BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — But seriously, folks, what’s the deal with Betty White? She’s 89 and should be sitting in a rocker sipping tea and making a quilt. Instead, she’s causing anyone under 90 to feel like a slacker by stealing awards from hard-working young actors with her sitcom “Hot in Cleveland,” signing on to do a “Punk’d”-type show for NBC and …

There’s a good reason why this actress’ skin is glowing and she looks so happy lately. She’s pregnant! Our girl is only about eight weeks along at this point, so you probably won’t see a baby bump for a few more weeks. However, she is currently filming a role that requires form-fitting clothing, so it will be interesting to see if she drops out as she gains weight.

Although she is not married or engaged to the Baby Daddy, she is very happy in their relationship. He’s not as excited as she is about being a parent, but he really likes her and is fine with the news. No plans for the two to get married at this time, which is just as well, as the relationship has moved along so fast as it is. Besides, he’s working on a lot of projects of his own and has already done the family thing, so we doubt he’s in a hurry to make this new little family official. (Blind Gossip)

ScarJo and Sean Penn? But have they even better together for 8 weeks? Time flies when you're up in a bitch's business, I guess. What I don't understand is ScarJo had some perfectly good Ryan Reynolds sperm at her disposal yet she chooses Sean Penn's dusty shit instead? Her fetus (if one exists) just grew eyes in record time so it could roll 'em at her decision making skills.

But I will not believe this until I see Hugo Chavez skipping down the road singing about how he's a godfather now.

This star is part of an ensemble cast that gets together every once in a while to hang out. Our star is not the brightest star of the bunch but she is one of the nicest. Because she is so nice, and generally well liked by every body in the group it’s caused some jealousy issues with one of the cattier stars. The jealousy boiled over after the group hung out several weeks ago and the jealous actress had a few drinks in her. She got her hands on a used tampon and put it on the driver’s seat of the nice celeb’s car. When the nice star was walked out to her car by the group, everyone saw it and although she denied it was hers, everyone was still grossed out. (BuzzFoto)

How is Wendie Malick going to do Betty White like that?

If the sophisticated French women of the world have taught us anything, it's that no-one can have too many scarves. A lightweight, cotton scarf is the gift that keeps on giving. It's a must-have basic accessory to have in your arsenal! Banana Republic, the maker of eternally classic pieces, makes a wonderful scarf wrap with a large white and blue paisley pattern on a light cotton. Paisley is a classic and versatile pattern that spices up solids but works with a small stripe print or faint plaid. This scarf in rich navy with large scale paisley will look right on trend with a solid white shirt dress, flowing maxi, or a peasant skirt and tank. When the weather cools off, wrap it around your neck under a leather jacket with jeans and riding boots. Tres chic! Just remember ... When it comes to scarves and cheese, the French are never wrong. Where to Buy - Banana Republic Price - $49.50 Who Found It - BrookeElisabeth was the first to add the Banana Republic Betty Paisley Scarf to the Hive.

It is not a surprise that Betty White, Sandra Bullock and Will Smith are the “most appealing” celebrities in the U.S. But if you’re an advertiser looking for a star to front your next campaign, having this quantified — White, Bullock and Smith get survey scores of 55, 52 and 49, respectively, when the average celeb can only muster 19 on a scale of 1-100 — is pure gold (See all charts below).

That quantification is done by E-Poll Research, a market research agency dedicated to ranking celebrities and brand icons so that, er, you know who’s winning and who’s losing.

E-Poll continuously asks thousands of consumers to rank stars and icons on a seemingly endless list of attributes and then slices and dices that info based on the demographics of the respondents.

The “least-appealing” celebrity list is somewhat surprising: Spencer Pratt comes out on top, beating killer and convicted robber O.J. Simpson.

Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich comes third. Even though Blagojevich is currently a spokesperson for Wonderful Pistachios, few companies would consider using Nadya “Octomom” Suleman, Jon Gosselin or Heidi Montag in campaigns.

Retaining Sandra Bullock to front your brand is likely an expensive prospect, so advertisers will probably pay more attention to those rankings that show stars who are gaining appeal fast or who are not that well-known but nonetheless enormously appealing to anyone who encounters them. (Think about Progressive’s Flo — she was an unknown when the campaign started but is now regarded as a sort of national treasure.)

Biggest recent gainers in likability are skier Lindsey Vonn, Betty White (again, following her stint on Saturday Night Live), and Nathan Fillion. If you said “who?” to that last one, it’s because you don’t watch ABC’s Castle, but you would recognize him if he appeared in a commercial. That’s the sort of metric that makes him perfect as an adman.

Mel Gibson had the biggest decline in appeal following his domestic abuse/anti-semitism scandals. But pity poor Susan Boyle and Dennis Haysbert – both were big decliners following months out of the spotlight. And Hayes has been all but displaced from the AllState campaign by the newly popular Mayhem. 

 The real sweet spot for advertisers will be the stars with lowest awareness but highest appeal. Alexander Skarsgard, who plays a sexy vampire on HBO’s True Blood, leads that poll, followed by America’s Got

Talent contestant Jackie Evancho and Kirsten Vangsness of Criminal Minds. (Don’t worry, I had to look up the last two as well.)

 Although he didn’t come top, I’d keep an eye on Eric Stonestreet, who plays the chunky gay dad on Modern Family. He steals every scene he’s in.

Another underutilized celebrity — if you regard having two cable TV shows as “underutilized” — is Mike Holmes. If you haven’t heard of him, that’s because you’re not into DIY and home improvement projects. Holmes hosts HGTV’s Holmes on Homes and Holmes Inspection, in which Holmes shows up at the house someone who has been ripped off by contractors and put things right.

It’s strangely appealing stuff, even though the “drama” of many shows revolves around rotten drywall and sinking foundations. Holmes is top of the “most appealing” list among baby-boomers, who would probably buy any product he asked them to.

Easily the most voyeuristic part of the E-Poll survey is its time-tracking of “competing” stars’ reputations. Here’s E-Poll’s comparison of the highest-paid actresses’ “like a lot” since 2003:

This post originally appeared at BNET.

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Last Mother’s Day, Betty White famously hosted a stellar episode of Saturday Night Live. Well, we can’t have the almost-nonagenarian back for a second go-round, but we’ve got the next best thing: Tina Fey. And the former cast member, and current 30 Rock star sure chose a good week to host, what with such headline-grabbing

"I think you've got it. My work here is done," White says.

1,500 supporters, including celebrities, prominent philanthropists, business leaders and elected officials will gather at the L.A. Live Events Deck for “Dream for Kids: The Grand Opening Gala” on Saturday, May 7.

The exclusive black-tie event celebrates the Children's Hospital Los Angeles' 110th anniversary and the completion of its new $636 million hospital building, which opens July 10. Three-time GRAMMY Award winning jazz pianist and singer Diana Krall will provide the night’s headline entertainment and two-time Emmy award-winner Eric Stonestreet will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Grammy-winner Patti Austin will perform the grand finale with the “Dream for Kids” Ensemble.

Renowned celebrity chefs Wolfgang Puck and Nobu Matsuhisa will specially prepare food for the evening. Guests will be surrounded by an interactive atmosphere that honors children, featuring entertainment from more than 175 young artists, including the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra, conducted by Richard Kaufman.

Celebrities and elected officials confirmed to attend include Billy Crystal, Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest, Garcelle Beauvias, Melanie Griffith, Mark Feuerstein, honoree Mary Hart, Alex Meneses, California State Senator Alex Padilla and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Red carpet arrivals begin at 5:30pm. For more information and venue directions, click here.

