Is the Liverpool Soccer Club Up for Sale?

Japan’s Princess Aiko, the eight-year-old daughter of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako, hasn’t been in school for a week, but reasons for her absence are unclear. In an odd public statement, an Imperial Household official said that the Princess had been unwilling to return to Gakushuin Primary School after being bullied by boys in her second-grade class. Apparently, she has been suffering from anxiety and stomach aches. The school, however, held its own press conference and announced, “As far as we know, there was no violent behavior targeted at Princess Aiko.” Here’s hoping the little Princess makes it to class on Monday.

Read the rest of the post here:
Is the Liverpool Soccer Club Up for Sale?

Jon Stewart Compares Sarah Palin Obsession to Angel Dust

Last night on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart deconstructed the Sarah Palin press bonanza over the release of her memoir, Going Rogue. He summed it up best, saying, “What is it about Sarah Palin that makes the right in this country feel as though they’ve been sprinkled with angel dust, and the left in this country feel as though they had smoked something laced with angel dust? Because whether you love her or you hate her, you definitely love her or hate her.” The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon – Thurs 11p / 10cDaily Show: The Rogue Warriorwww.thedailyshow.comDaily Show Full EpisodesPolitical HumorHealth Care Crisis

Here is the original:
Jon Stewart Compares Sarah Palin Obsession to Angel Dust

The Decade in Covers: Pick the Best V.F. Cover of 2008

The April 2008 cover of Vanity Fair.In April 2008, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Sarah Silverman—dressed as the three graces of comedy—picked up Christopher Hitchens’s gauntlet to prove that, yes, women are funny. As the aughties give way to the teens, VF.com asks you to vote for the magazine’s 10 best covers of the decade, one for each year. Today, pick your favorite among the 12 covers of 2008. See a slide show of covers after the jump and vote for your favorite.

Continue here:
The Decade in Covers: Pick the Best V.F. Cover of 2008

Which Shirtless Twilight Hunk is Your Hardtop Convertible?

This isn’t as stupid a question as it seems. While flitting about the country recently, I had the opportunity to sample three metal-roofed, two-door vehicles, all of which featured tops that retracted at the push of a button. And while attempting to come up with a pithy and creative rubric for comparing these convertibles (as is the Stick Shift way), I realized three things: a) the cars were all pretty good lookin’ b) the bifurcation/dualism endemic in their nature reminded me of certain creatures who, to quote a famed emperor of darkness, “crawl in search of blood/to terrorize y’alls neighborhood,” and c) I like thinking about hot dudes that remove their tops at my command. Voila: This Twilight hottie template. I’m going to insert some sacrilege here: I didn’t really like the first Twilight movie. I’m all about delayed gratification. But, in my opinion, the only thing that exemplifies a greater sense of deferred satisfaction than watching baseball is watching vampires not bite people, and this movie held up as one of its centerpieces non-biting vampires playing baseball. Bo-ring! However, I have high hopes for the sequel, mainly because it looks like it will feature more male nudity. Now, onto the cars and their correlative stars.

Continue here: Which Shirtless Twilight Hunk is Your Hardtop Convertible?

Which Royal’s Crown Has Diamonds that Give Beyonce a Run for her Rocks

Fabled celebrity photographer Mario Testino, who snapped iconic portraits of Princess Diana, has revealed he hopes to photograph would-be royal Kate Middleton as soon as he can “pin her down.” This is not the first time the photographer has been linked to Kate, Prince William’s longtime flame. Last year, inaccurate rumors suggested the portraitist would train Kate in his art. Testino, whose work frequently appears in Vanity Fair, was presented with the Medal of Excellence by British luxury advocates Walpole earlier this week.

Original post:
Which Royal’s Crown Has Diamonds that Give Beyonce a Run for her Rocks

Tim Burton on His MoMA Exhibition: "It’s a Bit Morbid"

Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Tim Burton, and Danny DeVito. From PatrickMcMullan.com. How does Tim Burton feel about having a retrospective of his life’s work while he is still alive? “It’s a bit morbid,” said the director, standing on the second floor of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. “But I love morbidity, so it’s fitting.” Behind him, guests were filing to their seats at a lavish dinner in his honor. Among them were his wife, Helena Bonham Carter (who, like the filmmaker, appeared to have styled her hair with a cherry bomb), Burton’s frequent collaborator Johnny Depp, Anna Wintour, the Olsen twins, Brooke Shields, designer Zac Posen, actress Gabourey Sidibe, and Burton’s go-to composer, Danny Elfman. After dinner, the beau monde ambled through the extensive exhibition on the museum’s third floor, which contains around 700 works from Burton’s singular imagination. The creations range from concept art and sketchbooks to props and puppets for his animated and live-action films. Over 30 years and more than 15 movies—including Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Sleepy Hollow, and Sweeney Todd—Burton has created an immediately identifiable world. It is populated by characters who look undead, or at least poorly rested. His creatures are skittish, gaunt, and pointy. His skies are gray and his trees leafless, except for when they’re blindingly blue and green, and then it’s even eerier.

