Saving the Shark

 An international wildlife trade group on Tuesday turned down a proposal to protect several species of sharks that are hunted for their fins for a Chinese banquet soup.
Votes to protect three species of hammerhead sharks — scalloped, great and smooth — and the oceanic whitetip shark fell just several votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass at a meeting in Doha, Qatar, of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
The convention voted in favor of protecting another shark species — the porbeagle, caught mainly for its meat, which is eaten in Europe — but it voted against trade restrictions for another shark that's caught for its meat, the spiny dogfish.
The votes were "a major loss for marine conservation," Assistant Interior Secretary Tom Strickland, the head of the U.S. delegation to the meeting, said in a statement. "Sharks play a critical role in the marine environment. As a result of these decisions these species will continue to be overexploited in international trade. We are encouraged, however, by the strong majority vote in favor, and we will continue our efforts to protect these shark species."
As a top predator, sharks play an important role in the food chain, affecting marine life down to the health of coral reefs. Studies show that shark populations in parts of the ocean have declined by 80 to 99 percent. Sharks take many years to reach adulthood and produce only a few young per year. "They're being harvested at a much faster rate than they can reproduce," Elizabeth Griffin, a shark specialist at the conservation group Oceana, said in a phone interview from Doha.
Shark "finning" — cutting off a shark's fin and dumping its body into the ocean — occurs around the world, Griffin said. The sharks then die from bleeding or suffocation.
Demand for traditional shark-fin soup has been rising with the growing wealth of the Chinese middle class. The soup often is served at government and business functions and at wedding banquets.
Japan lobbied heavily against trade regulations for sharks. It isn't a big market for shark fins or meat, but it was worried about any commercial regulations that eventually could lead to acceptance of regulation of Atlantic bluefin tuna, Griffin said.
The convention last week turned down protections for the dwindling tuna species. Also defeated in recent days were proposals to ban the hunting of polar bears and to regulate international trade in red and pink corals.
Because the vote on the shark proposals was so close to the two-thirds majority needed for passage — the hammerhead decision was 75 in support, 45 against and 14 abstentions, and the ocean whitetip vote was 75 for, 51 against, 16 abstaining — there's a chance that the matter could be voted on a second time in the plenary session during the meeting's final days Wednesday and Thursday, Griffin said.
She said Oceana was trying to convince several nations to vote in favor of protections and to make sure that the porbeagle shark-trade controls hold up if they're voted on again as well.
"Sharks may be fearsome creatures in the ocean, but they hold no match for uncontrolled, short-term economic interests that continue to devastate their populations around the world," Sybille Klenzendorf, the World Wildlife Fund's director of species conservation, said in a statement Tuesday. "This fight will continue. The vitality of our oceans, upon which millions of people depend, relies on healthy populations of species such as sharks and corals."

David Mikael Taclino
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U.S. Mexico Alliance Against Drugs and Gun Trafficking

The U.S. government Tuesday pledged greater cooperation with Mexico to go after the bank accounts of narcotics cartels along the border and halt the flow of illegal guns fueling a wave of violence.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, leading a top-level Cabinet delegation, said the two nations were studying new strategies against narcotics, focusing not only on security but also on financial intelligence sharing and social development.
"We are looking at everything that can work," Clinton said.
As Clinton spoke in a salon of the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Relations, soldiers in a hall outside guarded a vast display of sophisticated assault rifles and other weaponry, mostly made in the U.S., captured from drug gangs.
"We know that the flow of illegal guns is a problem for our Mexican friends, and we are doing all that we can within our laws to prevent, interdict, arrest, prosecute and jail those who deal in illegal guns," she said.
The top-level summit occurred just 10 days after the March 13 roadside slayings of a U.S. consulate employee, her husband and the husband of another consulate staff member, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico's most violent city.
A few days after the killings, U.S. security personnel across the border in El Paso, Texas, arrested members of the Barrio Azteca gang — enforcers for the Juarez drug gang known as Los Aztecas — thought to be linked to the crime.
Clinton and her Mexican counterpart, Patricia Espinosa, in a joint statement cited "co-responsibility for cross-border criminal activity" and said the two nations would enhance efforts against cross-border money laundering and weapons traffic.
They also announced a pilot program of information sharing at two key border points: the San Diego-Tijuana border area, and the one between El Paso and Ciudad Juarez.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates; Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano accompanied Clinton for the talks with top Mexican security officials. Clinton also met privately with President Felipe Calderon.
The summit focus was on the Merida Initiative, a $1.3 billion U.S. program launched in 2008 to help Mexico and Central America fight drug cartels.
Espinosa said U.S. officials had promised to remove bottlenecks in the disbursement of aid under the Merida Initiative.
Still, experts said the vast coffers of drug cartels make for a lopsided battle.
"The drug cartels are earning somewhere between $25 and $35 billion a year," said Roderic Camp, a scholar on Mexico at Claremont McKenna College in California. "There are repeated cases, even on the U.S. side, of people on the take. It's just too darn much money."
Since taking office in December 2006, Calderon has deployed some 50,000 troops to border areas to take on the gangs behind a record-number of slayings.
In a little over three years, some 16,000 people have been killed. Violence has worsened with the shattering of an alliance between the competing Juarez and Sinaloa drug cartels, leading to a spate of beheadings and daytime slayings.
A U.S. Embassy fact sheet said Washington will deliver a CASA 235 maritime surveillance aircraft to the Mexican navy this year, and 3 UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters to the nation's public security ministry.
Rising bloodshed has triggered calls for drug decriminalization. Former Foreign Secretary Rosario Green told the El Universal newspaper Tuesday that marijuana use should no longer carry a criminal penalty. A day earlier, Mexico's third-richest tycoon, billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego, who controls broadcaster TV Azteca, said Mexico should legalize drugs.

