Friday, September 2, 2011

Lindsay Lohan tattoo's Special Meaning

You can take Lindsay Lohan out of Long Island, but you can't take the Long Island out of Lindsay Lohan. Perhaps that's why the actress permanently inked herself with a quote by L.I.'s greatest Piano Man, Billy Joel. LiLo showed off her latest tattoo to TMZ, a scroll of text on the right side of her ribcage that reads, "Clear as a crystal sharp as a knife I feel like I'm in the prime of my life."

The line is a lyric from Joel's minor Storm Front hit "I Go to Extremes," a song whose title seems to encapsulate the young star's tumultuous time in Hollywood. "[The lyric] represented where she is in life and everything she's been through ... it signifies that she's focused," a source told TMZ.

This isn't Lindsay Lohan's first quotable tattoo: In 2009, she had the Marilyn Monroe quip, "Everyone's a star and deserves the right to twinkle" inked onto her wrist. There's also the Rihanna-inspired "Shhh..." tattoo that she and British singer Lily Allen had etched onto their index fingers after a night of partying in 2009, and the "La Bella Vita" (translation: "The Beautiful Life") on Lindsay Lohan's lower back.

The Amp also has roots on Long Island, so two thumbs up to Lohan for making her body a canvas for Joel's words. However, some of his other lyrics would probably be a better fit. Here are a few suggestions:


• A testament to her reckless behavior: "I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints, the sinners are much more fun... only the good die young."

• If she's adamant about ditching her party girl reputation: "You're not the only one who's made mistakes, but they're the only thing that you can truly call your own. Don't forget your second wind."

• To prove that what the tabloid press writes doesn't bother her: "I don't care what you say anymore, this is my life. Go ahead with your own life, leave me alone."

• There's always the Long Island high school yearbook quote route: "They say that these are not the best of times, but they're the only times I've ever known... And so we choose between reality and madness. It's either sadness or euphoria."

• Finally, to describe the current state of her acting career: "Say goodbye to Hollywood, say goodbye, my baby."

Monday, August 29, 2011

World's Top 10 Safest Airlines Named


While European and American airlines rarely feature in the top 10 rankings for best customer service, airlines from these regions have dominated a new list of the world's safest carriers.

A report by the Air Transport Rating Agency (ATRA), released yesterday, found that the safest carriers in the world were mainly those based in Europe and the US.

No Australian airlines featured in the top 10. Air France-KLM, British Airways and Lufthansa are the safest airlines in Europe.

The safest US-based airlines are AMR Corporation, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways, while the safest from Asia is Japan Airlines, it said, without giving a ranking within the top ten.

To obtain this classification, the first of its kind, ATRA examined publicly available information on 15 criteria, such as the average age of the aircraft used or the homogeneity of the fleet, it said.

The agency explained that to understand airline safety, one needed not only to look at accident figures, but also "technical, human, organisational and external" elements.

"Even though the European Union publishes a 'blacklist' of dangerous airlines, there exists a real difference in safety between the other airline companies," ATRA added.

The agency believed the EU's list was a good start on rating airline safety, but said the list led to the belief that all airlines not on the 'blacklist' offered the same level of safety, which was not the case.

According to its website, the Geneva-based agency says it is independent of all "airlines, manufacturers, regulatory authorities, trade unions and not-for-profit organisations" in performing its aviation risk assessment.

The top 10 list is in contrast to the annual Skytrax survey that ranks airlines based on customer service. None of the airlines in the Skytrax top 10 made the ATRA's top 10 safety list.

World's 10 safest airlines (in alphabetical order)

  1. Air France-KLM

  2. AMR Corporation (American Airlines, American Eagles)

  3. British Airways

  4. Continental Airlines

  5. Delta Airlines

  6. Japan Airlines

  7. Lufthansa

  8. Southwest Airlines

  9. United Airlines

  10. US Airways

Cheryl Cole Starring in her first Hollywood movie

It It was revealed earlier this month that Cheryl Cole could be starring in her first Hollywood movie, What To Expect When You're Expecting.

And now the former X Factor judge has started work on the film in Atlanta, Georgia, alongside Cameron Diaz.

The 28-year-old star was spotted on the set, showing off her figure in a tight black Emilio Pucci lace dress and sky-high heels as she made her way to film her first scenes.

The film – whose cast also includes actors Dennis Quaid, Chris Rock and Matthew Morrison - chronicles the lives of four couples as they prepare to become parents.

And, in what could be construed as a side-swipe at Simon Cowell after she was sacked from X Factor USA, Cheryl will play a TV talent show judge for her cameo role in the film.

Cameron plays Jules who auditions in an X Factor-style contest in front of the TV talent show judge - Cheryl Cole's character.

Cheryl Cole is said to have initially impressed Hollywood film bosses during a four-day appearance at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

A film source revealed to the Daily Mail earlier this year: ‘This is a bit of fun for Cheryl. She will film the scenes imminently and is really looking forward to it.

'It doesn’t mean she suddenly wants to become actress. It was just an opportunity that has come up while she has been having some down time and she thought it would be great fun to take part.’

