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Shanghai Expo pandas enjoy Chinese New Year's eve

The 10 giant panda cubs being kept in Shanghai for the upcoming World Expo are adapting to their new life and presently enjoying a peaceful Chinese New Year holiday.

The Shanghai Zoo, the pandas' temporary home, is quiet as most families are doing last-minute grocery shopping and preparing New Year's eve feasts.

The pandas apparently enjoy the peace and quiet. Without the gazes and yells from crowds of avid watchers, they seem more relaxed playing outdoors or sucking in fresh bamboo leaves.

Their New Year feast is scheduled at 3 p.m., said panda keeper Chen Lihua at the zoo.

"The menu is as usual: bamboo and corn bread for the main course, and milk, apples and carrots," said Chen. "We also prepared their favorite bamboo shoots as a treat, which they devour the way kids eat candies."

The pandas, six females and four males, arrived in Shanghai early in January for a year-long stay.

They will be on display at the Shanghai Zoo for six months and spend the latter half of the year at the Shanghai Wildlife Park, the largest display of giant pandas outside their home province of Sichuan.

The pandas, all about one year and a half old, were born at a breeding base in the Bifeng Gorge of Ya'an after the deadly Wenchuan earthquake of 2008.

Four keepers from their Sichuan home, who have been caring for the cuddly bears all the while, are staying in Shanghai for the holiday to keep the pandas company.

Shanghai Zoo, at least 50 years old, is a 743,000-square-meter enclosure near the Hongqiao International Airport. It is home to more than 6,000 animals of 620 species, including the rare golden monkeys and south China tigers.

2010 CCTV New Year Eve Gala preview - In video

Read more on: CCTV Spring Festival Gala   New Year Eve  

The clock is ticking down to the annual Spring Festival Gala. The program was once again fine-tuned and adjusted for the fourth, and penultimate rehearsal on Tuesday afternoon. At a press conference in the morning, director Jin Yue guaranteed that this year's gala is original and varied. 

Performance of "Little Tigers" 

Cross talk and short sketches regularly trigger the most laughs every year. This part of the program has risen to a total of ten performances this year. Most of the plays make use of trendy Internet topics and deal with down-to-earth issues. The inspiration comes from the knowledge that comedy sketches succeed not only from a collection of antics and humor, but also through credibility.

Huang Hong, actor, said, "When we go too far, people would find it empty and question the authenticity."

Gong Hanlin, actor, said, "Good skits are based on life. The fact it's credible makes it intriguing."

Director Jin Yue says the gala should offer not only a feast to the senses, but something for the audience after the laughter.

