Brokeback Mountain Actor Heath Ledger, Dead at 28

Academy Award nominee Heath Ledger has died in NY.

He was found dead in his bed in one of his residences in Soho by his housekeeper at 3:35 PM ET today. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ they believe it was not a crime, adding that prescription pills were found near his body.

According to NYPD a masseuse arrived at Ledger's apartment and was let in by a housekeeper. When Ledger didn't answer his bedroom door, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened it and found him unconscious. They attempted to wake him; when they couldn't, they called 911.

We're told when paramedics responded, the actor was in full cardiac arrest. They attempted to perform CPR on him, but were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

he 28-year-old actor has a two year old daughter with former fiancee Michelle Williams -- they separated in September, 2007. He plays The Joker in the upcoming Batman film, "The Dark Knight" and is perhaps best known for his groundbreaking role as Ennis in "Brokeback Mountain."

We're told Heath had dinner last night with his model girlfriend Gemma Ward.

“There was no indication of a disturbance,” Deputy Police Commissioner Paul J. Browne said. He said officers who checked the apartment found other prescription medications it in the bathroom. He said that there was no sign that Mr. Ledger had been drinking and that no illegal drugs were found in the apartment.

Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the city’s chief medical examiner, said that investigators were on the scene on Tuesday afternoon and that an autopsy would be performed on Wednesday to determine the cause of death. His body was removed from the apartment at 6:30 p.m.

Julie McIntosh, a stylist in a neighboring salon, said she saw Mr. Ledger once or twice a week and thought had been living in the apartment for about six months.

“I think it’s really sad,” she said. “He’s a really nice guy. He seemed happy.”

A native of Perth, Australia, Mr. Ledger, known for his wry grin and uncontrolled blondish hair, defied typecasting throughout his career. Mr. Ledger, who was born on April 4, 1979, gained roles in children’s television after he first appeared in a play for a local theater company. He decided to pursue acting as a career, appearing in Australian soap operas before moving to Hollywood in pursuit of a girlfriend.

The relationship did not last, but the move led to his first major role, opposite Julia Stiles in the teenage romance “10 Things I Hate About You,” and Mr. Ledger seemed poised for a future as a heartthrob. But Mr. Ledger defied that expectation and, although he still appeared in light romantic roles in such films as “A Knight’s Tale,” he sought out darker, more substantive work, appearing as a prison guard in “Monster’s Ball,” and a heroin addict spiraling out of control in “Candy.”

“People always feel compelled to sum you up, to presume that they have you and describe you,” Mr. Ledger told The New York Times in an interview last year. “But there are many stories inside of me and a lot I want to achieve outside of one flat note.”

Mr. Ledger’s more recent films were also his most notable. His appearances as a reluctantly gay cowboy in “Brokeback Mountain” and as Bob Dylan in “I’m Not There” were both received with critical acclaim. The films were also important personally. Mr. Ledger met the actress Michelle Williams during the filming of “Brokeback Mountain.” The couple have a daughter, Matilda. Although they have since separated, they appeared together in “I’m Not There” and Mr. Ledger praised Ms. Williams’s performance in the film.

Elliott Puckett, an artist who lives near Ms. Williams’s apartment in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, said she saw the couple walking in the neighborhood.

“I used to see them with their dry cleaning and their baby,” she said.

Mr. Ledger told The Times last November that his favorite thing to do was hang out at home with his daughter. Leaving her for work, he said, was “kind of like your body has a lump in his throat.”

SOURCES: TMZ & NY Times

Beauty and the Geek: Episode 4.13 Winner Is Finally Announced

With this first-ever Beauty and the Geek winners chosen by America, the finale also gave the booted pairs a chance to reunite and reminisce over the past season. Although I was impatient to learn whether or not Jasmine and Dave or Sam and Nicole won, I have to admit I got some good laughs while waiting.

Spoilers ... I mean, this IS the finale!

Overall, the returning partners looked much the same. For the most part, the geeks' makeovers were still intact, and a couple of the girls had new looks: Rebecca dyed her honey-blonde hair to a dark brown/black, while Holly's hair was a long, feathered Farrah 'do. Pretty much all of the ladies looked great, but I admit I was really happy to see Shay in her leopard-print dress greet little Joshua the most.

