Danish Cycling Federation reacts to Contador's positive test.

David Millar has backed under-fire rider Alberto Contador after the Spaniard was outed as having failed an anti-doping control during the Tour de France.It was announced that the three-time Tour champion tested positive for clenbuterol in an almost-undetectable microdose of 50 picograms/millilitre, which is apparently 400 times less than the required limit of detection.
Contador, a Spaniard formerly on the Astana team, could lose the title he won this year and face a two-year suspension.“I’m the victim,” a visibly emotional Contador said from Pinto, Spain, his hometown, on the southern outskirts of Madrid.

“I’m sad, disappointed, but am keeping my head held high,” he said. “It’s a clear case of food contamination. I won’t tolerate any sanction.”
Contador, 27, is facing the loss of his 2010 Tour title and a two-year ban from the sport. But he said he was not worried about either of those consequences and called the positive test an authentic mistake.
“I will not allow a thing like this to destroy everything,” he said. “It won’t be easy, but I don’t think it will affect me.”
Contador said he unknowingly had eaten meat tainted with the banned drug clenbuterol, a weight-loss and muscle-building drug, on July 20 and 21 because the meat at the hotel where his Astana team stayed was so bad.
Contador tested positive on July 21 during the Tour’s final rest day, one day before the Tour’s decisive mountain stage. Though several of his teammates had dined on the meat, Contador said he was the only one to be drug-tested on July 21.
He was not notified of the positive test until Aug. 24, he said, nearly one month after he won the Tour, cycling’s most prestigious race.When asked why it took him so long to disclose the findings, Contador said: “If this case had been solved internally, the image of our sport wouldn’t have been damaged.”He added: “I can speak loud and clear with truth on my side. Justice will be made.”Contador’s initial urine sample and a backup urine sample have tested positive for traces of the drug, according to a statement released Wednesday by the International Cycling Union.
Pat McQuaid, president of the cycling union, did not return phone calls or e-mail messages Wednesday evening, but the cycling union’s statement said that Contador has been provisionally suspended and that his urine sample contained a “very small concentration” of the banned drug.
“This case required further scientific investigation before any conclusion could be drawn,” the statement added.
Amaury Sport Organization, which organizes the Tour de France, released a brief statement on Thursday, noting the announcement from the International Cycling Union.
It is now necessary to “wait for the results of additional analysis” from the World Anti-Doping Agency and the “definitive assessment” of the union, before taking any decisions, the statement said.Contador is widely known as the best stage racer in the world, having won each of cycling’s top three races: the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España. Despite a very public and testy battle with Lance Armstrong, his teammate at the time, for leadership of their Astana team, he won his second Tour in 2009.
This year, even after Armstrong took nearly the entire Astana team with him to his Team RadioShack, Contador won the Tour again, beating Andy Schleck by 39 seconds and retaining his spot as the sport’s top rider.
But he said on Thursday that he was not worried about his Tour de France title being stripped. “My life is made already,” he said. “I don’t need to keep cycling. But I won’t allow it. I will not give up what I really love doing. It won’t be easy, but I don’t think it will affect me.”

Of course, there’s the possibility that Contador is telling the truth. This is what makes it mildly tragic for any athlete in this situation: History has made us guarded against believing anything any scandalized sporting figure has to say. Floyd Landis and his whiskey excuse — which one whiskey company later demanded an apology for after Landis changed his tune and admitted he doped — tripped us up in cycling. Mark McGwire hid behind andro for a decade. Brian Cushing worked out too much. Manny Ramirez was on fertility drugs. The list goes on and on. So Contador’s tainted beef excuse is being met with some skepticism. And with a bit of exasperation at the never-ending string of doping allegations in cycling.

Jennifer Love Hewitt To Star In Law And Order Tonight

JENNIFER Love Hewitt thinks she’s older than she really is.
The actress, 31, admits she often feels she is too grown up.
“I think I just became a grown-up in life,” she told Collider. “Sometimes I feel I’m supposed to be older than I am, and then I have these moments where I go, ‘Oh, but wait a minute, I really am just now supposed to be a grown-up. I’ve just been doing this a really long time’. I think that because I’ve just become a grown-up, inside I have just gone, ‘Okay, now I’m actually ready to do it.’ I really want to do things that not only nurture my craft, but nurture me as a human being.
“The ultimate dream in life is to be able to do what you love and learn something from it. To be able to do something that you love in the business, and then have it actually affect human life, that’s what I feel like I’m getting to do now, which is extraordinary.”
Jennifer then discussed being a role model for young women.

“You know,” she said, “I never really thought about being a role model. I started really young, so at 10 years old, I was still very much the person who needed role models. I wasn’t really prepared to be one, but it’s always something that I’ve taken very seriously. It’s something that I really honor and have respect for, and I try to be a good role model now that I am one.”