David Mikael Taclino
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Air Force Open for US Military Contract, Will Boeing have Challenge?

The Air Force launched a new competition Wednesday for a contract to begin replacing the nation's aging fleet of aerial tankers, but it's not clear whether Northrop Grumman and its European partner will bid against Boeing for the $35 billion deal.
The initial contract is for 179 new tankers, but the deal eventually could be worth $100 billion as the Air Force replaces its fleet of about 600 Cold War-era tankers in what could be one of the largest Pentagon purchases ever.
There apparently were few major changes from an earlier "request for proposals" that drew sharp criticism from the Northrop Grumman-European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. team and its supporters on Capitol Hill.
Northrop and EADS officials Wednesday didn't indicate what they were planning to do, but Northrop officials earlier said that the company wouldn't bid unless significant changes were made to the request for bids.
"What today's release means is they most likely will not bid," said Loren Thompson, a defense analyst for the Lexington Institute, a national security policy research institute in northern Virginia.
"Northrop Grumman will analyze the request for proposals and defer further public comment until its review of the document has been completed," said Randy Belote, a spokesman for the Los Angeles-based company.
Chicago-based Boeing said it was reviewing the voluminous document.
Pentagon officials said they were "playing it right down the middle" and were satisfied that the competition wouldn't favor either side.
If Northrop-EADS doesn't bid, the Air Force could award a sole source contract to Boeing, but Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn said the focus is on a competition with multiple bidders.
"Obviously Northrop Grumman and its European partner have a choice to make," Lynn said. "We think it is in their interest to bid."
Northrop-EADS had complained that the earlier version of the request for bids favored the smaller Boeing 767, even though its plane could carry more fuel, cargo and passengers.
Boeing countered that its medium-sized tanker was what the Air Force originally requested, and the current KC-10 tanker is big enough to handle any additional requirements.
Thompson said while the Northrop-EADS tanker can carry more fuel and fly farther, the Boeing tanker burns less fuel and can land in more places without requiring extensive modification of runways, hangars and ramp space.
The bids are due in 75 days, and the Air Force plans to award the contract in mid-September. Either side could challenge the provisions of the request for bids, but Air Force officials said such an appeal wouldn't delay the competition.
On Capitol Hill, Boeing supporters were satisfied with the rules for the competition.
"It is fair and balanced," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., following a briefing.
Northrop-EADS backers weren't hopeful.
"They didn't calm my concerns," said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala.
So far, the competition has been marked by a major Pentagon procurement scandal and political intrigue and fueled by an intense rivalry between two of the world's major aerospace companies — Boeing and Airbus. EADS is the parent company of Airbus.
Boeing is expected to offer a tanker based on a 767 frame built at its Everett, Wash., plant and modified for military use in Wichita, Kan. At stake are about 9,000 jobs in Washington state and 1,000 or so in Kansas.
Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said she's received assurances from top Boeing officials that the 767s will continue to be built in Everett, not at a new plant under construction in North Charleston, S.C., that will build the 787 Dreamliner.
Northrop-EADS would use an Airbus A-330 airframe. Its initial tankers would be built at the Airbus factory in Toulouse, France. The company has promised to build a new facility in Mobile, Ala., but several years after announcing it, construction has yet to begin.
Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan., said he was disappointed the request for bids failed to take into account a decision from the World Trade Organization that Airbus had received illegal subsidies from European governments for the A-330 and other planes.
"The Air Force is stiff-arming that decision," Tiahrt said.
Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., said he was confident that Boeing and "other bidders can compete on a more level playing field."
At a briefing for reporters, Pentagon and Air Force officials said the request for bids included 372 minimum requirements that had to be met. Since the draft was released late last year, there have been 230 mostly technical changes.
The major change, which both Boeing and Northrop-EADS requested, will allow inflation to be factored into the fixed-price contract.
Lynn again ruled out the possibility of splitting the tanker buy between Boeing and Northrop-EADS. "We have evaluated it and think it will cost the taxpayers more," he said.

David Mikael Taclino
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Airbus - Boeing War

