HOLLYWOOD DIRT OVERFLOW (05-25-11)
Is Justin Bieber's New Perfume Commercial Too Sexy?
JUSTIN BIEBER has filmed a commercial for his new women's fragrance, Someday. And you have to wonder if it's a little too SEXUAL, given the fact that the kid is only 17. (--Check it out here.) --Basically, the gist of the commercial is that the girl puts some of this stuff on, and Justin is all over her. --He's kissing and nuzzling her neck, he's flying with her, he's giving her a piggyback ride through the air . . . and he comes dangerously close to resting his head against her chest. --It's not as racy as an ad for a Victoria's Secret fragrance, but the content is definitely edging toward that line. And we note, once again, that this kid is UNDERAGE. --You might not find it too ridiculous on the surface, but think about it this way: If MILEY CYRUS, before she turned 18, had played the role of the girl in this clip, the celebrity gossip world would have had a field day with it. --Should Justin be held to a different standard because he's a guy?
FINALLY!!! The Secret To Taylor Lautner's Abs!!!
Guys, you make fun of TAYLOR LAUTNER and how badly your girl lusts for him . . . but you know damn well you'd KILL for those abs. --And now we know how to get them. --Taylor's trainer, Jordan Yuam, gave away the FIVE KEY EXERCISES that helped to sculpt Taylor's stomach. Here they are:
#1.) Hanging leg raises: 12 reps, two sets each.
#2.) Diagonal isometrics: 12 reps, two sets eachh.
#3.) A breathing exercise. Yes, a breathing exercise. It's apparently more strenuous than it looks.
#4.) Another breathing exercise.
#5.) Ball crunches. (--No, it's not what you're thinking. It's doing stomach crunches while balanced on an exercise ball. Pervert.) (--Don't worry . . . Jordan and some other chick demonstrate all these moves in a video for you, so you can get started right away. Check it out here.)
Patty Baena's Husband Had No Idea Her 13-Year-Old Son Wasn't His Until Last Week:
Remember how we all found out last week that housekeeper PATTY BAENA'S son was actually fathered by ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER? Well, guess who else just found that out last week? The man Patty was married to when she had him. --For over 13 years, Rogelio Baena thought that kid was HIS . . . and he only learned the truth when the rest of us did. --But in an interview with "Entertainment Tonight", he relayed a message to the boy . . . quote, "I am your father. That's all." --Asked how he felt when he learned the truth, Rogelio said, quote, "Angry! Very, very angry! Arnold Schwarzenegger, for me, was my hero. Now, I feel betrayed." --We don't know how much contact Rogelio has had with the boy. He and Patty split up just WEEKS after his birth in 1997 . . . although Patty didn't get around to filing for divorce until 2008. (--If you don't have a strong stomach, you might not want to watch this . . . "Entertainment Tonight" found some footage of Patty trying to sing a sexy, Marilyn Monroe-style "Happy Birthday" to somebody a few years ago.) (--We don't know who she was trying to impress, but this apparently happened at a 15th birthday party for her niece. Check it out here . . . And wonder, once again, what the HELL Arnold was thinking.)
Did Maria Shriver Leak the Love Child Story Herself?
Anonymous "sources" are saying that MARIA SHRIVER leaked the story about ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER'S love child to the media herself. --They say she was livid when Arnold told her, so she had her people drop hints to the "L.A. Times" and TMZ, who went on to break the story. They're also saying she hired a private investigator to dig up as much dirt as possible for their impending divorce.
Random Arnold Videos:
#1.) MARIA SHRIVER and OPRAH took a potshot at Arnold on yesterday's "Oprah". Maria told Oprah, quote, "You've given me love, support, wisdom, and most of all . . . the truth" . . . and then Oprah raised Maria's hand and said, quote, "Here's to the truth!" (--The episode was taped last week, on the very day the love child story broke. Here's the clip.)
#2.) In case you missed it, GEORGE LOPEZ dressed up like PATTY BAENA and interviewed himself on his show the other night. I hate to say it, but he looked better as Patty than Patty herself. (--Here's the video.)
#3.) The Daily Beast.com has a couple videos up from the classic bodybuilding documentary "Pumping Iron", and Arnold has some great lines about women and sex. They're not exactly safe for work, especially the one where he discusses "pumping."
Is This the Future of Hollywood? Will Smith's Kids Met Up with Michael Jackson's Kids on a Movie Set:
We could be looking at the future of Hollywood here, people: WILL SMITH'S kids JADEN and WILLOW met up with MICHAEL JACKSON'S offspring, PRINCE, PARIS and BLANKET, on a movie set in L.A. the other day. --Michael's mom, KATHERINE JACKSON, brought her grandkids to the set. (--Here's a photo of this HISTORIC event. P.S.: We have no idea who the dude on the far left is.) (TMZ)
Model Estella Warren Hit Three Cars While Driving Drunk . . . Then Kicked a Cop and Temporarily Escaped from the Police Station:
Model (slash) actress ESTELLA WARREN went MONKEY NUTS Monday during a DUI incident. --Estella was driving her Prius through Los Angeles Monday night just before midnight, when she slammed into three parked cars and tried to flee the scene. --After she hit the third car, she had to stop. Somebody called the cops and they showed up pretty quickly. And Estella promptly KICKED one of them. Once they got her under control they gave her a field sobriety test, which she failed. --So they hauled her in. But while she was being booked, she slipped her skinny wrists out of her handcuffs and fled out the back door of the station. She didn't get too far. --Estella was hit with four charges: DUI, assault, hit and run and felony escape. Bail was set at $100,000 and she was bailed out yesterday afternoon at 2:30 P.M. A law enforcement source says, quote, "She was really hammered." --Meanwhile, the owner of the first car Estella hit said she attacked HIM after he confronted her. --He said, quote, "When I told her she had to wait for the police to arrive she lashed out at me and started to 'girl-slap' me on my chest and arms." (--This guy gives a pretty detailed description of exactly what happened. You can read it here if you'd like.) --As long as we're dumping on Estella, we might as well toss this in: She lists her age as 32. But her booking report says she's actually 40.
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Has No Problem Killing Farm Animals:
ROSIE HUNTINGTON-WHITELEY is The Next Big Thing. She stars opposite SHIA LABEOUF in the upcoming "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" . . . and it seems like she tops just about every "hot list" that comes out. --But on the downside, she may have just made an enemy of PETA. --Rosie grew up on a farm in England . . . and as such, she has no qualms about killing animals. --She says, quote, "I know where my food comes from. I don't get sad 'cause you don't build relationships with those animals. --"I'm a farm girl; there's the pigs, that's the dog that I play with and love, but it's the pig that's gonna be in the freezer next month." (--As someone who eats plenty of dead animals, I respect that. I mean, if you're gonna eat 'em, you can't complain. Because SOMEBODY has to kill them.)
The Release of "The Hangover Part 2" Could Not Be Stopped by the Guy Who Did Mike Tyson's Face Tattoo:
You may not even remember this, but the guy who did MIKE TYSON'S face tattoo went to court to stop this weekend's release of "The Hangover Part 2". --He said he owns the COPYRIGHT on that design . . . and the filmmakers infringed on that copyright by having ED HELMS' character get a similar tattoo in the movie. In addition to stopping the movie, he was also looking for some CASH. --Yeah, it all seems TOTALLY ridiculous. And yesterday, a judge ruled that the movie will open Friday as scheduled. --However . . . she's allowing the copyright infringement lawsuit to continue. --She said the tattoo artist has, quote, "a strong likelihood of ultimately succeeding on the merits of the case" . . . but that stopping the movie from opening this weekend could be financially disastrous to Warner Brothers and theater owners. --If this guy DOES succeed in proving copyright infringement, he could actually stop "The Hangover Part 2" from being distributed on DVD, cable, on-demand services and other outlets at a later date. (--I don't even think that's remotely possible. But then again, I thought this case would get laughed out of court in one second flat . . . and that didn't exactly happen.)
Check Out Some Pictures of the New Three Stooges:
We've got some pictures for you today of the new THREE STOOGES. --We have great shots of Canadian actor CHRIS DIAMANTOPOULOS as Moe, and SEAN HAYES from "Will & Grace" as Larry. But sadly, there's only one shot of "MadTV's" WILL SASSO as Curly, and it's from behind. (--Check 'em out here. You might also know Will Sasso as Vince from the now-canceled "[Bleep] My Dad Says".) (Radar Online)
Lenny Kravitz Has Joined the Cast of "The Hunger Games":
LENNY KRAVITZ has joined the cast of "The Hunger Games". He'll play Cinna . . . the stylist for lead character Katniss Everdeen . . . who's being played by JENNIFER LAWRENCE. --Lenny was actually cast on the strength of his work in "Precious". Director Gary Ross says, quote, "It was quiet and strong and understated and open-hearted: all qualities which define this character."
"DANCING WITH THE STARS": THE FINALE
Hines Ward is Your New "Dancing with the Stars" Champion:
HINES WARD of the Pittsburgh Steelers is your "Dancing with the Stars" Season 12 champion. He and partner KYM JOHNSON took the Mirrorball Trophy from KIRSTIE ALLEY and MAKSIM CHMERKOVSKIY. --CHELSEA KANE and MARK BALLAS came in THIRD. (--Even though Chelsea was easily the best dancer. At least I thought so. But Chelsea came in with two strikes against her because she was one of the least-famous contestants.) (--Especially compared to Hines and Kirstie. The fact that she outlasted several people who probably had more fans than her coming in is an accomplishment in itself.) --This is Kym's second championship. She also won Season Nine with DONNY OSMOND. --Everybody got a perfect score of 30 for their final dance last night. (--How convenient!) --Maksim has been talking lately about possibly leaving the show. And he kept that rumor percolating last night by thanking not only Kirstie for a great season, but all of his past partners.
