September 2008 Archives

Posted 10:57 p.m., Sept. 29

Tons of great quotes mainly from Heidi's mom (who's got no ulterior motives) and then there's quotes that relate to She-Pratt sneaking around with Doug.

Here are the 10 best ones:

#1: “I think you’re very controlling and manipulative...I think you’re condescending, rude and very hostile right now.” - Heidi's mom to Spencer

Translation: I can't believe you and I hope you never marry my daughter.

#2: “I cannot believe Brody and Doug. They’re the worst, like trying to come in between our friendship...I'm so sorry.” - She-Pratt to Lauren

Translation: Doug and Brody are trying to break us up. Crap, you're on to me so I better apologize from what I've been doing only because I got caught in my lies.

#3: “Um, he like came out of left field for me and totally took advantage, I mean using me to get back at you. Yeah, I deleted him from my phone when I got missed calls from him. I’m not going to call him back obviously.” - She-Pratt to Lauren about Doug

Translation: I'm telling you I'm not going to see him but I'm lying.

#4: “You know what's really gross? Is that I've kissed two out of three of them. That's awful." - Lauren to Whitney about Doug and Brody

Translation: God, what have I done? Hooked up with two outta three.

#5: “The bottom line is I wanted to be friends with her. She blew it out of proportion, saying come over late night watch movies...At the end of the day Lauren broke up with me…I’m just hoping you don’t make her cry." - Doug to Brody about She-Pratt

Translation: I'm not going after her but I really am and it shouldn't be a big deal cause Lauren broke up with me.

#6: “So I can’t go have dinner with another girl if we're friends?...I wasn’t trying to hook up with her. I wasn't trying to date her. I was trying to help a girl out because she was lost, she was like a lost puppy…I wanted nothing to do with her...You’re like my ex-fling, what is that?…I don’t feel like I did anything wrong here.” - Doug to Lauren about She-Pratt

Translation: Remember Lauren you dumped me so you shouldn't have a problem if I date anybody else.

#7: “I really, to be honest, wasn’t too fond of the idea…Her intention is to get me out of there and live just with Heidi.” - Spencer to Heidi's mom about Holly

Translation: Holly is staying at our place against my wishes.

#8: “Somebody's got a lot of nerve to show her face around here...I was right all along. I told Lauren not to trust you...Don’t pretend to be innocent when you’re not.” - Brody to She-Pratt

Translation: Don't play the victim. You're shady.

#9: "You think it's easy for me to hide, not hide this, but have not told you yet...I didn't want you judging me...You don't know Spencer well enough." - Heidi to her mom about Spencer

Translation: I didn't want to tell you Spencer moved back in because I know you wouldn't approve and would try to talk some sense into me.

#10: “That was not funny…I don’t even know you and I don’t want to.” - Whitney to Doug

Translation: I can't believe you just soaked me when you jumped into the pool. Don't you know I was wearing a designer dress that you now have ruined?

Posted 9:36 p.m., Sept. 29

So this was probably the best episode of the season. Loved, loved it! It was not a good show for the Pratts. And everything we think about Spencer, glad to know Heidi's mom thinks it too.

>> Heidi's mom was a huge part of the show. First, Heidi didn't even tell her she let Spencer move back in and found out from Holly. So Heidi's mom makes a visit for Heidi's birthday and one of the first things she asks is why Heidi kept it a secret. Looks like Heidi was insecure and knows in the back of her head Spencer is bad for her.

So Heidi's mom takes Spencer out to lunch where he's rude and condescending to the mother of the girl he wants to marry - not a good idea if he wants to win over the family. And Heidi's mom calls him on it and says he's too controlling. Yay, way to go mom. I can't seem to fathom why Heidi doesn't listen to her, her sister or Lauren from the start - all people who had her best interest at heart. Poor Heidi's mom cries about how she and Heidi never fought like they do now - thanks to Spencer. But what's weird is that Heidi doesn't seem to get teary-eyed like most would if their moms were upset. Has Heidi completely lost herself to Spencer?

>> She-Pratt, also known as the conniving liar. Now, she is ridiculous. Her first interaction with Lauren is Lauren being cold to her at school. Hello, Lauren knows all about your dinner date with Doug. She-Pratt can't even lie her way out cause her lies don't make sense. She says she's going to cut it off with Doug and deleted his number, yet she's going to his party. Huh?

And then she has the nerve to go out again with Doug on a date and try to come up with a plan so Lauren won't know they're dating and watching DVDs together. What I don't like is that Doug is trying to play both sides too. At his party and to Brody, he says he's not interested in She-Pratt and really doesn't want anything to do with her and she's pursuing him. Gotta give him credit for showing Brody the text messages She-Pratt has sent. He's so sneaky. Obviously they're both using Lauren to get face time on her show. How pathetic!

Even til the end of the party, She-Pratt still tries to lie, saying Brody and Doug are trying to come between them. Will Doug or She-Pratt ever take any responsibility for sneaking around to date each other? Yes, Lauren broke up with Doug and we all know She-Pratt should've just talked to Lauren about it beforehand and maybe things would be different. But everybody knows you don't date a friend's ex "without the stamp of approval" as Lauren's hot trainer said. Did you see that guy??

Seat missing on #78 Montrose bus.  Intentional or not, the seat before the exit door was gone. It generated a lot more room.  Next up…getting people to move all the way down the aisle!"

Posted 3:05 p.m., Sept. 25

So Speidi got a gig with Taco Bell to host the World Hunger "Reality Check Challenge" event for the second year in a row.

Could they not get anyone else? Wonder how much this two-some is getting paid or if they actually have hearts and are volunteering. But I can't remember a time when I didn't see them be self-absorbed...shame on me. Maybe it could really be that Spencer is bored and tired of sitting around at home and doing nothing.

Anywho, they're going to be serving customers on Oct. 2 at a Taco Bell in LA and encouraging people to make a donation. Actually I'd pay to see Speidi serve me my tacos.

What baffles me is how I never see them eat Taco Bell on the show. Sure, they're eating Mexican food but it's at Don Antonio's.

Apparently, Taco Bell said Speidi last week served food to the hungry and homeless on Skid Row for three hours. How come they didn't invite the paps to this photo-op?

Getty photo

Posted - Sept. 25, 2008 - 12:49 p.m.

Talking about last night's "Project Runway" will just make me mad. But I did want to point out contestant Korto's use of the work jank.

This isn't really a spoiler but if you haven't seen last night's epi, stop reading now. (But come back later after you've watched it.)

The designers were asked to design for each other based on a musical genre. Leanne was told to design a country music ensemble for Korto.

Korto was so dismayed, she nicknamed herself Shania Jank. Jank, she explains, means "jacked up."

According to Urban Dictionary, jank is a term mostly used by Generation X to describe something that's stupid or unnecessary.

Korto didn't look like a fool last night, save for the ascot that Leanne placed around her neck that was more reminiscent of Wicker Park hipster than Shania Twain.

What did you think of last night's PR?

Also, jank marks this blog's 100th post. We are now a centenarian! Break out the prune juice and fire up the Matlock!

Posted on Sept. 25 at 12:15 p.m.

This morning, I caught a ride on the No.65-Grand, and found myself on a relatively full bus.  There were at least 6 or 7 standees, including me. Waay in the back, was a Trib colleage, whom I shall reveal later in this transit tale.   After a few stops, I noticed an older man standing there with his suitcase, looking a bit defeated and maybe even tired. His back was to me. A seat opened and he didn't take it, so I did, but then felt bad. At the back of the bus, another seat had opened up.

Me: Excuse me, sir?  Would you like this seat? 

Him: Do I look that old?

Me: (in mind) Dayum! 

Turns out it was worse than I thought.  Political reporter and CLTV star Carlos Hernandez Gomez happened to be on the same bus, but in the back.  When we hopped out to head to Trib Tower, Carlos jokingly asked if I'd been flirting with the gentleman.

Me: No, of course not!  I offered him my seat and he was snippy with me.

Carlos: That was Burton Natarus.

Me: Get. Out.

Carlos should be glad I didn't channel Elaine from "Seinfeld" and shove him clear across the sidewalk.  I have spoken to former Alderman Natarus before, and should have known it was him from the growly voice and jowls, but I was distracted by my failed attempt at CTA civility. Plus, he never looked me straight in the face.

Yipes!  So wherever you are, Natarus, no...you don't look that old.  But the next time someone offers you a seat, take it, sir.  I know it's not the city council seat you want, but it's a seat nonetheless.

Posted - Sept. 24, 2008 - 3:56 p.m.

Sadly, the latest show that Bravo has sucked me into is "The Rachel Zoe Project." That's "zoe" like Zoe-mance, which is what I'm currently experiencing with this show, though I'm embarrassed to admit it.

