HOLLYWOOD DIRT OVERFLOW (08-02-11)

Rihanna Got Half-Naked and Freaky At a Parade in Barbados . . . And Says She Doesn't Like Being a Role Model:

RIHANNA was in her native Barbados yesterday to celebrate something called Kadooment Day. It's a harvest festival, and it culminates with a huge parade. --From the pictures that appeared online yesterday, it seems that the purpose of this parade is to get the women half-naked, drunk and slutty. (???) If you're into Rihanna, you WILL enjoy them. (--And here they are.) (--You'll find TONS more here.) --Meanwhile, in an interview with "Glamour" magazine, Rihanna reveals how much of a bummer being a role model can be. She says, quote, "I want to set the right example and, at the same time, live my life. --"I feel like pop stars can't be rock stars anymore because they have to be role models, and it takes the fun out of it for us, because we just want to have fun with art." --She also talks about wanting to be DOMINATED in the bedroom . . . quote, "I play a very dominant role in my life, in every aspect of it. And I like to feel like a lady still, at some point. --"I feel like that's the time when a guy really gets to be a man, and I get to be a woman. And if I'm being a man in the bedroom too, there's nothing really in it for me."


Fantasia Is Pregnant . . . But There's No Word Yet on the Daddy:

FANTASIA is pregnant. She made the announcement Sunday night at a charity concert in Jacksonville, Florida. --She told the audience, quote, "You are the first [people] that I share this news with. And I share this with you because I can relate to you. And for a while, I walked around figuring out what they will say and what will they think about me. --"But now I tell you, I don't live my life for folk. So, this child that I carry . . . God has given me this child. And I don't have to hide it from none of y'all." --God may have given Fantasia this child, but we all know some other dude did the heavy lifting, so to speak. Fantasia didn't identify that man. --The last we knew, though, she was still with Antwaun Cook . . . the guy who was MARRIED when she started messing around with him. --That whole situation drove Fantasia to attempt suicide last August. And despite a few ups and downs in the relationship since then, Antwaun seems to be the likely candidate. --Fantasia is 27. She already has a daughter named Zion, who turns 10 next week.


Helen Mirren Has the "Body of the Year" . . . According to a Poll by L.A. Fitness:

Put another check in the win column for the ELDER MINXES: The L.A. Fitness gym chain polled 2,000 people to find the BODY OF THE YEAR. And the winner was . . . --66-year-old HELEN MIRREN! --Helen got 18% of the vote. Her closest competition was on the mature side, too: It was 48-year-old model ELLE MACPHERSON, who got 10%. --Further down the list was JENNIFER LOPEZ with 6.6%, PIPPA MIDDLETON with 4% and KATE WINSLET with 3.9%. --They were also looking for the best MALE body. And there was no big surprise at the top of that list. DAVID BECKHAM got 21% of the vote . . . followed by DANIEL CRAIG with 15.8% and JOHNNY DEPP with 10.3%. --You can see the complete male and female Top 10 lists here.)


Kellan Lutz Thanks God for His Body:

KELLAN LUTZ . . . who plays Emmett Cullen in the "Twilight" movies . . . gets a lot of female attention. And maybe he's a little full of himself because of it. But at least he knows enough to give credit where it's due. --"Us Weekly" asked Kellan what it's like to be a sex symbol . . . and he replied, quote, "I thank God for blessing me. I can't really sing, I can't play guitar but he gave me a physique, which is nice." (--Praise Allah.)


Samantha Ronson Was Arrested for DUI:

SAMANTHA RONSON was arrested yesterday for DUI outside Baker, California. --Sam had a DJ-ing gig at a Las Vegas nightclub on Sunday night. Cops in Baker pulled her black Porsche over at about 10:30 yesterday morning. She failed a field sobriety test, then REFUSED to take a breathalyzer. --She was arrested, booked . . . then eventually released at about 5:30 last night.


Lindsay Lohan Let a Puppet Make Fun of Her on New Zealand TV:

LINDSAY LOHAN appeared on a New Zealand TV show the other day . . . where she let a puppet make fun of her shoplifting fiasco. --The show is called "On the SkyCouch with Rico" . . . and the interview was actually shot at Lindsay's house. --At the end of the interview, the puppet gave Lindsay some jewelry as a gift and told her, quote, "Don't worry, they're all paid for." (--Check it out here.)
Leonardo DiCaprio Is Hollywood's Highest-Paid Actor:

The unstoppable list-makers at Forbes.com have released their annual list of Hollywood's Highest-Paid Actors. LEONARDO DICAPRIO is #1 this year, pulling down $77 MILLION over the past year.

--Here's the list . . .

#1.) Leonardo DiCaprio, $77 million

#2.) Johnny Depp, $50 million

#3.) Adam Sandler, $40 million

#4.) Will Smith, $36 million

#5.) Tom Hanks, $35 million

#6.) Ben Stiller, $34 million

#7.) Robert Downey Jr., $31 million

#8.) Mark Wahlberg, $28 million

#9.) (tie) Tim Allen and Tom Cruise, $22 million

#11.) (tie) Jim Carrey, Daniel Craig, Robert Pattinson and Brad Pitt $20 million

#15.) Matt Damon, $18 million

(--Check out the list . . . which explains where all these guys got their money . . . here.)


