It’s not just Posh Spice and David Beckham that are the newest flock of British invaders in America.

At the 2007 Oscar nominations not just the Brits, but also the Japanese and the Mexicans, et. al. have created an immigration problem in the Hollywood movie industry as well.

Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto could have joined the race but after that anti-Jewish slur incident, he can forever wave bye-bye to any chance of getting another Oscar nomination. Making a film about how the Jews killed Jesus is forgivable, but telling it straight to their faces is, well, career suicide.

Anyway, three top British actresses top the Best Actress category: Judy Dench, Kate Winslet, and Golden Globe winner Hellen Mirren. Now Winslet has been nominated many times now, but she always had the bad luck of facing off with equally great actresses with more popular roles.

This year is no exception. The last time she was in the race for the statue was for her role in Finding Neverland. And I’ll bet my secret Cayman Islands account that if Hillary Swank didn’t do Million Dollar Baby that year, Winslet would have won.

Only one American was nominated for Best Actress and it was Meryl Streep for The Devil Wears Prada. I don’t think even the devil can take away the Oscar from the Queen at this point. And to wrap up this category, Spanish Penelope Cruz for Volver, a film directed by fellow Spanish Pedro Almadovar.

The Best Actor Category has Leonardo DiCaprio snagging a nom for Blood Diamond. But he’s up against brilliant performances by Forest Whitaker, Will Smith, and (Irish actor) Peter O’Toole. Oh and Ryan Gosling got a nod, too, whoever that guy is. Good for him though, now he will have Academy Award Nominee tag attached to his name.

Read More » British and Other Immigrants Invade This Year’s Oscar Race

How can anyone even eat in those one-size-smaller awards show gowns?

The quick answer is that you don’t eat; you dine. Chefs to the stars have their work cut out for them in every red carpet affair: how to feed a horde of celebrities too worried to ruin their designer frocks and faces. I mean, they can’t all faint in the middle of an acceptance speech.

The 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards is happening on August 27, several days from now. World renowned chef Joachim Splichal gives us a preview of what TV celebrities will be dining on at the 2006 Emmy Awards – and still look cheekboned as cameras sneak on them while host Conan O’ Brien tells a really long joke without a punchline.

First off, Teri Hatcher, Ellen Pompeo, and Mary Louise Parker need to eat. Period. Unless they want Mischa Barton’s nutrition-deficient queendom. We think Felicity Huffman and Allison Janney do eat, but it’s like they work out more than they can chew.

May we suggest some stuffed avocado with shrimp and crab? Splichal, chef for the official Governor’s Ball in the last 10 years, is serving avocado stuffed with hefty shrimp, crabmeat, and julienned veggies. With a sprouting salad on a bed of lettuce, and his Louis dressing.

Guilt-free yum. It should be a hit with the health-headlining cast of Grey’s Anatomy, who might all show up as they have the most Emmy nominations for any…

Read More » Food for TV Stars at Emmy Awards

The USC Trojans STILL rule the Pac 10 Conference. There’s no denying that.

However, coming to the brand new 2006 NCAA College Football season, the USC Trojans find themselves questioning the level of play they will bring to the football field this season.

Can USC continue to maintain the same high level without Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and LenDale White? On pure talent, the answer might be yes.The recruiting train hasn’t slowed down a lick with another brilliant class coming in this year to provide even more help. The receiving corps is the best in the nation with Dwayne Jarrett, Steve Smith, and top recruit Vidal Hazelton sure to keep the offensive numbers rolling.

However, the rest of the ‘’PACK’’ will be looking forward to take advantage a somewhat weakened state of those Trojans. That’s why Pac 10 college football action might be the one to watch this season.

Is the program of the Arizona Wildcats finally ready to win under Mike Stoops? It’s year three under Stoops with only…

Read More » Who will Rule the Pack of Ten within the Pac 10?

Now we know why Indians are good in business.

We see trouble, they see opportunity. We see a shrink, they see the humor in it. We see disaster and donate to Oprah, they see disaster and let the betting begin.

In north India over the weekend, a boy aged 5 going on 6 fell into a pit too deep and narrow for easy rescue. His name is Prince, and his pit fall happened two days before his birthday. Neither television nor Prime Minister Manmohan Singh could pass up the human drama in that, and soon enough, had the entire nation on their knees, praying for this boy’s life.

Elsewhere in India, the bookmakers were equally busy, and not on cricket betting picks. Will Prince survive? How long before his rescue? What are the odds, and how could any good bookie ignore them? Well, they didn’t. Bookmakers received US $33 million in bets (26 million euros or 1.5 billion rupees) surrounding the boy’s survival.

Prince fell into a 60 foot-deep (18 meters) irrigation shaft on a Friday in his neighborhood, the remote village of Kurushetra in Haryana. The pit’s opening could not fit an adult, and local police did not have the equipment to extract him.

