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  • 'Oldboy' Trailer Spike Lee's Remake Of Cult Classic Gets Stylish, Violent First Look

    The first trailer for Spike Lee's remake of "Oldboy" has arrived, and it's filled with enough wild imagery and homage to satiate any concerned fan of Park Chan-wook's original cult classic.

    Josh Brolin stars in "Oldboy" as Joe Doucett, who is kept imprisoned for 20 years without any acknowledgement as to why he's being held captive. (The trailer presents his lost time in a montage of significant events from the last two decades, including the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina.) After his equally unusual release, Joe goes into revenge mode, which means some ultra-violence. (A hammer is involved, as fans of Chan-wook's original might expect.) The red-band trailer for "Oldboy" doesn't shy away from the violence, or the subversive nature of the film's storyline.

    "That's a great film," Lee said to Moviefone about the original "Oldboy," itself an adaptation of a Japanese manga. "This is the first time I am doing something like this, so it's interesting how you can stay true to the essence of the original source material, but make it something different, and I know that's what we are going to do with this one."

    Kristen Stewart Flashes Bra Through See-Through Shirt

    Kristen Stewart is a jeans and T-shirt kind of girl (like an everyday jeans and T-shirt kind of girl).

    So although it wasn't surprising to see the 23-year-old in dark skinny jeans, a white tee and Converse sneakers, it was surprising to see her black bra peeking through that top on a day out in Glendale, Calif., on July 9. Escorted by a friend, KStew grabbed a cool drink before heading back to a car.

    Coincidentally, that vehicle was NOT Stewart's dirty pickup truck, which was left branded with a cruel message the day before. Robert Pattinson's former love was taunted, most likely by a fan or paparazzo, after she returned to her truck to find the words "I Love Rob" on the hood. Rough.

    Lena Dunham Hopes Jay-Z Thinks Her Mom Is Special

    "Girls" star Lena Dunham really hopes Jay-Z appreciates her mom as much as she does.

    The hip-hop artist spent Wednesday at New York's Pace Gallery, where he performed a six-hour rendition of "Picasso Baby" off his new album "Magna Carta Holy Grail." According to Dunham's Twitter account, her mother, artist Laurie Simmons, was also there.

    Simmons and Jay-Z are actually no strangers in the art world. Back in 2010, Jay-Z announced that he bought one of Simmons' photographs of a black-and-white pistol attached to women's legs. But he later exchanged it for one of her more feminine images of a perfume bottle with women's legs at the request of wife, Queen Bey.

    'The Canyons' Trailer: Lindsay Lohan & James Deen Do Their Thing To Dubstep

    Tabloid fixture Lindsay Lohan and porn star James Deen star in "The Canyons," a movie that now has a trailer with dubstep-ish background music. It's directed by Paul Schrader (who wrote "Taxi Driver" and wrote/directed "American Gigolo") with some help from writer Bret Easton Ellis.

    The movie lands in theaters and on iTunes on August 2. Watch above and let us know if you think it will be better or worse than "Liz & Dick," Lohan's last noticeable acting gig.

    Regular sex can make you look 7 years younger, researcher says

    So says a British psychologist, who claims that people who get lots of action looked anywhere from five to seven years younger than those who don’t.

    “My message is that lovemaking is good,” Dr. David Weeks told the British Psychological Society.

    Former head of old age psychology at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Weeks said he spent a decade prying into the private lives of thousands of men and women of all ages.

    Weeks found that sexual pleasure is a “crucial factor” in preserving youth.

    How? Lovemaking releases the human growth hormone, which helps keep the skin elastic and thus less likely to wrinkle, he said.

    Sex also released endorphins, which are the body’s feel-good chemicals and natural painkillers that ease anxiety and make it easier to sleep, Weeks added.

    Nookie boosts blood circulation, which is good for that heart and gives skin that healthy glow, the good doctor said.

    Finally, sex burns fat and releases other chemicals that bolster the immune system, he said.

    Weeks, who is himself a youthful-looking 59-years-old, said getting it on is especially good for geezers.

    young couple in bed

    “Sexuality is definitely not the prerogative of younger people and nor should it be,” he said. “Sexual satisfaction is a major contributor to quality of life.”

    Out in Brooklyn, Marissa Martinez said she’s all for improving the quality of her life.

    “How much younger?” asked Martinez, who was strolling through Bay Ridge with her husband Conrad — and who declined to give her age. “Anything helps.”

    But Conrad Martinez wasn’t having it.

    “I’m trying to look older,” said Martinez, who is 50 and sported a salt and pepper beard. “I’m trying to look distinguished. I thought about getting a pipe.”

    Besides, he said, “Younger people do it all the time.”

    Outside a bodega on Fourth Ave., Ron Nelson, 74, and Heather Polamis, 52, said Dr. Weeks has the right prescription.

    “It’s a positive thing, makes you happy, makes you laugh, cures depression,” said Polamis, who admitted she only has sex once every three years or so.

    Nelson said he’s game but added, “At my age, you have summertime sex.”

    Lucy Hale Rocks A Bikini On The Beach In Hawaii

    As the East coast continues to get drenched in rain, "Pretty Little Liars" star Lucy Hale was able to soak up some sun while on vacation in Hawaii this weekend.

    The 24-year-old actress was spotted rocking a tiny white and blue bikini as she spent the day at the beach with boyfriend Graham Rogers. Hale confirmed the two were dating last week, when she told Us Weekly, "I'm with a really sweet guy now ... We're just having a good time."

    'Big Brother' Racist And Homophobic Comments Captured On Live Feeds

    The "Big Brother" live feeds are always streaming, and they've captured some racist and homophobic and comments from the show's contestants.

    In a video, GinaMarie, Aaryn and Kaitlin take turns hurling stereotypes at their Asian, African-American and gay competitors in a conversation that was edited out of the reality show's CBS airing.

    Aaryn and GinaMarie first made fun of Helen, an Asian-American contestant. "Dude, shut up, go make some rice," Aaryn says. Later, GinaMarie adds, "Andy was like, 'I'm gonna punch her in the face,' and I was like, 'Maybe that'll make her eyes straight.'"

    The conversation then turned to Howard and Candice, two African-American contestants. "Blacks stick together ... They're like tokens ... They're like black Barbie and Kens," someone on the tape says, before another voice says that Candice's "blackness" was coming out.

    They then worried aloud about Andy getting the MVP "because everybody loves the queers."

    Zap2It reports that after the conversation, producers got on the "Big Brother" house loudspeaker to warn the contestants not to use racial slurs against other housemates.

    Former "Big Brother" contestant Ragan Fox wrote an open letter to the "Big Brother" production team, urging them to actually air the racist comments on the show's CBS broadcast, to provide a full picture of how these contestants actually treat other people. "What’s the point of casting racial, ethnic, and sexual minorities if production’s going to edit out the racism, ethnic discrimination, and homophobia that these people encounter inside the house?" he asks.

    Taylor Swift's 'Red' Video Kicks Off July 4 Holiday, Is Like Trying To Know Somebody You've Never Met

    Entertainment editors hoping to get out a bit early to prepare for July 4 were thwarted on Wednesday afternoon when Taylor Swift tweeted her new video for "Red," the title track from her mega-selling 2012 album "Red."

    The catchy song is the fifth single off "Red," following in the footsteps of "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," "I Knew You Were Trouble," "Begin Again," "Everything Has Changed" and "22."

    "So ..." Swift wrote on Twitter. So, indeed. Watch the "Red" video -- which is of the concert variety -- above.

    Vanessa Hudgens Steps Out In Spandex Yoga Pants After Pilates Class

    It's clear that Vanessa Hudgens works hard for her toned body, as the "Spring Breakers" star was spotted after a pilates workout in Studio City, Calif., on Thursday.

