My Girl and I had an unexpected trip to the vet this weekend. She’s ok! Turns out the snazzy new harness I bought her was irritating a skin tag on her elbow. She seemed unperturbed, it wasn’t until I saw she was licking blood away that I realized something was amiss. Needless to say the harness has been thrown out, the vet gave us a cleaning solution and special ointment to treat the area, and I’ve been apologizing profusely ever since. While we were sitting in the vet’s waiting area, an adorable French bulldog came in with her papas. She was a sweet thing, but my goodness did the sound of her breathing permeate the room. The poor baby! And I thought back to French bulldogs being named America’s new favorite breed, and all the comments about the health woes of brachycephalic breeds. Well, the results of a new study make it official, as they found that small, long-nosed dogs live longer:

By a nose: Once size, face shape and sex were taken into account researchers found that overall small, long-nosed female dogs tended to have the longest lifespans among pure breeds, notching up a median of 13.3 years. However, breeds with flat-faces — a trait that has become fashionable in recent years — had a median lifespan of 11.2 years, and a 40% increased risk of shorter lives than dogs with medium-length snouts, such as spaniels.

The interaction of the key features: “Whilst previous research had identified sex, face shape and body size as contributing factors in canine longevity, no one had investigated the interaction between the three or explored the potential link between evolutionary history and lifespan,” said Dr Kirsten McMillan, the first author of the research from the charity Dogs Trust. Writing in the journal Scientific Reports, McMillan and colleagues report how they analysed data from 584,734 pure and crossbred dogs — 284,734 of which had died — gathered from 18 organisations, including rehoming and welfare organisations, breed registries and pet insurance companies.

The results: Taking into account all breeds and crossbreeds, the team found the median canine lifespan was 12.5 years, with female dogs living slightly longer than males. To delve deeper, the team looked at dogs from 155 pure breeds, finding larger dogs tended to have shorter lives than smaller dogs, while the length of a breed’s nose also mattered. Indeed, while miniature dachshunds had a median lifespan of 14 years, the figure was 9.8 years for French bulldogs. Experts have long said that brachycephalic breeds are prone to a plethora of health problems, including breathing difficulties and skin problems.

This was surprising: The team also found the median lifespan for pure breeds was longer than for crossbreeds, at 12.7 years and 12 years respectively, a result that is at odds with the idea that crossbreeds might be healthier because they have greater genetic diversity. However, they were unable to consider different types of crossbreeds, meaning data for dogs of unknown parentage was combined with data from “designer” mixes such as the labradoodle that may have far more inbreeding, potentially muddying the waters.

More data to gather: While the team did not have data on how the dogs died, they hope the study will spur others to unpick the risk factors behind the variations in lifespan. McMillan noted the differences were probably down to a complex mix of biological factors, such as body shape and genetics, as well as environmental factors including diet, exercise and training.

How to use these results: “In general, these results help potential owners, breeders, policymakers, funding bodies, and welfare organisations make informed decisions to improve the welfare of companion dogs,” she said. “But more specifically, I think this provides an opportunity for us to improve the lives of our canine companions. We are identifying groups that desperately need attention, so we can zone in on these populations and work out what the problem is.”

[From The Guardian]

Obviously there are a lot of mitigating factors that play into a dog’s life and health. So while My Girl lucks out with the key factors this study points to (being a girl, small, and bearing the nose of a dachshund), her weight is over what it should be. To the point where if one more person stops to ask if she’s expecting I’m gonna snap, “We’re not pregnant, we’re FAT!!” The kid loves food. She treats our walks like scavenger hunts — a remnant, I think, from the first 1.5 years of her life when she had to fend for herself — and inhales her food bowl when I put it down. And her figure isn’t all bad! She’s very shapely, she’s even been called sexy by our neighbors! It’s just that she could do with a canine tummy tuck. But at this point, she’s about to turn 12. So when the vet tells me to cut back her food portions (which aren’t that large to begin with) my impulse is that I don’t want to make her deprived and miserable, all in the name of extending her life. Quality of life matters for our pups, too, a point I thought the researcher deftly made in her last quote. She didn’t outright say “we need to stop breeding flat-faced dogs,” but she hinted at it in palatable words.

