Friday, July 29, 2011

HOLLYWOOD DIRT OVERFLOW (07-29-11)

And Now . . . Some Chick Has Asked Justin Bieber to Her Prom:

It's a scary time to be a celebrity . . . because regular people have figured out that they can PRESSURE you into doing stuff with them just by posting a request on YouTube. --And it's not just soldiers doing it anymore. A 17-year-old Virginia girl named Cady Eimer posted a video asking JUSTIN BIEBER to go to the prom with her. (--Check it out here. Cady's friend Holly appears in the video with her . . . and they start it out with a REALLY BAD attempt at rapping. And they don't once mention Selena Gomez.)


Linda Hamilton Is Going to the Marine Corps Ball:

"Terminator" minx LINDA HAMILTON is going to the Marine Corps Ball with Sergeant Ray Lewis. --As you may recall, Lewis did one of those YouTube videos asking BETTY WHITE to accompany him. But she's busy filming her sitcom "Hot in Cleveland", so she had to turn him down. --So Linda jumped in and made a video of her own, offering to go with Ray in Betty's place. And he accepted. -Linda's rep says, quote, "They finally connected and she will be going with Sgt. Lewis to the U.S. Marine Corps Ball in October in Texas, and she is very happy about it." (--Here's Linda's video.)


Watch Mark Ronson Pay Tribute to Amy Winehouse by Singing "Valerie":

In honor of AMY WINEHOUSE, MARK RONSON performed "Valerie" during a gig in London on Wednesday. It was his first show since Amy died on Saturday. --Ronson was the main producer on Amy's "Back to Black" album . . . not to mention he's the brother of LINDSAY LOHAN'S ex-girlfriend, Samantha Ronson. He and Amy recorded the song for his album "Version". (--Here's the video.) --"Valerie" is also covered by the cast of "Glee" in the "Glee 3D" movie that hits theaters two weeks from today. A video of that performance also appeared online briefly yesterday, but was taken down over copyright claims.


Paz de la Huerta Thinks Amy Winehouse's Death May Have Had Something to Do With All the Bad Pictures of Her in the Press:

PAZ DE LA HUERTA of "Boardwalk Empire" has an idea what may have killed AMY WINEHOUSE: Bad pictures. (???) --She says, quote, "Maybe had she not seen so many bad pictures of herself she would have gotten more self esteem and not been so self-destructive."


Amy Winehouse's Dad Gave Her Clothes Away to Fans Outside Her House:

Fans who were still gathered outside the London home of AMY WINEHOUSE yesterday got a treat . . . when Amy's dad Mitch came out of the house and started giving away her clothes. --He handed out everything from shirts to vests to jewelry to sunglasses . . . and even pairs of Amy's trademark ballet slippers. -He said, quote, "This is what she would have wanted . . . for her fans to have her clothes." (--Check out pictures here.)


Somebody Won an iPod Touch for Correctly Predicting the Date of Amy Winehouse's Death:

There's a website that's been taking predictions on when AMY WINEHOUSE would die since 2007. Four people got the date right . . . and the woman who submitted the correct date first has won an iPod Touch. --According to a message on the website . . . (--which you'll find here) . . . only 237 hate mails were received since it launched four years ago . . . while 96,026 people left predictions.


Troy Polamalu Did Not Get His Head Shaved:

There's a video online of TROY POLAMALU getting a chunk of his hair shaved off . . . but it's fake. --The video shows Troy's teammates sneaking up on him with an electric clipper and making a nice bald spot on his head . . . like those morons on "Jackass" used to do to each other. (--You can watch it here. WARNING!!! There appears to be an unedited F-bomb at about the 30-second mark.) --The video was pretty well done, but it was indeed a hoax. TMZ caught up with Troy yesterday and got video proof. (--Which you can see here.)
NEW MOVIES THIS WEEKEND

"Cowboys & Aliens" Goes Up Against "The Smurfs" This Weekend:


#1.) "Cowboys & Aliens" (PG-13)

Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford team up to fight aliens in the Old West: Daniel Craig wakes up in the desert with no memory, and a mysterious weapon on his arm that turns out to be the only thing that works against the invaders. --Olivia Wilde is the chick trying to help him get his memory back. It's based on a graphic novel of the same name and comes from "Iron Man" director Jon Favreau. (--Here are three versions of the trailer. But be CAREFUL. There's a bit of profanity at the end of the second trailer.) (Trailer #3) (Trailer #2) (Trailer #1)


#2.) "The Smurfs" (PG)

This is a mix of live-action and animation, with Hank Azaria playing the evil wizard Gargamel. He chases six of the smurfs to our world, where they're taken in by Neil Patrick Harris and "Glee's" Jayma Mays. --The smurfs are voiced by Jonathan Winters (Papa Smurf), Katy Perry (Smurfette), George Lopez (Grouchy Smurf), "SNL's" Fred Armisen (Brainy Smurf), "Star Trek's" Anton Yelchin (Clumsy Smurf) and Alan Cumming (Gutsy Smurf). (Trailer) (--Gutsy's the one in the kilt with the Scottish accent. Here's an amusing clip of him and Smurfette, sort of reenacting Marilyn Monroe's scene from "The Seven Year Itch" where her skirt gets blown up by air from a passing subway car.)


