people celebrated the beginning of the New Year 2010 in Germany's capital.

People use sparklers to write "2010" in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin shortly after midnight, greeting the New Year, Friday, Jan. 1, 2010. Hundred thousands of people celebrated the beginning of the New Year 2010 in Germany's capital.



Fireworks explode above the Quadriga atop the Brandenburg Gate during New Year celebrations in Berlin January 1, 2010.

Fireworks explode from the Two International Finance Centre (IFC), Hong Kong's tallest building, celebrate the New Year January 1, 2010.

Fireworks explode from the Two International Finance Centre (IFC), Hong Kong's tallest building during a pyrotechnic show to celebrate the New Year January 1, 2010.



Fireworks explode at the Two International Finance Centre buildings (2IFC) over the Victoria Harbor celebrating the 2010 New Year in Hong Kong Friday, Jan.1, 2010.


photo: Reuters

The problem pourers: Women 'drinking too much at home because they can't measure units'

By Daniel Martin

Women who drink at home are knocking back far more alcohol than they realise because they are hopeless at measuring units.

Research has found that women who pour wine often give themselves their recommended daily amount in just one glass.

They are far worse than men at judging how much wine they can safely drink, the Department of Health study found.

But men are much worse when it comes to pouring spirits – regularly giving themselves much more than a double shot.

When people were asked to pour a single 25ml shot, the average amount poured was 38ml, with the highest a staggering 182ml.

The findings demonstrate the extent to which people may have overindulged at Christmas – putting their health at risk.

Guidelines say women should drink no more than two or three units of alcohol in a day, while men should stick to three or four.

The poll of households across England, showed that women were the most lavish pourers of wine.

Experiments found that the average amount of wine poured at home is 186ml, equivalent to 2.4 units of 13 per cent volume wine.This is the recommended daily limit for women in just one glass.

The survey, carried out for the Government's Know Your Limits campaign, found that people drinking spirits at home give themselves more than double (128 per cent extra) what they would get in a pub if they ordered a single shot.

The average 'home barman' pours 57ml, compared to the 25ml in a single shot.
It means if the average English drinker knocked back eight spirit drinks over a week at home, they would be drinking nearly half a litre of vodka, gin or whisky. Almost two thirds of home barmen said they never or rarely used a drinks measure

GP and broadcaster Dr Carol Cooper said: 'These experiments suggest too many people don't know how much they are drinking, which is worrying as alcohol affects every organ of the body.

'People who regularly drink more than the NHS recommended limits increase their risk of serious illnesses, such as heart disease and many types of cancers.'

Public health minister Gillian Merron said: 'Many of us enjoy a drink, especially at New Year.

'But it's easy to get carried away and it's worrying to see just how much more people might be unwittingly pouring for themselves and their friends at home on a regular basis.


Health warning: Doctors claim drinkers are risking heart disease and cancer


'Over time, such over-generosity may backfire and harm your health. If you want to minimise your risk of diseases like cancer, heart disease and stroke, it's worth paying attention to the size of your measures.

'New Year is a good time to rethink how much you drink.'

Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: 'It is worrying that people have little appreciation of how much they are drinking.

'This advice comes at a welcome time as recent data shows that three quarters of people intend to see in the New Year at home.'


source: dailymail

HMS Ark Royal becomes first Royal Navy ship to sign up to Twitter

By Ian Drury

HMS Ark Royal has become the first Royal Navy ship to sign up to Twitter


It was a Government warning to loose-lipped members of the British public during the Second World War: 'Careless Talk Costs Lives'.

The slogan was the centrepiece of a high-profile campaign to warn people about the danger of unwittingly giving titbits of valuable information to enemy sympathizers.

But it appears Royal Navy sailors today are less likely to heed the message.

For members of the HMS Ark Royal are broadcasting their every activity using the latest social networking website.

It has become the first vessel in the fleet to sign up to Twitter - the internet phenomenon that allows members to update, or 'tweet', followers with brief messages of 140 characters or less.

Messages posted online this month include information about a chemical training exercise, complete with images of the crew in protective suits and respirators.

The crew has posted information about a disaster relief exercise as well as training for battle, fire-fighting and damage control.

On December 16, one message said: 'Just had our brief for our final training war tomorrow. We are all living up to our motto - "Zeal does not rest".'


Messages posted online includes information about a chemical training exercise, complete with images of the crew in protective suits and respirators


Other posts describe how members of the crew are relaxing with choir practice ahead of a Christmas carol concert and watching their favourite TV shows.

One 'tweet' from November 21 said: 'Storm force 10 winds at the moment. Had a good Saturday night at sea topped off with X Factor'.

But there are concerns that the crew could be giving away classified details about the 20,000-ton aircraft carrier, as well as its locations and activities - posing a potential security risk as enemies can find out about the ship's movements.

The warship has just completed an operational sea training exercise off the coast of Plymouth, Devon.

A message on November 27 reported: 'Back in Plymouth for a while. Time to catch up with some R&R and some work before getting back into the thick of operational training'.


This picture was posted on Twitter with the caption: 'A 6 hour chemical training exercise today with chemical suits and respirators. All went well'


Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin, a member of the Commons' defence select committee, said: 'I hope somebody is checking this to remind servicemen and women, and their friends and families, when they are straying too near matters that are operationally sensitive.'

The Royal Navy says that crewmen use HMS Ark Royal's Twitter page to keep friends and family posted about what they are up to during long weeks at sea.

Internet users can also message the crew back.

The vessel's commanding officer, Captain John Clink, said he was keen to keep up with the latest technology.

He said: 'For hundreds of years the Royal Navy has been at the forefront of technology - particularly communications between ship and shore.


There are concerns that the crew could be giving away classified details about the 20,000-ton aircraft carrier, as well as its locations and activities


'So it's no surprise to me that we are embracing all available media, especially the internet, to keep the public up to date with our operations.

'Twitter gives Ark Royal an immediate, up-to-the-minute link into her followers, many of whom will be friends and family.'

The launch of Twitter in Ark Royal comes a month after the navy launched its trial of giving personal games consoles to sailors for engineering and maths challenges.

The aircraft carrier took to the seas again in September after a £12million refurbishment.

The slogan 'Careless Talk Costs Lives' was born in February 1940.

The Ministry of Information distributed two and a half million posters to offices, shops, public houses and other public places urging people to be careful about what they discussed for fear Nazi spies were eavesdropping.

Tweets from the Portsmouth-based ship can be viewed at www.twitter.com/HMSArkRoyal.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'Social networking sites are an increasingly important way for the Armed Forces to engage with the public and keep in touch with family and friends which is precisely why our people are encouraged to talk about themselves and their work online within guidelines which protect their security, reputation and privacy.

'HMS Ark Royal's use of social media is part of our wider engagement with the public which includes regular updates from Afghanistan and other operational work.'



source: dailymail

Katy Perry poses with lover Russell Brand in front of the Taj Mahal- the world's most romantic building

Katy Perry and boyfriend Russell Brand embrace in front of the Taj Mahal in India


Singer Katy Perry has posted a picture of herself on Twitter with boyfriend Russell Brand in front of the world's most romantic building, the Taj Mahal in India.

A demure Princess Diana famously posed there alone to signify the end of her marriage to Prince Charles, but Katy was happy to flaunt her romance and snuggle up to her hairy lover.