Related past articles

• Heidi Klum To Walk With Celebrity Friends For Charity
• William Shatner To Host Charity Horse Show This Weekend
• Red Cross Announces New Stars For National Celebrity Cabinet
• Betty White To Be Honored At Celebrity Charity Event This Weekend
• Leeza Gibbons And LeAnn Rimes Dare2Care For Charity

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"She's coming in from a helicopter. She's going to bust through the ceiling," speculated Eric D'Onofrio, 21, of Oakdale.

Happening Now! America’s Sweetheart and the last survivng Golden Girl, Betty White, chats about the release of her new autobiography — If You Ask Me… — on The Joy Behar [...]

The Golden Girl Gets Around

Yesterday, May 4, Betty White and Michael Stripe were the featured guests at the TimesTalks series in New York City. White spoke about her career with Frank Bruni, while the R.E.M. frontman was interviewed by Hugo Lindgren. BroadwayWorld was on hand for both events and brings you photo coverage below.

While promoting her new book, “If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t),” on “Late Show With David Letterman", small screen legend Betty White inadvertently offended the host, plus 'X Factor' welcomes another judge.

Betty White’s new memoir, If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t), hit shelves Tuesday. And considering the 89-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down, it wasn’t a surprise that she stopped by The Times Center last night for the TimesTalk event “A Conversation with Betty White.” The seven-time Emmy award-winning actress, interviewed by Frank

"I have good genes, but I'm a health nut. My favourite food (is) hot dogs with french fries. And I get a lot of exercise. I have a two-storey house with a very bad memory." Actress Betty White, 89, jokes about how she maintains good health.

Senior Citizens are human and therefore still enjoy carnal indulgances so we shouldn't be shocked that Betty White has an active dating life.

We know full well how Bea Arthur felt about her Golden Girls costar Betty White, partly thanks to all those years when Rue McClanahan ran around saying that Bea called Betty a c-word. In Rue's bo...

Blurbed on the cover of Betty White's new book If You Ask Me is none other than vampy, scampy Robert Pattinson, who offered: "Betty White is one of the sexiest women in America." Take that, Kim ...

Filed under: Reality-Free, TV Replay

After all these years, it looks like the wounds of 'The Tonight Show' may never heal.

Betty White was on 'Late Show' (Weeknights, 11:35PM ET on CBS) to talk about her new book, 'If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won't),' but David Letterman seemed focused solely on one thing he found in it.

White described the book as, "Just a bunch of short pieces on a variety of subjects. How I feel about various things."

It was one of those short pieces that caught Letterman's eye, and he asked White about it, showing her and the audience a picture. It was of White laughing it up on 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.'

 

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Taking care of some promotional duties, Betty White was spotted at “The Late Show with David Letterman” last night (May 4).

The “Hot in Cleveland” actress looked lovely as she discussed her life, and brand new book “If You Ask Me” with the late night host.

At one point in the interview, Letterman inquired as to Betty’s dating status given that she’s been single since her husband passed away in 1981.

White replied, "Why do you make it sound like such a remote possibility? 'I mean, is there a possibility? How in the world?!' Of course I do!”

It's obvious that Betty White tops the "most-liked" list. But advertisers are often more interested in the "low awareness, high appeal" stars or celebrities with big recent gains in "likability."

Holy cheesecake, Rose!!!!! We made the back cover of Betty White's new autobiography! We will be linked with her forever now!!!! Ha *deep breaths* *such a moment* *running to buy the book now*

Like many people I have been watching and reflecting on the run-up to the Scottish Parliament elections today, and finding the experience in equal parts fascinating and frustrating.

In one way, these are elections of some theatre and drama, the Labour-SNP contest, the background of the cuts, what happens to the Tories and Lib Dems. And yet they are not really an example of an imaginative, emboldened, or even in parts honest politics.

Post-war Scotland: From ‘We Have a Dream’ to ‘We are Doomed’

There is so much unsaid and unstated. It begs: what is the contemporary story of modern Scotland? Once we had a powerful post-war story of Scotland. It went along the lines of ‘we have a dream’, a collective, mobilising story. It was filled with hope and a sense of progress, rationalism, planning, order and a belief that things could be solved. This is the world whose last gasp is generally seen as Cumbernauld New Town and the film ‘Gregory’s Girl’.

This was supplanted in the 1980s by the ‘we are all doomed’ strand of the Scottish character. At first this overtly negative message in the eloquent hands of writers such as William McIlvanney, Alasdair Gray and others, had a positive, unifying message seen in the former’s ‘Stands Scotland Where It Did?’ 1987 lecture. It was motivated by our collective need to huddle together against the elemental rainstorm of Thatcherism, which we saw as a real palpable threat to our very existence: to Scottish values and even Scotland as a nation.

Now this 1980s account went completely over the top in its portrayal of Thatcherism as some sort of scorched earth mentality. Slowly and not surprisingly, ‘we are all doomed’ drifted from an affirming, uplifting story stressing things shouldn’t be like this into something desolate, pitying and disempowering.

I think what was particularly significant in this shift was the establishment of the Scottish Parliament which came about in an anti-political age, and at a point when despite the influence of the left in culture and society historically, relatively we were living without any vibrant, influential left; I don’t think Tommy Sheridan’s existence and then self-destruction invalidates that point; rather it makes it.

Thus this new negativity turned in on itself and us: the transition from the richness of McIlvanney in the 1980s to the barren landscape of Peter Mullan’s films in the last decade: from ‘The Big Man’ to ‘NEDS’. This is the world of what is seen as miserablism, a new school of Scottish thought which has arisen in response to the Thatcher rainstorm.

What is not commented upon is the rise of the more prevalent intellectual miserablism which pervades Scottish society. What this says is that contemporary Scotland is a horrid, bleak place; that there is no exit, no escape, no redemption, no hope. Instead, we live in a black and white world of moral certainty and absolutism. This world sees Mrs. Thatcher as the source of all that is wrong in Scotland, and refuses to see the stories of Scotland as more deep-seated, enduring and multi-various.

What characterises this world is that it is made up nearly entirely of either leftists or former leftists: people like the Peter Mullans and contemporary William McIlvanneys. They are disappointed that the world has not turned out in the manner they thought in their earlier ‘we have a dream’ part of the story.

This miserablist account tells us something about the Scottish left mindset. The ‘we have a dream’ world of ‘Caledonian dreaming’ was nearly always about an abstract, distant, impossiblist Scotland, not the real, complex, contradictory place. It posed utopian, idealist solutions to everything, and was barren on offering feasible or detailed ideas for dealing with the challenges and problems society has. And so it isn’t surprising that learning to live with its own disappointments and failures, this genre has turned on itself, and rather than engage in self-reflection, it has developed an intellectual miserablist manifesto of Scotland. In ‘we are all doomed’ the sequel, the people are not worthy of our dreamers and idealists.

How to Imagine Scotland’s Story

Robert McKee’s magnum opus, ‘Story’, the authority on screenwriting, examines what makes and draws us into story, namely the importance of character. He writes that it is ‘revealed in the choices a human being makes under pressure - the greater the pressure, the deeper the revelation, the truer the choice to the character’s essential nature.’

Central to story and character is the amount of risk according to McKee, ‘Here’s a simple test to apply to any story. Ask: what is the risk? What does the protagonist stand to lose if he does not get what he wants? More specifically, what’s the worst thing that will happen to the protagonist if he does not achieve his desire? If this question cannot be answered in a compelling way, the story is misconceived at its core.’