Photos credit: Nataliya Vaitkevich, Damir Mijailovic, WKN, Dominika Roseclay, Zuriel Trej and Sarah Chai on Pexels

King Charles has been diagnosed with cancer. Buckingham Palace has not announced what kind of cancer or what the king’s doctors are saying. We know that he has already started treatment and that he will be stepping back from public-facing duties during his treatment. The diagnosis likely came in recent weeks, my guess is around the same time that Charles was figuring out that he would need a medical intervention for his enlarged prostate. Meaning, Charles has had time to inform his family, including his siblings and his two sons:

King Charles personally informed Prince William, Prince Harry and other family members of his cancer diagnosis. It’s understood that the King, 75, personally shared the news with his sons and three siblings — Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward — before Buckingham Palace made the public announcement on Monday.

A source close to Prince William, 41, says that he is in close contact with his father, and it’s understood that Prince Harry, 39, will travel to the U.K. to see his father in the coming days.

[From People]

Yes, People Magazine had a separate story about how Harry will head to the UK sometime soon:

Prince Harry is heading to the U.K. as his father King Charles begins treatment following his cancer diagnosis.

The Duke of Sussex, 39, will travel to London in the coming days to visit his father, PEOPLE understands. The palace revealed on Monday that the King, 75, is being treated for cancer.

PEOPLE understands that King Charles personally told his two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, about his cancer diagnosis. The monarch also informed his three siblings — Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward — personally.

[From People]

This information – about who was informed and Harry’s travels – is coming from Buckingham Palace briefings. I hope we can skip the toxic rigamarole which comes with the British media’s grotesque reporting around all things Sussex and I’m sure some Daily Mail reporter is already furiously typing out something about how Harry released this info. BP wants people to know that Harry is traveling to see his father. The end. It should also tell you a lot about how serious it is, that Harry is coming quickly to see his father in person. I also hope this means that the palace will skip THEIR toxic rigamarole about security and lodging.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instar, Cover Images.

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Killer Mike was led away in handcuffs by the LAPD right after he won three Grammys during the pre-televised part of the show. He’s being charged with misdemeanor battery (the battery did not happen at the Grammys). [Just Jared]
Lewis Hamilton is leaving Mercedes for Ferrari, which is one of the biggest stories to ever happen for Formula 1. [LaineyGossip]
Sundance review of Veni Vidi Vici. [Pajiba]
Jacquemus rides the big shoulder trend. [Go Fug Yourself]
A new trailer for the Amy Winehouse bio-pic, Back to Black. [OMG Blog]
This is so g-ddamn bleak. [Jezebel]
Beyonce’s silly Grammy ensemble was Louis Vuitton. [RCFA]
Alyssa Milano to Shannen Doherty: get over it. [Seriously OMG]
I almost started a house fire the other day when I forgot I had a candle burning. So, you know, it happens and it sucks. [Starcasm]
Christina Aguilera looked great at the Grammys. [Hollywood Life]
Trevor Noah didn’t bomb as Grammys host. [Buzzfeed]

Breaking: Rapper Killer Mike has been taken away in handcuffs in https://t.co/aF2yiyTHol arena after winning 3 #Grammys during telecast (Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for “Scientists & Engineers,” Best Rap Album for Michael) “Free Mike” someone shouts as he walks past. pic.twitter.com/4epfmzqMt8

— Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner) February 5, 2024

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There have been very few growing pains to Ayo Edebiri’s gradual-yet-sudden rise in fame. Ayo has been working for years, trying to get a break as a comedian and actress, and then over the past two years or so, everything has come together perfectly for her. She’s now an Emmy and Golden Globe winner, she’s got a million different projects and jobs and she was invited to host Saturday Night Live this past weekend. It was truly a dream come true for Ayo. Not only was she the host, but Jennifer Lopez was the musical guest. A perfect combo, right? Especially given that J.Lo has hosted before (and done well). Well, someone chose the day before Ayo’s debut on SNL to remind everyone that Ayo completely trashed J.Lo in a podcast interview from what sounds like early 2020. Here’s the clip:

Ahead of their scheduled #SNL appearance, a resurfaced podcast shows #AyoEdebiri dragging #JenniferLopez!!! Find out how #JLo feels about the incident here: https://t.co/HtRDnAa9GO pic.twitter.com/XOZ3O9wYuH

— TMZ (@TMZ) February 2, 2024

The podcast interview was on Scam Goddess, hosted by Laci Mosley. They’re talking about Jennifer Lopez’s musical career as one of the biggest scams, and Ayo is extremely rude about J.Lo. Yes, it’s true that J.Lo is autotuned like crazy most of the time and it’s also true that Ashanti’s vocals are all over J.Lo’s first album, On the Six. But I don’t know… to trash J.Lo’s whole career as a scam is deeply unfair. It also looked like some knives are out for Ayo.

