There has been a lot of news this week that I had to put on the back burner, until now. Let’s call this the potpourri blog.
Idol Is Back
This is the time when I start watching American Idol. I’m not a big fan of seeing the no-talents enjoying their 30 seconds of fame. I like to wait until the field is whittled down. I’m sorry to report, however, that our local contestant, Joey Catalano, 25, from Mays Landing, did not make it to the final 24. A courier for the Hamilton Twp. School District by day, Catalano is already a professional singer, as a member of the band Cheers and the trio Haley’s Comet (which appears often at Harrah’s Eden Lounge; pictured is Joey with fellow 'Comet' Arielle). So when you see Cheers performing, give Joey an extra measure of applause for his efforts.

Strike Over!
The writers’ strike is over in Hollywood. It didn’t come soon enough to salvage 24 for this season or Heroes, but at least we will get to see the Academy Awards with all the stars in attendance. I’m so happy for the Juno trio of director Jason Reitman, writer Diablo Cody and star Ellen Page. My Oscar predictions will be running in the Feb. 21 issue of AC Weekly.

Continue reading "Random Thoughts" »

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"From Madison Square Garden to Miami, Atlantic City to Anaheim, and everywhere in between, we would like to offer you, your entourage and a few VIP guests an 'all access' pass to the KFC location of your choice," reads a letter from Kentucky Fried Chicken president Gregg Dedrick to singer and actress Jennifer Lopez.
The letter, which has been leaked to news outlets and appears all over the Net, was apparently a response to J-Lo's comments on the Access Hollywood TV show, where the curvy pop star admitted she has a constant craving for Colonel Sanders' luscious legs and thighs.
Look out for J-Lo and her hubby Marc Anthony's tour bus — he's evidently an even bigger lover of the crispy chicken, devouring a bucket a night — at KFC's Pleasantville location on the Black Horse Pike next weekend, when the pair kicks off its first ever tour together down the street at the Taj Mahal.
You might also find some PETA protesters in town for the concerts.
Some of the dozens of celebs who have boycotted KFC due to the company's treatment of their chickens, include Paul McCartney, Pamela Anderson, Dick Gregory, the Flaming Lips, the Rev. Al Sharpton and Pink.

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The Associated Press reports this morning that New York Senator and former First Lady Hillary Clinton will appear in Atlantic City next Friday (Sept. 7).
No, the 2008 presidential hopeful will not be singing at Caesars or spinning records at Borgata, but rather addressing the New Jersey Democratic Party's Annual Conference, held this year at Bally's Hotel & Casino from Sept. 6-8. Also expected to speak at the conference is N.J. Governor Jon Corzine.

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You know how sometimes little things just make you go nuts? I’ve been feeling the culmination of those little things and I need to vent. Venting about the small stuff will keep me from crying about the big picture that has come into focus this week once again. But first the small stuff:

Northeaster vs. Nor’easter
I grew up at the South Jersey shore. When we had a storm from the Northeast, we called it a Northeaster. The famous March Storm of 1962 was a Northeaster. However, sometime in the mid-1990s, weathermen in the Philly region started calling the storms Nor’easters, a term that has since made its way into the Associated Press stylebook.

Continue reading "Things That Drive You Nuts" »

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I’m not usually the one to say “off with their heads” when someone says something in public that is stupid. Do we really think Sen. Joseph Biden is a racist because he said Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, is the “first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.” Insensitive and thoughtless yes, but racist?
That said, this whole Don Imus mess involving his stupid, crass and ugly comment about the Rutgers women’s basketball team, that they were “nappy-headed ho’s” is in a different category. He was not making fun of a politician or a professional athlete, fair game in my book. He was talking about 19- and 20-year-old students, who were only on Imus’ radar because they made it to the NCAA National Championship game. Such an accomplishment should not make you the butt of an old white man’s jokes on the national airwaves.

Continue reading "Fire Imus" »

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With rumors flying about potential buyers for Donald Trump's three Atlantic City casinos — will Steve Wynn purchase the Trump Plaza? — this rumor, regarding the possible sale of Trump Marina to one of the biggest rock groups in the world, has to be the most interesting we've heard yet. [It's been revealed that this rumor was an April Fool's joke.]

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It may be a cruel April Fool's joke, but hopefully not. Donald Trump, who has been in the news of late in connection to the potential selling off of his Atlantic City casino empire, will be featured in an upcoming WWE wrestling event — that's right, wrestling event— on April 1. Wrestlemania 23 — that's right, 23 — to be broadcast live on Pay-Per-View Sunday, April 1, will apparently include the Battle of the Billionaires featuring The Donald squaring off against legendary wrestling impresario Vince McMahon. Unfortunately, wrestlers have been picked to represent the two in the ring (Bobby Lashley for Trump, Umaga for McMahon). However, the losing billionaire of the match is to have his head shaved — that's right, head shaved — by the winner. Please, please win Mr. Umaga.

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I can imagine the jokes that will be used by Jay, David and Conan on the late night talk shows, about female astronauts and PMS. The bizarre incident of Captain Lisa Nowak and her diaper-wearing 900-mile drive to “talk” with a perceived romantic rival, Captain Colleen Shipman, over fellow astronaut Cmdr. William A. Oefelein, is definitely out of this world wacky. Lisa brought will her for this little chat, according to the New York Times, “… a compressed air pistol, a steel mallet, a knife, pepper spray, four feet of rubber tubing, latex gloves and garbage bags.”

Continue reading "Lost In Space" »

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My trip to Canada to attend the film festival also opened my eyes to the current state of America in the eyes of the world. There were numerous films at the international festival that confronted - directly and indirectly - President Bush and our current foreign policy. Because of the Sept. dates of the fest, I will always be out of the country when the anniversary of 9/11 arrives. The difference between how America is viewed now, and how it was viewed five years ago in the aftermath of the attacks, is startling. Being surrounded by journalists and filmmakers from around the globe this past festival, and seeing the distrust and dismay reflected on the screen was an eye-opener. The new Bob Woodward book, State of Denial, has added fuel to the growing fire of American anger and frustration at the state of our nation.
Didn't we learn the lessons we needed from Vietnam? Well, the politicians learned enough to make sure the nightly news isn't filled with pictures of body bags, injured civilians and unhappy soldiers. Their media savvy wasn't good enough, however, to cover-up the Abu Ghraib mess. And while Bush is not bombing another country and denying it (Nixon and Cambodia), he is putting a happy face on a increasingly slippery slope of violence and civil war without an end in sight in Iraq. Have we improved our chances of stopping terrorism at home, or have we created a recruiting poster for anti-American terrorism? I am not happy about what I think is the answer to that question.

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