January 22, 2010

HOLLYWOOD DIRT OVERFLOW

JOHN EDWARDS FINALLY ADMITTED HE FATHERED A LOVE CHILD:

Everyone pretty much knew this last year, and he just looked like an idiot for trying to ignore it . . . but yesterday JOHN EDWARDS finally admitted that he fathered a LOVE CHILD with his mistress, RIELLE HUNTER. --The child . . . a girl named Frances Quinn Hunter . . . is now almost two years old. --Edwards released a statement that said, quote, "I am Quinn's father. It was wrong for me ever to deny she was my daughter and hopefully one day, when she understands, she will forgive me." --He added, quote, "I will do everything in my power to provide her with the love and support she deserves. --"I have been able to spend time with her during the past year and trust that future efforts to show her the love and affection she deserves can be done privately and in peace." --"I have been providing financial support for Quinn and have reached an agreement with her mother to continue providing support in the future. To all those I have disappointed and hurt, these words will never be enough, but I am truly sorry." --Although the statement was issued yesterday, John wasn't available for comment, because he's in Haiti, aiding in the relief effort. (--What a Hero!) --Like so many scandal-plagued celebrities before him, Edwards seems to have been motivated to come clean by the fact that the truth was about to come out with or without his help. --One of Edwards' former aides, Andrew Young, is spilling the whole story in a book that comes out February 2nd. --You might remember that this guy Young actually came forward and claimed HE was the baby's father just before the 2008 presidential primaries. (--The child was conceived in mid-2007, while Edwards was running for president.) --Young tells ABC News that Edwards wanted him to fake a paternity test . . . telling him to, quote, "Go get a doctor to fake the DNA results." --Young added, quote, "He asked me . . . to steal a diaper from the baby so he could secretly do a DNA test to find out if this (was) indeed his child." --John's wife ELIZABETH issued a statement of her own yesterday, saying that the, quote, "whole family is relieved" that the truth has come out. --As for how this might affect her marriage, she said, quote, "My marriage shouldn't be on anybody's radar screen except mine." Then she added, quote, "If somebody has a crystal ball, they can let me know." (--John and Elizabeth Edwards have been married for almost 33 years. They've had four kids together.)


IS KANYE WEST BANNED FROM TONIGHT'S TELETHON???

A ton of celebrities will be participating in tonight's "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon. One who may NOT participate is KANYE WEST. And some people say it's because he WASN'T INVITED. --A so-called "source" close to the production says, quote, "After what he said on the Katrina telethon and the way he behaved at the 'MTV Video Music Awards', everyone agrees it's just best that he does not participate.--"Kayne has to make everything about himself. He will do anything to steal the spotlight and, well, this night it's just not about him." (--It was during the Katrina telethon that Kanye broke from the script to inform us that GEORGE W. BUSH didn't care about black people. And, of course, we all remember what he did to Taylor Swift at the "VMAs".) --But a rep for MTV says, quote, "That's absolutely not true. We DID reach out to Kanye." (--Apparently, Kanye hasn't reached back. At least not yet.) --"Hope for Haiti Now" airs from 8:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. on about a trillion different channels . . . including all the major networks, MTV, VH1, CNN, BET, HBO, CMT, PBS, TNT, Showtime, Comedy Central, Bravo and E!.


MORE CELEBRITIES HAVE BEEN ADDED TO "HOPE FOR HAITI":

Some new names have signed on for tonight's telethon. They include:--BRAD PITT--ROBERT PATTINSON--MADONNA--HALLE BERRY--NICOLE KIDMAN--BILL CLINTON--CHRIS ROCK--CLINT EASTWOOD--DENZEL WASHINGTON--WILL SMITH with MUHAMMAD ALI--SACHA BARON COHEN--THE JONAS BROTHERS (--. . . and frankly, just about any other celebrity you can name. Speaking of which . . . Leonardo DiCaprio has already ponied up $1 million for the cause . . . and organizer (slash) host George Clooney is going to donate a million during tonight's telecast.)


