Friday, November 5, 2010

HOLLYWOOD DIRT OVERFLOW (11-05-10)

TAYLOR LAUTNER BLINDSIDED PHIL COLLINS' DAUGHTER WITH THE SIGHT OF HIS SIX PACK ABS:

TAYLOR LAUTNER may have snagged an older woman, thanks to THE POWER OF HIS ABS. --Taylor is 18, and he has reportedly hooked up with 21-year-old LILY COLLINS. She's the daughter of PHIL COLLINS . . . and she played Sandra Bullock's daughter in "The Blind Side". --They met on the set of an upcoming movie called "Abduction", where a source says that Taylor lured her in by, quote, "constantly flashing his shirtless six-pack." --Lily already had a boyfriend, but like most women, she was POWERLESS to resist Taylor's washboard stomach. --Taylor is now in Louisiana filming the last two "Twilight" movies . . . and the source says that Lily, quote, "plans on hanging out there a lot."


BABY SPICE IS HAVING ANOTHER BABY OF HER OWN:

EMMA BUNTON . . . who you may remember as BABY SPICE from the SPICE GIRLS . . . is pregnant. This will be the second child for "Baby" and her boyfriend, singer Jade Jones. He or she is due in May. --Emma and Jade aren't married, but they've been together for over 10 years. They also have a 3-year-old son named Beau.


NICK LACHEY AND VANESSA MINNILLO ARE ENGAGED:

NICK LACHEY and VANESSA MINNILLO are finally engaged. There's no word on a wedding date. Nick and Vanessa both celebrate their birthdays this coming Tuesday. He'll be 37 . . . she'll be 30. --They issued a statement saying, quote, "We're excited and incredibly happy about our engagement and we look forward to a wonderful future together." --Nick and Vanessa have been dating since 2006 . . . although they broke up briefly in the summer of 2009. This will be Vanessa's first marriage. Nick was married to JESSICA SIMPSON from 2002 to 2006.


"PARTRIDGE FAMILY" SUPERSTAR DAVID CASSIDY WAS BUSTED FOR DUI:

"Partridge Family" superstar DAVID CASSIDY was busted for DUI Wednesday evening on the Florida Turnpike. --Police pulled David over at about 6:00 P.M., after watching his white Mercedes swerve all over the road and then cut off another driver while attempting to merge onto an exit ramp. --Cops smelled alcohol on David's breath, and he told them he'd had a glass of wine at lunch . . . then took a Vicodin for back pain at about 3:30. --Police asked David to step out of his car for a field sobriety test, which he failed miserably. They gave him a breathalyzer test twice . . . and he blew a 0.139% and a 0.141%. The legal limit is 0.08%. --Police also found a half-full bottle of bourbon on the floor in the backseat of the car . . . in a spot where David would have had easy access to it from the driver's seat. --David was booked on charges of driving under the influence, failure to maintain a single lane and having an open container. --He spent about nine hours sobering up at the St. Lucie County Jail, before being released on $350 bond. --David's rep is DENYING that David was drunk. She says he did take the Vicodin, and may have been "tired" from an early morning funeral he had to attend. --She's also disputing the breathalyzer results. --She adds, quote, "He would never jeopardize anyone on the road and he would not have been driving had he not had to go to a funeral . . . he's never been arrested in his life before for anything." (--David's daughter, KATIE CASSIDY, got a DUI in Tucson, Arizona back in 2007. She was only 20 at the time. She now has a recurring role on "Gossip Girl" as Juliet Sharp.)


HEIDI MONTAG AND SPENCER PRATT ADMIT THEIR DIVORCE WAS A STUNT TO REVIVE HEIDI'S CAREER:

To the surprise of absolutely no one, HEIDI MONTAG and SPENCER PRATT are finally admitting that they basically only filed for divorce for the PUBLICITY. --It was a desperate attempt to generate some money after they'd blown through $10 million and basically bankrupted themselves. --Initially, there was interest from a British TV station in doing a reality show about their split . . . but once the deal fell through, they withdrew their divorce papers. --Spencer says, quote, "The divorce was real . . . just the idea behind it was different than most people's. --"Divorcing was the only way to keep Heidi's career going because everyone hated me so much. Look at Sandra Bullock . . . her divorce from Jesse James was the best thing to happen to her image." (--Yeah, but Sandra had something Heidi does not: TALENT.) --Spencer says HIS earning potential is all but shot . . . quote, "I can't make regular money because I was playing such an unlikeable character on TV to keep my checks coming. Who wants to hire the jerk from 'The Hills'?" (--It was just a character. Sure. Just keep saying it, and eventually, maybe even YOU'LL believe it.)


