HOLLYWOOD DIRT OVERFLOW (09-29-10)
ALICE COOPER HAS *FINALLY* BEEN NOMINATED FOR INDUCTION INTO THE rock and roll hall of fame!!!
The rock and roll hall of fame may have FINALLY gotten it right. --The nominees for the Class of 2011 were announced yesterday, and ALICE COOPER was among them. --Alice and his original band mates have been eligible since 1994 . . . but this is the first year they've even been nominated. --And unless the rock hall wants a FULL-SCALE RIOT, they'll make the final cut when the honorees are announced on December 26th. (--The induction ceremony goes down March 14th in New York City.) --In case you didn't know: When Alice Cooper started out in the late '60s, it was the name of the BAND, as well as the stage name of the lead singer. So this nomination is apparently for the full, original band.) (--Alice's first true solo album was "Welcome to My Nightmare". It was released in 1975, so Alice could have technically been inducted on his own.) (--But most of the major hits . . . like "School's Out", "No More Mr. Nice Guy", "Eighteen" and my personal favorite, "Dead Babies" . . . were pre-breakup.) -Alice had this to say about the nomination . . . quote, "Five guys starting a band, just hoping to meet girls and drink free beer, rehearsing and playing local bars five hours a night for the first few years . . . that was us. --"We came up with the theatrics and made every effort not to sacrifice the music one bit; we thought it was like our job to bring theatrics to rock 'n' roll. --"And then, amazingly enough, we were having a bunch of massive hit records which was proof that theatricality and rock 'n' roll could, in fact, be joined successfully."
BON JOVI, NEIL DIAMOND, THE BEASTIE BOYS AND LL COOL J ARE AMONG THE OTHER rock hall NOMINEES:
There are some pretty big names up for nomination to the rock and roll hall of fame besides ALICE COOPER. --They include BON JOVI, NEIL DIAMOND, the BEASTIE BOYS and LL COOL J. --There's also Donovan, Tom Waits, Dr. John, the J. Geils Band, Chic, Darlene Love, Laura Nyro, Donna Summer, Joe Tex and Chuck Willis. (--rock hall nominee trivia: Donovan appears on the classic Alice Cooper track "Billion Dollar Babies".) (--He and Alice trade off during the verse that goes, "We'll go dancing nightly in the attic while the moon is rising in the sky / If I'm too rough tell me, I'm so scared your little head will come off in my hands".) (???) --Bon Jovi, Neil Diamond, Donovan, Tom Waits and Alice Cooper are all first-timers. The rest have been nominated before. --There was one pretty big snub: KISS wasn't nominated. That's kind of a slap in the face because last year, they got nominated for the first time. --There's probably going to be the usual outcry from RUSH fans, too. Scot McFadyen . . . who co-directed the recent Rush documentary, "Beyond the Lighted Stage", is pretty ticked about it. --He says, quote, "Rush doesn't need it, you know. But I think it would be nice." (--To be eligible for induction into the rock and roll hall of fame, an act has to have released its first recorded output at least 25 years prior to the year in which it was nominated.) (--That means anyone nominated now, in 2010, has to have released something in 1985 or earlier. But remember, the people from this list who make it into the rock hall will be the Class of 2011.)
DOES LL COOL J DESERVE TO BE IN THE rock and roll hall of fame?
Every year when the nominees for the rock and roll hall of fame come out, there's a big debate over who should and shouldn't have been nominated. And when rappers get nominated, the debate gets even more heated. --It doesn't seem like too many people will protest the BEASTIE BOYS . . . since they kind of straddled the line between rap and rock. --That leaves LL COOL J to take all the heat. And he is. If he gets in, he won't be the first rapper in there. He'll be joining RUN-DMC and GRANDMASTER FLASH. --But is that a good thing? That's debatable. --But what's NOT debatable is that back in 1991, LL gave MTV one of its MOST ROCK AND ROLL MOMENTS OF ALL TIME, when he performed "Mama Said Knock You Out" on "MTV's Unplugged". (--Despite sketchy audio quality, you can ROCK out to the video here . . .) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjRWcqxOO6s
(--And here is your comprehensive list of all the acts that are NOT in the rock and roll hall of fame . . . and when they became eligible . . .)
http://www.futurerocklegends.com/artists.php
MINDY COHN: THE GODMOTHER
MINDY COHN GETS TO TRAVEL THE WORLD AND VISIT THE JOLIE-PITTS . . . FREE OF CHARGE:
"Facts of Life" star MINDY COHN really has a sweet gig being Godmother to two of BRAD PITT and ANGELINA JOLIE'S kids. (--We think she's Godmother to the twins, Knox and Vivienne . . . but we're not sure.) --Not only did Brad and Angelina give Mindy a HUGE rock that's somewhere around four or five carats . . . but they also pay to fly her all over the world. --Whenever Brad and Angelina and the kids jet off to distant corners of the world, they always make sure to bring Mindy in for a visit. --There's still no word how this TOTALLY RANDOM friendship came to be, but a source tells "Us Weekly", quote, "Mindy has known Brad for years and years. They are very close." (--GEORGE CLOONEY was on "The Facts of Life" with Natalie for two of the show's last seasons, back in the late '80s. George went on to become best friends with Brad Pitt. Is there a connection?)
OPRAH AND STEDMAN HAVE NEVER BROKEN UP:
During her interview with JENNY MCCARTHY, OPRAH WINFREY tried to put an old, yet VERY persistent rumor to rest: She and longtime boyfriend STEDMAN GRAHAM have NEVER BROKEN UP. --She said, quote, "We've never broken up once. They're always lies. I do regret ever mentioning him [to the press]."
SETH ROGEN IS ENGAGED:
SETH ROGEN is engaged to his girlfriend, LAUREN MILLER. They've been dating since 2004, and they're both 28. --Lauren is an actress, although she's only been in four movies, and three of them were Seth's: "Superbad", "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" and "Observe and Report".)
LINDSAY LOHAN IS IN REHAB:
LINDSAY LOHAN is in rehab. She checked into a facility in Southern California late Monday night. We don't know which one, but there are unconfirmed reports that she's at the Betty Ford Center near Palm Springs. --Lindsay is expected to stay there AT LEAST until her probation-violation hearing on October 22nd. --Before she checked in, Lindsay sent her assistant out to a Japanese restaurant called Izaka-Ya to grab her a "last meal", so to speak. --It consisted of Crispy rice with spicy tuna and seared albacore with crispy onion.
COULD LINDSAY TURN HER LIFE AROUND WITH MORE SLEEP?
Could LINDSAY LOHAN turn her life around by simply getting more sleep? RadarOnline.com posted some photos of Lindsay at her West Hollywood apartment on Monday, just hours before she checked into rehab. --And she was reading a book called "The Power of Rest", by Dr. Matthew Edlund. --A so-called "source" says, quote, "Lindsay hopes to use this book to help restructure her sleeping patterns so she can function better. --"She has been shooting films into the wee hours of the morning since she was 11 or 12 years old and then sleeping in trailers while on the set. She never established a normal sleeping pattern. --"She was recommended the book by both a doctor and a friend and hopes it will guide her in the right direction."
BIEBER FEVER!!!
JUSTIN BIEBER DOLLS ARE HITTING STORES IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS:
It had to happen: A line of JUSTIN BIEBER dolls is hitting stores in early December . . . just in time for Christmas. There will be two different sets of dolls. --First up is the Music Video Collection. Each of these dolls will play a 30-second clip from one of Justin's songs . . . and it'll be dressed the way Justin was in the video for that song. --Each of these dolls will set you back $28. --Then there's the JB Style Collection. These dolls will be dressed in Justin's various "styles" . . . such as "street style", "awards style" and "red carpet style". (???) These dolls are only 18 bucks. (--You can pre-order the dolls here . . .) http://www.justinbiebertoys.com/
JUSTIN BIEBER MAKES $300,000 A NIGHT:
Here's something to make your life seem less meaningful as you drive to work this morning: When JUSTIN BIEBER is on tour, he makes $300,000 A NIGHT. --By comparison, DRAKE pulls down $155,000 a night, and SELENA GOMEZ makes $100,000. --Justin . . . who's a mere 16 years old . . . even makes more than acts that are several times older than him and have been around a lot longer. --For instance . . . SHERYL CROW only makes $146,500 a night . . . WEEZER makes $150,000 . . . and BRET MICHAELS only pulls down $64,000. --There are still a few acts that make more on the road than Justin, though. KISS pulls down $500,000 a night, KEITH URBAN makes $487,500 and RASCAL FLATTS earns $702,500.
