Britney Spears was hospitalized early this morning at UCLA for mental evaluation. She was taken, though they say she went willingly, from her home before the sun even came up and an ambulance took her to the hospital.

One thing I did like to hear is that her putz “friend” Sam Lutfi has lost his total control and speaking rights for Britney Spears. Her parents are trying to give him the boot and take control of the Britney situation with the help of a judge. But Lutfi is still trying to claim he has the right to make her medical decisions.

Anyone else want to punch this guy in the face with brass knuckles? He’s trying to keep this poor girl sick and sponge up all of her money! Luckily it’s the judge that will be making this decision.

TMZ reported that, “We’re told Britney’s mother, father and brother have been ‘working closely with the LAPD for weeks’ to get her back in for psychiatric care,” which is what should be happening.

I’ll try to keep you updated on the Britney Spears hospitalization situation.

It’s rare (never) that I write about politics. It might seem odd because we’re in the middle of the preliminary voting for the 2009 Presidential Candidates. I guess the reason is because 1. Politics is hard to follow 2. Politics is for quitters, and I just don’t support that, or do I?

Today I wanted to give you an update of the 2009 Presidential Candidate Quitters:

Fred Thompson, Republican - You know, District Attorney Arthur Branch “Law & Order”? Well he was the one of the first to officially drop out of the race for President late in the game, January 22, 2008. I really wanted to like him. I really wanted to vote for him, simply because I thought voting in a “Law & Order” guy would be rad. After all, he makes good choices on the show, right? The only problem was, he was a total douche. Oh I still like him, but his views are kinda whacked and he kinda didn’t even run.

Dennis Kucinich, Democrat - Okay, I have to admit it. I . . . I don’t really know a dang thing about this guy other than he thought the U.S. shouldn’t continue to support an embargo against Cuba. I also know that many people I’ve heard talk about Kucinich didn’t really take him seriously. I also know how to pronounce Kucinich (ku-sin-itch). Wow, alright. I guess I know three things about Dennis Kucinich. Oh wait! I know four things, because I also know he dropped out of the Presidential race on January 25, 2008.

Rudy Giuliani, Republican - He’s the former New York City Mayor. He was in charge and taking charge after 9/11, how could we forget, it’s all he talks about in his campaign, and it was working too, until America stopped focusing on our National Security and started worrying more about the state of our economy. Somehow “Remember when I helped after 9/11″ doesn’t sound like a great pitch for “Help us with our economy right now, in 2008.” Combine that fact with the fact that all these shady buisiness and political deals have come out about him, not to mention cheating and banking millions after and because of 9/11 didn’t help either. It’s actually not technically official, but they did announce that Rudy was going to drop out today.

UPDATE: John Edwards, Democrat - I just found out that Edwards also bowed out of the race today, I think he made his announcement before Giuliani. I actually really liked Edwards. He had some good ideas and I kinda share his views on a lot of things. I think he could have been a great contender. People are, of course, speculating that since he’s dropped out, if Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama wins the Presidential Election they should put him in as Vice President. Not a bad idea, but so far he hasn’t made any move to endorse either of them.

PS Just thinking aloud, but even if you take away the fact that Mike Huckabee, Republican candidate, is very screwy and if he actually gets voted President he plans on trying to make the Constitution of the United States of America more mirror what he thinks his God would want, rather than stand by our actual Constitution, the mere fact that his name is Huckabee just loses my vote. Do you actually think people will take America seriously with President Huckabee? I sure don’t heart that Huckabee.

It’s unfortunate that I’m writing about this story now, January 29th, because Brad Renfro died on January 15th. I don’t know how on Earth this tragic loss wasn’t newsworthy, but I didn’t see it anywhere. In fact, I only found out because I was watching the 2008 SAG Awards ‘In Memoriam’ segment to see the shabby job they did with Heath Ledgers small part and Brad Renfro was suddenly in the middle of the segment!

For those of you who might not quite recall who Brad Renfro is, though his picture will jog your memory, he was in “The Client”, “The Cure” “Tom and Huck”, “Ghost World” and “The Jacket”.

Renfro was found dead in his apartment in LA after a night of drinking with his friends. Friends and family say that drugs were not involved, and it’s yet to be determined what ultimately ended his life. Renfro had one son Yamato Renfro, and planned to marry his sons mother sometime soon. They currently reside in Japan.

Another life tragically taken too early.

There’s nothing more humble or interesting than filthy rich actors patting each other on the back for their talents. Last night was the 14th annual 2008 SAG Awards. For those of you who don’t know SAG doesn’t just reference where choice body parts will eventually be. No, it stands for Screen Actors Guild, the nation’s largest labor union representing working actors.

Some of the 2008 SAG Award winners were:

Male Actor in a Drama Series: James Gandolfini, “The Sopranos
Female Actror in a Drama Series: Edie Falco, “The Sopranos”
Male Actor in a Comedy Series: Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock” F
emale Actor in a Comedy Series: Tina Fey, “30 Rock”
Drama Series Cast: “The Sopranos”
Comedy Series Cast: “The Office”
Male Lead Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, “There Will Be Blood”
Female Lead Actor: Julie Christie, “Fiona”
Lifetime Achievement Award: Charles Durning

One of the sucky things about the 2008 SAG Awards is that it reminds us that the writers are on strike and there probably won’t even be a 2009 SAG Awards because no one will have anything to act in. But hey, at least I agree with who won most of these things. There are some really talented people and entire casts that deserve to win something!
Whoo hoo?

Since there’s nothing much going on this weekend, I thought I’d sum up Miss America 2008 for those of you (read: everyone) who didn’t get the pleasure of seeing it.

