Zsa Zsa Gabor is back in the hospital.
The "Moulin Rouge" actress and Hollywood socialite -- who is turning 94 this Sunday -- was disoriented and vomiting blood in her L.A. home Tuesday morning, her spokesman confirmed.
"Following breakfast this morning… she started coughing up blood and mucus," spokesman John Blanchette told AFP. "[The hospital] sent an ambulance to the house immediately. They've pumped the mucus out of her lungs… and they had to treat some pus pockets in her leg, where there is an infection."
Gabor's husband, Frederic Prinz Von Anhalt, later told The Associated Press doctors told him they hoped to stabilize her leg "in a few hours."
His wife was "sort of conscious" as she was rushed to the hospital, he said.
"She doesn't know what is going on. She has no memories. It could come back but the doctor doesn't know yet," van Anhalt added.
Gabor's leg was amputated on Jan. 14 at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center because of an infection. Last July, the actress, 93, broke her hip and had surgery; she had also been in the hospital due to blood clots.
Additionally, she was partly paralyzed in a car wreck in 2002 and in 2005 she suffered a stroke.
Gabor shot to fame as a sex symbol in the 1950s and has famously been married nine times.
Showing posts with label After. Show all posts
Showing posts with label After. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Bret Michael's Released from Hospital after "Successful" Surgery
Poison fans take heart!
After undergoing a procedure to repair a hole in his heart on January 24, Bret Michaels, 47, was released from St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix today.
"Bret's procedure had excellent results," Dr. Mansour Assar said. "Because of the successful out come and Bret's determination, I believe he will be able to return to normal activity within weeks."
Though the potentially dangerous condition, known as Patent Foramen Ovale, had been present since birth, it was only the Rock of Love star was treated for a life-threatening brain hemorrhage in April.
Last month Michaels proposed to longtime girlfriend Kristi Gibson, 39, the mother of his daughters Raine, 10, and Jorja, 5.
"She's been very patient and strong," Michaels told UsMagazine.com about Gibson, who saw him through his health problems. "It just made our bond for each other that much stronger. It gave us a bond that's unbreakable."
After undergoing a procedure to repair a hole in his heart on January 24, Bret Michaels, 47, was released from St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix today.
"Bret's procedure had excellent results," Dr. Mansour Assar said. "Because of the successful out come and Bret's determination, I believe he will be able to return to normal activity within weeks."
Though the potentially dangerous condition, known as Patent Foramen Ovale, had been present since birth, it was only the Rock of Love star was treated for a life-threatening brain hemorrhage in April.
Last month Michaels proposed to longtime girlfriend Kristi Gibson, 39, the mother of his daughters Raine, 10, and Jorja, 5.
"She's been very patient and strong," Michaels told UsMagazine.com about Gibson, who saw him through his health problems. "It just made our bond for each other that much stronger. It gave us a bond that's unbreakable."
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Jimmy Buffett Hospitalized After Fall from Stage
Jimmy Buffett was rushed to a hospital in Australia today after he fell off the stage during a concert ... and it appears flashing lights from the lighting director may have triggered the fall that left him unconscious ... TMZ has learned.
TMZ has confirmed the 64-year-old singer was taken to St. Vincent's Hospital in Sydney after he crashed into a large gap in front of the stage during the show's finale at Hordern Pavilion.
An audience member in the front row tells TMZ it appeared Buffett was unconscious for about 5-10 minutes and that he had a huge gash on his head. Paramedics arrived 15 minutes later.
Sean Fogarty, who was also front and center, tells TMZ Jimmy was doing an encore at the end of the concert called "Lovely Cruise" and walking along the edge of the stage when the lighting person splashed "a huge flash of light" along the stage, making it impossible to see and he fell. Fogarty says the next thing he knew he heard Buffett's head strike the metal on his way to the floor.
Another audience member who was close to the stage, tells TMZ a slightly different story .... that it looked as if Buffett was about to jump off the stage to shake hands when he misjudged the jump and fell. The audience member also says he saw Buffett's head strike a metal strip on his way down.
The light flash lasted 10 seconds and no one even knew Buffett had fallen until the flashing ceased.
We're told doctors at St. Vincent's are still assessing his injury.
UPDATE: We're told Buffett is in stable condition and will stay in the hospital for observation.
TMZ has confirmed the 64-year-old singer was taken to St. Vincent's Hospital in Sydney after he crashed into a large gap in front of the stage during the show's finale at Hordern Pavilion.
An audience member in the front row tells TMZ it appeared Buffett was unconscious for about 5-10 minutes and that he had a huge gash on his head. Paramedics arrived 15 minutes later.
Sean Fogarty, who was also front and center, tells TMZ Jimmy was doing an encore at the end of the concert called "Lovely Cruise" and walking along the edge of the stage when the lighting person splashed "a huge flash of light" along the stage, making it impossible to see and he fell. Fogarty says the next thing he knew he heard Buffett's head strike the metal on his way to the floor.
Another audience member who was close to the stage, tells TMZ a slightly different story .... that it looked as if Buffett was about to jump off the stage to shake hands when he misjudged the jump and fell. The audience member also says he saw Buffett's head strike a metal strip on his way down.
The light flash lasted 10 seconds and no one even knew Buffett had fallen until the flashing ceased.
We're told doctors at St. Vincent's are still assessing his injury.
UPDATE: We're told Buffett is in stable condition and will stay in the hospital for observation.
In First Show after Falling Ill in Chicago, Chuck Berry Rocks Again
Chuck Berry has had enough of people’s concern since he appeared to collapse onto a keyboard and couldn’t continue his Jan.1 show at Chicago’s Congress Theater.
“I just got a call from Pine Bluff, Ark.: ‘How do you feel?’” the 84-year-old rock ‘n’ roll pioneer recounted last week in a rare interview in the tiny backstage dressing room at Blueberry Hill, the St. Louis club where he has performed monthly since 1996. “I’ve been asked, oh, I guess, 600 times. Well, come on, that can get monotonous, you know.”
So what does he say to them?
“I want to say, ‘I feel like kicking butt,’” Berry said with a smile. “But I don’t. I say I’m OK. I just left the stage because I had to go somewhere. I turn it into a joke. Anybody that eats food does that.”
Well, regardless of whether the Berry health scare really was just a matter of his needing a bathroom break rather than suffering from exhaustion or other maladies after playing two New Year’s Eve shows in New York City, the mood in Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room was electric in anticipation of the singer-guitarist’s first stage appearance since then.
Berry said he has no intention of discontinuing these performances. “If they pay, I play,” he said, laughing while communicating his long-held ethos. But many fans felt a certain urgency to catch him now nonetheless.
Ean Christman, a blues guitarist, said he’d been saving money to see Berry eventually but decided he’d better make the drive up from Dallas this month. “When that thing happened Jan.1 in Chicago, I said I have to cash in my bottle caps,” Christman said. “There’s no more waiting.”
Nancy Elner, a nurse, flew in from Boston not even knowing whether she could get a ticket to the sold-out show. She decided to take the risk because “I don’t know how much longer he’s going to be playing.” (Someone at the bar had one spare ticket to sell.) Mike McCarthy, CEO of the St. Louis Blues hockey team, also was spurred to see Berry for the first time last Wednesday night.
“It’s on the St. Louis bucket list for sure,” he said.
“I think we’re about to see a great show tonight,” Blueberry Hill owner and Berry friend Joe Edwards said upon emerging from the dressing room. “It’s the first show of the new year. It’s the first show after Chicago. He just seems very buoyant and enthusiastic.”
As has been the case for decades, when Berry is on the road, he requires the promoter to supply a backing band for each show, and they usually hit the stage together with no rehearsal, the star not shy about expressing any displeasure. (He even feuded with one-time band leader Keith Richards for the1986 concert that became the film “Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll.”) So it may not be surprising that Berry said that one of the problems in Chicago was his trio of hired guns.
