American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert for this piece in today's paper.

Sun writer Sam Sessa interviewed American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert for this piece in today's paper.

Lambert and several of the other Idol contestants will perform at 1st Mariner Arena Wednesday as part of the American Idols Live tour.

Here are some bits and pieces from the interview that didn't make it into the article:

Adam, did you ever go back and watch clips of your "Idol" performances?

I actually bought them on iTunes so they were high quality. It was a really good learning tool -- to go back and review my performances. Performing on TV was definitely a new thing for me. I tried to learn as much as I could by reviewing those videos.

There's a rumor going around that Queen asked you to be their lead singer. Is that true?

It's pretty much a rumor. Basically what happened was, [Queen's guitarist] Brian May expressed an interest in possible future collaborations. That's really as vague as it was. The press decided to run with it. Of course, I'd be honored to sing with him any time. Queen is one of my all-time favorite bands, and Freddie Mercury was a huge influence on me musically.

Did you hear from any of the bands you covered on the show?

I heard in a roundabout way that the lead singer from Tears For Fears was really into what we did. I heard that Muse was happy with what I did. Ii'm also performing one of [Muse's] songs on the tour. That's pretty much it. I haven't heard from a lot of people.

What do you think about Ju'Not Joyner's allegations that "Idol" was rigged?

I guess everybody's entitled to their opinion.From:weblogs.baltimoresun.com

Paula Abdul will not return to American Idol for another season

Paula Abdul has announced on her Twitter feed, and Fox has confirmed to EW, that she will not return to American Idol for another season. Below is the full statement from Abdul:

“With sadness in my heart, I’ve decided not to return to IDOL. I’ll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all being a part of a show that I helped from day 1 become an international phenomenon. What I want to say most, is how much I appreciate the undying support and enormous love that you have showered upon me. It truly has been breathtaking, especially over the past month. I do without any doubt have the BEST fans in the entire world and I love you all.”

The full statement from Fox:

“Paula Abdul has been an important part of the American Idol family over the last eight seasons and we are saddened that she has decided not to return to the show. While Paula will not be continuing with us, she’s a tremendous talent and we wish her the best.”From:news-briefs.ew.com

Kim Kardashian Join 'America's Next Top Model'

she's making her way back to both arenas as a guest judge on "America's Next Top Model."

In addition to Conrad, Kim Kardashian — star of her own reality show, "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" — will also be making a cameo for the 13th cycle of the show, E! Online reports. Both LC and Kardashian are signed on for one episode each. LC will be on the September 16 episode, with Kardashian making her appearance October 21.

Conrad recently told MTV News that she wouldn't rule out returning to TV, but she did warn that when or if she did, she'd want to do it in a hosting capacity. "I wouldn't do a show like 'The Hills,' " she said in June. "Nothing with my personal life, but possibly something hosting. I think I have a little bit of time to figure out what I'm going to do next."

Now that we'll be seeing LC on TV again, is there any chance we can catch her on the upcoming season of "The Hills," starting in September? "I'm not planning on it," she said. "I'm happy with the time I walked away, and I think that from now on, they're going to pick it up and do a great show. But I think that my time on it is done."

From:www.mtv.com

A U.S. reality television show "Jon & Kate Plus 8,"

NEW YORK, Aug 3 (Reuters) - A U.S. reality television show about a family with eight children was back on air on Monday -- despite the parents splitting up.

The show "Jon & Kate Plus 8," aired by cable channel TLC, resumed after a six-week hiatus spawned by the break-up of parents Jon and Kate Gosselin which sent ratings soaring.

As the series resumed its fifth season, the parents now living apart and taking turns looking after their 5-year-old sextuplets and twin girls.

For despite the split, the pair decided their lives and the lives of their children would continue to be led in the public spotlight and the show would go on.

The resumed series lacked the hostility between the couple of earlier shows and was dominated by mundane domestic issues such as renovations and recreation.

More Picture

"This is a very, very difficult time right now ... but my main goal is to make this transition as easy and painless, if that's possible, for the kids as possible," said Kate Gosselin during one of two 30 minute episodes that resumed the series.

One notable change in the show, which is expected to continue with each parent taking turns staying in the home with the children, was greater commentary from the toddlers addressing the cameras directly.

Razzing their mother's dubious outdoorsmanship in a second episode during which Kate and the children camped out in the backyard, they variously opined:

"She did a terrible job" trying to pitch a tent, and "We'd probably die if we lived in the nature with her" after she struggled to start a fire using a lighter.

"I am going to do things that I have never done before," Kate vowed. "I have to. It is not their fault that what has transpired has transpired."

The Gosselins are famous for having twins and sextuplets, which made for a crowded house, and the show documented the family's trials and triumphs as the children grew up.

But the couple announced they were ending their 10-year marriage during a one-hour episode in June, ending months of speculation and reports about their deteriorating relationship and allegations of affairs, which created a tabloid media frenzy.From:www.reuters.com

Katherine Jackson will appear in a Los Angeles courtroom

Katherine Jackson will appear in a Los Angeles courtroom today in the hopes of becoming a co-executor of Michael Jackson's multimillion-dollar estate, an attempt to wrest control of her son's fortune from the two men he handpicked to oversee his legacy.

