Kim, Charlie, Lindsay and The Biggest Likes or Yikes of 2011

As 2011 draws to a close iVillage.com's Pat Sandora and Jacki Garfinkel take a look back at the biggest entertainment stories of the year.


From Charlie Sheen's crazy interviews and viral videos, to Kim Kardashian total takeover of the media, to Lindsay Lohan's yikes-filled year Pat and Jacki give their take on the stories and celebrities that deserved the biggest "likes!" or "yikes!" of 2011.

Chime in on the year's hottest entertainment stories with iVillage's Pat Sandora and Jacki Garfinkel at iVillage.com/LikesorYikes!

Follow Pat on Tumblr!

Have you heard about this newfangled Tumblr thing that all the kids are talking about? Well we're getting on the bandwagon and set up our own tumblr, too! Follow us!

To get into the tumbling spirit I made some animated gifs! Move over, cool kids!


Look, it's Carol!


Impersonating Lisa's last ANTM photo


From "Likes or Yikes?"


Yikes!


Dazzling 3D effects
Are you on Tumblr, too? What's your username? Leave a comment!

Likes or Yikes? 2011's Most Fascinating, Hanson Beer and Kardashian Wedding Drama Continues

iVillage.com's Pat Sandora and Jacki Garfinkel give their humorous opinions on what's buzzing in entertainment this week.


It's that time of year again when Barbara Walters reveals her list of the Most Fascinating people of the year. Names that have been announced so far include Simon Cowell, Donald Trump, Katy Perry, Derek Jeter, Pippa Middleton and of course, the Kardashian family. But who will be the most fascinating person of 2011? We'll have to tune in on December 14 at 9:30pm on ABC.

Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian continued their divorce drama this week with Humphries asked for an annulment to their marriage instead of a divorce, saying their union was a fraud! Ouch! Kim can't be too pleased...

And finally the Hanson brothers -- famous for their 90s hit "Mmmbop" -- announced that they are going to release their own beer in the future called "Mmmhop IPA" ...get it? We give our suggestions for other 90s acts who may want to think about getting into the alcohol business.

Chime in on the week's hottest entertainment stories with iVillage's Pat Sandora and Jacki Garfinkel at iVillage.com/LikesorYikes

Wendy Williams Gives Her "Likes or Yikes" on Mariah Carey, Ricki Lake and 'Real Housewives'

Each week iVillage.com's Pat Sandora and Jacki Garfinkel give their "Likes or Yikes" on what's buzzing in entertainment, and this week they are joined by the Queen of Gossip and talk show host Wendy Williams! How you doin'?!


Wendy gives her take on Mariah Carey's new deal with Jenny Craig, Michelle Duggar's announcement that she's pregnant with her 20th baby, why she thinks Ricki Lake will take home top prize on Dancing with the Stars and why she feels sorry for NeNe Leakes of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Check it out!


Chime in on the week's hottest entertainment stories with iVillage's Pat Sandora and Jacki Garfinkel at iVillage.com/LikesorYikes

'Vanity Fair' Profiles the Young Cast of 'The Hunger Games' Movie

More excitement for The Hunger Games fans! Just last week we got a first look at the promotional posters of some of the main characters from the film. And today Vanity Fair has a beautiful photo spread and interactive profile of the young cast.

From VanityFair.com:

"While the odds may not be in favor of these actors in the arena, they certainly were in the casting room. In what was one of the most-watched casting calls for young actors since Twilight, auditions for The Hunger Games were a battle royale in their own right. Anxious to make the cut, hopefuls went all out: they covered their faces with dirt, put twigs in their hair, and wielded various weapons (including a Nerf crossbow and plastic butcher knife). It was all for the chance to play the "tributes" who fight each other to the death in contests broadcast throughout Panem (the futuristic ruins of North America) in the film adaptation of Suzanne Collins's wildly popular young-adult novels. Ultimately, director Gary Ross took a liking to a fresh-faced cast that includes stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth and a host of new breakout actors..."

Check out some additional photos of the film's stars. Click to enlarge:

The Statue of Liberty Turns 125 Years Old

Believe it or not, I have lived in New York City for over six years now, but I have never been to the Liberty Island, or even Ellis Island, to see the Statue of Liberty.

