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Happy Birthday Dakota Fanning! Today, Feb. 23, You’re 18 Years Old!

ricky — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 06:32:23 +0000

Dakota, we wish you all the best on your birthday!

Dakota Fanning today you’re 18, you should ‘push’ to party all night!

Happy Birthday, Dakota Fanning! We loved you as a kid, and you’ve grown into a real star since! March, April and May will bring more exposure and credit for your talent, and the summer months will make things even brighter. June through August look to be huge for your career, and you’ll be going from ‘actress’ to ‘Hollywood powerhouse’ with a creative project sure to take things in a whole new direction. Could you be forming your own production company, perhaps?

Get More Info At Astrology.com

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Whitney Houston Casket Photo Invokes Outrage

ricky — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:18:07 +0000

The National Enquirer refuses to let Whitney Houston rest in peace.

The latest issue of this notorious tabloids screams “WHITNEY: THE LAST PHOTO!” and purports to depict a picture of the late singer in her casket.

It was allegedly taken inside Whigham Funeral Home in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday and shows a woman wearing a dark dress, with “Nippy” (Houston’s nickname), along with two treble clefs, written in blue script on the lining of the casket cover.

The image – blurred out above – has invoked outrage across the Internet, with Sarah Anne Hughes of The Washington Post referring to it as “shocking and disturbing.”

A similar uproar took place in July 2009 when a British tabloid covered an issue with a photo of a dying Michael Jackson being wheeled out on a stretcher.

What do you think of the Enquirer publishing this picture?

View full post on The Hollywood Gossip

Rachel Crow: Why She Chose Nickelodeon Over Disney

ricky — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:53:04 +0000

An insider tells HollywoodLife.com the 14-year-old ‘The X Factor’ starlet wanted to sign with Nickelodeon from the start and she only was in talks with Disney to solidify the deal faster

Rachel Crow impressed the whole country with her amazing vocals and outgoing personality on The X Factor and now she’s getting prepped to become a shining star on Nickelodeon. However, she has the Disney Channel in part to thank for getting her sweet deal so quickly.

“The Disney meeting with Rachel was almost seen as leverage for the Nickelodeon deal to do through,” a source tells HollywoodLife.com exclusively. “Nickelodeon always wanted Rachel from the beginning, so when they heard she was talking to Disney, they sped up the process and offered her the best deal she’d seen up to that point.”

Adds the insider, “Disney was weighing its options and was in no rush to give Rachel a deal. Nickelodeon had more immediate plans than Disney, and Rachel wanted to strike while the iron was still hot.”

Rachel is set to appear in five episode’s of Nickelodeon’s new series Fred: The Show and is expected to work on her first CD later this year.

We’re so glad Rachel’s

View full post on Hollywood Life

Lindsay Lohan’s Probation Nears End

ricky — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:28:46 +0000

LOS ANGELES (CNN) — Lindsay Lohan’s probation should end next month, clearing the way for the actress to revive her acting career possibly playing Elizabeth Taylor in a made-for-TV movie.

“Ms. Lohan, you’re in the homestretch,” Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner told the actress during a probation progress hearing Wednesday.

February is the third straight month of positive reports for Lohan, and a major change from recent years in which she was found in violation of probation for failed drug and alcohol tests, missed counseling sessions and community service work and a shoplifting arrest.

“You seem to be getting your life back on track and that what we hoped for,” Judge Sautner said. “It’s never our goal to put people in jail.”

Lohan has 14 more days of community service — cleaning up at the county morgue — and five more counseling sessions to complete before her next progress hearing on March 29.

After that, her probation for two drunk driving convictions five years ago will end. The probation for last year’s necklace theft conviction continues, but Judge Sautner said it becomes informal summary probation with no reporting requirements.

“All you have to do is obey all laws, stay out of trouble and get on with your life,” the judge told Lohan.

Lohan has been in court more than a dozen times in the last two years, each time creating a media frenzy inside and outside the courthouse. But far fewer reporters attended Wednesday’s hearing.

“They just don’t want to cover good news,” Lohan lawyer Shawn Holley said.

Stints in jail and court-ordered rehab cost Lohan acting jobs in recent years, but with the light at the end of the strict probation tunnel in sight, the acting jobs are reappearing.

Lohan travels to New York next week to host NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” on March 3. It’s her fourth time hosting the show, but the first since her legal troubles began in 2007.

She appears close to signing a deal to play the lead in a Lifetime network movie about legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor, who died last year.

Her publicist acknowledged negotiations are underway, but “nothing has been signed.”

Although just 25, Lohan has deep knowledge of Hollywood’s golden age and has a “high regard” for its icons, he said. She would “really embrace” the role of Taylor, Steve Honig said.

The sales success of her nude photo spread in Playboy magazine, which hit news stands in December, is evidence that Lohan’s star power survived her legal troubles.

Lohan was reportedly paid nearly $1 million to pose for the photos taken in a style reminiscent of the nude photograph of Marilyn Monroe that graced the debut issue of Playboy in 1953.

