Cayleigh blog

"American Idol" dominates ratings in second week

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Executives U.S. network Fox are breathing a sigh of relief this morning.

The network dominated Wednesday night with the second week of "American Idol" averaging a 9.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 25.2 million viewers. But more importantly, the two-hour "Idol" (8-10 p.m.) was only down 5% in the demo compared to last Wednesday's premiere.

Last year, the third telecast of "American Idol" dropped 14% in the demo. Of course, the tenth season opener last Wednesday was also down 18% in the demo (9.7 rating) compared to the 2010 opener.

ABC and CBS tied for a distant second on the night averaging a 2.1 demo rating each. ABC had back-to-back reruns of "The Middle" (which averaged a 2.0 in the demo with 6.8 million viewers from 8-9 p.m.) followed by reruns of "Modern Family" (2.6, 7.3 million) and "Cougar Town" (2.1, 5.0 million).

At 10 p.m., new drama "Off the Map" (1.8, 5.0 million) was down 14% in the demo compared to last week's episodes, for its lowest rating since its premiere three weeks ago.

Paula Abdul's CBS reality competition show "Live to Dance" continues to languish, finishing fourth at 8 p.m. with a 1.1 demo rating and 4.7 million viewers overall. However that's actually up 10% compared to last week.

The news was better for CBS at 9 p.m.; a new episode of "Criminal Minds" built substantially on its paltry lead-in (3.2, 12.8 million) to take second in the hour, while "Blue Bloods" continued to perform well in its new Wednesday time slot, finishing first at 10 p.m. (2.0, 12 million).

NBC was fourth on Wednesday averaging a 1.4 demo rating with 4.8 million viewers overall. At 8 p.m., "Minute to Win It" (1.4, 5.0 million) was down 13% week-to-week, while "Chase" (1.2, 4.1 million) was up 20%. And "Law & Order: SVU" was third at 10 p.m. averaging a 1.7 rating with 5.4 million viewers.

(Editing by Zorianna Kit)

"Rebirth" a stirring 9/11 documentary

PARK CITY, Utah (Hollywood Reporter) – The impact of 9/11 on the United States has been filtering through our movies for nearly a decade now and will undoubtedly continue into the next century. At this point though, few if any have measured with more clear-eyed optimism and compassion the journey of those most immediately connected to the event than Jim Whitaker's "Rebirth."

The director achieves his goal of a "human time-lapse" where he follows five survivors and family members as they come to terms with grief and injuries and struggle to forge new lives.

The not-for-profit film is all part of Project Rebirth, sponsored by a number of organizations including Aon Corp. in memory of the nearly 3,000 victims including its own employees. Other facets of the project include a multi-screen installation at the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum and a center to create multi-media tools to aid those working with victims of disasters and violent conflict.

"Rebirth" is both a work of art and of the heart. His five heroes -- and the word never has seemed more appropriate -- have opened up their lives to him in interviews and scenes involving their families, caregivers and colleagues. Meanwhile, Thomas Lappin's cinematography and 14 time-lapse cameras placed around Ground Zero chart the progress of the space above the hallowed spot as temporary and then permanent buildings rise in honor of the fallen.

Tanya loses her fireman fiance, her "soul mate," in the attack and therefore all direction in her life. Ling makes it down from the 78th floor of the World Trade Center only to discover horrific burns across her body that will lead to multiple surgeries and precarious health.

Brian, a construction worker, loses his youngest brother when the towers fall and finds himself drawn to Ground Zero from the first day as he works on the reconstruction. Nick, a high school student whose mom perishes, becomes estranged from his family as he tries to stay close to his mother by following her career path to Wall Street.

Fireman Tim survives the collapse but his mentor and friend, Captain Terry Hatton of Rescue 1, does not so his dedication to another's life finds him working in national security and then for Mayor Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign.

The yearly snapshots of each hero come with a kind of suspense over everyone's mental health and end with epiphanies that fiction could never equal. It begins with the moment, caught on videotape, when Nick delivers his eulogy at his mother's memorial service and a tiny sparrow lands on his head as he utters the word "mother." The bird allows the boy to pluck it from his head and stare at it in his hand, only flying off when someone else touches it. "There's no doubt in my mind that my mom was there," he says.

Ling is the only one physically damaged by the attack, gruesomely so, yet she may be the least damaged mentally. Her ready laugh and good cheer help, of course, nevertheless she despairs that her life has become "useless."

Brian's post-traumatic stress doesn't kick in for several years as he throws himself into the clean-up and reconstruction effort. But when it does, he clearly becomes a different man. Tim likewise gets drawn back to Ground Zero following his sojourn into politics, looking for some kind of closure that isn't forthcoming.

Tanya is torn-up by self-pity, envy of other people's happiness and conflict over how to "move on" when she really doesn't want to. Sergio was the center of her universe, and as she experiences a return to dating, intimacy and even marriage, that hole never quite goes away.

