Season after season we watch starts from 'the past' and some not so famous folks try their "hand" at dancing.

Sometimes it works (Apolo) sometimes it doesn't (Tucker Carlson).

The new season debuts on March 22, 2010.
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The full lineup here.

TOP 5 REASONS TO WATCH SEASON 10 of DANCING WITH THE STARS:

5. Edyta Sliwinska: the only pro to do all 10 season, and yes - HOT.
4. Niecy Nash from Clean House - just watch her talk.
3. What kinda trouble can a much older Shannen Doherty stir up?
2. Can Pamela Anderson Dance?
1. Kate Gosselin. That's all I need to say

I'm the only one I know "watching" American Idol this year. I say "watching" because I'm just fast-forwarding to hear everyone sing and to hear some of Ellen's comments. Using this strategy, I watched 5 hours of Idol in about an hour last night. So I can tell you that Crystal Bowersox (the chick on the far left) SHOULD be crowned winner, and everyone else can go home.

I love it when the stylists get their hands on the contestants - and Crystal is so obviously rejecting their advice. She out-quirks this years' collection of quirky singers (see the rest of the girls above - SO quirky!), and has DREADLOCKS. What more can you ask for? Oh yeah, she has an amazing voice.

Are you watching? Care to make an early call on who will win??

Like you, I am sickened by stories like the lastest on Chelsea King who was murdered by a known violent Sex Offender.

I don't know what is creating these monsters in our society - but it scares me.

A few years ago, when Lara still lived in New York we compared notes. I had three sex offenders in my zip code....I think Lara had 3 on her block in NYC !!! (ok, perhaps I exaggerate, but it was at least 20 in her zip code).

How Many Sex Offenders are in YOUR Zip Code?

Super easy to find out. And easy to send links to your friends also... The reports do say if they are violent or not.

Search the United States Dept of Justice sex offender registry site - it starts with search of name, but request "advanced search" and type in simply your zip code!


Or, each state has registry, and just google "(your state or county) Sex Offender Registry" - and click on only gov't websites (some are scams asking for your info and to send you reports etc etc).

Ice Dancing has been the best part of the Olympics - I'm motion sick from watching speed skating and will definitely throw up if I have to watch another downhill skier wipe out. I don't understand why it's an Olympic sport, but I'm thrilled to watch!

But the theme....when you select "folk music," you really open the door to some issues. Gawker outlines them here. I didn't need to see Russians dancing to Aboriginal music, Americans doing Indian, or Brits doing American Country...the only couple that made any sense at all were the Israelis, who did Hava Nagila.

The next theme should be Broadway Tunes, the Music of Michael Jackson, or Disco Hits of the 70s. How fun would THAT be???

Ok, Bad News first always, right?


1. BAD NEWS: why the hell did they mess with my favorite SPOOKY SMOKE SOUNDS???? Remember how the column of black smoke (before it was hokey and a person now....dumb) it used to whisper like a ton of dead people trying to say something?? It was CREEPY. It was AWESOME! Now it sounds like a broken Italian moped.


2. GOOD NEWS: They have shown my AWESOMELY FAVORITE 4-Toed Statue Foot a million times. Do I know what it means yet? No. Do I think it's gonna play out before the end? It DAMN WELL BETTER!!! : )


...oh, and Sawyer can still make me a mix tape ANYDAY!! swooooon.......

Heidi LOVES snow...but this winter is testing that love as if it were a bad boyfriend. Up here in New England, we're used to it - but so many parts of the country are getting SLAMMED with winter weather!

She's been keeping her friends up to date on the forecast in the midatlantic all winter...here's the best forecast so far!!!

How are you coping with winter??

Do you remember two years ago when Carmen Kontur-Gronquist was thrown out of her Oregon office of Mayor after MySpace pics of her in underwear became public?


Now that Massachusetts just elected a guy who posed buck naked for one of the top national magazines (Cosmopolitan), don't you wanna go back to that Oregon town and ask what was all that bad about a single mom having fitness pictures posted on her own MySpace?



Sure seems to be a huge double standard. However.....I think Scott Brown has helped to 'break down' the stereotypes that would keep a woman back if she had any sort of pictures in her past. And lord knows, with MySpace and Facebook and camera phones, every girl and guy in America is gonna need this stereotype shattered!! Right????

Thanks Scott - doing your civic duty in ways you never imagined would be so helpful!!

Jamie Pressly stars in this infomercial on how to clean balls!

SO not subtle, SO funny!

Are you going to read the new Elizabeth Gilbert book? Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage. ???


At least just to see what happens to Richard???????? (you know, "Groceries' Richard)


I have to read it just to see if there is more sageness on "Pretty Power." My favorite part of Eat, Pray Love was the part about her friend who trekked though the Amazon (or some such jungle) with lipstick and jewelry.

Elizabeth might have been a skeptic of marriage, but I was a huge skeptic of her book. Read it far after the craze had gone by.....just to see what the raving was about. I did hate it. But I also loved it. Gave me this crystal clear window into the mechanisms of the mind of my friends who struggle with some aspects of life as she does. I think I might understand them better now. (too bad no one has written a book about freaks like me so as to clear up some of that mess for those who have to put up with me!!)

What was your favorite part of Eat, Pray, Love? Will you read the next one? Have you? (how was it???).

