Singing sensation helps Germans shed 'dull' image

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Germany's Lena Meyer-Landrut won the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest with the catchy pop song "Satellite," edging out Turkey and Romania as the continent put aside its financial woes for a night of musical exuberance.

It was Germany's second win in the songfest's 55-year history and the victory means it will host next year's contest.

Meyer-Landrut, who turned 19 during the competition in Norway, won 246 points in the voting Saturday by a panel of judges and telephone votes from fans in the 39 participating countries.

With her laid-back and self-effacing style, the young singer has attained huge popularity in Germany. Her winning song debuted at Number One in the German charts and became the country's fastest-selling digital release.

Thousands of Germans gathered to watch the event broadcast on video screens in town squares or at special Lena parties across the country.

"I had never been very interested in the Eurovision Song Contest, but with lovely Lena, things have changed," said 18-year-old Simon Zeler who started an Internet-based Lena fan club earlier this year. More than 2,000 fans have joined Zeler's internet chat forum since it was launched in February, with nearly 30,000 comments posted about the singer.

"I was surprised by the interest in Lena and totally overwhelmed by her win on Saturday," Zeler added.

"I'm so happy and so thankful and so grateful and I never thought we could do this," Lena said, covering her face with a German flag and looking bewildered, asked: "Do I have to sing now?"

The contest is known for over-the-top costumes, lighting and set designs. One notable semitfinal outfit--tight silver sparkly shorts--was worn by the male singers in Lithuania's InCulto group and contestants from Romania had plumes of fire in the backround of their set.

For many Germans, Lena's win was an opportunity to celebrate a modern form of national pride.

"National identity has lost its...threatening component, it can now be articulated in a more stressless manner," said Tilman Alert, a professor at the University of Frankfurt. "For a long time, the display of a national identity was accompanied by shame in Germany. Maybe other countries will now say: You don't have to fear Germany any longer."

Film Review: John Rabe

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Germans don't have many feel-good movie stories about WWII, so the world premiere of "John Rabe" at the Berlinale is certainly cause for local celebration. Even though he was a member of the Nazi Party, John Rabe was considered "The Good German of Nanking." The middle-aged, balding Rabe is his country's Oskar Schindler, a man who could not abandon his conscience.

A 2009 Chinese-French-German film, Rabe focuses upon the experiences of John Rabe, a German businessman who used his Nazi party membership to construct a Safety Zone in Nanking, similar to the one in Shangai, and save over 200,000 Chinese from the Nanking massacre, which was being committed by the invading Imperial Japanese Army after the 1937 Battle of Nanking.

Based upon Rabe's wartime diaries, shooting for the film commenced in 2007 and it premiered at the 59th Berlin Film Festival in 2007. The film picked up over seven German Film Awards nominations, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor.

Despite publication of those diaries in the U.K. and U.S., the historical incident doesn't register much outside of Germany, so the film, which will open here next week may get relegated to specialty venues elsewhere, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Ulrich Tukor, one of Germany's leading actors, plays the hero in a calm, collected, thoughtful way. In Tukor's portrayal, Rabe is one who, in Shakespeare's words, has greatness thrust upon him. He certainly never seeks it.

Sex and the City 2 Opens Strong

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Eh, who cares if critics think it's god-awful. Sex and the City 2 is off to a strong start for the Memorial Day weekend.

The movie took in $14.2 million yesterday, which puts it on track to exceed expectations of a $60 million holiday weekend, says the Hollywood Reporter. Not exactly blockbuster numbers, but decent enough. The original opened on the same weekend in 2008, bringing in $27 million on day one and $62 million over the four days.

Documentary focuses on Nazi film "Jud Suess"

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

According to Tom Tugend in the Jewish Journal, if there were an Oscar for most anti-Semitic film, there is little doubt that the odds-on-favorite would be "Jud Suess."

It came out in 1940, and its German director was Veit Harlan. He made 29 other films but "Jew Suess" guaranteed his position as propaganda minister Joseph Goebbel's favorite director.

