Going Beyond Celebrity Gossip Rags

When I was younger, I was a voracious reader. In school, I dutifully read every book on the required reading list, then expanded beyond those elementary titles to weightier novels. My passion continued on into young adulthood, when my friends were out partying, I would read late into the night, grab a couple hours of sleep then drag myself into work. I read to my daughter every night from early infancy until she took over the titles and started reading to me. Then, a few years, I realized I had stopped reading. I had given in to my upper extremities issues and just couldn't set aside the pain long enough to linger over a book the way I used to, so I just put them all aside. I started to feel ignorant, having missed the latest releases and being unaware of what book topped what best seller list. Plus, I've really been wanting to go back and read some of the classics I skipped in lieu of more lusty prose from Danielle Steele's early collection.

So now I want to read and I'm much better prepared to handle the adjustments I need to make to get into those long awaited novels. My problem was that I had nothing to read, had too many interests to narrow down to choosing that first book, and starting a book list of my own just seemed like it would take too much energy. So when my sister asked the inevitable question "what do you want for Christmas this year?" I was prepared with my answer: books. But I added one caveat to my request - I did not want brand new books. I did not want to ask her to choose ten titles for me at Barnes and Noble that would ring up to $200.00 or more. I asked her to please head down to our local library and hit up the annual book sale there.

To my total happiness on Christmas morning, I unwrapped a most wonderful package containing just the right mix of books to get me back on the literary path. Sister had managed to snag the following, all in good to great condition:

A brand new copy of Anthony Bourdain's Bits and Pieces (hardback); a 1949 copy of Brave New World by Aldous Huxley; Pandemic by Daniel Kalla; Alice Hoffman's Here on Earth; Homeland by John Jakes; Grift Sense and Funny Money, both by James Swain; I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou; Killer Body by Bonnie Hearn Hill; Helen Fielding's Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination; and a few more. The grand total for this most wonderful Christmas package: $7.00.

Sister is surprised that I chose to write about this, but it is a great example of a couple points: Christmas presents do not have to cost a lot of money, and it is an easy way to support the efforts of our local Friends of the Library.

Just one more thing, next time you're cleaning out your bookshelf, you might consider donating your discarded books to your local library. Most libraries are also willing to take your magazines and other reading material (books on tape / CD, etc). Library volunteers then distribute your donations to reading projects, nursing homes, and public sales.

p.s. thanks Sister for all the other great gifts, as well!

New Year, New You?

It seems every year at this time we see a variety of articles in print and online with the headline "New Year, New You." Having seen this catchy phrase most recently on the cover of Costco Connection - right above a slightly photoshopped picture of one of America's original fitness gurus Jack LaLanne - just got me wondering, what does it mean? If I run to Costco to pick up Jack LaLanne's Power Juice Machine, will my life suddenly change in 2008?

Golden Globe Nominations

Nominees for the 2008 Golden Globe Awards were announced this morning. See the complete list on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's website: http://www.goldenglobes.org/nominations/index.html.

SF Film Critics 2007 Award Winners

SAN FRANCISCO FILM CRITICS CIRCLE announces its 2007 Awards for Achievement in Film San Francisco, CA, December 10, 2007 – The San Francisco Film Critics Circle has named “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” as the Best Picture of 2007. Andrew Dominik’s Western, based on the Ron Hansen novel, details the complex psychology of Robert Ford and his relationship to the infamous outlaw Jesse James. For his performance as Ford, Casey Affleck was named Best Supporting Actor. Veteran filmmaking team Joel & Ethan Coen took Best Director honors for helming “No Country for Old Men,” an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s existential crime drama. The San Francisco Film Critics Circle (SFFCC), which includes twenty-four Bay Area film critics, honored George Clooney as Best Actor for the titular role of a troubled lawyer in “Michael Clayton.” Julie Christie won Best Actress for playing Fiona Anderson, who bravely faces Alzheimer’s disease in “Away from Her.” In addition to Affleck’s Best Supporting Actor nod, Amy Ryan secured Best Supporting Actress for playing Helene McCready, mother to a missing girl in “Gone Baby Gone.” Best Original Screenplay honors went to Tamara Jenkins’ “The Savages,” a seriocomic look at two siblings dealing with the physical and mental breakdown of their father, while Best Adapted Screenplay was awarded to Sarah Polley for turning Alice Munro’s short story “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” into the film “Away from Her.” The San Francisco critics picked “No End in Sight” as the year’s Best Documentary; Charles Ferguson’s film explicates America’s controversial entry into and occupation of Iraq. Best Foreign Language Film went to Julian Schnabel’s “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” (“Le scaphandre et le papillon”), a French-language adaptation of Jean-Dominique Bauby’s autobiographical book about life trapped inside a paralyzed body. The SFFCC issued a Special Citation to recognize the under-looked independent film “Colma: The Musical,” a homegrown song-and-dance extravaganza about the paradoxical drudgery and surreality of life in a city where the dead outnumber the living one thousand to one. Lastly, the group presented its Marlon Riggs Award, honoring a Bay Area filmmaker or individual who represents courage and innovation in the world of cinema, to filmmaker Lynn Hershman-Leeson. Hershman-Leeson’s films include “Conceiving Ada,” “Teknolust,” and this year’s “Strange Culture,” the true story of a Bay Area artist’s Kafkaesque experience as a suspected terrorist in the era of the Patriot Act. # # # The San Francisco Film Critics Circle (SFFCC), founded in 2002, is comprised of film critics from Bay Area publications. Its members include Jeff Anderson (Combustible Celluloid), Jeanne Aufmuth (Palo Alto Weekly), Barry Caine (Bay Area News Group), Peter Canavese (GrouchoReviews), Andrea Chase (Killer Movie Reviews), Cheryl Eddy (SF Bay Guardian), Michael Fox (SF360), Susan Gerhard (SF360), Pam Grady (FilmStew), Peter Hartlaub (San Francisco Chronicle), Dennis Harvey (Variety), Johnny Ray Huston (SF Bay Guardian), Mick LaSalle (San Francisco Chronicle), Carla Meyer (Sacramento Bee), Bruce Newman (San Jose Mercury News), Mary Pols (Contra Costa Times), James Rocchi (CBS-5), Tim Sika (Celluloid Dreams), Ruthe Stein (San Francisco Chronicle), Jan Wahl (KRON-TV), Jason Walsh (Pacific Sun), Kelly Vance (East Bay Express), and Richard Von Busack (San Jose Metro).

