Til death do they part...

As much of a pop cult junkie as I am, even I’m really getting tired of all these dizzy, self-destructive Hollywood starlets hogging the spotlight and headlines in the midst of real news going on in the world, like, I don’t know, the upcoming presidential elections.

I mean, the way Britney Spears’ life has played out over the past couple of months, better yet, weeks, it’s pretty obvious that she’s on the Anna Nicole plan…

Well, it’s obvious enough to some folks so much so that I was shocked to hear about a web site that’s actually asking folks to bet on when her date with death would be. And it turns out there’s a prize if you guess the right date – a free PS3 player! They even let you leave "early condolences" for her.

I tried to browse the site a little bit, just to see if this was for real or some kinda sick joke, but the whole thing just creeped me out. Come to find out they also have such a site for Amy Winehouse who’s better known these days as half of the British version of Bobby and Whitney instead of the awesome songstress that she is (Ok, yes, I’m a fan…)

I mean that’s GOTTA be a wake up call when folks are counting down the days to your death.
Am I the only one who thinks this is sick, or are you placing your bets?

Sometimes shock and sadness travel together

Some soap operas never end, but today a real-life drama closed on a tragic note.
If you don't know by now, former Playmate and tabloid staple Anna Nicole Smith died today. According to reports, she simply collapsed and was gone. She was only 39.
By anyone's standards, her life was a roller coaster ride.
She went from being a topless dancer in a Texas club to Playmate of the Year. A short time later, she married an elderly billionaire who died and left her a huge portion of his fortune -- the same fortune she essentially spent the rest of her life fighting for. Her husband's death sent her into a public downward spiral which transformed her from a sex symbol to a running fat joke; but she somehow parlayed that into a popular reality show. She finally lost the weight thanks to a diet drug. Yesterday, she and the company that makes the drug were named in a class-action suit. About five months ago, she gave birth to a baby girl only to have her 20-year-old son die days later. And now her daughter's paternity is being questioned.
Anna Nicole was a nearly endless source of entertainment for us celebrity watchers, but beneath it all, she was a real person. No matter how crazy and unbelievable her life was, her death is probably the most shocking thing she's done.
What do you think? Are you surprised or did you see this coming?