The army stepped in, and lowered down a…

Read More » Boy trapped in pit, triggers $33M betting

A woman killed on the same time and on the same spot on the fourth anniversary of her brother’s death?

Jeez… This is some sick, twisted and scary stuff.

On the fourth anniversary of her brother’s murder, a woman lighting candles at a makeshift shrine to probably her brother, was gunned down, killing her at about the same spot, on the same day and on the same hour as her older sibling.

Told you this is some twisted stuff.

The woman was killed Saturday at about 11:30 p.m. in the city’s Roxbury neighborhood on a one-way street close to a mass transit station and within view of Boston police headquarters.

The police declined to give the victim’s identity but her friends and relatives identified her as 20-year-old Analicia Perry of the South End neighborhood. She had a four-year-old daughter and had lived with her mother and sister about a mile where her brother was killed.

‘’What are they going to tell that baby? She’s only four,’’ Cleatha Rainey, whose daughter was a friend of…

Read More » Woman Killed at Same Spot, Same Time as Brother

USA! USA!

Yeah, Americans sure love America. He he…

In a survey released by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, Americans are tops when it comes to national pride. Yup, even though the US soccer / football team got their asses kicked by… what’s that country?.. Oh yeah, Ghana.

A survey of 34 countries was conducted to find out which of these countries have the most patriotic citizens and apparently, AMERICANS conducting the AMERICAN survey found out that AMERICANS are no.1.

Hmm…

‘’The two things we rank high on are what we think of as the political or power dimension,’’ said Tom W. Smith, a researcher at the university.

He adds, ‘’Given that we’re the one world superpower, it’s not that surprising.’’

Yeah, RIIIGHT…

Venezuela came in a close second in the survey, released by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.

People rated how proud they were of their countries in 10 areas…

Read More » Americans are very Patriotic this Fourth of July

The oldest profession just became interesting.

In a little town called Spotsylvania, Virginia, prostitution is becoming somewhat a tough nut to crack. So in order for the Virginia police to regain any kind of control, (or so they think) they are now allowing their officers to acquire sexual services of any form from prostitutes.

Yup, it’s now SWEET to become an officer of the law in Spotsylvania, Virginia. (Is it too late to switch professions?)

Howard Smith, the Spotsylvania County Sheriff, said he stands by the practice of allowing detectives to have sexual intercourse (Jeez… ‘’sexual intercourse” is such a long term, just call it ”pussy-bang”)…

Read more Pussy-bang

Read More » Prostitution is Exclusive ONLY for Sheriffs

For two decades, he’s been the NFL most dominant wide receiver. He’s a future Hall-of-Famer, a 12-time Pro Bowler and two-time NFL Player of the Year. Now, NFL great Jerry Rice turned his football dancing skills into the bright lights of Hollywood and primetime TV – on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”

For the game’s most decorated wide receiver, it’s been a case of bad knees and a big ego to jump from football to ballroom dancing instead of an NCAA football coaching job or a career as an ESPN analyst. Rice recently quit football after joining the Denver Broncos. When the Broncos wouldn’t make him their No. 1 (or No. 2 or No. 3) receiver, he decided to take his football accolades and go home. Outside of appearing on the ESPYs, what else does he have to do?

But Rice saved his best for last. Who knew Jerry Rice would be so darn cute doing the cha-cha? Jerry got rid of Master P and sent George H to a retirement home faster. Rice seems to actually want to compete in the show and that winning attitude will probably get him to the winner’s circle. He looked awesome with that hip action!!!

Read more (Jerry-fucking-dancing-Rice)

Read More » Jerry Rice chacha his way to the ‘Stars’

So, we’re watching this Nike Corporate Jet saga on CNN right now and doing our own handicapping, it looks like it’s a longshot for thing crashing into the runway. According to the jovial nature of the CNN broadcaster, it appears the odds of a "safe" emergency landing are a strong 2/1 at this point. So, no worries. Make your prop bets wisely.

Read More » Odds of Seeing A Plane Crash On Live Television

The heavy favorite for winning this year’s heralded Time Magazine Person of the Year award is God’s personal allergy "Mother Nature/Natural Disasters." According to Sportsbook.com, the massive death and destruction caused by the hurricanes in 2005, plus the hurricanes in Kashimir have given Mother Nature poll position at 2/1. Other favorites include Mahmoud Abbas / Ariel Sharon 6/1, Condoleezza Rice at 10/1, The Iraqi People at 10/1, and Pope John Paul II at 10/1. Longshot odds go to Christopher Reeve at 150/1, which we assume is because he died. If "Superman" got up and started walking around last year like he was supposed to, dude would’ve won this in a, um, landslide.

Read More » Person of the Year: Mother Nature is Time’s USC