Rachel Zoe is a celebrity stylist with clients from Debra Messing to Joy Bryant. The show follows Rachel around as she picks gowns for awards shows and tries to expand her business.

It's disappointing to see how shallow Rachel can be, but I really wince when I hear her use her "Zoe-isms." She exclaims "I die" or "bananas" when she sees a dress she likes. When her clients try on a flattering outfit, she tells them they are "shutting it down."

Bravo.tv has a poll on its site asking viewers to choose their favorite Zoe-ism: bananas, I die, shut it down, amAHzing.

As of now, "I die" is in the lead with 254 votes and 43% of the vote.

I died when I saw that. What do you think is the most annoying Rachel Zoe phrase, and why has this not deterred you or me from watching the show? Why, Bravo, why?

Posted 3:46 p.m., Sept. 24

Even Oscar winners watch the show, Usmagazine.com reports.

While promoting Battle in Seattle, Charlize Theron talked to MTV about the network's popular show.

"I realized that this f---ing show is huge," Theron said. "Now I'm going to ask you a question: Why?"

"Why is it so big?" she asked. "It's about nothing! This is a free country. Freedom of speech! You can tell me right now to my face that Reindeer Games was a piece of sh--. That's totally fine.

"But The Hills is about nothing," she continued. "I think the girls are beautiful and when they cry their mascara runs and that's real, but I don't get it!"

C'mon, Charlize. That's the beauty of reality TV - there's no point to it except it lets you escape from your own life and problems for that half hour. And don't pretend Charlize like you don't like the show. You know you love it like the rest of us.

Posted 3:37 p.m., Sept. 24

So it's true and confirmed and not just a publicity stunt - Audrina has moved out of Lauren's Hollywood guest house.

Last week the paps snapped photos of her carrying stuff out and moving trucks were spotted on the street. But you never know in LaLa Land what's real or fake.

"I just wanted my own place,” she tells Maxim magazine according to People.com. “If anything, I feel like it will help out all our friendships.”

But the last episode we saw, everybody was buddy, buddy. Even Audrina and Lo hung out togther.

“The only reason Lo and I are friends is because of Lauren,” she tells the magazine. “They grew up together and hang out all the time; they’re like the Bobbsey Twins.”

I hope her moving out will be part of the show. What we did see is Audrina and Heidi renewing their friendship, which I'm sure Lauren doesn't like.

“They really don’t like each other, but I’m friends with both of them,” she said. “When we hang out, I don’t talk about the other. I’m like Switzerland.”

Getty file photo

Posted 11:01 a.m., Sept. 23

So I'm wondering when MTV will show Whitney moving to New York.

Especially now that E! News says (citing unnamed sources) MTV picked up a spinoff featuring Whitney. It's supposed to air in early 2009, although E! online says the network hasn't officially confirmed it.

Whitney is apparently in New York, not working for People's Revolution but for designer Diane von Furstenberg.

But can she carry her own show or is she best as a supporting role with all those faces she makes?

Getty Images

Posted 10:43 a.m., Sept. 23

Next week will be a teary episode. We know that She-Pratt can turn on the waterworks at any time. Example: Spencer made her cry, Brody made her cry in Vegas, and now Doug will make her cry.

But what's really sad is when Heidi's mom cries. I love it when Heidi's parents are on the show. I always hope they can talk some sense into Heidi. They've already asked about Lauren, told Heidi not to sacrifice her life for Spencer and didn't appreciate Spencer's unannounced visit to Colorado. I can't wait to hear what they think of how Spencer has treated Holly.

And Spencer has the nerve to tell Heidi's mom that Holly's plan is to push Spencer out of the house. Heidi's mom: "Maybe that's not such a bad thing." Zing!

And then Heidi's mom tells Heidi that maybe Spencer doesn't want you to be close to his family. Heidi responds with something like that's ridiculous. Is it Heidi? And then her mom cries because mother and daughter have never fought so much. Awww.

Hopefully Heidi will open her eyes and see how much better off she is without Spencer. Until then, here's next week's preview....

Posted 10:11 a.m., Sept. 23

Here it is if you didn't see it:

Posted 10:02 p.m., Sept. 22

Well, this episode proves how small Hollywood is. I love how everyone finds out about She-Pratt and Doug. And Lauren's the last one to know.

It's so good She-Pratt deserves the first spot for stealing the scene of the Hills. The show is appropriately titled "When Lauren's away..." because that's when all the good gossip happens even though it's her show.

>> She-Pratt - Well Doug may have asked her to dinner but she had been wishing for that ever since Lauren talked about him. Remember in past episodes where she told Lauren how she loved athletes? We knew She-Pratt would show her true colors sooner or later.

First she goes to Audrina, as if Audrina wouldn't tell Lauren about this conversation. Audrina advises She-Pratt to talk to Lauren when Lauren gets back from Italy. But we know that wasn't going to happen. Our thought is confirmed when She-Pratt asks Audrina how would Lauren find out. C'mon! Duh, if no one told her, she'd find out by watching her own show. Hello? If she didn't know, she found out when the trailer came out.

It's clear She-Pratt's going to see Doug and everybody disapproves. Lo and Audrina kind of laugh it off, asking why She-Pratt would want sloppy seconds. Heidi even chimes in with Audrina that it's psycho. I'm sure Heidi is baffled as to why Lauren would be friends with someone who would do that. She'd never do that! And Spencer gets a kick out of it and can't wait for the Lauren vs. She-Pratt brawl.

But what I love the most is how they're busted on the date by Brody's mom!! The first clue they know they're doing something wrong is that they both admit they didn't tell Brody or Lauren about their dinner plans. Then Brody's mom recognizes She-Pratt and asks if they're on a date which they both adamantly deny and yet say how the meeting was weird. Bet they both feel guilty. My favorite part is how Brody's mom called him to tell him what she saw.

Now it's up to Brody to confirm to Lauren the two did go out. Lo and Audrina told Lauren She-Pratt was considering it. But now that She-Pratt did it, Lauren is mad. Even though Lauren dumped him. Watch out She-Pratt! Can't wait to see what happens next.

>> The other scene stealer: Audrina

Well, well. Even after Audrina and Lauren had a tearful makeup session, Audrina is bonding with Lo, how cute. But as soon as the two go to Goa and see Heidi, it's like see ya Lo. Audrina and Heidi are renewing their friendship. After all, it was Heidi who first befriended Audrina. But it was Heidi who was mad at Audrina because Spencer was pursuing Audrina. Could Audrina be getting close to Heidi to make Lauren angry?

When Justin Bobby and Audrina make it to the X-Games party Heidi invited her to, Speidi look overjoyed to actually be talking to other people. They were taking lame pics at the party and seemed to come alive when they saw someone they know. Right away Spencer's talking about the "Dark Knight" and how it should be called "The Joker." Meanwhile, Audrina tries to get the scoop on She-Pratt. They make plans to go out just the two of them. But to her credit, Audrina does tell LC this.

Posted 9:35 p.m., Sept. 22

Lots of good one-liners and dramatic conversations in this episode. Here are the 10 best ones:

#1: “What a small twisted little world, that’s crazy. Are you nervous LC is going to clip you from her little posse? I would be if I were you.” - Spencer to She-Pratt about Lauren finding out she went on a date with Doug

Translation: Get ready to be eliminated as Lauren's friend, just like Heidi was. And I'm going to enjoy it.

#2: "He has to be trying to make you jealous." - Lo to Lauren on why Doug would go on a date with She-Pratt

Translation: He can't really be interested in She-Pratt.

#3: “I think guys will be guys. And at the same time, Stephanie’s supposed to be one of your best friends. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.” - Brody to Lauren about She-Pratt and Doug going on a date

Translation: Guys don't care about the rule about not dating your friend's ex. But She-Pratt should.

#4: "Stephanie came over her. She wanted my advice whether or not she should go on a date with Doug." - Audrina to Lauren about what She-Pratt wanted

Translation: She-Pratt wants your leftovers. Watch out.

#5: "You know how it is when you’re a couple. You just get kind of in a rut of not ever going out...We can stay in when we’re old.” - Heidi to co-worker about how her and Spencer don't go out

Translation: We should go out more. I feel like we're an old married couple.

#6: “Are you guys on a date? Is that what’s happening here?” – Brody's mom to She-Pratt and Doug

Translation: Are you guys on a date? I can't wait to tell Brody.

#7: "Justin and I met up with them last night. Surprise." - Audrina to Lauren about hanging out with Speidi

Translation: It's best I tell you first before you see it on TV or hear it from Lo.