"AMERICAN IDOL" INSANITY
"American Idol" Randoms: Lauren Alaina's Throat, Highlights from This Season, And More:
If it were up to the judges, LAUREN ALAINA would win "American Idol". (Full Story) Earlier yesterday, LAUREN ALAINA lost her voice . . . and there was talk that she might not be able to perform. The producers were prepping HALEY REINHART, who was eliminated last week, to fill in for Lauren if she couldn't do it. (Full Story)
TOM HANKS wanted HALEY REINHART to win "American Idol". On yesterday's "Ellen", he said he cast his first ever "Idol" vote for Haley last week. He said, quote, "I voted twice and I thought well, that'll put her over the top." (Full Story)
(--Here's a video. The "Idol" talk is after his funky dancing, at the :50 mark.)
Billboard.com put together a comprehensive list of the best and worst moments of "American Idol's" 10th season. (List)
In addition to BONO and THE EDGE from U2, the "Hollywood Reporter" says the performers for tonight's "American Idol" finale will include: Steven Tyler, Carrie Underwood, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. (Full Story)
"Jersey Shore's" Ronnie and The Situation Engaged in Fisticuffs, and There Are Pictures of the Aftermath:
"Jersey Shore" stars RONNIE and THE SITUATION allegedly engaged in FISTICUFFS in Italy on Monday night . . . and TMZ has pictures of the aftermath. --It's unclear what happened, but it looks like Ronnie came out on top, because the pictures show The Situation with red marks on his face . . . and Ronnie's knuckles are a little beat up. (--You can check out the pictures, here.) -TMZ says the fight had something to do with an argument between Ronnie and SAMMI . . . so big surprise, it sounds like there will be even more drama between those two on the upcoming season. --For the record, MTV confirmed that something happened to The Situation, but wouldn't elaborate. --They released a statement saying, quote, "Mike received medical attention after an accidental injury in the house. He was treated and is now at home with the rest of the cast." (--TRANSLATION: "We caught this thing on camera, and we're not going to describe it . . . or admit how much it was overblown . . . so you're just going to have to wait to watch it. 'Jersey Shore', Season Four, coming later this year!")
The Guest for the Final Episode of "Oprah" Will Be: No One:
The final episode of "Oprah" taped yesterday and will air later TODAY . . . and some details have hit the Internet. Obviously, the biggest question is: Who's her final guest? Well, the answer is: NO ONE. --Oprah told the audience that she wanted her last show to be about her fans . . . quote, "This is my love letter to you." --But of course, it was also about herself, too. An audience member told "Access Hollywood", quote, "It was just her the whole time, a recap of what she believed in, what we've given her as viewers and what she hopes she has given us." --Someone else said, quote, "[Oprah] said, 'This isn't goodbye. This is until we meet again.' . . . [There was] a lot of crying and hugs, crying and hugs." (--In other words, it was less like a party, and more like the last day of summer camp.)
"Survivor" Guru Mark Burnett Is Doing a Miniseries About The Bible:
MARK BURNETT . . . the reality show guru behind "Survivor" . . . is developing a massive, 10-hour History Channel miniseries about The Bible. --It's a large-scale live-action production, which will also be filled with "state of the art" computer imagery. As exciting as that sounds, you may want to hold your horses, because this thing isn't going to premiere until 2013. (--The mini-series is expected cover all the main events . . . from Genesis, up through the shocking Tribal Council where Jesus was voted out of Jerusalem.)
It's Official: Christopher Meloni Is Done with "Law & Order: SVU":
This time, the rumors were true: CHRISTOPHER MELONI will NOT be returning to "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" next season. (--He played Detective Elliot Stabler.) --His rep says, quote, "It is true . . . 12 great years and time for the next chapter." --There had been some talk that Christopher may not be back . . . but since that's become an annual tradition, it was easy to dismiss. And just last week, an NBC suit announced that Christopher's deal was, quote, "nearly done." --Apparently, that fell through. --Christopher and co-star MARISKA HARGITAY have had their share of contract holdouts, but it made them two of the highest paid actors on primetime TV. Last year, they were both pulling down $395,000 an episode. --Or roughly $9.5 million a year. --Mariska will be back next season, but she asked for a lighter workload. So halfway through the season, her character will be promoted out of her starring role . . . meaning she'll have less screen time. --There's speculation that JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT is in the running to replace Mariska . . . but nothing's official yet.
The 20 Most-Watched Shows of the Entire 2010-2011 TV Season:
Nielsen has released a list of the Top 20 Most-Watched Shows of the Year. Although it seems that they jumped the gun a little bit . . . considering that the 2010-2011 TV season doesn't wrap until TONIGHT. --Regardless, here's the list, which runs through this past Sunday night . . . and excludes football pre-game and post-game shows.
1.) "American Idol" (Wednesdays), 25.6 million viewers (Fox)
2.) "American Idol" (Thursdays), 23.8 million viewers (Fox)
3.) "Sunday Night Football", 21.4 million viewers (NBC)
4.) "Dancing with the Stars" (Mondays), 21 million viewers (ABC)
5.) "NCIS", 19.7 million viewers (CBS)
6.) "Dancing with the Stars" (Tuesdays), 18.3 million viewers (ABC)
7.) "NCIS: Los Angeles", 16.7 million viewers (CBS)
8.) "The Mentalist", 15.3 million viewers (CBS)
9.) "Criminal Minds", 14.3 million viewers (CBS)
10.) "CSI", 13.63 million viewers (CBS)
11.) "Survivor: Nicaragua", 13.6 million viewers (CBS)
12.) "60 Minutes", 13.3 million viewers (CBS)
13.) "The Big Bang Theory", 13.2 million viewers (CBS)
14.) "Body of Proof", 13.1 million viewers (ABC)
15.) "The Good Wife", 12.9 million viewers (CBS)
16.) "Two and a Half Men", 12.87 million viewers (CBS)
17.) "Blue Bloods", 12.7 million viewers (CBS)
18.) "Survivor: Redemption Island", 12.6 million viewers (CBS)
19.) "The Voice", 12.56 million viewers (NBC)
20.) "Undercover Boss", 12.2 million viewers (CBS)
--For the eighth time in the past nine years, CBS ended the season as the most-watched network. But Fox finished with the most viewers in the coveted demographic of 18- to 49-year-olds. Fox has held that distinction for seven straight years. --None of that is surprising if you look at the Top 20. Fox has the top two shows . . . the two "American Idols" . . . and CBS has basically everything else. --ABC was third in both total viewers and the demographic, and NBC was last in both. Unless you count the CW . . . which always pulls up the rear.
"NCIS" Was Last Week's Highest Rated Season Finale . . . Coming in Behind "American Idol" and "Dancing with the Stars":
Last week's most-watched season finale was "NCIS", which just wrapped up its 8th season. That episode was watched by 18.6 million people in 4th place. --The top two spots went to the "American Idol" and "Dancing with the Stars" performance shows, with "Idol" being watched by 23.6 million people. Here are the Top 20 shows . . .
1.) Wednesday's "American Idol" performance show, Fox, 23.6 million viewers
2.) The "Dancing with the Stars" performance show, ABC, 22 million viewers
3.) Thursday's "American Idol" results show, Fox, 21.8 million viewers
4.) The 8th season finale of "NCIS", CBS, 18.6 million viewers
5.) The "Dancing with the Stars" results show, ABC, 18.1 million viewers
6.) The 2nd season finale of "NCIS: Los Angeles", CBS, 15.6 million viewers
7.) The 3rd season finale of "The Mentalist", CBS, 14.1 million viewers
8.) The CBS Sunday Movie presentation of "Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost", CBS, 13.9 million viewers
9.) Tuesday's 8:00 P.M. segment of "Dancing with the Stars", ABC, 13.8 million viewers
10.) The 3rd season finale of "Castle", ABC, 12.9 million viewers
11.) The 6th season finale of "Criminal Minds", CBS, 12.8 million viewers
12.) The 2nd season finale of "The Good Wife", CBS, 12.6 million viewers
13.) The 4th season finale of "The Big Bang Theory", CBS, 11.3 million viewers
14.) The 8:00 P.M. segment of "60 Minutes", CBS, 10.8 million viewers
15.) The 1st season finale of "Hawaii Five-0", CBS, 10.4 million viewers
16.) "60 Minutes", CBS, 10.39 million viewers
17.) The 1st season finale of "Body of Proof", ABC, 10.33 million viewers
18.) "Modern Family", ABC, 10.3 million viewers
19.) "The Voice", NBC, 10 million viewers
20.) The 7th season finale of "Grey's Anatomy", ABC, 9.9 million viewers
(--The NBA playoffs took the top five spots in the cable ratings. TNT's coverage of Game 3 of the Miami Heat-Chicago Bulls series took the top spot with 10.9 million viewers. The Heat won that game by a score of 96-85.)
Wednesday TV Reminders: (--Check your local listings.)
--"NBA Playoffs: Mavericks vs. Thunder" [Western Conference Finals Game 5] . . . 9:00 to 11:30 P.M. Eastern on ESPN. (--The Dallas Mavericks host the Oklahoma City Thunder.)
--"American Idol" [10th Season Finale] . . . 8:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Fox. (--Performances include Steven Tyler, Carrie Underwood, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, plus a duet by Casey Abrams and Jack Black.)
--"The Middle" [2nd Season Finale] . . . 8:00 to 8:30 P.M. on ABC.
--"Modern Family" [2nd Season Finale] . . . 9:00 to 9:30 P.M. on ABC.
