(BBC News)--The FBI has released its investigative file on Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Who else did its agents keep tabs on, and why?
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are perhaps best known for their comedy sketch Who's on First?
But in the 1950s, the duo caught the FBI's attention for other reasons.
"A police informant furnished information to the effect that Bud Abbott, the well-known motion picture and television star, is a collector of pornography, and alleged he has 1,500 reels of obscene motion pictures," an agent wrote in an FBI file.
Of Costello, agents reported: "Information was secured reflecting that two prostitutes put on a lewd performance for Lou Costello," for which they were paid $50 each.
Princess Diana's file included information on a scheduled trip to the US and an investigation into threats made against her and Prince Charles in 1981.
On Thursday, the FBI released a far less salacious file on Steve Jobs, which was compiled in 1991 after President George Bush Sr weighed appointing him to an international trade council.
The FBI has also compiled, and subsequently released to the public, hundreds of files on movie stars, US and foreign political figures, athletes, writers, musicians and others.
Some, like late model Anna Nicole Smith, turn up in FBI files because they had been threatened with extortion or violence.
Others, like writer Norman Mailer or actor Charlie Chaplin, were suspected communist sympathisers, and those like John Lennon were watched for their involvement in anti-war politics.
During the era of legendary FBI director J Edgar Hoover, "you could find a reason to open a file on anyone", says Steve Rosswurm, a historian at Lake Forest College in Illinois and author of a book about the FBI's dealings with the Catholic Church.
"The reasons for the surveillance are as varied as the people being watched," said British writer Nicholas Redfern, author of Celebrity Secrets: Official Government Files on the Rich and Famous.
"It was very much dependent upon the character or the situation the subject of the file was in."
Today, the bureau's Cold War-era fears of communist infiltration, obscenity and homosexuality sound almost quaint.
The early rock and roll song Louie Louie by the Kingsmen, for instance, was the subject of a 119-page file. The lyrics, written in a quasi-Caribbean metre, are famously difficult to discern.
Some, including an official at a Florida high school and Indiana Governor Matthew Welsh, suspected the words were secretly obscene, and the FBI launched an investigation.
The bureau's agents famously kept tabs on entertainment and political figures suspected of communist ties.
"In the Hoover period, people were investigated under suspicion of disloyalty," said Jon Wiener, a historian at the University of California-Irvine and author of a book on the FBI's investigation of John Lennon.
Lennon, for instance, was feared for his influence in the anti-Vietnam war movement, and was watched for years.
The bureau eventually released files that contained little more than bizarre details, like a description of another anti-war activist trying to teach a parrot to repeat swear words.
Marilyn Monroe's file notes she had been linked to the Kennedys and was married for a time to the playwright Arthur Miller, who was suspected of being a communist sympathiser.
Other pop cultural figures were more obviously legitimate subjects of criminal investigation or security planning.
Frank Sinatra, for example, was rumoured to have mob ties, and his son was kidnapped at one point.
The bureau compiled a relatively brief 34-page file on guitarist Jimi Hendrix following his arrest in 1969 by Toronto police on a drug charge.
"If he is found innocent of the charge, Canadian Immigration would like to deport him anyway to the US if it can be shown he has prior criminal convictions," an agent wrote.
The FBI's file includes information about the guitarist's criminal history, including an arrest in 1961 for driving a car without the owner's permission.
FEBRUARY 11, 1963...In just under ten hours, the Beatles record all ten tracks for their debut LP, released in England as Please Please Me. John's cold makes the process actually take a bit longer than it should; by the time the band gets to the last song of the session, "Twist and Shout," the hoarseness is noticible. Nevertheless, John nails it in one take.
FEBRUARY 11, 1964....Fresh from their first appearance on CBS'Ed Sullivan Show, the Beatles leave for Washington, DC in a snow storm in order to give their first US live performance at the Washington Coliseum, with opening acts Tommy Roe, the Caravelles, and the Chiffons. Yet another press conference is given before the show. The performance -- "Roll Over Beethoven," "From Me to You," "I Saw Her Standing There," "This Boy," "All My Loving," "I Wanna Be Your Man," "Please Please Me," "Till There Was You," "She Loves You," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "Twist and Shout," and "Long Tall Sally" -- is also filmed by CBS for closed-circuit broadcast; because of the stage setup, the band is forced to move its equipment three separate times in order to give everyone in the audience a chance to see them. Afterwards, the group head to a masked ball at the city's British Embassy and then back to their rooms at the Shoreham Hotel. During the party, an unidentified woman cuts off a lock of Ringo's hair without asking him. (Meanwhile, British PM Sir Alec Douglas-Home decides to cancel his trip to the ball for fear of being upstaged by the group.)
