Jolie apparently breastfeeding on W magazine cover

NEW YORK - We've already seen the baby pictures — now see the photo of Angelina Jolie apparently breastfeeding on the cover of W magazine.

Jolie appears on the cover of the W's November issue in a sleeveless top, which has been opened to reveal part of her left breast and a tiny hand ostensibly belonging to one of her twins, Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline, who were born in July.
The black-and-white photo shows Jolie smiling, her long brown hair cascading over her shoulder. The cover headline promises exclusive "private photos" of the 33-year-old actress by her partner Brad Pitt.
Jolie last caused a stir when she wore a white nursing bra underneath her tank top on the cover of People magazine after she and Pitt welcomed daughter Shiloh, now 2 years old.
Another breast-feeding cover that got people talking was in the summer of 2006, when Babytalk magazine published a photo of a baby and part of a woman's breast in profile. The magazine conducted a poll of more than 4,000 readers; a quarter of responses were negative, finding the photo inappropriate.
La Leche League International, the world's oldest breast-feeding support organization, applauds Jolie's apparent decision to be photographed nursing.
"Breast-feeding in public reveals a whole lot less than what has been revealed on the red carpet. ... I think we do need more role models like Angelina Jolie willing to be photographed and say, `Hey look, it can be done, it oughta be done,'" said La Leche spokeswoman Jane Crouse.
Besides Shiloh and the twins, Pitt and Jolie also are parents to three adopted children: Maddox, 7, from Cambodia; Pax, 4, from Vietnam; Zahara, 3, from Ethiopia.
Exclusive photos of the Jolie-Pitt clan have fetched millions of dollars. Last summer, People magazine and the British tabloid Hello! paid $14 million in a joint deal to publish the first shots of the family with newborn Knox and Vivienne. Jolie and Pitt allowed such access in exchange for a donation to charity.
Jolie, who won a supporting actress Academy Award for 1999's "Girl, Interrupted," has drawn Oscar buzz for Clint Eastwood's missing-child drama "Changeling," slated for release Oct. 24.
Pitt portrays a fitness club dimwit in Joel and Ethan Coen's recent comedy "Burn After Reading," co-starring George Clooney, John Malkovich and Frances McDormand.

by http://news.yahoo.com

Tags: Angelina Jolie, magazine

Lindsay Lohan wants deposition sealed

LOS ANGELES - Lindsay Lohan doesn't want to be on camera, at least not when she's giving a deposition.

Lawyers for Lohan filed a motion on Wednesday seeking a judge's order barring any filming of the actress' upcoming deposition in a case filed by gal pal Samantha Ronson.
She also doesn't want transcripts or other accounts of the deposition introduced into public records. The documents state Lohan is afraid videotaping the deposition will "unduly embarrass, oppress and burden her because of the private subject matter of the expected testimony and the virtual certainty that, unless access is significantly limited, the transcript and videotape of the deposition will be illegally exploited by the media."

Her attorneys cited a judge's order barring videotaped depositions in Britney Spears and Kevin Federline's recent custody dispute.
A judge is scheduled to consider Lohan's motion in November.
Civil depositions are not public records, but the motion states Lohan is afraid that some media outlets would try to steal copies of the tape if the questioning is filmed.
Ronson sued her former lawyers in May, claiming they failed to represent her adequately when she sued bloggers, including Perez Hilton. Ronson claimed the bloggers defamed her by writing that she had planted drugs in Lohan's car and was exploiting the actress to the paparazzi.
The celebrity DJ's lawsuit states that her then-attorneys didn't properly fight a motion by Perez Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, to dismiss the lawsuit. A judge granted Lavandeira's motion and ordered Ronson to pay him nearly $85,000 in legal fees.
In court documents filed earlier this week, Ronson claimed her former lawyer, Martin Garbus, and a pair of law firms threatened to sue her over unpaid legal fees in the days before Lavandeira's dismissal motion came before a judge.

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Tags: Britney Spears, actress, Lindsay Lohan

Guns N' Roses to release new album next month

NEW YORK (Billboard) - More than a decade after its conception, Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy" will finally see the light of day before year's end, sources close to the situation told Billboard.