GLORIA ESTEFAN HAD TO CLIMB OUT THE WINDOW OF HER SUITE DURING SUNDAY'S MIAMI DOLPHINS GAME:
GLORIA ESTEFAN had to climb out the window of her own luxury suite at Sun Life Stadium during Sunday's Miami Dolphins game, after she accidentally got locked in. --Gloria, as you probably know, is a minority owner of the team. (--That's not a racist thing. It just means that she's got a little money sunk into the team, but she's not one of the major investors.) --She was supposed to introduce the day's halftime performer, ENRIQUE IGLESIAS. But when she tried to leave the room, the door was locked and she couldn't open it. --Security, firemen and even a LOCKSMITH were called, but nobody could get the door open. So Gloria had to take off her expensive pumps, climb out the window . . . and then climb INTO the window of an adjacent luxury box. --And for the record, she DID make it onto the field in time to introduce Enrique. (--There's video. Gloria's box is pretty high up, but it doesn't look like this was a very dangerous stunt. Plus, she had people there to help her. Check it out . . .) http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20429984,00.html
JEFFREY JONES FROM "FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF" SPENT HIS 64TH BIRTHDAY IN COURT ON SEX OFFENDER CHARGES:
Actor JEFFREY JONES turned 64 yesterday. And he spent part of that day pleading guilty to a charge of failing to update his sex offender status. --He could have been locked up for three years, but instead he got three years' probation and 250 hours of community service. (--Which he'll spend doing roadside clean-up.) -In 2003, Jones was arrested for possession of child pornography and employing a 14-year-old boy to pose for pornographic photos. He ended up pleading no contest to a charge of inducing a minor to pose for sexually explicit photographs. --He was ordered to register as a sex offender for LIFE . . . but he was arrested earlier this year for failing to update his status. (--Jones played the evil principal, Mr. Rooney, in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". He was also Winona Ryder's dad in "Beetlejuice".) (--More recently, he played A.W. Merrick on HBO's "Deadwood".)
THE OCTOMOM'S YARD SALE ONLY RAISED $2,600:
"Octomom" NADYA SULEMAN didn't make anywhere near what she'd hoped to at her yard sale this past Saturday. --According to RadarOnline.com, Nadya was looking to bank $100,000 by selling stuff like an autographed nursing bra. But in the end, she only made $2,600. --Nadya is about $7,500 behind on her mortgage payments. And, due to the structure of her mortgage, she reportedly has a balloon payment of $450,000 due on October 9th . . . which is a week from this coming Saturday.
JOSH HOLLOWAY FROM "LOST" HAS JOINED THE CAST OF "MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 4":
"Lost" stud JOSH HOLLOWAY has joined the cast of "Mission: Impossible 4". He'll play one of the good guys . . . a member of TOM CRUISE'S Impossible Mission Force. --Josh played Sawyer on "Lost", and that may have helped him get this gig. "Lost" creator J.J. ABRAMS directed "Mission: Impossible 3", and he's producing this one. --Brad Bird is directing. Up to now, he's been known for his ANIMATED flicks, including "The Iron Giant", "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille".
THE "STAR WARS" MOVIES ARE COMING OUT IN 3D, STARTING IN 2012:
GEORGE LUCAS has found a way to lighten the wallets of "Star Wars" fans even further . . . by converting all six movies to 3D and putting them back into theaters. --The plan is to release one per year . . . as long as the box office holds up. --If you're an old-school "Star Wars" fan, I have bad news for you. He's showing the movies in sequence . . . meaning that the prequels come first. --In other words, the "Star Wars" trilogy you love . . . the one that begins with the 1977 original . . . won't begin until 2015. --In the meantime, Lucas is dropping a set of all six movies on Blu-ray sometime next year. They'll include NEW deleted scenes and special features that haven't appeared on any of the previous DVD releases.
"DANCING WITH THE STARS" HAS PROVEN THAT SARAH PALIN WAS *NOT* BOOED ON MONDAY NIGHT . . . THE JUDGES WERE:
If you caught "Dancing with the Stars" on Monday night, you know that SARAH PALIN was in the audience to support her daughter, BRISTOL. --You may have also noticed that the audience was BOOING just before TOM BERGERON began interviewing her. Host BROOKE BURKE even mentioned it. She said, quote, "There's booing in the ballroom. I don't know why." --Naturally, there's a lot of talk that the booing was aimed at Sarah . . . who, off camera, was probably preparing to talk to Tom at the time. But "Dancing with the Stars" executive producer Conrad Green shot that down. --He said, quote, "The booing heard was a direct response from the audience to Jennifer [Grey] and Derek [Hough]'s scores which were perceived as relatively low for a dance that received a standing ovation." --The booing began not long after the judges gave them a combined score of 24 out of 30, which is just kind of average. --And on last night's episode, the producers PROVED that the audience was reacting to the judges by airing additional footage that did not air on Monday night. (--You can see the PROOF, here . . .) http://www.eonline.com/videos/v72531_dwts-judges-score-spat.html
(--And here are two low-quality videos of the portion of Monday night's episode that started this "controversy" . . .)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZJf6P82f3Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vjnheT1pmE
CHECK OUT DANCER LACEY SCHWIMMER . . . SINGING:
Smokin' hot "Dancing with the Stars" minx LACEY SCHWIMMER can sing! She appears on a new pop song called "Red Cup (I Fly Solo)" by some band named CASH CASH. (--To check it out, go to their MySpace page and scroll down . . .)
http://www.myspace.com/cashcash
DID "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE" RIP-OFF A "TIM AND ERIC" SKETCH???
"Saturday Night Live" has been accused of ripping off the Adult Swim series, "Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!" in a sketch that aired this past weekend. --The "SNL" sketch featured AMY POEHLER . . . and was about four high-society women who used fashionable tiny hats to try to one-up each other. --The problem is, "Tim and Eric" did a sketch about tiny hats back in December of 2007. The concept and look of the tiny hats was almost identical . . . but there weren't any similarities in the plot of the sketches. --The "Tim and Eric" sketch was basically a commercial for a store called Tiny Hats. --"SNL" hasn't commented on this "controversy" yet . . . but the guys from "Tim and Eric" have. They're not picking a fight with "SNL", but they do seem to think the show may have been influenced by their sketch. --eric wareheim posted a clip of it on Twitter with the caption, quote, "Just randomly wanna show y'all this vid we made ages ago." --And TIM HEIDECKER said the whole thing is "very interesting" . . . but passive-aggressively added, quote, "We understand that we've created something that a lot of people in comedy watch and like, and influences are totally fine." --"We draw influences from people all the time." However, he also joked, quote, "Will there by a 'Betty White'-sized online movement demanding public apology?"
(--You be the judge. Here's the "SNL" sketch . . .)
http://www.hulu.com/collections/497/180976
(--And here's the "Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!" one . . .)
http://video.adultswim.com/tim-and-eric-awesome-show-great-job/tiny-hats.html
THREE STARS HAVE LEFT "DEADLIEST CATCH" OVER A LEGAL DISPUTE:
Filming on the seventh season of "Deadliest Catch" is scheduled to begin sometime next month, and when it does . . . they could be without three stars. --Captains Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand have announced they won't participate in any filming while Discovery has a pending lawsuit against them. (--They're being sued for allegedly bailing on a planned special.) --Captain Sig Hansen has also refused to return, as a show of solidarity with the Hillstrands. (--Discovery has not responded to the hold-outs yet but it sounds like that would leave them with just three out of the five boats in the fleet.) (--Sig captains the Northwestern. The Hillstrands co-captain the Time Bandit.)
FOX HAS CANCELED "LONE STAR":
It's official: Fox's new show, "Lone Star", is the first casualty of the new TV season. Fox axed the show after just two low-rated episodes. --The premiere had only 4.1 million viewers last week . . . and the show's audience dropped to just 3.2 million viewers this past Monday night. Six episodes of the show were produced. It's unclear if Fox will air the remaining four. --"Lie to Me" will take over "Lone Star's" time slot . . . Mondays at 9:00 P.M. (--Fox was reportedly hoping to launch the third season of "Lie to Me" later this fall, but now that they have a spot open, they've decided to bump it up.)
BRAVO IS LAUNCHING A *SEVENTH* "REAL HOUSEWIVES" SERIES:
This is getting insane: Bravo is launching a SEVENTH "Real Housewives of . . ."-whatever series. (--The sixth one, "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" hasn't even premiered yet . . . and the "D.C." one just debuted last month.) --The new one, "The Real Housewives of Miami", has already been filmed, and will supposedly premiere sometime this winter. --Bravo hasn't officially announced the show yet . . . but word has it that the cast includes the wife of former NBA superstar SCOTTIE PIPPEN, and the ex-wife of former NBA player GLEN RICE.
