Goodbye Michael

I haven't commented on the death of Michael Jackson, but I got a chance to watch some of his memorial service today, and I was really touched.

It was sad to see such a mix of genius and sadness. I was particularly struck by Brooke Shields' tribute and Jermaine Jackson's rendition of the song "Smile."

Of course, the most heartbreaking moment was when Michael's daughter Paris expressed her love for her father.

He was indeed an strange man, but his music was awesome and a huge part of my life when I was growing up.

I hope he has found the peace and happiness eluded him in his life.

Goodbye Michael

Take it off!

As I mentioned earlier, my husband and I and another couple saw The Police and Elvis Costello at the PNC Arts Center Sunday night.

We had amazing seats, and Sting so close I could have ran down and tackled him! The whole concert he wore a tight blue long sleeved shirt.

He looked great in it, but I kept jokingly (kind of) yelling, "Take off your shirt!!!" Unfortunately he kept covered up the entire concert.

I went on Perez Hilton this morning, and there he was, in all his glory at Madison Square Garden...shirtless. Damn that man is fine! He's 56 years old!! Damn.

He stays in shape with Ashtanga Yoga. Looks like it works wonders!

Well, that went over like a lead balloon!

I promised a "normal" post today, so here it is. I had a feeling I didn't have too many Howard Stern fans reading my blog. I just had to share my encounter with Beetlejuice. It cracked me up. (At least one person thought it was funny!)

Anyway, today is my 10 year wedding anniversary. You think I'd be out at a fancy French bistro sipping wine and listening to romantic music. Not exactly. We have tons of company in from out of town. (My sister, her children and my parents.) They are all at the beach, I took my 4 year old home with severe stomach pains. She's laying on the couch watching a movie!

Don't feel too sorry for me...Brad and I are planning a 10th anniversary getaway for September. I think we're going to hit the California Wine Country.

In my previous post I mentioned that I harassed James Gandolfini (aka Tony Soprano) at a Christmas Tree Lighting in Red Bank, NJ. He was about as friendly as Beetlejuice, only not as scary. Here's the photo...

He's actually way better looking in person than in the picture or on TV.

Oh, and my tennis team is currently in 2nd place. We had to win all 5 courts last match to move into first. Court 1 lost. I hate to say it, but I'm glad it wasn't me.

Have a great weekend! (And if you live in the Northeast, stay cool, it's gonna be a scorcher!)

A very disturbing encounter...

Before I start this story, I have to tell you that I used to be a big fan of the Howard Stern radio show. I haven't listened to him since he switched to satellite.

I'm not sure if I'd still like the show now that I'm a "mature adult," but I do know the cast of characters who make appearances on his program.

If you never listened to the show, or watched it on E, you might want skip this post. Perez Hilton always has some interesting celebrity gossip, you might prefer it over there!

Today I took my daughter and niece to Wendy's for lunch. As we stood at the counter, a very peculiar man joined the line behind us. I thought to myself, "That guy looks just like Beetlejuice from Howard Stern." I glanced over again and on the back of his shirt, emblazoned in huge letters was BEETLEJUICE.

At this point I figured it was safe to say something to him. Now I have to tell you, I NEVER approach celebrities when I see them. (In this instance, I use the term celebrity very loosely!)

Occasionally, however, I can't resist. Five years ago I saw James Gandolfini at a Christmas tree lighting. Since I live in Jersey I had to have a picture with him. He was so pissed.

Anyway, back to the hot celeb, Beetlejuice. I knew this was an opportunity for a funny story, so I said hello to him. "Hi there," I said with a friendly tone..."You're a celebrity aren't you? " (Damn I'm clever) His reply, "YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG GUY!" (At this point all the employees in the Wendy's as well as everyone in line was watching our interaction. I wasn't backing down. "Well it says Beetlejuice on the back of your shirt." His ANGRY reply,, "IT'S MY BOWLING SHIRT!!!"

I could see he was getting agitated, and I had an 8 year old and a 10 year old girl with me, both of which looked a little freaked out. I knew I had my camera with me, and I was dying to get a picture with him...but he looked like he might hit me if I said another word to him. Soooo, when he was getting ketchup and straws I snapped a few shots. He didn't see me, thank god, and he promptly left the Wendy's, climbed into a BMW with a driver and drove out of sight.

I think he was coming back from a cage wrestling match at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City. (I checked out his website Jollydwarf.com, and they have a list of all his appearances.) If you and your family are interested in seeing him, there are lots of opportunities, he's a pretty busy guy.

I do have to warn you, he's not real warm and fuzzy. Meeting him in person really shattered the image I had of him. He's not as nice as he seems on TV!!! :) Now I have to go take a long, hot shower, and wash that Beetlejuice right out of my hair!!!

P.S. My niece and daughter got a big kick out of the whole event. This guy is on radio and tv for a reason. (Not just his unusual appearence.) He is very funny. I promise a normal post tomorrow!