Today Lady Liberty turns 125 years old (she doesn't look a day over 95!) and to celebrate, please fill your brain with some interesting factoids about the Statue of Liberty, her origins and what's coming up for her in the years to come.

I mean, I'm still not going to push through tourists to see her in person, but I'll settle from the far-off views of her from lower Manhattan.

Lots of more cool facts and info from Yahoo!'s creative video series Who Knew?

See the First Posters of the Main Characters from 'The Hunger Games' Movie

Exciting! As the hype for the upcoming film version of the hit series The Hunger Games builds and builds Lionsgate has given a few major media outlets exclusive posters of some of the Games' biggest characters. As a proud member of District 8 I am overjoyed!

Although the film won't be in theaters until March 23, 2012 take an early look at Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch, Cinna, Effie, Rue, Cato and Gale -- several whom we're seeing for the first time! Click to enlarge:

Kelly Cutrone to Replace Andre Leon Talley as 'Top Model' Judge

Fans missing the brutal honesty of the Janice Dickinson-era of America's Next Top Model will enjoy this news: Tough-talking PR queen Kelly Cutrone will be joining as a judge for Cycle 18.


Andre Leon Talley is out, Kelly Cutrone is in for Cycle 18
Unfortunately, the addition of Cutrone means that current judge (and fancy man robe enthusiast) Andre Leon Talley is out.

Talley confirmed the news to the NY Post today, saying that his departure from ANTM was a joint decision between him and the show, and there is "no unhappiness at all" between him and show creator and overlord Tyra Banks.

Personally, I think having a respected name like Andre Leon Talley on the panel was a great addition to the show, especially since the last few cycles took the high-fashion route. But Andre's critiques have been mostly filler. He would give good critiques of the models' photos, but I'm not sure his Vogue-speak really left the contestants with any usable information to use in the next shoot.

Kelly Cutrone is an interesting addition. She's definitely a big name in the fashion world, but not for her designs or even outfit choices (hello, all-black!) She is an amazing media manipulator and fashion show producer, so that definitely gives her room to voice her opinion at panel. She's also never afraid to give her honest -- sometimes too honest -- feelings on anything and everything. Perhaps her stinging honesty is what's missing from judging? Plus, ANTM All-Stars is all about personal branding over straight modeling, so maybe that theme will continue into Cycle 18?

What do you think of Kelly Cutrone replacing Andre Leon Talley as a judge on America's Next Top Model? Leave a comment!

"What Is Flag Day?" and Other Flag-Related Facts

Did you know today is Flag Day in the USA? Well, it is.

I've always known that Flag Day rolled around every June 14, but that's probably because I'm from Pennsylvania, which is the only state to celebrate it has a state holiday. But if you're unfamiliar with this yearly nod to the Stars and Stripes here's your handy cheat sheet.


Flag Day commemorates the adoption of the Unite States flag, which happened on June 14, 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress, but it wasn't until 1916 when President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day. And in 1949, National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress. Now you know!

The US flag has been through countless redesigns before arriving at the flag we see today. I mean, imagine having to think of new ways to keep adding stars for each new state in the Union? The Betsy Rosses of the past had to get crafty. While all of the US flags have had some version of the stars and stripes (see a historical timeline with images here) some variations were definitely more creative than others, like:

How to Turn Your Regular Spending Habits into Free Travel

By Eric Puglisi, Contributing Writer

My boyfriend and I will be going to be taking a trip to Europe in the near future. We will be flying (first class, mind you) to Paris and either Barcelona or Rome. In Paris we will be staying two nights at one of the best hotels in the city, with the highest amenities. Did I mention that this will be free? It might sound too good to be true, but it's not.

Welcome to the game of frequent flyer miles and points. A game, if played right, that can lead to upgrades and free trips. It takes some research but can be very fun along the way.


About eight months ago, I took a look at our finances and realized that we were using our debit card all the time and getting nothing for it. With no credit card debt, we decided to look into getting a credit card that could finally give us some rewards. So I took a hard look at what kind of cards and reward programs were offered for airlines. Little did I know what I would find.

