amyk's Blog

Thursday , July 10, 2008

Cynthia Rodriguez still loves Alex Rodriguez but is done with the marriage, she told gossip columnist Cindy Adams in an interview published on Thursday.

Rodriguez, 35, also told Adams she is "not out to mutilate" A-Rod, 32, and denied reports of a recent revenge shopping spree in Paris.

"Not one word of those stories is true. I never before in all my married life together ever went away without my husband or family. Not once in 13 years.

"I did not spend one dollar shopping in Paris. I did not go to super-fancy expensive restaurants. I did not go to any spa. I didn't do one thing. I spent the most innocent four days with my children's godparents, who are as close to us as family," she said. "My husband and I were already into our problems and I didn't know where to go, what to do. I needed to think — to clear my head."

Earlier this week, a former Boston stripper said she slept with the Yankee third baseman twice in 2004.

In divorce papers filed Monday in Miami-Dade County Family Court, Cynthia accused A-Rod of "extramarital affairs" and called their six-year marriage "irretrievably broken."

Cynthia did not name names in her six-page petition. Her lead lawyer, Earle Lilly, denied speculation that Rodriguez had a sexual relationship with Madonna, 49, calling it "an affair of the heart."

It wasn't "sexual infidelity," Lilly told People.com.

Cynthia and A-Rod have been married for more than five years. She has asked for primary custody of their two children — Nathasha Alexander, 3, and 2-month-old Ella Alexander — as well as child support and alimony.

Rodriguez is in the first season of a $275 million, 10-year contract with the Yankees, a deal that allows him to earn up to $305 million. He made $185.45 million from 2001-7 from his contract with the Texas Rangers and Yankees.

Madonna denies having an affair with Rodriguez, and insists her own marriage to British director Guy Ritchie is not on the verge of ending, despite reports they both have consulted divorce lawyers.

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Do you believe any of the rumors?  Do you care?  Personally.. I find it quite sad that a 3 year old and 2 month old child have been dragged into this mess. 

Will the Photos Help or Hurt Miley?

People Magazine

Originally posted Monday April 28, 2008 11:15 AM EDT

Miley Cyrus Photo by: John Shearer / WireImage

Whether it was a case of manipulation or just plain youthful human error, the provocative pictures of Miley Cyrus by famed Vanity Fair photographer Annie Leibovitz are now the shots being heard around the world – in editorials, TV discussions and conversations around family dinner tables.

While Cyrus's defenders suggest that the pictures – now available on the Vanity Fair Web site – may ultimately help the 15-year-old graduate into a more mature artist, others are criticizing her for disappointing her 'tween and teen fan base, which looks up to her as a role model.

Cyrus on Sunday publicly apologized for the photos.

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Have you seen the Vanity Fair pics?  Do you think they're too provocative for a 15-year old?   Will they help or hurt her career?

American Idol is supposed to be all about giving undiscovered talent a chance. Please note I used the word "undiscovered." As in, artists who have not had record deals yet. Artists who need a show like this to GET a record deal in the first place. Artists who have not already had major labels waste millions of dollars unsuccessfully trying to mold them into next big things.

What's my point? Well, last night the visa-challenged Irish artist formerly known as Carly Hennessy--but now conveniently going under her new married name, Carly Smithson--made it into American Idol's top 24, despite having had a flop album out on MCA Records nearly seven years ago. An album that sold only hundreds of copies, despite the fact that MCA spent millions of dollars trying to promote it.