The set will be a Best Buy exclusive and will be available Sunday, November 23, rather than the usual Tuesday.
In the run-up to release date, album track "Shackler's Revenge" will debut in the video game "Rock Band 2," while a portion of "If the World" is playing over the end credits in the new Leonardo DiCaprio/Russell Crowe film "Body of Lies."
In addition, GNR's seminal 1987 full-length debut, "Appetite for Destruction," will be reissued on vinyl on October 28 via Interscope.
The band's last new studio albums were the simultaneously released "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" in September 1991. A covers set, "The Spaghetti Incident?," followed in 1993, and featured some of the last GNR recordings from original guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan.
This spring, soft drink manufacturer Dr Pepper offered to send a free can of the beverage to "everyone in America" (excluding ex-GNR members Slash and Buckethead) if "Chinese Democracy" were to arrive anytime during the calendar year 2008. A Dr Pepper spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

by http://news.yahoo.com

Tags: Axel Rose, video game, Leonardo DiCaprio, Rock Band

White House considers ownership stakes in banks

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is considering taking ownership stakes in certain U.S. banks as an option for dealing with a severe global credit crisis.

An administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because no decision has been made, said the $700 billion rescue package passed by Congress last week allows the Treasury Department to inject fresh capital into financial institutions and get ownership shares in return.

This official said all the new powers granted in the legislation were being considered as the administration seeks to deal with a serious credit crisis that has caused the biggest upheavals on Wall Street in seven decades and continues to roil global markets.

Supporters of this approach, such as Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., argue that injecting fresh capital into U.S. banks who want to participate in the program would be an effective way to bolster banks' balance sheets and get them to resume lending. Taxpayers would benefit because the government would receive an equity stake in the bank in return for providing the capital.

"This idea would, at a minimum, complement the administration's planned approach of buying up troubled assets and may prove to be the most promising tool of all in Secretary Paulson's kit," Schumer said in a statement.

A decision to inject capital directly into financial institutions in return for ownership stakes would be similar to a plan announced Wednesday by Britain.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson told reporters that Treasury was moving quickly to implement the $700 billion rescue effort and he specifically mentioned reviewing ways to bolster the capital of banks.

"We will use all the tools we've been given to maximum effectiveness, including strengthening the capitalization of financial institutions of every size," Paulson said at a Wednesday news conference.

Asked whether he would try something like the British plan, Paulson said: "We have a broad range of authorities and tools. ... We've emphasized the purchase of liquid assets, but we have a broad range of authorities. And I'm confident we have the authorities we need to work with going forward."

The administration so far has stressed its major goal is to purchase bad loans from financial institutions.

Paulson said that while the financial market turmoil has hurt the economy, the administration is moving quickly to begin the largest financial system rescue effort in history.

Even with the program to buy bad assets from financial institutions, he said, some banks will fail. He also called for patience, saying "the turmoil will not end quickly and significant challenges remain ahead."

In an attempt to help stop the financial crisis from causing a global economic recession, the Federal Reserve and other central banks cut interest rates in a rare coordinated move Wednesday.

Paulson called the coordinated rate cuts "a welcome sign that central banks around the world are prepared to take the necessary steps to support the global economy during this difficult time."

Paulson on Monday selected Neel Kashkari, 35, an assistant Treasury secretary, to be the interim head of the new program. In his remarks Wednesday, Paulson said the administration would move quickly to nominate someone to fill the job permanently.

Paulson said he was consulting with President Bush, congressional leaders and presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain before choosing someone to fill the job permanently. The post requires Senate confirmation, something Paulson predicted could occur in November.

The administration has been rushing to implement the program, which cleared Congress last Friday. Paulson said it would be several weeks before the program makes its first purchases of troubled assets.

"U.S. and global financial markets continue to be severely strained," Paulson said at the briefing called to preview the upcoming weekend meetings of finance officials of the Group of Seven major industrial countries, the 185-nation International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The global credit crisis was expected to be the major agenda item at those talks.

by news.yahoo.com

Tags: White House, banks, U.S., buy, financial, World Bank

Hilton continues online presidential campaign

LOS ANGELES - Watch out world: Paris Hilton is continuing her bid for the White House.

The paparazzi darling and reality TV star touted her candidacy in a video on FunnyOrDie.com Wednesday — her second appearance in a political spoof on the site.

"Running for fake president is a little daunting," a heavily made-up Hilton tells Martin Sheen, whom she calls "one of our greatest fake presidents."

"Being a fake president is a lot harder today than it was when I was a fake president," says Sheen, who has often played American presidents, most notably on TV's "The West Wing."