Year of the Tiger

Campus Lunar New Year celebrations begin tonight

By Robin Berghaus

In the video above, Brian Chin (SMG’12) performs Chinese yo-yo tricks to the song Explosive by Bond. Performers from the Lion Dance Troupe of the East Boston Buddhist Temple (below) demonstrate a upper level trick at the Lunar New Year celebration in 2009. Photo by Kim Phan (CAS'10).
Sunday marked the Lunar New Year, a holiday recognized in China and other Asian cultures and steeped with traditions involving family, fortune, and food.
Over the holiday weekend, some students flocked home to celebrate. But as the holiday continues for 15 days, many are back and sharing traditions.
Beginning tonight at 7 p.m., the Asian Student Union (ASU), Alpha Kappa Delta Phi, Lambda Phi Epsilon, and BU’s Japanese Student Association are hosting a mantou-eating (a mantou is a Chinese sweet bun) contest and calligraphy workshops, and a dance troupe from the East Boston Buddhist Temple will perform a traditional lion dance, at the George Sherman Union Backcourt.
“There’s a story behind the dance,” says Annie Wu (SED’11), ASU vice president. “While colorful lions move rhythmically to drum beats, a masked performer lures a dragon to bring good luck and fortune for the new year.”
Festivities continue tomorrow night at 5 p.m. at the Howard Thurman Center, where Chinese yo-yo artist Brian Chin (SMG’12), winner of BU’s Got Talent 2008 contest, will perform choreographed tricks, adding to a lineup of musical performances, poetry readings, and traditional food and drink. Students enrolled in First-Semester Chinese will put their writing skills to the test in a Chinese characters writing contest. The celebration is sponsored by the College of Arts & Sciences Modern Languages and Comparative Literature Chinese Program, the Center for the Study of Asia, the Chinese Conversation Club, the Chinese Student Association, and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office of Boston.
CAS lecturer Hsiao-Chih Chang, who teaches Third Year Modern Chinese, offers context and insights into the celebrations surrounding the Chinese Lunar New Year.
BU Today: When is the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrated?
Chang: The celebrations have been occurring for thousands of years, and mark the beginning of spring. In fact, the way to say “new year” in Chinese is “chun jie,” which translates to “spring festival.”
In previous years, China used both solar and lunar calendars, because both were important to daily life. As an agricultural society, farmers used the calendars to determine when to plant crops.
The lunar calendar is still used today, which is why the date of the Chinese New Year changes each year, from late January through mid February on the Gregorian calendar, the one used in the United States.
The new year is China’s most important holiday. Approximately one third of China’s 1.3 billion people travel home to celebrate, overburdening the railway system. But on New Year’s Day, the trains are empty. It’s similar to Thanksgiving in the United States.
Why is it celebrated? 
Chinese New Year celebrations are performed to get rid of all the bad luck and ill fortunes from the previous year. It’s an opportunity for a fresh start.
Which rituals are performed?
There is not a dominant religion in China. Instead, there are many local variations, and different gods.
Some believe that the god they worship at home monitors their behavior throughout the year and reports on it to a larger emperor god. To facilitate communication between the local gods and emperor gods and to bring good fortune, people burn old pictures of their local god to send them to heaven. They replace the old ones with new pictures of their local god.
Starting out the year, everything — even god’s picture — has to be new to bring luck.
Many people in China eat a basic diet consisting of grains and vegetables. At the start of a new year, however, people want the best feast possible, and often incorporate fish, a symbol of surplus.
Rituals such as setting off fireworks, dressing in new clothing, displaying the color red, giving money to younger generations, and cleaning up at home to sweep away dirt and bad spirits are performed.
How did those rituals begin?
One story traces these rituals to a monster named Nian, meaning “year,” who came out on New Year’s Day to eat livestock and children. People started leaving food at their doorways, so Nian would eat that instead.
Later, they discovered Nian feared the color red and loud sounds. So they began wearing red clothing and hanging red lanterns and decorations to scare away the evil spirit. They burned bamboo, because when it’s heated, the air inside expands and bursts the shoots open with loud cracking noises. After the advent of gunpowder in the 10th century, people lit fireworks rather than burning bamboo to scare away Nian.
It is now the year of the Tiger — what’s the significance?
Instead of referring to each year by number, the Chinese zodiac relates each year to an animal, according to a 12-year cycle.
On February 14, the year of the Tiger began. Previous Tiger years include 1998, 1986, 1974, and so forth.
People born in the year of the Tiger are believed to share the animal’s common strengths — power, fearlessness, and determination — as well as its shortcomings — inconsistency, hastiness, and acting sporadically. 
But according to Confucius, everybody can change through education and discipline. So if you were born a tiger, it doesn’t mean you have to remain a tiger.
The Lunar New Year Celebration begins at 7 p.m. tonight, February 16, at the George Sherman Union Backcourt, 775 Commonwealth Ave., and is free and open to the public.
The Chinese New Year Party starts at 5 p.m. tomorrow night, February 17, at the Howard Thurman Center, 775 Commonwealth Ave., and is free and open to the public.

The Valentine’s Day-Chinese New Year dilemma

When valentines clash with families, lovers come second

Wai Ma, 36, left, and wife Sindy Ma, 31, plan to celebrate Valentine's Day on Saturday to make way for the Chinese New Year celebration with family on Sunday. The "double happiness" hearts symbolize the union of marriage.

