February 23, 2010
HOLLYWOOD DIRT OVERFLOW
WINTER OLYMPICS UPDATE
ARE ROWDY CROWDS GIVING CANADA AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE IN CURLING?
The Canadians haven't done as well as expected on their home turf this Olympics. And Vancouver has been criticized for all the Olympic glitches. (--And don't forget that their hockey team lost to the UNITED STATES on Sunday. U.S.A.! U.S.A.!) --But it looks like Canadian fans have finally said ''enough is enough,'' and taken a stand . . . in curling. Twice in recent days Canadian curlers won matches when their opponents were distracted by ROWDY CANADIAN CROWDS. --The Canadian men were trailing Great Britain 6-5 when the crowd of about 6,000 people started singing the Canadian National Anthem. The curlers actually stopped playing until the song finished, and the Canadians scored the last two points to win. (--Check out some video of this patriotic display here . . .)http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/assetid=98b41f20-6043-4268-b0b0-4ba7944715cb.html?-source=rss&cid--And in a women's match against Denmark, the crowd stomped and chanted, and caused the Danes to miss two potential game winning shots. Denmark's team captain MADELEINE DUPONT left the ice in TEARS. (Yahoo and The Mirror)
SHOULD POLE DANCING BE AN OLYMPIC SPORT?
Guys, if you can't sit through another night of ice dancing, don't worry. Help may be on the way. --Something called the International Pole Dancing Fitness Association is hoping to get Pole Dancing recognized as an Olympic sport. --According to the founder of the IPDFA, "There will be a day when the Olympics sees pole dancing as a sport . . . We're shooting for 2012." (--Hate to break it to the IPDFA, but that ship has sailed. The deadline for new sports for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London is long past.) --And an organization called Vertical Dance is trying to get the International Olympic Committee to recognize pole dancing as a sport, test it in 2012, then give medals in 2016. (--And what better place to debut pole dancing than Rio?) --Vertical Dance calls the pole ''a physically demanding form of gymnastics, dance, and fitness'' and compares it to other underground sports like snowboarding that have gotten the nod from the I.O.C. --They have about 4,000 signatures for their online petition "Get Pole Dancing in the Olympics". (--You can add your name here . . .) http://www.verticaldance.com/poledancingintheolympics.htm (Associated Press)
THE RUSSIAN FIGURE SKATER WHO FINISHED SECOND INVENTED A MEDAL TO GIVE HIMSELF:
Russian EVGENI PLUSHENKO lost the gold medal in figure skating by a fraction of a point, and American EVAN LYSACEK won the gold. And since then, Plushenko has spent most of his time WHINING about the decision. --Yesterday, he complained that he should have won the gold since he landed a Quad . . . a jump with four rotations . . . and claimed that selecting Lysacek as the winner meant that figure skating was a show, not a sport. --Now, on the entrance page to his official web site, he has crowned himself as the PLATINUM MEDAL WINNER at the Vancouver Olympics. --The entrance page to his site shows him wearing his gold from the 2006 Olympics. Underneath are photos of the three medals he thinks he's won: ''Silver of Salt Lake, Gold of Torino, and Platinum of Vancouver''. (--Take a look at his site here . . .)http://evgeni-plushenko.com
THE U.S.-CANADA HOCKEY GAME SET RATINGS RECORDS IN CANADA:
The U.S. Men's Hockey team beat Canada 5-3 on Sunday night, which was crushing to the entire nation of Canada, and mildly interesting here in the United States. --The ratings in the two countries help show just how differently we viewed the game. --Two out of three Canadians watched some part of the game, making it the MOST WATCHED sporting event in Canadian HISTORY. --Ratings for the game were 59% higher than the Super Bowl. And it outdrew the Opening Ceremonies by 1.65 million viewers. --Meanwhile, here in the States, the game drew 8.22 million viewers . . . or about 2 and a half million fewer people, despite having a population that's NINE TIMES larger. --The game drew the second highest number of viewers in MSNBC history, behind the 2008 Presidential election results. -4.3% of people watching TV in the U.S. tuned into the game, making it the third best night in MSNBC history, behind a debate between BARACK OBAMA and HILLARY CLINTON in February, 2008, and the post-debate discussion show. (AFP) (--So the best night in Canadian sports history . . . was a pretty good night for the third most popular cable news channel in the U.S. And we still won the game.)
WINTER OLYMPICS RESULTS
THE GERMANS ARE NOW ONLY FOUR MEDALS BEHIND US:
By the end of the tenth day of competition, the Germans had won three new medals and we'd only picked up one. That puts the Krauts just four medals behind us in the overall medal count. We have 25 to their 21. Here are the latest standings . . .
#1.) The United States, with 25 medals . . . 7 Gold, 8 Silver, and 10 Bronze. #2.) Germany with 21 medals . . . 7 Gold, 9 Silver, and 5 Bronze.#3.) Norway with 14 medals . . . 6 Gold, 3 Silver, and 5 Bronze.#4.) Russia with 11 medals . . . 2 Gold, 3 Silver, and 6 Bronze.#5.) Canada with 10 Medals . . . 5 Gold, 4 Silver, and 1 Bronze.
YESTERDAY'S NEW MEDALS FOR THE UNITED STATES:
Let this be the one and only time I EVER say this, but Thank God For Ice Dancing. The pairs figure skating event was the ONLY medal we won yesterday.
--Ice Dancing: Silver, Meryl Davis and Charlie White
RYAN PHILLIPPE ISSUED HIS OWN STATEMENT YESTERDAY, SAYING THAT *HE* BROKE OFF THE RELATIONSHIP WITH ABBIE CORNISH:
Over the weekend, a rep for ABBIE CORNISH issued a statement saying that Abbie and RYAN PHILLIPPE had broken up. --And the statement went a little something like this . . . quote, "Abbie ended the relationship with Ryan and she moved out of their home." --Yesterday, Ryan's rep issued his own statement, with a slightly different take on the situation. --He said, quote, "Ryan ended the relationship and asked her to move out of his house."
FOR HER BIRTHDAY, RIHANNA GOT A LAP DANCE FROM "BRIDGET THE MIDGET":
RIHANNA turned 22 on Saturday, and her not-boyfriend, MATT KEMP of the L.A. Dodgers, threw her a party in Phoenix. --Without question, the highlight of the festivities was a lap dance Rihanna received from BRIDGET THE MIDGET. --Please don't direct any Sarah Palin-type fake outrage at me for using the word "midget". Bridget the Midget is the woman's actual stage name. I didn't make it up. --She's a little person . . . AND a porno starlet (slash) prostitute. You don't have to look too long to find HARDCORE videos of her on the web . . . and you may also have seen her on HBO's documentary series "Cathouse". (--The best part of all this chaos is that there's VIDEO of the lap dance. Not the whole thing, unfortunately . . . but definitely enough to make you want to see more. Check it out here . . .) http://www.tmz.com/videos?autoplay=true&mediaKey=a19e1682-90e8-4db6-ab88-132c44283f37
OLYMPIANS EVAN LYSACEK AND NASTIA LIUKIN ARE *NOT* DATING:
"People" magazine reported yesterday that EVAN LYSACEK . . . who just won figure skating GOLD . . . is dating fellow Olympian NASTIA LIUKIN. She's a gymnast . . . and a gold medallist herself. --"People" said the two of them met in October of 2008 while performing on an NBC special called "Skating & Gymnastics Spectacular". (--Yeah, I missed it, too.) --Nastia told the magazine, quote, "We've gotten to know each other really well and [are] able to connect because there's nothing like the Olympics. We both know what it takes to try for the ultimate dream of being an Olympic champion." --And Evan added, quote, "She been so helpful to me [during the winter games]. She has been through it herself. If I'm having a bad day, she tells me to have faith and to keep going. --"Sometimes your support system has more faith in you than yourself. And when she tells me things are going to be fine, I really believe it." --If you noticed, neither of their quotes indicated that they're in an actual, romantic relationship. And that's because they're NOT. --Last night, Evan told "Entertainment Tonight", quote, "I'm single. I haven't had any time for dating while I'm training. I'm lonely." --Asked about the supposed relationship with Nastia, he said, quote, "We are very close friends and she's been such an inspiration."
KELLAN LUTZ SAYS HE HAD TO STOP EATING IN ORDER TO DO HIS CALVIN KLEIN UNDERWEAR ADS:
"Twilight" stud KELLAN LUTZ looked AMAZING in those Calvin Klein underwear ads he did recently. But that level of manliness didn't come easy. -He says, quote, "I had to stop eating . . . I love candy, and I think that's where I could be super ripped if I didn't eat so many gummy bears. So, I cut back on those, and I just swam and boxed as much as I could. --"And I started training parts of my legs that I hardly ever trained really. I tried to bulk up to make the underwear look good." --Kellan is hoping the ads will finally make him a household name, like his fellow "Twilight" stars ROBERT PATTINSON, KRISTEN STEWART and TAYLOR LAUTNER. --He says, quote, "[They're] the faces of the franchise, and the rest of us float under the radar . . . this will hopefully allow me to have my time." --He adds, quote, "I know [modeling underwear for Calvin Klein] really helped MARK WAHLBERG'S career, and I can only hope that I get half as much of a chance."
