Visionary Art Collection

************************************************** Visionary art is art that purports to transcend the physical world and portray a wider vision of awareness including spiritual or mystical themes, or is based in such experiences. The American Visionary Art Museum defines Visionary art as "....art produced by self-taught individuals, usually without formal training, whose works arise from an innate personal vision that revels foremost in the creative act itself". It goes on to say that visionary art is a product an inner process, and may not even be thought of as art by its creator; it also differentiates Visionary art from Folk art. Both trained and self-taught (or outsider) artists have, and continue to create visionary works. Many visionary artists are actively engaged in spiritual practices, and some have drawn inspiration from hallucinogenic intoxication. Walter Schurian, professor at the University of Münster, is quick to point out the difficulties in describing visionary art as if it were a discrete genre, since "it is difficult to know where to start and where to stop. Recognized trends have all had their fantastic component, so demarcation is apt to be fuzzy". Despite this ambiguity, there does seem to be emerging some definition to what constitutes the contemporary visionary art 'scene' and which artists can be considered especially influential. Contemporary visionary artists count Hieronymous Bosch, William Blake, Morris Graves (of the Pacific Northwest School of Visionary Art), Emil Bisttram, and Gustave Moreau amongst their antecedents. Symbolism, Surrealism and Psychedelic art are also direct precursors to contemporary visionary art. ************************************************** *****JOSEPHINE WALL - Visionary Art [9'06] ************************************************** *****MELANIE GENDROM - Visionary Art [8'51] ************************************************** *****FRANCENE HART, MARK GILLILAND, ZOTEC, MARY-MA McChrist, HANNAH OMER, CARMELA TAL-BARON, CHARLES LABDEL & MARYBETH RAPISARDO - Visionary Art [9'41] ************************************************** *****BILL FOSS, MONIQUE FAY, PHOENIX & ARABETH, LINDA VOGEL, ROWENA PATTEE KRYDER, ANDREW FORREST, ANDREW ANNENBERG, PENNY SLINGER, DAVID TODD & BONNIE BELL - Visionary Art [9'13] ************************************************** *****GEORGE SUMMER, ROBERT PITONZO, MARK HENSON, PAUL NICHOLSON, BOB VENOSA, LAHRINDA, GARRET MOORE, DON DAVIS & RON RUSSELL - Visionary Art [9'46] **************************************************

Megan Fox Takes On The Governator

************************************************** ************************************************** Megan Fox Takes On The Governator Schwarzenegger ************************************************** Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green have lent their famous faces to an unusual cause, starring in a new Funny or Die video that satirizes a round of proposed California education budget cuts. Education may not seem like the most obvious issue for Fox to promote. But her boyfriend, Green, has a son in the California public school system (8-year-old Kassius Lijah with actress Vanessa Marcil). "I've learned you have to be very vocal about the quality of your kid's education", Green said. "And right now, a lot is at stake for California's schools". In "Hot for Teachers", made in conjunction with the Wonderland Avenue Elementary PTA, Fox and Green are packed into an overcrowded classroom alongside 90 fifth-graders. Students sit two to a seat, lie on the floor, and even crouch on top of cabinets. Some of the kids don't speak English, and several are sick. And where's their teacher in all this ? Well, she's been laid off because of the budget cuts. While more kids are dumped in the classroom, Fox dodges autograph requests from star-struck dads. The video is an attack on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who's pushing to drop an additional $2.5 billion from an education budget that was cut by $17 billion over the last two years, Green and Fox say. These new cuts would increase class sizes, eliminate some janitorial and health services, and force another round of teacher layoffs. Satirizing these teacher firings, the video appoints Fox as the new head of the classroom. A "Transformers" star as a teacher ? Wouldn't that be a treat ! District art programs -- including music, dance, and Green and Fox's specialty, drama -- stand to be cut by as much as 50%. The threat to arts education makes Wonderland Avenue's Hollywood Hills location an especially great place to get the message out. Aaron McLear, Gov. Schwarzenegger's press secretary, denied the video's allegations of school budget cuts, citing widespread misinformation. He said that even in the face of a $20 billion deficit, the governor "has pledged to maintain the same level of funding for education as last year". And how will Schwarzenegger and Fox settle the dispute ? Perhaps a "Transformers vs. Terminator" crossover is on the horizon. ************************************************** Megan Fox: 'I Am A Stepmother To The Fullest Extent' ************************************************** LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Megan Fox may be known for her bombshell performances in the Transformers film franchise and as the demonic title character in Jennifer's Body, but the star says there's one role people haven't publicly seen her play yet. ************************************************** ************************************************** "I am a stepmother to the fullest extent", she told the April issue of Harper's 'Bazaar' UK of her relationship with boyfriend Brian Austin Green's 8-year-old son, Kassius. Megan - the latest face of 'Emporio Armani Underwear and Jeans' -- also told the mag that she didn't have the energy to keep up her pin-up image in everyday life. "It would be nice to be like Rihanna and go to Burger King in six-inch heels and a mini-dress", she said. "It's admirable. But I don't have the motivation". And while she's one of Hollywood's sexiest stars, she told the magazine she's not one to sleep around. "I've only been with two men my entire life", she said. "My childhood sweetheart and Brian". And the star said the idea of sex with someone she's not committed to makes her "sick". "I can never have sex with someone I don't love, ever", she said. "The idea makes me sick. I've never even come close to having a one-night stand". ************************************************** Megan Fox Reveals How Many Guys She's Slept With ************************************************** ************************************************** Megan Fox can count the number of guys she's slept with on one hand. "I've only been with two men my entire life", the actress, 23, tells the April issue of Harper's 'Bazaar' (via 'Huffington Post'). "My childhood sweetheart and Brian". Fox has been dating (and engaged to) former 90210 star Brian Austin Green on and off since 2004. She continues, "I can never have sex with someone that I don't love, ever. The idea makes me sick. I've never even come close to having a one-night stand". The 'Armani' underwear spokeswoman has been downplaying her sexuality. In her most recent interviews, she's expressed her desire to have children and lamented that she doesn't look "classy" in lingerie. Months earlier, she bragged about being "pretty sexy" in her horror movie, Jennifer's Body, and admitted she was "more comfortable" making out with women. She explains, "My biggest regret is that I've assisted the media in making me into a cartoon character. I don't regret what has happened to me, but I regret the way I have dealt with it". Fox says she didn't strip down completely while filming a sex scene for the DC comics adaptation of Jonah Hex (out in June). "I had on underwear and silicone covers that you wear over your breasts", she says. "My body parts are all I have left now that are only mine -- the world owns everything else".

