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Park named for Beastie Boys’ Yauch

NEW YORK (JTA)—New York City honored the late rapper Adam Yauch, MCA of the Beastie Boys, by bestowing his name on a Brooklyn playground. The park, formerly called Palmetto Playground, is just a couple of blocks from where the musician grew up.

At the recent dedication ceremony, speakers included bandmate Adam Horovitz (a.k.a. Ad-Rock); Yauch’s parents, Frances and Noel, and Borough President Marty Markowitz, who rapped his own version of the Beastie Boys’ “Open Letter to NYC,” according to USA Today.

Kutcher to Israel

Israel this week was to welcome its first big-name American visitor since Barack Obama. OK, so this time it’s the star of “Two And A Half Men” and not the ruler of the free world, but Ashton Kutcher equals pretty exciting stuff.

The Kabbalah-practicing actor will bring his Jewish girlfriend, actress Mila Kunis, a.k.a. the Sexiest Woman in the World (see next item), according to the Times of Israel.

Kutcher has visited the Holy Land before, the last time in 2010 with then-wife and fellow Kabbalah devotee Demi Moore.

In Israel, rather than exploring mysticism, Kutcher will be promoting high-tech initiatives—that actually sounds about as opaque and vague.

FHM magazine: Kunis is world’s sexiest woman

FHM magazine put Mila Kunis at the top of its annual 100 Sexiest Women in the World list. The super classy publication (tagline: “It’s great to be a man”) praises her work on “That ’70s Show,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and Black Swan,” in which, we are reminded, Kunis “played tonsil-hockey” with Natalie Portman.

Surely Ashton Kutcher would agree with the editors, who call the Ukrainian Jewish star the “Dream Girlfriend.” Other chosen ladies who made the arbitrary cut: Scarlett Johannson at No. 49 and Alison Brie, No. 57.

‘Hangover’ Jews

Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis were not on most people’s radar back in 2007. That’s probably why the casting folks for “The Hangover” were initially trying for more famous stars—and coincidentally, more Jewish—for the lead roles.

The first actor associated with the project was Jack Black, who dropped out early on, director Todd Phillips told The Hollywood Reporter. Paul Rudd also passed on the film.

It’s not hard to imagine Black and Rudd blacking out in Vegas, but Jake Gyllenhaal in the part ultimately played by Galifianakis? Not so much, although Gyllenhaal had been on the wish list for the first version of the character, which originally was a younger brother rather than an older one still living at home.

Bynes melts down on Twitter

Just a day after tweeting lingerie-clad selfies, former Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes posted an even louder cry for attention (and help?): topless photos of herself.

It’s not just the nudity that indicates a depressing rock bottomness to her downward spiral. It’s seeing her all alone in her bathroom, her tweaked-out expressions, her photo captions (“Rawr!”). Eek.

And just when you think it can’t get worse, Bynes goes off on actress and author Jenny McCarthy, who shared over Twitter that the police were at Bynes’ house and that hopefully the troubled 27-year-old would now get the help she needs.

“@JennyMcCarthy I need help? What are u talking about?” Bynes ranted. “Aren’t u 50 years old? I’m 27, u look 80 compared to me! Why are you talking about me?”

And: “@JennyMcCarthy you’re ugly! Police weren’t at my house old lady! Shut the f**k up!”

For once Bynes seemed somewhat aware of her mania, eventually removing the tweets and apologizing. ”You’re beautiful! I was lying!”

Lena Dunham’s expensive digs

It’s often hard to figure out how much of the real-life Lena Dunham makes it into the character she plays on her HBO series “Girls.” It’s certain, though, that Hannah Horvath would never have gone with a real estate agent to see the apartment Dunham checked out over the weekend.

The three-bedroom pad in the hip Williamsburg section of Brooklyn features twin walk-in closets, a giant living room-kitchen area and a 1,900-square-foot wrap-around terrace with views of the Manhattan skyline and the Williamsburg Bridge, according to the New York Daily News.

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