamatti, a balding red head at the other end of the height scale at 1.74m, it's the oddest brother casting since Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito teamed up in the 1988 comedy, Twins.
Vaughn, 37, who last year was a target for the paparazzi when he became Jennifer Aniston's first love interest since her break-up with Brad Pitt, says there is no sibling rivalry with his two sisters, who are five and six years older.
Vaughn's Hollywood career, including recent high-grossing comedies Wedding Crashers, The Break-Up and his breakthrough role in 1996's Swingers, reached a milestone with Fred Claus, picking up a reported $US20 million ($A21.63 million) pay packet.
It places him in an elite earning club that includes Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler and Julia Roberts.
Back when he was a kid, things in the Vaughn home in Minneapolis, Minnesota, were not so jovial.
Sibling rivalry with his sisters, Victoria and Valeri, was out of control.
"I was the youngest," Vaughn told reporters during an interview on the Warner Bros lot.
"I had two older sisters and we would play board games like Monopoly and they didn't want me to play.
"They'd yell out to mum 'He's knocking over all the pieces' and because they were older they would be allowed to go out and do more things than me.
"And they'd say, 'Why doesn't he do more around the house? When we were his age we had to cut the grass'.
"Then as you get older and get out of the house it changed.
"We're really tight now and they're my best friends.
"We laugh at all that stuff now."
His sisters also played a role in one of his most disappointing Christmas memories.
Vaughn was six-years-old and two older kids who lived next door to his family delivered some unwanted news to him.
"They said: 'You know there's not a Santa Claus, right?'," Vaughn recalled.
"Of course you don't want to be caught off guard so you say 'Yeah, yeah, yeah I know.'
"Then I went and saw my sisters who were five and six years older than me, so they were 11 and 12, and I felt so betrayed.
"My sisters were like, 'OK, be quiet, but you can't tell mum and dad you know or we're not going to get gifts anymore'.
"I felt I had to keep it going or otherwise we wouldn't get any gifts.
"So, years on I was 16 years old and shaving and still saying 'So when's Santa coming? When's Santa coming?'."
Vaughn and Aniston broke up earlier this year.
He had been friends with Pitt, co-starring with the actor on the 2005 action-comedy, Mr and Mrs Smith. It was on Mr and Mrs Smith where sparks began to fly between Pitt and the film's female lead, Angelina Jolie.
Vaughn and Aniston teamed up a year later on the ironically titled romantic comedy, The Break-Up, where their friendship turned into romance.
The public exposure was a relatively new experience for Vaughn, whose previous romances never put him on the cover of The National Enquirer.
He has no regrets.
"If you like someone you like someone," Vaughn said.
"I think when you're younger we all say 'I'll never date anyone like this' but then you end up dating someone like that because that's what love is.
"You can't pick it from a logical place.
"You connect with people.
"For me the people I've dated for any period of time, there's always a friendship there.
"I think that becomes the ultimate thing."
The actor said the media landscape in Hollywood had dramatically changed in the past 20 years.
"When I first came out to LA I was 18 and there was only one show focused on celebrities and that was Entertainment Tonight," he said.
"There was no E! channel and my friends, like the guys from Swingers, were all vulnerable actors and none of us ever even thought about being famous.
"We wondered if we could be working actors.
"I was happy to get a TV commercial or a couple of lines on TV show."
Fred Claus opens in Australia November 15.
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
France's new President Nicolas Sarkozy casts himself as a moderniser, championing a clean break with the country's traditional ruling elite.
As a highly combative interior minister and leader of the ruling UMP he sharply divided opinion in France - not least by adopting a tough stance on immigration.
He famously described young delinquents in the Paris suburbs as racaille, or "rabble".
That blunt comment - made before the 2005 riots - encouraged some critics to put him in the same category as far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen.
Integration policy
Mr Sarkozy, 52, pushed through measures to curb illegal immigration - including deportations - and to integrate skilled migrants into French society. But he has also advocated positive discrimination to help reduce youth unemployment - a challenge to those wedded to the French idea of equality. His call for state help for Muslims to build mosques was also controversial.
Correspondents say that one of the big questions now is whether he will be able to temper his abrasive style to play the traditional unifying role of the president of France.
Unlike most of the French ruling class, Mr Sarkozy did not go to the Ecole Nationale d'Administration, but trained as a lawyer.
The son of a Hungarian immigrant and a French mother of Greek Jewish origin, he was baptised a Roman Catholic and grew up in Paris.
One of his main political influences is not French but British, according to his other biographer, Nicolas Domenach.
"He admires Tony Blair hugely - for many reasons," he says.
"Tony Blair was able to seduce the media, in the way Sarkozy does. And Sarkozy looks at how Tony Blair was able to sell his political ideology."
Mr Sarkozy has called for "a rupture with a certain style of politics", saying he wants to encourage social mobility, better schools and cuts in public sector staff.
Rise through the ranks
He served as mayor of the affluent Paris suburb of Neuilly from 1983 to 2002, then became interior minister. He also had a brief spell as finance minister in 2004. He's hyperactive, he's ambitious, he's a heavy worker, a workaholic, he never rests," says Anita Hausser, who wrote a biography of Mr Sarkozy and is political editor at the French broadcaster LCI.
She says his appeal is simple.
"He was a lawyer, so he seems close to the people, and he wants to show them that he understands their problems and that he will solve their problems."
It seems that rather than a new ideology, he is a pragmatist who will use any solution as long as it works, the BBC's Caroline Wyatt in Paris says.
Initially a protege of President Chirac, the two fell out dramatically when Mr Sarkozy backed a Chirac rival for the presidency in 1995 - a slight that has never been forgotten.
Even those on the left in France admit Mr Sarkozy is a formidable political force.
He has shown strong protectionist instincts - pouring state funds into saving the ailing French company Alstom. Yet he also promises to make the French less scared of economic success.
He is often described as an Atlanticist, but he too was against the war in Iraq. He is not too keen on the old Franco-German alliance - but upset new EU members by saying those with lower taxes than old Europe should not receive EU subsidies.
He has voiced opposition to Turkey's bid to join the EU.
Twice married, Mr Sarkozy has three children - the third by his current wife Cecilia.
France's new President Nicolas Sarkozy casts himself as a moderniser, championing a clean break with the country's traditional ruling elite.
As a highly combative interior minister and leader of the ruling UMP he sharply divided opinion in France - not least by adopting a tough stance on immigration.
He famously described young delinquents in the Paris suburbs as racaille, or "rabble".
That blunt comment - made before the 2005 riots - encouraged some critics to put him in the same category as far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen.
Integration policy
Mr Sarkozy, 52, pushed through measures to curb illegal immigration - including deportations - and to integrate skilled migrants into French society. But he has also advocated positive discrimination to help reduce youth unemployment - a challenge to those wedded to the French idea of equality. His call for state help for Muslims to build mosques was also controversial.
Correspondents say that one of the big questions now is whether he will be able to temper his abrasive style to play the traditional unifying role of the president of France.
Unlike most of the French ruling class, Mr Sarkozy did not go to the Ecole Nationale d'Administration, but trained as a lawyer.
The son of a Hungarian immigrant and a French mother of Greek Jewish origin, he was baptised a Roman Catholic and grew up in Paris.
One of his main political influences is not French but British, according to his other biographer, Nicolas Domenach.
"He admires Tony Blair hugely - for many reasons," he says.
"Tony Blair was able to seduce the media, in the way Sarkozy does. And Sarkozy looks at how Tony Blair was able to sell his political ideology."
Mr Sarkozy has called for "a rupture with a certain style of politics", saying he wants to encourage social mobility, better schools and cuts in public sector staff.
Rise through the ranks
He served as mayor of the affluent Paris suburb of Neuilly from 1983 to 2002, then became interior minister. He also had a brief spell as finance minister in 2004. He's hyperactive, he's ambitious, he's a heavy worker, a workaholic, he never rests," says Anita Hausser, who wrote a biography of Mr Sarkozy and is political editor at the French broadcaster LCI.
She says his appeal is simple.
"He was a lawyer, so he seems close to the people, and he wants to show them that he understands their problems and that he will solve their problems."
It seems that rather than a new ideology, he is a pragmatist who will use any solution as long as it works, the BBC's Caroline Wyatt in Paris says.
Initially a protege of President Chirac, the two fell out dramatically when Mr Sarkozy backed a Chirac rival for the presidency in 1995 - a slight that has never been forgotten.
Even those on the left in France admit Mr Sarkozy is a formidable political force.
He has shown strong protectionist instincts - pouring state funds into saving the ailing French company Alstom. Yet he also promises to make the French less scared of economic success.
He is often described as an Atlanticist, but he too was against the war in Iraq. He is not too keen on the old Franco-German alliance - but upset new EU members by saying those with lower taxes than old Europe should not receive EU subsidies.
He has voiced opposition to Turkey's bid to join the EU.
Twice married, Mr Sarkozy has three children - the third by his current wife Cecilia.
Christmas MOVIE OF THE YEAR: FRED CLAUS
Given the tasty cocktail of self-amusement and self-contempt that Vince Vaughn brings to almost every on-screen party, it seemed possible that this was one guy who would just say no to Merry Christmas. Forget it: “Fred Claus” is a tacky would-be comedy about family dysfunction that fronts some Scrooge attitude only to dissolve into slobbering sentimentality and canned uplift. Neither here nor there, the film is “Elf” without the goofy jokes, Will Ferrell or heart, “Bad Santa” without the smut, Billy Bob Thornton or spleen.
Skip to next paragraph
Mainly it’s a lackadaisical mess, though one graced with welcome talent, including Paul Giamatti and Miranda Richardson. (Here’s hoping these indie stalwarts pocketed decent studio checks for keeping their gifts in idle.) Mr. Vaughn plays Fred Claus, the disgruntled eldest brother of Nicholas Claus a k a Santa Claus a k a St. Nick a k a Mr. Giamatti, wearing a fat suit and snowy clouds of hair and beard.
