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  • Nicki Minaj Leaving 'American Idol' Along With Mariah Carey And Randy Jackson

    Nicki Minaj is officially leaving "American Idol" after a season full of feuds, drama and outrageous outfits.

    The news of Minaj's "American Idol" departure comes almost immediately after Mariah Carey announced she was leaving and about a month after Randy Jackson revealed he would be stepping down from the series after serving as a judge for 12 seasons.

    Minaj told her Twitter followers she'd be focusing on her music now that she's leaving "Idol."


    Fiesty judge Minaj was a controversial member of the "Idol" judges panel in Season 12, which saw Candice Glover win the top honor. And it wasn't only because of Minaj's beef with Carey -- many viewers didn't enjoy her judging style and she was constantly being blasted online.

    Rumor has it Keith Urban won't be returning for Season 13 of "Idol" either.

    "All four are gone," an insider told The Wrap earlier this month. "They feel they've lost their core audience and they want it back."

    "I have no official information of anything," the country singer told the Associated Press earlier this week. "I'm pretty much in the same boat as everybody else here with the rumors that have been floating around. It was like this before I signed on ... so it's not unusual for the 'Idol' folks to be in this place of figuring out what they want to do, then they always pull it together."

    So who will be judging "American Idol" Season 13? Vulture recently reported that Jennifer Hudson's deal to join the panel is "essentially done," while a source told The Wrap that "she got the offer and her reps are currently negotiating with [the show's production company] Fremantle."

    Vulture had previously reported that Season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson had been approached about judging Season 13 of "American Idol" as well, while Adam Lambert and Clay Aiken's names were both in the mix. But don't expect to see Clarkson on the panel next year: A rep for the former champ told The Hollywood Reporter that she will not be judging Season 13.

    Celebrity Bikini Bodies Over Age 50

    Celebrities stripping down is hardly a new thing, but the growing number of women who proudly flaunt their bodies at older ages is. From actresses like Sharon Stone to former models like Christie Brinkley, these women continue to defy convention when it comes to age and beauty -- and blow our minds by how fabulous they look.
    Below, a roundup of the best bikini bodies (and sometimes, bathing-suited bodies) over the age of 50.

    'Machete Kills' Trailer Sofia Vergara, Lady Gaga, Mel Gibson & Charlie Sheen Made A Movie Together

    "Machete Kills," Robert Rodriguez' sequel to "Machete," is a real movie and this is its real cast: Sofia Vergara, Jessica Alba, Lady Gaga, Mel Gibson, Danny Trejo, Michelle Rodriguez, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Charlie Sheen Carlos Estevez. Tommy Tune was presumably unavailable because of his duties on "Arrested Development."

    Other than that, not much else to know about this one. Did you like the first "Machete"? Do you like Rodriguez' often charming mix of goofy, grindhouse ultra-violence and sneaky social commentary? Do you want to see what America would look like with Charlie Sheen acting as president? In that case, "Machete Kills" is your movie. Rodriguez and Trejo -- the title sharp object -- debuted the new "Machete Kills" trailer on Yahoo! En Espanol. Watch the trailer, with a Spanish-language introduction from Rodriguez and Trejo, above. The film is out in September.

    Beyonce & Kelly Rowland Discussed 'Dirty Laundry' Before Song Was Released

    Kelly Rowland's "Dirty Laundry" is an extremely emotional song that recounts the singer's many struggles, from domestic abuse to pangs of professional jealousy. Beyonce's to blame for the latter of those battles, as it seemed for some time that she -- not Rowland or Michelle Williams -- was the only singer to really deserve the title of Destiny's Child.

    Time, however, heals some wounds: Rowland (with the help of The-Dream, who co-wrote the song) sings her way through that pain ("While my sister was on stage, killing it like a motherf--ker / I was enraged, feeling it like a motherf--ker / Bird in a cage, you would never know what I was dealing with / Went our separate ways, but I was happy she was killing it / Bittersweet, she was up, I was down"). In an interview with a Washington Radio station (via ContactMusic), Rowland reveals that she played the song for Beyonce and Williams before releasing it.

    Beyonce's reaction is about what you'd imagine. "[She] was just like, 'I never left.' Which was so sweet. It was endearing. She heard how real I was and she was just like "I’m so proud of you.'"

    And just "how real" is Rowland keeping it? Real enough to break down while performing the song at a concert in Washington D.C.

    The trio have been spending quite a bit more time together lately (or, at least, their sound files have), as they recorded "You've Changed," another Rowland track that features Beyonce and Williams. Of course, they also reunited (very) briefly during Beyonce's Super Bowl halftime show.

    House Built on North Carolina Landfill Has Sinking Feeling

    Warren Salter's yard had yielded more problems than dandelions. Just inches below the surface, he's dug up glass, spark plugs, even the hood to an old truck.

    Salter bought his house in Havelock, N.C., in 2001, but by 2003 he realized that something was wrong.

    "Everybody's yard is dropping," Salter told ABC News. "What used to be flat land for the kids to play football in is now big sunken areas."

    "Trees I planted about five years ago, now you look at them and they're tilted down hill toward where everything is sinking," he said.

    The reason, he said, is because the neighborhood was built on an old landfill, one that Salter said was last used in the 1940s and 1950s. The city of Havelock began building out in the 1960s and Salter's home was constructed in 1973.

    "My neighbor knew of the dump before this area was built out. He actually remembers where an old school bus is buried," said Salter. That bus in now believed to be under someone's backyard.

    Salter told ABC News that he only has to dig inches in his yard to find traces of the dump like steel, glass or the truck hood.

    Salter put a call in to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2003 after he realized there was a problem, and they directed him to the North Carolina Division of Waste Management. He said the state conducted studies on the neighborhood around 2005. It was discovered during these inspections that some cavities, or land voids, are a mere two feet below the soil, believed to be caused by now decomposed garbage, he said.

    "I get the feeling that it won't be long before I'm coming home, driving my truck up to my driveway and will sink right through," he said.

    Neighbor Shannon Richards moved into her 1975 house in 2001 and learned about the landfill a year later.

    "My problem is with my house settling. I have cracks in my drywall. I even have some doors that won't close anymore. A couple of years ago, I had a pipe that snapped. That was before we knew of the landfill...now I realize that was probably due to that," Richards said.

    "My dog has pulled glass out of the backyard," she said.

    Richards said the city of Havelock should be held somewhat responsible.

    "[The city] issued the permits to the builders. We'd like for them to come in and properly clean it up. If they can't do that, we'd like for them to buy us out," she said.

    Havelock city attorney Warden Smith told ABC News that a city meeting is scheduled for June 10, but Salter and his neighbors may find it a bit "anticlimactic."

    "As a practical matter, the meeting on the 10th is simply for our office to report the board of commissioners our findings...for these citizens, it may be a fairly disappointing meeting," Smith said.

    "My answer as the city attorney is that the city of Havelock has no liability at all," Smith said. "It wasn't done on their watch."

    Smith explained that the landfill and the dumping predated the establishment of the city. He said, "Private property owners will have to deal with it themselves."

    Neurons Caught in Action Zebrafish Brain Filmed While Firing Signals

    It’s the brain like never seen before. A group of researchers – Misha Ahrens, neurobiologist, and Phillipp Keller, microbiologist from Howard Hughes medical Institute’s Janelia Farm Research Campus, have been able to see individual neurons firing in the brain of a larval zebra-fish, recording activities across the entire fish brain.

