Potato Head's stepfather, in his own words: "a brief retort to the critics 140 characters works for some things. Sometimes you need more space. I would like to address the spin factories around the world. Over the last week my posts on twitter have received a lot of attention. I have not begged or pulled or asked for any of it. Let me set a few facts straight. 1) I do not think that going off on my neighbor was a horribly offensive thing to do. I have been woken up every morning for the last four months by hammering and construction on a structure that is very close to our property line after being told the land was being purchased to build a park. Yes, there may have been a more diplomatic way to do it and maybe broadcasting it for the net wasn't the wisest choice. My father is a contractor my step father is a contractor. I grew up hiking shingles to the roof of houses and driving nails at 7 am for a living. I have absolute compassion and understanding for the workers. I do however have a job that sometimes forces me to work into the night (sometimes the movie business requires that) and occasionally I like to sleep past 7 am. Yes I live a very fortunate life and for that I am very greatful, I do however work for a living. I have a family that I support and a company that I run daily. And I cherish the 4 to 6 hours that I sleep a day.
Current mood: chipper
2) I didn't "chuck beverages" at the construction workers. They were very happy to see us and laughing at the whole ordeal. I asked them if they wanted something to drink and they said yes. I thought that it would be a nice gesture. I am sorry if some found this offensive. But I know that the workers loved it.
3) I don't feel that my distain for the unwarranted attack on my step daughters by a blogger I will not name is out of line at all.
4) I don't smoke marijuana and any statement to the contrary is a lie. I simply feel that Michael Phelps is entitled to his privacy. The kid made a mistake (he is only human) and anyone who has been in the public eye knows the magnification of minor missteps can be blown way out of proportion. Yes he is a role model and a great one at that. But I'm sure that in his lapse of judgment he wasn't thinking, "boy I hope the whole world can see this so that kids everywhere can copy me." And truth be told, if they went out and trained and worked as hard as he has to reach the great heights of success in their careers I wouldn't hammer them about a slip up either. And in kind I would like to retract any negative statement that I made about the kid who published the pic. I'm sure he/she wasn't in a sober head space while taking it or publishing it for that matter (you are the company you keep). I leave perfection to the creator of this great universe and wouldn't assume that duty on any human being.
5) I find it exceedingly disappointing that the press coverage of my wife and my blog posts have not included the philanthropic pursuits that we have adopted and encourage. Our intention in becoming more active on the web has been with the effort to connect to the community in an effort to create a greater bond with the amazing fans that we have adopted over several years. We are sharing our lives our thought our ideas and yes our faults with the hope of using connectivity and oneness to build a greater unity and take down the walls that divide us. We have dedicated ourselves to building a coalition to abolish 21st century slavery and are smart enough to know that we can't do it alone. But truth be told we are having fun connecting with people and if we are to be defamed for doing so, so be it. We aren't publishing news. We are sharing with a community of people that are sharing back with us. So I only ask that you don't take our conversation out of context and please stop printing half truths in the media so as to drive up your user consumption and sell more ads on the content that you claim to be news."
Potato Head's stepfather, in his own words: "a brief retort to the critics 140 characters works for some things. Sometimes you need more space. I would like to address the spin factories around the world. Over the last week my posts on twitter have received a lot of attention. I have not begged or pulled or asked for any of it. Let me set a few facts straight. 1) I do not think that going off on my neighbor was a horribly offensive thing to do. I have been woken up every morning for the last four months by hammering and construction on a structure that is very close to our property line after being told the land was being purchased to build a park. Yes, there may have been a more diplomatic way to do it and maybe broadcasting it for the net wasn't the wisest choice. My father is a contractor my step father is a contractor. I grew up hiking shingles to the roof of houses and driving nails at 7 am for a living. I have absolute compassion and understanding for the workers. I do however have a job that sometimes forces me to work into the night (sometimes the movie business requires that) and occasionally I like to sleep past 7 am. Yes I live a very fortunate life and for that I am very greatful, I do however work for a living. I have a family that I support and a company that I run daily. And I cherish the 4 to 6 hours that I sleep a day.
Current mood: chipper
2) I didn't "chuck beverages" at the construction workers. They were very happy to see us and laughing at the whole ordeal. I asked them if they wanted something to drink and they said yes. I thought that it would be a nice gesture. I am sorry if some found this offensive. But I know that the workers loved it.
3) I don't feel that my distain for the unwarranted attack on my step daughters by a blogger I will not name is out of line at all.
4) I don't smoke marijuana and any statement to the contrary is a lie. I simply feel that Michael Phelps is entitled to his privacy. The kid made a mistake (he is only human) and anyone who has been in the public eye knows the magnification of minor missteps can be blown way out of proportion. Yes he is a role model and a great one at that. But I'm sure that in his lapse of judgment he wasn't thinking, "boy I hope the whole world can see this so that kids everywhere can copy me." And truth be told, if they went out and trained and worked as hard as he has to reach the great heights of success in their careers I wouldn't hammer them about a slip up either. And in kind I would like to retract any negative statement that I made about the kid who published the pic. I'm sure he/she wasn't in a sober head space while taking it or publishing it for that matter (you are the company you keep). I leave perfection to the creator of this great universe and wouldn't assume that duty on any human being.
5) I find it exceedingly disappointing that the press coverage of my wife and my blog posts have not included the philanthropic pursuits that we have adopted and encourage. Our intention in becoming more active on the web has been with the effort to connect to the community in an effort to create a greater bond with the amazing fans that we have adopted over several years. We are sharing our lives our thought our ideas and yes our faults with the hope of using connectivity and oneness to build a greater unity and take down the walls that divide us. We have dedicated ourselves to building a coalition to abolish 21st century slavery and are smart enough to know that we can't do it alone. But truth be told we are having fun connecting with people and if we are to be defamed for doing so, so be it. We aren't publishing news. We are sharing with a community of people that are sharing back with us. So I only ask that you don't take our conversation out of context and please stop printing half truths in the media so as to drive up your user consumption and sell more ads on the content that you claim to be news."