I'm jumpin' on the bandwagon here...

What is the dealio with the pictures of Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus? Can you IMAGINE hanging on your dad like that when you were 15? I saw some video of the shoot and he was nuzzling her hair and kissing her head the whole time. I know there is nothing going on between them, but HELLO? Those photos are pretty freaky. Are you with me here?

Her Mom defended the photos saying Miley is all about purity and saving yourself for marriage. I guess that means she won't be following in her parents' footsteps. If you read People magazine, then I'm sure you are well read on Tish's and Billy Ray's escapades in their younger years. Can you say DNA test?

Who Says Women Aren't Funny?

I'm becoming a bit of a Perez Hilton and I promise some more original posts soon!

Here is one little piece of information I felt I must share. The April 2008 issue of Vanity Fair features Hollwood's Queens of Comedy.

Annie Leibovitz photographed some of Hollywood's top comediennes including, Sandra Bernhard, Tina Fey, Jenna Fischer, Chelsea Handler, Any Poehler, and Sarah Silverman posing as some of today's hard partying starlets.

The article in the magazine addresses the notion that women aren't funny. Women not funny? Whoever said that obviously hasn't read my blog! :)

Anyway, here are some of the photos. Check out the above link. There's a behind the scenes video from the photo shoot that's priceless!

Wanda Sykes as Naomi Campbell

Jenna Fischer as Lindsey Lohan

Sarah Silverman as Amy Winehouse

Chelsea Handler as Pamela Anderson

I'm not sure who Sandra Bernhard is...Angelina Jolie?

Brush (wash and rinse) with greatness!

I was looking at this week's People Magazine and commented to my sister how beautiful Nicole Richie and Joel Madden's daughter Harlow is.

My sister said "yeah, she is adorable. He and his brother (Benji) used to shampoo my hair at Glow." (Glow is a salon, Annapolis Maryland.) WHAT? That was a little piece of information she had never shared with me! She said he was really nice and cute and would always talk about his band Good Charlotte. How cool is that? Wow, they sure have come a long way from their shampooing days!

Now I'll make a confession. I had heard of Joel and Benji Madden only because of their romantic ties (Hillary Duff, Nicole Richie, Paris Hilton) so I had to go on iTunes to see what they sing. I have to say, I LOVE them. What a great group. Looks like I'll be downloading some Good Charlotte music tonight! Rock on ma ma!

My new buddy Mehmet...

Okay-so Monday I took my Dad to Columbia Presbyterian for an appointment with his surgeon.

As we enter the waiting room I noticed a woman getting a book autographed by a doctor. She had a really elated look on her face-so I took notice. Then she gushed "Thank you so much Dr. Oz!!" I glanced over at the sign... Mehmet C. Oz, MD, FACS

It all came together for me...THE Dr. Oz. From Oprah! He shares an office with my dad's doc. Anyway-I became very intrigued by this Dr. Oz fellow. He spoke at a luncheon at my town and all the ladies were jumping up and down about him. Oprah loves him. My little (37 year old) sister digs him. This lady clearly LOVED him. So I did a little research. He's quite an interesting man-as is his wife Lisa.

This morning my mom went to Barnes & Noble and bought some of his books. (The rich get richer!!) I want to TiVo some of his shows on The Discovery Health also-just to see what all the excitement is about.

Are any of you into Dr. Oz?

P.S. My dad is doing GREAT-they left to return to Florida this morning. His doctor gave him a copy of his surgery report. It's unreal! The dudes at Columbia Presbyterian clearly know what they are doing.

Footnote: His daughter Daphne is an author too! She wrote a book called "The Dorm Room Diet." Whoa.

Who's Your Daddy?

Is Suri Cruise L. Ron Hubbard's Daughter?

I'll admit...I have my suspicions that this rumor could be true!

Whaddya think?

NOT a Cinderella Story-aka Kids Say the Darndest Things!

As I was tucking my 8 year old daughter into bed tonight , I was thinking about how she will be singing in front of 500 people in less than 12 hours. She, on the other hand, had much bigger issues on her mind.

Meg: Mom? Did you know that Britney Spears' sister is pregnant?

Me: Yes, I heard.

Meg: Isn't she a teenager? And she's not married! That's unusual.

Me: Yes it is. (Such wisdom from Mom!!)

Meg: What's happening to that family? First Britney gets divorced, then she shaved her head, now her little sister is pregnant!

Note to self: I think I need to hide my National Enquirers a little better!

Happy to be stuck with you!

FOR ADULTS!!!!

This is who I like...(John Krasinski from "The Office)

This is who my husband likes..
Scarlett Johansson..who I bear a STRIKING resemblance to! ;)

I don't think either one of us will ever go out with our dream stars-so I guess we're stuck with each other! (Not such a bad thing...)

How 'bout you? Who's your celeb crush?

Things that make you go hmmm....

