Rosie O'Donnell

Steve Irwin was remembered at a public memorial Wednesday for the love he demonstrated "for the two things that ought to matter more to all of us than anything else â€" his love of his family and his love of his country," said Australia's Prime Minister John Howard.

Numerous celebrities paid tribute to everyone's favorite crocodile hunter. Those in attendance or on video included Russell Crowe, Justin Timberlake, Cameron Diaz, Hugh Jackman, Kevin Costner, Kelly Ripa and Larry King, along with Australian country singer John Williamson, who sang one of Irwin's favorite songs, "True Blue."

In the end, however, 8-year-old Bindi Irwin best represented the spirit of the event. With her mother Terri holding Bindi's toddler brother Bob, Steve's daughter read her words to the crowd, running her tiny finger across the paper as she went along.

"My daddy was my hero," she said. "He was always there for me when I needed him. He listened to me and taught me so many things, but most of all, he was fun. I know that Daddy had an important job. He was working to change the world so everyone would love wildlife like he did.

"I don't want Daddy's passion to ever end. I want to help endangered wildlife just like he did. I have the best daddy in the whole world, and I will miss him every day. When I see a crocodile I will always think of him, and I know that Daddy made this zoo so everyone could come and learn to love all the animals. Daddy made this place his whole life, and now it's our turn to help Daddy."

Crowe, in a videotaped message from New York, said:

"We've all lost a friend. We've all lost a champion, and we're going to take some time to adjust to that."

Diaz, also in a video presentation, said that America was "just taken by him … in awe of his energy and how he actually went about putting himself forward. Every kid was in love with the idea of being able to be him."

Finally, Cameron's boyfriend chimed in. In a separate video, Timberlake (who had visited the Australia Zoo with Diaz in 2004) said:

"To Terri and Bindi and Bob and Steve's family and friends, I may have only really spent a day with you guys, but it was a day I'll never forget, and I'll never forget what I learned just by being around Steve."

We hope those fools from PETA were listening.

On The View, Rosie O'Donnell may have to temper her opinions sometimes.

Fortunately for all Lindsay Lohan haters, however, this isn't the case when Rosie talks to OK magazine. Here's what she had to say about the promiscuous lush:

"[Lindsay's behavior on her latest film] was unacceptable. It's not like she was doing Dumb & Dumber 2. It's a Jane Fonda movie! Be early! I saw [Lohan] stumbling around a club drunk [once] and her mother was going 'She's all right!' I can say this from experience: It's hard to be famous, and she's not doing it well at this point.

But she'll get into rehab, take care of the eating disorder, and be all better in two years and have a huge comeback."

Wait, back up: Lindsay Lohan drinks?!? Who else dares to do this, Kristen Cavallari?

Say what you want about Rosie O'Donnell (come on, go ahead, Star Jones), but one thing's for sure: A lot more people are watching The View now, at least according to the ratings for Rosie's first day.

Rosie's debut on Tuesday attracted four million viewers nationwide, a 54 percent jump from the same day a year ago.

Of course, many viewers may have tuned in to her Jessica Simpson talk about not dating John Mayer, as well.

The show also increased its numbers among its sweet-spot audience, women 18-49 years old. You barely made it, Kristin Cavallari!

The first night of Katie Couric as the anchor of the CBS Evening News, meanwhile, drew a huge 9.1 rating, more than doubling the rating from the year before.

And that was without the audience even knowing Couric would be revealing Suri Cruise pictures. Impressive.

Today is the day, fans of The View: Rosie O'Donnell sits down with the ladies for the first time as a co-host.

But is trouble already brewing between the former Queen of Nice and Barbara Walters?

"I didn't like the blog," Walters told Newsweek, referencing an online post in which O'Donnell complained about a promotional skit for the new season.

"I saw the new view promos," O'Donnell had written on her website. "Found myself/ in the position/ I loathe the most/ powerless."

The Gossip can't say it approves of the haiku, either. It makes Rosie harder to understand than the father of Beyonce.

Walters is simply hoping O'Donnell will be a team player.

"I'm counting on Rosie's intelligence and sensitivity and humor," Babs said. "This is, after all, an entertainment show. It is based on people who like each other and are having a good time, not on people who are arguing and unhappy."

O'Donnell, in her defense, says she has no hard feelings toward former co-host Star Jones Reynolds â€" although she admits she'd refused to be a guest on The View when Reynolds was there.

The differences started, O'Donnell says, when "we had a little sort of discussion when Martha Stewart was in prison, when I questioned why it is women don't stick up for each other the way other minorities do, such as O. J. Simpson being accused of murder still had the support of the majority of the black community."