New York Film Critics Circle 2007 Awards Winners

THE NEW YORK FILM CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS “NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN” BEST FILM OF 2007 December 10, 2007 (New York, NY) -- Stephen Whitty, Chair of the New York Film Critics Circle 2007 and critic and columnist for the Newark Star-Ledger (Newhouse News Service), announced today that the Circle has awarded top honors to the following films: Best Picture — No Country For Old Men Best Director — Joel & Ethan Coen / No Country For Old Men Best Actor — Daniel Day-Lewis / There Will Be Blood Best Actress — Juiie Christie / Away From Her Best Supporting Actor — Javier Bardem / No Country For Old Men Best Supporting Actress — Amy Ryan / Gone Baby Gone Best Cinematography — Robert Elswit / There Will Be Blood Best Screenplay — Joel & Ethan Coen / No Country For Old Men Best Animated Film — Persepolis Best Non-Fiction Film (Documentary) — No End in Sight Best Foreign-Language Film — The Lives of Others Best First Film — Away From Her Lifetime Achievement Award — Sidney Lumet Special Critics Award — “Killer of Sheep” by Charles Burnett Whitty says “We started the vote without any clear front runners, but NO COUNTRY... quickly emerged as a favorite. It is a pleasure to welcome back these NY based filmmakers for their stunning achievement. It was also nice to see several debut efforts by female filmmakers (Sarah Polley for AWAY FROM HER and Marjane Satrapi for PERSEPOLIS) make our list this year. With such an interesting list of talented winners, I am really looking forward to our January 6th awards dinner.” The Circle’s awards ceremony will take place at Spotlight in New York City on Sunday, January 6, 2008. Founded in 1935, the Circle’s membership includes critics from daily newspapers, weekly newspapers and magazines. Every year in December the organization meets in New York to vote on awards for the previous calendar year's films. The Circle's awards are often viewed as harbingers of the Oscar nominations, which are announced each February. The Circle's awards are also viewed — perhaps more accurately — as a principled alternative to the Oscars, honoring esthetic merit in a forum that is immune to commercial and political pressures. http://www.nyfcc.com

‘300’ Conquers 2007 High-Def Awards

‘300’ Conquers High-Def Awards DEC. 5, 2007 — Warner Home Video’s hit film 300 dominated the first-ever High-Def Disc Awards, taking High-Def Title of the Year and Best Bonus Feature honors. The High-Def Disc Awards dinner was part of High-Def 2.0, a one-day conference held Dec. 4 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, Calif. High-Def 2.0 was presented by Home Media Magazine in cooperation with The Hollywood Reporter and the Entertainment Merchants Association. A panel of critics determined the best titles in 11 categories, with eligibility dating back to the inception of each high-def format — HD DVD in April 2006 and Blu-ray Disc in June 2006. Not only was 300 the only multiple winner, but it was also the only winner released on both high-def formats. Specifically, the 300 Blu-ray earned title of the year, while the HD DVD version won the bonus feature award for a function that allows a bluescreen version of the film to run simultaneously with the feature, allowing fans to compare the two and see the extent of the special-effects work done on the film to depict an ancient battle between Spartans and Persians. A live-action title of the year for each format also was awarded: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s James Bond epic Casino Royale won for Blu-ray and Universal Studios Home Entertainment’s cop comedy Hot Fuzz won for HD DVD. Sony Picture’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind was named best multidisc set. The definitive collection uses seamless branching to store three different versions of Steven Spielberg’s classic sci-fi film on a single disc, allowing viewers to compare them. High-Def Award Winners: High Def Title of the Year: 300 (Blu-ray), Warner Home Video Best Live-Action Blu-ray: Casino Royale, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Best Live-Action HD DVD: Hot Fuzz, Universal Studios Home Entertainment Best Animated: Ratatouille (Blu-ray), Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Best Picture Quality: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (Blu-ray), Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Best Audio Quality: Transformers (HD DVD), Paramount Home Entertainment Best Bonus Feature: 300 (HD DVD), Bluescreen Picture-in-Picture, Warner Home Video Most Innovative Use of New Technology: HD DVD U-Shop feature (Internet purchase ability), Universal Studios Home Entertainment Best Long-Form Music Video: Dave Mathews & Tim Reynolds: Live at Radio City Music Hall (Blu-ray), Sony BMG Best Catalog: Kingdom of Heaven: Director’s Cut, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Best Collection/Multidisc Set: Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Home Media Magazine is the leading home entertainment business-to-business trade. It is published weekly by Questex Media Group Inc.

