Irish songstress Sinead O'Connor sounds downright surprised by the amount of attention being given her comment to the Associated Press last week that George Bush is "bringing Christianity into disrepute."

Via cell phone from Russia on her current "Theology" concert tour, she says, "I don't think that's controversial, I think that's simply practical. A 3-year-old could see that. If you can't say something as simple as George Bush is bringing Christianity into disrepute, you can't say anything."

O'Connor, of course, is remembered for tearing up a photo of the pope on "Saturday Night Live" in 1992, at the end of her performance of Bob Marley's "War" as a protest against sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. The artist, who has been candid about her troubled childhood with an abusive mother and about her travails with bipolar disorder, took years off her musical career before returning with the thoughtful, faithful "Theology" album that's won her critical kudos.

She returns to the U.S. for a string of concert dates next month. As far as being controversial, she says, "The media can imagine what they like. People just come to see shows. They're focused on the work. That's my experience, anyway."

Although she doesn't have her four children with her on tour — "This kind of traveling is more punishing than people realize" — she's maintaining her "10-day rule" that she can never be away longer from her three sons and her daughter, who range in age from 20 to 8 months. She's also avoiding activities that "hurt me." For instance, she recalls doing "a big morning TV show where they have musicians out in the street in Times Square ...They give a couple of people in the audience your album, and then they want you to go down to sign it as if they'd brought it themselves. It's dishonest. That's the kind of thing that makes me cringe."

FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT: MyNetwork TV's September-debuting "Decision House" is an obvious candidate for placement in the category of sensationalized reality rip-off programming. The show features a panel of relationship experts viewing battling husbands and wives via TV cameras situated throughout a house — then deciding whether or not the couples should divorce.

However, "Divorce Court" judge Lynn Toler, who is hosting the show, is of the opinion that it can do good. "My first thought about it was, 'Finally!' I like to get to problems earlier than I do on 'Divorce Court' and have time to talk about the emotional practicalities, the interpersonal part of life," she says. "There are things I think are truly important to say. When people divorce, they can do it well or do it badly. When it does occur, it can be done so animosity doesn't drip all over the children. Sometimes it's a matter of people who are mired in ugliness, who are thinking of divorcing but are not sure. We'll have an opportunity to fix those problems and keep a family together."

For Toler and her husband, an accountant, adaptability has been one vital key to success. "He's been working for 40 years, and I had the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom for six or seven years. So it's nice, now that our sons are 12 and 15, to change roles. He gets to hang out with them, go to baseball camp, and they love being with their dad. They're having a good time."

HE'S GOT THE MOVES: Robert Duvall's love affair with the tango knows no end. A few years ago, he financed, wrote, produced and directed the big-screen "Assassination Tango." Now, the Emmy-nominated ("Broken Trail") star is working on a documentary for PBS that will focus on the dance. He says it will be shot in Buenos Aires, which he calls "My favorite city in the world" — as well as being the place he met his fourth and current wife, Luciana Pedraza. He will host the docu. It will utilize the talents of six or seven couples from various places in the world and will feature the renowned Pablo Veron as tango master.

WORKAHOLIC WAYS: Big George Foreman tells us he did something this summer "for the first time in 30 years" — namely, take a 10-day vacation. The entrepreneur/TV personality/pitchman/author/preacher and former Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World says part of the reason he hasn't taken time off is, "I go through a guilt thing. I feel like with all the good fortune I've had in life, there are a lot of people who would like to be in my place, so the least I can do is make the most of every opportunity. I think of people, if they say, 'I wish I was George,' that I'm not going to let them down." Foreman says it took him three days to relax enough to enjoy his time off. But as for when the next vacation will come? "I'll probably wait another 30 years and do it."

(With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily Feimster)

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2007 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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