KIRK CAMERON IS PRAYING FOR BONER:
KIRK CAMERON is praying for Boner. --Kirk is very concerned about his missing "Growing Pains" co-star, ANDREW KOENIG. Koenig played "Boner", the best friend of Cameron's character, Mike Seaver. --Cameron says, quote, "I am praying for his family during this time of distress and for his safe return. Andrew, if you're reading this, please call me. --"Mike and Boner could always work things out when they put their minds to it. I'm praying for you, pal. Hope to hear from you soon." (--Maybe Kirk isn't the guy Andrew would want to contact. One of Andrew's friends claims that Andrew didn't want to be known for "Growing Pains" for the rest of his life.) (--He also didn't like being known just because his dad, WALTER KOENIG, is part of the whole "Star Trek" thing.) --Meanwhile . . . police in Vancouver . . . which is the last place Koenig was seen . . . say they've gotten calls from several people who claim they've seen him since he went missing. They believe Koenig is still alive, and possibly, quote, "lying low" in the city.
LINDSAY LOHAN SAYS SHE TRIED TO MASK HER PROBLEMS WITH DRUGS AND ALCOHOL:
No one's going to win a Pulitzer for pulling this out of LINDSAY LOHAN . . . but she recently told Britain's "Sun" tabloid that she used drugs and alcohol to mask her problems. --Lindsay said it got to its peak when her dad, MICHAEL LOHAN, started talking about her in the media back in 2007. --She said, quote, "That's when I hit rock bottom. I abused substances too much and it wasn't the answer to my problems. People need to know that. --"I tried to mask my problems with alcohol, cocaine and mind-altering substances. Now I'm in a place where I don't need to use anything and I can feel emotions because I choose to. --"I learned from my mistakes and I'm now healthy and happier. I never want to be close to losing everything I worked for and aspired to have my whole life. --"Mind-altering substances are so dangerous. If I can teach others, especially teens, by sharing my experiences, then that's what I will continue to do." -Lindsay has been to rehab three times. The first was in 2007, after a bad experience with Ambien. --She said, quote, "I went to rehab three times. The first time I checked myself in because I had taken Ambien. It's a sleeping aid but it makes you hallucinate. I ran a bath and fell asleep on the floor and the bath had overflowed. --"When I woke up I was so scared. I called my therapist and said, 'Can I just go somewhere for a month?'" --Lindsay said she's in a much better place now . . . quote, "I'm allowed to drink now but I know my limits. There are certain situations where I have obligations. There's no reason to (drink) because I don't want to feel like (crap) in the morning." --She added, quote, "I've now learned my boundaries and I've been very good with cleaning house with people who I know didn't have my best intentions at heart. A lot of people in L.A. are very self destructive. --"Partying so hard simply isn't worth it. Life is worth living and there is so much to do and experience, it's wonderful."
CHARLIE SHEEN'S WIFE HAD TO SWITCH REHAB FACILITIES DUE TO PRIVACY CONCERNS:
CHARLIE SHEEN'S wife, BROOKE MUELLER, had to switch rehab facilities over privacy concerns. --She WAS at a place called the Canyon. But her lawyer says an employee was leaking information about her to the media. He plans to file a lawsuit against the joint. --Brooke's new facility is a PRIVATE HOME in the Los Angeles area, which provides a, quote, "more secure, confidential environment."--Meanwhile . . . representatives from the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services paid a visit to Brooke and Charlie's kids on Sunday night. But not because anything happened. --It was a routine, follow-up visit requested by authorities in Aspen, Colorado . . . where Charlie and Brooke had their little "incident" on Christmas Day.
HERE'S VIDEO OF THE PAPARAZZI INCIDENT THAT REALLY SET TRAVIS BARKER OFF:
When TRAVIS BARKER went after two paparazzi scumbags while leaving a California restaurant on Sunday, he blamed it on an incident he'd had with a third cameraman on his way INTO the restaurant. --And now, video of that incident has surfaced. --Barker was walking into the restaurant with his two kids . . . and was in no mood to be photographed. --And while he may have been acting a little belligerent, the photographer was CLEARLY egging him on. --Travis even told the guy to wait outside the restaurant for an hour, so they could engage in some fisticuffs, and the guy said he would. (--Obviously, that was ALL TALK, because this COWARDLY A-HOLE was nowhere to be found when Barker came out. Here's the video . . .)(--WARNING!!! This video contains bleeped profanity . . .)http://www.tmz.com/2010/02/22/travis-barker-paparazzi-attack-fight-video/
KATE WINSLET KEEPS HER OSCAR IN THE BATHROOM:
KATE WINSLET won an Oscar last year for "The Reader". So where does she proudly display it??? IN THE CAN. --She says, quote, "Basically everybody wants to touch it, everybody wants to hold it and go 'Oh, my gosh,' and 'How heavy is it?' So I figured if I put it [in the bathroom], then people can avoid the whole, 'Where's your Oscar?' thing."
COMBAT SPORT SHORTS
FRANK MIR WANTS TO KILL BROCK LESNAR IN THE OCTAGON . . . FOR REAL:
One of the biggest rivalries in sports right now is between UFC gorillas BROCK LESNAR and FRANK MIR. --The two met in 2008, when Lesnar was just transitioning to mixed martial arts from the WWE . . . and Mir, who was a lot more experienced, beat him pretty easily by slipping an ankle lock on him. --They met again a year later, after Brock had won the UFC Heavyweight Championship . . . and Lesnar overpowered Mir and beat him down. --After the fight, Lesnar was pretty arrogant about his victory, which didn't sit well with Mir. So they've been doing some jawing back and forth. --As you probably know, Lesnar was sidelined with some serious intestinal problems last year. But now that he's on his way back to the Octagon, there's talk of these two having a tiebreaker. --And yesterday, Mir took their war of words to INSANE proportions . . . by saying he wants to KILL Brock Lesnar in the Octagon. For real. (???) --He said, quote, "I want to fight Lesnar. I hate who he is as a person. I want to break his neck in the ring. I want him to be the first person that dies due to Octagon-related injuries. That's what's going through my mind. --"A lot of individuals are so worried about being politically correct. I'd rather go ahead and say what's on my mind than to sit there and come up with some PC 'Oh, the guy is a great fighter and I have a lot of respect for him.' --"If I don't mean it, why is it even coming out of my mouth?" --He added, quote, "He doesn't like me and I can guarantee, you talk to anybody in my family, it's a legitimate hate. --"His very being bugs me just because I've seen a lot of children out there who look to athletes and martial artists as role models, and it just makes me cringe. --"I sit there and go, 'Man, I lost to this guy the second time around and now people think that's the way to be . . . be big, obnoxious and angry.' That's not right. --"We have anger toward each other. Everything I stand for he despises and dislikes, and I can tell you I truly do not like him as a person whatsoever."
RIC FLAIR'S WIFE WAS ARRESTED FOR ASSAULTING HIM:
The wife of pro rasslin' legend RIC FLAIR was arrested Sunday for allegedly ASSAULTING him at their home in Charlotte, North Carolina.--41-year-old Jacqueline Beems was booked on a misdemeanor assault charge. (--Ric and Jacqueline were married just three months ago.) --Ric's rep says, quote, "Ric and his wife had an unfortunate disagreement late last night, which led to his wife being arrested and charged with assault. Ric has done nothing wrong."
ARE ROWDY CROWDS GIVING CANADA AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE IN CURLING?
The Canadians haven't done as well as expected on their home turf this Olympics. And Vancouver has been criticized for all the Olympic glitches. (--And don't forget that their hockey team lost to the UNITED STATES on Sunday. U.S.A.! U.S.A.!) --But it looks like Canadian fans have finally said ''enough is enough,'' and taken a stand . . . in curling. Twice in recent days Canadian curlers won matches when their opponents were distracted by ROWDY CANADIAN CROWDS. --The Canadian men were trailing Great Britain 6-5 when the crowd of about 6,000 people started singing the Canadian National Anthem. The curlers actually stopped playing until the song finished, and the Canadians scored the last two points to win. (--Check out some video of this patriotic display here . . .)http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/assetid=98b41f20-6043-4268-b0b0-4ba7944715cb.html?-source=rss&cid--And in a women's match against Denmark, the crowd stomped and chanted, and caused the Danes to miss two potential game winning shots. Denmark's team captain MADELEINE DUPONT left the ice in TEARS. (Yahoo and The Mirror)
SHOULD POLE DANCING BE AN OLYMPIC SPORT?
