Awww…how could you not love that face?

Uno, a 15″ beagle, won Best In Show last night at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show held in New York City:

The judge could hear Uno, the 15-inch beagle, baying as he gave his once-over to the standard poodle. And when he completed his observations, he needed four minutes before he pointed to the winner: Uno, the beagle, or Ch. K-Run’s Park Me In First, who will turn 3 in May.

Snoopy would be pleased. His breed, long passed over for glory, had finally triumphed.

“He’s the most perfect beagle I’ve ever seen,” [Best In Show judge Dr. J. Donald] Jones said at a news conference, where Uno hopped on the judge’s legs trying to get at his water.

“If you saw him, you saw that perfectly smooth locomotion. Not one muscle went the wrong way. Look at his face, you melt right down.”

He added: “That was a beautiful lineup of dogs. I’d give this dog a 10.”

Last night also marked the first time in the history of the show that a beagle, one of the most popular breeds of dog in the USA, has taken home the big prize:

Jones had not been aware that his choice of a beagle was unprecedented.

“That’s wonderful!” he said, and turned to Aaron Wilkerson, Uno’s 29-year-old handler, and said, “You’re a first, young man.”

Asked why he thought no beagle had ever won best in show at Westminster before, Jones said, “Maybe the others just didn’t have it.”

By now, Uno’s baying at Wilkerson had accelerated, as had the insistent east-west wagging of his tail. His showman’s cool had evaporated.

“He talks to him,” Jones said in admiration. “What a personality.”

Congratulations to Uno, and to all the dogs at the WKC show.  You don’t make it there without being a champion to start with, so this was the cream of the crop of purebred canine breeds.  After all, as David Frey pointed out last night, the ethical purpose of breeding purebred dogs by loving owners is to keep the standards of that breed alive, the things that each particular breed has been known for and bred to perform over millenia.

But there are so many unethical breeders and owners out there, and unforunately many animals end up abused, hurt, neglected, and unwanted.  We here at GlossLip are animal lovers, and we encourage you to make a visit to your local animal shelter when it comes time to choose a forever furry friend.  There are many dogs and cats there who are in desperate needs of good, loving homes.  Plus, at dogsrule.com (Pedigree sponsored the show), you can not only find a new adoptable pet, but you can also find ways to donate to help animals in need.  If nothing else, make a trip to your local shelter with a bag of food and some doggie toys.  And, as always, spay and neuter your pets.

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Uno’s win!

Pancakes for everybody!

Well, at an IHOP, that is.  They are marking the celebration of Fat Tuesday, or Pancake Day, or (as it is more commonly known) Mardi Gras.  International House Of Pancakes delayed their celebration a week (due to Super Tuesday primaries, it was actually on the 5th), but today they are giving away free short stacks of pancakes:

Known also as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, National Pancake Day dates back several centuries to when the English prepped for fasting during Lent. Strict rules prohibited the eating of all dairy products during Lent, so pancakes were made to use up the supply of eggs, milk, butter and other dairy products…hence the name Pancake Tuesday, or Shrove Tuesday.

In 2008, Fat Tuesday falls on February 5, which also happens to be Super Tuesday, on which a record number of states will hold their Presidential primaries. In the interest of embracing the democratic process, IHOP has postponed its celebration of National Pancake Day by one week, and will give away free pancakes on February 12.

Since beginning its National Pancake Day celebration in 2006, IHOP has raised nearly one million dollars to support charities in the communities in which it operates. With your help, we hope to raise $750,000 for Children’s Miracle Network in 2008!

All they ask in return is a small donation:

IHOP (NYSE: IHP), one of America’s favorite restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner, has announced plans to serve millions of free pancakes in celebration of National Pancake Day on February 12, 2008. The celebration is designed to bring together friends and family, as well as to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Children’s Miracle Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children’s hospitals, and other worthy causes.

2008 will mark IHOP’s third year of staging the national event, and more than 1,300 IHOP restaurants throughout the United States will once again invite guests to enjoy a free short stack of IHOP’s signature buttermilk pancakes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. In return, IHOP guests are asked to donate what they would have spent on the free pancakes, or more, to their local children’s hospital or another worthy cause.

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate (and give to a good cause) than with a stack of wheats, can you?

She did it!

Amy Winehouse, the rehabbing bluesy vixen with the voice of a soulful black woman in a skinny beehived retro body, took home five Grammys Sunday night and performed her hits “You Know I’m No Good” and “Rehab” via satellite from London.