QUINCY JONES IS RE-RECORDING "WE ARE THE WORLD" FOR HAITI . . . AND SIMON COWELL IS PUTTING TOGETHER A CHARITY SINGLE, TOO:

QUINCY JONES and LIONEL RICHIE are organizing a 25th anniversary re-recording of "We Are the World" to benefit Haiti. --There's no word yet on who'll be involved . . . but apparently, the following artists have been invited: Usher, Natalie Cole, John Legend, Wyclef Jean, Sting, Fergie, Alicia Keys and Justin Timberlake. --Vocals from MICHAEL JACKSON . . . who co-wrote the song . . . will also be used. (--Quincy and Lionel will be asking everyone to stick around for an extra day after the January 31st Grammys to record their parts.) --Meanwhile, SIMON COWELL is putting together his own charity single. It'll probably utilize various Simon Cowell-created celebrities. The only names being tossed around at the moment are LEONA LEWIS and the gorgeous SUSAN BOYLE. --Simon claims this wasn't his idea, by the way. He says, quote, "I wanted to do something for Haiti, and we had a request from the prime minister to put a record together."

BROOKE MUELLER IS DOING WELL:

CHARLIE SHEEN'S wife BROOKE MUELLER is still in ICU with pneumonia in both lungs . . . and she'll probably remain hospitalized for a few more days. But she's on the mend. --Her mother says, quote, "Brooke came in at the very last minute because sepsis from an infection following surgery for her impacted wisdom tooth had invaded her system, and her organs were starting to shut down. --"Today her lungs, kidney and liver functions look better. But doctors are still worried about her low blood pressure." --Mom also revealed that Charlie was back for another visit yesterday morning. She said, quote, "They were lovey-dovey and touching each other. They are a perfect couple when neither of them is drinking." --The paparazzi actually caught Charlie leaving the hospital yesterday. Asked about Brooke's condition, he said, quote, "She's doing great . . . she's doing a lot better, yeah."(--Here's video . . .) http://www.tmz.com/videos?autoplay=true&mediaKey=ed4cd00d-a113-4b73-b43f-22437f3f4884

TIGER'S FELLOW PATIENTS IN REHAB RESENT HIM . . . BECAUSE HE'S GETTING SPECIAL TREATMENT:

TIGER WOODS is quite popular with the white women. Not so much with the sex addicts. --Britain's not-always-reliable "Sun" tabloid claims that the other pervs at the rehab clinic in Mississippi RESENT Tiger because he's getting special treatment. --A so-called "source" says, quote, "When Tiger enters one of the public areas, other patients have been told they have to leave the room. Other patients share a cabin, but Tiger has his own. His special privileges are causing a lot of resentment." --He also gets MAID SERVICE, while everybody else had to take care of their own rooms. --One last note . . . and it wouldn't be much of a surprise if it's true: The "National Enquirer" says Tiger never wanted to go to rehab. But his wife ELIN NORDEGREN made him do it, under penalty of divorce. --If it were up to him, he would never have gone . . . because he doesn't think he has a problem.


ENJOY SOME VIDEO OF AN ITALIAN TV PERSONALITY GRABBING DAVID BECKHAM'S CROTCH:

Some Italian TV hostess posed as a reporter just so she could get close enough to DAVID BECKHAM to GRAB HIS CROTCH. (!!!) --She basically just wanted to see if Beckham "measures up", so to speak, to the bulge he shows in his underwear ads . . . or if he's just STUFFING. --The chick got a little roughed up as she was removed by David's security . . . but she was obviously proud enough of herself to air the footage on her show (--The show is called "Le lene" . . . which means "The Hyenas" . . . and the woman's name is Elena Di Cioccio. Here's the clip . . .) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kXUCLsgNiA


IS RIHANNA'S NEW MAN ABUSIVE???

This is a little sad . . . if it's true. RIHANNA'S new boyfriend might have issues with anger toward women. --According to the "Star" tabloid, Dodgers outfielder MATT KEMP had a restraining order filed against him by a girlfriend in 2008. --That girlfriend is an actress by the name of FELISHA TERRELL. She played a character named Arianna Hernandez on "Days of Our Lives". She used to live with Matt . . . but things broke down. --In her petition for the restraining order, Felisha accused Matt of threatening, intimidating and stalking her. And she said, quote, "He is violent and I am afraid." --A so-called "friend" of Rihanna's says, quote, "You'd think after what she went through with Chris, Rihanna would be extra careful about learning the background of any man she gets close to. --"It's almost as if she has a dark side of her own . . . an attraction to bad boys."