#8: "My Doug?" - Lauren to Audrina about who She-Pratt was asking about

Translation: She-Pratt wants to go out with my Doug. The Doug I dumped. What?

#9: “At least you know what I was talking about. She’s shady.” - Brody to Lauren about She-Pratt

Translation: I told you so. She is not to be trusted. She's crazy.

#10: "I just told her I wouldn't go there if I was you." - Audrina said to Lauren about what she told She-Pratt

Translation: Don't do it She-Pratt, don't go out with Doug if you ever want to talk to Lauren again.

Posted - Sept. 22, 2008 - 6:23 p.m.

Sorry for the lack of posts -- I was on vacation last week. I spent half the week in Chicago and the other half in Springfield for a friend's wedding.

I left for Springfield early one morning last week with my dress, luggage, backpack and purse in tow. I planned on taking a cab to the Amtrak train station.

I was running about 15 minutes behind schedule when I tried to hail  a cab. Typically, Wicker Park is bustling with taxis but that morning, for some reason, I couldn't snatch a single cab.

So I started to panic. I moved around to different parts of the street and started to walk to another street to find a cab. Finally, I took a bus five blocks to the cab stand on Division Street but a man happened to grab the last cab waiting in the line.

I was definitely experiencing taxi squirmy, the anxious feeling you experience when a taxi is the only viable transportation option yet you can't seem to find an empty cab.

Finally, a cab pulled up to the taxi stand. I was across the path, trying to hail down another cab, but luckily the woman at the head of the line noticed my frantic face and let me take the cab. I got to the Amtrak station with 12 minutes to spare.

Phew. After securing a seat on the train, I was feeling pretty cabulous.

Posted 5:27 p.m., Sept. 22

Looks like everyone's getting along on the Hills - Audrina and Lo play nice when Lauren's out of town.

They apparently have a run-in with Speidi but doesn't sound like they had fireworks like LC did at Le Deux. Audrina also tries to slip in the detail that her and Justin Bobby met up with Speidi one night as well. "Surprise," Audrina says. Lauren's look disapproves.

And then the duo drops this bomb on Lauren: She-Pratt showed up to their house to ask Audrina her advice of whether she should go on a date with Doug.

Lauren asks "My Doug?" As if she's still with him. Didn't she dump him or did I dream that?

"He has to be trying to make you jealous," the good friend Lo says. Not that he might be interested in She-Pratt. Or that he might try to extend his 15 minutes of fame and time on Lauren's show. No! That can't be it.

"I just told her I wouldn't go there if I was you," Audrina said.

Watch the clip of the sneak peek for tonight's episode.

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Posted Sept. 22, 2008 at 1:53 p.m.

Welcome aboard! We have three more riders willing to spy on the CTA for us, per my column last week about the new public transit protocol. 

Allow me to introduce Mad Mike, Bames Jond, and joshNarwhal to the network. They are the last spies I'll add for now, and will be contributing to our weekly CTA intel reports.

But first, a little help for a poster who has lost a bag, per a Sept. 17 message.  Please give us a shout under this item if you saw it floating about. And now, a word from our spy sponsors.

Preferred Code Name: Mad Mike

Age: 21

Neighborhood: Des Plaines

Frequent Rider of: 92, 97, Purple Line, Blue Line

What I Loathe About CTA: Buses constantly late

What I Love About CTA: I save money by not driving

Next up is Bames Jond.  Loving the scramble!

And now one last spy with a fancy photo:

Preferred Code Name: joshNarwhal!

Age: 19

Neighborhood: Logan Square

Frequent Rider Of: Blue, Red, And Green Lines (and the fullerton bus)

What I Loathe about CTA: Breaking Down at the WORST times

What I Love About CTA: U-Pass, Chicago Card, and Easy (sometimes) Transportation

Posted Sept. 22 at 11:58 a.m

Next up?  Next-train information. 

After years of wanting to snatch those phony, lying train schedules right out of their station display cases, looks like riders will catch a break.  Our friends at the CTA announced today that next-train information will be available on digital screens by next summer.  Next summer.  In the immortal words of Paris Hilton, "that's hot."

Next-train updates are brought to you by the CTA's newest digital advertising initiative, according to a report from the Trib that details how this technology will also be used to add advertising to the sides of buses.  All told, the program will add $10 million to the CTA's coffers over the next 10 years.

And that's not all....it may also be used to provide up-to-date info on what the heck is going on with the system during emergencies.  Could this mean the end of relying on garbled station announcements or slow-to-stir attendants?  Be still my beating heart.

Posted 1:34 p.m., Sept. 19

Don't forget the Emmys are on this Sunday. Lauren will unveil her dresses for the trophy girls and is presenting.

Let me know what you think of the green dresses.

Posted 12:47 p.m., Sept. 19

Say it ain't so Audrina!

Usmagazine.com is reporting Audrina was seen moving out of Lauren's guesthouse on Thursday. There were moving vans outside of the Hollywood home and boxes were dropped off, Us says. And there's a pic on the site and on E! online that shows Lauren and Lo walking out of the home with Audrina carrying boxes.

The MTV cameras better have gotten that on tape so we can see what happened. Last we saw, all was good with Lauren and Audrina and things were better between Lo and Audrina.

Posted 12:16 p.m., Sept. 19

Audrina on her blog reminded us of her guest appearance on the FOX comedy "Do Not Disturb" starring Jerry O'Connell.

She said she had a blast on set and sounds like she might also have a crush.

"I love love LOVE Jerry O'Connell!! He is so kind and really goes out of his way to make you feel comfortable! He has the best personality and is so cute! :)"

"During our lunch break I got a chance to talk to him and found out he is a huge Hills fan! That was nice to hear because a lot of men wont admit it, although eventually it comes out. lol!"

"We filmed in front of a live audience.That was a first for me, but when you're up there you dont even notice until they laugh."

I thought "The Hills" counts as filming in front of a live audience, like when you're at the clubs, etc. I mean it is reality, right?

Getty file photo

Posted 11:52 a.m., Sept. 19

Remember how Brody made She-Pratt cry? Can't say I felt bad for her...but maybe Brody did.

"Me and Stephanie are all good," he told Usmagazine.com. "Obviously they show certain things. They didn't show why she ended up crying, but Stephanie and I have known each for a long time, and I know a lot of things about her that other people don't."

Well Brody I think they showed you calling her crazy (which I don't disagree with) and her then admitting she used to have a drug problem - on national TV (and that would make me cry).

"She's a great girl, and we have been through some stuff together, but we are all good now," he said.

I wonder how many dudes he'll make cry when he eliminates them on his own "Bromance" show which starts in November on MTV of course.

Oh, and remember the girl he took to the VMAs? I believe it was the 2008 Playboy Playmate of the Year Jayde Nicole.

Brody now says, "She is not my girlfriend. We are just friends."

We all know what it means when people in Hollywood say they're just friends.

Posted 11:37 a.m., Sept. 19

Guess which Hills star will be showing at LA Fashion Week in October. You've got three choices: Heidi, Whitney and Lauren since they're the only ones with clothing lines.

If you guess Lauren, you're right. She gave MTV an idea of what to expect from her spring collection: "A brushstroke, a floral print, and I added chiffon. It's very sweet."

No word on if Heidi will show off any zebra or animal prints from her Heidiwood line.

Posted 11:20 a.m., Sept. 19

Yeah, I've got my doubts on how Lauren's book series is going to turn out. So what does she has to say to us skeptics?

"I think because I have a reality show, they have low expectations," she told MTV News. "These aren't meant to be very serious books. They're very fun. They're a light read, so hopefully people will just enjoy them."

Who knew she was a writer? Maybe she keeps a journal and that'll be the book series since it's kind of about her life in LA.

And how will it be different from what we've seen on "The Hills"?

"We can have fun with it, 'cause we spent five years on camera, and there was an entirely different story off camera, not being told," she said. "It'll focus on that side of it."

I can't imagine there's any drama-filled fights or tearful reconciliations that MTV hasn't showed us but I guess we'll see.

Getty file photo

Posted Sept. 19 at 8:30 a.m.

All hail the new arsenal of CTA Spy intel.  Our weekly reports -- provided by my elite team of spies -- will add to our already amazing collection of rider observations in both this blog and my "Going Public" column.  We'll get to the bottom of bus and "L" issues one way or another.

Before I begin with some spy insights from Wrigley Villain, I have a dispatch of my own.  Earlier this week, I ran into a super nice bus operator.  I hopped upon a bus with the wrong Chicago Card.  Just so you follow, I've got two because of a cracking incident some years back.  I like to keep one in the chamber.

