American Idol - Randy Jackson Baffled By Cowells Gift

AMERICAN IDOL judge RANDY JACKSON celebrated his 52nd birthday on Saturday (21Jun08) - and was given a "barbaric-looking sword" from fellow reality show judge SIMON COWELL.

The former bass player and producer welcomed celebrities including actress Rosario Dawson and dancer Karina Smirnoff to the party at TAO Las Vegas - but was left baffled by the present from the British music mogul.

Cowell wasn't on hand to give Jackson the gift personally - and the TV personality is unsure of what to do with the unusual present.

He says, "I don't know what part of me he wants to cut off, but that's a whole 'nother thing."

But the star is holding out for a more conventional gift from fellow judge and singer Paula Abdul.

He adds, "Paula has not given me anything yet but I think I know what she's getting me. I was talking to her last week so she knows what I want. It will be something I can use instead of looking at and saying, 'What the hell is this?'"

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Sheen Apologises For Voicemail Rant

Charlie Sheen has issued an apology after expletive-laden answer machine messages he left for his ex-wife Denise Richards two years ago were made public online. In the 2005 voicemails, which have been circulating on the internet for the past two days, an angry Sheen rages about what he calls his former wife's "lawyer bulls**t" in the midst of their divorce proceedings. He rants, "I guess I should just get used to the fact that... you fire off your nonsense and your lawyer bulls**t and your f**king e-mails and then you don't answer the phone. "I'm just really f**king mad and you owe me a phone call... If I did the same s**t to you, you'd be f**king furious." And in a follow-up voicemail, from 19 April of the same year, Sheen goes ballistic, shouting, "I hope you rot in f**king hell. You're a piece of s**t, f**king liar... I hope I never f**king talk to you again you f**king c**t. "You're a coward and a liar and a f**king n**ger." In a statement released on Wednesday , Sheen apologises for "my choice of words," particularly his racist slur, naming his friend Tony Todd, an African-American, "who was my best man at my first two weddings". Defiant Sheen also uses his apology to further attack his ex, adding, "For the record, my children did not show up today for a custodial visit without explanation. "So three and one half years later, the reasons that caused the anger and frustration displayed on that voicemail continue to be manifested on a daily basis." The former couple divorced in 2006 and has since been embroiled in a bitter dispute over custody of their two daughters, three-year-old Sam and Lola, two.


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British beauty Billie Piper plays Belle de Jour in 'Call Girl'

LICKFOLK, England - On an early summer evening, Billie Piper is sitting in the back garden of a pub near her country home.

She's talking about sex and a city girl - the London-based professional escort Belle, whom she portrays in the Showtime series "Secret Diary of a Call Girl," premiering June 16 in the United States. In Canada it runs on Showcase and premiered last fall.
"I was thinking it was quite racy for America," says Piper as she ponders just how the series will come across in the United States.

In the United Kingdom, when it first aired last September it was blasted in the media for glamorizing prostitution.

"I thought it was a side to prostitution that we are not normally exposed to, and I thought there was a story worth telling there," Piper says in defence. "I kind of knew it was going to cause a bit of an uproar, especially because I was playing the part. People are always so used to me doing children's shows or family drama."

As a teenager, Piper became a star in England in 1998 with the chart-topping pop song "Because We Want To." And she has been a popular subject for the British tabloid press.

She was previously married at 18 to popular DJ Chris Evans. Now 25, she's married to Laurence Fox, who plays Detective James Hathaway in "Inspector Lewis," airing on PBS' "Masterpiece Mystery" beginning June 22.

Piper and Fox married on New Year's Eve, about a year after meeting while acting together in the play "Treats," and they recently moved from London to the country.

Piper has had recurring roles in the popular sci-fi series "Doctor Who," and has starred in several British made-for-TV movies. Yet never has the actress revealed more of herself than in the sexy "Call Girl."