    Photographers snapped photos of the 24-year-old actress who was decked out in skin-tight spandex yoga pants and a grey tank top, and seemed to exhibit a post-workout glow. After getting her fitness on, Hudgens continued her health kick by picking up some juices over at Pressed Juicery.

    No wonder the former "High School Musical" star looked so fit when she learned how to surf last week with pal Ashley Greene.

    Jennifer Lopez & Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow Singer Performs For Turkmenistan Leader

    Jennifer Lopez sang "Happy Birthday" to the leader of Turkmenistan during a show, but her representative said she wouldn't have performed there at all if she had known there were human rights issues in the country.

    The singer and actress performed in the former Soviet bloc country on Saturday night. A statement released Sunday by her publicist to The Associated Press said the event was hosted by the China National Petroleum Corp. and wasn't a political event.

    However, the country's leader, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, did attend. Berdimuhamedow has been criticized for oppressive rule by human rights organizations. Human Rights Watch describes Turkmenistan as "among the most repressive in the world."

    After a United Nations visit last month, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic said the country had made progress in the area of human rights, but "a lot more work is needed to complete this process and to ensure practice is in line with international standards."

    Lopez's publicist says the event was vetted by Lopez's staff: "Had there been knowledge of human rights issues any kind, Jennifer would not have attended."

    The birthday serenade was a last-minute request made by the corporation to Lopez before she took the stage, and she "graciously obliged," the statement said.

    Lopez is the latest celebrity to face scrutiny for performing in countries or for leaders with human rights violations.

    In 2011, Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank profusely apologized after attending a birthday party for Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who had been accused of torture and killings; she said she didn't have a full understanding of the event.

    Beyonce, Nelly Furtado, 50 Cent, Mariah Carey and Usher were paid handsomely to perform at parties linked to the late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. All later announced plans to donate their performance fees to charity and said they hadn't known the leader was connected to terrorism.

    Lopez has no other performances scheduled in the country, her publicist said. Her performance fee wasn't disclosed.

    Cirque Du Soleil Performer Sarah Guyard-Guillot Dies After Fall During Show In Las Vegas

    A Paris-born performer in Cirque du Soleil's "Ka" died after a fall during a show in Las Vegas.

    Sarah Guyard-Guillot was pronounced dead late Saturday night at a hospital after falling about 50 feet from the show's stage.

    Witnesses told the Las Vegas Sun (http://bit.ly/14H3Te0) that the accident occurred near the end of the production Saturday night at the MGM Grand.

    Visitor Dan Mosqueda of Colorado Springs, Colo., says the 31-year-old acrobatic performer was being hoisted up the side of the stage when she slipped free of her safety wire and plummeted to an open pit below the performers.

    He says the audience initially thought it was part of the show, but realized it was an accident when they heard the artist cry from the stage.

    Cirque officials issued a statement saying they were "deeply saddened" by the death and that performances of "Ka" have been canceled until further notice.

    Anna Nicole Smith Reincarnated In Actress Agnes Bruckner

    Anna Nicole Smith left a large mark on a then still-developing reality TV and celebutante culture, and when she left us in a wave of tragedy, it was hard not to feel for what she’d endured.

    Now Anna Nicole Smith has been reincarnated in actress Agnes Bruckner, for a new Lifetime movie on the tragic pin-up titled simply Anna Nicole.

    Smith had been through many ups and downs in her life, but it appeared to be the start of a new chapter for her when she gave birth to baby girl Dannielynn Birkhead. No sooner did Dannielynn make her way in the world, Smith lost her son Daniel — for whom the new baby was partially named, and very clearly the center of Anna Nicole’s world.

    We all know what happened next, and whatever your opinion of Anna Nicole Smith, any grieving parent can understand the inability to go on after the loss of a child — a child that was, by many accounts, the only constant in the star’s life.

    Now Bruckner’s turn as Anna Nicole Smith hits Lifetime tonight, and the star talks about the challenges of portraying a woman whose life played out in real time in front of viewers for years.

    On being Anna Nicole, Bruckner says:

    “I was very nervous and anxious about taking the part, because she was so iconic and so famous and larger-than-life. I asked myself ‘Am I going to pull this off?’ and ‘What kind of movie are we making?’ and all those questions … We really wanted to tell a different story. All those things gave me the confidence to play the part.”

    Fans of Smith will also recall that the star’s weight fluctuated, and even her time shilling a diet supplement. Bruckner says of the costuming for the role:

    “We worked so hard and we had prosthetic boobs and prosthetic cheek and neck pieces for when she was heavier. I bleached my own hair. And we also had wig pieces … she had such different looks throughout her journey. The wardrobe team created so many of these beautiful dresses that you see in the movie from scratch, working around the clock. The transformation is really a reason alone to see this movie, because it’s so unbelievable. It gave everyone chills when I showed up to set dressed as her.”

    Bruckner also said she cried watching Anna Nicole Smith’s life play out in the Lifetime version, due especially to the circumstances under which the star passed away.

    iPhone plastic shell leaks in China

    It’s time to get green, it would seem, as a brightly colored back shell of what’s said to be a next-generation iPhone leaks in China. This leak is consistent with several tips and suggestions over the past week involving the so-called “budget” iPhone, including the color similarity to current iPhone bumpers. This device would, if it proves to be real, be one of several color options for the iPhone later this year.

    This piece of hardware comes from micro-blogger 7mob, a fellow known for connections to China-based factory workers. In this case, the leakster claims he’s got a “friend’s friend” in with Foxconn, one of the largest manufacturing lines Apple has used in recent years.

    This device appears with a single LED flash hole to the right of a lens hole (both of them circular), with a microphone hole between the two. A black Apple logo rests in the standard location in the center and top half of the device, while the normal “iPhone” brand name rests in the same location on the lower half.

    It’s also been suggested that this green color is one of six options for the machine, with yellow, blue, pink, white – and it would appear that black is missing in action at the moment. Perhaps to differentiate between this low-cost model and the higher-end line with the iPhone 5, but no confirmations exist as such.

    SOURCE  ICTech

    Kylie Jenner, Jaden Smith Totally Confirm They're Dating After Being Spotted Holding Hands

    We all knew Kylie Jenner and Jaden Smith were dating, but now we have real proof.

    Jenner, 15, and Smith, 14, were spotted holding hands as they exited the Calabasas Commons movie theater where they saw "World War Z" on Wednesday. The pair appeared to be a bit camera shy as they quickly unlocked their hands once they realized photographers had spotted them.

    The last time we spotted the young couple together, the two were in New York and Smith was inexplicably dressed in an Iron Man costume. Smith was in town at the time to promote "After Earth," and Jenner was game to support her man, even after her family was dissed by Jaden's father Will Smith.

    Just last month, the former "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" star shot down comparisons to the Kardashian/Jenner family, telling Vulture:

    "Fame is almost an inconsequential by-product of what we’re really trying to accomplish. We are trying to put great things into the world, we’re trying to have fun ... So the idea of fame or exploitation or orchestrating the media is sometimes even less than desirable for us."

    Lost Moon Probes Scientists Search Lunar Surface For Signs Of Historic Spacecraft

     The moon is the final resting ground for scads of landed and crashed spacecraft, many of which have been pinpointed recently by sleuthing scientists.

    Using observations by NASA's sharp-eyed Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, for example, researchers have located and imaged Apollo moon landing leftovers, old Soviet-era spacecraft and, more recently, the impact locales of NASA's twin Grail spacecraft that were deliberately driven into a mountain near the moon's north pole.

