December 11, 2009 - Blog

NAZZY'S SILLY VIDEOS OF THE DAY

#1.) This spinning spiral of light was seen in the night sky over Norway on Wednesday. Experts think it was a failed Russian rocket.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hrWjkn_DHs
(Search Terms: Norway UFO spiral white light video)

#2.) Here's Dallas Mavericks owner MARK CUBAN getting slammed through a table by a WWE wrestler. (--It happens at :50.)http://mavericks.fandome.com/video/116824/Mark-Cuban-Slammed-Through-Table-On-WWE/(Search Terms: Mark Cuban slammed through table WWE)

#3.) CNBC's MIKE BARNICLE was talking to Republican National Convention chairman MICHAEL STEELE yesterday. And Steele, who's African-American, took offense when Barnicle asked him what "you people" want.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-BzecyLGdU(Search Terms: Mike Barnicle Michael Steele CNBC "you people" video)

NAZZY'S RANDOM NEWS

HOLIDAY HIJINX HERE ARE 18 HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS CREATED *BY* AND *FOR* WOMEN OF COLOR:

If you're having a hard time finding the perfect gift for the lusty Latina or beautiful black woman on your holiday list, well, you're in luck . . .

That's because the "New York Times" has compiled a list of 18 holiday gift ideas that were created BY and specifically FOR women of color, including . . . #1.) Baby Jamz: A series of sing-along DVDs based on characters created by BEYONCÉ'S sister, SOLANGE, and her dad, Matthew. From $6.99 to $24.99. #2.) "The Beauty of Color: The Ultimate Beauty Guide for Skin of Color", a beauty guide from supermodel IMAN. $19.98. #3.) "The Mocha Manual to Military Life: A Savvy Guide for Wives, Girlfriends and Female Service Members", which is a guidebook for women who are dating or married to military men. $14.99. #4.) The Radio One Love Gospel Cruise, a five-night Caribbean cruise featuring performances from some of the best gospel artists in the country. It's all going down April 12th through the 17th, and accommodations start at $959. #5.) M2M damoreJon Nail Polish, a line of nail polish created by two manicurists and WYCLEF JEAN'S sister, Melky. $11. #6.) "Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope", a book about the life of PRESIDENT OBAMA . . . for children. $16.99. #7.) Carol's Daughter: A Magical Beauty Collection: These are hair and bath products featuring the image of Tiana, the main character in Disney's "The Princess and the Frog", who happens to be Disney's first black, animated princess. Starting at $8. #8.) A book called "The Conversation: How Black Men and Women Can Build Loving, Trusting Relationships". $22.50. #9.) "Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx", a children's book about Justice SOTOMAYOR'S life. $16.99. #10.) "Asian Faces: The Essential Beauty and Makeup Guide for Asian Women": As the title suggests, this is a book specifically aimed at Asian women to help them put on their makeup. And bonus: The forward was written by YOKO ONO. (???) $24.95 #11.) "Wise Latina" T-shirts: We all knew it was only a matter of time before someone took Justice Sotomayor's "wise Latina" line and put it on a T-shirt. Something called "Latina Magazine" is selling them for $22. (New York Times)(--You can check out the full list of 18 gifts, here . . .)http://www.nytimes.com/gift-guide/holiday-2009/colorstyleguide/list.html

THERE'S A LAW THAT ALLOWS THE GOVERNMENT TO CLAIM THE MONEY ON YOUR UNUSED GIFT CARDS:

If someone gives you a prepaid gift card this holiday season, I want you to run out and spend it right away. Why? Because if you don't, the government will swoop in and help themselves to your money. -No, I'm not making this up. Apparently, there's an old law on the books that allows states to claim abandoned property.

Originally, it was put in place so that the government could legally rid themselves of abandoned buildings and junked cars that were still privately owned. But now it's being applied to your prepaid gift cards too.

