HOLLYWOOD DIRT OVERFLOW (07-07-11)

CASEY ANTHONY: THE AFTERMATH

A Porno Company Offered Casey Anthony a Job . . . Then Took It Back:

CASEY ANTHONY almost had a job in porno yesterday . . . but it disappeared almost as quickly as it materialized. --Steve Hirsch . . . head of the Vivid Entertainment empire . . . offered to put Casey in one of his movies. But after a major backlash, he rescinded it. --He said, quote, "It has become obvious to us that Vivid fans, and people in general, want nothing to do with her and that includes a Triple-X movie. --"We were ready to make an offer to Casey to star in one of our feature films. It's clear to me now, however, that there has been an overwhelmingly negative response to our offer and so we've decided to withdraw it. --"We now believe that we underestimated the emotional response that people are having to the verdict. A movie starring Casey Anthony is not what people want to see." (--Casey may not need porno. People are speculating that she could earn MILLIONS by cashing in on her daughter's death in the news and entertainment media. You can read more about that here and here.) --Casey will be sentenced THIS MORNING on four counts of lying to investigators. She could get a year on each count, but her lawyers will ask for time served. If the judge agrees, Casey will officially be a free woman today.


Juror #3 Says She and the Other Jurors Were Sick to Their Stomachs About The Casey Anthony Verdict:

A lot of people have been talking trash about the jury that acquitted CASEY ANTHONY of killing her daughter Caylee. --But ABC News spoke to one of the jurors yesterday, and it turns out that she and her 11 colleagues had a really tough time letting Casey skate. --32-year-old Jennifer Ford . . . a.k.a. Juror #3 . . . summed up the jury's feelings like this, quote, "I did not say she was innocent. I just said there was not enough evidence. --"If you cannot prove what the crime was, you cannot determine what the punishment should be." --As for why the jurors refused to talk to the media after the verdict, she said, quote, "It was because we were sick to our stomach to get that verdict. We were crying and not just the women. It was emotional and we weren't ready. --"We wanted to do it with integrity and not contribute to the sensationalism of the trial." --Alternate juror Russell Huekler added, quote, "The prosecution failed to prove their case and there was reasonable doubt. Again, they didn't show us how Caylee died. They didn't show us a motive. I'm sorry people feel that way." (--Here's video.)


Jennifer Aniston Doesn't Blame Angelina Jolie for Her Divorce from Brad Pitt:

JENNIFER ANISTON taped an interview for "Inside the Actors Studio" . . . and spoke pretty openly about her breakup with BRAD PITT. And here's the big takeaway: She doesn't blame ANGELINA JOLIE. --Instead, she vaguely insinuated that they just grew apart . . . quote, "It's just complicated. There are all these levels of growth . . . and when you stop growing together, that's when the problems happen." --But she still admits she was, quote, "shocked" to see pictures of Brad and Angelina together after their divorce. --Jennifer said that filming "The Break Up" with VINCE VAUGHN helped her get through the divorce . . . quote, "It was just a beautiful story about a couple breaking-up. And I was slightly familiar on the topic and the issue. --"And I sort of honestly felt like, what a great way to sort of exercise some of that. And I enjoyed it. I really enjoyed it. --"You would think otherwise, because even the producers were like, 'I don't know if we should ask you to do this,' but I was like, why not? Turn the page, let's move on." (--Jennifer's episode of "Inside the Actors Studio" airs Monday night.)


Are Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel Giving Their Relationship Another Try?

"Us Weekly" claims that JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE and JESSICA BIEL are giving their relationship another shot. --A source says, quote, "They're quietly seeing each other again . . . Jessica really wanted to get back together with him and Justin realized single life is not what it's cracked up to be." --Justin and Jessica broke up in March, after about four years together.