Guys, if you can't sit through another night of ice dancing, don't worry. Help may be on the way. --Something called the International Pole Dancing Fitness Association is hoping to get Pole Dancing recognized as an Olympic sport. --According to the founder of the IPDFA, "There will be a day when the Olympics sees pole dancing as a sport . . . We're shooting for 2012." (--Hate to break it to the IPDFA, but that ship has sailed. The deadline for new sports for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London is long past.) --And an organization called Vertical Dance is trying to get the International Olympic Committee to recognize pole dancing as a sport, test it in 2012, then give medals in 2016. (--And what better place to debut pole dancing than Rio?) --Vertical Dance calls the pole ''a physically demanding form of gymnastics, dance, and fitness'' and compares it to other underground sports like snowboarding that have gotten the nod from the I.O.C. --They have about 4,000 signatures for their online petition "Get Pole Dancing in the Olympics". (--You can add your name here . . .) http://www.verticaldance.com/poledancingintheolympics.htm (Associated Press)
THE RUSSIAN FIGURE SKATER WHO FINISHED SECOND INVENTED A MEDAL TO GIVE HIMSELF:
Russian EVGENI PLUSHENKO lost the gold medal in figure skating by a fraction of a point, and American EVAN LYSACEK won the gold. And since then, Plushenko has spent most of his time WHINING about the decision. --Yesterday, he complained that he should have won the gold since he landed a Quad . . . a jump with four rotations . . . and claimed that selecting Lysacek as the winner meant that figure skating was a show, not a sport. --Now, on the entrance page to his official web site, he has crowned himself as the PLATINUM MEDAL WINNER at the Vancouver Olympics. --The entrance page to his site shows him wearing his gold from the 2006 Olympics. Underneath are photos of the three medals he thinks he's won: ''Silver of Salt Lake, Gold of Torino, and Platinum of Vancouver''. (--Take a look at his site here . . .)http://evgeni-plushenko.com
THE U.S.-CANADA HOCKEY GAME SET RATINGS RECORDS IN CANADA:
The U.S. Men's Hockey team beat Canada 5-3 on Sunday night, which was crushing to the entire nation of Canada, and mildly interesting here in the United States. --The ratings in the two countries help show just how differently we viewed the game. --Two out of three Canadians watched some part of the game, making it the MOST WATCHED sporting event in Canadian HISTORY. --Ratings for the game were 59% higher than the Super Bowl. And it outdrew the Opening Ceremonies by 1.65 million viewers. --Meanwhile, here in the States, the game drew 8.22 million viewers . . . or about 2 and a half million fewer people, despite having a population that's NINE TIMES larger. --The game drew the second highest number of viewers in MSNBC history, behind the 2008 Presidential election results. -4.3% of people watching TV in the U.S. tuned into the game, making it the third best night in MSNBC history, behind a debate between BARACK OBAMA and HILLARY CLINTON in February, 2008, and the post-debate discussion show. (AFP) (--So the best night in Canadian sports history . . . was a pretty good night for the third most popular cable news channel in the U.S. And we still won the game.)
WINTER OLYMPICS RESULTS
THE GERMANS ARE NOW ONLY FOUR MEDALS BEHIND US:
By the end of the tenth day of competition, the Germans had won three new medals and we'd only picked up one. That puts the Krauts just four medals behind us in the overall medal count. We have 25 to their 21. Here are the latest standings . . .
#1.) The United States, with 25 medals . . . 7 Gold, 8 Silver, and 10 Bronze. #2.) Germany with 21 medals . . . 7 Gold, 9 Silver, and 5 Bronze.#3.) Norway with 14 medals . . . 6 Gold, 3 Silver, and 5 Bronze.#4.) Russia with 11 medals . . . 2 Gold, 3 Silver, and 6 Bronze.#5.) Canada with 10 Medals . . . 5 Gold, 4 Silver, and 1 Bronze.
YESTERDAY'S NEW MEDALS FOR THE UNITED STATES:
Let this be the one and only time I EVER say this, but Thank God For Ice Dancing. The pairs figure skating event was the ONLY medal we won yesterday.
--Ice Dancing: Silver, Meryl Davis and Charlie White
RYAN PHILLIPPE ISSUED HIS OWN STATEMENT YESTERDAY, SAYING THAT *HE* BROKE OFF THE RELATIONSHIP WITH ABBIE CORNISH:
Over the weekend, a rep for ABBIE CORNISH issued a statement saying that Abbie and RYAN PHILLIPPE had broken up. --And the statement went a little something like this . . . quote, "Abbie ended the relationship with Ryan and she moved out of their home." --Yesterday, Ryan's rep issued his own statement, with a slightly different take on the situation. --He said, quote, "Ryan ended the relationship and asked her to move out of his house."
FOR HER BIRTHDAY, RIHANNA GOT A LAP DANCE FROM "BRIDGET THE MIDGET":
RIHANNA turned 22 on Saturday, and her not-boyfriend, MATT KEMP of the L.A. Dodgers, threw her a party in Phoenix. --Without question, the highlight of the festivities was a lap dance Rihanna received from BRIDGET THE MIDGET. --Please don't direct any Sarah Palin-type fake outrage at me for using the word "midget". Bridget the Midget is the woman's actual stage name. I didn't make it up. --She's a little person . . . AND a porno starlet (slash) prostitute. You don't have to look too long to find HARDCORE videos of her on the web . . . and you may also have seen her on HBO's documentary series "Cathouse". (--The best part of all this chaos is that there's VIDEO of the lap dance. Not the whole thing, unfortunately . . . but definitely enough to make you want to see more. Check it out here . . .) http://www.tmz.com/videos?autoplay=true&mediaKey=a19e1682-90e8-4db6-ab88-132c44283f37
OLYMPIANS EVAN LYSACEK AND NASTIA LIUKIN ARE *NOT* DATING:
"People" magazine reported yesterday that EVAN LYSACEK . . . who just won figure skating GOLD . . . is dating fellow Olympian NASTIA LIUKIN. She's a gymnast . . . and a gold medallist herself. --"People" said the two of them met in October of 2008 while performing on an NBC special called "Skating & Gymnastics Spectacular". (--Yeah, I missed it, too.) --Nastia told the magazine, quote, "We've gotten to know each other really well and [are] able to connect because there's nothing like the Olympics. We both know what it takes to try for the ultimate dream of being an Olympic champion." --And Evan added, quote, "She been so helpful to me [during the winter games]. She has been through it herself. If I'm having a bad day, she tells me to have faith and to keep going. --"Sometimes your support system has more faith in you than yourself. And when she tells me things are going to be fine, I really believe it." --If you noticed, neither of their quotes indicated that they're in an actual, romantic relationship. And that's because they're NOT. --Last night, Evan told "Entertainment Tonight", quote, "I'm single. I haven't had any time for dating while I'm training. I'm lonely." --Asked about the supposed relationship with Nastia, he said, quote, "We are very close friends and she's been such an inspiration."
KELLAN LUTZ SAYS HE HAD TO STOP EATING IN ORDER TO DO HIS CALVIN KLEIN UNDERWEAR ADS:
"Twilight" stud KELLAN LUTZ looked AMAZING in those Calvin Klein underwear ads he did recently. But that level of manliness didn't come easy. -He says, quote, "I had to stop eating . . . I love candy, and I think that's where I could be super ripped if I didn't eat so many gummy bears. So, I cut back on those, and I just swam and boxed as much as I could. --"And I started training parts of my legs that I hardly ever trained really. I tried to bulk up to make the underwear look good." --Kellan is hoping the ads will finally make him a household name, like his fellow "Twilight" stars ROBERT PATTINSON, KRISTEN STEWART and TAYLOR LAUTNER. --He says, quote, "[They're] the faces of the franchise, and the rest of us float under the radar . . . this will hopefully allow me to have my time." --He adds, quote, "I know [modeling underwear for Calvin Klein] really helped MARK WAHLBERG'S career, and I can only hope that I get half as much of a chance."
KIRK CAMERON IS PRAYING FOR BONER:
KIRK CAMERON is praying for Boner. --Kirk is very concerned about his missing "Growing Pains" co-star, ANDREW KOENIG. Koenig played "Boner", the best friend of Cameron's character, Mike Seaver. --Cameron says, quote, "I am praying for his family during this time of distress and for his safe return. Andrew, if you're reading this, please call me. --"Mike and Boner could always work things out when they put their minds to it. I'm praying for you, pal. Hope to hear from you soon." (--Maybe Kirk isn't the guy Andrew would want to contact. One of Andrew's friends claims that Andrew didn't want to be known for "Growing Pains" for the rest of his life.) (--He also didn't like being known just because his dad, WALTER KOENIG, is part of the whole "Star Trek" thing.) --Meanwhile . . . police in Vancouver . . . which is the last place Koenig was seen . . . say they've gotten calls from several people who claim they've seen him since he went missing. They believe Koenig is still alive, and possibly, quote, "lying low" in the city.
