Hollywood Dirt Overflow 7-26-10

THE SUMMER OF CELEBRITY WEDDINGS

THE SUMMER OF 2010 IS THE SUMMER OF CELEBRITY WEDDINGS:

Everyone remembers the summer of 2009 as the SUMMER OF DEATH . . . in which we lost somewhere in the neighborhood of TWO DOZEN famous people, including MICHAEL JACKSON, FARRAH FAWCETT and PATRICK SWAYZE. (--The exact number depends on how you define "famous" . . . and how you define "summer". But any way you look at it, a lot of celebrities died in a very short period of time. And it was, for the most part, hot outside.) --Well, here's a great counterpoint to the Summer of Death: THE SUMMER OF CELEBRITY WEDDINGS. And that's exactly what we're in the middle of right now. --From late May . . . (--around the same time the Summer of Death began) . . . there have been 19 notable celebrity weddings . . . and there are still two months to go. --Here's a list of those who've made The Big Jump so far . . . --Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr . . . (--There's a rumor going around that they got married because Miranda is three months pregnant. Obviously, we'll keep you posted.)

--Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz

--Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green

--Vanessa Marcil and "CSI: New York's" Carmine Giovinazzo

--Carrie Underwood and hockey stud Mike Fisher

--Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart

--John Krasinski and Emily Blunt

--Jenna Fischer and screenwriter Lee Kirk

--Jane Lynch and psychologist Lara Embry

--Carmelo Anthony and Lala Vasquez

--Martin Lawrence and his longtime girlfriend Shamicka Gibbs

--Actor Johnathon Schaech and "One Tree Hill's" Jana Kramer

--Alanis Morissette and Mario Treadway (a.k.a. MC Souleye) (???)

--Carrie Prejean and Raiders quarterback Kyle Boller

--Eva LaRue (from "CSI: Miami") and businessman Joe Cappucio

--Mena Suvari and concert promoter Simone Sestito

--Gemma Arterton (from "Clash of the Titans" and "Prince of Persia") and sales manager Stefano Catelli

--David Krumholtz (from "Numbers") and actress Vanessa Britting

--Rush Limbaugh and party planner Kathryn Rogers

(--By the way . . . some Italian tabloids say that GEORGE CLOONEY and ELISABETTA CANALIS are about to get married. George's rep denies it.)


LINDSAY LOHAN'S ATTORNEY SAYS SHE'S NOT GETTING SPECIAL TREATMENT:

There's a story going around that LINDSAY LOHAN is getting special treatment behind bars, and the other inmates are fed up with it. --A relative of one of the inmates told "People" magazine, quote, "All the inmates are sick of Lindsay. It's almost like Lindsay Lohan's here, but she's not. Like if she even moves, they put the whole facility on lockdown. --"It happens all the time. For example, just yesterday [Friday], Lindsay had to go to the mini-clinic, and the whole place was on lockdown again." -However, a spokesman for the L.A. County Sheriff's Department says they don't even do lockdowns at Lindsay's facility . . . and he adds, quote, "It's business as usual. Lindsay's getting no special treatment." --About the closest thing to "special treatment" Lindsay got that we know of was that she was allowed visitors during the week. Visitation at the prison is supposed to be on Saturdays and Sundays. --But they did that so that visitation for other prisoners wouldn't be disrupted. They did NOT give Lindsay extra visitation. They just shifted the days. And that was for the convenience of the OTHER inmates. --Lindsay's attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, also says Lindsay isn't getting any special treatment. And she adds that Lindsay's state of mind is improving. --She says, quote, "She's doing well, she's doing fine. Her outlook is definitely more positive . . . She has made some friends." (--It's not clear how Lindsay has made friends, since she's supposedly segregated from the other inmates.)


DID MEL GIBSON EXPLODE ON OKSANA GRIGORIEVA BECAUSE SHE SMILED TOO MUCH AT A GARDENER DURING A TREE-PLANTING CEREMONY???

We've heard some ridiculous things coming out of the whole MEL GIBSON / OKSANA GRIGORIEVA mess. Some have been true, some haven't, and some have yet to be proven either way. --This one belongs in the third category: The thing that officially killed this relationship . . . and sent Mel on a telephone tirade that's been heard all over the world . . . was a tree-planting ceremony. --On February 18th, Mel, Oksana and some friends and family gathered at Mel's Malibu estate for a tree-planting ceremony in honor of their daughter Lucia. --But Oksana made a critical mistake: She had a conversation with one of the gardeners. --Later on, when they were alone, Mel exploded on her, and accused her of, quote, "smiling too much" at the guy. They fought for a while, and Oksana left for one of Mel's other homes to get away from him. --That's when those INSANE phone conversations we've all heard were taped.

