Michael Jackson Whispers "I love You" In Japanese

Michael Jackson visited an orphanage in Tokyo as one of his first public appearances since being acquitted of child molestation charges last June. Surrounded by little Japanese orphans, Jackson whispered "Aishiteru" which translated means, "I love You". Smiling from ear to ear, he took autographs with the children screaming, "Michael, Michael". Some children had no idea who he was but still were caught up in the miasma which is Michael Jackson. "He is very tall and very cool looking. I don't know his songs but I've seen him dance on television", Eiho Omori, aged 13 remarked.

Inside the Seibi Gakuen children's home, Jackson watched a 15-minute performance of traditional music and dance by children in kimonos before speaking briefly on stage. "I'm very happy to be here," said Jackson, wearing sunglasses and a white T-shirt under a black double-breasted suit with gold buttons and a single red armband. "I'm happy to be with you lovely people," he told an auditorium of 140 children, ages 2-18.

Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein And Robert Rauschenberg Together At Harn

The Harn Museum of Art in Gainesville Florida presents AMERICAN MATRIX Part II. The exhibition is organized in five sections - The first section is POP INSPIRED and features work from artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Rauschenberg.

I love Andy Warhol beyond words. I love his fondness for people, for things, for memories. Rather than feature a picture of his over produced work, I'd rather see him hamming it up on roller skates. Roy Lichtenstein is a funky, 60's American painter that was way over rated. I still find what he says in his pictures funny though. Robert Rauschenberg on the other hand is an artist of his time and yet resonates a lasting boldness, a luscious connection with everyday life through found objects (last three pictures).

Cate Blanchett Plays Dylan

Cate Blanchett (pictured left) confirmed yesterday at the Cannes Festival that she will play a young Bob Dylan in the upcoming movie; IM NOT THERE. Heath Ledger, Richard Gere, Christian Bale and Ben Wishaw will all play Dylan at different stages of his life. Colin Farrell dropped out of the film (he was to play Dylan in the 70's). Julianne Moore is also in the cast, along with Charlotte Gainsbourg (the daughter of Jane Birkin and the late Serge Gainsbourg) and Michelle Williams. Dylan is said to be so keen on this film going ahead that he is giving the director, Todd Haynes, access to his complete back catalogue and relinquishing his half of the publishing income to keep the budget down to 20 million US. Shooting starts in Montreal in July.

Apparently Blanchett will portray Dylan as an androgynous star before his 1966 motorcycle accident. I think this will be a challenge for Blanchett but if any actor can pull off a cross gender role its her. There is bound to be a lot of interest in this picture because of its star power alone, I just hope that they bring forward the poetry of Dylan and his absolute panache for penning the truth.

Heath Ledger (he gets better and better)

Christian Bale (brilliant in THE MACHINIST dir. Brad Anderson, 2004)

I've still got time for Richard Gere

Colin Farrell won't be missed from this film

Wind Beneath My Wings Theme For Wedding Of The Year

Bette Midler has been asked in a hand written letter to perform her hit from the movie BEACHES (dir. Garry Marshall, 1988) - 'Wind Beneath My Wings' at Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's wedding. Apparently they want it to be their wedding song, as it defines their love for eachother. This creates a black mark for the two love birds from the start. What a sign of disaster when 'Wind Beneath My Wings' is all you can think about when you think of your future husband/wife. Don't they know that practically everyone who saw BEACHES sobbed their little hearts out when that number was drearily played (me included). If Nicole really wants to compete with Tom she really should have come up with something more original. In a recent UK poll, 'Wind Beneath My Wings' was found to be the most played song at British funerals.

Nicole also wrote a letter to Peter Garrett formerly known for fronting MIDNIGHT OIL and asked him to sing but he had to decline because of parliamentary obligations (now an Australian Labor MP). See it would have worked for me then because at least he would have injected some street cred in to the whole event. Nicole better jazz this whole thing up a bit because she needs to overcome that victim-I-still-love-Tom-cods-wollop quick smart. He couldn't give a rat's ass about her or anyone else for that matter (except everyone at the celebrity Scientology centre).

Hasted-Hunt Exhibits Martin Schoeller's " Close Up "

Hasted Hunt Gallery New York is showing Martin Schoeller's – "Close Up", large format photographic portraits. This is the artist’s US debut. Exhibition dates May 25 to July 14, 2006. Schoeller shows us celebrity close up and makes us see them directly, eye to eye. Are they people or specimes? I don't know. I just feel very drawn to them. He has worked for THE NEW YORKER since 1999 and is said to be in the world's top 100 photographers.

