Gretchen

Last week in the O.C., Sarah had a meltdown, Tamra downsized to itty-bitties, and Jim had a "come to Jesus" dinner with Alexis. And Jesus told Jim to tell Alexis to quit Fox 5. Turns out Jim may not be that far off - tonight's episode may actually signify the Second Coming because Vicki finally admits she owes someone 50 percent of an apology, and the ladies spend the night somewhere other than a Ritz-Carlton hotel. I believe these are the first two signs of the Apocalypse.  Remember the good ol' days when watching "Real Housewives" meant an inside peek into the daily lives of well-off women?

This year's Maryland State Fair has become the go-to event of the summer with just two words: Justin Bieber. The teen pop music sensation will perform at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium on Sept. 5, as part of the new tour dates recently added to his "Justin Bieber My World 2.0" tour. Also scheduled to perform at this year's fair are country music star Gretchen Wilson on Aug. 27 and former Poison frontman Bret Michaels on Sept. 1. All concerts start at 7 p.m., and tickets go on sale June 12. The fair runs Aug. 27 to Sept.

Gretchen, age 22, spent her last day of life at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore atop the grassy hill where she had long endeared herself to thousands of families and children, grazing pleasantly with a herd of four other giraffes. Staff members came to see her throughout the day Friday, offering tearful goodbyes to a sweet, inquisitive animal many had come to call "The Lady of the House." Her long day outside was a rare one in recent weeks, zoo officials said, as her lifelong problems with arthritis gradually increased her suffering so much that they decided to end her life.

She's sweet-tempered and curious - and as gentle and graceful as a 1,500-pound, 14-foot-tall animal can possibly be. Her keepers at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore think she's beautiful. But when Gretchen the giraffe is in your face - all ears, horns, lips and drool, with her 18-inch tongue snaking out to grab a bunch of romaine - she's simply comical. There is nothing funny, however, about the challenge zoo veterinarians face each day keeping the geriatric giraffe as healthy and comfortable as possible as she nears the end of her life.

M. Gretchen ZimmerMANN Calling hours will be from 3 until 4pm Friday, October 26, 2007 at Beckman-Williamson Funeral Home in Viera with services immediately following at 4pm. You may sign Gretchen's guest book at www.beckmanwilliamson.com.

"Redneck Woman" Gretchen Wilson recently signed a deal with Warner Books to publish her story of going from a small-town bartender to a Grammy Award-winning artist. She performs Sunday night with Randy Owen, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of Alabama, and 20-year-old guitarist Blaine Larsen at Merriweather Post Pavilion, Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia. Tickets are $30-$45 for the 7:30 p.m. show. Call 410-547-SEAT or go to ticketmaster.com.

Gretchen Mol carries The Notorious Bettie Page on her back -- and every other body part. With a wholesome gusto, she inhabits the role of a Tennessee woman who moved to New York and, there and in Florida, became the pin-up gal of the Fifties. She convinces us that Page brought the same wide-eyed innocence to posing in bondage stills and "acting" in S&M movies as she did to frolicking bare in the sun for nature-loving nudist films. Despite the flimsy script by Guinevere Turner and director Mary Harron, Mol effortlessly sells their vision of a guileless, generous gal making her way through life by doing what she does best: having fun in front of the camera.