LINDSAY LOHAN SAYS SHE TRIED TO MASK HER PROBLEMS WITH DRUGS AND ALCOHOL:
No one's going to win a Pulitzer for pulling this out of LINDSAY LOHAN . . . but she recently told Britain's "Sun" tabloid that she used drugs and alcohol to mask her problems. --Lindsay said it got to its peak when her dad, MICHAEL LOHAN, started talking about her in the media back in 2007. --She said, quote, "That's when I hit rock bottom. I abused substances too much and it wasn't the answer to my problems. People need to know that. --"I tried to mask my problems with alcohol, cocaine and mind-altering substances. Now I'm in a place where I don't need to use anything and I can feel emotions because I choose to. --"I learned from my mistakes and I'm now healthy and happier. I never want to be close to losing everything I worked for and aspired to have my whole life. --"Mind-altering substances are so dangerous. If I can teach others, especially teens, by sharing my experiences, then that's what I will continue to do." -Lindsay has been to rehab three times. The first was in 2007, after a bad experience with Ambien. --She said, quote, "I went to rehab three times. The first time I checked myself in because I had taken Ambien. It's a sleeping aid but it makes you hallucinate. I ran a bath and fell asleep on the floor and the bath had overflowed. --"When I woke up I was so scared. I called my therapist and said, 'Can I just go somewhere for a month?'" --Lindsay said she's in a much better place now . . . quote, "I'm allowed to drink now but I know my limits. There are certain situations where I have obligations. There's no reason to (drink) because I don't want to feel like (crap) in the morning." --She added, quote, "I've now learned my boundaries and I've been very good with cleaning house with people who I know didn't have my best intentions at heart. A lot of people in L.A. are very self destructive. --"Partying so hard simply isn't worth it. Life is worth living and there is so much to do and experience, it's wonderful."
CHARLIE SHEEN'S WIFE HAD TO SWITCH REHAB FACILITIES DUE TO PRIVACY CONCERNS:
CHARLIE SHEEN'S wife, BROOKE MUELLER, had to switch rehab facilities over privacy concerns. --She WAS at a place called the Canyon. But her lawyer says an employee was leaking information about her to the media. He plans to file a lawsuit against the joint. --Brooke's new facility is a PRIVATE HOME in the Los Angeles area, which provides a, quote, "more secure, confidential environment."--Meanwhile . . . representatives from the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services paid a visit to Brooke and Charlie's kids on Sunday night. But not because anything happened. --It was a routine, follow-up visit requested by authorities in Aspen, Colorado . . . where Charlie and Brooke had their little "incident" on Christmas Day.
HERE'S VIDEO OF THE PAPARAZZI INCIDENT THAT REALLY SET TRAVIS BARKER OFF:
When TRAVIS BARKER went after two paparazzi scumbags while leaving a California restaurant on Sunday, he blamed it on an incident he'd had with a third cameraman on his way INTO the restaurant. --And now, video of that incident has surfaced. --Barker was walking into the restaurant with his two kids . . . and was in no mood to be photographed. --And while he may have been acting a little belligerent, the photographer was CLEARLY egging him on. --Travis even told the guy to wait outside the restaurant for an hour, so they could engage in some fisticuffs, and the guy said he would. (--Obviously, that was ALL TALK, because this COWARDLY A-HOLE was nowhere to be found when Barker came out. Here's the video . . .)(--WARNING!!! This video contains bleeped profanity . . .)http://www.tmz.com/2010/02/22/travis-barker-paparazzi-attack-fight-video/
KATE WINSLET KEEPS HER OSCAR IN THE BATHROOM:
KATE WINSLET won an Oscar last year for "The Reader". So where does she proudly display it??? IN THE CAN. --She says, quote, "Basically everybody wants to touch it, everybody wants to hold it and go 'Oh, my gosh,' and 'How heavy is it?' So I figured if I put it [in the bathroom], then people can avoid the whole, 'Where's your Oscar?' thing."
COMBAT SPORT SHORTS
FRANK MIR WANTS TO KILL BROCK LESNAR IN THE OCTAGON . . . FOR REAL:
One of the biggest rivalries in sports right now is between UFC gorillas BROCK LESNAR and FRANK MIR. --The two met in 2008, when Lesnar was just transitioning to mixed martial arts from the WWE . . . and Mir, who was a lot more experienced, beat him pretty easily by slipping an ankle lock on him. --They met again a year later, after Brock had won the UFC Heavyweight Championship . . . and Lesnar overpowered Mir and beat him down. --After the fight, Lesnar was pretty arrogant about his victory, which didn't sit well with Mir. So they've been doing some jawing back and forth. --As you probably know, Lesnar was sidelined with some serious intestinal problems last year. But now that he's on his way back to the Octagon, there's talk of these two having a tiebreaker. --And yesterday, Mir took their war of words to INSANE proportions . . . by saying he wants to KILL Brock Lesnar in the Octagon. For real. (???) --He said, quote, "I want to fight Lesnar. I hate who he is as a person. I want to break his neck in the ring. I want him to be the first person that dies due to Octagon-related injuries. That's what's going through my mind. --"A lot of individuals are so worried about being politically correct. I'd rather go ahead and say what's on my mind than to sit there and come up with some PC 'Oh, the guy is a great fighter and I have a lot of respect for him.' --"If I don't mean it, why is it even coming out of my mouth?" --He added, quote, "He doesn't like me and I can guarantee, you talk to anybody in my family, it's a legitimate hate. --"His very being bugs me just because I've seen a lot of children out there who look to athletes and martial artists as role models, and it just makes me cringe. --"I sit there and go, 'Man, I lost to this guy the second time around and now people think that's the way to be . . . be big, obnoxious and angry.' That's not right. --"We have anger toward each other. Everything I stand for he despises and dislikes, and I can tell you I truly do not like him as a person whatsoever."
RIC FLAIR'S WIFE WAS ARRESTED FOR ASSAULTING HIM:
The wife of pro rasslin' legend RIC FLAIR was arrested Sunday for allegedly ASSAULTING him at their home in Charlotte, North Carolina.--41-year-old Jacqueline Beems was booked on a misdemeanor assault charge. (--Ric and Jacqueline were married just three months ago.) --Ric's rep says, quote, "Ric and his wife had an unfortunate disagreement late last night, which led to his wife being arrested and charged with assault. Ric has done nothing wrong."
BRUCE WILLIS THINKS "DIE HARD 5" WILL SHOOT NEXT YEAR:
It's hard to believe that in 2010, anyone is actively looking forward to "Die Hard 5". But if you are, here's some good news . . . --BRUCE WILLIS says, quote, "I think we're going to do a 'Die Hard 5' next year." (--There's no word on a potential release date.)
IAN MCSHANE MAY BE THE VILLAIN IN THE NEXT "PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN" MOVIE:
Disney may have found a villain for JOHNNY DEPP for the fourth "Pirates of the Caribbean" flick. --IAN MCSHANE . . . who's best known for HBO's "Deadwood" . . . is in talks to play Blackbeard. (--"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides", is booked for a May 2011 release. It's about the search for the Fountain of Youth.) (--ORLANDO BLOOM and KEIRA KNIGHTLEY are NOT coming back.)
THE GUESTS FOR JAY LENO'S FIRST TWO WEEKS BACK ON "THE TONIGHT SHOW" HAVE BEEN REVEALED:
In the fall-out of NBC's late-night mess, there was talk that some celebrities may boycott JAY LENO . . . out of support for CONAN O'BRIEN. --Whether that happens or not remains to be seen, but yesterday, NBC released the guest list for the first two weeks of the new . . . er, old . . . "Tonight Show". --The first episode, which airs next Monday night, will feature JAMIE FOXX, Olympic gold medal-winning skier LINDSEY VONN, and country singer BRAD PAISLEY. --Other non-Team Conan guests during the first two weeks include: --Sarah Palin, Avril Lavigne, Matthew McConaughey, Simon Cowell, expressionless "Twilight" star Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Morgan Freeman, Kim Kardashian, Dana Carvey and Meredith Vieira.(--To see the full schedule, hit up the "Tonight Show" website, here . . .)http://www.thejaylenoshow.com/backstage-with-bryan/just-in-tonight-show-guest-list/
LACEY SCHWIMMER AND JONATHAN ROBERTS WILL NOT BE ON "DANCING WITH THE STARS" THIS SEASON:
LACEY SCHWIMMER will not be returning to "Dancing with the Stars" this season, and it doesn't sound like it was her call. --She posted a Twitter message saying, quote, "Hey twitterbugs! I will not be doing 'DWTS' this season. But be sure to tune in!" Later, she added, quote, "I'm off to bed! I'm sad I will not be on this season of 'DWTS' too yall! Big love." --Lacey has been on the last three seasons of "Dancing" . . . and has been partnered with LANCE BASS, STEVE-O and MARK DACASCOS. If she wasn't invited back, there's no word on WHY she didn't make the cut.) --Meanwhile, JONATHAN ROBERTS is also a no go. He posted a Twitter message saying that he won't be competing this season . . . but that he does expect to appear in some of the results night dance performances. (--Jonathan has been with "Dancing" since its first season . . . however, he did not compete on the third and seventh seasons. His most successful season was the show's fifth, when he and MARIE OSMOND came in third place.) --The full list of celebrity and pro dancers will be announced next Monday.