National Board of Review

Winners of the National Board of Review Awards were announced today. Awards will be presented in New York City on January 15, 2008. Actor George Clooney got the Best Actor award for Michael Clayton, Julie Christie was named Best Actress for Away From Her. Tim Burton was named Best Director for the film adaptation of Sweeney Todd, starring Johnny Depp, and No Country for Old Men was named Best Film. See the complete list at http://imdb.com/Sections/Awards/National_Board_of_Review_USA/2007.

2007 Golden Satellite Nominations

The International Press Academy announced their nominations for the 2007 Golden Satellite Awards today. The award winners will be announced December 16, 2007.

2007 TV DVD Awards Winners

Muppets, ‘Get Smart’ Reign at TV DVD Awards NOV. 13, 2007 — A complete-series boxed set of “Get Smart” won the top honor at the fourth annual TV DVD Awards Nov. 12, while shows featuring Jim Henson’s Muppet characters won three awards. The announcement came at a gala awards dinner at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, Calif. The TV DVD Awards were presented by Home Media Magazine in cooperation with TVShowsOnDVD.com, DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group and The Hollywood Reporter. Get Smart: The Complete Series, a collaboration between Time Life and HBO Video, earned the coveted Best of Show prize. Judges pointed to the set’s simple yet clever phone booth packaging that mimics the show’s elaborate opening sequence, as well as such bonus features as commentaries, new interviews, bloopers and rare footage. “This is a classic show, and it’s good to see the care and consideration that fans should expect put into this DVD set,” said Thomas K. Arnold, Home Media Magazine publisher and editorial director. “So many catalog TV DVDs are just thrown out there with little added value beyond the episodes themselves.” Also revealed were the winners in 16 categories as voted by consumers in an online vote. A blue-ribbon panel of judges, comprised of top DVD critics and journalists, selected four finalists in each of the 16 categories from a field of more than 160 studio submissions of titles released between Sept. 1, 2006, and Sept. 30, 2007. Consumers voted for their favorites Oct. 15-26. The judges panel selected the Best of Show winner from among all entries. In addition to its Best of Show prize, “Get Smart” won the consumer vote for best 1960s series DVD and tied for best complete-series set with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment’s M*A*S*H: The Martinis & Medicine Collection. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment’s second-season DVD of “The Muppet Show” also won two awards, for best 1970s show and best children’s program, while another fan favorite from Jim Henson Productions, Fox and HIT Entertainment’s Fraggle Rock: Season 3, won best 1980s series. Judges bestowed a special award on Anchor Bay’s “Greatest American Hero” limited-edition collector’s set for its packaging, which included replicas of props from the show. Disney and Fox led all studios with three awards apiece, followed by BBC Video, Warner Home Video, Time Life/HBO Video and Paramount Home Entertainment, which each had two. FOURTH ANNUAL TV DVD AWARD WINNERS: Best of Show: Get Smart: The Complete Series, Time Life/HBO Video Best 2000s Series: Heroes: Season 1, Universal Studios Home Entertainment Best 1990s Series: Seinfeld: Season 8, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Best 1980s Series: Fraggle Rock: Season 3, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment/HIT Entertainment Best 1970s Series: The Muppet Show: Season 2, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Best 1960s Series: Get Smart: The Complete Series, Time Life/HBO Video Best 1950s Series: Adventures of Superman: Seasons 5 & 6, Warner Home Video Best Animated Series: The Simpsons: Season 10, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Best Children’s Series: The Muppet Show: Season 2, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Best Reality Series: Survivor: Vanuatu, CBS DVD/Paramount Home Entertainment Best Variety Series: The Best of Chappelle’s Show, Paramount Home Entertainment/Comedy Central Best One-Season Wonder: The Dresden Files, Lionsgate Best Miniseries or Made-for-TV Movie: Roots: 30th Anniversary Edition, Warner Home Video Best Foreign TV Series: Doctor Who: Series 2, BBC Video Best TV Documentary: Planet Earth, BBC Video Best Bonus Materials: Lost: Season 2, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Best Complete-Series Set: M*A*S*H: The Martinis & Medicine Collection, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment; Get Smart: The Complete Series, Time Life/HBO Video Judges’ Special Citation for Best Packaging: The Greatest American Hero: The Complete Series, Starz Home Entertainment/Anchor Bay Home Media Magazine is the leading home entertainment business-to-business trade. It is published weekly by Questex Media Group Inc.