Hilton talks with Sheen about "Fo Po" — "Foreign policy, silly" — and shares what could be her real views on the economy and the war in Iraq.

"Iraq has a Democratic government that is asking for us to leave," she says. "It seems that we've done our job and we should bring our troops home safely."

Economically, "this is the biggest depression since `The Notebook,'" Hilton says, adding that the government should "lower inflated interest rates so it's not impossible for (people) to pay their mortgage."

As Sheen tells Hilton she's "going to make a great fake president," his son, Charlie Sheen, pops in with a promise to "fake vote" for her.

Hilton bids the elder Sheen farewell with a kitten-voiced, "Bye, sexy," then tells the camera: "See you at the fake inauguration."

The 27-year-old heiress said in a statement that she hopes the video inspires people to consider the issues and vote in the real presidential election.

"I hope that my political opponents take in consideration the points that I have addressed because I feel that they are important and, as well as, that my generation and the new young voters should become more involved with our current issues and speak their voice through voting," Hilton said. "This is the most important presidential election in decades and voting is the only way that you have a voice for change."

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On the Net:

http://www.funnyordie.com/

Tags: Paris Hilton, TV star, White House, American, presidents, sexy

Spears ready for trial in driving licence case: lawyer

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Troubled pop singer Britney Spears is ready to go on trial to clear her name for allegedly driving without a California license, her lawyer J. Michael Flanagan said in court on Wednesday.

By turning down a prosecution offer of one year's probation and a 150-dollar (110-euro) fine, Spears, 26, should be able to simply pay a fine and show the violation has been corrected, Flanagan told the court in the Van Nuys district of Los Angeles.

The charge stems from an August 6, 2007, fender-bender in a parking lot that was caught on video and in pictures by photographers who trail the "Baby One More Time" chart-topper whenever she ventures out in public.

Spears held a driving license from her native Louisiana at the time, even though she had been resident in California since at least May 2006 and was thus legally obliged to hold a California permit.

Her trial is scheduled for October 15.

Spears -- who hit rock bottom in January when she was twice rushed to hospital for psychiatric treatment after losing lost custody of her two young sons -- hopes to get her career back on track with a new album due out in December.

by http://news.yahoo.com

Tags: Britney Spears, rock, singer

Linkin Park cancels China tour over back injury

BEIJING - Linkin Park is canceling its China tour because lead singer Chester Bennington has suffered a back injury.

The band didn't say Tuesday how Bennington suffered the injury.

A statement posted on Linkin Park's official Web site said the band was canceling shows scheduled for October in Beijing, Shanghai, the central city Wuhan and the southern gambling enclave Macau.

The band also canceled its show in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan.

The concerts were fundraisers for victims of May's deadly earthquake in China's Sichuan province.

Linkin Park said it will still donate to reconstruction efforts, with the promoter of its Chinese concerts, Emma Ticketmaster, also chipping in and the World Bank matching the band's contributions.

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On the Net:

http://linkinpark.com/

Tags: Linkin Park, China, tour, injury, cancel

Fed, central banks cut rates to aid world economy

By JEANNINE AVERSA, Associated Press Economic Writer
1 hour, 5 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - In a rare coordinated move, the Federal Reserve and other major central banks from around the world slashed interest rates Wednesday to prevent a mushrooming financial crisis from becoming a global economic meltdown.

Markets retreated, though, on worries that the move was too little, too late.

The Fed reduced its key rate from 2 percent to 1.5 percent. In Europe, which also has been hard hit by the financial crisis, the Bank of England cut its rate by half a point to 4.5 percent and the European Central Bank sliced its rate by half a point to 3.75 percent.

The central banks of China, Canada, Sweden, and Switzerland also cut rates. The Bank of Japan said it strongly supported the actions.

"The recent intensification of the financial crisis has augmented the downside risks to growth," the Fed said in explaining the coordinated action, the latest in a series of bold moves meant to pry open tight lending and revive the global economy.

The Dow Jones industrials, already down 875 points this week, fell another 150, and all the major indexes were down sharply.

The Fed's action will reduce borrowing costs almost immediately for U.S. bank customers whose home equity and other floating-rate loans are tied to the prime interest rate. Bank of America, Wells Fargo and other banks cut their prime rate by half a point to 4.5 percent after the Fed announcement.