Turns out the one I brought along didn't have any value and the only money I had left was a $20 bill and $1.70.  I emptied my purse out searching for 30 more cents to no avail. 

As soon as I realized that, I offered to get off at the next stop, but the kindly operator let me cruise for less than the required $2, thus winning my undying "L"ove.  Big ups to the bus operator, whom I will not identify, as I don't want him to get in trouble for allowing my fare-light excursion. Believe me, I'm no fare-fudger, so this will not happen again.

Moving on:

Now for tales of some scribbling on the CTA's Brown Line-- plus a service observation -- courtesy of the Wrigley Villain.  He even scored us some photos of the graffiti.  Suh-weet!  Writes the Villain:

"This past weekend I noticed graffiti reading "Mex" and "Mexico" on a brown line train floor and window.  The brown trains continue to be slow and infrequent north of the loop and prone to "bus bunching" particularly at peak morning hours, the most inconvenient time.  Hope this is useful!"

Posted 10:42 p.m., Sept. 16

In what looked like another obvious cheesy photo op, Heidi celebrated her 22nd birthday Monday with a picnic with of course Spencer. Does she have anyone else?

"I got some amazing gifts and a cake that said, 'Happy Birthday, Princess Heidi!'" she said Tuesday on Ryan Seacrest's KIIS-FM radio show, according to Usmagazine.com.

But was does she wish for?

"Heidi talks about lots of kids all the time," Spencer said. "She wakes up with these great dreams about five kids."

Heidi said, "I want, like, four. Maybe I'll adopt 10. I want to have my own orphanage like Mother Teresa."

Oh, please!

And of course, we all know she wishes she was friends with Lauren again although the orphanage is more likely to happen.

"I'm 22 now, so I'm really grown up," Heidi said. "Life is really short, and I don't need negative energy. There are children who are sick in the worst and, like, important matters, and it's such a waste of time to be fighting and angry."

Getty image

Posted 10:04 p.m., Sept. 16

What will the Emmy dress designed by LC look like?

Lauren told ETonline she just finished designing the dresses for the models handing out awards. The dresses are green and have a diamond broach to tie in two themes including the Emmy's diamond anniversary.

As for her own dress, she said she wanted to be similar to the trophy girls so she used the same fabric but in navy and put diamond broaches on it too.

Can't wait to see what it looks like and which list it'll end up on: Best or Worst Dressed.

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Posted Sept. 16, 2008 at 12:45 p.m.

As you may or may not know, "Going Public" is a big fan of Facebook.  I even have a "Going Public" group, so feel free to join up if you like by clicking on the link on the right of the page.  From time to time, I join other transit groups, which isn't hard with such available circles as "Delayed Waiting for Signals Ahead and Loving It!" and "I Put My Chicago Card in Like a Champ."

Not kidding.  Those groups do exist and are obviously not CTA-sanctioned That's why I was intrigued when I was recently friended by a new player on the Facebook scene: the Brown Line.  It almost looked legit with background info on the Brown, no smart alecky CTA criticisms in the description and a pretty nice picture.

Could it be that the CTA had decided to reach out to its younger riders in a practical and rather amusing way?  Adding to the msytery, the "Brown Line" reach out fast to befriend me, a public transit columnist.  Looked like the work of a savvy PR public transit pro.

So I asked the CTA if they were behind the Brown Line profile and they said no.  The direct comment from CTA spokeswoman Wanda Taylor was that neither the profile nor "any social networking profiles, are projects administered by the CTA."

Too bad.  I was thinking it might be a good mass transit marketing move on their part.  What do you think?  Would you "friend up" with the CTA if they joined Facebook?

Posted 11:02 p.m., Sept. 15

In case you missed it:

Posted 10:55 p.m., Sept. 15

"The Hills" cameras captures looks and most importantly candid moments that we get to see and hear. I won't lie, I got a little emotional and hopeful when Heidi and Lauren both talk about the friendship they used to have.

Here are the top 10 best quotes:

#1: "Lauren and I had this little time of fighting. But we had years of a friendship. We were best friends for years. I never even had a best friend like that. It’s just so unfortunate how things have ended in our lives and how we don't have our friendship anymore because she didn't like my boyfriend and then I said things out of anger that I didn't mean...Maybe Holly will peace everything out...Maybe one day by a miracle we'll be friends again." - Heidi to her co-worker about Lauren

Translation: I want to be friends with Lauren again.

#2: "Hanging out with her kind of makes me remember how much fun we all used to have together... You always miss a best friend." - Lauren to She-Pratt about Heidi after seeing Holly

Translation: I miss Heidi too but only sometimes, like when I see Holly.

#3: "While you're living under this roof, there's no Lauren fraternizing, socializing... There's 15 million people in LA and she's saying how she wants to go hang out with Lauren. Let me get out of here." - Spencer to Heidi and Holly about Holly

Translation: I can't stand that my sister, Brody and now Holly all want to be friends with Lauren.

#4: "She was talking about how lately she’s just been feeling overwhelmed with how bad everything turned out with you guys. I was just thinking last night, we had the best time. We were like the three musketeers. I miss it." - Holly to Lauren about Heidi

Translation: Heidi feels bad and is sorry and wants you back as a friend.

#5: "It's obviously not cool to break up friends but like family - that's family, that's your blood. You don't mess with that. I don't ever want to put someone in that position again." - Lauren to Holly about their friendship

Translation: I know Heidi's your sister and I don't want your relationship with her to be strained, like it is with She-Pratt and Spencer.

#6: "Nothing's beyond repair. I can tell that she misses you." - Holly to Heidi about Lauren

Translation: There's still hope you two can be friends.

#7: "Can I not tell you things now? Can I not trust you anymore?...This whole thing has been really hard for me. It's hard for me to hear even that you went to lunch with her."

Translation: I can't believe everyone is friends with Lauren except me.

#8: "I feel like I give, give and give but he never gives back…He needs to act like he cares and not play Mr. Cool Guy all the time and just make more of an effort." - Audrina to co-worker about Justin Bobby

Translation: I know I need to get over him but something keeps drawing me back to him.

#9: "You look really pretty tonight...You're really good at accepting people again." - Justin Bobby to Audrina

Translation: Maybe if I compliment you enough, you'll forget what a bad guy I am.

#10: "Way to be a buzz kill." - Lauren to Lo

Translation: You know Justin Bobby's not here so why did you have to bring it up?

Posted 9:48 p.m., Sept. 15

Oooh, it was such a feel good Hills episode. The trio is happy and no longer fighting and it looks like Holly could play peacemaker between Lauren and Heidi.

Here's my picks on who stole the show: The Scene Stealers.

Holly - The Other Montag

First she bugs Spencer when she says that the only other person she knows is Lauren. Nice move, Holly. Holly = 1, Spencer = 0. Then Spencer gives her the stink eye tells her as if he's her dad that while she's living there under that roof she's not allowed to hang out with Lauren. C'mon Spencer! Threatened? Score's even. But Holly then goes and has lunch with Lauren. Chalk up a point for Holly.

And when Holly tells Heidi she went out with Lauren, Heidi's upset. It's another person that befriends Lauren. Heidi gets defensive and I think jealous and somewhat betrayed. But Holly being a good sister says she's loyal to family and went there for Heidi and tells her Lauren misses her. Heidi smiles and you kind of feel bad for Heidi to have lost Lauren as a friend. But as Lauren said last season: "You know what you did!"

I can't wait for the holidays just to see what they'll be like with Heidi, Holly, Spencer and She-Pratt. Fun!

Audrina - The Girl Who Gives Out Too Many Chances

When will you get rid of Justin Bobby? For the most part, he makes you feel miserable except for a handful of times we see. He basically tells her she's good at giving second chances and in his case more than two chances. To his credit, he does compliment her, telling her she's pretty and winks at her. And Lauren tries to be supportive of Justin Bobby in their renewed friendship. But Lo (and who knows if she's really trying to patch things up) has to ask where's Justin Bobby at the band's after-party where he clearly is missing. Even Lauren calls her out and says she's a buzz kill. BTW, did anyone see the lame hand wave at the band's show?

While it looks like Audrina's moving up the corporate ladder at work, it's like she doesn't get how Justin Bobby is bad for her. But there's hope she's realizing it when she tells her co-worker that she gives and Justin doesn't give back. I kinda of listened to her at that moment but found myself staring at her ridiculously white teeth. Am I the only one who noticed?

Posted 12:21 p.m., Sept. 15

Tonight's episode looks like Holly in Hollywood stirs the drama pot a bit by going out to lunch with Lauren. You can bet Speidi doesn't approve.

But Holly tells Heidi that she can tell Lauren misses her. And all looks like it's forgiven with a little smile from Heidi. But will Speidi end up making her choose, like She-Pratt?