We both signed up for a CitiCard American Airlines credit card that was offering a 75,000 mile bonus to apply by only spending $1500 in 3 months. By using my credit card for every purchase -- and I mean every purchase -- I was able to easily reach this limit. And then poof! I instantly had enough miles for three free round trip tickets to anywhere in the US, and was well on my way to a free overseas flight. It's a great strategy, but if you're going to try it make sure that you are able to pay off the entire balance each month so you don’t earn interest. My Hyatt Card gave me two free nights at any Hyatt in the world and instant platinum status.

Did you know that you can get miles and hotel points for almost anything? I do all of my online shopping through my favorite airline or hotel’s shopping site. I cancelled and resigned up for Netflix to get a 4000 mile bonus. My boyfriend and I even will pick restaurants that offer five miles per dollar spent through a special dining site. The possibilities are endless!

Why I'll Miss Meredith Vieira on 'Today'

Today was Meredith Vieira's last day on the Today Show, and while I don't personally know her, I will come to miss spending my mornings with her. Creepy? Maybe. True? Definitely.


One of the most important things about anchoring the Today Show is having the ability to go from interviewing controversial news figures to dressing up like Lady Gaga for Halloween. Somehow Meredith managed to do this with ease, humor and grace. She can definitely take an interview subject to task and call their bluff, but my personal favorite moments are when Meredith is having fun with a guest and her co-hosts.

In 2006 I was a Page at NBC (Yes, like Kenneth on 30 Rock before he was a thing.) One of my rotating assignments was in news media -- the department responsible for handling the publicity for NBC News's programs like Nightly News, Dateline and the Today Show. Shortly after I started the news broke that long-time anchor Katie Couric would be leaving the show (check out Katie and I on her last day at NBC). Names quickly started flying about who would replace her.

Watch Pat Sandora and Niecy Nash in iVillage.com's 'Likes or Yikes?'

Every Friday my amazing co-host, Jacki Garfinkel, and I give our take on the week's hottest entertainment stories in iVillage.com's Likes or Yikes? series.

This week we were joined by the amazing Niecy Nash, who stopped by to give the likes and yikes about her upcoming special Niecy Nash's Wedding Bash premiering Saturday June 4 at 8pm on TLC. Check it out!


You can get more celeb news and photos at iVillage.com/LikesorYikes.

Hey, @Twitter, Get It Together!

By Kara Klenk, Contributing Writer

Twitter is certainly a busy bee these days. It’s a celebrity publicist, it’s aided national revolutions, and it's helped link victims of natural disasters to the outside world. It’s also a pretty sh#*ty website. OK, put the iPhone down. I’m sorry if I’m offending the Tweeters out there, but before you begin composing a 140-character bitch slap, hear me out.

Twitter Is Over Capacity
No one can tell me you haven’t seen this little guy once or twenty:


It’s the Twitter Fail Whale! When is he getting a Nick Jr. show? Fail Whale is bailed out once again by his flying friends after a perfume launch proves more than he can handle! Tune in to Episode 1: The Kardashian Konundrum, Mondays @ 5am! I’ve got plenty more preschool show pitches, but let’s stay on track.

For a while, I was a rare tweeter. 2 or 3 times a month I’d log on to the site and blast an inane thought or joke into the abyss, but it wasn’t really having a profound effect on my life or how I communicate, like say Facebook or Menupages. Still, even my infrequent usage was fraught with appearances by this G-D whale! Really? Over capacity? YouTube has 48 hours of video uploaded every minute and 3 billion hits a day. Meanwhile, a few million people exchange simple text blurts and Twitter sh#*s the bed?

No Tweet Results for Kara Klenk
(Chandler Bing cadence) Could Twitter’s search function be any lazier? I am the only Kara Klenk (if Google is to be trusted) in the world and if someone searches me, even if that person follows me or we have a ton of followers in common, if they misspell one letter of my name, Twitter does not return correct, or sometimes any, search results.

Formatting + Retweets = Twitterversal Harmony
Twitter does not allow even basic formatting so text cannot be even bolded or italicized. Which could be useful for communication, but also could solve another problem: Cryptic retweets. Sometimes they look like the wall scribbling from A Beautiful Mind, ie: RT @lilsuckface456 OMG no U didn’t! @maggieluvsbieber der wuz a thing 2day @tubetopinchurch WTF its going down.

What in Jersey Shore’s name is happening here? Who said what originally and who is responding? It’s something a little formatting could easily clear up. (BTW I hope I invented these handles but if any of them are real #FF ASAP.)

