Rihanna comes clean about relationship with Chris Brown
Rihanna is on the cover of the February issue of Rolling Stone magazine.
Rihanna has finally come clean about her rekindled relationship with singer Chris Brown.
Why does this make us feel so dirty?
“It’s different now,” Rihanna told Rolling Stone. The magazine, on newsstands today, features an interview with the R&B diva in which she admits to the reconciliation and says “I wasn’t going to let anybody’s opinion get in the way of that. Even if it’s a mistake, it’s my mistake.”
At least she owns her possible mistake.
“I wasn’t going to let anybody’s opinion get in the way of that. Even if it’s a mistake, it’s my mistake,” she said in the interview.
The reunion wasn’t a big surprise to most people following the story. The release of the couple’s duet, “Nobody’s Business” in November was a pretty big clue.
Brown is still on probation for the 2009 assault on Rihanna. Another violent outburst, according to Rihanna, is ” just not an option … And I wouldn’t have gone this far if I ever thought that was a possibility.”
Maybe Brown isn’t fighting girls anymore, but he may still have a streak of belligerence: Brown allegedly punched musician Frank Ocean in the brawl Sunday night in the 7200 block of Santa Monica Boulevard, the Associated Press reported on Monday.
-Heather
OKC ‘American Idol” auditions to be featured
Ryan Seacrest talks to the crowd at the “American Idol” auditions in Oklahoma City in July. Photo by David McDaniel/The Oklahoman
Thursday marks the final “American Idol” audition episode and the show will feature the Oklahoma City rounds of auditions. The tryouts were held in July at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, and callbacks were held in October and November at the Oklahoma City Boathouse District.
The show airs at 7 p.m. on FOX.
“I can feel the wind sweeping down the plain, darling,” said Mariah Carey in a sneak preview video released by Fox. The video was shot in November as the judges, Carey, Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban and Randy Jackson were arriving at the Boathouse District to shoot audition footage.
“I love this team called the Thunder, man,” Jackson said in the preview.
Jackson is the only original judge from the show and according to Nigel Lythgoe, the show’s executive producer, Jackson is the new Simon Cowell in terms of being the judge with the heaviest hand.
“When other people couch their ‘No, you were crap,’ Randy says it,” Lythgoe said in a telephone interview.
“You guys have a great heritage of fantastic artists,” Keith Urban said in the preview, likely referring to Carrie Underwood, the Oklahoma native who won season four of the show.
Urban is looking for an instrumentalist who is a great singer, Lythgoe said.
“Someone that can capture that magic charisma if you will, and connect with the public.”
Carey is looking for the complete singer/songwriter, Lythgoe said. And Minaj is looking for an artist.
Following the Oklahoma City auditions, the contestants chosen to move on will go to “Hollywood” where Lythgoe says the show has changed the usual audition procedure.
“We split the weeks up and gave a week to the boys then gave a week to the girls, which really gave us an awful lot more focus on the talent this year,” Lythgoe said.
At the end of the final “Hollywood Round,” on Feb. 14, only the top 40 contestants – 20 males and 20 females – will remain.
Will Oklahoma produce another Carrie Underwood? “American Idol” representatives are staying mum about the local results, but Lythgoe said “It’s the girls’ season to lose,” and “I would say just off the top of my head, there are five or six really good guys.”
Congrats flood in for Shakira’s new baby boy
n this Jan. 28, 2012 file photo, Colombian performer Shakira arrives for the NRJ Music awards ceremony in Cannes, southeastern France. A spokesman for the 35-year-old Columbian singer says Shakira Mebarak and 25-year-old soccer star Gerard Pique of FC Barcelona welcomed son Milan Pique Mebarak on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013, at 9:36 p.m. in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Lionel
MADRID (AP) — Within hours of Shakira’s baby boy being born, people are already asking about his future career.
Will Milan Pique Mebarak be a famous pop singer liker his Colombian mother, or an international soccer star like his Spanish father, Barcelona defender Gerard Pique?
