Mirror Magazine
5th August 2001
Front Page
News/Comment
Editorial/Opinion| Plus
Business| Sports
The Sunday Times on the Web
Line
Image

Bowled over

Contents Index Page
Front Page
News/Comments
Editorial/Opinion
Plus
Business
Sports

The Goss

  • ER stars fume at 'arrogant' Abby
  • Paul will wed again
  • Sharon's Corr-ting days are over 
  • J-Lo: I want to be a mum
  • Gran slams boozy Evans
  • ER stars fume at 'arrogant' Abby

    ER newcomer Maura Tierney is a stuck-up prima donna whose high-handed ways have turned working on the hit medical series into a nightmare, insiders reveal. "Maura is the one really snotty actress on the show," confides a set insider. "She's catty to everyone."

    The 36-year-old beauty played good-girl Lisa on NewsRadio for five seasons and had roles in the movies Primary Colours, Forces of Nature and Liar, Liar. But since joining ER last year as nurse-turned-med student Abby, sources say her demands and arrogance have triggered nasty shouting matches with show veterans including longtime star Eriq La Salle who plays Peter. "They were supposed to be rehearsing a scene, but Maura was complaining about the direction of the show and insisting that her lines be rewritten because they didn't make her character look good enough," another show insider confides. "When Eriq tried to reason with her, saying the writers have made the show successful for seven years, Maura started screaming at him, 'Don't tell me about my character. Stop telling me how to act'. "Eriq yelled back, 'Stop telling us how to do our show. No one can stand you around here."'

    The blowup ended with Maura furiously stomping off to her trailer, slamming the door and refusing to come out, the source says. She also had words with Alex Kingston, who plays Elizabeth, when the actress directed an episode.

    Finally, producers stepped in, put their foot down and Maura reluctantly did the scene, mumbling under her breath the whole time.


    Paul will wed again

    "Love, Love Me Do" is apparently the tune for former Beatle Paul McCartney and girlfriend Heather Mills, who are engaged to be married. Mills, a former model and champion for the disabled, lost her leg just below the knee when she was hit by a police motorcycle eight years ago. McCartney, 59, got down on one knee to propose to his 33-year-old bride while the two were in Britain's Lake District on Monday, a publicist told Reuters. He gave her a sapphire-and-diamond ring he bought in Jaipur, India, during a holiday in January. The wedding is set for next year. McCartney was married for 30 years to Linda McCartney, who died of breast cancer in 1998. 

    Sharon's Corr-ting days are over 

    Stunning Sharon Corr got married to the love of her life last month despite a last-minute attack of nerves. The chart star confessed her panic as she arrived at church to exchange vows with barrister Gavin Bonnar.

    Sharon, 31, revealed: "I'm very nervous, I wasn't earlier but I most certainly am now." But as she walked down the aisle on the arm of dad Gerry, 68, followed by bridesmaid sisters Caroline and Andrea, her anxiety melted away. Sharon looked so lovely in a white sleeveless and backless dress, with antique lace and train, that groom Gavin burst into tears at the sight of her. And the 200-strong congregation later burst into applause as he said "I do" . Beaming Gavin, 33, said: "When I saw Sharon I just went to bits." More than 100 Corrs fans cheered as the happy couple emerged from St John's Church in Cratloe, Co Clare.


    J-Lo: I want to be a mum

    Jennifer Lopez is desperate to have a baby , the sexy singer and actress revealed recently. 

    Speaking from Miami, J-Lo said: "I'm definitely not pregnant at the moment but I am hoping to be soon. I do want children. I would love to have a few. They would make everything perfect." 

    But Jennifer, who is dating dancer Cris Judd, said she did not plan to start a family until next year. She explained: "I've got a lot of things to do before I get pregnant so at the moment I'ma concentrating on my career." Jennifer has been with Cris since the start of the year when she split from rapper Puff Daddy. Said the singer "I feel I've found my soulmate with Cris. He makes me laugh and I feel so comfortable with him. I can't imagine life without him." Jennifer, who is 31 this month, would not say if she was engaged but let slip that wedding bells are in the air. "Marriage is a personal thing between two people and a very special occasion. I'm not saying if I'm engaged but when I have children I want to be married. So if I'm planning to have children early next year, I want to be married well before." 

    Jen, whose new single Ain't It Funny was out on July 30, has been married before.


    Gran slams boozy Evans

    Hard-drinking Chris Evans is driving his teenage wife Billie to a booze addiction clinic, says her fearful gran.

    Widowed Margaret Piper told the News of the World: "If she's drinking every day, I can tell you where she's heading.

    "She's going to end up in one of those clinics, isn't she, like all those celebrities have ended up. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, especially not my grand-daughter. "If Chris is drinking five pints of lager, two pints of cider and all those bloody Marys he is abusing himself and drinking himself into an early grave. He must have some serious drink problem.

    "Billie never used to be a drinker before she went out with Chris. But if she is drinking as heavily as him it's not a good way to go."

    Margaret — the 68-year-old mother of pop star Billie's dad Paul - hasn't seen her grand-daughter since Christmas.

    But she has followed every twist and turn of her turbulent marriage in the papers and on TV. Evans, 35, was sacked as Virgin Radio's breakfast show presenter after taking five days off work.

    Yet Chris and Billie, 18, were spotted drinking around London on a six-day bender. Margaret, who lives alone in her two-bedroom terraced cottage in Billie's home town of Swindon, said sadly: "She's hanging around with a crowd of his that always seems to be going to nightclubs and pubs. Her husband isn't setting a good example to a young girl like Billie." Chris has strongly denied he has a booze problem and insists he only drinks after work. That doesn't make Margaret feel much better. She misses the young Billie she used to know. Asked if she had any regrets about not attending Billie's Las Vegas wedding grey-haired Margaret sighed: "A traditional wedding would have been nice but she's her own woman. He wouldn't be my first choice of grandson-in-law.

