Here are a few photos of Jake Gyllenhaal with his older sister Maggie Gyllenhaal and her daughter (his niece) Ramona enjoying some quality playtime together at a playground in Central Park in NYC recently and then out for lunch together at Ammo restaurant here in LA just this past Wednesday:

Curiously, we don’t usually get to see many photos of Jakey poo playing with or even carrying his niece Ramona very much. The little girl has grown so much, she’s a big kid now, and to my recollection these are among the first photos that I’ve seen of Jake with Ramona (I’m pretty certain we’ve never seen Jake with Ramona alone babysitting … mama Maggie is always present). I’m sure they spend a lot of time together often but nosomuch in public. Perhaps the time that Jake has spent in the company of Reese Witherspoon‘s children has got him interested in hanging out with as many kids as possible. Might there be a little Jakey poo in the near future? In any event, I’m sure Jake is a great uncle and it’s cute to see him with kids … tho, I’m not sure I’m ready to see him with his own kids … not with Reese anyways … but mebbe someday. ‘Til then, I’m just fine seeing Jake with other people’s kids … even if it is every once in a blue moon.

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I want to repost this in case any of y’all missed catching it earlier: Okay, if YOU live in Southern California and YOU can get yourself to the NBC Studios at 3000 W. Alameda in Burbank, CA tomorrow (03/27/09) afternoon by 2:45pm PT then you have a chance to attend the taping of The Tonight Show where Prince will perform the third of his 3 dates on the show. Tomorrow’s performance will be extra special as he will be performing on the outdoor stage. Here are the requirements to enter for the tickets:

You should be 21 and must be able to get yourself to the studio on your own. Bring photo ID as your name will be on a list. Check in is at 2:45pm PT

I have 2 sets of 2 tickets to giveaway, courtesy of LOTUSFLOW3R.com … all you have to do to enter is send me an emale at pinkisthenewblog@gmail.com with the subject line: Prince Tickets and I will randomly select two names to each receive a pair of tickets :) Voila! Much love to the folks at LOTUSFLOW3R.com for this great giveaway. Send in your emails, I’ll pick the winners by 6pm PT tonight. Good Luck!

A new batch of character movie posters for the latest installment of the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, has made their way to the Internets … check out these really cool new posters of Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore, Hermoine Granger, Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape:

I can’t get over how adult the kids look … I mean, I know while reading the books we learn that the “kids” are maturing but seeing the actors look all mature really drives home the point. This movie will be amazing … I can’t wait to see it. While it would’ve been nice to see it last year (like originally planned), having it postponed to this Summer gives us something to look forward to. Aren’t these posters great? It’s awesome to have Harry Potter back on the scene again.

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Welp, it looks like you can take those wedding gifts back to Sears … Jamie Lynn Spears has decided that she DOES NOT want or need to get married to her babydaddy Casey Aldridge despite agreeing to tie the knot previously. A new report claims that JL feels that she doesn’t need a piece of paper to live a happy life with Casey. I understand the couple are still very much in love, are still living together and are still planning to raise their daughter Maddie Briann as a family … just not a legally wed family:

Britney Spears’ sister Jamie Lynn has reportedly called off her wedding to the father of her daughter – months after she was forced to deny rumours of a split. The pop star’s younger sibling hit the headlines at 16 when she announced she was expecting a child with her boyfriend Casey Aldridge, who she vowed to marry. Following the birth of their daughter Maddie Briann in June, the teen couple became the subject of fervent tabloid speculation which suggested they were living apart after Aldridge cheated on Spears. The Zoey 101 star came forward in October to deny the persistent infidelity rumours and re-iterate her plans to tie the knot with her boyfriend. But now the 17-year-old is said to have scrapped her plans to walk down the aisle with Aldridge once and for all – after deciding she doesn’t need an official ceremony to make her happy. A source tells U.S. magazine OK!, “The wedding’s off. They are still in love, living together and very happy, but they have no plans to get married. Jamie Lynn has everything she wants and feels no need for a ring and piece of paper.” And the publication alleges that Spears has also decided to give up her acting career – so she can focus on raising her toddler. The insider adds: “She has told friends and family she’s never coming back to Hollywood. She feels that part of her life is over. Jamie Lynn enjoyed every minute of doing Zoey, but since she’s had Maddie, her life has changed completely. “She’s happy being a real hands-on Southern mother and hopes to continue that for years to come with Casey right by her side. Jamie Lynn knows she needs to make a living when she grows older, so she’s already discussing her career options with advisers. She wants Maddie to grow up in comfort.”