“Welcome Milan Piqui Mebarak and congratulations to Shakira and Gerard Pique. What would you prefer as a present for the baby, a microphone or some (soccer) boots?” Manchester City striker Sergio “Kun” Aguero wrote Wednesday on Twitter.
Shakira, 35, gave birth to her first child Tuesday in Barcelona in northeastern Spain. Both the boy and mother were said to be in fine health.
Pique’s grandfather, Amador Bernabeu, said the couple was delighted.
“I still haven’t seen him (Milan) in person but I know he is dark-haired and weighs 2.9 kilograms (6 lbs),” Bernabeu told RAC-1 radio.
Congratulatory messages rained down on the couple from both sides of the Atlantic.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos was among the first to wish them the best, while the Pies Descalzos (Shoeless) Foundation for poor children set up by Shakira in 1997 sent a Twitter message saying, “The children and Pies Descalzos team are happy for Milan’s birth. We love you Shakira!”
Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas tweeted a welcome to the baby, saying he “can’t wait to meet you.”
Antonella Roccuzzo, the girlfriend of Argentine soccer ace Lionel Messi, tweeted “Welcome to the world Milan Pique Mebarak. Now Thiaguin will have a great friend,” in reference to her recently-born son.
One of the big surprises was child’s first name. In a statement, Shakira said Milan was of central European origin and meant “loved, full of grace, loving,” in Slavic and “unification” in Sanksrit.
Milan, coincidentally, is also the name of the famous soccer team from that Italian city and Barcelona’s next rival in the European Champions League.
Bernabeu admitted the family was surprised by the choice and confessed he had never heard of the name. “I think Milan will become fashionable,” he told the radio.
The grandfather, a former director of the Barcelona club, made sure Milan was registered as a club member as soon as he was born.
Shakira and the 25-year-old Pique have been a couple for the past two years and are regularly featured in gossip magazines and TV programs in both Europe and Latin America.
Grown up boy bands announce tour
Boys II Men
98 Degrees
New Kids on the Block
Oh, boy band.
The men that made up then-boy bands New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men and 98 Degrees are back at it, fine-tuning their tight harmonies, coordinating wardrobes and polishing choreography. The ’90s boy bands announced a North American tour to kick off May 31 in Uncasville, Conn and will hit Oklahoma City’s Chesapeake Energy Arena June 29.
Did Beyonce sing the National Anthem or not?
Beyonce sings the National Anthem at the ceremonial swearing-in for President Barack Obama at the U.S. Capitol during the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Though nobody from Beyonce’s camp has provided comment, gossip sites are abuzz with the question of whether or not Beyonce sang the National Anthem live at Monday’s inaugural ceremony.
Kristin duBois, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Marine Band on Tuesday told news outlets that the performance had been prerecorded because Beyonce wasn’t going to be able to rehearse with the Marine Band.
“We did prerecord it and it was Beyonce’s decision at the last minute to go with the prerecorded version,” the spokeswoman said. “We prerecorded all music as a matter of course and have done since time immemorial,” she said. “This is our 54th inauguration. There is no question of there not being any music – it’s not because the performer cannot do it.”
Hours after the initial statement from duBois, Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Gregory Wolf backtracked, saying that the band used a prerecorded track and that
“no one in the Marine Band is in a position to assess whether it was live or pre-recorded.”
So it’s still not clear whether Beyonce lip synced or just sang along to a recorded track.
The Associated Press reports:
There’s long precedent for using prerecorded music at inaugurals, due to the District of Columbia’s tendency to be frigid in winter months, making it difficult for brass- and drum-heavy military bands to perform. Yo-Yo Ma used a similar tactic during his performance at Obama’s last inaugural, as the temperatures made his cello difficult to play in tune.
It’s not hard to imagine why a singer might want to lip-sync in such conditions. The high-profile nature of the event alone would be cause enough for some. Cold weather makes singing tough, Aretha Franklin told ABC News.
“I thought it was funny because the weather down there was about 46 or 44 degrees and for most singers that is just not good singing weather,” Franklin said.
Franklin sang live at Mr. Obama’s first inauguration but she did confess to lip-syncing at Game 5 of the NBA Finals in June of 2004.
Kelly Clarkson elected to sing live “My Country, `Tis of Thee”.
