Swin Flu in dem da HILLS

The Hills Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt practice safety first, sporting protective masks for a trip to the beach while on a "pre-honeymoon in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on Tuesday.

Obama says he doesn't have 'rubber-stamp Senate'

President Obama said Wednesday that he's under no illusions that he'll have a "rubber-stamp Senate" now that Sen. Arlen Specter has switched parties to join the Democrats.

The president said he thinks the administration has taken steps to restore confidence in the American people, noting that "simply opposing our approach on every front is probably not a good political strategy."

In his first 100 days, he's been "sobered by the fact that change in Washington comes slow," said Obama. 

Obama's news conference came just hours after both chambers of Congress passed his $3.4 trillion budget resolution for fiscal year 2010.

The measure approves most of Obama's key spending priorities and sets the federal government in a new direction with major increases for energy, education and health care programs.

Obama said his budget begins to lay a "new foundation" that will strengthen the U.S. economy.

"But even as we clear away the wreckage of this recession, I've also said that we can't go back to an economy that is built on a pile of sand -- on inflated home prices and maxed-out credit cards; on overleveraged banks and outdated regulations that allowed the recklessness of a few to threaten the prosperity of all," he said.

The United States "will see a better day," but there's still a lot of work to do, he said.

"I want to thank the American people for their support and their patience during these trying times, and I look forward to working with you in the next hundred days, in the hundred days after that, all of the hundreds of days to follow, to make sure that this country is what it can be."  

Oh for the days when we are not worrying about our jobs, foreclosures, 401K's, MTA fair hikes, The Big 3 Automakers going bankrupt, and Swine Flu.   What say you?

Sean Penn Files for Legal Separation

Although they tried to work things out, another A-list Hollywood couple is calling it quits. Sean Penn has filed for legal separation from his wife of 13 years, Robin Wright Penn, court papers filed last week in Marin County, Calif., show. 

The actor is seeking joint physical and legal custody of their children, daughter Dylan, 18 and son Hopper, 15. He is also requesting that the court not award any spousal support to Wright Penn. The papers show the couple separated on April 23. 

Photo by: Lionel Hahn / Abaca

The couple began dating in the early '90s, following his divorce from Madonna in 1989, and married in 1996. They have also starred together in several films, including 1998's Hurlyburly and 1997's She's So Lovely. 

What do you think about Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn separating?

Suze Orman's recession rescue plan

Do you know what your family would do if you lost your job -- or worse, your home? Financial expert Suze Orman is ready to help you devise a recession rescue plan to survive -- and possibly thrive -- during this deepening financial crisis.

How much longer should we expect times to be tough? "Things will get better, get worse. ... [In] the next two or three years, it will start to turn around," Orman says. "But I'm so sorry to say it will be, in my opinion, 2015 until every single person feels hopeful again."

Which is why Orman says it's so important to look at what you have and be grateful, instead of looking at what you've lost and feel angry. "If you continuously look in the rearview mirror while you're going forward, you're going to get in an accident. And the victim of that accident is going to be you," she says. "Don't compare. You'll feel stronger, you'll have more energy and you'll be able to turn this around."

Be grateful for the savings account you do have or the family that has helped you through. Although she knows it isn't easy, Orman urges everyone to see what they've been through as a kind of blessing. "When you are grateful -- when you can see what you have -- you unlock blessings to flow in your life."

For the full articles please follow the links below; 

http://www.oprah.com/article/money/personalfinance/pkgyourmoney/20090108_sas_actionplans?cnn=yes

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/personal/04/29/o.suze.orman.recession.rescue/index.html

Chrysler to file for bankruptcy

Some lenders refuse offer to reduce debt, leading to likely bankruptcy filing. But Chrysler expected to remain in business and complete deal with Fiat.

Chrysler will file for bankruptcy, an Obama administration official confirmed to CNN today. The filing will follow failed efforts to reduce the amount of money the troubled automaker owed. Bankruptcy won't mean the end of Chrysler, CNNMoney reports. The administration plans to use the process to merge Chrysler with Italian automaker Fiat.  So what are your thoughts?  Will the same happen to GM and if so what are the benefits to such happening?

