HOLLYWOOD DIRT OVERFLOW (01-06-11)
THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS
Kristen Stewart Beat Out Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie for Favorite Movie Actress at the "People's Choice Awards":
JENNIFER ANISTON and ANGELINA JOLIE were both up for Favorite Movie Actress at last night's "People's Choice Awards". But neither one of them got the bragging rights. --KRISTEN STEWART swooped in and stole the trophy from both of them. "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" also won Favorite Movie. But ROBERT PATTINSON lost the Favorite Movie Actor award to JOHNNY DEPP for the second straight year. --While accepting the award, Depp said "hi" to TAYLOR SWIFT . . . because his daughter told him he'd be in, quote, "big trouble" if he didn't. (--Taylor won Favorite Country Artist, not surprisingly.) --Kristen, Robert and TAYLOR LAUTNER also won Favorite On-Screen Team . . . giving "Twilight" four wins. "House" won four awards in the TV category, and EMINEM snagged four in Music. --ADAM SANDLER won Favorite Comedic Star . . . and accepted his award with a BLACK EYE. He said, quote, "I wanted to see the Black Eyed Peas and the lady thought I said, 'Black eye, please.'" --His rep later revealed that he got the shiner playing basketball.
The Complete Winners List:
--Favorite Movie of the Year: "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"
--Favorite Movie Actress: Kristen Stewart
--Favorite Movie Actor: Johnny Depp
--Favorite Movie Star Under 25: Zac Efron
--Favorite Comedy Movie: "Grown Ups" . . . Favorite Comedic Star: Adam Sandler
--Favorite Drama Movie: "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"
--Favorite Action Movie: "Iron Man 2" . . . Favorite Action Star: Jackie Chan
--Favorite Family Movie: "Toy Story 3"
--Favorite Horror Movie: "A Nightmare on Elm Street"
--Favorite TV Comedy: "Glee"
--Favorite TV Comedy Actor: Neil Patrick Harris
--Favorite TV Comedy Actress: Jane Lynch from "Glee"
--Favorite TV Drama: "House"
--Favorite TV Drama Actor: Hugh Laurie
--Favorite TV Drama Actress: Lisa Edelstein from "House"
--Favorite New TV Comedy: "(Bleep) My Dad Says"
--Favorite New TV Drama: "Hawaii 5-0"
--Favorite TV Guilty Pleasure: "Keeping Up With the Kardashians"
--Favorite Talk Show Host: Conan O'Brien
--Favorite Competition Show: "American Idol"
--Favorite TV Crime Drama: "Lie To Me" . . . Crime Fighter: Tim Roth ("Lie to Me")
--Favorite Sci-Fi TV Show: "Fringe"
--Favorite TV Obsession: "Dexter"
--Favorite TV Guest Star: Demi Lovato on "Grey's Anatomy"
--Favorite TV Doctor: House (Hugh Laurie) . . . Favorite TV Chef: Rachael Ray
--Favorite TV Family: The Simpsons on "The Simpsons"
--Favorite Family TV Movie: "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam"
--Favorite Male Artist: Eminem . . . Favorite Female Artist: Katy Perry
--Favorite Song: "Love The Way You Lie", Eminem (featuring Rihanna)
--Favorite Rock Band: Paramore . . . Favorite Pop Artist: Rihanna
--Favorite Hip-Hop Artist: Eminem . . . Favorite R&B Artist: Usher
--Favorite Country Artist: Taylor Swift
--Favorite Breakout Artist: Selena Gomez & The Scene
--Favorite Music Video: "Love The Way You Lie", Eminem (featuring Rihanna)
--Favorite Online Sensation: Katy Perry
--Favorite Viral Video Star Winner: "Single Ladies" Devastation, The Whitaker Family (--Watch it here . . . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb9eL3ejXmE.)
Toni Braxton Might Pose for "Playboy":
Let us all take a moment to thank our personal saviors for bad business decisions. Because they may very well lead to TONI BRAXTON posing for "Playboy". Back in October, Toni filed for bankruptcy. Her debt was estimated at between $10 million and $50 million. --And on Tuesday, she posted this on Twitter . . . quote, "New Year, New opportunities. So I have been considering taking up 'Playboy's' offer to feature me on their cover this year. What you think?" --Then she added, quote, "I would love to pose with Hugh Hefner though. He's the sexiest guy I know over 30." --Unfortunately, Toni won't show all of her 43-year-old goods. She said, quote, "Don't expect full nudity. Just a lil T and A. They have asked me about three times before."
Does Natalie Portman Have a Baby Bump?
Last week, NATALIE PORTMAN announced that she's PREGNANT . . . and engaged to the baby-daddy. His name is Benjamin Millipied, and he's a dancer (slash) choreographer she met on the set of "Black Swan". --The other night, Natalie was photographed at Los Angeles International Airport, with what appears to be the beginnings of a BABY BUMP.
Check Out Some Old Audio of Justin Bieber Saying He Thinks Selena Gomez Is Pretty:
PerezHilton.com rounded up an old radio interview from 2009, in which JUSTIN BIEBER says he thinks SELENA GOMEZ is pretty --He says, quote, "I think Selena Gomez is pretty, but I don't like her. I think she's cute, I think she's a cutie." (--Listen to the audio here . . .)
http://perezhilton.com/2011-01-05-justin-bieber-confessed-he-liked-selena-gomez-in-radio-interview
Christina Aguilera Has Been Living with Her Boyfriend . . . And Her Estranged Husband:
This sounds pretty awkward: Until just two days ago, CHRISTINA AGUILERA was living with her boyfriend Matt Rutler . . . and her estranged husband, JORDAN BRATMAN. --But a moving truck showed up at the house Tuesday to take Jordan's things. --A source says, quote, "Thank God Jordan is moving out. It was getting really awkward, but Christina was letting Jordan stay for the sake of [their son] Max."
Mila Kunis Says It Was Difficult Filming Sex Scenes with Justin Timberlake In Their Upcoming Movie:
After some super-erotic girl-on-girl hijinx with NATALIE PORTMAN in "Black Swan", you would think MILA KUNIS would never have a problem doing another sex scene. Not true. --Mila makes movie love to JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE in "Friends With Benefits" . . . which comes out next July. And it wasn't easy. At least not at first. --She says, quote, "We had two weeks' worth of sex scenes to shoot. Justin would just wear a sock that covered his frontal parts, so yeah, I could pretty much see everything. And I had tiny nipple pasties and a little pasty on my hoo-ha. --"We couldn't have been more uncomfortable in the beginning, but by the fourteenth day, we'd just drop our robes, like, 'Hey, how's it goin'?'" --Mila would also like you to know that she's a FAIRY PRINCESS . . . which is her way of saying she's totally cool with gay guys. --She says, quote, "I grew up in West Hollywood, in the heart of the gay community, so I've always been attuned with the gays. I'm a massive 'fairy princess,' as I like to call it. --"But even at the age of 10, I never thought it was weird to see two guys holding hands and making out. It wasn't until I was about 19 when I realized that the whole world didn't share the same views as I did."
Will Lindsay Lohan Move Out of Samantha Ronson's Neighborhood? She Says No:
Nobody believes it was some kind of coincidence that LINDSAY LOHAN just happened to rent out the apartment right next door to her ex, SAMANTHA RONSON. --But even though Samantha isn't cool with it, Lindsay's NOT moving. E! Online asked her if she intended to give up her new digs, and she told them NO, then laughed off the question.
Dawn Holland Says Lindsay Lohan Did Nothing Wrong:
Now that LINDSAY LOHAN is facing possible legal ramifications over that incident at Betty Ford last month, the employee who started that whole ball rolling is sticking up for her. --An attorney for Dawn Holland issued a statement yesterday, saying Lindsay did nothing wrong. --He said, quote, "Had the interaction between these two ladies occurred in front of a police officer anywhere in this country, no probation would've been violated, no arrests would've been made and certainly no criminal charges would have been filed. --"The recent reports of criminality and probation violations are much adieu about nothing." (--Obviously, he meant "ado". "Adieu" is how French people say goodbye.) --Meanwhile . . . the cops who investigated the incident can't seem to SHUT UP about it. The Palm Desert Police Department issued yet another statement saying that Lindsay is a bad girl and needs to be punished. --And it sounds like they're accusing her of doing even more than just getting drunk and tussling with Dawn. They said, quote, "The investigation and facts in evidence has revealed other possible violations by Ms. Lohan relating to certain conditions of her probation terms. --"These additional findings have required investigating officers to conduct additional investigation. --"It is premature to release these facts and investigative findings at this time as the final completed criminal investigation has not yet been received and reviewed by the appropriate concerned law enforcement agencies."
Lindsay Lohan's Attorney Says She Didn't Drink or Use Drugs in Rehab:
LINDSAY LOHAN'S attorney is fighting back against allegations that her behavior in rehab was anything less than stellar. --Shawn Chapman Holley says, quote, "I had numerous conversations with Betty Ford counselors and doctors over the course of Lindsay's treatment there and it was never suggested by anyone that she ever drank or used drugs. --"Her discharge letter from the facility is totally consistent with that." (--Settled.) (???)