“The band was bad,” he said. “The band was not in tune.” He also complained that one member didn’t know “Johnny B. Goode.”
Contacted in Chicago, pianist Vijay Tellis-Nayak said he and the drummer and bassist had been studying Berry’s set lists and rehearsing his songs together since October, but on stage there was no way they could keep up with Berry’s changing keys midsong or having his guitar out of tune. “I definitely would not say that there’s anything we could have done to salvage the situation in terms of knowing the songs better,” Tellis-Nayak said.
Berry’s St. Louis residency shows, in contrast, take place not in auditoriums that hold thousands but a basement room with a capacity of 340, and he plays with the same musicians month after month, year after year. Joining bassist Jim Marsala, keyboardist Bob Lohr and drummer Keith Robinson are two of Berry’s children: Charles Berry Jr. on guitar and Ingrid Berry Clay on harmonica and the occasional roof-raising lead vocal.
“It’s like being with the family at the Thanksgiving dinner, where everything is jovial and warm,” Clay said of being alongside her father and brother on stage.
At 10 p.m. sharp, Berry strolled onto the stage in a white captain’s hat, purple glittery shirt and slim charcoal slacks and announced, “Here we go again,” while the crowd stood and cheered. He kicked the band into a rickety version of his 1958 hit “Carol” before abruptly shifting to the lyrics of his 1956 hit “Roll Over Beethoven.”
On the subsequent “Memphis, Tennessee” and “School Day” he established a pattern of singing behind the beat yet still in rhythm, all while he banged out jagged, sometimes dissonant counterparts on his hollow-body Gibson, sometimes slapping the neck percussively. Yet just when you’d think the song was about to break down, it might kick into high gear, as if Berry had preserved his vigor for youthful shouts of “Hail, hail, rock ‘n’ roll!” and “Rock! Rock! Rock ‘n’ roll!”
Someone in the audience muttered that the show was like a roller coaster ride. A tightrope walk also might be an apt metaphor, or perhaps a loose-wheeled wagon whipping around a winding mountain road with no guardrails.
Berry’s memory and hearing aren’t what they used to be; backstage he acknowledged that he forgets lyrics, and he said, “Being in front of those amps for 50 years, my hearing is beginning to wiggle.”
His guitar strayed out of key and out of tune, and sometimes he got lost amid his poetically pile-driving lyrics.
But unlike when he was touring alone and playing with strangers, here he had a support team that could pull him back from the cliff. So when he faltered singing B.B. King’s blues song “Rock Me Baby,” Clay stepped up to deliver a ferocious purr to the sensuous lyrics, prompting her beaming father to pronounce, “Ain’t it good to have a daughter to help her old man out?”
And when Berry was clicking and his band could go full tilt, the results were thrilling, as on a blazing “Let It Rock,” and a finale of “Johnny B. Goode” that ended with about15 women from the audience dancing on either side of him.
When an audience member requested “Maybellene,” his rambunctious1955 single that kick-started his career and perhaps the entire genre of guitar-driven rock, Berry quipped, “You’re calling all these fast ones to see if I can still cut the mustard.”
He played it anyway, not at the original’s breakneck speed, but, hey, the guy is 84 years old. (Earlier, after telling the crowd his age, he launched into his most juvenile hit, “My Ding-A-Ling.”) He even crouched into position to do his trademark duck walk before standing back up and announcing, “I don’t want to fall, y’all!”
That line got a big laugh, yet during “Johnny B. Goode” he did duck-walk across the stage, prompting McCarthy in his seat to proclaim, “Holy (moly)! I can’t believe I just saw that! That’s royalty.”
“Is everybody happy?” Berry called out at the end of his hourlong set, and as loud and enthusiastic as the crowd’s response was, his own face indicated he was right there with them.
He really did feel like kicking butt after all.
“I just got a call from Pine Bluff, Ark.: ‘How do you feel?’” the 84-year-old rock ‘n’ roll pioneer recounted last week in a rare interview in the tiny backstage dressing room at Blueberry Hill, the St. Louis club where he has performed monthly since 1996. “I’ve been asked, oh, I guess, 600 times. Well, come on, that can get monotonous, you know.”
So what does he say to them?
“I want to say, ‘I feel like kicking butt,’” Berry said with a smile. “But I don’t. I say I’m OK. I just left the stage because I had to go somewhere. I turn it into a joke. Anybody that eats food does that.”
Well, regardless of whether the Berry health scare really was just a matter of his needing a bathroom break rather than suffering from exhaustion or other maladies after playing two New Year’s Eve shows in New York City, the mood in Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room was electric in anticipation of the singer-guitarist’s first stage appearance since then.
Berry said he has no intention of discontinuing these performances. “If they pay, I play,” he said, laughing while communicating his long-held ethos. But many fans felt a certain urgency to catch him now nonetheless.
Ean Christman, a blues guitarist, said he’d been saving money to see Berry eventually but decided he’d better make the drive up from Dallas this month. “When that thing happened Jan.1 in Chicago, I said I have to cash in my bottle caps,” Christman said. “There’s no more waiting.”
Nancy Elner, a nurse, flew in from Boston not even knowing whether she could get a ticket to the sold-out show. She decided to take the risk because “I don’t know how much longer he’s going to be playing.” (Someone at the bar had one spare ticket to sell.) Mike McCarthy, CEO of the St. Louis Blues hockey team, also was spurred to see Berry for the first time last Wednesday night.
“It’s on the St. Louis bucket list for sure,” he said.
“I think we’re about to see a great show tonight,” Blueberry Hill owner and Berry friend Joe Edwards said upon emerging from the dressing room. “It’s the first show of the new year. It’s the first show after Chicago. He just seems very buoyant and enthusiastic.”
As has been the case for decades, when Berry is on the road, he requires the promoter to supply a backing band for each show, and they usually hit the stage together with no rehearsal, the star not shy about expressing any displeasure. (He even feuded with one-time band leader Keith Richards for the1986 concert that became the film “Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll.”) So it may not be surprising that Berry said that one of the problems in Chicago was his trio of hired guns.
“The band was bad,” he said. “The band was not in tune.” He also complained that one member didn’t know “Johnny B. Goode.”
Contacted in Chicago, pianist Vijay Tellis-Nayak said he and the drummer and bassist had been studying Berry’s set lists and rehearsing his songs together since October, but on stage there was no way they could keep up with Berry’s changing keys midsong or having his guitar out of tune. “I definitely would not say that there’s anything we could have done to salvage the situation in terms of knowing the songs better,” Tellis-Nayak said.
Berry’s St. Louis residency shows, in contrast, take place not in auditoriums that hold thousands but a basement room with a capacity of 340, and he plays with the same musicians month after month, year after year. Joining bassist Jim Marsala, keyboardist Bob Lohr and drummer Keith Robinson are two of Berry’s children: Charles Berry Jr. on guitar and Ingrid Berry Clay on harmonica and the occasional roof-raising lead vocal.
“It’s like being with the family at the Thanksgiving dinner, where everything is jovial and warm,” Clay said of being alongside her father and brother on stage.
At 10 p.m. sharp, Berry strolled onto the stage in a white captain’s hat, purple glittery shirt and slim charcoal slacks and announced, “Here we go again,” while the crowd stood and cheered. He kicked the band into a rickety version of his 1958 hit “Carol” before abruptly shifting to the lyrics of his 1956 hit “Roll Over Beethoven.”
On the subsequent “Memphis, Tennessee” and “School Day” he established a pattern of singing behind the beat yet still in rhythm, all while he banged out jagged, sometimes dissonant counterparts on his hollow-body Gibson, sometimes slapping the neck percussively. Yet just when you’d think the song was about to break down, it might kick into high gear, as if Berry had preserved his vigor for youthful shouts of “Hail, hail, rock ‘n’ roll!” and “Rock! Rock! Rock ‘n’ roll!”
Someone in the audience muttered that the show was like a roller coaster ride. A tightrope walk also might be an apt metaphor, or perhaps a loose-wheeled wagon whipping around a winding mountain road with no guardrails.