FEBRUARY 11, 1967...Due to increasing public furor over the Monkees being a "manufactured" band, the group issues a statement claiming it will hereby play its own instruments on all new releases (the group had already performed as a band live on stage).
FEBRUARY 11, 1972...At a concert in Tollworth, England, David Bowie performs as Ziggy Stardust for the first time.
FEBRUARY 11, 2000...In a mysterious incident, a fan attending an Isley Brothers concert in Los Angeles suddenly shoots three members of the audience, one fatally. He is shot dead by police, apparently in self-defense.
***MIKE SHINODA of LINKIN PARK is 35
***SERGIO MENDES is 71
***DAVID UOSIKKINEN of THE HOOTERS is 56
Actor: BURT REYNOLDS is 76
Actress: TINA LOUISE of GILLIGAN'S ISLAND is 78
Actress: CAREY LOWELL of LAW & ORDER ia 51
Actor: BRICE BECKHAM if MR. BELVEDERE is 36
Actor: CONRAD JANIS of MORK & MINDY is 84
Actress: JENNIFER ANISTON of FRIENDS is 43
Actor: MATTHEW LAWRENCE of BOY MEETS WORLD is 32
Actress: CATHERINE HICKLAND of ONE LIFE TO LIVE is 56
Falling passionately in love with someone is one of the most exhilarating feelings, as if you had wings and you are flying high in the sky, feeling the wind romantically blowing through your hair. And usually, when love ends, it feels as if you’ve been dropped like a rock in mid-air. You scramble to grab a hold of something … anything, as you witness your body falling at great speeds, and then shattering on the earth below.
Whether we’re talking about breakups, or facing the reality of a one-sided romance, it is painful. So much so that it disrupts our normal flow of experiences, causing us to not function normally.
When we fall in love with another person, we are essentially experiencing the love that was within us all along. The person is merely acting like a mirror reflecting our soul back at us. Technically, we can’t “fall” in love, because we are already made of love. The other person, much like a musical instrument, is the catalyst allowing us to recognize the beauty that’s already within us.
Because of our lack of understanding that love resides within us, and that we actually have the power to invoke it on our own, we credit it to the other person forgivinglove to us. This feeling is so strong and extraordinary, that we become addictive and possessive. We want to capture it and keep it fixed, so that we can – at last – keep this heightened feeling forever.
The truth is that, everyone and everything is in a constant flow of change. The changes in us and in our external circumstances are inevitable and undeniable. When we change, the dynamics of our relationships change – not just romantic ones, but also friendships, family ties, and our relationships with co-workers.
Over time, some relationships strengthen and some grow apart. When people grow apart, it doesn’t mean that either one of them was a bad person, but rather that they’ve learned all that they needed to from the other person, and that it’s time to move on.
1. Letting Go
What would you do if your house was burnt to the ground, and everything you owned was destroyed? I’m sure you’d be frustrated and angry at first, but at the same time, no amount of anger will undo what has been done. It is what it is. Your best bet is to begin moving on, and working towards creating a new home.
Similarly, when a relationship ends, you’ll want to practice letting go and allowing the healing process to begin quickly.
If you were on the receiving end of a breakup, do not dwell on whether the person will come back or not, if they broke up with you at one point, chances are, something is wrong with the fit of your partnership, and you’ll be better appreciated elsewhere, with someone else. Even if you and the ex get back together, it is unlikely to last.
Trust that everything in the Universe happens for a reason, and it benefits everyone involved in the long run, even if the benefits are not yet clear. Trust that this is the best possible thing to happen to you right now, and the reasons will become clear in the future.
2. Release Tension and Bundled Up Energy
We all have the need to be understood and heard. Whether we’re on the receiving end or the initiating end of a breakup, we often carry with us the tension and any unexpressed emotions. We can release this extra energy by:
Talking about it with a friend.
Voicing our opinions honestly and openly with our ex-partner, which have been bottled up in the past.
Punching a pillow and crying freely for 10 minutes.
Writing in a journal.
Exercise and body movement.
3. Give it Time
It takes time to heal. Be patient. Give it more time. The storm will end, and the sun will peak through the clouds.
