HOLLYWOOD DIRT OVERFLOW (05-04-11)

OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD

A Shocking Number of Teenagers Don't Know Who Osama Bin Laden Is:

On Sunday night, the fifth-most common OSAMA BIN LADEN-related question on Yahoo was: "Who is Osama bin Laden?" And according to Yahoo, 66% of the people asking that were between 13 and 17. --There's also a screen grab floating around from Twitter on Sunday night with a stream of people asking questions like, quote, "Who is Osama bin Laden? Is he famous? Am I the only one who don't know who is he?" (--See it here.) --Some people want to blame it on the fact that today's teenagers were barely in grade school on September 11th. But I don't want to let people off the hook that easy. Too many kids just don't know or care about the world outside themselves.


More Than 56 Million Americans Watched President Obama's Late Night Announcement of Bin Laden's Death:

PRESIDENT OBAMA didn't make his announcement about OSAMA BIN LADEN'S death until 11:35 PM Eastern on Sunday night. But PLENTY of people stayed up to watch. --According to Nielsen, 56.5 million Americans watched Obama's announcement across nine different networks. That's more than double the number of people who watched in March when he announced we were taking military action against Libya.


The White House is Getting Closer To Releasing a Photo of Bin Laden's Body:

We know that the photos of OSAMA BIN LADEN are probably pretty graphic. He was shot in the HEAD, supposedly there's a gaping wound where his eyes were, and apparently you can see his BRAINS. It's definitely going to be shocking. --But at the same time, people REALLY seem to want to see this photo, both in the U.S. and abroad, to get definitive proof that he's dead, and to get some closure. --And it seems the White House is getting closer and closer to releasing photos of bin Laden for the world to see. --Jay Carney is the White House Press Secretary . . . he says, quote, "I'll be candid. There are sensitivities here in terms of the appropriateness of releasing photographs of bin Laden. It's fair to say that it's a gruesome photograph." --One group of people who are still holding out for the photo are members of the TALIBAN in Afghanistan. Yesterday they said reports of bin Laden's death are, quote, "premature" and that the U.S. hadn't provided any real evidence that he was killed.


Photo of the Day: The Navy SEALs Have an Elite Dog Team?

The Navy SEALs probably didn't need them to get bin Laden on Sunday, but it turns out they have an elite dog team. The dogs can parachute or rappel into action, and they're equipped with infrared night-vision cameras and other equipment. (Discovery) (--Here's a trainer for the Special Forces breaking the world record for highest man/dog parachute deployment at 30,100 feet. And you can listen to "The Ballad of the Parachuting Dogs" here.)


The MLK Quote That Went Viral After Bin Laden's Death Isn't Actually a Quote By MLK:

When OSAMA BIN LADEN was killed, people celebrated. Others found it upsetting that people were celebrating a man's death . . . even the death of the world's worst terrorist. --And it led to a quote that started spreading around Facebook and Twitter that was attributed to MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR. --It goes, quote, "I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars." --"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." --WELL . . . that ain't Dr. King. At least most of it isn't. The last part about darkness driving out darkness and hate driving out hate is all MLK. --But the first part is actually just the sentiment of a woman named Jessica Dovey. She posted that as her Facebook status and ended with the quote from MLK. Other people saw it, assumed the whole thing was from King, and reposted it. (--Her Facebook page is protected but you can see her Twitter feed here.)
More on Bin Laden's Compound: They Drank Lots of Soda, Wouldn't Give Back Kids' Soccer Balls, and Grew Their Own Reefer:

Lots more strange details about OSAMA BIN LADEN'S suburban compound leaked out yesterday. Here are some of our favorites . . . --They loved both Coke and Pepsi. Bin Laden's couriers did all his shopping at one local shop and always bought name brands . . . and always enough for at least 10 people. --The shopkeeper says they didn't have a preference between Coke and Pepsi, but bought a lot of both. And they always paid cash. --They grew their own reefer. Reports have started coming in that there were small plots of marijuana all around the perimeter of the compound. --That's not all that unusual in Pakistan . . . weed literally grows as a weed there . . . and there's no guarantee that bin Laden was smoking any reefer. But they were definitely growing it. --Don't kick your ball into their yard. Yes, bin Laden was THAT neighbor . . . the one who wouldn't give neighborhood kids their ball back when it went in his yard. --Apparently, when the local kids would accidentally have a soccer ball go over the wall into bin Laden's compound they never got it back . . . CNN says, quote, "someone gave them money instead."


On September 11th, a Man Pledged Not To Shave Until Bin Laden was Caught . . . And on Monday, He Finally Got To Shave:

Gary Weddle is a science teacher at Ephrata Middle School in Ephrata, Washington. On September 11th, 2001, he vowed to his students that he would never shave his face again until OSAMA BIN LADEN was caught. -And he kept his vow. By last week, his beard was so insanely long he could've been MISTAKEN for bin Laden. --On Sunday, after PRESIDENT OBAMA'S announcement, Gary finally realized he was going to get to shave. After 3,454 days. --Gary says people would constantly tell him that bin Laden was probably dead and we didn't realize it . . . or he was alive and we'd never find him . . . or that he'd die and his body would never be recovered. --But he was willing to never shave again for the rest of his life out of his spirit of faith and patriotism. --On Monday, he shaved his beard off . . . and from the photos, he looks about 20 years younger.


OSAMA'S DEATH:
THE CELEBRITY FALLOUT

Did President Obama's Announcement Almost Cause Oprah to Can the Interview She Did With Him? As you know, the OPRAH WINFREY episode where she interviewed PRESIDENT OBAMA and his wife MICHELLE aired on Monday. --But it was pre-taped last week . . . which meant that absolutely nothing was mentioned about the killing of OSAMA BIN LADEN. --That made the show look pretty out of touch. And Oprah realized that on Sunday night. But obviously, she decided to air it anyway. She Tweeted, quote, "Trying to decide what to do about tomorrow's show with Prez that was taped last week. --"Show will feel dated because we taped last week. Not even a hint of Osama's demise. Still happy to have them on."


President Obama Will Be On "60 Minutes" This Sunday:

PRESIDENT OBAMA will be on "60 Minutes" this Sunday, giving his first . . . and supposedly his ONLY interview about the raid that took out OSAMA BIN LADEN.


Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back Rashard Mendenhall Says We Shouldn't Hate Bin Laden Because We've Only Heard One Side of the Story:

Count Pittsburgh Steelers running back RASHARD MENDENHALL among those who are NOT happy that OSAMA BIN LADEN was killed Sunday night. --He's also not cool with people who ARE happy about it. And he vented his frustrations on Twitter. -He said, quote, "What kind of person celebrates death? It's amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We've only heard one side." --He continued, quote, "We'll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style." --Then he added, quote, "For those of you who said you want to see Bin Laden burn . . . I ask how would God feel about your heart?" --Steelers president ART ROONEY quickly distanced the team from Mendenhall's remarks. He said, quote, "I have not spoken with Rashard so it is hard to explain or even comprehend what he meant with his recent Twitter comments.--"The entire Steelers organization is very proud of the job our military personnel have done and we can only hope this leads to our troops coming home soon." --Mendenhall also stirred up some controversy on Twitter back in March, when he offered his support for Minnesota Vikings star ADRIAN PETERSON, who had compared the NFL to, quote, "modern-day slavery."



Rob Lowe Was on a Dry Run with the 9/11 Hijackers 11 Days Before the Attack:

ROB LOWE revealed on "The View" yesterday that he was on a flight that the 9/11 hijackers used as a dry run just 11 days before the attack. --He said, quote, "I flew with the 9/11 hijackers on a dry run, without realizing. I was shooting 'The West Wing' in D.C. at the time and I always took . . . the flight that leaves Dulles to Los Angeles, that they eventually put into the Pentagon. --"It was 11 days before 9/11, I made the flight a lot and I didn't think anything of it. I got on the plane and it was packed. Nobody looked scary, nobody looked like a terrorist. It looked like an absolutely normal flight . . . then 9/11 happens." --Lowe only found out a year and a half later when he was notified that he was on the list to give a deposition in the trial of one of the 9/11 conspirators. (--He ended up not having to testify.) --Lowe added, quote, "Even just telling the story, it almost feels like it didn't happen to me. I'm just grateful that I wasn't one of the so many Americans who had suffered." (--Here's video of Lowe telling his story yesterday.)


Finally: Toby Keith's Take on the Killing of Osama Bin Laden:

You knew it would only be a matter of time before TOBY KEITH offered his take on the killing of OSAMA BIN LADEN. --In fact, the only reason he didn't jump in right away is because he's in the Middle East entertaining our troops . . . and he couldn't get cell service. But as soon as he did, well . . . --Here's Toby's much-anticipated statement, quote, "It's a great day to be an American. I've been telling you for a decade that the U.S. military would hunt down and kill world enemy No. 1. --"While traveling abroad I am blown away by the positive coverage by the world media. There IS a consensus in the world media I have never seen before. --"Thanks to our commander-in-chief for having the cojones to finish this job, but the mission is far from over." (--I've heard people say Osama bin Laden's killing changed their opinion of President Obama. Well, what about Toby Keith? Are you haters ready to come back and give him some props for never giving up the fight?)


The GIRL Who Replaced Megan Fox in the "Transformers" Movies Tops the "Maxim" Hot 100:

"Maxim" magazine released its annual Hot 100 list yesterday . . . and they gave the top spot to ROSIE HUNTINGTON-WHITELEY . . . the chick who replaced MEGAN FOX in the upcoming "Transformers: Dark of the Moon". --Megan only made it to #17 this year. Megan has never topped the Hot 100. In 2009, she made it to #2 behind OLIVIA WILDE. Last year, she dropped to #5. Here's the Top 10 . . .

#1.) Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

#2.) Olivia Munn

#3.) Katy Perry

#4.) Cameron Diaz

#5.) Mila Kunis

#6.) Bar Refaeli

#7.) Anne Hathaway

#8.) Natalie Portman

#9.) Cobie Smulders from "How I Met Your Mother"

#10.) Jennifer Lawrence from "Winter's Bone"

--Here are some other highlights from the list . . .

#15.) Olivia Wilde

#20.) Taylor Swift

#22.) Rihanna

#25.) Britney Spears (--Still hangin' in there. You gotta respect that.)

#26.) Kate Middleton (--She's some British chick. I think I may have heard of her.) (???)

#35.) Kim Kardashian

#38.) Lindsay Lohan (--Again, still hangin' tough.)

#58.) Christina Aguilera

#64.) Miley Cyrus

#68.) Anna Paquin

#75.) Nicki Minaj

#77.) Real life Russian spy Anna Chapman

#84.) "Boardwalk Empire" mess Paz de la Huerta

(--Interestingly enough, only one girl from "Jersey Shore" made the cut. It was J-Woww at #78. Two ladies from "Glee" made the list: Lea Michele came in at #28 and Naya Rivera is down at #43. Check out the complete list here.)


Selena Gomez Doesn't Like Hiding Her Relationship with Justin Bieber:

SELENA GOMEZ doesn't like hiding her relationship with JUSTIN BIEBER . . . but at the same time, she does want to keep certain parts of her life private. --She tells "Seventeen" magazine, quote, "I don't like hiding. I do like to keep certain things to myself, but at the end of the day, I'm 18 and I'm going to fall in love. --"I'm going to hang out with people and I'm going to explore myself, and I'm okay with that." --Selena understands why so many Justin Bieber fans hate her guts. She says, quote, "I do see the passion that a lot of these girls have, and it's beautiful. I love it. I really do. It's special." --She adds, quote, "I'm still thinking Zac Efron's my husband. [But] no, I wouldn't touch that. I love [his ex-girlfriend] Vanessa [Hudgens] way too much." --Selena also admitted to having her heart broken in the past . . . quote, "When I went through my first breakup, I thought it was the end of the world, and I thought I was going to die if I didn't have him in my life. --"It was good to cry it out and just scream, or call my friends in the middle of the night crying." --Selena also gave love to DEMI LOVATO, who's been dealing with physical and emotional issues recently. She said, quote, "There's an amount of love that can never . . . no matter what . . . be taken away or torn apart, no matter the situation. --"There are certain people who you will always, always love, so if anything, this just reminded me of how much I truly love her."


Mariah Carey's Babies Will Have Names That Begin with the Letter "M":

MARIAH CAREY and NICK CANNON still haven't revealed the names of their twins yet, but Mariah dropped a hint on Twitter yesterday. She said they'll both begin with the letter "M". --She also challenged her fans to GUESS the kids' names. She said, quote, "So we r bout 2 reveal the actual names and b4 we tell em 2 our friends etc. I had 2 C if any of the #lambily wanted 2 guess!!!" (--Mariah calls her fans "lambs" . . . so I guess "lambily" is, like, a FAMILY of LAMBS. I'll pause for a moment to give you a chance to swallow back the vomit that just came to the top of your throat.)