LINDA HOGAN HAS SETTLED UP WITH THE FAMILY OF THE MAN HER SON VEGETATED:

LINDA HOGAN has settled up with the family of JOHN GRAZIANO . . . the young man who was essentially VEGETATED when her son NICK crashed his car while street-racing in Florida two and a half years ago. --The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Linda's attorney said she was happy with the settlement and, quote, "ready to move on with her life." --The family also settled with the driver of the vehicle Nick was allegedly drag-racing against.(--John was a passenger in Nick's car. He was NOT wearing his seatbelt. Nick, who WAS belted in, suffered only minor injuries. But he ended up doing jail time because he'd also been drinking.) --Nick and his dad, HULK HOGAN, remain defendants.


IT'S OFFICIAL: CONAN O'BRIEN IS OUT . . . AND JAY LENO WILL RETURN TO "THE TONIGHT SHOW":

Well, it's finally over. --Yesterday, NBC reached a settlement with CONAN O'BRIEN to scrap the final two and a half years of his "Tonight Show" contract. (--The terms of the original contract were never released, but several sources report that it was probably somewhere in the $12- to $15 million-per-year range.) --Like we'd heard, the total settlement came out to around $45 MILLION. Conan gets $32.5 . . . Conan's executive producer Jeffrey Ross gets $4.5 million . . . and the rest of the staff splits $7.5 million. --NBC also included $600,000 for some employees that were not under contract. It sounds like that's in addition to the general staff severance, although that's not totally clear. Conan's people have said that it was NBC's idea to chip in the extra money. (--We'd heard that NBC's payout would be OFFSET by the money that Conan pulls down at his next job . . . meaning that they'd be able to subtract his next salary from what they owe him. But that hasn't been addressed officially yet.) --As expected, Conan won't be able to jump back on the air on another network immediately. But he won't have to wait too long. NBC said that Conan will be able to, quote, "pursue other opportunities after September 1st" of this year. --And it sounds like he'll begin the job search . . . now. His manager, Gavin Palone, said, quote, "Now he just wants to get back on the air as quickly as possible." (--There's been a lot of talk about Fox making a move for Conan, but there hasn't been anything new on that front. You can probably expect Fox to be more public about their interest or disinterest now that NBC and Conan have officially split.) --Conan's last night will be TONIGHT. His guests will be TOM HANKS and WILL FERRELL, who was also his first "Tonight Show" guest back in June. NEIL YOUNG will be the musical guest. --JAY LENO will retake the reins on March 1st. --NBC plans on airing repeats from Conan's brief "Tonight Show" run over the next three weeks, until they begin airing coverage of the Winter Olympics. (--That'll take them through February.) --Naturally, NBC can air whatever repeats they want, so it's probably a safe bet that they'll stick to the ones taped BEFORE Conan hated the network. (--But then again, NBC isn't the sharpest tool in the shed . . . so who knows what they'll do.) --One thing we still haven't anything official on is whether or not NBC made Conan agree NOT to insult the network publicly after he leaves. --In NBC's official statement, they hyped the return of Jay Leno . . . quote, "We're pleased that Jay is returning to host the franchise that he helmed brilliantly and successfully for many years. --"He is an enormous talent, a consummate professional and one of the hardest-working performers on television. The program will continue to showcase many of the features that made Leno America's late-night leader for more than a dozen years."


NBC ISN'T WORRIED ABOUT THE FALL-OUT FROM THEIR LATE-NIGHT MESS . . . BECAUSE HAITI IS A MUCH BIGGER DISASTER:

In an interview with the "Hollywood Reporter", NBC Entertainment Chairman Jeff Gaspin said that he's not worried about the beating that NBC is taking over their late-night catastrophe . . . because it isn't as bad as what's happening in Haiti. --He said, quote, "I think those jokes [about NBC] are waning very quickly. You're actually seeing backlash against those jokes on air. People are saying, 'We have a horrendous situation in Haiti, let's put this thing in perspective.' --"Controversies and scandals burn red hot for a short period of time. And then they are extinguished. I expect the same thing will happen here." --When asked if he was concerned that JAY LENO'S popularity may have taken a hit, he said, quote, "I think Leno will be competitive at 11:35 P.M., I think his fan base is very strong and they will welcome him back. I don't think they're paying nearly as much attention to what's going on as we are." --Gaspin also said Jay's new show will be a, quote, "hybrid" of his old "Tonight Show" and "The Jay Leno Show". He said, quote, "There's elements of the current show they like, and there's elements from 'The Tonight Show' they'd like to bring back. --"I would be surprised if they didn't bring back the desk and a couch, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a new desk and couch."

