We'll always have Paris.

The currently incarcerated celebutante said recently, "I love Las Vegas."

While her move from prison medical facility to a step down unit with about 15 cells is making news, so is her upcoming "Get Out Of Jail" party. Looks like Las Vegas will play host to Paris and hundreds of her closest friends.

Paris' dad has been shopping for a venue to sponsor the bash. Unlike most pops, he is not paying for the celebration, rather ... the venue is paying for the privilege of hosting the privileged inmate.

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is reportedly the winning host. How much will Paris get for serving her sentence and then partying in Sin City? A cool $800,000. Not bad for 23 to 45 days in the slammer.

Posted June 17, 2007 4:14 PM by Charlotte Rose | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

Some people are saying that 7-07-07 will be the most popular wedding date of the century.

Wedding venues across the nation say the 7-07-07 wedding date has booked up fast as couples set their sights on pledging their love on a "lucky day."

You can just imagine what a popular day that will be in Las Vegas, especially since 7-7-7 is a winning jackpot!

Ever wonder why else the number 7 is so hot? We have 7 wonders of the world, 7 seas and 7 continents. Superstitions abound about the numbe. From the religious and spiritual perspectives, here are some of the reasons it is considered sacred.

In the Bible. The number 7 is a perfect and important number.

From the Jewish perspective: The number 7 is prominent in the Torah and the Zohar. God rested on the seventh day of creating earth, and hence, sanctified and deemed Sabbath on day seven. There are seven blessings over the wine are recited under the huppa during the marriage ceremony.

From the Catholic perspective: There are Seven sacraments, we have Seven Deadly Sins (Lust, Gluttony, Avarice, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, and Pride) and Seven Virtues (Chastity, Moderation, Liberality, Charity, Meekness, Zeal, and Humility).

From the Christian perspective: In the New Testament, Jesus tells Peter he must forgive "seventy times seven."

From the Native American and Wiccan traditions: Their are 7 directions: east, west, north, south, Above, Below and Within. There are 7 sacred ceremonies.

From the Hindu tradition. There are 7 energy centers in the body called chakras. They represent both physical and energetic centers and they are: root, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, crown. In the Hindu wedding ceremony, the most important part is Saptapadi, the 7 steps around the sacred flame as 7 blessings are chanted.

From the Japanese Shinto religion: There are "Seven Lucky Gods" who preside over fortune.

In mythology: Innana, the Babylonian Goddess Queen of Heaven, had to descend 7 levels to the underworld stripping her jewels, clothes, crown, and ego (7 items in all) along the way in order to rescue her beloved Tamuz from the depths of hell.

Lucky 7

From sports to the stars: 7 comes up sacred again. In astronomy and astrology there are 7 planets that can be seen with the naked eye.In baseball, there was only one number 7 - Mickey Mantle.

Gambler's luck. In the game of craps, 7 wins in any combination. Lady Luck is a character who wears dice for earrings and they always have the number 7.

As you can see, ancient and popular thinking would seem to make 7-07-07 a helluva wedding date, a triple chance at good luck! If this is your wedding day, may it be a lucky roll of the dice!

Continue reading "Why is 7-07-07 Such a Hot Date for a Wedding?" »

Posted June 13, 2007 7:50 PM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Maybe she has a mental breakdown after the body cavity search?

Or her parents finally found someone they could pay to spring her from the slammer?

Or perhaps we will find that this was all a big joke perpetrated by Simple Life producers, for a special in the reality series called the "Girls Go To Jail." Afterall, Nicole Ritchie was on David Letter's show last night mentioning how she may follow her gal pal Paris to jail for her own DUI violation.

Whatever the reason, less than 4 days into her 45 days sentence, it is widely reported that Paris Hilton has been released from Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood this morning.

You have to wonder, was this story just another strategy for preventing us from paying attention to the real news stories, or have we gone so down hill as a culture that this truly is the important news of the day?

We didn't want Paris to suffer. But we also didn't want to see her win as a role model for inappropriate and potentially dangerous behavior.

Here's an idea: Let her do her time in community service and send her to poor neighborhoods to help women with no self esteem learn to love themselves. Now, that's hot!

Posted June 7, 2007 7:26 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

Lindsay Lohan is falling fast. Who is not upset to watch the demise of a young star who has brought people so much joy through her work? Hope she can find the inner strenght and fortitude to get it together.

She's supposed to celebrate her 21st birthday in Las Vegas. Now, media reports the plans may be "spoiled" by her recent DUI and time in rehab. How sad is it that, before she even reaches legal drinking age, she will be (hopefully) a recovering alcoholic.

It's the trend for hot clubs in Vegas to pay hot celebrities big bucks to have or "host" parties here. I heard there was a million dollars or more on the table for Lindsay's big 21st birthday bash. Maybe she sabotaged it because she needs help more than she needs a million bucks.

Personally, I think Lindsay Lohan needs a father. Hers seems useless. That poor girl is acting out her Daddy issues all over the place. Check out this latest image of her playing with knives as party.

Nice. All we need now is for someone else's daughter to think that is cute and try it.

Are Lindsay, and other of her ilk, glamorizing dysfunction? Or is it media? Afterall, she is trained to act for the cameras.

