Even at the height of her popularity on the TV show The O.C., no one ever claimed that Mischa Barton was the second coming of Katherine Hepburn in terms of acting ability. But she’s recently been given the most difficult acting assignment of her life. I’m not talking about her upcoming TV show The Beautiful Life, but having to convince the public that her recent “involuntary commitment” into the nuthouse was because of wisdom tooth surgery.
“Here’s what happened: Before the show started, I was traveling abroad for contract stuff and I went through a terrible surgery—a wisdom tooth surgery, all four removed. It was a nightmare. I’ve never had surgery before—it all went wrong and I had to have a second surgery and it almost delayed shooting because it was a nightmare to me, because I couldn’t deal with the thought of not getting there on time. So with the travel, and surgery and prep for the show—it was hell.”
You’d pretty much have to be the love child of Sean Penn and Kate Winslet to have the acting options to sell me on that story and not some starlet like Barton. Couldn’t she have just used “exhaustion” like everyone else?
To say that Anne Heche has a history with acting bizarre is like saying that Paris Hilton sometimes says dumb things. While she has starred in hit films and TV shows (including her latest film Spread and HBO show Hung), she’s probably more known for a personal life that has included high-profile relationships with men (Steve Martin, Lindsey Buckingham) and women (Ellen DeGeneres) and her emotional meltdowns.
Last week, Heche added another “public insanity” notch to her belt, although she at least avoided showing up at a stranger’s house in Fresno while waiting for the spaceship. Instead, as a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman, she went off on a lengthy, uncomfortable rant against her ex-husband Coley Laffoon, repeatedly calling him “lazy,” mocking his soccer coaching aspirations with their son and intimating that he lives off of the alimony check he receives from her.
That’s just…awkward and painful to watch. Even Letterman seemed uncomfortable, and he’s dealt with Joaquin Phoenix. Still, it’s good to know that regardless of if she’s gay or straight this week, Anne Heche is always a fashionable and entertaining train wreck.
If we were in the mood to be cynical, we’d say that adopting bunches of children from third world countries was something of a celebrity trend. Just look at the brood that Angelina Jolie has assembled. However, it also makes a lot of sense if you think about it. There are a disturbingly large number of children in the world that have no families and live in intolerable conditions. Who better to take them in than a celeb with tons of money and space to spare?
When Madonna adopted her son David from the impoverished African nation of Malawi back in 2006, there were plenty of headlines about the adoption and questions whether the pop star had been allowed to skip over some of the red tape that a less famous foreigner would have had to deal with. This time, however, the headlines are being generated for a far different reason. A judge rejected her request to adopt a second child: Chifundo “Mercy” James, age three. The judge stated that it would be bending the rules to allow her to sidestep the requirement that states prospective parents must live in the country for a period of time.
While Madonna has been praised by officials for the charity work that she’s accomplished in the country, the judge stated that the country needed to be careful to avoid “opening the doors too wide” to foreigners seeking adoption. It was also made clear that the little girl in question was receiving care deemed as “suitable” in her current orphanage, as opposed to David’s situation over two years ago.
We’ve all seen the ads for them on TV. Internet dating sites that promise to help you find the perfect partner. Hearing the stories of happy couples who met each other through one of these sites and are now married or on the way can tug at the heartstrings of anyone who is looking to settle down in just such a relationship. However, many women feel uncomfortable dealing with this type of site. Perhaps they worry about the “caliber” of men that they’ll find when they submit their information. Maybe they worry about posting photos and personal information anywhere on the Internet. Perhaps they’re concerned that the site in question is nothing more than a scam looking to take money from the lonely and the desperate.
Choosing to utilize such a service is of course a personal choice. However, there are people who have had success meeting people through Internet matchmaking. If you’re tired of hitting the bars and have the money to spend, what do you have to lose? You can even find more specialized dating websites such as SoulSingles.com, which caters to the Black singles community.
Before giving your information or money to any dating service, it’s recommended that you do a little bit of research. See what information you can find on the history of the company to make sure they are really legit. Looking for unbiased testimonials or checking with the Better Business Bureau is always a good bet.
If you’re like many fashionistas, you love the look and feel of quality designer goods. The quality, the cut, those unique details that really make the pieces stand out. For quite a few of us, these details make designer clothes and accessories worth the premium price.
However, while we might be able to splurge every once in a while on a special handbag or dress, many of us can’t swing a completely designer wardrobe. That doesn’t mean that you should give up on expanding your collection though, even with the economy in its current state. There are plenty of great deals to be had without setting foot in a designer boutique or dealing with obnoxious retail associates. Where can you find these great deals? The same place that more and more of us are turning to for our shopping needs: the Internet.
One site that we’re interested in checking out is Gilt.com, a members-only online store that offers incredible sales on some of the top luxury brands that we love. Promising prices of up to 70% off, this site requires that you sign up before you can see what they have to offer. However, there do appear to be some terrific deals available, albeit for a limited time. There was a Burberry Prorsum Womenswear sale going on when we signed up, and we loved the Lace Up Trench. Originally $3,395.00, it was available for $1,198.00 — still a designer price tag, but a great discount off the initial retail. We look forward to seeing what other deals we can find on this exciting site.
