Lady Gaga's sister makes red carpet debut

Lady Gaga's 10-inch platform shoes, spiked bustier, and turquoise wig weren't the only things that got the Web talking this week when she arrived at the Council Of Fashion Designers Of America Awards (CFDA) in New York to pick up her style-icon honor. The woman in black who escorted her across the red carpet also sparked a buzz.

The woman's name is Natali Germanotta, and she is Lady Gaga's 19-year-old sister. Natali bears a strong resemblance to the sibling six years her senior. Dressed in a simple pants suit, gold necklace, bustier, and black lipstick, Natali looks like Lady Gaga without the rock star costumes and hair.

Natali has been photographed at other Gaga events. She was in the front row when Lady Gaga performed on "Today" last year. And she even has a cameo in the epic Lady Gaga and Beyonce video "Telephone." In the video, when Lady Gaga enters the jail holding cell, she stands directly beside then-17-year-old Natali, who is wearing dark shades and big '80s hair.

Months after the "Telephone" video debuted, Gaga made news when attending Natali's high school graduation.

Based on the activity on her @germmonster318 Twitter page, Natali seems to live a regular life. She tweets about college. She's a first-year fashion design student at Parsons design school in New York. Her profile picture is from a flick with her boyfriend. In her 99 tweets to date, she comments about college, missing her girls from high school, and going to Pinkberry with her mom, and sometimes she sends love to her world-famous sister.

The night Gaga entered the Grammys in an egg, Natali sent her support. "My little fetus in the egg is gonna kill it tonight," she tweeted. She later added, "Couldn't ask for a better person for me to call my sister and best friend," she wrote. "@ladygaga- stefi, I love you with all my heart an I am so proud of you. X."

In January, Natali revealed her favorite Gaga song, a mellow '80s dance track called "So Happy I Could Die" from "The Fame Monster." Lady Gaga's fans love Natali, too. They send her messages about Gaga. When Natali tweeted that she needed more followers, Perez Hilton responded and helped spread the word.

That's Really Week is definitely impressed by the sisterhood between these ladies. And there's more good music news this week. Aerosmith announced that its returning to the studio to record its first album in 10 years. Ludacris made a surprise appearance during Jason Aldean's performance on the CMT Awards. Gwen Stefani fans weren't so happy, though, to hear that she would no longer pursue her solo career. And lastly, Flo Rida was charged with driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license.

Get more details on these stories in the links below. Flo Rida tried to talk his way out of the citation, and we have an excerpt of the hilarious quote. Be sure to check back next week for another news roundup.

When Mavs fans turn their heads into creepy basketballs

There really isn't much more I can add to this. Yardbarker found a picture of a Dallas Mavericks fan who had turned his head into a strangely deflated basketball. My editors and I agree that you should see this gentleman's head. I would also like to point out, with a heatwave sweeping much of North America, that you probably shouldn't do this to your, or anyone else's, head.

Unless you really, really like the Mavs. Because we already know that you don't like the Heat.

Yahoo!'s own Jason Sickles documented the fan's apparent first attempt at creating this rather unhealthy alter-ego in a column from last month:

"I shaved my head and eyebrows," he boasted.

Caked in orange and black paint, Perez's smooth noggin resembled a basketball ready for play.

"This is my first time to ever do something like this," the Keller resident said.

Apparently the fan, named Frank Perez, makes himself up as the ball in order to score free tickets to Mavericks playoff games, given away by team officials hoping to fill the stadium with all sorts of crazy. Mission accomplished, Frank! And we'll be on the lookout for His Orangeness in Thursday's Game 5.

Nowitzki says Wade, James ‘childish … ignorant’

MIAMI (AP)—Dirk Nowitzki(notes) said Saturday that Dwyane Wade(notes) and LeBron James(notes) were “a little childish, a little ignorant” in a video that appears to show them mocking the Mavericks star’s recent illness.

Wade said he really did cough and turned it into a generic joke because cameras were rolling. He and James blamed others for trying to make a big deal out of it.

