Britney Spears News Blog @newzblogz.com

LONDON - Lawyers for Britney Spears won a British court injunction Thursday designed to prevent publication of stories about her recent stay in rehab. The injunction bars unidentified "person or persons ... who has/have been leaking information about Ms. Spears' time in a rehabilitation clinic from further disclosures invading her privacy," said Schillings, the 25-year-old pop star's London law firm.The injunction was issued at the High Court by Judge Charles Gray.Spears left Promises Malibu Alc...

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NEW YORK - Dina Lohan says her daughter Lindsay isn't an alcoholic and that people are wrong to assume that she's a club-hopping "party mom." "Oh, the party mom, the party mom, the party mom!" Lohan says. "Whoever said that, my ex-husband or whatever, I'm not the party mom!"

"Listen to me: Lindsay would drag me, literally drag my loser butt (to a club) and say, `I need you to know who these people are,'" Lohan, 44, says in an interview in the April issue of Harper's Bazaar, on newsstands Tuesday. "Yeah, she trusts my judgment. She's in such a whirlwind; she's in a tornado. I mean, we're talking serious earthquake, you know?"

The 20-year-old actress/tabloid target checked into the Wonderland Center in Los Angeles in January. Her publicist, Leslie Sloane, declined comment to The Associated Press on Thursday when asked for details. Sloane had confirmed in December that Lohan was attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

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There's a new king of cool and his name is Mark Wahlberg

09:38 PM CDT on Thursday, March 22, 2007

Every generation in pop culture has that one guy; the guy who, through a combination of luck, talent, smarts, style and, of course, good looks, achieves what sets that moment's standard for every man's perfect life.

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Few bands inspire such intense hatred as Nickelback.The post-grunge Canadian quartet has been trashed, bashed and hated on by countless critics, music snobs and other like-minded souls. So have much-maligned acts like Hinder, a rock band from Oklahoma; the Grammy-winning Black Eyed Peas, who have spawned infectious rap hits "My Humps" and "Don't Phunk With My Heart"; and Britney Spears, who in her heyday ruled radio but was condemned for everything from her voice to not writing her own songs.Yet...

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Lawyers for Britney Spears won a British court injunction Thursday designed to prevent publication of stories about her recent stay in rehab.

The injunction bars unidentified "person or persons ... who has/have been leaking information about Ms. Spears' time in a rehabilitation clinic from further disclosures invading her privacy," said Schillings, the 25-year-old pop star's London law firm.

The injunction was issued at the High Court by Judge Charles Gray.

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A line of clothing co-designed by pop queen Madonna went on sale around the world Thursday in branches of Swedish fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz.

Pieces in the M by Madonna collection, co-designed by H&M design chief Margareta van den Bosch, include a leather trench coat, sequined shift dresses, cream-colored calf-length pants and matching cropped jackets.

In Britain, the items are priced between $16 and $295.

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LORI PALATNIK, CO-AUTHOR OF GOSSIP: TEN PATHWAYS TO ELIMINATE IT FROM YOUR LIFE AND TRANSFORM YOUR SOUL

Next time you’re in a crowded restaurant, ease back, hold your tongue and take note of the chatter. In the swirl of conversation, you’re likely to hear exchanges about bosses and co-workers, natter about neighbors and nitpicky in-laws — and, chances are good these days, at least one reference to Britney Spears.

Social researchers estimate two-thirds of all conversation is devoted to gossip. And studies suggest it’s no idle pursuit, that gossip might serve a valuable societal function. It’s the social glue that holds us together, currency we use to buy us into inner circles — and buy us more information. And researchers have found that gossip has a therapeutic quality, giving us a natural endorphin rush and an avenue to vent frustrations.

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Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse bring feud, great tunes to American ears

There are a lot of questions a young British lass ponders while blowing off dodgy blokes, pub crawling, financing a flat and spreading rumors about an ex.