And let me tell you something…I was almost in tears watching her performance. I was totally enraptured by this Amy…a far cry from the spitting, surly, stoned slip of a girl we’d watched her waste away to, sinking ever farther in the muck and mire of a drug habit gone totally out of control. That Amy made me want to cry, too, albeit out of a sadness that this talent was slowly killing herself for a temporary fix. But this Amy is well on her way back.

The shimmy of her songs was coy, brash, awkward, and self-conscious, all at once…she spent her set physically jerking the songs out of her soul, leaving you wondering just what it was about this little girl that was so appealing, and at the end not caring because of the velvety sandpaper that was her Voice. It roughed you up and smoothed you down all at the same time, leaving you gaping openmouthed and wanting more. The glint in her eye and sly smile as she performed her hit “Rehab” let you know that yes, she was in on the irony, and that that she was perfectly capable of poking some fun at her recent troubles while at the same time reestablishing herself as a driving force in music today.

I’ve listened to her Grammy performance the whole time I’ve been writing this and it just gets better and better. One thing I noticed right off is that her band and backup dancers actually look happy to be there, unlike previous performances. I certainly hope she can keep this up, because if she can, she’ll have a huge career ahead of her.

And what about that shellshocked look when she won? She looked like a little girl who just won an award in kindergarten and wasn’t quite sure why, yet was really sure that she wanted that prize.

Plus, how can you not love a backup band with both a tenor AND baritone sax? You gotta love a bari sax scoop!  I am seriously coveting those!

Angelina Jolie is in Baghdad today. Normally when you think “breath of fresh air” you don’t think of Baghdad, but after being oversaturated by Britney 24/7 (because she’s always awake, dontcha know), someone doing something good somewhere counts as a breath of fresh air in my book.Angie, sans Brad and the brood, is in Iraq to shed light on the refugee situation in the war-torn country. She is there to see firsthand, the plight of the around 2 million “very very vulnerable” people in Iraq. According to UN numbers, 58 percent of those are under the age of 12. None are being chased by paparazzi. None are hanging out at Starbucks, or going to the drugstore at 3am. Almost all of them, I’d be willing to bet, would welcome a stay in a mental ward. Or a nice clean room somewhere, anywhere but there.

We’ve all been sucked into the chaos that is Britney, and I’d go as far as to say that Brit, her bad weave, and even worse choices of boyfriends, has been a welcome distraction from things like Iraq. Or the upcoming election. Or the mortgage crisis. Or the recession.

Thankfully, Angelina is here to remind us to that people in different parts of the world have more important things to think about than what crazy stunt Britney is going to pull today, or who’s in rehab now. Of course, even with such an admirable humanitarian agenda, she couldn’t fully escape the Hollywood rumor mill, since CNN’s Arwa Damon did ask about the baby rumors. True to form, Angie replied “Oh don’t. Stop it. Stay true to your tradition. You’re CNN. Don’t do it!”

Granted, war and refugees are not the most pleasant things to think about, but after two straight weeks of all Britney all the time, it is, at least for me, a welcome change — a breath of fresh air.

Above post submitted by guest poster “B”

But it isn’t because she pulled out her weave…Robin has been battling breast cancer, and for her to step out on a dare in an Issac Mizrahi fashion show, on national morning television, showing off her bald pate, was a big step for her personally:

Her fellow “Good Morning America” anchors dared Robin to do it. What they didn’t know is that Robin would decide to shed her wig.

Robin looked fabulous strutting down the runway bald, in a brick-red sequin dress from Isaac’s Fall ‘08 collection.

“This is who I am,” Robin said with a smile about her decision to ditch the wig.

“I’m on the air without the wig and without underwear as well…totally commando,” Robin revealed with a laugh to Chris Cuomo and Diane Sawyer who were watching with pride and cheering her on from the studio.

“It’s all about confidence,” Elle Editor and Project Runway host Nina Garcia explained to Robin after the show. “You have it. You look amazing and you showed us.” 

She said that she was more concerned with tripping and eating the runway than stepping out minus hair, because she didn’t want to cause a pileup behind her.  Apparently the control room and staff of “Good Morning America” had no advance warning of her decision. 

