'Nurse Jackie' coming soon on Showtime

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Nurse Jackie is an upcoming dark comedy series set to premiere on June 8, 2009 on Showtime.

The series stars Emmy and Golden Globe winner Edie Falco (Soprano's fame), as title character Jackie Peyton, a "flawed" emergency room nurse in a New York City hospital.

For Jackie, "Every day is a high wire act of juggling patients, doctors, fellow nurses and her own indiscretions. Showtime says the half-hour series "is at turns wicked, heartbreaking and funny."

Falco's character also has "an occasional weakness for Vicodin and Adderall to get her through the days."
Sounds interesting and so far critics have given Nurse Jackie glowing reviews.

"Up" Soars High at Box Office

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

The animated action comedy "Up" took flight with $68.2 million opening weekend, maintaining a perfect box-office track record for Pixar Animation, whose 10 films all have been critical and commercial hits.

"Up" also earned glowing reviews from critics.

"Up" took over the No. 1 spot from 20th Century Fox's "Night at the Museum," which slipped to second place with $25.5 million.

Saudi prince new owner of super-model's castle

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Italian paper "La Stampa" confirmed Saturday rumours that Saudi prince Alwaleed bin Talal, one of the richest men in the world, was the mystery "Arab Sheik" who purchased Carla Bruni's family castle in February.

Saudi royal businessman Prince Talal, bought the historic castle dating back to 1019 from Carla Bruni, French president's Nicholas Sarkozy's wife, for a whopping $25 million, Arab media reported today.

Last week the prince, who ranks as 22nd richest man in Forbe's list of the World's Billionaires, sealed the deal on the palace, which is located on the outskirts of Turnin in Northern Italy.

China's Sex Park Demolished

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

China's first theme park devoted to sex has been demolished, weeks before it was due to open.

"Love Land" was going to feature giant models of genitals, workshops on sex techniques and educational displays about condom use.

Lu Xiaoqing, the developer of the park, said he got the idea for the venture after visiting a popular sex park in South Korea. But locals began complaining when they saw the naked statues going up and officials ordered the site's demolition.

Sex is still a taboo subject in much of China, where authorities routinely censor sex scenes from foreign films and books.

Friending Spies on Facebook

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

According to The Week, terrorist groups are using Facebook and other social networking sites to recruit Israeli citizens as spies, Israel's domestic security service said this week.

Shin Bet said Arab terrorists have been making contact with Israelis on the sites, sometimes directly offering to pay for information.

"The Shin Bet fears classified information may have been leaked, endangering the lives of Israelis who could be enticed to meet abroad with Internet contacts who have offered them deals," the agency said in a statement. It asked Israelis to remove personal information, including phone numbers and e-mail addresses, from their profiles.

Prince Harry wows New Yorkers

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

On his first official visit to the U.S., Prince Harry made Ground Zero first stop. At the World Trade Center site, he laid a wreath of peonies and roses, both yellow and white with a handwritten note attached. The 24-year-old Prince then bowed his head for several minutes. After paying his respects, he met with the families of four 9/11 victims and toured both the site and the local firehouse.

The charismatic prince then continued on to Hanover Square to plant a magnolia tree in the newly dedicated British Garden.

"I'm very happy to be in this beautiful garden in the heart of N.Y.C." he told the crowd. "My family is so proud to be so closely associated with the garden."

On U.S. soil for the first time since he was a child, Harry is in town to play in a polo tournament.

Woody Allen finds new British star for upcoming film

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

According to Variety, Woody Allen has tapped British actress Lucy Punch to join the cast of his upcoming untitled film. She replaces Nicole Kidman.

Allen does not disclose details on plot, characters or even his titles, but sources said Punch will play a high-priced call girl similar to Ashley Dupre, who was at the center of the scandal that brought down New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer. Kidman bowed out because of a schedule overlap with "The Rabbit Hole."

Landing the role is a coup for Punch, who was a regular a few seasons back on the CBS sitcom "The Class." Her screen credits include "Hot Fuzz" and she just wrapped the upcoming "Young Americans."

Punch joins Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Antonio Banderas, Naomi Watts and Freida Pinto in a film that Allen will shoot in London, with financing from a Spain-based company responsible for "Vicky Christina Barcelona."

Ed Asner Shines in 'Up'

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

"I love carrying the banner for the old folks!" Ed Asner told the Daily News, about his starring role in the new Pixar toon "Up". "Thank God I'm here and I can lift it."

With more than 250 acting entries on the Internet Movie Database, Asner is a hearty example of senior vitality. He has been working steadily both in front of the camera and in the voice recording booth, since his signature series "Lou Grant" ended it's network run in 1982.

He also won two of his drama Emmys for playing the hard-nosed newspaper editor in that show and is the only person also to have won the award for portraying the same character in a comedy on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."

How did Asner get the lead voice in "Up?"

"These two directors Pete Docter and Bob Petersen came over to see this one-man show, a staged reading I was doing in San Francisco," he recalls. "I was this old Holocaust survivor who was having dementia. Evidently, that didn't deter them from wanting me for the role."

Asner found his bimonthly recording sessions over at Pixar's corporate sister Disney's studios as demanding as anything he's ever done.

