Crazy Celebrity Gossip

Did Aretha Franklin Die?

2010-12-27T22:37:00.000-08:00

The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin has died. That’s the news that’s topping Google Trends at this moment. Nothing is confirmed as yet.

Aretha underwent surgery for a mystery illness about a month ago. And rumor has it that she had pancreatic cancer. The National Enquirer reported recently that Aretha has incurable pancreatic cancer. The rag lists pancreatic survival rates at 5-10%, and even lower for someone of Franklin’s age and weight. Patrick Swayze died from the same form of cancer in September last year.

Fox 2 News quoted Franklin herself as saying she had “highly successful” surgery recently. “God is still in control. I had superb doctors and nurses whom were blessed by all the prayers of the city and the country,” she said.

Franklin canceled a number of concerts back in October citing “health reasons,” and in early November, she has cancelled all engagements for the next six months.

The death rumor could just be a hoax. We’ll keep you updated.

Our prayers go out to Aretha and in God we trust always.

Bobby Hebb dies at 72; writer and singer of '66 hit 'Sunny'

2010-08-04T08:20:00.001-07:00

Bobby Hebb, a musician and songwriter whose 1966 hit "Sunny" about a smiling girl became a pop music classic, died Tuesday of lung cancer at a Nashville hospital. He was 72.

"Sunny" was recorded by many other singers, including Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett, James Brown, Frank Sinatra and Jose Feliciano. Hebb's version reached No. 2 on the Billboard pop charts.

The song's key lines:

Sunny, yesterday my life was filled with rain.

Sunny, you smiled at me and really eased the pain.

The dark days are gone and the bright days are here.

My sunny one shines so sincere.

Sunny one so true, I love you.

Hebb had said in several interviews that he wrote "Sunny" in response to the slaying of his brother Harold outside a Nashville nightclub and to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy a few days before.

After a Japanese artist had a hit with the song in Asia and vibraphone player Dave Pike recorded it in the United States, Hebb recorded the vocals at Bell Sound in New York.

At the height of the song's popularity, Hebb toured with the Beatles in the United States.

In 1971, Lou Rawls won a Grammy award for "A Natural Man," written by Hebb and Sandy Baron.

As recently as 2007, Hebb was still writing songs and had his own publishing company and record label, Hebb Cats.

Hebb was born in 1938 to blind parents who were gospel-singing musicians. Raised in Nashville, Hebb became one of the first black musicians to perform on the Grand Ole Opry show in the 1950s. He also played spoons and danced with Roy Acuff's country band, the Smoky Mountain Boys.

In 1955 he joined the Navy and played trumpet in a military jazz band. He also played guitar, piano and percussion.

Survivors include a daughter and four sisters.

Rachel Zoe says she's 'better off' after firing Taylor Jacobson for allegedly stealing from her

2010-08-04T08:14:00.001-07:00

BY Cristina Everett
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

The drama that unfolded after the firing of celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe's sharp-tongued fashion assistant, Taylor Jacobson, finally came to light Tuesday night.

During the season premiere of "The Rachel Zoe Project," Jacobson was accused of swiping and never returning the company's high-priced designer merchandise.

Zoe's husband Roger, who now works for the company, discovered the mishap and handed the pink slip to Jacobson, who never makes an appearance on the episode.

"Not much shocks me in my life, but this is one of the things that has really shocked me the most in my life and my career, for sure," Zoe wrote on her Bravo blog, adding that she has not spoken to Jacobson since the incident occurred last November.

On the show, Zoe noticeably feels betrayed having built such a strong friendship with Jacobson over the past four years.

Despite the loss of a friend and employee, Zoe acknowledges that her company "is actually better off" without the disgruntled Jacobson, who was better known for her combative personality often aimed at co-worker Brad Goreski.

"We just have a really happy work environment, everyone works extremely hard and laughs all day," Zoe wrote in the blog. "There are no fights, there are no slamming doors, there is no negative energy anywhere, which is quite wonderful. It's almost like I forgot what it's like to have a work environment like that."

Ouch. Even though Jacobson is no longer an employee at Rachel Zoe, Inc., the bleached blond seems to continue being a thorn in Zoe's side throughout the season. Not only did Zoe learn that her reps took on Jacobson as a client, but a teaser clip hints that Jacobson got a chance to style an actress for the Golden Globes in January.

Due to a confidentiality agreement, Jacobson has kept her side of the story to herself. However, she did tell TVGuide.com that stealing the company's merchandise would not make sense.

"I will say this: I don't fit into sample sizes!" Jacobson told the Web site in July. "Where did that even come from? I'm not a size zero. I have 34-D boobs! Models are flat. I don't fit into samples. I don't understand. It's the weirdest thing to me. I'm fat."

Whatever the truth really is, Zoe said she believes that "everything happens for a reason."

"At the end of the day I do have an incredible husband that has always lived by the mantra, 'Karma is a bitch, and it always comes back around,'" writes Zoe. "And it has already and it will continue to do so."

The Bachelorette Finale: Who Did Ali Choose?

2010-08-03T06:38:00.000-07:00

After 10 rose ceremonies and the unexpected departure of two different suitors, Ali Fedotowsky's final choice was surprisingly easy for her: She avoided the customary dueling proposals and told Chris not to bother proposing, because she loved only Roberto.

Ali's all-or-nothing campaign seems to have worked: Roberto had the same feelings for her.

Host Chris Harrison previously hinted at the ending, telling TVGuide.com, "It's not your typical proposal day."

At least, not your typically Bachelorette proposal day, what with only one guy proposing and all. It was actually kind of... normal.

What do you think of Ali's surprising decision?

Kevin Jonas engaged to Jersey girlfriend Danielle Deleasa

2009-07-02T08:17:00.001-07:00

by Vicki Hyman/The Star-Ledger

Kevin Jonas is taking a Jersey girl as his bride. Though the Jonas Brothers, who are from Wyckoff, moved to a fancy new spread outside Dallas, he found love with Danielle Deleasa, a former hairdresser who hails from Denville, and showed up at her doorstep Wednesday morning with a proposal and a diamond ring Jonas designed himself, People reports.

"She said yes, yes, yes like 500 times super fast in a row," Jonas, 21, tells People.
Though Internet reports have said that Jonas and Deleasa, 22, were childhood friends, People says she met Jonas two years ago while both were vacationing in the Bahamas with their families.

Jonas had been performing Tuesday night in Vancouver and took a red-eye to the East Coast. "It was tough performing last night, knowing that I was going to ask the biggest question in my life to the most amazing girl in the world," he says. Younger brothers Joe (who is dating actress Camilla Belle) and Nick (who is reportedly back on with ex-girlfriend Miley Cyrus) congratulated their brother via Twitter: "Dani welcome to the family, we can't wait to have you join us on the road!"

Kevin Jonas and Deleasa have been rather low-key about their relationship, and she's made few, if any, red carpet appearances on his arm. We did dig up one photo of Deleasa in our archives -- she was photographed for a story on her school back in 2000 -- but posting a photo of someone from their middle-school years? We're not that devoid of morals.

Michael Jackson's will surfaces

2009-07-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

By Harriet Ryan

The posthumous affairs of Michael Jackson boiled down to two things Tuesday: His memorial service will draw a huge crowd and the settling of his estate will be complicated.

Beyond that was a storm of rumor, supposition and educated guess interrupted by snatches of information more intriguing than complete.

An entertainment attorney who had worked for Jackson produced a 7-year-old will that named him and a music executive as executors. Lawyers for Jackson's mother, who had asked a court for control of his affairs a day before, said they were evaluating the validity of the document.

Meanwhile, reports about funeral arrangements swirled, with a source close to family discussions telling The Times that one potential plan involved a memorial at Staples Center followed by a procession to Jackson's Neverland Ranch, where a more intimate service for family, friends and the music industry would occur.

Law enforcement agencies strategized, school officials near the ranch mulled traffic congestion and broadcast outlets, anticipating one of the largest media events in years, began talking about how to share helicopters, satellite coordinates, video feeds and other resources. There was just one thing missing: official information.

"We don't know the details of what any movement would be," said California Highway Patrol Sgt. Mark Garrett. "We've heard rumors just like the media and the public."

An attorney for Jackson's parents, Katherine and Joe Jackson, declined to comment on the funeral planning and said the couple's legal team was focused on evaluating the July 2002 will.

"I just saw the will for the first time this morning. We are in the process of reviewing it. We did not see it prior to the filing. We wish we had known about it earlier," said attorney L. Londell McMillan.

The document was produced by John Branca, a lawyer who began representing Jackson in 1980. Branca and Jackson parted ways in 2006 in a disagreement over other advisors, but on June 17 -- eight days before his death -- Jackson signed a letter once again retaining Branca as his lawyer, according to a source familiar with the relationship.

The source, like many connected to the Jackson case, spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the situation.

The 2002 will named Jackson's 79-year-old mother as guardian of his three children and ordered that all his assets be moved into an entity known as the Michael Jackson Family Trust, a source with knowledge of the will said. It appointed as executors Branca and John McClain, a founder of Interscope Records and an associate of Jackson since his youth, the source said.

McMillan declined to comment on a Wall Street Journal report that the will splits Jackson's assets among his mother, children and one or more charities. The lawyer said it was "a good thing" and "part of the process" for those who had worked with the performer to produce documents related to his estate.

"Mr. Jackson had a series of lawyers over time, and part of our challenge is to make contact with each and every one of those advisors to review their files," he said.

In an appearance on "Larry King Live," a probate attorney said Branca "may not have the full picture" of Jackson's estate planning.

"Things were in transition often in Michael's life," said lawyer Burt Levitch.

Katherine Jackson has temporary custody of Michael Jackson's two sons and his daughter and temporary control of his estate with limited powers, including the right to secure his tangible assets. In court filings requesting those powers Monday, her lawyers checked a box indicating that the singer died without a will, but they acknowledged elsewhere in the documents that they had heard of a will but not seen it.

"It was important for Mrs. Jackson to proactively take legal action and protect the well-being of the children and the personal property and belongings" of her son, McMillan said.

He said he represented Jackson in the 3 1/2 years leading up to his death. McMillan said the entertainer never told him that he had rehired Branca but, he said, "It's possible."

A statement issued Tuesday on behalf of Branca and Joel Katz, an Atlanta attorney who had been helping Jackson negotiate new record deals, said they "are now carrying out his wishes and desires as expressed in the last will and testament. It is their sincere desire that Michael's affairs be handled with dignity and respect."

Branca, whose clients include Santana and Aerosmith, advised Jackson on what is acknowledged as Jackson's smartest business decision: Buying half of the Beatles' catalog in 1985 for $47.5 million. The catalog, supplemented over the years by the work of many other artists, is estimated to be worth at least $1 billion.

In a May interview with The Times, Branca said he stopped working with Jackson because the entertainer brought into his inner circle "people who really didn't have his best interests at heart."

"The paradox is that Michael is one of the brightest and most talented people I've ever known," he added. "At the same time, he has made some of the worst choices in advisors in the history of music."

The other executor named in the will, McClain, worked with Michael Jackson, his sister Janet, and the Jackson 5 as well as with rappers Ice Cube and Dr. Dre. He is best known for his work at Interscope Records, where he was responsible for bringing the controversial yet lucrative gangsta rap label Death Row Records into its corporate fold.

An executor role would give Branca and McClain power to manage Jackson's finances while the court is settling his affairs, a process that could take years. Jackson, 50, died with more than $400 million in debt, but his assets -- including his musical catalog and his partial ownership of the Sony-ATV catalog -- outweigh his debts by hundreds of millions of dollars.

"That is going to be a very important responsibility considering the size of the debts and the projected size of the estate. . . . There is also going to be a responsibility during that time to monetize the assets. The judge is going to want to make sure a responsible person is admitted," said Lawrence Heller, a veteran L.A. probate attorney who has handled estate planning for Sammy Davis Jr. and other celebrities.

Times staff writers Chris Lee, Andrew Blankstein, Ari B. Bloomekatz, Ruben Vives and Raja Abdulrahim contributed to this report.

OK! Magazine Michael Jackson Cover Picture: Too Much?

2009-07-02T08:03:00.000-07:00

A photo of a dying Michael Jackson lying on a stretcher is the cover image on the latest edition of OK! Magazine, and is certain to elicit strong, mixed reactions.

The race is on to break the latest news on what may be the biggest celebrity gossip story ever, but do we really need to see "the last photos" of the pop icon?

OK! allegedly paid $500,000 for the cover picture you see below.

While covering Jackson's tragic death is unavoidable, would a tribute such as the commemorative covers released by Entertainment Weekly be more appropriate?

On the flip side, do you want to see all the details because you are interested in the story, even if the images of the dying Jackson happen to be upsetting?

What do you think of the picture on OK's "tribute" issue below? Is it disrespectful to Michael Jackson or are they just reporting the news?

Kim Kardashian Engagement Ring?!

2009-06-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

by Toshiba Reynolds

Hollywood's favorite famous-for-nothing socialite Kim Kardashian is apparently shopping for an engagement ring!

Kim Kardashian and NFL player Reggie Bush, who have been together for at least a year, have been pondering wedding nuptials for quite some time now - but are they finally tying the knot?

According to reports, Kim Kardashian bragged to E! Online over the weekend that she is finally shopping for an engagement ring but Reggie was nowhere in sight!

Kim explains why she's shopping for her ring: "It's just easier. Isn't it easy if someone's like, 'This is exactly what I want.' It'll make your life so easy."

Oh, and if you were looking forward to wedding photos down the road when the pair finally does marry, don't: "Reggie would rather die. He would rather not marry me. He's very private. We're complete opposites."

That's for sure.

Video: Eminem Rapping at 2009 MTV Movie Awards

2009-06-01T06:40:00.001-07:00

2009 MTV Movie Awards has just been wrapped and video footage showing Eminem's live performance has been found. In the clip, he is captured rapping a medley of hit singles "We Made You" and "Crack a Bottle".

Aside from the arrival of Eminem's live performance footage, a clip featuring Sacha Baron Cohen's alter ego in movie "Bruno" flying on a sling over audience seat and falling on Eminem's face has also been outed. The rapper and actor had a small fight before the Slim Shady got pissed off and walked out of the audience seat.

In regard of the hilarious scene, "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest tweeted, "First MTV person said real..another said unsure...I figure it was planned but em didn't know Sasha's bare moon was going to be in his face."

2009 MTV Movie Awards was held at Gibson Amphitheatre on Sunday, May 31 and hosted by "Saturday Night Live" regular Andy Samberg. Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart-starring film "Twilight" led its winners list with five kudos, one of which was for Best Movie title.

Beside having Eminem as a performer, the awards also tapped Kings of Leon to rock the event. This band delivered "Use Somebody", the single lifted from their 2008 studio album "Only by the Night". Additionally, "Britain's Got Talent" runner-up Susan Boyle was also planned to sing at the awards gala, but the idea reportedly was ruled out by the singing contest's bosses. "We tried to get her. I wanted her here, but they've got a pretty strict contract over there," Andy Samberg chimed in.

Eminem rapping "We Made You" and "Crack a Bottle":

Dom DeLuise, actor, comedian and chef, dies

2009-05-05T10:34:00.001-07:00

LOS ANGELES - Dom DeLuise, the portly actor-comedian whose affable nature made him a popular character actor for decades with movie and TV audiences as well as directors and fellow actors, has died. He was 75.

DeLuise died Monday night, son Michael DeLuise told KTLA-TV and radio station KNX on Tuesday. The comedian died in his sleep after a long illness. Calls to his agent were not immediately returned.

The actor, who loved to cook and eat almost as much as he enjoyed acting, also carved out a formidable second career later in life as a chef of fine cuisine. He authored two cookbooks and would appear often on morning TV shows to whip up his favorite recipes.

As an actor, he was incredibly prolific, appearing in scores of movies and TV shows, in Broadway plays and voicing characters for numerous cartoon shows.

Writer-director-actor Mel Brooks particularly admired DeLuise's talent for offbeat comedy and cast him in several of his films, including "The Twelve Chairs," "Blazing Saddles," "Silent Movie," "History of the World Part I" and "Robin Hood: Men in Tights." DeLuise was also the voice of Pizza the Hutt in Brooks' "Star Wars" parody, "Spaceballs."

The actor also appeared frequently in films opposite his friend Burt Reynolds. Among them, "The End," "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," 'Smokey and the Bandit II," "The Cannonball Run" and "Cannonball Run II."

Another actor-friend, Dean Martin, admired his comic abilities so much that he cast DeLuise as a regular on his 1960s comedy-variety show. In 1973, he starred in a situation comedy, "Lotsa Luck," but it proved to be short-lived.

Other TV credits included appearances on such shows as "The Munsters," "The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.," "Burke's Law," "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" and "Diagnosis Murder."

On Broadway, DeLuise appeared in Neil Simon's "Last of the Red Hot Lovers" and other plays.

Because of his passion for food, the actor battled obesity throughout much of his life, his weight reaching as much as 325 pounds at one point. For years, he resisted the efforts of family members and doctors who tried to put him on various diets. He finally agreed in 1993 when he needed hip replacement surgery and his doctor refused to perform it until he lost 100 pounds.

He and his family enrolled at the Duke University Diet and Fitness Center in Durham, N.C., and DeLuise lost enough weight for the surgery, although he gained some of it back afterward.

On the positive side, his love of food resulted in two successful cookbooks, 1988's "Eat This It Will Make You Feel Better!" and 1997's "Eat This Too! It'll Also Make You Feel Good."

At his Pacific Palisades home, DeLuise often prepared feasts for family and friends. One lunch began with turkey soup and ended with strawberry shortcake. In between, were platters of beef filet, chicken breast and sausage, a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs and a saucer of lettuce.

He strongly resembled the famed chef Paul Prudhomme and joked in a 1987 Associated Press interview that he had posed as Prudhomme while visiting his New Orleans restaurant, K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen.

DeLuise was appearing on Broadway in "Here's Love" in the early 1960s when Garry Moore saw him and hired him to play the magician "Dominick the Great" on "The Garry Moore Show."

His appearances on the hit comedy-variety program brought offers from Hollywood, and DeLuise first came to the attention of movie-goers in "Fail Safe," a drama starring Henry Fonda. He followed with a comedy, "The Glass Bottom Boat," starring Doris Day, and from then on he alternated between films and television.

"I was making $7,000 a week a lot of money back then but I didn't even know I was rich," he recalled in 1994. "I was just having such a great time."

He was born Dominick DeLuise in New York City on Aug. 1, 1933, to Italian immigrants. His father, who spoke only Italian, was a garbage collector, and those humble beginnings stayed with him throughout his life.

"My dad knows everything there is to know about garbage," one of the actor's sons, David DeLuise, told The Associated Press in 2008. "He loves to pick up a broken chair and fix it."

DeLuise's introduction to acting came at age 8 when he played the title role of Peter Rabbit in a school play. He went on to graduate from New York City's famed School of Performing Arts in Manhattan.

For five years, he sought work in theater or television with little luck. He finally decided to enroll at Tufts College and study biology, with the aim of becoming a teacher.

Acting called him back, however, and he found work at the Cleveland Playhouse, appearing in stage productions that ranged from comedies such as "Kiss Me Kate" to Shakespeare's "Hamlet."

"I worked two years solidly on plays and moving furniture and painting scenery and playing parts," he remarked in a 2006 interview. "It was quite an amazing learning place for me."