Jessica Alba Shows Off Her Baby Bump . . . And Says You Have to Flaunt It When You're Pregnant:

JESSICA ALBA shows off her baby bump on the cover of "Latina" magazine. (--Here's the pic, along with a few candids.) (Celebitchy) --Jessica tells the magazine that pregnant women should show off their bellies if they want to feel sexy . . . quote, "It's better to show it than to hide it. --"If you look in the mirror and you look really wide and frumpy, then you're going to appear really wide and frumpy. The more figure-forming your clothes, even though you have more curves, the better. --"I like long, thin sweaters that kind of hide my hips and my booty, so there's not a huge emphasis on how big they're getting." --Jessica also says that before getting her big break in the James Cameron-produced TV series "Dark Angel", she had trouble snagging roles because of her unique appearance. --Jessica is of Dutch and Hispanic descent, so she's a little light-skinned for a Latina, but a little too dark for a white girl . . . which is kind of a double-whammy. --She says, quote, "I certainly knew the significance of 'Dark Angel' because I knew how difficult it was just to get to that point. A lot of people didn't even give me a chance based on how racially ambiguous I looked."


George Clooney Broke Up with Elisabetta Canalis Because He Still Refuses to Get Married:

This isn't exactly the bombshell of the year, but it's coming from a semi-official source, so it's worth noting: The reason GEORGE CLOONEY broke up with ELISABETTA CANALIS is because he still refuses to get married. --That's what Manuele Malenotti says. He's an Italian businessman and one of George's close friends. And he's the guy who introduced George and Elisabetta two years ago. --He says, quote, "I always knew that it wouldn't last." --"All I can say is that George, when it comes to love, has decided that he is not going to get married again and he is not going to have any children and he won't change his mind." (--Clooney was married to actress TALIA BALSAM from 1989 to 1993. They didn't have any kids together.) --Malenotti would also like you to know that the relationship was not a publicity stunt, and George is NOT GAY . . . quote, "Their love story was very intense. In two years they shared numerous moments. --"He opened the doors of his life to her, introducing her to his friends and family . . . I have spent a lot of time with him and a lot of women have passed through his life. --"You never know in life, and men are having an identity crisis but I can tell you George is not gay."


The Ridiculous Celebrity Baby Name Chronicles: Natalie Portman's New Son is Named "Aleph":

We found out the name of NATALIE PORTMAN'S newborn son yesterday . . . and I kind of wish we hadn't. Because it's ALEPH. (???) --In Hebrew, Aleph is the first letter of the alphabet. It can also be spelled "Alef". --It's also a Judaic Kabbalah term that means, "primordial one that contains all numbers" . . . which is somehow related to the origin of the universe, the oneness of God or something like that. (--All of which is well and good and noble in theory . . . but NOT when it results in your kid having to go through 12 years of school with the name "Aleph".) --As you probably know, Aleph's dad is Natalie's choreographer from "Black Swan", Benjamin Millepied. hey're engaged.


An Ad for the New Kevin James Movie Was Digitally Inserted into a Rerun of a 2007 Episode of "How I Met Your Mother":

Some people might look at this as an ingenious new way to advertise . . . while others will probably see it as an early warning sign of BIG BROTHER. I'll give you the facts and let you make the call . . . --During a recent airing of a "How I Met Your Mother" rerun, someone noticed that in the background of one particular shot, there was a magazine with an ad for the new KEVIN JAMES movie, "Zookeeper". --But here's the thing: The episode originally aired on March 19th, 2007. --That means somebody digitally inserted an ad for a movie that's opening this Friday into a TV show that was produced MORE THAN FOUR YEARS AGO. (--Check out these two photos. The first shows the digitally-inserted ad . . . while the second is from the same scene BEFORE the ad was inserted.) (Link#1, Link#2) (--And now we're one step closer to a world where advertising takes up every available space imaginable. They can even send their advertising messages to you via THINGS THAT ALREADY HAPPENED.) (--There's something that just feels crazy wrong about that, isn't there? Or am I overreacting? Discuss.)


Will Charlie Sheen Star in a Sitcom Based on the 2003 Movie "Anger Management"?