"They niggled me to death on different readings, but it was a wonderful experiment and I love being tested. And I like to think I measured up to any exactitudes that they tried to get away with."

Asner calls the film "marvelous and majestic."

Al Pacino as Dr. Jack Kevorkian

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

"Al Pacino may have another award-winning role on his hands," said Krystal Clark in Screen Crave. The legendary actor is reportedly in talks to play Dr. Jack Kevorkian--"infamous" for his "uncoventional practices of aiding patients in their suicides"--in a biopic called You Don't Know Jack, which will be directed by Barry Levinson for HBO. I can see "Pacino acting the hell out of this material!"

"Let's just point out the elephant in the room, shall we?" said Elisabeth Rappe in Cinematical. "Al Pacino is one of the all time greats, but his recent work has been anything but." And "the media frenzy and emotional fury" that once surrounded Dr. Kevorkian has long since "dissipated"--this role could be a big mistake.

Let's just hope that Pacino can do a better job than he did in 88 Minutes, said Tim Gomez in Cinemablend, because that movie was terrible. But "HBO movies can be ridiculously good when they want to be," and with both Levinson and Pacino onboard, You Don't Know Jack "could be great."

Box office is looking 'Up'

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

According to Variety, "Up" should live up to its title as the latest in the long line of Disney/Pixar toon successes.

"Up" opens today at 3,766 theaters, following an extensive promo campaign driving home the premise of a crusty old man tying thousands of balloons to his home and sailing off into the sky.

With Ed Asner (Mary Tyler Moore fame), voicing the lead, "Up" is likely to rack up an opening weekend above $60 million--a milestone already surmounted by five of the 10 Pixar entries, including "Wall-E" last June.

"Up" has also recieved stellar reviews from major industry mags.

Israeli dancer uses her hips to make Arab friends

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Never mind peace talks and diplomatic meetings to solve the 60-year-old conflict between Israel and the Arabs, it seems one Israeli woman has managed to make friends with Arabs through the ancient Arabian art form of belly dancing.

For Meital, a 31-year-old belly dancing Israeli, the best way to achieve peace between warring nations is through hip shaking, which she has been practicing for seven years.

Meital learned how to belly dance from an Egyptian teacher in a London dance school and believes that through "cooperation between dancers we can achieve peace," Egypt's al-Masry al-Youm reported Israel's Hebrew paper, Maariv, as saying.

Belly dancing was originally an ancient fertility rite. And while Egyptians like to trace it back to the Pharonic times, the dance actually originated in ancinet Babylon in southern Iraq and was brought over to Egypt by gypsies.

"My life was getting from bad to worse, but suddenly I found a belly dancing school in Jaffa and I bought Egyptian belly dancing tapes of Dina, Fifi Abdu and Mona Saeed," said Meital, who opened her own belly dancing school to teach Israeli girls.

Meital managed to enter Egypt and dance at the country's hot spots including a performance at the foot of the Pyramids and on Nile cruises. Meital says her profession has won her many friends in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey despite the politics between these Arab countries and Israel.

But, despite her success, Meital seems to have ruffled some feathers as orthodox Jews constantly harass her because of a religious ruling forbiding Jewish girls from belly dancing in front of men since Arabic music arouses people.

"Belly dancing is forbidden in Judaism because it is derived from lowly culture and is connected to Arabic music which arouses basic instincts," Rabbi eilyahu has aruged.

But Meital is set on opening her own night club in Tel Aviv.

Obama to visit Saudi Arabia to discuss Mideast peace

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

President Barack Obama will visit Saudi Arabia on June 3 for talks on Iran's nuclear program and Washington's renewed push for a Middle East peace plan, the White House said on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter is a staunch U.S. ally in the region and has been a key player in the drive for a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The visit will come at the start of a trip by Obama that will also take him to Europe and Egypt, where he is scheduled to give a major speech to the Muslim world.

The visit comes at a time when Obama is seeking to build an alliance of Muslim nations to pressure Iran to halt its uranium enrichment program, which Washington fears is a cover to build a nuclear bomb.

Ritchie Working on 'Guys and Dolls'

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Madonna's ex Guy Ritchie is set to branch out from the world of gangster cinema--the filmmaker is reportedly in Hollywood to begin writing a script for a remake of "Guys and Dolls."

The director is said to have roped in Jason Statham to show off his vocal talents in a reworking of the classical musical, which orginally starred Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra.

'Diva' Katherine Heigl Dropped from Film due to High Salry Demands

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Katherine Heigl has hit another stumbling block on her way to movie stardom. Sources say the actress, whose just-concluded season on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" might have been her last, was dropped from a top ensemble cast in the upcoming romantic comedy "Valentine's Day" because she demanded an astronomical salary.

The flick, which is scheduled to be released in Feb 2011, is directed by Gary Marshall and has signed such big names as Julia Roberts, Jennifer Garner, Anne Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher, Shirley MacLaine and Bradley Cooper.

An insider told Page Six, "Producers at New Line originally had Katherine on their casting list. They wanted her for the project, but during the talk she came back demanding $3 million for the role."

The New York Post's source called the number "ridiculous" because the movies has "an ensemble cast where there really is no one lead role. Actors are only filming between three aand 14 days and no other actors asked for nearly that amount."