-Heather
Obama inauguration playlist: Beyonce, Wonder, fun.
President Obama released an official playlist through the digital music service Spotify on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2013. The list includes songs by Beyonce, (above), Stevie Wonder,(bottom) John Legend (below), Usher, fun. and other acts set to perform during various inauguration events. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — President Barack Obama is preparing for all the musicians set to perform at his inauguration festivities by releasing an official playlist.
He released the 16-track playlist, which also includes music by some of his favorite artists, through the digital music service Spotify on Thursday. The list includes jams by Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, Usher and fun. They will all perform at different inaugural events, which start Saturday in Washington, D.C.
Obama’s list also includes John Legend’s “Ordinary People,” “Firework” by Katy Perry, James Taylor’s “Your Smiling Face” and the “Glee” cast version of Lady Gaga’s “The Edge of Glory.”
Other artists include Marc Anthony, Alicia Keys, Brad Paisley, Far East Movement, Kelly Clarkson, Nick Cannon and Mindless Behavior.
Inauguration Day is Monday.
Rihanna’s fashion collection to debut in February
Rihanna’s first fashion collection will debut in February. AP Photo.
NEW YORK (AP) — Rihanna’s collection for British brand River Island is slated for its debut next month during London Fashion Week.
Fashion week organizers listed the pop star on its official calendar of fall previews as they sent out registration materials on Thursday to the editors, stylists and retailers who cover designer collections.
The 24-year-old’s first collection of clothing and accessories will be shown Feb. 16. Items will be available in River Island stores in Great Britain, and in the United States and Japan at Opening Ceremony starting on March 5.
Rihanna said in a statement that an appearance at fashion week is “a dream come true.”
She already has another fashion commitment this year: She signed on to executive produce and star in the Style network reality series “Styled to Rock.”
FLOTUS First Lady’s new Twitter name revealed
WASHINGTON (AP) — Trying to find Michelle Obama on Twitter? Try tweeting her at (at)FLOTUS, which is Washington shorthand for “first lady of the United States.”
Mrs. Obama’s office unveiled her new Twitter identity on Thursday, largely to replace a previous Twitter account under the handle of (at)Michelle Obama. That account was launched a year ago and run by President Barack Obama’s re-election team. It will now be managed by the Democratic National Committee.
The site’s initial tweet promised updates and pictures. Tweets by the first lady herself will be signed “-mo.”
Followers also were asked to re-tweet that initial message to wish Mrs. Obama a happy birthday. She turned 49 on Thursday.
Bridal expert Randy Fenoli to visit Oklahoma City
Randy Fenoli
Calling all brides-to-be: This weekend is your chance to meet with wedding fashion guru Randy Fenoli, star of TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress” and “Randy to the Rescue: The Ultimate Pop Up Salon.”
On Saturday, Fenoli will bring his big rig full of his favorite dresses to JJ Kelly Bridal to help Oklahoma fiancees find the perfect gown. Fenoli will share his unsurpassed dress knowledge and signature “head-to-hem” styling approach with his clients, some of whom will be featured on ”Randy to the Rescue” in September, 2013. For appointments with Fenoli, click here.
Stahl arrested for investigation of lewd conduct
Nick Stahl
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles police say actor Nick Stahl has been arrested for investigation of lewd conduct.
The 33-year-old “Terminator 3” star was arrested about 8 p.m. Thursday on Hollywood Boulevard. He was booked on a misdemeanor count of lewd conduct and released from custody.
The Los Angeles Times reports that Stahl was arrested at an adult movie shop during a routine undercover police operation.
In May, Stahl had been reported missing by his wife, but he later turned up.
Stahl was a child star who performed in the 1993 film “The Man Without a Face.” He also has appeared in the 2003-2005 HBO series “Carnivale“’ and starred in “Mirrors 2” in 2010. An email seeking comment from his publicist was not immediately returned Friday.
Driver runs over Richard Simmons’ foot
Wow, would you be this nice if a stranger ran over your foot????
Thanks for sharing, TMZ!
