All For The Kids

The orange carpet was all a buzz this past weekend as the stars turned out for Nickelodeon's Annual Kids Choice Awards Saturday night. Miley Cyrus showed up with her peace sign in tow, Rihanna and Chris Brown once again denied that they are actually a couple and Cameron Diaz fit right in with the young crowd. Hosted by Jack Black and his many a green outfit, the most coveted prize of the night, the honor of getting slimed, went to Indiana Jones himself, Harrison Ford, as well as Pirates star Orlando Bloom.

America Ferrera shimmers in gold

Cameron Diaz was honored with the Wannabe Award (even better to her than winning the Big Burp Award the previous year)

Heroes star Hayden Panettiere is just that, a hero to her many young fans

Rihanna successfully pulling of yet another amazing outfit, look at those shoes, the hair!

Teen heartthrobs the Jo Bros give their fans something to swoon over

Miley Cyrus flashes the peace sign before rocking out to one of her hit songs later in the evening

Don McLeroy & "Crazy Chinese Words"

(photo: tfn.org)

The Texas State Board of Education recently issued a recommended reading list, which has been criticized for lacking diversity: Educators rip book list in English plan.

A draft of the curriculum, released Wednesday, includes more than 150 literary works that Texas public school teachers should consider using for their courses. Only four of them reflect the Hispanic culture, a woefully low figure they fear will limit the exposure of the state's 4.7 million schoolchildren to cultural diversity.

When confronted with criticisms, Board Chair Don McLeroy, who responded by saying:

"What good does it do to put a Chinese story in an English book?" he said. "You learn all these Chinese words, OK. That's not going to help you master... English. So you really don't want Chinese books with a bunch of crazy Chinese words in them. Why should you take a child's time trying to learn a word that they'll never ever use again?"

He added that some words -- such as chow mein -- might be useful.

Not if the child decides to get a tattoo later on, Don. Or the child might become U. S. Secretary of State, quotes what he/she thought was a Chinese proverb, and get his/her's ass laughed at by those "crazy Chinese" as well as late night comedy show host. All because he/she never read "those Chinese books with a bunch of crazy Chinese words in them".

If you would like to add your thoughts & comments about this matter, Mr. McLeroy's contact information is available at Texas State Board of Education website. It might helpful to drop a few "crazy Chinese words" like 閉門造車 in your comments.

Dustin Diamond (2008 Celebrity Fit Club: Boot Camp Appearance - Episode II)

Episode II - March 20, 2008The second episode of Celebrity Fit Club: Boot Camp began with the show's contestants riding on a bus at 6:50 AM out to the boot camp designed by drill instructor Harvey Walden. In the opening scene, this season's contestants expressed their fears about what was going to transpire as the day unfolded.Dustin Diamond, the primary focus of this episode recap, was

Ethan Suplee is Clear

Actor Ethan Suplee recently attested to the State of Clear.

He said, "I am saner and more rational."

Before Clear:

I'd decide "I want this …" and suddenly, I can't have it because of …. And there's this thing here that's better …. Suddenly it's a mess of "I don't know what I want" and "I don't know how to get it."

After achieving the State of Clear:

That doesn't happen now. So if I want something I can just go and get it. And I know with certainty that I want the right thing and I'm not going to mess myself up in the process of going after what I want. And that's amazing. Just knowing I'm not going to sabotage myself. I always sabotaged myself before, and now that's gone. It's not here anymore, and that is the coolest thing ever."

Audrina Patridge's Pork Fried Rice

Thanks to OK! magazine, Defamer, WWTDD & many others for bring this to my attention:





Ms. Audrina Patridge has recently got 豬肉油煎的米 tattooed on her forearm. It is unclear if the tattoo is genuine or some kind of publicity stunt.

However the tattooed phrase is not grammatically correct. What has been tattooed is direct translation from English word-per-word to Chinese of "pork; oil fried; rice grain".

If she wanted "pork fried rice", it should be 豬肉炒飯.

Tyler Durden has summed this up:

"...White people need to knock it off with the Chinese lettering tattoos. I'm a big fan of white people and being white is terrific, but we're kind of dumb, and the overwhelming majority of us don't know how to use Chinese... God only knows WTF she thinks it means. It turns out that guy [tattooist] isn’t an expert on Chinese. Shocking, yes?"

Trace Atkins and The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network

I watched Celebrity Apprentice and since I wanted Trace Atkins to win, I thought I would dedicate this column to him and the work he's doing on behalf of his daughter and her food allergies. If you're like me, you can listen to that man talk and sing for hours (isn't his voice awesome!) so if you're really truly listening, you'll hear how much help that the organization that is near and dear to his heart, The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, needs. For those of you who do not know, Trace's six-year-old daughter has severe food allergies.

He has said, "She’s allergic to all nuts, all dairy and eggs,” says Adkins. “It’s something we deal with and have to be vigilant about on a daily basis. We have to keep the Benadryl, the Epi-pen, all that stuff." (Check out the rest of the blog post here.) We need to spread the word about this condition and help the children who are afflicted. For those of you who can just grab anything you want to eat without thinking about what it is doing to your body, this is especially for you. Imagine how many labels they read and how much they have to do just to prepare a meal for their daughter. Imagine how scary it must be to live with that thought that she's eating something that can send her into anaphylactic shock. I have three healthy children and I can't imagine it.

So please check out this organization -- The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network -- and donate what you can. Help to spread the word. Buy Trace's new song and help contribute to the cause (the song makes me cry it's so beautiful). Let's help Trace out.

Hey Trace -- you should've won. One thing that Donald Trump failed to realize is that even though Piers raised the most money, nobody asked if any of the contestants would want to work with him regularly. I guarantee the answer would be no. That's the difference between you and Piers -- Piers can raise the money, agreed, but he is in no way qualified to be a boss that someone would want to work for every single day. Trace, thanks for showing the Brit how classy Americans really are (of course Omarosa is the exception to that! Please NO more of her!).

Lisa

Treehugger

I'm in the midst of finishing two major work projects and then this blog will be back in business. In the meantime, please check out these websites for some great information on being green and about Earth Day, this April 22nd.

www.treehugger.com
Earth Day

I was just recently named Green Building Correspondent for Multi-Housing News. I'm excited about this position as I'll report on what developers of apartment buildings/condos/coops/townhouses are doing to make their buildings more sustainable and "green."

Lisa

Piers Morgan is the Celebrity Apprentice

It's very gratifying to offer live blogging and have so many different locations appear in real time on our Live Feed. Heartfelt thanks to everyone who took a break from their busy Thursday night schedules to join Moan Quivers, virtual Hollywood correspondent, as she reported live from the red carpet.

Donald Trump and his progeny deserve a pat on the back for setting up and pulling off a live two hour show. This type of television is always risky. To their credit, the finale was an enjoyable romp showcasing major celebrities like the Duchess of York and Simon Cowell.

But the promos fell overboard, especially in light of the final delivery.

"Good v. Evil."

"U.S. v. U.K."

"Piers v. Omarosa."

"Trace v. The Backstreet Boys, a/k/a The BSB."