THE MOST OVERPAID ACTORS

WILL FERRELL IS HOLLYWOOD'S MOST OVERPAID ACTOR:

It's time for another one of those Forbes.com pop culture lists. This time, we're looking at Hollywood's Most Overpaid Actors. --It's basically the opposite of those "Best actor for the buck" lists, where they calculate which actors give studios the best return on their investments. --For this list, they calculated who gives studios the WORST return on their investments. And WILL FERRELL occupies the top spot. --Forbes looked at the last three movies of all the actors on their annual Celebrity 100 list. In Will's case, it was "Land of the Lost", "Step Brothers" and "Semi-Pro". (--"The Other Guys" didn't make the cut-off.) --For every $1 Will was paid in salary, those movies turned an average of $3.35 in profit. --By comparison, SHIA LABEOUF . . . who is the BEST actor for the buck . . . gets paid a dollar for every $81 his movies earned.

#1.) Will Ferrell . . . $3.35 for every dollar he's paid.

#2.) Eddie Murphy . . . $4.45 for every dollar he's paid.

#3.) Denzel Washington . . . $5.10 for every dollar he's paid.

#4.) Seth Rogen . . . $6.75 for every dollar he's paid.

#5.) Tom Cruise . . . $7.20 for every dollar he's paid.

#6.) Drew Barrymore . . . $7.45 for every dollar she's paid.

#7.) Matt Damon . . . $8.30 for every dollar he's paid.

#8.) Vince Vaughn . . . $8.35 for every dollar he's paid.

#9.) Adam Sandler . . . $8.45 for every dollar he's paid.

#10.) Jim Carrey . . . $8.60 for every dollar he's paid.
(--You can read more, in annoying slideshow format, here . . .)
http://www.forbes.com/2010/11/04/hollywoods-most-overpaid-stars-2010-business-entertainment-most-overpaid-stars_slide_2.html



NEW MOVIES THIS WEEKEND

IT'S "DUE DATE" VS. "MEGAMIND" AT THE BOX OFFICE:

#1.) "Due Date" (R)

Robert Downey Jr. has five days to get home before his wife gives birth, and Zach Galifianakis is the annoying stranger who gives him a ride. Chaos ensues and they need Jamie Foxx to help them finish the trip. It's directed by Todd Phillips, who also directed Zach in "The Hangover". --Sure, Steve Martin and John Candy made this movie as "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" in 1987. But something tells me Zach and Downey can pull this off in a big way. (--Check out the driving game on the movie's website. You have to bounce Zach into the air as he rides in back of your truck. You WILL crash on your first try, but we got a score of 8,135 on our first successful pass. See if you can do better.)

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UthmOcfgM9k

Official Site: http://duedatemovie.warnerbros.com/


#2.) "Megamind" (PG)

An animated movie with Will Ferrell as a villain named Megamind, who finally beats his nemesis, a superhero played by Brad Pitt. But it sucks not having a hero to fight, so he creates a NEW hero by giving super powers to Jonah Hill. --Unfortunately, Jonah decides it's a lot more fun being a villain . . . so Megamind has to be a good guy instead. Tina Fey plays a Lois Lane-type reporter, and David Cross is the voice of Megamind's sidekick.

Mega Villain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJtot_f-snU
Mega Hero: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu42-p6_5RE

Official Site: http://www.megamind.com/


JAMES CAMERON WILL NOT DIRECT ANGELINA JOLIE IN A 3D "CLEOPATRA" MOVIE:

JAMES CAMERON will not direct ANGELINA JOLIE in a 3D "Cleopatra" movie. He decided to pass on that one so he can spend more time developing the two "Avatar" sequels. --If you must have a direct quote, here it is, straight from Cameron himself . . . "I am not doing 'Cleopatra'. That has been decided."


MARTIN SHEEN AND SALLY FIELD MIGHT PLAY SPIDER-MAN'S AUNT AND UNCLE:

MARTIN SHEEN and SALLY FIELD are in negotiations to play Peter Parker's Uncle Ben and Aunt May in the "Spider-Man" reboot. --If the new movie stays true to the story, Sheen may not be a part of the franchise too long. Uncle Ben's death is a big factor in Peter Parker becoming Spider-Man in the first place.) --The new "Spider-Man" movie takes the action back to Peter Parker's high school years . . . so obviously, they're going with a younger cast. --ANDREW GARFIELD from "The Social Network" has the lead role . . . while EMMA STONE will play his love interest Gwen Stacy.


THE NEW JAMES BOND MOVIE IS BACK ON TRACK:

The new James Bond movie is back on track, and scheduled for a November 2012 release. --MGM had previously put the movie on hold indefinitely due to financial problems. But the studio says it has a partner that'll pay production costs in exchange for a 50% stake in the movie. --MGM hopes to take full ownership back at some point in the future. --This will be the 23rd James Bond movie. As far as we know, DANIEL CRAIG is still in line to play Bond . . . although he signed up for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and its two sequels after MGM initially shelved the Bond flick.