#3.) "Crazy, Stupid, Love" (PG-13)

Steve Carell gets dumped by his cheating wife, and starts taking dating lessons from a guy he meets at a bar, played by Ryan Gosling. The rest of the cast includes Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei, and Kevin Bacon. (Trailer)


Olivia Wilde Might Play Linda Lovelace:

Here's an item from the DEAR GOD, PLEASE MAKE THIS HAPPEN file: OLIVIA WILDE might star in a movie about "Deep Throat" star LINDA LOVELACE. --This is NOT the same movie that LINDSAY LOHAN was going to do. Apparently, there are TWO Linda Lovelace movies in the works. --The one Lindsay was attached to is called "Inferno" . . . and the producers have since kicked her to the curb and replaced her with MALIN AKERMAN. --Olivia hasn't committed to the other movie, but it sounds like she's done some serious research. She says, quote, "It would be a tremendous honor [to play her]. It's such a cool role. --"She was a fascinating woman . . . with where she came from to 'Deep Throat' to then working with Gloria Steinem and Nora Ephron. It's really fascinating." (--Gloria Steinem is, of course, the noted feminist . . . who latched onto Linda when she turned against the porno industry.) (--Nora Ephron is the writer-director of such films as "Julie and Julia", "Sleepless in Seattle" and "You've Got Mail". She also wrote "When Harry Met Sally".) (--It's not clear how she's related to Linda Lovelace directly, but in 1976, she married journalist Carl Bernstein . . . who, along with partner Bob Woodward, helped take down President Nixon with the help of an informant they called DEEP THROAT.)


Trailer-Rama: "Tower Heist" and "Ides of March":

#1.) BEN STILLER and EDDIE MURPHY look like a really good comedic match in the upcoming comedy "Tower Heist". (--Check out the trailer here.) --This could be the movie that brings Eddie back . . . at least part of the way. It almost seems like he's playing an older version of his Reggie Hammond character from "48 Hours". --In fact, when they were panning to him in his jail cell, I almost expected him to be singing "Roxanne". Judging only by the trailer, this looks like a pretty funny movie. --It also stars Matthew Broderick, Alan Alda, Tea Leoni, Casey Affleck, Michael Pena and Gabourey "Precious" Sidibe . . . and it hits theaters November 4th.


#2.) "Ides of March" is a political drama starring GEORGE CLOONEY as a presidential candidate and RYAN GOSLING as his chief aide. --Clooney directed . . . and it also stars Marisa Tomei, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti and Evan Rachel Wood. It hits theaters October 7th. (--Check out the trailer here.)
Breakdown on the Sex Lives of "Friends" Characters:

A blogger with WAY too much time on his hands has put together a fascinating, comprehensive breakdown on the sex lives of the characters on "Friends". --In order to do this, he "thoroughly researched" all 236 episodes, which spanned 10 seasons . . . by watching them, reading the outlines of each episode, and reviewing the lists of guest stars. -He only counted the main characters' sexual escapades with partners that actually appeared on the show, not the ones that the characters mentioned as having happened in the past. --In the end, he found that the six main characters had sex with 85 different people. And interestingly enough, while Joey came out on top . . . the naughty action was split fairly evenly among the six main cast members. --But of course, you would've known that if you watched all 236 episodes and kept notes, like this weirdo did. --Here's the breakdown, along with the percentage that actually spawned "serious relationships." (--We're assuming that means the relationship continued for at least several episodes.)

--Joey (MATT LEBLANC): 17 sexual partners . . . four, or 23.5%, led to serious relationships.

--Phoebe (LISA KUDROW): 16 sexual partners . . . six, or 37.5%, led to serious relationships.

--Ross (DAVID SCHWIMMER): 16 sexual partners . . . eight, or 50%, led to serious relationships.

--Rachel (JENNIFER ANISTON): 14 sexual partners . . . ten, or 71.4%, led to serious relationships.

--Monica (COURTENEY COX): 13 sexual partners . . . five, or 38.5%, led to serious relationships.

--Chandler (MATTHEW PERRY): 9 sexual partners . . . three, or 33.3%, led to serious relationships.

(--This dude's article also includes write-ups detailing the highlights of each character's sexual conquests. You can find it at SplitSider.com. And even better, you can find a colorful chart showing each hook-up, here.)


Former "Dukes of Hazzard" Star Christopher "Chip" Mayer Has Died:

Former "Dukes of Hazzard" star CHRISTOPHER "CHIP" MAYER died this past Saturday. He was 57. There's no word on a cause of death. He played Vance Duke on the show's 1982-1983 season. --Chip and BYRON CHERRY were hired as replacements that season . . . after the show's main stars Tom Wopat and John Schneider held out for more money. Vance was the "new" Luke, and Byron's character Coy Duke, was the "new" Bo. --"Dukes of Hazzard's" ratings tanked that season, and Wopat and Schneider were given new deals. So sadly, Vance and Coy Duke were written off the show after 19 episodes. (--Long live Coy and Vance Duke!)