White House spokesman Tony Fratto welcomed the cooperation among the Fed and other countries' central banks to battle the crisis. "It's important and helpful that central banks are working in a coordinated way to deal with stress in the financial system," Fratto said.

The country's presidential contenders also embraced the action. "This is a global crisis that requires a global solution," said Democrat Barack Obama. Republican rival John McCain hoped it would contain the "financial crisis spreading across the globe."

Some analysts were skeptical that the coordinated rate reductions would do much to turn things around.

"At first blush, while this is a big step, it is unlikely to prove sufficient to stem the rot. Additional rate cuts are likely and further measures to inject liquidity and re-capitalize banks are needed," said Marc Chandler, global head of currency strategy at the investment firm Brown Brothers Harriman.

The rate cuts came against a backdrop of increasing anxiety in global financial markets. Investors have been fleeing shares on worries that neither the Fed, nor other central banks, could move fast enough to stop the rising turmoil.

European indexes, which were down about 5 percent before the rate cut, pared only some of their losses. In Britain, the FTSE-100 fell 4.24 percent, Germany's DAX dropped 4.98 percent, and France's CAC-40 dropped 4.58 percent.

In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 closed 9.38 percent lower and Hong Kong's Hang Seng tumbled 8.17 percent hours before the rate cuts were announced; their declines showed the extent of the worldwide gloom.

The worldwide gloom follows a sell-off in U.S. markets late Tuesday, where major stock indexes slid 5 percent. The rout brought the Dow Jones industrials' losses to more than 875 points in two days, and its close was the lowest close in five years. The blue chip index is now around 33 percent below its record close of 14,164.53 a year ago.

The Fed's action Wednesday was the latest in a long series of moves over the last several weeks that the central bank has taken in coordination with other federal agencies, Congress and the White House to shore up a financial industry stung by bad loans, mounting losses and — in many cases — collapse. President Bush signed a $700 billion financial bailout bill into law on Friday.

The Fed's action reversed its current policy on interest rates, which had been to hold them steady out of concern that more cuts would fuel inflation. Since Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues put a stop to interest-rate cuts in June, economic and financial conditions have deteriorated significantly.

"The pace of economic activity has slowed markedly in recent months," the Fed said. "Moreover, the intensification of financial market turmoil is likely to exert additional restraint on spending, partly by further reducing the ability of households and businesses to obtain credit."

Although inflation has been high, the Fed believes the recent drop in energy prices and the weaker prospects for economic activity have reduced this threat to the economy.

In addition, the Fed reduced its emergency lending rate to banks by half a percentage point to 1.75 percent. Given the intense credit crisis, banks have been ramping up their borrowing from the Fed's emergency "discount" window.

The fact that the Fed felt it couldn't wait until its regularly scheduled meeting on Oct. 28-29, underscored the urgency of the situation.

One of the goals of the coordinated rate cuts is to spur nervous consumers and businesses to spend more freely again. They clamped down as housing, credit and financial problems intensified last month, throwing Wall Street into chaos. Many believe the United States is on the brink of, or already in, its first recession since 2001, one that could quickly spread to other countries around the globe.

It can take months before rate cuts work their way through the financial system, however, and the economy has pressing problems now. Major U.S. retailers turned in dismal reports of third quarter sales, a dire omen for the all-important holiday shopping season. Consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of the nation's economic activity.

The Fed's last rate cut was in late April, capping one of the most aggressive rate-cutting campaigns in decades as it scrambled to shore up the faltering economy. After that, the Fed moved to the sidelines, holding rates steady as zooming food and energy prices during that period threatened to ignite inflation. In the past few months, energy prices have retreated from record highs reached in mid-July, giving the Fed more leeway to drop rates again.

At its last meeting in September, the Fed struck a more dire tone about the economy, hinting that a rate reduction once again could be in the offing.

Even with the unprecedented $700 billion financial bailout plan, the failing economy and the jobs market probably will get worse. Many believe the economy will jolt into reverse later this year — if it hasn't already_ and will stay sickly well into next year.

One of the most crucial pillars of the economy — the jobs market — has cracked, and wage growth is slowing. This means that consumers will be even more hard-pressed to spend in the fashion that helps grow the economy.

Increasingly skittish employers slashed payrolls by 159,000 in September, the most in more than five years. A staggering 760,000 jobs have disappeared so far this year. The unemployment rate is 6.1 percent, up sharply from 4.7 percent a year ago.