Katy Perry Doesn't Care If You Talk About Her Boobs . . . As Long As You Buy Her Music:

Here's a news flash for you: KATY PERRY doesn't care if you talk about her boobs . . . as long as you buy her music.--She tells "Vanity Fair", quote, "I don't care what people say about my relationship; I don't care what they say about my boobs. People are buying my songs. I have a sold-out tour. I'm getting incredible feedback from my music." --She adds, quote, "I don't take anything for granted. There are 500 other girls right behind me, and I know that, because I was one of them. --"I remember what it's like to be someone who's always trying to get there . . . sending out tons of e-mails . . . trying to connect with some person who could connect me with some other person. And I wouldn't be working at this pace now if I didn't truly know that fame is fleeting."
Lorenzo Lamas Is Taking His New Wife's Last Name:

LORENZO LAMAS recently married his fifth wife, Shawna Craig. And now, they have the same last name. But it's not Lamas . . . it's Craig. (???) --Lorenzo is changing his name to Lorenzo Lamas-Craig. Why? His rep says, quote, "He's always thinking outside the box so he decided to become the first celebrity to take his wife's last name." --There's another reason: Lorenzo's last wife, SHAUNA SAND, is still legally Shauna LAMAS. So if his NEW wife Shawna took his last name, she'd have the same name as his previous wife. (--Although they spell their first names differently.) --Lorenzo is 53 years old. His new bride is 24 . . . one year younger than Lorenzo's daughter SHAYNE. (--Lorenzo hit the beach in Mexico the other day, looking pretty amazing for his age. Check him out here.) (TMZ)


Ricardo Chavira from "Desperate Housewives" Got a DUI:

RICARDO CHAVIRA . . . who plays EVA LONGORIA'S husband on "Desperate Housewives" . . . got a DUI yesterday morning in Los Angeles. --Chavira was pulled over at 2:00 A.M. for driving erratically, and the cops smelled booze on his breath. He failed field sobriety tests, then refused to take a breathalyzer or blood test . . . so they hauled him in. --Last we heard he was still being held on $25,000 bail. (--We assume he was released sometime yesterday, but we never heard that officially.)


Andy Dick Was Arrested Monday Night For Being Drunk at a Restaurant:

Another day, another public intoxication incident for ANDY DICK. Andy was arrested for causing a disturbance at a Marie Callendar's restaurant in Temecula, California on Monday night. --A police spokesman says, quote, "Mr. Dick was intoxicated. He was unable to care for his own safety and we arrested him for public intoxication. He was transported to our local facility here." --The cop added that since Andy didn't assault or harass anyone, he wasn't charged with anything. They just held him until he sobered up, then let him go.


Could Lindsay Lohan Avoid Jail Time Again?

It seems insane, but LINDSAY LOHAN could actually walk away from all her legal chaos with a slap on the wrist . . . as usual. And it's entirely possible that she'll serve NO JAIL TIME whatsoever. --If Lindsay pleads no contest to misdemeanor theft . . . as people seem to believe she has decided to do . . . TMZ says that the judge might not give her any additional jail time. --That means all she'll be on the hook for is the four months they gave her for violating her probation. But because of the whole prison overcrowding thing, they might just give her an electronic ankle bracelet and let her serve it at HOME. --That wouldn't be giving Lindsay special treatment, by the way. That's actually something they'd be just as likely to do with anyone in her position.


Les Moonves Says That "Two and a Half Men" Is Important for CBS:

CBS President Les Moonves admitted yesterday that "Two and a Half Men" is, quote, "an important show" to his network. And he added that Warner Brothers is, quote, "exploring different ideas" on how to continue it without CHARLIE SHEEN. --He added, quote, "We don't know what the resolution is right now. There are obviously a lot of moving pieces. We're sort of waiting on them." --But he also said that the CBS lineup is strong enough that it doesn't have to depend on a single show. --Meanwhile, during the final show of his "Violent Torpedo of Truth" tour last night in Seattle, Charlie claimed he was doing a show for another network, and it would be, quote, "epic."


Charlie Sheen Says Kelly Preston Shot Herself 21 Years Ago:

There's an old story that CHARLIE SHEEN and then-girlfriend KELLY PRESTON broke up in 1990 after he accidentally SHOT HER. Well, during his show in Vancouver on Monday night, Charlie told what he claims is the REAL story. --He said Kelly picked up a pair of his pants and his revolver fell out of them and discharged. It struck the TOILET, and she got hit with porcelain shrapnel. (--Here's video of Charlie telling the story. WARNING!!! It contains plenty of bleeped profanity.)
THE MTV MOVIE AWARDS

It's "Eclipse" Vs. "Harry Potter" at the MTV Movie Awards:

Nominees for the MTV Movie Awards were announced yesterday, and not surprisingly, it's pretty much "Eclipse" vs. "Harry Potter". --The latest installment in the "Twilight" saga earned EIGHT nominations . . . while "Harry Potter and the Death Hallows: Part 1" scored SIX. --Both films will compete with "Black Swan" and "The Social Network" for Best Movie. --Meanwhile, ROBERT PATTINSON, co-star TAYLOR LAUTNER and DANIEL RADCLIFFE will compete for Best Male Performance. --And KRISTEN STEWART and EMMA WATSON are up for Best Female Performance. --Kristen is also up for Best Kiss TWICE . . . once with Robert and once with Taylor. Emma Watson is also up for that one with Daniel. --Other films that scored nominations include "Inception", "True Grit", "127 Hours", "The Fighter", "Kick Ass", "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never", "The Karate Kid", "Jackass 3D", "Toy Story 3" and "Iron Man 2". --The show airs live on June 5th . . . on MTV, obviously. JASON SUDEIKIS from "Saturday Night Live" is hosting.