 European governments illegally subsidized Airbus, allowing it to overtake Boeing and become the world's largest commercial airplane company, the World Trade Organization found in a final ruling Tuesday that could have trans-Atlantic repercussions, lawmakers who were briefed on the decision said.
The ruling, which upheld interim findings released last September, will remain confidential for several months, but it was delivered to the Office of the U.S. Trade
Representative and its European counterpart.
"Today's final ruling puts any doubts to rest — launch aid is an illegal subsidy that has cost America jobs, hurt our ability to compete and damaged our overall economy," Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said in a statement after being briefed.
Also briefed was Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., who said later that the WTO had concluded that Airbus "could not have achieved the growth of market share — harming U.S. workers — without its pattern of illegal assistance.
"The ruling validates the U.S. government's long-standing contention that the European Union governments were utilizing this improper launch aid to steal American jobs, and it provides compelling evidence that we should use to demand Airbus begin playing by the rules," Dicks said.
The Europeans are expected to appeal.
The ruling is apparently a victory for Boeing, with the WTO finding that the U.S. aerospace company had been harmed over the years. How Airbus could be punished remained unclear, though, along with what it would need to do to rectify that financial advantage. If it fails to take action, however, the U.S. eventually could impose billions of dollars in punitive tariffs or other sanctions.
Over the next 20 years, the world's airlines are expected to order more than $3.3 trillion worth of jets. Japan, China, Canada, Brazil and even Russia are considering building their own aircraft to compete with Boeing and Airbus.
The Airbus subsidy case is considered the largest and most complicated trade dispute ever.
The WTO said that four European countries — France, Germany, Britain and Spain — provided Airbus with risk-free loans, known as launch aid, to develop and build its aircraft.
Boeing has said that Airbus received more than $15 billion worth of subsidies, which in today's dollars could have a true market value of roughly $200 billion.
Airbus received its first airplane order in 1971 and less than 40 years later had more than half the market for commercial airplanes. Through the late 1980s, Boeing had almost two-thirds of the market.
Boeing called the WTO decision a "powerful, landmark ruling and good news for aerospace workers across America who for decades have had to compete against a heavily subsidized Airbus."
In a statement, Boeing said the ruling should "level the competitive playing field once and for all with Airbus" and established a precedent for other nations that are thinking about launching their own commercial airplane businesses with subsidies.
"Markets, not parliaments, should pick the winners in the global aerospace market," Boeing said.
Airbus, in its own statement, said that the WTO had rejected 70 percent of the U.S. claims in the subsidy case. Airbus also said that the European "reimbursable loan mechanism" was found to be a legal part of any relationship between government and industry.
"Airbus expects the WTO conflict to drag on for at least a few more years," its statement said, adding that the issue will be resolved only with trans-Atlantic negotiations.
The WTO is expected to rule later this year in a separate case brought by the Europeans alleging that Boeing received its own subsidies from the federal, state and local governments.
Tuesday's ruling could further inflame the already testy relationship between the U.S. and Europe over airplanes.
European leaders recently slammed the Pentagon for allegedly designing a competition for a $35 billion aerial-refueling tanker contract that favored Boeing at the expense of the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co., Airbus' parent company.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said he'll raise the issue with President Barack Obama during a visit to Washington in coming weeks. The Pentagon is considering a request from the Europeans to extend the bid deadline for the new tankers.
The WTO ruling covers all of Airbus' aircraft, including the A300, A330, A340 and the A380.
Airbus still owes the four European governments $4 billion in loans for its A380 super jumbo jet. The zero interest or low-interest loans might have to be repaid sooner as a result of the WTO ruling and Airbus might have to take out commercial loans to pay them off.
Also at issue is the $5 billion in launch aid that the European governments have offered Airbus to help develop the new A350, which would compete directly with Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner. The A350 subsidies weren't a direct part of the WTO case, but Boeing supporters say they're crucial to solving the dispute.
"It's amazing to me that at the height of the Cold War when the U.S. was spending billions of dollars in Europe, four countries would get together in an effort to destroy the U.S, aerospace industry," said Loren Thompson, an analyst with the Lexington Institute, a national security research center in northern Virginia.
Thompson has just completed a Boeing-funded study on the subsidies.
"We don't want a trade war here," Thompson said. "But we have to make it clear to the Europeans we won't tolerate it anymore."

David Mikael Taclino
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Banning of Elephant Husk

 Conservationists scored a rare victory at a UN wildlife summit yesterday when contentious proposals by Tanzania and Zambia to weaken the 21-year-old ban on ivory sales were defeated due to concerns it would further contribute to poaching.
The heated debate over the proposed sale of the two countries' ivory stocks divided Africa, as it has in years past, at the 175-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).
Nearly two dozen central and east African countries came out against the proposals on the grounds that they would hurt already declining African elephant populations. Southern African countries, in contrast, argued the two nations should be rewarded for the conservation efforts undertaken and should have the right to manage their herds as they see fit.
"People born in 100 years, they should be able to see an elephant," said Kenya's ministry of forestry and wildlife Noah Wekesa, whose country opposed the sales and had called at one point for a 20-year moratorium on such auctions. "We have a duty to make sure we increase the numbers of elephants."
The ivory stocks the two nations wanted to sell come from natural deaths or controlled culling of problem animals.
Key to the defeat of the two proposals were concerns among many delegates and environmentalist that the sales would further exacerbate a poaching problem that some say is at its highest levels since the 1989 ivory ban.
Environmentalists welcomed the decision, which came on the same day that countries agreed on a conservation plan for African and Asian rhinos. Delegates agreed to step up enforcement against rhino poaching, which is at a 15-year high, and work to slow the demand in Asia mostly from traditional medicine markets.
Until the rhino and elephant votes, environmentalists had achieved little at Cites. A proposal to ban the export of Atlantic bluefin tuna was defeated along with a plan to regulate the coral trade and protect sharks.
"After the way the week went for marine species, today's decisions were much more positive, particularly the decision on rhinos, which was really a boost for conservation and morale," said Carlos Drew, head of the WWF delegation.
Tanzania was asking to sell almost 90,000kg of ivory that would have generated as much as $20m. It noted in its proposal that its elephant population has risen from about 55,000 in 1989 to almost 137,000, according to a 2007 study.
Zambia wanted to sell 21,700kg of ivory worth between $4m
and $8m. It withdrew a request for the ivory sale and offered a compromise to allow a regulated trade in elephant parts excluding ivory – a first step toward future tusk sales.
The two countries argued that their elephant populations had reached the point where they were trampling crops and killing too many people. They also said preventing them from selling the stocks would increase anger toward the beasts, which are seen increasingly as pests by affected communities.
Zambia's minister of tourism, environment and natural resources Catherine Namugala accused activists and other delegates of misrepresenting the poaching situation in her country and spreading rumours that it would spend the money raised from sales on election campaigns.
She also complained that her country was struggling to protect elephants even as it fails to provide its citizens with basic needs and should be able to sell its ivory just as its neighbours "were selling their gold and oil."
"We can't justify failure to take a child to school because we are using resources to conserve elephants," Namugala said. "I appeal to allow Zambia to utilize the natural resources given to us by God."
Opponents of the proposals said there was evidence to back claims that such sales worsen poaching.
For example, the poaching of elephants has risen sevenfold in Kenya since a one-time ivory sale was approved in 2007 by Cites for four African countries, Kenyan wildlife officials have said. Last year 271 Kenyan elephants were killed by poachers, compared with 37 in 2007.
Traffic, the wildlife trade monitoring group, tracks ivory seizures and found that poaching and smuggling to markets mostly in Asia has risen steadily since 2004. They blame weak law enforcement in Africa and growing demand for ivory products like chopsticks and ivory jewellery mostly in China, Thailand and other Asian countries.
The price of ivory on the black market has risen from about $200 a kilogram in 2004 to as much as $1,500 now.
African elephants have seen their numbers drop in the past 40 years by more than half to 600,000 mostly due to poaching. The global ban briefly halted their slide. But conservationists said that poaching, especially in central Africa, now leads to the loss of as many as 60,000 elephants each year. Without intervention, the elephants could be nearly extinct by 2020.