She has sadly become a slave of her own celebrity, a victim of her own missed childhood. Perhaps we cannot hold her completely responsible for her actions, as she is the creation of a mother who pushed her to success, hollywood, and the media machine. And the ever-watching eyes and opinions of a vulture culture that cannot turn our eyes from human tragedy, pathos and drama.

I think Lindsay is also reflecting the angst and pain of her generation.

Continue reading "Lindsay Lohan Will Celebrate Her 21st Birthday in Vegas -- Or Rehab" »

Posted June 5, 2007 6:50 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

The story about Andrew Speaker, the guy with the weird strain of TB who traveled internationally putting who knows how many people at risk for contracting his disease, is so bizarre!

The personal injury lawyer is now quarantined. The Associated Press said this morning that "The Denver health authority has ordered that Speaker be detained at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center until tests indicate he is no longer contagious." Speaker took international flights and traveled widely by air, but says he was not warned against flying.

I can't image that this guy wanted to make others sick - but the thought of how he could have or may have is very spooky. I think he was just afraid to miss his wedding! Or he was not sick enough miss his wedding. Everyone knows that unless a guy is on death's doorstep, he cannot miss his wedding. It is unforgivable. Could it be wedding stress and demands made him loose his sense of reason and reality? Or did he just not "get" how serious his situation was?

There is only one thing to do now: Send Speaker and anyone who was exposed to him in his air travels to Stephen Lewis, one of the founders of AIM Program. It is a unique and powerful spiritual technology that helps people find the source of their illnesses and maladies and helps them heal themselves. Lewis, co author of Sanctuary, is renown for his ability to source illnessess at their energetic root.

He can also help the rest of us AVOID IT! The AIM Program, to my mind, is like an energetic health insurance policy. Its like a shield for all the nasty imbalances and illnesses that plague us all each day. Many celebrities have worked with Lewis and are on AIM, including Rev. Michael Beckwith, of The Secret fame.

Continue reading "TB Groom and Those Exposed to Him Should Try the AIM Program" »

Posted June 4, 2007 7:10 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

It sounds like a scene right of out Sex and the City.

One of our heroines finds the perfect dress in a cute little store that is about to shut its doors, according to the owner. She buys it and waits for it and fantasizes about twirling around the dance floor in it. Then, after weeks of promises that would come by "next Friday" for alterations, our heroine is forced to go to a ... dare we say ... discount bridal house to purchase an off the rack "back-up" dress.

Could you just imagine Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw in wedding dress hell? First, she gets hives trying on dresses when engaged to Aidan. Then finally, Mr. Big pops the question and boom... no wedding dress. She goes to Klienfeld's - known for classic cheaper bridal wear -- to buy the big white dress. The only saving grace is that it is now in Manhattan, not in Brooklyn!

Then, the real dress comes ... just 3 days before the wedding, without alterations. What can a bride do but shove it in a closet and wear her back up.

What a tale of woe ... and it actually happened to real life former Sex and the City writer Elisa Zuritsky.

She got married and had a grand old time, but still can't open the box to look at the $3,000 A-line Mariana Hardwick dress.

So she is having a contest to give the dress away. Act fast, and share your 500 word tale of woe, and perhaps the dress can be yours. The deadline for entries is Monday is today! Visit www.takemydress.com for contest details. Entries are limited to the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.

"My wedding dress is sitting in a crushed, taped-up cardboard box, in the closet of my husband's home-office," she writes on her website. "It's been there since the day it arrived, still needing alterations, three days before my wedding day."

"I did get married in October, and I did wear a wedding dress. But it was not my wedding dress: the simple, strapless, A-line gown that made me feel teeny-tiny. (I'm not.) The dress I got married in was my Back-up, bought off the rack two weeks before the big day, in the kind of frenzy I'd sworn I'd never get sucked into."

To this day, "I haven't even looked at my original wedding dress. I can't. I'm still mad at it."

But she wants to give it away!

Posted May 28, 2007 2:52 PM by Charlotte Rose | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

Mazel Tov! It's a boy!

Mary Cheney welcomed a new little man into the world, making her Dad 'Grandpa Dick' -- for the sixth time!

She gave birth to Samuel David Cheney yesterday. This is the first wee one for Mary and her life partner, Heather Poe.

The Cheney's - Dick and Grandma Lynne - went to visit the new baby a few hours after birth.

If you recall, Mary told the world she was with child in December. Some conservatives hit the roof. Cheney stood by his daughter, who worked as an aid to the Vice President during the 2004 campaign.

I think it is important to remember that -- while some people may take issue with two women raising a child, and while there are also many people who take issue with the Vice President -- Samuel David represents a new life. A new chance. He's a baby. Don't take politics it out on him. He deserves a chance.

We wish the best to Mothers and Child. Obviously, Cheney and Poe will have their baby blessed or baptized in accordance with their own religious beliefs. I would like to just offer this blessing (adapted from Life Prayers).

Continue reading "Vice President Cheney is Grandpa Dick - Mary Cheney Delivers a Boy" »

Posted May 24, 2007 6:48 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Laurie Sue Brockway

That's what I call a wedding!

If you happened to catch Desparate Housewives Sunday you know what I mean.

