Showing posts with label Society. Show all posts

Showing posts with label Society. Show all posts

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Who’s Top of the Google+ Charts? Britney, of Course

"Everyone who’s been hoping and praying for a Britney Spears comeback all these years, you finally have your wish…well, kind of. While the former pop princess may not be back to her days of musical ubiquity just yet–personally, I’ve not liked anything she’s done since “Toxic,” but that’s just me–she has just taken the top spot…of Google+ users.

PCMag has noticed that, through some strange twist of Internet fate, Spears has overtaken Google CEO Larry Page as the most-followed person on Google+, having gathered almost 800,000 followers in just over four months.

If the pairing of Spears and Page seems like an odd combination, the remaining cast filling out Google+’s five most followed accounts further illustrates the weird mix of mainstream and tech celebrity that apparently appeals to the fledgling social network’s userbase: Following Page, the next most followed account belongs to Snoop Dogg, followed by Mark Zuckerberg and then, unexpectedly, Tyra Banks.

Google hasn’t revealed how many active users Google+ currently has–the service passed 40 million sign-ups last month–but judging by this list, I’m much more interested in seeing some kind of demographic study of who’s on there…and whether they actually know that it’s 2011, and not 2001. "

in Time

Shepard Fairey Unveils New Hope Poster to Support Occupy Movement

"The artist behind the iconic Barack Obama Hope poster has designed a new version in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement. This time around, Shepard Fairey has replaced – or covered – the President’s face with the Guy Fawkes mask synonymous with the protests, reports the Washington Post.

The 31-year-old, who rose to fame following the 2008 frenzy over his image of candidate Obama, said the latest offering is a statement of support to both the man and the cause.

“As flawed as the system is,” he wrote on his blog last week, “I see Obama as a potential ally of the Occupy movement if the energy of the movement is perceived as constructive, not destructive. I still see Obama as the closest thing to ‘a man on the inside’ that we have presently.”

Fairey also shared his thoughts on the relationship between the President and the anticapitalism protests sweeping the U.S. and other countries – and called on doubters to stick with Obama.

“Change is not about one election, one rally, one leader, it is about a constant dedication to progress and a constant push in the right direction. Let’s be the people doing the right thing as outsiders and simultaneously push the insiders to do the right thing for the people.”

in Time

Celebrities turn spotlight on press at UK inquiry

"Hollywood stars and other high-profile figures will try to turn the tables on Britain's celebrity-obsessed press this week when they put newspapers under the spotlight at a public inquiry into media standards.

The likes of "Notting Hill" actor Hugh Grant will join parents of murder victims to spell out how they and their families have suffered from a ruthless hunt for stories to boost flagging paper sales and sate a public's clamor for gossip about the rich and famous.

From a phone-hacking scandal which has engulfed Rupert Murdoch's News Corp empire to the use of "chequebook journalism," the tactics of Britain's notoriously aggressive press will be exposed in detail.

Stewart Purvis, professor of television journalism at London's City University said it would be "a trial of the British popular press."

"What we're going to hear next week are almost the prosecution witnesses. It's going to be very powerful television," he told Sky News.

Prime Minister David Cameron ordered the inquiry in July after revelations that journalists from the News of the World, part of Murdoch's British stable, had hacked the phone of missing schoolgirl Milly Dowler who was later found murdered.

Dowler's parents, who were also hacked, will be the first to give evidence on Monday. Grant, actress Sienna Miller and "Harry Potter" author JK Rowling will be among those appearing this week.

Last Wednesday, the lawyer representing 51 clients who say they have suffered at the hands of the press delivered a withering critique of newspapers which he said had resorted to unacceptable, "tawdry" tactics to find exclusives.

Three of those he represents say they believed papers' hounding had contributed to family members committing suicide or attempting to kill themselves.

"When people talk of public interest in exposing the private lives of well-known people or those close to them, this is the real, brutally real impact which this kind of journalism has," lawyer David Sherborne said.

All were targeted to get stories to make money for the papers, he told the inquiry. "That's why it was done: to sell newspapers. Not to detect crime or to expose wrongdoing, not to protect society or for the public good."

Most of the focus of the inquiry so far has fallen on News International, the British arm of News Corp, whose lawyer has admitted that phone-hacking was widespread until 2007, when one reporter was jailed, and possibly beyond. (...)"