Amy Winehouse Was Not Trying to Adopt a 10-Year-Old Girl:

Here's a shocker: That British tabloid report about AMY WINEHOUSE trying to adopt a 10-year-old girl WASN'T TRUE. Her rep says, quote, "She was not in the process of legally adopting anyone." --Some have speculated that the girl and her family only corroborated the story because they were being paid.


Mel Gibson is Five Years Sober?

It's hard to believe that MEL GIBSON was sober during those telephone rants last year . . . but apparently he was. --TMZ says that Mel celebrated FIVE YEARS OF SOBRIETY last week with friends. --Supposedly, he quit drinking after his DUI arrest on July 28th, 2006.


Will the Season Premiere of "Two and a Half Men" Feature Charlie Sheen's Funeral?

Deadline.com says that the 9th season premiere of "Two and a Half Men" will feature the FUNERAL of CHARLIE SHEEN'S character, Charlie Harper. --Many of Charlie's girlfriends will be back for the funeral. The episode will also feature people coming by to check out Charlie's house. ASHTON KUTCHER will be one of them . . . and, as you probably know, he'll be the eventual owner.


Charlie Sheen Will Not Appear on Britain's "Celebrity Big Brother":

There's a rumor going around that CHARLIE SHEEN secured a $10 million payday to do Britain's version of "Celebrity Big Brother". It's not happening. --Charlie's rep says it's, quote, "totally untrue." --Past participants include Ivana Trump, Stephen Baldwin, Coolio, Dennis Rodman and LaToya Jackson. -With Charlie's hat out of the ring, that leaves Aaron Carter and Sarah Ferguson as the biggest stars rumored to be in for the coming season.


The Tree from "The Shawshank Redemption" Was Badly Damaged by a Windstorm:

Remember the oak tree at the end of "The Shawshank Redemption"? The one where TIM ROBBINS left a message telling MORGAN FREEMAN where to find him when he got out of prison? --Well, that tree . . . which is in Ohio . . . was nearly ripped in half by a windstorm last Friday. The owners of the property have not said whether they're going to chop it down or try to save it. (--Check out before-and-after pics here.) (TMZ)


Will Chuck Norris, John Travolta and Jean-Claude Van Damme Be In the "Expendables" Sequel?

"The Expendables" already had one of the most killer action-movie casts EVER, including Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin . . . --Not to mention cameos by Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. --Now there's a rumor going around that CHUCK NORRIS, JOHN TRAVOLTA and JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME may appear in the sequel. (--FYI, this is not anywhere near being official . . . but how freakin' awesome would it be???)


"Bachelorette" Ashley Hebert Chose J.P. Rosenbaum:

The latest season of "The Bachelorette" wrapped last night . . . and it ended with ASHLEY HEBERT accepting the proposal of J.P. Rosenbaum. --Both J.P. and Ben Flajnik proposed to Ashley, but she turned down Ben for J.P., even though her sister was NOT a fan of J.P. (--She took it back during the "After the Rose" special . . . saying she "felt like the biggest jerk ever.") --Ben was pretty blown away by the rejection. --After meeting Ashley's family, Ben said, quote, "The next time I see all these people, I will be engaged to Ashley." And he was stunned when she rejected his proposal . . . saying, quote, "Wow, I didn't see that one coming." --Here's what Ashley and J.P. had to say about their future on the "After the Rose" special: Ashley said, quote, "Should be done [with dental school] in about a month. And I'm moving to New York City. We're getting a place together." --And J.P. added, quote, "I can't wait for her to get there . . . once things are a little more stable, we'll start talking about wedding plans." (--They did not reveal when they plan to break up, but the smart money is on "within the next year".) (--Romances forged on "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" do not last . . . that's a proven fact. Of the 21 seasons of both shows excluding this last one, only TWO of the couples are still together. That's a 9.5% success rate.) (--You can find some clips from the finale, here.)


Maroon 5's Adam Levine Is Developing a Sitcom Set in a Karaoke Bar:

MAROON 5 singer ADAM LEVINE is working on another project with NBC . . . where he already serves as a coach on The Voice". --He's developing a sitcom set in a karaoke bar that will "blend comedy with vocal performances." It's pretty early in the process . . . so there's no word on a title, an airdate or casting. --Adam is an executive producer on the project, and at least for now, there's no indication that he'll actually appear on the show. --Adam hasn't commented on this. (--But he did Tweet this mind-bending deep thought: Quote, "Just because I say things doesn't mean I don't regret them.")


Kelly Ripa Says Her Husband Has No Interest in Replacing Regis Philbin:

KELLY RIPA'S husband MARK CONSUELOS has been considered one of the frontrunners to replace REGIS PHILBIN on "Live! with Regis and Kelly" for a while now, but apparently Mark has NO interest in the gig. --Kelly tells E!, quote, "It's our favorite rumor, because the one person with zero interest in the job would be my husband. He enjoys [guest-hosting] once in a while . . . but he says it would be too much for us . . . he's like 'No thanks, I'll see you at home.'" --Regis is planning to leave in November. (--Here's video of Kelly's comments.)
Tuesday TV Reminders: (--Check your local listings.)

--"MTV First: Sean Kingston" . . . 7:57 P.M. Eastern on MTV. (--Sean Kingston breaks his silence about his jet-ski accident, in a half hour special with MTV News.)