Jennifer — whose ex-boyfriends include John Mayer, Ross McCall, Carson Daly and Jamie Kennedy — recently admitted she feels like a better person when she has a man in her life.
“I feel like as a person, I am better as a couple,” she said earlier this year.
Jennifer Love Hewitt
JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT, the star of CBS show 'Ghost Whisperer', is set to star in an episode of Law and Order: SVU, which premieres tonight on NBC (29th September 2010) The episode, entitled 'Behave', sees the 31-year-old play a repeat rape victim and she says that the nature of the role has changed the way in which she acts. The Toronto Sun quoted Hewitt as saying, "I don't think I will ever act the same way. It was like something in my heart and my soul just connected on a different level. It was extraordinary. I felt really honoured that they thought I could tackle a subject matter like this and a character like this"

The actress also spoke about having to change her physical appearance for the part, in order to make the character more believable. Hewitt said she was shocked when catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, adding, "I was like, 'Gosh, I don't know who that actress is at all'. But it really allowed me emotionally and physically and mentally to go to a different place."
While you would never try to argue that the supporting cast adds anything notable to the show, at least there are a couple of decent actors in the bunch. Camryn Manheim does a reasonable job as Melinda's friend and confidante Delia, while David Conrad is passable as Melinda's long-suffering husband Jim (as well as presumably providing some eye-candy for the ladies). But Jamie Kennedy is a walking disaster.
Kennedy didn't have much screen time (thankfully), but when he did appear he made me want to throw my remote at the telly. The man mumbled his way through the few words he was given and sucked the life out of every scene in which he appeared. Who on earth decided this man could act?! And really, when you look bad acting next to Jennifer Love Hewitt, it might be time to consider another line of work.
So to sum up: Ghost Whisperer's overly dramatic scenes made me squirm, it's cliché horror scenarios made me roll my eyes repeatedly, it's goofy supporting cast brought absolutely nothing to the table, and Jamie Kennedy made me want to smash my telly into small pieces.
It's safe to say I won't be tuning in next week.
Do you watch Ghost Whisperer? Do you agree that it's a silly idea for a show? Have you had to replace a television recently due to Jamie Kennedy? Or maybe you actually like this show - in which case, try to convince me why I'm wrong...

Katherine Heigl puffs on electronic cigarette during 'Late Show' appearance

Katherine Marie Heigl (b. November 24 1978) was born in Washington D.C, USA on the 24th of November 1978 to parents Nancy and Paul. A short time afterwards, the Heigl family moved to New Canaan, Connecticut, where Katherine was to spend the majority of her childhood.

The youngest member of her family, Katherine, or 'Katie' as she is known affectionately, has two elder siblings, John and Meg. Tragically, her older brother Jason died in 1986 of brain injuries suffered in a car accident, after being thrown from the back of a pickup truck. When doctors determined Jason was brain-dead, the family made the difficult decision to donate his organs. Not only did this painful chapter give Katherine a greater perspective and appreciation for life, but it has motivated her to use her celebrity status to promote the importance of organ donation.

Now that she's a mom, Katherine Heigl is doing everything she can to live a healthier life.
Appearing on Monday night's "Late Show with David Letterman," the actress explained that she has had a tough time trying to kick her bad habit of smoking, which she developed in her early 20s.
"You start once a week, maybe with cocktails with friends at a bar," said Heigl, who stars in the upcoming "Life as We Know It." "And then you buy your first pack during a really stressful breakup and then it's downhill from there."

The actress, who adopted 1½-year-old daughter Naleigh from South Korea last year, said she has tried a countless amount of smoking aids, including wearing the patch, chewing nicotine gum and taking the prescription medication Chantex – twice.
"I went bananas," she said, before introducing her newest reliever, an electronic cigarette.
Heigl, 31, went on to inadvertently advertise the "smoke stick," a device which allows a user to absorb nicotine into the body, as well as continue the habit of bringing the cigarette to and from the mouth.She explained that the stick has a battery that heats up the liquid nicotine in its filter."You blow out water vapor so you're not harming anyone around you and you're not harming yourself," she said. "I'm essentially humidifying the space."Katherine Heigl once went on a date with her personal trainer only for him to beg her to get him acting work.

The star is happily married to singer Josh Kelley, who she raises 20-month-old daughter Naleigh with. Although Katherine's home life is now content, she admits it hasn't always been that way.
She had a number of dreadful dates before finding love with Josh, but finds them so funny she is happy to discuss them.
"My worst was when I was 18. I was like, 20lbs. heavier and trying real hard to work it off at the gym and my trainer asked me out," she said at a press conference to promote her new movie Life as We Know It.
"He took me to Sizzler and gave me his head shot and asked me if I could get him in my agency. I knew it wasn't the extra 20lbs. that turned him on."
The 31-year-old added she should have known the evening was destined to be bad when she noticed her date had shaved his legs.

In the movie, Katherine and Josh Duhamel play two people who have to look after a little girl when her mother dies. Katherine's character Holly has dated Eric, portrayed by Josh, before but they didn't get on, making their new life together tough.
Josh was equally as candid when it came to discussing his love life. The star is married to Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie, and explained he is eternally thankful he has a wife as he hates dating so much.
"I've had plenty of awkward moments, but I've always been in relationships for a long time. Dating always scared the c**p out of me. For that reason I couldn't really date," he explained. "I had to make very sure that I wanted to date this person. I would do a complete recon. So, I made sure that I wanted to be with them before I actually started dating."