MUZICA si ARTA - pentru desfatarea urechilor si ochilor nostri

Taim intr-o lume in care echilibrul sufletesc, linistea noastra interioara ne sunt permanent amenintate ori agresate de produsele civilizatiei contemporane. Kitch-ul, prostul gust, mitocaniile de tot felul sunt, astazi, ofertele ce ni se fac la tot pasul... Iata de ce, am considerat ca fiind necesar si benefic un popas in lumea Artelor, a Muzicii si Artelor plastice, ingemanate, spre dubla desfatare a urechilor si ochilor celor aflati in cautarea linistei lor interioare, a echilibrului sufletesc, atat de necesare noua tuturor pentru a putea merge mai departe... ************************************************** *****Muzica: André Gagnon - Piano Sur La Mer [4'18]; Imagini: Francesco Hayez: pictor reprezentativ pentru curentul Romantic ************************************************** *****Muzica: Mark Salona - Arianna [4'39]; Imagini: Ingeri si Cupidoni realizati de diferiti pictori celebri... ************************************************** *****Muzica: Music: Ludwig van Beethoven - Sonata Clair de Lune [5'59]; Imagini: Dante Gabriel Rossetti (12 May 1828 - 9 April 1882). English painter and poet who helped found the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group of painters treating religious, moral, and medieval subjects in a nonacademic manner. The son of émigré Italian scholar Gabriel Pasquale Giuseppe Rossetti and his wife Frances Polidori, D.G. Rossetti was born in London, England and originally named Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti. He was the brother of poet Christina Rossetti, the critic William Michael Rossetti, and author Maria Francesca Rossetti, and was a founder of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood with John Everett Millais and William Holman Hunt. The 1850s were eventful years for Rossetti. They began with the introduction into the Pre-Raphaelite circle of the beautiful Elizabeth Siddal, who served at first as model for the whole group but was soon attached to Rossetti alone and, in 1860, married him. Many portrait drawings testify to his affection for her. From 1860 onward, trials were part of Rossetti's much-disturbed life. His marriage to Elizabeth Siddal, clouded by her constant ill health, ended tragically in 1862 with her death from an overdose of laudanum. ************************************************** *****Music: ERA - Impera [4'26]; Imagini: Dante Gabriel Rossetti (12 May 1828 - 9 April 1882). English painter and poet who helped found the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group of painters treating religious, moral, and medieval subjects in a nonacademic manner. (See his biographical notes above...) ************************************************** *****Muzica: Rammstein/Laibach - Fire [4'57]; Imagini: Paul Gaugin called Gustave Moreau, the greatest French painter of the 19th Century. ************************************************** *****Muzica: Bela Bartok - Starset [5'05] (David Rose: Violin; Peter Eggers: Piano; from the album "Distance Between Dreams"); Imagini: * Jean Delville: "Orpheus" (1893) * Gustave Moreau: "Orpheus" (1865) * John William Waterhouse: "Nymphs Finding the Head of Orpheus" (1900) * George Frederic Watts: "Hope" (1885) * Fernand Khnopff: "I Lock the Door Upon Myself" (1891) * John William Waterhouse: "The Lady of Shalott" (1888) * John William Waterhouse: "Ulysses and the Sirens" (1891) * John William Waterhouse: "The Siren" (1900) * John Everett Millais: "Ophelia" (1852) * Paul Delaroche: "La Jeune Martyre (The Young Martyr)" (1855) ************************************************** *****Muzica: Richard Savino, Shira Kammen and Antonio Vivaldi [8'20]; Imagini: John William Waterhouse's dramatic painting, The Magic Circle ************************************************** *****Muzica: Don McLean - Starry Night [4'05]; Imagini: Vincent Van Gogh paintings ************************************************** *****Muzica: Johann Sebastian Bach - Sarabande from Suite for Solo Cello No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007 cello, performed by Yo-Yo Ma [2'53]; Imagini: Philip Scott Johnson - 500 Years of Female Portraits in Western Art ************************************************** *****Muzica: Piotr Ilich Tchaikovsky - None but the lonely heart [2'12]; Imagini: Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot (1796-1875) ************************************************** *****Muzica: Joe Satriani - The Extremist [7'26]; Imagini: William-Adolphe Bouguereau (30.10.1825 - 19.08.1905) ************************************************** *****Muzica: Yann Tiersen - Comptine d'un autre été : L'après midi [2'27]; Imagini: W.A. Bougeureau, Perrault, Greuze, Young, Roseland, Perov, Vrubel, Murillo, Pissarro, Sorolla, Benlliure y Gil, Maris, Brown, Jenkins, Burroughs, Harlamoff, P.A. Renoir, Henri, Paul, Hall, Davidi, Leighton, etc... ************************************************** *****Muzica: Albinoni - Adagio from Oboe Concerto in D minor Op.9 No.2 [4'06]; Imagini: 1.Mary Cassatt - little girl in a blue armchair 2.Mary Cassatt - the sisters 3.James Jacques Joseph Tissot - a little nimrod 4.Stephen Gjertson - admiration 5.Thomas Gainsborough - the painter's daughters with a cat 6.Thomas Eakins - baby at play 7.William Michael Harnett - attention company 8.sir Joshua Reynolds - the brown boy 9.sir Thomas Lawrence - the calmady children 10.Mary Cassatt - child in a straw hat 11.Mary Cassatt - children playing on the beach 12.Mary Cassatt - francoise in a square backed chair read (aka young girl reading, young girl in a blue dress) 13.Mary Cassatt - Sarah in a green bonnet 14.sir Thomas Lawrence - children sir john julian 15.sir Joshua Reynolds - collina 16.William-Adolphe Bouguereau - deux soeurs 17.Stephen Gjertson - four o'clock 18.John Singer Sargent - garden study of the vickers children 19.?? 20.James Jacques Joseph Tissot - hide and seek 21.Hans Holbein, the younger - edward vi as a child 22.William-Adolphe Bouguereau - la bourrique 23.Jean-Paul Laurens - la bas empire honorius 24.Gerard Ter Borch - boy ridding his dog of fleas 25.Carlo Dolci - Magdalene 26.Thomas Gainsborough - master John Heathcote 27.sir Thomas Lawrence - miss Murray 28.Anthony van Dyck - Philedelphia and Elizabeth Wharton 29.Camille Pissarro - the shepherdess (young peasant girl with a stick) 30.Camille Pissarro 31.Francisco de Goya - portrait of Maria Teresa de Borbony Vallabriga 32.Francisco de Goya - portrait of child 33.Pierre Auguste Renoir - Romaine Lascaux 34.Pierre Auguste Renoir - girl with a hoop 35.Pierre Auguste Renoir - young girl with sheaf 36.Pierre Auguste Renoir - ?? 37.Pierre Auguste Renoir - child with a whip 38.Pierre Auguste Renoir - ?? 39.Pierre Auguste Renoir - ?? 40.Stewphen Gjertson - sentinels 41.William-Adolphe Bouguereau - sur la greve 42.William Hogarth - the Graham children 43.Norman Rockwell - the music man 44.Francois Alfred Delobbe - the young musician 45.William Dyce - Titian's first painting 46.William-Adolphe Bouguereau - two little italian girls by a village 47.Emile Friant - la lutte 48.Eduard Manet - the fifer (aka the young piper) 49.sir Joshua Reynolds - the young fortune teller Note:(I know there are some names missing, but I'm trying to find them. If anyone knows those names, I'd be glad to learn them). ************************************************** *****Muzica: String Theory - Breath of Light [2'24]; Imagini: morphed selection of Rembrandt's self-portraits ************************************************** *****Muzica: music is from the soundrtack of the movie Queen Margot [2'19]; Imagini: PORTRAITS OF WOMEN PAINTED BY THE GREAT ITALIAN PAINTER AMEDEO MODIGLIANI ************************************************** *****Muzica: Barry Mitchell - from the Album Labyrinth [2'29]; Imagini: Details of paintings of women by Leonardo da Vinci ************************************************** *****Muzica: J.S. Bach - Prelude in D major [3'19]; Imagini: Botticelli, Filippo di Lippi, Dürer, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Rubens, Caravaggio, Vélasquez, Jacques-Louis David, van Gogh, Modigliani, painers of the Renaissance baroque rococo classisism **************************************************