"Wheat grass juice and black fingernail polish v. Marlboro Man sensibilities."

To be fair, in some respects, the live finale lived up to the hype which is good because I don't think I could stomach another "pass the baton" sort of show, you know, that feeble attempt to rebrand with Martha Stewart going nowhere fast. The finale's taped segments about the two charities were terrific. And that's the meat of this celebrity version of the show, really, helping worthwhile causes. Trump's last minute money raising ideas, the texting and online auction, were delicious icing on the cake. Hopefully, the finale's success will translate into larger ratings for a second celebrity season.

But give me a break, everyone knows the show is loosely scripted, at least in part. The celebrities are superfluous fluff to attract an audience. With all the promos and build-up to the finale, couldn't they have peppered Ms. Manigault-Stallworth with better lines as a parting shot to Piers? Her drivel about not liking the unpopular winner because he didn't floss was a true waste of wind. Even Trump noticeably winced and chastised her for ending the show with something downright stupid.

Look, in the interests of fair disclousre, I'm not a fan of Omarosa. Not many people are. She's had her fifteen minutes as far as I'm concerned and hasn't done much with them since. If you're producing a show called The Celebrity Apprentice, then you have to expect your audience wants to see a battle between real celebrities. Obviously, the Trump organization has a soft spot in its heart for the woman it earnestly tried to launch into fame, but enough is enough. Let's hope the franchise doesn't repeat this mistake in season two.

If it's villains they're looking for, why not throw a bone to contentious down-and-out bona fide celebrities like Rosie O'Donnell? Talk about a show with the potential for big ratings. Now there's something worth tuning in for.

Live Blogging Live Two Hour Finale of The Celebrity Apprentice

Come one. Come all. For the conclusion of tonight's live Celebrity Apprentice two-hour episode, our virtual Hollywood correspondent, Moan Quivers, will be live blogging the show right here on this site. No tweets.

Join us at 8:55 p.m. EST this evening (approximately five and a half hours from now) as Moan gives a blow-by-blow report with commentary of the riveting face-off between bloated Brit Piers Morgan, and Marlboro Man crooner Trace Adkins. Promos have also promised a cameo appearance of Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth (a/k/a Stinkaroma) in the final boardroom.

It's U.S. v. U.K. Refresh this article as Moan provides the inside scoop.





8:56 p.m. Settling in with the big screen TV, a glass of diet root beer with ice, and the laptop. Moan Quivers here. Snarky commentary with a smidgen of reporting thrown in for good measure. It's the live two-hour season finale of The Celebrity Apprentice. Everyone here predicts Piers Morgan, the pompous British patootey, will emerge victorious.

The only thing is, we can't quite figure out what that means. Prestige? Money for charity? A trophy from The Donald? We're all about to find out.

9:05 p.m. - "We started with 14 celebrities and we're down to 2," says The Donald. Children, Donald, Jr. and Ivanka, weigh in with their two cents about who might win. Over a million dollars has been raised for the charities. The Donald says he is looking forward to the big fight. Pre-recorded portions of their battle now play. The live audience cheers as the walls of the board room are raised to reveal their presence.

9:08 p.m. - Trace Adkins is here to raise money for severe food allergies. Piers is raising money for "Intrepid Fallen Heroes." The Donald characterizes the fight as "Good v. evil, U.K. v. U.S."

On Trace's team is Lennox Lewis and Marilu Henner. Piers Morgan's team consists of Stephen Baldwin and Carol Alt. The Backstreet Boys will perform. But one of them wants wheat grass before the show. Trace acts like this is some kind of drug. He sniffs his nose at him and rolls his eyeballs.

Oh come on, Marlboro Man, wheat grass. It's good for you. Ever been to the health food store?

9:11 p.m. Off to commercial. Self-help yourself with Larry. An advertisement to quit your job and do what you like. Kind of like what I did when I took this virtual Hollywood correspondent's job. Having a blast but working for peanuts. What could be better?

9:12 p.m. And we're back. Text "Trump" to 30101 and help the charities for Trace and Piers. You'll donate a dollar to text and help raise money. Nice touch.

9:16 p.m. Piers is calling on favors. He contacts Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber and Fergie, Duchess of York for a prize or to bid for a prize. He's calling people he knows and people he doesn't really know at all. If I got a call for him, I'd probably laugh and hang up.

Aw, in the luxury van, Stephen compliments Piers for his fund raising skills. And Piers apologizes to Stevie B. if he has offended him. Yuk. It's bad enough these two lingered in a long handshake. It looked like, for a minute, Piers might lean over and kiss Baldwin like he did with Trace in the boardroom the episode Stinkaroma was fired. Thank goodness it didn't happen.

But now Trace is griping about the black fingernail polish he has to buy for one of the Backstreet boys. I never realized Trace was so out of it. I happen to love black fingernails, on men or women. Grow up!

9:20 p.m. Stevie B. has no friends. Of the 50 tickets Piers has to sell or give away, Baldwin is only able to bring in 5 people. Somehow, I can see why people stay away. Stevie B. may have an engaging smile, but that big gold cross on his chest, I know he's a minister and everything, but very ostentatious. Still, what about Piers's friends? Did they all drop off the face of the earth? And Carol? What? Not one of them knows anybody who can buy a ticket? Oy. This must be staged.

On to commercial.

9:23 p.m. And they're back. Before the last cut to commercial, they showed the boardroom. There was Stinky. All done up in a flashing pink suit. This time, she actually looked tasteful. Surprising. In all the other episodes, she looked like a common slut.

Remaining cool under pressure is crucial in business and in life, says the Donald. Roll the tape of past episodes.

9:27 p.m. Well, I called that one wrong. They're rolling tape of Trace under pressure for this final event. Trace says the pressure was due to the lack of time and need for more of it.

Aw, here's Trace's two little girls and his wife. Came out of nowhere. Wow! They are really pretty. Especially the 6-year old with the food allergy. The one he's trying to win money for. Just love their little fake chinchilla jackets. Do they have another one in size 12?

9:32 p.m. "Loaded celebrities means lots of money." This is Piers's mantra and the one he's teaching to the wait staff. Get everyone drunk. It's crucial.

The red carpet is out and people are starting to arrive. One of the "BSB" has "twisted his little knee," says Trace. He's still trying to find wheat grass juice and he needs to get something for the little BSB's knee. Trace says working with them has given himself more appreciation for himself. "Don't get me started on the BSB," Trace admonishes as the audience breaks out in loud applause.

"I've performed when my stomach was doubled over, had to go to the hospital, and they cut out 18 inches of my colon. But the BSB (Back Street Boys) won't perform because one of them doesn't have their wheat grass juice! Give me a break." Okay. Okay, Marlboro Man, we get it. You're a trooper. The BSB are not. Or maybe they're staging all of this for the show to get your gander up. Just stay cool. It will all be okay.

On to commercial.

9:36 p.m. And they're back.

Ticket sales. Auction sales. And overall, let's just see how they do. These are the criteria on which Piers and Trace will be judged. Trace is responsible for the band, the decorations, and party atmosphere. Piers is responsible for the auction.