Rob Kardashian *Is* Doing "Dancing with the Stars" . . . Supposedly:

Last week, an anonymous source said ROB KARDASHIAN was "in talks" to do "Dancing with the Stars". Now "multiple sources" are saying it's a done deal. --While this exciting news surely has "Dancing with the Stars" fans everywhere LICKING THEIR CHOPS . . . it's important to note: None of this is official yet. (--Remember how "Dancing with the Stars" was supposedly after "more high profile" celebrities for next season? Yeah.)


Ryan Murphy Is Offering Up Some Clarity on This "Glee" Casting Ridiculousness:

First, "Glee" was losing CHRIS COLFER, LEA MICHELE and CORY MONTEITH following next season . . . then they weren't . . . and now we have a little more clarity on what's going on. --Co-creator Ryan Murphy tells Deadline.com that he previously insisted the graduating seniors WERE leaving the show because they had something else in the works behind the scenes. --Murphy explains, quote, "We were going to do a spin-off [with] the three of them . . . they all knew what was happening, they all had approved it, they all said they wanted to do it . . . --"Then [the talk about them leaving 'Glee'] blew up, and a lot of articles were written about it. Some people were writing they're not on the show so that means they must be fired. Well, no. That was 100% incorrect." --Okay, so there was a spin-off . . . and it was sort of hush-hush . . . and that's why there was all this confusion about the future of "Glee's" stars. --But Murphy also says that their plans to do a spin-off have "collapsed," and now they're going to put the idea on ice and revisit it next spring. --Now we're back at Square One: So let's just assume that everyone is staying on "Glee" unless we he hear otherwise. (--And at the rate we've been going, we can expect to "hear otherwise" sometime early next week.)
WEEKEND TV REMINDERS

Friday TV Reminders:

--"ThunderCats" [SERIES Premiere] . . . 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. on Cartoon Network. (--Will Friedle from "Boy Meets World" is Lion-O and Emmanuelle Chriqui is Cheetara in this new anime version of the classic cartoon. ThunderCats Hoooo!)

--"Iron Man Anime" [SERIES Premiere] . . . 11:00 to 11:30 P.M. on G4. (--"Heroes" stud Adrian Pasdar is the voice of Iron Man in this anime version.)

--"Wolverine Anime" [SERIES Premiere] . . . 11:30 P.M. to Midnight on G4. (--"Heroes" stud Milo Ventimiglia is the voice of Wolverine in this anime version.)

--"Platinum Hit" . . . 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. on Bravo. (--Taio Cruz is the guest judge when the four remaining contestants write pop songs.)

--"Primetime: What Would You Do?" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on ABC.

--"Invitation Only" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on CMT. (--Jason Aldean performs.)

--"20/20" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on ABC.

--"Deadly Women" [5th Season Premiere] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on ID.

--"Say Yes To The Dress: Bridesmaids" [1st Season Finale] . . . 10:00 to 10:30 P.M. on TLC.

--"John Pinette: Still Hungry" . . . 11:00 P.M. to Midnight on Comedy Central. (--Comedian John Pinette performs stand up at the Vic Theatre in Chicago.)

Saturday TV Reminders:

--"Grand Ole Opry Live" . . . 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. on GAC. (--Loretta Lynn, James Otto, Riders in the Sky and Mark Wills perform.)

--"Austin City Limits" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on PBS. (--Elvis Costello and Band of Heathens perform.) (REPEAT)

--"Age of Dragons" . . . 9:00 to 11:00 P.M. on Syfy. (--Danny Glover stars in this fantasy version of "Moby Dick". He wants revenge on a white dragon that killed his family and left him horribly scarred.)

--"Nick & Vanessa's Dream Wedding" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on TLC. (--Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo allow you to watch them prepare for their July 15th wedding on Richard Branson's private island. How exciting!)

--"Celebrity Ghost Stories" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Bio. (--Ming-Na, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Chi McBride and Mia Tyler share their ghostly encounters.)

--"Celebrity Close Calls" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on Bio. (--Louis Gossett Jr., Charlene Tilton, Jena Malone and Lynn Whitfield share near death experiences.)

--"The Lady with 700 Cats" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on Nat Geo Wild. (--"Glee's" Jane Lynch narrates this special about a woman who operates California's largest "no-kill" feline sanctuary.)

--"Saturday Night Live" . . . 11:30 P.M. to 1:00 A.M. on NBC. (--Emma Stone guest hosts and Kings of Leon is the musical guest.) (REPEAT)

Sunday TV Reminders:

--"25 Biggest TV Blunders 2" . . . 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. on TV Guide. (--TV's misguided moments . . . from Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction at the Super Bowl to Jay Leno's exit and return to "The Tonight Show".)

--"Same Name" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on CBS. (--Kathy Griffin swaps places with a working mother from Fayetteville, Georgia.)

--"The Glee Project" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Oxygen. (--The contestants are tested on their sexuality (???) and perform "Teenage Dream" with the help of "Glee's" Mark Salling (Puck) and Ashley Fink (Lauren Zizes) as their mentors.)