Ed Westwick takes Grazia's guy fashion quiz

Chuck Bass Should Know FashionGossip Girl's resident bad boy Chuck Bass (played by Ed Westwick) tests his fashion knowledge.
xoxo - Gossip Pal

Salsa dog

For your viewing pleasure I bring you the one and only - Salsa Dog!

I'm sure PETA and the HSUS might have something to say about this since

the poor dog seems to be tied to that shelf behind him.  Other than that

he's rather cute and can dance better than some of those people on Dancing

with The Stars!

Salsa Dog

First Swine Flu Death Reported in US

A 23-month-old Texas toddler became the first confirmed swine flu death outside of Mexico as authorities around the world struggled to contain a growing global health menace that has also swept Germany onto the roster of afflicted nations.  Below are some links to some current articles and news highlights relating to the Swine Flu.

LATEST ON SWINE FLU OUTBREAK:

• Child in Texas Is First Swine Flu Death in US
• Egypt Orders Slaughter of All Pigs
• Three Swine Flu Cases Confirmed in Germany
• Cuba, Argentina Ban Flights to Mexico
• WHO Argues Against Closing Borders
• Politics Daily: Robocall Tells People Not to Panic
• Outbreak Origins: Did It Start in Mexican Town?
• Worst-Case Scenario: What Would a Pandemic Look Like?
• Video: Are We Prepared for a Health Disaster?
• Video: World Scrambles to Contain Outbreak

Tupac Lives!!!!

 
The guys and gals over atTMZ has obtained photographic evidence that Tupac Shakur is alive and well and drinking Hand Grenades in New Orleans -- if this isn't just a look-a-like then we should perhaps get these guys to find Osama bin Laden.

13 years after he was shot and "killed" in Las Vegas ... a man appearing to be 2pac was spotted in a bar on Bourbon Street last weekend. 

         

The gang over at TMZ were unable to get any sort of DNA evidence -- but this photo is good enough for us. Thug life, bitches.

Roberts' F-Bomb Tom Tirade, With Video!

Julia Roberts has long been dubbed America's sweetheart actress, so it comes as a surprise -- perhaps even a welcome one -- to hear her unleash a slew of F-bombs at an event honoring the equally nice Tom Hanks. Check Out The Exclusive Video of Julia's Potty-Mouthed Speech Below

Skip over this content

Exclusive Video of Julia's Speech (Warning: Explicit Langauge)

'Wolverine' Promises Secret Endings To Theater-Goers

Fans of "Wolverine" who watched the online leak of the film won't miss one thing by skipping the theater  they'll miss at least two.

Director Gavin Hood says the theatrical version of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," due out Friday, features two different "Easter egg" endings. The short bits of footage play after the credits and reveal important information about key characters. Hood says the two endings play on separate prints, so different theaters may show different footage.

The full-length work print leaked last month has a different ending than the one recently screened for reporters.

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" stars Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber and will.i.am.

Hugh Jackman arrives to the "X-Men Origins: Wolverine"

 screening on Tuesday April 28, 2009, in Los Angeles.

 (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Paula: Adam Lambert Is Like Michael Phelps

Paula Abdul stopped just short of declaring Adam Lambert the future winner of "American Idol."

Instead, she compared him to a certain Olympic swimmer.

The "Idol" judge praised yet another Lambert performance Tuesday night, telling the 27-year-old actor that each week "it's like watching the Olympics and you're our Michael Phelps."

Lambert was the final performer on the "Rat Pack"-themed show. He strutted down a neon pink-lighted staircase while seductively crooning "Feeling Good," which has been famously sung by Nina Simone and Sammy Davis Jr.

Indeed, as the popular Fox show winds down to the finale, it seems Lambert is destined for a spot in the showdown to win the title.  I must admit I've liked Adam's performances week after week.  Unlike the other Idol's he seems to be a natural performer and gets it.  It's not just enough to have the talent, you need to be able to give a good show and that he does!