While working in summer stock in Provincetown, Mass., he met a beautiful young actress, Carol Arthur, and they were soon married.

The couple's three sons, Peter, Michael and David, all became actors and all appeared with their father in the 1990s TV series "SeaQuestDSV," in which Peter and Michael were regulars.

WARNING: Facebook Scam On the Loose,FBAction.net, Steals Passwords

2009-04-29T12:28:00.001-07:00

by Pete Cashmore

Facebook is falling prey to a widespread phishing attack today that tries to steal your login and spam your friends.

I’ve got a number of messages in my Facebook inbox with links to “FBAction.net”, a site that displays a fake Facebook login. Enter your details there, and it will spam all your friends with the same message and link. More worrying: you might get locked out of your account for a time until Facebook sorts out this mess.

There is no malicious payload with the attack, it seems: no virus is downloaded or any other nasties: it’s simply a huge nuisance for Facebook users.

As always, don’t enter your Facebook password if the URL is not Facebook.com, and contact Facebook if you’re no longer able to access your account.

Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick having twins

2009-04-29T09:54:00.001-07:00

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Sarah Jessica Parker is expecting twins this summer, but she's not pregnant.

Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker are expecting twins this summer.

The "Sex and the City" star and her husband of 12 years -- actor Matthew Broderick -- "are happily anticipating the birth of their twin daughters later this summer with the generous help of a surrogate," according to a statement issued by their publicists.

"The entire family is overjoyed," the statement said.

It did not say if the surrogate was the genetic mother of the twins or if embryos from Parker, 44, had been transferred to her.

The couple already has a 6-year-old son, James Wilkie, who was named after Broderick's father, actor James Broderick.

Lollapalooza 2009 lineup

2009-04-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO, Illinois --
The line-up for a revived 2009 Lollapalooza mega-concert tour has been announced. Depeche Mode, Tool, The Killers, a reunited Jane’s Addiction, Beastie Boys, and Kings of Leon will headline, joined by Lou Reed, Ben Harper and Relentless7, Thievery Corporation, Snoop Dogg, and Rise Against, who are all also slated to perform at Grant Park in Chicago for the summer musical festival August 7-9.
Festival founder and Jane’s Addiction front man Perry Farrell said he is thrilled to return to the Lollapalooza stage alongside friends old and new.
“The mighty Jane’s Addiction returns to Lolla after 18 years — meeting up with our pals The Beastie Boys and Depeche Mode, offering the best of the freshies The Killers and Kings of Leon, and paying honor to one of our greatest inspirations, Lou Reed,” Perry said in a statement released to Access Hollywood.
In addition to the headliners, the 2009 bill is bursting with a wide-array of musical flavors and Access On The Download picks like Chicago’s Andrew Bird, TV on the Radio, Vampire Weekend, The Decemberists, Neko Case, STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector Nine), Animal Collective, Band of Horses, Of Montreal, Arctic Monkeys, Coheed and Cambria, Ben Folds, Fleet Foxes, Silversun Pickups, Kaiser Chiefs, Bon Iver, Crystal Castles, Santogold, and many more.
This year’s line-up also features some of the most exciting break-out bands of 2009. Acts like Lykke Li, Passion Pit, Asher Roth, Friendly Fires, Gang Gang Dance, Bat For Lashes, Gaslight Anthem, Chairlift, The Airborne Toxic Event, The Virgins, Ida Maria, Glasvegas, and White Lies will rock Chicago.
Lollapalooza will also have a non-stop electronica stage.
“The electronica area is being constructed louder and clearer than ever,” Farrell said, “with a lineup that knows what to do with all that sub!”
A limited number of advance price three-day passes are now available for $190. When this allotment sells out, regular price three-day passes will be available for $205. Prices include all service fees. Three-day passes and VIP packages are available at www.lollapalooz

Lollapalooza organizers will reveal Tuesday the complete list of artists and bands scheduled to appear at the festival Aug. 7-9 in Grant Park.

Besides confirming headliners Depeche Mode, Tool, the Killers, Jane’s Addiction, Beastie Boys and Kings of Leon as reported last month in the Tribune, the festival also will announce sets by the following artists:

Lou Reed, Ben Harper, Thievery Corporation, Snoop Dogg, Rise Against, Andrew Bird, TV on the Radio, Vampire Weekend, the Decemberists, Neko Case. STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9), Animal Collective, Band of Horses, Of Montreal, Arctic Monkeys, Coheed and Cambria, Ben Folds and Fleet Foxes.

The rest of the lineup is as follows:

Silversun Pickups
Kaiser Chiefs
Crystal Castles
Bon Iver
Santigold
Atmosphere
Dan Auberbach
Cold War Kids
Deerhunter
Lykke Li
Robert Earl Keen
Peter Bjorn and John
Heartless Bastards
Gomez
Glasvegas
Federico Aubele
Dan Deacon
Passion Pit
The Raveonettes
The Gaslight Anthem
The Airborne Toxic Event
White Lies
Ra Ra Riot
No Age
Asher Roth
Los Campesinos!
Bat For Lashes
Chairlift
Gang Gang Dance
The Virgins
Amazing Baby
Portugal. The Man
The Knux
Ida Maria
Delta Spirit
Friendly Fires
Manchester Orchestra
Constantines
Ezra Furman & The Harpoons
Hockey
Miike Snow
Alberta Cross
Hey Champ
Sam Roberts Band
The Henry Clay People
Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam
Cage the Elephant
Living Things
The Low Anthem
Blind Pilot
Langhorne Slim
Other Lives
The Builders and The Butchers
Eric Church
Joe Pug
Kevin Devine
The Green Cards
Carney
Thenewno2

DJ sets etc. at Perry's Place
Bassnectar
MSTRKRFT
Simian Mobile Disco
DeadMau5
Boys Noise
KiD CuDi
Crookers
A-Trak
Hercules and Love Affair (DJ Set)
The Bloody Beetroots (DJ Set)
LA Riots
Kaskade
The Glitch Mob
Hollywood Holt
Rye Rye
He Say, She Say
Car Stereo (Wars)
Dark Wave Disco
Moneypenny
Yello Fever
Animal Collective (DJ Set)

Mel Gibson's Wife Files for Divorce After 28 Years of Marriage

2009-04-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

Mel Gibson 's wife Robyn has filed for divorce after 28 years of marriage.

In the papers -- signed Apr. 9 -- she cites "irreconcilable differences."

"Throughout our marriage and separation we have always strived to maintain the privacy and integrity of our family and will continue to do so," a rep for Gibson, 53, tells Usmagazine.com in a statement.

TMZ.com alleges that "there is no prenuptial agreement" based on source reporting. In 2006, Gibson's fortune was estimated at $900 million. Under California law, community property -- which includes earnings -- is divided 50/50.

See Hollywood's ugliest splits

Robyn -- who famously stood by Gibson during his highly publicized 2006 DUI arrest -- lists the date of separation as "to be determined," which TMZ points out is important because "earnings generally cease to be community property when the couple separates."

Robyn, who has seven children with Gibson, has requested spousal support and attorneys' fees.

She is also seeking joint physical and legal custody of their son, Tom, who turns 10 Tuesday. (Tom is their only child who is a minor.)

See Hollywood's longest relationships

Robyn has snapped up attorney Laura Wasser, who most recently represented Britney Spears in her split from Kevin Federline .

The couple has dogged split rumors for some time.

Gibson was recently photographed with a woman who did not appear to be his wife in Costa Rica on March 4.

See today's top celeb news photos

Asked at the time if he and Robyn had split, his rep had no comment.

"Mel is on family vacation with his entire family and their friends," a source told Us. "His sons are there with their girlfriends, his pregnant daughter is there - the whole family is there."

Life on Mars, "Life Is A Rock": The series ends badly

2009-04-02T08:22:00.001-07:00

I don't watch this show myself. But this is someone who does.

by Alan Sepinwall/The Star-Ledger

The "Life on Mars" series finale had a very frustrating explanation for the whereabouts of Sam Tyler

While I gave up on the American "Life on Mars" four or five episodes in, for the sake of completism -- and my fondness for the ending of the original series -- I checked out last night's series' finale, and... hoo-boy. Spoilers for both US and UK finales coming up just as soon as I shave my mustache...
So... where to begin? I guess with a quick recap of the UK finale for those who didn't see it, just to point out how strangely and awfully the US ending went wrong.

In the last episode of "Life on Mars" UK, Sam is caught in an ambush with the rest of Gene's team when he suddenly wakes up back in the present. He's told it was all some kind of elaborate coma fantasy, and sees that several figures from that fantasy (notably the Internal Affairs cop trying to bring down Gene) were based, "Wizard of Oz"-style, on people from the hospital. But after being back in his old life for a while, Sam discovers that he doesn't fit in, that he can't really feel anything, that he has no emotional connection to the 21st century anymore. And so -- as the full version of the Bowie song plays, just like it did in the pilot -- he goes up onto the roof of a tall building, jumps off, and...

...finds himself back in 1973, saving Gene, Ray and the others from the bad guys and committed to spending the rest of his existence in this weird place, not caring if it was a fantasy, or Purgatory, or something else entirely.

That is an ending. Whatever problems I may have had with the original show (which, like the remake, sometimes trended too closely to being an actual '70s cop show instead of a pastiche of one), I will always love it for that last episode.

I knew the American producers had a different take on the "mythology" of where/when their Sam was. I wasn't expecting a rehash of the original finale (though, based on the reaction this morning of several disgruntled "Life on Mars" USA fans whom I told about the old ending, they might have been better off copying it wholesale). But I also wasn't expecting anything as dumb and/or as insulting to the viewer as the ending we got.

The short version, if you didn't watch and are just curious how it ended: After a kidnapping case that sees Gene killing Sam's dad to save adult Sam's life, Sam more or less told his mom who he was, Annie (who figured out where Sam was in time to save him) got a promotion to detective, and Sam decided that he was sent back in time to meet and fall in love with Annie, and that he didn't care about ever going back to 2008, at which point he...

...finds himself several decades into our future, waking up from two years of hibernation on a NASA spaceship heading for Mars. He's not a cop from 2008 at all. That's just a fantasy cooked up by the ship's computer to keep his mind occupied during the travel (the astronaut version of Ray, sadly mustache-free, selected an elaborate island sex dream), and the trip back to 1973 was a glitch in the system. "Gene Hunt" is not the name of a person, but the mission they're on to find out if there was ever life on Mars, and Harvey Keitel is on board as Major Tom, astronaut Sam's dad.

Words fail me.

It's one thing to say that 1973 wasn't real, or even that the present-day material wasn't real (as the UK finale briefly suggested in a head-fake to the audience), but to say that neither was real? That none of what the viewer watched for these 17 episodes mattered? That it was all a very literal joke on the series' title?

Well, if I was someone who had actually ridden this particular train from beginning to end, sad that the ratings weren't strong enough to keep the show around, I would be furious about this. As it was, I was pretty mad that I stayed up after "Lost" just to watch it.

And the really maddening thing is that, until the idiotic, obnoxious twist ending, the finale was actually very good. I have to credit some of its power to the extensive use of Elton John's "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" -- like the original finale's use of Bowie on the rooftop, it gave scenes like Sam and Annie's kiss, or even Annie's unlikely promotion, some real weight. And the scene where we see Sam in the present-day, reading "Gulliver's Travels" to an old woman whom we assume to be his mom (as he promised her in 1973), but who turns out to be Annie, was lovely, even if it wound up mattering not at all in the grand scheme of things.

I'd like to think that this was a case of the writers being so frustrated with the cancellation that they were venting their anger at ABC with this stupid ending, but based on how early and often we saw the miniature Mars Rover, I have to assume this was their plan all along, which... wow. Just wow. Even the final shot, of 1973 Gene's leg preparing to step onto the Mars surface, seems less an attempt to give this silly explanation some ambiguity than it feels like someone's idea of a memorable closing image, meaning be damned.

I'm mad. How about you?

Heidi Montag Pregnant?

2009-04-01T18:47:00.000-07:00

Personally I think it is a bad April Fools joke. I had someone at my office pull the same prank on me this morning too. I was thinking myself that the baby probably wasn't his since they are the typical long distance relationship.

Is Heidi Montag pregnant... or is it just a bad April Fool's Day joke?
The Hills took to her Twitter on Wednesday afternoon for the big announcement.

"I wanted to tell my twitter friends first," she wrote. "I am pregnant!!!!!!!! I couldn't be more excited!!! I hope its a boy!"

The baby daddy — if she is expecting — presumably would be her longtime beau, Spencer Pratt. The duo staged a fake wedding — one conducted sans a proper marriage license — in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on Nov. 19. They are still legally unwed.

Do you think Heidi's expecting — or is it just a big gag? Weigh in below.

Mark Ballas Sports Dancing with the Stars Boner

2009-04-01T18:40:00.001-07:00

by Elizabeth Fairview

Mark Ballas is having an embarrassing moment. (ABC Images)
Where's Chris Hansen with To Catch a Predator when you need him? Poor 17-year-old Shawn Johnson, who last week, was almost nabbed by her stalker, is now dealing with another kind of weirdo - her own dance partner!

Mark Ballas and Shawn Johnson performed the lindy hop on Tuesday night’s Dancing with the Stars, however the Internets started to blow up with the news that Ballas was sporting more than just some jivin' moves. Now it could have been those flimsy, red cotton shorts, or a bad camera angle, but judge for yourself - TMZ has the video. Don't act like you're not impressed, people.

No ‘Light’ at the Tunnel’s End: CBS Cancels Long-Running Soap Guiding Light

2009-04-01T18:21:00.001-07:00

By BILL CARTER

CBS announced Wednesday the cancellation of the longest-running scripted program in broadcasting history, the soap opera “Guiding Light.”

The actors Kim Zimmer and Bradley Cole at work on a scene in “Guiding Light.” The CBS daytime drama, which began on radio in 1937, will end Sept. 18.

The show has been on radio and television for 72 years, beginning on NBC radio in 1937 and moving to CBS television in 1952.

The show’s run will end with an episode Sept. 18.

The move came after many years of steeply declining ratings for the hourlong soap, which is owned by Procter & Gamble and thus was a link to the earliest days of daytime serial dramas on radio. The shows were eventually called soap operas because soap companies sponsored them.

A spokeswoman for P.&G., Jeannie Tharrington, said the company would seek to place “Guiding Light” elsewhere. “We’re looking at all our options,” she said. “This show started as a 15-minute radio show, and then it was a half-hour television show, so it has adapted over the years.”

Ms. Tharrington said P.&G. would look to any possible outlet to continue the series. A canceled NBC soap, “Passions,” moved for a time to the satellite service DirecTV, but it failed there and is now gone.

None of the producers or stars of “Guiding Light” would grant an interview Wednesday about the decision. “The news is too fresh,” Ms. Tharrington said.

In an official statement, Ellen Wheeler, the executive producer, said, “It will be difficult for all of us at the show to say goodbye.”

The CBS president, Nancy Tellem, said, “It was not an easy decision to make, but we talked it over with our partners at Procter & Gamble, and we agreed it was time.” Ms. Tellem said she had not heard that P.&G. was looking to place the show elsewhere but said that CBS would wish the company well in that effort.

The biggest star in the show’s current cast is Kim Zimmer, a four-time Emmy winner for best actress in a daytime serial. Another star, Justin Deas, has won six Emmys for his acting. The show also provided breakthroughs for many well-known actors, including Kevin Bacon, James Earl Jones, Calista Flockhart, Allison Janney and Cicely Tyson. “Guiding Light” claims the distinction of being the first network soap to introduce regular African-American characters, in 1966.

CBS and the producers of “Guiding Light” — which is shot on the East Coast, in the CBS Broadcast Center in Manhattan and on location in Peapack, N.J. — had taken several steps in recent years to keep the series alive, especially in switching the production to a digital format.

That move, last year, included the introduction of hand-held digital cameras and permanent, four-wall sets as opposed to the traditional, constantly reconstructed three-wall sets built by soaps to accommodate bulky pedestal cameras. Rather than expensive lighting and sound equipment, the show also began using hand-held lights and microphones.

The changes resulted in a look vastly different from the traditional soap, with more camera movement, more muted lighting and much more use of outside locations. The moves saved considerable money, according to CBS executives.

But not enough to save the series. This year the audience for “Guiding Light” had declined to an average of just 2.1 million viewers an episode. Its pattern over recent years had been steadily downward. Last year it averaged about 2.4 million viewers an episode. Five years ago the average was about 3 million viewers.

“Guiding Light” also had the smallest audience of any of the remaining network daytime soaps and a smaller audience than many of the game and talk shows that also fill network daytime hours. The most-watched soap, “The Young and the Restless” on CBS, is averaging about 5.26 million viewers an episode. The network’s game show “The Price Is Right” has an average of about 4.95 million viewers. ABC’s talk show “The View” averages about 4.25 million viewers.

ABC’s top soap, “General Hospital,” averages about 2.97 million viewers, and NBC’s only soap, “Days of Our Lives,” has about 2.76 million, though those shows have much younger audiences, making them more desirable to many advertisers.

Ms. Tellem said that the hour devoted to “Guiding Light” — its scheduling has varied in different cities from 10 a.m. in New York to as late a 3 p.m. in some cities — will be retained by CBS. The network is likely to fill it with another game show or talk show, she said.

When “Guiding Light” ends, another CBS soap, “As the World Turns” — also shot in New York — will become the longest-running daytime serial drama. It started in 1956.

'American Idol': Top 9 perform

2009-03-31T19:14:00.001-07:00

On tonight's American Idol, it's an open kind of theme: The Top 9 can pick any song as long as it's a popular download on iTunes. Hmmm ... interesting. Now we'll see what they're really made of! Or something.

Anoop Desai is first, and he'll be singing "Caught Up" by Usher. It seems like a good idea in theory -- it's more upbeat, and more his style, I guess, but something about it doesn't quite work for me. I feel like he thinks his stage persona is a little stronger than it actually is, and that makes it a tad bit awkward. Vocally, it seems good, though some of the runs are a bit overdone. The audience is behind him 100 percent. Randy Jackson said he "picked up your swagger" and he thought the vocals were good, but the song choice was a little off, so he's torn. Kara DioGuardi says if you pick Usher, you have to do crazy riffs, and she says it feels like "a bunch of frat guys dared you to get up and sing Usher or something." Paula Abdul says he needs to work on his stage presence and "create some signature stabs with the band." Simon Cowell looks as perplexed as I am by that. He says, "It was a complete and utter mess. ... You came over as a wannabe. I didn't see any originality. ... It actually gave me a headache." Ryan gives him a chance to talk back, and that was probably not a good thing. He gets mouthy with Kara about how he wants to be an R&B artist and he disagrees with her. Special guest visitor, my mom, says, "It was boring, Anoop, and I like you." Word.

Megan Joy Corkrey plans to sing "Bob Marley/Lauryn Hill's 'Turn Your Lights Down Low.'" She says she's excited to sing something she absolutely looooooves. While this seems like it suits her voice better, it's just not working for me. I think she's out of her league. But it's way better than "Rockin' Robin"! Kara says, "I really like you, but I think you're in trouble. ... I want to hear Adele, 'Chasing Pavements' ... That part of your range was getting irritating." Paula says at this stage, she needs to "take us by surprise and dig deep to an area that might not be comfortable." Simon says the problem is that the song was boring, indulgent and monotonous and that everything they liked about her is disappearing. Randy says it was like watching paint dry, even though he loves the song. He calls out Amy Winehouse, Duffy, Adele as people whose songs she should be singing.

