Julia Roberts' paparazzi get no grins from singer down the street

Paparazzi-boundary skirmishes inspired none of the songs on L.A.-based Holly Long's new CD, "Leaving Kansas," although there's ample material.

She probably won't have to worry about the paps following her to Bunker's next Saturday for her CD release party; she takes the stage about 10 p.m. Her third CD was recorded in Minneapolis at the Terrarium with mostly local musicians and techs. It was produced by Anthony J.W. Benson, who now lives mostly in New Mexico.

"That's another kind of life that people here in L.A. live," Long said. "I've actually had a brush with that because Julia Roberts lives down the street from us. There have been many times when I have come out in my robe and slippers, and yelled at the paparazzi, who are blocking our alley. I'm up in their faces like WE KNOW HER AND SHE'S NOT IN TOWN! JUST GET THE HELL OUT! It's hilarious."

"Maybe I should be taking them coffee," she added, after I told her that one day she might want them to photograph her. "But I tell you, man, when you're in a hurry and their big, fat, black SUV is blocking your driveway and you've just got to get out for your kid, it's not cool."

During our phone interview, Long made an interesting passing mention of her children being playmates of the kids of a very famous Minnesotan -- someone who, I don't think it's widely known, has a couple of small children with a woman apparently not one of the ex-wives responsible for other children he fathered and raised. "Makes you go huumm," Long said.

She said her kids' nanny is a friend of that famous Minnesotan's kids' nanny and Roberts' nanny. "We have a swing set [that attracts the kids]," Long said, laughing. She likes Minnesota well enough to live here, but can't because her husband, Jeff Lieber, is a screenwriter.

So why didn't she title the CD "Leaving Minnesota," the woman at www.hollylong.com was asked? "Because I'm leaving there, baby, I'm arriving in Minnesota!" she explained, more seriously adding: "It's kind of about my family, kind of deep roots."

Shue shoeing around Word is that Andrew Shue was seen on Nicollet Mall taking a peek at a WCCO-TV newscast last week.

I seem to remember hearing that Shue had friends in town, when he and sister Elizabeth Shue were here last year promoting "Gracie," a movie the acting siblings starred in and produced.

A day at the museum According to NBC's Ron Mott, a trip to Memphis' National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel is being incorporated into the diversity training employees get from Best Buy.

Employees get "a new idea of who they want to be as a person" from this experience, Jim Langemo, Best Buy diversity director, told NBC.

"Best Buy says that such personal commitment to diversity has strengthened its bottom line," Mott reported during coverage of the 40th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

The museum's communications coordinator, Allison Fouché, said she hadn't seen the NBC piece, but "I coordinated it, pitched it and everything. So I'm glad you were moved by it. To answer your question, I see other companies like International Paper, FedEx coming through as part of their leadership training. But the model that Jim Langemo with Best Buy does is something that is so special I wanted it brought to the forefront. Productivity has gone up, people talk to each other more. When you go to the museum it's so emotional; people start feeling overwhelmed and they have to talk about it."

Sounds like my Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum experience, during which lots of people could be seen sobbing. Maybe certain cable show hosts should go there for diversity training?

Manse for sale again Realtor extraordinaire Barry Berg thinks "the Paul Magers" property will move faster this time.

If the property bought last summer by former Star Tribune publisher Par Ridder goes in fewer than 1,000 days, that'll beat the time it took Paul and Kathy Magers to unload their last Lake of the Isles residence.

"I certainly don't anticipate it's going to take that kind of time; the home presents itself quite nicely," Berg told me Friday. See how the other half lives for yourself.

The Magerses started out by putting an aggressive price tag on it, something in the $4.5 million range. It went for $2.5 million to a buyer, who had it for about eight months before relocating to Chicago. Ridder bought it for $2.7 million and is now asking $2.9 million.

Blogger bashes Eller "Ex-Viking Eller Arrested For Being A Drunken Feller," chortled sportsbybrooks.com about Carl Eller's recent brush with the law. Embarrassing headlines like this might motivate most people to stay out of these alleged situations.

C.J. is at 612.332.TIPS or cj@startribune.com. E-mailers, please state a subject -- "Hello" doesn't count. Attachments are not opened, so don't even try. More of her attitude can be seen on Fox 9 Thursday mornings.