Miranda July Wants To Send You Email

Miranda July wants to send you emails from famous people. Sign up here and the writer and filmmaker will convey secret transmissions every week from July until November. It's part of an art exhibition called "We Think Alone," and it takes place in your inbox.

The performance artist is best known for writing, directing and starring in the 2005 film, "Me and You and Everyone We Know" as well as 2011's "The Future." But she's also famous for her crowd-sourced projects; in 2010, SFMOMA purchased her seven-year online artwork titled, "Learning To Love You More," in which July created assignments like "Make an encouraging banner" and "Make a field guide to your yard." Thousands of user-generated results rolled in.

A similar mission guides her latest project, "We Think Alone," where strangers become privy to the private emails of Lena Dunham, Catherine Opie, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kirsten Dunst, Sheila Heti, Etgar Keret, Kate and Laura Mulleavy, Lee Smolin and Danh Vo. In this banal yet confidential space, emails become striking self-portraits.

"A quiet person might !!!! a lot," she explains on her website. "A person with a busy mind might write almost nothing."

We reached out to her to learn more about the project. (Scroll down for the interview.)

Huffington Post: How did you come up with the idea for "We Think Alone"?

Miranda July: I was invited by the museum Magasin 3 to do a project in the medium of email. They were fans of another project I had done in email where people could subscribe for fortunes; I would send written fortunes to them each week. For this one I didn't want to have to write anything -- I am writing a novel right now -- and I have always loved reading other people's emails.

I've tried to get friends to do this with me before: let's send each other emails that we've sent to our moms or our boyfriends or something. There is something about the mundane-ness that feels very intimate to me. I thought I would do that idea on a grand scale. At first I thought I'd do it with my friends but then I realized no one would care about them as much as I did. So I chose some of my more famous friends, or famous people that weren't friends. I came up with 10 topics and they had to scavenge through their inboxes for an email that fit each topic.

HP: So every week we receive an email from each of the participants?

MJ: Every week there is a topic; for the first week the topic is money.

HP: How did you choose the people involved?

MJ: I started with people I knew that were somewhat famous and that ended up being a lot of artists and writers so I tried to reach outside of that and invited a theoretical physicist that I didn't know, Lee Smolin. And I thought I should have someone from sports so that is how Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became involved. It was about trying to make a diverse group. Actually, the reason I knew Kareem knew who I was was because he mentioned me in a Huffington Post blog and I was like, well, I guess he knows who I am, so I looked him up online and emailed him.

HP: Was anyone hesitant?

MJ: No, I mean with Kareem there was an issue because he doesn't write all his own emails, which is understandable. You probably wouldn't either if you were him. But that was interesting to me too; I thought people would be curious to see whatever his reality is. There was some kind of negotiating about that, but really everyone kind of jumped into it.

HP: Next question... Does self-awareness leads to creativity or conformity?

MJ: It is interesting because not everyone has the same goals for their self-portrait. I think some people's goals were to share as little as possible and in a way that is a portrait. It's like, Oh, that's a private person. With other people you could see they were sharing things that they were proud of -- of all the emails they chose this one. Then again, not all the categories allow everyone to show themselves in the best light, and that was interesting too, the points where people really had to reveal themselves. People use email so differently also; Catherine Opie has these long correspondences that are very integral to her relationships, which is something I identify with. But then there are other people who almost use them like texts. That juxtaposition was very interesting.

HP: Can you recall a particular work of art that shook you when you were younger?

MJ: I remember staring at some pointilist painting in an Impressionist exhibition when I was younger and thinking that I was being really moved by it. I felt like I was in the painting. But gradually I realized what was happening was the sound of the air conditioning and the perfume of the woman next to me were combining with the image to create this immersive experience. I remember thinking that was interesting. The whole thing is the art; the painting would be nothing without the cooling system.

HP: Do you find it harder to connect with your audience the bigger you become?

MJ: Not really, it just shifts a little. Now there is such ample opportunity to connect with fans; I mean, I could do it all day long on Twitter if I wanted to. I am intersted in projects like this where every single person is going to get something from me in their inbox. I like that bizarre intimacy.

HP: What tip would you have to help others become less self-conscious?

MJ: You have to let go of watching yourself to make something, at least at the beginning. Everyone knows the difference between being inside yourself and watching from the outside. The important thing is realizing you have a choice.

Get more information on "We Think Alone" here; the first email arrives on July 1.

View the original article at Huffington Post / Celebrity

Judge wants more info on Chris Brown neighbor spat (AP)

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY, AP Entertainment Writer Anthony Mccartney, Ap Entertainment Writer – Thu Aug 25, 7:03 pm ET

LOS ANGELES – A judge wants to know whether Chris Brown is being a good neighbor.

Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg ordered prosecutors Thursday to get more details about neighborhood complaints about the R&B singer before his next Oct. 12 court hearing. Brown is on probation for a 2009 attack on then-girlfriend Rihanna.

The judge said she had received several calls from Brown's neighbors, but said she had not spoken directly to the people. She did not seem overly concerned about the complaints, but wanted more information about them and where Brown would complete his community service.

