Roseanne Barr Poses as Adolf Hitler in Shocking Photo Spread!

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Comedian Roseanne Barr has seriously pushed the bar with a new photo spread that depicts her as a domesticated version of Adolf Hitler for Jewish humor magazine Heeb.

At her request, Heeb photographed Barr wearing the infamous Hitler moustache and a swastika, holding and preparing to take a bit of what the article refers to as "burnt Jew cookies."

The shocking photos and interview are the first time the comedian has been seen after a "self-imposed" exile.

The article describes Barr--who is Jewish--as nailing the "Fuehrer's facial expressions with twisted glee."

Later, the 55-year-old actress put the "swastika armband, one of the gingerbread victims and a Polaroid of herself in the costume in a Ziploc bag, making it look like evidence from some bizarre crime scene."

Austrian Ambassador Dr. Christian Prosl Meets President Obama

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

July 20 Austrian Ambassador Dr. Christian Prosl presented the Letter of Credence to President Barack Obama in the White House. A big ceremony was held for several new ambassadors to Washington. Through this formal act, the Ambassador's accreditation as Austrian Ambassador to the United States is officially completed.

'Family Guy': An abortion episode?

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

"Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane loves to push buttons," said Michael O'Connell in Metromix St. Louis, "and when his network doesn't want to push along, he pushes theirs too." While speaking on a panel at Comic-con over the weekend, he told the crowd that FOX let him produce an episode about abortion for the upcoming season "but will probably decline to air it--and MacFarlane isn't particularly happy about it."

Good for FOX, said Jezebel. The abortion episode reportedly centers on Mila Kunis' character, Meg Griffin, who's been raped in prison. What's funny about that? too bad the network didn't take more of a stand in the past with episdoes that featured "shooting prostitutes as a form of 'community service,' or punching them in the face as they cry, 'I don't understand! What did I do wrong?'" Yeah, that was "really hilarious stuff."

Look, said Ken Tucker in Entertainment Weekly, "you can never predict what side of any argument the Emmy-nominated Family Guy will come down on." MacFarlane and his writers "know how to work within network standards," and I "would completely support the show's right to say whatever it wanted." I think we should "all write to FOX and petition them to air this episode."

It doesn't matter either way, said Steven Zeitchik and James Hibbard in The Live Feed. This is "exactly the sort of controversy that's unlikely to wound the hit series," because "even if the program never airs on broadcast television, envelope-pushing content is the show's specalty and outrage could boost DVD sales if/when the episode is released on home video."

Charlize Theron ready for 'Arabia'

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Charlize Theron has acquired screen rights to Chris Buckley's satirical novel "Florence of Arabia. " Theron will produce and develop the film as a star vehicle.

"Florence of Arabia" is about a State Dept. employee (to be played by theron), who after watching her friend marry the prince of a Middle East country and subsequently get executed, fights for equal rights for the women of that country.

The picture will be written by Dean Craig, who is writing "The French Exchange" for Pathe and Forward Films.

Theron is repped by One Talent Management and the William Morris Agency.

What 'meow' really means

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Cats are known to be manipulative, and a new study of their purring confirms just how clever they can be. Karen McComb an animal researcher in the U.K. analyzed the purrs of house cats as tey begged their owners for food. She found that when cats were hungry, they altered their purring so that it was eerily similar to the cry of an infant.

When McComb played back these cat cries to human listeners, people found them almost impossible to ignore. The mixture of frequencies in the sounds "subliminally triggers a sense of urgency," McComb tells AMC news.com She suggests that this human-like vocalization is natural to cats, but that they learn to exaggerate it to get what they want from us.

Terrorists Threaten Sacha Baron Cohen Over 'Bruno' Depiction

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Sacha Baron Cohen has stepped up his security after being threatened by a terrorist organization that is angered at their portrayal in the film "Bruno."

The al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigades, a coalition of Palestinian militias in the West Bank, said it was "very upset" that it was featured in the film starring Cohen's homosexual fashionista alter ego.

Baron Cohen's Austrian character ridicules the terrorist group when he attempts to get himself kidnapped during a meeting with Ayman Ab Aita, the leader of the group.

The London-born actor is reportedly taking the threat seriously and has improved security arragements for himself and his family in preparation for violent reprisals. The Martyr's Brigade has issued a statement to a journalist including a veiled threat against Cohen, 37. "We reserve the right to respond in the way we find suitable against this man," it said. "The movie was part of a conspiracy against the al-Aqsa Brigades."

North Korea Opens First Fast-Food Restaurant

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

You still can't get a hamburger in Pyongyang, but the suspicious similar "minced beef and bread" is for sale at the North Korean capital's first fast-food restaurant, a news report said today.

The Samtaeseong restaurant opened in the isolated communist country last month, according to the Tokyo based Choson Sinbo. The restaurant's interior appears to be styled after fast-food joints the world over, but the menu is careful not to call its signature fare a burger--lest it give the impression North Koreans have embraced the American icon.