It's just the latest public step in a whirlwind romance that has seen Russell ditch his dodgy lothario past and play the perfect gentleman, wooing Ms Perry with sledging trips and movie dates. The former sex addict has even charmed her travelling evangelical parents.

Of Katy, Russell has said 'She’s amazing. I’m having a right laugh. She’s a good person to spend time with and its changed me - it's made me stop doing stuff that I probably shouldn’t have been doing.'

It is indeed a poignant and heartwarming tale. A seemingly jaded womanising wild-haired ex-junkie can find love with the right woman.


source: dailymail

Gaddafi's playboy son 'attacked model wife in £4,000 Claridge's suite'

By Rebecca Camber, Tamara Cohen and Neil Sears

Playboy: Hannibal Gaddafi is at the centre of a police inquiry over claims he attacked his wife in a top London hotel on Christmas Day


The playboy son of Colonel Gaddafi was at the centre of a police inquiry last night over claims he attacked his wife in a top London hotel on Christmas Day.

Moutassim Gaddafi - known as Hannibal - was staying with his wife, the model Aline Skaf, 29, and their children in a luxury suite at Claridge's when the fight broke out.

Police were called to the family's £4,000-a-night suite at 1.30am after hotel staff heard a woman's screams for help.

But when officers arrived they found the Libyan despot's 33-year-old son locked in the room with his wife - with his bodyguards blocking their way.

Three of the security staff were arrested at the scene for obstructing police officers.

Mr Gaddafi, however, was able to slip away after calling the Libyan ambassador, who informed officers that he had diplomatic immunity.

The Porsche-loving playboy and notorious hell-raiser was then whisked away in an embassy car.


A witness at the five-star hotel described hearing terrified screams: 'I saw staff trying to get into the room where a woman was screaming. But these security guards wouldn't let them through.


'Then a lot of police officers arrived, some of whom were armed, and they arrested the security guards.

'I could see a woman inside the room and she was very distressed and in an extremely bad way.

'She was bleeding heavily from her nose and face. Her nose was clearly broken and it looked like she would need surgery.'

Miss Skaf, a Libyan model who speaks fluent French and Arabic, was taken by ambulance to a London hospital for treatment of a suspected broken nose.

She later claimed her injuries were accidental, telling police she had fallen.
The Gaddafis' bodyguards were taken to a police station, but later released without charge.

Scotland Yard confirmed officers and an ambulance were called to Claridge's. A spokesman said: 'A woman was taken to hospital suffering facial injuries.

'Three people were arrested in connection with the incident and taken to a central London police station.'

Mr Gaddafi and his wife had planned to stay at the hotel, in Mayfair, which is a favourite with the family, until January but checked out shortly after the fight.

A Claridge's spokesman said: 'I can confirm there was a domestic incident between some guests at Claridge's on Christmas morning and it was dealt with through normal channels by our security. The police also attended.

'We cannot comment on the identity of any of our guests and they have since checked out.'

The incident is the latest violent allegation to involve Hannibal Gaddafi.

In July last year, Swiss police arrested him and his wife, then heavily pregnant, for apparently beating up their servants in a Geneva hotel.


Police were called to the family's £4,000-a-night suite at Claridge's at 1.30am after hotel staff heard a woman's screams for help


The couple were charged after staff at the President Wilson Hotel - where the Gaddafis were staying as Miss Skaf prepared to give birth in a Geneva hospital - claimed they were beaten with a belt and a clothes hanger.

Two of Hannibal's bodyguards were also held after they clashed with police making the arrest.

The couple, who denied wrongdoing, were later released on bail and the complaint was dropped after the two servants received compensation from an undisclosed source.

But the incident led to a long-running diplomatic stand-off, with Libya stopping oil exports to Switzerland, boycotting Swiss imports, cutting flights between the two countries and refusing visas to Swiss citizens.

The playboy, who was educated at Copenhagen Business School, has also had run-ins with the authorities in France.

Hannibal was arrested in 2005 at a Paris hotel for punching Miss Skaf, then his girlfriend, who was eight months pregnant.

He allegedly beat her after she refused to let him into a room at the Grand Hotel. Police were called when he brandished a handgun.

Mr Gaddafi then moved to another hotel where he went on the rampage, smashing furniture in a £500-a-night suite.

He was later given a four-month suspended prison sentence and a £350 fine for the assault.

A year earlier, he was involved in a high-speed police chase, driving along the Champs Elysees at 90mph in his black Porsche. When stopped by police, his bodyguards attacked the officers.

No charges were brought after Libyan diplomats apologised.

In 2003 he was involved in a brawl in Rome that left six photographers hospitalised and he also caused mayhem while on holiday there in 2001, hurling bottles and attacking three policemen after a night downing cocktails.

Colonel Gaddafi, who has seven sons and one daughter, is said to despair of Hannibal's wayward behaviour, which is a far cry from that of his oldest son by his second marriage, Saif al-Islam, who is favourite to succeed him.

Suave and urbane, Saif, 37, was educated at the London School of Economics and counts Prince Andrew among his friends.

Although he too has attracted controversy after being heavily involved in the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al Megrahi, whom he accompanied home to a hero's welcome in August.

The Libyan Embassy last night declined to comment on the alleged incident at Claridge's.



source: dailymail

PICTURE SPECIAL: David Beckham arrives at AC Milan with all GUNS blazing

By Sportsmail Reporter

Training: Beckham is put through his paces alongside Mathieu Flamini and Clarence Seedorf (above), after earlier arriving at the complex in northern Italy


David Beckham flew into Italy yesterday to rejoin AC Milan as Fabio Capello confirmed that if he is fit he will be in England's World Cup squad.

The England manager's vote of confidence came as Beckham arrived by private jet for medical checks at the Milanello training ground - where he was met by an armed security guard.

Beckham, 34, was at the Serie A giants for three months earlier this year but will now remain with them until the end of the season.

Italian job: Beckham is greeted by staff members at the club
In an interview with Gazzetta Dello Sport, Capello said: 'If Beckham plays (in Milan) and if he is fit I will certainly take him to South Africa. I don't look at players' ages but at their qualities.
'He is serious, a great professional and he is really dedicated to making the World Cup.'
Beckham's first game in Italy is expected to be against either Genoa at home next Wednesday or away against Juventus four days later.





Icon: Beckham arrived in Milan looking typically stylish before driving himself into the city about 25miles away


In his interview, Capello says he is delighted the Premier League now has three Italian managers - Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea, Roberto Mancini at Manchester City and Gianfranco Zola at West Ham.

He said: 'It's the result of good work at the Coverciano (Italian football training camp) school. it's a badge of honour for our football.'

But he went on to praise football in England, saying: 'The Premier League is the most interesting and enchanting in the world. There are particular aromas. There are full grounds, safety, beauty and a lack of stupidity.

'In Italy we always make the same mistakes - managing the grounds and with the violent fans. We don't solve our problems.'


AC/DB: Beckham hopes his spell with Milan will earn him a place at the World Cup



source: dailymail

Simon Cowell's £15m nightmare in paradise as his plan for a Caribbean hideaway leaves him hugely out of pocket

By Alison Boshoff

Simon Cowell is normally rather a creature of habit during winter.

