Entertainment News Review

Housemates told to clean up

admin — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:07:20 +0000

Big Brother instructed the group to clean up the whole house this afternoon.

The housemates were asked to gather on the sofas. Once they got there, Big Brother asked one of them to come to the Diary Room. Rex obliged and returned with a written message, which he relayed to the other housemates.

“You have been here for four weeks now and Big Brother has noticed the house has got messy,” he read. “Big Brother will therefore provide you with cleaning products.”

He added: “Cleaning will last for 40 minutes as soon as the music begins.”

The housemates jumped up and went to the store cupboard where they collected their protective suits and cleaning products.

Most of the group took to the chore with enthusiasm, but Bex spent most of the time sitting by the pool frowning and talking to Dale.

Naomi: ‘Yes I’m Guilty Of Assault’

admin — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:07:10 +0000

Supermodel Naomi Campbell has been sentenced to community service after a bust-up over a lost bag at Heathrow’s T5.

Rachael Ray employee claims anorexia bias, sues

admin — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:07:50 +0000

NEW YORK - A former accountant for Rachael Ray’s TV cooking show has filed a $1 million lawsuit saying he was forced out of his job because he has an eating disorder.

Aaron Ferguson says in papers filed in Manhattan’s state Supreme Court that he has suffered from anorexia for about six years. He says his supervisor repeatedly exhibited “hostile behavior” and made “vile,” discriminatory and hurtful comments.

The comments included, “Anorexics are sick in the head,” and, “Anorexics should not be able to work,” his court papers say.

Ferguson’s lawyer, William H. Kaiser, said Thursday, “The things that were said in front of my client were hurtful, and once they knew he had a problem with it they should have stopped.”

Three new summer soul treats

admin — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 11:07:20 +0000

It’s a summer bonanza of soul. Besides the new album by Al Green and sets by such fine retro stylists as James Hunter, Eli “Paperboy” Reed and Duffy, three pioneering greats of the musical genre, all with Philadelphia connections, have new CDs.

This summer, in order of appearance, Solomon Burke continues his late-career renaissance; Garnet Mimms reappears after 30 years away from the pop world, and Howard Tate takes the next step in his return from the abyss of drug addiction and homelessness.

Burke is known as the King of Rock and Soul, but the West Philadelphia native has always had an affinity for country as well - his last album, Nashville, was cut in Music City with producer-guitarist and country-soul maven Buddy Miller. For Like a Fire (Shout! Factory ***), out now, Burke enlists Steve Jordan, the drummer who has worked with Keith Richards, Stevie Wonder and other luminaries, but he continues to explore the country-soul connection.

Ironically, Fire gets off to a lukewarm start with the Eric Clapton title song. The spare, acoustic-textured arrangement sets the musical tone, but the lackluster quality of the song offers the first hint that the material will not rise to the sustained heights of Nashville or 2002’s Grammy-winning Don’t Give Up on Me - albums that borrowed from the cream of Dylan, Springsteen, Tom Waits, Tom T. Hall and Dolly Parton, among others.

Still, with his preacherly baritone, the 68-year-old Burke again manages to combine magisterial sweep with gut-level emotion on the better selections: Keb’ Mo’s “We Don’t Need It,” a heart-tugging family tale; Ben Harper’s urgent, gospel-stoked “A Minute to Rest and a Second to Pray”; and Jesse Harris’ anguished “What Makes Me Think I Was Right.”

Garnet Mimms, best known for the 1963 smash “Cry Baby,” one of the landmark works in the emergence of soul, has been keeping busy with church work and singing gospel since he left the music business in the late ’70s. The 74-year-old West Virginia native and longtime Philadelphian is pastor of the nondenominational Glory Land Ministries on West Cheltenham Avenue in West Oak Lane.

None of the 15 songs on Is Anybody Out There? (Evidence ***1/2), due Tuesday, would be out of place at Mimms’ joyous Sunday services. As with most of his secular music, the performances are steeped in gospel feeling. Some, like “I Know the One” and “Thirty-Three,” are overtly Christian. But many, such as “Keeping the Dream Alive” and “On Top of This Mountain,” are more general tales of inspiration and uplift, often in the face of struggle and doubt, but without any sugarcoating.

Mimms recorded the album in Nashville with Jon Tiven, the producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist behind comeback albums by Betty Harris and Wilson Pickett, and the discoverer of the brilliant young Ellis Hooks. Tiven cowrote 13 of the songs (other writers include Southern-soul architects Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, country singer Marty Brown, and the late Little Milton and Johnny Taylor). He also crafted the classic soul accompaniment, augmented by the Heart for Christ Choir.