Sotomayor wanted to be 'Perry Mason'

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Sonia Sotomayor's path to the pinnacle of the legal profession began in the 1960s at a Bronx housing project just a couple blocks from Yankee Stadium, where she and her family dealt with one struggle after another.

She suffered juvenile diabetes that forced her to start insulin injections at age 8. Her father died the next year, leaving her to be raised by her mother--a nurse at a methadone clinic who always kept a pot of rice and beans on the stove. The parents had immigrated from Puerto Rico.

Sotomayor immersed herself in Nancy drew books and spent hours watching Perry Mason on television, and knew she wanted to be a judge by the age of 10 after being inspired by a Perry Mason episode that ended with the camera settling on the robbed sage.

"I realized that the judge was the most important player in that room," she said in a 1998 interview with The Associated Press.

Now Sotomayor is one of the most important players in the nation after being nominated for a Supreme Court seat by President Barack Obama. It is the crowning accomplishment in a career that included a long list of achievements: Yale Law School; a stint as a prosecutor and at a Manhattan law firm, a key ruling in 1995 that brought Major League Baseball back to the nation after a strike, and most recently a job as a federal appeals judge.

She is a food-loving baseball fan as likely to eat a hot dog at a street corner stand as she is to sit down for a lengthy meal at a swanky Manhattan restaurant.

"I don't think anybody looked at me as a woman or as a Hispanic and said, 'We're not going to appoint her because of those characteristics.' Clearly that's not what occured," she recalled in the 1998 interview.

Brooke Shields: I Would've Lost My Virginity Earlier

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Brooke Shields told Health magazine she would have lost her virginity a lot sooner than she did--at age 22--if it weren't for her body issues.

"I had the public and all this pressure and I wish I had just gotten it over with in the beginning when it was sort of OK," Shields said in a question and answer session with the magazine. "I think I would have been much more in touch with myself."

She says her biggest health regret was not learning to love the way she looked earlier.

"I think I wouldn't have had issues with weight--I carried this protective 20 pounds in college," she said. "It was all connected. And to me, that's a health regret."

Mel Gibson Confirms Girlfriend Okasana Grigorieva Is Pregnant

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Just six weeks after Mel Gibson's wife filed for divorce, the actor went on the "Tonight Show" to confirm his new girlfriend is pregnant.

"This is true, we're having a child" Gibson said.

Gibson, 53, already has seven children with wife Robyn Gibson, which means the baby would be the eighth.

"I guess I'm Octomel now," the actor Joked on Monday night's show.

Grigorieva is also the mother of former "James Bond" star Timonthy Dalton's son. She studied piano at the Royal College of Music in London.

Maria Shriver visits Alice Water's edible garden

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Maria Shriver is the Honorary Chair of the California School Garden Network.

"One of the earliest events I did as California's First Lady was to visit Alice Water's Edible School Yard in Berkeley to see first-hand what it was all about.

I remember the cool crisp air, the fresh smells, but more importantly, I remember the look of joy on the face of the children after they had worked hard in their garden. Over the years, I have seen how gardens have positively transformed students, schools and communities.

Gardens are a wonderful resource and I truly believe in the life lessons they teach and the lives they touch--and that every school and community should have one. I am so proud that today in the great state of California, WE Garden in Capitol Park!"

In the early 1970's, Waters introduced the idea of organic produce at her famed Berkley restaurant Chez Panisse. In 1966, Waters created the Chez Panisse Foundation. The Foundation's big project has been the Edible Schoolyard, an acre that Waters and the Martin Luther King Jr. middle school in Berkley have transformed from cracked blacktop to lush garden of learning.

It is a tool for social lessons as well as sustainability demonstration garden for over 3000 students and countless visitors since the garden first sank its roots.

'Night at the Museum' & 'Terminator Salvation' Big Winners Memorial Day Weekend

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Ben Stiller's "Night at the Museum" sequel and Christian Bale's "Terminator Salvation" are combining for a solid Memorial Day weekend at the box office.

According to estimates from 20th Century Fox, "Night at the Museum" took in $53.5 million from Friday to Sunday.

Warner Bros. said "Terminator Salvation" pulled in $43 million over the same period, plus $13.4 million on opening day Thursday. It's total since debuting is $56.4 million.

Austrian film scoops top prize at Cannes

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Austrian filmmaker Michael Hanecke's "The White Ribbon," a chilling study of malice in a German village on the eve of World War I, scooped the Golden Palm prize at the Cannes Film Festival today.

Hanecke beat off strong competition from a score of films by heavyweights such as Quentin Tarantino and Jane Campion to walk away with the award at the end of the world's top cinema showcase.

The White Ribbon, set in a village in northern Germany, follows a series of sinister crimes for which a group of children, cruelly disciplined by their parents, emerge as the prime suspects.

The Austrian's previous films--including "The Piano Teacher," and "Hidden"--probed the sick underbelly of the modern middle classes.

"My wife sometimes asks me a very female question--'Are you happy?" he said. "It's very difficult to reply, I find, because happiness is a rare thing, but now I can say, this is a moment on my life when I am really happy."

David Diaan to appear in "The Stoning Of Soraya M"

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Popular Iranian American actor, writer, producer and comic, David Diaan will be appearing in the upcoming film "The Stoning of Soraya M," which opens in June and debuts at the Los Angeles Film Festival in a few weeks.