Every Christmas for the past five years he has holidayed in the exclusive Sandy Lane hotel resort in Barbados, with its manicured beach, £18 Diet Cokes and super-attentive staff. But this year Cowell fancied a change of scenery.

Instead of lounging by Sandy Lane's poolside, Cowell is on a £625,000-a-week super-yacht cruising round Barbados, Grenada and Antigua and St Barts.

But despite such luxurious surroundings, Simon Cowell has reason to feel a shade disgruntled. For, just a few miles along the Barbados shoreline, lies the patch of paradise for which he has paid a large chunk of his fortune.

At the moment, it certainly doesn't look like paradise. Known locally as Black Rock, it remains a spread of rubble and weed, with unfinished roofs and unglazed windows. Hummingbirds, doves, bats and lizards enjoy it for now.

Still, Cowell wishes he was there. This was to be the year when he laid claim to his own home on Barbados - complete with an infinity pool, his own butler, housekeeper, gardener, chef and maids.

He had put down £15million - all in cash, as Cowell makes a point of never taking out a mortgage or any other loan.

The question now is, will he ever see that money again - or receive the keys to what he had hoped would be the finest holiday home money could buy?

Cowell had hoped this would be a place which even his super-rich friends could envy.

But for now, paradise has been postponed. A 2008 finish date for his new-build Caribbean mansion has been officially moved to 2011.

And this week there was no sign of work restarting on the 32-acre site which was to have been the most gilded playground of the rich and famous. Other plots had been snapped up by Lord Lloyd-Webber and Formula 1 boss Eddie Jordan.

Now, though, the scaffolding clasps the shells of the villas in a rusty embrace. Even the site sign which reads 'Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residence - a development by Cinnamon 88' is peeling and tatty.

Work ceased abruptly in February. There is a trail of unpaid creditors and scores of Chinese labourers - brought in to do the job despite local protests - are out of work


Black Rock: Building work has halted and some investors are pressing for their money to be returned


The prime minister of Barbados, David Thompson, is so alarmed by how badly this may dent Barbados's reputation that he has been trying to revive the project for most of this year.

Last week, the developers said there will be an announcement within the next fortnight - a positive one, they indicate - but several such deadlines have come and gone.

Some investors are pressing to reclaim their money. Lord Lloyd-Webber is said to have already taken legal advice. Cowell is said to be 'very relaxed', by comparison, although he has asked to be kept closely informed.

So what went wrong? The men behind what seemed a foolproof plan to make money are experienced British developer and hotelier Mike Pemberton and his business partner, Robin Paterson.

Pemberton has lived on Barbados for 20 years. One of his recent triumphs was building the Sanderson hotel in London and he is also behind other five-star developments in the Caribbean.

The villas for the super-rich on the Black Rock site are modelled after Pemberton's own beachfront house, a Far East-inspired dream home named Alang Alang, which has coconut wood pillars and walls rendered in coral stone. The floors are made of waxed merbau hardwood, the doors of aged Indonesian teak.

Pemberton teamed up with Paterson, the former head of Hamptons estate agency, to purchase the site in 2005 with the help of a £24million loan from the Bank of Scotland. They planned to build 36 villas plus a large new hotel with the Four Seasons group, to appeal to the American market. They believed there was a 'chronic undersupply' of luxury villas for sale and rent.


Relaxed: Cowell takes out a jetski on this year's Christmas holiday where he is staying aboard a luxury yacht


Their optimism seemed well placed - the first phase sold out and the second phase sold well - at least half were bought before work stopped. Buyers paid between £11million and £6million - Cowell paid more because he bought two sites.

The annual service charge was to run at £18,000 allowing owners to have the conveniences of a staffed hotel in their own homes - butlers and other staff would be provided from the five-star Four Seasons hotel whenever villa owners were in residence.

Lady Lloyd-Webber said she was especially attracted by this. 'The idea of being able to pitch up at 2am off a flight to find your home in immaculate condition and then order room service is the ultimate luxury,' she said.

But from the start it has not gone smoothly. There was controversy when it emerged that 600 Chinese workers had been flown on to the island - and allegations that they did not have work permits.

Some locals asked the government to intervene, but there was a compromise and the Chinese were allowed to stay. Pemberton promised he would try to hire as many Barbadians as possible.

Black Rock is very near the bustling port - and also near to Barbados's famous turtles, which attract hordes of tourist boats. Those who have plonked down millions to live on the 'platinum coast' will find - if their villas are ever finished - that they have to share their fine white sand with hordes of daytrippers.

Michael Winner, a famous fan of Sandy Lane and of Barbados, said that he felt that the development was simply on the wrong part of the island - overcrowded and too close to the port. 'You can't get near the sodding turtles because of the sodding tourists,' he exclaimed.

The onset of the global financial downturn last year did not, at first, seem to affect the development.


Luxury: Sandy Lane hotel resort (above and below) where Simon Cowell normally spends the festive period


However, as the financial crisis deepened, the suits who run The Four Seasons in Canada seemed to get cold feet and funding ran into difficulties. Some £280million was required to achieve the luxury finish desired and the funding fell through as the banks failed.

In a statement, the Four Seasons said that despite the 'current global crisis', construction would resume 'within the next week and the 2011 completion date was not affected'.

As the weeks following that announcement have turned into months, the idea of a 2011 finish seems far fetched. Pemberton has spent months seeking investors and hints that work may be begin again in January thanks to new interest from a French Canadian Group.

He said: 'All the creditors will eventually be paid. You have to keep everyone happy on a small island like this.'

Cowell - who has a home in Holland Park, West London, as well as a mansion in LA - is understood to remain patient with the developers, but is keen for an end to the uncertainty.

His spokesman, Max Clifford, said: 'Simon is very relaxed about it. It is taking a lot longer than it should have done, but he sort of expected that. His brother, Nicholas, is a property developer, so Simon does understand that end of business.

'I would also say he has been so busy this year that he has hardly noticed the time going by. We were talking about it a couple of weeks ago and we said that it seemed like just two or three months rather than a year.

'Simon is probably the most successful person on the planet. Everything he has touched has turned to gold. Generally, everyone is struggling, in TV and in music, but he has done incredibly well with them both. He is keeping himself informed about what is going on, but you know you can hardly say that he is suffering, in the circumstances.'

Presumably though, he would still like to know when he will get the chance to launch a jetski from his own beach...


source: dailymail

HOPE

DEATH OF A CHEESE AND ONION SANDWICH


He really shouldn’t have uttered those words again! It was Thursday for God’s sake. Steak and onions day! Now he lies there dead, next to the fridge…a beached whale…a proud-looking Newbridge carving knife wedged into a steak-gorged belly like a flag of surrender. "Hey didn’t I do well!"…if knives could talk…"and you thought getting a set of us for your fiftieth was a sad joke in bad taste. Not sexy! Women… just can’t fathom them!" Why did someone draw you like this? Purple- blotched legs, hairless, joined to a confusion of penis and testicles bandaged in bri-nylon, knobbly blue underpants. Flabby, flaky folds of creased blackhead-ridden neck escapes from a blue and white striped Van Heusen. What a grotesque last sketch of you!

Interesting men… or should I say men, who think they are interesting, need not concern themselves with irritating things like romance or sexual foreplay. Forget the flowers, candle-lit dinners, Armani suits and armpits. A shower! Don’t be ridiculous…they’re for wimps. Funny, I think, I never caught you outside Tesco conducting a survey on the subject. Did you ever ask me or any other woman for that matter what does ‘it’ for her, or indeed, her opinions about anything.