Who else will compete to the end?

Fringe: Midnight

We're definitely getting closer to some sort of revelation on Fringe. Last week, we heard Leonard Nimoy's voice on a videotape as William Bell, talking with Walter about a young Olivia in the room with them. This week, we learned that William Bell, founder of Massive Dynamic and the richest guy in the world, is the person funding ZFT. But it's not all that shocking. We've pretty much known all along that he's involved, unless ... there's some big, new twist about his involvement yet to come.

I had to laugh at Walter's remark about the severed spine reminding him of shrimp cocktail, and then Peter saying, "There's yet another food item to cross off my list for life." He won't be able to eat anything if he keeps working with Walter. 

And Walter is just so gleeful about all the nitty-gritty stuff, digging around in peoples' severed spines, working with bacteria and whatnot. And being absolutely delighted with his "Clap On-Clap Off" gizmo he bought off a TV ad. I tell you what, though, I would not eat anything that Walter offered me. That poor guy who took the cookie ... who knows what was in it? 

And yet, Walter got all serious with Nicholas Boone, saying, "If indeed there is a soul, we must understand that there's still time for redemption." I think Walter, with his fuzzy memory, is starting to realize that he's been a vital part of ZFT, and maybe he was talking about himself more than William Bell. 

And what about the spinal-fluid vampire? We know that Olivia was tapped for spinal fluid. And when she asks Boone why the ZFT would want to create this creature, he says, "To create a human nightmare." They also asked him to create the skin growth toxin. But why? Do we really know why? Is it some maniacal desire for supreme power? The previews for next week showed The Observer coming for Walter and saying, "It's time to go." Go where? 

Other thoughts: 

- The Syphilis was extinct for decades..

- I'm not really digging the home-life storyline of Olivia's. Her asking Agent Broyles for his divorce attorney's info - for her sister - just seemed out of place. I'm guessing her sister and niece are somehow involved in the ZFT storyline. I hope it's not just a lame plot to give Olivia a backstory. 

- I'm thinking that people everywhere will want one of those heat-thermal devices that Peter took into the club to detect Syphilis in people. That could save people from a world of hurt. 

- The caged dogs and open carcass in Boone's lab will I'm sure irk the animal rights people. I wonder if J.J. Abrams is getting all kinds of hate mail over that. 

Your thoughts on this week's episode?

Kim Kardashian - Cellulite And All!

Nothing's Covered Up in This Kim Spread

Kim Kardashian is truly one woman who has had enough of the critiquing of her body and people talking about whether or not photos of her were retouched. In retaliation, she's on the cover of Life & Style magazine baring nearly all, showing off her figure in a photo spread declared "100% Unretouched" in the hopes that people get over their weight obsession and get on with their lives.  Seems Kim has embraced her "cellulite" and to those who haven't she says "SO WHAT!"  What are you thoughts?  Might she not say the same thing oh say 20 years from now?

Life & Style

Octuplets' Mom Gets New Tattoo

Gets An 8th Tattoo!

Well, it seems like we haven't had enough of Nadya Suleman, the Southern California single mother of 14 children, including octuplets, got a new tattoo over the weekend for what she described as a tribute to her brood.

print it send it

Octo-Mom  gets her first tattoo in 16 years at Kustom Kulture in Hollywood and RadarOnline.com gives you the exclusive video of the whole trip -- and the finished product!

'Heroes' season finale

Below are three clips from Monday's "Heroes" season finale, which aired last night on NBC.

Now I have to say that I was rather pleased with the way things were tied up last night.  The show had been moving rather slow and last season was just as slow as molasses going down hill in the winter time.  In my opinion, the show has had some good moments and started off with a BANG, but that was always my problem with "Heroes" -- not that that it was always unrelentingly bad (OK, it was pretty bad for long stretches last fall), but that the good bits were interspersed with so much not-good stuff. The storytelling started to seem so random and overstuffed at times. 

