Updated 10/18/07
To further make this a “bigger” story - odd considering the timing of Britney’s new CD - Spears has apparently violated some kind of court order (or court request) and is now prohibited from visiting her two kids.  K-Fed has full custody and Britney Spears can no longer visit her kids  - not even w/ supervision.

This is a sad day for Britney… that is unless she’s getting exactly what she wants. 

Updated 10/8/07
To further my point that Britney Spears lost her children on purpose (or doesn’t care), TMZ is reporting that Spears missed her court appearance last Wednesday for “Starbucks” coffee.  Here’s the scoop:

… at the very same time the former pop starlet-turned-celebrity death pool pick should have been throwing herself on the mercy of the judge by promising to comply with each and every condition he set forth, she was in the midst of a crisis, one that only a Starbucks run with her Yorkie could solve.

Granted, she wasn’t required to show up for the hearing, but insiders tell TMZ her attorney du jour, Sorrell Trope, urged her to attend. Not surprisingly, the authority-eschewing Britster reportedly refused.

“It’s like Britney doesn’t care,” a mole tells the London Sun. “Her no-show did not impress the judge and only worsens her chances of ever getting her custody restored.”

Adds a source to E! Online’s Marc Malkin, “There have been no tears. It’s more like she’s angry. It’s more like, ‘Who are you to tell me I’m not a good parent?’”

Full story on MSN.com

Original Story
Britney Spears custody battle took a bad turn on Monday, when the court gave sole custody of the two kids to Kevin Federline (until further notice).

While you do have to feel bad for Britney, it’s also important to think about the things she’s done (willingly) to put herself in this situation.  It’s been reported on TMZ that Britney skipped several court appointed meetings.  This is of course, in addition to all the partying and irrational behavior we’ve been seeing on the news everyday.  Don’t forget about the older incidents as well: shaving her head, showing her crotch, her lesbian love affair, and others.

Bodyguard Details Extremely Troubled (former) Star

Recent reports from her former bodyguard have provided a rare glimpse into the daily lives of Spears.  These reports just add more cause for concern; there’s nothing in them to make you think Britney actually deserves to have custody of her kids.  The bodyguard details that he’s seen Britney Spears nude (he wasn’t suppose to look), that she almost overdosed while in rehab, and that she spends very little time with her kids as it is.

Did Britney Lose Custody on Purpose?

A lot of people are questioning whether or not Spears intentionally violated the court orders in an attempt to “rid herself” of her kids.  Face it… in her line of work and while trying to make a career comeback, kids aren’t exactly a great accessory.  This is horrible thinking (no doubt), but when you’re high on cocaine, drunk all the time, or downing Red Bull’s like they’re going out of style, how you can you put together rational thoughts - like “I love my kids and I never want to be away from them”.  Maybe she wants to get rid of them just because K-Fed won’t come back to her, and she doesn’t want anything to do w/ “his” kids.

Spears is on the same path as many other troubled actors and musicians… the death path.  Losing her kids is probably the most difficult situation she’ll ever go through (assuming she actually does want them), so it wouldn’t be too surprising to hear stories of her actually overdosing or committing suicide.

Get help Britney…

Britney or Bust: How to Hire the Right Celebrity for Your Advertising by Lou Bortone

Celebrity endorsements are a staple in advertising, with more than 20% of all ads today featuring a famous face, voice or likeness.  The reason is simple: Celebrities sell.  Consumers pay attention to celebrities because they are attracted to the familiar.  Using a celebrity to promote your company can add awareness, credibility and star power to your business.  Three ways a celebrity spokesperson can be used by your business include:

1. Advertising - Celebrities can pitch your product via print, television, radio, etc.
2. Appearances and events - Celebrities can make personal appearances for your business at events ranging from charity fundraisers to grand openings.
3. Media opportunities - Your spokesperson can speak on your behalf on TV talks shows, or at press conferences, trade shows or other media events.

Things to keep in mind when hunting for a celebrity spokesperson include:

Define your objectives

Determine what you expect from your partnership with your spokesperson and how to best utilize their talents.  Clarify your needs and expectations from the get-go.

Get-It-Done: Brooks International and Burns are a couple of many agencies who specialize in booking celebrity and sports talent.  These talent brokers can help you assess your needs.

• Find the right fit

It’s important that the spokesperson you hire is a good match for your product or service.  The clearer the link between your company’s product and your talent, the better the partnership will work. (Think Michael Jordan and Nike!)

Get-It-Done: The Hollywood-Madison Group uses a proprietary database called the “Fame Index” to match businesses with appropriate talent.  The Fame Index contains the names of 10,000 stars and uses 250 categories to match talent to businesses and products.