Danny Gokey is next. He's taking on "What Hurts the Most" by Rascal Flatts. It's clear he's chosen the song for the meaning of its lyrics, but he's having trouble vocally. He's uncharacteristically shrieky at times. Paula says she would hit repeat in her car. Simon says they weren't on the same page last week, but this, he believes was his best performance of the competition. Really? Randy says tonight's show starts right here. Kara says he moved everyone emotionally and that she had some goosebumps. (I believe Simon asks her, "Where?" Classy.) Guest mom is with the judges, so maybe I'm just out of sorts tonight?

Allison Iraheta is busting out the guitar for No Doubt's "Don't Speak," which she says she "grew up listening to." Oh, yes, she is so young. For the first part of the performance, she plays guitar and sings it quietly, and she rocks every second of it. The second part is a little rough, but still good. Randy says she got a little ahead of the beat and talks about the performance, "but, dude, what are you wearing?" Kara says the rock comes out of her no matter what's she's wearing, so she doesn't have to "put all that on yourself." She closes saying it was a good performance, but not her best. Paula is glad to see her guitar and that she has great vocal prowess. Simon says they can't ignore the outfit because it made her seem like a precocious daughter trying to dress and act like a rock star, which overpowered part of the performance. He adds that she shouted the song, but the other judges aren't with him on that.

Scott MacIntyre is going to sing Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are." So I really think Scott is out of his league here, too, though he has some decent moments with the song. But overall, not fab. Kara says he made some smart decisions by picking that song, stripping it down and just singing it from an honest place. She also loves his look, including his big hair. Paula says she is most proud of Scott, "and it has nothing to do with your challenge." She says it was a risk without the orchestra, but it paid off. Simon says this was his best performance so far "by a country mile." Randy calls him one of the best of the night.

Matt Giraud is going to sing The Fray's "You Found Me," the most current song we've heard on Idol in a long time. He's on the keyboard off to the side surrounded (like really close) by audience members who, by the way, can't figure out which beat to clap on. He mixes the song up a little so note-wise it doesn't sound exactly like The Fray, but somehow, his enunciation sounds very, very similar to the original, which is a strange choice. Paula says she appreciates the contemporary choice, but he didn't riff or use his falsetto enough. She says it was a soundalike to the singer. (Hey, I agree with Paula for once.) Simon says he should be happy they don't like him this week since that usually means he's safe. He says it felt put on, especially "the gravel in your voice." He says he should have chosen a great song and done what he did best, it would have worked. Randy says it isn't "you. ... You aren't a rock kind of singer." Kara says he's going back and forth between the rock and R&B sides of pop, and they are confused about what kind of record he would make. That said, she says, he doesn't deserve to go home. Guest mom says she thought he sounded like the lead singer of The Fray, but he still sounded pretty good.

Lil Rounds says she had a hard time picking this week because she's gotten dinged over and over again on song choice. So she's going to sing Celine Dion's "I Surrender." WHAT? The judges want her to be like Mary J. or something, so I think they are going to slaughter her for this choice. The fact that she's off-pitch for part of the song doesn't really help. Big song, but not the right song. Randy says this wouldn't have been his choice for her, but he thinks she did well with it. Kara says she was surprised, too, that Lil was better than she expected when she heard the song choice. Paula says she doesn't want to see an adult contemporary Lil Rounds. Simon says this was her singing to stay in the competition with a safe song, too soft. Ryan asks one of Lil's daughters what she thought about Randy being mean, and she doesn't know what to say. Her other daughter volunteers to go over to him, and she gives him a giant hug. Awwww.

Adam Lambert is next with Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music," which he intends to make current. Hmm. OK. He slows it down some, including the first part of the chorus, and then goes back to regular speed for the rest of the chorus, and he brings back his shriek-rock vibe a few times (Note: Not a plus, as far as I'm concerned, regardless of how technically proficient he might be). The audience goes bananas. Paula says true genius shatters expectations and then she compares him to Mick Jagger and Steven Tyler. Simon says it got rid of some of the karaoke nonsense from earlier in the day. Randy says he was afraid it would be corny, but he is "definitely in the star zone." Adam thanks Ricky Minor and the band for the arrangement. Kara says she can't wait to see what he's going to next every week.

You know, without all that mentor footage, the show goes a lot faster. More than half an hour faster, even. I wish it was always an hour and 25 minutes. Sigh.

Kris Allen says he likes to make old songs current, and he's going to try to do that this week with "Ain't No Sunshine." He says he's trying to create "one of those moments." Also, he's playing piano instead of guitar this week, and he's accompanied by a string section. He does, I have to say, a great job with the song. We'll see what the judges say about his taking on an iconic song. Randy says he's loving him. Kara says she has three words for him: "That is artistry." Paula says he made a 30-year-old song sound new and it was his best performance so far. Simon says it was a good, clever arrangement and agrees it was his best.

By Sarah Kickler Kelber

Did keyshia cole mother die...NO

2009-03-31T18:34:00.001-07:00

There is a bad rumor that Keyshia Cole’s mother died in a car accident. You know that’s not true.

About 4,000 people came out to see Gucci Maine in South Carolina

Valerie Bertinelli in a bikini? Trust us Work Safe

2009-03-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

Hmm. I have to agree with the article, but at the same time it doesn't stop me from enjoying the view for a few minutes. I hope I can be that good looking at that age. Even if I have to airbrush it myself a little bit.

We want Valerie Bertinelli's People magazine airbrush artist! And her dietician and personal trainer, of course.

In the new issue of People, she details how she lost 50 pounds and got herself back in bikini shape at age 48.

She admits: "I can't believe I did it!"

Neither can we, honey.

Valerie looks about 18 in this photo. Eat your heart out, Eddie Van Halen.

Iliza Shlesinger, Winner of Last Comic Standing, On Howard Stern Show 3/25/09

2009-03-25T11:10:00.001-07:00

Very rarely is a interview with Howard Stern dull. Especially when you have a comedian come on to the show. I watched the show last season and was going for her just because she was hot. Sure call me shallow, when you knew you were doing the same thing. If you were one of the ones who actually watch the show.

Iliza Shlesinger, the first female and also the youngest winner of the NBC show Last Comic Standing was on Howard Stern this morning. Although the interview was a little dull, it's nice to see Stern supporting up-and-coming comics.

Iliza Shlesinger was on the show to plug the Last Comic Standing Tour, which she's in the middle of right now. Schlesinger tried hard not to bash the other finalists on the show, but she did tell Stern that the three guys joining her on the tour refuse to talk to her. She says they're mad and resentful that she won the contest and the $250,000 prize money.

If you've never seen the show, Last Comic Standing is like American Idol for comics. A bunch of judges travel the country looking for the next break-out stand-up comedian. Once the herd is narrowed down to 12, the comics have to live together in a house and perform in front of live L.A. audiences. The audiences then get to vote to decide who's the funniest comic.

Howard tried hard to get some good gossip out of Iliza, but she really didn't have a whole lot to say. Although very pretty, she says she's a regular girl and doesn't dress-up or put on a show in an effort to get a guy. She says most guys avoid her because she's a sarcastic wise-ass and they're scared of becoming a part of her act. Hmmmm. Maybe she can't get a guy because off stage she's a big yawn fest?

Matt Lauer Has Accident with Deer

2009-03-23T07:10:00.000-07:00

Where in the world was Matt Lauer on Monday? Not on the Today show, due to a weekend incident as he was riding his bicycle, according to his NBC cohort Meredith Vieira.

Lauer encountered a deer while he was on the road, said Vieria, who wasn't quite clear about whether or not Lauer and the animal smacked into one another. She seemed to doubt it.

Lauer, she informed viewers, "thinks the deer was hired by the competition." Not true, Vieira insisted. "I hired the deer, but I said, 'Just graze him.' "
– Stephen M. Silverman

TMZ Says It Has Photo of Bruised, Battered Rihanna

2009-02-20T06:53:00.000-08:00

A purported photo of Rihanna following her alleged assault, and a photo of the pop singer in 2007.

The LAPD launched an internal investigation Thursday into the release of a domestic violence photograph that appears to be pop singer Rihanna after she was allegedly attacked by Chris Brown earlier this month.

TMZ.com posted the photo of a battered woman's face late Thursday, saying the photo was indeed Rihanna, 20, whose real name is Robyn Fenty.

Rumors have been swirling for more than a week that her boyfriend, 19-year-old singer Chris Brown, had struck her during an argument that took place Feb. 8. The release of the photo comes just days after Brown said much of what has been reported of the incident is untrue.

In a statement, the LAPD said it takes "seriously its duty to maintain the confidentiality of victims of domestic violence.

"The department launched an immediate internal investigation and subsequently filed a personnel complaint. A violation of this type is considerd serious misconduct, with penalties up to and including termination."

Click here to see the photo at TMZ.

Jim Moret of "Inside Edition" told FOX News' Greta van Susteren that there's no way of telling whether the photo is legitimate, other than taking TMZ's word.

"A photo was released a few days ago and it was later revealed it was Photoshop-ed," Moret said.

TMZ told FOXNews.com Friday that is was against company policy to disclose how the photo was obtained.

Brown surrendered to Los Angeles police on Feb. 8 and was released on $50,000 bail after being booked for investigation of making a criminal threat, a felony. He has not been charged by the district attorney's office, which is still investigating the case.

His arrest reportedly stemmed from an argument with Rihanna, shortly after they left a pre-Grammy Awards party. Both were nominated for Grammys and were scheduled to appear at the Feb. 8 awards show but canceled at the last minute. Brown surrendered to authorities just as the show was getting under way.

According to police, Brown and an unidentified woman began arguing as they were traveling in a car shortly after the Feb. 7 party. The fight escalated after they got out of the car, and Brown had left by the time officers arrived.

"Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired. I am seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones and I am committed, with God's help, to emerging a better person," Brown said in a statement issued through publicist Michael Sitrick.

FOXNews.com's Allison McGevna contributed to this report.

Donald Trump bankruptcy

2009-02-17T10:01:00.000-08:00

This is really nothing new. It is not the first time he has declared bankruptcy. This is supposed to be the 3rd time alone just for the casino group.

By Ryan Tate

Donald Trump's casino group is expected to file for bankruptcy, the Wall Street Journal said, less than two weeks before the new Celebrity Apprentice starts. This is among Trump's most embarrassing failures.

And that's saying a lot.

Trump is no stranger to bankruptcy. Tuesday's expected Chapter 11 filing will be the third time the casino group — just that one Trump division, among several — has gone bankrupt. But this time is especially humiliating because this is the same company that went bankrupt in November 2004, in the midst of the fourth season of The Apprentice, the reality show in which Trump "fires" people who don't meet his business standards of constant failure and mammoth debt accumulation.

It is also the same company that was purportedly turned around by the besuited loudmouth and his partners by 2005, near the height of the Apprentice juggernaut, when it victoriously emerged from bankruptcy, for the second time.

Then late last year the company put off paying interest on its bonds, and earlier this year missed a $53 million payment, according to the Journal. Trump claims he wants to fix everything and offered to buy the company, but the bondholders are expected to seek involuntary bankruptcy, so he and Ivanka resigned the board.

In response to the bankruptcy, fellow upward failer and NBC entertainment bigwig Ben Silverman, who did a "tremendous job" by signing Trump for a second Celebrity Apprentice season, is expected to go skiing, then ask Jay Leno to move his show to 9 pm.

American idol bikini girl Katrina Darrell

2009-01-14T06:22:00.000-08:00

And I missed the episode too. Oh well at least I can look up pictures up on the internet like everyone else is this morning. I quit watching because it is the same old thing every year.

by Mitch Marconi

American idol bikini girl Katrina Darrell has become the latest viral hit of American idol season Number 8.

Katrina Darrell wore as little as she was legally able to American Idol auditions in Phoenix, Arizona and it appears that the 20-year-old model from Chino Hills, California is on her way to Hollywood.

Darrell takes the stage and sings "Vision of Love" wearing high heels and a string bikini.

After judges Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell voted yes, new judge Kara DioGuardi put her foot down, sung a few bars herself to show how the song should have been handled.

Yet the sassy Darrell made it through to the next round.

Leading up to Tuesday night's premiere of "American Idol," the stage was set for big changes: co-creator Nigel Lithgoe was out, a new fourth judge was in, and producers promised fewer bad auditions and more "reality."

It ended up being the same old same old.

Elvis' Birthday Celebrated in Graceland and Around the World

2009-01-08T09:51:00.000-08:00

Elvis B-day is here again. I expect their will be a lot of great movies on tonight if you have cable. They might even bring some to Basic if you are lucky. I am not as big of a fan of Elvis to go all the way to Graceland, but then again I wasn't around during Elvis time.

by Robert Dougherty

Elvis Presley fans celebrate the milestones of the King's life like clockwork. Graceland is fuller than usual on certain anniversaries, like last year when the 30th anniversary of Elvis's death was commemorated. Today, Elvis Presley fans celebrate a less morbid milestone, of the day when it all bega

Elvis Presley's birthday will be celebrated today by Elvis fans, many of which are in Graceland already. The 74th birthday celebration should be a mere prelude to the bigger milestone of his 75th birthday in 2010.

Nevertheless, Elvis birthday tributes will be taking place all over, especially in Graceland. Elvis's birthday has already been celebrated with a few days worth of events, with a few more to come the rest of the week.

For Elvis's actual birthday today, Graceland will have gospel tributes, Elvis-style renditions of Happy Birthday, a special ceremony hosted by Priscilla Presley, birthday toy beat scavenger hunts, and more.

The Elvis birthday tributes continue on at Graceland up to Sunday, January 11. Countless other Elvis fans will likely have their own tributes set up in the rest of the country.

The Elvis birthday bashes are taking place as the Elvis industry in general continues to thrive, even during the recession. Elvis continues to be the number 1 earner among dead celebrities, according to Forbes Magazine. Presley's song "If I Can Dream" will even be used as part of Barack Obama's inaugural ceremony.

Graceland continues to see a steady supply of tourists, with attendance only down in 2008 because 2007 was the anniversary year of Elvis's death. Graceland will undergo more developments and improvements in the years to come.

The anniversary of Elvis's birthday is more joyous to celebrate than his death, one would imagine. His first birthday on January 8, 1934 is when the whole Elvis phenomenon technically kicked off, after all.

The anniversary of his death, on August 16, is a bit more mournful, especially considering what Presley had become by then. But it may not be so sad for those who are in the "Elvis is still alive" camp.

Still, Elvis's birthday is another occasion to celebrate the King's life, especially when it was facing happier times.

Sources

Elvis.com- "The Elvis Presley Birthday Celebration" www.elvis.com/graceland/calendar/elvis_birthday.asp

UPI.com- "Elvis business good, despite economy"

Alyssa Milano to marry David Bugliari

2009-01-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

Well there goes my chance to get with Alyssa. For now anyways we all know how celebrity marriages work.I am just biding my time now. Just kidding. Hopefully it lasts. Congrats to the happy couple.

Alyssa Milano's publicist says the U.S. television actress is engaged to marry Creative Artists Agency agent David Bugliari.

The actress' representative told Usmagazine.com the couple got engaged Dec. 18 after dating for more than a year.

A wedding date hasn't been announced yet.

Milano is best known for her roles on the TV shows "Who's the Boss?" and "Charmed."

Craig Ferguson Married

2009-01-06T07:47:00.000-08:00

I don't know much about Craig Ferguson myself, but this person does.

My favorite Scotsman turned American comedian has gotten married. Oh the heartbreak! See pictures of HER an a video below.

Craig Ferguson and Megan Wallace-Cunningham

Craig Ferguson announced on his show tonight that he married his long time girlfriend Megan Wallace-Cunningham. That, of course, begs the question of what she’ll be called. Is she now Megan Wallace-Cunningham-Ferguson? In the show tonight, Ferguson suggested they be called ‘Cragan’ as in ‘Brangelina’.

She’s an art dealer from Vermont and the two have apparently been dating since 2005. They got married at her parents farm in Vermont.

Seriously, Best Wishes.

Source: http://military.rightpundits.com/2009/01/06/craig-ferguson-married/

Are Holly Madison & Criss Angel getting Married?

2009-01-05T12:12:00.000-08:00

Well that didn't take long. I wonder though if this is one of Holly's tricks to have Hef come in and swoop her away and marry her. You know how some woman are. You know you could see that happening. Why else would her and Angel get married so soon after leaving the dinosaur.

By Marc Malkin

Will there be a double wedding at the Playboy Mansion this summer?

Just three days after Girls Next Door star Kendra Wilkinson announced that she and Hank Baskett will get hitched at Hugh Hefner's famed estate on June 27, fellow costar Holly Madison was spotted looking at rings in Las Vegas with her Mindfreak boyfriend, Criss Angel

An eyewitness tells me Madison and Angel hit Berger & Son Fine Jewelers in the Fashion Show mall at about 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

"They were looking at one ring and Criss said, 'Would you marry me?' " our spy reports. "Holly didn't say anything. She just looked at him."

But then the couple saw that a crowd was beginning to form in front of the store, so they quickly took off.

"Criss handed the ring back to the sales guy and said, 'Thanks,' " the spy said.

Reps for Madison and Angel say we shouldn't go looking for their wedding registry just yet. "Criss bought Holly a ring for her birthday," Madison's rep said. "It's a flower ring."

Darn it! We were hoping to see Hef walking both Wilkinson and Madison down the aisle at the same time.

Meanwhile, I'm told Madison and Angel's families met for the first time last week when they celebrated Christmas together in Vegas.

Sam Shepard arrested for DUI

2009-01-05T07:11:00.001-08:00

Another Celeb behind bars. This time for DUI. Ever notice how people are arrested early in the morning everytime? Shepard should of known better. Nothing good happens after 2 in the morning.

Sam Shepard was arrested for drunken driving in central Illinois early Saturday morning. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author, playwright and actor was pulled over for speeding and allegedly driving drunk on North Main Street in Normal, Ill., WMBD/WBYZZ reported. He had been at the bar Fat Jacks in downtown Bloomington before making his way back to his hotel. Shepard’s blood-alcohol level was reportedly twice the legal limit. He said he was passing through the Twin Cities while on his way home to Kentucky. Shepard posted bond and was released Sunday.

John Travolta's 16-year-old son "Jett Travolta" dies in Bahamas

2009-01-02T19:30:00.000-08:00

You always hate to hear when something like this happens to anybody. Our condolences to the Travolta Family.

NASSAU, Bahamas - John Travolta's teenage son, Jett, died in the Bahamas after falling ill and hitting his head at his family's vacation home, police said Friday. A house caretaker found Jett, 16, unconscious in a bathroom late Friday morning. He was taken by ambulance to a Freeport hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to a statement from chief police superintendent Basil Rahming.

The teenager had last been seen going into the bathroom on Thursday and had a history of seizures, according to the statement. Police said they are planning an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Another police spokeswoman, Loretta Mackey, said Jett apparently hit his head on the bathtub.

A spokeswoman for Rand Memorial Hospital in Freeport said she could not release any information because of privacy concerns.

Jett was the oldest child of Travolta and his wife, actress Kelly Preston, who also have an 8-year-old daughter. The family arrived on a private plane Tuesday and had been vacationing at their home in the Old Bahama Bay resort community.

