Brett Ratner Hanging Out With Family on Melrose

Here's the skinny. There's a lot to write about, but no time to do so. The girls and I are having dinner with our extended California family. Much prepping to do. Can't really write when I'm rushed, at least not in a professional manner. So, consider this article an email from a very sloppy friend with bad grammar.

There we were on Melrose, taking in the sights. Actually, we crossed over to another boulevard with more interesting looking people, but I can't remember the name. Anyway, there we were. Of course, I was celebrity stalking, you know the deal, hmmmm, is this one a celebrity? Is this one? That kind of thing.

The girls wanted to buy earrings, so I let them shop. Then I saw tai chi man outside of a store and I knew I must snap his picture. The guy was amazing energy on crack. Had a yoga mat and was doing amazing hand stands over and over. You see a lot of that at Venice Beach, but not really on Melrose.

And then, I just kind of hung out, soaking in the energy, scouring faces for some familiarity. The celebrity stalking gods were kind to me. I saw him from a distance on the telephone. Well, at least he wanted people to think he was on the telephone. I would not be deterred. Yes, I knew him from somewhere, but could not figure out where. He wanted to know if I was FBI. I told him yes. He said he was with his family. I said I didn't care. Director, producer, I knew he was a behind the scenes guy. Just could not put my finger on it.

I guess unless they are uber famous, these people aren't used to nobodys from Baltimore coming up to them on the street asking for pictures because once I started telling him how I knew he was a director/producer, just couldn't put my finger on it, Brett Ratner became THE coolest guy ever.

He asked me if I wanted to be in the picture with him, just to prove that I really am the one who took the picture, but I told him, nah, I'm not into that status whore kind of thing. More about this when I have more time to write.

Besides, why mess up a really good picture of Brett Ratner, eh?

May 30th Is Here!

Today is finally the day to "get carried away." I just did and what a ride it was! A very emotional rollercoaster I must say! No spoilers for those out there who haven't seen it yet, but oh so exciting and oh so fabulous! Right now I'm thinking my weekend might include seeing it over and over again. And no, I'm really not kidding!

Photo Credit: Google

- Erin Dustin

Tom Cruise at MTV Movie Awards

Tom Cruise along with a long list of other big named Hollywood stars, including his buddy Will Smith, will be a presenter at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards.

Cruise, long a program mainstay, was the first-ever winner of MTV's Generation Award, given to the performer who has most captured the attention of MTV's audience throughout his or her career.

The MTV Movie Awards will air live on MTV on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET - so don't miss it.

See the article here: Tom Cruise, Will Smith Join The List Of MTV Movie Awards Presenters

A culture is only as great as its dreams, and its dreams are dreamed by artists. — Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard

Question of the Day: What Gives You Instant Gratification?

I’ve been challenged to answer this curious question … Here are five fabulous thrills that make me feel gratified and confident. And then I encourage you to comment with your own answers!

1. Snagging an interview. Be it an A-list star or a C-list socialite, grabbing someone on the red carpet or inside an event for a quickie Q&A is always exciting. (Okay, it’s more gratifying when it’s someone you really admire and they give you awesome answers.) Really, it’s such a feeling of accomplishment! See me interview my four favorite gals HERE ... Shameless self promotion.)

2. Dishing the dirt. When you hear a piece of juicy gossip, it’s hard not to share. And I adore when others join the conversation. I love it when I get comments on my blog, emails in my inbox, and fan mail to my address. (Okay, fan mail only comes from my mom … but it’s still much appreciated.)

3. A cuddle with my puppy. I mean talk about instant gratification. I feed her, she thanks me with kisses. I play with her, she rewards me with love-bites. I scold her, and she still nuzzles into my neck. She's just the cutest toy poodle ever. (Her name, by the way, is Reese Witherspoon.)

What gives you instant gratification? Comment!

Quote Of The Day

"As far as people thinking I'm pretty or something, I don't know. It's amazing what a haircut and forgetting to shave will do." - David Cook on his newfound popularity.

- Erin Dustin

CNN Sinks to Toilet Humor for News

Did CNN just run a story about the space station toilet being on the fritz? With guest commentary? And illustrative video? What is wrong with these people, talking about number one and number two on national television. What -- the Sarah Larson and George Clooney breakup not titillating enough for everyone? OMFG.