Berry’s memory and hearing aren’t what they used to be; backstage he acknowledged that he forgets lyrics, and he said, “Being in front of those amps for 50 years, my hearing is beginning to wiggle.”
His guitar strayed out of key and out of tune, and sometimes he got lost amid his poetically pile-driving lyrics.
But unlike when he was touring alone and playing with strangers, here he had a support team that could pull him back from the cliff. So when he faltered singing B.B. King’s blues song “Rock Me Baby,” Clay stepped up to deliver a ferocious purr to the sensuous lyrics, prompting her beaming father to pronounce, “Ain’t it good to have a daughter to help her old man out?”
And when Berry was clicking and his band could go full tilt, the results were thrilling, as on a blazing “Let It Rock,” and a finale of “Johnny B. Goode” that ended with about15 women from the audience dancing on either side of him.
When an audience member requested “Maybellene,” his rambunctious1955 single that kick-started his career and perhaps the entire genre of guitar-driven rock, Berry quipped, “You’re calling all these fast ones to see if I can still cut the mustard.”
He played it anyway, not at the original’s breakneck speed, but, hey, the guy is 84 years old. (Earlier, after telling the crowd his age, he launched into his most juvenile hit, “My Ding-A-Ling.”) He even crouched into position to do his trademark duck walk before standing back up and announcing, “I don’t want to fall, y’all!”
That line got a big laugh, yet during “Johnny B. Goode” he did duck-walk across the stage, prompting McCarthy in his seat to proclaim, “Holy (moly)! I can’t believe I just saw that! That’s royalty.”
“Is everybody happy?” Berry called out at the end of his hourlong set, and as loud and enthusiastic as the crowd’s response was, his own face indicated he was right there with them.
He really did feel like kicking butt after all.
'Idol' Waitress Loses Job After 'A.I.' Audition
The "American Idol" wannabe who was introduced on "A.I." as a singing waitress at a New York diner was "let go" from her gig at the eatery after the show got in the way of her work schedule ... TMZ has learned.
When Devyn Rush got her golden ticket to Hollywood, sources close to the singer tell us she informed her bosses at Ellen's Stardust Diner in NYC about her trip and expected to have a job when she returned.
But, we're told, when Rush got back and asked about her schedule, she was informed that her services would no longer be needed.
Staff members at Ellen's tell us they simply couldn't hold Devyn's position because the Hollywood trip happened to line up in the midst of the diner's "busy season" ... and they needed to fill the spot.
A rep for the diner tells us the issue is still in "limbo" -- and both sides are trying to reach an amicable resolution.
When Devyn Rush got her golden ticket to Hollywood, sources close to the singer tell us she informed her bosses at Ellen's Stardust Diner in NYC about her trip and expected to have a job when she returned.
But, we're told, when Rush got back and asked about her schedule, she was informed that her services would no longer be needed.
Staff members at Ellen's tell us they simply couldn't hold Devyn's position because the Hollywood trip happened to line up in the midst of the diner's "busy season" ... and they needed to fill the spot.
A rep for the diner tells us the issue is still in "limbo" -- and both sides are trying to reach an amicable resolution.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Octomom Afraid of Losing Kids After Fetish Video
We're not sure whipping grown men dressed as babies constitutes a sound mother, and Octomom Nadya Suleman isn't, either.
Since the release of what was supposed to be a humorous skit turned raunchy fetish video featuring Suleman scantily clad in a black corset, RadarOnline.com reports she is fearful of losing her 14 children.
"I am scared that Orange County CPS will misunderstand my intentions or my parenting abilities and take my kids away from me," she tells Radar.
Not only was her decision to take part in the "skit" a questionable one, but according to Radar, Suleman filmed the video alongside David Gonzalez, who has been arrested for spousal battery and drug possession. Nadya invited David into her home where the video was shot, although she claims that she was unaware of his arrest record.
"I had no idea that he had a criminal record," she says. "I thought he was a professional DJ on a reputable radio station who had come up with a funny idea for a skit."
In September of last year, Octomom held a yard sale in attempt to make ends meet and vowed that she would never appear in an adult film to pay her mortgage.
But now she is indeed apologizing for what turned out to be a fetish video, stating she regrets her involvement.
"Instead of a lighthearted skit with a naughty edge, it turned out to be a vulgar and unprofessional video that I deeply regret playing any part in," she says.
This is on the heels of Suleman's 'Oprah Winfrey Show' appearance, where she admitted to a "baby addiction" that played a part in her being implanted with 12 embryos and the birth of her famous octuplets. Suleman's doctor is currently being accused of "gross negligence" and could face the loss of his medical license.
Since the release of what was supposed to be a humorous skit turned raunchy fetish video featuring Suleman scantily clad in a black corset, RadarOnline.com reports she is fearful of losing her 14 children.
"I am scared that Orange County CPS will misunderstand my intentions or my parenting abilities and take my kids away from me," she tells Radar.
Not only was her decision to take part in the "skit" a questionable one, but according to Radar, Suleman filmed the video alongside David Gonzalez, who has been arrested for spousal battery and drug possession. Nadya invited David into her home where the video was shot, although she claims that she was unaware of his arrest record.
"I had no idea that he had a criminal record," she says. "I thought he was a professional DJ on a reputable radio station who had come up with a funny idea for a skit."
In September of last year, Octomom held a yard sale in attempt to make ends meet and vowed that she would never appear in an adult film to pay her mortgage.
But now she is indeed apologizing for what turned out to be a fetish video, stating she regrets her involvement.
"Instead of a lighthearted skit with a naughty edge, it turned out to be a vulgar and unprofessional video that I deeply regret playing any part in," she says.
This is on the heels of Suleman's 'Oprah Winfrey Show' appearance, where she admitted to a "baby addiction" that played a part in her being implanted with 12 embryos and the birth of her famous octuplets. Suleman's doctor is currently being accused of "gross negligence" and could face the loss of his medical license.
Friday, January 21, 2011
German Porn Star Dies After Botched BOOB JOB
A German porn star -- who appeared on the German edition of "Big Brother" --died yesterday due to complications from a breast enhancement surgery gone terribly wrong.
23-year-old "Sexy Cora" was reportedly trying to enhance her bra size from an F to a G cup ... when she fell into a coma during the operation and died 9 days later.
According to published reports, the two doctors who performed the surgery have been charged with negligent manslaughter.
Cora's husband told a German newspaper, '"The brain damage was too great. Her blood pressure dropped steadily, physiological functions gave out ... then she went to sleep quietly."
23-year-old "Sexy Cora" was reportedly trying to enhance her bra size from an F to a G cup ... when she fell into a coma during the operation and died 9 days later.
According to published reports, the two doctors who performed the surgery have been charged with negligent manslaughter.
Cora's husband told a German newspaper, '"The brain damage was too great. Her blood pressure dropped steadily, physiological functions gave out ... then she went to sleep quietly."
After a Busy Film Workload, Natalie Portman Takes a Pregnant Pause
Natalie Portman’s aware you might be getting a little tired of her face. But she offers a compelling reason for making the plethora the films she’s got in the pipeline.
“Well, you have heard that the Apocalypse is coming, right? 2012 – The Mayan calendar?” Portman explains. “I thought that I would get it all in right before.
A freshly minted Golden Globe winner and leading contender to take home an Oscar for last fall’s “Black Swan,” Portman will be seen at more than just awards podiums this year. She’s got the raunchy/romantic comedy “No Strings Attached” dropping this week, plus stints as the Thunder God’s love interest in “Thor” and a comely warrior woman in the comedy “Your Highness,” both due this year.
“I feel bad for boring people with my face for a while,” she conceded, “but in as an actress it was really an exciting thing to get to work on all of these things almost back to back.”
“I learned so much from doing all these different types of movies,” Portman said, “because you bring the research and the seriousness and the discipline of doing a drama into something like 'Thor,' and you bring the humor and the improvisational attitude from something like 'Your Highness' into 'Black Swan.'”