    But the search is ongoing to find the exact location of several pioneering moon landers. [The Moon: Space Programs' Dumping Ground (Infographic)]

    No luck so far

    "We are still looking for [the Soviet Union's] Luna 9 and 13," said Jeff Plescia, a space scientist at the The Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md.

    "Those were the small 'beach ball' shaped spacecraft," Plescia told SPACE.com "The beach ball might be hard to find, but it made a descent on a larger vehicle which then popped the beach ball off."

    Plescia said he had assumed that it would be possible to find the landing sites of Luna 9 and 13 by spotting albedo marks — a change in the lunar surface brightness made by their descent engines.

    Plescia is joined in the hunt by Mark Robinson of Arizona State University, principal investigator for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, or LROC.

    "We've both looked, but no luck so far." Plescia said.

    Yet another search involves the impact sites of Apollo lunar module ascent stages, hardware discarded once moonwalking crews were snug within their respective command modules. Ascent stages were intentionally impacted into the surface as part of the Apollo Passive Seismic Experiment that studied the propagation of seismic waves through the moon to yield a detailed look at the body's internal structure

    The Story Of An Incredible Escape From North Korea

    A total stranger helped Hyeonseo Lee pay her mother and brother's way out of jail as they fled from North Korea. Now, four years later, Lee has been reunited with that stranger, getting the chance to thank him in person.

    In Lee's heart-wrenching TED2013 talk, "My escape from North Korea," she describes defecting from North Korea in the late '90s. But as she describes in the second half of her talk, after years of hiding she returned to China to help her family make their own escape. When her mother and brother were captured in Vientiane, Laos, and jailed for illegal border crossing, Lee describes how, out of money and desperate for a solution, she was approached by a foreigner. After hearing Lee's story, this stranger withdrew a large sum of cash -- £645 to be exact -- from an ATM. With the money to use as a bribe, Lee's family was able to escape.

    When Lee asked the stranger why he was helping her, he replied, "I'm not helping you. I'm helping the North Korean people." As Lee says in an emotional moment in her talk, "The kind stranger symbolized new hope for me and the North Korean people when we needed it most."

    Earlier this month Lee was invited to be a guest on the Australian broadcast show Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), where she had an unexpected visitor: Dick Stolp, the Australian backpacker who had helped her in Laos. Lee didn't have any of his contact information -- but Stolp had seen her TEDTalk and SBS, catching wind of the story, orchestrated the surprise reunion.

    "I was really happy ... I can't explain with words, but it was really amazing," Lee told Sky News after the reunion. "He says, 'I'm not a hero,' but I say he is a modern hero."

    Stolp, for his part, was excited to see the girl he had helped years ago. "You help a small hand and it reaches to other hands and you think, 'That's great, that's good stuff,'" he said. "I'm meeting someone who is now doing good things, and inside I can't help but feel 'Hey! I helped this lady to go out and change her life.'"

    Kendall Jenner Rocks A Bikini While Holding Adorable Chihuahuas With Her Sister

    After spending a week in New York, Kendall Jenner is back in California, and back in a bikini.

    Yep, only this time she and her sister Kylie are holding a couple of adorable chihuahuas:

    While it was Kylie who posted the photo to her Twitter account, we've become pretty used to Kendall's bikini shots -- whether she's paddleboarding or being ogled by her own sister, her bikini shots are taking over the Internet. No wonder she's being hailed as "the next big thing."

    Miley Cyrus Tweets 'Pretty Woman' Inspired Photo, Makes Us Worry A Little

    Either Miley Cyrus can't stop, or she's just having too much of a good time to take a breather. Either way, we think she might have gone a tad too far last night.

    Cyrus is down in Miami these days as part of the Miami Music Festival and since her new thing is wearing as little clothes in public as possible, she thought it'd be appropriate to channel Julia Roberts' "Pretty Woman" attire for a night on the town.

    That's right -- Julia Roberts' famous hooker dress from the iconic 1990 movie. Maybe Miley doesn't really know what kind of message she's sending since she was born a full two years after the movie came out?!

    Weirdly (or sadly, depending on how many 20-year-old kids you have at home), this isn't the first time Miley donned the skimpy "Pretty Woman" dress. For her 17th birthday, Cyrus dressed as Roberts' hooker character for an 80s party in New York, per the New York Post.

    We're just hoping the tall beverage in your hand is a virgin, Miley. Five more months until you're 21!

    Janelle Monae Releases 'Dance Apocalyptic,' Discusses New Album And How To 'Maximize Your Full Experience' With Her Music

    Janelle Monae is in the thick of a fierce rollout for her upcoming album "The Electric Lady," which has now received a Sept. 10 release date. Her signature style -- heavy on black-and-white outfits, funky dance grooves and optimal use of her wide-eyed facial expressions -- is on full display in the Erykah Badu-collaborating video for "Q.U.E.E.N." as well as her newly released song "Dance Apocalyptic."

    The fresh track is one of Monae's most high-adrenaline offerings, combining a Jackson 5 vibe with a chorus that's reminiscent of Mark Ronson & The Business Intl's 2010 hit "Bang Bang Bang." It makes sense that "Apocalyptic" would sound Jackson-esque, as the singer is clearly in that sort of mood: The deluxe edition of "Electric Lady," released via an exclusive partnership with Target, will feature four additional tracks, including a cover of "I Want You Back." (A pre-order of "Lady" is available now.)

    While no plans for a new round of Monae's mystic onstage presence have been announced, it seems inevitable that the 27-year-old singer will tour. In the meantime, she'll take the BET Awards stage on Sunday night and hold court as a performer at New Orleans' Essence Festival on July 7.

    HuffPost Entertainment snagged a few minutes with Monae on Friday evening to discuss her Target partnership and how the singer feels about the inundation of album leaks that have punctured the music industry.

    Hi, Janelle. Where are you calling from?
    Los Angeles, Calif.

    I know you have a ton of stuff going on right now. How did the Target partnership come about, and how you are feeling about its progress?
    I’m honored. I’m thankful that I get the chance to partner with Target. I’ve been a business owner for the second time, and I produced my own CDs and I used to sell them out of my boarding house in Atlanta, Ga. People would literally knock on my door and buy my CDs for $5.

    How old were you when this was going on?
    I don’t believe in age. I was 50 years old. So what that being said, I am just grateful I can get the music to my fans who live in different states and they don’t have to fly and knock on my boarding-house door to get a CD. They can go directly in Target. My family, who live in Kansas, they can go directly in Target. Plus, as a business owner and someone who wants my music to reach as many people as possible, it’s an incredible partnership with Target.

    These elaborate partnerships with places like Target and iTunes seem to be a big trend in the music industry right now. Jay-Z is doing Samsung right now. What do you think it adds to the business and how the album will play out commercially to adopt one of these partnerships that so many artists seem to be doing?
    I’ve always been about partnering and figuring out the best way to serve the customer, and, you know, people shop at these places. The benefit of Target -- and I can only speak for myself -- is everyone goes there. It is a place where people go and they buy not just CDs, but lotion and so many different things. So I think times are changing, and as a businesswoman I own my own recording label and I want to have all of our music available in stores. And I think the great thing is I get to be who I am. Target doesn’t ask me to change who I am, or I haven’t felt the need to change who I am. I’m exactly Janelle Monae. We’re partnering to get my message out to as many people as possible, which is exactly what it’s all about.

    Alec Baldwin Twitter Meltdown Comes After Journalist Accuses Wife Of Tweeting During Funeral

    Alec Baldwin and his wife Hilaria Baldwin attended the late "Sopranos" actor James Gandolfini's funeral Thursday morning, but while they were among mourners at the New York City church, Hilaria's Twitter account appeared to remain active. After a report from the UK's Daily Mail detailing as much, Baldwin launched a Twitter rant against the publication's writer who produced the piece -- and used several gay slurs in the process.