On Location Correspondent: I'm in the zero gravity chamber, looking at the space station toilet. I am in the toilet. Repeat. In the toilet.

CNN News Anchor (under her breath): So are we.

The state of national news has really deteriorated. Doing my part to spice things up, I'll be spending the day in beautiful downtown Pasadena, California, and then to Studio City for an According to Jim taping. Yes, we found a show that was actually still in production. And the weather? Absolutely fanfreakntabulous.

Cameron Diaz is Completely Bald

Good for Cameron Diaz, dare'n to go completely barren. Cameron adopted a gerblish alien look in the name of her craft. Her new movie, My Sister's Keeper, is currently filming in Santa Monica. Cameron plays the mom of a young girl with lukemia and most likely shaved her head to show solidarity.

Supposedly, Cameron's noggin is covered by a bald cap, but hon, you could have fooled me.

[Source]

Dan And Serena Live On

Although Gossip Girl has sadly ended for the summer, (wiping away tears as I speak) I'm not sure if Blake Lively and Penn Badgley got the memo. Though their characters broke it off in the season finale, the real-life couple seems to still be going strong as they were spotted in NYC's West Village this past week.

- Erin Dustin

Ashlee Simpson No More (And Def. Expecting!)

Due to her recent marriage to rocker Pete Wentz, Ashlee Simpson has made a very traditional change in her life. She is now Ashlee Wentz! Professionally though, she'll go by Ashlee Simpson-Wentz. She says, "I think that that's something that a woman should do when they're marring a man. It's a tradition that I think is a great tradition."

Oh and a little fyi, just a few moments ago, I saw the confirmation that everyone has been waiting for. The Wentzes are preggers!

"While many have speculated this, we wanted to wait until after the first trimester to officially confirm that we are expecting our first child. This is truly the most joyous time in our lives and we are excited to share the happy news and start our family." - Mr. and Mrs. Pete Wentz.

- Erin Dustin

Welcome Home Girls!

Last night's HUGE event brought out NYC's favorite girls to Radio City for the highly-anticipated SATC premiere. Along with some of NYC's own, many a fan and not to mention the rain, Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha returned home to an amazing reception and an outpouring of love.

With a front-row on-the-pink-carpet view, I witnessed everything from the flash that was Ashley Olsen and Jennifer Hudson's short bob (she was even being touched up on the carpet in-between interviews!) to SJP's GORGEOUS dress (she said she thought it looked like the Empire State building, how NYC of you Carrie Bradshaw!) and Patricia Field's radiant hair and personality. Lynn Cohen, who plays Magda, was adorable and even commented on the girl power of our fabulous video slash interview team! Jason Lewis was whisked by as he walked into the venue, but did look back to smile, so don't worry Smith, I forgive you. The Donald stopped for a brief moment as did Cynthia Nixon, Willie Garson, (who just adopted a son, aw!) Donna Karan, Fergie and Idina Menzel. The mob scene that was NYC last night once again showed how excited this city is for their SATC!

After the premiere, we were able to get a sneak preview of the after-party held at the MoMA. With the Swarovski-crystal couch, the trees wrapped in pink lights, bouquets of flowers, the music (deejayed by Samantha Ronson, and no Lindsay was not there), the appetizers and a sample of the "Carried Away" cosmo, the scene was more than glamourous!

More deets to come!

- Erin Dustin

Miley Cyrus New Picture Sleaze Screams Scandal

Sleazy photographs of the world's richest teenager are causing a universal rise in testosterone.

Miley Cyrus, aka the "Oops I Did It Again Girl," must think she's a Victoria's Secret model. This girl cannot keep her pants on. And those come hither eyes. Talk about kids trying to grow up too fast and parents not giving a damn.

Methinks Miss Hannah Montana has serious mouse issues, like she's taunting the network to can her sexy hide. Meanwhile, Disney executives will have to strategize more damage control, just in case a scandal like the one rocking U.K. Channel 4 rears its ugly head.

Personally, I think Miley needs to put her clothes back on and hire the best shrink money can buy. Other leaked photographs offer a not so pretty behind the scenes look at a scandal in waiting.

Here's a drawing Billy Ray supposedly made of Miley when she was just a tween, apparently practicing her now refined come hither look.

And here she stands apart from her siblings in a picture with Billy Ray practically screaming for attention. Hey, it's great to have your own TV show, fashion line, instant fan recognition, and money to burn, but a little TLC never hurt anyone.