CHECK OUT THE TRAILER FOR THE FARRELLY BROTHERS' NEW COMEDY, "HALL PASS": What would you do if your wife gave you one week to go out and nail ANYBODY YOU WANTED TO? That's the premise of "Hall Pass" . . . the new movie from comedy geniuses The Farrelly Brothers. (--"Dumb and Dumber", "There's Something About Mary". --It stars OWEN WILSON and JASON SUDEIKIS from "Saturday Night Live", and it hits theaters in February. (--Check out the trailer . . .)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j4ilviJZCE


CONAN O'BRIEN ISN'T BITTER ABOUT HOW THINGS TURNED OUT AT NBC . . . BUT HE WON'T INVITE JAY LENO ON HIS NEW SHOW:

Not surprisingly, CONAN O'BRIEN won't be inviting JAY LENO to be a guest on his new TBS show, "Conan". (--Which premieres this coming Monday night.) But somewhat surprisingly, he's actually admitting it, publicly. --In a "Playboy" interview, Conan was asked if Leno would be a welcome guest . . . and at first he joked, quote, "He can come as the musical guest, because that I want to see. No one knows he has an operatic range." --But then he got serious, and added, quote, "No, there are certain things I will not do, regardless of the price." --That being said, Conan said that he isn't bitter about how things turned out at NBC. --He explained, quote, "I have had too many good things happen in my career to end on any kind of bitter note. I'm just saying this to you; we're alone in this office, and I don't have to say this: I am an incredibly fortunate person. --"And as crazy as this sounds . . . my career with NBC was overwhelmingly positive until this. --"The entertainment business has an amazing way of turning really lucky people into bitter, angry, rage-filled, jealous, resentful wretches who can't believe they got screwed. Some things have worked out great for me, some things haven't. --"You keep going. --He added, quote, "I was really proud of what I was able to make in that situation."


"THE DAILY SHOW" BEAT "THE TONIGHT SHOW" AND "LETTERMAN" IN THE RATINGS FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER:

For the first time ever, JON STEWART was bigger than both JAY LENO and DAVID LETTERMAN in viewers between the ages of 18 to 49. --Throughout October, "The Daily Show" averaged 1.3 million 18- to 49-year-olds . . . while both "The Tonight Show" and "Letterman" followed with 1.2 million --It's also the first time in a decade that a late-night show other than "The Tonight Show" or "Letterman" has been #1 in that demographic. --On a related note, "Letterman" beat "Leno" in ALL categories last week. It was the first time since Jay STOLE "The Tonight Show" back from Conan. (--The fact that Jon Stewart can compete with Leno and Letterman . . . even though he's on cable . . . bodes well for CONAN O'BRIEN.)

--If you're curious, here's how the Top Nine breaks down:

#1.) "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart", 1.3 million 18- to 49-year-old viewers

#2.) "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno", 1.2 million viewers

#3.) "Late Show with David Letterman", 1.2 million viewers

#4.) "The Colbert Report", 900,000 viewers

#5.) "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon", 800,000 viewers

#6.) "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson", 700,000 viewers

#7.) "Jimmy Kimmel Live", 700,000 viewers

#8.) "Chelsea Lately", 650,000 viewers

#9.) "Lopez Tonight", 450,000 viewers

(--"Lopez Tonight" will be bumped back to midnight when "Conan" premieres next Monday . . . but something tells me GEORGE LOPEZ will come away with more 18- to 49-year-olds once Conan starts attracting people to TBS.)


TV'S FIRST SHOW ABOUT AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IS IN THE WORKS:

FX is developing a "dark drama" about a private investigator in Los Angeles, who happens to be an illegal immigrant. Assuming it makes it to TV, it'll be the first major series that is centered on a character that's an illegal. --But that's not all . . . The show's creator says the P.I. will regularly rely on other illegal aliens for help . . . quote, "It's an invisible network of people we don't pay attention to who see everything." --It's being described as "'Traffic" meets "Chinatown". There's no word yet on casting, a title or a premiere date.


FRIDAY TV REMINDERS:

--"Yo Gabba Gabba" . . . 11:30 A.M. to Noon on Nickelodeon. (--"30 Rock's" Jack McBrayer and comedian Paul Scheer guest star. Music Guest: Flaming Lips.

--"Supernanny" [7th Season Premiere] . . . 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. on ABC.

--"Primetime: What Would You Do?" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on ABC. (--The scenarios include a tipsy mom at a bar with her child.)

--"CSI: New York" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on CBS. (--John Larroquette guest stars when Mac hunts down a sniper shooting from city rooftops.)
--"Operation Wild" [2nd Season Premiere] . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Planet Green.

--"Martin Lawrence Presents 1st Amendment Stand-Up" [5th Season Finale] . . . 11:00 P.M. to Midnight on Starz. (--Sheryl Underwood hosts comedians Alex Thomas, Tony Sculfield, Rodney Perry, Sandra Bernhard, Damn Fool, Chinnitta Morris, Vincent Cook and Mark Simmons.)

--"Friday Night Alright" . . . 11:00 to 11:30 P.M. on VH1. (--Jack Johnson performs live from the 2010 Hurricane Festival.)

