Jeffrey Allen

Monday, February 28, 2011

Gerard Butler Enjoys Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Stepping out for a star-studded evening, Gerard Butler was spotted at the Vanity Fair Oscar party last night (February 27).

The ?P.S. I Love You? stud looked to be having a great time as he chatted with fellow actor Jason Bateman at the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood.

And of course, Mr. Butler was dressed to impress, sporting a Ferragamo tuxedo as he caused female attendees to swoon.

Earlier in the weekend, Gerard was in the house for the Film Independent Spirit Awards Voter Party before hitting up the Montblanc cocktail party.

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/academy-awards-2011/gerard-butler-enjoys-vanity-fair-oscar-party-481604

Minka Kelly Carol Grow Erika Christensen Emilie de Ravin Tara Reed

Readout of the President's call to Prime Minister Key of New Zealand

Release Time:

For Immediate Release

The President called Prime Minister John Key of New Zealand to express deep condolences over the devastating earthquake that struck Christchurch, New Zealand, on February 22, and to reaffirm the offer of American assistance as New Zealand recovers. The President noted that a U.S. search and rescue team was on its way to New Zealand, and said the United States was ready to provide whatever further support was needed in this difficult time. The President underscored the close and enduring friendship between the American people and the people of New Zealand. Prime Minister Key described the determination of the people of Christchurch and New Zealand in the face of this tragedy, and expressed appreciation for U.S. support.

Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/02/23/readout-presidents-call-prime-minister-key-new-zealand

Ashley Olsen Danneel Harris Veronika Vaeková Eve Brittany Lee

Heroic Media, Radiance Foundation Continue to Put Up Billboards Depicting Black Women as 'Dangerous'

Filed under: News, Race and Civil Rights

What began in the Deep South as a conservative grassroots campaign to manipulate the emotions of African-American women has now spread like a cancer to the heart of urban cities New York and Los Angeles.

Heroic Media, the pro-birth organization responsible for the wildly inaccurate billboards claiming that the "most dangerous place for an African American is in the womb," has joined forces with advertising agency Life Always to spread their message of murderous, malleable black women around the globe.

On Febraury 23, the infamous billboard debuted in the Soho district of New York, less than a mile away from a Planned Parenthood abortion facility and just in time for Black History Month.

The Radiance Foundation, the organization behind the provocative billboards "Black Children Are An Endangered Species," have also infested King Boulevard in South Los Angeles with their message.

Choosing this symbolic month to shine the light on "the Power of Possibility," Radiance pledges to protect the futures of those innocent black children yet born, while "illuminating" those Mothers who are doing an exceptional job (see below).

In a press release, Life Always states:

"During Black History Month ... our future is in jeopardy as a genocidal plot is carried out through abortion."

The press release notes the launch of campaign website thatsabortion.com, stating:

"There is a battle being waged in the United States that has taken more lives than any foreign war or act of terrorism. The enemy is abortion."

According to the organization, the campaign is meant to raise public awareness of Planned Parenthood's supposed agenda to target minority neighborhoods.

Statements crafted to summon guilt and regret, such as, "Heartbeat ends. Heartbreak begins," and, "Spend your nights crying like a baby, with no baby to comfort you," are boldly displayed on the site above, with an image of a pregnant African-American woman linking to DangerousPlace.com.

"It is misguided to use Black History Month as a tool to promote this message," said New York Council Member Letitia James. "Every woman has the right to make personal choices in regards to her body, and I respect many different points of view, but to compare abortion to terrorism and genocide is highly offensive."

Janette Robinson Flint, executive director of Black Women for Wellness, voiced her disgust with the billboards in Los Angeles:

"It is reprehensible that someone would use black children as a tool to attack black women for political purposes.

"Black women stand at the intersection of racism and sexism in this country, and we face the pain of living at this crossroads every day. It is demonstrated by our health status - we suffer from some of the highest health disparities in Los Angeles County."

I completely agree with Council Member James and Ms. Flint, but I'm willing to take it a step further:

Not only is this campaign "highly offensive" and "reprehensible," the billboards are potentially libelous, and this entire display defames the character of African-American women.