Posted Sept. 15, 2008 at 11:50 a.m.

Man, oh man.  Sometimes I feel sorry for the CTA's luck.  Were you stuck on the CTA or unable to access it due flooding? Did you get stuck in a bad Blue Line scenario. Share your water world experience with me.

Posted - Sept. 12, 2008 - 2:53 p.m.

Brad Pitt + George Clooney = Brooney?

That's the frankenname RedEye came up with in today's cover story to describe Pitt and Clooney as a bromantic couple.

That's not my fave. I suggested Pitney Bros, a riff off Pitney Bowes.

Offer a coupling for Brad and George. There's one I know I definitely can't print -- it's a combo between Clooney and Pitt -- but otherwise the rest are fair game.

Posted Sept. 12 at 12:18 p.m.

Hold off, you riders angry enough to possibly stage a sit -in to protest a CTA experiment to render some cars seatless.  The agency slightly amended its plan, per this Trib story.

Once prepared to boldly rip all of the seats out of up to two cars on the Brown Line during rush hour as a way to expand capacity, the CTA is now just taking some of the seating out of up to two cars. 

I'd love to hear from Brown Liners who are test driving these cars that now have about 23 to 25 seats, according to the Trib. Also, all my Other Liners, do you want to see this along your neck of the woods?

I've heard a lot of "hell naws" with respect to the initial announcement, but I'm wondering if the fact that only some seats are gone make a difference.

Posted Sept. 12, 2008 at 11:09 a.m.

After months of collecting the most elite bus and "L" observers around, it is time to unveil some of the undercover workings of my CTA spies.  Check out this first report, feel free to respond to specific issues and if you ask really, really nicely, I may even add you to the team. More about that team in next week's "Going Public." 

'Til then, our first report.

Spy Name: Bronzeville Blues

Topic: Bus-ted: No.3 King Drive on Blast

Just today at 29th Street, I boarded a No.3- King Drive bus southbound and sat down to realize that my driver was going about 2 mph down King Dr. Finally, before we made it to 35th street, my bus driver preceded to tell us that he was ahead of schedule and would be stopping at 35th street for 10 mins or so. He tried to flag down the bus behind him to pick up passengers that didn't want to wait, but the other bus passed by. Luckily, I was only going to 35th so I wasn't too upset but as I waited for the number 4 to come, I watched the waiting bus driver step off his bus, preceded to light a cigarette and even went to the gas station to buy a paper. I was just wondering what are the actually CTA policies on buses running ahead or behind schedule!I'm sure all chicago riders have been faced with either a bus driver slowing down the bus to a crawl or speeding down the street like a race car driver, so is there any regulation to how the bus drivers handle these "timing" situations or are our lives as riders regulated by how our bus drivers feel like handling situations that day?

Spy Name: DMR

Topic: Bus Bunch Bonanza, No. 8 and No. 22

No.8-Halsted: At the end of March, the #8 switched from the 74th Street Garage to Kedzie Garage. There are two main reasons why this has helped to reduce bus-bunching: When the #8 was based out of 74th Street Garage, the supervisors monitored the buses at the intersection of Halsted and 75th which, being located a half-mile from the route's end, was not a great location to make sure buses were evenly spread over the route. Since the switch occurred, supervisors have been standing at the UIC-Halsted Blue Line station, which is in the middle of the #8's route. Which is a more central location?

Hmmm... Most of the buses at 74th Street Garage are from 1995 and are starting to fall apart. The fleet is plagued by wheelchair-lift failures, and the buses are no longer able to accelerate fast enough to make all the lights and keep schedule. The buses at Kedzie Garage, however, are only as old as 2003, with most being from 2006-2008.

No.22-Clark: Reliability has improved a little. Within the past few months, North Park Garage (the #22's assigned garage) has gotten rid of their 1991 buses and replaced them with brand-new buses. The new buses accelerate faster, board passengers more quickly, and break down less, causing fewer problems for the bus drivers.

Spy Name: Double-Oh-Fo'

Topic: Bathroom Break on 79th Street

The Urinator strikes again! Under the cover of night, or the light of  day, beyond the reach of the CTAs disinfectant, beyond the lights and the camera and the ever watchful security guards, that foe of clean public transportation and despoiler of public space everywhere, the Urinator strikes again, dousing this CTA facility with the foul stench of fresh urine daily. Either that or the CTA has returned to using Pee scented Mr. Clean.

Posted 3:15 p.m., Sept. 11

Everyone set your TIVOs to FOX. If you want to see more Audrina other than Monday nights on "The Hills," you can catch her guest appearance on the new "Do Not Disturb" FOX comedy with Jerry O'Connell on Wednesday (Sept. 17).

She's also going to be on MADtv next Sunday (Sept. 20) appearing in the sketch "Audrina Brings the Drama," according to Access Hollywood. In the sketch, she visits the show set and causes the entire cast to erupt in fighting and conflict, reports Access.

"I can't wait to show you guys a little bit of my goofy side. :)" Audrina wrote on her blog about her MADtv appearance.

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Posted - Sept. 11, 2008 - 3:18 p.m.

**"Project Runway" spoiler alert!**

Ding Dong! The fashion kitsch is dead! Finally, finally, finally Blayne was told to pack his neon swatches and leave "Project Runway."

He is, by far, the worst contestant in a long time. Even worse than crying Ricky of the Bad Hats Brigade last season.

Bad fashion sense aside, what made tantasmal Blayne annoying was his constant use of the suffix "-licious." It was girlicious, draglicious and even just plain "licious."

He was obviously trying to attract some of the success that Christian earned last season for helping to popularize "hot tranny mess" and "fierce," though the latter was probably more popularized by Tyra Banks, who I refuse to link to because does she need even more attention?

Anyway, Blayne is out. And so is Terri, the pants denizen from Chicago. I liked Terri. Some people think she may have been gruff and standoffish, but she designed some winning styles.

I was sad to see her go. Blayne, not so much. Thank god the -licious cycle has come to an end.

Posted UPDATE 3:05 p.m., Sept. 11

The series is titled L.A. Candy, says Usmagazine.com. It's "the behind-the scenes story of a young girl who moves to L.A. and unexpectedly becomes the star of a reality television show," according to a release cited by Us Weekly.

Posted 11:43 a.m., Sept. 11

Ok, really people. I love "The Hills" but now Lauren will be writing books? Are you kidding me!?

It's no secret I'm on Team Lauren but not everyone's meant to be a book author. I mean, did she write anything at Teen Vogue? I think not.

So People.com is reporting Lauren signed a three-book deal to write a series of young adult fiction inspired by her own life.

Lauren tells People.com: "The books are about a girl who moves to L.A. and stars in a reality show, so obviously there are some similarities... I'm not trying to do a fictional story based on all my friends in my real life because their stories aren't really mine to tell...Some of the characters may symbolize people in my life, but it is in no way calling anyone out."

C'mon, that sounds like an autobiography to me!

The first book is supposed to be on shelves in the summer of 2009. I'd like to know when she's got time to do that when she's filming "The Hills", working at People's Revolution, guest-starring on "Greek" and "Priviledged", and designing her Lauren Conrad Collection. And doing talk show appearances and promoting her line.

Wow, this girl has made bank just from plucked out of obscurity by MTV to chronicle her high school life in Laguna. Wonder how much the book deal is paying her. OK, fine, I'll admit I'm jealous. But so what?

Posted on Sept. 11 at 8:15 a.m.

I'm hearing a lot of buzz in the GP inbox about really rude bus operators and annoying "L" delays.  But I also heard stories of some very kind customer assistants helping riders out, even giving one a pass after he was robbed on the "L."  What's the real story this week?  Share your kudos, complaints and general comments about our favorite three letters: C-T-A.

Posted 5:49 p.m., Sept. 10

Lauren has been in New York for fashion week since Tuesday. No, not showing her line or working but attending Nanette Lepore's runway show - in the first row. And she's with Lo. Perhaps, picking up some pointers?

She writes on her MySpace blog that she's also in New York to promote her own line at Bloomingdales. And she just showed her Holiday collection at a fashion show on Monday in Irvine.

Now, Lauren tell us when you're coming to Chicago to promote your line...

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Posted Sept. 10 at 3:28 p.m.

Sigh.  Is all this gloom and doom about the CTA's strapped budget woes bringing you down?

Well, let's cheer ourselves up by having a little fun. 

Let's come up with ways for the downtrodden agency to make some more money.  At this point, maybe one of these public transit proto-types could work. 

How's about:

(1) Bus Bake Sales: People eat on the bus all the time, so sell them some public transit pastries.  We can run this thing along the routes all day, but be prepared for some crumb clean-up.