Basically, what happens is when a gift card is bought, the amount and date of purchase are logged into a database. But after a certain amount of time . . . typically five years, or three years in California . . . the government considers your gift card abandoned property. --At which point the retailer is forced to hand over the money you never used to the government. And it's seriously big business.

According to the "Times-Union" newspaper, the state of New York collects an average of $3.8 MILLION every year in unclaimed gift card money. (--How weak is that?) (Wallet Pop)

A 911 DISPATCHER TOLD A CALLER TO KILL A 12-FOOT BURMESE PYTHON WITH A SHOVEL:

Maryse Lawson lives in Tampa, Florida. On Sunday, she came home and found a 12-FOOT BURMESE PYTHON in her front yard. (!!!) --So Maryse did what anyone in her position would do . . . she called 911. Get this . . .

Maryse relayed the situation to the 911 dispatcher, and her call was transferred to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Department. --At which point Maryse was scolded by the operator for calling 911, and told to KILL the giant snake on her own by bashing its head in with a shovel. --Maryse says, quote, "I told her, 'I'm not getting out of my car to do anything.' So, she told me to go get a neighbor and maybe they could do it."

Eventually, Maryse convinced the operator to send someone out to capture the snake. And now, officials with Florida Fish and Wildlife have admitted the situation was handled improperly. --According to a department spokesman, quote, "We are addressing this with our dispatchers, and they know that when we have a situation like this that they should send an officer." (WTSP News 10 - Tampa)

CAFFEINE DOESN'T HELP SOBER YOU UP . . . IT MAKES THINGS WORSE:
How many times has this happened? You've had a few too many drinks and you're trying to sober up, so a friend makes you a cup of coffee or tea to help speed up the process. Sound familiar?

If so, you should know that caffeine does NOT help you sober up. In fact, according to a new study from Temple University, it might actually make things worse. --That's because when people are "awake drunk" . . . which is what it's called when you mix the effects alcohol and caffeine . . . they're actually more likely to take risks than if they were just drunk and tired.

A guy named Thomas Gould co-led the study. He says there's a, quote, "false sense of security that caffeine can reduce the negative effects of alcohol. But the cognitive impairment remains, and that can lead to poor choices and the inability to react to key stimuli . . .

"Caffeine will make you less sleepy and maybe you are less likely to fall asleep behind the wheel, but it won't make you any less drunk . . . You are not going to be able to quickly and properly make choices." (Daily Finance)

16% OF AMERICANS BELIEVE IN THE "EVIL EYE":

For the most part, the U.S. is a nation of logical and thoughtful people. At least that's what I used to think, until I heard THIS . . . --On Wednesday, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life came out with a new survey on spirituality and supernatural experiences. --According to the survey, 18% of Americans think they've seen or been in the presence of a ghost. --23% think that yoga is a spiritual practice. --24% believe in reincarnation.--25% believe in astrology.--26% believe that trees and other objects possess a, quote, "spiritual energy."--Roughly ONE in THREE Americans believe it's possible to contact the dead.--And 16% of Americans believe in the "evil eye," which means they think certain people have the ability to cast spells and curses. (MSNBC / Yahoo News)

THERE ARE SO MANY CHIHUAHUAS IN CALIFORNIA DOG SHELTERS THAT THEY'VE STARTED SHIPPING THEM OUT OF STATE:

According to officials in California, Chihuahuas now make up 30% of all dogs at state rescue shelters. In fact, there are so many of them that some shelters have started shipping their Chihuahuas out-of-state to Washington, Oregon and Arizona. --So why are there so many Chihuahuas being abandoned?

Well, it's not entirely clear. But experts say it's a mix of factors. --One possible explanation is that Chihuahuas are cute as puppies. But when they grow up, they tend to develop health problems and become aggressive.