--"Cougar Town" [2nd Season Finale] . . . 9:30 to 10:30 P.M. on ABC.
--"Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" [1st Season Finale] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on CBS. (--"3rd Rock From the Sun's" French Stewart guest stars as a suspect in a string of random crowd shootings.)
--"South Park" . . . 10:00 to 10:30 P.M. on Comedy Central. (--Cartman shares his plan to help those poor babies addicted to crack.)
--"Happy Endings" [1st Season Finale] . . . 10:30 to 11:00 P.M. on ABC.
--"Pawn Queens" [1st Season Finale] . . . 10:30 to 11:00 P.M. on TLC.
Paul McCartney Says the Rolling Stones Were Jealous of The Beatles . . . Because All Four Beatles Could Sing:
As arguably the biggest band of all time, THE BEATLES made a lot of other groups jealous . . . even bands that were massively successful themselves. And that includes the ROLLING STONES. --In an interview with Britain's "Radio Times", PAUL MCCARTNEY said the Stones were envious because all four Beatles could sing. Or at least three-and-a-half Beatles, as Paul seemed to imply. --He said, quote, "We were an entity. Mick [Jagger] used to call us the 'Four-Headed Monster.' We would show up at places all dressed the same . . . --"The four of us were unusual. I talked to Keith Richards recently . . . and his take on it was: 'Man, you were lucky, you guys, you had four lead singers,' whereas the Rolling Stones only had one. --"I could sing, John [LENNON] could sing, George [HARRISON] could sing and Ringo [STARR] did numbers that he could sing. So it wasn't just the front man and the back-up band." (--To me that sounds like a little SHOT at Ringo . . . saying that he "did numbers that he could sing.") (--Ringo's vocals were featured on around a dozen Beatles songs . . . including "Act Naturally", "Don't Pass Me By", "I Wanna Be Your Man", "Octopus's Garden", "With a Little Help from My Friends" and "Yellow Submarine".) (--Now, I realize it may not have been an intentional dig, or a dig at all . . . and Ringo may not disagree, or even care. Paul and Ringo seem to banter playfully about this sort of thing.) (--In fact, earlier this week, Ringo said, quote, "[Paul and I] are as close as we want to be. We're the only two remaining Beatles, although he likes to think he's the only one.") (--That seems to have been a joke. In fact, earlier this year Paul and Ringo made a joke of it during the BBC's "Comic Relief Night".) (--Paul told a bunch of people sitting around a table, quote, "I was in the biggest rock 'n' roll band in the history of music . . . I am the last remaining Beatle.") (--Then the camera cut to an exasperated Ringo, who said, quote, "What about me?") (--It's in this video . . . but you have to fast-forward to the 11:30 mark.)
Sum 41 Singer Deryck Whibley Fainted Onstage in Japan Last Week:
SUM 41 singer DERYCK WHIBLEY fainted onstage in Japan last week . . . but apparently he was OK, because he was able to continue after taking a break. There's no word what was wrong with him. --The band posted a video on YouTube, which includes footage of Deryck woozy . . . and lying on the ground backstage. (--You can watch the video, here. Skip ahead to 50 seconds in. ***WARNING***: There's an F-BOMB at the 2:53 mark.) --Regardless of what caused the fainting, Deryck and Japan have a complicated relationship. Last summer, Deryck was attacked at a bar in Japan, and hurt his back. The band was forced to cancel the rest of that tour.
WEDNESDAY'S SHOWBIZ EXTRAS
Showbiz Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:
NASCAR stud KYLE BUSCH got popped for doing 128 miles per hour in a 45-mile-per-hour zone in a new Lexus LFA. He quickly apologized, saying, quote, "I was test driving a new sports car and I got carried away." He also vowed that it would never happen again. (Full Story)
JEFF CONAWAY is NOT getting any better. (Full Story)
Right-wing radio stars like RUSH LIMBAUGH and SEAN HANNITY are losing listeners. (Full Story)
There were reports yesterday of an "explosion" on the set of "The Hobbit". That seems to have been a bit of an exaggeration. A publicist for the movie says two crew members who were drilling on a statue suffered, quote, "mild burns, but nothing serious." (Full Story)
ANNA KOURNIKOVA will be a trainer on "The Biggest Loser" next season. She replaces hard-ass bisexual minx JILLIAN MICHAELS . . . who's leaving the show. (Full Story)
Harrison Ford, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Chris Evans, Danny McBride, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and UFC stud Jon "Bones Jones are among the stars who'll be at the June 10th "Guys Choice Awards". (Full Story)
ADELE has learned what happens when your career blows up: Your TAX BILL does, too. (Full Story)
PUDDLE OF MUDD will release a covers album called "re:(disc)overed" on August 2nd. It'll include covers of Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Steve Miller, the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Bad Company and more. (Full Story)
Would you like to see JEFF TIMMONS from 98 DEGREES in his Chippendales outfit? (Photo)
NAZZY’S RANDOM STUFF
President Obama Wrote "2008" When He Signed the Guestbook at Westminster Abbey . . . and Messed Up His Toast to the Queen:
Looks like even PRESIDENT OBAMA wants to take a time machine back to 2008, before his popularity and the economy fully crashed and burned. --Yesterday when he was visiting Westminster Abbey in London, he wrote "24 May 2008" when he signed the guestbook. So . . . not only did he write the day and month as "24 May" like a sissy European, he missed by three years. (--Here's a picture of his signature with the error.) --Then he gave an awkward toast at a state banquet at Buckingham Palace. First he gave a little speech, and then he started a toast by saying "To Her Majesty, the Queen." --But he paused for so long, Obama-style, that the orchestra thought it was their cue to start playing the British national anthem. Only Obama kept talking, and quoting Shakespeare. When he finished, he said "To the Queen" again, and raised his glass. --But the anthem was still playing, so no one grabbed their glasses . . . everyone just stood there quietly, waiting for the anthem to be over. --So he put his drink down, waited for the song to end, then picked it back up and said "To the Queen" one more time . . . but this time he kind of muttered it. (Gawker / ABC) (--For the video, just Google "Obama's Toast to Queen Turns Awkward." He raises his glass about 30 seconds in, and it looks like Obama, the Queen, and Prince Philip are trying not to laugh at the awkwardness.)
In a Survey of 1,500 Americans, 0% Identified Themselves as Unsafe Drivers:
This is less a survey about safe driving and more an insight into the IDIOTS we see on the road each day. --Harris just finished a survey of more than 1,500 Americans. They asked "Are you an unsafe driver?" And the number of people who said yes is . . . ZERO. In other words: Not a single person out there believes they're the problem. --83% of the people surveyed claimed to drive safely. The average person said 90% of OTHER drivers are unsafe. Amazing. --And the egotistical sense of entitlement doesn't stop there. 20% of drivers said that they can eat, drink, talk, reach into the backseat, whatever . . . because they're good enough drivers to do that without compromising safety. (PR Newswire)
Traffic Jams Stress Out Men Seven Times More Than Women:
According to a new study by TomTom GPS, traffic jams stress out men up to SEVEN TIMES more than they stress out women. I mean . . . it's so bad, traffic jams might actually stress out men more than women do. --In the study, women's stress levels jumped up to 8.7% in heavy traffic. Men's stress levels jumped up to 60% in the exact same traffic. 67% of women felt no stress, versus 50% of men. --A psychologist who ran the study says it makes biological sense. Men have an instinct to either confront a problem or walk away . . . women have an instinct to find a way to relax while they cope with the problem. (Sympatico.ca)
Women Prefer Men Who Look Cocky or Miserable . . . Basically Anything Besides Happy:
Once again, we have something awful to blame on "Twilight". Somehow it has made quiet, depressed guys fashionable.--According to a study out of the University of British Columbia in Canada, women are significantly more sexually attracted to a man who is MOODY, MISERABLE, or BROODING than a man who's smiling and happy. --The study also found women are significantly more sexually attracted to a man who looks cocky, proud, or powerful than a man who's smiling and happy. --The study only tested initial gut reactions and sexual attraction . . . not whether a woman thought the man would be a good boyfriend or husband. --The study found that men are completely the opposite of women. Men found themselves MOST attracted to smiling, happy women and least attracted to ones who looked cocky or miserable. --Men were also more generous with their rankings . . . they ranked women attractive more often than women ranked men attractive. (Canadian Press)
The Twitter Response to the Rapture Featured 67% Sarcasm and 3% Religious Enlightenment:
On Saturday, after the Rapture failed to happen, more than half a million people went on Twitter to share their reactions. And this shouldn't be a surprise . . . but jokes and sarcasm DOMINATED. According to an analysis . . .
--67% of the tweets were jokes, humor, or sarcasm.
--10% were criticism of HAROLD CAMPING, the guy behind the Rapture prediction.
--9% were about people attending an "end of the world" party.
--5% called the day anticlimactic.
--4% simply discussed the news without any opinion.
--3% wrote "I survived."
--And finally, 3% said even though there was no Rapture, this whole thing brought them closer to God or their religion. (Mashable)
Wikipedia Wants to Be Classified as a Global Treasure, Equal to the Grand Canyon or the Pyramids:
Wikipedia is very useful. Sure, you can't always trust it, and students who use it to write papers should get an instant "F" . . . but if you want to know the history of every OLSEN TWINS movie, it's the first place to look. --Well . . . Wikipedia thinks it's more than that. It actually thinks it's a GLOBAL TREASURE. --The people behind Wikipedia are pushing to get it added to the U.N.'s World Heritage List. -That's a list that contains the most culturally and socially significant treasures of the world . . . things like the Grand Canyon, the Great Wall of China, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Pyramids. --Jimmy Wales is the founder of Wikipedia. He wants the site to be the first digital entry on the list, quote, "to recognize that Wikipedia is this amazing global cultural phenomena that has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people." --So far, there hasn't been a response on this from the U.N. (New York Times) (--And look on the bright side: If the World Heritage List doesn't add them, the people at Wikipedia can always go onto its page and add themselves to the list. You can see all of the entries on the World Heritage List here.)