Dean Samms, Eddie Montgomery, Ronnie Milsap, Trace's hommies are here. Nice. The Grand 'Ol Oprey and private people came from all over to show support and give Trace money. $5,000.00. $10,000.00. Trace may pull this off afterall.

9:42 p.m. Trace's item for the Super Bowl item sells for $18K. Once in a lifetime chance to enjoy royal tea with Fergie, Piers's item, sells for $100K - to the boss of Cantor Fitzgerald, who is standing there with members of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. A dinner with Trace Adkins sells for $6K to Ivanka, who loves Trace. A night with the Osbourne's and if over $50K, Ozzy will fly his band anywhere in the country to play - Piers's item - sells to the same Cantor Fitzgerald guy for $100K.

Now how do the pompous Brit and this nice Jewish boy go together? Personally, even though I usually love the British accent, every time Piers opens his mouth, I want to stuff a rag in it.

9:45 p.m. Somehow, some way, Simon Cowell is involved in the series finale event. They say he's going to bid big for the auction. And he's in the back pocket of Piers. Oh, the British. They'll do anything to make the cowboy look bad. But don't discount the money they stuck in the cowboy's pocket.

Ha! They just cut to the green room with all the fired contestants and Stinkaroma was the only one sitting there stuffing her face with food. That's right Omarosa, stuff yourself now. It's the last expensive food you're going to see for a while.

9:49 p.m. Lunch with Ivanka bid for $20K. Ooo - item for Piers - but....

Here's Simon. Appearing by phone from London - bidding $100K - he takes it away. Trace finds the whole thing distasteful. Can't blame him. That bloated pompous Brit, he's so full of himself. He's tooting his own horn about how good he is at fund raising. Can I kick him? I'd like to kick him in the pants.

The Backstreet Boys performance turns out to be pretty good. Even without the wheat grass juice. I still say the whole thing was a ruse. Dig the black fingernails.

9:53 p.m. Mmmmmm, as I sit here through the many commercials, I'm thinking that the decorations looked a little sparse. Who was in charge of that? Marilu? If I remember correctly, Lennox raced her through that. So, Trace's team may get graded down on the look of the party.

It wasn't that packed either. Plenty of room for people to mill about. Why didn't the celebs try selling tickets to normal people? They could have packed that place! What? The little people couldn't mingle with the "beautiful" people. Does anyone else find that offensive?

9:55 p.m. Howard Lutnick and other partners of Cantor Fitzgerald will be matching all text donations tonight in an amount up to $250K - split between both charities. Call people! Call! This is a good way to give money and be part of the show.

Erin Burnett and Jim Kramer were just introduced. I have no idea who they are. Not. Isn't one of them with that Mad Money show?

10:04 p.m. And they're back. In the boardroom. Ivanka mentions how Piers choosing Stevie B. for his team was risky since they didn't work so well together and Baldwin specifically asked not to work with him any more. The Donald mentions how Lennox jumped ship to go work with Trace. Piers mentions that makes total sense since Lennox is a laid back sort.

Oh - I'm not so sure about that. They should probably stick Piers in the ring with Lennox. He acts so tuff. I give him about 30 seconds with Lennox.

$64K v. $364K - for the auction items, Piers wins.

$38K v. $12K - for the ticket sales, Trace wins.

Simon and The Donald are friends. I think so much money came in from Simon, not because of Piers, but because Simon likes The Donald, and that Simon wanted to donate the money to charity. Piers always wants to make it all about him. This guy is the guru of self-promotion.

Okay. Okay. And now Piers and Trace are resenting one another. Gag. Piers wants Trace to take it back that he was somehow belittling Trace's donors. OMG! If looks could kill, I think Trace just gave Piers the death blow. Is it over now? Can we all go home?

10:07 p.m. Welcome back. Live. To the season finale of The Celebrity Apprentice.

10:10 p.m. Who was responsible for the food?" queries the Donald, "because I didn't see any."

"That was deliberate," said Piers. "To get everyone tipsy so that they would bid more at the auction."

Baldwin denigrates Piers for shaking money out of people by getting them drunk. Piers fires back.

"He's not the only Christian in the room. He doesn't have a monopoly on Christianity," laments Piers. The Donald makes fun of Piers for sweating and sweating a lot. The audience laps it up.

10:15 p.m. The Donald calls on Trace for his take on the "good v. evil" and the "good, the bad, and the ugly" theme of the show. "Who's the ugly?" baits The Donald. Luckily, no one points to any of the women. Lennox volunteers as the ugly, but he's soooooo wrong. Lennox is actually very hot. And a good dresser.

Trace says that there have been times when Piers treated people in a questionable manner. For that reason, he's the better person to be the Celebrity Apprentice.

Piers defends himself by saying that he's playing a business game, not a popularity game. Piers says he's done the best by raising more money. He's in it for the money. He's in it for making the event the best. I suppose Piers is not so bad after all. He is, after all, doing this for charity. How can you not like someone who goes to all these lengths for charity?

"This is tough," says The Donald. "This is the toughest thing I've had to do in a long time. Get Piers and Trace ready! I'm ready to choose."

Eh....the whole thing is a crock. Celebrity apprentice? What's the apprentice part? I'm all for raising money for charity, but call the show for what it is. A way to strut lesser known and non-celebrities (Stinkaroma), and raise a lot of money for charity. Also to keep The Donald in the public eye. That's all. Nothing more.

10:17 p.m. Nice guy, Trace Adkins, enters the room. The audience goes wild.

Ruthless intelligence, and vicious guy, Piers Morgan, come on down! The audience boos.

10:20 p.m. The Donald starts off by asking Trace what he thinks about Piers. Trace doesn't like him or think very much of him. Piers compliments Trace and says he thinks he's a great guy.

"I'm an evil and obnoxious disgusting Brit," says Piers. "I don't mind."

Now The Donald brings out the fired celebrities. When Baldwin walks out the audience boos. Ha!

10:27 p.m. Everyone is there in the live boardroom except Gene Simmons who is shooting a movie. Then The Donald calls out Stinkaroma. OMG. She stands there like she's a super hero. She has this sparkling pink lipstick to match her outfit. I think she looks like a candy cane with mold.

Now The Donald asks Lennox what he thinks about Piers and Trace. Lennox equivocates. He thinks they're both good. But in the end, he gives kudos to Piers. Maybe it's true. Nice guys finish last.

Carol Alt is going head to head with The Donald. I agree with her. She should have been one of the final celebrities. Clearly, she has more respect for Piers.

"Stevie B. wasn't doing so well, and now he's a big star when he walks down the street," says The Donald. I was wrong. The Donald is and remains the guru of self-promotion.

Everyone is asked to raise their hand. Who do they like better? The votes go majority for Trace. So Trace is Mr. Popularity. But, let's face it. This wasn't a popularity contest. It was a contest to do the best in raising money. And as much as people dislike him, I think they have to admit that Piers did the best job.

Piers should win. But they still have to hear from Gene who is filming a movie in Japan. Stay tuned.