I think she looks great. and she’s my recipient of the Breath Of Fresh Air award today.  She’s an inspiration to cancer patients everywhere, showing that you don’t need to conform to society’s notion of what beautiful is, to be beautiful.  She looks like a strong, confident, sexy woman, and we wish her all the best in her continued recovery.

Now, Robin, I have a dare for you…do your GMA spots with naked head.  I’m being serious…you’re a beautiful woman and the sight of you unashamedly showing off your head could be an inspiration to people everywhere.  Bald is beautiful!

Glosslip Radio is very psyched to have up and coming actor/musician Jeff D’Agostino as our guest for Sunday’s show.

You may know Jeff from his roles on such TV hits as “Veronica Mars,” “Weeds,” “CSI” and “CSI:Miami,” “Malcolm In The Middle,” Disney’s “Phil of the Future,” and “Judging Amy,” just to name a few. Jeff can also be seen in the film The Sasquatch Gang, also starring Justin Long (Die Hard 4: Live Free or Die Hard, The Mac guy and Drew Barrymore’s boyfriend) from the creators of the hugely popular Napoleon Dynamite.

Aside from Jeff’s growing list of acting gigs, he’s also pursuing a successful career as lead singer and guitarist of the rock group, The Perfect Victim.

If you want to find out more about Jeff and his band, go to Jeff’s myspace page, and the band’s myspace page. Be sure to check out his Flying Squirrel story, video short clips and his eclectic influences - Jeff is not your typical Hollywood wild child, and has taken great pains to made good choices as he navigates the usual trappings and pitfalls in the land of Lala.

Jeff’s been compared to fellow actor/musician Jared Leto, not only for his good looks, but also for his dual roles in the entertainment business. After getting the chance to speak to Jeff all-too-briefly, it was immediately apparent this is a tremendously down-to-earth person, funny, insightful and wise beyond his years, despite his age (he’s only 23)!!

Please join k and I as we talk to Jeff about his projects, his music and his future this SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 10:00pm EST on www.blogtalkradio.com/Glosslip.

Click here to listen to the show. Show call in number: (646)478-0139. The chatroom will be open and you can participate with us in the interview, ask Jeff questions, or just hang out and listen.

We’ve heard from her parents, her brother, her boyfriend, her “manager”, her “cousin”, her lawyers, her parents’ lawyers, and London the dog, but do you know who we haven’t really heard from in all this drama?

That’s right…babydaddy Kevin Federline.  We’ve heard some second-hand information concerning his thoughts on the situation:

Kevin Federline is “worried” about Britney Spears and feels that the psychiatric hospital is the best place for her right now, a source tells PEOPLE.

Federline “doesn’t want her to get out until she’s made progress,” the source close to Federline says. “This is obviously going to help her in the end – later, much later.”

The source adds: “He’s worried. … He doesn’t even know what’s going to happen next.”

Federline, 29, was not directly involved in the latest events, “but he was aware of what was happening,” says another source, a friend of Federline’s.

And we’ve learned what he wants to happen:

“Kevin legitimately wants Britney to get better. He wants her to be in their sons’ lives. He wants them to have a loving relationship. He wants her to get healthy so she can be the mother they need and deserve,” says the friend.

But we haven’t heard a peep out of Kevin himself.

And you know what?  That’s refreshing, that there is someone who isn’t running their yapper about Britney.  I mean, don’t get me wrong…Kevin definitely has his faults, but there are things he is doing totally right.  He’s keeping the babies out of the spotlight and doing his job as a dad.  My theory on him is that sudden fame made him go a little crazy, and he made a series of bad decisions (starting with leaving Shar and getting involved with Brit to start with).  Personally, I think in many ways Kevin is more mature than Brit (taking the mental illness quotient out of it).  So, for the hat trick today, and I never thought I’d be doing this, but I’m giving out one more Breath Of Fresh Air award.

I need to lie down.

Amy Winehouse, currently in a rehab center in the UK, was taken to the hospital after she became dehydrated:

Confirming that his daughter remained under “medical supervision,” Mitch Winehouse told BBC radio station 1Xtra that the singer, 24, spent a night in the hospital, where she was placed in a drip as a means “to rehydrate her after she’d been vomiting” as part of her treatment for drug addiction.

Amy Winehouse entered rehab on Jan. 24.

“Everything is going according to plan, and she’s perfectly okay,” Mitch Winehouse said, explaining that Amy was now out of the hospital and back in the rehab center.

