Vicki B. and her youngest child Cruz Beckham ventured out into Beverly Hills, CA yesterday to do a bit of shopping together. As you can see in the pics, Cruz thought it would be a hoot to dress up as Robin (sidekick to Batman — complete with fake muscles) to compliment his mother’s entirely black ensemble … behold:

Seriously, isn’t he the cutest little guy ever? Cruz has an affinity for dressing up in superhero costumes (you may recall that he dressed up as a Power Ranger at his older brother Romeo’s 6th birthday party in September) which I think is adorable. I bet he has a bunch of them hanging up in his closet and gets to wear them whenever he wants. Despite the fact that VB looks like an unfeeling automaton, I suspect she is a really nurturing mother (well, I’m guessing) and that her children are very happy. Sooo cute!

[Photo credit: X17]

In the wake of the tragic loss of her mother, brother and young nephew, Jennifer Hudson appears ready to begin to move forward with her life. J. Hud posted a new message on her official My Space profile thanking all of her fans for their love and support as she dealt with the loss of her family members. Additionally, she has authorized Gap to move forward with the Xmas ad campaign she is featured in despite the tragedy that has just been heaped upon her. Here is J. Hud’s new Gap ad and the full text of her message to fans:

Thank You All

I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughts and prayers during
this difficult time. My sister and I take great comfort and strength from your
love and concern. jhud

And, about her Gap ad: Jennifer Hudson continues to mourn her family tragedy. Still, the Gap has just launched its new holiday ad campaign, which features a cheery photo of Hudson smiling and wearing a bright red sweater. While the timing may seem inappropriate, a rep for the clothing-store giant assures us that Hudson has given her blessing to use the image. Hudson was given the option to back out, according to Gap spokesperson Olive Doyne. “She said she wanted to be a part of it and that we should move forward,” Doyne says. Hudson was photographed for the ad by Michael Thompson back in July in New York City. The ad, which includes the tagline “Shine Your Own Star,” can be seen in magazines and newspapers and on billboards in New York and Los Angeles.

While I am sure that Jennifer and the entire Hudson family are far from totally healed from their loss, I am very happy to hear that she appears to be doing a little bit better considering … I just love J. Hud and I am so sorry for her loss. I hope that she continues to heal, especially thru the coming holiday season. Again, while I cannot imagine what she is going thru, I hope that the love and support of her fans will continue to be of solace to her as she needs it.

[Source, Source]

Yesterday was my first full day back home in Detroit and it was a very productive, very fun day. I spent most of it working but I also got to hang out with parents, taking a break here and there from working to talk to them about my trip to Iceland. Last night, Sarah, Mark and I made our way to Oak Lanes in Westland, MI to participate in our friend Tara’s 8th Annual Szabo Bowling Benefit fundraiser that raises money for the Detroit Rehabilitation Center in honor of her late mother. Here are a few pics from last night’s fun:

Now, I’m not a big bowler … in fact, I usually suck at it … but something in me just came alive last night (or, more probably, the folks I was bowling against just really sucked worse) and I ended up winning 2 of our 3 games of bowling. Trust me, this isn’t something that I would normally brag about but it was for a good cause so … there you have it. After the event, we made our way to Puck’s bar in Dearborn (where Tara works) for a few drinks. It was very fun and all but I am SO not used to going out to bars that allow smoking indoors. Ack … it was just gross. I hope that Michigan bans smoking indoors soon … second-hand smoke is just disgusting. BUT ANYWAYS … last night was fun and tonight looks to be just as fun. Sarah, Mark and I are making our way to Grand Rapids, MI to see Nine Inch Nails in concert at Van Andel Arena. It will be the first time I’ve seen the band on the second leg of their Lights in the Sky 2008 North American Tour. I am very excited … tonight’s show will be Mark’s first NIN show ever :)

• President-elect Barack Obama delivers the first weekly Democratic Address ONLINE.
• Batman: The Dark Knight is about to become the fourth movie ever to gross $1 billion dollars at the box office.
• Audrina Patridge reveals that The Hills will return for a 5th season.
• Katie Holmes reveals that Jada Pinkett-Smith inspires her.
• Lindsay Lohan gets attacked with a flour bomb by PETA protesters in Paris, France.
• The Hives + Cyndi Lauper = Xmas goodness?
• Kanye West reveals the tracklisting for his new album 808s & Heartbreak, due out later this month.
• Beverly D’Angelo is 54, Sam Waterston is 68 and People’s Court judge Joseph Wapner is 89 years old today. Click HERE to see who else is celebrating a birthday today.
• Click HERE to follow the live Twitter feed of today’s National Day of Protest for Marriage Equality.