This is not the government's first foray into foreign food. In March, the Chosen Sinbo, widely considered a mouthpiece for the North Korean government, reported that Kim--a noted gourmand--had ordered the opening of the country's first Italian restaurant. The chefs there were trained in Italy and food made with imported ingredients was served.

The minced beef and bread at the new fast-food restaurant costs only $1.70, the newspaper said, but that would eat up more than half of the average North Korean's daily income.

The restaurant also offers Kimchi--Korean pickled cabbage--as well as waffles and draft beer and plans to add croissants and hot dogs to its menu in the coming months but with Korean names.

Guinea pigs nab top spot at the box office

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Guinea pigs and the sexy chemistry of Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler lured moviegoers away from the second Friday of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" as Disney's family 3-D movie "G-Force" and "The Ugly Truth," slotted the top two spots at the Friday box office with $11.5 million and $10.8 million.

"G-Force" about a unit of animal government spies wound up ranking as the second highest opening day for a PG-rated Jerry Bruckheimer production. Behind "Half-Blood Prince" was the horror pic "Orphan" starring Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga which earned $4.9 million.

Saudi veiled girl crowned Miss Moral Beauty

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but for a fully veiled Saudi beauty queen who trounced 274 rivals without showing her face and body, morals, not physical beauty, are what matters.

Eighteen-year-old Aya Ali al-Mulla was named "Queen of Beautiful Morals," winning a crown, jewelry and a trip to Malaysia late on Thursday, Saudi-based al-Watan reported Friday.

No swimsuits or even gown competitions and heavy media coverage of beauty pageants were the highlights of the Saudi contest based in the eastern city of Safwa.

Mullah, a high school graduate, managed to pip her rivals in the huge field, with good grades and hopes to go into medicine.

She raked in $1,333 prize, a pearl necklace, diamond watchk, diamond necklace and a free ticket to Malaysia with her win. Beauty contests focused on physical beauty are non-existent in segregated Saudi Arabia, where women cannot mix with unrelated men, and must appear in public completely covered--even in photos.

Israelis and Rabbis caught in U.S. crime scandals

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

The public prosecutor's office today asked a Jerusalem court to authorize the extradition to the U.S. of 11 Israelis suspected of swindling elderly Americans in a lottery scam while several rabbis from New Jersey were charged with offenses ranging from the trafficking of kidneys from Israeli donors to laundering proceeds from selling fake Gucci and Prada bags.

Israeli public radio said the 11 suspects, all of whom are in custody, are accused of extorting several million dollars from retired Jews living in the U.S. by telling them they had won the Israeli national lottery.

The victims, who were contacted by telephone, were told that in order to collect their winnings they first had to pay taxes and adminstration fees.

Meanwhile, U.S. agents arrested 44 elected officials and Jewish rabbis in New Jersey today in a huge anti-corruption sweep across the state.

Charges of extortion, bribery, money laundering and human organ trafficking were stunning even for a state long notorious for official corruption and organized crime.

Five rabbis were among the suspects, along with the mayors of Hoboken, Secaucus and Ridgefield and numerous other politicians. Television footage showed FBI and tax agents bringing a stream of handcuffed suspects, including rabbis wearing traditional Orthodox Jewish garb, into custody in the city of Newark.

The sweep was believed to be one of the biggest such actions ever in a state long associated with corruption and famous as the setting of the hit Mafia TV drama the "Sopranos."

Officials said the arrests were part of an ongoing 10 year probe into statewide corruption code-named "Bid Rig."

FBI officials painted a picture of brazen criminality.

The money laundering ring allegedly stretched from New Jersey and New York to Israel and Switzerland, while politicians easily exploited loopholes in state law to disguise bribes as campaign contributions.

Although New Jersey is more famous for a history of Mafia Italian families, it was Jewish clergy who allegedly played a central role in the crime network.

Authorities raided several synagogues and among those arrested was the chief rabbi of Syrian Jews in the U.S. One rabbi, Levy Rosenbaum, was charged with conspiring to broker the sale of a human kidney for transplant.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ralph Marra told a press conference that Rosenbaum's "business was to entice vulnerable people to give up a kidney for $10,000 which he would turn around sell for $160,000."

He'd allegedly been peddling kidneys for a decade.

Jews tweet a prayer to God

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

The Western Wall now has its own address on the social networking service, allowing believers around the globe to have their prayers placed between its 2,000 year-old-stones without even leaving their armchairs.

The service's Web site says petitioners can tweet their prayers and they will be printed out and taken to the wall, where they will join the thousands of handwritten notes placed by visitors who believe their requests will find a shortcut to God by being deposited there.

The Tweet Your Prayers site does not identify its founders, saying only that the driving force behind it is a "young man from Tel Aviv."

Throughout the ages, Jews have prayed at the Western wall, and many others have made courtesy calls. Recent VIP visitors include Pope Benedict XVI, Barack Obama, and film star Leonardo DiCaprio, whose bodyguards were arrested for allegedly assaulting three photogs during a scuffle at the site.

