17 febbraio : Un po' di news!

	BASINGER FACING JAIL IN BITTER CUSTODY BATTLE Oscar-winner KIM BASINGER is due in court tomorrow (15JAN07) to answer 12 contempt of court charges, and faces a 60-day jail sentence and $12,000 (GBP6,100) fine if she's found guilty. The LA CONFIDENTIAL star is accused by ex-husband ALEC BALDWIN of breaching a 2004 custody agreement laying down who should look after their 11-year-old daughter IRELAND. Baldwin alleges Basinger failed to tell him she'd be out of town, giving him an opportunity to care for their daughter. He also claims Basinger failed to inform him of an injury Ireland suffered which needed medical attention. Court papers filed by Baldwin's lawyer allege Basinger has a "pathological need" to distance Ireland from her father, with one section claiming, "Over and over, Ms Basinger demonstrated that her resentments are more precious to her than the emotional well-being of her child." The Los Angeles Superior Court has yet to consider the content of the papers.
	Basinger faces jail Kim contemplates around nine-and-a-half weeks in prison It's a big day in court for Kim Basinger today, as she's facing 12 contempt of court charges and, if found guilty, faces a fine of $12,000 and 60 days in prison. Which, sadly for the sake of caption writers everywhere, is six days less than nine-and-a-half weeks. The charges come as a result of the long running (perhaps they're going for nine-and-a-half years) disagreement between the Oscar-winning actress and ex-hubby Alec Baldwin. According to Hollywood.com, Baldwin has accused Basinger of breaching a 2004 custody agreement concerning their now 11-year-old daughter, Ireland. Baldwin claims Kim failed to inform him that she would be out of town, thus he was not given the opportunity to look after Ireland. Basinger also allegedly failed to tell him that when Ireland suffered an injury which needed medical attention. Papers filed by Baldwin's lawyer allege 'over and over, Ms. Basinger demonstrated that her resentments are more precious to her than the emotional well-being of her child'. Bookmakers are taking bets on what will last longer. The war in Iraq or Baldwin V Basinger. Probably.
	Haas Joins Basinger in While She Was Out Lukas Haas has joined the cast of While She Was Out, a real-time thriller starring Kim Basinger, says The Hollywood Reporter. Producer Susan Montford is making her directorial debut on the picture and wrote the screenplay. Haas will play the leader of a gang of kids who terrorize Basinger in the woods after she witnesses a murder. Rounding out the gang are Jamie Starr (Stomp the Yard), Leonard Wu (the CW's "Veronica Mars") and Luis Chavez (Ocean's 13). The indie film is being produced by Kirk Shaw of Insight Film Studios, Don Murphy of Angry Films and Mary Aloe of Proud Mary Entertainment. Guillermo del Toro is executive producing.
	Basinger in B.C. Vancouver - Insight Film Studios is in preproduction on While She Was Out, a thriller starring Kim Basinger (L.A. Confidential, 8 Mile) as a suburban housewife who becomes stranded in a forest full of murderous thugs. Shooting begins in Vancouver on Feb. 5 with a wrap date of March 16. The indie feature is budgeted at under $10 million, produced by Kirk Shaw of Insight and L.A. producers Don Murphy of Angry Films (Natural Born Killers) and Mary Aloe of Proud Mary Entertainment. The feature marks the directorial debut of Susan Montford, a Scottish screenwriter and producer.