While these organizations continue to regurgitate the fact that black children are three times more likely to be aborted than white children, I am yet to see any discussion on any other statistics or the probability that the information they're disseminating is incomplete.

White, middle-class women - many of whom have the luxury of receiving health care at private practices - are not factored in to that statistic; yet, according to the book, "Our Body, Ourselves: Boston Women's Health Care Collective," in 1969, prior to the 1973 passage of Roe vs. Wade, they accounted for 90 percent of all legal abortions.

Seventy-five percent of women of color, though, were forced by poverty or stigma to attain illegal abortions.

So let's ask ourselves, did that percentage drastically change or has our attention been shifted to serve a conservative political agenda? Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), said it best: "The conservatives want small government-small enough to fit in your uterus."

It would be "illuminating" to address the fact that, according to British medical journal The Lance, black women are three times more likely to die in childbirth than Hispanic women. When white women are included, that disparity becomes even more disproportionate. It would be "educational" to discuss the fact black women are 15 times more likely to contract HIV than white women, and that their infants are 2.5 times more likely to die than white infants.

Yet, where's the billboard advocating for health care equality?

It would be "heroic" to shed light on the fact that black men are six times more likely to spend time in prison than white men.

Yet, where's the billboard advocating for judicial equality?

According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, black women are more likely to be raped than white women.

Yet, where's the billboard advocating for the reduction of crimes against African-American women?

With these statistics, it would be more creative to create a billboard reading:

"The Most Dangerous Place for an African American is in America."

It's just as sensationalistic but more accurate.

More importantly, it would redirect attention to the societal issues which create an environment where abortion is sometimes a necessity, and away from the reproductive decisions of African-American women.

In a case study entitled "Women Who Kill Their Children," conducted by Khoua Her and Andrea Yates, it shares the insightful societal observation that white, middle-class women effectively have a head start because poor women of color are already perceived as "bad" mothers before they even commit a crime.

The "mad" vs. "bad" perception.

Killer Moms, such Andrea Yates, Casey Anthony and Susan Smith, who murdered their children in psychopathic displays of violence, are considered "mad," meaning they are victims of mental illness so severe that organizations such as the National Organization for Women have not only called for a more extensive study in to post-partum depression, but more lenient sentencing.

Yet, "bad" African-American Mothers are labeled "dangerous" for daring to utilize their legal rights?

We nursed this country to life at our breasts, while slavemasters raped us. Yet, now that we have the authority to decide what enters and exits our bodies, we're evil?

Not only are these campaigns the epitome of hypocrisy, they are both dishonest and cruel, playing on the heightened vulnerability of African-American women and the prejudices of society at large.

There is absolutely nothing "heroic" about that.

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Source: http://www.bvblackspin.com/2011/02/24/pro-life-groups-depicting-african-american-women-as-dangerous/

Catherine Bell Tessie Santiago Jessica Simpson Mandy Moore Shannon Elizabeth

Message from the President regarding the the annual renewal of the Cuba emergency

Release Time:

For Immediate Release

TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE

February 24, 2011

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent the enclosed notice to the Federal Register for publication, stating that the national emergency declared with respect to the Government of Cuba's destruction of two unarmed U.S.-registered civilian aircraft in international airspace north of Cuba on February 24, 1996, as amended and expanded on February 26, 2004, is to continue in effect beyond March 1, 2011.

Sincerely,

BARACK OBAMA

Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/02/25/message-president-regarding-annual-renewal-cuba-emergency

Melissa George Cameron Richardson Chandra West Kasey Chambers Megan Ewing

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Jamie's Dream School celebrity reports

In Jamie Oliver's new television show, Dream School, a panel of high-achieving celebrities aims to inspire 20 unqualified school leavers to give education a second chance. This is how some of the team's own reports might have looked

1 ALASTAIR CAMPBELL C?

I regret to say that Alastair is one of our more difficult students. He appears to have trouble differentiating between right and wrong, and his insistence that the ends always justify the means will get him into trouble later in life. His coursework also gives great cause for concern: plagiarising large extracts of another boy's work and passing them off as his own is totally unacceptable and will make him wholly unsuitable for any job requiring integrity. He also has what can only be described as anger management problems, and is inclined to try to bully and intimidate staff if he doesn't get his own way.