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 11: Dirk Now…
Getty Images - Jun 11, 2:41 pm EDT

Dallas Mavericks ' Dirk No…
AP - Jun 11, 2:13 pm EDT

The video taken by the CBS affiliate in Dallas-Fort Worth shows Wade walking alongside James following a shootaround the morning of Game 5 of the NBA finals. Wade coughs, then says, “Did you hear me cough? Think I’m sick.”

Nowitzki was coughing and sniffling throughout Game 4 because of a sinus infection that also left him with a 101-degree fever. He played anyway and led Dallas to a victory over the Miami Heat that evened the series at two games each. The Mavs also won Game 5, sending them into Game 6 on Sunday night with a chance to be crowned champions.

The video of Wade’s cough spread across the Internet on Friday, when both teams were traveling. So it became a popular topic at news conferences Saturday.

“First of all, it wasn’t fake coughing,” Wade said. “I actually did cough. And with the cameras being right there, we made a joke out of it because we knew you guys were going to blow it up. You did exactly what we knew. We never said Dirk’s name. I think he’s not the only one in the world who can get sick or have a cough. We just had fun with the cameras being right in our face about the blowup of the incident, and it held to be true. You blew it up.”

Said James: “If you guys want to feed into everything that not only myself or D-Wade or the Miami Heat do, I think that’s a non-issue. There’s bigger issues in this series than that.”

The video clip runs 26 seconds. After Wade coughs, he and James laugh and tug their collars over their nose and mouth, as Nowitzki did during his interview following Game 4.

Nowitzki clearly didn’t see anything humorous about it. He considered them implying he may not have been sick.

“I’ve been in this league for 13 years. I’ve never faked an injury or an illness before,” Nowitzki said. “But (the video) happened. It’s over to me. It’s not going to add anything extra to me. This is the NBA finals. If you need an extra motivation, you have a problem.”

World's Best New Hotels 2011

From a hillside African lodge to a Brazilian eco-retreat, these are the year’s best new hotels.

By Travel+Leisure Staff

Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas

Photo: Courtesy of Cosmopolitian of Las Vegas

More from TravelandLeisure.com

For our annual It List, a compendium of the world’s most noteworthy new hotels, Travel+Leisure editors and writers logged thousands of miles in search of the next best new hotels for you to lay your head.

Cosmopolitan

Las Vegas

Finally, a Vegas hotel for design geeks and food nerds. Guest rooms have Fornasetti wallpaper in the closets, furniture with solid modern lines, a generous soaking tub, C.O. Bigelow toiletries, art you will actually think about, and stacks of Phaidon books on the bedside. Venture into the David Rockwell–designed Chandelier bar and to restaurants by heavyweights including Scott Conant (Scarpetta), Bromberg Brothers (Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill), and José Andrés (Jaleo; China Poblano). Doubles from $195.

Olarro, Loita Hills, Kenya

Photo: Courtesy of Olarro

Olarro

Loita Hills, Kenya

With a silent partner like Paul Allen (yes, that Paul Allen) backing Olarro, it’s no wonder this hillside lodge overlooking the Masai Mara is becoming Kenya’s next high-profile hideaway. Designer Anthony Russell has worked his magic on the seven thatched cottages and a two-bedroom villa: the tiled floors resemble giraffe markings, and the billowing fabric ceilings give the feel of a tented camp (without the hassle of having to unzip your door). At this new conservancy the wildlife may not be as prolific as in other parts of Africa, but after-dark safaris with night-vision goggles, as well as a perfect perch to watch the annual wildebeest migration, more than compensate. Doubles from $1,370.

GoldenEye Hotel & Resort, Jamaica

Photo: Jessica Sample

GoldenEye Hotel & Resort

Jamaica

This property on the northern coast of Jamaica has quite a pedigree: in the 1940’s, Ian Fleming built a villa on a hidden cove to write his James Bond novels and entertain visitors including Noël Coward and Errol Flynn. Now owner Chris Blackwell has transformed GoldenEye into a small but stylish resort. With only 11 cottages and six suites along a white-sand beach and secluded lagoon, the vibe is as exclusive as it was in Fleming’s day and the guest list just as impressive (was that Beyoncé and Jay-Z hanging out at the waterfront Bizot bar?). Doubles from $448.

Banyan Tree Al Wadi, Ras Al Khaimah,U.A.E.

