Shrek the Third took in $122m in its first weekend, breaking the franchise’s own record for best debut ever for an animated film, according to studio estimates on Sunday.

The latest adventure of the ogre shot past 2004′s Shrek 2, the previous record-holder for animated openings with $108m.

Produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount, Shrek the Third was the third-biggest debut ever, coming in behind the $151.1m haul of this month’s Spider-Man 3 and the $135.6m gross of last summer’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest...Read more

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Capitalism, Movies, Shrek

If the bidder comes through with cash or financing for the $9,900,500 price, the car will be the most expensive item ever sold by eBay Inc., company spokeswoman Catherine England said.

Actor John Schneider, who played the blond heartthrob Bo Duke in the show, sold the car, which was not featured in the original show but carries the signatures of the cast.

Schneider, 47, said Friday that he expected bidding for the orange coupe, which has “01″ on the doors and is emblazoned with the Confederate flag, to go for $3 million at most…Read more

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Capitalism, Celebrities, Dukes of Hazard, John Schneider, TV Shows

After a long wait, the proud father posed happily with his 7-month-old baby Dannielynn, telling the US edition of OK!

“I’m looking forward to giving Dannielynn everything that she needs and all the love and support,” he has said.

DNA tests revealed Birkhead was the biological dad in early April.

Smith’s companion, Howard K Stern, among others, claimed to be the father.

“I hate to be the one who told you this, but: I told you so,” Birkhead said at the time.

Smith, a former Playboy pin-up, died in February from an accidental drug overdose while she was in the thick of a legal battle over the estate of her late husband J. Howard Marshall II, a Texan oil baron who died in 1995.

It has left the future uncertain for baby Dannielynn – it is unclear if she will inherit millions from the estate…Chinadaily.com

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Anna Nicole Smith, Capitalism, Celebrities, Larry Birkhead

The shift of music online has hurt stores such as Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Circuit City, and some retailers are looking to avoid a repeat with movies. Wal-Mart has launched its own movie download service, Best Buy is said to be in talks to start one, and Blockbuster explored buying movie download company Movielink earlier this year.

Music and DVDs are important to retailers because they’ve traditionally driven customers to stores. Each week’s new releases give people a reason to come back. And for electronics retailers such as Best Buy Co. and Circuit City Stores Inc., discs are often a cheap impulse sale, unlike a pricey computer or TV.

But the decline in the number of CDs sold has accelerated every year since 2003 and was 11.7 percent last year, according to NPD Group…Read more

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Capitalism, Movies

The frontman for New Jersey band Bon Jovi and guitarist Richie Sambora are the latest musicians to join McFarlane Toys’ line of action figures, which will hit stores in August and sell for $10-$12….Read more

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Capitalism, Celebrities