If you've ever seen Bette Midler on stage in concert or on one of her TV specials -- when they used to really do musical specials that were more than just filmed concerts -- you know that The Divine Miss M knows how to put on quite a show. There are songs, dancers, hula skirts, motorized wheelchairs, weepy ballads, clackers, Soph jokes and ukuleles. And the music is all live!

Currently, Bette's encamped at Caesar's Palace doing The Showgirl Must Go On. Talking about state of today's divas and referred to The Buggles song "Video Killed the Radio Star" to take a broad shot as MTV. No, she wasn't turning all prudish and complaining about the morality of MTV. No way.

Time to take out your Hello Kitty date book and make a note: TV Squad will be liveblogging the Emmys starting Sunday, September 16th at 7:55 PM and running right through to the end of the show (which conservative estimates put at approximately 11:40 PM the following Wednesday).

My favorite part of a liveblog is the family atmosphere it tends to create (check out the Testament-like way we all gave each other comfort and support during the VMA liveblog in the face of Britney's "comeback"), so I'm hoping all of you will join us tomorrow. Run the bubble-bath, pop open the chardonnay, and charge up the laptop, 'cause we're all about to bask in the glow of Seacrest together.

Can Britney Spears make a comeback? American Idol's brutally-honest Simon Cowell seems to think so. In a recent appearance on Extra, Simon said, "I know for a fact there are about 20 record producers...who are waiting to get Britney Spears into a recording studio...some of the best in the world, actually." If she can release a decent record, Simon thinks she CAN have a comeback.

He also had some advice for Britney's post-rehab personal life. Simon told her to go home to her mother, "lock the door, eat some normal food" and "don't go out with your stupid friends."

If Britney gets her act together, I'm sure she'll get her second chance. Hollywood, after all, is one of the most-forgiving places on earth where numerous fallen idols have risen again after hitting rock bottom.

The other day I was working away when one of the guys rushed up to me, excited look on his face, and said "Beckham just announced he's leaving Real Madrid, and guess where he's going." Now, I'm not a huge soccer fan, but I follow it enough to at least make a reasonable guess. So I said, "Chelsea?" His eyes got big and he was almost giddy when he told me the answer, "Nope, the L.A. Galaxy."

That surprised me. Beckham leaving Madrid was something I had expected since he left Manchester, but I didn't think he would give up the bright lights and crazy popularity of European football to come to the U.S. where the MLS is basically an afterthought in the sporting world.

There were some other factors though. For one, cash. To get this done, the MLS rewrote the rules on salary caps, allowing Beckham to sign a deal that is rumored to be worth some $250 million when endorsements are included. And, to Beckham's credit, he has been working at trying to improve the image of soccer in this country for a long time. Actually joining a team here is about as committed a move as he can make.

K-Fed's looking to make a second outing in the world of reality television with the help of House of Carters' executive producer Kenneth Crear. Crear reported to Us Magazine, "We are in talks about this. Kevin came to me because he liked the way I shot the House of Carters series and the way I made Nick Carter look real and trustworthy. I gave people a different perspective of him and made people really respect him." Kevin feels that the fast track to post-Brit respectability will come from reality television. You can't make this stuff up.

K-Fed is in negotiations to shoot eight episodes over a three month period. Kevin has said he won't be hating on Britney in the show, which is, of course, focused on him. That's ok. Britney's doing a fine job shaming herself in the post-Federline years all by her pantyless lonesome.

Related:
K-Fed discovers personal hygiene
K-Fed blinded by science
K-Fed ponders stripping

Singer Pink reportedly tied the knot this weekend with her motocross racing boyfriend Carey Hart, in Costa Rica. I can't say that Pink is one of my fave singers, but dang! I gotta give the girl props for those abs. Hart, as you may recall, was also on the fifth season of Surreal Life (What? You didn't watch it either?). Hopefully the Grammy-winning singer will have sense enough not to allow anyone to talk her into making a reality show of her first year of marriage (she can ask Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey how well that idea worked out).

 

Is it possible to maybe have too much money? After learning of Britney Spears' recent $10,000 shopping spree for baby stuff, I stumble upon a brief on Slate's Web site which says, according to In Touch magazine, that Britney plans a water birth for her baby. More exactly, a birth using $3,800 dollars worth of Kabbalah water. Never has anything seemed so spiritual, and yet, so utterly unnecessary.