Terri Hatcher and James Denton, AKA Susan and Mike, married in a magical midnight setting on Sunday's show.

Susan was attempting to plan a big, impressive shindig for her nuptials. To pay for it, Mike was working as a 'round-the-clock plumber, taking calls in the middle of the night to pay for the wedding.

While attending Gabriel's (Eva Longoria) ill-fated nuptials to an ambitious and arrogant politician, Mike falls asleep. He's exhausted from over work and late night plumbing adventures. Susan realized she does not want to torture him any longer with wedding planning.

Susan gets the idea to ditch her big wedding plans with Mike and head for the Forrest for a little midnight marriage ceremony. She borrows the minister from Gabriel's ceremony, has the woods decorated with enchanting lighting and gets Mike to the site thinking he is answering a plumbing call.

They profess their love for one another, and of course, Susan says that while her mind kept changing about the kind of wedding she wanted, "One thing was constant ... you."

Ta-da ... instant wedding. Just like Las Vegas.

And interestingly, Denton said that Mike's unconventional wedding reminded him of his own 2002 wedding at the famous Little Chapel of the West in Las Vegas.

It was a second marriage for both he and his wife Erin. "We both had done the big weddings before, so we decided on Vegas," he told USA Today. "I wanted to do the whole Elvis thing, but Erin put her foot down. And she was exactly right. It was very romantic with a minister and the woman at the organ."

Continue reading "Desperate Housewives Wedding -Terri Hatcher Marries TV Sweetheart" »

Posted May 22, 2007 6:52 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By the way, Cameron Diaz will reportedly pair up with Ashton Kutcher for a new movie, "What Happens in Vegas." So it's a good thing she has her honey, Criss Angel, lined up.

In this wacky romantic comedy, Diaz and Kutcher play an unlikely pair bonded together after wandering into a wedding chapel after a few too many drinks -- as if that ever happens here! Also, one of them won a jackpot with the other one's quarter.

Stuck together by unholy matrimony and money, the movie finds the two driving each other crazy in attempts to take all the money. In the end they of course fall in love, Las Vegas style.

The movie was penned by the same writer who created The Wedding Date (Dana Fox) and will be directed by Julian Farino of "Entourage."

Looks like Diaz will be in town for a while when shooting. Let's hope its a magical stay for her.

Posted May 17, 2007 7:25 AM by Charlotte Rose | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

In never got it about Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake. He is such a goodie two-shoes, and she seems to have a freaky-deaky side.

Its a good thing they split, and also had a healing reunion at the premiere of Shrek 3 (which she stars in and he appears in), because now the girl has gone and gotten herself a freaky-deaky guy!

Cameron Diaz was in Vegas this weekend and she was spotted out and about with Mindfreak magician Criss Angel. Holy magic show! That seems like a cool connection!

People Magazine reports, "The pair began their evening with dinner at the Bellagio's Prime steakhouse, then rode to the Mirage in Angel's Rolls Royce for the 10:30 p.m. performance of Cirque du Soleil's Beatles tribute LOVE."

They were smiling and snuggling and looking oh so happy and close.

The two reportedly met at the VHI Rock Honor and then partied at the Jet Nightclub. She was supposed to split on Sunday but extended her stay, obviously to do a little canoodling and take in some sights and shows with her new magical man!

Posted May 17, 2007 7:13 AM by Charlotte Rose | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

God Grant me the Serenity
to Accept the things I cannot change,
the Courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference

- The Serenity Prayer, Alcoholics Anonymous

Former Baywatch hunk and current Las Vegas resident David Hasselhoff had his visitation rights with his two teenage daughters suspended after a video surfaced showing Hasselhoff seeming sloppy and drunk. His oldest daughter was there, pleading with him on tape not to drink anymore.

It is a very sad video, one that goes beyond those hiddeous drunken still photos of stars like Nick Nolte, to show us what really goes on with a star who has a drinking problem. It is the very same thing that happens to "average" people who become lost to the disease of drinking to excess.

Hasselhoff, an admitted alcoholic who was prompted into rehab by a nasty divorce, claimed through lawyers that he fell off the wagon - temporarily - and that the video got him back on track.

Hasselhoff's ex- Catherine Bach said on Larry King last night that for 16 years she was an enabler and that alcoholism destroyed their marriage. "I love him," she said, "but I hate the disease."

There will be a hearing May 21 to see if the video was authentic, and who released it. Bach, accompanied by the same laywer who once represented Larry Berkhead, said that neither she or her daughter had anything to do with the release of the video.

She went on to point out that most families of alcoholics keep it quite and hidden, not broadcasted to the world.

The video, of Hasselhof seeming intoxicated, is so sad. His daughter's pleading for him to stop drinking is even sadder.

Catherine Bach has been criticised for taking her story to media, but I think when you are dealing with such raging alcoholism and illness, eventually the only way you can save your sanity is to go public and speak the truth.

Luckily, her daughters, 14 and 17, are a little older and seem to be all too familiar with their dad's drinking problem.

Hasselhoff had been in the Las Vegas production of the Producers. When the video tape was made in his Las Vegas home, his daughter was visiting.

It was indicated that she was probing him about his drinking on camera, while he was drunk, to be able to play his behavior back to him.

No one knows who released the tape to a tabloid TV show.

