………………..Cyber world….mcconaughey here, 40 years young today….thanks to all for the birthday wishes and to the people that share the same birthday, glad you were born too. The 30’s were good to me and I’m really looking forward to my 40’s, cause I’m late bloomer. Got everything I need for a perfect 40th…a happy and healthy lady, son, and another baby on the way….my family, closest friends and I celebrated last night with a surprise performance by one of my favorite artists Jamey Johnson….there were some epic stories told, lot of laughs and definitely some roasting. Somehow! No blood or glass broken, and that’s cus the gig was so organized by lady and we went ’til 4:30am…Going to spend some more time with my family and friends today, grillin steaks and sippin beers, celebratin more to live for….and again thanks for all the b-day wishes.

P.S. A lot of people asked what I wanted for my birthday….not much I need, but if still want to do something…friend www.myspace.com/jklivin – and if you have the means donate 5 bucks to help some kids in our j.k. livin foundation …if you can’t donate, spreading the word is good enough for me…jkl

Aww … what a great sentiment to share on one’s birthday. I have to say … Mr. McConaughey has really grown up in the past few years. It wasn’t that long ago that Matthew was often spotted in a messy/drunken state, usually undressed in some fashion, making a bit of a fool of himself. As soon as he met Camila Alves and became a father to his son Levi, he went from acting like a drunken 18 year old fratboy to a grown adult man. I think he is very right when he says he is a “late bloomer” … much of his 30’s were spent acting as if he was in his 20’s. I have no doubt that the best is yet to come for Matthew McConaughey. He’s got a great attitude and, more importantly, it sounds like he’s got a great circle of loved ones to share his life with. Happy Birthday, Matthew! Just keep livin’, indeed.

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This week, my family and I are in Malawi to attend the ground breaking ceremony for Raising Malawi Academy for Girls. I am making a straightforward request. I’m writing to urge you to join me in saving the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable children. And I’m asking you to do it right away. Raising Malawi, the organization I co-founded in 2006, is dedicated to ending the poverty and hardship endured by Malawi’s one million orphans. By donating to Raising Malawi, you can literally transform the future for an entire generation. To encourage your involvement, I’ve pledged $100,000 to match your contributions dollar-for-dollar. Why Malawi? Seven years ago I might have asked myself this very same question. Why not Afghanistan, or India? There are impoverished children, desperate for health care and education, everywhere in the world. Something about Malawi’s children connected with me and their hardships were too much for me to ignore. So I started learning more about Malawi, and, little by little, I began working with Malawians to improve their communities. Visiting Malawi can be a very humbling experience. In the face of such overwhelming challenges, it’s easy to feel helpless. At the same time, it is impossible not to recognize how much we can do to improve the lives of vulnerable children. Right now, I am particularly concerned about Malawian girls whose lives are made even more difficult simply because of their gender. In 2008 Raising Malawi announced the creation of an all-girls boarding school, the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls. Architects have drawn up plans. We’ve identified a plot of land. And some of Malawi’s poorest girls are eager for the opportunities that a comprehensive secondary education will bring them. But we’re still in need of additional funds to complete this project, and there’s no time to lose. My own daughters will each have a solid secondary education. They have a family that assures them that they can be anything they want to be, that they are not limited in any way. I believe that the same should be true for girls in every part of the world, regardless of the circumstances of their birth. The girls of Malawi are bright and resourceful. They are eager to learn and grow. When I look at my girls and see them thriving, it is my greatest wish that the girls in Malawi will have the same chance for happiness. This is where you come in. Please join me in supporting the work of Raising Malawi. Every dollar we collect will make a huge difference in a child’s life. By matching your donation, dollar for dollar, I will personally ensure that your contribution has an even greater impact. That’s a promise. This is my call to you: Give an opportunity to a child who would otherwise have none. Support the work of Raising Malawi. Will you join me? Please visit www.raisingmalawi.org/madonnamatch to contribute and learn more.