Here are some excerpts from a 2002 Wall Street Journal story (again, bolded for emphasis) titled "Pop Singer Fails To Strike A Chord," all about the catastrophic failure of Carly's ironically titled low-selling album, Ultimate High:

"Ultimate High was released in stores nationwide three months ago. So far, it has sold only 378 copies--amounting to about $4,900 at its suggested retail price....The story of MCA and Ms. Hennessy shows the dysfunctional economics of the music industry at work. MCA, one of Universal Music's major labels, initially hooked up with the spunky teenager three years ago because it was trying to get a piece of the great success competitors enjoyed with young pop artists like Britney Spears and 'N Sync. Ms. Hennessy, a native of Dublin, had released her debut musical effort, Carly's Christmas Album, in Ireland at age 10, after performing all over Europe as Little Cosette in Les Miserables. At 13, she was named the Irish national spokesmodel for the Denny sausage brand. Soon, she and her family began hoping for much more, and Ms. Hennessy dropped out of high school....

"Unfortunately [after she recorded her MCA album], neither Ms. Hennessy nor MCA were happy with the results....MCA decided to rerecord Ms. Hennessy's album from scratch...In April 2001, with the album still unfinished, MCA decided to try to get Ms. Hennessy some notice by releasing her first single, a bouncy tune called 'I'm Gonna Blow Your Mind'....MCA spent $250,000 on a video that showed Ms. Hennessy dancing in a disco and jumping around with pals in their sleepwear. On a call-in show, Nickelodeon asked viewers to rate 30 seconds of the video, but the audience was unresponsive. The video was quickly shelved."

The article goes on for many paragraphs after that. But I think you get the picture.

Now, I'm not saying that Carly isn't talented. Sure, she is. The girl can sing. But she's already had a shot--more than one shot, actually, if you count her stints in musical theater, modeling, film, and, um, sausage promotion. Meanwhile, some of the popular fan favorites on Idol this season who didn't make it--like Josiah Leming and Kyle Ensley--are still unproven newbies, still waiting for a label to spend millions of dollars on them. So why waste a spot in the Idol top 24 on someone like Carly, who's already tried and failed at the major-label level? And furthermore, is it really fair to pit an experienced professional like Carly against true undiscovered amateurs who've never made a $250K music video or worked with Gregg Alexander?

It makes me wonder if Carly is a pre-arranged plant, someone whose relationship with 19 Management and Simon Cowell and Clive Davis dates back all the way to 2001. I even wonder if the whole Idol competition is fixed this season, to ensure that a real seasoned pro prevails and no Taylor Hickses or Sanjaya Malakars make it through.

Let the conspiracy theorizing begin!

Oh, and by the way, do you think it's a coincidence that Carly's suddenly using a different surname now? Or that the bio video pieces on American Idol--which went into deep personal detail about Kyle's political goals, Josiah's homelessness, or Asia'h's father's pre-audition death--failed to mention Carly's MCA deal and failed album? That's a sad story itself--a saga of a naive and hopeful young talent, only 18 at the time, being chewed up and spit out by the fickle music business. This story could have even garnered viewer sympathy and made Carly a more interesting underdog character. But American Idol neatly erased that entire MCA chapter from Carly's story, because then potential fans/voters would know that they'd already had an opportunity to buy a Carly album and make Carly a star--and they didn't.

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What do you think?  Should Carly get a "second" chance on American Idol?  Do you think this affects the "fairness" of the show?

I found a couple of interesting "American Idol" stories today.  The story below talks about how much advertisers will have to pony up to advertise on the show:

Jan. 14 (Bloomberg) -- ``American Idol,'' the most-watched show on U.S. television, is capitalizing on its popularity and a strike in Hollywood to set records for advertising prices.

Even before TV writers walked out Nov. 5, News Corp.'s Fox network commanded at least $780,000 for advance 30-second spots, about 30 percent more than in the previous year, ad buyers with knowledge of the deals said. Commercials bought now, just before the premiere tomorrow, are priced in the low $900,000s, up about 50 percent from a year earlier, said the buyers, who asked not to be named because the figures aren't public.

While Simon Cowell and the show's executive producer both say this season has to be better than last year.

From "Variety" January 11, 2008:

Even uber judge Simon Cowell wasn't wowed by the "Idol" class of 2007.

