Adam Lambert Going in New Direction After Controversial AMAs Performance

Saying 'AMA performance was a one time event,' Adam Lambert says he is heading to a new direction and vows to focus back on the music.

Adam Lambert recently took it to his Twitter to share with fans that he is going in a new direction. "AMA performance was a one time event. Goin in a new direction now. Focus back on the music," the openly gay singer wrote.

"Don't worry friends: I'm still gonna be me. Always. W/o appologies. Just gonna experiment differently w how I present myself. I'm learning," he explained further. "And thank you all for your kind and supportive tweets. Means more than you can imagine. It was a looong week."

Last week, Adam Lambert shocked TV viewers when performing a sexually-charged stage act at 2009 American Music Awards. In response to the controversy surrounding the raunchy performance, he has repeatedly said during several occasions that he didn't mean to upset people.

Adam has dropped his debut album "For Your Entertainment" in U.S. on November 23. The effort is predicted to enter at No. 2 on Billboard Hot 200 with 210,000 - 230,000 copies sold. As one of the promotional projects to support the album, Adam has taped "Whataya Want From Me" performance for "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" which airs on December 1.

'True Blood' Finds Sam's Brother, Looking for Mom

The long-lost family members of Sam are starting to get their actors with 'Prison Break' alumni taking the role of his younger brother.

More and more actors are called to fill in the new roles of "True Blood" season 3 with the latest getting the call back is Marshall Allman. The actor who was one of the series regulars in the axed "Prison Break" is on board the vampire drama as Sam's younger brother named Tommy Mickens.

In the casting call, Tommy is said to be "dirty but good looking youngster who works at a Tire Depot in Arkansas." He tends to hide his identity because his family has been owing money all over town and he is particularly unaware of who Sam is. This character will be recurring heavily in the season.

Also, the show is still auditioning for the part of Sam's parent. Melinda Mickens, who supposedly is the mother of Tommy, is in her 50s but "dirt-poor, hung-over and trashy-looking". She wears stained clothes and lives in a shanty house styled in early dumpster. She has a mysterious link to Sam's distant past. Melinda will have a husband named Joe Lee Mickens who is equally dirt poor. The uneducated man is amazed when he realizes Sam's link to his wife's early life.

Beside looking for relatives for Sam, the show is looking forward to an actress to play Crystal Norris. In her 20s, Crystal is a mysterious and hauntingly beautiful young woman in sundress. She shares an electric connection to Jacob before disappearing into the trees.

The third season will be debuted by HBO in June next year. Melinda, Joe and Crystal will appear in the second episode of the season.

On another news, "True Blood" is listed as one of the nominees of 2010 Producers Guild Awards as the contender of Best Drama.

'The Hobbit' Filming Pushed Back Until Mid 2010, Cast to Be Revealed Soon

It has been claimed the production delay will not affect the release dates and casting directors have reportedly been hired to look for the films' actors.

Peter Jackson has hinted that production for "The Hobbit" will be delayed from the original estimate of March 2010 to the middle of 2010. Speaking to German site Movie Reporter, the producer stated the production will be started after scripts for the two films are complete.

"We're currently working on the second script which we hope to have completed by the end of this year or beginning of next. When the scripts are completed, we can begin with the exact calculation of the necessary budget. We hope to start filming in the middle of next year," he stated. "However, we've received no green light from the studio yet."

Following Jackson's statement, there has been a speculation that the release dates for "The Hobbit" and "The Hobbit 2" will also be pushed back. However, Entertainment Weekly has received a confirmation from a source for the movies who insisted that "no one on the creative side is worrying about release dates."

Moreover, regarding Jackson's comment about "The Hobbit" which has not had an official green light yet, the source explained it is simply a matter of protocol. Technically, a green light will be given when screenplays for both movies are finished and budget has been determined.

If there is a thing which can assure that "The Hobbit" is moving forward, Entertainment Weekly has reported the upcoming adventure movie project has been busy looking for actors for the films. Casting directors for "The Hobbit" have reportedly been hired in London and Los Angeles and casting line-up could be expected to be revealed soon.

"The Hobbit" will re-create the scenes of the novel, with additional events that make an impact to "The Lords of the Rings", such as the expulsion of Sauron from Mirkwood by The White Council. The first of the fantasy movie is scheduled for December 2011 U.S. release, while the second film is expected to hit theaters a year later.

Jude Law and Sienna Miller Keep Adding Fuel to Reconciliation Rumors

Enjoying another outing together, the former lovers make the persistent reconciliation rumors spinning faster

While it has been denied by Jude Law's representative that the actor is back on with ex-girlfriend Sienna Miller, the stars themselves keep adding fuel to reconciliation rumors after they were spotted hanging out together on Friday night, November 27 at Hotel Griffou in New York's Greenwich Village. E! News' Marc Malkin claims to have been informed by an eyewitness that "Miller was in a dining room enjoying a dinner with a gaggle of gal friends when, at about 11:30 P.M., [Law] walked in with another guy and joined Miller's posse". No word on how long they stayed there though.

After breaking up about three years ago, Law and Miller had never been spotted together. However, rumors have been run rife lately that they have rekindled their romance as they are often seen together. They reportedly enjoyed a pizza at restaurant Emporio on Thanksgiving-night.

A week before, the New York Daily News' Gatecrasher column reported the pair hit the Box nightclub in the wee hours. An onlooker claimed, the twosome got "more and more cozy as the night wore on." They were said staying at the hot spot until about 3:30 A.M.

Jude Law and Sienna Miller had on and off relationship before finally calling it quits for good in November 2006. The pair, who got engaged in December 2004, split after he cheated on her with his children's nanny.

Law is father of three children; sons Rafferty and Rudy, and daughter Iris, all of whom he has with ex-wife Sadie Frost. He also has another daughter named Sophia with ex-girlfriend Samantha Burke. Law is currently starring on Broadway play "Hamlet". Miller also takes the Broadway stage, playing a play called "After Miss Julie".


source: aceshowbiz.com

Tiger Woods withdraws from tournament, not talking

By Jim Loney

MIAMI (Reuters) - Tiger Woods pulled out of a golf tournament this week, the latest fall-out from a minor car accident that has left a swirl of mystery and a hint of scandal around the world's top golfer and pushed him into full damage control.

The Florida Highway Patrol said in a terse statement on Monday that it was pursuing the crash investigation but had still not been able to interview Woods, who declined to meet with investigators during the weekend.

Woods pulled out on Monday of the Chevron World Challenge in Thousand Oaks, California, a tournament he has hosted for nine years. He said he could not attend the event that starts on Thursday because of injuries suffered in the accident.

The greatest golfer of his generation and an unparalleled product pitchman whose personal fortune is estimated at $1 billion, Woods was hospitalized briefly on Friday after his Cadillac Escalade hit a fire hydrant and a tree as he left the driveway of his Windermere, Florida, home after 2 a.m.

Woods met Florida's legal requirement by providing police with his driver's license, car registration and proof of insurance, and is not obliged to volunteer medical records, video from home security cameras or anything else investigators might want, prominent Florida lawyer Roy Black said.

"Any lawyer with a brain in their head is not going to allow him to talk to the police because nothing good can come of talking to the police," said Black, who defended William Kennedy Smith, a member of America's Kennedy clan, against a rape charge, and radio host Rush Limbaugh in a drug fraud case.

Woods said in a written statement on Sunday that the accident was his fault and was "obviously embarrassing to my family and me." He called irresponsible the "many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me."

TABLOIDS AWASH WITH SPECULATION

Tabloid media and celebrity websites are awash with speculation that Woods and his wife, Elin, had been arguing before the crash. The National Enquirer has reported that Woods had an extra-marital relationship with a "New York City party girl." The woman named in that report has denied a relationship.

The Florida Highway Patrol said it had not made any comments on Woods' medical information, an apparent reference to a published report that investigators were seeking a search warrant for the hospital where the golfer was treated to obtain his medical records.

