Ali Gator

When she boycotted the show over that salary dispute, everyone - and I mean everyone - ripped her to shreds back then. They asked how she could possibly think she deserved that amount of money, and accused her of being greedy. Everyone sided with ABC for firing her and not giving in to her demands. Somers had said she dealt with severe depression back then, as everyone turned on her. It wasn't until years later (and now in her obits) that people recognize her for being a pioneer as a leader for equal pay for women. She didn't back down, and she stood her grounds. She reinvented herself, and became a successful business woman - starting with the ThighMaster. A few seasons later, in 1985, Joan Collins pulled the same stunt as Somers did when Collins wanted to renegotiate her contract for 'Dynasty'. Collins didn't want what John Forsythe was making (which was much more than her salary), she wanted what Larry Hagman was making over at CBS! She argued that she turned 'Dynasty' around and saved it from cancellation, and then sat out a few episodes when the new season started filming. Eventually she got Hagman's salary. I guess ABC didn't want to lose a big star once again.

It's been reported that since her diagnosis 23 years ago, she has written 27 NYT 'best sellers' on healthy living - on medical alternatives, healthy foods, exercise, etc. She stayed away from 'traditional treatment' for her cancer, and followed a holisitc approach (similar to ONJ, who lived for 30 years before succumbing to breast cancer). Both women certainly beat the odds on this horrible illness !

She was best friends with Manilow, for many years, as she met him in Vegas when she was doing her one-woman show after 'Three's Company' fired her in the early 80s. As a matter of fact, it was said she had help from him on some of the music and material for her ill-fated one-woman 2005 Broadway musical , "Blond in the Thunderbird". When the show closed abruptly after nine performances, she told an interviewer, "I put my show out there with the cleanest of hearts and the best of intentions and getting reviews like that hurt. Barry Manilow said Broadway would break my heart, and it has." After reading the script, maybe this was Manilow's comforting way of saying: "You're not ready for Broadway !' ? 😄

If you bought any OTC drugs, personal health supplies, or medical devices from 'Family Dollar' between June 1, 2023 - October 4, 2023, your purchases may be on the 'recall list' issued by the company today. The items have been recalled because they were "stored outside of labeled temperature requirements", according to the FDA. The company has said they have not received any concerns or reports of illness as of today. Family Dollar temporarily closed over 400 stores in six states in 2022 due to "the discovery of a rodent infestation and other unsanitary conditions at a distribution center in Arkansas", according to the company. The shut down resulted in a recall of food products, cosmetics, and other products. The states effected by the recall are: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. A list of the recalled products is here : https://www.familydollar.com/product-recalls

Because I wrote a paragraph, not a term paper. No need to list 'all my sources'. BTW, no apology from you ? Hate admitting you were wrong ?

It's time to NBC / MSNBC put Mitchell out to pasture. She's been there long enough, she's a horrible program host / journalist/ commentator. She should retire.

Apparently, you don't know the meaning of 'copied and pasted word for word'. My info was resourced from a variety of sources, but not the NY Times since I don't have access to it. Try again. Next time maybe with more effort ?

Actress Suzanne Somers lost her courageous 23 year battle with an aggressive form of breast cancer today, one day before her 77th birthday. Her publicist announced this afternoon that she was surrounded by her husband Alan, her son Bruce, and her immediate family (who had gathered this weekend to celebrate her 77th birthday on Monday) when she died in her sleep early Sunday morning, next to her husband of 46 years. Her husband told friends he gave her an 'early birthday present' on Saturday - a handwritten poem to celebrate her, wrapped in peonies. In July, she announced her cancer had come back, after getting the 'all clear' from her doctors in June. She went out of state to seek treamtment, but was sent home a few weeks ago when she was told 'there was nothing else' that could be done for her. There will be a private funeral for her this week at her home, with a public memorial planned for a future date.

Her daughter is now saying she is making "remarkable progress" in her recovery, though remains in the ICU. According to an Instagram update, she is responding well to the treatment for pneumonia (though still not clarifying what kind of pneumonia, or if it is indeed Covid - as leaked out the other day). “Her breathing is becoming stronger, and her reliance on machines is diminishing,” McKenna Kelly wrote. “Though it’s a lengthy journey, witnessing these improvements is incredibly heartening! She’s beginning to respond to treatments.” This past Tuesday, her daughter opened up a 'Spotfundme' page, saying her mother has no health insurance and was looking for donors to reach a $50,000 goal. Latest figures show nearly 8,000 people have donated, and the total donations is close to 10 times the goal - nearly $500,000 has been taken in so far.

Opening night was this past week, and the reviews are in: Reviews: Read What Critics Think of Jamie Lloyd's Minimalist West End Sunset Boulevard PLAYBILL.COM Nicole Scherzinger stars in the new revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, which opened October 12 at the Savoy.