    During the funeral, tweets were sent from Hilaria's account asking followers for wedding anniversary ideas and retweeting @RachaelRayShow's updates about her Thursday morning appearance.

    A source close to Hilaria insists to The Huffington Post that she merely later retweeted updates that had been tweeted during the service and was not actively tweeting inside the church.

    Baldwin's publicist, Matthew Hiltzik, who says he still represents the actor, despite Baldwin having tweeted "I don't have a publicist anymore. I fired them," sent HuffPost the following statement:

    "It is disgraceful that this reporter manufactured a story and never called for comment or explanation -- especially when it needlessly diverted attention away from a day to honor the memory of a beloved figure like Mr Gandolfini."

    Below, a screenshot of Baldwin's now disabled Twitter account which displays his rant against reports that his pregnant wife was not fully present at the funeral.

    O.J. Simpson Movie Casts Charlotte Kirk As Nicole Brown Simpson

    The O.J. Simpson movie is moving forward. TheWrap first broke the news that Charlotte Kirk has been cast to play Nicole Brown Simpson in a curious film about a highly complicated real-life story.

    The British actress who was previously cast in "Non-Stop" is the latest addition to director Joshua Newton's controversial movie. "An American Mystery" promises an objective look at one of the the most infamous trials in American history. TheWrap has the film's budget at $65 million and reports that it could be finished in time for a 2014 summer release, just in time for the murder's 20th anniversary. A press release for the movie reveals that "Ms. Kirk’s portrayal of Nicole Brown-Simpson will span the period from when she first met the famed running back as an 18 year old in 1977 to her untimely death in 1994." (It also boasts a number of former politicians and retired athletes as the folks "behind the movie.")

    As late as May of this year, Simpson was in and out of court in connection with the theft of memorabilia from a Las Vegas Hotel room. Simpson, now 65, is currently serving a jail sentence that could last as long as 33 years. According to the press release, Simpson "expressed interest" in working on the movie, "an offer that was flatly rejected" by the Newton, who is writing and directing.

    In what's been dubbed the "trial of the century," Simpson was charged with the 1994 murder of his ex-wife and her friend. The jaw-dropping rise and fall of the once-profesional football player captivated the nation. Though Simpson was acquitted in court, the verdict did not carry over into the court of public opinion, where it's widely believed that Simpson "got away with murder."

    In 2007, Simpson made matters worse by attempting to publish "If I Did It," a sort of faux-confession that details how he "would have" killed his wife. The book was pulled before going to shelves, but not before an entire print run had been put to paper.

    RSRTC Recruitment 2013 Apply online for 550 Jr Engineer, Clerk Posts

    RSRTC Recruitment 2013 – Apply online for 550 Jr Engineer, Clerk Posts: Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) has issued notification for the recruitment of 550 Various Vacancies. Eligible candidates may apply through online from 25-06-2013 to 24-07-2013 at 11:59 PM. For more details like age limit, educational qualification, application fee details, selection process and how to apply are given below…

    RSRTC Vacancy Details:
    Total No. of Vacancies: 550
    Name of the Posts:
    1. Traffic Inspector: 16 Posts
    2.Co.Traffic Inspector: 40 Posts
    3. Junior Engineer ‘A’: 27 Posts
    4. Junior Engineer ‘B’: 56 Posts
    5. Junior Law Officer: 17 Posts
    6. Labor Welfare Inspector: 10 Posts
    7. Junior Accountants: 130 Posts
    8. Computer: 26 Posts
    9. Deputy Inspector Stores: 33 Posts
    10. Junior Clerk: 195 Posts

    Age Limit: Candidates’ age must be above 18 years and below 35 years as on 01-01-2013. Age Relaxations will be extended as per the rules.

    Educational qualifications: Candidates must possess Degree from Recognized University for S.No. 1, 2, 5, and 7 Posts, B.E/ B.Tech in Automobiles/ Mechanical/ Electrical Engineering for S.No. 3 Post, Diploma/ B.E/ B.Tech in Electrical/ Automobile/ Mechanical/ Electrical Engineering for S.No.4 Post, Degree with Social welfare/ Labor law/ Diploma for S.No.6, Degree in Statistics/ Economics/Mathematics/ from Recognized University for S.No.8 Post, Diploma in Automobiles/ Mechanical/ Electrical Engineering from Recognized University for S.No.9 Post, Inter pass or equivalent exam from Board and Diploma in Science and Engineering from Recognized Polytechnic Institution for S.No.10 Post.

    Application Fee: Unreserved candidates must pay Rs.700/- and Rajasthan Resident of SC/ ST candidates must pay Rs.175/- as application fee. Fee must be paid before filling online Application.

    Selection Process: Candidates will be selected on the basis of online examination.

    How to Apply: Candidates have to apply online through the website www.rsrtc.rajasthan.gov.in. from 25-06-2013 to 24-07-2013 at 11:59 PM.

    Instructions for Online Applicants:
    1. First Candidates have to scan their photograph, signature & Thumb impression.
    2. Make Fee Payment through any of the corporate branches which were listed in the notification      3. Log on to the website www.rsrtc.rajasthan.gov.in
    4. Read the instructions and start filling the Application.
    5. Check once and submit the application.
    6. Take a Hard Copy of the submitted application and retain it safely.

    Important Dates:
    Starting Date for Filling Online Application: 25-06-2013.
    Last Date for Submission of Application: 24-07-2013.

    For more details like vacancy distribution, pay scale, reservations, other requirements, test details and other instructions, click on the link given below…



    Click here for Recruitment Advt


    Click here for Online Application

    'Nymphomanic' Clip Lars Von Trier's Sex Movie Seems As Creepy As Expected

    Lars Von Trier's sex drama "Nymphomaniac" stars Charlotte Gainsbourg, Shia LaBeouf, Jamie Bell, Uma Thurman, Willem Dafoe, Stellan Skarsgård, Christian Slater and Connie Nielsen, but it's Stacy Martin and Sophie Kennedy Clark who are featured in the first glimpse of the movie.

    The "appetizer" clip, as its creepily being referred to, is indeed quite uncomfortable. In the video, Martin's Young Joe gets an awkward and sad bit of instruction from Clark's B. She then opens the door to a train car, presumably to seduce an older man for sex.

    "Nymphomaniac" has made headlines ever since LaBeouf promised there would be explicit sex in the movie. Folks close to the film have since tempered that claim (body doubles and camera tricks will be used to augment the sexual realities of the movie).

    Part one of the movie debuts in Denmark on Christmas Day. No U.S. date has been set yet, though Magnolia Pictures will distribute the film stateside.

    'Mean Moms' Movie In The Works From 'Mean Girls' Author Rosalind Wiseman

    The latest set of mean girls aren't girls at all, they're moms. Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, and Lacey Chabert had their turn as mean girls, but now it's time for "Mean Moms."

    New Line Cinema has tapped Beth McCarthy-Miller ("Saturday Night Live") to adapt "Queen Bee Moms And King Pin Dads: Dealing With The Parents, Teachers, Coaches, and Counselors Who Can Make — or Break — Your Child’s Future" -- a book by Rosalind Wiseman, whose "Queen Bees and Wannabes" was the inspiration for the "Mean Girls" movie, Deadline reports.

    The film adaptation of Wiseman's 2006 book focuses on a mother who encounters some grown-up mean girls in the form of suburban moms. "Mean Moms" will be produced by Jill Messick with Offspring Entertainment, according to Deadline.