"DANCING WITH THE STARS" WON THE NETWORK TV PREMIERE WAR:
The fall TV season officially kicked off last week, and "Dancing with the Stars" took the top spot in the ratings with just over 21 million people tuning in to the show's 11th season premiere. --The 8th season premiere of "NCIS" took second place with 19.4 million viewers, while 18.5 million people watched the first "Dancing" results show. Here's a quick look at last week's Top 20 shows . . .
1.) The season premiere of "Dancing with the Stars", ABC, 21.3 million viewers
2.) The 8th season premiere of "NCIS", CBS, 19.4 million viewers
3.) The "Dancing with the Stars" results show, ABC, 18.5 million viewers
WEDNESDAY TV REMINDERS: (--Check your local listings.)
--"America's Next Top Model" . . . 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. on the CW. (--The ladies pose while riding on a roller coaster and also take part in an underwater shoot.)
--"Criminal Minds" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on CBS. (--The team bids farewell to J.J. as she helps them locate a missing girl before leaving to work for the DOD. This is the last episode for blonde minx A.J. Cook as J.J., the team's media liaison. Her contract wasn't renewed for the sixth season . . . but she's not being replaced.)
--"Law & Order: SVU" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on NBC. (--Jennifer Love Hewitt plays a rape victim who objects to having a rape kit performed. This crossover introduces Skeet Ulrich as an L.A. detective for his "Law & Order" spin-off.)
--"Law & Order: Los Angeles" [SERIES Premiere] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on NBC. (--Terrence Howard and Alfred Molina play the assistant D.A.s, and the cops are played by Skeet Ulrich and some dude named Corey Stoll.) (--And this is kind of cool casting. Skeet Ulrich's boss is "Total Recall's" Rachel Ticotin . . . who "Lost" fans would also know as Ana Lucia's police captain mom.)
--"The Real World: The S&@! They Should've Shown" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on MTV.
--"She's Got the Look" [3rd Season Finale] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on TV Land.
--"Tosh.0" [2nd Season Finale] . . . 10:30 to 11:00 P.M. on Comedy Central.
BILLBOARD'S 21 HOTTEST MUSIC STARS UNDER THE AGE OF 21:
Billboard.com has published their list of "The 21 Hottest Music Stars Under the Age of 21". They didn't really reveal the criteria they used to rank these kids . . . but they did do write-ups on "what makes them hot."
--Here's the list, along with their ages . . .
#1.) TAYLOR SWIFT, 20
#2.) JUSTIN BIEBER, 16
#3.) SELENA GOMEZ, 18
#4.) CHARICE, 18
#5.) SOULJA BOY, 20
#6.) NICK JONAS, 18
#7.) WILLOW SMITH, 9
#8.) DEMI LOVATO, 18
#9.) GREYSON CHANCE, 13
#10.) MILEY CYRUS, 17
(--If you don't mind awkward slideshows, you can browse through "Billboard's" write-ups on each kid, beginning here . . .)
http://www.billboard.com/features/21-under-21-1004116452.story#/features/21-under-21-1004116452.story
LADY GAGA HAS EXTENDED HER TOUR . . . AGAIN:
LADY GAGA has added even more dates to her huge, Monster Ball Tour. --She's added 12 new shows, which run from March 1st in Grand Rapids, Michigan, through April 27th in Cleveland, Ohio. (--And then she hits up Mexico for three gigs during the first week of May. You can see the new dates here . . .) http://www.ladygaga.com/news/default.aspx?nid=30410 (--Or browse her entire itinerary, HERE.)
FANTASIA HAS ANNOUNCED HER FIRST HEADLINING TOUR:
FANTASIA has had an up-and-down road since winning "American Idol" in 2004 . . . but now, she's back in "up" mode. Fantasia has just announced the dates for her first headlining tour. (--It's titled "Back to Me".) --The tour will hit 30 cities, beginning with Richmond, Virginia, on November 4th . . . and continuing through a New Year's Day show in St. Louis. (--You can find all the dates at her website, here . . .) http://www.fantasiaofficial.com/us/tour
JEREMIH AND 50 CENT HAVE RELEASED A 3D VIDEO:
JEREMIH . . . (--which is pronounced "jeh-ruh-my") . . . and 50-CENT have put out a video for Jeremih's song, "Down on Me", which features 50. And the cool thing about the video is that it's in 3D. (--The video is below. And it really IS in 3D. Put on some old-school red and blue 3D glasses and you'll see. ***WARNING***: There's an uncensored S-word at 1:36.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwOjb8miKeY
KANYE WEST'S NEXT ALBUM HAS A RELEASE DATE:
"Billboard" reports that the new KANYE WEST album will drop on November 22nd. No official title for the album has been announced. (--At one point, it was going to be called "Good Ass Job".)
The rock and roll hall of fame may have FINALLY gotten it right. --The nominees for the Class of 2011 were announced yesterday, and ALICE COOPER was among them. --Alice and his original band mates have been eligible since 1994 . . . but this is the first year they've even been nominated. --And unless the rock hall wants a FULL-SCALE RIOT, they'll make the final cut when the honorees are announced on December 26th. (--The induction ceremony goes down March 14th in New York City.) --In case you didn't know: When Alice Cooper started out in the late '60s, it was the name of the BAND, as well as the stage name of the lead singer. So this nomination is apparently for the full, original band.) (--Alice's first true solo album was "Welcome to My Nightmare". It was released in 1975, so Alice could have technically been inducted on his own.) (--But most of the major hits . . . like "School's Out", "No More Mr. Nice Guy", "Eighteen" and my personal favorite, "Dead Babies" . . . were pre-breakup.) -Alice had this to say about the nomination . . . quote, "Five guys starting a band, just hoping to meet girls and drink free beer, rehearsing and playing local bars five hours a night for the first few years . . . that was us. --"We came up with the theatrics and made every effort not to sacrifice the music one bit; we thought it was like our job to bring theatrics to rock 'n' roll. --"And then, amazingly enough, we were having a bunch of massive hit records which was proof that theatricality and rock 'n' roll could, in fact, be joined successfully."
BON JOVI, NEIL DIAMOND, THE BEASTIE BOYS AND LL COOL J ARE AMONG THE OTHER rock hall NOMINEES:
There are some pretty big names up for nomination to the rock and roll hall of fame besides ALICE COOPER. --They include BON JOVI, NEIL DIAMOND, the BEASTIE BOYS and LL COOL J. --There's also Donovan, Tom Waits, Dr. John, the J. Geils Band, Chic, Darlene Love, Laura Nyro, Donna Summer, Joe Tex and Chuck Willis. (--rock hall nominee trivia: Donovan appears on the classic Alice Cooper track "Billion Dollar Babies".) (--He and Alice trade off during the verse that goes, "We'll go dancing nightly in the attic while the moon is rising in the sky / If I'm too rough tell me, I'm so scared your little head will come off in my hands".) (???) --Bon Jovi, Neil Diamond, Donovan, Tom Waits and Alice Cooper are all first-timers. The rest have been nominated before. --There was one pretty big snub: KISS wasn't nominated. That's kind of a slap in the face because last year, they got nominated for the first time. --There's probably going to be the usual outcry from RUSH fans, too. Scot McFadyen . . . who co-directed the recent Rush documentary, "Beyond the Lighted Stage", is pretty ticked about it. --He says, quote, "Rush doesn't need it, you know. But I think it would be nice." (--To be eligible for induction into the rock and roll hall of fame, an act has to have released its first recorded output at least 25 years prior to the year in which it was nominated.) (--That means anyone nominated now, in 2010, has to have released something in 1985 or earlier. But remember, the people from this list who make it into the rock hall will be the Class of 2011.)
DOES LL COOL J DESERVE TO BE IN THE rock and roll hall of fame?
Every year when the nominees for the rock and roll hall of fame come out, there's a big debate over who should and shouldn't have been nominated. And when rappers get nominated, the debate gets even more heated. --It doesn't seem like too many people will protest the BEASTIE BOYS . . . since they kind of straddled the line between rap and rock. --That leaves LL COOL J to take all the heat. And he is. If he gets in, he won't be the first rapper in there. He'll be joining RUN-DMC and GRANDMASTER FLASH. --But is that a good thing? That's debatable. --But what's NOT debatable is that back in 1991, LL gave MTV one of its MOST ROCK AND ROLL MOMENTS OF ALL TIME, when he performed "Mama Said Knock You Out" on "MTV's Unplugged". (--Despite sketchy audio quality, you can ROCK out to the video here . . .) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjRWcqxOO6s
(--And here is your comprehensive list of all the acts that are NOT in the rock and roll hall of fame . . . and when they became eligible . . .)
http://www.futurerocklegends.com/artists.php
MINDY COHN: THE GODMOTHER
MINDY COHN GETS TO TRAVEL THE WORLD AND VISIT THE JOLIE-PITTS . . . FREE OF CHARGE:
"Facts of Life" star MINDY COHN really has a sweet gig being Godmother to two of BRAD PITT and ANGELINA JOLIE'S kids. (--We think she's Godmother to the twins, Knox and Vivienne . . . but we're not sure.) --Not only did Brad and Angelina give Mindy a HUGE rock that's somewhere around four or five carats . . . but they also pay to fly her all over the world. --Whenever Brad and Angelina and the kids jet off to distant corners of the world, they always make sure to bring Mindy in for a visit. --There's still no word how this TOTALLY RANDOM friendship came to be, but a source tells "Us Weekly", quote, "Mindy has known Brad for years and years. They are very close." (--GEORGE CLOONEY was on "The Facts of Life" with Natalie for two of the show's last seasons, back in the late '80s. George went on to become best friends with Brad Pitt. Is there a connection?)