The singer had served 581 hours of community service in Virginia as of January, but needs to complete six months' worth of community labor to complete the terms of his probation. He recently moved to West Hollywood, Calif., and his attorney Mark Geragos said Brown may ask to complete his service in California.

Geragos downplayed the neighbor dispute, saying Brown was not at fault for some of the complaints. Geragos said West Hollywood city officials have dismissed more than $15,000 in parking citations Brown racked up for parking in a handicapped space at his condominium complex because those were the spaces assigned to him.

Brown has received mostly glowing probation reports since he was sentenced for the Rihanna attack two years ago. A probation report filed Thursday noted that media reports have focused on outbursts by Brown, but states that none of the conduct has been reported to probation officials.

A source told The Associated Press in March that Brown destroyed a dressing room and broke a window with a chair after an appearance on "Good Morning America," in which co-host Robin Roberts asked the singer about the attack on Rihanna. He was never charged, and the probation report did not specifically cite the incident.

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Congressman wants to limit chopper traffic over LA (AP)

LOS ANGELES – It's a sound that can set windows to rattling, dogs to barking and babies to crying, and it's one that's instantly recognizable to pretty much anybody who lives or works in Los Angeles.

It's that whumpah, whumpah, whumpah sound of helicopter blades tearing through the air, coupled with the steady whine of a powerful aircraft motor hovering right above you.

Depending on where you are, hearing it may mean Charlie Sheen has just left his house, Paris Hilton is headed into a courtroom or some sort of fender-bender accident has blocked freeway traffic in all directions.

"It sounds like `Apocalypse Now,'" said Beverly Hills resident Ellen Lutwak, making reference to the famous Vietnam War helicopter scenes from that film.

"I hear it and I know Lindsay Lohan or her friends are in the `hood," added Lutwak, who lives down the block from the Beverly Hills courthouse and works at home.

A congressman, spurred on by numerous complaints from constituents, some of them neighbors of Sheen, says it's time to put a stop to the noise.

"Residents deserve relief from the thunderous clacking of helicopter blades hovering directly over their homes, and instead all they've been getting is the runaround from government agencies," said Rep. Howard Berman, D-Los Angeles, whose district includes Sheen's neighborhood.

He introduced legislation Thursday that would order the Federal Aviation Administration to restrict helicopter flight paths and set minimum altitudes. Berman's bill, however, leaves the hard work of figuring out exactly where those flight paths should go and what the minimum altitudes should be to the FAA itself.

The FAA does have existing rules in place regulating helicopter traffic. Over a congested area, copters are not allowed to fly lower than 1,000 feet above a crowd or the highest obstacle. They can get down to 500 feet in a less congested area.

"Safety is always the FAA's top priority, and we aggressively investigate allegations of unsafe aircraft operations by airplane and helicopter pilots," the agency said in a statement issued Friday. "The FAA works with helicopter operators and community groups around the country to find ways for these aircraft to operate safely and with minimal community noise impacts."

The problem, says Richard Close, president of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association, is not necessarily one helicopter showing up but a dozen or more.

His neighborhood, which hugs the hills that separate the San Fernando Valley from Los Angeles' West Side, got a recent double blast of noise from a small army of choppers.

First, there was the well-documented activity around the home of Sheen when he was fighting with the producers of the TV show "Two and a Half Men," who eventually fired him. Then there was Carmageddon, the massive traffic jam that was supposed to tie up Close's neighborhood, but really didn't, when a nearby freeway was shut down for repair work earlier this month.

"During Carmageddon it was day and night, nonstop. And it was not one or two helicopters," Close said. "It was 10, 15, even worse. During Carmageddon there were private charter helicopters bringing people up who wanted to see the traffic jam."

Larry Welk, a veteran TV news reporter and president of the Professional Helicopter Pilots Association, said he doesn't believe Berman's bill, if it passes, will have much effect on quieting neighborhoods. He noted it would exempt all military, emergency and medical helicopters, which he said make up most of the chopper traffic over Los Angeles.

As for news helicopters, Welk said their ranks have actually decreased in recent years as the economy has soured. The incidents involving paparazzi chartering choppers to follow someone like Hilton to court, as they did a few years ago, don't happen as often as people think they do, Welk said.

One thing that seemed to help set off copter critics this week was a recent New York Times article in which a pilot for Hollywood Helicopter Tours was quoted as boasting he could make all the racket he wanted and no one on the ground could do anything about it. The company did not return a call for comment from The Associated Press.

Although Welk refrained from criticizing the pilot personally, he said such an attitude is not tolerated by his group, whose members are well trained and respectful of the people they fly over.

"I think the impression the general public has of pilots is a bunch of guys with spurs and chaps and cowboy hats sitting around saying, `Yee haw, let's go fly,' and it's not like that all," he said. "This is our job and we're very professional about it."

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Sony wants subpoena for Jackson footage quashed (AP)

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY, AP Entertainment Writer Anthony Mccartney, Ap Entertainment Writer – Fri Jul 22, 8:23 pm ET

LOS ANGELES – Sony studios on Friday asked the judge hearing Michael Jackson's manslaughter trial to throw out a subpoena for footage of the singer's final rehearsals after a defense attorney said earlier this week that reviewing them was "a big waste of time."

