Friday, 31 August 2012

Britney Spears Children

Her Children Jayden James Federline & Sean Federline, Britney Spears denied her two young sons medical treatment after “deliberately and recklessly” feeding them crabmeat, despite their life threatening allergies to seafood, Star magazine is exclusively reporting.

That’s one of a host of shocking child abuse allegations being made against the Oops, I Did It Again superstar in a new round of court papers filed by former bodyguard Fernando Flores, who last year launched a $10 million sexual harassment suit.

“Despite the fact that Spears, Plaintiff (Flores) and the children’s nanny all knew that her two small sons had serious and even life threatening food allergies to seafood, Spears deliberately and recklessly fed her two sons crabmeat,” Flores wrote in papers filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on September 6, obtained exclusively by Star.

“When both boys started vomiting, Spears explicitly prevented Plaintiff and the children’s nanny from seeking medical care for the children.”

The incident allegedly occurred at the Mondrian Hotel in Hollywood, sometime between February and June last year.

When the put out protector admonished Spears for feeding Sean Preston, 6, and Jayden James, 5, items to which they had allergies, she allegedly told him: “Mind your own f**king business!”

The 29-year-old Toxic singer then blasted: “If he (Flores) doesn’t like it he can f**king leave. I’ll do it again if it bothers him so much; they’re my kids.”

The boys' father is Spears' ex-husband Kevin Federline, but the kids live with their mother.

In another incident, ex-cop Flores recalled how Spears “seldom supervised or interacted with the children” and showed “special favoritism” to Jayden.

The chart-topping Femme Fatale had “concomitant neglect and even hostility towards” the older child Preston, it’s claimed.

“To compensate for this, Plaintiff (Flores) would often comfort Preston by whispering in Preston’s ear out of Jayden’s hearing, ‘Preston, you’re my favorite,’” it’s alleged in the latest papers, filed as part of Spears’ bitter court battle with Flores, who worked for her for six months in 2010.

He stormed out of her Calabasas, Calif., mansion that July after she allegedly bent over in a short nightie and bared all in front of him.

When he rejected her naked advance during a Saturday afternoon shift, foulmouthed Spears hissed at Flores, “What are you, a f**king f**got?”

Flores also detailed how he witnessed Spears and her boyfriend — believed to be longtime beau Jason Trawick -- having “violent quarrels” in which she would yell “F**k You!” and “Get the f**k outta my house!”

The singer's father Jamie, along with attorneys, retain control over Spears’ personal and financial affairs; the conservatorship was established in February 2008 after Spears was involved in several high-profile incidents of erratic behavior.

As part of court ordered program, Spears is required to visit with a psychologist.

But on one occasion, according to Flores, the songstress refused to be driven to see her therapist and he reported her unwillingness to her father.

After speaking with her father, Spears allegedly yelled at Flores: “Now you got me in f**king trouble with my dad — he’s threatening to take my kids away!”

While being driven to the psychologist by Flores, he recounted, Spears bemoaned loudly in a phone conversation at high enough volume to be overhead: “I have to go (to the psychologist) because this f**king bodyguard doesn’t know how to tell the truth — I’d rather go to rehab than continue with this s**t.”

Britney Spears Tweet Green Swimsuit

Britney Spears tweets sexy snap in green bikini Swimsuit, Oops, she did it again -- Britney Spears has posted another bikini photo of herself.
"Having some fun in the sun," Spears judge wrote alongside the pic. "Don't want summer to be over!" Britney Spears in Green Swimsuit

In the shot, the slimmed down 30-year-old gives her 20 million Twitter followers a glimpse of her sunny California home that's decked out with an indoor aquarium.

Earlier, the singer posted a promo clip of her debut as a new “X Factor” judge where she told a contestant that he has a “nice soothing sound and I wish you could wake me up in the morning… singing!”

Spears is busy prepping for her new gig. Page Six revealed that the pop star was told by Simon Cowell to dress better and clean up her hair and makeup before going on the set.

Sources said that after the “Oops, I Did It Again” singer turned at an early taping appearing to not be wearing a bra.

“It was made clear she is expected to be impeccably dressed and made-up for the show,” said a source. “And none of those ragged hair extensions.”

While “X Factor” reps deny Cowell ordered the singer to sack her stylist, sources tell us she’s since turned up looking amazing.

Britney Spears Age & Bio

Britney Jean Spears Now 30 Year old (born December 2, 1981) is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows.

She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album ...Baby One More Time in 1999, which became the best-selling album by a teenage solo artist. During her first decade in the music industry, she became a prominent figure in mainstream popular music and popular culture, followed by a much-publicized personal life.

Her first two albums established her as a pop icon and broke sales records, while title tracks "...Baby One More Time" and "Oops!... I Did It Again" became international number-one hits. Spears was credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s, and became the 'best-selling teenaged artist of all time' before she turned 20, garnering her honorific titles such as "Princess of Pop".

In 2001, she released her third studio album Britney and expanded her brand, playing the starring role in the film Crossroads. She assumed creative control of her fourth studio album, In the Zone (2003), which yielded chart-topping singles "Me Against the Music", "Toxic" and "Everytime".

After the release of two compilation albums, Spears experienced personal struggles and her career went into hiatus. Her fifth studio album, Blackout, was released in 2007 and despite receiving little promotion, it spawned hits "Gimme More" and "Piece of Me". In 2008, her erratic behavior and hospitalizations caused her to be placed in a conservatorship.

The same year, her sixth studio album Circus was released, with the global chart-topping lead single "Womanizer", and hits such as "Circus" and "If U Seek Amy". She embarked on her highest-grossing global concert tour, The Circus Starring Britney Spears, in 2009. In October of the same year, she released a chart-topping single, "3", which became her third single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

Her seventh studio album Femme Fatale, released in 2011, has become the first of her albums to yield three top ten singles in the United States, "Hold It Against Me", "Till the World Ends" and "I Wanna Go". The same year, she also gained her fifth number one single when she featured on the remix of "S&M" alongside Rihanna.

Spears's work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award, 6 MTV Video Music Awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award, 9 Billboard Music Awards, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2009, Billboard ranked her as the 8th overall Artist of the Decade, and also recognized her as the best-selling female artist of the first decade of the 21st century, as well as the fifth overall.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) also recognized Spears as the seventh not in citation given] top-selling female artist in the United States, with 34 million certified albums. Nielsen SoundScan ranked Spears the tenth best-selling digital artist of the country, with more than 28.6 million digital singles as of January 2012.

She has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Rolling Stone recognized her instant success as one of the Top 25 Teen Idol Breakout Moments of all time, while VH1 ranked her eleventh on their "100 Greatest Women in Music" list in 2012, and Billboard named her the sexiest woman in music. Forbes also revealed that Spears was the sixth most powerful celebrity, and the third best paid musician of 2011–12, having topped the list back in 2002.