Meh. Who needs a wedding to be in love? JL and Casey are still very young … even tho they already got the makin’ babies part down, there’s no need for them to rush into marriage if they feel they aren’t ready. I don’t know that Jamie Lynn Spears has made very many mature and adult decisions in her young life but it sounds like mebbe she is finally growing up. I guess havin’ babies can do that to a person. I bet Casey is pretty thrilled that the wedding’s off, too. Something tells me that he’s not the marrying kind … not yet anyway. Something also tells me that he would prolly do whatever JL tells him to do so … yeah, sigh of relief. I support their decision to hold off on the wedding until they’re ready to make a serious commitment to one another … let’s just hope there aren’t any more babies in the near future for these two.

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Yesterday afternoon, David and I were very fortunate to attend the taping of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at NBC Studios in Burbank, CA. I managed to get a couple tix to the show via Prince‘s just launched new website/fan club LOTUSFLOW3R.com and we were able to attend the taping:

I was very pleased to learn that they treated the fan club folks very well … we were seated right in front of the performance stage so we had a great view of Prince‘s performance of the song Ol’ Skool Company from his new album MPLSoUND. The taping was pretty straightforward, they filmed everything in the hour that the show airs and we had a blast. I’m not a huge fan of attending TV show tapings but this one was really fun. I remember when I was younger, living in Detroit, and I wondered what it would like to be a part of a live studio audience. It’s a pretty neat experience … living in SoCal has a lot of fun rewards like this. This afternoon, my friend Daniel invited me to go back to the second of Prince‘s appearances on The Tonight Show so I’ll be making my way back to Burbank in a few hours for the taping. Cell phones are big no-no inside the studio so I’ll tweet what I can, when I can for those of you interested.

I do have to give a shout-out to Pink reader Wesley who I got to meet at NBC yesterday … it was my pleasure and a nice surprise to meet her :)

Also, I might be able to offer some tickets for YOU to attend tomorrow’s taping of The Tonight Show for Prince‘s third and final appearance on the show. I don’t have the info yet but I’ll be updating THIS POST with the deets should tix become available for me to give away. Stay tuned!!

UPDATE! Okay, if YOU live in Southern California and YOU can get yourself to the NBC Studios at 3000 W. Alameda in Burbank, CA tomorrow afternoon by 2:45pm PT then you have a chance to attend the taping of The Tonight Show where Prince will perform the third of his 3 dates on the show. Tomorrow’s performance will be extra special as he will be performing on the outdoor stage. Here are the requirements to enter for the tickets:

You should be 21 and must be able to get yourself to the studio on your own. Bring photo ID as your name will be on a list. Check in is at 2:45pm PT

I have 2 sets of 2 tickets to giveaway, courtesy of LOTUSFLOW3R.com … all you have to do to enter is send me an email at pinkisthenewblog@gmail.com with the subject line: Prince Tickets and I will randomly select two names to each receive a pair of tickets :) Voila! Much love to the folks at LOTUSFLOW3R.com for this great giveaway. Send in your emails, I’ll pick the winners by 6pm PT tonight. Good Luck!