Our prayers go out the Hasselhoff and his family, and all families who must confront a painful addiction issue.

Posted May 8, 2007 6:42 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

At this time of year, I like to pause ... and remember The Runaway Bride.

Please join me in a moment of silence and a prayer that you – nor a friend or loved one -- ever get that stressed out about a wedding.

If ever there was a case for eloping to Las Vegas, it was the unfortunate wedding fiasco that dominated the headlines this time two years ago – the “Runaway Bride," a.k.a. Jennifer Wilbanks.

She kicked off wedding season with an emotional breakdown and a sprint out of town, and, in many ways, represented the fears and tears of many a stressed out bride-to-be.

The Runaway Bride and I are oddly linked in history.

She happened to run off the week that my book on bridal stress, Wedding Goddess, launched. Needless to say, it was a publicists dream. I ended up doing one interview after another about how planning a wedding these days can make sane women crazy, and send anyone with an imbalance off the deep end.

The story, however, troubled me. Although I knew it was an "isolated incident," I felt it was symbolic of the kind of pressures placed upon women to have the "perfect wedding" and be the "perfect bride" and "perfect wife." They are seduced by the powerful, multibillion dollar wedding industry and by a culture that presses the idea of perfection, when in fact, weddings -- marriage, life -- are completely imperfect.

Nevertheless, brides are petrified of wedding disasters and having an event that ends up on a wedding blooper show. Many are secretly filled with fears about marriage and afraid to fess up. The urge to run away is a natural survival instinct when it dawns on your that you feel you don't have the wherewithal to deal with the wedding or the skills to deal with marriage.

I became a bridal advocate, trying to help women reduce stress and wedding-related-nonsense on the way to the altar.

She became the poster child for bridal stress and gave the world a much needed glimpse into the darker side of getting hitched.

Fortunately, reports indicate that she is doing well. Perhaps she was just trying to marry the wrong guy (for her), or having a wedding for the wrong reasons. Since her sprint in 2005, it's been reported that she:

• Performed 120 hours of community service and paid about $15,000 in court ordered “amends” toward what it cost cops to search for her when she claimed she was abducted during the now infamous “missing bride hunt.”

• Sold her story, along with then-fiancé John Mason, to a tabloid for $500,000

• Paid for a house with that money, and then took John Mason to court over her $250,000 portion. (They eventually settled out of court).

• Ditched her groom to be for good.

• Was the inspration for The Runaway Bride, the rock musical, which that originated where her controversial wedding sprint did –in Duluth, Georgia at the Red Clay Theater. It also did some touring, as she did!

• Became the inspiration of a new ad campaign for the Albuquerque police department for new cop recruits. The ads feature the female cop who famously escorted Wilbanks through the airport, and helped get her back home two years ago.

And you thought your journey to the altar has been filled with drama!

Continue reading "Remembering the Runaway Bride - Wilbanks Changed Our Views on Weddings" »

Posted May 2, 2007 6:37 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Laurie Sue Brockway

Remember back to the day when Alec Baldwin and Kim Bassinger were the most beautiful couple in Hollywood?

Way before Brad and Jen, Brangelina, Bennifer and the parade of power couples that have come since, there was golden girl Texas-born Bassinger with the dark, slighty brooding Baldwin from Long Island.

They met on a movie set at a time when he was the hot and handomebad boy that every woman desired. She was the beautiful blond people just loved to watch on screen. They were both huge stars. Columnist Liz Smith once said of their match that they are so beautiful and talented, how could they not love each other?

Back then, Bassinger had severe stage fright -- she later went public as having an anxiety disorder -- and Baldwin seemed to be her knight in shinning armor. He even stood by her and held on to her (seemed to be holding her up) when she hosted Saturday Night Live years ago.

His outgoing nature and her nervousness seemed a perfect match. When they had their child, Ireland, back in the day when only a few paparrazi were sitting outside the house waiting for the return from the hospital, Baldwin made the headlines for almost sacking a photographer for coming too close to his wife and daughter.

Over the years he was known as someone with a short temper, and she was known for being shy.

I think she has gotten over her shyness.

How do things go so awry between two people? How do the kids get caught in between. The Baldwin-Bassinger union is just one public example of how nasty it can become when two people, once in love, fall off love's pedastal into the darkness of a nasty break-up.

Some people say Bassinger released the recent ranting phone message Bladwin left for their daughter, Ireland.

We all agree that regardless of the situation with the mother, or father, it is hideous when a frustrated parent lets lose on a child with threats, name calling, insults. Worse, it becomes public and brings even more shame to the child.

Sadly, this family dynamic has already been exposed. But what can we all learn from it?

No one summed this story up better than my friend Dr. Judy Kuriansky, a columnist for the NY Daily News. She's the shrink, so I wanted to share her insights with readers. Check out her column.

Posted April 24, 2007 5:29 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (2) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

Carley Roney of TheKnot.com, along with the folks at The Style Network, teamed up for an amazing recreation of the Christina Aguilera's Napa Valley nuptials to music executive Jordan Bratman for the show My Celebrity Wedding with The Knot. The theme was fire (the ceremony) and ice (the reception).