As I mentioned above, this blogpost comes complete with a video message from Madonna about her Raising Malawi charity. After the jump, check out that video in full …

I am in absolute LOVE with this video … Kylie sounds amazing and makes it very evident why she has managed to enjoy such a successful worldwide career in music. Wow is one of my fave upbeat Kylie songs (actually, it’s one of my fave Kylie songs period) and it’s such a treat to hear it performed acoustically. After the jump, check out the video and hear for yourselves …

Oh yes, Kylie knows her target audience very well. The vid clip gives a tiny peek of what’s in store when her tour kicks off tomorrow … AND I COULDN’T BE MORE EXCITED!!!!! After the jump, check out the video in full and see for yourselves — it’s OK, it’s not at all spoilery …

The MTV video music awards held on Sunday paid tribute to the late Michael Jackson, but was overshadowed by an outburst by rapper Kanye West, who interrupted an acceptance speech by U.S. singer Taylor Swift. West, who is known for his outspoken ways, jumped up on stage while the 19-year-old Swift was making an acceptance speech for best female video for her hit song “You Belong With Me,” beating out singers including Beyonce Knowles and Lady Gaga. “I am really happy for you,” West said. “But Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time.” MTV said West, who was spotted earlier on the red carpet drinking alcohol, was ejected from an awards show already known for its circus-like atmosphere. West received loud boos from the crowd when his name was mentioned later in the show.

Kanye was seen carrying a big bottle of booze and was asked by MTV to leave the premises shortly after his rant:

Apparently, Kanye decided to go home and blog an “apology” to Taylor Swift for his outburst … but it doesn’t take a careful reading to understand that it’s not an apology at all:

This “apology” has since been removed from his official website. After the jump, check out video of this outrageous insult to Taylor Swift and see how Beyoncé managed to right the wrong a wee bit at the end of the show …

Hello Hollywood! I had a great trip to LA with my beautiful beau, Kris. It was his first visit, so a great chance to do the touristy things, and not feel a drop of guilt! My first tip is to take Hollyridge Trail to get the best tourist shots of the Hollywood sign! Then trek up Runyon Canyon Trail for some proper exercise, and views of Los Angeles … there are Palm trees to look at, and Rattle Snakes to look out for it seemed kind of timely to visit the Chinese Theatre to see the stars in the pavement and it’s always good to hunt for old favourites … don’t forget the shopping! and hot spots to eat … try the Octopus at Cecconi’s and everything at Palihouse! Palihouse do a proper English Sunday roast for anyone wanting some home cooking – the chef is British and you have to leave room for pudding! enjoy my little Mousketeers! dx

Get it, gurl! I have to say … Wow! Dannii has snagged herself a DAMN fine-lookin’ man. I am SO THRILLED to see Dannii looking so happy. I heard that these two were an item but this is the first time I’ve been able to see them together … hubba hubba! The make a very hot couple. I hope we get to see more of them. I’m also hoping Dannii (with or without Kris) will be back here in the US for Kylie’s upcoming concert dates. It would be so fab to see both Minogue sisters here on US soil :)

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“Happy Father’s Day. It’s my first, and the last 11 months with Levi and Camila have been the most rewarding adventure to date. We have more blessed news to celebrate this Father’s Day that makes this time next year double the fun. Levi is going to be a big brother … Yeah, we pulled off the greatest miracle in the world one more time. Camila and are expecting our second child, bringing more life into the world, making more to live for. The future looks bright as the family grows, and we thank you for all the well wishes you send out way. Viva la evolucion, naturally, and in the mean times and all time, just keep livin, Matthew and Camilia.”

Aww … well good for them. I suppose it shouldn’t be too surprising that all of these celebs are spawning so soon after the birth of their first children (Gwen Stefani did it, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden are doing it … now Camila and Matthew) so that their children can grow up close in age. I know that many of our parents had their children very close together in age … it’s just a bit weird to know all the celebs are doing it, too. It looks like the celeb baby boon is still very much alive … congrats to the expecting happy couple!

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

Dear Friends,

The energy it has taken me to deal with my personal life and managing to still be a responsible parent has been challenging, and while I have been putting what energy I have left at the end of each day into my writing, it’s been hard to put it all together into song format.

Wow … considering that Shania has never really opened up about personal matters in the past, this fairly brutally honest treatise is quite a read. I am a huge Shania Twain fan and it pains me to hear that her break-up has been so difficult for her and her young son. Shania does talk about the new music that she has been working on in the second half of her letter. After the jump, read the rest of Shania’s message to fans …

Please be patient and I will do my best to continue working on a finished album! Each morning I put my son on the school bus, feed our two dogs Sony and Dolly, drink my orange juice and sit down at the computer to write. I spend most of my time working with lyrics right now, sorting thoughts, expressions and concepts. It often comes out in the form of poetry, diary notes or e-mails to friends. My friends are great listeners and are very patient and generous about it. I often go back to my e-mails for song ideas. When I write in letter form, I don’t hold back. I just write it as it comes without considering format, topic, manners, etc. Some of my best songwriting ideas are coming this way.

