New York, August 11-17, 2007 – For a slow week in August, celebrities kept popping up in odd places all over the New York City area. Oddest, perhaps, was Ozzy Osbourne, who stunned Times Square tourists by showing up on top of the Hard Rock Café marquee, and performing. Ozzy was something of a surprise guest at the daylong launch of the Xbox 360 game “Madden NFL ’08”, which managed to also hit Times Square neighbors ESPN Zone, Toys “R” Us and even Reuters.

Legally challenged R&B great R. Kelly was over an hour late to the premiere of the latest installment of his Trapped in the Closet “hip-hopera”; in fact, by the time he arrived at the IFC Center, waiting journalists were threatening to walk out. Ironically, the singer wore two diamond-encrusted watches, one around his wrist and another hanging from his belt.

Russell Simmons, Josh Lucas and Rocco DiSpirito got an eyeful when one of the models had a wardrobe malfunction at designer Malcolm Harris’ Rip the Runway for Darfur benefit fashion show. The celebs all signed a bottle of Level Vodka - the evening’s sponsor - that will be auctioned off at a future Designers for Darfur event.

Do not mess with Vanessa Minnillo! When two photographers got into a shouting match at a Kohl’s department store in Jersey City, where the former MTV host launched her cosmetics line “Flirt”, Minnillo turned toward the noise, said “Whoa”, and shut them up with a stern glare.

You may think you love shoes, but Debra Messing loves them more – the actress showed up at Saks Fifth Avenue’s flagship at 9 A.M. on Friday morning to cut the ribbon on the fashion mecca’s new designer shoe floor, so big it has its own zip code.