Remember Those Annoying Vuvuzela Horns From the World Cup? Yeah . . . Turns Out They Spread Disease:
We've got the results here of a nice, timely study from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. It's about something that everyone was talking about 11 months ago . . . vuvuzelas. --Remember those? They're the annoying plastic horns that screwed up the audio during the 2010 World Cup, because they sound like a swarm of buzzing bees. --And according to the study, they're not just annoying . . . they're also potentially DEADLY. --The study found that vuvuzelas actually SPREAD DISEASE. When someone blows into one, their spit showers out of the barrel, just like a sneeze. It travels at four million droplets per second. --So just one sick person blowing on a vuvuzela could infect dozens of people around them with everything from the flu to tuberculosis. --The organizers of the 2012 summer Olympics in London are still debating whether or not to ban vuvuzelas. (BBC)
Going to Art Museums and Operas Will Make You Healthy?
Here's a really good reason to go to the opera. You know . . . besides getting turned on by the nonstop parade of super-chubbies on stage. --A study out of Norway found that men who do high-culture activities like the opera, ballet, art museums, symphonies . . . and Croatian films with subtitles . . . see actual mental and physical benefits. --The men in the study had improved health, life satisfaction, stress levels, and depression rates compared with men who didn't do any cultural activities. --For women, there was a different result. The researchers found that the two types of activities that led to the biggest changes in women were going to church . . . and going to sporting events. --The researchers are still coming up with theories for WHY different events have different effects on the genders. -The best theory right now: Both genders seem to get the best benefits from activities they're stereotypically not supposed to enjoy, so just getting out of your comfort zone might be good for you. (LiveScience)
Rollerblading Has Dropped 64% in the Past Decade:
Bad news if you've been working on your body, your tan, and your skating skills so you can FINALLY feel confident doing some shirtless Rollerblading this summer. You might be the only one out there. --According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, inline skating is fading faster than virtually any other sport. --In the year 2000, about 22 million people went Rollerblading at least once. By 2010, that was down a ridiculous 64%, to less than eight million people. --The only sport that had a bigger drop in the decade is . . . roller hockey. Which, of course, makes use of Rollerblades. Roller hockey fell 65%, versus inline skating's 64%. --So why have people stopped Rollerblading? Howard Weiner owns a skate shop in Portland, Oregon and he says, quote, "Just like quad outdoor skating, it rode a wave and the wave crested. And the water retreated." --The wave was biggest from 1987 to 1995, when inline skating participation went up 634%. --After roller hockey and inline skating, the sports with the next biggest drops in the last ten years are: Cross-country skiing, non-motorized scooter riding, water skiing, wrestling, slow-pitch softball, skateboarding, scuba diving, and BMX bicycling. --Lacrosse had the biggest rise in the past decade, up 218%. (The Oregonian)
Seven of the Ten Worst Cities for Job Hunters Are in California and Florida:
If you're searching all over the country for a job, here's a suggestion. If a place has nice weather year round . . . no one's hiring. --"U.S. News & World Report" just put out a list of the 10 cities where it's the hardest to get a job, based on a ratio of unemployment rates to job postings. And SEVEN of them are in either California or Florida. --Riverside, California has the worst ratio, with 3.75 unemployed residents per job posting. Sacramento came in third and Los Angeles came in fourth. As for Florida, Miami is fifth, Orlando is eighth, Jacksonville is ninth, and Tampa is tenth. --The cities on the list that aren't in Florida or California are Las Vegas in second, Detroit in sixth, and Providence, Rhode Island in seventh. (U.S. News & World Report)
MEATBALL CRIMINALS
A Man Repeatedly Pocket Dials 911 While Doing Yard Work . . . And it Turns Out There Were Warrants for His Arrest:
It's a good bet 29-year-old James Green of Bangor, Maine will never forget to lock his cell phone ever again. --On Saturday, James was doing yard work with his cell phone in his pocket. Somehow, he accidentally pocked dialed 911. Over and over and over. --After all those 911 hang-ups, the dispatchers pinpointed his location and two cops went to his house. When they got there, they found out James was wanted on two warrants for failure to pay fines . . . and he was arrested. (Bangor Daily News)
Site For Sore Eyes:
www.weather.gov/os/marine/safeboating
It’s National Safe Boating Week! The National Weather Service has partnered with the National Safe Boating Council to help promote safe boating practices. NOAA provides a suite of products to help boaters get up-to-date weather information. In addition to point-and-click forecasts that are available to all boaters, the site links to the latest marine forecasting innovations and to regional marine forecast web portals – a one stop shop for local forecasts, observations and hazards. Visitors can also learn about weather terminology and new safety statistics on what causes the most boating fatalities and what actions to take for a safe 2011 boating season.
http://fallendogs.com
Intelligent Products, Inc. is launching Fallendogs.com in time for Memorial Day, 2011. The site is designed to memorialize dogs who have served in amazing ways. K-9s featured on the site include war dogs, police dogs, fire dogs, guide dogs, and more. These brave animals make sacrifices and show superior loyalty, but often go without the thanks or admiration that other heroes enjoy. Fallendogs.com hopes to change that, offering people the opportunity to share a story of a heroic dog that changed a life. Fallendogs.com will also offer products to visitors. Proceeds from the sale of these products will benefit charities that serve working K-9s. Products offered will include Mutt Mitts, Flexi leashes and Kong dog toys. Participating charities are involved in providing guide dogs for the blind, equipment for military dogs, service animals, and more.
Random News Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:
How bad is the economy? Companies in India are outsourcing call center jobs . . . to the U.S. (Full Story)
There's a new iPhone app called "Sonar" that allows you to scan the social networking information of the people around you, to help you decide who to talk to and who to ignore. But the other people have to have the app installed too. (Full Story)
A lion in a Chinese zoo mated with a female tiger, who then refused to nurse her liger cubs. Luckily, the zoo found a dog who was up to the challenge. (Full Story)
A dog named Dozer supposedly finished a half-marathon for charity in Maryland last week, and was set to earn thousands of dollars in donations. But it turns out he just escaped from his yard, and didn't join the race until five miles were left. (Full Story)
According to a new survey, whites believe they've replaced blacks as the primary victims of racial discrimination in America. (Full Story)
NAZZY’S VIDEOS OF THE DAY
#1.) Obama and the British Prime Minister Played Ping-Pong Against Two Kids and Lost:
PRESIDENT OBAMA took time out of his trip to England to play some doubles ping-pong with British Prime Minister DAVID CAMERON. --They played against two kids at a school in London . . . and apparently being elected to your nation's highest office does nothing for your table tennis skills. (--Search YouTube for "Ping Pong Politics.")
#2.) George W. Bush Almost Got Hit by a Foul Ball at a Texas Rangers Game:
George W. Bush was at a Texas Rangers game on Monday night, and almost got hit in the face with a foul ball. He was sitting with Laura Bush and Nolan Ryan behind home plate on the first base side, and it landed right in front of them. --White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski tried to catch it but missed, then he and Bush yucked it up for a few seconds before Pierzynski went back to the game. --When you watch the video, it actually looks like Bush might have tried to make the catch himself if Nolan's wife hadn't been in the way. (--Search YouTube for "George W. Bush Almost Hit in the Head by a Foul Ball.")
Five Popular Medications and Five Natural Treatments That Work Better:
A lot of medications and over-the-counter drugs cost a ton and come with all kinds of side effects. And according to the author of a book called "Overdosed America", they're not always as effective as drug-free options. --He says, quote, "TAKING something doesn't always make you as healthy as DOING something. [And] it's better to try a lifestyle modification first." That way, you're actually trying to FIX the problem instead of just masking your symptoms with drugs. --Here's a list from "Men's Health" of five popular medications and five natural methods that can work better.
#1.) Instead of Cough Syrup, Try Honey. Both of them coat your throat and relieve irritation. And a recent study found that in children, a spoonful of honey works better to suppress a cough than the active ingredient in Robitussin DM. --According to the study's author, it should work just as well in adults. But you might need two teaspoons of honey instead of one.
#2.) Instead of Taking Painkillers for a Headache, Get More Sleep. Popping a few aspirin or Advil every now and then is fine. But taking painkillers more than 15 days a month can actually CAUSE headaches. --Doctors aren't sure why it happens, but it seems to happen more often if you take a painkiller with more than one active ingredient. Like Tylenol with codeine. Or Excedrin, which contains aspirin, acetaminophen, and caffeine. --Getting more rest can help with headaches, because usually the areas of your brain that are causing the pain are also involved with sleep. And if you get more rest, those areas get desensitized.
#3.) Instead of Laxatives, Drink More Water. Americans spend $725 million a year on laxatives to help with constipation. But if they're used too often, you have to increase the dosage because your body becomes dependent. --A healthier option is to eat more fruit because it has a lot of fiber. And drink two full glasses of water before breakfast every morning.
#4.) Instead of Using Asthma Medicine, Buy an Air Filter. Whole-house air filters and even small portable units can reduce wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing. But they're pretty pricey. --Installing a filtration system in your house can cost well over $1,000, and even a portable unit costs around $100. So before you throw down the cash, talk to your doctor to see if he thinks it'll work for you.
