Celebrity News, Gossip, Pictures and Information

Lindsay Lohan hasn’t gotten a lot of love lately. First, she was arrested earlier this week for DUI and cocaine possession. Second, her father was ordered by a judge to pay child support and show proof that he’s been trying to get a job. Seriously, Lindsay doesn’t need the child support money, but I guess it’s more of a principle. Finally, critics have been blasting her latest movie, ‘I Know Who Killed Me.’ I didn’t even know she was in a movie!

I miss the cute Lindsay Lohan in ‘The Parent Trap.’ That’s still one of my favorite feel-good movies of all time. Every time I watch that movie, I can’t believe how innocent little Lindsay looked. I guess all girls have to grow up.

Moving on to another celebrity who’s gotten in trouble with the law several times … Paris Hilton is to star in a musical film. Not just any musical film, but an opera! What? Yeah, I know. This should be interesting. Can she really sing the opera? Her ‘Stars Are Blind’ made it to the top charts last summer, but I doubt it’s because of her singing ability.

Her new movie, ‘Repo! The Genetic Opera’ is directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, director of the ‘Saw’ movies. This is not Paris’ first acting gig in a thriller. Remember her in ‘House of Wax?’ If not, that’s okay, her character dies in the beginning of the movie. Maybe she’ll make herself known as a horror movie actress instead of an heiress. Go ahead and roll your eyes, but Bousman told Variety that he “auditioned at least 30 actresses for this role — Paris came in and owned it. She is this role.” I am at a loss for words.

For more celebrity news, check out TMZ.com and search for your favorite celebrities on AOL Search, such as Fergie and Beyoncé.

This week’s top celebrity searches on AOL Search:
1. Fergie — In the top charts with ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry.’
2. Lindsay Lohan — New movie flops.
3. Beyoncé — YouTube pulls down ‘Beyoncé Falls’ video.
4. Zac Efron — Heats up the big screen in ‘Hairspray.’
5. Paris Hilton — Sings the opera in a new movie.
6. Britney Spears — Bodyguard faces charges for scuffling photographers.
7. Anne Stringfield — Marries Steve Martin in surprise nuptials.
8. Miley Cyrus — Disney launches new collection of clothes for ‘Hannah Montana.’
9. Tameka Foster — Wedding to Usher is a no go.
10. Pamela Anderson — Ex Tommy Lee is dating Rod Stewart’s daughter.

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Kimberly Stewart socialite daughter Rod Stewart has laughed off reports she is dating bad boy American rocker Tommy Lee.

Rumours first surfaced the couple were dating after Pamela Anderson’s ex reportedly attempted to woo Kimberly by flying a helicopter the her Los Angeles mansion.

But Stewart insists they are just friends.

She says, “I don’t have a boyfriend at the moment.

“Tommy is, honestly, just a friend. I don’t have any time to see anyone right now”.

Penelope Cruz has openly admitted that she has grown close to the U2 pop start Bono.

The pair first raised suspicions after they were spotted leaving a St Tropez nightclub together hand in hand earlier this week, before heading off together in the same car.

Now the actress has spoken about the campaigning – and long-time married – Irishman live a love-sick teenager.

She gushes, “He is so powerful yet so human. Seeing him investing all his time and effort is something to admire. He’s changing the world.”

I have expressed before that my thoughts and feelings on Beyonce have not always been positive. It dates back to her ‘Destiny’s Child’ days and I honestly just really did not like them. Beyonce has grown on me in her solo career and the last thing that I would wish on her is ill will. But my wishes really did not impact Beyonce this week when she was performing at an

This week when I saw the term ”

Check out AOL Video clip so that you can see what actually happened.

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Even with Lindsay Lohan totally dominating the news, we cannot forget about our other favorite rehab junkie, Britney Spears. Apparently Brit went to a photo shoot for ‘OK! Magazine’ and was acting quite bizarre. It all started when Spear’s Yorkshire terrier decided that her designer gown that was borrowed for the shoot would be better served as his restroom. She then continued to run amuck at the shoot by wiping grease on her designer clothes and pouting because the wardrobe chosen for the shoot was not sexy enough.

‘OK! Magazine’ has agreed not to print the tragic photos of Brit, but they will print the interview that they had with her. Apparently during the interview, the pop princess had a meltdown and spilled all to the gossip rag. Sarah Ivens, editor-in-chief for ‘OK!’ stated that her staff had “spent a heartbreaking day with Britney Spears and witnessed first-hand an emotional cry for help that will leave you shocked and sad.”

