The title of this website says it all...

This site is divine:

http://www.tomcruiseisnuts.com/home.php

My Dog is Tom Cruise

This is from The New Yorker's 7/25/05 edition. Hee Hee!

http://www.newyorker.com/printables/shouts/050725sh_shouts

U2 gets five nominations to MTV Music Awards!

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Music/07/25/mtvawards.ap/index.html

I finished "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince"

Read 150 pages last night to finish the book. I cried through most of it. Made reading quite difficult, what with all the tears in my eyes and the constant wiping of my face. I had an idea the book might end this way but it was still a jolt. Anyone who wishes to write me and discuss HP is welcome.

Had to watch the new "Surreal Life" to recover. Bronson Pinchot is rather creepy!

"Marky Mark" Wahlberg is in Philadelphia!

Filming a movie!

Must. Stalk. Him.

Karen, you know I amgoing to make you come with me and find Marky Mark! Love him!

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/columnists/michael_klein/12164756.htm

(This is from Michael Klein's column in the Inquirer)

"The first of what surely will be many Mark Wahlberg sightings, since he's here filming the movie Invincible: He treated father Donald and brother Donnie to dinner Saturday at Morimoto."

Sex tape of Colin Farrell

He is trying to stop its release. Please, no, Colin! Your female fans would like to watch it!

However, the tape is apparently only 15 minutes long. I expected a bit, well, MORE of Mr. Farrell, what with his lothario reputation and all.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Movies/07/19/people.farrell.ap/index.html

Reno

Am in Reno. Got here today. This is perhaps one of the tackiest places I  have been to and that is saying a lot. If you were to cross Atlantic City with South of the Border - in the mountains - that would be Reno. On the plus side, everthing is darn cheap The hotel we are staying at gave us loads of coupons. $9.99 for the Italian buffet! And $2 off admission to the comedy club. Imagine being a stand up comic in Reno.Oy.

KQ to the West Coast

Farewell faithful readers. I am off to the West Coast for one week.

Part of my trip will take me near the Donner Pass at the California/Nevada border where a group of pioneers got snowed in one winter and wound up eating some of the pioneers who froze to death. There is a state park there. I hope there is a snack bar because that would be funny!!!!!!!

http://www.americansouthwest.net/california/donner_memorial/state_park.html

How interesting....

...that the White House won't comment on this!

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/07/11/cia.leaks.ap/index.html

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Only a few more days till J.K. Rowling's sixth book about Harry Potter is released! SHRIEK! The book goes on sale at 12:01 a.m. on July 16. I will be in line with a bunch of 12-year-olds and I am proud to admit that. I was a late fan to the series but am now completely sucked in.

Meanwhile, the U.S. publisher of the book is keeping crates of the copies locked up tight and chained like Houdini.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/07/10/wpotter10.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/07/10/ixworld.html

 

London

Nothing funny today. Just thoughts and prayers for everyone in London, especially my friend Maureen and her family. Am thinking of you.

They are all okay. Whew.

http://marathonmum.blogspot.com/

Angelina Jolie adopts an Ethiopian baby...

Many of you know I wish to adopt. Perhaps I should consider traveling to Ethiopia to get me a baby. (Make your own Ethiopian jokes here, all of which will take you straight to hell!)

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Movies/07/06/people.jolie.ap/

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) -- Angelina Jolie, who has been romantically linked with her "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" co-star Brad Pitt, is adopting an orphaned Ethiopian baby girl.

Jolie visited the Horn of Africa nation last week to file her adoption request, accompanied by Pitt and her 3-year-old son, Maddox, whom she adopted in Cambodia, an official said Wednesday.

"The paperwork has gone through. Miss Angelina's request was accepted last week," Hadosh Halefom, head of the country's state-run adoption agency, told The Associated Press.

The child "is less than a year old," Hadosh said, refusing to elaborate. The actress filed her request through a private adoption agency.

"If people's paperwork is in order, it can take only two days to finalize everything," Hadosh said.