    "Billie wanted to get married in America and you have to go along with whatever makes her happy. She's a determined young lady who'll do her own thing when she wants to.

    "Billie and Chris's life is up there in London. They don't come up here and we don't go down there. They don't pick up the phone and say, 'Gran, we're doing this and we're doing that'.

    "All I know is before she met Chris I went to stay at her flat in London. She was always tidy and clean and particular about her appearance. She used to look after herself much better.

    "I don't think she's still doing that."


    Chapter two

    Regenesis

    By M.T.L. Ebell
    "Why did you let him go?" Ben, again burst out."We need to let him go. He will otherwise read our minds. It is more serious than I thought. If he lets our children play.... what a waste of time and work that will be.2 TOI looked searchingly at Ben and at Zachary, the other young, but more senior member he worried about. The other eight members were of the old guard. He could trust them. Zachary and Ben had replaced two other old friends; two who had been through many transitions with him. If they had not asked for Voluntary Retirement he would not have let them go. Now they were in their cocoons of self-thought and would float, untouched by outside influence or thought until they chose to rejuvenate themselves; if not, forever.

    Ben was a true product of the New Generation. His forebears stretched back through twelve generations of pure cloning. He was ready to learn and to impart his knowledge to all who came under his influence.

    Zachary's genealogy was not so pure. Back in the eleventh generation was a couple who had reproduced through sexual intercourse. TOI had no respect for physical intercourse. He thought it messy and worse, a waste of time. He knew he would be easier in his mind with Zachary's clone's. =If he kept himself pure= The thought flashed into his mind and was carefully filed away to be pondered over at a future time.

    The woman thought of something she wished to ask the Father. Earlier, her favourite lizard had asked her, what is life? 

    What do you mean, Lizard?

    How did you come into being?

    I don't know. I was not, now, I am.

    But how?

    Woman had thought she would ask the Father but she did not. After the next sunrise she asked Lizard, Tell me? Not yet, later. He lifted her lovingly and placed her on his back. This was a special perch. On his back she roamed her domain. Through misty, even ground to rising rocky slopes he would bring her back to Man, gently bending his neck so she could slip gracefully to the ground. Man was always pleased to see her, affectionate, smiling. "Where have you been?"

    Oh, just about 

    "What did you do?"

    Nothing

    Lizard would walk away, smiling.

    =Down there= TOI continued, = by the spring, the stranger let us know so much. It was only then we realised the power of the new-born mind. Ever since, we have learned what babies know. Until then, adult man would erase most of it by the superimposition of the pitiful remnants of his own knowledge. From that time we have never looked back= 

    "Mahon talks of our nurseries as incubators. "Han, so far, had not spoken. 

    "And so they are," TOI rejoined, "with good reason. They are supervised with utmost care and precision. Any cellular deformity is instantly corrected and any that prove unviable are destroyed. Therefore, we have no physically ill. The first sounds the young make are deciphered. Those who come in peace, those who come with a power to heal, those with hatred in their make-up, all are classified. According to this, they spend the next seven years of their life giving us much of what is in their minds. At the age of seven they leave that haven and move into the mainstream and imbibe the skills necessary for their future lines of thought. Seeking knowledge was how I came to be and eight of you with me. Mahon came as an agent for change. It seemed pertinent at the time. You, Ben, came forth as a future leader and Zachary." 

    "Is he for change too?" Ben interjected. TOI gazed at him. "You talk too much," he admonished. "Think more."

    Father, do you know how we thank you? You have given us so much loveliness, such order. How did you do it? How long did it take?

    I thought - therefore it was How long? For me, a day, a moment. For you? How could you know? Many days, ages an aeon perhaps

    Father, what is life?

    There was no immediate answer. Looking towards him, the Woman felt as if something had changed. She felt she had troubled him. Man looked surprised. Was not this life? he thought.

    Daughter, do not worry about that for the moment. Think of other things and do nothing now. In my time I will make known to you. For the present, enjoy yourself in the world. 

    "Yes, Father."

    contd..... 


    His Story...

    A life, 
    So precious, 
    So fragile 
    With tear-filled eyes I heard his story...

    "I stand here, 
    A village boy, 
    Talking to you. 
    I have seen all there is to see. 
    A million rupees worth of drugs, 
    Have coursed through my veins 
    For nine years.

    No love 
    No affection
    Nothing to show me 
    That I could live on 
    After Amma died, 
    After Thaththa left.

    I weep for my youth, 
    For my lost childhood, 
    I weep for heroin, 
    For ganja, 
    For the drugs I took 
    To be accepted 
    Among the only people 
    Who knew my suffering 
    Those miserable, lonely boys like me 
    Who consumed drug after drug 
    To rid their pain.

    Is this our future? 
    We are the children 
    We are tomorrow 
    Without us 
    There would be no world."

    He sat there, 
    Telling his story, 
    With frank, pained eyes. 
    I look at him and think 
    One boy had the courage 
    To open up, 
    The courage.

    To speak out, 
    Knowing the judgmental world 
    Confessing his pain, 
    To make sure that 
    No one makes the same mistake. 

    Perhaps there is a future after all...

    Nethra Samarawickrema 
    26.06.2001 (The international day against drugs and illicit drug trafficking)

    Line

    More Mirror Magazine

    Return to Mirror MagazineContents

    Line

    Front Page| News/Comment| Editorial/Opinion| Plus| Business| Sports| Mirror Magazine

    Please send your comments and suggestions on this web site to 

    The Sunday Times or to Information Laboratories (Pvt.) Ltd.

    Presented on the World Wide Web by Infomation Laboratories (Pvt.) Ltd.
    Hosted By LAcNet