A spokesperson for the singer confirmed at the time: 'Cheryl Cole is confirmed for a small cameo appearance in the film What to Expect When You're Expecting.'

Meanwhile, in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Simon Cowell said he wouldn't hesitate to offer Cheryl a role on another of his TV projects.

Defending his decision to replace Cheryl with Nicole Scherzinger in the US, Cowell said: 'You're not drowning puppies here.

'You're offering someone who's got millions of dollars more money and more work. And if people think that's cruel, then they can do that to me on a daily basis. I'll take it twice a day.'

Cowell also confirmed that he offered Cheryl the chance to return to UK X Factor, but negotiations fell apart and they hadn't spoken since.

He said: 'She missed the deadline which meant she'd lost the UK show. I asked her manager Will.i.am, "How does she feel about it?" He said, "It's none of your concern."

'I never heard from her... I think her silence was quite damning.'

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Apple Without Steve Jobs as CEO

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- With Steve Jobs bowing out as CEO, Apple Inc. must persuade investors and consumers that it doesn't need the force behind the iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad in charge to keep the technology hits coming.

Tim Cook, his hand-picked successor, has handled the top job repeatedly in the absence of the ailing Jobs, who resigned as chief executive Wednesday and was elected chairman of Apple's board. Though not nearly as recognizable as Jobs, Cook had been running Apple since January. The company's stock has risen 62 percent during that time.

Jeff Gamet, managing editor of Apple-focused news site The Mac Observer, said Jobs' departure has more sentimental than practical significance. He said he has been telegraphing the change for several years.

"All Apple really has done is made official what they've been doing administratively for a while now, which is Tim runs the show and Steve gets to do his part to make sure the products come out to meet the Apple standard," he said.

But Trip Chowdhry, an analyst with Global Equities Research, said Jobs' maniacal attention to detail is what has set Apple apart. He said Apple's product pipeline might be secure for another few years, but he predicted that the company will eventually struggle to come up with market-changing ideas.

"Apple is Steve Jobs, Steve Jobs is Apple, and Steve Jobs is innovation," Chowdhry said. "You can teach people how to be operationally efficient, you can hire consultants to tell you how to do that, but God creates innovation. ... Apple without Steve Jobs is nothing."

Jobs' resignation appears to be the result of an unspecified medical condition for which he took a leave from his post in January.

In a letter addressed to Apple's board and the "Apple community," Jobs said he "always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come."

Jobs' health has long been a concern for Apple investors, who see him as an oracle of technology. He had previously survived pancreatic cancer and received a liver transplant.

The company said Jobs gave the board his resignation Wednesday and suggested that Cook, Apple's chief operating officer, be named the company's new leader. Apple also said Cook is becoming a member of its board.

Genentech Inc. Chairman Art Levinson, in a statement issued on behalf of Apple's board, said Jobs' "extraordinary vision and leadership saved Apple and guided it to its position as the world's most innovative and valuable technology company."

He said that Jobs will continue to provide "his unique insights, creativity and inspiration," and that the board has "complete confidence" that Cook is the right person to replace him.

"Tim's 13 years of service to Apple have been marked by outstanding performance, and he has demonstrated remarkable talent and sound judgment in everything he does," Levinson said.

Earlier this month Apple briefly became the most valuable company in America, surpassing Exxon Mobil. At the market close Wednesday, Apple's value was $349 billion, just behind Exxon Mobil's $358 billion.

Jobs' hits seemed to grow bigger as the years went on: After the colorful iMac computer and the now-ubiquitous iPod, the iPhone redefined the category of smartphones and the iPad all but created the market for tablet computers.

His own aura seemed part of the attraction. On stage at trade shows and company events in his uniform of jeans, sneakers and black mock-turtlenecks, he'd entrance audiences with new devices, new colors and new software features, building up to a grand finale he'd predictably preface by saying, "One more thing."

Jobs, 56, shepherded Apple from a two-man startup to Silicon Valley darling when the Apple II, the first computer for regular people to really catch on, sent IBM Corp. and others scrambling to get their own PCs to market.

After Apple suffered a slump in the mid-1980s, he was forced out of the company. He was CEO at Next, another computer company, and Pixar, the computer-animation company that produced "Toy Story" on his watch, over the following 10 years.

Apple was foundering as he returned as an adviser in 1996 -- a year it lost $900 million as PCs based on Microsoft Windows dominated the computer market. The company's fortunes began to turn around with its first new product under Jobs' direction, the iMac. It launched in 1998 and sold about 2 million in its first 12 months.

Jobs eventually became interim CEO, then took the job permanently. Apple's popularity grew in the U.S. throughout the 2000s as the ever-sleeker line of iPods introduced many lifelong Windows users to their first Apple gadget. Apple created another sensation in 2007 with the iPhone, the stark-looking but powerful smartphone that quickly dominated the industry.

The iPad was introduced less than a year and a half ago but has already sold nearly 29 million units as it inspired myriad rivals in a tablet computer market that scarcely existed before Apple stepped in.