--"Benson Interruption" [SERIES Premiere] . . . Midnight to 12:30 A.M. on Comedy Central. (--Comedian Doug Benson invites other comics on stage and then injects himself into their stand-up routine.)

SATURDAY TV REMINDERS:

--"Uncomfortable" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Showtime. (--Comedian Jamie Kennedy performs.)

--"Iconoclasts" [5th Season Finale] . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Sundance. (--David Blaine and visual artist Chuck Close share their tricks and techniques.)

--"Behind the Music: Boy George" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on VH1 Classic.

--"A Family Thanksgiving" . . . 9:00 to 11:00 P.M. on the Hallmark Channel. (--Faye Dunaway stars as a mystic who helps to show a career-driven attorney . . . Daphne Zuniga . . . what life as a wife and mother would be like.)

--"The Locator" [5th Season Premiere] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on WE.

--"Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on VH1 Classic. (--Ace Frehley of KISS, Matt Sorum of Velvet Revolver and Lemmy from Motorhead offer help to the campers.)

--"That Metal Show" . . . 11:00 P.M. to Midnight on VH1 Classic. (--Def Leppard's Phil Collen and Quiet Riot's Frankie Banali are guests.)

--"Saturday Night Live" . . . 11:30 P.M. to 1:00 A.M. on NBC. (--"Glee's" Jane Lynch guest hosts and Bruno Mars is the musical guest.) (REPEAT)

SUNDAY TV REMINDERS:

--"Sunday Night Football" . . . 8:20 to 11:20 P.M. Eastern on NBC. (--The Green Bay Packers host the Dallas Cowboys at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.)

--"Hannah Montana" . . . 7:30 to 8:30 P.M. on Disney Channel. (--Jay Leno and Dr. Phil guest when Miley thinks about revealing her secret on the "Tonight Show".)

--"The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror 21" . . . 8:00 to 8:30 P.M. on Fox. (--Daniel Radcliffe plays a vampire in a "Twilight" parody and Hugh Laurie is rescued by Homer and Marge in a "Dead Calm" skit.)

--"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" . . . 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. on ABC. (--Kylie Minogue performs a concert at the final reveal.)

--"Jerseylicious" [2nd Season Finale] . . . 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. on Style.

--"Black Girls Rock!" . . . 8:00 to 10:00 P.M. on BET. (--Nia Long hosts this celebration honoring the achievements of black women in a variety of fields with performances by Jill Scott, Fantasia, V.V. Brown, Shontelle and Keyshia Cole.)
--"Bridezillas" [7th Season Finale] . . . 8:00 to 10:00 P.M. on WE.

--"Desperate Housewives" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on ABC. (--John Schneider guest stars as the father of the handyman that Bree is dating.)

--"Undercover Boss" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on CBS. (--Chicago Cubs owner Todd Ricketts goes undercover to work for his organization at Wrigley Field.)

--"Mel B: It's A Scary World" [1st Season Finale] . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Style.

--"Kendra" [3rd Season Premiere] . . . 10:00 to 10:30 P.M. on E!

--"On the Case with Paula Zahn" [3rd Season Premiere] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on ID.

--"Married To Rock" [SERIES Premiere] . . . 10:30 to 11:00 P.M. on E! (--A reality series featuring the wives of Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell, former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan, and Billy Idol's guitarist Steve Stevens . . . along with the girlfriend of Billy Duffy, the guitarist for The Cult.)

--"Eastbound & Down" [2nd Season Finale] . . . 10:30 to 11:00 P.M. on HBO.

--"Childrens Hospital" [1st Season Finale] . . . Midnight to 12:30 A.M. on Adult Swim.



A *NEW* MICHAEL JACKSON ALBUM IS COMING OUT NEXT MONTH:

Sony has announced that they will release a new MICHAEL JACKSON album on December 14th. It'll be called "Michael". (--The press release didn't say whether they really liked "Michael" and chose it over other, more creative ideas . . . or if they just didn't have any other ideas.) --It'll feature all new original songs, which Michael recorded before his death. Some of the tracks were recorded JUST before his death . . . but it's unclear if they're all roughly from the same sessions, or if they were recorded throughout his career. --The first track, "Breaking News", will premiere Monday on MichaelJackson.com, and it'll be streaming throughout the week. For now though, you can see the cover art and preorder the album there. (--Here's the direct link . . .) http://breakingnews.michaeljackson.com/
(--By the way, TMZ is reporting that Michael Jackson's kids don't think it's Michael's voice on a few of the songs. But Sony insists that it IS him.) (--The Jackson estate even brought in "sound experts" . . . and after some extensive testing, they authenticated Michael's voice.)


STEVEN TYLER SAYS KID ROCK IS JUST "JEALOUS" OF HIM:

STEVEN TYLER has responded to KID ROCK, who slammed him for taking the "American Idol" judging gig. Kid said it could be, quote, "the stupidest thing he's ever done in his life." Well, Steven has responded. --He said, quote, "He's just jealous. And he's working on a new record and God bless him." --RANDY JACKSON also laid out a dis. He added, quote, "Is Kid Rock a singer?"


