OMG! 'Gossip Girl' returns with more surprises, juicier drama

May 6th, 2008

Gossip’s gaggles of fans are thinking the same thing. On Monday (8 p.m. ET/PT), Serena, Blake, Chuck and the rest of the preternaturally groomed gang of private high schoolers are back on the Upper East Side to continue the cavorting begun before the writers’ strike. Shenanigans then included breaking into the school pool for a martinis-and-bikinis party; sleeping with a boyfriend — and his best friend — as Blair did; and taking the inevitable pregnancy test. All of which, of course, “everyone does,” jokes Meester, especially within the same week. At the end of the last episode, Blair’s reputation is in ruins, and Nate, her ex, is adrift, having lost both his girlfriend and his best friend, Chuck.
Expect ratcheted-up raciness in the final five episodes of Season 1, cast members say. “These scripts have been really, really juicy and exciting,” Lively, 20, says. For one, Serena’s most formidable frenemy, Georgina Sparks (ex-Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Michelle Trachtenberg), returns to reveal why the blond heroine was mysteriously whisked away to boarding school, only to come back in time for the start of the series. Georgina’s claws-out presence promises to shake the stability of Serena’s uptown girl-Brooklyn boy romance with Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley). Another jolt: One character is coming out as gay, though no one will reveal whom.
And it will all be chronicled via the must-read blog of the anonymous Gossip Girl (voiced by Kristen Bell).
Every episode will elicit an “OMG!,” Lively says, “at least three times.” They’re brimming with “a lot of ‘Oh-my-goodness-gracious!’ moments. … That’s one part of the advertising that’s accurate.”
“Our show has come in with a bang, and now they wish it will come back with a bang,” says Lively, immediately aware of the unintended prurient pun.
In fact, Gossip isn’t quite the broadcast bang: The first 13 episodes averaged only 2.5 million viewers per episode. But sales on iTunes have been robust, regularly spiking to the top-selling slot. And among network shows, the show ranks No. 9 among that coveted demographic — female teens. Among total teens, it reaches No. 30, tied with Dancing With the Stars. Gossip’s impact on the broader culture, from music to fashion, is fierce, drawing comparisons to the marks that Sex and the City and The OC made. Because it’s set and filmed in New York, it’s introducing a new generation to the city Sex glamorized a decade ago. And it’s key to the struggling CW network’s future.

usatoday.com


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Here are three guilt-free chocolate finds from Lisa (Hungry Girl …

April 27th, 2008

BY LISA LILLIEN
Thursday, April 3rd 2008, 4:00 AM
Here are three guilt-free chocolate finds from Lisa (Hungry Girl) Lillien:
Little Debbie 100 Calories Snow Puffs
PER SERVING (1 Puff): 100 calories, 2g fat, 55mg sodium, 20g carbs, 1g fiber, 11g sugars, 1g protein
It’s hit or miss with my friend Little Debbie. She failed with her microscopic 100-calorie brownies, but I am so digging her 100-calorie Snow Puffs. For those of you not familiar with the wonderful world of Snow Puffs, each of these treats consists of a soft, fudgy chocolate cookie topped with a giant marshmallow that’s covered with coconut flakes. Don’t get me wrong - I’m not suggesting that they’re nutritious in any way. But they taste amazingly good - fudgy, squishy, coconuty, and just all around delicious. I’m not saying you should eat these puffy li’l snack sensations daily, but every once in a while it might be worth it to enjoy one of these calorie-friendly Snow Puffs - live a little, people!
Trader Joe’s 100 Calorie Milk Chocolate Bars, Smooth and Creamy Belgian Chocolate
PER SERVING (1 bar): 100 calories, 6g fat, 15mg sodium, 10g carbs, 0g fiber, 10g sugars, 1g protein
TJ’s has introduced yet another 100-calorie snacking option to the world - pure chocolate! And these bars are all about portion control. There’s nothing remotely diety about the supercreamy, fantastic Belgian chocolate. It’s simply that the bars are individually wrapped and contain 100 calories’ worth of chocolate. And they’re a pretty decent size (although the bars are skinny, they’re an impressive 5 inches long and 1 inch wide - not that I measured them or anything). For a true chocolate fix, these really hit the spot! BTW, there’s also a dark chocolate version of these bars - those each have 8g fat but also a gram of fiber.

nydailynews.com


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Documents Detail Abuse at YFZ Ranch

April 8th, 2008

The proverbial lid seems to have not just been blown off of incidents surrounding the YFZ Ranch in Eldorado, Texas, but to have undergone violent explosive decompression.
There has been a second arrest since police raided the compound under warrant issued regarding a complaint by a 16 year old girl alleging abuse, and now there are sworn affidavits by girls taken from the compound that back up the initial complaints.
In the initial complain, a 16 year old girl called a family violence shelter, alleging that she had been repeatedly beaten and abused after her family arrived at the ranch three years ago. Documents released today by authorities show the girl stating that the man she was “married” to “beat and hurt her” whenever she was angry, alleging that another woman who was “married” to the man would hold her infant child while she was being beaten by her husband. Her husband is a 50 year old man, to whom she was married “in a spiritual union through the church,” and that he was no longer on the compound, having left the ranch for unknown reasons. She is his seventh current wife.
She reported that the last time he beat her was on Easter Sunday 2008. The report also indicated that, on a previous occasion, the man had beaten her so severely that it resulted in her having several broken ribs, for which she was taken to the hospital. She reported that the doctor wrapped her torso in an ace bandage and gold her to “take it easy for a few days.” She also indicated that the man would hurt her, explaining that he would force himself on her sexually. She also indicated that she is several weeks pregnant.
She also stated that she was not allowed to leave the YFZ ranch for any reason other than to receive medical attention, at which point she would be driven by her husband and another woman from the ranch.

wwwwakeupamericans-spree.blogspot.com


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New chances for Spitzer call girl "Kristen"

March 14th, 2008

BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhuanet) — Ashley AlexandraDupre, more famous as “Kristen”, the call-girl embroiled in the prostitutionscandal that forced New Yok governor Eliot Spitzer to resign, seems to have morechances for her musical career after her identification was exposed to public.
Top talent scouts are weighing in on her chancesafter the 22-year-old racked up millions of MySpace views and launchedmuch-sought-after new songs on priced-by-demand Web site AmieStreet.com sincethe Spitzer story broke.
Before Dupre’s MySpace page was deleted Thursday, ithad received 4,612,397 views and her song “What We Want” touted 711,334 plays.
“People want to see if there’s an opportunity there,”says Ted Cohen, a former talent scout for Warner Bros. and now managing partnerat TAG Strategic, which advises startup music companies on all aspects ofdigital media.
“Is what she’s posted a hit? No. But if someone likeJay-Z or Danger Mouse or Jimmy Iovine wanted to give her a shot, she’ll have ashot,” said Cohen.
Music publicist Diana Baron suggested that Dupre’sbest shot is to end up in some glossy lad magazines, then segue from thatplatform to a music contract.
Dupre’s mother, Carolyn Capalbo, 46, told mediaearlier that her daughter “is a very bright girl who can handle someone like thegovernor.”
And friends in Dupre’s hometown, NewJersey, called Dupre a “good, good girl” who was a cheerleader in middle school,babysat for neighborhood kids, and liked to karaoke to pop tunes in herribbon-decorated bedroom.

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