Recently in Fame Category

The approximate round-trip cost to take Amtrak's first-class Acela train from New York to Philadelphia is about $172 (depending on demand). Thanks to TV, that cost might be free for a select few.

According to an acerbic post on the Web site Gawker, Dr. Phil is going to be on Acela for a round-trip from NYP to Philadelphia on Sept. 9. While on-board, Mr. McGraw will speak with passengers about "everyday problems."

There's a form to fill out if you are interested in being on the train/appearing on the show. If you're selected, the trip is free.

I don't know if I would do it. It's interesting that people are willing to vent their problems on national TV for about $172. That's a relatively low price for a TV producer to pay.

There's also a fame factor involved in meeting and interactive with Dr. Phil. Fame and notoriety seem to be strong motivators even if there is little reward.

Also, the leather seats on Acela sound pretty nice compared to a counselor's couch.

So is it worth discussing your problem with a talk-show host if it gets you a free train trip?

Tonight is the night where there is supposed to be some sort of pay off for months of hype regarding Jon and Kate Gosselin. The couple will make a "major announcement" on their show tonight (airing at 9 p.m. ET).

For those needing a refresher, the Gosselins have managed to parlay their ability to have many, many children into the reality show "Jon & Kate Plus 8" on a network that used to be called "The Learning Channel."

Oh, the things that we have learned! Not necessarily on TLC or the show itself, but elsewhere in the infosphere--the tabloids, the ceaseless entertainment Web sites and TV shows and their ilk. Depending on where you look either Jon cheated on Kate or vice versa (the couple has denied both rumors).

Regardless of what happens tonight, I'm sure the headline writers of the world are preparing to chronicle the announcement with no shortage of plays on the show's title. For example, we're all bracing for the headline, "Jon and Kate separate."

While a separation is possible, here are some other possible outcomes from Monday's announcement:

• "Jon, Kate, Octomom set playdate" -- think of the ratings if these two child-making dynamos get together.
  
• "Jon & Kate to legislate" -- if they choose to announce a joint run for elected office.
• "Jon & Kate to sell plates" -- they're taking their show to QVC.
  
• "Jon & Kate EXTERMINATE!" -- the couple announces they've become Daleks of "Doctor Who" fame with the sole goal of exterminating inferior life in the universe.
• "Jon & Kate kids to emancipate" -- Sure the sextuplets are just 5 years old, but they're probably old enough to know when to pull the plug.
• "Jon & Kate fail to placate" -- the likeliest headline if the announcement turns out to be nothing but fluff.
  

Photo credit: AP Photo/TLC, Karen Alquist, File

Chico State's entry on the party school list. This is a simulation of my surfing a potentially "Not Safe For Work" site while at work.

I was interested to see the new list of top 10 party schools from Playboy magazine, especially how Chico State would measure up. Chico State was first and second on the first two lists, but disappeared from the third list in 2006.

As I reported in today's Enterprise-Record, Chico State didn't make the top 10, but managed to eke its way on to an expanded list of 25 campuses at number 20. The whole thing is fascinating, especially Playboy's description of Chico's "scene."

I was pleasantly surprised to see Chico on the extended list. While the list could either be a badge of honor or mark of shame, I was just glad to see CSUC on the list after it was absent three years ago.

I almost missed it just looking at the top 10. I was interested in learning more about the list so I dug a little deeper on Playboy's Web sites ... while at work.

I was worried there would be images of naked ladies on the screen jeopardizing my professionalism and potentially my career. I shrunk the size of my Web browser window so I could navigate past any ... obstacles. Thankfully, the specific pages the magazine referred to were devoid of nudity and I was able to quickly find the information.

So, until Playboy ranks the schools again next year, Chico State will be nestled between Michigan State University, a prominent Big 10 school, and Hampshire College, a school I had to Google to learn more about.

The magazine's description of Chico State seemed a little off, at least in my eye. Here's what they wrote:

Legendary party scene despite the fact that the student body is not made up of stereotypical meat-head party boys and Stepford sorority girls. Think green—and not the stoner green, the environmental awareness green.

While many Chico State students have helped promote increased awareness of environmental sustainability, I reckon it's a stretch to say the campus is devoid of "party boys" and "Stepford sorority girls." Just walking around Chico's downtown core on a Friday or Saturday will uncover a decent number from both groups of people — and environmentalists too.

I couldn't comment on the specific ratio of party boys to green sceners, but Playboy might. They developed a matrix of five categories (including a "bikini" composite category that looked at factors such as boy-girl ratio, the weather, etc.). It rated the schools in each of them and combined that information with input from students and others.

Having Playboy use algorithms to pick the top party school reminded me of the system the BCS uses to find the top football team in the country. I wonder if Playboy's system is more worthwhile than the heavily criticized BCS.

The whole “lipstick on a pig” discussion got me thinking about other popular animal-based turns of phrase. Using some of them, here’s how I see the current horse race from the catbird seat:

When John McCain first introduced Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, a lot of people were wondering if he was selling a pig in a poke. Instead of being a fish out of water, Palin is clearly cock of the walk in the Republican Party after two short weeks.

