Friday, May 23, 2008
The Big Gal On Campus
I've seen a few photos of Tori back in her high school days but I don't recall seeing her princess photo so clearly. According to Courtney's boss, Myra Ellen was very popular in school -- she was voted Most Talented, Most Likely to Succeed and Best All-Around in her senior class. It's clear she was quite the beauty back then that she is now. I love this pic, much love and thanks goes out to Courtney and her boss for sharing :) [thanks Courtney]
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The TV Guide: Back In The Big Apple
As I mentioned before, I caught some of the Brooklyn Bridge Birthday fireworks on my way to David's place -- which was very, very cool. This afternoon, I'm meeting up with Monique for some shopping in SoHo and then David and I are meeting up with our friends Andy and Dave for dinner.
I have a couple of fun things planned for this Memorial Day weekend but overall, I'm planning on spending the lion's share of my time solely with David. We had a very nice night last night and we've got a date planned for tomorrow night ... I'm really happy to be here so soon after my last trip :)
I realize that a great many of you will be ditching work early today for the Memorial Day Weekend (and I'm planning to take it easy this afternoon as well) ... I hope ya'll have a fun, safe weekend :)
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Les News: Wesley Gets Bail, Usher Remains Married, Paris Looks For A BFF
- Wesley Snipes avoids prison, for now.
- Usher says reports of his breakup are completely false.
- Yeardley Smith, aka Lisa Simpson, files for divorce.
- What's the big deal? They're just really close friends :)
- Is Amy Winehouse headed for another rehab program ... in Israel?
- Blondes take over NYC; Legally Blonde The Musical begins the search for the next Elle Woods.
- Proof positive that the word "fuck" can be good for your career.
- The search for Paris Hilton's new BFF is now underway.
- Who was that unmasked, barely dressed man?
- Click HERE to check out some stunning photos from a Chinese wedding that was taking place as the deadly earthquake hit.
- Elisha Cuthbert goes topless for Maxim magazine.
- Click HERE to see some of the lovely ladies who attended Maxim's Hot 100 party this week.
- No Doubt reunites ... for dinner.
- Michelle Williams makes her first official public appearance since the death of Heath Ledger at the Cannes Film Festival this week.
- Jewel is 34, Drew Carey is 50 and Joan Collins is 75 years old today. Click HERE to see who else is celebrating a birthday today.
- At least he knows he's a jerk.
- Oprah Winfrey plans to go vegan for 21 days.
- Is Drew Barrymore planning to get hitched?
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Happy Birthday, Brooklyn Bridge
Photo credit: Wireimage
It was so singular a marvel, so ambitious a feat, that its opening drew the president and a crowd of thousands. A leading national magazine said it stood poised to become "our most durable monument." Some 125 years later, the Brooklyn Bridge remains a powerful symbol of engineering might and imagination, and a revered fixture in the landscape of the nation's largest city. And it can still attract a crowd, like the one at the bridge's 125th birthday blowout Thursday night, which featured fireworks, a Navy flyover, a colorful new lighting scheme, a musical tribute to honor the storied span, and even a birthday cake in the shape of the bridge. "It's an icon for not only New York, but for America," says Brooklyn's official historian, Ron Schweiger, who was appointed by the borough president. The 6,000-foot-long landmark is one of the nation's oldest suspension bridges and among its most treasured. It opened on May 24, 1883. Tourists flock to see its interplay of architectural grace and muscle and its commanding views of the Manhattan skyline. Historians note its role in shaping the city: It linked Manhattan with what was then a largely rural Brooklyn, helping spur a growth spurt in the more rustic borough, Schweiger said. Brooklyn's population grew by 42 percent between 1880 and 1890, while Manhattan's grew by about 26 percent, census figures show. Engineers laud the bridge's strength and innovation. "There was nothing like this before, at least nothing like this that was of this scale built before," said Serafim Arzoumanidis, a New York-based engineer and bridge designer. The Brooklyn Bridge is roughly six times as long as the biggest earlier bridge of its type, and its Gothic-arched stone towers and web of steel cables are technically impressive even by today's standards, he said. Building the bridge took 13 years, cost $15 million and claimed several lives, including that of its celebrated designer, John Roebling. He succumbed to an infection after being hurt while looking over the site. His son, Washington Roebling, took over the project. Its dedication was dubbed "People's Day" and featured two parades, an hourlong fireworks show and an appearance by President Chester Arthur. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle called the occasion "an enormous stride in the march of American progress;" Harper's Weekly, a popular illustrated magazine, declared the bridge the manmade work "most likely to become our most durable monument, and to convey some knowledge of us to the most remote posterity." The bridge now carries about 126,000 cars per day, at the city's last count in 2006, and is used by numerous cyclists and pedestrians. It has been refurbished repeatedly, and some parts have been strengthened. But the towers, main cables and main beams are original. The anniversary events included performances by the Brooklyn Philharmonic and Oscar-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch, who said Thursday he had written "a little sweetness" of a tune for the occasion.