As for the SNL episode, no one has said that Ayo and Jen had any kind of confrontation or anything. I would imagine that Ayo would have privately apologized, and then she clearly asked for a few lines in one skit to be rewritten:

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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Paris Hilton’s ability to just hustle and be herself really floors me. I’ve been impressed with her staying power, I’ll say that. Paris told Laverne Cox that she’s working on new music coming out this summer. Stars are Blind wasn’t bad, but was anyone wondering whether Paris would work on music again after nearly 20 years? That fact is kind of a testament to her whole career (and to mine, I guess it takes one to know one). How much do you want to bet that she works the word “sliving” into her upcoming single?

Paris was in a mermaid-look Reem Acra gown with beaded aqua netting and side cutouts. It’s pretty and very Paris, she’s consistent.

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Kat Graham was in this wild Stephane Rolland gown that is giving sexy 60s nun. It’s not cutout to that extreme – those are nude-colored panels. She’s a trip, this is fun for the Grammys.

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Nominee Jordin Sparks was in a black Zigman corset gown with a side train. This looks fug in photos but I liked it on camera, maybe because of her personality. She was there with her husband, Dana Isaiah. They are so cute together!

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Chrissy Teigen wore this goofy looking Sophie Couture gown that looks like a Project Runway last minute backup. I wonder if there’s a story behind this look involving an obligation. Does she think this looks good or is she just trying to make the best of it?

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Last week, the British media began a curious campaign related to Prince Harry’s position on the board of African Parks. Harry was president of African Parks for six years, then last October, he was elevated to a position on the board. African Parks was one of the few royal-adjacent “things” that the Windsors could not take away from Harry – African Parks operates independently, and they choose their own board members and presidents (rather than allowing a British monarch to appoint them). Harry’s conservation work in Africa has always bothered Prince William because, you see, William thinks Africa is “his.” William thinks conservation work is “his.” So the rollout of this story over the past week has been interesting.

The short version is that African Parks guards were accused of rape in the Republic of Congo. The accusations came via another NGO, Survival International. African Parks quickly released a statement, saying that of course they were aware of the accusations and they are investigating, but Survival International has not cooperated or given them any additional information. Which makes it very curious that Survival International would seemingly contact the Mail instead of African Parks’ third-party investigative team? While accusations of rape should be taken seriously, the British media has used this moment to not only demand Harry’s resignation from African Parks’ board, but to launch a completely unhinged narrative about how THIS is why Harry and William actually fell apart, long before Harry met Meghan. Some highlights from this Times of London story, which (sadly) was probably the whole point.

William & Harry’s feud about Africa: The brothers’ feud, a palace source says, is one that pre-dates Prince Harry’s relationship with Meghan and, perhaps surprisingly, involves the princes’ differing views of conservation work. Sharing a charitable foundation, William and Harry are said to have regularly disagreed on the best way to reduce poaching and save endangered species in Africa. “They are both very passionate about saving protected species but didn’t always share the same view about how to run projects in Africa,” a well-placed source who knows both brothers said. “William believes you should focus on community-led schemes where local people over time feel empowered to protect the land. Harry, on the other hand, was more interventionist. He felt that you need a more hands-on approach to ensure wildlife habitats were securely protected to enact change quickly.”

The complicated situation in Africa! The situation on the ground in Africa is far more complicated and sweeping than a group of rogue guards. The volatile conditions in which the charity operates on a donated budget of $100 million a year has led to a blurring of lines between conflict and conservation. Its 1,400-strong ranger force is often better paid and equipped than the local armies. In Benin, its anti-poaching units have been likened to a counterterrorism force in their defence of endangered species from Islamist militants.