There have been some setbacks. Apple was swept up in a massive Securities and Exchange Commission inquiry into stock options backdating in the mid-2000s, a practice that artificially boosted the value of options grants. But Jobs and Apple emerged unscathed after two former executives took the fall and eventually settled with the SEC.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Will Smith & Jada Pinkett Smith:"We are still together".

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Will and Jada Smith have issued a statement confirming they are still together after a report surfaced on Tuesday suggesting their 13-year marriage had come to an end.

"Although we are reluctant to respond to these types of press reports, the rumors circulating about our relationship are completely false. We are still together, and our marriage is intact," Will and Jada said in a joint statement, issued to Access Hollywood.

On Tuesday morning, InTouch Weekly claimed the Hollywood superstar couple has decided to split after 13 years of marriage.

Will, 42, and Jada, 39, tied the knot in 1997. They have two children together - Jaden, 13, and Willow, 10. Will also has a son, Trey, 18, from a previous marriage.

Will's previous marriage to Sheree Zampino lasted from 1992 to 1995.

Will and Jada reportedly met when Jada auditioned for a role on Will's long-running series "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air."

Back in 2008, Will opened up about his marriage during a visit to "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," and at the time, said "divorce is not an option."

"What I found is divorce just can't be an option," Will told Ellen at the time. "It's really that simple. And I think that's the problem with L.A. - there are so many options. So a huge part of the success for [Jada] and I is that we just removed the other options."

In 2005, Access spoke with Will while he was promoting "Hitch" to talk about the secret to making a marriage work.

"Jada and I spend a lot of time studying relationships and why things work and why things don't work," Will told Access Hollywood at the time.

"You've gotta love every aspect, you've gotta love it from every angle," Will later added.

Meanwhile, Jada said one of the secrets to the couple's success was finding time - and a place - for each other.

"You have to be willing to move around -- to move your romance around. Kitchen, closet, park, parked car," she laughed during the "Collateral" junket in 2004. "You'd be surprised!"

NorCal Fugitive Captured After 36 Years On The Run

A convicted murderer who escaped from a California prison camp over three decades ago has been recaptured thanks to a clue gleaned from his dying mother, authorities said on Monday.

William Walter Asher III, 66, was taken into custody without incident at a home in the Northern California town of Salida on Friday, FBI spokesman Steve Dupre said.

Asher, who was sentenced in 1967 to seven years to life in prison after a fatal bar robbery, had been on the run since an accomplice helped him escape from a Northern California prison camp in 1975.

The trail had gone cold until 2005, when authorities learned that, on her death bed, Asher's mother had asked family members for help in contacting her son via a secret number, Dupre said.

Agents using phone records tracked two phone calls to a residence in Salida, where Asher was living under the assumed name of Garry Donald Webb, Dupre said.

The fugitive, who shared the home with a female companion of more than 20 years, was arrested there after admitting to his true identity, Dupre said.

"According to the agent who was there, (Asher) was real somber and didn't really say too much, but one of the things that stuck with agent was, he was very curious about how we tracked him down," Dupre said.

"He kept asking, 'How did you find me?'," Dupre said.

The woman was not identified by authorities and apparently did not know that Asher was a fugitive and convicted murderer, Dupre said.

Asher was originally arrested in Chicago in 1966, where authorities say he fled at the age of 20 after taking part in a San Francisco bar robbery in which the bartender was shot and beaten to death.

After escaping from the Growlersburg Conservation Camp in El Dorado County, California, he assumed the name of David Donald McFee, worked as a long-haul trucker, married and raised a family, the FBI said.

Asher eventually separated from his wife, who was later interviewed by authorities but could not provide information on his whereabouts. The FBI said one of Asher's daughters contacted the FBI several years ago trying to find her father. (Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Jerry Norton and Cynthia Johnston)

Daisy Lowe Nude for Playboy


Daisy Lowe will be proud of her naked Playboy photo shoot when she's older, her mother Pearl Lowe has claimed.

The songwriter-and-fashion designer's model daughter posed nude for the September edition of Hugh Hefner's men's magazine and Pearl believes Daisy Lowe was right to bare all while she is young because Daisy Lowe has the 'most incredible body'.

The 41-year-old star said: 'I don't really mind (she did the shoot), she's done so many of those kind of things and she's 22 - I can't really say, 'Right you mustn't do this!' At the end of the day, she has the most incredible body of anyone I've ever known. Why not show it off, then she can look back when she's older and say, 'Look at me!' . It's her career and I've never got involved in it. Daisy Lowe is a very clever girl, and she knows what she's doing. She's much more business inclined than I am.'

The former Powder singer - who is married to Supergrass drummer Danny Goffey - has praised her daughter's voluptuous figure and claims all models should have Daisy's curves.

In an interview with Britain's Star magazine, Pearl said: 'I love girls who have bodies - my dresses are made for normal women with bums. I just understand why they use these stick-thin models. I think Daisy Lowe should be the top, top model ever, and more women should look like her. She's a curvy girl, but at the moment she's skinny because she's been working out. She still has her curves and likes her food. I think she just wanted to be really healthy, but she's still eating and still has her boobs.'