-Heather
FBI removes many redactions in Marilyn Monroe file
LOS ANGELES (AP) — FBI files on Marilyn Monroe that could not be located earlier this year have been found and re-issued, revealing the names of some of the movie star’s communist-leaning acquaintances who drew concern from government officials and her own entourage.
But the files, which previously had been heavily redacted, do not contain any new information about Monroe’s death 50 years ago. Letters and news clippings included in the file show the bureau was aware of theories the actress had been killed, but they do not show that any effort was undertaken to investigate the claims. Los Angeles authorities concluded Monroe’s death was a probable suicide.
Recently obtained by The Associated Press through the Freedom of Information Act, the updated FBI files do show the extent the agency was monitoring Monroe for ties to communism in the years before her death in August 1962.
The records reveal that some in Monroe’s inner circle were concerned about her association with Frederick Vanderbilt Field, who was disinherited from his wealthy family over his leftist views.
A trip to Mexico earlier that year to shop for furniture brought Monroe in contact with Field, who was living in the country with his wife in self-imposed exile. Informants reported to the FBI that a “mutual infatuation” had developed between Field and Monroe, which caused concern among some in her inner circle, including her therapist, the files state.
“This situation caused considerable dismay among Miss Monroe’s entourage and also among the (American Communist Group in Mexico),” the file states. It includes references to an interior decorator who worked with Monroe’s analyst reporting her connection to Field to the doctor.
Field’s autobiography devotes an entire chapter to Monroe’s Mexico trip, “An Indian Summer Interlude.” He mentions that he and his wife accompanied Monroe on shopping trips and meals and he only mentions politics once in a passage on their dinnertime conversations.
“She talked mostly about herself and some of the people who had been or still were important to her,” Field wrote in “From Right to Left.” “She told us about her strong feelings for civil rights, for black equality, as well as her admiration for what was being done in China, her anger at red-baiting and McCarthyism and her hatred of (FBI director) J. Edgar Hoover.”
Under Hoover’s watch, the FBI kept tabs on the political and social lives of many celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, Charlie Chaplin and Monroe’s ex-husband Arthur Miller. The bureau has also been involved in numerous investigations about crimes against celebrities, including threats against Elizabeth Taylor, an extortion case involving Clark Gable and more recently, trying to solve who killed rapper Notorious B.I.G.
The AP had sought the removal of redactions from Monroe’s FBI files earlier this year as part of a series of stories on the 50th anniversary of Monroe’s death. The FBI had reported that it had transferred the files to a National Archives facility in Maryland, but archivists said the documents had not been received. A few months after requesting details on the transfer, the FBI released an updated version of the files that eliminate dozens of redactions.
For years, the files have intrigued investigators, biographers and those who don’t believe Monroe’s death at her Los Angeles area home was a suicide.
A 1982 investigation by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office found no evidence of foul play after reviewing all available investigative records, but noted that the FBI files were “heavily censored.”
That characterization intrigued the man who performed Monroe’s autopsy, Dr. Thomas Noguchi. While the DA investigation concluded he conducted a thorough autopsy, Noguchi has conceded that no one will likely ever know all the details of Monroe’s death. The FBI files and confidential interviews conducted with the actress’ friends that have never been made public might help, he wrote in his 1983 memoir “Coroner.”
“On the basis of my own involvement in the case, beginning with the autopsy, I would call Monroe’s suicide `very probable,“’ Noguchi wrote. “But I also believe that until the complete FBI files are made public and the notes and interviews of the suicide panel released, controversy will continue to swirl around her death.”
Monroe’s file begins in 1955 and mostly focuses on her travels and associations, searching for signs of leftist views and possible ties to communism. One entry, which previously had been almost completely redacted, concerned intelligence that Monroe and other entertainers sought visas to visit Russia that year.
The file continues up until the months before her death, and also includes several news stories and references to Norman Mailer’s biography of the actress, which focused on questions about whether Monroe was killed by the government.
For all the focus on Monroe’s closeness to suspected communists, the bureau never found any proof she was a member of the party.
“Subject’s views are very positively and concisely leftist; however, if she is being actively used by the Communist Party, it is not general knowledge among those working with the movement in Los Angeles,” a July 1962 entry in Monroe’s file states.
