Spears bid for custody of sons put on hold, lawyer says

LOS ANGELES, California: A bid by Britney Spears for custody of her two young sons with Kevin Federline was put on hold Friday by a court commissioner after a three-hour closed hearing, a lawyer for Federline said.

Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon was expected to issue a written ruling by next Tuesday after hearing extensive testimony on a number of issues in the case, lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan said.

Spears did not comment after the hearing. But during an earlier break in the proceedings, she uttered an epithet at a reporter in the hallway who asked how the proceedings were going.
Attorney Sorrell Trope, who represents Spears, said "something has changed, but I can't say what." He said Spears was pleased, but he declined further comment.

Each parent will have a day with the boys this weekend, Kaplan said during a short news conference after the hearing.

Gordon has previously said there was evidence that Spears is a "habitual, frequent and continuous" user of drugs and alcohol, withdrew approval for her to even visit the children after finding she had failed to comply with some conditions for shared custody.

He later withdrew the ban and allowed her to visit Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1 -- but only in the presence of a court-approved monitor.

Hours earlier, Spears arrived at the courthouse eating cheese puffs in her white Mercedes-Benz convertible and giggled when asked by reporters outside the courtroom if she was nervous.

She was escorted by sheriff's deputies and wore a black print dress and cowgirl boots. Her brown hair was lightly streaked with blonde highlights and she carried a large handbag.
Federline arrived a few minutes after Spears, wearing a gray pinstriped suit and an earring in his right ear.

Both were under court order to attend the proceedings.
They were asked to stand, raise their right hands and swear to tell the truth, which they did. A few moments later, Gordon closed the hearing to the media at the request of Trope, who was expected to argue that Spears had complied with court orders and should regain the shared custody she lost earlier this month.

As Spears attempted to regain custody of her children, her mother, Lynne Spears, announced plans to write a book about raising her family in the glare of the media spotlight.

"Pop Culture Mom: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World" is set for release May 11, which is Mother's Day, said Curt Harding, a spokesman for Thomas Nelson Inc., a Christian book publisher. He did not release further details.

During a hearing earlier Friday, another lawyer for Spears won a motion to bar videotaping of deposition testimony in the case.

Attorney Thomas Paine Dunlap argued that video of the depositions would almost certainly wind up on YouTube. He said his celebrity client had a right to be protected from that exposure.
Gordon made his ruling on that matter despite his concern that Spears is constantly courting "inordinate amounts of media," which he said runs counter to her expressed desire for privacy.
"I'm not chastising her," Gordon said. "She's an adult. But what I'm saying is someone who is always going to places where there is an inordinate amount of media, it doesn't square."
Dunlap countered that the pop star was not trying to create media attention.
"If she goes to Starbucks, there's media there. If she goes shopping, there's media there," he said.
Kaplan said his client wanted the depositions to be videotaped to preserve the demeanor of witnesses who testify during the closed sessions.
After the commissioner's ruling, Kaplan asked that experts and other parties be allowed to be present to see how witnesses responded. Gordon said he would allow two people to observe the witnesses.
In preparation for the day's proceedings, a special metal detector was installed outside the courtroom. Officials confiscated cell phones from people arriving on the floor to prevent media, attorneys and spectators from taking pictures in the courtroom.
The process caused a backup of lawyers who had to empty briefcases for inspection.
Dunlap complained in court that he was being forced to do things he had never done before to get into a courtroom.
Gordon responded dryly, "This may be the manufacture of your client."
Outside the courthouse, about 40 members of the media gathered several hours before the afternoon hearing. A half-dozen satellite TV broadcast trucks lined the busy, downtown street.
The previous court order by Gordon was tough and unambiguous. Spears was to undergo random drug and alcohol tests and meet weekly with a parenting coach who would report back to the court about her parenting skills.
Spears and Federline also were prohibited from making derogatory remarks about each other in their children's presence and from using "corporal punishment" to discipline them.
Both parents also were ordered to complete the court's "Parenting Without Conflict" class

Report: Pamela Anderson weds in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Pamela Anderson and Rick Salomon married Saturday evening between the former "Baywatch" star's performances on the Las Vegas Strip, according to published reports.

Pamela Anderson wore a white denim dress for the wedding, according to People magazine's Web site.

