Posted: 29 Jan 2010 11:19 AM PST

By ANGELA CHARLTON
Associated Press Writer

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) - The United Nations' culture and education agency called Friday for a ban in the trade of Haitian artifacts to prevent the pillaging of cultural treasures in the aftermath of its devastating earthquake.

The director-general of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, said in an interview with The Associated Press that the agency is launching a campaign to protect art collections in the Caribbean country's damaged museums and historical sites "so that we don't find these objects in Christie's tomorrow."

The U.N. Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization launched the appeal after learning "a lesson from Iraq and Afghanistan," where cultural objects were looted after the U.S.-led invasions.

"This time, we're trying to be involved in the very beginning," Bokova said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, a gathering of international business and political leaders in this Swiss resort.

"We need to address this immediate problem .... otherwise somebody will say tomorrow, 'Where was the U.N. when this happened?'" she said.

Bokova appealed to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for security forces to protect Haitian heritage sites and urged a Security Council resolution temporarily banning trade in Haitian cultural property, to be monitored by Interpol.

She stressed the need to verify the provenance of cultural property, especially items purchased over the Internet.

"This heritage is an invaluable source of identity and pride for the people on the island and will be essential to the success of their national reconstruction," she said in a statement.

Among the landmarks UNESCO wants to protect from looting are the heavily damaged presidential palace and cathedral in Port-au-Prince and buildings in Jacmel, a 17th century French colonial town that Haiti wants put on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

The looting of the Iraqi National Museum in Baghdad after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion was widely condemned as a preventable tragedy. Serious damage was also inflicted on Babylon, as troops drove heavy machinery over sacred paths, bulldozed hilltops and dug trenches through one of the world's greatest archaeological sites.

The National Museum of Afghanistan last year unveiled hundreds of looted artifacts, some dating back as far back as the 11th century, seized from smugglers trying to sell them on Europe's black market. As lawlessness grows in the ancient mountain passes and along Silk Road routes, conservationists say looters are increasingly raiding sites that are unprotected and unnoticed.

In Haiti, Bokova said UNESCO is also working on getting children back into school after the earthquake as soon as possible.

"Education brings a type of normalcy," she said.

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Mel Gibson returns to screen after 7 1/2 years (AP) - YAHOO!

Posted: 28 Jan 2010 06:58 PM PST

LOS ANGELES - The last time Mel Gibson starred in a movie, he was grappling with alien invaders and a misplaced faith in the sci-fi thriller "Signs."

That was 7 1/2 years ago. Since then, Gibson has become a cultural firebrand, directing the controversial 2004 box-office hit "The Passion of the Christ" and the violent 2006 action epic, "Apocalypto."

He also became a cultural pariah in July 2006 when, after being pulled over in Malibu, outside Los Angeles, for speeding and driving under the influence, Gibson made obscene, anti-Semitic remarks to the arresting officer after being handcuffed and put inside a police car.

Gibson largely disappeared after the incident but returns to theaters Friday with a new movie, "Edge of Darkness," a thriller about a Boston police detective seeking revenge for the murder of his 24-year-old daughter. Receiving lukewarm reviews so far, the movie is similar in tone with past blood-drenched Gibson films such as "Ransom" and the "Lethal Weapon" franchise.

"It was time," Gibson, 54, tells The Associated Press. "I felt like getting back in the saddle. I felt like I was getting stale about seven or eight years ago. Stepped back, did some things I wanted to do. Did a few things I didn't want to do. And then time to come back."

"I don't think Mel eases his way back into anything," says "Edge of Darkness" producer Graham King. "Sure, we discussed very early on, `Is this the right role for him to come back in?' I think it is, and hopefully moviegoers will agree."

Will they? Hollywood.com box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian believes Gibson picked the right movie for his comeback.

"In revenge roles, Mel Gibson has few peers," Dergarabedian says. "If you've been away for awhile, it's smart to go back to what people are comfortable seeing you do."

Some, though, question whether Gibson's public standing has not suffered permanent damage.

"I think that drunk-driving tirade confirmed a lot of people's suspicions about the kind of person Mel Gibson is," says Matthew Traub, managing director at Dan Klores Communications.

Traub, who specializes in crisis management public relations, believes people are willing to forgive celebrities for substance abuse or sexual indiscretion but draw the line at bigotry.

Publicist Michael Levine, whose agency has represented Bill Clinton and Michael Jackson among others, agrees.

"I think he's done," Levine says of Gibson's career prospects. "He'll work, he'll exist, but I think he's seared his obit for life."

Gibson defiantly rejects the notion that he's damaged goods.

"It's 30 years ago that I lost my own personal anonymity," Gibson said. "And it's 30 years ago that the public humiliation began. And sometimes it reaches a global level. And what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And I'm telling you right now, I'm one strong motherf----- because I'm right back at you."

Gibson also insisted his past notoriety will not affect his ability to work with Hollywood studios in the future.