I interviewed Diaan at a Middle Eastern themed party in Beverly Hills tonight. He was the top comic and host of the evening.

"I play the role of Mayor Ebrahim in the film. It's quite controversial and was based on a book written by a Persian author."

Diaan says he never received formal training as an actor and that the art just came naturally to him.

"I never went to acting school, but I loved acting and that's what I decided to pursue," he says matter-of-factly.

Diaan was born in Tehran during the glory days prior to the Islamic Revolution. He moved to the U.S. to continue his studies in radio and television at the University of Missouri, but never returned to his homeland due to the changes in the social and political environment.

By 2001, he focused most of his attention on feature films.

His screenplay entitled "The Apology" won first prize in the 2004 Slamdance Screenplay Competition. In 2007, he founded Sublime Entertainment. He is currently working on his one man show "I Vill Survive."

Dubai unveils longest ambulance in the world

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Dubai already has the tallest office building, the tallest residential building and the biggest aquarium in the world and as of this week it can add the longest ambulance to its list of records.

The world's longest ambulance is 59 feet and can hold up to 44 patients at the same time, according to Khalifa bin Darri, head of the Dubai Ambulance Center. (DAC).

The DAC said it intends to contact the Guinness Book of World Records ro register the ambulance as the world's longest. The blue and white stretch-ambulance features a helicopter landing pad on its roof as well as internet and satellite facilities for the doctors. With state-of-the-art operating rooms, an intensive care unit, a radiography room and an integrated pharmacy, the ambulance is more like a mobile hospital.

"The ambulance will be a mobile hospital that immediately goes to the accident scene and rescues a large number of the injured who will get treatment inside till they are transferred to the hospital," said Darri.

The Emirati-designed ambulance is bigger than a bus and is expected to begin operations in three months, he added.

"This is a huge leap in the world of ambulance services. It is not just a traditional ambulance that transfers patients to the hospital, but it offers full medical services at the scene. The patient might not even need to go to the hospital at all," said Darri.

Elizabeth Taylor tweets from her hospital

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

According to the Associated Press, Elizabeth Taylor is in the hospital, but she's well enough to tweet, (communicate on Twitter).

A publicist for the 77-year-old actress says she "entered the hospital for a routine visit and is doing fine."

Spokesman Dick Guttman added that Taylor has "fallen in love" with the popular micro-blogging site and that she is trying to smuggle her new puppy into her hospital room.

She tweeted Friday, asking a friend to get the dog past hospital security.

Guttman said taylor "will be home soon" but he did not specify when whe would be released.

Ex-South Korean President Jumps to his Death

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun has died, a police official said Saturday, presumably after a fall while mountain climbing. A news report said a suicide note was found.

The official at the Ntional Police Agency said, however, that the exact cause of death was pending the result of an autopsy. Police were trying to confirm whether the fall was an accident or if he possibly committed suicide.

The former leader suffered severe head injuries and died after being transported from his hometown of Gimhaei to a hospital in the southern city of Busan, Yonhap news agency reported.

Roh had been under investigation over allegations that he took more than $6 million from a businessman while in office. The bribery scandal involving Roh and his family had tainted his image as a "clean" politician in a country with a long history of corruption. He was questioned by prosecutors in Seoul last month as part of the probe. Roh was also a former human rights lawyer.

William Sanderson stands out in HBO's "True Blood"

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

It requires a performer of tremendous ability to make an indelible impression in a supporting role, but actor William Sanderson has made a career out of creating characters who are seared in the memory.

From the hit sitcoms to the hottest dramas on HBO, his work spans a wide variety of genres and styles in which he renders his often simple-minded, small-town characters with precision.

Currently Sanderson can be seen as Sherriff Bud Dearborne in the award-winning HBO series "True Blood," created by Alan Ball, a part which critics say he performs as a "master of understated comic delivery."

The show's first season was released on DVD this month and the second season begins airing on June 14th.

Sanderson has also appeared in "Gods and Generals" with Robert Duvall, "Lonesome Dove," and Larry the quirky backwoodsman on the long-running sitcom Newhart.

Sean Penn, Robin Wright no longer separating

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Less than a month after Sean Penn filed for legal separation from wife Robin Wright Penn, the papers have been dismissed, Access Hollywood has learned.

A rep for the "Milk" actor said the papers, which Penn filed on April 24 in Marin County, Calif, citing "irreconciliable differences," have been "dismissed and taken out of the system."

Penn was seeking to "terminate the court's jurisdiction to award spousal support" to Wright.

The Oscar winner and Wright tied the knot on April 27, 1996. The couple has two children--daughter Dylan Francis, 18, and son Hopper Jack, 15.

Penn, 47, and Wright, 43, previously filed for separation in December 2007. However, they reconciled in April 2008.

Twitter followers like Socks the Cat

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

According to the Associated Press, he's one of the most popular users on twitter. More than 500,000 follow his growing celebrity, his every adventure and well, his cat naps.

Meet Sockington. Twitter's latest star is a microblogging cat who regales more than half a million with his musings on meal time, personal hygiene and the view from the top of the stairs.