10:36 p.m. Wow. They are still skating outside in New York. Cut back to the live boardroom.

What is Gene Simmons's sign? "Dollar sign, baby," he replies. They are going through Gene's outtakes. Love that snake tongue.

And now here is Gene from Tokyo, Japan. Gene speaks Japanese, but it sounds like he just said some praise for Hamas....mmmm...no...couldn't be. Jeff Hazlett, an executive from Kodak is here too. Jeff says Gene was wrong about the task he lost, the one for Kodak. Kodak doubled its sales with the promotion from the winning team, Hydra. Gene is a shrewd businessman, but not shrewd enough. He lost early in the game. Why does his opinion matter?

"A tug of the heart, that's what Trace Adkins embodies, that 'aw shucks' source of demeanor," says Gene. Who does Gene pick? Trace, of course. Is this really about Mom, apple pie, and the American flag? Or are we talking about the person who was better raising money for charity? Clearly, it was not Trace. Sorry, Mom.

10:42 p.m. Nice touch. They did a piece on Trace's charity. Food allergies. Seeing his little girl in an oxygen mask, aw, I wanna cry. Give him the money already! Stop pulling on everyone's heart strings!

And now Trace is performing a country song. Wow! Nice thick baritone. Beautiful sound. I had never heard him sing before. He's really amazing!

Oh for goodness sakes, we all know the show wants to give the money to Trace, so just do it! Besides, Piers's charity already got some money - mostly because Piers is such an amazing fund raiser. Trace's charity has gotten nothing up until now. Really, the nice guy has not been able to pull off a win.

So, just give the money to the little girl in the fake chinchilla coat and let's all call it a day, shall we?

Oh. Wait. Go to iTunes now to download "You're Gonna Miss This" and all the money raised will go to Trace's charity. The offer is good for two weeks. I guess if The Donald ends up picking the bloated disgusting Brit, this will be Trace's booby prize.

10:50 p.m. And now they are giving equal time to Piers's charity. The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Shane and Matthew have no legs and Matthew is blind. They're fallen heroes. I agree. Never thought I would see a bloated Brit advocating for American soldiers. Maybe I shouldn't apologize to Mom after all. If Piers wins, the American flag wins too. Fallen heroes from America. The flag flies in the background. And now some of the fallen soldiers are here on the live show. How can you not feel sorry for people who give limbs and lives to protect our freedoms?

The audience gives them a standing ovation. Rightfully so.

Okay, Piers should get the money. But right now, he's going home with a special coin from the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Center. Looked like a poker marker. I Wonder if he can gamble it at the craps table in Trump's Atlantic City casino.

An auction on nbc.com slash something having to do with the Celebrity Apprentice will go to The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. So, even if Trace wins, you can help raise money for the charity by spending your little heart out. Go consume, all you consumers. Consume for charity!

10:52 p.m. Oy vey! I am so torn. Chichilla coat little girl whose Daddy hasn't raised any money at all for her charity or soldiers who are blind with no legs who have already gotten money from a successful fund raiser. Who should win? Who?

Split it! Go ahead, The Donald, do a split. It's only fair!

10:58 p.m. The Donald is throwing in $250K of his own money for the winner's charity. So cool.

Trace says he is all for Piers's charity. But contrast that for the food allergy network. He represents 3 million fathers. They want that money. The fund will help save their children's lives. That's why they should win. Cry me a river. If it was solely up to me, they'd have the money already. Poor swollen throated little angels. Give those people the money!

Piers says this was not a good guy competition, it was a business competition with a premium for raising money for charity. He won 9 out of the 11 challenges given to him. He raised over $500M and had one of the biggest slaughters in the history of show. Killed everyone on all the business challenges. He believes he has integrity and doesn't think it should be called into question.

"But you were not loved, "says The Donald. "Does that mean anything to you?"

"No," said Piers. "You're not loved either." Touche.

Ivanka says that Piers lacks tact and that he's distracted. So, that's why she supports Trace.

Donald, Jr. says the use of the roladex is what allowed Piers to win. Down to the wire. Last minute here. The Donald rushes everyone along.

11:00 p.m. As predicted. Piers is The Celebrity Apprentice. Whoops erupt in the audience. Confetti falls. In the end, The Donald could not ignore his fund raising prowess. Not much time left for the wrap party. Wondering how The Donald managed to squander so much time in a live two-hour show. He should have reserved more time for the end. Not all of the fired celebrities had a chance to voice their choice for the winner. I'm feeling a little gyped here.

The Donald bids everyone a fond farewell and says they will be back next season. "We're going to be here for a long time," says The Donald. Yeah. Right. He hopes. Before they came up with this concept for a celebrity show, The Apprentice was done. Dead in the water. Was that crane accident in any way related to a project that was run by one of the other apprentices chosen on the show?

Keep bringing in the hot celebrities and I would say The Donald is right, actually, about future shows. This could be like Dancing With the Stars and continue into perpetuity.

It's been a blast live blogging this, everyone. Thanks for tuning in. And I'll be back for next season as well. Stay tuned.

Kelly Preston - Medium

Kelly Preston will be appearing in four episodes of the paranormal thriller "Medium". She'll be playing an interloper in the marriage of the two main characters on the show. The executive producer said they chose Kelly because, "we needed an actress who exuded both intelligence and sexuality." If you saw her in Jerry McGuire you'll know she can sure do that. 

You can read more here:

Kelly Preston joins 'Medium' for upcoming arc

The Hills Recap

So the hour long season premiere of the Hills on Monday left me with both a bad taste and a good taste in my mouth.

1. Mariah Carey claimed that she absolutely loves watching the Hills but I refuse to believe that she's ever even seen an episode until that night.

2. Whitney and Lauren: How DARE you not know how to pronounce "Givenchy" and you're in fashion and there's a camera in your face!

3. Once the paparazzi is caught taking pics of reality stars while the reality show is being taped, its time for a series finale. Lauren's no longer a reality star she's just a celeb.(Did anyone else catch the pap-snap as the girls were leaving Colette?)


4. Mistakes of an intern (cuz nothing that they did would go down in the "Real" world!)

A. NEVER put going to pick up your dress before getting the job done!

B. NEVER stitch a designer LOAN gown and then go to a club with it on. I gagged when I saw her preparing to do this!

C. NEVER put you beauty supplies next to your designer LOAN gown. That was actually hilarious because Whitney didn't seem to care at first.

D. So now Lauren the man gives you a loan and you hop on a Vespa?? Yeah...NEVER!!! Just NEVER!!!

5. Spencer looked like he gained the marital weight before the wedding even went down!

6.What a dream to meet a semi-hot French rock-star and take mini-tours around Paris!!?? Loved the Eiffel Tower scene

7. Seemed like Lauren got to be more hands on than Whitney but I'm super happy that Whitney is finally finding her way!


8. Kimball...I love you!

9. I'm starting to feel some kind of way about Audrina because why would you make an international call just to tell your friend that the man she likes is showing off his new girlfriend?

10. Heidi's Stepdad to Spencer : "What the heck?!!!" Spencer to the Stepdad: "Yeah I'm a complete loser and it would be a much better moment if you just hit me with that shovel."