Vegas Poker, Pussycats, Pop Princess, Parties!

We're in Vegas, baby! I'm writing this from our plush mini-suite in the Palace Tower at Caesar's Palace where they apparently put the big stars, because we've already seen a galaxy of them in the corridors and riding the elevators. The top poker players are here for the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, the Pussycat Dolls are unveiling the new PCD Casino here at Caesar's, Christina Aguilera is having her concert after party at PURE nightclub, and natch, everyone is partying!! More from us later!

Oscar Weekend

The L.A. Starz team is all over L.A. this weekend, covering Hollywood's biggest night, as well as the parties and swag scene. We're off to Santa Monica this afternoon for the Independent Spirit Awards, then hitting the club scene tonight. Oscar Sunday has us attending an Oscar Viewing Party on Hollywood Boulevard and Monday morning brings the big adventure of joining 3,000 or so of Oprah Winfrey's closest friends and biggest fans for the taping of Oprah's After Oscar Party inside the Kodak Theater in beautiful downtown Hollywood. We continue our fan fare Monday afternoon, going over to CBS Television City to see a taping of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, specifically to see the great singer songwriter John Mellencamp perform a song from his newest, greatest CD, Freedom's Road. John's segment airs on the Craig Ferguson show broadcast Friday, March 2nd!!

We're back!!

We've received a lot of emails asking where we have been and why haven't we been reporting on our unique perspective of the celebrity scene. Our principal rep had a long time illness and a pretty tough 2006. That's all behind us now, and we're back. I (Linda) admit I'm not so crazy about this blogging thing - I like the old fashioned way of writing articles within the website - but I'll try to keep up with the blogosphere.

Kim Denounces KimWalter.com, Supports Stern

Kimmy Walther, in yet another exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight, this time with Jann Carl, denies that the newly launched website, KimberlyWalther.com, is hers. Oh well.

Kim Walther Denounces Howard K. Stern

Kimmy Walther, Anna Nicole's beleagured assistant on the E! reality show, may finally be breaking her silence. Shortly after Anna Nicole's death, Kimmy elected to make her My Space page private and has thus far stayed out of the media frenzy. However, a new website was registered 2/16/07 and emerged online today, and if this is really Kimmy expressing her opinion, Howard K. Stern will definitely be going down!!

The following is from kimberlywalther.com as posted 2/20/07:

Howard, let me see if I can get this straight

YOU LIED ON THE STAND TODAY! YOU SAID YOU DO NOT GAIN MONETARY BY BEING THE EXECUTOR OF ANNA NICOLE'S WILL? WHAT ABOUT THAT DOCUMENT YOU HAD HER SIGN ONCE YOU WON THE HUGE AWARD FROM HOWARD MARSHALL ESTATE??? DO YOU GET 10% OR 100% ??? SO YOU DO CONTROL THE EARNING TO BENEFIT YOU!!! WHAT A F&&*ING LIAR!!!!!!

1. Researched laws from around the country and found one that would benefit YOU in any paternity case.
2. Convinced Anna Nicole to move to the Bahamas for the benefit of her child.
3. Daniel died within hours of arriving and you flushed WHAT down the toilet?
4. You loved Anna Nicole so much you turned your head when you signed the FedX for the METHADONE?
5. You loved Anna Nicole so much you had to rush out and buy a Yacht and to take her where? A watery grave?
6. Did you have enough time to empty the refrigerator of anything you wanted to hide from the corner?
7. My guess the reason you don't want any DNA samples done on you or Dannielynn is they will find DRUGS in both systems.
8. Was Dannielynn born an addict?
9. Not for one minute do I believe Anna Nicole didn't have another will made out. You know she was obsessive about taking care of her child. What did you do with the updated will? Or did it not benefit you?
10. How much of a percentage do you get from the Marshall case? Did Anna find out you were bilking her out of her hard earned money?
11. Do I ever want to see your snout again? NO I value my health to much and your track record is not good…..people are dieing around you…
12. Where is Daniels will? I know he had one made out.
13. OH Please, Howard! Hot Smoochie Lips, Inc….Tell the world you wanted to star in your own reality show.
14. Where are the gowns of Annas that you sent out to be dry cleaned and they never returned? Will we be seeing them on ebay?
15. You never slept in the same bed with Anna!! You crawled in there after she fell asleep...she never invited you to her bed!!!
16. Now you have E on your side they won't show the real HOWARD!
17. The burial plots were bought by YOU...you sicko... that is the only way you could think of to finally get to sleep next to her each night?? After you are dead!!!! because it wasn't happening while she was living.

