Unseen Lucy
LIFE.com released never-published photos of the legendary comedienne from its archives in honor of her 100th birthday on Aug. 6.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
#JerseyShore returns 4 more in SEASON 4!
Now that's Italian
The cast of MTV's "Jersey Shor," from left, Sammi "Sweetheart" Gianicola, Deena Nicole Cortese, Ronnie Ortiz Magro, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, Paul "Pauly D" DelVecchio, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, Jenny "JWoww" Farley and Vinny Guadagnino at Hotel Brunelleschi in Florence, Italy, on May 19, 2011. The cast is on location in Florence filming the fourth season. (Elisabetta Villa / Getty Images)
Season 4 kicked off las night with the cast fleeing Jersey, flying to Italy, and nestling into the Florence 'swing.' If you missed any of the action, NO FEAR, catch up this weekend:
Upcoming Airings
- Friday, August 05
1:00 AM ET/PT on MTV
2:00 AM ET/PT on MTV
9:00 PM ET/PT on MTV
- Saturday, August 06
12:00 AM ET/PT on MTV
3:30 AM ET/PT on MTV
9:00 AM ET/PT on MTV
1:00 PM ET/PT on MTV
5:00 PM ET/PT on MTV
9:30 PM ET/PT on MTV
- Sunday, August 07
2:00 AM ET/PT on MTV
10:00 AM ET/PT on MTV
3:00 PM ET/PT on MTV
9:00 PM ET/PT on MTV
Happy 100th Birthday LUCY, we #love you!
Awaiting her break
John Florea / Time & Life Pictures
Lucille Ball looks cautiously over her shoulder at the future in this outtake from John Florea's 1942 photo essay on the entertainer, which touted her as being on the brink of fame after a decade of kicking around Hollywood. (This photo, and the next four in this gallery, has never before been published.)
•Life.com: Lucille Ball -- unpublished photos
•Life.com: Lucille Ball -- unpublished photos
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Happy Birthday Mr. President!
A warm embrace from die-hard fans
President Obama received a warm embrace from his die-hard supporters at a 50th birthday campaign fundraiser in Chicago Wednesday night. The Chicago event kicked off with a concert featuring Jennifer Hudson and OkGo! Tickets range in price from $50 (for the concert) to $35,800 (for VIP seating and dinner with the president).
“After a month when he was battered by both sides of the political aisle in partisan Washington, President Obama returned to his home town a day before his 50th birthday, the first step in reenergizing his embattled base,” the Washington Post’s David Nakamura reported.
Read all about the party here.
Washington Post reporters and bloggers have been covering the landmark occasion in a variety of ways:
Tweets from Obama’s party
Gallery: The best of presidential birthdays
How do you say ‘Happy birthday’ in Russian?
Obama at 50: Older, wiser . . . happier?
Obama hits 50; his approval numbers don’t
Graphic: Coming of age in D.C. politics
Obama’s faces: From baby to president
Obama throws a (big) party
Gallery: Obama’s life in photos
Tom Tole’s caption contest
Birthday cards from Congress
Turning 50 in Washington
Share your birthday milestones
Gallery: Presidents going gray
The First Family
WashingtonPost.com Kutcher will play Internet billionaire on 'Men'
- FILE - In this Jan. 20, 2011 file photo, actor Ashton Kutcher attends a special screening.
By FRAZIER MOORE - AP Television WriterBEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Ashton Kutcher will play "an Internet billionaire with a broken heart" when he arrives as the new star of "Two and a Half Men" next month.
CBS Entertainment Nina Tassler shared this tidbit about the much-anticipated cast change for TV's biggest sitcom during a session with television reporters on Wednesday. Kutcher, of course, will fill the void left by Charlie Sheen, who made a stormy exit from "Men" last season.
Kutcher's character will be named Walden Schmidt, confided the CBS boss, who added that Schmidt has no family connection to the characters played by continuing stars Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones. They portrayed the brother and nephew of Sheen's departed character.