MEL GIBSON DID NOT THREATEN TO KILL HARVEY LEVIN FROM TMZ:

This one is probably NOT true, but we should address it, just so you have the correct information: --OKSANA GRIGORIEVA'S rep says that Oksana told police MEL GIBSON had formulated a plot to kill Harvey Levin. He's the boss over at TMZ.com. Supposedly, Mel was mad because TMZ broke the story about his anti-Semitic rant back in 2006. --The story goes that Mel had an actual plan to kidnap Harvey, take him into the desert, strip him, break his kneecaps and leave him to die in the heat. He'd even had someone doing surveillance on Harvey to figure out the best time and place to grab him. --And (--CAREFUL!!!) Mel supposedly told Oksana, quote, "I want Jew blood on my hands." --Well, the people at TMZ themselves looked into this story, and not surprisingly, they say it's BOGUS. Also, the cops deny Oksana ever told them this story.


ZSA ZSA GABOR IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION, BUT RESPONDING TO TREATMENT:

ZSA ZSA GABOR is in critical condition, but her husband, Prince Frederic von Anhalt, says she's responding well to treatment. --And Zsa Zsa's daughter adds that she's, quote, "a little better every day." --One week ago today, Zsa Zsa had surgery to replace the hip she broke last weekend when she fell out of bed. --On Friday, she was experiencing heavy bleeding . . . (--We don't know where. Nobody's saying) . . . but she underwent a transfusion that seemed to have put her back on track. --Von Anhalt had earlier said that Zsa Zsa may have suffered a stroke during surgery, but doctors weren't 100% sure about that. --Zsa Zsa is 93 years old.


DID MOLD CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEATHS OF BRITTANY MURPHY AND HER HUSBAND???

We often chuckle when our local newscasters declare that something is THE SILENT KILLER. But maybe when they say that about MOLD, we should listen. Because it may have helped do in BRITTANY MURPHY and her husband. --The two of them died about six months apart, of basically the same thing . . . pneumonia and anemia. And according to TMZ, the Department of Health is now checking out their home, because mold was indeed found there. --It was actually discovered during the investigation into Brittany's death, but authorities decided it wasn't a factor. However . . . after her husband's death, they think it's worth looking into it again.


AMANDA BYNES HAS UN-RETIRED FROM ACTING!!!

AMANDA BYNES has decided to resume her acting career, just ONE MONTH after she set the world on its ear by RETIRING via Twitter at the age of 24. --On Friday, she Tweeted, quote, "I've unretired." (--Before her big retirement, Amanda shot a movie called "Easy A" with EMMA STONE. It comes out September 17th.)


LEVI JOHNSTON WILL STAR IN A MUSIC VIDEO:

LEVI JOHNSTON is going to star in a music video for up-and-coming pop (slash) R&B singer named BRITTANI SENSER. And get this: he'll be playing a guy whose girlfriend's mother doesn't approve of him. --As you probably know, Levi is once again engaged to his baby-mama, BRISTOL PALIN . . . and he's been trying to make amends with her family. So is he worried that the subject matter will upset his future mother-in-law, SARAH PALIN? --Apparently not. Levi's attorney says, quote, "I don't think we're going to be concerned about what Governor Palin would want. I think that given the script, [Levi] should be able to turn in a good performance." (--If you care: Brittani Senser is the daughter of Joe Senser. He played for the Minnesota Vikings from 1980 to 1984. She was also on MTV's "Making the Band 3", where she made it to the finals.) (--The video Levi is appearing in is called "After Love". You can listen to the song . . . as well as some of Brittani's other music . . . here . . .) http://www.myspace.com/brittanisenser


TWO PHOTO GALLERIES: ACTORS WHO ARE AGING BADLY AND HOT CHICKS OVER 40:

Here are two online photo galleries to waste your time on when the boss isn't looking. --First, we've got the 25 Worst-Aging Actors in Hollywood. These are guys who, supposedly, aren't getting sexier with age.
(--I don't agree with all their picks. Some of these guys don't necessarily look WORSE. They just look OLDER, which is kind of inevitable, no? Still, it is nice to see MEN getting criticized for aging poorly for a change. Check it out . . .)
http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/49270430.html

--On the flip-side, here's a list of Hot Body Female Celebrities Over 40 . . . in other words, women who are NOT losing their looks with age. (--Enjoy . . .)
http://www.starpulse.com/news/Doshka_Harvey/2010/07/24/hot_body_female_celebrites_over_40?referer=Fark


CHRISTINA MILIAN DISAGREES WITH HER ESTRANGED HUSBAND'S TIMELINE:

When THE-DREAM filed for divorce from CHRISTINA MILIAN back in February, he claimed that they were already legally separated. --Well, Christina has filed papers of her own, saying he's FULL OF IT. She says they were still having MARITAL RELATIONS at the time he claims they were separated. --Therefore, since he was having sex with someone else during that time, he was CHEATING. --Christina . . . who gave birth just nine days after The-Dream filed for divorce . . . says that she signed a settlement with him in which both parties waved any right to alimony or each other's property. --But she wants it thrown out because he brought it to her bedside when she was nine months pregnant, and she was in no condition to sign it.