Britney Spears Tweets Bikini Pic

Britney Spears has tweeted a photo of herself looking toned and tanned in a skimpy bikini. Spears has been busy with her duties as a judge on "The X Factor," but apparently is making time to play in the sun.

Oops, she did it again -- Britney Spears has posted another bikini photo of herself.
"Having some fun in the sun," Spears judge wrote alongside the pic. "Don't want summer to be over!"

In the shot, the slimmed down 30-year-old gives her 20 million Twitter followers a glimpse of her sunny California home that's decked out with an indoor aquarium.

Earlier, the singer posted a promo clip of her debut as a new “X Factor” judge where she told a contestant that he has a “nice soothing sound and I wish you could wake me up in the morning… singing!”

Spears is busy prepping for her new gig. Page Six revealed that the pop star was told by Simon Cowell to dress better and clean up her hair and makeup before going on the set.

Sources said that after the “Oops, I Did It Again” singer turned at an early taping appearing to not be wearing a bra.

“It was made clear she is expected to be impeccably dressed and made-up for the show,” said a source. “And none of those ragged hair extensions.”

While “X Factor” reps deny Cowell ordered the singer to sack her stylist, sources tell us she’s since turned up looking amazing.

+August 2012 Celebrity Quotes

+August 2012 Celebrity Quotes - A surprise guilty plea. Olympic highs and Olympic lows. The deaths of a magazine icon and an Oscar-winning composer. Keep reading to see what some famous folks had to say about the topics that had everyone talking in August.

2012 Summer Olympics

On his Olympic achievements:

"I was able to really put the final cherry on top tonight, put all the whipped cream I wanted and sprinkles. I was able to top off the sundae. It's been a great career. It's been a great journey. I can't be any more happy than I am."

Do you think Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps said it?
Sikh Temple shooting

On the Wisconsin Sikh Temple shooting:

“While we do not yet know the motivations of this senseless act and it’s important to wait for more information from law enforcement, we do know that Sikh-Americans are too often the victims of intolerance and hate. Today we all grieve for those lost in this tragic event.”

Do you think Gov. Scott Walker or Rep. Joe Crowley said it?
Presidential conspiracy theories

His accusations against President Obama:

“Back in my country, my president is trying to pass a gun ban so he's staging all of these murders. The 'Fast and Furious' thing down at the border. And Aurora, Colorado, all the people that were killed there. And now, the beautiful people at the Sikh temple."

Do you think Dave Mustaine or Ted Nugent said it?
Paul Ryan

On Paul Ryan calling Rage Against the Machine his favorite band:

“Don't mistake me, I clearly see that Ryan has a whole lotta ‘rage’ in him: A rage against women, a rage against immigrants, a rage against workers, a rage against gays, a rage against the poor, a rage against the environment. Basically the only thing he's not raging against is the privileged elite he's groveling in front of for campaign contributions.”

Do you think Zack De La Rocha or Tom Morello said it?
Olympic controversies

On her reaction to winning an Olympic medal:

“It's getting so much attention. It just happened. I was so excited that it just came out. I guess I'm good at it!"

Do you think Serena Williams or McKayla Maroney said it?
2011 Tucson shooting

On shooter Jared Loughner’s guilty plea:

“It is my hope that this decision will allow the Tucson community, and the nation, to continue the healing process free of what would likely be extended trial and pretrial proceedings that would not have a certain outcome. The prosecutors and agents assigned to this matter have done an outstanding job and have ensured that justice has been done.”

Do you think Eric Holder or Gabrielle Giffords said it?
Female firsts

On being the first woman in her position:

"I want to encourage women: Don't be afraid. Pursue and have dreams. This is my dream. With very step I hope to show it really doesn't matter if you are male or female."

Do you think Sarah Attar or Shannon Eastin said it?
Olympic hairstyles

On criticism of her hairstyle:

“I don't know where this is coming from. What's wrong with my hair? I'm like, 'I just made history and people are focused on my hair?' It can be bald or short, it doesn't matter about (my) hair."

Do you think Sanya Richards-Ross or Gabby Douglas said it?
Celebrity breakups

On talking about his recent breakup:

“Now I’m going to sound like an idiot. My biggest problem in my life is I’m cheap. I didn’t hire a publicist. And in every awkward interview, normally actors get these things scripted.”

Do you think Ashton Kutcher or Robert Pattinson said it?
NASCAR

On his career:

“I’ve always let racing define me. I’ve always said racing was the most important — to be out there every week and winning. That’s what I defined myself by. You can’t do that. If everything is going well and you’re winning, great. Everything is easy. It’s those bad times that you have to get through and have something to stand by.”

Do you think Dale Earnhardt Jr. or AJ Allmendinger said it?
Pussy Riot conviction

On the two-year prison sentence for members of the Russian punk band:

“Even if one disagrees with the location or how they chose to express themselves, the sentence is too harsh and in fact is inhumane. I call on all those who love freedom to condemn this unjust punishment. I urge artists around the world to speak up in protest against this travesty.”
Helen Gurley Brown

On the influence of the late Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief:

“There wouldn’t have been Carrie Bradshaw without Helen Gurley Brown.”

Do you think Bonnie Fuller or Sarah Jessica Parker said it?
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

In an executive order in response to the new federal program:

“The issuance of Deferred Action or Deferred Action USCIS employment authorization documents to unlawfully present aliens does not confer upon them any lawful or authorized status and does not entitle them to any additional public benefit.”

Do you think Rick Perry or Jan Brewer said it?Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

In an executive order in response to the new federal program:

“The issuance of Deferred Action or Deferred Action USCIS employment authorization documents to unlawfully present aliens does not confer upon them any lawful or authorized status and does not entitle them to any additional public benefit.”

Do you think Rick Perry or Jan Brewer said it?
Olympic track stars

On competing in the Games:

"It's just an unbelievable experience. I found myself smiling on the starting blocks, which is very rare.”

Do you think Allyson Felix or Oscar Pistorius said it?
Mitt Romney

On the candidate’s budget plans:

“He said in the first hundred days, he is going to let the big banks once again write their own rules. Unchain Wall Street. They are going to put y’all back in chains.”

Do you think Alec Baldwin or Joe Biden said it?
Ron Palillo

On the death of his former co-star:

"Ron was a wonderful person and talent. And helped catapult ‘Welcome Back, Kotter’ to great success. We will miss him."

Do you think Gabe Kaplan or John Travolta said it?
Marvin Hamlisch

On the late composer:

“Genius is rare enough, but a good-hearted genius is rarer still. A good-hearted, humble and hilarious genius? Almost unheard-of.”

Do you think Bill Clinton or Barbra Streisand said it?
Mitt Romney’s taxes

On the candidate releasing more returns:

“The more we get attacked, the more we get questioned, the more we get pushed. There’s going to be no more tax releases given. Mitt is honest. His integrity is just golden.”

Do you think Paul Ryan or Ann Romney said it?
2012 MLB perfect games

On pitching a perfect game:

“It’s been crazy. I still can’t believe I did it, and to do it here, in front of our fans? That made it even more special.”

