Poll names best, worst celebrity dog owners

Poll names best, worstcelebrity dog owners
NEW YORK -- When it comes to celebrity dog-parenting skills, Joss Stone is tops and Paris Hilton is the worst, according to an online poll of readers of two dog magazines.
Stone, who has a poodle named Dusty Springfield, volunteered for the North Shore Animal League America after seeing images of pets stranded in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Wilma, said The New York Dog and The Hollywood Dog magazines.
The 18-year-old British singer also recorded a public service announcement seeking support for the homeless pets of the Gulf Coast.
"Joss is a huge advocate for shelter dogs and it's not just talk," said Leslie Padgett, editor of the magazines. "This year, despite an incredibly hectic schedule, she went out of her way to help the dogs of Katrina and Wilma."
Hilton, a 24-year-old hotel heiress and star of "The Simple Life," was voted the world's worst celebrity dog owner.
"First she loses Tinkerbell, then she ditches her for a cuter dog, then replaces that dog with a ferret, then a kinkajou monkey and then, I gather, a goat," Padgett said in a statement. "Recently Tinkerbell was spotted back in Paris' arms. But how long will she be in favor this time?"
Stone narrowly edged out Ashley Olsen, who adopted a mixed-breed from the Animal Haven Shelter in New York. Tori Spelling, a pug owner who has "tirelessly campaigned" for the Much Love Animal Rescue in Los Angeles, placed third.
Performers announcedfor MTV New Year's event
NEW YORK -- MTV's annual New Year's Eve party from Times Square will feature musical performances by Kanye West, Adam Levine, Shakira and Fall Out Boy.
The two-hour telecast, which begins at 10:30 p.m. EST (live) and PST (on tape), will have MTV VJs Damien Fahey, Vanessa Minnillo, Quddus Philippe, La La Vazquez and Susie Castillo as hosts, the network announced Monday.
Common, All-American Rejects and Young Jeezy will also perform. There will be an appearance by the Rev. Run and his family, MTV said.
"For years, New Year's Eve on MTV has always meant the best new music to our viewers," said David Sirulnick, executive vice president, MTV News and Production. "2005 is no different, with amazing performances from some of the biggest artists from the past year. We will have wall-to-wall music straight through to 2006."
New Orleans Jazz group gets residency in N.J.
NEWARK, N.J. -- The sounds of New Orleans jazz and the aroma of gumbo will be swirling around Newark for the next two years.
The New Jersey Performing Arts Center announced Friday a residency program with the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, funded by a $200,000 grant from the Prudential Foundation.
The money follows a $300,000 grant from Prudential Financial Inc. to sponsor the orchestra's inaugural national tour, allowing it to proceed despite the loss of significant funding after Hurricane Katrina.
The collaboration with NJPAC will bring music, food, educational workshops and a Thanksgiving 2006 performance by the orchestra, said Irvin Mayfield, a trumpeter, composer and the orchestra's founder.
"We'll try to bring all those elements of New Orleans culture and jazz," said Mayfield, who also holds the title of New Orleans Cultural Ambassador. "We want [Newark] to get a feel for the brass band culture."
Mayfield, 27, said the residency would be a sensual experience, designed to give Newark many tastes of New Orleans.
Designer sees knockoffsas high form of flattery
HONG KONG -- Louis Vuitton designer Marc Jacobs says knockoffs are the highest form of flattery even though he doesn't approve of pirated luxury goods.
"Louis Vuitton as a company won't feel good about that [fake goods] ... but as a designer, I feel flattered," Jacobs was quoted as saying in the South China Morning Post on Saturday.
Hong Kong is known for its penchant for luxury goods -- both authentic and fake. The neighboring Chinese city of Shenzhen is also a popular destination for counterfeit luxury items.
Jacobs was in Hong Kong for the opening of a Louis Vuitton store, the Post said.
Today's birthdays
Former Secretary of State George P. Shultz is 85. Actor-comedian Dick Van Dyke is 80. Actor Christopher Plummer is 78. Movie producer Richard Zanuck is 71. Singer John Davidson is 64. Singer Ted Nugent is 57. Rock musician Jeff "Skunk" Baxter is 57. Actor Robert Lindsay is 56. Country singer-musician Randy Owen is 56. Country singer John Anderson is 51. Singer-songwriter Steve Forbert is 51. Singer-actor Morris Day is 49. Actor Steve Buscemi is 48. Actor Johnny Whitaker is 46. Actor-comedian Jamie Foxx is 38. Rock singer-musician Thomas Delonge (Blink 182) is 30. Actress Chelsea Hertford is 24.
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