Whitney Houston postpones more European tour dates

************************************************** Whitney Houston postpones more European tour dates ************************************************** NEW YORK – Whitney Houston has again pushed back the European leg of her first tour in years on the advice of doctors who are encouraging her to take time to recover from a respiratory illness, according to a statement issued Wednesday. Houston had already postponed the European kickoff, originally scheduled for Tuesday in Paris, because of illness. A statement from a representative said doctors advised Houston to reschedule concerts Thursday and Friday in Manchester, England, and a Sunday performance in Glasgow, Scotland. All dates are being rescheduled, and the 46-year-old singer's tour is now supposed to start next Tuesday in Birmingham, England. "Doctors visited Whitney late last night in Paris and confirmed that she was suffering from an upper respiratory infection", the statement read. "Upon medical advice Whitney has been advised that she cannot perform to allow her time to recover". The statement noted she delayed the tour with "great disappointment". Houston, one of pop's all-time best-selling artists, had been on a hiatus from music as she battled drug addiction and ended a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown. But with her new CD, "I Look to You", she returned on the top of the charts and declared herself healthy and free from substance abuse. The superstar has been on a world tour to promote the CD, which has sold more than 1 million copies in the United States alone. However, the tour has been troubled; performances in Australia and elsewhere were negatively received by some fans and critics, who complained Houston did not showcase the majestic voice she is known for. Video snippets of her performances showed Houston sweating and struggling to hit notes, leading some to wonder about her health. In February, her representative issued a statement denying any troubles, saying, "Whitney is in great health and having a terrific time on her tour and with her fans". ************************************************** *****Whitney Houston - One Moment In Time(Grammy Awards 2007 Live) [5'56] ************************************************** *****Whitney Houston - All At Once (1987)[5'28] ************************************************** *****Whitney Houston - How Will I Know MTV Awards 1986 [4'42] ************************************************** *****Whitney Houston singin Tell me no at The Lincoln Center. December 2002 'Good monring Amrica' TV presentation. [4'37] ************************************************** *****Whitney Houston performances in 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 & 1994 [9'45] ************************************************** *****Whitney Houston and his ex-husband Bobby Brown singing together in 2003 [5'40] ************************************************** *****Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown in the happiest moments of their marriage [5'17] ************************************************** *****When You Believe [4'54], A great song of Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston, one of the Soundtrack songs of "The Prince of Egypt" movie. **************************************************