Of course she’s been vomiting…her body is probably freaking out that the steady diet of drugs and crisps have been taken away (well, I don’t know about the crisps…btw, that’s chips, for those of us in the US).  And I can see where she’d be dehydrated, because she’s so thin I can’t see that she’d have anything to throw up.  But, at least she’s still in rehab…which qualifies her for a Breath Of Fresh Air award (that’s two I’ve given out today, wonder if I can find someone else and make it a hat trick).

The news that she still wants to attend the Grammy Awards, where she’s been nominated in six categories, comes as no surprise.  However, I don’t see how it is going to happen.  She just went into rehab January 24, and the Grammys are February 10.  She’d have to leave the UK at least two days in advance because of the travel time and time changes.  So that would give her perhaps 15 days in rehab.

I don’t see how that is going to be enough.  Problems such as this do not surface overnight, and they will not go away overnight.  Just learning and accepting that you have a problem isn’t the solution, it’s just the first step.  Even getting your body clean from the toxins drugs cause isn’t enough.  Look at all the time Lindsay Lohan spent in rehab, and she’s still having problems with relapses.

The only way I can see it happening is if a medical professional and her father accompanies her (btw, where is her mother is all this?), stays with her the entire time, and all of them go immediately on a plane back to the UK and she returns straight to rehab.

Regardless, she is doing well to continue in rehab, and I wish her all the best in her continued fight.

She’s still in.

And apparently, this time she’s being treated properly, by someone who knows what she’s doing (unlike the incompetents at Cedars Sinai…between the Britney early release/Dr. Phil thing and Dennis Quaid’s twins being overdosed, I think I’d stay far away from that place):

“She’s an excellent clinician and an excellent psychiatrist,” says Harold Young, the clinical director at the Maple Counseling Center in Beverly Hills, where Spears’s psychiatrist Dr. Deborah Nadel worked for about five years.

Board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Nadel graduated from University of California Medical School in San Francisco 18 years ago, and she did her residency at UCLA, records show.

Nadel, who has recently started treating the troubled pop star, had instigated Spears’s second hospitalization in January, this time at UCLA Medical Center’s psychiatric ward, for a 72-hour evaluation, sources tell PEOPLE.

Apparently she’s detoxing, and hopefully sleeping, in a basic room that may or may not have a television or phone, both undoubtedly distractions to proper rest. It’s important to get whatever medications are in her system, out of her system, so that her team can assess what is going on and attempt to find a proper medication and dosage for her symptoms. She’s allegedly been classified as G.D., which means “Greatly Disabled.” Translated, someone with that classification can’t take care of themselves, such as providing proper food or clothing or shelter for themselves. As I said yesterday, we at GlossLip have been saying that for quite some time now.

FINALLY…some good news to report about Britney. Such a refreshing change. I think it qualifies for a Breath Of Fresh Air award…baby steps, baby steps.

So how about nobody hound this doctor and let her get her work done in peace?

In other news, that loud pop you just heard was Osmegma bin Luftwaffe’s head exploding. He’s quite upset that he’s being made out to be the bad guy in all this and has come out with both guns blazing. He’s accused Lynne Spears of getting a manicure when her daughter was trying to contact her for help, he’s allegedly had a fight with father Jamie, supposedly he was barred from even entering the hospital yesterday, and he’s probably got a bad case of Missing Cash Cowitis.

If anything else happens today, I’ll update in this post.

UPDATE:  It seems that her parents are rather upset that Osmegma has been pulling a Howard, and have gone to court to stop any further intrusions into her life–and finances:

Jamie and Lynne Spears arrived this morning at the County courthouse in downtown L.A. Sources say both parents are extremely concerned about the welfare of their daughter, and upset because Sam Lutfi is trying to call the shots on all matters Britney.

The court has the power to create a conservatorship, which would allow both Jamie and Lynne to make medical decisions on behalf of Britney. The conservatorship would also allow them to control Britney’s financial affairs. Both parents have made it clear: they believe Lutfi’s influence has placed their daughter and her assets at risk.

Didn’t I suggest a conservatorship a while back?

The hearing is scheduled for 1:30 PM PT.

UPDATE #2:  According to TMZ, an LA court commissioner has placed Britney and her estate under temporary conservatorship.  It is unknown at the time just who the conservator is but her parents have asked to be appointed.

UPDATE #3:  People is saying that the conservator is Jamie Spears, Brit’s father.  Well, that’s better than Lynne.  He’s been opposed to Brit being in the spotlight pretty much from the start, if I remember right.  Of course, he’s been no prince in his life, but he seems to have turned himself around.