Do you think Matt Cain or Felix Hernandez said it?

Photoshopping to the Extreme: Lady Gaga's Surreal Vogue Cover

Lady Gaga Gets Touched Up for Vogue, It comes as no big shock when we discover that magazine cover images have been retouched. In fact, it's so common these days that we kind of expect nothing less. But a behind the scenes shoot with Lady Gaga has everyone talking about the extreme level of retouching going on.

On the September cover of Vogue, Lady Gaga is shown wearing a bright purple dress with a Barbie-sized waist, hollowed cheekbones and some pretty rad hair. All in all, it's nothing short of glam.

Vogue's 120 Under $120: Fall Fashion Finds
But check out the behind-the-scenes video released by Vogue, and suddenly you realize how much the images have actually been altered. In a screenshot snapped from the video footage, you see a much different version of Gaga from the shoot.

"AHHH! The Vogue Express dropped off the SEPTEMBER ISSUE yesterday morning," Gaga tweeted on August 8, right before its release. "IM A COVER GIRL, and ITS FAB! Can't wait to show u tonight!"

Which makes us wonder: Has image retouching gone too far?

Say What!? August 2012 Celebrity Quotes

Celebrity Quotes, We don't just love celebrities for their movies, music and revolving door relationships. No. We also love them for their insightful words of wisdom that always put a smile on our face.

Thanks to this month's batch of celebrity quotes, our lives are now enriched with knowledge of Sofia Vergara's bra size, Shia LaBeouf's premature retirement, and an answer to the age-old question of 'Is it normal to pee in a swimming pool?'

So flip through the gallery and let these words of great minds nourish and inspire you.
 Those with a delicate disposition should skip forward now. Olivia Munn -- of Magic Mike and The Newsroom fame -- has a strange way of dealing with stressful situations.

'I don't bite my nails, but I rip out my eyelashes. It doesn't hurt, but it's really annoying. Every time I run out of the house, I have to stop and pick up a whole set of fake eyelashes,' she told the New York Daily News. Her compulsive eyelash-plucking is a condition known as trichotillomania, which is the urge to rip out hair as a way of self-soothing. Not to be confused with that time you got carried away tweezing your eyebrows.
 Forbes recently announced that Sofia Vergara is the highest paid actress on TV, earning $19 million this past year and edging out Kim Kardashian by $1 million. But do you know what's more impressive/bigger than her bank balance? Her bra size, which is surely where she's stashing all her millions.

In the September issue of Allure magazine, Vergara reveals that her bra size is 32F (that's big enough to house Surf Village), although she'll opt for a 34DD in a pinch. 'Nobody with real boobs usually has those measurements,' the Modern Family actress explains before moving on to her derriere. 'I don't mind when the boobs get smaller. I don't like when the ass gets smaller. In Latin America, if you don't have a big ass, you're nothing.'
 Snoop Dogg has joined a long list of musicians to change their name in the hope of reviving their careers. He will now be universally known by the moniker Snoop Lion -- as in King of the Jungle, hear him roar -- and will also start making reggae music because, as he told a press conference, 'I have always said I was Bob Marley reincarnated.'

Anyway, our choice quote doesn't come from Snoop Wolf/Lion/Pegasus, it comes from Zach Braff who took to Twitter to mock the rapper: 'People changing their name just to get press. So lame. Incidentally, my new name is Zach Lion Metta World Peace Dirty Money Cher.'
 Karl Lagerfeld made headlines in February when he called Adele 'a little too fat' and now he's gone and royally put his foot in it by dissing Kate Middleton's scene-stealing sister Pippa. Unleashing yet another deathly nugget of bitchery, Karl told The Sun newspaper, 'Kate Middleton has a nice silhouette and she is the right girl for that boy. I like that kind of woman. I like romantic beauties. On the other hand, her sister struggles. I don't like the sister's face. She should only show her back.'
 Have you ever wondered why Victoria Beckham never smiles? In the September issue of Glamour, the 38-year-old fashion designer explains why she's rarely photographed flashing her pearly whites. 'I actually used to smile a lot in pictures. I think I only stopped smiling when I got into fashion,' before adding, 'Fashion stole my smile! I've created this person. And I'm not saying that's not me, but I wouldn't say that's the whole me.'

That explains a lot and we can totally picture a hunched over Victoria, stroking her face, battling with this 'other person' she's created, and uttering, 'The thieves! The thieves! The filthy little thieves! Where is it? Where isssss it? They stole it from us. My ssssmile. Curse them! We hates them! Wicked, tricksy, false!'
 Will Ferrell is pretty heartbroken over the recent breakup of human girl Kristen Stewart and her vampire boyfriend Robert Pattinson. Making an appearance on Conan, The Campaign actor couldn't hold back his tears and wailed over the cheating scandal. 'They were in love,' a visibly distraught Ferrell sobbed. 'And she just threw it all away!'

Conan O'Brien then attempted to calm down Ferrell, but he snapped inconsolably: 'It's not going to be fine, EVER! Never going to be fine! What they had was so special. You don't even know! You would never know! She. . . is a trampire!'
 The war between Elton John and Madonna has been taken to a new level after six whole months of uneasy ceasefire. Always the one to fire the first shot, Elton John lashed out at Madonna several times in an interview with Australia's Sunday Night. 'She's such a nightmare,' reeled the Rocket Man. 'Sorry, her career is over. Her tour has been a disaster and it couldn't happen to a bigger c**t.'

He then went on (because there was really no stopping the train): 'If Madonna had any common sense, she would have made a record like 'Ray of Light,' stayed away from the dance stuff, and just been a great pop singer and made great pop records, which she does brilliantly. But no, she had to prove that she [could do it all] and she looks like a f***ing fairground stripper.' Miaow.
 Pamela Anderson was eliminated in the seventh week of Dancing with the Stars when she competed in 2010, but now that she's been invited back for season 15's all-star edition, she swears she'll approach things a little differently. 'I've sworn off men until November. . . [And I will] rehearse a lot more and try to stay out of trouble because I'm a self-sabotager,' the bombshell man-eater told People.com. Competitors in the new DWTS include actress Kirstie Alley, 'N Sync's Joey Fatone and 98 Degrees singer Drew Lachey. It will premiere on September 24th, which means two whole months of Pammy keeping her clothes on -- think she can do it?
 Sorry to leak this to you in the midst of Summer, but Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps have revealed that, on occasions, people do relieve themselves in the pool.

'I think there's just something about getting into chlorine water that you just automatically go,' Lochte said on Seacrest's radio show, while also joining in on the candid confessions, Phelps told the Wall Street Journal: 'I think everybody pees in the pool. It's kind of a normal thing to do for swimmers. When we're in the water for two hours, we don't really get out to pee.' But it's not a problem, because 'chlorine kills it.'
 If you haven't caught TLC's latest ratings grabber, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, then you're missing out on the joys of gay pigs, farting, and 'The Redneck Summer Games.' You're also missing out on Mamma Boo Boo comparing a certain body part of hers to a split open Hardee's biscuit, but we'll spare you that quote.