Recovery -- rebirth -- does happen but it's interesting how two interviewees put it: "Healing, I guess it's there" and "I guess I'm pretty happy to be alive." Notice the "I guess" in each instance. It may be a quirk of speech but there's this quandary that accompanies any happiness: Do I deserve this? I guess so.

The film has so much to say not just about our nation's struggle to recover from 9/11, but about survivor's guilt, despair and recovery from trauma in general. These people experienced 9/11 directly, but as a nation we all suffer from its effect. Here's hoping Rebirth can launch a kind of collective recovery.

Not only could this film stand a sequel but one can only guess how it ultimately will fit into the whole Project Rebirth concept. As the first finished product from this project though, "Rebirth" is awesome. Every choice Whitaker has made, from his decision not to show any of the footage from that terrible day to whatever methods he used to get his heroes to express themselves so candidly, pays off beautifully. The word "inspiring" gets overused but "Rebirth" is really and truly inspiring.

No. 19 Georgetown upsets No. 8 West Virginia 65-60

WASHINGTON – Sugar Rodgers scored 30 points, including a falling-down driving layup with 50 seconds to play, as No. 19 Georgetown topped No. 8 West Virginia 65-60 Tuesday night for the Hoyas' second win over a Top 10 team this season.

Rodgers' acrobatic shot gave Georgetown the lead for good, capping a turnover-filled, come-from-behind win for the Hoyas (16-5, 4-3 Big East), who earlier this year topped then-No. 4 Tennessee.

The Hoyas won despite committing 28 turnovers, although that made them only marginally more careless than the Mountaineers (19-2, 5-2), who had 23 in a game that had more total turnovers (51) than made field goals (40). Georgetown won by outrebounding West Virginia 32-17 and overcoming an eight-point deficit in the final 8:40.

Rodgers was one of two Hoyas with seven turnovers, and Monica McNutt had 13 points and six turnovers for Georgetown. The Hoyas shot 51 percent against a Mountaineers team that entered the game ranked No. 2 in the country in field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot an average 31.2 percent.

Liz Repella had 20 points, and Sarah Miles had 14 points and 11 turnovers for West Virginia.

Madina Ali's putback of a Mountaineers missed free throw tied the game at 60 with 2:46 to play, but back-and-forth turnovers kept either team from taking the lead. Repella finally missed a 3-pointer, and Rodgers made her layup at the other end to make it 62-60. Rodgers then sank two free throws with 19 seconds remaining, and Asya Bussie made one of two in the final seconds.

The game clashed the Hoyas' uptempo, high-risk, high-reward attack against one of the best defensive teams in the country, so it was hardly surprising it was so ragged.

Georgetown nearly ran West Virginia from the opening whistle, using a fullcourt press to take a 10-0 lead. The Mountaineers' first four possessions ended with a blocked shot, missed layup and a pair of turnovers. Georgetown led 35-28 at halftime.

BSkyB Bid Puts Murdoch Back in Political Spotlight

For an Australian-born U.S. citizen, Rupert Murdoch casts an extraordinarily long shadow over Britain and its politics. As the owner of four U.K. newspapers, he already has a big part in the national conversation. And now his latest bid to take full control of BSkyB, the country's biggest pay-TV station, is giving the government a headache at a time when it's already suffering through expenses scandals, falling poll ratings and public anger over budget cuts. Murdoch announced the $12.5 billion bid last June and already one minister has been stripped of his job of making a ruling on the takeover after he told undercover reporters he had "declared war" on the media tycoon.

As just about anybody in British politics will tell you, declaring war on Rupert Murdoch - the "Dirty Digger," as he has been dubbed by detractors - is not something to be undertaken lightly. This, after all, is the man prime ministers and would-be prime ministers fall over themselves to woo, most notably just before general elections, in the hope of winning the support of his media outlets.

The relationship between Murdoch and Britain's leaders is currently making headlines of its own. Reports on Wednesday revealed that Murdoch had skipped the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland to fly to London while the government considers whether the bid by his News Corporation should be referred to the competition commission. The point at issue is whether, as rival media groups claim, a Murdoch-owned BSkyB - he already owns just over 30% of the company - combined with his existing ownership of four national newspapers - the tabloids the Sun and News of the World, and upmarket the Times of London and Sunday Times - would pose a threat to media plurality in the U.K.

Until Dec. 21, Business Secretary Vince Cable was tasked with deciding if the bid should be sent to the competition commission. But after Daily Telegraph reporters caught him making that combative comment, the responsibility was passed to Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who immediately gave Murdoch more time to answer concerns over his bid which had been raised by the media watchdog Ofcom.

For those already concerned about what they see as Murdoch's power over the nation's decision-makers, Hunt's act of leniency appeared to be another sign that politicians are too eager to keep the news mogul on side. And all this comes as controversy continues to boil over the activities of Murdoch's News of the World and phone-hacking of celebrities, royals and politicians by its reporters. That affair saw two employees jailed in 2007, and on Jan. 21, Prime Minister David Cameron's chief spin doctor Andy Coulson, who was the paper's editor at the time of the offenses and says he knew nothing about them, quit as the row refused to die down.