    While McCarthy-Miller served as a director for "SNL," she had a chance to work with "Mean Girls" stars Tina Fey and Tim Meadows. No word as to whether "Mean Moms" will serve as a mini-reunion for the trio.

    Released in 2004, "Mean Girls" was a major hit. The comedy gained enough of a following that rumors have been swirling for months about the possibility of a "Mean Girls" musical.

    'World War Z' Ticket Prices Reached $50 For Fans Wanting Extra Perks

    So this was the deal: For $50, you got to see Brad Pitt's hotly anticipated zombie thriller "World War Z" before all your friends. You also got 3D glasses to keep, popcorn and sodas, a poster, the DVD when it comes out, and an intimate dinner with Brad.

    Just kidding! No dinner with Brad.

    But hundreds of fans did pay $50 for the other stuff last week in a small-scale marketing experiment in five theaters – and the studio, Paramount Pictures, says it worked well. With all the recent talk about future movie ticket prices climbing into the stratosphere, is it a harbinger of things to come?

    Before you scoff, it's worth noting that premium pricing happens all the time: in Broadway theaters, where you could get second-row seats for Tom Hanks in "Lucky Guy" this week if you paid $300 a pop, or at concerts, where you could pay well over $1,000 for, say, a Rolling Stones VIP package. At Yankee Stadium, a top-tier Legends seat can also top $1,000 per game, but season holders can get perks like a free trip to spring training.

    Still, the idea of $50 for a movie strikes a lot of fans the wrong way.

    "That's possibly the craziest thing I've ever heard," said Dillon Mahoney, 19, a student at the University of Pennsylvania, waiting in line for a regular "World War Z" showing. "I have a hard time paying 50 bucks for a Phillies game!"

    "That's my dinner," noted another Philadelphia moviegoer, Cheyanne Farmer, 15. "That's my allowance," added Rahyaan Hall, her friend. "For a month."

    In New York though, one fan did some quick calculating and saw a reasonable value. "With the DVD and all those other things you mention, it probably comes to more than $50," said Alex Leighton, 24, who'd just bought tickets to "World War Z." "So you're getting more than the movie."

    That's the point that Paramount wants to make.

    "This ended up being a headline that didn't really represent what the offer was," says Megan Colligan, the studio's president of domestic distribution and marketing. "These people stepped up and made their commitment to us, and we gave them a great experience."

    That experience, which involved just one show each at five theaters across the country, included not merely seeing the film two days early and the free stuff; the "mega-ticket" buyers also got to bring friends along at regular price and they got a party atmosphere, including a DJ and photo booths.

    Colligan says that four of the theaters sold out – they averaged 250 seats each – and one was 80 percent full. She wouldn't get more specific in terms of revenue, but said: "It was a fun, positive experience for everyone."

    The offer might have gone largely unnoticed, had it not been for its timing: The special showings came just a few days after Hollywood heavyweights Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, speaking at the University of Southern California, issued dire predictions about the future of movie prices, with Lucas estimating tickets could end up at "$50, maybe $100, maybe $150," and Spielberg predicting differentiated pricing according to a film's budget – with the next "Iron Man" costing $25 perhaps, but the next "Lincoln" costing $7.

    'Adore' Trailer Two Mothers Swap Sons In Taboo Sex Drama

    Here's one of the pull quotes cited in the new trailer for "Adore": "Provocative and troubling, sensual and scandalous." Fasten your seat belts, et cetera.

    Directed by Anne Fontaine and written by Christopher Hampton ("Atonement"), "Adore" focuses on two mothers (Naomi Watts and Robin Wright) who fall into sexual relationships with each other's sons. This movie is real. Here's what Vulture's Kyle Buchanan wrote after "Adore," then titled "Two Mothers," premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January:

        Literally 95% of the movie is comprised of the following: swimming, staring, and sex-having. (Often, some of those actions are combined or follow each other in rapid succession.) The dialogue is terse and feels more like it was pulled from foreign language subtitles than anything resembling actual conversation. A pivotal exchange between Lil and Roz, scripted by Oscar winning screenwriter Christopher Hampton, after the two women have just learned that they're, you know, boning each other's sons: "How are you feeling?" Long pause. "Good." Long pause. "Yeah. Me too." In the next scene, all four of them are hanging out together and having a blast. Well, glad that's settled!

    As Buchanan notes, "Adore" is a "doozy." So is his piece, which you should read immediately after watching the "Adore" trailer above.

    "Adore" is out on in theaters and available via on-demand services on Sept. 6.

    Patti Stanger's Bikini Body: Matchmaker Soaks Up The Sun In Black Bathing Suit

    What more could the "Millionaire Matchmaker" need than a black bikini and her boyfriend? Before heading to her pal and fellow Bravo star NeNe Leakes' wedding that evening, Patti Stanger spent Saturday soaking up the sun in Atlanta with her man David Krause. The couple were in town for the purpose of attending the nuptials that night, but that didn't stop Stanger from getting her tan on before heading to the ceremony in a stylish navy blue gown.

    The 52-year-old recently lost nearly 30 pounds over the course of the past two years using the weight loss system Sensa and confidently showed off her slimmer figure while relaxing poolside with her 44-year-old mortgage broker beau. The two met in March 2012 and after lounging around for the day, the pair glammed it up in attire that Stanger joked would give even 007 and his girl a run for their money. "James Bond n Pussy Galore look out," she captioned with the photo of them ready to go

    Ancient Egyptian Statue Moves On Its Own, Curators At Manchester Museum Say

    Don't go running to mummy just yet: the spooky movements of this Egyptian statue probably have a logical explanation, even if museum curators are in de-Nile about it.

    Staff at the Manchester Museum in Manchester, England say the 4,000-year-old statue, recovered from a mummy's tomb, has been spinning without anybody moving it, NDTV reports.

    The 10-inch tall statue of a man named Neb-Senu was originally an offering to the god Osiris and has been in the museum for 80 years.

    Up until a few weeks ago, the statue had appeared to be stationary.

    "I noticed one day that it had turned around," curator Campbell Price, 29, told NDTV. "I thought it was strange because it is in a case and I am the only one who has a key."

    Price told the Sun this week that "most Egyptologists are not superstitious people," and said when he first noticed the object had moved, his first instinct was to wonder who moved it.

    “But the next time I looked, it was facing in another direction — and a day later had yet another orientation," he told the Sun this week.

    Price returned the statue to its original position and set up a time-lapse video, which he says shows the statue moving without the help of humans.

    WATCH THE VIDEO (story continues below):

    According to Price, "ancient Egyptians believed that statuettes such as these could act as an alternative home for the spirits of the people they represented, should the body be damaged or destroyed."

    Nevertheless, even the Egyptians didn't expect these statues to move on their own.

    TV physicist Brian Cox thinks he might have a scientific explanation for the spooky movement, according to the Daily Mail: differential friction.

    "Cox suggested that two surfaces, the serpentine stone of the statuette and glass shelf it is on, cause a subtle vibration which is making the statuette turn," Price told the Daily Mail.

    Cox's theory is supported by the fact that in the video, the statue appears to only be moving when visitors are in the museum.

    Price, however, is skeptical of this theory, since the statuette has been on the same surface for 80 years and has never moved before.

    Maybe the mummy's curse will actually be a blessing for the museum, as Price urges the public to visit and try to figure out the mystery for themselves.

    Beyonce Tour: Singer Adds More Stops To Her Mrs. Carter Show World Tour

    Because the world can never have enough Beyonce, the singer has added additional stops to her Mrs. Carter Show World Tour.

    Originally scheduled to wrap at the end of the summer, The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour will now continue through the fall. New concerts were added to Bey's schedule this week, including stops in South America and a return to North America for shows in November and December. Beyonce's tour will now end in Boston, Mass. on Dec. 20.

