Mars Hoax Day On August 27, 2012

Mars Hoax Day

August 27, 2012 is said to be a "Mars Hoax Day."

During this day, many people will reportedly receive an email claiming that on August 27th Mars will approach Earth, swell to the size of a full Moon and "will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye."

The Mars Hoax email was first sent in 2003 and it contains the following: 

The Red Planet is about to be spectacular! This month and next, Earth is catching up with Mars in an encounter that will culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287. Due to the way Jupiter's gravity tugs on Mars and perturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be certain that Mars has not come this close to Earth in the Last 5,000 years, but it may be as long as 60,000 years before it happens again.

The encounter will culminate on August 27th when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles (55,763,108 km) of Earth and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the night sky. It will attain a magnitude of -2.9 and will appear 25.11 arc seconds wide. At a modest 75-power magnification

Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. Mars will be easy to spot. At the beginning of August it will rise in the east at 10 p.m. and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m.

By the end of August when the two planets are closest, Mars will rise at nightfall and reach its highest point in the sky at 12:30 a.m. That's pretty convenient to see something that no human being has seen in recorded history. So, mark your calendar at the beginning of August to see Mars grow progressively brighter and brighter throughout the month. Share this with your children and grandchildren. NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN

Mars really did swell to unusual proportions in 2003. On August 27th of that year, Mars came
within 56 million km of Earth—the nearest it has been in 60,000 years. However, the hoax stemmed from a misinterpretation of the sentence "At a modest 75-power magnification Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye". The message was often quoted with a line break in the middle of this sentence, leading some readers to mistakenly believe that "Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye" when, in reality, this sentence means that Mars enlarged 75 times will look as big as the moon unenlarged.

It is quite obviously scientifically incorrect that Mars, normally never more than a dot in the night sky, could suddenly become visibly large due to normal variations in orbit. If Mars did appear as large as the moon it would be so close that it would cause catastrophic gravitational effects—Mars has about twice the diameter of the moon, and hence would be about 2 times as far away for the same apparent size; it has 9 times the mass of the moon, and would have over twice the gravitational effect (9 times larger mass divided by relative distance (2) squared). Source: Wikipedia

California Earthquakes August 26, 2012

California Earthquakes August 26, 2012

A series of moderate earthquakes struck California on Sunday, August 26, 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said .

The strongest registered at magnitude 5.4 and was recorded at 1:57 p.m. local time (20:57 UTC).  Its epicenter was located at 5 km (3 miles) North of Brawley, California.

The USGS recorded more than two dozens of earthquakes that jolted California on Sunday, mostly originating from Brawley. Their Richter Scale readings ranged from magnitude 3.0 to 5.4.

Below were the preliminary magnitude counts of some of the quakes:

Magnitude 4.0 12:16 p.m - 6 km (4 miles) N of Brawley, California
Magnitude 4.6 12:20 p.m. - 5 km (3 miles) N of Brawley, California
Magnitude 5.3 12:31 p.m. - 5 km (3 miles)  N of Brawley, California
Magnitude 4.9 12:33 p.m. - 3 km (2 miles) NW of Brawley, California
Magnitude 4.3 12:40 p.m. - 6 km (4 miles) WNW of Brawley, California

There were no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries from the earthquakes.

Box Office Results: 'Expendables 2' Still Reigns With $13 Million

Box Office Results

"The Expendables 2" remained at the top spot of the box office race this weekend.

Based on estimates, the star-studded action flick raked in $13 million in North America on its second week, leading a weak box office week.

Now on its third week, "The Bourne Legacy" took the second spot with $9.5 million, followed by the 2-week old "ParaNorman" with $8.7 million.

Check out the latest box office results below:

1. The Expendables 2 (Millenium/Lionsgate) Week 2, Weekend $13.0M, Total $53.8M
2. The Bourne Legacy (Universal) Week 3, Weekend $9.5M, Total  $85.6M
3. ParaNorman (Focus Features) Week 2, Weekend $8.7M, Total $29.3M
4. The Dark Knight Rises (Legendary/WB) Week 6, Weekend $7.3M, Total $422.3M
5. Odd Life Of Timothy Green (Disney) Week 2, Weekend $7.2M, Total $27.1M
6. Premium Rush (Sony) Week 1, Weekend $6.5M
7. The Campaign (Warner Bros) Week 3, Weekend $6.5M, Total $62.6M
8. 2016 Obama’s America (Rocky Mountain) Week 1, Weekend $6.4M, Total $9.2M
9. Hope Springs (Sony) Week 3, Weekend $5.7M, Total $44.8M
10. Hit And Run (Open Road) Week 1, Weekend $4.3M, Total $5.5M
12. The Apparition (Dark Castle/WB) Week 1, Weekend $3.0M

'X Factor Philippines' August 26, 2012: Who Was Eliminated?

