A-Rod's Press Conference - Alex Rodriguez on Steroid Abuse

Thank God A-Rod did not get acting tips from Madonna. That would have made yesterday's press conference even more amusing. Alex Rodriguez decided it was time to respond to the Sports Illustrated article which stated that he tested positive for steroids in 2003. This was only after his attempts to discredit SI writer Selena Roberts, by claiming that she was a stalker and a liar, backfired.

I enjoyed watching A-Rod at work. He was coached well by his PR team. If I took a shot for every time he said "young", "stupid", "24 or 25", or "sorry", I'd need to go to that special place where Amy Winehouse desperately needs to be - Rehab not St. Lucia.

A-Rod provided us with some great quotables, and instances where you really had to wonder if he thought you were that gullible. Here are a few examples:

"I knew we weren't taking Tic Tacs"

"I'm here to take my medicine" (Bad time for that analogy!)

"I didn’t think they were steroids. That’s again the part of being young and stupid. It was over the counter, it was pretty basic. And you know, it was really amateur hour." (Over the what? Really Alex?!! LOL. )

"You know, I’m not sure what the benefit was. I will say this: when you take any substance, or anything, especially in baseball, it’s half mental, and half physical. If you take this glass of water and you say I’m gonna be a better baseball if you believe it, you probably will be. So I certainly felt more energy, but it’s hard to say. It’s hard to say." (C'mon Alex. You knew what the benefits were )

"We went outside team doctors, team trainers. It was two guys doing a very amateur and very immature thing. We probably didn’t even take it right; like I said in my statement, we used to do it about two times a month. I don’t even know if that’s proper. (You let your cousin inject you with a foreign substance you knew nothing about? Give us some credit, Alex! You're handsome, but not that handsome! We are actually listening to what you are saying, not just being mesmerized by your looks!)

The best part of the conference for me was that 1 minute pause, where Alex got so choked up thanking his team for their support. We had several seconds of silence as Alex bit his lip, looked away, and tried not to cry. As you admired his tan, you also wanted to comfort him. It was that believable! A-Rod could teach Madonna a thing or two about an Oscar winning performance.

Overall, A-Rod played a good game. Even as he stretched the truth, he did it in such a way that we did not feel like complete morons, although we would have to be to accept some of what he was spinning. His team took a week to rehearse, and A-Rod recited his lines well, and was able to appear credible most of the time. Nice work.

Rihanna and Chris - The Latest

Chris Brown allegedly hit and bit his girlfriend Rihanna. She suffered visible injuries and had to go to the hospital for treatment.

Chris recently released the following statement:

"Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired," the 19-year-old said in a statement released by his spokesman. "I am seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones and I am committed, with God's help, to emerging a better person. Much of what has been speculated or reported on blogs and/or reported in the media is wrong. While I would like to be able to talk about this more, until the legal issues are resolved, this is all I can say except that I have not written any messages or made any posts to Facebook, on blogs or any place else. Those posts or writings under my name are frauds."

Rihanna has yet to come out with a statement, however, her family and friends have surfaced various comments to the media. Her father has been the most outspoken. He acknowledged that Rihanna had some bruising, but said that she would be all right. He went on to share that he hoped that Rihanna would move on from dating Chris Brown, and that "at some point, she will speak out. I hope she will stand up for women all over the world." Rihanna insiders have said that the singer was appalled by Brown's statement, especially since he did not admit any guilt.

The singer continues to reside in Barbados, recovering from her injuries with those closest to her.

--------------------------------

Additional Highlights:

*History of Violence: Brown grew up in an abusive household, where he witnessed his stepfather beating his mother. "He used to hit my mom ... He made me terrified all the time, terrified like I had to pee on myself," Brown said during a 2007 interview with Giant magazine.