HER CREDITS
# Romy & Michele: In The Beginning (TV) 2003 Wuthering Heights (TV) 2003
# Evil Never Dies (TV) 2003
# Descendant 2003
# Love Comes Softly (TV) 2003
# The Twilight Zone (TV) 2002
# Critical Assembly (Ground Zero) (TV) 2001
# Valentine 2001
# 100 Girls 2000
# Roswell (TV) 1999
# The Tempest (TV) 1998
# Bride Of Chucky 1998
# Bug Buster 1998
# Stand-Ins 1997
# Prince Valiant 1997
# Wish Upon A Star 1996
# Under Siege 2: Dark Territory 1995
# My Father The Hero 1994
# King Of The Hill 1993
# That Night 1992

Lindsay Lohan Spends Sunday at a Homeless Shelter

Despite the brutally hot weather in L.A. over the weekend, Lohan, 24, arrived in a flannel shirt and long boots that covered up her alcohol-monitoring anklet. She spent the afternoon doing charity work at the center, and was joined by her mother Dina, sister Ali, manager Lou Taylor and friend Eilat Anschel.
After getting good news on Friday that sprung her from jail, Lindsay Lohan did a good deed on Sunday, visiting the Dream Center, a homeless shelter in Los Angeles.

Despite the brutally hot weather in L.A. over the weekend, Lohan, 24, arrived in a flannel shirt and long boots that covered up her alcohol-monitoring anklet. She spent the afternoon doing charity work at the center, and was joined by her mother Dina, sister Ali, manager Lou Taylor and friend Eilat Anschel.
Lohan later Tweeted: "What a great place The Dream Center is here in L.A. ... had a nice time there today, it's so important to give back. I feel blessed."

The actress was released just before midnight from a Lynwood, Calif., jail after spending less than 14 hours behind bars and posting $300,000 bail. She is accused of violating probation in a DUI case by failing a mandatory drug test.
She is also expected to return to rehab in the coming days. Her next court date is Oct. 22.

MORE NEWS
Taylor Swift is reportedly being considered to replace Lindsay Lohan in one of her upcoming movies, the romantic comedy "One Night With You."

Swift, who has appeared in movies like "Hannah Montana: The Movie," "Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience" and "Valentine's Day," could take over the female lead in the flick about a starlet who joins a reality dating show in an attempt to save her career. But, as in most romantic comedies, things don't go as planned when instead she falls for a bartender who happens to hate all things Hollywood. A love/hate relationship ensues between the two.

"It appears the romantic comedy may finally be off the table for Lindsay Lohan. The producers had actually talked to Taylor Swift's agent a few months back about replacing Lindsay, but Taylor was in the middle of her tour," a source said, according to WENN. "Now that Lindsay can't conquer her troubles, they're taking the offer back to Taylor."

Swift's film rep had not responded to MTV News by press time about the report. But Swift stated earlier this year that her focus was on her music, not making movies. Her new album, Speak Now, is due out in October.

"I'm not making movies right now. I'm making music. That's always been my number-one love," Swift said back in June. "It's been so cool to be able to be a part of things that have been really fun, like being in 'Valentine's Day' and getting to guest-star in 'CSI.' I feel like I get to do these little mini-movies when I make music videos, so that kind of fulfills that little need or desire. But if I ever get time, I might like to [act again]."

Regardless of her current status on "One Night With You," Swift was recently seen sporting a basketball uniform, which she reportedly wore for a part in "Todd vs. High School," co-starring Jason Segal.

Lohan, meanwhile, is still onboard to star in the Linda Lovelace biopic "Inferno," despite repeated delays in filming caused by the actress' ongoing legal troubles.

Bristol Palin takes Dancing` partner home to Alaska

Although Bristol Palin describes herself as just an ordinary girl, Palin has become a celebrity underdog now that she’s on Dancing with the Stars. With Bristol Palin gaining support from fans of DWTS, former contestant Kelly Osbourne recently revealed that she's rooting for Bristol to win Dancing with the Stars.
Sarah Palin's oldest daughter -- and red hot cha cha dancer -- arrived at Rumrunners in Anchorage with her "Dancing with the Stars" pro partner Mark Ballas and an ABC camera crew in tow, and was greeted by "a pretty big gaggle of friends," according to an eyewitness.
Bristol Palin has shown her Dancing With The Stars partner Mark Ballas some of the sites of Alaska as they filmed a segment for the reality series in her home state.
Back in her home state to film a segment for the hit dance competition, the 19-year-old wore jeans and a zip-up sweatshirt and "seemed excited," according to an onlooker. "She hugged everyone when they came in and introduced Mark to everyone. She looked really good, actually, and happy."

A sign marked "Palin family" sparked curiosity, but neither Sarah nor Todd Palin attended the event.
According to an onlooker 19-year-old Palin, 'hugged everyone when they came in and introduced Mark to everyone. She looked really good, actually, and happy.'