Anyway, this show is basically 30 minutes worth of sound bites, our favourites of which include Honey Boo Boo Child explaining that her pig is gay because 'you can't tell a pig what to do.' There's also some precious diet advice from 15-year-old 'Chubs,' who says 'if you fart 12-15 times a day, you could lose a lot of weight, so I think I'm gonna lose a lot of weight.'
 Okay, okay, Justin Bieber we get it. Your hair is magnificent. A single strand of your golden locks can produce six million gallons of eau de toilette, neutralize Basilisk venom, and add colour and depth to any paella. But Bieber, there's really no need for you to make fun of those less hairy than you. Like Prince William.

In an interview with U.K. magazine Rollercoaster, the Biebs questioned why the royal prince hasn't taken care of his thinning hair problem. 'I mean, there are things to prevent that nowadays, like Propecia. I don't know why he doesn't just get those things, those products. You just take Propecia and your hair grows back. Have you not got it over here?'
 She's one of the most visible celebrities in the world, but that doesn't mean you've seen all of Lady Gaga. In the September issue of Vogue magazine, the Mother Monster talks about her love for sex on the beach and she doesn't mean the fruity cocktail kind.

'I'm a complete free spirit, so, even though you don't see it, I still find time to have sex at night on the beach when no one's around,' she says in the magazine. 'Or roll into a bar and get f****d up, and dance with my top off. It's just that no one ever sees that, because I have great real friends who never let me do it when I would get caught.'
 Hmmm...What to think of this? Referencing a song from his upcoming GOOD Music compilation Cruel Summer, Kanye West recently tweeted, 'I wrote the song 'Perfect B****' about Kim.'

Is this some kind of Yeezy compliment, or does he deserve a catty palm to the face? Let's see what Kim Kardashian had to say to TMZ on the matter: 'I'm honored. I love it. I know he doesn't mean it in a negative way when he says the word 'b****.' The song talks about how he was with so many other girls but could never find the right one until he met me.' So we gueeeess it's a compliment right? No? Yes? Should you use it as a pick-up line at the bar? We're so confused!
 While most celebrities credit their baby-faced beauty to diet, sleep, exercise and yadda, yadda, yadda (feel free to zone out), Kelly Ripa has just come out and said it, admitting that her youthful appearance is down to Botox.

Speaking to In Touch magazine, the Live! host revealed, 'I work out every day. I don't overeat. I try to drink water, but I prefer wine, and when all else fails, I get Botox injected right here, right into my forehead as much as possible!' She adds that she knows it's time for another face-freezing top-up when her kids can see her frowning.
 There's no denying he's the fastest man alive, but according to Usain Bolt after his first-place finish in the 200m Olympic race, he's also the 'greatest athlete who EVER LIVED.' That's quite the claim, so what say the rest of the sporting community?

Since Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Muhammad Ali and Pele have better things to do than partake in idle entertainment news, former decathlon gold medalist Bruce Jenner (who now does nothing but partake in idle entertainment news) offered his two cents. 'He's the best sprinter. He can't pole vault, he can't throw anything. . . that's an athlete,' Jenner told TMZ, before adding that, should the Lightning Bolt compete in a decathlon 'he would be terrible.'
 Miley Cyrus chopped off all her hair this month. And we don't just mean into a short mom-bob like she had at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards, we mean she chopped off ALL her hair in a quasi-pixie cut, come Britney Spears head shaving circa 2007. She's also coloured it platinum blonde, making her indistinguishable from the 'Dancing on My Own' Robyn.

But apparently, people seem to approve of Miley's Swedish europop hairstyle (kinda). 'Someone just told me I'm prettier than Miley Cyrus,' she proudly tweeted.]
 Shia LaBeouf has already made it quite clear that he won't be involved in any forthcoming Transformers films, but it looks like his aversion to blockbusters runs deeper than Michael Bay's CGI spectaculars. LaBeouf now says he'll be 'devoting his career to indie film.'

Tired of merely badmouthing Steven Spielberg for 'dropping the ball' on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, LaBeouf turned his verbal attack weapons to a bigger target: the entire studio system of Hollywood.

'I'm done. There's no room for being a visionary in the studio system. It literally cannot exist. . . [the studios] give you the money, then get on a plane and come to the set and stick a finger up your ass and chase you around for five months,' the actor whined to the Hollywood Reporter. Are we really expected to feel sorry for him? Wasn't he paid $5 million for Transformers 3?
 During an appearance on the Late Show With David Letterman, Jennifer Garner discussed her new movie (The Odd Life of Timothy Green), her family, and the virtues of growing old. You may be surprised to hear that Garner is 40 years old -- even though she look as though she's 40 going on 14 -- and is happy to have reached the milestone. Unlike her hubby Ben Affleck.

'I don't know that he's as thrilled with the idea of 40 as I am,' the actress revealed before Letterman probed, 'What's the problem? Is it low T?'

'Really, David! He will thump you. Have you seen my husband lately? He is walking testosterone,' she laughed wildly. No doubt also seeing the caveman resemblance audiences observe in each of his movies.

Continuing her Next Chapter interviews, in which she picks at the rotten carcasses of troubled celebrities, Oprah Winfrey recently turned her attention to Rihanna and the question that was on everyone's mind: does she still have feelings for Chris Brown?

After a teary recollection of the abuse she suffered at his hand in 2009, RiRi told O that she and Brown are 'working' on their friendship again. 'We're very, very close friends. We built a trust again and that's it. We love each other and we probably always will.' She then went on to admit that, whenever she's seen him, 'it's awkward because I still love him. . . my stomach drops and I have to maintain this poker face and not let it get to the outer part of me.' It's almost like she needs to check into rehab, because he's her disease. Now gimme that oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.

New Swine Flu Virus Death

New swine flu virus linked to death in Ohio, A woman in Ohio with a new strain of swine flu has died, state health officials say. First Death of new swine flu......

The Ohio Department of Health said Friday that a 61-year-old woman's death is the first known to be associated with H3N2v in the U.S.

The woman had other medical conditions but the flu virus may have contributed, the department said.

"The individual had direct contact with swine at the Ross County fair before becoming ill," the department said.

"H3N2v, like many other viruses, has the greatest potential to impact those with weakened immune systems," said Dr. Ted Wymyslo, the department's director.

"We have been seeing a mild illness in most individuals infected with the H3N2v virus, so there's no need for alarm. However, it is important for those at-risk individuals to take extra precautions like avoiding swine exhibits to protect themselves," he added in a release.

In the U.S., federal health authorities reported 288 cases of the strain this summer.

Last week, Health Canada also warned people visiting agricultural fairs and petting zoos that they may be exposed although no cases have been detected in Canada.

Honey Boo Boo Mom Mugshot


Honey Boo Boo's 'Mama' June: 'I Don't Have Anything to Hide', "Mama" wants to set the record straight.