"The Travolta family has become like family to us at Old Bahama Bay and we extend our deepest sympathies to them," said Robert Gidel, president of Ginn Resorts, the property's owner.

Norad Santa Tracker - Track Santa From Home

2008-12-24T07:29:00.001-08:00

Me and my family will be tracking Santa all day today using the Norad Santa Tracking system they have set up on Santa now.

The military personnel charged with being the eyes in the sky are certainly acting like he does — and they've been joined on the Internet by millions of believers.

Even doubters have reason to pause when they hear the North American Aerospace Defense Command — or NORAD, which monitors air and space threats against the U.S. and Canada — is in charge of the annual Christmas mission to keep children informed of Santa's worldwide journey to their homes.

"They challenge it, but only to a point," said Senior Master Sgt. Sharon Ryder-Platts, 49, who for five years has been a Santa tracker, taking calls from those wanting to know the location of jolly old St. Nick.

According to NORAD, Santa began his latest flight early Wednesday at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean. Historically, Santa visits the South Pacific first, then New Zealand and Australia. NORAD points out that only Santa knows his route.

Last year, NORAD's Santa tracking center answered 94,000 calls and responded to 10,000 e-mails. About 10.6 million visitors went to the Web site, which can be viewed in English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Japanese and Chinese.

NORAD's holiday tradition can by traced to 1955, when a Colorado Springs newspaper printed a Sears, Roebuck & Co. ad telling children of a phone number to talk to Santa. The number was one digit off, and the first child to get through reached the Continental Air Defense Command, NORAD's predecessor.

Col. Harry W. Shoup answered.

Shoup's daughter, Terri Van Keuren, said her dad, now 91, was surprised to hear that the little voice on the other end thought he was Santa.

"Dad thought, `What the heck? This must be some kind of code,'" said Van Keuren, 59.

Shoup, described by his daughter as "just a nut about Christmas," didn't want to break the boy's heart, so he sounded a booming "Ho, ho, ho!" and pretended to be Santa Claus.

Enough calls followed that Shoup assigned an officer to answer them while the problem was fixed. But Shoup and the staff he was directing to "locate" Santa on radar ended up embracing the idea. NORAD picked up the tradition when it was formed 50 years ago.

"If we didn't do it, truly I don't know who else would track Santa," Maj. Stacia Reddish said.

The task that began with no computers and only a 60-by-80-foot glass map of North America now includes two big screens on a wall showing the world and information on each country Santa Claus visits. It took off with the Web site's 1997 launch, Reddish said.

Now, curious youngsters can follow Santa's path online with a Google two-dimensional map or in 3D using Google Earth, where he can be seen flying through different landscapes in his sleigh.

NORAD officials are hesitant to list all the potential sites Santa will visit with certainty.

"Historically, Santa has loved the Great Wall of China. He loves the (Space) Needle in Seattle. He of course loves the Eiffel Tower," Reddish said. "But his path is completely unpredictable, so we won't know."

Ryder-Platts, 49, who has a 17-year-old son, said taking calls from children helps her keep her Christmas spirit.

"For someone like myself, my son is older, you know it just keeps you in touch with the spirit of Santa Claus," she said. "I miss out on that at home so this keeps me close to Santa. I believe! It keeps me in touch with other believers."

On the Net:

http://www.noradsanta.org

Movie - Seven Pounds

2008-12-19T07:34:00.001-08:00

I as well as most people have no idea what Seven Pounds is about. I did some researching and this is what I found. Apparently though the studio that made the film is not even saying much. It is a bold move to try and get movie goers to see this movie. Myself will not go see it since I have no idea what it is about.

The ideal exchange rate for the dollar? The weight of Will Smith's soul? Seven Pounds, the title of this drama (which the studio refuses to explain), is as mysterious as the early trailers, which skirt around what the hero (Smith) is running from, and to. But Muccino says that's intentional: ''The [audience] will not know exactly what this man is up to.'' Muccino, who directed Smith in 2006's The Pursuit of Happyness, confirms a few details: Smith plays an IRS agent who tries to redeem an unforgivable mistake he made in the past by helping seven people. We know neither the mistake nor the reason these particular people are chosen, but his plan changes when he falls for an ailing woman (Dawson). Dawson, for her part, admits she got 50 pages into the script and wondered, ''What the hell is happening?'' but insists the ending is worth all the fuss. ''When they sell you your ticket, they should give you a box of hankies, because no matter how macho you [are], you're gonna be crying.''

Taylor Swift Wants Chace Crawford! New Crush!

2008-12-18T14:54:00.001-08:00

Forget Joe Jonas. Taylor Swift has her mind set on someone else!

When asked in the new issue of Your Prom magazine who her "celeb dream date" is, the 19-year-old country crooner reveals it's Gossip Girl hottie Chace Crawford, 23.

But Crawford, beware!

Swift admits to mixing business with pleasure. "I like to write about boys and relationships," Swift told writer Antonia Van Der Meer. "I write songs about the things that happen to me, because it helps me figure them out. Writing songs is like breathing for me."

Swift also dished about kissing. "I was 15 and the oldest out of all my friends to have not kissed a guy," Swift admitted about her first smooch.

Perhaps a Swift-Crawford kiss can happen sometime. It's not like Crawford doesn't know a thing or two about country singers. Not only did he grow up in Texas, but he and Carrie Underwood dated for about eight months before breaking up in March.

—Additional reporting by Dahvi Shira

Jeremy Piven Exits Broadway Play After Health Scare

2008-12-18T09:21:00.000-08:00

I wonder if this was a cop out because he was tired of doing the show and wanted to do something else and didn't want to look bad. I have seen that a bunch of times and their PR reps always come out with this thing about how they have some rare disease and thats why they had to quit working their current job. But less than 2 months later they will be in the news for something else and everyone forgets about them having some medical issue.

NEW YORK, New York -- Jeremy Piven is ending his run in Broadway's "Speed-the-Plow," due to a condition caused by a high mercury count, according to Variety.

The "Entourage" star missed a Tuesday evening performance and a Wednesday matinee due to his high mercury count health concerns, but David Mamet, the playwright of "Speed-the-Plow," appears skeptical of the actor's exit.

"I talked to Jeremy on the phone, and he told me that he discovered that he had a very high level of mercury," Mamet told the entertainment trade mag. "So my understanding is that he is leaving show business to pursue a career as a thermometer."

But, the show will go on said Mamet.

"The good news is that some really great actors will be helping out and stepping in, which to me is a sign of great heroism and friendship," the playwright added, but declined to name who would be stepping for Piven.

A rep for Piven told Variety that the actor wanted to continue his Broadway stint, but was advised by a team of doctors to end his run immediately.

Piven is best known for his role on "Entourage," playing manic Hollywood agent Ari Gold.

Piven has been nominated for a Golden Globe and two SAG Awards for his role on the HBO comedy.

Eddie Murphy as the Riddler?

2008-12-18T06:21:00.000-08:00

I don't know about this myself. I think it is alittle bit of a stretch. Chris Nolan's Batman is a bit darker than what most people know him as. I think the Riddler is a bad villian choice for a serious movie. It was the Riddler who started to kill the last Batman. That and Val Kilmer. We will see. Hopefully Johnny Depp will get the role though. I would think he would be a better fit for this type of Movie role. I have been wrong in the past though.

British tabloid The Sun reports that Eddie Murphy is a candidate to play the Riddler in Christopher Nolan's follow-up to The Dark Knight (due in 2010). The rumor, now added to the one that has Johnny Depp in the role, is unconfirmed by everyone other than The Sun, which is not the most reliable source for movie news. Nevertheless, it's fun to think about casting for Nolan's next Batman movie. I think Murphy could pull it off -- he's certainly proven he can play outlandish characters. That said, I also worry that he would be too silly for the dark tale and be more of a distraction than an asset. Between him and Depp, I'd prefer to see the question mark on Depp, who's proven he can play just about any character.

The Sun also floats the rumor that Rachael Weisz is playing Catwoman, which I much prefer to the rumor that has 62-year-old Cher in the role, though I am somewhat intrigued by the reports that Nolan is considering Angelina Jolie for the cat suit (though that may simply have grown out of a random suggestion posted on an LA Times blog last summer). Finally, the Sun has Shia LaBeouf as Robin, and while we're at it, there's also a rumor out there that Philip Seymour Hoffman may play the Penguin.

Thoughts on these rumors, PopWatchers? Who's your dream Riddler? What about Robin and Catwoman? Do you even believe that these are in fact the characters being used in Nolan's next installment?

Dita Von Teese Does Playboy Magazine December 2008

2008-12-17T18:46:00.000-08:00

When I first saw this I thought cool it is going to be on my next issue. But then reading further I will not be getting this playboy edition because it is in the German edition.

Dita Von Teese posed for Playboy magazine for its German edition December 2008 issue but you don’t need to be on the continent to see the snaps.

The Burlesque star has posed in nothing but stockings and suspenders for the classy magazine. The magazine describes her as “Naked and unapproachable - not an artist sees it as well, men’s head to twist: From Teese Dita is a goddess in human form.” You could see her pictures in the Playboy website.
The magazine also indicates: “Their facial features so fine and exceptionally as a porcelain doll, fascinated by the men and fashion world. Dita is working hard for their dream run as a model for Jean-Paul Gaultier. And adorns the front pages of many magazines. her story continues. Recently she is the new muse for Cointreau and meanwhile even designed their own underwear collection. Wonderbra by Dita - of course, in the style of the 40s era. What else”
The 36-year-old stunner also posed wearing ill-fitting corset as she lies seductively on a leather sofa. Perhaps she isn’t letting the onset of age slow her down – and, on this blistering form.

'Biggest Loser': Victory for Michelle, death threats for Vicky

2008-12-17T08:58:00.000-08:00

I have never really watch Biggest Loser. I think it is great what they are doing though. Hopefully everyone who takes part in the show is able to keep the weight off though as soon as they go back to real life. I myself am trying to gain weight. I have been underweight my entire life. And after talking with other people I have this to say. It is harder to gain weight, the right kind of weight, than it is to lose weight. Everyone is different though.

Good triumphed over....Vicky. And Heba.

Michelle won $250,000 and the title of "The Biggest Loser" tonight, overcoming a childhood traumatized by divorce and, perhaps more importantly, beating out two fellow competitors who were seen as two of the most conniving and unappealing contestants in the show's history.

"I earned it," said Michelle, who joined the show as a duo alongside her mother, Renee, and immediately became a fan favorite both because of her doggedness in the gym and her kind, forgiving demeanor. Michelle had been estranged from her mother for years after her parents' divorce. America had a front-row seat as the two repaired their relationship and lost a combined 216 pounds.

Michelle alone lost 110 pounds, or an astonishing 45.45% of her body weight, to win the game and become only the second woman to win "The Biggest Loser" title.

For fans of the show, though, Michelle's victory was all the more sweet because it came at the expense of Vicky and Heba....

Heba, you may recall, came into the house as a bit of a bully -- make that a big loud bully -- who immediately began throwing her weight around to get her way. (Blame it on her husband, Ed, who apparently spends his life trying to do everything he can to make/keep her happy.)

She created divides and alliances in the house, and was the first to turn the tables on a competitor -- and then spent the rest of her time at the Biggest Loser ranch complaining bitterly and loudly at any smack of game playing that didn't suit her purposes.

Well, Heba finally got hers. Kinda.

In an odd twist of fate, Heba and Ed ended up competing for the third spot in the finals. The decision was left up to the public to vote between the two. Ed, being the dutiful husband, begged America to let his wife win. Heba also begged America to let her win.

America gave her the backhand: In a "landslide" vote, 84% of the votes cast were against Heba.

Heba didn't go home empty-handed, however. She was eligible for and won the $100,000 runners-up prize for losing 138 pounds, or 46.94% of her body weight.

In other words, if she had curried a little more favor with the public, she would have landed the third-place spot -- and she would have won.

Afterward, asked why America voted against her, she said "I guess there are just a lot of negative people out there who don't like to see success." (Heba, who said she wanted to join the show to lose weight so she could have a healthy pregnancy, said family planning is on hold for now: "I want to spend a summer where I can wear a bathing suit and not feel bad about myself. Call me when that's over.")

Vicky, meanwhile -- who was dubbed by trainer Bob Harper to be "Shakespearean" in her efforts to manipulate her teammates -- missed winning the $250,000 prize by 1 pound.

See? There is justice after all.

In an interview after the show, Vicky said she was unfairly depicted on the show. While she said the producers could have portrayed her positively as a mother struggling to balance work and family and improve the health of her two children, they chose to portray her as a schemer.

To hear her tell it, it was all camerawork.

She has been so widely reviled that she had to change her phone number because she was receiving death threats, and to this day continues to receive letters telling her what a horrible person she is.

"Most people hate my guts," Vicky said, later adding that perhaps so many people disliked her because she was a determined competitor who knew what she wanted and wasn't about to let anyone stand in her way. "Women need to be strong and they need to use their heads."

She also added: "I feel bad for the people who are writing those letters. They don't know me."

On a completely unrelated note:

It's impossible to say whether Vicky was misportrayed or not (although the fact that Mr. Nice Guy Bob Harper called her out for being manipulative suggests that she doth protesteth too much.)

But I can report firsthand that TV does not become Vicky.

She often looked haggard during the game, even after her makeover. In person, though, she is a head-turner, with clear, smooth skin, bright teeth and stunning green eyes.

-- Rene Lynch

(Photo courtesy NBC)

"Blush" Loser Todd Homme Found Dead In Apartment: Todd Homme Myspace Found

2008-12-17T07:39:00.000-08:00

It always sucks when someone dies. It is harder when someone dies that a lot of people know of and like. I have never really heard of Homme, but I am sure a lot of people have especially people in the music industry.

by Jack Ryan

Make up artist Todd Homme, who appeared on the Lifetime show "Blush: The Search For The Next Great Makeup Artist" was found dead in his home in Manhattan. According to reports the case looks to have very few clues and a killer unidentifiable so far or evidence to support a suicide. A guy who had a lot going for him, it would be hard to believe he would do this to himself.

Todd Humme was one of the few finalists left for "Blush". The grand prize was $100,000 and a major contract with Max Factor that would be the ultimate make-up job. At first some thought he was killed because they thought he was a sure winner, well he didn't win so what's the reason for his death?

Homme did not win the show "Blush: The Search For The Next Great Makeup Artist", he actually just came up short. Many have said he loved helping others, but as the details come out they look to be shocking today.

Dennis and Kimberly Quaid settle with Cedars-Sinai over medical error

2008-12-16T11:38:00.000-08:00

I feel really bad for the Quaids. There is really nothing that is going to make them feel better. There is no amount of money that will make this OK for them. Trust me I know.

by Vicki Hyman/The Star-Ledger

BRIAN VANDER BRUG/LOS ANGELES TIMES/AP PHOTODennis Quaid and wife Kimberly talk about the medical mistake that threatened the health of their newborn babies last year.

Dennis Quaid and wife Kimberly will get $750,000 from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where workers administered 1,000 times the normal dose of a blood thinner to their newborn twins a year ago, the Associated Press reports. That settlement, revealed in documents filed in Los Angeles on Monday, only pertains to the parents' damages; the Quaids can still pursue claims on behalf of their children.

According to the documents, the hospital doesn't admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement, although at the time of the overdose, the hospital's chief medical officer called it a "preventable error, involving a failure to follow our standard policies and procedures, and there is no excuse for that to occur at Cedars-Sinai."

The Quaids had filed suit against the maker of the blood thinner, saying their packaging was confusing, but the case has been dismissed.

Megan Hauserman beat up by Sharon Osbourne Charm School Girl

2008-12-15T08:10:00.000-08:00

Well this should get the show some better ratings. When I see things like this it is just to get the show in the news so more people will watch the show. It works too. I might be watching Charm School sometime soon now. Or maybe just Tivo it.

Mo'Nique would have never pulled this fuckery. She is just too classy!

I guess Sharon Osbourne doesn't believe in "practice what you preach" because TMZ reports that; the Charm Scool headmistress put an ass whouping on Megan Hauserman sending her to the hospital.

"Megan Hauserman claims Sharon Osbourne went ballistic during a taping of the show's reunion special Saturday night. She says Sharon O. ran across the stage of the show, grabbed Megan by her hair and would not let go. She says Sharon continued to pull at her hair and scratch her until security eventually separated the two. Megan went to the hospital Sunday afternoon and filed a report with the LAPD on Sunday night."

The reason for the fight? Charm School Rule 10a: The Truth Hurts

Hauserman set Sharon off by saying: "She is only famous for managing a brain dead rock star."

I wonder what Riki Rachtman did during all of this? Probably hid in the corner while holding his vagina. Stupid Riki Rachtman.

Survivor: Gabon - Season Finale Predictions

2008-12-14T19:03:00.000-08:00

I have never been a Survivor Fan myself. I watched the first season and those two girls from survivor that were in playboy. I think I still have that issue around here somewhere. But I found this article that gives good insight on the season finale on Survivor: Gabon

We're mere hours away from the Survivor: Gabon finale, a season that will go down as one of the greatest of Survivor's lengthy career. Five castaways remain, and there is no fan consensus in terms of rooting interests (besides the general apathy everyone feels towards Susie). It's been a long season of terrible predictions for me, and my prognostication skills feel like they're at an all-time low. I need to get that confidence back, that swagger I once had. Tonight is the night that the predictions come true. It's snowing, coffee is flowing like wine, and football is on TV – the perfect ingredients for prediction making. Let's get it going.

Ken Will Be Voted Off First

Sugar changed the game with her actions on Thursday, and there's no reason to believe that she'll swing back to Kenny's side. Everyone knows that Kenny has been playing the game hard, has been a strategic force in the game, and that he might be able to gain the sympathy of the jury were he to make it to the final three. Matty and Bob will want Ken gone, and Susie will go along with the majority. Unless Kenny wins the immunity, he'll be the first to go.

Bob Will Be Voted Off Second

This is obvious. Bob could certainly win both of the final immunity challenges, but if he doesn't, his fellow castaways will take the opportunity to vote him out, because Bob is a shoe-in for the million dollars if he makes it that far. The final immunity challenge is usually an endurance challenge of some sort, and Bob's age could work against him, giving someone like Matty the upper hand. I'm rooting for Bob, but the other Survivors would be stupid not to get rid of him when they can.

Matty Will Win

If my first two predictions come true, that will leave Matty, Susie and Sugar. No one will vote for Susie unless they're a complete idiot. Sugar has some legitimate claims for the million, but the jury will simply like Matty more, appreciate that he played an honest game, and give him the million dollars.

Bettie Page dies at 85, Playboy Pinup queen

2008-12-12T06:32:00.000-08:00

I have only been a fan of Playboy for about 5 years now since that is how long I have been getting my subscription. This is my first time to ever hear of Bettie Page, but she seemed like a very hot chick. A little crazy, but find one girl that isn't.

By Louis Sahagun
December 12, 2008
Bettie Page, the brunet pinup queen with a shoulder-length pageboy hairdo and kitschy bangs whose saucy photos helped usher in the sexual revolution of the 1960s, has died. She was 85.

Page, whose later life was marked by depression, violent mood swings and several years in a state mental institution, died Thursday night at Kindred Hospital in Los Angeles, where she had been on life support since suffering a heart attack Dec. 2, according to her agent, Mark Roesler.

A cult figure, Page was most famous for the estimated 20,000 4-by-5-inch black-and-white glossy photographs taken by amateur shutterbugs from 1949 to 1957. The photos showed her in high heels and bikinis or negligees, bondage apparel -- or nothing at all.