While Palin is popular, some conservative birds of a feather are denouncing the open season to look this gift horse in the mouth. Barack Obama got in trouble for trying to put lipstick on a pig. The reference irked some because Palin noted that lipstick, and presumably other cosmetics, are apparently the only things that separate pit bulls from hockey moms.

Conservatives should chill — there’s no reason to think that Palin will let the cat out of the bag about Trooper-gate or other criticisms. After all, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.

In the end, it’s silly to argue that Palin (or any other candidate) should be off-limits for questions. That dog won’t hunt and that’s no bull.

I shouldn't be dipping my toes too much into the political realm, but this upcoming election has generated some light-hearted questions in my mind:

- I see posters up for something called "Bangkok Dangerous." Is it promoting a new Nicolas Cage film or Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's abstinence-only sex-education program?

- When did "celebrity" become a four-letter word?

- Did Barack Obama make a two-point conversion when he spoke at Invesco Field in Denver last week? Or did he just stick with a safety? Why weren't there more bad football references made about his speech?

- Much has been made of Palin's foreign policy experience via proximity (apparently because Alaska is close to Russia, outer space and Santa at the North Pole). Is there a deliberate effort to avoid mentioning the great white menace of Canada?

Please feel free to submit your light-hearted questions as well.

... but it's no Grammy. As I'm sure many know by now, Al Gore and a UN committee won this year's Nobel Peace Prize (BBC News article).

Earlier, I predicted Gore would be up for a Grammy for his spoken-word efforts. I guess he decided to skip the minor leagues of awards and go for the big payoff.

Congratulations on Gore and the other Nobel laureates. Although Gore has already said he would donate his portion of the $1.5 million prize to the Alliance for Climate Protection, that much money would have helped pay his utilities bill for a couple of months.

It's been about 4 hours since I read news that Britney Spears has temporarily lost custody of her two children to Kevin Federline. For some reason, I just can't get too worked up about the news. At the same time, photos of Spears shaving her head or assaulting a car with an umbrella seem less funny now.

I don't know what it is. Is it because Spears' "downward spiral" has reached this conclusion? Is it because that, while Spears' recent life choices have been disappointing, placing the kids with Federline doesn't quite seem like the fairytale happy ending?

TMZ.com is reporting the reason Brit lost her kids is because she wasn't following the court's orders. That makes sense. You sometimes hear about the LA justice system being lax on celebrities. I don't know if it's true or not, but they seem to have made decisions appropriate within the law for Paris Hilton and now Spears.

At the same time, I was pleased when Hilton was ordered to jail to serve her time for repeatedly breaking the law.

Maybe my lack of zeal for this story is that the ongoing hijinks of seemingly childish adults is potentially disrupting the lives of two small, and hopefully still innocent, children. Amid all the foolishness, the tragedy is that are other people's lives are at stake.

I don't know why I did it, but I watched what seemed to be all 82 hours of this year's Emmy telecast Sunday on FOX. The creative arts Emmy show (a two-hour affair Saturday on E!) was much breezier -- they cut out the lists of nominees, most of the speeches and thankfully all of the singing numbers.

Anywho, I was interested to see Al Gore win an Emmy for his broadcast baby, Current TV. As I watched the audience's resounding ovation, I wondered what was next for the former vice president. Since he's already won an Oscar (for "An Inconvenient Truth") to go with his Emmy, what is his next entertainment conquest?

I think he should form a barbershop quartet and go for a Grammy. What do you think? A Grammy? I don't think Al will go for an American Music Award because it's not classy enough. Perhaps a Tony for a Broadway production of "An Inconvenient Truth"? Heck, if they can turn "The Producers" and "Hairspray" from cult films to top-rated musicals, who knows what they can do to an environmental documentary. I can't wait to see a musical "Truth" come back to movie cineplexes.

POWAY -- When I was young, I liked watching the weathermen on Salt Lake City newscasts. I guess it was because they were funny, they stood in front of computer graphics and seemed to know what was going on.

I guess I identified somewhat with them, but I was probably more interested in my Legos. However, one family took a three-year-old child's love of TV program one step further with a NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" birthday party. The Washington Post was all over it with a June 15 column.

Henry Schally's parents wrote the PBS production for photos and some other items. The WaPo published a photo of Henry wearing a Lehrer birthday hat in front of one of those cakes with a publicity photo on it.

I don't know what it all means, although I'm curious. Even Schally's parents admit that it's not the most exciting program on TV, but their son apparently loves it. I, for one, would be interested in seeing how little Henry turns out in 15 years or so.

Word is that Pat Morita has died. While I pretty much only recall Morita in his memorable roles as Mr. Myagi in the Karate Kid films and Arnold in "Happy Days," this CBC Arts story revealed parts of his career that I didn't know about. I didn't even know he was nominated for an Oscar for Karate Kid.

I last saw him playing himself on the Adult Swim series "Robot Chicken." It was funny that he was poking fun at himself.

He will be missed.