• Jennifer Hudson sets a wedding date, will be appearing on a future ep of American Idol.
• David Beckham meets some real heroes.
• Olympian turned Dancing with the Stars castmember Shawn Johnson has added extra security to protect her after a crazed stalker fan was arrested this week.
• Melissa and Justin Beck, whose baby was born last week, announce today that their little girl has been named Shalom Mazie. Congrats again!!
• Sarah McLachlan begins work on a new album.
• Newlyweds Tom Brady & Gisele Bundchen are planning to get hitched again.
• Iggy Pop announces the release date for his new jazz album.
• Octomom Nadya Suleman likes to spend money almost as much as she likes to birth babies.
• RuPaul’s Drag Race has been picked up for a second season, casting begins in May.
• Emile Hirsch does L’Uomo Vogue magazine.
• A same-sex marriage bill passes the State House of Representatives in New Hampshire.
• Jennifer Love Hewitt soaks in a pool with her new boyfriend Jamie Kennedy.
• Fergie hits the work-out trail.
• Should Jennifer Aniston be lookin’ for a new dude, THIS should be of some help.
• Say what? Trubs for Ashl33n?
• J-Kwon is 23, Keira Knightley is 24, T.R. Knight is 36, Jennifer Grey is 49, Diana Ross is 65 and Leonard Nimoy is 78 years old today. Click HERE to see who else is celebrating a birthday today.
• Drew Barrymore and Justin Long back together?
• Bob Barker returns to The Price is Right.
• Officials are taking another look at the death of Anna Nicole Smith.

Here’s a little left over from last week’s South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX … IFC managed to get some interview time with Tori Amos and got her to play a game of What If with the songstress … resulting in one of Tori‘s most charming interviews ever. Watch it below:

The interviewer, Alessandro Minoli, asked some really great questions (my fave was the one about the major/minor key) to make for a really great interview. I had no idea that Tori would be so happy to roast a man alive rather than burning a piano for warmth (tho, on second thought … I guess I should not be surprised at all). She is a lioness, indeed. The interview is really great but it only makes me more anxious for more — I am really looking forward to hearing more new music from her new album Abnormally Attracted to Sin which is due out in May and then seeing her on tour afterward. Woot!

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French avant garde designer Thierry Mugler has been tapped to create the onstage costuming for Beyoncé‘s upcoming new tour and, as you might expect, the sketches that have been released are nothing short of fierce … behold:

“The duality between being a woman and a warrior.” That’s the spirit Thierry Mugler wanted to capture with the costumes he designed for Beyoncé’s upcoming world tour, and from the look of these illustrations, he succeeded. The tour kicks off today in Edmonton. “Sasha Fierce is another aspect of Beyoncé’s personality,” Mugler offered via e-mail. “She is Fierce on stage and Beyoncé in real life. I tried to understand these two sides with my own perception of both aspects.” The look pictured here captures that duality. It imagines Beyoncé as a tough, chic, superheroine type who likes her power glam with a bit of froth; hence, the bow bustle and mismatched gloves that pair lacy fishnet with articulated metal. But don’t expect Beyoncé to stay in that guise for long. “There will be a lot of dramatization and metamorphosis on stage,” Mugler promised. The designer said he and Beyoncé share “the sense of mise-en-scène.” As the tour’s creative adviser, he has worked on all of the show’s visual aspects — lights, sets, costumes — while “working hard to achieve her dreams. “He describes the costumes as “very elaborate,” and rooted in the songs’ meanings. “Feminine. Free. Warrior. Fierce. As a creative adviser for this tour, it is my responsibility to make her vision come true,” the designer said.

Love it!! I’m totally diggin’ the warrior vibe of the costumes … I’m glad they look more like Wonder Woman: Amazon Princess rather than Xena: Warrior Princess. As I’ve mentioned before, I have never been able to see Beyoncé live in concert … but I think it’s time. If these sketches are any indication then the show will be amazing. After the jump, check out another set of Mugler costume sketches …