Thanks everyone for all the nice emails. I will start a forum.. and we will talk... I'm still in a state of shock over what is going on. And that judge?? what is up with him?? That bloke needs to go back to being a cabbie...

I'll add more questions as I think of them.. In the mean time sell some more of your false delusions. You never had Anna Nicole and you know she is looking down on you right now saying F&&% YOU Howard! I knew I couldn't trust YOU! I'm going to show up, when you least expect me! I have my own tapes... you had no right making a fool out of Anna like you did.

Kimmy

LARRY BIRKHEAD IS THE FATHER OF DANNIELYNN

Larry only wanted the best for Anna Nicole. He tried to do the right thing by her and his daughter.

Way to go, Kimmy!!

ET Denies Stern Blood Money

While Access Hollywood's Tony Potts confirmed on cable news shows that rival tabloid tv shows are willing to, and have, paid for first right to air 'exclusive' news, Entertainment Tonight's Mark Steines hit the cable news circuit in an effort to debunk the rumors.

Steines, accompanied by ET's Senior Supervising Producer Bonnie Tiegel, was first up on tonight's Larry King show and proclaimed "we've had a relationship with Howard K. Stern and Anna Nicole Smith" and "I found myself in a position to be on that (private) plane and asked Stern if I could do the interview." Steines and Tiegel insisted they did not and do not pay for interviews. Instead, "they hustled and got the exclusives."

So as far as ET is concerned, it just pays to be in the right place at the right time.

By the way, while we don't always know who is being paid what by whom for personal interviews, it is common for agencies to pay for photos or video that might accompany an interview. That payment, or licensing fee, usually goes to the owner or copyright holder of the images, i.e. the photographer or videographer, or in the case of, say, family photos, to the bank account of the person offering up the image for sale.

Tony Potts Blasts Paid Interviews

Access Hollywood correspondent Tony Potts really laid into "those other news programs" during interviews he was giving from the Bahamas today. Potts confirmed the rumor that Entertainment Tonight paid $1 million for the "world exclusive" interviews given to ET's Mark Steines by Anna Nicole's associate Howard J. Stern. The interviews began on Stern's private plane ride from Florida back to the Bahamas, continued as he "discovered" Anna Nicole's estate had been ransacked, included his "emotional reunion" with baby DannieLynn Hope, and tried to portray Stern as the grieving widower (and it's only Tuesday).

Potts told Showbiz Tonight's AJ Hammer that the news shows have to compete to get the latest scoop first and that Access Hollywood has been offered "the scoop" ... for prices starting at $50,000, but that AH has refused to pay for such "news."

Potts went on to question Stern's motives and behavior while still in Florida. "Isn't this the time for mourning?," said Potts of Stern, "he was not mourning in his room, he was negotating" shortly after learning of Anna Nicole's passing.

Tony Potts closed the segment with AJ Hammer by reporting "there is a lot of bad mojo in the Bahamas. It's all about the money." He also asserted that Prince Van Anhalt's assertion of Anna Nicole having 20 - 30 lovers may not have been far off, that these possible lovers were rich men - "millionaires, billionaires" - and questioned why Howard K. Stern would allow her these trysts. Wow!!

By the way, Entertainment Tonight's Mark Steines denied that ET or the Insider gave any money to Howard K. Stern "for interviews." That statement doesn't include the sale of pictures or videos, and implies that Stern may not have been directly paid - the money could change hands through a booking agent!

Did Stern Plan Break In at Anna Nicoles House?

In Howard K. Stern's 'exclusive' $1 million interview with Entertainment Tonight's Mark Steines, Stern announced on camera that every single important document and every single legal paper of importance was stolen from Anna Nicole's house in the Bahamas last weekend. With ET cameras in tow, Stern took Steines and crew through Anna Nicole's mansion, known as Horizons House, recording his report of what was taken.

At one point inside Anna's bedroom, Stern reaches up to the top SHELF in her closet and points out that THIS was where he kept all of those IMPORTANT LEGAL DOCUMENTS. On the TOP SHELF. Not in a safety deposit box, not even in a locked, personal safe.

Come on, was Stern really that careless and irresponsible with his only client's most important papers?

Howard K. Stern Seeks His Pay Day

Is Howard K. Stern a grieving Black Widower? He is reportedly receiving $1 million from Entertainment Tonight for Mark Steines' "World Exclusive" interviews, which ET is dragging out over 5 days of shows (is this sweeps week?). Not that this is the first time Stern has sold scenes from Anna Nicole Smith's private life. It appears that ET must have a first right of payment negotiated with Stern, which also allowed the infotainment show to be in the room with Anna Nicole when she gave birth to her daughter, Dannilynn Hope Smith, last September. A seven minute clip of Anna Nicole painfully undergoing a C-section can still be viewed on YouTube. And of course, ET was the 'only' program allowed to be with HKS and ANS at their supposed commitment ceremony last October. Knowing this now, we wonder how many times Stern cashed in by arranging these 'exclusive interviews' involving Anna Nicole.