Tassler would not confirm or deny reports that the new season of "Men" begins with the death of Sheen's character, Charlie Harper, and a funeral.
"The mystery is part of the marketing," she said.
"Men" begins its ninth season on Sept. 19 with the first of a two-part kickoff that establishes Kutcher's character.
Predictably, Tassler voiced excitement about the show's new star.
Kutcher, she said, "is an extraordinarily professional, talented, funny, gifted actor who comes with a tremendous amount of commitment and enthusiasm."
"The show will be as irreverent as it has ever been," she promised. "Our Program Practices people are already on high alert."
Even so, Kutcher and his "Men" co-stars were conspicuously absent from Wednesday's sessions of the Television Critics Association, which was visited by cast members from several of CBS' new fall shows as well as from "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," the veteran crime drama that is welcoming Ted Danson to the fold for its upcoming 12th season.
Asked why the "Men" gang wasn't on hand, Tassler replied that the show is in production. It resumed shooting Monday, and a break for a meeting across town with reporters would have been too disruptive, she explained.
"There is a tremendous amount of energy and focus and attention," Tassler said. "I would be lying if I didn't say when everybody walked on that set on Monday, you could cut the air with a knife."
Kutcher's first week on the job begins a new chapter for "Men" after a tumultuous conclusion to Sheen's eight-season run as a fast-living, womanizing cad. Sheen's portrayal drew inspiration from his own life of sex sprees, serial marriages and substance abuse, which spiraled into clashes with the show's studio as well as its creator, Chuck Lorre, and CBS. He was fired in March and the season was shuttered early.
Tassler was asked what she had learned from that experience.
"Oh, where do I begin?" she replied with mock weariness, but hastily insisted she preferred to look forward, not behind.
Then, when asked if, in the future, CBS might introduce new policies for casting actors who are known for erratic behavior, she cracked, "That would probably be every actor in the business."
#Today in #NFL #News: #Sports Update, vol. VI
PFT: Now that we’ve seen a reshuffling of talented veterans, let’s look at 10 regular-season games that suddenly got a lot more interesting, including the matchup pitting Seattle's Tavaris Jackson and Sidney Rice against their former Vikings teammates.
Headlines
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Honorary Oscars for Oprah, James Earl Jones: makeup artist Dick Smith also on short list to pick up career and humanitarian awards
She's got one nomination for "The Color Purple," but now Oprah Winfrey will be able to add another prize to her trophy shelf: An honorary Oscar.
LOS ANGELES — Oprah Winfrey, James Earl Jones and makeup artist Dick Smith will be getting Oscars.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences says the three will be honored with Oscar statuettes at the Governors Awards in November. The academy's Board of Governors voted Tuesday to recognize the entertainment industry veterans.- Don't miss these Entertainment stories
- Rob Lowe transforms into accused killer copSplash News, Getty Images
It was difficult to fathom how the actor could become Drew Peterson, but new photos show the movie magic at work. - Damon schools reporter on view of teachers
- Harrison Ford smacks around Smurfs
- Bueller, Bueller? Where would Ferris be today?
- Sheen's 'Men' character dead and buried?
-
"The Color Purple," supports various charitable and educational causes, including her own namesake foundations and Academy for Girls in South Africa.
Jones and Smith will receive honorary Oscars for their outstanding careers.
Story: Did Jenny McCarthy ditch Oprah's network?
Jones has appeared in more than 50 films. The 80-year-old actor — voice of Darth Vader — was nominated for an Academy Award in 1971 for "The Great White Hope." His other credits include "Field of Dreams," "Patriot Games" and "The Hunt for Red October."
Smith was NBC's first makeup man when he started his career in 1945. He won an Oscar in 1984 for his work on "Amadeus" and was nominated again in 1989 for "Dad." Known as the "godfather of makeup," he also worked on "The Godfather," "The Exorcist" and "Taxi Driver." Smith also helped train many of today's top movie makeup artists.