--"Take the Money and Run" [SERIES Premiere] . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on ABC.(--Contestants are given one hour to hide $100,000 before being taken to jail and questioned by real detectives. If the money's not recovered by the cops in 48 hours, they get to keep it.)

--"America's Got Talent" [Performance Show] . . . 9:00 to 11:00 P.M. on NBC.

--"White Collar" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on USA. (--Eliza Dushku guests as an Egyptologist.)

--"19 Kids & Counting" [5th Season Finale] . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on TLC.

--"Billy the Exterminator" [4th Season Premiere] . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on A&E.

--"Aftermath with William Shatner" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on Bio. (--The Shat interviews "The Mayflower Madam" Sydney Biddle Barrows.)

--"Born To Dance" [SERIES Premiere] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on BET. (--Laurieann Gibson, who you'd remember as Danity Kane's choreographer on "Making the Band", works with 20 aspiring dancers.)


VIDEO GAME QUICK HITS

The "Phineas and Ferb" Video Game Is In Stores Today:

--"Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension" (E10+) . . . on PS3, Wii, and DS. This is based on the Disney Channel movie that airs this Friday, with Phineas and Ferb entering an alternate universe controlled by an evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz. (Trailer)

--"Bleach: Soul Resurreccion" (T) . . . on PS3. A one-player game about a teenager with the ability to see the spirits of the dead. As a "Soul Reaper", he uses his powers to fight an army of evil spirits. It's based on the anime and manga series "Bleach". (Trailer)

--"Sesame Street: Ready, Set, Grover!" (eC) which stands for Early Childhood . . . on the Wii and Nintendo DS. Grover, Elmo, and Abby Cadabby promote healthy habits like physical activity, healthy eating, and hygiene for young children. The Wii version of this game comes with a custom character cover for the Wiimote that eliminates unnecessary buttons and makes it easier for your kid to play. (Trailer)

ESRB Game Ratings: (E) for Everyone; (T) for Teen; (M) for Mature (18+)


Upcoming Free Game Content for You:

#1.) Nintendo's 3DS is getting a 30 percent price cut on August 12th, to bring the price of the handheld device down to $169.99. It's currently selling for $249. For anyone who's already bought a 3DS and accessed the Nintendo eShop, you'll be able to get 20 free downloadable games like "Super Mario Brothers", "Donkey Kong Jr.", "The Legend of Zelda", "Mario Kart", "Metroid", and "Yoshi's Island". (Full Story) (--And since this drastic price cut will cause Nintendo to lose money on every 3DS, the company president has announced that he's taking a 50% pay cut.)

#2.) "Red Dead Redemption" is releasing free downloadable content in September in a bonus pack called "The Myths and Mavericks" as a show of appreciation to its fans. (Full Story)
NEW ON VIDEO THIS WEEK

--"Soul Surfer" - AnnaSophia Robb plays surfer Bethany Hamilton, the chick who lost her left arm to a shark and then returned to competitive surfing. Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid play her parents, Carrie Underwood plays her church youth group leader, and Jack Nicholson's daughter Lorraine plays another surfer.

--"Rio" - Anne Hathaway and Jesse Eisenberg are the last two birds of their species, which makes them rare and expensive. They escape from some birdnappers, but Jesse doesn't know how to fly which leads to animated chaos.

--"Exporting Raymond" - Anyone who liked "Everybody Loves Raymond" will find this interesting: It's all about how sitcom creator Phil Rosenthal encounters hilarious cultural difference when he goes to Russia to help them adapt "Everybody Loves Raymond" for Russian television.

--"Cold Weather" - This has the potential to be mildly amusing: A forensics dropout and Sherlock Holmes wannabe gets a chance to flex his detective skills when his ex-girlfriend goes missing. It stars an unknown cast, with "Sherlock" played by a guy named Cris Lankenau.

TV Series On DVD:

--"United States of Tara: The Third Season" . . . a two-disc DVD set.
--"Eastbound & Down: The Complete Second Season" . . . a two-disc DVD set.
--"Everwood: The Complete Fourth Season" . . . the final season on five-discs.


NEW MUSIC OUT THIS WEEK

This Week's CD Releases:

--"Hold On 'Til The Night", Greyson Chance (--He's the young kid who was signed to Ellen DeGeneres' label after singing Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" at a school talent show. He'll turn 14 in about two weeks. You can preview some of the tracks here.)

--"Sky Full of Holes", Fountains of Wayne (--Stream the album at AOL Music.)

--"King", O.A.R. (--It includes the single "Heaven". It's streaming at AOL Music.)