The U.S. unemployment rate could hit 7 or 7.5 percent by late 2009. If that happens, it would mark the highest rate of joblessness since the months immediately following the 1990-91 recession. Some economists say the jobless rate could rise even more before the situation starts to get better.

Mounting job losses, shrinking paychecks, shriveling nest eggs and rising foreclosures all have weighed heavily on American voters, who will be electing a new president in about four weeks. The economy is their No. 1 concern, polls have shown.

by http://news.yahoo.com

Tags: bank, world, economy, Federal Reserve, Market, Fed, financial, China, Democrat, Barack Obama, Republican, John McCain

McCain, Obama trade barbs in town hall debate

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - John McCain dismissively called rival Barack Obama "that one," Obama mocked McCain's "Straight Talk Express," and both left the debate stage to return to the campaign trail Wednesday.

It took just eight minutes into Tuesday's presidential debate for Republican candidate McCain to land the first blow, blaming Obama and Democrats for the collapse of mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.
"They're the ones that, with the encouragement of Senator Obama and his cronies and his friends in Washington, that went out and made all these risky loans, gave them to people that could never afford to pay back," McCain said.
Obama responded: "I've got to correct a little bit of Senator McCain's history, not surprisingly. ... In fact, Senator McCain's campaign chairman's firm was a lobbyist on behalf of Fannie Mae, not me."
McCain campaign manager Rick Davis has a stake in a Washington lobbying firm that received thousands of dollars a month from Freddie Mac until recently.
Davis is one of the many figures in both campaigns and near them who have been targeted as reasons why each should not be supported. As they head back on the road Wednesday, both campaigns say those associations would again be highlighted.
McCain running mate Sarah Palin has questioned Obama's ties to William Ayers, who 40 years ago was a member of the Weather Underground, a radical group that claimed responsibility for a series of bombings. Obama had a limited relationship with Ayers, who lives in the same neighborhood and teaches at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Democrats have criticized McCain for his role in a 1980s banking scandal. He was one of five senators who had accepted contributions from Charles Keating Jr., a real estate speculator and savings and loan owner. Keating's institution failed and cost many investors in uninsured financial products their life savings.
Neither figure came up during Tuesday's debate. Nor did either candidate call the other a liar, a familiar charge in this contentious campaign.
The closest: "You know, Senator McCain, I think the Straight Talk Express lost a wheel on that one," Obama said.
McCain suggested some evasiveness on Obama's part: "Nailing down Senator Obama's various tax proposals is like nailing Jell-O to the wall. There has been five or six of them and if you wait long enough, there will probably be another one."
In one pointed confrontation on foreign policy, Obama bluntly challenged McCain's steadiness. "This is a guy who sang 'bomb, bomb, bomb Iran,' who called for the annihilation of North Korea — that I don't think is an example of speaking softly."
That came in response to McCain's accusation that Obama had threatened to invade Pakistan.
McCain said his rival "was wrong about Iraq and the surge. He was wrong about Russia when they committed aggression against Georgia. And in his short career he does not understand our national security challenges. We don't have time for on-the-job training."
Obama countered with a trace of sarcasm that he didn't understand some things — like how the United States could face the challenge it does in Afghanistan after spending years and hundreds of billions of dollars in Iraq.
During a discussion of an energy bill McCain offered up a two-word phrase that immediately got a reaction.
"You know who voted for it? You might never know. That one," McCain said, pointing at his opponent.
The debate at Belmont University was the second of three between the two rivals, and the only one to feature a format in which voters seated a few feet away posed questions to the candidates.
The audience was selected by Gallup, the polling organization, and was split three ways among voters leaning toward McCain, those leaning toward Obama and those undecided.
Tom Brokaw of NBC, the moderator, screened their questions and also chose others that had been submitted online.

by http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/presidential_debate;_ylt=A0WTUdOFkexIe6gAsg6s0NUE

Tags: Obama, America, debate, Republican, Democrats, news, McCain

"Mamma Mia" still big with moms overseas

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Forget the fanboys and their comic-book movies, it's time to hail a long-neglected fan base -- the mature women who kept "Mamma Mia!" on top in the international market for the fifth week in a row. One woman in Germany is reported to have seen the ABBA-inspired musical romance more than 70 times.