I managed to arrive here in NYC last night just in time to catch some of the fireworks display ... and let me tell you, it was a very nice welcome to the Big Apple. Click HERE to see a bunch of dazzling photos from last night's fireworks display and click HERE to visit the official website to honor the Brooklyn Bridge's 125th birthday. [Source]
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Alanis Does The Today Show
Photo credit: Wireimage
While I'm not really feelin' the frizzed out permy hair and I don't recall seeing the word "gentle" tattooed on her arm before, I do love Alanis's new album and am really digging the new single. I can't wait for the rest of y'all to hear the album when it gets released on June 10 ... it's really very good. In the meantime, we'll have to content ourselves with live performances from Alanis until the record drops next month. Click HERE to watch video of Alanis performing Underneath. Click HERE to watch Alanis performing Ironic. [Source, Source]
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Madonna Sells Herself ... For A Good Cause
Madonna auctioned a "private concert" late on Thursday at a star-studded dinner, raising 350,000 euros ($560,000) for AIDS charity amfAR. The biggest lot on a night of conspicuous spending was a restored 1976 Porsche 911, which went for 500,000 euros after rap mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs stopped bidding at 450,000 euros. A diamond-encrusted Christian Dior mobile phone also fetched 120,000 euros. The annual Cinema Against AIDS gala, hosted by Sharon Stone, is one of the hottest tickets at the Cannes film festival each year, with hundreds of guests traveling to nearby Mougins for an auction dinner held in a giant marquee. The rich and famous lined a packed red carpet on Thursday, including Madonna, Combs and Stone, actor Dennis Hopper, movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and actress Natalie Portman. "I hope we all leave a little poorer," said amfAR chairman Kenneth Cole in his opening speech. He need not have worried, with the cheapest seats going for around $4,000 each, rising to $15,000 for seats nearer the stage. The overall tally for the night was over $10 million. Stone, who having just turned 50 called it her "birthday amfAR," showed clips of her travels around the world raising funds for the charity, while Madonna, 49, was in Cannes to promote her documentary about Malawi children orphaned by AIDS. In what the Cannes media dubbed the "battle of the blondes," the two stars shared the stage and engaged in friendly banter. "I don't say this about many people, but you're a hard act to follow," Madonna said. She described co-host Weinstein as "possibly one of the most, I won't say irritating, but unstoppable human beings I know." Madonna offered to sing two songs backstage during her upcoming tour to two "very lucky people." "People have offered me millions to play at their Bar Mitzvahs," Madonna joked after making the offer. When the bidding stalled at 300,000 euros, she added "Don't humiliate me," before leaving the stage. Combs auctioned 24 hours in his company, promising: "I will fulfill your wildest dreams for amfAR and the children," and "I will wake up with you." The winning bid was 200,000 euros.