JOE JONAS SAYS HE AND DEMI LOVATO CAN STAY FRIENDS:

JOE JONAS and DEMI LOVATO broke up back in May. In less than two weeks, Demi and THE JONAS BROTHERS are going on tour together. It sounds like things could get awkward . . . but Joe doesn't think that'll happen. --On RYAN SEACREST'S radio show Friday, he said, quote, "Demi has been a friend of mine for a long time. I think that our friendship is so strong that it surpasses a lot of things and I think touring will be a lot of fun." --Joe also said that he and Demi saw each other at a Hollywood event recently, and everything was cool. He added, quote, "We're trying to get together and hang out before we go on tour together."


LINDA HOGAN IS ENGAGED TO HER 21-YEAR-OLD BOYFRIEND:

This is for all you cougars out there: 50-year-old LINDA HOGAN is engaged to her 21-year-old boyfriend Charlie Hill . . . whom her own children went to school with. -Supposedly, they're getting married next summer on board her new yacht, which is named "Alimoney". (--Yes, that's the correct spelling.) -For the record, Linda's not the only one in her family who's involved in a creepy relationship. Her ex, HULK HOGAN, will be 57 in just over two weeks . . . and he's engaged to a 36-year-old woman who looks a little too much like his daughter BROOKE.
ANGELINA JOLIE'S "SALT" COULDN'T TAKE DOWN "INCEPTION":

ANGELINA JOLIE may get her franchise after all. Her new spy movie, "Salt", made $36.5 million over the weekend. That's not an incredibly strong opening, but it's still better than the $27 million "The Bourne Identity" opened with in 2002.

--Despite the competition from Angelina Jolie, "Inception" held onto the top spot for its second week. Here are the Top 10 movies . . .

1.) "Inception", $43.5 million (--Up to $144 million in its 2nd week.)
2.) (NEW) "Salt", $36.5 million
3.) "Despicable Me", $24.1 million (--Up to $162 million in its 3rd week.)


MARK RUFFALO WILL PLAY BRUCE BANNER IN THE "AVENGERS" MOVIE:

It's official: MARK RUFFALO will play the Hulk's alter-ego, Bruce Banner, in the upcoming "Avengers" movie. It was announced at Comic-Con in San Diego the other day. --You may recognize Ruffalo from the THREE movies he's already been in this year: "Shutter Island", "Date Night" and "The Kids Are Alright". --The last guy to play Bruce Banner, EDWARD NORTON, was not asked back . . . supposedly because he was difficult to work with.


A FIFTH "DIE HARD" MOVIE IS COMING SOON:

Whether you want it or not, you're getting a fifth "Die Hard" movie. BRUCE WILLIS says, quote, "It's imminent. The coin is about to drop in the slot machine." --That's all the information anyone has at the moment.


GLAAD HAS GIVEN MTV AND THE CW NETWORK HIGH MARKS FOR THEIR PORTRAYAL OF GAY AND LESBIAN CHARACTERS:

GLAAD . . . the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation . . . has released its annual "Responsibility Index", which grades the major networks on their depiction of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender . . . or "LGBT". . . characters on TV. --For the study, GLAAD analyzed 4,788 hours of primetime programming on the five major networks . . . as well as 1,228 hours of original programming on 10 of the most-watched cable networks. (--From June of last year through this past May.) --This year, MTV picked up GLAAD's first-ever "excellent" rating. In 207.5 hours of original programming reviewed on MTV, GLAAD determined that 42% included, quote, "content reflecting the lives of gay, bisexual and transgender people." --Of the major networks, the CW ranked #1, with 35% . . . and ABC came in second with 26%. Both received a "good" rating. (--This is the fourth year GLAAD has done this study, and the first time ABC did not lead the broadcast networks.) --Meanwhile, Fox was given an "adequate" rating with 30% GLAAD-friendly programming . . . and NBC was also "adequate" with 13% . . . but CBS was slapped with a "failing" grade with only 7%. --Here's how the cable networks ranked behind MTV: ABC Family (37%), TNT (34%), Showtime (32%), Lifetime (31%) and HBO (26%) all received "good" ratings. (--Despite its "good" rating, HBO has apparently de-gayed itself significantly. In last year's study, HBO topped all networks with 42%. So over the past year, HBO is 16% less gay . . . at least in the eyes of GLAAD.) --By the way, last year we said GLAAD's standards were too high, because we felt HBO deserved an "excellent" rating for representing the LGBT community in 42% of their programming. 42%! And maybe they listened . . .) (--Because MTV got an "excellent" this year for their 42% number.)

--FX (27%) was deemed "adequate."