"Take it up with the Big Guy upstairs," the site suggests. "We're just the middlemen!"

'Addams Family' set for Broadway

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

"The Addams Family" musical has found a home on Broadway. Its producers said Wednesday the show will open April 8 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Previews will begin March 4 after a Chicago tryout that starts in mid-November.

As previously announced, Nathan Lane will pllay Gomez and Bebe Neuwirth will be his wife, Morticia, in the production

Barack Obama's 'Mom Jeans'

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

President Barack Obama's delivery of the ceremonial first pitch at last week's All Star game "had absolutely no mustard on it," said Jeff Thomas in the San Jose Mercury News, but that's wasn't the "most cringy part" of his performance. The president, you see, "was wearing mom jeans--high waisted, baggy denim favorited by, moms." And America's fashion police are aghast.

Barack Obama is the first to admit that he looked "a little frumpy" on the mound, said Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle. The president says the important thing--to him--is that his jeans are comfortable. "Here's my attitude: Michelle, she looks fabulous," President Obama said. "For people who want a president to look great in tight jeans, I'm sorry."

Bloggers who have compared Obama's "fashion to Urkel" may have a point, said Melissa Viscount in Examiner.com But stay-at-home moms might not be so quick to dismiss the president's attire as a "fashion faux pas." In fact, President Obama may be their new "fashion icon."

Schwarzenegger Wields Knife in Twitter Video

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Ever the prankster, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has posted a Twitter video related to the state's budget crisis in which he picks up an oversized knife and jokes about autographing state vehicles that will be auctioned to raise cash.

In the video, the Republican governor is sitting at his desk in the Capitol admiring a 2-foot-long folding knife before looking up to thank followers for their budget-balancing ideas.

He tells followers he likes on suggestion to autograph a fleet of state-owned vehicles being put up for autcion on Craigslist and eBay.

"You come up with the great ideas. Why not just sign the cars since you're a celebrity governor? Sign the cars and sell it for more money," the governor says. "That's exactly what we're going to do."

The video had received more than 33,000 hits by Wednesday afternoon.

The governor's spokesman, Aaron McLear, said the knife was a gift from a personal friend and arrived on Tuesday. He said the governor is serious about signing the auctioned cars.

Leonardo DiCaprio's 'Twilight Zone'

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

"We are entering a dimension of both familiarity and surprise," said Michael Adams in The Wrap, "of exhaustion and excitement, of vague hopes and managed expectations." Yes, once again, Rod Sterling's "classic" TV series The Twilight Zone is being brought to the big screen, this time by Leonardo DiCaprio's production company Appian Way and Warner Brothers. What a new take on The Twilight Zone "will offer is anyone's guess."

"I'd vastly prefer an anthology-style TV series," said Margaret Lyons in Entertainment Weekly, "particularly one that covered as much ground as The Twilight Zone did." But I'm also "optimistic about a feature's potential." The Twilight Zone "might be remembered as more of a sci-fi series," but underneath that it was a "profoundly political show," and our current "politics are rich for interpretation."

Rod Serling's series "taught us many valuable life lessons through allegory and ham-fisted liberal sermonizing," said Nathan Rabin in The Onion. But news of yet another remake is kind of depressing: The Twilight Zone has "been resurrected for TV multiple times," and the 1983 film version of it was "a famous debacle." To make matters worse, the script for the new movie is being written by Rand Ravich," whose most prominent film credit, The Astronaut's Wife, was widely compared to a bad episode of The Twilight Zone."

Billy Joel rebounds with a former soap star

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

A little over a month after confirming he and wife Katie Lee Joel were heading their separate ways, paino man Billy Joel is back on the dating scene.

A rep for the musician confirmed to Access Hollywood that he is dating Alex Donnelley, formerly of soap opera "The Young and the Restless."

Donnelley and Joel met backstage at his Washington D.C. show earlier this summer, the New York Post reported.

Donnelley who turns 50 next month, is closer in age to Joel, 60, than his ex Katie, who at the time of their split was just 27.

Famous Taco Bell Dog Dead at 15

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

The famous Taco Bell Spokesdog--who charmed audiences with the catchphrase: "Yo Quiero Taco Bell"--has died.

Gidget, the 15-year-old Chichuaha died Tuesday, according to a report from People magazine.

The "mostly-retired" canine also appeared in the film "Legally Blond 2," starring as Brusier's mom. In addition, she appeared in a commercial for the 90's edition of Trivial Pursuit.

When she wasn't starring in films and commercials, Gidget enjoyed taking hikes, sunning her fur and sleeping for 23 hours, her trainer Sue Chipperton told People.

"She made so many people happy," Chipperton said. "Gidget always knew where the camera was."

World's oldest man dies at 113

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Henry Allingham, the world's oldest man and oldest WWI vet, who put his longevity down to "cigarettes, whiskey and wild, wild, women," died Saturday at the age of 113.

He became the world's oldest man on June 17, Guiness World Records confirmed, when the previous holder, Tomoji Tanabe of Japan, died at age 113.