Story at the level of a nation or society just like at other levels cannot be compelling without the idea of people identifying and embracing risk, and so doing defining their character and that of society.

The prevailing spirit of our times is to talk of hope lost, and see this as the age after the great disillusion.This was cogently expressed by Katie Grant in ‘Scottish Review’ talking about the reach and sense of disillusion and disappointment which pervades much of society.

I feel that this account does not reflect the diverse, challenging lives many of us live. Put it this way: before the politics of the crash, the cuts and the coming age of austerity, were the modern lives of those after the baby boomers and even after the post-baby boomers, really all about disillusion? That might be one of the collective stories, but aren’t the personal and individual stories more rich and telling? I think for many people their lives are filled with a sense of richness, engagement and hope, and a belief which is universally inherent to humans that the future can be better. And that one of our challenges is to reconnect these individual accounts into a new collective story.

Feeling the Fear and Doing It Anyway: The Power of Hope

To understand where we are and where we might choose to go, we need to understand the past and the post-war story of Scotland. Recently I went back to the part of Dundee I grew up in, Ardler, where myself and my parents lived in a multi-storey at 13A Edzell Court. Ardler is on the northwest corner of Dundee, and was a council estate comprising six tower blocks built in 1968 on the land of Downfield Golf Course which the council bought and thus filled with space, facilities and places to play.

I had a blessed childhood growing up in Ardler, loving parents with secure employment, both socially and politically engaged, a rich hinterland and a safe environment filled with friends. Ardler went wrong in the mid to late 1980s long after I left it and the last multi-storey was blown up in 2007 with nothing remaining of the original estate but the two primary schools and churches, community and health centre and the many trees. In its place, a new gentrified, much-lauded ‘Ardler Village’ has arisen.

What I am trying to convey is the universal truism of this. The post-war story of my parents and my childhood in Ardler, just evaporated into thin air, a kind of silencing of working class lives and experiences, which has happened all over Scotland and Britain.

What comes after is understandable in this context. Carol Craig, writing of the experience of seeing ‘Ardler Village’ commented that Ardler ‘was a concrete jungle with crumbling buildings and few social amenities’, a story spun by the spin doctors of the new age. This is the oldest trick: the Old/New Labour, Old/New Glasgow, denigrate and caricature the past, to justify the present.

This is what is happening across Britain. A nationwide narrative says ‘council housing didn’t work’, ‘tower blocks were all horrible’, ‘we were stupid to think we could abolish poverty’, or ‘save the feckless poor from themselves’. Next stop is talking about the underclass, welfare dependency, chavs and neds.

There is an exhaustion and bewilderment in the professional classes about their once missionary project to save the world, the poor and their own souls. Instead, they have unwittingly become part of the problem.

On my return to Ardler, I spoke with several Dundonians, the warm, loving Michael Marra and Betty Kilgour, my mum’s best friend in Ardler in the 1970s and 1980s. They reflected on the changes we have lived through, and the warmth, connectedness and love that was in Ardler and similar places, the sense of shared stories and experiences that people carried.

Scotland’s predicaments aren’t really particularly Scottish. They are part of the universal set of experiences: the crisis of modernity some would call it, and at a more human level, the crisis of stories and the crisis of heroes.

Hope is out there in modern Scotland. We just need to voice our new stories, along with some old ones and some timeless ones. We need to dream collective stories, create stories that we live in and inhabit as active agents and then make them real. We have to find platforms and vessels to share, connect and live them. And these have to be stories and dreams which have both complexity and simplicity in them, and don’t go off into dreaming of an abstract, perfect Scotland, either a ‘Caledonian Cuba’ or ‘Andrew Neil Ayn Rand Ecosse’.

That story like all stories seems to be partly there and just needing development into a compelling account. It is a story after the certainties of left and right, unionism and nationalism, and every other tribalism you might care to mention which has helped shape our society. It will also go beyond the abstraction of ‘independence’, and those techie tinkerings, Calman and fiscal autonomy, which mean nothing to anyone outside policy wonk land.

Scotland’s future story is going to be about inter-independence, a politics of a self-governing nation in an age of interdependence and inter-relatedness. And it will also be a society, culture and economy shaped by self-determination, in which we learn to express our individual and collective desires and hopes in a manner which acknowledges the fragility of the planet and impermanence of all of us.

Telling that story implies that we start to leave the closed conversations, comforting stories and default positions of much of what we all believe, and take the risk of challenging the narrow broadband of institutional Scotland. The old stories of certainty and simplicity are threadbare and exhausted.

We need to articulate new stories which succeed in a very delicate balancing act: embracing complexity, but allowing for some simplicity, daring to be indignant, but also allowing for joy and lightness, and reflecting a world where so much is wrong and unjust, but where much of life is worth celebrating, and allowing for this nuance. What is stopping us but the fear we might get it wrong? We all know we need a new story for Scotland…. 

This piece was originally published in the Scottish Review.

 

Chicago Tribune

As she prepares to visit Skokie, Betty White dispenses some relationship ... Chicago Tribune Don't kid yourself. Even though her age is 89, you, too, would like a shot at Betty White, stone cold fox. From the moment Derrick Rose hoisted his MVP trophy into the air Wednesday night and told the United Center crowd, "This right here is for the ... and more »

As she prepares to visit Skokie, Betty White dispenses some relationship advice for the average male

Don't kid yourself. Even though her age is 89, you, too, would like a shot at Betty White, stone cold fox. As she prepares to visit Skokie, the actress dispenses some relationship advice for the average male.

As she prepares to visit Skokie, Betty White dispenses some relationship advice for the average male

Don't kid yourself. She might be 89, but you know you'd like a shot with her.

The indomitable White has offered us numerous shockers in the past year, between Hot in Cleveland and Saturday Night Live. Watch for glimpses of her long-running affair with some moist-eyed mammals.

HLN's Joy Behar talks with Betty White about being last surviving "Golden Girls" and how Bea Arthur did not like her.

HLN's Joy Behar talks with Betty White about being last surviving "Golden Girl," and how Bea Arthur did not like her.