Now if this is the takeaway that the editor had from Britney’s interview, I cannot wait to see what she said. I would also really love to see the pics that were taken at the photo shoot. Really, Brit … just when we thought that you were going to be quasi normal, you go and do this? Oh well, at least we don’t have to talk about Lilo as much.

Hot Searches from July 26, 2007:
1. ‘OK! Magazine’ — Has a terrible photo shoot with Brit
2. Skip Prosser — Wake Forest basketball coach dies at 56
3. Oscar the Cat — Can tell when people are about to die
4. Anna Nicole Smith — Self proclaimed baby’s daddy, Von Anhalt, found mugged
5. Mindy McCready — Violates probation and goes back to jail
6. Gwen Stefani — Performs in Auckland
7. ‘Lost’ — Harold Perrineau returns
8. ‘South Park’ — Gets an Emmy nod this year
9. Zodiac Killer — Movie comes to DVD
10. Chess — Play online!
11. Spiderman — Man wearing mask robs Florida bank
12. Pamela Anderson — Is her ex dating Kimberly Stewart?
13. Beyonce’s fall — The diva takes a spill on stage
14. ‘All My Children’ – Ryan wants Greenlee to stay away
15. Zodiac — What does your sign say?
16. Bipolar Disorder — Learn more about it
17. Josh Groban — Is he hot or not?
18. MTV — Goes to Mexico City for awards
19. Shoes — Find a fab summer pair before the season is over
20. Harley Davidson — Tries to appeal to a more feminine crowd

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I’m sure owning your own business is something that you’ve thought about before. Why wouldn’t you? Being your own boss is a big incentive.

I have an acquaintance who has a full-time job, but his entrepreneurial spirit leads him to own several businesses in addition to his regular job. I believe one of them is a walnut producing company. Don’t laugh, but that’s a great business — walnuts are great for people on low-carb diets and these diets don’t seem to fade in popularity. He also owns at least one restaurant franchise, and last time I talked to him, he was looking into another franchise business.

If I ever have my own business, it’ll be something with dogs. I just want to play with dogs all day long! I know there’s so much more to do than playing with dogs all day long, but hey, I can always dream.

Anyway, if you need ideas on starting your own business, buying a franchise is a popular option. According to a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers, there are more than 760,000 franchise businesses in the U.S. These franchise businesses provide more than 18 million jobs with over $1.5 trillion in economic output.

Check out the top 10 searched franchise opportunities on AOL below. It’s not surprising that most of them are in the food service industry, but it’s refreshing to see a fitness business listed in the top 10. I hope more health-related franchise businesses soar so we all get motivated to exercise and eat healthy instead of muching on an oversized burger. As for the number one searched franchise opportunity, no wonder there’s seemingly a Starbucks store in every corner of a city!

If you own a franchise business, which industry is it in? Any recommendations for other entrepreneurs who are thinking about buying one?

This month’s top searched franchise opportunities on AOL Search:
1. Starbucks franchise
2. Subway franchise
3. Dollar Store franchise
4. McDonald’s franchise
5. Dunkin Donuts franchise
6. Dairy Queen franchise
7. Sonic franchise
8. Pizza franchise
9. KFC franchise
10. Curves franchise

More information on franchise business can be found on AOL Small Business. Also search for franchise opportunities on AOL Search.

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Have you ever watched the show ‘Man vs. Wild’ on Discovery Channel? If you have or if you’re a fan, I’m sorry to say this, but the show’s host is not so wild anyway.

If you’ve never heard of ‘Man vs. Wild,’ it’s a survival reality TV show. I’ve seen several episodes and it is definitely interesting. The host, Bear Grylls, puts himself in dangerous situations and shows viewers how to survive them. For example, there’s an episode where he’s a lost tourist in Australia. He has to build a shelter in the middle of a lightning storm and faces deadly crocodiles. By the way, one of his survival advice is to drink your own urine.

It turns out that Grylls is a big fake. He’s supposed to be spending his nights outdoors during filming, but on some occasions, he stayed in a lodge or a motel instead. Mark Weinert, a consultant for the show, told The London Times that Grylls spent some nights at the Pines Resort while filming an episode in the Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s a lodge that overlook Bass Lake, northeast of Fresno, California, complete with amenities such as an award-winning restaurant and spa services.

