Becky's two-week turn as queen bee of the A.T. comes to a close, and she sure hopes she's done a better job keeping up with every celeb's T-town antics than Jena Malone did dressing herself. Plus, a couple of familiar faces come back on the pop scene with some fresh moves and new clothes—damn, we thought baggy jeans and high-tops were more deserving of a comeback than the New Kids were. Also, one Simpson sister splits up, while the other settles down, but we're just glad we don't have to listen to either of them sing.
Move over Posh and the rest of the spice rack—the New Kids on the Block are the hottest pop group hoping to go from has-beens to are-nows. We got psyched up on a heavy cocktail of nostalgia and curiosity and hopped over to the House of Blues to check out the dudes’ dress rehearsal for their Today Show performance. No better way to spend a Tuesday night than blasting to the past with some outdated tuneage, n’est-ce pas?
Outside Sunset Boulevard’s HOB, the lines were down the block, every heart-pounding fan clamoring to get in first and snag a choice spot, perf for catching some sweet singer sweat, fer sure. There were absolutely no cell phones or cameras allowed in the house, which resulted in tons of disappointed Industry types boo-hooing about not having their BlackBerries by their side. Heaven forbid a member of the entertainment press loses contact with the outside world for a half hour.
The boy-band bonanza began with video interviews and some behind-the-scenes footage of the guys goofing off in the studio. Joey McIntyre brought out his best “Leave Britney Alone!” impresh, tear ducts and all, proving just how serious a thespian the stud’s become in the last decade or so. The curtain dramatically lifted and the New Men on the Block walked out, lookin’ all sorts of stylish in sleek gray suits and classy black ties, handsomely dressed as though they were taking every lady in the place to the prom. They performed a medley of their greatest hits, including “Step by Step,” “Hangin’ Tough” and “The Right Stuff,” tho you could hardly hear a harmony or melody over the screams coming from gals in their late 20s, early 30s. How much ya wanna bet some of those women still sleep with NKOTB bedsheets?

eonline.com

It has been called the happiest minute in sports, a nightly, nationwide sing-along in which paying fans, for one brief, shining interlude, actually become the entertainment.
“Take Me Out to the Ball Game” turns 100 this year, and it has a real bounce in its step for an old codger.
“How many things have lasted 100 years and are more popular than ever?” asked Andy Strasberg, a San Diego-based sports marketer and author who happily admits he’s so “obsessed” with the song that his doorbell chimes out the tune.
If you were to serenade the sappy old song by singing “Happy Birthday to You,” you’d have chosen the only ditty in American culture that matches “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” in both participatory gusto and popularity.
Oh, technically, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” ranks third on the list of America’s most-sung songs, behind “Happy Birthday” and that other ballpark staple, the national anthem.
But while “The Star-Spangled Banner” can’t be properly sung by anyone not named Pavarotti, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” is the province of every man and woman.
“If you could invite someone to a game, musically, that’s the invitation,” said Seattle radio personality “New York Vinnie” Richichi, who estimates he has 300 recorded versions of the song.
It can be — and is — belted out, warbled, screeched and crooned with unashamed glee during the seventh-inning stretch of virtually every baseball game at every level — the most enduring and endearing ritual in all of sports. And we won’t even get into what it has done for the sale of Cracker Jack.
“This is the piece of music about baseball; all others are in second place or worse,” said Tim Wiles, director of research at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., and co-author, along with Strasberg and Bob Thompson, of “Baseball’s Greatest Hit: The Story of ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game.’ “

seattletimes.nwsource.com

‘89. Ed Harris. Oil-platform workers, including an estranged couple, and a Navy SEAL make a startling deep-sea discovery. (PG-13) (4:00) SCI-FI: Thu. 11 P.M.
• Ace in the Hole
‘51. Kirk Douglas. A New York newsman in New Mexico delays a cave-in victim’s rescue to milk the story. (NR) (2:00) TCM: Mon. 2 P.M. (CC)
‘05. Charlize Theron. In the last city on Earth, underground rebels dispatch their top assassin to kill a government leader. (PG-13) (1:35) TMC: Tue. 11:45 A.M., 10 P.M. (CC)
‘90. Mel Gibson. CIA-funded pilots hit drug traffic while flying supplies for the covert war effort in Laos. (R) (2:00) TBS: Fri. 10 A.M. (CC)
‘97. Michael Jeter. Abandoned by a disagreeable clown, a golden retriever with a knack for basketball befriends a lonely boy. (PG) (1:40) ENC: Mon. 6:20 P.M. (CC)
‘80. Robert Hays. A pilot afraid to fly follows his stewardess ex-girlfriend and must take over for the poisoned crew. (PG) (2:00) COMEDY: Sun. 11:30 A.M., Sat. 4 P.M. (CC)
• Akeelah and the Bee
‘06. Laurence Fishburne. Akeelah, an 11-year-old girl living in South Los Angeles, discovers she has a talent for spelling, which she hopes will take her to the National Spelling Bee. (PG) (2:00) SHO: Wed. 4:15 P.M., Sat. 2:45 P.M. (CC)
‘35. Joe E. Brown. An eccentric ballplayer known for his unorthodox pitching style finds major-league trouble with a girl and gangsters. (NR) (1:30) TCM: Fri. 1 P.M. (CC)
• Alien Nation: Dark Horizon
‘94. Gary Graham. A police detective and his humanoid partner unearth a plot to destroy aliens in near-future Los Angeles. (NR) (1:35) MAX: Wed. 5 P.M.
• All About the Benjamins
‘02. Ice Cube. A bounty hunter and a con artist work together to retrieve a lottery ticket from a group of diamond thieves. (R) (2:00) USA: Sat. midnight (CC)

post-gazette.com