Anderson, 40, wore a white denim Valentino dress, according to a report on People magazine's Web site.
The vows were squeezed in between the 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. shows of "Hans Klok's The Beauty of Magic" at Planet Hollywood resort, casino spokeswoman Amy Sadowsky said.
Anderson is starring as a magician's assistant.

"Hello, I just got married ... I did," she said after performing the second show of the night. "I'm distracted. It's a big day. A big day at the office."

Salomon, 38, is best-known for making a sex videotape with Paris Hilton, his girlfriend at the time, and was previously married to actress Shannen Doherty.

Anderson was previously married to singer Kid Rock and Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee.
Rumors of the couple's wedding plans have circulated since they applied for a marriage license last week.

Beauty Secrect of Lucy Liu

The dark horse in a stampede of sun-kissed curls, Lucy Liu's ebony mane sets her apart from the typical Hollywood leading lady.

"Even if you don't have any makeup on, you can still look really pretty if your lips are soft and shiny."

"My hair is so dark that I'd have to bleach it to add color, so I never dye it," she says.
From long, sexy locks on Ally McBeal to razor-straight styles that whip around as she side-kicks and slices her way through Charlie's Angels and Kill Bill, Liu's hair practically plays a supporting role. This fall she returns to television as publishing exec Mia Mason on ABC's Cashmere Mafia.
With a wavy bob (thanks to a grown-out perm), Liu, 38, embraces her girlier side. "When my hair was longer, people didn't come up and talk to me," she says. "Now they find me more approachable."


What's your earliest beauty memory?
I used to watch my mom put makeup on, and we would go to the five-and-dime store and experiment with whatever makeup was there. It was basically L'Oréal lipstick -- which is funny, because I still use it.


So is your mom your beauty guru?
No, now she's coming to me for tips. She sees how amazing my makeup looks, but it's not me. It's the people putting it on. I really like to keep my skin clean. I use just a little concealer. I don't even put on sunscreen, but I don't sit in the sun either.

No sunscreen! How do you keep your skin so young and smooth?
I drink a lot of water, and I've never had coffee. I think caffeine can be really bad for your skin. And I don't get facials, ever.


Why don't you get facials?
I think they damage your skin. People are getting peels and dermabrasion, and anything with the word "abrasion" doesn't work for me. I also think a lot of plastic surgery hurts your skin.


Do you always carry around two different eye liners?
Yes. The liquid liner is for above the eye, and the pencil is for inside the eye. But I rarely use the pencil unless I'm going out. If you put liquid liner on during the day and then add pencil to the inner rims at night, it glams it up.


What about your hair? How do you keep it so shiny?
I alternate between Dr. Bronner's All in One soap, Davines and Prawduct for shampoo and different conditioners like Pantene. I love herbal scents because I'm a little bit allergic [to fragrance]. If I walk into a store and it's all perfume, it's too much. And I let my hair air dry. I rarely blow-dry -- I don't have time.


You sound very low maintenance. Do you have any beauty indulgences?
I splurge on acupuncture. It's preventative medicine: You go in once a month, and you get a little checkup so you're regulated. It keeps you healthy. My parents used to get acupuncture. It has been a part of my culture and my life for a long time, and it really, really works. It can help you lose weight, it can help your skin stay young -- and I've found it helps with jet lag. [Acupuncturists] look at your tongue and will say: "All right, you're drinking too much" or



"You're emotional, aren't you?"
How else do you stay healthy? Do you still practice martial arts?
I just trained for the movies. But I love going hiking, and now because I'm [filming in New York City], I go biking. People can see me on the street -- I'm not biking that fast. It's just good exercise, and you get around quickly. It's like being on a horse or a motorcycle because you're outside.


What about Aquaphor? I've heard you're obsessed.
I use it for everything. It's not too glossy, so I wear it when I do movies because it looks really natural. I always carry a mini with me. And if I fall, which I do a lot -- I generally skid -- I'll put it on my [scrapes]. When I was shooting a movie in Montreal, it was freezing. If you take a little bit of Aquaphor and dab it on your face, it keeps your skin looking fresh. I dubbed it Aqua for Everything.


