HOLLYWOOD DIRT OVERFLOW (10-05-11)
Leonardo DiCaprio and Blake Lively Have Broken Up Again . . . is Blake dating Ryan Reynolds Now?
LEONARDO DICAPRIO and BLAKE LIVELY have broken up again. A source says, quote, "It's amicable. They're friends." They supposedly just got tired of doing the long distance thing. --They'd been together since May, and broke up one other time over the summer.
--Meanwhile, Blake has been spending some time with her "Green Lantern" costar RYAN REYNOLDS. --On Thursday night, they caught a RADIOHEAD concert in New York City along with Ryan's ex, SCARLETT JOHANSSON. --On Friday, Ryan and Blake took a train from New York to Boston . . . then had dinner together at a sushi restaurant.
Robert Pattinson is "Glamour" Magazine's Sexiest Man of the Year:
ROBERT PATTINSON has topped "Glamour" magazine's annual Sexiest Men readers' poll. Here's the Top 20 . . .
#1.) Robert Pattinson
#2.) Taylor Lautner
#3.) Johnny Depp
#4.) David Beckham
#5.) Zac Efron
#6.) Gerard Butler
#7.) Alexander Skarsgard (--He plays Eric Northman on "True Blood".)
#8.) Garrett Hedlund . . . You know him as Jeff Bridges' son in "Tron: Legacy", and as Gwyneth Paltrow's costar in "Country Strong".
#9.) Jared Followill . . . he plays bass for Kings of Leon.
#10.) Prince Harry
#11.) Bradley Cooper
#12.) Chace Crawford (--Nate Archibald on "Gossip Girl".)
#13.) Alex Pettyfer (--"I Am Number Four", "Beastly".)
#14.) James McAvoy (--Angelina Jolie's co-star in "Wanted".)
#15.) Henry Cavill (--"The Tudors", and also your new Superman.)
#16.) Orlando Bloom
#17.) Ryan Reynolds
#18.) Jake Gyllenhaal
#19.) Colin Farrell
#20.) Darren Criss (--Kurt's boyfriend Blaine on "Glee".)
Johnny Depp Compares Photo Shoots to Rape:
Every time someone compares something that's NOT rape TO rape, people get upset. And JOHNNY DEPP just did that. What HE compared to rape was . . . PHOTO SHOOTS. --In the new issue of "Vanity Fair", he says, quote, "Well, you just feel like you're being raped somehow. Raped . . . It feels like a kind of weird, just weird, man." --RAINN . . . the Rape And Incest National Network . . . is NOT cool with that. --A spokesperson says, quote, "While photos may feel at times intrusive, being photographed in no way compares to rape . . . a violent crime which affects another American every 2 minutes. --"RAINN welcomes the opportunity to speak with Mr. Depp and educate him about the real life experiences faced by survivors every day, and ways that he can work with RAINN to help." --Elsewhere in the interview, Johnny addresses the ridiculous amounts of money he's earned. (--About $100 million last year alone.) --He says, quote, "Basically, if they're going to pay me the stupid money right now, I'm going to take it. --"I have to. I mean, it's not for me. Do you know what I mean? At this point, it's for my kids. It's ridiculous, yeah, yeah. But ultimately is it for me? No. No. It's for the kids."
Martha Stewart is Cool With Her Daughter's Book:
MARTHA STEWART is laughing off all the pot-shots her daughter ALEXIS takes at her in her new book "Whateverland". --On her show yesterday, Martha said, quote, "I actually read the book . . . And it is hilarious and it is enlightening and it's full of funny stories." --She added, quote, "[It] touches on everything: food, fashion, cleaning, organizing and me. It's irreverent and it's lots of fun." And she encouraged people to, quote, "buy it, read and make it a bestseller." (--Here's video.)
Check Out Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Their Son Maddox Playing Paintball in Full Camouflage:
BRAD PITT, ANGELINA JOLIE and their son MADDOX hit a paintball course in London on Sunday . . . in full camouflage gear. (--Check out some pics here.) (Popsugar) --As you may have heard, Maddox is obsessed with weapons. A few years ago, Angelina said, quote, "My mom took me to buy my first daggers when I was 11 or 12. And I've already bought Maddox some." (--Maddox was about SEVEN at the time.)