For those hoping to catch the musical comedy "Shucked" - filled with corny puns and country music - you have until January 14 before the final curtain comes down. The musical began performances on April 4 to mixed / negative reviews. It picked up nine Tony nominations, and won one for Alex Newell, as 'Best Featured Actor in a Musical'. Producers say they would possibly consider a smaller venue (possibly off-Broadway?) to reopen the show later on in 2024. Since it's opening, the box office at Broadway's Nederlander Theater has been inconsistent, at best. Recently, the producers had enlisted Reba McEntire to voice new ads for the show, and she continues talking it up at recent public appearances. Producers believe the Reba-push has drummed up sales at the box office. However, the latest weekly box office grossed just over $750,000 with an audience capacity at just 85%. It is nowhere close to recouping its $16M capitalization from investors, according to insiders. The Nederlander theater (like all Broadway houses) makes money by charging rent to producers as well as taking in a percentage of the box office. If the percentage from the box office is not satisfying a theater's expectations, they can push for the production to vacate. It is believed - though not confirmed - that this is the case with 'Shucked', as the Nederlander has been negotiating with the producers of the "Tommy" musical revival, which has been a success at Chicago's Goodman Theater. It's expected "Tommy" will move into the theater in early Spring. Just a few days before announcing their closing, the producers of 'Shucked' said it will kick off a national tour next fall in Providence, RI (which kicked off the successful 'Funny Girl' tour last month). They also announced a West End opening of 'Shucked' in 2025, and a Sydney, Australia opening in 2026.

I second the Lenovo ThinkPad. Great for what you need it for. I've been using a Lenovo for the past 7 years - never had a problem with it. (I don't use it for any gaming).

Jag won the current HOH and has put up Felicia (again) and Blue for nominations. Plan is to back-door Cory.

Supposedly (I don't know how true this is - I read it online), one of her daughters did talk to her local media, and revealed that her mother is battling Covid, as she has never gotten any vaccinations for the illness. She thought the public already knew, and was taken aback when the interviewer questioned her further (she didn't know her sister said 'pneumonia' to the press). Again, not sure how true this is - but this was making the message forums earlier today.

Someone on a BB forum made a good point: Matt is still eating like an athlete while in the House, probably through habit. However, he is not working out like an athlete since there isn't the workout equipment (or swimming pool) for him. So he's bulking up quickly, right before our eyes. Hopefully, once he gets back to Louisiana, he will drop the weight easily once he starts his workout routines once again. I hope so...

The sleep-inducing Andrea Mitchell ended up with Walters' left-overs ?

It happened during the end of the pandemic. For some odd reason, TPTB thought a great way to recoup what they lost during the pandemic would be for them to jack up ticket prices for every production (and you can see what I mean by 'jack up'). This has been a major factor in why average theater-goers and tourists (many on a budget) have stayed away from Broadway, and so many new shows -including revivals - have closed early. Unless the show had a 'name' above the title to command the high prices (such as Hugh Jackman in 'The Music Man', SJP in 'Plaza Suite', Josh Groban in 'Sweeney Todd', or Lea Michele in 'Funny Girl'), the tickets were simply not selling. Once the 'star' left the show, or called out sick from a performance - the tickets didn't sell. What's really odd is many of the producers haven't discounted the prices - so many productions (including 'Some Like It Hot') have been playing to half-empty houses the past year, which is a real head-scratcher. It will be interesting to see if Daniel Radcliffe is a 'name' to sell high-priced tickets.

Plinkett / Pinkett - " a person not nearly as important as they believe they are".

WOW - never heard that about her and Pryor. It wouldn't surprise me - she admitted to having many affairs in her 2008 memoir "Audition" . When I read her book (which was interesting and well-written) I had my doubts she was revealing every affair she had; I just believed she had many more than what she wrote about.

If you are looking for some tasteful (or tasteless) Christmas gifts, this year, you may want to head over to Bonhams New York next month. There you will find the auction house hosting "Barbara Walters: American Icon" on November 6. (An online auction will run from October 29 - November 7, if you can't make it to the auction house). The auction will have various offerings from the $8M estate she left behind when she died at 93 last December 30. The items include art, jewelry, personal items, furniture and more from the luxurious Upper East Side apartment she called home for over 30 years. The broadcast legend’s 120-piece collection includes “everything one could want in a jewelry collection,” said Jean Ghika, Bonhams global head of jewelry, including jewels by JAR and pieces from renowned American designers like Harry Winston, Angela Cummings, and Seaman Schepps. Walter’s Harry Winston platinum diamond engagement ring from television producer Merv Adelson has an auction estimate of $600K - $900K. The couple were married from 1981 -1984, then remarried from 1986-92. It is said Walters never left her home without the ring on her finger even after they spilt in 1992. “My mother was a devoted journalist, loyal friend, and loving mother. Our home was always filled with interesting and beautiful reminders of her incredible, diverse life," said Walters’ daughter, Jacqueline Danforth. “I know she would find comfort that these pieces she cherished so much will be enjoyed and cared for.” For more details: Bonhams : The Estate of American Icon Barbara Walters at BonhamsThe trailblazing broadcaster's impressive $8 million collection includes American Art, Jewelry and Objects d'art WWW.BONHAMS.COM

