Florida

Kenny Chesney performs at the Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa, [WILL VRAGOVIC | Times]

TAMPA – Having an identity crisis is a hot accessory in Nashville these days. Everyone’s flip-flopping for that perfect fit, be it country tinged with rock or pop, outlaw or hick-hop. And if that doesn’t work, try something else. Betraying you heart is a lot easier from the driver’s seat of a gold-plated pickup.

That’s what’s so refreshing about Miranda Lambert and Kenny Chesney. On a monster double bill at Ford Amphitheatre Friday, in front of a sold-out crowd of 20,000, the two stars were dead honest about who they want to be.

(Read the full post about ‘LIVE REVIEW: Kenny & Miranda’…)

Last year I wrote an essay about the 25th anniversary of Thriller — and how that titular video is, lo and behold, still selling like gangbusters on iTunes. I reasoned that our trusty iPods — so small, so private, a digital representation of our pop pleasures, guilty and otherwise — were the appropriate place to worship Michael Jackson in the 21st century. Idolizing the Boy Who Would Be King these days is a tricky undertaking…but a lot less trickier on a screen the size of $1.50 in postage. Here’s a LINK to that story. How we loved him then, and how we love him now, is a good discussion for today, which just happens to be Michael Jackson’s 50th birthday.

(Read the full post about ‘“Oh, he was different all right…”’…)

Miranda Lambert and Kenny Chesney play Tampa’s Ford Amphitheatre tonight, and I’ll be there, the only dude out of 20,000 not hoisting a pint in the name of Friday night f-u-n. As Pop Lifers know, I’m a big fan of the deer-slayin’, Barbie-shredding, boyfriend-igniting Lambert, whose song “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” is just the tip of the sexy-psychotic iceberg.

(Read the full post about ‘The crazier the better, I always say’…)

Sheryl Crow was in Las Vegas promoting her new clothing line, Bootheel Trading Co. (named after her old stomping grounds in that little part of Missouri that hangs down between Redneck and Hayseed), and she seems pretty proud of her wares.

“Denim has become so high-priced as of late," she has told People. "My friends back home don’t want to spend $250 for a pair of jeans. I want them to be able to walk into a medium-priced store and be able to afford a cool pair of jeans for less than 100 bucks.”

That medium-priced store is Dillards, and less than $100 price is $69 for her most expensive pair. As for shirts, they start at $29.

(Read the full post about ‘Sheryl Crow’s clothing line digs in Bootheels’…)

In case you ever fear your mom has reached the pinnacle of being embarrassing, think of Matthew McConaughey. His mom, Kay, has dished up in her new autobiography, I Amaze Myself, that Matty’s dad died in the throes of marital bliss with her.

“On Monday mornings, he and I often said goodbye by making love,” Kay tells Us. “But one day, all of a sudden, it just happened. I knew that something was wrong, because I didn’t hear anything from him. Just nothing.

(Read the full post about ‘Matthew McConaughey’s dad died having sex’…)

As proof that money can’t buy you brains (or humility), Sean Combs has posted another YouTube vlog complaining to the populace that hey, gas is too expensive lately, so he doesn’t want to take his private jet all over the place.

"As you know, I do own my own jet but I have been havin to fly back and forth to L.A. to pursue my acting career," he whines on the video above (mind the salty language).

(Read the full post about ‘Sean Combs actually flies on American Airlines’…)

Here’s Isis, the transgendered contestant on the upcoming cycle of America’s Next Top Model. (By the way, did we mention the casting call in Tampa this weekend?) We don’t care about the transgendered stuff, especially since she looks like she has all manner of other personality traits that will make this season’s house a powder keg anyway. It’s ratings gold, I tells ya!

See, we told you Brad Pitt was in Venice. Here he is with adopted sons Maddox and Pax, who look thrilled to be carted away from France for this. Apparently they both visited the salon, too, since Mad got the blue dye job and Pax seems to be sporting some sort of Stacy London-style streaks.

[Photo: AP]

You know how I totally love Ina Garten and her Barefoot Contessa recipes. I am totally inspired to cook when I watch her Food Network show, though I will say she has a very silly laugh. It’s what I call a "cocktail laugh" that sort of goes on after everyone else has stopped laughing. Good gig she’s got going though.

This recipe for Roasted Artichoke Hearts Salad can be used a couple of ways. I served it earlier this week with flank steak (I blogged about the leftovers yesterday) and it was a hit with my husband. The young wolverine, who loves fresh artichokes, wasn’t biting. Can’t win them all.

(Read the full post about ‘A Barefoot Contessa winner’…)

I really wanted to go out to dinner last night. Long day at work, crabby attitude and the desire to do nothing but get waited on all conspired to make restaurant dining look good.

Then someone - that would be my husband - reminded me of some outstanding bills, including one for the repair of a couple of rotten window sills. Okay, okay, I grumbled and padded into the kitchen. Peering into the fridge I found a container of Lemon Artichoke Pesto that I had made over the weekend. Then I remembered the leftover chipotle-lime flank steak in the freezer. (Look for chipotle-lime marinade at your store. I’m at work now and can’t remember the brand but I’ll get it for you by day’s end.

(Read the full post about ‘On making dinner the easy way’…)