At the end of 2009, a blue moon will preside over the annual New Year’s Eve countdown and accompanying ball drop in Times Square. But what does this mean?
For most people, it will just mean a full pie in the sky Thursday night. A blue moon is simply the second full moon in month. It doesn’t actually have anything to do with color at all.
Usually, there’s only one full moon each month because the monthly calendar was built on the lunar cycle 29.5 days). But once every 2-1/2 years, those extra half days add up to two full moons in a month.
So where does the name come from?
According to NASA's website, the term blue moon was "used in much the same way we use the term 'harvest moon.' There were twelve names for full moons, one for each month, and the name blue moon was used in years which had 13 full moons."
But in 1943, Sky and Telescope Magazine erroneously wrote that the second full moon in any calendar month was called a blue moon. The label stuck and is still used today. Even more rare – there were two blue moons in 1999, one in January and one in March. That happens only about four times a century.
NEW ORLEANS "AP" Lil Wayne emerged as a top-selling musician known for his clever wordplay and risque lyrics, but like rappers before him he's staring down a year behind bars at the peak of his career.
The artist returned to his hometown of New Orleans for a performance Monday on what he's calling his farewell tour. The 27-year-old rapper, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, pleaded guilty in October to a weapons possession charge and will be sentenced Feb. 9. His plea deal calls for a year in jail.
The charge stemmed from a 2007 traffic stop of his tour bus in New York when authorities said they smelled marijuana, and as they approached, he tossed aside a bag with a loaded .40-caliber handgun.
In a separate case, he also faces trial in March on felony drug possession and weapons charges in Yuma County, Ariz. More recently, he had to postpone a show one day after authorities stopped two of his buses in Texas and found marijuana. The case has been referred to the sheriff's office.
As thousands of fans filed through the New Orleans Arena doors Monday, many said they were disappointed with the rapper's legal troubles.
"It's kinda sad, the stereotype and that he fell into it," said 19-year-old Lee Farrell of New Orleans.
Lil Wayne is set to follow some of rap music's biggest names - from Tupac Shakur, Lil' Kim, Beanie Sigel and Shyne to New Orleans natives Mystikal and C-Murder - who have served a few months to several years behind bars for crimes committed after they became famous.
Corey "C-Murder" Miller was convicted earlier this year of second-degree murder for the 2002 shooting of a fan during a nightclub brawl. He was sentenced to life in prison.
T.I. reported to a federal prison in May for his conviction on weapons charges. He is expected to serve a year and a day.
"I hope Lil Wayne will follow in T.I.'s footsteps, said 32-year-old Jed Wright of Metairie, who brought his 11-year-old stepson to the show as a Christmas present. T.I. promised to turn his life around. Lil Wayne can do the same thing.
Lil Wayne has been rapping since he was a teenager. Over the past two years, his career has reached new heights with several Grammys and gold records. His Tha Carter III topped all album sales in 2008 with 2.8 million copies sold. The record had the No. 1 smash "Lollipop," and last year he won a Grammy for best rap solo for "A Milli.
"He's very unique, said 18-year-old April Nguyen, of Metairie, La. "He expands his genre, even does rock music, and is constantly reinventing himself."
Lil Wayne's next album, Rebirth, is due for release Feb. 1. After New Orleans, he is scheduled to play a couple of dates in Texas and another show in southern Louisiana.
It's a slow week for casting news and there are no new films opening in wide release this Friday, but that doesn't mean there's nothing worth reporting on. With 2010 just days away seriously, where did 2009 go? studios are starting to release details on their upcoming movies and it's looking like 2010 could be a pretty incredible year at the box office. I'll have the breakdown on 2010's big comedy and action films soon, but in the meantime here's a batch of new photos from some of the movies hitting theaters in the next 12 months
Vampires, two tales of the apocalypse, a couple of romantic comedies, and The Rock as the Tooth Fairy that's what's in store for moviegoers during the first month of 2010.
Synopsis: Pa Ma Ga Re Sa instantly reminds you about the popular reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa where singers compete for the best scores. Surajit Dhar tries to capture the reality of the popular band and pop culture with his charecters portrayed by Rohit Roy, Reshmi Ghosh and Gauri Karnik.
Michael Jackson's autopsy results were made public earlier this week and everyone is shocked that he was fairly healthy. For me, the biggest shock was that he weighed 136 pounds. Yeah, that's skinny but not scary skinny. My money was on 120 pounds. The coroner"s report confirmed Jackson"s weight was within an 'acceptable' range for his 5' 9" frame.