2011: The Year Robots Will Destroy Us All

I always half-joke about that whole "world ending in 2012" thing, but I'm starting to lean more towards believing it after watching no less than three examples of robots or computers taking the place of humans.


First we saw the IBM supercomputer named Watson beat out two of Jeopardy's smartest players. CNN says Watson's win doesn't make humans obsolete (yet), but I'm not sure I'm buying it. Jeopardy superstar Ken Jennings seems to agree, using his screen to say, "I for one welcome our new computer overlords." I'm with ya, Ken.

Tyra Banks Launches New Fashion & Beauty Site

Things have been fairly quite on the Tyra Banks front lately as we anxiously await the premiere of Cycle 16 of America's Next Top Model. But today Tyra tweeted about a new fashion and beauty Web site she's launching called TypeF.com.


The new site won't be fully available until March 15, but a beta version is now up for preview. As if her current site Tyra.com wasn't enough, TypeF.com is being described as a site for beauty of every size, shade and style.

Tyra says on her welcome page says, "YOU are beauty and typeF.com is the beginning of a movement that starts with and for YOU. It's a destination that continues my mission to expand the definition of beauty. My goal is for typeF to be THE place where you will find your ultimate style confidence created for you, with you and by others like you." Sounds very Tyra, no?

Check out this clip Tyra explaining to us what TypeF.com is all about.

If you're not enticed enough, you can sign up now for a chance to win some cool prizes like some concert cash or a shopping spree in New York City. Not too shabby! TypeF.com full launches on March 15 and the new Cycle of America's Next Top Model premieres on February 23 at 8pm on The CW. Click here to meet the models of Cycle 16.

What do you think of Tyra Banks launching a new fashion and beauty site? Leave a comment!

The Grammy Awards 2011 Live Blog

Please join Pat from ABlogAboutThings.com at 8pm ET for a live blogging experience of the 2011 Grammy Awards. Chat along, share your opinions and dish on the performances!

Meet the Kid Behind the Darth Vader Volkswagen Commercial

My hometown team the Pittsburgh Steelers may have lost the Super Bowl last night (sorry, Mom!) but we're not dwelling on the bad news. Now that the game is over, today is all about analysis of the commercials that ran between the plays.


One of the most popular (and adorable) ads was a Volkswagen commercial starring a tiny Darth Vader. The Today Show scored an exclusive interview with the boy behind the mask; 6-year-old Max Page. Check it out!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Today Show also did the obligatory post-game commercial review, so you can watch that, too.

What the Hell Is Groundhog Day, Anyway?

In case you didn't know, today is Groundhog Day; A day in which a small rodent in Punxatawney, Pennsylvania dictates whether we'll have an early spring, or six more weeks of winter. This year Punxsutawney Phil (I'll get to him in a minute) did not see his shadow, meaning that spring should come early this year. Totally scientific!


Groundhog Day may seem completely insane to some people, but as a Pennsylvania native I take special interest once a year (for a couple of minutes, at least) as to whether or not Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow or not.

Here's the jist of Groundhog Day for those who are only familiar with the Bill Murray movie. Punxsutawney Phil is a very famous groundhog who lives in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. On February 2 of each year, the town waits for Phil to emerge from his temporary home on Gobbler's Knob (you still with me?). If Phil sees his shadow and returns to his hole, he predicts six more weeks of winter. If Phil doesn't see his shadow, he will predict an early spring. It's as simple as that!

'Today' Shares Its Favorite Moments of 2010

As 2010 winds down everyone is showcasing their best and favorite moments of the year. As a loyal Today show viewer I loved watching their 15-minute recap of the news, views and bloopers from a year's worth of antics at studio 1A. Check it out!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Cheesy or not, it's fun to wake up to their shenanigans every weekday.

Vote ABlogAboutThings.com for Best Pop Culture Blog!

We are pumped! ABlogAboutThings.com was nominated for "Best Pop Culture Blog" in the 2010 Blogger's Choice Awards!


If you're a loyal reader (or first-timer, too!) it would be greatly appreciated if you took a minute to go over to the awards site and vote for us! It's really fast!

Thanks so much to all of you who read ABlogAboutThings.com!