For now, Discovery Channel has no intention to cancel the show or to fire Grylls. “Moving forward, the program will be 100% transparent and all elements of the filming will be explained upfront to our viewers. In addition, shows that are to be repeated will be edited appropriately. Bear Grylls is a world-class adventurer and a terrific talent,” the company stated.

Well, I’m sure if viewers stop watching the show, then Discovery Channel may need to do some rethinking. Or maybe the show has more viewers now that the story is out in public. There’s no such thing as bad PR, right?

For more about the show, check out AOL Television or search for ‘Man vs. Wild’ on AOL Search.

Hot Searches from July 25, 2007:
1. Beyoncé falls — R&B singer falls during her performance in Orlando.
2. ‘American Inventor’ — Products tested in focus groups.
3. Colossal squid — A 550-pound squid washes up on an Australian beach.
4. Netscape — HP pays $1.6 billion for Opsware, founded by a Netscape pioneer.
5. Paula Zahn — To leave CNN due to poor rating.
6. ‘Man vs. Wild’ — Survival reality show turns out not to be so real.
7. Deelishis — ‘Flavor of Love’ Season 2 winner attends VH1 roast of Flava Flav.
8. Campbell Brown — Replaces Paula Zahn on CNN.
9. ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ — Who will get kicked off tonight?
10. Hurricanes — 2007 hurricane season is predicted to be less severe.
11. New York City — The city’s Department of Aging educates elderly about AIDS.
12. Ward Churchill — University of Colorado professor is fired for plagiarism.
13. Beyoncé Knowles — Her fall on stage doesn’t affect her concert performance.
14. Tour de France — Leader Michael Rasmussen is fired for doping accusations.
15. Guitars — Find the right one for you!
16. Bear Grylls — ‘Man vs. Wild’ host spends some nights indoors.
17. Rupert Grint — ‘Harry Potter’ star buys an ice cream truck.
18. Angelina Jolie — Skips the wrap party for her latest film ‘Wanted.’
19. Atlanta Braves — Defeated by San Francisco Giants.
20. Nicole Richie — Exclusive interview with Diane Sawyer is scheduled for August 2.

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One of my best friends recently became a banker and she loves it. Actually it is really beneficial to have a friend that knows about investments and money. Any time I need advice I can just ask her! The other day we were discussing her career path and she said that she wanted to get into lending. We were talking about all the different types of loans there were out there … I had no idea that there were so many!

I decided to see what kind of loans people were searching for on AOL Search. Who knows, maybe I will need to get one some day? I already have a home loan, so I know about that. I was lucky in college and never had to take out a student loan, phew. But what is a payday loan? And a bad credit loan … well that just seems like an oxymoron to me.

Do you need a loan? Try searching for loans on AOL Search or check out the AOL Money & Finance page for more info.

Top Searched Loan Types on AOL Search:
1. Student loans
2. Personal loans
3. Payday loans
4. Bad credit loans
5. Home loans
6. Car loans
7. Small business loans
8. Home equity loans
9. Cash loans
10. Debt consolidation loans

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The lovely Mariah Care has unleashed her anger on to internet pranksters for creating a massive “fake” advertising campaign for her upcoming fragrance “M By Mariah Carey”. The Sexy Star has signed a multi million $$$$ deal with Elizabeth Arden to create the fragrence, which is expected to hit stores sometime in September (07).

In the past few weeks, a so-called ad, purporting to be for Carey’s official perfume, has been circulating on the internet. However, an Arden spokesman says, “An image of MC with her fragrance bottle photoshopped in the corner is being featured on several blogs today, and is categorically not the advertisement for her new fragrance, nor is it even remotely close.

The real advert will be aired during the second week of August

How hot is this summer? Just look at the latest Hot Celebrity Searches on AOL: Zac Efron, David Beckham, Jessica Biel … you get the point.

Did you know that Zac Efron almost didn’t make the cut for a role in ‘Hairspray?’ Neither did I. I haven’t seen ‘Hairspray’ yet, but he seems like he’s the right fit for that role. He sings, he dances, he’s cute and he’s already got a fan base with the hit TV series ‘High School Musical.’ What could go wrong?