Does Nick Lachey Pretend to be His Own Personal Assistant?
Have you ever met someone who PRETENDS they have a secretary or personal assistant, just to make them seem more important? NICK LACHEY does that. Supposedly. --A so-called "source" tells "In Touch" magazine, quote, "We get calls from Nick Lachey's 'assistant', who sounds very much like Nick himself . . . Funny how he and this assistant have the same exact voice."
Demi Lovato Settled With the Girl She Punched for "Way Less Than $100,000":
DEMI LOVATO got off easy with that backup dancer she clocked last year. A so-called "source" says Demi settled with Alex Welch for, quote, "way less than $100,000." --And she plans on donating a significant chunk of it to an anti-bullying campaign. -The source adds, quote, "Alex never expressed dissatisfaction with the settlement. I think she was just ready to just move on. She's happy and moving past the situation and moving forward positively."
Courtney Love Is Being Sued for Things She Said on Twitter . . . And Her Defense Is That She Didn't Know What She Was Doing:
COURTNEY LOVE is being sued for things she said on Twitter . . . and her defense is that she didn't know what she was doing. --Courtney is being sued for defamation by a fashion designer named Dawn Simorangkir. --Dawn says that in a series of Twitter rants in March of 2009, Courtney portrayed her as, quote, "a drug-pushing prostitute with a history of assault and battery who lost custody of her own child and capitalized on Love's fame before stealing from her." --Here's how Courtney is defending herself: Her attorneys are going to argue that Twitter is so addictive and immediate, that Courtney didn't realize she was doing anything wrong, or how her words would be interpreted. -This will be an interesting case to watch, because it might shape how the law handles Twitter in the future . . . and whether someone's Tweets can be considered libelous or defamatory.
Two-Thirds of America Thinks "American Idol's" Best Days Are Over:
The "Hollywood Reporter" conducted an "American Idol" poll . . . in which they asked 750 current and former "Idol" viewers for their thoughts on the show. (--750 viewers seems like a pretty small sample size, if you ask me.)
--Here are some of the results:
--67% . . . or two-thirds . . . say they believe "Idol's" best days are over. However, almost half, 47%, say they'll, quote, "definitely or probably" still tune in when Season 10 premieres January 19th. 26% "definitely or probably" will NOT watch.
--27% "might or might not watch."
--48% say the addition of JENNIFER LOPEZ has made them MORE interested in watching this season . . . and 43% said the same of STEVEN TYLER. 60% say the changes "Idol" made are for the better. --Viewers that described themselves as "hardcore fans" were the only group that expressed disappointment over KARA DIOGUARDI leaving, but 40% of the "hardcore fans" said ELLEN DEGENERES' departure makes them "more likely to watch."
--Only 21% of "Idol" viewers could name LEE DEWYZE as last season's winner.
--28% of viewers say they watch "Idol" for the embarrassingly bad performances . . . 52% watch it for the, quote, "awesome musical talent."
--45% said SIMON COWELL'S comments would influence their voting more than any of the other judge.
--Interestingly enough, RANDY JACKSON was voted America's favorite judge . . . among both the past judges and the current ones, even though Steven and J-Lo haven't been seen in action yet. Kara was the least popular.
--And even MORE interestingly, 86% of people feel that Randy has the authority to judge musical talent. That was the HIGHEST percentage among all past and current judges. Ellen was the least qualified, with only 36% saying she could judge talent. --Half the people who watch "American Idol" say they vote, and one-third of the voters are from the South. 61% of the voters are female. (--You can check out a slideshow with more of the results, here . . .)
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/thr-poll-67-american-idol-68329
THURSDAY TV REMINDERS: (--Check your local listings.)
--"Wipeout" [4th Season Premiere] . . . 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. on ABC.
--"CSI" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on CBS. (--Carrot Top guest stars as himself. He appears in the middle of an investigation into the death of a strangled call girl.)
--"Grey's Anatomy" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on ABC. (--A local college shooting forces Sandra Oh back into the ER.)
--"Jersey Shore" [2nd Season Premiere] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on MTV. (--Snooki's friend Deena Nicole Cortese replaces Angelina Pivarnick in the cast and chaos ensues, including an onslaught of profanity . . . and fisticuffs being thrown between Jwoww and Sammi.) (--A few more details on that here.)
--"Ace of Cakes" [10th Season Premiere] . . . 10:00 to 10:30 P.M. on the Food Network. (--Duff and his crew begin their last season with cake creations for the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament and the 30th anniversary of MotorWeek.)
--"I Can't Believe I'm Still Single" [3rd Season Finale] . . . 11:30 P.M. to 12:30 A.M. on Showtime.
2010 Was Another Dismal Year for the Music Industry:
The end-of-the-year album sales numbers are in, and it's . . . not good. So no, the music industry did NOT magically fix itself in 2010. Here are the numbers: --CD sales fell by nearly 20% for the fourth consecutive year . . . and digital album sales were up again, but not nearly enough to compensate for the CD losses. --Overall album sales were down 12.8%. 326.2 million albums were sold in 2010, compared to 373.9 million in 2009. Individual digital downloads only increased by 1%, up to 1.17 million tracks from 1.16 million in 2009. --Whole digital albums did better . . . they were up 13%. 86.3 million albums were downloaded in 2010, compared to 76.4 million in 2009. (--See, that's an increase of less than 10 million albums. While CD sales were down around 50 million.) --In 2010, 26.5% of all albums sold were digital. --The top-selling single of 2010 was KATY PERRY'S "California Gurls", which sold just under 4.4 million copies. The best-selling album was EMINEM'S "Recovery", which moved 3.4 million copies. --Only 13 albums surpassed 1 million in sales. That's the lowest total since at least 1991, when Soundscan began tracking the album sales. (--In 2009, 22 albums sold at least 1 million copies.)
Taylor Swift Kept Control of the Post-Christmas Album Chart:
TAYLOR SWIFT sold another 77,000 copies of "Speak Now" to top the sales charts for the final week of 2010. Eminem was close behind her with 63,000 copies of "Recovery". Both of their albums sold over 3 million copies last year.
1.) "Speak Now", Taylor Swift (77,000 copies)
2.) "Recovery", Eminem (63,000 copies)
3.) "Loud", Rihanna (62,000 copies)
4.) "Pink Friday", Nicki Minaj (61,000 copies)
The Top-Selling Albums of 2010:
Nielsen SoundScan has released its official list of the Top Selling Albums of 2010.
--Here's the Top 10, and the 2010 sales number for each:
#1.) "Recovery", Eminem . . . 3.4 million copies
#2.) "Need You Now", Lady Antebellum . . . 3.1 million copies
#3.) "Speak Now", Taylor Swift . . . 3 million copies
#4.) "My World 2.0", Justin Bieber . . . 2.3 million copies
#5.) "The Gift", Susan Boyle . . . 1.9 million copies
#6.) "The Fame", Lady Gaga . . . 1.6 million copies
(--"The Fame" was the only album in the Top 10 that wasn't released in 2010. It originally came out back in 2008.)
#7.) "Soldier of Love", Sade . . . 1.3 million copies
#8.) "Thank Me Later", Drake . . . 1.3 million copies
#9.) "Raymond V. Raymond", Usher . . . 1.2 million copies
#10.) "Animal", Ke$ha . . . 1.1 million copies
The Top-Selling Songs of 2010:
Nielsen SoundScan (also) released its list of the Top Selling Songs of 2010.
--Here's the Top 10, and the 2010 sales number for each:
#1.) "California Gurls", Katy Perry (featuring Snoop Dogg) . . . 4.4 million copies
#2.) "Hey, Soul Sister", Train . . . 4.3 million copies
#3.) "Love the Way You Lie", Eminem (featuring Rihanna) . . . 4.2 million copies
#4.) "Dynamite", Taio Cruz . . . 4.1 million copies
#5.) "Airplanes", B.o.B (featuring Hayley Williams) . . . 4 million copies
#6.) "OMG", Usher (featuring Will.I.Am) . . . 3.8 million copies
#7.) "Not Afraid", Eminem . . . 3.4 million copies
#8.) "Just the Way You Are", Bruno Mars . . . 3.3 million copies
#9.) "Break Your Heart", Taio Cruz (featuring Ludacris) . . . 3.2 million copies
#10.) "Need You Now", Lady Antebellum . . . 3.2 million copies
SHOWBIZ EXTRAS
This is either complete B.S. or it's going to become a huge story. The "Star" tabloid claims that ANGELINA JOLIE is in rehab for HEROIN ABUSE.
http://www.celebitchy.com/133917/star_mag_angelina_jolie_is_in_rehab_for_heroin_maybe/
Here's what happened yesterday in the preliminary hearing of DR. CONRAD MURRAY. It includes mention of a medical device called a CONDOM CATHETER.