#5.) When You Have the Flu, Use a Humidifier Instead of Tamiflu. It's not clear how well Tamiflu really works. --But a recent study found that using a humidifier can significantly reduce the amount of time you're sick, because the flu virus survives longer in dry air (Men's Health)
JUSTIN BIEBER has filmed a commercial for his new women's fragrance, Someday. And you have to wonder if it's a little too SEXUAL, given the fact that the kid is only 17. (--Check it out here.) --Basically, the gist of the commercial is that the girl puts some of this stuff on, and Justin is all over her. --He's kissing and nuzzling her neck, he's flying with her, he's giving her a piggyback ride through the air . . . and he comes dangerously close to resting his head against her chest. --It's not as racy as an ad for a Victoria's Secret fragrance, but the content is definitely edging toward that line. And we note, once again, that this kid is UNDERAGE. --You might not find it too ridiculous on the surface, but think about it this way: If MILEY CYRUS, before she turned 18, had played the role of the girl in this clip, the celebrity gossip world would have had a field day with it. --Should Justin be held to a different standard because he's a guy?
FINALLY!!! The Secret To Taylor Lautner's Abs!!!
Guys, you make fun of TAYLOR LAUTNER and how badly your girl lusts for him . . . but you know damn well you'd KILL for those abs. --And now we know how to get them. --Taylor's trainer, Jordan Yuam, gave away the FIVE KEY EXERCISES that helped to sculpt Taylor's stomach. Here they are:
#1.) Hanging leg raises: 12 reps, two sets each.
#2.) Diagonal isometrics: 12 reps, two sets eachh.
#3.) A breathing exercise. Yes, a breathing exercise. It's apparently more strenuous than it looks.
#4.) Another breathing exercise.
#5.) Ball crunches. (--No, it's not what you're thinking. It's doing stomach crunches while balanced on an exercise ball. Pervert.) (--Don't worry . . . Jordan and some other chick demonstrate all these moves in a video for you, so you can get started right away. Check it out here.)
Patty Baena's Husband Had No Idea Her 13-Year-Old Son Wasn't His Until Last Week:
Remember how we all found out last week that housekeeper PATTY BAENA'S son was actually fathered by ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER? Well, guess who else just found that out last week? The man Patty was married to when she had him. --For over 13 years, Rogelio Baena thought that kid was HIS . . . and he only learned the truth when the rest of us did. --But in an interview with "Entertainment Tonight", he relayed a message to the boy . . . quote, "I am your father. That's all." --Asked how he felt when he learned the truth, Rogelio said, quote, "Angry! Very, very angry! Arnold Schwarzenegger, for me, was my hero. Now, I feel betrayed." --We don't know how much contact Rogelio has had with the boy. He and Patty split up just WEEKS after his birth in 1997 . . . although Patty didn't get around to filing for divorce until 2008. (--If you don't have a strong stomach, you might not want to watch this . . . "Entertainment Tonight" found some footage of Patty trying to sing a sexy, Marilyn Monroe-style "Happy Birthday" to somebody a few years ago.) (--We don't know who she was trying to impress, but this apparently happened at a 15th birthday party for her niece. Check it out here . . . And wonder, once again, what the HELL Arnold was thinking.)
Did Maria Shriver Leak the Love Child Story Herself?
Anonymous "sources" are saying that MARIA SHRIVER leaked the story about ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER'S love child to the media herself. --They say she was livid when Arnold told her, so she had her people drop hints to the "L.A. Times" and TMZ, who went on to break the story. They're also saying she hired a private investigator to dig up as much dirt as possible for their impending divorce.
Random Arnold Videos:
#1.) MARIA SHRIVER and OPRAH took a potshot at Arnold on yesterday's "Oprah". Maria told Oprah, quote, "You've given me love, support, wisdom, and most of all . . . the truth" . . . and then Oprah raised Maria's hand and said, quote, "Here's to the truth!" (--The episode was taped last week, on the very day the love child story broke. Here's the clip.)
#2.) In case you missed it, GEORGE LOPEZ dressed up like PATTY BAENA and interviewed himself on his show the other night. I hate to say it, but he looked better as Patty than Patty herself. (--Here's the video.)
#3.) The Daily Beast.com has a couple videos up from the classic bodybuilding documentary "Pumping Iron", and Arnold has some great lines about women and sex. They're not exactly safe for work, especially the one where he discusses "pumping."
Is This the Future of Hollywood? Will Smith's Kids Met Up with Michael Jackson's Kids on a Movie Set:
We could be looking at the future of Hollywood here, people: WILL SMITH'S kids JADEN and WILLOW met up with MICHAEL JACKSON'S offspring, PRINCE, PARIS and BLANKET, on a movie set in L.A. the other day. --Michael's mom, KATHERINE JACKSON, brought her grandkids to the set. (--Here's a photo of this HISTORIC event. P.S.: We have no idea who the dude on the far left is.) (TMZ)
Model Estella Warren Hit Three Cars While Driving Drunk . . . Then Kicked a Cop and Temporarily Escaped from the Police Station:
Model (slash) actress ESTELLA WARREN went MONKEY NUTS Monday during a DUI incident. --Estella was driving her Prius through Los Angeles Monday night just before midnight, when she slammed into three parked cars and tried to flee the scene. --After she hit the third car, she had to stop. Somebody called the cops and they showed up pretty quickly. And Estella promptly KICKED one of them. Once they got her under control they gave her a field sobriety test, which she failed. --So they hauled her in. But while she was being booked, she slipped her skinny wrists out of her handcuffs and fled out the back door of the station. She didn't get too far. --Estella was hit with four charges: DUI, assault, hit and run and felony escape. Bail was set at $100,000 and she was bailed out yesterday afternoon at 2:30 P.M. A law enforcement source says, quote, "She was really hammered." --Meanwhile, the owner of the first car Estella hit said she attacked HIM after he confronted her. --He said, quote, "When I told her she had to wait for the police to arrive she lashed out at me and started to 'girl-slap' me on my chest and arms." (--This guy gives a pretty detailed description of exactly what happened. You can read it here if you'd like.) --As long as we're dumping on Estella, we might as well toss this in: She lists her age as 32. But her booking report says she's actually 40.
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Has No Problem Killing Farm Animals:
ROSIE HUNTINGTON-WHITELEY is The Next Big Thing. She stars opposite SHIA LABEOUF in the upcoming "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" . . . and it seems like she tops just about every "hot list" that comes out. --But on the downside, she may have just made an enemy of PETA. --Rosie grew up on a farm in England . . . and as such, she has no qualms about killing animals. --She says, quote, "I know where my food comes from. I don't get sad 'cause you don't build relationships with those animals. --"I'm a farm girl; there's the pigs, that's the dog that I play with and love, but it's the pig that's gonna be in the freezer next month." (--As someone who eats plenty of dead animals, I respect that. I mean, if you're gonna eat 'em, you can't complain. Because SOMEBODY has to kill them.)
The Release of "The Hangover Part 2" Could Not Be Stopped by the Guy Who Did Mike Tyson's Face Tattoo:
You may not even remember this, but the guy who did MIKE TYSON'S face tattoo went to court to stop this weekend's release of "The Hangover Part 2". --He said he owns the COPYRIGHT on that design . . . and the filmmakers infringed on that copyright by having ED HELMS' character get a similar tattoo in the movie. In addition to stopping the movie, he was also looking for some CASH. --Yeah, it all seems TOTALLY ridiculous. And yesterday, a judge ruled that the movie will open Friday as scheduled. --However . . . she's allowing the copyright infringement lawsuit to continue. --She said the tattoo artist has, quote, "a strong likelihood of ultimately succeeding on the merits of the case" . . . but that stopping the movie from opening this weekend could be financially disastrous to Warner Brothers and theater owners. --If this guy DOES succeed in proving copyright infringement, he could actually stop "The Hangover Part 2" from being distributed on DVD, cable, on-demand services and other outlets at a later date. (--I don't even think that's remotely possible. But then again, I thought this case would get laughed out of court in one second flat . . . and that didn't exactly happen.)
Check Out Some Pictures of the New Three Stooges:
We've got some pictures for you today of the new THREE STOOGES. --We have great shots of Canadian actor CHRIS DIAMANTOPOULOS as Moe, and SEAN HAYES from "Will & Grace" as Larry. But sadly, there's only one shot of "MadTV's" WILL SASSO as Curly, and it's from behind. (--Check 'em out here. You might also know Will Sasso as Vince from the now-canceled "[Bleep] My Dad Says".) (Radar Online)
Lenny Kravitz Has Joined the Cast of "The Hunger Games":
LENNY KRAVITZ has joined the cast of "The Hunger Games". He'll play Cinna . . . the stylist for lead character Katniss Everdeen . . . who's being played by JENNIFER LAWRENCE. --Lenny was actually cast on the strength of his work in "Precious". Director Gary Ross says, quote, "It was quiet and strong and understated and open-hearted: all qualities which define this character."
"DANCING WITH THE STARS": THE FINALE
Hines Ward is Your New "Dancing with the Stars" Champion:
HINES WARD of the Pittsburgh Steelers is your "Dancing with the Stars" Season 12 champion. He and partner KYM JOHNSON took the Mirrorball Trophy from KIRSTIE ALLEY and MAKSIM CHMERKOVSKIY. --CHELSEA KANE and MARK BALLAS came in THIRD. (--Even though Chelsea was easily the best dancer. At least I thought so. But Chelsea came in with two strikes against her because she was one of the least-famous contestants.) (--Especially compared to Hines and Kirstie. The fact that she outlasted several people who probably had more fans than her coming in is an accomplishment in itself.) --This is Kym's second championship. She also won Season Nine with DONNY OSMOND. --Everybody got a perfect score of 30 for their final dance last night. (--How convenient!) --Maksim has been talking lately about possibly leaving the show. And he kept that rumor percolating last night by thanking not only Kirstie for a great season, but all of his past partners.