Albert Williams - Floral painting Collection

************************************************** Albert Williams was born in Sussex on 20th March 1922. Both his father and grandfather were artists and, having studied painting with them, Albert Williams attended art schools in London and Paris. He studied figure and portrait painting under the late Louis Ginnett as well as landscape and water-colour painting under the late Charles Knight. Albert Williams has had his works exhibited at the Royal Academy, the Royal Society of Oil Painters, the Royal Water-colour Society, the Royal Society of British Artists, the Paris Salon, the Edinburgh Festival and at numerous other prestigious galleries in London and around the country. He has specialised in floral painting for many years, mostly working in oil. At all times he takes his compositions directly from nature, each flower being a portrait of an individual bloom that is incorporated into the final composition. Influenced in the early years by the Dutch 17th century school of flower painting and by the botanical draughtsmanship of Gerard Van Spændonck, Albert Williams soon discarded the tight classical style which he found restrictive. He began to paint modern flowers with a more natural and personal style. At present he is working away from his previous botanical style of painting to create a freer, easier mood in his work. He paints every day, particularly during the season which extends from Spring to late Autumn. Should a picture not be completed during the season of its subject, it will be put aside until the flowers are available next year. He has keen interests outside his painting, including a fascination with art of all cultures and periods, particularly the Russian 19th century and the Soviet 20th century. He enjoys the music of the 19th and 20th centuries, and particularly German Romanticism, Wagner and Strauss. A regular visitor to the theatre, ballet and opera, Albert Williams is actively involved with the world peace movement and various ecological and environmental organisations. Here bellow we are some of his most representative works... ************************************************** ***Nature's Glory I ************************************************** ***Nature's Glory II ************************************************** ***Nature's Glory III ************************************************** ***Nature's Glory IV ************************************************** ***Roses Of Yesteryear ************************************************** ***Vases Of Peonies And Canterbury Bells ************************************************** ***The Triumph Of Beauty ************************************************** ***Bouquet Of Roses ************************************************** ***Summer Flowers in a Glass Vase ************************************************** ***Old World Roses in a Basket ************************************************** ***Roses in a Blue Vase ************************************************** ***Still Life with Hollyhocks ************************************************** ***A Summer Arrangement ************************************************** ***Pink and White Peonies ************************************************** ***Florals II ************************************************** For more Albert Williams Floral Art Collection check-up: http://www.globalgallery.com/search.php?af=albert+williams

Jolie, Pitt visit Bosnia

************************************************** Jolie, Pitt visit people displaced by Bosnian war ************************************************** SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina – Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt visited Bosnia on Monday, intending to spotlight the plight of 117,000 people who have not able to return to their homes, even though the Bosnia war ended 15 years ago. But they tried to do so while evading the spotlight themselves: There were no reported media sightings of the celebrity couple. The two arrived Sunday evening, said Aida Prljaca, the spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Sarajevo. Jolie, who has been a UNHCR ambassador since 2001, will visit projects meant to help Bosnians who cannot return home, either because their homes have not been rebuilt or the infrastructure in their villages has not been repaired. Some 7,000 people live in dozens of refugee centers throughout the country. The other 110,000 live primarily with relatives or in rented housing. Jolie is currently filming The Tourist with Johnny Depp in Italy.

Demis Roussos (videos)

************************************************** DEMIS ROUSSOS - Danse a la vie [4'22] ************************************************** ************************************************** DEMIS ROUSSOS - The House Of The Rising Sun [7'55] ************************************************** ************************************************** DEMIS ROUSSOS - My Lovely Signorita [4'18] ************************************************** ************************************************** DEMIS ROUSSOS - Le Grec (The Greek) [3'57] ************************************************** ************************************************** DEMIS ROUSSOS - Zorba [7'01] ************************************************** ************************************************** DEMIS ROUSSOS - Una Paloma Blanca [3'09] ************************************************** ************************************************** DEMIS ROUSSOS - Scon Wie Mona Lisa [3'09] ************************************************** ************************************************** DEMIS ROUSSOS - Vagabund der liebe [2'18] ************************************************** ************************************************** DEMIS ROUSSOS - Die Bouzouki [3'49] ************************************************** ************************************************** DEMIS ROUSSOS - Come Waltz with me [3'39] ************************************************** ************************************************** DEMIS ROUSSOS - Sing an ode to love [4'15] **************************************************