Also, if memory serves, he doesn’t live off his daughters.  That’s Lynne’s job.

UPDATE #4:  See what happens…I go to the store and all hell breaks loose.

There is a restraining order against Osmegma bin Luftwaffe for the next 22 days, and at the end of that it could be made permanent.  Also, TMZ is reporting that Brit’s conservator, in this case dad Jamie and a lawyer, have the power to shut out Osmegma:

The conservators who were appointed to manage Britney’s assets have broad authority, including changing the locks to her house and keeping out anyone they want — we’re guessin’ that’s Sam Lutfi.

The judge granted the conservators — Jamie Spears and a lawyer co-conservators — have the power to hire 24-hour security at her house, access her medical records and communicate with treating physicians.

They also have the power to make any decisions on her behalf, and can revoke any contracts she may have made recently — which might include the new Mercedes she just bought.

It also give them the power to communicate with her doctors and help manage her estate:

The conservators — Jamie Spears and Andrew Wallet — can communicate with Brit’s doctors and access medical records.

In terms of managing Brit’s estate, the function of Wallet — a respected lawyer who has handled many similar matters — is to ensure there is an independent voice in the management of her estate, and we’re told that’s something Jamie and Lynne are down with.

The effect of the order is that Sam Lutfi has, at least temporarily, been shut out of Britney’s world. He will not be able to go to her home or the hospital, or have any other contact with her.

But Britney apparently is not a happy camper about this turn of events:

In a heavy British accent, a ballistic Brit screamed (about her parents), “I’m so sick of all of this they can have the God Damn house and stick it up their f**king asses. Actually, no they can’t.”

Brit, who sounded drugged up, was furious that her dad became a conservator of her estate. She was screaming at the top of her lungs, at times impossible to understand. At one point she screamed, “Nobody’s taking my house. Who is my family?”

Britney said she did not want her parents near her home and at one point said she would go to court to fight them.

She is under the impression she’s getting out of the hospital tonight.

Oh no…it’s really gonna hit the fan tonight.  Just for the record, we are on approximately Day 16 of her cycle.

UPDATE #5:  Well, according to TMZ again (personally, I don’t necessarily trust X17, mainly because of their affiliation with Osmegma), there’s going to be a showdown over the very same mad, and now Trope and Trope (Brit’s lawyers) are being dragged into the mess:

We know Britney’s divorce team at the law firm of Trope and Trope has been dealing with newly-exiled Sam Lutfi and believes he is well-meaning. Jamie Spears, the freshly appointed co-conservator, has made it clear he dislikes the Trope firm and wants them out of Britney’s life - in large part because of the firm’s alliance with Sam.

Lutfi is furious at the commissioner who issued the various orders today and has been in touch with Trope and Trope numerous times this afternoon. Based on those conversations, the firm believes the orders defy Britney’s wishes because she feels great ill will toward her dad.

So here’s the scenario. It’s possible Trope and Trope could go to court Monday at 1:30 and challenge the choice of conservator. If Jamie Spears is in it for the long hall, it’s also possible one of his first orders of business will be to 86 Trope and Trope from Britney’s life.

What a mess.  First Trope Squared want to quit as Brit’s lawyers, now they want to stay and fight for her.  Maybe they got a raise, because I don’t see them doing this out of the goodness and kindness of their hearts.

Who knows, maybe Osmarmy promised them a percentage of Brit’s money if they win.  Oh wait, that would be the money that she received from the sale of her CDs, DVDs, downloads, and merchandise…paid for by her enablers fans.

I know this is just a short little blurb of a post, and most of it isn’t even my writing, but I liked it so much I had to share it with my loyal GlossLip readers.  Being as I watched many a catfight between Alexis and Krystle back in the day, this little bit caught my eye:

JOAN Collins — whose husband, Percy Gibson, is 32 years her junior — still has an eye for a well-turned male derriere. The 74-year-old cougar, after dining with female pals at Spago in Beverly Hills last week, donned a pair of huge black sunglasses and sashayed out of the restaurant to customers’ delight, said a source. While waiting for her car outside, Collins tipped her glasses down, peeked at the valet’s “rather large” behind, and commented, “Now, ladies, that’s the proper way to end a lunch.”

Now why can’t they have waiters like that at my local Choke-n-Puke?