The 87th Annual Miss America pageant was held in Las Vegas’ Planet Hollywood hotel and casino yesterday. This year’s pageant boasts that it has a newer, hipper look. Along with the updated look was a new host, Clinton Kelly of TLC’s “What Not to Wear” who is great by the way, and they also had a new deejay to sport some new music.

Miss Michigan Kirsten Haglund, a 19-year-old aspiring Broadway star, cinched the Miss America 2008 crown with a rendition of “Over the Rainbow”.

Those were the highlights.

Congrats Miss Michigan, there’s obviously no like such as for you!

If there’s one person on God’s green Earth in the entire Universe you wouldn’t want to mess with, it’s Chuck Norris. No one messes with Chuck Norris! As we all know Chuck Norris is a freak of nature, as such “facts” have been written about him frequently: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool Chuck Norris once and he will roundhouse you in the face.

Well, there’s one incredibly stupid man didn’t get the memo. The former chief executive of Chuck Norris’ Kick Drugs Out of America Foundation, James D. Brasher, plead guilty to stealing from the charity. The charity is a martial arts program for inner-city children.

Brasher would open up bank accounts using names similar to the charity (Knick Drugs Out of American Foundation, that type of thing), and then he’d endorse the legit checks people sent to the foundation and put them in his own little accounts.

Word from MSN is he admitted to taking $130,000 and 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and a three-year-term of supervised release.

Not bad enough or long enough if you ask me. First of all stealing from kids? DOG. Who steals from helpless little kids that rely on this foundation to give them a place to go when they have no one. And also, this is the dumbest move because we all know that he who cheats Chuck Norris cheats himself. What that means is that, Brasher will probably wake up tomorrow in a bear cave with an scud missile covered in honey shoved up his butt!

Sorry peeps, these are facts.

If you haven’t noticed the clues I’ve given you yet through various posts I might as well just come out and tell you I’m from Utah. Given that fact I just have to say a little something about the Sundance Film Festival which is taking place in Park City, Utah from January 17-27.

First, lets get the big news out of the way. I mean, this is huge news. My brother went to Park City this weekend to get a whiff of that magical Sundance stench and he had an official Sundance Film Festival sighting. You guys aren’t going to believe this. You’d better sit down for this one. Are you ready? He most literally ran into Nick Cannon! *Crickets* Oh come on guys, you remember Nick Cannon! Anyway, I’m told the experience was definately unforgettable.

Other than that I heard there are a plethora of great films. Here’s a list of some of the best Sundance Film Festival films that I’ve heard about (alphabetically):

• A Complete History of My Sexual Failures - Chris Waitt
• Assassination of a High School President - Brett Simon
• Baghead - Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass (Brothers!)
• Hamlet 2 - Andy Flemming
• Linguists - Seth Kramer, Daniel A. Miller, Jeremy Newberger
• Made in America - Stacy Peralta
• Man on Wire - James Marsh
• Order of Myths - Margaret Brown
• Time Crimes - Nacho Vigalondo
• Women of Brukman - Isaac Isitan

These Sundance films have been highly recommended. If you can’t get to Park city in the next couple of days, look for these films to be coming out into regular theaters or try to check online on how you can get a hold of them!

I’m actually shocked and stunned as I write this post. Listening to the radio just now, it was announced that Australian actor Heath Ledger died.

Ledger, just 28 years old was found this afternoon in an apartment in SoHo. He was found by a masseuse who had an appointment with him, and his housekeeper when he wouldn’t open his door for the appointment. They shook him but it was no use, he was pronounced dead 19 minutes later. Officials say that they don’t suspect foul play and that pills were found near his body.

Heath Ledger is most famous for his staring roles in “Brokeback Mountain” and “Ten Things I Hate About You”. In his newest film, “Batman: The Dark Night” he plays the infamous Joker. He was married to but separated from Dawson’s Creek star Michelle Williams. The two have a 2-year-old together, Matilda Rose.

I’m just absolutely shocked and saddened by this news. It’s not like I knew him or anything but this just seems like such a blow, especially for such a slow and steady up and comer.

The Daily Brew would like to extend our thoughts and prayers to the Ledger family, and all those touched by this tragedy.

Chris Noth is officially a father today!

Chris Noth, best known for his roles as Big in “Sex and the City” and Detective Logan in “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and his long time girlfriend Tara Wilson, who is gorgeous and has been in a few movies mostly as a dancer, have welcomed their first baby boy into the world in LA on Friday.

Orion Christopher Noth was born 7 pounds 10 ounces and both mother and baby are doing well. I don’t know what to think of this name, Orion. On the one hand it seems okay, it’s a constellation. On the other hand, it seems like a really weird name, because it’s a constellation. And on yet a third hand it kind of seems okay again because the Orion constellation is a hunter. So I dunno, you decide.

Congrats Big and Fam!

One of my favorite Brady Bunch characters, Sam the Butcher died on Thursday. You know exactly who I mean don’t ya?

Actor Allan Melvin, best known for his role on The Brady Bunch as Alice’s boyfriend and everyones favorite butcher died in his home in LA. He was 84 years old and die from cancer.

He was always pegged as the sidekick and general buddy in all his roles, which were many. He’s been on Broadway and many television shows including All in the Family as Archie Bunker’s pal and The Phil Rivers Show as Sgt. Bilko’s right hand man according to MSN.

Allan Melvin leaves behind his wife of 64 years (wow!) Amalia and his daughter Jennifer and his grandson Jon Jr. Rest in peace Allan, you’re classic humor will always be in our hearts.