Monday, February 1, 2010

“Risky return: Mel Gibson comes back to screen after more than seven ... - Carroll County Online” plus 3 more

“Risky return: Mel Gibson comes back to screen after more than seven ... - Carroll County Online” plus 3 more

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Risky return: Mel Gibson comes back to screen after more than seven ... - Carroll County Online

Posted: 01 Feb 2010 07:30 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 seven and a half years ago. In the intervening time, Gibson became 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 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."

UNESCO's Bokova Calls for Ban on Pillage of Haiti Cultural Treasure - Sofia News Agency

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 12:05 AM PST

UNESCO is launching a campaign to protect Haiti's moveable heritage, per the initiative of its Director General, Irina Bokova.

Bokova and the organization insist on a ban of the export and trade of art collections in the country's damaged museums, galleries and churches, and their pillaging.

The Director General has written to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, asking for his support in preventing the dispersion of Haiti's cultural heritage.

"I would be most grateful if you would request Mr John Holmes, your Special Envoy for Haiti and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian affairs, as well as the relevant authorities in charge of the overall coordination of UN humanitarian support in Port-au-Prince – the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and the Department of Peace Keeping Operations (DPKO) – to ensure, as far as possible, the immediate security of the sites containing these artifacts," Bokova writes.

At the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, the UNESCO Director General pointed out that the organization is issuing the appeal in the aftermath of the pillage in Iraq which began after the US military entered the country in 2003.

In an interview for France Press, Bokova announced UNESCO is sending teams of experts to the earthquake ravaged country to assist the local people in preserving their cultural heritage.

UNESCO is further preparing an emergency plan to restore Haiti's education system.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

SEO.com Supports Haiti Relief Effort Through Seth Godin Event - Yahoo Finance

Posted: 01 Feb 2010 08:55 PM PST

SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- SEO.com, a search marketing firm, is sponsoring Startup Princess to bring renowned author, speaker and marketer Seth Godin to a fundraising luncheon Feb. 12 at the Rail Events Center. All proceeds from the event will go to "The Red Cross for Haiti Relief Fund."

"We're honored to help out the Red Cross and the people in Haiti," said Dave Bascom, president of SEO.com. "We're also excited to be part of this event and to help bring a well-respected marketer to the local business community."

The event is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Godin will speak at noon. Tickets are $30 and will include lunch. There will be exhibitor tables and networking opportunities. To purchase tickets, and for more information, go to http://www.startupprincess.com/sethgodin .

Godin's presentation will be surrounding the messages from his new book, "Linchpin: Are You Indispensable." 200 copies of the book will be available to attendees at a reduced price.

"His overall presentation will be about being 'indispensable' and 'mattering,' by making a difference in your work and your life," said Kelly King Anderson of StartupPrincess.com. "The charity event really matches Godin's message. We are really excited that the two have come together."

This is the second time SEO.com has donated money and time to help support the Red Cross. The SEO company has done pro bono work for the Utah Valley chapter of the Red Cross to help improve its search engine rankings. SEO.com also has given back to the community by helping Camp Kostopulous Dream Foundation, Grassroots.org and The Green Building Center with various search marketing services.

"Charity work is part of our core culture," Bascom said. "As we grow we hope to continue doing good work for the community and for quality organizations."

About Startup Princess

StartupPrincess.com is an international network committed to empowering women entrepreneurs by offering resources for women in business to support, mentor, collaborate, learn from, and inspire one another.

About SEO.com

SEO.com is a search marketing firm that makes its clients money by driving traffic to their websites through aggressive search engine optimization, pay per click management, and social media marketing. SEO.com then turns those visitors into sales through search-optimized Web design and conversion optimization. Clients range from small startups to Fortune 100 companies. For more information, visit www.seo.com


Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

John Mayer weighs in on Tiger’s texts - MSNBC

Posted: 01 Feb 2010 07:15 PM PST

Tiger Woods' troubles had nothing to do with the toppling of his carefully crafted good-guy image — at least, that's what musician-turned-pop-culture-pundit John Mayer believes.

According to Mayer, it's all about the obvious. Woods' sex scandal only became a scandal because he was a married man.

"Tiger Woods' problems come from him being married. The end," the singer-songwriter explained in an interview with The Independent. "It has nothing to do with control. If Tiger Woods was a single guy, what sort of angle would there be to a text message? If Tiger Woods was single, and he texted a girl and said 'I wanna wear your a-- like a hat', why would that ever hit the news?"

Mayer believes his own single status protects him from legions of tabloid-talking women and similar sex scandals no matter how many naughty texts he sends.

"I can text whatever I want to anybody in the world; I'm not married," Mayor told the paper. "I write a lot of dirty text messages to girls, and you've never seen any of them. Why? Because if a girl brought a dirty text message from me to the newspapers, they'd say 'I don't have an angle here. Someone wants to wear your a-- like a hat? Big deal. He's 32 years old. He's a single guy. If John Mayer has a wife and sends dirty texts, then we got a story.' "

Now to sit back and wait for one of those text-wielding women to prove Mayer wrong.

'Lost' stars look back, flash forward
As the final season of "Lost" begins, the stars that made the ABC hit worth watching consider the end.

For some, it's a time to reflect on how the show shaped the direction of their lives. But for others, leaving "Lost" behind means a chance to change directions for the future.

"What can I say? My God, I've had so many life-changing experiences since the show has begun," Josh Holloway, better known as shirtless-Sawyer to fans, told Parade magazine. "I've gotten married. I've got my first home. We have a beautiful baby daughter. I finally feel validated as an actor. It's just been quite a phenomenal journey."

As for Holloway's fellow castaways, they're looking ahead. Matthew Fox, for instance, vows to give up television roles altogether once he finishes his last "Lost" scenes. While Fox hopes to become a film fixture, he promised to change careers before returning to TV.

"I won't be doing any more television," the actor behind Jack Shephard revealed to UsMagazine.com. "I've done two six-year shows, about 300 hours of television. I'm done with that. I'm either going to make movies with filmmakers I want to work with, or I'll be doing something else entirely."

Fox isn't alone in his TV-free ambition. Evangeline Lilly, who plays sometimes-love interest to her aforementioned co-stars, has little interest in the small screen or even the big screen.

"Acting is something I appreciate, and I think it's been an amazing experience," Lilly told E! Online. "But I'm not passionate about acting the way you probably should be to call yourself an actor."

Dish on the fly
The public's reactions to Heidi Montag's new look are nothing compared to how her husband responded after a private unveiling. According to a source who spoke to Life & Style magazine, Montag's post-plastic surgery reveal left Spencer Pratt horrified. "He loved how Heidi looked before this surgery," a friend of "The Hills" villain explained. "Because she's still swollen and the surgery hasn't settled yet, he's a bit shocked." A friend of Montag's added, "It's all a little too much." … After a recent report accused "Jersey Shore's" Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi of snubbing Jerry Springer and referring to her self as "classier" than the legendary tabloid talk show host, Polizzi attempted to set the record straight. "Dear Jerry Springer," she began in a conciliatory tweet. "I never called u trash. I wanted to meet u but wasn't allowed. I kinda think ur awesome." As for who prevented the arguably apt meeting, Snooki didn't elaborate.

Tabloid Tidbits is compiled by Ree Hines.Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/ReeHines


Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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