I admit it. I love Kristen Bell. I don’t know if it’s her adorable little pixie blonde cute charm, or just leftover Veronica Mars affection (which will NEVER fade), but I frickin’ LOVE HER!

So, Kristin has a fiance, Dax. Oldies like moi will remember Dax from Punk’d days, but others might recognize him from his current gig, which is Crosby on Parenthood. Or, as I like to refer to the character – Jabbar’s Dad.

Well, anyway, Kristen is a huge animal lover, and has always wanted to interact with a sloth. A “Sloth Encounter” if you will.

Check out the A-DOR-A-BLE clip of her recounting on Elllen the story of how her honey made that shit happen!

So, this happened today. I walked down to Starbuck’s for my iced coffee fix. And one unusual and amazing thing was, they spelled my name right! But that was not all.

Also getting their coffee on were Stamie Karakasidis and Tracy Ryerson from season one of The Real L Word.

Me With Stamie Karakasidis and Tracy Ryerson

They were SO, SO nice when I imposed on them for a photo. I got all nervous and fumbly – I do this weird thing where it doesn’t freak me out to see/meet celebrities unless *I* really like them, and then I’m a nervous wreck. I mean, I used to live in Malibu, for God’s sake. I’ve met Tom Hanks, Mel Gibson (before he was crazy), Cindy Crawford, David Duchovny, John Cusack, Cher…I could go on and on. They registered a big NOTHING on the nervousness scale.

However, I meet Paul Giamatti (and this was a 2001 Paul Giamatti, immediately following “Duets” – he was NOT that famous yet!) and I lose my religion. I meet Stamie and Tracy and can’t even manage to operate my camera (and then phone) without fumbling all over the place.

Anyway, like I said, they were absolutely gracious and friendly and completely as nice and fun as they seemed to be on the show.

Check out the pic above, and make sure you check out their website – Our Fifteen Minutes!

If you read this blog, it’s not a secret to you how much I adore Matt Nathanson. I’ve flown to both Chicago and Massachusetts to see him play, for God’s sake!

Well, if you ever had any doubts why that might be…allow me to present the following:

Matt Nathanson performing Elton John’s I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues on Don’t Forget the Lyrics.

Just. Awesome.

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Take a look at the iPad ad that is showing up everywhere on the content network:

OK, here is a bizarre (and also inspiring!) thing that happened to my friend Jeannie and a project of hers, The Prayer Box Project.  Yes All In Caps.  Deal With It.

She had an idea to put a prayer box at the top of this popular hiking place here in LA, Runyon Canyon.  It’s a place where people tend to do an equal mixture of hiking and contemplating, due to the stunning combination of cardio-inspiring inclines and awe-inspiring views.

In this box, people could jot down their prayers on little pieces of paper and put them into the box, bolstered by the notion that their prayer, as it slipped through the slot, was joining all the prayers – all the love, longings, hopes, dreams, and ambitions – which had been scrawled out on similar bits of paper and entrusted to the box by the hikers who had come before.

It’s poetic and nice, right?

So, of course it got stolen inside a week.  Stinkin’ Angelenos!  Grr…

However, that’s not the end of the story.  On January 1st of this year, the very first day of the brand new decade, it mysteriously showed up again, with some of the prayers inside still intact, no less.  Sure, it was worse for the wear.  But aren’t we all?  The important thing is that it’s back, it’s working, it’s serving its purpose.  Again, what more can we hope for ourselves than that?

I’d like to take a lesson from the prayer box, and I think we all can.  Maybe 2009 tried to hold us back, and beat us up.  Maybe 2009 even snatched us off of the path we were on and held us hostage for awhile.

But, that was then and this is now.  It’s 2010 and WE’RE BACK, BABY!  We may be battle-scarred and a little tattered, but we are BACK ON THE MOUNTAINTOP!

PS – If you think this was a cool idea for a project and want to throw some support Jeannie’s way, due to her being the kind of person that would think of such a cool idea for a project, LOL, then visit her at her blog, http://IHeartJeannieMai.com (so named because she’s adorable and of course everyone does!), or watch her shows, How Do I Look? or Extra.  Although, the latter not being quite as important if you’re not a Nielson family.

OK, people!  I risked life and limb digging my camera out of my purse while still remaining level with this guy on the freeway!  Not to mention having to continue freeway driving while I held my camera up to the window with a steady enough hand to take a legible picture.

It was worth it, though, to memorialize this truck.  Jesus Party Rentals.

Where the staff of Party Down Catering will be working after they get their lives right, I imagine!  And here they thought they were just gonna go wait tables at the Soup’r Crackers!

So, if you’re into music and the internet, or even only one of the two, chances are you’ve heard of Bravo’s new show they’re casting for right now, called Hitmakers.  They’re looking for well-rounded artists, as opposed to American Idol who are looking primarily for singers.  Hitmakers wants people who can also write, produce, play instruments – the whole package.

Well, I was watching some of the audition tapes online, and I think I have found their winner.  Seriously, people.  Why even have a show?

Dorn is the epitome of the phrase “the whole package.”  From his unique fashion styling to his lyrical genius to his wall-o’-guitars, dude has it going on.

Don’t take my word for it.  See for yourself.

I give you….the man, the myth, the legend…..DORN:

Why, you may ask?  Or you may not.  You may just take it at face value.

If you DO require proof, however – here you go.

When I saw this headline on my iGoogle page today:

I had 4 thoughts in quick succession, and here they were:

1. That’s just like Season 2 of Veronica Mars
2. Damn, Veronica Mars was a good show.  I wonder if they’re ever going to do that movie.
3. Rob Thomas is talented like WHOA.  At least now we have Party Down.
4. PARTY DOWN IS COMING BACK IN APRIL! YES!!!!!

That’s what happened in my head.  What was outwardly observable was that I read the words, “Bus Plunges Off Cliff in Northern Mexico. 14 Dead.” and less than two seconds later, said out loud, “YES!!!!”

Possibly inappropriate?  Possibly.

Kathy Griffin’s all about the letters.

Watch her here dropping the F bomb on New Year’s Eve to Anderson Cooper, discussing Balloon Boy.  As he says, “You’re terrible.  Really terrible.”

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Only a couple more weeks until the return of Big Love, and I can’t wait!

In the meantime, here’s a Christmas greeting from the Prophet and Ladies of Juniper Creek to tide us over. It’s hilariously awesome!

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