Anyway, I watched last week's "Get to Know the Softer Side of Sylar" episode (it was actually called "I Am Sylar"). The good news: The show has pared back the number of stories it tries to tell in each episode, and the writers are certainly working furiously to give some kind of emotional heft to the characters' motivations. The bad news: That episode in particular was quite sloooow-paced.

I've now finished the finale and I'm glad to say that it is about time that we start to see consequences for these people using their powers so often.  In the Marvel or DC Universes when an a super hero or mutant uses abilities there normally is a weakness to go along with them and in last week's episode and the finale we saw those.  Sylar seems to be fractured as a person now that he has this morphing ability and is loosing himself.  Hiro has begun to have nose bleeds when stopping time and Suresh explains to Hiro that he cannot use his powers as their bodies cannot take the constant strains.   

I give KUDOS for the writing team for FINALLY showing this side of a Hero using their powers.  Angela seeing Matt Parkman saving Nathan but that turning out to be that he actually saved him by wiping Sylar's mind blank and implanting Nathan's memories was right out of the Marvel Universe.  Add to that the final scene in the next Chapter: Redemption's beginning where Nathan/Sylar adjust the time on the clock at the end, showing us that while he (Sylar) has been wiped, his core ability still exists was outstanding storytelling!  Will we see Sylar again?  I think so...

Now for just a random thought, the main thought that occurred to me during both of the final two episodes? Man, that is one terrible wig that they have put on Hayden Panettiere's head. 

Anyway, enough from me. What have you thought about this season of "Heroes"? Have you stuck with it? Why? If you haven't kept watching, will you tune in when the show returns in the fall? Share your thoughts in comments if you care to.  

'Harper's Island': You can resurrect Saturday night TV!

At first I was bummed. When a network shifts a show to Saturday nights it's typically a no-confidence vote, and so it seemed with Harper's Island. The CBS slasher series, which moves to Saturdays starting May 2, promises to kill off at least one of the members of a posh wedding party every week—at least as long as it doesn't get killed off first. That would be sad because not only is Harper's a fun throwback to old-school thrillers, it's produced by (among others) Dan Shotz and Karim Zreik, who produced Jericho. Like Jericho, Harper's is now in danger of becoming a cult show that faces a long, slow death. 

But a move to Saturday night may not be a death knell—especially if viewers follow. There's absolutely no reason Saturday night TV can't be great again. The Golden Girls and The Love Boat were top-10 hits on Saturday night, and Fantasy Island and CHiPS were top 20. And there are (okay, a scant few) indications that networks are paying attention to Saturdays again: NASCAR is a weekend mainstay on Fox and CBS aired Streisand: Live in Concert this past Saturday.  Plus, if no one's watching TV on Saturdays, how is Saturday Night Live still popular?

This may, in fact, be the perfect moment to raise Saturday nights from the dead. With the recession raging and Americans nesting, there may be no better place to be on the weekend than at home. And you may have noticed that networks actually pay attention to ratings, especially in recessions, especially in areas where they didn't realize they might actually be able to make a buck or two. So watch Harper's Island, and NASCAR, and reruns of Southland (which really is quite an excellent show that also needs your love), and show network execs that you'll be happy to stay home on Saturdays for their programming…provided there's something decent to watch.

Fox drops Obama, but is that a big deal?

Yes, it looks bad. Fox announced yesterday that it would not carry Barack Obama's prime-time press conference on Wednesday, opting to air Lie to Me instead. Now, it is rare for a network to tell a president "no,” but before we accuse Fox of political bias, greed, or abandoning civic responsibility, we should take a look at the record on presidential interruptions -- for all networks. In that light, Fox’s decision seems a lot less menacing.

For one thing, Obama is not the first president snubbed by Fox. The network didn’t air a 2001 speech by Pres. Bush, then took the same tack three years later, joining all networks in declining to air Bush’s May 2004 speech on Iraq. What aired instead? Fear Factor...on NBC. Plus, if we’re really getting specific, Fox didn’t air two of the 2000 presidential debates, and ABC was the only network that didn’t air then-candidate Obama’s campaign infomercial.