On today's Entertainment Tonight, Stern's sister, Bonnie Stern, tells Mark Steines that Howard has not received any money as Anna Nicole Smith's attorney since 1996! She further said that HIS PARENTS have supported him these last 11 years!! Ohmigod, that must mean he will have some kind of claim against her estate for unpaid legal fees. In the meantime, we can be sure he will continue to keep baby Dannilynn close by. Without her, he might find that no one will pay to follow him around.

How Guilty is Howard K. Stern???

As we watch the news unfold concerning Anna Nicole's death, this is the question that keeps burning through my mind. Did Howard K. Stern mastermind and manipulate this entire scenario for his own benefit? Too many things seem to support this tragic idea, the most obvious being his presence at the scene of both Daniel's death last September and Anna Nicole's death yesterday in Hollywood, Florida. However, there are many other factors that seem to cast a shadow of doubt on Mr. Stern.

Of course, there is always the possibility that Anna Nicole's passing will be found to be of natural causes, with no foul play involved. The poor lady had been under a seemingly overwhelming amount of stress, coupled with natural post-partum issues, compounded by the loss of her beloved son. We have heard about people dying of a broken heart. Could this be what re-united Anna Nicole with Daniel in heaven?

But what about the prescription medications reportedly seen in Anna Nicole's hotel room at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino? According to "insiders" for Star Magazine, there were at least four bottles of meds prescribed not to Anna Nicole Smith, but to Howard K. Stern. These drugs include Xanax (an anti-anxiety medication), Vicodin (for pain), Methadone (sometimes given for chronic pain in lieu of Oxycontin, MS-Contin, Kadian or Fentanyl, though it's not known if that applies here), and Provigil, a medication most commonly associated with narcolepsy, though doctors have found a variety of off-label uses for it (according to the manufacturer's website, Modafinil (Provigil) is a mood-brightening and memory-enhancing psychostimulant which enhances wakefulness and vigilance). In other words, Provigil is like an upper, frequently prescribed to offset the loopiness caused by other medications.

What kind of condition does Howard K. Stern have that requires him to take these drugs? Or did he obtain these meds on behalf of Anna Nicole because he just couldn't tell her no? Did he not take into consideration the pathology findings following Daniel Smith's death which stated that Anna Nicole's son died from a lethal combination which included Methadone along with Zoloft and Lexapro?

