Whine & Cheese

Express Lane: Issue 68

Wildfires in Southern California - The Big Picture - I knew it was only a matter of time before TBP did a "there are no superlatives" set of pictures from these horrific fires. (9/2/09)

Agassi Autobiography To Be Released in November - Hope the book is an interesting as his life/career, but just never know how honest they're going to be... have yet to read a really "great" tennis memoir. (8/25/09)

Obama's Book Club: Beach Read Edition - If POTUS can get through 5 books during a week in Martha's Vineyard, I'll be very impressed! Click the link to check out the titles. (8/24/09)

Express Lane: Issue 67

It's True: 'Blood' Lovers Engaged - Stephen Moyer can really say "Sookie is MINE!" now as he is now engaged to his on-screen love interest Anna Paquin. (8/6/07)

'Survivor' and 'Amazing Race' Vets Rob and Amber Have a Baby Girl - A great sign that this duo have stopped becoming reality show whores, not only was the birth not televised but it also took nearly a month for it to the Internet! (8/3/09)

Work Day Ends for Broadway's "9 to 5" - While it didn't receive critical praise or the fact that star, Allison Janey, was not much of a singer still a bit surprised that the Dolly Parton-penned musical closes after just 5 months. (7/30/09)

The Longest Solar Eclipse of the Century - The Big Picture - As always, simply amazing TBP pictures from Asia of the July 21st eclipse! (7/22/09)

Express Lane: Issue 66

Ryan Seacrest made $100k per American Idol 8 episode - I'll tell you how much that pisses me off, after the break... (7/10/09)  (Follow-up 7/13.09: "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest signs $45 million deal... oy!)

Middlesex on the Tube - The beloved Jeffrey Eugenides' novel is headed to TV as a series... thankfully on HBO, which may just be able to pull it off. (7/8/09)

The Best Books of the Year So Far - Amazon comes up with their Top 10s for the first half of 2009, I've read only one of them... so far! (7/8/09)

Avenue Q to Close in September - Another long running Broadway show bites the dust... but we knew it was "Only For Now" anyhow. (6/29/09)

Express Lane: Issue 65

Remembering Tiananmen - The Big Picture - Here's some amazing (as usual!) pictures from the protests and tragedy at Tiananmen 20 years ago - plus photos from today as well. Fascinating! (6/6/09)

Adam Lambert Responds To Clay Aiken's Blogs - "If he wants to ride my coattails, good for him" Oh, snap! Don't mess with a gay man Clay... well, errr... a gay man who's been doing it a lot longer and much better than you! (5/29/09)

Dancing Danny Gokey with the Stars? - Yikes! Before you get too upset, it could be worse... apparently Gokey's fellow Top 10-er, Scott MacIntyre is also interested - hopefully their IDOL/FOX contracts forbid it! (5/27/09)

Samantha Harris to Join Cast of Broadway's "Chicago" - Ok, they've officially just let anyone star in this show now! C'mon, the woman is challenged by having to read off a teleprompter and do basic math! (5/20/09)

Express Lane: Issue 64

American Idol's Danny Gokey Sets His Sights on Eyewear - Surprise, surprise! But Gokey states he was doing his "heart" hand gesture long before the recent wave of Lenscrafter ads doing the same thing. (5/15/09)

Derek Hough: Dancing With Footloose? - Seems like both Dancing Houghs are under consideration for roles in the re-make of the Kevin Bacon 80s classic... though very likely only one will get it, since the characters are (ick) love interests. Derek also notes he and Mark Ballas may follow Julianne's lead and take time off from DWTS to pursue a music career (Booo! don't bite the hand that feeds you!) (5/7/09)

The 2009 Kentucky Derby - The Big Picture - Guess that says it all... the always fine TBP pix from this year's Run for the Roses. (5/4/09)

Obama's Book Club Is Back: Netherland - I've pulled off the rare "O" book double ... reading a book just before Oprah (with 'Edgar Sawtelle') and now Obama picked it! (4/29/09)