The Paul And Heather Misinterpretation

Everyone is talking about how awful Heather McCartney is and how she's a gold digger and that she is trying to get her filthy hands on poor ol' Paul's money now they've split and so on. The thing is he pursued her and she resisted his advances for quite a long time before they actually first started dating. When she first met him at a charity do for her land mine cause she shrugged him off despite his cheque for 125,ooo pounds that he handed over (impressed mostly with her rather than the cause, don't get me wrong - I know he loves being a vegetarian and being an all round do-gooder). She gladly accepted the cheque and that was that. He hounded her like a dog on heat until she finally caved and decided to give it a go. It is being said that she just loves publicity and that she is slightly deranged (she has paid homage to herself with embarrassing velocity in the form of sepia tinted photos in her own personal website http://www.heathermillsmccartney.com/ ) but who cares, most celebrities of today are nuts anyway.

The relationship that she has with Stella McCartney is also a bone of contention. Stella felt pushed out of the wedding plans when Heather decided to wear a dress of her own choice rather that one of Stella's creations. Paul and Linda's children in general have never taken a liking to Heather. To be under the shadow of Linda is a whole other story. This is why I'm with camp Heather on this one.

The shadow cast by the former Mrs McCartney was strong (notice how weird Paul looks in this photo - the conspiracy theory that he died and was swapped by an impersonator because of the bare feet ABBEY ROAD photo comes to mind - plus when you play their records backwards John Lennon keeps mentioning that Paul is dead)

Wings was one of the most excruciating bands of the last century so Heather didn't have to worry about living up to anything there

I thought that Heather carried herself exceptionally well despite missing a leg (everyone keeps saying how stunning she is but I think that's taking it a bit far)

The Countdown Spectacular

The Frontier Touring Company has put together a celebration of the iconic television show in the form of the much anticipated live concert tour, 'The Countdown Spectacular'. Promoter Michael Gudinski said he was excited to be producing the show; "I've been waiting to create this tour for years. I wanted to get the lineup and timing just right. I think everything has come together perfectly for this year and the positive response I've had from the artists has been overwhelming". Well that may be true Michael, its just that the line up looks really scary, namely Tottie Goldsmith, Daryl Braithwaite, Wilbur Wilde, Leo Sayer, Red Symons and host Molly Meldrum pictured (Joe Dolcie has also been thrown in and some others). If someone had bothered to ask me I could have told them that this will be a complete failure and they should have just rehashed 'Countdown' with Molly hosting and Gavin Woods as DJ. Everyone would have been more than pleased with that.

The good ol' days

Jackson Pollock At The Guggenheim NY - NO LIMITS, JUST EDGES

Jackson Pollock was clever. Twisted layers of sheer expressionism through flicked blobs of paint, maybe. Then there is this other thing that happens when you walk up to a Pollock, a daunting vibrancy that screams "I'm alive". He was a complicated, messed up guy (depressive alcoholic to boot) but he also knew what he was doing. You can yawn at the frequency his name is mentioned in the history of twentieth century art or you can run down to The Guggenheim and see his smaller works on paper in the flesh from May 26th to September 29th, 2006.

Favorite Pollock paintings

Uri Geller Buys The Ghost Of Elvis Past

A ranch style home that Elvis bought in 1956, sold on Ebay to Uri Geller and two friends for $910,000; "We are unbelievably pleased. This is a piece of history". The trio plan to turn the mansion in to a home for "sick children of the world". Geller's intuition went into over drive when he heard an Elvis song playing on the radio and only then he knew he had placed the winning bid. Geller is a good friend of Michael Jackson so his intuition better start telling him something about having sick children in the house. Elvis lived in this house for 13 months before moving into Graceland.

Favorite pictures of Elvis

Happy Mother's Day

Susan Sarandon and antiwar activist, Cindy Sheehan, prepare to speak during a Mother's Day antiwar protest in front of the White House May 14th, 2006 in Washington, DC. Cindy Sheehan's son Casey died fighting in Iraq.

Obsessive Compulsive Celebrities Cont. - Woody Allen

My love for Woody Allen grows and grows despite his last two films MELINDA MELINDA and MATCHPOINT which were both pathetic in their own way ( I have to say though that Will Ferrel as Hobie in MELINDA MELINDA stands out in all of the drivel). The reason why I love Woody Allen so much is that he makes me laugh like no one else. He's crazy and he knows it. His Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is out there for everyone to see and has been well documented.

I have two stories that I find delightful and the first one was when I saw Mia Farrow being interviewed just after they had broken up (She was interviewed by Eric Bana before he was known for his acting abilities). She mentioned that she had finally wooed Allen to her country retreat by installing a shower as he refuses to have baths. When he went to use the shower there was a great scream of disbelief that bellowed out of the bathroom. She ran to see what the problem was. Allen couldn't use the shower because the drain was located in the middle of the shower and not on the side. This meant he would have to put his feet either side of the drain and that wasn't going to happen. To appease Allen, Farrow had the plumber change the drain to the side.