Along with expanding her film resume, Portman was pleased to reclaim her curvier personal proportions in “No Strings Attached” after getting scary-skinny for “Black Swan.” “You're like, 'How did you get fat so quickly?'” she chuckled. “It was pretty great. It was like a palate cleanser after all of that discipline and focus and a very serious kind of set, to a really playful, fun [film] – obviously everyone is still very professional on this movie, but there's an improvisational feel all the time and everyone is there to play. It was a really great atmosphere – and I didn't have to work out because I was like, 'She's a doctor. They don't have time.'”
Now she’ll be taking some time off, with plenty of new strings attached: she’s engaged to “Black Swan” choreographer Benjamin Millipied and is prepping herself for the off-screen role of mother. Asked about her upcoming projects, she looks at her expectant tummy and says simply “I'm cooking a child.”
“Well, you have heard that the Apocalypse is coming, right? 2012 – The Mayan calendar?” Portman explains. “I thought that I would get it all in right before.
A freshly minted Golden Globe winner and leading contender to take home an Oscar for last fall’s “Black Swan,” Portman will be seen at more than just awards podiums this year. She’s got the raunchy/romantic comedy “No Strings Attached” dropping this week, plus stints as the Thunder God’s love interest in “Thor” and a comely warrior woman in the comedy “Your Highness,” both due this year.
“I feel bad for boring people with my face for a while,” she conceded, “but in as an actress it was really an exciting thing to get to work on all of these things almost back to back.”
“I learned so much from doing all these different types of movies,” Portman said, “because you bring the research and the seriousness and the discipline of doing a drama into something like 'Thor,' and you bring the humor and the improvisational attitude from something like 'Your Highness' into 'Black Swan.'”
Along with expanding her film resume, Portman was pleased to reclaim her curvier personal proportions in “No Strings Attached” after getting scary-skinny for “Black Swan.” “You're like, 'How did you get fat so quickly?'” she chuckled. “It was pretty great. It was like a palate cleanser after all of that discipline and focus and a very serious kind of set, to a really playful, fun [film] – obviously everyone is still very professional on this movie, but there's an improvisational feel all the time and everyone is there to play. It was a really great atmosphere – and I didn't have to work out because I was like, 'She's a doctor. They don't have time.'”
Now she’ll be taking some time off, with plenty of new strings attached: she’s engaged to “Black Swan” choreographer Benjamin Millipied and is prepping herself for the off-screen role of mother. Asked about her upcoming projects, she looks at her expectant tummy and says simply “I'm cooking a child.”
New Allman Album Hits 7 Months after Transplant
When Gregg Allman asked his doctors for permission to start touring again just a few months after a liver transplant, he got quizzical looks.
"They said, 'Well, we're going to give you a pass and sign you out — but are you crazy?'" Allman said. "I actually think that it had to do with the big step in healing up that happened after I went on the road."
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, who this week releases "Low Country Blues," his first solo recording in 14 years, has experienced the healing power of music firsthand. Allman had his transplant on June 23 after hepatitis and the rock-star life left him in a state of deteriorating health. He knew the operation and recovery would be challenging, but he found it far more painful than he imagined it would be.
"They don't tell you about a lot of it because they don't want to scare you, you know," the 63-year-old said in a phone interview.
Allman found relief in music. He was playing the guitar and piano again several weeks after the surgery and slowly worked his way back on stage.
"That's kind of like the planet of no pain, being on stage," Allman said.
Allman was left with a noticeable shake in his hands from immune system-depressing drugs meant to keep his body from rejecting the new liver. Music seems to help there, too. The shaking stops when he lays his hands on his piano or guitar.
Allman has a theory about the therapeutic power of music.
"I think it's because you're doing something that you truly love," he said. "I think it just creates a diversion from the pain itself. You've been swallowed up by something you love, you know, and you're just totally engulfed."
Another thing that helped him through was his anticipation over the release of "Low Country Blues," produced by T Bone Burnett.
Allman's solo career had been dormant since the '90s. He worked with The Allman Brothers, the groundbreaking group he founded with his brother Duane in the 1960s that went on to define the dirty blues branch of the Southern rock family tree.
He had been thinking about a new record when his manager set up a meeting with Burnett in Memphis, Tennessee. The two bonded over once-forgotten blues songs. Burnett recasts Allman as a Delta blues singer with covers of Muddy Waters' "I Can't Be Satisfied," Skip James' haunted "Devil Got My Woman" and Sleepy John Estes' "Floating Bridge," one of his favorites.
"I like 'Floating Bridge' a whole bunch," he said. "It's a good swampy sounding song. I mean it's just one chord all the way through, kind of like the 'Gilded Splinters.' It just lent itself to being a little swampy, a little spooky. I enjoy that kind of thing."
Allman says he feels clean now, cleansed of the toxins left by alcohol and drug abuse and disease. Liver damage robbed him of his vitality and left him dwindling and exhausted. As his health worsened, it might take 10 hours of sleep to prepare for or recover from a 3-hour show. The wait for a donor liver was an anxious one, and he found himself seeking a stronger relationship with God.
"I was pretty sure I was gonna die," he said with a rueful chuckle. "And I just said, 'Man, come help me, God, can you come and help me? I'm in a real bad way here.' I said, 'Take what you want, just don't let me die.' He didn't take anything, you know, or anything like that. He restored my faith and my sanity and all that stuff. It was very painful, but there were different places along the way that I got little signs to tell me to hold on, that everything was going to be OK."
Allman's manager, Michael Lehman, flew to Jacksonville, Florida, to be with Allman for the surgery and in the days after. He has watched Allman's energy and healthy glow return in the months since. He has witnessed a rebirth on stage where Allman's improved stamina and health have led to a rich, strong voice that has critics hailing his performances. And he has seen Allman change his habits, leading a healthier lifestyle with exercise and smarter diet choices.
Lehman said Allman recently became emotional thinking of all the things that have happened in the last 15 months.
"It's overwhelming, the whole experience, and he can't believe it. And quite honestly the last time around he was not in the same frame of mind," Lehman said of Allman's last studio album with The Allman Brothers, 2003's "Hittin' The Note," and his last solo album, 1997's "Searching For Simplicity."
"I think the clarity and being so present during this experience is overwhelming for him because he's really seeing everything unfold every day, whether it's a word from a fan, the incredible reviews from the critics, the press from a concert or walking down the street and people coming and saying they're so happy to see you're so healthy again."
"They said, 'Well, we're going to give you a pass and sign you out — but are you crazy?'" Allman said. "I actually think that it had to do with the big step in healing up that happened after I went on the road."
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, who this week releases "Low Country Blues," his first solo recording in 14 years, has experienced the healing power of music firsthand. Allman had his transplant on June 23 after hepatitis and the rock-star life left him in a state of deteriorating health. He knew the operation and recovery would be challenging, but he found it far more painful than he imagined it would be.
"They don't tell you about a lot of it because they don't want to scare you, you know," the 63-year-old said in a phone interview.
Allman found relief in music. He was playing the guitar and piano again several weeks after the surgery and slowly worked his way back on stage.
"That's kind of like the planet of no pain, being on stage," Allman said.
Allman was left with a noticeable shake in his hands from immune system-depressing drugs meant to keep his body from rejecting the new liver. Music seems to help there, too. The shaking stops when he lays his hands on his piano or guitar.
Allman has a theory about the therapeutic power of music.
"I think it's because you're doing something that you truly love," he said. "I think it just creates a diversion from the pain itself. You've been swallowed up by something you love, you know, and you're just totally engulfed."
Another thing that helped him through was his anticipation over the release of "Low Country Blues," produced by T Bone Burnett.
Allman's solo career had been dormant since the '90s. He worked with The Allman Brothers, the groundbreaking group he founded with his brother Duane in the 1960s that went on to define the dirty blues branch of the Southern rock family tree.