The unfiltered "boss" of reality TV's latest polarizing family, 33-year-old June has faced scrutiny of her past since the debut of TLC's Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.

In 2008, June was arrested for contempt of court, a charge she says originated from a child support issue with her mom. (June's 18-year-old daughter, Anna, was largely raised by June's mother.) She also faced an unrelated theft charge that "had nothing to do with family," says June. Both charges were subsequently dismissed.

Back in March, June's then 6-year-old daughter Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson (now 7) was shown guzzling a mix of Mountain Dew and Red Bull that the family dubbed "go-go juice" in a controversial episode of Toddlers and Tiaras.

A video of Alana dancing on a bar also surfaced online – and drew the attention of child protection authorities in Georgia, who investigated the family. No charges were ever filed.

"It was the worst four days of my whole entire life," June says of the investigation. She defends the bar appearance as "a meet-and-greet at a concert." But, she adds, "After I left, I realized, 'I'm not gonna put Alana in that situation again because it was crazy.' "

As for the "go-go juice," "It was a one time only thing. We don't do it."

Does she regret going on TV and opening up her life to close inspection?

"No," says June. "I don't have anything to hide."

Clint Eastwood RNC Speech

RNC 2012: Clint Eastwood’s speech to the Republican convention in Tampa, Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Save a little for Mitt. I know what you are thinking. You are thinking, what’s a movie tradesman doing out here? You know they are all left wingers out there, left of Lenin. At least that is what people think. That is not really the case.
There are a lot of conservative people, a lot of moderate people, Republicans, Democrats, in Hollywood. It is just that the conservative people by the nature of the word itself play closer to the vest. They do not go around hot dogging it.

So -- but they are there, believe me, they are there. I just think, in fact, some of them around town, I saw John Voigt, a lot of people around.

John’s here, an academy award winner. A terrific guy. These people are all like-minded, like all of us.

So I -- so I’ve got Mr. Obama sitting here. And he’s -- I was going to ask him a couple of questions. But -- you know about -- I remember three and a half years ago, when Mr. Obama won the election. And though I was not a big supporter, I was watching that night when he was having that thing and they were talking about hope and change and they were talking about, yes we can, and it was dark outdoors, and it was nice, and people were lighting candles.

They were saying, I just thought, this was great. Everybody is trying, Oprah was crying.

EASTWOOD: I was even crying. And then finally -- and I haven’t cried that hard since I found out that there is 23 million unemployed people in this country.

Now that is something to cry for because that is a disgrace, a national disgrace, and we haven’t done enough, obviously -- this administration hasn’t done enough to cure that. Whenever interest they have is not strong enough, and I think possibly now it may be time for somebody else to come along and solve the problem.

So, Mr. President, how do you handle promises that you have made when you were running for election, and how do you handle them?

I mean, what do you say to people? Do you just -- you know -- I know -- people were wondering -- you don’t -- handle that OK. Well, I know even people in your own party were very disappointed when you didn’t close Gitmo. And I thought, well closing Gitmo -- why close that, we spent so much money on it. But, I thought maybe as an excuse -- what do you mean shut up?

OK, I thought maybe it was just because somebody had the stupid idea of trying terrorists in downtown New York City.

I’ve got to to hand it to you. I have to give credit where credit is due. You did finally overrule that finally. And that’s -- now we are moving onward. I know you were against the war in Iraq, and that’s okay. But you thought the war in Afghanistan was OK. You know, I mean -- you thought that was something worth doing. We didn’t check with the Russians to see how did it -- they did there for 10 years.

Honey Boo Boo Mom Couponing Better Than Sex

"It's better than sex!" Alana's mom, June (dubbed "Mama") enthuses as she brings Alana and daughter Lauren, 12, ("Pumpkin"), along for a trip to the local Piggly Wiggly grocery store near their McIntyre, Ga., hometown.

As she peruses the aisles with her daughters checking prices on items including Ramen noodles and mustard, June explains that her knowledge of couponing is entirely self-taught. "I taught myself," she muses. "It doesn't take an id- . . . a rocket scientist to coupon."

Watch the preview clip above for more of the family's hilarious thrifty tips -- and what Honey Boo Boo and Pumpkin think of their mom's unique shopping habits!

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. (EST) on TLC.

Tori Spelling Dean McDermott

Tori Spelling, Dean McDermott welcome baby boy, Tori Spelling has given birth to a baby boy.

The 'Beverly Hills, 90210' actress and her husband Dean McDermott welcomed their fourth child into the world on Thursday and named him Finn Davey McDermott.

Writing on her website, Tori said: ''We are so excited to announce the birth of the newest member of the McDermott family!

''Please join us in welcoming Finn Davey McDermott. 08/30/12, 5:39 P.M., 6 pounds, 6 ounces - 20 inches long

''Love, Tori, Dean, Liam, Stella, and Hattie (sic).''

Tori has previously insisted this pregnancy would be her last but admitted she was ''sad'' that she'll never be expecting a child again.

She said: ''I couldn't be happier that I'm finally at the end and I get to meet the baby so soon, but I actually love being pregnant, so if it is my last, I'll be sad never to be pregnant again.

''It'll have been a precious moment in time and it'll be over with, so it is sad.''

She also revealed her kids Liam, five, Stella, four, and 10-month-old Hattie are looking forward to a time when she is not pregnant so that they can have pillow fights with her.

She said: ''I got pregnant so quickly after I had Hattie that I think they're just like, 'Oh, Mom's constantly in a state of pregnancy.'

''They say they're going to be excited when I'm not pregnant anymore so I can have pillow fights again with them. That's their big thing.''

Tori Spelling Net Worth $15 Million

Tori Spelling is an actress with the net worth of $15 million. Tori Spelling has earned her net worth through her many acting roles in films and television series. She is best known for her role as Donna, on the series Beverly Hills, 90210, which was co-produced by her legendary father, Aaron Spelling.
She also starred in it’s spin off series, 90210 which aired in 2009. Tori has also had acting roles in several made for television movies, such as, A Carol Christmas, Trick, Co-Ed Call Girl, A Friend to Die For, and many more.

She has also made appearances on other television series, such as, Fantasy Island, T.J. Hooker, The Love Boat, Vegas and more, as well as reality television shows. Her and husband Dean McDermott bought a bed and breakfast in California and that was the beginning of their reality show, Tori and Dean: Inn Love, which later became Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, after they sold the bed and breakfast. But Tori’s first reality show was on VH1, in 2006.

It was based on her public image and was titled, So NoTORIous. She has just recently began another reality show, which began this year. This series is called sToribook Weddings, based on her wedding planning ideas. Spelling also has her own line of fashion jewelry that she designs and sells on the Home Shopping Network.

As well as, acting in films, television series and reality tv, Tori has had much success as an author. She has written three books, sTori Telling, which tells more about her life in the limelight, Mommywood, that talks about her experiences as a mom, and Uncharted Territori. Mommywood and sTori Telling also come in audio books, in which Tori does the reading, herself. She has also become a minister and has performed a marriage ceremony for a gay couple at the Chateau La Rue.

