Pattinson, Stewart 'in love'; Aerosmith not breaking up
-- Serious hand-holding: Photographers witnessed some off-screen lovey-dovey contact between Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in Paris. Ooooooooo! It happened right before the Pattinson, Stewart, and Taylor Lautner boarded a private jet for their next "Twilight: New Moon" European tour. A photographer was quoted as saying that "he took her hand like young lovers" before boarding the plane. "They seemed very calm, in love." Aw! Now that's going to people buzzing. Click the photo to see a the photo larger on People.com. [People]

-- Tyler may go solo: Aerosmith's lead guitarist Joe Perry says the legendary rock band isn't breaking up - although they may be in need a new singer. Perry said on the micro-blogging site Twitter late Monday that Aerosmith is "not splitting up" but "looking for a new singer to work with" amid growing speculation about the future of the band and the role of front man Steven Tyler. Tyler has been quoted as saying he is considering a solo career. [AP]
-- More Swift awards: Taylor Swift started what could be an interesting week with her second straight song of the year award at the BMI Country Awards Tuesday, when Kris Kristofferson was honored as an icon. Swift won for her song "Love Story" - the night before she contends for entertainer of the year at the Country Music Association Awards - Bobby Pinson won songwriter of the year and Sony/ATV Music was named publisher of the year. BMI also honored Brooks & Dunn with the president's award. [AP]
-- Good-bye Aaron *Sniff*: Aaron Carter performed his last dance on "Dancing With the Stars" last night. The 21-year-old singer and his professional partner, Karina Smirnoff, were eliminated from the hit ABC show. Carter cried early in the competition after harsh remarks from the judges. The episode also featured performances by Michael Buble, who sang his new single, and Susan Boyle, who sang... Guess what... "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables. The semifinal round begins Monday. Besides Osmond, remaining competitors include reality star Kelly Osbourne, singer Mya and model Joanna Krupa. [Zap2It]
-- Shakedown vs. screenplay: David Letterman was on the receiving end of a sales pitch, not a shakedown, argues Robert J. "Joe" Halderman's lawyer. He asked a judge to toss the attempted first-degree grand larceny case, which spurred Letterman to acknowledge his office dalliances in a startling on-air monologue last month. Attorney Gerald Shargel said the $2 million exchange was business, not blackmail. [AP]
-- New 'Scrubs': 'Scrubs' is essentially getting a new cast when the series returns with all-new episodes Dec. 1. J.D. may not even be there. Sacred Heart Hospital is gone. And three newbies will grace center stage. *sigh* [Zap2It]
-- Free concerts online: A new Web site allows music lovers to watch concerts for free online, choosing from five different camera angles as they watch. BillboardLive.com says its new concert-viewing Web site offers visitors different perspectives on performances by Alicia Keys, Usher, David Archuleta, Daughtry and other artists yet to be announced.[AP]
-- Big funeral costs: Michael Jackson's private family funeral was fit for a king and had a price tag to match: roughly $1 million, according to court documents released Tuesday. The final tally of costs included $855,730 to Forest Lawn for cemetery and funeral charges including the purchase of other plots within the same mausoleum that houses Jackson's body. Other costs listed: $35,000 for burial garments; $1,975 for wardrobe for the family; $2,000 for usher costumes; $3,682 for framing of a photograph of Jackson next to the casket; $959 for embroidery; $11,716 for invitations and programs; $16,000 for flowers; $30,000 for cars and security; and $15,000 for a funeral designer. There was also a charge of $21,455 for the "funeral repast" at a restaurant after the ceremony. During the period that the family waited to bury Jackson, they were charged $5,000 a month for holding the remains in a temporary vault. [AP]
-- Wheelchair bump: The glee club members twirl their wheelchairs to the tune of "Proud Mary" and in joyful solidarity with Artie, the fellow performer who must use his chair even when the music stops. The scene in Wednesday's episode of the hit Fox series "Glee," which regularly celebrates diversity and the underdog, is yet another uplifting moment - except to those in the entertainment industry with disabilities and their advocates. For them, the casting of a non-disabled actor to play the paraplegic high school student is another blown chance to hire a performer who truly fits the role. [AP]
-- Looking "out there": Four hundred years after it locked up Galileo for challenging the view that the Earth was the center of the universe, the Vatican has called in experts to study the possibility of extraterrestrial alien life and its implication for the Catholic Church. "The questions of life's origins and of whether life exists elsewhere in the universe are very suitable and deserve serious consideration," said the Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, an astronomer and director of the Vatican Observatory. his is not the first time the Vatican has explored the issue of extraterrestrials: In 2005, its observatory brought together top researchers in the field for similar discussions. [AP]
-- The look "down there": Women are undergoing surgery to create perfect genitalia amid a "shocking" lack of information on the potential risks of the procedure, a report says.b Research published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology also questions the very notion of aesthetically pleasing genitals. [BBC]
-- ShowBiz Minute: Taylor Swift wins BMI award for top song; Jackson's funeral cost nearly $1 million; Warhol's Michael Jackson portrait sells for $812K. [AP]
COMMENTS ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here; comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its websites. Users must follow agreed-upon rules: Be civil, be clean, be on topic; don't attack private individuals, other users or classes of people. Read the full rules here.
- Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the report violation link below it.

Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo