Between the hysteria of this week's SEMA Show and Chrysler's never-ending (and partially baffling) revelations yesterday, a shocking announcement by Ford Motor Company has been nearly drowned out. But rest assured, your Autoblog team never rests and have tracked down this astounding piece of news. Ford has taken a long, hard look at the state of the American automotive scene and has decided to do the (almost) unthinkable – sell us a car for $650.
Now, there are no doubt naysayers amongst you that will point to a $650 Ford and cry, "Malarkey!" And with good reason. After all, under cutting the Tata Nano by a full $1,350 is no easy feat. However, times are tough. And with a nearly 10% national unemployment rate, a $650 car makes sound, economic sense. But don't take our word for it. Make the jump to watch Ford VP Daniel Grossman introduce Ford's new entry level car.
Ford Unveils New Car For Cash-Strapped Buyers: The 1993 Taurus
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Gandolfini Pops a Pap on Halloween
It was a rough Halloween for one photographer who tried filming actor James Gandolfini and his son, as the burly 'Sopranos' star lashed out and was caught on video lunging at the paparazzo and possibly punching him. In the video posted on The Huffington Post, Gandolfini is seen standing outside of a New York City store waiting for his son. Apparently unhappy with the fact that he was being followed and filmed by the paparazzo, Gandolfini quickly makes his way towards the photographer. "Relax, man," the photog pleads ... but that didn't happen.
Gandolfini is then heard telling the man "Get the f--- away from me, you understand me?" The photographer replies "Yeah, just relax." Gandolfini, not happy with the response, punches either the camera or photographer -- as it's hard to tell because the video is out of frame.
He then tells the photographer "I'm gonna break your f----ng face."
In the background, a woman -- apparently Gandolfini's wife -- is heard yelling "Get away from my son!"
No charges have been filed by the photographer as of this moment.
This wouldn't be the first time the Emmy-winning actor has found himself in a paparazzi scuffle. Back in April, he was caught on tape twice shoving a photographer outside of a posh New York City restaurant.
James Gandolfini Assaults photographer from Guest of a Guest on Vimeo.
Gandolfini is then heard telling the man "Get the f--- away from me, you understand me?" The photographer replies "Yeah, just relax." Gandolfini, not happy with the response, punches either the camera or photographer -- as it's hard to tell because the video is out of frame.
He then tells the photographer "I'm gonna break your f----ng face."
In the background, a woman -- apparently Gandolfini's wife -- is heard yelling "Get away from my son!"
No charges have been filed by the photographer as of this moment.
This wouldn't be the first time the Emmy-winning actor has found himself in a paparazzi scuffle. Back in April, he was caught on tape twice shoving a photographer outside of a posh New York City restaurant.
After 950 Tries, Woman Passes Exam
A woman in South Korea who tried to pass the written exam for a driver's license with near-daily attempts since April 2005 has finally succeeded on her 950th time. The aspiring driver spent more than $4,200 in application fees, but until now had failed to score the minimum 60 out of a possible 100 points needed to get behind the wheel for a driving test.
Cha Sa-soon, 68, finally passed the written exam with a score of 60 on Wednesday. She told the Korea Times newspaper she needed the license for her vegetable-selling business.
Police said Cha took the test hundreds of times, but had no specific total. Local media said she took the test 950 times.
Now she must pass a driving test before getting her license. Heck, I say JUST GIVE HER THE LICENSE ALREADY!
Ian McKellen Suffers 'The View' Stupidity with Grace and Wit
Actors might make a lot of money, but at least they work for it with long hours on set, paparazzi insanity, exhausting PR tours, and the pressures of handling the same questions over and over and over again with grace and charm. But even more impressive is when they can be graceful in the face of utter ignorance or idiocy.
You can see Ian McKellen handle the women from The View. Ah, there's nothing like having your television interview start out with an inflammatory rant about swine flu and socialized medicine. It's not a surprise really -- the once-sweet Survivor star Elisabeth Hasselbeck has made a career out throwing wild rants into unusual places on the show. But, sadly, that's only the start of the nonsense that McKellen handles with dashing grace. Whoopi Goldberg can't keep her actors straight, and Sherry Shepherd pulls off one of those classic moments where a clueless interviewer reads crap off the cards without knowing what the hell she's talking about.