Wai Ma has already prepared a love card and booked a romantic lunch at a hotel with his new wife, Sindy Lee.
But like many Chinese Canadians, the Mississauga soil scientist will be celebrating Valentine’s a day early to make room for the elaborate family gathering expected on Chinese New Year this Sunday.
Family or lover? It is a dilemma many Chinese couples are facing around the world as Valentine’s Day coincides with the first day of the Year of the Tiger. And families seem to have the upper hand.
“Chinese New Year is the biggest holiday for us. It’s about family getting together celebrating a year of prosperity, a fresh start that brings in hopes,” said Ma, 36, who married Lee last fall. “Valentine’s Day is more a Hallmark commercial holiday. To me, everyday with Sindy is a Valentine’s Day.”
So, the couple plans lunch on Saturday at the Radisson Hotel in Guelph, recalling their first date on Valentine’s Day a year ago at the same hotel chain in Regina, where they met.
“Valentine’s Day is about two people. We can always adjust our plans,” said Lee, 31, a flight attendant who will spend Sunday with her parents, brother and extended family. “Obviously, families always come first. And we can’t wait to give out red pockets (lucky money) for the first time as a (married) couple.”
While the dilemma is resolved for Ma and Lee, it’s bad news for florists, who complain people are buying New Year’s flowers in lieu of roses and lilies.
At the Celebrity Centre flower shop in New Kennedy Square Mall, owner Sally Zhang said sales of roses this year have dropped dramatically. As of Tuesday, she had only sold one-third of what she did last year.
“We have ordered lots of roses but they are not selling. It’s bad. People are buying pussy willows and mums for the New Year instead,” said Zhang, who is offering a 20 per cent discount off the $100-a-dozen roses. “I’m afraid it’s going to be a bad year for us.”
Torontonian Michael Wang, an immigrant from Shanghai, said Chinese give priority to the New Year’s over Valentine’s because the latter isn’t embedded in their more reserved traditional culture.
Wang celebrated his first Valentine’s Day after coming to Canada in 1996 by giving his wife of 20 years a bunch of red roses. Now, as a father of two, the computer shop owner said it’s more important to pass on the Chinese culture and traditions to the next generation.
“We don’t celebrate our heritage as thoroughly as we did back in China. This is the least we can do to connect our kids with their roots,” said Wang, who now only sends New Year’s greetings to friends by phone, as opposed to delivering them in person as in China.
“I’m sure my kids will find out more about Valentine’s Day on their own as they grow up here.”
At schools across the city, the holiday coincidence was further complicated by the opening of the Olympics and 100th-day celebrations for kindergarten and Grade 1 pupils.
Students at Frankland Community School on Logan Ave., for example, had activities Friday celebrating all four events, with teachers making presentations to help kids learn about various cultures and traditions.
“Many schools are doing the same,” said principal Inga Upeslacis, whose school will celebrate its centenary in May. “It’s a great opportunity for community building by celebrating these things together.”

Millions on the move in China for Lunar New Year

BEIJING — Train and bus stations overflowed and airports were packed Saturday as tens of millions of Chinese rushed home to be with their families for the start of the Lunar New Year holiday and the Year of the Tiger.

The annual holiday is the most important of the year in China, with families expected to welcome in the New Year at midnight Saturday with a roar of fireworks that will last for hours.

It is the only time in the year when China's massive army of migrant workers, who work on building sites and in factories in major cities, get a chance to return home to see their families.

China calls the holiday the biggest annual movement of people in the world. The Ministry of Railways has estimated that 210 million passengers — more than Russia's population — will ride the rails during the 40-day New Year travel season, up 10 percent from last year. The holiday officially lasts six days, but many workers take up to a month off.

Police around the country tightened security for the holiday period. A notice on the Web site of the Ministry of Public Security said police would increase checks on fireworks displays, lantern shows and temple fairs.

Last year, an illegal fireworks display at the headquarters of China's state broadcaster in Beijing caused a massive fire at a newly built 44-story hotel. On Friday, three firefighters died while fighting a building fire triggered by fireworks in central Hunan province, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

The holiday period is an annual test of China's overburdened transportation system. Tickets are difficult to buy, and this year authorities are cracking down on scalpers who hoard tickets to resell at higher prices. Passengers will have to show their identification cards when buying tickets for trains out of southern Guangdong province, home to tens of thousands of factories employing migrant labor.

China's national meteorological bureau warned Saturday of possible traffic problems caused by rain in the south of China and snow in the north.

China has experienced an especially harsh winter this year, with record-breaking blizzards in China's western regions of Xinjiang and Tibet and to the north in Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang province.

So far, no major problems have been reported, unlike in 2008 when heavy snowfall and cold weather badly hampered travel during the New Year period, stranding millions of people at train stations. The snow that year was the worst in China in five decades, and caused billions of dollars in economic losses.

