Former frenemies Nicole Richie, Rachel Zoe kiss and make up

Hot Hollywood hair pair Byron Williams and top colorist Tracey Cunningham had an opening bash for their new Byron and Tracey Salon in Beverly Hills last week. The event was hosted by stylist/reality TV personality Rachel Zoe. And the night was dutifully filmed by a TV crew from her Bravo show, "The Rachel Zoe Project."

Spotted in the crowd: Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Richie, Joel Madden, Nicky Hilton, Rose McGowan, Jordana Brewster, Dean McDermott who creepily kept his hand on wife Tori Spelling's behind all night, Lisa Rinna, Brittny Gastineau, Debbie Matenopoulos and Natasha Henstridge.

Rachel Zoe arrived very fashionably late in a 1940s vintage frock that she "found at the bottom of her closet." Arriving even later was Nicole Richie, who made a beeline for her old pal/stylist, Rachel, and posed for several photos. Looks like that "raisin-face" crack has been forgiven. Just another Hollywood hatchet buried.

We asked Zoe about recessionistas vs. fashionistas on the red carpet:

"I don't think there are set rules about it," says Zoe. "The awards shows and the dresses still provide fantasy.  I think that life has to have a fantasy element to it, no matter what.  I don't think the dressing has been toned down during awards season or even in between.  There are still people that love all things about fashion and glamor and will still wear it. We're still seeing glamor and bling and as long as designers are making the dresses and the fantasy,  it will still be out there."

Some haute highlights:

The Dish Rag asked Byron if the collapsing economy is affecting his hair trade.

"I don't really know yet," he replied. "We had the holidays and now awards season, so I probably won't know probably 'til March. I do have one client who used be really platinum blond and is now going a bit darker to save money."

Wonder who that could be?

Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott held hands (cheese, guys. Get a room!) and goofed around with pal Lisa Rinna, who squealed when she spotted Karen Zambo, the designer of the dress she was wearing. The two women hugged and posed for cameras.

Later, when we asked Lisa Rinna about her Super Bowl plans, she admitted that she  "doesn't even know who's playing" on Sunday.

Neither do we, Lisa. Neither do we.

Reporting: Leah Sydney

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Photos (from the top): Nicky Hilton, Rachel Zoe and Byron Williams; Lisa Rinna and Jenny McCarthy; Rachel Zoe and Nicole Richie; Nicole Richie and Joel Madden.  Credit: Byron and Tracy Salon/ taken by Lisa Rose.

Web rumors are rife about "Twilight" hunk Robert Pattinson being chosen as the lead in "Ohio," a movie based on the 1970 slayings of anti-Vietnam War protesters during the uprising at Kent State University.

The rest of the cast is rumored to include other hot male stars Zac Efron and Justin Timberlake.

But Twilighters Anonymous is reporting that Star magazine has revealed that Timberlake and Efron are a bit annoyed that Pattinson, a relative screen newcomer, has been offered a leading role.

Huh? What has Efron been in besides the "High School Musical" movies?

And Timberlake's career isn't exactly chockablock with major roles in blockbuster films. OK, he's great on "SNL" and all, but seriously, he's no one to throw film career stones.

However, Pattinson was in a Harry Potter film (even if his character did get killed) and stars in the upcoming "Little Ashes," playing eccentric, sexually ambiguous and controversial artist Salvador Dali.

So there.

And for those Kristen Stewart fans who are annoyed that I didn't run a trailer of "Adventureland" last week, keep reading....

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Photos: WireImage

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Renee Zellweger isn't keen on working with stylists.

"I learned a big lesson.  I learned about instinct, and I learned about being comfortable, and I learned about being true to yourself.  You can't put on a dress that doesn't belong to your personality or who you are.  It's like wearing someone else's persona."

But she was really looking forward to wearing the sheer black top and black satin skirt by Carolina Herrera that she selected for the recent Golden Globes, a frock that was widely panned by the fashion press.

