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Rabbi Ben Greenberg: Matisyahu And The Pitfalls Of The Charismatic Leader

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The Jewish blogosphere is a abuzz today with the latest news from the constantly evolving life of the musician Matisyahu. First, Matisyahu shaved off his beard, which to the non-Orthodox community did not seem like much, but to the Orthodox Jewish community represented a significant shift in religious orientation. This was a man who had inspired countless numbers of his fellow Jews to see their faith in a new light and it emboldened those within the Orthodox camp to take pride in their peculiarities and differences from mainstream society as fellow HuffPost blogger Elad Nehorai recently wrote about.

The move away from his religious observance, and thus his role as a cultural icon and leader for religious Jewry, took another dramatic step today as Matisyahu posted two pictures of himself sporting a new closely cropped haircut unadorned with a yarmulke and in one picture posing with another artist who was smoking what was presumably a marijuana joint. It would seem then that the circle has been completed from Matthew Miller, Westchester-raised secular Jewish kid, to Matisyahu, icon and inspiration for thousands of his fellow Jews, back to Matthew Miller.

All of these personal changes are, of course, within his right. A person is free to live any life style he or she so chooses. Similarly to what Elad expressed, as someone who not only enjoyed his music but also the role he played on the borderlines between religious Jewish society and general society I cannot help but be disappointed that this avenue for Jewish pride and connection is gone. However, this turn of events does provide an opportunity to discuss the dangers of charismatic leadership, both within and without the religious context.

Charisma, that character trait that one either has or does not have, can produce remarkable changes in other people. It can cause a near worship of the individual and the cause or ideology they represent. It can fulfill for people perhaps one of the most deeply felt needs of the human condition: to belong to something greater than ourselves. Charisma can produce wonderful results such as civic engagement and voter turnout, like it did in 2008, as untold numbers of young people, otherwise disaffected from politics, came to the voting booth attracted by the charisma of President Obama. It can also yield nightmarish scenarios and take the phenomenon of groupthink to the next horrific level such as what happens in the early days of dictatorships under persuasive and charismatic leaders. Yet, no matter how much one connects to their leader or how in touch they feel to the cause, the let down is inevitable. Even the most charming, persuasive and magnetic leader is, after all, only human and will eventually err and the enchantment will wear off.

Real purpose comes from deep exploration and reflection. It comes from analysis and what Jewish tradition calls cheshbon hanefesh, the internal work of figuring out who you are and what you are called to do. This is hard work but it is authentic and genuinely life transforming. There is an important role in this work for mentors, role models and teachers. In fact, tradition instructs every person to acquire for themselves a rabbi, a teacher. A rabbi may have charisma, they may be charming and friendly and their passion for their life's work may be downright inspiring but that is not the vehicle by which one connects to their mentor, their teacher or their rabbi. The teacher is the guide along the road who helps you find your path not put you on their path. The teacher connects you to the resources from within their expertise that can assist you in making life's truly hard decisions and does not make those decisions for you.

Leadership from charisma is a dangerous proposition. Leadership from the vantage point of mentoring and guiding is life long and produces long lasting impact. It is my hope that the continuing unfolding drama surrounding Matisyahu provides an opportunity to reconnect to leadership of the second kind and that we draw our inspiration from within.


Kelly Ripa's Daughter Has Cell Phone Freak Out

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Kelly Ripa didn't think her middle-school aged daughter, Lola, was ready for a cell phone.

Ripa's husband, Mark Consuelos, however, ended up caving. He completely outdid the manicure Ripa had bought for Lola and got her the gift she really wanted.

Luckily for the "Live! with Kelly" (weekdays syndicated) viewers, Ripa recorded the moment Lola found the phone. Let's just say hilarity ensued, with Lola excitedly screaming, "I told you it wasn’t too expensive ... Oh my god, it’s my dream!”

Lola was so thrilled that she even attempted, but failed to do some sort of tumbling, fell over, and said, “I’m okay!”

TV Replay scours the vast television landscape to find the most interesting, amusing, and, on a good day, amazing moments, and delivers them right to your browser.