Families will be enjoying traditional dumplings in northern China, while in the south, where rice is more popular, they will celebrate by eating glutinous rice cakes.

การแสดง วัฒนธรรมจีนในงาน "The Great Chiness New Year 2010"

08-02-2553 | 12:50 l ชมทั้งหมด 131
( เห็นการแสดงนี้แล้วหลายคนคงคุ้นตากันี ใครที่เคยชมการแสดงของคนไทยเชื้อสายจีนมาแล้ว ลองมาดูฝีมือการแสดงของชาวจีนแท้ๆ กันบ้างค่ะ

ผู้ชื่อชอบการแสดงวัฒนธรรมจีน ไม่ต้องเดินทางไปไกลถึงประเทศจีนแลยค่ะ เพราะการท่องเที่ยวแห่งประเทศไทย นำการแสดงจาก 10 มณฑลทั่วประเทศจีน อาทิ การแสดงดนตรีพื้นเมือง การละเล่นกายกรรมและมวยกังฟู ระบำของชนเผ่าต่างๆ มาให้ชมกันอย่างเต็มอิ่มในงาน "The Great Chiness New Year 2010" ที่จัดขึ้นเพื่อต้อนรับเทศกาลตรุษจีนและเฉลิมฉลอง 35 ปี ความสัมพันธ์ทางด้านการทูตไทย-จีน ใครที่พลาดไปร่วมงานเมื่อสุดสัปดาห์ที่ผ่านมา "เที่ยงบันเทิง" มีภาพมาให้ชมค่ะ )

See this show many people would be familiar with the Gulf Company. Anyone ever watch the show of Thai people, then Chinese. Try to see remarkable displays of Chinese quite well some help. The name of the show love Chinese culture. Not far to travel to China, then ย help. Tourism Authority of Thailand because the show from 10 provinces across China including local music. Kung fu gymnastics and boxing game. Rabm of people that race. To see each other very rich in 'The Great Chiness New Year 2010' held to welcome Chinese New Year Festival and celebrate 35 years of diplomatic ties in Thailand - China. Who missed the weekend working on the past. 'Midnight entertainment' image to see a help.

Top 10 Biggest Scandals of the Decade

Tiger Woods Preceded by Britney Spears, Brangelina, Heath Ledger and Others

Just when you were expecting another humdrum holiday season of too much turkey and eggnog, long lines at the airport and the usual family drama, leave it to Tiger Woods to provide a much-needed distraction.

Jimmy shows that it's OK to laugh about the golfer's transgressions.

There's nothing like a good-old celebrity scandal to get tongues wagging. And Woods is helping to close out the first decade of the new century with a doozy. With 11 women and counting apparently linked to the married golf superstar, the stories just keep coming:
Woods crashes his car the morning after Thanksgiving in a single-car accident that still has police baffled. Out of the wreck come rumors of Woods' infidelity to wife Elin Nordegren. When cocktail waitress Jaimee Grubbs releases a bombshell voice-mail message implicating Woods in a nearly three-year affair, the golfer finally issues a Web site apology for his "transgressions."
As more women emerge, Woods is said to be holed up in his Florida estate, while his wife may have moved out and her mother is rushed to the hospital, possibly from the stress of the erupting scandal.
Although it may seem nothing can top the implosion of Woods' carefully crafted image, there were plenty of other star scandals that rocked the headlines in the past 10 years. A look back at the biggest celebrity scandals of the decade:
Britney Spears
The decade started so good for Britney Spears. She was at the top of her game at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards when she strutted across the stage crooning "I'm a Slave 4 U," a larger-than-life snake slithering above her taut abs.
Even Madonna wanted a piece of her. Their kiss at the 2003 VMAs made headlines around the world and is still one of MTV's most-talked-about moments.
By 2006, it appeared the pop princess was ready to abdicate her throne, her marriage to Kevin Federline and custody of their two boys, Sean Preston and Jayden James. A months-long saga of bad behavior that included multiple flashes of her private parts, countless nights on the town and allegations of drug and alcohol abuse culminated in February 2007 with Spears buzzing off her famous locks at a Tarzana, Calif., hair salon while photographers snapped away outside.
It took nearly two years and her father taking charge of her life before Spears regained her footing. Musically, she ends the decade on an up note, on tour with her latest album "Circus," which went platinu.
Janet Jackson

Usually playing the Super Bowl halftime show is a real honor. For Janet Jackson, it became a horror.
At the 2004 Super Bowl, Jackson, along with Justin Timberlake, sang a medley of her hits "All for You" and "Rhythm Nation." As Timberlake sang the lyric "I'm gonna have you naked by the end of this song" from his hit "Rock Your Body," he tore off part of Jackson's bustier, revealing her right breast, completely adorned with nipple shield.