Smith, Jones and Winfrey will receive their statuettes on Nov. 12 at the 3rd annual Governors Awards dinner at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center, just above the Kodak Theatre, where the Academy Awards are presented.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
TODAY Movies
#Today in #NFL #News: #Sports Update, vol. V
The Redskins hope John Beck is the cure for recent quarterback woes; they haven't had a Pro Bowl QB since 2000.
John Beck has not thrown a regular-season pass in four years, but the Shanahans believe in him. Peter King says the fate of the new-look Redskins lies in the hands of the unproven QB.
KING: - Broncos add former Pats defensive end Warren
- Eagles agree to deal with ex-Dolphins RB Brown
- Seattle makes deals with TE Miller, DE Wilkerson
- Vikes release former No. 7 overall pick McKinnie
- Browns lose punter for '11 | Sign top pick Taylor
- Texans' Johnson dislocates finger | Maynard inks
- Colts ink top pick Castonzo | Saints sign Jordan
- Moss to retire after 13 seasons | RARE PHOTOS
- MORE NFL: News Wire | Teams | On Twitter
Read more: SI NFL News
#US avoids default as Obama signs Debt Bill into Law
Click to play
President Barack Obama has signed legislation to increase the US debt ceiling and avert a financial default, after Congress voted in favour of a bipartisan compromise deal.
The bill cleared its final hurdle in the Senate by 74 votes to 26, after negotiations went down to the wire.
It raises the debt limit by up to $2.4tn (£1.5tn) from $14.3tn, and makes savings of at least $2.1tn in 10 years.
But the bill's passage failed to lift financial markets.
On Wall Street stocks ended Tuesday down by more than 2%, amid poor consumer spending data for June.
Japan's Nikkei index followed suit, finishing Wednesday morning down by about the same amount.
Moody's rating agency reacted to the bill by placing Washington's AAA credit score under a "negative outlook". Chinese credit agency Dagong downgraded its rating of the US from A+ to A, Xinhua news agency reported.
“President Barack Obama has been humiliated and blown off course by the Republican victory, compelling him and his party to swallow deep spending cuts. ”
The bill's signing came just 10 hours before the expiry of a deadline for Washington to raise its borrowing limit, after drawn-out talks between Republicans, Democrats and the White House.
Without a deal to raise the debt ceiling, the US would have been unable to meet all its bills, the treasury department had warned.
Speaking at the White House shortly after the decisive vote in the Senate, President Obama said it was "pretty likely that the uncertainty surrounding the raising of the debt ceiling for businesses and consumers has been unsettling".
"It's something we could have avoided entirely," he added.
The president said more action was needed, saying it was impossible for the US to "close the deficit with just spending cuts".
He urged Congress to now look to boost the economy through measures to create jobs and increase consumer confidence.
"We can't balance the budget on the backs of the very people who have borne the biggest brunt of this recession," President Obama said, reprising one of his key themes of recent weeks.
Lawmakers lament
In Tuesday's Senate vote, the bill was opposed by six Democrats and 19 Republicans.
Some Democratic and Republican lawmakers have bitterly opposed the legislation in recent days, saying it offered too much of their opponents' agenda.
Click to play
Top Democrat and ex-Republican aide discuss Obama's prospects
But the legislation still received many of their votes in the House and Senate as lawmakers heeded warnings that the US would default on its debts if Congress did nothing.
"This is a time for us to make tough choices as compared to kick the can down the road one more time," Republican Senator Jerry Moran said following the vote.
Speaking after the vote in the Senate, Democratic majority leader Harry Reid echoed the discontent of some in Congress, saying "neither side got all it wanted, each side laments what it didn't get".
"Today, we made sure that America will pay its bills, now it's time to make sure all Americans can pay theirs," Mr Reid added.
Before the bill's passage, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell praised the outcome, saying: "Together, we have a new way of doing business in Washington."