Grace Jones Hula-Hoops Through 'Slave To The Rhythm' At Queen's Jubilee

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If you loved the 1985 Grace Jones hit "Slave To The Rhythm" as much as we did, you'll be stunned watching the 64-year-old perform the song in London today for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee concert. Wearing a red latex bodysuit, Jones also hula-hoops through her entire performance. We think she still looks like the Bond girl she played in "A View To A Kill" more than 35 years ago. Check out the video above and let us know if you agree.

John McCain: My Daughter Thinks I'm A 'Nice Zombie'

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Sen. John McCain jokingly confirmed to reporters Tuesday that his daughter believes he is a zombie.

The topic was a recent government statement assuring the public there is no known disease that reanimates the dead and turns them into bloodthirsty cannibals. In response to a reporter's question, the Arizona Republican added a personal twist.

"She does, in fact," think I'm a zombie, McCain quipped about his daughter. "But she thinks I'm a nice zombie."

McCain did not say which of his daughters thinks he's a member of the walking dead, but Meghan McCain recently tweeted, "Just saying, it's not like the CDC or the government would make an announcement to the country if a zombie apocalypse was in fact happening."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had announced -- to The Huffington Post -- that zombies do not actually exist, despite a string of horrifying incidents involving flesh-eating criminals over the last few weeks.

But is the CDC correct in asserting that the zombie apocalypse is not upon us?

"I think that is a subject for extensive debate on the floor of the Senate," McCain said. "Maybe it would be a more productive debate than most of those we've been having."

Kate Torgovnick: Three Famous Men With 'Kate' Tattoos

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Kate Moss and her husband Jamie Hince are in Jamaica this week with photographer Terry Richardson. As Richardson shared several photos of the pair on his blog, Terry's Diary, one detail caught me eye: Hince has a tattoo on his arm that reads: "Kate uber alles." In other words: Kate above everything else.

This got me thinking -- do any other celebs out there have Kate-themed tattoos?

The answer, of course, is yes.

In April, Kelsey Grammar got a tattoo in honor of his wife, Kayte Walsh, on his hip. The Frasier actor got it at a tattoo parlor in Chicago, while he was filming his Starz series Boss. Apparently, the 21-year-old working the counter had no idea who Grammer was, and the actor was reportedly taken aback when he was asked for ID before picking a design. In the end, he got the name "Kayte" in script letters. The New York Post reports that the tattoo set him back just $60.

And are we surprised that, before Hince entered the picture, Pete Doherty had a tattoo in honor of '90s supermodel Moss too -- a 'K' in the center of a heart. However, after their flameout breakup, Doherty reportedly got the letter removed and replaced it with a devil's face. A friend told the Daily Star at the time, "He came up with the idea after penning a song called 'Devil,' which went down a storm when he played it to friends. He wants to get it done next week in red ink, complete with horns and everything."

So, the question is: would you ever like to see your significant other get your name tattooed on his or her body? Or is that just a bit much?

For more thoughts on famous Kates -- from Kate Winslet to Kate Spade to Kate Upton -- head to Kate-book.com.

The Two Degrees Of Kevin Bacon On Fall TV

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You know the Kevin Bacon Game: Based on the theory that Kevin Bacon has worked with so many different actors over his 34-year career in show business, you can connect everyone in Hollywood to Bacon in six degrees of separation or less.

But does the game still stack up with TV stars now that Bacon is making the move to the small screen for Fox's "The Following"? It does indeed, and in way less than six degrees. I connected Bacon to the stars of the new fall and midseason TV shows from Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS and The CW -- one lead actor from each new show -- all in two degrees or less.

Some fun surprises? Greg Grunberg's "Hollow Man" co-starring role with Kevin Bacon really came in handy for several connections -- four different fall and midseason TV stars claim Grunberg as their one degree separating them from Bacon. "Grey's Anatomy" star James Pickens Jr. and "Enlightened" star Luke Wilson both helped make connections a couple of times as well. And Alyssa Milano would probably not be too thrilled to see that I've resurrected some of her best early film work -- the camp classic "Poison Ivy 2" -- to make her tie to Kevin Bacon so simple.

Now some hardcore Kevin Bacon Game sticklers might object to us using "JFK" -- the movie that starred almost everyone in Hollywood -- but in our defense, we only used it once, and it wasn't for a direct one-degree connection. There are plenty of those (six, if you can believe it) without it.