Best Movie:

--"Black Swan"
--"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1"
--"Inception"
--"The Social Network"
--"The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"


Best Female Performance:

--Emma Stone, "Easy A"
--Emma Watson, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1"
--Jennifer Aniston, "Just Go with It"
--Kristen Stewart, "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"
--Natalie Portman, "Black Swan"


Best Male Performance:

--Daniel Radcliffe, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1"
--Jesse Eisenberg, "The Social Network"
--Robert Pattinson, "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"
--Taylor Lautner, "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"
--Zac Efron, "Charlie St. Cloud"


Best Comedic Performance:

--Adam Sandler, "Just Go With It"
--Ashton Kutcher, "No Strings Attached"
--Emma Stone, "Easy A"
--Russell Brand, "Get Him to the Greek"
--Zach Galifianakis, "Due Date"

Best Breakout Star:

--Andrew Garfield, "The Social Network"
--Chloe Grace Moretz, "Kick-Ass"
--Hailee Steinfeld, "True Grit"
--Jay Chou, "The Green Hornet"
--Olivia Wilde, "TRON: Legacy"
--Xavier Samuel, "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"



Best Villain:

--Christoph Waltz, "The Green Hornet"
--Leighton Meester, "The Roommate"
--Mickey Rourke, "Iron Man 2"
--Ned Beatty, "Toy Story 3"
--Tom Felton, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1"



Best Fight:

--Amy Adams versus The Sisters, "The Fighter"
--Chloe Grace Moretz versus Mark Strong, "Kick-Ass"
--Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint versus Death Eaters, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1"
--Joseph Gordon-Levitt versus Hallway Attacker, "Inception"
--Robert Pattinson versus Bryce Dallas Howard and Xavier Samuel, "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"

Best Kiss:

--Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, "Black Swan"
--Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "Inception"
--Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"
--Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"
--Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1" . . . If you haven't seen the movie, she kisses Harry in one of Ron's nightmares. Don't worry, silly muggle. She still ends up with Ron.



Best Jaw-Dropping Moment:

--James Franco, "127 Hours" . . . Cuts Off His Arm
--Justin Bieber, "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" . . . Performance Spectacular
--Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page, "Inception" . . . Paris Cafe Scene
--Natalie Portman, "Black Swan" . . . Mutilation: Pulls the Skin off Her Finger
--Steve-O, "Jackass 3D" . . . Port-A-Potty Bungee Stunt



Best Scared-As-(Crap) Performance:

--Ashley Bell, "The Last Exorcism"
--Ellen Page, "Inception"
--Jessica Szohr, "Piranha 3D"
--Minka Kelly, "The Roommate"
--Ryan Reynolds, "Buried"

Best Badass Star:

--Alex Pettyfer, "I Am Number Four"
--Chloe Grace Moretz, "Kick-Ass"
--Jaden Smith, "The Karate Kid"
--Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "Inception"
--Robert Downey Jr., "Iron Man 2"



Best Line From A Movie: (This is a new category.)


--Alexys Nycole Sanchez, "Grown Ups": "I want to get chocolate wasted."


--Amanda Bynes and Emma Stone, "Easy A":

Amanda: "There is a higher power that will judge you for your indecency."
Emma: "Tom Cruise?"


--Jesse Eisenberg, "The Social Network": "If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you'd have invented Facebook."


--Justin Timberlake and Andrew Garfield, "The Social Network":

Justin: ". . . A million dollars isn't cool. You know what's cool?"
Andrew: "A billion dollars. And that shut everybody up."


--Tom Hardy, "Inception": "You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger darling."


Justin Bieber and Zach Galifianakis Are Among This Year's Webby Award Winners:

Winners of the annual Webby Awards . . . a.k.a. "The Oscars of the Web" . . . were announced yesterday. --JUSTIN BIEBER won the People's Choice Webby for his video "Justin Bieber Takes Over Funny or Die". --And ZACH GALIFIANAKIS won several for his hilarious web series "Between Two Ferns". --Other winners included Conan O'Brien, Will Ferrell, Arcade Fire, Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J and Jim Carrey. (--Grab all the winners here.)


And Now . . . ABC Is Developing "Celebrity Wife Swap":

Here's a lesson in How to Properly Dispose of a Reality Show: When you recognize that a reality show has run its course . . . first, push the show through an extra season or two, just to make sure it isn't coming back to life. --Then, add celebrities . . . and bring it back for another season or two. If it's still failing to generate interest, then you yank it. (--But DON'T trash it . . . recycle it . . . so that in a few years it can be revamped, ever so slightly, and re-launched.) --"Wife Swap" appears to be going through that process right now. ABC has just announced that they're developing a CELEBRITY version of the show called, simply, "Celebrity Wife Swap". Unfortunately, that's all we know for now. --Obviously, the biggest question is: What kind of celebrity couples are they going to get to do this? Well, we don't know yet . . . but don't expect anyone significant. --The original British "Wife Swap" had some celebrity swaps before it ended its run in 2009. Roughly 20 celebrity couples took part . . . and unless you're from Britain, you wouldn't recognize any of their names. --Basically, there were a lot of British reality re-treads, other TV "personalities," and random former soccer players, musicians and comedians. You get the idea. --In other words, the cast of the U.S. "Celebrity Wife Swap" will probably be closer to "I'm a Celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here" than "Dancing with the Stars".


"Dancing with the Stars" Finally Beat "American Idol" in the Ratings . . . And The President's Speech About Bin Laden Beat Everything:

"Dancing with the Stars" finally beat "American Idol" in the ratings this season. The "Dancing" performance show edged out the "Idol" performance show by about 100,000 viewers . . . 22.4 million to 22.3 million. --As far as the week's other big events go, over 56 million people tuned in to the multi-network coverage of PRESIDENT OBAMA'S speech on killing OSAMA BIN LADEN . . . and Friday's Royal Wedding coverage was seen by 22.7 million people.


Scott Pelley *Will* Replace Katie Couric on the "CBS Evening News":

Sometimes rumors are spot on. --CBS has announced that "60 Minutes" correspondent SCOTT PELLEY will replace KATIE COURIC on the "CBS Evening News". His first day is Monday, June 6th. (--Katie's contract runs through Friday, June 3rd.) --We've been hearing that Scott was the frontrunner for the job since before Katie confirmed that she was leaving last week. He's been with CBS News for 22 years . . . and has been on "60 Minutes" since 2004. --Scott released a statement saying, quote, "I am delighted to join the terrific team at the 'CBS Evening News'. It's a privilege to work alongside the most gifted and talented journalists in the industry." --And a CBS News executive said, quote, "Scott has it all. He has the experience, the credibility and he is among the very best reporters ever to work at CBS News. --"He's distinguished himself at every level . . . we like to think of CBS News as the 'reporter's network' and I can't think of anybody in this business better suited for the anchor chair than Scott." (--There's still no official word on what Katie is planning to do next.)


Wednesday TV Reminders: (--Check your local listings.)

--"NBA Playoffs: Bulls vs. Hawks" [Eastern Conference Semifinals] . . . 8:00 to 10:30 P.M. Eastern on TNT. (--The Chicago Bulls host the Atlanta Hawks.)