It’s first-class treatment for a singer who continues to deserve it - Mimms possesses a strong, clear voice that exudes warmth and steady conviction, giving these performances a soul-stirring grace and power.

Howard Tate, 70, also made his name in the ’60s, with immortals such as “Get It While You Can,” and he too traveled to Nashville for the Tiven treatment. As with Mimms’ album, Tiven not only produced the 15-song set but also provided much of the material and musical accompaniment, along with such usual collaborators as Dan Penn, Steve Cropper and Felix Cavaliere.

Still, the towering Blue Day (Evidence ****), due Aug. 12, stands on its own in content and tone. That’s evident from the get-go with “Miss Beehive,” a slice of up-tempo R&B about retro-soul star Amy Winehouse (”Miss Beehive likes to misbehave”). “If I Was White” confronts racism head-on, while “Stalking My Woman” has an air of menace and “Back to My Old Ways Again” deals with substance abuse.

Like Burke and Mimms, the Georgia-born, Philadelphia-raised Tate, who now lives across the Delaware in Southampton, Burlington County, has worked as a minister. His gospel roots come to the fore on the rocking “If God Brought You to It,” although he’s backed not by a choir but by roots-rock singer Mike Farris (he and another excellent vocalist, Jonell Mosser, appear on several tracks).

Blue Day is a rousing portrait of a singer whose voice has lost none of its richness, and whose energy and attitude belie his years - “I used to be a heavyweight / I’ve still got the crown / Don’t count me out / ‘Cause I can still go a few rounds,” he boasts on “Live Like a Millionaire.” It’s hard to argue the point: Tate still reaches deep down for the kind of incandescent feeling that left no choice but to give his music - and that of Burke and Mimms - the name soul.

Contact staff writer Nick Cristiano at 215-854-4641 or ncristiano@phillynews.com.

Jolie’s diary ‘bitches about Brad’

admin — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:07:30 +0000

ANGELINA Jolie has been keeping a secret diary throughout the duration of her pregnancy in order to remember every last detail and emotion, it has been reported.

Auction house seeks to sell Rosa Parks collection (AP)

admin — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:07:40 +0000

“Anyone who views Rosa Parks as a mild, meek woman who for a brief instant stepped out of the shadows, took action and then went back in, this would debunk that in a minute,” Ettinger said.

ABBA in rare reunion for movie

admin — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 08:07:10 +0000

ALL four members of supergroup ABBA appeared together today at the Swedish premiere of the film, Mamma Mia!, delighting fans with their first public showing for years.

Everglades Rescue “Out on a Limb” Without Federal Aid

admin — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 07:07:20 +0000

Florida’s proposal to buy farmland to help restore clean water to the Everglades could be seriously hampered unless the U.S. Congress follows through on a commitment it made almost 20 years ago, some environmentalists say.

LEGO creations worth a fortune

admin — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:07:20 +0000

By Shanon Cook
CNN

NEW YORK (CNN) — Who said LEGO is just child’s play?

The New Orleans Public Library asked Nathan Sawaya to build this sculpture to celebrate the city’s rebirth.

more photos »

Since CNN spoke with LEGO artist Nathan Sawaya a year ago, his popularity has skyrocketed. Just check out his clientele.

Donald Trump recently asked Sawaya to create a replica of the new hotel he’s building in Dubai. With 10 days to complete it, and only architectural renderings to work from, Sawaya toiled away in his Manhattan studio snapping tiny bricks together, barely sleeping, to finish the curvy 10-foot statue in time for its unveiling.

His work has also created a, well … buzz with entertainers.

Sawaya built a 4-foot bumblebee for Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz to offer his new bride, Ashlee Simpson, as a wedding gift. Stephen Colbert wanted a piece of the action too. The comedian invited Sawaya on his show last August to present a life-size LEGO Colbert replica.

“He loved it,” says Sawaya. “He called it actual art!”

While being recognized as an artist — rather than a hobbyist — hasn’t been easy for Sawaya, some of his more evocative pieces appear to be breaking down barriers. See photos of Sawaya’s work »

“I think we’ve been able to introduce the concept that [Sawaya’s sculptures] are not just toys,” said Rosa Portell, curator at the Stamford Museum & Nature Center in Connecticut, where Sawaya’s exhibition “The Art of The Brick” is on display through the summer. “These are actually artworks done by an artist who just happens to work in a medium with which [people] are familiar.”