How, for example, does one dissuade an eager suitor begging to buy a round of drinks and score a phone number?

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The Idaho beauty queen who doesn't drink, smoke, or sip coffee or tea came

to Hollywood this month on a personal mission to try to save the image of

America's young women.

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Britney Spears has completed a nearly monthlong stay at the Promises Malibu Treatment Center in Southern California. Her manager, Larry Rudolph, announced the successful graduation late Tuesday night. Clearly a man with a sense of humor, he asked that her privacy be respected.

The Associated PressPrivacy may be hard to come by for the tabloid favorite.

Brit entered the $48,000-a-month rehab facility after a weekend of bizarre antics worthy of The Bell Jar – shaving her fine blond mane, tattooing a pair of lips to her wrist, beating a car with an umbrella.

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NEW YORK — MTV's "Total Request Live" is no longer totally live.

It's another sign of how the audience and cultural juice have faded for "TRL," once the most influential TV program for music superstars.

Two weeks ago, MTV began taping "Total Request Live" two days a week in an effort to save money. After live shows air Monday and Wednesday afternoons, shows are then taped for the following day.

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- Elton John says he will make his back catalog of more than 30 albums

available for digital download. The tracks, more than 400 in all, will be

available through iTunes from March 26 through April 30, and then will be made

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Few bands inspire such intense hatred as Nickelback.

The post-grunge Canadian quartet has been trashed, bashed and hated on by countless critics, music snobs and other like-minded souls.

So have much-maligned acts like Hinder, a rock band from Oklahoma; the Grammy-winning Black Eyed Peas, who have spawned infectious rap hits My Humps and Don't Phunk With My Heart; and Britney Spears, who in her heyday ruled radio but was condemned for everything from her voice to not writing her own songs.

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After nearly a month of seclusion in a luxurious rehab center, Britney Spears has moved on.

The pop star checked out of Promises Malibu Alcohol and Drug Rehab Treatment Facility “after successfully completing their program,” Spears’ manager, Larry Rudolph, said in a statement released by Jive Records.

He asked that Spears’ privacy be respected.

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Tweety-brained nymphs, à la Britney, Paris, Lindsay and Nicole, earned major points for our 2006 best and worst list. So did pantyless protocol, trans fats, spiritual advisers, celebrity babies, Bluetooth, Rachael Ray, Masi Oka and the Playstation3-Nintendo Wii mania.

Democrats proved very trendy. The Iraq war, YouTube, Anna Nicole Smith, Borat, O.J. Simpson and pirates of the Caribbean persuasion drew serious attention. This year's winners and losers are dead ahead, mateys.

Best commecial

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F ew bands inspire such intense hatred as Nickelback.

The post-grunge Canadian quartet has been trashed, bashed and hated on by countless critics, music snobs and other like-minded souls. So have much-maligned acts like Hinder, a rock band from Oklahoma, and the Grammy-winning Black Eyed Peas, who have spawned infectious rap hits “My Humps” and “Don’t Phunk With My Heart.”

Yet these acts have sold millions upon millions of albums. So are the critics wrong? Do music buyers have bad taste? Is this karmic payback to all the haters?

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I n the movie "ATL," someone told the character Ant, "You tell me. You're the one that's shinin'."

The same could be said of the acting career of Evan Ross, who made his film debut as Ant.

This is a big year for 18-year-old Ross. Earlier this month, he co-starred in the HBO film "Life Support" with Queen Latifah. And on Friday, his latest project, "Pride," opens to tell the true story of a black swim team in Philadelphia. Ross plays the stuttering, shy Reggie, who comes up with the bright idea to form the team.

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NEW YORK - Few bands inspire such intense hatred as Nickelback.

The post-grunge Canadian quartet has been trashed, bashed and hated on by countless

critics, music snobs and other like-minded souls. So have much-maligned acts like Hinder,

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LOS ANGELES - After nearly a month of seclusion in a luxurious rehabilitation center, Britney Spears has moved on.