*Adverse Impact on Career: Wrigley suspended Brown's Doublemint gum ad; the Milk Moustache campaign said they were taking the allegations "very seriously"; and Sesame Street pulled a 2007 episode where Brown guest-starred from all future airings. Meanwhile, Rihanna has postponed her concert schedule

*Damage Control: Brown has hired top crisis management expert, Alan Nierob, to help save his career. Nierob, a veteran Hollywood publicist, is most known for reviving Mel Gibson's career after Mel's infamous anti-semitic tirade

Rihanna and Chris Brown - Assault

Rihanna and Chris Brown were scheduled to perform at the Grammy's tonight. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the couple were involved in a car accident and that Al Green will perform in their place. Rihanna's rep did not provide any details, just saying that "Rihanna is well. Thank you for the care and support. "

Let's hope that there are no major injuries.

Update:

Apparently there was no car accident. Rihanna pulled out of performing at the Grammy's after police reported that they were investigating an assault claim against Chris Brown by an unidentified woman. LA police state that Chris Brown argued with said woman on Saturday night and the fight heated up when both left the car that Chris was driving. The woman had visible injuries and identified Chris Brown as her attacker. Chris left the scene before the police had arrived.

Blogworthy moments missed; but the KSS is back!

Happy New Year, everyone!

*Snicker* Well, it's still technically January, Jan 31 to be exact, so it's not totally laughable to be giving the New Year greeting at this stage! Right? *Snicker*

Man, what a time for me to go off the blogging wagon! I mean...

• Obama won the election. My O! face is permanently in place (?!)

• The entire planet descended on Washington, D.C. for O's inauguration; rumor has it that one person actually saw O up close and personal, the rest viewed via Jumbo Trons
  
  


• Aretha's hat makes history



• Hillary Clinton was named Secretary of State



• Dick Cheney claims he did not overstep the boundaries of the Vice Presidency. Not even he can keep a straight face when he reads those words from the cue cards
  
  
  
• Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, in a bid to make money off of the Obama phenomenon -tries to sell O's senate seat. This act allows the beleaguered Eliot Spitzer to seem almost saint like by comparison
  
  
• Bernie Madoff stole billions, prompted suicides, bankrupted charities, and yet still had the gall to whine about being held under house arrest in his Manhattan penthouse
  
  
  
  
• Heather Mills boasts about being more of a guy-magnet than her gorgeous model friends, conveniently forgetting that the guys started chasing only after her networth skyrocketed thanks to Paul McCartney's refusal to sign a prenup



• Brad and Angie continue to replenish planet earth; gorgeous twins added to the human race
  



• Geese force a plane to land in the NY Hudson River
  
• Layoffs, layoffs and more layoffs
  
• John Travolta's son dies at 16
• Paris Hilton tries to remain relevant - launches British version of her BFF show, and bores the heck out of anyone who still cares to watch her
  
• The Hills multiplies, and brings forth The City. Success for Whitney! She's not as stilted as she appears, and her show is renewed for a second season
  
• Britney is back! Daddy Spears finally embraces fatherhood and turns around his daughter's life


• Heath Ledger wows in The Dark Knight
  
• Hugh's bunny loft undergoes repairs. Girls leave, trash Sugargrandaddy, apologize, and continue to show off their younger stud loves. Hef consoles himself with more of the same - young, busty, blonde, and trampy (too harsh?)
  
• Mariah Carey and Nick are still together (yes!)
  
• Wall Street begs taxpayers for handout, while awarding themselves $20Billion in bonuses - executives get blistering tongue lashing from President O

• People watch in awe, get goosebumps, as they see a relevant U.S. president - laughter is heard whenever anyone ponders "what would Bushie do?" if he were still in office
  
  
• Republicans amuse all with their antics. Hillary lost, they pick Palin. Obama wins, they pick Michael Steele



• The blackberry now comes in a flip phone!
  

And so, so many more blogworthy moments.

Well the K.S.S. is back! Happy 2009 y'all. Keep reading!

XOXOX

LOL Comment of the Day: Matthew McConaughey's kid

"McConaughey baby born wearing more clothes than Daddy"

~Pop Chart, Time Magazine

Beautiful!!

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon Married (Allegedly)!