Yet, in the face of all that, McKellen is pure charm. I always find that impressive. Sure, he's an actor and makes his living making fiction convincing, but to be ready with that clever retort, graciously correct someone who should know better, and take it all in stride ... I wouldn't say this about most of Hollywood, but I think we can all learn a little from that small part of the biz.
You can see Ian McKellen handle the women from The View. Ah, there's nothing like having your television interview start out with an inflammatory rant about swine flu and socialized medicine. It's not a surprise really -- the once-sweet Survivor star Elisabeth Hasselbeck has made a career out throwing wild rants into unusual places on the show. But, sadly, that's only the start of the nonsense that McKellen handles with dashing grace. Whoopi Goldberg can't keep her actors straight, and Sherry Shepherd pulls off one of those classic moments where a clueless interviewer reads crap off the cards without knowing what the hell she's talking about.
Yet, in the face of all that, McKellen is pure charm. I always find that impressive. Sure, he's an actor and makes his living making fiction convincing, but to be ready with that clever retort, graciously correct someone who should know better, and take it all in stride ... I wouldn't say this about most of Hollywood, but I think we can all learn a little from that small part of the biz.
Nicolas Cage's Financial Problems Linked to His Lavish Spending Habits?
Nicolas Cage filed a $20 million lawsuit against his former business manager Samuel J. Levin alleging that he was reckless with his money, including doing such things as not paying taxes, which is the reason Cage now owes more than $6 million in unpaid taxes. While Cage blames mismanagement for his financial ruin, The Daily Beast is showing another perspective, revealing the actor purchased more than a dozen houses, two islands, dinosaur skulls, shrunken heads and at least 50 cars. "[He] spent money like it was water," a source said. Let's break down the actor's alleged spending habits. >>
Property - Cage has bought houses in places like Newport Beach, Venice Beach, Malibu, San Francisco, Middletown, Rhode Island, New York, and Las Vegas. He even owned a castle near Bath, England, an 11th-century estate in Etzelwang, Germany and two Bahamian islands.
Cage's primary residence was the 1940 Bel Air mansion with eight bedrooms, a theater, wine cellar, and a library. But he put it on the market a few years back for more than $30 million. A source close to the sale says it went for less than $15 million. Cage's two mansions in New Orleans have been foreclosed upon and will be auctioned off later this month. The first, a 13,000-square-foot, six-bedroom house in the Garden District, was originally put on the market for a reported $3.45 million. The second, on Royal Street in the French Quarter, went on sale for $3.5 million.
Bel Air Christmas party - According to The Daily Beast, "The Christmas party in the tent at Nicolas Cage's mansion was a major to-do. The pool was covered up. Blocks of ice were brought in and carved into a buffet table, from which an extravagant array of shellfish was served. A production crew blew fake snow. There were enormous nutcracker men, 8- to 10-feet-tall, out by the gate in front of the house. Lighting specialists came by and illuminated Cage's favorite cars, which sat on display in the driveway. Guests at the December 2003 event included Hugh Hefner and Jay Leno, who later called it the greatest Christmas party he'd ever been to."
Charity - In 2005, Cage gave $1 million to the Red Cross to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina. In 2006, Amnesty International announced that Cage was giving the organization $2 million.
Cars - In June 2004, he owned 18 motorcycles and 30 cars including "Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Rolls Royces, Bentleys," The Daily Beast reports. At another point, two sources say, Cage's car total was around 50. He also spent nearly half a million dollars on a Lamborghini Miura SVJ that had been owned by the shah of Iran. Oh yeah, and he also own at least two yachts and a Gulfstream jet, which goes for anywhere between $45 million and $70 million.
One source said Cage spent over six figures on a Bentley, then sent it to be fitted with custom cabinetry in the back. A TV, stereo, and bar were all put in. The renovation costs totaled more than $50,000, but when it was done, the man for whom the car was spruced up couldn't even fit inside it. "It was a bastard," a person who worked with Cage at the time said. "You couldn't sit in the back unless you're 5'8. He's six-feet. Ultimately, he got rid of it."
Comic Books - Cage was an avid comic-book collector and even owned the most prized, Action Comics #1 (which contained the first appearance of Superman) and Detective Comics 38. In 2002, he sold them all for a reported $1.6 million.