TMZ reports that CHARLIE SHEEN is in "the final stages of negotiations" to star in a sitcom based on the 2003 ADAM SANDLER comedy "Anger Management". --Charlie's character would be loosely based on Dr. Buddy Rydell, the anger management guru that JACK NICHOLSON played in the movie. But Charlie's version of the counselor will be a former athlete, who has anger issues of his own. --One of the producers of the movie is reportedly onboard . . . and he's previously worked with Charlie on five projects, including "Major League", "Young Guns" and "The Three Musketeers". --In other words, it should be a much more Charlie-friendly situation, since he did NOT get along with "Two and a Half Men" producer Chuck Lorre . . . or at least not in the end. --Since the deal hasn't even been finalized yet, it's too early to say what network it might end up on, or when it might premiere. (--Before all these alleged details were dug up, Charlie teased the show to the paparazzi. Here's that video. Charlie starts talking about it 35 seconds in.) --If this show is a go, you'd think it would immediately be a hot commodity . . . and should get plenty of interest from the major networks.)
Sadly, Lisa Lampanelli Can't Make the Charlie Sheen Roast:

Sadly, comedienne LISA LAMPANELLI can't make Comedy Central's roast of CHARLIE SHEEN in September . . . for now at least. --She explains, quote, "I'm actually booked to do a show that night already, but if there's any way I can get out of it, all I can say is, 'Charlie, here I come!'" --Lisa adds, quote, "I am personally thrilled to death that they chose Charlie and I'm glad he's desperate enough to have accepted the challenge. I mean, come on . . . the guy was replaced by Ashton Kutcher. --"I guess he now knows how Bruce Willis felt!" (--Let's hope she can make it happen . . . because Lisa is one of the few comedians who's diabolical enough to come up with material that would SLICE THROUGH the countless, played-out Charlie Sheen jokes.) --Meanwhile, Charlie's ex-wife BROOKE MUELLER wants no part of the roast . . . meaning that she doesn't want anyone roasting HER. --Supposedly, Brooke took time out of her daily rehab commute to notify her lawyers that she will NOT tolerate her name being mentioned during the roast. --She's "seriously considering" sending Comedy Central a letter demanding that they cut any mentions of her.


NEW MOVIES THIS WEEKEND

"Horrible Bosses" Competes Against the "Zookeeper" This Weekend:

#1.) "Zookeeper" (PG)

A comedy starring Kevin James. He makes up his mind to quit being a zookeeper, until the animals at his zoo reveal their big secret: They can talk. So instead of taking a better job to impress a girl, he starts taking dating advice from the animals. --You might not recognize their voices right away, but it's got Nick Nolte as the gorilla, Sylvester Stallone as the lion, Adam Sandler as the monkey, and Cher as the lioness. (Trailer)


#2.) "Horrible Bosses" (R)

Jason Bateman, Charlie Day from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia", and "SNL's" Jason Sudeikis play friends who hire hitman Jamie Foxx to get rid of their abusive bosses. But he suggests they do it themselves, with each killing the other's boss. --The horrible bosses are Kevin Spacey as a jerk executive, Jennifer Aniston as a sex-obsessed dentist, and Colin Farrell as salesman with a comb-over and a vendetta against employees who are chubby or disabled. (Trailer) (Red Band Trailer)


"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" is the Eighth Movie to Hit the $1 Billion Mark in Worldwide Box Office:

I had no idea "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" was such a massive hit . . . but last weekend, it became only the eighth movie to pass the $1 BILLION mark in worldwide box office.

--Here's the complete list of movies that have hit that milestone . . .

#1.) "Avatar", $2.8 billion

#2.) "Titanic", $1.8 billion

#3.) "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King", $1.12 billion

#4.) "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest", $1.07 billion

#5.) "Toy Story 3", $1.06 billion

#6.) "Alice in Wonderland", $1.02 billion

#7.) "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides", $1.009 billion

#8.) "The Dark Knight", $1.002 billion

It's Official: James Spader Is Coming to "The Office":

The rumor was true: JAMES SPADER will join the cast of "The Office" this season, as the new CEO of Sabre, Dunder Mifflin's parent company. He's replacing the former CEO, who was played by KATHY BATES on a recurring basis. --It's still unclear whether or not someone else is coming onboard to take over for STEVE CARELL as the regional manager. --For what it's worth, a lot of people seem to think that the addition of Spader means that one of the current cast members will move into Michael Scott's office.