"The X Factor Philippines" returned on Sunday, August 26, 2012, for the 4th results show.

The Top 9 contestants kicked off the show by performing with the first "Star Power" grand champion Angeline Quinto. After the commercial break, the finalists were back on stage with their mentors as host KC Concepcion told them whether they're safe or not.

KC then announced the following as safe: Allen Jane Sta. Maria, Daddy's Home, Gabriel Maturan, Joan Da, Jeric Medina, KZ Tandingan, and Kedebon Colim. That means Takeoff landed in the Bottom 2 again, together with the oldest contender Modesto Taran.

For their survival performances, Mang Modesto sang another classic from Lou Rawls, "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine," while Takeoff did their version of Westlife's "Flying Without Wings."

Who did the judges eliminate? Three of them, including his mentor Pilita Corales, said it was time for Mang Modesto to go home. Martin Nievera did not anymore cast his vote as Mang Modesto already received enough votes to be sent home.

"X Factor Philippines" airs another performance and elimination episodes on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

It's a boy for Anna Faris and Chris Pratt

Chris Pratt and Anna Faris © Alexandra Wyman/WireImage

Anna Faris and Chris Pratt's son has arrived! Jack came a little on the early side, so baby boy will be residing in the NICU for a little while. The actress's rep says that the proud parents "are happy to announce the birth of their beautiful baby boy Jack. He arrived earlier than expected and will be spending some time in the NICU. The happy parents thank you for your warm wishes and ask you to honor their privacy during this time."

Anna, 35, and Chris, 33, married in 2009. The couple announced their pregnancy in May, when Anna debuted her baby bump on the red carpet at the premiere of The Dictator. Baby Jack wasn't due until the fall.

Everyday I Write The Book

Don't tell me you don't know what love is

When you're old enough to know better

When you find strange hands in your sweater

When your dreamboat

 Turns out to be a footnote

I'm a man with a mission in 2 or 3 editions

& I'm giving you a longing look

Everyday I write the book

Chapter 1, we didn't really get along

Chapter 2,  I think I fell in love with you

You said you'd stand by me in the middle

Of Chapter 3

But you were up to your old tricks in

Chapters 4, 5 & 6

The way you walk

The way you talk, & try to kiss me,

& laugh

In 4 or 5 paragraphs

All your compliments & your cutting remarks

Are captured here in my quotation marks

& I'm giving you a longing look

Everyday, everyday, everyday

I write the book

Don't tell me you don't know the difference

Between a lover & a fighter

With my pen & my electric typewriter

Even in a perfect world

 Where everyone was equal

I'd still own the film rights

&be working on the sequel

& I'm giving you a longing look

Everyday, everyday,

 Everyday I write the book

Elvis Costello

1983

Born On This Day- August 25th... Elvis Costello

In sheer number of albums, the artists best represented in my music collection would be Tony Bennett, Paul Simon Frank Sinatra, The Police & Sting, k.d. lang, Van Morrison, & at the top of the heap would be Elvis Costello. I was crazy for him from the first listening of Alison from My Aim Is True in 1977.

Declan Patrick MacManus was born on this day in 1954. He is one of my most favorite & important musicians, with many of his huge catalogue of tunes speaking personally to me.

Costello has straddled the genres of punk, new wave, rock, pop, pub rock, traditional Irish, classical/symphonic, art song, country & soundtracks. He certainly has been prolific with 39 albums in 33 years. I used to sing Alison for auditions for shows with rock scores, & it was always included in my cabaret act in the 1980s. I modestly have to say that I feel it is one of my best numbers. I admire Costello's songwriting skills & I am zany for his singing with that hoarse little catch in his voice.

Costello is, decidedly, not gay. He is married to jazz artists Diana Krall. The couple lives in Vancouver BC.

Favorite Elvis Costello songs are too difficult to narrow down, but: Watching The Detectives, Shipbuilding (with a trumpet solo by Chet Baker!), Almost Blue, A Good Year For the Roses, Everyday I Write The Book, She, & God Give Me Strength. I could rhapsodize on & on, but I will just share one with you. This is the best cover of a country song ever.



And, of course, Alison: (You really sing it sometime. Just ask.)

'X Factor Philippines' August 25, 2012: Top 9 Pay Tribute To Late Music Artists

"The X Factor Philippines" held another performance episode on Saturday, August 25, 2012.

Live from the Pagcor Grand Theater, the remaining 9 finalists performed hits from music artists who already passed away. Among the songs chosen by their mentors for them were "All At Once" by Whitney Houston, "At Your Best" by Aaliyah, and "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse.