In a posting on People magazine's Web site, www.people.com, Jolie is quoted as saying the child's name is Zahara Marley Jolie and that she and Maddox are "very happy to have a new addition to our family."

Ahhhh! George Clooney

A lovely, lovely story about George Clooney and how principled he is. Here is the link and an excerpt:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Movies/07/05/film.clooney.reut/index.html

LOS ANGELES, California (Hollywood Reporter) -- Wouldn't it be great if more movie stars were like George Clooney?

He's the modern model: He's too cool to demand a $20 million salary to prove his self-worth; he writes, directs and produces; and he expends his movie star capital to push for the things he believes in.

"I'm a hybrid," Clooney said recently, after he accepted the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival's first Spirit of Independence Award. "I succeed in both worlds. I hope that selling out on 'Ocean's Eleven' is not such a bad deal. The trade-off is, I get to go make something uncommercial that will probably lose money."

Clooney is confident enough to go toe to toe with Fox News' Bill O'Reilly or to protect a movie extra from an abusive director or to coax not only fellow "flaming liberals" to join his campaign against hunger in Africa but also Pat Robertson as well. (On ABC's "Nightline," Clooney got the televangelist to admit that in certain extreme situations, condom use is a good thing.)

And when a completion bond company backed out of Clooney's second directing effort, the $8 million black-and-white drama "Goodnight, and Good Luck," starring David Strathairn as newsman Edward R. Murrow, Clooney offered to put up his house, worth $7 million, to insure the movie himself.

This is not your average star.

Pretzels, poverty and poo: My experience at Live 8

Five hours since Live 8 ended and I still have a pounding headache, probably from standing in the heat all day. As I write this, I have an ice wrap around my head. And I am wearing my Mickey Mouse nightshirt for those who need a visual of RandomReality.

All in all, a really good effort on the part of Bob Geldof, Bono and the other organizers of Live 8 and the One campaign. (www.one.org) They really raised awareness about poverty and AIDS in Africa and the G8 summit.I mean, come on. How many people in Philadelphia even knew what the G8 summit was before this concert?

A whole lot of OTHER people raised awareness too - some good, some odd. In the span of a 10-minute walk, I saw people handing out fliers and leaflets for: Scientology, the Communist party, Lyndon LaRouche,Falun Gong, pro-life and conservation. (Of the environment. I think.)

Best parts of the concert: Linkin Park and Jay Z. He is my dawg. I say that even though I am quite un-hip. I didn't use to like Linkin Park because I thought they were whiny white boys, but they truly rocked.

Boring act: country singer Toby Keith.

Sorry I missed: Sarah McLachlin. Sniff! Had started walking out by then.

Most frightening enthusiastic crowd reaction: to Bon Jovi. The crowd loved them some New Jersey rockers.

Thought they had broken up: Def Leppard. Nope. They were there. With their one-armed drummer (incidentally, the Def Leppard story is the best VH1 "Behind the Music" EVER.) Def Leppard is responsible for the most-awesome rock lyric:  "Looking like a tramp/Like a video vamp/Demolition woman/Can I be your man."

Got a ride down to the concert from Dad, a.k.a. Poppa Q. Was not sure I would make it there in one piece because Dad can not STAND when a car wants to pass him. He speeds up, in some sort of testosterone-reaction way, even if he is approaching a red light. He dropped me off at the outskirts of the no-drive zone and I started walking. Wore my straw hat and pink shirt and carried a back pack.

First thing I noticed were all the helicopters whirring overhead. Some of my former students were at the concert and I tried to find them. No luck. I also spent most of the concert trying to reach Phyllis and her friends, who were near the oval. Again, no luck. Phyllis was close to the stage and it was just too darned crowded to weave my way through. Believe me, I tried. Sorry I missed you Phyllis! Text messaged with my students, including Christina who has an unnatural obsession with Will Smith, a.k.a. The Fresh Prince.