IS "THE JAY LENO SHOW" THE BIGGEST BOMB IN THE HISTORY OF TV???

The new issue of "Entertainment Weekly" features a list of TV's 50 Biggest Bombs Ever . . . and "The Jay Leno Show" was #1. Here's the Top 10:
#1.) Putting JAY LENO at 10:00 P.M.#2.) Fox yanks "Family Guy" off the air . . . twice#3.) "Cavemen" (ABC)#4.) "Moonlighting's" David and Maddie hook up #5.) "The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer"#6.) Premature exits . . . including "NYPD Blue's" DAVID CARUSO, "Cheers'" SHELLEY LONG, and "Bonanza's" PERNELL ROBERTS#7.) "Coupling" (NBC)#8.) ABC overdoes it with "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire"#9.) "Felicity" cuts her hair#10.) The XFL (--To see the whole list, you have to pick up the issue, which is on newsstands now.)


THE FBI IS INVOLVED IN THE JON CRYER "DEATH THREAT":

"Two and a Half Men" taped without a studio audience last Friday, because someone had THREATENED CHARLIE SHEEN'S co-star, JON CRYER. (--Someone OTHER THAN Charlie Sheen, F.Y.I.) --We'd heard that Jon's ex-wife, Sarah Trigger, was behind it . . . because they've been involved in a nasty custody fight. Well, now it sounds more serious. --TMZ now says that Jon told the authorities that he thought Trigger had hired a HITMAN to off him. (!!!) There's no word on what led him to this conclusion. --The FBI is supposedly investigating, but no one's on the record about any of this. --Last year, Jon was awarded temporary custody of their nine-year-old son, Charlie, after Trigger was arrested on felony neglect charges. (--Her two-year-old son . . . with a different father . . . was found with suspicious marks around his neck.) (--For what it's worth, Trigger's lawyer denied that she had anything to do with a threat to Jon, saying, quote, "There's no reason in the world why Sarah would do anything like that." We'll let you know if anything comes of this.) (--Jon is now re-married. He and his new wife adopted a daughter last year.)


#1.) CBS has announced the cast of the 16th season of "The Amazing Race", and as usual, it's packed with teams of good-looking people, who are either models . . . have bizarre occupations . . . or have some sort of abnormal relationship. --This time around, there are undercover detectives, cowboy brothers, a professional baseball coach and a 71-year-old grandmother (slash) personal trainer. The madness kicks off on February 14th. (--For more information, hit up the show's website . . .) http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/

#2.) Fox411.com is reporting that LIZA MINNELLI has joined the cast of "Ugly Betty". So-called "set insiders" tell them that she'll be playing a, quote, "outrageous" drama teacher at Justin's high school. --She'll begin filming episodes next week, which will air later this spring. There's no word on how many episodes she'll be doing . . . but normally when someone "joins the cast," their stay is considered open-ended.

#3.) 28-year-old Jarrod Norrell . . . the dude that was shown leaving the "American Idol"

auditions in handcuffs on Wednesday night . . . didn't end up being arrested. (--He got aggressive with security when they had to remove him from the audition.) --Producers just kicked him out, and warned him not to come back.

#4.) ROB LOWE has announced that he's leaving "Brothers & Sisters" at the end of the current season. There's no official reason why . . . but word has it that Rob felt he was being "underutilized," so he asked to be released from his contract. --Deadline.com reports that ABC would like to keep Rob . . . and is talking to him about starring in a new series . . . but there aren't any further details on that. (--It's also unclear how Rob's characters' departure will be handled on the show.)

FRIDAY TV REMINDERS:
--"Hope for Haiti Now" [Two-Hour Telethon] . . . 8:00 to 10:00 P.M. Eastern on all the major networks . . . including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, the CW, CNN, MTV, VH1, CMT, CNN, PBS, BET, HBO, Showtime, TNT, and Comedy Central. (--Performers include . . . Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Taylor Swift, Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, Shakira, Dave Matthews, Stevie Wonder, Rihanna, Bono, Jay-Z and a group performance by Keith Urban, Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow.) (--Their performances will be available for sale on iTunes, Amazon and Rhapsody, with the proceeds going to relief efforts. The show will be hosted by Wyclef Jean in New York, George Clooney in L.A., and Anderson Cooper covering Haiti.)