While Ballas was in the state, he met the state's former Governor and Bristol's Mum Sarah Palin, People reports.
'Me and Mama Palin,' he Tweeted, posting a photo of himself and the former Vice-Presidential nominee. 'Alaska is awesome.'
And while Ballas and Palin took a turn on the dance floor, Ballas pleased his partner when he took the stage to belt out a few tunes. Says the observer: "Bristol cheered the loudest after he finished each song."
While in Alaska, the two-time Dancing champ also had a chance to take in the sights and meet one of the state's most famous residents, Bristol's mom Sarah.
Kelly Osbourne admitted that she empathizes with Bristol Palin, especially since Palin doesn't have family support in the audience. "I have a real soft spot for Bristol Palin. I really do," said the daughter of Ozzy Osbourne. "I think she's going out there and trying. And to not have a family member in the audience is the hardest thing in the world. Half of that show is family support, and to go out there that first week and not have anyone there, and having everybody looking at you the most – I give her so much credit."
In a recent interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, former Dancing with the Stars competitor Kelly Osbourne revealed that she’s rooting for Bristol Palin, who is in the same underdog position that Kelly was in during season nine of DWTS.

'Saturday Night Live': Katy Perry spoofs 'Sesame Street' Elmo duet on 'SNL' season premiere

She's the pop star with the pin-up girl looks. Two years after Katy Perry's breakthrough hit, her songs have sold more than 32 million downloads . . . her success built on a playful flirtation with what she calls obvious innuendo:Katy Perry got her response to the "Sesame Street" scandal off her chest this weekend.
On the "Saturday Night Live" premiere, the 24-year-old singer poked fun at the music video she made with Elmo earlier this week that got pulled from "Sesame Street" after parents complained it showed too much of her cleavage.

Bouncing onto the set of "Bronx Beat," with Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph, Perry played a 16-year-old public library volunteer named Maureen DiChico, who appears to have developed since she last saw the hosts.

The “Peacock” singer wore a tight red Elmo shirt with her breasts spilling out of a slit down the middle of the Muppet’s forehead. She completed the outfit with a plaid skirt, pig tails and black horn rims.

"Honey, you've exploded - kaboom! Those are some bazooms," Rudolph exclaimed.
"Look at Elmo's head, it's all stretched out," Poehler added.
The jokes didn't get much more sophisticated than that, with Poehler resorting to a quip that Perry's fiancé, Russell Brand, made earlier this week on Twitter.

"Looks like today's show is brought you by number 38 and letter double D," the host said.
"Double D? More like 3-D!" Rudolph concluded.
But it was clear who the NBC cast supported in "cleavage-gate.” After Maureen revealed that the library told her to wear looser clothing to read to children, Poehler's and Rudolph's characters came to her defense.
"Who cares if kids are looking at boobs - boobs feed babies, alright?" Rudolph said. "I see 'CSI' last night and there’s a dead guy with worm in his eye - and we can't watch the top of boobs? So dumb, America."
Perry later performed "California Gurls" in a sparkling pink mini-dress and "Teenage Dream" in an equally sparkly take on a high school uniform.
But PBS was not the only butt of NBC's jokes on Saturday Night - Fox was also a target.
On "Weekend Update," Poehler took a jab at the new "Idol" judges - the show's attempt to reinvigorate its waning ratings - whose names she announced before adding "also known as coffin nails one, two and three."
Though Gov. Paterson was the most buzz-worthy guest, "Social Network" star Justin Timberlake also showed up to mock his acting career.
"When're u going to make more music?" he was asked on the segment spoofing "Inside the Actor's Studio."
"I'm trying to take this seriously, that’s it!!!" Timberlake yelled before storming off set.
Next week on "Saturday Night Live," musical guest Kanye West gives Timberlake and Perry a run for their money.

More News
Singer Katy Perry and comic actor Russell Brand are enjoying a vacation in this city of the Taj Mahal.
The pop star has posted a photo of herself and Brand cuddling in front of the famous Mughla monument on her Twitter.com page, joking: “He built this for me”.
A few days back it was reported that the couple is engaged, but they are yet to confirm the news, said contactmusic.com.

Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler will join Randy Jackson as "American Idol" judges next season.

After the long-rumored additions of Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and actress-singer Jennifer Lopez were officially announced, some "Idol" fans took to the show's website to express their displeasure.
"This is 'American Idol'!" host Ryan Seacrest said after the new judges joined him on stage at the Forum in Los Angeles, where the final national audition for next season's televised karaoke contest was held yesterday.

"This is 'American Idol'!" host Ryan Seacrest said after the new judges joined him on stage at the Forum in Los Angeles, where the final national audition for next season's televised karaoke contest was held yesterday.


Tyler said he wanted to join the show because "it's being a part of something much bigger than yourself. . . . I want to bring some rock to this roller coaster and show if you've got the heart, the talent, the feeling to do this you could be the next American Idol."
Steven Tyler, for one, is excited about the upcoming season. "Richter scales are going off here in LA.!" he told the audience. "After last night having dinner and today on the stage, the excitement and energy is tangible. I can feel it between the three of us...and if that's any indication of what's up and coming, look out."
That sort of takes you to the heart of Tyler's problem with Aerosmith. He seems to think that group wasn't bigger than he was.