Rosie and Star didn't agree on the issue, but the former insists she played no part in the latter's firing. Meanwhile, Meredith Viera took a harsh look at her former show last week.

It all leaves us wondering: When did The View become the most controversial show on television?!? Well, until segregated Survivor premieres next week.

It's coming.

In a matter of days, Rosie O'Donnell will make her first appearance as co-host on The View. A new set will accompany the woman formerly known as The Queen of Nice - as will a set of strict guidelines on what non-nice things must be stricken from her mouth.

Rosie recently met with ABC's standards and practices and was reminded her to watch her language on the air. This shouldn't be a problem, unless someone brings up the departed Meredith Viera, who trashed her show on the way out the door.

Either way, O'Donnell will continue to write weird haikus on her website. Here's what she posted about the meeting: "they told me all the stuff i know/ still made me panic/ a little."

So profound.

Meanwhile, O'Donnell said she's spending time with her family during her remaining days of freedom before starting the show

"I am spending some time with my kids and just taking advantage of being with them," she said Tuesday night at Kanye West's private concert for American Express cardholders in New York City.

While Rosie admits to admiring West for sticking up for his beliefs, her well-known crush on another celebrity who seems to do the same thing has fallen away. Sorry, Tom Cruise.

In his place? Nip/Tuck star Julian McMahon.

"I fell in love with Julian McMahon while taping this show," she said. (She guest stars in an upcoming episode.) "I still love my old Tommy, but Julian is gorgeous â€" he's my new Tommy!"

Speaking of crushes, the first episode (Sept. 5) with O'Donnell should be interesting for all Jessica Simpson fans. Expect the singer to be asked about her new romance with John Mayer.

She may not be known as The Queen of Nice anymore, but Rosie O'Donnell was kind enough to sit and talk with Barbara

Walters about her new job as co-host of The View.

The premiere episode with Rosie will be September 5, but Entertainment Tonight got a snippet of what Rosie had to say about the new gig and some harsh realities of life.

"When I started my show, I was so full of excitement about life," Rosie tells Barbara. "I had a brand-new baby. Then I met Kelli [Carpenter, her partner] in the middle of it and fell in love, and then, all of a sudden, my life changed and I had different priorities. I had achieved what I wanted to and I was tired. I needed to refuel. I have had four years of real life and I feel ready."

As far as taking over full hosting duties from Meredith Viera - who left to anchor Today once Katie Couric abandoned that post - Rosie also says to Barbara that she doesn't want to "drive the bus; I want to ride the bus."

"I was a kid who had no mom. We were five children, and my dad was struggling to keep us all fed. It was a hard childhood and I had to take control. I think a lot of my success was because I drove the bus, I made the rules and I told people what to do," she explains.

These days, however, O'Donnell is just happy to be a member of an ensemble of ladies, despite the controversial way she joined The View (and evil Star Jones left it).

It should help, at least, that Rosie has a long-time relationship with her other co-stars, having known Joy Behar since she was 20 years old.

"I started in comedy and Joy had already been a teacher," the Emmy-winning former talk-show host says. "I was the age of her students. She used to introduce me at Rascals Comedy Club in West Orange: 'And now, we've got a little girl from Long Island with big hair. Please welcome Rosie O'Donnell.'"

Elisabeth first met Rosie when the former Survivor guested on The Rosie O'Donnell Show.

"I love that her parents are hippies and she sort of leans to the right," Rosie says. "When she was first on my show, she gave me the hat - the one item she was allowed to bring [to the island on Survivor] - to auction off for charity. I can't wait to mix it up with her about some of her views, which are completely incorrect!"

With a new album to promote - and a long-standing relationship with the new host - Jessica Simpson will appear on the first episode of The View with Rosie O'Donnel on September 5.

"Rosie herself reached out to Jessica," a source close to Simpson told People magazine.

The pair have been friends - JUST friends, despite O'Donnell's sexual orientation, Jessica's single status and the insinuation by Oprah that all female pals must defend their relationships - since The Rosie O'Donnell Show, which aired from 1996-2002.

"When Jessica was just starting out, none of the big shows were interested in her, but Rosie took a chance on her and Jessica never forgot it," says the source.

It wasn't just a break that O'Donnell provided, but encouragement. Rumor has it that Rosie went backstage after a show and told Jessica, 'You're gonna be a star.'

The View appearance will just follow the release of Simpson's new album, A Public Affair, which hits stores only a week before, on Aug. 29.

For those who live under a rock or lost a bet and can only read Lindsay Lohan news, O'Donnell will be assuming Meredith Vieira's former chair on the ABC daytime gabfest, while Vieira becomes the new cohost of NBC's Today show, taking over for Katie Couric.

Got all that?