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Back in 2008, when the military was struggling to maintain recruiting levels, the Army launched a program at Fort Jackson in South Carolina geared toward giving aspiring soldiers the chance to earn their GED while training for an Army career. The program appears to have been a success.

According to this AP report, "About 11.6 percent left before a two-year term of service was up, compared with 16 percent who earned GED certificates on their own and then enlisted." Program beneficiaries tell the same tale:

For 20-year-old Jayson Reimers of Seattle, who had a young son to support, the GED program was a ticket out of a dead-end part-time mall job. The teachers helped him brush up on subjects he missed when he dropped out of school as a senior, and he passed the GED test on his second try.

"I wanted to work on cars. I wanted a skill," said Reimers, who will head to mechanics' school here.

Sadly, this program is about to be shuttered. Colonel Kevin Shwedo, Fort Jackson's "deputy commander," says, "We're a victim of our own recruiting success."

That's one way of looking at it. Here's another way:

The GED pilot program known as the Army's prep school started here in summer 2008, when the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan left the service scrambling to find soldiers. But since then, with the economy in a downward spiral and jobs hard to come by, more people with diplomas have been enlisting.

For most women, getting naked with George Clooney would be intimidating.

But for his costar in the upcoming thriller The American, there was no such trepidation – on her part, at least.

"He confessed … that he didn't do lots of sex scenes," Violante Placido, who plays prostitute Clara and Clooney's love interest in the film, tells PEOPLE. "I felt like this was in a way something new to him, he wasn't that experienced."

She says the relatively graphic love scene came together well, though, once they agreed to trust each other.

"We had to find a way to make it natural and let your body speak somehow," Placido says. "We were very open to one another to try and make it work. We just said 'let’s trust each other' and we did. I felt like we had to let ourselves go."

Ultimately, she says, the scene was an important one to get right.

"It had to look real; it is the turning point for the two characters," she says. "I can tell you that watching it, I don't feel as calm as I did when I was on set filming it. Just watching it is a little like … wow."

In the film, Clooney plays Jack, a professional killer attempting to escape his trade after one last assignment to the Italian countryside. The movie hits theaters Sept. 1.

LOS ANGELES — Leonardo DiCaprio has been granted a temporary restraining against a woman he said claims to be his wife and carrying his baby.

Court records show Superior Court Judge Carol Boas Goodson granted the order Wednesday against Livia Bistriceanu, 41, of Chicago.

"Given this obsessive and harassing behavior, I am frightened of Ms. Bistriceanu and feel that my personal safety, and the personal safety of those around me, is in jeopardy," DiCaprio wrote in a sworn declaration.

An e-mail message sent Friday to Bistriceanu seeking comment was not immediately returned.

DiCaprio's request included statements from the actor and his security team claiming Bistriceanu had traveled from Chicago to Los Angeles at least twice to try to meet DiCaprio at his home and business office. She refused to leave the properties and acted aggressively, the court filings state.

The Academy Award-nominated actor wrote that she "has evidenced a willingness to make physical contact with me regardless of the consequences."

Bistriceanu has been placed on a psychological hold twice, according to the documents.

DiCaprio said he has never met Bistriceanu, but she has sent him numerous handwritten letters. Some were attached to his request for the restraining order and reviewed by the judge.

One letter included the greeting, "Dear husband Leo," and contained statements that Bistriceanu believed DiCaprio was the father of baby Jesus.

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On Thursday, another woman was ordered to stand trial on a charge of slashing DiCaprio's face with a piece of glass during a party in 2005.

Aretha Wilson pleaded not guilty to assault with a deadly weapon after being returned to Los Angeles from her native Canada.

DiCaprio suffered injuries to his face and neck.

More curves are coming to New York Fashion Week!

We recently told you about OneStopPlus's plus-size runway show. Now, Jessica Simpson has announced that she'll be using "real women" to model her clothing line, Contact Music reports.

"Jessica Simpson plans to unveil her latest collection for the media at New York Fashion Week in September, but there's a twist," a friend of the budding fashion mogul reportedly told Life & Style Magazine.

"Instead of using super-skinny models to showcase her designs, Jessica has decided to send her best friends -- real women in real sizes -- down the aisle."

We'd expect nothing less from Simpson, who recently shared her pro-curves stance with Lucky.

"We all obsess over looking like the perfect Barbie type, and that's not always what's beautiful," she told the shopping magazine.

"It's about making peace with yourself."

Way to put your money where your mouth is!

The Mad Men actress flaunts her killer curves for her latest shoot!
Not only was Christina Hendricks recently named the Best Looking Woman in America by Esquire magazine, but now she’s the face of London Fog for their fall campaign! Shot by photographer Nino Muñoz in Los Angeles, the super-confident star certainly wasn’t shy. “The sexiest way to wear a trench is with nothing underneath at all,” she said while on set.

It looks like Christina has an affinity for a classic trench. “London Fog is a classic brand, which I love. It also ties in to Mad Men, we used London Fog in the show and this was a nice way to tie everything together. The trench is such an iconic shape for men and women. It works for anyone – it worked in the 1960s and it works now,” she said.