"I'm so excited," said Lopez, who scored a reported (and insane) $12 million to join the show. "I'm looking for the next Michael Jackson."
Then you're probably in the wrong place, Jennifer.
The show also has a valuable newcomer in Jimmy Iovine, chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, which this season is replacing Sony Music as the label that develops, distributes and markets "Idol" finalists.
Lopez, who was never much of a singer herself, made it clear she has no plans to become the new Simon Cowell (although viewership might be helped if she wore a tight, V-neck, white T-shirt each week.
"I believe in tough love, but I'm an artist myself," she said. "I could never be cruel to another artist."
Fraternities have drinking games and so does Tattle: Anytime someone says "but I'm an artist myself," we take a shot of Mylanta.
If they say it with regard to judging karaoke, we drink the whole bottle.
Besides, singing off-key doesn't make someone an "artist."
Producer Nigel Lythgoe, an original "Idol" producer now back on the show, also took a swipe at some of the winners who emerged during his two-year absence. After early idols Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, he said, "Then we start running out of idols."
"We've got to go back to creating an American idol," he said.

Among other changes this season, contestants won't be forced to stray from their favored genre, and there are no plans to have celebrity mentors.

hey do you like me?'" she said

David Hasselhoff Performs at Dancing with the Stars

The highlight of the Season 11 premiere episode of Dancing with the Stars came at the very end when cast member David Hasselhoff delivered an open mouthed dance to Tom Jones "Sex Bomb" that may change the way I look at black cars, bouffants, lifeguards and the entire country of Germany.
Let's get the obvious out of the way: Sarah Palin did not show up as long-rumored to cheer on her little girl, Bristol. No matter, the night was every bit as cheery as any smile Ma Palin has ever mustered along the campaign trail.
And let's get the rest of the obvious out of the way: The five most-anticipated dancers were saved, SURPRISE, for the second-half of the evening. These included the aforementioned Bristol, Jennifer Grey, Michael Bolton, MIke "The Situation" Sorrentino and David Hasselhoff. And to no one's surprise they provided some of the biggest laughs and emotional highlights of the night.
Bolton, who found it necessary to remind us that he's a singer, was stiff and disengaged as he flat-footed his way around the ballroom। Partner Chelsie Hightower did as much as she could with his robotic progressions. Call it one big yawner. Their score: 16.

Palin, who started out her routine in a conservative suit a la mommy dearest, quickly shed the suit and a little bit of her inhibitions as she criss-crossed the ballroom to "Mama Told Me Not to Come." No sizzling footwork, though she showed genuine spunk throughout partner Mark Ballas' choreography. She also proved she has no problem navigating the world of spray tans. Score: 18.
The Situation (what a ridiculous moniker, honestly!) was equally ridiculous on the dance floor. Yes, he only had 5 days to rehearse, but for someone who spends such a great deal of his life inside dance clubs up and down the entire east coast, one would think he'd have at least a sense of rhythm. Oh ya, I forgot, he doesn't go to clubs to dance. His partner Karina Smirnoff was obviously dressed in homage to Edyta Sliwinska. Their dismal debut netted a score of 15.

The Video of David Hasselhoff

Jennifer Grey provided the drama tonight, bursting into tears during rehearsals with partner Derek Hough, as she was catapulted back in time to well, you know. We knew it was gbound to happen. But she was genuinely overcome with grief, remembering the late Patrick Swayze. But all was OK when she danced one of the best routines of the night. Her waltz earned her a leaderboard topping 24, and a floodgate of tears from judge Carrie Ann Inaba. And I wondering how many "Dirty Dancing" quips Bruno Tonioli will come up with? Tonight's : "She's back where she belongs."

Ah, and then there was The Hoff. Oh David Hasselhoff. Simon Cowel might have predicted you'd win, but maybe he should have waited until tonight's episode to make that ridiculous proclamation. Judges Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli summed it up quite nicely:
Len: "It's never too early to panic."
Bruno: "It's a pot pourri of insanity."
Couldn't have described it better myself.
Score a generous 15 for The Hoff.
The evening's biggest surprise perhaps was Kyle Massey, the ABC/Disney former child star who set the ballroom on fire with partner Lacey Schwimmer (newly blond and slimmed way down). With a score of 23, he might be the season's trump card.

Audrina Patrdige started things off with a thud (apologies to partner Tony Dovolani). Her routine was boring and her rhythm/movements disengaged from the music and her partner. Score for the former "The Hills" star: a generous 19.

And last but not least, the evening's most bizarre performance, comedienne Margaret Cho. What she and partner Louis Van Amstel delivered was a combination of slapstick gone wrong and wild animals on the prowl. Chalk another one up for Bruno who quipped: "I thought you were going to eat someone." Not sure what her costume was supposed to be about, but it sure looked good on camera. Score: 15.