Recovering From 'Nipplegate'

Millions of viewers glimpsed Jackson's breast for less than a second before CBS cut away to an aerial shot of the stadium. But it was enough to get the network in hot water.

The faces of the top scandals of the decade: Tiger Woods, Jon and Kate Gosselin and Britney Spears.
(Getty Images/AP Photo/X17)

Timberlake apologized twice for the so-called wardrobe malfunction, including once during his acceptance speech at the Grammy Awards. Recently, he told Entertainment Weekly it was one of his biggest regrets of the decade. "I wish I had been there more for Janet," he said.
Jackson issued two apologies of her own but declined to attend the 2004 Grammys when CBS insisted she apologize a third time on the air. Since then, Jackson has struggled to regain her footing.
Two albums released after the Super Bowl incident tanked and Jackson's 2008 "Discipline" tour was dogged by low ticket sales and Jackson's own illness suffering from vestibular migraines.
As for "Nipplegate," as it came to be known, CBS was slapped with a hefty fine. But the case remains open, with the network's appeal still bouncing around the courts.
Michael Jackson

It wasn't the first time singer Michael Jackson had been accused of molesting a child. But, in 2005, Los Angeles prosecutors were able to find a child willing to testify against him.
n the People of the State of California v. Michael Joseph Jackson, Jackson was accused of molesting 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo, giving him alcohol, or "Jesus juice," and conspiring to kidnap him and his family and keep them captive at his 2,700-acre Neverland ranch. Jackson denied all counts and even claimed he was the victim on an extortion attempt. The subsequent four-month trial was a media circus with Jackson showing up late for court and once dressed in his pajamas. In the end, he was found not guilty.
But Jackson's reputation and finances suffered as he sought refuge outside the country with his three children and released no new music. Finally, in the spring of 2009, he announced a 50-concert comeback tour in London. Weeks before he was to perform his first show, the pop star died in his home June 25.
The Los Angeles County coroner ruled Jackson's death a homicide caused by a combination of sedatives and the powerful anesthetic propofol. As the police investigation continues, it's clear that Jackson's death will be as controversial as his life.
Brangelina
When Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston split in early 2005 after nearly five years of marriage, Angelina Jolie was widely believed to be the reason.
Pitt and Jolie met on the set of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," where they played married assassins. A photo shoot promoting the film foreshadowed their relationship to come, with Pitt and Jolie posing as parents of five boys. At the time, all parties denied that Jolie was the cause of Pitt's divorce, although Jolie later admitted that she and Pitt fell in love while filming the movie.

Lost Hope for Heath Ledger

Dubbed "Brangelina" by the media, Jolie and Pitt finally confirmed their relationship publicly in early 2006 when Jolie admitted she was pregnant with Pitt's child. Since then, the scandal over the Jolie-Pitt-Aniston love triangle has continued to spawn headlines, with the celebrity media reporting non-stop on Brangelina's family of eight and Aniston's adventures in celebrity dating.
Roman Polanski

