You may remember a few weeks ago Rabbi Shmuley Boteach had a public (but not free...) talk with reality TV star Jon Gosselin about whether fame was a blessing or a curse. During that talk Jon publically apologizes to Kate, and expressed his desire to apologize to her in private as well.

Beliefnet has the exclusive video of the event. In the clip above, Jon talks about how he wasn't feeling loved and felt Kate wasn't letting him be the "spiritual leader" of the home.

View more video clips from the Rabbi Shmuley interview with Jon Gosselin here on Beliefnet.

"New Moon" is a completely different animal than director Catherine Hardwicke's moody, bleached-out "Twilight." Sure, Edward (Robert Pattinson) is still angsty and the whole piece is driven by Bella's (Kristen Stewart) depression over his leaving, but director Chris Weitz has infused the film with some "Golden Compass" magic, upping the special effects budget and creating a hybrid of teen drama and fantasy that mostly works. (The Volturi scenes are great fun.) Of course the special effect that received the most attention in Theater 7 was the 30 pounds of muscle that Taylor Lautner packed on to play the post-werewolf-pubescent Jacob. You may know how the books end, but you'll be Team Jacob by the end of this flick.

But this isn't a CGI-fueled film, it's all about the sexual tension between Bella and Jacob. Oh sure, Edward's still in the story, more so than in the book, but this is really Jacob's set piece. Still growing as an actor, Lautner's performance has some weak points-what my friend calls Keanu Reeves moments: cute but wooden (I think this goes for Pattinson at times, too)-but he's perfect as the best friend with the puppy dog crush: balancing the the pain of unrequited love with the desire to remain a loyal friend. Just as importantly, he brings out the best in Stewart. Gone, for the most part, are the distracting rapidly fluttering eyelashes and stuttering, replaced by an engaging, believable intimacy.

I have already stated here at Idol Chatter that I am not flash in the pan Susan Boyle fan. I am not surprised by the recent news that her debut CD has set a new global sales record for pre-orders over at Amazon. I know I certainly pre-ordered my copy weeks ago when I first discovered she was going to be covering many classic hymns such as "How Great Thou Art." But I am even more excited about the spotlight begin on Boyle again for another reason. She is bringing awareness to those with learning disabilities.

The last show will be coming up soon: on September 9, 2011.

Okay, so it's not so soon! Mrs. Winfrey has followed the path of evening talk show host Jay Leno, the host of "The Tonight Show" from 1992-2009. To remove speculation about the potential of him moving to another network, or about what would happen with Conan O'Brien, the succession plan was announced well in advance of his May, 2009 departure from the show. Mrs. Winfrey's announcement comes almost two years before her show will actually end.

I have several questions and reactions to the news:

Wow! Sometimes it takes the end of something to appreciate how amazing it's been. According to the Oprah.com website, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" has been the highest-rated talk show for 23 consecutive seasons, being seen by 42 million viewers a week in the United States and 145 other countries. It has spun off "Oprah's Book Club," "O" Magazine, Oprah.com, "Oprah's Angel Network," Harpo Films and a host of other associations.

More Than a Show. "The Oprah Winfrey Show" is more than a show. It's an institution. It's a movement. It's a congregation. It's a marketing animal. It's the home base of a much larger media empire. While most talk shows ("Larry King Live," "The Today Show," "Good Morning America," "Late Night With David Letterman, etc.) attract media leaders who are releasing a book, movie, campaign or public relations message, Oprah's endorsement has turned unknown people into household names, including Eckhart Tolle and Marianne Williamson. She has helped turn unknown gadgets into everyday must-haves . She once urged her audience to read Leo Tolstoy's"Anna Karenina," and the ancient Russian classic shot to the top of the Best-Seller list.

From her bio: "I sort of consider myself an expert on Christian culture as I am a preacher's kid and I'm also married to a preacher's kid. Christian culture is funny because it doesn't have much (if anything) to do with Christ himself."

Some of the recent "things" she's written about Christian culture liking are: "taking up a pipe at Bible college," "Jesus fish decals," "saying that you're married to your best friend," and more recently, "gossiping via prayer requests.

For more visit Stuff Christian Culture Likes on Beliefnet.

Because of NBC's distribution agreement with DirecTV which allows DirecTV subscribers first crack at this season of one of the best show's on television, "Friday Night LIghts", I have had to get creative in trying to watch the show ( I am not a subscriber to the dish service and I can't wait until next summer to watch the show on NBC.). And just when I think I can't find one more reason to write about the brilliance of "Friday Night Lights," the show proves me wrong by continuing to provide outstanding, life-affirming moments.