(2) Claim that Rail: The "L" cars are wrapped by advertisers all the time, so sell the whole dang Line to some nostalgic soul.  CTA Prez Ron Huberman has mentioned his interest in sponsorship in the past, so why not now?  I've got no problem with UPS locking down the Brown Line, Orange Julius claiming the Orange Line or even Pepto Bismol owning the Pink Line.  As the Wayans' Bros used to say, "mo money, mo money."

(3) Mass Transit Movies: As long as some of us have to sit on boring buses and "L" cars, perhaps the CTA could work up a Netflix -like service.  They can set up some screen space and allow riders with disposable headphones to watch movies while they ride.  My recommendation: Don't offer "Speed" or "Money Train" as featured flicks. That might turn it into a fright fest.

Posted 6:43 p.m., Sept. 9

Audrina speaks about the Vegas trip on her blog which she says that trip "wasn't the highlight of my summer."

Ooh, tell us more.

"Tension was mounting the week before our Vegas trip. It seemed that every time I ran into Lauren or Lo they weren't very friendly."

"I'm sure everyone can relate to those feelings -it's pretty easy to tell when you're not wanted around. You can feel the bad energy and vibes that are put out. Anyway, I had confronted both of them before on their behavior (rolling their eyes, talking over me, and texting while I was talking to them about something that was important to me). When we were out, it felt like I was invisible, so eventually I took myself out of the awkward situations and stopped making an effort."

On the night before Vegas at Goa: "I never told her 'I am here with my friends.'... That night at Goa the cameras were not filming. I went out with my sister and a bunch of friends. We got a table at Goa. Halfway through the night Lauren and Lo and a bunch of their friends came to sit at the table. We acknowledged each other, and we scooted down to make room, but there wasn't a lot of space. I was in the middle of a deep conversation with one of my friends when Lauren kept yelling my name. I looked over and told her to hold on one second because I didn't want to be rude. When my friend was finished with what he was saying I looked over and they all got up to leave."

In Vegas at LAX: "Everyone seemed on edge and in bad moods. Frankie kept telling me to apologize to Lauren, but I kept thinking 'for what?!' I didn't feel like an apology was needed for my behavior at Goa (for not jumping when my name was called? Or for not getting into a serious discussion at a loud club, surrounded by partying people?)... Everytime I would look over the girls were gathered in a group, not looking happy. It was like a catty highschool dance! Haha."

The next morning: "The next day, when we were walking out to leave, I saw everyone and they all just looked at Justin and me like we were aliens. I walked up to Lauren and told her we needed to talk and she looked at me and said okay."

On her talk with Lauren: "I'm so glad Lauren and I had that talk. I've definitely learned not to let things build up and not to avoid certain scenarios. That was one of our first little confrontations, I believe they only make your friendship stronger in the long run. "

So what added to the tension: "The new living situation, the new friend/roomie, the rumors you read and hear about in magazines and on gossip sites, moving on in the industry on my own, the whole flirtyness with certain someones that was uncalled for, and only being a true friend when it was called for were all building up. It was these and many other things that kept adding to the fire, and eventually led to the breakdown which included tears and big decisions."

Now I want to know who was flirting with who?

Posted 4:44 p.m., Sept. 9

I was hoping that Lauren and Brody would get back together. But apparently Brody had to crush my dream, well to be honest my dream was to end up with him, but oh well.

Back to Brody, he ended up taking a playmate to the VMAs and not just any playmate. But Jayde Nicole - the 2008 Playboy Playmate of the Year! And the two are now dating, according to E! C'mon, I can't compete with that!

Posted - Sept. 9, 2008 - 2:54 p.m.

I was all prepared to write about how my six-hour Megabus trip from Chicago to St. Louis for a bachelorette party last weekend was a Megabust. But it wasn't.

I paid $23 for the ticket at the last minute. The price wasn't bad compared to flight costs ($100 on Southwest) or train ($45), though it wasn't as cheap as some of the $1 trips the Chicago-based company is known for.

The bus picked me up about a block from Union Station. There's no bus terminal or shelter, which almost became problematic because it was starting to rain when the bus arrived.

The bus was about 15 minutes late and the lines were unorganized. It was every passenger for himself and the guy I was standing behind was making no effort to push his way to the front of the line so I pushed in front of him.

I took the advice of my colleague, a Megabus aficionado, and decided not to sit near the bathrooms. I sat in the bus's upper deck and had two seats to myself. I wish I had sat in the lower deck, where the guy candy was better because there were more college students.

Save for the woman in front of me who put the Cupid Shuffle on a loop on her iPod, the ride was pretty enjoyable -- much better than my few regrettable bouts on Greyhound.

The trip back, which I took from Springfield to Chicago, was much worse. The Amtrak was about 45 minutes late and seemingly struggled to make it to the final destination. I usually have good experiences with Amtrak, but Sunday night's ride was a hot trainy mess.

What's your interstate transit of choice?

Posted 10:07 p.m., Sept. 8

Missed Episode 5, check it out:

Posted 10 p.m., Sept. 8

Well I think in the first five episodes we've seen everything in the season trailer. Wonder what they'll show us next? The rift between Lauren and Audrina wasn't as explosive as I thought it would be but still was emotional and ended in the tearful hug. Awww.

Here are the scene stealers:

>>>Audrina

She's the one who approaches Lauren outside the Vegas hotel to say we need to talk and then it seems like Lauren is avoiding her. LC doesn't even invite Audrina to take the plane back to LA. And Audrina needs to stop listening to Justin Bobby. He's showing some Spencer characteristics in prodding her to leave LC's house by offering Audrina to stay with him. Then he tells her he doesn't want to see her hurt. Excuse me, but he's caused hella hurt for her already.

When the girls do talk, it's an honest talk where they've said the things they held back in the past because they were afraid of hurting each other's feelings. Their tension (not really a fight) sounded more like miscommunication. They say they both feel like they were bothering each other when they tried to talk in the past and they feel that neither invites the other out, which they both disagree they've been doing. At least they talk it out in what looks like Lauren's room. Hello, did you see the sweet fireplace in there? In the end, the two get over it and decide to be friends. Tear, awww.

>>>Holly - the Other Montag

She's ruffling feathers - Spencer's. And I love it. I think he's met his match. Too bad she's not doing anything that really bothers him, just being there is enough. Probably because he can't spend every moment with Heidi. Spencer is still a jerk saying she's in his office. Oh, that's right he doesn't have a real one to go to work in so his living room where he watches TV and plays arcade games doubles as his office. Anyways, he rudely tells her she's got to go and Heidi doesn't have the heart to tell her. Spencer, that's not the way to win over Heidi's family.

So Holly leaves in a huff and rightfully so. And apparently she doesn't take any of Heidi's calls either. When she sees Heidi, Heidi is pretty snippy even though Spencer basically told her sis to get out. So Heidi says Holly should've talked to her about Spencer and apologizes if Spencer made her feel uncomfortable. Hello Heidi, Spencer broke his promise not to say something to your sister. Stop saying sorry for him. Leave Heidi, or better yet kick Spencer out for good. The sisters, too, have a feel-good moment with a "I love you" and a hug that sounded less sincere than Audrina and Lauren's make up session.

Posted 9:31 p.m., Sept. 8

Words are just as powerful as actions. Here are the top 10 quotes:

#1: “The worst part is at the end of the day you were one of my best friends and I feel like I’ve completely lost that. I’ve lost another friend. I’m so tired of trying to make you be my friend. I don’t know what to do anymore. I feel pathetic.” – Lauren to Audrina

Translation: Why don't you want to be my friend? I can't believe this is happening to me again! First Heidi, then Jen Bunney and now Audrina.

#2: "Heidi and I want you to move out straight up." - Spencer to Holly

Translation: Get out of my place couch potato.

#3: "I want her to be happy. I only want good things for her...Something has to change.” - Lo to Lauren about Audrina

Translation: I have to say I want Audrina to be happy to prove I'm not evil but I really wish she would just move out.

#4: “If you really, really want to say let’s go back and let the past be the past, that would make me so happy because that’s all I want. That’s all I want. Is that really what you want though?” - Lauren to Audrina

Translation: I'm willing to move on but I don't think you are.

#5: “So what about the past? You want to keep bringing that up? You can’t start and keep dwelling on that. You have to start from now, a fresh start and move forward.” – Audrina to Lauren

Translation: We can't move on if you keep bringing up the past. Get over it.

#6: “It’s like everyone doesn’t want us to be friends, you know.” – Audrina to Lauren

Translation: Everyone is trying to tear us apart.