You have GOT to love this. How come no one told me this guy was running for a political office? You can imagine how far I had to pick my jaw up off the floor last night when I heard the VERY BRIEF reference to 'centerfold.' No way! WAY!!!!

Massachusetts Sentate candidate Scott Brown posed NUDE for Cosmo!!!!


credit: Cosmopolitan Magazine

And a now very important one....

Lara, you're in Boston, how can any girl in her right mind vote for anyone else????

Cosmo had some fun this past fall writing:

Since we know the candidate so, ahem, well, we thought we’d help him out with a few campaign slogans:

Who Needs Joe Plumber When You Can Have Scott Six-Pack?

Scott Brown: A Name You Can Trust, Abs You Can Believe In

Vote for Brown. He Has One Hell of a Stimulus Package.

Well girls, a few more hours and our friends up in Massachusetts might have a hot new Senator!

Who says the folks up in the Northeast are cold, unfriendly and no fun??????????????

Her music gets stuck in my head. I love how she dresses. I think she has a decent set of pipes. I don't think she's the next Madonna, but she is taking the world by storm, right? It's not that I'm a huge fan, I just find her fascinating!

Lady Gaga is going to be making Polaroid cameras cool again (a partnership was just announced), and if anyone can do it, she can. She's only 23, but when asked about the deal she said her father was excited that she was finally going to have a "real job." That's the most human thing I've heard from her yet!

Your thoughts on Lady Gaga??

So, when was the last time you cleaned your oven?



Why do I ask? Oh, well....you know. Because I HAVE NEVER CLEANED MINE!!!!

Is that so bad?

I mean, we moved here about 11 years ago. The 1940's oven bit the dust about 8 years ago. So, this "new" oven hasn't been cleaned in 8 years.

Is that bad?

Why does one need to clean an oven anyway? Does it cook better when clean? Can I even see the dirt?

Is cooked on food considered dirt?

If I wanted to clean it, how would I? (isn't my only option some neurological damage from fun oven cleaner sprays??).

P.S. Ever known a guy who has ever cleaned his oven? a straight one.....

Well, its The Bachelor - 14!!!! Can you believe we are on FOURTEEN????????????


credit: Access Hollywood - find out more dirt here!!

I was sitting here trying to figure out the attraction.

It's not so much the train wreck you can't look away from (like my endless fascination with Hoarders).

I think it is because it is like being anywhere from 12-32 years old and watching a plethora of women make some not so smart choices (i.e. throwing themselves all over him like a wet rag) trying to win the attention of the room's cuttest guy.

And when you're "just not that into him" - it is soooo easy to sit on the sidelines with your popcorn and make fun of those who are trying to win him over.

You just wanna scream "LESS IS MORE HONEY, LESS IS MORE" (except when it comes to clothing -- then, "MORE IS MORE! MORE IS MORE"!!).

What tips do you have for the ladies??

Making any New Years' Resolutions? For the first time in years, I am!

I birthed a baby girl around Thanksgiving and am trying to integrate "early motherhood" with "real life." I don't know how my friends did it - I know several who were back at work TWO WEEKS after having babies. And as for you single moms and moms of multiples? WOW. You are rock stars.

Heidi introduced me to the "War on Frumpiness" years ago. Now more than ever, I see why it's such an important battle. When I hit my late 30s I realized that I was slouching into Frumpiness. Now that I don't sleep for more than 2 hrs at a time, I can see how easy it could be to turn into my own personal negative image of 'suburban housewife' - when there is such a thing as a POSITIVE image of 'suburban housewive'!

Here are my resolutions for 2010:

1. Put on lipstick every day: Gotta fight the frump! Even if it's just to nurse my little girl, I need to do something to show respect for whomever else might be forced to see the trainwreck I am right now. I have already answered the door to a myriad of visitors (bearing meals, bless them one an all) in the late afternoon, still in last night's PJ's and bathrobe, covered in milk. Hey, how come no one mentioned how messy breast feeding is??

2. Shower at least every other day: And change clothes once a day. I've always escaped in the shower, I deserve a few minutes in a warm quiet place to remember that there was life before the baby bubble, and that there will be life after the baby bubble. That's what I hear, anyway...

3. Refresh toenail polish as needed, at least monthly.: I was talking to a girlfriend recently, and she mentioned that she lets pedicures go during the winter, because no one sees her toes. Hey chick - YOU see your toes! Pedicures aren't just for other people - they are for YOU! I like to see my toes painted, it's another weapon in the war! Makes me feel put together.

Are you making any New Years Resolutions - just for you??

For those of you not on the Eastern Seaboard about to get a LOT of white, and those of us who are all about snow like white on rice.....

A ChickChat Favorite....

We’re Dreaming of a White Christmas Martini
I made up the name first -- and then created the drink....

3 x jiggers/shots vodka
1 x Absolute Raspberry (its not pink)
1 x Creme de Cacao (clear)
2 x Heavy Cream (or just cream or milk)
Splash of White (clear) Creme de Menthe
shake in mixer w/ ice
Garnish Rim with premade white icing from tube or can

yield: 2 drinks....or one big Ho Ho Ho!!!

(if you garnish w/ small candy cane, that's good too, but the red will "pink" your drink..)