On this show, one lucky couple wins a dream wedding that is put together in a very short amount of time and on a "sensible" budget. Carley and her team help the couple come up with the theme. They pull together all elements of the wedding and source the vendors and venue. The couple who won were the adorable Michael Hutchinson and Jessika Cavin.

They had an amazing love story. He had donated one of his kidneys to save his mother's life. She had gone through the painful loss of her beloved father. For their wedding rings, they melded together the grooms father's wedding ring and a gold amulet belonging to the bride's dad and had them fashioned into beautiful new rings.

I got to attend the wedding because my hubby, Rev. Vic Fuhrman, was selected by the couple, The Style Network and The Knot to officiate. He joined a stellar group of wedding pros who made the wedding a huge success. He is often called to do weddings related to issues of healing and this couple adored him. They couple said it was all they wanted it to be.

Kudos to Carley Roney and her team! Jessika and Michael had a wedding fit for a star. And it was SO MUCH FUN.

The ceremony space was alive with oranges, reds and yellows and many candles. The reception area looked like a winter wonderland, with blue lighting, white billowy curtains, and amazing crystal centerpieces. The centerpieces were surrounded by dozens of wine glasses and crystals to give it an icey feel.

You have to see the video to see how close the recreation was!

My Celebrity Wedding with The Knot documents and shares the start to finish experience of planning the wedding to cutting the cake, with Rev. Vic, of course, officiating the "I Dos."

It's been on TV all weekend and is on again tonight at midnight on The Style Network. Check the schedule for this edition and future shows.

Posted April 22, 2007 2:35 PM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Surprise! Surprise!

Sanjaya Malakar was finally voted off American Idol last night.

The teen with the cute face, the-not-so-great singing voice, and fabulous hair hung in there for weeks with support from shock jock Howard Stern, and the website VotefortheWorst.com, which was driving voters to keep Sanjaya singing on Idol to keep the show interesting.

Then there were the teenyboppers around the country and world who had the hots for the lanky, very sweet, but not so-great-a-singer, Sanjaya.

He kept millions of viewers -- and tons of women, one of them me -- riveted to American Idol for weeks, getting far more attention that the folks with truly fabulous singing voices.

Could it be Las Vegas is next? This town is filled with talented stars, but there is always room for a guy with great hair and smile who has a following. Watch out Wayne Newton!

Posted April 19, 2007 6:58 AM by Charlotte Rose | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Ouch.

The two Las Vegas-based love birds, parents and retired tennis pros were participating in an Oprah related reality show and charity event called "The Big Give" when Agassi gave his wife something she did not expect - a smack in the face and the need for three stitches.

They were playing tennis with a couple of kids, trying to give them every chance in the world to win the game.

Agassi was reportedly holding his racket in his left hand - to give the kids an advantage - and holding Steffi's hand with his right. Then whoops ... he took a swing and the racket accidentally smacked her in the lip and cheek.

Fortunately, there was a doctor in the house -- a guy who'd paid a pretty penny ($70,000) to get a chance to play tennis with the two court stars. The Associated Press reported that he stitched Steffi up.

Andre in not in the dog house -- although this has been sited as one of the most embarrassing sports moments of the month. Accidents do happen! Hopefully they are back home and Steffi is healing fast!

The couple was married in Las Vegas in a small ceremony, presided over by a district judge and attended only by their mothers, in October 2001.

Posted April 19, 2007 6:17 AM by Charlotte Rose | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

Recently fired Don Imus was set to meet in Princeton, New Jersey with the Rutgers University basketball team and their coach in a gathering that was to presided over by the State's Governor, Gov. Jon Corzine.

En route to the meeting, the Governor's SUV was slammed into on a highway by an "aggressive" red vehicle, it was reported. He was seriously injured.

Instead of presiding over the meeting, the Governor ended up in surgery to repair a broken leg as well as reported chest injuries. Recent reports from his trauma doctor said he sustained multiple rib fractures.

He is listed in critical but stable condition and is in the ICU.

It's been reported that the meeting went on, without the Governor, but no clear word on the end result.
The Governor was offering his support in hopes of a healing and bringing a sense of closure and peace to this sad episode. He ended up becoming part of the story.

This bizarre turn of events shines an even brighter light on lack of consciousness, lack of kindness, lack of humanity and how our media world -- so set on making a buck by whatever sells -- is as much at fault as anyone spewing venom through media. We have been lulled into the trance of programing for the lower consciousness for too long. We need more mainstream programing to lift the human spirit.

When he formerly canceled Imus' show today, CBS head Les Moonves issued a statement that included these sentiments:

"One thing is for certain," he said. "This is about a lot more than Imus. As has been widely pointed out, Imus has been visited by Presidents, Senators, important authors and journalists from across the political spectrum. He has flourished in a culture that permits a certain level of objectionable expression that hurts and demeans a wide range of people. In taking him off the air, I believe we take an important and necessary step not just in solving a unique problem, but in changing that culture, which extends far beyond the walls of our Company."

Its it the most hopeful statement I've heard all day. What will it take to wake us up and bring some soul inspiring media back into the lives of humans?