--"The Bachelorette: The Men Tell All" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on ABC. (--Six of the season's rejected bachelors return to confront Ashley and each other.)

--"Great White Invasion" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Discovery Channel. (--"SNL's" Andy Samberg is recruited to be "chief shark officer" for the return of "Shark Week".)

--"The Marriage Ref" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on NBC. (--Rachael Ray, Larry Miller and J.B. Smoove listen to married couple's disputes.)

--"Behind the Music: Enrique Iglesias" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on VH1.

--"Against the Wall" [SERIES Premiere] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on Lifetime. (--Rachael Carpani from "The Glades" takes a job as an internal-affairs detective. Treat Williams plays her cop father.)

--"The Real L Word" [2nd Season Finale] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on Showtime.

--"Heidi Fleiss: Prostitutes to Parrots" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on Animal Planet. (--Former "Hollywood Madam" Heidi Fleiss is profiled as she tries to maintain legitimate business interests while staying sober and caring for her exotic birds.)


Olivia Newton-John's Daughter Released a Pretty Disturbing Music Video . . . and Australia Is Freaking Out About It:

OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN'S 25-year-old daughter CHLOE LATTANZI has released a fairly disturbing music video . . . and Australia is totally freaking out over it. --Here's the deal: --The video is for a song called "Play with Me". The song and video have been described as having a "MARILYN MANSON vibe" . . . and that's pretty accurate. --In the video, Chloe commits suicide twice in front of a dude who barely acknowledges her. She electrocutes herself in a bathtub, and slits her wrists in a bed. Later in the video, she points a gun at her head, and does a bunch of coke. (--You can watch the video, here. WARNING: It IS pretty graphic and disturbing and does show her actually "killing" herself. Also, the music is . . . well . . . let's just say it must be an acquired taste.) --Here's the backlash . . . --Someone from the Australian Council for Children had this to say: Quote, "I think it's sad that this young woman has such a need for attention that she needs to push the envelope of good taste and appropriateness this far. --"This simply glamorizes a range of harmful behaviors and does nothing to help empower young people to cope with relationship problems." --In response, Chloe said, quote, "I know it may be quite disturbing, but I appreciate you tuning in and all the opinions that are voiced. It's purely just for artistic value. I don't want to kill myself, I don't want to die, I don't want to kill anybody." --Glad she cleared that up. (--Anyway, here's a far less scary video of Chloe singing "Over the Rainbow" with her mom in 2003. Skip to the 2:25 mark.) (--Chloe is Olivia's only child. Her father is MATT LATTANZI . . . THE star of the 1983 sex-comedy CLASSIC "My Tutor"! Olivia and Matt were married from 1984 to 1995.) (--One more thing: Australia's reaction to Chloe isn't as random as it seems. Chloe was born in L.A., but grew up in Australia, and had some minor acting roles there as a kid. She's been working on a music career for about 8 years.)


Rihanna Says She's In a "Pack" of Women Who Are Dominating Music:

The music landscape is all about RIHANNA and her friends right now . . . at least according to Rihanna. She tells "Glamour" magazine, quote, "Women are definitely dominating music right now, and that's because we are competitive beings. --"I feel like music hasn't been this exciting in awhile. There's a pack. It's me, [Lady] Gaga, Katy Perry, Beyoncé . . . who else? Kesha for sure."
"Time" Magazine's 30 All-Time Best Music Videos:

MTV will be 30 years old on Monday, and to celebrate "Time" magazine has put out a list of The 30 All-Time Best Music Videos. (--Even though MTV stopped playing videos, like, 15 years ago.) --The list is in chronological order, and it's not terribly exciting. It pretty much includes all the videos you'd expect to see in a "best videos of all time" list . . . with the GLARING exception of "Knights of Cydonia" by MUSE.

--"Once In a Lifetime", Talking Heads (1980)

--"Thriller", Michael Jackson (1984)

--"Take on Me", A-Ha (1985)

--"Sledgehammer", Peter Gabriel (1986)

--"Nothing Compares 2 U", Sinead O'Connor (1990)

--"Heart-Shaped Box", Nirvana (1993)

--"Buddy Holly", Weezer (1994)

--"Sabotage", The Beastie Boys (1994)

--"Virtual Insanity", Jamiroquai (1997)

--"Praise You", Fatboy Slim (1999)

--"Hardest Button to Button", The White Stripes (2005)

--"Here It Goes Again", OK Go (2006)

--"Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", Beyoncé (2008)

--"Bad Romance", Lady Gaga (2009)

--"Runaway", Kanye West (2010)

(--You can find the complete list and all the videos, beginning here.) (--By the way, do you know what the very first video MTV played was? It was "Video Killed the Radio Star" by THE BUGGLES. Here's that video, and here's a list of the videos MTV played on its first day, August 1st of 1981.)


Breaking News: Poison Drummer Rikki Rockett's Stance on Zoos: (???)

