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The bad side of Labor Day: Summer is almost over. Boo!
The good side of Labor Day: It's almost time for the fifth series of "The Office" to begin!
Here's a look back at where we left everybody -- a possibly rabid raccoon, Jim with a ring box in his pocket, no antigravity machine, and Dwight in a compromising position.
The first episode of Season 5 airs at 9 p.m. Sept. 25 on NBC.
-- Anne Neville
"Californication" may have been more real than anyone knew -- its star, David Duchovny, has entered rehab for sex addiction, People.com reports. "I ask for respect and privacy for my wife and children as we deal with this situation as a family." Duchovny has been married to Tea Leoni since 1997; they have a son and a daughter.
Mackenzie Phillips' half-sister, Bijou Phillips, had to show up twice at the Van Nuys jail to bail out Mackenzie. For reasons unknown, the first time Bijou and her boyfriend showed up to spring her sis, Mackenzie said she was broke and preferred to stay in jail. She faces charges of drug possession after being found with heroin and cocaine at LAX. When she was being booked, she said, "I am healthy except fro my drug problem."
Police were called to O.J. Simpson's house over the weekend after a fight between his daughter, Arnelle, 39, and his girlfriend, Christine Prody. O.J. was said to be slightly injured when Arnelle pushed him into a glass cupboard.
Disney World was planning to welcome Olympian Michael Phelps with "a star-spangled salute" today. He's also scheduled to show up at the MTV Video Music Awards Sept. 7.
Jessica Simpson, who gained pp culture fame as the new wife of Nick Lachey, now says Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo "is the love of my life." Simpson tells People.com that she's changed her cell phone numbers and email address so no exes can contact her, and doesn't mind that Romo hasn't done the same. "I'm not a jealous girlfriend," she says.
Michael Jackson appeared in Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas wearing a tuxedo jacket and pajama pants. Hey, at least he wasn't wearing a mask, or sitting in a wheelchair. He turns 50 today, but is said to have resisted all efforts to throw a party for him.
A guy who was attacked in a club by "Bad Girls Club" star Tanisha Thomas while the show's cameras rolled has sued everybody involved. Thomas was arrested after the brawl, in which Kenneth Corrales claims she hit him in the face with a beer mug. His suit says everyone involved in the production of the Oxygen network show "knew that the individual defendants were aggressive and behaved in a way not conducive to normal society" and encouraged bad behavior to get better footage.
-- Anne Neville
Rap mogul Suge Knight was arrested in Las Vegas on Wednesday morning for assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a controlled substance, possession of dangerous drugs without a prescription and battery domestic violence. Knight was allegedly observed striking his girlfriend of three years, as he drove along the Las Vegas strip. She was able to escape the vehicle, but Knight was said to have chased after her wielding a knife. When police subdued Knight and searched him, they discovered Ecstasy and hydrocodone.
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Actress McKenzie Phillips, who battled drug abuse in the 1980s, was arrested Wednesday morning trying to bring heroin and cocaine onto an airplane at Los Angeles International Airport.
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CBS has introduced the cast for their 17th installment of the reality series "Survivor," which is being filmed in Gabon.
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Olympic champion Michael Phelps is scheduled to be the first host for Saturday Night Live, when it returns September 13th.
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An autopsy was performed on Andre Young Jr., the son of rapper Dr. Dre, who was found dead on Saturday. An immediate cause of death was not apparent after the autopsy was completed. Officials are now scheduling toxicology tests to determine whether alcohol or drugs played a role in his death. Results will take six weeks.
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Neil Diamond week fizzled on American Idol this past season, and the pop icon apparently fizzled in Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday night. The singer is suffering from acute laryngitis, and was hoarse throughout the show. He has apologized to the fans for his poor performance and has offered refunds to all 11,000 people who were at the show. He's canceled two shows this week as well.
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There was a freak accident on the set of "America's Got Talent" over the weekend, which TMZ claims to have an exclusive look at. A performer was dangling from the rafters in chains, ala Harry Houdini, and then the tape stops, returning to the performer on a gurney and receiving oxygen. It is not clear whether the performer fell, or what "complications" came from his performance.
-- Dave Valenzuela
After initially telling a radio station interviewer she was "worried about the audience and their acceptance .. time will tell," later Paula Abdul jumped to clarify that she's "thrilled" that Kara DioGuardi will be bring some more "girl power" to the "American Idol" judges' table. Paula and Kare have worked together in the past -- the two wrote the song "Spinning Around" for Kylie Minogue in 2000. Kara joined Randy, Simon and Paula for auditions at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan.
The on-again, off-again relationship between Nicolette Sheridan and Michael Bolton is off again. The pair started dating in 1993, and stayed together for more than a year. They resumed their relationship in 2005 and announced their engagement in March 2006. Now they have gone their separate ways again.
Publicity photos of the hot women of "Desperate Housewives" show them looking perfect and very unlike real photos of them snapped on the streets and not touched up.