The next story involved how he eats breakfast. For fifty years or more he has eaten breakfast the same way and is too scared to change for fear of bad luck; "For breakfast I have freshly squeezed orange juice, followed by a bowl of Cheerios with skimmed milk and raisins. And I always have a sliced banana on top." Allen continues, "This is going to sound silly, given that I am a complete rationalist with no religious belief whatsoever. But I always cut my morning banana into seven slices. It's my only superstition. I've always done it - ever since I was a child - and now I'm afraid not to in case something terrible happens and I upset the delicate balance of the universe."

Frida Kahlo At The NHCC

Dear Frida

The National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, announces the opening of the traveling exhibition - 'Colección FEMSA, una mirada continental'. The exhibition will remain on view until Sunday, August 13, 2006. The artists included in the exhibition are Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siquieros, Rufino Tamayo, Wifredo Lam and Roberto Matta. Frida Kahlo is one of my favorite surrealists. She documents her life, her pain and her passion for painting.

Kitt Talks Its Way Out Of The Junk Yard

KNIGHT RIDER, the eighties hit show (1982-86) that starred the talking car 'Kitt' and catapulted David Hasselhoff into out hearts forever, will be made into a major motion picture for us all to enjoy.

The Weinstein Company, recently established by the Weinstein brothers who founded the successful Miramax, has picked up the project which is due for production next year. The television shows creator Glen A. Larson reckons: "There was always some humor on the show, but this film will probably have more gallows, foxhole humor." Whatever that means. Larson, who refused to confirm whether Hasselhoff would star in the film or even make an appearance, will write and executive produce the film. Please don't leave me, the public or David Hasselhoff hanging by a thread for too long.

Vintage Hasselhoff

Behind the scenes

Many believe he was responsible for the end of the cold war

On This Day

In 1950 'Dianetics: The Modern Science Of Mental Health' by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientlogoy and Dianetics was first published. And look who took it to heart -

Tom Cruise pledges allegiance

Kirstey Alley attributes most of her weight loss to her belief in Scientology

Imagine the millions that Priscilla Presley has poured into Scientology

Lisa Marie Presley followed her mother

Beck a surprise convert

2006 TV Week Logie Awards - The Red Carpet

Richard Wilkins and Joan Rivers are starting to look related

Lisa Tinkerbell McCune

Pippa Black (Sheila's pick for best dressed of the night) NEIGHBOURS

Natalie Bassingthwaite needs to go to the toily can

McLeod's Daughter Slags

Kimberley Davies (looks really scarey these days) and her husband Jason Harvey

Lauren, Matthew Welsh, Patti and Matthew Newton

Kerry Armstron with partner Greg Lucas

Johnny Boxer and Maria Venuti

Kate Langbroek and Molly Meldrum (good one)

That motley tanned crue from HOME AND AWAY

AUSTRALIA'S BIGGEST LOSERS

HI FIVE (middle one's preggars)

What to do with Georgie Parker?

Don Lane and Rhonda Burchmore (why doesn't anyone ask him to host the Logies?)

Catriona Rowntree (you make me puke darling)

Cathy Freeman danced and sang her way through a Chris Lilley number

Those gals from Australian Idol decided to wear matching fashion disasters

Bec and Lleyton Hewitt (I don't know, those matching chins)

Chris Hemsworth and Isabel Lucas HOME AND AWAY

The Annual TV Week Logie Awards 2006 - Winners

Joan Rivers stole the show with her foul mouth and straight to the point demeanor; 'I'm sure you're all famous, its just that I don't know who any of you are!'

Sonia Kruger (something gammy about her I can't quite put my finger on) and Daryl Somers (unsure of himself in the nine studios?) from DANCING WITH THE STARS

Kate Ritchie HOME AND AWAY (breast reduction?)

John Wood BLUE HEELERS finally gets the Gold Logie (dear old fart)

George Eads from CSI (another American that hasn't any idea what a Logie is)and Lara Bingle (actress?)

Andrew G, Kyle Sandilands (even though he acts like a snotty nosed name dropper I've still got a dubious crush on him) and Mark Holden (fountain of youth or chemical peel) from AUSTRALIAN IDOL

Pink was there to promote her new song - STUPID GIRLS which attacks the phenonemon of superficial pop culture

Nigel Ruck, Jody Rigby(dowdy dress), Jamie Durie (fashion faux pas with the tie) and Scott Cam (ning nong) from BACKYARD BLITZ

Rove McMannus (his rise and rise reminds me of Daryl Somers so he better watch out)

Paul O'Brien and Jodi Gordon (tanning salon over-kill with all the HOME AND AWAY gals) from HOME AND AWAY

Grant McLennan From THE GO-BETWEENS Dies At 48

Grant McLennan (orange shirt) died in his sleep at home in Brisbane yesterday. No explanation has been given yet of the state of his health or the reason for his death.