I know the plight of the skinny dude. I'm 6 feet tall and weigh 142 pounds. I get the same flak that Jackson got. Folks presume I either have anorexia, tapeworm, or am a member of the Calorie Restriction Society "check it out; it kinda makes sense".
Charlie Sheen”s domestic violence arrest in Colorado has already caught the attention of the local child services department -- and the case could follow him back to L.A.
TMZ has learned the Pitkin County Department of Social Services is "aware" of the alleged incident between Sheen and his wife Brooke Mueller -- and the department is considering whether to pursue an investigation. Sheen and Mueller have two 9-month-old children together -- and Charlie has two young daughters from his relationship with Denise Officials at the PCDSS tell us, "When there is a domestic dispute and children are present in the home, we are always notified. The official added, "If the family is vacationing in Pitkin County, and we feel that a thorough follow up is needed, we will contact the department where the family resides. We contacted L.A. Child Services for comment -- but they refused to comment on the situation.
Before signing on to star in ''Did You Hear About the Morgans?'' (opening today), Hugh Grant and Jessica Parker decided to pull a fast one on Marc Lawrence, the film's writer and director.
''This still makes me laugh, even after all this time," Grant said, calling from New York.
'While Sarah and I knew and liked each other, we had decided we really should have dinner -- just to confirm what I pretty much already knew: That we could do that comedy Ping-Pong thing you need for a film like this.''
So, even though the dinner went ''swimmingly,'' as Grant put it, the duo e-mailed Lawrence separately, ''teasing Marc -- and a few others in Hollywood -- saying the dinner had been a disaster, that I got drunk and rude, made racist comments and even tried to sexually molest Sarah Jessica!''
For Grant, the amazing thing was ''they all believed it! These are people who have known me for years; you'd think they would have gotten the joke!''
That said, the actor claimed he was amused by one aspect of that dinner. ''Even though Sarah and I had worked together a few years ago, she pretended she didn't remember it.
''Maybe it was because I was also a producer on the film and under a lot of pressure on that one -- plus we really didn't spend much time together on that,'' Grant said about filming the thriller ''Extreme Measures.''
Making ''Did You Hear About the Morgans?'' was very different for the Englishman. ''I had never really spent much time -- at all -- in the real American West, so that was a new experience for me.''
While much of the movie is set in Wyoming, the filming actually took place near Santa Fe, N.M., ''which certainly qualifies as the West,'' Grant said.
On Christmas eve the US Senate voted along party lines 60-39 to support health care reform. This represents a historic occasion, one which all patriotic Americans may take pride in and rejoice. However, the failure of Republicans to support health care reform represents a slap in the face of millions of needy people by selfish, inconsiderate politicians who do not really care about the health and welfare of those who may be less fortunate than themselves. The electorate should remember how these selfish politicians voted against health care reform and throw them out of office when they come up for re-elections.
The 35-year-old star - who won an Oscar for her role as a true-life transgender teen in 'Boys Don't Cry' and another in Clint Eastwood's 'Million Dollar Baby'Â - would "never say never" to a new challenge.
She told Britain's Independent newspaper: "I think I've done every genre now! I'd like to continue to try them all. I don't know if a musical would be up my alley, but you never know. Never say never.
"A lot of people say, 'You haven't really done a superhero type movie... why don't you do that kind of movie? It's not that I don't want to, I just haven't had that opportunity."
Hilary stars in upcoming film 'Amelia' - which is about Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic - alongside Richard Gere.
Practicing his speeches for hours in front of the bathroom mirror? Talking too much foreign policy at the dinner table?
No — first lady Michelle Obama said Friday it's his tennis game. When they play, the president usually wins.
"He beats me quite often," she said on NBC-TV's "The Jay Leno Show," appearing via satellite hookup from the White House. "That gets to be pretty annoying."
The show was taped for airing later Friday evening.
In a brief skit, Leno pushed her to talk about her husband's flaws. At first, she sarcastically said he has none.
"He's perfect," she quipped.
Then she let it out: It's their battles on the tennis court that get her peeved.
It also looks like Bo — the Obamas' dog — is living like a king. The first lady said the presidential pooch celebrated his first birthday earlier this month with a Rose Garden party.
Bo, a Portuguese water dog, feasted on a cake shaped like a dog house that was made out of veal.
"We had a really sweet celebration," the first lady told Leno. "We had party hats."
The first lady told Leno there are White House secrets she will never reveal — she refused to divulge what daughters Malia and Sasha are wearing for Halloween.
"You need security clearance for that," she said.
Leno also wanted to know what she whispers to her husband after his speeches.
