Thursday, October 11, 2007
To Do: Your Weekend Of Festivities
12:00PM Anna King | Music wrap-up: Ghostwood EP launch at the Hopetoun (Red Version clip above); Angie Hart in Brissie and Adelaide; Birds of Tokyo and Urthboy all over the shop.
The Melbourne International Arts Festival is running from today until 27 October this year, featuring international and Australian acts in the fields of dance, theatre, music, visual arts, multimedia, free and outdoor events.
Check out a myriad of local acts, including The Potbelleez, Bluejuice and Peabody, as well as other goodies at the Surry Hills Festival on Saturday.
Heads up: On sale today – Grinspoon NYE, Velvet Revolver; Friday – Joss Stone, You Am I. More » 
Amy Winehouse Round-Up: The Hands Of An Angel, The Award In The Dunny
10:44AM Clem Bastow | Ever the polished lady, Winegums was out partying with the Olsen twins this week, even wearing a party frock and high heels (as opposed to her hateful ballet flats, which she has been wearing since approximately 1996), but neglected to extend her newly tizzed up look to her paws.
The singer looked fabulous as she arrived at a restaurant launch wearing an orange and gold metallic shift dress, and an olive green trenchcoat.
But on closer inspection her hands were revealed to be red-raw, and scarred, with her thumb looking particularly scabbed.
Tut tut, someone send the poor lass some Eight Hour Cream.
Meanwhile, friend and collaborateur Mark Ronson – who Winegums sent to the Q Awards to pick up her gong – managed to leave her Best Album statuette in the dunnies. That’s what friends are for!
The gong was left in the toilets at Bar Soho in London’s Old Compton Street, where Mark Ronson, who earlier collected the award in her absence, was seen partying until 2am.
But it is possible Amy’s Valerie duet partner was not entirely to blame – some reported last seeing the award in the hands of comedians Alan Carr and Ricky Gervais.
Well, with Winegums’ mitts in the state they’re in, it’s probably a good thing it was in everyone else’s hands but hers, BOOM BOOM. Good night and thank you. More » 
The Happy Little Hollywood Vegemites
10:39AM Clem Bastow | We like nothing more than a bit of jingoistic “Aussies made good overseas” reportage, so thanks to News Ltd for providing us with not one but two such pieces today.
While most of us are content to sit on our arses and watch Home & Away, some Australians are kicking goals across the pond – namely, Radha Mitchell and Sam Worthington; the former starring in The Code with Morgan Freeman and the latter in James Cameron’s sci-fi comeback, Avatar.
Fittingly, the Sydney actor – who departed Australia in January for the plum role in Cameron’s $244 million budget sci-fi extravaganza Avatar – says working with the director who made Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio stars has been “epic”.
A virtual unknown in the US, Worthington made headlines when he beat thousands of hopefuls who auditioned in Cameron’s worldwide screen tests, winning the lead part of wounded ex-marine Jack Sully.
We’d like to send them a plate of celebratory lamingtons and pavlova care of the Australian Embassy, and declare the rest of today to be All Good Aussie Day – tinnies and shrimp for everyone! Avagoodweekend!! More » 
Possibly The Greatest Thing We Have Ever Seen
10:29AM Clem Bastow | Sometimes we wonder whether our Australian news outlets really have their hearts in it, what with their coverage of the capital punishment debate and the Bali anniversary and such – what we really want them to do is something like The Mail’s brilliant piece of hard hitting photojournalism: “Toon Spice: How Victoria’s Ridiculous Outfits Mirror Cartoon Characters“.
There’s plenty to choose from in this paragon of journalism, but it’s hard to go past this gem, which will have us laughing all the way into next week:
Truly an image to sit alongside Vietnam War reportage and the Zapruder footage. The Mail, we tip our hats to you! More » 
Channel [V] Puts Moral Responsibility To Younger Viewers On Ice
10:27AM Clem Bastow | Music network Channel [V] has been howled down after they called for viewers to send in their “favourite memories on ice”.
The station claims it was a tie-in with the Will Ferrell movie, Blades Of Glory, but parents and watchdogs aren’t so sure, after SMSed entries featuring reminiscences about viewers’ experiences with the government’s favourite drug were also put to air.
“Fair enough the question was supposed to be about ice-skating, but someone’s obviously being mischievous in the way they posed the question and then put all those responses up,” viewer Shelly Hanson said yesterday. “I’m a mother and a teacher and I was appalled to turn on the TV to see such irresponsible behaviour from a show that attracts teenagers – Channel V should be ashamed of themselves.”
[V] sez the show was clearly rated MA and that the mums should shaddap, and that they are in fact developing a PSA-style program about ice.
Hopefully this will involve wide-eyed James Mathison in deep discussion about ice bugs. More » 
Kid’s Choice Awards Presenters “Stunned” To Also Be There To Collect Awards
10:10AM Clem Bastow | In what must be the highest rate of awards show presenters winning awards since the last Daytime Emmys, last night’s local Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards managed to bestow “blimps” upon a hefty share of its presenters. Could they not afford to buy in some high profile losers to hand over the goods? Were Sister2Sister unavailable?
Amongst the winners were co-hosts The Veronicas and visiting “hottie”, Zac Efron.
Los Angeles-based Efron, who plans to holiday in Australia after the awards, won fave movie star, while High School Musical 2 won the So Hot Right Now category.
US-based Brisbane act The Veronicas, made up of twins Jess and Lisa Origliasso, also performed and were the favourite band, according to Australian kids.
Also lauded on the night was Bindi Irwin, who won Most Outstanding Goblin Biggest Greenie, for her conservation work – presumably as she has not started wrestling animals in the manner of her late father. More » 
The Mid-Morning Wrap Up
10:00AM Anna King | While you were sleeping:
· Lou “Boy Band Baron” Pearlman denies accusations of Michael Jackson tendencies. · Warner Bros. broadcasts its enduring love of vaginas. · J-Lo deftly side-steps Letterman’s attempt to illicit confirmation she’s impregnated by the hubby that no-one cares about.· Alternate “Gimme More” video, more painful and R-rated than ever.
Still good:
· John Howard declares love for sucking dick, attempts to secure GLBT vote?· It’s official: Australian Idol is part of God’s master plan. · Miranda Kerr the envy of global female population for simply being Miranda Kerr. More » Jennifer Lopez Playing Coy About Pregnancy Nobody Really Cares About
8:00AM Defamer Hollywood | Truth be told, the contents of Jennifer Lopez’s uterus don’t particularly interest us, though we do harbour a suspicion that she’s been parading around with a false, early-term baby-bump in which she stores a self-authored script for prospective comeback vehicle Enough II: Never Enough and the ostentatious engagement ring she received at the height of the Bennifer craze, hoping that the conspicuous bulge might revive some interest in her career. More »
Like A Son To Her, But Less Neglected
7:45AM Defamer Hollywood | PETA kicks Britney Spears while she’s down, putting ideas into Kevin Federline’s head about trying to get custody of her beloved Yorkie: “If a court feels she is in no shape to care for her own kids, she certainly shouldn’t be trusted with pets.” [OK!] More »