It's the one scandal director Roman Polanskihas been unable to shake, the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl in 1977.
In September 2009, the 31-year-old scandal caught up with the French-born Polish director when Swiss police arrested him on a U.S. warrant stemming from the rape soon after he arrived for the Zurich Film Festival.
In 1978, Polanski pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse but fled to France before he was sentenced. Despite a fruitful career in Europe, which includes winning an Academy Award for "The Pianist," Polanski was a wanted man.
Polanski was recently granted bail and released from prison under house arrest at his Swiss chalet, pending his extradition to the United States. Finally facing his past could free him once and for all from the scandal that has followed him for three decades.
Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger's death in January 2008 from an accidental overdose of prescription pills took Hollywood by storm and, once again, shined the spotlight on prescription drug abuse.
"I had such great hope for him," Mel Gibson said at the time, echoing the sentiment of many. "He was just taking off and to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss."
The Australian-born Ledger was probably best known for his starring role in 2005's "Brokeback Mountain," about two cowboys who fall in love. Peter Travers, Rolling Stone's film critic and host of ABC News Now's "Popcorn," called Ledger's performance "one of the greatest performances of an actor from his generation."
But it was his final role as the Joker, which he had just completed filming for the Batman movie "The Dark Knight," that won him a posthumous Oscar in 2009 for best supporting actor.
Rihanna/Chris Brown

The real story of this year's Grammy Awards in February 2009 did not unfold on stage. Instead, pop couple Chris Brown and Rihanna, who had been scheduled to perform that night, were involved in an altercation that sent Rihanna to the hospital and Brown to the police station where he turned himself in for assault and criminal threats.
Jon and Kate Gosselin

After months of unfavorable tabloid coverage and speculation about the state of their marriage, Jon and Kate Gosselin announced on the June 22 episode of their TLC show, "Jon & Kate Plus 8," that they'd begun divorce proceedings.
The Gosselins, parents of twins and sextuplets, admitted then that they had been living increasingly separate lives for the past two years, and Kate said the breaking point in the marriage was not a result of the show or tabloid scrutiny.
"I believe it is a chapter that would have probably played out had the world been watching or not," Kate said.
But the world did watch as the couple argued in the media about everything from money to child care to infidelity. The only thing the world wasn't watching was the show, which suffered a slide in the ratings after the big divorce announcement.
Eventually, TLC said it was refashioning the show to focus on Kate's life as a single mother but Jon put that kibosh on that when he refused to give permission for the children to be filmed.
Thus, "Jon & Kate" officially wrapped on November 23.
Recently, Kate told ABC News' Barbara Walters that the kids miss the cameras and were devastated without the show. She also hinted that she'll be getting a show of her own next year.
Susan Boyle/Adam Lambert
With the explosion of reality television came the latest iteration of the talent show -- "American Idol" being the most watched of them all. "Idol" and the other talent contest shows had their share of scandals, including skeletons that emerged from contestants' past and charges of voter fraud.

Stay Tuned for More Kate

Many of the scandals centered around "Idol" judge Paula Abdul, who was accused of everything from sleeping with some of the young male hopefuls to appearing dazed and confused on live television. She made headlines earlier this year when Fox decided not to renew her contract.

With Abdul gone, there are plenty of others left to generate headlines. In May 2009, British singer Susan Boyle nearly broke down under the pressure of competing for the title of "Britain's Got Talent." She came in second and had to be hospitalized for exhaustion afterward. Boyle's fans have made her a best-selling recording artist but the celebrity media continue to chart her every misstep, including a recent visit to America that ended with her sucking her thumb.
Adam Lambert is another talent show alum sure to keep the controversies coming. When Lambert, who is openly gay, gave his first post-"Idol" live television performance at the American Music Awards in November, he kissed his male keyboardist and brought a male dancer's face to his crotch. His performance sparked outrage and led to cancelled appearances.
But Lambert made no apologies. "I'm not a babysitter, I'm a performer," he told Ryan Seacrest on his radio show. A performer who will no doubt be making more headlines in the next decade. >>
The argument began when Rihanna read a text message on Brown's phone from another woman, according to the police affidavit. Brown shoved Rihanna into the window of his car, while driving. According to the police report, he punched her several times and said, "I'm going to beat the s**t out of you when we get home."
When Rihanna countered by calling her assistant's phone, Brown warned, "You just did the stupidest thing ever. I'm going to kill you," and threw her phone out the window, the report noted.
Brown eventually pleaded guilty to felony assault and was given community service, five years probation and an order to stay 100 yards away from Rihanna. After briefly reuniting, the couple has since steered clear of each other, giving their first interviews about what happened at the end of this year.
Rihanna told ABC News' Diane Sawyer, "He had ... no soul in his eyes. Just blank. ...He was clearly blacked out. There was no person when I looked at him."
Brown apologized and made no excuses for his behavior. "I was wrong for what I did," Brown told ABC News' Robin Roberts.
Jon and Kate Gosselin

