Honestly it is totally my secret love to follow a bunch of celebrities on Twitter. I’m way unhealthy about it. But it’s just such a cool way to get to know what these people are like behind the PR-generated image. I respond to Taylor Swift‘s every tweet. She never writes me back, but one of these days I just know she will, and then we’ll be BFF and I’ll adopt her as my sister and she’ll come over to my house and we’ll eat chips and drink Dr. Pepper and wear matching cowboy boots and write songs together. I’M SO EXCITED!

One of my Twitter buddies, DownUnda2008, pointed me to a very cool site that has verified a shitload of celebrity Twitter accounts, and alphabetized them, from 50 Cent to Yoko Ono.

The site is called Valebrity, and you can check out celebrity Twitterers here. One celeb they don’t have listed, and who I’m pretty sure is real, is Courtney Love. Because you just can’t make up that kind of crazy. You’re born with it.

If you join Twitter, or you’re currently a member, you should totally add our very own Wendie (account here) and OF COURSE you should follow my Evil Beet Twitter (account here).

I was never a big fan of Alexis Grace. She just didn’t do anything for me. I don’t think she’s a bad singer or anything, but nothing about her ever really popped for me. But, ya know, my mom adores her. And I’ve realized that the single best mother-daughter bonding activity we have is watching American Idol. I really think this is part of the reason that the show is so successful — it’s such a great family activity. For some reason, it’s like the only show on television that she and I can both agree on, and when we watch it we always have a lovely and engaging conversation about the contestants and the judges that never disintegrates into me bawling and screaming something along the lines of “I TURNED OUT LIKE THIS BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T LET ME SHAVE MY LEGS UNTIL SEVENTH GRADE, MOM!!! I HATE YOU!!!” It’s really the only time that doesn’t happen. So, ya know, I’m sad about Alexis Grace on behalf of my mother.

Now, Alexis is busy giving post-Idol interviews before she fades into obscurity:

“I was like, ‘Is this a bad dream? What’s going on?’” the 21-year-old Memphis native told PEOPLE Thursday. “It’s hard. I’m obviously disappointed.”

The news is particularly hard to swallow as it means she just missed making the cut for this summer’s Idol tour. “I’d set a goal for myself to make tour,” says Grace. “But everybody has their times where they don’t do exactly what they want to in life, and it only gives them more encouragement to work harder. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

For a brief moment on Wednesday’s show, it seemed Grace might get a reprieve with the new “judges save” rule, but after she forgot some words to “Jolene” and cracked a couple notes, judge Simon Cowell proclaimed the performance “wasn’t good enough” for Grace to stick around. “If I’d remembered the words and been more in control of it, that might’ve helped,” Grace says. “But it’s early in the game and I could see why they would want to save it for later. It’s better television.”

Grace says she had grown particularly close to fellow Idol Megan Joy, who’s also a young mom, and that the two had joked that if they’d both made the tour, Grace’s daughter Ryan, 2, and Joy’s son Ryder, also 2, would become “boyfriend and girlfriend.” “But they still can,” says Grace with a laugh, “because Megan and I said we’re going to buy condos on the beach somewhere right next to each other so they can go over and play with each other all the time.”

Grace’s biggest challenge on Idol was being away from her daughter, even though she called her every day so the two could sing the Barney song together. She’s looking forward to their reunion next Tuesday, when she returns to Memphis after a round of press in New York City. “I’m going go home and watch Elmo with her,” Grace says. “We’re going to go play with the toys in her bedroom. That’s the first thing I’m doing, and I can’t wait.”

When Ryan gets older, Grace — who is engaged to Ryan’s father but so far has not set a wedding date — hopes her daughter will learn from mom’s Idol experience. “It’ll show her that you’ve got to work hard for what you want and never give up,” says Grace, who plans to eventually record a blues/soul album and hopefully tour on her own. “Because of this, I think I’m going to have a really great daughter. I feel very proud.”

Eh, ya know, I have to admit she’s likable, and she’s got a good head on her shoulders. Which certainly doesn’t explain what she’s doing pal-ing around with that loser Megan Joy, my nemesis. Condos on the beach, eh? You two are gonna be able to afford that soon? I’m sure they have some lovely beaches in central Idaho, right in your price range. Zing! That was totally meant for Megan, not Alexis. Joking aside, this was a very sweet interview, and I certainly wish Alexis and her family all the best.

A couple days ago, I posted a link to a leaked Tori Amos track from her new album, Abnormally Attracted to Sin. A second track leaked yesterday but was quickly pulled from YouTube, and I can’t track it down now — does anyone know where I can find “Fire to Your Plain”?