He had been thinking about a new record when his manager set up a meeting with Burnett in Memphis, Tennessee. The two bonded over once-forgotten blues songs. Burnett recasts Allman as a Delta blues singer with covers of Muddy Waters' "I Can't Be Satisfied," Skip James' haunted "Devil Got My Woman" and Sleepy John Estes' "Floating Bridge," one of his favorites.
"I like 'Floating Bridge' a whole bunch," he said. "It's a good swampy sounding song. I mean it's just one chord all the way through, kind of like the 'Gilded Splinters.' It just lent itself to being a little swampy, a little spooky. I enjoy that kind of thing."
Allman says he feels clean now, cleansed of the toxins left by alcohol and drug abuse and disease. Liver damage robbed him of his vitality and left him dwindling and exhausted. As his health worsened, it might take 10 hours of sleep to prepare for or recover from a 3-hour show. The wait for a donor liver was an anxious one, and he found himself seeking a stronger relationship with God.
"I was pretty sure I was gonna die," he said with a rueful chuckle. "And I just said, 'Man, come help me, God, can you come and help me? I'm in a real bad way here.' I said, 'Take what you want, just don't let me die.' He didn't take anything, you know, or anything like that. He restored my faith and my sanity and all that stuff. It was very painful, but there were different places along the way that I got little signs to tell me to hold on, that everything was going to be OK."
Allman's manager, Michael Lehman, flew to Jacksonville, Florida, to be with Allman for the surgery and in the days after. He has watched Allman's energy and healthy glow return in the months since. He has witnessed a rebirth on stage where Allman's improved stamina and health have led to a rich, strong voice that has critics hailing his performances. And he has seen Allman change his habits, leading a healthier lifestyle with exercise and smarter diet choices.
Lehman said Allman recently became emotional thinking of all the things that have happened in the last 15 months.
"It's overwhelming, the whole experience, and he can't believe it. And quite honestly the last time around he was not in the same frame of mind," Lehman said of Allman's last studio album with The Allman Brothers, 2003's "Hittin' The Note," and his last solo album, 1997's "Searching For Simplicity."
"I think the clarity and being so present during this experience is overwhelming for him because he's really seeing everything unfold every day, whether it's a word from a fan, the incredible reviews from the critics, the press from a concert or walking down the street and people coming and saying they're so happy to see you're so healthy again."
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Elton John's 'Tiny Dancer' Isn't About Tony Danza After All
Tony Danza has taken to Funny Or Die to clarify an age-old rumor and frequent mishearing of a classic Elton John tune.
"The song is called 'Hold Me Closer Tiny Dancer,' by Elton John. Not Tony Danza," the 59-year-old actor says in a scene. "I mean, I never even met Elton John, y'know?"
Danza clarifies the myth to a couple convenience store clerks; the three are then shown riding in a car, screaming the lyrics, "Hold me closer, Tony Danza!" See the clip after the jump.
Our friends at AOL TV note a moment in 'Almost Famous' when the cast sings the Elton John song Tony Danza-style. "This misheard lyric was probably missed by the generation that first heard the song," writes Ryan McKee. "However, to a generation that grew up with 'Taxi' and 'Who's The Boss?,' it's impossible not to hear it."
The clip hypes what appears to be an upcoming film, 'Scott & Zander's Crazy Night.' In a second clip, we learn that "Tony Danza never blocks a c***." More pertinent and hilarious Danza Facts, please, Funny Or Die!
"The song is called 'Hold Me Closer Tiny Dancer,' by Elton John. Not Tony Danza," the 59-year-old actor says in a scene. "I mean, I never even met Elton John, y'know?"
Danza clarifies the myth to a couple convenience store clerks; the three are then shown riding in a car, screaming the lyrics, "Hold me closer, Tony Danza!" See the clip after the jump.
Hold Me Closer Tony Danza - watch more funny videos
Our friends at AOL TV note a moment in 'Almost Famous' when the cast sings the Elton John song Tony Danza-style. "This misheard lyric was probably missed by the generation that first heard the song," writes Ryan McKee. "However, to a generation that grew up with 'Taxi' and 'Who's The Boss?,' it's impossible not to hear it."
The clip hypes what appears to be an upcoming film, 'Scott & Zander's Crazy Night.' In a second clip, we learn that "Tony Danza never blocks a c***." More pertinent and hilarious Danza Facts, please, Funny Or Die!
Is Zac Efron Going After an Older Woman?
Is heartthrob Zac Efron going after a Hollywood cougar? Well, sort of. But before panic strikes the teenage population, it should be clarified that it's just for his next movie role.
Efron has signed onto director Gary Marshall's 'Valentine's Day' follow-up, 'New Year's Eve,' according to E! Online. The actor teased his role in the star-studded ensemble cast at the Golden Globes earlier this week.
"I can tell you that all my scenes are with Michelle Pfeiffer," he said. "I'm very excited."
He's tight-lipped when it comes to just what kind of scenes he'll be sharing -- especially whether or not he'll be getting down with the 53-year-old actress in the flick.
"I'm not gonna say," Efron said.
Efron isn't the only star excited to join Marshall's new film. 'Glee' star Lea Michelle also announced she's in the movie, and will be singing a "recognizable" song.
Efron and Michelle join stars Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Taylor Swift and Bradley Cooper, just to name a few.
Efron has signed onto director Gary Marshall's 'Valentine's Day' follow-up, 'New Year's Eve,' according to E! Online. The actor teased his role in the star-studded ensemble cast at the Golden Globes earlier this week.
"I can tell you that all my scenes are with Michelle Pfeiffer," he said. "I'm very excited."
He's tight-lipped when it comes to just what kind of scenes he'll be sharing -- especially whether or not he'll be getting down with the 53-year-old actress in the flick.
"I'm not gonna say," Efron said.
Efron isn't the only star excited to join Marshall's new film. 'Glee' star Lea Michelle also announced she's in the movie, and will be singing a "recognizable" song.
Efron and Michelle join stars Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Taylor Swift and Bradley Cooper, just to name a few.
Monday, January 17, 2011
New Zealand Marginally Ahead After Riveting Day
The Basin Reserve Test sparked into life on a third day filled with twists, turns and decisive shifts in momentum, with both sides inadvertently pushing the opponent to swap game-plans several times through the course of play. Pakistan began with unimaginative bowling at unacceptable over-rates, spread-out fields, and sloppy fielding. New Zealand cashed in, with their openers putting up an enterprising 120-run partnership. Just as they began to assume control, Pakistan snapped out of their mediocrity, and their spinners rallied them back into the contest. With their backs to the wall, New Zealand turned to Ross Taylor for the second time in the match, and he responded with a fine hand to leave them slightly ahead, despite an inspired sortie from Umar Gul before stumps.
Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill began the day aggressively and were helped along by Pakistan's seamers who were too inconsistent to trouble them. Abdur Rehman came on soon, and New Zealand were anxious not to get stuck against him. Rehman attacked the rough with a slip, silly point and short leg, with Adnan Akmal imploring him to bowl the 'magic ball'. One boundary from Guptill, a crunched back-foot cover drive, was enough for silly point to be removed. An over later, the magic ball came, stopping and turning sharply from leg stump to take Guptill's edge before landing in the now vacant silly point region. Pakistan had paid for their complete lack of proactivity.
McCullum's eagerness to dominate was counterbalanced by the state of the match and New Zealand's recent batting woes. Rehman tossed them up, inviting the drive over mid-off, with men waiting close in for the edge. McCullum resisted, lunging forward to the flight, and working the odd arm-ball off the backfoot to the leg side. Rehman almost broke through, getting McCullum to prod with hard hands, but Asad Shafiq dropped the chance, again at silly point. McCullum ran down the track to the next ball and clattered a flat six over long-off, before pulling a short ball for four more. Pakistan's best bowler had been negated, with some luck, but he was not done for the day.