David Mikael Taclino
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Kim Kardashian Latest Update

You still love me right Mason?

As rumors circulate about her break from Reggie Bush, Kim Kardashian babysat her sisters Kourtney's baby Mason in Miami where Kourtney and Khloe are filming the second season of Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami. Oh, and she is not holding two purses that big one is a diaper bag that could eat a fashion purse for breakfast. Kardashian struts around Zara in Louboutin heels and some unflattering jeans thinking this motherhood stuff isn't so hard. The relationship stuff though...

If the break up rumors are true then I guess the couple that spas together doesn't necessarily stay together. The off and on couple seemed pretty happy back on Valentine's Day, but sources tell E! News that couple has split again and due to Kim's "fame and crazy busy schedule." Last time I checked Bush had a pretty busy career himself.

David Mikael Taclino
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Stars Support Sandra

Jesse James might want to avoid showing his face in Tinseltown -- or any town -- for a while. Not only has Sandra Bullock gained the public's sympathies (if your friends are anything like ours, they're firmly on Team Sandy), but celebrities are also coming out to show their support in messages ranging from diplomatic to scathing.

In the midst of the second "Blind Side" premiere cancellation -- neither Berlin nor London will be receiving their scheduled Sandy face time -- stars have been revealing their feelings about the turmoil surrounding Bullock, whose husband of nearly five years, Jesse James, allegedly cheated on her with a tattoo model while Bullock was filming "The Blind Side."

When Bullock's "Speed" co-star Keanu Reeves was asked if he wanted to send her well-wishes, he told a reporter,"Yes, of course, I mean for everyone."

Fellow Oscar winner Mo'Nique offered to lend Bullock an ear, saying, "Sandra, if you need me, sugar, call me, baby..."

Betty White is reportedly furious at James and can't say his name without cursing. Apparently White, who co-starred with Bullock in "The Proposal," "wants to kick James' a--."

A number of stars took to Twitter to express their feelings.

An angry Patti Stanger of "The Millionaire Matchmaker" said, "Sandra: don't need to be with a loser like Jesse" while Meghan McCain was perplexed: "what the hell Jesse James?!?!"

Holly Robinson-Peete was sad: "I'm depressed abt Sandra Bullock...Was such a beautiful love story. channeling strength 2her-"

Maria Menounos was equally heartbroken: "sandra b: my heart bleeds for you. Sending you a huge hug, lots of love and hope-there is a good man for you out there.you deserve better."

The messages come in the wake of tabloid reports that Bullock and James are consulting with divorce attorneys. But Bullock's rep says these reports are false.

While Bullock is taking a break from the public eye at the moment, James hasn't shirked his job responsibilities. Word has it he went back to work at his motorcycle shop, West Coast Choppers, over the weekend.

That doesn't necessarily mean it's business as usual for James, though. Reports of his return to the job have described him as "very upset" and "very quiet."

David Mikael Taclino
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Miley Cyrus on American Idol

Miley Cyrus, "American Idol" mentor. The chum's officially in the water: Let the sharks circle.

Just when we were complaining about how the Fox reality show needed a mentor to ride in on a white horse and rescue all the contestants, Season 9's first mentor is a 17-year-old with an Auto-tune dependency.

Past mentors have ranged from charming codgers like Barry Manilow or Tony Bennett to more au courant J. Lo and Gwen Stefani. But while the reality show powerhouse may still be killing the competition, it's bleeding viewers, which probably has producers in a panic. And, reading the tea leaves of last season's Kris Allen upset probably has pushed them to go tween hunting by any means necessary.

"Idol" Suicide Mission
While Cyrus may be a tween sensation, her limited years and vocal range are pushing "Idol" faithfuls already teetering on the edge of despair. "When Idol hits bottom they REALLY hit the bottom. Is Milli Vanilli next week?" asked one aghast EW commenter. Wondered another, "Miley Cyrus is going to give Crystal and Siobhan singing advice? Are the producers intentionally trying to kill this show...!"

The People (magazine)'s reactions aren't any more charitable: "Ha, Ha, whatta joke! AI must really be grasping at straws, gotta admit I haven't been much into watching the show this season anyway. Don't care much for Kara and not a fan of Ellen either. The beginning of the end perhaps?"

Then again, there's always the reverse psychology-conspiracy theory, courtesy of another EW wag: The show may be "trotting out singers with limited range like Miley and Ke$ha to make their own crop sound better."

Whatever the reason, even former executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, who left after Season 7, thinks the show needs a reboot. He told the New York Post he'd dump all the judges and sign up Elton John — another old guy with a proven record.

Walk a Miley in Her Shoes
Does Cyrus deserve all this? Sure, she may be 17, but she has a story to tell (plus a movie to plug). It hasn't been all a Disney ride for young Cyrus. She's had struggles to overcome, like a dad with a mullet and seemingly topless photos in a major magazine. (Sure, the photos were taken with her approval and with her parents on the set, but still, she was "so embarrassed.")

