Hartford Courant - HARTFORD — —
The Hartford Public Library will host "One Unforgettable Big Summer Night With Julie Powell" on June 24.

Powell, the New York Times best-selling author of "Julie & Julia: 365 days, 524 recipes, 1 tiny apartment kitchen," will speak at the event, which will also include a reception, silent and live auctions, and jazz music. Dinner will be served.

The event will take place at the Connecticut Convention Center, 100 Columbus Boulevard, from 6 to 9 p.m.

WOAI - SAN ANTONIO – Double Emmy Award-winning, Grammy-nominated, NY Times Best-Selling Author, and 2009’s GLAAD Vanguard recipient, Kathy Griffin is returning with her rapid fire wit and hilarious Hollywood gossip to San Antonio. The multi-faceted performer has more stories, more dish, more of what she shouldn't say, but you know you want to hear.

Catch Kathy live in her true element Friday, August 6 at 8 PM at the Majestic Theatre. Tickets ($60-$80) go on sale Friday, June 4 at 10 AM.  Purchase tickets online at www.ticketmaster.com, via phone at (800) 745-3000, or in person at all Ticketmaster outlets, including the Majestic

Look To The Stars - Many would love the opportunity to play poker with some of the biggest names in Hollywood and the most skilled poker professionals. Now you can.

The 2010 Ante Up For Africa Celebrity Charity Poker Tournament on Saturday, July 3 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas offers a special opportunity as the only event of its kind where the general public can participate.

Created by Oscar nominee Don Cheadle and Celebrity Apprentice star and WSOP bracelet winner Annie Duke, the Ante Up for Africa tournament will begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 3rd at the Rio All-Suite Hotel

San Francisco Examiner - SAN FRANCISCO — The Oscar-winning actress and gender-equality advocate will be a keynote speaker Tuesday at a conference for businesswomen at Moscone Center.

The second keynote speaker at the 21st annual Professional BusinessWomen of California Conference will be author and physician Ian Smith.

The annual event attracts thousands of businesswomen, along with students from the First Lady’s Young Women’s Summit hosted by Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

Madison.com - Steve Martin is coming to Overture Hall on July 27 -- but it's not a comedy show.

In addition to being famous as a comedian and actor ("Roxanne," "The Jerk,") Martin is also a talented five-string banjo player who won 2009 Grammy Award for his bluegrass album "The Crow." Martin, who recently played in Milwaukee, will bring his bluegrass combo the Steep Canyon Rangers to Overture Hall, on Tuesday, July 27, at 7:30 p.m.

Detroit Free Press - On "Family Guy," Brian and Stewie are locked in a bank vault together and must find new ways to deal with each other. We sense the makings of a bloodbath. 9 p.m., Fox.

MONDAY

Celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito guest-stars as himself in an episode of "Castle" that finds our crew investigating the murder of a chef found frozen to death. Brrrr. 10 p.m., ABC.
TUESDAY

"Glee" just keeps getting, well, more gleeful. Tonight, Olivia Newton-John drops by for what sounds like a fun cameo appearance. She performs a version of "Physical" with coach Sue Sylvester. 9 p.m., Fox.
WEDNESDAY

If you're not visiting "Cougar Town" on

The Milk Processor Education Program, PR Newswire (press release) - Celebrity Chef Invites Moms To Share How They 'Milk the Moment' To Win Exclusive Family Dinner Experience
 
Download image NEW YORK, March 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Experts agree that sharing time together around the dinner table does double duty for building strong families – forging emotional bonds and helping kids develop healthy habits that can last a lifetime.

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100317/CG71819)

Moms agree on the value of dinner. According to an online survey of 1,000 moms by the National Milk Mustache "got milk?"® Campaign, the majority of moms recognize dinner is an important time to connect as a family (88%), and value it as

by BWW News Desk, Broadway World - Although TV viewers know Denis Leary as the Emmy/Golden Globe-nominated dramatic star of FX's hit series Rescue Me, his career began in Boston comedy clubs as a stand-up. His "second" tour return to those comedy roots, The Rescue Me Comedy Tour 2, will showcase Leary's politically-incorrect style of humor at PlayhouseSquare June 22 at 8 pm. (Tickets go on sale Fri., April 9th at 11 am.)

Joining Leary on the tour will be fellow comedians/Rescue Me series cast members Lenny Clarke and Adam Ferrara, plus musical guests The Enablers featuring The Rehab Horns. (One dollar of each concert ticket sold will

James Gregg Arizona Daily Star - Hundreds of competitors and supporters braved obstacles and climbing walls spread through a 5K run Saturday.

They were rewarded with a screaming barrage of U.S. Army soldiers who surrounded them in a final push through a mud pit, capping off the second annual Beat Cancer Boot Camp Challenge at Brandi Fenton Memorial Park, 3482 E. River Road.

Proceeds from entry fees, merchandise sales and sponsorships went to support the Beat Cancer Boot Camp, founded by "Sarge" Anita Kellman as a support group for cancer patients and survivors built around fitness and survival rather than self-pity.