POISON played at the Toledo Zoo Amphitheatre in Ohio last night. Drummer RIKKI ROCKETT was there . . . begrudgingly. That's because he HATES ZOOS. --He explains, quote, "I am not in favor of zoos. It's another example of exploitation of animals for profit. I am not going to make this show about that issue, however . . . I am simply stating my stance on zoos, and I think that it's essential that I do."
Disturbed Says They're Going on "Indefinite Hiatus":

If you're a diehard DISTURBED fan who prefers their favorite bands to be ACTIVE . . . there's bad news: Disturbed is headed for the inactive list. --Yesterday, singer DAVID DRAIMAN Tweeted, quote, "We haven't said that we're breaking up. We simply do not know yet. All I can say is we are going on an indefinite hiatus." --He added that he "can't really get into the reasons" this is happening, but it sounds like it's been a long time coming. He said, quote, "Let's just say it's time." (--For more of David's comments, hit up his Twitter feed, here. WARNING: He has a foul mouth . . . and writes every one of his Tweets in ALL-CAPS.)


FRIDAY'S SHOWBIZ EXTRAS


Showbiz Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:


Last night on "Piers Morgan", DENISE RICHARDS felt the need to deny an old rumor that she used to be a prostitute. (Video)


Two "Playboy" Playmates have come out in defense of HUGH HEFNER'S sexual prowess . . . but neither of them seem to have actually slept with Hugh. (Full Story)


KIM KARDASHIAN and KRIS HUMPHRIES will make The Big Mistake on August 20th in Montecito, California . . . according to their official wedding invitation, which hit the web yesterday. (Full Story)



SEAN PENN'S 17-year-old son Hopper is an ill-tempered, womanizing jerk just like his dad . . . and Sean LOVES IT. (Full Story)


KELLY RIPA and her husband MARK CONSUELOS are producing a reality show called "Dirty Soap", which will follow soap opera actors' REAL lives. It'll premiere September 25th on E! (Full Story)


ADELE, LIL WAYNE and CHRIS BROWN will perform at the "MTV Video Music Awards" on August 28th. (Full Story)


DMX'S publicist DENIES that there's a reality show in the works called "X-Tended Family", which would feature DMX and "10 of his children." (Full Story)


DEBBIE GIBSON and TIFFANY teamed up for the movie "Mega Python Vs. Gatoroid", and now they're TOURING together. They say it's going to be, quote, "unashamedly about the '80s." The first show is tonight in Westbury, New York. (Full Story)

RANDOM STUFF

Here's What Men Think About Gender, Family, America's Power, Supernatural Beings, Sexting, and Being a "Real Man":

(--On Wednesday we gave you the results from the giant new AskMen.com survey about dating and sex. And yesterday we covered the lifestyle results. So today we're finishing up the trilogy with 'The State of Men in 2011.')

--AskMen.com just released the results of their fourth-annual 'Great Male Survey.' More than 70,000 men responded. Here are some of the highlights of the general state of men in America in 2011 . . .

--Most men think the male gender is "winning." Only 17% said women are "winning." 55% said men are winning by so much, quote, "it's not a competition." But another 28% said men are winning, so I guess it IS a competition.

--Is America still a superpower? 5% say no. 71% say it is, but on the decline. 24% think we're as strong as we've ever been.

--Men are most likely to believe aliens exist. Of the choices given, 47% of men say aliens are most likely to exist, 31% say angels, 10% say ghosts, 0% say vampires, and 12% say none.

--If you could only have one child, what gender would you prefer? 53% say a boy . . . 33% say it doesn't matter . . . and only 14% pick a girl.

--WARREN BUFFETT is the preferred source for financial advice. 45% of men would go to Buffett for advice if they could only ask one person. 27% would pick their dad. And 20% would choose DONALD TRUMP.

--Is sexting considered cheating? 74% of men, or three out of four, say that sexting IS cheating. 14% say it's not as long as no one sends naked photos. And 12% say no, it's harmless.

--The biggest threat to the U.S. is . . . the U.S. 47% say we pose our own biggest threat. 28% say China's the biggest threat . . . 11% say North Korea . . . and 9% say Iran.

--Would you rather have a child or a dog? 34% of guys said they'd rather have both a child AND a dog. 30% go with a child, 23% go with a dog. 13% said neither.

--Here's what makes a "real man" in 2011. 48% say it's being a great father and husband who takes care of his family. 23% say it's being a great leader and motivator. 11% say it means you have manly skills and can fix things . . .

--And then there are the politically incorrect answers. 5% say it's being charismatic and popular . . . 3% say it's being wealthy . . . and 2% say it's being a great SEDUCER or lover.