    They have mapped the exact firing pattern for 80% of the 100,000 neurons in the brain, suggesting that, should an upscaling of this mapping be done, the human brain might finally be in the imaging line.

    The imaging technique is ingenious, but theoretically simple. The researchers created genetically modified zebrafish, so that the neurons make a protein which fluoresces when there is a change in the concentration of the calcium ions. Calcium ion concentrations change when a neuron fires, meaning that there will be a small fluorescence when a neuron fires.

    Now, a thin sheet of light was sent through the brain and this captures any optical activity in the brain and then records it on a screen. This imaging technique is called ‘light-sheet microscopy’ and the Janelia team was able to upgrade it count at a rate tenfold its original rate. The entire brain of the larval fish was mapped every 1.3 seconds. One whole experiment lasted for 10 hours, generating as much a few terabytes of data.

    Ahrens commented on his pet method, explaining why it is so much better than conventional techniques. Available techniques allow one to image at most 2000 neurons at one go, but this one can see the entire circuitry in the brain. As Ahrens puts it:
    Read more at http://techie-buzz.com/science/zebrafish-brain-map.html#L4pK064y8VK9FjMe.99

    Could Parasitic Worms Treat Obesity Related Disease?

    Chalk this story up in the “eww gross” category. You know those pesky little parasitic worms that we humans try so hard to avoid? Well, it turns out those little parasites may be more helpful to humans than once thought. A study published recently in Nature Medicine has revealed that these dreaded creatures may indeed play a role in preventing obesity related metabolic disorders. The research was done by a team from the University of Georgia, the Harvard School of Public Health, the Université François Rabelais in Tours, France, and the Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
    Hookworms

    In a University of Georgia press release, Donald Harn, Georgia Research Alliance Distinguished Investigator in the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Infectious Diseases said, “Prevalence of inflammation-based diseases is extremely low in countries where people are commonly infected with worms… But the minute you start deworming people, it doesn’t take too long for these autoimmune diseases to pop up”. The researchers hypothesized that this might be a result of sugar-based molecule called glycan, which is excreted by these parasitic worms. This molecule helps protect the worms from our body’s immune defenses which in turn, reduces the amount of inflammation present in the tissues that surround them. Apparently, this reduction in inflammation also helps the human host. Harn and his fellow researchers believe this may have implications for treating all sorts of metabolic disorders.

    The researchers tested their theory on mice. They fed a control group a high fat diet and the other group they fed a glycan sugar diet. Both groups gained weight, bu the control group experienced all of the common problems that come with obesity such as, insulin resistance and high triglycerides. The mice on the special sugar diet did not experience the negative health effects in spite of their increased weight.
    Read more at http://techie-buzz.com/health/could-parasitic-worms-treat-obesity-related-disease.html#wh0ucDAdyFMtwqOs.99

    Samsung Launches The Galaxy Mega 5.8 In India For Rs.25,100

     Enjoy the Smart in 3D Experience Explore Smart TV with Magic Motion

    Along with the Galaxy Mega 6.3, Samsung has also launched the much-awaited Galaxy Mega 5.8 in India. This handset packs a disappointing 5.8 inch qHD display, 1.4 GHz dual-core processor, 8 megapixel camera and more. Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 is one of the world’s top performing Dual-SIM smartphones. This handset comes pre-loaded with Samsung WatchON which transforms the device into an IR remote controller for a great TV experience.

        Mr. Vineet Taneja , Country Head , Samsung Mobile and Digital Imaging Business, said,
        “Consumers in India as in other parts of the world are preferring the larger screen displays in their Smartphones owing to the time they spend doing more with their devices – staying connected with their work and friends/family, web browsing, extensive multimedia viewing and more. To meet the varying lifestyles of our consumers, we are very pleased to offer the Galaxy Mega which further enriches the product portfolio of our award-winning Galaxy series.”


    Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 features a 5.8 inch qHD TFT display, sporting a resolution of 960 × 540 pixels, 1.4 GHz dual-core processor, Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) OS, TouchWiz 5.0 user interface, 8 megapixel rear-facing camera with autofocus and LED flash, full HD (1080p) video recording and playback, 1.9 megapixel front-facing camera for video calls, 8 GB internal memory, microSD card slot, 64 GB expandable memory and much more.

    Other features include a 3.5 mm headset jack, Stereo FM Radio with RDS, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, 3G Connectivity, Samsung Media Hub, Samsung Social Hub, Samsung Kies Air, Google Play Store, S Translator, Samsung ChatOn, DLNA, HDMI out, Bluetooth 4.0 with EDR, 1.5 GB RAM, Wi-Fi Direct, USB 2.0 and a 2600 mAh battery. This handset measures 162.6 x 82.4 x 9.0 mm and weighs 182g.

    Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 comes with a price-tag of Rs.25,100 (approx. $450) in India. Vodafone and Reliance subscribers will get 2 GB of data per month for 3 months with the purchase of this device. This handset will go on sale from next week in India.
    (SOURCE)

    Welcome to ‘Margaritaville,’ the Most Lucrative Song Ever

    New Jersey Governor Chris Christie cut the ribbon on Thursday outside Atlantic City’s newest tourist attraction: Margaritaville. The $35 million, 40,000-square-foot complex houses two restaurants, multiple bars, a beach-themed casino, and several breezy, laid-back retail stores—all tucked away in a larger gambling mecca called Resorts. The singer and songwriter of the eponymous song was conspicuously absent from the festivities. For Jimmy Buffett, the grand opening was no special occasion: The Atlantic City outpost is the 27th Margaritaville in the world.

    Margaritaville Enterprises, founded in 2006 and based in Orlando, sells everything from beachwear to furniture and also oversees at least one Caribbean island resort, two American resorts, and four casinos. You can buy Margaritaville rum and combine it with a Margaritaville drink mixer in your very own Margaritaville blender that costs $349.99. According to the Orlando Business Journal, the company brought in at least $100 million in revenue in 2007. As a private company, Margaritaville doesn’t release information about its holdings, but by all accounts it has only expanded since then.

    To think that all of this poured forth from a goofy, three-chord song—a mere 208 words, roughly half the length of this article—written about being lazy and getting drunk. But as Buffett’s Parrothead empire continues to spread, one can’t help but wonder whether a more lucrative song exists. “If there is anything on the same scale as a Margaritaville, it’s not a song—it’s a motion picture,” says Robert Brauneis, a professor of intellectual property at the George Washington University Law School and author of a research paper on Happy Birthday to You, which continues to generate upwards of $2 million a year. “When you’re talking about hundreds of millions of dollars, you have to think in terms of Star Wars, Winnie the Pooh, or Transformers. That’s probably in the same order of magnitude.”

    As a recording, Margaritaville doesn’t post stratospheric numbers. After debuting on Buffett’s 1977 album Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude, it peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 100 charts. According to the 2012 BBC documentary The Richest Songs in the World, Margaritaville doesn’t crack the top 10, which is populated by three Christmas songs. The two highest-ranking pop songs are You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling, by the Righteous Brothers, and Yesterday, by the Beatles. (No. 1 was Happy Birthday to You.) “If you want to get technical, there are two Margaritavilles,” says Brauneis. “There’s the copyright that protects the song, which is valuable because of the stream of income. Then there’s the trademark that has developed out of the song’s title, and legally that’s a different piece of intellectual property.”

