Stop the Schulz Bashing

Fans of Snoopy and his creator Charles M. Schulz should be outraged. I know I am. I have loved that adorable white beagle since I was a young girl (as the only sister in a house full of boys I earned the nickname “Lucy” for trying to boss my brothers around). And now, decades later my own daughter is an enormous Peanuts fan. Her room is filled with Snoopy furnishings and decorations. Which is why I was so upset to hear about a new biography, which depicts Schulz as a “driven, unhappy, and rather cold man, distant even from his … Continue reading →

Ro Says No—Again

Days after turning down a seat next to the one woman who would single handily thrust new book “Celebrity Detox” into literary stardom, Rosie O’Donnell has come to her senses. No, she didn’t profusely apologize to Oprah Winfrey and beg for another chance to appear on her show; rather the former “View” co-host has decided not to appear hypocritical and has now cancelled all of her interviews related to the revealing new book. You’ll recall the comedian granted “Good Morning America’s” Diane Sawyer a sit down interview to promote her new book even though she refused Winfrey’s invitation. Now, word … Continue reading →

Celebrity Resurrections

Grateful Dead Rises Again Grateful Dead fans have reason to celebrate tonight. A new radio channel devoted entirely to the popular band with a cult-like following is set to debut next month. Sirius Satellite Radio announced today it plans to premiere a channel that will broadcast continuous “Dead Air.” The hits will kick off on September 7th with the broadcast of a rare 1974 performance by the band at the Hollywood Bowl. “This is gonna be one fun channel,” Dead guitarist Bob Weir told reporters. “We, the guys in the band, get to be involved as much as we can … Continue reading →

All About Katie

I’ll admit I have written quite a number of blogs about Katie Couric. Most of them were penned in the days following her historic move to the “CBS Evening News.” Next month will mark Couric’s first anniversary at the CBS anchor desk and wouldn’t you know that her big day is being marred by the publication of a new book that allegedly paints the peppy former “Today” show queen in a very unflattering light. Talk about timing. It’s no secret that Couric has faced a ton of criticism in the last few months. Rating for her show have tanked since … Continue reading →

New Homes For Miss America and Simpson Book

Move over “Trading Spaces” and “A Baby Story” you’ve got a new neighbor… Miss America. Five months after getting the boot from Country Music Television, the beauty competition has found a new home on TLC. Network execs announced that it would air a reality show about Miss America, culminating with the finals on January 26, 2008 in Las Vegas. (The network also agreed to air the pageant for two years after that.) It’s hard to believe that the Miss America pageant, which once was a staple of life in Atlantic City and must-see TV in primetime has struggled to find … Continue reading →

The First Lady’s First Children’s Book

Tack on a new line to first lady Laura Bush’s resume: children’s book author. According to news reports, the former public school teacher and librarian is collaborating with her daughter Jenna on a picture book for kids, which is due to be released early next year. Bush, known for her love of books told reporters that authoring the new venture is a dream come true, especially since it will be a family affair. “I am delighted to have the opportunity to partner with one of my favorite teachers, my daughter Jenna, to write a children’s book – and to have … Continue reading →

Strange But True

FASHION FILES: BAN ON CROCS Like millions of other kids around the world my daughter has a pair of trendy and stylish Crocs. I swear she would wear those hot pink rubbery clogs everywhere if I’d let her. When it comes to comfort Crocs are hard to beat, which is why I was not surprised to learn that they are very popular amongst nurses. Unfortunately, when it comes to footwear, comfort isn’t winning out over safety at various Pittsburgh area hospitals. In fact, some clinics have banned their medical staff from wearing Crocs all together. One hospital in particular has … Continue reading →

Celebrity Updates: Ian and Harry—REJECTS!

Frankly, I didn’t even know he was a serious contender. (Actually, I didn’t even know he was in the running at all.) But, according to former “Beverly Hills, 90210” star Ian Ziering, he was stunned to hear Drew Carey beat him out for “The Price Is Right” gig. “I guess I was a little disappointed,” Ziering, recently told reporters. “I was really kind of hoping that would happen. Sure, he did a fairly decent job recently lighting up the floor on last season’s “Dancing with the Stars,” but I’m not sure knowing how to shake your groove qualifies a person … Continue reading →

Pop Culture Updates: Harry, Sampson and “The Simpsons”

JUST WILD ABOUT HARRY We all know by now that Harry Potter, the fictional boy wizard, is a pop culture icon. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” smashed all sales records this weekend (8.3 million copies of the book were sold in the first 24 hours). But, there’s another record the book has earned that you may not have heard about. According to the National Braille Press, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” was made available to the blind at the same time sighted readers could purchase their print versions. The Boston-based publisher says that is an extremely rare occurrence … Continue reading →

Legends Making News—Elvis and Harry Potter

What do “The King” and a fictional boy wizard have in common? Both are getting a lot of attention these days for being legends in their own rights. Many loyal Elvis fans are just a few short weeks away from marking the 30th anniversary of the singer’s death, but that’s not why the singing legend is generating a buzz outside of Graceland. Fans waiting for their state-issued Elvis Presley license plate are getting a gift thanks to an anonymous donor in New Jersey who dug deep to show off her Elvis pride. According to news reports, the Elvis plate (which … Continue reading →