And sure, she may not have the range of, say, the average Season 9 "Idol" contestant, but she can talk about the other things that makes an underaged star a star, like the time she really listened to fan feedback and ditched pole-dancing from her concert tours.

When the Shark Bites
Here's the problem: "Idol" is all about the Cinderella story. Sheer talent — and not, say, family connections or a Disney machine like Cyrus had — will triumph against all odds.

Plus, it's one thing having Cyrus do a painful comedic routine with Billy Crystal on an "Idol Gives Back" telethon. Having her give coaching lessons on music, and following that up with a Joe Jonas and Demi Lovato performance on Wednesday, smacks of shameless pandering to long-time "Idol" followers.

Besides, "Idol" is already behind the curve — Cyrus' searches on Yahoo! have been sinking steadily: Her latest buzz is nearly a third lower than in March 2008, right before the Vanity Fair brouhaha.

One thing might save "Idol" credibility: Usher apparently leaked news that he's coming the following week to help out the Top 10. Lucky for him, he won't have a tough act to follow.

David Mikael Taclino
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Young Agelina Jolie Portrait

Before anyone knew what Brangelina meant, before Angelina Jolie's celebrated humanitarian work, and even before she nabbed an Oscar for "Girl, Interrupted," there was just a 15-year-old girl posing for her first modeling shoot.
Sure, she was the daughter of actor Jon Voight, but back then she was just plain Angelina Jolie.

Well, plain is never a word that really applies to Angie, and as these soon-to-be-auctioned pictures reveal, the 34-year-old actress was exceptionally gorgeous even as a teenager.
The black-and-white images are part of Original Vintage Glamour Photography, a collection of photographs that dealer Profiles in History will be auctioning off March 26 and 27.
Angelina's fashion snaps are expected to go for anywhere between $400-600. (In addition to photos of George Clooney and Greta Garbo, the collection also includes some shots of Marilyn Monroe as a teenybopper!)

The arresting collection of images show Angelina in a variety of early-'90s outfits, including cutoff denim shorts with uber-frayed edges, a leopard-print dress, and one get-up that pairs combat boots with an oversized bowler hat.
Another picture shows a demure Angie in a white crop-top with a small braid peeking out from her slightly windblown hairstyle.
 Perhaps the most interesting image, however, is the close-up shot of the 15-year-old Angie in a trim black dress. Even now, that pic could practically pass for Angelina in 2010 -- it's astounding to think how much her photogenic face has stayed the same over nearly 20 years.

Of course, Angie did look like a kid at one point in her life. Pics of the 10-year-old accompanying daddy Jon Voight to the Oscars in 1986 show her in a lacy white dress that boasted zealous amounts of '80s pouf around the shoulders.

Brangelina recently brought 8-year-old Maddox to the red carpet for the premiere of "Invictus." Maddox sported a fetching fedora and a dapper scarf while the family spoke with friend and iconic director Clint Eastwood.

It's nice to see Angelina is protecting Maddox from the fashion faux pas her father allowed her to make. Voight lost that night in 1986 to William Hurt for best supporting actor, but 14 years later, his daughter would carry off the Oscar for best supporting actress. And who knows, maybe in another decade, Maddox will take to the red carpet and collect some Academy Awards love?

David Mikael Taclino
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Paint Paint Paint

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Summer Workshop: "Masking Fluid Tutorial"

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Learn How to Use Your Brush

David Mikael Taclino
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Ilgauskas Back

Zydrunas Ilgauskas’ agent called Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry at 8:30 a.m. Monday, the first day Ilgauskas was eligible to re-sign with Cleveland.
It took a little longer than expected—the deal wasn’t announced until Tuesday afternoon—but Ilgauskas is back with the only team he has ever known.
“If I would’ve left and the team won a championship without me,” he said, “I don’t think I could’ve ever forgave myself.”
Ilgauskas signed to play for the rest of the season in Cleveland and traveled with the Cavaliers to New Orleans on Tuesday. Coach Mike Brown said he will likely play against the Hornets on Wednesday.
To make room on the roster, Cleveland waived second-year forward Darnell Jackson.
“Z has been a good friend of mine and others in the organization,” said Ferry, who played with Ilgauskas in Cleveland. “We’re excited to have the Ilgauskas family back in Cleveland. This is where they really wanted to be.”
It’s been a difficult season for the veteran center. He became a bench player for the first time in his career when the team acquired Shaquille O’Neal(notes) last summer, then he was upset when Brown didn’t play him the night he was expected to break the franchise’s record for most games played.
When Ferry traded his former teammate to Washington in the three-team deal that brought Antawn Jamison(notes) and Sebastian Telfair(notes) to Cleveland, Ilgauskas had to take a few days to calm his emotions and collect his thoughts.
“It’s been a strange season,” he said.
Washington subsequently bought out his contract before he ever played a game, making him a free agent. While multiple teams around the league showed great interest, Ilgauskas ultimately chose to return to Cleveland. He had to wait 30 days under league rules, but passed the time by working out on his own and getting rare time off with his family.
He returns averaging 7.5 points and 5.3 rebounds this season. Brown hasn’t decided whether he’ll continue to come off the bench or start while O’Neal is out for the remainder of the regular season after thumb surgery.
Cleveland used its biannual exception to sign him for the rest of the season. The 34-year-old has previously hinted at retirement but has since changed his mind. His agent, Herb Rudoy, said he plans to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
“With a guy that is his size and with his skill level and ability to shoot the ball, he has a lot of years left in him,” Brown said. “We only bring positives to the organization and to our team with him in the mix.”
Ferry warned Ilgauskas before the season he could be traded because of his expiring contract. That didn’t make the emotion of the moment any easier. Ferry said his e-mail and voicemail filled up with messages from fans upset that he traded one of the most popular players in franchise history.
It was those same people who brought Ilgauskas back. He said he was overwhelmed by the support of Cavaliers fans who begged him to return once he became available.
“The way people in Cleveland and the fans have reacted has really humbled me in a positive way,” Ilgauskas said. “Their support has been unbelievable. I’m from Lithuania and I’ll always be proud of it, but this has become a home to me.”