The legislation passed in the House of Representatives by a clear majority on Monday evening.
Triggers in place
The compromise package deeply angered both right-wing Republicans and left-wing Democrats.
Liberals have been unhappy that the bill relies on spending cuts only and does not include tax rises for the wealthy, although Mr Obama could still let Bush-era tax cuts for the top brackets expire in January 2013.
House Republicans were displeased that the bill did not include more savings.
In a key point for President Obama, the bill raises the debt ceiling into 2013 - meaning he will not face another congressional showdown on spending in the middle of his re-election campaign next year.
The deal will enact more than $900bn in cuts over the next 10 years.
It will also establish a 12-member, bipartisan House-Senate committee charged with producing up to $1.5tn of additional deficit cuts over a decade.
Analysts have said the cuts will probably come from programmes like federal retirement benefits, farm subsidies, Medicare and Medicaid.
Economists have said that failure to pass the debt deal would have shaken markets around the globe.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
#Today in #NFL #News: #Sports Update, vol. IV
'Just beautiful'
Plaxico Burress said he got goosebumps Monday running onto the field as a Jet.
Burress 'in a happy place' | Debate: Right move? | Watch: Will Jets get over the hump?
Headlines
- Fighting words? Cowboys' Ryan calls Eagles 'all-hype team' |
- Judge sets Aug 10. hearing on NFL retirees' case |
- Source: Linebacker Lawson leaving 49ers for Cincinnati |
- Report: 49ers agree to one-year deal with FS Williams |
- Former NFL QB Harrington injured in bike accident |
- Bears will move on without Kreutz, but they're not happy |
- Pats, Ravens might want to consider Umenyiora |
- Vikings rework Berrian's contract; McKinnie sits out |
- Raiders reward LB Wimbley with five-year, $48M contract |
- Anderson joins Panthers to teach, push rookie QB Newton |
- Agent: Colts to add defensive bulk with Anderson |
- Pats reportedly agree to two-year, $12M with OL Light |
- Jags TE Lewis reports but says no contact without contract |
- Samuel uncertain if he fits in Eagles' crowded secondary |
- Wells' stock on the rise after in fantasy land |
- Take two: Eagles ship Bunkley to Broncos instead of Browns |
- Camp Kolb puts team in make-or-break mode |
- Falcons face critical camp to keep pace in strong NFC South |
- Getting Spiller up to speed is vital for Bills |
- Figuring out how to protect Cutler is Bears' top priority |
Randy Moss retiring from #NFL
Winslow Townson FILE - This Oct. 31, 2010 file photo shows Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss waving to the fans after his former team, the New England Patriots, defeated the Vikings 28-18 in an NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass. Moss is calling it a career after 13 seasons in the NFL as one of the most dynamic and polarizing players the league has ever seen. Moss's agent, Joel Segal, said Monday, Aug. 1, 2011, that the receiver was considering offers from several teams, but made the decision to retire. (AP Photo/Winslow TownsonFile)
Randy Moss dominated when he wanted to dominate.
He scored when he wanted to score, cooperated when he wanted to cooperate and acted out when he wanted to act out.
Moss spent 13 seasons doing things on his own terms, which is why perhaps the loudest career the NFL has ever seen _ both in terms of the roars he induced on the field and the aggravation he caused off it _ ended so quietly on Monday.
No farewell speech from maybe the most physically gifted receiver to don a helmet. No tearful goodbye from a record-setting performer who changed the way defense is played in the NFL. Just a one-sentence statement from his agent saying one of the most colorful careers in league history was over.
"Randy has weighed his options and considered the offers and has decided to retire," Joel Segal said on Monday.
It was vintage Moss, a revolutionary talent who was never very much interested in doing things the conventional way.
Fans were awed by his once-in-a-generation blend of size, speed and intelligence. Teammates were charmed by the charisma he showed behind closed doors and coaches were often infuriated by his boorish antics and lack of respect for authority.