Under Florida law, Woods has a right to keep medical information private, but Black said under certain circumstances police have been able to seize hospital records.

"Unfortunately, yes. That was the issue in Rush Limbaugh's case and the court upheld the use of a search warrant to seize medical records," he said. "But they (police) would have to convince a judge that there was probable cause to believe a crime had been committed."

One of the world's most recognizable figures, Woods has lucrative endorsement deals with companies such as Nike and AT&T. So far, signs are that companies are standing by the popular golfer.

The chatter about the greatest golfer of his generation and, according to Forbes magazine the world's first billionaire athlete, was fueled in part by the circumstances -- why was he leaving home at 2:25 a.m.? -- and in part by a hint of trouble in the Woods household.

The Enquirer report said that a New York nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel, had been "telling friends about a jet-set liaison" with the golfer. Uchitel has issued a denial.

"I did not have any involvement with him," E! News quoted Uchitel as saying.

Woods' handlers have done the right thing by keeping their client away from the police, Black said, citing the recent case of U.S. television talk show host David Letterman, who two months ago revealed he was the target of a $2 million blackmail plot, then admitted having affairs with women on his staff.

"By reporting that blackmail attempt to the police, all he did was guarantee that all his dirty laundry would be played out in the news media," Black said. "Tiger Woods is a lot smarter, so far at least."

But William Moran, an attorney whose practice with the New York office of McCarter and English includes crisis management, said Woods would have been wiser to meet with the police.

"His problem that he's now facing is that he's possibly running the risk of turning himself from a victim into an offender here, if the police determine that he is obstructing justice or tampering with evidence," Moran said.

(Additional reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes and Steve Gorman in Los Angeles and Ben Klayman in New York; Editing by Frances Kerry)


source: Reuters.com

Fashion show of Miss World 2009 competitors

Winner of the Miss World Fashion Final, Perla Beltran Acosta, of Mexico and her two runners-up, Tran Thi Huong Giang from Vietnam and Ingrid Littre of Martinique during a fashion show of Miss World competitors in Johannesburg, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009. The finale will take place Dec 12.



Chloe Mortaud, of France on the runway during a fashion show of Miss World competitors in Johannesburg, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009. The finale will take place Dec 12.



Stefanie Peeck,of Germany on the runway during a fashion show of Miss World competitors in Johannesburg, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009. The finale will take place Dec 12.



Miss Australia, Sophie Laverson, on the runway during a fashion show of Miss World competitors in Johannesburg, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009. The finale will take place Dec 12.



Sheng Yu, of China on the runway during a fashion show of Miss World competitors in Johannesburg, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009. The finale will take place Dec 12.



England's Katrina Hodge, on the runway during a fashion show of Miss World competitors in Johannesburg, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009. The finale will take place Dec 12.



Miss Albania, Armina Mevlani, on the runway during a fashion show of the Miss World competition in Johannesburg, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009. The finale will take place Dec.12.



Daniela Lalinde, of Colombia on the runway during a fashion show of Miss World competitors in Johannesburg, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009. The finale will take place Dec 12.



Miss Aruba, Nuraisa Lispier, on the runway during a fashion show of the Miss World competitors in Johannesburg, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009. The finale will take place Dec 12.



Ana Contreras Sosa, of the Dominican Republic on the runway during a fashion show of Miss World competitors in Johannesburg, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009. The finale will take place Dec 12.



Luciana de Souza Reis, of Brazil on the runway during a fashion show of Miss World competitors in Johannesburg, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009. The finale will take place Dec 12.



Mariatu Kargbos of Sierra Leone, reacts after winning the best dress award at the Miss World 2009 Fashion Finals, in Johannesburg, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009. The final pageant will take place Dec 12.


credit photo: AP

Poland's top designer Michal Starost women's fashion collection

A model wears a creation from Poland's top designer Michal Starost women's fashion collection entitled 'Tokyo Underground', presented in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, Nov. 30, 2009.













credit photo: AP photo

Lopburi's ‘monkey buffet’

Over 4,000 kilos of food was offered to the town's hungry macaques during the annual feast, including cans of soda and lollipops

We wonder if this little guy was given a product placement fee for being snapped chugging back a can of soda during the annual Lopburi ‘monkey buffet.’