    Olivia Wilde Slips Into Bikini Alongside Jason Sudeikis In Maui Photo

    Olivia Wilde and fiance Jason Sudeikis stripped down to soak up the sun in Maui (May 26). The couple was certainly basking in their engagement glow as they strolled in the surf before rinsing off in an outdoor shower.

    Stacy Keibler's Underwear Peeks Through As She Suffers Wardrobe Malfunction In A Romper

    Talk about an oops moment: George Clooney's prettier half, Stacy Keibler, suffered a wardrobe malfunction this weekend at Monaco Grand Prix when the zipper on her romper came undone. Lucky for Keibler, the zipper didn't hold up the entire ensemble and thus didn't leave her completely in the nude, but it did give us a little peek into what she usually reserves for Clooney's eyes only -- her stringy pink underwear.

    The 33-year-old beauty was her usual stylish self in a short red romper, a thin black belt, giant sunglasses and studded sandals. And from the looks of things, she didn't even notice the zipper on her lower half had come undone.

    Back in March, rumors started swirling that Keibler and her A-list boyfriend were about to split, citing the couple's noticeable age difference as cause. Days later though, the former wrestler was spotted visiting her hunky man Clooney in Berlin, where he was filming "The Monuments Men."

    Man accused of putting 6-week-old baby daughter in freezer

    A Washington state man accused of putting his infant daughter inside a freezer long enough for her body temperature to drop to 84 degrees was charged Tuesday with first-degree child assault, first-degree criminal mistreatment and interfering with the reporting of a domestic violence incident.

    His bail was set at $1 million, NBC station KING5 of Seattle reported.

    Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist said the 6-week-old baby also suffered a broken arm and leg and a head injury.

    Tyler James Deutsch, 25, and the baby's mother live together in a trailer in the city of Roy. The mother left the child alone with Deutsch from about 1:30 until 3:30 p.m. Saturday, KING5 reported.

    The prosecutor’s office said Deutsch told detectives he was tired and the baby was crying, so he put her in the freezer and closed the door, according to KING5.

    The man then fell asleep and only woke up when the mother returned home.

    According to the prosecutor's office, Deutsch did not remove the baby from the freezer until the mother returned to the trailer. The baby was only wearing a diaper, KING5 reported.

    The mother tried to call 911, but Deutsch wouldn't allow it because he didn't want to get in trouble  the prosecutor's office said. She then left the trailer and alerted the neighbors, who called for help.

    Amanda Bynes' Music Career May Be In The Works

    Amanda Bynes may be finished with acting, but the 27-year-old headline-maker has a new career plan for herself.

    Bynes, who has a penchant for using Twitter to do everything from declaring her love for a certain rapper to defending herself against the paparazzi and media, to attacking other celebrities, took to the social media website to announce her plans for the future on Monday morning.

    The tweet, which largely focused on her recent run-in with the NYPD, closes with Bynes looking towards a career in music. "Look forward to seeing me in music videos!" Bynes wrote. "I'm getting in shape and getting a nose job! I'm looking forward to a long and wonderful career as a singer/rapper!"

    If she does pursue her dreams of becoming "a singer/rapper," it won't be the first time that Bynes has tried her hand at music. Her appearance in 2007's "Hairspray" remake included her vocals on the film's soundtrack.

    Shaving Your Armpits How To Tell If You're Doing It Wrong

    Shaving is just as much a rite of passage for girls as it is for boys. We here at HuffPost Style will never forget the moment we first picked up a razor to shave our legs. Fortunately, we got much better at it and have ended up with fewer nicks. But there's one body part that still gives us pause when it comes hair removal: underarms.

    Shaving your armpits requires a bit more finesse due to their hollow shape. It also doesn't help that those hundreds of tiny hairs are all growing in various directions. Waxing or sugaring are effective alternatives to tackle hairy underarms, however both methods can be quite costly and time-consuming.

    To help us all get prepared to bare underarms this summer, senior brand manager of Schick Quattro for Women, Jon Jager, shares his seven tips on how to shave your armpits.

    Always exfoliate first when shaving any area. Exfoliating will get rid of dead skin cells and allow for a closer shave. A mild exfoliator or your favorite body wash with a washcloth will work.
    Shave at night when possible. Shaving can leave skin very sensitive, so apply lotion afterwards and use the night to let the skin recover. In the summer, try to limit your shaving routine to the night before a trip to the beach. Heading into salty ocean water or chlorine when you've just shaved can leave your skin feeling raw and irritated.
    The area should be wet, and you should always use a shave gel. The moisture from a lotion, soap or body wash isn’t designed to stay on the skin for the duration of a shave. Shave gels contain moisturizing benefits that quickly get moisture into the hair and stay there, reducing the force required to cut through the hair. Additionally, shaving should be your final step before leaving the shower. The warm moisture of a shower makes hairs soft and plump and opens your pores.
    Use a razor with a pivoting head and multiple blades to give you a smooth, close shave. This rubber handle razor allows for better gripability and following the contours of a women’s body.
    In hard-to-reach areas ,women tend to run the blade over their skin too much, and repeated shaving of the same area of skin is a major cause of skin irritation and razor burn. A simple solution is using a rich, dense shaving gel which can be clearly seen on the skin, allowing for easy tracking of the shaved area.
    In places where hair grows in different directions, such as underarms and the bikini area, try pulling the skin slightly, making it more taut and easier to shave. Then work upwards or downwards to avoid razor burn.
    Don’t be thrifty! Discard shaving blades after four or five uses to avoid ingrown hairs and shaving with a blunt blade.

    Demi Moore's Boyfriend Will Hanigan Reportedly Has A Pearl In His Penis


    Demi Moore appears to have a new man in her life, 30-year-old Will Hanigan, and here's what we know so far: They met through yoga, he's ruggedly handsome with scruffy blond looks, and he's a pearl diver and "adventurer" by trade, which sounds awesome. And, oh yeah, he may have a pearl in his penis.

    “He had a pearl inserted in his penis when he was in his late teens,” a source told the New York Daily News.

    And while that may sound like an act of youthful rebellion, the insider makes sure to inform us that it's actually a family tradition for Hanigan, a third-generation diver: “It is pearl farming tradition and he would always joke about it in Australia. He’d boast it’d give girls extra stimulation in the bedroom.”

    To investigate any health concerns associated with the gem's delicate placement, the Daily News consulted a urologist who advised that it could eventually "erode through to the surface rather than into the tissue," but in the meantime would likely improve his sex life.

    In any case, Moore and Hanigan seem to be enjoying each other's company. "She's an amazing woman," Hanigan allegedly told Star.

    A friend of Hanigan's recently told The Australian that Hanigan is "an interesting character," adding, "He's a great guy to listen to - a bit wild but good fun."

    Chief Keef Threatens to Assault Katy Perry After She Disses His Song

    Memo to everyone: Don't mess with Chief Keef because he'll majorly overreact and get down right scary.

    The 17-year-old rapper is no stranger to criticism, but it seems he just couldn't deal with Katy Perry's distaste for one of his songs.

    On Wednesday, the 28-year-old pop star tweeted, "Just heard a new song on the radio called ‘I hate being sober’ I now have serious doubt for the world."

    Days after Perry dissed the song, the rapper responded with some choice words:

    After Keef threatened to assault the pop star, he then threatened to take things to the studio and record a new track aimed at Perry:

    With all those lovely messages Keef had for the singer, Perry realized she clearly didn't want to further antagonize a man who raps about threatening to murder a woman who refuses to perform oral sex on him, and was accused of hiring a hit on a fellow rapper. As such, it's not surprising that Perry quickly apologized for her comments about his song "Hate Being Sober."