Update: The Vanity Fair photos stoking the rumor mill are controversial but reflect artistic content. Cyrus appears to take pleasure in circulating sleazier photos with no socially redeeming content whatsoever.

Jason Dohring Interview

There is a great interview with Jason Dohring in the latest Celebrity Magazine.

Jason's breakout role was as "Veronica´s hypnotically incorrigible nemesis" Logan Echolls in the show Veronica Mars. Now he is starring in Moonlight, which earned a People´s Choice Award for Favorite New TV Drama earlier this year.

Jason has been a Scientologist all his life and talks about his career and how Scientology has helped him in it.

You can read the full interview here: Interview with Jason Dohring.

Sofia Milos wins Award of Excellence

Beautiful Sofia Milos, star of CSI: Miami and The Border, will receive this year's Award of Excellence at the Banff World Television Festival.

She was also featured on the cover of the Spring 2008 edition of Dolce magazine. You can read the full interview here: The Greek Gods are smiling upon Sofia Milos

Sofia is a big supporter of Citizens Commission on Human Rights and Criminon.

A culture is only as great as its dreams, and its dreams are dreamed by artists. — Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard

Icanhascheezburger Teh Special Sauce Lolz

Have to admit, when I first saw so many Facebook friends joining the "icanhascheezburger" fan club, I was a smidge envious. Who was this ican person and how had he/she become so darn popular? I'd been plugging away dutifully for months and The Spewker was still a blip on nobody's radar. Was there something about "cheezburgers" making people go bonkers?

Finally took the plunge and have to admit, the place is a riot. Should have checked it out way sooner and jumped on the bandwagon, but you know, celebrity politics being a full-time job and all, lolz.


see more politics and fun!

Struck - the Movie

At last you can see the movie, Struck. It's funny and heartwarming. See how many stars you can spot. It's full of 'em!



A culture is only as great as its dreams, and its dreams are dreamed by artists. — Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard

Clinton Campaign Jumps the Shark and Should Leave the Building

Does anyone still want Hillary Clinton for V.P. after this bombshell?

Call me old-fashioned, but I'm still a big believer in Freudian slips. And with the Clinton track record and her Sopranos knock-off commercial, I can't regard her remarks as mere silliness. Call me a crazy conspiracy theorist if you like, but there's no room in civil political discourse for a response like this. The reporter asked, "Why [have people tried to push you out of the race since Iowa]?" Rather than consider something plausible, Clinton faulted the media, saying historically it made no sense to push a candidate out before June and then cited the RFK assassination as justification.

Even in the best light, the explanation is irresponsible and, forgive me Clinton supporters, incredibly idiotic. I don't know about everyone else, but I can't stomach the thought of a presidency with Dana Quail, Jr. second in command...

...or the Ralph Nader of 2008.

I have already highlighted numerous other missteps of Senator Clinton's campaign, but none so egregious, so over the top, so incredibly divisive as her most recent gaffe. Please, everyone, for the sake of the Party, join together. Put an end to the candidacy of a politician whose actions serve only to tear us apart. Urge party leaders to dance Hillary off the stage, quickly, quietly, but forcibly, while she still retains a portion of her dignity.

It's over, folks, it's over. She fought the good fight, but she's done.

American Idol Finale Season Seven Picks and Pans

I am just not feeling this outfit, dawg. Red is so not Randy's color. And what's the deal with the painters overalls? Covering up from martini spills?

Just a joke, peoples. Yeesh. But that IS Randy's outfit. I used an old Captain Kangaroo pix for illustration.

The American Idol season seven finale was a blast. Actually enjoyed the mainstream acts. Donna Summer came out singing amazingly, though she did look a little worn and tired. ZZ Top was the fershizzle. Seal rocked. Disagree that Bryan Adams looks too old. Man, what do people expect after twenty years?

Not liking the George Michael gig at the end after buzz reached a fever pitch about some REALLY big star closing the program. Then again, I guess Sir Paul had other plans.

The newer acts had their shine. One Republic sounded good, but not exactly studio. The 13-year old thought Archuleta sounded better, but what does she know? I tried to explain live never sounds as good as the recording unless they're lip syncing. Gotta appreciate those that dare to go live.

