Last week we learned that Sesame Street, the educational children’s program that has been broadcast on PBS for the last few decades, is celebrating its 40th anniversary and today we learn that First Lady Michelle Obama will be included in the celebration. Sesame Street officially turns 40 years old tomorrow and will feature a slew of celeb guests on this year’s anniversary show, including our First Lady:

Oscar the Grouch had better behave – and keep his political opinions to himself. On Tuesday, to mark the 40th anniversary of the groundbreaking children’s program Sesame Street, some very special guests pay a visit, including First Lady Michelle Obama. According to previews circulating the Net, she meets Big Bird – who observes that the two of them are tall. Mrs. Obama also delivers a message that may not entirely sit well with Cookie Monster. Appearing with three kids and the show’s fuzzy, red resident Elmo, she encourages them to plant seeds in the ground, water them and then expect them to sprout tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and carrots. Also dropping by the ‘hood on Tuesday’s anniversary episode: Cameron Diaz, who introduces the word of the day, “habitat.” Elmo helps the actress with the term – and visits a frog habitat – abetted by his goldfish, Daisy. Now if only the first lady and Diaz could give Gonzo advice on his love life …

Some of you may recall that I mentioned that First Lady Obama paid a visit to Sesame Street to film a little PSA with the Sesame gang to teach kids the importance of good eating habits … this time, she will appear on an actual episode. I know many of y’all mentioned how watching clips of old Sesame Street vignettes brought back a bunch of memories when I posted them last week … I think it might be worth DVRing tomorrow’s 40th anniversary ep. It’s carzy to think that the show is turning 40 years old … and is still as young as ever.

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The White House is releasing today the first official photo of the First Family which was shot last month by famed celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz (who has been struggling with HUGE debt problems lately). Here is our first look at the official White House photo of the First Family — President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Malia Ann and Natasha (Sasha) Obama:

The Obamas have released a new official first family portrait this morning. As you can see at left, Barack and Michelle Obama are seated in the Green Room of the White House, along with their daughters Sasha, age 8, and Malia, age 11. The portrait was taken last month by famed photographer Annie Leibowitz, who has taken a number of Obama family portraits in the past.

Such a beautiful family, such a beautiful portrait. If you would like to have a high-res copy of this photo suitable for framing or what have you, you can download the file HERE at the official White House Flickr photostream. Great photo!!

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First Lady Michelle Obama appears in a cute new PSA with Elmo from Sesame Street that seeks to impart the wisdom that if you want your children to have healthy habits then you should practice healthy habits so they can learn from your actions. Here are a few screencaps from Michelle Obama and Elmo’s new PSA video:

This past [May], Michelle Obama stopped by Sesame Street to tape a Public Service Announcement with everyone’s favorite muppet, Elmo. The PSA, part of Sesame Workshop’s Healthy Habits For Life initiative, encourages exercise and nutritious eating habits, and extols the importance of parents as healthy role models. The First Lady explains: “If you want your child to have healthy habits, practice healthy habits, too. Because you’re your child’s best role model.” Sesame Street is certainly making good use of Michelle Obama’s influence; as Elmo himself says: “Well, if Mrs. Obama wants to exercise, Elmo wants to exercise too! Yay exercise!!”

Altho this clip was filmed last Spring, this is the first time I’ve seen it and I thought it’d be cute to pass along. After the jump, check out the vid clip in full to see Michelle and Elmo in action …

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It is time again for People magazine to release their annual 100 Most Beautiful People issue and this year they have selected actress and breast cancer survivor Christina Applegate to grace the cover of the issue. Christina herself credits her man Martyn Lenoble for her beauty and talks about how his love for her is what makes her beauty shine. Here is the cover of the 100 Most Beautiful People issue of People magazine and a short piece on Christina’s beauty:

She has an “angel” of a boyfriend, Dutch bass player Martyn Lenoble, “who loves me from head to toe.” She has a cozy Malibu beach house that she calls “the best thing I’ve ever done for myself.” And, after a very public battle with breast cancer that has given her a gratifying “feeling of purpose,” Christina Applegate has a new lease on life. “I used to be really shy but I started to come into my own in my late 20s and early 30s,” Applegate, 37, tells PEOPLE in the cover interview for the annual Most Beautiful issue – her first interview since her reconstructive breast surgery last November. “Now I’m not afraid to speak up in a room full of people and be a part of the conversation.” The Samantha Who? star says she’s finding balance and embracing her body after undergoing a double mastectomy in July. “You have to get through the physical transformations then buck up, go to work and try to be the normal, happy Christina for everyone around you,” she says. One source of strength has been Lenoble. “He’s been a friend for about 13 years,” Applegate says. “Our relationship gets stronger and stronger. I’m really lucky.” And, more importantly, he makes the actress feel “beautiful” about her new body. “I’m very grateful to Martyn for coming along at a time that he did because he’s been my rock through all of this,” Applegate says. “He gave me something to really want to live for and something to smile about.”