Sockington, or "Socks" for short is the cat of Jason Scott, a 38-year-old computer historian from Waltham, Mass. Since late 2007, Scott has been tweeting from Sockington's perspective--and finding a "Socks Army" of followers.

Dogs and cats in social media isn't anything new. The difference on twitter is that the running thread of Sock's feline commentary takes on the dimension of a comic strip. Scott has created a character with a particular voice by tweeting messages from Sick's point of view like "I must say no comment to the whole dining room incident. No questions please."

"He's kind of fuctioning like a 'Garfield' comic," Scott says. "He's like the 21st-century Garfield."

"I'm happy that at the heart of it all is a funny little cat, and that's why all the attention is happening," Scott says. "There are much worse reasons to get this kind of national attention."

Alec Baldwin angers Phillipinos

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

According to Perez Hilton, on a recent visit to the "Late Show with David Letterman," Alec Baldwin mentioned the urge to have more kids.

The baby moma? The "30 Rock" star joked "about getting a Filipino mail-order bride at this point or a Russian one."

Philipine Senator Ramon Revilla, felt the comment was an insult to the entire country as it has strict laws against mail order brides.

"Let him try to come here in the Phillipines and he'll see mayhem," huffed the peeved senator.

Egyptian mogul gets death for pop star murder

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

A real estate mogul with ties to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's son was sentenced to death for ordering the killing of a Lebanese pop singer who had been his lover.

Hisham Talaat Moustafa, a member of the ruling National Democratic Party, was accused of paying a fomer Egyptian State Security officer $2 million to kill Susanne Tamim in Dubai. The green-eyed beauty who was 30 at the time of her death last July, rose to stardom in the late 1990s drawing huge audiences with her sultry dancing and cascading chestnut hair.

But she hit troubled times, separating from her Lebanese husband-manager who filed a series of lawsuits against her. Moustafa, who is married, and Tamim, were lovers before the relationship soured. The case was a sensational tale of a jilted lover out for revenge after spending millions of dollars on his mistress in the eyes of many Egyptians served as a litmus test for the notion that the country's elite are above the law. It attracted a media frenzy.

Brooke Shields: My Mother Has Dementia

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

A week ago Brooke Shields was forced to go public with what had been a private struggle--her decision to move her mother, who has been diagnosed with dementia, into a nursing home. She released a statement after police told her that a tabloid reporter accompanied by a photographer, had checked her mother Teri out of a New Jersey assisted-living center.

Police found Teri and the reporter in a nearby steak house, but determined there was no "criminal activity," says Capt. Thomas Shine. Moving her mother out of her longtime home in Haworth N.J. was "a very difficult decision," Shields told PEOPLE. "It is one of the most difficult experiences you can go through as a son or daughter."

In recent years Teri began to change. "She'd always be losing her keys, or she would bang on our door saying her phone didn't work when it was just off the hook," says a neighbor. Soon, Shields stepped in. Now says a friend, "she's responsible for everything."

Longtime voice of Mickey Mouse dies

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Wayne Allwine, the actor who voiced Mickey Mouse for more than 30 years, has died.

The Walt Disney Co. says Allwine died Monday of complications from diabetes. He was 62.

His wife of 20 years and the voice of Minnie Mouse, Russi taylor, was by his side. Allwine has voiced Mickey since 1977. He joined the company in 1966 when he took a job in the mail rooms and went on to work in the sound effects department, where he began trying his voiceover talents.

He won an Emmy Award n 1986 for his sound editing on the NBC series "Amazing Stories."

Schwarzenegger Pledges to Balance CA Budget--Somehow

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

According to FOX News, Arnold Schwarzenegger downplayed concerns that a bundle of California budget measures aimed at closing his state's deficit will not be approved by voters today, despite previous warnings that the state will have to make deep cuts if they fail.

"You win or you lose. And I think that we always will know how to move forward and make the adjustment," Gov. Schwarzenegger said in Washington, where he joined President Obama in announcing new auto efficiencey standards. "We always respect the will of the people."

Voters were participating in a special election today to weigh in on six state budget measures, five of which are expected to fail.

The governor told FOX News today that he was not looking for a "bailout" from Capitol Hill, but he acknowledged his state is in a bind and would have to tighten its belt.

"We have a major problem in California. And I think if we work together we can make it through this crisis," he said. "I didn't come for any bailout. We are going to make the necessary cuts. They're going to be fiscally disciplined. But we still need to work together in order to move forward and make everything function well in our state."

Hollywood stars shun pro-Israeli diamond store

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Hollywood stars have called for their pictures to be removed from the website of a diamond company that is associated with settlement expansion in Israel and human rights violations in Africa.

According to Al-Aribiya, the diamond stores owned by billionaire Lev Leviev had to remove pictures of several actresses after they complained of being linked to a company that funds settlements in the Palestinian occupied territories, a statement issued by the pro-Palestinian human rights group Adalah-New York said.

The actresses include Salma Hayek, Sharon Stone, Whitney Houston, Halle Berry, Drew Barrymore, Brooke Shields, Andie Macdowell and Lucy Liu.

The celebs were contacted by the rights group and the NY based "Jews Against the Occupation" and asked them to distance themselves from a corporation that supports the Zionist project.