Don’t Miss

Man builds a living out of LEGO

Nathan Sawaya’s Web site: The Art of the Brick

“The Art of The Brick,” one of two of Sawaya’s collections touring North America, features “Red,” “Blue” and “Yellow,” three life-size pieces depicting human forms in startling poses that have brought Sawaya much attention and praise. Watch the LEGO artist at work »

The other exhibit on display — at the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, Florida — shows 20 pieces he built over the past year. Sawaya says one of those pieces, “Grasp,” was inspired by his frustration with people who have doubted his ability to make a full-time career out of LEGO sculpting.

It seems the joke’s on them. Sawaya, a former attorney who said, “The worst day in the art studio is still better than the best day in the law firm,” couldn’t be busier, with commissions pouring in from all around the world. CNN’s Shanon Cook caught up with him to see how things were going.

CNN: How does being a LEGO artist pay now?

Sawaya: Fortunately, being an artist doesn’t mean starving … as some might think. Luckily, my work is in high demand, and the sculptures are selling for tens of thousands of dollars.

CNN: Do you hope that LEGO becomes “art,” treasured for centuries?

Sawaya: One would have to be awfully arrogant to assume their work would be treasured for ages. Right now, I hope my work captivates people for as long as I can keep their attention.

CNN: Was it at all intimidating being asked by Donald Trump — a builder himself — to whip up a replica of his Dubai project?

Sawaya: I have yet to be intimidated by a project. I believe I can create anything! I’m always excited when celebrities request commissions. It reminds me that everyone has played with LEGO at some time in their lives. Being commissioned by Mr. Trump was another fantastic opportunity to grab people’s attention.

CNN: What’s the most unusual request you’ve received?

Sawaya: I get hundreds of commission inquiries every month. Some wacky, some fun. The most unusual might be when I was asked to build the large bumblebee as a wedding gift from a rocker boy to his pop princess bride.

CNN: That doesn’t sound particularly romantic …

Sawaya: What’s more romantic than a giant bumblebee?! (laughs) I think they have a little history there about bumblebees, so I was happy to make it happen for them.

CNN: Why do you think people ask you to build such wacky things out of LEGO?

Sawaya: I think people have passion for different things in their lives and they want to display that passion in a unique way. There are very few people in the world who can say they own a larger-than-life piece of art made out of a toy!

CNN: What’s the most frustrating aspect of your work?

Sawaya: Not having enough time to create everything I want to. Right now, I have more ideas than I have time.

CNN: Yes, your work seems to require you to do a lot of traveling. How do you find time to work on these pieces, or work on the next exhibition?

Sawaya: It’s been really tough. As I’m becoming more and more in demand, it’s hard to find time to actually just stay in the studio, and that’s why it’s so important to me that when I am in the studio, I’m just working at all hours.

CNN: Last time we spoke, you said your fingers get very sore from snapping LEGO Bricks together. How are your hands doing?

Sawaya: My hands are doing just fine, thanks. They’re a little rough around the edges, but that’s part of the job.

CNN: Do you think they’re going to fall off at some point?

Sawaya: Hands are very important to me in everything I do. I’m a creator with my hands more than anything, and so I actually did a sculpture called “Hands,” which is a large gray figure who’s lost his hands. They’re just piles of LEGO Brick. It’s Nathan Sawaya’s nightmare!

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Destination ‘So You Think You Can Dance’: Lessons learned from Thursday’s elimination show

admin — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 05:07:30 +0000

Gev Manoukian is a dark horse.

Gev has never been in danger, but he has never been a crowd favorite either. All of that could change after his stunning solo this evening. Backstage after the show, Nigel Lythgoe called it the best of the night.

Free T-shirts make tweens scream

When Tommy the warm-up guy offered a free T-shirt to the audience, the screams from the mosh pit climbed into the whistle range. “They’re cheering for that shirt louder than they’re cheering for me,” quipped Nigel.

Mary Murphy can shake it!

Yeah, we know she was a professional ballroom dancer, but we never
get to see Mary’s moves on “So You Think You Can Dance.” Tonight, the
way she shook her hips on her way to her judge’s chair was worthy of a
seat on the hot tamale train.

Nigel has a soft spot for JT

When “Sexy Back” began to blare through the speakers, Nigel couldn’t help dancing right there in his chair.

Cat Deeley talks to herself

When she broke out laughing before introducing the show, Cat reprimanded herself, saying, “serious face!”

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