Kings of Leon Have Canceled the Rest of Their U.S. Tour . . . But They Insist They're Not Breaking Up:

KINGS OF LEON have canceled the rest of their U.S. tour, which was supposed to include 25 more shows between tonight and mid-September. --That's not exactly shocking news if you heard about what happened this weekend. On Friday, the band's show in Dallas was cut short when singer CALEB FOLLOWILL abruptly stormed off the stage and didn't return. --They also canceled a gig Saturday in Houston . . . and announced that both shows would be made up in September, but now that's no longer happening. --The band released a statement explaining that they're shutting things down for two months so Caleb can rest his voice and recharge. The band said Caleb is "suffering from vocal issues and exhaustion." --It goes on, quote, "The band is devastated, but in order to give their fans the shows they deserve, [we] need to take this break. Unfortunately, the U.S. dates cannot be rescheduled due to [our] international tour schedule." --Kings of Leon are scheduled to return to the road on September 28th. They have shows booked in Canada, South Africa and Australia from then through November. Of course, tickets for the canceled shows will be refunded. --The good news is: The band insists that they're NOT breaking up. --This in response to the rampant speculation bassist JARED FOLLOWILL started, when he Tweeted that there were, quote, "problems in our band bigger than not drinking enough Gatorade." --Here's the latest from the guys on Twitter: --Jared now says, quote, "Utterly depressed. It's completely out of my hands. Family has to come 1st. If bass solos & backing vocals were more popular, I'd be there. --"Don't jump to conclusions guys. We're not breaking up." (--Then he posted this video with the caption: Quote, "They told me the news about the tour in the gym today. This is how I felt." WARNING: There's an UNEDITED F-BOMB.) --Drummer NATHAN FOLLOWILL Tweets, quote, "Bummed about the tour not happening. So sorry 4 all the fans. We just need some rest. Thanks 4 understanding. WE ARE NOT BREAKING UP!" --And that's about it for now. Guitarist MATTHEW FOLLOWILL merely says, quote, "I'm also immensely sorry for what happened. Please forgive, and we will make it up to everyone ASAP!" (--Caleb doesn't appear to have an active Twitter account.)
And Now . . . Yet Another List of the 30 All-Time Best Music Videos:

MTV celebrated their 30th anniversary yesterday . . . and that has everyone talking about music videos. Last week, "Time" magazine released a list of The 30 All-Time Best Music Videos, and now Billboard.com has done the same thing.

--Billboard.com's list is the result of a readers' poll . . . and it ranks the Top 10 videos from each decade: The '80s, the '90s and the 2000s.

--Here's the Top 5 of each:

--The '80s: (The complete Top 10, with video links, begins here.)

1.) "Thriller", Michael Jackson (1983)

2.) "Like a Prayer", Madonna (1989)

3.) "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", Cyndi Lauper (1983)

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

5.) "When Doves Cry", Prince (1984)


--The '90s: (The complete Top 10, with video links, begins here.)

1.) "Baby One More Time", Britney Spears (1998)

2.) "Scream", Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson (1995)

3.) "Vogue", Madonna (1990)

4.) "Freak on a Leash", Korn (1999)

5.) "Smells Like Teen Spirit", Nirvana (1991)


--The 2000s: (The complete Top 10, with video links, begins here.)

1.) "Bad Romance", Lady Gaga (2009)

2.) "Toxic", Britney Spears (2004)

3.) "I Write Sins Not Tragedies", Panic! At the Disco (2006)

4.) "You Rock My World", Michael Jackson (2001)

5.) "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)", Beyoncé (2008)


Previously Unreleased Footage from the Boring, First Draft of Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" Video:

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN'S "Dancing in the Dark" video . . . with a then-unknown COURTENEY COX . . . is arguably one of the most iconic videos to come out of the '80s. (--Although, Billboard.com readers may not agree.) --But it almost didn't happen. --The first director Bruce worked with on the video had a much more literal interpretation. That was: Bruce singing and dancing in the dark. He's mostly alone . . . although the late saxophonist CLARENCE CLEMONS saunters in at the end. --It's a pretty dull concept . . . but you don't have to take my word for it. Previously unreleased footage from these initial shoots has hit the Internet. (--You can check it out, here. And for comparison, here's the final video.) --Eventually, The Boss canned that director . . . and hired Brian De Palma, the man behind the movies "Carrie", "Scarface" and "Carlito's Way". Together they created the version we know today. --The focus was changed to Bruce performing onstage in front of cheering fans. It's totally different from the first shoot, except Bruce kept some of his "dance moves."
Check Out Some Stats from U2's Record-Setting 360 Tour:

U2 just completed their insanely successful "360" tour on Saturday night in Canada. And it wasn't just U2's biggest tour ever . . . it may be THE biggest tour ever. --Billboard.com says it will go down "as the biggest tour ever, both in terms of box office gross and attendance." The tour kicked off in June of 2009, and in just over two years, U2 played 110 concerts in front of 7.1 million fans in 30 countries.

--Here are some other stats from the tour:

--134 crew members

--11 babies born to crew

--2 crew weddings

--12 bus drivers

--126 truck drivers

--53 gigs attended by a single fan

--9,760 guitar strings utilized.

--92,270 meals fed to working staff and guests

--29,000 T-shirts given to local stagehands

--400 tons: The weight of the fully loaded "claw" stage

--10 million people watched a live stream of U2 360 at the Rose Bowl on YouTube in October of 2009.

--320,000 fans saw 360 in Mexico City


Old-School Singers and Rappers - #1 - Meat Loaf Is Working with Lil Jon and Chuck D:

MEAT LOAF'S next album will come with a side of hip-hop . . . because he's collaborating with LIL JON and CHUCK D from PUBLIC ENEMY. --Meat Loaf got to know Lil Jon when they were both contestants on "Celebrity Apprentice" . . . and he met Chuck through ANTHRAX singer SCOTT IAN, who's his son-in-law. --Meat Loaf has several projects in the works, but it sounds like this is for "Hell in a Handbasket" . . . an album that he's putting out in February. --There aren't any other details, so it's unclear if they're all doing one track together . . . or if Meat Loaf is working with Lil Jon and Chuck D separately.