• Plan well in advance

When deciding on a celebrity spokesperson for your business, start early.  Make your plans at least 6 months in advance.  The bigger the name, the longer the lead time.

Get-It-Done: Celebrity Focus and The Celebrity Source are two talent agencies who can connect your company with talent and help you navigate the celebrity maze.

• Consider the costs

Talent fees and celebrity endorsements run the gamut from a few hundred dollars for a local DJ appearing at a business to literally millions of dollars for an international movie star.  Catherine Zeta-Jones’ long-term endorsement deal with T-Mobile was reportedly worth 20 Million, but T-Mobile’s U.S. sales jumped 25% during the campaign.

Get-It-Done: If you’re looking for major star power, you can go with Hollywood biggies like William Morris or PMK/HBH Public Relations.  On a smaller scale, many local celebrities can be contacted directly or through their management.

• Make contact

Talent agencies, entertainment marketing firms and even speakers bureaus can put you in touch with potential celebrity spokespersons.  Contacting talent can be easier than you might think.

Get-It-Done: In addition to some of the agencies listed above, the Screen Actors Guild provides an actor-locator service.

Other things to keep in mind when shopping for a celebrity spokesperson include:

• Don’t be afraid to ask. Maybe that certain superstar is not out of your reach or budget.
• Consider “B-List” stars who may be more available and less expensive.

Local talent such as home-town athletes may be your best shot.

• Make sure you have an “out” clause in case your celebrity gets negative press or is involved in a scandal. (Sorry Britney!)

Lou Bortone is an award-winning writer, editor and television producer who has spent over 20 years in the entertainment industry, including several years at Fox and E! Entertainment in L.A.  Lou specializes in helping businesses create breakthrough video for the Internet. Email Lou at lou@theonlinevideoguy.com or visit http://www.theonlinevideoguy.com

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

A less than energetic Britney Spears took the stage Sunday for the 2007 VMA Awards, but her performance of “Gimme More“, her new single, left most wanting to throw up.

Spears appeared half asleep and was caught lip-syncing to the song several times. Britney’s opening performance was historical, but not for reasons she’ll probably want to be remembered for. From the onset, it appeared that Britney Spears’ dance routine wasn’t quite up to par; on several instances, it looked like she was going to trip over herself or fall over. These are only assumptions, but one can only wonder IF Britney was on any kind of drugs or even drunk during her performance; missed dance moves, poor lip-syncing and general lethargic-ness.

Watch the video and judge for yourself:




Tommy Lee, Kid Rock in MTV bust-up
LATEST FROM THE MTV AWARDS - Stuff.co.nz | Monday, 10 September 2007

OUT YOU GO: Tommy Lee is escorted by security out of the theater at the MTV awards after getting into a fight with Kid Rock.
Tommy Lee, Kid Rock in MTV bust-up
There was plenty of other excitement at the MTV awards when Tommy Lee was escorted out of the auditorium after getting into a fight with Kid Rock.

The scuffle occurred while Alicia Keys was performing on stage.

“There were no fists, they were just holding each other, grabbing each other,” Tom Higginson, singer of the pop band Plain White Ts said.

“Security had to break them up.”

Both men are former husbands of model Pamela Anderson.There was plenty of other excitement at the MTV awards when Tommy Lee was escorted out of the auditorium after getting into a fight with Kid Rock.

The scuffle occurred while Alicia Keys was performing on stage.

“There were no fists, they were just holding each other, grabbing each other,” Tom Higginson, singer of the pop band Plain White Ts said.

“Security had to break them up.”

Both men are former husbands of model Pamela Anderson.

The sentences that celebrities are getting these days for their crimes are ridiculous.  Lindsay Lohan gets 1 day for 2 DUI’s, cocaine possession & reckless driving.  Paris Hilton gets 45 days (23 served) for DUI & driving on suspended license.  Michael Vick’s sentence has yet to be determined, but the NFL has already suspended him indefinitely.

I know this probably isn’t the best it could be, but I thought it was kinda funny and hope you do too:

Before I start on this post, please understand that this is not an attack on people who work in the mortgage or lending industry.  This is simply my opinion of how the industry has used the market to it’s advantage the past few years and how it’s finally catching up to them (it’s our turn).

Our Country’s Mortgage Crisis

Many home buyers and people seeking to refinance their existing home loans these days are, for lack of better words, “shit out of luck”.  The mortgage and banking industry has taken advantage of the highly overated economy and rising home prices in most mainstream markets. 