David Mikael Taclino
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Jerry Springer to Host Dating Show

Baggage, debuting next month on US cable channel the Game Show Network, gives three contestants the chance to win the eye of a prospective date. The hitch? Contestants have to reveal their faults and foibles.

Players will carry suitcases on stage to represent the baggage they will confess to and defend, GSN said. Among the planned suitors are a shoplifter, a woman who gets advice from psychics, and a control freak.
Jerry called Baggage a family-friendly show that is "just fun and light-hearted. There's no life-changing issues."
"I'm like the crazy old uncle," he said. "People feel comfortable telling me their secrets, that I won't be judgmental."
After the three contestants are pared down to one, the potential date must own up to a fault of his or her own.
Jerry, 66, whose varied credits include his long-running talk show, The Jerry Springer Show, as well as America's Got Talent, Dancing With The Stars and a Broadway turn last year in the musical Chicago, was due to begin recording Baggage this week.
"I just keep finding jobs," he said. "I'm really lucky and I know that... Being a host is what I'm comfortable doing. I've been doing it forever, joking around with guests, having fun."


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Scream 4 on 2011

Dimension Films said Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and her husband David Arquette will reprise their roles for "Scream 4," which will be written by Kevin Williamson and directed by horror master Wes Craven. The movie is expected to land in theatres on April 15, 2011.

Production will begin this spring, which should come as good news for Dimension's financially-strapped parent Weinstein Co., which scored a hit last year with "Inglourious Basterds," but struggled badly at box offices with the musical "Nine."
The "Scream" movies, which revolve around a young woman named Sidney Prescott (Campbell) who is stalked by a serial killer, were major moneymakers for Dimension in the 1990s, but the last film was released 10 years ago in 2000.
Since then, Campbell's career has seen ups-and-downs, while Cox Arquette is currently enjoying success in her TV show "Cougar Town." All the characters, who were teenagers or young adults in the first movies, are now a generation older.
In a statement, Craven said that working with the trio of stars "was a blast ten years ago and I'm sure it will be again" but added he "can't wait to find the talent that will bring new blood to the screen, as well."
Details of the "Scream 4" plot with its Ghostface killer are being kept under wraps, but Craven said the script has "the most hair-raising scares" he has seen since the first films.

David Mikael Taclino
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Cancelled: Mariah Carey's Latest Album

Mariah Carey's latest album has been cancelled.

The 'Hero' singer's LP 'Angels Advocate' - which features remixed songs from her album 'Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel' - had been due for release next month but now her record label Mercury have the axed plans.
Mariah's manager Chris Lightly tweeted: "That is an issue we are dealing with. The label is in disarray."
However, songs on the album won't go to waste with some tracks being lined up to be released as singles.
Mariah is determined not to let the setback upset her and is working on another LP, which may even be a Christmas album.
Her representative said: "We are looking to go possibly to another studio album or Christmas album. The decision hasn't been totally made yet. It's a creative process that cannot be rushed."
Earlier this year, it was claimed Mariah was considering quitting Mercury and returning to Sony, the label which launched her career and was once run by her ex-husband Tommy Mottola.
A source said: "Tongues are wagging over whether Mariah will stay at Mercury. She had all her biggest hits at Sony including 'Hero', 'Dream Lover', 'Vision of Love'. It was where all the magic began for her."

David Mikael Taclino
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Lebron and Nike Deal

LeBron James has a big contract to sign this summer. Who knows where it'll be, but it's surely going to be lucrative — amazing insights, I know. And when you're signing such an important document, you want to make sure your signature game is on point. That's why LeBron is already getting his practice in by re-upping with Nike.
As Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports, King James is either very close or extremely close to signing his first enormous financial document of the year.

James hinted on Sunday that he was close to agreeing to a long-term extension with Nike to continue to be one of their top pitchmen. James' original seven-year contract that paid him in excess of $100 million with bonuses is set to expire in a couple of months.
"I don't plan on going anywhere, maybe I already have a agreement," James said, perhaps not wanting to take away from a formal announcement. "I take care of my business on and off the court."

2010 is shaping up to be pretty big for LeBron. New number, new logo, new basketball contract, new shoe contract, he'll probably even get a haircut at some point. I bet his assistant had to hire an assistant, just to keep his schedule straight.
There are no numbers yet on the dollar amount of James' new Nike deal, but all indications point to somewhere between massive and gargantuan, which are definitely in financial glossaries around the world. Along with his Coca-Cola, McDonald's, and other various other endorsement deals, James is likely to remain as the highest-paid endorser currently in the NBA.
The good thing for Cavalier fans is that all of this money makin' is taking place in Ohio. It's almost like LeBron doesn't have to be in New York to be a global icon. Call me crazy, but I think marketers have found a way to reach people outside of major metropolitan areas. This basketball in Cleveland thing just might be profitable for LeBron James.


David Mikael Taclino
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Latest Madonna Movie

Scottish actor Ewan Mcgregor has reportedly been roped in to star in Madonna’s new film “W.E.”, in which he will play late British monarch King Edward VIII.

According to reports, McGregor, who is currently starring in Roman Polanski’s “The Ghost Writer”, will portray the British monarch who abdicated the throne in 1936 in order to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

He will be seen alongside Oscar-nominated actress Vera Farmiga, who will portray his screen lover Wallis, and Abbie Cornish, who will play a modern day character in the period movie.
It is the pop star’s first project as a writer and director since critically panned 2008 comedy “Filth and Wisdom. “W.E.” is still in pre-production and has no release date.