Once upon a storybook time the Claus boys were born (to Kathy Bates), only to subsequently go their separate ways. Somehow Nicholas grew up to become Santa, and Fred turned into a Chicago motormouth with pouchy eyes and a hot girl (Rachel Weisz) who in real life would chuck him along with her unflattering wardrobe.
Instead, this lovely meter maid has to play constant kiss-and-make-up with Fred, a hustler by inclination and verbal dexterity who talks big, talks fast and tends to go belly up. Hustling ain’t easy, which is how he ends up in the clink and, shortly thereafter, at the North Pole trying to make good on a loan from his generous baby brother. There, to Fred’s astonishment, he discovers that all the elves in Santa’s workshop are Chinese laborers who earn 25 cents an hour churning out lead-coated toys for the American market at backbreaking, soul-crushing speed. Whoops! That’s the movie I was making in my head as the colors and shapes, and the strings of words were arranged and rearranged from shot to shot, scene to scene.
Lessons are learned, smiles are cracked, as are mirthless jokes, most at the expense of the shorter members of the cast. The director, David Dobkin, who did far better with “Wedding Crashers,” never settles into a coherent or workable groove, trying on moods (breezy, frantic, maudlin) that never stick or develop. (It’s difficult to reconcile the film’s ugly, alternately over-lighted and under-lighted photography with the cinematographer Remi Adefarasin’s professional work in “Elizabeth: The Golden Age.”) The screenplay, credited to Dan Fogelman, feels similarly incoherent, a confusion of shtick and schmaltz. The less said the better about the digital wizardry that sticks famous heads on nonfamous bodies, Frankenstein-style. If you’ve ever wondered what the rapper Ludacris would look like if he were a dwarf, now’s your chance.
With “Fred Claus,” Mr. Vaughn seems to be trying out a more audience-friendly, mainstream persona, something he can cultivate when he’s too old to play naughty. It doesn’t work, partly because the film reeks, partly because nice isn’t (yet) in his on-screen DNA. There’s a touch of the con man to many of his characters, and it often feels as if he’s selling something to someone. Here, though, he doesn’t seem to have conned even himself into thinking this movie a good idea. It’s no wonder when its most memorable scene finds Fred teaching an elf, Willie (John Michael Higgins’s head, Jorge Rodero’s body), how to slow dance, a task that involves the kind of intimate eye-to-crotch gazing not usually seen in Christmas movies.
“Fred Claus” is rated PG (Parental guidance suggested). Sexual innuendo and ninja elf violence.
FRED CLAUS
Opens today nationwide.
Directed by David Dobkin; written by Dan Fogelman based on a story by Jessie Nelson and Mr. Fogelman; director of photography, Remi Adefarasin; edited by Mark Livolsi; music by Christophe Beck; production designer, Allan Cameron; produced by Joel Silver, Ms. Nelson and Mr. Dobkin; released by Warner Brothers Pictures. Running time: 107 minutes.
Skip to next paragraph
Mainly it’s a lackadaisical mess, though one graced with welcome talent, including Paul Giamatti and Miranda Richardson. (Here’s hoping these indie stalwarts pocketed decent studio checks for keeping their gifts in idle.) Mr. Vaughn plays Fred Claus, the disgruntled eldest brother of Nicholas Claus a k a Santa Claus a k a St. Nick a k a Mr. Giamatti, wearing a fat suit and snowy clouds of hair and beard.
Once upon a storybook time the Claus boys were born (to Kathy Bates), only to subsequently go their separate ways. Somehow Nicholas grew up to become Santa, and Fred turned into a Chicago motormouth with pouchy eyes and a hot girl (Rachel Weisz) who in real life would chuck him along with her unflattering wardrobe.
Instead, this lovely meter maid has to play constant kiss-and-make-up with Fred, a hustler by inclination and verbal dexterity who talks big, talks fast and tends to go belly up. Hustling ain’t easy, which is how he ends up in the clink and, shortly thereafter, at the North Pole trying to make good on a loan from his generous baby brother. There, to Fred’s astonishment, he discovers that all the elves in Santa’s workshop are Chinese laborers who earn 25 cents an hour churning out lead-coated toys for the American market at backbreaking, soul-crushing speed. Whoops! That’s the movie I was making in my head as the colors and shapes, and the strings of words were arranged and rearranged from shot to shot, scene to scene.
Lessons are learned, smiles are cracked, as are mirthless jokes, most at the expense of the shorter members of the cast. The director, David Dobkin, who did far better with “Wedding Crashers,” never settles into a coherent or workable groove, trying on moods (breezy, frantic, maudlin) that never stick or develop. (It’s difficult to reconcile the film’s ugly, alternately over-lighted and under-lighted photography with the cinematographer Remi Adefarasin’s professional work in “Elizabeth: The Golden Age.”) The screenplay, credited to Dan Fogelman, feels similarly incoherent, a confusion of shtick and schmaltz. The less said the better about the digital wizardry that sticks famous heads on nonfamous bodies, Frankenstein-style. If you’ve ever wondered what the rapper Ludacris would look like if he were a dwarf, now’s your chance.
With “Fred Claus,” Mr. Vaughn seems to be trying out a more audience-friendly, mainstream persona, something he can cultivate when he’s too old to play naughty. It doesn’t work, partly because the film reeks, partly because nice isn’t (yet) in his on-screen DNA. There’s a touch of the con man to many of his characters, and it often feels as if he’s selling something to someone. Here, though, he doesn’t seem to have conned even himself into thinking this movie a good idea. It’s no wonder when its most memorable scene finds Fred teaching an elf, Willie (John Michael Higgins’s head, Jorge Rodero’s body), how to slow dance, a task that involves the kind of intimate eye-to-crotch gazing not usually seen in Christmas movies.
“Fred Claus” is rated PG (Parental guidance suggested). Sexual innuendo and ninja elf violence.
FRED CLAUS
Opens today nationwide.
Directed by David Dobkin; written by Dan Fogelman based on a story by Jessie Nelson and Mr. Fogelman; director of photography, Remi Adefarasin; edited by Mark Livolsi; music by Christophe Beck; production designer, Allan Cameron; produced by Joel Silver, Ms. Nelson and Mr. Dobkin; released by Warner Brothers Pictures. Running time: 107 minutes.
Qatar player slips in Scrabble Tourney
Mattel Inc. is delighted to announce that the 2007 World SCRABBLE® Championships will be held at the Taj President Hotel in Mumbai, India on November 9–12. This web site will be updated often until the event begins, then minute-by-minute with the latest live results from the Championships. Please join us online to see if Canadian mathematician Adam Logan (pictured at left) will successfully defend his title Many of the games from the last World Championship, in 2005 in London, are available to replay online. Loreta Alban from Qatar is in 103rd place after 12 games (midway of the tournament), at the ninth World Scrabble Championship being held in the United Arab Emirates. Alban had moved into 95th place after the first four games, but the next 8 games did not go particularly well for her as she dropped down to number 103.The other players at the tournament are sharing mixed success, with reigning Gulf Champion Akshay Bhandarkar(UAE) who currently occupies 5th position outshining everyone.The other players from the region are Ralph Lobo (Oman) – 56th; Sanath Hemachandra (Oman)– 70th; Mohammed Zafar (Bahrain) – 89th and Shakir Reshamwala (Kuwait) – 92nd.Bahrain is currently planning to host the World Youth Scrabble Championships, an initiative which would be supported by the country’s General Organisation for Youth and Sports.
Edmund Fitzgerald crew remembered
The Great Lakes shipwreck Museum in Whitefish Point will present the 32nd Annual Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Service at 7:00pm Saturday night. The public is invited to attend this free event. The service includes reflections, music, and the call to the last watch ceremony in which the ship's bell is rung 29 times for each crewman lost on November 10th, 1975.
Ex-Champ Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini's film released
For the 18th year, Washington, DC will play host as the legends and prospects of the boxing world mix with the movers and shakers of the corporate and political worlds during the 2007 Fight Night "Fight for Children" benefit boxing event Thursday, November 8 at the Washington Hilton and Towers Hotel.
The boxing card will feature a number of boxing prospects include three Beltway-area boxers.
The eight-round main event features Smithsburgh, MD lightweight Dean "Pitbull" White as he takes on Leo Martinez of Columbus, OH. White (14-8-1, seven KO's) will be trying to break a three-bout losing streak that includes an eight-round unanimous decision loss to Jamie Palma on September 15 iin Springfield, VA. Martinez (11-9, five KO's) is riding a three-fight winning streak which includes a six-round majority decision win over Jorge Lara on September 14 in Chicago, IL. One of Martinez's biggest victories was a six-round split decision over future IBF Featherweight champion Eric Aiken in October of 2005.
The co-feature bout will be the traditional "Fight for Children" Title bout and that contest will be an interesting Battle of the Beltway. Undefeated Arlington, VA junior welterweight Bayan Jargal will match up against DC's Reggie "The Mechanic" Holly in a six-round contest.
Jargal, a native of Mongolia (3-0-1, two KO's), is coming off a four-round unanimous decision win over Edward Anderson on October 6 in McLean, VA. This will be Jargal's first scheduled six-round contest. Holly (7-2, two KO's) won a six-round unanimous decision over Ken Humphreys in his last outing on June 23 at Howard University in Washington, DC
In other bouts on the card, undefeated Venezuelan heavyweight Wilmer Vasquez (3-0, two KO's) will take on Corey Winfield of Winston-Salem, North Carolina (3-2, two KO's) in a four-round bout. Also, Lancaster, PA super middleweight Nazyir Bell will make his pro debut in a scheduled four-round contest against Atlanta, GA's Breon Smiley (1-1, one KO).
A major draw of this event is the annual gathering of legendary boxing greats. The list of hall of fame boxers that have attended this event over the past 18 years is truly a who's who of the sport, including Carmen Basilio, Floyd Patterson, Archie Moore, Kid Gavilan, Gene Fullmer and Muhammad Ali.
This year's lineup continues in that trend as 10 former greats will be featured at the event. The list includes former heavyweight champions "Smokin'" Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Michael Spinks and James "Buster" Douglas. Five other world champs will be in attendance as well; "The Raging Bull" Jake LaMotta, Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, Aaron "The Hawk" Pryor, Hector "Macho" Camacho, Sr. and "Hands of Stone" Roberto Duran. Popular heavyweight contender "Gentleman" Gerry Cooney rounds out the list of legends.