Attorneys for Sony Pictures Entertainment, which has footage from the "This Is It" film depicting Jackson's last rehearsals, argue in a motion that neither prosecutors nor defense attorneys should be able to show the footage during the trial.

Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor is scheduled to consider the request on Monday, but canceled plans to review the outtakes over the weekend. In a ruling, he stated that he had watched some of the 16 hours that attorneys were considering presenting to jurors, but that he would not travel to Sony studios for additional viewings on Saturday and Sunday.

The studio based its motion on quotes defense attorney J. Michael Flanagan made after a hearing Wednesday in which he said the footage doesn't show the singer was in poor health in the days before he died. Flanagan represents Dr. Conrad Murray, who has pleaded not guilty to an involuntary manslaughter charge related to Jackson's death.

"We believe his health is somewhat compromised, but he's not displaying it," Flanagan told reporters, including The Associated Press. He added that he thought the footage was irrelevant to the trial.

"I really think it's a big waste of time," he said.

Sony seized on the statement in its motion, writing, "If the enterprise is a waste of time, the court has stated that it has little time to be wasted."

Flanagan did not immediately return a phone message Friday afternoon.

Defense attorneys had been hoping the unseen footage from "This Is It" would support their contention that Jackson was frail in the days before his June 25 death.

Prosecutors found the footage helpful to their case, and asked Pastor to allow them to use up to 12 hours of raw footage. Murray's team wanted to show up to four hours from the rehearsals.

Jury selection in Murray's trial is scheduled to begin on Sept. 8.

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Jackson doc's defense wants jury sequestered (AP)

By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch, Ap Special Correspondent – Thu Jul 21, 6:23 am ET

LOS ANGELES – In a sign of legal fallout from the Casey Anthony murder trial, a lawyer for Michael Jackson's doctor said Wednesday his jury should be sequestered to avoid contamination by TV pundits — specifically Nancy Grace.

Attorney J. Michael Flanagan said the televised, involuntary manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray could be prejudiced by "final arguments" being delivered daily on TV by Grace and other commentators.

"How many final arguments will we have to hear in this case?" Flanagan asked.

At a pretrial hearing, the lawyer referred to "the recent case in Florida" and told the judge Murray's trial was expected to get even wider coverage. He said telling jurors not to watch TV would be insufficient.

When Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor asked if Flanagan would want jurors sequestered around the clock during the trial, the lawyer responded, "Every time Nancy Grace is on TV."

"We would like a decision made on the evidence that appears in this courtroom rather than commentary on the Nancy Grace show," he said.

Grace responded at the end of her show on CNN, saying "the doctor ... wants the jury sequestered from me, from us, claiming watching Nancy Grace will prevent a fair trial, then the jury will be biased, so I guess that makes us the good guy."

Pastor said the courts, with a severe budget crisis, can't afford to put up jurors at a hotel, and he thinks it's unnecessary. He also said it would be burdensome to jurors.

Pastor did say he would sequester the panel during the day, requiring them to eat meals together in the jury room rather than wander around the civic center.

The judge also said he would be instructing jurors not to pay attention to publicity about the trial.

Marcellus McRae, a former federal prosecutor and Los Angeles lawyer who teaches trial advocacy at Harvard and Loyola law schools, said the Anthony acquittal may undermine the defense argument.

"In the wake of the Casey Anthony verdict, Dr. Murray's attorneys will have an uphill battle in trying to persuade the court that any amount of media coverage will prejudice their ability to vigorously defend the case or the outcome," said McRae.

Flanagan explained the difference between the two trials outside court.

"Casey Anthony was not a public figure before her case," he said, noting that Jackson's superstar status means TV stations have enormous amounts of footage of him to use during the trial — things that will not be admitted in evidence.

Murray has pleaded not guilty to causing Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, with an overdose of propofol and other sedatives.

The judge said the trial will begin on Sept. 8 with prospective jurors being given questionnaires. Opening statements are expected in late September

Meanwhile, Pastor agreed to travel across town to Sony Pictures Studios to view 16 hours of raw footage from Jackson's rehearsal movie "This Is It," which lawyers want to use as evidence. Prosecutors and defense attorneys spent two weeks examining more than 100 hours of video and have submitted requests for excerpts. The prosecution wants 12 hours; the defense seeks four hours of video.

Flanagan acknowledged outside court that the defense didn't find what they had hoped for — footage of Jackson appearing ill or impaired before his death.

Asked what conclusion could be reached from viewing the Jackson rehearsals, he said, "He is very talented. Even on his bad days, he's good."

"We believe his health is somewhat compromised, but he's not displaying it," said Flanagan. He said the only implication of problems might be days when Jackson was absent from rehearsals.

He now believes that showing footage from the film is irrelevant to the trial.

"I really think it's a big waste of time," he said.

