Blake Lively Isn't Afraid Of Being The Next Gwyneth Paltrow

Since word got out that Blake Lively is launching her own lifestyle website, parallels have been drawn between the "Gossip Girl" star and Gwyneth Paltrow. Paltrow, who debuted GOOP in 2008, has often face criticism for her not-so-approachable approach to lifestyle. But Lively happily accepts the comparisons.



“I’m sure there will be plenty of people who will say horrible things," Lively told Vogue for the magazine's August 2014 issue. "I’m sure this interview will be picked apart. But you can’t worry about it. There have been so many things written about me that are untrue and horrifying. I can’t even believe that my family has to read this stuff. You just have to do what makes you happy, because you’ll never get a unanimous vote. People like to gossip. They bond over it. They don’t bond over complimenting famous people. I’m always the first person to defend Gwyneth Paltrow. Or any woman in a position of power, like Martha Stewart or Oprah, who gets burned. Because they have paved the path for so many other women who are doing something they believe in.”



The 26-year-old style icon launches Preserve next week, according to E! News. The site will feature "artisans and products, many hand-made one-of-a-kind items" selected by the actress and made available for purchase through the site.



There will be a marked difference between Paltrow and Lively's lifestyle sites: While GOOP tends to showcase unattainable, outrageously-priced items, Preserve aims to be much more down to earth.



Lively isn't trying to sell the "perfect life or the aspirational life."



"It’s real life," she said. "It’s the thing that blindsides you on an idle Tuesday that’s tragic but that also makes you who you are. It’s not about me. And it’s not about watching my journey of learning how-to, it’s about me sharing that with you so we all sort of learn together.”



Lively's husband Ryan Reynolds also offers a helping hand: “He’s a part of it because everything we do in life we do together,” she said. “If I’m working on a movie, he helps me with my character; I do the same with him. Picking out a coffee table. What we’re going to eat. He’s a beautiful writer -- he’s written a lot of stuff for us. And he’s got a great barometer and he knows me, so he will tell me if it’s not as good as it can be.”



Check out Lively's August 2014 Vogue cover, shot by Mario Testino:







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Ethiopia Charges 9 Journalists With Terrorism

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — The Committee to Protect Journalists says Ethiopia's government has charged nine journalists with terrorism and inciting violence.

The watchdog group said the journalists include six bloggers from Zone 9, an independent collective that publishes critical news and commentary. They were arrested in April.

The group urged Ethiopia's government to release all the journalists, saying they were in detention simply for doing their jobs.

Ethiopia's government has faced persistent criticism from watchdog groups over its alleged harassment of independent journalists.

Critics say the government uses sweeping anti-terrorism laws to intimidate reporters and suppress political dissent.

More than a dozen critical journalists have been jailed since 2009, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

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Blake Lively Isn't Afraid Of Being The Next Gwyneth Paltrow

Since word got out that Blake Lively is launching her own lifestyle website, parallels have been drawn between the "Gossip Girl" star and Gwyneth Paltrow. Paltrow, who debuted GOOP in 2008, has often face criticism for her not-so-approachable approach to lifestyle. But Lively happily accepts the comparisons.



“I’m sure there will be plenty of people who will say horrible things," Lively told Vogue for the magazine's August 2014 issue. "I’m sure this interview will be picked apart. But you can’t worry about it. There have been so many things written about me that are untrue and horrifying. I can’t even believe that my family has to read this stuff. You just have to do what makes you happy, because you’ll never get a unanimous vote. People like to gossip. They bond over it. They don’t bond over complimenting famous people. I’m always the first person to defend Gwyneth Paltrow. Or any woman in a position of power, like Martha Stewart or Oprah, who gets burned. Because they have paved the path for so many other women who are doing something they believe in.”



The 26-year-old style icon launches Preserve next week, according to E! News. The site will feature "artisans and products, many hand-made one-of-a-kind items" selected by the actress and made available for purchase through the site.



There will be a marked difference between Paltrow and Lively's lifestyle sites: While GOOP tends to showcase unattainable, outrageously-priced items, Preserve aims to be much more down to earth.