    It seems like Perry's apology did the trick, because Keef even apologized for his threats as well:

    Kim Kardashian Bares Baby Bump In Lingerie, Asks 'How The F**k Did I Get Like This' In Season 8 Trailer

    It's hard not to feel a little sympathy for Kim Kardashian since she hasn't had the easier time during her pregnancy.

    The 32-year-old reality star has gracefully dealt with the tabloids calling her fat as she's gained weight the way pregnant women tend to do. Her sister Khloe recently took a stand against Kim's body critics, but it seems as though the reality star herself has had a difficult time dealing with her pregnancy curves.

    In one scene from the trailer for season 8 of "Keeping Up With The Kardashians," Kim asks "how the f**k did I get like this," while discussing her growing belly with her family, and in another she bares her bump while clad in lingerie.

    Kim's weight has been under a microscope since she first announced her pregnancy back in December. The reality star was often seen hitting the gym early on, and rumors quickly spread that she was dreading gaining weight, though she told Cosmopolitan that she more than expected to "definitely be up there," in the weight department by the time she gives birth.

    At an event in New York in April, Kardashian told Us Weekly that she was slowly learning to accept her new figure:

    "It was really hard for me to accept that the body changes, and I was having a different kind of pregnancy than Kourtney did," she told the magazine. "She made it look really easy, but ever since the baby started to kick I've really embraced it. Now I love being pregnant!"


    Katie Holmes, Luke Kirby Photos More Than Just Co-Stars

    It's been almost a year since Katie Holmes dropped the divorce bomb on husband Tom Cruise (and the rest of us, for that matter). Now rumors are swirling that the 34-year-old has moved on romantically with "Mania Days" co-star Luke Kirby, with whom she was photographed grabbing dinner in New York Tuesday evening after a day of shooting an intimate water fountain scene at Washington Square Park.

    The Daily Mail suggests that Holmes is "the latest actress to fall for her co-star," while the IBTimes wondered if "a special relationship is blossoming between Holmes and [Kirby]."

    A case of life imitating art, or just really good acting? As suggested by its title, the film, produced by Spike Lee, follows a couple of manic depressives who start a romance after meeting in a psychiatric hospital. Kirby, a veteran television actor, most recently played the romantic lead opposite Michelle Williams in the Sarah Polley-directed "Take This Waltz."

    For his part, 50-year-old Cruise was briefly linked to a New York restaurant manager in December but told "ET" that he was focusing more on work. "I'm not thinking about [dating] right now. Right now I'm thinking about the movie ["Oblivion"]," Cruise said.

    Michelle Obama, Kerry Washington Visit D.C.'s Savoy Elementary School

    Failure is OK, but continuing to work hard is more important, Michelle Obama said Friday.

    That was the message the first lady delivered to students at an elementary school where the arts are being used to help boost student performance. The school is located in Anacostia, one of the city's poorest neighborhoods.

    Mrs. Obama said failure was not an impediment for her and shouldn't be for them.

    She also encouraged the students to "try new things and not be afraid to fail, because we have all failed."

    "You're looking at the first ... I have failed at things. Things have been really hard for me at times," Mrs. Obama said at Savoy Elementary School. "But all I had to do was keep going and keep working hard."

    To further illustrate her point, she pointed to Kerry Washington, star of ABC's "Scandal," as another example.

    Mrs. Obama said the actress, who was sitting in the audience for the visit, is a big star these days because she chose to keep perfecting her craft instead of becoming discouraged by rejection during her career.

    Add caption
    "She spent a lot of time practicing and working and trying out for things and having people tell her `no,' `no, thank you,' `you're not good enough, you're not pretty enough,'" the first lady said. "Could you imagine somebody telling Kerry that she wasn't pretty enough, she wasn't tall enough, she was too short? That's all performing is, is rejection."

    Washington, who is the school's arts ambassador, later said she wasn't sure how that came to be.

    "It might have something to do with playing Olivia Pope and having a principal Pope," she joked. Olivia Pope is her character on "Scandal" and Patrick Pope is the school's principal.

    Meiyappan arrested, BCCI top brass wants Arun Jaitley as chief

    01. 45 am: Arun Jaitley refuses to react on Meiyappan arrest

    While the drama of IPL spot-fixing has continued well into the night, Arun Jaitley has stayed away from making any comments on the late night arrest of Gurunath Meiyappan.

    “Why should I comment on Meiyappan’s arrest?” CNN-IBN quoted Jaitley as saying.

    01.40 am: Meiyappan asked more than 100 questions, may face same charges as Vindoo

    CNN-IBN is reporting that Meiyappan was asked more than a hundred questions, and the word is that he may be facing the same charges as Vindoo Dara Singh. However, the crime branch has not confirmed the charges against him.

    01.19 am: BCCI top brass want Arun Jaitley as chief

    Meanwhile, BCCI sources have told CNN-IBN that the top brass in the cricket body wants Arun Jaitley to take over as the BCCI chief

    But N Srinivasan has reportedly told the news channel that he is not resigning.

    00. 13 am: Meiyappan arrested by Mumbai crime branch

    The Mumbai Crime Branch have arrested BCCI chief N Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan after questioning.

    Mumbai Joint commissioner Himanshu Roy said, “We have interrogated Mr Gurunath. We have gone through questioning with him in detail and after due deliberation we have come to the conclusion that there is evidence of his involvement in the offense we are investigating.

    “And therefore he has been placed under arrest and will be produced before a court within 24 hours as per the law.”

    However, Roy did not specify the specific charges against Meiyappan. According to CNN-IBN, there are nine charges that pertain to the case, including sections 4 and 5 of the Gambling Act, as well as cheating forgery and fraud. The police will need to specify the specific charges against Meiyappan when they produce him in court. SOURCE

    4 soldiers, one militant killed in Kashmir encounter

    Gunmen killed four Indian soldiers Friday in an ambush outside Srinagar, sparking a gun battle in which one attacker also died.
    The Indian soldiers were on a search operation during a patrol when they were ambushed in the village of Hardu Buchoo, 30 kilometres  southeast of Srinagar near the forested area of Tral. “The militants fired at the soldiers from outside the village, when the cordon was laid,” Indian army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ankur Vashist told AFP in Srinagar. “Four of our soldiers were killed,” Vashist said. The gunmen fled into the forest and the army called in reinforcements to encircle the area and try to capture them. Three soldiers were killed in the ambush and a soldier injured in the ensuing gunbattle later died, a police official told AFP.
    “One militant involved in the attack was also killed during the encounter. We are ascertaining his identity,” Abdul Gani Mir, police chief, said.
    The ambush comes a day after Indian forces killed a top militant from outlawed group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Srinagar during an early morning gun battle.

    Salman Khan's leading lady Sana charged with attempted kidnap of girl, goes absconding

    Salman Khan's leading day in his home production Mental, Sana Khan has been declared absconding after she was charged with alleged attempted abduction of a 15-year-old girl for rejecting her cousin's marriage proposal, police said today.

    Navi Mumbai police have already arrested four persons --Sana's cousin Naved Khan (22) and his three friends Kshitij Dubey (22) and Vismit Ambre (23) and a 17-year-old boy minor -- in the case.

    Hunt is on to trace the 25-year-old actress, said Panduranga Sawant, inspector at Turbhe police station here.

    "Our teams had also gone to the residence of Sana in Mumbai but she was not there," Sawant told PTI.