After months of unfavorable tabloid coverage and speculation about the state of their marriage, Jon and Kate Gosselin announced on the June 22 episode of their TLC show, "Jon & Kate Plus 8," that they'd begun divorce proceedings.
The Gosselins, parents of twins and sextuplets, admitted then that they had been living increasingly separate lives for the past two years, and Kate said the breaking point in the marriage was not a result of the show or tabloid scrutiny.
"I believe it is a chapter that would have probably played out had the world been watching or not," Kate said.
But the world did watch as the couple argued in the media about everything from money to child care to infidelity. The only thing the world wasn't watching was the show, which suffered a slide in the ratings after the big divorce announcement.
Eventually, TLC said it was refashioning the show to focus on Kate's life as a single mother but Jon put that kibosh on that when he refused to give permission for the children to be filmed.
Thus, "Jon & Kate" officially wrapped on November 23.
Recently, Kate told ABC News' Barbara Walters that the kids miss the cameras and were devastated without the show. She also hinted that she'll be getting a show of her own next year.
Susan Boyle/Adam Lambert
With the explosion of reality television came the latest iteration of the talent show -- "American Idol" being the most watched of them all. "Idol" and the other talent contest shows had their share of scandals, including skeletons that emerged from contestants' past and charges of voter fraud.
Many of the scandals centered around "Idol" judge Paula Abdul, who was accused of everything from sleeping with some of the young male hopefuls to appearing dazed and confused on live television. She made headlines earlier this year when Fox decided not to renew her contract.
With Abdul gone, there are plenty of others left to generate headlines. In May 2009, British singer Susan Boyle nearly broke down under the pressure of competing for the title of "Britain's Got Talent." She came in second and had to be hospitalized for exhaustion afterward. Boyle's fans have made her a best-selling recording artist but the celebrity media continue to chart her every misstep, including a recent visit to America that ended with her sucking her thumb.
Adam Lambert is another talent show alum sure to keep the controversies coming. When Lambert, who is openly gay, gave his first post-"Idol" live television performance at the American Music Awards in November, he kissed his male keyboardist and brought a male dancer's face to his crotch. His performance sparked outrage and led to cancelled appearances.
But Lambert made no apologies. "I'm not a babysitter, I'm a performer," he told Ryan Seacrest on his radio show. A performer who will no doubt be making more headlines in the next decade. >

Striking women's art from the Islamic world

Provided by Catherine G. Murphy Gallery

Art by Palestinian Laila Shawa, part of the exhibit "Breaking the Veils: Women Artists from the Islamic World."

Women from Islamic countries shred others' veils of ignorance about their culture in a St. Catherine University exhibit.

For decades, the primary image that Americans have been offered of women in Islamic countries is of veiled figures striding through open-air markets, waiting in doorways or peering warily through slits in their head coverings. Their lives have remained mostly blank slates suggesting nothing of their education, aspirations, home life, travels, political sentiments or religious views.

Such stereotypes were particularly grating to the cosmopolitan women of the Middle East who found their own identities obscured by misconceptions and ignorance. To set the record straight, a Jordanian princess, Wijdan Ali, and an artist friend, Aliki Moschis-Gauguet, organized a show of more than 50 paintings, drawings and works on paper by women from predominantly Islamic countries. On loan from Jordan's National Gallery of Fine Arts, the exhibit has traveled throughout Europe and Australia for the past five years and is now on view at St. Catherine University in St. Paul through April 1.
Its title, "Breaking the Veils," alludes not only to the garments worn by some Islamic women, but metaphorically to the ignorance and prejudices that often cloud perceptions of them. Participants in the show include Christians, Buddhists, Hindus and adherents of other faiths as well as Muslims. Religion doesn't appear to figure much in the art but, perhaps surprisingly, figurative imagery does.
"The presentation of human images in Islam is only prohibited in mosques and places of worship to keep the Muslims from going back to worshiping idols," Wijdan Ali explained in a 2008 interview. Even then, she added, the opposition to depicting humans is an "extreme interpretation" of the Quran's

ART SHOW IN SAN FRANCISCO SHOWS TRIBAL, TEXTILE ARTS, JEWELRY - MORE THAN 100 INTERNATIONAL DEALERS AT FORT MASON THROUGH FEBRUARY 14

The 2009 SF Tribal and Textile Arts Show at Fort Mason was wildly popular.