Meanwhile, other experts will tell you that pop culture is to blame. By which I mean fans are trying to imitate their favorite celebu-skanks like PARIS HILTON. But when they get bored with their "accessories," they abandon them. --Put another way, your dog has just as much reason to hate Paris Hilton as you do. (Yahoo News)

FOUR WAYS SEX IS GOOD FOR YOU:

According to a new 10-year study in Britain, you're 50 percent less likely to die if you're enjoying an active sex life. Obviously it can be pretty good exercise, but that's not the ONLY health-related reason to get busy this weekend.

--Here are four more interesting ways sex is good for your health . . .
#1.) SEX CAN HELP PREVENT THE FLU. Researchers found that having sex once or twice a week makes your body produce up to a third more antibodies, which boost your immune system.

#2.) SEX PREVENTS PROSTATE CANCER. Several studies have shown that men who have sex or pleasure themselves 20 times a month reduce their risk of prostate cancer by a third. That's compared to men who only do it five to seven times a month.

#3.) SEX RELIEVES HEADACHES. Especially in women. In fact, the endorphins your body releases during sex can reduce pain from headaches, arthritis, and cramps.

#4.) SEX COULD HELP PREVENT OSTEOPOROSIS. Whether you're a man or a woman, sex makes your body produce more testosterone, which could lower your risk of bone problems. But it hasn't been proven yet, and more studies are needed. (DailyTelegraph.com.au) A HOLIDAY


GIFT GUIDE FOR NEW RELATIONSHIPS:

If you're freaking out because Christmas is two weeks away, and you STILL have no idea what to get the person you're dating, it's okay. We've got three tips for you, and six gift ideas too . . .

#1.) DON'T GET TOO PERSONAL. Even if it feels like you've known someone forever, you haven't. Buying a gift that assumes a certain level of intimacy, like lingerie, can scare people off. Your best bet is buying something you'd get for a good friend.

#2.) LISTEN FOR CLUES. At the same time, a generic gift isn't much better. You want to give something that shows you've been paying attention when you're together. --Think about the things you've talked about on dates, whether it's sports, movies, or a favorite hobby, and get a gift that matches those interests.

#3.) DON'T GO OVERBOARD. You don't want to come off as cheap, but if you spend too much money on your gift, it might make the other person feel guilty that they didn't do the same. --If you've been dating for a few months, go for something around $50. If it's been less than that, stay around $20 or $25.

HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS FOR HIM:

--If you bake, make a batch of some fantastic dessert . . . chocolate chip cookies, brownies, fudge . . . and pack it up in a decorative tin or a basket. --If he's a sports fan, get him something related to his favorite team. --Or get him a StubHub gift certificate at http://www.stubhub.com/. That way, he can buy tickets to whatever sporting event or concert he wants.

HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS FOR HER:
--If she likes girly things like spa days and pedicures . . . or even if she's just wears makeup . . . you can't go wrong with a gift certificate to http://www.sephora.com/. --If you really want to make her feel unique, buy her a matching scarf and glove set, and tell her you thought the colors would bring out her eyes.--Bascially, she'll love it if your gift shows that you put some thought into it. For example, you could make her a 'coupon book,' with fun activities you can do together. It's like a book with a bunch of fake vouchers, that say stuff like "Good for one free massage by me," or "Good for one football-free Sunday." (Happen Magazine)

HOLLYWOOD DIRT OVERFLOW

THE TIGER WOODS INCIDENT

TIGER WOODS HAS BEEN GRANTED AN ORDER BARRING BRITISH NEWS OUTLETS FROM PUBLISHING NUDE PHOTOS AND VIDEO OF HIM . . . BUT HE'S NOT ADMITTING ANY SUCH MATERIALS EXIST:

This is odd and slightly suspect: Attorneys for TIGER WOODS were granted an order by Britain's High Court that bars any British media outlets from publishing nude photos and / or videos of Tiger. --Specifically, the order bars publication of, quote, "any photographs, footage or images taken or obtained of the claimant [Tiger] naked or any naked parts of the claimant's [Tiger's] body or of him involved in any sexual activity."

