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Did he put a ring on it this past Valentine's Day? If so then head to the Burlington Marriot Hotel this Sunday, Feb. 21.

MYTV is having open call auditions for season 3 of the reality show "Iron Brides." The TV show will be conducting taped interviews at the Wedding Day Expositions Bridal Show from 11:30 a.m. till 3:30 p.m. The brides-to-be have to be engaged, at least 21-years-old and planning to marry after Aug. 28, 2010.

The eight chosen brides-to-be will begin taping episodes this summer for airing early in 2011.

Iron Brides TV is specifically targeting Lowell area contestants. Executive Producer George C. Jobel said "Lowell is an amazing city. There is such a diversity of cultures. In a very real sense, Lowell is the embodiment of some of America's most treasured values. We'd love to bring some of that diversity to Season III of the show."

Once the eight bride finalists are chosen as contenders, each will be given demanding tasks while planning their weddings, as well as be tested in life skills, athletic abilities, personality and more. Earlier contestants have worked with life coaches, personal trainers, naturopaths, lawyers, florists, cake artists, etiquette trainers, wine pairing instructors, mixologists, financial planners, photographers, videographers, chefs, etc., and have participated in such varied activities as French cooking, x-country skiing, parasailing, indoor sky diving and flight lessons.

The grand prize winner will walk away with a wedding photography and videography package valued at $9,000, with several runner-ups.

For more information check out www.IronBrides.TV

Slayer and Megadeth have rescheduled their American Carnage North American tour. Lots of local metal heads' hearts were broken after their show at the Tsongas Arena originally scheduled for Valentine's Day was canceled.

The tour had to be put on hold due to Slayer's vocalist/bassist, Tom Araya's ongoing, minimally-invasive treatments for what was diagnosed as a Cervical Radiculopathy -- an occupational hazard for the rocker who is known for aggressively swinging his long mane of hair while performing or better known as head banging. Araya had to undergo a surgical procedure, called an Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion early last week.

This will mark the first time that Slayer, Megadeth and Testament have toured the U.S. together since 1991's epic "Clash of the Titans" tour.

The stop in Lowell is slated for Aug. 14. All tickets purchased for the February show will still be honored. For the 411 check out www.paultsongasarena.com

Ah, January. The month we all are reminded that we have no self-control and a frothy tall gingersnap latte with skim milk and sugar substitutes just does not compare to a mint chocolate chip Frappuccino with extra chocolate syrup. Don't forget the whipped cream topping. Lovely.

For 31 days, the reflection in the mirror repeatedly reinforces the notion that your hips and thighs will not be ready for bathing suit season -- no matter how many times you trade the stairs for the elevator. If you thought the first month of the calendar year couldn't get any worse than an episode of The Jersey Shore, you were more off the mark than Snookie's poof and The Situation's ... well, entire situation, fist-pumping included.

Even with the most romantic holiday next month, January has been dubbed the most popular break-up month. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with its timing, since it immediately follows the holidays. Meeting the makers of your significant other and spending more time stressing over what to wear, say, do and reveal to potential future in-laws can make anyone resolve to be single in 2010. Lose weight, save money, quit smoking, refrain from cussing, at least in front of mixed company, and take up residency in singledom are surprisingly the resolutions you'll be hearing your pals make.

Lack of sunshine apparently means splitsville. Shall we designate it national broken heart month? Makes sense -- the two astrological signs that fall into these four weeks are Capricorn and Aquarius. Caps are considered a "feminine negative" represented by a goat and the other is a "masculine positive." To me, it is basic couples calculus. They say opposites attract, but a nagging nelly and a confident cowboy don't exactly constitute a romantic rodeo.

My advice, if your wagon is still hitched after hitting the rocky road, and by that I mean spoonfuls of the decadent frozen treat that went straight to your hips and your other half doesn't seem to notice, hold onto those reins as tightly as possible for the next 17 days. You may just have lassoed a lover worth the ride.

Have you ever put the horse before the carriage in a relationship? E-mail your love lessons and splitsville survival tips to lowellita@lowellsun.com.

Congratulations to Dorchester homeboy Mark Wahlberg and his wife Rhea Durham, who welcomed the fourth child to their clan yesterday in Los Angeles. Watch out Brangelina, the Wahlbergs are catching up!

Margaret Grace was born Monday night at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Little Margie joins her big sis Ella, 6, and will be protected by her two big brothers, Michael, 4, and Brendan, 16 months...Irish twins much?!?!

Wahlberg took Beyoncé's advice in 2009 and put a ring on it after eight years of playing house with the model. He got hitched in L.A. just a few days after jetting back to the West Coast from Lowell, Ma. where he was filming The Fighter this summer with Christian Bale and Amy Adams.

We see lots of pink in Mark's future!

For more on Mark Wahlberg see
Leaping
into the New Year

Who knew when actress Amy Adams was in town this summer she was hiding a little more than just from the gawkers on the side streets of Lowell. The fiery starlet is pregnant with her first child. The baby-daddy is her fiance Darren Le Gallo.

From the looks of her tummy (and the photo here is not recent) she is at least six months along. Unless she enjoys an In-N-Out double double a little more than the rest of us. The 35-year-old stars in the new romantic comedy "Leap Year" out in theaters now.

There has been little rumblings about "The Fighter" since film crews packed up and left town at the end of summer 2009. Amy stars opposite Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale in the movie about Lowell brawler Micky Ward and his half-brother Dicky Eklund.