Tori Spelling was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1973. Her father was the well known television producer, Aaron Spelling, and her mother is author and socialite Candy (nee Marer.) Tori has one brother, Randy Spelling, who is also an actor of film and television. She attended Beverly Hills High School, in Beverly Hills, California and completed her education at Harvard Westlake School. Tori has been married twice.

First to actor and playwright, Charlie Shanian, from July of 2004 to April of 2006. She then married Dean McDermott in May of 2006, whom she fell in love with while filming “Mind over Matter,” a made for tv movie. At the time Dean McDermott was married to Mary Jo Eustace, but divorced in 2006. Dean shares joint custody of their son, Jack.

Tori and Dean have two children, Liam Aaron McDermott (2007) and Stella Doreen McDermott (2008.) Tori and Dean have announced that they are expecting baby number three sometime in October. Both parents are already talking about baby number four. As with many celebrity couples, rumors of a break up have surfaced, but Tori and Dean has assured us, they’re simply not true.

Dean Mcdermott Age & Bio

45 Year old Dean McDermott (born November 16, 1966) is a Canadian-American actor. He is married to Victoria Davey “Tori” Spelling, with whom he appeared in the observational documentary shows Tori & Dean: Inn Love and Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, and for having acted out the role of Constable Renfield Turnbull on the TV series Due South.

McDermott has appeared in many TV and movie roles, including the Kevin Costner film Open Range and the television film Always and Forever, about two high-school sweethearts, in which he starred alongside Rena Sofer and Barbara Eden.

McDermott was born in Toronto, Ontario, son of David and Doreen McDermott. He grew up in very humble circumstances. He has three sisters: Dale, Dawn and Dana. In July 2005, McDermott began filming the Lifetime TV movie Mind Over Murder, alongside Tori Spelling. The two began an affair the night they first met, despite both being married. In September, Spelling separated from her husband Charlie Shanian. While on a family vacation in Palm Springs, California, McDermott told his wife Mary Jo Eustace,

“I’m leaving you, not my kid,” and filed for divorce from his wife of 12 years. On December 24, 2005, McDermott and Spelling became engaged. In February 2006, McDermott’s and Eustace’s divorce was finalized; and in April 2006, Spelling’s and Shanian’s divorce was finalized. McDermott was granted joint custody of his son Jack Montgomery (born October 1998), and opted not to move forward with an adoption of a baby girl, Lola, he and Eustace were in the process of.

Finn Davey McDermott

Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott welcomed their fourth child late Thursday, RadarOnline.com is reporting.

The 39-year-old daughter of late TV pioneer Aaron Spelling announced the arrival her 6-pound, 6-ounce boy named Finn Davey on both her ediTORIal blog and her Twitter page.

PHOTOS: Tori Spelling: Red, White – And Pregnant

"We are so excited to announce the birth of the newest member of the McDermott family!" said the Craft Wars star.

"It's a boy!!!!"

Tori has three other children with 44-year-old McDermott: Liam, 5, Stella, 4, and Hattie, 10 months. Dean also has a 13-year-old son named Jack from a prior marriage.

Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott welcomed their fourth child late Thursday, RadarOnline.com is reporting.

The 39-year-old daughter of late TV pioneer Aaron Spelling announced the arrival her 6-pound, 6-ounce boy named Finn Davey on both her ediTORIal blog and her Twitter page.

Tori Spelling Age & Bio

39 year old Victoria Davey “Tori” Spelling (born May 16, 1973) is an American actress and author. Her first role was Donna Martin on Beverly Hills, 90210 in 1990. She appeared in a string of made-for-television films, such as A Friend to Die For (1994) and Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? (1996). Spelling also rose to prominence through independent films such as The House of Yes (1997) and Trick (1999). She reprised her prominent role in the spinoff, 90210 in 2009.

Her autobiography, sTORI Telling, debuted on top of the New York Times Best Seller list and was named the best celebrity autobiography of 2009.

Divorced from playwright Charlie Shanian, Spelling is married to Dean McDermott and they have four children: Liam, Stella, Hattie, and Finn.

Victoria Davey Spelling was born in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of Candy (née Marer; born 1945) and Aaron Spelling (1923-2006). She has a younger brother, Randy, also a former actor who currently works as a life coach. Her ancestors were immigrants from Russia and Poland, although both of Spelling’s parents were Jewish. Spelling’s family celebrated both Christmas and Hanukkah while she was growing up. Her middle name comes from her paternal grandfather. She attended Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, California but graduated from Harvard-Westlake School in 1990.

Best High Schools In America

The Best High Schools in America, NEWSWEEK studied more than 1,000 top schools to determine the best of the best: the ones producing kids ready for college—and life.

On any given morning, the halls of the School of Science and Engineering in Dallas look like most public high schools—nondescript classrooms packed with bleary-eyed students bent over ponderous textbooks. The difference is the time: this scene plays out each school day at 7:30 a.m., 90 minutes before class officially starts, and it will repeat for a solid hour after the day’s final bell, as students at this magnet school cram in as much daily, organized study as possible.

The discipline is systemic—teachers sit shoulder to shoulder with the students during this extra study time—and it’s nurtured before matriculation. Incoming freshmen spend the last weeks of summer in “boot camp” to learn math and Java programming. Last year, all 86 seniors graduated, had an average SAT score of 1786, and went to college, even though most of them qualify for a subsidized school lunch. Science and Engineering’s system works so well, in fact, that it landed the No. 1 spot on NEWSWEEK’S annual list of the top public high schools in America.

Rather than focus, as in the past, on one metric (AP tests taken per graduate), we consulted a group of experts—Wendy Kopp, founder and CEO of Teach For America; Tom Vander Ark, CEO of Open Education Solutions and the former executive director for education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; and Linda Darling-Hammond, Stanford professor of education and founder of the School Redesign Network—to develop a yardstick that fully reflects a school’s success turning out college-ready (and life-ready) students.

These are challenging times for secondary education. Cash-strapped school districts are cutting back; No Child Left Behind mandates test results; parents and students fret incessantly. This Waiting for ‘Superman’ reality craves solutions, and so NEWSWEEK, which has been ranking the top U.S. high schools for more than a decade, revamped its methodology for 2011 in the hopes of highlighting some.

Our new criteria have six components: graduation rate (25%), college matriculation rate (25%), and AP tests taken per graduate (25%), plus average SAT/ACT scores (10%), average AP/IB scores (10%), and AP courses offered per graduate (5%).

In all, more than 1,100 of America’s top public high schools supplied internal data, and NEWSWEEK culled from there. That brings us back to Dallas’s top-rated School of Science and Engineering, which is familiar with accolades (it has landed among the top-five high schools on NEWSWEEK’S list since 2006) and the challenges most schools face. Some 62% of its students qualify for subsidized lunch, and the Texas legislature seems poised to subtract $164 million from the district’s budget in the next two years.