Apparently, ‘Hairspray’ director/choreographer Adam Shankman thought that Efron was “too light” and that he’s a “sweet, goofy kid” according to USA Today. Well, good thing Shankman gave Efron a chance … I’m sure a lot of teenage girls ran to the movie theaters to see Efron in his first big screen role. Released on Friday, ‘Hairpsray’ grossed at $27.8 million this past weekend according to Box Office Mojo. That’s just third behind ‘I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry’ and ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ for the weekend gross. Not bad in my opinion!

Another hot celeb who got a lot of attention this weekend was David Beckham. Beckham had his MLS debut where he played for 16 minutes and 19 seconds. Let’s hope that he’ll play more considering he has a $6.5 million contract.

There’s no doubt that he’s a star off the field — the man is hot, even for me who prefers brunettes to blondes. However, there have been some debates if his playing in the MLS will make Americans more interested in soccer. Well, the Galaxy vs. Chelsea game was sold out. That’s always a good sign.

His debut also drew a crowd of celebrities to the game. His wive, Victoria Beckham, was there of course with gal pal Katie Holmes and daughter Suri. Also there were Jennifer Love Hewitt, Drew Carey, Eva Longoria and the Governator. OK, with all of this attention from celebrities, maybe Americans will start watching soccer. It’s about time we fall in love with this global sport!

This Week’s Hot Celebrity Searches on AOL Search:
1. Zac Efron — Stars in musical film ‘Hairspray.’
2. David Beckham — Makes a brief debut in a game against Chelsea.
3. Miley Cyrus — No play time on Top 40 radio despite her chart-topping album.
4. Jessica Biel — Stars in ‘I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry’ with Adam Sandler.
5. Michael Vick — Falcons QB is indicted on dogfighting charges.
6. Victoria Beckham — Watches husband David Beckham play in his MLS debut.
7. Jessica Alba — Stars in ‘Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.’
8. Britney Spears — Works on a music video for hew new song ‘Get Back.’
9. Pete Wilson — Anchorman dies from a heart attack at 62.
10. Paris Hilton — Comedienne Sarah Silverman feels bad for making fun of Hilton.

See sponsored links for: new movie releases, celebrity posters, soccer shorts, soccer equipment.

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My favorite search term from the week on AOL Search is Michael Vick, but obviously not for positive reasons. When I first heard about the dog fighting scandal, I tried to keep an open mind. Being a Virginia Tech grad, I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt to my fellow alum and believe that the media was just blowing up the story to make it sound more dramatic. This week when additional details were released about the incident, I was appalled. Drowning and electrocuting dogs! How could anyone treat those innocent animals like he did?

I always thought that Marcus Vick was the one who gave Hokies a bad name … but his offenses do not hold a candle to this most recent one of his brother. Michael’s indictment this week could land him up to six years in jail and a fine of $350,000.00. But honestly, what does $350,000 mean to a multi-millionaire like Vick?

A few questions cross my mind. First off, I don’t know how he thought that he would not get caught for this. Running this rather large dog fighting ring and expecting to stay below the radar? Oh, and what was the motivation behind all of this? Really, I just think it is gross.

What do you think will happen to Vick? Does the punishment fit the crime?

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Personally I love awards shows, but it seems like they all happen in the winter. The exception is the Emmy Award nominations. OK, so they are just the nominations, but with no really good TV on in the summer, we have to do something to remind us that there are great shows on all year! Yesterday the Emmy nominees were announced and there was some surprise with the nods.

There was no shocker that the last season of ‘The Sopranos’ was nominated for multiple awards … but 15? Gandolfini and the rest of his crew completely dominated the nominees including nods for best drama and best actor. Some are saying that the show is definitely a shoe-in for taking home the trophy in a lot of their categories. With the ambiguous ending and the fact that the drama ended when it was still popular and did not die off like some other once popular shows.

My vote for outstanding drama is actually ‘Boston Legal.’ Other nominees I want to see do well include ‘The Office’ and ‘Ugly Betty.’ Either way, the nominations are almost like a tease. We have to wait until September to see who the winners are. I guess that is good promotion for the new fall shows