Will Adele Do A Full Recovery After Throat Surgery?

"After only two albums, could Adele’s career have already been on the line?

There must have been considerable worrying surrounding the vocal ability of the 23-year-old British singer-songwriting sensation as she went under the knife, receiving scheduled surgery on her throat.

The good news for all concerned is that she’s expected to make a full recovery from sinister-sounding “vocal cord microsurgery.” The Grammy winner had the procedure at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, performed by Dr. Steven Zeitels, head of the Voice Center, who has previously operated on Steven Tyler.

The operation should stop recurrent bleeding and prevent possible rupture from a benign polyp. And that will come as a relief, considering that in October she had to scrap her remaining concert dates and appearances for the rest of the year. ”If I continue to pick up everything before I have properly conquered these problems and nipped them in the bud, I will be totally and utterly f___,” she said on her blog recently. “Singing is literally my life, it’s my hobby, my love, my freedom and now my job.”

Adele had already told fans that she’s given up smoking and drinking to save her voice. If cursing remains her only vice, it will hopefully mean that we can continue to enjoy her more soulful words on record and in person."

in Time

Married after 6 months, divorced after 3

"Someone will have to inform President Obama.

Kim Kardashian is filing for divorce from Kris Humphries, her husband of less than three months. The news comes after their fairy-tale wedding was broadcasted by E!, the network that airs Keeping Up with the Kardashians and its spin-off shows.

Kardashian, 30, has hired celebrity lawyer Laura Wasser and will cite "irreconcilable differences," TMZ reports. The separation date will be listed as Oct. 31, 2011.

The divorce is a surprise mostly because of its speed; the couple got engaged after only six months of dating, and Kardashian had recently described her marriage as "not ideal."

This was Kardashian's second marriage, and the first for basketball player Humphries, 26."

in Time

Some Party, Others Take Midnight Classes

"This brings new meaning to "burning the midnight oil."

Aimed at enabling full or part time students to attend class, some U.S. colleges are providing "midnight classes" for people with demanding schedules.

Only a small group of schools are entertaining the late night time slot, but the concept is a growing trend in community colleges. With about two-thirds of community college students working full or part time and an influx in enrollment, the idea doesn't seem all that unsound.

"If you've got faculty that's willing to teach at an unconventional hour, then it's a solution for a lot of things," Norma Kent, of the American Association of Community Colleges, told USA Today.

At Bunker Hill Community College in Boston, the idea allowed for the school to better accommodate its 13,000 students. Bunker Hill, where the concept of midnight classes was created, now offers five midnight courses. "We found out there are many more folks than we'd imagined in the Boston area who are working third shifts," Bunker Hill President Mary Fifield said. "It's a population that we didn't know existed."

Joyce Goodie, a Community College of Baltimore County psychology instructor, teaches a psychology class she dubbed "Insomniac Institute." The class meets once a week from 12:01 a.m. to 2:55 a.m., and includes a potluck dinner that the class also invites janitors and security guards working the night shift.

Goodie said the class is composed of two types of students: those who are insomniacs and up at that time anyway, and those who confused the time slot for a noon class and couldn't transfer out.

Still, she keeps the class engaged and active, but said "everyone is pretty miserable" as the witching hour nears."

in Time

7 billion people. What number are you?

"By the time Christopher Columbus died, there were only 500 million people on Earth. By 2050, the U.N. expects that number to swell to 9.3 billion. That said, I am the also the 4,985,259,234th person to be alive on this planet.

The BBC has a tool to figure out your birth order (and we're not talking about siblings and whether Judy was the favorite) among the people currently alive today. They'll also stack you up against your country of residence and gender, and how you compare against the 908 bajillion* people currently breathing in oxygen at this very moment.

It's no doubt the statistics are a bit staggering, but it's estimated that the 7 billionth baby will be born on October 31 in India. It's a sobering fact that in about 40 years, we can expect to share that space with 2 billion more people with, hopefully, a clearer answer on how to give everyone else a piece of the resource pie."

in Time

Barbie's new look: Pink Hair & Tatoos

"Barbie's got a bad new look.

Though you might not recognize the iconic doll at first, Mattel has released a $50 limited edition collector's item Barbie. Brought to you by the Italian-based, Japanese-inspired brand Tokidoki, this new edgy Barbie has a chin-length pink bob, punk-style clothing and tattoos running down her arm and around her collarbone.