--And "failing" grades were given to the USA network (4%), A&E (3%) and TBS (2%).
(--You can download a VERY comprehensive .PDF of the full report, here . . .)
http://www.glaad.org/document.doc?id=127
NICKELODEON IS MAKING A LIVE-ACTION "FAIRLY ODDPARENTS" TV MOVIE:

Nickelodeon is producing a live action TV movie based on their animated series, "The Fairly Oddparents". It'll be called "A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up Timmy Turner!" . . . and it'll star 24-year-old DRAKE BELL. (--He was Drake on the popular Nickelodeon show "Drake & Josh".) --If you're not familiar with the show, it's about a 10-year-old boy named Timmy who refuses to grow up so that he can keep his fairy godparents. In the movie, Timmy will be 23, still in the fifth grade and still living at home. --But he may finally be forced to grow up, when he falls for a hot girl his own age. --The movie will also star JASON ALEXANDER . . . George from "Seinfeld", not the dude BRITNEY SPEARS was "married" to for two days in 2004 (???) . . . and "Curb Your Enthusiasm's" CHERYL HINES. They'll play Timmy's godparents. --The cast also includes "Wings" superstar STEVEN WEBER. --Even though the movie is live action, it'll also feature a significant amount of CG animation. (--There aren't any further details on how that'll work.) --There's no premiere date yet, but it'll debut sometime next year.


WATCH A PREVIEW OF THE FIFTH SEASON OF "DEXTER":

Season Five of the Showtime series "Dexter" won't premiere until September 26th, but a preview video that debuted at Comic-Con is now online. (--You can watch it at the link below. Just so you know, it's a little bloody. If that sort of thing really bothers you, you might want to skip this one.) http://www.sho.com/site/video/brightcove/series/title.do?bcpid=14033850001&bclid=207396368001&bctid=207499896001
--By the way, MICHAEL C. HALL . . . who plays Dexter . . . talked about his recent battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma, which is a form of cancer. --He revealed that he'd been diagnosed with Hodgkin's earlier this year . . . but by then, it was already in remission. He's healthy now.) --Michael said, quote, "I count myself lucky on so many fronts . . . and certainly in regards to the Hodgkin's. It's a real gift to be able to go back to work. One of the best things about it is that it emerged at a time when we were close to the end of shooting. --"I was able to treat it over the hiatus and it didn't interrupt our production schedule, which, obviously, would have its effect on me, but it would have its effect on our cast, our crew, people who count on this family to keep making the show."


LINDA HAMILTON WILL GUEST STAR ON "CHUCK":

LINDA HAMILTON . . . who played Sarah Connor in the first two "Terminator" movies . . . will be a recurring guest star on the upcoming season of "Chuck". -She will be playing Chuck's mother. --Executive Producer Josh Schwartz says, quote, "She's been such an icon as an action-female badass mom. The fans put it out there, and she heard about it, and was like, 'I heard I'm Chuck's mom.'" --It's unclear how many episodes she'll appear in . . . but we do know that she'll be briefly introduced in the Season Four premiere, which will air on September 20th. (--OLIVIA MUNN will also appear in that episode.)


THERE WILL BE A "ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW"-THEMED EPISODE OF "GLEE":

This could be pretty cool: The second season of "Glee" will feature a "Rocky Horror Picture Show"-themed episode. There's no airdate for it yet.


MONDAY TV REMINDERS: (--Check your local listings.)

--"Secret Life of the American Teenager" . . . 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. on ABC Family. (--Former "Sopranos" star Michael Imperioli guests as Adrian's ob-gyn doctor.)

--"The Bachelorette: The Men Tell All" . . . 8:00 to 10:00 P.M. on ABC. (--Ali Fedotowsky answers questions from the men she rejected.)

--"You're Cut Off!" [1st Season Finale] . . . 9:00 to 9:30 P.M. on VH1.

--"Last Comic Standing" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on NBC. (--The remaining five comedians perform.)

--"Homeless: The Motel Kids of Orange County" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on HBO. (--Alexandra Pelosi . . . the daughter of Nancy Pelosi . . . directs this documentary about families who live in pay-by-the-week motels because they can't pay their rent.)

--"20/20: The Stories Behind the Rose" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on ABC. (--Former "Bachelor" participants Andrew Firestone, Charlie O'Connell and Meredith Phillips participate in a behind-the-scenes look at "The Bachelor".)

--"Dance Your Ass Off" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on Oxygen. (--Former 'N Sync stud Joey Fatone guest judges the competition.)

--"Rizzoli & Isles" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on TNT. (--Donnie Wahlberg guest stars as a date for Angie Harmon's character that was arranged by her mother.)

--"Neighbors from Hell" [1st Season Finale] . . . 10:30 to 11:00 P.M. on TBS.

--"Watch What Happens: Live" [2nd Season Finale] . . . 11:00 to 11:30 P.M. on Bravo. (--Bethenny Frankel from the "Real Housewives of New York City" guests.)