--Men still want to be Superman. 32% of guys say that if they could be any superhero, it would be Superman. 25% picked Batman even though he doesn't have any powers. 21% go Iron Man, 17% say one of the X-Men, 5% for Captain America. (AskMen)


The World's Population Will Hit Seven Billion by the End of the Year:

In 1800, the world's population hit one billion. It took the entire history of mankind to hit that level. And now . . . we've equaled it in ONE DECADE. --Ten years ago, the world's population hit six billion. And now, by the end of this year, it's already going to hit another milestone . . . and crack SEVEN BILLION. --According to the United Nations' projections, based on trends and averages, the seven billionth person will be born on October 31st . . . in India. --Basically, the population is growing faster than ever. By 2050 it's projected to be at over nine billion. --Almost all of the growth is happening in the third world. 97% of the population increase will be in less developed regions. 49% alone will be in Africa. --In the first world countries birth rates won't go up, but people are living to be older than ever. (Bloomberg)


You Glance at Your Smartphone 34 Times a Day for No Reason . . . It's Just Out of Habit:

Ever caught yourself pulling out your iPhone, or your Droid, or your BlackBerry and looking at the screen, even though it didn't vibrate or ring? --Yeah . . . everyone does it. --According to a study in the journal "Personal and Ubiquitous Computing", the average smartphone user checks their phone 34 times a day for NO REASON. It's just out of habit. --And when you check it, you do it for about 30 seconds. Most of the checks happen in clusters . . . a few times within 10 minutes. --Loren Frank is a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Francisco. He says there's a simple reason why we constantly check our phones. --One, our brains like the feeling of getting an email or text or new Facebook message. When you see that a new message has arrived, you get a quick happy feeling . . . it's like getting a present. --And once our brains get accustomed to that positive feeling, reaching for the phone moves to a part of the brain called the striatum . . . that's the part that controls habits. (CNN)


The Superpower That the Most People Want is . . . Wolverine's Instant Healing?

I'm going to go ahead and take this as a giant metaphor for how much faith people have lost in the health care system. -Because in a new survey asking people which superpower they most want, people passed up telepathy, invisibility, flight, and super-strength . . . and chose Wolverine's instant healing ability. Here's how the list broke down . . .

#1.) Wolverine's accelerated healing, 22%.

#2.) Professor X's psychic powers, 21%.

#3.) Superman's ability to fly, 15%.

#4.) The Hulk's super strength, 11%.

#5.) The invisibility of Sue Storm from the Fantastic Four, 8%.

#6.) The ability to control weather, like Storm from the X-Men, 7%

#7.) The fire-generating powers of the Human Torch from the Fantastic Four, 7%.

#8.) Daredevil's super senses, 4%.

#9.) Spider-Man's web slinging, 3%.

#10.) The super speed of Dash, from The Incredibles, 2%.
(Reuters)


Most Expensive Five-Car Crash Ever? A Bentley Driver Causes a Wreck With a Ferrari, an Aston Martin, a Mercedes-Benz, and a Porsche:

It's a good thing this woman is clearly rich, because her collision insurance is NOT going to cover this. --Yesterday morning in Monte Carlo, Monaco, a woman was driving her $403,000 Bentley Azure when she lost control. Her name wasn't released . . . she's only been described as "blonde."

--And after she lost control, here's what happened . . .

--Her Bentley scraped the side of a $121,000 Mercedes-Benz S-Class . . .

--She bounced off and plowed into a $231,000 Ferrari F430. . .

--She crashed from there into a $242,000 Aston Martin Rapide . . .

--And finally came to a stop as she rammed a $129,000 Porsche 911.

--All five cars came to a standstill as things got sorted out. Tons of tourists gathered around to take photos.

--The total value of the five cars involved in the pile-up is $1,126,000. Most of the cars will need replacement bumpers . . . and the early estimate on the repairs is over $160,000. (--Here are some photos of the wreck.) (Sky News)


After a NASCAR Race is Shown on TV, Car Accident Rates in West Virginia Jump 22%:

I know that every time I see one of the "Fast and the Furious" movies . . . which is opening night every time one comes out, obviously . . . I drive like a stone-cold lunatic when I leave the theater. Seeing the cars go fast has an effect on me. --So I'm not surprised by this new study in the "Journal of Applied Social Psychology" which found that after a NASCAR race is shown on TV, car accident rates make a pretty big jump. --For the study, the researchers looked at driving habits in West Virginia. Why? It has more NASCAR fans per capita of any state . . . so its roads would be most influenced by people trying to emulate the drivers. --West Virginia also tracks accidents caused by aggressive driving, so the researchers could use that number. --And they found that from 2003 through 2006, accidents dropped on the days when a NASCAR race was on . . . possibly because people were inside watching it . . . and then made a BIG jump afterward. --Within five days of a race, aggressive driving crashes went up an average of 22%, from 19.4 accidents per day to 23.59. (Wall Street Journal)


The Oakland Raiders Hired a Grandmother as One of Their New Cheerleaders:

The Oakland Raiders have picked their new cheerleading squad for the 2011-2012 NFL season, and one of their new ladies is . . . a GRANDMA. A 37-year-old grandma, but still, a grandma. (--Hey, if any woman could represent the female Oakland Raiders fans properly, I guess it is a 37-year-old grandma.) --Her name is Susie Sanchez. She's a mother of three, a grandmother of one, and she's been dancing since she was eight. --She says it's always been her dream to be an NFL cheerleader, and she's tried out five times in the past six years . . . but always got cut. --There were 232 women at the auditions, and Susie was one of 41 women picked to be on the Raiderettes. --The Raiderettes say she's the only grandma cheerleader in the NFL. But she's not the oldest cheerleader . . . the Cincinnati Bengals have a 42-year-old named Laura Vikmanis. (Yahoo Sports)


