Names
How do you get your mind off of a very bad loss? If you’re Wes Welker, you take a red-eye from New Orleans to Boston to help kick off the Spirit of Giving Food Drive, a seasonal program at Shaw’s and Star Market. Welker managed to get himself to the Shaw’s in Allston at 8:30 a.m. yesterday to meet with representatives from local food banks participating in the program. He also taped a public service announcement that will air throughout the season. . . . Pats kicker Stephen Gostkowski read “The Night Before Christmas’’ to some of his young fans at the Bristol Lounge yesterday afternoon. He was the first celebrity to take part in the Bristol’s Teddy Bear Tea series, which continues throughout the month and features readers such as Tiffany Ortiz, Gail Huff, and Shayna Seymour.
Kaling in movie mode
Cambridge-bred actress-writer Mindy Kaling’s resume just keeps getting longer. “The Office’’ star, who landed a seven-figure deal with NBC earlier this year to create her own sitcom, is apparently writing a movie with fellow “Office’’ scribe Brent Forrester, who has also penned episodes of “The Simpsons’’ and “The Ben Stiller Show.’’ Variety reported yesterday that the movie is being called “The Low Self Esteem of Lizzie Gillespie.’’ No word on who will star, but one of the producers is another Cambridge personality, John Malkovich.Is ‘Bourne’ in limbo?
Have we seen the last of Jason Bourne? Maybe. Word out West is that director Paul Greengrass has walked away from the fourth “Bourne’’ film, and it’s possible the franchise star Matt Damon will follow him. According to movie blog the Playlist, there’ve been simmering tensions between Universal and Greengrass over the director’s alleged free-spending ways. Damon has said he’s “loyal’’ to Greengrass, raising the question of whether the Cambridge-bred actor would work with a substitute director. Can we make a suggestion? When he was in town a few weeks ago, “Twilight’’ actor Kellan Lutz told us he’d love to play Jason Bourne.The Lady bowls ’em over
Before hitting the Wang Theatre stage last night for the first of two performances in Boston, Lady Gaga spent Monday night bowling at Kings in the Back Bay. Apparently, Ms. Gaga bowled a 159. That means she’s better than the president. Nightlifers were hoping that Gaga might show up at a late-night, post-show party at the local nightclub Rumor. The soiree was being billed as the official “Fame Monster’’ record-release after-party. But as of press time, there was no word on whether the “Poker Face’’ singer made an appearance. We’ll keep you posted.Perry walks the ‘Walk’ again
Reprising a stunt that fueled Aerosmith’s ’80s comeback, guitarist Joe Perry will perform “Walk This Way’’ with a rapper before Sunday’s Pats/Dolphins game. More than 20 years after Aerosmith had a huge hit with Run-DMC, Perry will do the song with T-Pain. (The pair will perform before the game at Miami’s Landshark Stadium.) Perry is busy promoting his solo CD, “Have Guitar, Will Travel,’’ while he and bandmates Brad Whitford, Joey Kramer, and Tom Hamilton wait to see if Steven Tyler rejoins the band.Making the naughty list
Speaking of T-Pain, the Florida native made some news in Boston himself yesterday. A teen panel working with the city’s Public Health Commission put “Blame It,’’ his song with Jamie Foxx, and “One More Drink,’’ his song with Ludacris, on a list of top 10 songs with “unhealthy relationship ingredients,’’ such as disrespect and manipulation. The commission released the list yesterday along with a roster of songs with “healthy relationship ingredients.’’ Lady Gaga, who’s in town for two shows at the Wang Theatre, was also on the unhealthy list twice. Her tune “Paparazzi’’ was named the third most unhealthy song by Boston teens, and her more recent single, “Bad Romance,’’ was No. 10.Running his mouth?
What is it with Rajon Rondo and running? Last spring, the Celtics’s fleet point guard challenged the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt, to a foot race and teased that he might test the Jamaican gold medalist at the 2012 Olympics. Well, Rondo’s at it again, this time challenging Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson to a race, and putting his money - $2,000 - where his mouth is. (For the record, Johnson runs the 40 in 4.24 seconds.) Johnson’s response? Typing on Twitter, he wrote: “that’s easy money set it up on espn.’’ We’d rather Rondo worked on his jump shot.Funny face
Famous Boston dad Ben Affleck was spotted making silly faces at his daughter, Violet, after picking her up from school in Santa Monica.Literally
“Eight shows a week is no joke. Everything in your life has to be about the show. Mentally. Physically. Vocally.’’ -- Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson, currently appearing in a revival of “Finian’s Rainbow” Read the Names blog at www.boston.com/namesblog. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253. 
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