"I think last year just wasn't one of our better seasons," the snarky Brit says, adding that to some degree, producers "are at the mercy of who shows up for the competition."

Of course, Simon being, well, Simon, he has some notes for his "Idol" producers.

"The show has got to look better. It's got to be more fun as a show," he says. "It absolutely comes down to the content of what we provide the viewers."

Exec producer Nigel Lythgoe concedes that mistakes were made last year. For starters, Lythgoe says the show spent too much time on big-name guest mentors and performers, at the expense of investing viewers in who's who (particularly early in the show's competish).

"We need to put our hand up and take the blame," he says. "We missed out on telling the best stories. If (contestants) were uninteresting, it's because we made them uninteresting."

As a result, "Idol" is looking to shake things up this year by spending more time on those contestant backstories.

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What improvements would you like to see on "American Idol" this year?  Were you disappointed with the show last season?

It's the entertainment story of the day..  Brittney Spears is in a Los Angeles hospital after refusing to give her children back to her ex.   The police were called.. and eventually an ambulance came to cart her away.  The authorities say she was on an "unknown substance".  She's now being held at the hospital against her will undergoing drug and alcohol tests.

And you'll remember a few weeks ago her little sister Jamie Lynn announced she's pregnant.  She's just 16.

It begs the question.. Has too much damage been done for them to ever recover their reputations?  Could they ever succeed in Hollywood again?

Plaster of disguise: Bandaged Michael Jackson goes shopping in Las Vegas

By CLEMMIE MOODIE

Hat jammed on head, a shawl around the neck, those ever present sunglasses and a face covered in sticking plasters.

Yes, it's Michael Jackson on another "incognito" shopping trip.

Accompanied by his children Prince, 10; Paris, nine; and five-year-old Blanket, the troubled 49-year-old star enjoyed a late-night visit to a bookshop in Las Vegas.

Scroll down for more...

Bizarre: Michael Jackson's face is covered in tiny square plasters

After three hours in the Shakespeare, science fiction and children's sections, he left with several boxes full of reading matter.

"If Michael wanted to go unnoticed he could hardly have failed more spectacularly," said a source.

"He removed his shades only to put on his reading glasses and help his children make their selections.

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Incognito: Jackson attempted to keep a low profile during a Vegas shopping trip

"Not only did his bizarre army jacket and headscarf combination draw attention to itself, but his chin and mouth were covered in small surgical plasters.

"If he has not had any more cosmetic work carried out, perhaps he just wants to protect his face and the procedures he has already had done.

"Whatever the explanation, he was looking stranger than ever."

Hiding his face from the world's media: Jackson shopping in LA last month

Meanwhile, the singer is in talks to make his comeback with a series of gigs in London, it has emerged.

He is lined up to do several shows.

Promoters want him to recreate his classic Thriller album at the O2 Arena next spring to mark the record's 25th anniversary.

According to reports, the shows will run throughout March and April at the former Millennium Dome.

"They'd be stripped down, and not big productions.

"Fans would be expected to travel to Jackson rather than make him go round the world" according to one U.S. report.

Tickets are expected to cost hundreds of pounds, as Jackson is said to be in debt to the tune of more than £165 million. Rod Stewart's former co-manager Randy Phillips is understood to be behind the plan.

Sources say Phillips and Jackson have met several times, and that Michael "is in good shape".

However there are still obstacles to standing in the way of the O2 run of shows - namely insurance and, apparently, Jackson's often flaky mental health.

Jackson, 49, was widely criticized when he fleetingly performed live at the World Music Awards in London in November 2006. It had been his first public performance since his acquittal on child molestation charges a year-and-a-half before.

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Here's my question.. why hasn't someone intervened on behalf of these children?  DCF, a judge, a concerned family member?  SOMEONE!   What do you think?

What about YOUR child?  Will they be influenced by the news that Jamie Lynn Spears (little sister of Britney) is pregnant at 16?   Jamie Lynn is the star of a show on Nickelodeon and is looked up to by oodles of kids.  She told OK magazine the father is her boyfriend, Casey Aldridge.