According to some media outlets, Mariah Carey, 38, and her boyfriend of a few months, Nick Cannon, 27, have eloped! The wedding ceremony is said to have taken place on Wednesday, April 30 on an island, with rapper DaBrat in attendance. Nick apparently loves "everything" about Mariah.

Embarrassing news about the couple came out earlier this week regarding Mariah's engagement ring. The dazzler, that Mariah was seen flashing at paparazzi, is the exact same ring that Nick used to propose to his former fiancee, Victoria Secret model Selita Ebanks. Nasty case of re-gifting - although the ring is beautiful.

Tell me this isn't all a publicity stunt to drive album sales, partially understandable given the top notch competition coming from Madonna.

Update

The wedding happened at Mariah's home in Eleuthera, Bahamas and there was no prenuptial agreement.

Congratulations to Beyonce' and Jay-Z on their Marriage!

Beyonce' and Jay-Z filed for a marriage license in NY on April 1st. With a potential wedding on the horizon, media outlets chased the story and rumours of an April 4th wedding gained significant momentum. Some felt that April 4 was a credible date because it held special significance for the couple: Beyonce's birthday is on September 4 and Jay-Z's on December 4.

Now word comes that the happy couple of 6 years were married yesterday at Jay-Z's Tribeca penthouse. It was a small affair, with about 30 in attendance, including Beyonce's immediate family, Destiny Child members Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland, and celebrity couple Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow, who all wore white.

Celebrity blogger, Perez Hilton, was the first to report the wedding date and associated details. He also went so far as to share the location of the event with his millions of readers (and the world) before the actual ceremony, and encouraged people to go to the location and say hi on his behalf. Playing fair?

Congratulations Beyonce' and Jay-Z! Cheers to a lifetime of wedded bliss.

Nipple Rings Raise Alarm @ Lubbock Airport in Texas

Imagine for a second that you have nipple rings. (Ouch!) After you pierce your nipples, the skin can heal around the piercing making subsequent removal of the rings very painful. Also, after you remove the rings, the holes in the skin can close up immediately, making reinsertion difficult.

Now imagine that you have a nipple piercing and that you are going to visit your great-uncle, and instead of driving you decided to fly. On your return trip from Lubbock, you walk successfully through the metal detector at the airport, but are pulled aside for additional screening. The hand wand beeps when the TSA Officer waves it over your breasts.

No problem. You calmly tell the officer that you have nipple piercings. That officer must be confused because the officer calls over another TSA agent, who tells you that you need to remove the nipple piercings. You probably cringe, because you know how painful removal is going to be.

You look around and see that you have now drawn a crowd. More officers come over, until the group includes four male and 2 female officers. In addition, there is a small group of interested parties peering over at you. You start to cry. Through your tears, you ask if you can show the piercings instead of removing them. You are told that you have to remove them or else you will not get on a plane. Although you are legally entitled to get a pat down instead of being forced to remove the nipple rings, no one tells you that, and so you begin the painful process.

In a private area, behind a curtain, you start to remove the piercings. One is easy, the other won't budge. You ask an officer for help and you are handed a large pair of pliers. As you cry, and struggle to remove the second piercing, you hear the male TSA officers snickering outside of the curtain. You probably want to brain them with the pliers, but you are focused on getting on that flight.

You finally are piercing free and re-enter the scan. You realize you forgot to remove your navel ring. You offer to remove it, but are told it is OK, since the officer can see it. You wonder why a similar inspection of the nipple rings couldn't have worked.

You get through the ordeal. You think about the pain, and humiliation that you would not wish on anyone else and then you call Gloria Allred, renown celebrity attorney.

Mandi Hamlin, 37, went through this experience on February 24, 2008. She is now demanding an apology from the TSA, and if one is not forthcoming she will plan to pursue legal options. Gloria Allred, Mandi's attorney, told reporters at a news conference that, "the conduct of TSA was cruel and unnecessary. Last time that I checked, a nipple was not a dangerous weapon. People who are pierced should not be snickered at, should not become the object of ridicule, should not be singled out for special and uneven and unequal treatment. They should be respected just like everybody else." Mandi told the reporters that "I wouldn't wish this experience upon anyone. I felt surprised, embarrassed, humiliated and scared. No one deserves to go through this."