Photo: Courtesy of Banyan Tree Al Wadi

Banyan Tree Al Wadi

Ras Al Khaimah, U.A.E.

Camel rides? Check. Sand dunes? Check. Private pools? Check. The new Banyan Tree Al Wadi—tucked into the desert and a 45-minute drive from Dubai—is a daydreamer’s oasis. Set on 250 acres, 150 of which are a nature preserve, 101 villas blend regional design elements (bedouin-style tented ceilings) with Far Eastern service touches (the spa specializes in Thai massages). We rose early for a tour of the honey-colored landscape and returned to dine at the resort’s Al Waha restaurant while spotting wild gazelles through the restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows. Doubles from $465.

Kenoa, Barra de São Miguel, Brazil

Photo: Courtesy of Kenoa Resort

Kenoa

Barra de São Miguel, Brazil

It was a risky proposition for engineer Pedro Marques to quit his career to open a 23-room eco-retreat on a sleepy beach along Brazil’s Alagoan coast, north of Bahia. But the gamble has paid off in spades. The hotel wows with eucalyptus columns and natural wood and brick interiors, all of which reinforce the indoor-outdoor aesthetic that sets the retreat apart. Environmental responsibility is emphasized: staffers are instructed in conservation techniques to avoid disturbing the nearby preserve. Doubles from $630.

Borgo Egnazia, Puglia, Italy

Photo: Courtesy of Borgo Egnazia

Borgo Egnazia

Puglia, Italy

Though this blinding-white stone monolith looks as ancient as the fortified farmhouses that surround it, sprawling Borgo Egnazia is actually brand- new. Rooms are monochromatic, splicing luxe (limestone double sinks; wide shaded terraces) with unexpected design moments (single olive branches in lieu of flowers). Twin pools are lounge-worthy and huge; if only management would designate one of them exclusively for adults. Doubles from $455.

Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India

Photo: Courtesy of Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces

Taj Falaknuma Palace

Hyderabad, India

You’ll trade your car for a horse and carriage at the gate of the Taj Falaknuma Palace, which crowns a hill above the city, and be showered with rose petals when you ascend the marble steps. After a 10-year restoration, this former palace of the Nizam of Hyderabad (once the world’s richest man) is now a living museum, with 60 opulent guest rooms done up in ivories and golds. Wander the property if you like: nothing is off limits, including the library of rare books. Adding to the fairy-tale setting, at sunset you’ll hear the lilting strains of a flute in the courtyard. Doubles from $890.

Ritz-Carlton Shanghai

Photo: Chris Cypert / Ritz-Carlton

Ritz-Carlton Shanghai

Pudong, Shanghai

It’s almost impossible to actually walk anywhere in the frenetic Pudong neighborhood, so lucky for you that Ritz-Carlton’s second Shanghai property offers plenty of reasons to stay put. Topping off Cesar Pelli’s 58-story IFC Shanghai building, the 285-room hotel places you in a cloud-level fantasy. Guest rooms, with their Art Deco touches, have skyline views from floor-to-ceiling windows, Frette linens, and freestanding bathtubs built for lounging. Doubles from $534.

W Retreat Koh Samui, Thailand

Photo: Courtesy W Hotels Worldwide

W Retreat Koh Samui

Thailand

Bringing a long-lacking dose of mod design and youthful exuberance to this ever-popular Thai resort island, W Hotels’ first “Retreat” property in Southeast Asia hews to the brand’s urbane aesthetic. Fans of the cheeky W formula will find all the requisite diversions, such as morning Thai boxing. Seeking serenity? The resort occupies a coveted peninsula on Samui’s quiet northern coast. While the lure of the beach may be hard to resist, guest rooms offer plenty of watery temptations as well: all of the 75 glass-walled villas have private pools, and the best offer shimmering Gulf of Thailand views. Doubles from $712.

Matakauri Lodge, Queenstown, New Zealand

Photo: Courtesy of Matakauri Lodge

Matakauri Lodge

Queenstown, New Zealand

It’s no wonder hedge-funder turned hotelier Julian Robertson chose a secluded South Island spot for his family’s third hotel, Matakauri Lodge, the latest sibling to the Farm at Cape Kidnappers and the Lodge at Kauri Cliffs. The property is ideal for adventurers in search of a luxury lodge near Queenstown. The 11 large, timber suites, decorated in rust, orange, and cream by native design doyenne Virginia Fisher, feature walk-in closets, open fireplaces, and the requisite mountain vistas. Doubles from $460.