OY! I'm amazed at how much money was raised in just one night of bidding by the rich and powerful Hollywood elite. Normally this kind of spending seems garish and gross but the fact that all the proceeds are going towards AIDS research really classes up the event ;) I cannot imagine having the kind of money that would afford me the luxury of spending $100,000 on a mobile phone but it does warm the heart a bit to know that rich folks like the attendees of last night's amfAR charity auction are willing to part with that much money (and more) for such a good cause. Woot! [Source]
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The Key To Successful Living
Photo credit: JFXonline
According to the book description on Amazon.com, Jack Canfield's Key to Living the Law of Attraction: A Simple Guide to Creating the Life of Your Dreams is a self-help book designed by the author of Chicken Soup for the Soul to help the reader learn the techniques for attracting the things in life that you most desire:
Long before co-creating the bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Jack Canfield was already teaching the ancient principles of the Law of Attraction. Canfield has been consciously living in harmony with this universal law for more than thirty years, and his personal success is a testament to its power. Now, in Jack Canfield's Key to Living the Law of Attraction, he shares his knowledge and experience with you and offers you his proven tools and techniques for applying the Law of Attraction in your own life. This book is a simple 'how to' guide for using the Law of Attraction to create the life you desire. Within these pages, Canfield clearly explains not only what you need to know, but what you need to do in order to attract what you want in your life. Jack Canfield's Key to Living the Law of Attraction addresses the important issues of clarity, purpose, and action. This thought-provoking guide will take you step by step through the processes of defining your dreams, goals, and desires. Along the way, you will gain a greater understanding of yourself a sense of who you really are and why you are here. Your journey begins right here, right now. You can change your life, increase your awareness, and empower yourself to create an amazing future one that is filled with love, joy, and abundance.
This book is your key.
Personally, I am not a fan of self-help books but I can absolutely understand how they may prove beneficial for some readers. If these are the sorts of books that have helped Britney regain control of her life in such a way that she is, once-again, productive and able to interact with her family, friends and children in a successful way then I am all for them! These sorts of photos are such a far cry from the tragic pics we were subjected to all last year. I absolutely love the image of Britney holding her children. I also love the image of Britney reading a book ... any book. With reports that Britney is in talks to stage a huge comeback concert in Las Vegas, it make sense that she would try to ground herself beforehand to ensure that she may be successful. She can do it ... she is deffo on the right path for making the comeback of the century. [Source]
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Park, Life
Photo credit: X17
This baby is beautiful, y'all. She is just a perfect mix of both mother and father ... and those cheeks! I'm dying they're so cute. It's really very touching to see how much Nic/Joel dote on their precious little girl. The three of them make an adorable family ... I can't ever get enough of seeing them together like this :) [Source]
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Her Royal Majesty Is Not Amused
Bitter recriminations were sweeping the Royal Family last night as the extent of Hello! magazine's royal wedding coverage became clear. Despite refusing to pose for magazine photographers, the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall all feature in a two-page private family group portrait supplied by Peter Phillips and his Canadian bride Autumn Kelly. The Queen and Prince Philip can also clearly be seen in several shots taken from a balcony inside St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle during the marriage ceremony itself. Royal girlfriends Kate Middleton and Chelsy Davy appear prominently over 20 pages of the magazine's 100-page wedding special, despite complaining in recent years about alleged breaches of their privacy ... Prince William was not at Saturday's wedding in Windsor Castle as he was in Africa, attending another marriage with his ex-girlfriend, Jecca Craig. But he and brother Harry made it clear last night that they were 'deeply unhappy' about the Hello! affair said to have involved a £500,000 payment to Princess Anne's son and his bride. Well-placed sources insisted that neither of the princes, nor their girlfriends, were aware that photographs-taken either in the chapel or at the reception were going to be published in the magazine and were shocked when they saw how prominently they were displayed. "They knew that some kind of arrangement between Peter and Autumn and the magazine had been made but did not know the details and certainly didn't expect what they thought were private, family photographs to end up spread over half of Hello!," said one. "Neither Peter nor the magazine sought their approval - and if they had, it certainly would not have been given. What has happened has not gone down well at all. They are very unhappy about it. It's a real shame this has happened as Peter is a wonderful guy of whom they are really, really fond, but as far as Harry, Kate and Chelsy are concerned, they were just letting