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Jackson doc's defense wants jury sequestered (AP)

By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch, Ap Special Correspondent – Thu Jul 21, 6:23 am ET

LOS ANGELES – In a sign of legal fallout from the Casey Anthony murder trial, a lawyer for Michael Jackson's doctor said Wednesday his jury should be sequestered to avoid contamination by TV pundits — specifically Nancy Grace.

Attorney J. Michael Flanagan said the televised, involuntary manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray could be prejudiced by "final arguments" being delivered daily on TV by Grace and other commentators.

"How many final arguments will we have to hear in this case?" Flanagan asked.

At a pretrial hearing, the lawyer referred to "the recent case in Florida" and told the judge Murray's trial was expected to get even wider coverage. He said telling jurors not to watch TV would be insufficient.

When Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor asked if Flanagan would want jurors sequestered around the clock during the trial, the lawyer responded, "Every time Nancy Grace is on TV."

"We would like a decision made on the evidence that appears in this courtroom rather than commentary on the Nancy Grace show," he said.

Grace responded at the end of her show on CNN, saying "the doctor ... wants the jury sequestered from me, from us, claiming watching Nancy Grace will prevent a fair trial, then the jury will be biased, so I guess that makes us the good guy."

Pastor said the courts, with a severe budget crisis, can't afford to put up jurors at a hotel, and he thinks it's unnecessary. He also said it would be burdensome to jurors.

Pastor did say he would sequester the panel during the day, requiring them to eat meals together in the jury room rather than wander around the civic center.

The judge also said he would be instructing jurors not to pay attention to publicity about the trial.

Marcellus McRae, a former federal prosecutor and Los Angeles lawyer who teaches trial advocacy at Harvard and Loyola law schools, said the Anthony acquittal may undermine the defense argument.

"In the wake of the Casey Anthony verdict, Dr. Murray's attorneys will have an uphill battle in trying to persuade the court that any amount of media coverage will prejudice their ability to vigorously defend the case or the outcome," said McRae.

Flanagan explained the difference between the two trials outside court.

"Casey Anthony was not a public figure before her case," he said, noting that Jackson's superstar status means TV stations have enormous amounts of footage of him to use during the trial — things that will not be admitted in evidence.

Murray has pleaded not guilty to causing Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, with an overdose of propofol and other sedatives.

The judge said the trial will begin on Sept. 8 with prospective jurors being given questionnaires. Opening statements are expected in late September

Meanwhile, Pastor agreed to travel across town to Sony Pictures Studios to view 16 hours of raw footage from Jackson's rehearsal movie "This Is It," which lawyers want to use as evidence. Prosecutors and defense attorneys spent two weeks examining more than 100 hours of video and have submitted requests for excerpts. The prosecution wants 12 hours; the defense seeks four hours of video.

Flanagan acknowledged outside court that the defense didn't find what they had hoped for — footage of Jackson appearing ill or impaired before his death.

Asked what conclusion could be reached from viewing the Jackson rehearsals, he said, "He is very talented. Even on his bad days, he's good."

"We believe his health is somewhat compromised, but he's not displaying it," said Flanagan. He said the only implication of problems might be days when Jackson was absent from rehearsals.

He now believes that showing footage from the film is irrelevant to the trial.

"I really think it's a big waste of time," he said.

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Paulina Rubio wants to bar media from deposition (AP)

MIAMI – Singer and actress Paulina Rubio wants the media barred from attending a deposition by her manager in a Miami breach contract lawsuit.

Rubio's lawyers are asking a judge to keep reporters out of Thursday's scheduled deposition by manager Marya Meyer. They say it would lead to a media circus and cast Rubio in a poor light. The judge is holding a hearing Thursday morning on the motion.

Rubio was sued in 2010 by Miami-based CMG Entertainment over her failure to show up at a concert in Tunja, Colombia. The lawsuit seeks just over $985,000 in damages.

CMG Entertainment opposes closing the manager's deposition. Its lawyers say Rubio hasn't shown sufficient legal cause to bar the media and that her status as a star isn't a good enough reason.

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UK rapper Tempah wants to mirror Adele's success (AP)

NEW YORK – This year Adele has dominated the music charts: back home in the U.K., in the U.S. and around the world.

In America, her sophomore album, "21" is platinum and spending its ninth week on top of the Billboard charts. Her single, "Rolling In the Deep," is currently No. 1 on the U.S. pop charts. And she's had even more success in Europe.

British rapper Tinie Tempah — whose debut "Disc-Overy" is multiplatinum in the U.K. — is hoping to mirror Adele's success with the U.S. release of his album.

"You know it's very, very inspiring ... and I know Adele personally so it kind of resonates a lot more," he said in an interview this week. "Her album is not moving off of the top spot, and neither is her single."

Tempah says he wants to do for British rappers what Adele has done for British singers.

"When you sing you can't really tell where you're from based on how you sing ... which is why I think that rapping and somebody being able to break out here being a rapper from a different country ... is a very, very big deal," he said.

The 22-year-old says back home most of the musicians are close. Tempah knows singers like Taio Cruz, Jessie J and Ellie Goulding, and his friendships with Jay Sean and Mr. Hudson — acts signed to Lil Wayne and Kanye West's label imprints, respectively — helped him land a recording contract.