The pop star checked out of Promises Malibu Alcohol and Drug Rehab Treatment Facility "after successfully completing their program," Spears' manager, Larry Rudolph, said in a statement released by Jive Records late Tuesday.

He asked that Spears' privacy be respected.

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After nearly a month of seclusion in a luxurious rehabilitation center, Britney Spears has moved on.

The pop star checked out of Promises Malibu Alcohol and Drug Rehab Treatment Facility "after successfully completing their program," Spears' manager, Larry Rudolph, said in a statement released by Jive Records Tuesday.

He asked that Spears' privacy be respected.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) After nearly a month of seclusion in a luxurious rehabilitation center, Britney Spears has moved on. The pop star checked out of Promises Malibu Alcohol and Drug Rehab Treatment Facility "after successfully completing their program," Spears' manager, Larry Rudolph, said in a statement released by Jive Records late Tuesday.

He asked that Spears' privacy be respected.

Spears, 25, entered the facility Feb. 22 after a bout of bizarre behavior that included shaving her head, getting tiny lips tattooed on her wrist and beating a car with an umbrella. Photos of the incidents were beamed worldwide.

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    Elton John says he will make his back catalog of more than 30 albums available for digital download, Associated Press reports.

    Beginning Monday, the tracks, more than 400 in all, will be available through Apple Inc.'s ITunes until April 30, and then will be made available on other download services. The newly digitized albums include Mr. John's 1969 debut, "Empty Sky," and perennial favorites such as "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy."

    The move coincides with Mr. John's 60th birthday Sunday and the release of a new compilation album, "Rocket Man," on March 29.

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After nearly a month battling the twin demons of substance addiction and itchy wig head, Britney Spears emerged triumphant this week from Career Resurrection Camp clutching her Promises Malibu (Calif.) diploma and the world's good wishes for a bright future of soberly picking inappropriate boyfriends.

Spears' manager, Larry Rudolph, says in a statement that the singer successfully completed rehab and asked that the press respect Spears' privacy as she reintegrates into the outside world, the Associated Press reports

Members of the celebrity press nodded gravely, then resumed attaching their telephoto lenses and fine-tuning their wish lists of post-rehab "gets," including a 500-pound, sugar-jonesing Spears rampaging through an Orange County Krispy Kreme and Spears forgetting her baby on the roof of her BMW after a midnight run to Starbucks.

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LOS ANGELES - Britney Spears has left rehab, her spokeswoman told The Associated Press late Tuesday.

"Britney Spears has been released by the Promises Malibu Treatment Center after successfully completing their program," the pop star's manager, Larry Rudolph, said in a statement. "We ask that the media respects her privacy as well as those of her family and friends at this time."

Spears entered the facility Feb. 22.

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LOS ANGELES -- Britney Spears left rehab on Tuesday after successfully completing the program.

The pop star's manager, Larry Rudolph, said she has been released by the Promises Malibu Treatment Center. He said Spears needs her privacy now.

Spears entered rehab on Feb. 22 after exhibiting some bizarre behavior including shaving her head.

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LOS ANGELES Britney Spears has left rehab after successfully completing the program.The pop star's manager says she has been released by the Promises Malibu Treatment Center. Larry Rudolph says Spears needs her privacy now.Spears entered rehab February 22nd after exhibiting some bizarre behavior including shaving her head.

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The pop star checked out of Promises Malibu Alcohol and Drug Rehab Treatment Facility "after successfully completing their program," her manager, Larry Rudolph, said in a statement released to The Associated Press by Jive Records late Tuesday. "We ask that the media respects her privacy as well as those of her family and friends at this time."

Spears, 25, entered the facility Feb. 22, after a bout of bizarre behavior that included shaving her head, getting tiny lips tattooed on her wrist and beating a car with an umbrella, with photos of the incidents instantly beamed worldwide.