2 DAVID STARKEY B+

No one could ever call David one of life's shy and retiring types, and his arrival at school each day in a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce causes much comment and envy among the other boys ? attention which I rather think he enjoys too much. He is a natural contrarian and it can be hard to distinguish what ? if anything ? he really believes in. David has made a useful contribution to the Gay Soc, but it would help if he could be a little less dismissive of the girls ? not that there are many. Accusing women of unnecessarily feminising history is unduly provocative. He would benefit from some diversity training: referring to Wales, Ireland and Scotland as "feeble little countries" does little to help the school's multicultural ethos.

3 SIMON CALLOW B

You never have to wonder where Simon is: you hear his voice booming down the corridor long before his considerable physical presence enters the classroom! He has long been a mainstay of the Amateur Dramatic Society, and his Juliet is still remembered by all who saw it. If I have a criticism, it is that he would do well to remember that not every play is a monologue, and sometimes other actors should be allowed near the centre of the stage. His academic work suffers from a similar egotism. Entertaining as it is to hear Simon's views on every subject, less use of the word "I" in his essays would ensure better GCSE grades.

4 DALEY THOMPSON B

No one can doubt Daley's physical ability, and he is without question the best all-round athlete the school has ever produced, though he has not endeared himself to others in his PE class by asking the teacher to make them all train twice on Christmas Day. It is Daley's attitude away from the games field that worries me. There is no greater honour the school can bestow than to ask a student to carry the school flag on founder's day, and for Daley to refuse as "he felt a bit tired" was a bitter blow to morale. It was also extremely distressing to hear him whistling through the school song, and it was neither funny nor clever for him to swear on speech day. I expect a huge improvement in these areas.

5 CHERIE BLAIR C+

Despite being one of our more academically gifted pupils, Cherie is surprisingly emotionally insecure. She is prone to falling in with the wrong crowd, who have led her astray by encouraging her to dabble in alternative therapies, and to help herself to new clothes that were intended for the school jumble sale. However, it is her relationship with one of the school's most delusional students that may be her real downfall, especially as she forgot to take ? as she quaintly put it: "her contraceptive equipment" on the school trip to Balmoral. I fear for her stability if this liaison is sustained.

6 TINCHY STRYDER B

The school has always prided itself on its inclusivity. We don't expect every student to achieve academic excellence; rather we offer a rounded vocational education that allows everyone to fulfil their potential in any chosen field. So I am pleased that Kwasi Danquah ? or Tinchy as he now calls himself ? has taken a passionate interest in music. You should have seen the look on everyone's faces at the school concert when the orchestra's rendition of The Blue Danube was followed by some of Kwasi's more eccentric beats. I couldn't understand everything he was singing ? if you can call it that ? but he certainly rocked! We wish him all the best in his chosen career.

7 ROBERT WINSTON B+

For the fifth year running, Robert has won the science prize, and our head of genetics, Mr Dawkins, has just resigned in a huff, saying he can't teach Robert anything ? least of all the pointlessness of religion. During his time at this school, Robert has been responsible for some remarkable achievements ? the bursar, Mrs Antrobus (58), is especially pleased with Robert's help in the conception of her child ? but at times, his enthusiasm for experimentation, particularly his kidney transplant during double biology on a Friday afternoon, was misguided. Thankfully, both Butler twins survived the ordeal and are recovering well ? which is more than the rest of us are, having listened to his saxophone playing. On a lighter note, we would like to say how pleased we are that Robert has given up his student leftie leanings and accepted the position of honorary unelected prefect.

8 DOMINIC WEST C+

I must confess that Dominic remains something of an enigma to me. Despite his coming from one of Britain's finest families ? I note he is also going out with an aristocrat ? I have never been able to understand a word he says, as he chooses to mumble in some Baltimore vernacular. It would be very helpful if next term he could invest in his own personal interactive whiteboard that delivers subtitles, so the rest of us can follow what he is saying.