Amy Winehouse scores a couple of extra points during a game of Scrabble - by throwing off her top. (hit the jump if you dare to see the uncensored version)
The singer stripped down to just a tiny pair of bikini bottoms as she helped a fellow holidaymaker with her triple word scores.
A guest at the same hotel told The Sun: "While taking a break from her usual antics on the beach, Amy spotted some people playing Scrabble and decided to offer her spelling knowledge.
"But only after whipping off her top! It was quite a sight."
Winehouse is vacationing in St Lucia.
LOS ANGELES - Britney Spears has obtained a restraining order against former pal Osama (Sam) Lutfi and one-time boyfriend Adnan Ghalib, court records show.
Lawyers for Spears and her father, who is her legal conservator, received the order Friday. The documents state Lutfi, Ghalib and lawyer Jon Eardley have been trying to gain control of Spears' affairs.
"On the first anniversary of the establishment of the conservatorship, the co-conservators are informed and believe that these three figures are working in concert to disrupt the conservatorship, with an utter disregard for Ms. Spears' health and well being," the documents state.
Lutfi was a manager and friend of Spears, whose mother once accused him of grinding pills into her food to control her. Ghalib, a paparazzo, had dated the singer.
The documents, released late Friday, claim Lutfi tried to contact Spears in late December by sending text messages to her hairdresser. The documents state Lutfi later started sending text messages to Spears and one of her lawyers, Blair Berk, trying to arrange a meeting.
The order, first reported Friday by the celebrity website TMZ, alleges Lutfi has also sent "anonymous, harassing and threatening" messages to Spears' father.
This week, the documents state, a lawyer sent a proposal to remove Spears' court-appointed lawyer. He later told Spears' lawyers he had been contacted by Eardley and Lutfi, the filings said.
Eardley once claimed to be Spears' lawyer and tried to get her conservatorship case moved to federal court. A phone message left at Eardley's office was not returned Friday.
Spears and her father agreed not to renew a temporary restraining order that was issued against Lutfi last year when it expired in July.
At the time, Spears' court-appointed lawyer Samuel Ingham issued a statement renouncing their friendship.
"Britney has made clear to everyone that she does not want to be further harassed or contacted in any way by Osama (Sam) Lutfi, now or at anytime in the future," Ingham said in a statement.
Lutfi at the time declined comment, saying only he and Jamie Spears had reached an agreement.
Spears was placed under the conservatorship a year ago Sunday. The arrangement has been expensive - her estate has paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees - but since her father took control of her life, the pop singer has not had the bouts of erratic behaviour, including two hospitalizations, that led to his intervention.
She released her newest album, "Circus" in December on her 27th birthday and is preparing for an upcoming concert tour.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Tom Jones is taking his show on the road again. The 68-year-old singer will launch a U.S. tour in February to promote his new album, "24 Hours." Jones plans to play intimate clubs rather than sprawling arenas during the 15-date tour. And that's not the only change this time around. "I've just stopped dyeing my hair," he said. The white-haired Jones also said Thursday that he's learned a thing or two after touring and performing for more than 40 years. For one, he no longer does two shows a night: "You're working with tired (vocal) cords on that second show." And though women still tend to toss their underwear onstage while Jones performs, he's learned to pay it little mind. "I don't capitalize on it as much as I used to," he said. "I used to pick it up and do shtick with it and all that, which I stopped doing because it was encouraging it." Jones will open his tour on Feb. 24 in New York. A European tour will follow in the fall. Since he released the hit "It's Not Unusual" in 1965, Jones has sold more than 100 million records worldwide. --- On the Net:
Samantha Janus is to marry her long-term partner Mark Womack. [Credits @ end]
The actress, who plays Ronnie Mitchell in BBC1 soap EastEnders, has been in an on-off relationship with Womack for ten years.
They first met when they worked together on the police drama series Liverpool 1.
The couple are planning an intimate spring ceremony with their children Ben, eight, and three-year-old daughter Lily-Rose.
At last: After 10 years together, Samantha Janus and Mark Womack will finally tie the knot
'They just decided this will be the year they finally married,' a friend told The Sun.
'They love each other and have two beautiful kids so there was no big proposal. They just thought it was the right time.'
Womack proposed to Janus - who was previously married to Italian Junfan Mantovani - at a Paris flea market.
The show goes on: Janus waves to the cameras during the filming of EastEnders this week
Janus said: 'We were at a Paris flea market and he said, "Do you want one of these rings?" I said, "Is that a proposal?" and he said, "Yes".'
She said still 'fantasises' about their wedding.
Janus was accused of wrecking the marriage of Womack and his wife Therese, above (file picture)
The couple split two years ago, but were soon reunited.Their relationship had been controversial from the beginning.
Womack left his wife Therese, with whom he has a son, to be with Janus in July 1999.
The affair also led to the end of the actress's marriage to British Airways steward Mantovani.
At the time, Janus was painted as a marriage wrecker.
Womack's ex-wife described her as 'a deeply unhappy woman who validates herself through men'.
She added: 'She just chews them up and spits them out and I fear my husband will be left with nothing.'
Describing his early relationship with Janus, Mr Womack said; 'When it happened, it was just as much a surprise to us as it was to other people.'
'But it took quite a long time to come about because we were both married and were wary of each other and other people's reactions.'
Janus has also been blamed for instigating the divorce of actor Simon Slater from his wife.
The pair became close while taking part in a touring production of the play Earth and Sky in April 1999.