Hot Searches from July 19, 2007:
1. Tour de France — Hunter wins 11th leg
2. Emmy Nominations — Dominated by ‘Sopranos’
3. Mandy Patinkin — Quits ‘Criminal Minds’
4. Tammy Faye — Talks to Larry King
5. ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ — Gets a few Emmy nods
6. Major League Baseball — Hosts visiting Chinese coaches
7. Tammy Faye Bakker — On ‘Larry King Live’
8. ‘The Sopranos’ – Leads in Emmy nominations
9. ‘Lost’ — Gets snubbed at Emmy nominations
10. Kim Kardashian — Rumored to be posing for ‘Playboy’
11. Virgin Atlantic — Meets with UK government about security
12. Tammy Faye Messner — Speaks out about cancer
13. Paintball — Causes arrests in VA
14. Dog Fighting — Could land Vick in jail
15. Larry King — Talks to Tammy Faye
16. Global Warming — Gets support from Sienna Miller in India
17. Fall Out Boy — Is Wentz going to be a dad?
18. ‘All My Children’ — Greelee reaches her breaking point
19. John Deere — Signs on a new ad agency
20. NFL – Allows Vick to play

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These past few days have been very upsetting for me. Between the ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ leak and the Michael Vick’s indictment, where do I begin?

First, the ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ fiasco. The ending was leaked on the Web and DeepDiscount.com released the book early. Of course Scholastic, publisher of the ‘Harry Potter’ series, plans legal action against the distributor, Levy Home Entertainment, and DeepDiscount.com. It’s also trying to identify the Internet user who leaked the book on the Web.

Scholastic estimated that the books that went our early are about one-hundredth of one percent of the total books to go on sale in the U.S. OK, it’s really not that much if you look at this number, but I’m still upset, as are other ‘Harry Potter’ fans. I myself pre-ordered my book from a different online retailer and I won’t be getting the book until the official release date. So between now and then, I’ve tried to steer away from any possible news or stories that may reveal the book ending. Sigh…

Second, the Michael Vick fiasco. As a Virginia Tech alumna and a dog lover, I’m completely disgusted and embarrassed. I thought Marcus Vick was the bad one in the family … I guess I was wrong! It breaks my heart reading about what Vick has allegedly done.

According to the indictment, Vick runs Bad Newz Kennels out of his property in Surry County, Virginia, for dogfighting. Dogs that did not perform well as fighters were executed by methods such as hanging, drowning, electrocution, shooting and beating. There are other sickening things that he allegedly did to the dogs, but I won’t go there — they’ll just make me weep.

If Vick is found guilty, my hopes are he doesn’t get to play in the NFL anymore and he gets all the punishment that he deserves. Last I read he may face up to 6 years in prison plus $350,000 in fines if found guilty. Is that enough?

Hot Searches from July 18, 2007:
1. Linus Roache — Joins ‘Law & Order’ cast as an Assistant DA.
2. Courtney Thorne-Smith — ‘According to Jim’ actress is expecting a baby.
3. ‘Harry Potter’ ending — Leaks before official release date.
4. Jessica Lunsford — Father wants Jessica’s killer to face death penalty.
5. Joan Jett — Has she been dating Carmen Electra?
6. Michael Vick — Falcons QB is indicted on charges related to illegal dogfighting.
7. ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ — Review by NY Times upsets publisher.
8. TAM Airlines — All 186 people on board of the Brazilian airline die in plane crash.
9. Atlanta Falcons — Will Michael Vick continue to play?
10. Bad Newz Kennels — Vick’s alleged dogfighting operation in Surry County, VA.
11. Long Island Railroad — Tornado and storm hit New York.
12. Celebrities — Get the latest stories on your favorite celebrities!
13. MTA — New York’s motorists are stranded in flash floods.
14. ‘Harry Potter’ — Fans are upset over leak of the final book.
15. ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ — Who will be kicked off tonight?
16. Jennifer Love Hewitt — In ‘Shortcut To Happiness’ with Alec Baldwin.
17. Lil Bow Wow — In Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s video with Mariah Carey.
18. Jennifer Lopez — In ‘El Cantante’ with husband Marc Anthony.
19. Carmen Electra — Dating Joan Jett?
20. Jerry Hadley — Opera singer dies from a self-inflicted wound to his head.

More news on Michael Vicks can be found on AOL News — also search for Michael Vick on AOL Search.

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When you travel, what do you take with you? Are you a light packer and take just the bare minimum? Or are you the kind of traveler who can’t bear leaving the house without your own hair dryer, toiletries, etc.? With me, I think I’m somewhat in the middle. I have some items that I must have whenever I travel, but I can work with whatever toiletries are provided at the hotel. Plus, I’d rather save room in my luggage for local souvenirs!