This is a sold-out event where the money raised from the tickets and the silent and live auction will benefit numerous children's charities in the Washington, DC area.
[edit] Early life and family
Boxing played a prominent role in the Mancini family history. Mancini's father, Lenny Mancini (the original "Boom Boom"), was a top-ranked contender during the 1940s who was widely predicted to be a future world champion. Lennie Mancini's dream, however, was dashed when he was wounded during World War II. Although Lennie Mancini returned to boxing, limitations resulting from his injuries prevented him from fulfilling his potential.[2]
Lenny inspired young Ray to develop his boxing skills and encouraged him to train at a gym when he was quite young. Ray had a stellar amateur career, and in 1978, he made the jump to the professional ranks. His whirlwind punching style caught the attention of network executives at several American television networks, and he became a regular on their sports programming. During this time Ray Mancini defeated some excellent boxers, including former United States champion Norman Goins.
[edit] Lightweight championship
His first attempt at a world title came in his next bout, when he was pitted against Alexis Arguello. The event was selected by many (including Ring Magazine and ESPN) as one of the most spectacular fights of the 1980s. Mancini gave Arguello trouble, but the more experienced champion used his experience to his advantage and took out the challenger in 14 rounds. Mancini was saddened by his first defeat, but not about to give up on his dream.
[edit] Frias
On May 8, 1982, in a match held in Las Vegas, he challenged the new world champion, Arturo Frias, for the world lightweight title.[3] Fifteen seconds into the fight, the fast starting champion caught Mancini with a right to the chin and Mancini shook. Another combination made Mancini start bleeding from his eyebrow. Mancini stormed back and dropped the champion right in the center of the ring with a spectacular combination. Dazed and surprised, Frias got back up, but Mancini went after his prey with a fury, and was on top of him the moment the referee said they could go on, trapping Frias against the ropes. After many unanswered blows, the referee stopped the fight, and the Mancini family finally had a world champion.[1]
Before his confrontation with Frias and during training camp in Tucson, three gunmen paid a visit to Mancini at his hotel. The gunmen were told he was not there, they never came back, and Mancini trained with police surveillance until the fight.[citation needed]
[edit] Deuk Koo Kim
Mancini's first defense, against former world champion Ernesto Espana, went smoothly with a Mancini knockout win in 6 rounds.
His next defense would change both his life and the face of boxing: On November 13, 1982, a 21-year-old Mancini met 23-year-old South Korean challenger Deuk Koo Kim. Kim had to lose several pounds before the fight to make the weight, and was dehydrated. The title bout, at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, was televised live at 1:00 PST on CBS Sports. By fight time, Kim was spent. It was, according to many observers, a fight filled with action, but Mancini had an easy time hitting Kim during the 14 rounds the fight lasted. Kim sustained brain injuries that led to his death five days later.[4] The week after his death, the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine showed Mancini and Kim battling, under the title "Tragedy In The Ring".
Mancini went to the funeral in South Korea, but he fell into a deep depression afterwards.[2] He has said that the hardest moments came when people approached him and asked if he was the boxer who "killed" Deuk Koo Kim. Mancini went through a period of reflection, as he blamed himself for Kim's death. In addition, Kim's mother committed suicide four months after the fight, as did the bout's referee, Richard Greene, in July of 1983.
As a result of this bout, the WBC took steps to shorten its title bouts to a distance of 12 rounds. The WBA and WBO followed in 1988 and the IBF did in 1989.
[edit] Later matches
Mancini began the process of getting his life back together by once again putting on gloves. He went to Italy to face British champion George Feeney, a tough fighter from England. Mancini won a 10-round decision, but he was not the Ray Mancini of old.
He defended his title two more times. In a bout with former world champion Bobby Chacon, which was broadcast on HBO, the overmatched Mexican boxer lasted only three rounds. To fans at least, the old "Boom Boom" appeared to be back. Mancini, however, was making plans to get out of boxing to pursue a less violent trade: acting.
In June of 1984, Mancini, still recovering from the emotional trauma of Kim's death, struggled to retain his title in a battle with Livingstone Bramble in Buffalo, New York. It was to be another Mancini "slugfest." This time, however, he came out on the losing end, defeated after 14 intense rounds.[5] Mancini would lose his title, but not before a fierce effort that resulted in an overnight stay at a hospital and 71 stitches around one eye.[6]
Mancini was not finished, however. He returned to the ring twice to attempt to regain his world title. During a rematch with Bramble in 1985, Mancini famously quoted a line from the 1976 movie Rocky, when he said to referee Mills Lane, "If you stop it, I'll kill ya!" After a tenacious effort, Mancini lost the fight in a 15-round decision. His next attempt came in 1988, when he lost to Hector 'Macho' Camacho in a highly questionable split decision.
[edit] Retirement and later work
Mancini retired officially in 1993, leaving a record of 29-5, with 23 knockouts. His legacy also included an inspirational story involving a young champion who had won the title as much for his family as for himself. The essence of this story was captured in a made-for-television movie based on Mancini's life, which aired in the 1980s.[7]
More recently, Mancini realized his Hollywood dreams, appearing in as well as producing a handful of films. In addition, he gained new fans as a fight analyst for the Fox reality series, Celebrity Boxing. Mancini currently resides in Beverly Hills, California and owns the El Campeon Cigar Company. He remains accessible to fans where he reportedly enjoys talking, taking photos and signing autographs.
On July 13th of 2007, Ray was a Guest on ESPN's Friday Night Fights.
Mancini's career has enjoyed a curious afterlife in the realm of popular culture. Warren Zevon once wrote a song that tracked Mancini's career, up until his fight with Bobby Chacon. In the song, Boom Boom Mancini, Zevon evidently took artistic license when he described Mancini's response to the accidental death of Duk Koo Kim. The best known lyrics of the song are as follows: "When they asked him (Mancini) who was responsible for the death of Duk Koo Kim / he said 'someone should have stopped the fight,' and told me it was him".
Mark Kozelek of Red House Painters has recorded several versions of a song named for Kim, most recently a version on the Sun Kil Moon album Ghosts Of The Great Highway. It happens to be 14 minutes long, the number of rounds Kim lasted in his final bout.
The boxing card will feature a number of boxing prospects include three Beltway-area boxers.
The eight-round main event features Smithsburgh, MD lightweight Dean "Pitbull" White as he takes on Leo Martinez of Columbus, OH. White (14-8-1, seven KO's) will be trying to break a three-bout losing streak that includes an eight-round unanimous decision loss to Jamie Palma on September 15 iin Springfield, VA. Martinez (11-9, five KO's) is riding a three-fight winning streak which includes a six-round majority decision win over Jorge Lara on September 14 in Chicago, IL. One of Martinez's biggest victories was a six-round split decision over future IBF Featherweight champion Eric Aiken in October of 2005.
The co-feature bout will be the traditional "Fight for Children" Title bout and that contest will be an interesting Battle of the Beltway. Undefeated Arlington, VA junior welterweight Bayan Jargal will match up against DC's Reggie "The Mechanic" Holly in a six-round contest.
Jargal, a native of Mongolia (3-0-1, two KO's), is coming off a four-round unanimous decision win over Edward Anderson on October 6 in McLean, VA. This will be Jargal's first scheduled six-round contest. Holly (7-2, two KO's) won a six-round unanimous decision over Ken Humphreys in his last outing on June 23 at Howard University in Washington, DC
In other bouts on the card, undefeated Venezuelan heavyweight Wilmer Vasquez (3-0, two KO's) will take on Corey Winfield of Winston-Salem, North Carolina (3-2, two KO's) in a four-round bout. Also, Lancaster, PA super middleweight Nazyir Bell will make his pro debut in a scheduled four-round contest against Atlanta, GA's Breon Smiley (1-1, one KO).
A major draw of this event is the annual gathering of legendary boxing greats. The list of hall of fame boxers that have attended this event over the past 18 years is truly a who's who of the sport, including Carmen Basilio, Floyd Patterson, Archie Moore, Kid Gavilan, Gene Fullmer and Muhammad Ali.
This year's lineup continues in that trend as 10 former greats will be featured at the event. The list includes former heavyweight champions "Smokin'" Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Michael Spinks and James "Buster" Douglas. Five other world champs will be in attendance as well; "The Raging Bull" Jake LaMotta, Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, Aaron "The Hawk" Pryor, Hector "Macho" Camacho, Sr. and "Hands of Stone" Roberto Duran. Popular heavyweight contender "Gentleman" Gerry Cooney rounds out the list of legends.
This is a sold-out event where the money raised from the tickets and the silent and live auction will benefit numerous children's charities in the Washington, DC area.
[edit] Early life and family
Boxing played a prominent role in the Mancini family history. Mancini's father, Lenny Mancini (the original "Boom Boom"), was a top-ranked contender during the 1940s who was widely predicted to be a future world champion. Lennie Mancini's dream, however, was dashed when he was wounded during World War II. Although Lennie Mancini returned to boxing, limitations resulting from his injuries prevented him from fulfilling his potential.[2]
Lenny inspired young Ray to develop his boxing skills and encouraged him to train at a gym when he was quite young. Ray had a stellar amateur career, and in 1978, he made the jump to the professional ranks. His whirlwind punching style caught the attention of network executives at several American television networks, and he became a regular on their sports programming. During this time Ray Mancini defeated some excellent boxers, including former United States champion Norman Goins.
[edit] Lightweight championship
His first attempt at a world title came in his next bout, when he was pitted against Alexis Arguello. The event was selected by many (including Ring Magazine and ESPN) as one of the most spectacular fights of the 1980s. Mancini gave Arguello trouble, but the more experienced champion used his experience to his advantage and took out the challenger in 14 rounds. Mancini was saddened by his first defeat, but not about to give up on his dream.