At the same time, however, Tiger's lawyers aren't admitting that any such materials actually exist. (???) --The attorneys sent a letter to various British news organizations yesterday to inform them of the order. And they said, quote, "This order is not to be taken as an admission that any such photographs exist.

"And in the event that these photographs do exist, and it is not admitted, any such images may have been fabricated, altered, manipulated and or changed to create the false appearance and impression that they are nude photographs of our client." --They added, quote, "Our client is not aware of any images and in any event he would not have consented to any such photographs being taken nor would he have consented to the dissemination or exploitation of the same."

HOLLY SAMPSON HAS PUBLICLY ADMITTED SHE HAD SEX WITH TIGER WOODS:

Mattress actress HOLLY SAMPSON has confirmed that she is indeed one of TIGER'S ANGELS. --Holly is that porno skank who admitted during a webcam show last May that she nailed TIGER WOODS. Since her name came up this month, however, she hasn't said a word about it. Until now.

Her lawyer released a statement yesterday confirming what was said last May. But the attorney added one important detail: Tiger WASN'T MARRIED when Holly had him. --Here's the statement . . . quote, "The statements made by Holly Sampson in the webcast interview with Naughty America in May of 2009 are truthful, accurate and without any malicious intent.

"Holly Sampson has not requested and will not accept any monetary amount for her silence regarding her past relations with Tiger Woods. --"Holly Sampson confirms that her relationship with Tiger Woods was intimate and that this relationship occurred while Mr. Woods was not married. Holly Sampson will be releasing details of this legitimate relationship."

HOLLY SAMPSON AND ANOTHER ONE OF TIGER'S ANGELS WERE PROSTITUTES:

Two of the women TIGER WOODS was allegedly messing around with were PROSTITUTES. That's according to a woman named Michelle Braun . . . who says she was their madam. --Braun has tax forms to prove that mattress actress HOLLY SAMPSON and fellow Tiger's Angel JAMIE JUNGERS were on the payroll of a company Braun ran as a FRONT to hide her prostitution ring.

Braun says Tiger had, quote, "a pretty big appetite for girls" . . . and that his type was, quote, "the college-cutie, girls-next-door look." --Braun says Tiger spent three weekends in Las Vegas with his girls over the years . . . and he spent between $30,000 and $40,000 per weekend. The last time Braun communicated with Tiger was in mid-2008.

(--Here's video of Michelle Braun stabbing Tiger in the back . . .)http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b157328_escort_service_owner_tiger_was_client.html

IT'S ON!!! BETWEEN RACHEL UCHITEL AND JOY BEHAR!!!

It is so very ON between RACHEL UCHITEL and JOY BEHAR. --On "The View" yesterday, Joy made the following crack . . . quote, "Uchitel she's a hooker." Rachel, however, was NOT amused. In fact, Uchitel she's PISSED. And she's considering a LAWSUIT if ABC doesn't issue a retraction.

Rachel's attorney, Gloria Allred, says, quote, "This statement about Ms. Uchitel is false and defamatory and highly offensive to her. Rachel is very upset by that statement which has been viewed and now read all around the world. --"This statement was very hurtful to Rachel because it is not true. Even if the host said it in a joking way Rachel is not amused, because she values her reputation and her reputation has been damaged by this statement as it is completely false."

(--Meanwhile, TMZ is reporting that Rachel was STUNNED by the number of girls Tiger allegedly nailed . . . and the fact that he wasn't much of a stickler for safe sex. So she's getting tested for STDs.)