So is it just the almighty dollar, then? Is Fox putting the Tim Roth procedural, Lie to Me(currently trying to attract sweeps dollars even though its ratings are trending downward), ahead of the civic good? Perhaps. But a Fox insider points out that the network typically comes in dead last in the ratings when it airs presidential interruptions (even coming in behind FoxNews most of the time), largely because Fox has no internal news division. There’s no Katie Couric or Brian Williams offering analysis or talking to pundits -- which is why most viewers turn to ABC, NBC, CBS, or the cable news outlets whenever the president invades primetime. And let’s face it, this president seems to enjoy interrupting our favorite shows, having already had three previous addresses/press conferences (and pre-empting Lie to Me before).

But we are in a recession. And two wars. And now we’re all freaked about swine flu. So yes, it would be nice if all the networks carried the president’s press conference.   It would also be nice if we all watched, but that doesn’t happen either. Unless and until all of us would rather hear what’s going on with the nation than watch Lie to Me, maybe we should cut Fox just a bit of slack. 

"Obsession" wins big at the box office

Why Are Movie Stalkers Always So ... Female?

What a hallowed genre Obsessed is a member of! Right up there with such psycho stalker greats as Play Misty For Me, Fatal Attraction, and The Hand that Rocks the Cradle.  Why the persistence of this cinematic archetype? Why don't we ever see psychotic male stalkers beyond Sleeping with the Enemy? Where's Fatal Attraction where a man is screaming, begging not to be ignored? 

My theory has always been that we see these stories played out again and again because they're somewhat of a male fantasy. Think about Play Misty For Me, Fatal Attraction, Obsessed, or even the real B-movie variations like Swimfan, The Temp,and The Crush. There's something very flattering and erotic about a woman who can't get enough of you -- a plot point exploited pretty heavily in Play Misty andFatal Attraction, since both male protagonists really set their stalkers off by ... sleeping with them. If Fatal Dan and Misty Dave had just taken Alex and Evelyn out for a nice dinner and a movie, no sex, would any butcher knives have been wielded? I guess so, given the chaste plotline of Obsessed: just flirting is enough to drive Ali Larter over the edge.

If a man stalks a woman, the stories are based less around sex than pure fear. (As in Fear, starring Reese Witherspoon and Mark Wahlberg!) Sleeping with the Enemyis about abuse and possession, not about being unable to get enough of Julia Roberts. I think there's also a puritanical element at work -- the female heroine must be abused to be sympathetic. If she was sexually free, she would be asking to be stalked because she had slept with the wrong guy. She should be more choosy, and not succumb to a one night stand.   

Obviously there are several gender stereotypes and sexual attitudes at work in the "psycho stalker" genre. If we had more female filmmakers, would we see Fatal Attraction remade with a male stalker, and female protagonist? Would it have the same hint of the erotic, the suggestion of obsessive desire? My gut says that it's just not a conceit that a woman would want to explore, that they find stalkers more frightening or annoying than flattering. But I realize that's really a very sexist assumption, as I know men too who have been stalked, and they found it to be frightening and annoying. Obsession isn't sexy or flattering no matter what the gender dynamic is. 

Maybe the entire sub-genre just needs to go the way of the dodo as it's just not flattering to either gender, or a genre that's full of surprises. I mean ... "violent devotion," as a central plot point, doesn't exactly lend itself to pleasant surprises or happy endings, does it?

Meouch!

Looks like the Pussycat Dolls may be having some problems with ego's lately.  But to be honest, anyone who follows this pop group could have seen this coming long ago.   Just think Spice Girls part two and you have all the makings of a catty girl fight.

Singer Melody Thornton didn't help those pesky band break-up rumors during a recent concert in Phoeix this past weekend after pointedly calling attention to frontwoman Nicole Scherzinger's  "featured" status on the group's latest singles.

