National Eisteddfod: Celebrity shoes are auctioned for charity - WalesOnline

Which person in Welsh public life do you think is a fan of leopard-skin high heels, and who prefers suede-lined brown leather shoes with flatter soles?

More than 100 pairs of footwear donated by leading Welsh women such as Cerys Matthews, Alex Jones, actress and wife of Ioan Gruffudd Alice Evans, TV weather-presenter Si�n Lloyd, TV presenters Angharad Mair and BBC Breakfast?s Si�n Williams�have been�auctioned for charity.

The initiative, part of the Stories From The Sole campaign launched earlier this year by Merched y Wawr and Save the Children, was organised in conjunction with the Eisteddfod?s 150th anniversary celebrations.

?Throughout the week the celebrity shoes have been exhibited in the Welcome Pavilion with Eisteddfod-goers given the opportunity to bid for them in the run-up to the live auction,? said an Eisteddfod spokesman.

?The shoes have also been showcased on the Eisteddfod and Merched y Wawr websites with opportunities to bid for them online.?

Among the shoes up for grabs yesterday were high heels worn by Matthews in the Catatonia music video for hit single Road Rage and a battered pair of trainers wore by adventurer and S4C presenter Lowri Morgan when she completed the 350-mile Arctic challenge earlier this year, making her the first woman in the world to finish the race.

The live auction was led by S4C presenter Heledd Cynwal who is also an Ambassador for Save the Children in Wales.

?I?ve never done anything like this before so I?ve been feeling quite nervous about it all, but also very excited,? she said.

?I?ve got a friend who is an auctioneer so I asked him for some tips.?

She added: ?As an Ambassador for Save the Children in Wales, and also a member of Merched y Wawr?s Gwawr club in Llandeilo and someone that enjoys visiting the Eisteddfod every year, I?m delighted that these important organisations have stepped out for such an important cause.

?I?m a mother to three children under the age of five and I?m shocked and deeply saddened by the fact that eight million children under the age of five still die each year from preventable causes such as diarrhoea and pneumonia. In this day and age, that is totally unacceptable.

?A pair of shoes selling for �10 will be enough to buy medicines to treat 27 babies suffering from life-threatening diarrhoea.?

On hand to exhibit and assist her at the live auction was former HTV and S4C weather presenter Jenny Ogwen, a supporter of Save the Children for many years.

?It?s difficult to watch and comprehend the images we are seeing from East Africa at the moment of all the children and their families affected by the food crisis and drought,? she said.

Auction results

Ann Clwyd: �10
Edwina Hart: �10
Sian Lloyd: �50
Alex Jones: �25
Cerys Matthews: �40
Angharad Mair: �51.50
Lowri Morgan: �60
Sian Williams:�10
Alice Evans: �40
Jenny Ogwen: �70
Gwawr Edwards: �25

More than �1,500 was raised for the cause.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNF57xXBdNssfQDVUXFwx-zawvvrhQ&url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/08/05/national-eisteddfod-celebrity-shoes-are-auctioned-for-charity-91466-29181311/

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Action director Brett Ratner to produce Oscars (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? Forget song and dance at the Oscars. Get ready for action, adventure and special effects when the world's top movie honors are given away in Hollywood next February.

Oscar organizers on Thursday picked Brett Ratner, the director of movies such as the "Rush Hour" cop series and comic book flick "X-Men: The Last Stand" to co-produce the upcoming Academy Awards alongside veteran Don Mischer.

The move is a distinct departure from recent years in which the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has focused on comedy, variety and elaborate song-and-dance numbers by hosts or co-hosts including Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman.

For this past February's show, the producers were Mischer and Bruce Cohen, who helped bring dramas such as "American Beauty" and "Milk" to movie theaters. Last year, the producers included Adam Shankman, director of the musical "Hairspray."

Academy President Tom Sherak said Ratner had a love of film and possessed a knowledge of showbusiness that made him an impressive candidate when Sherak discussed the producing duties with him.

"He's unbelievably creative and knows how to take risks that are both interesting and inspiring," Sherak said in a statement.

The Academy's choice of a director or producer known for big-budget Hollywood flicks is not unprecedented. In 2007, for instance, the Oscar telecast producer was Laura Ziskin, who also produced the first "Spider-Man" movies.

Still, it is an unusual move and points to the Academy's need to lure younger viewers who enjoy big-budget, effects-filled movies. Along with his film work, Ratner has made TV series, music videos and commercials. He most recently produced the R-rated comedy "Horrible Bosses."

"It will be fantastic to work with a live television master like Don (Mischer) to meld the glamour of legendary Hollywood with the enormous talents who thrill moviegoers today," Ratner said in a statement.

Mischer is a veteran of Hollywood award shows and special events. In fact, he was nominated for an Emmy for his work on this year's Academy Awards.

The upcoming Academy Awards honoring the films of 2011 will be held in Los Angeles on February 26 in a gala ceremony broadcast around the world.

(Editing by Zorianna Kit)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110805/en_nm/us_oscars

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Survey: One In Four Teenagers 'Depressed'

One in four teenagers are "depressed" about their job prospects, researchers have claimed.

Almost half of the 1,500 young people questioned in the O2 Youth Matters survey said they were not confident of finding a secure job in the next five years.

Among them is Daniel Anynwu, 17, from Pimlico in central London. He has lost count of the number of jobs he has applied for since leaving school.

He told Sky News: "Basically I have tried and tried over the past few years and it has all come to nothing.