Spears' activities have been weekly magazine fodder since she filed for divorce from aspiring rapper Kevin Federline in November. The two have joint custody of their sons, Jayden James, 6 months, and Sean Preston, 18 months. Federline and the children reportedly visited Spears during her treatment.

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Britney Spears has left rehab, her spokeswoman told The Associated Press late Tuesday.

"Britney Spears has been released by the Promises Malibu Treatment Center after successfully completing their program," the pop star's manager, Larry Rudolph, said in a statement. "We ask that the media respects her privacy as well as those of her family and friends at this time."

Spears entered the facility Feb. 22, after two other visits that lasted less than a day.

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NEW YORK (AP) -- MTV's "Total Request Live" is no longer totally live. It's another sign of how both the audience and cultural juice have faded for "TRL," once the most influential program on television for music superstars from the Backstreet Boys to Beyonce - even if they just dropped by to push an ice cream cart.

Two weeks ago, MTV began taping "Total Request Live" two days a week in an effort to save money. After live shows air Monday and Wednesday afternoons, shows are then taped for the following day.

"Total Request Taped"? No, the show's title won't be adjusted for the less-than-live days, spokeswoman Marnie Black said Tuesday.

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LOS ANGELES ? Britney Spears has left rehab. The pop star checked out of Promises Malibu Alcohol and Drug Rehab Treatment Facility "after successfully completing their program," the pop star's manager, Larry Rudolph, said in a statement released by Jive Records late Tuesday. "We ask that the media respects her privacy as well as those of her family and friends at this time."

Spears, 25, entered the facility Feb. 22, after a bout of bizarre behavior that included shaving her head, getting tiny lips tattooed on her wrist and beating a car with an umbrella, with photos of the incidents instantly beamed worldwide.

Spears' activities have been weekly magazine fodder since she filed for divorce from aspiring rapper Kevin Federline in November. The two have joint custody of their sons, Jayden James, 6 months, and Sean Preston, 18 months.

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Actress Sarah Jessica Parker is going into the fashion biz. And her new partner isn't America's department store Macy's or even cheap chic Target, but Steve & Barry's -- the sportswear retailer where everything in the store is less than $20.

Parker's new line, called "Bitten" (because -- ugh -- she was "bitten" by the Steve & Barry's bug), debuts nationwide June 7.

Last week, Parker unveiled the collection to a select group of fashion editors in New York. Bitten's motto: "Fashion is not a luxury, it's a right."Phil Spector gets makeover

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Feeling just a little jealous that your Google twin is outranking you? Hey, they say a little sibling rivalry is healthy.

But say you just happened to know a few tricks that would allow you to take your rightful place at the top of the hit list. That wouldn't hurt anyone, right? Like, maybe if you got a couple of pointers on how to best position yourself for search-engine supremacy so that you can become the Google VIP you know you are deep down inside there's nothing wrong with that, right?

And after all, if Fred Gleeck of www.thegoogleexpert.com is just going to give away these very handy tips for getting a little more Google love, you could hardly avert your eyes and stop reading, right?

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A Bahamian judge ordered a DNA test yesterday on Anna Nicole Smiths infant daughter to identify the girls father, in what could signal an end to a bitter custody feud sparked by Smiths death last month.

Larry Birkhead, an ex-boyfriend of the Playboy playmate who asked the judge to order the test on 6-month-old Dannielynn, pumped his fists in the air and jumped up and down as he emerged from the private court hearing.

Its been a good day in court for me, he told reporters.

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What? It’s a joke, right? According to a salaries.com survey — and if you knew such a thing as salaries.com even existed, you’re way ahead of this kid — the most fabulous job in America is: fashion designer?

Who’s kidding whom? Did you ever meet a kid wanting to grow up to be a fashion designer? Whatever happened to dreams about growing up to be a fireman, cop, Superman or Britney Spears’ squeeze of the week?