OPRAH AND STEDMAN HAVE NEVER BROKEN UP:
During her interview with JENNY MCCARTHY, OPRAH WINFREY tried to put an old, yet VERY persistent rumor to rest: She and longtime boyfriend STEDMAN GRAHAM have NEVER BROKEN UP. --She said, quote, "We've never broken up once. They're always lies. I do regret ever mentioning him [to the press]."
SETH ROGEN IS ENGAGED:
SETH ROGEN is engaged to his girlfriend, LAUREN MILLER. They've been dating since 2004, and they're both 28. --Lauren is an actress, although she's only been in four movies, and three of them were Seth's: "Superbad", "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" and "Observe and Report".)
LINDSAY LOHAN IS IN REHAB:
LINDSAY LOHAN is in rehab. She checked into a facility in Southern California late Monday night. We don't know which one, but there are unconfirmed reports that she's at the Betty Ford Center near Palm Springs. --Lindsay is expected to stay there AT LEAST until her probation-violation hearing on October 22nd. --Before she checked in, Lindsay sent her assistant out to a Japanese restaurant called Izaka-Ya to grab her a "last meal", so to speak. --It consisted of Crispy rice with spicy tuna and seared albacore with crispy onion.
COULD LINDSAY TURN HER LIFE AROUND WITH MORE SLEEP?
Could LINDSAY LOHAN turn her life around by simply getting more sleep? RadarOnline.com posted some photos of Lindsay at her West Hollywood apartment on Monday, just hours before she checked into rehab. --And she was reading a book called "The Power of Rest", by Dr. Matthew Edlund. --A so-called "source" says, quote, "Lindsay hopes to use this book to help restructure her sleeping patterns so she can function better. --"She has been shooting films into the wee hours of the morning since she was 11 or 12 years old and then sleeping in trailers while on the set. She never established a normal sleeping pattern. --"She was recommended the book by both a doctor and a friend and hopes it will guide her in the right direction."
BIEBER FEVER!!!
JUSTIN BIEBER DOLLS ARE HITTING STORES IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS:
It had to happen: A line of JUSTIN BIEBER dolls is hitting stores in early December . . . just in time for Christmas. There will be two different sets of dolls. --First up is the Music Video Collection. Each of these dolls will play a 30-second clip from one of Justin's songs . . . and it'll be dressed the way Justin was in the video for that song. --Each of these dolls will set you back $28. --Then there's the JB Style Collection. These dolls will be dressed in Justin's various "styles" . . . such as "street style", "awards style" and "red carpet style". (???) These dolls are only 18 bucks. (--You can pre-order the dolls here . . .) http://www.justinbiebertoys.com/
JUSTIN BIEBER MAKES $300,000 A NIGHT:
Here's something to make your life seem less meaningful as you drive to work this morning: When JUSTIN BIEBER is on tour, he makes $300,000 A NIGHT. --By comparison, DRAKE pulls down $155,000 a night, and SELENA GOMEZ makes $100,000. --Justin . . . who's a mere 16 years old . . . even makes more than acts that are several times older than him and have been around a lot longer. --For instance . . . SHERYL CROW only makes $146,500 a night . . . WEEZER makes $150,000 . . . and BRET MICHAELS only pulls down $64,000. --There are still a few acts that make more on the road than Justin, though. KISS pulls down $500,000 a night, KEITH URBAN makes $487,500 and RASCAL FLATTS earns $702,500.
GLORIA ESTEFAN HAD TO CLIMB OUT THE WINDOW OF HER SUITE DURING SUNDAY'S MIAMI DOLPHINS GAME:
GLORIA ESTEFAN had to climb out the window of her own luxury suite at Sun Life Stadium during Sunday's Miami Dolphins game, after she accidentally got locked in. --Gloria, as you probably know, is a minority owner of the team. (--That's not a racist thing. It just means that she's got a little money sunk into the team, but she's not one of the major investors.) --She was supposed to introduce the day's halftime performer, ENRIQUE IGLESIAS. But when she tried to leave the room, the door was locked and she couldn't open it. --Security, firemen and even a LOCKSMITH were called, but nobody could get the door open. So Gloria had to take off her expensive pumps, climb out the window . . . and then climb INTO the window of an adjacent luxury box. --And for the record, she DID make it onto the field in time to introduce Enrique. (--There's video. Gloria's box is pretty high up, but it doesn't look like this was a very dangerous stunt. Plus, she had people there to help her. Check it out . . .) http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20429984,00.html
JEFFREY JONES FROM "FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF" SPENT HIS 64TH BIRTHDAY IN COURT ON SEX OFFENDER CHARGES:
Actor JEFFREY JONES turned 64 yesterday. And he spent part of that day pleading guilty to a charge of failing to update his sex offender status. --He could have been locked up for three years, but instead he got three years' probation and 250 hours of community service. (--Which he'll spend doing roadside clean-up.) -In 2003, Jones was arrested for possession of child pornography and employing a 14-year-old boy to pose for pornographic photos. He ended up pleading no contest to a charge of inducing a minor to pose for sexually explicit photographs. --He was ordered to register as a sex offender for LIFE . . . but he was arrested earlier this year for failing to update his status. (--Jones played the evil principal, Mr. Rooney, in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". He was also Winona Ryder's dad in "Beetlejuice".) (--More recently, he played A.W. Merrick on HBO's "Deadwood".)
THE OCTOMOM'S YARD SALE ONLY RAISED $2,600:
"Octomom" NADYA SULEMAN didn't make anywhere near what she'd hoped to at her yard sale this past Saturday. --According to RadarOnline.com, Nadya was looking to bank $100,000 by selling stuff like an autographed nursing bra. But in the end, she only made $2,600. --Nadya is about $7,500 behind on her mortgage payments. And, due to the structure of her mortgage, she reportedly has a balloon payment of $450,000 due on October 9th . . . which is a week from this coming Saturday.
JOSH HOLLOWAY FROM "LOST" HAS JOINED THE CAST OF "MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 4":
"Lost" stud JOSH HOLLOWAY has joined the cast of "Mission: Impossible 4". He'll play one of the good guys . . . a member of TOM CRUISE'S Impossible Mission Force. --Josh played Sawyer on "Lost", and that may have helped him get this gig. "Lost" creator J.J. ABRAMS directed "Mission: Impossible 3", and he's producing this one. --Brad Bird is directing. Up to now, he's been known for his ANIMATED flicks, including "The Iron Giant", "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille".
THE "STAR WARS" MOVIES ARE COMING OUT IN 3D, STARTING IN 2012:
GEORGE LUCAS has found a way to lighten the wallets of "Star Wars" fans even further . . . by converting all six movies to 3D and putting them back into theaters. --The plan is to release one per year . . . as long as the box office holds up. --If you're an old-school "Star Wars" fan, I have bad news for you. He's showing the movies in sequence . . . meaning that the prequels come first. --In other words, the "Star Wars" trilogy you love . . . the one that begins with the 1977 original . . . won't begin until 2015. --In the meantime, Lucas is dropping a set of all six movies on Blu-ray sometime next year. They'll include NEW deleted scenes and special features that haven't appeared on any of the previous DVD releases.