Casey Anthony Reportedly Wants $1.5 Million for an Interview . . . But So Far, the Networks Aren't Biting:

This is a message to every news outlet in this country. You have a chance to do some real good here. To draw a line in the sand. To stand up for justice. DO NOT PAY THIS WOMAN. --CASEY ANTHONY has named her price for an interview. And so far, no network has offered to pay it. --She wants $1.5 MILLION for her first TV appearance since she was acquitted of killing her two-year-old daughter. --She said her daughter accidentally drowned in a swimming pool. And she admitted to covering up the death because she panicked and hid her daughter in the woods. So because of that, she could become a millionaire. --The networks usually take a roundabout way of avoiding paying people outright for interviews . . . which is very, very frowned upon in the journalism world. --They pay people by pretending they're paying a fortune to license their personal photos and videos. Back in 2008, ABC paid Anthony $200,000 for the rights to photos and videos of her daughter. --NBC and ABC have both said they have not offered Anthony anything. TMZ initially reported yesterday that there was a, quote, "bidding war" for the interview. (CBS News)


MEATBALL CRIMINALS

A Man is Angry When an American Airlines Pilot Kicks Him off a Flight . . . So He Punches the Pilot and Chases Him Around the Terminal:

You know how the flight attendants always walk around before the plane takes off and they give you a bunch of grief if your seatbelt isn't fastened? Remember THIS story next time you fly . . . and just fasten the damn belt. --On Wednesday night, 27-year-old Jonathan Baez of Las Piedras, Puerto Rico was at Miami International Airport, on an American Airlines flight to San Francisco. His 29-year-old brother Luis Baez was with him. --As the plane taxied from the gate, one of the flight attendants noticed that Jonathan had fallen asleep without putting on his seatbelt. She tried to wake him up, but he was unresponsive. She said he appeared drunk or high. --So she told the pilot. He turned the plane around and returned to the gate. --An American Airlines spokesman says, quote, "As we always do with these things, we'd much rather deal with it on the ground than in the air." --The pilot came back into the cabin, woke up Jonathan, and told him he'd have to get off the plane. --Jonathan stumbled down the aisle, and his brother Luis went with him. --But as they exited, they both went CRAZY. --Luis told the pilot, quote, "When you fly to San Juan I will have you killed." And Jonathan PUNCHED THE PILOT in the face . . . and hit the flight attendant in the shoulder. --Then the brothers started CHASING the pilot into the terminal. Fortunately, other crew members and some passengers stepped in, tackled them, and held them down until the cops arrived. --The pilot was dazed, and a little afraid of the death threat, but otherwise alright. Jonathan was arrested and charged with battery and aggravated battery. Luis was charged with aggravated assault and aggravated battery. (Miami Herald)


A Fugitive Taunted the Police on Facebook by Writing "Catch Me If You Can" . . . and They Used it to Trace Him and Catch Him:

29-year-old Victor Burgos of Utica, New York is not quite the master criminal he thought he was. --Victor was wanted by the Utica police on several outstanding warrants for domestic violence and harassment against his ex-girlfriend. And earlier this week, he saw they'd put his mugshot on their 10 most wanted list. --So Victor hopped on his Facebook page and decided to TAUNT the cops. He wrote, quote, "Catch me if you can, I'm in Brooklyn." --The police had been monitoring his page, and saw it. So they contacted the NYPD and the U.S. marshals. --Now that the search was narrowed to Brooklyn, they were able to track Victor down in less than a day. --They've hauled him back to Utica where he'll be in court for his outstanding warrants. (New York Daily News)


RANDOM NEWS EXTRAS


News Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:


46% of Americans check email or call in to work when they're on summer vacation. (Full Story)


Introducing the 1,500-calorie donut burger . . . a burger with a donut for a bun. Head to the New York State Fair if you're interested. (Full Story)


Using mouthwash cuts the risk of having a premature baby by 75%? (Full Story)


A guy in Florida says he choked his ex-sister-in-law over their sexual relationship. But she says it was over pasta. Who's right? And do you care? (Full Story)


It's been a while since we've had a story about a woman getting busted and hiding contraband in her naughty place, so . . . yeah: A woman in Florida was caught breaking into cars, and hid her illegal prescription drugs in her naughty place. (Full Story)


Could tequila be holding the secret to running cars of the future? Probably not. But knock yourself out at this link. (Full Story)
NAZZY’S VIDEOS OF THE DAY

#1.) A Twitter Message Accidentally Sparked a Riot in Los Angeles . . . and People Started Planking In Front of Riot Police?

On Wednesday, some DJ named Kaskade threw a block party on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, and accidentally started a mini RIOT. --He planned to perform two songs outside Mann's Chinese Theatre, and he got a permit from the city. But after sending out a Tweet to his 92,000 followers, thousands of people showed up, and so did the police. --There are a ton of videos of it on YouTube, but the best one shows a whole line of people start PLANKING in the middle of the street . . . while cops in riot gear are standing right in front of them. (--Search for "Planking During Hollywood Riot.")