David Hasselhoff's Next TV Gig: A Well-Endowed Former Porno Star:

DAVID HASSELHOFF will appear on the FX show "Sons of Anarchy" this fall, as a "well-endowed former porno star who's now producing sleazy girl-on-girl adult films." --For now, it sounds like he's only doing one episode, which will air sometime in October (--"Sons of Anarchy" is a drama about an outlaw motorcycle club in Northern California. It's entering its fourth season, but there's no premiere date yet.)


Is The Situation Quitting "Jersey Shore" Too?

A bunch of websites were saying that THE SITUATION quit "Jersey Shore" yesterday . . . but there wasn't much evidence to back it up. --Basically, there were reports that he got angry about something, ripped off his mic, stormed off the set, and told some photographers, quote, "It's over . . . Say goodbye to the bad guy." There are photos of the whole thing on TheSuperficial.com. --But there hasn't been a statement from him or MTV, he doesn't look all that mad in the photos, and Vinny pulled the same act last week, so who knows. (--They're filming the fifth season right now, and season four . . . the one where they're in Italy . . . starts August 4th.)


"America's Got Talent" Beat the Season Finale of "The Voice":

Only 11 million people tuned in to watch JAVIER COLON be crowned as the first winner of "The Voice". The season finale came in fourth behind both episodes of "America's Got Talent". The final performance show did a little better at #2.


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

--"So You Think You Can Dance" [Results Show] . . . 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. on Fox.

--"Big Brother 13" [13th Season Premiere] . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on CBS.

--"Call Me Fitz" [1st Season Finale] . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on DirecTV.

--"Police Women of Broward County" [6th Season Finale] . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on TLC.

--"Swords" [3rd Season Finale] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on Discovery.


Beyoncé Just Scored Her Fourth #1 Album:

Five new albums debuted in the "Billboard" Top 10 this week . . . but nobody could touch BEYONCÉ. Her new album "4" sold 310,000 copies, which was more than the four other new releases COMBINED. --It also gives Beyoncé her fourth #1 solo album in four tries. Only two other artists have had their first four studio albums debut atop the "Billboard" 200 . . . BRITNEY SPEARS and DMX.

1.) (NEW) "4", Beyoncé (310,000 copies)

2.) "21", Adele (92,000 copies)

3.) (NEW) "Finally Famous", Big Sean (87,000 copies)

The Top-Selling Albums of the Year . . . So Far:

Billboard.com has released the music sales numbers for the first half of the year . . . a six month period that ran up through this past Sunday. Here's a brief rundown: --Nine of the Top 20 Albums were released within 2011, while the other 11 were holdovers from last year. The oldest album to make the list is "Need You Now" by LADY ANTEBELLUM, which came out in January of 2010. --The top two albums . . . ADELE'S "21" and LADY GAGA'S "Born This Way" . . . were the only discs to move at least a million copies over the past six months.

--Here are the Top 20 Albums and their 2011 sales totals:

1.) "21", Adele . . . 2.5 million copies

2.) "Born This Way", Lady Gaga . . . 1.5 million copies

3.) "Sigh No More", Mumford & Sons . . . 982,000 copies

4.) "My Kinda Party", Jason Aldean . . . 763,000 copies

5.) "Doo-Wops & Hooligans", Bruno Mars . . . 686,000 copies

6.) "Never Say Never: The Remixes", Justin Bieber . . . 676,000 copies

7.) "F.A.M.E.", Chris Brown . . . 646,000 copies

8.) "Now 37", Various Artists . . . 637,000 copies

9.) "Pink Friday", Nicki Minaj . . . 609,000 copies

10.) "Teenage Dream", Katy Perry . . . 600,000 copies

11.) "Loud", Rihanna . . . 598,000 copies

12.) "Femme Fatale", Britney Spears . . . 590,000 copies

13.) "Speak Now", Taylor Swift . . . 563,000 copies

14.) "Greatest Hits", Pink . . . 530,000 copies

15.) "My World 2.0", Justin Bieber . . . 524,000 copies

16.) "Recovery", Eminem . . . 517,000 copies

17.) "Wasting Light", Foo Fighters . . . 497,000 copies

18.) "Rolling Papers", Wiz Khalifa . . . 484,000 copies

19.) "Need You Now", Lady Antebellum . . . 473,000 copies

20.) "Now 38", Various Artists . . . 440,000 copies
The Top-Selling Digital Songs of the Year . . . So Far:

Two tracks have sold over 4 million downloads over the first six months of the year: KATY PERRY'S "E.T." and ADELE'S "Rolling in the Deep". Naturally, they came in at #1 and #2 on Billboard.com's list of 2011's Top 20 Digital Songs.