The series is based on the Belle de Jour blog, which was written by a young woman who enjoys being a sex worker yet pretends to family and friends she's just Hannah, a legal secretary.

Doubts have been raised about whether Belle really exists or whether the blog was simply the fictitious concoction of some clever minds.

However, Piper says: "I met her and she was quite a character and she was the most useful part of my research."

"I started asking really simple, mundane questions - like 'What's your favourite song?' 'What kind of films do you watch?' Often those very simple details can be really useful. They tell you a lot about the human side of things," says Piper, explaining that because Belle's way of life was "so far removed from anything I know, I had to make her more human in my head."

She also consulted several other professional escorts and went to their apartments "where all these intimate moments take place" to see "step by step, how it's done."

How it's done, of course, meant strong language and nudity. But Piper counters criticism by saying that's just part of the acting challenge of honestly portraying the lifestyle.

Showtime is running the eight half-hour episodes uncut as part of an hour-long block with the fourth season of the hit series "Weeds."

Undaunted by the media criticism, Piper has begun filming a second series as Belle, and a third series has been ordered. But she may soon need a body double, she says, because she's pregnant.

-

On the Net: www.sho.com

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Tony Romo Denies Jessica Simpson Dad's Meddling

Jessica Simpson’s boyfriend Tony Romo has denied reports he’s been butting heads with her meddling father Joe.
The American Football star was subject to several claims highlighting Joe’s interference in his relationship with pop star Jessica over the last couple of days, but Romo claims they’re far from the truth.
In a statement to People.com claiming, “It's all laughable,” adding claims Joe’s meddling has blighted the pair’s relationship “so far from the truth".
An eye-witness reports everything seemed fine between Jessica and Tony when they met up with Simpson’s sister Ashlee and her new husband Pete Wentz yesterday for lunch.
“Jess was giggling and grabbing onto Tony. They were both very natural and sweet with each other. It was cute to see the sisters and their guys having such a good time," they tell the website.

Viva La Vida - Coldplay

Coldplay's Viva La Vida is one of the most anticipated albums of 2008 - it sold 125,000 copies in one day in the UK and is well on its way to becoming one of the biggest selling records in a first week of release.

That's no mean feat considering the music industry's current struggles with record sales. So it must be Coldplay's hype and reputation that is driving this demand, right?

Wrong. The British rockers have released a quality compilation of songs that will fuel many a lazy Sunday for years to come while quenching the masses' demands for catchy singles.

Viva La Vida is much less commercially driven than Coldplay's previous albums and more substantial in terms of production values, lyrics and experimentation. From a few listens I'd say there are only two tracks that stand out as sure-fire hits.

The singles Violet Hill and Viva La Vida - which features in iTunes' latest advertising campaign - are standout tracks and will no doubt be in danger of over-exposure over the coming months. Let's hope not.

Plenty of other songs are in no danger of overexposure whatsoever. A feature of the album is producer Brian Eno and sonic-synth mastermind Jon Hopkins' soundscapes.

The record is book-ended by two instrumental tracks that introduce and conclude everything rather nicely - the intro is particularly poignant, doing the perfect job of setting the album's mood. Reign of Love and Death And All His Friends also show off Eno's and Hopkins' outstanding production skill-sets.

Elsewhere, Cemeteries Of London's House of the Rising Sun/Irish-folk feel is a solid second track while Strawberry Swing has a Bowie-esque feel to it and will stick in your head for days.

A lot of the album has a soundtrack feel and can pass you by before you know it - in a good way. It also doesn't make you feel depressed - a major complaint of previous releases.

This album is a step forward. Viva La Vida has not lost any of Coldplay's trademark melodic masterclass and it has managed to expand their sound to a level that will keep the band interesting, relevant and successful for at least a few more years to come.

Well done Mr Martin.

*Coldplay's Viva La Vida is out now through EMI.

