Saturday, January 15, 2005
Herald Sun: Brad and Jen could still be love match [16jan05]
Brad and Jen could still be love match
By NICK PAPPS in Los Angeles
16jan05
IS IT really all over for Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston?
Speculation is mounting that Hollywood's former golden couple may not be getting a divorce, at least for now.
Photographs of Pitt still wearing his wedding ring have fanned suggestions he and Aniston may be having only a trial separation.
Pitt was photographed yesterday at the Tokyo premiere of Oceans 12 wearing the band he and Aniston designed for their $1.28 million wedding in 2000.
The Hollywood actor arrived in Japan wearing black leather gloves, but at the film's opening he signed autographs and waved to fans with his ring clearly on display, despite the couple's statement last week that they were separating.
Confusion over the couple's future has also increased with Pitt's grandmother, Betty Russell, breaking the family silence on the break-up, declaring she was heartbroken by the news, but declaring she had "certainly heard nothing about a divorce, just separating".
Sources on the Caribbean island where Aniston and Pitt holidayed only days before their announcement said the couple were planning to return to the island of Anguilla.
Pitt and Aniston have so far refused to comment about the break up. Aniston has spent the week filming her new movie Friends with Money in Los Angeles, while Pitt has been promoting Oceans 12 overseas with George Clooney.
And in an effort to avoid any questions about the relationship, all foreign media were banned from the Oceans 12 press conference in Tokyo.
As Aniston and Pitt continued their silence on the issue, three main reasons have emerged for the break up: Aniston's refusal to have a baby, Pitt's relationship with Angelina Jolie and Aniston's obsession with her career.
Pitt and Aniston's four-and-half-year marriage first started showing signs of problems as early as April during filming of Pitt's film with Jolie, Mr and Mrs Smith. Rumours about Jolie and her on-screen partners are nothing new, but from the moment filming started, there were stories about high-octane chemistry between Jolie and Pitt.
One on-set spy yesterday recalled the filming of one dance scene between the couple.
"Angelina slid down Brad's left leg, did a split on the floor and smiled erotically as she landed at crotch level," the spy said.
"Brad pulled her up roughly, drove her back against a wall and shoved her into a mirror. I don't know how much of that scene was scripted, but it was clear they didn't need much direction. They were in their own little world."
The tension between the two also spilled off screen with Pitt and Jolie being photographed with their lips just centimetres apart -- and when staff at Los Angeles' Standard Hotel said they had seen the pair kissing and holding hands, the stories gained serious credibility.
"Brad was obviously taken by Angelina," a source said.
"Jennifer knew that Angelina got under Brad's skin and it bothered her," another source added.
Other reports of the Jolie connection say Aniston overheard a steamy phone conversation between Pitt and Jolie and went "ballistic". It is not known what they were talking about, but sources from the set of Mr and Mrs Smith said there was a definite bond between Pitt, Jolie and her son Maddox, who became the apple of Pitt's eye.
Pitt and Jolie also connected intellectually. Crew from the film say the real reason for the closeness was Pitt's fondness for Maddox, which fuelled his desire for a child.
Last month, the 41-year-old was asked what his future plans were and said: "God, I'm going to say it -- kids. Family. I'm thinking family. Yeah I got family on the mind."
But Aniston, 35, has been resisting. A friend said: "She wanted to make sure the marriage would last. There was a little doubt that crept in. He was much more interested in having a child. I think it was Jen who broke it off."
Doubts might have surfaced as early as 2003 when the pair reportedly saw a marriage counsellor.
"Jen felt like she had a career on the rise and did not seem to want to take time off to have a baby," an insider said.
Aniston has had her eyes on her career since finishing her 10-year run on the TV comedy Friends last year. She now has six film projects on the go. Pitt has no planned projects after Mr and Mrs Smith.
"Everything for him is not about Hollywood right now," a source said. "In many ways her career is just starting -- the timing is off."
Just before Christmas the true extent of the breakdown became evident when Aniston was photographed without her wedding ring. That suddenly gave substance to all the rumours.
Spin doctors said there was nothing in it and when the couple were photographed kissing over the new year on Anguilla, everyone believed the marriage was fine.
Friends have also suggested it might not be all over yet.
"They need to regroup," one friend said. "If they're not meant to be together, they'll figure it out."
Basketball Teams to Sign Autographs at Richland Mall Monday :: Men's and women's teams to appear at JC Penney court.
Men's and women's teams to appear at JC Penney court.
Jan. 14, 2005
WACO, Texas - The Baylor men's and women's basketball teams will sign autographs at Richland Mall Monday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The two teams will be inside Richland Mall at the JC Penney court.
The appearance is aimed to promote the Lady Bears' number two national ranking and the men's nationally televised game against Colorado on Wednesday, Jan. 19, which will be part of ESPN Classic's "Turn Back the Clock" series.