	Giving the Gift of Health Last Saturday, Santa took time out of his busy schedule to meet children on a rain-soaked, fire-blackened hilltop in the wilds of Placerita Canyon. The purpose, for Santa, was to pose for photos with children and their dogs. But Santa pictures was just one of the activities. The event was the Holiday Wonderland Open House at the New Leash On Life Education, Rehabilitation and Adoption Center on Placerita Canyon Road. And though the light rain kept the events indoors, people and dogs had a great time. Santa was Richard Stone, who has volunteered with New Leash for three years. "I'm doing it for the dogs, and to see the expression on the kid's faces when we bring the dogs to them," Stone said. In addition to Santa, the day's activities also included a silent auction, raffle, sales of pet-related items, wellness exams, vaccinations and micro-chipping for dogs. The only activities that had to be canceled because of rain were the dog training sessions and romps in the dog park. "The point of the day was to open up to the community, to answer questions and let them know we exist," said Mark Kaufman, New Leash On Life executive director. New Leash On Life is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to animal assistance through education. It was founded in 1997 by Bobby and Kelly Dorafshar in response to their seeing so many dogs euthanized in county shelters. Since then, New Leash has been responsible for spaying and neutering thousands of pets, rescuing and placing more than 3,000 dogs, providing free educational seminars at local shelters and much more. In 2002, a lease was signed on 13 acres in Placerita Canyon for the education, rehabilitation and adoption center, which serves as a safe haven for animals and a learning resource for children and adults. However, a fire that tore through Placerita Canyon in August got so close to the ERA facility that it burned some of the kennels and scorched the hillsides. Kaufman credits a private fire company, which voluntarily sprayed fire suppressing foam around the compound, with preventing much greater loss. To rescue dogs, New Leash staff visit Los Angeles County Animal Shelters and select dogs that are "red listed," or scheduled for euthanasia. The dogs chosen are not necessarily young and "all of our dogs are mutts," Kaufman added. They are selected based on their temperament and the likelihood they can be trained. No more dogs are rescued than can be adequately cared for, trained and adopted. "We have approximately 30 dogs on-site at any given time, and three to five are adopted each week," Kaufman said. After a quarantine period and any medical issues are addressed, the dogs undergo training for such behaviors as obedience and home integration, and when they are ready, they are adopted by appropriate families. Lend A Paw A few of the rescued dogs with extra special temperament are selected for the Lend a Paw program. These dogs are further trained and eventually go to families with children suffering from autism. "Our dogs are therapy dogs. They can be part of a family," said Jeanette Beltran, Lend A Paw director and volunteer coordinator. The Lend A Paw dogs spend months being trained before being placed with a family. "The family trains with us and with the dog a minimum of seven times onsite and at their home," Kaufman said. "After that we are available for whatever follow-up is needed." The dogs have an amazing effect on autistic children, Kaufman said, helping them exhibit appropriate social behavior, increasing their use of language and improving their movement skills and cognition. Teerin, a black lab/shepherd mix, was recently placed with a family that has an autistic daughter. Now, when their daughter acts out, Teerin will run to her and lick her face and lean against her, Beltran said. This calms her down. The effect has been so pronounced that the girl can now walk to school with the dog, something she would never do before. In another success story, an autistic boy was so anxious and fearful he shut off the outside world. After some time with his dog, Jazz, he could go out in public with the dog. Jazz also helps calm him when he wakes up anxious in the night. This allows him to sleep in his own bed and allows his family to get needed rest, too. At the open house, Dawson, a very long-legged, very long-tailed shepherd mix, loved his way around the room. In addition to smacking your notebook with his tail, (which reaches to your waist when you are standing,) Dawson enjoys lying on laps and leaning against people. His specialty is wrapping a long paw around in a "hug." Beltran explained that all of these touches can work magic with autistic children. Daniel Jacobs On this special day there was one extra special event. Ten year-old Daniel Jacobs of Encino donated $640 to New Leash On Life. He had raised the money at his December birthday party. In lieu of receiving presents, the party invitations had asked his 40 classmates to donate to the cause. This act of generosity came about when his mother, Patti Jacobs, became aware of New Leash. Daniel Jacobs is the owner of two young golden doodles (golden retriever and poodle mix). "I wanted to save these dogs and help them help other people," Daniel Jacobs said. The day of the open house was Daniel Jacobs' first actual visit to the ERA Center. "I'd like to work here when I'm older," he said. You Can Help New Leash On Life and all of its valuable programs, including Lend A Paw, are funded by private donations and largely assisted by volunteers. You can help by volunteering at the ERA Center and special events. If you have experience training dogs, you might become involved as a volunteer trainer for Lend A Paw. Financially, you can help by sponsoring a union between a rescued dog and an autistic child or make a donation - as Daniel Jacobs did. "We raise money through two signature events each year," Kaufman said. The Walk For Paws is held each October at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, and hosted by Debra Wilson-Skelton of Mad TV fame. Each April there is the Nuts For Mutts Dog Show, also at Pierce College, where the events include competitions for best dressed dog, best kisser and many other categories. This year the event will be hosted by Kim Basinger, and Wilson-Skelton will be there, too. Surprise celebrity judges will be present as well. Kaufman emphasized that, at the very least, you can visit an animal shelter yourself. "We encourage people to adopt pets from shelters. Go see what's out there," he said. For information contact New Leash On Life, 16742 Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall, CA 91321; (661) 255-0097. The Web site is www.newleash.org.