The Latest News

First off: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DIRTY BIRDY KURTY McFLIRTY!!!!!!! I loves ya somethin' awful, even if you are old as dirt. (Just jokin'.)

In the spirit of the season, a couple o' things for which I am thankful:
--I have been on a hiatus from retail, so this was the first time in years that I was not forced to deal with Black Friday. Woo-hoo!! It didn't even occur to me to venture to a mall (I hate hate hate malls). Actually, I didn't even go outside until 5 p.m. on Friday.
--Chase is feeling a lot better after her emergency surgery. I hung out with her for a couple of hours on Tuesday, and she was still in a lot of pain. When I spoke with her today, she sounded a lot more energetic, and said that she has been able to walk around a little bit more.
--My sister came home for the weekend from Wisconsin, where she is getting her Masters. She spent part of the term attempting to impregnate monkeys via IVF. Fun stuff. Anyway, it was great to see her and hold her hand during Shopgirl last night (good book, good movie).
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Well, there's been a lot going on in the celebrity world as of late, so here are a few updates:

Set your Tivo, VCR, or stay up to watch Oprah finally appear on Letterman on December 1st (Thursday). It has been 16 years since she was last on Letterman, and that was back when he was on NBC! We all remember the notorious feud over the "Uma... Oprah... Oprah... Uma" thing, but I am thrilled that her need to promote the opening night of The Color Purple on Broadway will bring her to the Ed Sullivan Theatre for what will surely be an exciting interview.

During Thanksgiving dinner, my sister said to me, "Did you hear about Nick and Jessica?!" "Yeah, yeah," I responded. "That's been going around forever." "No!" She insisted. "This time it is for real! They even released a statement." Sho 'nuff, as you all know by now, the two have called it splits after three years of marriage. Hmmm, was it his lack of career while hers soared? Was it infidelity? Was it that she was just too young when they married? As a divorcee myself, I know that no one ever knows the truth of what goes on in a marriage, and sometimes (usually) it is a culmination of a lot of things that bring it to an end. I wish them both the best, but I do wonder who will be the first to publicly hook up with someone new. Anyone care to place bets?

Pat Morita died on Thanksgiving Day. Best known for his roles as Al on Happy Days and Mr. Miyagi in the Karate Kid movies, he died of natural causes at his home in Vegas. "Born in northern California on June 28, 1932, the son of migrant fruit pickers, Morita spent most of his early years in the hospital with spinal tuberculosis, according to the AP. He later recovered only to be sent to a Japanese-American internment camp in Arizona during World War II. " Did ya know...Morita was nominated for an Oscar for Karate Kid? Me neither!

The Surreal Life flows into real life now that Peter Brady (Christopher Knight) and Adrianne Curry are engaged. He, of course, is from The Brady Bunch, and she was a winner of America's Next Top Model (how's that working for her?). The two met while on the aforementioned VH1 reality show, and allowed their romance to be followed for My Fair Brady on which their wedding will also be featured. He is 48, she is 23, and they do not a bad looking couple make... Let's hope this one lasts.

Last weekend, Eva (eee-vah, not ay-vah, according to her) Longoria hosted SNL. I have to say, she was really good! There were no mistakes, her skits were really funny, and she didn't reference the cue cards like other hosts do. Good job, grrl.

And, last but not least, file this one under "My best friend Rachel and I coulda told ya that ten years ago!" People names Matthew McConaugh-hey! hey! (AKA: Matthew McConaugh-yummy) as this year's sexiest man alive. Duh! Other guys who made the cut were:

• Patrick Dempsey. I admit he is hawt, but I'm sorry... I will always see him as the dork from Can't Buy Me Love, and the guy who at 21 married the 48 year old mother of his best friend--ew.
• Terrence Howard. "Green Eyes" has been in 11 films in about as many months!
• Viggo Mortensen. Have you seen A Walk on the Moon? It also stars Diane Lane for you fellas!
• Vince Vaughn. Yes, Ms. Aniston is a lucky grrl, but Mr. Vaughn needs to get somewhere closer to his Swingers weight... the puffy face doesn't suit him at all.
• Nick Lachey. Nice timing, bro! Way to get on the sexy list right when you become single again.
• Heath Ledger. Really? I say not so much anymore.... I woulda put Orlando Bloom or Johnny Depp in this slot instead.
• Daniel Day Kim. I'd like to get Lost with that hottie!
• Keith Urban, who could turn this rock and roll girl country any day.
• Ian McShane. Ew! Nothing against the older fellas, but he is kinda ew!! Gimme Sam Elliott instead.
• Matt Damon, who looks the same as he has since we first met him.
• Denis Leary. Really? Gimme George Clooney!
• Anderson Cooper. Yu-hum, but ga-hay.
• Clive Owen. Another "duh!" By the way, the next one of his co-stars to call him Clive Owens is going to get a beatin'! That dumb-ass Brittany Murphy did it on Letterman when she was promoting Sin City, and someone else recently did, as well.