Here is this week’s batch of photos sent in by Pink is the new Blog readers — Jenny sends in a (belated) Halloween pic of her adorable son Holden (described as a hellion) who ventured out on his first trick-or-treating excursion this year as a cute little devil — Nikola sends in a photo of her sister Kirsten and her friend Stephanie rallying against California Prop 8 at the state capital in Sacramento, CA — Jenny, who spent that last year studying abroad in London, England and Sydney, Australia sends in a pic with a group from friends in front of the famed Sydney Opera House on her last night in OZ before returning home — Carrie sends in a pic with her friend Ashlee at the Nine Inch Nails concert in Greenville, SC on November 1 … it was Ashlee’s first time seeing NIN live and Carrie’s ninth time (love it!!) — Jackie from San Jose, CA sends in a pic of the ladies of Alpha Kappa Delta Phi sorority at Johns Hopkins University in Boston, MA celebrating their annual Breastival festival which seeks to raise breast cancer awareness and promote early detection — special Birthday Lurve go out to Rosanna (pictured with her hubby Matt, her shih-tzu Poppy and her mini dachshund Bacon) who turned one year older on November 11:

Yay! This is another great bunch of photos … I love them all. The photo Nikola sent in of her sister Kirsten and her friend Stephanie is a great reminder of the NATIONAL DAY OF PROTEST for MARRIAGE EQUALITY that is happening all across the country RIGHT NOW and the pic of Carrie and Ashlee is a nice nod to the NIN concert that Sarah, Mark and I are going to see in Grand Rapids, MI tonight. Thank you all SO MUCH for taking the time to send in your photos. Please keep ‘em coming … I can’t wait to see more! XOXO

Out magazine hosted its 14th Annual OUT 100 Awards at Gotham Hall in NYC last night in order to honor the mag’s People of the Year who are described as gay and straight “artists, activists, athletes, and aesthetes [who] embody triumph, daring, ingenuity, and integrity”. Here are a few of the Out 100 honorees as they strutted their stuff on the red carpet last night:

Broadway actor Cheyenne Jackson (Xanadu) was named Entertainer of the Year by the magazine for his “stereotype-breaking performances” and musician Sam Sparro was chosen as Breakout Star of the Year for being “an exciting new musician who never considered the closet as an option”. Nikka Costa, Heather Matarazzo (one of the Actors of the Year) and her partner Carolyn Murphy among others were in attendance at last night’s affair as well. Here is this month’s cover of Out magazine which features Out 100 honorees Cheyenne Jackson, Sam Sparro, Katy Perry (Musician of the Year) and director Gus Van Sant (Artist of the Year):

In the spirit of celebration you’ll forgive us for not stopping at 100: Our special awardees, both gay and straight, include Gus Van Sant for his thrilling new cinema paean to our first high-profile out elected official; Dean and Dan Caten for Dsquared2, for their forward-looking menswear; Cheyenne Jackson for his stereotype-breaking performances; Katy Perry for her unfiltered ode to sexual experimentation; Bishop Gene Robinson for leading the fight for equality in our houses of worship; and Sam Sparro, an exciting new musician who never considered the closet as an option.

Click HERE to see some of the other folks who made this year’s Out 100 list and see if any of your faves were honored. Much congrats to this year’s honorees … having seen the list, I can honestly say that Out did an amazing job picking this year’s batch of honorees. Woot!

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]

Travis Barker stepped out on the town in Malibu, CA last night to celebrate his 33rd birthday with his children Alabama Luella and Landon Asher (as well as his ex-wife Shanna Moakler) at Nobu. Here are a few pics of Travis and his sleepy son Landon making their way out of the restaurant at the end of the night:

This birthday was prolly especially poignant for Travis considering that he almost lost his life in a tragic small plane accident that claimed the lives of four people in South Carolina back in September. I would imagine that Travis is very happy to be celebrating another year of life with the children that he loves so much. I, for the life of me, cannot understand what it must feel like to survive a deadly plane crash but I do know that I am thrilled beyond words that Travis is not only able to see another birthday but is able to do so looking so well after recovering from his injuries. Happy, happy birthday, Travis … may you enjoy many more birthdays to come.

[Photo credit: X17]