Take a look at our handy infographic to see Bacon's Hollywood dominance in action.

Infographic design by Chris Spurlock

William J. Mann: In Defense of Lindsay as Liz

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When the news broke that Lindsay Lohan would play Elizabeth Taylor in a television biopic, there was a collective cry of grief and shock--at least among Hollywood insiders and gay men, which are often, but not always, the same thing: It can't be true! LiLo as Liz? All across the Internet, outrage was tapped out via billions of keystrokes: La Taylor must be turning in her grave! Elizabeth had more talent in her little toe than Lindsay has in her entire body! Taylor embodied class; Lohan is merely crass!

In the beginning, my reaction was equally melodramatic. Having written a book about Elizabeth -- I refuse to call her Liz, except in headlines, because she hated the nickname since it sounded like "lizard" -- I feel rather protective of her. Even as I wrote about her from a distance of some 50 years, I found it difficult to remain completely objective. The New York Times review of my book suggested I'd maybe fallen a bit in love with her. Guilty as charged. Elizabeth Taylor was gorgeous, fun, smart, kind, irreverent, witty, compassionate, bitchy. Most of all, she was authentic, always one of the rarest qualities in Hollywood. I had lots of empathy for all those husbands who left all those wives for her.

So my initial reaction to the Lohan news was that Elizabeth deserved better than stunt casting. And let's face it: that's what casting LiLo was, no matter the platitudes insisted upon by Lifetime, which called Lohan "one of the rare actresses who possesses the talent, beauty and intrigue to capture the spirit of such a provocative icon." I know Hollywood loves to dole out descriptors in press releases, but the "t," "b," and "i" words aren't usually ones used in connection with Lindsay Lohan. (At least not those particular "t," "b," and "i" words.) Taylor, yes, but Lohan not so much.

But that "p" word -- provocative -- does indeed describe them both. And that was what nudged me into reconsidering my initial reaction. By the time of Elizabeth's death last year at the age of 79, she had become a national treasure, extolled for her work on behalf of people with AIDS and as a symbol of a lost Hollywood glamour. She was held up, in fact, as the antithesis of the current crop of reality-television, flash-in-the-pan, famous-for-being-famous celebrities like the Kardashians, the Real Housewives, Paris Hilton, and yes, Lindsay Lohan.

What was often forgotten in all that exaltation was that Elizabeth wasn't always so beloved. She wasn't always pointed to as an example of fame at its best. Once upon a time, she was denounced by columnists and church groups for breaking up happy marriages (Eddie Fisher's and Richard Burton's), for showing too much skin, for using profanity, and for making "dirty" movies (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was one of the last nails in the coffin of the antiquated Production Code, much to the chagrin of bluenoses everywhere.) Old-time celebs like Joan Crawford lamented that the Elizabeth Taylors of the new generation were making a "mockery" of stardom.

In fact, as I learned writing my book, Elizabeth had glimpsed the future. As the old studio system broke down, she realized that it was up to her, and her alone, to keep her name in the papers and her face in the photographers' lenses. Elizabeth Taylor was the first star for whom an offscreen narrative was equally as important as an onscreen one. Her private life became as much of a driving force of her fame and success as any role she played in the movies. It was a lesson she'd learned during her first big career crisis: the scandal with Eddie Fisher, who was married to Debbie Reynolds when Elizabeth "stole" him away. (That Elizabeth didn't actually steal him, that the Fisher-Reynolds marriage was what their daughter Carrie would call one long "press release," is a whole other story.) In the wake of all the negative press she received from that move, Elizabeth was being encouraged by some of her handlers to follow the old Hollywood protocol, which would have required her to give Fisher up and ask the public for forgiveness. Instead she made a radical break with tradition, gambling that the seductive homewrecker image might actually give her a boost. The record-breaking box-office for her next picture, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, in which she played Maggie the sexy Cat, proved her right. From that point on, a new maxim was enshrined in the Hollywood playbook, courtesy of Elizabeth Taylor: "There is no such thing as bad publicity."