"DANCING WITH THE STARS" HAS PROVEN THAT SARAH PALIN WAS *NOT* BOOED ON MONDAY NIGHT . . . THE JUDGES WERE:
If you caught "Dancing with the Stars" on Monday night, you know that SARAH PALIN was in the audience to support her daughter, BRISTOL. --You may have also noticed that the audience was BOOING just before TOM BERGERON began interviewing her. Host BROOKE BURKE even mentioned it. She said, quote, "There's booing in the ballroom. I don't know why." --Naturally, there's a lot of talk that the booing was aimed at Sarah . . . who, off camera, was probably preparing to talk to Tom at the time. But "Dancing with the Stars" executive producer Conrad Green shot that down. --He said, quote, "The booing heard was a direct response from the audience to Jennifer [Grey] and Derek [Hough]'s scores which were perceived as relatively low for a dance that received a standing ovation." --The booing began not long after the judges gave them a combined score of 24 out of 30, which is just kind of average. --And on last night's episode, the producers PROVED that the audience was reacting to the judges by airing additional footage that did not air on Monday night. (--You can see the PROOF, here . . .) http://www.eonline.com/videos/v72531_dwts-judges-score-spat.html
(--And here are two low-quality videos of the portion of Monday night's episode that started this "controversy" . . .)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZJf6P82f3Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vjnheT1pmE
CHECK OUT DANCER LACEY SCHWIMMER . . . SINGING:
Smokin' hot "Dancing with the Stars" minx LACEY SCHWIMMER can sing! She appears on a new pop song called "Red Cup (I Fly Solo)" by some band named CASH CASH. (--To check it out, go to their MySpace page and scroll down . . .)
http://www.myspace.com/cashcash
DID "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE" RIP-OFF A "TIM AND ERIC" SKETCH???
"Saturday Night Live" has been accused of ripping off the Adult Swim series, "Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!" in a sketch that aired this past weekend. --The "SNL" sketch featured AMY POEHLER . . . and was about four high-society women who used fashionable tiny hats to try to one-up each other. --The problem is, "Tim and Eric" did a sketch about tiny hats back in December of 2007. The concept and look of the tiny hats was almost identical . . . but there weren't any similarities in the plot of the sketches. --The "Tim and Eric" sketch was basically a commercial for a store called Tiny Hats. --"SNL" hasn't commented on this "controversy" yet . . . but the guys from "Tim and Eric" have. They're not picking a fight with "SNL", but they do seem to think the show may have been influenced by their sketch. --eric wareheim posted a clip of it on Twitter with the caption, quote, "Just randomly wanna show y'all this vid we made ages ago." --And TIM HEIDECKER said the whole thing is "very interesting" . . . but passive-aggressively added, quote, "We understand that we've created something that a lot of people in comedy watch and like, and influences are totally fine." --"We draw influences from people all the time." However, he also joked, quote, "Will there by a 'Betty White'-sized online movement demanding public apology?"
(--You be the judge. Here's the "SNL" sketch . . .)
http://www.hulu.com/collections/497/180976
(--And here's the "Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!" one . . .)
http://video.adultswim.com/tim-and-eric-awesome-show-great-job/tiny-hats.html
THREE STARS HAVE LEFT "DEADLIEST CATCH" OVER A LEGAL DISPUTE:
Filming on the seventh season of "Deadliest Catch" is scheduled to begin sometime next month, and when it does . . . they could be without three stars. --Captains Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand have announced they won't participate in any filming while Discovery has a pending lawsuit against them. (--They're being sued for allegedly bailing on a planned special.) --Captain Sig Hansen has also refused to return, as a show of solidarity with the Hillstrands. (--Discovery has not responded to the hold-outs yet but it sounds like that would leave them with just three out of the five boats in the fleet.) (--Sig captains the Northwestern. The Hillstrands co-captain the Time Bandit.)
FOX HAS CANCELED "LONE STAR":
It's official: Fox's new show, "Lone Star", is the first casualty of the new TV season. Fox axed the show after just two low-rated episodes. --The premiere had only 4.1 million viewers last week . . . and the show's audience dropped to just 3.2 million viewers this past Monday night. Six episodes of the show were produced. It's unclear if Fox will air the remaining four. --"Lie to Me" will take over "Lone Star's" time slot . . . Mondays at 9:00 P.M. (--Fox was reportedly hoping to launch the third season of "Lie to Me" later this fall, but now that they have a spot open, they've decided to bump it up.)
BRAVO IS LAUNCHING A *SEVENTH* "REAL HOUSEWIVES" SERIES:
This is getting insane: Bravo is launching a SEVENTH "Real Housewives of . . ."-whatever series. (--The sixth one, "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" hasn't even premiered yet . . . and the "D.C." one just debuted last month.) --The new one, "The Real Housewives of Miami", has already been filmed, and will supposedly premiere sometime this winter. --Bravo hasn't officially announced the show yet . . . but word has it that the cast includes the wife of former NBA superstar SCOTTIE PIPPEN, and the ex-wife of former NBA player GLEN RICE.
"DANCING WITH THE STARS" WON THE NETWORK TV PREMIERE WAR:
The fall TV season officially kicked off last week, and "Dancing with the Stars" took the top spot in the ratings with just over 21 million people tuning in to the show's 11th season premiere. --The 8th season premiere of "NCIS" took second place with 19.4 million viewers, while 18.5 million people watched the first "Dancing" results show. Here's a quick look at last week's Top 20 shows . . .
1.) The season premiere of "Dancing with the Stars", ABC, 21.3 million viewers
2.) The 8th season premiere of "NCIS", CBS, 19.4 million viewers
3.) The "Dancing with the Stars" results show, ABC, 18.5 million viewers
WEDNESDAY TV REMINDERS: (--Check your local listings.)
--"America's Next Top Model" . . . 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. on the CW. (--The ladies pose while riding on a roller coaster and also take part in an underwater shoot.)
--"Criminal Minds" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on CBS. (--The team bids farewell to J.J. as she helps them locate a missing girl before leaving to work for the DOD. This is the last episode for blonde minx A.J. Cook as J.J., the team's media liaison. Her contract wasn't renewed for the sixth season . . . but she's not being replaced.)
--"Law & Order: SVU" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on NBC. (--Jennifer Love Hewitt plays a rape victim who objects to having a rape kit performed. This crossover introduces Skeet Ulrich as an L.A. detective for his "Law & Order" spin-off.)
--"Law & Order: Los Angeles" [SERIES Premiere] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on NBC. (--Terrence Howard and Alfred Molina play the assistant D.A.s, and the cops are played by Skeet Ulrich and some dude named Corey Stoll.) (--And this is kind of cool casting. Skeet Ulrich's boss is "Total Recall's" Rachel Ticotin . . . who "Lost" fans would also know as Ana Lucia's police captain mom.)
--"The Real World: The S&@! They Should've Shown" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on MTV.
--"She's Got the Look" [3rd Season Finale] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on TV Land.
--"Tosh.0" [2nd Season Finale] . . . 10:30 to 11:00 P.M. on Comedy Central.
BILLBOARD'S 21 HOTTEST MUSIC STARS UNDER THE AGE OF 21:
Billboard.com has published their list of "The 21 Hottest Music Stars Under the Age of 21". They didn't really reveal the criteria they used to rank these kids . . . but they did do write-ups on "what makes them hot."
--Here's the list, along with their ages . . .
#1.) TAYLOR SWIFT, 20
#2.) JUSTIN BIEBER, 16
#3.) SELENA GOMEZ, 18
#4.) CHARICE, 18
#5.) SOULJA BOY, 20
#6.) NICK JONAS, 18
#7.) WILLOW SMITH, 9
#8.) DEMI LOVATO, 18
#9.) GREYSON CHANCE, 13
#10.) MILEY CYRUS, 17
(--If you don't mind awkward slideshows, you can browse through "Billboard's" write-ups on each kid, beginning here . . .)
http://www.billboard.com/features/21-under-21-1004116452.story#/features/21-under-21-1004116452.story
LADY GAGA HAS EXTENDED HER TOUR . . . AGAIN:
LADY GAGA has added even more dates to her huge, Monster Ball Tour. --She's added 12 new shows, which run from March 1st in Grand Rapids, Michigan, through April 27th in Cleveland, Ohio. (--And then she hits up Mexico for three gigs during the first week of May. You can see the new dates here . . .) http://www.ladygaga.com/news/default.aspx?nid=30410 (--Or browse her entire itinerary, HERE.)
FANTASIA HAS ANNOUNCED HER FIRST HEADLINING TOUR:
FANTASIA has had an up-and-down road since winning "American Idol" in 2004 . . . but now, she's back in "up" mode. Fantasia has just announced the dates for her first headlining tour. (--It's titled "Back to Me".) --The tour will hit 30 cities, beginning with Richmond, Virginia, on November 4th . . . and continuing through a New Year's Day show in St. Louis. (--You can find all the dates at her website, here . . .) http://www.fantasiaofficial.com/us/tour
JEREMIH AND 50 CENT HAVE RELEASED A 3D VIDEO:
JEREMIH . . . (--which is pronounced "jeh-ruh-my") . . . and 50-CENT have put out a video for Jeremih's song, "Down on Me", which features 50. And the cool thing about the video is that it's in 3D. (--The video is below. And it really IS in 3D. Put on some old-school red and blue 3D glasses and you'll see. ***WARNING***: There's an uncensored S-word at 1:36.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwOjb8miKeY
KANYE WEST'S NEXT ALBUM HAS A RELEASE DATE:
"Billboard" reports that the new KANYE WEST album will drop on November 22nd. No official title for the album has been announced. (--At one point, it was going to be called "Good Ass Job".)