I always have my iPod video, books and magazines to keep me entertained while I’m on the road or on a plane. In case something happens, I make sure to have my travel documentations in both original and copies so I can pack them in multiple places. Also, anything related to health such as sunscreen, insect repellent, bandages, aspirin and antacids are must-haves for me — in travel size, of course!

Another must-have for me is my carry-on luggage when I travel by air. My checked-in luggage was left behind in Narita Airport in Tokyo once. Good thing I had my carry-on with me, so the next two days without my big luggage weren’t so bad. Oh, and now, I always make sure to have travel insurance when I travel. An airplane company (sorry, I’m not naming any names) lost my luggage on my way to Curacao, but one quick call to my travel insurance company put my vacation back on the happiness track. I got a $1,000 shopping spree from my insurance company to replace my missing items. Nice!

Anyway, traveling is fun, but not when you have to deal with missing luggage or sickness. So for today, I thought I’d list top searched travel essentials for safety to give you some ideas on what to take with you on your trip. Is there anything else that you think should’ve made the list?

AOL’s top searched travel essentials for safety from this month:
1. Travel insurance
2. Sunscreen
3. Money belts
4. First aid kits
5. Traveler’s Checks
6. Vaccination
7. TSA locks
8. Insect repellent
9. Car rental insurance
10. Travel wallet

To find your travel needs, check out AOL Travel for travel deals, AOL Shopping for travel essential items and search on AOL Search for travel essentials, such as travel insurance and traveler’s checks.

See sponsored links for: travel insurance, cheap airfares, discount hotels.

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I have two rambunctious nephews and an adorable niece. It’s so sad when they’re not feeling well, they just seem so helpless! Thankfully, they’re pretty healthy kids. I think one of my nephews has asthma, but that’s about it.

With me, I was a lucky child. Besides the occasional common cold and stomach virus, and a minor case of chicken pox, I was pretty healthy. Maybe it was luck, or maybe it was the amount of fruit and vegetables that I ate as a child. My parents were pretty persistent with having greens on my plates everyday! As I got older, I got smarter (or more spoiled?) and debated for higher allowance in exchange for eating more vegetables.

Other kids are not so lucky — check out these statistics from CDC:
- Reported cases of Lyme disease have doubled since 1991. Among children, it’s most common between 5 and 14-year-old kids.
- Autism affects 1 in 150 children in the U.S.
- 4.4 million youth are diagnosed with ADHD by a healthcare professional.
- Meningitis affects 1,400 to 2,800 Americans every year. Between 10 percent and 14 percent of those affected will die from it. CDC recently recommended that all children between the ages of 11 and 18 get vaccinated against bacterial meningitis.

When I have children, I hope that they’re healthy physically and mentally. Of course, I’ll love them no matter what. For now, I’ll read up on the various health concerns that affect kids. Hopefully I’ll be prepared if they’re diagnosed with any of the serious conditions.

How about you? What was your health condition as a child? Perhaps your child is experiencing some of these health conditions?

AOL’s top searched children’s health topics from this month:
1. Lyme disease
2. Autism
3. Head lice
4. Meningitis
5. Strep throat
6. Chicken pox
7. West Nile virus
8. ADHD
9. Constipation
10. Swimmer’s ear

For more information on health topics, check out AOL Body. Also search for these topics on AOL Search, such as autism and strep throat.

See sponsored links for: Lyme disease symptoms, autism causes, ADHD treatment.

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When you travel, what do you take with you? Are you a light packer and take just the bare minimum? Or are you the kind of traveler who can’t bear leaving the house without your own hair dryer, toiletries, etc.? With me, I think I’m somewhat in the middle. I have some items that I must have whenever I travel, but I can work with whatever toiletries are provided at the hotel. Plus, I’d rather save room in my luggage for local souvenirs!

I always have my iPod video, books and magazines to keep me entertained while I’m on the road or on a plane. In case something happens, I make sure to have my travel documentations in both original and copies so I can pack them in multiple places. Also, anything related to health such as sunscreen, insect repellent, bandages, aspirin and antacids are must-haves for me — in travel size, of course!

Another must-have for me is my carry-on luggage when I travel by air. My checked-in luggage was left behind in Narita Airport in Tokyo once. Good thing I had my carry-on with me, so the next two days without my big luggage weren’t so bad. Oh, and now, I always make sure to have travel insurance when I travel. An airplane company (sorry, I’m not naming any names) lost my luggage on my way to Curacao, but one quick call to my travel insurance company put my vacation back on the happiness track. I got a $1,000 shopping spree from my insurance company to replace my missing items. Nice!