    As Sana has gone into hiding, Mental's shooting schedule has reportedly got disrupted.

    According to police, the victim studying in ninth standard had befriended Naved on social networking site Facebook in November last year. Later they started meeting.

    After a few months, Naved proposed marriage to her but the girl refused. However, Naved kept pursuing her when she stopped meeting him and discontinued her FB account.

    "On April 30 evening, when the girl was returning home in Sanpada, Naved stopped her at Mora circle area. He was found accompanied by three of his friends and Sana, who was at the wheel of a BMW car," said Sawant.

    Naved and his friends tried to drag the girl into Sana's car, but she managed to free herself and ran towards her house, Sawant added.

    Sana, Naved and his friends were already at her house when the victim reached home, where they had a heated argument before leaving.

    Sonakshi's Draping Affair Photo

    Sarees are in these days... With talented beauties going for that five-metre clothing, B-town seems to be going back in times when sarees were in vogue and actresses like Waheeda Rehman and Sharmila Tagore had been picture of style and elegance... In today's generation the young and ravishing Sonakshi Sinha seems to be bringing back the trend and why not! The 'Dabangg' beauty indeed looks fabulous in saree...

    It can be noted that the elegant looking actress has never disappointed with the selection of her sari. Be it in movies or events, Sonakshi has been seen clad in beautiful sarees. The desi looking Sonkashi is now taking her fancy of sarees on the next level.

    In a song "Sawaar Loon" from her upcoming movie 'Lootera' she will be wearing 9 different sarees. The movie is set in the era of 50's due to which Sonkashi will be seen wearing a lot of sarees in the movie.

    According to our sources, for the song, the sarees were specially selected for Sonakshi to emphasize her beautiful features and make her look of that era. In fact the nine sarees, which she had to wear for this particular sequence, cost nearly Rs. 3Lakh altogether!!

    It isn't lip synced and is shown as a montage spread over various days, so the outfits were essential. Each sari was especially chosen, and cost R30,000 - 35,000. Most of them were handloom silk. And the outcome has been beautiful.

    "Vikram and his team have etched out my look so aesthetically and beautifully in Lootera. I am in saris for the most part and have become an expert in wearing one," Sonakshi laughed. "In Sawaar Loon, I had to change my sari 9 times! But it was all worth it when I saw the results!" she added.

    In 'Lootera' for the first time Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi are coming together.

    Eva Longoria graduates from California State University

    The Desperate Housewives actress received her Master's degree in Chicano Studies and took to Twitter to share her excitement ahead of the ceremony.

    She tweeted: "Big day today!!! Very excited to graduate for my Master's degree in Chicano Studies! You're never too old or too busy to continue your education! (sic)

    Longoria's former 'Desperate Housewives' co-star Marica Cross, tweeted her congratulations, writing "Huge congratulations on your graduation today!!!! From Canne to Cap and Gown. You are really something. Xoxo m (sic)."

    Longoria, 38, recently revealed she was frantically working on her thesis in order to graduate on time.

    She said: "I'm writing my thesis now. Hopefully, I'll finish in time!"

    Speaking about her studies, her representative said: "Eva enrolled at Northridge three years ago and is receiving her Master's degree in Chicano Studies with her thesis on 'Success STEMS From Diversity: The Value of Latinas in STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics] Careers.'"

    16 Years Beauty queen tells of Thai jail hell

    Former Miss South Africa finalist Vanessa Goosen, the Eastern Cape beauty who was freed two weeks ago after spending 16 years in a Thai jail for running drugs, has returned home.

    Speaking at OR Tambo International airport in Johannesburg yesterday, she said she knew her release would come some day because she had never given up hoping.

    "But when it eventually happened, I just couldn't believe it," Goosen told eNews.

    Asked about her daughter, Felicia, who she gave birth to in jail and who turned 16 at the weekend, she said she had been devastated when the child was taken from her at the age of three and sent home to be fostered in South Africa.

    "My heart was torn apart," she said. I never thought I could make it."

    Goosen, 38, who has always maintained her innocence, said she would never forget her experience.

    "Many stories have been printed, many things have been said. [People] have their own opinion, whatever they want to say but I just want to say that, yes I was in prison for 16 years, six months and 16 days and it's an experience I will never forget.

    "And it's an experience that I want to share with others: that they should be very careful who they mingle with."

    Speaking from the family home in Cradock, her younger sister, Melissa, said she was bursting with excitement and confused emotions.

    "I can confirm Vanessa is in Johannesburg, and she is with her daughter. The plan is we will re-unite there, probably this weekend," she said.

    "We are asking the media to respect that we need some privacy with her.

    "I am extremely excited. I feel like exploding, like crying, like screaming. There are so many emotions, so much lost time to make up for."

    Melissa said she and Vanessa had stayed in regular contact by writing letters to each other. Then about two years ago it became possible to send e-mails.

    Paris Hilton has signed to Birdman's Cash Money record

    Paris Hilton has signed to Birdman's Cash Money record label and will release a single with Lil Wayne.

    The 32-year-old heiress - who released her debut album Paris in 2006 - will release a house music album later this year and has already recorded a single with Lil Wayne.

    Cash Money's Birdman tweeted: "Welcome@ParisHilton to tha Family. RichgangRichgirl. YMCMB (sic)."

    Hilton replied: "@BIRDMAN5STAR Thanks BO$$! Happy to be a part of the family. #PH YMCMB (sic)."

    She also posted a link to a YouTube video, writing: "Love this song I recorded with @LilTunechi. Love Lil Wayne, he is so amazing! Can't wait for our new song!#I YMCMB (sic)."

    This is some good news for Paris after she recently become a swatting victim for the second time.

    The hotel heiress was once again the subject of a cruel prank when someone called 911 pretending to be her, claiming she was trapped in her bedroom with a gun to her head.

    Police rushed to the socialite's Los Angeles mansion, but the only sign of life they found were her pet pooches tearing around the house.

    When Hilton, she was shocked to discover police cars surrounding her house. The incident, which took place earlier this month, was almost identical to a joke played on Paris two months ago

    Cyber bullies could face Prosecution

    A 21-year-old Durban woman is considering suing more than 100 Facebook users who made derogatory comments about a photograph of her that appeared on a page called "SA's finest girls".

    In the photo, she appears sucking a lollipop while wearing a revealing top.

    In the comments section, Claudia Naidoo was called a slut, a disgrace to South African Indian women and repeatedly told that she was asking to be raped.

    The creator of the page - which has about 3200 Facebook fans - called it a platform to "promote the outstanding beauty and sexiness of the women right here in South Africa".

    Naidoo's photo has received the most attention on the Facebook page - 400 comments and at least 200 likes.

    "I'm considering legal action because no one should be cyber-bullied, defamed or slandered on social media. Negative comments that are valid are acceptable, but victimisation and hate speech are not. The defamatory comments came mostly from Indian women, who went as far as insulting my parents and my boyfriend," Naidoo said yesterday.

    Naidoo said she was appalled by comments that linked her attire to rape.

    "They went on to say I should be raped and actually encouraged it. Many women dress provocatively. This does not mean they are asking to be raped. Every day children, babies and elderly women are raped. Did their clothes ask for it?"

    Naidoo said that while she did not post the photo, she would not remove it.

    "I see nothing wrong with my photograph," Naidoo said.