Oh…and once a woman is over forty-five, bundle her into the ‘M’ Box, throw away the key, letting her out again at sixty. All her dreams of exploring herself and the world will have stopped scaring the shit out of you by then. You can complain how your wife no longer understands you…just lies on her back thinking of the fatherland, enabling you to screw, without guilt, the girl from under the tree at Spar. Smelling like a septic tank you will belch and fart your inevitable path to nothingness, without any protestations from her indoors. She’ll be too busy with the grandchildren. Dreams of adventures lying… rotting in the ‘M’ Box compost heap.

Lighting a cigarette, making coffee, sadness seeps in through a crack. Why…after all these years?

You fuck your secretary as you always do on a Thursday, after eating your carefully-triangularized cheese and onion sandwiches. Grunting, groaning ..she continues to pleasure you orally. Unexpectedly, she finds herself wiping away semen from her chin, whilst trying not to heave, drowning in the stench of onions and rancid armpits. ‘Eh up, its Thursday, Steak and Onions tonight… no-one cooks a bit of steak like the wife!’ he snorts. .

My name...you used to love my name!

Zipping up your trousers and reaching for another cheese and onion sandwich, you stuff into a cavern, that my tongue once explored with an aching, helpless desire.






Secretary pulls up her sexy, black Thursday pantees. Didn’t even get a chance to fake it today! Twenty years of faking it. A woman knows these things … silly cow! Thinks she loves you. Perhaps she does! Just once, she thinks, an explosion of pleasure… a trembling… crying softly…fulfilled in your arms. Pantees re-positioned, she wonders why you never ask whether she enjoyed it, how many brothers and sisters she has, when her birthday is…so he can send flowers. Biting her lip, grieving for lost Thursday orgasms, a defiant tear appears, Secretary asks ‘Do you love me George…even a little bit?’ Poor pathetic bastard, George! Never was comfortable with that four-letter word. He is choking at this point, pulling at shirt-collar with nicotined, trifle-sponge fingers. ‘Now look ‘ere, I laid my cards on’t table from word go. A bit of slap and tickle of a Thursday lunch-time and nowt else!’ splutters whale.






I should feel angry! Am I pathetic? Why didn't I just leave him... after the accident.

A stream of crimson trickles along the grout between Thursday-scrubbed terracotta floor tiles, redirecting my gaze to the heap… ‘turkey in plastic’ lookalike, George. It’s not even that I hate you!

But...that question! "Why did I let go of his hand?" you ask it, again...over and over...again! I see only the ugliness... yours...mine... and that of the world beyond! I want the hearth of us to be fuelled again with beauty! I want things to be the way they were...the way we were... the three of us!

‘Tim…TIM…TIMMY…STOP!!!’ My screams wake me…same nightmare again. He sees you, his daddy across the street and wrenches his hand from my curled grip. Hit by a red van, he is hurtled upwards like an empty paper bag. I am frozen…can’t get to him. He's twitching there...a leaf sneezing...then nothing. Breeze stops. Life stops. My son... my only child.

You have never forgiven me! You can't forgive me! It wasn't my fault I tell you!

Tears wash clean floor, as key opens front door. You walk in, stop at kitchen table. ‘Look at me…look at me!’ I scream, not out loud. You touch my arm, ‘Don’t give me cheese and onion sandwiches ofa Thursday anymore! Gone right off 'em... twenty years...! Perhaps a bit of corned beef next Thursday, just for a change!’ Puts kettle on.

END FOR NOW... TO BE FATTENED AND CONTINUED

Maureen Walsh 2009 ©

I wrote most of this story almost four years ago. Not totally sure where it came from, but I think it is a tale of the sadness and tragedy of non-communication, but more importantly... HOPE. It is only a first draft, with much to be done on characterization, connection technique etc., but I'm thinking it might work better in a 'play' format.

MMFF 2009 Awards - Complete List of Winners

Here is the complete list of winners of the just-concluded awards night of the 35th Metro Manila Film Festival which was held last night, December 28, at the SMX Convention Center of SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City:

1st BEST PICTURE:
Ang Panday (Imus Productions/GMA Films)

2nd BEST PICTURE:
I Love You, Goodbye (Star Cinema)

3rd BEST PICTURE:
Ang Darling Kong Aswang (Octoarts/APT Entertainment)

ANTONIO VILLEGAS CULTURAL AWARD:
Mano Po 6: A Mother’s Love (Regal Films)

BEST ACTOR:
Bong Revilla (Ang Panday)

BEST ACTRESS:
Sharon Cuneta (Mano Po 6: A Mother’s Love)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Phillip Salvador (Ang Panday)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Heart Evangelista (Mano Po 6: A Mother’s Love)

BEST DIRECTOR:
Joel Lamangan (Mano Po 6: A Mother’s Love)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Lee Meily (I Love You, Goodbye)

BEST FILM EDITOR:
Manet Dayrit (I Love You, Goodbye)

BEST ORIGINAL STORY:
Vanessa Valdez, Kriz Gazmen & Karen Ramos (I Love You, Goodbye)

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS:
Ang Panday

BEST SOUND RECORDING:
Ang Panday

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN:
Ang Panday

BEST MAKE-UP:
Shake, Rattle and Roll XI

BEST ORIGINAL THEMESONG:
"Ang Panday" (Ang Panday) by Ogie Alcasid

BEST MUSICAL SCORE:
Mano Po 6

BEST CHILD PERFORMER:
Robert "Buboy" Villar (Ang Panday)

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:
Dolphy

Craig Bellamy committed to Manchester City as striker backs new manager Roberto Mancini

By Sportsmail Reporter

Perfect start: Bellamy and Mancini shake hands after the win over Stoke


Craig Bellamy has ruled out a move away from Manchester City and insists new manager Roberto Mancini has his full support.

The Welsh striker has been linked with a move away from City in the January transfer window but he has dismissed claims that the exit of his countryman Mark Hughes will have any impact on his future at Eastlands.

Hughes was dismissed by City nine days ago, and former Inter Milan boss Mancini has taken his place, beginning his tenure with a 2-0 win over Stoke.

Bellamy began that match on the bench but insists he wants to play for Mancini and help City achieve their targets.

He told the Daily Mirror: 'I want to stay and I am going to stay. I am committed to that. I am committed to Man City.

'I have bought into the idea of where Man City is going to go and I am a huge part of where it is at this stage.

'I have no problem with Mancini. It's not his problem he's here. What happened to Mark Hughes has got nothing to do with him.

'I hope Mancini will stay for a long time because I am from the mould of thinking stability is the key to success. I hope he gets a number of years to do it and, as long as I last, I will give my all for him.'


source: dailymail

Smith and South Africa rattled as England stick to their slow Trott in Durban

By Paul Newman

Leisurely stroll: England's Jonathan Trott takes his time against South Africa in Durban


Jonathan Trott took some ever-so-measured steps on Sunday towards making another big impact on this series and, at the same time, got right up South Africa’s noses.