Find out who sang which through the night's setlist below:

"Pure Imagination" by Louis Allen Rawls (Modesto Taran)
"All At Once" by Whitney Houston (Daddy's Home)
"Waterfalls by TLC" (Allen Jane Sta. Maria)
"Cant Help Falling In Love" by Elvis Presley (Jeric Medina)
"At Your Best" by Aaliyah  (Joan Da)
"Yugyugan Na" by Karl Roy (Kedebon Colim)
"Dreaming of You" by Selena (Take Off)
"Rehab" by Amy Winehouse (KZ Tandingan)
"Dance With My Father" by Luther Vandross (Gabriel Maturan)

"X Factor Philippines" returns Sunday for the results.

Were you able to watch the August 25 episode? If yes, whose performance did you like best? And who do you think will go home? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Born On This Day- August 24th... Stephen Fry

“You are who you are when nobody's watching.” 

Comedian, successful novelist, star of the silver screen, raconteur & wit are all part of the dazzling resume of Stephen Fry.

Perfectly cast, he played The Cheshire Cat in Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland & Mycroft Holmes in Sherlock Holmes directed by Guy Ritchie.

I thought he was hysterical as King Charles l in Black Adder. He is good personal friends with Prince Charles & his horsey 2nd wife, even though his performance in Black Adder was a parody of Elizabeth 2’s son. Other favorite performances: Oscar Wilde in Wilde with Jude Law (“a role that I was fated to play”) & 2 of my all time favorite films- Gosford Park & Cold Comfort Farm. I understand that he appears in something refered to as The Harry Potter Series of films. Please, don't make me watch them, as much as I admire Fry.

I have also enjoyed his books- The Liar, Making History, The Hippopotamus & The Star’s Tennis Balls. Fry lives in London with his husband- Daniel Cohen. He famously drives a black TX4 London cab. Mr. Fry has & maintains a nifty blog- The New Adventures Of Mr. Stephen Fry.

"My first words, as I was being born... I looked up at my mother & said, 'that's the last time I'm going up one of those.'"

Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn Ward Off Aliens In 'The Watch'

Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn reunite in “The Watch” along with Jonah Hill and British comedian Richard Ayoade who band together in the film to uncover the mysterious events happening in their neighborhood. 

Ben Stiller’s Evan is a senior manager at the superstore Costco, having made a not-so-lightning-fast ascent to that position from assistant manager.  Evan is a dedicated employee, but his heart is with the Glenview Neighborhood Watch, of which he is the founder and CEO.   “Evan is very community-oriented,” says Stiller, “because he has so few friends, and these clubs give him the opportunity to meet new people.”

Evan’s straight-laced, buttoned-down personality is a perfect fit for organizing clubs, but it’s not paying off socially.  Stiller says he found it challenging to figure out the mindset of a man whose life is defined by a relentless pursuit of order.  “I’m not very orderly,” explains the actor, who is currently starring in and directing “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.”  “It wasn’t easy getting inside the mind of a meticulous, stoic and organized guy.”
              
Regarding the role’s more physical requirements, Stiller was comfortable with the fight scenes, where The Watch takes on the would-be conquerors from a distant world, but less so with a scene that required him to drive a forklift during a climactic battle.  “There was lots of action captured on camera, but driving the forklift made for some of the most frightening times on the set – for the crew,” says the actor.
              
Evan’s polar opposite is Vince Vaughn’s Bob, who is the id to Evan’s superego, the yang to his yin, and, says Schaffer, “a fun loving family man – to the max.”  For Bob, The Watch is his fraternal Shangri-La – an escape from the everyday responsibilities of family life.  The Watch means hanging with his new friends; enjoying some titty magazines, dirty jokes, and beers; and saying things like, “We’re gonna tear up shit, boys.”
              
“Bob is longing to hang out with the guys, have some drinks, talk about guy stuff, and let off some steam,” says Vaughn.  And ground zero for all the raucous fun is Bob’s tricked-out garage/man-cave and its wet bar, massage chairs, widescreen TV, and pool table.
              
“Bob is a big Teddy bear of a guy,” says Levy, who is currently directing Vaughn, along with Owen Wilson, in the comedy “The Internship.”  “He’s boisterous and gregarious and in The Watch as much for the bromance as for the responsibilities of ensuring his neighbors’ safety.”
              
The actors and filmmakers were determined to bring an audacity and boldness to THE WATCH.  “The film’s DNA doesn’t feel familiar,” notes producer Shawn Levy (“Real Steel,” “Night at the Museum”), “so we needed a director with a fresh sensibility and who would never play it safe.”  Enter Akiva Schaffer, who directs, co-writes and edits most of the iconic “Saturday Night Live” Digital Shorts. Says Ben Stiller:  “Akiva has a comedy chip in his brain.  He’s a genius editor and a true child of the digital age.”