But how is it Murdoch has come to be so feared and revered by Britain's politicians? Probably because some of them have learnt the hard way what his support - or lack of it - can mean.

The most famous example was the struggling Conservative government's shock election victory in 1992, after which Murdoch's Sun newspaper, which had a daily readership of around 10 million, screamed from its front page: "It's the Sun Wot Won It!" Even skeptics were forced to accept that Murdoch's decision to back the beleaguered Tory prime minister, John Major, helped carry the Conservatives to victory.

But it was actually the Sun's treatment of the then opposition Labour party leader, Neil Kinnock, that drew most attention and allowed the paper to make its flamboyant claim. On election day, it had carried a front-page picture of Kinnock's head, portrayed as a lightbulb, under the headline: "If Kinnock wins today, will the last person to leave Britain please turn out the lights."

Kinnock quit immediately, enraged by his treatment by the media in general and the Sun in particular - and Labour's future Prime Minister, Tony Blair, learned a powerful lesson. In July 1995, Blair and aides jetted to the Australian resort at Hayman Island for an annual conference held by Murdoch and his executives. It was there that Blair persuaded the audience that his "New Labour" Party was responsible and electable. Two years later, the Sun declared for Blair, who went on to win a landslide victory.

Rumors of secret deals between the two men persisted and in February 2009, former Blair-era spin doctor Lance Price seemed to confirm them in his book Where Powers Lies: Prime Ministers v the Media: "A deal had been done, although with nothing in writing. If Murdoch were left to pursue his business interests in peace he would give Labour a fair wind."

In the run-up to last year's general election, that wind seemed to change when the Sun threw its support behind Conservative leader David Cameron. The impact wasn't nearly as striking as it had been years before, thanks to the general decline of newspaper readership and the growth of new media. But it was still a blow to the Labour party, which was ousted from government when Britons took to the polls.

Little wonder, then, that those who fret about Murdoch's power over Britain's politicians are questioning whether Cameron too has decided to leave him to "pursue his business interests in peace."

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First Person: Preparing for TSA Security, Pat Downs and Full-Body Scanners

Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Mich., (formerly Kent County International Airport) is a medium-sized international airport. Traveling down to Louisiana for the Thanksgiving holiday, I was prepared for most of the TSA security checks with a few surprises. Here are my experiences along with several tips I learned going through TSA scanners and pat downs:

Preparation: I was prepared for all TSA security check procedures because I always do my homework ahead of time. Before I travel, I visit destination and arrival airport websites to update myself on any new "rules of travel." Has anything changed since the last time I flew at this airport? What can I expect of the airport where I'll be arriving? What airports will I have to stop at for layovers? I'm very careful to explore layover airports. I'm a cheapskate, and I cut costs when I travel. My itinerary varies each time I travel, even if I visit the same locations. I also explore the TSA website to find out what security changes may have taken place and how they are handling airport security.

Gerald R. Ford International Airport is operating on "orange" national security threat level procedures. Security clearance checks are rated "yellow" for elevated threat and "orange" for high security. Typically airports upgrade to orange for holiday travel, according to the

Gerald R. Ford International Airport follows afor liquid carry-on containers. 3-1-1 stands for "1 quart-size, clear plastic, zip-top bag holding 3-ounce or smaller containers of liquids or gels." 3-1-1 liquid does not include: water, juice, liquid nutrients, baby formula, breast milk, medication, diabetic supplies or baby food. These 3-1-1 exemptions must be declared to a security officer for screening. When approaching security, I had to take my 3-1-1 carry on out and put it in a separate bin.

Err on the side of caution: Having read all the literature, I was prepared for the scanner. I wore no clothing or footwear with zippers, belts, metal fastenings or chains or metal accessories. I removed all jewelry except my wedding ring -- which usually passes security anyway. I have no body or facial piercings and do not smoke (no lighter). I had my car keys, purse with money, cell phone, laptop and wireless network adapter in my carry-on. I don't use a camera with film, but if I had, security checks ask that the film go in the carry-on.

I did not keep anything in my pockets. I was pretty proud of myself for remembering to wear a sports bra with no underwire or metal hooks to set off the scanner. You take off your shoes when approaching the scanner, so I wore slip-on clogs. When I went through the scanner, nothing registered. It was disconcerting to realize that I showed up naked on the security camera, however. But that's the price you pay to travel. The young man ahead of me had not planned quite so well. He remembered to check his belt and chained wallet and shoes, but forgot his tongue piercing, which had to come out. He also forgot to leave his lighter at home and lost a good Zippo.

Choosing the pat down vs. the scanner: There has been a great deal of debate over the issue of security pat down (frisking) vs. scanner. I was given a choice between security pat down and scanner. I had discussed this with my husband. Despite the awkwardness of appearing naked on the scanner, we agreed that a scanner would be less invasive than a pat down. Being prepared for what was to come, it was less uncomfortable than it could have been.

Dealing with the radiation from screening: I had heard something about the concern over radiation from the security scanners. I checked out the TSA website and foundabout the danger from radiation, which isn't as high as other everyday sources of radiation.