Kelly McGillis and her girlfriend join in civil union

Actress Kelly McGillis and sales executive Melanie Leis, who have known each other since 2000, were joined in a civil union this week, The New York Times reports.
Judge Robert T. Zane III, municipal presiding judge for New Jersey's Camden County officiated at the Collingswood Municipal Court on Wednesday, says the paper.
The couple met when Leis tended bar in the Key West, Florida, restaurant McGillis owned with her second husband, Fred Tillman, with whom she has two daughters: Kelsey Laure, 20, and Sonora Ashley, 17.
As a then-single McGillis, now 53, told PEOPLE in May 2009, a reporter had asked if she were looking for a man or a woman. "It was like a moment of truth," she said. "I thought, Hmm, do I say the truth, or do I just say, It's none of your business, which is my standard answer? I said you know, I'm just going to say the truth. Definitely a woman."
Among McGillis's best-known film roles were opposite Harrison Ford in 1985's "Witness," opposite Tom Cruise in 1986's "Top Gun" and opposite Jodie Foster in 1988's "The Accused." Leis, 42, reports The Times, works in Philadelphia for Independence Communications, which supplies Muzak to businesses.
McGillis, 53, starred in the movies "Witness," "Top Gun" and "The Accused" in the 1980s.
Her civil union partner is an executive with Independence Communications, a company that provides Muzak to businesses. The New York Times first reported their civil union.

McGillis, who lives in Collingswood, came out as a lesbian last year in an interview with SheWired.com. She has been married and divorced twice before and has two daughters.
Her latest film, "Stake Land," had its debut last week at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Top Gun' actress Kelly McGillis and her longtime partner, Melanie Leis, were joined in a civil union on Wednesday in New Jersey, The New York Times reports. Leis, 42, is a regional sales executive in Philadelphia with Independence Communications and is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music.
The pair met in Key West, Florida, in 2010 when Leis was bartending at a restaurant the actress owned with her second husband, Fred Tillman.
McGillis has two daughters with Tillman, Kelsey Laure, 20, and Sonora Ashley, 17.
Last year, McGillis announced she was a lesbian in an interview with SheWired.com. Her decision to come out was due to the fact that her daughters were grown and no longer needed to be shielded from the media.
"That was one of those moments when somebody asked me a question, my kids had gone from home, so I really didn't have to protect anyone by skirting the question, and I just decided to be absolutely honest," McGillis said this week.

Carmelo Anthony Is The Hero 2011: The Summer

Happy Friday Rubeus Hagrids! It's the end of the working week and full weekend of large men in tight pants hitting each other senseless is upon us. Now before you get too excited with that arousing image lodged in your brain, let's talk a little Philadelphia 76ers. Join me as I feed you some links that will go down just as smoothly as a fresh mug of Butterbeer.
Today's links have to do with the recent speculation that a deal may be in the works involving Carmelo Anthony taking his talents to our fair city (the links suggest otherwise my friends), a change in how Andre Iguodala goes about his business, previewing the 2010-2011 squad, Art Vandelay, and maybe some other surprises .
The recent stalemate between Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets has gotten various blogs and Internet sites predicting where Anthony, arguably the best scorer in the NBA today, will land
In a rare television appearance on TBS's Lopez Tonight, Anthony, when asked by the host, George Lopez, where he plans on playing next season, Anthony clearly stated he is a Denver Nugget and plans to be one next season.

"I'm a Nugget. I'm a Nugget, man," Anthony answered.
Anthony was also very critical of the rumors swirling about where he will land in the near future. "There are a lot of rumors. It's crazy how somebody else will predict where they want you to go at, what team they want you on... It's overwhelming sometimes to read the blogs and see the Internet and see what people are saying. Everybody wants to see me go here, everybody wants to see me go there. And I'm not even a free agent yet. That's the tough part."

Anthony has been rumored to be headed to several destinations: the New Jersey Nets, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, and most recently, the Philadelphia 76ers.
As Anthony said, he isn't a Free Agent yet, and until he becomes one, he doesn't have as much leverage as his team does.
Nevertheless, there's a good chance the Nuggets could deal the star if the team struggles next season and realizes that they're going to be in the same position as the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers, losing a star without getting any thing back.
If Anthony does in fact stay with the Nuggets and become a Free Agent, the Knicks, who have been rumored to be the favorites, could make some sense for Anthony.
Amar'e Stoudemire, who signed a $99.7 million dollar deal with the Knicks this summer, has bragged about his ability to bringing Anthony and Tony Parker to New York.
"I've talked to Carmelo Anthony that he needs to come out here," Stoudemire said to New York Daily News. "I've talked to Tony Parker. Both guys are ready to join me if I decide to come here. So we will see if we can work it out."
A pairing of Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire, and Tony Parker would set up a big three in the Queen Cities that could potentially contend with the Miami Thrice of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.
However, there are plenty of other situations that would make sense for the three-time NBA All-Star.
The summer of 2010 was dominated by the big three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. However, with not much star power in the summer of 2011, the summer will belong to one of the best scorers in the NBA, Carmelo Anthony.

