NASA commissions Black Eyed Pea will.i.am for tune

NASA, the US space agency, has invited the annoyingly named will.i.am, noted music producer and Black Eyed Pea, to make a song to be played on a Mars mission. The Sun, in England, had the story. It was kind of vague, but this seems to be connected with NASA’s “Curiosity” Mars rover, now en route to an August landing on the red planet. Will (who was born William James Adams, Jr.), has done some projects with NASA before, the paper’s un-named source says, “and this was an opportunity he couldn’t turn down.” Will’s previous NASA links include something on Twitter, encouraging kids to study science (instead of hanging around music studios and becoming rich famous musicians). Pot calls kettle black: Cher said something nasty about Mitt Romney the other day (yawn), and Donald Trump, a Republican, speedily fired back by calling her “an average talent,” “miserable” and “somewhat of a loser.” Now I’m not Cher’s biggest fan (though there was a time, back in the day, when she had my full attention), but against that self-important blowhard Trump, I’m on her side every time. That sound you hear is Grace Kelly and other Hollywood symbols of true glamour spinning in their graves at 50,000 rpm: For the British premiere of her movie Snow White and the Huntsman, Kristen Stewart arrived wearing a red-carpet-type dress … and sneakers. She changed shoes behind a bush, and later claimed she needed the sneakers “because I hurt myself.” What about suffering for fame? She really is a loser! Of course new mom Jessica Simpson, who has a gigantic garment business, is now getting into maternity wear. Obviously all this was planned well before young Maxwell Drew arrived. According to this press release, Jessica Simpson Maternity will include “breezy, everyday pieces aimed at the modern mom-to-be who wants to maintain her fashion edge throughout her pregnancy.” $56,000. That’s how much that painting, partly by Pete Doherty and partly by Amy Winehouse in her own blood, sold for at a Sotheby’s auction the other night in London. This masterpiece – it looks like a pre-kindergarten drawing, actually – had been expected to sell for between $80,000 and $128,000. Doherty talked to The Independent, a British paper, about the painting: “Amy was on the phone to her dad when she did that. She said, ‘Dad, I’m with Pete and he’s making me draw with my blood!’ He didn’t like me much, her dad.” No kidding. The best thing about the end of House, is that Hugh Laurie and his old stage partner Stephen Fry are going to work together again. Fry sent this Tweet the other day: “Hugh Laurie and I are cooking up a project together. We will be working again soon. Sorry to be mysterious but more news when I can.” If you’ve never seen these two as Bertie Wooster and Jeeves, you have a rare treat coming. Laurie is a talented comic actor; usually you get only hints of that in House. I’m already looking forward to this, whatever it may be.