Penguin's Book Country is a Brand New Online Community For Genre Fiction Writers And Readers [image]This week Penguin Group (USA) announced the soft launch of Book Country, an online community where readers and writers can come together to read original fiction, post work or comments, and make a name for themselves. The free, multi-faceted site, led by Book Country President Molly Barton, Penguin's Director of Business Development, defines "genre fiction" as all the subgenres of romance, mystery, thriller, science fiction, and fantasy. The site is a creative and supportive space where writers and readers can give and receive constructive criticism, discover new books, discuss and share tips and experiences, and learn about the publishing industry. Book Country also offers agents, publishers and editors a place to discover new voices. Later this year, Book Country will offer self-publishing services for eBooks and print books. Though owned by Penguin Group (USA), Book Country includes books from publishers across  the industry on the Genre Map, and staff members from all publishers are welcome to participate. "We created Book Country because while writing and publishing sites have proliferated in recent years, none were designed by publishing experts to create a more valuable pathway forward for new writers," explained Book Country President Molly Barton. The new site has already gained widespread national attention. An article on the front page of The New York Times Arts section ran on launch day. Publishers Weekly and Publishers Lunch also covered Tuesday's soft launch of the site, as Book Country's traction in the genre fiction community is growing rapidly. Follow Book Country on Facebook and Twitter. Beloved Betty White's If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't) is the Talk of the Nation [image]The book everyone has been buzzing about has finally arrived. Beloved seven-time Emmy winner Betty White brings her wit and wisdom to fans throughout the country with G. P. Putnam's Sons May 3 publication of If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't), a collection of all new material that includes her thoughtful observations and humorous stories that are funny, sweet, and to the point—just like Betty. The media blitz begins with a wonderful feature by Frank Bruni in The New York Times Arts Section this Sunday, May 1, followed closely by another major feature with photos in USA Today on Monday, May 2. On publication day, Betty will be making the rounds to the top television shows starting with an interview on ABC's Good Morning America, then on to co-host the The View, and over to CBS' Late Show with David Letterman to deliver the "Top 10" list on Wednesday, May 4. Other major media coverage kicks off with a stellar lineup of print features running in Newsweek, Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, USA Weekend, Thomson Reuters, AARP online, and a Books-A-Million BookPage cover story. Additional national television appearances include PBS' Tavis Smiley Show, CNN's Joy Behar, and the "Gayle King Show" on OWN and SIRIUS XM radio. Tune in to hear Betty on NPR's Weekend Edition, The Takeaway, and Leonard Lopate Show, as well as the syndicated Joan Hamburg Show, and Mitch Albom on ABC Radio. She will also reach homes across nationwide via television and radio satellite tours that will hit top markets throughout the country. Look out for reviews and book coverage in Entertainment Weekly, Ladies' Home Journal, TV Guide Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Better Homes and Gardens, Time Out New York, Chicago Tribune's RedEye, and New York Magazine's popular "Vulture" blog. Fans will have a chance to meet Betty White during a two-week national book signing tour in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles that includes two on-stage conversations with Frank Bruni at TimesTalks in New York City and with actor Carl Reiner for Writers Bloc at The Writers Guild Theater in Los Angeles. Additional book signings will take place at Barnes & Noble in Lake Grove, Long Island, the Fifth Avenue store in New York City, and Skokie, IL, as well as Costco in Marina del Ray and Book Soup in Los Angeles. Janny Scott's A Singular Woman Draws Major National Media Coverage [image]Stanley Ann Dunham, President Obama's mother, is the subject of a deeply reported and researched biography, A Singular Woman, by award-winning, New York Times reporter Janny Scott.  Little is known about the fiercely independent, spirited woman who raised the current president of the United States. Through her exhaustive research, Scott uncovered the full breadth of Dunham's life.  This acclaimed book has captured national attention in advance of its release by Riverhead on May 3.  A major national media campaign launched with an excerpt from the book in The New York Times Sunday Magazine. The piece ran as the cover story in the April 24th print edition of the magazine and was featured online on the Times' homepage last week. The online excerpt generated hundreds of comments and sparked a media frenzy, with blogs and websites across the country and all over the world picking it up, including Salon.com and New York Magazine. Salon called the excerpt "a tantalizing slice of what will likely become one of the most talked about books of the spring, and a compelling portrait of a woman whose unorthodox life would make for a compelling read even if her only son hadn't become the 44th president." On publication day, the author will appear on WHYY's Fresh Air, interviewed by Terry Gross; on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, in a live, in-studio interview; and on PRI's The Takeaway (one million listeners and airs on 50 stations nationwide). She will also be interviewed on PBS' The Charlie Rose Show and on WAMC FM's The Roundtable. In the following week, she will appear on C-SPAN's After Words. We've also scheduled interviews for Scott on Sirius XM's Bob Edwards and The Maggie Linton Show. Scott will also take part in a national tour, including appearances in New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Seattle, and Chicago. On May 4, Scott is scheduled for an 18-20 city national radio satellite tour, followed by an 18-20 city national television satellite tour on May 5. Look for upcoming review coverage of A Singular Woman in The New York Times Sunday Book Review, The New York Times daily edition on May 3rd, USA Today, People Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, and The Boston Globe, among other publications. Five Penguin Group (USA) Books Lead USA Today's Preview of "May Books Not to Miss" [image]USA Today's "May Books Preview," featured prominently in the Life section of Thursday's edition of the paper, was led by five books published by Penguin Group (USA). Betty White's If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won't), on sale May 3 from Putnam, is the lead title among "books not to miss in May" in a full-page spread on celebrity memoirs and biographies. The Story of How I Became a Man by Chaz Bono, to be published by Dutton on May 10, is also featured on this page.  USA Today reporter Carol Memmott focused on ten fiction and nonfiction books not to miss in May, and ranked #1 is A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama's Mother by Janny Scott, which goes on sale from Riverhead on May 3. Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks, being published May 3 by Viking, is #2.  The Immortal Story of Cleopatra: Queen of Kings by Maria Dahvana Headley, which goes on sale from Dutton on May 12, is #6.  Putnam and the Robert B. Parker Estate to Continue Publication of Parker's Top Best-Selling Series with New Authors [image]G. P. Putnam's Sons and the Robert B. Parker estate have come together to strike a deal that will allow Parker's top bestselling series, Spenser (39 novels since 1974) and Jesse Stone (9 novels since 1997), to continue in the hands of two new, highly respected and accomplished writers, Michael Brandman and Ace Atkins. Parker, who authored more than 60 novels between 1974 and 2010, most of them national best-sellers, passed away in January of 2010, after which his last few completed novels were published posthumously by Putnam. The final work, Sixkill, the 39th entry in the beloved Spenser series about the now-legendary Boston private detective who goes only by his surname, goes on sale May 3.   Joan Parker, Robert's widow, and his soul-mate since they met as teenagers in Massachusetts in the early 1950s, expressed her enthusiasm for the new arrangement with Putnam and the new authors: "I am delighted that the worlds of Spenser and Jesse Stone will live on in the capable, talented hands of such gifted writers," she stated.   Putnam President Ivan Held noted that "It is exciting to think that we can keep these two iconic characters that Bob invented going with the deft touches of our new authors, Michael Brandman and Ace Atkins under the eye of  Bob's longtime editor Chris Pepe. They have truly captured the voice that gave—and still gives—so many readers great pleasure." Putnam Executive Editor Chris Pepe recalled, "I started working with Bob Parker as a young editor more than twenty-three years ago. Although I was new to the publishing world, I knew Bob: he had long been one of my father's literary idols, and therefore became one of mine. How lucky for me, then, to work with him for all those years, on forty-seven incredible books. He was an absolute joy, and clearly very patient: he's the one who really taught me to be an editor, and so I owe him a tremendous debt. I'm thrilled that we have found two such talented writers to carry on Bob's work; they respect and understand the characters of Spenser and Jesse, and are ideal stewards to bring both series into the future." Michael Brandman is a long-established Hollywood producer and screenwriter who, with actor Tom Selleck, both co-wrote and produced the CBS television movies featuring Selleck as Parker's creation Jesse Stone, a small-town Massachusetts police chief, in such films as Stone Cold, Night Passage, Sea Change, and Death in Paradise. Ace Atkins, who will be continuing as the new author of the bestselling Spenser series, is already well-established with Putnam, having authored a number of well-received novels based on historical crimes and criminals, including White Shadow, Infamous, and Wicked City.  Atkins' next Putnam book, The Ranger, the first entry in a new series about Army Ranger Quinn Colson, goes on sale June 9.   See our full catalog of books by Robert B. Parker. Ace Editor in Chief Ginjer Buchanan, Ace Authors Alastair Reynolds and Allen M. Steele, and Viking/Penguin author Lev Grossman Nominated for Hugo Awards [image]The Hugo Awards, which are among the most prestigious awards in speculative fiction, are presented every year to highlight the most interesting, creative, and culturally significant works and achievements in  science fiction and fantasy writing. The 2011 Hugo Award nominations were announced on Sunday, April 24rd and Berkley's very own Ginjer Buchanan has been nominated for the "Best Editor, Long Form" Hugo Award. She is pictured here, on the left, with author Charlaine Harris. Buchanan has been an influential member of the Ace editorial team for more than 27 years, rising to the rank of Editor in Chief in 2007. She has edited some of the imprint's best -known writers, including Charlaine Harris, Charles Stross, and Robert Sawyer, as well as up and coming authors like Taylor Anderson. Joining Buchanan among this year's nominees are Ace authors Alastair Reynolds and Allen M. Steele, as well as Viking/Penguin's Lev Grossman. Reynolds is nominated for "Best Novella" for Troika, with fellow Ace author Steele nominated for "Best Novelette" for The Emperor of Mars. Grossman, author of The Magicians, is nominated for a John W. Campbell Award for "Best New Writer." The Hugo Award ceremony will take place at the World Science Fiction Convention in Reno, Nevada this August. Click here to see the full list of nominees. Please join us in congratulating our colleagues! The Penguin Press Acquires Pulitzer Prize Winner Ron Chernow's Biography of Ulysses S. Grant and a New Book on Innovation by California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom Ann Godoff, President and Publisher of The Penguin Press, announced this week the acquisition of new books by Pulitzer Prize winning-author Ron Chernow and California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom. Newsom will show how citizens can use social media, technology and available government data to cut through the bureaucratic red tape and redesign government in their own image. This solution-driven book suggests that we are at the dawn of a revolutionary change in the way government and the people interact. "Gavin Newsom's employing what America does best—innovation—and using it to call for many local revolutions that will overcome the epidemic gridlock in our government bureaucracy," Godoff said. "Just as Apple's app store succeeded by tapping into the ingenuity of ordinary Americans, so can government harness the collective intelligence of citizens to help solve our greatest challenges," said Newsom. Publication is planned for Winter 2013. Ron Chernow, this year's winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Biography for his magisterial biography of George Washington, moves from that towering figure of the Revolutionary War to write a sweeping and comprehensive biography of his counterpart in the Civil War: Ulysses S. Grant. A publication date has not yet been determined. Read an excerpt from Washington: A Life. Bestselling Author C.J. Box Offers Readers His First eSpecial, The Master Falconer, Featuring Series Leads Joe Pickett and Nate Romanowski [image]This week, bestselling Putnam author C.J. Box released his first Penguin eSpecial, a short story called The Master Falconer. This is the second recent big first for Box, who recently made his first appearance on The New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list with Cold Wind (Putnam). In the words of the Dallas Morning News, "With each new book, the New York Times best-selling author is cementing a national reputation as one of today's most authentic chroniclers of the American West."   