A fashion designer? Imagine asking your grandchild what he wants to be when “all grown up,” and he looks you in the eye and says, ‘Well, Grandpa, I really want to work with taffeta. Or chiffon.”

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On the other side of I-5 in Auburn, the debate over the banning of pit bulls and similar breeds has escalated into a fury.As the nature versus nurture battle endures, local lawmakers have found themselves somewhere in the middle, forced to decipher mounds of emotionally driven rhetoric and misinformation presented by both sides in the debate.In one corner, owners and breeders of these dogs blame irresponsible owners for the rash of pit bull attacks that have plagued the communities of Auburn and...

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TMZ.com reported Tuesday that bad girl Britney Spears will be leaving rehab in Los Angeles this week. (She went in Feb. 21 after a couple of false starts. And it appears she has completed the recommended 30-day regimen.)

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TMZ calls it "one of the most amazing turnarounds in celebrity memory."

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NEW YORK - The Bay City Rollers, a popular Scottish pop group that topped music charts in the 1970s, accused Arista Records in a lawsuit Tuesday of failing to pass along millions of dollars in royalties over the past 25 years.

The federal lawsuit seeks unspecified damages on behalf of six band members, including bassist Alan Longmuir and drummer Derek Longmuir, the brothers who started the group in Edinburgh in 1967.

The band says in the lawsuit that Arista owes it royalties on millions of dollars. That was money generated by selling albums, compact discs, multimedia licenses and merchandise, along with rights to commercials, movies and even telephone ring tones.

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If you haven't memorized the names of all the "American Idol" singers yet, you surely know them by their hair choices.

The girl with the punk streaks is Gina Glocksen. The guy with the shaved head is Phil Stacey. The Pillsbury 'fro-boy -- nickname courtesy of Jimmy Kimmel -- is Chris Sligh.

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NEW YORK (AP) - Britney Spears entered rehab Tuesday after a bizarre weekend that included shaving her head and getting a new tattoo.

Spears' manager, Larry Rudolph, told People magazine's Web site that Spears, 25, had voluntarily checked herself into an undisclosed treatment facility.

'We ask that the media respect her privacy as well as those of her family and friends at this time,' Rudolph was quoted as saying.

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Regarding the Thursday editorial, "Political pundit has lost her way": You are certainly correct in arguing that Ann Coulter is not stereotypical. In a manner of speaking, she is one of a kind: a solus ipse. A self alone. The philosophical term is solipsist. She appears to be an idealist who reduces the world as she finds it to the self in which she finds it, that is to say, herself. The world is Ann Coulter.

I should not want to say that she is a narcissist, however. She is capable of mentally constructing a Weltanschaaung. A world view. That is to say, she is no Britney Spears. Indeed, celebrity is not an end in itself with her - rather a means to the greater good she professes: a world of her making understood in her terms alone.

The 18th century philosopher George Berkeley, who was not a political ideologue, otherwise developed a similar world view. In his case, he invoked the name of God to escape from the problem of whether there is any sound if a tree falls in the forest and he, George Berkeley, isn't about to hear it. It is said that Samuel Johnson, made noteworthy by the biographer James Boswell, in response to Berkeley's view, kicked a rock and said, "I refute thee thus." Perhaps, in a manner of speaking, we shoul...

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Next time you’re in a crowded restaurant, ease back, hold your tongue and take note of the chatter. In the swirl of conversation, you’re likely to hear exchanges about bosses and co-workers, natter about neighbors and nitpicky in-laws – and, chances are good these days, at least one reference to Britney Spears.

Social researchers estimate two-thirds of all conversation is devoted to gossip. And studies suggest it’s no idle pursuit, that gossip might serve a valuable societal function. It’s the social glue that holds us together, currency we use to buy us into inner circles – and buy us more information. And researchers have found that gossip has a therapeutic quality, giving us a natural endorphin rush and an avenue to vent frustrations.