Old-School Singers and Rappers - #2 - Drake Is Working with Stevie Wonder:

DRAKE has landed STEVIE WONDER for his next album, "Take Care". --Stevie started out by giving Drake advice and suggestions on the music, and then Drake popped the question. Drake says, quote, "So I hit him, asked him to come by, and with no hesitation he hit me back like 'I will be there.' --"Not only that, but he was supposed to do two songs and he did like six. It was incredible." (--Here's video of Stevie onstage with Drake at the OVO Festival on Sunday.)

TUESDAY'S SHOWBIZ EXTRAS


Showbiz Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:


KIM KARDASHIAN is doing a 3D magazine photo shoot . . . and for some reason this is supposed to make us very excited. (Full Story)



HEIDI MONTAG and SPENCER PRATT are broke and living in Spencer's parents' beach house. They have a hard time finding work and don't really know what they're going to do next. (Full Story)



MARISKA HARGITAY'S part on "Law & Order: SVU" isn't going to be reduced as much as people have been led to believe. (Full Story)



Starz is working on a series about the first woman to ever own her own NASCAR team. It has a title that you CAN'T SAY ON THE AIR. (Full Story)



LUCY LIU has joined the cast of TNT's "Southland". (Full Story)



If riveting box office figures are your life, then you surely need the results of the gripping battle between "Cowboys and Aliens" and "The Smurfs". Ready? "The Smurfs" lost. The alien-western was ahead in the final tally by $800,000. (Results)


NOT-SO-STUPID NEWS

Gabrielle Giffords Returned to Congress for the First Time Since Being Shot, So She Could Vote 'Yes' on the Debt Ceiling Bill:

The madness over raising the debt ceiling has been an example of partisan politics at its absolute worst. And as a result, every poll shows that people in the U.S. have even more contempt for their elected officials than normal. --But last night, just as Congress was voting on a bill that NO ONE likes, but keeps the country from defaulting on what we owe . . . we got a gigantic reality check. --REPRESENTATIVE GABRIELLE GIFFORDS made her first appearance in Congress since she was SHOT IN THE FACE back in January, during an assassination attempt. She traveled to Washington to cast her vote on the bill. --When she walked into the room, it was a pretty amazing sight. After so much horrible, bitter, petty arguing, everyone from both parties stood up, gave her a standing ovation, and surrounded her to give her hugs and handshakes.--And while it's far too optimistic to say that maybe this snapped Congress out of their bubble, and will make them take a step back to remember there's more to what they do than fighting and impeding progress . . . it was still a real MOMENT.--Giffords voted yes on the bill. It passed 269 to 161. The Senate should sign off on it today and avoid sending the country into default. (Reuters) (--Here's a video from C-SPAN of Giffords returning to Congress last night and here's the highlight on Gawker.)

A Seven-Year-Old was Drowning in a Pool and was Saved by . . . a Cable Repairman Working Nearby:

Cable repairmen get a LOT of bad press. They've got a reputation for being horribly late to appointments, and they don't seem to be in much of a hurry to change that perception. So it's about time we got to praise one as a HERO. --30-year-old Agustin Arreguin of San Antonio, Texas is a field technician for Time Warner Cable. Last week, he was out on a job, fixing some cable lines outside of an apartment complex. --As he was finishing up, he heard SCREAMS for help. He looked over a fence and saw that a seven-year-old boy was DROWNING in the apartment pool. --So he hopped the fence. Someone else pulled the boy out, but he wasn't breathing. Fortunately, Agustin knew CPR . . . he'd taken a course in January to get his certification to adopt a child. So he performed CPR on the boy. --And it WORKED. The boy, whose name is Moses Pearsall, was conscious and alert by the time the ambulance got to the apartment complex. He didn't suffer any brain damage and will make a full recovery. --Agustin was honored on Friday morning at a ceremony featuring officials from the Red Cross, the county, and Time Warner Cable. (San Antonio Express-News)


RANDOM STUFF

Here are the States with the Highest and Lowest Rates of Vices, Addictions, and Mental Health Issues:

Based on government data from 2008 through 2010, here are the states that have the highest and lowest rates of vices, addictions, and mental health issues. Let's get ready to judge . . .

--Illicit drug use. Alaska has the highest rate, with 13.5% of people using an illegal drug in the past month. Iowa has the lowest, at 5.3%. Alaska also has the highest rate of marijuana use, at 11.5%. Utah has the lowest rate at 3.6%.

--Painkiller abuse. Oklahoma had the highest rate, at 8.1%. Iowa and Nebraska tied for the lowest rate at 3.6%.

--Alcohol. New Hampshire had the most people drink in the past month, at 64%. Utah had by far the fewest, at 28.1%. For underage drinking, Vermont has the highest rate, at 36.6%. Utah is the lowest, at 14.2%.

--Cigarettes. Kentucky has the most smokers, at 32%. Utah has the fewest, at 16.4%.