So 70 years after the premiere of the film comes "Harlan: In the Shadow of Jew Suess" a documentary by German historian and filmmaker Felix Moeller.

"Harlan" is not so much a reappraisal of "Jew Suess" or even its considerable wartime impact--the film was a box-office hit and Heinrich Himmler ordered it shown to all of his SS subordinates and concentration camp guards.

Rather, the film examines how Harlan's descendants, still largely associated with the film industry and the arts, are accepting or denying the work and character of their notorious father and grandfather.

Moeller, 44, has included only a few brief scenes from "Jew Suess" for under German law, screening of the original is illegal and even a subsequent documentary can show only five minutes' worth of outtakes.

In the Harlan adaptation the 18th-century Jewish banker Joseph Suess Oppenheimer worms himself in the favor of the Duke of Wuerttemberg, cheats and corrupts everyone, rapes a pure Aryan maiden and is finally hanged for treason and jubilant mob scenes.

Sex and the City II to be banned in UAE

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

As the second part of Sex and the City is scheduled to premiere in the United States on May 27 and later in the rest of the world, the UAE decided to ban it while its filming in Morocco. This was faced by strong objections.

The sequel to the 2008 hit movie was supposed to be filmed in Abu Dubai as it features the four New Yorkers going on vacation in the Middle East. However, the UAE denied the film crew permission to shoot in the emirates since the behavior of the women was seen as not in line with the Arab and Muslim cultural values.

In the movie, the four women try to behave in accordance with the traditions of the Middle East, yet things get out of hand when they cannot help but revert to their Western life style in different situations.

The title of the movie was amongst the reasons why it was not filmed in the UAE and it was impossible to change it as remove the word 'sex,' since it is a sequel to a previous movie as well as a popular TV series that has been running for 15 years.

In addition to containing intimate scenes and dialogues viewed as improper, there are parts where the culture of the UAE is made fun of especially the dress code. In one of the scenes, the four women are rescued by Muslim women who take of their burkas to reveal stylish western-style clothes while in another they make fun of the locals' loose dresses and veils.

One of the women is also shown insisting on kissing in public amidst the astonishment of all the people around. There are also references to homosexuality.

Morocco was the second option and the movie was filmed in Marrakech despite objections that it violates Arab and Muslim traditions.

News of the filming extremely provoked Moroccans to the extent that a committee was formed to visit the location after news of indecent scenes was spread all over the city, the newspapers reported.

'Shrek Forever After' roars to top of box office

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

"Shrek Forever After" roared its way to the top of the box office, making $71.3 million in its opening weekend.

This time, Shrek--voiced as always by Mike Meyers--is experiencing a mid-life crisis, so he makes a deal with Rumpelstilskin to live as a fearsome ogre again for one day. Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas return to the voice cast.

"We're obviously happy to the be No. 1 movie, which we anticipated," said Anne Globe, head of worldwide marketing for DreamWorks Animation.

"It's a little lower than we anticipated but it's still No. 4 among all animated openings of all time.

Last week's No. 1 movie "Iron Man 2," dropped to second place with $26.6 million. The superhero sequel from Paramount Pictures has now made over $251 million in three weeks.

The other new wide release, "MacGruber," opened in sixth place with a disappointing $4.1 million. Based on the "Saturday Night Live" sketch, the Universal Pictures comedy stars Will Forte as a bumbling version of the mulleted '80s TV character "MacGyver," who was famous for his makeshift method of defusing threats.

1. "Shrek Forever After," $71.3 million

2. "Iron Man 2," $26.6 million.

3. "Robin Hood," $18.7 million.

4. "Letters to Juliet," $9.1 million.

5. "Just Wright," $4.2 million

Ex-U.K. royal Fergie in cash-for-access sting

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

The Duchess of York was allegedly caught on tape plotting to sell access to her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, for 500,000 pounds ($720,000), says a British newspaper that set up a sting.

