February 2009 Archives

Posted 4:43 p.m., Feb. 26

Well, well, well. I wonder if Lauren has heard from Jason. Remember him? When they dated, he treated her like crap (especially on his birthday). LC chose to spend the summer with him instead of Paris.

Yeah, I know that was years ago. But remember when he resurfaced? They went out to dinner and then he dropped a bomb that he was engaged. Well, not anymore.

Ladies, don't all run at once...really.

Usmagazine.com reports Jason called off his engagement to Katja. We saw her once on a Hills episode.

Supposedly the split is amicable. Yeah, right. Everybody says that.

"We agreed we are both just too young to be considering getting married right now," he told Usmagazine.com.

The mag also reports he's shopping around a dating reality show called Jason and the Cougars.

Oh, gawd.

Posted 4:45 p.m., Feb. 25

Say it ain't so Lauren!

According to People.com, she tells the April issue of Seventeen magazine that this season will be the last for her on "The Hills."

“My biggest thing with the show was that I wanted to walk away from it while it’s still a great thing,” she explains. “I always want to remember it that way. I gave MTV a deadline and said, ‘This is as long as I can do it and stay sane.’"

As much as Speidi would like a spinoff, I wouldn't watch a show without LC. She's the original - remember Laguna Beach?

Posted 5:10 p.m., Feb. 24

So do they or don't they? Do Whit and Jay break up? I hope not but the here is a clip of next week's episode:

Posted 4:45 p.m., Feb. 24

Audrina says her L.A. house was burglarized over the weekend. Oh, how that sucks!

She blogged last night: "I had a really rough day today - I got home late last night and realized that my house had been robbed. It was pretty devastating!"

She said she's filled out police reports and made lists of what's missing. And she even posted pictures of some surveillance footage of burglars in the act on her blog:   http://audrinaxo.celebuzz.com/

Getty file photo

Watch what happens when the Hills is back for Season 5!

Posted 12:29 a.m., Feb. 24

Watch Whit be interviewed by Jimmy Kimmel last week. She reveals she doesn't work full-time at Diane Von Furstenberg. She doesn't hate Olivia but admits to wanting to "slap her."

Posted 10:47 p.m., Feb. 23

We got our first preview of the upcoming Hills season. Oh, how I miss it and all its drama.

So what can we expect?

A few highlights: Lauren moves out of her Hollywood home, Heidi finds out Spencer is flirting with a bartender, Heidi goes to LC's birthday party (looks like uninvited by LC but invited by somebody), another tearful reunion between Lauren and Heidi, Heidi goes home to Colorado to get away from Spencer again, Spencer gets in touch with Brody and Spencer gets into a fist fight with somebody - it looks like possibly She-Pratt's boyfriend Cameron. And I expect to see some footage from a trip to Hawaii as Lauren blogged about going there on her MySpace page.

Can't wait! SO save the date: March 23!!!

Posted 10:14 p.m., Feb. 23

Can the guys be trusted? We'd like to think so. But experience has taught us only some can. We want to believe Jay can and we think Adam cannot be trusted.

Here's what we loved and hated about this episode:

1. Love that Allie really knows she can't trust her boyfriend. What gave it away? Her eye rolls when she said she trusts him.

2. Love that the girls watch out for each other, like Erin keeping an eye on Adam.

3. Love that the model asks Allie out for a beer or Snapple. What, does beer have too many calories?

4. Love that Allie changes her mind and decides to take the model up on his offer. Adam seems to be playing the field (aka surrounding himself with girls), so a little drink isn't going to hurt.

5. Love that Allie recognizes she needs space away from Adam. It'll do her good. So now will Adam come back to Jay and ask him to be his roommate.

6. Love that Whitney speaks her mind to Jay, telling him she doesn't want to be played for a fool. Who can blame her?

And we hate...

1. Hate that we feel like Jay isn't telling the whole truth about Dani.

2. Hate that Allie can't trust Adam when he goes away.

3. Hate that Jay actualy mentions how much temptation there is in Miami.

4. Hate that Jay and Dani have a little powwow in the club where he mentions the last time he saw her and they went home together. Wait, I thought he told Whit nothing happened. SO which is it?