Rather than contest the will outright -- a risky maneuver that if unsuccessful would cost Katherine, 79, the money she already is assured -- the family is instead trying to raise questions about the legitimacy of the executors Jackson named in his will.

Aside from Jackson's children, Katherine Jackson was the only member of the family named in Jackson's will.

From:www.abcnews.go.com

Giving the judges veto power on "American Idol"

As a person who loves watching solid strategy and gameplay on reality TV, hearing about the coup d'etat on Thursday night's "Big Brother" made me cringe. In theory the coup sounds like a great idea in that it gives America a chance to impact the "Big Brother" household; yet, at the same time, it completely disrespects anyone who has worked their butts off to get into a secure alliance. Now the show is put into the hands of America, and obviously they will want to give more power to underdogs or those with a positive edit.

However, put up against some of the other bad twists in reality TV history, maybe the coup isn't quite so bad. There are some twists out there so bad they make watching a chore.

5. Giving the judges veto power on "American Idol"

All right, we all know that sometimes America messes up on the voting and the wrong person goes home (see Chris Daughtry for evidence); but isn't the controversy really part of the fun? If Daughtry hadn't left the show at the final four, no one would've been talking. Giving the judges the power to "save" a contestant from elimination is silly, especially since we all know that, at the end of the day, record sales will determine how successful a singer really is.

4. "Big Brother 8"

The only thing possibly worse than the coup d'etat was the idea for this season: to randomly put three sets of "enemies" into the house along with "America's Player," who would act on the nation's behalf. Both ideas were actually pretty cool, but CBS only went halfway with casting the enemies and should've made a whole cast about them. This season also introduced us to Dick Donato (which may actually be a good thing to some people). It was too confusing and far too random to be fun.

3. "The Amazing Race: Family Edition"

This season almost killed "The Amazing Race," mainly because it took away from the point of the show: to be amazing. It was a glorified road trip across America (and I guess Panama) with families that were difficult to remember and challenges that included "find a giant rocking chair." Plus it wasn't exactly a fair competition; the teams with small children lost early, and the Linz Family, made up of four adult siblings, ended up winning the grand prize. (Plus, the Weaver Family lasted too long and they were quite frankly frightening at times--who stops on the final leg of the race for fast food?)

2. "Celebrity Mole"

Okay, these two seasons did pretty much kill "The Mole" for a while. The show gained a fan following for being witty and intelligent, and then decided to cast Dennis Rodman and Stephen Baldwin and make the challenges far easier. Nobody asked for a celebrity season of this show--thankfully, ABC redeemed itself by making a new edition last summer with some really great contestants and ideas. However, poor ratings ultimately sent the show to the grave.

1. The Outcast Tribe on "Survivor: Pearl Islands"

Unless they are voting on a winner or coming back for an All-Star season, bringing back previously-eliminated contestants is never a good idea. It's happened on "Big Brother" and "American Idol" before, but nothing will ever top "Survivor" allowing six previously-eliminated contestants the chance to come back into a tribe. Two contestants (Burton and Lil) managed to re-join the game after winning at a challenge, throwing all strategy out the window and angering the cast. The worst part? Lil beat out popular players like Rupert and infamous players like Johnny Fairplay to finish second.From:www.examiner.com

Dr. Conrad Murray has become increasingly grim:Michael Jackson's death

Since Michael Jackson's death, the picture emerging of Dr. Conrad Murray has become increasingly grim.

Strapped for cash, the physician left his low-income patients and signed on as Jackson's personal physician for $150,000 a month, only to become a target of a manslaughter investigation amid reports he injected the pop icon with a powerful anesthesia the night before his death.

But to those who have long known him and been his patients in Texas and Nevada, the 56-year-old doctor from Grenada is no Hollywood Dr. Feelgood. He's a hero, a lifesaver. For these people, the drumbeat of news reports has been met with bafflement and anger. In one section of Houston, Murray is credited with bringing a medical facility where others dared not go. He volunteered to teach elementary school and cared so much about his patients that he offered to do video conferences with them when he couldn't personally attend to them.

In 2000, Murray opened Global Cardiovascular Associates in Las Vegas just east of the Strip, where his clientele spanned the Vegas caste system from the less fortunate to, patients say, several unidentified officials in Vegas government.

"I looked forward to going to see him because he was very warm, very good-hearted," Las Vegas patient Donna Digiacomo told PEOPLE just days after discovering her doctor was the man in the middle of the Jackson media circus. "He's not getting a fair shake at this. He's the most beautiful man you would ever know."

Humble Beginnings

Although his name will forever be associated with the King of Pop, it wasn't always glitz and glamour for Murray. Until the age of 7, he was raised by his grandparents, both of whom were farmers in Grenada. He later moved to Trinidad and Tobago to be with his mother. A hard worker, Murray bought his first house at 19, a home he would later sell and use the profits from to put himself through college. It wasn't until he was 25 when he finally met his father, who was also a doctor.

Following in his father's footsteps, Murray headed for medical school, at predominantly African-American Meharry Medical College in Nashville. Murray eventually opened a practice in Houston, the Acres Homes Heart and Vascular Institute.

"We have been so lucky to have Dr. Murray and that clinic in this community," Houston patient Ruby Mosley told PEOPLE. "There are many, many patients that thank God this man was here for them." Mosely said there are even prayer rituals for Murray in the community.
From:www.people.com