The West is not the way it's portrayed in the movies—most of the time. But when a dangerous foreigner in a private jet brings trouble for master falconer Nate Romanowski and his trusted friend, Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett, it may just be time to Cowboy Up. Box is the author of 11 Joe Pickett novels and three stand-alone thrillers. He has won the Anthony, Macavity, Gumshoe and Barry Awards, as well as the French Prix Calibre .38, and has been an Edgar Award and Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist, all for the Pickett novels. His first stand-alone novel, Blue Heaven, won the Edgar Award for best novel of 2009. This eSpecial short story is an exciting new addition to the Joe Pickett series hailed by People Magazine as one that "combines harrowing adrenaline rushes with complex morality, humor, and a landscape described so vibrantly it seems to have a life all its own."   Tarcher Author's Ten-City "Hair Tour" Promotes The Internet is a Playground and Raises Funds for National Children's Cancer Society [image]Did you know that a lock of Justin Bieber's hair is currently on tour—with a bodyguard no less? Frenzied fans are lining up across the nation to get their picture taken with Bieber's hair for one dollar, with the proceeds going toward tsunami relief. Though Bieber's hair may not be stopping at bookstores, author David Thorne's hair will. His book, The Internet Is a Playground (Tarcher), is being promoted through a ten-city David Thorne Hair Tour to create buzz for the bitingly funny book, which has already pre-sold more than 2,000 copies. [image]According to Thorne's editor, Michael Solana: "Thorne declared war on Justin Bieber last month with his site HelpMeSellMoreBooksThanJustinBieber.com. A 10-city tour of his hair was kind of inevitable." Solana's enthusiasm is clear in the photo at left. A lock of Thorne's hair will spend three days at each participating store, and for every store on the tour route, Tarcher will donate $200 to the National Children's Cancer Society. The $1 fee customers pay to have their picture taken with the hallowed lock will also be donated to this cause. In addition to this unusual tour, which was mentioned in GalleyCat and will be in Shelf Awareness soon, the book was featured in the May issue of Wired and excerpted for their iPad app. It will be reviewed on BoingBoing, featured on PopMatters.com in a Q&A that will also run in papers via McClatchy, excerpted on nerve.com, and the subject of a Washington Post Live chat. Wired writes: "There is usually a fine line between genius and insanity, but in this case it has become very blurred. Some of the funniest and most clever writing I have read in years." Karen White's On Folly Beach Chosen as Finalist for The Southern Independent Booksellers Association 2011 Book Awards, as She Tours for her New NAL Novel, The Beach Trees [image]NAL author Karen White's bestselling novel On Folly Beach has been chosen as a finalist for the Southern Independent Booksellers Association 2011 Book Awards in the fiction category. Winners will be announced the first week of July. White sets off on a twenty-city tour next week for her new novel, The Beach Trees (New American Library Trade Paperback Original), travelling to such cities as Atlanta, Savannah, Charlotte, Charleston, Memphis, Lexington, Dallas, Houston, and Philadelphia for book signings. While on tour White will appear on WLMT-TV's "Eyewitness News this Morning" in Memphis, and on Clear Channel Radio in Savannah, GA, and she will be featured in local newspapers and magazines such as the Atlanta Intown Paper, Southern Seasons, and Southern Lady. The Beach Trees will also be reviewed in numerous local newspapers such as The Pilot and The Herald-Sun, while the author participates in a twenty-website blog tour for even more review coverage. [image]The Beach Trees is Penguin's May pick for the "What the World is Reading" program (penguin.com/whattheworldisreading). Carefully selected to introduce readers to new voices in fiction, "What the World is Reading" will host an online chat with White in May. The book will be featured on a special Facebook page (facebook.com/whattheworldisreading), and it will also be included in a promotional sampler and brochure that goes out to all key accounts. In addition, The Beach Trees will be a July BlogHer book club selection and it will receive reviews and attention on BlogHer.com, in newsletters, and on the BlogHer social networks. Read an excerpt from The Beach Trees. Military Science Fiction Reaches New Heights—Aboard NASA'S Endeavour [image]More specifically, the newest book from bestselling author Jack Campbell will reach a height of approximately 140 miles straight up. Published this week, The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier: Dreadnaught (Ace Books) is headed to outer space this Friday aboard the space shuttle Endeavour on NASA's STS-134 mission, which launched today. US Air Force Colonel Michael Fincke will bring a copy of The Lost Fleet with him when he embarks on a fourteen-day mission. Col. Fincke, who will be serving as Mission Specialist aboard Endeavour, has already read the six previous books in Campbell's series. In an email to Campbell and Ace Books, Fincke said that he is eager to "read the next installment of Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet while on the space shuttle."    Because of strict weight limits on the shuttle, Fincke requested that the latest installment in Campbell's The Lost Fleet series be sent to him in a digital format. Ace Books emailed a copy to Col. Fincke on the book's pub date, April 26th. The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier: Dreadnaught is the newest book in Campbell's bestselling military science fiction series—and the first to be published in hardcover. Campbell, who also writes as John Hemry, has a few book signings set up in May, including stops at a few military bases near San Diego and Washington, DC. For more information, visit his website at www.johnghemry.com. Read an excerpt from The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier: Dreadnaught. Ranger's Apprentice: Book Ten: The Emperor Of Nihon-Ja [image]John Flanagan's international bestselling Ranger's Apprentice series comes to a close this week with the publication of the final book in the series, Ranger's Apprentice: Book Ten: The Emperor Of Nihon-Ja. The popular series, which currently has more than three million copies in print, has attracted fans across the globe with its edge-of-your-seat adventures of Will, an orphan who becomes an apprentice Ranger, and his master, Halt, as they strive to keep their beloved kingdom of Araluen safe from threats and traitors. The series is so popular that it has not only been optioned for film but also adapted as a popular literary summer camp for kids. In its thrilling conclusion which The Wall Street Journal calls "[an] exciting mix of adventure, peril, wit and romance," a kingdom teeters on the edge of chaos, victory lies in the hands of an inexperienced group of fighters, and it's anybody's guess who will make the journey home to Araluen. John Flanagan is currently on a nine-city tour visiting schools and stores in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Phoenix, Houston, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and New York City. Recent and upcoming media coverage includes Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Scripps Howard News Service, Creator's Syndicate, Savannah Morning News, San Jose Mercury News, Harrisburg Patriot News, Austin American-Statesman, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Wilmington News Journal, Bay Area Magazine, Mediabistro.com, and much more. Listen to an excerpt from The Emperor Of Nihon-Ja on audio! New Next Week A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship, And The Things That Really Matter by William Deresiewicz (The Penguin Press, 5/2) [image]In A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship, And The Things That Really Matter, literary critic William Deresiewicz looks back at his youth and eloquently explains how everything he learned in life he learned from reading Jane Austen. Anchoring his recollections in Austen's six great novels—Emma, Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abby, Mansfield Park, Persuasion, and Sense and Sensibility—Deresiewicz goes novel by novel, lesson by lesson, to marry the things Austen has to teach us with how he learned them in his own life. For the author, these six books challenge some of our most essential beliefs about the way we live: beliefs about growing up, making mistakes, and being happy. Look for upcoming reviews in the Boston Globe, Slate, Seattle Times, and Bloomberg. Features are also coming on Huffington Post, WowWow.com, and MarieClaire.com. An op-ed will also appear in The Wall Street Journal. How Did You Get This Number by Sloane Crosley (Riverhead Trade Paperback, 5/3) [image]The paperback of New York Times-bestselling author Sloane Crosley's How Did You Get This Number drops on May 3, and the media definitely has her number. Crosley will appear as a pop culture panelist on The Joy Behar Show on May 19th. Online interviews include Interview magazine, Vanity Fair, Blackbook, and The Economist. Following an event at New York's McNally Jackson on May 4, Crosley hits the road on a national tour that includes events in Minneapolis, Miami, Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. Local broadcast media includes "The Fox Morning News" in Minneapolis, KING-TV's "New Day Northwest" in Seattle and KXAN-TV's "News at Noon" in Austin, with print interviews running in The Miami Herald, The San Francisco Bay Guardian, Brooklyn Paper, and The East Bay Express. An oldie but goodie, Sloane Crosley comments on why question marks are dangerous in this episode of The Literary Life. Growing at the Speed of Life: A Year in the Life of My First Kitchen Garden by Graham Kerr (Perigee, 3/1) [image]Former "Galloping Gourmet" Graham Kerr, author of the new Growing at the Speed of Life: A Year in the Life of My First Kitchen Garden, has been busy this spring. While on tour in March, Kerr travelled to Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco for book signings and received feature coverage in USA Today and the Los Angeles Times, a cooking segment on Rachael Ray (which you can watch here), a national radio satellite tour to over fifteen markets, and interviews on Portland's KATU "AM Northwest" and San Francisco's KGO "View From the Bay." This week Kerr will head to the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books for a cooking demonstration and book signing. He will demonstrate various ways one can use yogurt cheese in their meals and talk about his spring gardening plans. Following the festival, Kerr will return to New York to tape his second appearance on Rachael Ray for an episode focused on "food legends." Growing at the Speed of Life takes readers through the first year in Kerr's kitchen garden, sharing lessons learned from his circle of local knowledge providers. From putting together a greenhouse to planting his first seeds and harvesting and sharing his first crop with others in need, Kerr provides a tour through his gardening adventures and profiles sixty readily available garden vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Read an excerpt from Growing at the Speed of Life.