5. Hate that the conversation Whit has with Jay about his was making her nauseous. I think we've all been there and that's our gut telling us something's not quite right.

Bonus from the After Show: Whit says Jay's met the parents and next week it looks like Jay breaks up with Whitney before he goes on tour! Say it ain't so.

In case you missed it:

Oh, how fun NYC looks during the holidays. Lots of festive parties! And unexpected surprises.

We love parties but hate surprises. Here's what else we loved and hated:

1. Love how Whitney says she cannot imagine somebody moving in with her. Wait, wait for it. And then Jay asks to stay with her. Awkward...

2. Love that Whitney gives it right back to Olivia by saying all her friends are going to this New Year's Party but her.

3. Love that it's two guys fighting over one girl: J.R. and Duncan over Erin. It's better than two girls fighting over a guy.

4. Love that Nevan tells Olivia he's going to look for a place but then goes back to sleep as soon as she leaves the apartment.

5. Love that Duncan tells Erin he's not going to be part of a love triangle.

6. Love that Erin says the best way to get over a guy is to get under one. Watch out single Erin is on the prowl!

7. Love that Jay tries to make Erin feel better by guaranteeing Duncan will be thinking about kissing her at midnight.

8. Love that Whitney is nice enough to let Jay stay with her til he finds a place.

1. Hate that Olivia has to try to talk over Whitney and make her feel bad about not knowing every magazine editor's name.

2. Hate that Olivia still is catty towards Whitney by telling her not to get drunk and fall on her face. Who says that to a coworker? Oh, that's right. Olivia does.

3. Hate that Adam is such a weasel. He clearly wants to date other girls, yet wants Allie to move in with him and tells Jay to move out. We predict it'll come back to bite him later.

4. Hate that Duncan basically tells Erin not to hang out with J.R.

5. Hate that Olivia tells Nevan what to do: get a job, get an apartment, clean up. Blah, blah, blah.

6. Hate that Adam uses Jay as an excuse why him and Allie haven't been getting along, basically calling Jay a third wheel.

7. Hate that Jay even jokes about Whitney serving and pampering him while he's staying with her. Is that how they do it in Australia?

In case you missed it:

I know I sound like a hater, but Olivia is really getting to me. Almost everything I hated about the episode was her! Here's my list:

1. Hate that Olivia picks at Nevan about what he wears to lunch.

2. Hate that Olivia pushes Nevan out of the apartment so the girls can come over, even though they're really swinging by to pick her up.

3. Hate that Olivia makes Whit and Erin late to Jay's show just because she doesn't think shows start til she gets there. They need to drink "champy" and she has to find a rock outfit to wear.

4. Hate how uncomfortable Olivia is at the show. Can't the girl loosen up and have fun?

5. Hate that Nevan is so bitchy about Jay's band, calling them the Beach Boys and the plaid mafia.

6. Hate that Olivia is equally bitchy by saying they should've worn cocktail attire.

7. Hate that Olivia is the one to bring up the charity gig the next day at work and then tries to tell Whitney to keep work and personal life separate. Wait, she was the one to bring it up.

8. Hate that Olivia feels Jay needed to say thank you. Thank you for what? For being made fun of?

Now for the good stuff...

1. Love that Whitney wants to show off Jay by inviting people to see him play a gig.

2. Love that Jay says he'll corner off an area for Olivia so she doesn't have to mingle with "commoners" at his show.

3. Love that Nevan pushes Olivia's buttons by calling her "babe."

4. Love that Whit and Erin think Olivia could be fun. How wrong they are though.

5. Love that Whit busts Olivia with Nevan's sock. Ewww.

6. Love that it seems like Olivia tried to make up for being late by booking Jay for a charity gig.

7. Love that Jay calls Nevan Bevan. Close enough, right?

8. Love that Erin is honest about wanting to "suck J.R.'s face" cause she's feelin' "saucy." Nice, what happened to Duncan who she "loves?"

9. Love that Whitney doesn't take Olivia's crap, saying it was a "stab in the back" to have Olivia and Nevan making fun of Jay.

Posted Monday, Feb. 23 at 11:15 a.m.