The script required a high level of envelope-pushing.  “We had a great script from [co-screenwriter] Jared Stern, but we didn’t want to play it safe and we were determined to make it daring and unexpected,” says Levy.  Seth Rogen and his writing partner Evan Goldberg, who had collaborated on screenplays for “Superbad” and “Pineapple Express,” came aboard the project, and their script delved deeply into the group’s skewed dynamics. “The alchemy of the script and Schaffer’s unique voice felt like a really good match,” says Levy.  “This is the real thing, not only in its use of language but in its sensibilities, which far exceed the boundaries of good taste.”

“The Watch” opens September 5 in theaters from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Knowing News: Top U.S. News To Know Friday

Knowing News: Top U.S. News To Know Friday: Top stories to know today   Todd Akin. Picture courtesy cbc.ca 1.   Akin finds support amid calls to quit:   Mike Huckabe e, the f...

John Lennon's killer, Teen Girl's Assault And Escape, Ex-Navy Seal Unmasked

Top stories to know today 

By Francis Adams

Todd Akin. Picture courtesy cbc.ca

1.  Akin finds support amid calls to quit: Mike Huckabee, the former Republican presidential candidate is the only prominent face among the GOP who is backing Tod Akin and campaigning for donations for the U.S. Senate nominee from Missouri. 

   Although Akin has apoligized for his remarks on August 19 saying legitimate rape of women rarely leads to pregnancy, there is a growing list of Republicans who wish to see Akin drop out of the race. They include Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, the Wosconsin Congressman who has made a personal plea for Akin to quit the race. Akin has also found strong support from his suburban St. Louis congressional district, and a few from other parts of the state for being committed to their social causes.

  Akins remarks though may haunt the Republicans as a lot of women have drawn similarity between Akins thinking and that of the party.

  

Picture courtesy njuice.com

2.  Police say teen held captive for two years and sexually assaulted has escaped: A teen girl, who was listed as missing two years ago, when she was only 15 years old, has escaped her captors in southwestern Illinois - a 24 year old man and his mother.

  A SWAT team that raided the house alos rescued the teen's child, whom the girl said was the result of rape by her captor. Wonder what Todd Akin will have to say to this sordid sexual assault of a teen girl?

3. John Lennon's killer denied parole: Former Beatles legend John Lennon's killer, 57 year old Mark David Chapman was denied parole for the seventh time on Thursday by a three-member board hearing the case.

Chapman

  Chapman, who shot Lennon in December 1980 and was sentened to 20 years in prison was denied release despite the panel praising his conduct and accomplishments in prison. According to Boston, board member Sally Thompson wrote: "Despite your positive efforts while incarcerated, your release at this time would greatly undermine respect for the law and tend to trivialize the tragic loss of life which you caused as a result of this heinous, unprovoked, violent, cold and calculated crime," Board members Joseph Crangle and Marc Coppola agreed.

Picture courtesy USA Today

4. Tropical storm Isaac heading to Haiti, poorly organized: Tropical Storm Isaac, although poorly organized was heading toward Haiti and threatening thousands of people still living in tents following a devastating earthquake more than two years ago, a Reuters report said.

  The storm may not strike the vulnerable country at Hurricane strength but is likely to threaten energy production in the Gulkf of Mexico and disrupt the Republican National Convention next week in Florida.

5.  Ex-Navy Seal who wrote first-account book on the raid to kill bin Laden unmasked: Matt Bissonnette, the former Navy Seal who took the pseudonym Mark Owen to write a first account book of the raid in Abottabad, Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden has been unmasked, a day after the book was announced. 

   Fox News was the first to reveal the real identity of the author of the book "No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden", followed by the Associated Press which said "One current and one former U.S. military official confirmed the name, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss military personnel matters."
  Pentagon officials had asked CNN not to report the author's real name owing to concern for Bissonnette's former colleagues who could still be active.
 The Associated Press also quoted Special operations chief Admiral Bill McRaven warning his troops, active as well as former, that he would resort to legal action against anyone found to have revealed sensitive information and therby causing fellow forces harm.
 However, the Detroit Free Press quoted a former Justice Department National Security lawyer as saying that the Obama administration might be reluctant to prosecute the author who helped kill the United States of America's number one enemy, that is, considering the book does not reveal sensitive intelligence secrets.

Maria Lourdes Sereno Appointed As New Chief Justice

Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno

Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno has been appointed by President Benigno Aquino III as the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.

"The President is confident that Chief Justice Sereno will lead the judiciary in undertaking much-needed reforms." Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said. "We believe the Judicial Branch of government has a historic opportunity to restore our people’s confidence in the judicial system."

Sereno, 52, is the first female Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. She was appointed as Associate Justice to the court in August 2010, and was the youngest to be appointed to the court in this century.