    Social media law consultant Emma Sadleir said Naidoo could sue the offending Facebook users for defamation, complain to the Human Rights Commission if she believed the comments were based on her race, and lay a crimen injuria charge with the police.

    She said the legal principles on defamation also applied online.

    "People think they are anonymous and that is a fallacy that we must dispel."

    Sadleir said there was a misconception among social media users that there was safety in numbers.

    "This is not true. In Britain, Lord McAlphine is suing 10000 Twitter users for linking him to sexual abuse," she said.

    Monstrous amberjack caught in Sea of Cortez could have been a record contender

    The powerful amberjack was so massive it might have been a world record.

    But the fisherman who battled the monstrous fish, and the Mexican crew that helped deliver it from the Sea of Cortez to a remote Baja California beach, were not thinking about records.

    They marveled at the size of the fish and hefted their great prize as if to see if it could, indeed, be hefted—then carved it up for fish tacos and fillets for the grill.
    amberjack

    Capt. Raymundo “Mundo” Lucero Geraldo poses with giant amberjack. Top photo shows another captain hefting the prized game fish. Photos by Esteban Romero

    The International Game Fish Association lists a 156-pound amberjack caught off Japan in 2010 as the all-tackle world record. The fish caught last week by Kevin Shiotani was conservatively estimated to weigh at least 135 pounds.

    As anyone who has done a lot of weight-guessing knows, however, estimates can be wildly inaccurate.

    Regardless of a possible record lost, Shiotani’s amberjack is one of the largest ever caught, although it’s likely that larger specimens have been hooked and lost in the rocks.

    The catch was made after a 25-minute struggle near Cerralvo Island, the southern-most island in the Sea of Cortez.

    Shiotani is a regular customer of Tailhunter International Sportfishing, a La Paz-based charter business that trucks clients to a remote beach to fish Cerralvo and offshore waters out of pangas, or large skiffs.

    Jonathan Roldan, who owns Tailhunter International and Tailhunter Restaurant, explained the catch to Phil Friedman Outdoors Radio.

    “Kevin fought the fish for 25 minutes to a half-hour and got it to the boat and, of course, blew everyone away,” he said. “They stuck a gaff in it, got it back to the beach, and started taking pictures. It’s a magnificent fish.”

    Roldan said there was no scale on the beach and that he was not present when the fish was brought ashore. Had he been, he would have been sure to get the behemoth weighed on a certified scale.

    He said that because amberjacks are so powerful and always lurk near structure, the larger fish are incredibly difficult to land.

    “The largest we’ve put on a scale is 110 pounds, and 60- to 70-pounders have taken an hour or two hours to put on the boat, so this is just a fish that [Shiotani] happened to turn and put the wood to it, and got it back out of the rocks and got it to the boat.

    Damon Lindelof Admits Alice Eve Underwear Scene In 'Star Trek' Was 'Gratuitous'

    Damon Lindelof, producer of "Star Trek Into Darkness," responded Tuesday on Twitter to criticism about his treatment of one female character.

    In the second "Star Trek" film, which was released on May 16th, Alice Eve, who plays Dr. Carol Marcus, one of the few speaking female roles, strips down to her underwear for no explicable reason. This prompted an outcry from "Star Trek" fans such as The Mary Sue's Jill Pantozzi. She explained her issue with the scene thusly:

        Eve’s character of Dr. Carol Marcus was touted to have incredible intelligence, though instead of allowing her to use it to effect the plot, she was used as the most blatant eye-candy I’ve seen in a long time. We see this kind of thing a lot in Hollywood, sure, but the scene in question was akin to an actor holding up and verbally speaking the name of a can of Coca-Cola during a scene about cats or general surgery.

    This morning Lindelof took to social media to address his critics and actually issued somewhat of an apology. He tweeted:

    We respect Lindelof for recognizing the criticism and acknowledging it head on. As io9's Meredith Woerner put it: "It was horribly ridiculous and we're glad they learned from their silly decision to force the one new female character with speaking lines to strip in front of Captain Kirk."

    Massive submerged structure stumps Israeli archaeologists

    The massive circular structure appears to be an archaeologists dream: a recently discovered antiquity that could reveal secrets of ancient life in the Middle East and is just waiting to be excavated.

    It's thousands of years old -- a conical, manmade behemoth weighing hundreds of tons, practically begging to be explored.

    The problem is -- it's at the bottom of the biblical Sea of Galilee. For now, at least, Israeli researchers are left stranded on dry land, wondering what finds lurk below.

    The monumental structure, made of boulders and stones with a diameter of 230 feet, emerged from a routine sonar scan in 2003. Now archaeologists are trying to raise money to allow them access to the submerged stones.

    "It's very enigmatic, it's very interesting, but the bottom line is we don't know when it's from, we don't know what it's connected to, we don't know its function," said Dani Nadel, an archaeologist at the University of Haifa who is one of several researchers studying the discovery. "We only know it is there, it is huge and it is unusual."

    Archaeologists said the only way they can properly assess the structure is through an underwater excavation, a painstakingly slow process that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. And if an excavation were to take place, archaeologists said they believed it would be the first in the Sea of Galilee, an ancient lake that boasts historical remnants spanning thousands of years and is the setting of many Bible scenes.

    In contrast, Israeli researchers have carried out many excavations in the Mediterranean and Red Seas.

    Much of the researchers' limited knowledge about this structure comes from the sonar scan a decade ago.

    Initial dives shortly after that revealed a few details. In an article in the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology published earlier this year, Nadel and fellow researchers disclosed it was asymmetrical, made of basalt boulders and that "fish teem around the structure and between its blocks."

    'Return Of The Jedi' 30th Anniversary 30 Things You Didn't Know 'Star Wars' Gave Us

    This Saturday, "Star Wars VI: Return Of The Jedi," the capstone of George Lucas' original trilogy, turns 30. Not only does this mean you're old, it means it's time to consider precisely 30 things Lucas and his wildly successful franchise introduced into the world. Some (incest kiss) aren't too popular; others are downright magical. But they're all here thanks to one man and his crazy, mad expensive, dream. Time to scroll, like those revolutionary opening credits.

    1. Crowd pleasing science-fiction. Big budget sci-fi movies before "Star Wars” tended to be apocalyptic, along the lines of "Planet of the Apes," or "Soylent Green". Lucas didn't eradicate that genre entirely, but he made room for a new one. In a matter of a few years after "Star Wars," we got not only "Alien" and "Blade Runner," but the significantly kinder world of “E.T.”

    2. A "used future." Film scholars credit George Lucas for pioneering the concept (made famous again in later sci-fi movies like “Alien”) -- with spaceships that are dingy rather than shiny, furnished with a hodgepodge aesthetic.

    3. An unknown cast, but not for lack of trying. Luckily, Sissy Spacek, Jodie Foster, Al Pacino, and James Caan effectively turned Lucas down, and we landed up with Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, Mark Hamill as young Luke Skywalker, and Harrison Ford, in his first starring role, as Han Solo.
    SOURCE

    Alleged Hit-and-Run Driver Brags on Twitter, Joins Other 'Crime-Braggers'

    The criminal mind can be cunningly brilliant—or stunningly foolish. You can safely put Emma Way of the U.K. into that second category. She’s the aggressive 21-year-old motorist who allegedly hit a cyclist while out for a drive in the city of Norwich, fled the scene, and bragged about it on Twitter on Monday.

    More on Shine: 10 Biggest Dating Mistakes People Make on Facebook

    “Definitely knocked a cyclist off his bike earlier—I have right of way he doesn’t even pay road tax! #bloodycyclists,” she tweeted.