4. Journal Your Experience
Spend some quality time in a comfortable chair, at your desk or at a café, and write your thoughts and feelings on paper. No, not typing on a laptop, writing on paper with a pen. Follow your heart and flow freely.
5. Read Something Inspirational
Books that deal with our emotions and ego are incredible tools at a time of healing. They help to enlighten our understanding of ourselves and our experiences.
Electronics and technology are a wonderful thing. When they work.
Lately, we've been experiencing the "freeze" issue of equipment simply not responding to commands.
It started with our main computer. A couple of restarts usually does the trick, but why? This hasn't been much of an issue in the past.
This problem has now spread to our smartphone. It's wise to turn it off every couple of days and that is exactly what we did. Trouble is, reactivating it somehow froze that apparatus and we thought it would be a ten minute job to remove and replace the battery. The unit finally reactivated itself after five minutes of us doing nothing with it.
We're not sure what exactly is going on, but we are thinking of perhaps just leaving the two devices on and taking our chances.
FEBRUARY 10, 1968...The Beatles close their American fan club and business office, Beatles U.S.A, fire their American PR people, and sever all business ties in the country, turning everything over to their own Apple Corps in London.
FEBRUARY 10, 1974...Phil Spector is seriously burned in a mysterious car crash while en route from Los Angeles to Phoenix, AZ, leading to extensive plastic surgery that furthers his reclusiveness.
FEBRUARY 10, 1990...Eric Clapton ends his unprecedented 18-night series of gigs at London's Royal Albert Hall.
FEBRUARY 10, 2002...Elton John performs at the NBA all-star game in Philadelphia, PA.
***DON WILSON of THE VENTURES is 79
***JIMMY MERCHANT of FRANKIE LYMON & THE TEENAGERS is 72
(BBC News)--Madonna has announced the dates for her latest world tour, which will start in Israel in May.
The 53-year-old will play two dates in the UK, while the tour will also visit South America and Australia, where she has not performed in 20 years.
The announcement comes days after the Like A Prayer singer performed during half time at the US Super Bowl.
According to figures, Sunday's Super Bowl was the most watched TV show in US history.
A record 111.3 million people tuned in for the game. Madonna's 12 minute performance received mixed reviews.
According to Nielsen, the company that tracks TV viewing figures, the football game was the most watched show in US history.
Fifty dates have been announced so far for Madonna's tour, which will start on 29 May and visit 26 European cities including Paris, Milan, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Dublin and Berlin.
She will also perform in Canada and the US in August, September and October.
Speaking on Graham Norton's BBC One show last month, the singer said she was planning an extensive tour "because I have to pay the rent".
Her last global outing, with the Sticky And Sweet tour, made $408m (£250m) over two years.
With dates in 32 countries, it broke the record for the highest grossing tour ever by a solo artist, which had previously been held by the singer's 2006 Confessions tour.
FEBRUARY 09, 1964...At 8:00 PM EST, CBS' Ed Sullivan Show takes to the airwaves to broadcast the Beatles' first US television appearance. Nearly 73 million Americans -- a record for its time, and still one of the highest ratings ever -- watch as John, Paul, George and Ringo perform "All My Loving," "Till There Was You," "She Loves You," "I Saw Her Standing There," and "I Want to Hold Your Hand" to 703 screaming teenage fans (mostly girls) in the audience.
Although the group realized how important America was to their career, they had no idea just how important the Sullivan show was to domestic audiences; when the full impact of the event hit them just before the show, John Lennon became so nervous he taped the band's song lyrics to the back of his guitar, just in case. Before the band's performance, Sullivan reads a telegram: "Congratulations on your appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show and your visit to America STOP We hope your engagement will be successful and your visit pleasant STOP Sincerely Elvis and the Colonel." During "Till There Was You," a message flashes when John appears on-screen: "Sorry, girls, he's married." Although the music can barely be heard over the screams, this one show has an enormous effect on galvanizing future rock stars into attempting their own version of Beatlemania. Indeed, one other future music star from Britain appears on the show this night -- the Monkees' Davy Jones, performing as part of the cast of Broadway's Oliver!
FEBRUARY 09, 1972...In keeping with the rather low-key nature of his new group, Paul McCartney debuts Wings on stage with a surprise appearance at England's Nottingham University. From there, the band sets off on a largely improvised tour of the country, playing unannounced in many places.
FEBRUARY 09, 1975...The variety show Cher, meant to take the place of the old Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, debuts on CBS with guests Elton John and Bette Midler.