Decades later, those images inspired biographies, comic books, fan clubs, websites, commercial products -- Bettie Page playing cards, dress-up magnet sets, action figures, Zippo lighters, shot glasses -- and, in 2005, a film about her life and times, "The Notorious Bettie Page."

Then there are the idealized portraits of her naughty personas -- Nurse Bettie, Jungle Bettie, Voodoo Bettie, Banned in Boston Bettie, Maid Bettie, Crackers in Bed Bettie -- memorialized by such artists as Olivia de Berardinis.

"I'll always paint Bettie Page," De Berardinis said Thursday night . "But truth be told, it took me years to understand what I was looking at in the old photographs of her. Now I get it. There was a passion play unfolding in her mind. What some see as a bad-girl image was in fact a certain sensual freedom and play-acting - it was part of the fun of being a woman."

"The origins of what captures the imagination and creates a particular celebrity are sometimes difficult to define," Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner said Thursday night. "Bettie Page was one of Playboy magazine's early Playmates, and she became an iconic figure, influencing notions of beauty and fashion. Then she disappeared. . . . Many years later, Bettie resurfaced and we became friends. Her passing is very sad."

In an interview 2 1/2 years ago, Hefner described Page's appeal as "a combination of wholesome innocence and fetish-oriented poses that is at once retro and very modern."

According to her agents at CMG Worldwide, Page's official website, www.BettiePage.com, has received about 600 million hits over the last five years.

"Bettie Page captured the imagination of a generation of men and women with her free spirit and unabashed sensuality," said Roesler, chairman of the Indianapolis-based CMG Worldwide, who was at Page's side when she died. "She was a dear friend and a special client and one of the most beautiful and influential women of the 20th century."

A religious woman in her later life, Page was mystified by her influence on modern popular culture. "I have no idea why I'm the only model who has had so much fame so long after quitting work," she said in an interview with The Times in 2006.

She had one request for that interview: that her face not be photographed.

"I want to be remembered," she said, "as I was when I was young and in my golden times. . . . I want to be remembered as the woman who changed people's perspectives concerning nudity in its natural form."

Bettie Mae Page was born April 22, 1923, in Nashville. She was the oldest girl among Roy and Edna Page's six children. Her father, an auto mechanic, "molested all three of his daughters," Page said in the interview.

Her parents divorced in 1933, but life didn't get any easier for Bettie.

"All I ever wanted was a mother who paid attention to me," Page recalled. "She didn't want girls. She thought we were trouble. When I started menstruating at 13, I thought I was dying because she never taught me anything about that."

After high school, Page earned a teaching credential. But her career in the classroom was short-lived. "I couldn't control my students, especially the boys," she said.

She tried secretarial work and marriage. But by 1948 she had divorced a violent husband and fled to New York City, where she enrolled in acting classes. She was noticed on the beach at Coney Island by New York police officer and amateur photographer Jerry Tibbs, who introduced her to camera clubs.

Page quickly became a sought-after model, attracting the attention of Irving Klaw and his sister, Paula, who operated a mail-order business specializing in cheesecake and bondage poses.

Under contract with the Klaws, Page was photographed prancing around with a whip, spanking other women, even being hog-tied. She also appeared in 8-millimeter "loops" and feature-length peekaboo films with titles like "Betty Page in High Heels."

"I had lost my ambition and desire to succeed and better myself; I was adrift," Page recalled. "But I could make more money in a few hours modeling than I could earn in a week as a secretary."

Her most professional photographs were taken in 1955 by fashion photographer Bunny Yeager. They included shots of Page nude and frolicking in waves and deep-sea fishing, and a January 1955 Playboy centerfold of her winking under a Santa Claus cap.

At 35, Page walked away from it all. She quit modeling and moved to Florida, where she married a much younger man whose passions, she later learned, were watching television and eating hamburgers.

Page fled from her home in tears after a dispute on New Year's Eve in 1959. Down the street, she noticed a white neon sign over a little white church with its door open.

After quietly taking a seat in the back, she had a born-again experience. Page immersed herself in Bible studies and served as a counselor for the Billy Graham Crusade.

In 1967, she married for a third time. After that marriage ended in divorce 11 years later, Page plunged into a depression marked by violent mood swings. She argued with her landlady and attacked her with a knife. A judge found her innocent by reason of insanity but sentenced her to 10 years in a California mental institution.

She was released in 1992 from Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino County to find that she had unwittingly become a pop-culture icon. A movie titled "The Rocketeer" and the comic book that inspired it contained a Bettie-esque character, triggering a revival, among women as well as men, that continues unabated.

With the help of admirers including Hefner, Page finally began receiving a respectable income for her work.

In an interview published in Playboy magazine in 2007, Page expressed mixed feelings about her achievements. "When I turned my life over to the lord Jesus I was ashamed of having posed in the nude," she said. "But now, most of the money I've got is because I posed in the nude. So I'm not ashamed of it now. But I still don't understand it."

She spent most of her final years in a one-bedroom apartment, reading the Bible, listening to Christian and country tunes, watching westerns on television, catching up on diet and exercise regimens or sometimes perusing secondhand clothing stores.

Occasionally, however, Page was persuaded to visit the Sunset Boulevard penthouse offices of her agents at CMG Worldwide to autograph pinups of herself in the post-World War II years of her prime. The agency controls her image and those of Marilyn Monroe and Princess Diana, among others.

During one such event in early 2006, Page needed about 10 minutes to get through the 10 letters of her name. As she pushed her pen over a portrait of her in a negligee with an ecstatic smile, she laughed and said, "My land! Is that supposed to be me? I was never that pretty."

She is survived by her brother Jack Page of Nashville and sister Joyce Wallace of Blairsville, Ga.

Sahagun is a Times staff writer.

Dakota Culkin hit by car, dies

2008-12-11T13:15:00.000-08:00

This sucks. I couldn't imagine losing my sister like this. Dakota Culkin who is 29 had her life cut tragically short.

"Home Alone" child star Macaulay Culkin's sister died Wednesday after being struck by a car.

According to TMZ, law enforcement sources say that Dakota Culkin was walking on Los Angeles' Westside on Tuesday when she stepped off a curb and was struck by a car.

Macaulay's rep says: "We can officially confirm that the victim is Dakota Culkin. This is a terrible tragic accident. We have no further comment at this time."

The 29-year-old Culkin was taken to the UCLA Medical Center, where she died of her injuries Wednesday afternoon.

So far, no arrests have been made in the case, which is under investigation by the LAPD.

I have no words. This is terrible, terrible news.

And I hate to bring this up, but this is the third actor who has lost a family member violently in recent weeks.

First, Jennifer Hudson's brother, mother and nephew; then Mark Ruffalo's brother, Scott; now McCauley Culkin's sister, Dakota.

very sad.

Photo: Macaulay Culkin. Credit: WireImage

Jennifer Aniston's 'GQ' cover (Photos)

2008-12-11T06:11:00.000-08:00

Man I take one look at this cover and I can't stand up for at least an hour. This girl has been consistantly good looking for as long as I can remember. I have never really thought of Aniston in any way other than the girl next door look.

By Mike Bruno

Okay, at the risk of exposing myself as a pervy old man, I have to say that the cover of the January issue of GQ (hits stands Dec. 23) has tipped it in for me: I love Jennifer Aniston. There. I said it. Feels good to get it out. You see, I was one of those snobby jerk-offs in the '90s who (rather vocally) HATED Friends and endlessly griped about how corny it is and how annoying the characters are (arguments I would still make today, but I recognize that it's a too-cool-for-school reaction to its formulaic sitcomery). But while Aniston will never be fully extricated from her association with Ross, Chandler, "Phebes," and the gang, over the past decade or so she's certainly built enough of a post-Friends persona for me to step forth and pledge my love. Here are the Top 5 reasons I love Jennifer Aniston, despite hating Friends, that do NOT have to do with the fact that I enjoy seeing her naked:

1. Office Space (natch)
2. Her reasoned response to the career-over-baby accusations that had people running around with "I'll have your baby, Brad!" t-shirts during her divorce to Brad Pitt. "A man divorcing would never be accused of choosing career over children....That really pissed me off. I've never in my life said I didn't want to have children," she told Vanity Fair in 2005.
3. Her dig this year at Angelina Jolie, who had publicly talked about falling for Pitt while he was still married to Aniston. "That stuff about how she couldn't wait to get to work every day [while filming Mr. & Mrs. Smith]? That was really uncool," she told Vogue.
4. She's got a thing for rock-n-roll dudes -- first Adam Duritz, and now John Mayer (who's eight years her junior, I might add, which I think is kinda hot...for some reason. I know, I know, pervy old man).
5. The Good Girl, when I first realized there was more to Aniston than "Rach."

Honorable mention: Her hilarious appearance on 30 Rock earlier this year (the episode after the jump).

Anyone else out there overcome their dislike for Friends and fall for Aniston anyway? And how about that GW cover, eh? Anyone out there realizing they dislike me because I hated on Friends just now?

Carrie Fisher's Wishful Drinking

2008-12-10T11:46:00.000-08:00

This might actually be something that I might have to check out. It will interesting to see what the Star Wars following will bring. I would bet Carrie Fisher brings in a lot of people just wanting to hear stories about her time filming Star Wars.

Star Wars icon Carrie Fisher is touring the country with her one-woman show Wishful Drinking.

Fisher's book by the same name relives her "crazy" years, one wacky story at a time.

Some highlights include a Christmas where Fisher's mom gifted her and her grandmother with sex toys, and our personal fave, the time she freaked out while smoking with Harrison Ford.

As for her show? Broadway World warns, "Don't be late. Fisher will look you in the face and you'll be embarrassed as she tries to recap what you've missed. But it's all in great fun."

Adult FriendFinder Exposed!

2008-12-09T18:35:00.001-08:00

Well you could of fulled me. I thought and still think those girls don't live in my town. I know almost everyone in my town and I never saw any of those people there. They might be hanging out in some club that only allows hot girls in like on seinfeld.

If you're an internet user (hey there you!), you've probably seen ads for Adult FriendFinder—they're those banners promising that there are live women in your zip code waiting to have sex with YOU! Now, maybe you've wondered if these women really exist. Turns out they do.

According to RadarOnline, Adult FriendFinder is the 25th most visited site in the United States, making it one of the most popular online dating sites. But dating on AFF isn't like dating on other sites—this site is specifically for people looking for sex. Thus, when you fill out your profile, instead of writing what you like to do on a first date, "the AFF user can check off interests in '1-on-1 Sex, Bondage & Discipline, Cross-Dressing, Discreet Relationship, Erotic Chat/E-mail/Phone Fantasies, Exhibitionism & Voyeurism, Group Sex (3 or More), Miscellaneous Fetishes, Other 'Alternative' Activities, Sadism & Masochism.'"

In his investigation for Radar, writer Teddy Wayne signed up for AFF with three distinct personalities: a straight man, bisexual woman and gay guy. Most of the his findings are what you'd expect on a casual sex site: profiles include lots of photos of erect cocks, his female profile received more far responses than his male one, and there seems to be way more men than women on the site (despite the fact that AFF says half of its members are women).

But even though men make up the majority of members, there are women on the site. So who are they and what are they doing there? Wayne talked to a few of them and found out that, like the ads say, there are attractive women who want to have sex with you.

One woman he spoke with is looking for a monogamous relationship but likes the site's no BS atmosphere. Other women use the site to explore their sexuality, which makes great sense. If you have an uncommon sexual desire, say, you want to be tied up and penetrated with a spoon, AFF lets you find someone who will do just that, and the online dating aspect lets you thoroughly vet that person.

The most surprising thing, though, was that a lot of people on the site, both men and women, are looking for a long-term relationship. As Wayne concludes, Adult FriendFinder is "filled with a lot of adults who are, in the end, searching for a friend."

'Harry Potter's' Emma Watson Reveals Nude Ambitions

2008-12-08T09:59:00.000-08:00

Shoot send Emma Watson My way. I have a job for her that she can pose nude for. I always thought she was good looking. I was under 18 at the time too so it was OK. I haven't paid that much attention to Watson lately, But she still has it. Watson is not the normal Hot girl, but she has something that makes her Very Attractive. Playboy are you listening? This could help get you out of your slump!

Emma Watson says she is at that strange age when she’s “not a woman yet, but I’m not a girl anymore.”

At 18 years old, the “Harry Potter” starlet – whom the Times of London calls “tiny and pretty and delightfully brought up” – is clearly poised for adulthood, and even says she would go naked in a film for the right role.

““Yes,” she says. “For Bernardo Bertolucci. It ... depends. I’m not getting my kit off any time soon, but it is part of my job.”

For now however, the young actress is finishing up her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series, and is doing the voice of Princess Pea in the upcoming mouse cartoon “The Tale of Despereaux.”

“I’m going to have a battle on my hands, because after Harry Potter has finished, I don’t know,” she says. “I definitely want to go to university.”

It seems the star not only has beauty, but the brains to boot. She earned three A's this summer at her Oxford boarding school and is keen on the Ivy Leagues, the Times reports.

“I have enough to hold me together without fame,” she says. “I have a really supportive family and a full life away from ‘Harry Potter.’ It’s unlikely that I’ll be part of anything this big ever again, so I need to deal with that. I’m not going to take a job just because ... I’m not doing anything else.”

Big and Rich Singer John Rich and Joan Bush Weds in Nashville

2008-12-08T08:09:00.001-08:00

Country singer John Rich of the duo Big and Rich married his girlfriend Joan Bush in Nashville Saturday, People magazine is reporting.

The small ceremony between Rich, who is also the host of CMT’s “Gone Country” and Bush, a former model turned agent, was attended by about two dozen of the couple’s friends and family, People said.

Rich and Bush dated for more than five years before tying the knot, but kept a low couple profile. A source close to the couple told People that the two did not appear at official events together or on the red carpet.

Kennedy Center honors Streisand, Freeman, Daltrey

2008-12-08T06:24:00.000-08:00

It is always good to see someone honoured. I have to afree with Streisands stance with Bush though. Like I always tell my wife. No more Bush. She never listens though. Anyways that is neither here nor there. But it looks like she will have the Kennedy Center Honors coming her way.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Barbra Streisand is visiting the White House but says she'll play nice. Streisand, a vocal critic of President George W. Bush, was a guest Sunday at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue during one of Washington's few A-list events.

"Art," she said, "transcends politics this weekend."

The singer and actress this year is a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors, along with Morgan Freeman, country singer George Jones, dancer and choreographer Twyla Tharp and musicians Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey of The Who.

The honors recognize individuals who have had an impact on American culture through the performing arts, part of the living memorial to President John F. Kennedy.

"I'm really excited and I'm touched" about being selected as an honoree, Townshend said.

Musician B.B. King wore his Kennedy Center honoree medal from 1995 to the event.

"I'm here because of one of my idols called Morgan Freeman," he said.

Jones said there were no strained moments between Streisand and Bush during the reception.

"Everything went so smooth," he said.

After the reception, the group traveled with the president and first lady Laura Bush to the performing arts center for a gala in their honor.

The gala will include the young singer-songwriter Ne-Yo singing Streisand's 1965 hit "Lover, Come Back to Me."

"Barbra Streisand is the epitome of emotion in music. You feel every word, that's something that artists in my day and age don't really pay attention to," he said.

Musician Rob Thomas said he would sing The Who's song "Baba O'Riley" during the tribute for Townshend and Daltrey.

"These are people who have influenced everyone," he said. "It's not just their music, it's their attitude."

The Kennedy Center Honors come just a month after the presidential election. Streisand, 66, was one of the most outspoken honorees on politics during the campaign season, saying the past two elections had been "stolen." On the day after the Obama's win, she was riding high.

"November 5th ... what a day ... a new day ... finally (Martin Luther King's) words ring true," Streisand, a longtime Democrat, wrote on her Web site. "I am so proud of our country."

At a State Department dinner for the honorees Saturday night, Streisand said, "It's just great to be honored by one's own country."

Jones, who earned the nickname "No Show Jones" for performances he missed during his wild days, promised to show up this time. As he entered the reception, the 77-year-old said, "I'm in a daze" about being an honoree.

Performers from New York, Nashville and Hollywood will salute the honorees with surprise tribute performances Sunday evening. The show will air Dec. 30 on CBS.

Tickets to the gala sell for as much as $4,000. Last year, the event raised $5 million to support Kennedy Center programs.

The awards were presented Saturday night at a State Department dinner hosted by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She addressed each honoree, beginning with Freeman, who once played the president in the movie "Deep Impact."

"I know that when you played the African-American president of the United States, most people thought that would happen when a comet hit," Rice said, drawing laughs and cheers. "But wonder of wonders, fiction has become true."

Freeman, 71, who starred this year in "The Dark Knight," also made headlines after suffering broken bones in a Mississippi car crash in August. On Saturday, the Oscar-winning actor said he was still recovering from nerve damage in his left hand and wore a glove to control the swelling.

Kennedy Center Chairman Stephen Schwarzman hailed the "extraordinary genius and tenacity" of the 2008 lifetime achievement award recipients.

Dancer Damian Woetzel hailed Tharp, 67, for "taking a dance and treating it like music." Her work has helped define modern dance, contemporary ballet and Broadway musicals.

Past honorees, including Clint Eastwood, Elton John and Sidney Poitier, made nominations for the awards, along with members of the Kennedy Center's national artists committee, including Glenn Close and Reba McEntire.

2009 Grammy Nominations Concert: Non-nominees perform old songs!

2008-12-04T07:43:00.000-08:00

Dec 4, 2008, 07:08 AM | by Whitney Pastorek

Categories: Grammys, Music

Okay, so I think I just figured out what's wrong with almost every major televised awards ceremony in this country, but especially the Grammys: They spend so much time reminding us of how important and magical and woven into the fabric of a life we can barely understand in these crazy digital times their television program has been over the last half-century, they forget that the whole point of the ceremony in the first place is to celebrate the best of what is happening in our culture right this very second. And so while I think we can all agree that an Album of the Year race comprised of Coldplay, Radiohead, Lil Wayne, Ne-Yo, and Plant/Krauss is nothing to sneeze at, there was absolutely no need to announce the nominees in that or any other Grammy category during an hour-long Tribute To Songs Your Parents Like On That Network With Shows For Old People, designed to highlight the opening of an actual museum devoted to the aforementioned important magic.

Yes, last night's telecast was basically the equivalent of historically landmarking a Taco Bell Express, with performances from Celine Dion, Foo Fighters, and the most overexposed blond since Lady Godiva, Taylor Swift. And there were also nominations, both positive-- I'm sorry, did you say "Paper Planes"? are you sure?-- and not so much. (See the major categories here.) We're putting up a gallery of the worst snubs later today, but feel free to share yours in the comments. (I'm saving my controlled rage about Sugarland for the end of this article -- only five paragraphs away...) With that in mind, let's begin, shall we?