Contest to bring fans onstage with Beyonce at Super Bowl
Beyonce is Pepsi’s newest spokesmodel.
Britney Spears reportedly canned from “The X-Factor”
Simon Cowell has reportedly fired Britney Spears from her gig as a judge on “The X-Factor.”
The LA Times is reporting that Simon Cowell, executive producer of “The X-Factor” is canning Britney Spears from her gig as a judge on the talent show. An insider told US Weekly that Cowell wanted “crazy Britney” but got “boring Britney.”
The controversial singer only served as a judge on the show for one season and during that season, ratings reportedly tanked from the show’s first season. Right now, Demi Lovato and Simon Cowell are the only two judges confirmed to be continuing on the show.
-Heather
Kate Winslet marries husband No. 3
Kate Winslet and Ned Rocknroll married earlier this month.
It’s husband No. 3 for Kate Winslet, the Associated Press is reporting. The 37-year-old Oscar-winning actress married Ned Rocknroll in New York earlier this month. Winslet’s two kids attended the ceremony along with a few friends and family. No word on whether Winslet will change her name to Kate Rocknroll. The beautiful actress’ new husband is 34, the nephew of billionaire Virgin Group founder Richard Branson. Rocknroll was born Abel Smith but changed his name in 2008, according to MTV.com where his ex-wife, Eliza Pearson, is quoted from the U.K.’s The Daily Mail as saying “The whole thing was about having fun with your name. He thought we all took ourselves too seriously so it was about reacting against it.”
Pearson told The Daily Mail that Rocknroll is “unusual” and that’s one thing that drew her to him. Apparently, Rocknroll’s marriage to Pearson was performed by a Shaman who tied the couple’s hands together with a rope. The couple then celebrated on the beach “with Ugandan dancers in an adult-sized McDonalds-esque play pen complete with plastic balls.”
-Heather
Jessica Simpson’s new Weight Watchers ad confirms pregnancy
Jessica Simpson tweets pregnancy clue
Jessica Simpson tweeted this photo of her baby daughter Maxwell playing in the sand. The tweet seems to confirm that Simpson is pregnant again.
Just as Jessica Simpson got a handle on losing 50 pounds of baby weight from her pregnancy with daughter Maxwell, the Weight Watchers spokeswoman is rumored to be expecting again!
On Tuesday, the 32-year-0ld singer tweeted a photo of Maxwell playing in the sand with the words “Big Sis” spelled out in the sand.
The photo is captioned: “Merry Christmas from my family to yours.”
Tweeting the news of her pregnancies seems to be Simpson’s preferred method. She tweeted on Halloween, 2011, that she was pregnant with Maxwell. The singer is engaged to Eric Johnson.
Simpson will abandon her diet during her pregnancy, according to news reports.
-Heather
Ricky Martin wishes he could come out again
Ricky Martin
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Latin superstar Ricky Martin is telling a U.N. conference on homophobia that he wishes he could come out again so he could tell people struggling with their identities that “it’s just beautiful — you find love.”
Martin said Tuesday that “for many years, I loved on fear … because I was hating myself because I grew up listening to a very crooked concept: `You’re gay. You belong in hell.“’
Martin, who is currently starring on Broadway in “Evita,” said it was amazing to be at the United Nations surrounded by people “fighting for one cause — equality and love and social justice.”
He praised U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who got a standing ovation after telling the conference that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people — the LGBTs — “are entitled to the same rights as everyone else.”
“They, too, are born free and equal,” Ban said. “I stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them in their struggle for human rights.”
The secretary-general said he is “pained” that more than 76 countries still criminalize homosexuality.
“I am here to again denounce violence and demand action for true equality,” he said.
While the past decade has seen far-reaching reforms in Europe, the Americas and a number of African and Asian countries, Ban said, in a number of countries — including Ukraine — draft laws have been proposed that would criminalize public discussion of homosexuality.
South African singing star Yvonne Chaka Chaka, a human rights activist and goodwill ambassador for the U.N. children’s fund who is married and has four children, said “I think straight people should respect other people because, for me, I don’t think there’s anything crooked about LGBT.”