"The Queen was saddened to hear of the death of Henry Allingham," a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said.

Born in Clapton, northeast London, Allingham witnessed three different centuries and saw six British monarchs on the throne. Events he lived through included the death of queen Victoria in 1901, the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, the invention of television in the 1920s and the Wall Street crash of 1929.

The world's oldest woman is Gertrude Baines, a 115-year-old American.

'Angela's Ashes' Author Frank McCourt Dies at 78

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Frank McCourt, the beloved raconteur and former public school teacher who wrote "Angela's Ashes," the Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir about his impoverished Irish childhood, died Sunday of cancer.

McCourt, who was 78, had been gravely ill with meningitis and recently was treated for melanoma the deadliest form of skin cancer, his brother Malachy McCourt said.

Until his mid-60's, McCourt was known primarily around New York as a creative writing teacher and as a local character--the kind who might turn up in a New York novel--singing songs and telling stories with his younger brother Malachy at the White Horse Tavern and other literary hangouts.

With a first printing of just 25,000, "Angela's Ashes" was an instant favorite with critics and readers.

"F. Scott Fitzgerald said there are no second acts in American lives. I think I've proven him wrong" McCourt later explained. "And all because I refused to settle for a one-act existence, the 30 years I taught English in various New York City high schools."

His parents were so poor that they returned to their native Ireland when he was a little boy and settled in the slums of Limerick. Simply surviving his childhood was a tale; McCourt's father was an alcoholic who drank up the little money his family had. Three of McCourt's seven siblings died and he nearly perished from typhoid fever.

"Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood," was McCourt's unforgettable opening. "People everywhere complain and whimper about the woes of their early years, but nothing can compare with the Irish version of the poverty, the shiftless loquacious father; the pious defeated mother moaning by the fire; pompous priests, bullying schoolmaster; the English and all the terrible things they did to use for 800 long years."

Is 'Bruno' bombing at the box office?

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Bruno's weekend box office opening is a perfect example of how a movie can be a "success" and "a disappointment" in Hollywood, said Ben Fritz in the Los Angeles Times. "The "outrageous" comedy starring Sacha Baron Cohen as a flamboyant gay Austrian fashionista took the No. 1 spot, hauling in $30.4 million. But "after a strong start on Friday," domestic ticket sales dropped 39 percent on Saturday. "Such a huge drop is rare and almost always a harbinger of bad buzz and a short box office run for a film."

It's obvious that "many of Cohen's fans rushed to see Bruno on its opening day," said John Young in Entertainment Weekly, "but the considerable Friday-to-Saturday drop" seems to "indicate poor word-of-mouth." Bruno did outperform Cohen's last "mockumentary," Borat, which opened to $26.5 million. But "Bruno started its run on more than three times as many screens as Borat--all indicators point to Bruno struggling to match Borat's cululative gross of $128.5 million."

But it's still too early to tell, said David Germain in the Associated Press. We'll "have to wait until next weekend for a sene of how well Bruno can hold up for the long haul." The movie did take in an additional "$25 million in overseas markets so far." And "even if revenues continue to plunge, Bruno is well on its way to turning a profit for Universal, which paid $42.5 million for rights to distribute it domestically and in eight other territories."

Walter Cronkite Dies at 92

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Walter Cronkite the premiere TV anchorman of the U.S. network's golden age who reported a tumultuous time with reassuring authority and came to be called "the most trusted man in America," died Friday. He was 92.

Cronkite's longtime chief of staff, Marlene Adler, said Cronkite died at his Manhattan home this evening. She said the cause of death was cerebral vascular disease.

Cronkite was the face of the "CBS Evening News" from 1962 to 1988 when stories ranged from the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King to racial and anti-war riots, Watergate and the Iran hostage crisis.

It was Cronkite who read the bulletins coming from Dallas when Kennedy was shot Nov. 22, 1963 interrupting a live CBS-TV broadcast of the soap opera "As the World Turns."

"It is impossible to imagine CBS News, journalism or indeed American without Walter Cronkite," CBS News president Sean McManus said in a statement. "More than just the best and most trusted anchorman in history, he guided America through our crisis, tragedies and also our victories and greatest moments."

He ended news each evening by stating "And THAT's the way it is." Two polls prounounced Cronkite the "most trusted man in America." As many as 18 million households tuned in to Cronkite's top-rated program each evening. He also sailed his beloved boat, the Wyntje, hosted specials on public and cable TV and wrote the best-selling "Walter Cronkite: A Reporter's Life."

Alice in Wonderland the movie

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Reinventing childhood icons is a high-pressure job. "I'm freaking out," jokes Tim Burton to Entertainment Weekly. "It's a lot of work."

Burton's 'Alice' explores the angst beneath the surface of the classic about a girl (Wasikowska) seriously interrupted.

"It's about somebody who has a rich fantasy life, who feels alone in a strange world," he says. "Pretty much my life."

Burton worked with girlfriend Bonham Carter, who plays the evil Red Queen and alter ego Depp, who's the Mad Hatter.

