BITS AND PIECES 12/11 Part 2
PUSSSYKATT
--Matt Damon did some research to play a pickpocket in the movie ``Ocean's
Eleven,'' but he didn't need to. In one scene, his character steals a man's
wallet on an elevated train in Chicago, which Damon said was pretty easy. ``The
guy whose pocket I pick in that scene is a guy named Mike Malone, who's the
prop guy,'' he said. ``And he had an overcoat on and he just kind of hung this
billfold out just so the camera could just miss it and I just kind of reached
in and snatched it. So it was a total cheat.'' After starring in ``Good Will
Hunting,'' ``The Talented Mr. Ripley'' and ``The Legend of Bagger Vance,'' the
31-year-old actor said it wasn't a tough decision to join the ensemble cast of
``Ocean's Eleven,'' which includes George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts.
``At the end of the day, I wanna look at movies that I did when I'm older and
look back on the whole titles on a sheet of paper and be proud of them and this
is one of those movies where the script is really tight and it's Steven
Soderbergh who's directing,'' Damon said. ``It wasn't really rocket science to
say, let's be a part of an ensemble.''
--Humorist, author and longtime television personality Art Linkletter, the
avuncular host of the old ``Kids Say the Darndest Things'' shows, says it's
important for young voices to be heard. Linkletter, 89, receives the KidsTalk
Humanitarian Award on Dec. 15 during ceremonies hosted by actor Joe Campanella
at the Bel-Air Country Club. The Los Angeles-based KidsTalk Foundation, founded
in 1997, concentrates on providing youngsters with communication skills to
inspire them to become a voice in society. Youngsters participate in Los
Angeles cable TV's ``Voices of Tomorrow'' talk show. ``Anything that encourages
kids to develop their creativity and skill in the field of communication is
vitally important to our future,'' Linkletter said. ``Communication is the key
to world understanding and peace.''
--Peter Frampton paid homage to the late George Harrison at a concert he
organized to raise money for the Sept. 11 relief fund.
During an encore Sunday night, the British guitarist played an emotional
version of ``While My Guitar Gently Weeps'' as a tribute to Harrison, who died
of cancer on Nov. 29 at age 58. FOR FULL STORY:
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20011210/en/peter_frampton_concert_2.html
--Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno officiated at the wedding of her
niece, model Hunter Reno, during an outdoor ceremony in a tropical garden.
Hunter Reno, a model and host of ``Exotic Islands'' on the Travel Channel,
married Peter Rabbino, co-founder of a Fort Lauderdale legal consulting firm,
on Sunday. The elder Reno, a Democratic candidate for governor, pronounced the
couple husband and wife under a warm rain that drooped nearby trees. About 200
guests, dressed in white guayaberas and Hawaiian shirts, mingled among tiki
torches at the Coral Gables reception. The couple plans a three-week vacation
in Spain. As a Florida notary, Reno has the power to perform weddings. She
remains close to her niece, who calls her Aunt Jannie.
--Celebrities began arriving in Scotland on Monday for the wedding of actress
Ashley Judd and Scottish racing driver Dario Franchitti. Local registrar Lesley
Connor has confirmed the wedding is planned for Wednesday, but the location has
not been announced. News reports said the couple will marry at Skibo Castle in
Dornoch, the lavish site where Madonna and movie director Guy Ritchie married a
year ago, which is known for its strict security. News reports said guests
include Michael Douglas and his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones; actresses Sandra
Bullock and Gwyneth Paltrow; racing drivers David Coulthard and Colin MacRae;
and Robert Trump, brother of New York tycoon Donald Trump, and his wife,
Blaine. Judd and Franchitti originally posted their banns, or notice of intent
to marry, at the town of Bonar Bridge on Jan. 31, but moved the date forward
and changed the location to Dornoch, reportedly so they could marry at Skibo
Castle.
--Hoping to see Creed during its upcoming tour? Better get your tickets fast.
Seats for concerts in 13 markets went on sale last weekend, and shows in six
cities -- Houston, Dallas, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Grand Rapids, Mich., and
Boston -- sold out in less than an hour. Tickets for concerts in Detroit and
Birmingham, Ala., were all snapped up within hours. The other markets -- which
include Atlanta, New Orleans, Toronto, Milwaukee and Bossier City, La. -- are
expected to sell-out within a week. "The band's draw at the box office is
staggering," said Creed's booking agent Ken Fermaglich. "To place over 150,000
tickets on sale without confirming any support attraction and have them
basically disappear is a bright spot in an otherwise tough environment."