“Our major goal is to continue with the standard of service we’ve provided for years and years,” says Principal Jovan Wells. That means offsetting larger student-teacher ratios—27 percent of its faculty face elimination—with more one-on-one tutoring, and a more intimate overall environment (the entire school population: less than 400). “This is more of a family atmosphere,” says Wells. When students return home during college breaks, “most of them come here first. We get invitations to their college graduations.”

Texas School $750,000 Jumbotron

Texas school installs $750,000 Jumbotron, largest in prep sports, As reported by the Longview News Journal and a handful of other sources, the Carthage (Texas) High football program is nearing completion on the installation of what it insists is the largest stadium screen in the world of high school sports.

The Carthage Jumbotron measures 26-feet high and 44-feet wide and features a screen that takes up a total of 1,200-square feet. All in all, the Jumbotron's construction and installation will cost approximately $750,000, making it the instant signature item at 6,500 capacity Bulldog Stadium.
You can see the screen as it is intended to look in the conceptual image above.

"It is the best [stadium screen] we have installed; it is the Cadillac for sure," David Paslay, director of engineering with Nevco, the company responsible for the Carthage Jumbotron, told the News Journal.

For $750,000, the Carthage screen better be the Cadillac of the sector. As one might expect, the amount of money that the Carthage Independent School District spent on the screen has come under fire, with critics pointing out all the other, more academic ways the funds could have been spent in the district.

Yet, for a program that has captured three state titles in the past four seasons, many are more excited for the board's operational debut in a Friday scrimmage than they are worried about its expense, as a pair of Carthage residents made clear to the News Journal.

Texas High School Football Stadium Seats 18,000

Only in Texas! New $60million high school football stadium has 18,000 seats, an upper deck and a 38-foot-wide high-def screen, Call it the palace of high school football: A gleaming $60 million facility with seats for 18,000 roaring fans, a 38-foot-wide high-definition video screen, corporate sponsors and a towering upper deck.

Welcome to the new home of Eagles Football.

As school districts across the country struggle to retain teachers, replace outdated textbooks and keep class sizes from ballooning, the wealthy, burgeoning Dallas suburb of Allen is preparing to christen its new stadium with a sold-out Friday night match-up against defending state champions Southlake Carroll.

It's not the biggest high school stadium in football-mad Texas, but Eagle Stadium is the grandest, with a spacious weight room for the players and practice areas for Allen High School's wrestling and golf teams. The school district decided to build it in a down economy, knowing full well it will never recoup the costs.

It's a decision that local officials and team supporters defend, saying the stadium will serve as a community centerpiece and source of pride for years to come and will more than pay the costs of operating it.
'There will be kids that come through here that will be able to play on a field that only a few people will ever get the chance to play in,' said Wes Bishop, the father of a junior linebacker on the team and head of the local booster club.

For longtime Allen fans, it's a giant step forward from a facility that district spokesman Tim Carroll called 'inadequate in almost every way.'
The old building opened in 1976, when Allen had fewer than 8,000 residents, with 7,000 permanent seats, one concession stand and one set of bathrooms.
As the town grew to its current population of 87,000, the school had to add portable toilets and rent temporary bleachers, which added 7,000 seats at a cost of $250,000 a year, Carroll said.
Today, the high school has 4,000 students enrolled and a 700-member band that's among the biggest in the country.

Collin County, which includes Allen and other Dallas suburbs, is one of the wealthiest areas of Texas - and home to some of the state's top football teams.
About 63 per cent of voters supported a $119 million bond package in 2009.
Construction on the stadium began a year later. District officials went with more expensive concrete seating over all-aluminum benches, adding perhaps $4 million more to the cost, according to officials. But they said they expected this stadium to last decades.
'Our intention is not to recoup the money it cost to build the stadium,' Carroll said. 'It's not practical to say we'll get that money back. (But) the revenue we receive from the stadium will far exceed the cost of operating it.'
While the district did not have estimates, Carroll said he expects the stadium to be competitive in hosting high school playoff games and other events. The school has also sold six sponsorships for about $35,000 a year, he said.

The new stadium revives an old argument in Texas about whether communities and their schools have their priorities straight.
In 1982, when the West Texas city of Odessa built a 19,000-seat stadium for a then-unheard-of $5.6 million, it drew scorn from some people who questioned the district's priorities. Odessa would be featured a few years later in the book Friday Night Lights, a national best-seller that inspired a movie and a TV series.

Ross Perot, the billionaire businessman and former presidential candidate, repeatedly took aim at his home state's football culture as he pushed the state to shed extracurricular activities and increase accountability measures.
'Do we want our kids to win on Friday night on the football field or do we want them to win all through their lives?' Perot said in a 1988 Washington Post column. 'That's what we have to start asking ourselves.'

Today, neighboring Plano High School's stadium seats more than 14,000 people. Mesquite, about 30 miles away from Allen, has a 20,000-seat stadium. And the Berry Center, a suburban Houston facility with a stadium, an arena and theater, opened in 2006 and cost about $84 million.
'In a couple of years, someone's going to do something that's bigger and bigger,' said Robert McSpadden, who runs the high school football site TexasBob.com.
Officials in Allen reject the premise that they're focusing on sports over academics. The bonds approved three years ago also funded a new performing arts center, and Carroll said extra revenue from stadium operations will go into the district general fund. Allen's student test scores are also largely stellar.

But for now, Eagle Stadium is gaining wide notoriety. The No. 8-ranked Eagles' Friday game against Southlake Carroll, which won a state championship last year and is ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press' Class 5A preseason poll this season, sold out in just over a day. More than 2,000 people are expected to watch from standing-room areas.
Bishop's son Zack, a linebacker, said he and his teammates already noticed differences: a more spacious weight room, a softer playing field.

'It's going to be really incredible to step out in front of a full house and a sold-out game,' he said.
Chris Wallace, whose oldest son is a senior quarterback, said she had to reassure him when they visited smaller colleges over the summer with older facilities.
'In his mind, this is it,' she said. 'He can't even believe it's here already.'
And there's always room for growth.
Fred Montes, one of the architects of what he called "an incredible project," said the district's master plan left open the possibility for more construction, if needed.
'The end zone that has seats currently can be expanded,' he said. 'And on the visitors' side, you can always put a deck.'

$60 Million Allen High Football Stadium

Allen H.S. unveils $60 million football stadium, As far as seating capacity, there are bigger football stadiums than the 18,000-seat fortress Allen High School will unveil this fall.

After all, this is Texas.

The new Eagle Stadium, located in a booming suburb just north of Dallas, will merely rank fifth in the state among facilities used for Friday night football on a weekly basis.

But it's that $60 million price tag - $59.6 million, to be exact – that raises eyebrows even in a state where high school football is an obsession.

"Most of the negative stuff that comes out are from people outside of Allen," football coach Tom Westerberg said. "I don't really worry about that a whole lot. We've drawn quite a few people to the games and I think for the majority of the big games it will be full."

