People talk 2A

Theron shares tips on how to gain weight

NEW YORK -- Charlize Theron, who modeled before becoming an actress, was a model of how not to eat in preparation for the movie "Monster." Theron gained 30 pounds to play Aileen Wuornos, the Florida prostitute-turned-serial-killer. Theron said her diet consisted "mainly of Krispy Kreme doughnuts and anything that was swimming in cream or had cheese on top of it."

Brockovich continues to fight pollution

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Erin Brockovich's law firm has filed a third lawsuit Friday against Beverly Hills, its school district and several oil and gas companies, claiming residents developed cancer from toxic fumes emitted by a campus oil derrick. Brockovich, an investigator with Masry's law firm, rose to prominence when she put together a landmark 1996 water pollution case. The story of that case was told in the movie "Erin Brockovich."

Toby Keith has racy dreams for retirement

NEW ORLEANS -- Country music star Toby Keith said he would be happy to race horses for a living if he ever retired from music. Keith owns a racehorse. His horse farm, Dream Walkin' Farms, had one of its first major wins in Louisiana when Big Hubie captured the $100,000 Louisiana Downs Handicap in September 2002. Keith's Golden Hare finished fourth in the Grade I Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita three months later.-- From wire reports

Angelina Jolie donates to help poor Cambodian farmers

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- "Tomb Raider" star Angelina Jolie is funding a program to donate cows to poverty-stricken Cambodian farmers. Three hundred families will get one cow each to help them earn money, in an effort to dissuade them from logging and hunting wildlife for a living, said Mounh Sarath, director of the Cambodian Vision in Development project. Jolie is giving $1.5 million to the organization for its environmental protection efforts in remote parts of northwestern Cambodia. The cattle project aims to protect about 148,200 acres of forest in the Samlaut and Pailin areas.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -- Country, jazz and rhythm-and-blues artists are scheduled to perform at Gov.-elect Haley Barbour's inaugural dances, his staff said Friday.

Two invitation-only galas are set for Jan. 13. They will be held at the Mississippi Coliseum and the Mississippi Trade Mart. Both are on the state fairgrounds.

Cassandra Wilson, Brad Paisley and Jackson pop-rock band These Days will perform at the coliseum ball, hosted by former Miss Mississippi and Miss America Mary Ann Mobley and her husband, actor Gary Collins.

The inaugural ball at the Trade Mart will feature Percy Sledge, swing band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and local band The Bluz Boys. Actress Sela Ward, a Meridian native, will host the event.

Invitations aren't required, but $25 or $40 tickets are needed for a musical performance Jan. 12 at the Mississippi Coliseum featuring Kenny Rogers, the Gatlin Brothers and Greenville native Steve Azar. James Gregory, a standup comedian, also will perform.

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On the Net:

http://www.mississippismoment.com

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NEW YORK (AP) -- Essence Atkins used to get welts on her legs while jumping rope as a child in Brooklyn, but she never really minded.

Atkins, who stars as Dee Dee on the UPN network's "Half & Half," says she and her friends would ask telephone repair workers for cord and use it for rope to turn double Dutch.

"That made the best rope. And a lot of times they would give us some pieces of cord and that's what we would use to jump with," Atkins told AP Radio in an interview.

One misstep and a huge welt would appear on her leg, she said, but Atkins never really minded.

"I'm a great turner, I can keep the rhythm very well," she said. "I was a dancer; I have a lot of rhythm."

Atkins also starred in the film "Deliver us From Eva."

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On the Net:

http://www.upn.com/

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JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- Their lips locked for less than a second -- but it was enough to make history.

Until the December release of "Arisan (Gathering)," audiences in Indonesia had yet to see two local men kissing on screen.

"I and my friends wanted to break new ground," said the film's young director, Nia di Nata. "I was a bit nervous but was elated when the censor boards (passed the scene)."

"Arisan" has been showing to enthusiastic audiences. The kiss scene has triggered nervous giggles and shouts by movie-goers.

The film's plot centers on an architect's eventual coming out as a gay man. It hasn't been billed as a gay film, but rather as an examination of a group of 30-something professionals in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.

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DALLAS (AP) -- The star of a new reality TV show isn't a model, an actor or a beach-dwelling survivor -- it's an airline.

"Airline," which premieres Monday on the A&E network (10 p.m. EST), follows employees of Southwest Airlines as they deal with weather delays, blackouts and passengers who are running late or too drunk or smelly to board the plane. There are unhappy travelers and a few shouting matches.

A&E plans to air 18 half-hour episodes.

"When you go to cocktail parties, there is always somebody talking about the long delay on their last flight. Everyone in the room wants to share their travel stories -- the love-hate relationship we have with air travel," said Nancy Dubuc, vice president of documentary programming at A&E. "It's that common connection."

"Airline" is modeled on a program of the same name that has aired in Britain for more than six years, A&E officials said.

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On the Net:

http://www.aetv.com/

NEW YORK (AP) -- Jimmy's Bronx Cafe, a restaurant and nightspot famous for its salsa music and celebrity customers, has closed after 10 years in business.

"I can't believe it myself," Jimmy Rodriguez, the restaurant's owner, told The New York Times for its Saturday editions. "It's a sad day."

Rodriguez has decided to lease the space to Felix Cabrera, who plans to open a seafood eatery there, the Times said. A phone call to the restaurant and banquet hall went unanswered early Saturday.

Jimmy's Bronx Cafe, which opened in 1993, hosted Fidel Castro while he was visiting New York in 1995 and held two birthday celebrations for Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter.

Other well-known customers included Bill Cosby and Tito Puente, along with a host of other musicians, sports players and politicians.