Okay, so it's Monday, not my fave day of the week.  You know what I'm saying.  I was perfectly prepared to hop on the No. 3-King Drive bus downtown and just half-doze my way into the office. 

I'm glad I didn't.

Because I would have missed the best. bus. operator. ever.  This woman was kind and polite to everyone who boarded.  She actually leaned over at stops and asked other patrons if they needed help reaching their destinations.  (That's right, people who weren't even getting on her bus.)  She warned riders when their stops were approaching, and she even kept an eye out for one rider's connecting bus. 

In short, this is the dream bus operator if I were to design the dream CTA.   Her name is Berretdus Thompson, and I'm going to try and shout her out in my column tomorrow.  Yes, that's how wondeful she was.  Take heed, CTA, Ms. Thompson is a keeper!

The experience got me thinking, so I want to ask you: Who was your best. bus. operator. ever?  Do tell, do tell.

Posted Feb. 18 at 1:50 p.m.

After watching, re-watching, cringing and then re-watching this video, I have to say it gives new meaning to fare collection.  What is depicted in this video is reprehensible, and appears to be yet another black eye on the Chicago police department.  (Warning, per the Trib's word, this vid is graphic and profane.)

Done cringing yet?  Now answer this: Why would an officer scream, curse at and physically attack a man over some pathetic bus fare?  Is that $2.25 really worth that kind of reaction?  Making matters worse, this video seems to depict an officer so comfortable in his actions that the scrutiny of other riders doesn't stop him one bit.

Perhaps he didn't get the memo that that there is an onboard camera on every bus.  Or maybe he is still using a SkyPager circa 1990 and doesn't realize modern technology could allow an apparent outside party to capture this craziness on video.

I had no idea Chicago police officers were so invested in fare collection.  From what I've observed, the uniformed folk board and disembark CTA buses at such speed, they don't have time to regulate too much of anything.  I don't blame them, as I'm sure they are pressed for other matters, but this dude comes off as a Transit Terminator.

Perhaps the agency's budget woes -- also top news today-- could push even "Officer Friendly" here over the edge.

Posted 11:50 a.m., Feb. 18

Snoop says watches the Hills. Check out the clip where he offers Speidi relationship advice on his new show Dogg After Dark, which premiered Tuesday.

Well I wondered what Speidi is doing now that the Hills isn't on TV. Actually, no. But Spencer and Heidi, I think, are feeling lonely without the cameras.

So what do they do? Blab to Usmagazine.com.

Speidi celebrated Valentine's Day in Las Vegas. Awww. I can hear Spencer calling Heidi "my dear" as he showered her with expensive gifts that I have no idea how he paid for them.

They're still hanging on to this "we're going to make it legal" plan.

"We are bringing the wedding to America this time," Spencer said according to Usmagazine.com.

So what does that mean? Everything many of us expected - they want it on TV. Of course they do.

"Would a Speidi wedding not be on TV? It would just feel dirty otherwise," Spencer said.

And get this: They said they'd be "sad but happy" when The Hills ends. Yeah, right. Sad that cameras aren't following them but happy that they'd try to get their own spinoff.

"We love reality TV. Whether it's The Hills or a Speidi show, we're good to go," Spencer said.

Oh, and a source told Usmagazine.com that Heidi was in talks to be on Dancing With the Stars. Not sure I'm buying that or if it's a ploy to create more press and attention for themselves.

Posted - Feb. 16, 2009 - 10:00 a.m.

Happy Monday, Suckers Who Have to Work Today!

Interested in finding a job that doesn't require you to work on a day where we celebrate George W. Bush? Forget networking. Nutworking is apparently all the rage. My cube buddy Kyra Kyles, author of the "Going Public" blog, recently wrote a Chicago Tribune piece about nutworking, a phrase she coined.

Nutworking is "a form of bizarre business conduct common among unemployed or underemployed professionals who aggressively seek job help from former colleagues and friends, using every piece of technology at their fingertips. Even more unsettling, though, is nutworking unleashed on complete strangers, as facilitated by the technological wonders of Google, Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn."

For the record, I use all four of those tools but not really to network and (hopefully) not to nutwork.

Check out Kyra's piece here.

Posted - Feb. 13, 2009 - 7:32 p.m.