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1655367/michael-jackson-doctor-conrad-murray-hid-evidence-guard-testifies.jhtml
Actor and former "Miss America" host GARY COLLINS was arrested for trying to DINE AND DASH at an Italian restaurant in Biloxi, Mississippi. They even hit him with the classic Randy Quaid charge, DEFRAUDING AN INNKEEPER.
http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/01/gary-collins-busted-felony-dine-dash-see-his-latest-mug-shot
This is reason #4,652 why BILL MURRAY is awesome. Some random people saw Bill at a Karaoke bar and invited him into their room. He accepted, and ended up partying with them.
http://thechive.com/2011/01/05/what-if-bill-murray-just-showed-up-in-your-karaoke-room-9-photo-exclusive/
SEAN PENN says ROBIN WRIGHT took half of everything in the divorce . . . and that there's pretty much no end in sight to his earthquake-relief work in Haiti.
http://omg.yahoo.com/news/sean-penn-robin-wright-took-half-of-everything-i-had-in-the-divorce/53451
Don't worry . . . ALEC BALDWIN isn't running for office anytime soon. And 2012 is definitely off the radar.
http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/alec_not_running_lBqucCnBdCfl7r9Tkn09RM
RELATED COMEDY: Alec Baldwin is "very, very interested" in running for office. And suddenly, I'm "very, very interested" in what living conditions are like in Finland.
DURAN DURAN singer SIMON LE BON no longer has the yellow, "banana" suit he wore in the band's video for "Rio". He says it was STOLEN in the '90s.
http://starcasm.net/archives/79983
There's speculation that KELSEY GRAMMER'S estranged wife, CAMILLE, may be quitting "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" . . . but her rep says, quote, "She has not made any decision yet about whether she's returning to the show or not."
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20455183,00.html
E! is doing yet another reality show with a new combination of KARDASHIAN family members. This time, it'll be KHLOE and her husband, L.A. Laker LAMAR ODOM. It's called "Khloe & Lamar". There's no premiere date yet.
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b218949_khloeacute_lamar_spin_off_from.html
KATHY GRIFFIN has decided to end her reality show, "My Life on the D-List". The sixth and final season finished airing last summer. Kathy explained, quote, "Reality is great, but I really didn't set out to be a reality star. So now it's time to spread my wings and show that I'm a little different than Kate Gosselin."
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20454951,00.html
NAZZY’S RANDOM STUFF
Follow-Up: The Homeless Guy With the Awesome Radio Voice Has Gotten Job Offers From Radio Stations, MTV, the NFL, and the Cleveland Cavaliers:
Yesterday we told you about a homeless guy in Columbus, Ohio named Ted Williams. He's got a deep, smooth voice. The kind of voice that's perfect for radio. Just not at this station, on this show. That job's taken. --The video of him being interviewed has easily become the first viral sensation of 2011. And in the day since it exploded online, Ted's life has changed overnight. Literally. --He's gotten more job offers than we can keep track of, but so far we know he's been contacted by MTV, NFL Films, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and dozens of radio stations around the country. --Ted is 53 years old, and became homeless after his drug and alcohol addictions took over his life. He also has a LONG rap sheet, including arrests and prison time for theft and forgery. --Ted says that the Cavs offered him a full-time job and a house in Cleveland, and that he'll probably take it. (--A homegrown Ohio guy with God-given talent with the Cavs? Start the countdown until he takes his talents to South Beach.) (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
(--Here's the now-famous video of Ted and his voice . . .)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6kI_u3ho_c
Four of the Six Numbers In Tuesday's Mega Millions Lottery Matched the Famous Numbers From "Lost":
If you watched "Lost", you probably remember the set of six numbers that kept coming up over and over again. If you didn't watch it . . . um . . . the same six numbers kept coming up over and over again. --Those numbers were four, eight, 15, 16, 23, and 42. --On "Lost", the chubby guy named Hurley won the lottery using those six numbers. On Tuesday . . . it almost happened in real life. --In the huge $380 MILLION Mega Millions drawing, FOUR of the six numbers from "Lost" were drawn. The winning numbers were four, eight, 15, 25, 47, and the Mega Ball was 42. --According to DAMON LINDELOF, one of the creators of "Lost", 9,078 people played Hurley's numbers in the Mega Millions drawing. And for getting four numbers right, each of them takes home . . . $150. Yeah, not so spectacular. --The Mega Millions people say that 26,000 people had four of the six numbers right.--Two people actually got all of the numbers right, so they'll get a REAL jackpot . . . $190 MILLION each, or $81 MILLION if they take the lump sum. One was in Washington and one was in Idaho. (Wall Street Journal)
Want To Live Longer? Just Start Walking Like You Have Somewhere To Be:
Here's some new advice on how to live longer. Whenever you walk anywhere, instead of slowly meandering, checking out the scenery, without a care in the world . . . pretend you're some a-hole New Yorker who needs to catch the A train NOW. --A new study found that people who walk at 2.25 miles per hour . . . or about 3.3 feet per second . . . live longer than other people their age. Walking that fast helps you get healthier . . . AND it's a sign that you're in better shape. --The average walking speed is about 1.8 miles per hour, or about 2.6 feet per second. (MSNBC)
The Most Dangerous Age Is . . . 40?
This comes from an Australian study . . . but we're afraid it applies over here too. According to the report, the age when you're most likely to die in an accident is . . . 40. --The study found that people aged 40 averaged the highest number of deaths from the five most common fatal accidents: Car accidents, poisoning, falling, drowning, and choking. --The researchers say, quote, "Surprisingly, it is not the young who are most at risk of accidental death, but those approaching middle age." --Generation-by-generation, people zero to 18 are most likely to accidentally die of drowning . . . 19 to 30 are most likely to die in car accidents . . . 31 to 45 are most likely to die of poisoning . . . and 46 to 64 are most likely to choke or fall. (Courier Mail)
Word Of the Day: New Year's Block:
New Year's block (noun) /noo yeers blahk/ - the inability to write the correct year for the first three weeks of January. --Example: "I keep putting 2010 on my checks. That's some serious New Year's block. Upside: If the wrong date makes people return them, I won't get overdrawn."
A State Trooper In New Hampshire Escorted a Pregnant Couple Speeding To the Hospital . . . Then Gave Them a Ticket:
This is one of those times where a cop REALLY should've let someone slide with a warning. --Back in September, Angela Coughlin of Londonderry, New Hampshire went into labor. Her husband John put her in the car and drove her to the hospital. --He was speeding down an Interstate when a state trooper tried to pull him over. John called 911 to explain the situation . . . and after that, the state trooper switched gears and gave the Coughlins a police escort to the hospital. --Their son Kyle was born healthy . . . SIX MINUTES after they got to the hospital. In other words . . . they NEEDED to go as fast as they were going, or he would've been born in the car. --After the birth, the state trooper congratulated the Coughlins . . . and then presented John with a speeding ticket for doing 102 in a 55. --John says, quote, "I didn't realize how fast I was going until he gave me the ticket. I don't want to plead guilty because they said I could lose my license." --John is contesting the ticket. The trial starts Monday. (Union Leader)
The Lieutenant Governor Of Massachusetts Rescued Two Children From a Burning Van:
Ever wondered what lieutenant governors do? Well Tim Murray is the lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, and we know what HE does. HE SAVES LIVES. --On Tuesday night, Murray was driving through Worchester, Massachusetts when he passed a minivan that had burst into flames. --He immediately pulled over and ran to the van. An elderly woman had been driving it, and told him that her two grandchildren were trapped inside. Murray got the door open, then pulled the kids out of the car. --Firefighters got to the scene shortly after that, and were able to put the fire out before it spread from the front of the car. --According to Murray, as he was pulling the kids out of the car, their grandmother came close to ATTACKING him. Quote, "She told me, 'I didn't know if you were trying to take the kids or the car. I was about to punch you.'" --This is actually the SECOND time that Murray has helped people in a car emergency. In April of 2009 he helped a woman who'd had a medical emergency and crashed her car on the Interstate. He waited with her until EMTs arrived. (Worchester Telegram & Gazette)
A Woman Calls 911 . . . To Get Her Boyfriend To Propose:
This doesn't exactly help debunk the stereotype that women will do WHATEVER IT TAKES to get married. --Around 8:30 P.M. on Sunday, 40-year-old Ana Perez of Chicago called 911 and reported that her boyfriend was attacking her. --The police rushed to the scene, but when they got there, Ana confessed what was really going on: Her boyfriend wasn't attacking her . . . she called 911 because she wanted to SCARE her boyfriend into PROPOSING to her. --And no, we're not exactly sure how that logic jump works either. --Anyway, the police arrested her and she's been charged with disorderly conduct. --As for the boyfriend, he wasn't planning on proposing, scare or no scare. The police say that he was in the process of breaking up with Ana. (Chicago Sun-Times)
A Man Accidentally Butt Dials His Wife, She Hears His Muffled Voice, Thinks He's Being Held Hostage, and a SWAT Team Gets Sent In:
This is why you should always lock your phone before you put it in your pocket. Because usually when you accidentally 'butt dial' someone, nothing happens. But there's always the possibility something INSANE like this might go down. --On Monday, around 5:00 P.M., some guy whose name hasn't been released accidentally butt dialed his wife on the way home from his job as an administrative employee at Carleton Washburne Middle School in Winnetka, Illinois. --His wife could hear him talking, and it sounded muffled because the phone was in his pocket. --But for some reason, she jumped to the conclusion that there was a HOSTAGE STANDOFF at the school, and her husband was in danger. --So she called 911. The police responded by sending out a 30-PERSON SWAT TEAM to the middle school. --Just as the SWAT team was arriving, the man got home. His wife was still on the line with 911, reporting the muffled sounds she could hear. --She quickly figured out what had happened, and the SWAT team left the building. The police interviewed both the man and woman and decided there wasn't any criminal intent, so no charges were filed. (CBS 2 - Chicago)
MEATBALL CRIMINALS
A Man Steals a Car From a Seller On Craigslist . . . Then Gets Busted When He Tries To Re-Sell the Car on Craigslist and the Original Owner Shows Up:
There aren't many STUPIDER ways to get busted for car theft than this. So congratulations, 24-year-old Valsyl Lazoryshyn of Brooklyn, New York . . . you're officially as dumb as it gets. --On December 29th, a 21-year-old man from Brooklyn . . . whose name wasn't released . . . put up an ad on Craigslist, trying to sell his 2005 Nissan Maxima. Valsyl contacted him to set up a test drive. --They took a test drive together and then Valsyl asked if he could take it for a drive solo. The seller agreed. And as soon as Valsyl got in the car he drove off . . . and the seller never saw him again. He reported the theft to the NYPD. --Then, on Sunday, the seller was digging through Craigslist's autos section and found something suspicious: A 2005 Nissan Maxima for sale with just slightly higher mileage than the one he'd had stolen. --And he quickly figured out what happened: Valsyl was SO STUPID that he went BACK to Craigslist four days later to sell the car he'd STOLEN off of Craigslist. --The original seller set up a meeting with Valsyl to test drive the car. They met on Sunday night . . . a local neighborhood watch group grabbed Valsyl . . . and the original seller called the police. --Valsyl was arrested for petty larceny and criminal possession of stolen property. (New York Post)
A Bank Robber Is Arrested When His Wife Sees His Photo On the News . . . And Calls the Cops:
Start lining up the divorce papers now, because this is pretty much a DEAL BREAKER for a marriage. --On Tuesday morning, 45-year-old Troy Sandifar of Manatee, Florida robbed a bank. He wasn't wearing a mask, and a surveillance camera caught a pretty good picture of him. --The cops sent the picture to the local news, and they ran it that night. --Troy's wife happened to be watching the news . . . and she saw her husband's photo come up as the bank robber. And it must not have been the best marriage . . . because she immediately CALLED THE POLICE and said it was her husband. --After Troy found out his wife had turned him in, he took off. --There was a brief car chase but the police were able to track down Troy and arrest him. When they stopped him, they saw him swallow a bag of CRACK COCAINE. --He was arrested and confessed to the bank robbery. (Bradenton Herald)
Police In Arizona Are Looking For a Bank Robber Who Demanded "$20, $40, and $60 Bills" Only:
This bank robber must've been really disappointed when he got home, opened up his bag, and didn't find any of the high-denomination bills that he asked for. --Granted, the bills he asked for don't exist . . . but HE doesn't know that. --Police in Gilbert, Arizona are trying to track down a man who's robbed four banks since October . . . and demanded that the teller only give him, quote, "$20, $40, and $60 bills." --The man is described as being white, 55 to 60 years old, 5-foot-10 or -11, 165 to 175 pounds, and bald. --In all of the robberies he said he had a gun, but no weapon has ever been seen on security cameras. (--Perhaps it's imaginary, like the $40 and $60 bills, or his getaway unicorn.) (Arizona Family)
RANDOM NEWS EXTRAS
See if you can follow this one: A couple in Prague got married after changing their genders. Dominik was once a woman, and Andrea was once a man. And now, the son Dominik had when he was a woman . . . is getting a sex change.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110104/od_afp/czechfamilymarriagesexoffbeat_20110104191720
If you're tired of trying to get your kids to dress warmly in winter weather, and losing the battle . . . you're not alone:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/03/AR2011010302833.html
Let's call this 'passive-aggressive' robbery: A woman at a Dunkin Doughnuts saw the guy in front of her drop a $500 wad of cash, picked it up, and didn't return it to him. The whole thing was caught on camera, and she was arrested for theft:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/3160258-418/park-police-cappello-cash-dropped.html
A food bank in New York got a donation of 20,000 'Snuggies' . . . so they're giving them out to homeless people:
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/hauppauge-food-bank-to-hand-out-snuggies-1.2586169
Cameron's house from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" is on sale for $1.65 million:
http://m.gawker.com/5724865/for-sale-camerons-house-from-ferris-buellers-day-off
A father who donated thousands of dollars to a private school is suing to get his donation back, because his kid wasn't accepted:
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7870819
The Internet is catching up to TV as the top news source for Americans. 41% get their news online, which is up 17% from 2007:
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpps/news/offbeat/internet-approaching-tv-as-primary-news-source-dpgonc-km-20110104_11303830
NAZZY’S SILLY VIDEOS OF THE DAY
#1.) A Guy Didn't Have a Spare Tire . . . So He Used a Tree Branch:
There's a guy in Europe who must have just gotten the box set of "MacGyver" for Christmas. One of the wheels on his trailer was missing, so he jammed a big tree branch underneath and drove down the highway. (--Search for "spare tire win.")
http://www.break.com/index/spare-tire-win-1978507
#2.) First There Was 'Dramatic Chipmunk. Now, There's 'WTF Kitty':
Meet 'WTF kitty,' which may or may not become the next sweet viral sensation. It's just a white kitten eating grass, with sound effects that sound dubbed. Then its head pops up, and it freezes with a freaky look on its face. --Naturally, someone added in the 'Dramatic Chipmunk' music. (--Which is originally from "Young Frankenstein". Search for "WTF kitten." It happens at :08.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opGVNLImgw4
#3.) The Japanese Intro for "30 Rock" Is Much Zanier Than the U.S. Version:
If you're a fan of the show "30 Rock", you probably like the theme song. But in Japan, the opening of the show is a little different. Like all things Japanese, they went with the "zany" approach. And the theme sounds like a lost track from a bad 90s movie. (--Search for "Japanese 30 Rock intro.")
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1945299
The Better Business Bureau's Top Ten Scams of 2010:
This week, the Better Business Bureau released its list of the top ten scams and rip-offs of 2010. Here they are . . .
#1.) Identity Theft. Most of the stuff on this list can lead to identity theft, but the Better Business Bureau gave it its own designation because it's such a problem.
#2.) Job-Hunting Scams. If you have to give personal information like your bank account or social security number in order to be considered for a job, the job isn't real.
#3.) Debt Relief Services. Most of them charge fees, and they can put you in even MORE debt. Last year, complaints about debt relief and settlement services increased by 30%.
#4.) Work-From-Home Scams. Remember this: If you could make anything close to a living wage by working from home as a mystery shopper or a survey taker, everyone would be doing it.
#5.) Timeshare Resellers. The Better Business Bureau received 40% more complaints having to do with timeshares last year. One common scam goes like this: --A fake company targets a desperate timeshare owner who needs to get rid of a property. Then they ask for a few thousand dollars to cover the fees, and once they get it, the owner never hears from them again.
#6.) "Free" Trial Offers. They always claim to be "no risk", but last year thousands of people complained about companies charging their credit card after their free trials expired. And then when they tried to cancel, it was next to impossible.
#7.) Door-To-Door Salesmen. Specifically, door-to-door salesmen who promise to do some kind of work on your house. Last year, complaints about roofing companies were up 40%, partly because of one company called American Shingle. --American Shingle sent salesmen door-to-door and got people to pay for new roofs. Then they declared bankruptcy and didn't do any of the repairs.
#8.) Lottery and Sweepstakes Scams. Senior citizens are usually the victims. Here's how the scam goes:
-Your sweet, old Granny Edna gets a phone call from someone pretending to be associated with "Reader's Digest" or "Publisher's Clearing House", and they tell her she just won a huge million dollar jackpot. --All she has to do to claim it is wire them a few hundred dollars, or give them access to her bank account.
#9.) Over-Payment Scams. They typically target small business owners, landlords, and sellers on sites like Craigslist. The way it works is, the scammer overpays for a product or a service using a stolen credit card number. --Then while the payment is still pending, they ask the seller to wire the difference back to them. The scammer gets the money, but the original payment doesn't go through.
