And they call it puppy love....

It's Superbowl Weekend! Yay! You know what that means...yes. It's Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl. Watch the football game for the commercials and then the Puppy Bowl for the fun. I could watch those puppies play for hours. Check out the starting line-up here.

It's tradition during the Superbowl to eat food that's not very good for you. Meet a heart attack on a plate.

Everything old is new again...

What am I doing this weekend?

I'm going to the Smuckers' Stars On Ice. Woo hoo! Along with all the 'stars on ice,' my favorite skater, Yuka Sato, is going to be there. I've never seen her skate in person.I love Yuka Sato. I can watch her performances over and over again. Her skating style is something I've always aspired to -- and missed by a mile -- she's gentle, effortless, flowing, with artistic grace and athleticism in one perfect package. Ok, I'll stop gushing. Just watch.

I stayed up past my bedtime for this?

I was invited to a music industry event last night by the Handsomest Man Alive. I'm not sure why I was invited, but being a girl who doesn't like to look a Trojan gift invitation in the mouth, I accepted without hesitation. It was a lovely event at a small studio tucked in behind the Formosa Cafe and across the street from The Lot -- it's one of my favorite and most historic parts of Hollywood. I sat on a red naugahyde sofa and shared sushi with a lovely woman named Princess. (No. Seriously!) I couldn't have been enjoying myself any more -- but it turns out this event also included live music. Live! It was four boys from Doooblin (that's not a typo, that's how they pronounced it!) called The Script. They were very good, and the lead singer reminded me of Chris Martin and Bono. I'm not too ashamed to tell you -- Danny, I think is his name-o, is a bit of a heartthrob. Tall with dimples -- he's the full package. I had to keep reminded myself that I am old enough to be his mother. So I fussed over him...but not too much...I hope.

During the set, they were also filming a reality program called The Hills that is all the rage with the twenty-year-olds. The director yelled at me to get out of the way of the camera at one point. Wouldn't look good to have a woman over 40 drift into the frame...but I ignored him. I guess he didn't get the memo that after a certain age, we're NOT listening.

• Woo-hoo! President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter bill into law today. It's a really big deal. And Lilly, a Cinderella role model, danced with the new president at one of the inaugural balls. You should definitely get to know this chick. She rocks!
  
  
• This news scares me to death. And this just makes my blood boil...

• I'm going to try to end today on a happy note. Have you seen the commercial for the Snuggie? I've been tempted to order it too many times to mention. My only problem is what color...Or should I get them all.

What The Duck?

It's a classic romantic comedy: hunter meets his prey and he falls in love. Comedy ensues...

Can I bring you a pie?

This article in the New York Times yesterday tickled my funnybone. After a bank robbery in the Midwest, one of the locals called the bank manager and asked if he wanted a pie. If you're from the Midwest then you understand that the offer of food during times of greatest strife is de rigueur.

When my dad died my mom and I both morbidly agreed that the only pleasant effect would be the possibility that we would both shed a few pounds in our grief. We never anticipated that our neighbors, family and friends would appear on our doorstep laden with hams, potatoes au gratin, cookies, brownies, and I'm certain though I can't remember clearly...pie. Needless to say, I'm still trying to lose the weight I gained after my dad's death twenty years ago.

To this day, when I hear that someone has been struggling with a health issue or a death in the family, my first thought is of food. The recipe file that I have trapped in my demented little mind flips open and I start to tick off what kind of casserole would be most comforting. You can take the girl out of the Midwest...but you really can't take the Midwest out of the girl.

• Crazy cat ladies of the world, unite! You have not been forgotten by the Internets. It may not be as popular (yet) as the Shiba Inu puppy cam...but the new live kitten cam is up and running for your viewing pleasure.

• Michael Jackson's Thriller music video is being turned into a Broadway musical. Please insert a snarky and ironic comic comment here. I can't think of one.

• And by the way, please check out the new book chick at the LA Examiner. She may look a bit familiar.

I'll Have Whatever She's Having...

For some Cinderellas, the clock just never seems to strike Midnight. I don't know what part of Manhattan Susan Sarandon lives in, but it's obviously near the Fountain of Youth. She looks incredible! While other movie stars of her vintage (most notably Jessica Lange) have succumbed to some really startling plastic surgery to ease their transition through middle age, Susan Sarandon either has the most subtle plastic surgeon on the east coast, or she's got great genes. She had it all going on at the SAG Awards last night. Check out all the dresses -- good and bad -- on the red carpet at the award ceremony.

• The lovely Lesley Stahl interviews the lovely Rachel Maddow.

• Are you still wondering what's going on in the White House with the new First Family? Yeah, me too. Since I'm an HGTV addict, I'm really intrigued by their choice of interior designer. Michael S. Smith is based in California and is known for mixing antiques with modern touches. But is he kid-friendly? And for your viewing pleasure, here's a Jackie Kennedy vs. Nancy Reagan smackdown over White House style. Still not over it yet? Then ask yourself what you would do if you were hired to give the White House a makeover.

• Here's a really good reason to pour yourself another cup of coffee and kill another hour and a half surfing the Internet. And just in case you've convinced yourself that you're crazy, Illinois Governor Blagojevich is there to make you realize just how sane you are. I love this guy!
  

Talkin' to myself and feelin' old

It's rainy and dreary here in Los Angeles. Which turns me into Karen Carpenter... without the eating disorder.Truth be told..It was my friend, Morgan Richter, who first started humming the lyrics to "Rainy Days and Mondays" this morning. So I know the only thing that can brighten a day like today is a cupcake.

• Can you ever see a cupcake without smiling? Or getting hungry? One cupcake turns any day into a party. What I wouldn't do for a cupcake.

• While the rest of the world is waking up to the realization that they've either been pink-slipped, are about to be pink-slipped, or are living in fear of being pink-slipped every single day for the rest of their lives, Brangelina was nominated for Academy Awards and found a new crib on Long Island for their colors of Benetton family.

• Have you ever had an IT guy come to save you from your computer that looked like Brad Pitt? Yeah, me neither.

• Places to go. Things to see.

• Visit President Obama's new office. And check out his very expensive 'BarackBerry.'

• U.S. Figure Skating Championships this weekend. It's in Cleveland...best to watch it on television.

One Of A Kind Love Affair

One little rat has found a very strange bedfellow. It's not hard to understand. Sometimes you just can't help who you fall in love with, but can't you just hear this little rat's therapist?

"What's wrong with you? Why are you in love with someone so dangerous? That cat won't just break your heart. It could kill you!"