A retrospective of Dave and Jasmine followed, leading up to their reunion. Will Jasmine always look so cute? It's been four months since the last episode was taped till today's results finale, so she was appropriately jubilant to see Dave. Not so great was host Mike Richards giving her a chance to touch the tarantula, lovingly named Pinky, that she avoided during the Bronson Caves challenge.

Then it was Sam and Nicole's turn, and I must admit that Nicole looked good. She did something with her hair. Their reunion was less heartfelt and sweet. It was actually Sam's reunion with Rebecca, his main squeeze in the mansion, that seemed to be more emotional. Although there was some talk about his missing her the whole time, I have my doubts. Rebecca apologized to Nicole for the midnight makeout madness, and Nicole forgave her. What I want to know is: Has Sam ever apologized for his part in it?

What Else We Learned

The viewers' biggest Beauty crush - Sam
The viewers' choice for geekiest Geek - Joshua (second place: Josh)
Beauties going back to their studies: Holly - anthropology; Jen - realtor's license
Geek dating lives - Josh has a girlfriend; Luke is a player (averaging 2-3 dates a week!!)

I very much enjoyed a spotlight on Shay and Joshua, whom Mike called the Fan Favorites. It was hilarious when Mother Hen Shay and Joshua's real mom Marla met, making Joshua all meek: "I'm afraid to interrupt either of them." It was also very sweet because Joshua acknowledged that Shay's bossiness towards him came from a place of caring. Awww.

Rebecca sure got a lot of attention. First there was all the Sam business, then she was asked her opinion about Sam liking Amanda first. Finally, when Josh was showing off his self-makeover (Sheesh. Good job, I say.), she had to give him a full-body oil massage since she had promised she would if he removed his body hair.

Finally, it was time to reveal the winners. Each couple was given an envelope: one containing a check for $250,000, and the other, only mocking emptiness. Once I heard the squeal, I knew all was right with the world. Jasmine and Dave had triumphed over their formidable foes and claimed the final victory in the battle of Beauty and the Geek.

Highlights/Thoughts:

- Will, with his resonant voice, was just as annoying apologizing for his annoyingness on the show.
- Jasmine, explaining why she was hurt with Dave's initial repugnance for her: "I thought that even if I didn't get along with none of the girls, at least I'd have my geek."
- Will congratulating Nicole on her sneaky strategy: "That was magnificent! You played Sam, Rebecca and me like a virtuoso. You have to respect the skills."
- Mike ad-libbing after Sam asks who wrote in about his muscles: "M. Richards"
- An emotional Jasmine to someone offscreen after winning: "You're crying. I'm not crying."

Do you agree with the results? Did you vote? Who were you happiest about seeing again?

Source: zap2it.com

Spice 1 Shot and Wounded In Driveway

HAYWARD — The 37-year-old Hayward man shot Monday while sleeping in his car has been identified as Bay Area rapper Spice 1, whose real name is Robert Green.

Green was seriously wounded in the shooting and is recovering at a local hospital, Hayward Police Lt. Reid Lindblom said.

Lindblom said that Green has been interviewed at the hospital by detectives but did not have additional details.

"He said he dozed off in his car," Lindblom said. "He guessed he had been in his car for about 30 minutes."

Green apparently had been been sleeping in his car in the driveway of a house on the 26000 block of Chiplay Avenue when, at about 12:30 a.m., he became aware that someone was standing next to the vehicle. A shot was fired through the car window, and Green was hit in the chest, according to Lindblom.

Green then went into his house and family members called 9-1-1, he said.

Nothing was stolen from the victim or taken from the vehicle. The shooter was described as a white or Hispanic male about 5 feet 7 inches tall and dressed all in black.

Lindblom said investigators do not have a suspect or a motive for the shooting. Investigators are processing his vehicle for evidence, he said.

Green's manager, Scott Bibiano, who goes by the nickname "Six," said Tuesday that the residence belongs to Green's parents. Bibiano said that Green is in critical condition and has been through surgery.

Bibiano added that Green's parents have been with Green and that they are holding up well.

Green has released more than a dozen albums since the early 1990s; his latest, "Thug Association," was released earlier this year.