Lively isn't trying to sell the "perfect life or the aspirational life."



"It’s real life," she said. "It’s the thing that blindsides you on an idle Tuesday that’s tragic but that also makes you who you are. It’s not about me. And it’s not about watching my journey of learning how-to, it’s about me sharing that with you so we all sort of learn together.”



Lively's husband Ryan Reynolds also offers a helping hand: “He’s a part of it because everything we do in life we do together,” she said. “If I’m working on a movie, he helps me with my character; I do the same with him. Picking out a coffee table. What we’re going to eat. He’s a beautiful writer -- he’s written a lot of stuff for us. And he’s got a great barometer and he knows me, so he will tell me if it’s not as good as it can be.”



Check out Lively's August 2014 Vogue cover, shot by Mario Testino:







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Jon Stewart Rips Sarah Palin's Call For Impeachment, But Not For The Reason You'd Think

For Jon Stewart, the most surprising part of Sarah Palin's recent Facebook video wasn't her call for President Obama's impeachment, but a certain analogy she used to justify it.



After Palin compared herself (or America?) to a "battered wife" who must say "no más" to Obama's handling of the current immigration crisis, Jon Stewart welcomed "Latina Sarah Palin" on to the scene:

"It appears that ex-Governor Palin has finally finished mangling the English language and has moved on to making Spanish incomprehensible. She's like a serial killer of language -- or whatever the opposite of a Rosetta Stone is."

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Stephen Colbert Covers US Border Crisis Just Like Fox News Would

Stephen Colbert took on the issue of US child immigration and border security on Thursday night by reporting it just like his favorite news source, Fox News.



Colbert said that, like his Fox News counterparts, he too has "a deep love for the Latin American people" that he plans to express "very publicly." He cut to several Fox News hosts and contributors expressing their care and concern for the thousands of immigrant children who have been arriving at the border.



“These kids aren’t just invading our country, they’re invading...in here,” Colbert said with his hand on his heart.



"And with our hearts full of love for the Latin American people, it's clear what we must do," he said before jumping to a clip of Fox News' Laura Ingraham, whose advice was to "start deporting people-- not by the hundreds, not by the dozens-- by the thousands."



“It’s a tough love,” Colbert said. “Or a very soft hate."



Watch the full episode above and jump to 2:20 for the immigration segment.



(h/t: Raw Story)



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Weird Al's 'Handy' Turns Iggy Azalea's 'Fancy' Into A Home Improvement Anthem

Weird Al is on a roll this week.



In the fourth release off his new album, "Mandatory Fun," Mr. Yankovic is keeping the hits coming with a ridiculous take on Iggy Azalea's "Fancy," entitled "Handy."



Weird Al teamed up with Yahoo! Screen for this music video, which features comedian Eddie Pepitone suffering from a variety of domestic malfunctions as Weird Al sings about his handyman skills, and even works a little Jay Z into the mix ("I got 99 problems but a switch ain't one").



In case you missed them, be sure to check out Weird Al's first three "Mandatory Fun" videos for "Tacky," "Word Crimes" and "Foil."

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Shonda Rhimes Says 'Scandal' Won't Make It Past Season 8

Ready yourselves, gladiators, this isn't good news.



Shonda Rhimes, the mastermind behind shows like "Scandal" and "Grey's Anatomy," just revealed a bit of her endgame when it comes to Olivea Pope & Associates and it doesn't go past Season 8. The showrunner spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about plans for the upcoming season of the show and admitted she doesn't see too many years left for Olivia, Fitz and the rest of the crew.



"I think there's only so much 'Scandal' you can tell satisfactorily," Rhimes said. "The Fitz-Liv thing can only be told so long and in such a way. It's not a 10-season or eight-season show. I've already decided how long that is and what that's going to be."