"I don't know if anybody can totally pin down who Randy Moss is," said Tim DiPiero, one of Moss' first agents said last year.
If this indeed is the end for Moss, he leaves the game with some of the gaudiest statistics posted by a receiver. His 153 touchdowns are tied with Terrell Owens for second on the career list, and he's also fifth in yards (14,858) and tied with Hines Ward for eighth in receptions (954).
"In a lot of ways, he was the Michael Jordan of offenses in our league," Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said. "He was a special player for a long, long time."
Those numbers, and his status as perhaps the best deep threat in NFL history, will make him a strong candidate for the Hall of Fame. But voters will also be weighing those achievements and his six Pro Bowl seasons against a history of mailing in performances and a reputation as a coach killer.
As Moss himself famously said: "I play when I want to play."
And when he wanted to, there was no one better. And when he didn't, there was no one more destructive.
Trouble off the field in high school prevented Moss from attending Notre Dame or Florida State, so he landed at Marshall and scored 54 touchdowns in two electrifying seasons with the Thundering Herd.
The character questions hurt Moss in the 1998 draft. He fell to the Vikings at pick No. 21 and he spent the next seven years making every GM in the league who passed on him regret it. He scored 17 touchdowns to help the Vikings reach the NFC title game, a season so overpowering that the rival Packers used their first three picks in the following April's draft on cornerbacks to try to slow him down.
Didn't do much good. Moss scored at least 10 touchdowns in all but one season in his first tour with the Vikings.
"The things I've seen him do, I don't think I'll ever see another player do the things he did," Vikings tight end Jim Kleinsasser said. "Great career. Tough to see him not playing because I think he had a lot left out there that he could have done for somebody."
He also got into several controversies along the way, bumping a traffic cop in downtown Minneapolis, squirting a referee with a water bottle during a game and leaving the field early in a game against Washington, just to name a few.
Sensing a change of scenery was needed, the Vikings traded Moss to Oakland in 2005, where he spent two quiet seasons before his career was revived in New England. He re-emerged as a force with the Patriots, hauling in a single-season record 23 TD passes from Tom Brady to help the Patriots reach the Super Bowl.
Vikings fans were euphoric at the news of his return last season, but things soured in a hurry. He caught 13 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns in four games back in purple, clashed with coach Brad Childress in the locker room and brought embarrassment to the organization when he berated a caterer at team headquarters.
He hugged former Patriots teammates after a Vikings loss, and then bizarrely stepped to a podium to fawn over the Patriots, criticize the Vikings for ignoring his strategic advice, and announce his plan to interview himself the rest of the season instead of letting reporters do it.
An enraged Childress unilaterally decided to cut Moss shortly after, a decision that helped seal his fate with Vikings ownership.
Moss finished the season with eight games in Tennessee, but only caught six passes. Segal said earlier this summer that the receiver was training hard and determined to prove to the doubters that he could still dominate the game like he had in the past.
The Jets were believed to have some interest in Moss, but Segal declined to elaborate on the options that were available.
"Randy has been a great player for a long time," said Bob Pruett, Moss' college coach at Marshall. "He's choosing this on his own terms and I think that's good. If that's what he wants to do, that's what he should do."
While many grapple with what Moss' legacy will be, there is no denying the impact he had on the game. The Cover 2 defense has become a fashionable scheme over the past 10 years, and it was designed in large part to prevent Moss from burning opposing defensive backs for long TDs.
"He's a guy who changed defenses," Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield said. "You had to put two defenders on him to take him out of the game so it opened up the rest of the offense. Great guy, great teammate, I have a lot of respect for him, he's brought a lot to this game and I wish him well."
Whether the 34-year-old Moss is truly done is anyone's guess. That, of course, appears to be completely up to him.
"He's one of the best receivers of all time to play this game," Vikings receiver Percy Harvin said. "I'm sure he hung it up with no regrets, so I wish the best for him. He had a great career and did a lot of great things."