There is the way the show continues to portray the effects of the stress of Eric Taylor's new coaching job at East Dillon on his marriage. Then there was the moment when longtime sports booster Buddy Garrity found his soul again and confronted the corruption of the other members of the club. But best of all for me , "FNL" featured some of the best dialogue between a parent and child about church that I have ever seen. Because the show has always been about more than football, the writers found a brilliant way to incorporate a subplot about daughter Julie Taylor's lack of interest in going to church. Like everything else on "FNL", the discussion of faith was authentic, not sappy, complex, not mind-numbing, and even had a little humor.

You might not recognize the name Jessica Harp, but you might recognize the name "The Wreckers," the country-rock duo Jessica Harp formed with Michelle Branch between 2005-2007.

Earlier this summer, I saw Jessica Harp perform to a crowded, small venue where she opened with "Leave the Pieces," a catchy tune that was a signature song from her days in "The Wreckers." Now that "The Wreckers" has disbanded, Harp is a solo country music artist with an album--"A Woman Needs"--coming out in February 2010 that will showcase her singing and songwriting country roots. She has a popular single of her own--"Boy Like Me," which reached #30 on Billboard's "Hot Country Songs" chart in June 2009. (Hallelujah, I finally found a boy like me / Lord have mercy, I think I'm in a fantasy").

1) That Edward is portrayed as less like a stalker this time around and more like the romantic hero he is in the books. He actually smiles quite a bit and even laughs in the series--but there was only one scene when he smiled and did anything playful in the movie version of Twilight. I didn't like that portrayal of Edward at all!

2) That Edward's face won't look pained for the entirety of his time spent on the screen. Okay. See hope #1 above.

3) That, despite the trailers and the movie poster, this movie will not be as Jacob-heavy as we've been led to believe. Of course, I am well aware that 'New Moon' the book is almost all Jacob, all the time, but still: I can hope, right?

As thousands of teens - not to mention those who passed their teen years some time ago- work themselves into a lather over this week's movie debut of the "Twilight sequel, "New Moon" there is one teen who doesn't seem to be the slightest bit interested in all the vampire fuss.. In fact, tween queen Miley Cyrus says she - gasp - has never seen "Twilight" and doesn't plan on seeing it -ever.

In an interview where she was busy hawking her Walmart clothing line, Cyrus was asked if she was a member of Team Jacob or Team Edward, and that's when Miley decided to make her big confession. In the interview she was quoted as saying "I don't believe in it. I don't like vampires. I don't want anything to do with it."

Check out our Thankful Quotes from Celebrities gallery.

In this clip from the newest VeggieTales movie, Bob the Tomato, Larry the Cucumber, and their friends travel in a runaway sleigh.

As always seems to be the case in such ancient mysteries, the putative case rests upon the evidence of an elusive piece of text located on a shred of parchment or a worn-down tablet. And this case is no different, with the ink lettering strategically worn away on a three-foot-tall stone tablet from the first century B.C. that speaks of Simon. Purportedly describing Simon's resurrection after three days, the illegible text is put through multiple examinations and testings to little result. But, the special, which airs Thursday, November 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, does raise interesting questions and gives the general public a great insight to the inner workings on the archaeological process.

"The First Jesus?" may be most germane to a Beliefnet blog, but the rest of the week is well worth noting. Sure, there's no roguishly handsome Boyd Matson hosting, but there's giant sharks, submarines and even headhunters. A few words about my favorite episodes:

Expedition Great White
Monday, November 16 at 9:00 pm ET/PT
Ever wonder what you would get if you mixed Jaws-size Great White Sharks with a Nascar pit crew? No, not a bloody mess, but an absolutely incredible tagging program that is part of a conservation initiative aimed at protecting the endangered species. The precision and patience, and cojones, it takes to reel in these SUV-sized aquatic predators is awe-inspiring. And don't blink or you'll miss a glimpse of actor Paul Walker working with the crew.

1. Where are you?
2. What have you eaten?
3. Are you wearing a sweater?

Hilarious. Seriously. And it stars a very, funny Jewish mother to boot. Not to be missed.

Jennifer Armstrong's critique in Entertainment Weekly, entitled "Does Sex Rehab go too Far," particularly struck me. "VH1's "Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew" might be the most voyeuristic show on television," Armstrong writes. "It aims for gravitas, with the good doctor lecturing [the cast] about STDs and drawing out intimate revelations about sexual abuse and rape. But putting a bunch of attractive professional spotlight-seekers together in a house with other hot sex addicts and cameras hardly seems the best way to get these folks to kick their addiction."

But, I would challenge Ms. Armstrong in her casual assessment of the value of the show.