Anyway, today we have yet another — it’s called “500,” and you can listen to it above.

Tori’s performing at SXSW TONIGHT, so I’m hopeful that we’ll have a ton of video leaks from that to watch tomorrow. Woot woot!

I suppose this was just a matter of time. The kids over at DoSomething.org have released a video re-enactment of the violence that took place between Chris Brown and Rihanna on that fateful Grammy eve, based on the detective’s notes. To be fair, it’s nowhere near as cheesy as it could have been.

To help raise awareness about teen dating abuse, DoSomething is giving away a free set of three bracelets — one blue, two black, to demonstrate that one in three teens is the victim of dating violence. You can order yours here.

And while I certainly commend anyone for doing anything to speak out against domestic violence, the most powerful action you can take here is to end a relationship the very first time your significant other shows signs of violence or emotional abuse. Don’t put up with that shit, not ever. You’re worth more than that.

Oh, Lord, how I love American Idol season. The drama behind the scenes is always better than the on-camera dramz!

Up now: A group of former employees of Fremantle Media, which produces the show, have filed a class action suit against Fremantle, alleging that the company systematically overworked employees without paying the required overtime, falsified time cards and denied staffers meals and rest periods.

“There’s no Hollywood glamour for the below-the-line people who work on ‘American Idol’ and other reality shows who are grossly underpaid, worked 24/7 and receive no rest or meal breaks and no health coverage — contrary to California labor laws,” said the plaintiffs’ attorney Jonathan Biddle.

The complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court strongly resembles a class-action suit against reality companies and broadcasters that recently was settled for $4 million. The earlier suit was launched in conjunction with the Writers Guild of America, which has been going after reality production companies and networks in an attempt to organize the writers who shape the story lines of reality shows.

“For each reality television series subject to this suit, defendants hired plaintiffs based on a flat weekly or daily pay rate,” the suit reads. “Plaintiffs were required to falsify their time cards … worked in excess of 40 hours per week during virtually every week of their employment, but they never received any premium overtime play … plaintiffs were routinely denied appropriate meal and rest periods as required.”

You go get ‘em, kids! If anyone has cash in this economy, it’s the Idol producers!

There had been some rumors circulating that perhaps Natasha Richardson died of a brain aneurysm that just happened to coincide with her ski tumble, but the autopsy report indicates otherwise. They say she died from bleeding in the skull caused by the fall.

The medical examiner ruled her death an accident, and doctors said she might have survived had she received immediate treatment. However, nearly four hours elapsed between her lethal fall at her admission to a hospital.

The Tony-winning actress suffered from an epidural hematoma, which causes bleeding between the skull and the brain’s covering, said Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the New York City medical examiner’s office.

Such bleeding is often caused by a skull fracture, and it can quickly produce a blood clot that puts pressure on the brain. That pressure can force the brain downward, pressing on the brain stem that controls breathing and other vital functions.

Patients with such an injury often feel fine immediately after being hurt because symptoms from the bleeding may take time to emerge.

“This is a very treatable condition if you’re aware of what the problem is and the patient is quickly transferred to a hospital,” said Dr. Keith Siller of New York University Langone Medical Center. “But there is very little time to correct this.”

To prevent coma or death, surgeons frequently cut off part of the skull to give the brain room to swell.

“Once you have more swelling, it causes more trauma which causes more swelling,” said Dr. Edward Aulisi, neurosurgery chief at Washington Hospital Center in the nation’s capital. “It’s a vicious cycle because everything’s inside a closed space.” …

A CT scan can detect bleeding, bruising or the beginning of swelling in the brain. The challenge is for patients to know whether to seek one.

“If there’s any question in your mind whatsoever, you get a head CT,” Aulisi advised. “It’s the best 20 seconds you ever spent in your life.”

So obviously this is a horrible and tragic and heart-breaking situation, but if something good can come from this, maybe it’s a lesson. I don’t know exactly what kind of fall Natasha took, but I know I’ve had many a tumble on a ski slope, had a headache, and would never have thought to go to the hospital. But based on the fact that the paramedics were dispatched to the scene, this was maybe a little more serious than one of my falls. However, I can completely understand feeling okay and being like, “No, no, I don’t want to make this some big drama, I’ll be fine.” I don’t think I would have done anything differently in her position.

Not anymore! If the professionals on the scene recommend I go to a hospital to get checked out, I’m always saying yes in the future, drama or not. If anything good can possibly come of such a horrendous tragedy, maybe it’s that the dissemination of this information will save a few lives.

RIP, Natasha.