THE 10 BEST CHRISTMAS SONGS:

AOL Radio polled their listeners to put together a list of The 10 Best Christmas Songs. It's loaded with old-school classics, which either means everyone lazily went with the obvious choices . . . or no one records Christmas music like they used to. (--Both are true.)--BING CROSBY'S original version of "White Christmas" was the #1 pick. Here's the complete list:
#1.) "White Christmas", BING CROSBY#2.) "The Christmas Song", NAT KING COLE#3.) "Christmas Canon", TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA#4.) "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas", PERRY COMO#5.) "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", FRANK SINATRA#6.) "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year", ANDY WILLIAMS#7.) "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", BRENDA LEE#8.) "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!", DEAN MARTIN#9.) "O Holy Night", NAT KING COLE#10.) "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas", BURL IVES(--If you care, you can find a few facts about each song, here . . .)http://www.aolradioblog.com/2009/10/05/10-best-christmas-songs/

KANYE WEST IS THE TOP "FAIL PERSON" OF THE YEAR:

FailBlog.org has released a list of the Top Most Memorable FAIL People of the Year. And KANYE WEST is the big winner. Or, should we say . . . FAILURE. --The results were determined by poll, and 16% of participants voted Kanye into the top spot. Kanye's interruption of TAYLOR SWIFT at the "MTV Video Music Awards" was also voted the top FAIL Moment of the year. (--We're assuming the voting concluded before Thanksgiving . . . because TIGER WOODS is nowhere to be found on either list.)
--Here are the Top 10 Fail People of 2009 . . .
#1.) Kanye West 16%#2.) Jon Gosselin 12%#3.) Glenn Beck 11%#4.) Perez Hilton 11%#5.) "Octomom" Nadya Suleman 10%#6.) Chris Brown 9%#7.) Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt 7%#8.) Lindsay Lohan 7%#9.) Carrie Prejean 5%#10.) Roman Polanski 4%

--And here are the Top Fail Moments . . .
#1.) Kanye West's Outburst at the "Video Music Awards" 37%#2.) Bolivian Newscast Airs "Lost" scene as Flight 447's Last Moments 13%(--Yes, this actually happened. Check out video of this FAIL here . . .)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MPOJSsggjs#3.) Richard Heene's Balloon Boy Hoax 11%#4.) Photo Opportunity for Air Force One Mistaken for Terrorist Attack 8%#5.) Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich Tries to Sell Obama's Senate Seat 7%#6.) Northwest Flight to Minneapolis Overshoots Airport by 150 Miles 7%#7.) Gordon Brown's Handshake Fail 4%#8.) Christian Bale's Freakout on "Terminator" Set 3%#9.) South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford Affair with Argentinean 3%#10.) White House Crashers Michaele and Tarez Salahi 2%

CHECK OUT THE ELLEN DEGENERES COMIC BOOK:

ELLEN DEGENERES: You love her show . . . now enjoy her in COMIC BOOK FORM. (???) A company called Blue Water Comics is publishing an autobiographical comic book about Ellen. (--Check it out here . . .)http://www.bluewaterprod.com/news/femaleforce_ellen.php

(--This company actually has an entire line called "Female Force" . . . which is a series of comics about famous and powerful women. Other subjects include Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Sarah Palin, J.K. Rowling and "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer. Check it out . . .) http://www.bluewaterprod.com/comics/female_force.php

ABC IS STILL SHYING AWAY FROM ADAM LAMBERT'S SEXUALITY . . . BUT HOT GIRL-ON-GIRL ACTION IS TOTALLY COOL:

If you watched BARBARA WALTERS' "10 Most Fascinating People" special on Wednesday night, you know that she not only finds ADAM LAMBERT fascinating . . . she's also pretty fascinated by his same-sex kiss at the "American Music Awards". --But what some viewers found fascinating was ABC's double standard when it comes to gay kisses.

(--ABC . . . the network that aired Barbara's special . . . has been mostly avoiding Adam since he pulled a fast one on them at the "AMAs".) --While talking with Adam . . . which seemed to be all about that "AMA" scandal . . . Barbara made a special point to mention that they had chosen NOT to show a clip of Adam's gay kiss. The same kiss Barbara couldn't stop talking about. --

Now, LADY GAGA was another of Barbara's Most Fascinating. And during Barbara's talk with her, the topic obviously covered her bisexuality. And Barbara threw in an interesting little visual aid.--That visual aid was a clip of Lady Gaga locking lips with another chick. --Not surprisingly, ABC was forced to explain why they were cool with airing the girl-on-girl kiss but not the boy-on-boy kiss.