--"NBA Playoffs: Lakers vs. Mavericks" [Western Conference Semifinals] . . . 10:30 P.M. to 1:00 A.M. ET on TNT. (--The L.A. Lakers host the Dallas Mavericks.)

--"American Idol" [Performance Show] . . . 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. on Fox.

--"Survivor: Redemption Island" . . . 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. on CBS. (--There's a four-person duel over on Redemption Island. Meanwhile, Rob's six-person alliance is forced to vote out one of its own.)

--"Are We There Yet?" [2nd Season Finale] . . . 8:30 to 9:00 P.M. on TBS.

--"Law & Order: SVU" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on NBC. (--John Stamos guest stars as a guy obsessed with knocking up as many women as possible.)

--"Justified" [2nd Season Finale] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on FX.

--"South Park" . . . 10:00 to 10:30 P.M. on Comedy Central. (--The kids of South Park hold their first comedy awards show.)

--"The Electric Barbarellas" [SERIES Premiere] . . . 11:00 to 11:30 P.M. on MTV. (--A reality series that follows an all-girl electronic pop band as the five ladies try to make their mark in the music world.) (MTV Bios)

(--You can preview Thursday's schedule here.)


New Edition Is Reuniting for Their 30th Anniversary:

The '80s R&B group NEW EDITION has announced that they're reuniting to celebrate their 30th anniversary. --Everyone is coming back . . . Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe and Ralph Tresvant. --The reunion will launch with a gig at this year's Essence Music Festival in New Orleans on July 3rd. More details on their future are forthcoming. --Ricky Bell says, quote, "This is just the beginning. We're preparing for a world tour and many other exciting things that we'll be announcing soon. --"The next chapter of New Edition is going to be an incredible celebration to thank our fans for all of their support over the last 30 years." (--And to generate some INCOME. He didn't say that, but you know that was a serious consideration.) (--New Edition has been on-again, off-again since shutting things down in the mid-'90s. They released an album called "One Love" in 2004, but Bobby Brown wasn't a part of that.) (--Bobby did re-join the group in 2005 . . . but aside from some shows, nothing long-term ever materialized. Over the past few years, members of New Edition have worked together, here and there, on various side projects.)
And Now . . . Here's Your "Steven Tyler-Ism" of the Day:

STEVEN TYLER has been talking about his rocky relationship with the rest of AEROSMITH so much recently, that it's hard to put any stock in any one quote. But Steven has freshened things up with one of his brilliant "Steven Tyler-isms." --He told Billboard.com, quote, "The funny thing about the band is when we're on stage, we're different animals. We're right back to the same people we were when we were in the studio writing. --"It's like the five right keys that opened the lock of what-it-is-ness." (???) --Steven also said that Aerosmith will perform on "American Idol" this season. He said, quote, "We're playing the last show of the season. When I came on board, of course they were talking about, 'Are you going to sing with the contestants?' --"I said I'll do a song, sure, but it was always my intention, always, to get Aersomith on the show . . . I'm ready for it. I would love to play with Aerosmith." --But in the meantime, Steven has recorded a solo song called "(It) Feels So Good". --The video for the song will premiere on next Thursday's "Idol" results show. The song debuts on RYAN SEACREST'S radio show next Monday.


The New Cars Album Is Streaming:

THE CARS will release "Move Like This" . . . their first album in nearly 24 years . . . next Tuesday. Their last album "Door to Door" came out in August of 1987. --"Rolling Stone" says The Cars, quote, "sound almost exactly as they did in their late '70s / early '80s heyday." But you don't have to take their word for it. The album is streaming for free on RollingStone.com. (--Unlike The New Cars, this reunion does feature singer RIC OCASEK. But a FULL reunion isn't possible because bassist BENJAMIN ORR . . . who sang several Cars songs, including "Drive" . . . died of pancreatic cancer in 2000.)


Eminem Is Putting Out an EP with Royce Da 5'9":

EMINEM'S next project is an EP that he's putting out with Detroit rapper ROYCE DA 5'9". Together they call themselves BAD MEETS EVIL . . . with Eminem as "Evil" and Royce as "Bad." The EP, called "Hell: The Sequel", will drop on June 14th.
(--If you haven't heard of him, Royce Da 5'9" is a stage name . . . obviously . . . that he got from the Rolls Royce chain he always wears, and his height. He's also a member of the rap group SLAUGHTERHOUSE.) (--Eminem and Royce were working together as Bad Meets Evil around the time that Eminem put out his major label debut, "The Slim Shady LP". The disc includes a track with Royce called "Bad Meets Evil".) (--But as their own musical entity, the only thing they put out was a single in 1999 called "Nuttin' to Do".)


Showbiz Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:


We still don't know who fathered the gestating pregnancy of "Mad Men" star JANUARY JONES. But it probably wasn't ex-boyfriend and "Saturday Night Live" cast member JASON SUDEIKIS. Sources say the reason he broke up with her was because she wanted to have a baby so badly. (Us Weekly)



JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT is single again. She and her boyfriend, unknown actor ALEX BEH, have broken up after about a year together. There's no word why they split. (Full Story)



WILL FERRELL and JOHN C. REILLY acted like more than just co-stars when they got caught on the Kiss Cam at the Laker game on Monday night. They totally went with it. (Photos)



UFC legend MATT HUGHES is being investigated over a bar fight in Taylor Springs, Illinois. A woman filed a police report saying that Hughes got into a shoving match with a guy at a joint called the Trails End Bar and Grill . . . and she ended up with a broken nose when he pushed the other man into her. (Full Story)



BEYONCÉ and JAY-Z attended some gala at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday night. But Beyoncé's dress was so tight, Jay and another guy had to basically CARRY her up the stairs. (Full Story)



SAM JONES THE THIRD . . . the actor who made a sex tape with former "Playboy" skank KARISSA SHANNON . . . has pleaded guilty to trying to sell more than 10,000 oxycodone pills. But he's asking for leniency on the grounds that he only took part in the operation to raise funds for a friend who was going to be killed because he owed money to a Mexican drug cartel. (Full Story)



"Twilight" author STEPHENIE MEYER has another book coming to the big screen. This one is called "The Host", and it's about alien parasites that invade and take over people's bodies. It'll star SAOIRSE RONAN from "Atonement", "The Lovely Bones" and "Hanna". (Full Story)