While many homeowners are also to blame for the mortgage crisis, the loan officers, homebuilders and mortgage lenders are primarily responsible for the worrisome circumstances that the country sits in now.  In addition to providing high-interest ARM loans to people who couldn’t afford the homes they were buying, lenders and buyers both manipulated the paperwork required to get a home loan in order to get approved for their mortgage. 

Buyers were led on by promises of low starting interest rates for their home purchases, an over-hyped housing market and rising home prices, and the hope of refinancing their mortgages as the ARM interest rate started to rise.

What’s really happened is that the market has adjusted and those same homes (over appraised) are now worth less than the loan amount, lenders are filing bankruptcy, closing their doors and laying off thousands of employees.  Homeowners can’t refinance their loans because they can’t qualify and foreclosures are rising at unbelievable rates.

Taking Responsibility For Actions

As in any industry, there are good times and their are bad times.  The mortgage industry has enjoyed the good times for a long time without any bad times, and the people working in that industry have taken advantage of the system for far too long.

It appears that the government (Fed) will help out many of the larger companies by offering them low interest rate loans to help keep them afloat.  While this is probably the best thing for the economy in the short-term, it would seem to further bolster these people in the mortgage industry that they can continue to take advantage of us without repurcussions.

These companies that have screwed up should pay for their mistakes; they should not be bailed out.  If all the loan officers, processors and other higher-ups who’ve been buying up BMW’s, boats, vacation homes and other extravagant purchases have to give up their new toys because they can’t afford them anymore… too bad!!!

Mortgage Rates, Points, Commissions

I have several friends and relatives that work in home building, real estate and mortgages.  At least in the real estate and mortgage side, “most” agents, brokers, processors and officers are being overpaid - YES, overpaid. 

You work 10 hrs to close a $300,000 loan and you’re going to take home even 1% as a loan officer - that’s $3,000 for 10 hrs of work, or $300 per hour.  Last time I checked, most doctors, lawyers & attorneys don’t even charge those rates. 

Even worse, are the “big home purchases” where each person involved in the loan process gets the same percentages that they do on the small purchases.  While working the same 10 hrs to close the loan, getting 1% of a $3 million home purchase comes out to $30,000 commission, or $3,000 per hour.

While I might be underestimating the time it takes to process a loan, even if you double the hours the amounts of money these people are making is ridiculous.  What’s worse, is that these same people are adding “points” to the loans to make themselves even more money - all at the home buyers expense.  Afterall, what’s an extra $500-1,000 on a $300,000 loan - it’s only a few dollars a month more on the mortgage payment -hell, the buyer might not even notice it.

I completely understand that the loan officers and loan processors are making the least amount of money in the sale - there’s a hierarchy of people just racking up dollars for doing very little.  Yes, there’s some risk involved, but if you provide solid loans to people that are qualified to receive them - there’s little risk involved in lending them money.

This is just my 2 cents…

(if you know me, please understand this is nothing personal - just my opinion on the issue)

Other Mortgage & Financial Headlines:
As Mortgage Industry Retrenches, Industry Job Cuts Surpass 40,000
Citi, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wachovia Say They Borrowed $500M Each From Fed
Countrywide Financial Says Bank of America Made Equity Investment of $2 Billion Into Company

Vegas now has a place for that person that’s been on a all night Hot streak or maybe just a place to chill out,literately, but all in all I think it will be a peaty cool place to let off some steam.

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AP) —
“Some people come to Las Vegas to enjoy the clear skies and hot days. But at a new spa that opened at Caesars Palace, there is a treatment room where it snows all year long.
art.spa.ap.jpg

The cold room at Qua Baths and Spa is just the latest feature in a booming Las Vegas spa industry.

Welcome to Qua’s Arctic Ice Room, where “snow” gently descends from a domed ceiling through mint-infused air chilled to 55 degrees.

The Romans enjoyed cooling down after a hot soak, and spa operators say such rapid cooling of the body has proven health benefits.

Or it may just give you goosebumps.

“Even coming from somewhere that had a horrible winter, it was still very enjoyable,” said Angela Wagner, a 35-year-old physician from northern Indiana. “I had been in the heat wrap and the sauna and the whirlpools. So after being in the warmer treatments, it just felt really good.”

The blue pebble and mosaic tile-encrusted cold room at Qua Baths and Spa is just the latest feature in a booming Las Vegas spa industry. While casinos don’t offer up their results, nationwide, spa revenue has been growing by about 18 percent a year since 2003 and was worth nearly $10 billion two years ago, according to the latest numbers from the International Spa Association.
If you go …

Qua Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace: 3570 Las Vegas Blvd.; http://www.caesarspalace.com/ or 866-227-5938. Visitors can use Qua’s Arctic Ice Room as part of the $35 “Roman Rituals & Fitness Center Passport,” a day pass for the spa and fitness center. Other spa treatments range from a $90 “Dancing Waters” Vichy showers treatment to the $1,050, 180-minute “Qua Signature Hourglass Treatment” for couples, which includes services of the guests’ choice. The most popular “Classic Massage,” a Swedish full-body massage with scented lotions, is $140 for 50 minutes or $200 for 75 minutes.