"AMERICAN IDOL" INSANITY
"American Idol" Randoms: Lauren Alaina's Throat, Highlights from This Season, And More:
If it were up to the judges, LAUREN ALAINA would win "American Idol". (Full Story) Earlier yesterday, LAUREN ALAINA lost her voice . . . and there was talk that she might not be able to perform. The producers were prepping HALEY REINHART, who was eliminated last week, to fill in for Lauren if she couldn't do it. (Full Story)
TOM HANKS wanted HALEY REINHART to win "American Idol". On yesterday's "Ellen", he said he cast his first ever "Idol" vote for Haley last week. He said, quote, "I voted twice and I thought well, that'll put her over the top." (Full Story)
(--Here's a video. The "Idol" talk is after his funky dancing, at the :50 mark.)
Billboard.com put together a comprehensive list of the best and worst moments of "American Idol's" 10th season. (List)
In addition to BONO and THE EDGE from U2, the "Hollywood Reporter" says the performers for tonight's "American Idol" finale will include: Steven Tyler, Carrie Underwood, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. (Full Story)
"Jersey Shore's" Ronnie and The Situation Engaged in Fisticuffs, and There Are Pictures of the Aftermath:
"Jersey Shore" stars RONNIE and THE SITUATION allegedly engaged in FISTICUFFS in Italy on Monday night . . . and TMZ has pictures of the aftermath. --It's unclear what happened, but it looks like Ronnie came out on top, because the pictures show The Situation with red marks on his face . . . and Ronnie's knuckles are a little beat up. (--You can check out the pictures, here.) -TMZ says the fight had something to do with an argument between Ronnie and SAMMI . . . so big surprise, it sounds like there will be even more drama between those two on the upcoming season. --For the record, MTV confirmed that something happened to The Situation, but wouldn't elaborate. --They released a statement saying, quote, "Mike received medical attention after an accidental injury in the house. He was treated and is now at home with the rest of the cast." (--TRANSLATION: "We caught this thing on camera, and we're not going to describe it . . . or admit how much it was overblown . . . so you're just going to have to wait to watch it. 'Jersey Shore', Season Four, coming later this year!")
The Guest for the Final Episode of "Oprah" Will Be: No One:
The final episode of "Oprah" taped yesterday and will air later TODAY . . . and some details have hit the Internet. Obviously, the biggest question is: Who's her final guest? Well, the answer is: NO ONE. --Oprah told the audience that she wanted her last show to be about her fans . . . quote, "This is my love letter to you." --But of course, it was also about herself, too. An audience member told "Access Hollywood", quote, "It was just her the whole time, a recap of what she believed in, what we've given her as viewers and what she hopes she has given us." --Someone else said, quote, "[Oprah] said, 'This isn't goodbye. This is until we meet again.' . . . [There was] a lot of crying and hugs, crying and hugs." (--In other words, it was less like a party, and more like the last day of summer camp.)
"Survivor" Guru Mark Burnett Is Doing a Miniseries About The Bible:
MARK BURNETT . . . the reality show guru behind "Survivor" . . . is developing a massive, 10-hour History Channel miniseries about The Bible. --It's a large-scale live-action production, which will also be filled with "state of the art" computer imagery. As exciting as that sounds, you may want to hold your horses, because this thing isn't going to premiere until 2013. (--The mini-series is expected cover all the main events . . . from Genesis, up through the shocking Tribal Council where Jesus was voted out of Jerusalem.)
It's Official: Christopher Meloni Is Done with "Law & Order: SVU":
This time, the rumors were true: CHRISTOPHER MELONI will NOT be returning to "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" next season. (--He played Detective Elliot Stabler.) --His rep says, quote, "It is true . . . 12 great years and time for the next chapter." --There had been some talk that Christopher may not be back . . . but since that's become an annual tradition, it was easy to dismiss. And just last week, an NBC suit announced that Christopher's deal was, quote, "nearly done." --Apparently, that fell through. --Christopher and co-star MARISKA HARGITAY have had their share of contract holdouts, but it made them two of the highest paid actors on primetime TV. Last year, they were both pulling down $395,000 an episode. --Or roughly $9.5 million a year. --Mariska will be back next season, but she asked for a lighter workload. So halfway through the season, her character will be promoted out of her starring role . . . meaning she'll have less screen time. --There's speculation that JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT is in the running to replace Mariska . . . but nothing's official yet.
The 20 Most-Watched Shows of the Entire 2010-2011 TV Season:
Nielsen has released a list of the Top 20 Most-Watched Shows of the Year. Although it seems that they jumped the gun a little bit . . . considering that the 2010-2011 TV season doesn't wrap until TONIGHT. --Regardless, here's the list, which runs through this past Sunday night . . . and excludes football pre-game and post-game shows.
1.) "American Idol" (Wednesdays), 25.6 million viewers (Fox)
2.) "American Idol" (Thursdays), 23.8 million viewers (Fox)
3.) "Sunday Night Football", 21.4 million viewers (NBC)
4.) "Dancing with the Stars" (Mondays), 21 million viewers (ABC)
5.) "NCIS", 19.7 million viewers (CBS)
6.) "Dancing with the Stars" (Tuesdays), 18.3 million viewers (ABC)
7.) "NCIS: Los Angeles", 16.7 million viewers (CBS)
8.) "The Mentalist", 15.3 million viewers (CBS)
9.) "Criminal Minds", 14.3 million viewers (CBS)
10.) "CSI", 13.63 million viewers (CBS)
11.) "Survivor: Nicaragua", 13.6 million viewers (CBS)
12.) "60 Minutes", 13.3 million viewers (CBS)
13.) "The Big Bang Theory", 13.2 million viewers (CBS)
14.) "Body of Proof", 13.1 million viewers (ABC)
15.) "The Good Wife", 12.9 million viewers (CBS)
16.) "Two and a Half Men", 12.87 million viewers (CBS)
17.) "Blue Bloods", 12.7 million viewers (CBS)
18.) "Survivor: Redemption Island", 12.6 million viewers (CBS)
19.) "The Voice", 12.56 million viewers (NBC)
20.) "Undercover Boss", 12.2 million viewers (CBS)
--For the eighth time in the past nine years, CBS ended the season as the most-watched network. But Fox finished with the most viewers in the coveted demographic of 18- to 49-year-olds. Fox has held that distinction for seven straight years. --None of that is surprising if you look at the Top 20. Fox has the top two shows . . . the two "American Idols" . . . and CBS has basically everything else. --ABC was third in both total viewers and the demographic, and NBC was last in both. Unless you count the CW . . . which always pulls up the rear.
"NCIS" Was Last Week's Highest Rated Season Finale . . . Coming in Behind "American Idol" and "Dancing with the Stars":
Last week's most-watched season finale was "NCIS", which just wrapped up its 8th season. That episode was watched by 18.6 million people in 4th place. --The top two spots went to the "American Idol" and "Dancing with the Stars" performance shows, with "Idol" being watched by 23.6 million people. Here are the Top 20 shows . . .
1.) Wednesday's "American Idol" performance show, Fox, 23.6 million viewers
2.) The "Dancing with the Stars" performance show, ABC, 22 million viewers
3.) Thursday's "American Idol" results show, Fox, 21.8 million viewers
4.) The 8th season finale of "NCIS", CBS, 18.6 million viewers
5.) The "Dancing with the Stars" results show, ABC, 18.1 million viewers
6.) The 2nd season finale of "NCIS: Los Angeles", CBS, 15.6 million viewers
7.) The 3rd season finale of "The Mentalist", CBS, 14.1 million viewers
8.) The CBS Sunday Movie presentation of "Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost", CBS, 13.9 million viewers
9.) Tuesday's 8:00 P.M. segment of "Dancing with the Stars", ABC, 13.8 million viewers
10.) The 3rd season finale of "Castle", ABC, 12.9 million viewers
11.) The 6th season finale of "Criminal Minds", CBS, 12.8 million viewers
12.) The 2nd season finale of "The Good Wife", CBS, 12.6 million viewers
13.) The 4th season finale of "The Big Bang Theory", CBS, 11.3 million viewers
14.) The 8:00 P.M. segment of "60 Minutes", CBS, 10.8 million viewers
15.) The 1st season finale of "Hawaii Five-0", CBS, 10.4 million viewers
16.) "60 Minutes", CBS, 10.39 million viewers
17.) The 1st season finale of "Body of Proof", ABC, 10.33 million viewers
18.) "Modern Family", ABC, 10.3 million viewers
19.) "The Voice", NBC, 10 million viewers
20.) The 7th season finale of "Grey's Anatomy", ABC, 9.9 million viewers
(--The NBA playoffs took the top five spots in the cable ratings. TNT's coverage of Game 3 of the Miami Heat-Chicago Bulls series took the top spot with 10.9 million viewers. The Heat won that game by a score of 96-85.)
Wednesday TV Reminders: (--Check your local listings.)
--"NBA Playoffs: Mavericks vs. Thunder" [Western Conference Finals Game 5] . . . 9:00 to 11:30 P.M. Eastern on ESPN. (--The Dallas Mavericks host the Oklahoma City Thunder.)
--"American Idol" [10th Season Finale] . . . 8:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Fox. (--Performances include Steven Tyler, Carrie Underwood, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, plus a duet by Casey Abrams and Jack Black.)
--"The Middle" [2nd Season Finale] . . . 8:00 to 8:30 P.M. on ABC.
--"Modern Family" [2nd Season Finale] . . . 9:00 to 9:30 P.M. on ABC.
--"Cougar Town" [2nd Season Finale] . . . 9:30 to 10:30 P.M. on ABC.