Clearly I made that up cuz Spencer's an idiot for going all the way to CO but I love Heidi for making him feel like an idiot at the dinner table with the folks!)

All in all an awesome premiere and can't wait 'til next week! The Heidi drama-train has just left the station!!

- Crystal Hines

Jamie Lynn Sporting A Rock?

Jamie Lynn Spears has a new accessory to go with her growing baby bump.

She's reportedly engaged!

A source close to the family told PEOPLE that she has been showing off her flashy piece of jewelry to family and friends around Louisiana and Mississippi. "She's got an engagement ring, " the source said. "She's been showing it off, talking about it."

Her fiance is...you guessed right, 18-year-old Casey Aldridge. The two are expecting a baby sometime this summer.

- Erin Dustin

Breakfast with Jeff Pulver in Baltimore

In an out-of-the-way section of downtown Baltimore, at the crossroads of Guilford and E. Saratoga, almost touching the inside west of the JFX, sits an oasis of bygone days. Plentiful parking, brick pavement accents, and a rectangular hunk of silver and neon once serving as a movie set for Barry Levinson's Diner. The Hollywood Diner, to be precise, a little known eatery serving "Breakfast with Jeff Pulver."

I spot thirty or so people milling about inside as I enter the crosswalk. The place may have started off packed like sardines, but I'm more than an hour late, who knows? Thankfully there is now room to stretch and breathe. But then, I'm not intending to set any new world records. I'm here to network, have a good time, and press the flesh with THE Jeff Pulver, a larger than life Internet persona, start-up tech investor, and distributor of killer social tags.

Preconceived notions of his popular breakfast parties and the myth behind the man swirl about in my head. Who exactly is Jeff Pulver? Why do Internet movers and shakers flock to his gatherings? And more mysteriously, how did a person closer to my age than the majority of people filling this diner amass a Facebook friend network to put any Hollywood celebrity, real or fake, to shame?


After about an hour of making small talk and exchanging cards, opportunity comes knocking. The diner is emptying out and Jeff, dressed in a festive yellow Hawaiian shirt, turns away from the attractive brunette who's been occupying his time. It's my cousin, Greg, but no matter. Seizing my opening, I deftly move into Jeff's line of vision, introduce myself, and request a short interview.

"About how long will it take," Jeff responds quizzically.

"Oh, ten minutes tops," I surmise. Actually, I have no idea, but figure ten minutes is enough time to dig the essence of Jeff. We plop ourselves down in a corner booth complete with fake red leather upholstery, and briefly give each other the eye.

Immediately, Jeff whips out his camera. "Come one, give me a real smile," he implores.

But my front teeth are badly in need of repair, I'm reluctant to grin widely. At last he relents, sets the camera on the formica table, and our conversation begins.

Jeff Pulver became interested in the Internet back in 1993 when one word domains littered the landscape and Microsoft was a fresh oyster waiting to be cracked. Greater minds than I have recounted his tehnological accomplishments. Jeff harkens his humble beginnings to Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheets, although for a technological illiterate like me, he might as well have said punch cards. His latest venture is an engaging aggregator of publicly available primetime television shows, aptly dubbed Primetimerewind.tv. The project is brand spanking new, still working out kinks, but already showing some promise. Unlike similar portals, it operates through remote embedding and is therefore akin to a traffic driver rather than stealer, at least as envisioned by Jeff.

But I want the juice. Why all the get togethers? Jeff, who is based in New York, travels great distances to pull off meets in different cities. What's in it for him?

"I suppose you could call it the Gatsby effect," he begins.

"What? Wanting to be the center of other people's world?" I am truly confused.

"No," Jeff counters, "more like creating something positive from bringing people together."

"How so?," I ask. "Give me a specific example."

"I'll give you two," he responds. "Dave and Ann over there met on my Internet show and now they've launched a new company. And at a recent cocktail reception, I was able to connect friends with a high tech start-up to venture capital."

Very cool. So, Jeff is a people person. Someone who experiences happiness by making other people happy. Let's face facts. It's not everyone who can assemble a crowd of impressive social media types.

"When did you first recognize your talent for making large-scale events happen?" This is an answer I can't wait to hear.

"I began as a D.J. playing parties and dances back in high school."

"High school? Where?"

"Great Neck North, Long Island, New York."

"Graduated?"

"1980," Jeff responds. My mind immediately shifts to disco.

"So, come on," I press. "as the D.J. you're the center of attention. You control the party. Wasn't it all a ruse to become popular? "

"No," Jeff disagrees with my interpretation again. "I look at it as an outsider coming into the inside."

Jeff Pulver an outsider? How can this be? "Jeff, are you married?"

"I've been married 18-1/2 years."

"Children?"

"Twin sons. Ages 14."

"Would you describe yourself as a person who is active in your local community?"

"No, not exactly," Jeff responds. "My community is the Internet. This is where I make my connections."

Looking around, even though the diner had definitely thinned out, I was struck by Jeff's ability to turn a "loose connection of pipes and tubes" into his own personal playground. I knew some of the people in attendance, but others I did not. Yet, all of them, in one way or another, were connected to Jeff. My ten minutes were winding down.

"If you had to sum up the reasons behind your success -- professionally, socially -- in three sentences or less, what would you say?"

"Fearlessness."

"Passion. Everyone needs to be passionate about something."

"And titanium balls."

Whoa. Nads of steel?

"Can I quote you," I ask?

"Sure. Go ahead."

I thank Jeff for his time and interesting insights. As soon as he pops up from the table to land with a lingering group nearby, for lack of a better title, Jeff's right-hand man, Geo Geller, ambles by. Geo is tall, lanky, and slightly quirky, a perfect fit with our surroundings. He is clad in a black beret, white jacket, and flaming red scarf. Long white hair, white beard, and white moustache complete the ensemble.

Geo is a true man of mystery, an artist/photographer/film maker, who delights in obfuscation. No matter how hard I try, I cannot pin this man down for a straight answer.

"Who is Jeff Pulver?" I query.

"Jeff is me," Geo replies. "I am the original Jeff, the original party organizer. Then I turned the reins over to him. I am the best respresentative of both of us when I am not you."

Okay. Left field. But getting back to Jeff. Can I dig any more dirt?

"Everything is a self-portrait," Geo posits. "A contradiction on the contradicting mystery man." Just at that moment, his iphone goes off. Man, I hate those things. A constant reminder of my aversion to new tech.

"Here, talk to this guy," he says handing off the phone my way. "He'll tell you who I am."

I follow his directives and burst into loud laughter. "I think he just called you a dirty tall white man. Any response?" Boy, is this interview off track.

"Insanity is a refuge from sanity. There's a fine line between mental illness and artistic talent." I think Geo is right on and nod my head in agreement. "To be a successful artist," he continues, "you need a certain amount of sensitivity. If you're mentally ill, you're too sensitive. That's why I volunteer at a mental health facility. To reconcile the two."

Love chipping away the mystery man's veneer. Geo's card labels him an insultant for hire. What other words of wisdom can I extract before I go?

"I am always comfortable wherever I am."

"I am responsible for all things irresponsible."

Drat. Back to the gobbledy-gook. Pity that, especially since we seemed to be developing some kind of a rapport.

Wrapping up my time at the diner, I learn more about Geo's creative talents. Online exhibitions featuring sound photo portraits. Another exhibit Geo calls the "Invisble Man Series" transforms out of focus or obscured images of his mother into the focus of the camera.

I hope he doesn't mind me borrowing a mirrored image of him with his mom. I cannot resist. The portrait is stunning. Raw. Real.

Okay, it's time to rip off the social tags and name badge, and hit the road. The diner employees want to lock up and go home. Geo quickly snaps some pictures of me as I get up to leave.

Oh he's good, this one. Out of focus, my front teeth never looked better.

A Weekend In The Life Of Pamela Anderson

"I read the news today..."

Pamela Anderson and Rick Salomon's marriage was annulled today due to fraud (they both checked the box). Anderson filed for divorce last December after only two months of marriage.

"...oh boy."

But Salomon wasn't the only ex she was dealing with this past weekend.

On a much happier note, Anderson spent Easter Sunday with Tommy Lee, the father of her two children, in Malibu.

The family spent the day at the movies and eating lunch at Geoffrey's.

- Erin Dustin

It's Finally Here!

The Hills tonight! Let the drama begin : )

4 hours, 17 minutes, 30 seconds and counting...

Here's a preview of what's to come this season for those who can't wait, especially the non-East Coast folk who have to wait a little longer...



- Erin Dustin

Washington

Reader Welton from Brazil sent in a photo of his friend's tattoo. It supposed to be his name "Washington".



However according to Alan, this tattoo is wrong in several levels:

First of all, the name Washington is usually written ワシントン [washinton] rather than ウォシントン [woshinton] as was presumably intended by the tattooist.

Next, someone left out the first ン, leaving only ウォシトン [woshiton]. Then, they used the large オ rather than the small ォ, making the tattoo actually spelled ウオシトン [uoshiton], so I guess it would be pronounced sort of like the English words "Whoa Shit On." That's probably not quite what Mr. Washington wanted when he got his tattoo...

And finally, they left out one stroke in オ, making the character look more like the character 七 but backwards.

It's sort of sad that people don't check these things before getting a huge tattoo that covers their whole arm.

Chino Latino

Minneapolis restaurant Chino Latino (612-824-7878) uses pseudo-Chinese characters as profanity alternatives in billboard ad. (Photo by Beijing Sounds)

If the restaurant wanted to advertise and not get fined by the FCC, why not put some effort into it & do it correctly:

"A 2-hour vacation from the 他媽的 weather"?

What is written on the billboard are repetition of "新仿宋文[体]", which means "new imitated Song typeface".

A better question would be:

"Why did Chino Latino chose its location to be at a 鬼不生蛋的地方?"


* Speaking of bad weather, I was in Quebec City last week & right before my return flight was scheduled to take off from Québec Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB), a Canadian medical plane crash landed after its front landing gear collapsed & slipped off from the runway.





Due to this fiasco, my flight was delayed for two hours, consequentially I missed my connection at Detroit & had to stay there over night. Detroit is a very depressing city. It looks like a nuclear bomb has gone off there.

Brad and Angie for President.

The happy couple should get the award for the most Philanthropic couple...ever.

People.com reported that the couple donated $8 million throughout 2006 to charities like Doctors Without Borders , the Global AIDS Alliance, the Namibia Red Cross Action Program , the Daniel Pearl Foundation, and their own foundations; the Make It Right Foundation and the Jolie Pitt Foundation.

I'm sure the monetary value of how much this couple gives and spends is much more than this. With the 100 kids the have running around plus the triplets they have on the way..$8 mil is just the tip of the iceberg. (Major exaggeration!)

Source

- Crystal Hines

J.LO + Max + Emme = Picture Perfect

People Mag got the first interview with new mom J.Lo and her babes Max and Emme and let me tell you what...Max there definitely looks like daddy Marc Anthony.

Source

Cameron Mark, aka. Kamokuron Shinkai

From Alan Siegrist:


http://www.bmeink.com/A80220/high/npsq-cameron-mark.jpg

From the caption, this tattoo (Feb. 20, 2008 in BMEink) with the characters 火目論真開 was evidently supposed to represent the name Cameron Mark, but I think it falls a bit short of the mark, so to speak.

Now, there might be “cute” ways to represent English names in Japanese using kanji instead of the traditional katakana. For example, Cameron in katakana is カメロン [kameron] but this might be a bit boring so some people might write 亀論 (which is similarly pronounced kameron) for a play on words meaning “Turtle Theory.” If you like turtles, why not?

But in our example火目論真開, using the characters 火目 for [kame] is really “forced” because this is a strange combination of different types of readings of characters. The 火目論bit could be something of a lame joke meaning “Tuesday-Thursday Theory” (火曜日 is Tuesday and 木曜日 is Thursday) but then it must be read Kamokuron not Kameron and is no longer a play on words.

And to top it off, 真開 cannot be pronounced anything close to “Mark.” The character 開 is definitely wrong. 真開 could conceivably be read マカイ [makai] but not マーク [ma-ku] which is the Japanese equivalent of the name “Mark.” In fact, 真開 is a rare Japanese surname read しんかい [Shinkai].

So the guy has managed to name himself Kamokuron Shinkai.

Mixed Martial Arts Figher

My good buddy, Jon Rahoi, sent me photos of a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter.



Jon says:

One of these mutant fighters was sporting some Chinese tat, that, upon further inspection, was actually Japanese. I think it's trying to say, "I'll win in spite of yesterday?" or something like that.

Plus, making "I" two characters wide on the top makes it confusing at first glance to figure out if it should be read top-down or left-to-right. Anyway, not sure your final verdict on this but it's totally suspect.



HS senior resident pro-bono Japanese consultant Alan Siegrist concludes that:

The order of characters is strange, and I guess someone has left out a few words or characters. The grammar is also wrong because they are using the future tense for something that happened in the past.

This is very weird.

Anyway, I guess the intended order is: 我は昨日のに勝つ.

This would mean roughly something like "I will win yesterday's ___."

I guess the word in the blank is supposed to be "match" or something, since these guys are some sort of MMA fighter guys.

Maybe he didn't have enough money to let the tattooist finish the tattoo or maybe he weenied out at the last minute. Maybe he couldn't stand the pain.

Fake Paparazzi for the Insanely Infamous

The Today Show ran a segment this morning about some positively revolting practice involving ordinary folk and fake paparazzi. It's bad enough that someone is peddling their services as fake paparazzi, but so much sicker that some mad pathetic losers are actually buying it.



For a corporate event or someone's B'ar Mitzvah, okay, okay, I get it. But the women on Today, who were simply out for a night on the town, got their jollies by acting like somebody famous with an entourage. At the end of the segment, one of them giggled like a school girl as a fairly nice-looking guy at the bar tried to guess her identity. I think these posers may have hired a limousine service and fake bodyguards for full effect, but truthfully, I was so nauseated after the first fifteen seconds, I tuned out.