ARETHA FRANKLIN HAS CANCELED ALL HER SHOWS THROUGH MAY:

If you're a fan of ARETHA FRANKLIN'S magnificent winter hats, we have some bad news for you . . . you might not get to see them this year. --That's because Aretha just canceled all her concerts and personal appearances from now through May. Her rep says that she did this on doctors' orders. (--We don't know why her doctors don't want her out and about. Aretha broke a few ribs in a fall back in August . . . and was recently admitted to the hospital.) (--Now, she's back at home, but there aren't any details on her condition.)


JEFF BRIDGES IS RECORDING A SOLO ALBUM:

"Big Lebowski" superstar JEFF BRIDGES is recording a solo album with the help of Ryan Bingham, who wrote the music for Jeff's recent movie "Crazy Heart". (--Ryan won a Best Original Song Oscar for the theme song, "The Weary Kind". He also sang it on the soundtrack. Jeff took home a Best Actor Oscar. If you didn't see it, he plays a "down-and-out country singer". )
-Jeff sang a lot of songs on the "Crazy Heart" soundtrack, but this album will feature new songs, which were all at least co-written by Jeff. And, T-Bone Burnett, who produced the soundtrack, will also work on this new project. --There's no title or release date yet.


LIL WAYNE IS A FREE MAN:

As expected, LIL WAYNE was released from New York City's Rikers Island prison yesterday at around 9:00 A.M. He served eight months of a one-year sentence. --Wayne went to Rikers back in March after pleading guilty to attempted criminal possession of a loaded gun. (--This was "Tour Bus Raid #1 . . . when New York City cops found a gun on his tour bus after a July 2007 concert.) (--"Tour Bus Raid #2" went down six months later, in January of 2008. In that case, Arizona cops found a gun and some drugs when they boarded his bus. He got off with no prison time for that, but he'll be on probation for three years.) --Wayne announced his release by posting this message on Twitter: Quote, "aaaaaaahhhhhhmmmmm baaaaakkkkkkkkkk." (--Yes, within hours of being released from prison, Lil Wayne was Tweeting . . . smoking a cigar, and enjoying some kind of elegant alcoholic beverage. Here's a picture to prove it: http://plixi.com/p/54940066) --Wayne will reportedly celebrate his "homecoming" with a "lavish party" at a Miami strip club this Sunday. (--Let's hope everyone leaves their guns at home.)


11 DIFFERENT SONGS FROM TAYLOR SWIFT'S NEW ALBUM ARE CURRENTLY ON THE "BILLBOARD" HOT 100:

It's time for today's "TAYLOR SWIFT is selling a zillion records" story. 11 of the 14 songs from her new album "Speak Now" are currently on the "Billboard" Hot 100. --And that's not even the craziest part. All 14 songs on the album have made an appearance on the Hot 100. That's because every song was for sale digitally at one time or another BEFORE the album dropped.


FRIDAY'S SHOWBIZ QUICK HITS

NBC has shut down production on "Undercovers". If you were enjoying it, I'm sorry. They still have six unaired episodes. Three of them will air in the next month, but it's unclear what will happen to the other three.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6A364220101104


35-year-old former "Bachelorette" contestant Julien Hug was found dead on Wednesday . . . in a "remote area" off a desert highway in Southern California. He was on the fifth season, which featured bachelorette Jillian Harris.

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b209666_foul_play_not_suspected_in_bachelorette.html


ABC and reality super-producer Mark Burnett are teaming up for a new show called "Expedition Impossible". It's a reality competition where teams of three-people travel around the world to solve problems . . . like they do on "The Amazing Race".

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/live-feed/abc-orders-indiana-jones-style-35769


"Supernanny" JO FROST will be leaving the show after its new, sixth season, which premieres tonight. ABC hasn't said yet whether or not she'll be replaced. Jo is quitting because she wants to meet a man, marry him, and have kids of her own.


http://news-briefs.ew.com/2010/11/04/supernanny-jo-frost-abandoning-show-after-sixth-season/


NAZZY’S RANDOM STUFF

AN ELDERLY CANADIAN COUPLE WON $11.2 MILLION IN THE LOTTERY . . . AND HAVE NOW GIVEN IT ALL AWAY:

It's amazing that people like this still exist in the world. --75-year-old Allen Large lives with his 78-year-old wife Violet in Nova Scotia, Canada. Back in July, they won a lottery jackpot of $11.2 MILLION. Now, less than four months later, they've given away EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR. (--I miss the days when I could make a joke about how that only SEEMS impressive, because it was $11.2 MILLION Canadian. But as of today, $11.2 million Canadian is worth $11.16 million U.S. Way to kill my comedy crutch, liberals.) --First they gave a ton of money to their close and extended family. Then they donated to dozens of charities, everything from local fire departments and churches to the Red Cross and Salvation Army. --They also gave a donation to a hospital in Nova Scotia where Violet was getting CANCER TREATMENT. That's right. While they were giving away $11.2 million, Violet was going through chemotherapy and fighting cancer. --And, because KARMA IS REAL . . . last week, she wrapped up the chemo and officially beat the cancer. (The Chronicle Herald)


