Britney Spears rocked matching shirt, shorts and flip-flops as she boarded a private plane in Mississippi over the weekend. We suspect the Wal-Mart bag contains snacks--no meal service on this flight!
Spears came home for her sister Jamie-Lynn's baby shower this weekend, then headed back to LA to film her scenes from "How I Met Your Mother."
Fans of the New York twentysomething sitcom fretted when Spears did her first cameo, as a socially awkward receptionist, but she was so good for ratings (and so not reviled in reviews) that they're bringing her back as a love interest for Neil Patrick Harris. Is she following in Jamie-Lynn's footsteps and going to TV full-time?
If you had only four minutes to save the world, would you spare one to run back to your hometown? Madonna's new single is, of course, purely hypothetical, but the offer her hometown of Bay City, Michigan is making is anything but: Come back and collect your key to the city, Miss Ciccione!
She was considered too controversial for such an honor in 1985, but Madonna's public image has mellowed enough that the town may even erect a statue in her honor, according to mayor Charles M. Brunner.
Of course, coming back to acknowledge her ties to the area as its native daughter would mean letting go of the absurd pretense that she's British, so it may not happen after all. No offense, Michigan; you're not a bad place from whence to be.
Get out your sweatbands and tube socks. You'll need them for this week's pick, "Semi Pro," starring one of our faves, Will Ferrell. He plays the owner, promoter, coach, and star player of the Flint Michigan Tropics of the American Basketball Association.
Trouble arises when the NBA decides it's going to incorporate the best teams of the ABA and forgo all the rest. The Flint Tropics isn't one of the best and Ferrell decides to hire soon-to-be retiree Monix (Woody Harrelson) to revive things. You can imagine the hilarity that ensues.
This one was actually filmed in Flint and in that vein we offer you some great things to check out in Car Town USA:
Where To Stay:Avon House B&B Surprised? We were too. Flint does have a charming little B&B where you can spend the night for under $100. Built in 1893 by the Salisbury family, the Avon is within walking distance to downtown and has three bedrooms, all done up Victorian style.
Where To Eat:Red Rooster Makuchs This is a town favorite and one of the more upscale dining options. Try the Michigan whitefish--let us know if it's different than other whitefish. Reservations are recommended.
Where To See:Motor Cities National Heritage Museum Ok, this is actually in Detroit (nearby) but is actually part of the National Parks Department because it holds such an important place in US history. Tour the area where the first Ford was built or see the actual homes of the original auto barons. Hit up the Buick research center to see early car artifacts. Gearheads will be right at home.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Our acquaintance with the city of Detroit has been a bit tarnished by improbable and tedious layovers (grr, Northwest!), but we're turning over a new leaf in 2008. If only we had been paying attention, we could have been making a love connection by an overhead bin! And what better way to enliven a city that had been dead to you than to meet your true love (or true-love-for-now) there?
Just don't write her a crazy poem. This list should give you a head start:
Redcoat Tavern -- This dark and cozy restaurant famed for its onion rings is perfect for sneaking glances at family dinners. 31542 Woodward Ave., in Royal Oak
Poor St. Louis. What a short year it must've been at the top of the rankings of the United States' most dangerous cities. Detroit, it was announced Sunday, is back on top as the most crime-riddled metropolis in the country. Oakland showed up in the number four slot.
While a lot of people--in Motor City and beyond--don't find that very good news, we say go with what you know. Lots of dangerous places lure visitors looking for a thrill. And, hey, that can still include a visit to the Arch--St. Louis dropped from number one to number two on the list.
Have you heard the one about Intercourse, Pennsylvania? How about Baghdad, Florida? Sometimes all it takes to make the cash registers ring in your small town is a funny name. You can picture the road-trippers now: Hey, we gotta stop there, the pictures will be hilarious!
Vlogger Bonnie Bucqueroux shot this video in Hell, Michigan, on the big day of June 6, 2006. (That'd be 6-6-06.) But Bonnie's not the only one enjoying the cheesy puns and crap to buy in the town. Another shot-on-location Hell video adds an incredibly creepy soundtrack to the usual array of photo ops. It's a bit long, but that'll warm you up for the surprise ending. Scary!
We've already coveredVirgin America's seat-back entertainment network RED. But even more news is leaking from VA HQ: Starting November 1st, passengers on Virgin will get the added bonus of being able to watch some Nimrods through a deal with Robert Redford's Sundance Channel, which will share some of its acclaimed indie content with Richard Branson's baby.
The Sundance Channel is, of course, an offshoot of the indie festival of the same name. The deal will give Virgin America passengers an exclusive sneak peek at "Nimrod Nation," a documentary series about a high school basketball team in Watersmeet, Michigan whose mascot, despite the name, was featured in an ESPN commercial . (The tiny town has embraced its idiosyncrasies and enjoys brisk sales of NIMROD NATION gear.) Passengers will catch the series nearly a month before it even premieres on the Sundance Channel, provided they can stop playing Doom long enough to watch.
An auto infotainment bonanza on a truly epic scale, the Ford Rouge factory tour aims for awe with its high tech circuit of Henry Ford's still functioning dream city. Count how many times your tour guide uses the phrase "world's largest" as your group winds through a 360 Virtual Reality theatre, a "living roof" garden/observation deck and a functioning F-150 assembly line.
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by egw