"What scandal?" he says. "That's mostly newspaper hype, OK?! I can get in with the studio, work with them, or work independently as I wish. And I'll go on as I always have."

Gibson has been tentatively making the rounds to promote his new movie. He attended the Golden Globes on Jan. 17 and good naturedly played along when host Ricky Gervais brought a pint of beer on stage and jokingly introduced Gibson, saying, "Honestly, I like a drink as much as the next man — unless the next man is Mel Gibson."

He also was seen cheerfully working the phone bank at last week's all-star "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon.

But there have been missteps, too. A brief TV interview with KTLA entertainment reporter Sam Rubin turned tense when Rubin told Gibson: "Some people will welcome you back, some people will say you should never come back."

Gibson, defensive, leaned forward and asked, "Why?" Rubin replied: "Because of what happened before." Gibson: "What happened before?" Rubin: "The remarks that were attributed to you." Gibson: "The remarks that were attributed to me that I didn't necessarily make."

After the interview aired, Rubin questioned whether Gibson was ever truly sorry for the anti-Semitic remarks he made in 2006, particularly when he now contests the comments for which he widely apologized in the aftermath of his arrest.

While some may question Gibson's remorse, there's no doubting that people are still happy to make movies with him. Gibson just completed filming the offbeat comedy, "The Beaver," directed by longtime friend Jodie Foster, who plays Gibson's wife in the movie.

He has written a prison drama, "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" and will star in that movie later this year.

And he plans to direct Leonardo DiCaprio in a Viking epic that will employ Old Norse dialogue, a movie Gibson says will "put the V in Viking."

If that sounds a little out there, that's one reason why many are eager to welcome Gibson back in the fold.

"As a Jew, I have to say Mel Gibson's my favorite anti-Semite," says veteran film reporter Lewis Beale. "He's an incredibly talented guy both behind and in front of the camera."

Adds film historian David Thomson: "Gibson's not a tidy person. There's an authenticity to the unhinged characters he plays that sets him apart. Whether you like him or not, there's a daring there that makes him compelling."

___

AP Television News reporter Ryan Pearson contributed to this report from Los Angeles.

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Hip-hop's Miss Mouth dishes e-newsletter gossip from Tampa - St. Petersburg Times

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 07:55 PM PST

By Dalia Colón, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Sunday, January 31, 2010

Devlyn Garrison's nickname is also her business: Miss Mouth.

Garrison, 30, of Tampa, is the woman behind the Miss Mouth Times, an e-newsletter about the local and national rap scene. As frequently as five days a week, Garrison sends out e-mails containing a mix of news, interviews, commentary, gossip, reality TV recaps and more. Among her most memorable stories were local rapper Plies' alleged relationship with 106 & Park host Rosci, a supposed brawl involving Miami rapper Jacki-O in Ybor City and her revelatory interview with rapper Freekey Zekey of New York.

Garrison works on the newsletter full time, selling advertisements and advertorials — that is, fledgling artists or record companies pay her to write articles about them. In addition, she plans to publish a quarterly print edition of The Miss Mouth Times starting in March.

"It's going to be like the National Inquirer — the first hip-hop tabloid," Garrison said.

Born in Durham, N.C., Garrison attended Tampa's King High School. An aspiring rapper, she moved to New York City around 2003 and began working in the TV and music industries under the moniker "Mouth of the South." But Charlemagne the God, a popular radio DJ, was already known by that nickname, so Garrison became Miss Mouth. She briefly worked as a writer for a record company, but then the label folded.

"So I fell out of love with music, and I just became disgruntled and started talking," Garrison said. In 2008, she returned to Tampa and became a freelance writer for allhiphop.com and vladtv.com. "I won't say they censor me, but I can't just go full throttle. I created that newsletter as a way to do that."

About three months ago, Garrison began sending out the Miss Mouth Times using information she gathers from parties, tipsters and the Internet. She also mines Twitter for the latest rumors, following folks like Charlemagne the God (@cthagod), comedian Lil Duval (@lilduval) and rapper Fabolous (@myfabolouslife).

"Twitter is where you can get all of the drama and gossip," Garrison said. "When I'm sent a rumor or I hear one on the streets, the first thing that I do is check reputable blogs like AllHipHop, NecoleBitchie, TMZ and SOHH." If details of the gossip are sketchy, she'll try to contact a publicist for more information, though she doesn't necessarily wait until something is confirmed to post it.

"As a gossip diva, I believe it is my responsibility to report what folks are talking about," said Garrison, who often sends multiple newsletters a day to confirm or negate rumors from an earlier edition. A few times, she has trash-talked rappers without realizing they get her newsletter.

This year, Garrison is holding a contest to give away $10,000 to help get an aspiring rapper's career off the ground. To compete, rappers pay a $99 entry fee that goes into a prize pool for the winner. Garrison and a panel of record execs will choose a winner based on image, a submitted song and an interview. The contest will run until 100 rappers have entered; as of Sunday, Garrison said there were 65 applicants.