KINGS OF LEON CANCELED A SHOW IN ST. LOUIS ON FRIDAY NIGHT . . . BECAUSE OF PIGEON POOP:

KINGS OF LEON performed in St. Louis on Friday night, but after just three songs, they canceled the gig . . . because pigeons were POOPING on them. Seriously. --At first, that may not seem too ROCK 'N' ROLL . . . but in fairness to the band, it does sounds like it was a pretty EXTREME situation. --According to reports, there was an unknown . . . but apparently SIGNIFICANT . . . number of pigeons in the rafters of the Verizon Amphitheatre. (--And from the amount of waste they were dropping, it sounds like they'd just come back from an Indian restaurant.) -The band's spokesperson says, quote, "I'm surprised they stayed on for as many songs as they did. [Bassist] Jared [Followill] was hit several times during the first two songs. --"On the third song, when he was hit in the cheek and some of it landed near his mouth, they couldn't deal any longer. It's not only disgusting . . . it's a toxic health hazard. They really tried to hang in there. --"We want to apologize to our fans in St. Louis and will come back as soon as we can." (--No make-up date has been announced yet, but the band has said that all the fans will receive a full refund.) --Jared . . . who for what it's worth, admits he's a germophobe . . . says, quote, "I was hit by pigeons on each of the first three songs. We had 20 songs on the set list. By the end of the show, I would have been covered from head to toe. --"The last thing I was going to do was look up [to see how many birds there were] . . . but if that was only a couple, we must have caught them right after a big Thanksgiving dinner." --Since the pigeons were above the stage, the band doesn't think any fans were affected. (--Here's a video of the fans' reaction when the band was announcing that they were ending the show. They don't seem happy . . . but then again, THEY weren't getting pelted with bird excrement . . .)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDmv3m2aeAE
--By the way, the venue warned the bands before the show that they had a, quote, "significant pigeon infestation problem with summer shows over the years, but they were doing all they could to fix it."


BILLY CORGAN BRIEFLY COLLAPSED DURING A RECENT SHOW:

SMASHING PUMPKINS singer BILLY CORGAN collapsed during a concert in Tampa last Wednesday night . . . but he immediately got up and continued the show. (???) (--Here's video of Billy PASSING OUT . . .)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrd1ytWnpYY
--The next day, Billy talked about it on Twitter . . . quote, "For those that saw me fall last night . . . that wasn't a stage move or clumsiness, that was me blacking out and wiping out. --"I have no memory of falling against the drum riser and my guitar cabinet, but I can tell you I've got quite a good bruise [and] am moving slow." --And the next day, he added, quote, "Umm, why is my phone lighting up today??? I appreciate the attention but I'm totally fine. And Knoxville we will rock you tonight . . . (--that was Friday night) . . . full tilt!" --No one has elaborated on what CAUSED Billy to "black out" . . . but he should probably get that checked out. (--As far as we know, the Pumpkins' tour will go on uninterrupted with Billy . . . and whomever he's playing with these days.)


KISS IS CATERING TO *CHILDREN* ON THEIR CURRENT TOUR:

Don't think of it as a KISS concert . . . think of it as a FAMILY OUTING. --GENE SIMMONS tells Billboard.com that the band is offering up FREE concert tickets to kids, in an attempt to try to steer them toward REAL rock 'n' roll. --He says, quote, "It's time to give back. [We want to show kids] that there's another world out there besides Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers.
-"It's important for them to see how the big boys do it. There's no tapes. There's no background singers backstage. There's no click tracks. It's important for the kids to see that whatever you see on stage is real. We want to spread this. --"I'm insulted by any act that goes up there with dancers and tapes. It's insulting." --KISS is offering up to four free lawn tickets to kids with each adult. According to the band's website, the adult has to be at least 21, and the kids have to be under 14 (--So for example, this means that KATE GOSSELIN apparently could take the PLUS EIGHT to a KISS concert on the cheap . . . provided JON GOSSELIN comes with her. What a fun family bonding experience!) (--Even better: Being a 35-year-old dude looking to let loose at a KISS concert, amongst an audience straight out of Sea World.)


NAZZY’S RANDOM STUFF

VIOLENCE OVERTAKES COMIC-CON WHEN ONE NERD STABS ANOTHER NERD IN THE EYE WITH A PEN:

This past weekend was Comic-Con. That's that convention where more than 100,000 proud, costumed nerds . . . and people who sell and market things to proud, costumed nerds . . . descend upon San Diego. --And even though everyone at the convention seems to be armed . . . with a light saber, a hammer of Thor, or Wolverine hand claws . . . there's never really any ACTUAL violence. UNTIL NOW. --On Saturday, Comic-Con had a STABBING. But not with any of those science fiction fantasy weapons . . . with something WAY down the weapon food chain. --It happened in the main hall, where tons of people were waiting to get sneak previews of the movies "Paul" and "Cowboys Vs. Aliens". Two guys, whose names weren't released, got into an argument about sitting too close to each other. --Things escalated, and one guy STABBED the other guy IN THE EYE . . . with a BALLPOINT PEN. Fortunately, the pen missed the guy's eyeball and just ended up causing a fairly minor gash right next to his eye. --The stabbing victim was taken to the hospital as a precaution, and the stabber was escorted out of the convention by the police. He's been charged with assault with a deadly weapon. --Officer David Stafford of the San Diego police told reporters that Comic-Con fights are rare because, quote, "They don't drink." (Los Angeles Times)
(--And here's comedian Greg Benson harassing all the 'hot chicks' at Comic-Con . . .)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX3eU60MD50