Absent from the picture:

ELLEN MACARTHUR B?

During the weeks that Ellen is actually in school, she works hard and has generally been a very positive role model for the other students. However, she is not the most sociable of girls and is usually to be found playing on her own near the boating lake. Her academic work has not been best served by prolonged unauthorised geography field trips, during which she remains largely out of contact. Next term she might benefit from wearing a GPS tracking device and making more effort to take part in some extra-curricular activities.

ROLF HARRIS B?

Rolf is one of life's enthusiasts; but he can take that too far at times, and he tends to be a "Jack of all trades and master of none". His art shows a little promise ? his portrait of the headmistress was commended for effort ? though it does tend towards the safe and derivative, while his interruptions to the school talent show to play the didgeridoo were very annoying to one and all. I also feel his rendition of Two Little Boys was highly inappropriate in these more politically correct times. Rolf would benefit from taking more of a back seat in class, and focusing on?where his talents ? if any ? really lie.

RANKIN B?

John has taken some very nice snaps for the Photography Society this term, some of which have been featured in the school magazine. However, I feel he has become rather too fixated on what we at the school call "The Cult of Celebrity", as his photographs have increasingly featured some of the more attractive sixth-formers in states of undress. John would do well to work on his landscapes next term: there are some nice trees by the games field that photograph well in the spring. I am also concerned that John is taking himself a bit too seriously; John Waddell is a perfectly good name and to answer only to the name Rankin makes him a laughing stock among the other boys. If Nelson Mandela didn't need to change his name, then neither does John!

John Crace

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2011/feb/25/jamies-dream-school-celebrity-reports

Leslie Bibb Chelsea Handler Salma Hayek Jennifer Scholle Tatiana Zavialova

Brahms: Viola II, Maxim Rysanov ? review

(Onyx)

Viola discs are flooding the market currently as if this middle-voiced stringed instrument had just been discovered: about time too. Hyperion's Complete Hindemith (soloist Lawrence Power) and English Music for Viola on Naxos (soloist Matthew Jones) are two recent pleasures, but this Brahms chamber music CD from Maxim Rysanov steals the limelight. Transcriptions are the norm for the viola, which has a relatively small repertoire. Here the clarinet quintet Op 115 has Rysanov replacing clarinet, with a string quartet led by Alexander Sitkovetksy. Mezzo Alice Coote and pianist Ashley Wass join for Two Songs Op 91. The concluding work is on the glorious string quintet No 2 in G, Op 111. It's addictive.

Fiona Maddocks

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/feb/27/brahms-maxim-rysanov-viola-ii-review

Dido Joss Stone Majandra Delfino Maria Bello Jennifer Gareis

Statement by the President on Algeria Lifting its State of Emergency

Release Time:

For Immediate Release

I commend the Government of Algeria for taking an important step forward today by formally lifting the State of Emergency that has been in place in Algeria for 19 years. This is a positive sign that the Government of Algeria is listening to the concerns and responding to the aspirations of its people, and we look forward to additional steps by the government that enable the Algerian people to fully exercise their universal rights, including freedom of expression, association and assembly. The United States is committed to continuing our cooperation with the Government of Algeria as it works to represent and meet the needs of all Algerians. We will also continue speaking up for universal freedoms, justice and the dignity of every human being.

Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/02/24/statement-president-algeria-lifting-its-state-emergency

Coco Lee Katy Perry Vinessa Shaw Rebecca Romijn Nadine Velazquez

Monday, February 28, 2011

Your Hottest News Stories

Sunday, February 27, 2011

1 ALASTAIR CAMPBELL C?

2 DAVID STARKEY B+

3 SIMON CALLOW B

4 DALEY THOMPSON B

5 CHERIE BLAIR C+

6 TINCHY STRYDER B

7 ROBERT WINSTON B+

8 DOMINIC WEST C+

Absent from the picture:

ELLEN MACARTHUR B?

ROLF HARRIS B?

RANKIN B?