--Drug addiction. Washington, D.C. has the highest rate, at 4.4%. Iowa has the lowest rate, at 1.9%.

--Mental illness. Rhode Island has the highest percentage, at 7.2%. Hawaii and South Dakota have the lowest mental illness rates, at 3.5%.

--Suicidal thoughts. Utah . . . which has the fewest marijuana users, drinkers, and smokers . . . has the MOST suicidal people, at 5.4%. Georgia has the fewest, at 2.8%. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)

(--You can see where your state ranks on the full report here. Head to page 162 of the PDF, that's where the state-by-state charts start.)


People Think Drinking Alone is Twice as Relaxing as Spending Time With Their Family:

You love your family. They mean everything to you and made you the person you are today. But at the end of a long, tough day of work . . . do you kinda wish they'd disappear for a few hours and leave you alone with a jug of whiskey? --According to a new survey, people are more than TWICE as likely to say that drinking alone is more relaxing after a stressful day than spending time with their kids. --In the survey, 61% of people said that having a few drinks is their top choice after a long day. Only 28% said spending time with their kids helped them relax. And 26% said they'd rather talk with their partner. --Women were MUCH more likely to say they drink because of stress, 73% to 26%. --And 61% of women say they have two or more, quote, "large glasses of wine" after a stressful day.--The same percentage of men drink about two beers a night after a stressful day. --Only 15% of both genders drink after a great day. (The Telegraph)
Here Are the Top Party Schools in the Country:

Princeton Review released its annual list of the top party schools in the country yesterday. And as always, the students from the number one school celebrated, and the administration was mortified.

--This year, Ohio University in Athens, Ohio was named the top party school in the country. The rankings are based on a survey of more than 122,000 students nationwide.

--Ohio University . . . not to be confused with Ohio State . . . has a long-standing reputation as a major party school. Their Halloween party has been going on since the 1970s and draws at least 20,000 people.

--After the rankings were released, Ohio issued a statement saying, quote, "We are disappointed in the party school ranking as it is not indicative of the overall experience of Ohio students and does not match the data we have collected."

--The number two school on the list is in a different Athens . . . the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. Number three is the University of Mississippi . . . four is University of Iowa . . . and five is the University of California, Santa Barbara.

--For the 14th straight year, Brigham Young University in Utah was named the number one most stone cold sober school in the country. (CBS 17 - Columbia, South Carolina) (--You can see the full list of the top 20 party schools here.)


When Your Boss is Angry or Sarcastic It Actually Makes Your Work Better:

The fact that your boss is an a-hole may actually be good for you. And not just because you're getting stronger every day as you train to one day punch him in the face. --According to a new study in the "Journal of Applied Psychology", when bosses are ANGRY or SARCASTIC it actually makes their employees work better. --In the study, angry bosses made people better at straightforward and analytic tasks because it kept the employees more focused. --A sarcastic boss made people better at creative tasks because good sarcasm puts your brain to work . . . and that got workers going in a creative direction. --A boss who was nice didn't get the same results. (Washington Post)


The Only Home Renovation That Pays For Itself Is Steel Entry Doors . . . But You Still Might Want to Make Improvements:

People justify expensive home improvements by saying that they'll "pay for themselves". That means they'll add more to the home's value than the cost of doing them. --But it turns out they usually don't. The only renovation that increases the cost of the home enough to recoup 100% of the cost is replacing older doors with steel ones. --Replacing the siding recoups an average of 80% of the cost. New windows get back about 70% of the cost. --One of the least cost-effective moves is to remodel your kitchen. It only gets back about 60% of the cost. Mainly because it's wicked expensive to do: They cost an average of $113,000. --The other problem with a new kitchen is that it can't be seen from the outside. Shiny new doors and siding make an immediate impact to people passing through the neighborhood. You have to already be interested in the house to ever see the new kitchen. --For the same reason, turning the master bedroom into a suite, adding a deck on the back of the house, and renovating the bathrooms also only recoup about 60%. --But even though they don't pay for themselves, you might still want to make improvements. Often, a major improvement makes the difference between selling a house or having it linger on the market for months. (Yahoo Finance)


An Elderly Couple Figures Out a Flaw in the Massachusetts Lottery and Spend $600,000 on Tickets . . . Knowing They'll Win Millions:

This is pretty impressive. Incredibly risky, but impressive. --Marjorie and Gerald Selbee are a married couple in their 70s who live in Massachusetts. And they figured out a flaw in one of the state's more obscure lottery games: If they bought $600,000 in tickets, they could guarantee a win. --The game is called Cash WinFall. Very few people play it, so very few people win it. And the prizes accumulate each week until it hits a $2 MILLION jackpot, with some massive secondary prizes for getting most of the numbers right. --A few weeks ago, the jackpot and prizes hit that maxed out level. And the Selbees went into action. --Marjorie went to a liquor store in Sunderland, Massachusetts, and spent THREE DAYS buying $307,000 worth of $2 tickets for the game. Gerald was at a coffee shop that whole time buying $307,000 worth of tickets on his own. --They bought about half of the possible 1,605 winning tickets for Cash WinFall . . . and they'd calculated that it was enough to guarantee they'd make their money back. --And it turns out this isn't the first time they've done this in 2011. They've played the system on Cash WinFall before. --They haven't said whether they won the jackpot this time, but the smaller prizes for matching most of the numbers are high enough that they've already cleared $1 MILLION . . . and will probably make another several million this year. (Boston Globe)