Unlike so many contemporary celebrities, however, Elizabeth didn't cynically manufacture scandal: she was far too honest for that. But she sure knew how to take advantage of every twist and turn of her epic life. In 1961, she transformed a hospital stay for pneumonia into a world-wide crisis that revved up enough sympathy that she won the Academy Award for Best Actress (for Butterfield 8) that year. In 1962, she went to Rome to make Cleopatra and fell in love with her costar, Richard Burton, and thereby created the global phenomenon known as "the paparazzi." In this way, Elizabeth Taylor laid down the blueprint for the business of fame that has been used ever since. Everyone who has come after her -- Madonna, Angelina, Britney, GaGa and the rest -- including Lohan -- has, knowingly or not, followed the Taylor template.

So maybe Lindsay playing The Violet-Eyed One isn't so far-fetched an idea. LiLo is, after all, the direct descendant of Elizabeth's fame, the end result of all those years spent on the covers of magazines and in the viewfinders of the paparazzi. Even at the very end of her life, Taylor still knew how to play the game. She was constantly on Twitter. She gave her last interview to Kim Kardashian of all people. And with the young woman who will now play her, she shared not a few attributes in common. Taylor and Lohan were both child stars. They both broke rules when it came to love and sex (Elizabeth went after married men; Lindsay went after another woman.) They both struggled with addiction. They both were known to give annoying photographers the middle finger.

But as the years have gone on, there's been one important lesson lost in Elizabeth's teachings of how to be a movie star. Her heirs have learned all too well the game of fame, but have mostly missed the part about art. Taylor understood that fame should be an exchange with the public, that for every headline, for every million dollars made, there needed to be something given in return. True, part of that return was the sheer entertainment value of those headlines: the stolen kisses with Burton on his yacht, the arrival at some party flashing diamonds and cleavage. But Elizabeth strongly believed that an even more critical part was the mastery of her craft: for every magazine cover, she made sure we also got Virginia Woolf. Or Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Or A Place in the Sun. Or Giant. Even when the film didn't quite work -- like Taylor's turns in A Little Night Music or Sweet Bird of Youth -- we knew it was still a gallant attempt on her part. It's such gallantry that is sorely missing from today's crop of would-be Taylors.

Yet maybe Lohan has gotten that message. Let's give her a chance. Maybe she'll do OK in this. No one can compare to Elizabeth Taylor, of course, but maybe there will be something LiLo can bring to a depiction of life in the fishbowl. If you doubt she's up to the task, let's remember that when George Stevens cast the 17 year-old Taylor in A Place in the Sun, many scoffed at the idea that the pretty little pampered princess from MGM could ever give a performance of depth. (I know this is far from a George Stevens production, but still, it's 2012, we're lucky anything narrative and not dressed in superhero lycra is being made.) Maybe after this, Lindsay will go on making movies instead of -- or at least in addition to -- making headlines. Let's hope. After all, as Elizabeth once said, "You gotta dream, baby." And so we shall.

Debra Messing Files For Divorce

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"Will & Grace" star Debra Messing has filed for divorce from her husband Daniel Zelman ... TMZ has learned.


'Basketball Wives' Star Owns Up To A 'Mountain Of Mistakes,' Promises 'To Be Better' (EXCLUSIVE)

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It has been a dramatic year for Evelyn Lozada, the star of VH1's hit show "Basketball Wives."

Between her highly publicized feud with her former best friend, Jennifer Williams, to throwing a bottle at cast-mate Kenya Bell following a heated argument, to the petition boycotting her "violent outbursts" on the show, season four has been the reality star's most intense one yet.

But when Star Jones called Lozada out on Twitter and her own step-daughter started imitating the scene in which Lozada threw a bottle at Bell, the Puerto Rican reality star says it woke her up to the fact that she's not setting a good example to young girls. And after taking a good hard look in the mirror, Lozada realized it was time to change.

In a letter Lozada shared exclusively with The Huffington Post, she apologizes for her destructive behavior on the show, reflects on issues of self-esteem and the effects of her upbringing on her behavior, and acknowledges her mistakes. She opens up about feeling "painfully small," and recalls the days when she "drowned out the fighting and drama" in her house as a child.

Read Evelyn's heartfelt letter below.

From the Desk of Evelyn Lozada

Dear Mija,

In exactly twenty-nine years you’re going to find yourself at the middle of a mess that you unwillingly helped to create... You’re going to be the topic of a discussion about women on a national level that won’t be one of your proudest moments. And as large as your life may be at that time, the truth is that you’re going to feel painfully small.