The TSA released a statement admitting that "our procedures caused difficulty for the passenger involved and regrets (the) situation in which she found herself. We appreciate her raising awareness on this issue and we are changing the procedures to ensure that this does not happen again." The TSA also added that it was "well aware of terrorists' interest in hiding dangerous items in sensitive areas of the body. Therefore, we have a duty to the American public to resolve any alarm that we discover."

Apparently the TSA's Public Affairs office reached out to Mandi on Friday and she is open to giving them an opportunity to "do the right thing now."

As for flying again, Mandi says she will fly, but never from the Lubbock airport in Texas.

Source: CNN

LeBron James - Gisele Bundchen's Vogue Cover: Racist?

I looked at the cover and thought it was striking. Attention grabbing. Apparently some people looked at it and thought it was racist. Whaaat?! Someone please educate me.

Some say that the picture of LeBron is stereotypical, in that it shows James as the dangerous black man. LeBron, according to complaints, looks like King Kong and Gisele is the helpless Fay Wray. Also, the picture allegedly hits on another stereotype: the black man wanting the white woman.

Overly sensitive, are we?

I see a famous athlete - looking all powerful and like the champ he is. As a sign of his power and charisma, he just happens to be hanging out with one of the hottest models around. End of story.
Vogue, through spokesman Patrick O'Connell said that the magazine "sought to celebrate two superstars at the top of their game" in their once a year issue devoted to size and shape. He continued to say that "We think LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen look beautiful together and we are honored to have them on the cover."

Even if I stretch my imagination, I see no racism. The only complaint I could have is that Vogue is way, way behind the times, because it took them until 2008 to have their first black man on the magazine cover, when there have been so many viable candidates over the decades. If I think about that, maybe I will get upset.

Halle Berry Gives Birth to First Child: A Baby Girl

Halle Berry gave birth to her first child on Sunday in Los Angeles. Halle, 41, and model Gabriel Aubry, 32, are the proud parents of a baby girl.

Halle has wanted to be a mother for a long time, and according to CNN, she told Oprah that she was convinced that motherhood was for her after playing a mother in "Things We Lost in the Fire." "I think it validated that I was meant to be a mother because every day I dealt with the character as a mother and thinking as a mother," Berry said. "It let me know that I must be a mother."

Halle has been married twice before, and has no immediate plans to wed Gabriel. The couple met in November 2005 during a Versace photo shoot. Halle says that they both feel fully committed to each other.

Their daughter is yet to be named, but Berry confirmed that their child would take on Gabriel's last name.


Update - March 19th - Baby's Name
The baby's name is Nahla Ariela Aubrey. Nahla is an Arabic-based name that means, "drink of water." Nahla weighed 7lbs 4oz.

Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood in Concert at Madison Square Gardens

Night 1: February 25th

Together again after ~40 years.

Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood initially collaborated in the late 60s through the formation of a group called Blind Faith. While highly successful, the band stayed together only for a short time, long enough to launch one album and a tour and to create an appetite for a new sound: the fusion of blues and rock music.

As an audience, we were then starved for years, until we received another taste of the duo during the 2007 Clapton and Winwood collaboration at the Chicago Crossroads Guitar festival. And now, in 2008, there is finally more food to satisfy the craving. The superstars granted us a spectacular 3-night showdown at the Gardens in New York in late February.

Despite all the anticipation, the night started out on a slightly embarrassing note. Steve Winwood was on the piano and another guy was playing back up guitar. The guy on the guitar was really good. A few of us commented that said guy looked a lot like Eric Clapton. But of course it could not have been him…nobody puts Eric in the corner (shameless quote stealing from Dirty Dancing)! A while later, when this guy on the guitar started doing solo pieces, someone said that the backup guitarist got a great promotion. We all chuckled. How embarrassing for us, self-proclaimed fans, to realize that the guitarist was indeed Eric Clapton. Oops. We quickly and quietly got over our gaffe, and enjoyed the superb show.