Trott has been welcomed back with open arms to the country of his birth, certainly relative to the treatment still meted out here to team-mate Kevin Pietersen

Leisurely stroll: England's Jonathan Trott takes his time against South Africa in Durban

Yet he is in danger of turning himself into home captain Graeme Smith’s new bete noire with his precise and, South Africa insist, calculated routine of keeping bowlers waiting before he is ready to face up.

He was at it again on Sunday at a pivotal moment of this second Test when, after Andrew Strauss had launched a gung-ho counter-attack, he arrived at his own snail’s pace to repel Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn and Paul Harris until bad light ended the second day prematurely under the full glare of the Kingsmead floodlights.

Trott, who painstakingly makes his mark and takes guard several times, survived to see England through to 103 for one in reply to South Africa’s 343 but has incurred the wrath of his old mate Smith and, if South Africa have anything to do with it, umpires Aleem Dar and Ameish Saheba.


Captain Marvel: England skipper Andrew Strauss smashed a quickfire half ton on day two in Durban


‘It’s getting pretty frustrating but it’s something we’re dealing with,’ said South Africa batsman AB de Villiers. ‘The umpires are aware of our feelings and I think we’re at the point where it may get him into trouble. It affects the bowlers’ rhythms. Smithy has had a word with Trott and I think he’s listening.’

That remains a contentious point. Trott, who is clearly happy to ruffle some illustrious feathers, has cocked a deaf ear to South African grumbling so far and may feel that if he gets under their skin he is doing his job.

Certainly the way he twice unfurled a classic cover drive in his unbeaten 17 suggests that he is continuing to be calm and unhurried at the crease.

‘He’s always taken his time, which I can vouch for having shouted abuse at him from slip in county cricket,’ said spinner Graeme Swann, who was again England’s top wicket-taker in conditions that should have suited the seamers far more.

‘I can understand South Africa’s frustration but I don’t think he’s taking too long. It’s just that it’s been highlighted now and everyone is looking for it.’

Trott’s go-slow was the final twist in another absorbing chapter in the ‘game of chess’ England selector Ashley Giles rightly predicted this series would become.


Swann in: Graeme Swann is congratulated after taking his fourth wicket


The disappointingly small crowd of 7,000 or so, who turned up to watch the second day under leaden Durban skies, saw South Africa score at least 50 more than England would have hoped when they resumed on 175 for five, thanks to an impressive last-wicket assault on Swann by Dale Steyn.

But they then watched Strauss repair the late damage inflicted on his bowlers with a magisterial array of strokes against wayward South Africa bowling. His dominance seemed certain to bring a second consecutive Test century at Kingsmead until Morkel came round the wicket to conquer him.

England at last made the decision review system work for them, after four squandered calls in Centurion, when Swann successfully overturned Saheba’s decision to rule Mark Boucher not out.


The real Dale: South African paceman Dale Steyn thumps another boundary on the way to his swashbuckling 47


But then it backfired yet again when Hawk-Eye’s ‘infallible’ eye confirmed the judgment of Dar and Saheba to uphold not out decisions against De Villiers and Morkel. That meant that when Indian official Saheba ruled Makhaya Ntini not out playing no stroke to Swann at the start of South Africa’s last-wicket stand of 58, England had no recourse to the technology that would almost certainly have vindicated their review. It would cost them dearly.

So brutal was Steyn’s assault on Swann that he smashed him for three long sixes and, when Jimmy Anderson tried to end his fun, Steyn cut him off the back foot for four with the execution of a specialist batsman.


Gloomy Sunday: The floodlights were on throughout much of the day's play at Kingsmead


In such conditions, South Africa’s score was worth at least 50 more, but Strauss so dominated his opening stand with Alastair Cook that he reached his 50 while his under-pressure partner had jogged along to eight.


South Africa coach Mickey Arthur had ‘harsh words’ with his bowlers during a half-hour break for bad light and drizzle, and when they returned Morkel produced a beauty to castle Strauss and bring Trott, slowly, to the crease.

Just as happy to be there with Trott at the close was Cook who, while becoming the youngest Englishman to play 50 Tests at 25 years and one day, desperately needs a big score here.

Cook may have started slowly but he quietly found his feet and launched Harris for four over cow corner with his new slog-sweep shot that he experimented with in one-day cricket for Essex last summer. He remains in situ on 31 and on Monday needs to convert that score into his first half century - and more - in 11 Tests.

South Africa’s biggest worry comes in the form of Ntini, controversially preferred here to Friedel de Wet - the star of the home side’s late push for victory in Centurion.

Ntini is looking more and more a spent force. He managed just three expensive overs - Strauss striking him for three fours in four balls - before being banished to the boundary. Ntini’s continued place in the side is going to come under increasing scrutiny, even if he is just 10 short of 400 Test wickets.

source: dailymail

Real/Reel: Pacman to File Legal Case Againts Floyd Mayweatjer Jr. and Co.

Real: Boxing champ Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao plans to file libel charges against Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his father Mayweather Sr. and Golden Boy Promotions for wrongly accusing Pacquiao of using performance-enhancing drugs (PED) and demanded that he take an un-required blood test, giving the impression that his recent successes might be due to some type of performance-enhancing drug.

Here is Pacquiao's official statement:

"Enough is enough. These people, Mayweather Sr., Jr. and Golden Boy Promotions, think it is a joke and a right to accuse someone wrongly of using steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs. I have tried to just brush it off as a mere pre-fight ploy, but I think they have gone overboard.

"I have instructed my promoter, Bob Arum, head of Top Rank, Inc., to help me out in the filing of the case as soon as possible...

"I maintain and assure everyone that I have not used any form or kind of steroids and my way to the top is a result of hard work, hard work, hard work, and a lot of blood spilled from my past battles in the ring, not outside of it."

Reel: PBB Double Up Update: Cathy Remperas is the new Head of Household. Nominated for eviction this week are Rica Paras, Sam Pinto, Johan Santos, and Paul Jake Castillo.

Reel: StarStruck V Update: Sef Cadayona is the fourth to be eliminated. He was joined in the bottom group by Princess Snell and Rox Montealegre.

Single girl Tamara Mellon puts love split behind her as she holidays with designer pal Marc Jacobs

Fashionable pair: Designers Tamara Mellon and Marc Jacobs soaked up the sun in their skimpy swimwear in St Barts


After splitting from Christian Slater earlier this year, Tamara Mellon is taking the single life in her stride.

So instead of spending Christmas alone with only her daughter for company, the Jimmy Choo boss has jetted to St Barts with her gay best friend.

The 42-year-old brunette was spotted showing off her slender figure in a skimpy bikini yesterday as she chatted to designer Marc Jacobs and his boyfriend Lorenzo Martone

Wearing a multi-coloured two-piece, Tamara looked relaxed and tanned as she mingled on the beach with fellow millionaires.

Her friend Marc also opted for skimpy swimwear as he showed off his tattooed body in a tight pair of black swimming trunks.

Also seen on the beach was Tamara's seven-year-old daughter Minty, whose father is the designer's ex-husband Matthew Mellon.

After chatting to several people on the beach, Tamara cooled down from the warm 27c with a dip in the Caribbean sea.


Svelte: After enjoying a dip in the Caribbean sea, Tamara threw on a grey vest and denim hotpants before returning to her hotel


As she prepared to return to her hotel suite, Tamara threw a grey vest and denim hotpants over her wet bikini.