View full post on 10news.com

How To Prep For An Oscar-Worthy Event Just Like A Celebrity

ricky — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:08:10 +0000

Celebs spend the weeks before the Oscars prepping for the event, but what exactly should YOU know about the process of prepping to look your best?

Fashion, beauty and lifestyle expert and REMBRANDT spokeswoman Mary Alice Stephenson gives you a peak behind the Oscars curtain to share how the stars get ready for the big day and gives you her best of beauty Oscar predications!

To pare down what to carry for a big even like the Oscars, what exactly do you recommend celebs pack in their clutches?
“Lipgloss, a bit of extra concealer for touchups, breath mints, a mini mirror and a baby pin. If your dress has any malfunctions you can pin it with the baby pin on the inside of the dress. They are sturdy enough to not pop open!”

What is one beauty-related thing you should never do on the day of a big event?
“There are a few… never dye your hair, get an invasive facial, wax your brows or lips the day of a big event.”

Are there any tips and tricks to looking great while being photographed?
“Everything looks better with a whiter, brighter smile. I suggest the REMBRANDT Deeply White 2 Hour Whitening Kit because it’s fast and

View full post on Hollywood Life

Tabloid: Oriela Medellin Amieiro Nailing Russell Brand, Katy Perry “Stabbed in the Heart”

ricky — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:48:59 +0000

It’s been just two months since Katy Perry and Russell Brand split, but rumor has it he’s moved on already – with 25-year-old model and artist Oriela Medellin Amieiro.

“It was about 9:30 in the morning, and I saw them getting into a Range Rover,” an eyewitness tells Life & Style, which made Katy’s heartbreak its new cover story.

“She’d obviously stayed over at his house because she was in evening clothes and high heels. She threw her head back and laughed – she was having a good time.”

Not having a good time these days? KP.

Katy Perry now wonders, according to a “lifelong pal,” whether Russell really was the “changed man” he claimed to be when they married in October 2010.

“I’m such a fool,” Katy recently confessed, allegedly. “I believed in him.”

Sources say Brand has been “on a tear” recently, clubbing and coming on to women all over LA … not limited to the Mexican-born Oriela Medellin Amieiro.

“Russell is very flirty with the ladies,” a source says. “He gets a lot of phone numbers … all the women just hand over their numbers and he takes them.”

On February 20, Russell was surrounded by groups of women during his stand-up show at Largo in LA. “There were girls everywhere,” an eyewitness says.

“It’s very disturbing to Katy that he’s moved on so quickly,” the friend says. “She was shocked to hear he was out partying again and trying to pick up girls.”

“It sickens her … she feels humiliated and burned.”

Mmm hmm. We have no doubt she’s still reeling from her divorce, like any girl would be, but she’s made it clear no “close sources” speak for her.

View full post on The Hollywood Gossip

Promising new compound for treating stroke produced

ricky — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:28:09 +0000

Promising new compound for treating stroke produced

Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Wed, 02/22/2012 – 13:54

Washington, Feb 22 : A new chemical compound that has great potential for the possible treatment of brain damage caused by stroke has been designed and produced by researchers at the University of Copenhagen.

The compound binds 1,000 times more effectively to the target protein in the brain than the potential drug currently being tested on stroke victims.

Stroke causes the brain to release large amounts of glutamate, an activating signal compound, all at once. This overactivates the receptors in the surrounding healthy tissue, causing the level of calcium in the cells to rise dramatically.

This then kick-starts a toxic chain reaction causing cell death. Scientists believe that this process is the cause of the brain damage that occurs in the wake of a stroke. Therefore they are looking for compounds that can limit cell death.

“Research on animal models shows that the new compound we have designed and produced reduces the dead area in the brain after a stroke by 40 per cent. In addition, we can show that our compound is far more biologically effective than the potential drug currently being tested in clinical trials,” explained Anders Bach, medicinal chemist and postdoc at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.

Biological tests also indicate that the new compound shows high biological activity in animal models and is able to pass through the nearly impermeable blood-brain barrier, which is otherwise a fundamental challenge in clinical drug development.

“Our compound is able to pass through the blood-brain barrier, but also interesting is that it improves motor function in the animals that have been subject to stroke, for example, seen as increased grip strength in the paws of the mice,” said Bach.

Previously the development of drugs to combat brain damage resulting from stroke focused on blocking the receptors for signal compounds in the brain, such as glutamate. While this protected the receptor against the danger of overactivation, it unfortunately also influenced the normal vital functions of the receptor, causing unacceptable side effects.

Therefore in recent years there has been increased interest in an alternative strategy where the drug does not influence the receptor directly, but instead acts on the interactions between the receptor and the proteins in the cell. This is an important area of focus for the Chemical Biology research team at the University of Copenhagen.