Ben Affleck and Rebecca Hall on the Town, and a nice Interview of Rebecca Hall

Academy Award winner Ben Affleck directed, co-wrote and stars in "The Town" -- a dramatic thriller about cops and robbers, friendship and betrayal, love and hope, and escaping a past that has no future. The film also stars Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall, Blake Lively and Jon Hamm. It will be in your town September 17.

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As the daughter of Peter Hall, the legendary British stage director and founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and Maria Ewing, a world renowned opera singer, it was pretty clear that Rebecca Hall was not going to end up working as an assistant bank manager. However, she plays one very nicely in Ben Affleck's terrific new film "The Town." Along with her performance in Nicole Holofcener's film "Please Give," that makes two great roles in topnotch films for her this year.
I got a chance to speak to her last weekend at the Toronto International Film Festival and found her funny, candid, and tall.
Question: You've been very fortunate to make movies really top-notch directors. I guess you're doing one with Richard Linklater?
RH: No, that fell through completely. I wish. I'd love to work with him. I still do want to work with him, but probably not on that project.
Question:: He's a great director.
RH: Yeah, he is.
Question:: The first director you worked with is your father. Are you kind of picky now because you've already worked with the best, with Shakespeare and stuff like that. Does it make you a little fussy about what you want to do for a movie?
RH: I think it's important not to be snooty about it. I think it's very easy for people to think that the people that do Shakespeare are sort of very snobby and think that nothing much is up. I think it's important not to be reverent about Shakespeare. I don't compare writers and think, well that's not Shakespeare, ultimately what I want to be doing is Shakespeare all the time. That's not true. I like breadth and diversity. I will say that being born to a director and understanding how directors work and seeing the good ones and the bad ones. I am actually aware of a standard of quality and projects that are more interesting than others. I'll gravitate towards those that are above and beyond any sort of decisions that are grounded in "Should I do this for my career," or "Will this make me more famous" or God knows what. I'm not fazed by the more complicated...the smoke and mirrors of it all is what I'm talking about and I don't get fazed by that stuff. And that's because of my family. I've got a laser eye for what do I want to do and what do I not want to do kind of thing.


Question: Do you have any ambivalence about success because it usually entails celebrity which can be...
RH: I've got piles of it. I've got garrets and cellars and very big amounts. Tons and tons of ambivalence about it. I don't want it. I'd like to stay exactly where I am and carry on being anonymous and unplaceable and play characters that are very different to one another and not be stereotyped. That gets harder and harder the more famous you get. So I don't know. Fingers crossed. Some people are able to tread the line and do both. Meryl Streep does both. I'm not comparing myself to her AT ALL, but she manages it. They're all models.



Question: Do you sing yourself?

RH: I do, yeah.

Question: You haven't really used that.

RH: Nobody's asked me.

Question:: Well, would you like to sing now?

RH: No, not a chance. I'm far too shy.