The News of the World on Sunday said it filmed "greedy Sarah Ferguson," 50, taking a $57,000 down payment from its undercover reporter posing as a businessman.

The paper posted more than 4 minutes of video in which Fergie, is seen remarking "look after me and he'll look after you." She said the full sum would result in "open doors."

The duchess said Andrew would know nothing of the deal and that he would never take money himself as he is "whiter than white."

She also added "all the channels, whatever you need, whatever you want and then that's what and then you meet Andrew and that's fine."

As an unpaid trade envoy since 2001, Prince Andrew, also 50, is in contact with international executives. The couple divorced in 1996 but are said to remain close friends,

The video shows the 40,000 pounds in front her on a table and the Duchess later walking out of a hotel room with it in a computer case. She also reportedly insisted on a 1 percent commission on any deal struck from arranging the meeting.

Rat Crashes Obama Speech

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

No gatecrashers at President Obama's second state dinner, but there was one yesterday as he spoke at the White House. A rodent, presumably a rat, ran across the Rose Garden steps just before Obama walked out to speak. It then made another appearance as the President was speaking, but Obama never noticed, ABC news reports.

Obama's 2nd State Dinner: Viva Mexico!

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

White House staffers kept a very close eye on the guest list as the Obamas hosted Mexican President Felipe Calderon and his wife at the second state dinner of the Obama presidency last night.

No gatecrashers slipped through this time, and one assistant secretary of state was actually sent home to get proper ID the AP reports. The 200 guests who made it through after their invitations were triple-checked included Whoopie Goldberg, George Lopez and Olympic speed skater Shani Davis.

The Mexican duo of Rodrigo y Gabriela, followed by Beyonce, provided entertainment after a dinner of Oregon wagyu beef with black mole sauce.

"Today is a celebration of the bonds between the U.S. and Mexico, including the music that brings us together and moves us a little bit and hopefully, gets us literally moving on the dance floor at some point," Obama told the guests.

Qatar royal family buys U.K. Harrod's store

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Egyptian-born businessman Mohammed Al-Fayed has sold prestigious London department store Harrods to the investment vehicle of the Qatar royal family in a deal reported to be worth around $2.3 billion.

"What I can assure you is Qatar Holding will do their best to upgrade this monument, to make it even greater and better for tourism and the British people." Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani told reporters in an impromptu news conference in the store in London's Knightsbridge area.

Al-Fayed, 77, is retiring as chairman of Harrods.

"After 25 years as Chairman of Harrods, Mohammed Al-Fayed has decided to retire and to spend more time with his children and grandchildren," Lazard International Chairman Ken Costa said in a statement. "He has built Harrods into a unique luxury brand with worldwide recognition," and wanted to ensure this legacy would continue, he added.

Miss Michigan crowned as Miss USA

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

A 24-year-old Arab American from Michigan beat out 50 other women to take the 2010 Miss USA title Sunday night, despite stumbling in her evening gown.

Rima Fakih of Dearborn, Michigan, won the pageant at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas strip after strutting confidently in an orange and gold bikini, wearing a strapless white gown that resembled a wedding dress and saying health care should cover birth control pills.

When asked how she felt about winning the crown, she said, "Ask me after I've had a pizza."

Fakih, a Lebanese immigrant, told pageant organizers her family celebrates both Muslim and Christian faiths. She moved to the United States as a baby and was raised in New York, where she attended a Catholic school.

Pageant officials said historical pageant records were not detailed enough to show whether Fakih was the first Arab American, Muslim or immigrant to win the Miss USA title. The pageant started in 1952 as a local bathing suit competition in Long Beach, California.

'Iron Man 2' Smashes 'Robin Hood' at box office

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Steel bested bows and arrows at the movies this weekend, with "Iron Man 2" fighting off the new release "Robin Hood" to stay at the top of the box office.