Human Landscapes From Above - The Big Picture - Been lagging a bit in my TBP postings, but these aerial shots (from the same guy who did the London series) are pretty awesome. (4/29/09)

Julie Chen Is Pregnant - I'm pretty much through with 'Big Brother' but may just have to check in with the Chenbot to see the cylon - errr... baby bump. The Chenbaby is due in October. (4/22/09)

Express Lane: Issue 63

'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' Author Inks Six-Figure Deal - Not sure I can get through the Jane Austen classic again - even with zombies! But it sound like Graham-Smith's rumored next book "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" will be more up my alley! (4/10/09)

Earth Hour 2009 - The Big Picture - Best TBP Ever! It's interactive, click on (most of) the pix and watch the lights fade off (or back on) for Earth Hour! (3/30/09)

Signs of Spring - The Big Picture - After the last TBP photo set I posted re: the recession, this one of hope and renewal is a lot more inspiring... and pretty too! (3/23/09)

CBS Renews "Men," "Big Bang" - Could care less about the Charlie Sheen sitcom, but thrilled that Sheldon & Leonard & Company got a TWO-YEAR pick-up! (3/18/09)

Scenes From The Recession - The Big Picture - Not the most uplifting or inspiring set of pictures, but always interesting ... and a couple shots of the real estate bust right here in Phoenix metro area. (3/18/09)

Stacy Keach Recuperating After Stroke - Was supposed to see Keach in the stage production of "Frost/Nixon" (playing the latter), but I think chances of returning to to the show by early April are pretty slim. (3/18/09)

Holi: The Festival of Colors - The Big Picture - That wild and crazy throw paint and powder at each other Hindu festival that I only learned about thanks to 'The Amazing Race' (3/13/09)

Express Lane: Issue 62

Avenue Q Creators Decide to Keep Bush Reference in "For Now" Finale - After testing out 4 other lines, it appears Dubya (now shifted into the past tense) received the strongest response. (3/4/09)

Portraits from the Congo - The Big Picture - Amazing (I know I always say that!) and heartbreaking faces from the increasingly violent African nation. (2/27/08)

Carnival - The Big Picture - If you want vibrant colors and a few eye-popping, or should say eye-poking out, costumes this photo set should make you happy! (2/23/09)

Danny Gokey Preached, "Lead Praise and Worship" at Megachurch for Idol Cameras - I *try* to keep an open mind about this kind of stuff, and while I am in the very early stages of Gokey backlash (re: his widower status) this might move things along in that department at a much quicker pace. (2/23/09)

At Work - The Big Picture - Not a tightly themed picture collection this time around, but still some very cool shots of people (wait for it)... at work. (2/20/09)

Q&A: Cher Says She's Living `Like a Nun' In Vegas - Fun little piece about Cher as she readies for another month in Vegas... besides the 'nun' comment, we also love she loves Target (the store, that is). (2/17/09)

Express Lane: Issue 61

USA cancels 'The Starter Wife' - While it certainly wasn't brain surgery, it was still a cute and fluffy show led by the charming Debra Messing... so a bit surprised it got the cut after just 1 post-mini-series season. (2/12/09)

Joanna Pacitti out of 'American Idol' - This ouster is not a huge surprise for the gal gal previously dropped from a record label, friends with execs at 19 Entertainment (Idol's production co.), and rumored to be dating DWTS' Mark Ballas (reason enough for me to get rid of her!). (2/12/09)

China's Lantern Festival, And An Unfortunate Ending - The Big Picture - What a transition in this photo set from the beautiful celebration to a 40-story hotel under construction being set accidentally ablaze by stray fireworks. (2/11/09)

Bushfires in Victoria, Australia - The Big Picture - TBP isn't always fun stuff... here their usual collection of stunning pics from the devastating fires in Southeastern Australia. (2/10/09)

Etta James Takes Shots at Beyonce & President Obama - Stand back folks we got a cat fight on our hands: "I tell you that woman he had singing for him, singing my song, she gonna get her ass whupped" (2/5/09)