Harry, a veteran of war, cannot navigate through a crisis: Harry still accepted a promotion from a purely figurehead position to one that will be far more demanding. Now a former member of African Parks’ management team, who asked not to be named, has questioned the Duke of Sussex’s suitability for a governance role guiding the charity’s management through complex and dangerous contexts. “Harry has neither the tools nor experience to navigate his way through such crises,” they told The Times, backing demands for him to step down. The late Dutch billionaire Paul van Vlissingen was among the organisation’s founders in 2000, seeing in it “an African solution for Africa’s conservation challenges”. But elevating Harry to a position of influence has just reinforced criticism of the charity as “green colonialism”. Half of the current board of eight are white and only one is a woman.

Harry’s just a celebrity! The former African Parks executive said: “By stacking boards with white males and failing to embrace the perspectives of black Africans and women, leadership is bound to be stilted. Yes, there is a role for celebrities as patrons or ambassadors, but not on a governing board.”

Harry reportedly wants to make a Netflix documentary about African Parks: With vast funds at their disposal, the African Parks expansion shows no sign of slowing. The deep pockets of its billionaire backers providing the annual $100 million budget have emboldened African Parks to set an ambition to manage 30 parks by 2030. It recently bought 2,000 southern white rhino from a private owner in South Africa who estimated it was costing him $425,000 a month to feed and protect them from poachers. The plan to rewild the animals across Africa over the next decade is one of the most ambitious conservation plans and no doubt why Netflix might see it worthy of a documentary.

Harry’s benefits!! Harry is not being paid for his role on the governing body of African Parks, though benefits include influencing the management of 49.4 million acres of protected areas, almost the size of England, Scotland and Wales combined. Harry will also get to network with some of the world’s richest philanthropists who bankroll the charity’s work. These include the American Walton family who founded Walmart, the Oppenheimers whose fortune was amassed from diamond mining in South Africa, and the Swiss tycoon Hansjörg Wyss, 88, a shareholder in Chelsea football club. With so many high-profile reputations at stake, African Parks will surely be keen to ensure it never courts such negative publicity again.

William will always refuse to help Harry!! Closer to home, there is one war which continues to rage: that of the Windsor brothers. No public messages have been forthcoming from the Sussexes to wish the King or the Princess of Wales well after their stays in hospital. One thing seems certain. With his wife’s recovery to prioritise, William won’t be stepping into a crisis management role to help his brother with the African Parks debacle any time soon.

[From The Times]

William just couldn’t help leaving his signature all over this truly deranged story. William’s wife was in the hospital for two weeks and William has been absent from public view for much of the past month, and after all that, we know he was just sitting there, stewing in his own incandescent rage about HARRY. Harry on the board of African Parks. Harry, part of a prestigious NGO with a nine-figure budget. Harry, who refuses to ask William for help! Trust the Times of London to side with jihadists too, did you notice that? How dare African Parks have the money and manpower to take it to armed jihadists who subsidize their terrorism through illegal poaching?!?! Won’t someone think of William’s feelings?

Meanwhile, I’m surprised that the Times didn’t mention William’s repeated statements about “African overpopulation” being the biggest threat to wildlife and conservation. Father-of-three William has made it clear, for years, that he thinks Africans are having too many children and that’s the biggest threat to his three children being able to ride elephants for fun. I wonder if William and Harry ever fought about that?

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

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Olivia Rodrigo is such a princess! She turned up at the Grammys in a vintage 1995 Versace which was super-cute, although I probably would have put her in something else. Olivia was nominated for several Grammys for her sophomore album, and her first single from the album, “Vampire.” While Olivia claims that she has no beef with anyone, there was clearly some kind of falling out between Olivia and Taylor Swift, to the point where some fans even suggested that “Vampire” was about Taylor (I don’t think it is, but it was a conversation). In any case, when Olivia performed the song, there was a cutaway to Taylor singing and dancing to it. Beef quashed??

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Kylie Minogue wore custom Dolce & Gabbana. She looked great and she won a Grammy! Kylie is forever, but she won new fans with “Padam Padam.”

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Lenny Kravitz wore Dior. Amazing.