The new "Bachelorette" cast has been announced. The show premieres on Monday, May 23rd. Ashley Hebert . . . who was rejected by Brad Womack on the last season of "The Bachelor" . . . is the lucky chick whose pants all these guys will be trying to get into. (Official Site)



The FOO FIGHTERS raised a total of $1 million for victims of the recent Australian floods and New Zealand earthquakes . . . and they did it with just two concerts. (Full Story)


NAZZY’S RANDOM STUFF

Here Are the Most Disliked Baby Names of 2011:

As far as stupid baby names go, it's dangerous territory when you start raggin' on people's precious little miracles. So let's do it. --Laura Wattenberg is the author of a baby name book called "The Baby Name Wizard", and instead of running the usual studies to find out which baby names are most popular, she went the other direction and found out which names are disliked. --For boys, names with an "aiden" sound dominated the list. The top four most disliked are Jayden, Brayden, Aiden, and Kaden . . . and Hayden came in sixth. --The rest of the top 10 are Hunter coming in fifth, then Bentley seventh, then Tristan, Michael, and Jackson. --For girls, the most disliked name was the ever-controversial Nevaeh. That's "heaven" backwards. The rest of the list includes Madison, Mackenzie, McKenna, Addison, Gertrude, Kaitlyn, Makayla, Bertha, and Hope. --Wattenberg's study also found some trends about disliked names. Usually the names that came out of nowhere to become popular experience a backlash. So do masculine names that suddenly become feminine, and weird spellings. --Some people go the other direction and just hate traditional names, which is how a name like Michael made the top 10. According to the most recent Social Security Administration data, in 2009, the most popular boys' baby names were Jacob, Ethan, and Michael . . . and for girls it was Isabella, Emma, and Olivia. (LiveScience)


Norway is Named the Best Country For Mothers, Afghanistan is the Worst . . . and the U.S. Only Ranked 31st:

Just in time for Mother's Day . . . yeah, today's about the deadline for buying a present, by the way . . . the Save the Children Federation put out its annual list of the world's best and worst places to be a mother. --Countries are ranked on several factors . . . everything from maternity leave policies, to the rates of mothers and children dying during childbirth, to the political and economic status of women. --Norway was named the number one country in the world for mothers. Afghanistan came in last place, at 164th. --As for the U.S. . . . yeah, we didn't do so well. We only finished 31st, which is toward the bottom of the 43 first-world countries that were ranked in the study. --One of the main reasons is our rate of mothers dying from pregnancy-related causes. Our rate is one in 2,100, which is the highest of ANY first-world country. It's seven times higher than Italy or Ireland and 15 times higher than Greece. --We also have the least generous maternity leave policy . . . both in terms of time off and percentage of salary . . . of any developed country. --The top 10 countries for mothers are: Norway, Australia, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, Finland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. --The bottom 10 are: Afghanistan, Niger, Guinea-Bissau, Yemen, Chad, the Congo, Eritrea, Mali, Sudan, and the Central African Republic. (Save the Children)


Vegas Is the Most Popular Casino Destination In the U.S. . . . What's the Rest of the Top Five?

In a poll of the top casino destinations in the U.S., the number one is pretty obvious. Ever since Las Vegas was established it's been at the top of that list, and doesn't have any plans to give it up. --The rest of the top five, though, shows how times have changed now that gambling has been legalized in so many places. --NEW ORLEANS was actually named the number two casino destination on the list. It just beat out Atlantic City . . . Reno, Nevada . . . and St. Louis. (Businessweek)


Americans Fear a World War More Than a Nuclear Accident . . . But a Few of Us Are Most Afraid of an Alien Invasion:

A new "60 Minutes" / "Vanity Fair" poll recently asked Americans what they worry about the most. Is it another world war . . . a nuclear accident . . . an oil shortage . . . or an alien invasion? --The world war came in first, and a nuclear accident came in second. And we COULD spend our time analyzing that . . . or we could focus on how "alien invasion" DID get some votes. --The exact totals weren't released, but "alien invasion" did NOT get 0%. Meaning that there ARE people out there who believe one really is coming. --The survey also found the three pieces of mail Americans dread the most are, in order, a jury duty summons, a letter about their mortgage, and a credit card statement. (Baltimore Sun)


TV Ownership Has Dropped From "Basically Everyone Has a TV" To "Almost Everyone Has a TV":

There were a bunch of headlines yesterday that basically said "Ownership of TV Sets In the U.S. Falls For the First Time In 20 Years." And while that's true . . . it's not quite time to dance on television's grave just yet. --Because the statistics show that while TV ownership has fallen . . . basically EVERYONE outside of die-hard hipsters and people with Unabomber shacks in the woods still have TVs. --In 2009, 98.9% of American households had a TV. In 2010, that dropped to 96.7%. --According to the Nielsen Company, the main reason for the drop could be the switch from antennas to digital-only cable, which led some people to give up their old TVs and not buy new ones. --The secondary reason could be recent college graduates who've gotten so used to streaming TV shows and movies online, that they don't bother to buy a TV and just watch on their computers. (New York Times)


Last Week, We Set an All-Time Record For Tornados In a 24-Hour Period:

If it felt like you couldn't keep up with the tornado coverage last week, this is why. --According to the National Weather Service, there were 226 tornados recorded in the U.S. from Wednesday morning to Thursday morning . . . which is a record for a 24-hour period. The previous record was 148 tornados in April of 1974. (USA Today)


A Math Genius Solved a 100-Year-Old Problem . . . Then Turned Down the $1 Million Prize Because He Just Wanted the Knowledge:

I think Grigory Perelman of St. Petersburg, Russia, is doing everything he can to redefine the concept of an eccentric genius --Back in 2003, Grigory solved the Poincare conjecture . . . one of the world's greatest math problems. It was viewed as an unsolvable theory about whether any shape without a hole could be formed into a sphere. Yeah, we don't get it either. --Anyway, the theory was proposed in 1904, and for the following century every math genius in the world took a crack at it. None of them could solve it until Grigory. --The Poincare conjecture was considered SO great that whoever solved it would earn a $1 MILLION prize . . . and automatically get the Fields Medal, which is considered the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for math. --And Grigory . . . turned them down. --Last year, a team of mathematicians proved his results were valid, and he was owed the million dollars and the medal. And he just turned them both down because he was never in it for the money. --He says he did this solely for the knowledge, quote, "I [now] know how to control the universe. So tell me, why should I run for a million?" (Time)
A Man In San Francisco Wants Out of the Condo He Just Bought . . . Because the Other Guy in the Building Loves S&M:

On April 25th, Jack Hagerty of San Francisco closed on a condo in a two-unit building. He's newly divorced and wanted to create a home for his 10-year-old son. He put down his life savings of $300,000 on the place, which cost $621,000. --After he closed, he got an email from a guy named Edward Gibbons, who owns the other unit in the building. Edward welcomed Jack to the building . . . then let him know he's a quote, "sexual enthusiast and enjoys leather sex." --There was more. Quote, "If you don't know what that means, I have a brochure I can lend you . . . I don't keep a regular schedule . . . at times, it is possible and even likely that the sounds of leather sex will be coming from my bedrooms. --"While it is not my issue, you may find you need to explain things to your son as it could be confusing to him since it frequently doesn't sound as pleasurable as it is." --Jack says he has no problem with the S&M lifestyle . . . if that's what you're into, that's what you're into . . . but he doesn't want his 10-year-old exposed to the sounds of men screaming in agony all day and night. --So now, he's trying to get out of the deal. He says he's not sure how he's going to do that . . . he may even sue the real estate agent for withholding that one tiny detail about the place. --Quote, "I can't, in good conscience, move into the unit. It would be harmful to my child and dramatic and upsetting." (San Francisco Business Times)


A Drunk Driver Hit a Drunk Pedestrian . . . And Both are Facing Charges:

It feels like the whole justice process is completely missing the point on this one. --Early Sunday in Billings, Montana, a drunk driver hit a drunk pedestrian as she ran across the street. And not only is the drunk driver facing charges . . . SO IS THE PEDESTRIAN. --Her name is Chessa Reichert, she's 20 years old, and she was drunkenly running across the street. So after the cops made sure she SURVIVED, she was charged with being a minor in possession, and being an intoxicated pedestrian. --She was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and was listed in fair condition --The driver is 25-year-old Michael Amundson. He's been charged with driving under the influence . . . other charges are still pending for him hitting a pedestrian. (Great Falls Tribune)


The Japanese Have Invented a Device That Lets You Kiss Someone Over the Internet. Sort of:

Let's hear it for the Japanese . . . they've gone back to creating romantic technology that DOESN'T involve something deviant and/or women making unholy love to animals with tentacles. --A team at the University of Electro-Communications in Tokyo has invented a device that actually lets you kiss someone over the Internet. Sort of. --The device kind of looks like a straw on top of a box. It's plugged into your computer, and someone else plugs one into their computer. --Then, you make out with the straw. And in real time, the things you do make the other person's straw move, and vice versa. If you swirl your tongue, their straw moves accordingly, and your straw moves like their tongue. --So far, that's all this thing can do. The researchers hope to find a way to incorporate other elements, like water coming out to simulate the amount of saliva in a kiss, plus scents, tastes, and more. --They say, quote, "If we can recreate all of those I think it will be a really powerful device." There's no word on when these could be ready to hit the market . . . right now it's still in basic prototype form. (The Register) (--Here's a YouTube video that shows this in action.)


RANDOM NEWS EXTRAS


A trucker accidentally dumped several hundred pounds of chicken parts in Missouri yesterday afternoon, and closed down the four eastbound lanes of Interstate 64 for several hours. Other cars dragged the nasty chicken mess for a mile, and the whole thing stank of rotting meat. (Full Story)


A guy in New Jersey freaked out last weekend when a Sears wouldn't let him return a weed whacker. So the store called the cops. And when they showed up to escort the guy out, he attacked them . . . with the weed whacker. (Full Story)


A waiter named Mohamed who worked at the Waldorf Astoria in New York is suing the hotel . . . because they made him wear a nametag that said "John" so guests wouldn't feel uncomfortable. (Full Story)


A 54-year-old guy in Minnesota collapsed from a heart attack recently . . . went without a pulse for 96 minutes . . . was eventually resuscitated using defibrillators and CPR . . . and made a complete recovery. (Full Story)


A 17-year-old girl died in southeast Nebraska on Monday evening, when she came over a hill, and got into a head-on collision with a pick-up coming the other way . . . driven by her 15-year-old sister. (Full Story)


NAZZY’S VIDEOS OF THE DAY

#1.) A Guy Ran on the Field at a Baseball Game and Got Leveled by a Security Guard:

Some idiot ran on the field at a Boston Red Sox game the other night, and a security guard absolutely leveled him. The guy had his hands in the air, and the security guard ran in from the side and drilled him (--Search for "Guy on Field at Red Sox Game Gets Drilled." He gets hit at :16.)


#2.) Michelle Obama Danced to Beyoncé at a Public School in D.C. to Promote Her "Let's Move" Initiative:

As part of her "Let's Move" initiative against obesity, MICHELLE OBAMA made a surprise visit to a public middle school in Washington D.C. yesterday, and she led kids in a dance to the Beyoncé song "Move Your Body". --She did the Running Man and the Dougie. Check out her moves at Jezebel.com. (--Search for "Michelle Obama Can Teach You How to Dougie.")


#3.) Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly Were on the Kiss Cam at Monday Night's Lakers Game:

WILL FERRELL shaved off Conan O'Brien's beard on Monday, but he also showed up at the Lakers playoff game. And when he and JOHN C. REILLY made it onto the kiss cam, they each took a big bite of their hamburgers, then briefly locked lips. (--Search for "Will Ferrell John C. Reilly Kiss Cam." It shows them kiss at :13.)


#4.) Check Out an Idiot Destroying a Windshield With His Head . . . And Another Idiot Testing Out an Electric Bark Collar:

There's a video on CollegeHumor.com of some guy headbutting a windshield, and he actually succeeds in breaking it. --It's safe to say he's not the smartest guy in the world, but he sure is proud of his hard head. And he doesn't seem to care one bit that it's covered in blood. (--Search for "Guy Destroys Windshield, Own Head With Headbutts." He starts at :22, then starts on the driver's side at :49.) (--WARNING: This video includes the F-word and other profanity.)

--If that doesn't satisfy your appetite for watching idiots hurt themselves, go to YouTube and search for "Epic Beard Man Meets Electric Bark Collar". (--He gets shocked for the first time at :20, then another guy tries it at 1:48.) (--WARNING: This video includes the F-word and other profanity.)


What's Healthier . . . Breakfast at Starbucks or McDonald's?

Starbucks sells a lot more than just expensive coffee. They market the food they sell as a healthier option than eating breakfast at a fast food restaurant. And with things like carrot sticks and hummus, that's true. --But a lot of the pre-made grab-and-go foods are just as bad as a fast food breakfast, or worse. Here are five breakfast and lunch items from Starbucks compared to similar items from McDonald's.