KRIS ALLEN AND ALLISON IRAHETA ARE RETURNING TO "IDOL":
KRIS ALLEN and ALLISON IRAHETA, who came in first and fourth on "American Idol" last season, will appear on Thursday's elimination episode. --They will both perform . . . and Kris will also be showing footage of his recent trip to Haiti. (--Allison will be singing her new song "Scars". There's no word what Kris will be performing . . . but whatever it is, he'll look handsome doing it.)
JUSTIN BIEBER HAS LANDED A SPOT ON "SNL":
15-year-old teen sensation JUSTIN BIEBER is coming to "Saturday Night Live". He'll be the musical guest on the April 10th episode. --It's unclear how much impact it had, but someone recently started a Twitter campaign to get Justin on the show. The Twitter handle was called @BieberOnSNL . . . and it has picked up over 2,700 followers.
JIM BELUSHI IS RETURNING TO TV . . . IN A DRAMA SERIES:
"According to Jim" star JIM BELUSHI will star in a new legal drama called "Defenders". It's about two Las Vegas defense attorneys. --Jim will play one of them, a lawyer who has a drinking problem and a troubled marriage. (--The show is being developed by CBS . . . presumably for consideration for their fall schedule.)
NEW ON VIDEO TODAY
--"Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant" - It's based on a popular teen horror novel about a kid who visits a supernatural sideshow, somehow breaks a truce between warring bloodsuckers, and is turned into a vampire. --It stars an unknown actor named Chris Massoglia as the vampire's assistant, and John C. Reilly as his vampire mentor. Salma Hayek is also in it as the freak show's sexy bearded lady, and Patrick Fugit from "Almost Famous" plays the snakeboy.
--"The Box" - A thriller with Cameron Diaz and James Marsden as a couple who receive a mysterious box: If they push a button inside, they'll get a million dollars . . . but a stranger will be murdered. Frank Langella is the guy who delivers the box.
--"Sorority Row" - Five sorority girls are stalked by a killer who knows they're responsible for the death of one of their sorority sisters during a prank. It stars Audrina Patridge, Rumer Willis, and "Real World San Diego's" Jamie Chung. Carrie Fisher plays their den mother.
--"The Informant" - starring Matt Damon as a bipolar businessman and the highest ranked executive ever to become a whistleblower for the FBI. It's based on the true story of the price-fixing scandal at Archer Daniels Midland in the 1990s.
--"Everybody's Fine" - Robert De Niro's kids cancel their plans to come home for the holidays, so he takes a trip to surprise them . . . and finds out that their lives aren't going nearly as well as they'd led him to believe. Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale, and Sam Rockwell play his dysfunctional kids.
--"Motherhood" - Uma Thurman plays a stressed out mom who enters a contest to write a 500-word essay on "What Motherhood Means to Me." The whole film takes place over the course of one hectic day. Anthony Edwards plays her absent-minded husband and Minnie Driver is her best friend.
15-year-old teen sensation JUSTIN BIEBER is coming to "Saturday Night Live". He'll be the musical guest on the April 10th episode. --It's unclear how much impact it had, but someone recently started a Twitter campaign to get Justin on the show. The Twitter handle was called @BieberOnSNL . . . and it has picked up over 2,700 followers.
JIM BELUSHI IS RETURNING TO TV . . . IN A DRAMA SERIES:
"According to Jim" star JIM BELUSHI will star in a new legal drama called "Defenders". It's about two Las Vegas defense attorneys. --Jim will play one of them, a lawyer who has a drinking problem and a troubled marriage. (--The show is being developed by CBS . . . presumably for consideration for their fall schedule.)
NEW ON VIDEO TODAY
--"Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant" - It's based on a popular teen horror novel about a kid who visits a supernatural sideshow, somehow breaks a truce between warring bloodsuckers, and is turned into a vampire. --It stars an unknown actor named Chris Massoglia as the vampire's assistant, and John C. Reilly as his vampire mentor. Salma Hayek is also in it as the freak show's sexy bearded lady, and Patrick Fugit from "Almost Famous" plays the snakeboy.
--"The Box" - A thriller with Cameron Diaz and James Marsden as a couple who receive a mysterious box: If they push a button inside, they'll get a million dollars . . . but a stranger will be murdered. Frank Langella is the guy who delivers the box.
--"Sorority Row" - Five sorority girls are stalked by a killer who knows they're responsible for the death of one of their sorority sisters during a prank. It stars Audrina Patridge, Rumer Willis, and "Real World San Diego's" Jamie Chung. Carrie Fisher plays their den mother.
--"The Informant" - starring Matt Damon as a bipolar businessman and the highest ranked executive ever to become a whistleblower for the FBI. It's based on the true story of the price-fixing scandal at Archer Daniels Midland in the 1990s.
--"Everybody's Fine" - Robert De Niro's kids cancel their plans to come home for the holidays, so he takes a trip to surprise them . . . and finds out that their lives aren't going nearly as well as they'd led him to believe. Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale, and Sam Rockwell play his dysfunctional kids.
--"Motherhood" - Uma Thurman plays a stressed out mom who enters a contest to write a 500-word essay on "What Motherhood Means to Me." The whole film takes place over the course of one hectic day. Anthony Edwards plays her absent-minded husband and Minnie Driver is her best friend.
TV SERIES ON DVD:
--"Ghost Hunters: Season 5, Part 1" . . . a three-disc DVD set.--"Nurse Jackie: Season 1" . . . Edie Falco's Showtime series.--"Project Runway: Season 6" . . . a four-disc DVD set.--"Jersey Shore: Season 1 Uncensored" . . . a boxed DVD set.--"Flashforward: Season 1, Part 1" . . . a two-disc DVD set.--"American Chopper: The Series - Honoring the Uniform" . . . on a single-disc, it includes the POW/MIA bike honoring America's forgotten soldiers, and the tribute bikes that Junior and Senior each built to auction off for the families of fallen troops.
MULLET-STOCK ANNOUNCES THIS YEAR'S HEADLINERS . . . AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE RUINING ITS AWESOMENESS:
MULLET-STOCK . . . or "Rocklahoma" as it's actually and TRAGICALLY called . . . has announced the first set of acts for this year's festival. --Normally, this is a joyous time . . . when hear which '80s hair-metal bands will be descending on Pryor, Oklahoma, for some serious rockin' out. --But this year, for some unexplained reason, Mullet-Stock organizers decided to switch up the formula . . . by inviting ALMOST NO HAIR METAL BANDS. (???) --This year's lineup will include: ZZ Top, Godsmack, Tesla, Buckcherry, Cinderella, Chevelle, Stone Sour, Theory of a Deadman, Saliva, Saving Abel and Adelitas Way. --The festival will take place over Memorial Day weekend. (--For more information, including a full list of announced bands, hit up the official site . . .)http://rock.feverfest.com/
HAS JENNIFER LOPEZ'S NEW ALBUM BEEN SHELVED???
Deadline.com is reporting that JENNIFER LOPEZ and her label, Sony Music / Epic Records, have "parted ways." It's unclear whether it was a mutual split . . . or if J-Lo was dumped . . . but either way her upcoming album may now be in limbo. --The disc, which was called "Love?", was supposed to feature her latest singles, "Fresh Out the Oven" and "Louboutins". At one point, we heard it was going to drop in April, but apparently that's not happening anymore. --J-Lo's manager, Benny Medina, has confirmed that she has decided to, quote, "make a change," but did not specifically say how it would affect her music career.
U2 HAS ANNOUNCED THE OPENING BANDS FOR THEIR NEXT TOUR:
Over the weekend, U2 announced that LENNY KRAVITZ, THE FRAY and INTERPOL will open for them on their North American tour this summer. --But they won't ALL be at every show. Lenny will take the opening duties for the first four shows . . . then The Fray will take a few show . . . and then Interpol will take over. (--That leaves the last three shows without an opener at this point.) --The North American portion of the tour will run from June 3rd in Salt Lake City through July 19th in New York City. (--For all the dates, hit up this link . . .) http://www.u2.com/tour/index/
DID TAYLOR SWIFT THROW RICE AT AN AUSTRALIAN CHEF???