And, perhaps unsurprisingly, there are parents out there who are unhappy with Barbie's new look. The Daily Mail reports that the comment section on a parenting website for teens was already filled with complaints. Failing to appreciate that the doll was a limited edition item and not your run of the mill childhood toy, parents were quick to condemn the inked up look.

"I think it is horrible and sends the wrong message to young people. In no way should a tattoo be honored," read one message on the site Twixt, while others likened tattoos to behavior that's illegal for children. "Encouraging children that tattoos are cool is wrong, wrong, wrong. Mattel why not put a cigarette and a beer bottle in her hand while you're at it!"

Sure, parents, pretend that Barbie's scarily-skinny waist and pin-up proportions aren't sending a bad message. Focus on the perfectly legal and low-risk tattoos instead.

This isn't the first time that Barbie's gotten ink: in 1999, Butterfly Art Barbie received so many complaints from parents that Mattel pulled her from the shelves. And in 2009, Totally Stylin' Tattoos Barbie, also faced some backlash, but high sales kept her from being pulled."

in Time

First-Born Daughter to take British Throne?

"About time! U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron has reportedly started the process that will let the possible first-born daughter of Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, to accede the throne.

It's part of a larger number of changes he's proposing that would actually alter longstanding laws that have been in effect for centuries in the U.K. Cameron wrote a letter to the prime ministers of the Commonwealth countries explaining, “We espouse gender equality in all other aspects of life, and it is an anomaly that in the rules relating to the highest public officer we continue to enshrine male superiority.”

Currently the law states that the first son born to the family would inherit the throne, regardless of whether he is the first child produced by the royals. In addition to changing the rules of succession, Cameron also wrote that is a “historical anomaly” that a member of the royal family who marries a Roman Catholic to be unable to succeed to the throne. Good point, Prime Minister!

Cameron and other UK leaders, along with the Queen, will meet in Australia to discuss the changes later this month. Here's hoping Kate will pop out a baby girl one day, after which we'll play Beyonce's "Run the World (Girls)" to celebrate her future as Queen-to-be."

in Time

TV's Highest-Paid Actresses

"Forbes' top-paid television actresses list proves ABC's Housewives aren't desperate for money.

Whoever called the number 13 unlucky didn't bookend it with a dollar sign and six zeros. Tina Fey and Eva Longoria top Forbes' list of the highest-paid television actresses on Tuesday, with each raking in $13 million for their TV gigs between May 2010 and May 2011.

Fey, star as well as head writer and producer of 30 Rock, has made bank on her show that was inspired by her days as SNL head writer. Though never a ratings smash, its fiercely loyal fans and syndication deal have turned it into a profitable cultural touchstone for the yuppie-hipster crowd. The show is also something of a family affair — Fey's husband, Jeff Richmond, composed the show's zippy theme song.

Tied for the top spot is Desperate Housewives actress Eva Longoria, who supplements her healthy paycheck with lucrative endorsement deals with L'Oreal and LG. This pushed her ahead of her Housewives costars Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher and Felicity Huffman, who also made the list.
Forbes came up with their earnings estimates (which are gross earnings and don't account for things like agent and manager fees) by talking to lawyers, producers and agents in the know to find out what each star made per episode, from any syndication deals and from endorsements.

To put these numbers in perspective, the top three women in movies earned nearly as much ($88 million) as the top 10 TV actresses combined ($94 million).

The top five on TV:

1. Tina Fey (30 Rock): $13 million

2. Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives): $13 million

3. Marcia Cross (Desperate Housewives): $10 million

4. Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU): $10 million

5. Marg Helgenberger (CSI): $10 million

(..)"

in Time

Bieber takes Gomez for a 'Titanic' date

"Teen pop sensation Justin Bieber gave girlfriend Selena Gomez a surprise by treating her with a private screening of the blockbuster 'Titanic'.

After attending friend Demi Lovato's concert at the Nokia Theatre, 17-year-old Bieber escorted his girlfriend through an underground tunnel to the neighbouring Staples Center for a private screening of the multiple award winning film, reported TMZ online.

And to top it all off, the 'Baby' hitmaker didn't have to spend anything because he performed three sold-out shows at the arena before. Also, there weren't any events going on.