Get her look
Makeup
Makeup pro Scott Barnes applied La Femme eye shadow in Clove (far left, $6; alconeco.com) in Liu's creases and black liquid liner along her upper lash lines. Next he lined top and bottom inner rims with black pencil. For a natural glow he used the same beige cream makeup on cheeks and lips (Scott Barnes Crème Color in Flush, left, $24; saks.com).


Hair
To enhance Liu's waves and add volume, stylist Hallie Bowman spritzed Kiehl's Super Thick Volumizer ($19; kiehls.com) on her damp hair, then blow-dried with a diffuser while scrunching the ends. Once hair was dry, Bowman rubbed Kérastase Vinyle Nutri-Sculpt cream ($29; kerastase.com) between her palms and finger-shaped waves to tame frizz and flyaways.

New Spears song a smash hit

NEW YORK (AP) -- Britney Spears is finally catching a break.

Her new song, "Gimme More," is now a success on the music charts -- despite the pop star's turbulent personal life and the humiliation of her much-panned performance at MTV's Video Music Awards.
This week, "Gimme More" -- released to radio stations in August -- topped Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart at No. 1 with 179,000 downloads, and jumped from No. 68 to No. 3 on Billboard's Hot 100.
The song is the first single from her new album, set for release November 13.
Earlier this week, a judge ordered the 25-year-old singer to temporarily hand over custody of her two sons to ex-husband Kevin Federline.

On Wednesday, a Los Angeles court commissioner granted Spears some visitation rights, but Federline, 29, remains full-time dad to Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1.
Another custody hearing is scheduled for October 26

'Bewitched' actress Alice Ghostley dies at 81

LOS ANGELES, California -- Alice Ghostley, the Tony Award-winning actress best known on television for playing Esmeralda on "Bewitched" and Bernice on "Designing Women," has died. She was 81.


Ghostley died Friday at her home in Studio City after a long battle with colon cancer and a series of strokes, longtime friend Jim Pinkston said.

Ghostley made her Broadway debut in "Leonard Sillman's New Faces of 1952." She received critical acclaim for singing "The Boston Beguine," which became her signature song.

Miles Kreuger, president of the Los Angeles-based Institute of the American Musical, said part of Ghostley's charm was that she was not glamorous.

"She was rather plain and had a splendid singing voice, and the combination of the well-trained, splendid singing voice and this kind of dowdy homemaker character was so incongruous and so charming," Kreuger said.

In the 1960s, Ghostley received a Tony nomination for various characterizations in the Broadway comedy "The Beauty Part" and eventually won for best featured actress in "The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window."

From 1969 to 1972, she played the good witch and ditzy housekeeper Esmeralda on TV's "Bewitched." She played Bernice Clifton on "Designing Women" from 1987 to 1993, for which she earned an Emmy nomination in 1992.

Ghostley's film credits include "To Kill a Mockingbird," "The Graduate," "Gator" and "Grease."
She was born on August 14, 1926, in Eve, Missouri, where her father worked as a telegraph operator. She grew up in Henryetta, Oklahoma.

After graduating from high school, Ghostley attended the University of Oklahoma but dropped out and moved to New York with her sister to pursue theater.

"The best job I had then was as a theater usher," she said in a 1990 Boston Globe interview. "I saw the plays for free. What I saw before me was a visualization of what I wanted to do and what I wanted to be."

She was well aware of the types of roles she should pursue.
"I knew I didn't look like an ingenue," she told The Globe. "My nose was too long. I had crooked teeth. I wasn't blond. I knew I looked like a character actress.
"But I also knew I'd find a way," she added.
Ghostley, whose actor husband, Felice Orlandi, died in 2003, is survived by her sister, Gladys.

New directive may limit musical 'noise'

VIENNA, Austria (AP) -- Shhhh! Mute the brass, and please -- go easy on the cymbals!

A European Union directive on noise abatement contains a provision that will limit the "noise" of symphony orchestras beginning early next year.