The organizations sent letters to the actresses and held negotiations with their reps to inform them of the human rights violations Leviev is involved in in Palestine and South Africa. As a result, the actresses demanded that pictures of them wearing his diamonds were removed from the company's website.

German Man Attacks Woman Over High-Priced Asparagus

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Police in Germany are searching for a motorist who attacked a 24-year-old woman because he was outraged over the price of asparagus she was selling.

The female vendor called law enforcement officials after the man screamed at her and hit her in the face, threatening to unleash his dog at her, police said.

"The motorist said her prices were totally over the top," Dietmar Keck, police spokesman told Reuters.

White asparagus prices in Germany fluctuate during the springtime season, peaking at about $13.50 for about 2 pounds of the valuable veggie.

Israel's Arab-Jewish duet flops at Eurovision

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Israel's Jewish-Arab singing duo that caused so much controversy in the wake of Israel's war on Gaza lost this year's Eurovision contest in Moscow late Saturday, finishing a distant 16th in the contest that has become a treasured European tradition.

Achinoam Nini, a Jewish Israeli peace activist and Mira Awad, a Christian Arab actress and singer from Israel, were selected by Israel's national broadcasting authority to represent the Jewish state in saturday's televised contest that draws 100 million TV viewers annually.

They sang 'There Must Be Another Way,' an appeal for peace sung in Arabic, hebrew and English whichh won 53 points from France, Belgium, Estonia and Slovakia.

Eurovision, one of the longest-running TV programs in the world, is a campy and kitschy singing contest between members of the European Broadcasting Union. Israel won the singing competition three times in 1978, 79 and 1998.

The joint artistic venture drew sharp criticism from Arabs and activists who saw the Euro-entry as a thinly disguised attempt to burnish the Jewish state's image as it attacked the Palestinian territory.

Eurovision, known more for it's over-the-top performances than its influence in interntional affairs, was seen as an opportunity for the Jewish state to send a message to Europe, one of its most critical audiences.

As the first Arab selected to represent Israel at Eurovision, Awad came under much criticism for agreeing to represent the Jewish state.

'Farrah's Story' draws nearly 9 million viewers

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

A documentary that shows Farrah Fawcett's battle against cancer in wrenching detail drew an estimated 8.9 million viewers, NBC said.

"Farrah's Story" details the former "Charlie's Angels" star's treatment and hopes for recovery, following her through chemotherapy and other grueling treatment, Fawcett, 62, was diagnosed in 2006 with anal cancer that has spread to her liver.

The film was NBC's most-watched television program in its Friday night slot in more than a year, excluding the Olympics, according to preliminary ratings released Saturday.

Fawcett's video diary was initially intended for private viewing by family and friends, but was shared with a wider audience after the actress realized her story could inspire others, said her close friend Alana Stewart, a producer of the film.

"I do not want to die of this disease. So I say to God, 'It is seriously time for a miracle,'" Fawcett says.

Her longtime companion, actor Ryan O'Neal said in an interview last week that the actress is in a "very rocky place."

Stars Want To Play Frank Sinatra

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Martin Scorsese is facing the challenge of his career casting an actor to play a young Frank Sinatra in his big-budget biopic about the Chairman of the Board.

According to the New York Post his short list for "Sinatra" is sure to include three time Oscar nominee Johnny Depp and newcomer James Franco (Milk), who both have the swagger--and the cheekbones--to pull off a reasonable Ol' Blue Eyes.

Other names we're hearing include Jake Gyllenhaal, Justin Timberlake, Mark Wahlberg and sexy John Hamm of Mad Men.

And while there's been chatter about Leonardo Dicaprio, a source says it's unlikely, simply because Dicaprio lookings nothing like Sinatra.

Brooke Shields: Tabloid Checked My Mother Out of Nursing Home

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Brooke Shield's mother, who suffers from dementia, was checked out of a New Jersey nursing home Thursday by a journalist seeking a "tabloid story" the outraged actress tells PEOPLE magazine.

Terri Shields, 75, was later found unharmed at a restaurant next door to an assisted living center in Old Tappan N.J. talking to a freelance reporter, according to police, who say no arrests have been made but that the case remains under investigation.

"I intend to take every lawful action against all who were involved or who authorized this despicable act," Brooke Shields says in a statement to PEOPLE.

The actress claims her mother was targeted by the National Enquirer.

"My mother Terri Shields has been diagnosed with dementia. For her safety, she has temporarily been in a senior living facility, a very difficult decision for me," she says. "Late Thursday afternoon, I was alerted by the police that my mother had been signed out of the facility by two reporters of the National Enquirer...who falsely claimed they were friends of hers."

She adds: "They then drove my 75-year-old mother around looking for a tabloid story. As anyone nows who has a parent who suffers from dementia or Alzheimer's it is one of the most difficult experiences you can go through as a son or daughter. The idea that the National Enquirer took advantage of her state is reprehensible and disgusting."

"No One Knows About Persian Cats": New Iranian Film

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

A film co-scripted by U.S. Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi premiered at the Cannes Film Festival Thursday and her partner--the film's director, Bahman Ghobadi--flew from Tehran to the French Riveria for the red-carpet premiere.

"No One Knows About Persian Cats" looks at the risk of censorship and prison faced by Iranian musicians--and other artists, as Ghobadi and Saberi know all too well.