Although, the date wasn't completely Bieber's idea. He drew some inspiration from a different movie, Adam Sandler's romantic comedy 'Mr Deeds'. In the movie Sandler's character romances Winona Ryder on a date at New York's Madison Square Garden."

Motherhood is 'scary': Sarah Jessica Parker

"Actress says she and husband Matthew Broderick trade off parenting duties.

Sarah Jessica Parker has a young son and infant twins, but she admits that motherhood is one tough and scary job.
The actress fielded questions at a New York screening of "I Don t Know How She Does It" and told the audience that if the movie scared you about motherhood, it s with due cause.

"It s good to be scared. You should be!" she told the audience after the movie. "Love is scary and friendship is scary and children, even more so."
In fact, SJP admits that before she gave birth to son James, she worried he d spend the rest of his life in therapy because of it!

"I remember lying on bed before my son was born, quite pregnant, thinking I m going to ruin him. The first thing I say to him that s meaningful is going to scar him for life. I m going to mean to be helpful, and it s just going to destroy him, and he s going to spend the rest of his life flat out on a couch in a therapist s office," she shared.

Luckily, it doesn t look like that will be happening, but Sarah admits that it s not always easy to juggle a successful career and a family."

Some British Schools Are Banning Skirts

"Say goodbye to your school skirt, Hermione.

British schoolboys everywhere are mourning over a recent trend in the U.K., where the notion of the school girl fantasy is fading fast.

In an effort to curb the rise of the hemline, some British schools are adapting a new uniform policy by placing an outright ban on skirts and forcing female students into slacks. And while the problem is recurrent with every generation, some schools like the Nailsea School in southwestern England decided to eliminate the root of the problem altogether.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Nailsea is a part of a small but growing group of British schools fed up the distraction of inappropriate hemlines and bare legs, leaving some administrators no choice but to mandate a skirt-free policy.

Last school year, Nailsea officials threatened to forbid skirts if female students couldn't manage to follow the rule, and by the end of the year a decision to outlaw skirts was in effect. School headmaster David New implemented the new policy this school year.

"We didn't want to waste any more time on it," New told the LA Times. "It just means that teachers can concentrate on what's important in education."

Though the new rule gives way to more teenage angst, New said his students are likely to find another means of altering dress code. (...)"

in Time

Leila Lopes of Angola Crowned Miss Universe

"Newly crowned Miss Universe Leila Lopes hopes her victory will allow her to assist her native Angola further escape its history of war and impoverishment and said she plans to focus on combatting HIV around the globe.

Speaking in a timid voice early Tuesday shortly after taking the crown in South America's largest city, the 25-year-old Lopes said that "as Miss Angola I've already done a lot to help my people."

"I've worked with various social causes. I work with poor kids, I work in the fight against HIV. I work to protect the elderly and I have to do everything that my country needs," she said. "I think now as Miss Universe I will be able to do much more."

Responding to questions, Lopes said that she has never had cosmetic surgery of any kind and that her three tips for beauty were to get a lot of sleep, use sun block even when it's not sunny and to drink lots of water. She said her smile was her best weapon in the competition.

Asked about racism in light of the fact that she's one of the few blacks ever crowned Miss Universe, Lopes said that "any racist needs to seek help. It's not normal in the 21st century to think in that way."

Lopes is Angola's first winner. She beat out 88 other competitors to win the title during the 60th anniversary of the world's biggest beauty pageant. She replaces last year's winner, Ximena Navarrete of Mexico. (...)"

in Time

Eddie Murphy hosting the 84th Oscars?

Eddie Murphy in talks to host 84th Oscars

"Show producer Brett Ratner reportedly keen to get 'Shrek' star on board.

Comedian and actor Eddie Murphy is in talks to host the 84th Academy Awards, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Although no names have officially been submitted to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences just yet, a decision could be made on Tuesday when Oscar producers Brett Ratner and Don Mischer meet up with the Academy s president, Tom Sherak.

According to Deadline.com, Ratner has had Murphy s name in mind for some time as a candidate for the coveted hosting gig.

Aside from Murphy s notable comedic background and stand-up career, we hear Ratner and the "Shrek" star struck up quite the friendship when Ratner directed Murphy s upcoming "Tower Heist" action flick with Ben Stiller, in theaters November 4.