While it's not meant to ban Beethoven's "ba-ba-ba-baah," some musicians are worried overzealous enforcement could take the "Joy" out of the German master's exuberant "Ode to ..."
"It can't work in symphony orchestras," says Libor Pesek, conductor of the Prague Symphony. "How could you apply it to Gustav Mahler, for instance, or Richard Strauss?"
Though musicians bristle at the claim, some evidence suggests the classics are just loud noise for the non-music lover. In the 1990s, opera singers rehearsing in a Copenhagen park apparently caused a rare African okapi at the nearby zoo to collapse and die from stress.
Still, the main thrust of the EU noise directive is not aimed at symphonies. Meant to regulate noise levels in the work place, much of the six-page document deals with generalities more applicable to construction sites, factories and other traditional places of noise chaos.
"Workplaces where workers are likely to be exposed to noise ... shall be marked with appropriate signs," says a typical excerpt. "The areas in question shall also be delimited and access to them restricted."
Because regulators recognize that all noise is not created equal, musicians are not worried about security tape going up around the orchestra pit any time soon.
The directive took effect for most other work places five years ago, but it was postponed until February 15, 2008, for "the music and entertainment sectors" to allow creation of "practical guidelines" tailored to the concert stage and other musical venues.
That has not dispelled concerns enforcement of the maximum noise limit set at the work place -- 85 decibels on an average work day -- could hamper musical freedom by undercutting sound levels preferred by Beethoven, Stravinsky or Bruckner. The score of Tchaikovsky's Sixth, for instance is sprinkled with fff's -- forte fortissimos.
Alison Reid Wright, a noise expert who has worked with British orchestras on noise reduction, says ensembles already are considering how to readjust their programs to conform with the directive.
"They wouldn't take a large noisy piece to a small venue," she said. "And some orchestras have been trying to balance the noise by offsetting a very powerful piece by less powerful pieces."
Others, she said, might follow the example of an Australian opera orchestra, which decided a few years ago to use "one set of musicians for the first half and another set for the second half" to protect their hearing.
Still others have begun modifying orchestra pits with acoustic paneling that absorbs some of the sound level without interfering with the clarity of the music for ensemble members. There are ear plugs and protective plastic panels that shield individuals near the brass or percussion section.
Such aids were used even before the directive was conceived. Trumpets push out 110 decibels during peak parts of Wagner's Ring Cycle, tubas 110 and trombones 108.
Even violins have registered 109 decibels. And a flute at peak level near the right ear logs 118 decibels -- substantially above the noise of a power drill heard close up.
The problem lies with some musicians. Many refuse to wear adequate ear protection, claiming it interferes with their ability to play. And some are reluctant to use shields.
"I don't like you and I don't like the noise you make so I am putting my screen behind me to protect myself from you," said Reid Wright, explaining the negative vibes sent by such devices.
Another difficulty is how to measure exposure. Orchestras can produce peak sound levels substantially above the new EU limit while playing much below it at other times.
And there are few "typical" work days. While pre-concert rehearsals can stretch from morning to evening, typical performances last little more than three hours. "Then, there are the musicians who are more prone to overexposure" -- typically strings sitting in front of brasses, said Josef Kerschhagel at Austria's Ministry of Labor, which will enforce the decree. He said his department will likely have to monitor orchestras randomly and over a week's time to be able to average out levels.
Kerschhagel says all monitoring will be unobtrusive.
But many musicians are critical, saying any attempt to regulate sound levels trespasses on artistic freedom.
"Do you need the nanny state to step in and say, 'No, you cannot play the bass drum fortissimo in the Verdi Requiem?'," asked bass trombonist Douglas Yeo of the Boston Philharmonic.
Contrabassist Michael Bladerer of the Vienna Philharmonic said his orchestra is "a private organization, and we will do what we want to."
Vienna State Opera director Ioan Holender noted that comparing noise and beautiful sound is like not differentiating between "weeds and the most beautiful blossoms."
And for veterans like Pesek, the Czech conductor, the decree comes too late. "We're all deaf anyway," he said.

Music stars, masses mourn Pavarotti

MODENA, Italy (AP) -- Luciano Pavarotti's voice rang out a final time Saturday inside Modena's cathedral, as a recording of the great tenor singing with his father highlighted a funeral attended by family, dignitaries and close friends.



Guests gave the tenor one last standing ovation when "Panis Angelicus," the 1978 duet Pavarotti sang with his father, Fernando, inside Modena's Duomo came to a close.