[edit] Frias
On May 8, 1982, in a match held in Las Vegas, he challenged the new world champion, Arturo Frias, for the world lightweight title.[3] Fifteen seconds into the fight, the fast starting champion caught Mancini with a right to the chin and Mancini shook. Another combination made Mancini start bleeding from his eyebrow. Mancini stormed back and dropped the champion right in the center of the ring with a spectacular combination. Dazed and surprised, Frias got back up, but Mancini went after his prey with a fury, and was on top of him the moment the referee said they could go on, trapping Frias against the ropes. After many unanswered blows, the referee stopped the fight, and the Mancini family finally had a world champion.[1]
Before his confrontation with Frias and during training camp in Tucson, three gunmen paid a visit to Mancini at his hotel. The gunmen were told he was not there, they never came back, and Mancini trained with police surveillance until the fight.[citation needed]
[edit] Deuk Koo Kim
Mancini's first defense, against former world champion Ernesto Espana, went smoothly with a Mancini knockout win in 6 rounds.
His next defense would change both his life and the face of boxing: On November 13, 1982, a 21-year-old Mancini met 23-year-old South Korean challenger Deuk Koo Kim. Kim had to lose several pounds before the fight to make the weight, and was dehydrated. The title bout, at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, was televised live at 1:00 PST on CBS Sports. By fight time, Kim was spent. It was, according to many observers, a fight filled with action, but Mancini had an easy time hitting Kim during the 14 rounds the fight lasted. Kim sustained brain injuries that led to his death five days later.[4] The week after his death, the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine showed Mancini and Kim battling, under the title "Tragedy In The Ring".
Mancini went to the funeral in South Korea, but he fell into a deep depression afterwards.[2] He has said that the hardest moments came when people approached him and asked if he was the boxer who "killed" Deuk Koo Kim. Mancini went through a period of reflection, as he blamed himself for Kim's death. In addition, Kim's mother committed suicide four months after the fight, as did the bout's referee, Richard Greene, in July of 1983.
As a result of this bout, the WBC took steps to shorten its title bouts to a distance of 12 rounds. The WBA and WBO followed in 1988 and the IBF did in 1989.
[edit] Later matches
Mancini began the process of getting his life back together by once again putting on gloves. He went to Italy to face British champion George Feeney, a tough fighter from England. Mancini won a 10-round decision, but he was not the Ray Mancini of old.
He defended his title two more times. In a bout with former world champion Bobby Chacon, which was broadcast on HBO, the overmatched Mexican boxer lasted only three rounds. To fans at least, the old "Boom Boom" appeared to be back. Mancini, however, was making plans to get out of boxing to pursue a less violent trade: acting.
In June of 1984, Mancini, still recovering from the emotional trauma of Kim's death, struggled to retain his title in a battle with Livingstone Bramble in Buffalo, New York. It was to be another Mancini "slugfest." This time, however, he came out on the losing end, defeated after 14 intense rounds.[5] Mancini would lose his title, but not before a fierce effort that resulted in an overnight stay at a hospital and 71 stitches around one eye.[6]
Mancini was not finished, however. He returned to the ring twice to attempt to regain his world title. During a rematch with Bramble in 1985, Mancini famously quoted a line from the 1976 movie Rocky, when he said to referee Mills Lane, "If you stop it, I'll kill ya!" After a tenacious effort, Mancini lost the fight in a 15-round decision. His next attempt came in 1988, when he lost to Hector 'Macho' Camacho in a highly questionable split decision.
[edit] Retirement and later work
Mancini retired officially in 1993, leaving a record of 29-5, with 23 knockouts. His legacy also included an inspirational story involving a young champion who had won the title as much for his family as for himself. The essence of this story was captured in a made-for-television movie based on Mancini's life, which aired in the 1980s.[7]
More recently, Mancini realized his Hollywood dreams, appearing in as well as producing a handful of films. In addition, he gained new fans as a fight analyst for the Fox reality series, Celebrity Boxing. Mancini currently resides in Beverly Hills, California and owns the El Campeon Cigar Company. He remains accessible to fans where he reportedly enjoys talking, taking photos and signing autographs.
On July 13th of 2007, Ray was a Guest on ESPN's Friday Night Fights.
Mancini's career has enjoyed a curious afterlife in the realm of popular culture. Warren Zevon once wrote a song that tracked Mancini's career, up until his fight with Bobby Chacon. In the song, Boom Boom Mancini, Zevon evidently took artistic license when he described Mancini's response to the accidental death of Duk Koo Kim. The best known lyrics of the song are as follows: "When they asked him (Mancini) who was responsible for the death of Duk Koo Kim / he said 'someone should have stopped the fight,' and told me it was him".
Mark Kozelek of Red House Painters has recorded several versions of a song named for Kim, most recently a version on the Sun Kil Moon album Ghosts Of The Great Highway. It happens to be 14 minutes long, the number of rounds Kim lasted in his final bout.
Fried Turkey for THanksgiving....Southern Style Thanks!
Deep-fried turkey, a concept that started in the south, is gradually rising in popularity nationwide. It's a perfect twist for barbecues, block parties and holiday feasts. In fact, since deep frying turkey requires special equipment and lots of oil, families and groups of neighbors often get together to share the costs and the feast. To get you started, we have several deep-fried turkey recipes for you. For a deep frying turkey experience that is fun and produces delicious results let FriedTurkey4u take the hassle out of your Holiday Celebration. We will cook the Fried Turkey or Smoked Turkey for you. All you have to do is invite your guests and relax.We marinate our fried turkeys in our own select blend of Southern seasonings. Then we inject the turkey with even more flavor. We then deep fry the turkey. The result is a turkey that is Moist, Tender, Juicy, Delicious and Cooked to Perfection. If you've never had deep fried turkey then you owe it to yourself to try this Southern traditional favorite today! Our smoked turkey is seasoned with our own special Southern seasoning blend, injected with a special marinade then smoked over hickory wood. Smoked turkey is a new taste sensation. It is tender, delicious and makes a great holiday treat. Order a smoked turkey today. Not only is it delcious, but it makes great after Thanksgiving sandwiches.
Friedturkey4u.com is a family-owned and operated business.
Friedturkey4u.com is a family-owned and operated business.
Benazir Bhutto's extraordinary career
Like the Nehru-Gandhi family in India, the Bhuttos of Pakistan are one of the world's most famous political dynasties. Benazir's father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was prime minister of Pakistan in the early 1970s.
His government was one of the few in the 30 years following independence that was not run by the army.
Born in 1953 in the province of Sindh and educated at Harvard and Oxford, Ms Bhutto gained credibility from her father's high profile, even though she was initially a reluctant convert to politics.
She has twice been prime minister of Pakistan, from 1988 to 1990, and from 1993 to 1996.
Stubbornness
On both occasions she was dismissed from office by the president for alleged corruption.
The dismissals typified her volatile political career, which has been characterised by numerous peaks and troughs. At the height of her popularity - shortly after her first election - she was one of the most high-profile women leaders in the world.
Young and glamorous, she successfully portrayed herself as a refreshing contrast to the overwhelmingly male-dominated political establishment.
But after her second fall from power, her name came to be seen by some as synonymous with corruption and bad governance. The determination and stubbornness for which Ms Bhutto is renowned was first seen after her father was imprisoned and charged with murder by General Zia ul-Haq in 1977, following a military coup. Two years later he was executed.
Ms Bhutto was imprisoned just before her father's death and spent most of her five-year jail term in solitary confinement. She described the conditions as extremely hard.
During stints out of prison for medical treatment, Ms Bhutto set up a Pakistan People's Party office in London, and began a campaign against General Zia.
She returned to Pakistan in 1986, attracting huge crowds to political rallies.
After General Zia died in an explosion on board his aircraft in 1988, she became one of the first democratically elected female prime ministers in an Islamic country.
Corruption charges
During both her stints in power, the role of Ms Bhutto's husband, Asif Zardari, proved highly controversial.
He played a prominent role in both her administrations, and has been accused by various Pakistani governments of stealing millions of dollars from state coffers - charges he and his wife deny.
It is alleged that this money has been stashed in secret accounts throughout Europe.
Many commentators argued that Ms Bhutto's downfall was accelerated by the alleged greed of her husband.
None of about 18 corruption and criminal cases against Mr Zardari has been proved in court after 10 years. But he served at least eight years in jail.
He was freed on bail in 2004 amid accusations that the charges against him were weak and going nowhere.
Ms Bhutto has also steadfastly denied all the corruption charges against her, which she says are politically motivated.
Until an amnesty in October 2007, she faced corruption charges in at least five cases, all without a conviction. She was convicted in 1999 for failing to appear in court, but the Supreme Court has since overturned that judgement.
Soon after the conviction, audiotapes of conversations between the judge and some top aides of then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif were discovered that showed that the judge had been under pressure to convict.
Ms Bhutto left Pakistan in 1999 to live abroad shortly after her conviction. Questions about her and her husband's wealth have continued to dog her.
She is also appealing against a conviction in the Swiss courts for money-laundering.
During her years outside Pakistan, Ms Bhutto lived with her three children in Dubai, where she was joined by her husband after he was freed in 2004.
She has been a regular visitor to Western capitals, delivering lectures at universities and think-tanks and meeting government officials.
Ms Bhutto returned to Pakistan on 18 October, following a failed attempt to do so by her exiled rival Nawaz Sharif.
He flew back to Pakistan on 10 September to challenge President Pervez Musharraf, the army general who ousted him in a coup in 1999, but was swiftly deported to Saudi Arabia.
Ms Bhutto has been negotiating a power-sharing deal with Gen Musharraf to enable her to return to Pakistan - and seek a third term as prime minister even though this would entail a constitutional amendment.
Gen Musharraf has signed into law an ordinance granter her an amnesty from corruption charges, clearing the way for her to return to fight parliamentary elections.
However the Supreme Court is to rule on whether that amnesty is legal.
Army mistrust
Observers say the military regime sees her as a natural ally in its efforts to isolate religious forces and their surrogate militants.
But she declined a government offer to let her party head the national government after the 2002 elections, in which the party received the largest number of votes.
During the past year or so, she has emerged as a strong contender for power.
Some in Pakistan believe her recent secret talks with the military regime amount to betrayal of the democratic forces as these talks have shored up Gen Musharraf's grip on the country.