Sad news for music magazine fans … after 10 years as a print mag, it is being reported that Blender magazine will cease publication immediately. Back in 1994, Blender started out as the world’s first CD-ROM publication (omg, remember those?) and then in 1997 it went online. In 1999 the magazine launched as a traditional print magazine and has offered, IMHO, some of the most interesting articles and has featured some of the better interviews and photoshoots with the hottest musicians of the day. But, alas, the mag has not been able to weather the failing economic climate and has had to shut down operations:

Alpha Media Group closed Blender magazine today, eliminating about 30 jobs and reducing its portfolio of titles to Maxim alone. The April issue of Blender out now will be its last. The decision, delivered to Blender staff in a meeting this morning, came as part of broader changes that also included the departure of Alpha co-CEO Glenn Rosenbloom and the integration of editorial staff for Maxim and Maxim Digital. The remaining CEO, Stephen Duggan, said in a company memo that the company was closing Blender with great sadness. “Since 2001, Blender has provided unmatched music coverage and entertainment news in its unique voice to a profoundly dedicated audience of music enthusiasts,” Mr. Duggan wrote. “We are particularly grateful to the sales team and to the tremendously talented editorial staff for their hard work and commitment to Blender.” Joe Levy, who was editor in chief at Blender, was named editor in chief of the combined Maxim editorial operation. Jim Kaminsky, Maxim magazine’s editor in chief, is leaving the company. Ben Madden continues as group publisher. Jay Woodruff, editor in chief of Maxim Digital, was named chief content officer at Maxim. After the changes, Alpha will continue to employ 134 staffers … Alpha tried to build Blender’s circulation, pushing its paid-circulation guarantee to 1 million from 800,000 at purchase. But copies distributed to public places such as waiting rooms grew the fastest, from 13,000 copies in the second half of 2007 to 100,000 a year later, according to company reports with the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Paid subscriptions fell 8% to 768,000, while newsstand sales declined 18% to 44,233. Ad pages at Blender also plunged 31% last year and another 57% from January through April, according to the Publishers Information Bureau and Media Industry Newsletter. Monthlies as a whole, by comparison, sank 12% last year and another 22% through April. Ad pages at Maxim fell 11% in 2008 and 37% from January through April. Mr. Duggan’s memo to staff blamed the global financial crisis but said the company would persevere. “Alpha Media Group is weathering the current economic difficulties, and we are confident that with the changes we are implementing, the company is in the strongest position possible to continue moving forward,” he said.

This is really sad news. To be honest, Blender was the only music mag that I really read from cover to cover. Each issue was usually jam packed with great articles and little blurbs that I really enjoyed. Not that it would’ve made a difference in the long run but had I known the mag was in such dire straits I would’ve reinstated my subscription. When I lived in Detroit, Blender was one of the mags that I faithfully subscribed to. This is really sad news. I’m not sure if there are many Blender magazine fans out there but this is really sad news for everyone :( Peace the Spork Out, Blender … you will be missed.

[Source, thanks Abby]

The fabulous Kathy Griffin teamed up with Paris Hilton yesterday for a little shopping excursion on Robertson Blvd. with a few of their closest friends … with cameras. Both ladies dressed colorfully for the event and Paris even brought along her newest pet (a gift from current boyfriend Doug Reinhardt) to partake in yesterday’s fun. Here are a few photos:

HMMM, something tells me that this seemingly innocent shopping trip was prolly some sort of publicity stunt, yes? Kathy will be hosting Bravo TV‘s second annual A-List Awards and methinks that yesterday’s outing had something to do with the show … call me crazy but that’s my guess. I seem to recall that around this time last year Kathy went on another high-profile shopping excursion with a notorious Z-List celeb … she was tooling around Beverly Hills, CA with Adnan Ghalib. That footage ended up on the last season of her Bravo TV series My Life on the D-List. I suppose it’s possible that her playdate with Paris Hilton might end up on the next season of D-List as well. Time will tell.

When Paris was finished playing with Kathy, she hooked back up with her boyfriend Doug Reinhardt and the pair made their way to LAX Airport. After the jump, check out a photo of the couple’s arrival at the airport last night and of the two of them sucking face in the security line …