NAZZY’S RANDOM STUFF
A TRAFFIC COP IN NEW YORK IS BRUTALLY ATTACKED AND PUT IN THE HOSPITAL WHILE WRITING A TICKET FOR A DOUBLE-PARKED CAR:
With the way that people LOATHE parking enforcers and meter maids, I guess it's lucky that things like this don't happen more often. --35-year-old Edgar Saeteros is a traffic cop in the Bronx, New York. Yesterday morning he was writing a ticket for a red Mercury that was double-parked during rush hour . . . when he was ATTACKED. --And he never saw it coming: Someone came up behind him and hit him in the head. And when he fell down, the guy kept kicking him. Edgar managed to get up and fight the guy off, but he got away. --The man was described as Hispanic, about six feet tall, and 165 pounds. He also left the car behind so, assuming it was his Mercury and he wasn't just randomly attacking a traffic cop for no reason, the police believe they can use it to catch him. --Edgar was rushed to the hospital with a fractured skull. He's in stable condition. --In 2008, New York made it a FELONY to assault a traffic cop or meter maid in any way . . . so any violence against them can get a person up to seven years in prison. -New York officials say about 60 meter maids get assaulted every year . . . but it's usually just a slap or one punch, not a full-on attack like the one on Edgar. (New York Daily News)
ARE YOU NORMAL? ANSWER THESE SIX QUESTIONS TO FIND OUT:
"USA Today" is trying to figure out what makes someone NORMAL, and they've come up with a six-question quiz to figure out what is and isn't the borderline for normal versus abnormal. Here are the questions . . . see where you land.
#1.) How often do you pick your nose? The most common answers are "every day" or "sometimes, maybe weekly." The least-normal behavior is NEVER picking it.
#2.) Did you lie about your weight on your driver's license? Only about three out of 10 people lie, so it's more normal to tell the truth.
#3.) For women: How much time does your husband or boyfriend spend per week watching football? None is actually the most common answer. Three hours or six hours are also normal. More than 12 hours is not normal.
#4.) Have you ever searched for your ex online? About three out of five people have run a search.
#5.) For married people: Are you still in love with your ex? Two-thirds of people are NOT, making that the most normal. A surprising one out of five people say they are, so it's not THAT abnormal.
#6.) Are you normal if your spouse has never seen you naked? Only about one out of 14 people think it's normal if you've never been nude in front of the person you're married to. (USA Today)
WHEN STATES BAN PEOPLE FROM TEXTING WHILE DRIVING IT ACTUALLY LEADS TO *MORE* TEXTING-RELATED ACCIDENTS:
It's been proven repeatedly that texting while driving is more dangerous than DRINKING while driving. --Every year, there are SO MANY DEATHS caused by people using their cell phones in their cars that a plane would have to crash EVERY SINGLE WEEK to equal the same death toll. --And yet . . . people keep on texting while driving. So states have started responding by making it illegal to text while you drive, to try to curb those numbers. --Well . . . the Highway Loss Data Institute just did a study of the 30 states that have banned texting while driving and they found that . . . when people know it's illegal to text and drive, they actually GET INTO MORE ACCIDENTS. --In three out of four states with text bans, texting-related accidents went UP. --Adrian Lund from the HLDI has a theory for why this happens. He says that people still text in their cars when there's a text ban . . . only they hold the phone lower down so a cop couldn't look in their window and see what they're doing. --The problem there is that your eyes are diverted further from the road and for a longer time . . . so more accidents happen. --He believes that the states need to quickly start giving out harsher penalties for texting while driving . . . because a small ticket isn't enough of a deterrent. (New York Post)
CHECK OUT THE TEN MOST EXPENSIVE CARS TO INSURE:
Next time you feel like your car insurance is WAY too expensive . . . no matter what a talking lizard or a caveman tries to tell you . . . just be happy you're not driving one of these cars. --The website Autousp.com put together this list of the most expensive cars to insure. Usually, they're sports cars that drive fast, are expensive to repair, and attract car thieves. Check 'em out . . .
#1.) Nissan GT-R, $2,533 average annual premium
#2.) Dodge Viper, $2,446 average annual premium
#3.) BMW M6, $2,236 average annual premium
#4.) Ford Shelby GT500, $2,186 average annual premium
#5.) Mercedes Benz G-Class, $2,088 average annual premium
#6.) Audi S8, $2,071 average annual premium
#7.) BMW M5, $2,020 average annual premium
#8.) Hummer H2, $1,912 average annual premium
#9.) Lexus IS-F, $1,881 average annual premium
#10.) Porsche 911, $1,819 average annual premium
(Autousp)
THE GAP BETWEEN AMERICA'S RICHEST AND POOREST IS THE BIGGEST IT'S EVER BEEN:
Wealth ain't getting redistributed at ALL 'round here. --According to the latest numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau, the gap between America's richest and poorest people is the widest it's ever been in history. --The richest 20% of Americans . . . those are the people making more than $100,000 . . . made 49.4% of the income generated in the country last year. --The people below the poverty line made 3.4% of the income. --That's a ratio of 14-and-a-half to one . . . the biggest difference ever. In 2008, the ratio was 13.6 to one. Back in 1968, the difference was only 7.69 to one. --The poverty line in 2009 was $21,954 for a family of four. 6.3% of Americans are making less than HALF of that . . . or $10,977 for a family of four. (AOL News)
ATHEISTS AND AGNOSTICS HAVE MORE RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THE U.S.:
The Pew Research Center just finished up a huge survey to test people's religious knowledge here in the U.S. And they found that the people who know the most about all the religions of the world are . . . the ones who don't believe in any of 'em. --They gave thousands of Americans a 32-question quiz about some of the basic core teachings of religions worldwide . . . and ATHEISTS and agnostics averaged the highest scores. --The average atheist or agnostic got 20.9 questions right, well above the overall average of 16. Jews came in second place, getting 20.5 right. Mormons were third, at 20.3. --Hispanic Catholics had the worst performance on the test, getting an average of 11.6 questions right. --The results on the test were also tied to education levels . . . people with at least a college degree averaged 20.6 correct answers, people with a high school diploma or less averaged 12.8 correct. --The question that got the most correct answers was "Can teachers in a public school lead the class in prayer?" 89% of people correctly answered "No." --The question that got the fewest correct answers was "What religion was MAIMONIDES?" (--Pronounced my-mahn-uh-deez.) Only 8% of people knew he was Jewish. He's actually a renowned 12th century Jewish philosopher. (Pew Forum)
EIGHT QUESTIONS TO TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF WORLD RELIGIONS:
These are eight of the 32 questions that were part of the Pew Research Center's quiz to find out how much Americans know about religion.
#1.) What is the name of the holy book of Islam? Answer: The Koran.
#2.) Which of these religions aims at nirvana, the state of being free from suffering? Is it Islam, Buddhism, or Hinduism? Answer: Buddhism.
#3.) What is the first book of the Bible? Answer: Genesis.
#4.) Where, according to the Bible, was Jesus born? Is it Jericho, Nazareth, Bethlehem, or Jerusalem? Answer: Bethlehem.
#5.) The Book of Mormon tells the story of Jesus appearing to people in what area of the world? Asia, The Americas, or the Middle East? Answer: The Americas.
#6.) Which of these is NOT one of the Ten Commandments? Is it do not commit adultery, keep the Sabbath holy, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, or do not steal. Answer: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
#7.) Which religion has the most people in Indonesia? Is it Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, or Christian? Answer: Muslim.
#8.) Can a teacher in a public school read from the Bible as an example of literature? Answer: Yes.