We like to call it "My Not-So-Fair Lady."

She raved about the Herrera gown to the Dish Rag at the junket for "New in Town," her romantic comedy, the day before the Globes.

"I kind of like my dress I'm wearing tomorrow (to the Golden Globes), I'm excited about it, I'm excited to put it on.  It's such an appreciation for everything that goes into building it.  It's extraordinary.  You know, a well-made dress."

Oh dear. Well-made maybe. But flattering? Not even close. And that old lady poufy hair? What was she thinking? 

Maybe she should rethink using a stylist from time to time.

Click here to see the Best and Worst of Globes 2009! And boy, are there some doozies.

Zellweger says she also learned new style survival skills while filming "New in Town" in freezing Winnipeg.

"I didn't know cold like that," marvels the actress. "And who knew that pantyhose could be so very important, three or four pairs at a time. I never imagined that I would rejoice at the pantyhose laid out on the bed by wardrobe every morning." 

"I would not be here today were it not for the Hanes, I promise this."

-- Reporting by Sal Morgan

Photo: WireImage

Brother, can you spare a joint?

Seems like every president has an embarrassing black sheep brother.

Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush all had brothers whose behavior has been both unethical and embarrassing.

Remember Billy Carter, Neil Bush, Roger Clinton, Donald Nixon?

Even John McCain's brother caused a ruckus during the election when he dialed 911 to ask about the cause of the bad traffic he was stuck in and then swore at the operator.

Now President Obama's half brother, George, has been arrested and charged with possession of marijuana near his home in Nairobi, Kenya.

George Obama doesn't know his brother well and he only had one joint on him. "He is not a drug peddler," Police Chief Joshua Omokulongolo told the Associated Press. Well, that's good to know.

George is the youngest of Barack Obama's father's seven children. He was not among the new president's Kenyan relatives attending the recent D.C. inauguration. And media reports of George living in a shack and earning $1 day are said -- by him -- to be exaggerated.

"I'm proud of how I live," he told AP in an interview last summer. The media "are tarnishing the family name."

Yeah, well, the joint didn't help much either.

There's been no comment from the White House on this family matter.

Should the president make one? Or does he have bigger fish to fry right now?

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Photo: Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times

"Coraline" author Neil Gaiman was at the film's junket this afternoon at the Four Seasons.

And surprise, someone asked him about how the last double issue of Batman is going.

"Batman is going very well," Gaiman replied. "My work is done, which is a wonderful thing, and it's now up to the amazing Andy Kubert who is drawing as fast as he can.

Check here to see a very cool Kubert drawing

"It was an honor, when someone can say to you, 'Would you like to write the last issue of Batman and the last issue of the decade?' "

"And again, you don't get to do that very often. It's the only time it's ever gonna happen, so I was thrilled I got to do it.

"Killing Batman is always fun," he added.

A reporter joked, "It never takes, though..."

"Might be this time," Gaiman said, with a very sly smile.

What do you think? Will Gaiman kill off Batman? Should he?

Photo: Neil Gaiman photographed by Jennifer S. Altman for the Los Angeles Times.

Dakota Fanning is really, really excited about taking on the role of Jane, the Volturi vampire in "Twilight's" sequel, "New Moon."

However, she hasn't even read the book yet.

Fanning admitted at this afternoon's junket for her new film, "Coraline," that she's only halfway through reading the first "Twilight" book.

Asked if there was any movement on "New Moon," Dakota replied, "It's not 100% for sure yet that I will be doing it, but it's definitely not like a rumor or anything. It's definitely a possibility and something I'm excited about."

Asked if there was any particular scene from the book that she was looking forward to doing, she said, "I don't know ... I just think the character is what I'd be excited about. It's kind of evil, it's a vampire, it's really cool."

Does she have any favorite vampires from films?

"I don't. The only vampire movie I've seen is 'Twilight.' "

I told her, "Well, then, I guess we know who your favorite vampire is!" and Dakota laughed out loud and blushed.