When it opened in November, Qua doubled the size of Caesars’ previous spa to 50,000 square feet, and other spas, such as Spa Bellagio at The Bellagio hotel-casino and Canyon Ranch SpaClub at The Venetian have or are expanding, as well.

In all, Las Vegas has more than 30 spas, which offer everything from “watsu” floating massages, banana leaf wraps and crystal body art to Indian head rubs, hot rock treatments and Thai yoga therapy. The Ritz-Carlton Spa at Lake Las Vegas just outside of town even offers an array of treatments for men that include beer samples while receiving a pedicure.

Every major resort on the Strip has a spa facility, each touting a special feature or unique therapy, often from Asia or Europe, for relief from the excitement of gambling, relaxation after a big business trip or to prepare for a night on the town.

“People want to be adventurous,” said Sandy Zanella, spokeswoman for MGM Mirage Inc., whose Spa Bellagio offers the only “watsu” treatment on the Strip. “They want something new and different and do something they can’t get at home.”

Qua’s ice room, the only one of its kind in the United States, comes from the millennia-old European bathing tradition of using snow to cleanse the body, said Don Genders, a partner of Eurospa Technologies LLC, the room’s creator. Ice is available in the room for those who want to rub it on steaming skin.
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“They built these wooden cabins, heated them up with logs and rocks and would sit in them to sweat to actually cleanse their skin,” Genders said.

“The whole idea was that you’d get too hot sitting in the little cabin and you’d use the snow on the ground to wipe your body. That process of wiping the dirty sweat off your body with snow gets you cold again. So you go back in.”

Cold rooms in Europe dip well below freezing, touting benefits to the immune and circulatory systems.

The Grand Hotel Bellevue & Spa’s Ice Grotto in Gstaad, Switzerland, is a frigid 10 degrees. The Schwaben Quellen spa and waterpark in Stuttgart, Germany, keeps a snow room at 2 degrees.

Dr. Reinhard Fricke, a retired professor at the University of Muenster in Germany, said his studies showed that people who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis got temporary relief when they were put in chambers as cold as minus 166 degrees for about three minutes because the cold temperature stunted the activity of tissue-destroying enzymes and cells.

Fricke said all one can hope for in a room at 55 degrees is a physical wake-up call as blood from the skin rushes back to the inner organs and the brain.

“It is not a treatment of a disease, but a treatment of a sleepy body,” he said. “It’s just trying to activate, stimulate some people.”

It’s not so much the temperature that revives the body, but the contrast of going from hot to cold, Qua director Jennifer Lynn said.

After baking in the 200-degree dry sauna, and cooking in a 112-degree steam room, the 55-degree ice room will feel plenty cold, she said.

“So 55 degrees may not sound as cold as 32 degrees sounds. However that contrast is what provides that physical relaxing benefit,” she said. It also allows overheated patrons a chance to dip back in. “Frequently I have guests that’ll tell me, ‘I went through that full circuit three times!”‘

And the snow? Like so much of Las Vegas, it’s fake.

It’s made from 98 percent water and 2 percent chemical solution that is harmless. The concoction, similar to that used in movie sets, isn’t at all cold. It dissolves within a couple minutes after being churned out by a machine manufactured by an Anderson, Alabama-based company called SnowMasters.

Like other fads in Las Vegas, success stories are often repeated.

Genders says his company already is building two more ice rooms, which will operate at about 45 degrees, and two snow rooms — this time with real snow — which will be run at 32 degrees, at another, as yet unannounced, location on the Strip.

Chris McQuade, a 24-year-old researcher from Clearwater, Florida, said the not-so-cold cold room at Qua was “refreshing, but it wasn’t invigorating.” He also partook of an herbal steam, drank green tea, read newspapers and watched ESPN.”"

The ‘Crazy In Love’ singer admires Will Smith for his perfect behavior.

Beyonce was just 15 yrs old when she met Smith. She met him at a sound track signing for his movie Men In Black in 1997.

Beyonce says that the actor had impressed her with his charming ways and she credits him for teaching her to always treat her fans respectfully.

She says that she was dazzled by his behavior and she does not care if she gets as famous as Smith was but she will always be like him.