Others say such talks indicate that the military may at long last be getting over its decades-old mistrust of Ms Bhutto and her party, which is a good omen for democracy.
Western powers see in her a popular leader with liberal leanings who could bring much needed legitimacy to Gen Musharraf's role in the "war against terror".
Unhappy family
Benazir Bhutto is the last remaining bearer of her late father's political legacy.
Her brother, Murtaza - who was once expected to play an increasingly important role as a party leader - fled to the then-communist Afghanistan after his father's fall.
From there, and various Middle Eastern capitals, he mounted a campaign against Pakistan's military government with a militant group called al-Zulfikar.
He won elections from exile in 1993 and became a provincial legislator, returning home soon afterwards, only to be shot dead under mysterious circumstances in 1996.
Benazir's other brother, Shahnawaz - also politically active but in less violent ways than Murtaza - was found dead in his French Riviera apartment in 1985.
His government was one of the few in the 30 years following independence that was not run by the army.
Born in 1953 in the province of Sindh and educated at Harvard and Oxford, Ms Bhutto gained credibility from her father's high profile, even though she was initially a reluctant convert to politics.
She has twice been prime minister of Pakistan, from 1988 to 1990, and from 1993 to 1996.
Stubbornness
On both occasions she was dismissed from office by the president for alleged corruption.
The dismissals typified her volatile political career, which has been characterised by numerous peaks and troughs. At the height of her popularity - shortly after her first election - she was one of the most high-profile women leaders in the world.
Young and glamorous, she successfully portrayed herself as a refreshing contrast to the overwhelmingly male-dominated political establishment.
But after her second fall from power, her name came to be seen by some as synonymous with corruption and bad governance. The determination and stubbornness for which Ms Bhutto is renowned was first seen after her father was imprisoned and charged with murder by General Zia ul-Haq in 1977, following a military coup. Two years later he was executed.
Ms Bhutto was imprisoned just before her father's death and spent most of her five-year jail term in solitary confinement. She described the conditions as extremely hard.
During stints out of prison for medical treatment, Ms Bhutto set up a Pakistan People's Party office in London, and began a campaign against General Zia.
She returned to Pakistan in 1986, attracting huge crowds to political rallies.
After General Zia died in an explosion on board his aircraft in 1988, she became one of the first democratically elected female prime ministers in an Islamic country.
Corruption charges
During both her stints in power, the role of Ms Bhutto's husband, Asif Zardari, proved highly controversial.
He played a prominent role in both her administrations, and has been accused by various Pakistani governments of stealing millions of dollars from state coffers - charges he and his wife deny.
It is alleged that this money has been stashed in secret accounts throughout Europe.
Many commentators argued that Ms Bhutto's downfall was accelerated by the alleged greed of her husband.
None of about 18 corruption and criminal cases against Mr Zardari has been proved in court after 10 years. But he served at least eight years in jail.
He was freed on bail in 2004 amid accusations that the charges against him were weak and going nowhere.
Ms Bhutto has also steadfastly denied all the corruption charges against her, which she says are politically motivated.
Until an amnesty in October 2007, she faced corruption charges in at least five cases, all without a conviction. She was convicted in 1999 for failing to appear in court, but the Supreme Court has since overturned that judgement.
Soon after the conviction, audiotapes of conversations between the judge and some top aides of then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif were discovered that showed that the judge had been under pressure to convict.
Ms Bhutto left Pakistan in 1999 to live abroad shortly after her conviction. Questions about her and her husband's wealth have continued to dog her.
She is also appealing against a conviction in the Swiss courts for money-laundering.
During her years outside Pakistan, Ms Bhutto lived with her three children in Dubai, where she was joined by her husband after he was freed in 2004.
She has been a regular visitor to Western capitals, delivering lectures at universities and think-tanks and meeting government officials.
Ms Bhutto returned to Pakistan on 18 October, following a failed attempt to do so by her exiled rival Nawaz Sharif.
He flew back to Pakistan on 10 September to challenge President Pervez Musharraf, the army general who ousted him in a coup in 1999, but was swiftly deported to Saudi Arabia.
Ms Bhutto has been negotiating a power-sharing deal with Gen Musharraf to enable her to return to Pakistan - and seek a third term as prime minister even though this would entail a constitutional amendment.
Gen Musharraf has signed into law an ordinance granter her an amnesty from corruption charges, clearing the way for her to return to fight parliamentary elections.
However the Supreme Court is to rule on whether that amnesty is legal.
Army mistrust
Observers say the military regime sees her as a natural ally in its efforts to isolate religious forces and their surrogate militants.
But she declined a government offer to let her party head the national government after the 2002 elections, in which the party received the largest number of votes.
During the past year or so, she has emerged as a strong contender for power.
Some in Pakistan believe her recent secret talks with the military regime amount to betrayal of the democratic forces as these talks have shored up Gen Musharraf's grip on the country.
Others say such talks indicate that the military may at long last be getting over its decades-old mistrust of Ms Bhutto and her party, which is a good omen for democracy.
Western powers see in her a popular leader with liberal leanings who could bring much needed legitimacy to Gen Musharraf's role in the "war against terror".
Unhappy family
Benazir Bhutto is the last remaining bearer of her late father's political legacy.
Her brother, Murtaza - who was once expected to play an increasingly important role as a party leader - fled to the then-communist Afghanistan after his father's fall.
From there, and various Middle Eastern capitals, he mounted a campaign against Pakistan's military government with a militant group called al-Zulfikar.
He won elections from exile in 1993 and became a provincial legislator, returning home soon afterwards, only to be shot dead under mysterious circumstances in 1996.
Benazir's other brother, Shahnawaz - also politically active but in less violent ways than Murtaza - was found dead in his French Riviera apartment in 1985.
'Man vs. Wild' survives controversy
Bear Grylls hopes his reputation as a bloodand-mud-covered adventurer hasn’t been tarnished since it was revealed he wasn’t totally roughing it during the previous season of his popular Discovery Channel survival series, “Man vs. Wild.”
“I think the new shows will reassure them,” Grylls said of the upcoming season. “Everything is strong and double-checked. Discovery is so cautious of everything. If I so much as break wind on these shows, it’s acknowledged now.”
Last July, British television network Channel 4, which airs the show in the United Kingdom as “Born Survivor,” confirmed that Grylls had stayed indoors during some of his expeditions, although the show had depicted him spending the night in the wilderness.
Discovery Channel later issued a statement acknowledging that some elements of the show, which documents the former British Special Air Service soldier surviving in remote locations, weren’t factual, and began airing re-edited episodes featuring a disclaimer and new narration by Grylls explaining what was staged during production.
“I think a lot of the controversy was fueled by people wanting to know more,” Grylls, 33, told The Associated Press. “They wanted to know how we did stuff behind the scenes.” New episodes of “Man vs. Wild,” which air Fridays at 9 p.m., will have more revelations about Grylls’ survival tactics in desolate places such as the Sahara desert, the jungles of Panama and the Patagonian plains.
“I hope they go down well,” Grylls said. “I think the irony is that people are going to enjoy seeing more behind the scenes. It’s going to make the whole program better.”
Rep: Rape not reason illusionist canceled
LOS ANGELES - A representative for David Copperfield on Thursday denied a promoter's claim that the illusionist canceled shows to avoid media scrutiny over a rape allegation.
Copperfield canceled the overseas tour because the promoters failed to pay him and canceled a segment of the tour without the performer's consent, Glenn Bunting said.
David Copperfield canceled his overseas tour because promoters did not honor their contractual commitments," Bunting said.
Copperfield came under investigation last month after a 21-year-old woman told authorities he raped her in July at his estate in the Bahamas. An attorney for the magician has denied the allegations, and no charges have been filed.
He was sued earlier this week by Viva Art International and Maz Concerts for nearly
$2.2 million after he pulled out of 48 shows in the Mideast and Asia.
The lawsuit claims Copperfield backed out because he didn't want to face questions from reporters over the rape claim.
Bunting denied that allegation. He claimed an e-mail from a Maz Concerts executive indicates that Copperfield had the right to cancel the entire tour after the company had canceled a performance in the United Arab Emirates.
The executive's lawyer said the message was presented out of context.
Attorney Dennis Holahan said the promoters and Copperfield's representatives agreed the magician would be paid a fee for the United Arab Emirates cancellation, but that he would perform in Southeast Asia.
"At no point did my client say 'You have a right to cancel and keep all my money,' " Holahan said.
“I think the new shows will reassure them,” Grylls said of the upcoming season. “Everything is strong and double-checked. Discovery is so cautious of everything. If I so much as break wind on these shows, it’s acknowledged now.”
Last July, British television network Channel 4, which airs the show in the United Kingdom as “Born Survivor,” confirmed that Grylls had stayed indoors during some of his expeditions, although the show had depicted him spending the night in the wilderness.
Discovery Channel later issued a statement acknowledging that some elements of the show, which documents the former British Special Air Service soldier surviving in remote locations, weren’t factual, and began airing re-edited episodes featuring a disclaimer and new narration by Grylls explaining what was staged during production.
“I think a lot of the controversy was fueled by people wanting to know more,” Grylls, 33, told The Associated Press. “They wanted to know how we did stuff behind the scenes.” New episodes of “Man vs. Wild,” which air Fridays at 9 p.m., will have more revelations about Grylls’ survival tactics in desolate places such as the Sahara desert, the jungles of Panama and the Patagonian plains.
“I hope they go down well,” Grylls said. “I think the irony is that people are going to enjoy seeing more behind the scenes. It’s going to make the whole program better.”
Rep: Rape not reason illusionist canceled
LOS ANGELES - A representative for David Copperfield on Thursday denied a promoter's claim that the illusionist canceled shows to avoid media scrutiny over a rape allegation.
Copperfield canceled the overseas tour because the promoters failed to pay him and canceled a segment of the tour without the performer's consent, Glenn Bunting said.
David Copperfield canceled his overseas tour because promoters did not honor their contractual commitments," Bunting said.