It also helped his blog, "Milk & 2 Sugars," gain a following.

"I had the opportunity to get behind-the-scenes footage or exclusive interviews and talk about stuff they wouldn't necessarily tell anybody else in a formal interview, so that made my blog, you know, one of the go-to blogs," Tempah explained of the site he started in early 2009.

"By summer of 2009 when I kind of started making the album, I had like millions of hits on it already."

"Disc-Overy" was released in October in the U.K. There it has spawned multiple hits, including the No. 1 jams "Pass Out" and "Written In the Stars." The latter has reached platinum status in America and has peaked at No. 12 on the pop charts. But Tempah says he's still figuring out how the music industry works in America.

"Your radio formats are confusing me even now," he said. "I still don't understand what rhythmic and Top 40 is. Can someone tell me please?"

"There's a lot to fathom and there's a lot to kind of work out in America."

"Disc-Overy" debuted this week at No. 21 on the Billboard 200 charts.

__

Online:

http://www.tinietempah.com/

___

Mesfin Fekadu can be reached at http://twitter.com/music_mesfin

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Germany's Lena wants 2nd Eurovision Song Contest win (Reuters)

DUESSELDORF, Germany (Reuters) – Never before has a Eurovision Song Contest winner claimed back-to-back titles but a perky German teen who gave her long-suffering nation cause to celebrate a year ago is on a risky mission to repeat.

Lena-Meyer Landrut said in an interview with Reuters that she knows history and the odds are against her -- the last winner of the world's biggest musical contest who tried to defend her title ended up last, a humiliating fall from grace.

"Of course it would be bad if I were to come in last place and everyone wrote that they knew beforehand that would be the case -- that would be a total flop," Lena said ahead of Saturday's contest that 36,000 will watch in a converted football arena and 125 million will watch on television.

"I don't think I'll end up in last place," the high school student said, fully aware of the fate of Corry Brokken, who won the contest for the Netherlands in 1957 but was last in 1958.

"I think we have a great performance. I have great dancers and background singers. I think the song is super and I think it will be lots of fun."

It has been a roller-coaster ride for the singer known simply as Lena after her win a year ago in Oslo, which ended Germany's long and anguished drought in the contest that can be as popular as the World Cup soccer tournament in some countries even though it is mercilessly mocked in others.

A refreshingly straight-talking 19-year-old, Lena was little known even at home before she managed to enthrall Germany and all of Europe with a magical performance in Oslo. Her fearless spirit and infectious smile made her an instant celebrity.

Her upbeat British-style pop song "Satellite" soared to the top of the charts in Germany and six countries and was top 10 in another seven -- a phenomenal achievement for a German act.

Before she won, Germans had fretted for years over dreadful song contest results and the more ominous question of why they seemed to be so disliked in the rest of Europe.

Yet after the initial euphoria over Lena faded, a myriad of naysayers, doubters and media critics began searching for flaws in their newfound heroine. Some latched onto the fact that her concert tour did not sell out as evidence of waning appeal while others complained about "Lena fatigue" and that her direct style of speaking made her seem arrogant.

GERMAN NAYSAYERS

"It's so typically German -- we like to see our stars fall after they rise," said Peter Urban, a music expert for German public network NDR and Eurovision Song Contest commentator.

"It's always been like that. Germans aren't really able to stay happy for long about someone else's success. Americans are different. They take care of their stars and are proud of them."

Lena has tried to ignore the negative backlash at home. She said she understands that it is all part of the German DNA, a yearning to see the glass as half empty rather than half full.

"It's a German phenomenon that things first have to be negative before you can find the good things," she said. "That's just how it is. I'm happy that I'm intelligent enough to see this and deal with it so that it doesn't get to me," referring to the negative German media reports.

She said that, all in all, there have been far more positive experiences than negative in the year of her sudden celebrity, although she has dropped hints that she is looking forward to a more normal life after Saturday -- perhaps living abroad.

"All the people in this business are made to look bad and pushed up again, kicked back down and pushed back up. This is just the job. That's the way it is. I'm dealing with it, and much prefer dealing with it than sitting in front of a computer for 10 hours a day."

Lena understands unpredictable voting patterns in the various nations and the dynamics of the Eurovision Song Contest mean that any of the 25 finalists could end up winning -- which is a big part of the competition's charm.

"The best thing would be to come first," she said, adding her goal is the top 10. "But that doesn't mean if I don't win then my life is over. It will carry on. So everything is cool."

(Additional reporting by Anna McIntosh and Victoria Bryan, editing by Paul Casciato)

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Germany's Lena wants 2nd Eurovision Song Contest win (Reuters)

DUESSELDORF, Germany (Reuters) – Never before has a Eurovision Song Contest winner claimed back-to-back titles but a perky German teen who gave her long-suffering nation cause to celebrate a year ago is on a risky mission to repeat.

Lena-Meyer Landrut said in an interview with Reuters that she knows history and the odds are against her -- the last winner of the world's biggest musical contest who tried to defend her title ended up last, a humiliating fall from grace.