Here's the excuse they came up with: Quote, "It was an editorial decision to show very little from [Adam's 'AMA'] performance and focus on the fresh, new interview with Adam Lambert. (--In which he's asked about his "AMA" performance.) --"The Lady Gaga kiss was used quickly in context of things that upset her father. (???) ABC never had a problem showing [Adam's] kiss, in fact we did not edit it out of the West Coast feed of the 'AMAs'."

"BILLBOARD'S" MALE AND FEMALE ARTISTS OF THE YEAR:

"Billboard" has released their Top Female and Top Male Artists of Year lists. And their top honors for each list went to TAYLOR SWIFT and KANYE WEST. (--Sorry, I'm all out of "Taylor, I'm going to let you finish . . ." jokes.) -The rankings are based on how each artist performed on the "Billboard" album and singles charts. Top 10 Female Artists of 2009 are:
#1.) TAYLOR SWIFT#2.) BEYONCÉ#3.) LADY GAGA$4.) MILEY CYRUS#5.) BRITNEY SPEARS#6.) PINK#7.) KATY PERRY#8.) KELLY CLARKSON#9.) RIHANNA#10.) KERI HILSON

--And "Billboard's" Top 10 Male Artists of 2009 are:
#1.) KANYE WEST#2.) T.I.#3.) FLO RIDA#4.) JASON MRAZ#5.) NE-YO#6.) LIL WAYNE#7.) PITBULL#8.) JAMIE FOXX#9.) EMINEM#10.) DRAKE (--The overall Artists of the Year list . . . complete with bands, is here . . .)http://www.billboard.com/news#/features/2009-artists-of-the-year-1004052641.story

TAYLOR SWIFT IS "BILLBOARD'S" ARTIST OF THE YEAR . . . AND SHE'S PLANNING ON RELEASING A NEW ALBUM NEXT YEAR:

If you're thinking there's still time for TAYLOR SWIFT to squeeze in one more honor before the year ends, well, how about two? "Billboard" has named Taylor Swift their Artist of the Year . . . and . . . their Female Artist of the Year. --I'm not surprised they chose Taylor, but I was still a little blown away when they started listing all the reasons. For example, according to "Billboard", Taylor sold more albums than any artist NOT named MICHAEL JACKSON . . .

Her first headlining tour sold out every show within minutes . . . she "set seemingly every chart record that exists" . . . and, as you know, she became the youngest woman to win entertainer of the year at the CMAs. But this honor wasn't just about the numbers . . .--"Billboard" also said that Taylor, quote, "Proved herself a graceful, timeless celebrity, handling hosting duties on 'Saturday Night Live' and a rampaging KANYE WEST at the MTV Video Music Awards with equal aplomb." Nice.

(--You can check out ALL of the artists who made "Billboard's" year-end list in today's Music Section.)

So . . . what's in store for Taylor Swift next year? Well, she's actually on pace to release another album. "Billboard" asked Taylor if all the insanity from this year has slowed down her songwriting. Not so. She said, quote, "I actually am best writing on the road. --"I only have time to write the songs that hit me the hardest. Like 'Fifteen' . . . that's one I wrote on the road. It hits me and I found time to write it, whether it's 15 minutes between meet-and-greets or at 4:00 A.M.

"If they haunt me through my interviews, and all I'm playing in my head is this song, then I know I've got something." --So even though Taylor is everywhere, she still squeezes in time to write some future hits. She continues, quote, "I'm well into writing my next album. I think my biggest goal for this next record is to write in real time as I always have.

"I want to continue to write about things that I'm going through. My first record was my diary from my early teens. My next was my diary from 16 to 18. My biggest hope for this next record is that the feelings I'm feeling right now will be accurately portrayed." --Taylor says she likes to take two years between records . . . so she's shooting to release another album next year. (--Her last album, "Fearless", came out in 2008.)