Question:: That Meryl Streep, by the way, who did "Mama Mia," for better or worse, she's got a great voice। I'm sure you do too। Reading over some other interviews, one thing stuck out in my mind. One of your vivid memories of growing up was watching your mother onstage clutching the severed head of John the Baptist.
RH: Yep.
Question: Did you look at that and say, "That's what I want to do for a living?"
RH: No, no I didn't. I did say "I don't see why she can't go off with the head and live happily every after." Which is a little bit dark.
Question:: How old were you then?
RH: About 7.
Question:: Makes sense even now, actually. Won't talk back. None of his nasty preaching.
RH: Exactly! They're happy together. He doesn't know any better. It was a bit warped but quite sweet and innocent child perspective, I guess.
Question: So it wasn't traumatic or anything like that.
RH: It was a combination. I was aware that it was performance. But my mom was singing Salome from when I was 5 to 14. She was singing the same production all over the world. With big gaps and she'd revisit it. So I spent a lot of my childhood watching that performance and it was formidable. I mean, really really it was extraordinary. She was an extraordinary singer, my mother and she was an extraordinary actress. That performance looms large in my mind and my memory. It was a big one. She was incredible.
Question:: No pun intended, but what exactly is the head girl? It says you were one at.. some posh school??
RH: I went to a posh school.
Question:: How do you pronounce it, Boden?
RH: Roedean. Boden is a clothes catalogue, I think. And maybe a school you went to.
Question:: What was that all about, being head girl?
RH: It's like a prefect. Same kind of deal. Position of responsibility.
Question:: Did you get to send people to jail?
RH: No, I was a terrible, terrible, terrible head girl. I shouldn't have been allowed. I was going through sort of a vaguely politically conscious human rights sort of moment in my reading and my history lessons and so I said, I'll only do it if I can represent the students and not the teachers. It was really important that the students have a representative and I'm not going to do anything that a teacher tells me to do. And I was very gutsy and ballsy and royally messed it up. I'm not very good at organizing people. I wasn't a natural diplomat. And I'm DEFINITELY not a natural politician.
Question:: So that was your only brush with politics.
RH: Yeah.
Question:: Makes you appreciate Obama all the more. He makes it look so easy. Well, it looks like you're going to be celebrating your father's 80th birthday by performing in "Twelfth Night." That old tradition.
RH: I wouldn't say it's to celebrate my Dad's 80th birthday.
Question:: That's what the press kit said.
RH: It's linked in. He's turning 80 this year and he hasn't been back to the National to do Shakespeare since he was running the building. And they wanted to tribute him and celebrate his contribution to the theater. It's also coming up to some big anniversary. They said to him. In order to celebrate you, please choose whatever theater. And he said I'd like to do "Twelfth Night" in the Cottesloe and I'd like my daughter to be in it. So in a sense it's celebrating his birthday.
Question: It's in the winter?
RH: Yeah.
Question:: You're pretty busy up until then. I was looking at the IMDB, which can be unreliable. But "Bag Full of Hammers?"
RH: "A Bag of Hammers." It's for a very good friend of mine; it's his first feature and it's a tiny, tiny independent. He got funding in May in a short amount of time and I play a small role in it. I went and shot it for five days in the middle of shooting this, actually. He hasn't gotten distribution yet.
Question: What sort of accent do you do in that?
RH: Californian actually.
Question: Why is it that Americans don't really do British accents in movies, but British people...
RH: That's not true, Americans play Brits all the time.
Question: I don't know about that.
RH: What are you talking about? Gwnyeth Paltrow, Scarlett Johannsen, Natalie Portman, they've all done it.
Question: So it would seem. I'll have to talk to the intern who did the research on thatThat looks like a change of pace for you.
RH: I finished it two weeks ago. We wrapped. It's very much a change of pace. As in it's much more high octane than anything else I've ever done in my life.
Question:: It's kind of a genre movie. But I guess "The Town" is too.
RH: It's about as much of a genre movie as "The Town" is. In the sense that it uses genre as some kind of metaphor to actually create a human drama. Yes, it is a ghost story, but it's very complicated and layered and is probably more of a drama at the end of the day than it is anything else. It was the first film I've done where I'm in every scene from start to finish so I was on every day. I've never done that before. "Vicki Christina" was close but it didn't feel like the whole thing was on me. So it was exhausting and challenging and really, really rewarding.
Question: You've got another movie here [at the Toronto Film Festival] right? The one with Will Ferrell?
RH: "Everything Must Go." Based on a Raymond Carver story. As you can imagine, the story is three pages long, but the film is definitely an hour and a half.
Question: You can use some of the stuff you cut from "The Town."
RH: Yeah, just mix and match it.
Question: What other future projects can we look forward to?
RH: That's it, you named them all.

'Avatar 2' to be Filmed Underwater by James Cameron

James Cameron is traveling to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean for Avatar 2. Mark Millar's new superhero movie is X-Men meets Trainspotting. Plus promos and news for Fringe, Chuck, Warehouse 13, Stargate Universe, and more! Spoilers to the end!

Filmmaker James Cameron seems to have two passions in his life -- making films and exploring the depths of the ocean. He merged those two loves back in 2005, when he directed a documentary entitled 'Aliens of the Deep,' but he's set to take things to another level with his plans for 'Avatar 2.'
Cameron has commissioned a team of Australian engineers to design and build a submersible vessel capable of taking him to the floor of the Challenger Deep -- the deepest location on Earth. To put that in perspective, the location Cameron wants to get to -- and film in 3D at -- is almost 36,000 feet deep. That's nearly a mile deeper than Mount Everest is tall ...

Plot details about the sequel to the mega-blockbuster aren't being revealed, but we do know that Cameron intends to spend time exploring Pandora's vast oceans in the follow-up. If all goes well, he may incorporate the Challenger Deep footage into 'Avatar 2.'
There are many challenges to pulling this off, however. Pressure at that depth is more than eight tonnes per square inch -- and as an article at the UK's 'Mail Online' points out, even the best Russian Military subs can only withstand a paltry 1,600 lbs per square inch. To get to the deepest point on the planet, Cameron will utilize a state of the art personal submarine far different than the Trieste -- the first manned vehicle to explore the same area of the ocean floor.. The modern sub will look like something straight out of a science-fiction film -- complete with a huge resin bubble for viewing the outside world and motors that will power it along in the stillness of the deep. Avatar Sequel: Cameron to Film 7 Miles Below Ocean's Surface
Only two people have ever visited the deepest point in the ocean. If James Cameron has his way, that list is about to get a lot longer.
Latest Video of 'Avatar 2


Cameron has reportedly commissioned a special submarine that can go down seven miles below the ocean's surface as part of his plans for a sequel to Avatar. The movie will be set in the oceans of the film's fictional alien planet of Pandora.
Honestly, this sounds more like a parody of James Cameron's grandiose filmmaking style than a serious report, but rumor has it he aims to film parts of the Avatar sequel in the Marianas Trench. That trench, located in the Pacific Ocean, is seven miles below the ocean surface, making it the deepest point on Earth. Cameron has reportedly commissioned a company to make the specially reinforced submarine he will need to head down there, and the report indicates this is all part of the sequel's greater focus on Pandora's ocean life. That does at least fit with James Cameron's previous statements that he will be exploring the oceans in the sequel.