The Reliable Source

Welcome to "The Reliable Source" with Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts. Appearing in the Style section on Tuesdays through Fridays and Sundays, The Reliable Source brings you gossip from across the region and around the world -- candid looks at the lives and loves and hijinks of all your favorite bold-faced names, be they congressmen or millionaires, ballplayers or newsbabes, nightlife divas or master thespians, DJs or gadflies, has-beens or will-bes.

Argetsinger and Roberts are online each Wednesday at Noon ET to discuss your favorite gossip, what you thought about their recent columns or who you want to see them writing about in future ones.

Reliable Source Columns

Argetsinger is a veteran of all leafy-green, protein-rich sections like Metro and National while Roberts brought you the champagne and bon-bons of Style's society beat.

A transcript follows.

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Roxanne Roberts: Hi gang! Happy end of January, with all sorts of things to keep us cozy: Miss America, rats, custom pinstripes, celebrity dressing, celebrity portraits, CEO drinking games. Let the party begin.

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Bethesda, Md.: Saw Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna at Jaleo downtown on Sunday. Is he rehearsing something at the Shakespeare Theatre, or are they on a "Dancing with the Stars" tour?

Roxanne Roberts: He was here for the "Dancing" tour Sunday at the Verizon Center. Anybody pay actually money to go? Was he as cute in person?

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Rockville, Md.: Having worked in D.C. office buildings, here's one tip on keeping out rats and mice, which can also be a problem: Don't leave those little condiment packets lying around your desk or the kitchen. Rats and mice love those. Also, keep all food outside the refrigerator solidly wrapped up, in jars or in tightly-capped containers. Finding foodstuffs in offices and kitchens are a bonanza for rats and mice!

Roxanne Roberts: I'm confused---aren't the little packets encased in plastic? The rats can smell the stuff inside?

And I want to know: Were they friendly rats? Personally, I like them, but I understand how the critters can freak people out. Any other close encounters?

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Chicago: Good Afternoon Ladies. Is there anything going on between Diddy and Sienna? Truth and answers please...

Roxanne Roberts: Lots of great PR for both of them, and maybe a little real flirting. So hard to tell with the red-carpet kids, but it certainly got lots of buzz.

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Miss Ameri, CA: Texas was robbed. And if you shave their heads, the new Miss A and last year's Miss A would look identical. I was sitting in the balcony, and people actually booed Miss Oklahoma when she botched her answer to the last question!

Amy Argetsinger: Really? I was in the balcony, and I didn't hear people booing -- more like that collective murmur of "oh, that wasn't good." But yes, Texas was robbed. There were some people thinking that the fact she's only a community college student was going to hurt her, but she seemed to turn that into an inspiring story, or at least a "I really NEED that $50K scholarship" story. Could be that her look was a little too edgy, a little too fashion-forward, a little too Beyonce-circa-2003, for the pageant.

Sorry to be late. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, and that goes for my internal clock, still set at the godforsaken hour of 9 a.m.

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Potomac, Md.: Can a bunch of us just say that we think it's a bit ridiculous that a former Secretary of State -- someone paid to uphold ideals and politics and democracy and freedom around the world, including the world's poorest nations -- struts around in a $10,000 suit with his name all over it. Just absolutely ridiculous. No one, no matter how rich or famous, needs to wear a suit that costs $10,000. Asinine!

Roxanne Roberts: The revelation for me was that there was such a thing as personalized pinstripes. To be fair, the pinstripes were woven in such a way that you have to be very close to notice the letters, so Shultz wasn't strutting. And to the larger point: No, he probably doesn't need a $10,000 suit, but there are plenty of luxuries no one needs but people enjoy: Cars, exotic vacations, jewels. If he can afford it, is it so awful?

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Washington, D.C.: This isn't really local, but has anyone noticed Paula Abdul keeps wearing those early-mid 90's poet shirts? Do you think those are from that time period, or do you think she has them specially made new?

Amy Argetsinger: Paula! She knows how to keep us talking about her, doesn't she? At least this time it doesn't include controlled substances.

Last night was great. I loved the weird mannerism girl with the freaky talking voice who turns out to be a good singer; and also the schticky Jack Osbourne-looking guy who turns to to be a good singer. Can't wait for the Hollywood auditions.

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SAG Awards: On Sunday night, Eddie Murphy thanked "Tracy for putting it back together." Can you explain?

Amy Argetsinger: That most likely is a reference to Tracy Edmonds, ex-wife of Babyface, whom Eddie has been dating since late last fall, around the time he cut Scary Spice loose at some point in her first trimester...

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Brandy: Looks like Brandy is having a very bad week. A $50 million lawsuit, potential charges ... My question is, this happened a month ago. Why did it take so long for news to break?

Roxanne Roberts: I'm not sure, although it was a multiple car accident, and Brandy was only part of a chain that resulted in the death of one driver. For those who missed it: Brandy rear-ended a car at about 10:30 a.m. on the morning of Dec. 30 in LA. The car was then struck by another, and the driver of the car Brandy hit was seriously injured and later died. It's not the sort of thing anyone wants to publicize, and I'm guessing her rep was in no hurry to release details.

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RE: Office rats: We found a simple solution with two cats adopted from the local shelter -- in a funny way they are actually part of the office staff now!

Roxanne Roberts: I LOVE that! What are their names? Have they killed any rats? Do they get benefits?

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Amy Argetsinger: Thanks to Virginia for the divorce gossip; not sure if it's hot enough for the column but will investigate; meanwhile can't put in the chat unless we've confirmed.

This is a good time to remind all of you to bring your tips to reliablesource@washpost.com.

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Scooter's Trial and Wait Wait: NPR reported that a Washington Post reporter was among those called as potential jurors for the Scooter Libby [trial]. According to the report (and I'm paraphrasing) the WP reporter told the judge that she cannot serve because gossip is what she does. Was that one of you?

By the way Rox, your come-from-behind victory over Paula in Wait Wait two weeks ago was fantastic. Poor Paula, an amazing wit but the Susan Lucci of Wait Wait.

Amy Argetsinger: The Washington Post staffer referred to is a great young woman who works as an editorial assistant here, and what she actually said, in essence, is that she LIKES to gossip.

Is that brilliant or what? Don't know why she's wasting her time making peanuts in this newsroom, when she could set up a successful consulting business helping people figure out how to get out of jury duty.

Roxanne Roberts: Re: Wait Wait. Peter figured there would be NO WAY I'd know about the toilet-cleaning monkey, which just goes to show what a little homework can do. Paula, as always, was a gracious loser---but the live audience almost stormed the stage and threw me to the lions.

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George Schultz: Isn't this a guy with a tiger tattoo on his tush? Can custom pin stripes really be that out of character?

Roxanne Roberts:'xactly.

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Washington D.C.: You're a little slow on the Police reunion, ladies. That info has been out there for at least a month already. Also common knowledge is the already-booked 80-city world tour, including the Glastonbury Festival. You need better sources.

Roxanne Roberts: Now, now. Lots of rumors have been floating around, but no confirmation until yesterday's announcement about the Grammys. And since we're not allowed to pass on rumors, we had to wait.

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Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.: We saw (or, thought we saw) Tom Cavanagh of "Ed" fame at the D.C. Chophouse during Restaurant Week but never said anything to you guys because a) We couldn't figure out why in the heck he would be in D.C. and b) Last time we e-mailed you a celebrity sighting, we didn't get so much as a response. Now it turns out he's doing work for Smithsonian TV. You know, if you want us to send in tips how about a little love to the tipsters?

Amy Argetsinger: Really? I'm so sorry about that. We actually try to e-mail back to everyone who e-mails us, especially those with valid and thoughtful news tips, but things sometimes get lost in the shuffle, especially if we've had one of those weeks with a flood of crazy non-tip e-mails. Also, sometimes if people e-mail us through the clickable byline thing on the web their return-address e-mail doesn't always come through, making it impossible to acknowledge.... Anyway, glad you didn't feel so completely burned that you swore off the chats...

But yes, someone else told us (too many days too late for the column) that they saw Tom Cavanagh filming something on the Mall for the Smithsonian. So there we go.

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Georgia Ave. and Spring St.: So I drove past the hotel at the corner of Georgia Ave. and Spring St. this morning and saw a couple of tour buses and a truck all painted with "Justin Timberlake" across the side. I know he's playing Verizon Center this Friday, but is he already in town? And, if he is, what he is doing staying in Silver Spring instead of some swanky hotel downtown?

Amy Argetsinger: I don't think that's Justin staying in Silver Spring -- probably some support staff getting things set up in advance. JT is playing in Montreal tonight.

And, no, sorry, we don't know where he'll stay in D.C., and if we did we probably couldn't tell you in advance.

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Bowie, Md: How [can] The Post report a lawsuit by Jackie Cooke against her father's foundation, but not show us a pic of her, especially when you guys said she's "come of age." Speaking of which, what is her mother doing for a living?