Honestly, it's not too surprising that Rhimes has already forged the ending for her political drama. Last season's final episode saw Olivia flying off into the sunset with Jake, Harrison meeting his end at the hands of daddy Pope and Fitz being re-elected for a second term in office. Unless the show decides to change the Constitution of the United States and let Fitz remain as POTUS past another four years, an early ending, at least when it comes to that part of the series, seems likely. But Rhimes also revealed the decision on when to pull the plug doesn't hinge on Fitz completing his time as president.



Although fans would no doubt love to see Olivia and her married man finally get their happily-ever-after complete with that house in Vermont, Rhimes says, while it would be interesting to continue following the couple once the politicking ends, she's already set boundaries for the show's time-frame and she intends on sticking to them. "I've given myself a parameter of what that is," Rhimes said when asked if the end of Fitz's time in office meant the end of the series. "Whether or not that means we end up deciding to stretch or shrink his presidency based on that remains to be seen."



What fans can expect to see when Season 4 returns this fall is more Kerry Washington and more drama. Rhimes admitted Washington's pregnancy contributed to less screen time for the actress and was the reason Season 3 seemed jam-packed with multiple characters and confusing storylines. When the newest season debuts, the spotlight will once again be on the remaining core cast members.



"As we're telling stories, the stories really do seem to be more focused on our core people," Rhimes said. "We're very excited to get back to Olivia-centric storytelling."



Season 4 of "Scandal" premieres Thursday, Sept. 25, at 9:00 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Ajinkya Rahane scores defiant century for India as England's James Anderson claims four wickets and two records at Lord's

A defiant Ajinkya Rahane century led India's resistance on day one of the second Test at Lord's to take his team to stumps on 290 for nine after the tourists were put in to bat by Alastair Cook.

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Don't Worry, Everyone. Geraldo's Getting To The Bottom Of The Malaysian Plane Crash

Not even an hour after the first reports of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashing in Ukraine, Geraldo Rivera was already pointing his finger at Russian president Vladimir Putin.



Networks zeroed in on news about the crash on Thursday, and Rivera was the male host on Fox News' "Outnumbered."



"As a war correspondent and weighing all the facts as they’ve been coming in — admittedly this is my opinion — I believe Vladimir Putin has the blood of these airline passengers on his hands," Rivera said.



He continued, "I believe as I sit here today that what happened is Russia supplied that weapon system so those rebels could shoot down Ukrainian helicopters and Ukrainian warplanes attack in them, and they saw this aircraft in the sky, these undisciplined and Ukrainian rebels shot down the innocent passenger jet, I believe."



Fox News contributor Kirsten Powers pointed out that the Russians have reportedly denied having anything to do with the incident. Rivera then offered more of his analysis, saying, "I think what you have here is a combination of incompetence, horrible tragedy and a war crime."



Fox News host Harris Faulkner had to chime in to say, "Again that is your opinion because nothing is confirmed yet."



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Salem Mayor Has The Perfect Response For Anti-Gay Phone Calls

After Gordon College, a Christian institution near Boston, made a formal request for the legal ability to discriminate against gay applicants, the mayor of Salem, Mass. moved to end the school's use of a town hall.



Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll cited Gordon President Michael Lindsay signing onto a letter requesting exemption from a planned executive order from President Barack Obama that would bar federal contractors from discriminating against LGBT persons as reason for the town's actions against the college. Driscoll also cited existing Gordon policies prohibiting students from "homosexual practice," according to the Boston Globe.



"We're definitely very troubled by the recent actions by Gordon College," Driscoll told the Globe. "Their current behavioral standards are discriminatory both on campus and off campus."



Driscoll said she's been flooded with anti-gay calls since making the decision against Gordon, WDHD reports. Many of the calls were from out of state and Driscoll believes they were prompted by conservative Glenn Beck, who runs the website TheBlaze, which picked up Salem's stand against Gordon.



In response, Driscoll plans to donate $5 to a local LGBT nonprofit for each angry phone call she receives.



"I hope these donations, made as a direct result of the persistence of those who would deny LGBT citizens their equal rights will help you in growing and strengthening your organization," Driscoll wrote in a letter to North Shore Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth.