You’ll look through the rearview mirror of your life and see a mountain of mistakes. You’ll realize that although it appears that you’re living out a dream, your seven year old self could never picture this near nightmare at thirty-six. You’ll remember the days when you drowned out the fighting and drama in your own house and the negativity of the women you loved who ultimately shape who you will become. You’ll recall the moments when you sat in front of the television each day after school in search of someone positive and found Oprah and wondered if people like her would ever be a part of your life, or if you’d always have the jaded ones you watched on Jerry Springer.

You’ll make no excuses for your actions, as a matter of fact, you’ll find yourself in tears at the Ah-ha moment Star Jones forces you to have. Beyond what you’ll initially perceive as a malicious attack by Star, lives a hard truth that will shake you to your core. YOU are the little girl, she’s talking about. And it hadn’t dawned on you the effects that your grown-up actions were having on the next generation of little ones who watch negative and abusive moments unfold on television.

It’ll take the moment when you see and hear your future step-daughters pretending to be “you” after watching you behave badly on T.V., that you’ll actually feel real shame. Knowing that the self image they were imitating was the very ‘image of self’ you will so desperately try to escape. In utter embarrassment you’ll find yourself explaining your unacceptable behavior to them, reaching for the imprint of encouragement felt by Star, Oprah, our First Lady Michelle Obama and other positive women of color that have gone before you and that are prayerfully standing behind you...encouraging you...willing you to stand in the space God will so graciously provide for you." It’ll be the wakeup call you need.

Until now, you’d never put a race, or face or even an age to the eyes that idolize you or see you as an example: be it good or bad. And although, conscious now, you’ll carry the fear of failure with you each second because deep down, you’ll realize that you yourself had never been taught better.

I cannot promise you perfection, Mija. I cannot say that overnight, I’m going to get it right every time. What I will promise you is that I will always remain conscious that little eyes like yours are watching me and because of that, I will try to be better.

Learning To Love You More,

Evelyn

What do you think about Lozada's letter? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

The 15 Best Answers From Michael Ian Black's Reddit AMA

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Comedian Michael Ian Black recently released a book with Meghan McCain entitled "America, You Sexy Bitch: A Love Letter to Freedom," and to help promote it he did a Reddit AMA Saturday. The AMA, or "ask me anything," invites Reddit users to post whatever questions they'd like and then allows Black to reply to them in a real time, messageboard format.

Louis CK has done not one but two AMAs to promote his albums, and comedians like Aziz Ansari have followed suit.

With answers as funny as these, we can only hope it's the beginning of a much bigger trend.

Check out our fifteen faves below.

'Hatfields And McCoys' Get Reality TV Treatment

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Television producers are looking for descendants of the once-feuding Hatfield and McCoy families to take part in a reality show that will be filmed in West Virginia.

If selected, cast members must prove their lineage to a member of the Hatfield or McCoy clans through a family tree. The warring families were known for violent clashes during the Civil War era.

Richardson says the show's production company has produced shows and documentaries for A&E, the National Geographic Channel, the History Channel, Syfy and MTV.

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PHOTOS: See Penn Badgley's Identity-Concealing Facial Hair

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Documenting the ups and downs of Penn Badgley's facial hair is one of our pastimes, and the "Gossip Girl" gave us something to talk about over the weekend.

Badgley, who has moved on from bright, shiny Cali girl Blake Lively to downtown, hipster Alexander Wang-wearing Zoe Kravitz (and has made a corresponding wardrobe changes himself) was seen walking around downtown New York City in the summer heat.

His printed tank top (hello, chest hair!) kept him cool in the sun; his new beard, however, seemed to be smothering his face his fleecy, identity-shrouding warmth.

We already knew Badgley had a thing for long hair, but we were previously unaware of his affinity for the 'stache. What do you think of this wooly mammoth-meets-hipster look? Can you even recognize the owner of this elaborate facial hair?

penn badgley facial hair

penn badgley facial hair

See more bizarre facial hair...

'Madagascar 3' Beats Out 'Prometheus'

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It was a race to the finish, but "Prometheus" fell to the powerful animated zoo animals of "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" at the box office this weekend.