Their only “crime,” she said, “is because they love the same gender.”
Chaka said her husband is a prince who is allowed to have three or four wives “but I would not let him.”
I will never allow him to have a second wife, and he knows that. That is why he chose me,” she said. “If he wants to, goodbye.”
This Feb. 12, 2012 file photo shows Wiz Khalifa, left, and Amber Rose at the 54th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Khalifa says the preparation of becoming a first-time father and husband has helped put him in a more mature musical state of mind. “I’m at a different point of my life,” said Khalifa, whose sophomore album, “O.N.I.F.C.,” debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s 200 albums chart Wednesday with more than 141,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen Scan. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, file)
ATLANTA (AP) — Rapper Wiz Khalifa says preparation for becoming a first-time father and husband has helped put him in a more mature musical state of mind.
But that doesn’t mean Khalifa will refrain from his weed-smoking, rock star-like ways.
“I’m at a different point in my life,” said Khalifa, whose sophomore album, “O.N.I.F.C.,” debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s 200 albums chart this week with 141,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen Scan.
“I just want to say things a little bit differently and express myself on another level on the album,” he continued. “I have new responsibilities, but I’m always going to smoke weed and enjoy myself. My son is going to love me for the same reasons others do. I’m not just going to turn into some old fart.”
For the 25-year-old Khalifa, life is just getting started. He and his fiancee, Amber Rose, who is in the third trimester of her pregnancy, are expected to get married at a courthouse in a few weeks.
Khalifa said he and Rose — an ex-girlfriend of Kanye West — want to marry before the birth of their son. He said they will hold a traditional wedding ceremony later with family and friends.
“There’s a lot of excitement going on,” the Pittsburg-based rapper said. “I just worked my (butt) off and tried to be better every day. I’ve just tried to move forward naturally.”
Rose, a model and rapper, appears on Khalifa’s new album. It also features Pharrell, 2 Chainz and the Weeknd, who appears on the current single “Remember You.” The first single, “Work Hard, Play Hard,” is a platinum Top 20 hit.
While the album is finally out, Khalifa and his record label, Atlantic Records, initially struggled over the creative process for “O.N.I.F.C.,” which stands for “Only N-word in First Class.”
He said his label wanted him to focus on producing big hits, similar to his omnipresent jam “Black and Yellow,” which skyrocketed to the top of charts and helped previous album, “Rolling Papers,” sell nearly 200,000 copies in the first week last year and eventually reach gold status.
Khalifa felt otherwise, saying there was a lack of communication between himself and label executives.
“I had less freedom to be creative, but it’s all about communication,” he said. “Business-wise, people want to compare. That’s the main thing you have to get over. “
Khalifa calls the experience a test.
“You’re either going to let it destroy you, be bigger than you or you be bigger than it,” he said. “You have to go through conflict and disagreement. You can’t shut down. You have to really be about your business, your money. If you quit, the label is not. They’re going to keep going and make money. You do, too.”
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Online:
http://www.wizkhalifa.com
Susan Sarandon expands ping pong empire to L.A.
This Dec. 11, 2012 photo shows hotelier André Balazs, left, and actress Susan Sarandon at the opening of SPiN ping pong club at The Standard Hotel in Los Angeles. The newest SPiN club takes over the entire second floor of the trendy Standard Hotel in downtown L.A., boasting a custom-designed red table as its centerpiece. Professional instructors are available to teach the basics to those who didn’t grow up with a table in their basements and to help amateurs perfect their skills. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Ping pong is having a moment, thanks in no small part to Susan Sarandon.
The Oscar-winning actress and self-described “ping pong propagandist” envisions a nation of table-tennis players. To that end, she’s the famous name behind SPiN, a series of “ping pong social clubs” that opened its latest location in Los Angeles Wednesday. There are also clubs in New York, Toronto and Milwaukee.
The newest SPiN club takes over the entire second floor of the trendy Standard Hotel in downtown L.A., boasting a custom-designed red table as its centerpiece. Professional instructors are available to teach the basics to those who didn’t grow up with a table in their basements and to help amateurs perfect their skills.