Post by Mayor Kim Driscoll.

Gordon faces additional scrutiny from its accrediting agency, which announced last week it would review the school for potential violations of non-discriminatory policies.



But Gordon's accreditation is not actually in jeopardy, the New England Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges wrote to the college this week. Instead, the NEASSC wrote, it is common practice to review an institution when they are prominently in the news over a matter that may relate to the commission's policies. Gordon is emphasizing that letter in a website it created to address the controversy.



Salem announced on July 9 it was killing the contract with Gordon that allowed the college to use the town hall. The college had rented the two-century old town hall in Salem to maintain and help preserve it, and a college-affiliated group used the space for a small theater production.



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Weird Al Tries To Teach Fox Business Reporter How Internet Comedy Works

When "Weird Al" Yankovic stopped by Fox Business on Thursday to promote his new album, he ended up having to explain the economics of Internet comedy.



Yankovic has been all over the Internet the past few days, releasing one music video per day from his new album, “Mandatory Fun." As of Thursday, he had released videos for “Tacky,” “Word Crimes," “Foil” and "Handy." He says he'll release four more in the coming days.



A part of his promotion, for some reason, included a visit to “Varney & Company,” where host Stuart Varney grilled the parody artist about how he makes money online.



“How do you make the money when you’re putting it out on the Internet?” Varney asked of the new releases.



Yankovic politely explained how partners like Funny or Die, CollegeHumor, Yahoo and Nerdist paid for the production of the videos and allowed him to make them for free in the hopes of getting people excited for his album.



“Yeah, well, come on, come on. How do you get the money?” Varney persisted.



Yankovic, never losing his charm or composure, explained again how the videos are essentially a commercial for the album and not necessarily for profit.



“Can you make a million dollars for each of the eight videos that you’re putting out?” Varney then asked, ignoring everything the artist had just said.



“Yes, yes of course, why did I argue with you!?” Yankovic joked.



Sometimes you just have to let it go and dance it out.





Check out the video above and tweet your thoughts on Weird Al’s interview to @HuffPostComedy



h/t Uproxx



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Psy's "Hangover:" Challenging Asian American and African American Relations

Psy's "Gangnam Style" took the world by storm two years ago. His song broke the Guinness World Record to become the first video to reach a billion views. Soon his song and dance style became a global phenomenon. People viewed his videos, parodied his act, and imitated his dance. His world-wide success led him to his next song, "Gentleman" which also broke records for the most views in 24 hours as it became the most widely viewed video on the day of its release. On June 8, 2014, Psy released his new song, "Hangover" featuring Snoop Dogg. Hangover is now the most K-pop watched video in America and around the world.



Psy will always be famous for his "Gangnam Style" monster hit, but his latest hit and collaboration with Snoop Dogg, "Hangover" could have an even greater impact particularly on African American and Korean American relations.



"Hangover" has Psy's signature upbeat music and funky dance moves. It has funny, interesting party scenes of drinking and getting wasted. Psy and Snoop Dogg rap about the night before --reflecting on how much they drank and how they now both have hangovers. The two musically reminisce about the good times they had, singing and drinking with Asian women at a karaoke bar, riding on a boat, visiting an amusement park and playing pool together. They have a good time as Psy and Snoop Dogg dance, sing, eat, drink, and party throughout the video.



This song and music video is significant for both the Asian American and African American communities. Psy could have collaborated with any American singer but chose to do it with Snoop Dogg, an African American. This pairing is important in light of historic tensions between Asian Americans and African Americans, and the lack of collaboration, work, and interaction between these two racialized groups. It also conjures up the collaboration between Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder and their duet, "Ebony and Ivory".



The present collaboration could be understood as a metaphor for African American and Asian American relations. It could be viewed as wanting change or doing things differently in relations between the groups.



When Asians first immigrated to this country, they experienced racism and lived in their own ethnic enclaves much as the Jews, Italians, or Irish established island communities in the cities, while the Scandinavians established communities in the north central farmlands. Asian Americans lived in communities where they worked for each other and worshipped in churches together. The movement to live within the broader American context began later in the 1960s and 1970s in the American rush to the suburbs. As a result Asian Americans and African Americans did not routinely mix or interact until the 1970s.