Live, from the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles-- where John Mayer and B.B. King are quite possibly still playing "Let the Good Times Roll"-- it was the 2009 Grammy Nomination Special, a fun little project that probably wasn't worth pre-empting an episode of Criminal Minds for, but whatever, sweeps ended on Sunday. I've got a pretty bad head cold at the moment, so when we opened on Mariah Carey in a sexy Santa outfit singing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" and throwing teddy bears out to the audience, I checked the channel to make sure I hadn't recorded the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting ceremony by mistake. But no, I was right, because soon enough there were your hilariously mismatched hosts, Taylor Swift and LL Cool J, mincing awkwardly around as the camera circled them in front of the Staples Center before cutting to Ne-Yo as he announced the Best New Artist nominees: Adele, Duffy, Lady Antebellum, the Jonas Brothers, and Jazmine Sullivan. Shocking not to see Leona Lewis, Estelle, MGMT, Vampire Weekend, or Katy Perry come up here, considering they even used the latter's song "I Kissed a Girl" in the introductory montage (a montage clearly designed to teach Criminal Minds viewers about the existence of the internet). Not shocking to see the Jonas Bros. grinning in the front row after the announcement of the nominees. Something tells me they weren't propped up there just so MS. Swift could spend the night glaring at whichever one she used to date.

Next was a performance of Janis Ian's "At Seventeen" from Celine Dion that one might call "understated," but mostly left me wondering whether the dinner cruise would be docking soon. It was followed by an obligatory shot of Smokey Robinson, then a montage leading up to the Album of the Year nominations which proved that 1998 was the musical equivalent of Oceanic Flight 815. Again, I have no quibble with the nominations in this category, though I'm sure Alicia Keys and the Eagles would beg to differ. But who would you pull to fit them in? Lil Wayne and Coldplay are good and sold huge; Ne-Yo and Radiohead are just good; and Plant/Krauss could have played noseharp over a backing band of barking dogs and still gotten a nom, so the fact that they didn't was a nice bonus. But no time to dwell, for we must listen to the Foo Fighters slaughter ~~Faster Pussycat's~~ Carly Simon's "You're So Vain"! I take no pleasure in calling out Grohl for that mess, though I did enjoy the disdain for Rascal Flatts he barely bothered to mask while reading the noms for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group. (Side note: Random to pick the Duo/Group performances in both Country and Rap to announce live, no?)

Christina Aguilera's lovely rendition of "I Loves You Porgy" should hush up those who found her corseted antics on the American Music Awards a bit unrestrained; Taylor Swift's barely serviceable rendition of Brenda Lee's "I'm Sorry" (see embedded clip) should open the door for anyone who'd care to join me in saying for the millionth time that this girl may be a savvy little songwriting/marketing genius, but she has no business singing professionally. Really, we're just running out of excuses here, people. And of all the artists in the world, why was she the only one chosen to perform a snippet of her current single ("White Horse," which apparently requires that she sit down at some point)-- especially when she received exactly zero nominations this evening? Was that the snub of the night? Justice at last? Or does someone just really have it in for that one Jonas Brother?

It was fun to see tiny little Grammy president Neil Portnow yelp with joy as he and Swiftie introduced the John Mayer/B.B. King Rock n' Roll Ain't Dead But We're Gonna Jam On This Song Until It Is memorabilia project, and then it just got kinda boring until Mayer cracked the joke that he "played cash register" on M.I.A.'s Record of the Year-nominated "Paper Planes." Can't make too much fun of John n' B.B.-- after all, unless you're counting Mariah sharing a gospel nod with three other people and a church choir, those two dudes are the only performers tonight who got nominated for any actual awards. And if my math is right, Mayer has the chance to win five times. So. Let those good times keep rolling, I suppose. Other nominations for Record of the Year, btw: Adele (big night for her!), Coldplay, Leona Lewis, and Plant/Krauss. Here again, we find Estelle and "American Boy" getting snubbed-- curiously, the 87 writers on that track got a Song of the Year nod instead-- along with folks like Chris Brown, Kid Rock, Rihanna, and Lil Wayne, although I'm not sure which one of his ditties could have been safely performed on the big show, so that's just as well.

And that was it. It was only an hour. Not too painful, but like I said, not too necessary, either. Now, as threatened: Seriously? Sugarland gets NOTHING for Love on the Inside, an almost universally-praised No. 1 album that was not only predicted to be a frontrunner in the country category but a dark horse for Album of the Year? (No, "Life in a Northern Town" doesn't count.) Probably what happened here was the whole thing was too "poppy" for the "country" voters, but my god it's like Steely Dan beating out Kid A all over again. Argh. I gotta take my rage and my head cold to bed.

Meanwhile, what did you think, PopWatchers? Did any of those performances do it fer ya? Have you now been persuaded to schedule a trip to the shiny new Grammy Museum (which, to be fair, looks pretty cool), and/or tune in for the big ceremony next year? Am I the only one who snickered when the announcer said, "All this, and the nominees for Record of the Year" as we headed to commercial, like he couldn't believe his cornucopia of luck? And can you think of a persuasive reason why they couldn't have somehow combined this shindig with the AMAs and saved us all some time?

michael phelps girlfriend caroline pal

2008-12-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

Michael Phelps is tired? I can see why after looking at his girlfriend. So all I need to do to get a girl like that is win 8 gold medals? No problem I will be at the next olympic games. I wonder if she will dump him if he only wins 6 gold medals in another 4 years.

Michael Phelps has been busy since winning eight medals and America’s heart at the Beijing Olympics this summer. He’s appeared in a Guitar Hero commercial, endorsed some cereals and even taken up poker. What he hasn’t done, apparently, is rest.

Gawker brings us a cute 60 minutes clip of the former Michigan-student-turned-Merman with Anderson Cooper in which the two go for a playful swim and examine his medals. But it’s not all fun and games… Phelps yawns almost as much as he smiles goofily (and that’s saying something). The swimmer hasn’t been home in over three months and his various interviews, promotions, appearances, etc. have clearly taken a toll on him. In a car ride together, Phelps falls asleep next to Cooper in 50 seconds flat.

But are we sure the exhaustion is a result of the constant touring Phelps has been doing… not his new girlfriend? Oh yes, Phelps has been dating Caroline “Caz” Pal, a tattooed strip-club waitress at the Palms in Vegas. While it may seem the two have little in common, they do share a fondness for being topless. Phelps’ mom must have been so proud when her son brought the young lady home for Thanksgiving last week.

Is it just me or does this two month relationship explain Phelps’ fatigue a little better? She certainly looks like she could keep him plenty tired.

Oprah's 2008 List of Her Favorite Things

2008-11-26T17:44:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008, the popular Favorite Things edition of Oprah's show was broadcast.

Gratitude Boxes

"A Gratitude Box is a homemade gift that comes from the heart of the giver. It is designed to show the recipient the love, respect and gratitude the giver feels for him or her." Read more.

"Oprah Winfrey has been showcasing her favorite gifts and gift ideas each holiday season on her popular television show, The Oprah Winfrey Show. One of Oprah's favorite gifts of all is also one which will cost very little to give, the Gratitude Box." Read more.

Holiday Hits 2008

"I have to say I was surprised when I came across Holiday hits 2008 on Oprah's favorite holiday gifts 2008. I was happily surprised to find that it wasn't a CD to buy, but a CD to download for free directly from the website." Read more.

"In celebration of the season, Oprah announced on Wednesday's Favorite Things for 2008 show that she would be offering the Holiday Hits 2008 music compilation on her website." Read more.

Hot Chocolate Cones

"A hot chocolate cone is simply a clear disposable cake-decorating bag filled with everything you need to enjoy a tasty cup of hot chocolate. Clever and practical, this gift is more likely to be used than re-gifted." Read more.

Swap Parties

"Following in the thrifty tradition of Oprah's Favorite Things for 2008, enjoy these swap party ideas for homemade breads, crafters, scrapbookers, books and toys, and even a re-gifting swap party (please don't tell my in-laws)." Read more.

"A hot trend during an economic downturn, Oprah even featured Swap Parties on her Oprah's Favorite Things show. A Swap Party isn't so much a gift, as a way to get items for yourself and your family that you need." Read more .

12 Dates of Christmas

"Based on the concept presented in Oprah's Favorite Holiday Gifts 2008: 12 Dates of Christmas, here are five thrift date night ideas for the holidays." Read more.

Garden Gift Baskets

"For the past several years, my daughter and I have given gift baskets for many occasions and a Garden Gift Basket can be an appreciated bit of spring during the cold winter season!" Read more.

"Remember all the hard work you put into growing your crop and carefully preserving it this past summer? Well, Oprah does, too." Read more.

Christina Ferrare's Holiday Menu

"Christina Ferrare's Holiday menu, presented as part of Oprah's thriftiest holiday ever, adds a delicious twist to Thanksgiving." Read more.

Treasure Boxes

"Pack rats and sentimental types rejoiced when Oprah showcased a unique Christmas present made up of childhood keepsakes called the Treasure Box." Read more.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

"David Wroblewski's novel of a mute boy from a dog training family is no surprise addition to her list of holiday gifts; a powerful Shakespearean story brought to the American plains."

Kristen Johnston Nude. Poses at Lady Godiva For PETA.

2008-11-25T16:45:00.001-08:00

Sitcom star Kristen Johnston has become the latest celebrity to pose nude for animal rights group Peta.

The former 3rd Rock from the Sun star - who recently caused concern with her drastic weight loss - poses as Lady Godiva, naked and astride a horse, in the photograph which debuted in New York's Central Park.

The 41-year-old actress has joined forces with the animal rights group to campaign against the horse-drawn carriage rides on offer in New York.

She said: "I was blown away by how these horses live, or actually I should say, don't live. I'd say to tourists who are considering coming to New York, there's so much amazing stuff about Manhattan.

"Oh my God, just take a walk! And I hope within the next year that there are no more carriage horses."

The stunning shot was taken by renowned photographer Joseph Cultice.

Other beauties who have shed their clothes to raise awareness of animal rights issues include Alicia Silverstone, Eva Mendes and Christina Applegate.

* To see Kristen Johnston's poster, click here.

Forty Years Old Kimberly Arigot Arressted For Sending Images To Teens

2008-11-25T16:43:00.001-08:00

Authorities report that Kimberly Arigot, a forty years old woman from Davis county is arrested for sending inappropriate images to teenage boys between 1 and 17 years old

Kimberly Arigot has used her cell phone to send the images. She has been taken to custody by the Syracuse police officers.

According to KSL.com "officers say Kimberly Arigot sent inappropriate text and picture messages to boys ages 15 to 17. When police investigated, they found out she was also having sex with them."

Kimberly Arigot has been booked into jail. The news Newsradio 102.7 FM/ 1160 AM and KSL.com will feature more information on the case of Kimberly Arigot tomorrow morning.

In a separate report from KSL the news radio reports that according to investigators things between Kimberly Arigot and the teenage boys escalated into sexual encounters in multiple places, including Arigot's own home. Syracuse investigators believe those relationships had been going on for a good part of the year.

According to Transworld News Kimberly Arigot was arrested and has reportedly confessed to sending the pictures and having sex with the teens. Arigot was released from jail after posting bail.

Presently Kimberly Arigot faces felony charges of unlawful sex and unlawful contact with minors as well as providing alcohol to underage students.

The accompanying image of Kimberly Arigot is from the KSL News radio report.

Ann Coulter's Jaw Wired After Fall

2008-11-25T16:39:00.001-08:00

She’s usually one of the most opinionated women in the nation, but Ann Coulter’s going to be keeping her mouth shut for the next few weeks.

The 46-year-old was forced to get her jaw wired shut after taking a nasty tumble last month, reports the New York Post’s Page Six.

Though she’s on the mend, the injury’s making it difficult for Coulter to record the audio version of her latest tome, The New Ann Coulter.

Washingtonienne Jessica Cutler Engaged

2008-11-25T16:38:00.001-08:00

Remember Washingtonienne Jessica Cutler? She was the young oversharing blogger who got fired from Capitol Hill because she blogged up a storm about her after-work sexual exploits—much of it with older, well-known politicos, some of it paid. Sample blog excerpts: "W = a sugar daddy who wants nothing but anal. Keep trying to end it with him, but the money is too good." She got famous on Wonkette and outed. She turned the debacle into a respectable-selling novel, The Washingtonienne, posed for Playboy, went broke, and inked an HBO deal. Then there were a bunch of rumors that she was working as an escort—or at the very least, was buddies with a madam who provided girls to Eliot Spitzer. But love is to make an honest woman out of her—she's engaged now, reports Wonkette via Reliable Source, to a dude named Charles Rubio. He's a lawyer! Let's learn more about him.

Here he is! He's 28 and an associate at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy in New York. It says here that Charlie got his JD in 2007 from NYU, and got his BBA and BS at the University of Texas. A nice Southern boy. Cutler, 30, told Reliable Source that they met "randomly in a bar."

Update from Jessica: We e-mailed Charles, but she responded:

"Charles is working and I'm about to go do my Thxgiving shopping, [but] I want to respond! We met in March of this year. We sort of did everything backwards: He asked me if I wanted to have kids with him before he proposed. After asking my Dad for his blessing, we went to Cartier and he bought me a Love bracelet instead of a ring (because I tend to lose things). On the way home from the store, he formally proposed in Grand Central about a month ago.

24 redemption review

2008-11-24T07:48:00.000-08:00

My dad is so happy that Jack Bauer is back. I myself have never watched an episode of 24. I tried once, but found something better on. My dad thinks I am crazy for not loving the show 24 with Jack Bauer. He is always saying things like he is Jack Bauer. We are looking into homes for him right now.

Jack Bauer is back. For lots of 24 fans, that will be enough. Others, without giving Jack and 24: Redemption a chance, will toss it away as a typical, tired 24 story. Even though 24 hasn't been on FOX for nearly two years, after perusing some reviews of Redemption, it's clear that a great many critics are still bitter over the poor outing that was 24's season 6. That's fine – 24 should have to re-earn the trust of the audience. But, what can you expect out of a two-hour TV movie like 24: Redemption? I can't imagine it's much more that the 24 team has actually delivered with Redemption, a solid, workman-like tale of Jack Bauer in the fictional African nation of Sangala. Jack Bauer is Jack Bauer in 24: Redemption – heroic, sacrificial, bad ass. If that isn't enticement enough, you probably shouldn't be watching 24 in the first place.

24: Redemption picks up three or so years after the end of season 6. Jack has left the US to go find himself, make sense of his life. He's a rolling stone, and he doesn't ever want to go back home. He's currently living at a school for boys in Sangala, a fake African country (the movie was filmed entirely in South Africa). An old friend of Jack's, named Carl Benton (played by Robert Carlyle), started the school and Jack helps out in the upkeep. We soon learn that Jack has been dodging a subpoena for almost a year, and once Carl finds out, Jack makes plans to leave Sangala and keep moving. Meanwhile, a rebel Sangalese army is recruiting young boys from the area in preparation for a military coup. Jack and Carl have to save the boys at their school and get them to the US embassy before it's too late.

There is also a good portion of time spent in Washington, D.C. on the new president's election day. Mostly, the D.C. part of Redemption is meant to introduce us to characters integral to season 7 of 24, because nothing that happens in the capitol effects Jack Bauer's Sangalese plight. Which is fine – Jon Voight's Jonas Hodges is going to border on the edge of over-the-top as season 7's major baddie. His few scenes were drenched in sleaze.

But, to Jack. There are gunfights and machete impalings and torture and mine explosions. Jack yells and dispenses advice and feels sorry for himself. As a stand-alone movie, 24: Redemption isn't anything to write home about. It feels like a richly photographed episode of 24. The writers didn't really change their storytelling pace either. The objective, for Jack, is to get from Point A to Point B with kids in tow, and it gets no more complicated than that. The setting brings a lot to the table, and the child actors are impressive, natural and believable. Robert Carlyle is largely wasted, a very good actor who deserved more to do. He's a worthy partner to Bauer, and it would have been fun to see them work more as a team.

As an introduction to season 7, however, 24: Redemption works wonderfully. For fans, it's a nice way to ease back into the series and get re-acquainted with Jack. President Taylor is set up as a “good 24 president,” in a similar vein as the Palmer brothers, though the same likely cannot be said for some of her immediate family members.

24: Redemption isn't the cinematic triumph of a 24 story that some were hoping for. After about a half hour, I found myself with tempered expectations. The film would not have worked on the big screen, though it would have been right at home in the middle of a good 24 season. However, I now find myself very excited for season 7, which was the whole point of 24: Redemption in the first place. In that way, I think we can deem it a success.

Annie Lennox Honored at American Music Awards

2008-11-24T07:21:00.000-08:00

I will be honest. I have never heard of the American Music Awards till I saw that it was on last night. Doesn't mean anything though since Sundays I am usually watching the simpsons and family guy. I think it was awesome for them to honor Annie Lennox though. She is an amazing artist to say the least.

Annie Lennox picked up the Award Of Merit at the prestigious American Music Awards on Sunday (23 November 2008).

Lennox joins music legends Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney and Whitney Houston who have all collected the special award in the past.

To celebrate the accolade, Lennox, who has been through grueling physiotherapy over the past months – performed in an emotional show that had the crowd on their feet.

In August 2008 the former Eurythmics singer was diagnosed as suffering from an impinged nerve and has been going through physiotherapy to help her walk again.

Justin Timberlake presented the award to Lennox and had some nice things to say:

"The Award of Merit is being given tonight to an artist who means a lot to me personally. There are certain musicians that other musicians love, and she is one of those special artists, held in the highest regard by her peers”

"l love that she's always been on the cutting edge of fashion, she's always looked so so cool and taught us how to look cool. Then there's her humanitarian work. She's been an activist for just causes all over the world, mostly in silent ways that you've never even heard about. She does this from her heart, motivated purely by love."

The honoured Lennox said:

"It's been an incredible journey - music, my friends, my accompaniment through my life, so much of my life. Much of that was with Dave Stewart, of the Eurythmics and it is very important that I say half of the award goes to Dave also.

"Thank you so much for this. I never thought that I would live to see the day that I could be 53-years-old, standing on the stage and so many people have inspired me in this experience and too many to mention."

List of winners at the 36th annual American Music Awards:

Pop/Rock
Favorite Male Artist - Chris Brown
Favorite Female Artist - Rihanna
Favorite Band, Duo or Group - Daughtry
Favorite Album - Alicia Keys, 'As I Am'

Country
Favorite Male Artist - Brad Paisley
Favorite Female Artist - Taylor Swift
Favorite Band, Duo or Group - Rascal Flatts
Favorite Album - Carrie Underwood, 'Carnival Ride'
Soul/Rhythm and Blues
Favorite Male Artist - Chris Brown
Favorite Female Artist - Rihanna
Favorite Album - Alicia Keys, 'As I Am'

Rap/Hip Hop
Favorite Band, Duo or Group - Three 6 Mafia
Favorite Male Artist - Kanye West
Favorite Album - Kanye West, 'Graduation'

Adult Contemporary
Favorite Artist - Jordin Sparks

Latin Music
Favorite Artist - Enrique Iglesias

Alternative Rock Music
Favorite Artist - Linkin Park

Contemporary Inspirational
Favorite Artist - Third Day

Soundtracks
Favorite Album - 'Alvin and the Chipmunks'

T - Mobile Favourite Breakthrough Artist
Jonas Brothers

Mel Gibson Hit with Divorce?

2008-11-22T18:30:00.000-08:00

What happened to this guy? He used to be the biggest and best movie star in the country if not the world. In fact we just introduced the Lethal Weapon series to our 13 yr old son. He thought they were great. I love almost all of his movies, and own a good part of them too. But this guy has hit the wall a few years back and now he just looks to be sliding lower and lower. Divorce might be the answer for a lot of people, and he might be a part of that, but they have a butt load of kids and hopefully if this rumor is true then they are thought of first.