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Ice Spice looked really good in Baby Phat, but I’m starting to get the feeling that her 15 minutes are up.

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Speaking of princesses, Janelle Monae. She wore Armani. A literal goddess.

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Photos courtesy of Getty.

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Dua Lipa was, no joke, one of my favorite people on the Grammys red carpet last night. She looked amazing! She wore a custom Courreges and some incredible pieces from Tiffany & Co, a diamond alligator set which really looked great with the plated chainmail dress. Dua opened the show and it was a great performance too!

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Billie Eilish wore vintage reworked Chrome Hearts on the red carpet, and then she performed in a Barbie cosplay look. People were raving about her performance and while the song is nice… I don’t really get it. I’m a curmudgeon though. Finneas was her date, and he wore Givenchy.

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Bebe Rexha wore Robert Wun. CB loves her makeup! She looked really good, honestly.

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Photos courtesy of Getty.

Last Friday, the Mail’s royal rota reporter Becky English revealed exclusively that she “thought” that Prince William would return to royal work by the end of this week. Looks like she was right! LOL. She absolutely got an exclusive briefing from Kensington Palace, and she got the briefing right after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed that they would spend three days in Canada, Feb. 14-16. Before the Sussexes’ confirmed their plans, Kensington Palace insiders were soft-launching the idea that William would be “off” until April as well. Now KP is confirming that William will do an investiture on Wednesday and do a gala event that evening too.

The Prince of Wales is to return to work this week, with the Princess of Wales settled at home following her abdominal surgery. The Prince, who has been off public duty since January 16 when his wife went into hospital, will undertake an investiture on Wednesday at Windsor Castle, just down the road from home at Adelaide Cottage. Later that evening, he will attend the London Air Ambulance annual big fundraising Gala in Central London.

He has been patron of London’s Air Ambulance since March 2020, after supporting the charity’s 30th anniversary in 2019. He also flew with the crew to launch the 30 Years Saving Lives campaign and met staff and patients from the service at a number of fundraising events.

The Prince’s decision to go back to work suggests that the Princess of Wales is doing well in her recovery from planned surgery. He had said he would only return when she was settled and comfortable. She is due to be out of the public eye until Easter, and will work from home on her Early Years project when she is able.

[From The Telegraph]

In a “this is how the sausage is made” way, it’s interesting that KP officials are seemingly capable of organizing briefings about William’s schedule, yet they can’t manage their way out of a paper bag when it comes to damage control around the rampant conspiracies and speculation about Kate’s health. Anyway, I assume the same thing as the Telegraph – if William is back to doing public events, that must mean that Kate is recovering okay, that she’s not in any kind of mortal danger. I got that from the way Charles and Camilla were treating the situation too – Camilla wouldn’t have been wandering around England with a Cheshire-cat grin if Kate was at death’s door. In any case, I hope Kate really does have good nurses and medical help around her. And I hope William stops competing with his brother at some point but that’s probably not going to happen.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Backgrid.

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I’m not going to act like I watched the Grammys past 10 pm last night. Sleep is rather precious to me. Celine Dion made an appearance toward the end that I’m sad to have missed live though! She presented Album of The Year, which of course went to Taylor Swift. (Ask Jay-Z about that.) Kaiser covered Taylor’s win here, including the fact that Taylor didn’t acknowledge Celine on stage, but did pose with her backstage. So many people were thrilled to see Celine. We’ve been worried about her after she retired from performing due to stiff person syndrome. Celine came out supported by her son, René-Charles, 23 (how is he that old already?!).

Access Hollywood reported that Celine is filming a documentary for Amazon Prime called “I am Celine Dion.” I look forward to seeing that. Celine was in Valentino and I love her cozy jacket.

Queen! I love her hair.

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Lainey Wilson won Best Country Album, for Bell Bottom Country. She looked super comfortable and cute in a Balmain tuxedo suit – with bell bottoms!

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Kelly Clarkson looked glam in a white off the shoulder structural Jason Wu gown. She brought her seven-year-old son, Remington Alexander, with her as her date! Look at his little velvet suit.

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Niecy Nash was in a plunging gold Marc Bouwer gown. Niecy and her musician wife, Jessica Betts, are goals. I love seeing them together!

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Photos credit Getty