"Johnny defintely gets Alice in Wonderland. He's probably been there himself many times."

John Goodman to star as CIA agent in 'Station'

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

John Goodman has been cast to star in "The Station," the Fox comedy pilot from Ben Stiller's production company.

"The Station" revolves around a group of lackluster CIA operatives at a covert South American outpost, where they're charged with installing a new dictator.

David Wain of "Role Models" will direct the show. Goodman's recent TV credits include "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," "Center of the Universe," "The West Wing" and "Normal Ohio." He also provided his voice for "Father of the Pride." In film, Goodman was recently seen in "Confessions of a Shopaholic."

Ivanka Trump is engaged and converting to Judaism

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

The Donald has a new venture: father of the bride.

PEOPLE confirms that Trump's daughter Ivanka, 27, is engaged to the New York Observer's publisher Jared Kushner.

"I got engaged last night," Ivanka Tweeted on Thursday. "Truly the happiest day of my life!!!"

"Jared and I are very similar in that we're both very ambitious," she said.

Ivanka also told the magazine she is converting to Judaisim for her fiance'.

'30 Rock' leads Emmy noms

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

'30 Rock' recieved 22 Emmy nominations--the most ever for a comedy in a single year. Similarly, last year's winner on the drama side, "Mad Men," also seems the front-runner.

All five of "30 Rock's" key cast members scored acting nominations: Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jack McBrayer and Jane Krakowski. Five of this year's 11 guest actor and actress noms went to the show. It also pulled off four of the five nominations in the comedy writing category and three of the six in the directing field.

"It's such a funny and smart show and the nomiations are more validating than surprising," said NBC co-chair Ben Silverman.

The buzz around "Mad Men" has been quiet but according to Variety, that could change as the series gears up for its third season which starts August 16. "Mad Men" also blew away the competition in the writing category, earning four out of the five nominations among dramas.

Yet there are some new shows entering the challenge, including "Family Guy," the Fox animated show that is making a groundbreaking appearance in the comedy mix. And among other contenders, "Mad Men" could be surprised by another AMC drama "Breaking Bad," which is riding high on critical acclaim and buzz at the moment.

The rabbit who loves TV soap operas

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

A Chinese rabbit has become addicted to television soap operas. Owner Jiang Chuniel, of Fujian province, says his rabbit, Jia, climbs between him and his wife every evening to watch her favorite show and becomes irate, even violent, if one of them moves or tries to watch something else.

"Her favorite show is called Ms. Memaid," said Jiang. "If we accidentally switched to another channel, she would be very angry, biting the pillow and attacking us."

Molly Ringwald Welcomes Twins

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Molly Ringwald plays the mother of a pregnant teen on ABC Family's The Secret Life of the American Teenager--but in real-life she's a new mom to twins.

The 80s icon delivered daughter Adele Georgina and son Roman on Friday, July 10 in Los Angeles.

The twins join big sister Mathilda Ereni, 5 1/2.

Animals Only Airline Takes Off

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

A new airline for pets is taking off with weekly flights to five airports across the country.

Beginning July 14, Pet Airways is flying pets to and from Baltimore/Washington International; Midway in Chicago; Rocky Mountain Airport in Colorado, near Denver, Hawthorne Municipal Airport near Los Angeles; and Republic Airport on Long Island, serving the New York City metro area.

The airline allows cats and dogs to travel in carriers in the main cabin of the plane, rather than in the cargo hold. While some airlines allow small animals to fly in the cabin as long as their carriers fit under the seats, Pet Airways has no limit on size.

The carrier will not transport human passengers other than crew and attendants to care for the animals during flights. Pet owners will have to fly separately.

One way fares start at $149. Many of the flights on the airline's limited initial itinerary are already booked full with a waiting list depending on the animal's size. To prevent pets from getting sick, there won't be any beverage or snack service.

French named "world's worst tourists"

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

From drunk and disorderly Brits to fussy French people, a study of the global hotel industry reveals the world's best and worst tourists as people pack their bags and head across oceans during the much loved holiday season.

The French have been named the world's worst tourists because they are cheap, rude and don't attempt to learn foreign languages, a study carried out by Expedia online travel agency said last month.

On the other hand, the Japanese are the best tourists--for the third year running--because they are polite, tidy, quiet and uncomplaining, followed by Candadians as the least likely to whine when a trip goes wrong.

The study interviewed 40,000 hotels worldwide ro rank tourists from 27 countries.

American tourists also got top marks for generosity--as the biggest spenders and tippers--but fell short on other counts as the least tidy, the loudest, the worst complainers and the most badly dressed.

France's rivals for the "worst tourist" title were Spaniards and Greeks, who came near the bottom of the pack in almost every category.

'Bruno' sashays to top of box office

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Universal's Sacha Baron Cohen comedy "Bruno" grossed an estimated $30.4 million in its domestic debut. The comedy-pushing the bounds of the R-rating--beat the $26.5 million earned by Cohen's :Borat" in its opening in November 2006. But "Bruno" dropped a precipitous 39% from Friday to Saturday.

"Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" did strong business in its second frame, grossing an estimated $28.5 million and jumping the $100 million mark domestically. Fox wasn't as lucky with new wide entry "I Love You Beth Cooper." The teen comedy grossed an estimated $5 million and placed No. 7 for the weekend.

Comic Artie Lang Arrested for Suspicion of DUI

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Artie Lang was busted for suspicion of DUI moments ago in New Jersey.

Law enforcement officials told TMZ.com the "Howard Stern Show" veteran was arrested about a half hour ago in Toms River after he got in a minor car accident. He rear-ended a 2004 Pontiac and was charged with DUI and careless driving.

Mickey Gilley Injured in Fall

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Country music legend Mickey Gilley was seriously injured in a fall in Branson, Missouri on Sunday and underwent surgery on Tuesday.

The 73-year-old has since been flown to Houston, Texas for futher treatment but, despite numerous reports, FOX News can confirm Gilley is not paralyzed.

"He is absolutely not paralyzed," his rep said. "He did have a fall and surgery on his back, there was some bruising, and he was flown to Texas for physical therapy, but his doctors are satisfied with the recovery. He will be flown home in a jet. They just want to make sure it won't tire him out to much."

Gilley's condition does remain serious however.

"When you have surgery on your back its not a mild thing, it is serious, but he'll have physical therapy because of stiffness and they expect him to be fine."

Gilley was scheduled to perform in Branson, but the shows have been canceled pending his recovery.

Mel Gibson to star in 'Beaver'

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Mel Gibson will star in "The Beaver" for director Jodie Foster.

Gibson will play a depressed man who finds solace in wearing a beaver hand-puppet. Foster will also play the role of the man's wife.

Foster boarded the project and brought it to Gibson, with whom she co-starred in 1994's "Maverick."

'Bruno' faces 'Ice Age' at box office

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Sacha Baron Cohen mockumentary "Bruno" is looking good as it gets ready to strut down the box office runway for Universal.

The R-rated "Bruno," is one of the most talked-about pics of the season. But it still may not win the weekend, depending upon the strength of Fox's holdover "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs."

Universal opens "Bruno" in 2,755 domestic theaters, nearly triple the number of opening locations for "Borat" in November 2006. At that time, Baron Cohen was largely unknown in the U.S., and 20th Century Fox used the smaller release plan to build word of mouth. It worked: Pic's domestic gross was $125.8 million.

The characters of gay fashionista Bruno and Kazakhstan TV reporter Borat were created by Baron Cohen for his TV program "Da Ali G Show."

Domestically, tracking for "Bruno" shows the film drawing the most interest from males, followed by younger females.

'Marcia and Jan Brady' feuding

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

According to the New York Post, Maureen McCormick who played Marcia on "The Brady Bunch," claims Eve Plumb, who played sister Jan, is upset because McCormick claimed they had a lesbian affair on the set of the sitcom.

McCormick, blogging this week on Fancast.com, said all six Brady "kids" were invited to re unite on the Oprah Winfrey Show in September.

"All of us said yes except for one person, Eve Plumb, who used to be my best friend but now apparently wants to distance herself fom the show and, most troubling from me...I have no idea why, unless she's mad at the joke I made a few years ago that we'd had a lesbian love affair. I made the crack to be funny--and for shock value. I'm sorry if she took offense."

McCormick "joked" about their sapphic sex last year just before her book, "Here's the Story," was published. The "joke" made the book a best seller.

Plumb's agent, Mark Measures, downplayed any animosity. "No one from 'Oprah' called. We haven't turned down anything. There is no feud."

Kate Winslet: No More T&A

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

After years of nude scenes, Oscar-winner Kate Winslet is getting ready to put it all away once and for all.

In a new interview with Harper's Bazaar, the actress says she knows that her age will catch up with her one day, but is happy to have done full-frontal or two in her heyday.

"If people are noticing my boobs in a movie and saying they do what real boobs so, then that's great. I can't keep getting away with it. There was much of it in 'The Reader' because the story required it, but people have seen enough of my bum and boobs. I have to get them back."

Known not just for her fabulous figure but also for her glamorous look, Winslet is quick to dismiss the world of Hollywood glitz. "our knickers will still go up our ass at the inappropriate moment. And we'll still want to flick them out, but you can't because someone is going to catch you."

Instead, Winslet said she does it in secret: "Oh, I run behind pillars and things."

'Laverne and Shirley' Star Eddie Mekka Arrested for DUI

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

The guy who played Carmine "The Big Ragoo" Ragusa on "Laverne and Shirley" was arrested last Friday in Las Vegas after he allegedly got into a drunken car crash.

Law enforcement sources told TMZ.com, they received a call at around 12 p.m. about a collision with a "suspected drunk driver."

When officers arrived, they found Eddie Mekka and administered field sobriety tests. After the tests, Mekka was placed under arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence--a misdemeanor.

As for the accident, according to TMZ.com, no injuries were reported at the scene.