No more tweets from Roger Clemens -- at least, none that mention his perjury case.

U.S. District Court Judge Reggie Walton issued a gag order Monday that prevents Clemens, potential witnesses and lawyers "from making any future statements about this case to the media or in a public setting outside the courtroom that are substantially likely to have a materially prejudicial effect on this case."

A six-count indictment against Clemens was unsealed by prosecutors in Washington on Thursday. Prosecutors allege Clemens perjured himself and obstructed justice when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs to members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform along with the committee's staff in February 2008.

Hours after the felony charges were announced, Clemens went to Twitter to reiterate that he had never used steroids or human growth hormone. His lawyer, Rusty Hardin, held a news conference in Houston where he said he thought the government was wrong to bring the indictment and he looks forward to proving as much in court.

Lawyers for Brian McNamee, Clemens' former friend and personal trainer who said he provided performance-enhancing drugs to Clemens, spoke with FanHouse and other news outlets. The U.S. Attorney's Office has been mum outside of issuing the initial news release to announce the charges.

"There has already been extensive media coverage about the case fueled, at least in part, by the comments made by the defendant, the defendant's counsel [and] individuals who presumably will be witnesses if the this case proceeds to trial," Walton wrote. "... To issue public comments to the media that, whether intentional or not, may affect the ability of the court to empanel an impartial jury (and to maintain the jury's impartiality throughout the trial if one is empaneled) the undersigned member of the court will not tolerate such behavior from anyone."

No arraignment date has been set as of Monday evening. Clemens could be fined as much as $1.5 million and could serve as many as 21 months if he's convicted on all counts.

VINEYARD HAVEN, Mass. — Michelle Obama will join former first lady Laura Bush in ceremonies marking the ninth anniversary of the United Flight 93 crash in Pennsylvania during the Sept. 11 attacks.

Mrs. Bush had previously confirmed her participation, saying we "must never forget the brave sacrifice of these extraordinary men and women."

Passengers aboard the flight are believed to have struggled with its hijackers before the jet crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pa., killing all aboard.

Mrs. Obama's press office confirmed her role as the first lady vacationed with her family on Martha's Vineyard.

"Their show of support honors the lives and memories of these 40 heroes and everyone we lost on September 11th," said Neil Mulholland, head of the National Park Foundation. The group is helping build a memorial at the Shanksville site.

President Barack Obama continues to be criticized by families of those killed at ground zero on Sept. 11 for saying Muslims have a right to exercise their religious freedom, including at a planned mosque two blocks from the site.

United Flight 93 was traveling from Newark, N.J., to San Francisco when hijackers seized control. Forty passengers and crew were killed in the crash.

Construction on a permanent memorial to the victims is under way. Its first phase is expected to be dedicated in time for next year's 10th anniversary of the crash.

Driver from www.huffingtonpost.com

Singer-songwriter Andrew Bird may only be 37 years old, but he's already found his way into a museum.

One of the Chicago native's compositions is the centerpiece of a dazzling soundscape that accompanies the Field Museum's "Mammoths and Mastodons" exhibition.

The song "You Woke Me Up!" originally appeared on Bird's album Useless Creatures, a second bonus disc that came along with the deluxe edition of his 2009 album Noble Beast. Like so many of his compositions, it's an elaborate, delicate work bouncing with plucked and bowed strings.

(Click here to listen to the track, and learn more about the exhibit.)

But the track has gone from a deep cut on an unreleased disc to the halls of one of Chicago's biggest tourist attractions, thanks to sound artist Michael W. Burns.

Burns developed the concept for the "Mammoths and Mastodons" soundscape. He placed the Bird piece at the center of the experience, and commissioned five more works from composer Stephen Wilke, based on "You Woke Me Up!" The six interconnected compositions are meant to evoke for the visitor the sense of being in the presence of the Ice Age giants on display.

See for yourself, any time between now and September 6th, 2010. Tickets for the exhibition are available online for $22, which also includes general admission. Lyuba, a 42,000-year-old baby wooly mammoth and the most complete specimen of her species ever discovered, is on display, as are saber-toothed cats, mammoth tusks, and the enormous mastodon. And a certain rare specimen of Bird.

LOS ANGELES — Sylvester Stallone has proven that he's not quite expendable yet at the box office.

Stallone and his pumped-up pals lifted Lionsgate's 1980s-style action romp "The Expendables" to a No. 1 debut with $35 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

While the macho "Expendables" lured male audiences, Julia Roberts delivered a crowd-pleaser for women with Sony's "Eat Pray Love," which opened at No. 2 with $23.7 million.

The previous weekend's top movie, Sony's cop comedy "The Other Guys," slipped to third place with $18 million, raising its 10-day total to $70.5 million. The Warner Bros. blockbuster "Inception" was fourth with $11.4 million, lifting its total to $248.6 million.

Opening in fifth place with $10.5 million was Universal's graphic-novel adaptation "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," starring Michael Cera as a slacker caught up in duels to the death with his new girlfriend's seven evil ex-boyfriends.

