New and Noteworthy: Nobel calling for Bob?

The nomination process is usually kept under wraps, but a Norwegian politician who’s on the Nobel committee has gone on record with his support for the former Boomtown Rat. Jan Simonsen admires Sir Bob’s tireless crusade to draw attention to Third World poverty, and also thinks that it’s high time a rock star was recognized by the organization.
“A representative person from the rock environment should get the prize to show rock’s border-breaking character,” Simonsen told Ireland Online. He plans to plead the case for Bob (and, probably, Bono) in time for the 2006 awards.

Belfast-born Kenneth Branagh tops the official list of Britain’s Top Ten Actors, according to the entertainment web site, www.breakingnews.ie. The 44-year old actor / director was followed in the list by Oscar-winner Daniel Day Lewis, who has made quite a career of playing Irish characters in movies like “My Left Foot”, “In the Name of the Father”, and “Gangs of New York.”

In the ongoing battle between Mariah Carey’s abundant natural assets and her ever-shrinking wardrobe, the score stands: Mariah 1, Clothes 0.
The singer, who’s back at the top of the charts with he new album, “The Emancipation of Mimi,” experienced a wardrobe malfunction during a concert in Germany on Saturday night. When the straps on her dress finally gave up the ghost halfway through the show, fans caught a brief glimpse of her bosom before organizers cut the lights.
Mariah, who quickly covered up with her arms, jokingly appealed for a jacket or coat so that the show could proceed. “We all know how quickly these images can spread around the world,” she giggled, as she ran offstage in stitches. Or for stitches. Well, you know.

It’s a good thing that 80s fashions are back in vogue (and, well, in “Vogue”). A Dublin court has ordered the return of a pair of 18-year-old trousers, plus a box of assorted trinkets, to the members of U2.
Bono and his band mates are celebrating their legal victory over one-time stylist Lola Cashman, who worked with them on the “Joshua Tree” tour. In addition to the pants, the dispute centered on the rightful ownership of 200 Polaroid shots, a Christmas decoration and the Stetson hat featured on the cover of “Rattle and Hum.” Cashman claimed that the items had been given to her as gifts, but the court didn’t buy her story.
“The weight of evidence was entirely against Ms. Cashman in this case,” said Dublin Civil Court Judge Matthew Deery.
Among the allegations made by the American stylist in her unauthorized “insider” book, “U2: Inside the Zoo,” was that Bono was obsessed with his weight. So there’s no telling if he’ll try to squeeze into a pair of pants that fit him when he was just a lad of 27 . . .

As if you needed another reason to have a crush on George Clooney, it seem that the hunky A-lister has a soft spot for kids.
When a waitress at Edinburgh Airport in Scotland approached the actor last week and asked him if he’d mind speaking to her daughter on the phone, he cheerfully agreed. The child, nine-year-old Emma-Louise, was thrilled to get a call from her favorite movie star.
“He was really nice,” the child told reporters afterwards. “I was so nervous, I couldn’t think of anything to say.”
Noting that Gorgeous George is “so good-looking,” Emma-Louise confided that her friends are all green with envy over her close-ish encounter with the star.
“And so are their moms,” she giggled.
In more Clooney news, the New York Post reports that art will (sort of) imitate life for George and his “Ocean’s 11” co-star Brad Pitt. The two actors are teaming up with Cindy Crawford’s husband, Rande Gerber, to open a hotel and casino in Las Vegas. And while the pair won’t have to rob their own gambling den, they will be getting plenty of money for nothin’.
According to a well-placed source, neither George nor Brad will need to part with a dime. Their contributions will be more on the artistic side – Brad, and architecture buff, will help design the structure. He and Clooney will serve as the public (and dreamy) faces of the venture, while Gerber deals with the nuts and bolts side.