For those who love following the rollercoaster relationships of their favorite stars, the celebrity pairing of Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer has certainly been an interesting ride. The on-again off-again couple appeared closer than ever at the 2009 Oscars just last month. However, it appears the couple has broken it off for good. And surprisingly enough, the blame for the breakup seems to fall on John Mayer’s obsessing with the social networking website Twitter.
Occasionally referred to as “micro blogging”, Twitter has exploded in popularity over the past year. This popular site allows you to post text message-sized updates about your life for your followers to read. Many celebrities and companies have embraced Twitter as a tool for communication with fans and customers.
What does this have to do with Aniston and Mayer’s breakup? According to one source, Aniston called it quits because Mayer was spending more time spending tweets to his fans than he was calling or e-mailing her. Ouch. Apparently, he failed to return her messages, claiming he was busy with work. However, he was still taking the time to send out hourly tweets. Really John, would it have been that hard to send your girlfriend a text message at the same time you were sending one to your favorite website? And, not surprising to those who accept this story as truth, Mayer twittered about the breakup as well. What did he have to say? “This heart didn’t come with instructions.”
There’s nothing quite like a bold piece of jewelry to make a woman feel like the center of attention wherever she goes. Whether you’re talking about a necklace that’s positively dripping with diamonds or a chunky, funky wooden bangle bracelet, a strong accessory can really pull a look together, not to mention demonstrate your confidence to the world. After all, if you’re wearing a piece of jewelry that’s designed to stop traffic and start conversations, you’re not exactly a wallflower.
One of our favorite jewelry styles that we’ve seen lately are the druzy geode rings by designer Dara Ettinger. You know those big plastic rings that teenagers like to wear? Consider these the grown-up, sophisticated version of those rings. Each of these unique pieces is actually carved out of stone, with the shimmering druzy crystals covering the ring’s face. The overall effect is a mass of crystals adorning your hand — a sparkle that you would be hard-pressed to match with other gemstone jewelry. Priced at under $100 and available in a wide range of sizes, styles, and colors, these rings are truly show stopping pieces and a fantastic addition to your jewelry collection.
To learn more about these rings, simply visit Dara Ettinger’s website. She has a variety of other fabulous pieces available too; we’re a fan of her fantastic necklaces. Take a look at her blog entries as well and learn which celebrities are fans of her creations.
Whether you have dreams of accepting your own Academy Award someday or just have a small film project that you’re working on with friends or family, there are very few people out there who don’t enjoy being a star, at least for a little while. The key to looking like a celeb, even if you’re merely making a corporate video, is excellent production values. From a script that actually works to top-quality video editing, a superior production means a more polished finished project.
If you’re new to the filming process or you don’t have all of the equipment or personnel you need to get the job done the way you want, it might be a good idea to choose an experienced production company to work with. A company like Solid Line Media can give your production the polished edge you want. Just look at the companies they’ve worked with. There are some seriously impressive names there, including John Deere, Textron, and DHL. Based in Chicago, they work with companies and clients all over the country. Citing “innovative motion graphics and 3-D animation, excellence in HD corporate video production, advanced camera work and our overall superiority in digital video production”, their demo reel clearly shows they know what they’re talking about.
Maybe doing a corporate or educational video isn’t the most exciting project around. Maybe it won’t lead to red carpets and glamorous gowns. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a seriously polished video at the end.
This week, Apple announced that they were releasing a fourth generation of their popular low-priced iPod Shuffle music player. The new Shuffle is literally a sliver of its former self; it is now about half as big as the last generation, or about the size of a stick of Trident gum. The controls have been moved from the player itself to the headphone cord. And the player now has the added feature of being able to tell you the song and the artist–Apple is calling this feature VoiceOver.
So how do we feel about the Shuffle redesign? Honestly, I can’t say that I’m a fan. The last Shuffle was already a very tiny device. Looking at this model, dwarfed by the model’s hand, my first thought was “how quickly am I going to lose this?” There comes a point when our electronics just don’t need to get any smaller if we want to be able to keep track of them!
Moving the controls to the headphones is another change that I’m not really that fond of. While I’m not really an expert when it comes to audio equipment, I can tell you that the earbuds that come with iPods aren’t really the best out there. I have my own headphones that I like to use for listening to music on the go. Not being able to use those is pretty much a deal-killer for me.
For those who are fascinated with the overlap between the world of technology and the world of fashion, the phrase “nanotechnology swimwear fabric” is likely to grab their attention. The manufacturer of this intriguing fabric is a company called Sun Dry Swim. As the name might suggest, they sell swimwear that is designed to dry instantly.
Looking at their website, we noted right away that they don’t seem to have suits available for sale yet, though there were some simple yet cute styles shown on a few pages. The nanotech fabric apparently works by preventing the fibers from absorbing water like they do in normal swimwear fabric. Instead, when immersed, the water flows in between the fabric fibers. It beads up and out of the fabric when exposed to air, allowing it to dry quickly. I know I’m not a fan of standing around shivering in a wet swimsuit when I get out of the pool, so I for one would definitely like to try one of these beauties.
The advanced fabric apparently has other benefits as well. The colors stay bright when the dyes in other suits can fade due to UV exposure. The fibers are also extremely resistant to chlorine, which can of course damage swimsuits over time. What’s more, the company says that the swimsuit offers SPF 50 protection from sun damage. We know that we’ll be looking forward to the designs offered by this innovative company.