David Mikael Taclino
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Lutz to Play Posiedon in War of Gods

"Twilight" vampire Kellan Lutz is trading in his fangs and bloodlust for a trident and (presumably) a big, bushy beard. And yes, I am aware that "Twilight" vampires do not actually have fangs. Just roll with it.
Lutz has been cast in the role of Poseidon, Greek god of the sea, in "War of the Gods," an upcoming swords and sandals blockbuster from "The Fall" and "The Cell" director Tarsem Singh. Lutz joins Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke and Freida Pinto in the growing cast, which is expected to assemble next month for the start of production.
The story follows young Greek warrior Theseus (Cavill) as he leads his fellow soldiers in a... well... a war of the gods, at the bidding of King Hyperion (Rourke). The Theseus of Greek myth is the founder of Athens and son of Poseidon, though it's not known how closely "War" will follow established stories. Pinto will play Phaedra, Theseus' second wife.
Singh has a unique visual style, putting the camera to work not just in establishing a scene but also creating an eye-catching picture. "The Fall" and "The Cell" both aren't exactly modern classics, but the visuals Singh creates are hard to forget. I can't wait to see what he does with the strong cast assembled (so far) for "War" and a budget befitting an epic Greek myth blockbuster.
That said, Lutz seems like an odd choice to me. Perhaps the story strays a great distance from established Greek myths, but does anyone really buy the hunky "Twilight" star as Cavill's father? Sure, the gods are immortal and all that... but Lutz still seems a bit on the young side for the god of the sea.

David Mikael Taclino
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Nintendo's New Strategy

Nintendo has revealed it will unveil a brand new piece of hardware in June, a new handheld console with 3D effects known as the Nintendo 3DS. The company describes the new handheld as allowing games to be “enjoyed with 3D effects without the need for any special glasses.”
So, uh, wow.
The 3DS will go on sale “between April 2010 and March 2011,” though as the revealing of the hardware will take place at the E3 games expo in June 2010, it’s fair to say we won’t be seeing until then, at the very earliest.
How is this related to the Nintendo DS series of consoles? Well, in short, it isn’t. Nintendo describes the 3DS as the successor to its successful two-screen handheld, though it will come with backward compatibility for Nintendo DS and DSi games. That makes it the fifth series of Nintendo handhelds, after Game & Watch, Game Boy, Virtual Boy, and Nintendo DS.
According to a report by Nikkei, the 3DS will also come with a new joystick and force feedback:

“Nintendo plans to give the new system a 3-D joystick and a force feedback mechanism that will let players feel the collisions of a game character, for example. It had already acquired related patents at the end of last year. The firm is also considering employing an accelerometer so that games can be played by tilting the 3DS.”

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Mayweather and done

Now is not the right time for Manny Pacquiao to retire.
“He must fight Mayweather first,” said the boxer’s adviser Wakee Salud yesterday after Pacquiao, at 31 still at his prime, announced the other day that he’s seriously thinking of retirement.
Pacquiao, who has won his last 12 fights, including big ones against Oscar dela Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto, said he would consult with his family and see if they’re all in the same page.
But Salud said as long as Floyd Mayweather Jr. is around, trash-talking his way into the elite boxing circle, it would be very difficult or impossible for Pacquiao to just turn his back on the sport.
“I don’t believe that he’s going to retire soon,” said Salud from Cebu.
 “It’s a tough call. He can announce today that he’s retiring but after four or five months he will surely look for a fight,” said Salud, and that’s regardless of what happens to Pacquiao’s bid in the May elections.
The matchmaker from the south said it would be much easier for Pacquiao to hang up his gloves if Mayweather did not come out of his own retirement last year, in pursuit of the super-fight with the Filipino boxer.
“As long as Mayweather is there, and they haven’t fought, it will be very tough for Manny to retire,” he said.
Salud explained that there’s just too much money to be made in a fight against Mayweather, and with so much hype and attention the projected bout has generated, it just makes it more attractive.
Pacquiao, who has earned $53 million for his last four fights, including the $12 million he got for beating Joshua Clottey last March 13 in Dallas, stands to earn as much as $50 million if he takes on Mayweather.
“The purse will be huge. How can he retire? And aside from the money, the Mayweather fight is the fight that the people will ask for. Manny is a boxer, he’s a fighter. If he is called to a fight, he will fight Mayweather,” said Salud.
“I don’t think he would simply retire.”
What Pacquiao should do, his adviser said, is face Mayweather in November, beat him, and if he wins, then he can retire.
“Because once he beats Mayweather, only then can he say that he has accomplished everything in boxing. And once he beats Mayweather, everybody can say that there’s no one else out there for Manny to fight,” said Salud.
“That’s the best time for Manny to retire – once he beats Mayweather. That will be the perfect ending to his career,” he added.



David Mikael Taclino
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Can Morales Stand Still?

 Former WBA lightweight champion Jose “Jicaras” Alfaro has already defeated two world champions, Prawet Singwancha and DeMarcus Corley, and the Nicaraguan knockout specialist plans to add 3-division world champion Erik “El Terrible” Morales to his hit list Saturday night in “The Champion Returns” pay-per-view event, live from Monterrey, Mexico.

Alfaro (23-5, 20 KOs) takes on Morales (48-6, 34 KOs) in the 12-round main event for the vacant WBC Intercontinental welterweight crown.

“I do not mind that Morales is the favorite in this fight,” Alfaro said from Monterrey. “I understand but I had the best training camp of my life, in my country, and I’m going to win. My youth and strength will dominate this match. I know that I’m going to be taking the victory to Nicaragua.”

“The Champion Returns,” presented by KO Entertainment and Box Latino, is being distributed in the United States by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 9 PM/ET – 6 PM/PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DIRECTV, TVN and DISH Network, for a suggested retail price of only $29.95.