#1.) The Starbucks Strawberry and Blueberry Yogurt Parfait vs. McDonald's Fruit N' Yogurt. The McDonald's version is 6.6 ounces and has about 220 calories. --The Starbucks version is 8.1 ounces, which is more than you really need. And since the portion size is bigger, it has about 80 more calories. Winner: McDonald's.

#2.) The Starbucks Veggie, Egg and Monterey Jack Artisan Breakfast Sandwich vs. The Egg McMuffin. An Egg McMuffin has about 300 calories and 12 grams of fat.

--The Artisan Breakfast Sandwich is basically just a fancy Egg McMuffin, and it's got 50 more calories and 6 more grams of fat. But the Egg McMuffin has almost twice as much cholesterol. Winner: Tie.


#3.) The Starbucks Santa Fe Chicken Panini vs. The McChicken Sandwich. The McChicken has 360 calories and 16 grams of fat. The Panini is bigger, so it has 400 calories. --But despite the sour cream spread, it has five fewer grams of fat than the McChicken. And both options are loaded with sodium. Winner: Starbucks.

#4.) The Starbucks Turkey and Swiss Sandwich vs. The McDonald's Cheeseburger. You'd think it's a no-brainer, but once again it comes down to portion size. A McDonald's cheeseburger has 300 calories and 12 grams of fat. --But the Turkey and Swiss is much bigger, so it has 390 calories and 13 grams of fat. And it also has a ton of salt. --According to the National Research Council, you're supposed to have no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day. The Turkey and Swiss at Starbucks has a whopping 1,180 milligrams. And a McDonald's cheeseburger has 790.


--So if you ate them both in the same day, you'd consume about 500 more milligrams of sodium than you should. Winner: McDonald's.

#5.) The Starbucks Café Mocha vs. The McDonald's Mocha. With nonfat milk, a 20-ounce large mocha at McDonald's has 330 calories and 6 grams of fat, while a 20-ounce venti mocha at Starbucks has 280 calories and just 3 grams of fat. --A large cup of regular coffee only has about 5 calories, no matter where you buy it. But that number goes way up when you start adding cream and sugar. Winner: Starbucks. (Yahoo.com)


Mother’s Day Facts

Mother’s Day is May 8th. The driving force behind Mother’s Day was Anna Jarvis, who organized observances in Grafton, West Virginia, and Philadelphia on May 10, 1908. As the annual celebration became popular around the country, Jarvis asked members of Congress to set aside a day to honor mothers. She finally succeeded in 1914, when Congress designated the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. Here are some facts about beloved moms from the U.S. Census Bureau:


85.4 million: Estimated number of mothers in the United States in 2008, the most recent year numbers are available.

54%: Percentage of 15- to 44-year-old women who were mothers in 2008.

82%: Percentage of women 40 to 44 who had given birth as of 2008. In 1976, 90% of women in that age group had given birth.

4.13 million: Number of births registered in the United States in 2009.

25.1: Average age of women in 2008 when they gave birth for the first time, up from 25.0 years in 2006 and 2007.

40%: Percentage of first-time mothers in 2008.

18,986: Number of births in 2008 that were the mother’s eighth or more!

42,746: Number of births in 2008 that did not occur in hospitals. Of these, 28,357 were in a residence (home) and 12,014 were in a birthing center.

32.6: Number of twin births per 1,000 total births in 2008, the highest rate on record.

6,268: Number of triplet and higher order multiple births in 2008. There were 5,877 triplets, 345 quadruplets, and 46 quintuplets born.

July: The month with the highest number of births, with 375,384 in 2008.

Tuesday: The most common day to deliver, with an average of 13,415 births taking place on Tuesdays in 2008.

Jacob and Isabella: The most popular baby names for boys and girls, respectively, in 2009.

5 million: Number of stay-at-home moms in 2010 – down from 5.1 million in 2009 and 5.3 million in 2008.

777,817: Number of child care centers across the country in 2008. Make Your Mother’s Day Reservations Now


Mother’s Day remains the most popular holiday on which to dine out. The National Restaurant Association projects that 75 million American adults will dine out this Sunday. According to new research by the Association, nearly half of moms would pick their favorite restaurant if she were to choose where to go for a special Mother’s Day meal. More than half of mothers say they enjoy celebrating Mother’s Day with a restaurant meal because it gives them a break from cooking at home. Other findings:


•58% of Mother’s Day diners say they will go out to a restaurant for dinner on May 8th; 32% will go out for lunch, 24% for brunch; 10% for breakfast.

•When asked about the reason that best describes why they enjoy celebrating Mother’s Day with a special meal at a restaurant, 51% say because they do most of the cooking at home and dining out gives them a break; 27% enjoy it because a restaurant is a great place to socialize with family and friends; 16% say sharing a meal at a restaurant creates lasting memories that other gifts can’t.

•When asked about where they would like to dine for that special Mother’s Day meal, 46% of moms said they would prefer their favorite restaurant, regardless of holiday specials; 22% would prefer to celebrate at a restaurant that is kid-friendly; 19% find Mother’s Day specials the most important factor; and 11% would like to visit a restaurant they haven’t been to before.

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What Working Moms Want


Working moms want to make good money on the job and put a higher priority on getting some help around the house than at the office, a new survey shows. Salary is the key factor when job-hunting, according to women who work outside the home, but a family-friendly office, job enjoyment and flexible schedules are also priorities, a survey from iVillage and TODAY.com shows. Eight out of 10 working mothers earn at least half of their household’s income, the poll found. A majority of women also do most household chores, prompting about 70% to say they would prefer an assistant at home over one at the office. Work and home pressures leave nearly half of working mothers feeling unhealthy, and about 40% said they don’t have enough time with their children.

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Who Does More At Home?


A new Penn Mutual Life Insurance Co. survey estimates that women log more hours cooking and cleaning around the house than men – but undervalue their contributions in dollar terms. Men and women both say they do about $25,000 worth of household chores, but Penn Mutual found women spent more time than men per week on every chore from walking the dog to doing laundry. The insurance company calculated the median value for a woman’s contribution to the home closer to $34,000, as opposed to just over $19,000 for a man. Mothers and single women, in particular, underestimate their contributions around the house, the survey found. Penn Mutual estimated the work a mother with a young child does around the house at about $45,000, but said those women perceived their worth at just $29,000. More than half of women surveyed underestimated their worth by at least $10,000.