There are some satisfied long-tailed macaques in Lopburi right now, having stuffed themselves silly on over 4,000 kilos of goodies at Sunday's annual ‘monkey buffet.’

Lopburi is a popular tourist town about 150 kilometers north of Bangkok famous for the small but fearless long-tailed macaques that have taken over a few of its ancient temples. Every year on the last Sunday of November, Lopburi's monkeys -- estimates range from 600 to 2,000 -- are 'invited' to dine on fruits, vegetables and other treats like soda and lollipops.

According to the Thai version of the Ramayana legend, Rama created the ancient city of Lopburi with the help of his friend Hanuman the Monkey King. Rather than view the town's naughty, thieving monkeys as an annoyance, many of Lopburi’s residents consider the macaques descendants of Hanuman. Hence this delicious monkey buffet is held in their honor -- and to promote tourism, of course.

Monkeys aren't the only Thai animal celebrated every November. Check out our video highlights of Surin's recent Elephant Roundup. (Gallery 1)


source: cnngo.com

Our collection of wild custom cars

Rocket-launching, rainbow-splattered streamline babies

In Asia, custom cars -- altered for looks or performance -- are pimped-out. There goes (Varoom! Varoom!) that J-pop painted (Thphhhhhh!) robot-transforming (Rahghhh!) Gandhi killer car around the bend.


Japanese customizers are hardcore


The land of anime and transforming robots brought out similarly badass vehicles at the 2009 Sotontokoro Motorshow. A Buddhist priest decked his ride with sutras written in Svarovski crystals. (Cost: US$110,000.) A Batman fanatic made a rolling tribute. (Cost: US$280,000, 13 wasted years and a divorce.) My favorite is the eggplant farmer’s van with a giant water rocket launcher.


Manila custom car show


The Philippines is a nation of car individualists. At the 2008 Manila Auto Salon (http://www.manilaautosalon.com), owners showed off their skilled custom work. Psychedelic paint jobs, gull wings and Gothic front plates ahoy.



Extreme modified vans in Japan
Spray-painting the side of a van? Pssshw. In Japan, tricked-out vans have towering lighting bolt extensions and meticulous portraits of Disney and Sanrio characters. Or cute J-pop stars, such as Ayumi Hamasaki.







Chinese “little sheep” scooter
Motorbikes rule the roads of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province. In China, scooters are called “little sheep” because they are less powerful than their Harley-Davidson cousins. Hence the gold writing on this retro two-wheeler “Century Sheep.”






Patched-up Shanghai three-wheeler
I adore this jockey-shifter trike, spotted on the sidewalk of Shanghai’s hardware district. It reminds me of my dad’s old ride: rust covered with poorly-matched spray paint, seat held together by rope. Could the handicapped symbol refer to the state of the vehicle?



Gandhi killer getaway car
New Delhi accumulated a fair number of foreign autos in its colonial days. At a 2007 rally, hobbyists put their painstakingly restored vintage roadsters on display. This 1930 Studebaker has a sordid history: It was the car Nathuram Godse used to escape from Birla House after killing Mahatma Gandhi.




REVA rainbow electric cars
Designer-painted REVA custom cars were auctioned for charity at the 2008 Kala Ghoda Arts Fest in Mumbai. Some call the Indian electric car ugly, but they might change their minds after seeing one covered with rainbow streaks and patches. Or not.



Sparkly Bratz Hyundai coupé
South Korean manufacturer Hyundai is known for its inexpensive and not-too-cool cars. But the sporty Genesis Coupé takes a step up the luxury ladder. And the Bratz-themed customization -- sparkly magenta paint, fuzzy pillows, wing doors -- puts this Hyundai in the zone of awesome custom cars. (If you’re a six-year-old girl, that is…)


source: cnngo.com

Toilet tour of India

Ever wonder what's behind door number two? Follow us...



