Fantasia Barrino packing on the pounds

Fantasia Barrino will be packing on the pounds for a new movie role.The American Idol has signed on to play gospel legend Mahalia Jackson in. Can Fantasia imitate such a great life?. Fantasia Barrino has been sporting a fuller figure as of late, which has prompted rumors of a baby on board. The American Idol winner has insisted that she’s not pregnant and that the excess weight . Filed under: Movie News, CinematicalFantasia Barrino is ready for her closeup.According to the Hollywood Reporter, the ‘American Idol’ season 3 winner
has landed her first leading role in a biopic about the life of American gospel singer and civil rights activist Mahalia Jackson.The movie, which will be directed by Euzhan Palcy, is based on the 1993 book ‘Got to Tell It: Mahalia Jackson, Queen of Gospel.’ Jim Evering is penning the script.Filming begins in April, according to the report. … .
Fantasia Barrino earned rave reviews for playing Celie in Broadway’s The Color Purple, but is the oft-troubled American Idol alum suited for a big-screen triumph? According to a new report, she’s set to play gospel legend Mahalia Jackson in director Euzhan Palcy’s film adaptation of the 1993 book Got to Tell It: Mahalia Jackson, Queen of Gospel. Let’s start with the pettiest question: Is Fantasia a worthier post-Idol Oscar contender than Jennifer Hudson or not?.

guitar hero reduce

Things are not good for all you fans of the Guitar Hero franchise, as we have learned that Activision Blizzard has canceled the game. This has had a knock on effect with the developer’s shares, and as a result of this shocking news has fallen by 8 percent. The company believes that their expected revenue will be $640 million in Q1 2011, this was short of the $734.70 million that analysts expected.

Charlie Sheen may pay staff salaries

Charlie Sheen offered to pay a portion of the Two and a Half Men crew’s Salary during the two-week hiatus of the show. He extended this deal as long as CBS and Warner Bros. agree to pay the remaining portion. Showing signs of loyalty to his Two and a Half Men crew, Sheen attempted to cut a deal with the studio to help foot the salaries of the 300-member crew, which does not get paid when Men stops filming. Sheen looks to return to the set next week, but a CBS executive believes that “...

Harry Baals Center

Harry Baals (pronounced "Harry Bales", and not "Harry Balls") will likely not get his name attached to the new city-county building in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Harry Baals is a former mayor of Fort Wayne, and his name continues to inspire juvenile humor. These are the same people who would find San Diego politician Dick Rider's name funny, too. Visitors to the Fort Wayne voting page will see that Harry Baals is destroying the competition by more than 7,000 votes, but Deputy Mayor Beth Malloy said that just winning the popular vote wasn't enough, and expressed concern that calling the new building the Harry Baals Government Center would "look bad".

Continue reading at NowPublic.com: Harry Baals Government Center 'Not Going to Happen' | NowPublic News Coverage http://www.nowpublic.com/strange/harry-baals-government-center-not-going-happen-2756043.html#ixzz1DZAKo93n

Lawsuit in Super Bowl seat fiasco

Ticket-holding football fans who ended up with no seats or what they considered bad views of the Super Bowl have filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys and team owner Jerry Jones.
The federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in Dallas — just two days after the big game — alleges breach of contract, fraud and deceptive sales practices on behalf of people who ended up watching the game on TV at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, or had seats the lawsuit labeled "illegitimate."

Brangelina adopting?

The rumor mill is buzzing today with the news that Brad and Angelina are looking to adopt another baby, which would be number seven in their tribe. Sources say they're looking in Namibia to adopt, which is the country where Shiloh was born. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, they're also looking in Bolivia and Paraguay because Angelina wants to draw attention to the large number of desperately needy orphaned children in Latin America. Seems strange to adopt a child just to make a statement. But hey, we can't judge them! They do more than the average family when it comes to philanthropy!
We really wouldn't be surprised if the rumor was true. After all, didn't poppa Brad say he wanted something like 12 kids?!

iPad2 to be released soon?

The tech world is buzzing with rumors that Apple will soon release the second version of its popular iPad. There’s rampant speculation about a possible iPad2 release date, but the company is not saying when it will happen.

Famous boy bands

They performed in front of millions of screaming fans and had songs at the top of the charts. But what happened to them? We find out where some of the hottest boy bands are today.