    The tour has been highly profitable for Bey, who grossed $9.7 million in ticket sales from the six shows she played in London alone.

    Check out the remaining stops on Beyonce's Mrs. Carter Show World Tour below.

    June 28: Los Angeles, Calif.
    June 29: Las Vegas, Nev.
    July 01: Los Angeles, Calif.
    July 02: San Jose, Calif.
    July 05: Oklahoma City, Okla.
    July 06: Dallas, Texas
    July 07: New Orleans, La.
    July 09: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
    July 10: Miami, Fla.
    July 12: Atlanta, Ga.
    July 13: Nashville, Tenn.
    July 15: Houston, Texas
    July 17: Chicago, Ill.
    July 18: St. Paul, Minn.
    July 20: Detroit, Mich.
    July 21: Toronto, Ontario
    July 22: Montreal, Quebec
    July 23: Boston, Mass.
    July 25: Philadelphia, Penn.
    July 26: Atlantic City, NJ
    July 27: Charlotte, NC
    July 29: Washington, DC
    July 30: Washington, DC
    July 31: East Rutherford, NJ
    August 2 Uncasville, Conn.
    August 3: Brooklyn, NY
    August 4: Brooklyn, NY
    August 5: Brooklyn, NY
    August 17: Chelmsford, England
    August 18: Staffordshire, England
    August 31: Philadelphia, Penn.
    September 8: Fortaleza, Brazil
    September 11: Belo Horizonte, Brazil
    September 13: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    September 15: Sao Paulo, Brazil
    September 17: Brasilia, Brazil
    September 20: Caracas, Venezuela
    September 26: Mexico City, Mexico
    September 28: San Juan, Puerto Rico
    November 30: Vancouver, B.C.
    December 2: San Jose, Calif.
    December 3: Los Angeles, Calif.
    December 6: Las Vegas, Nev.
    December 7: Phoenix, Ariz.
    December 9: Dallas, Texas
    December 10: Houston, Texas
    December 12: Louisville, KY
    December 13: Chicago, Ill.
    December 14: St. Louis, MO
    December 16: Toronto, Ontario
    December 18: Washington DC
    December 19: Brooklyn, NY
    December 20: Boston, Mass.

    Zosia Mamet's 'Pantsless' Look Gives Us Lena Dunham Flashbacks

    Zosia Mamet, who plays straight-laced Shoshanna on our beloved "Girls," hit the red carpet on Sunday wearing a mini dress that could have probably doubled as a shirt -- i.e., the "pantsless" look. Mamet styled the white dress elegantly with understated hair, neutral makeup and flat shoes.

    The cute look gave us serious flashbacks to the "pantsless" outfit Lena Dunham wore on the red carpet last fall (you know, the one that had the media all in a tizzy).

    We're going to assume that Zosia, just like Lena, didn't actually forget her pants but simply liked the loose, laidback look of the dress. Are you digging the ultra-short hemline as much as we are?

    Melissa McCarthy's Weight Fluctuates Year After Year: 'I've Been Every Size In The World'

    Melissa McCarthy has been thrust into a new kind of spotlight since busting out onto the Hollywood scene in 2011's "Bridesmaids." But with all that attention comes a lot of criticism.

    McCarthy has been called out for her weight over the years, most recently by movie reviewer Rex Reed, who said she was "tractor-sized" and "a gimmick comedian who has devoted her short career to being obese and obnoxious with equal success.”

    Still, it sounds like those kinds of comments don't affect McCarthy, who says that she's not as sensitive as she once was. In the July/August issue of More magazine, the star of "The Heat" admits that with age comes a newfound respect for yourself.

    "I've been every size in the world," she says. "Parts of my twenties, I was in great shape, but I didn't appreciate it. If I was a 6 or an 8, I thought, why aren't I a 2 or a 4?"

    "I bought into it -- I should be taller, thinner, have better hair. But I think that's part of being young," the now 42-year-old star continues. "Now, especially with kids, you lose any sense of time or energy to worry about all the little stuff."

    The mother of two -- McCarthy has two daughters, Vivian, 6, and Georgette, 3, with husband Ben Falcone -- has been open about her weight struggles, but refuses to let harsh remarks bother her. After Reed's review was released, McCarthy spoke out about his choice of words, telling the New York Times, “I felt really bad for someone who is swimming in so much hate. I just thought, that’s someone who’s in a really bad spot, and I am in such a happy spot. I laugh my head off every day with my husband and my kids who are mooning me and singing me songs.”

    'A Beautiful Body' Book Project Jade Beall, Photographer, Celebrates Mothers' Real Bodies


    When Jade Beall published a series of self-portraits of her semi-nude postpartum body online -- and a followup semi-nude photo of a friend that got thousands of "likes" and shares from her photography studio's Facebook page -- she realized she’d struck a nerve. Hundreds of mothers wrote to her, hoping Beall would be willing to take portraits of them "just as they were" as well. The photographer, and mother of one, was so moved by these intense reactions that she complied, in a big way.

    Now, these women’s photos (Beall has captured more than 50 moms and counting), and written accounts of their journeys from self-doubt to body confidence, will appear in "A Beautiful Body," a book that Beall is bringing to fruition via crowd-funding and help from volunteers. Put together, these images are meant to show mothers as they really look, imperfect but no less beautiful for what society might consider their physical "flaws."
    Story continues with more photos below.

    beautiful body project

    The photographer, whose baby boy Sequoia is now 16 months old, says the concept has roots in doubts that have haunted her throughout her life -- and hit her particularly hard after she gave birth. She explained to HuffPost over email:

        As a teenager I suffered from feelings of deep unworthiness. I had acne and I was unable to look in a mirror for nearly three years, unless it was by candlelight. ... I gained 50 pounds with my pregnancy and that added to my personal history of oppressive self-loathing in a culture that praises mostly photoshopped images of women in media.

    The project is volunteer-driven, and Beall does each photoshoot for free. She writes on Kickstarter that she plans to use some of the extra money she has raised to help people travel to her studio in Tucson, Arizona.

    "We are facing an epidemic of women who feel unworthy of being called beautiful," Beall told HuffPost, describing a world in which "nearly all of us struggle to feel beautiful in our own skin." And the expectations faced by women who have given birth are particularly harsh. "Shaming mothers for not 'bouncing back' after childbirth can cause feelings of failure when being a mother is challenging enough and when a big number of us have already lived a life of feeling un-beautiful prior to giving birth," she says.

    For a glimpse into the experience on the other side of Beall's camera, yoga therapist Michelle Marks (featured on slide 16 of the gallery below) wrote about her journey from terror to exhilaration on Offbeat Home. Marks says the final product made her cry:

        I had exposed myself to Jade -- not just my flesh, and typically hidden parts, but the angles, and lines and aspects of me that came with being a mother. The exposure called to light remembrances of how my body changed shape over two different pregnancies, and two births, and the stories that my body has stored from the act of surrender to motherhood and the unexpected life that has become mine since taking the leap of faith into motherhood.

    Beall -- who describes her photography as "medicinal" -- intends her book as balm not only for the women who volunteer to be photographed, but also the society whose expectations she's hoping to heal.

    Ultimately, she hopes to channel her passion into more than a single book. Future volumes she’s thinking about may tackle themes like aging, cancer and eating disorders. She'd like to photograph men as well as women -- and possibly even expand to other media, such as magazines and film. "My dream is to be a part of a movement of being kind to ourselves and to others and witness a generation of young people that no longer waste years of precious life on self-loathing like I have because they think they are un-beautiful," Beall said. AAX

    Danniella Westbrook: 'I Was Kidnapped, Drugged And Raped By Gang For Three Days'

    Danniella Westbrook has revealed she was once drugged and raped whilst being held captive by a group of men for three days after failing to pay drugs money.