Amy Argetsinger: Probably just because they didn't have a picture. I specifically told the Metro editors that they should do their best to get a picture of her out there because she's supposedly a total babe.

Also, we don't at this moment know what her mom Suzanne is doing exactly. But we'll try to find a way to catch you up on all these things.

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Annapolis, Md.: Can I just say that no one, absolutely no one, needs an SUV if they have fewer than six people in their family? It sickens me that with all the poor people in the world and the limited highway space that anyone would blow extra money and gas on an unnecessary luxury. Extra bonus snark: shoes costing more than $20 also are completely decadent. China has shown us all that is quite possible to do anything while shod in nothing more than woven grass thongs.

Roxanne Roberts: We could spend the entire hour debating what, in fact, is a luxury. You are entirely free to wear inexpensive shoes if you wish, but count me (and about 90 percent of the population) as "completely decadent" when it comes to shoes, especially high heels.

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Chicago: Do you ladies plan to post any Oscar predictions?

Amy Argetsinger: Last year we got various local VIPs to give us their Oscar pix; we'll probably do something similar this year. Except that this year it all feels fairly predictable -- Helen Mirren, Jennifer Hudson, Eddie Murphy... a *possible* Peter O'Toole upset over Forrest Whitaker, and I guess we don't know for sure whether Babel or The Departed will win Best Picture.

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Washington, D.C.: Yes, but Eddie is a scumbag anyway for throwing doubt out there that he's the father of Scary Spice's unborn fetus.

Amy Argetsinger: Truly, he has not behaved like a gentleman here.

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Washington, D.C.: Better arm candy? Brad Pitt or David Beckham?

Amy Argetsinger: Daniel Craig.

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Washington: As funny as it is, I feel bad for Paul Wolfowitz, but his toes look like he's been wearing pumps/stilettos for ages. What is up with those twisted toes/bunions?

Roxanne Roberts: You think? Maybe it was the just the way the toes poked out of the holes. Somehow, I'm think Mr. World Bank is unlikely to elaborate.

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Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. : Hello A and R --

So my husband and I saw Dan Rather yesterday while having lunch at Bistro Bis (of course, husband just had to hum that REM song as we passed by). Anyway, what is his story (no pun) lately? Is he going to CNN?

Amy Argetsinger: Last I heard of Dan Rather he was going to anchor a new newsmagazine show on the high-def cable channel HDNet. Has that started airing yet? I don't have cable, and I definitely don't have high-def.

Never hesitate to send these sightings to reliablesource@washpost.com. And if we don't write you back, feel free to curse us out to your friends and neighbors.

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Washington, D.C.: Susan and Timothy Robbins were in town last weekend for the rally. Did you guys ask them why his mother-in-law wasn't there?

Roxanne Roberts: Are you kidding? You want us to get punched out?

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Arlington, Va.: Hi,

Roxanne I love Wait Wait. I know that they travel to different cities besides their main stomping ground in Chicago. Will the show come to Washington D.C. anytime soon or further down the road?

Thanks!

Roxanne Roberts: The show was here last May (former mayor Tony Williams did a fab star turn in the "Not My Job" segment), so probably not this year. But I promise to let you all know as soon as I hear word.

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Baltimore, Md.: Hi girls. Celebrity sightings FYI: I was coming home from Argentina this past Saturday and stood in line behind Christy Turlington at the Buenos Aires airport!

Also, my coworker's husband served Ed Norton a Starbucks in Baltimore City this weekend.

That's all.

Amy Argetsinger: And let me guess -- Christy Turlington wasn't wearing any makeup but still looked radiantly beautiful. How I hate her.

Columbia, Md., native Edward Norton, the pride of Wilde Lake High school! Good to have him back in the neighborhood.

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Fortaleza: The kitten we saved from the streets isn¿t big enough to hunt mice yet but has started hunting small cockroaches. They (the cats, not the roaches) can be useful critters. Fortunately, unlike a cat we had earlier, this one does not bring the hunted prey to us as gifts.

Roxanne Roberts: Awwww. My two Siamese are very feral when stray bugs venture into my home. Unless I spot bugs first and send them back to the wilds of the back patio, they stalk and then Yin (its always him) chomps them down. Crickets seem to be especially at risk---I think the jumping really attracts the cats.

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Anonymous: This was just posted on Tom Sietsema's chat, right before yours:

Tom's love life: Tom --

Can you finally clear the air and let us know who you're currently dating? I hear so many rumors these days about your love life. It's tough to keep track of you!

Thanks!