DARTH VADER ROBBED A BANK IN NEW YORK:

Apparently DARTH VADER'S change of heart at the end of "Return of the Jedi" is over. He's back to being EVIL. --Last Thursday morning, he robbed a Chase Bank in the town of Setauket, on Long Island, New York. Okay . . . it was just a guy dressed in a Darth Vader costume, with the black helmet, the robes, and a cape. --Around 11:30 A.M., Vader walked into the bank, pulled out a semi-automatic handgun, and demanded some cash. The teller gave him an undisclosed amount of money, and he took off. --And if that wasn't evil enough, Vader made the teller put the money in a bag with the NEW YORK YANKEES logo. (--And, as all baseball fans know, they're the TRUE Evil Empire.) --Customers in the bank at the time thought it was a joke at first . . . one of them even tried to HUG Darth before he shoved the guy away, pulled out the gun, and said, quote, "I will shoot you in the face. This is not a joke." --The man in the costume had a, quote, "squeaky" voice, he was about 6-foot-2, and was wearing camouflage pants under his Sith robes. But so far, police haven't been able to figure out who he is. (Gothamist)


HALF OF U.S. EMPLOYEES USE FACEBOOK DURING WORK HOURS . . . AND 7% OF THEM SPEND OVER AN HOUR TENDING TO THEIR VIRTUAL FARMS:

I always ignore it when someone invites me to play a game on Facebook. "FarmVille", "Mafia Wars" and the rest just seem pointless . . . I'm already wasting time on Facebook, why do I need something to waste time during my wasted time? --But clearly, a LOT of people have gotten sucked in by those games. And they're playing them on their company's dime. -A new survey by Cisco finds that 50% of people use Facebook and other social networking sites at work . . . even if their company has specifically told them not to. --And of that group, 7% say they play "FarmVille" at work . . . which involves tending to and building virtual farms . . . for an average of 68 MINUTES. --5% of people play the Facebook game "Mafia Wars" at work, for an average of 52 minutes per day. "Mafia Wars" involves recruiting other friends for crime missions and trying to build an empire. --Other games, including "Cafe World", "Treasure Isle", "Zoo World" and "Restaurant City" also suck up people's time at work. (Mashable)


IN AUSTRALIA, EVERYONE NOW LEAVES WORK AT 3:00 P.M. ON FRIDAYS TO GO DRINKING:

How come the workers in every other first-world country seem to have it WAY better than us? --Check this out. In Sydney, Australia, pretty much every business has replaced Casual Friday with something called LAZY FRIDAY. --What it means is: Every single Friday, at 3:00 P.M., everyone leaves work to go drinking. You couldn't even stay late if you wanted to . . . all the offices shut down and it's considered poor form to make a business call after 3:00 on a Friday. --Chris Taylor is a spokesman for the Sydney Chamber of Commerce and, he says, these Lazy Fridays are doing INCREDIBLE things for workers' morale. --Quote, "With workplace flexibility on the rise, businesses are finding more social options to balance the working life." --Wayne Tregaskis is the founder of a company in Sydney called S2i Communications. He says that taking his staff out to get drunk on Friday afternoons is a key part of his business. --Quote, "It's not some kind of contrived thing to build staff relations. That's a fringe benefit. [It's] just an enjoyable thing to do." (Courier Mail)


PRESIDENT OBAMA SAYS HIS DAUGHTERS ARE ABOUT TO START LOOKING FOR BABYSITTING JOBS:

I would hire PRESIDENT OBAMA'S daughters to babysit my kid in a SECOND. Even if it turns out they're totally irresponsible, at least I'll know there are Secret Service agents all around the house who will swarm the second anything goes even a little bit wrong. --On Friday, during an interview with "Good Morning America", Obama announced that his daughters are going to be looking for babysitting work soon. His daughter MALIA is 12 years old and SASHA is nine. --He says he's been teaching his daughters about financial responsibility . . . and they're at the point where they're almost ready to, quote, "earn some money babysitting" to put in their savings accounts. --He didn't say how you'll be able to get in touch with them if you do want to sign them up to babysit. (ABC News)


IN COLORADO, A FAMILY GETS CARJACKED . . . BY A BEAR:

On Friday, the Story family in Larkspur, Colorado, was carjacked. And, naturally, they're blaming it on a minority. --Because they were jacked by . . . A BEAR. Apparently, the bear smelled a peanut butter sandwich in the backseat of the Storys' 2008 Toyota Corolla. The car was in the family's driveway; they were asleep at the time. --The bear somehow managed to open one of the doors, which was unlocked. Bears are so food-crazed that when they smell something to eat, they have the ability to figure out how to open up houses, cars, or pic-a-nic baskets. --Once the bear was in the Corolla, he inadvertently honked the horn . . . and knocked the shifter into neutral. The car started rolling away, with the bear at the wheel. --He got a little over 40 yards before the car went off the road and into some bushes. And the door he'd opened slammed back shut when the car stopped . . . which trapped the bear in the car. --Deputies came and were able to get the bear out by using a rope to open the door from a safe distance. The bear completely trashed the interior of the car before he got out . . . and left, quote, "a present" on the driver's seat. --The bear escaped back into the woods. (Yahoo News)


SEVEN OF THE TOP TEN HOTTEST HOUSING MARKETS ARE IN CALIFORNIA . . . AND SEVEN OF THE BOTTOM TEN ARE IN FLORIDA:

The website ZipRealty.com just put out a report about the HOTTEST and COLDEST housing markets in the U.S., based on ZIP codes.-And two things are very clear: People are willing to pay big money to move to the Bay Area of California . . . and will take pennies on the dollar to get the hell out of Florida. --When you look at the ten ZIP codes where people are selling their homes for the highest percentage ABOVE the asking price, SEVEN of them are in California . . . with six of those in the Bay Area. (--The seventh is Adelanto, California, about 85 miles northeast of L.A.)--And of the ten ZIP codes where people are getting 15% to 25% LESS than their asking price, seven of them are in Florida. -The hottest housing market in the country is Berkeley, California, where houses are selling for 107.73% of their asking price. In other words . . . people are having to bid above the listing to beat out other people who want to buy the house. --Even with seven of the coldest markets in Florida, it doesn't have the absolute worst. That's in Winchester, Connecticut, where houses are selling for an average of 71.61% of the asking price.
(--Check out the full top 10 and bottom 10 on the next two pages . . .)

THE HOTTEST HOUSING MARKETS IN THE U.S.:

#1.) Berkeley, California, 94703. 107.73% of asking price.

#2.) Chicago, Illinois ("Loop" area), 60603. 106.56%.

#3.) Oakland, California, 94621. 105.93%.

#4.) Oakland, California, 94603. 104.33%.

#5.) Forest Park, Georgia, 30297. 104.03%.

#6.) San Jose, California, 95122. 103.86%.

#7.) Rodeo, California, 94572. 103.42%.

#8.) Las Vegas, Nevada, 89030. 103.41%.

#9.) Adelanto, California, 92301. 103.11%.

#10.) San Jose, California, 95111. 103.03%.


THE COLDEST HOUSING MARKETS IN THE U.S.:

#1.) Winchester, Connecticut, 06098. 71.61%.

#2.) Alva, Florida, 33920. 75.95%.

#3.) Palm Beach, Florida, 33480. 82.61%.

#4.) Delray Beach, Florida, 33483. 82.67%.

#5.) Highland Beach, Florida, 33487. 83.61%.

#6.) Boca Raton, Florida, 33496. 83.73%.

#7.) Osterville, Massachusetts, 02655. 83.82%.

#8.) Minooka, Illinois, 60447. 83.84%.

#9.) Jupiter, Florida, 33477. 84.02%.

#10.) Bokeelia, Florida, 33922. 84.18%.

(HousingWatch)

(--You can see the full report for tons of other cities here . . .)
http://www.ziprealty.com/whitepaper/homehunterreport/secondquarter2010.pdf


A JUDGE IN TAMPA SENTENCES TWO FEUDING NEIGHBORS TO SIX POTLUCK DINNERS TOGETHER:

Now THIS is how the justice system SHOULD work. A judge in Florida has basically made it ILLEGAL for two neighbors to hate each other. -43-year-old Tony Alli and 48-year-old Jose Linares are next-door neighbors, on a street called Caron Road in Tampa, Florida. And for the nine-plus years they've been living next to each other, they've DESPISED each other. --Tony likes blasting reggae and calypso music when he gets off of work. Jose likes it quiet after work. So Tony blasts music, and Jose calls the police. In the past decade, that cycle has happened HUNDREDS of times. --Finally, back in January, things finally boiled over . . . and Tony ended up hitting Jose in the face. --Last week, in court, Tony was found guilty of assault. He got 50 hours of community service, six months of probation . . . and something extra. --The judge, Paul Huey, ruled that Tony and Jose need to have six FAMILY POT LUCK DINNERS . . . once a month for the next six months . . . hoping that if they get to know each other, they'll stop fighting. --If Tony skips any of the meals, it's a violation of his probation. He's hosting the first pot luck dinner for the families on August 14th. (St. Petersburg Times)