Author Interview - Audio (1) Audio Interview The Geek Dad's Guide to Weekend Fun Ken Denmead (Gotham) Essay from the Author (1) Author Essay The Mullah's Storm Thomas W. Young (Berkley) Author Interview (3) Author Q&A Twice Born Margaret Mazzantini (Viking) Author Q&A The Forty Rules of Love Elif Shafak (Penguin) Author Q&A Mary Chesnut's Diary Mary Boykin Chesnut; Catherine Clinton (Penguin Classics) Excerpts (13) Excerpt The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier: Dreadnaught Jack Campbell (Ace) Excerpt Gods & Monsters Lyn Benedict (Ace) Excerpt Uncertain Allies Mark Del Franco (Ace) Excerpt If You Ask Me Betty White (Putnam) Excerpt Caleb's Crossing Geraldine Brooks (Viking) Excerpt Dead to the World Charlaine Harris (Ace) Excerpt Hit List Laurell K. Hamilton (Berkley) Excerpt Murder on Sisters' Row Victoria Thompson (Berkley) Excerpt Extra Lean Family Mario Lopez (Celebra) Excerpt The Gentleman's Bedside Companion Tom Cutler (Perigee) Excerpt Unraveled Maggie Sefton (Berkley) Excerpt Sixkill Robert Parker (Putnam) Reading Group Guides (4) Reading Guide Twice Born Margaret Mazzantini (Viking) Reading Guide You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know (Riverhead) Reading Guide The Forty Rules of Love Elif Shafak (Penguin) Reading Guide Mary Chesnut's Diary Mary Boykin Chesnut; Catherine Clinton (Penguin Classics) Videos (6) Video Caleb's Crossing Geraldine Brooks (Viking) Video Dangerous in Diamonds Madeline Hunter (Jove) Video The Stormchasers Jenna Blum (Plume) Video The Gentleman's Bedside Companion Tom Cutler (Perigee) Video Zombie Economics Lisa Desjardins (Avery Trade Paperback) Video A Jane Austen Education William Deresiewicz (Penguin Press)