Tom Sietsema: Is this Page Six?

In answer to your question: You'd be very, very, very, very amused. (That's four stars' worth of amusement.)

My question is, can you tattle on your colleague? Pleeeease?

Amy Argetsinger: Tom, Tom, Tom! Why is everyone sooooo in love with wonderful, adorable, brilliant Tom?!?! Does anyone ever think to ask Tom about *us*? Hmpf! Didn't think so.

Roxanne Roberts: Well, he is pretty cute.

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Obamamania: So Michelle Obama has never moved to Washington? Where does Barack Obama live whilst in D.C.? You know as much as there is to the whole first-black-president thing that would be historic, I am starting to think it could be just plain fun to have little kids in the White House.

Amy Argetsinger: Wouldn't that be great? Though I'm not sure I'd wish upon anyone the fate of spending one's pre-teen/teenage years in the White House.

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River City: Sure, $400 Manolos are too decadent, but sadly, one can't get shoes with decent arch support for $20. I finally admitted I had to stop being thrifty and pay more for shoes that support my feet.

Roxanne Roberts: Like I said, we could talk about this one issue for the whole chat. I once bought a pair of Jimmy Choo's at deep discount and LOVED them---the most comfortable high heels I ever wore. Broke my heart when the heel snapped beyond repair.

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Washington, D.C.: Speaking of Daniel Craig, there was a lot of hype about him when he was chosen to be the next Bond. Some weren't too happy that he was blond, but couldn't he just dye his hair?

Amy Argetsinger: Yeah, some people complained in advance, but once they saw the movie they were generally fine with the idea of a James Blond. No need for Daniel Craig to dye his hair now -- we've all come around to the idea.

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Rats: When I was at Wharton, they were having a huge rodent problem. Being Wharton, they tried every expensive, modern technological fix they could think of. Poison, high-pitched noisemakers, everything. It all failed. Philly rats are smart.

So they went to the shelter and got a cat. They named him Raider. (Yes, as in Corporate Raider.) Raider lives in the AV/IT department, and the staff there keeps his schedule. If you had a rat problem, you called that department and scheduled Raider to pay a visit. They would bring him to your office at 5 p.m., with food, water and litter, then pick him up at 7 a.m.

The coolest part, if you know cats, is that the bits he didn't eat, he deposited neatly in his litter box for disposal.

Raider was one savvy cat. Cheap, too.

Roxanne Roberts: That's awesome.

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In defense of our Gossip Duo:"You're a little slow on the Police reunion, ladies. That info has been out there for at least a month already. Also common knowledge is the already-booked 80-city world tour, including the Glastonbury Festival. You need better sources."

That was uncalled for, because it was clear that Rox and Amy were following proper protocol by waiting until the rumors had been confirmed. Imagine how much backlash and money The Post would receive and hand out if every single unconfirmed rumor was splashed in the paper or online.

Amy Argetsinger: Hey, thanks... There are always lots and lots of delightful and juicy rumors out there on the web; sadly a lot of them turn out not to be true. I think you'll find that most newspapers are happier to be late than wrong.

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Arlington, Va.: Hi ladies! I'm a little hesitant to ask this, but what's the latest word on Mark Foley? Is he still in rehab, or is he quietly awaiting legal action somewhere else, or what?

Amy Argetsinger: Not positive; think he's out of rehab by now but lying low...

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Washington: Hello! My roommate bought tickets for us and our boyfriends to the National Opera's Gala. Since all four of us are undergrads I'm a little worried about what to wear, what to do, etc. Do you think the crowd will be a lot older? I appreciate my friend's generosity, but do you think we'll stick out in this scene?

Roxanne Roberts: You'll be fine in a dressy cocktail dress, although you can wear a long gown if you have one around. The party has plenty of folks of all ages, so you won't stick out. Have fun.

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Blue Belle, Wisc.: Amy and Roxy :

Doesn't the thought of that Harry Potter boy Radcliffe doing all those nude shots freak you out a little? Be honest.

Amy Argetsinger: Oh, but it's in the cause of art -- he's starring on the London stage in the acclaimed drama "Equus," and he's nude in one scene, the nudity apparently relevant to the character development. Hey, he's almost 18.

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Washington, D.C.: To save embarrassment, what would you guys have done if you were in Paul Wolfowitz's shoes (no pun intended). Would you have removed your socks completely, asked an associate for their socks on the down low, or pulled your socks longer to try to hide the hole?

Roxanne Roberts: The second he realized he was going into a mosque he should have borrowed a pair from one of his staffers. The picture of his holey socks caused a sensation around the world.