The multi-millionaire businesswoman is a big fan of St Barts and often holidays there

In fact, she was only there a year ago, enjoying the sun, sea and sand with Christian, who she split from in March.

They blamed work pressures for the break up of their two-year romance.


Mingling: Tamara laughs as she shares a joke with a male friend
Other stars spending Christmas on St Barts include Canadian singer Avril Lavigne, who recently split from husband Deryck Whibley.

Meanwhile, St Barts is set to be the location of a £3million New Year's Eve party hosted by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and his pregnant girlfriend Dasha Zhukova.

Prince is expected to perform for the rich and famous guests, expected to include Sir Philip Green, Simon Cowell and Jude Law - all currently holidaying in the Caribbean.


source: dailymail

Love Thadani is "Bro" in ABS-CBN's May Bukas Pa

Ang star ng Pasko and Santino's bestfriend who he fondly called "Bro" in the hit ABS-CBN teleserye 'May Bukas Pa' is finally revealed.

His name is Love Thadani, a Fil-Indian-Italian model who had his first share of limelight courtesy of his ex-girlfriend Chx Alcala of Pinoy Big Brother first season.

Kung Tayo'y Magkakalayo - Full Trailer

ABS-CBN has released the full trailer of the much anticipated teleserye of 2010 titled, "Kung Tayo'y Magkakalayo" which stars the Philippine tv's phenomenal loveteam of 2009, Kimerald.

Kung Tayo'y Magkakalayo also marks the teleserye comeback of Ms. Kris Aquino.

Kung Tayo'y Magkakalayo - Full trailer:

Kung Tayo'y Magkakalayo which will premiere on January 18, 2010 also stars Gabby Concepcion, Albert Martinez, Gina Pareno, Jacklyn Jose, Maricar Reyes, Max Eigenmann and Coco Martin.

Your Song Presents: My Last Romance - Full Trailer

Your Song Presents: My Last Romance is the next featured love story of ABS-CBN's Sunday noontime drama special "Your Song Presents".

My Last Romance stars Toni Gonzaga and Luis Manzano. In support is character actress Alessandra de Rossi.

Your Song Presents: My Last Romance - Full trailer:

Your Song Presents: My Last Romance premieres this Sunday, January 3, 2010 only on ABS-CBN.

PBB Double UP Update: Patrick Villanueva is Evicted

Patrick Villanueva, 32-year-old Charming Banker ng Baguio, is the 7th evictee of the Live eviction night of ABS-CBN’s Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) Double Up.

Patrick received the lowest tallied save and evict votes to be the 7th housemate to leave Kuya's house.

The percentage of votes are as follows:

Patrick Villanueva – +1.41
Kath Lopeña – +6.13
Cathy Remperas – +4.96

"Napatunayan kong kaya kong makisama sa ibang tao at alagaan sila (I proved that I could get along with other people and take care of them as well)," Patrick said after the results have been announced.

Before the live eviction night, the German visitor Annina bid farewell to the housemates and Pinoy Big Brother. "The most important lesson I learned from the housemates was that to continue being myself," she said.

MMFF 2009 Official First Day Box Office Result

The 2009 Metro Manila Film Festival through Mr. Ric Camaligan, Chairman - MMFF Parade and Programs Executive Committee, revealed the first day ranking of the films included at the 34th Metro Manila Film Festival. In ranking order, these films are:

Official 1st Day MMFF Gross:

1. Ang Panday – P16.9M
2. Ang Darling Kong Aswang – P16.7M
3. Shake, Rattle and Roll XI – P16.2M
4. I Love You, Goodbye – P11.7M
5. Nobody Nobody But Juan – P8M
6. Mano Po 6 – P6.9M
7. Wapakman – P750,000.00

Telecom firms criticise plan for 'Stasi'-like checks on every phone call and email

By Jonathan Petre, Mail on Sunday Reporter and Tom Harper, Mail on Sunday Reporter

Telecoms firms have accused the Government of acting like the East German Stasi over plans to force them to store the details of every phone call for at least a year.


Under the proposals, the details of every email sent and website visited will also be recorded to help the police and security services fight crime and terrorism.

But mobile phone companies have attacked the plans as a massive assault on privacy and warned it could be the first step towards a centralised ‘Big Brother’ database.

They have also told the Home Office that the scheme is deeply flawed.

The criticism of Britain’s growing ‘surveillance culture’ was made in a series of responses to an official consultation on the plans, which have been obtained by The Mail on Sunday.

T-Mobile said in its submission that it was a ‘particularly sensitive’ time as many people were commemorating the 20th anniversary of the protests that led to the collapse of ‘surveillance states in Eastern Europe’.

Martin Hopkins, head of data protection and disclosure, said: ‘It would be extremely ironic if we at T-Mobile (UK) Ltd had to acquire the surveillance functionality envisaged by the Consultation Document at the same time that our parent company, headquartered in Germany, was celebrating the 20th anniversary of the demise of the equivalent systems established by the Stasi in the federal states of the former East Germany.’

Equally trenchant was the response from Hutchinson 3G Uk Ltd, which read: ‘We take seriously the responsibility of safeguarding our customers’ information and data, and are unconvinced of the safeguards that the Government might make to protect against loss.’


Ulrich Mühe playing East German Stasi Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler in the Oscar-winning The Lives of Others


The firm also said it had ‘substantial concerns’ over claims that public authorities would only be able to access data on a ‘case-by-case’ basis. It is understood hundreds of public bodies and quangos may also be able to obtain information from the system.

‘It is our belief the safeguards listed in this consultation are incomplete and do not extend far enough,’ it added.

Orange and Vodafone were also highly critical, with a spokesman for Orange saying: ‘The proposals are clearly not about “maintaining” capabilities but rather about “enhancing” existing capabilities.

‘Any debate should address what many will see as a worrying extension of the so-called “surveillance culture”.’

Since October 2007, telecoms companies have been obliged to keep records for a year. Under the new legislation, however, they will also be required to organise it better – for example, by grouping calls made by the same person.

Internet service providers have been required to hold records on emails and website visits since April.

Police and security services can already obtain such information if they are given permission by the courts.

The public will reimburse internet service providers and telecoms companies for the costs associated with storing the billions of records.

A Home Office spokesman said: ‘The police and security services need to be able to use communication data in the fight against crime and terrorism. Communications data forms an important element of prosecution evidence in 95 per cent of the serious crime cases.

‘Access to communications data under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act is subject to strict safeguards around how, when and by whom data is obtained.’

The activities of the Stasi, the former East Germany’s secret police, were memorably depicted in the Oscar-winning film The Lives Of Others, starring Ulrich Mühe. At the regime’s height, there were 200,000 agents and informers in a population of only 16million.


source: dailymail

Hayden Panettiere and Sylvester Stallone spend Christmas LA-style as they gather courtside at basketball game

Big match: Sylvester Stallone and Hayden Panettiere greet each other at the LA Lakers VS Cleveland Cavaliers game held at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles


While their British counterparts were no doubt tucking into Christmas dinner and watching EastEnders, a variety of U.S. stars took front row seats at a basketball game.

And Sylvester Stallone appeared more interested in Heroes actress Hayden Panettiere than the action going on on the court at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles on Christmas Day.

The 63-year-old action movie star looked overjoyed to see the 20-year-old star as she approached him during the game.