We're not the only ones who think Betty White's new book, If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't), is a must read for May. Robert Pattinson endorsed the memoir with a blurb on its back cover, calling Betty "one of the sexiest women in America." Today on Good Morning America, the 89-year-old sex symbol talked about her ongoing career and how she managed to write her book - by hand! Watch it now.

Inside Obama's Mansion; Condaleeza Rice Interview; Betty White Tells All.

On Friday, April 29, Co-Chairs Nancy Davis and Tommy Hilfiger welcomed guests to the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza for the 18th Annual Race to Erase MS. The event raised more than $2 million to benefit the Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis.

Celebrity guests at this year’s event included host, MS survivor and advocate Nancy Davis, along with Tia Carrere, Holly Marie Combs, Rachael Leigh Cook, Cindy Crawford, David Faustino, Daisy Fuentes, Debbie Gibson, Melissa Joan Hart, Samantha Harris, Nicky Hilton, Paris Hilton, LaToya Jackson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Jon Lovitz, Chris Massey, Kyle Massey, Dr. Lisa Masterson, Shaun Robinson, Matt Sorum, Raven Symone, Lea Thompson, Sela Ward and many more. After celebrities made their way down the red carpet, they stopped by the Windows Phone Booth to take photos and record videos to tweet. For each celebrity video tweeted Windows Phone donated $500 to the cause.

The 18th Annual Race to Erase MS themed Rock and Royalty opened with an exciting celebrity fashion show featuring a sneak preview of Andrew Charles, the new fashion line by Andy Hilfiger. Following the fashion show Andy Hilfiger surprised the crowd by performing “Jumpin Jack Flash” with his band. The evening also included a live auction called by Shaun Robinson and Mark Curry. Paris Hilton helped auction off a shopping spree and lunch with her sister Nicky Hilton on Robertson Blvd., but items such as a private yacht trip and an African Safari were the big sellers for the evening. Tickets to the Dancing with the Stars Finale also outsold tickets to American Idol’s finale. Honorees at this year’s gala included MS survivor Katie Mattingly Brass and William O. “Bill” Perkins who both serve on the Board for the Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis.

In a nod to the event’s royal theme, A.B.S. by Allen Schwartz unveiled a one-of-a-kind exclusively designed wedding gown inspired by the Royal Wedding Gown worn by Catherine Middleton. The Nancy Davis Foundation and Allen Schwartz have partnered with luxury charity auction site charitybuzz to auction the one-of-kind Catherine Middleton inspired dress to raise funds for the Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis. Bidding is open from Friday, April 29, through Monday, May 16, at CharityBuzz. The winning bidder will have the royal gown customized to fit their body, making it a truly exceptional piece.

Led by musical director Rickey Minor of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Race to Erase MS once again hosted a variety of musical performances throughout the evening. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts entertained the crowd with an exciting set including “I Love Rock ’N Roll,” “Cherry Bomb,” “Do You Wanna Touch Me,” “Crimson and Clover” and “I Hate Myself for Loving You”. Country music star and MS survivor Clay Walker closed out the evening with a performance of songs including “Lonely Long,” “What’s It To You,” “Fall,” “Honkey Tonk” and “Cold Hearted” while guests danced in their seats.

In Race to Erase MS tradition, the night ended with a performance of “Lean On Me” featuring Clay Walker, David Osmond, Debbie Gibson, BG5, the Davis Family and their special guests for the evening.

The Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis is dedicated to the treatment and ultimate cure for MS. Funding research is the core focus of the Foundation and significant strides have been made to find the cause and cure of this devastating disease. All funds raised through The Race to Erase MS event support “The Nancy Davis Center Without Walls” program, a selected network of the nation’s top MS research centers currently representing UC San Francisco, Brigham & Women’s Harvard Hospital, Yale, The Cleveland Clinic, Oregon Health Science University, Johns Hopkins and University of Southern California. This nationwide collaboration of physicians, scientists and clinicians are on the cutting-edge of innovative research programs and therapeutic approaches to eradicate MS. It is the hope of the Foundation that in addition to combating MS through research in a clinical environment, awareness will be created by educating the public about this mysterious disease.

Related past articles

• George Lopez To Host Celebrity Charity Golf Classic
• Stars To March For Babies This Weekend
• Red Cross Announces New Stars For National Celebrity Cabinet
• LTTS Exclusive: Josh Duhamel And Betty White Honored At Celebrity Charity Red Tie Gala
• Fashion Designers Launch Charity Auction For Japan

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Copyright © 2011 Look To The Stars. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your news reader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright, and we would be grateful if you would contact us.

Legendary actress details a new book, 'If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won't)'

The Black Eyed Peas – apl.de.ap, will.i.am, Taboo and Fergie – will perform a special charity concert to benefit Robin Hood, NYC’s largest poverty fighting charity, next month.

The concert will take place on The Great Lawn in Central Park on June 9, and will be joined by some of their celebrity friends (TBA). 54,000 tickets will be given away in a random draw, and a number of tickets will be available in return for a donation to Robin Hood.

Robin Hood holds steadfast to a single mission: fight poverty in New York City. They find, fund, create and nurture programs and schools that generate measurable results for families in New York’s poorest neighborhoods. They work closely with the organizations they support to help them to be more effective, thus helping even more people. In 2010, Robin Hood invested $130 million in 200 programs and schools, helping over 400,000 New Yorkers. A rigorous system of metrics and third-party evaluation of these groups guarantee accountability. Robin Hood’s board pays all administrative, fundraising and evaluation costs, so 100 percent of donations (over $1 billion to date) goes directly to helping poor New Yorkers.

Lady Gaga is also currently running fundraising initiatives for Robin Hood, and will appear at the charity’s annual gala on May 9.

To find out more about the Black Eyed Peas concert, click here.

Related past articles

• Lady Gaga Launches Celebrity Charity Facebook Challenges For Robin Hood
• Celebrate Mother's Day With Celebrity Charity Auction
• Lady Gaga To Perform At MTV Celebrity Charity Event In Japan
• LTTS Exclusive: Josh Duhamel And Betty White Honored At Celebrity Charity Red Tie Gala
• Lady Gaga Goes Country For Charity

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Copyright © 2011 Look To The Stars. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your news reader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright, and we would be grateful if you would contact us.

She is DEF one of our favorite people, and we're so happy to see how supportive her friends/peers are of her. Here's what former co-star Mary Tyler Moore had to say about the lovely Betty White: "Betty is a hell of a good actress. Besides that, she's just plain funny, in a stand-up sense. She tells jokes [...]

Kristen Stewart at the 2011 Costume Institute Gala - Girls Talkin’ Smack Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon renew wedding vows - Popeater Miley Cyrus covering "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Amy Grindhouse Dancing With the Stars season 12 week 7 recap - Celebrity Dirty Laundry White House dinner turned into a roast of Donald Trump - Betty Confidential Britney Spears says no candy to Nicki Minaj? - I Need My Fix Channing Tatum to star in movie about himself as a stripper - OMG Blog MET Gala 2011 honoring Alexander McQueen red carpet hotness - Dipped in Cream Is Nicole Scherzinger going to be an X Factor host? - Oh The Scandal So is Jason Sudeikis January Jones' baby-daddy? - B-Side Blog Jesse Eisenberg's mom was birthday party clown - The Frisky Teacher shaves beard for first time since 9/11 - Jezebel This young boy doing "Nu Thang" will change your life - dlisted Michael Jackson trial delayed until September - The FAB Life Hurt Locker director eyes bin Laden movie - Right Celebrity

Her SECOND book in less than a year! She is SO prolific! Back in August, we were very impressed to learn that Betty White would be releasing two books in less than a year! She came out with Here We Go Again: My Life In Television back in October, and now her memoir If You Ask Me: [...]