THE U.S. MARRIAGE RATE HAS HIT ITS LOWEST POINT IN MORE THAN 130 YEARS:
Either the men in this country have gotten a lot smarter about avoiding the Big Mistake, or the economy is even more devastating than we realized . . . because this is MADNESS. --Yesterday, the U.S. Census Bureau released new data which found that the marriage rate in this country just hit its lowest point in at least 130 YEARS. --In 2009, only 52% of Americans 18 years old and over said they were married. --That's down from 57% in 2000. --We don't know if the marriage rate has ever been lower. The Census has only been collecting that data since 1880 . . . 130 years ago . . . and the percentage has NEVER been lower than it was last year. --The economy is definitely a factor: People are less likely to jump into marriages when their finances and careers are so up in the air. --Combine that with the younger generation being cool with waiting into their 30s to lock it down, and you get the lowest marriage rate ever. --The Census also found that in 2009, for people 25 to 34, 46.3% were never married, and 44.9% are currently married, or had been married and are now divorced. --That's the first time in history that the "never married" group was larger than the "married" group. (Wall Street Journal)
A MAN TRIES TO PROPOSE ON THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE . . . DROPS THE RING OFF THE SIDE . . . AND MIRACULOUSLY GETS IT BACK:
Last week, 22-year-old Trey Turner of Fort Myers, Florida was visiting his long-distance girlfriend, 24-year-old Kelsey Kramer, in Brooklyn, New York. And he planned to propose to her under the lights of the Brooklyn Bridge. --Unfortunately, Trey was nervous . . . so after he got down on his knee and reached into his pocket for the ring, it rolled away. He lunged at it, but it was too late . . . the ring had rolled right off the side and was headed for the East River. (--Where, we're guessing, the toxic, polluted water would've instantly dissolved the entire ring.) --And that's when Trey's MIRACLE happened. Instead of falling into the river, the ring fell onto some scaffolding below . . . and stayed there. --In the meantime, Trey delivered his smooth proposal. He said, quote, "I just dropped your engagement ring off the Brooklyn Bridge. Will you marry me?" And Kelsey said yes. --Two days later, city transportation workers retrieved the ring off the scaffolding. Trey was already back in Florida at that point, so one of the Department of Transportation workers got the honor of slipping the ring onto Kelsey's finger. --They . . . Trey and Kelsey, not the DOT worker and Kelsey . . . are planning to get married next April. (New York Post / Florida Today)
NAZZY’S SILLY VIDEOS OF THE DAY
#1.) "AUSTRALIA'S NEXT TOP MODEL" CROWNED THE WRONG WINNER ON LIVE TV:
There was a pretty major mix-up on yesterday's live season finale of "Australia's Next Top Model". The host, SARAH MURDOCH . . . who's also RUPERT MURDOCH'S daughter-in-law . . . accidentally announced the WRONG WINNER. --And she didn't realize what she'd done until after the wrong girl gave her acceptance speech. (--Search for "Australia's Next Top Model crowns the wrong winner." She starts to reveal the mistake at :53.)
http://gawker.com/5649944/australias-next-top-model-crowns-wrong-winner-on-live-tv
#2.) A WOMAN RODE A PIANO-SHAPED GLIDER OFF A PIER AND BROKE HER BACK:
Last week in Romania, a 26-year-old woman was badly injured while participating in an event called Flugtag. If you've never heard of it, it's where teams build weird-looking gliders and then ride them off a makeshift pier and into a river. --Some of the gliders are real, and some are just ridiculous things that have no chance of flying. The Romanian woman was riding a glider shaped like a grand piano . . . and when she hit the water, it broke her back. (--Search for "piano accident Flugtag." It happens at :24.)
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2e2_1285708110
#3.) HERE'S A REAL VERSION OF THE "IRON MAN" SUIT:
The defense contractor Raytheon is trying to create what looks like a real life version of the "Iron Man" suit. It's an early prototype, so compared to the one in the movie, it's pretty lame. --There's a video online of a guy using it to break four boards at once with his hand. Each time he does it, it takes him two tries, but it's still sort of cool. (--Search for "Sarcos XOS 2." He breaks the first set of boards at 1:03.) http://www.flickr.com/photos/frompkin/5030318649
HOW TO AVOID A SPEEDING TICKET . . . AFTER YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN PULLED OVER:
Dealing with the cops is intimidating, but most of us only have to do it if we get pulled over for speeding. Still, it's a nerve-racking experience. --Now, a lot of this is common sense, but here's advice from actual cops on how you can increase your chance of getting a warning instead of a ticket . . .
#1.) STAY CALM. You're expected to be a little nervous. But if you're too nervous you'll look suspicious. So stay in the car, put your hands on the steering wheel, and turn on the interior light if it's dark out. --But don't reach for anything or open the glove box until they tell you to. Remember, you're not the only one who's nervous. At some level, the police have to assume everyone is a potential threat. --But if it's obvious from the start that you're trying to cooperate, the cop is more likely to treat you like a human being instead of a "suspect."
#2.) DON'T ARGUE. You have a better chance of getting out of the ticket if you just listen to what you did wrong and apologize. Even if you KNOW you didn't run that red light, you still won't convince the cop.
#3.) DON'T TALK DOWN THE COP. If it's a woman who's younger than you are, don't call her "sweetheart," and if it's a man, don't call him "son." In fact, don't even worry about their nametags. Just call both of them "Officer." (MarketWatch.com)
A TRAFFIC COP IN NEW YORK IS BRUTALLY ATTACKED AND PUT IN THE HOSPITAL WHILE WRITING A TICKET FOR A DOUBLE-PARKED CAR:
With the way that people LOATHE parking enforcers and meter maids, I guess it's lucky that things like this don't happen more often. --35-year-old Edgar Saeteros is a traffic cop in the Bronx, New York. Yesterday morning he was writing a ticket for a red Mercury that was double-parked during rush hour . . . when he was ATTACKED. --And he never saw it coming: Someone came up behind him and hit him in the head. And when he fell down, the guy kept kicking him. Edgar managed to get up and fight the guy off, but he got away. --The man was described as Hispanic, about six feet tall, and 165 pounds. He also left the car behind so, assuming it was his Mercury and he wasn't just randomly attacking a traffic cop for no reason, the police believe they can use it to catch him. --Edgar was rushed to the hospital with a fractured skull. He's in stable condition. --In 2008, New York made it a FELONY to assault a traffic cop or meter maid in any way . . . so any violence against them can get a person up to seven years in prison. -New York officials say about 60 meter maids get assaulted every year . . . but it's usually just a slap or one punch, not a full-on attack like the one on Edgar. (New York Daily News)
ARE YOU NORMAL? ANSWER THESE SIX QUESTIONS TO FIND OUT:
"USA Today" is trying to figure out what makes someone NORMAL, and they've come up with a six-question quiz to figure out what is and isn't the borderline for normal versus abnormal. Here are the questions . . . see where you land.
#1.) How often do you pick your nose? The most common answers are "every day" or "sometimes, maybe weekly." The least-normal behavior is NEVER picking it.
#2.) Did you lie about your weight on your driver's license? Only about three out of 10 people lie, so it's more normal to tell the truth.
#3.) For women: How much time does your husband or boyfriend spend per week watching football? None is actually the most common answer. Three hours or six hours are also normal. More than 12 hours is not normal.
#4.) Have you ever searched for your ex online? About three out of five people have run a search.
#5.) For married people: Are you still in love with your ex? Two-thirds of people are NOT, making that the most normal. A surprising one out of five people say they are, so it's not THAT abnormal.
#6.) Are you normal if your spouse has never seen you naked? Only about one out of 14 people think it's normal if you've never been nude in front of the person you're married to. (USA Today)
WHEN STATES BAN PEOPLE FROM TEXTING WHILE DRIVING IT ACTUALLY LEADS TO *MORE* TEXTING-RELATED ACCIDENTS:
It's been proven repeatedly that texting while driving is more dangerous than DRINKING while driving. --Every year, there are SO MANY DEATHS caused by people using their cell phones in their cars that a plane would have to crash EVERY SINGLE WEEK to equal the same death toll. --And yet . . . people keep on texting while driving. So states have started responding by making it illegal to text while you drive, to try to curb those numbers. --Well . . . the Highway Loss Data Institute just did a study of the 30 states that have banned texting while driving and they found that . . . when people know it's illegal to text and drive, they actually GET INTO MORE ACCIDENTS. --In three out of four states with text bans, texting-related accidents went UP. --Adrian Lund from the HLDI has a theory for why this happens. He says that people still text in their cars when there's a text ban . . . only they hold the phone lower down so a cop couldn't look in their window and see what they're doing. --The problem there is that your eyes are diverted further from the road and for a longer time . . . so more accidents happen. --He believes that the states need to quickly start giving out harsher penalties for texting while driving . . . because a small ticket isn't enough of a deterrent. (New York Post)
CHECK OUT THE TEN MOST EXPENSIVE CARS TO INSURE:
Next time you feel like your car insurance is WAY too expensive . . . no matter what a talking lizard or a caveman tries to tell you . . . just be happy you're not driving one of these cars. --The website Autousp.com put together this list of the most expensive cars to insure. Usually, they're sports cars that drive fast, are expensive to repair, and attract car thieves. Check 'em out . . .