Despite her family’s humble means, Justice Sereno’s parents were able to nurture in her a passion for learning and personal excellence during her formative years. Her father, a native of Siasi, Sulu, and her mother, a public school teacher, saved what little money they had to buy second-hand books that she would eagerly read. Her appetite for literature and reflection served her well during her primary schooling and enabled her to graduate with honors at the Kamuning Elementary School and Quezon City High School. She was then awarded generous scholarships by the government and several private institutions that allowed her to earn an Economics degree at the Ateneo de Manila University, and a Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of the Philippines. 

Sereno graduated valedictorian from the UP College of Law in 1984. She worked as professor at the University of the Philippines College of Law for nearly 20 years. She likewise served as the Deputy Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and helped bring about the organizational plans for the Commission.

Sereno received in 1992 a De Witte Fellowship and a Ford-Rockefeller Scholarship to pursue her Masters of Laws at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Linkin Park Making Headlines

Linkin Park have reached a milestone that many bands can only dream about in the current music scene. Billboard reports that the group’s debut disc, ‘Hybrid Theory,’ has reached 10 million in sales.

The group’s introductory effort was released in 2000 and sold an additional 3,000 copies this past week to bring its total to just over 10 million in sales. That makes ‘Hybrid Theory’ the 20th album to reach the accomplishment since the SoundScan era began tracking sales in 1991. The album previously reached diamond status for 10 million units shipped, but has now officially surpassed that figure in sales.

Interestingly enough, ‘Hybrid Theory’ never reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Album chart. The disc stalled at No. 2 in January 2002. However, the disc did end up as the top-selling album of 2001. The group made up for missing the mark by following with five chart-toppers, including this year’s ‘Living Things‘ disc.

Though they were relatively unknown prior to the release of ‘Hybrid Theory,’ everyone was aware of Linkin Park after they strung together successive singles, ‘One Step Closer,’ ‘Crawling,’ ‘Papercut,’ and ‘In the End’ off the album. It was the latter song, ‘In the End,’ which enjoyed the greatest success, topping the Modern Rock Chart, and peaking at No. 2 on the Mainstream Rock Chart

Since 1991, Metallica‘s self-titled ‘Black’ album has sold the most copies, with 15.8 million discs moved.

Shocker!

Nickelback frontman and doff crappy music person Avril Lavigne are engaged!
I was shocked since I didnt even know they were dating, but also because she's about 10 years younger than him!

Well lets hope they are happy together, but if they try and do music together I will not be interested! haha
Found some funny tweets on a website about this:

Adam Newman (@Adam_Newman): Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger from Nickelback are getting married? I didn't know Canada allowed SAME SUCKS MARRIAGE.

Darth Vader (@DepressedDarth): Canadians Avril Lavigne and the guy from Nickelback are engaged. And I thought Justin Bieber was reason enough to hate Canada.

The Drunky Single (@TheDrunkySingle): I wish every ex of mine could get engaged to Nickelback guy… I would feel so much better about life.

Zach Braff (@zachbraff): So THATS who likes Nickelback.

Death Star PR (@DeathStarPR): Avril Lavigne and Nickelback's Chad Kroeger are getting married! To celebrate, we're exploding your planet before the inevitable duet!

William Fitzsimmons (@wfitzsimmons): I won't give you up that easily Chad Kroeger.

Michael Ian Black (@michaelianblack): People forget that Avril and Chad Kroeger are both Canadian so they HAVE to get married. It's also why Justin Bieber is going to marry Rush.

Drew Magary (@drewmagary): I assume Avril Lavigne was drawn to Chad Kroeger because he doesn't make things complicated, particularly song structures.

Yoda (@yoda): Engaged to @AvrilLavigne the lead singer of @Nickelback is. Make music together I hope they never do. Hurting my ears already are. NOOOO.

Lee Newton (@leenewtonsays): Did you hear? Avril Lavigne is engaged to that chick from Nickelback…

Born On This Day- August 23rd... Louise Nevelson

Nevelson by Avedon

Louise Nevelson is known for her abstract expressionist “crates” grouped together to form a new creation. She used found objects or everyday discarded things in her assemblages, one of which was 3 stories high. Nevelson: "When you put together things that other people have thrown out, you’re really bringing them to life – a spiritual life that surpasses the life for which they were originally created."

She was born Leah Berliawsky in Kiev in 1899, & was raised in Rockland, Maine From early childhood Nevelson wanted to be a sculptor, with wood as her medium. It took her more than 6+ decades to make her mark in the art world. Nevelson had one unhappy marriage when she was 18 years old. The union with business man-Charles Nevelson lasted for a decade, & produced one child, a son-Myron. Nevelson left her marriage in 1931 & devoted herself to her art.

She would go an entire decade before her 1st exhibit, which was failure. Nevelson had a 2nd show in 1943 & sold nothing. She took the entire show back to her studio & destroyed every piece. After changing direction, & after years of creating small scale pieces, Nevelson's breakthrough large works in wood were critically hailed in the late 1950s.