#7: "Do you not think about anyone but yourself…You know what, I can’t even talk to you." - Heidi to Spencer about him saying something about moving out to her sis

Translation: That's my sister. I am really starting to get sick of you.

#8: “See this is so frustrating, like I don’t know. The whole situation just sucks…do you think I’m not trying right now Lauren?” - Audrina to Lauren

Translation: I've been making an effort and I don't know what else to do.

#9: "Idiots!" - Lauren about Brody and Doug in jail

Translation: Idiots.

#10: "I just don’t want to see you hurt." - Justin Bobby to Audrina about Lauren tension

Translation: It may be ok when I hurt you but not those who are supposed to be your friends.

Posted 2:36 p.m., Sept. 8

Both Lauren and Speidi made appearances at the VMAs.

Did Lauren make Speidi stand outside? Cause they got stuck playing some lame name game with Pete Wentz.

Meanwhile LC got to actually present an award with Chase Crawford!

Posted Sept. 8 at 12 p.m.

For all y'all who were wondering how the CTA can pay for:

(1) Seniors' free rides without the state subsidy

(2) Fuel, during a spike in fuel prices

The answer is.  They really can't. Cuts are enroute.  Check it out, and let me know what you think.

Posted 7:40 p.m. Sept. 7

Even though there was an episode Sunday, there's another one Monday night. It's the blow up between Lauren and Audrina. Want a sneak peek?

Posted 7:37 p.m., Sept. 7

In case you missed Sunday's episode, check it out here.

Posted 7:34 p.m., Sept. 7

Confrontations and tears! That's the Hills I know and love. The theme is "Boys Make Girls Cry." And the only girl crying was She-Pratt. Boo-whoo. Am I the only one who doesn't care if She-Pratt cries?

But that wasn't the only moment that captured our attention. Well, let's get right to it, the Scene Stealers.

>>>Lauren - Queen of uncomfortable moments

Moment #1: When She-Pratt confronts Brody on what Brody told Lauren in Vegas.

He's told LC not to trust She-Pratt. And Brody's right. He would know after all. He's been Spencer's friend since they were kids. Brody knows all the Pratts' secrets and She-Pratt knows it. That's probably why she spilled a dark secret- she used to be on drugs. After admitting that, things start to escalate to the point when Dud Doug tries to break it up. What!!! Why are you trying to ruin the stuff us viewers love? He needs to leave the show. Really. Well, he does have his own jet to fly everyone to Vegas.

Moment #2: Talking about Audrina

If you're friends with someone, you probably shouldn't be talking about them, at least while being taped. But it seems to bug Lauren that Audrina has been giving her the cold shoulder. But remember Lauren, there's two sides to every story. I'm guessing that Lauren has talked about Audrina so much that Brody is growing frustrated and tells her to kick Audrina out. What? That was so harsh. And why is Lauren better friends with She-Pratt than Audrina? I wonder if Lauren even invited Audrina on the jet. It's clear that they weren't staying in the same hotel room when she arrives to Vegas with Justin Bobby, who was wearing white jeans. What was that about? And why don't the two talk at LAX when celebrating Frankie's birthday? Awkward.

>>> Holly - The Other Montag

Even though she didn't get a lot of face time, she's still a big part of the drama between Heidi and Spencer. When she does arrive at Speidi's casa, Holly doesn't get the welcome mat. Instead Spencer is a jerk and says him and Heidi can make dinner plans half an hour late. Nice. Why is Heidi with him again? Apparently, Spencer can't take living with Holly that he shows up to Heidi's work and has her meet him in his car for a serious talk. Seriously, why does he always make her go to his car? Anyways, he complains about her being half-naked on their couch and how she erased his TIVOed shows. Please, that's serious? Spencer needs to get a life.

>>>>Brody - The Troublemaker

Brody tells it like it is to She-Pratt's face - She's crazy. And a "psycho." He's right and we all know it. And he makes her cry. Boo-whoo. I don't feel bad for She-Pratt cause we're all thinking she's going to turn on Lauren sooner or later. We don't trust her and Lauren shouldn't either. But Brody is also harsh in telling LC to kick out Audrina. C'mon Brody. Let the girls work it out. But it looks like Brody himself is in trouble when Frankie comes into the girls' room and says Doug got punched and Brody's in jail. Can't wait to see what happened.

Posted 7:10 p.m., Sept. 7

Great moments are supplied with great quotes. Here are the top 10:

#1: “Don’t ever cry over someone who wouldn’t cry over you.” - Lauren to She-Pratt

Translation: I feel bad Brody made you cry but stop, really.

#2: “I never told Lauren not to be friends with you. I just was skeptical of whether she should trust you or not. I’ve known you for a long time and I know how crazy you are.” - Brody to She-Pratt

Translation: Get your story straight. The Pratts are all crazy.

#3: “Even when I was using (drugs), I was never mean. I was selfish.” – She-Pratt to Lauren

Translation: I've changed. My drug problem is in the past.

#4: "Get out of the house or something. Maybe you shouldn’t be there so much." – Heidi to Spencer

Translation: Quit complaining about my sister. Get a job Spencer.

#5: “Get her out of the house.” - Brody to Lauren about Audrina

Translation: Kick her out if your friendship isn't working.

#6:"This is the quickest way to get me to move out.” - Spencer to Heidi about Holly staying with them

Translation: It's either going to be me or your sis. You're going to have to choose, again.

#7: “I want to know why you told Lauren not to trust me…I really don’t think you should tell Lauren not to be friends with me.” – She-Pratt to Brody

Translation: Mind your own business Brody. Don't ruin my secret plan to destroy Lauren.

#8: "Making girls cry now dude?" - Doug to Brody

Translation: C'mon, it's supposed to be a fun night in Vegas.

#9: “Oh, it’s awkward.” - Lauren when She-Pratt confronts Brody

Translation: Oh, it's awkward.

#10: “Hey, cheers! Stop right now.” Doug tries to stop arguing between She-Pratt and Brody

Translation: I should be the peacekeeper. It's the only way I'll be part of the show.

Any other quotes that you think you be on the list?

Posted 5:24 p.m., Sept 7

Watch the Hills tonight at 6:30 p.m. before the VMAs. Check out the trailer:

Posted Sept. 5 at 5:54 p.m.

Beetlejuice said he was the ghost with the most, but "Going Public" thinks he may have some competition.  Introducing Ghost Rider, the newest CTA spy.  Below is a photo and a little more about our mass transit agent.  Stay tuned, because this week, we'll post our first full intel report.  If you're not a spy yet, you may want to hurry up and join to participate.  We've got some serious work to do.  And now, introducing:

Preferred Code Name: GhostRider
Age: 25
Neighborhood: Northside
Frequent Rider Of: Purple Line (Linden to Library every day)
What I Loathe about CTA: "Express" trains that run at 6 MPH
What I Love About CTA: I "take it everywhere"!

Posted 2:31 p.m., Sept. 4

OMG! Holly Montag was spotted out with Doug - yes, the same Doug that Lauren dumped!

Isn't Holly supposed to be friends with Lauren? Are Holly and Doug on Team Heidi?

First Lauren, next She-Pratt (if you believe the promos), and now Holly. Too bad Jen Bunney isn't around.

Holly and Doug showed up to EA Sports Freestyle's FaceBreaker Launch in Hollywood on Wednesday, according to Usmagazine.com.

"Yeah, we came together," Holly told Usmagazine.com. "We are just, you know, hanging out."

Doug told Us: "There are no romantic sparks. She is a great girl. We just came out here...I am a gamer."

Maybe he should've said player. Just sayin'.

Posted 3:55 p.m., Sept. 3

Lauren made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Labor Day weekend (Aug. 29.).

She talks about how to escape the paps: "If you're on a freeway, you go really fast. If you're driving down streets, if you can get them to go in front of you, like by switching around, then you wait til you get to a street and you pull off real quick."

Lauren tells Jimmy she hasn't listened to Heidi's music "on purpose" and Jimmy forces her to watch a snipet of Heidi's "Higher" video. The camera cuts to Lauren laughing hard and covering her mouth.

Watch the interview here:

Posted 3:25 p.m., September 3

This post isn't about Heidi but her sister Holly. Turns out Holly's got a job in Hollywood.

New York Post's Page Six reports that Holly is working for Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis. Apparently, she's been his assistant since he got out of jail.

Looks like Holly won't need Heidi to get into parties. Together, the two can rule the Hollywood party scene.

Update: Cindy Hamilton of Nike contacted me about how I couldn't find my time on the Web site.

"Unfortunately, you are among a very small group of runners, less than 4 percent in Chicago and less than .1 percent globally, participating in the Nike+ Human Race who may not be able to locate their results online. Your chip number and profile were not inputted properly. We regret the error and apologize for any inconvenience," Hamilton wrote in an e-mail.