--Here are the Top 20 Digital Songs and their 2011 sales totals:

1.) "E.T.", Katy Perry (featuring Kanye West) . . . 4.12 million copies

2.) "Rolling in the Deep", Adele . . . 4.1 million copies

3.) "[Eff] You (Forget You)", Cee Lo Green . . . 3.2 million copies

4.) "Born This Way", Lady Gaga . . . 3 million copies

5.) "S&M", Rihanna . . . 2.73 million copies

6.) "On the Floor", Jennifer Lopez (featuring Pitbull) . . . 2.7 million copies

7.) "Just Can't Get Enough", Black Eyed Peas . . . 2.5 million copies

8.) "Look at Me Now", Chris Brown (featuring Lil Wayne) . . . 2.44 million copies

9.) "Grenade", Bruno Mars . . . 2.4 million copies

10.) "Firework", Katy Perry . . . 2.3 million copies

11.) "Give Me Everything", Pitbull (featuring Afrojack and Nayer) . . . 2.2 million copies

12.) "[Effin'] Perfect", Pink . . . 2.19 million copies

13.) "Blow", Kesha . . . 2.16 million copies

14.) "I Need a Doctor", Dr. Dre (featuring Eminem and Skylar Grey) . . . 2.07 million copies

15.) "The Lazy Song", Bruno Mars . . . 2.06 million copies

16.) "The Show Goes On", Lupe Fiasco . . . 2.05 million copies

17.) "Down on Me", Jeremih (featuring 50 Cent) . . . 2.04 million copies

18.) "Till the World Ends", Britney Spears . . . 1.99 million copies

19.) "Black and Yellow", Wiz Khalifa . . . 1.96 million copies

20.) "Party Rock Anthem", LMFAO (featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock) . . . 1.8 million copies

(--For more stats on this year's music sales so far, hit up this link.)


Video of Alice Cooper and Kesha Doing "School's Out":

ALICE COOPER joined KESHA onstage at her gig in Oslo, Norway, on Tuesday night to help her cover his classic "School's Out". --Kesha starts the song . . . then Alice walks out onstage . . . and then it gets BIZARRE. (CAREFUL) While they're performing, someone dressed up as a PENIS spars with someone dressed up as another Alice Cooper in the background. (--Here's video. Alice comes out at the 1:27 mark, and the fake penis begins tussling with the fake Alice Cooper just over 2 minutes in. It's unclear WHY this was going on . . . or if Alice was even aware of it.) (--Afterwards, Alice Tweeted this picture of him with Kesha.)
THURSDAY'S SHOWBIZ EXTRAS


Showbiz Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:


OPRAH WINFREY is going to teach a class at her girls' school in South Africa in the fall. The course will be called "It's Life 101", and it'll be about all the things she wishes someone had told her about how the world works. (Full Story)



KERI RUSSELL is pregnant with her second child. (Full Story)



NICOLAS CAGE'S son WESTON posted a rambling, Charlie Sheen-esque message on his Facebook page yesterday. The gist of it is that he's leaving his wife. Oh, and she's pregnant. (Full Story)



BEN AFFLECK apparently hosted his own poker games around the time he was dating JENNIFER LOPEZ . . . and he lost a lot of money. (Full Story)



The "Star" tabloid claims MICHAEL JACKSON left behind nearly a BILLION DOLLARS in art . . . but due to some shady business dealings by one of his last managers, Michael's mother and children are in danger of losing it. (Full Story)



MILEY CYRUS would like to know why people can get away with murdering children, but California can't legalize gay marriage. (Full Story)