As the two groups began interacting with each other, tension and difficulties often filled the relationships. The 1992 Los Angeles Riots following the acquittal of the police officers who beat Rodney King is an example of the tension and conflict that can often occur between various minorities groups. Korean Americans in Los Angeles refer to this event as "Sa-I-Gu" meaning "4-29" which indicates the date the riots began. By far the greater amount of violence was between African-Americans and the police, California National Guard, and the 7th Infantry Division (regular Army). However this incident created a burden for many Korean Americans as it emphasized their minority and subordinate status within the larger American society.



Korean American citizens and shop owners did not receive as much protection as the lives and property of other nationalities. Therefore, some Korean Americans policed their own streets with some of the same firearms carried by the rioters, police, and troops. It deepened an enormous pain in their individual and communal identity. Tensions still exist today. A recent meme discussed in the root, portrays strains which still persist between these two communities.



A Western divide and rule concept between these two racialized groups pits one community against the other. Eruptions do occur and when they do, they need to be addressed quickly. Otherwise, the tension between the groups will continue to build. Unless this cycle of tension is broken, the two groups will continue to have uncomfortable feelings against each other. These uncomfortable feelings can erupt into more physical conflict.



In Korea, the term han describes "unjust suffering" or the experience of the deep pain that comes from "piercing of the heart". The suffering which happens to those who are racialized, discriminated against, and subjugated is one example of han. Han is further experienced in the tension that builds within and between the groups. In order to address the tension and move forward together, steps must be taken to release the han.



The first important step is to be "aware" of the problem. The two racial groups must acknowledge the tension existing between them. Secondly a "commitment" must occur that each will take steps to release such tension. Third, an "engagement" needs to take place so that each group will fully participate in working towards reconciliation, understanding and friendship.



Too often today Asian American and African Americans view each other with suspicion. Asian Americans and African Americans experience racism directed from the white dominant culture, but we also feel racial tension between themselves. This arises, in part, because we do not have good modes of communication between the two groups, we have little in common aside from our marginality, and we see each other as in a competition for status within the world of white domination. There has really not been any incentive for either group to initiate dialogue between the groups. Without much dialogue and discussion, it becomes difficult to address the strained relationships that often exist between these two groups. Due to this difficulty, it is important to open up and have a good dialogue between the two groups. Building bridges needs to be a central aspect to releasing tension.



Through the wonderful prism of pop-culture, two icons collaborating on a song may be a symbol for Asian American and African American relationship. By collaborating they go beyond the stereotypical characters that our detractors would like us to be. Getting to know each other, with all the challenges this may present, will only be beneficial for both groups. Or else, we will only be the characters that the dominant hegemony forces us to be.



"Hangover" is more than a catchy song. Psy's collaboration with Snoop Dogg is a step towards achieving good relations between Asian Americans and African Americans as these two musicians share a song and dance style new to both cultures. In Psy's video, the two are able to have a good time together. They hang out together throughout the night. Each scene reveals that two very different people can co-exist, intersect, and enjoy each other's company.



"Hangover" may be the first collaboration between Asian American and African American headliners. Until now, there has been no prototype of cooperation between the two groups. The collaboration between Psy and Snoop Dogg, provides an example to begin the important dialogue of talking about racial tensions and begin a conversation between these two racial narratives. Such collaborations need to continue. Anything that releases racial tensions is a plus in my book. Only as we ease tension between these two racialized groups can we live freely and fully together without han.

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Weird Al Tries To Teach Fox Business Reporter How Internet Comedy Works

When "Weird Al" Yankovic stopped by Fox Business on Thursday to promote his new album, he ended up having to explain the economics of Internet comedy.



Yankovic has been all over the Internet the past few days, releasing one music video per day from his new album, “Mandatory Fun." As of Thursday, he had released videos for “Tacky,” “Word Crimes," “Foil” and "Handy." He says he'll release four more in the coming days.