Thanks to a top-of-the-market bow in Italy ($2.6 million) and strong holdovers, "Mamma Mia!" pulled in $13.6 million over the weekend from 44 territories, lifting its foreign gross to $377 million. After 13 weeks in Britain, it ranks at No. 4 and has reached a market gross of $123.2 million. "Mamma Mia!"
Among recent newcomers, the political thriller "Eagle Eye," added 17 markets, recording $8.2 million from a total of 26 markets and raising its total to $15 million. The Ben Stiller comedy "Tropic Thunder," pulled in $5.1 million from 31 markets to lift its total to $49.2 million.
Disney launched its talking-dogs comedy "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" in five overseas markets day-and-date with its No. 1 domestic debut, taking in $5.1 million led by top-ranked bows in Australia ($2.6 million) and Mexico ($2 million).
New domestic dud "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People" grabbed the No. 1 spot in the U.K. with $2 million. The Holocaust drama "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" led Spain for a second weekend with a 10-day take of $6.5 million.
In Japan, the local film "Suspect X," the big-screen spin-off of Fuji TV's detective drama "Galileo," opened at No. 1 to an impressive $5.2 million.
In France, Laurent Cantet's Palme D'Or winner "The Class" held on to first place for a second weekend for a two-week take of $6.1 million.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

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Tags: Mamma Mia, woman, film, news, Hollywood

"X-Files" star David Duchovny leaves sex rehab

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor David Duchovny, who plays a womanizing novelist on the cable television series "Californication," has completed a rehabilitation program for sex addiction, his attorney said on Monday.

Duchovny, former star of the "X-Files" films and TV series, is married to actress Tea Leoni and they have two children.
The actor's admission to a rehab facility for treatment of sex addiction was publicly revealed by his attorney, Stanton "Larry" Stein, in late August.
In a statement on Monday, Stanton said Duchovny "has successfully completed rehabilitation."
"He is out and will very soon begin work on his new movie," Stanton said.
Stein declined to say where the actor had been treated or when he left the center.
In January, Duchovny won a Golden Globe Award as best actor in a comedy for his role as Hank Moody, an oversexed single dad and novelist struggling with writer's block in the Showtime series "Californication."
Duchovny, 48, is set to star in a film called "The Joneses" scheduled for release next year.
(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Steve Gorman and John O'Callaghan)

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Tags: X-Files, sex, film, news, television

R. Kelly seeks $3.4 million from tour promoter

LOS ANGELES - R. Kelly has won a $3.4 million award against his former tour promoter and is asking a Los Angeles judge to help him collect.

R. Kelly Touring, which represents the singer, filed court documents on Monday seeking a judge's confirmation of the award an arbitrator granted against Georgia-based Rowe Entertainment last month.
Kelly's company claimed that Rowe Entertainment and owner Leonard Rowe failed to pay him in full for shows scheduled for late last year and early 2008. An arbitrator agreed with Kelly's claims. Documents show Rowe disputed the arbitration, but did not offer any defense during a recent hearing.
An after-hours phone message left for Rowe's attorney in Atlanta was not returned Monday.
Kelly won three Grammys in 1997 for the song "I Believe I Can Fly," but is known for his sexually charged music. He was acquitted earlier this year of child pornography charges and is scheduled to release a new album before year's end.
Singer Ne-Yo recently won a $700,000 judgment against Rowe after he sued because he was dropped from Kelly's tour after only two shows.

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Tags: R. Kelly, music, news, Entertainment

Miley Cyrus celebrates Sweet 16 at Disneyland

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Miley Cyrus' 16th birthday party was more boisterous than sweet. Cyrus celebrated the hallmark birthday at an over-the-top Disneyland celebration Sunday — even though she doesn't actually turn 16 until Nov. 23. The theme park was closed for the supersized soiree, which included a four-song performance by the teen queen and a fireworks display above Sleeping Beauty Castle and 16 giant inflatable candles.

