RIHANNAS NEW TAT

RIHANNA HAS A NEW TATTOO . . . AND IT'S ON HER HAND:

Earlier this week, RIHANNA showed off her LATEST tattoo. Like a lot of her tattoos, it isn't exactly hidden. In fact, this one might be the MOST visible one . . . since it's all over the top of her right hand. --Rihanna . . . who got the tattoo recently in New Zealand . . . tells "People" magazine, quote, "It's tribal. It represents strength and love." Speaking of strength, she also adds, quote, "It hurt like hell!" (--Here's a couple pictures of the tattoo . . .)

(--And you can find pictures of the rest of her tattoos, at this link . . .)http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/tattoo/celeb-rihanna.htm

LIFE SAVING CELL PHONE

A MAN'S CELL PHONE BLOCKED A STRAY BULLET AND SAVED HIS LIFE:

Last Saturday, 68-year-old Ronald Richard of St. Tammany, Louisiana was mowing his lawn . . . when he felt something hit him in the chest. Ronald didn't think that much of it, but when he took off his sweater, he noticed that his cell phone . . . which had been clipped to his shirt directly over his heart . . . was shattered. Then a .45 caliber BULLET fell out of Ronald's cell phone case.

So what happened? Apparently, Ronald lives near some woods, and the working theory is that he was hit by a stray bullet that had been fired by someone a few miles away. According to Ronald, "When [the EMTs] got here they made me take my shirt off to show them there was no hole . . . I don't look at any of this as coincidence. I look at this as God telling me to put my cell phone in that pocket, and I'm grateful and humbled." (Times Picayune)

HERE'S "CAR AND DRIVER" MAGAZINE'S LIST OF THE TEN BEST CARS FOR 2009:

Yesterday, "Car and Driver" magazine released its annual list of the "Ten Best" cars for 2009. Here they are in alphabetical order (--since the magazine doesn't rank them by number).

#1.) BMW 3-Series (slash) M3
#2.) Cadillac CTS
#3.) Chevrolet Corvette
#4.) Honda Accord
#5.) Honda Fit
#6.) Infiniti G37
#7.) Jaguar XF
#8.) Mazda MX-5
#9.) Porsche Boxster (slash) Cayman
#10.) Volkswagen GTI (PR Newswire)

VERY CLEVER

A GUY MESSED WITH A DEBT COLLECTOR BY TRYING TO PAY HIS UTILITY BILL . . . WITH A DRAWING OF A SPIDER:

If you've ever gotten behind on your bills (--and really, who hasn't?), then you know too well how annoying debt collectors can be. --Well last month, a guy named David Thorne from Adelaide, Australia, owed the utility company $233.95.

But before paying his overdue balance, David decided to mess with the debt collector by trying to pay his bill . . . with a drawing of a seven-legged spider. (Nine News MSN)

(--Check out the full email conversation that David had with the utility company here. Even if this isn't real, it's still funny . . .)http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=665847

(--And last week, the spider drawing was put up on eBay. Now, I don't know what's really going on, but according to the auction page, it sold . . . for $10,000. Is that possible? Check it out here . . .)http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190265903424

THE SEXIEST MAN ALIVE 2008

HUGH JACKMAN IS "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE'S SEXIEST MAN ALIVE:

"People" magazine has given its 2008 Sexiest Man Alive title to 40-year-old HUGH JACKMAN. Hugh tells "People" how he keeps the passion alive with his wife of 12 years, Australian actress DEBORRA-LEE FURNESS: By pretending to be other people.

Hugh also gets her going with his "sexy dance" . . . which he describes as, quote, "an '80s-like, hip-swiveling number" . . . and he reveals that his nickname was STICKS when he was younger, because he had CHICKEN LEGS.

Hugh's first kiss was at the age of 9 . . . and he learned about sex that same year, from his friend's older brother's "Penthouse" magazines. He says, quote, "I was kind of shocked."

Other guys that made the list:

--DANIEL CRAIG

--"Mad Men" star JON HAMM

--ZAC EFRON

--"Lipstick Jungle" ROBERT BUCKLEY

--BLAIR UNDERWOOD

--ED WESTWICK of "Gossip Girl"

--MICHAEL PHELPS

--BLAKE SHELTON

--MARK-PAUL GOSSELAAR (--Lead singer of THE ZACK ATTACK, of course!!!)