'Smurfs' the movie

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Raja Gosnell has been tapped to direct Sony's live-action/animated "Smurfs."

The film will be released in 3-D and 2-D formats on December 17, 2010.

Best known in the U.S. for the long-running Hanna-Barbera cartoon, the Smurfs were created in 1958 by Belgian cartoonist Pierre Culliford, known throughout the world as Peyo. The Smurfs, known as "Les Schtroumpfs" in French, were created for a Belgian series of comicbooks, first as minor characters.

The dwarflike villagers spawned a line of statuttes, games, toys, theme parks and a hit TV series, which ran as part of NBC's Saturday-morning lineup 1981-90.

Stallone meets Bollywood

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Hollywood actors are finally heading East said Anushka Asthana in the Guardian. "Kambakkht Ishq" (Damn Love), directed by Akshay Kumar--who "to half the world's population" is "more famous than Bradd Pitt, Tom Cruise and Bruce Willis put together"--was filmed at Universal Studios in Los Angeles and features appearances by Sly Stallone and Denise Richards. It "marks the first time that Hollywood's leading stars have appeared alongside their Indian counterparts in a Bollywood blockbuster," and it's a perfect "example of the growing desire among Western actors, companies and financiers for a piece of India's "multi-billion dollar entertainment industry.

Hollywood does seem "to have discovered Bollywood," said Mumtaj Begum in the Malaysia Star, but "Bollywood appears just as eager to get to know Hollywood." The "huge success of Slumdog Millionaire" illustrates the West's interest in Eastern culture and opens up a whole new market for Indian filmmakers. And "one of the main reasons Los Angeles was chosen as a backdrop" for Kambakkht Ishq is because it's "the home of all things glamorous and glitzy," which has appeal to those in the East.

Kambakkht Ishq is a perfect example of why Bollywood should not try to cater to Western audiences, said Tinselgurus. "It's a dumb movie full of cheesey dialogue, sexual connotations" scantily clad women and offensive language--"the heroine and hero refer to each other as 'dog' and 'bitch.'" Hollywood already cranks out enough movies like that; Bollywood directors don't need to start doing it, too. "Bollywood is Bollywood" and "Hollywood is Hollywood"--let's keep it that way.

Willie Nelson: An Epic Life

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Willie Nelson has done it all. He's been a genre-bending music maker, door-to-door vacuum salesman, movie star, disco jockey, Zen Bubba, honky-tonk king, wizened philosopher, articulate poet, unrepentant hippie, committed road dog and champion of the common man.

From his first performance at age four, Willie has been driven to make music and to live life on his own terms. A songwriter of exceptional depth, he found success only after abandoning Nashville and moving to Austin, texas, where he created an instantly recognizable new country music. Willie's Red Headed Stranger made country cool to a new generation of fans.

This acclaimed biography draws on more than one hundred interviews with Willie and his family, band and friends to capture a life truly epic in scope--from Willie's humble Depression-era roots to his musical eduation in Texas honky-gonks; from his flirtations with whiskeym women and weed to his triumph with the #1 hit "Always On My Mind"; from his nearly career-ending battles with the IRS to his ultimate redemption and ascension to American folk hero.

Author: Joe Nick Patoski

'Office' star Jenna Fischer gets engaged

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Jenna Fischer's "Office" character may be planning her own wedding, but Fischer may be about to beat Pam down the aisle.

The actress is engaged, her rep confirmed to Access Hollywood.

Fischer, 35, got engaged to writer Lee Kirk, 37, on June 30 while the couple was vacationing in Europe. The two have been dating since January 2008 and made their first public appearance together at the Emmy Awards in September.

'Baywatch' the movie

By: Vickie Rubinson

Hoping to add some giggle to the jiggle, Paramount Pictures has set Jeremy Garelick to rewrite and direct "Baywatch," a bigscreen comedy based on the syndicated series about buff lifeguards who patrol a beach in California.

But this version of the popular show is going to be a laugh riot, along the lines of 'Airplane,' instead of all action.

Dream Works paid seven figures for remake rights in 2005 and got a script that was too heavy on action. Garelick was sent the script to do a punch-up. Though he never saw the original TV show, he saw an opportunity to turn it into broad comedy.

"It felt like the template to do a movie that was similar to 'Stripes' and 'Police Academy,' the comedies I loved growing up," Garelick said.

Joyce DeWitt accused of DUI

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

An actress who starred on the hit TV series "Three's Company" has been arrested in Southern California and cited on suspicion of drunk driving.

Police say Joyce DeWitt who plyaed Janet Wood was pulled over Saturday afternoon after she drove past a barricade near a park in El Segundo.

Sgt. Danny Kim says an officer arrested the 60-year-old DeWitt after administering field sobriety tests. Kim said DeWitt was booked, cited and released.

Casey Kasem hosts his final top 20 countdown

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Casey Kasem has done his final countdown.

The 77-year-old DJ told "American Top 20" listeners across the country Saturday that the program would be his last.