AN 83-YEAR-OLD MAN WANTED TO VOTE SO BADLY HE MADE HIS AMBULANCE STOP AND TAKE HIM TO THE POLLS ON A STRETCHER:

If you were too lazy to vote on Tuesday this story should DEFINITELY make you feel some shame. --83-year-old Charles Gorby of Havertown, Pennsylvania was in an ambulance on Tuesday, going home after two weeks in the hospital for an undisclosed illness. --But he was SO DETERMINED to cast his vote that he asked the ambulance driver to stop at his polling place . . . and asked the crew to wheel him in on a STRETCHER. --Since they were just doing a routine drop-off and weren't on call for emergencies, the crew agreed to make the stop. --Charles voted while he was on his stretcher, with his legs sticking out of the voting booth's curtain. --According to Charles, he's never missed an election, including primaries. He said, quote, "Voting is the least you can do to participate in your government. If you don't bother to do that, you really shouldn't complain about anything that happens." (Delaware County Times)


HAVE SCIENTISTS FINALLY FOUND A CURE FOR THE COMMON COLD?

I'm assuming every scientist HATES when they tell someone their job and get the response, "Scientist? You guys don't do anything. You haven't even cured the common cold!" --Well . . . their day has finally come. Scientists at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England say they've finally figured out a way to cure the common cold. --They're the first humans who've ever figured out a way to enhance our body's natural antibodies that kill the cold virus. And if this method works on colds . . . and it looks like it does . . . it could be the key to beating more serious viruses too. --The only bad news is that all this is still years away. Clinical trials for the cold killing antibodies won't even start for two years minimum. (The Independent)


CAT OWNERS ARE HAPPIER THAN DOG OWNERS?

This might be the most pro-cat story you'll hear this year. Probably even this decade. According to researchers at the University of Missouri, cat owners are actually HAPPIER than dog owners. -Now . . . they don't give any hard numbers or statistics on this, so take it for what it's worth. But they do say cats are proven to lower blood pressure and reduce stress by curling up next to you and purring. --And they say cats make you more compassionate because, quote, "A dog will let you bang it on the head and still love you. A cat won't do that. [You and your] children have to learn to be gentle to cats or the cat will go away." (USA Today)


81% OF SENATE RACES AND 74% OF HOUSE RACES WERE WON BY THE CANDIDATE WITH MORE FACEBOOK FANS:

Here's ANOTHER sign of Facebook's almighty power. Facebook is getting to be as good at predicting elections as any old-school phone poll. --On Tuesday, 74% of the House of Representatives races were won by the candidate with more Facebook fans. That's three out of four. So were 81% of the Senate races . . . that's four out of five. --Overall, more than 12 MILLION Facebook fans clicked on Facebook's "I Voted" button on Tuesday. That's up from 5.4 MILLION in 2008. (Facebook)


CONFORMING MAKES YOUR BRAIN AS HAPPY AS GETTING MONEY OR DELICIOUS FOOD:

Here's why you find yourself liking the same music, clothing, jokes, and mind-numbing Facebook games as your friends . . . even though you swear you're a unique, independent individual and you totally think for yourself. --According to a study by Aarhus University in Denmark, CONFORMING actually triggers a reward center in your brain. In fact, conforming to your friends makes your brain as happy as getting a little MONEY or eating a delicious meal. --The researchers say it's an automatic process . . . your brain naturally wants to share opinions with others . . . which is why it's so hard sometimes to go against a group. (Dana.org)


AMERICANS WASTE A SHOCKINGLY HIGH AMOUNT OF FOOD:

When I was a kid, if I played with my food or left a lot on my plate, my parents would say, "Eat that. There are children starving in Africa." All of our parents said that. It's why we're setting obesity records. But that's another issue for another day. --Today, we're focusing on all the food that Americans WASTE . . . because there really ARE children starving in Africa. Check out these numbers . . . --Between 25% and 50% of all the food produced in the U.S. goes uneaten. It's left in fields, spoiled when it's being transported, thrown away at a grocery store, thrown into a garbage can, or stuck in the back of the fridge until it spoils.

--40% of all food waste occurs in our homes.

--93% of people admit they buy food that they never use.

--40% of people will throw away lettuce even if there's just a little browning on the edges, even though it's safe to eat.