The Beatles

Hanson

Backstreet Boys

New Edition

New Kids on the Block

Bay City Rollers

NSYNC

Menudo

All-4-One

The Monkees

Boyz II Men

Herman's Hermits

Jackson 5

98 Degrees

LFO

O-Town

Day26

Take That

Jonas Brothers

The Four Seasons

Color Me Badd

B2K

Ted Williams speaks out after rehab

A homeless ex-radio announcer who earned instant fame with his enviable talent recently left a rehab facility against the advice of his doctors. In his first interview since leaving rehab, Ted Williams explains what brought on his relapseand why he left.

Norm MacDonald’s new show

The comedian will be appearing on Comedy Central, the network says. MacDonald, who was on “Saturday Night Live”, will also have a standup comedy hour.

Beauty queen loses crown for gaining weight

Miss San Antonio is suing to keep her crown after losing it for “gaining excessive weight.” Pageant officials have lodged other accusations against 17-year-old Domonique Ramirez. The feuding parties are expected to be in court next week.

Diet soda linked to heart attack risk

You may feel less guilty if you opt for diet sodas over sugary beverages, but drinking them regularly may raise your risk of heart attack and stroke, a study suggests. In a nine-year study of more than 2,500 people, those who drank diet soda daily were 48% more likely to have a heart attack or stroke or die from those events, compared with those who rarely or never drank soda. There was no increased risk of cardiovascular disorders among daily drinkers of regular soda, says study researcher Hannah Gardener, ScD, an epidemiologist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

The analysis, presented at the American Stroke Association International Stroke Conference (ISC), took into account a host of cardiovascular risk factors including age, sex, smoking, physical activity, alcohol and calorie consumption, metabolic syndrome, and pre-existing heart disease.

Still, the study doesn't prove cause and effect. And even though the researchers tried to account for risk factors that that could skew the results, they couldn't tease out everything, doctors caution.

"You try to control for everything, but you can't," says Steven Greenberg, MD, PhD, vice chair of the ISC meeting committee and professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School.

People who drink a lot of diet soda may share some characteristic that explains the association, he explains.

Miley Cyrus talks about smoking salvia

18-year-old Miley Cyrus has finally stepped up to the plate to talk about the salvia smoking incident referring to the video of the teen idol smoking the Hallucinogenic drug out of a bong on her 18th birthday. Miley is a role model for many young girls who watch the Disney show that made her famous.

Ashlee Simpson-Wentz files for divorce

Singer and actress Ashlee Simpson has filed for divorce from her husband Pete Wentz! Ashlee Simpson filed papers today in Los Angeles County Superior Court , citing the normal “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split. Ashlee, 26, has reportedly hired celebrity lawyer Laura Wasser to represent her as she fights for joint legal custody and primary physical custody of her and Pete’s two-year-old son Bronx.

Blues singer dies

Marvin Sease

8 days shy of his birthday, American singer Marvin Sease died at the age of 64 on Tuesday, Feb. 8 in Vicksburg, Mississippi.The official cause of the blues singer's death is not yet known, but there is speculation that he died from pneumonia. Born in Blackville, South Carolina, Sease started off as a gospel singer with the gospel group The Five Gospel Crowns. After moving to New York City, he started a R & B band with
his three brothers named Sease. The band didn't find much success and disbanded a few years later.

Sease then went solo and scored a recurring gig at Casablanca, a club in Brooklyn, where he performed covers. Soon after, he hit big on his own with hits such as "Ghetto Man" and "Candy Licker." The former became an instant success in the South despite the fact that it couldn't be played on the radio due to its racy lyrics.

While he never achieved massive commercial success, Sease developed a cult following over the years.

Lawmakers says she learned a lot at Hooters

Rep. Julia Hurley, newly elected to the Tennessee House, credits her work at Hooters with helping her win her seat in what’s regarded as a conservative district.

Gabrielle Giffords speaks

Gabrielle Giffords spoke for the first time since she was shot in the forehead, her spokesman said Wednesday, yet another significant milestone in her recovery from a traumatic brain injury. Giffords first spoke within the past few days and is speaking "more and more," spokesman C.J. Karamargin said Wednesday. He didn't know what her first words were, but said at breakfast one morning she asked for toast. "She's working very hard and it's paying off," he said. "We're elated at this. We always knew Gabby is a fighter and that she's not going to let this thing win. And you know, every day is proof of that."