Mel Gibson was once the biggest and most famous movie star on the planet, and completely untouchable in his fame. But for the last seven years, the only time Gibson has made headlines is for humiliating off screen antics and directing controversial films about ancient eras. For the last year or two, Gibson had pretty much escape any further embarrassment, mostly by doing little of consequence. Now, the latest public humiliation for Gibson is coming from the tabloids, which allege that Gibson's marriage is on the brink of divorce.

Tabloid reports have been building for the last few days that Gibson and his wife of 28 years, Robyn Moore, are about to divorce. Since the couple never signed a pre-nup, a divorce would put Gibson's entire fortune up for grabs, a fortune worth over $900 million dollars.

The rumors swirled with recent photos linking Gibson to a 28-year-old singer from Russia named Oksana. Reports also had them together while Gibson was shooting his new film Edge of Darkness, his first acting role in seven years.

With divorce as well as infidelity rumors created, Gibson's rep called the New York Daily News to deny each of the reports. Another source went to the National Enquirer to say that Gibson's wife had previously threatened him with divorce if she was embarrassed by his behavior one more time.

Gibson had been making a second career out of embarrassing himself and his loved ones in public in the middle of the decade, with his infamous drunken arrest and anti-Semitic slurs. Directing the movies The Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto also contributed to Gibson's slide from the A list.

Though they each made money, especially The Passion, the incredibly excessive violence of both films and the controversial negative characterization of the Jews in The Passion brought Gibson extreme backlash in some circles.

The off screen incidents further hurt Gibson's image, as he went from the most famous star in the world to being largely forgotten about and mocked in the last few years. Edge of Darkness is the first time since 2002's Signs that Gibson has headlined a movie as an actor.

The new divorce rumors for Gibson may be false, though they are easier to believe due to Gibson's past behavior. Despite the fact that it is the National Enquirer making these claims, the notorious tabloid can no longer be so easily dismissed after they were right about John Edwards' infidelity.

Now any semi-serious claim that the National Enquirer makes has to be taken more seriously, at least to some extent. Therefore, it is a worse time than usual for Gibson to be hit with divorce rumors from the National Enquirer.

Sources

New York Daily News- "Side Dish: Mel Gibson denies marriage on the rocks"
www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2008/11/20/2008-11-20_side_dish_mel_gibson_denies_marriage_on_.html

Flint rapper MC Breed dies at 36

2008-11-22T17:30:00.000-08:00

It always sucks when someone dies. And it always sucks when someone dies in the entertainment industry, because they were able to share their talent with the world. It alwyas sucks when ANYONE dies as young as that. The good thing though is he dies of realy causes, not one that has to do with lead being introduced into his body.

Influential Flint rapper MC Breed, who was one of the first Midwest rappers to emerge onto the national hip-hop scene, has died, his manager has confirmed to The Detroit News. Breed was 36.

Breed, who scored a hit with his 1991 lo-fi classic "Ain't No Future in Yo' Frontin'" and later collaborated with a young Tupac Shakur, was found dead on Saturday at a friend's home in Ypsilanti, according to Darryl Morris, Breed's manager. No further details were available as of press time.

Breed, whose given name was Eric Breed, had recently been wrestling with health issues and was admitted to a hospital in his adopted home of Atlanta in September after suffering from kidney failure, according to reports. The rapper was put on life support, according to reports, and had only 30 percent functionality of his kidneys. Plans were put in place to throw a benefit concert for the rapper to raise money for his medical bills, but they were put on hold when his condition seemed to improve.

Breed's biggest hit was "Ain't No Future in Yo' Frontin'," from his 1991 debut album, "MC Breed&D.F.C." The song sampled Zapp's "More Bounce to the Ounce" and the Ohio Players' "Funky Worm" and found Breed not only bragging about his hometown of Flint but also stating his goals for the highest office in the land. "If I was the President, then I would state facts," he rapped, "you leave it up to me, I'll paint the White House black."

Breed bolstered his cred when he collaborated with Shakur on "Gotta Get Mine," the lead single from his third album, 1993's "The New Breed." The song came just as Shakur was just starting to earn his bad-boy-of-rap reputation, and it reached No. 6 on Billboard's Hot Rap Singles chart.

Over the course of his nearly 20-year career, Breed also worked with Too $hort, the D.O.C., Warren G and more. While never achieving full-fledged mainstream success, Breed was respected in hip-hop circles for his work ethic and his lucid, scratchy-voiced flow.

He recorded 13 albums, and released an album a year between 1991 and 2001. His final album, "The New Prescription," was released in 2004.

Detroit rapper Trick Trick says he looked up to MC Breed.

"I salute him for everything he did," Trick said Saturday. "It was good to see him break out of Flint. It gave a lot of us hope, like, 'We can do this, too.'"

Breed's career cooled considerably in recent years, and he spent eight months in prison for a parole violation that was a result of unpaid child support. In April, a Flint judge sentenced him to 60 days in jail as a result of owing more than $200,000 in unpaid child support to three different women.

Karolina Kurkova's missing belly button'

2008-11-21T17:08:00.000-08:00

I think she is really hot with or without her belly button. I don't think I would look at it very much even if she did have one.

A new discovey has surfaced regaring one of the Victorias Secret Supermodels - that she has no belly button! VS reps have confirmed that Karolina Kurkova indeed has no belly button, and that one is installed using photo editing whenever her odd mid-section is photographed.

A new discovey has surfaced regaring one of the Victoria's Secret Supermodels - that she has no belly button! VS reps have confirmed that Karolina Kurkova indeed has no belly button, and that one is installed using photo editing whenever her odd mid-section is photographed.

It takes a lot of things to be sexy – but apparently a belly button isn’t one of them.

E! entertainment television has just named supermodel Karolina Kurkova the sexiest woman in the world.

In earning the honor, the Czech-born beauty beat out fellow Victoria’s Secret models Giselle Bundchen, Adriana Lima and Heidi Klum, who placed fourth, sixth and seventh on the list, respectively.

“Karolina is flattered to have been named Sexiest Woman in the World by E!” a rep for the model told AccessHollywood.com. “As she delves into the motion picture industry with her upcoming role in ‘G.I. Joe,’ she appreciates the support E! has given her.”

Kurkova will play the role of Cover Girl in Paramount’s upcoming “G.I. Joe.”

Dubbed by E! as, “she of the mysterious belly button,” much has been made of Kurkova’s noticeably smooth – almost invisible – navel.

According to the model’s rep, Kurkova does not have a belly button, due to an abdominal operation as an infant.

Buzz over Kurkova’s unique abdomen began to build recently, following a Victoria’s Secret photo shoot in Miami, which featured the 24-year-old model in a bikini and sporting a seemingly absent navel – a departure from some of her shoots in the past, which have showed her with a navel.

Kurkova’s rep confirmed her lingerie and swimsuit photos are often altered to include an image of a navel – a practice that the rep said is typical in the industry when needed.

Belly button or not, there’s no denying Kurkova’s sex appeal – and her success speaks for itself, as Forbes has ranked her as one of the world’s highest-paid models.

And while Kurkova has been dubbed sexy, she has her own idea of what sexy really means.

“A guy who’s not afraid to cry or be vulnerable and show his softer side,” she told AccessHollywood.com in a previous interview.

Second place on E!’s sexiest list went to Israeli model Bar Rafaeli, who has been linked to Leonardo DiCaprio.

Coming in third was Angelina Jolie, while Tom Brady’s babe, Bundchen, finished fourth and Scarlett Johansson rounded out the top five.

The complete top 10 of E!’s Sexiest Women In The World:

1. Karolina Kurkova
2. Bar Rafaeli
3. Angelina Jolie
4. Gisele Bundchen
5. Scarlett Johansson
6. Adriana Lima
7. Heidi Klum
8. Penelope Cruz
9. Manuela Arcuri
10. Shakira

Nude Louisa Tuck, Crystal Gunns Topless Photo

2008-11-21T10:10:00.000-08:00

Man I said it before and I will say it again. Where were these girls when I was in school. At least none of the kids ratted her out. Like in these other cases.

Louisa C. Tuck, a.k.a. 'Crystal Gunns', is a teacher's aide who has recently come under fire for her pornography video past.

Louisa Tuck, an aide at the D'Ippolito Elementary School in Vineland, New Jersey, has come under fire recently after her adult film past was discovered by school officials.

Tuck, who used the identity 'Crystal Gunns' for her adult film past, insists that she is not a bad person, and that even President-elect Barack Obama has done crack:

"If this is about morality, our President-elect has admitted to doing crack, and he's our President. Does that make him a bad person? Bill Clinton smoked pot. Does that make him a bad person?" Tuck questioned.

While Tuck's past may be 'flawed', the New Jersey Board of Education's legal advisers have cautioned against firing Tuck - because there is no legal basis for doing so.

Tuck, who is Italian and Puerto Rican, is 32-year-old. She had breast implants some years ago and went from a B cup to a 36 FF.

Prince William Penis Photos

2008-11-20T16:27:00.000-08:00

Me being a guy I am not all that interested in seeing another mans penis, but since he is royalty I might take a peek. They might have to start asking if they have Prince William in a can!

Prince William’s penis! Say it ain’t so! The Prince got caught with his pants down and now the world is crashing sites all over trying to get a glimpse at his royal goods!

So far a few sites have photos and or video of the Royal Wiener. Naturally, we can’t show the pictures here, but with some searching you can find the sites that do, if they haven’t crashed yet. It seems people are very interested in the Prince’s anatomy. This site has a video of the Prince’s penis, but you have to wait a minute for it to load.

Apparently paps were able to get the money shot of Prince William’s penis while he was taking a leak during his polo match! I wonder what the Queen will say about this.

In other less scandalous Prince William news, rumor has it that he is the reason between Paris and Benji’s split. But I am choosing to believe that he has better taste that that.

A Nervous John Mayer Meets Jen's Father John Aniston and Family

2008-11-20T12:10:00.000-08:00

I wonder if they brought up Brad Pitt in their first conversation. Boy to be a fly on the wall in that room. John Aniston was of course on the daytime drama Days of our lives. My grandmother never missed an episode of that. I never got in to the daytime soaps myself. Then again I am always at work when they are on.

Another relationship milestone for Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer — he's met her dad!

The meeting took place on Wednesday at Beverly Hills Hotel's posh Polo Lounge, where John broke bread with 75-year-old Days of our Lives star John Aniston and his second wife, Jen's stepmom Sherry Rooney, plus another older couple. So how did the ever-cool singer do on the dad test? Despite being so nervous that he compared it to "auditioning for Dancing with the Stars," he seemed to be a hit.

"Jen's dad seemed very impressed with John and the two got on real well," an onlooker tells Star.

Dressed in a tank dress and heels, Jen sat next to John — who donned a collared shirt and sweater for the event — in the corner booth. Even though the two sat directly across the table from her dad, "they couldn't keep their hands off each other," an eyewitness tells Star. "Jen was constantly rubbing his hair and John was rubbing her back, then every so often they would steal a kiss. They both looked very happy and very much in love."

Adds another onlooker: "John and Jen held hands under the table. She would put her arm around him and he would reach up and grasp her hands. But John was fidgeting and texting under the table looking a bit nervous."

After starting with a round of cocktails, John and Jen shared a salad, followed by a fish entree. She was even seen feeding him a vegetable off her fork. As for the conversation — led by Jen's step mom, who was much chattier than Jen's dad — it ranged from music to... Tom Hanks.

"John spent a lot of time talking about his music philosophies — why certain decades have better music," says the eyewitness. "He discussed his experiences with Aretha Franklin and made a joke about Tom Hanks."

His nerves showed when Jen hit the powder room. John charmingly asked the table: "How am I doing?" Then cracked, "I am a wreck." Everyone laughed and Jen's stepmom, whom Jen referred to as "mom" throughout dinner, said, "Should we get our score cards out? Like on Dancing With the Stars?" John replied: "Exactly. It feels like Dancing with the Stars."

When Jen returned, her stepmom outed John for being nervous and told Jen that he said it felt like he's on an audition for Dancing with the Stars. Jen laughed and rubbed his thigh.

After the momentous get-together, all three couples left together through the front of the hotel.

Julie Donaldson Sports Reporter Exposed?

2008-11-20T08:38:00.000-08:00

Saweet I love when these things come out. It gives me something to search for on the internet late at night when I am at home. And don't kid yourself these tapes and photos would not be in the news and media without their prior knowledge. They are hoping for their 15 minutes of fame when something like this happens.

By Mary Browning
Nov 20, 2008

Sports Reporter Julie Donaldson has a sex tape floating around. According to a man accused of hitting the woman at a party there are photos and a tape floating around. If you haven't quite caught up to speed yet the story is a wild one and Ivan Lattimore (the man that claims he took the video and pictures of the former beauty queen) is in jail.

Julie Donaldson Sex Tape?

Here's the scoop on Julie Donaldson from a website that keeps up with all of the beautiful women that cover the world of sports as reporters from the sidelines. "From what I can tell, blonde sports reporter Julie Donaldson went from covering the Heats in Miami to covering the Mets in New York to covering the Sox in Boston."

***

Donaldson is a graduate of the University of Florida and a former beauty queen. Donaldson went on to co-hostSports Rap on FOX Sports Net Florida. Donaldson has also co-hosted “Softball 360″ on FOX Sports Net National, as well as on Information Television Network co-hosting the PBS series Healthy Body Healthy Mind.

See her photos and video here. The details of the court case are wild, and the Boston media has been all over the story as it has developed including a scene in the courtroom where Ivan Lattimore tried to steal the tape.

McKey Aullivan Wins 'America's Next Top Model'

2008-11-19T19:05:00.000-08:00

I have watched a few of these shows with my wife and I have to say. For a show that is full of models. I am disappointed. I thought the girls would be a whole lot better looking. Don't get me wrong some of them are gorgeous, but there are a few that I wouldn't even think about dating if they were interested in me. Of course I say that now without them standing right in front of me. Some of these girls look like they need a cheeseburger bad though.

She entered the competition only knowing a boxing pose, but former tomboy Brittany "McKey" Sullivan learned enough on the 11th cycle of "America's Next Top Model" to box out the competition, winning over blonde Samantha Potter in the final runway competition in Amsterdam.

"I'm so proud of myself right now," she declared, after embracing host Tyra Banks and lifting her off the ground.

A girl who grew up as a tomboy, McKey, 19, of Lake Forest, Ill. ended up as top model after an ability to bend her body literally backwards for great pictures.

In the final runway competition, she attacked the unusual course and struck poses that rose her above Samantha, 18 of Woodland Hills, who looked a bit more worried about the course's ramps and strairs.

"She didn't just serve dress," Tyra said of McKey, "she served face".It was a course that put new meaning into the word runway. It was all the making of Jay Manuel, who brought out for the show last cycle's winner Whitney but also Ananda, a winner from Holland's Next Top Model. (She was available locally).The two finalists Samantha and McKey had to run of a giant hot pink hill in order not to fall backward. McKey was better at it than Samantha, who seemed (rightfully) uneasy at the impossibly treacherous runway.

Earlier, the other model in the final three, Analeigh Tipton, 19, of Sacramento, was eliminated despite her high fashion pictures, for a commercial look in person that coldn't deliver on the commercial she shot. Seemed weird that Tyra were criticizing her face.

As winner, McKey wins a contract with Elite model management, a spread and cover for Seventeen magazine, and a $100,000 contract with covergirl.

Deborra Lee Furness is Hugh Jackman's Wife

2008-11-19T14:35:00.000-08:00

All I have to say is thank you for taking Hugh off the market. Now maybe I will be able to play a more level playing field. Nah probably not, plus I am married anyways. She on the other hand might be jealous. I bet deborra lee furness is one of the happiest people in the world right now after her hubby Hugh Jackman was named the sexiest man alive.

Raise your hand if you're a wee bit jealous of Deborra Lee Furness. There's no shame in wishing that you too were the wife of Hugh Jackman, people magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive." And Deborah Lee Furness is not just lucky because he's super sexy. Deborah is not just arm candy. Hugh Jackman and wife have had a long lasting fairy tale romance.

Deborra Lee Furness and Hugh Jackman have been man and wife much longer than most Hollywood couples. Twelve years is almost unheard of when it comes to Hollywood romances. But Hugh and Deborra met one another in April of 1996 on the set of the Australian TV show Correlli in 1996 and never looked back.

Not jealous yet? Well did you know that Jackman and Furness' relationship began with something close to love at first sight? Hugh Jackman has frequently told the press that he was so in love with the beautiful Deborra Furness that he made plans to marry her three months after they met. And this cute couple has adopted two children, Oscar Maximillian who is 8 and Ava Eliot who is 3.

No one is surprised that Hugh Jackman's smoking hot good looks and rugged masculinity won him People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive". But his loving relationship with Deborra Lee Furness undoubtedly tipped the scales. And the apple of his eye is also a star in her own right. Deborra Lee Furness is currently filming the move Blessed, and has credits as an actress, director and producer.

Which might explain why Furness is so comfortable with her husband's sexy status. During an interview with People Magazine, Deborra jokingly referred to Hugh Jackman's muscular frame as "The Body of Doom". But then said that she liked what was inside better. And who wouldn't? Deborra says her hubby makes pancakes for her and the little ones, and sings love to her when they're together at home.

Hugh Jackman and Deborra Lee Furness have the type of romance that dreams are made of. They are both hot and successful, likely candidates for "Sexiest and most Nauseatingly Romantic Couple Alive".

Sources: Hugh Jackman: The Sexiest Man Alive, People Magazine

gil grissom leaving 'CSI'

2008-11-19T06:10:00.000-08:00

I know I have stopped watching this show since most of the main characters have been getting killed off. But now that Gil Grissom is leaving the show because he wants to purue other thing, which makes total sense to me, is leaving, I am sure probably never to watch the show again. I think they could of done better than Laurence Fishbourne. I am still deciding whether or not to take the red pill, when I think of him.

Los Angeles, California--Television's highest-rated drama could lose a lot of its fans when its star leaves.

A new poll from America Online found more than a third of the people who watch "CSI.: Crime Scene Investigation" say they'll stop tuning in after the departure of William Petersen, who plays night shift supervisor Gil Grissom.

Petersen is scheduled to leave the popular crime drama midway through the season. "CSI" is currently in its eighth year.

While 37 percent of fans said they wouldn't watch once Petersen leaves the show, another 41 percent said it depended on how good his replacement Laurence Fishburne proved.

Ashley Dupre on 20/20

2008-11-18T19:25:00.000-08:00

Hopefully they will ask the important questions that everyone wants to know...How Much? Does she give out discounts? Group Rates? hmm.... It seems to me that someone wants to try and extend her 15 minutes of fame. Maybe she is hoping to nab another politician that is in the market for a new escort. Only time will tell. I will probably not watch this myself, but find it on youtube later. If I even remember.

As reported - pretty much everywhere by now - Ashley "Luv Guv" Dupre will be on "20/20" this Friday, as part of that on-going Diane Sawyer series on prostitution. But for some reason, ABC has withheld the official announcement...until now.

Here it is:

"A Diane Sawyer exclusive: In her first television interview, Ashley Dupre, the woman at the center of the scandal involving former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, speaks candidly about what life as a high-end escort is like, how an upper middle-class, girl next door got into the profession and the psychological journey she continues to experience. The interview is a continuation of Sawyer’s recent and extensive reporting on prostitution that was the basis for an in-depth look at the profession, which aired in March of 2008."