‘Bachelor’ news: weddings, reunions and babies TooFab Teri Hatcher: Then and Now AgentBedhead What happened to Cameron Diaz`s scary roid arms AmyGrindhouse The Royal Wedding hats Ayyyy Donny Osmond has Puppy Love for Betty White SeriouslyOMGWTF Is Paula Deen secretly diabetic? Starcasm Charlie Sheen`s divorce is final. Lucky Brooke Mueller BusyBeeBlogger Some Granny gets handsy [...]

More often than not, when reporting something about Shaun White it's not about something he's accomplished while skating or snowboarding, but about his ever-increasing celebrity status.

Over the weekend, White spent time hobnobbing with some of the most powerful people in the world at the White House Corespondent's Dinner.

The annual event, held at the Washington Hilton Hotel in D.C. was attended by the likes of Betty White, Steven Spielberg, Jessica Alba, Cash..

More often than not, when reporting something about Shaun White it's not about something he's accomplished while skating or snowboarding, but about his ever-increasing celebrity status.

Over the weekend, White spent time hobnobbing with some of the most powerful people in the world at the White House Corespondent's Dinner.

The annual event, held at the Washington Hilton Hotel in D.C. was attended by the likes of Betty White, Steven Spielberg, Jessica Alba, Cash..

Singer Donny Osmond sang a special version of "Puppy Love" to actress Betty White at the Paul Mitchell Schools' Magic of Memories Dinner. Watch! Osmond and his sister, Marie, entertained the crowd at the 8th annual event, which raises money...

January Jones stepped out to meet friends in LA on Friday, the morning after announcing that she is expecting her first child. January Jones's pregnancy was unexpected news, and in her initial statement she revealed that she's looking forward to being a single mom. Still, there is speculation about who the father of her baby is, and her ex-boyfriend Jason Sudeikis was at a loss for words when asked about it at the White House Correspondents' Dinner over the weekend. January will probably field a few awkward questions of her own on the press tour for X-Men: First Class, and later this Summer she'll be back in character as Betty Draper for Mad Men, though we've yet to find out how January's pregnancy will play into that storyline.

View Slideshow ›

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Want to 'Live Like A Californian' and hang-out with actress Betty White, surfer Jack O'Neill, singer Jason Mraz, skier Glen Plake and chef Roy Choi?

Well, here's your big chance!

The California Travel & Tourism Commission has launched an eight-week sweepstakes to encourage everyone to 'Live Like a Californian', with once-in-a-lifetime California luxury prize packages that will let winners fulfill a California fantasy.

'Live Like A Californian' Sweepstakes

Each grand prize includes round-trip flights for four, three nights' lodging, a rental car and an unforgettable experience custom-themed around one of the eight iconic Californians featured in the campaign.

Hollywood superstar Betty White, surfing legend Jack O'Neill, recording artist Jason Mraz, extreme skier Glen Plake and Chef Roy Choi are some of the iconic Californians excited about participating in the 'Live Like A Californian' sweepstakes.

"Our 'Live Like A Californian' contest will let eight lucky winners fulfill their dreams, living like – and in some cases, meeting – the celebrities and pioneers who reflect the state's unique attitude and spirit," says Caroline Beteta, President and CEO of the California Travel & Tourism Commission.

The 'Live Like A Californian' sweepstakes also awards cool weekly prizes, including round-trip flights, courtesy of Travelocity, and $250 California-branded VISA cards.

The thrilling grand prize California experiences include:

• Betty White, Hollywood – Go behind-the-scenes with Betty on the Hollywood set of her hit TV series Hot in Cleveland!
• Jason Mraz, San Diego – Get the celebrity treatment with a chauffeured ride and tickets to Jason's show, then meet him backstage! 
• Kevin Rafferty, Disneyland –  Tour Disney's Imagineering studio with famous writer Kevin Rafferty and enjoy the Magic Kingdom!
• Glen Plake, Mammoth – Ski with Glen before the mountain opens and enjoy apres ski happy hour during a private back country tour!
• Frank Almeda, San Francisco – Take a private tour with Frank of the "Living Roof" and the California Academy of Sciences with a picnic lunch, then enjoy dinner in the Moss Room with menus by famous San Francisco chefs!
• Roy Choi, Los Angeles – Go behind the scenes of L.A.'s hottest street food – Kogi BBQ – with Chef Roy, followed by a tasting tour of Roy's favorite L.A. eateries!
• Jack O'Neill, Santa Cruz – Tour O'Neill Headquarters and be outfitted with O'Neill gear, then go surfing (or take lessons) with an O'Neill surfing pro!
• Randy Lewis, Napa – Join Randy for a private wine tasting and picnic at Lewis Cellars in Napa Valley, then spin around the track at Infineon Raceway!

The phrase, "once in a lifetime" definitely applies to these exciting California experiences.  Every one of these grand prizes is totally cool --- and it costs nothing to enter!

To get more information and enter, there are three official places you can visit: the 'Live Like A Californian' sweepstakes website, the Facebook 'Live like a Californian' sweepstakes site, and the Twitter 'Live Like A Californian' sweepstakes page.

USA Today

Betty White keeps laughing USA Today Betty unplugged: White, hamming it up at the Museum of Television and Radio in Beverly Hills, has a book out Tuesday, If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won't). She's 89 and should be sitting in a rocker sipping tea and making ... and more »

Mike Ruiz is undoubtedly one of today's best known and hardest working photographers. By now, he has shot seemingly everyone in show business; from Kim Kardashian to Betty White to Prince.

We told you when we attended the taping of the 2011 Genesis Awards, where they celebrated their 25th anniversary, with big name celebs like Betty White, Stephen Colbert, Emily Deschanel, Leona Lewis, Olivia Munn, Valerie Bertinelli, Michael Vartan, Brendan Brazier and Sex and the City alum Kristin Davis receiving their Wyler Award. Now you can [...]

Cedric the Entertainer has partnered with TV Land to star in a comedy spinoff of the network’s hit show Hot in Cleveland, a show which features Hollywood’s most beloved octogenarian, Betty White. The new twist — which will kick off in Hot episodes airing this summer — will see Cedric will take center stage as [...]

Visit California and see things you've only seen before in your dreams.  Even for folks who already live here, California is anything but a cliche'.  The Golden State totally rocks, no matter where you're from.

Whether you like beaches, deserts, mountains, valleys, lakes, rivers, surfing, skiing, snowboarding or skateboarding, California is all about pushing the limits and having FUN!

Sure, there are famous attractions and destinations for visiting tourists all over the Golden State but, for local Californians who've been there and done that, there's still so much to see and do.  Seriously.

What does one do after visiting Malibu, the Redwoods, Hollywood, San Francisco, Disneyland, Santa Barbara, Hearst Castle, Wine Country, movie studios, Magic Mountain and San Diego?

Rediscover yourself, challenge your limitations, reconnect with reality, reach beyond your expectations --- and, if you're ready, tour the realms of wisdom.

That's totally extreme California, man.

Californians can rediscover the Golden State in ways that  visiting tourists cannot.  Look a little deeper and find your own gold, your own dream, your own reality.

It's all around you everywhere.  Just look.

For the benefit of our visiting friends from other states and nations, the California Travel & Tourism Commission produces some cool TV commercials that, actually, are quite creative.

Their latest California tourism commercial features Kim Kardashian, the Jonas Brothers, Betty White, and many other famous California personalities.

Watch their "Misconceptions" video (below) about California stereotypes in the minds of people all over the world, and know that it's not really true... or is it?

Then, drop by the official VisitCalifornia website and plan your own  California getaway.  You deserve an adventure that's righteous, dudes, and 2011 is your year to make it happen!