--JOSHUA JACKSON

--DAVID BECKHAM

(--Can you tell one manly man's chest from another??? Take "People's" CHEST QUIZ!!! I got 7 out of 8. Post your score!)

http://www.people.com/people/package/quiz/0,,20237714_20154492,00.html

DR. SEUSS

DR. SEUSS INVENTED THE WORDS "NERD" AND "CRUNK":

Are you familiar with the word "crunk"? If not, "crunk" is a combination of the words "crazy" and "drunk" . . . and it means to get extremely hammered, as in, "Tonight at the party I'm going to get CRUNK." (--It became popular after Southern rappers used it a lot, and now it's used to describe a type of hip-hop that's more party-oriented.)

Anyway, most people probably think "crunk" is a NEW word that was invented by the rapper LIL JON . . . but it turns out DR. SEUSS was the first person to use "crunk" back in 1972. In Dr. Seuss' book "Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now!" there's a line that reads, quote, "You can go in a Crunk-car if you wish."

And "crunk" isn't the only semi-mainstream word that Dr. Seuss invented . . . because his 1950 book "If I Ran the Zoo" was the first time the word "nerd" was used. In the book, there's a part which reads, quote, "And then, just to show them, I'll sail to Ka-Troo . . . and bring back an It-Kutch a Preep and a Proo . . . a Nerkle a Nerd and a Seersucker, too!" (Mental Floss)

(--And here's some more trivia for you. Dr. Seuss' editor bet him he couldn't write a book using only 50 words . . . so he wrote "Green Eggs and Ham", which uses exactly 50 words.)

FAST FOOD COMMERICALS BAN

A BAN ON FAST FOOD COMMERCIALS COULD REDUCE CHILDHOOD OBESITY BY 18%:

Have you ever noticed how many junk food commercials there are . . . during kids' TV shows? Well, there are a lot. --In fact, it seems there are SO MANY that . . . according to a new study . . . if fast food commercials were BANNED during kids' TV shows, the number of overweight kids between the ages of 12 and 18 would decline by 14%. --And the number of overweight kids between the ages of THREE and 11 would decline . . . by 18%. (PhysOrg)

REAL LIFE GUITAR HERO

IT'S A REAL LIFE BIKE HERO:

Here's more proof from YouTube that people have WAY too much time on their hands. While a song plays, this guy rides his bike through a course designed to look like a real-life version of the popular video game "Guitar Hero".(Search Terms: Guitar Hero "Bike Hero" video)

GQ'S MAN OF THE YEAR

BARACK OBAMA IS THE "GQ" MAN OF THE YEAR:

It's time for the "GQ" Man of the Year issue. Would you be shocked if I told you that BARACK OBAMA was at the top of the pile this year??? There are actually four different covers of the issue . . . each featuring one of four different Men of the Year. There's an Obama cover, of course, but you can also get a cover featuring LEONARDO DICAPRIO, MICHAEL PHELPS or JON HAMM . . . the star of that AMC series "Mad Men".

--Here are some more of this year's "GQ" Men of the Year . . .

--The Boston Celtics (--This year's NBA champs.)
--AARON ECKHART (--Two-Face in "The Dark Knight".)
--SETH MACFARLANE (--The creator of "Family Guy".)
--SEAN PENN
--JASON STATHAM
--MARK ZUCKERBERG (--The creator of FaceBook.)

(--MEGAN FOX is also on the list as the "Obsession of the Year" . . . whatever that means. (--Check out ALL of "GQ's" Men of the Year, in a slideshow format, here . . .)http://men.style.com/gq/features/moty/2008/portfolio

JUSTIN'S NEW TRACK

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE HAS DROPPED A NEW TRACK . . . FOR CHARITY:

Yesterday, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE dropped a new track . . . for the kids. Literally. --The song, which is called "Follow My Lead", is currently up for sale on his MySpace page. It costs 99 cents . . . but all the proceeds will benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children. --The track . . . which also features Justin's protégé, ESMÉE DENTERS . . . was recorded live at a recent Shriners benefit concert. (--You can listen to it, and purchase it, here . . .) http://www.myspace.com/justintimberlake

TOUGHEST TV ACTION HERO

IS MACGYVER THE TOUGHEST TV ACTION HERO OF ALL TIME???