It was wonderful to see such talented musicians, in no-frills attire, completely relaxed, sharing stories, and laughing, as they alternated between solo and combined segments. Clapton and Winwood performed hit songs from their own repertoire as well as from other greats. Winwood, on the piano, rendered a powerful vocal performance of “Georgia on My Mind”, and if you closed your eyes, you could almost think that you were listening to Ray Charles. Clapton displayed his skills on the guitar across many songs, including, “Presence of the Lord” and “Kind Hearted Woman Blues.” The Clapton/Winwood duo continued to rock the house for several hours, and we left the concert well-fed that night.

Today though, we are again hungry, and longing for the date and time of the next meal. Eric, Steve – we hope it will be soon.

Nicole Ritchie Beats Aguilera...by a long shot

In the battle of magazine covers - covers of celebrity baby pictures to be precise - we have J. Lo at one end of the spectrum with $6.4 Million from People magazine, and Christina Aguilera falling more mid-tier, with $1.5 Million from People. Sales success for these editions can vary wildly. Christina Aguilera's cover didn't fare well, and Ms. Aguilera was not pleased and apparently revamped her management team in response to the poor sales. Nicole Ritchie, Lionel's daughter, ex-heroin addict, and Joel Madden's baby mama, apparently had a relatively smaller payout from People than Aguilera, but her baby pics are doing a lot better.

Nicole is expected to sell over 1.8 Million copies, much more than Aguilera. The reason? Nicole is more interesting - she is dating a tattooed rock-star, she has a famous dad, she was once a wild and crazy Paris Hilton BFF, who apparently has seen the light...and has calmed down. Who wouldn't pay to read about that?

http://kerijam.blogspot.com/2008/02/jlos-6million-dollar-babies.html

I Like George Clooney Again. Michael Clayton Saved Him.

The movie Michael Clayton is a must see.


Why?

This movie convinced me that George Clooney was again likable. And that took a whole lot of convincing. Post his ER-days, George came across as an extremely arrogant, pretty boy actor, always trying too hard to appear serious. Post-Michael Clayton, I now think that Clooney is in fact a terrific actor and that even more, he should receive an Oscar for his performance. The movie was that good and George was amazing. He said goodbye to smarminess and posing and was just pure talent.


Wow - I wonder what the world will be like now that I like George Clooney again.



Note: Michael Clayton, directed by Tony Gilroy, has received 7 Oscar nominations including: Best Achievement in Directing, Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen and Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score.

http://michaelclayton.warnerbros.com/#

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465538/

J.Lo's $6 Million Dollar Babies!

People magazine has reportedly offered Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony $6 Million dollars for rights to the first exclusive pictures of the couple's newborn twins. This is apparently the highest amount ever paid to a celebrity couple for the rights to capture their children on film. Brangelina (Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt) received $4.1 Million for photos of their daughter, Shiloh.

The NY Post cattily compares the $6 Million windfall to the box office grosses of some of J. Lo's less than stellar films - the twins are earning about the same as 2003's "Gigli" (J.Lo and Ben Affleck) and slightly less than 2006's "El Cantante"(J.Lo and Marc Anthony).

People magazine has been the clear winner in celebrity newborn exclusives. The benefit is not always financial, e.g. they paid $1.5 Million for pictures of Christina Aguilera's newborn, but there was no significant increase in their newsstand sales. However, the associated publicity and brand equity can be equally important factors.

According to the NY Post, People makes ~$2.05 for every magazine that sells at the full cover price of $3.99. In order for them to profit from the J.Lo baby pics, People will need to sell an additional 2.9 Million copies over and above the 1.4 Million sales they average each week.

