• Jennifer Hudson to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl next month.
• Ratings are down for American Idol this year.
• John Mayer to get his own TV show?
• Jackie Chan to appear in the new Karate Kid remake?
• Run-DMC, Metallica and Jeff Beck are among the 2009 class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
• If You Seek Amy too saucy for US radio?
• Child abuse?
• American Idol is back to its old tricks.
• Just when you thought that Bromance couldn’t get any more homoerotic, Brody Jenner does THIS.
• Rosario Dawson does Max magazine.
• Brooke Hogan lets it all hang out.
• Britney Spears introduces her sons to their new home.
• FOX likes to party.
• Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters and Nirvana is 40, Jason Bateman is 40, LL Cool J is 41 and Faye Dunaway is 68 years old today. Click HERE to see who else is celebrating a birthday today.
• Joss Whedon talks about Dollhouse’s Friday night time slot.
• Kelis & Nas are spawning.
• You know that iconic Barack Obama poster created by Shepard Fairey? Yeah, well now YOU can appear in a similar poster of your own.

Late last month we were introduced to the new cast of the new season of the hit British TV series Skins and today we get to watch a new trailer that gives us a pretty extensive feel for the way the new gang will be interacting, especially when they are all introduced to one another in the season premiere episode. US readers may not be very familiar with Skins (which airs in this country on BBC America) but I can assure you, it’s a really great (if oftentimes totally exaggerated) television series. Here is an extended trailer for the upcoming third season of Skins … be warned, some of the language and imagery may be NSFW (additionally, some portions of the clip may be unintelligible to folks who have a hard time deciphering British accents):

Click HERE to watch this video on You Tube if the above embed does not work for you. Yeah, it looks pretty good … tho, I’m still reserving total judgment until I’m able to watch the series (or at least the first few eps) in full for myself. I so love the original cast of characters from the first two seasons of Skins (who have since graduated from college [just after high school but not university]). My fear is that season three will attempt to outdo the crazy stuff we saw in the first two seasons of the show merely for shock value. I’d rather the series continue to stick to the witty writing and amazing character development that we got from the original cast. Dev Patel, who played Anwar in seasons 1 and 2 of Skins, can currently be seen in the amazing movie Slumdog Millionaire … that might give y’all a better understanding of the quality that was had from the original cast. I like this trailer … but I want to see more. There is still no word on when exactly season 3 of Skins will air here in the US (at this point, word is we’ll get the next season sometime in “Spring 2009″) but the show will premiere in the UK on Thursday January 22. Folks here in the US interested in catching up with the first two seasons of Skins can catch reruns on BBC America OR can download all of the eps HERE on iTunes OR the season 1 DVD set can be ordered from BBC America HERE:



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Parade magazine has published a very sweet, very poignant letter that President-elect Barack Obama wrote for his young daughters Malia and Sasha. In Obama letters to his daughters, he explains to them why he decided to take their family on the extraordinary journey to the White House and shares his hopes for their future and for the future of all children in the US. Here is the Obama family on the cover of Parade magazine and an excerpt from his letter to his daughters:

“When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me—about how I’d make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn’t seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn’t count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that’s why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation. I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential—schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college—even if their parents aren’t rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity … I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you’ve had. Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much—although you do have that obligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential. These are the things I want for you—to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That’s why I’ve taken our family on this great adventure. I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.”

What a very sweet letter. At first I thought it was weird for a magazine to publish a letter that was written for the Obama girls but reading it clears up any misgivings I initially felt. The letter is really a letter meant for the children of the US and is a promise for a more hopeful future for our country. Speaking to (and thru) his children, President-elect Obama is trying to remind folks, again, that there is much work ahead for our country to get back on the path to prosperity. After the jump, read the full text of Obama’s letter to his children — and to us as a nation …

READ THE REST OF THIS POST »