Worried by the prodigal opening session, Pakistan came out with a plan in the second. Gul harried Guptill with bounce and movement, clunking his helmet with a bouncer in the first over after the break, and getting him to edge a legcutter in his second, but Adnan spilled the opportunity. Guptill altered his approach, hanging back in the crease, but resisting the impulse to pull.
Rehman eventually found a way past McCullum, luring him to miscue to long-off after beating him in the flight. The run-rate dropped and Pakistan finally found their voice as Guptill got into a tangle against some well-directed bouncers from Wahab Riaz, the biggest culprit in the day's no-ball stakes. Guptill barely survived the spell, venting his impatience against Rehman, slicing an off-drive past a diving Tanvir Ahmed at mid-off, and teeing off down the ground for six. Rehman was not to be denied, though, and he eventually pinned Guptill in front with a skidder, an over after Kane Williamson perished to an ungainly drive against Tanvir.
Jesse Ryder avoided a third successive first-ball duck but was bowled by Mohammad Hafeez off the first ball following a brief rain interruption. New Zealand suddenly found themselves in some strife, at what was effectively 172 for 4. For a brief while, Hafeez transformed into Muttiah Muralitharan, producing a few unplayable deliveries that had New Zealand befuddled and Pakistan worried. Taylor survived one that turned in a mile, and James Franklin wasn't good enough to edge another than turned across him and jumped over his stumps. He didn't last long, nicking Hafeez to Younis Khan at slip before Shafiq dropped another crucial chance, lunging late from short leg as Reece Young poked nervously.
Having taken a close look at Hafeez's unplayable fare, Taylor dug deep to reverse the momentum once again. He negated the spinners with assured feet, late shots and soft hands, frustrating them into drifting onto his legs. When they did, he moved his front pad decisively across to flick and sweep into his favourite scoring areas. His first boundary came after 45 balls of caution, in which time his obduracy tired Rehman into errors. Hafeez also lost his sting, and Taylor asserted himself with a trademark slog-sweep over midwicket. Young held his own with a straight bat and a steady head for the second time in the game, and the 60-run stand turned the tide once again in New Zealand's favour, but the day had some more surprise in store.
Azhar Ali took a blinder close in to end Young's effort before Gul charged in with an 86-overs-old ball and resorted to his most loyal weapon - reverse swing. He struck Taylor in front with an inducker before rearranging a shuffling Daniel Vettori's stumps with a yorker. Brent Arnel came and went first ball, barely seeing a laser beam that pinged his toes. Chris Martin got the wildest applause of the day when he kept out the hat-trick ball, and Tim Southee connected with a couple of swings before becoming Gul's fourth scalp as New Zealand were bowled out. Despite their late flourish, Pakistan are behind in the game, but they will take heart from the fact that seven years back, they successfully chased the exact same score at this very ground.
Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill began the day aggressively and were helped along by Pakistan's seamers who were too inconsistent to trouble them. Abdur Rehman came on soon, and New Zealand were anxious not to get stuck against him. Rehman attacked the rough with a slip, silly point and short leg, with Adnan Akmal imploring him to bowl the 'magic ball'. One boundary from Guptill, a crunched back-foot cover drive, was enough for silly point to be removed. An over later, the magic ball came, stopping and turning sharply from leg stump to take Guptill's edge before landing in the now vacant silly point region. Pakistan had paid for their complete lack of proactivity.
McCullum's eagerness to dominate was counterbalanced by the state of the match and New Zealand's recent batting woes. Rehman tossed them up, inviting the drive over mid-off, with men waiting close in for the edge. McCullum resisted, lunging forward to the flight, and working the odd arm-ball off the backfoot to the leg side. Rehman almost broke through, getting McCullum to prod with hard hands, but Asad Shafiq dropped the chance, again at silly point. McCullum ran down the track to the next ball and clattered a flat six over long-off, before pulling a short ball for four more. Pakistan's best bowler had been negated, with some luck, but he was not done for the day.
Worried by the prodigal opening session, Pakistan came out with a plan in the second. Gul harried Guptill with bounce and movement, clunking his helmet with a bouncer in the first over after the break, and getting him to edge a legcutter in his second, but Adnan spilled the opportunity. Guptill altered his approach, hanging back in the crease, but resisting the impulse to pull.
Rehman eventually found a way past McCullum, luring him to miscue to long-off after beating him in the flight. The run-rate dropped and Pakistan finally found their voice as Guptill got into a tangle against some well-directed bouncers from Wahab Riaz, the biggest culprit in the day's no-ball stakes. Guptill barely survived the spell, venting his impatience against Rehman, slicing an off-drive past a diving Tanvir Ahmed at mid-off, and teeing off down the ground for six. Rehman was not to be denied, though, and he eventually pinned Guptill in front with a skidder, an over after Kane Williamson perished to an ungainly drive against Tanvir.
Jesse Ryder avoided a third successive first-ball duck but was bowled by Mohammad Hafeez off the first ball following a brief rain interruption. New Zealand suddenly found themselves in some strife, at what was effectively 172 for 4. For a brief while, Hafeez transformed into Muttiah Muralitharan, producing a few unplayable deliveries that had New Zealand befuddled and Pakistan worried. Taylor survived one that turned in a mile, and James Franklin wasn't good enough to edge another than turned across him and jumped over his stumps. He didn't last long, nicking Hafeez to Younis Khan at slip before Shafiq dropped another crucial chance, lunging late from short leg as Reece Young poked nervously.
Having taken a close look at Hafeez's unplayable fare, Taylor dug deep to reverse the momentum once again. He negated the spinners with assured feet, late shots and soft hands, frustrating them into drifting onto his legs. When they did, he moved his front pad decisively across to flick and sweep into his favourite scoring areas. His first boundary came after 45 balls of caution, in which time his obduracy tired Rehman into errors. Hafeez also lost his sting, and Taylor asserted himself with a trademark slog-sweep over midwicket. Young held his own with a straight bat and a steady head for the second time in the game, and the 60-run stand turned the tide once again in New Zealand's favour, but the day had some more surprise in store.
Azhar Ali took a blinder close in to end Young's effort before Gul charged in with an 86-overs-old ball and resorted to his most loyal weapon - reverse swing. He struck Taylor in front with an inducker before rearranging a shuffling Daniel Vettori's stumps with a yorker. Brent Arnel came and went first ball, barely seeing a laser beam that pinged his toes. Chris Martin got the wildest applause of the day when he kept out the hat-trick ball, and Tim Southee connected with a couple of swings before becoming Gul's fourth scalp as New Zealand were bowled out. Despite their late flourish, Pakistan are behind in the game, but they will take heart from the fact that seven years back, they successfully chased the exact same score at this very ground.
Mark Wilson Masters-Bound After Win
Mark Wilson barely had time to eat a sandwich, much less keep track of his round, when he arrived at the 17th green Sunday afternoon at the Sony Open and realized he had not made a single bogey during this 36-hole marathon.
His four-shot lead had dwindled to a stroke. Wilson was staring at a 12-foot par putt, and the closing hole was a par 5 that he had not been able to reach all week.
The thought was fleeting. The way his week had gone, the outcome was predictable.
"I thought about that before I hit the putt," Wilson said. "I haven't made a bogey all day, so why start now? It entered my mind, but when I was over the putt, I didn't think about it."
The putt curled in the side, and Wilson started his season with a win to earn his first trip to the Masters.
Wilson shot a 5-under 65 in the morning to take a one-shot lead into the afternoon round. With six minutes between rounds -- enough time to get a chicken sandwich and a fresh box of golf balls from his locker -- he closed with a 3-under 67 and held off late runs by Tim Clark and Steve Marino on different sides of Waialae.
Wilson's last trip to Augusta National was 2001 -- as a spectator.
"I get goose bumps thinking about it," he said.
He nearly got chills watching Marino give himself one last chance with a remarkable shot. Clark had already finished with a 64 and was on the practice range at 14-under par. Marino was 13 under and needed an eagle, which looked improbable when his drive splashed out of the bunker and onto the side of a hill.