 

 





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Guys in drag for Big Brother party

The male 'Big Brother' contestants were in drag yesterday as they celebrated housemate Mohamed's 24th birthday.
Initially Mario was reluctant to get dressed up but. after encouragement from partner Lisa, changed his mind.
Mario dressed up in a skin-tight yellow outfit and pink baseball cap and became 'Mary', much to the amusement of the housemates.
"My name's Mary," said Mario. "I'm in character now."
Earlier in the day the housemates' plans for a nap were dashed when Big Brother used an alarm and irritating noises to wake them.
Under the rules housemates are only allowed sleep at night.
"How could they do that?" said Jennifer. "That's so unfair. We weren't even asleep. We were just lying there."
This week is the first week of housemate nominations for evictions.
Read our 'Big Brother' blog here.
Check out the 'Big Brother' contestant profiles here.

Lingerie label dumps Kate Moss for younger model

Kate Moss has been dropped by Agent Provocateur for the second time.

The 34-year-old model has reportedly lost her £500,000 deal with the sexy underwear brand to Alice Dellal, an unknown blonde socialite 14 years her junior.

A source said: "Everyone is stunned. Kate’s shots were really well received, but bosses thought it was time to move on. They want a fresh new face and think they’ve found just the candidate in Alice."

Half-Brazilian Alice - who wears a nose ring - posed for a secret photo shoot to be released in September.

Kate’s contract with the firm was not renewed last year amid rumours of tension between her and owner Serena Rees - but she returned for a bridal lingerie campaign this year.

This is not the first fashion snub for the British catwalk queen.

Naomi Campbell took her place for Yves Saint Laurent, while hot new model Agyness Deyn replaced her at Burberry.





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Pagan's Mind

   
Artist: Pagan's Mind

   Genre(s): 
Metal: Power
   Metal: Heavy
   Metal: Progressive
   

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Discography:


   
 Celestial Entrance

   Year: 2002   
Tracks: 12

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Cloak and Dagger

   
Artist: Cloak and Dagger

   Genre(s): 
Drum & Bass
   

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Discography:


   
 Guerilla Warfare

   Year: 2005   
Tracks: 2

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Barack to McCain: Check Out My Cooter!

Pete Doherty films himself bathing naked

London (ANI): Known for his wild ways, Pete Doherty has now gone a step ahead with his eccentricities - by actually filming himself in the bath while getting ready for a gig. The video shows Pete in his shabby home, where he is surrounded by cats and rubbish while getting ready for his stage performance. Initially, the Babyshambles frontman is shown roaming here and there for fixing his laptop out of the window so that the video quality is not that good. Then the video shows him explaining that he is making short video clips so that his fans can know how he gets ready for a gig, reports The Mirror. In the next scene, a naked Pete is seen taking a bath and that too without using any soap, and surrounded by filth as one of his kittens plays around. The film

Aborym

   
Artist: Aborym

   Genre(s): 
Industrial
   Metal: Death,Black
   

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Discography:


   
 Generator

   Year: 2006   
Tracks: 9


   
 With No Human Intervention

   Year: 2003   
Tracks: 14


   
 Fire Walk With Us

   Year: 2001   
Tracks: 9


   
 Kali-Yuga Bizarre

   Year: 1999   
Tracks: 9

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After a brief false start out between 1991 and 1993, Italy's Aborym truly came to be in 1997, with leader Malfeitor Fabban (bass, synthesizers, programming) drafting Sethlans (guitars, samples) and singer Yorga SM to take part in the self-financed Antichristian Nuclear Sabbath demonstration. This, in turn attracted new vocaliser Attila Csihar -- fabled for his seminal put to work with Mayhem -- and lead guitar player Nysrok SS, world Health Organization united in clip for 1999's Kali Yuga Bizarre album, released by Scarlet Records. Introducing a truly original brand of futuristic black metal, the album's jagged samples, electronic drums, and industrial overtones have Aborym's peculiar sound very hard to pin down or define. Even more thought-provoking and sonically oblique case, their irregular travail, Fire Walk With Us, followed in 2001.