Lisa Marie Presley, who is the proud new mother of twin baby girls, is showing off Finley and Harper Presley-Lockwood in the pages of the new issue of People magazine (on newsstands Friday). Finley and Harper are the latest children borne of the late Elvis Presley’s only begotten child and are here to say hello to all of us:

Elvis Presley’s only daughter, Lisa Marie, is now a doting mom to 3-month-old girls Finley and Harper – and she is showing off her tiny additions in the new issue of PEOPLE. “I really wanted these babies,” says Presley, 40, who tried for two years to get pregnant before conceiving the twins. “My blood was too thick and would clot, which caused several miscarriages,” she tells PEOPLE. “The moment I took blood thinners, I got pregnant.” Presley and her guitarist husband Michael Lockwood, 47, also share their L.A. home with Presley’s children from a previous marriage: daughter Riley, 19, and son Benjamin, 16. Life as a bustling family of six is “chaotic bliss,” says Presley. The outspoken star – who proudly bared her baby bump after tabloids accused her of having an “unhealthy appetite” – also opens up about losing her baby weight. “I was unable to see my toes by the fourth month,” she admits. “But I only gained 30 lbs. total. I worked out up until the seventh month.”

Whoa, that’s a big family … and with the kids being so far apart in age, well, they’ve got an interesting life ahead. These little darlings are supercute, I’m sure grandpappy Elvis is lookin’ down with pride on the latest additions to his family. I can only imagine the amazing life ahead for these two precious little girls. Welcome to the world, Finley and Harper!

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In recent weeks, rumors have been flying all over the place that Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson were either broken-up or “taking a break” and every possible scenario in between. Altho the ladies were videoed in the throes of an argument on New Year’s Eve and then weren’t seen together very much in the days after, Lindsay has maintained all along that she and Samantha are still together and nothing serious was the matter. At long last, Lindsay and Samantha have been reunited and were photographed together on the streets of LA last night as Linds, once again, talks to Life & Style magazine about the health of her relationship with Sam:

The usually connected-at-the-hip Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson haven’t been seen together much lately, but the Mean Girls star wants to put to rest rumors that they’ve split. “We never broke up,” Lindsay tells Life & Style. “People don’t have to be together every second. It’s healthy to miss someone, and if you’re in it for the long run, it’s good to know that.” An insider close to the starlet says the girls are dialing things down — to save their relationship. “They needed space and time,” says the insider. “They’ve been on top of each other with living and work and life. Lindsay’s now in a new house around the corner from Sam. It’s going to allow them some space.” Still, they’re spending time together. The couple stepped out on Jan. 12 for dinner at West Hollywood’s Matsuhisa. And Lindsay and Sam haven’t changed their Facebook statuses from “in a relationship,” although Linds did update her Facebook page several times in the early morning of Jan. 9 with cryptic messages like “Lindsay deserves the best and the truth,” and “Happiness and love are just a choice away.” Rough patches are nothing new for the volatile couple. “They break up and make up all the time,” says the Lindsay insider. “There are a lot of speed bumps in this relationship — but that’s part of the attraction.”

I, for one, never believed the break-up rumors and am very happy to see that L. Ron appears to be weathering the storm without incident. They remain my fave Hollywood couple and I am thrilled that they continue to laugh in the face of the reports that the couple are dunzo. I contend that they will stay together for a long time to come, if not forever … but I fear that the rabid fascination with reporting the demise of their relationship might take a toll on them as a couple. Stay strong, ladies! You’ve got lurve on your side :)

[Photo credit: X17; Source]

Victoria Beckham isn’t the only A-list celebrity fashionista making headlines today with the release of a new ad campaign, Katie Holmes (Vicki B’s supposed American BFF) is also trying to steal some of the spotlight today with the release of the first photo from her new ad campaign for Miu Miu. As you may recall, we learned back in November that Katie would be appearing in the Spring/Summer ‘09 campaign for the fashion house and today we get our first look at that campaign:

This morning, Miu Miu unveiled its eagerly-anticipated spring/summer 2009 campaign starring Katie Holmes looking positively feline in one of Miuccia Prada’s graffiti-spattered day dresses. Shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott in New York last November, we’re told the idea was for Holmes to depict a “luminous icon radiating a sense of mystery and theatricality” in the images, which were inspired by the films of Fellini. Coincidentally, Holmes’ close friend Victoria Beckham is also stealing the limelight today with her first ads for Emporio Armani’s underwear line (the men’s version of which Beckham’s husband David famously provides the face – and body). Mert & Marcus are behind these too; reclining in a hotel suite in the black-and-white photographs, Beckham – who Armani lauds as a “stylish and intriguing woman” – models the label’s spring/summer 2009 collection, which comes in a sweet palette of periwinkle blue, green and pink.

It is coincidental that both ad campaigns have been released on the same day, isn’t it? I’m sure there is no rivalry at all between the ladies and the releases were not intentionally planned to clash on the same day. Katie has got a serious case of fierce face going on in this photo … she even looks a helluva lot like Posh does, don’t you think?

Same hair, same make-up. HMMM. The dress that she is modeling is pretty amazing, it’s a stunning piece of fashion … but I still have a hard time taking Katie Holmes as a serious fashion plate. Her fame has just skyrocketed to astronomical proportions since she got involved with Tom Cruise, I just cannot believe that she would be enjoying such levels of attention if she had never hooked up with Tom. Honestly, tho, she’s put in a lot of work with him and I feel is deserving of this new plateau of fame … she earned it. In any event, I suspect that we’ll be seeing the rest of Katie’s Miu Miu campaign photos when MiuMiu.com gets updated (currently, last season’s campaign photos featuring Vanessa Paradis is still on display on the site). What do y’all think of this photo … does Katie have the chops to be a serious fashionista?

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As you may recall, Fergie Ferg and Josh Duhamel said their I Dos and got hitched last Saturday in a semi-private and lavish ceremony in Malibu, CA in front of a select group of friends and family. A couple of days after, we saw photos of the pair making their way thru LAX Airport bound for their honeymoon. Today, US Weekly shows off the couple’s wedding photos on the cover and in the pages of their new issue which is on newsstands now … here is the mag’s coverphoto:

The new issue of Us Weekly has eight pages of gorgeous official photos from Fergie and Josh Duhamel’s estimated $1 million rock ‘n’ roll wedding. The bride — who donned two one-of-a-kind Dolce & Gabbana dresses for the big day — tells Us exclusively that her Jan. 10 nuptials to her beau of about five years were “magical, ethereal.” The affair — held on the lush grounds of the ultra-private 8,000-square-foot Church Estate Vineyard in Malibu, California — was all about small details that “incorporated both our personalities,” Duhamel tells Us. “Lots of nature was important to Josh,” celeb planner Mindy Weiss tells Us. “I knew I could bling it up for Fergie.” What did the groom think when he saw his bride walk down the aisle? “Keep it together, you big baby!” he jokes to Us. After their traditional Catholic ceremony, the party really got started. The bride’s first words to her crowd? “She said, ‘I’m married, bitches!’” Wilhelmina president Sean Paterson tells Us. “People were cheering and screaming. It was like being at a rock concert.” (That wasn’t the only performance of the evening; see photos in the newest issue of Us Weekly of the newlyweds jamming on stage with Kid Rock, Will.I.Am and Slash!) For the only interview with the bride and groom and eight pages of stunning photos — plus details on Fergie’s pre-wedding workout plan and exact song list (it took two music meetings to get right!), pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, on stands now.

Fergie’s dress looks gorgeous and Josh looks really freakin’ hawt in his tux … that man is so damn good looking, MMM. They both look so happy … and I wish them all the happiness in the world. I’m curious to see what the other photos from the wedding look like so I’ll be pickin’ up this issue of US Weekly when I step out later today. I ain’t gonna lie, I’m kinda more interested in seeing the Josh pics more than the Fergie pics but … whatevs. Here’s hopin’ the happy couple are enjoying their honeymoon wherever in the world they are right now.

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