Jesse James Heads To Rehab

************************************************** Rep: Jesse James Heads To Rehab To Try & 'Save His Marriage' ************************************************** LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- As alleged mistresses continue to come out of the woodwork and Sandra Bullock remains silent and unseen, Jesse James has checked himself into rehab. A rep for the 'West Coast Choppers' boss released a statement confirming reports that the star had entered a rehab facility to seek help. "Jesse checked himself into a treatment facility to deal with personal issues", his rep said in a statement to 'People' magazine. "He realized that this time was crucial to help himself, help his family and help save his marriage". The type of rehab facility James' is in was not disclosed, however, both 'TMZ' and 'Radar Online' reported it was a facility which deals with sex addiction. A source told 'People' that rehab was "100 percent his own idea". James' rehab stint comes just two weeks after allegations first emerged that the reality star cheated on his Oscar-winning wife with a tattooed woman named Michelle "Bombshell" McGee. Several women have also been linked to James since McGee's claims first surfaced in In Touch magazine. McGee claimed she had an 11-month affair with James, including while Bullock was away filming her role in The Blind Side, the movie Bullock won an Oscar for earlier this month. ************************************************** Jesse James Posed as Adolf Hitler While Dating Sandra Bullock ************************************************** ************************************************** In 2004, a year before wedding Sandra Bullock, Jesse James posed as Adolf Hitler, wearing a German soldier's cap, miming the evil dictator's mustache and giving a "Heil, Hitler" salute. The disturbing photo is featured in the new 'Us Weekly' (on newsstands now). "He did it for shock value", a source tells 'Us Weekly' of the shot, taken in James' home. The photo comes out days after 'TMZ' unearthed a shot of James' alleged mistress, tattoo model Michelle McGee, wearing a swastika armband at a photo shoot. ************************************************** ************************************************** Is James -- who has since checked into rehab -- a neo-Nazi ? Though some have suggested that his 'West Coast Choppers' logo resembles the Third Reich emblem, the biker is "just a history buff", an insider tells 'Us Weekly'. "He had a stepmom whose father lost family in the camps, and they'd talk about it growing up. Jesse's not a white supremacist". Adds another, "Gearheads are fascinated by war machines, including those of the Third Reich. But he's far from a neo-Nazi". ************************************************** Who Is Jesse James' Alleged Mistress ? ************************************************** Michelle McGee -- who has posed for tattoo magazines and adult Web sites -- works at the Pure Platinum Strip Club in San Diego, Calif. Her nickname is "Bombshell". She has said she has a bachelor's degree in biology and completed two years of medical school. "I especially love to have affairs with doctors", her 'SoCalGlamourGirls' page reads. "Their medical talk makes me hot !" "I get really wild in the sack with my men", her 'SoCalGlamourGirls' page reads. Despite once posing in a Nazi photo shoot, her Pure Platinum Strip Club coworker Mary Guzman tells Us McGee "does have a lot of morals". ************************************************** ************************************************** She has a tattoo on her forehead that reads: "Pray for Us Sinners". "She's very comfortable with who she is and what she believes in", her Pure Platinum Strip Club coworker Mary Guzman tells Us. On one of her web pages, she once wrote that she was "looking for the right sugardady [SIC!] to teach me and be my sexy mentor". In court papers filed in San Diego in January, her ex-husband Shane Modica (with whom she has a son, 5) accused McGee of being "into stripping, pills, alcohol" and called her "mentally ill". McGee hasn't commented on his claims. She has said she no longer talks to her "very conservative" parents, but "it's okay – I have good friends". ************************************************** **************************************************

Stars Offer Messages of Support for Sandra Bullock

************************************************** Stars Offer Messages of Support for Sandra Bullock ************************************************** Jesse James might want to avoid showing his face in Tinseltown -- or any town -- for a while. Not only has Sandra Bullock gained the public's sympathies (if your friends are anything like ours, they're firmly on Team Sandy), but celebrities are also coming out to show their support in messages ranging from diplomatic to scathing. In the midst of the second The Blind Side premiere cancellation -- neither Berlin nor London will be receiving their scheduled Sandy face time -- stars have been revealing their feelings about the turmoil surrounding Bullock, whose husband of nearly five years, Jesse James, allegedly cheated on her with a tattoo model while Bullock was filming The Blind Side. When Bullock's Speed co-star Keanu Reeves was asked if he wanted to send her well-wishes, he told a reporter,"Yes, of course, I mean for everyone". Fellow Oscar winner Mo'Nique offered to lend Bullock an ear, saying, "Sandra, if you need me, sugar, call me, baby..." Betty White is reportedly furious at James and can't say his name without cursing. Apparently White, who co-starred with Bullock in The Proposal, "wants to kick James' a--". An angry Patti Stanger of The Millionaire Matchmaker said, "Sandra: don't need to be with a loser like Jesse" while Meghan McCain was perplexed: "what the hell Jesse James ?!?!" Holly Robinson-Peete was sad: "I'm depressed abt Sandra Bullock... Was such a beautiful love story. Channeling strength 2her-" Maria Menounos was equally heartbroken: "Sandra B: my heart bleeds for you. Sending you a huge hug, lots of love and hope-there is a good man for you out there. You deserve better". The messages come in the wake of tabloid reports that Bullock and James are consulting with divorce attorneys. But Bullock's rep says these reports are false. While Bullock is taking a break from the public eye at the moment, James hasn't shirked his job responsibilities. Word has it he went back to work at his motorcycle shop, 'West Coast Choppers', over the weekend. That doesn't necessarily mean it's business as usual for James, though. Reports of his return to the job have described him as "very upset" and "very quiet".

Jesse James Apologizes To Sandra Bullock

************************************************** Jesse James Apologizes To Sandra Bullock Following Infidelity Rumor ************************************************** LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- One day after Jesse James was hit with allegations he cheated on wife Sandra Bullock, the reality star has issued an apology, but stopped short of confirming the rumored infidelity. James called "the vast majority" of claims that have surfaced "untrue and unfounded", in a statement the star issued to 'Access Hollywood' on Thursday. "I will not dignify these private matters with any further public comment", his statement continued. "There is only one person to blame for this whole situation, and that is me". James apologized to Bullock and his three children, children he was photographed taking to school on Thursday, followed by the paparazzi. "It's because of my poor judgment that I deserve everything bad that is coming my way", his said in the statement. "This has caused my wife and kids pain and embarrassment beyond comprehension and I am extremely saddened to have brought this on them. I am truly very sorry for the grief I have caused them. I hope one day they can find it in their hearts to forgive me". On Wednesday, 'In Touch' magazine revealed their newest cover story -- titled "The Ultimate Betrayal", which centered around an interview with a woman named Michelle "Bombshell" McGee, who claimed to the magazine she had an 11-month affair with James, including while Bullock was shooting The Blind Side. "Michelle had several text messages", 'In Touch' West Coast Bureau Chief Ashley Dillahunty told 'Access'. "In the magazine -- we put the text messages in there". According to McGee, James led her to believe that he and Bullock were separated. She also claimed her sexual relations with James took place inside his West Coast Choppers shop. McGee calls herself "Bombshell" on the Web site, 'So-Cal Glamour Girls' and she claims she grew up Amish, but left the church and does not speak to her parents. In a clip from a Player's Network video found on youtube, McGee explained one of her tattoos, located on her forehead. "It says 'Pray for us sinners', because we are all sinners in life", she said in the video. As the cover story allegations were emerging, 'Warner Bros'., the film behind The Blind Side, issued a statement on behalf of the film's star, Bullock, who said she would not be attending the British premiere of the film she won the Best Actress Oscar for. "Due to unforeseen personal reasons a trip abroad to support The Blind Side has been deemed impossible at this time", the studio's statement from Sandra read. "I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and thank you for your continued support of the film". And on Wednesday night, 'People' magazine ran a story claiming a source told the magazine the actress had left the home she shares with James. According to the source, Bullock left their home on Monday. ************************************************** ************************************************** Sandra’s Scandal: What Should Bullock’s Next Move Be ? ************************************************** Did Sandra Bullock put her plans to have her own children on hold for the sake of her marriage ? Plus, tons of people have gotten behind Sandra including “Celebrity Apprentice” boss, Donald Trump. But, what does he have to say to Jesse James ? ************************************************** ************************************************** Report: Sandra Bullock Leaves Home She Shares With Husband ************************************************** LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Jesse James has been hit with allegations that he cheated on his wife of nearly five years, Oscar winner Sandra Bullock. On Wednesday, 'In Touch' magazine revealed their newest cover story — titled “The Ultimate Betrayal”, which centered around an interview with a woman who claimed to the magazine she had an 11-month affair with James, including while Bullock was shooting The Blind Side. As the cover story allegations were emerging, 'Warner Bros'., the film behind The Blind Side, issued a statement on behalf of the film’s star, Bullock, who said she would not be attending the British premiere of the film she won the Best Actress Oscar for. “Due to unforeseen personal reasons a trip abroad to support ‘The Blindside’ has been deemed impossible at this time”, the studio’s statement from Sandra read. “I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and thank you for your continued support of the film”. And on Wednesday night, 'People' ran a story claiming a source told the magazine the actress had left the home she shares with James. According to the source, Bullock left their home on Monday. ************************************************** **************************************************