When it comes to making excuses for a lousy performance, Babyshambles singer Pete Doherty has no problem scraping the very bottom of the barrel. The drug-addled rocker claims that a secret “pass” by Bob Geldof’s daughter Peaches before he took the stage left him so freaked out, “I didn’t know where I was.”
The skittish singer told the Daily Mirror that Peaches’ rather forward behavior – and not drugs – led to his disastrous duet with Elton John at the concert. According to Pete, the angelic-looking 16-year-old patted him on the bum and whispered sweet nothings into his ear. This left him in such a state of shock that he forgot the words to the T Rex hit, “Children of the Revolution.” Oh, and it’s also why he was stumbling around the stage. In a funny hat. And streaky eyeliner. Which is, like, so 1988.
“It did my head in,” he whined. “I don’t think Bob would be very happy.”
For her part, Peaches insists that whatever warm, fuzzy feelings the singer experienced before his embarrassing performance had nothing to do with her.
“I was standing with my dad and my boyfriend of two years at the time,” she scoffed. “It is ridiculous to say I would make a pass at Pete in front of them.”

Actor Djimon Hounsou, who earned an Oscar nod for his performance in Jim Sheridan’s film, “In America,” has joined forces with U2 front man Bono in a campaign to improve the political climate on the continent.
Djimon, a native of Benin, wants to fight the government misconduct that afflicts a number of African countries. “I’m working with Bono in trying to find ways to get African scholars and African artists together to find solutions to end corruption in some of the places,” he told Ireland Online.

When U2 and Paul McCartney performed “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” to kick off the Live 8 concert, millions of fans were inspired to download that song, plus plenty of other tracks by The Beatles. And with most artists pledging to donate all Live 8-related profits (from increased album sales and mp3 downloads) to the organization, the Fab Four-related windfall is placing Michael Jackson in an awkward public relations position.
Since the newly-acquitted pop star owns the rights to The Beatles’ catalog, all profits will flow to him. While financial experts estimate that the cash infusion could alleviate Jackson’s cash flow problems, many agree that he risks looking selfish. And that wouldn’t do his already tattered public image any good.
Noting that McCartney’s solo set included such Beatles classics as “Get Back”, “Drive My Car”, Helter Skelter”, “The Long and Winding Road” and “Hey Jude”, a Live 8 source said, “Even though the profits could be huge for Jackson, we hope he could give the money to [the organization].”
Speaking of the former Beatle bassist, Live 8 sources are whispering that he and Madonna spent some quality time together backstage during the concert. ‘Tis said that the Material Mom was hoping to sweet talk Sir Paul into contributing something to her next album.

Oasis bad boy Liam Gallagher might not be able to string three words together without cursing, but that doesn’t mean he wants his kids to do the same.
The singer, now a thirty something father of sons Lennon, 5, and Gene, 3, told London’s Sun newspaper that he’s practically “a . . . saint” these days. He has to set a good example for the boys, like.
“I won’t have my kids getting lippy,” he growled to the tabloid. “No swearing.”
His method of correcting any youthful infractions would also pass muster with any child care expert.
“I don’t smack,” Liam said proudly. “I give them a dropped eyebrow look, and then they know.” Well, especially since – technically – the Gallagher family genes tend to lean towards just one eyebrow.
The singer’s new outlook on life has put an end to his legendary heck-raising ways, as well.
“I want to live until I’m 120 and be near me kids,” he said. “I don’t go out much, now. I’m just loving my kids and eating healthy food. Life’s mega.”

On a personal note
My beautiful and beloved mother passed away on July 8, after a brief illness. Mary Rose Reehil emigrated from Aughnacliffe, Co. Longford in 1956, married Maurice Murphy, of Ardfert, Co. Kerry, and raised three children in the Bronx. She retired three years ago, after 30 years with the telephone company and later, AT&T. She was good and kind, and embraced life with a happy heart. My sister and brother and I will miss her more than words can possibly express.
A funeral Mass will be held this Friday, July 15, at 10:45 a.m., at the Church of St. Brendan the Navigator, 207th Street and Perry Avenue, in the Bronx. She will be laid to rest in her native Longford, alongside her parents in St. Colmcille Churchyard.
Dia dhuit, mo mh_thair.