___
AP Sports Writer John Raby in Charleston, W. Va., contributed to this report.
He scored when he wanted to score, cooperated when he wanted to cooperate and acted out when he wanted to act out.
Moss spent 13 seasons doing things on his own terms, which is why perhaps the loudest career the NFL has ever seen _ both in terms of the roars he induced on the field and the aggravation he caused off it _ ended so quietly on Monday.
No farewell speech from maybe the most physically gifted receiver to don a helmet. No tearful goodbye from a record-setting performer who changed the way defense is played in the NFL. Just a one-sentence statement from his agent saying one of the most colorful careers in league history was over.
"Randy has weighed his options and considered the offers and has decided to retire," Joel Segal said on Monday.
It was vintage Moss, a revolutionary talent who was never very much interested in doing things the conventional way.
Fans were awed by his once-in-a-generation blend of size, speed and intelligence. Teammates were charmed by the charisma he showed behind closed doors and coaches were often infuriated by his boorish antics and lack of respect for authority.
"I don't know if anybody can totally pin down who Randy Moss is," said Tim DiPiero, one of Moss' first agents said last year.
If this indeed is the end for Moss, he leaves the game with some of the gaudiest statistics posted by a receiver. His 153 touchdowns are tied with Terrell Owens for second on the career list, and he's also fifth in yards (14,858) and tied with Hines Ward for eighth in receptions (954).
"In a lot of ways, he was the Michael Jordan of offenses in our league," Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said. "He was a special player for a long, long time."
Those numbers, and his status as perhaps the best deep threat in NFL history, will make him a strong candidate for the Hall of Fame. But voters will also be weighing those achievements and his six Pro Bowl seasons against a history of mailing in performances and a reputation as a coach killer.
As Moss himself famously said: "I play when I want to play."
And when he wanted to, there was no one better. And when he didn't, there was no one more destructive.
Trouble off the field in high school prevented Moss from attending Notre Dame or Florida State, so he landed at Marshall and scored 54 touchdowns in two electrifying seasons with the Thundering Herd.
The character questions hurt Moss in the 1998 draft. He fell to the Vikings at pick No. 21 and he spent the next seven years making every GM in the league who passed on him regret it. He scored 17 touchdowns to help the Vikings reach the NFC title game, a season so overpowering that the rival Packers used their first three picks in the following April's draft on cornerbacks to try to slow him down.
Didn't do much good. Moss scored at least 10 touchdowns in all but one season in his first tour with the Vikings.
"The things I've seen him do, I don't think I'll ever see another player do the things he did," Vikings tight end Jim Kleinsasser said. "Great career. Tough to see him not playing because I think he had a lot left out there that he could have done for somebody."
He also got into several controversies along the way, bumping a traffic cop in downtown Minneapolis, squirting a referee with a water bottle during a game and leaving the field early in a game against Washington, just to name a few.
Sensing a change of scenery was needed, the Vikings traded Moss to Oakland in 2005, where he spent two quiet seasons before his career was revived in New England. He re-emerged as a force with the Patriots, hauling in a single-season record 23 TD passes from Tom Brady to help the Patriots reach the Super Bowl.
Vikings fans were euphoric at the news of his return last season, but things soured in a hurry. He caught 13 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns in four games back in purple, clashed with coach Brad Childress in the locker room and brought embarrassment to the organization when he berated a caterer at team headquarters.
He hugged former Patriots teammates after a Vikings loss, and then bizarrely stepped to a podium to fawn over the Patriots, criticize the Vikings for ignoring his strategic advice, and announce his plan to interview himself the rest of the season instead of letting reporters do it.
An enraged Childress unilaterally decided to cut Moss shortly after, a decision that helped seal his fate with Vikings ownership.
Moss finished the season with eight games in Tennessee, but only caught six passes. Segal said earlier this summer that the receiver was training hard and determined to prove to the doubters that he could still dominate the game like he had in the past.