2007 SAG Awards - Nominations

13TH ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS® NOMINATIONS Awards for excellence in 2006 film and television presented Sunday, January 28, 2007 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The awards broadcast live on TNT and USA television networks. THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Leonardo DiCaprio / BLOOD DIAMOND – Archer - Warner Bros. Pictures Ryan Gosling / HALF NELSON – Dan Dunne - THINKFilm Peter O’Toole / VENUS – Maurice - Miramax Films Will Smith / THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS – Chris Gardner - Sony Pictures Forest Whitaker / THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND – Idi Amin - Fox Searchlight Pictures Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Penelope Cruz / VOLVER – Raimunda - Sony Pictures Classics Judi Dench / NOTES ON A SCANDAL – Barbara Covett - Fox Searchlight Pictures Helen Mirren / THE QUEEN – The Queen - Miramax Films. Meryl Streep / THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA – Miranda Priestly - 20th Century Fox Kate Winslet / LITTLE CHILDREN – Sarah Pierce - New Line Cinema Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Alan Arkin / LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE – Grandpa Fox Searchlight Pictures Leonardo DiCaprio / THE DEPARTED – Billy Warner Bros. Pictures Jackie Earle Haley / LITTLE CHILDREN – Ronnie J. McGorvey New Line Cinema Djimon Hounsou / BLOOD DIAMOND – Solomon Warner Bros. Pictures Eddie Murphy / DREAMGIRLS – James “Thunder” Early Paramount Pictures Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Adriana Barraza / BABEL – Amelia - Paramount Vantage Cate Blanchett / NOTES ON A SCANDAL – Sheba Hart - Fox Searchlight Pictures Abigail Breslin / LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE – Olive - Fox Searchlight Pictures Jennifer Hudson / DREAMGIRLS – Effie White - Paramount Pictures Rinko Kikuchi / BABEL – Chieko - Paramount Vantage Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture BABEL - Paramount Vantage Adriana Barraza - Amelia Cate Blanchett - Susan Gael García Bernal - Santiago Rinko Kikuchi - Chieko Brad Pitt - Richard Kôji Yakusho - Yasujiro BOBBY - MGM/The Weinstein Company Harry Belafonte - Nelson Joy Bryant - Patricia Nick Cannon - Dwayne Emilio Estevez - Tim Fallon Laurence Fishburne - Edward Robinson Brian Geraghty - Cooper Heather Graham - Angela Anthony Hopkins - John Casey Helen Hunt - Samantha Joshua Jackson - Wade David Krumholtz - Phil Ashton Kutcher - Fisher Shia LaBoeuf - Jimmy Lindsay Lohan - Diane William H. Macy - Paul Svetlana Metkina - Lenka Janacek Demi Moore - Virginia Fallon Freddy Rodriguez - José Martin Sheen - Jack Christian Slater - Timmons Sharon Stone - Miriam Jacob Vargas - Miguel Mary Elizabeth Winstead - Susan Taylor Elijah Wood - William THE DEPARTED - Warner Bros. Pictures Anthony Anderson - Brown Alec Baldwin - Ellerby Matt Damon - Colin Leonardo DiCaprio - Billy Vera Farmiga - Madolyn Jack Nicholson - Costello Martin Sheen - Queenan Mark Wahlberg - Dignam Ray Winstone - Mr. French DREAMGIRLS - Paramount Pictures Hinton Battle - Wayne Jamie Foxx - Curtis Taylor, Jr. Danny Glover - Marty Madison Jennifer Hudson - Effie White Beyoncé Knowles - Deena Jones Sharon Leal - Michelle Morris Eddie Murphy - James “Thunder” Early Keith Robinson - C.C. White Anika Noni Rose - Lorrell Robinson LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE - Fox Searchlight Pictures Alan Arkin - Grandpa Abigail Breslin - Olive Steve Carell - Frank Toni Collette - Sheryl Paul Dano - Dwayne Greg Kinnear - Richard PRIMETIME TELEVISION Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries Thomas Haden Church / BROKEN TRAIL – Tom Harte - AMC Robert Duvall / BROKEN TRAIL – Print Ritter - AMC Jeremy Irons / ELIZABETH I – Earl of Leicester - HBO William H. Macy / NIGHTMARES & DREAMSCAPES – Clyde Umney - TNT Matthew Perry / THE RON CLARK STORY – Ron Clark - TNT Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries Annette Bening / MRS. HARRIS – Jean Harris - HBO Shirley Jones / HIDDEN PLACES – Aunt Batty - Hallmark Channel Cloris Leachman / MRS. HARRIS – Tarnower’s Sister - HBO Helen Mirren / ELIZABETH I – Elizabeth I - HBO Greta Scacchi / BROKEN TRAIL – Nola Johns - AMC Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series James Gandolfini / THE SOPRANOS – Tony Soprano - HBO Michael C. Hall / DEXTER – Dexter Morgan - Showtime Hugh Laurie / HOUSE – Dr. Gregory House - FOX James Spader / BOSTON LEGAL – Alan Shore - ABC Kiefer Sutherland / 24 – Jack Bauer - FOX Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series Patricia Arquette / MEDIUM – Allison Dubois - NBC Edie Falco / THE SOPRANOS – Carmela Soprano - HBO Mariska Hargitay / LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT – Det. Olivia Benson - NBC Kyra Sedgwick / THE CLOSER – Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson - TNT Chandra Wilson / GREY’S ANATOMY – Dr. Miranda Bailey - ABC Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Alec Baldwin / 30 ROCK – Jack Donaghy - NBC Steve Carell / THE OFFICE – Michael