She infused abstract art with her personal story: the epic Jewish migration to the United States between the 1880s & the 1920s, her life as a woman artist, & her involvement in American modernism functioned as the source for her vast body of work.

I have a keen interest in American 20th century art, but I know more than even a dilettante like me should about Louise Nevelson. I had a friend in the 1980s, who wrote a one-woman show about Louise Nevelson, & I was present for most of her research & preparation.

Nevelson was the entrée for the USA at the Venice Biennale in 1963, but was still not able to make a living from the sale of her work Around this time she met the young artist-Diana MacKown. They soon moved in together. A new period of success & a more concentrated, engaged work followed. Most biographies & Nevelson’s NY Times obituary fail to mention their 26 year relationship. Nevelson’s son & heir had a metal door installed at the apartment the women shared above their studios. He had been estranged from his mother most of his life, but Nevelson had made no provisions for MacKown in her will. MacKown was supported by Jasper Johns, Edward Ablee, John Cage, & Merce Cunningham when she filed a lawsuit.

I met Nevelson once, at an opening of an exhibit at the Pace Gallery in the mid-1970s. She was there in her trademark scarf & gypsy garb. I was there with a contingency of friends of the actor- Michael Higgins, with whom I was acquainted & with whom Nevelson was acquainted. She sat in the back room, & received selected visitors who came to pay her homage. Tammy Grimes was part of our group & next in line to pay her respects. Nevelson looked at her blankly. Grimes seemed to have blushed: “I’m Tammy Grimes, I am an actress.” Nevelson still looked puzzled, but polite & rather regal: “How nice to see you”.

“You see, I think that we have measurements in our bodies. Measurements in our eyes. Look, dear, we walk on 2 feet. So we're vertical. That doesn't mean the work has to be vertical, but it means there is a weight within ourselves, or this flight. All these things are within the being: weight, measure & color. If the work is good work, it is built on these laws & principles that we have within ourselves. So when you use a vertical line or a horizontal line, or a texture or the way the shadow falls or a thinner piece or a heavier piece, it all kind of satisfies something in the soul - or, I don't like the word soul, satisfies something within the deed.You add or subtract until you feel. . . the form, the principle, that something that makes the house stand, that makes you stand."

It's a baby girl for Barbie!

A still pregnant Barbie with Michael in Angelina's nursery.

Dutch reality tv star Barbie (real name: Samantha de Jong) has given birth to a baby girl. Barbie and husband Michael van der Plas named their little bundle Angelina Melissa Cora. The second and third names are family names from Barbie's side: Cora is her mother and Melissa is the name of her deceased sister. According to a spokesperson Angelina's birth was 'intense', it took over 24 hours for baby Angelina to arrive. "Mother, father and baby are doing very well." Both Barbie and Michael already have gotten a tattoo with the names of their daughter.

Barbie on her wedding day.

Barbie and Michael wed on April 1st. Barbie wore a white and pink wedding gown. This is Barbie's first child, Michael already has a son from a previous relationship. The starlet, known for Oh Oh Cherso, Oh Oh Tirol and Barbie's Bruiloft (Barbie's Wedding), and Michael had announced that they were to welcome a daughter into their family.

Barbie and Michael © ANP

Preparations for Angelina's arrival can be viewed from next week onward on RTL5 in Barbie's new show, Barbie's Baby.

Prince Harry's New Clothes!

While Britons shrugged of Prince Harry's nude sojourn  in Las Vegas as a boys-will-be-boys thing, the Royal family and section of the media seemed upset and outraged 

Prince Harry. Picture courtesy NDTV

By Francis Adams

Reports of Prince Harry [christened Henry Charles Albert David] cavorting with friends in a Las Vegas VIP suite somewhat reminded us about the 1837 short tale "The Emperor's New Clothes" that we read in school.

  It could have been that the Prince --  like the emperor in the tale who cares for nothing -- had hired friends who hoodwinked him into believing that he was wearing a new set of clothes. The section of media, here, is like the child in the tale, crying out, "But he isn't wearing anything at all!".

  The latest reports on the matter spoke of the Royal family warning newspapers in the United Kingdom --through the Press Complaints Commission -- not to publish any of the nude pictures to avoid being sued for breach of privacy as the two images were captured in a private suite. Unarguably, the entire media in UK heeded to the warning, including The Sun which could not resist running a spoof of one of the Prince's purported two nude images, with a journalist replacing Harry in the image along side the headline "Harry grabs the crown jewels."

  A google news search will, however, reveal at least two publications, New York Daily News and Hindustan Times in India, apart from celebrity gossip website TMZ that first published the pictures, displaying one of the two images that shows the prince covering his genitals with his hands.

  Among the most hilarious of the reportage on the Prince's naked partying include the Los Angeles Times that headlined the story "Prince Harry takes jewels home; palace uninspired to comment" before commenting that "Clarence House, office of Harry's father, Prince Charles, had no comment on the photos, which would suggest a big royal "meh" in classifying these pictures as scandal."