Considering the life-changing effect that enduring a double mastectomy has on a woman, I am very impressed with Christina’s attitude about her beauty (which is on full display in this issue of People magazine). I, for the life of me, cannot imagine what it must be like to survive a bout with cancer so my hat is off to her in that respect. I suppose congrats are in order for being named by People magazine as one of the 100 Most Beautiful People. But, there are 99 other folks who have been deemed beautiful by People — after the jump, check out a few of those pretty faces …

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This past Sunday morn, we got our first look at Bo Obama, the new First Dog, and today we get to see Bo running and frolicking with the First Family on the White House lawn … which is now his new home. Yesterday was Bo’s official coming out party as members of the US and worldwide press corp came out to the White House to get the first official look at the newly expanded First Family:

He may be the leader of the free world, but he still has to walk the dog. “We all have to take turns walking the dog,’’ President Obama declared Tuesday, as Bo Obama, the newest – and only four-legged — occupant of the White House, made his much-anticipated Washington debut. Then again, the president had his two young daughters with him. What else could any self-respecting father and new dog owner say? “We’re trying to be responsible dog owners,’’ he later confessed. In this city of jaded journalists, about 100 members of the Fourth Estate turned out to watch the Obamas — President Barack, First Lady Michelle and First Daughters Malia and Sasha – scamper around the South Lawn with Bo and entertain dog-related questions. This we now know as a result: Bo has not yet had any accidents in the presidential mansion. “We’re trying to keep her from having accidents,’’ Mrs. Obama said, mistakenly using the female pronoun even though Bo is a boy. (No offense intended, Bo, but with your curly black hair, white front paws and carefully-groomed tail, you do kind of look like a girl.) Bo, a gift to the Obamas from Senator Edward M. Kennedy Jr., is a Portuguese Water Dog. The president allowed that Porties, as they are called, like to eat tomatoes. “Michelle’s garden is in danger,’’ Mr. Obama declared. Not to worry, Mrs. Obama said – the garden doesn’t have any tomatoes. Here, Sasha Obama, 7, weighed in, changing the subject. “He doesn’t know how to swim!’’ she exclaimed. (Water dog or not, Bo will apparently require swimming lessons.) Bo joins a long line of presidential pooches, the most recent being Barney, President George W. Bush’s dog, who once bit a reporter. (For the record, some say Barney was provoked.) Barney was allowed in the Oval Office. Will Bo have similar privileges? “Of course,’’ Mr. Obama replied. Will he sleep in a bed? “Not in my bed,’’ the president said.

It is really nice to see that we can focus on something this whimsical and happy during a time of some strife. Of course, the acquisition of a new dog isn’t and shouldn’t be front page news but sometimes I think a story like this is a welcome one. Seeing the First Family in a more “normal” light makes us all feel closer to them. I’m sure having Bo come home to live with them is the best news ever for Sasha and Malia Obama. After the jump, check out video of Bo’s introduction to the press yesterday afternoon …

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The US has a new First Pet, a dog named Bo, and everyone is a-twitter about his arrival. Late Friday, TMZ scooped the DC media with all the deets about the new First Dog days ahead of a supposed exclusive that was to come from the Washington Post. Here is our first look at Bo Obama (named after Bo Diddly) and the First Family Barack, Michelle, Sasha and Malia Obama welcoming him into the fold:

Forget about hunting for Easter eggs. The president’s daughters have a much better treat in store this holiday weekend: a new dog! After months of anticipation, a 6-month-old Portuguese Water Dog named Bo is now calling the White House home. First, the name. According to the Washington Post, which published confirmation of the White House dog news Sunday, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, chose the name because their cousins have a cat named Bo and because Mrs. Obama’s father was nicknamed Diddley, as in Bo Diddley. The dog is a gift from Sen. Ted Kennedy, who owns three dogs of the same breed, known for high spirits and said to be a good fit for kids with allergies (such as Malia). Kennedy had been lobbying the Obamas to get a Portuguese Water Dog (or PWD) for months. The newspaper reports that the Obama girls are delighted – they’ve been waiting anxiously since their dad promised them a dog during his presidential campaign – and that the family, first-time dog owners, are still deciding where Bo will sleep and who will walk and feed him. Under a veil of secrecy, the Post reports, Bo actually made a trip to the White House earlier to meet the family. “The Meeting,” as it was called by staffers, was a success. But the highly-orchestrated canine delivery procedure didn’t go without a few hitches. First, news began to circulate that a Portuguese Water Dog by the name of Charlie had been selected for the First Family after a Web site called firstdogcharlie.com posted the information, and a photo, Saturday. The White House called the photo “bogus” and told news organizations (including PEOPLE) that the First Dog would make its debut Tuesday – although Bo, it is now apparent, was already at the White House over the weekend. Then there are the questions about the dog’s origins that are sure to bedevil the Administration. The Obamas originally discussed rescuing a dog from a shelter. But valuable and highly-bred PWDs rarely show up at shelters. Bo is said to have lived with a family that decided not to keep him, but that won’t likely satisfy animal rescue advocates who wanted the Obamas to take in a stray. To help ease disappointment, according to the Washington Post, the family will make a donation to the District of Columbia Humane Society.

So much drama over such a little guy. While I understand that the new Presidential pooch had to be allergen-free so that the Obama girls (who are allergic) could live with him, all of the hoopla about his pedigree and where he came from is a bit ridiculous. All of the “top secrecy” of his procurement is equally ridic. But, at last, Bo has joined the First Family and now, hopefully, we can move on. Welcome to the White House, Bo!

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American icons like pilot Amelia Earhart, athlete Brandi Chastain, First Lady Michelle Obama and the inspirational symbol of female empowerment Rosie the Riveter (who was based on a real woman named Rose Will Monroe) are honored in the new issue of Glamour magazine which has enlisted a group of young Hollywood starlet to portray various female American icons in an amazing new photo shoot. Here is a photo of Lindsay Lohan’s homage to Madonna:

You can do anything! That’s the message of the seven decades of female risk takers, rule breakers and style makers here. We celebrate them with the help of some very-2009 young talents.

What a great idea for a magazine photospread! I love how each iconic woman is represented by a younger member of Young Hollywood to portray her. After the jump, check out a bunch of my fave icons who are featured in this new issue of Glamour along with a short explanation of their iconicness …

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