ABBA-less R&R Hall of Fame Induction: ABBA-solutely Anticlimactic

************************************************** http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--2138600 ************************************************** ABBA - never reunited ************************************************** What do you call a two-person ABBA reunion ? Besides "AB", that is ? How about a big whiff ? The news that only two out of four ABBA members will be attending the group's induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame tonight in New York is gravely disappointing news. "The winner takes it all" but, of course, the winner has no obligation to actually show, much less reunite and make all of our most pop-tastic dreams come true. Adding insult to injury, Peter Gabriel will not be attending to take part in Genesis' induction. Between these two sets of no-shows, it's clear that the Rock Hall is failing in its greatest responsibility... which is to publicly shame geezers who otherwise have no inclination to put aside rancor with their old bandmates into getting it together one last time. ABBA disbanded in 1983,****** though Bjorn and Benny stayed together as a musical-theater songwriting team (preserving the "BB" part of the equation). Cause of death: two divorces and too much dough. In the intervening decades, they have been offered more money than God owns to do a reunion tour or even one-off, but their 401ks have apparently not been as ill-affected as the rest of ours have. Apparently Noah Cross in Chinatown was wrong: You can have enough assets. Still, there was the hope that if they wouldn't do it for money, they would do it for love... or the respect of being in the Rock Hall, at least. But no. Benny Andersson, who will be on hand, has explained that buddy Bjorn Ulvaeus can't make it because of "a big family thing" and Agnetha Faltskog won't be there because she "doesn't like to fly". Anni-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad will be on hand, but probably won't sing. "I don't think she wants to", Andersson, her ex-husband, said. "It's been so long". Does anyone remember that Phil Collins produced Frida's first English-language solo album, Something's Going On, in 1982 ? If Frida won't sing with her former spouse, how about a Frida/Phil reunion, since the Genesis drummer-cum-frontman will also be inducted tonight ? We'll take what we can get. "I may play something on the piano, with someone else singing", Andersson said. That someone could well be country-pop star Faith Hill, who is said to be singing a selection of ABBA hits, so we can hear how "Voulez-Vous" sounds with a Mississippi accent. With few other acts of yore able to resist the cash grab that a reunion represents, there is something to be said for the integrity of these last remaining holdouts. Or is it vanity ? "Let people remember us as an ambitious, energetic young group", Ulvaeus said in 'USA Today'. "A wonderful memory". Presumably, reenacting the scene in the musical Mamma Mia ! where the four women trot out their old white disco suits for laughs is not the final impression these folks want to leave in anyone's mind. Better to be preserved in the perfection of amber than go out on a knowing guffaw, right ? Still, I couldn't help but hope for the moment when one of the ABBA - sters would grab the mike, and—with a nod to Bono in Rattle and Hum—defiantly proclaim, "Pierce Brosnan stole this song, and we're stealing it back !" I cast a ballot for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame every year, and, while allowing for greatness, I have to admit I sometimes throw my vote toward whomever I most want to see forced onto the stage together. But bands are proving more and more resistant to the lure of putting on a happy face even for one night. When Creedence was inducted, John Fogerty refused to perform with his old bandmates. When Elvis Costello & the Attractions got in, the group that performed was Elvis Costello & the Imposters — which is basically the Attractions minus Bruce Thomas, the one ex-member Costello can't stand. When Van Halen was inducted, we were sure we'd see Diamond Dave and Sammy Hagar both performing with Eddie Van Halen, but got none of the above. Historicity is easily trumped nowadays by rancor... or family commitments or fear of flying. Induction attendees will at least get a Hollies reunion tonight, apparently, and the Stooges have already been doing the reunion circuit for a while. But ABBA and Genesis****** owe us better. And Faith,****** you're a fine girl... but you're no Frida. "I Have a Dream" in which all four members—that would be A, B, B, and A — surprise us and show up after all, even though these kinds of no-shows are beginning to look like the Rock Hall's Waterloo. ************************************************** Sorry but, in my opinion, It would be nice if everyone would just understand that the "stars" are people with lives of their own. It isn't their responsibility to perform, for life, for us fans that loved their work and bought their records. They probably appreciate us but they are not "supposed" to be at our beck and call forever. I really liked the music these artists have made over their careers and wish them the best in all their endeavours and adventures as I'm sure they would wish us. This is silly to dramatize their lives because of mere paparazzi decisions and desire for high ratings. The problem is they forget the personal side of the artist and intrude for the mighty dollar in their greedy pockets. It's a madness and should treated as such. I'm nobody famous, but if I were I think I'd still want the same prvacy I have now. The word lacking in today's journalism is respect. And that's sad