Maybe this is the end of an era, and the beginning of a new chance. God bless Imus for being the catalyst; he made a mistake and an effort to correct it. God bless the Rutgers team and their supporter for calling him on it. Could it be a set of circumstances and opportunities have conspired to make people think twice about the entertainment they choose and male media companies think twice about the performers they hire? Or rather, the way they encourage controversy for the sake of ratings and advertising. Call me crazy, but a lot of the programming on radio and TV is really screwed up, and ads nothing to the human spirit.

Gov. Jon Corzine's accident shows us how tragic things can become. He was going to try to put a Band-Aid on a difficult situation, or attempt to create peace. Here's hoping the pain, humiliation, drama and most recent disaster related to this event will make a shift in our culture. Let us hope the Governor heals and comes through well.

Posted April 12, 2007 8:42 PM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

I remember Don Imus when he was doing "warm up" and announcing for Geraldo Rivera's late night show in the seventies. I think it was called "Good Night America."

Imus was decked in cowboy hat and really pointy snakeskin boots. He sat on a stool off to the side of the stage and introduced Geraldo, who then came out into the audience. I was in the audience, in the aisle, and when Geraldo walked by me it became my first time ever on TV, even though it was just a blip on the screen.

I was kind of amazed what a big radio-media star Imus became. I could barely understand his grumbling. I wondered why folks liked to listen to that whole cranky curmudgeon rap. When I heard about the comments that got him into hot water, I found them offensive, sexist, racist and upsetting. I also throught, what do we expect from this guy? Is this the first time he's offended women, an entire race of people, or participants of a sport?

But I am disturbed by all this. Imus has always been gruff and offensive. Is this just the right moment to bring him down? Is our society just fed up with nasty shock jocks? Are we finally punching sexism and racism in the nose, with Imus the target of the moment?

Will ditching Imus in the Morning do anything to make the world a better place? Or this is just another example of our First Amendment right being hacked away?

CBS will probably replace Imus with a crew of babbling loud mouths. They wimped out due to public pressure, special interest pressure and the fact that so many big advertisers jumped ship.

Don't get me wrong, I am not at all an Imus fan. But, will ditching Imus make morning radio a better place to be? I doubt it.

In Las Vegas, no doubt they are already taking bets on how fast it will take for him to negotiate a contract with Sirius Radio. Getting fired is humiliating but it is not the end of the world for Imus. He can always decide to hang 'round the ranch with young wife and kids.

What do you folks think is the correct action in this case? Should we all be completely infuriated about his comments? Should media professionals who perpetuate sexism, racism, nastiness, self indulgence, and crass behavior be fired? Are we tired of being insulted by our media idols? Or should we all be concerned about this action as an assault on the First Ammendment?

Posted April 12, 2007 4:29 PM by Charlotte Rose | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email This

Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

It's official. We are a nation addicted to weddings, wedding stress, wedding disaster stories and romantic wedding proposals. We just cannot get enough!

Even PEOPLE Magazine is straying from the Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes and Arun Nayar and Liz Hurley celebrity wedding coverage to take a peek as how the simple folk wed.

Known for celebrity news, features, photos and gossip and celebrity wedding stories that sell, the magazine is jumping onto the wedding band wagon with a their first issue of PEOPLE's Real Life Weddings.

This means your wedding may be as unusual and dramatic as marriages between famous people who tie the knot in castles, and celebrity couples whose nuptials are surrounded by controversy.

So, Las Vegas brides and grooms, here's your chance for 15 minutes more of wedding fame!

PEOPLE is looking for real brides and grooms -- not just Tom and Katie -- to feature in this new publication.

You can go to the website and fill out a slightly annoying form and submit your story, contact info and photo.

The categories of interest include:

1) Extremely unusual or somewhat wacky wedding ceremony.

2) Proposal stories

3) Wedding disasters

4) Destination weddings.

PEOPLE's Real Life Wedding goes on sale June 15. On the current blog you will find a funky feature on "real-life ugly bridesmaids dresses."

Continue reading "PEOPLE Magazine Seeks Wacky Wedding Stories and Real Brides and Grooms" »

Posted April 12, 2007 7:05 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Josh Duhamel, star of the TV show Las Vegas, is definately a lucky dude!

Black Eyed Peas front girl and solo artist Fergie is his significant other and she's a gal that every body wants ... and wants to be.

Many reports claim the two are engaged, but I heard Duhamel deny it to tabloid TV show recently. Bummer. I was hoping they'd get hitched in Las Vegas.

Nevertheless, the Las Vegas star and sexy singing siren girl are a romantic team.

How did they meet? There is one rumor that Josh was having sweet dreams about Fergie before they met, she found out, and tracked him down on the set of his TV show.

To their credit, they keep their mouths shut about their relationship, for the most part, leaving it up to we celebrity gawkers to just imagine what goes on between the two sexy stars. Or maybe their names just do not lend themselves to tabloid headlines. Somehow, "FergaJosh" or "JoshaFerg," don't quite cut it like: "Benifer," and "Brangelina." Now, "Joshalicious" ... that could work!

But here's the thing, Fergie (born Stacy Ferguson) may have a little competition!

First of all, Alanis Morissette, who has a great sense of humor, did a fun spoof video of "My Humps." She sang the song ballard style and dances like Fergie (sort of) on the video. It appeared on YouTube.com last week and has been the talk of the town ever since.