Bibiano said that he and Green were in Las Cruces, N.M., and El Paso, Texas, over the weekend for performances.

"He is well respected in the rap community," Bibiano said of Green. "He is one of the icons, one of the fathers that started it in the Bay Area."

Green has worked with several high-profile rappers, including East Bay rapper "Too Short," as well as Tupac Shakur, who was shot and killed in 1996.

The Associated Press also reported Tuesday that 33-year-old rapper Chad Butler, known as "Pimp C," was found dead in a Los Angeles hotel room on Tuesday. Butler collaborated with Green in the past.

Hayward City Councilwoman Doris Rodriquez lives around the block from where Green was shot. She said she did not know Green, but was unnerved by the shooting.

"It's pretty close to home," she said. "It's always been a fairly quiet neighborhood, but periodically things have happened."

She said neighbors recently formed a Neighborhood Watch due to shootings and a firebombing that occurred in the neighborhood earlier this year.

Anyone with additional information is encouraged to call the Hayward Police Department at 510-293-7000.

Source: insidebayarea.com

Rapper Pimp C Found Dead in Hollywood Hotel

Pimp C, real name Chad Butler -- and one half of the rap duo UGK, was found dead in a hotel room this morning. He was 33.

L.A. County Fire responded to a 911 call at the Mondrian Hotel, located on trendy Sunset Strip in Hollywood. They arrived to his sixth floor hotel room to find him dead in bed.

UGK is best known for appearing on the Jay-Z track "Big Pimpin'" in 2000, and more recently with Outkast on the song "International Player's Anthem (I Choose You)." Pimp C had just performed with fellow rapper Too Short at the "House of Blues" in L.A. on Saturday night. Jive Records has issued the following statement regarding Pimp C's death:

"It is with great sadness that Jive Records announces the passing of Chad "Pimp C" Butler, a member of the celebrated rap duo UGK (Underground Kingz). Jive Records' President and CEO Barry Weiss states: "We mourn the unexpected loss of Chad. He was truly a thoughtful and kind-hearted person. He will be remembered for his talent and profound influence as a pioneer in bringing southern rap to the forefront. He will be missed and our prayers remain with his family and Bun B. I've known Chad since he was 18, and we loved him dearly and he was a cherished member of the Jive family."

Born in Port Arthur, Texas, Butler's father was a trumpet player who played professionally with Solomon Burke. Outside of his father, the 33-year old rapper's influences varied, ranging from Bobby Bland, Jimmy McGriff, the 1960's Motown artists to Run DMC. Butler met his inseparable partner Bernard "Bun B" Freeman in high school where they formed UGK. In 1992, the duo signed to Jive Records and went on release a total of eight albums for the label. They earned their highest achievement earlier this year when their most recent album, UGK (Underground Kingz), debuted in the number one position on the album pop chart. According to the New York Times, UGK "helped inspire a generation of Southern hip-hop stars, from OutKast to Lil Wayne."

Source: TMZ

Eat, Pray, Love - Finding Inspiration Off The Beaten Track (by Elizabeth Gilbert)

Eat, Pray, Love is a short yet powerful book by Elizabeth Gilbert. The full title of the book is "Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia".

Part memoir about the author's breakup from an unfulfilling (yet not terrible) marriage and part travelogue, Eat, Pray, Love is a chatty book that reads like one long letter from a girlfriend.

She's unsparing about her own failings and problems and doesn't place the blame for her divorce on her ex - instead, she beautifully expresses the existential "Is this all there is?" angst that so many women feel who have bought into the American dream of husband, house in the suburbs, and child, only to realize that in their heart they desire none of those things.

When Elizabeth Gilbert realizes that marriage and kids aren't for her (at least, with this particular man, at this particular time in her life,) she embarks on a personal, funny, and moving quest to find out just what IS right for her.

And she takes us on the journey with her.

Through the author's optimistic and breezy recounting of her adventures, we get to travel with her to Italy, India and Indonesia. Part spiritual quest, part journey of self-discovery, and part hedonistic escapade, her experience echoes what so many women go through. How do you find meaning and spirituality while also fully celebrating the wonderful things that life in a physical body can offer you? Through her, we taste the gourmet wonders of Italy, learn about repose and meditation at an Indian ashram, and embark on an unpredictable yet entertaining affair while pursing mystical knowledge with a funny medicine man in Bali. (Yes, it turns out there are such things as funny medicine men. Spiritual advisors and healers aren't all deadly serious, Gilbert discovers.)