their hair down at a private family event. Yes, they saw the photographers but they had no idea who they were working for. There are always photographers at weddings." The finger of blame for the fiasco appeared to pointing firmly towards the bride and groom, with palace officials expressing their surprise that any members of the Royal Family had been photographed in the chapel. "That was not our understanding of how it would work," said one [official] ... Some courtiers suggested that the Queen was an unwitting ' victim' of the controversial deal. One senior royal source said: "There is a great deal of difference between being aware of what is happening and giving one's approval." Another added: "It's her grandson, so what can she do apart from insist that she and other senior members of the Royal Family are not photographed directly?" Others insisted, however, it was unthinkable that the monarch would not have been made aware of the arrangements well in advance and therefore had given her tacit approval to the set-up. Labour MP Ian Gibson said: "I think the British public would expect the Queen to rise above being pictured in the pages of Hello! She is the Queen, after all, not a footballer's wife." ... Peter Phillips, who is 11th in line to the throne, is the first of the Queen's grandchildren to marry and his wedding attracted the biggest royal attendance in years. A heavily-vetted handful of newspaper photographers and television cameramen were allowed into the grounds of Windsor Castle to capture the couple as they left the chapel but the rights for the rest of the day were controversially sold exclusively to Hello! While something of a celebrity norm, such deals are virtually unheard of when it comes to the Royal Family, particularly as several senior members are still funded by the taxpayer. Even by Hello! standards, 100 pages could be considered over the top. From its cover boasting World Exclusive: Fabulous pictures of the young royals at the fun-filled celebrations, the magazine's determination to leave no stone - and no member of the Royal Family, for that matter - unturned made uncomfortable reading for many courtiers yesterday. Indeed, despite an understanding that no senior member of the Royal Family would be photographed, every one of them, from the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to Prince Charles and the Countess of Wessex - who is embarrassingly pictured strutting her stuff on the dance floor - makes an appearance at some point along the line. Of the hundreds of photographs used, most feature the bride and groom in classic wedding poses with suitably gushing text to accompany them: the groom, they say, wore a smile which could 'melt a glacier' while the bride's eyes were 'dancing behind her veil'. There are also, rather embarrassingly, copious plugs for firms associated with the event including a brand of vodka served to younger guests at the reception and the champagne used for the toasts. More significantly, despite the vociferous protests of St George's Chapel staff, cameras were eventually allowed inside to capture the wedding ceremony - openly photographing royal girlfriends Kate Middleton and Chelsy Davy who had attempted to sneak inside the building without being spotted by the 'ordinary' newsmen ... Kate and Chelsy Davy feature in 19 photographs, many of which are spread over two whole pages.
Hello! magazine, I'm sure, is very pleased with all the attention this issue is receiving because it prolly means that more of their magazines will be sold as a result (to be completely honest, I don't think I've ever purchased a copy of Hello! magazine ... I think I'll pick up this issue just to see all "unauthorized" photos that have the Queen pitching a fit). Peter Phillips, meanwhile, is prolly worried that he's about to be cut from his grandmother's will ... I hope he made enough money on those pics to live out the rest of his life with his new bride. [Source, Source]
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Jessica Returns Home ... Alone
Photo credit: Splash News
Altho there were reports that Jessica and Tony Romo were all over each other at Ashl33n's wedding (reports, mind you, that were prolly circulated by Papa Joe Simpson himself), Romo never made his way down to Cabo to spend any time with Jessica. HMMMM. At least Jessica had her single gal friends to pal around with on the beautiful beaches of Mexico. Sooooo, I guess Jessica is back home now ... alone ... Romoless ... with only Papa Joe to comfort her. Poor thing. [Source]
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The Honeymoon Is Already Over
Photo credit: Splash News
The couple look happy, tanned and relaxed but I'm surprised that they are back from their honeymoon so soon. I was expecting the newlyweds to remain on their honeymoon for at least a full week, maybe two. I suppose either one (or both) had to be back in the real world for work reasons and that is why they had to cut their honeymoon short. I've seen photos of the couple on their honeymoon and Ashlee was seen wearing a two-piece bikini which showed no signs of a baby bump ... after all, Pete himself says that the baby has NOT been confirmed by the couple:
"Ryan, this baby has not been confirmed," he insisted. "The only thing I'm confirming now is that we're in the basement on our honeymoon with these blow-up palm trees."
I'm convinced there is no baby, not yet. Maybe they made one on their secret Caribbean honeymoon but I do not believe that Ashlee has been pregs in the last few weeks. In any event, the Wentzs are back from their vacay so I suppose a Welcome Back! is in order. [Source]
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