A part of his promotion, for some reason, included a visit to “Varney & Company,” where host Stuart Varney grilled the parody artist about how he makes money online.



“How do you make the money when you’re putting it out on the Internet?” Varney asked of the new releases.



Yankovic politely explained how partners like Funny or Die, CollegeHumor, Yahoo and Nerdist paid for the production of the videos and allowed him to make them for free in the hopes of getting people excited for his album.



“Yeah, well, come on, come on. How do you get the money?” Varney persisted.



Yankovic, never losing his charm or composure, explained again how the videos are essentially a commercial for the album and not necessarily for profit.



“Can you make a million dollars for each of the eight videos that you’re putting out?” Varney then asked, ignoring everything the artist had just said.



“Yes, yes of course, why did I argue with you!?” Yankovic joked.



Sometimes you just have to let it go and dance it out.





Check out the video above and tweet your thoughts on Weird Al’s interview to @HuffPostComedy



h/t Uproxx

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'Please Help Me Ja Rule' Will Find The Perfect Ja Rule Song For You

Have you always felt like your life could, at any given moment, be summed up by a Ja Rule song, but you just couldn’t figure out which one? Well, there’s a website for that.



The aptly named PleaseHelpMeJaRule.com promises to help you find that Ja Rule song that best fits your current mood and your level of thugness.







Since we’re “crying R. Kelly tears of joy” thanks to this blast-from-the-past discovery and feeling “more thug than 50 at the candy shop,” the website -- which has already racked up more than 17,000 likes on its Facebook page -- has correctly pinpointed the catchy 2000 ditty “Put It On Me” as our Ja Rule song of the moment.







It’s obviously an exact science.



Are you “What’s Love,” “Mesmerize” or just "Livin' It Up"? Go to PleaseHelpMeJaRule.com to find the Ja Rule soundtrack for your life.

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'How I Met Your Dad' May Not Be Dead After All

"How I Met Your Dad" won't arrive on CBS this fall, but that doesn't mean it's dead forever.



At a press event on Thursday, CBS chairman Nina Tassler addressed the network's decision to not go forward with "How I Met Your Dad," the much-discussed "How I Met Your Dad" spinoff. Co-creator Carter Bays recently batted down rumors that the show was being redeveloped, but Tassler didn't rule out taking another look at the potential series at some point.



Network executives are often cagey about their decisions to pass on shows so as not to injure the tender egos of their creative talent, but Tassler's comments indicated that casting might have been one of the primary issues with the sitcom.



"[Executive producers] Craig [Thomas] and Carter [Bays] and Emily [Spivey] -- we adore those guys," Tassler said. "We want very much to stay in business with them. You make the best decision you can vis a vis casting, relative to the time of year. There's a lot going on during pilot season. And some things about 'How I Met Your Dad' worked and some things didn't. We'd love the opportunity to take another shot."



Tassler reminded the journalists at the Television Critics Association press tour that CBS was so keen on "The Big Bang Theory" that the network remade the show's original pilot.



"'Big Bang' would not be 'Big Bang' without having remade that pilot," Tassler said. "I can't imagine Kaley Cuoco not being part of that show, and as we know, she was not part of the original pilot."

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NBC News Pulls Veteran Reporter from Gaza After Witnessing Israeli Attack on Children

Ayman Mohyeldin, the NBC News correspondent who personally witnessed yesterday’s killing by Israel of four Palestinian boys on a Gazan beach and who has received widespread praise for his brave and innovative coverage of the conflict, has been told by NBC executives to leave Gaza immediately.



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NBC Pulls Ayman Mohyeldin From Gaza Despite Powerful Reporting

Ayman Mohyeldin, an NBC News journalist whose powerful reporting from Gaza has drawn widespread praise, has been pulled out of the region, Glenn Greenwald reported on Thursday.



NBC told Greenwald that Mohyeldin, who has been replaced by the network's chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel, was removed from the story due to "security concerns."