What you’re doing wrong at the gym

If you've been going to the gym regularly and not seeing great results, it may be because you're unknowingly mangling your moves (no offense). The truth is, most people make tiny but key errors in their techniques, and these mistakes prevent them from building muscle and burning more calories. We selected four basic moves that have a tendency to trip women up, and asked top trainers for form fixes. Apply their tips to upgrade your routine and your body.

LUNGES: WHAT YOU DO WRONG
You lean forward, causing your front heel to rise.

LUNGES: FIX YOUR FORM
1. "Narrow your starting stance," says Gray Cook, author of Athletic Body in Balance. The closer your feet are, the harder your core has to work to stabilize your body.

2. "As you do the lunge, focus on moving your torso only up and down, not pushing it forward," says Craig Rasmussen, a fitness coach at Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, California. This keeps your weight balanced evenly through your front foot, allowing you to press into the floor with your heel, which tones more lower-body muscle.

Quick Tip, Lunges: Drop your back knee straight down to the floor.

Banish Bumps and More: How to Get Summer-Ready Legs

SQUATS: WHAT YOU DO WRONG
You start the movement by bending your knees.

SQUATS: HOW TO FIX YOUR FORM
1. As you squat, imagine you're sitting down into a chair, rather than forward on top of your knees. Push your hips back first instead of beginning by bending your knees, which puts more stress on your joints, says Dan John, a strength coach in Burlingame, California.

2. Women tend to lean forward on their toes, but they should sit back into their heels. Try this fix: Pretend that you're standing on a paper towel, says Charlie Weingroff, lead physical therapist for the U.S. Marine Corps Special Operations Command at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. "Then imagine trying to rip the towel apart by pressing your feet onto the floor and outward." This activates your glutes, which helps you use heavier weights and break through plateaus.

Quick Tip, Squats: As you stand, think about pushing the floor away from your body, rather than lifting your body.

Sculpt a Tight Butt and Legs with Plyometrics

STRAIGHT-LEG DEADLIFTS: WHAT YOU DO WRONG
You round your lower back as you bend over.

STRAIGHT-LEG DEADLIFTS: HOW TO FIX YOUR FORM
1. "When bending down, act as if you are holding a tray of drinks and need to close the door behind you with your backside," says Alwyn Cosgrove, co-owner of Results Fitness. This helps you push your hips back instead of rounding your lower back--a form blunder that puts you at risk for back problems.

2. It's easy to put too much space between the weight and your body as you move up and down. Pretend you're shaving your legs with the bar or dumbbells, suggests Kaitlyn Weiss, a certified strength and conditioning specialist in Southern California. The farther the weights are from your body, the more strain on your back, which limits the work of your hamstrings and glutes.

Quick Tip, Straight-Leg Deadlifts: As you return to standing, squeeze your glutes. You'll engage your butt rather than strain your lower back.

Greatest Fitness Foods for Women

ROWS AND PULLUPS: WHAT YOU DO WRONG
You ignore the muscles that draw back your shoulder blades.

ROWS AND PULLUPS: HOW TO FIX YOUR FORM
1. "Before you start the exercise, create as much space as you can between your ears and shoulders," says Rasmussen. Pull your shoulder blades down and back, which will ensure you work the intended middle- and upper-back muscles.

2. "As you row the weights, stick out your chest," says Mike Boyle, owner of Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning in Woburn, Massachusetts. This allows you to better retract your shoulder blades, which will lead to better results.

3. "Imagine an orange between your shoulder blades," says Nick Grantham, owner of Smart Fitness in the U.K. "As you pull the weights or your body up, 'squeeze the juice out of it' by bringing your shoulder blades together."

Quick Tip, Rows and Pullups: Using an overhand grip forces your rhomboids (upper-back muscles) to work harder.