Copperfield came under investigation last month after a 21-year-old woman told authorities he raped her in July at his estate in the Bahamas. An attorney for the magician has denied the allegations, and no charges have been filed.
He was sued earlier this week by Viva Art International and Maz Concerts for nearly
$2.2 million after he pulled out of 48 shows in the Mideast and Asia.
The lawsuit claims Copperfield backed out because he didn't want to face questions from reporters over the rape claim.
Bunting denied that allegation. He claimed an e-mail from a Maz Concerts executive indicates that Copperfield had the right to cancel the entire tour after the company had canceled a performance in the United Arab Emirates.
The executive's lawyer said the message was presented out of context.
Attorney Dennis Holahan said the promoters and Copperfield's representatives agreed the magician would be paid a fee for the United Arab Emirates cancellation, but that he would perform in Southeast Asia.
"At no point did my client say 'You have a right to cancel and keep all my money,' " Holahan said.
Danica Patrick Revved Up for Indy 500
At five-foot-one and 100 pounds, Patrick is in control of a car that costs $8 million a season to race and weighs 1,550 pounds.
It's been a year since Patrick burst onto the speedway scene, a rookie driver hailed as much for her glamorous looks as her skill behind the wheel. Sunday, in front of a quarter million people at the Indianapolis 500 "brickyard" and millions more watching on TV, she will try to do what she could not last year -- win.
There have been other women Indy drivers, but Patrick is the first female to be given a legitimate chance at winning.
At last year's Indy 500, she placed fourth and led the race for 19 laps -- a never-before-accomplished feat that had the quarter million race fans standing and screaming. For the first time in race history, fourth was first. In fact, it was her picture on Sports Illustrated, not the winner's.
"She electrified this event," said Bobby Rahal, co-owner of Patrick's racing team. "And here the guy who won the race, nobody even knew who it was -- and that's unfortunate for him."
Since Patrick came on the scene, ratings for Indy racing have gone up almost 60 percent.
It's been a year since Patrick burst onto the speedway scene, a rookie driver hailed as much for her glamorous looks as her skill behind the wheel. Sunday, in front of a quarter million people at the Indianapolis 500 "brickyard" and millions more watching on TV, she will try to do what she could not last year -- win.
There have been other women Indy drivers, but Patrick is the first female to be given a legitimate chance at winning.
At last year's Indy 500, she placed fourth and led the race for 19 laps -- a never-before-accomplished feat that had the quarter million race fans standing and screaming. For the first time in race history, fourth was first. In fact, it was her picture on Sports Illustrated, not the winner's.
"She electrified this event," said Bobby Rahal, co-owner of Patrick's racing team. "And here the guy who won the race, nobody even knew who it was -- and that's unfortunate for him."
Since Patrick came on the scene, ratings for Indy racing have gone up almost 60 percent.
Buying a Car: 10 Things NEVER TO SAY to a Car Salesman
Things to Never Say to a Dealer
1. "I'm ready to buy now."This is an admission of weakness and an invitation for the dealer to throw out a price that's slightly below the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) to see if you'll take the bait. It shows that you're too eager and willing to consider an offer, and it also gives salespeople the advantage by allowing them to talk you up as opposed to you talking them down. But by adding some very precise parameters, you'll sound confident and strong from the start. "Don't let them know that you're ready to buy without being very particular. If you're ready, say that you'll buy, but only under these particular conditions," says Gentile. There are two schools on negotiating. Going into the process, Gentile reminds consumers to be wary of the dealer cost. Consumer Reports has something called wholesale price, which is the normal dealer invoice price minus all relevant rebates and incentives. Similarly, most longstanding price-information services advise buyers to research the dealer invoice, along with any relevant incentives, then make a lowball offer that's maybe just a few hundred dollars above invoice. The dealer will follow your figure with a counteroffer that then allows you to go back and forth until there is a compromise.Conversely, a second school believes that making the first offer puts the buyer in a weak position. "When you make an offer on a car, you're digging yourself into a hole," says James "Spike" Bragg, a consumer advocate and founder of Fighting Chance, an information service for new-car buyers. "That offer will be as good as it gets. There's so much today in 'under the radar' sales incentives to dealers, you don't want to limit yourself." According to Bragg, many of the dealer incentives today are awarded on a dealer-by-dealer basis, often handed out for meeting sales targets. Because of this, you can't pin down these incentives on a particular vehicle, and you never know which dealership might be able to provide the better price at a given time. Bragg's method involves faxing quote requests from several different dealerships and asking them for their best bottom-line price on a particular model. His clients sometimes manage to negotiate prices well below invoice, even considering all published incentives. In this day of increased under-the-radar incentives, this method doesn't limit you to a bottom line and certainly has its merits if you're willing to put in the effort. On ForbesAutos.com you can pursue both options. On each of our Reviews pages there is a link to detailed MSRP and invoice pricing. Also, if you go to our "Buy a Car" section, you can select a model, configure it how you like and then request a free dealer price quote.
Monthly Payment
2. "I can afford this much per month."
"Don't tell the dealer what you're willing to pay per month. This is the biggest mistake a shopper can make. Often the dealer will focus on a monthly payment scheme, insisting you are receiving a great deal, but at the end of the day you won't really know what you paid, advises Gentile.
If the dealer can get a number out of you, a common trick is to ask if you can squeeze out a slightly higher monthly payment, then raise the bottom-line price accordingly by hundreds or even thousands. Avoid this by insisting that you focus only on the purchase price. Walk away if the salesperson only wants to talk in monthly payments. Trade-in
Trade-in
3. "Yes, I have a trade-in."
Don't tell salespeople you have a trade-in until a final transaction price is set. If you do and the deal hasn't been made yet, they may try to distract you with the "great" deal they're giving you on your trade-in as they skimp on the real deal. And if you catch that, they may try writing your trade-up for less.
"You'll see games being played — they'll play one off on the other," Gentile says. Once you've decided on a sale price, then you can see what they'll give you for your old car.
Cash-Only Please
4. "I'm only buying the car with cash."
Car dealers make a significant chunk of added profit when they sell you financing. If you don't at least leave the dealer with the possibility that he or she might sell you financing, you simply won't be getting the best deal. Bragg recommends saying something like "I haven't really thought that through yet. Maybe we'll see what you have after we agree on a price."
But be truly noncommittal with financing, even though it's a good idea to line up tentative financing with your lender before you go car shopping.
Still Debating-
5. "I'm not sure…which model do you think I need?"
If you're this undecided, you may end up driving away in a vehicle you neither wanted nor needed. Do the research in advance, and make your first shopping trip a short one. Use this opportunity to gather information and take your spec vehicle for a short test drive. If your uncertainty is apparent, you may end up buying the model with the most add-on equipment, the highest sticker price and, of course, the most profit for the dealer. Before you go shopping, narrow your choices down to three or four vehicles that fit your needs.
My Dream Car
6. "Oh, I've wanted one of these all my life."
As soon as you've lost yourself in the dreamy vision of that gleaming convertible, the salesperson has you hooked, and your chances of getting a great deal are over. "Don't get caught heavy breathing," says Bragg. "Certainly don't admit to your spouse — with the salesman listening in the backseat — that you're in love with the car." Here's where you need to have a communication plan. Try to sound objective and rational. Point out some pros and cons and be observant and calm. Just don't say that you have to have this car.
What Everyone Wants
7. "I'll take whatever the popular options are."
Don't ever ask for the "popular options" especially on a luxury model that already comes loaded. It's an open invitation for overpriced dealer add-ons such as interior protectant, window etching or undercoating. They're all things you can come back for later. Instead, go through the equipment list at home after your first visit to the dealership and then decide exactly what you need.
Lowest You Can Go
8. "What's the lowest price you can give me?"
Most likely, this question won't be taken seriously, and you will be met with a predictable performance. The salesperson will wince, maybe talk to the manager, fiddle with numbers and eventually come back with a price that probably isn't a very good deal for you. But there may be so much apparent effort in this performance that you'll be pressured into settling for that final number. Don't. To avoid this, make an informed and reasonable low offer, then wait for a counteroffer. Don't be afraid of silence. Conversely, don't be surprised if there's even a little drama.
Doing The Math
9. "Sure, I'll look at the numbers with you."
Perhaps quite early in your visit, the salesperson will most likely make an offer to "just go look at the numbers." Dealers do this when they sense you're undecided, but they want to be in the position of control. Getting you in the office makes it harder for you to back out. Wait until you can call the shots of what you want at what price.
The Haggle Factor
10. "I think you can do a lot better than that."
Never scold or accuse the salespeople. Be polite. Compliment them, and show respect. You'll never get the best price if you talk down to them. At least for the moment, you want them to be your friends. Let the scene play out, but leave when the deal's not good enough by quietly suggesting that the competition across town might be more willing to work with you.
The dealership experience can be extremely stressful, but it doesn't have to be. You could know everything there is to know about the cars you're considering, but that's only a fraction of the buying process. If you want that seductive new sedan at a good price, you're probably going to need to know what to say — and more importantly, what not to say.
Some people loathe the whole car-buying experience simply because they anticipate getting conned. A few hundred dollars isn't a big deal on the price of a luxury car, but it's the idea of smart shopping and that sense of getting a good deal that's especially important. For luxury car buyers — notoriously labeled the shrewd shoppers — a good deal is icing on the cake. "The educated consumer is the one who will drive away with the best deal and the best experience," says Rob Gentile, director of car-buying products at Consumer Reports.
To help you take the driver's seat in the buying experience, first learn to play the game, and you might even end up doing some smooth talking of your own.