The Pussycat Dolls version of " Jai Ho" and "Hush Hush" have been released under the name "Pussycat Dolls featuring Nicole Scherzinger" instead of the usual "Pussycat Dolls."

"Thank you so much for supporting me - even if I'm not featured, you know what I'm saying?" Thornton shouted in front of a packed audience.

The singer even sounded a little choked up as she added, "You can do anything you want to do. Don't give up on your dreams and don't let anyone stop you - ever!"

Scherzinger reportedly shot Thornton a nasty look after the remarks.

The group's label has kept mum on why Scherzinger has received special attention, leading some to think she may be leaving the Dolls to pursue a solo career.

For those of you who have been following my blog you know how we've weighed in about "looks" being a central part of the entertainment industry so does it come as any surprise that Nicole is the lead in this Josie & The Pussycats type band?  But can you really hate the girl for having better management and marketing behind her?  She's got looks and a decent voice so why not use it while you can.  In this business you're hot today and gone tomorrow and this cat seems to be leaving the litter behind!

Disney’s First African American Princess

The Princess and the Frog is an upcoming animated musical feature film currently being produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and based upon the classic fairy tale The Frog Princess. It will be the first traditionally animated (2-D) feature film in Disney’s animated features canon since 2004’s Home on the Range.  The story is a fairy tale centered on a young girl named Princess Tiana who lives in New Orleans’ French Quarter during the Jazz Age.  With American's first African-American president in the White House, Disney is counting on an African-American princess to be a big hit in Hollywood.

When finished, it will take its place as the 48th animated film by Walt Disney Animation Studios. It is being directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, directors of The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, with songs and score composed by Randy Newman and starring the voice talents of Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, John Goodman, Jenifer Lewis, Angela Bassett and Peter Bartlett. Dreamgirls star Anika Noni Rose is providing the voice for the lead character, Tian.

I would applaud Disney had it not taken them so long to create such a character.  It seems like for years they have tip-toed on the fringes (Pocahontas & Jasmine in Aladdin) of introducing us to an African American character  of some kind of worth but have instead chose to create every other race but.   Why didn't they release such a project like this oh let say right before or after Aladdin?  Could it be that Disney is only looking to capitalize on the recent Obama euphoria?    Yes, "change" is a good thing but if you ask me, Disney should have been ushering in such "change" long ago.  But it seems that Disney may be in for more controversy still.  Although the black princess’s love interest in the new animated musical is called Prince Naveen of Maldonia and is voiced by a Brazilian actor, he looks more white (gasp!)than black in photographs from the film that Disney have released.

Well being a bi-racial child I don't nor have I ever seen anything wrong with two persons who love each other falling in love and living happily ever after.   But I'm sure that this will create debate on both sides of the coin.  So tell me what do you think?

"Thank you for being a friend"

Beatrice Arthur, 'Golden Girls' star, dies at 86

Beatrice Arthur, an icon of '70s TV as the star of Maude, and then one of the staples of '80s TV as one of the leads inThe Golden Girls, has died at age 86.  I can't tell you how sad I am to hear this news today.  I loved the Golden Girls and remembered seeing Bea Arthur on All in The Family and Maude.  "Thank you for being a television friend!"  Have any favorite Golden Girls, All In The Family or Maude moments you care to discuss?

Bird Flu Coming To A Town Near You?

U.S. prepares for possible swine flu epidemic as global cases rise

The United States stepped up preparations for a possible swine flu epidemic, and Canada confirmed its first cases on Sunday as researchers worked to determine how contagious the virus could be.  The H1N1 strain of swine flu is usually associated with pigs. When the flu spreads person to person, instead of from animals to humans, it can continue to mutate, making it a tougher strain that is harder to treat or fight off. What are the symptoms?  The CDC says that symptoms of swine flu include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

We've already had several cases in NY do you think this could wind up to be a world pandemic?  

Yes, Looks Do Matter

FOR more than a week now, people on both sides of the Atlantic have been using the story of Susan Boyle — the dowdy Scottish spinster who sang her way to fame on “Britain’s Got Talent” TV show — as an example of just how shallow we’ve become.