#10.) Advance Fee Loan Scams. Victims are told they qualify for a large loan, but they have to pay a fee upfront. Sometimes the fees are over a thousand bucks. And advance fee loan scams target people who are ALREADY struggling financially (Better Business Bureau)
Kristen Stewart Beat Out Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie for Favorite Movie Actress at the "People's Choice Awards":
JENNIFER ANISTON and ANGELINA JOLIE were both up for Favorite Movie Actress at last night's "People's Choice Awards". But neither one of them got the bragging rights. --KRISTEN STEWART swooped in and stole the trophy from both of them. "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" also won Favorite Movie. But ROBERT PATTINSON lost the Favorite Movie Actor award to JOHNNY DEPP for the second straight year. --While accepting the award, Depp said "hi" to TAYLOR SWIFT . . . because his daughter told him he'd be in, quote, "big trouble" if he didn't. (--Taylor won Favorite Country Artist, not surprisingly.) --Kristen, Robert and TAYLOR LAUTNER also won Favorite On-Screen Team . . . giving "Twilight" four wins. "House" won four awards in the TV category, and EMINEM snagged four in Music. --ADAM SANDLER won Favorite Comedic Star . . . and accepted his award with a BLACK EYE. He said, quote, "I wanted to see the Black Eyed Peas and the lady thought I said, 'Black eye, please.'" --His rep later revealed that he got the shiner playing basketball.
The Complete Winners List:
--Favorite Movie of the Year: "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"
--Favorite Movie Actress: Kristen Stewart
--Favorite Movie Actor: Johnny Depp
--Favorite Movie Star Under 25: Zac Efron
--Favorite Comedy Movie: "Grown Ups" . . . Favorite Comedic Star: Adam Sandler
--Favorite Drama Movie: "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"
--Favorite Action Movie: "Iron Man 2" . . . Favorite Action Star: Jackie Chan
--Favorite Family Movie: "Toy Story 3"
--Favorite Horror Movie: "A Nightmare on Elm Street"
--Favorite TV Comedy: "Glee"
--Favorite TV Comedy Actor: Neil Patrick Harris
--Favorite TV Comedy Actress: Jane Lynch from "Glee"
--Favorite TV Drama: "House"
--Favorite TV Drama Actor: Hugh Laurie
--Favorite TV Drama Actress: Lisa Edelstein from "House"
--Favorite New TV Comedy: "(Bleep) My Dad Says"
--Favorite New TV Drama: "Hawaii 5-0"
--Favorite TV Guilty Pleasure: "Keeping Up With the Kardashians"
--Favorite Talk Show Host: Conan O'Brien
--Favorite Competition Show: "American Idol"
--Favorite TV Crime Drama: "Lie To Me" . . . Crime Fighter: Tim Roth ("Lie to Me")
--Favorite Sci-Fi TV Show: "Fringe"
--Favorite TV Obsession: "Dexter"
--Favorite TV Guest Star: Demi Lovato on "Grey's Anatomy"
--Favorite TV Doctor: House (Hugh Laurie) . . . Favorite TV Chef: Rachael Ray
--Favorite TV Family: The Simpsons on "The Simpsons"
--Favorite Family TV Movie: "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam"
--Favorite Male Artist: Eminem . . . Favorite Female Artist: Katy Perry
--Favorite Song: "Love The Way You Lie", Eminem (featuring Rihanna)
--Favorite Rock Band: Paramore . . . Favorite Pop Artist: Rihanna
--Favorite Hip-Hop Artist: Eminem . . . Favorite R&B Artist: Usher
--Favorite Country Artist: Taylor Swift
--Favorite Breakout Artist: Selena Gomez & The Scene
--Favorite Music Video: "Love The Way You Lie", Eminem (featuring Rihanna)
--Favorite Online Sensation: Katy Perry
--Favorite Viral Video Star Winner: "Single Ladies" Devastation, The Whitaker Family (--Watch it here . . . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb9eL3ejXmE.)
Toni Braxton Might Pose for "Playboy":
Let us all take a moment to thank our personal saviors for bad business decisions. Because they may very well lead to TONI BRAXTON posing for "Playboy". Back in October, Toni filed for bankruptcy. Her debt was estimated at between $10 million and $50 million. --And on Tuesday, she posted this on Twitter . . . quote, "New Year, New opportunities. So I have been considering taking up 'Playboy's' offer to feature me on their cover this year. What you think?" --Then she added, quote, "I would love to pose with Hugh Hefner though. He's the sexiest guy I know over 30." --Unfortunately, Toni won't show all of her 43-year-old goods. She said, quote, "Don't expect full nudity. Just a lil T and A. They have asked me about three times before."
Does Natalie Portman Have a Baby Bump?
Last week, NATALIE PORTMAN announced that she's PREGNANT . . . and engaged to the baby-daddy. His name is Benjamin Millipied, and he's a dancer (slash) choreographer she met on the set of "Black Swan". --The other night, Natalie was photographed at Los Angeles International Airport, with what appears to be the beginnings of a BABY BUMP.
Check Out Some Old Audio of Justin Bieber Saying He Thinks Selena Gomez Is Pretty:
PerezHilton.com rounded up an old radio interview from 2009, in which JUSTIN BIEBER says he thinks SELENA GOMEZ is pretty --He says, quote, "I think Selena Gomez is pretty, but I don't like her. I think she's cute, I think she's a cutie." (--Listen to the audio here . . .)
http://perezhilton.com/2011-01-05-justin-bieber-confessed-he-liked-selena-gomez-in-radio-interview
Christina Aguilera Has Been Living with Her Boyfriend . . . And Her Estranged Husband:
This sounds pretty awkward: Until just two days ago, CHRISTINA AGUILERA was living with her boyfriend Matt Rutler . . . and her estranged husband, JORDAN BRATMAN. --But a moving truck showed up at the house Tuesday to take Jordan's things. --A source says, quote, "Thank God Jordan is moving out. It was getting really awkward, but Christina was letting Jordan stay for the sake of [their son] Max."
Mila Kunis Says It Was Difficult Filming Sex Scenes with Justin Timberlake In Their Upcoming Movie:
After some super-erotic girl-on-girl hijinx with NATALIE PORTMAN in "Black Swan", you would think MILA KUNIS would never have a problem doing another sex scene. Not true. --Mila makes movie love to JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE in "Friends With Benefits" . . . which comes out next July. And it wasn't easy. At least not at first. --She says, quote, "We had two weeks' worth of sex scenes to shoot. Justin would just wear a sock that covered his frontal parts, so yeah, I could pretty much see everything. And I had tiny nipple pasties and a little pasty on my hoo-ha. --"We couldn't have been more uncomfortable in the beginning, but by the fourteenth day, we'd just drop our robes, like, 'Hey, how's it goin'?'" --Mila would also like you to know that she's a FAIRY PRINCESS . . . which is her way of saying she's totally cool with gay guys. --She says, quote, "I grew up in West Hollywood, in the heart of the gay community, so I've always been attuned with the gays. I'm a massive 'fairy princess,' as I like to call it. --"But even at the age of 10, I never thought it was weird to see two guys holding hands and making out. It wasn't until I was about 19 when I realized that the whole world didn't share the same views as I did."
Will Lindsay Lohan Move Out of Samantha Ronson's Neighborhood? She Says No:
Nobody believes it was some kind of coincidence that LINDSAY LOHAN just happened to rent out the apartment right next door to her ex, SAMANTHA RONSON. --But even though Samantha isn't cool with it, Lindsay's NOT moving. E! Online asked her if she intended to give up her new digs, and she told them NO, then laughed off the question.
Dawn Holland Says Lindsay Lohan Did Nothing Wrong:
Now that LINDSAY LOHAN is facing possible legal ramifications over that incident at Betty Ford last month, the employee who started that whole ball rolling is sticking up for her. --An attorney for Dawn Holland issued a statement yesterday, saying Lindsay did nothing wrong. --He said, quote, "Had the interaction between these two ladies occurred in front of a police officer anywhere in this country, no probation would've been violated, no arrests would've been made and certainly no criminal charges would have been filed. --"The recent reports of criminality and probation violations are much adieu about nothing." (--Obviously, he meant "ado". "Adieu" is how French people say goodbye.) --Meanwhile . . . the cops who investigated the incident can't seem to SHUT UP about it. The Palm Desert Police Department issued yet another statement saying that Lindsay is a bad girl and needs to be punished. --And it sounds like they're accusing her of doing even more than just getting drunk and tussling with Dawn. They said, quote, "The investigation and facts in evidence has revealed other possible violations by Ms. Lohan relating to certain conditions of her probation terms. --"These additional findings have required investigating officers to conduct additional investigation. --"It is premature to release these facts and investigative findings at this time as the final completed criminal investigation has not yet been received and reviewed by the appropriate concerned law enforcement agencies."
Lindsay Lohan's Attorney Says She Didn't Drink or Use Drugs in Rehab:
LINDSAY LOHAN'S attorney is fighting back against allegations that her behavior in rehab was anything less than stellar. --Shawn Chapman Holley says, quote, "I had numerous conversations with Betty Ford counselors and doctors over the course of Lindsay's treatment there and it was never suggested by anyone that she ever drank or used drugs. --"Her discharge letter from the facility is totally consistent with that." (--Settled.) (???)