"Of course it would be bad if I were to come in last place and everyone wrote that they knew beforehand that would be the case -- that would be a total flop," Lena said ahead of Saturday's contest that 36,000 will watch in a converted football arena and 125 million will watch on television.

"I don't think I'll end up in last place," the high school student said, fully aware of the fate of Corry Brokken, who won the contest for the Netherlands in 1957 but was last in 1958.

"I think we have a great performance. I have great dancers and background singers. I think the song is super and I think it will be lots of fun."

It has been a roller-coaster ride for the singer known simply as Lena after her win a year ago in Oslo, which ended Germany's long and anguished drought in the contest that can be as popular as the World Cup soccer tournament in some countries even though it is mercilessly mocked in others.

A refreshingly straight-talking 19-year-old, Lena was little known even at home before she managed to enthrall Germany and all of Europe with a magical performance in Oslo. Her fearless spirit and infectious smile made her an instant celebrity.

Her upbeat British-style pop song "Satellite" soared to the top of the charts in Germany and six countries and was top 10 in another seven -- a phenomenal achievement for a German act.

Before she won, Germans had fretted for years over dreadful song contest results and the more ominous question of why they seemed to be so disliked in the rest of Europe.

Yet after the initial euphoria over Lena faded, a myriad of naysayers, doubters and media critics began searching for flaws in their newfound heroine. Some latched onto the fact that her concert tour did not sell out as evidence of waning appeal while others complained about "Lena fatigue" and that her direct style of speaking made her seem arrogant.

GERMAN NAYSAYERS

"It's so typically German -- we like to see our stars fall after they rise," said Peter Urban, a music expert for German public network NDR and Eurovision Song Contest commentator.

"It's always been like that. Germans aren't really able to stay happy for long about someone else's success. Americans are different. They take care of their stars and are proud of them."

Lena has tried to ignore the negative backlash at home. She said she understands that it is all part of the German DNA, a yearning to see the glass as half empty rather than half full.

"It's a German phenomenon that things first have to be negative before you can find the good things," she said. "That's just how it is. I'm happy that I'm intelligent enough to see this and deal with it so that it doesn't get to me," referring to the negative German media reports.

She said that, all in all, there have been far more positive experiences than negative in the year of her sudden celebrity, although she has dropped hints that she is looking forward to a more normal life after Saturday -- perhaps living abroad.

"All the people in this business are made to look bad and pushed up again, kicked back down and pushed back up. This is just the job. That's the way it is. I'm dealing with it, and much prefer dealing with it than sitting in front of a computer for 10 hours a day."

Lena understands unpredictable voting patterns in the various nations and the dynamics of the Eurovision Song Contest mean that any of the 25 finalists could end up winning -- which is a big part of the competition's charm.

"The best thing would be to come first," she said, adding her goal is the top 10. "But that doesn't mean if I don't win then my life is over. It will carry on. So everything is cool."

(Additional reporting by Anna McIntosh and Victoria Bryan, editing by Paul Casciato)

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Film party: Everybody comes to Cannes, or wants to (AP)

CANNES, France – The Cannes Film Festival is like Rick's Cafe Americain, Humphrey Bogart's nightclub in "Casablanca" about which one character proclaims, "Everybody comes to Rick's."

For film professionals, entertainment journalists and even fans worldwide, Cannes is the place where everybody comes — or wishes they could — for 12 days each May.

The 64th edition of Cannes, which starts Wednesday, is one of the world's prime celebrity-watching zones and a launching place for big and small films, among them Woody Allen's opening-night premiere "Midnight in Paris," featuring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Adrien Brody, Marion Cotillard and France's first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.

Other highlights include a Saturday night special as Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz turn out for a Cannes screening of "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" over the festival's first weekend, followed by Monday's premiere of Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life," starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn.

Cannes gives all three films a last-second publicity blast as they head into commercial theaters during the festival or immediately after.

"With the star power of Johnny and Penelope, it's just great to have them walk down that red carpet there," said "Pirates" producer Jerry Bruckheimer. "You have the world media there. That's the biggest boost for us, because if you open a picture in May and you want to go to London and all these other places to promote it, there's nobody there. They're all in Cannes. So that's where you have to be."

The notoriously press-shy Malick — who has made only a handful of films in a nearly 40-year career, among them "Days of Heaven," which earned him the Cannes directing prize in 1979 — is expected to skip most or all of the public appearances filmmakers usually make at the festival.

"He chooses to live his life in a private way and just focus on the art," said "Tree of Life" producer Dede Gardner. "One of the very great differences working with him above all else is his honesty. He endeavors to achieve that in everything he does. Every moment he creates between the actors, there's a spontaneity that he insists upon, which is mesmerizing to watch."

Cannes organizers caught criticism last year for a lackluster lineup, but they have made up for it this time with a promising schedule of 20 films competing for the top prize, the Palme d'Or. Past winners include Federico Fellini's "La Dolce Vita," Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver," Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now," Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" and Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11."

"Pirates" and "Midnight in Paris" screen out of competition, while "Tree of Life" is up for prizes against a field that features films from three past Palme d'Or winners.

Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, two-time winners for 1999's "Rosetta" and 2005's "The Child," return with their drama "The Kid with a Bike," starring Cecile de France. Danish director Lars von Trier, the festival's 2000 winner for "Dancer in the Dark," is back with "Melancholia," a drama with end-of-the-world overtones starring Kirsten Dunst, Kiefer Sutherland and Charlotte Gainsbourg, who won the best-actress award at Cannes two years ago for von Trier's "Antichrist." Italian actor-director Nanni Moretti, the 2001 winner for "The Son's Room," comes to Cannes again with the papal saga "We Have a Pope," in which he co-stars with Michel Piccoli.

Spain's Pedro Almodovar, an Academy Award winner and frequent Cannes entrant who has won the festival's directing and screenplay prizes but never the Palme d'Or, is in the running again for the genre-bending tale "The Skin I Live In," starring Antonio Banderas, who rose to stardom in Almodovar films in the 1980s.

"It's a movie that's very difficult to describe in words," said Michael Barker, co-president of Sony Pictures Classics, the U.S. distributor of Almodovar's films. "It's got a little horror in it, a little science fiction in it. There's drama in it. It has some comic elements, but I wouldn't call it a comedy. It's a very rich film."

A key Cannes player both in premiering films and snapping up titles for sale in the festival and the huge Cannes market that runs alongside, Sony Pictures Classics also is releasing "Midnight in Paris" and past Palme d'Or winner Gus Van Sant's drama "Restless" with Mia Wasikowska, Thursday's opening film for a secondary competition called Un Certain Regard.

Penn has a second film in the main competition, Italian director Paolo Sorrentino's "This Must Be the Place."

The main competition also features Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly in Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay's "We Need to Talk About Kevin"; Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan in Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn's "Drive"; John Goodman in Frenchmen Michel Hazanavicius' "The Artist"; and Emily Browning in Australian director Julia Leigh's "Sleeping Beauty."

Cruz — a frequent festival-goer in Almodovar films, Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" and other Cannes entries — is jetting in with the "Pirates" cast for a quick stopover before continuing on a global tour to promote the movie. She's sorry she'll miss Allen and Almodovar's current Cannes films and will be there just long enough for a taste the festival's carnival atmosphere.

"I love the festival," Cruz said. "To go around the streets there, it feels a little bit like being inside a Fellini movie. I always say that, but it really feels like that. But it's a beautiful celebration of cinema and embracing of film."

Online:

http://www.festival-cannes.fr

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Palin wants Penn. man's restraining order extended (AP)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A court magistrate on Monday will consider a request from Sarah Palin to continue a restraining order against a 19-year-old Pennsylvania man who the former Alaska governor says has been stalking her for more than two years.

A magistrate in Anchorage will consider extending the protective order against Shawn Christy of McAdoo by another six months.

Palin's father, Chuck Heath, and her friend Kristan Cole also have requested restraining orders against Christy. And all three have requested restraining orders against Christy's parents, Craig and Karen Christy.

Craig Christy is accused of leaving multiple harassing telephone messages for Palin's parents and contacting Cole's children on Facebook. Magistrate Jonathon Lack denied Cole's request for a protective order against Karen Christy last month.

Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, and Cole obtained original restraining orders against Shawn Christy last year, saying he threatened them, sent a receipt for a gun purchase and said he was buying a one-way ticket to Alaska.

Shawn Christy flew to Alaska on Palin's birthday this year, in February, and the visit was monitored by authorities. He spent just one day in Anchorage — about 40 miles from Wasilla, Palin's hometown — before returning to McAdoo.

Temporary restraining orders were issued against the Christys last month, and Monday's court date will deal with the long-term orders.

The Christys, who do not have an attorney, say Alaska has no jurisdiction over them because they are from another state. Palin's attorney, John Tiemessen, said the Christys are misreading the law.

Shawn Christy has said a few dozen emails he sent to Palin's state office — including a threat — were "stupid pranks" to get attention. He said his life is difficult because he deals with complications from Lyme disease.

He also acknowledged sending threatening messages in 2009 to President Barrack Obama, and to Republican Sen. John McCain, who chose Palin as his running mate in the presidential race the previous year.

Christy said someone purporting to be a 15-year-old girl started texting him after he began sending these messages. He said he thought the texter was either law enforcement or Palin. His parents believe it was Palin, which set off the numerous phone calls to Palin's parents, according to court documents.

Christy was apprehended by authorities in Washington, D.C., two years ago. At the request of the Secret Service, he underwent a psychiatric evaluation, which concluded Christy had a sense of grandiosity that "could turn somewhat paranoid," according to court papers.

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Melania Trump Wants to See Obama's Birth Certificate: 'Does He Have It?'

Melania Trump will stand by her husband whether he decides to run for president or not, but the model-turned-jewelry designer isn't about to reveal which way The Donald is leaning. "It's too soon," she told me this week, noting that he has to wait until 'Celebrity Apprentice' finishes its run. "Of course we talk about it and I'll support him no matter what he decides."

The possible First Lady also has her husband's back when it comes to the issue he's getting the most mileage out of lately: President Barack Obama's birth certificate. She strongly defends Donald's focus on the hot-button topic and assures he's not alone in his suspicion.