Kasem launched his weekly countdown of the nation's most popular songs on July 4, 1970. Ryan Seacrest took over the show in 2004 and Kasem went on to host two syndicated spinoffs, the "American Top 20" and "American Top 10."

Kasem said he "loved every minute" of his broadcasting career but that he was leaving the show to "free up time I need to focus on myriad other projects."

Why spies should avoid Facebook

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Here's some advice for anyone hoping for a career as a spy, said Nadia Gilani in Britain's The Times. Stay off Facebook. Sir John Sawers--the new head of the United Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Service, MI-6--learned that the hard way, after his wife Shelley posted vacation photos and personal details on the social-networking site. Lady Sawers used no privacy protections, potentially exposing the family's friends and associates to Facebook's 200 million users worldwide.

"Wow," said Foster Kamer in Gawker. John Sawers is "supposed to lead up one of the world's two most powerful secret service organizations. And serious secrets--like where the guys lives, who his friends are, who his family is and what his wife's favorite Liza Minelli musical is--have been exposed along with his Speedos, which terrorists and enemies of the British State everywhere will, at the very least, get a laugh out of." But seriously, liberals and conservatives alike are wondering--with good reason--whether to keep this guy on the job.

Online oversharing is a problem for a lot of people said JudyBerman in Salon. There's a blog called STFU, Parents, that makes fun of moms and dad who embarrass their offspring by airing the family laundry--or flat-out ridiculing their kids--on Facebook. Note to everybody--your business ceases to be private the second you post it online.

'T.J. Hooker' will patrol bigscreen

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

"T.J. Hooker" is headed for the bigscreen as an action comedy with David Foster, Ryan Heppe and series creator Rick Husky producting.

No actors have been cast yet for the feature.

The TV seires, produced by Aaron Spelling, debuted in 1982 on ABC and ran for five seasons, the last on CBS. William Shatner starred as a no-nonsense patrol sergeant, with Adrian Zmed, Heather Locklear and James Darren as co-stars.

'Ice Age,' 'Transformers' tie for top spot

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

"Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" scored the biggest international opening of all time for an animated title, while it tied with "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" for No. 1 at the domestic box office over the July 4 weekend.

"Transformers 2" grossed an estimated $42.5 million for the weekend for a whopping domestic cume of $293.4 in 12 days. Universal's Johnny Depp gangster pic "Public Enemies" also did strong business at the domestic box office. Because the holiday landed on a Saturday this year, theater traffic dropped precipitously on Saturday.

"Julie and Julia" in theaters August 7

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Meryl Streep is Julia Child and Amy Adams is Julie Powell in writer-director Nora Ephron's adaptation of two bestselling memoirs. Powell's "Julie and Julia" and "My Life In France" by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme.

Based on two true stories, Julie and Julia interwines the lives of two women, who though separated by time and space, are both at loose ends...until they discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible.

In theaters August 7, 2009.

Michelle Obama bringing glamour to Moscow

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Michelle Obama brings her susperstar glamour to Moscow this weekend as she accompanies her husband on his summit with the Russian president.

But the American first lady, who has wowed publics in the U.S. and Europe with her easy elegance and charm, will perhaps face a bigger challenge in winning over a Russian public that has scant respect for women who grab the limelight from their powerful husbands.

In a country where a presidential candidate once quipped he'd sooner pack his wife off to a convent than allow her to dabble in politics, Russia still has trouble with the concept of an empowered woman behind the throne.

Russian President dmitry Medvedev's wife Svetlana is pious and discreet and met her husband while she was a schoolgirl. She supports charity and the arts, but has assumed no independent voice on issues facing the country. She dresses conservatively, lacking the edge fashion sense that has attracted a nationwide following for Michelle Obama.

As for Vladimir Putin's wife Lyudmilla, she only occasionally appeared in the company of her husband--fueling widespread reports the two were estranged.

Many Russians, traditonally conservative, look askance at assertive first ladies like Mrs. Obama.

"A wife should be sitting at home, creating comfort and cooking food," said Zoya Getmanova, a female pensioner living in Moscow. "She could express her opinions over the dinner table, but she shouldn't meddle in politics."

Sock's Memory Lives on at Governor's Mansion

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Socks, a one-time stray cat who roamed the lawns of the Arkansas governor's mansion in Little Rock, has returned home for his final rest. Officials spread some of the cat's ashes in the mansion's west flower garden during a private ceremony in March.

Attending the ceremony were Linda Dixon of the Clinton Presidential Library and the Arkansas first lady, Ginger Beebe, who read a poem she wrote in honor of the cat. A small plaque off a porch outside the mansion's kitchen now honors Socks. The small urn that carried his ashes is now at the Clinton Presidential Library.

Born in 1989, Socks was adopted by the Clintons in 1991 after he jumped into Chelsea Clinton's arms while she was leaving her piano teacher's house. After the Clintons left Washington, Socks lived with Mr. Clinton's secretary, Betty Currie, in Hollywood Maryland. He died of cancer in February.