"I have to stay motivated, sometime I won't get rejected but right now I am getting rejected - we are getting rejected I should say."

The research also found that 82% of young people believe that celebrity culture creates unachievable role models, a concept that can add to low self-esteem.

Sociologist Tony Chapman is alarmed by the research and told Sky News: "It is a warning shot to society, showing that steps must be taken to build the resilience of our young people."

Employers though insist young people need to toughen up if they are to find the right job in what has become a highly competitive marketplace.

Tesco now have on average 20 applicants for every job they advertise.

Their director of personnel Judith Nelson believes they can afford to be very selective: "People can stand out who have got a can-do attitude, people who have got great inter-personal skills, people who like working with customers and who like working as part of a team."

Source: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/survey-one-four-teenagers-depressed-003640051.html

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Ryan O'Neal -- My Family Is 'Falling Apart'

Hours after one son was arrested for drug possession on Tuesday, his other son got into a gnarly head-on car accident -- and now, Hollywood legend Ryan O'Neal tells TMZ, his family is "falling apart."

The first son, 26-year-old Redmond O'Neal -- who has a long history with drugs -- pled "not guilty" to� heroin possession and unlawful possession of a firearm this morning ... but Ryan tells us, the kid "has a real problem."

Ryan hasn't seen his other son -- 46-year-old Griffin O'Neal -- in years ... but thankfully, he heard through the grapevine ... Griffin wasn't seriously injured in Tuesday's head-on collision.

All in all, Ryan's still optimistic despite the familial setbacks -- insisting, "We'll come back."

Source: http://www.tmz.com/2011/08/04/ryan-oneal-family-sons-griffin-redmond-tatum-video-falling-apart/

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Celina Cass's Grandfather: 'I Don't Want No Casey Anthony'

Celina Cass

Don Whipple/AP

As questions mount about what went on inside Celina Cass's house around the time of her disappearance, her grandfather pleaded with police to found out how the 11-year-old New Hampshire girl died.

"I just hope justice is brought and whoever's responsible gets the max because that little girl didn't deserve that," Wally Laro tells the Boston Herald. "I don't want no Casey Anthony."

Like the Florida case of the 25-year-old mom acquitted of murdering her 2-year-old daughter, the investigation in Cass's death appears to be focusing close to her home and family.

Police searched her house Wednesday in the tiny town of Stewartstown and seized a pickup reportedly owned by her stepfather, Wendell Noyes, who has a history of mental illness and who allegedly threatened an ex-girlfriend in 2003, and another pickup that had been used by a man who lived with Cass's family.

Cass was reported missing on July 26 and her body was found six days later by a dive team in the Connecticut River a few hundred yards from her home.

The cause of death is still not known after an autopsy was inconclusive. As authorities await the results of toxicology tests they have not identified any suspects.

"It's a puzzle to me right now,'' Cass's father, Adam Laro, 45, who didn't live with his daughter, tells the Boston Globe. "If there's somebody out there who did it, I hope they can catch them. If they get away with this one, they'll get away with another.''

Source: http://feeds.people.com/~r/people/headlines/~3/GZbCtEcK01U/0,,20515630,00.html

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Evanescence To Premiere 'What You Want' Live On MTV

Last month, MTV News premiered a sneak peek of Evanescence's brand-new single "What You Want," and the response from fans was overwhelming, to say the very least.

We went on to unveil snippets of two more songs from the self-titled album (out October 11) ? the booming "The Other Side" and the ethereal "Lost in Paradise" ? and each was met with the same strong enthusiasm ... so, we figured it was time to do something big. Really big.

And here it is: On Monday, at exactly 7:54 p.m. ET/PT, Evanescence will perform "What You Want" live ? for the first time anywhere ? on MTV. And immediately following that performance, the whole band will sit down with us for an exclusive interview and Q&A session that will stream live on MTV.com.

Of course, it wouldn't be right if we didn't include Evanescence's fans in all the fun, which is why we're asking you to submit your questions for the band via Twitter, using the hashtag #EVMTV. We'll pick the best ones and get their answers during our live stream.

And as if all of that wasn't enough, immediately following the live stream, we'll be posting the full album version of "What You Want" on MTV.com.

We're calling the entire event "MTV First: Evanescence," and it all begins Monday, August 8, at 7:54 p.m. ET/PT. We'd tell you to tune in, but we're pretty sure that's a given. After all, Evanescence has been gone for nearly four years ... and judging by your reactions, you guys certainly miss them.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1668437/evanescence-what-you-want-live-premiere.jhtml

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Colbert: Obama health care will make women "wanton harlots" (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) ? With the deficit crisis over and Congress in recess, Stephen Colbert returned to an old stand-by -- health care. The Department of Health and Human Services has stated that health insurance must cover breast feeding, HIV screenings, abuse counseling and other costs of that nature.

Like Congressman Steve King (R.-Iowa), Colbert is outraged, especially because breast pumps and abuse counseling are "frivolous impulse buys" comparably to pedicures and manicures.

"You know the ladies," he quipped. "They are always pumping out breast milk, getting a mani-pedi, having a with their abuse counselor and then picking up some spermicidal."

Worse is the proliferation of birth control. On the one hand, Colbert reiterated King's fears that it will prevent an entire generation of Americans from being born and on the other it will turn our daughters "into wanton harlots with an insatiable sexual appetite."

You can see the clip here: http://www.thewrap.com/media/column-post/stephen-colbert-obamas-health-care-plan-will-turn-women-wanton-harlots-29767

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110804/people_nm/us_stephencolbert

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