Entourage

Entourage is a multiple Emmy-nominated series – a dramedy that chronicles the rise of Vincent Chase, a young A-list movie star, and his childhood friends from Queens in New York City, as they find their way in Hollywood. Created by Doug Ellin and co-produced by Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson, the show’s premise is loosely based on Wahlberg’s experiences as an up-and-coming movie star. However, Ferrara says, the show has evolved since its first few seasons and has now taken on a life of its own.

The series stars Adrian Grenier as Vince, Kevin Connolly as Vince’s manager, Eric (the voice of sanity who tries to help Vince make the right choices), Kevin Dillon as Vince’s half-brother Johnny Drama, who is a struggling actor living in the shadow of his brother and Ferrara as Turtle. Jeremy Piven plays Ari Gold, Vince’s agent. The tide has turned not only for Ferrara but also his character Turtle. After four seasons of being serially unlucky with the ladies, Turtle’s love life picks up in Season Five (and continues to develop in Season Six) and fans get to see a different side – a softer, more mature side – of the character. (A little teaser: Turtle befriends Jamie Lynn-Sigler, the Sopranos star on a first-class flight home from Hawaii in the last episode and though his friends are sceptical, Turtle may actually get a happy ending this season.)

“I can’t tell you a lot ... I know it’s not like the Sopranos where you don’t want to know who dies or who gets shot but they’ll (the producers) be very, very, mad at me if I tell you what’s going to happen. “What I can say is that Turtle really grows up a lot in Season Five and Six and he does things that he has never done before. There will be change and all the changes build up to something,” teases Ferrara. Although he now has a strong following – fans coming up to him on the streets in true Entourage fashion and he can gain access into any restaurant or club he wishes, Ferrara reckons one of the most significant changes is how the show has paved the way for bigger roles for the actor.

Sky High

The group has achieved sky-high results in its first year, raising more than $21,000 to buy new medical equipment and other vital supplies for the RFDS. They've done exceptionally well in their first year,” RFDS base administrator Jo Redden said. “We're really pleased to have an auxiliary here finally after seven years.” While the group started with about seven members this time last year, their numbers have swelled to about 16 as the passionate volunteers inspired others to join.

“We are always looking for new members,” auxiliary president Lynette Dean said.Mrs Dean said the group had raised thousands of dollars with a screening of smash hit movie Australia, plus raffles and selling merchandise at community events. “We raised a lot of money last year,” Mrs Dean said. But this year, the group hopes to raise more than just cold, hard cash. “We are really aiming to raise the profile of the service as well,” Mrs Dean said. She said the group was looking at running family-orientated events as fundraisers in its second year.

“We've discussed having an annual function or a ball, that is an affordable one for families,” Mrs Dean said. “It will all help, because it costs so much to keep the service running.” Mrs Roden is a member of the Bundaberg Wide Bay Burnett Auxiliary for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), which is celebrating its first birthday this month. “They have a very high standard of care,” Mrs Roden said. A former nurse with the flying doctors, she used the service as a patient when she was suddenly taken ill in Gladstone and flown to Brisbane for treatment.

Flag Day

Today is Flag Day, and President Obama says Americans should be proud of Old Glory by flying it wherever possible. He's made the customary proclamation designating Flag Day, but is also extending the observance by declaring the upcoming days as National Flag Week.

The president has ordered flags displayed on all federal buildings during the week and is urging Americans to fly the Star and Stripes at their homes and other suitable places. Obama is also calling on Americans to observe the period from Flad Day through Independence Day as a celebration of the nation's heritage, by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at public gatherings.

"Flag Day does fall at a difficult time and it's not on people's calendars," said Dour Kirkpatrick, the exalted ruler of Portsmouth Elks Lodge 97, which hosts an annual Flag Day observance that includes a narrative history of the American flag and its evolution. "It's not pushed in the schools like it should be."