Now to top everything off, we have bloggers coining and analyzing this demeaning and demented phenomenon, as if token respectability could make this freak show any more palatable. Have we really sunk so low as a culture that reality shows are no longer good enough vehicles for everyone's fifteen minutes of fame? At what point do such troubling developments cross the line of "having fun" and enter the realm of insanity?

Ah, the good old days. When being followed by crazy insane photographers was the price of fame for real celebrities. Now non-celebrities have priced fame as crazy insane photographers following them. In the future, when everyone will have their own personal paparazzo, there'll be no one left to hound the real celebrities. They'll be the ones with hats and sunglasses walking down the street so quickly, they won't even blip the radar.

In the not so distant future, ordinary people will be too busy scanning the wannabes to notice the real deal. Which is good because finally, real celebrities will get to shop in the malls and buy their own groceries.

ShrewdLease Evaluator Saves Time and Money

Some people insist on leasing rather than owning a vehicle. I could never figure out why until I got married. My husband is one of these people who likes to trade in a vehicle every year or every other year. Rarely has he kept a new vehicle for more than three years. For someone like him, leasing makes perfect sense.

People who prefer to lease should be able to compare lease terms. Sadly, most people never get that far. They just see a car they like, decide the monthly payments are affordable, and sign on the dotted line.

But, leasing a vehicle is so much more than plunking down money on a vehicle you won't own. It's crucial to understand lease terms and what makes the terms of one leasing agreement better or worse than another. That's where the Vehical Lease Evaluator of ShrewdLease steps in.

The Evaluator is fairly straight forward and easy to use. It begins,

A Shrewdlease evaluation can be made on any brand new automobile offered under the industry normal terms of a 'closed end lease'.

We suggest you have a lease ad from a newspaper or magazine, an offer from a dealer, a preliminary or completed lease agreement, or firm numbers from a leasing company on hand, upon which the evaluation can be made.

If you're serious about leasing, you should enter a valid e-mail address when prompted. Then continue to use the Evaluator in ten easy steps.

Enter the MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price) for step one. Step two requires the total due at signing. The monthly payment amount is step three. Enter the lease period for step four. Annual mileage allowance is step five. Then the capital cost for step six. "Option to purchase" price at the end of the lease is step seven. Then enter the number of months for the manufacturer's warranty period. Step nine is the excess mileage charge. Voila. You're done. The Evaluator synthesizes all the information and provides an informed opinion in step ten.

If your lease does not provide information for any of the required steps, simply leave that particular step blank and continue forward. Also, if your lease provides the information in a way that requires calculation, there's a handy calculator that pops in a second window throughout the process.

Despite my best efforts to keep my PC virus free, I'm afraid something is slowing it down. Yes, we've looked at it, run debugging programs, installed firewalls, the works, still, it doesn't run quite right. This could account for the more than three minutes it took for the Evaluator to move ahead to step ten.

When I was done clicking each field to verify the numbers, it was time to validate. The validation is a good device because it will prompt you to correct any inadvertent errors. If everything is in order, just click "calculate" and wait.

This time the waiting period was almost instantaneous. Unfortunately, the lease I wanted to evaluate scored quite low on the ShrewdLease scale. Which basically means the deal was a bad one and I should try to get a better deal from the leasing company. Or look for something better.

That's good because ShrewdLease just happens to have a leasing forum with available offers. And it clearly pledges lack of an affiliation with any particular manufacturer, dealer, or banking institution. So, one can assume the site provides unbiased lease offers. If you're still dubious, just return to evaluate another lease of your own choosing.

As an extra bonus, there is a FAQ section for problematic leases that don't quite fit the mold, plus a contact link for especially difficult issues and questions.

I would recommend the Evaluator to anyone who is considering leasing a vehicle. The steps are simple and easy to navigate. The end evaluation can save you big bucks. Also, you don't need to give a real e-mail address to make use of it, a big plus for paranoid people such as myself who are deathly afraid of spammed e-mail accounts.

But isn't that what gmail is for?

Resume Requirement for New York Governors

For the record, from this day forth, all candidates for Governor of the Great State of New York must be married and must cheat on their spouse.



And for the record, I want to hurl every time I see a cuckquean spouse looking on with doe eyes as her bastard politician spouse purges an admission of his transgressions in the blare of flashing cameras.

Nigel Barker (and I) ask to please help baby seals!

Baby seals have got to be some of the cutest creatures ever put on this earth and although I normally put pictures of celebrities on the site, today they are the celebrity. Please help to save them. Nigel Barker of America's Next Top Model and the Humane Society of the United States are working hard to help stop the Canadian commercial seal hunt and you can too.

FACTS:

• Canada's commercial seal hunt is the largest slaughter of marine mammals on earth, with hundreds of thousands of seals killed annually.
• In Canada, more than 95 percent of the seals killed each year are less than 3 months old. At the time of slaughter, many have yet to eat their first solid meal or take their first swim, and they are utterly defenseless against the hunters.
• The seals are killed for their fur, which is sold in fashion markets in Asia, Europe and Russia.
• In Canada, sealers are commercial fishermen, who earn only a small fraction of their annual incomes from killing seals.
• A 2007 study by a panel of veterinary and zoology experts who studied the Canadian commercial seal hunt found a widespread disregard for the Marine Mammal Regulations by sealers, a failure to monitor the hunt by authorities, high wounding rates in seals that were shot or clubbed, wounded seals left to suffer for protracted periods of time and sealers failing to ensure animals were dead in 66 percent of cases. The report concluded that both clubbing and shooting of seals should be considered unacceptable.
• A recent scientific opinion by the Panel on Animal Health and Welfare requested by the European Commission concluded, "When seals are hit or shot, but are not dead, they may have to be hit or shot again or may be moved or skinned whilst conscious, resulting in avoidable pain, distress, fear and other forms of suffering" and "seals should be protected from acts that cause them avoidable pain, distress, fear and other forms of suffering."
• Nations around the world have taken action to end their trade in seal products or announced their intention to do so, including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, Slovenia and the United States.

After experiencing first hand the beauty of the harp seal nursery, world-renowned photographer Nigel Barker joined The Humane Society of the United States in calling on the Canadian government to end the commercial slaughter of baby seals in favor of the more humane — and lucrative — eco-tourism industry.

Since Canada banned commercial whale hunting in the 1970's, the whale-watching industry has thrived and is now worth more than the commercial seal hunt.

"Years ago, the Canadian government successfully turned its commercial whale hunt into a multi million-dollar whale-watching industry, and there is absolutely no reason the government cannot do the same with seals," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. "By continuing this appalling and inhumane hunt, the government is turning what should be an economic asset — the world's largest migration of these highly charismatic marine mammals — into a liability. The new economies of the major nations of the world will be built around sustainable and humane practices, not the reckless exploitation of wildlife and natural resources."