The Jets were believed to have some interest in Moss, but Segal declined to elaborate on the options that were available.
"Randy has been a great player for a long time," said Bob Pruett, Moss' college coach at Marshall. "He's choosing this on his own terms and I think that's good. If that's what he wants to do, that's what he should do."
While many grapple with what Moss' legacy will be, there is no denying the impact he had on the game. The Cover 2 defense has become a fashionable scheme over the past 10 years, and it was designed in large part to prevent Moss from burning opposing defensive backs for long TDs.
"He's a guy who changed defenses," Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield said. "You had to put two defenders on him to take him out of the game so it opened up the rest of the offense. Great guy, great teammate, I have a lot of respect for him, he's brought a lot to this game and I wish him well."
Whether the 34-year-old Moss is truly done is anyone's guess. That, of course, appears to be completely up to him.
"He's one of the best receivers of all time to play this game," Vikings receiver Percy Harvin said. "I'm sure he hung it up with no regrets, so I wish the best for him. He had a great career and did a lot of great things."
___
AP Sports Writer John Raby in Charleston, W. Va., contributed to this report.
Helen Mirren has Best Body, beats out Jennifer Lopez, poll finds
Helen Mirren arrives at the 83rd annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times / February 27, 2011)
Helen Mirren's bod is hotter than Jennifer Lopez's, according to a new poll.
Yes, the sexagenarian (or should we say "sexygenarian"?) was voted as having the best female body by an L.A. Fitness poll of 2,000 people, according to Sky News. Soccer star David Beckham topped the male listings.
With 17.65% of the vote, Mirren trounced J. Lo (6.6%) as well as Kate Winslet (3.9%) and Kate Middleton's younger sister Pippa (4%), whose figure gained fame during the wedding of Prince William and her older sister.
It's true that, whether in an evening gown or a bikini, the 66-year-old Mirren looks fantastic. That's probably why she played a (semiretired) femme fatale in "Red," the most recent Bruce Willis action comedy.
As for what her secret may be, it's unclear -- though the actress did become a spokesperson for Wii in Britain.
For most people, such a look is hard to achieve in youth, let alone in age when muscle mass shrinks, sense of balance fades and bone density diminishes. It's an issue that other star personalities of a certain age have tried to address -- playing on the success of her 1982 hit workout video, Jane Fonda even released a new set of workout DVDs geared toward the senior set.
It can also be hard to find a gym that's senior-friendly. If you're like this crew of silver-haired iron-pumpers, you just make your own.
Follow me on Twitter @LAT_aminakhan.
Yes, the sexagenarian (or should we say "sexygenarian"?) was voted as having the best female body by an L.A. Fitness poll of 2,000 people, according to Sky News. Soccer star David Beckham topped the male listings.
With 17.65% of the vote, Mirren trounced J. Lo (6.6%) as well as Kate Winslet (3.9%) and Kate Middleton's younger sister Pippa (4%), whose figure gained fame during the wedding of Prince William and her older sister.
It's true that, whether in an evening gown or a bikini, the 66-year-old Mirren looks fantastic. That's probably why she played a (semiretired) femme fatale in "Red," the most recent Bruce Willis action comedy.
As for what her secret may be, it's unclear -- though the actress did become a spokesperson for Wii in Britain.
For most people, such a look is hard to achieve in youth, let alone in age when muscle mass shrinks, sense of balance fades and bone density diminishes. It's an issue that other star personalities of a certain age have tried to address -- playing on the success of her 1982 hit workout video, Jane Fonda even released a new set of workout DVDs geared toward the senior set.
It can also be hard to find a gym that's senior-friendly. If you're like this crew of silver-haired iron-pumpers, you just make your own.
Follow me on Twitter @LAT_aminakhan.