I agree. She really drags him by the short and curlies - and he allows her to do so, for whatever reason. If it's to keep her as his 'beard', the whole world knows his 'secret'. I'm not certain what the laws are in CA, but in some jurisdictions, I believe if you are 'separated' for at least 7 years, but never file divorce papers, your marriage is automatically 'dissolved' within the eyes of the law. It happened to the parents of a very good friend of mine about a decade ago. The reason they never filed for divorce was for financial reasons (they were very well off, and owned different investments together which complicated their finances, in a sense).

Plinkett / Pinkett : semantics.

Jada Plinkett Smith, 52, has said in an interview with PEOPLE Magazine that she and her husband, actor Will Smith have 'secretly' been separated since 2016 - and seven years later, they are not sure where their 'fractured marriage' is headed. The actress spoke to PEOPLE before she sat down with Hoda Kotb for an extensive interview on NBC this week. Jada explained why her marriage to Will, 55, broke down, divulging: 'By the time we got to 2016, we were just exhausted with trying. I think we were both still stuck in our fantasy of what we thought the other person should be.' Jada - who admitted in 2020 that she'd had an affair with singer August Alsina, 31 - said she considered a legal divorce but could never go through with it. 'I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce,' she continued. 'We will work through whatever. And I just haven't been able to break that promise.' Hoda asked, 'But you still live separately?' prompting Jada to confirm 'we live separately'. Jada said she and Will are still 'figuring out' the state of their marriage. The couple have raised three children - Jaden, 25, Willow, 22, and Trey, 30, who is Will's son from a previous relationship. The couple have denied for years the rumors about their troubled marriage. In 2022, at the 94th Academy Awards, Will famously slapped comedian Chris when he joked that Jada looked like 'G.I. Jane' because of her bald head when she had recently revealed that was suffering from alopecia. Will said he was defending his wife. In a rambling acceptance speech later on for his 'Best Actor' Oscar, a sobbing Smith admitted that 'love makes you do crazy things'

According to her daughter, 55 year old Gold Medal Olympian winner Mary Lou Retton has been in the ICU for the past week 'fighting for her life' as she battles a 'rare form of pneumonia'. McKenna Lane Kelley has posted an on-line fundraiser for her mother's medical care, and says she has not been able to breathe on her own since being admitted more than a week ago. Kelley has acknowledged her mother - who has had multiple endorsement deals over the past four decades since becoming the first American woman to win all-around gymnastics gold at the Olympics - has no health insurance, but would not give any more details. Kelley, a gymnast herself and the second of Retton's four daughters, says all money raised will pay for her medical care. On Tuesday, Kelley shared the story to her Instagram, with a link to the fundraiser on a Spotfund page. In the past 24 hours, she has raised over $180,000 for her mother's bills, surpassing her goal of $50,000, with nearly 4,000 donors. In 1984, Retton made Olympic history at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles by becoming the first American to win an individual all-around gold medal, despite having knee surgery just weeks before the events. Retton scored perfect 10s across the board, beating out Romania's Ecaterina Szabo by 0.05 points. She also took home the Silver and the Bronze in separate categories that summer. Following her 1984 wins, she began lucrative endorsement deals (starting with the breakfast cereal 'Wheaties') and spokesperson deals which continued for the next few decades. She married football player Shannon Kelley in 1990, and had four daughters with him. The couple divorced in 2018, after 28 years of marriage.

During the veto competition, it was very noticeable that Olympian swimmer Matt Klotz has gained weight the past few months - very noticeable in his face which once had a 'chiseled look' starting the show on August 2, and now chubby and round last night (filmed on Monday). I brought this up here a few weeks ago. Many other chat forums are talking about the noticeable difference - and the fact its been a few weeks since we have seen him 'shirtless' on camera. In last night's contest, in his wet clothing, you can definitely see he's put on weight in his torso and rear end. After reading this on the other forums, I replayed some his scenes where you can see his full body and he has indeed put on weight. Not that he looks bad at all - he looks fine. But when we were introduced to him, he had a sexy swimmer's build which he liked to show off for the cameras (probably at the directive of the producers). I'm sure once he returns home to Louisiana and hits the swimming pool, he will be back in shape in no time.