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Wall Street: I work right next to the Exchange and Federal Hall on Wall Street. Bush has the streets closed off to even pedestrians. Do you know when I will be able to get out so I can get some lunch. The president is making me hungry.

Amy Argetsinger: Sorry, don't know his exact schedule. But I'm kind of hungry too, so I totally empathize.

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Cats: Great idea and obviously eco-friendly. Only problem is those poor folks who are allergic to cat dander.

Roxanne Roberts: Yeah, that could be a problem. Otherwise, LOVE it. Wish we had one in the gossip pod.

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Washington, D.C.: What's Wharton (tongue in cheek)? Is it an apartment complex in Columbia Heights?

Amy Argetsinger: Ha! Yeah, you know you're in a very special room when someone says "When I was at Wharton..." and everyone just understands they mean the U-Penn graduate business school.

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Craig: But his hair isn't pretty boy blond, it's DIRTY blonde!

Amy Argetsinger: I don't really have anything to add to this... but I'm also happy to talk about Daniel Craig all day long.

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Bowie, Md.: Hey, I just was wondering why you guys haven't ever done an article on the area's country clubs? I know there probably are rules and it's probably real hard to get an interview or get them to let you in or whatever, but I've seen them in Bethesda mag and others. I know I would love one -- so why no club issue??

Amy Argetsinger: If you mean us in particular, it's not really a Reliable Source kind of thing -- our column being rather short and devoted to newsy little items about well-known people. Maybe more a magazine or Home or Sunday Source type thing.

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Falls Church, Va.:"Now, now. Lots of rumors have been floating around, but no confirmation until yesterday's announcement about the Grammys. And since we're not allowed to pass on rumors, we had to wait." ... But don't you gals have a section in your blog called 'Rumor Mill'?

Amy Argetsinger: That's not us. I think you're referring to a section on the "Celebritology" blog operated by our corporate kin over at washingtonpost.com, which links to some pretty interesting tidbits on outside websites; but which is not related to our column and does not appear in print.

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Craig: Wouldn't Craig and Turlington make a wonderful couple?

Amy Argetsinger: Except that she's married to Ed Burns.

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Daniel Craig?!: Amy Argetsinger: I don't really have anything to add to this... but I'm also happy to talk about Daniel Craig all day long.

Amy, I'm very hurt. Dominic (that's Dominic West, since you seem to have totally forgotten me.)

Amy Argetsinger: Uh, well... I'm happy to talk about Dominic West all night long.

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Miss America: I must say that I didn't like any of the top three (their talent performances were mediocre and their answers were painful). I'm a bit of a pageant dork and watched some of the pre-show features on CMT the weekend before. I don't know why, but Miss Texas ESPECIALLY irritated me during the episodes I watched. I wanted Miss Alabama to win -- the fact that she tried so hard to be there won me over. I also thought that Miss Mississippi was the most talented ... Anyways, I was disappointed.

Amy Argetsinger: Miss Mississippi was the most beautiful, but I was put off by her talent -- when there's a backing track with your piano routine, you probably need it. I was actually put off by Miss Alabama saying she had tried out 23 times at the local level before making it to her state pageant -- girlfren, get a life! Interesting about how Miss Texas came across in the pre-show (which, believe it or not, I missed) -- could offer some clues to why she didn't win.

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Just Asking: Do you have a picture of Martin O'Malley with no shirt on that you can share with us?

Amy Argetsinger: No. Sorry.

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Rockville, Md.: Roxanne and Amy: In several offices, rats and mice have somehow torn apart condiment packets, actually shred them to pieces. When exterminators came in, they said that rats and mice somehow discern that there is something edible in them, and they tear them apart. Continually, the packets were found shredded by mice and rats.

Amy Argetsinger: When I used to have cats, they'd do the same. So many complications with inter-species households.

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Wall Street: Argh! Just looked out the window and saw President Bush leave Federal Hall. But alas, he walked over to the exchange, so the streets are still closed off. When am I going to eat? I didn't think this guy could irritate me any more than he has over the past several years!

Amy Argetsinger: More importantly, what am *I* going to eat? I didn't have time for breakfast.

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Amy Argetsinger: So, another successful hour answering your questions about Daniel Craig, Tom Sietsema, and extermination. I need to go get some lunch, and Roxanne has already logged off to do real work. Please keep in touch during the rest of the week via reliablesource@washpost.com, and if you don't get a response -- well, it was probably Roxanne's fault. Thanks for joining us!

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