In the 12-round co-feature, former 2-time WBA light heavyweight champion Hugo Hernan “Pigu” Garay (32-4, 17 KOs), rated No. 3 by the WBA, meets WBA No. 4 rated Chris “Hard Hittin’” Henry (24-2, 19 KOs) in the WBA Light Heavyweight Eliminator.

Top contender Denver Cuello (19-2-5, 10) faces No. 2 Juan “Churritos” Hernandez (15-1, 12 KOs) in the 12-round WBC Interim Strawweight title fight, while El Paso’s undefeated NABA title-holder David “Nino” Rodriguez (32-0, 30 KOs) and 1996 Brazilian Olympian Daniel Bispo (22-12, 16 KOs) fight in a 10-round Special Heavyweight Attraction. 

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Manny Pacquiao's Pay-per-View Results

Manny Pacquiao's lopsided unanimous decision against Joshua Clottey generated 700,000 pay-per-view buys and $35.3 million in domestic television revenue, HBO PPV's Mark Taffet said Tuesday.
The pound-for-pound king routed Clottey to retain his welterweight title on March 13 in the first boxing event staged at Jerry Jones' $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Clottey, a native of Ghana living in New York, brought no significant fan base to the fight and was virtually unknown to the masses, so the figures are a credit to Pacquiao's popularity.
"We are extremely pleased with the pay-per-view performance of Pacquiao-Clottey. Fights like this traditionally do not exceed 400,000 buys," Taffet said. "It is a testament to the popularity of Pacquiao and the vitality of the sport, and it gives us great encouragement as we look toward the May 1 Mayweather-Mosley pay-per-view fight."
The breakdown for Pacquiao-Clottey was 350,000 buys from cable homes, 310,000 from satellite homes and 40,000 from telco homes.
Based on his pay-per-view history, Pacquiao, of the Philippines, has become a crossover star in the United States.
In 12 pay-per-view fights, he has generated 6.25 million buys and $320 million in revenue. The bulk of the total has come from his last four fights: Clottey, Miguel Cotto (1.2 million buys), Ricky Hatton (800,000 buys) and Oscar De La Hoya (1.25 million buys).

David Mikael Taclino
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Actor Saves Hugo Boss

 Actor and activist Danny Glover has offered hugs and moral support to Cleveland-area workers at a men's suit plant that faces a shutdown next month with the loss of 375 jobs.
Workers at the Hugo Boss plant in Brooklyn, Ohio, cheered as the star of the "Lethal Weapon" action movies toured the operation Tuesday.
Glover later held a news conference and appealed to Germany's Hugo Boss AG to reverse its shutdown decision. Glover led a boycott of Hugo Boss formal wear at the Academy Awards earlier this month.
The company says its shutdown decision stands. The company says the union representing workers rejected concessions at the plant, which it says isn't globally competitive.

David Mikael Taclino
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China Should Reconsider Google's withdrawal

The United States is urging Beijing to "seriously consider" the meaning of Google's decision to partially withdraw from China over Internet restrictions.
State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters Tuesday that the U.S. government played no part in the Web giant's choice.
But he says that Beijing "should seriously consider the implications when one of the world's most recognizable institutions has decided that it's too difficult to do business in China."
Google has decided to move most of its China-based search functions from the mainland to Hong Kong.
Beijing condemns the withdrawal. Chinese Web users are wondering whether Google's new offshore search engine site will be blocked.

David Mikael Taclino
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British Airways Cabin Crew Strike Update

British Airways worked to get operations back to normal on Tuesday following a three-day strike by cabin crew that the airline says cost it about 21 million pounds ($31.5 million).
The airline faces a second walkout this weekend — this time for four days beginning Saturday — by crews represented by the Unite union. No further negotiations have been announced.
BA said it operated 273, or 78 percent, of its long-haul flights and 442, or 50 percent, of its short-haul flights over the first two days of the strikes. It is yet to release details for Monday

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Last Supper Painting Controversy

Has even the Last Supper been supersized?
The food in famous paintings of the meal has grown by biblical proportions over the last millennium, researchers report in a medical journal Tuesday.
Using a computer, they compared the size of the food to the size of the heads in 52 paintings of Jesus Christ and his disciples at their final meal before his death.
If art imitates life, we're in trouble, the researchers conclude. The size of the main dish grew 69 percent; the size of the plate, 66 percent, and the bread, 23 percent, between the years 1000 and 2000.
Supersizing is considered a modern phenomenon, but "what we see recently may be just a more noticeable part of a very long trend," said Brian Wansink, a food behavior scientist at Cornell University.
The study was his idea. For biblical context, he sought help from his brother, Craig Wansink, professor of religious studies at Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, Va., and an ordained Presbyterian
The Bible says the Last Supper took place on a Passover evening but gives little detail on specific foods besides bread and wine.
"There's nothing else mentioned. They don't say there's a fruit cup or carrot cake," though other foods such as fish, eel, lamb and even pork have appeared in paintings through the years, Brian Wansink said.
For the study, he used paintings featured in the book "Last Supper," published in 2000 by Phaidon Press. They include perhaps the most famous portrayal of the meal, by Leonardo da Vinci. Computer technology allowed them to scan, rotate and calculate images regardless of their orientation in the paintings.
Details are in the April issue of the International Journal of Obesity.
The study is "not very meaningful science," said Martin Binks, a behavioral health psychologist and a consultant at Duke University Medical Center. "We have real life examples of the increase in portion size — all you have to do is look at what's being sold at fast-food restaurants."
A more contemporary test would be to analyze portion sizes in Super Bowl commercials, he suggested.
"That would be a much more meaningful snapshot of how this society's relationship to food has changed," Binks said.


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