A Man Finds Out the Hot Blonde Who Seduced Him and Got Him to Drive Drunk Was Sent By His Ex-Wife to Help Her Divorce Settlement:

It's just amazing how every man truly believes that, deep down, he's irresistible to women. No matter how much of a lifetime of evidence he's gotten to the contrary. --49-year-old Dave Dutcher is an aeronautics engineer in Martinez, California. He and his wife split up a few years ago and Dave went on Match.com. And he immediately started getting attention from a GORGEOUS, YOUNG BLONDE. --They went on a date. She told him, quote, "I haven't had sex in so long." --On their second date, she brought along an equally-hot friend. They flashed their breasts at him, did some shots, and invited him back to their hot tub, suggesting they'd have a threesome. --At this point, Dave's "wait a minute, something doesn't add up" sense should've kicked in. But it didn't because, of course, all men deep down believe they're rock stars. So even though he was drunk, he got behind the wheel to go home with them. --And that's when he was pulled over and got a DUI. --Now, a few years later, Dave believes he's put together the pieces. His ex-wife HIRED the blonde woman to seduce him. She tipped off the cop he was drunk. And it was all to get a better divorce settlement. --His ex-wife admits she hired the woman and tipped off the cop, but says she did it to keep an eye on Dave, not to set him up. Dave will be in court this week to convince the judge not to take away his three kids in the divorce . . . because it was all a trap. (San Jose Mercury News)


A Man in India Has a Hysterectomy After Doctors Find His Abdominal Pain is Caused by . . . a Uterus?

We don't have all the details on this story, but what we do know is pretty crazy . . . --A man in India named Ryalu went to the hospital recently to find out what was causing his severe abdominal pain. (--No other name was released, and we're not sure if that's his first or last name.) -Doctors diagnosed him with a hernia, and did exploratory surgery to find out how bad it was. It was bad . . . but it wasn't because of the hernia. --His doctor (--Dr. Pramod Kumar Shrivastava) found that Ryalu had a fully developed uterus, as well as ovaries, Fallopian tubes, and a cervix. There was also some vaginal tissue that hadn't developed. --Ryalu had fully developed guy parts on the outside, and he'd managed to use them to father two children with his wife. --So technically, Ryalu is considered a hermaphrodite, although his hormones and sexuality are all male. And he had no idea. --Dr. Pramod and his team removed the female organs . . . which means that Ryalu is one of the only men in the world to have had a hysterectomy. --Ryalu is recovering with his family and says he was just as stunned as the doctors. (Telegraph)


Dogs at a Shelter in the Hamptons Will Get Valium and Earmuffs to Help Cope With Noise From a Rock Festival Next Month:

The "Music to Know Festival" is expected to draw about 6,000 fans to a field in upscale East Hampton next month. That's the fancy part of Long Island, New York. --The festival was originally planned for an even richer neighborhood called Amagansett, but complaints and lawsuits forced the planners to relocate. --And now the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons is concerned about the show. They have a shelter located about 50 yards from the field, and they're worried about the effect the noise will have on the 150 dogs and cats that live at the shelter. --So they'll be providing Valium to any animals that appear to be traumatized by the music. The kennel's executive director, Sarah Davidson, says Valium is commonly used to treat nervous conditions in pets. --Sarah is also considering getting noise-reducing earmuffs to help the dogs and cats cope. And the kennel will pump classical music through speakers to help drown out the rock. --All of which is a little strange, since the field where the concert will be held is next to an airport runway . . . so the dogs and cats are used to hearing jets taking off and landing. (Reuters)


MEATBALL CRIMINALS

A Man Carjacks a Police Officer . . . and Tries to Blame It on Batman?

Right now, they're filming the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises", in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. And that's really the only explanation for why a criminal would use an excuse this stupid. --On Saturday night, 21-year-old Micah Calamosca of Shadyside, Pennsylvania, tried to CARJACK a guy in Pittsburgh. He didn't realize the guy was a detective who was in an unmarked car looking for an assault suspect. --The detective is named Robert DiGiacomo, and he pulled out his gun and arrested Micah. And that's when Micah explained what was going on. --It was all a big misunderstanding, he said . . . he was part of the Batman movie and stealing the car was part of the script. --The detective quickly poked holes in his story . . . the main holes being that there were no cameras around, Micah isn't part of the movie, and that he was lying. He's been charged with robbery of a motor vehicle. (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)
RANDOM NEWS EXTRAS

Random News Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:

Frogs are in danger of going extinct . . . because of the worldwide demand for frogs' legs? (Full Story)


Facebook has added a place to list your "expected child's" name and due date . . . to keep people from creating profiles for their fetuses. (Full Story)


NAZZY’S VIDEOS OF THE DAY

#1.) Fifty People Protested on Wall Street . . . By Getting Naked and Doing Everyday Things:

Supposedly, people walking down Wall Street between 7:00 and 7:05 yesterday morning were greeted by this: 50 people doing everyday things on the sidewalk . . . completely nude. --There's a video online of just one naked guy swinging his junk around while he does a light workout that includes stretching and HIGH LEG KICKS. Unfortunately, that's the only footage of this nonsense so far, so who knows if there were actually 50 people. --According to New York's "Metro" newspaper, it was a performance art piece about Wall Street's lack of transparency. At least three of the "performers" were arrested, and charged with disorderly conduct and indecent exposure. --A window washer who witnessed all five minutes of it summed it up best. He said, quote, "It didn't look like art. People do that all the time on the subway." (--Search for "Naked People Descend on Wall Street.") (--WARNING: This video includes full-frontal nudity, with a guy flopping and dangling his junk around.)