"I usually ask him, did he take out the garbage?" she said.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
By Jennifer Peltz, Associated Press Writer NEW YORK — In the midst of a career surge that has made him one of rap's biggest stars, Lil Wayne is bracing for a year behind bars after pleading guilty Thursday in a two-year-old gun case.
A glum Lil Wayne said little as he admitted illegally having a loaded gun on his tour bus in 2007, moving to end a case that had churned along as he collected Grammys and gold records. He's expected to get a year in jail at his sentencing, set for February.
The plea, which came as he boasted the country's No. 1 pop song, makes Lil Wayne the latest in a long line of rappers to face incarceration after topping the charts.
Arguably rap's most popular artist, Lil Wayne somberly answered his judge's questions with "yes, sir" and "no, sir" as he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of attempted criminal possession of a weapon.
He acknowledged he had a loaded .40-caliber semiautomatic gun when the bus was stopped shortly after a Manhattan concert on July 22, 2007. His lawyer had previously disputed the gun was the rapper's, in part by questioning the reliability of a highly sensitive DNA test that prosecutors said tied him to the weapon.
State Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon warned Lil Wayne that he wouldn't be able later to withdraw the plea, as some people try to do.
"I'm not one of those people," said the rapper, who sat in court in jeans and a hooded parka. He pulled up the hood and didn't speak as he left the courthouse with members of his entourage, who piled into four black SUVs. He's due back in court Dec. 15 before his sentencing date, which has yet to be set.
He had faced at least 3 1/2 years in prison if convicted of the original weapons-possession charges against him.
Lil Wayne, 27, also is scheduled for trial in Arizona in March on felony drug possession and weapons charges stemming from a January 2008 arrest at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint. He has pleaded not guilty in that case.
In March, an Atlanta judge dismissed felony drug charges against Lil Wayne. His lawyer had said the rapper wasn't staying in the hotel room where police said the drugs were found in 2006.
Over the past two years, Lil Wayne — born Dwayne Carter— has emerged as the best-selling figure in music. His Tha Carter III topped all album sales in 2008 with 2.8 million copies sold off of such hits as the No. 1 smash Lollipop. His Grammys include last year's best rap solo performance award, for A Milli.
A rapper since he was a teen, Lil Wayne exploded in popularity thanks to his voluminous output on the mixtape circuit and collaborations with other artists. He currently has the No. 1 song in the country with Jay Sean, Down.
While his lyrics sometimes are laced with violence, he's more known for clever wordplay and risque material.
The relationship between chronicling crime and living it has long been an issue in rap. Some of the genre's big names — including Tupac Shakur, Lil' Kim, Beanie Sigel, Shyne, Mystikal and C-Murder— have done a few months to several years behind bars for crimes committed after they became famous.
T.I., another of rap's top sellers, reported to a federal prison in May for his conviction on weapons charges. He's expected to serve a year and a day.
While some rappers haven't regained their chart status after prison or jail, Shakur became even more popular, and T.I. remains popular on the radio.
Police pulled over Lil Wayne's tour bus shortly after it left a concert venue, saying they had seen and smelled marijuana smoke wafting out the door when it was parked.
After ordering roughly a dozen or so other people off the bus, police found a freshly showered Lil Wayne in his boxer shorts in a bedroom at the back of the bus. Police said that as an officer approached, the rapper tossed away a Louis Vuitton bag containing the gun.
The Manhattan District Attorney's office said small amounts of DNA found on the loaded weapon connected it to Lil Wayne. Defense lawyer Stacey Richman had raised questions about the relatively new technique, used to derive the results from DNA samples that can consist of fewer than roughly 16 human cells.
A hearing on the method's level of scientific acceptance started Wednesday and had been expected to continue for days. After Lil Wayne's guilty plea, both prosecutors and Richman stressed that they stood by their contrasting positions on the technique.
But, Solomon said, "The issue is not going to be decided in this courtroom, in this case."
We should have known something was up yesterday as we watched that helium-filled balloon float high above Colorado with the ease of that plastic bag in the movie "American Beauty."
The nation was transfixed for hours as it feared for the safety of 6-year-old Falcon Heene. When the story broke, it was believed that the Jiffy Pop contraption became untethered from the Heenes' Colorado home and that Falcon was inside. Word came that the family ransacked the house looking for him. Then the thing landed in a field. No Falcon. Folks freaked out that he might have fallen out. Um, no. Turns out Falcon was the one who freaked out and hid in a box in the attic.
And then came trouble.