“Our research is concentrated on disrupting the interaction between the so-called NMDA receptor and the intracellular protein PSD-95. Other scientists have shown interest in the same area – one group has developed a particularly interesting compound that is currently undergoing clinical development. However, we have reconsidered the design of the compounds in this area and come up with a new one that is more effective,” according to Bach.

In order to find compounds that can detach the PSD-95 protein from the NMDA receptor, one must have a method for measuring the extent to which the compounds bind to PSD-95.

“We have established a method – fluorescence polarisation – that has been very successful in helping us develop a number of potent compounds over a long period of time,” stated Bach.

He added that scientists have committed many resources to finding out exactly how the compounds bind to PSD-95 – using for example sophisticated biophysical methods. This has resulted in detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms that cause the high level of activity.

Anders Bach hopes that the new compound can form the basis for a new drug on the global market, but he emphasises that such a process is long and complicated.

“Although we are very satisfied with the new results in terms of the possible treatment of brain damage due to stroke, many things can go wrong in the long drug development process. So even though the compound binds effectively in laboratory studies and shows promising biological activity in animal models, we will still have many challenges to overcome,” concluded Bach.

The results have just been published in the scientific journal PNAS – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. (ANI)

View full post on topnews.com/health copy

‘Teen Mom 2? Star Leah Messer Viciously Attacked This Weekend

ricky — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:27:55 +0000

Three assailants left the ‘Teen Mom 2′ star with a ‘swollen cheek.’ Poor Leah!

Talk about a close call! Teen Mom 2 star Leah Messer, 19, was enjoying a night out with fiancé Jeremy Calvert on Feb. 19 — when she was suddenly attacked by three women outside a West Virginia movie theater. TMZ reports the encounter left Leah with “a swollen cheek, and redness on her neck and chest.” It took Jeremy’s help, along with a security guard, to fend off the three strangers.

All we can say is: Poor Leah! HollywoodLife.com already reported that Leah was suffering from depression after her miscarriage, and incidents like this will do nothing to ease her troubled mind.

According to TMZ, Leah plans to file an official report with police.

(Side note: Are you curious to know if the MTV cameras were rolling at the time of the attack?)

More ‘Teen Mom’ drama:

View full post on Hollywood Life

Stephen Colbert Returns, Talks Recent Absence

ricky — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:59:13 +0000

(CNN) — When “The Colbert Report’s” production was suspended for a few days last week due to “unforeseen circumstances,” a number of theories as to the cause promptly spread across the Web.

But by Monday, Colbert was back as promised, and right off the top he addressed his “recent absence from the national conversation.”

“As the hub around which the Republic turns, I can understand why the machinery of this great nation ground to a halt last week when you were denied this,” he joked, gesturing to his face. “I’m sure you felt the same way I do when I’m in a room with no mirrors.”

But on to the “actual rumors from the actual Internets:” There were some, Colbert said, who thought “my show was canceled by the Federal Communications Commission at the request of the Federal Election Commission, because I was about to announce my presidential candidacy.” (As an aside, he notes, “Not gonna happen.”)

Another “wild” piece of gossip was that he was canceled “because I offended the Catholic church when I compared the Pope’s hat to a giant, yet stylish, prophylactic.”

And then there were those who thought Colbert was in rehab — “always an attractive option,” he joked, “if they have that for Diet Coke.”

But before he moved on, Colbert had “one more thing” to add: “Evidently, having 11 children makes you as tough as nails. Confidential to a lovely lady.”

It seemed to be a shout-out to his 91-year-old mother, as among the aforementioned silly rumors about Colbert’s unexplained absence was a much more serious report that suggested his mother had taken ill. According to Entertainment Weekly, Colbert is the youngest of 11.

The comedian and late night host didn’t make any other public remarks about the halt in production, but he did post to his Twitter account Friday, “My family and I would like to thank everyone who has offered their thoughts and prayers. We are grateful and touched by your concern.”

View full post on 10news.com

‘Teen Mom 2? Recap: Jenelle Evans Faces Jail Time AGAIN

ricky — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:48:54 +0000

On part one of the reunion special, Jenelle reveals she faces jail time because she can’t quit smoking weed and Kailyn must choose between the two men she loves!

Part one of the reunion special with Dr. Drew was more dramatic than the entire Teen Mom season! Jenelle Evans says she’s trying to turn her life around, but she’s still with Kieffer Delp and could end up in jail soon! Kailyn Lowry doesn’t know if she wants to be with her baby daddy Jo Rivera or her ex Jordan Wenner, and the men say she has to decide!

Part one catches up with Jenelle and Kailyn, and next week we’ll hear from Chelsea Houska and Leah Messer!

Jenelle Evans: Jenelle tells Dr. Drew she’s turning her life around. She’s back in school, and she wants to set a good example for Jace. Too bad Kieffer is still in the picture off and on. “It’s really hard to break up with your best friend,” she explains. But he’s obviously not a good influence — she failed her drug test and now faces jail! She says she can either stay in jail

View full post on Hollywood Life