From: Times Online

Rhy Blakely says:

Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation have dropped support for Sony’s Blu-ray next generation DVD format in a shock move that will see the two studios exclusively use Toshiba’s rival HD-DVD system. Paramount, which is owned by Viacom, the media giant, previously released movies in both Blu-ray and HD-DVD. Significantly, it cited HD-DVD’s cheaper costs as a decisive factor behind its decision to back it. The latest development is a blow for Sony, which has invested heavily in Blu-ray. The battle between Blu-ray and HD-DVD is widely being seen as a re-run of that in the 1970s and 1980s between Sony’s Betamax video format and VHS - a cheaper rival - a fight that Sony lost. The move is also likely to prolong the confusion among consumers, who cannot be sure of buying a next-generation DVD system that does not become defunct after being beaten by an incompatible rival. Analysts have consistently suggested that confusion over the formats is likely to seriously stymie demand for both Blu-ray and HD-DVD until a clear winner emerges. Blu-ray still leads HD-DVD in terms of Hollywood support, having won the exclusive backing of five studios: Sony, Walt Disney, Twentieth Century Fox, Lions Gate Entertainment and MGM. By contrast, before today only Universal had opted to back HD DVD exclusively. Paramount and Warner Bros had been making films available on both formats. However, Sony last month took another hit when it emerged that Europe’s competition watchdog had launched a fresh probe into allegations of possible market rigging in the formats war, thought to centre on exclusivity deals linked to the Blu-ray format. The European Commission sent requests for information to “several major Hollywood studios” in the second half of June. It is searching for any hints that talks between the studios and the groups behind the formats have given rise to arrangements that could be obstacles to free competition and illegal under European law. Today’s announcement affects the upcoming DVD release of the blockbuster Shrek the Third and all movies distributed by Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films, as well as movies from DreamWorks Animation, which are distributed exclusively by Paramount Home Entertainment. Brad Grey, chairman and chief executive of Paramount Pictures, said: “Part of our vision is to aggressively extend our movies beyond the theatre and deliver the quality and features that appeal to our audience.”He added: “I believe HD DVD is not only the affordable high-quality choice for consumers, but also the smart choice for Paramount.”

Queen goes online with first email address

By Celia Walden and Nigel Bunyan (www.telegraph.co.uk)

Send Her Majesty an email by leaving a comment here. When Spy finds out the Queen’s email address, we’ll forward your message to her

The Queen’s latest foray into the world of modern technology has led her to setting up her own email account, it has emerged.

	Belying her age, the Queen also has an iPod and a mobile phone

But, in true majesterial fashion, she does not actually type her emails herself - rather she dictates them. The 81-year-old monarch, already the proud owner of a mobile phone and an iPod mini, revealed her aquisition of an email address at a recent Buckingham Palace garden party. The 81-year-old monarch, already the proud owner of a mobile phone and an iPod mini, revealed her aquisition of an email address at a recent party for the Household Cavalry. At the end of an animated conversation between the Queen and Elizabeth Saltzman, editor of Vanity Fair, the journalist said:

“Look, we must keep in touch””.

“Absolutely!” agreed the monarch. “Here, let me give you my email address.”

“Good lord, you use email?” replied a stunned Saltzman.

“Oh yes,” continued the Queen. “But I don’t actually write them - I dictate them all, of course. “

Buckingham Palace refused to comment on whether the Queen had her own account. But, sources said that the Queen is in regular email contact with her grandchildren, though she does still apparently rely on her aides to show her how exactly to send them.

In June 2005 it was reported that the Queen had been bought a six-gigabyte mini iPod. Amongst some of the music stored on it is said to be The Last Night of the Proms. And she seems keen to let the world know of just exactly how technologically aware she is. Last year she made her Christmas Day message available for the first time as an podcast. She is also said to use her mobile to send text messages to Princes William and Harry.

The Queen’s adoption of an email address leaves a dwindling number of famous people relying largely on pen and ink. Terry Eagleton, the Marxist academic, is proud to play the role of a Luddite.

He said recently: “I have an aversion to email and mobile phones, and I’ve never felt I’ve missed out by not having either.”

Benjamin Zephaniah, the poet, musician, actor, playwright and novelist, is also thought to be an internet refusenik.

The position of the Pope on the subject remains unclear. However, Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, is indisputably bereft of all things internet.

“He doesn’t even use a computer,” said his spokesman, Tenzin Taklha. Spy can only speculate as to what the royal email address might be - our current favourites are ‘oneself@palace.gov.uk’ and ‘lizzy_2@hotmail.com’ - but please send us your suggestions.Whatever next - a royal blog?

Read the rest of this entry →