"TV Guide" has put together a list of the Top 10 Toughest TV Action Heroes. And if you can believe it, they had the STONES to put Cordell Walker . . . CHUCK NORRIS' "Walker, Texas Ranger" character . . . in the BOTTOM HALF.

Instead, they went with MacGyver at #1 . . . presumably for his ability to successfully use miscellaneous items from a desk junk drawer to create a full-fledged arsenal. "Walker" only made it to #7 . . . (--which Chuck Norris might consider even MORE of a slap in the face than simply being ignored altogether. "TV Guide", I hope you know what you just did!!!)

--Here's the Top 10:

#1.) MacGyver . . . (--played by RICHARD DEAN ANDERSON on "MacGyver".)
#2.) Buffy Summers . . . (--played by SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".)
#3.) Jack Bauer . . . (--played by KIEFER SUTHERLAND on "24".)
#4.) Sydney Bristow . . . (--played by JENNIFER GARNER on "Alias".)
#5.) Thomas Magnum . . . (--played by TOM SELLECK on "Magnum, P.I.".)
#6.) Nikita . . . (--played by PETA WILSON on "La Femme Nikita".)
#7.) Cordell Walker . . . (--BRILLIANTLY played by CHUCK NORRIS on "Walker, Texas Ranger".)
#8.) Brandon Walsh . . . (--played by JASON PRIESTLEY on "Beverly Hills, 90210".) (???)
#9.) Xena . . . (--played by LUCY LAWLESS on "Xena: Warrior Princess".)
(A TIE)
#10.) Jaime Sommers . . . (--played by LINDSAY WAGNER on "The Bionic Woman") . . . AND Steve Austin . . . (--played by LEE MAJORS on "The Six Million Dollar Man".)

(--A full rundown on all this can be found in the current issue of "TV Guide" magazine . . . but you can find a glimpse of their flawed rationale at this link . . .)http://tvblog.guidelive.com/archives/2008/11/tv-guide-names-toughest-action.html

-- DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS LIST??

THAT'S A LOT OF TAT'S

A TATTOO ARTIST SET A NEW WORLD RECORD BY GIVING 801 TATTOOS IN 24 HOURS:

Earlier this year, KAT VON D . . . the girl on "L.A. Ink" . . . set a new world record by giving 400 tattoos in 24 hours . . . and that really annoyed a tattoo artist from Phoenix, Arizona, named Hollis Cantrell. So Hollis made it his mission to break Kat's record. There was just one problem . . . Kat's record was broken at least THREE other times this year, and the new record-holder . . . a guy named John "Joker" McManus of West Monroe, Texas . . . had raised the bar to 775 tattoos in 24 hours.

But last weekend, Hollis accomplished his goal by inking 801 tattoos in 24 hours. (Phoenix New Times)

(--Check out the website for Artistic Tattoo, where Hollis works, here . . .) http://www.artistictattooaz.com/

FAT CAT

IS THIS THE FATTEST CAT YOU'VE EVER SEEN OR WHAT???

There's a veterinary charity organization in the U.K. called PDSA which is holding a contest . . . to see how much weight EIGHT overweight pets can lose. -Anyway, SEVEN of the pets that are entered in the contest are dogs, and the other animal is a 13-year-old cat named Tinks . . . who weighs 24 pounds. (Daily Telegraph)

(--You can learn more about PDSA here . . .)http://www.pdsa.org.uk/index.html

TO THE EXTREME

NOW THAT'S FAST!

These extreme kayakers reach speeds of up to 45 mph while kayaking down the Llyn Brianne Reservoir in Wales.

(--Note: At :54 on the third run, the guy catches some air and launches about 15 feet.)
(Search Terms: extreme kayaking Llyn Brianne Reservoir Wales)

JYY HERO OF THE WEEK (11-18)

A GUY LOST 140 POUNDS IN ORDER TO JOIN THE MILITARY:

Last December, 23-year-old Ulysses Milanna of Lewiston, Maine (about 40 miles north of Portland), tried to join the military . . . but he was told by Army and Navy recruiters that he was too heavy to enlist. See, Ulysses weighed 330 pounds. But over the past 11 months, Ulysses has managed to lose 140 pounds (which would put him at 190 pounds) . . . and yesterday, he began boot camp at the U.S. Marine Corp's training facility in Parris Island, South Carolina.