   The Christian Science Monitor, ever so disciplined, wrote "In case you have not seen this news yet, the royal goods are making their way around the Internet today after a partygoer leaked photos from a recent, um, gathering in the Prince of Wales’s VIP hotel suite in Las Vegas." before listing out the Dos and Don'ts for party-going teens.

    The UK's leading publication, the Guardian was scathing in its reaction to the incident. Headlining the report/blog "Time to strip Prince Harry of his title", the publication said: "Vegas? Naked? Strip billiards? Our flame-haired young buck is just too embarrassing – so we should invoke the opt-out clause."

   The BBC chose its traditional no-nonsense reportage by referring the incident through a profile on the prince. It said: "Prince Harry is stepping up his royal responsibilities as the third in line to the throne, but continues to have colourful incidents in his private life."

    And then went the distance in chronicling his deeds and misdeeds and how "The Royal Family has been attempting to distance Harry from his past image as the "party prince" over recent years."

    Among the most insightful and interesting reads on the prince's persona was the CNN's Robert Jobson, with the Editor's Note saying that Jobson is an award-winning royal correspondent and author of William & Kate: The Love Story and Harry's War (biog of Prince Harry), both published by John Blake. 

  In his article titled "Cheeky Prince Harry vs dull brother Wills" Robson has drawn similarities between Prince Harry and his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, writing "Like his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, he is flawed and that makes him interesting. People love his madcap ways and seem able to forgive him when he gets it wrong." 

  In comparison, Robson wrote that Prince William has been one who "not for the first time, simply suffered in silence" in reference to a joke by Harry aimed at his older brother during a charity mission to Maseru, the capital of the poverty-stricken African Kingdom of Lesotho.

  The Huffington Post was among a handful of publications that said the prince is likely to be reprimanded by the British Army with whom he is a serving captain. 

Spare a thought: To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all of the miseries of life.   W. Somerset Maugham

Lou Diamond Phillips, Chef Fabio Viviani Rock Chow Ciao! Kitchen

Watch Fil-Am Hollywood actor Lou Diamond Phillips rocking the kitchen with renowned chef  Fabio Viviani on a recent episode of Chow Ciao! on Yahoo! Screen. The episode features the recipe for the tasty Italian dish Penne Alla Vodka.

Below is Chef Fabio Viviani's Penne Alla Vodka recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 lb. dry penne pasta
• 1 tbsp. of butter
• ½ cup chopped onion
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• ½ cup 100-proof vodka
• 1 cup 100-proof vodka
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 cups Fabio's Marinara Sauce (recipe below)
• Parmesan cheese, grated

METHOD:

• Cook penne pasta in boiling salted water to al dente.
• Melt butter in sauté pan.
• Add chopped onion and cracked black pepper, and caramelize.
• Add ½ cup of the vodka to the pan and flambé.
• When alcohol has cooked off, add pasta to sauté pan.
• Add cracked pepper and remaining 1 cup vodka to pasta and onions; combine and reduce.
• Add cream to pan; combine and reduce.
• Add marinara to pan; combine and reduce.
• Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Room To Read And Cricket

Could the Indian cricket board have used the opportunity of a India-NZ series of little significance to show its social responsibility initiatives through Virat Kohli, other stars?

By Francis Adams

VVS Laxman with his wife and kids. Picture courtesy: BCCI

The two-Test cricket series between India and New Zealand has assumed little importance other than the prospect of another Sachin Tendulkar century at home and the opportunity for Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane to cement their place in the Test side left vacant by Rahul Dravid and V V S Laxman. 

   The fact that India will be playing a Test match after a gap of seven months is paled by the depleted strength of the opposition, who are without their inspirational and most capped player, Daniel Vettori, sidelined owing to a groin injury. The Kiwis are also in India on the back of Test defeat to a fractured and weak West Indies. Statistic, such as, India's collective Test experience of 715 matches to New Zealand's 316 provide more fodder to the insignificant status of this series.

   The other factor that has taken away the sheen from this series is the upcoming Twenty-20 World Cup in Sri Lanka. It is, thus, not a surprise to see poor spectator response to first Test that began at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on Thursday.

   VVS Laxman's retirement, leaving the Test side without any player from Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh has also contributed to the lukewarm response to the Test. The second Test in Bangalore is also likely to witness empty seats at the Stadium because the city and the Karnataka state's hero Dravid has retired.

   In such a scenario, the Board of Control for Cricket in India had the worthy opportunity to showcase what  its parent body, the International Cricket Council calls "commitment to the Spirit of Cricket" and use the sport for social good. After all, cricket in India has had broader social impact and has been a catalyst for social integration much before the country achieved independence.