There was the revelation of the Heenes' two appearances on the reality TV show "Wife Swap." The Larry King interview in which Falcon said, "We did this for a show." The "Today Show" interview where Falcon vomited on his dad. He did it again on "Good Morning America." And then came this:
Richard Heene and the Heene Family have become celebrities overnight with the whole Balloon Boy incident yesterday. Now the Heene family is taking the heat from the general public after the remarks from their son Falcon Heene. As you might remember there was the huge scare that the child, Falcon, was stuck in the weather balloon that was floating across the plains of Colorado. Once it landed the rescue workers rushed to the contraption to find it was empty and the child was later found in the garage.
Sounds like a really silly kid who got into a situation, Right? Well it has turned this entire story with some celebrity power when Falcon said on CNN: "you said we did this for a show."
Now the Heene Family is not a stranger to the lights of Hollywood. The family regularly chases storms in the Northern California area and sends the tapes to CNN and the local news stations also have done stories with the family. Add to the list that the family was on Wife Swap and Richard Heene was pitching a show to TLC several month ago (it was turned down) there is no surprise the kids know what it means to be in front of a camera.
Which brings us back to the words of the kid. He said it was staged for a show and if this was the case then the family should be charged for everyone who contributed in the rescue mission to find Falcon (taxpayers cash isn't as fluid as it used to be) and these fake celebrities need to apologize.
Being a celeb is a real pain. Public approval can be on and off in a matter of seconds.
Other Articles about the Heene's:
Balloon Boy's Father Big Announcement- Stupid Box
More About: Celebrity News
What a week it's been. The craziest we can remember since... well, last week. Below, we take a look back at the defining moments of the past seven days in celeb gossip.
Welcome to THG's Week in Review!
Some of the highlights (and lowlights):
* Worst boss ever: Ralph Lauren fired Filippa Hamilton for being fat.
* Worst faked sex tape ever: The Shauna Sand sex tape. It's gross.
* Worst Twitter use ever: Soulja Boy just had to prove he's that rich.
* Worst National Anthem ever: Jesse McCartney forgets the lyrics.
* Worst excuse ever: Jon Gosselin claims he withdrew $180,000 from his account with Kate he thought it was payday. A judge made him give it back.
* In other Jon news, he's apparently a sketchy computer hacker. And his a$$ is being sued by TLC for breaching his contract. Never a dull moment.
* Six-year-old Falcon Heene, a.k.a. BalloonEmbedding disabled by request Boy, took the country by storm when he was believed to have been carried off by a homemade helium balloon.
* Turns out he was in the attic the whole time, hiding out as the world went nuts trying to rescue him. It reeks of a hoax. The kid himself sort of said so.
As memorable flashes in the celebrity gossip pan go, Balloon Boy Falcon Heene (center) and his eccentric, possibly-fame-seeking Colorado family may be tough to beat.
* The feel good article of the week: This Jaycee Dugard cover story.
* We've decided there can never be enough Taylor Lautner shirtless.
* Or jokes about Jessica Simpson's non-existent weight gain.
* Or completely nonsensical Robsten gossip. So funny.
* Or January Jones pics. Those are pretty awesome.
* Miley Cyrus has lost her Twitter. And her spirits.
* Meghan McCain, daughter of U.S. Sen. John McCain, caused quite a stir with an online photo. The Meghan McCain Twitter photo showed - gasp! - cleavage!
* She admitted it wasn't wise to post, but denied she's a slut and said the only reason she was criticized for the pic is that she has breasts. Kind of true.
This Meghan McCain Twitter photo caused one heck of a media stir.
Don't forget to follow THG on Twitter for all of the latest Hollywood news, celebrity gossip, rumors, commentary and humor as it happens, 24/7/365.
Diwali, the festival of lights, was celebrated across India on Saturday with prayers, fireworks and frenzied shopping but it was marred by tragedy in Tamil Nadu.
With the economy slowly recovering from the recession that badly hit Diwali last year, people celebrated the festival with fervour and with greater enthusiasm.
Many thronged temples, distributed sweets and wished friends and relatives, with SMS messages - which seem to have replaced the traditional greeting cards - going to and fro throughout the day.
Innumerable homes across the country witnessed colourful rangolis and flowers on doorsteps. There were prayers to Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of prosperity.
In the evening, millions of lights from tiny earthen diyas and dazzling strings of electric bulbs lit up homes, factories and offices from one of the country to another.
Tragedy struck Tamil Nadu's Pallipatu village, some 90 km from Chennai, when a devastating fire engulfed a godown packed with shoppers for crackers, charring 32 to death. Most victims were from Andhra Pradesh.
Barring this tragedy, it was a joyous day everywhere.