The superhero sequel starring Robert Downey Jr. took in $53 million domestically to remain at No.1, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The Paramount Pictures release has made over $212 million in its first two weeks.

"Robin Hood," which features Russell Crowe teaming up with director Ridley Scott for the 5th time, debuted in the No. 2 spot with an estimated $37.1 million.

The Universal Pictures blockbuster, a sort of prequel to the Robin Hood legend, co-stars Cate Blanchett as Marian.

But "Robin Hood" had a huge opening internationally, making $74 million outside North America for a total of $111.1 million this weekend.

Among the other new releases, the Summit Entertainment romance "Letters to Juliet," came in at No. 3 with $13.75 million.

And another romantic comedy, Fox Searchlight's "Just Wright," opened in 4th place with $8.5 million. Queen Latifah plays a physical therapist who ends up treating--and falling for--an injured NBA-All-Star played by hip-hop artist Common.

Mayor Declares War on Garden Gnomes

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

The Mayor of Furore, Italy, wants garden gnomes out of his city immediately. The reason? "They cause an alteration of the natural environment," he says.

An ordinance banning the kitchy lawn statues (which are also quite popular in Germany), is before the city council, and sources tell the ANSA news service the gnomes "could be on their way out any minute."

Jews: stop Arizona-Nazis comparison

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Arizona's tough new law against illegal immigration has prompted furious protests and boycotts but Jewish groups say opponents who compare it with the rise of Nazi Germany are going too far.

"It diminishes the Holocaust," said Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder and dean of the Wiesenthal Center, an internationally known Holocaust studies center based in Los Angeles.

"Survivors and others are very upset about this," he said Friday. "When you exaggerate, it's very harmful to them when they know that their mothers and fathers were taken to the gas chambers without any recourse to the law. They lost children."

The Arizona law that takes effect in July makes illegal immigration a state as well as federal crime. It requires police to ask a person about his or her immigration status if there's "reasonable suspicion" that the person is in the country illegally.

Last month, Cardinal Roger Mahoney, said the law encourages people to turn on each other in Nazi-and Soviet-style repression.

"We should all be careful about comparisons to the Holocaust," Tamberg said. "The Holocaust was and remains a unique and horrible experience to which there is no comparison."

Leisure activities of Austrians: T.V. more important than sex

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

According to "Austria News," (The short news from Austria), a new study revealed that Austrians prefer to watch television or visit a restaurant, than having sex. Only 55% said that sex is part of their leisure activities. Spending time with the family is the most important activity for Austrians (79%).

The federal state with the biggest sexual activity is Styria. Also the inhabitants of Tirol have a lot of sex and take second place in Austria's sex ranking. Other leisure activities for Austrians are lounging, reading a book, working in the garden, having a bath and shopping. Not so popular is surfing the internet and talking on the telephone.

Bar Refaeli urged by Jewish nationalists not to marry DiCaprio

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Members of a Jewish nationalist group have written to Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli urging her not to marry her non-Jewish boyfriend, actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

"Your grandmother and her grandmother did not dream that one of their descendants would one day remove the family's future generations from the Jewish people," read a letter from the far-rightest Baruch Marzel on behalf of the Lehava organization, which is dedicated to preventing assimilation.

"Come to your senses, look forward and back too--and not only the present. Don't marry Leo don't harm the future generations," the letter reportedly concluded.

The letter comes after DiCaprio said in interviews earlier this month that he was thinking of getting married and starting a family. Refaili also recently denied rumors that she was engaged to the actor after wearing a ring on her finger.

"Our Man in Vienna" A Memoir

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

The wit and charm that marked "Our Man in Belize" enliven Richard Conroy's new diplomatic memoir about a posting that couldn't have a more different location. Plucked from the coast of Central America and put down in post-World War II Vienna, land of Der Rosenkavalier and whipped-cream cakes, Conroy still was "not mentioned in dispatches" (or, at least, not in complimentary ones), but even a lowly vice-consul can do some good in people's lives.