Shrunken heads & skulls - Three people who visited his house reported seeing shrunken heads. Cage also purchased a dinosaur skull in 2007 for $276,000 in a heated auction with Leonardo DiCaprio.
Animals - In addition to a handful of purebred dogs, Cage also had rare birds, lizards and snakes including two albino King Cobras.
Fine dining - One crew member from Cage's 1993 film 'It Could Happen to You' told The Daily Beast that a person was dispatched to caviar hotspot Petrossian in New York to get takeout for the star and a few people on the set. "It was something like $2,000 for a snack," the source said.
Taylor Swift Mocks Kate Gosselin, Kanye and Joe Jonas on 'SNL'
Taylor Swift, host of this week's 'Saturday Night Live,' didn't spend much time addressing Kanye West's stage storming incident. She made brief mention in an opening song that included all the topics she doesn't want to talk about: her break-up with Joe Jonas and "that werewolf from 'Twilight'", Taylor Lautner. Later in the evening she even spoofed Kate Gosselin.
"You might be expecting me to say something about Kanye and how he ran up on the stage at the VMAs," she sang. "But there's nothing more to say, 'cause everything's OK. I've got security lining the stage."
She also referenced her nasty breakup with Joe Jonas: "You might think I'd bring up Joe Jonas, that guy who broke up with me on the phone, but I'm not gonna mention him in my monologue. Hey Joe, I'm doing real well. Tonight, I'm hosting SNL but I'm not gonna brag about that in my monologue. La la la. Ha ha ha. La la la."
Later she spoofed Kate Gosselin, complete with the famous reverse mullet, on 'The View.'
Speaking of Lautner, a clear stand-out was the beautifully-shot Digital Short spoof of Twilight that subbed a Frankenstein-monster family for vampires and featured Swift doing an impeccable mopey-Bella:
Swift inspired more of a female, girly-in-the-best-sense sensibility in SNL than it’s shown since the Tina Fey-Amy Poehler days. I’m thinking, for example, of a sketch such as the one in which Swift and Nasim Pedrad played delightfully devoted-to-each-other roommates, irritating a boyfriend played with fine exasperation by Andy Samberg.
"You might be expecting me to say something about Kanye and how he ran up on the stage at the VMAs," she sang. "But there's nothing more to say, 'cause everything's OK. I've got security lining the stage."
She also referenced her nasty breakup with Joe Jonas: "You might think I'd bring up Joe Jonas, that guy who broke up with me on the phone, but I'm not gonna mention him in my monologue. Hey Joe, I'm doing real well. Tonight, I'm hosting SNL but I'm not gonna brag about that in my monologue. La la la. Ha ha ha. La la la."
Later she spoofed Kate Gosselin, complete with the famous reverse mullet, on 'The View.'
Speaking of Lautner, a clear stand-out was the beautifully-shot Digital Short spoof of Twilight that subbed a Frankenstein-monster family for vampires and featured Swift doing an impeccable mopey-Bella:
Swift inspired more of a female, girly-in-the-best-sense sensibility in SNL than it’s shown since the Tina Fey-Amy Poehler days. I’m thinking, for example, of a sketch such as the one in which Swift and Nasim Pedrad played delightfully devoted-to-each-other roommates, irritating a boyfriend played with fine exasperation by Andy Samberg.
Senior Citizen Sexting on the Rise
Troubling instances of teen sexting have been all over the news as of late, with randy kids and their sexy messages and photographs often leading to public derision, expulsion, and sometimes even arrest. Thankfully, the disturbing trend among the nation's youth seems to be nearing an end.
The primary reason? Because it looks like old people are getting into it. We know (gag), and we're sorry, but the American Association of Retired People (AARP) Web site recently posted a story that details the growing popularity of raunchy text exchanges among senior citizens. (Hopefully its exaggerating.) One man named Roger (His last name was apparently withheld to prevent his grandchildren from jabbing pencils into their eyes and ears.) told the AARP, "I'll say, 'You have an amazing body. You have amazing breasts.' The next thing you know, you'll get a picture of a breast." Shudder.
So, the next time you see Grandma sheepishly grinning as she checks her cell, don't even try to wipe the memory of this indelible story from your brain. It will, unfortunately, be permanently seared into your subconscious. Again, our apologies.
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