“Gossip is everywhere. It involves every one of us,” says rumor authority Richard Weiner, a public-relations veteran who turned the dimple-faced Cabbage Patch dolls into a pop-cultural phenomenon of the 1980s.

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Matt Leavitt, a dermatologist who specializes in hair-loss treatment, has had more than one taste of his own medicine: He has used his entire tool kit, including drugs, surgery and a laser comb device, to restore and maintain his own hair.

Leavitt runs Medical Hair Restoration in Orlando, and he is a paid adviser to the makers of HairMax, a laser comb that just received marketing clearance from the Food and Drug Administration. He says each of the treatments "has a unique mode of action, and they are all complementary to each other."

That's one way to look at it.

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Jason Sherman, 25, admits he sometimes finds it hard to say what he means: He once broke up with a girlfriend by text messaging her on his cell phone, and he says he has used e-mail to deliver similar news to other women.

"I'm one of those people that it's hard to speak (my) mind in person," said Sherman, of Independence, Mo. "It's a lot easier to say how I feel (electronically). You can get more out, and you don't have to worry about somebody yelling in your face."

Sherman is part of a changing dating world where singles can avoid direct confrontation by crafting the traditional "Dear John/Jane" letter using advanced technology. Even pop star Britney Spears reportedly broke up with Kevin Federline via a text message sent to his cell phone — a message he read while taping an interview for a Canadian television show in November.

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Jamie Foxx is flying high and that’s no lie. Actually, as the Oscar winner reminded us several times Sunday night at The Township, he is straight-up ballin’.

“We Fly High,” Jim Jones’ ubiquitous summer jam, is what Foxx calls the black ghetto anthem. “You can be in church and that come on, you got to give it up,” he said.

He repeatedly played the chorus, which ends lines with the chant “ballin’,” to pump up the audience. He even coached an older white gentleman on how to do the ballin’ pose, which looks like Michael Jordan hitting the game-winning shot in the 1998 NBA Finals.

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Check out this quote about Barack Obama: "[He's] exciting. Everyone says he's a rock star, which is one of the most overused phrases these days.... You know what? If you're not [receiving oral sex] after an event, you're not a rock star. But OK, Obama is a rock star. Fine, if that's what it takes. He seems articulate and serious and thoughtful and electable."

What's that?! Someone is using the a-word to describe Obama? Let the semi-outrage and the call for apologies begin!

The quote appears in the current issue of Playboy magazine during an interview with Bill Maher -- who comes across as so articulate in his responses that you wonder if some of his one-liners are scripted.

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Plenty of hotels are ready to conspire with Valentine Day lovers to make their weekend tryst a memorable one. They'll ply them with aphrodisiac nibbles, pamper them with sensuous spa treatments, tempt them with bedside champagne and chocolates, love potions and other indulgences they don't enjoy at home.

Maybe that's what prompted Britney Spears to get married earlier this month during a romantic weekend getaway with friend Jason Alexander in Las Vegas.

No need to follow the pop star down the aisle, though - nor have to file for annulment the same day, as she did. Just put your regular-day cares aside on Feb. 14 and spring for a loving weekend. After all, what better time of year is there to give in to love than on a day long devoted to love?

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Having dinner at Table 8 on Friday night, before their Saturday performance at the Bacardi B-Live concert: Camp Freddy -- Dave Navarro, Billy Morrison, Matt Sorum, Donovan Leitch Jr., Chris Chaney and Scott Weiland ''with their groupies,'' says a spy. After the show on Saturday, Navarro arrived at Mansion with a bevy of buxom blonds in tow, standing on the tables and dancing along with Camp Freddy bandmates Jerry Cantrell and Sorum. Later in the evening, the crowd moved over to Set where Navarro...

Disco queen Donna Summer was spotted at Acqualina on Friday night, while Shaquille O'Neal was seen at 9:45 a.m. Saturday, alone at the Cingular store on 41st Street in Miami Beach.