All this is of no concern to J. Lo and Marc Anthony. The couple are currently king and queening it up at a hospital in Long Island, where they are being heavily guarded by hospital security guards and pampered by private chefs and attendants.


http://kerijam.blogspot.com/2008/02/congratulations-to-jlo-and-marc-anthony.html

Congratulations to J.Lo and Marc Anthony on their Newborns

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony are the proud parents of twins! J.Lo gave birth earlier today to a healthy baby boy and girl. The babies were born a little after midnight in Long Island, NY. The girl (5lb 7oz) came first and then her brother (6lbs) arrived a few minutes later.

Jennifer's pregnancy was shrouded in secrecy, with no announcement from the couple, despite J. Lo's obvious baby bump. I was one of the outlets (*smile*) to out J. Lo after seeing her in concert last year October (http://kerijam.blogspot.com/2007/10/marc-anthony-and-j-lo-concert.html).

J.Lo and Marc finally confirmed the obvious in November, 2007 at a concert in Miami. Also, Jennifer's Dad, David Lopez, shared earlier in February that the couple were expecting twins. Jennifer is a first time mom of 2, and these are #4 and 5 for Marc.

Congratulations, Marc and J. Lo. Best wishes! You must be thrilled!

"It's Tastefully Done" - Dina Lohan on Lindsay's Marilyn Monroe Nude Photos

Lindsay Lohan was asked by famed photographer Bert Stern to re-create Stern's well-known 'Last Sitting' photos of Marilyn Monroe. Lindsay is in various stages of undress for these pictures, i.e. she poses nude.

Her father, Michael Lohan, said he would not want to see the pictures, because Lindsay is his daughter. He also added that "Lindsay is an adult, and she knows the direction she wants to take her career. It is her decision." Michael also felt that it was an "amazing thing" for Lindsay to be asked by Bert to do the photos.

Lindsay's mom, Dina Lohan, had the following to say: "It was very tastefully done. I respect the photographer as an artist, so I look at them artistically. For him to call Lindsay 46 years later and to say can you recreate these photos is an honour." Dina further stated that, she "looked at it as art, and as Lindsay doing a character. So I don't look at them like it's Playboy - she was being a character.If you look at it that way, you can look at it as a mother."

Fine, fine and fine. But, I am really tired of people using the "tastefully done" explanation for explicit nude shots. You don't read Playboy for the articles. You are not OK with these shots because they were tastefully done. There is a huge amount of publicity associated with such photos and of course you made bank. Come on, just give us some straight talk, instead of belittling our intelligence. Simply stated, you are OK with your daughter posing nude because the publicity and money made it worthwhile. Sugar coating is not necessary.

Spice Girls in Concert, Madison Square Gardens

The Return of The Spice Girls, Madison Square Gardens, NYC

Feb. 18, 2008

We entered the room and the first row was filled with pre-teens. We were more than a decade older than this crowd, but we didn't care. We were here to see the iconic Spice Girls. So what if the majority of the adults there were parents of the tween set? Pride wasn't going to get between us and our girls.

The lights went out indicating that the show was about to start. The high-pitched screams - which were to be our constant companions throughout the show - started and increased to a deafening pitch once the Spice Girls appeared on stage.

Posh was in a shiny, skin tight, rubber outfit. Scary was in her typical leopard print. Ginger had on a cute, very short dress. Baby, was demurely attired in a girly dress which graced her mid-thigh. Sporty, I believe wore a pants suit. Everyone, except Sporty, had cleavage exposed. Everyone looked extremely hot - beautiful, toned and ready for action.

The outfits were one of the highlights of the show. Where can I buy a pair of Scary's red hot boots? Ginger's fitted dress, the color of the British flag, was stunning. Not to mention Posh's black lingerie-looking 'I am not sure what', with an extended train at the back.

Although a majority of the fans were part of the teen or pre-teen set, you really couldn't tell by some of the elements included in the show. For example:

• Scary's skin-tight leopard print outfit, which she accompanied with a mic-whip, i.e. a microphone with a whip-like extension, which Scary proceeded to swing like only a whip should be swung


• Scary gyrating and then straddling a ladder


• Screen shots of Posh in a bra and S&M looking black outfit


• Each girl holding the end of a dog collar, which was tied around a man's neck; said man happened to be crawling on all fours in front of each one of the Spices

Hopefully, the tweens won't understand?