The filmmaker said Saberi was saddened not to be in Cannes with him but was worried about her parents, who had traveled to Iran from their home in North Dakota while she was imprisoned. He said the family hoped to fly out of Iran for the U.S.

Ghobadi has also had previous films banned in Iran. The film was shot in just 17 days.

"Finding Oz": Book Review

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

"Finding Oz" tells the remarkable tale behind one of the world's most enduring and best-loved stories. Offering profound new insights into the true origins and meaning of L. Frank Baum's 1900 masterwork, it delves into the personal turmoil and spiritual transformation that fueled Baum's fantastical parable of the American Dream.

Prior to becoming an impresario of children's adventure tales--the J.K. Rowling of his age--Baum failed at a series of careers and nearly lost his soul before setting out on a journey of discovery that would lead to the Land of Oz.

Drawing on original research, Evan Schwartz debunks popular misconceptions and shows how the people, places and events in Baum's life gave birth to his unforgettable images and characters.

The Yellow Brick Road was real, the Emerald City evoked the Chicago World's Fair of 1893, and Baum's feminist mother-in-law, the radical women's rights leader, Matilda Gage, inspired his dual view of witches--as good and wicked.

"I grabbed a piece of paper that was lying there and I began to write. The story really seemed to write itself," Baum said.

Among the first images he jotted down that day was that of a tornado. In Dakota, Frank had been confronted by the power of these terrible storms and he saw how homes and barns could be lifted up and taken away.

A narrative that sweeps across late-19th century America, Finding Oz ultimately reveals how failure and heartbreak can sometimes lead to redemption and bliss and how one person can ignite the imagination of the entire world.

Jerry Lewis to star in 'Max Rose'

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

In his first leading role in more than 25 years, Jerry Lewis will star in the indie drama "Max Rose" for Lightstream Pictures.

According to Variety, "Max Rose" centers on a widower who revisits key moments in his life to unlock the mysteries of his marriage and family.

"We're going to show an old man who is driven by love and optimisim and by his love for his young daughter," Lewis said.

Lewis last starred in Martin Scorsese's 1983 film, "The King of Comedy," and he had supporting roles in "Arizona Dream" and "Funny Bones."

Love Land to Open in China: Leave the Kids at Home!

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

China is building it's first sexually explicit theme park and the giant genitalia sculptures and suggestive exhibits are getting many people hot and bothered in a country where talking about sex is still taboo.

Love Land is set to open in October and will feature exhibitions about sexual history and how to use condoms properly. It will also host sex technique workshops the China Daily newspaper said.

The park's manager said Love Land would help people "enjoy a harmonious sex life."

Sex is not a topic for open discussion in China where government figures show only 7% of women and slightly over 8% of men get immediate medical help for sexual problems.

The newspaper said the park was inspired by a similar attraction on South Korea's Jeju island, also called Loveland.

China's Love Land appears to be helping to get the conversation going on the blogs too.

"Overseas this park would be considered artistic. But in China, it's just vulgar," wrote Big Scandal. Other bloggers supported the idea.

Farrah Fawcett: Confronting death in the media spotlight

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

"In a time when racy photo scandals and reality TV affairs" dominate the news, said Thinkfashion, Farrah Fawcett is reminding the world that celebrities also have the power to "inspire others." On Friday (tonight), a documentary on the iconic 1970's pinup's battle with anal cancer will air on NBC. Now that Fawcett's cancer treatment has ended and she reportedly has just days to live, we'll finally find out who the woman in the red bathing suit really is.

Fawcett's longtime love, actor Ryan O'Neal, says her quality of life is already gone, said People magazine. But the cause hasn't been the disease alone. Paparazzi have dogged her through her illness and a supermarket tabloid has invaded her privacy by paying a hospital worker to help pry into her medical records. Let's hope that for Farrah Fawcett, death provides an opportunity to help others--"especially in the areas of protecting patient confidentiality and promoting alternative treatments for cancer."

"It's a hell of a think when you can't even die in peace," said Leonard Pitts in the Miami Herald. Fawcett has already told us how little she thinks of The National Enquirer and she'll tell us more about herself when the documentary Farrah's Story, airs.

N. Korea: U.S. Reporters Will Stand Trial

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Two U.S. journalists arrested nearly two months ago near North Korea's border with China on accusations of illegal entry and "hostile acts" will be tried by Pyongyang in early June, state media said Thursday.

Laura Ling (sister of Oprah correspondent Lisa Ling) and Enua Lee, reporters for former Vice Prez AL Gore's San Francisco based Current TV media venture, were detained March 17 while reporting on North Korean refugees living across the border in China.

State media previously said they stand accused of illegally entry and unspecified "hostile" acts--charges that could carry up to 10 years in prison. The U.S. does not have diplomatic ties with North Korea and has relied on the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang to negotiate on its behalf.

Heidi Klum & Seal Renew Vows 'Achy Breaky' Style

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Paging Billy Ray Cirus: Seal found your hair from 1992.

According to PEOPLE magazine, it was business in the front and party in the back for Seal as he donned a fake mullet for an unconventional wedding vow renewal ceremony with Heidi Klum on the Malibu shore.

