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?