    The former EastEnders star made the disturbing revelation during an interview on This Morning ahead of the release of her autobiography.

    She said: "I'd left EastEnders and was with a guy in a boy band and had split up with him, and it was a terrible time anyway. I was really heavily into drugs and moved away from everybody where I grew up and moved to South London.

    "I had a few different people that I used to get drugs from and, obviously being on TV, everybody thinks you're really rich... and I'd used that as a drug addict to my advantage.

    "One of the guys I owed the money to sent their people to get the money [£5,000]... and I just knew the moment I open the front door and there were these three guys standing there."

    Explaining how she couldn't see a way out, Danniella said: "When it was clear that I didn't have the money, they said 'get ready, you're coming with us' and I thought I was going to get taken somewhere and get beaten up and dumped somewhere... and I wished it had of been that."

    She continued: "I knew if I shouted out it was going to make it worse - these people are not scared of the police or anyone else. They are there to do what they've got to do and they took me to a rented flat and gave me vodka, drugs and what I thought was ecstasy, but it was rohypnol and I was there for nearly three days.

    "It was a case of them raping me and doing what they wanted to do with me and that was the start of my nightmare really."

    Following the attack, Danniella said: "I just went home and thought 'I'm a drug addict' if I tell anybody they'll just say it was what I deserved.

    "I blocked everything from that day out. I felt pretty worthless anyway being a drug addict but from then on my life just got worse. I just had this secret that I didn't want to tell anyone."

    On telling her husband and her mum, she said: "Telling my husband was really really difficult - he's the closest person to me in the world and always has been and I just thought that this fantastic man who has gone through every single drama that I'd had in my life would never want to be with me and it actually wasn't like that.

    Sarah Gadon In 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2': Actress Joins Cast Following Shailene Woodley's Exit

    One actress exits "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" and another enters. After it was revealed earlier this week that Shailene Woodley's role in the movie had been cut, "Cosmopolis" actress Sarah Gadon announced on "Entertainment Tonight Canada" that she will take on an unnamed part in the franchise.

    Woodley was slated to portray Mary Jane Watson, with her departure prompting rumors that another actress, 26, would take on the classic role instad. But director Marc Webb told Deadline.com that the character was being placed on hold until "The Amazing Spider-Man 3," rendering Gadon's impending contributions to the movie unknown. The Wrap's Jeff Sneider confirmed "100%" that Gadon will not take on the Mary Jane role.

    The actress even took to Twitter herself to clear up the speculation:

    Despite Woodley's exit, Gadon joins a bang-up cast that includes Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Paul Giamatti, Sally Field, Martin Sheen and Chris Cooper. Gadon, who has been acting since she was 10, previously starred in "A Dangerous Mind," "Dream House" and "Cosmopolis."

    Jackie Stallone Reveals Latest Version Of Her Face After Admitting, 'I Look Like A Chipmunk'

    Jackie Stallone has shown off the latest version of her face in a new photoshoot, after revealing she isn't happy with the way her plastic surgery looks.

    The 91-year-old seems to have undergone further procedures since she famously appeared on 'Celebrity Big Brother' in 2005 as she poses for a series of new pictures.

    She told Reveal magazine earlier this week that she thought she looked "like a chipmunk" following her numerous operations, but refused to rule out further ones.

    "I've got too much. I look like I've got a mouthful of nuts... I feel I look like a chipmunk," she said.

    "I know it isn't normal. The papers in London are the worst. They say, 'She's the world's worst', that I look like a pet bulldog. I really do. I've seen too much bad work."

    Jackie has been out of the spotlight in recent years, and her looks caused confusion last year when a woman called Ivonne Weldon turned up at the premiere Sylvester Stallone's new film, and was mistaken for her.

    Google Nexus 7 Suffering Big Performance Drop-Offs 12 Months After Release?

    Google and Asus scored a huge win the the tech space last year with the launch of the Nexus 7. With its small and neat form factor, stock Android OS seven-inch screen, nice specs and - crucially - exceptionally low price, it was one of the first Android tablets to truly spark a light in the iPad-dominated market.

    Unfortunately, reports are starting to emerge that the tablet might be experiencing growing pains - or, possibly, a premature death.

    According to Dustin Earley at Android and Me, in a blog post widely cited in the tech media on Wednesday, the Nexus 7 is showing severe drop-offs in performance.

    "I can't find one person who has been using the Nexus 7 for an extended period of time, and hasn't seen a massive downgrade in performance," Earley writes.

    "I cannot pick up my Nexus 7 without experiencing problems like a lag of ten seconds, or more, just to rotate the display; touches refusing to acknowledged; stuttering notification panel actions; and unresponsive apps."

    And he's not alone. Beneath the piece dozens of Nexus 7 users say they have also experienced issues, while Google's own forums hold similarly dispiriting tales.

    "I have all the same exact issues. Horrific lag when doing anything in the browser, any simple multi-tasking, and at least one crash/reboot per hour," said one user, Kunal Patel.

    Not all users said they had experienced problems however, with some saying the tablet worked as well as the day they got it.

    Apple Insider (arguably not an unbiased source...) suggests that the issue might be down to cheap SSD memory. One Android app developer said it related to a well-known bug in Samsung's "flash controller firmware".

    We wouldn't hold off on purchasing a Nexus 7 based on these reports alone - the tablet is still an excellent device for the price.

    Amanda Bynes & Wyclef Jean: Actress & Rapper Not Collaborating For Bynes' Album

    Amanda Bynes' music career may still be in the works, but she's down one major producer.

    The 27-year-old former actress and current tweeter was rumored to work with the Fugees' Wyclef Jean on her supposed upcoming record deal. A representative from Jean's camp, however, has denied any involvement.

    Jean's team reportedly told TMZ that the producer and rapper hasn't spoken to Bynes about collaborating, nor has any plans to do so.

    Rumors of a Bynes-Jean team-up were sparked by a statement from the CEO of Chinga Chang Records, a company that reportedly offered Bynes a record deal. "I think it would be perfect," CEO Dan Herman told E! News. "Linking the two of them will be something major." He added that Jean was "receptive" to the idea of teaming up with Bynes, and spoke of arranging a meeting between the two of them earlier this week, which never took place.

    After retiring from acting, Bynes first publicized plans to begin a career in music last month. "Look forward to seeing me in music videos!" she announced on Twitter. "I'm looking forward to a long and wonderful career as a singer/rapper!"

    Bynes recently distanced herself from Chinga Chang Records, taking to Twitter to announce that her music career will begin after she completes various surgeries to remove the "webbing" between her eyes and to "shave the bridge down" of her nose.

    Linda Cardellini On 'Mad Men' What Went On Behind The Scenes When Sally Walked In

    The "Freaks & Geeks" alumna joined the critically-acclaimed AMC series as Don Draper's (Jon Hamm) mistress and neighbor Sylvia Rosen. In a recent "Mad Men" episode, the s*** hit the fan when Sally (Kiernan Shipka) walked in on the two of them having sex, prompting young Sally to explode at her father.

    "Well, the good thing about that is that when Kiernan walks in, what you see on screen isn't actually what she sees on set," Cardellini explained of the shocking "Mad Men" scene during a recent visit to HuffPost Live. "What we were doing while she was reacting to that is not exactly as explicit as it is on screen. So that's the nice thing about acting sometimes is that you don't have to actually experience the things as the characters do."