Klum got into the retro spirit by channeling her inner Bo Derek, circa 1979, wrapping her hair in cornrows as the couple and three children were joined by 75 friends Saturday, a day before their wedding anniversary. The event was officiated by an Elvis impersonator.

On a beachfront patio under a pink canopy, Heidi, 35, who is pregnant with their fourth child, wore a white sequined top and glitter-drenched veil. Seal 46, wore a studded jeans jacket. Guests came in jeans shorts, leopard print and leather jackets.

Afterwards, guests cheered and toasted the couple with Mexican beer. Later, guests enjoyed Mexican good while listening to 60's rock music.

Egypt to offer controversial belly dancing degree

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

College isn't what it used to be folks. Women who can shake their hips may soon be able to earn an advanced degree in belly dancing, if Egypt's Ministry of Education proposal to establish an instititution of higher education devoted to the cultural art form is not blocked by lawmakers opposed to the idea.

The new belly dancing institution is to be funded and supervised by the Supreme Council of Universities and open to enrollment by young woman straight out of high school, similar to any other college, according to Al-Aribiya.

But some Islamist have objected to the school's establishment saying it degrades the value and notion of a university degree.

"It is unacceptable that the government would comply with the demands of belly dancers while it overlooks the suffering of the poor who make up 65% of the Egyptian society," said Islamist Faris Ismail in an interview, adding that such a degree would strip the university degree of any respect.

But belly dancers welcome the idea and hailed the acknowledgment a formal degree would bestow on a national art form while also offering greater protection to professional dancers.

"Belly dancing is threatened these days since Russians invaded the Egyptian market," said retired belly dancer FiFi Abdou, adding that there are many belly dancing institutions in the US and Europe

Dina, another Egyptian belly dancer, also welcomed the idea and said she would be ready to teach if she were asked.

Victoria Gotti Losing Her Mansion to Foreclosure

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

They Gotti find a new home!

Victoria Gotti's palatial Long Island estate--which she and her sons once flaunted in the reality show "Growing up Gotti"--is now under foreclosure.

Despite a vast fortune amassed by her late father, Gambino boss Jo "Dapper Don" Gotti, the flashy Mafia princess has skipped two years of loan payments and will lose her home in tony Old Westbury, according to court records.

The 46-year-old former reality TV star owes $650,000 to lender JPMorgan Chase--a debt secured by a mortgage on the nearly $4.2 million mansion that she won in the divorce with ex-husband Carmine Agnello.

"I was awarded full ownership of marital property...and all I inherited was a house with a million dollars' worth of debt," Gotti told The Post yesterday.

"This should finally put to rest all the government lies and rumors that I have $200 million buried in my back yard."

Play him off, Keyboard Cat!

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

According to TIME magazine, the Internet may have officially run out of ideas. These days, people only use the Internet to search for pictures of adorable animals. Unfortunately, most of them are cats.

There's Lolcats, Rolcats, Garfield Minus Garfield and Maru, the cat with a blog. And now, thanks to a clip of a humiliated feline forced to play the piano, there is another one to add to the mix: the website called Play Him Off, Keyboard Cat.

Corey Johnson, a 29-year-old computer programmer, says he and his friends have a knack for picking the next Internet sensation. If they encounter something good on the Internet, they like to "call" whether or not it's going to take off. Then Johnson saw a particularly hilarious clip of someone falling down and then being "played off stage" by a cat with a keyboard. "I said this is going to be big." he says. "My friends were like, 'Nah, it's just a cat.'"

But Johnson knew something his friends didn't: the Internet LOVES cats. Especially cats who are dressed in embarassing outfits and forced to perform human activities (such as eating dinner with a fork). Suddenly, keyboard cat started popping up all over YouTube.

The musical feline had become a star and Johnson decided to aggregate its videos on a blog. Play Him Off, Keyboard Cat is barely a month old but it already has over 30 videos and gets about 20,000 hits a day. Meow! Take that, Morris.

Roxana Saberi released from Iran prison

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

American journalist Roxana Saberi was freed today and reunited with her smiling, tearful parents--a move that clears a major obstacle to President Barack Obama's attempts at dialogue with Iran.

The U.S. had said the charges against Roxana Saberi, a 32-year-old dual Iranian-American citizen, were baseless and repeatedly demanded her release.

Hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinegad could also win some domestic political points a month before he faces a re-election challenge from reformers who seek to ease Iran's bitter rivalry with the United States.

Saberi's Iranian-born father, Reza Saberi, wiped away tears, then flashed a broad smile as he and his wife Akiko, arrived at Tehran's Evin prison--notorious for holding political prisoners--to meet their daughter.

Candidate wants to move Israelis to Hawaii

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Unlike other 12-year-olds, Kouroush Mozouni wants to become the next president of Iran and the youngster has already laid out his political agenda with a proposal to move Israelis to Hawaii and a bid to raise men's wages so that mothers do not have to work.

Mozouni, who is in the running against 170 people--including 11 women, said it elected he would ban computer games and pass a law allowing women to have jobs on the condition that they have children no younger than five.

Mozouni also said he would negotiate with President Barack Obama "to buy Hawaii Islands and move Israelis there so that Palestinians can live peacefully on their lands," offical news agency Press TV quoted him as saying.