”I can remember when the air was clean and sex was dirty.” – George Burns. view link

Greetings, darlings! Blackmail, divorce rumors, pregnancy hints, book deals and even hat wars... yes, it’s time for your weekly dollop of dish, seasoned with a dash of acid attitude ( but it is NOT true that I was the inspiration behind that “ Life’s A B*tch and So Am I” bumper sticker).

First of all, can you believe that John Travolta and family are having to go through the hell of attempted extortion following the death of their son, Jett? The latest is that the Bahamas politician, Sen. Pleasant Bridgewater, accused of being in on the blackmail plot money is resigning. She was arrested last Thursday on charges of abetment to extort and conspiracy to extort but got out on $40,000 bail. She says her “innocent actions” were misinterpreted... Supposedly, Bridgewater and two others including the Bahamas tourism head and an ambulance driver, tried to get millions out of Travolta for a surreptitiously taken picture of Jett in his death throes. What a disgusting example of selfish, hateful, and mean greed.

From the horrible to the hatty ( okokOK, so I just made that word up.. this is my gossip blog and I can make up words if I want to): while the sartorially- focused were analyzing Michelle Obama’s dresses and accessories on Inauguration Day, the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin, pulled off the most unexpected and controversial fashion coup. There she was, singing, “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” like no one else could , would or should – awesome – while wearing a big, no, HUGE chapeau with a giant bow trimmed in Swarvoski crystals perched sassily on one side.

The howls and derisions started almost at once with one wag saying the hat was a “big as a manhole cover”. But, darlings, I think it was fabo – not for moi and not for Mrs. Obama or most people but it was SOOOOO Aretha without being TOOOO Aretha , you know? I mean, she’s a Big Woman and a Big Voice and Big Soul and the Big Hat just went with it appropriately and, besides, what a surprise she choose toned-done shades of gray and what a bigger surprise that it looked great, tasteful yet, again, Queen of Soul appropriate.

From the Are They or Aren’t They Files: Sarah Jessica Parker and husband Matthew Broderick were just spotted out on a “date night”, attending the Broadway play “The American Plan'”. And Sara Jessica “Thankfully, Looking Just Like A Horse Never Hindered My Career” Parker told a People reporter that their marriage was fine.

She sort of , kind of, hinted there might be a “Sex and the City 2” movie being planned. And rumor has it ( shhhhh... you did NOT hear this from moi), that former trainwreck Britney Spears wants to role in the new flick as Parker’s character’s cousin.

Some quickies for you, sweeties, ( oh , ADMIT it, you always did like a quickie every now and then..and there’s nothing wrong with a quickie if it is done right, dontcha know..):

* From the How Dumb Can Some People Be? Department: A New York stage manager working on the set of the NBC show “Lipstick Jungle” figured, apparently, noone would care – or notice – that tens of thousands of dollars of designer bags were missing. So he scooped some up, took them home and put them on E-bay. Now Arthur Moreira has been arrested after cops were alerted by a designer’s assistant who saw the amazing Fendi, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and more, bargains on E-bay and figured something was fishy.

The case aagainst Moreira seems to be, so to speak, in the bag.

* Patrick Swayze, who has been battling pancreatic cancer for the last year, is writing his biography along with his wife Lisa. Swayze plays an FBI veteran who trains a rookie partner in his new TV show, "The Beast". The first season is wrapped and on the air and I hear producers are pleased and hoping Patrick is well enough to go for season two. He is one brave, tough, heroic kind of guy, if you ask me..

Fresh from the No Fool Like An Old ( And Often Drunk) Fool department: Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, 61, who left his gorgeous and devoted wife of 23 years, Jo , for Ekaterina Ivanova, the 20 year old cocktail waitress he met in a bar , has been spotted out about in New York. He bought Ekaterina a puppy and then a purse – perhaps her old purse was already full of cash and stuff?? The Russian gamine-looking girl has been wearing loose tops, fueling speculating Wood still has active sperm , if you get my drift.













"People fall in love despite an age gap. I fancy him because of the person he is. "I don't think about his age or the fact he's a Rolling Stone,” Ekaterina recently blithered to a UK reporter. Uh-huh.

It is probably his gorgeous face and physique and she’d love him if he were poor, too. Right, yep.

That’s it for this edition. Come back soon and in the meantime, go out there and rock your life, roll with the punches and do something so BOOMingly outrageous people smile and say, “I haven’t seen anyone have that much fun in eons!!!”