We hope the bio-pic hasn't been left knocked down on the mat and the passion originally surrounding it is still burning.

Anthony Bourdain has taken many wrong turns in his life and for some strange reason, his travels are bringing him to the Mill City. The lanky TV chef takes the stage at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium tomorrow evening at 8 p.m.

Surprisingly, there are still tickets available. For the 411 call 978-454-2299 or visit www.lowellauditorium.com

Bourdain told Lowell Sun reporter Dave Perry he's going to hit the stage and wing it. He doesn't have any reservations about the show and he shouldn't. The guy oozes with confidence like a creamy grilled cheese sandwich. We're sure he'll do just fine, especially with a room packed with Lowellians!

Read what Tony had to say in Steppin' Out online at www.lowellsun.com

Besides mistresses, bisexual baby oil billionairesses and the aughties, the talk in trendy town is the decade that's now upon us.

All week, I have been hit over the head repeatedly, probably more than Tiger Woods' wife got him with the nine iron, with the perennial phrase, "new year -- new you."

Compounded by the fact it's the first year of a new era, it's been a full court press for the proverb and commercial America is pushing the concept on us relentlessly -- even more so than Khloe Kardashian is trying to validate her shotgun wedding to L.A. Laker Lamar Odom. Both are up for debate.

This old advertising adage resurfaces every January as a ruse to get people to sign up for a monthly deduction from their checking accounts. You know what I am talking about -- the $60 that by the time the Lowell Folk Festival arrives in July means you have to forgo the crisp ale to wash down the butter-soaked Polish pierogi, since a bounced check sent you in the red. This leaves you with no choice, or beer for that matter, to enjoy the out-of-tune banjo player and sweat-drenched crowds without the backup buzz that makes this annual gig bearable.

Just like you forgot the gym for the past six months, the deduction stealthily sneaks up on you like an ex in the crowd. Suddenly, it is right there with no warning.

It makes me wonder if it is truly possible to "reinvent" yourself, as they say. Most of your traits, opinions, habits, flaws and, of course -- those pounds -- have developed over an entire lifetime. It was my clever credo the last few New Years to stick to resolutions I knew I would be able to keep. In other words, I took the lazy man's approach by abandoning habits that were truly not habits.

It made total sense to me, but so does wearing open-toed pumps during New England winters. However, glancing through my columns from the last few Decembers, I wasn't successful in keeping even my faux resolutions. I did accomplish getting frostbite on my pinkie toe, though.

Last year, after picking confetti out of hard-to-reach places for a week after the ball dropped and trying to explain the photos of me in a chicken suit that were tagged all over Facebook, I decided then and there to spend New Year's Eve 2009 with my television remote and carton of lo mein noodles. Well, let's just say I found tattered paper in my bra Jan. 3 and some guy Eric's number scribbled on the back of a Bud Light label.

Even after kicking the year off with failure, I still have faith that I am better off than last. Proof -- I never met Tiger Woods.

Have you already broken your resolutions?
E-mail me at lowellita@lowellsun.com

Just as the Hollywood hoopla has died down in Lowell, the city has yet another 15 minutes of fame to experience.

Filming of The Fighter the Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale boxing ballad about Lowell's own "Irish" Micky Ward and his half-brother, Dicky Eklund, wrapped at the end of August. No more celebrity sightings at Cobblestones, however the downtown eatery will be in the lime light once again in a different way.

Ricky Gervais' directorial debut, The Invention of Lying, which was filmed in the Mill City last year hits the theaters on October 2. If anyone has seen the trailer now playing on TV, you can't miss C-Stones, Market Street, La Boniche, Central Street, the Dubliner and other DTL locales.

Above is a pic of Gervais and Garner at La Boniche for one of the scenes. I was there that day and could not believe how beautiful Jen's complexion is! What is your secret girl? Tell us!

The flick stars Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, Jonah Hill and Louis CK.

Check out fellow Sun scribe Kathleen Pierce's article about the debut and the stars yukking it up at the Toronto Film Fest press conference for the movie in today's Sun or online at

Lowell Mayor Edward "Bud" Caulfield, gets into the action with his aide, Diane Bujnowski on the set of The Fighter in Lowell.

Actor Mark Wahlberg stopped between rounds of filming to pose for a photo with the Lowellians.

Filming of the Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund bio-pic has wrapped. The feature length film set in Lowell will be released in 2011. The movie stars Wahlberg as Ward, Christian Bale as Eklund, Melissa Leo as their mother and Amy Adams as Wahlberg's love interest.

Even though the celebrities have departed, the excitement is still in the air in and around Lowell. Send you pics and encounters with any of the Hollywood heavy weights to rbriere@lowellsun.com or visit www.lowellsun.com/thefighter

We hear today is the last day of filming of The Fighter here in the Mill City. Say it ain't so!

We're not sure is Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale or Amy Adams are on the set today, however if you haven't experienced the magic of Hollywood yet this summer I suggest you head down to Ray Robinson's Sandwich Shoppe right now.

The throw-back lunch stop at the corner of Central and Jackson Streets is ground zero for the film crew today. Follow the yellow and black "GIX" signs throughout the city of Lowell if you are not familiar with the area. They will point you in the right direction.

Seems like yesterday when we got our first glimpse of a shirtless Mark Wahlberg outside the Tsongas Arena. Now it's back to reality and the normal daily grind. We wish you could stay longer and hope that you hurry back soon.

Don't forget about the good old Lowellians when the film is finished. We would love to host a premiere in our town.