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The Goss

Emmys off again

"We are not calling it a cancellation at this point," said Bryce Zabel, chairman of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. "We are looking into all the options. For now, we are postponing and we're not announcing any winners at this point." 

If the show is cancelled, it will be the first time in the awards show's 53-year history.

None of the stars, except for host Ellen DeGeneres, had shown up in Los Angeles by 12:30 p.m., when news stations began reporting that the awards show had been canceled. At 2:45 p.m. Zabel, CBS President Leslie Moonves, and producer Don Mischer announced they had cancelled the show for the present. The Emmys had already been delayed three weeks in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Law enforcement officials had warned Hollywood studios in recent weeks that they could be the target of future strikes. But organizers said that security issues were not the reason for calling off the show. 

Moonves said the decision to postpone the Emmys at the last minute came after speaking with executives from the other major networks and with the producers of many of the nominated television shows, as well as Zabel and Don Mischer. The consensus was that they felt "uncomfortable" and in a "non-celebratory mode." 

Unconfirmed rumours circulated that the cast of The West Wing refused to attend the Emmys after news of the attacks on Afghanistan came earlier in the day. But no one would validate the story. 

It is worth noting that The West Wing is nominated for 18 awards and has been heavily favoured to walk away with many statuettes. Without the cast members in attendance, the very nature of opening the envelopes and announcing the winners would have changed dramatically. 

More than 3,000 meals had already been delivered for the Unity Dinner that was to take place directly following the Emmy telecast. The dinner, a renamed and mellowed version of the annual Governor's Ball, was to feature catered food by Patina. Zabel said the food would be delivered to Los Angeles area homeless shelters. Floral arrangements were to be distributed to various charities. 

Kid Trouble for Pam

She's sometimes so out of it she has to be helped down the stairs of her trailer and she often forgets her lines or just mumbles through her scenes, they say. Then on August 28 Pam stunned co-workers by flipping off a director while she did some work for TNN in Ls Angeles.

"Pam was at her worst, just about as obnoxious as a star can be," the source said. "She'd downed a bottle of Cristal Champagne while hosting a 'Baywatch' marathon and when she went across to another stage to do some promotion spots for the network, she was rude and belligerent. And when the director asked Pam for more hand gestures in the spot, she complied by saying 'Here's your hand gesture,' and then flipped the startled guy off! Everyone on the set had heard that Pam was a sweetheart - but she was an absolute witch!"

Pam blames her work problems on others and has even announced she wants to fire everyone on her series at the end of the season, but friends say it's her drinking and boozing with hard-partying Kid that's causing her deterioration. The situation for Pamela has become critical," a worried source said. "She's really going over the edge, and it's pretty much all because of Kid Rock. When he's in town, they party like there's no tomorrow, drinking until dawn.

Whatever it is, she is doing with him, it's made her a mess. "If you think Tommy Lee was bad for Pam, Kid Rock makes him look like a Boy Scout. Pam's relationship with Kid is destroying her."

Clooney and Zellweger heat up

The couple has reportedly been an item for over a month, and have reportedly tried to keep it on the low down by staying in at Clooney's Hollywood Hills home, rather than hitting the town, Us magazine reports.

Now, a friend of Clooney's, one Tommy Hinkley, tells Heat magazine, "They are definitely hanging out a lot and seeing each other. I like Renée loads — she is such a fun, charming person." However, he says Clooney isn't thinking of getting too serious, and that the most important relationship the hunk has is with his pet, a potbellied pig.

"I hope he settles down with [Renée] because I know how wonderful it is to be in love. But that is George's choice," says the friend, who seemed to have no compunction about spilling his famous friend's romantic beans.

Zellweger recently ended a serious year-long relationship with Jim Carrey. According to the New York Daily News, the pair were engaged to be married, which would have been the third marriage for Carrey.

Clooney, who's been name-checked in every major breakup lately, from Julia and Ben to Tom and Nicole, was most recently dating British model Lisa Snowden, and had a long-term relationship with French waitress Celine Balitran. 

Jackie Chan - lifesaver

"If it wasn't for Jackie, I would have died," stuntman Chung Cheng-kai, who also goes by the first name, "Andy," told Reuters on Thursday. In a fight scene in the movie, which was filmed about a year ago in Hong Kong, Chan kicked two people off a moving boat. One stuntman quickly emerged from the water, but Andy got caught underneath the boat. Andy said his head slammed against the underside of the boat, and he tried to avoid the propellers. He struggled to get back to the surface, but he was trapped under the moving vessel. 

Just when he thought he couldn't hold out any longer, someone grabbed his arm and pulled him out from under the boat. It was Chan. "I feel like a god grabbed me and pulled me out of the water," Andy said, "A moment later, I would have been dead. He save my life. He give me second life." Born in Hong Kong, Andy first worked for Chan as a stunt double and fight choreographer in Mr. Nice Guy (1997), and since then has worked on Chan's Who Am I? (1998), Rush Hour (1998), and Shanghai Noon (2000). 

Chan recently had his own near-brush with death: the star was set to film atop a tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, but shooting was postponed due to a late script.

Royal artists reach out

By: Ruwanthi Herat Gunaratne 

"This annual art exhibition and competition is not limited to the students of Royal College, it is an all island competition with even schools from Ampara taking part," said H.L.B. Gomes, Principal of Royal College. 

Another novel idea this year was to present an award to professional artists on a yearly basis. This year the 'Royal College Kalakeerthi Award' was presented to Kalabushana Sihil M. Sirisena for his outstanding contribution to the history of art. K.B. Dayananda, Priyani Matarage and C.S. Senaratne the art teachers of Royal College all felt that it was vitally important for students to understand the importance of our own artists and that was the reason behind this award. 

There were well over two hundred paintings that were exhibited. Among the huge variety of paintings were the usual oils, watercolours, pastel paintings and one done entirely with the use of a ball point pen! Nature seems to somehow creep into every art exhibition and in this case we found several paintings of Elephants. 

Another topic that seemed a popular choice was the 'Ves Natum', of the south as well as other low country dances. The exhibition also included an array of pottery painting and a few sculptures also by the Royalists.

Beauty for a cause

Proceeds from the event, a project of Ms Lanka 2001, will go towards setting up a talking book library and recording studio for the blind.

Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara