Back in the Saddle Again

Its been a while since I've had a chance to blog. The week before a holiday weekend tends to get a bit crazy here at the station and we were out a morning show host too, so things got extra crazy. But the holiday is over and things have calmed down slightly, so its back to business. Lots of random little pieces of gossip are going around the web today and I feel the need to make a comment or two, so here we go!
I'll start with the worst and move to the happiest I think. So, the Cannes Film Festival was going on all last week and lots of movies premiered and all of that fun stuff. While I'm always mildly interested in what's going on at Cannes, I'm more interested in the antics of Sharon Stone at Cannes. She is always there raising money for AmFAR via a huge star-studded fundraising dinner that's held every year. They did pretty well this year (thanks to Madonna's purse) and Sharon (who always hosts the event) was then free to roam around France, flash the paparazzi and run her mouth off about things she doesn't really understand. Like China. And karma. Here's the deets on her latest faux pas:
Sharon Stone left Chinese journalists stunned at the Cannes Film Festival in France last week when she suggested the country's recent earthquake was "karma." The outspoken actress was talking to a Chinese media outlet on Thursday when she linked the recent disaster, which left more than 67,000 people dead, to China's recent treatment of Tibetans. She said, "All these earthquakes and stuff happened and I thought, 'Is that karma?' When you are not nice, bad things happen to you. I'm not happy about how the Chinese are treating the Tibetans, I don't think anyone should be unkind to anyone else. They're not being very nice to the Dali Lama, who's a good friend of mine." (source: imdb.com)
While I also don't agree with a lot of the things happening in China right now, I also don't agree with Sharon blaming a catastrophic earthquake on karma. Because I'm pretty sure the people who were affected by the earthquake had nothing to do with all the crap going on in Tibet. Its just a thought. I guess the Chinese agreed with me, or maybe they just didn't like Basic Instinct, but either way, they now want to ban Stone from the country:
China is considering a boycott of the actress' films (yeah, she's got a few coming up) in light of her comment last week that the recent devastating earthquake, which resulted in at least 65,000 deaths, could be a karmic response to the government's hard-line policy against Tibet. Ng See-Yuen, founder of the UME Cineplex, one of China's biggest theater chains, called Stone's comments "inappropriate" and said actors should not mix talk of natural disasters with personal politics. (source: Eonline)
Is that karma too? You can check out Sharon's rant here.
Moving on to lighter topics. The always popular Miley Cyrus is back in the news (actually I'm not really sure she ever left it, but why quibble?). Earlier today the story came out that the band Lustra, who had previously claimed that Miley's song "Rockstar" very closely resembled their song "Scotty Doesn't Know" (Which can be heard in the movie Eurotrip), doesn't mind trading their song for a little more free publicity:

Figuring the kid didn't know any better, the L.A. band Lustra, which previously spotlighted the similarities between its tune "Scotty Doesn't Know" and the Hannah Montana tune "Rockstar," has invited the fictional pop star and the real live girl she inhabits to join them onstage this week and let the audience decide for itself. "We don't want anything other than credit for the music we worked so very hard on," Lustra guitarist Nick Cloutman said Tuesday. "We don't believe for a second that Ms. Cyrus knew what was happening and was only following instructions." A statement that's either a gracious attempt to let bygones be bygones or a dig at 15-year-old Miley Cyrus' business acumen. But just in case Cyrus is unable to perform at Lustra's show Thursday at the Viper Room in West Hollywood, the band has also declared its willingness to appear on Hannah Montana as the singer's musical influence. A Disney Channel rep had no comment on Lustra's magnanimous offer. (source: Eonline)

I haven't heard the song "Rockstar", but I'm pretty sure that there has to be a few similarities for a band to risk going up against the Disney Channel's lawyers. You know those guys could probably bury a little obscure band, even if they are from L.A. Its nice to see that Lustra is handling the whole thing with a sense of humor instead of immediately calling a lawyer to get all sue-happy. I just found this a bit amusing. Pair this up with reports that photo agencies are willing to pony up some serious cash to get the pictures of Miley's first public kiss and Billy Ray might want to beef up her security because she's going to be hounded like crazy for the next few weeks (or years, who knows?) I kind of feel bad for her, but I'm guessing she knows what she's doing. Or her daddy does.

So on to even better news, there's a pretty good possibility that there may not be an actor's strike happening this summer after all.
SAG and the majors have resumed talks on the heels of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists signing a primetime deal that will ease -- but not eliminate -- the town’s fears of an actors strike hitting this summer. Following nine consecutive days of negotiations, AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers reached a tentative three-year agreement at 3:30 a.m. Wednesday at AMPTP headquarters in Encino. If ratified, the deal will go into effect July 1. Less than seven hours later, the Screen Actors Guild and the AMPTP re-started their feature-primetime negotiations with a June 30 contract expiration looming. (Source: Variety)

This is fantastic news to those of us who really hated all the crap that got put on TV during the writer's strike. A lot of people lost a lot of jobs during that strike, I'm not sure the industry could take another strike so soon after the resolution of the last one. And then where would I be? I would have nothing to blog about! (Yes, it is always about me, just ask my husband!;))

And finally, the happiest news of all is about that beacon of original cool: The Fonz.

“Happy Days” will return again to Milwaukee for a first–run reprise performance Tuesday, August 19 when the show’s stars Henry Winkler (Fonzie), Marion Ross (Mrs. Cunningham), Tom Bosley (Mr. Cunningham), Erin Moran (Joanie), Don Most (Ralph Malph) and Anson Williams (Potsie) return to their “adopted” home for the dedication of the bronze Fonzie statue on the RiverWalk in downtown. Stars of the “Happy Days” spin–off, “Laverne & Shirley,” Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams (Laverne and Shirley respectively) are also expected to attend along with the show’s creator, director/producer Garry Marshall. The statue dedication ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. It will be followed by a public celebration at Pere Marquette Park at 11 a.m. where Culver’s will be hosting a free public frozen custard social. There, Winkler and the other guests are scheduled to make an appearance with some later–to–be–announced autograph opportunities. The day–long celebration will conclude when Henry and his cast colleagues are honored at a pre–game ceremony at Miller Park prior to the Brewers–Astros game. The cast will throw out the first ball and Anson Williams, who portrayed “Potsie” on the show will sing the National Anthem. A commemorative bronze the Fonz baseball card will be given to every fan that attends the game. (Source: OnMilwaukee.com)

I love that the city of Milwaukee has bronzed The Fonz. I think its awesome! Its just too bad that little Ritchie Cunningham can't make it. I guess he's got some other career now. Something about making movies and winning Oscars? He'll still be filming the Angels and Demons, the prequel to The Da Vinci Code. I hope he lets Tom Hanks get a hair cut in this one.

Well, that's about all I've got for you today. Its political season here in Napa, which means there's lots of activity happening here at the station. It never rains but it pours I guess.

Later!