Aside from (or because of??) those non-PG 13 episodes, the show was a lot of fun. Girl power was alive and breathing all over you. You became nostalgic of happy, simple times...innocence with shiny red boots.

Word on the street is that the girls are canceling their tour. The rumor says that their egos are too big for one show to contain. It's a pity, because the show was fantastic. Forget about the fact that only Sporty Spice can sing and that none of them can really dance. Those ladies put on a marvelous spectacle, full of glitter, sexy outfits and charismatic performances. Posh Spice even deigned to smile at the audience.

Posh appeared to be the most popular Spice - maybe one of the reasons for the tour cancellation? Each time the lights focused on Posh, the audience's screams rose to a volume higher than for any of the other girls. I am not surprised. Posh has made a name for herself as 1/2 of the great 'Posh & Becks' celebrity couple - most famous couple in Britain, and who are working very hard for similar fame here in the U.S. Posh can't sing to save her life, but that is quite inconsequential. She has created a phenomenon and you are entertained by just watching her strut and pose.

Cute moment of the night went to the portion of the show where all the ladies - sans Sporty - brought their children on to the stage and jointly performed "Mama". Posh had Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz. Baby had Beau. Ginger held Bluebell Madonna and Scary was with Eddie Murphy's, Angel Iris. Sporty shared kids with the Spice mothers during the song. Cruz - Posh's youngest - showed signs of being just like mom, i.e. craving the spotlight. Little Cruz wowed the audience with slick break dancing moves, a few hand stands and flips...all of this and he's only 3 years old. He had to be pulled off of the stage by his mummy.

Girls, please reconsider and continue with the tour. Each one of you rocked the house. You all look great. Your fans appreciate you and are in need of you. Get over yourselves and perform. You know you want to.

http://www.thespicegirls.com/

Can you be too enthusiastic?

I recently caught a portion of the Rachel Ray talk show/cooking show. Boy! She is a bundle of enthusiasm. It's high pitched. It's "great"s and "awesome"s. It's a wide, bright-eyed grin. But is it too much?

Sometimes I had to put the TV on mute, because it started to grate on my nerves. I love happy. I love enthusiasm. But, I think you can cross the line into becoming unreal...a tad fake and Rachel, I think you cross that line. The show was quite enjoyable, when Rachel calmed down, spoke in her inside voice and was her, nice, pleasant persona. I could actually take the show off of mute during those times.

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/

Ledger Death due to Accidental Overdose

Heath Ledger died from an accidental overdose on prescription drugs. The NYC medical examiner's office announced that a series of drugs, including painkillers, sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication were found in Heath's body. The examiner's office stated, "Mr. Heath Ledger died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam, and doxylamine".

Here's a description of each of the drugs found in Heath's body:

• Oxycodone -- narcotic/painkiller; trade names: OxyContin, Percodan


• Hydrocodone -- narcotic/painkiller; trade name (combined with acetaminophen): Vicodin


• Diazepam -- anti-anxiety drug; trade name: Valium


• Alprazolam -- anti-anxiety drug; trade name: Xanax


• Doxylamine -- sleep medication; trade name: Unisom


• Temazepam -- sleep medication; trade name: Restoril

According to CNN, the combination of these drugs could potentially cause the brain and brain stem to fall asleep, halting heart and lung function.

Heath's family had firmly maintained that his death was accidental - they knew their son would not have wanted to leave his life, especially his beloved 2-year old daughter, Matilda.

It was already a sad day when we learned of Ledger's death - and to know that he did not want to die makes it all the more poignant.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/06/heath.ledger/index.html

http://kerijam.blogspot.com/2008/02/quote-michelle-williams-on-heath.html

http://kerijam.blogspot.com/2008/01/heath-impacts-bush.html

http://kerijam.blogspot.com/2008/01/moment-of-silence-heath-ledger-is-dead.html