There are three great tribal and ethnographic art shows in the world. Luckily for Northern Californians, San Francisco is one of them.
This week, from Thursday, Feb. 11, to Sunday Feb. 14 the annual San Francisco Tribal and Textile Arts show will open at Fort Mason in the festival pavilion.

SF Tribal and Textile Show at Fort Mason

The show is presented annually by Caskey Lees Antique and Fine Art Shows. The San Francisco show is one of the world’s most important exhibitions and sales of tribal, ethnographic art, oriental rugs and textiles and jewelry and sculpture. Don’t miss it.

For those who are aficionados of the show, this week brings more than 100 top international art dealers from around the world to sell art and artifacts from the Oceanic Islands, Polynesia, the Middle East, Central and South America and Indonesia.
If you have never been before and haven’t experienced the show, it’s a one-a-year opportunity to learn and purchase museum-quality artworks from some of the nicest and most knowledgeable dealers around. There is everything from jewelry to textiles and rugs to small and even monumentally-sized sculpture from Africa, Asia, New Guinea and the four corners of the world.

The exhibitors include the world renowned Oceanic art dealers Wayne Heathcote (galleries in London and Brussels) and Michael Hamson (galleries in Los Angeles and San Francisco’s Mint Plaza); top Oceanic dealers Chris Boylan (Sydney) and Lewis Wara (Seattle); top Indonesian art dealers Bruce Frank (New York), Thomas Murray (San Francisco); top primitive art dealers Kevin Conru (Brussels), Joel Cooner (Dallas), Ernie Wolfe (Los Angeles), Serge Schoffel (Brussels), Yann Ferrandin (Paris), Galarie Flak (Paris), John and Rita Giltsoff (Spain), Patrick and Ondine Mestdagh (Brussels), Pace Primitive (New York), Joaquin Pecci, (Brussels), Renaud Vanuxem (Paris), TAD Tribal Art (Santa Fe), Louis Nierijnck (Amsterdam), Erik Farrow (Marin County), Mark Johnson (Los Angeles), Joshua Dimondstein (Los Angeles), and Michael Auliso, owner of the newly opened Tribalmania Gallery in Half Moon Bay, Calif.

Mestdagh gallery at SF Tribal and Textile Arts Show

Also exhibiting are renowned Himalayan art dealers Robert Brundage (San Francisco), Gallery Dalton-Somare (Milano), John Ruddy (Santa Fe), Vicki Shiba (Marin County) and Singkiang (New York).
Top textile, Spanish Colonial and Jewelry dealers exhibiting and selling include: Jewels (Santa Fe and Marrakesh), Robert Morris (Santa Fe), Wenhua Liu (China), Marcuson & Hall (Brussels), Galerie Arabesque and Michael Craycraft (Stuttgart), Mehmet Cetinkaya Gallery (Turkey), and, of course, the queen of the textile arts world in California (and former textile curator at the De Young Museum), dealer and collector Cathryn Cootner; and, the dean of Bay Area tribal art dealers, Jim Willis.

Oceanic Dealer Michael Hamson. Yangaru figure.

Important top Bay Area dealers and members of SFTribal.Com, the association of northern California tribal and textile dealers, will have a strong presence at the show with many of their members presenting galleries.
These are but a few of the top dealers coming to San Francisco this week. If you miss this show, your only other opportunities are in June in Brussels at the Brussels Non European Art Fair and in September in Paris at Parcours des Mondes. So, if you want have a great time and see and hold great art without having to travel the world, this week’s San Francisco Tribal and Textile Art show shouldn’t be missed.

Robert Brundage Himalayan Art from Nepal and Tibet

The Tribal & Textile Show will be held Feb. 11-14. (Thursday Feb. 11 is opening night and special tickets can be purchased at the door of festival pavilion, Fort Mason).
Show hours on Friday, Feb. 12 and Saturday, Feb. 13 are from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 14.
Valet parking will be available in front of the Festival Pavilion and public parking within the Fort Mason complex will also be available.
Admission to the show is $15 and includes an illustrated colour catalogue.

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