There was actually a lot of space to move around at the beginning of the Ben Franklin Parkway. Lots of people walking, but I didn't feel squished. Lots of vendors selling soft pretzels, a Philly staple. Water sold for $3 a bottle. But by the late afternoon, the price dropped to $1 a bottle. Too bad I had already drank four bottles by then.

It was HOT. Not awful, icky-sticky hot. There was a breeze. But in the sun - HOT. Hence the water. Even my straw hat was sweating.

I survived the port-o-potties at Live 8. I didn't see those shirts this afternoon, but they should have created them! Using the port-o-potties made me extremely glad that I do not live in poverty-stricken Africa or Bangkok or even attend summer camp. Horrid vats of poo.

Heard part of the Black Eyes Peas. The sound was actually quite good all along the Parkway. Don Cheadle (of "Hotel Rwanda" - have you seen that movie? You should!) introduced Bon Jovi. The crowd. Went. Crazy. Hoo boo.

I sat on the curb to take notes. People almost trampled me in their enthusiasm.

Kanye West sang. The crowd bopped. I ate a cheesesteak with tasty onions. Bottle of water #2.

A fire truck is spraying a huge stream of water. I walk under it. Little kids are running and dancing in the water and splashing in the puddles. It is quite cute. The camera man from Channel 6 thinks so too and starts filming.

All colors and kinds of people at the concert. Cool. However, an alarming number of people were wearing ill-fitting tank tops. Sigh.

Destiny's Child perform. Lots of women sing along.

Natalie Portman introduces an act. "Natalie Portman? Who is that?" says the man next to me. Hello. She is only Queen Amidala. Padme. Wife to Anakin and mother of Luke and Leia!!!!!

Coldplay from London. Madonna from London. I thought she was too busy writing children's books to sing. She performs "Like A Prayer." That was the "scandalous" video where the religious statue cries and she shows her bra straps.

Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff! Yea!!!! The crowd goes nuts. They love him. I love him. Wish I could go out dancing with him.

Toby Keith sings. Crowd not interested. I sit on the grass. Am hot and tired. I nap on the grass, then I obsessabout possible grass stains on my khaki shorts.

Linkin Park and Jay Z!!!!!!!!! I stand near a fence and peer at the video screen. I have a pretty good view, except for the branch that is cropping off the top part of their heads. So I can see the lead singer of Linkin Park only when he comes downstage.

About 4:30 p.m., I decide to start making my way back. I wanted to stay, but could not deal with having to use the port-o-potty again. Instead, I used the icky bathroom in the gallery. Not much better, but it was air conditioned. Took SEPTA home and it was fine, but I remembered why I went to college and got a job and a car so that I no longer had to take SEPTA.

THE END

If you want to read another blog of the concert, check out Dan Rubin's "Blinq" blog in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

http://blogs.philly.com/blinq/2005/07/it_works.html#more

Brooke Shields says her piece to Tom Cruise

Go Brooke Shields! She wrote an Op-Ed piece in the New York Times.

Here is the link and an excerpt:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/01/opinion/01shields.html?oref=login

July 1, 2005 War of Words By BROOKE SHIELDS

London

I WAS hoping it wouldn't come to this, but after Tom Cruise's interview with Matt Lauer on the NBC show "Today" last week, I feel compelled to speak not just for myself but also for the hundreds of thousands of women who have suffered from postpartum depression. While Mr. Cruise says that Mr. Lauer and I do not "understand the history of psychiatry," I'm going to take a wild guess and say that Mr. Cruise has never suffered from postpartum depression.

Postpartum depression is caused by the hormonal shifts that occur after childbirth. During pregnancy, a woman's level of estrogen and progesterone greatly increases; then, in the first 24 hours after childbirth, the amount of these hormones rapidly drops to normal, nonpregnant levels. This change in hormone levels can lead to reactions that range from restlessness and irritability to feelings of sadness and hopelessness.

KQ at Live 8

Hi there. I am back from Live 8. Had a lot of fun but am sweaty, hot and tired.

I took lots of notes though and will post my blog later tonight or tomorrow :)