"The Expendables" continued a box-office uptick for Stallone, who has had a career resurgence in recent years revisiting his past with fresh sequels to his "Rocky" and "Rambo" franchises.

The movie features such action stars as Jet Li and Jason Statham – along with cameos from Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger – in a tale of mercenaries aiming to overthrow a dictator.

It's a throwback to the brawn and body counts of 1980s and '90s action, a genre whose top three stars were Stallone, Willis and Schwarzenegger. The cast also includes such actors with 1980s roots as Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren and Roberts' brother, Eric Roberts, as well as wrestler Steve Austin, ultimate fighter Randy Couture and former NFL player Terry Crews.

"By combining all that star power, they really had a strong debut," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "Maybe star power doesn't work with just one star, but when you throw in a dozen, it really looked fun. In the action world, these guys are big names."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "The Expendables," $35 million.

2. "Eat Pray Love," $23.7 million.

3. "The Other Guys," $18 million.

4. "Inception," $11.4 million.

5. "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," $10.5 million.

6. "Despicable Me," $6.8 million.

7. "Step Up 3D," $6.6 million.

8. "Salt," $6.4 million.

9. "Dinner for Schmucks," $6.3 million.

10. "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore," $4.1 million.

Driver from www.huffingtonpost.com

The theme of Rihanna’s “Last Girl on Earth” tour, as suggested by its recurring video images of computers downloading her dreams, is the subconscious, which is always more interesting than the conscious. Isn’t it?

Rihanna’s, according to the vibe of the show, contains sex, the will to domination and revenge. But it’s a good chance that yours does too, even if you have never met her ex-boyfriend, Chris Brown. In her show at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night, she bestrode a pink tank’s gun turret while wearing a Mouseketeer helmet; smashed the husk of an old car and entreated a young female fan to do the same; played a flying-V electric guitar — crudely, imperiously — from atop a tall platform; sang in front of trapeze artists hanging from giant rifles; and spent a lot of time in a black latex unitard with fabric at the haunchesand high boots. Love is a battlefield. Love is a circus. Love is a strip club.

None of this cut very deeply, and not just because these themes are so incredibly banal, but because Rihanna keeps her affect on lockdown. She spoke little. That vibrato shake at the end of her vocal lines is about the sum of her charm as a singer. She moved in smooth, even glides. Her low hip-grind in “Rude Boy” and her lip curl in “Rehab,” as she reclined on a hideous therapist’s couch, adorned with metal casts of human heads and limbs: these were the smash hits of her body language. (Most at the Garden could see her snarl only via overhead video screens, which also picked up clear angles of her new Francophone neck tattoo.)

Rihanna, now 22, hasn’t been with us that long: four albums and five years, though it’s only the last three that have particularly mattered, with hits like “Don’t Stop the Music,” “Disturbia,” “Rude Boy” and “Umbrella,” the song that swallowed 2007. (“Last Girl on Earth,” whose current dates include Kesha and Travie McCoy as opening acts, is her first headlining tour of North America.)

That’s more than twice as long a reign as Lady Gaga’s, but perhaps not long enough for the kind of full text-and-subtext, hit-after-hit, Madonna-Mariah-Beyoncé-level concert she aspires to. Thursday’s show was about angles and surfaces and still tableaus, borrowing visually from fashion, art and photography of the early 1980s, and musically from New Wave, disco and metal, via the feckless guitar shredding of Nuno Bettencourt. (If you squint, you might make a connection between her high-heeled assault on the car and the kind of thing Wendy O. Williams used to do on stage with the Plasmatics.)

It was also a show about optical illusions, about flat surfaces and volume against various backgrounds, about cheekbones and haunches and heels and hair. Unless you spent the evening reading along to her lyric sheets, it didn’t particularly leave you thinking about the aftermath of an abusive relationship, a theme underlined by “Rated R,” her recent album. It didn’t leave you thinking about cultural appropriation or what-would-she-dream-up-next. It left you thinking: how do they make her look so tall? And how tall is she, really?

Rihanna’s set was preceded by one from Kesha (who renders the s in her name as a dollar sign) that felt far less guarded and in some places more purely joyous. (And if you can’t believe that a show involving a phallic gun-turret could be described as guarded, you weren’t there.) Kesha also juxtaposes girl-centered electronic pop with guy-rock stereotypes: she wore a sleeveless Metallica T-shirt and started out playing, or at least holding, a rifle-shaped guitar.

But Kesha’s act encompasses fantastic chants on the choruses; her stylized whine-talking through verses in a half San Fernando Valley, half mid-South delivery; rag-bag visuals (a skanky-looking dance crew, a rumpled American flag against a skinny bank of lights); and a super-low sense of humor that comes with mysterious confidence and self-possession.

Watching her sing “Tik Tok,” “Your Love Is My Drug” and “Party at a Rich Dude’s House” — all of them about getting dangerously wasted, literally or figuratively — you didn’t feel bad for her or for yourself. The songs are too good. She’s controlling her iconography as much as Rihanna does, tanks not included.

Driver from www.nytimes.com