--"Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" [1st Season Finale] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on CBS. (--"3rd Rock From the Sun's" French Stewart guest stars as a suspect in a string of random crowd shootings.)
--"South Park" . . . 10:00 to 10:30 P.M. on Comedy Central. (--Cartman shares his plan to help those poor babies addicted to crack.)
--"Happy Endings" [1st Season Finale] . . . 10:30 to 11:00 P.M. on ABC.
--"Pawn Queens" [1st Season Finale] . . . 10:30 to 11:00 P.M. on TLC.
Paul McCartney Says the Rolling Stones Were Jealous of The Beatles . . . Because All Four Beatles Could Sing:
As arguably the biggest band of all time, THE BEATLES made a lot of other groups jealous . . . even bands that were massively successful themselves. And that includes the ROLLING STONES. --In an interview with Britain's "Radio Times", PAUL MCCARTNEY said the Stones were envious because all four Beatles could sing. Or at least three-and-a-half Beatles, as Paul seemed to imply. --He said, quote, "We were an entity. Mick [Jagger] used to call us the 'Four-Headed Monster.' We would show up at places all dressed the same . . . --"The four of us were unusual. I talked to Keith Richards recently . . . and his take on it was: 'Man, you were lucky, you guys, you had four lead singers,' whereas the Rolling Stones only had one. --"I could sing, John [LENNON] could sing, George [HARRISON] could sing and Ringo [STARR] did numbers that he could sing. So it wasn't just the front man and the back-up band." (--To me that sounds like a little SHOT at Ringo . . . saying that he "did numbers that he could sing.") (--Ringo's vocals were featured on around a dozen Beatles songs . . . including "Act Naturally", "Don't Pass Me By", "I Wanna Be Your Man", "Octopus's Garden", "With a Little Help from My Friends" and "Yellow Submarine".) (--Now, I realize it may not have been an intentional dig, or a dig at all . . . and Ringo may not disagree, or even care. Paul and Ringo seem to banter playfully about this sort of thing.) (--In fact, earlier this week, Ringo said, quote, "[Paul and I] are as close as we want to be. We're the only two remaining Beatles, although he likes to think he's the only one.") (--That seems to have been a joke. In fact, earlier this year Paul and Ringo made a joke of it during the BBC's "Comic Relief Night".) (--Paul told a bunch of people sitting around a table, quote, "I was in the biggest rock 'n' roll band in the history of music . . . I am the last remaining Beatle.") (--Then the camera cut to an exasperated Ringo, who said, quote, "What about me?") (--It's in this video . . . but you have to fast-forward to the 11:30 mark.)
Sum 41 Singer Deryck Whibley Fainted Onstage in Japan Last Week:
SUM 41 singer DERYCK WHIBLEY fainted onstage in Japan last week . . . but apparently he was OK, because he was able to continue after taking a break. There's no word what was wrong with him. --The band posted a video on YouTube, which includes footage of Deryck woozy . . . and lying on the ground backstage. (--You can watch the video, here. Skip ahead to 50 seconds in. ***WARNING***: There's an F-BOMB at the 2:53 mark.) --Regardless of what caused the fainting, Deryck and Japan have a complicated relationship. Last summer, Deryck was attacked at a bar in Japan, and hurt his back. The band was forced to cancel the rest of that tour.
WEDNESDAY'S SHOWBIZ EXTRAS
Showbiz Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:
NASCAR stud KYLE BUSCH got popped for doing 128 miles per hour in a 45-mile-per-hour zone in a new Lexus LFA. He quickly apologized, saying, quote, "I was test driving a new sports car and I got carried away." He also vowed that it would never happen again. (Full Story)
JEFF CONAWAY is NOT getting any better. (Full Story)
Right-wing radio stars like RUSH LIMBAUGH and SEAN HANNITY are losing listeners. (Full Story)
There were reports yesterday of an "explosion" on the set of "The Hobbit". That seems to have been a bit of an exaggeration. A publicist for the movie says two crew members who were drilling on a statue suffered, quote, "mild burns, but nothing serious." (Full Story)
ANNA KOURNIKOVA will be a trainer on "The Biggest Loser" next season. She replaces hard-ass bisexual minx JILLIAN MICHAELS . . . who's leaving the show. (Full Story)
Harrison Ford, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Chris Evans, Danny McBride, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and UFC stud Jon "Bones Jones are among the stars who'll be at the June 10th "Guys Choice Awards". (Full Story)
ADELE has learned what happens when your career blows up: Your TAX BILL does, too. (Full Story)
PUDDLE OF MUDD will release a covers album called "re:(disc)overed" on August 2nd. It'll include covers of Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Steve Miller, the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Bad Company and more. (Full Story)
Would you like to see JEFF TIMMONS from 98 DEGREES in his Chippendales outfit? (Photo)
NAZZY’S RANDOM STUFF
President Obama Wrote "2008" When He Signed the Guestbook at Westminster Abbey . . . and Messed Up His Toast to the Queen:
Looks like even PRESIDENT OBAMA wants to take a time machine back to 2008, before his popularity and the economy fully crashed and burned. --Yesterday when he was visiting Westminster Abbey in London, he wrote "24 May 2008" when he signed the guestbook. So . . . not only did he write the day and month as "24 May" like a sissy European, he missed by three years. (--Here's a picture of his signature with the error.) --Then he gave an awkward toast at a state banquet at Buckingham Palace. First he gave a little speech, and then he started a toast by saying "To Her Majesty, the Queen." --But he paused for so long, Obama-style, that the orchestra thought it was their cue to start playing the British national anthem. Only Obama kept talking, and quoting Shakespeare. When he finished, he said "To the Queen" again, and raised his glass. --But the anthem was still playing, so no one grabbed their glasses . . . everyone just stood there quietly, waiting for the anthem to be over. --So he put his drink down, waited for the song to end, then picked it back up and said "To the Queen" one more time . . . but this time he kind of muttered it. (Gawker / ABC) (--For the video, just Google "Obama's Toast to Queen Turns Awkward." He raises his glass about 30 seconds in, and it looks like Obama, the Queen, and Prince Philip are trying not to laugh at the awkwardness.)
In a Survey of 1,500 Americans, 0% Identified Themselves as Unsafe Drivers:
This is less a survey about safe driving and more an insight into the IDIOTS we see on the road each day. --Harris just finished a survey of more than 1,500 Americans. They asked "Are you an unsafe driver?" And the number of people who said yes is . . . ZERO. In other words: Not a single person out there believes they're the problem. --83% of the people surveyed claimed to drive safely. The average person said 90% of OTHER drivers are unsafe. Amazing. --And the egotistical sense of entitlement doesn't stop there. 20% of drivers said that they can eat, drink, talk, reach into the backseat, whatever . . . because they're good enough drivers to do that without compromising safety. (PR Newswire)
Traffic Jams Stress Out Men Seven Times More Than Women:
According to a new study by TomTom GPS, traffic jams stress out men up to SEVEN TIMES more than they stress out women. I mean . . . it's so bad, traffic jams might actually stress out men more than women do. --In the study, women's stress levels jumped up to 8.7% in heavy traffic. Men's stress levels jumped up to 60% in the exact same traffic. 67% of women felt no stress, versus 50% of men. --A psychologist who ran the study says it makes biological sense. Men have an instinct to either confront a problem or walk away . . . women have an instinct to find a way to relax while they cope with the problem. (Sympatico.ca)
Women Prefer Men Who Look Cocky or Miserable . . . Basically Anything Besides Happy:
Once again, we have something awful to blame on "Twilight". Somehow it has made quiet, depressed guys fashionable.--According to a study out of the University of British Columbia in Canada, women are significantly more sexually attracted to a man who is MOODY, MISERABLE, or BROODING than a man who's smiling and happy. --The study also found women are significantly more sexually attracted to a man who looks cocky, proud, or powerful than a man who's smiling and happy. --The study only tested initial gut reactions and sexual attraction . . . not whether a woman thought the man would be a good boyfriend or husband. --The study found that men are completely the opposite of women. Men found themselves MOST attracted to smiling, happy women and least attracted to ones who looked cocky or miserable. --Men were also more generous with their rankings . . . they ranked women attractive more often than women ranked men attractive. (Canadian Press)
The Twitter Response to the Rapture Featured 67% Sarcasm and 3% Religious Enlightenment:
On Saturday, after the Rapture failed to happen, more than half a million people went on Twitter to share their reactions. And this shouldn't be a surprise . . . but jokes and sarcasm DOMINATED. According to an analysis . . .
--67% of the tweets were jokes, humor, or sarcasm.
--10% were criticism of HAROLD CAMPING, the guy behind the Rapture prediction.
--9% were about people attending an "end of the world" party.
--5% called the day anticlimactic.
--4% simply discussed the news without any opinion.
--3% wrote "I survived."
--And finally, 3% said even though there was no Rapture, this whole thing brought them closer to God or their religion. (Mashable)
Wikipedia Wants to Be Classified as a Global Treasure, Equal to the Grand Canyon or the Pyramids:
Wikipedia is very useful. Sure, you can't always trust it, and students who use it to write papers should get an instant "F" . . . but if you want to know the history of every OLSEN TWINS movie, it's the first place to look. --Well . . . Wikipedia thinks it's more than that. It actually thinks it's a GLOBAL TREASURE. --The people behind Wikipedia are pushing to get it added to the U.N.'s World Heritage List. -That's a list that contains the most culturally and socially significant treasures of the world . . . things like the Grand Canyon, the Great Wall of China, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Pyramids. --Jimmy Wales is the founder of Wikipedia. He wants the site to be the first digital entry on the list, quote, "to recognize that Wikipedia is this amazing global cultural phenomena that has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people." --So far, there hasn't been a response on this from the U.N. (New York Times) (--And look on the bright side: If the World Heritage List doesn't add them, the people at Wikipedia can always go onto its page and add themselves to the list. You can see all of the entries on the World Heritage List here.)
