--Live, from New York...it's Peyton Manning! (Set your DVR's, kids...)

--Former Dallas star Ken Kercheval has quietly served a three-day sentence in jail in Indiana after being caught drink-driving last September. The actor, who played Cliff Barnes in the 1980s soap, was pulled over for driving at night without his lights on. Police suspected he had been drinking and conducted a field sobriety test, and discovered Kercheval was well over the limit. Kercheval, a self-admitted alcoholic, pleaded guilty to charges against him late last month and was sent straight to jail for three days. The 71-year-old also had his license suspended for a year and was told to pay a fine and court costs.

--Actor Terrance Howard is working on a debut album. (I bet it won't be half bad...he's pretty talented).

--A line of clothing co-designed by pop queen Madonna went on sale around the world Thursday in branches of Swedish fashion retailer H&M. Pieces in the M by Madonna collection, co-designed by H&M design chief Margareta van den Bosch, include a leather trench coat, sequined shift dresses, cream-colored calf-length pants and matching cropped jackets. In Britain, the items are priced between $16 and $295.

--Dina Lohan, momager to Lindsay, was unceremoniously booted from her scheduled guest spot on The View yesterday morning after cohost Rosie O'Donnell made clear on air this week that she was no fan of the elder Lohan's mothering—or, as it happens, non-mothering—ways. The 44-year-old was due to appear on the femme-fueled chat fest Thursday morning, presumably to speak about her daughter, as well as, no doubt, the current Harper's Bazaar article in which she lashes out at her "party mom" image and the media's assumption that Lindsay, who as it happens just completed a stint in rehab and who boasted in December that she had gone an entire seven days without a drink, is an alcoholic.

--NBC Universal and News Corp. joined forces with several Internet companies Thursday to distribute TV shows online in an effort to better control their programming and stave off competition from YouTube. The new network, which would launch this summer, comes in response to the explosive growth Google's YouTube, a do-it-yourself video-sharing site that is currently being sued by Viacom, another major media company, for copyright infringement. The venture is aimed at giving broadcasting companies like NBC and News Corp., which owns the Fox broadcast network and the Twentieth Century Fox movie and TV studio, greater control over how their shows are distributed on the Internet. Programs owned by NBC and News Corp. such as Heroes, 24, and House will appear on the network, supported by advertising, and distributed through Yahoo, Time Warner's AOL unit, Microsoft's MSN site, and MySpace, which is owned by News Corp.

-- Lawyers for Britney Spears won a British court injunction Thursday designed to prevent publication of stories about her recent stay in rehab. The injunction bars unidentified "person or persons ... who has/have been leaking information about Ms. Spears' time in a rehabilitation clinic from further disclosures invading her privacy," said Schillings, the 25-year-old pop star's London law firm. (Oh please...she'll sell-out and write a tell-all book within a year...)

--Sparks appear to be flying again between Katie Couric and trumpeter Chris Botti. They were having a cozy dinner Wednesday night in a private booth at SoHo's Lure Fishbar, a short walk from Botti's new penthouse apartment. Couric seemed particularly giddy when the smooth jazz musician continuously purred in her ear. Botti and Couric have been off and on since her four-year relationship with TV mogul Tom Werner ended in 2004. (Is that an acid-washed scarf I see, Chris? Oh my...Katie needs to give you some style tips ASAP!)

--Is Leo getting hitched?

--Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards said Thursday his wife's cancer has returned but his bid for the White House will continue. "The campaign goes on," the former senator from North Carolina said at a news conference, contradicting earlier media reports. John Edwards said tests this week had shown his wife, Elizabeth, had cancer in a rib on her right side. He said the cancer is treatable but not curable. (This is very sad. I'm sure she pushed him to continue, but I personally think he should spend the remaning couple of years (if that) he has left with her not on the campaign trail).

--This clip of some outtakes from Full House made me laugh.

--A recent article in Star magazine claims thereÂ’s a rumor that Ron Howard wants to make a movie of BritneyÂ’s troubled trashtastic life and that sheÂ’s been slated to play the lead role. (Oh for the love of all things holy...no way he'd stoop that low).

--New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning surprised longtime girlfriend Abby McGrew with a sparkling diamond ring and a proposal Tuesday night. After a speechless moment, the lady said "yes." "It was really low-key - it happened at home at a very unexpected moment," says a source. "It was so Eli - casual, no-frills, so in his nature."

--While budgets aren’t likely an issue in TomKat talks, Tom Cruise has reportedly forced wife Katie Holmes to say bye-bye to Barneys. “Katie looks like she has been moping about having to curtail her shopping sprees. She said Tom wants her to take a break as he thinks it might be sending out the wrong message,” a source told Britain’s Grazia magazine. “He just doesn't want people thinking she is frivolous and all about shopping and money.” Holmes has apparently been on a spender bender for quite some time now, and has been busted bagging it out in Beverly Hills with best bud Victoria Beckham. Luckily, Katie can cry on the shoulder of the former Spice Girl, as reports indicate that “Top Gun” Tom is controlling his young wife’s every move. "Katie has been crying over the phone," an insider told Us Weekly. "She's frustrated. Tom is denying her every single thing. Once, Katie and Victoria talked on the phone for four hours."

Random Thought of the Day:
Part of the beauty of cabs in NYC and Chicago is, that unless it's bumper to bumper traffic, you can get to and from rather quickly b/c the cabbies know the best routes and drive at the speed of sound. Well, the cab drivers in Indianapolis need to take a class or something. They drive slower than my grandma, and have no clue where they are going! We may not be NYC, but we certainly have our fair share of businessmen/women, conventions, etc. come through town. I'm sure they'd all like the cab drivers to be moderately knowledgable of the city. Hell...God forbid we get a Super Bowl bid. They won't know what to do with themselves. Oh...and Mr./Mrs. Cab Driver: if you're gonna drive like Miss Daisy, get the hell out of the left lane!

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 05:55 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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