--"Caprica" [Two-Hour SERIES Premiere] . . . 9:00 to 11:00 P.M. on Syfy. (--Esai Morales and Eric Stoltz star in this "Battlestar Galactica" spin-off, which is set 60 years before "Galactica" and tells the story of the creation of the first Cylon.)

--"Spartacus: Blood and Sand" [SERIES Premiere] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on Starz. (--Australian stud Andy Whitfield is Spartacus, the legendary Roman gladiator who was played by Kirk Douglas in 1960's "Spartacus". "Xena's" Lucy Lawless is also in it.)

SATURDAY TV REMINDERS:

--"16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards" . . . 8:00 to 11:00 P.M. on TNT and TBS.

--"AT&T US Figure Skating Championships" . . . 9:00 to 11:00 P.M. on NBC.

--"The Pregnancy Pact" . . . 9:00 to 11:00 P.M. on Lifetime. (--Camryn Manheim plays a school nurse who proactively hands out contraceptives to high school girls.)

--"Saturday Night Live" . . . 11:30 P.M. to 1:00 A.M. on NBC (--Blake Lively hosts and Rihanna is the musical guest.) (REPEAT)

SUNDAY TV REMINDERS:

--"AFC Championship" . . . 3:00 to 6:00 P.M. Eastern on CBS. (--The New York Jets battle the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indiana.)

--"NFC Championship" . . . 6:40 to 9:40 P.M. Eastern on Fox. (--The Minnesota Vikings battle the New Orleans Saints at the Superdome in Louisiana.)

--"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" . . . 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. on ABC. (--Ashanti helps a Jamaican immigrant get a new home.)

--"Big Love" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on HBO. (--Sissy Spacek guest stars as a D.C. lobbyist who is not very fond of Bill.)

--"AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships" . . . 9:00 to 11:00 P.M. on NBC.

PRINCE WROTE A SONG FOR THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS:

If you're not a fan of the Minnesota Vikings, you'll be happy to hear there's another reason to hate them: PRINCE has written a song for the team. Yes, THAT Prince. --Prince is from Minneapolis, and he says he hadn't seen Minnesota play in a long time. But he went to the game against Dallas last Sunday, and after the Vikings won, he, quote, "saw the future." --So later that night, he wrote a song called "Purple and Gold". It's in honor of this weekend's game against the New Orleans Saints, and the lyrics include stuff like "we r the truth if the truth can b told . . . long reign the purple and gold." --Apparently the Vikings love it, and plan to put it on their site. But we'll see if it catches on with the fans. (--I don't know. What football team wants a fight song written by Prince? On the other hand . . . admit it. You secretly wish Prince had written a song for YOUR team. You can hear the song and check out the lyrics here . . .) http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/sports/prince-reveals-song-for-vikings-saints-game


NAZZY'S RANDOM STUFF

BUDDHIST MONKS IN JAPAN ARE USING ALCOHOL AND HIP-HOP TO ATTRACT YOUNG PEOPLE:

Last year, a study found that the number of Americans who identify themselves as Christians has fallen by 11%. But it seems Christianity isn't the only religion that's hemorrhaging followers . . . and it's not just happening here in the States. --Over the last few years, hundreds of Buddhist temples in Japan have been forced to close their doors. --According to a group of monks, the problem is that Japan's young people just can't relate to the traditions of Buddhism, so they're turning their backs on the religion. --So to attract more followers, a group of Japanese Buddhists has opened a new nightclub called the Monk Bar, which serves alcohol and features live hip-hop performances by the monks themselves. (???) --A guy named Kansho Tagai . . . who goes by the street name "Mr. Happiness" . . . is one of the monks who came up with the idea. He says, quote, "Getting the young people back to religion is key to Buddhism's survival. In Japan, it's a religion in crisis." (CNN) (--Check out a video of Mr. Happiness "spitting rhymes" at the Monk Bar, here . . .) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDS0mFbBihg

THE VALUE OF THE WHITE HOUSE DROPPED 5% FROM LAST YEAR:

The sad truth is that the housing crisis has probably caused the value of your home to take a nosedive. But at least you're not alone. --That's because according to a real estate website called Zillow.com, the value of the White House has fallen from $308 MILLION to $292.5 MILLION since last year. That's about a 5% drop overall. --And now for some White House Fun Facts: --The White House cost just over $232,000 to build when construction started in 1792. That's the equivalent of about $2.4 MILLION now. --George Washington never lived in the White House. Its first occupant was America's second president, John Adams. --The White House has burned down twice. Once by the British during the War of 1812, and then again in 1929 when an electrical fire destroyed the West Wing. --The White House wasn't always white. It wasn't until after the White House was rebuilt following the British fires that its gray sandstone walls were painted white. --It takes about 570 gallons of paint to cover the White House's entire exterior. --The White House has 55,000 square feet, six stories, 132 rooms, 28 fireplaces, three elevators, and five full-time chefs, a tennis court, a bowling alley, a movie theater, a jogging track, a swimming pool and a putting green . . . but still no basketball court like OBAMA promised. (--You can add that to his list of unfulfilled promises . . .) (CNN / Wikipedia)


YOU CAN BUY THE ACTUAL US AIRWAYS PLANE THAT CRASH LANDED IN THE HUDSON:

If you've got a few extra bucks in these tough economic times, I've got just the thing for you to waste your hard-earned cash on: The actual US Airways Airbus 320 that crash-landed in the Hudson a little over a year ago is now up for auction. --You know the plane I'm talking about: US Airways Flight 1549 had its engines disabled by a 'double bird strike' last January, and heroic Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger safely landed the plane and all 155 passengers in the Hudson River. --Since then, the remains of the plane have been sitting in a salvage yard in Kearny, New Jersey (--about 10 miles west of New York City, not far from where the plane went down.) and now the plane is being auctioned off by a division of AIG.--There's no minimum bid listed, the sale's open to the public, and you can submit bids online.(--Go to: http://www.aigaviation.com/aviationsalvage/salvagedetail.aspx?faano=N106US)
--The bidding site describes the plane as, quote, "Destroyed. Aircraft suffered severe bird strike event resulting in water emergency landing. Severe water damage throughout the airframe. Impact damage to underside of aircraft." --And just so you know, you don't get the engines. And the wings are included, but they've been separated from the plane. The sale ends March 27th. (CNN)

HERE ARE FIVE OF THE RISKIEST TRIPS YOU CAN TAKE:

Last November, Lonely Planet came out with a new travel book called "1,000 Ultimate Experiences". --According to the publisher, it contains, quote, "1,000 ideas, places and activities to inspire and entertain for travelers and lovers of life-lists alike." Whatever that means. --Anyway, we're sure there are some decent trip ideas in the book. But a few of them are just awful. Here are five perfect examples:

#1.) Swimming with the orcas in Norway: Amazingly, the most dangerous aspect of this trip probably isn't that you'll be surrounded by killer whales. It's that you'll be swimming in water that's only about 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

#2.) Storm chasing in America's Tornado Alley: Every year, about 1,000 tornadoes ravage the plain states between the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains, with winds reaching more than 300 miles per hour. --There are literally dozens of companies that book tornado-chasing tours, putting you directly in the tornado's path of destruction.

#3.) Walking safari among Zimbabwe's lions: If you've got a death wish, you might enjoy a WALKING TOUR of Zimbabwe's Matusadona National Park, which has the second-highest concentration of lions in Africa.

#4.) BASE jumping at Voss, Norway: Every summer, the town of Voss, Norway, holds an event called Extreme Sports Week. --During the event, participants are actually encouraged to BASE jump off an 1,100-foot cliff. Which sounds like fun . . . as long as you're not one of the four people each year who DIES while BASE jumping.

#5.) Day-trip to Chernobyl, Ukraine: In 1986, Chernobyl became the site of the most catastrophic nuclear accident in history. Now, you can visit the ruins of the plant and the nearby town of Pripyat, which has been abandoned ever since. --You know, because it might still be RADIOACTIVE. (--You can buy Lonely Planet's "1,000 Ultimate Experiences" for about $16 here . . .)http://www.amazon.com/1000-Ultimate-Experiences-General-Reference/dp/1741799457/ref=sr_1_1(Asylum)


A DRUG ADDICT ASKED FOR *MORE* TIME IN PRISON TO HELP HIM KICK THE HABIT:

I can't help but think the world would be a better place if more criminals would follow the lead of this guy . . . 25-year-old Damon Conrow of Ogden, Utah (--about 35 miles north of Salt Lake City). --Last month, Damon was charged with a second-degree felony drug offense for dealing heroin. He would have been looking at between one and 15 years in prison. --But he ASKED to be charged with a first-degree felony instead, which could have put him behind bars for LIFE. Why'd he do it? --Because Damon's a drug addict, and he was hoping the extra time in prison might help him kick the habit. (!!!) --On Tuesday, Damon got his wish and was sentenced to FIVE years in prison. --Damon's lawyer says, quote, "I've never seen it happen before. Clearly he's got willpower. He's admitting he needs the structure of prison to kick his addiction." (Standard-Examiner)


NAZZY'S SILLY VIDEOS OF THE DAY

#1.) Check out this EXTREMELY excited kid named Adam, who loves talking about basketball . . . and the swing set at the park by his house. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u-cUz104Jk(Search Terms: Adam Peterson Sioux City "Love Basketball" video)

#2.) An 8-year-old boy in Haiti named Kiki threw his arms in the air and smiled wide when he and his sister were rescued after being trapped for over seven days. http://tinyurl.com/y97kn6s (Search Terms: 8-year-old boy smile Kiki Haiti video Sky News)

#3.) Someone uploaded a video to FunnyOrDie.com that shows MILEY CYRUS seriously blowing her performance last August on the "Today" show.http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/d0dd0f8d2f/miley-cyrus-today-show-fail(Search Terms: Miley Cyrus Today Show Fail)
--But it's a hoax. The actual performance of "Party in the U.S.A." went off without a hitch . . .http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSeHd7Ht1cE(Search Terms: Miley Cyrus - Party In The USA - Live Today Show August 28th 2009)

#4.) Just in time for the premiere of the final season of "Lost", this extended Italian family from Long Island, New York recaps all five previous seasons. It runs a little long, but it's actually funnier than it sounds.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1D-cuc8OTI (Search Terms: "Lost" Recapped by Extended Italian Family)

FIVE DATING MYTHS SINGLE WOMEN STILL BELIEVE:

The Huffington Post has a list of five dating myths single women still believe. Here it is. But let us know what you think. Do women really believe this stuff?

#1.) MEN ARE INTIMIDATED BY WOMEN. The article says women believe this one because it's easier than accepting that some guys just aren't attracted to them. So according to the article, it's a myth. But try telling that to an awkward teenager.

#2.) WOMEN LOVE GUYS WHO TREAT THEM LIKE CRAP. The Huffington Post article says it's a myth because it's only true for a small percentage of women. And women with high self-esteem don't date those types of guys because it's a waste of time.

#3.) IT'S WHAT'S ON THE INSIDE THAT COUNTS. In reality, it depends on the relationship. A guy might fall in LOVE with a woman's personality, but that's not what grabs his attention at the BEGINNING of a relationship.

#4.) IF HE TEASES YOU, IT MEANS HE LIKES YOU. Sure, it's true for third-graders, but if a grown MAN does it, he's either not that into you, or he's playing games, which is essentially the same thing.

#5.) A WEEKDAY DATE IS THE SAME AS A WEEKEND DATE. Yep, this one's a myth. Weekend nights are much more valuable. And if he's not going out with YOU on Saturday night, he's either with someone else, or he's LOOKING for someone else. (The Huffington Post)

THREE PHONE CONVERSATION MISTAKES . . . AND HOW TO FIX THEM:

In the era of email and texting, the art of the phone conversation is getting lost on some of you. So today, we have three common mistakes people make during phone calls, and how to fix them . . .

#1.) NOT HAVING ANYTHING TO SAY. If you're the shy type . . . or you find it hard to talk when you're nervous . . . make a cheat sheet about the person you're talking to and use it during slow spots in the conversation. --It sounds stupid, but it's better than having nothing to say.

#2.) STARTING A DELIBERATE GAME OF PHONE TAG. Here's how this works: After getting a person's phone number, you're nervous about talking to them, so you call on a weekday when you know they'll be at work, and leave a message. --Then they do the same thing to you. But if you keep it up, you'll both lose interest. So just suck it up and call when you know they're available, usually in the evenings.

#3.) NOT GIVING YOUR FULL ATTENTION. There's nothing more irritating than talking to someone who is blatantly distracted the entire time. So turn off the TV, step away from the computer, and make your call when you can give your FULL attention. (Happen Magazine)