My RedEye cover story last week dealt with gym deserts, which are areas that don't have a gym or a fitness center. The concept comes from food deserts, which are areas without grocery options.

To find these gym deserts, I researched and then plotted 179 gyms on a Chicago map. There were several gym deserts located on the South and West Sides.

I chose to go to Washington Heights on the South Side to talk to residents there about how they work out. Most of the residents I chatted with said they had to drive for 35 or more minutes to go to a gym, while others didn't even want to make the effort so they set up home gyms or relied on workout tapes. Luckily, though, the Chicago Park District has recognized several of these gym deserts and they plan to set up fitness centers there this year.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the North Side, Loop and Near West Side are teeming with gyms. Residents I talked to from those areas said gyms were so abundant that some of them had two gym memberships. But these residents also felt pressure to look when they work out or work out to look good.

Do you live in a gym desert or a gym oasis?

Posted 11:50 p.m., Feb. 11

Well, who knew Lauren got another place to live?

Her realtor tells Radar Online LC's Hollywood house is on the market for $11,000 a month! And only qualified clients will be shown the house, not tourists.

Wonder if Lauren will get her own place or share one with Lo.

Just to bring you up to speed: Audrina denies dating Benji Madden.

I've got a couple questions first: WHat's up with the Madden brothers that celebs want to date them. Hilary Duff dated Joel Madden before he had a kid with Nicole Ritchie. Her BFF Paris dated Benji and the NY Daily News reported Benji was dating Audrina.

Untrue! She says on her blog: "I find it highly amusing, since I haven't seen him since December. I think Benji is a sweetheart and we're good friends, but we are definitely NOT dating!"

Maybe that's too bad. Cause then that would mean she's no longer with Justin Bobby.

"The City" isn't going anywhere. Thank God. I haven't had enough of evil Olivia and I need to know what happens with Whitney and Jay.

Here's what Whit wrote on her blog about her show getting picked up for season #2:

"Who knows how this next season is going to unfold, or where my career, my friendships, and my relationship with Jay will go -- all I do know is that I'm personally so excited to live it, and I hope you're all just as excited to experience this journey with me!"

IN case you missed it:

Love the drama and love to have Kelly Cutrone back on. Allie hates her. And we love it. Here's what else we loved about this episode:

1. Love Whitney is still friends with Kelly so she goes to her birthday party. That girl never burns a bridge. Especially not wise to do so with Kelly Cutrone. We've all seen how she can ruin people on "The Hills."

2. Love Kelly says what were all thinking - Allie is too skinny. We love Kelly's honesty as brutal as it may be.

3. Love that Erin wants to start her career post college. C'mon girl, jump on that. Every one is career focused there.

4. Love that Kelly apologizes for "devasting" Allie but really isn't sorry for bringing up how skinny she is. Wouldn't Kelly know? She deals with models all day.

Now we list the ways we're haters:

1. Hate that Allie questions why Kelly showd up to modeling company party. Hello, Kelly books models for shows? If she keeps badmouthing her, I wonder if she'll be at fashion week.

2. Hate that Whitney talks about Kelly as if Kelly isn't going to see the show. Example: Kelly was demeaning. Allie's a big girl. She can fight her own battles.

3. Hate what Erin wears to the job interview. Ever hear of dress to impress? Once you get the job, you can dress down and wear jeans.

4. Hate that Erin gets the job after a 5 minute interview. Think she got hired to give more exposure to the agency. Nah, just like Heidi worked at Bolthouse.

Posted Feb. 10 at 5:15 p.m.

Okay, not to be a nitpick, but:

 I took a No.65-Grand bus and the heat was on. From my "Going Public" experience, I realize that the operator cannot adjust bus temperature, but great googly moogly, I nearly overheated.  Has anyone else suffered from hot-bus syndrome today?  It was such a glorious and unseasonably warm day, so I understand if the agency wasn't exactly prepared, but man!!!

On another note: What was going on during your commute today? 

Another other note: Stay tuned, I'm going to start putting up  lost-and-found items tomorrow so we can get some reunions going.

Posted 2:58 p.m., Feb. 3

If the creators of "The City" produced President Obama's own reality show, would you watch it?