1. "I'm ready to buy now."This is an admission of weakness and an invitation for the dealer to throw out a price that's slightly below the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) to see if you'll take the bait. It shows that you're too eager and willing to consider an offer, and it also gives salespeople the advantage by allowing them to talk you up as opposed to you talking them down. But by adding some very precise parameters, you'll sound confident and strong from the start. "Don't let them know that you're ready to buy without being very particular. If you're ready, say that you'll buy, but only under these particular conditions," says Gentile. There are two schools on negotiating. Going into the process, Gentile reminds consumers to be wary of the dealer cost. Consumer Reports has something called wholesale price, which is the normal dealer invoice price minus all relevant rebates and incentives. Similarly, most longstanding price-information services advise buyers to research the dealer invoice, along with any relevant incentives, then make a lowball offer that's maybe just a few hundred dollars above invoice. The dealer will follow your figure with a counteroffer that then allows you to go back and forth until there is a compromise.Conversely, a second school believes that making the first offer puts the buyer in a weak position. "When you make an offer on a car, you're digging yourself into a hole," says James "Spike" Bragg, a consumer advocate and founder of Fighting Chance, an information service for new-car buyers. "That offer will be as good as it gets. There's so much today in 'under the radar' sales incentives to dealers, you don't want to limit yourself." According to Bragg, many of the dealer incentives today are awarded on a dealer-by-dealer basis, often handed out for meeting sales targets. Because of this, you can't pin down these incentives on a particular vehicle, and you never know which dealership might be able to provide the better price at a given time. Bragg's method involves faxing quote requests from several different dealerships and asking them for their best bottom-line price on a particular model. His clients sometimes manage to negotiate prices well below invoice, even considering all published incentives. In this day of increased under-the-radar incentives, this method doesn't limit you to a bottom line and certainly has its merits if you're willing to put in the effort. On ForbesAutos.com you can pursue both options. On each of our Reviews pages there is a link to detailed MSRP and invoice pricing. Also, if you go to our "Buy a Car" section, you can select a model, configure it how you like and then request a free dealer price quote.
Monthly Payment
2. "I can afford this much per month."
"Don't tell the dealer what you're willing to pay per month. This is the biggest mistake a shopper can make. Often the dealer will focus on a monthly payment scheme, insisting you are receiving a great deal, but at the end of the day you won't really know what you paid, advises Gentile.
If the dealer can get a number out of you, a common trick is to ask if you can squeeze out a slightly higher monthly payment, then raise the bottom-line price accordingly by hundreds or even thousands. Avoid this by insisting that you focus only on the purchase price. Walk away if the salesperson only wants to talk in monthly payments. Trade-in
Trade-in
3. "Yes, I have a trade-in."
Don't tell salespeople you have a trade-in until a final transaction price is set. If you do and the deal hasn't been made yet, they may try to distract you with the "great" deal they're giving you on your trade-in as they skimp on the real deal. And if you catch that, they may try writing your trade-up for less.
"You'll see games being played — they'll play one off on the other," Gentile says. Once you've decided on a sale price, then you can see what they'll give you for your old car.
Cash-Only Please
4. "I'm only buying the car with cash."
Car dealers make a significant chunk of added profit when they sell you financing. If you don't at least leave the dealer with the possibility that he or she might sell you financing, you simply won't be getting the best deal. Bragg recommends saying something like "I haven't really thought that through yet. Maybe we'll see what you have after we agree on a price."
But be truly noncommittal with financing, even though it's a good idea to line up tentative financing with your lender before you go car shopping.
Still Debating-
5. "I'm not sure…which model do you think I need?"
If you're this undecided, you may end up driving away in a vehicle you neither wanted nor needed. Do the research in advance, and make your first shopping trip a short one. Use this opportunity to gather information and take your spec vehicle for a short test drive. If your uncertainty is apparent, you may end up buying the model with the most add-on equipment, the highest sticker price and, of course, the most profit for the dealer. Before you go shopping, narrow your choices down to three or four vehicles that fit your needs.
My Dream Car
6. "Oh, I've wanted one of these all my life."
As soon as you've lost yourself in the dreamy vision of that gleaming convertible, the salesperson has you hooked, and your chances of getting a great deal are over. "Don't get caught heavy breathing," says Bragg. "Certainly don't admit to your spouse — with the salesman listening in the backseat — that you're in love with the car." Here's where you need to have a communication plan. Try to sound objective and rational. Point out some pros and cons and be observant and calm. Just don't say that you have to have this car.
What Everyone Wants
7. "I'll take whatever the popular options are."
Don't ever ask for the "popular options" especially on a luxury model that already comes loaded. It's an open invitation for overpriced dealer add-ons such as interior protectant, window etching or undercoating. They're all things you can come back for later. Instead, go through the equipment list at home after your first visit to the dealership and then decide exactly what you need.
Lowest You Can Go
8. "What's the lowest price you can give me?"
Most likely, this question won't be taken seriously, and you will be met with a predictable performance. The salesperson will wince, maybe talk to the manager, fiddle with numbers and eventually come back with a price that probably isn't a very good deal for you. But there may be so much apparent effort in this performance that you'll be pressured into settling for that final number. Don't. To avoid this, make an informed and reasonable low offer, then wait for a counteroffer. Don't be afraid of silence. Conversely, don't be surprised if there's even a little drama.
Doing The Math
9. "Sure, I'll look at the numbers with you."
Perhaps quite early in your visit, the salesperson will most likely make an offer to "just go look at the numbers." Dealers do this when they sense you're undecided, but they want to be in the position of control. Getting you in the office makes it harder for you to back out. Wait until you can call the shots of what you want at what price.
The Haggle Factor
10. "I think you can do a lot better than that."
Never scold or accuse the salespeople. Be polite. Compliment them, and show respect. You'll never get the best price if you talk down to them. At least for the moment, you want them to be your friends. Let the scene play out, but leave when the deal's not good enough by quietly suggesting that the competition across town might be more willing to work with you.
The dealership experience can be extremely stressful, but it doesn't have to be. You could know everything there is to know about the cars you're considering, but that's only a fraction of the buying process. If you want that seductive new sedan at a good price, you're probably going to need to know what to say — and more importantly, what not to say.
Some people loathe the whole car-buying experience simply because they anticipate getting conned. A few hundred dollars isn't a big deal on the price of a luxury car, but it's the idea of smart shopping and that sense of getting a good deal that's especially important. For luxury car buyers — notoriously labeled the shrewd shoppers — a good deal is icing on the cake. "The educated consumer is the one who will drive away with the best deal and the best experience," says Rob Gentile, director of car-buying products at Consumer Reports.
To help you take the driver's seat in the buying experience, first learn to play the game, and you might even end up doing some smooth talking of your own.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Ricky Martin kicks off Latin Grammys
LAS VEGAS - Latin music met Sin City glitz Thursday as the Latin Grammy Awards kicked off with a rousing performance by Ricky Martin and the blue-headed musical trio Blue Man Group.
Martin, who earlier took home the award for long form music video for "MTV Unplugged," performed a medley of "Lola" and "La Bomba," while Blue Man Group added their signature frenetic dance visuals. It was one of the show's several planned mash-ups of nominees and Las Vegas Strip staples.
The Puerto Rican superstar was up for three other trophies. Songwriter Juan Luis Guerra and reggaeton duo Calle 13, also started the night with show-leading nominations.
Mexican band La Quinta Estacion picked up the award for pop album by a duo or group with vocal, while Michael Salgado won the trophy for Norteno album for "En Vivo."
Before the nationalized televised portion of the show, when many of the Latin Recording Academy's 49 trophies were awarded, Venezuelan vocal group Voz Veis landed two Latin Grammys — becoming the first group from their nation to be honored.
Voz Veis took home the awards for short form music video for "Ven A Mi Casa Esta Navidad," and Latin children's album for "Como Se Llega A Belen," a collection of Christmas songs.
"This is an important moment," group member Santiago Castillo said after receiving the first Grammy.
Backstage, Castillo noted the group's album had a "magical energy" from the beginning.
"It was done almost entirely a cappella," he said.
Guerra and his band, 440, won the trophy for the tropical song category for the playful, upbeat "La Llave De Mi Corazon." Those who worked on his album of the same name also picked up the award for best engineered album.
The Dominican-born Guerra, who received the Latin Recording Academy's Person of the Year award Wednesday night, led all nominees with five nods, including for album of the year, merengue album, record of the year and song of the year.
Close behind on the trophy hunt were Martin and Calle 13, each with four nominations.
Martin was also vying for album of the year and male pop vocal album. "Tu Recuerdo," a ballad off "MTV Unplugged," was a contender for record of the year.
Calle 13 lost its shot at the music video award to Voz Veis, but the Puerto Rican duo's sophomore album, the politically charged "Residente o Visitante," was a contender for album of the year and urban music album.
One track, "Pal Norte," on which the group highlights hardships faced by immigrants trying to enter the U.S. illegally, was up for the urban music song trophy.
Among the other preshow award winners was Sebastian Krys, who picked up the producer of the year trophy, and Brazilian Caetano Veloso, who won in the Brazilian song category for "Nao Me Arrependo."
Several acts were up for more than one award, including Spain's Miguel Bose, Colombian alt-rockers the Aterciopelados and Puerto Rican reggaeton star Daddy Yankee.
Other nominees for album of the year included pop singer Miguel Bose's "Papito" and balladier Alejandro Sanz's "El Tren De Los Momentos."
Among the other contenders for record of the year were a couple of star-powered duets: Shakira and Beyonce's bouncy "Bello Embustero" and Bose and Paulina Rubio's poppy "Nena." Argentine rocker Gustavo Cerati rounded out the category with his garage rock anthem, "La Excepcion."
The show, being held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, marked the first time Las Vegas landed the Latin Grammys. The show was held in New York last year and has previously bounced between Miami and Los Angeles.
Las Vegas' aura as a party town has made it a popular destination for high-profile award shows in recent years. In May, country music stars converged here for the Academy of Country Music awards. Most recently, it played host to the MTV Music Video awards.
The Latin Grammys were taking things a step further. Apart from the Martin-Blue Man Group performance, the telecast was incorporating Vegas showgirls from the long-running Tropicana Resort & Casino's "Folies Bergere," and elements from more contemporary shows such "HavanaNightShow" and "Stomp Out Loud."
The Latin Grammys, scheduled for the third year in a row in Spanish on Univision Network stations, were also slated to feature performances by Bose, Latin hip-hop group Orishas, reggaeton star Ivy Queen and Mexican regional music band Intocable.
Martin, who earlier took home the award for long form music video for "MTV Unplugged," performed a medley of "Lola" and "La Bomba," while Blue Man Group added their signature frenetic dance visuals. It was one of the show's several planned mash-ups of nominees and Las Vegas Strip staples.