Keith Urban told fans he had suffered a slipped disc before going on to deliver an enthusiastic performance over the weekend, said People.com. The injury is not expected to affect his North American tour. Between dates he's going home to Australia to see Sunday Rose, his baby with Nicole Kidman.
Kelly Osbourne was photographed heading to visit her doctor with a black eye and bandage on her head in London Tuesday. She'd had a stomach flu all weekend and when she reached into a cupboard for a glass, it fell on her, London's Mail reported. In other bad news, her Sky One TV show, "Project Catwalk," which was based on "Project Runway," was canceled. Ouch.
Ex "American Idol" finalist Bucky Covington's appearance at the Grundy County Corn Festival in Morris, Illinois is expected to draw so many fans that they are planning to move the festival. The September festival is expected to draw 5,000 Buckymaniacs, and the current grounds hold only 2,000.
Dr. Dre's son Andre Young Jr. was found dead over the weekend at home in Woodland Hills, Calif. Although there is some controversy about what time he arrived home on the morning he died, the 20-year-old was unresponsive when his mother attempted to wake him up after 10 a.m.
Sean Lennon, seen outside LAX, has only a vague idea who the mega-popular Jonas Brothers are. "What are they, like Disney cartoon or something?" he asked, while his heavily fur-clad companion stood by. He also said, of the Olympics, "I missed the whole thing."
-- Anne Neville
We missed season six "American Idol" finalist Phil Stacey's first concert in Buffalo Monday night -- military metaphors like "under the radar" come to mind -- but we found out that the 
Naval Reserve officer will repeat his performance with the Rhode Island Sound Navy Band tonight from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Central Wharf, next to the Buffalo Naval Park. It's free and open to the public -- bring a lawn chair.
Jeremy Siegrist, a cheerful guy with the imposing title of Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class, confirmed that Stacey hit town yesterday and rocked out before a medium-sized crowd on the wharf last night. "The people who were there will never forget it," he predicted. "I think he talked to just about everyone in that park."
Siegrist said Stacey "didn't really get into too much autograph-signing," but greeted many fans before and after playing guitar and singing with the Rhode Island Sound. "They are a rock band. They're really good, and we want to get as many people out there as possible," said Siegrist.
The Rhode Island Sound continues to play through the rest of the week, but tonight is Stacey's final show here.
Buffalo Navy Week events are listed at www.buffalonavyweek.com.
Were you at his Monday night concert, or do you plan to see him play tonight? Does he sing "Blaze of Glory"?
-- Anne Neville
Dancing with the Stars unveiled their new cast yesterday at it includes: former boy-bander Lance Bass, reality TV's Kim Kardashian, singer Toni Braxton, retired NFL star Warren Sapp, Olympic volleyballer Misty May-Treanor, chef Rocco DiSpirito, soap star Susan Lucci, E! TV's Brooke Burke, former Olympic star Maurice Greene, Hannah Montana co-star Cody Linley, sitcom veteran Ted McGinley, actress Cloris Leachman, and comedian roaster Jeffrey Ross. The new season premieres September 22-24.
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E!Online reports that Jessica Simpson has taken the next step in her makeover from pop tart to country songstress. Simpson officially joined the Country Music Association, which gives her benefits and voting privileges in the CMA awards. It continued to stoke the rumors of a feud between she and country music star Carrie Underwood, who many say Simpson is trying to emulate to country music success too.
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As Anne posted yesterday, American Idol is adding a new judge: Kara DioGuiardi, a song-writer, who spoke to reporters on a conference call yesterday. "I'm going to be a straight shooter and say it like I see it and maintain that philosophy. ... I'm somebody who's really honest and gives an opinion," she said. "If I feel I need to be hard, I will be. And if I feel I need to be more nurturing, I will be."
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Charlie Sheen and his new wife Brooke have confirmed that they are expecting a child. Hey, it's not twins! Sheen is excited, telling People: "She's the best stepmom Sam, Lola and Cassandra could ever hope for. Seeing her love and affection with those three, I know she'll be an amazing mom. Unless I bat 100 percent, perhaps a boy awaits us."
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Comedian Andy Dick has had his sexual battery charge dropped by the District Attorney in Riverside County. Dick had been accused of groping a teenaged girl in an incident at a restaurant in July. He still faces four misdemeanor charges, however: one count each of battery, possession of marijuana, possession of Xanax without a prescription and public intoxication.
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UFC combatant Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is finally being charged after that crazy traffic stop in Orange County. Jackson was charged with one felony count of evading while driving recklessly, one felony count of evading a peace officer, three misdemeanor counts of hit and run, and one misdemeanor reckless driving. Missing from the list of charges was a DUI charge, for some reason, as well as a chrge related to the death of a fetus belonging to a pregnan woman he hit with his "monster truck."
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Entertainment Weekly is reporting on a rumor in the UK published in the Telegraph which has Batman director Christopher Nolan salivating at the idea of Cher as Cat Woman in the next Batman film, starring Christian Bale.