Remember Those Annoying Vuvuzela Horns From the World Cup? Yeah . . . Turns Out They Spread Disease:
We've got the results here of a nice, timely study from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. It's about something that everyone was talking about 11 months ago . . . vuvuzelas. --Remember those? They're the annoying plastic horns that screwed up the audio during the 2010 World Cup, because they sound like a swarm of buzzing bees. --And according to the study, they're not just annoying . . . they're also potentially DEADLY. --The study found that vuvuzelas actually SPREAD DISEASE. When someone blows into one, their spit showers out of the barrel, just like a sneeze. It travels at four million droplets per second. --So just one sick person blowing on a vuvuzela could infect dozens of people around them with everything from the flu to tuberculosis. --The organizers of the 2012 summer Olympics in London are still debating whether or not to ban vuvuzelas. (BBC)
Going to Art Museums and Operas Will Make You Healthy?
Here's a really good reason to go to the opera. You know . . . besides getting turned on by the nonstop parade of super-chubbies on stage. --A study out of Norway found that men who do high-culture activities like the opera, ballet, art museums, symphonies . . . and Croatian films with subtitles . . . see actual mental and physical benefits. --The men in the study had improved health, life satisfaction, stress levels, and depression rates compared with men who didn't do any cultural activities. --For women, there was a different result. The researchers found that the two types of activities that led to the biggest changes in women were going to church . . . and going to sporting events. --The researchers are still coming up with theories for WHY different events have different effects on the genders. -The best theory right now: Both genders seem to get the best benefits from activities they're stereotypically not supposed to enjoy, so just getting out of your comfort zone might be good for you. (LiveScience)
Rollerblading Has Dropped 64% in the Past Decade:
Bad news if you've been working on your body, your tan, and your skating skills so you can FINALLY feel confident doing some shirtless Rollerblading this summer. You might be the only one out there. --According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, inline skating is fading faster than virtually any other sport. --In the year 2000, about 22 million people went Rollerblading at least once. By 2010, that was down a ridiculous 64%, to less than eight million people. --The only sport that had a bigger drop in the decade is . . . roller hockey. Which, of course, makes use of Rollerblades. Roller hockey fell 65%, versus inline skating's 64%. --So why have people stopped Rollerblading? Howard Weiner owns a skate shop in Portland, Oregon and he says, quote, "Just like quad outdoor skating, it rode a wave and the wave crested. And the water retreated." --The wave was biggest from 1987 to 1995, when inline skating participation went up 634%. --After roller hockey and inline skating, the sports with the next biggest drops in the last ten years are: Cross-country skiing, non-motorized scooter riding, water skiing, wrestling, slow-pitch softball, skateboarding, scuba diving, and BMX bicycling. --Lacrosse had the biggest rise in the past decade, up 218%. (The Oregonian)
Seven of the Ten Worst Cities for Job Hunters Are in California and Florida:
If you're searching all over the country for a job, here's a suggestion. If a place has nice weather year round . . . no one's hiring. --"U.S. News & World Report" just put out a list of the 10 cities where it's the hardest to get a job, based on a ratio of unemployment rates to job postings. And SEVEN of them are in either California or Florida. --Riverside, California has the worst ratio, with 3.75 unemployed residents per job posting. Sacramento came in third and Los Angeles came in fourth. As for Florida, Miami is fifth, Orlando is eighth, Jacksonville is ninth, and Tampa is tenth. --The cities on the list that aren't in Florida or California are Las Vegas in second, Detroit in sixth, and Providence, Rhode Island in seventh. (U.S. News & World Report)
MEATBALL CRIMINALS
A Man Repeatedly Pocket Dials 911 While Doing Yard Work . . . And it Turns Out There Were Warrants for His Arrest:
It's a good bet 29-year-old James Green of Bangor, Maine will never forget to lock his cell phone ever again. --On Saturday, James was doing yard work with his cell phone in his pocket. Somehow, he accidentally pocked dialed 911. Over and over and over. --After all those 911 hang-ups, the dispatchers pinpointed his location and two cops went to his house. When they got there, they found out James was wanted on two warrants for failure to pay fines . . . and he was arrested. (Bangor Daily News)
Site For Sore Eyes:
www.weather.gov/os/marine/safeboating
It’s National Safe Boating Week! The National Weather Service has partnered with the National Safe Boating Council to help promote safe boating practices. NOAA provides a suite of products to help boaters get up-to-date weather information. In addition to point-and-click forecasts that are available to all boaters, the site links to the latest marine forecasting innovations and to regional marine forecast web portals – a one stop shop for local forecasts, observations and hazards. Visitors can also learn about weather terminology and new safety statistics on what causes the most boating fatalities and what actions to take for a safe 2011 boating season.
http://fallendogs.com
Intelligent Products, Inc. is launching Fallendogs.com in time for Memorial Day, 2011. The site is designed to memorialize dogs who have served in amazing ways. K-9s featured on the site include war dogs, police dogs, fire dogs, guide dogs, and more. These brave animals make sacrifices and show superior loyalty, but often go without the thanks or admiration that other heroes enjoy. Fallendogs.com hopes to change that, offering people the opportunity to share a story of a heroic dog that changed a life. Fallendogs.com will also offer products to visitors. Proceeds from the sale of these products will benefit charities that serve working K-9s. Products offered will include Mutt Mitts, Flexi leashes and Kong dog toys. Participating charities are involved in providing guide dogs for the blind, equipment for military dogs, service animals, and more.
Random News Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:
How bad is the economy? Companies in India are outsourcing call center jobs . . . to the U.S. (Full Story)
There's a new iPhone app called "Sonar" that allows you to scan the social networking information of the people around you, to help you decide who to talk to and who to ignore. But the other people have to have the app installed too. (Full Story)
A lion in a Chinese zoo mated with a female tiger, who then refused to nurse her liger cubs. Luckily, the zoo found a dog who was up to the challenge. (Full Story)
A dog named Dozer supposedly finished a half-marathon for charity in Maryland last week, and was set to earn thousands of dollars in donations. But it turns out he just escaped from his yard, and didn't join the race until five miles were left. (Full Story)
According to a new survey, whites believe they've replaced blacks as the primary victims of racial discrimination in America. (Full Story)
NAZZY’S VIDEOS OF THE DAY
#1.) Obama and the British Prime Minister Played Ping-Pong Against Two Kids and Lost:
PRESIDENT OBAMA took time out of his trip to England to play some doubles ping-pong with British Prime Minister DAVID CAMERON. --They played against two kids at a school in London . . . and apparently being elected to your nation's highest office does nothing for your table tennis skills. (--Search YouTube for "Ping Pong Politics.")
#2.) George W. Bush Almost Got Hit by a Foul Ball at a Texas Rangers Game:
George W. Bush was at a Texas Rangers game on Monday night, and almost got hit in the face with a foul ball. He was sitting with Laura Bush and Nolan Ryan behind home plate on the first base side, and it landed right in front of them. --White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski tried to catch it but missed, then he and Bush yucked it up for a few seconds before Pierzynski went back to the game. --When you watch the video, it actually looks like Bush might have tried to make the catch himself if Nolan's wife hadn't been in the way. (--Search YouTube for "George W. Bush Almost Hit in the Head by a Foul Ball.")
Five Popular Medications and Five Natural Treatments That Work Better:
A lot of medications and over-the-counter drugs cost a ton and come with all kinds of side effects. And according to the author of a book called "Overdosed America", they're not always as effective as drug-free options. --He says, quote, "TAKING something doesn't always make you as healthy as DOING something. [And] it's better to try a lifestyle modification first." That way, you're actually trying to FIX the problem instead of just masking your symptoms with drugs. --Here's a list from "Men's Health" of five popular medications and five natural methods that can work better.
#1.) Instead of Cough Syrup, Try Honey. Both of them coat your throat and relieve irritation. And a recent study found that in children, a spoonful of honey works better to suppress a cough than the active ingredient in Robitussin DM. --According to the study's author, it should work just as well in adults. But you might need two teaspoons of honey instead of one.
#2.) Instead of Taking Painkillers for a Headache, Get More Sleep. Popping a few aspirin or Advil every now and then is fine. But taking painkillers more than 15 days a month can actually CAUSE headaches. --Doctors aren't sure why it happens, but it seems to happen more often if you take a painkiller with more than one active ingredient. Like Tylenol with codeine. Or Excedrin, which contains aspirin, acetaminophen, and caffeine. --Getting more rest can help with headaches, because usually the areas of your brain that are causing the pain are also involved with sleep. And if you get more rest, those areas get desensitized.
#3.) Instead of Laxatives, Drink More Water. Americans spend $725 million a year on laxatives to help with constipation. But if they're used too often, you have to increase the dosage because your body becomes dependent. --A healthier option is to eat more fruit because it has a lot of fiber. And drink two full glasses of water before breakfast every morning.
#4.) Instead of Using Asthma Medicine, Buy an Air Filter. Whole-house air filters and even small portable units can reduce wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing. But they're pretty pricey. --Installing a filtration system in your house can cost well over $1,000, and even a portable unit costs around $100. So before you throw down the cash, talk to your doctor to see if he thinks it'll work for you.
#5.) When You Have the Flu, Use a Humidifier Instead of Tamiflu. It's not clear how well Tamiflu really works. --But a recent study found that using a humidifier can significantly reduce the amount of time you're sick, because the flu virus survives longer in dry air (Men's Health)
posted by Nazzy @ 5:56 AM
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