--Paul McCartney has joined the line-up for Tuesday's concert honoring U.N.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The star-studded event in Oslo, Norway, marks
the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize, which this year has been
jointly awarded to the U.N. and Annan. Britain's Press Association News reports
McCartney will share the bill with such acts as Destiny's Child, Wyclef Jean,
Natalie Imbruglia and Anastacia. The concert is being hosted by actors Meryl
Streep and Liam Neeson and will be opened by Norway's Crown Prince Haakon.
McCartney, who will play songs from his new album "Driving Rain," said it's a
"privilege" to perform for Annan.
--Former Big Country lead singer Stuart Adamson has not been seen in several
weeks -- prompting his manager and ex-wife to issue appeals for him to contact
them. The 43-year-old Adamson -- who was born in Manchester, England, but now
lives in Nashville -- has battled alcoholism in the past. He disappeared a
couple of years ago, forcing his band to cancel a number of shows opening for
Bryan Adams. Adamson's manager, Ian Grant, says he's hired a detective to look
for Adams. He says two American fans have also volunteered to look for him.
Adamson was last seen Nov. 15. A week earlier, he'd left a note for his son
saying he'd be "back by noon Sunday."
--When they're not being stereotyped as an "Armenian band," the members of
System of a Down are often dubbed "political," or "the new Rage Against the
Machine" -- when in reality they've released as many sad, abstract and funny
songs as they have overtly political pieces. "A lot of people misinterpret our
lyrics," guitarist Daron Malakian tells LA Weekly. "There are people who know
‘Toxicity' came out a week before Sept. 11, yet they insist we're singing
about the attacks. They're thinking our lyrics are prophecies — they're
taking us too damn seriously!"
--Producers of the American Music Awards announced Monday that Garth Brooks
will receive the special Award of Merit at the AMA ceremonies in Los Angeles on
Jan. 9. The award is presented to musicians to recognize "outstanding
contributions to the musical entertainment of the American public." Brooks is
the top-selling solo artist in the history of the music business, with 21 No. 1
singles. He joins a list of Award of Merit winners that includes The Beach
Boys, Irving Berlin, Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash, Bing Crosby, Gloria Estefan,
Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, Berry Gordy Jr., Billy Joel, Merle Haggard,
Michael Jackson, Loretta Lynn, Paul McCartney, Willie Nelson, Elvis Presley,
Little Richard, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder and Tammy Wynette.
--Disney is planning a movie based on the popular "Pirates of the Caribbean"
ride at Disneyland. "Pearl Harbor" and "Armageddon" producer Jerry Bruckheimer
reportedly has agreed to develop the movie, which would be the second feature
to be based on a Disneyland attraction. "Country Bears" is scheduled to open in
theaters next July. "Pirates of the Caribbean" survived a minor controversy a
few years ago, after park officials changed some characteristics of the ride
that critics said were offensive to women. After the changes were made, Disney
took heat for giving in to political correctness.
--Flute virtuoso James Galway will soon be Sir James Galway. As a matter of
fact, his Web site -- jamesgalway.com -- already refers to him as "Sir." In
ceremonies at Buckingham Palace, scheduled for Wednesday, the Belfast-born
musician is being recognized for his contributions in building international
bridges through his performances during the past two and a half decades.
Galway's repertoire, though largely in the realm of romantic and classical
music, also has taken him into the world of country and even a collaboration
with Sir Elton John. Immediately after receiving his knighthood, his publicist
says that Galway will fly to the States to record "Christmas Glory," a TV
special that will be broadcast in the U.K. on Christmas Eve. Long associated
with RCA, Galway first became known as a virtuoso piccolo player with various
London-based orchestras. In 1969 he was named principle flute with the Berlin
Philharmonic. Galway first attained international attention when he "went
solo," bursting onto the music scene in 1975. His services became so much in
demand that he made more than 120 major concert performances that year.
--Missing for years, a classic portrait of Hawaiian King Kamehameha the Great
has turned up in the home of the son of the late painter Jean Charlot. The
Honolulu Advertiser says that the watercolor painting, done in 1816 by Russian
artist Louis Choris, is one of three done in a single session. The other two
have been in the possession of collectors for years. There has always been
speculation as to the whereabouts of the third, now found in Hawaii in the
possession of John Charlot, a professor of religion at the University of
Hawaii-Manoa. His father reportedly was contacted about the painting after the
publication of a book he wrote on the subject in 1958. Local collectors and
historians say the newly found portrait could be worth a million dollars.