The DreamWorks family film earned the No. 1 spot at the box office with a $60.4 million debut, followed by a big opening for Ridley Scott's action-packed alien adventure "Prometheus" with $50 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Prometheus" earned positive reviews from critics and beat out "Madagascar 3" on Friday by about $1 million, but by the end of the weekend, it did not win the top spot over the family film.

"Madagascar 3" premiered in May at the Cannes Film Festival and the buzz has been high ever since. The film -- which features voice performances from Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, Bryan Cranston, Martin Short, Frances McDormand, Jessica Chastain and David Schwimmer -- follows zoo refugees hoping to make their way back to New York in a traveling circus.

Considering there hasn't been a true family film in theaters since April with "The Pirates! Band of Misfits" -- which has earned $28.8 million domestically to date -- it seems parents were eager for childlike fare.

Both "Madagascar 3" and "Prometheus" did better than expected this weekend, with "Prometheus" earning extra accolades as an R-rated original film. With its impressive debut, the film could become one of the highest grossing R-rated films ever. The movie, which stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender and current "Snow White" star Charlize Theron, follows a spaceship crew in the 21st century that encounters a dangerous creature while looking for the remnants of ancient civilizations,.

According to The Wrap, Theron's "Snow White and the Huntsman" fell to No. 3 at the box office with $23 million (which brings its total close to the $100 million mark). "Men in Black 3" took in $13.5 million, taking its overall domestic haul to an impressive $135.5 million.

DreamWorks Animation's "Madagascar 3" was the family favorite for the weekend, reuniting voice stars Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith and David Schwimmer as the zoo animals continue their travels by joining a circus.

"Prometheus," from 20th Century Fox, stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron in an offshoot of director's Scott's 1979 sci-fi horror tale "Alien." "Prometheus" did big business despite an R rating, which can limit a movie's audience since under 17 must see it with an adult.

Are Police Getting Closer In The Missing Fox Exec. Case?

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The police may be getting close to something in the disappearance of Gavin Smith.

The 20th Century Fox movie executive went missing more than a month ago. But on Friday, Sheriff's investigators searched a San Fernando Valley home in California, which according to the Los Angeles Times, belongs to John and Chandrika Creech, in connection with the disappearance.

Residents told the Los Angeles Times that the investigators took five hours to search the home, before leaving with boxes, a computer and an SUV.

According to authorities, no arrests have been made. This is reportedly the second time deputies have search what is said to be the Creech's home.

But Lt. Dave Dolson of the Sheriff's office emphasized to the Los Angeles Times that the investigation remains a missing person case and not a homicide investigation. "We don't have anything indicating there was foul play involved," Dolson said. "We are not ruling it out, of course.... Everything's still on the table."

The Smith family launched a "Find Gavin Smith" campaign and recently offered up a $20,000 reward.

Some individuals told NBC that they saw Smith and a tall female companion at Taco Temple, a popular restaurant in Morro Bay, on May 7.

Smith is a distribution executive for 20th Century Fox who has worked on films like "Avatar" and "Star Wars." In 1975, he played on UCLA's championship basketball team under legendary Coach John Wooden.

He was last seen wearing purple workout pants and black and gray shoes, as he left the home of a family friend in Oak Park at about 10 p.m. on May 1 in his black Mercedes.

'True Blood' Stars Now And Then

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Before they were vampires, werewolves and other oh my!s, the "True Blood cast were just people too, and non-blood-sucking ones at that. Ryan Kwanten (Jason Stackhouse) was a soap opera actor in his native Australia, Alexander Skarsgard (Eric Northman), the son of Hollywood actor Stellan, was voted Sweden's "Sexiest Man" a whopping five times and who knew that Rutina Wesely (Tara Thornton) attended Julliard?

Celebrate the hit HBO show's Season 5 premiere this Sunday by watching this video, on how Bon Temps' favorite residents first got their start, above.



Innovative Blues, Jazz Guitarist Dies At 68

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CHICAGO -- Pete Cosey, an innovative guitarist who brought his distinctive distorted sound to recordings with Miles Davis, Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters, has died, his daughter said. He was 68.