    

Andy Barr/News International/ZUMA Press        Andrew Milligan/Associated Press

Which may be why, even as she expressed the hope that “maybe this could teach them a lesson, or set an example,” Ms. Boyle has begun to change her appearance in recent days, wearing makeup, dying her frizzy gray hair, and appearing in more stylish clothing.  

Read more about this in the NYTIMES article by Pam Belluck. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/fashion/26looks.html?pagewanted=1

Octomom Was A Stripper Called Angelina

Just when you thought that the whole hoopla over the OctoMom had calmed down, did you think Nadya "OctoMom" Suleman  was out of our lives for good? Oh, ye of little faith. So what is it now? More plastic surgery? Another (gulp) pregnancy? Nope. Just that she used to be an exotic dancer.  Oh, and the name she used? Angelina! And she said she didn't want to be Angelina Jolie.... hmmm me thinkist the lady - uhumm, dancer doth protest to much. To quote my grandmother: "Oy vey."

Entertainmentwise.com says that a stripper -- sorry, exotic dancer -- going by the name of "Sage" has blabbed to InTouch magazine that she "met [Nadya] at an amateur contest, and we wound up doing parties together." The alleged debauchery occurred between 1999 and 2000.

Sage's tale is backed up by Luis Ceballos, a limo driver who claims that Nadya "always said she wanted to be really famous." Gee, ya think? The driver also claims that Nadya was not shy about shaking her groove thing, and that she was "overly flirty with the guys" while performing. C'mon, dude. She's working for tips. Give her a break.  

Just makes you wonder what's next?  I wonder if this will all be retold in her new reality show...

Text Message Divorce?

Court Upholds Divorce by Text Message

Talk about an age of the impersonal.  You might have heard of persons being dumped by their boyfriend or girlfriend via email or text but a Saudi man has divorced his wife by text message, a newspaper said earlier this month.

The man was in Iraq when he sent the message informing her she was no longer his spouse. He followed up with a telephone call to two of his relatives, the daily Arab News reported.

A court in the Red Sea city of Jeddah finalized the split -- the first known divorce in Saudi Arabia by text message -- after summoning the two relatives to check they had received word of the husband's intention, the paper said.

Saudi Arabia practices a strict form of Islamic Sharia law, and clerics preside over Sharia courts as judges. Under the law a man can divorce his wife by saying "I divorce you" three times.  Could you imagine if this was allowed in the US?  The courts would be swamped with divorce decrees and the wireless cell providers would probably crash on the first day of the laws inception.  What do you think?

Designers Question Michelle Obama's Style

FIT FOR A QUEEN?

This week Michelle Obama style watch took a hit (gasp!) when designer Arnold Scassi told Women's Wear Daily that, "obviously, she doesn't have the right advice at this moment." 

This statement echoed sentiments recently expressed by Oscar de la Renta and Vera Wang who have also gone on record to criticize our First Lady's style choices. "As [the wife of] the head of the most important country in the world, you must dress at some points according to protocol," Scassi miffed. "You don't have to be conventional."

As if wearing a frock by a young industry up-and-comer wasn't offensive enough, the sartorial feathers of both stately designers were really ruffled by Obama's decision to wear an Azzedine Alaia cardigan to meet Queen Elizabeth earlier this month. De la Renta, who is always impeccable and charming, even went as far as to tell WWD, "you don't...go to Buckingham Palace in a sweater.'" 

Perhaps the notion of letting go is too much for certain captains of industry. Fashion historians will recount that Scassi and de la Renta have had tenure as the go-to designers for presidential wives up until now. The former's reign began with the Eisenhower administration and lasted all the way through to the recently departed Mrs. Bush, while the latter also created garments for Jackie Kennedy, Nancy Reagan, Hillary Clinton, and both of the Bush women during their stay in the White House.  

Egos aside, change was the theme of the election after all, and apparently that didn't just stop with the President's own cabinet.  So what do you think, was Michelle's dress worthy of a Queen?