..to the Bollywood bathroom


the Beach



..to 17,000 feet up in the Himalayas



..to the climb



..to the couples toilet






..to the highway restaurant



..to the train



..to the urban home



.. to the wannabe 'echo hut' in a village


Don't hold your breath -- suspending, squatting and sometimes even climbing to go to the bathroom while travelling in India is something even locals are scared of

source: cnngo.com

Shanghai dining trends that deserve to die

Shanghai’s dining scene makes this city, but sometimes the culinary arena gets a bit too over zealous leading to dining trends we’d happily write obituaries for

They came, they cooked, they made our stomachs turn -- we'll happily put some of Shanghai's recent dining trends into the ground.

Each year, trendy restaurants arise, eager amateurs try to copycat them and laughable disasters result -- think canned fruit cocktail on Hawaiian pizza and Kraft dinner cheese sauce on tacos. These experiments and other failed dining trends assault the hungry masses.

Chef Eric Brown, former head chef at Mexico Lindo, Finestre and Pinnacle Peak, and now head chef at the 2010 Expo Spanish Pavilion gives us the view from amid the fray.


Dining trend 1: Mexican
“One of the biggest dining trends I’ve noticed is Mexican food, and it has blown up in a big way,” Brown says.

It started in the fall of 2009, he recalls, with Mexico Lindo, then Maya and then Cantina Agave (1/F, 291 Fumin Lu, near Changle Lu 富民路291号, 近长乐路). Those leaders are still doing well, Brown notes. However, the copycats have encircled us now.

Beware of burritos filled with mystery meat, pale guacamole and unidentifiable fried objects -- are those even beans?

Brown puts it simply: “People aren't executing the dishes how they're supposed to be. Slow cooking the meats is essential, as is cornmeal. Mexican is based a lot around maize, or cornmeal. It’s a staple.”

Flour just won’t do, muchachos!

Lesson learned: There’s no substitute for the real ingredients.



Dining trend 2: Italian
“There is nothing worse than overpaying for cardboard and ketchup and someone calling it a pizza,” Brown laments.

He’s not exaggerating, ketchup is frequently used for tomato sauce in “copycat” restaurants. Oops!

Higher prices doesn’t guarantee higher quality either. Brown hesitantly admits he’s had “glorified egg noodles and cheese” served at a well-known venue in town. “I have had better cafeteria food when I was in high school,” he jokes.

“Italian is old world food. It is centered around sauces and the longer you cook them the better they will be,” Brown says. Fast Italian just doesn’t work.

Lesson learned: Slow and steady wins the dining race.



Dining trend 3: French
In the French department, Brown gives the nod to Laris and Jean-Georges, where the food is “always past exceptional,” but wish we could say the same for the ubiquitous, more affordable bakery-cafes. The breads are baffling.

On of the most popular dining trends is the oblong “baguette” loaf that has a 3D shape, appears to exist, yet has zero texture or taste. How is it possible?

“French, as most cuisines, is territorial. It’s all about the ingredients you have around you, so it’s a struggle trying to create dishes in a foreign country,” Brown explains. “That’s why it’s so expensive.” That special je ne sais quois doesn’t come cheaply.

Lesson learned: Breads might seem basic, but just because it’s a staple doesn’t mean it’s easy to do well.



Dining trend 4: Tapas
“Tapas is one of the most overplayed dining trends. The market is definitely flooded,” says Brown.

Brown fears that “if enough people do it badly, it will give it a bad name and people will stop going. El Willy does it better than anyone, and now others are jumping on board, mucking it all up. A huge factor is having the right people there after you have left the restaurant.”

Restaurateurs can’t hire a specialized chef for two weeks to train the staff and then let the chef go. Fast gourmet doesn’t work as well as fast fashion.

Lesson learned: Two weeks of training doesn’t make up for experience in the kitchen.

Although we’ll never complain about the breadth of the Shanghai dining scene, flash-flooding a market to capitalize on dining trends, is the ultimate trend that must die.


source: cnngo.com