    Her admission was soon retweeted more than 300 times, inspiring angry responses and the nickname “twit and run girl” by fellow Twitter users. They also retweeted her brag to the social-media savvy Norfolk police department, who wrote back, "we have had tweets ref an RTC with a bike. We suggest you report it at a police station ASAP if not done already & then dm us." Though Way deleted her account, the ball kept rolling. The cyclist, Toby Hockley, a chef who had been taking part in an organized ride, came forward, and police said they tracked down Way and are progressing with an investigation.

    On Wednesday, the police department told Yahoo! Shine there was “no further information at this time.” Way later apologized on ITV News, saying "It was a spur of the moment thing and I'm sorry," adding, "I don't want any cyclist to think I have hatred against them." Her lawyer said during the interview that she'd been interviewed by police but that no arrest had been made.

    Way, unfortunately, is not alone in bragging about wrongdoing on her smartphone. The post-privacy generation has given way to a host of accidental confessions and video-taped self-indictments. Get a load of these other social-media users outed by their own Internet mistakes:

    The drunk driver: Oregon teenager Jacob Cox-Brown landed himself in the county jail after posting about his drunk-driving hit-and-run escapade on Facebook earlier this year. "Drivin drunk ... classsic ;) but to whoever's vehicle i hit i am sorry. :P" was the early-morning post that quickly led to his at-home arrest, after Facebook friends alerted the local police department, who had already been looking into the mysterious hit-and-run of a parked car.

    The baby Jesus thief: A York, Pennsylvania juvenile (who has remained unnamed in the press) was charged with theft after stealing a baby Jesus statuette worth $400 from a neighbor’s front-lawn manger scene. The boy’s gaffe? Posting a photo of the swiped statuette on Facebook, where rightful owner Frank McKee spied it after combing through profiles of locals for clues.

    Maria Sharapova Dishes About 'Refreshing' Relationship With Grigor Dimitrov

    Maria Sharapova hasn't been too keen on letting the press into her relationship with fellow pro Grigor Dimitrov, but in a surprisingly open interview with USA Today, she uncharacteristically gushes about Dimitrov -- and says dating a younger man (Dimitrov is 22 years old) is "refreshing."

    "Maybe it makes me really young, too, inside, which is good," Sharapova, 26, told the newspaper.

    As for what she's looking for in a man, she says: "It's about finding the person where you can be yourself all the time, where you're comfortable with being younger girl, the older girl, the mature girl, and the person that understands you and look at you and say you're completely off your rocker!

    "I have so many things going on in my life and I really love them. Of course I want someone to be by my side to enjoy them. You know, I can jump on a plane tomorrow and go somewhere because I want to do it. And it's really important that that person respects me for the decisions that I make and the things that I do in my life."

    She did not, however, offer any of her tips about outrunning the paparazzi.

    The two were first spotted cozying up on a Madrid street earlier this month. Sharapova ended her engagement to basketball player Sasha Vujacic last year.

    Christina Aguilera Wears Bra, Shows Slim Figure On Music Video Set

    Christina Aguilera showed off her slim figure in a bra and skirt on the set of an upcoming new music video on Wednesday.

    Aguilera donned a black bra and bodycon mini-skirt, showing off the weight loss she first debuted back in March, on the set of her music video for "Hoy Tengo Ganas De Ti" -- a track she collaborated on with Alejandro Fernandez. With red lipstick and platinum curls, the 32-year-old resembled a pin-up beauty from yesteryear.

    She tweeted a photo of her slimmer figure, against an ocean backdrop, for fans.

    The singer has previously had to defend her curvy figure from critics who lambasted her in the press for gaining weight. In October, Aguilera said she embraces her body and the changes that have happened over the years -- through motherhood, her 30s and more.

    "I've always been one to make it very clear, love me or hate me, take it or leave it, this is who I am," she told People magazine. "I embrace my body, and I embrace everything about myself. Coming full circle is a celebration of freedom and happiness because that's what [my new album] Lotus is representing. I'm embracing everything that I've grown to be and learned to be."

    This week, it was reported that Aguilera will return to "The Voice" for Season 5, taking her spot back from Shakira, who replaced the "Your Body" singer while she focused on her own music and the promotion of "Lotus." She reportedly inked a deal worth $17 million.

    Demi Lovato On Selena Gomez Feud 'We've Been Through A Lot'

    A feud between Disney Channel stars and former best friends Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez caused their friendship to fall apart three years ago. Now that the starlets have grown up and moved on from the Mickey Mouse House, they are putting the past behind them.

    In an interview with MTV News, Lovato opened up about her feud with Gomez, admitting that there were some difficult times.

    "We've been through a lot together," she said. "We've had periods of times where we grew apart and we just didn't really talk. Now we are in a place where I think we realized that life is so short and that when you have people in your life that love you so much then, you should just always be around them. She's going to be a big sister, and I want to be around for that. Everything about her... she has a great soul, she's talented, she's beautiful, and she will always be really, really close to my heart."

    She said even though they don't talk every day, the ex-best friends -- who first met on the set of "Barney & Friends" when they were little girls -- have been able to pick up right where they left off.

    Where they left off was 2010 and the rift involved players like Taylor Lautner and Taylor Swift. Gossip blogs claimed both Lautner (who was dating the "Spring Breakers" star at the time) and Swift came between the two Disney stars. Gomez got closer with the country sweetheart and Lovato turned to Miley Cyrus, later dissing Gomez to the press.

    In an interview with Girl's Life magazine that year, Lovato targeted Gomez head-on, saying: “We’re both busy, and I wish the best for her. True friends don’t let their friends or family be mean to you. If you can’t trust somebody, you can’t be friends with them.”

    Shortly after, Lovato checked into rehab for eating disorders and self-harm. In 2011, she revealed to Billboard that both Gomez and Kim Kardashian called her while she was getting treatment and the sentiment meant the world to her.

    LeAnn Rimes, Brandi Glanville Feud Reignites After Mother's Day Diss

    The ongoing feud between LeAnn Rimes and Brandi Glanville flared again this week when the reality star reportedly dissed the country singer over a Mother's Day gift.

    On Sunday, Rimes sent flowers to Glanville for Mother's Day as a peace offering of sorts, Us Weekly notes. (Rimes is the stepmother of Glanville's children with Eddie Cibrian.) However, it appears the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star did not take kindly to the gesture and failed to thank Rimes.

    The reality star later took to Twitter, saying:

    Rimes responded, tweeting, "[T]his was actually the first acknowledgement of my gesture I was made aware of. I didn't see anything else sent to me. It wasn't for the 'thank you.' It was to just simply say Happy Mother's Day."

    She also retweeted a seemingly cryptic message reading: "Stop giving the people who have nothing positive to say about you an ear. Ignore them and keep doing your thing."

    The feud between Rimes and Glanville has been playing out in the public arena since the singer and Cibrian had an affair in 2009 and married two years later. One point of contention has been Rimes' relationship with Glanville's sons -- Jake, 5, and Mason, 9.

    “I don’t think we’ll be friends, but I hope we can coexist peacefully,” the former model told "Access Hollywood" in February. “I think once she has a child of her own, I think she will understand boundaries and what’s respectful to do and how to handle things a little better.”

    The Bravo star told Andy Cohen in March that she is done "speaking poorly" about Rimes, but she isn't the only one to engage publicly. The 30-year-old "Spitfire" songstress has been vocal about her feelings in the press as well.