Six people, including a 9-year-old girl and a federal judge, were killed in the attack outside a grocery store where Giffords was meeting with constituents. Thirteen people, including Giffords, were injured.

Other news organizations, including Politico, earlier reported that Giffords had asked for toast and was able to speak.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Giffords' husband Mark Kelly said his wife had her appetite back and was eating three times a day, "even though it's hospital food."

fantasia barrino gains pounds for role

fantasia barrino gains pounds for role

Fantasia Barrino's recent weight gain fueled online rumors that the R&B singer was expecting a child, but her manager gave another explanation.

"Fantasia's pregnant with prosperity," manager Brian Dickens told CNN on Tuesday.

The 2004 "American Idol" winner is gaining weight in preparation for a movie role, Dickens said.

security guard dies in freak accident on NCIS

A 52 year-old male security guard died after a freak accident involving a production van on the set of CBS’ hit show “NCIS”

A person working on the show "NCIS" died today after a man driving a passenger van for the production lost control and smashed into the set this morning

Ted Williams speaks out after rehab

A homeless ex-radio announcer who earned instant fame with his enviable talent recently left a rehab facility against the advice of his doctors. In his first interview since leaving rehab Ted Williams explains what brought on his relapseand why he left.
See the video of Williams that made him famous overnight.

Norm MacDonald’s new show

Norm MacDonald was born on October 17, 1963, in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. He began his career in stand-up comedy. MacDonald's first job was writing for The Dennis Miller Show
The comedian  will be appearing on Comedy Central, the network says. MacDonald, who was on “Saturday Night Live” , will also have a standup comedy hour.

Diet soda linked to heart attack risk

Study linking diet soda to heightened stroke and heart attack risk draws skepticism from some doctors.
Researchers have found that daily diet soda drinkers are at a higher risk of having a heart attack  or a stroke.  Researchers also linked another common ingredient  in soda to increased vascular problems.

Beauty queen loses crown for gaining weight

A teenage beauty queen Miss San Antonio  is suing to keep her crown after losing it for “gaining excessive weight.” Pageant officials have lodged other accusations against 17-year-old Domonique Ramirez. The feuding parties are expected to be in court next week.

Lawmakers says she learned a lot at Hooters

Rep. Julia Hurley  newly elected to the Tennessee House, credits her work at Hooters  with helping her win her seat in what’s regarded as a conservative district. Lawmakers Grant Home Health-Care Providers a Raise, But ... White says the training was minimal—she learned to handle ... including privately paid home-care jobs, White says.

Gabrielle Giffords speaks

A month after being shot in Tucson, Ariz., Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has spoken.  It's been reported that she is working hard to achieve a major goal. Giffords is in a rehab facility recovering from her wounds.Giffords' astronaut husband has confirmed that he will be aboard the final shuttle launch.

Mark Sanchez dating 17-year-old

Mark Sanchez has allegedly hooked up with a 17 year old. Let us examine the ways in which this is stupid.
The Jets quarterback  reportedly met Eliza Kruger, the 17-year-old daughter of a hedge fund manager  at a Manhattan nightclub on New Year’s Eve. The Connecticut high school girl  reportedly has been dating Sanchez since then.

Miley Cyrus talks about smoking salvia

Miley Cyrus talks about smoking salvia

Miley Cyrus  recently talked about smoking salvia. The 18-year-old also talked about her parents' divorce. Cyrus was recently voted "worst celebrity influence of 2010."She is reportedly dating Amy Winehouse's ex
Cyrus recently got another tattoo. How many does she have now? 
Feb 09, 2011 Singer and actress Miley Cyrus recently talked about the video showing her smoking salvia.

Blues singer dies

Marvin Sease  who performed on what was known as the Chitlin’ circuit , has died, reportedly of pneumonia. He was 64. He started out in another form of music.
Here are some of his contemporaries & as the best blues singers.

Ashlee Simpson-Wentz files for divorce

Ashlee Simpson-Wentz files for divorce

Ashlee Simpson  reportedly has filed for divorce (find out why) from rocker husband Pete Wentz.  The two got married in 2008 and have a 2-year-old son, Bronx.

Olivia Wilde recently filed for divorce from her prince husband.