It will be overflowing when Allen opens the stadium Aug. 31 against longtime power Southlake Carroll, the defending Class 5A Division I state champion and a frequent playoff foe.

Allen raised the money for its new stadium as part of a $119.4 million bond package in May of 2009 that passed with an impressive 63.66 percent of the vote.

Even with such support, there have been critics who say spending $60 million on a football stadium is outrageous at a time when education budgets are being slashed.

"What do I say to that?" Allen school district athletic director Steve Williams asked rhetorically. "I say we're in a community that overwhelmingly voted to build this stadium."

Allen's voters are getting their money's worth. The stadium is a sunken bowl with decks on each side. There is a three-tiered pressbox on the home side and a giant video screen on the end zone scoreboard.

The district sold advertising on the scoreboard, but not naming rights. It's just Eagle Stadium.

The feel is modern, clean and big without being ostentatious. There is no row of luxury suites, just two hospitality rooms in the pressbox. Instead, tented plazas in the corners of the stadium will be available for rent.

The school district didn't budget for individual stadium seats. They surveyed season ticket holders as to whether they would be willing to pay an additional $60 per seat to have the chair backs. The response: aluminum bleachers with seatbacks will be fine.

But they definitely want seats.

Allen's cramped, former stadium had just 2,400 reserved seats and they were treasured by the families who could get them.

An initial 1,743 people signed up for season tickets at the new stadium, with a limit of four tickets per household. Five more sections were opened up for reserved seating, bringing the total to 8,252. As the final day of season ticket sales approached, less than 200 seats were available.

Even though the football stadium seems palatial, season tickets are still just $40, or $8 per game. A fan can still walk up and purchase a ticket for $10 – if there are any seats left.

While football is a priority in Allen – Arizona State coach Todd Graham was the head coach here from 1995 to 2000 – it's not the only priority, judging by the school district's other facilities.

And while Allen is blooming with malls and chain restaurants, the median household income grew to $100,843 in 2009. In other words, this isn't a town of millionaires footing the bill for the new stadium.

But it is a town that turns out to see its kids play and perform, and the old stadium simply didn't have enough seats. And if you did get a ticket, it was likely to be a temporary bleacher in the end zone.

"They support and take care of the kids in Allen," Westerberg said. "Everybody that wants to come to the game is going to have a chance to come."

To understand how Allen wound up with a $60 million palace of a stadium, you have to understand Allen, Texas.

Long before Allen boomed to its current population of 84,256 (according to the 2010 census) district officials decided to remain a one-high school town.

The result is a high school with 5,388 students in grades 9-12, according to figures calculated by the University Interscholastic League, the organization that oversees public school sports and academic competitions in Texas.

But that figure doesn't even make Allen the largest school in its six-team football district, 10-5A. Plano East is the largest school in the state with an enrollment figure of 6,016. Plano Senior High has an enrollment figure of 5,315 and Plano West has 4,945.

In Texas, Class 5A schools have a minimum enrollment of 2,090 students. Most 5A schools have enrollments closer to McKinney High, the smallest member of Allen's district with 2,121.

Allen's varsity football team has about 100 players. There are another 100 on the two junior varsity teams, and 256 boys have signed up to play freshman football this fall.

All told, there are approximately 1,200 kids playing football from seventh grade on up. But that's just the football program.

The Allen marching band boasts 800 members. Wearing their blue coats as they line the field before a halftime performance, the Allen band resembles Santa Ana's army preparing to storm the Alamo.

With the size of the football and band programs, not to mention cheer and drill teams, that's a lot of parents wanting to see their kids perform on Friday nights. In Allen's old stadium, not everyone was guaranteed a seat.

The old Eagle Stadium, built in 1976, had just 7,200 permanent seats. Another 7,000 temporary seats were rented out every fall to bring official capacity to 14,000.

"We probably played in the worst stadium for a 5A program in the Metroplex," Williams said. "We built that stadium as a 3A stadium. And then we added on to it in '87, but we outgrew that a long, long time ago. There were just so many problems every time you played in it."

The old stadium was located on what is now a middle school campus. Visiting teams had to dress in the gymnasium. The pressbox resembled a gutted-out mobile home. Parking was so sparse that many fans had to shuttle in from satellite lots and portable toilets became a regular feature.

"We basically bussed to every game," Westerburg said, sitting in his fieldhouse office that overlooks the new stadium. "We would dress here and then we would bus over to the old stadium."

Allen won a 5A state title in 2008 despite the inconveniences of the old stadium. The bond election the following spring couldn't come fast enough for most folks.

"They were tired of the experience they had at the old one," Williams said. "They were tired of not being able to get seats. And they were tired of having to show up at 6 o'clock to sit in a temporary seat. People were upset because they couldn't see their kids in the band or the drill team."

Because classroom space was the priority for the mushrooming school district, a football stadium had never been part of a bond package before. The school district had made other attempts to build a new stadium. A partnership with the city fell through, as did talks with a master-planned retail and residential community.

For critics who call Allen a football-crazed town, the bond package included a much-needed $23.3 million auditorium for the district's performing arts programs. It also included $36.5 million for a transportation, maintenance and nutrition center.

The stadium itself serves more than just football. Under the east stands is an 84-yard long weight room. Under the west stands is a workout room and coaches offices for the wrestling program. There are also indoor hitting areas for the golf teams.

The football program already had many amenities in the athletics building on the south end of the stadium, including an indoor practice field. The team also has two grass practice fields and another turf field at the track stadium.

Allen's soccer teams will play some games in the new stadium, but they already have a grass stadium at one of the middle schools.

The stadium will also generate revenue beyond the football program. The day after Allen plays its first game in Eagle Stadium, four smaller schools will play a double-header there. A college all-star game has booked the stadium next winter, and the district anticipates steady business renting the facility for football and soccer playoff games.

"We feel like we'll have playoff games," Williams said. "We think we'll have one on Thursday, one on Friday and two Saturday."

A playoff game will have to go a long way to match the anticipation for the season opener. Both Southlake Carroll are picked to be among the top handful of 5A teams in the state this season.

"I'm excited about that game," Williams said. "Not because of who we're playing. I'm excited because people said, 'You built a stadium with 18,000 seats in it, you'll never fill it.' Well, we'll have standing-room-only that first game."


10 high school stadiums in Texas with capacities of 16,000 or more


1. Alamo Stadium, San Antonio: 23,000

2. FC Dallas Stadium, Frisco: 21,193

3. Mesquite Memorial Stadium, Mesquite: 20,000

4. Farrington Field, Fort Worth: 18,500

5. Eagle Stadium, Allen: 18,000

6. Buccaneer Stadium, Corpus Christi: 18,000

7. Ratliff Stadium, Odessa: 17,931

8. San Angelo Stadium, San Angelo: 17,500

9. Veteran's Memorial Stadium, Pasadena: 16,800

10. Stallworth Stadium, Baytown: 16,500