Take, for example, his effort to help a woman flee Vienna after she reported that Communists were sneaking into her room each night and slicing off little bits of her foot. Or the unfortunate Austrian whose visa application had been rejected three previous times, with no explanation. Conroy discovered that the application had a photo of the man wearing a Red Army sergeant's uniform.

In between similar tales of diplomatic deeds and misdeeds, the author gives his readers an inimitable take on the Vienna of those days. Want to buy a secondhand piano? Some inexpensive paintings? How about that famous Viennese food and beer? You could have found everything there, with Conroy as your guide; failing that, his account of those days is just as rewarding and not nearly as fattening.

Israeli scientist calls for nuclear disclosure

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

An Israeli scientist is calling for his country to end a decades long silence over its reported nuclear weapons capability and open its nuclear reactor to inspection.

Uzi Even, a Tel Aviv University chemistry professor and former worker at Israel's Dimona reactor, said President Obama's campaign for global nuclear arms reduction is a sign of changing times and Israel must get in step.

"We could open Dimona to international inspection," the former member of parliament with the left-wing Meretz party told Israeli army radio on Monday.

Mordechai Vanunu, who also once worked at the top-secret Dimona plant, was jailed from 1986-2004 for passing what he said were details of its operations to Britain's Sunday Times newspaper.

Since his release in 2004, he has been subject to parole order barring him from travel or contact with foreigners.

Israel is widely believed to have around 200 nuclear warheads, but has a policy of neither confirming or denying that, a stance which it calls "nuclear ambiguity."

However, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told an Israeli parliamentary committee on Monday that no policy shift was planned and that he did not see one being forced upon Israel by Obama.

Homeless Flock to Hawaii

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Turns out surfers, vacationers, and the First Family aren't the only folks with Hawaii on their radar screen. It seems the islands are also something of a mecca for homeless men from other states.

Add to the white-sand beaches the room and board for just $3 a night, plus free medical and dental care, and it's a winning proposition for an increasing number of single, middle-aged, unemployed guys who can just put together the cost of a one-way plane ticket, the director of a homeless shelter tells NPR.

At her shelter in downtown Honolulu, a third of all the guests are from the mainland, the director says and she's not too happy that the state's taxpayers are footing the bill for the hospitality. The majority of the people who show up for lunch, an aide adds, are from out of state. "You have your locals, but not too many."

Holland Seeks Pot Ban four Tourists!

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Holland's famous cannabis cafes will only be open to Dutch smokers if government officials win a case at the European Court of Justice.

Attorneys for the government--seeking to clamp down on cross-border drug tourism--say the nation has the right to ban foreigners from coffee shops that serve pot.

Lawyers for a coffee shop owner argue that discriminating between Dutch and non-Dutch customers, even when contraband is involved violates European Union free trade agreements.

Vienna's Top Cafes...

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Every respectable tourist that comes to Vienna has to go to a cafe'--ideally a traditional one. However, there are several hundred cafes in Vienna, only, of which dozens meet even rigorous standards of traditionalism. For tourists, making a choice might be a bit difficult. My favorite is Cafe Landtmann in the First District.

Landtmann is very exclusive and popular with the staff and audience of the Burgtheater. A popular place for doing business and schmoozing over a cup of coffee or a nice hot plate of Schnitzel.

A recent $500,000 government-sponsored renovation has brought new luster to the chandeliers of Landtmann, a century-old favorite of politicians, theater stars (the Burg Theater is next door), and celeb-watchers. Press conferences are regularly held here and there is even a small theater in the cellar. There are tables on the forecourt, from which you can watch the activities in Town Hall Park.

Sigmund Freud, Burt Lancaster, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sir Paul McCartney, are just a few of the famous who have patronized this cafe', whose glass-and-brass doors have been open since 1873. If you want a great meal at almost any time of the day, there are few places that can beat this one. They also have huge, red cushion booths and dozens of newspapers from all over the world, so you can sit as long as you want without anyone telling you to leave. At night they also have a pretty good piano player.