Pink Floyd wins lawsuit with EMI over downloads

************************************************** Pink Floyd wins lawsuit with EMI over downloads ************************************************** Pink Floyd won a legal battle Thursday against 'EMI' that prevents the band's long-time record label from selling individual songs online. Sir Andrew Morritt, chancellor of Britain's High Court, ruled that Pink Floyd's contract forbids 'EMI' from breaking up the band's albums without its permission, according to a spokeswoman for the British judicial system. 'EMI' had argued that the stipulation only applied to physical albums, not online sales. The group's contract reportedly contained a clause to "preserve the artistic integrity" of their albums. The band has traditionally resisted selling individual songs from their "concept albums", which are meant to be listened to from beginning to end. Pink Floyd, best known for the classics The Dark Side of the Moon****** and The Wall,****** has become one of 'EMI''s most lucrative contracts since it was first signed in 1967. "We're huge fans of Pink Floyd whose great catalog we have been representing for more than 40 years and continue to represent exclusively and internationally", 'EMI' said in a statement. According to 'EMI', the case has been going on for "well over a year" and most of the issues have already been resolved. However, the record company added that there are "further arguments to be heard" and it expects the case to go on "for some time". A spokeswoman for the law firm representing Pink Floyd said the band does not have a comment at this time.

Corey Haim prolonged tragic Hollywood tradition

************************************************** Actor Corey Haim dies at 38 ************************************************** LOS ANGELES – Corey Haim's story is sadly familiar in Hollywood: A teen talent who discovered drugs as he tasted his first success and whose personal problems increased as his star-power faded. Haim died Wednesday at 38, another chapter in Hollywood's tragic history of careers ravaged by drugs. Brittany Murphy's career was rebounding when she died at 31 in December from pneumonia and prescription drugs. River Phoenix was 16 when he starred in Stand By Me and 23 when he died of a drug overdose outside a Hollywood nightclub. Haim died at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. His mother called paramedics after he collapsed while getting out of bed at his apartment. Haim started working in TV commercials at 10 and was a big-screen heartthrob at 15. The star of 1987's The Lost Boys****** discovered drugs while making that movie. "I was working on Lost Boys when I smoked my first joint", he told the British tabloid 'The Sun' in 1994. "I did cocaine for about a year and a half, then it led to crack". Haim said he went into rehab and was put on prescription drugs. In 2007, he told 'ABC''s "Nightline" that drugs hurt his career. "I wasn't functional enough to work for anybody, even myself", he said. "I wasn't working". Haim had returned to the spotlight in recent years, appearing in the A&E reality TV show The Two Coreys with The Lost Boys co-star Corey Feldman. The show was canceled in 2008 after two seasons. Feldman later said Haim's drug abuse strained their working and personal relationships. Haim was ill with flulike symptoms before his death, and police said he was taking over-the-counter and prescription medications. An autopsy will determine his cause of death. There was no evidence of foul play. "He could have succumbed to whatever (illness) he had or it could have been drugs", police Sgt. William Mann said. "He has had a drug problem in the past". Feldman said he wept when he learned Haim had died. "This is a tragic loss of a wonderful, beautiful, tormented soul, who will always be my brother, family, and best friend", Feldman said in a statement. Troy Searer, an executive producer of The Two Coreys, said Haim's "heart and his potential were only outmatched by his demons". Dr. Drew Pinsky, an addiction-medicine specialist and star of VH1's drug-treatment reality programs "Celebrity Rehab" and "Sober House", said the lure of Hollywood attracts many potential addicts. "There's a higher incidence of addiction among celebrities", he said. "It's not the Hollywood-ness. It's the fact that addicts show up in Hollywood and addicts are likely to die". Pinsky added: "Young Hollywood only reflects what's going on in the culture at large". Jennifer Gimenez, an actress and recovering drug addict and alcoholic who appears on "Sober House", said Hollywood's ultra-competitive environment can lead some people to seek escape in substances. "I don't feel like Hollywood takes you down", she said. "I just feel like it co-signs it a lot". Gimenez found success at 14 as a model and suddenly had to shoulder adult-sized responsibilities. Add the pressure of working in a competitive industry, and a person predisposed to addiction succumbs, she said. Successful actors are not immune to the dangers of addiction. Heath Ledger was poised for superstardom when he overdosed in 2008 at age 28. He posthumously won the Oscar the following year for his work as the Joker in The Dark Knight.****** Haim's career outlook had been improving in recent months, and his neighbors told reporters the actor was looking healthier and getting stronger. He had a role in the 2009 Jason Statham action flick Crank 2: High Voltage and was making appearances to support his new film American Sunset, billed on his Web site as the first film he had starred in "since he left the business on a sabbatical". Haim's agent Mark Sterling and producers of American Sunset did not immediately respond to calls for comment. Searer said he last spoke to Haim about six months ago, when the actor "seemed incredibly positive". "He had done a few smaller films and things seemed to be on the upswing for him", Searer said. Haim, however, seemed sadly prophetic when he was interviewed by 'CNN''s Larry King in 2007, calling himself "a chronic relapser for the rest of my life". R.I.P. Corey Haim !