With his feet in the sand, and the ball about chest-high on the hill, Marino lashed at it with a fairway metal and watched it hook onto the front of the green and stop 40 feet away.
"I saw the ball, and I thought, 'OK, eagle is going to be pretty tough for him to make.' It was one incredible shot," Wilson said.
Marino's eagle putt narrowly missed, and Wilson pitched to 4 feet and made a birdie he didn't need. He finished at 16-under 264 and earned $990,000 for his third career victory.
Clark, who started the final round five shots behind, birdied three of his last four holes. He had a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 8 slide by on the left, and he narrowly missed a 15-foot eagle putt on the last hole.
"It's a relief to get it in," Wilson said. "I'm just thrilled to be the champion."
Wilson played his final 40 holes at Waialae without a bogey. That proved significant twice during his final round, starting on No. 8. He hit a tree with his drive and had to punch out to the fairway, leaving him 150 yards away with his third shot and his lead at two shots. But he stuffed it to 7 feet for par, then birdied the ninth to expand his lead to four.
Jimmy Walker closed with a 68 to finish alone in fourth, while Matt Kuchar and Matt Bettencourt were another shot back. Stuart Appleby and Shigeki Maruyama, who started Sunday tied for the 36-hole lead, never got going. Maruyama had rounds of 70-69 to tie for seventh, his first top 10 on the PGA Tour in two years. Appleby had a third-round 69, then didn't make a birdie until the final hole of the last round and shot 72.
From top to bottom, 56 players were separated by only seven shots going into the final 36 holes, a recipe for anyone winning from anywhere. But on a quiet day near the shores of Waikiki, there was little movement.
Wilson chipped in from behind the third green for birdie and kept bogeys off his card at 65, the best score of the third round. It gave him a one-shot lead over Marino, who had a 66, but certainly not much room for error.
Kuchar pulled within one shot early in the fourth round, then dropped out with two straight bogeys. Marino stayed in the picture until a bogey on the eighth, failing to birdie the easy par-5 ninth, and hitting two poor wedges for a bogey on the short 10th.
The big move came from Clark, and he was on the other side of the course.
Because of the 36-hole final -- forced by a washout in the first round Thursday -- players did not change groups for the afternoon. Clark started the day six shots out of the lead, shot 66 in the morning and made his move on the front nine -- his last nine holes. His birdie on No. 6 took him to 12 under, then he nearly made an ace on the par-3 seventh for a tap-in birdie and gave himself two good looks at the end.
"I kind of figured if you could get it going around here, I might still have a chance, even though we were on different nines," Clark said. "This back nine, I kind of got it going there with some iron shots. A few putts would have helped, but very pleased."
With the runner-up finish, Clark should move to No. 20 in the world. With Charl Schwartzel winning the Joburg Open earlier Sunday, that means South Africans will occupy the first five spots in the Presidents Cup standings.
Wilson won the Honda Classic in 2007, and a month later Augusta National changed its criteria to invite most PGA Tour winners. He won in Mexico two years later, but that doesn't count toward the Masters because it is an opposite-field tournament.
Wilson finally returns to Augusta as a player, and he can only hope his celebration ends by April.
"From what I've learned over the years is the more you succeed out here, the more people expect of you," Wilson said. "But I'm going to enjoy this like crazy."
His four-shot lead had dwindled to a stroke. Wilson was staring at a 12-foot par putt, and the closing hole was a par 5 that he had not been able to reach all week.
The thought was fleeting. The way his week had gone, the outcome was predictable.
"I thought about that before I hit the putt," Wilson said. "I haven't made a bogey all day, so why start now? It entered my mind, but when I was over the putt, I didn't think about it."
The putt curled in the side, and Wilson started his season with a win to earn his first trip to the Masters.
Wilson shot a 5-under 65 in the morning to take a one-shot lead into the afternoon round. With six minutes between rounds -- enough time to get a chicken sandwich and a fresh box of golf balls from his locker -- he closed with a 3-under 67 and held off late runs by Tim Clark and Steve Marino on different sides of Waialae.
Wilson's last trip to Augusta National was 2001 -- as a spectator.
"I get goose bumps thinking about it," he said.
He nearly got chills watching Marino give himself one last chance with a remarkable shot. Clark had already finished with a 64 and was on the practice range at 14-under par. Marino was 13 under and needed an eagle, which looked improbable when his drive splashed out of the bunker and onto the side of a hill.
With his feet in the sand, and the ball about chest-high on the hill, Marino lashed at it with a fairway metal and watched it hook onto the front of the green and stop 40 feet away.
"I saw the ball, and I thought, 'OK, eagle is going to be pretty tough for him to make.' It was one incredible shot," Wilson said.
Marino's eagle putt narrowly missed, and Wilson pitched to 4 feet and made a birdie he didn't need. He finished at 16-under 264 and earned $990,000 for his third career victory.
Clark, who started the final round five shots behind, birdied three of his last four holes. He had a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 8 slide by on the left, and he narrowly missed a 15-foot eagle putt on the last hole.
"It's a relief to get it in," Wilson said. "I'm just thrilled to be the champion."
Wilson played his final 40 holes at Waialae without a bogey. That proved significant twice during his final round, starting on No. 8. He hit a tree with his drive and had to punch out to the fairway, leaving him 150 yards away with his third shot and his lead at two shots. But he stuffed it to 7 feet for par, then birdied the ninth to expand his lead to four.
Jimmy Walker closed with a 68 to finish alone in fourth, while Matt Kuchar and Matt Bettencourt were another shot back. Stuart Appleby and Shigeki Maruyama, who started Sunday tied for the 36-hole lead, never got going. Maruyama had rounds of 70-69 to tie for seventh, his first top 10 on the PGA Tour in two years. Appleby had a third-round 69, then didn't make a birdie until the final hole of the last round and shot 72.
From top to bottom, 56 players were separated by only seven shots going into the final 36 holes, a recipe for anyone winning from anywhere. But on a quiet day near the shores of Waikiki, there was little movement.
Wilson chipped in from behind the third green for birdie and kept bogeys off his card at 65, the best score of the third round. It gave him a one-shot lead over Marino, who had a 66, but certainly not much room for error.
Kuchar pulled within one shot early in the fourth round, then dropped out with two straight bogeys. Marino stayed in the picture until a bogey on the eighth, failing to birdie the easy par-5 ninth, and hitting two poor wedges for a bogey on the short 10th.
The big move came from Clark, and he was on the other side of the course.
Because of the 36-hole final -- forced by a washout in the first round Thursday -- players did not change groups for the afternoon. Clark started the day six shots out of the lead, shot 66 in the morning and made his move on the front nine -- his last nine holes. His birdie on No. 6 took him to 12 under, then he nearly made an ace on the par-3 seventh for a tap-in birdie and gave himself two good looks at the end.
"I kind of figured if you could get it going around here, I might still have a chance, even though we were on different nines," Clark said. "This back nine, I kind of got it going there with some iron shots. A few putts would have helped, but very pleased."
With the runner-up finish, Clark should move to No. 20 in the world. With Charl Schwartzel winning the Joburg Open earlier Sunday, that means South Africans will occupy the first five spots in the Presidents Cup standings.
Wilson won the Honda Classic in 2007, and a month later Augusta National changed its criteria to invite most PGA Tour winners. He won in Mexico two years later, but that doesn't count toward the Masters because it is an opposite-field tournament.
Wilson finally returns to Augusta as a player, and he can only hope his celebration ends by April.
"From what I've learned over the years is the more you succeed out here, the more people expect of you," Wilson said. "But I'm going to enjoy this like crazy."
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Justin Bieber Returns To 'CSI' Set After Allergic Reaction Forces Hospital Visit
Justin Bieber returned to the set of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" on Thursday, after a brief hospitalization the day before, a rep for the star confirmed to Access Hollywood.
Justin went to the hospital after suffering an allergic reaction, the teen singer's rep told Access, adding, "He is fine. All is well."