    Shipka recently opened up about the traumatic scene, telling Vulture, "The whole thing about acting in general, whether other actors are there with you or not, is that it's about your imagination. You can draw from real-life experiences, but obviously nothing, unless you're doing some biography, is going to be exact to your life.

    "That's what's fun about it. It's not real life. I have a little bit of a wild imagination, so I could imagine anything I wanted to see there even if it wasn't really there," she said with a laugh.

    But Sally's reaction to what she saw between Don and Sylvia led her to start drinking, smoking and enjoy watching boys fight over her while staying overnight at Miss Porter's boarding school in the penultimate episode of Season 6. "Sally walking in on her father with this other woman is a very complicated experience," "Mad Men" creator Matt Weiner explained in a behind-the-scenes video from AMC. "Her response is she wants to get as far away from her father as possible."

    Brazil Protests To Continue Despite Government Concessions Rolling Back Transit Fare Hike

    More than a million Brazilians poured into the streets of at least 80 cities Thursday in this week's largest anti-government demonstrations yet, protests that saw violent clashes break out in several cities as people demanding improved public services and an end to corruption faced tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets.

    At least one protester was killed in Sao Paulo state after a car rammed into a crowd of demonstrators, the driver apparently angered about being unable to drive along a street.

    In Rio de Janeiro, where an estimated 300,000 demonstrators swarmed into the seaside city's central area, running clashes played out between riot police and clusters of mostly young men, their T-shirts wrapped around their faces. But several peaceful protesters were up in the crackdown, too, as police fired tear gas canisters into their midst and at times indiscriminately used pepper spray.

    Thundering booms echoed off stately colonial buildings as rubber bullets and the gas were fired at fleeing crowds.

    At least 40 people were injured in Rio, including protesters like Michele Menezes, a wisp of a woman whose youthful face and braces belie her 26 years. Bleeding and with her hair singed from the explosion of a tear gas canister, she said that she and others took refuge from the violence in an open bar, only to have a police officer toss the canister inside.

    It exploded on top of Menezes, tore through her jeans and dug out two quarter-sized holes on the back of her thighs while also perforating a rash of small holes in her upper arm.

    "I was leaving a peaceful protest and it's not the thugs that attack me but the police themselves," said Menezes, removing her wire-rim glasses to wipe her bloodshot eyes.

    She later took refuge in a hotel along with about two dozen youths, families and others said they had been repeatedly hit with pepper spray by motorcycle police as they too took refuge inside a bar.

    Despite the crackdown, protesters said they would not back down.

    "I saw some pretty scary things, but they're not going to shake me. There's another march on the 22nd and I'm going to be there," said 19-year-old university student Fernanda Szuster.

    Asked whether her parents knew that she was taking part in the protests, Szuster said that "they know and they're proud. They also protested when they were young. So they think it's great."

    She added, though, that she wouldn't tell her father the details of the police violence she was a victim of. "If he knew, he would never let me leave the house again."

    In Brasilia, police struggled to keep hundreds of protesters from invading the Foreign Ministry, outside of which protesters lit a small fire. Other government buildings were attacked around the capital's central esplanade. There, too, police resorted to tear gas and rubber bullets in attempts to scatter the crowds.

    Clashes were also reported in the Amazon jungle city of Belem, in Porto Alegre in the south, in the university town Campinas north of Sao Paulo and in the northeastern Brazilian city of Salvador.

    "This was meant to be a peaceful demonstration and it is," said artist Wanderlei Costa, 33, in Brasilia. "It's a shame some people cause trouble when there is a much bigger message behind this movement. Brazil needs to change, not only on the government level, but also on the grass roots level. We have to learn to demonstrate without violence."

    On World Refugee Day, Syria Is Calling, But Is It Loud Enough?

    By Fairuz Taqi-Eddin, CARE's Regional Director of Partnerships in the Middle East, based in Jordan.

    The Syrian crisis is different from all other humanitarian crises that I have known. In my 11 years as a fundraiser with CARE, I have been involved in humanitarian emergency responses of large magnitude, including the Tsunami, the Pakistan floods, the Haiti earthquake, and the Horn of Africa food crisis.

    I have seen people suffering and their lives shattered but as a Syrian-American woman, this crisis is personal to me; it has made me much more aware of my Syrian roots. Both my paternal grandparents were born in Damascus and the majority of our extended family is still living in Syria. This crisis is affecting family members both in Syria and in Jordan directly. My relatives who are still back in Syria and those who have escaped the conflict and fled to Jordan have made this crisis real by bringing to my life the extent of pain and upheaval that they have been feeling. Several of my relatives lost their lives. Homes and businesses of relatives were destroyed. These are some examples of how one family −- my family -- is being affected.

    In Jordan, through my work with CARE, I have visited the Zaatari refugee camp and met with countless Syrian refugee families living in Amman. I have seen the impact this crisis has been having on the Syrian women, men, mothers and children. As a mother, I can easily relate to a refugee mom who constantly worries how she will keep a roof over her family's head, how /when her children would go to school or how many meals she could secure for her kids. The list goes on.

    There are good people and organizations on the ground like CARE doing their best to respond to this crisis. But it has just not been enough, and there is so much more that needs to be done, especially with no end in sight to this tragedy.

    On the 7th of June the UN launched a $4.4 billion humanitarian appeal -- the largest aid request in the organization's history -- in order to be able to assist the growing number of people suffering the effects of the crisis in Syria. The UN estimates that 6.8 million people need urgent help inside of Syria whilst more than 1.6 million Syrians -- the latter is twice the population of San Francisco where I used to live and work -- need urgent help in the neighbouring countries where they have been taking refuge and continue arriving. I feel the responsibility and the commitment to do my part and fundraise for this crisis of unprecedented scale.

    Unlike with other crises, the political aspect of this emergency has overshadowed the humanitarian aspect, and raising funds and having the focus on the continuous and increasing humanitarian needs of both people within Syria and Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries have been challenging. Also, due to the multitude of forces with different allegiances in Syria, raising funds is complex. In my role, I am constantly working on finding ways to help people affected by this huge crisis and assure donors that their funding reaches those who have been most affected, and is allocated to respond to the humanitarian needs created by the conflict.

    The 20th June, this week, marks World Refugee Day, a day established by the UN to recognize and honor the strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homes to escape persecution, conflict, natural disasters and violence. An increasing number of the world's refugees today are from Syria, with the number of Syrian refugees continuing sadly to grow fast and steadily.

    On this important day, I urge that we don't forget the plight of the Syrian people who have already suffered so much, and help those most in need: over 1.6 million Syrian refugees as well as nearly seven million Syrians who are not refugees but are in urgent need of help inside Syria. This crisis is a clear case where aid will bring solace to uprooted refugee families forced to live in increasingly difficult conditions, and will alleviate the suffering of countless families.

    CARE is working to help refugees meet their most urgent needs and protect their dignity. While our efforts to help Syrian refugees and host communities began in Jordan -- where we have reached more than 110,000 refugees -- we are also on the ground in Egypt and Lebanon, working with a range of partners to help refugees and host communities. To find out more or to donate, please visit: http://care-international.org

    Bio: In her role, Fairuz manages and develops partnerships and donor relations for CARE in the Middle East region. Fairuz joined CARE in 2002. Prior to her move to the Middle East in spring 2008, Fairuz was a major gift fundraiser for CARE in San Francisco and Silicon Valley and worked with key corporations and Foundation such as CISCO, GOOGLE, GAP Foundation and Visa. She has ten years of experience in fundraising, media and communication work. Fairuz is passionate and committed towards women empowerment work and promoting cultural understanding. A volunteer for several philanthropic organizations, Fairuz was instrumental in the setting up of Spark, a San Francisco based organization that engages young professionals around women issues around the globe.

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