Fox Broadcasting announced today that they are adding a fourth judge to the "American Idol" panel.
Kara DioGuardi, whom Idol creator Simon Fuller lauded as "a smart, sassy lady," is a Grammy-nominated songwriter whose songs have been recorded by Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, the Jonas Brothers, Christina Aguilera, Faith Hill, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion and Pink, among others.
"For the past seven seasons, Paula has had to endure the experience of being the only woman at the judges' table," said a statement by Mike Darnell, president of Fox's alternative programming. "With Kara by her side, Paula has some backup and now there is going to be a lot more 'girl power' on the show."
Here's a video of DioGuardi singing Faith Hill's hit, "Lost," which she co-wrote.
"We had originally intended for 'American Idol' to have four judges," said Executive Producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz. "We've seen from our international series that having a fourth judge creates a dynamic that benefits both the contestants and the viewers."
Auditions for season eight of Idol took place from July 17 (San Francisco) to Aug. 19 (East Rutherford, N.J.) It's unclear whether DioGuardi was present at the auditions.
So, is this bad news for Paula? Vote below!
-- Anne Neville
Madonna kicked off her "Sticky and Sweet" tour in Wales while her husband, Guy Ritchie, lent support backstage, her spokesman said. The concert featured many changes of theme and clothing and video appearances by Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Kanye West. London's Daily Mail called the performance "raunchier than ever," and noted her appearance as a pole-dancing cheerleader.She'll perform around Europe before hitting the United States Oct. 4.
Things could have turned very bad for Diddy when a car in his entourage was stopped on the Sunset Strip at 3 a.m. Saturday because it didn't have proper plates. Other cars in the group also stopped and the occupants -- including Diddy -- got out, which caused the rattled cop to draw on the group. Ultimately it was all smoothed out, police say.
Amanda Bynes, who played Tracy Turnblad's best pal Penny Pingleton in "Hairspray," was in a minor car crash in L.A. Saturday afternoon. It's her second one this year -- the other was a multiple-vehicle crash in February.
Reports say that magazines aren't going to shell out millions for the first photos of Ricky Martin's twin boys because he's kind of a has-been -- and he's not willing to talk about why they were born to a surrogate instead of the normal way, which is artificial insemination with your 50-year-old best friend, right, Clay Aiken?
A special guest at Shar Jackson's 32nd birthday party in Las Vegas was the father of her two kids, Kevin Federline. "We were friends before we became a couple and we're always going to be friends," she said before the two partied at Blush nightclub.
Meanwhile, Federline's two boys with Britney Spears, Sean Preston and Jayden James, enjoyed a playdate with Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale's oldest boy, Kingston Rossdale. Gwen and Gavin welcomed a new baby last week -- a son amusingly named Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale.
Donald Trump is ducking questions about why her didn't do as he said and buy Ed McMahon's mansion so Ed could live in it for life. Trump canceled his appearance on the Larry King show, where he probably would have been asked about why he was outbid by another person -- who is buying Ed's mansion and apparently plans to throw the McMahons out.
-- Anne Neville
As their many Western New York fans will testify, there's nothing like being there to appreciate the rollicking good time the Saw Doctors deliver in their stage shows. But here's the next best thing -- a video of one of their songs, "If Only," as featured on their CD "The Cure."
The Saw Docs will perform at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the Irish Festival, which runs from today through Sunday night at the Hamburg fairgrounds. Admission to the show is included with the general admission to the festival, which is $10 for adults and $7 for children and seniors.
-- Anne Neville
If I hadn't known I were talking to Jessica Simpson, I never would have guessed that the poised, considerate, intelligent woman on the other end of the phone one morning last week was Jessica Simpson. I interviewed her for a story in Sunday's Spotlight section in advance of her two sold-out concerts at the Fallsview Casino this week.
She had a lot to say about her shift to country music -- or, as she put it, her "segue" -- but it was more the way she said it than what she said that allowed a peek behind the dopey facade of a ditzy blonde who allegedly didn't know whether a Chicken of the Sea can held chicken or fish.
She smoothly worked the words "vulnerable," "organic," "lucrative" and "therapeutic" into her conversation -- nothing esoteric or challenging, but certainly the well-chosen words of a thoughtful woman.
One more vignette: When the chime of the doorbell at her home in Nashville was followed by an eruption of high-pitched barking from her 9-pound Maltese-poodle mix, she handled the early arrival of "hair and makeup" smoothly. "I am so sorry," she said, returning to the phone after some minutes. "My
dog's going nuts." She gives the dog's name and age -- it's 4-year-old Daisy who's making the racket. Then, anticipating the question, Simpson quickly adds that the name is "not from Dukes of Hazzard, I had her before I shot Dukes of Hazzard."
Listen to Jessica Simpson's new single, "Come on Over" on her home page.
What do you think of her transformation from a shallow pop star to a thoughtful country singer-songwriter?
-- Anne Neville