"Well, I think it's not only my husband that wants to see the birth certificate," she said. "I think it's a lot of American people who voted for him and who didn't vote for President Obama. They want to see it."
Melania says people are just downright frustrated. "They ask him where it is and why he doesn't show it. Does he have it? Where is it? Why not show it? What's the big deal? I could show my birth certificate. What's the problem?"

She told me she keeps 5-year-old son Barron's certificate in a drawer near his passport!

Hawaii state officials swear that they have inspected Obama's original document and a copy, the Certification of Live Birth, was released during the presidential campaign.

Even so, Donald has taken up the birth certificate, making it one of his favorite issues while hitting the interview circuit. Just today, he called in to Fox News to say "I think I've made my decision" on running and he vowed to continue to talk about Obama's birth.

This focus on the issue has puzzled some, but its popularity doesn't surprise Melania. "So, the media really latched on to it. They really like that talk," she said. "But he's also for bringing jobs back and the economy and taking care of people that are working so hard and to bring this country back to where it once was."

Melania says the prospect of being First Lady and living in the White House is "something that's exciting but we never know what will happen."

And she lavished her possible predecessor with praise for her style and said she'd look great in her 'Melania' jewelry and timepieces line (which she's pitching on QVC on Monday, April 25 at 1 PM and 11 PM ET).

"Yes, she has very nice style! She would look great in my jewelry," she said. "Anybody, no matter who you are, the First Lady, your mom at home with a child, your a businesswoman. You can wear my jewelry."



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Dolly Parton wants to marry Prince Harry

Looks like there could be another royal wedding sooner than we think? The queen of country, Dolly Parton has set her sights on our very own Prince Harry.

The 9 to 5 singer wasn't invited to Kate Middleton and Wills nuptials but said of her disappointment: "I'll just marry Harry then I'll be guaranteed to go to the next one for sure."

Unfazed by the 39 year age gap she added: "He's a little cutie, isn't he?"

Speaking about the wedding, a very excited Dolly said: "Everybody loves a princess wedding -- it's a fairytale, Everyone wants romance in their lives and if they can't have it in their own they like watching it in someone else's.

Dolly also offered to sing one of her most famous songs- I will Always Love You - for the couples first dance, making it a duet with Sir Elton John.

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Russell brand wants to be have kids with Katy Perry

Russell Brand’s dead good at sex. At least, he’s always banging on about it, so he must be. Especially now he’s planning to have kids despite the fact he’s hanging out in America and his wife, the lovely Katy Perry, is touring the world singing her not-unpleasant songs.

He can get her knocked up without even being there. He’s going to Skype her pregnant. Actually, that sounds a bit disgusting. Sorry.

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Robert Pattinson wants blood...paparazzi blood.

Robert Pattinson’s got fighting talk.

Beware all paparazzo, Robert Pattinson is out for blood, and he means it this time! It would seem that the usually calm and contained RPatz would love nothing more than to kill the hype the Twilight franchise has built around the young actor, and he can think of no other cure than beating the shit out of the papparazzi. His words not ours.

In a recent interview with Elle magazine, when asked whether he has ever thought of ways to destroy his Twilight Image, Rob answered:

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Charlie Sheen wants a new girlfriend, Mila Kunis

Now there’s a surprise! If we’re honest not a lot about Charlie Sheen can shock us these days so the news that he’s got his eye on a new lady is a bit like someone in the heat office saying they rather fancy a Nando’s for lunch.

It appears Charlie watched the amazing Black Swan recently and since hasn’t been able to keep his gob shut about how he fancies having actress Mila Kunis for one of his

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Robert Pattinson wants blood...paparazzi blood.

Robert Pattinson’s got fighting talk.

Beware all paparazzo, Robert Pattinson is out for blood, and he means it this time! It would seem that the usually calm and contained RPatz would love nothing more than to kill the hype the Twilight franchise has built around the young actor, and he can think of no other cure than beating the shit out of the papparazzi. His words not ours.

In a recent interview with Elle magazine, when asked whether he has ever thought of ways to destroy his Twilight Image, Rob answered:

View the Original article

Charlie Sheen wants a new girlfriend, Mila Kunis

Now there’s a surprise! If we’re honest not a lot about Charlie Sheen can shock us these days so the news that he’s got his eye on a new lady is a bit like someone in the heat office saying they rather fancy a Nando’s for lunch.

It appears Charlie watched the amazing Black Swan recently and since hasn’t been able to keep his gob shut about how he fancies having actress Mila Kunis for one of his

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Ke$ha wants to get naked with Britney Spears

Just when you thought dollar-sign fan Ke$ha couldn’t get any more outrageous, she rears her glitter-covered head and gets a bit ker-ay-zee. To celebrate the success of new Britney Spears single Til The World Ends (which Ke$ha co-wrote, fact fans) and her new single Blow, Ke$ha’s decided she wants to get naked. With Britney. And possibly have the best party of all time.

When asked how she would mark the occasion of having two chart topping singles in the US, she said,

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