The telecast is part of a new weekly program on ESPN Classic that will air live college basketball games each Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT. The Bears-Buffs contest is the third of nine planned games in the series.
The cable network hopes to capture the look and feel of a 1979 telecast, the first year ESPN was on the air. The series utilizes retro graphics, 1970s-era music and "throwback" announcers. Jim Simpson, an original ESPN commentator, has come out of retirement to do play-by-play announcing for the game, and he is expected to be joined by former coaching great Jud Heathcote on the telecast.
In the spirit of the "Turn Back the Clock" series, Baylor's athletic department is encouraging all fans to dust off their polyester suits and afro wigs and help create an old-school atmosphere. Baylor's cheerleaders will wear retro uniforms and The Courtside Players pep bad will perform tunes from the 1970s.
Free pizza will be awarded to the best-dressed fans in the crowd and one lucky fan will win free pizza for a year from Pizza Hut. Baylor will also turn back food prices at the Ferrell Center and sell all concession items at $1 off. Additional giveaway items will be provided by ESPN and Pizza Hut.
The Lady Bears next home game against Texas A&M will take place Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 7:00 p.m.
Free posters and schedule cards will be available to fans for autographs.
Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a national holiday for schools and businesses.
For more information, please call Baylor Athletic Marketing at 710-3073.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
The Daytona Beach News-Journal: East Volusia
Fans thrill at meeting drivers
By AUDREY PARENTE
Staff Writer
Last update: January 13, 2005
DAYTONA BEACH -- An excited New Jersey boy collected several autographs from racecar drivers late Wednesday afternoon during Preseason Thunder Fan Fest at Daytona International Speedway.
As dusk started to fall on the infield, a long line of hungry fans waited for more hot dogs to be cooked after the vendor temporarily ran out.
And during what may prove to be the latest, greatest thrill for race fans, retirees stood for hours braving a loud rock 'n' roll band while they awaited what they really came for -- an array of their favorite drivers on stage.
"When we came in I thought we would end up standing," said Arlene Wahlheim, 64, an Illinois snowbird who has been coming to Daytona Beach and the Speedway with her husband Michael since 1966.
Hundreds of people were seated, but there weren't enough outdoor picnic tables for the several thousand who showed up for an event that will be repeated for Craftsman truck, Nextel Cup and Busch fans during the coming weeks.
Judy Patterson of Edgewater brought her own chair. She did stand in line to get two hot dogs. Then she stood in another line to get nachos.
"I like the whole hustle and bustle of being among the drivers," she said of Fan Fest. "You feel like you are a part of it. They did a good job with it."
Scott Voges of Ormond Beach said he thought the Fan Zone was a fabulous idea and the area accommodated Fan Fest much better than the hospitality tent did last year.
"It gives you a much closer view of what's going on," he said.
Red-shirted representatives of The Checkered Flag Committee, a group of locals who serve as fan ambassadors during race festivities, handed out goodie bags to the people pouring into the new infield Fan Zone area.
"We have enough goodie bags for more than 2,000," said one member of the committee. The containers were running low and the line of people trailed along the fence as dark set in, but the fans in line seemed happy to wait as long as the goodies were still coming.
No one seemed happier than Anthony Faccone, 13, of New Jersey. He had come with his parents, Sam and Eugenia, a few hours earlier, before the driver forum. He had just enough time to get several driver autographs at the garages, like the one from Kurt Busch, NASCAR driver of car 97.
"If we had known that we could actually see the drivers, we would have come sooner and spent more of the day," Eugenia Faccone said. "We were pretty excited."
Sunday, January 09, 2005
STUFF : NATIONAL NEWS - STORY : New Zealand's leading news and information website
Elvis fans remember the King's birthday
10 January 2005
Yesterday was not Elvis Presley's 70th birthday but that did not stop hundreds of fans from celebrating the anniversary of his birth in Auckland.
The day-long event in the Tui Glen Reserve in Henderson suburb was organised by the Memories of Elvis Fan Club and drew fans from the South Island and all over the North Island including several from Wellington who motored through the floods to reach Auckland.
Cathy Finau was one. She said she made the trip every year.
She had Elvis earrings, necklace and watch to prove it, as well as tattoos (TCE – Taking Care of Elvis) and I love Elvis fingernails on both hands.
Fan club committee member Noeline Poad said yesterday's free celebration was the sixth of its kind. In spite of numerous phonecalls from people worried about the weather on Saturday, (January 8 – Elvis' real birthday) the event was not cancelled.
"The ground dried out. It's fantastic," Mrs Poad said.
Five Elvis impersonators entertained the fans, belting out the King's hits.
AdvertisementAdvertisementMrs Poad was expecting the Elvis in the Park event to get bigger and bigger.
"Come again next year. It'll probably be on the right date."