Murphy isn't the only comic actor in the running to host the Oscars, however. Billy Crystal, who's expressed interest in hosting the show again, is also reportedly being considered for the position."

Mel Gibson to pay ex $750,000 in custody deal

"Troubled actor and Oscar-winning director Mel Gibson will pay his ex-girlfriend $750,000 in a deal which grants the former couple joint custody of their young daughter, a judge said Wednesday.

Details of the legal agreement between Gibson and Oksana Grigorieva were unveiled in the Los Angeles Superior Court, which announced last Friday that a deal had been struck.

Gibson, 55, who appeared subdued in court, will also give a house to their daughter Lucia in a settlement that ended years of public feuding between the estranged couple, said judge Peter D. Lichtman.

Grigorieva and 22-month-old Lucia also will be allowed to live in the suburban Los Angeles home until Lucia’s 18th birthday, with the sale of that house then to be part of the child’s trust.

After the judge read details of the settlement, Gibson stood up and said, “I’d like to say thanks, your honor, for bringing this matter to a reasonable conclusion.”

Grigorieva, a 40-year-old Russian musician, thanked the judge and promised to do, “what’s best for Lucia.” Gibson, who won Best Picture and Best Director Oscars for “Braveheart” in 1996, avoided jail time in March this year when he decided not to appeal domestic violence charges made by Grigorieva in 2010.

He was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to attend a domestic violence counseling program. (...)"

Lady Gaga on The Simpsons

"Lady Gaga sets to make guest appearance in The Simpsons"

Lady Gaga is set to appear in The Simpsons, producers of the long-running cartoon US show have confirmed.

The singer, whose real name is Stafani Germanotta, recorded her voice-over earlier this month.

She's described the experience as "one of the coolest things I've ever done".

The episode, titled Lady Goes Gaga, will air in America in spring 2012 and is likely to air in the UK later in the year.

'Iconic personalities'

The 25-year-old told Entertainment Weekly: "I make music, but I don't do voice-overs every day of the week and their characters are so awesomely convincing and sincere and wild and funny, I had to remind myself constantly of the sincerity of the humour.

"That's what I was trying to focus on, not putting on a character too much and really being as sincere as I could with the lines."

In the episode, the singer comes to Springfield to cheer up Lisa, who's been suffering from low self-esteem.

Lady Gaga revealed that her character ends up kissing Marge, saying, "the apple doesn't fall far from my artistic tree".

Producers of The Simpsons said they were impressed by her voice acting and ad-libbing skills. (...)

Strauss-Kahn sexual assalt dismissed

"Dominique Strauss-Kahn sex assault charges dropped"

"New York prosecutors have dropped sexual assault charges against Dominique Strauss-Kahn for allegedly attacking a hotel maid – but he is not yet a completely free man after the judge said an appeal court must decide on the maid's lawyer's attempts to have a special prosecutor take over the case.

It had been widely anticipated that the case would be thrown out today, but the decision to go to the appeals court caused confusion in the New York courtroom.

The judge, Michael Obus, told the packed court he would comply with a request from the prosecution to dismiss the case. "The indictment is dismissed," he said. Most legal observers think the attempt by lawyers for Nafissatou Diallo will be unsuccessful, and a decision could come as early as later on Tuesday.

A largest group of protestors had gathered outside, many of them waving placards and chanting slogans such as "DSK! Shame on you!" as Strauss-Kahn left the courtoom.

Michael Greys, co-founder of the group 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement, was furious at the dismissal of the case. (...)"

in The Guardian

Drugs didn't kill Amy Whineouse

"Tests Show No Illegal Drugs Involved in Amy Winehouse's Death"

"A spokesman for Amy Winehouse's family revealed on Tuesday that a toxicology report shows there were no illegal drugs in the singer's system at the time of her death.

The 27-year-old soul singer had publicly battled with drug and alcohol addiction throughout her career, and many were quick to say that her death on July 23 had seemed like a foregone conclusion. However, the initial autopsy of Winehouse's body didn't shed any light on the specific cause of death.

While Tuesday's announcement complicates the many quick-hit theories on what killed Winehouse, there's still a real possibility that her addiction had a direct hand in her death. The toxicology report did find that "alcohol was present" in her system, though the family spokesman said it was unclear if that contributed to Winehouse's death."

in Time

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