Mo'Nique, Waltz win supporting-acting Oscars

************************************************** ************************************************** Mo'Nique and Christoph Waltz win supporting-acting Oscars ************************************************** LOS ANGELES – Villainous roles snatched the supporting-acting prizes Sunday at the Academy Awards: Precious****** co-star Mo'Nique****** as a contemptible mother and Inglourious Basterds****** co-star Christoph Waltz****** as a sociable Nazi fiend. Both performers capped remarkable years, Mo'Nique startling fans with dramatic depths previously unsuspected in the actress known for lowbrow comedy and the Austrian-born Cristoph Waltz leaping to fame with his first big Hollywood role. "I would like to thank the academy for showing that it can be about the performance and not the politics", said Mo'Nique, who plays the heartless, abusive welfare mother of an illiterate teen (Gabourey Sidibe, a best-actress nominee in her screen debut) in the Harlem drama "Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire". Mo'Nique added her gratitude to the first black actress to win an Oscar, Hattie McDaniel, the 1939 supporting-actress winner for Gone With the Wind. "I want to thank Miss Hattie McDaniel for enduring all that she had to so that I would not have to", she said, adding thanks to Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, who signed on as executive producers to spread the word on Precious after it premiered at last year's Sundance Film Festival. Precious also won the adapted-screenplay Oscar for Geoffrey Fletcher. "This is for everybody who works on a dream every day. Precious boys and girls everywhere", Fletcher said. Waltz's award was presented by last season's supporting-actress winner, Penelope Cruz***, who gave Waltz a kiss as he took the stage. "Oscar and Penelope. That's an uber-bingo", Waltz said. Though a veteran stage and TV actor in Europe, Waltz had been a virtual unknown in Hollywood before Quentin Tarantino cast him as the prattling, ruthless Jew-hunter Hans Landa in his World War II saga. "Quentin with his unorthodox methods of navigation, this fearless explorer, took this ship across and brought it in with flying colors, and that's why I'm here", Waltz said. "This is your welcoming embrace, and there's no way I can ever thank you enough". The Iraq War drama The Hurt Locker****** won its first three categories, including original screenplay for Mark Boal, who spun a story about the perils and pressures of a U.S. bomb unit in Iraq. The science-fiction blockbuster Avatar****** won for art direction and cinematography, beating The Hurt Locker for the latter. The Hurt Locker won out over Avatar for sound editing and sound mixing. With nine nominations each, The Hurt Locker and Avatar came in tied for the Oscar lead. The evening's last two categories, best director and best picture, mark the two films' main rivalry, which is spiced up by a personal connection between The Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow****** and Avatar director James Cameron******. They were married from 1989-91. Cameron took the directing prize at the Golden Globes, but Bigelow earned the top honor from the Directors Guild of America, whose recipient almost always wins the same award at the Oscars. If it happens, Bigelow would be the first woman in the 82-year history of the Oscars to win best director. Screenwriter Mark Boal thanked Bigelow, calling her an "extraordinary and visionary filmmaker", and dedicated his Oscar win to the troops still in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with those who did not make it home. Mark Boal also affectionately recalled his father, who died a month ago. Up****** earned the third-straight Oscar award for Disney's 'Pixar' Animation, which now has won five of the nine awards since the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences added a category for animated features. The film features Ed Asner providing the voice of a crabby widower who flies off on a grand adventure by lashing thousands of helium balloons to his house. "Never did I dream that making a flip-book out of my third-grade math book would lead to this", said Up director Pete Docter. 'Pixar' has a likely contender in the wings for next Oscar season with this summer's Toy Story 3, reuniting voice stars Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. The country-music tale Crazy Heart****** won for original song with its theme tune "The Weary Kind". The song category typically comes late in the show, after live performances of the nominees that have been spaced throughout the ceremony. Oscar producers tossed out those live performances this time in favor of montages featuring the songs and footage from the films they accompany. The Hurt Locker and Avatar lead an expanded field of 10 best-picture nominees. Either movie would represent a first at the Oscars. Cameron's Avatar would be the only science-fiction film ever to take home the best-picture prize. While war films have done well at the Oscars, Bigelow's The Hurt Locker would be the first winner centered on the war on terror, a subject that has stirred little interest among movie audiences shell-shocked by news coverage of Iraq and Afghanistan. The other eight films competing for best picture: the football drama The Blind Side******, the sci-fi thriller District 9******, the British teen tale An Education******, the World War II saga Inglourious Basterds******, the Harlem story Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire*** ***, the Jewish domestic chronicle A Serious Man******, the animated adventure Up******, and the recession-era yarn Up in the Air******. Oscar hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin opened the show with playful ribbing of nominees, including Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock, Woody Harrelson, Mo'Nique, James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow. They also made note of Oscar organizers' decision to double the best-picture category from five films to 10. "When that was announced, all of us in Hollywood thought the same thing. What's five times two ?" Steve Martin said. Leaders of the Academy widened the best-picture category from the usual five films to expand the range of contenders for a ceremony whose predictability had turned it into a humdrum affair for TV audiences. Oscar ratings fell to an all-time low two years ago and rebounded just a bit last year, when the show's overseers freshened things up with lively production numbers and new ways of presenting some awards. The overhaul continued this season with a show that farmed out time-consuming lifetime-achievement honors to a separate event last fall and hired Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin as the first dual Oscar hosts in 23 years. Audience darling Sandra Bullock****** is the best-actress favorite for The Blind Side******, which brought her the first Oscar nomination of her career. Jeff Bridges******, nominated four times previously without a win, looks like a lock for best actor for the country-music tale Crazy Heart******. Both Bullock and Bridges already had won other awards this weekend. At Friday's Spirit Awards honoring independent film, Bridges earned the best-actor prize for Crazy Heart. On Oscar eve Saturday night, Bullock won the worst-actress prize at the Razzies for her romantic comedy flop All About Steve******. A good sport about her worst-actress nomination throughout awards season, Bullock was a rare winner who showed up to accept her Razzie, tugging a little red wagon full of DVDs of All About Steve for the Razzies audience. **************************************************