"Miley is really hard to surprise," her father Billy Ray Cyrus said at the event.
Organizers estimated over 5,000 people attended the special party, which cost $250 a ticket. On the event's purple carpet — that's Cyrus' favorite color — the "Hannah Montana" star bragged that her parents bought her a new puppy for her birthday. What else does Cyrus want for her birthday? A new car? Perhaps a later curfew?
"My parents shut down Disneyland for me, so I'm good for a while," Cyrus said.
Cyrus' father opened up for his daughter with a few of his own songs, including "Achy Breaky Heart." His daughter donned a white ruffled skirt and jersey-like vest with "Sweet 16" printed on the back for her truncated concert. At one point, Cyrus boarded a boat in the park's Rivers of America and crooned such tunes as "Breakout" and "G.N.O."
Throughout the evening, several popular attractions, such as Big Thunder Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean, remained open to partygoers. Additional activities, like receiving a "Hannah Montana" makeover and playing the upcoming Disney Interactive Studios rhythm video game "Ultimate Band," were also made available to attendees.
Partygoers ogled celebrities roaming around the park throughout the party. David Archuleta and his entourage skipped the line to ride Space Mountain. Jennie Garth and her family ducked out before the fireworks display capping the celebration. Other stars in attendance included Steve Carell, Cindy Crawford, Tyra Banks and Jennifer Love Hewitt.
Disney used the event to promote their upcoming "What Will You Celebrate?" marketing initiative, which encourages tourists to take "celebration vacations" with their families. Beginning in 2009, guests at Disneyland and Walt Disney World in Florida can gain free theme park admission on their birthday with a valid ID and proof of birth date.
Over at Disney's California Adventure, Disneyland's sister theme park, an entirely different celebration was occurring during the Sweet 16 event: the 11th annual Gay Days Anaheim, an unofficial gathering of gays and lesbians at the Disneyland Resort. Event producer Jeffrey Epstein said Cyrus' affair didn't conflict with Gay Days Anaheim.
"We're happy to share our big weekend with Miley," said Epstein. "While it may be a small world after all, we think it's big enough for both groups to have a blast."

by news.yahoo.com

Tags: Walt Disney, ticket, Miley Cyrus

Madonna gives fans a treat with "Sticky & Sweet"

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - In a show defined by throbbing dance music, tight choreography, spectacular stage sets and stunning visuals, perhaps the most stirring moment during the kickoff concert to Madonna's "Sticky & Sweet" tour came when the Material Girl stood onstage with just her guitar and a few musicians for an acoustic set.

As she sang the emotional song from her movie "Evita," Madonna couldn't help but wink and smile at the roaring sold-out crowd as she sang the song's main refrain and title: "You must love me."

Maybe that's because she knew she was right. Even the superstar's most cynical critics couldn't walk away from her two-hour extravaganza at the Izod Center on Saturday night without being thoroughly wowed. It was not only the spectacle of the concert, but the performer herself, as she reasserted her musical relevance and dominance in her 25th year in the spotlight.

Madonna is not the world's most gifted singer or dancer or even musician, but she may be its greatest performer. From the moment she first appeared on stage, looking taut and chiseled in a black bra and shorts with a mesh layer overlay, she turned the arena into a massive dance club and a nonstop party. The zooming "Candy Shop," off her most recent CD "Hard Candy," set it off as Madonna strutted onstage flanked by an army of dancers. While they may have executed the show's most intricate dance moves, the ever-fit Madonna dazzled on her own with sinewy steps that belied her AARP-status.

Though the show's first moments were devoted to her new album, it didn't take long for her to seamlessly groove back in time, performing one of her '90s gems, "Human Nature." The already funky, synthesized tune got an even funkier update, as Madonna utilized the vocoder trend with her background vocals. The unapologetic anthem was highlighted by a video that showed Madonna being watched by a security camera in an elevator; as the song went on, Britney Spears' image intertwined with her blonde musical mentor, looking frightened and frail under the camera's lens before striking a decidedly confident pose at the song's end.

It's a testament to Madonna's musical chops that her new music blended so expertly with some of her greatest hits: Elements of "4 Minutes" were mashed up with "Vogue" for a flashback that managed to be both classic and cutting edge. While she sang many of her classics, such as "Like a Prayer," "La Isla Bonita," and "Ray of Life," those moments weren't relegated to short renditions during the retrospective medley part of the show, like many veterans do. They were given full attention with colorful, dazzling displays and new arrangements that made them seem as exciting and fresh as when they first made their debut. "Get Into the Groove" was re-imagined with the help of a DJ, a double-Dutch playing Madonna and cartoons by the late Keith Haring. During one of her many guitar-playing moments, she gave a rocked out performance of "Borderline" to the feverishly energetic crowd.

While the "Sweet & Sticky" tour would have been a triumph in any year, it was particularly impressive coming off her somewhat lackluster "Confessions" two years ago, which seemed more like a labored, carefully designed exercise than a joyful performance.