I saw a trailer for the new "Three Musketeers" movie yesterday, and there were parts of it where I thought I was watching clips from a new "Matrix" movie. (Trailer)



SMASH MOUTH singer STEVE HARWELL promises to eat 24 EGGS . . . in one sitting . . . if fans pledge $10,000 for charity. Over half the money has been raised. (Full Story)




It's actually happening . . . for now at least: AEROSMITH went into the studio on Tuesday to begin recording their next album. Apparently, the first day was, quote, "inspiring." (Full Story)



ELIZABETH HURLEY will guest star on multiple episodes of "Gossip Girl" next season. (Full Story)



"Glee" didn't fire CHORD OVERSTREET . . . they still would like him to make "recurring" appearances on the show. A source says it's up to Chord to decide whether or not he wants to come back. (Full Story)



A new animated "Care Bears" series is in the works. It's supposed to premiere sometime next year. There's no word on a network yet. (Full Story)


RANDOM STUFF

Married Men Crave Cuddling More Than Women:

According to a new study out of the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, marriage seems to make men SOFT . . . and makes women into SEX-CRAVING BEASTS. --In the study, married men reported the highest levels of happiness when their relationship featured lots of KISSING . . . lots of CUDDLING . . . and lots of climaxes for their wives. --Married women's happiness wasn't tied to ANY of that. Kissing, cuddling, and their husband's sexual satisfaction didn't really affect their happiness. --What DID affect their happiness was how OFTEN they were getting-it-on. The more sex they got, the happier they were. --But there WAS one thing from the study that seems to make sense with the usual gender stereotypes: It found that the more sexual partners a man had before getting married, the LESS sexually satisfied he was over time. --That makes more sense based on the traditional gender roles: When a guy knows what VARIETY was like, it's harder for him to have only one option for the rest of his life. (Daily Mail)


Only 47% of Men Want a Woman to Wear a Thong Bikini on a Beach Date?

It makes sense during the summer to go on dates to a beach or the pool. Of course, that does involve taking off a LOT of clothing. And because it's a date, you'll probably obsess a little over what to wear. --Well . . . believe it or not, even if you can pull off an ultra-revealing bathing suit, it might not be the right call. --Only 47% of men say they'd want a woman to wear a THONG BIKINI on a first date to the beach or pool. And only 9% of women want a guy to wear a small SPEEDO. --Overall, only 34% of women said they'd be totally comfortable being in a bathing suit in front of someone on the first three dates. --The survey also found that 49% of people have turned a summer fling into a long-term relationship. --And finally . . . only 1.4% of people say that a date to a coffee shop is good during the summer. (PR Newswire)


Same-Sex Couples Began Applying For Marriage Licenses In New York . . . But the Application Still Asks For "Bride" and "Groom":

Same-sex couples were officially allowed to start applying for marriage licenses in New York this week . . . but the people who rushed to be first in line found out there are a few details bureaucrats still need to work out. (--New York legalized same-sex marriage a few weeks ago, but the law doesn't go into effect until July 24th . . . and couples hoping to marry the day it becomes legal can apply for a license three weeks in advance.) --The online marriage license application hadn't been updated . . . so when excited gay couples in New York went online Tuesday morning, they were greeted with a form asking them to provide information on the "bride" and "groom". --The city reported that their help line was flooded with about 60 calls from confused gays. One outraged person complained on Twitter that he was being "force feminized" by the application. --A few couples decided to wait rather than refer to themselves as bride and groom, but many didn't. New York City reported a 20% increase in applications on Tuesday compared to a normal July day. --The form was corrected by Tuesday night. It now has blanks for, quote, "Bride/Groom/Spouse A" and "Bride/Groom/Spouse B". (New York Times)


Your Wine Contains More Alcohol Than the Label Claims . . . Because Wine Makers Know You Won't Admit You Like Getting Drunk:

Good news! Wine makers have been lying to you for years about how much alcohol they put in your wine . . . and it's actually MORE than the label says. --A 16-year study of 129,000 wines from around the world found that more than half of all wine contains more alcohol than the amount claimed on the bottle's label. --The American Association of Wine Economists found that the average wine contains 13.6% alcohol. But the average wine LABEL says it contains 13.1% alcohol. --The extra alcohol amounts to about a quarter ounce in each glass of wine. --Most countries, including the U.S., allow some discrepancy between a wine's actual content and the label . . . but that doesn't mean the difference is an accident. --Many winemakers admit to lying about their alcohol content for marketing purposes. Their research shows that wine drinkers like getting drunk . . . even though they CLAIM to be opposed to high alcohol content. (Time)
New York State Passed a Law Requiring Warning Labels on . . . Sippy Cups?