Fanning hasn't read all four of Stephenie Meyers' vampire books yet, but says she's "working on it.
I'm just about finished with the first one."

So, another reporter asked, she hasn't gotten to "New Moon" yet?

"No, not yet," she admitted.

I mentioned to Dakota that the Vanessa Hudgens "Twilight" casting rumors caused a fury among Twilighters, but that it seemed most comments on The Dish Rag from readers about her being cast as Jane were pretty supportive and embracing.

"That's really nice," Dakota says."It makes me feel good. I know that 'Twilight' is so sacred to some people I know that when people cast certain people, people have their opinions and that's their right. And it's very flattering that they think I'd be right for the part, and I hope it works out."

BTW, Dakota turns 15 in three weeks. She's a Pisces.

What do you think, Twilighters? Is is a good sign - or a bad sign - that Dakota hasn't read "New Moon" yet?

 

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Photo: WireImage

As the news breaks that the mother of the recently born octuplets also has six other children at home and refused "selective abortion" to reduce the number of fetuses, some people are outraged at the lack of regulation on women using artificial (in vitro fertilization) means to have so many children.

We knew very little about the new mother until a family acquaintance told CBS' "The Early Show" on Thursday that the mother is "fairly young" and lives with her parents and her six children. Watch the video below.

Soon after, media camped out at the family's home in Whittier, Calif. The babies' grandfather pulled up in a minivan and spoke to the Associated Press. Beside him were two children -- ages 6 and 7 -- who admitted they were excited to have eight new brothers and sisters.

Even Cindy Margolis is horrified at this news. And she's the most photographed babe on the Internet.

"If this woman definitely used fertility drugs to have the eight kids," said Margolis, author of "Having a Baby When the Old-Fashioned Way Isn't Working," to momlogic, "I am both happy and angry at the same time. Happy that the babies were healthy, but really angry that a woman with six beautiful and healthy children would feel the need to bring more children into the world."

Margolis told momlogic that she's confused why the mom used fertility drugs in the first place.  "This woman obviously had no such problem [getting pregnant] and was just being either selfish or immature -- or a little of both."

Margolis' son Nicholas was born after she received IVF treatments. Her twin girls, Sabrina and Sierra, were born with a surrogate's aid. "When you can't get pregnant the old-fashioned way ... the path to motherhood is a long, rocky and sometimes heartbreaking journey."

Margolos hopes the babies will be well cared for.

When so many children are dying of starvation and disease around the world, and when so many childless couples are trying hard to have one child, isn't it selfish to produce eight more?

Should there be more regulations or guidelines on how many children can be conceived in this way?

Is this woman bucking for a reality show?

And boy, didn't those doctors -- Dr. Karen Maples and  Dr. Harold Henry -- get some major headlines.

Your thoughts? This is obviously an issue that our society will continue to face in the future. What's the solution? Should there be one?

Read the full story on the octuplet's birth here.

Mickey Rourke hit the mat before his "WrestleMania 25" match even started.

At the SAG Awards on Sunday, the Academy Award nominee (he played Randy "the Ram" Robinson in "The Wrestler") made a big to-do to reporters about how he was planning to be in the upcoming wrestling event.

But now the match, set for April 5 in Houston, will not happen, according to E!

Why? Well, it sounds to me as if someone talked some sense into Mr. Rourke.

"Mickey was very honored to be asked, as he has the greatest respect for WWE. However, he will not be participating in WrestleMania," says the actor's official rep, Paula Woods, in a released statement. "He is focusing entirely on his acting career."

Let's reinforce that: FOCUS ON YOUR ACTING CAREER!

You need to save your strength, Mickey. You already have the biggest match of your life coming up.

For your career's sake, you need to KO your Oscar opponent, Sean Penn.

C'mon, take him down!

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Photos: WireImage, top left. Fox Searchlight, right.