Rapper Chingy was staying at the Catalina Hotel and Beach Club on Friday afternoon where he was spotted having a drink at the hotel's Maxine Restaurant.

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      WASHINGTON — Harry Reid began Election Day with 50 sit-ups and 80 push-ups (very red state of him) and 40 minutes of yoga (very blue state of him).

Paul J. Richards, Getty ImagesU.S. Sens. Charles Schumer, left, Harry Reid and Richard Durbin speak Thursday outside the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

      He spent most of the momentous day in his Senate office, waiting. Just after 2 p.m., Reid, a Nevada Democrat, finally heard some actual news: Britney Spears was filing for divorce.

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DALLAS-Want a peek at the nation's psyche? Open your door on Halloween.

You'll see adults dolled up as Chicago flappers, toting rhinestone-studded machine guns. You'll hear an "Argh!" Pirates are hot. Miniature Batmen, Spider-Men and Disney Princesses will peer up and chime, "Trick or treat?"

America is ready to let loose again, retailers say. We need to. Times are tough.

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CHICAGO - January inaugurates the second season of our discontent. The first ends the previous Dec. 31 as we look back on the year and take stock of our lives. Toting up the pluses and minuses, we pledge ourselves to do better. We solemnly resolve to take off a few pounds, give up cigarettes, lay off the sauce. We vow to be more accepting of in-laws.

Yet the fizzle has scarcely gone out of the champagne when we sadly realize our promises are fit for the dustbin, discards no less than the funny hats and paper horns. The phrase "New Year's resolution" is virtually synonymous with hypocrisy and self-delusion. Seemingly it has always been thus. Witness the counsel that Philip Stanhope, earl of Chesterfield, gave his son and namesake on the annual occasion for self-criticism late in the 18th Century:

"The New Year is the season in which custom seems more particularly to authorize civil and harmless lies," the British statesman and man of letters wrote. "People reciprocally profess wishes which they seldom form and concern which they seldom feel."

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I?m pretty disappointed that Kansas City was not able to seduce the Penguins into moving to the Sprint Center despite the zero rent plus revenue sharing (other peoples? rent) offer. This was looking to be such a great deal for Kansas City taxpayers.

Since the city has made it clear that they are still actively seeking an anchor tenant before October, I would like to officially begin discussions for my family to take that position.

I will probably be willing to pay up to several hundred dollars per month if I will also get in on the revenue-sharing deal, so I am sure this will be viewed attractively by the mayor, et al.

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R ebecca Roush Googled herself, expecting to be rewarded with a list of her own accomplishments. Instead, she was introduced to some other Rebecca Roush, a limelight-stealing, attention-hogging, clearly overachieving Rebecca Roush who selfishly dominated the entries.

She had discovered her Google Twin -- that person who shares her name and her Google entry.

"There is something offsetting about finding your Google Twin," the Davis, Calif., resident says in an e-mail. "It's like all of your attempts at individuality get swept away."

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It's an unusual bill that features both electro-pop outfit The Blow and the gentle folk/blues of Kelly Joe Phelps. Of course, the "Live Wire!" show at the Aladdin Theater on Fridays isn't exactly your average rock show.

For the uninitiated, "Live Wire!" is a radio show that airs on Oregon Public Broadcasting and usually is recorded at the Aladdin. The variety show includes musical guests, as well as performers typically drawn from the worlds of literature, art and culture. Throw in sketch comedy by the show's cast, sound effects from Pat Janowski (a k a Siren O'Sound) and voila! -- an hour's worth of entertainment.

The show's cast taped two shows Friday, celebrating its third anniversary. The Blow (Khaela Maricich singing over recorded music and without bandmate Jona Bechtolt) appeared on the first, Phelps on the second.

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Britney Spears shaves her head and pops in and out of rehab.

Late-night comedians crack jokes. Photographers snap her every move.

Average folks laugh, watch TV coverage and buy the tabloids.

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