This comes from Britain's not-always-reliable "Daily Telegraph" so I'm not giving it a lot of weight. But you never know, so here it is. TAYLOR SWIFT supposedly threw a temper tantrum at a restaurant in Brisbane, Australia. (--Where she's on tour.)--She was at one of those Teppanyaki restaurants . . . which is the Japanese style of preparing the food right in front of you. If you've ever been to a Benihana, then you've been to one. Anyway, here's what a so-called source said . . . --Quote, "The chef asked her if she was ready to catch the egg, she said yes and it fell on her. She completely flipped out and ranted and raved. --"After being calmed down the chef asked her if she was ready for some rice. Again she said yes, but once she caught it she threw it back at the chef.'' --According to the "Telegraph", OTHER sources claim Taylor Swift has been acting all diva-like the whole tour . . . demanding Aussie hotel staff open all her doors for her. (--Okay, I've followed Taylor Swift's career since day one and I've NEVER heard one report of her acting even remotely like this. Not even close. If anything, she goes out of her way to make everyone ELSE feel at ease.) (--I doubt this incident even happened . . . but in the remote chance that it did, I'm betting she was just playing along with the chef.)
NAZZY'S RANDOM STUFF
A FORMER CHILD SOLDIER IN CAMBODIA IS GOING AROUND THE COUNTRY DISARMING ALL THE LANDMINES HE PLANTED:
When 37-year-old Aki Ra was just a little boy, he was kidnapped by members of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge and trained as a child soldier. Over the next several years, he built and planted tens of thousands of landmines all over Cambodia. --Aki says, quote, "I remember we would have bags on our backs, we could carry sometimes 50, sometimes 100 mines, and we would throw them behind us. --"Sometimes, the soldiers were so close we couldn't even bury the mines. We would just put leaves on top and keep going. If we were too slow we would, you know, be shot." --Anyway, the Vietnamese army liberated Cambodia from the Khmer Rouge in 1979. And by the time Aki reached his teens, he'd started to regret what he'd done as a kid. --So now, in order to make things right, Aki is going around Cambodia and disarming his landmines by hand, one at a time. (!!!) (Gimundo)
HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEW CREDIT CARD ACT:
That new Credit Card act went into effect yesterday. Officially, it's called "The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act." Or just "The CARD Act" for short. --When it was passed last May, the idea was to make credit cards more consumer-friendly, and prevent Americans from getting swamped in debt. And according to the Pew Charitable Trust, the new rules will save Americans at least $10 BILLION.
--Here's what you need to know about the CARD Act:
#1.) No more campus giveaways: For years, credit card companies have lured in college students by offering free food and other stuff in exchange for signing up for a credit card. Now, those freebies are banned.
#2.) No marketing at college sporting events: Just like the campus giveaways, credit card companies reeled in students by offering goodie bags at college sporting events. The CARD Act bans that practice, even if the event is held off-campus.
#3.) More restrictions on people under 21: It used to be just about anyone could get a credit card. Now, people under the age of 21 need either a co-signer, or proof of a steady income in order to get a card.
#4.) Minimum payment disclosure: Credit card companies are now required to spell out why it costs more in the long run if you only make your minimum monthly payment. --And they have to display the monthly payment you'd need to make if you wanted to pay off your debt in 18 months.#5.) Highest interest rates paid first: Whatever payments you make on your credit card will now automatically be applied to the portion of your debt that has the highest interest rate, so you pay off that portion first.
#6.) Harder to raise interest rates: It used to be that credit card companies could jack up your interest rate for almost any reason at all. Now they have to wait at least a full year before raising a new customer's rate.
#7.) Notice of rate hikes: Credit card companies are now required to give customers 45-days notice before increasing their interest rate.
#8.) No more universal default: Credit card companies used to be allowed to increase your interest rate if you were behind on other bills to, say, the gas company. But they can't do that anymore.
#9.) No more payment fees: Credit card companies are no longer allowed to charge fees to customers who prefer to pay their bill over the phone, or in any other "unconventional" way.
#10.) Consistent due dates: Credit card companies are now required to make your payment due date the same every month.
--Unfortunately, the credit card companies had nine full months to prepare for the CARD Act. And they spent their time figuring out new ways to screw you out of your money. For example:
#1.) New fees: The new Act DOESN'T prevent companies from slapping existing customers with new fees. So they've brought back annual fees, processing fees for paper statements, and inactivity fees if you haven't used your card in six months.
#2.) Higher interest rates: Last year at this time, the average new credit card interest rate was 10.7%. Now the average interest rate on new cards is 13.6%.
#3.) Lower credit limits: Since last year, about 40% of banks cut credit limits on existing accounts, eliminating about $1 TRILLION in available credit.
#4.) More difficult to get and keep a card: The number of Visa, MasterCard and American Express cards dropped 15% in 2009. And the first ones to go were those that were rarely used, or were linked to rewards programs. (Forbes / Yahoo Finance)
(--So what can you take from this? For years, we've all been getting SCAMMED by the credit card companies, and nobody in Washington cared. In fact, you might even say they SUPPORTED it.) (--And even now that they ARE doing something to help the little man, they gave the credit card companies so long to prepare for the changes that it allowed them time to come up with NEW ways to screw us over. Thanks Uncle Sam.)
THE DAUGHTER OF THE GUY WHO CRASHED HIS PLANE INTO THE IRS BUILDING SAID HER DAD WAS A HERO:
Last week, a pathetic terrorist named Joseph Stack crashed an airplane into the IRS building in Austin, Texas. In a suicide note posted online, Stack said it was because the U.S. tax code, and the government in general, are tyrannical and oppressive. --Anyway, Stack's daughter, Samantha Bell, did a phone interview yesterday with "Good Morning America" from her home in Norway. --She said she considered her father a HERO because the U.S. tax system is, quote, "faulty" and "unbalanced." And since her father dared to take a stand against the government, quote, "now maybe people will listen." --For the record, Samantha went on to say her father's actions were, quote, "inappropriate." And in a later interview with the Associated Press, she backtracked, and said she doesn't consider her father a hero and doesn't condone what he did. --Samantha also told the AP that if her father really wanted to create change, he should have written more letters to the government. (???) (MSNBC)
--"Ghost Hunters: Season 5, Part 1" . . . a three-disc DVD set.--"Nurse Jackie: Season 1" . . . Edie Falco's Showtime series.--"Project Runway: Season 6" . . . a four-disc DVD set.--"Jersey Shore: Season 1 Uncensored" . . . a boxed DVD set.--"Flashforward: Season 1, Part 1" . . . a two-disc DVD set.--"American Chopper: The Series - Honoring the Uniform" . . . on a single-disc, it includes the POW/MIA bike honoring America's forgotten soldiers, and the tribute bikes that Junior and Senior each built to auction off for the families of fallen troops.
MULLET-STOCK ANNOUNCES THIS YEAR'S HEADLINERS . . . AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE RUINING ITS AWESOMENESS:
MULLET-STOCK . . . or "Rocklahoma" as it's actually and TRAGICALLY called . . . has announced the first set of acts for this year's festival. --Normally, this is a joyous time . . . when hear which '80s hair-metal bands will be descending on Pryor, Oklahoma, for some serious rockin' out. --But this year, for some unexplained reason, Mullet-Stock organizers decided to switch up the formula . . . by inviting ALMOST NO HAIR METAL BANDS. (???) --This year's lineup will include: ZZ Top, Godsmack, Tesla, Buckcherry, Cinderella, Chevelle, Stone Sour, Theory of a Deadman, Saliva, Saving Abel and Adelitas Way. --The festival will take place over Memorial Day weekend. (--For more information, including a full list of announced bands, hit up the official site . . .)http://rock.feverfest.com/
HAS JENNIFER LOPEZ'S NEW ALBUM BEEN SHELVED???
Deadline.com is reporting that JENNIFER LOPEZ and her label, Sony Music / Epic Records, have "parted ways." It's unclear whether it was a mutual split . . . or if J-Lo was dumped . . . but either way her upcoming album may now be in limbo. --The disc, which was called "Love?", was supposed to feature her latest singles, "Fresh Out the Oven" and "Louboutins". At one point, we heard it was going to drop in April, but apparently that's not happening anymore. --J-Lo's manager, Benny Medina, has confirmed that she has decided to, quote, "make a change," but did not specifically say how it would affect her music career.
U2 HAS ANNOUNCED THE OPENING BANDS FOR THEIR NEXT TOUR:
Over the weekend, U2 announced that LENNY KRAVITZ, THE FRAY and INTERPOL will open for them on their North American tour this summer. --But they won't ALL be at every show. Lenny will take the opening duties for the first four shows . . . then The Fray will take a few show . . . and then Interpol will take over. (--That leaves the last three shows without an opener at this point.) --The North American portion of the tour will run from June 3rd in Salt Lake City through July 19th in New York City. (--For all the dates, hit up this link . . .) http://www.u2.com/tour/index/
DID TAYLOR SWIFT THROW RICE AT AN AUSTRALIAN CHEF???