(--All I can say is that anyone who has the self-discipline and determination to lose 140 pounds in less than a year . . . is the sort of person I want defending my country. Good work, Ulysses. For that, Ulysses Milanna, you are the JYY HERO OF THE WEEK!! ) (Sun Journal)

MORE SMART FOOD

***SIX FOODS THAT MAKE YOU SMARTER***

Most health nuts only care about one thing . . . body fat. But being health conscious is much more than that. Eating the right food isn't just good for your body, it's also good for you brain.

Here are six foods that will help keep your brain in tip-top shape . . .

#1.) BLUEBERRIES. If you're trying to decide which berry to include in your protein shake, here's the answer. Blueberries provide a ton of antioxidants and basically prevent your brain from getting too stressed out. Whether they're fresh or frozen, blueberries are the way to go.

#2.) WHOLE GRAINS. What's good for your heart is good for your brain. Whole grains keep heart disease in check and enhance your mental state. Oatmeal is the perfect food for your brain: it has whole grains AND protein.

#3.) RAISINS. They're good for your brain because they're an excellent source of BORON . . . which improves hand-eye coordination, attention, and memory. Other good sources of boron include hazelnuts, almonds, and dried apricots.

#4.) SUGAR. Most people reach for coffee when they need to concentrate, but are you using artificial sweetener instead of sugar? If you are, you might want to think twice. Too much sugar in your diet is bad, but a little in your coffee each morning will make you more alert.

#5.) EGGS. They're great for your brain if you eat the egg white AND the yolk. The yolk contains a nutrient called Choline (--pronounced Koh-lean), which helps your brain process and remember information.

#6.) BROCCOLI AND SUNFLOWER SEEDS. For a good side dish that will boost your brainpower, steam some broccoli, toss it with dressing, and add some sunflower seeds. It's high in vitamin C and vitamin E, which help prevent Alzheimer's disease when taken together. (AskMen.com)

JOHNNY DEPP AS THE MAD HATTER

SNEAK PEAK AT THE NEW ALICE IN WONDERLAND MOVIE:

Here's your first look at JOHNNY DEPP as the Mad Hatter in TIM BURTON'S "Alice In Wonderland" . . . (--"Alice" is due in theaters in March of 2010.) . . .

BACK TO THE FUTURE STARS HOUSE BURNS TO THE GROUND

CHRISTOPHER LLOYD'S HOUSE WAS BURNED DOWN BY THE CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES:

Remember CHRISTOPHER LLOYD . . . Doc Brown from the "Back to the Future" movies??? Well, his $11 million home in northwest Los Angeles was DESTROYED by those wildfires you've been hearing about. But Lloyd says he's not rebuilding. He told "Good Morning America", "You watch TV, you see these kinds of incidents happening here and there, but you look with a kind of detachment because it's happening . . . elsewhere. But suddenly to be in the midst of it, it's a very different awareness."

Lloyd also said he had a bunch of memorabilia in the house, which he'd been putting off organizing and storing. He added, quote, "Kind of don't have to worry about that now."

Check out the remains of Christopher Lloyd's house here . . .http://www.tmz.com/videos?autoplay=true&mediaKey=1733737a-8cc0-4113-be52-143b704ee459

HOW BIZARRE NEWS (11/17/08)

THE SALVATION ARMY IS GOING TO START ACCEPTING DONATIONS FROM CREDIT CARDS:

How many times has this happened: You pass one of those bell ringers for the Salvation Army, and even though you want to make a donation, you don't have any cash on you . . . so you just walk by? --It's happened to me a bunch of times . . . and that's exactly why THIS makes so much sense . . . --Starting this year, bell ringers for the Salvation Army in El Paso County, Colorado (--just south of Denver), will be accepting donations . . . by credit card. (Yahoo News)(--You can donate to the Salvation Army here . . .)https://secure.salvationarmy.org/

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A 22-YEAR-OLD IN ILLINOIS HAS HIT FIVE HOLES-IN-ONE . . . JUST THIS WEEK:

Some golfers spend their entire life trying to hit a hole-in-one . . . and for most of them, it never happens. That's why THIS is so insane . . --Curt Hocker is a 22-year-old amateur golfer from El Paso, Illinois, and he's hit SEVEN holes-in-one this year . . . with FIVE of them coming in the same week. (Daily Herald)

(--And get this . . . FIVE of Curt's holes-in-one have come on par four holes. According to "Golf Digest", the odds of hitting a hole-in-one on a par four are ONE in a MILLION.) (--If you ask me, this kid seriously needs to buy a lotto ticket. This is absolutely incredible.)