More here: Tim Burton on His MoMA Exhibition: "It’s a Bit Morbid"

November 2009: Bruce Weber on Robert Pattinson

As Twilight’ s reluctant bloodsucker, Vanity Fair’ s December cover star has made teenage girls (and their mothers) swoon. To accompany Evgenia Peretz’s profile, which addresses Pattinson’s relationship with co-star Kristen Stewart and Hollywood’s doubts about casting him as Edward Cullen, VF.com presents the third of five slide shows featuring outtakes from his epic session with photographer Bruce Weber.

Read the rest of the post here:
November 2009: Bruce Weber on Robert Pattinson

Colin Powell and the Stars of Precious Convene at the Crosby Street Hotel

Sapphire, Lee Daniels, Gabourey Sidibe, General Colin Powell. From PatrickMcMullan.com. “Every time I get to New York I get nervous because of the New Yorkers,” joked director Lee Daniels when introducing his new and much buzzed-about film, Precious, at the Cinema Society and Tommy Hilfiger’s screening on Thursday evening. He had nothing to fear, however: the movie was a resounding success, with many a viewer—including model Agyness Deyn, nightclub owner Amy Sacco, and Keith Richards spawn Alexandra Richards—leaving the theater drying their eyes. “It wasn’t until the movie was done that I realized how daunting it had been,” said a beaming and pregnant Paula Patton. “It took me a few months to shake that character loose because of dealing with difficult subject matter day in and day out.” Screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher explained his tactic in adapting Sapphire’s book Push: “I think this is a perfect novel, and you’re in for a challenge when you’re trying to refashion perfection. A lot of the visual elements of the script came from my being trained as a director.”

Read the rest here:
Colin Powell and the Stars of Precious Convene at the Crosby Street Hotel

The Commissioner’s Trophy

Have a newsworthy cocktail hour with our weekly current-events-inspired concoctions. Today’s cocktail was developed by master mixologist Philip Ward of New York City’s Mayahuel (304 East Sixth Street; 212-253-5888) in honor of the Yankees’ 2009 World Series win. Speaking of which, did you hear about Derek Jeter teaching cycling classes at his 24 Hour Fitness clubs in the off season? The Commissioner’s Trophy 2 oz. Flor de Cana 4-year-old rum 1 oz. Flor de Cana 18-year-old rum 3/4 oz. simple syrup made with Demerara sugar 1 oz. lime juice 6 oz. hot strong green tea 1 mint sprig Combine all ingredients and let sit overnight, refrigerated. When ready to serve, strain into glasses and garnish each with a lime wheel and mint sprig. To make simple syrup, combine two parts Demerara sugar and one part water in a small pot. Warm over low heat and stir until sugar is dissolved.

More:
The Commissioner’s Trophy

Now We Know Why the Yankees Wear Blue

November 4, 2009; November 4, 2008. Getty Images. Forget C.C. Sabathia, Mark Texeira, Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez’s post-‘roids revival. Want to know the real reason the Yankees broke through after a nine-year drought and won the World Series Wedensday night? Take a look at this list of the Yankees’ Series wins since 1960 and see if you can spot the underlying trend: 1961, 1962, 1977, 1978, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009. Yes, that’s right: since the end of the Eisenhower era, the Yankees have only won championships when a Democrat was in the White House. There were two wins under John Kennedy, another two under Jimmy Carter, a whopping four under Bill Clinton, and now—after a dismal eight-years marked by preemptive war, regressive economic policies, and Red Sox victories—a fresh championship clinched a year to the day after Obama’s election. Ironic then that George Steinbrenner was convicted of making illegal campaign contributions to Richard Nixon in 1972. One hopes the Steinbrenner family has learned its lesson.

More here: Now We Know Why the Yankees Wear Blue

Next Page »