   A few days ago, in Sri Lanka, Angelo Mathews launched a children's book titled Angelo's Big Day in Cricket [Punchi Angelo in Sinhalese and Siryuvayadil Angelo in Tamil]. The initiative happened in collaboration with the ICC and Room to Read, a not-for-profit organisation that promotes literacy and gender equality in education throughout Asia and Africa.

Virat Kohli

   Incidentally, Virat Kohli is the brand ambassador for Room To Read, and along with Kane Williamson in the current New Zealand side, was part of the programme run by Room To Read during the last World Cup.

  Room to Read was born after its founder John Wood was moved by the plight of a school in Nepal that had no books for its students to read from. "I was trucking through Nepal as a break from Microsoft, and this headmaster had 450 students in his school and a library that was completely devoid of books. To me, this is a microcosm of what happens in the developing world: That teachers want to teach, students want to learn, but they have no books," Wood told The Globe and Mail.

  It is heartening to see the ICC devoting space on its website to its social causes and activities, among them Think Wise, that uses the power of cricket to help create awareness about HIV and AIDS.

  Unfortunately, the BCCI's two sites, www.bccicricket.org and www.bcci.tv do not contain any of such social initiative. 

  India still needs such gestures from cricket stars as ambassadors despite the fact that Right to Education has now become a constitutional commitment. Take the case of Andhra Pradesh. Despite South India being India's leader in literacy, the state lagged behind its southern neighbours and was even overtaken by Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa in the 2011 census.

  Unlike the visible disparity in income in India, literacy is not for the benefit of the elite alone. It benefits those at the social bottom, giving them dignity, status and income potential.

  A couple of social initiatives running parallel to or alongside the two-Test series would have earned the BCCI plaudit, worldwide.

Spare a thought: “The poor and the affluent are not communicating because they do not have the same words. When we talk of the millions who are culturally deprived, we refer not to those who do not have access to good libraries and bookstores, or to museums and centers for the performing arts, but those deprived of the words with which everything else is built, the words that open doors. Children without words are licked before they start. The legion of the young wordless in urban and rural slums, eight to ten years old, do not know the meaning of hundreds of words which most middle-class people assume to be familiar to much younger children. Most of them have never seen their parents read a book or a magazine, or heard words used in other than rudimentary ways related to physical needs and functions. Thus is cultural fallout caused, the vicious circle of ignorance and poverty reinforced and perpetuated. Children deprived of words become school dropouts; dropouts deprived of hope behave delinquently. Amateur censors blame delinquency on reading immoral books and magazines, when in fact, the inability to read anything is the basic trouble.” - Peter S Jennison [a historian, novelist, and a recently retired book publisher. He reviews inns and restaurants for Vermont Magazine] 

  

Khalil Ramos' Debut Album Released

Khalil Ramos

Primetime TV teen sensation Khalil Ramos recently launched his highly anticipated self-titled debut album which he lovingly dedicates to his fans who have supported him since he joined “Pilipinas Got Talent Season 3” last year until now that he is popularly known as one of Kathryn Bernardo’s ‘princes’ in the top-rating drama series of ABS-CBN, “Princess and I.”

“I owe this significant milestone to my fans who backed me up from the very start of my career. If not for them, this album wouldn’t be possible,” said Khalil. ”I am really happy that I have already achieved one of my dreams and I want to share this moment with all my supporters.”

In his first-ever album, the 16-year-old actor-singer showcases his unique flair for alternative rock and ballad. “I’m quite positive that music lovers will appreciate it since it’s something new plus we don’t have much alternative rock and ballad artists here in the Philippines. My covers here are far different from its original versions,” shared Khalil.

According to the teen heartthrob, he was hands-on in putting up his debut album. “Because it’s my first, of course, it had to be great. Everything about it, especially the tracks, were all well thought of,” he said. “Considering the fans, we decided to include “Kung Ako Ba Siya” and “Now Were Together” for ‘Princess and I’ avid viewers and “I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing” for those who supported me in ‘PGT.”

Now that he is not only an actor but also a full-fledged singer, Khalil shared how he loves doing both. “For me, acting and singing are really similar. Because when I sing, I also act since I have to make the audience feel my songs,” he confessed. “I’m so happy that I’m given the opportunity to do both but if ever I will be asked to choose, I’ll stick with my first love which is singing.”

Completing the tracklist of “Khalil Ramos” album are “One More Chance,” “Simple Lang,” and its carrier single “Kung Ako Na Lang Sana.” Overall producers of the album are Rox Santos, Jonathan Manalo and Roxy Liquigan.

The tracks of Khalil’s debut album are now available for download on www.mymusicstore.com.ph while the CDs can already be purchased in music stores nationwide.

For more information visit Star Records’ Facebook fanpage at www.facebook.com/starrecordsphil or follow @starrecordsph on Twitter.