According to Life & Style magazine, which first reported the news, the Biebs was taken to Providence St. Joseph's Hospital in Burbank, Calif., on Wednesday.
"He was having trouble breathing due to an allergic reaction," a source close to the singer claimed to the mag. "His doctor met him there. He stayed at the hospital about 30 minutes and was discharged."
A rep for CBS confirmed to Access Hollywood that Justin was back on set later the following day.
Justin Tweeted on Thursday about being back on the "CSI" set, but did not mention his hospital visit.
"Ok last day on the set as a #bada**. Gonna get deadly today," he Tweeted.
Earlier this week, Justin Tweeted a photo of himself with a large (fake) bruise on his face on the set.
Justin went to the hospital after suffering an allergic reaction, the teen singer's rep told Access, adding, "He is fine. All is well."
According to Life & Style magazine, which first reported the news, the Biebs was taken to Providence St. Joseph's Hospital in Burbank, Calif., on Wednesday.
"He was having trouble breathing due to an allergic reaction," a source close to the singer claimed to the mag. "His doctor met him there. He stayed at the hospital about 30 minutes and was discharged."
A rep for CBS confirmed to Access Hollywood that Justin was back on set later the following day.
Justin Tweeted on Thursday about being back on the "CSI" set, but did not mention his hospital visit.
"Ok last day on the set as a #bada**. Gonna get deadly today," he Tweeted.
Earlier this week, Justin Tweeted a photo of himself with a large (fake) bruise on his face on the set.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
BCS Rankings Embraced By TCU After No. 2 Finish In The Polls
The TCU Horned Frogs finished the 2010 season undefeated, capped with a win over the Wisconsin Badgers in the Rose Bowl. It was, in many ways, a dream season for the Horned Frogs, despite being left out of the BCS Championship Game. For their efforts, TCU was ranked No. 2 in both the AP and Coaches' Polls on Tuesday, and will likely be in the same position when the final BCS rankings are released.
You'd think TCU would be upset about missing the opportunity to play for the national championship. The Rose Bowl is a nice consolation, but an undefeated season should earn them the right to play for the title, right? According to TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte, the Horned Frogs are still happy with the BCS, and are embracing the "imperfect system."
"But until they get a system that is going to be absolutely perfect so they can figure out a way to determine those things, we need to celebrate the system we currently have right now."
Is it surprising that TCU is fine with the system? Not at all. Consider the Horned Frogs still played in a BCS bowl and still finished the season at No. 2 in the final polls. Now consider that TCU, a former BCS-outsider, will find itself on the inside when it joins the Big East in 2012.
TCU is simply shying away from biting the hand that feeds it. In 2010, the Horned Frogs saw the financial windfall a BCS game gives, the exposure of playing in one of the biggest bowls out there and the added bonus of a win over one of the "big boys." When they become an automatic qualifier, in 2012, TCU will immediately see an increase in revenue from the BCS every year, no matter if they make a bowl or not.
Simply put, it's not embracing the system, it's keeping those that write the paychecks happy. It's the same reason you see every major conference championing the system. Money talks.
You'd think TCU would be upset about missing the opportunity to play for the national championship. The Rose Bowl is a nice consolation, but an undefeated season should earn them the right to play for the title, right? According to TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte, the Horned Frogs are still happy with the BCS, and are embracing the "imperfect system."
"But until they get a system that is going to be absolutely perfect so they can figure out a way to determine those things, we need to celebrate the system we currently have right now."
Is it surprising that TCU is fine with the system? Not at all. Consider the Horned Frogs still played in a BCS bowl and still finished the season at No. 2 in the final polls. Now consider that TCU, a former BCS-outsider, will find itself on the inside when it joins the Big East in 2012.
TCU is simply shying away from biting the hand that feeds it. In 2010, the Horned Frogs saw the financial windfall a BCS game gives, the exposure of playing in one of the biggest bowls out there and the added bonus of a win over one of the "big boys." When they become an automatic qualifier, in 2012, TCU will immediately see an increase in revenue from the BCS every year, no matter if they make a bowl or not.
Simply put, it's not embracing the system, it's keeping those that write the paychecks happy. It's the same reason you see every major conference championing the system. Money talks.
'Green Hornet' Star Edward Furlong in Jail After Violating Restraining Order
Edward Furlong, who has had roles in 'Terminator 2' and most recently 'The Green Hornet', alongside Seth Rogan, has gone from the big screen to behind bars.
According to MSNBC, the actor, 33, successfully showed up in court Tuesday at 10:30 AM for a progress report regarding his probation violation from November. Furlong left threatening messages on the voicemail of his then soon-to-be ex-wife, going against the the restraining order that expressly prohibited this. This made the voicemails a direct violation of the law.
Furlong again breached the restraining order this December, when he came within 50 yards of his ex-wife. Tuesday morning's hearing was set up to address these violations. The judge, however, sent Furlong directly to jail where he now remains on $75,000 bail. His next probation violation hearing is currently set up, ironically, for this upcoming Valentine's Day.
There must not be a lot of love for Furlong from Rogan, the man behind 'Green Hornet.' Rogan starred, wrote and executive produced the big-budget action flick, so $75,000 bond for a friend would be pocket change.
According to MSNBC, the actor, 33, successfully showed up in court Tuesday at 10:30 AM for a progress report regarding his probation violation from November. Furlong left threatening messages on the voicemail of his then soon-to-be ex-wife, going against the the restraining order that expressly prohibited this. This made the voicemails a direct violation of the law.
Furlong again breached the restraining order this December, when he came within 50 yards of his ex-wife. Tuesday morning's hearing was set up to address these violations. The judge, however, sent Furlong directly to jail where he now remains on $75,000 bail. His next probation violation hearing is currently set up, ironically, for this upcoming Valentine's Day.
There must not be a lot of love for Furlong from Rogan, the man behind 'Green Hornet.' Rogan starred, wrote and executive produced the big-budget action flick, so $75,000 bond for a friend would be pocket change.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Arianna Huffington ,Removed ,Plane, After ,BlackBerry, Feud
When airline authorities first made the rule to turn off your cell phones before takeoff, they clearly didn't take into account the impending era of "the CrackBerry." The New York Post reports that Huffington Post founder and media titan Arianna Huffington wasn't quite ready to put her BlackBerry phone down during takeoff for her short flight from Washington, D.C., to NYC over the weekend, prompting a jabber match with a nearby passenger and an escorted removal by security after landing.
"She wouldn't turn off her BlackBerry, even when we pushed back from the gate," one passenger told Valleywag."We took off, and it became apparent that the phone was still on, which very much upset her neighbor."
After the passenger, Ellis Bellodof, 53, repeatedly asked Huffington, 60, to turn her phone off at around 10PM, the two caused a disturbance and were removed from the plane for questioning after landing in New York's LaGuardia Airport. Both were released without charges.
After the incident blew over, Huffington's publicist could only make jokes about the matter.
"There was a passenger who seemed upset. Arianna thought he didn't like the snacks. Guess not. Maybe he was an iPhone fan. As you know, the battle between iPhone lovers and BlackBerry users can get pretty heated," Huffington's rep Mario Ruiz told the Post.
"She wouldn't turn off her BlackBerry, even when we pushed back from the gate," one passenger told Valleywag."We took off, and it became apparent that the phone was still on, which very much upset her neighbor."
After the passenger, Ellis Bellodof, 53, repeatedly asked Huffington, 60, to turn her phone off at around 10PM, the two caused a disturbance and were removed from the plane for questioning after landing in New York's LaGuardia Airport. Both were released without charges.
After the incident blew over, Huffington's publicist could only make jokes about the matter.
"There was a passenger who seemed upset. Arianna thought he didn't like the snacks. Guess not. Maybe he was an iPhone fan. As you know, the battle between iPhone lovers and BlackBerry users can get pretty heated," Huffington's rep Mario Ruiz told the Post.
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