Sarandon, 66, has been giving ping pong tables to friends and to inner-city schools since she helped open the New York club in 2009, and she talked with The Associated Press about her ping pong mission.
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AP: What led you to become such a ping pong enthusiast?
Sarandon: I am more a propagandist than a player. I love the game because it cuts across gender and age and body type, and you can play it until you die, unlike other sports that you have to abandon at a certain point. It’s a great family game because little girls can beat their fathers. It’s a great dating tool because, you know, rather than just sit and drink and be awkward, you can face each other and have music playing, so it’s a pretty easy sell. … The definition of the club is a community of people who get together to socialize, philosophize and exercise around this little ball. So that’s what we were trying to tap into.
AP: How often do you play?
Sarandon: There was a time when I wasn’t working as much. I had a foot injury but I could still stand behind the table and play, and then I was there a lot. But lately I haven’t been playing that much at all, because I have been all over the place. And that’s what’s great about the social network — once we get clubs up everywhere, if you find yourself in another city, you can just go on the social network and find people to play. So it’s a social network that actually has a brick-and-mortar component to it.
AP: How different are the clubs city to city?
Sarandon: We have certain elements that make up what we’re trying to do, certain design components, but really, it’s all different depending on what kind of drinks are served more often in Milwaukee as opposed to New York, or how much a table would be in those cities. We hope that people have a space that’s very individual and have elements that are very special, and then you work with them to embrace those elements. The club in Dubai is going to be unlike anything we’ve done before. … They’re going for the most expensive table in the world, which is going to be gold plated.
AP: Are you doing a ping pong movie?
Sarandon: Isn’t that hilarious? Yeah, the ping pong movie is a very indie project but it was really fun to do. It’s basically, I guess you could say it’s “The Karate Kid” with ping pong, and I’m Mr. Miyagi.
Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, is expecting a baby
In this Friday April 29, 2011 file photo Britain’s Prince William and his bride Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, leave Westminster Abbey, London, following their wedding. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that the Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby, St James’s Palace officially announced Monday Dec. 3, 2012. (AP Photo/Tom Hevezi, File)
LONDON (AP) — Prince William and his wife, Kate, are expecting their first child. Here’s some key moments in their romance.
— September 2001: William enrolls at St. Andrews University in Scotland, where he meets Kate — a fellow art history student.
— March 2002: Kate models a transparent dress over black lingerie at a charity fashion show at St. Andrews. It’s widely reported that William paid for a front-row seat at the show.
— September 2002: William and Kate move into a shared student house with two other friends.
— May 2003: The couple are pictured deep in conversation at a rugby match, sparking rumors of a romance.
— March 2004: William and Kate’s romance becomes public when they are pictured together on a Swiss skiing holiday. Later that year, media reports that they split briefly as William complained of feeling claustrophobic.
— April 2005: Kate does not attend the wedding of William’s father, the Prince of Wales, and Camilla Parker Bowles in Windsor. Later that year, the pair graduate in the same ceremony at St. Andrews.
— December 2006: William is commissioned as an army officer in front of the queen at Sandhurst and joins the Household Cavalry as a second lieutenant. Kate attends the ceremony.
— April 2007: British newspapers report that William and Kate have split up. Prince Charles’ Clarence House office refuses to comment, but does not deny the report.
— July 2007: Media in the U.K. report that William and Kate have rekindled their romance.
— April 11, 2008: Kate is seen at William’s side at his graduation ceremony from the Royal Air Force, taken as a signal by royal watchers that their relationship is now serious.
— October 2010: William proposes to Kate while on a private holiday in Kenya.
— November 2010: Clarence House officially announces the engagement.
— December 2010: Kate and William attend a charity event to raise money for cancer research, Kate’s first official event as a royal fiancee.
— April 29, 2011: Prince William and Kate Middleton marry in a lavish ceremony at London’s Westminster Abbey. In the months that follow, they travel the globe, often making appearances in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.
— Sept. 14, 2012: A French magazine publishes photos of Kate sunbathing topless at a private house in southern France, prompting a strong condemnation from the royal family.