Competitor Lynn Bunstine, covered head to toe in

by Tim Saunders, Look To The Stars - After winning last year’s event, actor Keanu Reeves will once again get behind the wheel for the annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity charity race at the 36th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach next month.

The celebrity race has been held every year since 1977, and has attracted stars such as Gene Hackman, Jason Bateman, Rick Schroder, Stephen Baldwin, Donny Osmond, Sean Patrick Flanery, Nancy Lieberman, Daniel Goddard and Josh Brolin. 2008’s race was won by ESPN/ABC pit reporter for NASCAR Nationwide Jamie Little.

Every year, Toyota donates $5,000 to Racing for Kids, a non-profit program benefiting children’s hospitals in Southern California, in the

by Admin,PokerNetwork - Join Joe Hachem and help cure Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy at the “Play For A Cure” Celebrity Charity Poker Tournament hosted by the Australian Poker League, which will be held at the Revesby Workers Club on April 17th 2010.

The Main Event will offer a major prize of a World Series of Poker package including airfares and accommodation! Entry is just $175 with registration open from 12pm. Cards will be in the air at 2pm with the field to be restricted to 700 participants. The top 16 players will win a prize with more details available at www.saveoursons.org.au.

Additionally there will be

By TIMOTHY R. WOLFRUM, Bradenton Herald - Comedian and screenwriter Carol Leifer took a leap out of her comfort zone by signing up for “Celebrity Apprentice 3.”

There’s no script for how to deal with the psychological puppetry of mogul Donald Trump or the psychosis of the cast.

But Leifer, a 53-year-old veteran who has written for “Seinfeld,” “The Larry Sanders Show” and “Saturday Night Live,” insists her brush with reality television is not a betrayal of her script-writing past.

“Who can say why you watch something,” Leifer said during a phone interview from her home in Santa Monica, Calif. “A show I watch a lot is ‘The Real Housewives’

By Eileen FitzGerald, Staff Writer, Danbury News Times - DANBURY -- Haitian-born musician and activist Wyclef Jean will come to the city in May as the keynote speaker for Western Connecticut State University's undergraduate commencement ceremony.

A thin thread of contacts starting at the university led to the connection with the singer-songwriter-musician, who's been active in relief efforts since the Jan. 12 earthquake devastated his homeland's capital, Port-au-Prince.

"I'm excited about it," WestConn student government president Edmund Breitling said Wednesday. "I think we've had some great speakers, but Wyclef is an activist and does some great humanitarian work, so it will be an honor for our graduating seniors to hear him

New Jersey Monthly - Lewis Black is one of the most prolific and popular performers working today and he will be at the Music Box for two nights – February 5 and 6, 2010. He executes a brilliant trifecta as stand-up comedian, actor and author. Black’s live performances provide a cathartic release of anger and disillusionment for his audience. A passionate performer who is more of an angry optimist than mean-spirited curmudgeon, he has perfected expressing what the rest of us cannot say in polite company. Receiving critical acclaim, he performs over two hundred nights a year to sell-out audiences throughout Europe, New Zealand,

Business Wire (press release) - Cowie has planned events for clients including Oprah, Jennifer Lopez, Tom Cruise, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar, Elton John, In Style Magazine, and the grand opening celebrations of Atlantis Hotels in Paradise Island, Bahamas and Palm Island, Dubai.

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BizBash, (www.bizbash.com), the trade authority for the event and meeting planning industry, announced today that renowned event designer and lifestyle expert Colin Cowie will keynote Florida’s first-ever BizBash Expo on April 28 at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center. As BizBash brings its signature event to more than 1,000 Florida event and meeting professionals, Cowie will highlight

BY JERRY SIEBENMARK, Kansas.com - WICHITA — Film and television actor Edward James Olmos will be the keynote speaker at the Wichita Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting and awards dinner on Feb. 20

The event will be from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Broadview Hotel, 400 West Douglas.

Chamber officials said Olmos will discuss his experience as a Latino entrepreneur and the importance of being involved in the community.

Individual tickets are $75 and can be purchased through Feb. 12 at www.wichitahispanicchamber.org or by calling 316-265-6334.

NewsOK.com - Oklahoma City,OK,USA - Alicia Keys was multitasking in Toronto with a long day of interviews, personal appearances and a performance ahead of her, but she didn’t seem the worse for wear quite yet on this sunny Saturday morning.

After all, long workdays come with the territory when one chooses two artistic pursuits. After a marathon round of interviews at the Toronto International Film Festival promoting "The Secret Life of Bees,” she’d be working late that night with Jack White of The White Stripes on a video of the theme song for the new James Bond blockbuster, "Quantum of Solace.”

smudailycampus.com - Dallas,TX,USA - Quincy Jones was on campus yesterday as the third speaker in this year's Tate Lecture Series.

Jones treated SMU students and members of the Dallas community to a fast-paced question and answer forum in the afternoon and followed with an evening lecture in the form of a live interview moderated by Robert Wilonsky in McFarlin Auditorium.

