I agree with your recommendation of "Revolutionary Road." It is such a deep book and it's really enthralling because what the characters of Frank and April feel and think are things that everyone deals with. They aren't characters who are unhappy and merely wallow in their own self pity but they are characters who fight against their situations and try to make a better life for themselves. It's a bit like "Little Children" when Sarah was at the book club and she said, "It's not the cheating, it's the hunger, the hunger for an alternative and the refusal to accept anything less." Great book and great film adaptation.

I'm happy for Fergie and Josh. I think they are a very cute couple and I'm glad they dated for a while and were engaged for a while too. One of the problem with show biz marriages is that they don't date long enough or are not engaged long enough. It's to rushed.

Speaking of another couple that is open to the press, Heidi and Spencer Pratt. Well, we all know that their marriage was not real, but now they are apparently plotting to fake their divorce. Even though they are annoying I find them comical because they know that "The Hills" is not real and they relish in their fictitious lives.

Alright, I have been very silent about the Michael Phelps ordeal but in all honesty I think it is entirely over blown. People are getting mad that their Olymic hero is actually human and makes stupid mistakes. Of course he was stupid, he had millions of fans and admirers and with all the attention placed on him he should have been more cautious, but these things happen. It wasn't as if he tested positive for steroids, it has nothing to do with his Olympic performance whatsoever so they should let it be.

The whole Etta James vs. Beyonce thing is very funny and I do think she probably was joking. She said it at a concert surrounded by fans so obviously she felt comfortable and was letting off steam. I think that she does have a right to be a little bit peeved about not singing at the Inauguration because it is her song. It would have been great that at the inauguration of the first black president to have a classic song sung by a black icon who broke down barriers and transcended boundaries at the beginning of the modern civil rights movement.

I watched Jay Leno when she was talking about people reviewing speeches. It was very funny, and it is ridiculous that people gave her flack for her speech. It wasn't like Gwyneth Paltrow not being able to say anything remotely resembling words, Kate had never won a Golden Globe and then her second speech was full of shock because she won TWO Golden Globes, her first two, in one night for two films that are close to her heart. I think it's great when actors and actresses show their emotions when they win awards because it shows their true feelings. If it is too rehearsed, *cough* Renee Zellweger winning for "Cold Mountain*, it sounds too contrived and unreal. When they cry and show emotion it shows the viewer that they are human and we would all react the same way if we were in their shoes.

I feel bad for all of the flack that Jessica is getting because of her weight. I feel that it is so overrated, the only thing she did wrong was wear mom jeans that didn't fit her body well at all. She is not fat but if she wore clothes that appropriately exhibited her curves and figure she wouldn't have looked fat at all, just curvy. I don't think she is facing a breakdown a la Britney but I do think that she is having to deal with a lot of media scrutiny. It is hard to say if she has the staying power of Britney because she still hasn't done anything on the scale of Britney or Madonna or Janet or even Dolly Parton for that matter which would make her stand out and stand the test of time. Her films, two were released theatrically and didn't bode well with critics or at the box office, and two were released direct-to-DVD, have not made her an actress. Her music career, her first album did moderately well, her second album was a commerical disappointment, her third album was an initial flop but due to "Is this chicken or fish" was a hit, her fourth album fizzled and her attempt to reinvent herself as a country singer has not translated into a hit album. Not to mention that she attached herself to so many advertisements and products that she is stretched too thin to have a specific career direction. I hope she scales back and releases a great album or film that can cause us all to see her talent for what it is because at the moment we can't.

So, I read something interesting yesterday about how since Kate was nominated for "Best Actress" for The Reader the Academy Award for "Best Supporting Actress" is pretty much up for grabs. The reasoning is that Amy Adams and Viola Davis will split the vote for "Doubt" and Viola Davis and Taraji P. Henson will split the vote also for being African-American. Furthermore Penelope Cruz has been nominated for "Vicky Christina Barcelona" but because the film has not recieved more nominations it is thought that the nomination is pretty much as far as she will go, and the same can be said for Marisa Tomei for "The Wrestler." Additionally all of the actresses have recieved awards for the nominated performances so no definitive winner can be declared yet, for at the Oscars it is anyones guess. Having seen many of the performances I think that the award is between Penelope Cruz and Taraji P. Henson. What do you think LK?