This comes from Britain's not-always-reliable "Daily Telegraph" so I'm not giving it a lot of weight. But you never know, so here it is. TAYLOR SWIFT supposedly threw a temper tantrum at a restaurant in Brisbane, Australia. (--Where she's on tour.)--She was at one of those Teppanyaki restaurants . . . which is the Japanese style of preparing the food right in front of you. If you've ever been to a Benihana, then you've been to one. Anyway, here's what a so-called source said . . . --Quote, "The chef asked her if she was ready to catch the egg, she said yes and it fell on her. She completely flipped out and ranted and raved. --"After being calmed down the chef asked her if she was ready for some rice. Again she said yes, but once she caught it she threw it back at the chef.'' --According to the "Telegraph", OTHER sources claim Taylor Swift has been acting all diva-like the whole tour . . . demanding Aussie hotel staff open all her doors for her. (--Okay, I've followed Taylor Swift's career since day one and I've NEVER heard one report of her acting even remotely like this. Not even close. If anything, she goes out of her way to make everyone ELSE feel at ease.) (--I doubt this incident even happened . . . but in the remote chance that it did, I'm betting she was just playing along with the chef.)
NAZZY'S RANDOM STUFF
A FORMER CHILD SOLDIER IN CAMBODIA IS GOING AROUND THE COUNTRY DISARMING ALL THE LANDMINES HE PLANTED:
When 37-year-old Aki Ra was just a little boy, he was kidnapped by members of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge and trained as a child soldier. Over the next several years, he built and planted tens of thousands of landmines all over Cambodia. --Aki says, quote, "I remember we would have bags on our backs, we could carry sometimes 50, sometimes 100 mines, and we would throw them behind us. --"Sometimes, the soldiers were so close we couldn't even bury the mines. We would just put leaves on top and keep going. If we were too slow we would, you know, be shot." --Anyway, the Vietnamese army liberated Cambodia from the Khmer Rouge in 1979. And by the time Aki reached his teens, he'd started to regret what he'd done as a kid. --So now, in order to make things right, Aki is going around Cambodia and disarming his landmines by hand, one at a time. (!!!) (Gimundo)
HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEW CREDIT CARD ACT:
That new Credit Card act went into effect yesterday. Officially, it's called "The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act." Or just "The CARD Act" for short. --When it was passed last May, the idea was to make credit cards more consumer-friendly, and prevent Americans from getting swamped in debt. And according to the Pew Charitable Trust, the new rules will save Americans at least $10 BILLION.
--Here's what you need to know about the CARD Act:
#1.) No more campus giveaways: For years, credit card companies have lured in college students by offering free food and other stuff in exchange for signing up for a credit card. Now, those freebies are banned.
#2.) No marketing at college sporting events: Just like the campus giveaways, credit card companies reeled in students by offering goodie bags at college sporting events. The CARD Act bans that practice, even if the event is held off-campus.
#3.) More restrictions on people under 21: It used to be just about anyone could get a credit card. Now, people under the age of 21 need either a co-signer, or proof of a steady income in order to get a card.
#4.) Minimum payment disclosure: Credit card companies are now required to spell out why it costs more in the long run if you only make your minimum monthly payment. --And they have to display the monthly payment you'd need to make if you wanted to pay off your debt in 18 months.#5.) Highest interest rates paid first: Whatever payments you make on your credit card will now automatically be applied to the portion of your debt that has the highest interest rate, so you pay off that portion first.
#6.) Harder to raise interest rates: It used to be that credit card companies could jack up your interest rate for almost any reason at all. Now they have to wait at least a full year before raising a new customer's rate.
#7.) Notice of rate hikes: Credit card companies are now required to give customers 45-days notice before increasing their interest rate.
#8.) No more universal default: Credit card companies used to be allowed to increase your interest rate if you were behind on other bills to, say, the gas company. But they can't do that anymore.
#9.) No more payment fees: Credit card companies are no longer allowed to charge fees to customers who prefer to pay their bill over the phone, or in any other "unconventional" way.
#10.) Consistent due dates: Credit card companies are now required to make your payment due date the same every month.
--Unfortunately, the credit card companies had nine full months to prepare for the CARD Act. And they spent their time figuring out new ways to screw you out of your money. For example:
#1.) New fees: The new Act DOESN'T prevent companies from slapping existing customers with new fees. So they've brought back annual fees, processing fees for paper statements, and inactivity fees if you haven't used your card in six months.
#2.) Higher interest rates: Last year at this time, the average new credit card interest rate was 10.7%. Now the average interest rate on new cards is 13.6%.
#3.) Lower credit limits: Since last year, about 40% of banks cut credit limits on existing accounts, eliminating about $1 TRILLION in available credit.
#4.) More difficult to get and keep a card: The number of Visa, MasterCard and American Express cards dropped 15% in 2009. And the first ones to go were those that were rarely used, or were linked to rewards programs. (Forbes / Yahoo Finance)
(--So what can you take from this? For years, we've all been getting SCAMMED by the credit card companies, and nobody in Washington cared. In fact, you might even say they SUPPORTED it.) (--And even now that they ARE doing something to help the little man, they gave the credit card companies so long to prepare for the changes that it allowed them time to come up with NEW ways to screw us over. Thanks Uncle Sam.)
THE DAUGHTER OF THE GUY WHO CRASHED HIS PLANE INTO THE IRS BUILDING SAID HER DAD WAS A HERO:
Last week, a pathetic terrorist named Joseph Stack crashed an airplane into the IRS building in Austin, Texas. In a suicide note posted online, Stack said it was because the U.S. tax code, and the government in general, are tyrannical and oppressive. --Anyway, Stack's daughter, Samantha Bell, did a phone interview yesterday with "Good Morning America" from her home in Norway. --She said she considered her father a HERO because the U.S. tax system is, quote, "faulty" and "unbalanced." And since her father dared to take a stand against the government, quote, "now maybe people will listen." --For the record, Samantha went on to say her father's actions were, quote, "inappropriate." And in a later interview with the Associated Press, she backtracked, and said she doesn't consider her father a hero and doesn't condone what he did. --Samantha also told the AP that if her father really wanted to create change, he should have written more letters to the government. (???) (MSNBC)
THE ECONOMY IS SO BAD THAT BEAUTY QUEENS ARE BEING FORCED TO WEAR THE SAME GOWN TWICE:
Apparently, the latest victims of the economic downturn are beauty pageant contestants. --That's according to North Carolina's "News and Observer" newspaper, which featured a hard-hitting report yesterday on how the economy is impacting beauty queens. (???)--Not only have the ladies been forced to cut back on their costumes, which can cost more than $1,000 for a single pageant, they've also resorted to borrowing clothes, and selling old outfits they don't want to wear anymore. --Some have even stooped so low as to wear the SAME GOWN TWICE. (--You can link to the full article here . . .)http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/02/22/351510/pageant-hopefuls-cut-back.html(News and Observer)
THERE'S A NEW WEBSITE THAT LETS YOU CHAT FACE-TO-FACE WITH RANDOM STRANGERS ON YOUR WEBCAM:
If you're sick of socializing with your real friends, there's a new website you might want to check out. It's called ChatRoulette.com. It's sort of like Skype or Google Chat, because it lets you have a face-to-face video conversation with another person. --Except with Chat Roulette, you don't pick the person you chat with, it's all completely RANDOM. Just go to ChatRoulettte.com, agree to activate your webcam, click 'play,' and people from all over the world start popping up on your screen. --If you don't want to talk to someone or look at what they're doing, you just hit 'Next,' and a new random stranger on a webcam pops up. But remember, they can just as quickly 'Next' your sorry mug if they don't like what they see. --Chat Roulette launched in November, and it's run by a 17-year-old high school student in Russia. According to a traffic count on the site's homepage, there are about 35,000 people on the site at any given time. (CNN) http://chatroulette.com/
THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS WANTS TO PUT "CHOKING HAZARD" WARNING LABELS . . . ON FOOD:
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, choking kills more than 100 kids every year. And roughly HALF those deaths are food-related. --Now the group is asking the federal government to make changes in the way food is designed to reduce children's chances of choking. And they're also asking for warning labels on certain "high-risk" foods, including:
--Hot dogs--Marshmallows--Peanuts--Popcorn--Gum--And other candy--A spokesman for the Food and Drug Administration says the agency will review the group's analysis and recommendations.(Yahoo News)
AN AIRPORT OFFICIAL IN ATLANTA ALLEGEDLY USED A "SPY PEN" TO RECORD THE SECRET TALKS OF NEGOTIATORS FOR DELTA AIRLINES:
Last summer, officials from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta began a series of negotiations with executives from Delta Airlines, which were focused on extending the airline's lease at the airport. --But things got off to a ridiculously bad start when officials from Delta discovered that the airport's general manager, a guy named Ben DeCosta, brought a "spy pen" to the meeting, allegedly, to record the private conversations of Delta's negotiators. --Apparently, there were several city and airline officials at the meeting. But at the end of the meeting, everyone left the room leaving the Delta officials to discuss their strategy in private. --Except Ben left behind his Livescribe Pulse Smartpen, which contains a secret recording device, and one of Delta's negotiators found it.--For what it's worth, Ben claims he wasn't spying on the Delta team. And though it's illegal in Georgia to secretly record a private conversation, an investigation found there wasn't enough evidence to bring charges against Ben. --In December, officials from Delta and Hartsfield-Jackson finally agreed on a new, seven-year lease extension. And Ben has announced he'll leave his job when his contract expires this summer. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) (--You can buy the Livescribe Pulse Smartpen for $150 here . . .)http://www.livescribe.com/store/store.html?vid=20070723002
Apparently, the latest victims of the economic downturn are beauty pageant contestants. --That's according to North Carolina's "News and Observer" newspaper, which featured a hard-hitting report yesterday on how the economy is impacting beauty queens. (???)--Not only have the ladies been forced to cut back on their costumes, which can cost more than $1,000 for a single pageant, they've also resorted to borrowing clothes, and selling old outfits they don't want to wear anymore. --Some have even stooped so low as to wear the SAME GOWN TWICE. (--You can link to the full article here . . .)http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/02/22/351510/pageant-hopefuls-cut-back.html(News and Observer)
THERE'S A NEW WEBSITE THAT LETS YOU CHAT FACE-TO-FACE WITH RANDOM STRANGERS ON YOUR WEBCAM:
If you're sick of socializing with your real friends, there's a new website you might want to check out. It's called ChatRoulette.com. It's sort of like Skype or Google Chat, because it lets you have a face-to-face video conversation with another person. --Except with Chat Roulette, you don't pick the person you chat with, it's all completely RANDOM. Just go to ChatRoulettte.com, agree to activate your webcam, click 'play,' and people from all over the world start popping up on your screen. --If you don't want to talk to someone or look at what they're doing, you just hit 'Next,' and a new random stranger on a webcam pops up. But remember, they can just as quickly 'Next' your sorry mug if they don't like what they see. --Chat Roulette launched in November, and it's run by a 17-year-old high school student in Russia. According to a traffic count on the site's homepage, there are about 35,000 people on the site at any given time. (CNN) http://chatroulette.com/
THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS WANTS TO PUT "CHOKING HAZARD" WARNING LABELS . . . ON FOOD:
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, choking kills more than 100 kids every year. And roughly HALF those deaths are food-related. --Now the group is asking the federal government to make changes in the way food is designed to reduce children's chances of choking. And they're also asking for warning labels on certain "high-risk" foods, including:
--Hot dogs--Marshmallows--Peanuts--Popcorn--Gum--And other candy--A spokesman for the Food and Drug Administration says the agency will review the group's analysis and recommendations.(Yahoo News)
AN AIRPORT OFFICIAL IN ATLANTA ALLEGEDLY USED A "SPY PEN" TO RECORD THE SECRET TALKS OF NEGOTIATORS FOR DELTA AIRLINES:
Last summer, officials from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta began a series of negotiations with executives from Delta Airlines, which were focused on extending the airline's lease at the airport. --But things got off to a ridiculously bad start when officials from Delta discovered that the airport's general manager, a guy named Ben DeCosta, brought a "spy pen" to the meeting, allegedly, to record the private conversations of Delta's negotiators. --Apparently, there were several city and airline officials at the meeting. But at the end of the meeting, everyone left the room leaving the Delta officials to discuss their strategy in private. --Except Ben left behind his Livescribe Pulse Smartpen, which contains a secret recording device, and one of Delta's negotiators found it.--For what it's worth, Ben claims he wasn't spying on the Delta team. And though it's illegal in Georgia to secretly record a private conversation, an investigation found there wasn't enough evidence to bring charges against Ben. --In December, officials from Delta and Hartsfield-Jackson finally agreed on a new, seven-year lease extension. And Ben has announced he'll leave his job when his contract expires this summer. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) (--You can buy the Livescribe Pulse Smartpen for $150 here . . .)http://www.livescribe.com/store/store.html?vid=20070723002
NAZZY'S SILLY VIDEOS OF THE DAY
#1.) TWO GUYS SHOW OFF SOME ABSURD DANCE MOVES:Check out two Latin dudes dancing like goofballs at some kind of family event. (--Search for "Lords of the Dance LiveLeak.com")http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a58_1266776200
#2.) HERE'S AN ELABORATE WAY TO CRUSH A CADBURY'S EGG:Do you know what a "Rube Goldberg Machine" is? Rube Goldberg was a cartoonist, and he liked to draw pictures of weird machines that accomplished really simple tasks in ridiculous ways, usually with a complex chain reaction.
--Anyway, here's one of his machines in real life, where a guy sets up an insane series of chain reactions just to crush a Cadbury Creme Egg with a hammer. (--Search for "things to do with a Cadbury egg FunnyOrDie.com")http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/408c55185c/things-to-do-with-a-cadbury-cream-egg/
#3.) A KID USED YOUTUBE TO GET A MAXIM MODEL AS HIS PROM DATE:A high school kid from Colorado used a series of YouTube videos to get a Maxim model named ARIANNY CELESTE to go to the prom with him. (--Search for "Arianny go to prom with me Conner Cordova.")(--Here's the first video he made.)(--WARNING: THIS VIDEO CONTAINS BLEEPED PROFANITY.)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2XQpVfI_r4
FIVE HABITS OF HAPPY COUPLES:
According to "Psychology Today" magazine, happy couples and unhappy couples have completely different habits. Here are five good habits that can make your relationship a lot better . . .
#1.) GO TO BED AT THE SAME TIME. When you first get together with someone, you can't WAIT to get into bed. Obviously that fades over time, as the purpose of going to bed shifts from exploring each other's genitals, to simply getting sleep. --But happy couples keep the dream alive, if only because there's a shared intimacy in crashing at the same time. Your bed-time doesn't have to be set in stone, but it'll keep you on roughly the same schedule, which is important.
#2.) DO THINGS YOU BOTH ENJOY. Once the passion dies down, it's normal for couples to realize they don't have as much in common as they thought they did. But people who stay together make the effort to FIND things to do that they both enjoy.
#3.) HOLD HANDS OR WALK SIDE BY SIDE. If one person always walks a few feet in front, or a few feet behind, it can be perceived as a sign that you don’t really want to be with someone. Even if you don't mean it that way.
#4.) CHECK IN. You don't have to call every time you have a free second. But happy couples tend to check in on each other every now and then. It can be over the phone, with an email, or by text.
#5.) SAY GOOD MORNING AND GOOD NIGHT. Do it even if you're fighting. It'll remind you that even though you're angry, you still want to be in the relationship. (PsychologyToday.com)
#1.) TWO GUYS SHOW OFF SOME ABSURD DANCE MOVES:Check out two Latin dudes dancing like goofballs at some kind of family event. (--Search for "Lords of the Dance LiveLeak.com")http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a58_1266776200
#2.) HERE'S AN ELABORATE WAY TO CRUSH A CADBURY'S EGG:Do you know what a "Rube Goldberg Machine" is? Rube Goldberg was a cartoonist, and he liked to draw pictures of weird machines that accomplished really simple tasks in ridiculous ways, usually with a complex chain reaction.
--Anyway, here's one of his machines in real life, where a guy sets up an insane series of chain reactions just to crush a Cadbury Creme Egg with a hammer. (--Search for "things to do with a Cadbury egg FunnyOrDie.com")http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/408c55185c/things-to-do-with-a-cadbury-cream-egg/
#3.) A KID USED YOUTUBE TO GET A MAXIM MODEL AS HIS PROM DATE:A high school kid from Colorado used a series of YouTube videos to get a Maxim model named ARIANNY CELESTE to go to the prom with him. (--Search for "Arianny go to prom with me Conner Cordova.")(--Here's the first video he made.)(--WARNING: THIS VIDEO CONTAINS BLEEPED PROFANITY.)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2XQpVfI_r4
FIVE HABITS OF HAPPY COUPLES:
According to "Psychology Today" magazine, happy couples and unhappy couples have completely different habits. Here are five good habits that can make your relationship a lot better . . .
#1.) GO TO BED AT THE SAME TIME. When you first get together with someone, you can't WAIT to get into bed. Obviously that fades over time, as the purpose of going to bed shifts from exploring each other's genitals, to simply getting sleep. --But happy couples keep the dream alive, if only because there's a shared intimacy in crashing at the same time. Your bed-time doesn't have to be set in stone, but it'll keep you on roughly the same schedule, which is important.
#2.) DO THINGS YOU BOTH ENJOY. Once the passion dies down, it's normal for couples to realize they don't have as much in common as they thought they did. But people who stay together make the effort to FIND things to do that they both enjoy.
#3.) HOLD HANDS OR WALK SIDE BY SIDE. If one person always walks a few feet in front, or a few feet behind, it can be perceived as a sign that you don’t really want to be with someone. Even if you don't mean it that way.
#4.) CHECK IN. You don't have to call every time you have a free second. But happy couples tend to check in on each other every now and then. It can be over the phone, with an email, or by text.
#5.) SAY GOOD MORNING AND GOOD NIGHT. Do it even if you're fighting. It'll remind you that even though you're angry, you still want to be in the relationship. (PsychologyToday.com)
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