Wearing a Lakers endorsed Adidas tracksuit top, the young actress appeared just as pleased flashing a huge grin as she greeted the Rocky actor during the match between the LA Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers.


source: dailymail

GMA-7 Telebabad Line-up for 2010

If you happen to watched any of the 2009 MMFF movie entries in any theaters nationwide, you probably have seen the new and exciting list of GMA-7 telebabad shows for 2010.

Here’s the list:

CAPTAIN BARBELL: ANG PAGBABALIK – Richard Gutierrez is reprising his role as Mars Ravelo’s most popular male superhero.

THE LAST PRINCE – GMA-7 is putting back "Alkris" loveteam in the main primetime block with support from Rosalinda stars Geoff Eigenmann and Carla Abellana.

ENCANTADIA: THE SECOND SAGA – Previously starred by Iza Calzado, Diana Zubiri, Sunshine Dizon and Karylle.

DIVA – A music-themed teleserye starring Regine Velasquez, Mark Anthony Fernandez and Glaiza de Castro.

PANDAY KIDS – This series is topbilled by Jolina Magdangal, JC de Vera, Polo Ravales, Lovi Poe, Jackie Rice and Buboy Villar.

ENDLESS LOVE – The tandem of Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera was able to top nationwide tv ratings via Marimar and Dyesebel. Their third series, “Ang Babaeng Hinugot sa Aking Tadyang”, was mediocre. This time they will be reunited with the Philippine adaptation of the hit koreanovela Endless Love: Autumn in My Heart.

Watch the GMA-7 2010 Telebabad Line-up teaser below:

Charlie Sheen Released on Bond, Due in Court February

The actor who is accused of choking his wife Brooke Mueller has posted a sum of money as bail but has to face the court next year.

Charlie Sheen, who was arrested and put behind bars in Aspen on Christmas day, has been released on bond. The actor who was in the Colorado area for holiday posted an $8,500 bond on Friday, December 25 evening and was released from jail at around 7 P.M.

Earlier that day, he was booked for second-degree assault, menacing and criminal mischief, a spokesperson for the Pitkin County Sheriff's Department in Aspen said. The victim is thought to be his wife Brooke Mueller who refused treatment when the ambulance came. Sheen is due in court on February 8, 2010 at 10.30 A.M.

A call was made to 911 regarding domestic violence happening at 320 West Hallam Street in Aspen. Radar Online reported that Mueller claimed Sheen choked her during a heated argument. Mueller allegedly was already in Aspen without her husband and Sheen later flew over. It is still unclear whether their twin boys were with them when the incident happened.


aceshowbiz

Did Dustin Hoffman exploit the Rain Man? After his death this week, his father makes a startling accusation

By David Jones

Kim Peek (left) with his father Fran and Dustin Hoffman (right) who portrayed him in Rain Man


During a career spanning half-acentury and more than 60 films, Dustin Hoffman has forged a reputation for portraying unusual characters with extraordinary empathy and idiosyncratic brilliance.

According to many critics, however, his defining role was that of Raymond Babbitt, the autistic genius who could instantly solve the most complicated maths calculations and memorise entire phone directories, in the 1988 movie Rain Main.

The script was famously inspired by the true story of Kim Peek, who was classified as ' mentally retarded' as a child, but was later discovered to possess such amazing brainpower that medical experts later called him The Living Google.

And Peek's father, Fran Peek, claims Hoffman honed his Oscar-winning performance by studying his son's peculiar mannerisms, movements and diction during an intense six-hour encounter at a Hollywood studio.

When the two men parted, Mr Peek senior claims, the star was so profoundly moved that he rubbed noses with the real-life Rain Man (Kim's habitual way of showing affection) and told him, Peek says: 'I may be the star - but you are the heavens.'

This week, therefore, when it was announced that Kim Peek had died suddenly of a heart attack, aged only 58, his father says he expected Hoffman to send his condolences, at least. Though he has received hundreds of sympathy messages, however, he has heard nothing from the star.

Instead, an unedifying war of words has broken out between the grieving Mr Peek, 83, who accuses Hoffman of shunning his treasured son, and the actor's camp who say Kim's influence on the film project has been grossly overplayed.


Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman starring in the 1988 film 'Rain Man'

How has this sad situation come about? The origins of the dispute date back a quarter of a century to 1984, when Hollywood scriptwriter Barry Morrow met Kim Peek at a meeting of the Association of Retarded Citizens in Texas, and was astonished by his great brainpower.

After discovering that Kim, then 33, was able to reel off every address in the 50 states of America, complete with zip codes, he decided to write a movie based around his phenomenal gifts.

Until then, Kim had lived reclusively with his family in Salt Lake City, but Morrow urged his father to show his son's talents to the world.

Nearly five years passed before Rain Man was released to huge acclaim, in December, 1988. Kim was duly thanked, both in the film's credits and by Hoffman himself during his acceptance speech after winning an Oscar for Best Actor.

Soon afterwards, remem-bering Morrow's entreaty, his father began touring the country with his son on public speaking engagements.

Drawing on the film's huge popularity, they aimed to break down the stigma surrounding mental impediment by demonstrating Kim's exceptional abilities before an audience, and - though he could not understand the concept of fame - 'the real Rain Man', as he was announced, became a celebrity.

A few years later, Fran Peek also wrote a book, titled The Real Rain Man, about his son's moving struggle with Savant syndrome, the rare condition which gave him extraordinary powers of recall even though he was so disabled he could not wash or dress unaided.

His talents were so amazing that studio bosses thought they beggared belief, however, and Morrow's original film script was extensively rewritten to make it more believable, and bears little relation to Kim's life.

Hoffman also later stated that his characterisation was largely based on another man, Peter Guthrie, whose behaviour he studied. He was not a savant, like Kim, but instead suffered from autism.

For a quarter of a century, however, Kim Peek has been regarded as the film's inspiration - and speaking at length for the first time since his son died in his arms last Saturday, Fran Peek maintained it would never have been made were it not for his son.

But he claimed Hoffman - or his aides - had effectively 'cut off' Kim after the film came out, refusing to accept phone calls or answer messages. This, he says, was 'one of the sad things about Rain Man'.

'I tried to call him several times, but I could never get through,' says Mr Peek. 'After we met him at the studios in Hollywood, when he studied Kim's behaviour, we heard from him only once more, four or five years ago, when Kim won an award from the Christopher Reeve Foundation for helping other people with disabilities, and he sent a video lasting 30 seconds, congratulating Kim.

'It would have been nice to receive some sort of message this week, and I would be very, very pleased and honoured if Mr Hoffman comes to his funeral next Tuesday. He might surprise me by showing up, but I doubt it.'

To be fair, scriptwriter Barry Morrow was one of the first to offer condolences.
Hoffman was paid $5.8 million for the film, plus a percentage of its gross earnings, which topped $172 million at the box office and have multiplied many times with video sales and TV repeats.

Kim could have worked out Hoffman's earnings to the last decimal point - but it would not take a mathematical genius to work out what he received himself. The answer is zero.

'We weren't business people, and anyway we weren't trying to sell him for anything,' explained Mr Peek. 'I never asked for royalties. That just wouldn't have seemed right. The film people did send $10,000 to be put in trust for Kim.

But then the state took away his Medicaid (the modest monthly disability payment on which he lived) because he wasn't supposed to have assets of more than $2,400.'