— Dec. 3, 2012: Royal officials announce that Kate is pregnant with her first child, yet hospitalized for morning sickness.
Cozy chic style works for Vanessa Hudgens
Vanessa Hudgens arrives to The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
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- Vanessa Hudgens is taking more adult roles but keeping her youthful, slightly punk edge in her personal style. Get her look with this Nine West Shiza boot ($124.99 from Amazon.com).
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- Vanessa Hudgens is taking more adult roles but keeping her youthful, slightly punk edge in her personal style. Get her look with this faux leopard fur coat ($138.60 from Express.com).
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- Vanessa Hudgens is taking more adult roles but keeping her youthful, slightly punk edge in her personal style. Get her look with this Blu Bijoux live to give key pendant necklace ($36 at Max & Chloe).
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- Vanessa Hudgens is taking more adult roles but keeping her youthful, slightly punk edge in her personal style. Get her look with this waffle knit sweater dress ($99 from Marciano).
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- Vanessa Hudgens arrives to The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Los Angeles Times (MCT)
Vanessa Hudgens, the star of the Disney “High School Musical” films, is tackling more adult roles in the upcoming “Machete Kills” and “The Frozen Ground.” But the 23-year-old has retained her youthful, slightly punk edge when it comes to her personal style – she’s more likely to don combat boots on the red carpet than sparkly stilettos.
When she participated in “The 24 Hour Plays,” Montblanc’s creative fundraiser for the Urban Arts Project, in New York City, the actress opted for a sleeveless white top, simple black pants and lace-up boots. She was equally as casual-chic in a shirt with studded collar, leather jacket and booties at the recent Hurricane Sandy Celebrity Telethon Fundraiser.
And at the taping of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show this month, she opted for warmth, rather than the barely covered style of some of the other fashionable attendees. Hudgens hit the pink carpet in a knit dress and leopard print coat, braving the chill with stockings, leg warmers and knee high boots.
For a similar cozy look, try the waffle knit sweater dress for $99 from Marciano and the faux leopard fur coat for $138.60 from Express.com.
Hudgens’ luxe red lips and sparkly key pendant necklace added glamour to the ensemble. For a similar necklace, try the Blu Bijoux Live to Give key pendant necklace from Max & Chloe for $36.
A good pair of boots and funky leg warmers are fun ways to dress up your cold weather attire. Try the Nine West Shiza boot for $124.99 from Amazon.com or the Nine West Inthehouse boot for $163.17, also from Amazon.com, along with black slouchy leg warmers for $9.99 from Newegg.com.
2012 Los Angeles Times
Distributed by MCT Information Services
12 unreleased Jimi Hendrix songs to debut March 5
Jimi Hendrix
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A new Jimi Hendrix album is coming March 5.
The musician’s website says “People, Hell and Angels” contains 12 previously unreleased tracks recorded in 1968 and ‘69.
Rolling Stone revealed the album cover on its website Wednesday.
Hendrix recorded the songs apart from the Jimi Hendrix Experience as he considered new, experimental directions for his follow-up to “Electric Ladyland.” He plays keyboards, percussion and a second guitar on the album.
Coyne said he should have known better
Wayne Coyne
According to police reports, Wayne Coyne on Nov. 10, attempted to board an airplane at Will Rogers World Airport with a grenade in his carry-on bag.
Reporting officer Lindel Sides wrote in a police crime report that the grenade was not active and that Coyne was cooperative and up front with him and TSA officials.
“(Coyne) said he should have known better,” Lindel wrote in the report.
Wayne Coyne Tweets apology for shutting down airport security with grenade scare
Wayne Coyne posted this photo on Twitter on Nov. 10, along with a status update, “Sorry Sorry Sorry!! Everyone that was inconvenienced because of my grenade at OKC airport!!”
Wayne Coyne posted this photo on Twitter, along with a status update, “Sorry Sorry Sorry!! Everyone that was inconvenienced because of my grenade at OKC airport!!”
He is posing in front of an etched glass depiction of The Flaming Lips at the airport.