When people talk about the government getting too involved in our lives, this is EXACTLY what they're talking about: The New York state legislature passed a bill this week to regulate . . . SIPPY CUPS. --They say that sippy cups are a DANGER to children, because the way they're constructed rots children's teeth. And they've passed a bill to make it illegal to sell a sippy cup without a warning label on it. --They passed a similar bill last year but Governor David Paterson vetoed it for being ridiculous. There's no word on what New York's new governor, Andrew Cuomo, will do with it. (New York Daily News)


Teachers and Principals in Atlanta Have Been Running the Biggest Cheating Ring in History:

For years, the Atlanta school system won awards for their students' strong performance on standardized tests. And it turns out they did it by running the largest cheating ring in history. -A special investigation by the Governor's office has uncovered 178 teachers and principals at 44 schools who were changing student answers to improve grades. Almost half of them have already CONFESSED to doing it. --The state became suspicious when they saw that Atlanta students seemed to erase their wrong answers a lot more than students at other schools. They also tended to improve their scores remarkably on tests that were critical for state funding . . . then the scores droppd shortly after. --Teachers at one school held weekend "changing parties" to fix incorrect answers on the tests. They even wore gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints. Other schools changed students' seats so that bad students would get easier versions of the test. --The school system kept it a secret for close to a decade through fear and intimidation against whistleblowers. One teacher said the school district was run, quote, "like the mob." --The state hasn't decided what charges to pursue, but falsifying student records is a felony . . . and standardized tests are student records. (Journal Constitution)


It's a Jersey Thing . . . Six People are Injured in New Jersey in a Spray Tan Explosion:

Of COURSE this happened in New Jersey. Sometimes the universe just can't help itself. --In Branchburg, New Jersey, six people were injured on Tuesday in . . . a SPRAY TAN EXPLOSION. Not that we want to make light of their injuries. But come on. --The people were all employees at a company called American Spraytech. They were working in the factory when an aerosol can of tanning spray EXPLODED. It somehow blew up in the machine that labels the cans. --The brand of the exploding spray tan was Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs. --The six injured workers had minor burns on their arms and faces. They were taken to a local hospital for treatment. --The workers range from 19 to 38 years old. (Somerset Messenger-Gazette)


Will Terrorists Start Planting Explosives in Breast Implants?

When you're at an airport, keep an eye out for people acting suspicious. You'll know them by their nervous glances, heavy breathing, and GARGANTUAN BREASTS. --According to Homeland Security, there's new intelligence that suggests Al Qaeda might start trying to plant bombs in BREAST IMPLANTS. The woman with the implants would then suicide bomb using those implants. --They say the terrorists could also use buttock implants for the same purpose. --It sounds like a joke, but they say it's a legit threat. And while they haven't heard of any specific threat, they're keeping a special eye out for it. (Wall Street Journal)


MEATBALL CRIMINALS

A Man Tries Recreating the Will Ferrell Streaking Scene From "Old School" . . . And is Promptly Arrested:

One of the best scenes in the movie "Old School" is when WILL FERRELL gets drunk and goes STREAKING by himself. --23-year-old Khalaf Mourad of Lincoln, Nebraska apparently loves that scene from the movie. And on July 4th, he decided to pay homage. --So he stripped down naked, held his shorts and a shirt in his hand, and ran naked through the city. --A cop stopped him and asked him what he was doing. Khalaf responded, quote, "I'm re-enacting a scene from 'Old School'." --The cop made him get dressed and arrested him for indecent exposure. --Khalaf's 19-year-old brother was nearby . . . fully clothed . . . and gave the cop another excuse for why his brother decided to go streaking. Quote, "He's an idiot." (Lincoln Journal Star / The Smoking Gun)