By his account, it all sounds rather unfair - yet, according to a source close to Hoffman, it is the actor who is being unjustly maligned.

While Hoffman did, indeed, meet Kim Peek, says the source, he barely recalls their encounter, which was one of several character studies he arranged before filming. He denies he would ever have said the quotable: 'I may be the star - but you are the heavens.'

Moreover, Fran Peek's insistence that his son provided the model for Raymond Babbitt's character was spurious. 'All these years he's been claiming his son to be the real Rain Man, but nobody ever wanted to call the man a liar by refuting it.'

Hoffman's character was based on the young autistic man, Peter Guthrie, the source added, while his co-star Tom Cruise drew traits from Peter's brother Kevin, a handsome young football player.

'Dustin stays in touch with Peter and Kevin, and they were credited and paid. It's obviously sad that Mr Peek's son has died, but how can he be accused of shunning Kim when he never knew him?'

Whatever the truth, however, Mr Peek says he has no wish to dwell on it. For whether or not it inspired Dustin Hoffman, the 'true Rain Man' story is remarkable and uplifting.

It began in Salt Lake City, where the man who became known as the Living Google, was born on November 11, 1951.

From his first moments, it was clear something was very wrong.

His head was abnormally large, with a baseball-sized blister at the back where his brain protruded through his skull, and his eyes moved independently of one another.

When he was nine months old, a psychologist pronounced him 'mentally retarded' and urged his parents to put him in an institution - the young Raymond Babbitt's fate in the film.

To their eternal credit, however, the Peeks ignored this advice and took Kim home, even though Mr Peek was then a busy advertising executive and his wife worked as an estate agent.

Kim couldn't walk until he was four and was a teenager before he was able to climb stairs.

His parents gave him love and stimulation, however, and by the time he was 18 months old he had developed the first of many intriguing peculiarities. Whenever a book had been read to him, he would place it back on the shelf upside down.

As his parents came to realise, this signified that he had memorised it word for word, and by the end of his life he could recall the smallest detail from some 12,000 books, including the complete works of Shakespeare and the Bible.

Mr and Mrs Peek began to suspect their son possessed unusual gifts when he was three. 'He asked us what "confidential" meant, and before we could answer he'd looked the word up in a dictionary,' his father recalls, laughing.

The medical establishment and educational authorities treated him disgracefully, however.

At six, it was suggested that he have a lobotomy to 'cure' his incessant chattering, fidgeting and pacing up and down; and when he attended school, aged seven, he was expelled for being 'uncontrollable' after just seven minutes in class.

Thereafter, tutors were sent to his home for just 45 minutes, twice a week. They were astonished at the speed with which he devoured books, never realising that he possessed the uncanny ability to read one page with his left eye while at the same time reading the opposite page with his right.

By 14, he had completed the high school curriculum four years ahead of schedule, but it was not until he was 18 that he got a job, managing the payroll for 160 people, a task he performed in a few hours a week without even a calculator.

When he was in his early 30s, he was fired because the authorities computerised the pay-roll. But it took two full-time accountants, plus the computer, to replace him.
As Kim seldom ventured outside the house except to go to work, his talents still remained a secret known only to his parents, his younger siblings, Brian and Alison, and a few other relatives.

Even they had no idea just how startlingly exceptional he was until 1988, when Fran Peek had him re-evaluated by a psychiatrist.

Ironically, his aim was to prove that his son's IQ was sufficiently low for him to qualify for state welfare benefits. Yet University of Utah psychiatry professor Daniel Christensen was flabbergasted by what he discovered.

An MRI scan revealed that his brain was missing a vital component: the corpus callosum, a stalk of fibres which joins the brain's two walnut-like halves and enables information to pass between them.

There was damage to the left hemisphere of his brain. This controls abstract and conceptual thoughts while the right hemisphere stores facts and derives meaning from concrete objects and events.

These defects may have accounted for his savantism, a condition first identified by the 19th century British physician John Langdon Down (the physician who first described Down's syndrome), and derived from the French word savant, meaning someone of great learning or knowledge.

Down called his patients 'idiot savants' because - as with Ki

m Peek - they were physically unco-ordinated and their skills were severely limited, for all their extraordinary gifts.

By the Eighties, such patients were classified as 'talented' or 'prodigious' savants, depending on their powers. Ordinarily, their ability to retain enormous amounts of information covers just one or two subjects - maths and literature, for example.

But Kim Peek's knowledge extended to 15 areas, including geography, world history, the space programme, religion and music, so he was described as a 'mega-savant'.

His knowledge quotient was set at 188, making him a genius to rank with Einstein.

When it came to his ability to relate to people, socialise, and express his feelings, however, it was a very different matter.

Surprisingly, his father told me Kim once had a girlfriend, whom he met through a group for disabled people. She suffered from multiple sclerosis, so was largely confined to her home, 35 miles north of Salt Lake City.

But every month Mr Peek senior would take his son to meet her, and they would go to a restaurant and then the cinema.

The relationship wasn't physical. 'I think he was interested in females and respected them, but he never showed any sexual feelings about them,' says his father. 'He wanted her to get out and have some fun.'

His son had a strong sense of duty, and his own moral code, he adds, recalling what happened when he was entered in the 50-yard dash in the Utah Special Olympics, aged 19.

'He was racing against two guys in wheelchairs and as he approached the finishing line he looked back and saw their chairs had got tangled together. So he went back and pushed first one, then the other opponent, through the ribbon before crossing in third place.'

He may have received only a bronze medal, but he won the most important prize for this act: the special sportsmanship award.

At times his curious world view gave rise to poignant humour. As he was unable to understand metaphors, he took everything that was said to him literally.

'If I told him to lower his voice, he would slide down in his chair,' his father remembered fondly. 'And when I said, "Get a grip of yourself", he would grab hold of his own arm.'

Mr Peek says it was partly because he devoted so much time to Kim that his marriage failed in 1981.

Then, after Rain Man was released, he and his son began touring the U.S. and overseas. His ex-wife had reservations about the idea, fearing Kim would be ridiculed if he were paraded on stage.

On his first public appearance, at a local high school, she was proved right. One loutish pupil shouted: 'I have a question - what's it like to be a spastic?'
A stunned silence descended on the hall, and his father held his breath, fearing how his son might react. He needn't have worried.

'Fine - what are you proud of?' Kim fired back. Then he invited the heckler on to the platform, hugged him and pronounced: 'Now you are educated we can be friends!'

Thus began a 20-year speaking career during which he travelled almost three million miles, raised $7 million for charity, and for ever changed millions of people's perceptions toward the disabled.

Kim's premature death was probably not linked to his condition, Dr Christensen says, and his family are heartbroken - no one more so than his father who, for the past two decades, had not left his side for more than a few minutes.

However, his father gives thanks for a life that had so much purpose, and was so remarkable that two U.S. research institutions have requested permission to preserve his brain for medical science (Mr Peek has refused because he wishes Kim to be buried intact).

His tombstone will bear the self-written homily with which he always ended his appearances: 'Learn to recognise differences in others and treat them like you would want them to treat you.

'It will make this a better world to live in. Care and share and do your best. You don't have to be handicapped to be different - everybody is.'

For a man who was so much more remarkable than his film persona, it is a fitting epitaph and makes the row over the Rain Man's true identity seem rather trifling.


dailymail