McLennan met student Robert Forster at Brisbane University and together they formed THE GO-BETWEENS around 1980. McLennan's auto-biographical masterpiece CATTLE AND CANE was recently voted by the Australian Performing Rights Association as one of the ten greatest Australian songs of all time. This song for me has always been a favorite that stirs fond memories of times past.

He was as a passionate supporter of the arts and extremely well read. The official website for the band http://www.go-betweens.net/ describes McLennan as an "exceptionally charming and polite man who endeared himself to everyone who met him and was one of the rare individuals worthy of the epithet 'larger than life'."

Robert Forster and Grant McLennan seemed to be joined at the hip creatively. It will be hard to imagine one without the other.

Michael Riley - SIGHTS UNSEEN, NGA Canberra

Wiradjuri/Kamilaroi artist Michael Riley (1960 - 2004) was born in Dubbo, lived on Talbragar Reserve in western New South Wales and lived in Sydney from the late 1970s until he died. His iconographic imagery stands out for me. He is one of the most important contemporary Indigenous visual artists of the past two decades, challenging non-Indigenous perceptions of the Indigenous experience. SIGHTS UNSEEN is at the NGA Canberra July 14th to October 22nd, 2006.

Poor Katie Dragged Out For Mission Impossible III

I'm at my wits end with these two. Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise pose on the red carpet at the Paramount Pictures fan screening of "Mission: Impossible III" held at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California.

DEATH DEFYING ACTS - Houdini The Movie

Gillian Armstrong is set to direct DEATH DEFYING ACTS, a movie about Harry Houdini and his obsession with contacting the spirit of his dead mother. Guy Pearce has been signed up to play Houdini since last year, now it looks as if Catherine Zeta-Jones will play Mary McGregor, a woman of charm that connects firstly with Houdini as a psychic and then as a romantic interest. If they have been waiting until now to produce the film just for Zeta-Jones that's a shame. She is nothing but a pretty bore.

'AngloMania' -British Fashion Exhibition In New York

At the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, ANGLOMANIA : Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion opens today. The exhibition presents a wide range of works by British designers. The following photos of the exhibits are what really caught my eye - reminiscent of EYES WIDE SHUT dir. Stanley Kubrick 1999.

Dame Edna Packs A Powerful Punch

Dame Edna (Barry Humphries) was pursued by photographer (Malcolm Ladd) outside a Sydney restaurant and swung a mighty punch in his direction. Humphries became upset when Ladd followed him from Dee Bee's Cafe in Sydney's exclusive Double Bay where the actor had lunch with musical director Andrew Ross, Humphries publicist (Suzie Howie) said. "I can confirm to you that Barry did hit him," Howie said. "He was obviously very upset."

"But at least he didn't throw a phone," added Howie, referring to actor Russell Crowe who was given a conditional discharge by a New York court last year after pleading guilty to throwing a phone at a hotel receptionist.

Even though Howie draws a long but diversionary bow with that jibe, it seems as if Humphries certainly hits like Russell Crowe; "It knocked my glasses off. It was a good punch - it still hurts," Ladd was quoted as saying.

More memorable Dame Edna moments pictured below.

Shanghai Surprise - Madame Tussauds Opening

New Madame Tussauds wax statues museum opened May 1 at the New World Department Store on Shanghai's West Nanjing Road. It is the first Madame Tussauds museum in Chinese mainland and the sixth of Tussauds Group's waxwork museums.

David Blaine - 'Drowned Alive'

Magician, performance artist, David Blaine starts his seven day underwater endurance test - 'Drowned Alive', on the Josie Robertson Plaza at Lincoln Centre, New York. He will be living in an eight foot acrylic sphere with life support in full public view. At the end of all of this Blaine will attempt to hold his breath longer than any other human has accomplished.

WE CAN BE HEROES Takes The Rose

The star of the ABC comedy television series WE CAN BE HEROES has taken out the international Rose d'Or award for Best Male Comedy Performance. Chris Lilley co-produced the show and played all five characters that compete for the auspicious title of 'Australian Of The Year'. He is amazing in all five roles but my favorite characters are the twin brothers. One is donating one of his eardrums to the other to give him a chance at hearing in a world first transplanting operation. You cringe and laugh hysterically at the same time. Oh and there is the woman who is going to roll her way from Perth to Fremantle, I love her as well. I can't decide. All I know is that is was the funniest show on the ABC last year.