#2.) "The Rapping Weatherman" Performed a New Rap on Live TV . . . While Base Jumping Off a Bridge:

Nick Kosir is "The Rapping Weatherman" . . . you might have seen him on YouTube. And the other day, he performed a new rap on live TV . . . while BASE JUMPING off a bridge. (--Search for "The Rapping Weatherman Raps While Base Jumping." The rap starts at :30, he jumps at 2:00, and the rapping continues at 2:09.)


#3.) A Kid Got a Ball at a Baseball Game . . . and Started Crying WAY Too Hard:

At the Red Sox-Royals game yesterday, Boston's starting pitcher Josh Beckett handed a baseball to a kid sitting in the front row . . . and the kid started crying. At first, it was kind of sweet . . . but then he started crying WAY too hard. (--Search for "Red Sox Fan Gets Emotional Upon Receiving Baseball from Josh Beckett.")


#4.) Fabio Tried to Become the New Old Spice Guy . . . and Failed:

There was a fake feud between FABIO and the Old Spice Guy on YouTube this week. It was a marketing campaign where Fabio was supposedly trying to become the new spokesman. --Both of them were in a bunch of weird YouTube ads posted by Old Spice. But yesterday the whole thing finally got resolved . . . and you'll be happy to know that ISAIAH MUSTAFA is STILL the Old Spice Guy. --In their last video, Mustafa tried to get rid of Fabio and his ridiculous accent by having him travel back in time, to convince himself not to start the feud in the first place. --When that didn't work, he had Fabio hold a helium balloon, which carried him up into the air, and out of the galaxy. Yeah. The Old Spice ads are getting weirder and weirder. (--Search for "Old Spice Mano a Mano This Must End." They travel back in time at 2:02, and Fabio takes the balloon at 3:11.)


The Eight Most Interesting Results from Cosmo's "Great Female Survey":

To go with AskMen.com's annual "Great Male Survey," Cosmo did one for women. 13,000 of them answered personal questions about sex and relationships. Here are the eight most interesting things the survey revealed.

#1.) 38% of Women Say It's Okay If Their Boyfriend or Husband Is Facebook Friends with an Ex. 34% said it's definitely NOT okay. And 27% said they're okay with it, but only if they've met the girl.


#2.) Nearly One-Third of Women Have Met a Guy Online. 31% to be exact, and 12% of them went on to have a serious relationship. 22% said they would NEVER use the Internet to meet guys.


#3.) 33% of Women Expect the Guy to Pay for Most Dates. But 38% said it should be 50-50, and women should pay for half of them. -In the AskMen survey, 44% of guys said they should pay for most dates, until the relationship gets serious.


#4.) One in Ten Women Thinks Her Man Is Too Lazy. 11% said they had issues with their husband or boyfriend's "laziness and lack of ambition."

#5.) Only One in Five Women Said They'd Dump Their Boyfriend if He Got Fat. Compare that to the AskMen.com survey, where 47% of men said they'd dump their girlfriend if she gained too much weight.


#6.) Most Women Don't Care About the Size of Your Junk . . . Really. Guys have heard this a thousand times and still don't believe it. But according to Cosmo's survey, only 18% of women said they wished their guy's junk was bigger.


#7.) 26% of Women Have Fantasized About Your Friends. But only 12% said they'd actually cheat . . . even if it was guaranteed that you'd never find out.


#8.) 54% of Women Admitted to Fake Climaxing. But 85% said they'd be offended if they found out a guy did it. --In case you're wondering, 32% of the men in the AskMen survey said they've done it. And 18% have done it more than once.
(Cosmopolitan)


Eight Tips for Meeting Someone at the Beach:

It's already the end of July . . . sorry . . . but there's still plenty of time left to hit the beach this summer. And if you're looking for a summer fling, we've got eight tips for meeting someone at the beach.

#1.) Don't Wear Sunglasses the Whole Time. Yeah, they look cool. And, ya know, protect your eyes from the sun and stuff. But dark lenses make you unapproachable. It's hard to flirt when the other person can't see half your face.

#2.) Choose Your Spot Carefully. Scope out the beach before deciding where to drop your stuff. That way you get a spot that's around other people your age, instead of in the middle of a bunch of families and kids.

#3.) Don't Show Too Much Skin. It's the beach, but that doesn't mean you should show EVERYTHING. Someone wearing a flattering bikini is a lot more approachable than someone in a thong. And guys, don't even consider a Speedo.

#4.) Don't Go in a Pack. Hitting up the beach with two or three friends is the way to go. Going with ten people will be intimidating to someone who wants to approach you, and you might get lost in the mix anyway.

#5.) Walk. Don't spend all your time laying out, swimming, or staying in one place. Walk along the bottom of the beach and see what's up.

#6.) "Forget" Something. Accidentally "forget" something at home, like your watch or some sunscreen, and use it as a way to talk to the people next to. It doesn't matter what you ask for, you just need a way to break the ice.


#7.) Bring Extra Drinks and Snacks. This is the opposite of purposefully forgetting something: If you're bringing food and drinks with you, pack some extra to share with anyone you might meet.

#8.) Don't Hide Behind Technology. Yes, you really love your cell phone and your iPad, but if you spend your whole day buried in technology, you might as well stay home. (Match.com)

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