Anyway, traveling is fun, but not when you have to deal with missing luggage or sickness. So for today, I thought I’d list top searched travel essentials for safety to give you some ideas on what to take with you on your trip. Is there anything else that you think should’ve made the list?

AOL’s top searched travel essentials for safety from this month:
1. Travel insurance
2. Sunscreen
3. Money belts
4. First aid kits
5. Traveler’s Checks
6. Vaccination
7. TSA locks
8. Insect repellent
9. Car rental insurance
10. Travel wallet

To find your travel needs, check out AOL Travel for travel deals, AOL Shopping for travel essential items and search on AOL Search for travel essentials, such as travel insurance and traveler’s checks.

See sponsored links for: travel insurance, cheap airfares, discount hotels.

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So Lindsay Lohan is back out of rehab. It seems like just yesterday that she crashed her Benz into a curb and checked herself into the Promises treatment facility in Malibu. According to reports, her requisite six week stay ended on Friday and she left the center. A stipulation on her release was that she enter an intense outpatient program as well as the addition of a new piece of jewelry … an alcohol detecting ankle bracelet.

It’s a good thing that she got the bracelet because LiLo wasted no time getting back out into the club scene. She was spotted at Pure Night Club in Vegas over the weekend with friends, but according to her rep was sober. Now I am not calling Lindsay a liar, but I wonder if that ankle bracelet detects other substances than alcohol?

Hot Searches from July 16, 2007:
1. ‘The View’ — Taylor Hicks tomorrow
2. Smart Car — Is it safe?
3. Anna Nicole Smith — Magistrate removed from case
4. Lindsay Lohan — Out clubbing post rehab
5. Major League Baseball — Honors Robinson
6. Justin Timberlake — Possibly opening new restaurant
7. ‘Deal or No Deal’ — Moves to Fridays this fall
8. NASA — Endeavour in pre-launch drills
9. ‘Wheel of Fortune’ – Play it online
10. Kim Kardashian — Tries to explain her tape to her sisters
11. Oprah Winfrey — Collaborates with Revolution Health
12. Fall Out Boy — Did Wentz make them successful?
13. Martha Stewart — Get tips from America’s favorite homemaker
14. ‘Young and the Restless’ — Lilly listens to Daniel about his arrest
15. Angelina Jolie — Feels threatened by Anitson?
16. Ringtones — Check out what downloads are out there
17. ‘Days of Our Lives’ — Tony is not really Tony
18. Spiderman — Inspiration for new astronaut gear?
19. Poems — Find on to express your feelings
20. Jessica Simpson — Skips Eva’s wedding

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After all the hype, it’s finally been revealed what Prince William said to US TV journalist Matt Lauer when asked about his split from Kate Middleton.

Matt Lauer’s line of questioning reportedly upset Clarence House officials, in particular Prince Charles’s press secretary, Paddy Harverson.

Now, the Today presenter has finally revealed the 24-year-old Prince’s response to questioning about his private life, explaining: “William said the split wasn’t because of the media but was just between themselves.”

Continues the US anchorman, who’s famous Stateside for his bold manner: “Both William and Harry were amazingly frank.”

Matt Lauer flew to London to question Prince William and Prince Harry as part of an interview to be broadcast across America to promote the July 1st Concert For Diana.

NBC is believed to have paid £2.5 million for the rights to broadcast the concert celebrating the life of Diana, Princess of Wales.

leaked audio tape in which Paula Abdul can be heard sobbing and bad-mouthing a former spokesman has made its way to the internet.

In what appears to be a recent conference call with a group of publicists, the American Idol judge rails against Howard Bragman and discusses her various health problems.

The conversation, first reported on Thursday by the New York Post’s Page Six, has Abdul saying she’d “been going through tremendous amounts of a difficult time” and had “never been treated this way.”

Gossip website PerezHilton.com later posted an audio tape of the conversation. A man is heard responding, “You’re going to be treated much better right now.”

Abdul claims Bragman “did some disgusting behaviour” by failing to accompany her when she appeared on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live last month.

Abdul, 44, also says Bragman told her she was “too old” to appear on the cover of OK! magazine, which has an interview with her in its latest issue.

The lack of respect, she says, “is too much to stomach.”

Bragman said he had not discouraged Abdul from shooting the magazine cover because of her age.

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