How will you talk to your kids about this teen pregnancy?  What will you say?

Please don't get me wrong.. I dearly love the person in my life who does the very thing I'm about to complain about. 

Every time I get together with this person.. I am inundated with gifts from the clearance rack, neighborhood garage sale, junk from the attic, etc.   This person feels more is better.. so they spend their hard-earned money on these items and love to give give give.  I now have piles of these items in my house because I feel guilty throwing them away.   We're talking old beat up baking pans, junky holiday decor from the clearance shelf, shirts in ugly colors that no one else wanted, CD's from the dollar shelf at Target.  The list goes on and on.

The person in my life who does this thrives on "getting a good deal". . and not throwing anything away!  My question.. what do I do with the stuff.. and how do I get this lovely, thoughtful person to stop?

Is there someone in your life with a similar habit? HELP!

It's terrible two time at our house.. and I feel like for the very first time my parenting skills are being challenged.  BIG TIME!

Ever since the arrival of the new baby.. our 2-year old has been become more and more of a challenge.  We're talking serious temper tantrums!  I've read all the "parenting" books, magazines and internet articles I can take.  I need some real advice. 

We've tried showering her with attention, we've tried positive reinforcement, we've tried the naughty chair (time out).. we've tried changing her environment temporarily.  I feel like we've tried just about everything -- except spanking.  For the record, I was spanked as a child and turned out fine (I think), but I'm just not ready to resort to that. 

Do you have toddler issues at your house (or have you in the past)?  What works for you? 

SANTA MONICA, Calif (AP) -- Lindsay Lohan, who just finished a second stint in rehab for substance abuse treatment, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and possession of cocaine early Tuesday, authorities said.

Lohan, who is already facing a drunken driving charge in Beverly Hills, was stopped near the Santa Monica Police Department after authorities were called about a car chasing another vehicle, said Sgt. Shane Talbot.

Authorities conducted a field sobriety test and then transported Lohan to the police department.  A breath test was conducted and her blood alcohol was between .12 percent and .13 percent, Talbot said. California's legal limit is 0.08 percent.

The 21-year-old actress was booked on two misdemeanor charges of suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and driving on a suspended license and two felony charges of possession of cocaine and transport of a narcotic, Talbot said.

During a pre-booking search, police found cocaine in one of Lohan's pants pockets, Talbot said.

Lohan has been released on $25,000 bail, police said. A call to Lohan's publicist was not immediately returned.

Police said they received a call around 1:30 a.m. from passengers in a black Cadillac Escalade sport utility vehicle who said they were being chased by a white Denali SUV. Police met up with the SUVs in the parking lot of Santa Monica's Civic Center, about a block away from the police department.

When police approached the Denali, they recognized Lohan as the driver. The passengers in the other vehicle apparently know Lohan, but did not realize she was chasing them.

Lohan had two passengers in her vehicle. There were three peoplein the other vehicle, police said.

Last week, Lohan turned herself in to Beverly Hills police to face charges of driving under the influence in connection with a Memorial Day weekend hit-and-run crash.

Lohan's blood-alcohol level at the time of that crash was above the legal limit, authorities said. They wouldn't disclose how high it was. She also faces a misdemeanor charge of hit and run in that case.  

Two weeks ago, Lohan checked out of a rehabilitation center after more than six weeks. In January she also had checked into rehab for substance abuse treatment.

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This is just plain sad.

It's no secret Lindsay's father also has addiction problems.  Do you believe an addictive personality is hereditary?   I'm to the point where I actually feel sorry for this girl. SOMEONE GET HER SOME HELP!  She obviously can't help herself.

What do you think?

Tue May 22, 10:23 PM ET

Oprah Winfrey said she was "stunned" to learn her father plans to write a book about her.