The Puerto Rican superstar was up for three other trophies. Songwriter Juan Luis Guerra and reggaeton duo Calle 13, also started the night with show-leading nominations.
Mexican band La Quinta Estacion picked up the award for pop album by a duo or group with vocal, while Michael Salgado won the trophy for Norteno album for "En Vivo."
Before the nationalized televised portion of the show, when many of the Latin Recording Academy's 49 trophies were awarded, Venezuelan vocal group Voz Veis landed two Latin Grammys — becoming the first group from their nation to be honored.
Voz Veis took home the awards for short form music video for "Ven A Mi Casa Esta Navidad," and Latin children's album for "Como Se Llega A Belen," a collection of Christmas songs.
"This is an important moment," group member Santiago Castillo said after receiving the first Grammy.
Backstage, Castillo noted the group's album had a "magical energy" from the beginning.
"It was done almost entirely a cappella," he said.
Guerra and his band, 440, won the trophy for the tropical song category for the playful, upbeat "La Llave De Mi Corazon." Those who worked on his album of the same name also picked up the award for best engineered album.
The Dominican-born Guerra, who received the Latin Recording Academy's Person of the Year award Wednesday night, led all nominees with five nods, including for album of the year, merengue album, record of the year and song of the year.
Close behind on the trophy hunt were Martin and Calle 13, each with four nominations.
Martin was also vying for album of the year and male pop vocal album. "Tu Recuerdo," a ballad off "MTV Unplugged," was a contender for record of the year.
Calle 13 lost its shot at the music video award to Voz Veis, but the Puerto Rican duo's sophomore album, the politically charged "Residente o Visitante," was a contender for album of the year and urban music album.
One track, "Pal Norte," on which the group highlights hardships faced by immigrants trying to enter the U.S. illegally, was up for the urban music song trophy.
Among the other preshow award winners was Sebastian Krys, who picked up the producer of the year trophy, and Brazilian Caetano Veloso, who won in the Brazilian song category for "Nao Me Arrependo."
Several acts were up for more than one award, including Spain's Miguel Bose, Colombian alt-rockers the Aterciopelados and Puerto Rican reggaeton star Daddy Yankee.
Other nominees for album of the year included pop singer Miguel Bose's "Papito" and balladier Alejandro Sanz's "El Tren De Los Momentos."
Among the other contenders for record of the year were a couple of star-powered duets: Shakira and Beyonce's bouncy "Bello Embustero" and Bose and Paulina Rubio's poppy "Nena." Argentine rocker Gustavo Cerati rounded out the category with his garage rock anthem, "La Excepcion."
The show, being held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, marked the first time Las Vegas landed the Latin Grammys. The show was held in New York last year and has previously bounced between Miami and Los Angeles.
Las Vegas' aura as a party town has made it a popular destination for high-profile award shows in recent years. In May, country music stars converged here for the Academy of Country Music awards. Most recently, it played host to the MTV Music Video awards.
The Latin Grammys were taking things a step further. Apart from the Martin-Blue Man Group performance, the telecast was incorporating Vegas showgirls from the long-running Tropicana Resort & Casino's "Folies Bergere," and elements from more contemporary shows such "HavanaNightShow" and "Stomp Out Loud."
The Latin Grammys, scheduled for the third year in a row in Spanish on Univision Network stations, were also slated to feature performances by Bose, Latin hip-hop group Orishas, reggaeton star Ivy Queen and Mexican regional music band Intocable.
Tim Gunn is Gay? OK
Tonight, Out magazine will honor its 100 most influential people in gay culture with a big bash at Cipriani Wall Street. Kathy Griffin must be on a cruise ship somewhere, so Tori Spelling and Tim Gunn will co-host the camp affair, where the five people on the cover of Out’s December issue—Jennifer Hudson, Mary-Louise Parker, Bryan Batt, Thom Browne and Bill T. Jones—will be among the bellini-sipping award-winners this evening. Annie Lennox is expected to make a special appearance, and Chaka Kahn and Kat Deluna will perform.
We spoke with the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Aaron Hicklin, today to learn more about the selection process behind this year’s honorees.
He talked a lot! Here's what he said:There are five people on our cover that are getting honors this evening. And three of them are gay men: Bryan Batt, a gay actor who plays this very gay ad executive in Mad Men, which is, if you’ve got any kind of understanding of the way Hollywood works, is like a real rarity. I mean, it’s either straight men playing gay or gay men playing straight, but rarely is a gay man playing a gay character.
Then we have Bill T. Jones, who is there for lifetime achievement. He’s somewhere in his fifties now. And he’s a guy who—like everyone on this list in a sense—is very committed to his craft, but also lives his life with a certain sense of integrity, which is what the list likes to applaud.
And the fashion designer Thom Browne, which plays on the magazine’s fashion sensibility, but again a designer who obviously has no issues about being out with his sexuality. He’s very much progressive in terms of his work.
As far as the two women on the cover, they’re there—Mary-Louise Parker is entertainer [of the year] and Jennifer Hudson is breakthrough [artist of the year—mainly because they connect quite powerfully with gay audiences. You know, Parker herself has taken lots of roles in what we’d probably consider gay-interest movies, such as Longtime Companion to Angels in America and even in her projects that are non-specifically gay, like Weeds, she definitely connects and appeals to gay audiences. Mainly because her roles are sort of subversive and not in any sense orthodox, and I think there is a natural appeal there to it there to gay audiences.
Jennifer Hudson—it’s really the more flamboyant nature of her work in Dreamgirls, it’s a musical and it was a stage musical long before [it was a movie] that many gay men loved and kind of lionized. And her kind of story in a sense, her Oscar sort of really connected to a lot of gay readers that we also wanted to appeal to in this list. Plus, she’s following that role with Sex and the City, which is kind of like icing on the cake for a lot of our readers.
In terms of the list itself, I think it’s full of really sincerely considered honorees. People from the writer Edmund White, who’s obviously a New Yorker or someone who lives in New York, to performers like Beth Ditto, who is a vocalist for the band Gossip. These are not obvious people, and they’re not people who would make it into mainstream magazines. They make it into ours because we’re really in a sense about honoring people who are essentially under the mainstream radar.
A lot of people weren’t happy with our selection of Perez Hilton, who shot looking very much like Rembrandt in the issue. But, you know, Time magazine once put Hitler on the cover for Man of the Year, so it’s not really what this list is about. It’s about honoring the breadth of gay achievement across the board. It’s not even about influence or power. It’s really sort of a reflection on the year and the people who came to attention through one means or another, and usually because of their successes in their field. And I think it’d be very hard for anyone to argue that Perez Hilton hasn’t been extremely successful in his field.
I would say one name on here that people have raised [as being controversial] is Michael Rodgers, who is a blogger, Blogactive.com is his blog, and he is the one who exposed Senator Larry Craig a year before he was actually caught in the men’s room at the Minneapolis airport. But, I guess, because he was a blogger and maybe a gay blogger maybe he wasn’t listened to by some of the mainstream media. But he was there very early.
We spoke with the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Aaron Hicklin, today to learn more about the selection process behind this year’s honorees.
He talked a lot! Here's what he said:There are five people on our cover that are getting honors this evening. And three of them are gay men: Bryan Batt, a gay actor who plays this very gay ad executive in Mad Men, which is, if you’ve got any kind of understanding of the way Hollywood works, is like a real rarity. I mean, it’s either straight men playing gay or gay men playing straight, but rarely is a gay man playing a gay character.
Then we have Bill T. Jones, who is there for lifetime achievement. He’s somewhere in his fifties now. And he’s a guy who—like everyone on this list in a sense—is very committed to his craft, but also lives his life with a certain sense of integrity, which is what the list likes to applaud.
And the fashion designer Thom Browne, which plays on the magazine’s fashion sensibility, but again a designer who obviously has no issues about being out with his sexuality. He’s very much progressive in terms of his work.
As far as the two women on the cover, they’re there—Mary-Louise Parker is entertainer [of the year] and Jennifer Hudson is breakthrough [artist of the year—mainly because they connect quite powerfully with gay audiences. You know, Parker herself has taken lots of roles in what we’d probably consider gay-interest movies, such as Longtime Companion to Angels in America and even in her projects that are non-specifically gay, like Weeds, she definitely connects and appeals to gay audiences. Mainly because her roles are sort of subversive and not in any sense orthodox, and I think there is a natural appeal there to it there to gay audiences.
Jennifer Hudson—it’s really the more flamboyant nature of her work in Dreamgirls, it’s a musical and it was a stage musical long before [it was a movie] that many gay men loved and kind of lionized. And her kind of story in a sense, her Oscar sort of really connected to a lot of gay readers that we also wanted to appeal to in this list. Plus, she’s following that role with Sex and the City, which is kind of like icing on the cake for a lot of our readers.
In terms of the list itself, I think it’s full of really sincerely considered honorees. People from the writer Edmund White, who’s obviously a New Yorker or someone who lives in New York, to performers like Beth Ditto, who is a vocalist for the band Gossip. These are not obvious people, and they’re not people who would make it into mainstream magazines. They make it into ours because we’re really in a sense about honoring people who are essentially under the mainstream radar.
A lot of people weren’t happy with our selection of Perez Hilton, who shot looking very much like Rembrandt in the issue. But, you know, Time magazine once put Hitler on the cover for Man of the Year, so it’s not really what this list is about. It’s about honoring the breadth of gay achievement across the board. It’s not even about influence or power. It’s really sort of a reflection on the year and the people who came to attention through one means or another, and usually because of their successes in their field. And I think it’d be very hard for anyone to argue that Perez Hilton hasn’t been extremely successful in his field.
I would say one name on here that people have raised [as being controversial] is Michael Rodgers, who is a blogger, Blogactive.com is his blog, and he is the one who exposed Senator Larry Craig a year before he was actually caught in the men’s room at the Minneapolis airport. But, I guess, because he was a blogger and maybe a gay blogger maybe he wasn’t listened to by some of the mainstream media. But he was there very early.
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