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A GUY FROM NEBRASKA SET A NEW WORLD RECORD FOR HAVING THE TALLEST MOHAWK:


On Friday, a guy from Omaha, Nebraska, named Eric Hahn set a new record . . . for having the world's tallest mohawk. -Eric's mohawk was measured at 27 inches tall (--or two feet, three inches tall) . . . which is THREE inches taller than the old world record (--which was held by a guy named Aaron Studham). (KETV News 7 - Omaha)

BY THE NUMBERS (11/17/08)

53% OF HOLIDAY GIFTS DON'T LAST UNTIL EASTER:

Are you desperately searching for that one special toy that's going to blow your kid's mind on Christmas morning? If so, that's great . . . but you probably shouldn't waste too much time or money shopping for holiday gifts for Junior. Why? --Because according to a new study, 37% of holiday toys are broken or tossed aside for new favorites by the end of January . . . and 53% don't last until Easter. (PR Newswire)

KANYE V. THE PAPARAZZO

KANYE WEST WAS ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTING A PAPARAZZO . . . BUT HE WASN'T CHARGED WITH ANYTHING:

KANYE WEST had another altercation with the paparazzi, and although he WAS briefly arrested, he was NOT charged with anything.

Here's what went down: --Late last Thursday night, Kanye was out at a nightclub in England. While he was attempting to leave . . . (--at around 2:00 A.M.) . . . a paparazzo began snapping pictures of him and the FOUR girls he was with. --The paparazzo claims that Kanye became upset . . . then violent . . . and SHOVED the camera into his face. He says he suffered a cut on his nose.

--A few hours later, the British authorities showed up at Kanye's hotel and arrested him. They questioned him . . . and after a brief investigation, he was cleared of any wrongdoing and was released from custody.

(--For what it's worth, TMZ is reporting that the same photographer also made an assault claim against a famous British soccer player around a month ago. However, no charges were filed in that case, either.)

--Over the weekend, Kanye took to his blog to explain HIS side of the story. He claims that the photographer was overzealous . . . and INSTIGATED the situation. --He writes, quote, "I put my hand up to the camera in self-defense! When I left the club, I was encountered by a thirsty paparazzi as usual. He felt he had more rights to my space than me, so I put my hand up to prevent him from taking my image. --"I didn't assault him but merely putting my hand up to cover his lens. My security yelled, 'Get the camera off him.' I guess in all the commotion the camera scraped his nose."

(--If you'd like to read his ENTIRE post, you'll find it at this link . . .) http://www.kanyeuniversecity.com/blog/?em3106=213537_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&em3161=&em3281

(--In the blog post, Kanye calls for new laws that would protect people from the paparazzi . . . by forcing them to ask permission before taking any photographs.) (--As you may recall, Kanye was involved in another scuffle with the paparazzi back in September at Los Angeles International Airport, in which a photographer's camera was smashed.)

LINDSAY LOHAN V. PETA

ANIMAL ACTIVISTS DUMPED A BAG OF FLOUR OVER LINDSAY LOHAN IN PARIS ON FRIDAY NIGHT:

LINDSAY LOHAN and SAMANTHA RONSON were on their way into a Paris nightclub on Friday night, when an animal rights activist dumped an ENTIRE BAG OF FLOUR over her. The offender was apparently a member of PETA Europe . . . and Lindsay was targeted because she still wears real fur.

In fact, she happened to be wearing one that night. The head of PETA Europe had this to say about the incident . . . "There is nothing remotely 'fashionable' about the torture and death of animals killed for fur. "Lindsay Lohan might be able to ignore images of bloody animals skinned alive for their pelts, but we hope a dash of flour will help her rise to the occasion and forsake fur once and for all."

--Samantha Ronson hit her blog on Saturday to go after PETA. She ended her rant by attacking PETA for wasting food. She said, quote, "I think there are plenty of families that could have used that flour for a meal. Nice job, lady."

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