OK, let's parse this: You'll notice that no where here does it actually imply that this will be an interview about the actual scandal, so one is left to wonder: Is Dupre even asked about Spitzer? A so-called "conditional" interview would be almost unthinkable, but I wonder why ABC doesn't at least say or suggest Spitzer comes up in the interview? Questions, questions...We'll have answers soon. Maybe.

Mickey Mouse Birthday is Todaye

2008-11-18T06:20:00.000-08:00

Mickey Mouse Birthday should be celebrated seeing as he is 80 years old today, Mickey Mouse was created in 1928, November 18. This is a very special birthday that we should all celebrate because he is an icon and has made Disney the most popular character in history.
The first time Mickey Mouse was seen by audiences was the performance of the film “Steamboat Willie” which starred none other than Mickey. Now 80 years on he has grown to be the most iconic figure in America, millions of children and indeed adult love Mickey and our best place we love to see him is at Disney Theme Parks.
Mickey Mouse has given us big smiles and indeed tears of happiness and this is why we should all sit back and say “Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse”, we all love you, happy 80th young mouse

Mary Delgado Arrested

2008-11-17T19:07:00.000-08:00

I would say how the mighty have fallen, but Mary Delgado wasn't that mighty. But it looks like another reality TV star (at one time) has been busted. I have noticed a lot more "celebrities" have been arrested since reality TV has grown so much. I think it all has to do with the people who can't let the spotlight go and see their 15 min of fame fading so they are trying to do whatever they can to stay in the news. Even if that means ending up in the slammer for 24 hours.

Article Below

Mary Delgado may have been lucky in love while she was a contestant on The Bachelor, but she obviously doesn't have the same luck with the law. Delgado, a former NFL cheerleader and the winner of the 6th Season of The Bachelor was arrested this Saturday for the second time in less than a year.

Delgado who hooked pro-Bass fisher Byron Velvick, during the 6th Season of The Bachelor was arrested for unruliness on Saturday in Del Rio, Texas for refusing to leave Lorina's Cantina, a local bar. Despite Delgado's claim that it was her “constitutional right” to remain at the bar as long as she pleased, Delgado was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct, public intoxication, and resisting arrest.

On her way to the Val Verde Correctional Facility, Mary Delgado took out her frustration on the officers and police car. Police alleged that Delgado was loud and belligerent and that she kicked the radio inside the police cruiser. Delgado only remained at the Correctional Facility for about an hour, before her Bachelor Byron Velvick posted her bail.

You'd think Byron Velvick might know better than to bail out Mary Delgado, as Delgado's last trip to jail was for assaulting him. Late last November, Delgado and Velvick were reliving the romantic way they met, by watching The Bachelor's eleventh-season After The Final Rose special. Maybe something on the show brought up bad memories for the couple, as Velvick demanded to leave the condominium the couple was watching the show and Delgado demanded that they stay.

After arguing the couple left the condominium, only to continue and escalate the argument in Velvick's truck. The disagreement took a turn to the physical, resulting in Mary Delgado slapping her hard-won man in the mouth. The upper left side of Byron's lip was split by the force of the slap, while Velvick went inside to clean up his bloodied lip. While tending to his wounds, Velvick decided to call police and despite insisting he didn't want to press charges, Mary Delgado was arrested and charged with domestic battery. Velvick who insisted that photos were not taken of the injury inflicted by his cheer-leading fiancé, dropped the charges against Delgado. Just like this weekend's incident, alcohol was said to be a factor in the assault.

The most amazing part of this story, isn't that a reality TV star was arrested-but rather, that after all this Byron Velvick and Mary Delgado are still together and still plan to marry. If the couple does go through with the wedding, hatched on reality TV, we hope they go the route of Trista and Ryan and get married on TV. Sounds like the reception, as long as the champagne is flowing, could turn out to be must-see-TV.

wanda sykes has a wife

2008-11-17T10:20:00.000-08:00

I don't really see the big problem with this. It is not like Wanda Sykes hide it that well if you look at her very closely in all of her shows. I think you should be proud to be gay if you are as well. There should be no reason to hide it. Well there shouldn't be anyways. But anyways...

Not only is Wanda Sykes gay, she's married. Comedian Wanda Sykes decided to come out at a rally against Proposition 8. She let the audience know that not only was she gay, she was also married.

Sykes, who stars in the Sick and Tired Comedy Tour, took to the stage and addressed the issue of same sex marriages.

"I'm proud to be a woman, I’m proud to be a black woman, and I’m proud to be gay," she said.

"When my wife and I leave California, I want to have my marriage also recognized in Nevada, in Arizona, all the way to New York," she said.

Miley Cyrus Is NOT Dead

2008-11-16T15:12:00.000-08:00

I don't understand how people would do this. There are literally millions of fans and most of them aren't even teenagers. I will repeat it though that Miley Cyrus Is NOT Dead. I bet more than one fan was crying when they first heard the fake news on this.

Hackers have broken into Miley Cyrus’s Official YouTube account. They have posted a video and stated, “Miley died this morning after being hit by a drunk driver. She always told us if anything ever happened to her then tell her loyal fans first before the public. R.I.P Miley, we’ll never forget you!”

According to a statement by the President of Hollywood Records, “This Is The President Of Walt Disney Records And I Can Honestly Say That Miley Cyrus AKA Hannah Montana Is Not Dead And She Is Currently In New York City Doing The Final Episode Of TRL. We Are Doing Our Best To Find Out Who This Hacker Is. Thanks You For Your Concerns Miley Fans”

ghost whisperer jim dies

2008-11-14T19:03:00.000-08:00

My dad loves this show and probably just finished watching it. I myself never even tried to watch it, but I cant understand a lot of people being mad over the killing of one of the main characters. It is one of the main things that I think kills the show in the long term. But since the show is about ghosts then maybe he won't be gone for very long and still be apart of it. You will just be able to see through him now.

Kill a beloved character, and fans will grumble -- loudly and in big numbers. "Ghost Whisperer" learned how deeply the audience cares about Jim (David Conrad) after he died in last week's episode.

Don't be disheartened, say executive producers for the CBS drama.

"Jim did get killed," Kim Moses said Friday. "He did get shot. But that's not where the show lives and breathes, and that's not what we're dwelling on. 'Ghost Whisperer' is about hope." She promised that the hope viewers are seeking will come in next week's episode. (The drama continues at 8 tonight on WKMG-Channel 6.)

Conrad is not leaving the supernatural show, and he embraced the acting challenge of playing a dead man, Moses added.

"Everybody loves the chemistry that he and Jennifer Love Hewitt have," Moses said. "We've realized we want to give their relationship more screen time."

In fact, she said "Ghost Whisperer" will turn up the romance between Jim and his living wife, Melinda (Hewitt). "This is about hope. Very few people get a second chance at true love," Moses said.

But what does the show say to fans unhappy that Jim is dead? Despite sci-fi and paranormal elements, the show is also a mystery, executive producer Ian Sander said. "All I can say to them is you must turn the page and see where this mystery is going if you want to be satisfied," he said. "All you saw at the end of last week's episode was a page in the mystery." Sander said he hoped the mythology of the Jim-Melinda romance will keep viewers coming back.

Damon Dash Is Broke

2008-11-14T14:25:00.000-08:00

Doesn't look good for this hip-hop mogul if you ask me. Then again Donald Trump has filed bankruptcy more than once in his career and he seems to be doing just fine. Just don't look at this hair. It looks like it is going to be a long recession even for some of the once richest people in the entertainment industry. He could very easily be the first of many if people aren't smart with their millions of dollars. Or you have wives who go and spend it all.

It seems nobody is safe from the economic decline over the past couple years. Superproducer Scott Storch has had his fair share of financial problems, and it's long rumored that hip-hop mogul Damon Dash is experiencing his own as well.

The New York Daily News reports that Dash has being targeted by lawyers, lenders and landlords in Manhattan Supreme Court who want their money.

Dash has gone from owing several companies including shoe company Keds and Armadale Vodka, to dodging his bills. This is a man who in 2005 sold his stake in Rocawear to Jay-Z for $22 million, and even proclaimed himself a "cake-a-holic." Looks like his cake is running low these days.

"I've worked with musicians, artists and entertainers that, in the eyes of the media, are very wealthy," lawyer Jason Gabbard, who represented a fashion firm that settled a suit against Dash and his wife over $148,505 in unpaid fees, told the paper. "But to borrow a phrase from my Kentucky homeland, they haven't got a pot to piss in -- they're broke."

According to the paper, this week a Manhattan judge ordered the city to seize Dash's Chevrolet Tahoe, because he hasn't been making the $714 monthly payment.

The lawsuit comes on the heels of one in August from Eastern Savings Bank, who foreclosed on two of Dash's homes. The once powerful music mogul owed $7.3 million on two Tribeca condos, after Dash and his wife Rachel Roy failed to make their $78,500 mortgage payments for several months.

Dash also faces an outstanding $2.1 million tab with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, a $4,500 bill from the state for not paying workers' comp, and a suit that says he stiffed a law firm that handled his child-custody case.

In 2006, he told New York magazine that he had his own butler, and bragged that he was worth "about $50 million."

The Daily News sent emails to Dash's camp, but the mogul did not respond. His spokesperson told the paper that Dash "won all of his lawsuits."

Despite the claims, the paper digged up court records that show Dash settled two suits accusing him of not paying rent on two Manhattan offices, as well as suits charging that he owed money to fashion designer Charlotte Ronson, the fashion firm Showroom Seven, and a security company that guards celebs.

Anna Paquin True Blood

2008-11-14T14:17:00.000-08:00

I was reading this and the funniest thing came to my mind. I have no idea what True Blood is. I would of thought it would be a video game, but reading more into it, it's not. Boy was mt face red. So I mentioned it to one of my friends and they made me feel very dumb about not knowing about it. He has been following it for awhile now I guess and couldn't believe I haven't ever heard about it.

BY TERRY MORROW

'Come in here and show them your teeth,'' actress Anna Paquin yells into another room.

Actor Stephen Moyer walks in, a bit perplexed about why she wants him to open his mouth to a room of strangers. Then she giggles and asks him again to bare his fangs.

And he does.

''See,'' she says, smiling. ''He does have them.''

As the star of HBO's vampire drama, ''True Blood,'' airing at 8 p.m. Sundays, Paquin thinks her co-star's pointy real-life canine teeth are cool. They are long and sharp like a vampire's would be. Strangers might find them a bit disconcerting, especially since Moyer plays a vampire on ''Blood.''

It's part of Paquin's charm to flirt. She can be playful and silly but rarely inappropriate or shameless. She still loves to talk about acting, with the same vigor of a young artist although she's played the Hollywood game more than half her life.

Despite her world travels, she still comes across as a bit of an innocent.

At 26, she's no longer the little girl audiences discovered in 1993's ''The Piano,'' for which she won an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. After a few high-profile period pieces (such as HBO's ''Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee'') and a big movie franchise (Rogue in the ''X-Men'' movies), she's grown up. Unlike many actresses who had careers as children, Paquin doesn't feel a need to declare to the world she's an adult.

''I never did kids films,'' she says. ''I was a kid in [serious] films most of my life. It wasn't as if I had to overcome this cute-kid-with-dimples thing.''

As Southern barmaid Sookie Stackhouse on ''True Blood,'' Paquin says she's found an unconventional woman.

Sookie is intrigued by and attracted to the town's first resident vampire, a Civil War veteran named Bill (played by Moyer). She doesn't fear his sharp teeth. In fact, she loves to look at them. Her flirting with this mystery man causes her neighbors' jaws to drop.

''I love how hopeful she is," Paquin says. "I love how, despite whatever happens to her, she's still an optimist and a romantic.''

Scripps Howard News Service

Gloria Estefan come out with cookbook

2008-11-14T12:24:00.000-08:00

I wonder if I come out with a cookbook can I get national exposure too. I don't know about how much of these recipes are actually heres. But I am sure it will be a popular book in some areas of the country. Maybe I can just copy a bunch of recipes out of the Betty Crocker cookbook and claim them as my own like Screech in Save by the Bell.

Gloria Estefan is set to become the latest pop star to release a cookbook.
The singer and husband Emilio have poured over generations of family recipes for the new book of Cuban cuisine, called Estefan Kitchen.
In a recent interview, Estefan revealed the family eats simply at home, preferring meals of rice, chicken, salad and flan for dessert, but the new book is all about fancy Cuban treats.
She tells PeopleEnEspanol.com, "My grandmother was an amazing cook who would do everything by sight or feel. A lot of times when I was watching her cook, I wanted to just grab her hand before she threw something into the pan to see how much she was putting in. I knew I wanted to be able to make the recipes myself someday."
Her grandmother's dream of running a restaurant inspired the pop star to become a restaurateur when she made her millions. Estefan and her husband own several top Florida restaurants.

Rebecca Willis gets $275K Payout

2008-11-14T05:21:00.000-08:00

This is crazy. I know you can sue for just about anything now a days, but I thought that the courts were starting to put a stop to it. But a woman is pretty much being rewarded $275,000 for simulating sex in a public community center.

Rebecca Willis, who was 56-years-old at the time, has been offered $275k to never return to the Marshall Depot Community Center in N.C.

Willis was seen at the center wearing a skirt so short, her underwear was exposed as she gyrated her hips and dirty-danced in public. So unless your in to that kinda thing it might not be that appealing to most amaericans. Unless of course there was an ederly tour that day. I am sure they got their money's worth that day.

Residents obviously became very uncomfortable when Willis would be seen simulating sex with her dance moves - and after several complaints, the town banned her from the center for life.

Katy Perry - Nipple Slip

2008-11-13T10:39:00.000-08:00

I think this is awesome myself. And to everyone who think Katy did this on accident is naive. Her name is going to be all over the news now and her album will sell like hotcakes.

Katy Perry suffered a wardrobe malfunction onstage - accidentally flashing her nipple to the crowd.

The I Kissed A Girl hitmaker was performing at the Fashion Cares fundraiser for the AIDS Committee of Toronto earlier this month nipple slip.

And it was during an energetic routine that the strap on Perry's dress snapped - leaving the star clutching at the garment as she carried on with the song. Shows a real professional too. Doesn't quit no matter what.

After nipping off stage to repair the dress, she gamely carried on with the rest of her set. I wonder is Playboy will make her an offer now?

Here comes Michaela Watkins, Abby Elliot to SNL

2008-11-13T10:18:00.000-08:00

Abby Elliott and Michaela Watkins have been made the new stars on the hit comedy "Saturday Night Live."

The two are expected to at least partly fill the void left by the recent departure of Amy Poehler, starting this Saturday Night.

Elliott is the daughter of actor Chris Elliott, who was on the show during the 1994-95 season.

Watkins, also of The Groundlings, recurs on CBS" "The New Adventures of Old Christine" this season.

Hopefully this will help them boost some ratings after som lackluster years as of late. Saturday Night Live used to be the jumping platform for up and coming stars such as Adam Sandler, David Spade, and of course Chris Farley just to name a few.

Paula Goodspeed commits suicide near Paula Abdul's House

2008-11-13T08:08:00.000-08:00

Paula Goodspeed's body found near Paula Abdul's home was a one-time "American Idol" contestant who, despite being ridiculed during her audition, maintained her infatuation with judge Paula Abdul. I bet you that the judges are going to go a little easier on the contestants now. I also bet they don't have one show dedicated to only the worst singers of the contest.

It was an apparent suicide. She was found Tuesday evening in her car, which was parked a few doors down from Abdul's Los Angeles home. Reuters reported that prescription pills, along with CDs and pictures of Abdul, were found in the car. She also had a photo of Abdul was hanging from the rear-view mirror.

The detective says that it looks to be an overdose.

Also Police were apparently familiar with Goodspeed, who may have been stalking Abdul. A law enforcement source told the Los Angeles Times that she was known to the LAPD's threat management unit, which investigates stalking cases.

It really is to bad that this happened for all parties involved.

Mitch Mitchell dies at 62

2008-11-13T06:24:00.000-08:00

It is a sad day in the world of Music today as Mitch Mitchell, the Drummer from the Jimmy Hendrix Experience has died at the age of 62. He died Wednesday in a hotel in Portland, Oregon.

The cause was unknown, said Bob Merlis, publicist for the tour.

Mitchell was one of two Englishmen in the Experience, the group that catapulted Hendrix to fame in the late 1960s.

When Mitchell was first hired, he was barely out of his teens but already an established session player with the Pretty Things and Georgie Fame.

Mitchell did not expect much is anything from the job.

"I'll give it a crack," he later remembered telling Chandler, who became one of Hendrix's managers. "I'll have a go for two weeks."

But led by Hendrix's explosive and rhapsodic style, the group revolutionized rock music and became an archetypal power trio.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience released three albums: "Are You Experienced" (1967), "Axis: Bold as Love" (1967) and "Electric Ladyland" (1968). Mitchell continued to play with Hendrix until his death in 1970.

After Hendrix died, Mitchell worked with the producer Eddie Kramer in completing the albums "The Cry of Love" and "Rainbow Bridge," and he long worked with Experience Hendrix, the company founded by Hendrix's father.

The Eagles Band

2008-11-13T04:31:00.000-08:00

I saw that the Eagles search was a popular trend for google users so I thought I would put up the a little information that I have found from Wikipedia.

The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California during the early 1970s.With five number-one singles and six number-one albums, the Eagles were one of the most successful recording artists of the decade. At the end of the 20th century, two of their albums, Eagles: Their Greatest Hits 1971–1975 and Hotel California, ranked among the ten best-selling albums according to the Recording Industry Association of America. The best-selling studio album Hotel California is rated as the thirty-seventh album in the Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and the band was ranked number 75 on the magazine's 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[1] They also have the best selling album in the U.S. to date with Eagles: Their Greatest Hits 1971–1975.[2][3]

The Eagles broke up in 1980, but reunited in 1994 for Hell Freezes Over, a mix of live and new studio tracks. They have toured intermittently since then, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

In 2007, the Eagles released Long Road out of Eden, their first full studio album in 28 years.

A lot more information can be found at wikipedia as well.

Youtube Live - Soulja Boy, Will.i.am, Akon

2008-11-13T04:26:00.000-08:00

Looks like Soulja Boy, Will.i.am, Akon will be on Youtube Live, to thanks all the users that have signed up for it over the years.

The world's most popular online video community, YouTube has prompted millions of people to watch and share their talents. With an increasing number of users, like everyone in the world, since its activation in 2005, YouTube has propelled aspiring artists to superstardom. I usually just use it to see people acting like idiots or searching clips of the office.

But in an effort to celebrate the success of the website and its users-turned-stars, YouTube Live is preparing to launch its first annual community celebration at San Francisco’s Herbst Pavillion in Fort Mason. The talent lineup of the event will include artists Will.i.am, Akon, Esmee Denters, and Soulja Boy. The event will honor buzzworthy videos from the site’s early days until today.

adrienne bailon Photos

2008-11-10T18:09:00.000-08:00

Looks like another Disney star is in the news again. And not the reason Disney wants. Racy photos of Adrienne Bailon has surfaced on the internet within the past fews days. Bailon says that the photos were meant for her boyfriend.

Supposedly the photos of her were on her laptop that got stolen from the airport. Bailon had to pay to get her laptop back and when Bailon got her laptop back she found that those photos in question were missing.

Now she is talking about sueing the person who extorted her in the first place. My question though is how does she know his name?