Apparently I'm behind the times on this one, this story has been out for a few days.
Whaddya think? Seems a bit fishy. That other woman's book is awfully similar!

Jessica Seinfeld's recipes stir up plagiarism accusations

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Friday, October 19th 2007, 4:00 AM

Rush & Molloy: Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook publisher is steamed at accusations that her recipes are another writer's leftovers."

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Jessica Seinfeld

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Jessica Seinfeld 's cookbook publisher is steamed at accusations that her recipes are another writer's leftovers.

Seinfeld's new "Deceptively Delicious," about hiding healthy ingredients in foods children will eat, is already the best-selling book in the country, with print runs of 2.5 million through January.

But chef and baby-products mogul Missy Chase Lapine came out in April with a book, "The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals." Lapine baked her spinach brownies with Al Roker on the "Today" show; Seinfeld shared her spinach brownies with Oprah on that show last week.

Mothers on Oprah.com and parenting sites have noted similarities after perusing the puree-spattered pages of both. Some wondered whether the wealthy Seinfeld didn't have cooks who helped cook up her recipes.

Seinfeld writes about having an epiphany that, "While I was cooking dinner, pureeing butternut squash for the baby and making mac and cheese for the rest of us, I had the crazy idea of stirring a little of the puree into the macaroni. ... The colors matched -you couldn't really see the squash in there -and the texture was perfect."

Lapine, who founded the Baby Spa natural products line, writes: "If you want to hide something in macaroni and cheese, you have to match the color of the dish. You could easily introduce white bean puree in the mac and cheese."

Seinfeld and Lapine both have recipes for mashed potatoes with hidden cauliflower, grilled cheese with secret sweet potatoes, green eggs made with pureed baby spinach, and carrot-laced tacos.

Lapine stayed hidden herself when we called, but Craig Herman, an executive at her publisher, Running Press, said ominously: "I won't be able to comment until next week."

But Seinfeld's publisher, Steve Ross, was buoyant as he noted that Collins U.S. had six printing presses going full time to keep up with demand and told us: "Jessica Seinfeld's work is completely and entirely original and stems from her own personal experience cooking for her own three children and husband. We all know children will see healthy food and run in the other direction. We have full confidence in the originality of Jessica's recipes. We have been involved in creating the content of this book for almost two years."

Ross did admit that Lapine's agent had submitted her book to them "in May of 2006, but it was rejected." The parent HarperCollins imprint had yet another book in the genre, "Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children," Ross explained.

As for whether Seinfeld actually toils over a hot stove, Ross said: "Well, I can tell you that she cooked [mac and cheese and meatballs] for us, and it was delicious. And we've heard from Jerry that he's been a guinea pig."

A spokesman for Seinfeld said, "She admits she didn't invent pureeing. But she never saw the [Lapine] book. And she worked really hard on hers."

Now check this out!

You can find this book at Amazon.com.

You can read all about Missy Chase Lapine at The Sneaky Chef.com.










THIS IS TRULY AN AMAZING COINCIDENCE!

We're in good company-SORT OF!

I came upon this while surfing the net: Some of them are pretty much commercials for whatever that particular celeb is selling: i.e. Mary-Kate and Ashley and some (Zach Braff, Julia Sweeney, Rosie O'Donnell) are really interesting!

66 Celebrities that Blog

1. Wil Wheaton
2. Bill Maher
3. David Beckham
4. Alec Baldwin
5. Zach Braff
6. Mark Cuban
7. No Doubt
8. Moby
9. Meredith Viera
10. Fred Durst
11. Barbra Striesand
12. Jeff Bridges
13. Lily Allen
14. John Mayer
15. Rosie O’Donnell
16. Margaret Cho
17. Dave Barry
18. Jamie Oliver
19. William Shatner
20. Ant
21. Alyssa Milano
22. Alyssa Milano’s baseball blog
23. Dave Navarro
24. Julia Sweeney
25. Lisa Whelchel
26. Donald Trump
27. Tom Green
28. Kevin Smith
29. Mariska Hargitay
30. Adam Curry
31. David Byrne
32. Kasim Sultan
33. Susan Powter
34. Curt Schilling
35. Anna Kournikova
36. Bob Mould
37. Roseanne
38. Kanye West
39. Billy Morrison
40. Jason Mraz
41. Elisha Cuthbert’s Hockey Blog
42. Tori Amos
43. Kathy Griffin
44. MC Hammer
45. Flea
46. Pamela Anderson
47. Bobby Rivers
48. John Cusack
49. Elyse Sewell
50. Adrienne Curry
51. Al Roker
52. Brian Williams
53. The Dixie Chicks
54. Anderson Cooper
55. Thomas Dolby
56. Dane Cook
57. Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen
58. Victoria Beckham
59. Tori Spelling
60. Bare Naked Ladies
61. Neil Young
62. Deepak Chopra
63. Jenna Elfman
64. Jamie Lee Curtis
65. Michael Moore
66. Tommy LaSorda