Another view of Rosie

Elisabeth Hasselbeck has her own view about Rosie O'Donnell -- she's a pal. "Everyone's always thinking Ro and I don't get along, we're 'enemies,' " said the 29-year-old Hasselbeck, the youngest and most conservative member of "The View" team. "Politically, we're rivals. That is clear. However, we are personally friends. We are on e-mail all day long with each other." As for the gossip reports that O'Donnell's on-air remarks to Hasselbeck have caused the younger star to cry backstage, Hasselbeck shrugged off the stories, telling People magazine: "Under these blond highlights I consider myself a pretty tough person. So don't cry for me, Argentina." The Boston College alum is equally magnanimous when it comes to the prospect of having more children. Speaking for herself and her husband (New York Giants quarterback Tim Hasselbeck, also 29 and a former BC guy -- the pair are parents to a 2-year-old daughter, Grace), Hasselbeck said, "We're just trying to be patient, and hopefully in the next year or so I'll be sharing some good news." (People)

Record company EMI Group PLC said yesterday it planned to unveil "an exciting new digital offering" with computer company Apple Inc., raising expectations that the Beatles' music catalog is about to be made available through Apple's iTunes online music store. EMI said it would hold a news conference today at its London headquarters with its chief executive, Eric Nicoli, and Apple boss Steve Jobs "and a special live performance." EMI has been the Beatles' record label since the early 1960s. The Beatles have so far been the most prominent holdout from iTunes and other online music services, and Apple's overtures to put the music online were stymied by a long-running trademark dispute with the Beatles' commercial guardian, Apple Corps. Ltd. (AP)

Will Ferrell skated past his competitors to take the gold medal at the North American box office with his new comedy "Blades of Glory," according to estimates released yesterday. "Blades" sold $33 million worth of tickets since opening Friday. Ferrell and Jon Heder ("Napoleon Dynamite") play the world's first competitive male pairs figure skaters in an irreverent comedy that enjoyed widespread critical acclaim -- an increasing rarity for box office champs these days. Also new on the box office chart was Walt Disney Co.'s animated comedy "Meet the Robinsons," which opened at No. 2 with $25.1 million, roughly in line with relatively modest expectations. Last weekend's champion, the animated "TMNT," fell to No. 4 with $9.2 million, taking its 10-day haul to $38.4 million. Just ahead of it, down one, was another former chart-topper, "300," with $11.2 million. (Reuters)

Philip Roth (inset) will receive the first ever PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction, a $40,000 prize named for the late Nobel laureate and one of Roth's closest friends and literary heroes. "To my mind, Saul Bellow and William Faulkner form the backbone of 20th-century American literature," Roth said in a statement. (AP)

Justin Timberlake (above) vowed to "break the slime barrier" at Saturday's 20th annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards -- and the show's host sure did deliver the green goo. Timberlake, who won the award for favorite male singer, was slimed both at the beginning and end of the show. During the opening number, Timberlake, dressed in a tuxedo and an orange scarf, sang: "You'll never get a drop of slime on old J.T." -- but was soon covered with it. Other stars who got drenched with the green stuff included Mandy Moore, Tobey Maguire, Steve Carell, Vince Vaughn, Chris Tucker, and Jackie Chan. Even Nicole Kidman got slightly slimed when she accepted the award for the animated movie "Happy Feet." Early in the raucous show, "Charlotte's Web" star Dakota Fanning won for favorite female movie star and the Black Eyed Peas won for favorite musical group. (People) . . . Shots were fired at a party early yesterday following the Kids ' Choice Awards, wounding three people, and Los Angeles police said they suspected gang members were involved. The party was thrown by someone who had attended the awards, but it was not an official Nickelodeon function and had no celebrity guests, police Lt. Roger Deranian said. (AP)