Alanis' engagement to Ryan Reynolds did not work out -- they broke up and he's been spotted checking out the humps on Scarlett Johansson -- but her new video is a home run! Check it out.

We hear Fergie sent Alanis flowers in response.

But Alanis is not the only "chick" to imitate Fergie. Writer, performer and film maker Greg Scarnici did a hiliarious version of Fergalicious - in drag. It's fun!

For those of you want to compare, here's the real "Fergalicious" video.

Fergie is so hot. And she seems to feel imitation is the best form of flattery! We'd bet her Joshalicious man will stick with her.

Posted April 11, 2007 7:44 AM by Charlotte Rose | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Now that we all know DNA testing shows that photographer Larry Birkhead is the natural father of Anna Nicole Smith baby girl Dannielynn ... we can all sleep at night again. Maybe.

Get ready for round two as Vergie Arthur goes to court to try to win grandmother rights and as Howard Stern works out the deal of how he will "be in her (the baby's) life."

Sorry, I still can't imagine this seemingly caring by somewhat immature Anna Nicole boy-toy as someone who can really handle raising this baby and all that comes along with her.

How about Two Men and a Baby? Birkhead, Stern and Dannielynn living together in the Bahama's, together fighting the constant battle of keeping the (possibly) evil grandmother away from the young girl.

Gee, sounds like a sitcom or a movie. Just imagine the fun as Birkhead and his sister, and Stern and his sis and mom raise Dannielynn and Vergie continuously plots to try to see and talk with her, ala Mrs. Doubtfire.

Just a little Anna Nicole humor to bring a little lightheartedness to a tough situation! Still praying for baby Dannielynn.

Posted April 10, 2007 4:10 PM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

God Bless Elizabeth Edwards. She makes cancer look so manageable.

While she obviously must put forth a public face, she is inspiring many people in the process. Cancer is a frightening and ravaging disease, but studies have shown that attitude has a great impact on the illness and how we cope. Prayer, faith and spirituality as well. Most of all, having the support and love of the people closest and from strangers can do wonders to fill a cancer patient with hope.

The aspiring First Lady and her Presidential hopeful hubby John Edwards were in town just last month to address a health care forum in Las Vegas, just three days after they announced the recurrence of her cancer. They were there to rally some support from some of the thousands of workers who keep the Las Vegas Strip humming day and night.

It was in Las Vegas that the Edwards' did their famous sit down interview with Katie Couric, which got mixed reviews, with some folks insisting Couric was a little tough. Couric, widowed when her husband was taken by cancer, perhaps knows well how hard it can be on a body and a marriage.

Elizabeth Edwards insists her doctors have okay'd her continued campaigning, as long as she continues treatment. But her shocking news, along with the announcement of White House Press Secretary Tony Snow's recurring cancer, have placed the spotlight on people "deciding" not to give in to the disease.

And it has created a demand for insight and information on how people and their families can cope with the diagnosis and the disease.

In light of this, Beliefnet.com is doing some wonderful work in sharing spiritual insights on cancer. I am really proud to report that my husband, Rev. Vic Fuhrman, was asked to lend his expertise. His article and meditation on "Supporting a Loved One Through Cancer" is the cover story on www.beliefnet.com today!

Although Rev. Vic and I are both wedding officiants, he is also a healer who has long specialized in helping cancer patients and their loved ones in his capacity as a spiritual counselor and Reiki Master. He has helped people through the healing process, and through transition, and he has not only great compassion but amazing spiritual insight and expertise in this area.

He also has personal experience of helping a loved one through cancer.

Before I met him 10 years ago, he loved and lost a partner to breast cancer, and having gone through the illness with her it became part of his mission as a minister. Because of his deep and soulful voice -- he's a former radio broadcaster -- one of the ways he helps is with recorded meditations.

My hope and prayer is that this is not an article you will need to read or a meditation you will ever have to listen to. But unfortunately, this is a topic that effects so many of us -- too many of us. Our prayers go out to the Edwards family and all the couples and families who must learn how to cope with cancer and find a way to heal, thrive, and live!

If you are trying to help a loved one through a cancer experience, please give Rev. Vic's meditation a listen and check out his article on how to deal with a loved one's illness.

You can also check out his website www.Enervision.org and contact him at ReikiVic@aol.com .

Continue reading "How to Support a Loved One Through Cancer" »

Posted April 10, 2007 9:07 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Could be that the custody battle for Dannielynn will be narrowed down today as the world awaits the DNA test results.

TMZ.com is reporting that Howard Stern -- who has steadfastly claimed to be the child's father -- says he will step out of the way if it turns out Larry Berkhead is the Daddy.

But he will not step out of her life, he says, as he loves and adores her and wants to be able to continue to be in her life.

Stern says his main concern is making sure that Vergie Arthur does not get her hands on the baby girl that Anna Nicole Smith left behind. Seems as if Birkhead and Stern are aligning on this effort, squeezing Vergie out of the picture.

The least sympathetic character in this whole scenerio is Vergie. Probably because Anna Nicole left behind some pretty clear evidence that she did not want her mom anywhere near her baby girl.

Stern has taken heat and been accused of being beast, an enabler, a user, a man after the money that may come to Dannielynn some day. But he was there for Anna Nicole -- for better or for worse -- and has seemed to try to protect her baby. There's a good chance he's gotten a bum rap.