So glad Cook ended the show with top honors. Much as I like Archuleta, Cook deserved to be crowned. Such a humble and nice guy, too. Loved when he brought the other Idol finalists out for his swan song. I only hope he keeps his humility.

Finally, props to my girl, Charlotte. Oh yes, that was her on the finale stage. Once again, singing back up for Jordin Sparks. When last season's tour stopped in Baltimore, I made a point to fawn over Charlotte. Unlike last year's finalists, she had no problem signing autographs for fans. As nice as nice could be. It's time that girl took her career to the next level.

Lindsay And Samantha

Brangelina isn't the only one making headlines in Cannes. Lindsay Lohan and her BFF, deejay Samantha Ronson shared a kiss on board of Diddy's yacht in the South of France yesterday. Affectionate with each other all night, holding hands and getting cozy, the two still say they are just friends. The best of friends apparently.

- Erin Dustin

Michelle On The Red Carpet

Michelle Williams is stunning as she returns to the public eye! Seen on the red carpet with her usual gracious smile, the actress is in Cannes promoting her two films Wendy and Lisa as well as Synecdoche, New York. This is her her first big appearance since Heath Ledger's death.

- Erin Dustin

Cook Takes The Title

Last night's Idol proved victorious for David Cook as he was given the title of this year's American Idol. What a voice and what a season he had! Props to David Archie as well, what a competitor and what a voice, I'm sure he'll go far. I was on the edge of my seat last night, I literally didn't know which David, I mean which way it would go. I would have been happy either way, but I think David C. deserved it a little more. I can't wait to see what kind of record he'll come out with! Congrats!



- Erin Dustin

Fergie Flips For Today

Check out Fergie's performance of "Barracuda" on the Today Show Tuesday.

Impressive.



- Erin Dustin

Positively Free Sex and the City Tour

The May 30th New York City premiere of Sex and the City: The Movie has inspired a fever pitch of hype and scramble for affiliation with all things Sarah Jessica Parker. New York City and local entrepreneurs are preparing to cash in.

Soon, a multitude of the fabulous and metrosexual will converge upon Manhattan, gobbling up SATC souvenirs, fighting for glimpses of stars on the red carpet, and spending outrageous sums of money for Sex and the City theme tours. While some tours are a perfectly reasonable way to enjoy the Big Apple, others are sold out, and still others are so obnoxiously expensive they should be banned for excessive opulence.

Truthfully, I'm a little appalled. Spending that much money for a friggn' city tour, are these people nuts? I like the SATC franchise just as much as anyone else, but you don't see me dropping huge wads of cash for something I can do on my own for nothing.

In fact, I'm so adverse to seeing so much money go down the drain, I decided to create an online tour of my own. No, it doesn't include injections of botox or boutique shopping jaunts, but it does give a fairly accurate picture of the SATC "hot spots." Even better, it's positively 100% FREE! I say, save your money for better things.

Like making a donation to my PayPal account.

Or buying your next gallon of gas.

Charlotte gets a free pair of shoes in exchange for a naughty massage.

Samantha impersonates a member of a pool club to cool off on a hot day. There's the pool roof off in the distance.

The ladies pay a visit to The Pleasure Chest where Charlotte purchases a little toy she names "Rabbit."

Remember the episode where Carrie and Samantha start ogling a priest? There's the church where the scenes were filmed. I hear the producers had to offer a hefty donation for the location.

I find it hard to believe the red door with graffiti filled walls is tour worthy, but here's the scene where Samantha exits her apartment building. Funny how the place barely resembles the red door from the series.

The official Sex and the City cosmopolitan is a staple of all the tours. These are being served in a pub, not the restaurant where this scene was shot.

It wouldn't be a "Sex and The City" tour unless you stopped at Magnolia Bakery for cupcakes. Here, the line snakes around the door about 80 people long. In a scene from the series, Carrie tells Miranda about her Aidan crush as they lick cupcakes on an outside bench.

Another popular tour destination is the steps outside Carrie Bradshaw's brownstone. Everyone stops to have pictures taken. The brownstone is actually located in the Village, not the Lower East Side as portrayed in the series.

"Your girl is beautiful, Hubbell," Carrie says to Big, a nod to "The Way We Were." The scene was filmed at the fountain across from The Plaza Hotel, a fitting way to end this tour on a high note.


Just in case you wanted to see some actual people on one of these tours, I'll leave you with the foreign film version. Au revoir, ladies.