The Tate audience greeted Jones with a standing ovation before he began telling his story of growing up in Chicago and then becoming a major international musical icon.

The Associated Press - - LOS ANGELES — No Madonna kiss. No Michael Jackson cameo. No flying Howard Stern. Not even a Kanye tantrum. MTV has set a high standard for the unexpected at its Video Music Awards, but on the show's 25th anniversary, the network instead settled for throwing its full support behind Britney Spears' comeback. Spears won a leading three awards, including video of the year for "Piece of Me."

Any spontaneity was left to host Russell Brand, the British comic whose rock star style and outlandish candor gave the Los Angeles show a pulse. But at the end of the night Sunday, even

Belleville News Democrat - IL, USA - Billy Ray Cyrus stole the achy breaky hearts of about 200 Granite City residents Friday morning by appearing on a live radio broadcast outside the Park Grill restaurant.

The country music star patiently signed autographs, posed for photos and hugged people in the crowd while St. Louis station WIL-FM 92.3 produced "The Cornbread Morning Show" from a tent in the parking lot.

It turned out to be the perfect birthday present for Amanda Markle, 9, of Granite City, a dedicated fan of the Disney sitcom "Hannah Montana," which stars Cyrus' 15-year-old daughter, Miley.

Out & About - Nashville,TN,USA - David YoungI have never liked cruises. If the waves don't make me nauseous, the other passengers usually do.

David Foster Wallace got it right in "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again" when he described the experience as “a tragic exercise in managed fun.”  But hey - this was an Atlantis cruise, Foster Wallace isn't even gay, and this trip had a drag queen squirting antibacterial goo on my hands each time I got on or off the ship.  This was not going to be a typical cruise.

My partner Scott and I left Miami

AceShowbiz - USA - This week's addition of Kara DioGuardi in the judging panel of talent TV show "American Idol" have left some speculations, one of which says that the show will change their judge line-up. A source even claims that the show's producer is hiring a new younger female judge to ditch Paula Abdul.

Paula has recently showed her concern over the new judge and says that she is worried about the audience's acceptance. According to Us Magazine, Abdul has told Phoenix's KISS-FM, "I am concerned about the audience and acceptance. Time will tell. We'll see."

Speaking of Kara, Paula continues saying that they are

AXcess News - Carson City,NV,USA - New York - Britney Spears was nominated for this year's MTV Music Video Awards after the singer bombed on stage last year, suggesting that her popularity is still strong with music fans, having gone from ditz to blitz as Britney makes her comeback.

Britney was in fact nominated three times for this year's MTV Music Video Awards, which includes Best Female, Best Pop Video and the coveted Video of the Year.

Last year, Britney Spears lipsinked her music video "Gimmie More" and bombed terribly.  But the pop singers fans flocked to her music with her new video for "Piece of Me", voting

Access Hollywood - USA - In less than a month, Jennifer Lopez will pound the pavement, hit the water and put the pedal to the metal as she competes in her first ever triathlon.

The first time mom of twins Max and Emme, with husband Marc Anthony, joined “Good Morning America” on Monday and said the idea for taking on the heavy-duty competition, was inspired by her third trimester.

“It actually came up when I was about eight months pregnant, and I was beached… like a whale, and I was watching TV and I saw a triathlon and I said, ‘You know what? I think I could

PR Web (press release) - Ferndale,WA,USA - Fresh on the heels of her recent "Dancing with the Stars" appearance on ABC, award-winning actress Marlee Matlin has agreed to speak at Starr Commonwealth's Founder's Day to be held Oct. 5, 2008.

Through American Sign Language and the assistance of her personal interpreter, Matlin will address the audience of students, staff, families and friends of Starr Commonwealth as the organization celebrates its 95th anniversary.

Matlin is an Academy Award winner for her role in "Children of a Lesser God," which also happened to be her film debut. She is the first deaf actress to receive the Academy Award and one of

TheImproper.com - New York,NY,USA - Two days after bitch-slapping "Page Six" Editor Richard Johnson, openly butch lesbian Samantha Ronson and her gal pal, sometime-actress Lindsay Lohan, took a victory lap around Manhattan, shopping, dining out and partying into the wee hours. Not a word of their escapades made it into The New York Post. Is Johnson giving the duo the silent treatment after his ass whuppin' by the mangirl?

It’s odd that the gossip column would take a pass on Samantha’s and Lindsay’s romantic day on the town. They shopped at Chanel in SoHo, ate a late lunch at Bar Pitti and had a romantic dinner

New York Times - United States - IN her one-woman show, “Wishful Drinking,” Carrie Fisher spends 90 minutes talking about herself. When she does advance publicity for it, she talks about herself talking about herself so that reporters can then talk about her talking about herself.

“It’s like a festival of narcissism,” she said dryly the other day.

It’s hard to do deadpan over the telephone. But Ms. Fisher, on the phone from her home in Los Angeles, succeeded, conveying with the sound of her voice the sardonic distance that informs “Wishful Drinking,” which runs at Hartford Stage from Aug. 6 to 17.

In the funny — and deadpan —