Not so this time around. Instead of performing at the crowd, she was performing for and with them, bringing them into her world with warmth and appreciation. Even when she scolded the few in the audience who weren't on their feet with unprintable language, she was jovial and endearing.

Jabs at Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin — "Sarah Palin is not in my show!" were not daggers, and she even added, "Nothing personal." And the one preachy moment — in which she implored the audience to "save the world" through a series of video images that interspersed the world's atrocities with her ideas hopeful images, including Democratic candidate Barack Obama — wasn't as over the top as might be expected (with the exception of the interloping of video of Republican candidate John McCain in with world dictators and Adolph Hitler).

With her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year and her 50th birthday, it would have been easy for Madonna to turn her latest tour into some kind of nostalgia show. It probably would have been an enjoyable experience nonetheless.

But then again, it wouldn't have been Madonna — the consummate artist who always stretches the limits, exploring new ideas to stay relevant. On Saturday, she proved to be more than relevant — she's still music premier performer.

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On the Net:

http://www.madonna.com

Tags: Madonna, Sticky & Sweet, Izod Center, singer, album, music

`SNL' sends up VP debate with Fey, Queen Latifah

NEW YORK - It's starting to feel like Tina Fey is running for vice president.

Fey again returned to "Saturday Night Live" to play Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin as the sketch comedy show continued to pull out all the stops in its election year season. Queen Latifah dropped by to portray Thursday's debate moderator, PBS's Gwen Ifill, and cast member Jason Sudeikis stepped into the role of Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden.

The "SNL" take on the week's political events has become a dependable part of the news cycle this fall, offering near-immediate parodies of the presidential candidates, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain, and their running mates. The show — particularly the opening sketches — have resonated with higher ratings for the NBC program and increased traffic on its Web site where early-to-bed viewers catch the talked-about sketches in the days after.

Saturday night's opening sketch of the VP debate appeared likely to garner similar buzz thanks to Fey's popular Palin impression. Winking and giving answers not always directly related to Queen Latifah's questions, Fey's Palin said that if she was elected, her decisions would be guided by considering "what would a maverick do?"

At the end of the segment, she asked with flute in hand, "Are we not doing the talent portion?"

Palin was runnerup in the 1984 Miss Alaska contest.

Sudeikis, with hair slicked back and a tight-fitting suit, portrayed Biden as conflicted in his feelings for McCain, whom he called "a raging maniac and a dear, dear friend."

Saturday's "SNL" concluded the opening run of four straight shows — including three with guest appearances from Fey, a former cast member and head writer for "SNL" whose day job is starring in, producing and writing for NBC's "30 Rock." The network has said her appearances on "SNL" are being decided on a week-to-week basis.

The show has shown its willingness this fall to cast from beyond its current lineup. Last week, former cast member Chris Parnell returned to play Jim Lehrer, the moderator of the first presidential debate.

"SNL" — which was hosted Saturday by Anne Hathaway with the Killers performing — will get its first weekend off this week. But it will still capitalize on election campaign fodder with the first of three prime-time "Weekend Update" specials beginning Thursday.

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On the Net:

http://www.nbc.com

By JAKE COYLE, AP Entertainment Writer

Sun Oct 5, 1:46 AM ET

Tags: SNL, Queen Latifah, Tina Fey, Democrat, Barack Obama, Republican, John McCain, Entertainment

Janet Jackson delays 3 more shows due to illness

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Janet Jackson has postponed three more shows because of an undisclosed illness.

Her publicist said in an e-mail late Saturday that Jackson was postponing a Saturday show in Greensboro, N.C., one on Sunday in Atlanta and a third on Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale.

A statement from Jackson said she arrived in Greensboro, N.C., hoping to perform there Saturday, but a local doctor advised that she not perform after it became "evident" she was not fully recovered.

Representatives for the 42-year-old singer say she became "suddenly ill" and was hospitalized Monday night in Montreal shortly after she arrived for a show. She also canceled concerts in Boston and Philadelphia on Wednesday and Thursday.

Jackson's publicist did not elaborate Saturday, only saying she was "recuperating." The note said Jackson will return home, at her doctor's direction, for further treatment.

In the note Jackson asked people to keep their tickets for the postponed shows, and said the promoter is working to reschedule dates.

Jackson is on her first North American tour in seven years.

Tags: Janet Jackson, Atlanta, Greensboro, concerts, show