Recently, Garrison teamed up with her older sister Adrienne Nelson to form East Exit Films. They co-wrote and are producing Sunshine, a movie about two high school girls who "let money, drugs and men ruin their friendship and almost end their lives," Garrison said. "It's kind of like Menace II Society, but from a female perspective in Tampa."

So look for Miss Mouth's name on the big screen, online and in print. But don't expect to bump into her in person. "My reporting style is different because when I go in a room, you won't know that I'm there," Garrison said. "That's how I'm able to get gossip. I'm like the fly on the wall."

On the Web

themissmouthtimes.com.

[Last modified: Jan 29, 2010 10:58 PM]

Medina, Hutchison Tag-Team Perry in Debate - NBC Dallas-Fort Worth

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 08:23 PM PST

U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and political activist Debra Medina ganged up on front-running Gov. Rick Perry on Friday in the final televised debate before the March 2 Republican primary.

NBC DFW's Omar Villafranca live-blogged from the debate:

Both women sought to undermine Perry's record on the economy by criticizing his oversight of the Texas Enterprise Fund, used to lure companies to Texas. Hutchison characterized the job creation program, begun at Perry's urging in 2003, as a failure and said it lacked transparency.

Medina leveled an even harsher attack on the fund -- and Perry.

"He takes from us so that he can play with his corporate slush fund and award his friends' businesses," Medina said. "He hasn't understood the proper role of government in Texas."

The attacks came a few days after Perry revealed some enterprise fund contracts had been canceled and others changed to make them more favorable to participating companies. Perry strongly defended the fund, saying the recent changes prove it was working as intended.

"The enterprise fund has clawback provisions that clearly send a message to those individuals -- (if) you don't meet these job growth figures, then you're going to have to pay back money," he said. "I'm really proud of that program."

Perry has repeatedly taken credit for making Texas a bright spot in an otherwise dour U.S. economy. On Friday night he said the budget cuts, curbs on lawsuits and education reforms he has advocated as governor have helped set the stage for the state's relatively strong business climate.

The governor also unleashed a series of attacks on Washington, and Hutchison by extension, saying the federal government had cheated Texas out of transportation funds and failed to adequately secure the southern border.

"The failure of Washington, D.C. to spend the money, to send the troops, to do what is required to defend our borders is absolutely an abomination in my opinion," he said.

Hutchison said Perry wasn't being honest about the state's problems, faulting the governor for the high dropout rate, a failed statewide transportation plan and a culture of "cronyism" in Austin.

"It was because there were lobbyists that were first, not the people of Texas," Hutchison said. "We've got to stop it and it will only be done with a new governor."

As in the last debate, Hutchison found herself on the hot seat on the issue of abortion. She reiterated her support for restrictions on abortions but acknowledged she opposed overturning Roe v. Wade.

Hutchison said she was "very concerned about what would happen" if the landmark Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion was overturned. At the same time, she touted her belief in parental consent for minors seeking abortions and her support for bans on late-term abortions.

The GOP trio appeared at a televised debate earlier this month in Denton. Original plans for Friday's event had excluded Medina, but organizers cited a public opinion poll showing the feisty conservative had enough voter support to meet their criteria for inclusion. The same poll showed Perry leading Hutchison by 10 points.

Medina promotes the view that Texas doesn't have to put up with mandates from Washington and can assert its sovereignty more aggressively through legal "nullification" of federal mandates on environmental protection, health care, guns and other areas.

In previous remarks, Medina didn't rule out the possibility of Texas seceding from the United States and forming an independent nation. But when asked about them during the debate, Medina distanced herself from her earlier remarks on the issue, saying she isn't in favor of secession.

"I've never been a fan of secession," she said. "Those comments were made really to the governor's ill advised comments about secession during the first Tea Party rally."

Though she focused most of her ire at Perry, she went after Hutchison in somewhat dramatic closing remarks, raising the specter of "economic ruin" wrought by the two Republican heavyweights.

"Together they're a team of economic tricksters intent on destroying our freedoms and selling Texas to the highest bidder," Medina said.

Perry and Hutchison declined to take questions from reporters after the debate. Medina criticized her opponents as not wanting "to have a discussion with Texans."

Houston businessman Farouk Shami and former Houston Mayor Bill White are the top candidates vying for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. The Democratic and Republican contenders who emerge from the primaries will face off in November.

Associated Press writer Jeff Carlton and NBCDFW's Omar Villafranca contributed to this report.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC Dallas-Fort Worth

First Published: Jan 29, 2010 9:04 AM CST

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Cultural

Friday, January 29, 2010

“UNESCO calls for ban in trade in Haitian artifacts - KFDA” plus 3 more

“UNESCO calls for ban in trade in Haitian artifacts - KFDA” plus 3 more

Copyright Associated Press / NBC Dallas-Fort Worth

First Published: Jan 29, 2010 9:04 AM CST

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