This is a great stocking stuffer type of book -- a short, breezy read. I'm giving copies to the girlfriends in my life who have pursued all the trends like yoga, Pilates, crystals, massage, and so forth while at the same time finding those traditions (which are too often into denial of bodily pleasure) stultifying and restrictive.

I love Gilbert's message about how we can all find a balance between the pleasures of the body and the joys of the soul. I fully believe that that's what we're here to achieve, anyway.

I mean, c'mon. We're spiritual beings, sure, but we've chosen to hang out in these bodies for a while. Why not charge them with passion, joy, and pleasure? Doesn't that make us more able to extend love and positive energy to others, because we ourselves are experiencing life as JOY instead of LACK?

Repressing desire, repressing fun, or cutting out too many carbs only lasts so long on the spiritual path. As with all things, eventually we must come full circle - and as this happens we usually strive for a balance of living in both worlds. We're spiritual beings having a material experience. Both aspects of our nature should be honored and celebrated, and this book inspires readers to do just that.

This book is perfect for the armchair traveler in your life interested in gaining a glimpse into exotic places, and it will also resonate with women in your life who have loved and lost, loved and hated, and loved and despaired only to later find joy again. Inspiring and fun, you've got to check out this book!

I don't always agree with Oprah's book recommendations, but this was actually a book I wanted to write a review on for some time, and when I saw that Oprah was featuring it on her show today, I said - let me share my own impressions of this entertaining and enlightening book.

In short, I say get a copy - and consider stocking up on a few extra editions for those women in your life who are seeking ways to remain "good girls" while still craving some "bad girl" experiences. This book shows you that craving love, wanting good food, or desiring more than what you have doesn't make you "bad." It simply means that your spirit is expanding in what it needs to feel fulfilled.

And that's a good thing.

Source: lipstickmystic.com

Did Filomena Kill Seth Tobias?

The death of investment manager Seth Tobias is becoming the center of controversy Tuesday after his brothers claim Tobias' widow planned his death.

Brothers brothers, Samuel, Spence, Scott and Joshua, claim that Filomena Tobias drugged her husband and lured him into the pool, where he drowned.

A former assistant to Seth Tobias has told the police that Filomena Tobias confessed to him that she had lured her husband, who was on a cocaine binge, into the water, promising him sex with a male go-go dancer know as "Tiger." A lawyer for Filomena Tobias has called the claims outrageous.

The plot thickened when it emerged that Filomena Tobias had paid $9,628 to have the pool drained and resurfaced just days after her husband died.

Seth Tobias formed Circle T in 1996, with $4 million, and parlayed that into a $300 million hedge fund and brokerage firm. Circle T is in the process of returning investors’ funds; clients have not lost money.

Tobias counted among his investors Samuel Zell, the billionaire who recently agreed to buy the Tribune Company.

He managed to make a name for himself on financial-news television, appearing on “Squawk Box” and “Kudlow & Company” on CNBC.

His lavish lifestyle led to heavy expenditures, cocaine use and frequent visits with his wife to Cupids, a gay bar in West Palm Beach with televisions constantly showing with hardcore gay pornography. Cupids is where he met "Tiger".


Source: news.finditt.com

9/11 Mystery Plane Spurs Conspiracy (Plus Video)

The events surrounding 9/11 have prompted one of the fastest growing conspiracy movements in American history (perhaps even set to eclipse the conspiracy theories surrounding the Kennedy assassination in scope and popular interest). Adding fuel to this fire is a new CNN report on the "mystery plane" -- a Boeing 747 identified as the E-4B, the National Airborne Operations Center -- that flew over the White House on Sept. 11.

Conspiracy theorists say the airplane is proof that the government coordinated the attacks (that raises the question: why then would the government do something so obvious as to fly the "attack coordination" aircraft over the White House). Complicating attempts to refute such theories is that the government apparently won't confirm this is the E-4B, or to explain why it was flying over the White House on 9/11.

Source: CNN