"We can still pull your results, or the results of any runner who could not locate their results, if you have your chip number which was on the envelope the chip came in when you received your registration packet. If you do not have this information, unfortunately, we will not be able to share your results.

"Due to this inconvenience, if a runner who took part in the Chicago Nike+ Human Race event cannot find their results online, Nike will provide them with a $25 Niketown gift card. Those runners should email humanracechi@gmail.com to learn more."

I'm beyond frustrated. I threw out that envelope with the chip when I cleaned out my running bag after the race.

I'm annoyed I spent $35 to have my run not count. I could have run the same distance on the trail for free. And they're offering me a $25 gift card in return?

It's funny, I just spent $130 on new Nike shoes. As always this week, timing is my major problem ...

Did this happen to anyone else?

Posted - Sept. 2, 2008 - 6:48 p.m.

The Nike 10K Human Race this weekend was a run to remember -- just not in a good way.

The concept was innovative: Runners in 20-plus cities compete in the 10K, billed as the largest one-day worldwide racing event. Concerts follow the race.

I'll start with what I enjoyed about the Chicago run. I liked how everyone had to wear the same race shirt because their number was printed on the shirt. I typically don't wear the race shirt to the race because I'm superstitious. Others generally don't wear it because they are too cool for school.

I also liked how there were bands stationed at a few points along the course. They brought a vibrant energy to the race.

Holding the race at Soldier Field was a good theory in concept. Unfortunately, 14,000 people reportedly showed up for the run and the course wasn't equipped to handle that many people.

Before the race, course officials had participants join their pacing sections. Sections were divided up in eight-minute mile paces, 10-minute paces, etcetera, all the way up to 12-minute paces. But the sections weren't divided well and some runners had to wait in the grass while others, like me, got stuck behind the 12-minute pace runners.

There were a hodgepodge of runners. I spotted tweens and a grandma among others. I was surprised. I've never thought of a 10K as a walking event. I've seen walkers in a 5K, but 6.2 miles seems far for a walk, no?

The Chicago run was a night race. It was a bit humid and we started through a tunnel to get to Lake Shore Drive. The space to run wasn't wide enough so some of the participants ran in the road with traffic along the LSD. Because the pacings weren't set up right, runners were weaving by walkers and young kids hanging on to their parents.

The course then moved onto the lakefront trail, which provided a breathtaking view of the skyline at night.

I noticed at mile 4 and 5 several people were walking, moreso than the women's 10K on the North Side in July. For me, sometimes it's the runners around you that motivate you to go that extra mile. When I saw so many people walking, it made me want to walk too.

The finish line was fantastic. There were tons of people there with cameras cheering on the runners. Unfortunately, when you crossed the finish line, you were corralled like cattle away from the course.

The first thing that I want to see after the finish line is the water stand. I didn't get offered water until 10 minutes after the race because there were hundreds of people being moved to get their time chips clipped off their shoes.

Instead of water, volunteers were handing out Nike wristbandish things cleverly concealed in batons. I added that to my less-than-stellar race swag, which included granola, a citrus power bar and a coupon for a free Vivanno smoothie at Starbucks. Uh, pass.

I didn't stay long enough to critique Fall Out Boy, who played after the concert. Later in the night, (Sunday), I checked my time later and it wasn't posted. As of Tuesday night, I still don't have an official time.

Thx for the memories, Nike.

Did you run the race? What did you think? Did you find the 10Kommotion overwhelming?

Posted 2:45 p.m., Sept. 2

When will the girl stop singing? She's got know she's not very good. Obviously, she's got no limit to humiliation.

"Party's Wherever I Am" features more of the same - heavy editing and gimmicky techno sounds. Plus, this track has some heavy breathing. Heidi, please stop singing, wait, I shouldn't even call it that. Anyways, just stop!

All her songs bomb and her videos are simply awful to watch. Maybe she should fire her manager boyfriend Spencer.

What do you think of her latest song?

Posted 11:43 a.m., Sept. 2

Don't forget there's an episode of "The Hills" at 6:30 p.m. Sunday and it looks like a good one - a trip to Vegas, baby!

Brody confronts She-Pratt about being crazy and let's face it we all know she is. I mean, she's Spencer's sister. Hello? And she cries, putting on a show for everyone. Even her own brother has said she can turn on the waterworks easily.

Audrina comes back after being MIA on this week's show. Looks like Audrina and Lauren might end their friendship. But I bet they don't since they just went on a trip together to Cabo for Brody's birthday. Just another rough patch I guess.

And Doug is back. Huh? Even after Lauren dumped him. Guess he's hanging with Brody cause both of them end up in jail if you believe the preview.

Posted 11:30 a.m., Sept. 2

In case you missed Episode 3 of "The Hills," watch it here:

Posted 10:25 p.m., Sept. 1

This episode seemed to be lacking on drama and quotes but you can count on Spencer for some words of wisdom, wait, scratch that, I mean just words whether Spencer means them or not.

Here are the top 10 quotes:

#10: "That’s why her and LC became such good friends because they both just want to piss me off." – Spencer to Heidi on Stephanie and Lauren’s friendship

Translation: It's all about me.

#9: "It sucks that you’re stuck in the middle like that…I know I’d like us to stay friends." – Lauren to She-Pratt

Translation: Take that Spencer! You may have Heidi but I've got She-Pratt.

#8: "She used to be a hamster, now she’s a guinea pig." - She-Pratt to Lauren on her roommate

Translation: Huh? What?

#7: "I just don’t want to settle and I don’t think I should have to." - Lauren to Brody on dating Doug

Translation: Doug's not good enough for me. He's no Brody.

#6: "I think Stephanie has ulterior motives... I could tell you things you’d be like whoa, really?" - Brody to Lauren about She-Pratt

Translation: Watch out for She-Pratt. She's crazy.

#5: "You just say I really, really like you and I think things are moving too fast… it’s just timing." - Whitney to Lauren on how to break it off with Doug

Translation: It sounds better than it's not you, it's me and let's be friends.

#4: "I kind of miss Stephanie. I miss hanging out with her." - Heidi to Spencer

Translation: You've made me stop being friends with all my friends.

#3: "You have a nice body but you know that already. What are you doing later? …Why don’t you come by and have drinks with us tonight." - Kelly Cutrone to Alex

Translation: I am setting you up with Whitney.

#2: "I've been nothing but respectful and nice and treat you like a princess." - Doug to Lauren

Translation: I don't understand why you don't like me. Who wouldn't want me?

#1: "The day I’m friends with Stephanie again is the day I’m friends with Lauren Conrad." – Spencer to Heidi about She-Pratt

Translation: I'm not going to be friends with my sister until I change my mind to get camera time.

Posted 9:45 p.m., Sept. 1

This may have been the best episode if you're looking for eye candy. Did you see those washboard abs at the casting call in New York? OMG!

Other than that, it was more of the same: Speidi having alone time and Lauren and She-Pratt hanging out together, which nobody understands, including me. But one question: where was Audrina?

It looks like Spencer is staying true to his words last episode and giving She-Pratt the cold shoulder even when she buys him a book on the CIA. Does Spencer even read? And I'm waiting for Lauren to hook up again with Brody. There's still a flame and we see it every time Lauren says Brody was her type, yada, yada. It's just a matter of time til it happens.

Here are the scene stealers of Episode 3:

Kelly Cutrone of People's Revolution - She just gained a million points in my book for being one of the coolest bosses. Yeah, she can be bitchy like when she asks Whitney what took her so long to get to the casting. How about a long flight from LA? But then she does something like ask the hot model to meet for drinks and then pulls a no-show so Whitney can spend time with the model. How awesome was that? Guess giving your soul to the devil can pay off at times.

Doug - He was hardly seen in this episode until the end but talked about throughout the show. I wasn't too impressed with his dating skills early on and turns out Lauren wasn't either. She told everyone but him she wasn't interested. Apparently he didn't get the hint when she avoided him and his calls. He had to know something was up when Lauren briefly stopped by. Nope, he said the break up hit him like a ton of bricks. That only confirms my thought that Doug is just a pretty face with a whole lot missing upstairs. So they say they'll be "friends." And they might actually mean it since Doug is in future episodes but we'll see.

Whitney - Gotta love the only logical girl on the show. She's driven and beautiful. How come until now we haven't seen her with a guy? We hope this Alex thing works out. She seems kind of smitten already. And she gives excellent relationship advice to Lauren about talking to Doug and breaking it off. Too bad it takes Lauren a while to follow it. But I give her points for actually doing it - who likes break ups anyways.