NY-born twin friars die on same day at age 92

AP – This May 2003 photo provided by St. Bonaventure University shows Adrian, left, and Julian Riester, identical …

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Identical twins Julian and Adrian Riester were born seconds apart 92 years ago. They died hours apart this week. The Buffalo-born brothers were also brothers in the Roman Catholic Order of Friars Minor. Professed friars for 65 years, they spent much of that time working together at St. Bonaventure University, doing carpentry work, gardening and driving visitors to and from the airport and around town.

"It was fun to see them, just quiet, gentle souls," Yvonne Peace, who worked at the St. Bonaventure Friary for nearly 21 years, said Friday.

They died Wednesday at St. Anthony Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla., Brother Julian in the morning and Brother Adrian in the evening.

Both died of heart failure, said Father James Toal, guardian of St. Anthony Friary in St. Petersburg, where the inseparable twins lived since moving from western New York in 2008.

"It really is almost a poetic ending to the remarkable story of their lives," St. Bonaventure spokesman Tom Missel said. "Stunning when you hear it, but hardly surprising given that they did almost everything together."

Julian and Adrian Riester were born Jerome and Irving on March 27, 1919, to a couple who already had five daughters. They took the names of saints upon their ordination in the Catholic church.

"Dad was a doctor and he said a prayer for a boy," Adrian once said, according to St. Bonaventure. "The Lord fooled him and sent two."

After attending St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, the brothers were turned away by the military because of their eyesight, the university said. One had a bad left eye, the other a bad right eye.

Eventually they joined the friars of Holy Name Province in New York City. They received separate assignments before reuniting at the seminary at St. Bonaventure from 1951 to 1956. After serving parishes in Buffalo for 17 years, they returned to St. Bonaventure in 1973 and spent the next 35 years there.

They had separate rooms in the friary but one telephone extension that rang into both, Peace recalled. It was usually the more talkative Adrian who answered, though Julian possessed a quiet authority. They never said who was born first.

"Brother Julian was like the big brother. Brother Adrian would defer to him," Peace said. "They picked up one of our friars at the airport one time and the friar said, `Can I take you to dinner?'

"Brother Adrian looked at Brother Julian and said, `We aren't going to dinner?' `No, we'll go home,'" Peace said. "So that was it. No discussion, no contradicting. `No, we aren't going today.'"

Funeral services are scheduled for Monday at St. Mary Our Lady of Grace Church in St. Petersburg. Afterward, the brothers' bodies will be flown to Buffalo and buried Wednesday at St. Bonaventure Cemetery, across the street from the university.

Messi punched outside restaurant in his hometown

According to reports from Argentina and Spain, Lionel Messi was punched by a teenager as he signed autographs outside a restaurant in his hometown of Rosario. Messi was eating with two friends and no security. After they finished, he signed autographs and took pictures outside with the mob of fans that had spotted him, at which point a kid shouted, "I'm a Central supporter, you're from Newell's" and punched him. He then ran away, chased by a pack of Messi fans (which I imagine was quite funny looking) as Messi himself just left without reacting.

Messi began his youth career with Newell's Old Boys, Rosario Central's fiercest local rivals, which explains why the kid felt the need to declare his support (I guess he didn't want anyone thinking he was a Real Madrid fan).

Given all the witnesses to the incident, I'm sure there will be more on this to come.

UPDATE: Messi told Ole, "I felt nothing and I only learned of it after the hype. Nothing happened." So was he actually hit or is he just impervious to mere mortals' attempts to hurt him?

UPDATE II: OK, so he might not have felt the punch, but he had to feel the lady in the picture squeezing his cheeks. Pretty sure that counts as assault too.

UPDATE III: Here's an eyewitness account from the AP:

"There was a crush of people waiting outside," Pablo Moyano, who was working in the restaurant, told Argentine TV. "There were kids, reporters, photographers waiting … and one of the kids tried to punch him. I don't know if he pulled it off. He went running afterward."

Witnesses said the suspect was dressed in the uniform of a school a few streets away.

Now we are left to wonder how Cristiano Ronaldo got a hold of a local school uniform.

UPDATE IV: Here's video of the incident...

Unfortunately, it looks like the kid wasn't really chased. It also appears he is at least four times larger than Messi, which makes it that much worse.

Photo: AP