--And all this wasting adds up. The average family of four wastes more than $40 a week in food . . . or $2,275 per year. (New York Times)


THE PRESIDENT OF CHINA BEATS PRESIDENT OBAMA ON THE "FORBES" LIST OF THE WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE:

"Forbes" just put out their list of the WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE. According to them . . . in the most OVERDRAMATIC way possible . . . it's made up of people who, quote, "in various ways, bend the world to their will." --Their list compares 68 people. They're heads of different countries, major religious figures, CEOs and entrepreneurs, terrorists and criminals, and media personalities, ranked by how many people they reach and affect. --Oh, and PRESIDENT OBAMA came in second. The "Forbes" editors picked China's president HU JINTAO ahead of him. Here's the rest of the top 10, plus some other interesting picks . . .

#3.) Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud, king of Saudi Arabia.

#4.) Vladimir Putin, prime minister of Russia.

#5.) Pope Benedict the Sixteenth.

#6.) Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany.

#7.) David Cameron, prime minister of the U.K.

#8.) Ben Bernanke, chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve.

#9.) Sonia Gandhi, president of the Indian National Congress political party.

#10.) Bill Gates, for his philanthropy, not Microsoft. (Forbes)
(--You can check out all 68 people on the list here . . .)
http://www.forbes.com/wealth/powerful-people


CHECK OUT THE CARS THAT LOSE THEIR VALUE THE QUICKEST:

All cars are terrible investments. They lose value the moment you start driving them, and keep losing value with every mile, scratch, dent, and love stain on the backseat. But some are DEFINITELY more terrible than others. --The people at "Forbes" put together this list of the cars that lose their value the quickest. And usually, they have two things in common. One, they were cheap to start with. And two, the company that makes them is in financial trouble. --The average car retains about 35% of its value after five years. Here are the top 10 cars that barely retain HALF of that.

#1.) Chrysler Sebring, which only retains 16% of its value in five years.

#2.) Mercedes-Benz S-Class, retains 16%. (--Obviously, this isn't a cheap car whose parent company is in trouble. "Forbes" says it has no idea why it loses value so quickly, but it may have to do with the cost of gas and maintenance.)

#3.) Kia Sedona, retains 16%.

#4.) Lincoln Town Car, retains 17%.

#5.) Mercury Grand Marquis, retains 17%.

#6.) Saab 9-3, retains 17%.

#7.) Smart ForTwo, retains 17%.

#8.) Chevrolet Cobalt, retains 18%.

#9.) Hyundai Accent, retains 18%.

#10.) Kia Rio, retains 18%. (Forbes)


A ROBBER IS KILLED DURING A HOME INVASION WHEN HIS ACCOMPLICE ACCIDENTALLY SHOOTS HIM:

This is about as bad as a robbery can go. At least for the robbers. The people whose house they broke into are fine. --On Wednesday around 6:30 A.M. in Tacoma, Washington, two men in masks busted into a home. They woke up the guy who lived there and his girlfriend, and demanded to know where they could find jewelry or a safe. --As they PISTOL WHIPPED the guy to get the info, his girlfriend very subtly reached under the bed to grab his SHOTGUN. She handed it to her boyfriend . . . and he started firing at the robbers. --They fired back. But in the chaos, one of the robbers SHOT THE OTHER ONE. --The robber who got shot by his buddy was 40-year-old Michael Price of Tacoma. He tried to run from the house but only made it to the driveway where he collapsed . . . and DIED. --The other robber ran from the scene EMPTY HANDED and is still on the lam. --The police confirmed that the bullet that killed Price was from a handgun, not the owner's shotgun. (Tacoma News Tribune)


FRIDAY'S QUICK HITS

It might seem kind of obvious, but here are your three aphrodisiacs for the 21st century: Power, money, and intelligence:

http://www.menshealth.co.uk/sex/more/21st-century-aphrodisiacs


"The Ugly Bug Ball" is a dating site in the UK for ugly people. And they've just announced their first marriage engagement:

http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/11/04/dating-site-for-ugly-people-results-in-hottie-prince-wedding-of-the-year/


In preparation for Obama's visit to Mumbai, India is removing the coconuts from all the trees in the city, so one of them doesn't fall on his head?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101103/od_afp/indiausdiplomacyoffbeat_20101103160107


If it wasn't bad enough news that California voted NOT to legalize weed . . . Amsterdam has announced a crackdown on pot smoking:

http://www.gadling.com/2010/11/03/dutch-coffee-shops-face-crackdown/?icid=maingmain54link823399


The restaurant responsible for the food that Randy Moss slammed right before getting released is offering free lunch to anyone who brings in Randy Moss gear today:

http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/moss-insulted-minny-restaurant-offers-free-food-29204


The city of Denver has voted down their plan to create a government agency to greet and track any aliens that visit:

http://www.krdo.com/politics/25621031/detail.html


NAZZY'S SILLY VIDEOS OF THE DAY

#1.) A LITTLE GIRL FREAKED OUT BECAUSE SHE COULDN'T SING LIKE WHITNEY HOUSTON:

A little girl on YouTube tried to sing the WHITNEY HOUSTON version of "I Will Always Love You" but she didn't have the chops for it. And every time she screwed up, she FREAKED OUT. She even dropped a few F-bombs. (--Honestly, it's amazing videos like this find their way onto the Internet. Because the girl obviously wasn't proud of it. I'm guessing she must have an evil younger brother.)
(--Search for "girl freaks out because she can't sing song." WARNING: This video includes the F-word.)
http://www.todaysbigthing.com/2010/11/04


#2.) A LITTLE KID POSTED A VIDEO ONLINE TO FIND THE "DUDE" WHO STOLE HIS HALLOWEEN CANDY:

Someone stole a little kid's Marvel Superheroes backpack, so his dad made a video of him explaining what happened, to spread the word.
--The backpack had some of the kid's Halloween candy inside, along with his PSP, so they even set up a PayPal account in case you want to make a donation. (--Search for "stolen backpack plea.")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rApOzsb6NK8


#3.) A GIRL COULDN'T STOP LAUGHING AT A WEBCAM'S SPECIAL EFFECTS:

A lot of new computers come with a program that lets you take photos or video with the webcam, and distort the image so your face looks twisted. If you've tried it, you probably laughed. --Anyway, there's a new video online of some girl who'd definitely never used it before, because she can't stop laughing for two minutes straight. There's also a video WITHOUT the distortion, in case you want to see what the girl REALLY looks like.
(--Search for "girl goes crazy over webcam special effects." Warning: There's an S-word at 1:09.)
http://www.break.com/index/girl-goes-crazy-over-webcam-special-effects-1946699
http://www.break.com/index/undistorted-version-of-laughing-webcam-girl-1947236


#4.) A FEMALE GAME SHOW CONTESTANT HAD A WARDROBE MALFUNCTION:

A female contestant on the Game Show Network's "Catch 21" tried to show how she could lift her leg up over her head. But then something unexpected happened: Her shirt ripped and one of her CHESTICLES fell out.

--As an added bonus, ALFONSO RIBEIRO . . . a.k.a. Carlton Banks from "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" . . . is the host of "Catch 21", and he was holding the woman's waist so she could balance.


--Unfortunately it wasn't live, so in the video they censor the goods. (--Search for "Catch 21 wardrobe malfunction." It happens at :15.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za3m0YVYnpo


FOUR THINGS CHEFS KNOW BUT WON'T ADMIT:

CNN had an executive chef in New York come up with a list of four things chefs know but won't admit. So if you're going out for dinner this weekend, here's the stuff your chef won't tell you . . .

#1.) CHEFS ARE JERKS. If you've seen ten to twenty seconds of "Hell's Kitchen", you probably already knew that, but it's refreshing that at least THEY know it too. --And as a general rule, the nicer they are with customers, the meaner they are to the staff. So if you ask your waiter to send the chef out, he might be smiling when he gets to the table. But he was just calling that waiter an idiot in the kitchen.

#2.) YOUR FOOD IS COOKED BY TEENAGERS, EX-CONS, AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. It's hard to turn a profit in the restaurant industry, which is why they pay people as little as possible, even at some of the NICE restaurants.

#3.) IT TASTES GOOD BECAUSE IT'S LOADED WITH SALT. Obviously chefs use a lot of other ingredients too, but if a friend tells you that a restaurant has great food, it's usually because the chef uses plenty of salt.

#4.) THERE'S ALSO BUTTER IN EVERYTHING. Culinary students are taught that more fat equals more flavor, and it's true. That's why they use butter, cream, and oil in just about everything. --And the secret for cooking a perfect steak is to slather it with butter BEFORE you cook it, WHILE you cook it, and AFTER you cook it. (CNN)


THE FOUR MOST COMMON MISTAKES IN ONLINE DATING:

These days, you're just as likely to meet someone online as you are at a bar. But there are also just as many ways to mess it up. So today, from Match.com, we've got the four most common mistakes people make when they're using online dating.

#1.) YOU OBSESSIVELY CHECK NEW PROFILES. If you're refreshing the site every ten minutes looking for new members, it's time to take a step back. Try checking the site once or twice a day at the most.

#2.) YOU SEND OUT A FORM LETTER. This one is more for the guys: You figure you'll get more responses if you cut and paste the same thing and send it to 50 different women. It might seem like you're saving yourself time, but mass emails just don't work. --That's because every woman reading it knows she's been sent a form letter. The best thing you can do is write a short note that mentions something specific from her profile. That way, you show her you actually took the time to READ her profile.

#3.) YOU GO ON MORE THAN THREE FIRST DATES A WEEK. If you're getting a lot of responses, it's tempting to try and set up a date with every single person. --But that can backfire, because you cheat yourself out of the chance to really get to know someone. So limit yourself to one or two first dates a week.

#4.) YOU EXPECT INSTANT SUCCESS. Online dating sites are a great way to meet people, but that doesn't mean you're going to meet the love of your life right away. --The key is to keep your expectations in check. So if you hit a dry patch, don't get frustrated. Just take a few days off from the site. (Match.com)

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