The duet was one of the most poignant moments of the funeral, which began with a moving rendition of Verdi's "Ave Maria" and a message of condolences from Pope Benedict XVI saying Pavarotti had "honored the divine gift of music through his extraordinary interpretative talent."
Thousands watched the invitation-only service from a huge television screen erected in Modena's main piazza, where a recording of the tenor's most famous works had boomed out during two days of public viewing.

Italy's air force precision flying team flew over the cathedral at the end of the service, releasing red, white and green smoke in the colors of the Italian flag.

Pavarotti's white maple casket, covered in sunflowers -- his favorite -- lay before the altar during the service, with his wife, Nicoletta Mantovani, looking on. Sitting nearby were Pavarotti's three daughters from his first marriage.
Also on hand were the Italian premier, Romano Prodi, U2 lead singer Bono, film director Franco Zeffirelli and former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Also invited were Stephane Lissner, general manager of Milan's La Scala Opera House, where Pavarotti appeared 140 times, once receiving boos; and the Metropolitan Opera's former general manager Joe Volpe.
A message from Pavarotti's 4-year-old daughter, Alice, was read out during the service as Mantovani sobbed.
"Papa, you have loved me so much, I know you will always protect me. I will hold you dear to my child's heart every tomorrow," it said.
Pavarotti died on Thursday in his home on Modena's outskirts after battling pancreatic cancer for more than a year. He was 71 and was beloved by generations of opera-goers and pop fans alike for his breathtaking high "Cs" and his hearty renditions of folk songs like "O Sole Mio," and popular tunes like "My Way."
Tenor Andrea Bocelli sang Mozart's "Ave Verum Corpus" while the Rossini Chorus performed hymns throughout the service, which was celebrated by Modena Archbishop Benito Cocchi and 18 other priests.
Bulgarian-born soprano Raina Kabaivanska, a fellow Modena resident who had worked with Pavarotti, cried as she sang the "Ave Maria" from Verdi's "Otello" as the ceremony began. Flautist Andrea Griminelli played the "Dance of the Blessed Spirits" from Gluck's "Orfeo e Euridice."
Cocchi said the presence of so many dignitaries at the funeral was a sign "of the esteem, of the affection and of the gratitude that universally surrounds the great artist."
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But he said it was also significant how local Modenese had rendered homage to their native son, applauding out of respect when Pavarotti's casket was brought to the cathedral on Thursday for public viewing.
The applause, he said, "was not joyous as in other occasions, but intense and sincere."
"The death of Luciano Pavarotti has made us feel more impoverished," he said. "The maestro was and will always be a symbol for our city."
Modena city officials estimated that roughly 100,000 people viewed Pavarotti's body over two days.
"Modena is known for its cappelletti (a type of tortellini), balsamic vinegar, Ferrari and Pavarotti. It's a collection of important things that Modena has given to the world," said Susy Cavallini, a 43-year-old Modena resident as she emerged Saturday from the cathedral.
The tenor was to be buried in Montale Rangone cemetery, near Modena, where members of his family, including his parents and stillborn son Riccardo, are buried.
Pavarotti's classical career, with his imposing presence, emotional depth and boyish, charming ease all adding to his technical prowess, was the stuff of opera legend. But his legacy reached beyond the opera houses to reach the masses, working with fellow opera stars and pop icons alike.
These far-from-the-opera house performances, including memorable nights under the stars at Rome's ancient Baths of Caracalla with Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo, in the "Three Tenors" concert, rescued musical art from highbrow obscurity.
Pavarotti was the best-selling classical artist, with more than 100 million records sold since the 1960s, and he had the first classical album to reach No. 1 on the pop charts.
That Pavarotti -- a divorced man who had a child out of wedlock -- was given public viewing and a funeral in the cathedral spurred some debate here. A Modena parish priest, the Rev. Giorgio Bellei, told Corriere della Sera that the move amounted to "profanation of the temple." Other critics noted that last year the church refused to grant a religious funeral to a paralyzed man who had a doctor disconnect his respirator.
Funeral director Gianni Gibellini said Bellei should have "kept his mouth sewn shut" and Archbishop Cocchi appeared to address the issue, saying "Pavarotti, with a faith that he never repudiated or hid and which he expressed consistently with his singing, is no stranger in this cathedral."