Does Nick Lachey Pretend to be His Own Personal Assistant?
Have you ever met someone who PRETENDS they have a secretary or personal assistant, just to make them seem more important? NICK LACHEY does that. Supposedly. --A so-called "source" tells "In Touch" magazine, quote, "We get calls from Nick Lachey's 'assistant', who sounds very much like Nick himself . . . Funny how he and this assistant have the same exact voice."
Demi Lovato Settled With the Girl She Punched for "Way Less Than $100,000":
DEMI LOVATO got off easy with that backup dancer she clocked last year. A so-called "source" says Demi settled with Alex Welch for, quote, "way less than $100,000." --And she plans on donating a significant chunk of it to an anti-bullying campaign. -The source adds, quote, "Alex never expressed dissatisfaction with the settlement. I think she was just ready to just move on. She's happy and moving past the situation and moving forward positively."
Courtney Love Is Being Sued for Things She Said on Twitter . . . And Her Defense Is That She Didn't Know What She Was Doing:
COURTNEY LOVE is being sued for things she said on Twitter . . . and her defense is that she didn't know what she was doing. --Courtney is being sued for defamation by a fashion designer named Dawn Simorangkir. --Dawn says that in a series of Twitter rants in March of 2009, Courtney portrayed her as, quote, "a drug-pushing prostitute with a history of assault and battery who lost custody of her own child and capitalized on Love's fame before stealing from her." --Here's how Courtney is defending herself: Her attorneys are going to argue that Twitter is so addictive and immediate, that Courtney didn't realize she was doing anything wrong, or how her words would be interpreted. -This will be an interesting case to watch, because it might shape how the law handles Twitter in the future . . . and whether someone's Tweets can be considered libelous or defamatory.
Two-Thirds of America Thinks "American Idol's" Best Days Are Over:
The "Hollywood Reporter" conducted an "American Idol" poll . . . in which they asked 750 current and former "Idol" viewers for their thoughts on the show. (--750 viewers seems like a pretty small sample size, if you ask me.)
--Here are some of the results:
--67% . . . or two-thirds . . . say they believe "Idol's" best days are over. However, almost half, 47%, say they'll, quote, "definitely or probably" still tune in when Season 10 premieres January 19th. 26% "definitely or probably" will NOT watch.
--27% "might or might not watch."
--48% say the addition of JENNIFER LOPEZ has made them MORE interested in watching this season . . . and 43% said the same of STEVEN TYLER. 60% say the changes "Idol" made are for the better. --Viewers that described themselves as "hardcore fans" were the only group that expressed disappointment over KARA DIOGUARDI leaving, but 40% of the "hardcore fans" said ELLEN DEGENERES' departure makes them "more likely to watch."
--Only 21% of "Idol" viewers could name LEE DEWYZE as last season's winner.
--28% of viewers say they watch "Idol" for the embarrassingly bad performances . . . 52% watch it for the, quote, "awesome musical talent."
--45% said SIMON COWELL'S comments would influence their voting more than any of the other judge.
--Interestingly enough, RANDY JACKSON was voted America's favorite judge . . . among both the past judges and the current ones, even though Steven and J-Lo haven't been seen in action yet. Kara was the least popular.
--And even MORE interestingly, 86% of people feel that Randy has the authority to judge musical talent. That was the HIGHEST percentage among all past and current judges. Ellen was the least qualified, with only 36% saying she could judge talent. --Half the people who watch "American Idol" say they vote, and one-third of the voters are from the South. 61% of the voters are female. (--You can check out a slideshow with more of the results, here . . .)
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/thr-poll-67-american-idol-68329
THURSDAY TV REMINDERS: (--Check your local listings.)
--"Wipeout" [4th Season Premiere] . . . 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. on ABC.
--"CSI" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on CBS. (--Carrot Top guest stars as himself. He appears in the middle of an investigation into the death of a strangled call girl.)
--"Grey's Anatomy" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on ABC. (--A local college shooting forces Sandra Oh back into the ER.)
--"Jersey Shore" [2nd Season Premiere] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on MTV. (--Snooki's friend Deena Nicole Cortese replaces Angelina Pivarnick in the cast and chaos ensues, including an onslaught of profanity . . . and fisticuffs being thrown between Jwoww and Sammi.) (--A few more details on that here.)
--"Ace of Cakes" [10th Season Premiere] . . . 10:00 to 10:30 P.M. on the Food Network. (--Duff and his crew begin their last season with cake creations for the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament and the 30th anniversary of MotorWeek.)
--"I Can't Believe I'm Still Single" [3rd Season Finale] . . . 11:30 P.M. to 12:30 A.M. on Showtime.
2010 Was Another Dismal Year for the Music Industry:
The end-of-the-year album sales numbers are in, and it's . . . not good. So no, the music industry did NOT magically fix itself in 2010. Here are the numbers: --CD sales fell by nearly 20% for the fourth consecutive year . . . and digital album sales were up again, but not nearly enough to compensate for the CD losses. --Overall album sales were down 12.8%. 326.2 million albums were sold in 2010, compared to 373.9 million in 2009. Individual digital downloads only increased by 1%, up to 1.17 million tracks from 1.16 million in 2009. --Whole digital albums did better . . . they were up 13%. 86.3 million albums were downloaded in 2010, compared to 76.4 million in 2009. (--See, that's an increase of less than 10 million albums. While CD sales were down around 50 million.) --In 2010, 26.5% of all albums sold were digital. --The top-selling single of 2010 was KATY PERRY'S "California Gurls", which sold just under 4.4 million copies. The best-selling album was EMINEM'S "Recovery", which moved 3.4 million copies. --Only 13 albums surpassed 1 million in sales. That's the lowest total since at least 1991, when Soundscan began tracking the album sales. (--In 2009, 22 albums sold at least 1 million copies.)
Taylor Swift Kept Control of the Post-Christmas Album Chart:
TAYLOR SWIFT sold another 77,000 copies of "Speak Now" to top the sales charts for the final week of 2010. Eminem was close behind her with 63,000 copies of "Recovery". Both of their albums sold over 3 million copies last year.
1.) "Speak Now", Taylor Swift (77,000 copies)
2.) "Recovery", Eminem (63,000 copies)
3.) "Loud", Rihanna (62,000 copies)
4.) "Pink Friday", Nicki Minaj (61,000 copies)
The Top-Selling Albums of 2010:
Nielsen SoundScan has released its official list of the Top Selling Albums of 2010.
--Here's the Top 10, and the 2010 sales number for each:
#1.) "Recovery", Eminem . . . 3.4 million copies
#2.) "Need You Now", Lady Antebellum . . . 3.1 million copies
#3.) "Speak Now", Taylor Swift . . . 3 million copies
#4.) "My World 2.0", Justin Bieber . . . 2.3 million copies
#5.) "The Gift", Susan Boyle . . . 1.9 million copies
#6.) "The Fame", Lady Gaga . . . 1.6 million copies
(--"The Fame" was the only album in the Top 10 that wasn't released in 2010. It originally came out back in 2008.)
#7.) "Soldier of Love", Sade . . . 1.3 million copies
#8.) "Thank Me Later", Drake . . . 1.3 million copies
#9.) "Raymond V. Raymond", Usher . . . 1.2 million copies
#10.) "Animal", Ke$ha . . . 1.1 million copies
The Top-Selling Songs of 2010:
Nielsen SoundScan (also) released its list of the Top Selling Songs of 2010.
--Here's the Top 10, and the 2010 sales number for each:
#1.) "California Gurls", Katy Perry (featuring Snoop Dogg) . . . 4.4 million copies
#2.) "Hey, Soul Sister", Train . . . 4.3 million copies
#3.) "Love the Way You Lie", Eminem (featuring Rihanna) . . . 4.2 million copies
#4.) "Dynamite", Taio Cruz . . . 4.1 million copies
#5.) "Airplanes", B.o.B (featuring Hayley Williams) . . . 4 million copies
#6.) "OMG", Usher (featuring Will.I.Am) . . . 3.8 million copies
#7.) "Not Afraid", Eminem . . . 3.4 million copies
#8.) "Just the Way You Are", Bruno Mars . . . 3.3 million copies
#9.) "Break Your Heart", Taio Cruz (featuring Ludacris) . . . 3.2 million copies
#10.) "Need You Now", Lady Antebellum . . . 3.2 million copies
SHOWBIZ EXTRAS
This is either complete B.S. or it's going to become a huge story. The "Star" tabloid claims that ANGELINA JOLIE is in rehab for HEROIN ABUSE.
http://www.celebitchy.com/133917/star_mag_angelina_jolie_is_in_rehab_for_heroin_maybe/
Here's what happened yesterday in the preliminary hearing of DR. CONRAD MURRAY. It includes mention of a medical device called a CONDOM CATHETER.