"I was upset. I won't say devastated, but I was stunned," Winfrey told New York's Daily News in a story published Tuesday.

Winfrey said she laughed when one of her assistants told her the newspaper was calling to ask about a book her father Vernon Winfrey was writing.

"I said, `That's impossible. I can assure them it's not true,'" she said. "... I called him and it turned out he is writing a book. The worst part of it was him saying, `I meant to tell you I've been working on it.'"

Winfrey was living with her mother in Milwaukee when she was sent as a young teen to live with her father in Nashville. She previously has credited him for imposing discipline on her and stressing the importance of an education.

The Daily News reported that the conversation with Winfrey took place Sunday, when she was in New York to receive the Elie Wiesel Foundation Humanitarian Award.

Reached Tuesday, Michelle McIntyre, a spokeswoman for Winfrey's Chicago-based Harpo Productions Inc., said: "We're not going to issue any further comment."

Vernon Winfrey, who owns Winfrey Barber & Beauty Shop in Nashville, had left work Tuesday evening and was not available for comment.

Winfrey told the newspaper she last saw her father when he accompanied her on a trip to Africa a few months ago, but that they often talk and she has a good relationship with him.

"I would have preferred to have known my father was working on this. It would have been a nice gesture, a courtesy," she said.

Vernon Winfrey plans to call his book "Things Unspoken," according to the newspaper.

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I know Oprah has all the money in the world, but here's a prime example of how it just won't buy you happiness.  I feel sorry for her.  If you can't trust your own father, who can you trust?   What do you think?

A website called "CafeMom.com" recently did a poll asking mom's which CELEBRITY MOM they would most trust to babysit their child.  

Kelly Ripa (from "Regis and Kelly") overwhelming came away with the top spot.. followed by Courtney Cox (Friends) and then Angelina Jolie (ugh!).

Peronally.. I think I would choose Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond).. or maybe Elizabeth Hasselbeck (The View).  

Who would you trust?  And please don't say Britney Spears.

Big news today in the world of celebrity.   Rosie O'Donnell and "The View" could not come to terms on a new contract -- so Rosie is out in June.  My guess is that she'll do her own talk show now (or try anyway).  She's been saying for awhile that she wasn't sure if she'd stay at "The View" more than a year.  

Do you think Rosie has enough fans out there to stand on her own?  And do you believe this was just a "contract" issue -- or something more?

Just thought I'd tell you guys about my wild and wacky morning.   I got up early and headed to the MIX 105.1 studios to join Scott, Jay and Zack for the Scott and Erica Morning Show.  Erica took a few days off.. so Jay called and asked if I'd like to fill in.  How could I say no? These guys are a blast!

If you were able to listen, then you know we had a special guest this morning... none other than Darrell Hammond from Saturday Night Live.  Darrell is the one who does all those great impressions.. mostly politicians.  My personal favorite is his Bill Clinton impression!  This morning he did a little Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.. which were hilarious.  Darrell just so happens to be from Melbourne.. right here in Central Florida.. and he graduated from the University of Florida.  If you'd like to see him while he's in town.. he'll be doing stand up tonight and tomorrow night at the Orlando Improv downtown on Church Street. 

Who are some other celebs from Central Florida?  I know about Wayne Brady and some of the N'SYNC guys.  Who are some others?

Angelina's at it again.  This time she's in the process of adopting a toddler from Vietnam.  She is adopting the little boy under single parent status since she and Brad Pitt are not married.

I applaud what she's doing.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if we we could all adopt one child and make their life better???  But does anyone think it's odd that she seems to be strategically adopting these children from different countries around the world.. some of them with Third World status?

Why doesn't she adopt some of the needy children here in our own country?  Think of the tens of thousands of children right here in the U.S. who are sitting in foster care or children's homes waiting for a good family to take them home.

Sometimes I get a little tired of celebrities trying to "Save the World", when there seems to be so much good they could be doing with their money and power right here at home.

What are your thoughts?