Larry Birkhead has become a rock start out of all this. Will he be a good dad, if he is the Dad? My friend Shelley Ackerman, columnist and celebrity astrologer, says Stern is the best baby Daddy as he is tenancious and protective.

Perhaps Birkhead and Stern can co-parent?

Let's hope baby Dannielynn gets the best of all her worlds, and that she can break the cycle of her mother and brother's legacy.

Posted April 9, 2007 10:42 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Beyoncé Knowles didn't get the Oscar for Dreamgirls but she did get the Dream Guy. Rumor has it that she has agreed to marry long time honey, Jay-Z.

Of course, She has a CD dropping this week and it could be just a tale spun by her recording label. Or maybe this time, the girl will say yes!

Last time this wedding word came up was when Beyoncé planned a birthday bash for her beloved in Anguilla. Wedding runors spread faster than wildfire. It just happend to be a week away from the premiere of Dreamgirls. Hmmm... nothing like a secret marriage ceremony to stir up interest in a movie!

Whether this is the Hollywood/Music World rumor mill at work, or true, the two make a cute pair. They seem devoted. And though they may not be dangerously in love, they are a team.

So if it's true, congratulations!

Posted April 6, 2007 10:09 AM by Charlotte Rose | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email This

If anyone has caught the sitcom 'TIL DEATH on Wednesdays at 9:30pm on FOX 5 .... you have gotten a glimpse of what married life can be like long after the honeymoon is over.

The show stars Brad Garrett and Joely Fisher and portrays a fairly average, long-married American couple who really love each other but who go through the paces of' "for Better of for Worse" ... and "for bored and more annoyed with each passing day."

The secret is, they handle it with humor. Lots of it. And hey, marriage truly does require humor and live comedy to survive! They may seem to snap at each other, but in truth, their love is real. Well, their love is.

Many remember Garrett as the oversized, under appreciated cop brother on Everybody Loves Raymond. And Joely -- daughter of Connie Stevens and Eddie Fischer -- was playing the buxom boss of one of the Desperate Housewives on the show by the same name.

The producers of 'TIL DEATH came up with a fun marketing idea for a lucky couple with a hankering to get hitched Las Vegas style: An all-expense paid Las Vegas wedding with Brad Garrett as their guide ... sort of.

Fox5Vegas.com says the lucky bride-to-be is Christina P. from Santa Fe. She and her beloved win an expense paid wedding in Las Vegas. They will say "I Do" at the classic Little White Chapel, and Brad Garrett will serve as witness. Apparently, they will be living it up and getting married on April 7.

What will their first wedding gift be? Tickets to Garrett's comedy show at The Mirage Hotel and Casino that evening.

Posted April 5, 2007 8:11 AM by Charlotte Rose | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

We can stop worrying about the big drama over Liz Hurley's Hindu Nuptials.

Last couple of weeks she was branded a "criminal" for having a Hindu religious ceremony, following a Church of England religious ceremony. She was criticized for saying multiple "I Dos" and number of technical reasons were cited. I was criticized for not getting all my facts straight in the story, and for defending interfaith marriage and right to choose the kind of ceremony you want under any circumstances.

But the world has regained a sense of priority and Liz is once again back to being hot -- technically, and by popular vote.

Hurley, 41, is being called the woman with "the body most women would like to have." Hmmmm ... with all due respect to her new hubby, I don't think women are the only ones! She is certainly a gal who looks good in anything from a bikini to a wedding sari!

Continue reading "Liz Hurley Criticized for Weddings, Hailed for Best Body" »

Posted March 29, 2007 6:08 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

I love the newest wedding show to come to the small screen, The Wedding Bells. Even though the show paints every bride as a wacky, stressed out, neurotic, bridezilla or troubled in some way ... and even though the grooms are cheaters or seem quite gay ... and even though the marriages are not made in heaven, it is such fun to watch.

It breathes life into Friday night TV, especially for all us old married folks with kids! But to-be-weds will also find some comical relief in this cute show.

It is about three sisters -- portrayed by Meet the Fockers Teri Polo, Sarah Jones and KaDee Strickland as the Bell sisters -- who inherited a venue called The Wedding Palace after their parents divorced. They go on to become wedding planners, bridal baby-sitters and wedding-fire-putter-outters.

The soap opera story line between the siblings is fun enough. There is interplay between Jane (Teri Polo), her dull hubby (Benjamin King), who schedule sex on their calendars, and the sexy chef (Costas Mandylor) who is always trying to get uptight Jane to taste what he's 'a cooking in the kitchen, as well as encouraging her to have an affair -- if not with him, with someone!

One sister, Annie Bell, is trying to fight her hots for her ex-lover, who is the official photographer -- and also the bridal shrink who gets called in on every melt down before the ceremony. The other sister, Sammy Bell, continues to pick up wedding guests and do it with bridal party members in a linen closet.

This is yet another fabulous David E. Kelley production. Is he drawing from real life experience with his wife, actress Michelle Pfeiffer?

Continue reading ""The Wedding Bells" on Fox - As Much Fun as a Las Vegas Chapel" »

Posted March 20, 2007 5:09 AM by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email This