#2.) A Guy Jumped Into a Lake From the Top of a Moving Train:

We don't know when or where this happened, but it looks like something out of an action movie . . . and it's also incredibly stupid. --It's a guy standing on top of a moving commuter train. Then when it passes over a lake, he jumps off . . . and somehow doesn't die. (--Search for "Train Surfing Jump Into Lake." He jumps at :08.)


#3.) Check Out How Many Female Riders Crashed During a New Motocross Event at the X Games:

The 17th X Games went down this weekend in Los Angeles, and the event that gave athletes the most trouble was the brand new Enduro-X motocross course. --It was like a mountain bike course but more extreme, and riders had to go over huge logs and rocks. The men didn't do very well, but the women's race was even worse. One female rider crashed immediately. And eventually, so did almost everyone else. (--Search YouTube for "X Games 17 Moto X Enduro Women's Highlights." Check out crashes at :08, :12, :19, :30 and :45.)


#4.) Check Out the Best and Worst of MTV from 1981 to Today:

For MTV's 30th birthday yesterday, Gawker.com put together a montage of the best and worst moments from 1981 to 2011. --It includes everything from "Video Killed the Radio Star", "Thriller", and "The Real World" to "TRL", "16 and Pregnant", and "Jersey Shore". It's called "30 Years of MTV in Three Minutes" . . . even though it's actually more like four.


#5.) If Shark Week Isn't Your Thing, Try "Seahorse Week":

It's Shark Week on The Discovery Channel, but not everyone can handle it. That's why there's "Seahorse Week" . . . on the Hallmark Channel? (--Many thanks to our pal Spence from Chet Buchanan & the Morning Zoo on 98.5 KLUC in Vegas.)
The Healthiest and Unhealthiest Kids Meals at Ten Popular Fast-Food Restaurants:

Last week, McDonald's announced that starting in September, they're making Happy Meals healthier by adding apples and serving half as many French fries. --According to the website TheDailyMeal.com, the healthiest option is to nix the fries completely and go with chicken nuggets, apples and apple juice, which have a total of 380 calories. --If you get a cheeseburger instead and ask for just fries and NO apples, it's 700 calories. Now, here's their list of the best and worst options for kids at nine other popular fast food restaurants.

#1.) Subway. Even though some kids meals at other fast-food restaurants have fewer calories, they say Subway is the healthiest option, because it has the lowest AVERAGE number of calories for a kids meal.

--The Veggie Delight sandwich meal with apples and low-fat milk has 345 calories, which is the lowest.

--The kids meal with the most calories is the three-inch roast beef sandwich with apples and low-fat milk, which has 395.


#2.) Burger King. The chicken tenders meal with apple fries and low-fat milk is the healthiest with 350 calories. And they say the worst option is a hamburger with apple fries and apple juice, which has 430.

--But obviously, if you add cheese, it's even worse.


#3.) Taco Bell. All the kids meals come with cinnamon twists and a juice box, but the main course makes a big difference: If you get it with a crunchy taco, it has 360 calories. But with a bean burrito, it has 580.


#4.) Chick-Fil-A. There's one kids option that has less calories than Subway's Veggie Delight meal . . . but that's because it includes a fruit cup, low-fat milk, and only ONE chicken strip.

--The average kids meal at Chick-Fil-A has 441 calories, and the worst possible option is the chicken nugget meal with fries and low-fat chocolate milk, which has 660.


#5.) Kentucky Fried Chicken. The chicken strip meal with string cheese, corn, and a Capri Sun only has 280 calories.

--But the average kids meal has 446. And the worst option is the popcorn chicken meal with string cheese, potato wedges, and soda. All totaled, it has 663 calories.

#6.) Wendy's. The best option is chicken nuggets with apples and a soda and has 283 calories. The worst option is the chicken sandwich with fries and a soda, which has 623. The average kids meal at Wendy's has 502.


#7.) Sonic. The healthiest kids meal has 410 calories and comes with chicken strips, apples, and juice. The worst is the grilled cheese meal, which has 740 calories, and comes with French fries and chocolate milk.


#8.) Quizno's. Believe it or not, the healthiest kids meal is a ham melt sandwich with chips and a soda, which has 613 calories.

--The unhealthiest option is the "Cheesy toasted cheese sandwich" with a cookie and a soda. All together, it comes to 773 calories.


#9.) Dairy Queen. According to The Daily Meal, it has the worst options for kids, and the average kids meal has 737 calories.

--The best you can do at Dairy Queen is the chicken strip meal with applesauce, soda, and an ice cream cone, which have a total of 603 calories. --The worst is a cheeseburger meal with fries, a soda, and a Dilly bar, which have a grand total of 883 calories. Obviously, it has a lot to do with adding dessert. (TheDailyMeal.com)