AND NOW, THREE NEW THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT:

#1.) SITTING EQUALS DEATH. According to a study by the American Cancer Society, people who SIT more than six hours a day seriously increase their risk of dying early . . . even if they exercise, eat right and avoid cigarettes. --Men who sit six or more hours a day have a 25% higher chance of early death. For women, it's 34%. And if you sit for six-plus hours a day and rarely exercise, it jumps to 48% for men . . . and 94% for women. (FoodConsumer.org)


#2.) GLOBAL WARMING IS SHRINKING OUR FRENCH FRIES. This is already happening in Germany because of a heat wave, and it COULD happen to us: Hot temperatures may mean SMALLER FRENCH FRIES. --Not as many extra large potatoes can grow in really hot weather . . . and that means shorter fries. In Germany, they're telling people to expect fries that are only 1.8-inches long, instead of the usual 2.2-inches that they're used to. (Yahoo News)

#3.) WAL-MART IS SPYING ON YOU THROUGH YOUR PANTS. Wal-Mart is about to start using special Radio Frequency Identification chips on their pants and underwear . . . which will make it MUCH easier to track inventory and shortages. --But there are privacy concerns. In theory, Wal-Mart could track you down, or marketers could scan you to figure out whether you bought your pants at Wal-Mart. --Wal-Mart CLAIMS that's not going to happen . . . the chips are just on the tags, not embedded in the clothes themselves, so once they're removed, your pants are untraceable. (Wall Street Journal)


NAZZY’S SILLY VIDEOS OF THE DAY

#1.) A MILITARY JET CRASHED AT AN AIR SHOW PRACTICE RUN IN CANADA:

A military jet crashed on Friday during an air show training run in Alberta, Canada. It hit the ground and exploded, but the pilot ejected just in time, so organizers are going forward with the air show as planned.
(--Search for "Lethbridge Canada plane crash CF-18.")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATuNmqpoZyc

#2.) A COLLEGE STUDENT BUILT A MOTORIZED COUCH TO RIDE AROUND CAMPUS:

A college student named Nicholas Hooper used parts from an old wheelchair and built a motorized couch to ride around campus at Brigham Young University in Utah. Then the University promptly BANNED motorized couches.
(--Search for "Nicholas Hooper motorized couch video.")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6Z27aP-hz4

#3.) AND NOW . . . THE HOTTEST GIRLS OF COMIC-CON:

Comic-Con is 95% nerds and 5% hot chicks in spandex costumes. So a comedian named GREG BENSON walked around with a camera and talked to every hot girl he could find. (--Search for "Greg Benson Comic-Con 2010.")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX3eU60MD50


THE TOP TEN THINGS MEN SHOULDN'T DO AFTER 30:

AskMen.com has a list of the top ten things men shouldn't do after the age of 30. A few of them are iffy, but mostly it's dead on . . .

#10.) EATING FAST FOOD. You'll start feeling the effects once your metabolism slows down. And almost anything you make at home is better for you than fast food.

#9.) DRIVING WRECKLESSLY. About a million people die from car accidents every year, and about 50 million more people are injured. And men tend to drive more aggressively than women do.

#8.) PLAYING VIDEO GAMES ALL DAY. Playing games on your cell phone while you're waiting in the doctor's office is one thing. But if you're always tethered to your PlayStation 3 . . . it's time to grow up.

#7.) LIVING IN A DORM ROOM. Not literally, but if you're over 30, you shouldn't have Grateful Dead posters on the wall, pizza boxes on the floor, and empty beer cans scattered all around your apartment.

#6.) GETTING A TATTOO. This one's debatable, but AskMen.com makes a good point: If you get a BAD tattoo when you're FORTY, you can't really explain it away as something you did when you were young and stupid.

#5.) BINGE DRINKING. Again, when you're 22, you can blame it on being young and crazy. But there's a point where, if you're binge drinking all the time, it starts to become an ILLNESS. --And if you haven't worried about it all yet, hitting 30 is a good time to start.

#4.) LIVING PAYCHECK-TO-PAYCHECK. This one's easier said than done. But once you're in your 30's, you need to figure out a way to save whatever you can each month and prepare for things like kids, layoffs, and health issues.

#3.) WORKING AT A DEAD-END JOB. If you've been at the same job for five years and they haven't given you a promotion yet, they might NEVER give you one. So it might be time to look for a job where you can start climbing the ladder.

#2.) KNOWING NOTHING ABOUT POLITICS. In American demographics, the term "youth vote" means voters between the ages of 18 and 29. So if you're over 30, you're an adult who should know something about how the world works.

#1.) DRESSING LIKE A SLOB. It doesn't take much time, effort, or even money to dress like an adult. You just have to care about how you present yourself. And you have to realize that more is expected of you now than when you were 20. (AskMen.com)