Barker said, "Witnessing hundreds of thousands of harp seals with their beautiful white coat pups in this awe-inspiring frozen landscape is enough to take even the most seasoned photojournalist's breath away. Of course, the thought of the impending slaughter with the use of clubs, sharp spikes and guns in only a few weeks' time shatters what should be a celebration of life and promise and instead fills you with dread and remorse for the inhumane way we treat our fellow animals."

"I hope to raise awareness in the youth of today with graphic images of both the joy and desperation from the largest mammalian birthing site and consequent killing fields on Earth. This sort of behavior cannot and will not be tolerated by the youth of today and I intend to do something about it," Barker continued.

HSUS is calling upon the Canadian government to immediately implement a fair buyout of the sealing industry. In recent years, the Canadian government has successfully implemented many license buy-back programs, also known as license retirement plans, in the wake of fisheries closures. In these programs, the government compensates license holders for lost revenue resulting from fishery closures.

A sealing license buy-back program would fairly compensate fishermen (who hunt seals in the off season) affected by the permanent closure of the commercial seal hunt. This program, combined with the additional new sources of income from tourism, would only improve the already strong economy of Canada, the environment, the lives of the fishermen and of course, the welfare of the seals.

Seal hunting is an off-season activity conducted by Canadian fishermen. Since 2005, The HSUS has urged U.S. companies to avoid selling and serving Canadian seafood in order to convince that country's fishing industry to stop participating in and supporting the commercial seal hunt.

-30-

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the web at humanesociety.org.

Denice Duff completes OT VIII

My good friend, actress and photographer, Denice Duff just completed the highest Advanced Level available in Scientology! I saw some pictures of her when she graduated and boy was she shining!

Congratulations to Denice!

The Guinness Tipping Pot

Must be how a St. Paddy's Day hangover feels.

Simon Cowell helps out family with sick daughter

Love him or hate him, Simon Cowell did a nice deed this week.

" The American Idol judge appeared as a guest during Monday's broadcast of The Oprah Winfrey Show and cut a $162,000 personal check to Amy and Randy Stoen, whose 3-year-old daughter Madeline was recently diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. ...click here to read more.

Thanks Simon.

David Beckham's Chinese Tattoo

I have received many emails regarding David Beckham's new tattoo.



Many gossip sites are questioning the actual meaning & legitimacy behind his tattoo.

Lucky for Beckham, his tattoo styled in Chinese Cursive Script (also known as Grass Script) is correct.

生死有命 富貴在天, which is Chinese proverb of "death and life have determined appointments, riches and honor depend upon heaven."

Britney's TV Gig

First slightly-secretive weekend meetings with Mel Gibson and now an acting gig over at CBS.

Britney has been very busy lately, but in a good way I suppose.

PEOPLE has just released the first video promo of Brit in action where she plays a receptionist at a dermatologist's office in the sitcom How I Met Your Mother. Shown opposite Neil Patrick Harris in the clip, her first words are, well why don't you just see for yourself...

The 11 second clip

The episode will air March 24.

- Erin Dustin

Obama Emerges as Only Candidate to Advocate for More Perfect Union

History was made today.

For better or worse, March 18, 2008, the day the green began to seep away from his hometown of Chicago River, will be marked in history as the day when the first credible African-American presidential candidate and Democratic party frontrunner refused to ignore the 800 pound gorilla in the room, but rather, confronted a beast that refuses to release its stranglehold on America, powerfully and with dignity.

A day when a black man afforded every privilege of America, private schooling, elite colleges, a seat in the United States Senate, took the sum of his parts and rather than try to sweep them under the rug or bamboozle the crowd with snake oil, stripped those parts bare and naked, and said, "This is who I am."

Just words? I think not. "Not this time."

Whatever happened to "Don't judge, lest ye be judged?" What about, "Walk a mile in my shoes?" Did we really want to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony, or was that just another Madison Avenue come on to sell cases of Coca-Cola? Does anybody here remember my old friend John? Martin? Bobby? When peaceful protest could bring about profound changes in our society, our legal system, and in our hearts?

What's happened to us since then, America?

I'll tell you what. The daisy ad. Riots. Death. The National Guard. Black Panthers. Disillusionment. Lost wars. J. Edgar Hoover. Watergate. Presidential pardons. Distrust. Hostages. Nicaragua. Weapons deals. Waco. Bin Laden. 9/11.

All around us, public schools continue to fail, the economy is in shambles, homelessness is increasing, diseases and disorders are on the rise. More senseless murder. Gangs. We sit and watch the sound bites, click off the TV and hope it all goes away.

No, it isn't going away.

It's part of who we've become, America, whether we wanted to or not, it's who we are. And sure, thank goodness, good human decency is still in large supply. We are still a fairly prosperous nation, a generous people, and for the most part, free. But this isn't the America we imagined for ourselves and our children back in those heady days of the 1960s when almost anything seemed within our grasp. Back when Americans looked at themselves with pride and accomplishment, as the greatest nation in the world, when we envisioned a future realizing a dream that began on a lonely bus seat in Selma, Alabama.

What's happened to us since then?

We've become beaten and dispirited because nothing ever changes. The politicians promise and talk and tell us how our lives will be so much better when we put them into office. And we believe and pull the lever because, honestly, what choice do we have? They're all the same. Just a different package. We hope this time it will be different. But it rarely is. Because most of them are in the business of politics for themselves, not the people, we've all seen this show before.

But once in a while, maybe once in a lifetime, that rare candidate comes along. The one who, yes, chooses his words oh so carefully, but whose message basically stays the same. The one who tells you up front what he plans to do, and you may not agree with those plans, may not want the implementation of those plans, but at least you know what the plans are. The rare candidate who doesn't parade his skeletons in the closet, but when those skeletons come out to play, doesn't ignore them either or hope they'll eventually dance away.

A candidate who picks up the broken shards of hopes and dreams, before the bullets shattered them into a million pieces, who holds the shards up to the light and says, "We can make America great, but first we must find a way to come together, and if you give me that chance, I will show you the way."

A candidate with the audacity to hope because once hope is gone, there's no realistic chance of making anything different. A candidate who goes against the flow, who doesn't look at things the way they are and ask, "Why?" But who looks at things the way they could be and asks, "Why not?"

We've been down this road before, America, so many times. We're so beaten and disillusioned, we dare not believe, "Why not?" because nothing ever changes, the politicians are all the same, they just come in different packages.

Well, not today, America. Today, a candidate said, "Not this time. This time we talk about it." We talk about that 800 pound gorilla in the room. We don't dust it off, slap a suit on it, and throw a hand organ in its arms. No, today we look at it just the way it is, with its ugly hairy face, smelly breath and nasty behind, and we talk. "This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected," a candidate said today. "A single moment of recognition between [a] young white girl and [an] old black man," that is where this candidate begins.

We can focus on what divides us and lament the wasted promise of the past, or we can face our past head on and come together in the future. This is what can happen for us, America. This is what we can become. If America truly strives for greatness, it cannot remain a place of "us against them." America must fulfill the dream and become the place of "we."

Today is the day when "we" get a second chance.

Read the complete transcript of Barack Obama's "More Perfect Union" Speech here and listen with the full audio file .