Greenwald's report follows a similar one from TV Newser, which wrote on Wednesday night that staffers inside the network were unhappy that Engel had fronted an "NBC Nightly News" segment on the killing of four children on a Gaza beach, despite the fact that Mohyeldin had actually witnessed the strike that killed the children and had been transmitting harrowing and moving footage from its aftermath for hours.



Mohyeldin, who has many years of experience covering the region, has been providing some of the most up-close and vivid reporting from Gaza and Israel in the weeks since violence broke out there. His coverage of the conflict was singled out by Baltimore Sun critic David Zurawik on Thursday.



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Elaine Stritch Dead At Age 89

Broadway icon and TV actress Elaine Stritch is dead at the age of 89, reports The New York Times.



Her friend, Julie Keyes, confirmed to the paper that the actress died in her home in Birmingham, Michigan on July 17.



A five-time Tony award nominee, who was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1995, Stritch was also a fixture in TV and movies and perhaps most recognized for her role as Colleen Donaghy, the mother of Alec Baldwin's character Jack Donaghy on "30 Rock."

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Brasil Summerfest Brings the Best Of Brazilian Music To New York City

NEW YORK (AP) — The World Cup is over but the Brazilian party will go on— in New York City.



Over nine days beginning July 18, nearly 20 acts representing a cross section of Brazilian popular music will play at venues across the city for the fourth annual Brasil Summerfest. The festival may do little to avenge Brazil's spectacular World Cup flame out, but at the very least it will show that the South American country has more than soccer: They still have their samba.



"Hopefully all the artists will be happy because soccer is a sensitive topic to talk about in Brazil," said Brasil Summerfest founder Petrit Pula, adding that he thinks the festival will get a boost from the Cup, "because you're thinking about Brazil all the time, you're hearing, you're watching a sporting event that's taking place in Brazil and here you have a Brazilian music festival."



While Spanish-language sounds are amply represented in New York City, Portuguese-language Brazilian music has long flown below the radar. Pula aims to change that.



"There was never really a platform for these Brazilian musicians," he said.



When he tried to persuade producers at Central Park's Summerstage to do something to change that, he couldn't seal the deal until he took one of them down to Brazil to hear great music together.



"It was supposed to be a day or two but it turned out to be week and now it's growing fast," he said.



This year's acts range from Bebel Gilberto, daughter of bossa nova giant Joao Gilberto, to Lenine, who spikes intricate rhythms from Brazil's northeast with dashes of electronica. Gilberto will be opening the festival with a free show at Celebrate Brooklyn, while Lenine will play a free show on July 19 at Central Park's Summer stage.



One of the most intriguing acts is Roge, who will play at the City Winery on July 22. The modern samba star has a surfer-boy image many liken to a Brazilian Jack Johnson, a comparison Roge chafes at.



"Our sounds have very different roots. I have a swing, a dance beat that he doesn't have. But you know, having a beach life style, being a beach character, I can see that we share a similar image but I don't see it in the sound," Roge said in telephone interview from his home off Ipanema beach.



Regardless of how you classify him, Roge's sound is winning converts through with his album, "Brenguele," recently released in the United States.



"With the World Cup, Brazil will be in evidence. Because of some songs I'm doing for ESPN, people will have more access to my work," Roge said. "It's my time to arrive."



Warner Brothers Vice President and Sire records co-founder Seymour Stein, who signed Roge, agrees.



"I saw him live at a club, and my god, he had everybody up and moving and was just incredible," said Stein, adding he believes Roge's energy can translate in America even if he's not singing in English.



Pula said that recreating the context for Brazilian music is one of the Brasil Summerfest's main goals.



"The festival itself brings a lot of that energy here. Even in Brazil you wouldn't see all of these artists together," Pula said. "Last year, I felt like I was in Brazil the whole week."

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Mathieu Debuchy signs for Arsenal for £10m as Gunners replace full-back Bacary Sagna

Arsenal have signed France right-back Mathieu Debuchy from Newcastle as the Gunners continue their spending spree.

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