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1655367/michael-jackson-doctor-conrad-murray-hid-evidence-guard-testifies.jhtml
Actor and former "Miss America" host GARY COLLINS was arrested for trying to DINE AND DASH at an Italian restaurant in Biloxi, Mississippi. They even hit him with the classic Randy Quaid charge, DEFRAUDING AN INNKEEPER.
http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/01/gary-collins-busted-felony-dine-dash-see-his-latest-mug-shot
This is reason #4,652 why BILL MURRAY is awesome. Some random people saw Bill at a Karaoke bar and invited him into their room. He accepted, and ended up partying with them.
http://thechive.com/2011/01/05/what-if-bill-murray-just-showed-up-in-your-karaoke-room-9-photo-exclusive/
SEAN PENN says ROBIN WRIGHT took half of everything in the divorce . . . and that there's pretty much no end in sight to his earthquake-relief work in Haiti.
http://omg.yahoo.com/news/sean-penn-robin-wright-took-half-of-everything-i-had-in-the-divorce/53451
Don't worry . . . ALEC BALDWIN isn't running for office anytime soon. And 2012 is definitely off the radar.
http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/alec_not_running_lBqucCnBdCfl7r9Tkn09RM
RELATED COMEDY: Alec Baldwin is "very, very interested" in running for office. And suddenly, I'm "very, very interested" in what living conditions are like in Finland.
DURAN DURAN singer SIMON LE BON no longer has the yellow, "banana" suit he wore in the band's video for "Rio". He says it was STOLEN in the '90s.
http://starcasm.net/archives/79983
There's speculation that KELSEY GRAMMER'S estranged wife, CAMILLE, may be quitting "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" . . . but her rep says, quote, "She has not made any decision yet about whether she's returning to the show or not."
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20455183,00.html
E! is doing yet another reality show with a new combination of KARDASHIAN family members. This time, it'll be KHLOE and her husband, L.A. Laker LAMAR ODOM. It's called "Khloe & Lamar". There's no premiere date yet.
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b218949_khloeacute_lamar_spin_off_from.html
KATHY GRIFFIN has decided to end her reality show, "My Life on the D-List". The sixth and final season finished airing last summer. Kathy explained, quote, "Reality is great, but I really didn't set out to be a reality star. So now it's time to spread my wings and show that I'm a little different than Kate Gosselin."
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20454951,00.html
NAZZY’S RANDOM STUFF
Follow-Up: The Homeless Guy With the Awesome Radio Voice Has Gotten Job Offers From Radio Stations, MTV, the NFL, and the Cleveland Cavaliers:
Yesterday we told you about a homeless guy in Columbus, Ohio named Ted Williams. He's got a deep, smooth voice. The kind of voice that's perfect for radio. Just not at this station, on this show. That job's taken. --The video of him being interviewed has easily become the first viral sensation of 2011. And in the day since it exploded online, Ted's life has changed overnight. Literally. --He's gotten more job offers than we can keep track of, but so far we know he's been contacted by MTV, NFL Films, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and dozens of radio stations around the country. --Ted is 53 years old, and became homeless after his drug and alcohol addictions took over his life. He also has a LONG rap sheet, including arrests and prison time for theft and forgery. --Ted says that the Cavs offered him a full-time job and a house in Cleveland, and that he'll probably take it. (--A homegrown Ohio guy with God-given talent with the Cavs? Start the countdown until he takes his talents to South Beach.) (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
(--Here's the now-famous video of Ted and his voice . . .)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6kI_u3ho_c
Four of the Six Numbers In Tuesday's Mega Millions Lottery Matched the Famous Numbers From "Lost":
If you watched "Lost", you probably remember the set of six numbers that kept coming up over and over again. If you didn't watch it . . . um . . . the same six numbers kept coming up over and over again. --Those numbers were four, eight, 15, 16, 23, and 42. --On "Lost", the chubby guy named Hurley won the lottery using those six numbers. On Tuesday . . . it almost happened in real life. --In the huge $380 MILLION Mega Millions drawing, FOUR of the six numbers from "Lost" were drawn. The winning numbers were four, eight, 15, 25, 47, and the Mega Ball was 42. --According to DAMON LINDELOF, one of the creators of "Lost", 9,078 people played Hurley's numbers in the Mega Millions drawing. And for getting four numbers right, each of them takes home . . . $150. Yeah, not so spectacular. --The Mega Millions people say that 26,000 people had four of the six numbers right.--Two people actually got all of the numbers right, so they'll get a REAL jackpot . . . $190 MILLION each, or $81 MILLION if they take the lump sum. One was in Washington and one was in Idaho. (Wall Street Journal)
Want To Live Longer? Just Start Walking Like You Have Somewhere To Be:
Here's some new advice on how to live longer. Whenever you walk anywhere, instead of slowly meandering, checking out the scenery, without a care in the world . . . pretend you're some a-hole New Yorker who needs to catch the A train NOW. --A new study found that people who walk at 2.25 miles per hour . . . or about 3.3 feet per second . . . live longer than other people their age. Walking that fast helps you get healthier . . . AND it's a sign that you're in better shape. --The average walking speed is about 1.8 miles per hour, or about 2.6 feet per second. (MSNBC)
The Most Dangerous Age Is . . . 40?
This comes from an Australian study . . . but we're afraid it applies over here too. According to the report, the age when you're most likely to die in an accident is . . . 40. --The study found that people aged 40 averaged the highest number of deaths from the five most common fatal accidents: Car accidents, poisoning, falling, drowning, and choking. --The researchers say, quote, "Surprisingly, it is not the young who are most at risk of accidental death, but those approaching middle age." --Generation-by-generation, people zero to 18 are most likely to accidentally die of drowning . . . 19 to 30 are most likely to die in car accidents . . . 31 to 45 are most likely to die of poisoning . . . and 46 to 64 are most likely to choke or fall. (Courier Mail)
Word Of the Day: New Year's Block:
New Year's block (noun) /noo yeers blahk/ - the inability to write the correct year for the first three weeks of January. --Example: "I keep putting 2010 on my checks. That's some serious New Year's block. Upside: If the wrong date makes people return them, I won't get overdrawn."
A State Trooper In New Hampshire Escorted a Pregnant Couple Speeding To the Hospital . . . Then Gave Them a Ticket:
This is one of those times where a cop REALLY should've let someone slide with a warning. --Back in September, Angela Coughlin of Londonderry, New Hampshire went into labor. Her husband John put her in the car and drove her to the hospital. --He was speeding down an Interstate when a state trooper tried to pull him over. John called 911 to explain the situation . . . and after that, the state trooper switched gears and gave the Coughlins a police escort to the hospital. --Their son Kyle was born healthy . . . SIX MINUTES after they got to the hospital. In other words . . . they NEEDED to go as fast as they were going, or he would've been born in the car. --After the birth, the state trooper congratulated the Coughlins . . . and then presented John with a speeding ticket for doing 102 in a 55. --John says, quote, "I didn't realize how fast I was going until he gave me the ticket. I don't want to plead guilty because they said I could lose my license." --John is contesting the ticket. The trial starts Monday. (Union Leader)
The Lieutenant Governor Of Massachusetts Rescued Two Children From a Burning Van:
Ever wondered what lieutenant governors do? Well Tim Murray is the lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, and we know what HE does. HE SAVES LIVES. --On Tuesday night, Murray was driving through Worchester, Massachusetts when he passed a minivan that had burst into flames. --He immediately pulled over and ran to the van. An elderly woman had been driving it, and told him that her two grandchildren were trapped inside. Murray got the door open, then pulled the kids out of the car. --Firefighters got to the scene shortly after that, and were able to put the fire out before it spread from the front of the car. --According to Murray, as he was pulling the kids out of the car, their grandmother came close to ATTACKING him. Quote, "She told me, 'I didn't know if you were trying to take the kids or the car. I was about to punch you.'" --This is actually the SECOND time that Murray has helped people in a car emergency. In April of 2009 he helped a woman who'd had a medical emergency and crashed her car on the Interstate. He waited with her until EMTs arrived. (Worchester Telegram & Gazette)
A Woman Calls 911 . . . To Get Her Boyfriend To Propose:
This doesn't exactly help debunk the stereotype that women will do WHATEVER IT TAKES to get married. --Around 8:30 P.M. on Sunday, 40-year-old Ana Perez of Chicago called 911 and reported that her boyfriend was attacking her. --The police rushed to the scene, but when they got there, Ana confessed what was really going on: Her boyfriend wasn't attacking her . . . she called 911 because she wanted to SCARE her boyfriend into PROPOSING to her. --And no, we're not exactly sure how that logic jump works either. --Anyway, the police arrested her and she's been charged with disorderly conduct. --As for the boyfriend, he wasn't planning on proposing, scare or no scare. The police say that he was in the process of breaking up with Ana. (Chicago Sun-Times)
A Man Accidentally Butt Dials His Wife, She Hears His Muffled Voice, Thinks He's Being Held Hostage, and a SWAT Team Gets Sent In:
This is why you should always lock your phone before you put it in your pocket. Because usually when you accidentally 'butt dial' someone, nothing happens. But there's always the possibility something INSANE like this might go down. --On Monday, around 5:00 P.M., some guy whose name hasn't been released accidentally butt dialed his wife on the way home from his job as an administrative employee at Carleton Washburne Middle School in Winnetka, Illinois. --His wife could hear him talking, and it sounded muffled because the phone was in his pocket. --But for some reason, she jumped to the conclusion that there was a HOSTAGE STANDOFF at the school, and her husband was in danger. --So she called 911. The police responded by sending out a 30-PERSON SWAT TEAM to the middle school. --Just as the SWAT team was arriving, the man got home. His wife was still on the line with 911, reporting the muffled sounds she could hear. --She quickly figured out what had happened, and the SWAT team left the building. The police interviewed both the man and woman and decided there wasn't any criminal intent, so no charges were filed. (CBS 2 - Chicago)
MEATBALL CRIMINALS
A Man Steals a Car From a Seller On Craigslist . . . Then Gets Busted When He Tries To Re-Sell the Car on Craigslist and the Original Owner Shows Up:
There aren't many STUPIDER ways to get busted for car theft than this. So congratulations, 24-year-old Valsyl Lazoryshyn of Brooklyn, New York . . . you're officially as dumb as it gets. --On December 29th, a 21-year-old man from Brooklyn . . . whose name wasn't released . . . put up an ad on Craigslist, trying to sell his 2005 Nissan Maxima. Valsyl contacted him to set up a test drive. --They took a test drive together and then Valsyl asked if he could take it for a drive solo. The seller agreed. And as soon as Valsyl got in the car he drove off . . . and the seller never saw him again. He reported the theft to the NYPD. --Then, on Sunday, the seller was digging through Craigslist's autos section and found something suspicious: A 2005 Nissan Maxima for sale with just slightly higher mileage than the one he'd had stolen. --And he quickly figured out what happened: Valsyl was SO STUPID that he went BACK to Craigslist four days later to sell the car he'd STOLEN off of Craigslist. --The original seller set up a meeting with Valsyl to test drive the car. They met on Sunday night . . . a local neighborhood watch group grabbed Valsyl . . . and the original seller called the police. --Valsyl was arrested for petty larceny and criminal possession of stolen property. (New York Post)
A Bank Robber Is Arrested When His Wife Sees His Photo On the News . . . And Calls the Cops:
Start lining up the divorce papers now, because this is pretty much a DEAL BREAKER for a marriage. --On Tuesday morning, 45-year-old Troy Sandifar of Manatee, Florida robbed a bank. He wasn't wearing a mask, and a surveillance camera caught a pretty good picture of him. --The cops sent the picture to the local news, and they ran it that night. --Troy's wife happened to be watching the news . . . and she saw her husband's photo come up as the bank robber. And it must not have been the best marriage . . . because she immediately CALLED THE POLICE and said it was her husband. --After Troy found out his wife had turned him in, he took off. --There was a brief car chase but the police were able to track down Troy and arrest him. When they stopped him, they saw him swallow a bag of CRACK COCAINE. --He was arrested and confessed to the bank robbery. (Bradenton Herald)
Police In Arizona Are Looking For a Bank Robber Who Demanded "$20, $40, and $60 Bills" Only:
This bank robber must've been really disappointed when he got home, opened up his bag, and didn't find any of the high-denomination bills that he asked for. --Granted, the bills he asked for don't exist . . . but HE doesn't know that. --Police in Gilbert, Arizona are trying to track down a man who's robbed four banks since October . . . and demanded that the teller only give him, quote, "$20, $40, and $60 bills." --The man is described as being white, 55 to 60 years old, 5-foot-10 or -11, 165 to 175 pounds, and bald. --In all of the robberies he said he had a gun, but no weapon has ever been seen on security cameras. (--Perhaps it's imaginary, like the $40 and $60 bills, or his getaway unicorn.) (Arizona Family)
RANDOM NEWS EXTRAS
See if you can follow this one: A couple in Prague got married after changing their genders. Dominik was once a woman, and Andrea was once a man. And now, the son Dominik had when he was a woman . . . is getting a sex change.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110104/od_afp/czechfamilymarriagesexoffbeat_20110104191720
If you're tired of trying to get your kids to dress warmly in winter weather, and losing the battle . . . you're not alone:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/03/AR2011010302833.html
Let's call this 'passive-aggressive' robbery: A woman at a Dunkin Doughnuts saw the guy in front of her drop a $500 wad of cash, picked it up, and didn't return it to him. The whole thing was caught on camera, and she was arrested for theft:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/3160258-418/park-police-cappello-cash-dropped.html
A food bank in New York got a donation of 20,000 'Snuggies' . . . so they're giving them out to homeless people:
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/hauppauge-food-bank-to-hand-out-snuggies-1.2586169
Cameron's house from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" is on sale for $1.65 million:
http://m.gawker.com/5724865/for-sale-camerons-house-from-ferris-buellers-day-off
A father who donated thousands of dollars to a private school is suing to get his donation back, because his kid wasn't accepted:
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7870819
The Internet is catching up to TV as the top news source for Americans. 41% get their news online, which is up 17% from 2007:
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpps/news/offbeat/internet-approaching-tv-as-primary-news-source-dpgonc-km-20110104_11303830
NAZZY’S SILLY VIDEOS OF THE DAY
#1.) A Guy Didn't Have a Spare Tire . . . So He Used a Tree Branch:
There's a guy in Europe who must have just gotten the box set of "MacGyver" for Christmas. One of the wheels on his trailer was missing, so he jammed a big tree branch underneath and drove down the highway. (--Search for "spare tire win.")
http://www.break.com/index/spare-tire-win-1978507
#2.) First There Was 'Dramatic Chipmunk. Now, There's 'WTF Kitty':
Meet 'WTF kitty,' which may or may not become the next sweet viral sensation. It's just a white kitten eating grass, with sound effects that sound dubbed. Then its head pops up, and it freezes with a freaky look on its face. --Naturally, someone added in the 'Dramatic Chipmunk' music. (--Which is originally from "Young Frankenstein". Search for "WTF kitten." It happens at :08.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opGVNLImgw4
#3.) The Japanese Intro for "30 Rock" Is Much Zanier Than the U.S. Version:
If you're a fan of the show "30 Rock", you probably like the theme song. But in Japan, the opening of the show is a little different. Like all things Japanese, they went with the "zany" approach. And the theme sounds like a lost track from a bad 90s movie. (--Search for "Japanese 30 Rock intro.")
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1945299
The Better Business Bureau's Top Ten Scams of 2010:
This week, the Better Business Bureau released its list of the top ten scams and rip-offs of 2010. Here they are . . .
#1.) Identity Theft. Most of the stuff on this list can lead to identity theft, but the Better Business Bureau gave it its own designation because it's such a problem.
#2.) Job-Hunting Scams. If you have to give personal information like your bank account or social security number in order to be considered for a job, the job isn't real.
#3.) Debt Relief Services. Most of them charge fees, and they can put you in even MORE debt. Last year, complaints about debt relief and settlement services increased by 30%.
#4.) Work-From-Home Scams. Remember this: If you could make anything close to a living wage by working from home as a mystery shopper or a survey taker, everyone would be doing it.
#5.) Timeshare Resellers. The Better Business Bureau received 40% more complaints having to do with timeshares last year. One common scam goes like this: --A fake company targets a desperate timeshare owner who needs to get rid of a property. Then they ask for a few thousand dollars to cover the fees, and once they get it, the owner never hears from them again.
#6.) "Free" Trial Offers. They always claim to be "no risk", but last year thousands of people complained about companies charging their credit card after their free trials expired. And then when they tried to cancel, it was next to impossible.
#7.) Door-To-Door Salesmen. Specifically, door-to-door salesmen who promise to do some kind of work on your house. Last year, complaints about roofing companies were up 40%, partly because of one company called American Shingle. --American Shingle sent salesmen door-to-door and got people to pay for new roofs. Then they declared bankruptcy and didn't do any of the repairs.
#8.) Lottery and Sweepstakes Scams. Senior citizens are usually the victims. Here's how the scam goes:
-Your sweet, old Granny Edna gets a phone call from someone pretending to be associated with "Reader's Digest" or "Publisher's Clearing House", and they tell her she just won a huge million dollar jackpot. --All she has to do to claim it is wire them a few hundred dollars, or give them access to her bank account.
#9.) Over-Payment Scams. They typically target small business owners, landlords, and sellers on sites like Craigslist. The way it works is, the scammer overpays for a product or a service using a stolen credit card number. --Then while the payment is still pending, they ask the seller to wire the difference back to them. The scammer gets the money, but the original payment doesn't go through.
#10.) Advance Fee Loan Scams. Victims are told they qualify for a large loan, but they have to pay a fee upfront. Sometimes the fees are over a thousand bucks. And advance fee loan scams target people who are ALREADY struggling financially (Better Business Bureau)
posted by Nazzy @ 5:54 AM
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