    Beyonce Pregnant Singer Expecting Baby No. 2

    The rumors were all true! Beyonce is pregnant again with her second child, multiple sources confirmed to E! News.

    The superstar singer took a "sick day" earlier this week from The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour, which only fueled speculations that she and Jay-Z are expecting. Today the rumors were verified as accurate, according to E!.

    HuffPost will keep updating this story as it develops.

    Rumors started running rampant last Monday when New York Post's Page Six described the singer's Met Gala dress by saying "Bey wore a Givenchy gown with a high, belted waist that carefully camouflaged her midsection, but pictures have emerged on blogs of what looks like a baby bump from recent tour dates."

    As "proof," many media outlets relied on Beyonce's own quotes regarding children and her desire to give Blue Ivy -- her and Jay-Z's one-and-a-half year old daughter -- a sibling. "I would like more children," Beyonce told ABC News earlier this month. "I think my daughter needs some company. I definitely love being a big sister. At some point ... when it's supposed to happen."

    'Nymphomaniac' Movie Photo Shia LaBeouf, Uma Thurman, Willem Dafoe Get Down For Lars Von Trier

    Controversy magnet Lars Von Trier has unveiled the first official look at his upcoming film "Nymphomaniac" on the film's website. The photo, a "porn-inspired tableau" to use some of THR's flowery language, features the film's game cast in a bunch of almost-compromising positions, none of which would be out of place on an episode of "Red Shoe Diaries."

    For instance, in the lower left of the "Nymphomaniac" photo, there's a shirtless Shia LaBeouf acting as handy man while a young woman straddles his body; an overflowing bottle of champagne sits bubbling over to the couple's left. In the middle, Willem Dafoe is shown with a coffee stain on his pants; a young woman kneels before him to clean it off. Stars Charlotte Gainsbourg and Uma Thurman, meanwhile, both appear with their legs spread in different places within the frame. (As previously noted, the film will only feature simulated sex and not actual intercourse -- this despite early rumors to the contrary.)

    While all this cheeky sex play is taking place, Von Trier stands in the back. With a camera. And duct tape over his mouth. (A reference to his controversial Hitler comments at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival or just another sex game? You be the judge!)

    For now, "Nymphomaniac" is still a ways out; part one of the two-part film will debut in Denmark on Dec. 25, before its worldwide rollout begins soon after. Magnolia will release "Nymphomaniac" in the U.S. Oh, yeah: This one is in two parts.

    Nicki Minaj's 'Idol' Shoes Are A Furry Puzzlement

    Nicki Minaj isn't known for having the tamest of style on "American Idol" -- she even sparks fervent Twitter debates for her racy on-air looks. Naturally, the singer brought her fiercest fashion game for the season finale last night.

    The outfit, high-waisted white jeans and a leather jacket, seemed simple enough, but it was Nicki's shoes that really caught people's attention. The star wore furry high-heeled boots that practically looked alive. We're already anticipating a PETA backlash...

    Sure, Nicki's worn stranger things before, but we have a feeling these babies won't exactly make any "best-dressed" lists. What do you think of her fluffy footwear?

    Death certificate Boston suspect died of gunshot wounds, blunt trauma

    The death certificate for Boston bombings suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who died April 19 after a shootout with police, says he died of "gunshot wounds of torso and extremities" and "blunt trauma to head and torso," according to the owner of the funeral parlor that currently holds Tsarnaev's body.

    Peter Stefan, owner of Graham Putnam & Mahoney Funeral Parlors in Worcester, Massachusetts, read the death certificate to CNN over the phone Friday evening. He said it has yet to be filed with the city of Boston.

    There is no gravesite chosen yet for the 26-year-old Tsarnaev, Stefan said. He said that if he can't find a cemetery plot, he plans to ask the government to find a grave.

    "Everyone deserves to be buried," Stefan said.

    Tsarnaev's uncle, Ruslan Tsarni, claimed his nephew's body, according to family spokeswoman Heda Saratova. The family plans an independent autopsy before burying the body somewhere in Massachusetts, she said.

    Stefan acknowledged plans for a second autopsy.

    Authorities say Tsarnaev and his younger brother, Dzhokhar, carried out the April 15 bombings at the Boston Marathon. The attacks killed three people and wounded more than 260 others.

    The brothers later killed a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer, authorities say.

    Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, is being held at a federal Bureau of Prisons medical facility in Devens, Massachusetts, charged with using a weapon of mass destruction, a charge that carries the death penalty.

    He is being treated for gunshot wounds to the head, neck, legs and hands that he received in the April 19 shootout with police that led to his brother's death. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was shot in the gunbattle, and Dzhokhar apparently ran over his brother as he tried to flee in a car, authorities have said.

    It is not known whether the "blunt trauma" listed on Tamerlan Tsarnaev's death certificate relates to injuries from the car.

    As part of their continuing investigation, investigators have found explosives residue in the apartment that the elder Tsarnaev shared with his wife and young daughter, a source briefed on the investigation said Friday.

    The residue turned up in at least three places at the apartment in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the source said: the kitchen table, the kitchen sink and the bathtub.

    Networks STILL Can't Wait To Ridicule Rural Americans

    MTV's "Jersey Shore in Appalachia" reality series "Buckwild" had a very brief and very unhappy lifecycle. It launched amid censure from critics and lawmakers, over its largely cheap depiction of kids from rural West Virginia communities. It concluded ignominiously, with one cast member arrested on drug charges, and another dead of carbon monoxide poisoning, the results of a tragic accident unrelated to the filming of the show. One week after that cast member, Shain Gandee, died, MTV opted to cancel "Buckwild."

    Since this crass experiment in rural poverty voyeurism ran badly off the rails, one would imagine there wouldn't be a rush to recreate it. Well, one might be wrong. A memo obtained by The Huffington Post -- authored by Katie Zwick of the Creative Artists Agency, delineating "network needs" to their client production companies -- indicates there is still a strong interest in a "Buckwild" redux. More specifically, the memo describes a "BUCKWILD replacement i.e. a show set in the south with loud, unpolished, young kids" -- among other ideas.


        From: "Zwick, Katie" [EMAIL REDACTED] Date: April 26, 2013, 8:06:22 PM EDT Cc: "Zwick, Katie" [EMAIL REDACTED] Subject: Network Needs as of 4/26/13



        Disclaimer: The information contained in this email is constantly changing. The network needs listed come from numerous sources and are as current as of the publication of this email. The email is for the benefit of CAA and its clients. Please do not forward it or share it with anyone.

        Please note that Network Needs come out as often as we get the information which is not necessarily daily.

        MTV - Below is a list of categories that MTV currently feels like they are missing in their current programming:

        1) A Latin American family docu i.e. The Latin version of RUN’S HOUSE.

        2) A BUCKWILD replacement i.e. a show set in the south with loud, unpolished, young kids.

        3) A big, loud competition show whether it is a music competition or social experiment.

        4) A docuseries about an African American choir.

        5) A MEET THE OSBOURNES replacement i.e. a docuseries based around a celebrity family.

        6) Their next version of TRL or some kind of live music/event show.

        7) A dating show that skews younger and is somewhat out of the box.

        Have a great weekend everyone!

    Whether or not MTV actually "feels like they are missing" these concepts "in their current programming" is an open question. The network has disavowed this memo completely. In a statement, a spokesman told The Huffington Post, “This memo did not come from MTV and does not include accurate information.”

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