--The Supreme Court says it will let stand a lower court ruling that allows
students at Jacksonville, Fla., high schools to continue voting on whether to
have an uncensored message presented at graduation ceremonies. According to
published reports, the recent practice of the students assigning "chaplains" to
speak at graduation exercises has been criticized by some groups as being a
back-door attempt to install prayer into public ceremonies. A group of students
and their parents had taken the issue to a Florida court. Countering the claim
that the messages were prayers, the local school board said that the statements
being made were secular in nature and did not violate rules about prayer in
public schools. I spoke with the group Americans United for the Separation of
Church and State and discovered that the issue continues to be tricky and
containing many gray areas, even in light of the high court's decision. Still,
prayer in public schools is possible if the concept is not suggested or
sanctioned by school officials and is proposed by the students themselves,
under some circumstances.
--It's being called one of the most important compilations of classical music
of the past few decades. It's a massive collection of historic performances by
the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra says the new release is a 12-CD
set covering nearly 60 years of recordings. The package is called "Symphony
Hall Centennial Celebration." The recordings are taken from radio and TV
broadcasts of the venerable aggregation and contain some of the orchestra's
genuine performance triumphs. For example, heard is the world premiere of
Bartok's "Concerto for Orchestra" under the baton of Serge Koussevitsky in
1944. Leonard Bernstein's "Symphony No. 2" is included from a 1949 broadcast,
with Bernstein at the piano. The compilation lists for $225 and is available
through the orchestra's Web site or through most online retailers, such as
Amazon and Yahoo.
www.zap2it.com...
--Genevieve and Tony were not, it turns out, tempted by the pleasures of
"Temptation Island 2." At the end of Thursday's (Dec. 6) episode, Genevieve
proposed (via video) to Tony, and he -- after a long, drama-heightening
preamble -- said yes. That leaves only three couples. At least for a short
time. Since Genevieve and Tony left the island voluntarily, the producers are
bringing in a new couple, Kelly and Mark, beginning with Dec. 13's episode. FOX
isn't releasing much information about the couple, saying only that they've
been together for more than a year. They join Shannon and John, Nikkole and
Tommy, Catherine and hard-partying Edmundo, and the 20 odd singles for the
remainder of the show. FOX promises that with the addition of Kelly and Mark,
"the dynamics of the island are changed forever." "Temptation Island 2" airs
at 9 p.m. ET Thursdays on FOX.
--A half-hour sketch comedy special, hosted by Carmen Electra, features a
multi-ethnic ensemble of comedic actors enacting an array of outrageous
characters, impersonations and comedy bits. "Off Limits" premieres TUESDAY,
DECEMBER 25 (9:30-10:00 p.m., ET/PT) on UPN. Starring are Roman Danylo, Don
Reed, Aisha Tyler, Greg Watanabe, Gary Anthony Williams, Billy Wright and Susan
Yeagley. The executive producers are Michael Wilson ("The Newz" ) and Al Haymon
(UPN's "Grown Ups," "Between Brothers"). Lyah LeFlore and Mark H. Ovitz are the
producers. "Off Limits" is a production of ATG Television. The episode carries
a TV-PG parental guideline
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"PUSSSYKATT" <agcgoss...@aol.com> wrote in message
Ron Turner
>organized to raise money for the Sept. 11 relief fund.
My parents attended the concert and are still raving about it.
>--When they're not being stereotyped as an "Armenian band," the members of
>System of a Down are often dubbed "political," or "the new Rage Against the
>Machine" -- when in reality they've released as many sad, abstract and funny
>songs as they have overtly political pieces. "A lot of people misinterpret
>our lyrics," guitarist Daron Malakian tells LA Weekly. "There are people who
know
>Toxicity' came out a week before Sept. 11, yet they insist we're singing
>about the attacks. They're thinking our lyrics are prophecies they're
>taking us too damn seriously!"
What kind of politics do they promote?
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God bless America!
Reading "Black Hawk Down" by Mark Bowden
maryanne kehoe
HUH? I thought she was a l______ (she and Martina Navaratalova were
dating for years).
maryanne kehoe
several weeks
Read in the Atlanta newspaper that there is an APB on him here in
Atlanta, apparently, he has friends in this area.