Cosey died May 30 of complications from surgery at Vanguard Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago, said his daughter Mariama Cosey.

Pete Cosey's musical journey began early, his daughter said, noting that Cosey's father died when he was 9 years old.

"That's how he dealt with his father's passing ... and if I had to pick one instance in his life that just really rocked his world, that was it," she said. "I think he tried to spend his time trying to communicate with my granddaddy."

In the 1960s, Cosey was a member of the studio band at Chess Records in Chicago, where he played on Waters' "Electric Mud" and Howlin' Wolf's "Howlin' Wolf Album." Cosey also worked with Etta James and Chuck Berry.

He took a creative approach to stringing and tuning his guitars, and liberally applied the distortion pedal to his licks. He started to develop his unique sound as a teenager in Arizona, where he would play in the mountains near Phoenix, according to a Chicago Tribune article.

His explorations of sound drew the attention of one of jazz's legendary minds, Miles Davis.

In an interview with music writer George Cole, published on Cole's "The Last Miles" website, Cosey said Davis sought him out, wanted him at the front of the band and told him to turn up his guitar's volume.

Cosey ended up playing on many of Davis' boundary-pushing recordings in the 1970s, including "Dark Magus," "Agharta" and "The Complete on the Corner Sessions."

Cosey was also in Martin Scorsese's 2003 blues documentary, "The Blues: A Musical Journey."

In recent years, health problems had slowed Cosey, but he had been playing music in children's hospitals and schools, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Cosey's daughter said that, to her father, music was a language.

"He taught me that music is not genre-specific. It's one way that everyone around the world communicates," she said. "It wasn't about being black or white, but it was about making notes universally."

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Online

Lindsay Lohan Responds To Bribery Claims

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Lindsay Lohan is lucky to walk away from Friday's car accident without any serious injuries. But crashing a Porsche into a large dump truck on the Pacific Coast Highway is causing the troubled actress new headaches.

WHOA!

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We knew it was coming: "Blossom" star Joey Lawrence inked a deal in May to join the popular Las Vegas revue the Chippendales for a three-week gig at the Rio Hotel and Casino. Now the first photos of the 36-year-old actor have emerged of Lawrence donning the trademark bow-tie-and-not-much-else gear from Friday's opening night performance, leaving us only to think -- you guessed it -- "whoa!"

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From Joey Lawrence to Channing Tatum in Steven Soderbergh's much-anticipated male stripper flick, "Magic Mike," check out other male celebrities who've tried their hand at stripping.

WATCH: Madonna Flashes Nipple At Istanbul Concert

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Sorry Madonna, but haven't we seen this before?

At her Istanbul concert on Thursday night, the 53-year-old singer flashed a lot of skin, but she didn't have a wardrobe malfunction.

While performing her hit 1995 song "Human Nature" the singer began stripping off her clothes, first removing her white shirt, before she simply pulled down her bra to give the audience a good look at her right nipple.

The singer, who took the stage at the Super Bowl's halftime show in February, assured "The Tonight Show" host Jay Leno days prior to the game that "for sure [there'd be] no nipples" during her routine, so perhaps Madge was just itching to pull hers out in Istanbul?

It's not as if we haven't seen Madonna's nipple -- or for that matter just about every part of her body -- before. Her breast flashing antics are clearly designed to titillate but, frankly, we're over it.

The singer/actress/director and mother of four has been doing her best to cause controversy on her MDNA tour.

She recently enraged the French National Front leader Marine Le Pen, during her show in Tel Aviv, Israel, when she performed the song "Nobody Knows Me" in front of a giant screen showing Le Pen with a swastika on her forehead.

The image appeared only for a split second in a montage featuring the likes of Sarah Palin and Chinese president Hu Jintao. However, the photo apparently caused enough of a stir for Le Pen to consider suing. According to the Daily Mail, Le Pen has threatened legal action should Madonna continue with the performance in France.

Le Pen is the head of France's National Front, a far-right political party that has been accused of racism.

"We are not a Nazi party, and object to being depicted as such," a party source reportedly told the Daily Mail.

Swastikas? Nipples? Come on Madonna, you're boring us.

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Jennifer Lopez Shoots Down Engagement Rumors

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Jenny from the Block won't be walking down the aisle any time soon.

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