ABC Will Announce Cast of DWTS 8 During Prime-Time Sunday - Eschewing 'Good Morning America' for the cast reveals, Tom Bergeron will pop up and drop the "star" names over 3 hours of ABC's Sunday (Feb 8th's) line-up. (2/3/09)

Cable Provider Apologizes For Porn Interruption - We were a bit skeptical when Todd's parents told him about this during a post-Super Bowl phone call, but crazy enough it was true! (2/3/09)

Express Lane: Issue 60

Springsteen Calls Wal-Mart Deal A Mistake - Glad to hear The Boss, and champion of the working man (and woman!), express regret and take responsibility for the exclusive deal made with the retail beheamoth for an upcoming greatest hits album release. (1/30/09)

Comeback Kid Kelly Clarkson Makes History - The inaugural Idol is the first person to ever hit #1 with a song with "suck" in the title - also, the largest jump in Hot 100 history (96 spots) and, perhaps most surprisingly, the first Idol to score a second #1. (1/29/09)

Donny Osmond Won't be on DWTS, At Least Not Until Fall - Seems like Mr. Little Bit Rock 'n Roll got caught in a lie! (1/28/09)

More of London From Above, At Night - The Big Picture - It figures the day I go back and post a re-working of one of my London pix, TBP comes out with an amazing set of night pix of London! (1/28/09)

Donny Osmond to Follow in Marie's Dancing Shoes? - Alas the first substantive (if somewhat predictable) casting rumor for the upcoming DWTS season. (1/27/09)

Chinese New Year: Welcoming the Ox - The Big Picture - I've become semi-obsessed with China since our trip to Beijing, so was wow'd by this collection (I even have a very similar - well w/out the Qing Dynasty characters - to photo #21). (1/26/09)

Is This Nadal's "Wardrobe Malfunction?" - Nike hoping to increase clothing sales appears to be the reason behind Nadal's on-court wardrobe change this year... the belief being the "average" person is not going to wear sleeveless shirts and pirate pants. (1/26/09)

Express Lane: Issue 59

John McCain Confirms Wife Cindy Rejected Dancing With The Stars 8 - Rumor has it the Senator was the one who put the brakes on his wife's participation and his dodgy recall of the "mutual" decision does not do much to dispel it. (1/23/09)

Requests Flood In For 'Queen of Soul's' Custom Hat - The bow with the hat attached to it was custom-made creation for the Queen (and only the queen!) and would sell for $500+, but for those interested a retail version with a satin ribbon version is available for $179. (1/22/09)

Julianne Hough Makes a Date With Toby Keith... and, as expected, that means America's Dancing Sweetheart will not be apart of the upcoming 8th (!!) season of 'Dancing With the Stars' (1/22/09)

The Inauguration of President Barack Obama - The Big Picture - Loved the satellite photo of the record crowds at the Capital and Mall and any featuring the contagious smiles of the Obama family. (1/21/09)

Inaugural preparations - The Big Picture - This site over at Boston.com always has such amazing photos, that I am going to linking to it via the "Express." First up, Obama Inaugural Prep! (1/19/09)

Rachel Griffiths Expecting Baby No. 3 - Banjo & Adelaide will be getting a new brother... or sister. No word yet if unwed Sarah will be adding another Walker to the ABC dramedy. (1/17/09)

Lisa Rinna: "I Look Like a Freak" After Too Much Plastic Surgery - At first I thought this was something for the "tell me something I don't know" department, but then the shocker was that it had nothing to do with her lips! (1/8/09)

CNN's Gupta Approached About Surgeon General Post - It's just a hunch, but I suspect Dr. Sanjay would very likely be the first time a US Surgeon General who has ever appeared in a People Magazine's Sexiest Men Alive issue. (1/7/09)

DWTS' Karina & Maksim Engaged! - Had heard rumors that the couple were 'friends with benefits,' but this news still surprised me. I'm guessing the make-up sex should be great (and methinks they'll be plenty of it - fight! sex! fight!) (1/4/08)