Marketing professional Radhika Mishra said in New Delhi: "I got up early and went to the temple with my family. Like every year my sister and I decorated the courtyard with rangolis and diyas."
Many extended their Diwali weekend to take a small vacation.
"I took the opportunity to go to Jodhpur with my wife," engineer Prateek Shah told IANS.
In Karnataka, victims of the recent floods too joined the celebrations.
"I am going to enjoy Diwali fully. I want to forget all the sad incidents and welcome a new beginning," Santosh Nair, a techie, told IANS.
Reports of Diwali celebrations also came from Tripura and Assam in the northeast.
In Udaipur in south Tripura, a large fair was organised at the 14th century Tripura Sundari Temple with the government contributing over Rs.3 million.
Two buffaloes and hundreds of goats and pigeons will be sacrificed Saturday night in the presence of hundreds of thousands of devotees, said Subrata Deb, chairperson of the Udaipur municipality.
West Bengal celebrated Kali Puja and Diwali, with the police keeping a close vigil to prevent use of banned sound-producing crackers.
At the famed Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai, Diwali celebrations began with the auctioning of valuable offerings made to its coffers.
Most households also prepared sweets and savouries and the special 'Diwali Leghium', a herbal jam.
For newly married couples, it was the first Diwali post their wedding.
Indians abroad celebrate Diwali
Thousands of miles away from their homes, Indians settled abroad today celebrated the festival of lights Diwali with fervour and gaiety amid bursting of crackers and lighting of lamps.
People decorated their homes with traditional lamps and lights while many of them went on a vacation to celebrate the festival of lights as it fell on a weekend this time. The Indian Missions in the US too organised various functions to celebrate the festival.
In London, Diwali was celebrated for the first time at the 10, Downing Street, amid chanting of Vedic prayers for world peace, with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown terming it a "historic event".
"This is a great day for Downing Street, a great day for us and a great day for Britain to celebrate Diwali for the first time in Downing Street. This is a historic event," a beaming Brown told the gathering.
Sri Lankan Tamils marked the festival with President Mahinda Rajapaksa promising the beginning of a new era where their sufferings "will be a thing of the past" and they would be able to return to their homes in the war-torn north, adding "the light of goodwill will dispel the darkness of terror in our land".
People clad in new attire thronged temples and distributed sweets among their community members and friends while children burst fire crackers. According to Hindu belief, Diwali marks the return of Lord Rama to his kingdom after 14 years of exile.
Mya has no plans to pull a Miley Cyrus and ditch Twitter.
Even if it means getting tweets from men who are in...prison?!
"After our lambada last night, it was like, um, 'Oh jeez,' " Mya laughed earlier this morning during our exclusive weekly chat. "I didn't know they have Twitter in jail. The messages were off the train!"
Even so, she says, "I'm staying on Twitter."
I've got more Mya for ya. Read on to find out why she's kinda starting to ignore judge Len Goodman, what she wanted to do to Derek Hough's nipples last night and her thoughts about that rumored on-set showmance between Aaron Carter and Karina Smirnoff...
Congratulations on being on top again. Did you think Melissa Joan Hart would be tying with you? (They both scored a 28.)
I wasn't surprised at all. After watching her performance with Mark [Ballas], I definitely expected them to come in first place last night. It was incredible.
Have you been able to figure out Len at all? One week you do too much, the next week not enough.
I don't know, but I feel like a mental case when it comes to Len. I'm just not going to try to please him anymore.
I'm glad you didn't have to do a two-step. I don't think that worked too well on the show.
I thought Chuck [Lidell] was pretty cute in his outfit. I think I could pull off a two-step. I have horses next door to where I live in Maryland. [Laughs.] I'm a little bit country!
After Derek performed shirtless last night, I thought Dmitry would too.
Derek said to me, "Do you think I should take my shirt off?" I said, "Sure, it's the lambada. This is probably the only chance you're going to get to do it." But then he said, "I am going to tell everyone that Mya dared me to take off my shirt." I was like, "No you're not! But I dare you to rhinestone your nipples!" [Laughs.] He didn't do it!
What's up for next week?
We have the Argentine tango, which is very complicated. Pray for me.
That's gonna be sexy.
Yeah, but it's also very authoritative from the female standpoint. It's very intense.
Before I let ya go, I have to ask about Karina and Aaron. So, are they dating?
[Laughs.] I wouldn't know. They haven't announced anything as far as I know. But I'll do some research and let you know.
(For those in the L.A. area, on Sunday you can catch Mya perform at the Run 4 Her Life fundraiser for breast cancer research at 11:30 a.m. at the Americana at Brand mall in Glendale.)
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