By Jocelyn Vena

Britney Spears has been seen all over Manhattan this week, but on Wednesday she ventured up to the Bronx to stop by John Philip Sousa Middle School 142 and deliver a $10,000 check to the school’s year-old music program, People.com reports.

While there, Britney got a taste of what her money would help support: The school’s band, the Sousatones, played for the pop star, and a seven girl chorus group sang “I Am Woman” for her. The money was donated by Elizabeth Arden, the cosmetics and fragrance company that makes Brit’s Believe, Fantasy and Curious fragrance lines.

“I really enjoyed the time I spent at the John Philip Sousa Middle School,” Spears told People. “I’ve been working with the people at Elizabeth Arden for the last five years, and I know how passionate everyone is about the school.

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By Dave Romanski

It’s October, and if we’re being perfectly honest, despite the economy collapsing, despite the mortgage crisis and the war and all the issues facing the country right now, we have to admit this is the most fun election ever. And one source is responsible for a lot of that fun: YouTube.

Remember when a candidate used to say something stupid on the campaign trail? We used to be satisfied with a healthy run on the 24-hour cable news cycle, where a few pundits would dissect said statement and either shake their heads in righteous outrage or nervously try to appease whatever constituency was offended.

Even with cable news, you started to get the impression that politicians only said stupid, self-destructive things occasionally. And then YouTube happened.

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Well, apparently red-carpet faves Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt from the hit MTV show didn’t get the memo. So when the duo turned up this morning at what we’re sure will be the new hot spot in L.A. — the Taco Bell at Venice and La Brea — to once again team up with the restaurant chain to raise awareness for world hunger, it was a shock to some patrons who were in a hurry to get their quesadillas.

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Published by Gil Kaufman

Wyclef Jean announced on Thursday that he’s joining the bill for Jay-Z’s “Last Chance for Change” free voter-registration concert in Miami’s Bayfront Park Amphitheater this Sunday. The show, hosted by Obama for America, will encourage young attendees to get involved with the Obama campaign. Jean will not be on the bill the previous night at Jay’s free show in Detroit, which like the Miami show, is open to fans 18 and older.

And it looks like that other...

By Joseph Patel

Whether you’re a Republican, Democrat or Independent, there’s no denying that one of the most ubiquitous images to emerge from the 2008 presidential campaign is the red, white and blue Barack Obama “Hope” poster. Created by one-time street artist Shepard Fairey, the poster features an austere portrait of Obama, manifest in a screen print that looks like one of those funny 3-D magazine pictures, with one of the primary slogans of his campaign written boldly underneath: hope.

For supporters of the Illinois senator, the poster has become a symbol of the potential of an Obama presidency as it adorns windows, billboards and the sides of buildings all around the country. For supporters of John McCain or Hillary Clinton, the portrait has sometimes earned derision for being emblematic of Obama’s “celebrity” status.

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He won. She totally won. At least she didn’t fall on her face. Thank God he kept it brief. Does anyone really buy all this “betcha, gosh, golly wow, Joe Six-pack” crap? What was that dude even talking about? It’s kind of hard to fail when the bar is set below the bar. Is winking a debate tactic? What about crying? Does it count as an answer if you don’t really answer the question and just talk about whatever you want to talk about? Do vice-presidential debates even matter? Is anyone seriously going to be swayed by either of these two?

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That was the question on everyone’s minds at last night’s U.N. Global Leadership Gala, where Jay was being honored for his work with the U.N. and MTV on the “Water for Life” initiative.

Ki-moon paid tribute to the