#1.) Nissan GT-R, $2,533 average annual premium
#2.) Dodge Viper, $2,446 average annual premium
#3.) BMW M6, $2,236 average annual premium
#4.) Ford Shelby GT500, $2,186 average annual premium
#5.) Mercedes Benz G-Class, $2,088 average annual premium
#6.) Audi S8, $2,071 average annual premium
#7.) BMW M5, $2,020 average annual premium
#8.) Hummer H2, $1,912 average annual premium
#9.) Lexus IS-F, $1,881 average annual premium
#10.) Porsche 911, $1,819 average annual premium
(Autousp)
THE GAP BETWEEN AMERICA'S RICHEST AND POOREST IS THE BIGGEST IT'S EVER BEEN:
Wealth ain't getting redistributed at ALL 'round here. --According to the latest numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau, the gap between America's richest and poorest people is the widest it's ever been in history. --The richest 20% of Americans . . . those are the people making more than $100,000 . . . made 49.4% of the income generated in the country last year. --The people below the poverty line made 3.4% of the income. --That's a ratio of 14-and-a-half to one . . . the biggest difference ever. In 2008, the ratio was 13.6 to one. Back in 1968, the difference was only 7.69 to one. --The poverty line in 2009 was $21,954 for a family of four. 6.3% of Americans are making less than HALF of that . . . or $10,977 for a family of four. (AOL News)
ATHEISTS AND AGNOSTICS HAVE MORE RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THE U.S.:
The Pew Research Center just finished up a huge survey to test people's religious knowledge here in the U.S. And they found that the people who know the most about all the religions of the world are . . . the ones who don't believe in any of 'em. --They gave thousands of Americans a 32-question quiz about some of the basic core teachings of religions worldwide . . . and ATHEISTS and agnostics averaged the highest scores. --The average atheist or agnostic got 20.9 questions right, well above the overall average of 16. Jews came in second place, getting 20.5 right. Mormons were third, at 20.3. --Hispanic Catholics had the worst performance on the test, getting an average of 11.6 questions right. --The results on the test were also tied to education levels . . . people with at least a college degree averaged 20.6 correct answers, people with a high school diploma or less averaged 12.8 correct. --The question that got the most correct answers was "Can teachers in a public school lead the class in prayer?" 89% of people correctly answered "No." --The question that got the fewest correct answers was "What religion was MAIMONIDES?" (--Pronounced my-mahn-uh-deez.) Only 8% of people knew he was Jewish. He's actually a renowned 12th century Jewish philosopher. (Pew Forum)
EIGHT QUESTIONS TO TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF WORLD RELIGIONS:
These are eight of the 32 questions that were part of the Pew Research Center's quiz to find out how much Americans know about religion.
#1.) What is the name of the holy book of Islam? Answer: The Koran.
#2.) Which of these religions aims at nirvana, the state of being free from suffering? Is it Islam, Buddhism, or Hinduism? Answer: Buddhism.
#3.) What is the first book of the Bible? Answer: Genesis.
#4.) Where, according to the Bible, was Jesus born? Is it Jericho, Nazareth, Bethlehem, or Jerusalem? Answer: Bethlehem.
#5.) The Book of Mormon tells the story of Jesus appearing to people in what area of the world? Asia, The Americas, or the Middle East? Answer: The Americas.
#6.) Which of these is NOT one of the Ten Commandments? Is it do not commit adultery, keep the Sabbath holy, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, or do not steal. Answer: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
#7.) Which religion has the most people in Indonesia? Is it Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, or Christian? Answer: Muslim.
#8.) Can a teacher in a public school read from the Bible as an example of literature? Answer: Yes.
THE U.S. MARRIAGE RATE HAS HIT ITS LOWEST POINT IN MORE THAN 130 YEARS:
Either the men in this country have gotten a lot smarter about avoiding the Big Mistake, or the economy is even more devastating than we realized . . . because this is MADNESS. --Yesterday, the U.S. Census Bureau released new data which found that the marriage rate in this country just hit its lowest point in at least 130 YEARS. --In 2009, only 52% of Americans 18 years old and over said they were married. --That's down from 57% in 2000. --We don't know if the marriage rate has ever been lower. The Census has only been collecting that data since 1880 . . . 130 years ago . . . and the percentage has NEVER been lower than it was last year. --The economy is definitely a factor: People are less likely to jump into marriages when their finances and careers are so up in the air. --Combine that with the younger generation being cool with waiting into their 30s to lock it down, and you get the lowest marriage rate ever. --The Census also found that in 2009, for people 25 to 34, 46.3% were never married, and 44.9% are currently married, or had been married and are now divorced. --That's the first time in history that the "never married" group was larger than the "married" group. (Wall Street Journal)
A MAN TRIES TO PROPOSE ON THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE . . . DROPS THE RING OFF THE SIDE . . . AND MIRACULOUSLY GETS IT BACK:
Last week, 22-year-old Trey Turner of Fort Myers, Florida was visiting his long-distance girlfriend, 24-year-old Kelsey Kramer, in Brooklyn, New York. And he planned to propose to her under the lights of the Brooklyn Bridge. --Unfortunately, Trey was nervous . . . so after he got down on his knee and reached into his pocket for the ring, it rolled away. He lunged at it, but it was too late . . . the ring had rolled right off the side and was headed for the East River. (--Where, we're guessing, the toxic, polluted water would've instantly dissolved the entire ring.) --And that's when Trey's MIRACLE happened. Instead of falling into the river, the ring fell onto some scaffolding below . . . and stayed there. --In the meantime, Trey delivered his smooth proposal. He said, quote, "I just dropped your engagement ring off the Brooklyn Bridge. Will you marry me?" And Kelsey said yes. --Two days later, city transportation workers retrieved the ring off the scaffolding. Trey was already back in Florida at that point, so one of the Department of Transportation workers got the honor of slipping the ring onto Kelsey's finger. --They . . . Trey and Kelsey, not the DOT worker and Kelsey . . . are planning to get married next April. (New York Post / Florida Today)
NAZZY’S SILLY VIDEOS OF THE DAY
#1.) "AUSTRALIA'S NEXT TOP MODEL" CROWNED THE WRONG WINNER ON LIVE TV:
There was a pretty major mix-up on yesterday's live season finale of "Australia's Next Top Model". The host, SARAH MURDOCH . . . who's also RUPERT MURDOCH'S daughter-in-law . . . accidentally announced the WRONG WINNER. --And she didn't realize what she'd done until after the wrong girl gave her acceptance speech. (--Search for "Australia's Next Top Model crowns the wrong winner." She starts to reveal the mistake at :53.)
http://gawker.com/5649944/australias-next-top-model-crowns-wrong-winner-on-live-tv
#2.) A WOMAN RODE A PIANO-SHAPED GLIDER OFF A PIER AND BROKE HER BACK:
Last week in Romania, a 26-year-old woman was badly injured while participating in an event called Flugtag. If you've never heard of it, it's where teams build weird-looking gliders and then ride them off a makeshift pier and into a river. --Some of the gliders are real, and some are just ridiculous things that have no chance of flying. The Romanian woman was riding a glider shaped like a grand piano . . . and when she hit the water, it broke her back. (--Search for "piano accident Flugtag." It happens at :24.)
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2e2_1285708110
#3.) HERE'S A REAL VERSION OF THE "IRON MAN" SUIT:
The defense contractor Raytheon is trying to create what looks like a real life version of the "Iron Man" suit. It's an early prototype, so compared to the one in the movie, it's pretty lame. --There's a video online of a guy using it to break four boards at once with his hand. Each time he does it, it takes him two tries, but it's still sort of cool. (--Search for "Sarcos XOS 2." He breaks the first set of boards at 1:03.) http://www.flickr.com/photos/frompkin/5030318649
HOW TO AVOID A SPEEDING TICKET . . . AFTER YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN PULLED OVER:
Dealing with the cops is intimidating, but most of us only have to do it if we get pulled over for speeding. Still, it's a nerve-racking experience. --Now, a lot of this is common sense, but here's advice from actual cops on how you can increase your chance of getting a warning instead of a ticket . . .
#1.) STAY CALM. You're expected to be a little nervous. But if you're too nervous you'll look suspicious. So stay in the car, put your hands on the steering wheel, and turn on the interior light if it's dark out. --But don't reach for anything or open the glove box until they tell you to. Remember, you're not the only one who's nervous. At some level, the police have to assume everyone is a potential threat. --But if it's obvious from the start that you're trying to cooperate, the cop is more likely to treat you like a human being instead of a "suspect."
#2.) DON'T ARGUE. You have a better chance of getting out of the ticket if you just listen to what you did wrong and apologize. Even if you KNOW you didn't run that red light, you still won't convince the cop.
#3.) DON'T TALK DOWN THE COP. If it's a woman who's younger than you are, don't call her "sweetheart," and if it's a man, don't call him "son." In fact, don't even worry about their nametags. Just call both of them "Officer." (MarketWatch.com)
posted by Nazzy @ 6:15 AM
0 Comments
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home