Scott - NBC Jason Lee / MY NAME IS EARL – Earl Hicke - NBC Jeremy Piven / ENTOURAGE – Ari Gold - HBO Tony Shalhoub / MONK – Adrian Monk - USA Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series America Ferrera / UGLY BETTY – Betty Suarez - ABC Felicity Huffman / DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES – Lynette - ABC Julia Louis-Dreyfus / THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE – Christine Campbell - CBS Megan Mullally / WILL & GRACE – Karen Walker - NBC Mary-Louise Parker / WEEDS – Nancy Botwin - Showtime Jaime Pressly / MY NAME IS EARL – Joy - NBC Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 24 - FOX Jayne Atkinson - Karen Hayes Jude Ciccolella - Mike Novic Roger Cross - Curtis Manning Gregory Itzin - Charles Logan Louis Lombardi - Edgar Stiles James Morrison - Bill Buchanan Glenn Morshower - Aaron Pierce Mary Lynn Rajskub - Chloe O’Brian Kim Raver - Audrey Raines Jean Smart - Martha Logan Kiefer Sutherland - Jack Bauer BOSTON LEGAL - ABC Rene Auberjonois - Paul Lewiston Candice Bergen - Shirley Schmidt Craig Bierko - Jeffrey Coho Julie Bowen - Denise Bauer William Shatner - Denny Crane James Spader - Alan Shore Mark Valley - Brad Chase DEADWOOD - HBO Jim Beaver - Ellsworth Powers Boothe - Cy Tolliver Sean Bridgers - Johnny Burns W. Earl Brown - Dan Dority Dayton Callie - Charlie Utter Brian Cox - Jack Langrishe Kim Dickens - Joanie Stubbs Brad Dourif - Doc Cochran Anna Gunn - Martha Bullock John Hawkes - Sol Starr Jeffrey Jones - A.W. Merrick Paula Malcomson - Trixie Gerald McRaney - George Hearst Ian McShane - Al Swearengen Timothy Olyphant - Seth Bullock Molly Parker - Alma Garret Leon Rippy - Tom Nuttall William Sanderson - E.B. Farnum Brent Sexton - Harry Young Bree Seanna Wall - Sofia Metz Robin Weigert - Calamity Jane Titus Welliver - Silas Adam GREY’S ANATOMY - ABC Justin Chambers - Alex Karev Eric Dane - Mark Sloan Patrick Dempsey - Derek Shepherd Katherine Heigl - Isobel “Izzie” Stevens T.R. Knight - George O’Malley Sandra Oh - Cristina Yang James Pickens, Jr. - Richard Webber Ellen Pompeo - Meredith Grey Sara Ramirez - Callie Torres Kate Walsh - Addison Montgomery Shepherd Isaiah Washington - Preston Burke Chandra Wilson - Miranda Bailey THE SOPRANOS - HBO Sharon Angela - Rosalie Aprile Lorraine Bracco - Dr. Jennifer Melfi Max Casella - Benny Fazio Dominic Chianese - Corrado “Junior” Soprano Edie Falco - CarmelaSoprano James Gandolfini - Tony Soprano Joseph R. Gannascoli - Vito Spatafore Dan Grimaldi - Patsy Parisi Robert Iler - Anthony Soprano, Jr. Michael Imperioli - Christopher Moltisanti Steven R. Schirripa - Bobby “Bacala” Baccalieri Jamie Lynn Sigler - Meadow Soprano Tony Sirico - Paulie “Walnuts” Gaultieri Aida Turturro - Janice Soprano-Baccalieri Maureen Van Zandt - Gabriella Dante Steven Van Zandt - Silvio Dante Frank Vincent - Phil Leotardo Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES - ABC Andrea Bowen - Julie Mayer Richard Burgi - Karl Mayer Mehcad Brooks - Matthew Applewhite Ricardo Antonio Chavira - Carlos Solis Marcia Cross - Bree Hodge James Denton - Mike Delfino Teri Hatcher - Susan Mayer Josh Henderson - Austin McCann Zane Huett - Parker Scavo Felicity Huffman - Lynette Scavo Kathryn Joosten - Mrs. McCluskey Nashawn Kearse - Caleb Applewhite Brent Kinsman - Preston Scavo Shane Kinsman - Porter Scavo Joy Lauren - Danielle Van De Kamp Eva Longoria - Gabrielle Solis Kyle MacLachlan - Orson Hodge Laurie Metcalf - Carolyn Bigsby Shawn Pyfrom - Andrew Van De Kamp Doug Savant - Tom Scavo Dougray Scott - Ian Hainsworth Nicollette Sheridan - Edie Britt Brenda Strong - Mary Alice Young Kiersten Warren - Nora Alfre Woodard - Betty Applewhite ENTOURAGE - HBO Kevin Connolly - Eric Murphy Kevin Dillon - Drama Jerry Ferrara - Turtle Adrian Grenier - Vincent Chase Rex Lee - Lloyd Debi Mazar - Shauna Jeremy Piven- Ari Gold Perrey Reeves - Mrs. Ari THE OFFICE - NBC Leslie David Baker - Stanley Hudson Brian Baumgartner - Kevin Malone Steve Carell - Michael Scott David Denman - Roy Anderson Jenna Fischer - Pam Beesly Kate Flannery - Meredith Palmer Melora Hardin - Jan Levinson Mindy Kaling - Kelly Kapoor Angela Kinsey - Angela Martin John Krasinski - Jim Halpert Paul Lieberstein - Toby Flenderson B.J. Novak - Ryan Howard Oscar Nunez - Oscar Martinez Phyllis Smith - Phyllis Lapin Rainn Wilson - Dwight Schrute UGLY BETTY - ABC Alan Dale - Bradford Meade America Ferrera - Betty Suarez Mark Indelicato - Justin Ashley Jensen - Christina Eric Mabius - Daniel Meade Becki Newton - Amanda Ana Ortiz - Hilda Tony Plana - Ignacio Kevin Sussman - Walter Michael Urie - Marc Vanessa Williams - Wilhelmina Slater WEEDS - SHOWTIME Martin Donovan - Peter Scottson Alexander Gould - Shane Botwin Allie Grant - Isabelle Hodes Indigo - Vaneeta Justin Kirk - Andy Botwin Romany Malco - Conrad Shepard Andy Milder - Dean Hodes Kevin Nealon - Doug Wilson Maulik Pancholy - Sanjay Mary-Louise Parker - Nancy Botwin Hunter Parrish - Silas Botwin Tonye Patano - Heylia Jones Elizabeth Perkins- Celia Hodes Eden Sher - Gretchen Screen Actors Guild Awards 43rd Annual Life Achievement Award Julie Andrews