RANDOM NEWS EXTRAS

News Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:


According to a new survey of college kids, the positives of binge drinking outweigh the negatives. The negatives in the study included blackouts, fights, lost or stolen belongings, hangovers, and missed class. And the positives were better conversational and joke-telling abilities, and more energy to stay up late partying. Researchers are calling it "rose colored beer goggles." (Full Story)


On Tuesday night, residents of Boise, Iowa rescued some ducklings trapped in the sewer . . . using duct tape. (Full Story)


Home births are up 20% over the last five years. White women are more likely to have home births, at 1 in 98 . . . than blacks, at 1 in 357 . . . or Hispanics, at 1 in 500. (Full Story)


Introducing 'People Staring at Computers.' Someone used software to take people's pictures as they used public computers. But basically, the site features lots of people looking bored. (Full Story)


NAZZY’S VIDEOS OF THE DAY

#1.) Check Out the Three Best Videos of the Massive Sand Storm That Hit Phoenix, Arizona:

Phoenix got hit with a massive, 70-mile-wide sand storm on Tuesday. If you haven't seen the videos, there are a bunch on YouTube. But we found the top three: --The first one shows footage taken from a helicopter. The second one shows the storm in time-lapse from two different cameras, completely covering the city. --And the third one is shot from inside a car that drives straight INTO the storm. Once it gets inside, it's completely dark. (--Search YouTube for "Video of Doomsday Scenes in Arizona," "Amazing Time-Lapse of Phoenix Haboob," and "Driving Into AZ Haboob HD." In the third video, the car enters the storm around :47.)


#2.) A Lamborghini Going 100 Miles an Hour Drove Over a Squirrel . . . But Somehow Didn't Hit It:

One of the most popular videos on YouTube right now is of a squirrel cheating death at a racetrack in California last month. It happened when the squirrel tried to cross the track during a Lamborghini event for rich guys at the California Speedway in Fontana. --And out of nowhere, a Lamborghini drove right over it going a hundred miles an hour. But somehow, the squirrel didn't get hit. (--Search for "Go Squirrel Go Lamborghini.")


#3.) Taylor Lautner and a Bunch of NFL Players Star in a "Field of Dreams" Parody About the NFL Lockout:

According to insiders, the NFL lockout could end by next week. So before it's over, checkout out TAYLOR LAUTNER from "Twilight" in a new "Field of Dreams" parody about the whole thing. --It's on FunnyOrDie.com, and a bunch of football players have cameos, including Ray Lewis, Tony Gonzalez, Shawne Merriman and seven others. --Plus, Ray Liotta . . . who played Shoeless Joe Jackson in the REAL "Field of Dreams" . . . stars as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Dennis Haysbert plays the James Earl Jones character, and Kevin Costner shows up at the very end. (--Search for "Field of Dreams 2: NFL Lockout With Taylor Lautner.")


The Top Four Outfits Men Want Women to Wear:

"Redbook" magazine had a focus group of 50 men rate different outfits that women wear, and the results are interesting. Baggy 'boyfriend jeans' was one of the LEAST popular looks. But here are the four most desirable ones:

#1.) Sweat Pants That Aren't Baggy. Baggy ones are more comfortable . . . but obviously men don't like them. But men like the sweat pant look in general because sweats are easy to take off, and it seems like sex could happen at any time.

#2.) Dresses. It doesn't even have to be an expensive dress. In fact, the men in the "Redbook" poll actually liked simple dresses more than formal ones.

#3.) Jeans With a White Tank Top. Again, guys like it because it's simple, and they prefer regular blue jeans that aren't too tight. "Redbook" says it's casual but sexy, and it tells men that you can look great without trying very hard.

#4.) A Pencil Skirt With High Heels. A lot of men in the survey didn't like miniskirts because they're too revealing and don't leave much to the imagination. Pencil skirts are still sexy, but make you look a lot classier. --And more men liked regular heels than platform heels. (Redbook)