10. Jessica Simpson: America’s "Newlyweds" sweetheart just could not hit her stride as a new divorcee in 2006. While ex Nick Lachey flourished with a hit album and new love Vanessa Minnillo, Jessica’s album flopped and a series of high-profile flings fizzled. Then came her mortifying flubbed Dolly Parton tribute, which was just edited out of the Kennedy Center Honors broadcast. Let’s hope Jess regains her perky mojo in ’07.
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"To convey happiness, you must be happy," and "to convey pain, you must be happy." So believes Attilio, the poet protagonist of Roberto Benigni’s "The Tiger and the Snow," and, as his love-struck hero buoyantly braves war zones to save his ailing beloved, these thoughts appear to belong to filmmaker-star Benigni, too. But they don’t impress. Pitching this film on the same tragicomic wavelength that carried "Life Is Beautiful" to Oscarville, Benigni can’t achieve even superficial charm or credibility.
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There is passive aggression, then there’s the smoldering rage that lurks just beneath the grim self-control of Edward Norton’s performance in "The Painted Veil." As Walter Fane, a doctor betrayed by his wife’s infidelity, Norton quietly seethes, his eyes burning with the resolve of a man determined to exact his pound of flesh. It is a slyly understated turn, and Norton makes it speak volumes. Fane may seem mild-mannered, but with one fleeting glare, he suggests the cold intensity of a killer.
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There is something mysterious about the art of tango. Its music, accentuated by the string pizzicato and the trembling bandoneon (Argentine accordion), seems to echo the rhythm of the heart. Its movement, riddled with embraces and acrobatics, reflects our yearning for sensuality. When done right, tango is not just a dance or a musical genre, but passion personified.
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A Renaissance artist, baritone Brian Stokes Mitchell is a star of Broadway ("Man of La Mancha"). He sings pop, opera and lieder; he just introduced a David Del Tredici song cycle with the National Symphony Orchestra, under Leonard Slatkin. He’s also a composer, arranger and actor (for seven seasons Dr. "Jackpot" Jackson on TV’s "Trapper John"), but, more importantly, Mitchell says, he is father of 3-year-old Ellington Tucker Kai Mitchell, who sings in the background during a telephone interview.
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10. Jessica Simpson & John Mayer: These two singers had so little common ground, they couldn’t even agree on whether they were an item. Jessica trumpeted their love in a tabloid cover story, only to be publicly humiliated when John refuted her account of a relationship. The oddest twist yet? They’re now rumored to be actually dating.
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10. Michael Richards’ racist rant: When the former "Seinfeld" star shocked a comedy club audience with a hateful tirade against hecklers, it was the N-word heard ’round the world. At least the incident prompted a public discussion of the controversial term’s use and abuse.
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Last New Year’s Eve was quite a low-key affair for Cee-Lo Green. With his post-Goodie Mob solo career stalling, the singer born Thomas Calloway quietly rang in 2006 in his Atlanta church singing hymns with his non-denominational congregation. This year will be dramatically different."I’m gonna handle my business, then definitely have some fun," he reports. "But then I’m gonna find a place of refuge and give thanks, as well, and put my resolutions in order and prepare myself to keep earning and deserving the good fortune that’s coming my way."
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10. Sheryl Crow & Lance Armstrong: Granted, Lance didn’t plan it this way, but the timing was still pretty lousy. The famous cancer survivor broke off his engagement with rocker Sheryl shortly before her own diagnosis with breast cancer. While Lance pledged his support, the crisis failed to bring the couple back together. Sheryl recovered with treatment but confessed months later she was still brokenhearted.
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Tickets of all prices for classical performances around San FranciscoClassical-music performances — small or big, free or expensive — will pick up in the next couple of months pretty much where they left off just before the holidays. Here are a few recommendations for the new year: » If you are familiar with Robert Greenberg’s work, you are likely to attend his next lecture. If you
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URL: http://www.sfexaminer.com/archive/21/21?page=750&type[story]=story