Shania

So while she offers no real ETA for a new album we can at least take comfort in the fact that she is working on new songs and has plans to continue working to release a new album. If anything, it’s cool that she took the time to let her fans know what’s been going on in her life this past year and where she is in the creative process of making a new album. I hope she takes her time, tends to her family and comes back better than ever.

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Recent News from our friends at the Natural Resource Defense Council (The NRDC) say that Americans’ addiction to two-ply, super soft toilet paper is causing greater harm to our environment than our gas guzzling cars. No shit. How is that so? In order to produce all that perfectly plush paper, companies must harvest tons of virgin trees, which the reaping of means less oxygen for the atmosphere to offset or all the carbon that seems to be frying us here on the surface. So our asses are in trouble. The US is the country that consumes the most forests specifically to fulfill the demand of Charmen Assficiandos far and wide. If you travel abroad, you may find discomfort in the thin one-ply offered up pretty much everywhere else. But that’s because most other countries are more careful about their resourceful trees and/or use recycled and post-consumer paper in the manufacturing of toilet tissue. Click HERE to learn what post-consumer means. I remember visiting India and being astounded to find there wasn’t any paper. Talk about saving trees and not clogging the septic! Instead, there was a water hose next to the toilet and it was recommend you use your hand (which is why you always shake hands and eat meals with your right (and only your right).) So I’m writing this today to invite you to buy only recycled or large percentage post consumer paper for your household, school or office. If you aren’t the one buying it, then encourage your janitorial staff to consider it. The paper isn’t nearly as soft, but it’s just as durable. Click HERE for the Tissue Shopper’s Guide provided by the NRDC. It was while camping in Costa Rica last week that I realized I needed to share this with you. When it came to the limited supply of tissue brought to the jungle, one has to be selective on how and when to use. My friend was amazed at how little paper was actually required for the job. And it has nothing to do with my raw diet, because quite honestly, I’ve been swimming in deeper waters lately, introducing my stomach to rich and indulgently devilish foods. (How dare I!) … Forgive me for being anal about this. I just thought I’d share the news and suggest an eco-friendly solution to one of nature’s biggest pains in the ass. For more helpful blogs like this one, intended to enhance your life and the lives of others around you, check out SuperForest.Org. It’s my personal favorite.

Pura Vida!
-Jason

Well … there you have it. I, personally, had no idea that the use of toilet paper in the Western World caused such a shitstorm for the environment … tho, it does make sense. I have to say, the idea of using recycled (ie. scratchy) toilet paper does not sound all that appealing, in the long run it does make more sense to make little sacrifices where we can. You’ve gotta love that Jason Mraz is always putting out useful information about subjects that he feels so strongly about. I’m also fond for his affinity for sharing such revealing photos … tho, let’s try and not think about what he’s prolly doing in that lake, shall we? Click HERE to read the entire text of Jason’s post which offers a few Toilet Tissue Tips. We can save the planet, one wipe at a time.

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Who knew I had so much influence and that my words and opinion mattered so much to so many people!?!?! HA HA HA I’ll be the first to admit that my opinion is just that, only my opinion, but for as much as some of the bloggers seem to dislike me and care so little about my thoughts, they sure can waste a lot of their space on what I say! If only many of them took the time to pay attention to important things like the US economy and the welfare of the world’s children. But… nah… I could blog about that type of stuff anytime and most wouldn’t think twice, but let me say something that they can pick and choose quotes and misinterpret me… and it’s showtime! I never assumed my opinion mattered so much! I guess I may have been wrong.

Now, for those of you who are able to comment on this…. lets take bets as to which bits and pieces of this blog will end up mass distributed. Be creative…. they don’t seem to care about punctuation or whether or not they use all of the words in a sentence… so, have fun…. ;-)

I’m not sure what kind of criticism he got on other sites but I know my comments on his original post are still valid. He did seem really bitter about the whole American Idol process and very easily threw out his own criticisms when I’m sure he thought no one was was reading (after all, his comments were available only to members of his fan club who paid the fee to read them). It seems to me that now that he is aware that people are reading what he has to say, he’s more willing to temper his criticism of a performer (Lambert) that he only watched perform once before making his critiques. Is he allowed to do that? Of course he is … but the fact that he is a former American Idol contestant (and loser, let’s not forget) the things he says about the show are gonna be of interest to some people. Trust me Clay, you are right to say that your comments aren’t that important at all. Say what you want, whenever you want … once this AI thing dies down, folks will stop paying attention again. It is commendable that he apologized to Adam Lambert, tho. Now if he would just apologize to the rest of us who have been subjected to his singing (and have lived to regret it) we’d be all squared away.

[Source, thanks Ash]