Mirren beats out Megan Fox in 2010 Esquire poll,
66% to 34%
Monday, August 1, 2011
US debt limit: Obama unveils deal with Congress leaders
President Barack Obama says Republican and Democratic leaders have struck a deal to raise the US debt limit.
Under the proposal, which is set for debate and votes in Congress on Monday, the US debt ceiling would rise by up to $2.4tn from the current $14.3tn.
The US government deficit will be cut by a similar amount over 10 years, and a special bipartisan committee will also be set up to agree spending cuts.
Without a deal the US would face the prospect of defaulting on its debts.
Party leaders in the House of Representatives and Senate still have to present the deal to their members on Monday, before the package goes to a vote.
The BBC's Jane O'Brien says the package is still likely to be a tough sell, with some Republicans and Democrats in the House remaining opposed to different aspects.
A number of conservative Republicans, including first-time congressmen, are likely to vote against the plan, while some liberals in the Democratic party will be disappointed by the prospect of cuts to benefits.
But Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi is expected to ensure enough Democrats vote for the bill to help smooth its passage, analysts say.
The US faces a Tuesday deadline to raise its $14.3tn (£8.7tn) debt limit or risk the first full-scale default in its history, a possibility that has spread mounting unease through international markets.
Speaking on Sunday night, the US president said it was not the deal he would have preferred, but noted that the compromise plan would make a "serious downpayment" on the US deficit.
Analysis
The president says it's not the perfect deal. But he and the leaders of both parties now believe they have the framework for something they can put to their party rank and file.
It's still likely to be a tough sell. The Republican Tea Party members are unlikely to support it because the cuts don't go far enough, and many Democrats will be furious that it doesn't include tax hikes.
Both sides will hold further discussions on Monday before the agreement is drafted into legislation that can be put to a vote.
America's credit rating may still be downgraded, but it now looks more likely that the world's most powerful economy will be spared the humiliation of not being able to pay its bills on Tuesday.
The president says it's not the perfect deal. But he and the leaders of both parties now believe they have the framework for something they can put to their party rank and file.
It's still likely to be a tough sell. The Republican Tea Party members are unlikely to support it because the cuts don't go far enough, and many Democrats will be furious that it doesn't include tax hikes.
Both sides will hold further discussions on Monday before the agreement is drafted into legislation that can be put to a vote.
America's credit rating may still be downgraded, but it now looks more likely that the world's most powerful economy will be spared the humiliation of not being able to pay its bills on Tuesday.
"I want to announce that the leaders of both parties in both chambers have reached an agreement that will reduce the deficit and avoid default, a default that would have had a devastating effect on our economy," Mr Obama said.
Democrats and Republicans in Washington have been deadlocked over finding a way to cut spending and raise the debt limit as the Tuesday deadline approached.
The US limits by law the total amount of debt its government can issue, and the Obama administration has been under mounting pressure over how it would continue to pay bills and costs like salaries if the limit was reached.
News of the proposed deal was welcomed by financial markets, with shares in Tokyo, London and Paris all gaining more than 1%.
"We welcome the US debt deal and hopefully this will stabilise markets," Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said.
'Not the greatest deal'
Republican House leader John Boehner said he hoped to hold Congressional votes on the plan "as soon as possible".
"This isn't the greatest deal in the world. But it shows how much we've changed the terms of the debate in this town," he said.
The proposed deal calls for:
• At least $2.4tn deficit reduction over 10 years
• New Congressional committee to recommend a deficit-reduction proposal by November
The focus now shifts back to Congress with votes expected on Monday
• A two-stage increase in the debt ceiling.The recommendations of the new, bipartisan committee tasked with identifying further savings would also be put to a vote in Congress, Mr Obama said.
According to Mr Boehner, those savings would amount to at least $1.5tn, bringing the total spending cuts under the plan to about $2.4tn.
In recent days, Republicans, who control the House of Representatives, and Democrats, who control the Senate, have rejected plans drawn up by the rival party in a mounting political battle.
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