There is also Cafe Central located in an opulent neo-Renaissance building. The interior of Cafe' Central offer a great deal of imperial splendour. Was very popular with Vienna's Fin de Siecle intelligentsia.

Address: Herrengasse 14

Cafe Griensteidl: Very classy and spacious, directly next to the Hofburg Palace. Was one of the favorite places of Peter Altenberg, an Austrian impressionist writer. Today a bit touristy, but still lots of fun.

Address: Michaelerplatz Square 2

Attractions nearby: Hofburg Palace, Kohlmarkt, Graben and Peterskirche.

Lastly there is the ultra-famous Cafe Sacher. Many tourists think that the Sacher is the mother of all cafes in Austria--due to the famous Sacher Tart. In fact, the Sacher is indeed quite traditional, but very expensive, very touristy and a hotel cafe' after all. But the food and service is great.

Address: Philharmonikastrase 4 (behind Staatsoper National Opera).

Attractions nearby: Karntner Strase, Neuer Markt Square, Stephandsome Cathedral and the Hofburg Palace.

Swastika Branded on Mentally Challenged Victim

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Three men in New Mexico will be charged with a hate crime for burning a swastika into the arm of a mentally-challenged man, say prosecutors. The attackers, between the ages of 24 and 28, already face kidnapping, aggravated battery and other felony charges, but prosecutors have vowed to pursue additional charges under hate crime legislation in order to maximize the possible sentences, AP reports.

"Well explore every conceivable available avenue in charging them with a hate crime because what happened to the victim was so horribly wrong," said a prosector.

The trio picked up the 22-year-old victim from a Navajo Indian reservation and drove him to an apartment where they branded him with a heated metal coat hanger, shaved another swastika into his hair and wrote humiliating words on him with a permanent marker, police said. They then kicked him out of their house.

Comedy Central's 'Jesus" Joke

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Just days after Comedy Central censored "South Park" for depicting the Prophet Mohammed, the cable station announced it's developing an animated series about Jesus Christ.

"J.C." from the producers of The Office promises to show Jesus trying to make his way into NYC with scant support from his "all-powerful yet apathetic father," a video-game addict.

This is "very clever" of Comedy Central, says Terry Kelhawk in The Huffington Post. After the "South Park" scandal it's "showing the East how we in the West live." No doubt Christian groups will be offended by this new cartoon, but they won't "call for violence."

Lord Jesus Christ (his real name) hit by car

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

The victim might have forgiven the woman who ran him down in a Massachusetts crosswalk, but police haven't.

Police say a Pittsfield woman has been cited for running down a man named Lord Jesus Christ as he crossed a street in Northampton on Tuesday.

The 50-year-old is from Belchertown. Officers checked his ID and discovered that, indeed, his legal name is Lord Jesus Christ. He was taken to the hospital for treatment of minor facial injuries, and later released, according to the local paper, The Republican.

Christ was in a marked crosswalk at the time of the accident, Capt. Scott Savino told the paper.

Police say 20-year-old Brittany Cantarelia was cited for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

'Nightmare' wakes up at weekend box office

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Freddy Krueger is raking in cash at the box office again, while Robert Downey Jr.'s "Iron Man 2" got off to a big start overseas.

A remake of the slasher flick "A Nightmare on Elm Street" led the weekend with a $32.2 million debut domestically, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"Iron Man 2" brought in $12.2 million in Great Britain, $10.8 million in South Korea, $8.8 million in Australia and $8.2 million in France.

Given the history of slasher sagas--the original 1984 "A Nightmare on ELm Street" was followed by seven sequels--the franchise likely has a long life ahead of it.

This weekend's other new wide release, Brendan Fraser's family comedy "Furry Vengeance," bombed with just $6.5 million. The Summit Entertainment Release stars Fraser as a housing developer assailed by the cute woodland creatures whose habitat is threatened by construction.