Dr. Conrad Murray Was on the Phone With a Waitress When He Realized Michael Jackson Was in Trouble:
DR. CONRAD MURRAY had a lot of women in his life . . . and several of them hit the witness stand yesterday. --One of them . . . a waitress by the name of Sade Anding . . . said she was on the phone with Dr. Murray when he realized that something was wrong with MICHAEL JACKSON. --She said that in the middle of their conversation, he stopped answering her questions . . . then she started hearing muffled voices, like Dr. Murray had either put the phone down or in his pocket. --She eventually hung up and called him back twice. He didn't answer. --Then there was Nicole Alvarez, Murray's live-in girlfriend and the mother of his youngest child. She said Dr. Murray called her from the ambulance. --She said, quote, "I remember him telling me that he was on the way to the hospital in the ambulance with Mr. Jackson, and for me not to be alarmed." --Alvarez was also questioned about numerous FedEx packages for Dr. Murray that were sent to her house. She said she received them, but never opened them, so she didn't know what was inside. --Prosecutors believe it was the PROPOFOL that Dr. Murray was allegedly giving Michael. --A pharmacist named Tim Lopez testified that he was indeed supplying Dr. Murray with propofol . . . and sending it to Nicole Alvarez's address. Dr. Murray also ordered a cream from him to treat Michael's skin condition, vitiligo. --But Lopez said he did NOT know Michael was the patient. --Also on the stand yesterday was a STRIPPER named Michelle Bella . . . who said she received a text from Dr. Murray on the morning of Michael's death. --One more person who was on the witness stand was Stacey Ruggles . . . an employee of Dr. Murray's who worked at his Houston clinic since 1997. She testified that Dr. Murray called the clinic several times the day Michael died. --On cross-examination, she said the clinic was NOT profitable, because Murray was always helping the poor. --She said, quote, "Most of [his patients] were indigent, on fixed incomes, unable to afford a physician."
There's a "Mr. Ed" Movie in the Works:
Proving once again that absolutely no existing property is safe from exploitation by unimaginative Hollywood suits, there's a "Mr. Ed" movie in the works. --Some of you young sprouts probably have no idea what I'm talking about. Let me drop some classic TV knowledge on you: --"Mr. Ed" was a cheesy sitcom about a talking horse that aired from 1961 to 1966. And that's about it. Sorry if I got your hopes up. --The only thing we know about the movie is that they'll be using a REAL horse, but they'll use computer animation to make his mouth move. --In the original, Mr. Ed was played by a horse named Bamboo Harvester. And the way they made him look like he was talking was by putting a NYLON STRING in his mouth. --The horse would move his mouth and tongue around, trying to work the string out . . . and a voice actor added his dialogue. Mostly harmless, but kind of cruel when you think about it. --Ed's human co-star, ALAN YOUNG, once claimed that after the first season, Ed didn't need the string anymore, because he had learned to move his mouth whenever Young stopped talking. (--Check out the CLASSIC "Mr. Ed" theme song and opening credits here. And here's a clip from an episode in which Mr. Ed messes with CLINT EASTWOOD. He comes in at about the 4:55 mark.) --One last note on Mr. Ed: According to the VERY ACCURATE folks at Wikipedia, Bamboo Harvester was euthanized due to a variety of health problems in 1970, and buried on a farm in Oklahoma. --But Alan Young claims that he was actually killed by ACCIDENT . . . with TRANQUILIZERS. --Supposedly, Bamboo Harvester's owner (slash) trainer was out of town, and a temporary caregiver saw him in distress. So he administered tranquilizers and the horse DIED.
Chaz Bono Lives to Dance Once Again!
CHAZ BONO survived yet another elimination last night on "Dancing With the Stars"! --This is even MORE awesome than it seems on the surface, because it also means we get to see Chaz's mom CHER on "Dancing With the Stars" next week. --Monday night after Chaz and LACEY SCHWIMMER danced, Cher Tweeted, quote, "Hope Chaz hangs on till next week so I can come sit in the audience and watch!" --Chaz was at the absolute bottom of the leaderboard going into the elimination, but was among the first celebrities declared SAFE. --It's possible that Cher helped skew the vote with her Tweet. But then again, Chaz has survived elimination twice already, despite having very weak dance skills. So it seems he already had a decent support system going. --In the end, it was actually one of the BEST dancers, reality TV star KRISTIN CAVALLARI, who was sent home. --Interestingly, Kristin's ex-fiancé, Chicago Bears quarterback JAY CUTLER, was in the audience during Monday's show. And yesterday, he and Kristen were seen HOLDING HANDS. Nobody's saying they're back together . . . yet.
Did Cher Tweet that the Kardashians Should Be Drop-Kicked Down the Freeway?
A Tweet that CHER posted on Sunday has come back to haunt her . . . but it sounds like she was actually taking aim at some chicks on the show "Bridezillas" and her Tweet was misinterpreted by the media. --Here's the Tweet: "I don't watch reality! Never saw a Kardashian but these [B-words] should be drop kicked down a freeway! Not kidding!" --As you probably know, the Kardashians' little brother ROB is competing against CHAZ BONO on "Dancing With the Stars". --After some of her followers asked her why she hated the Kardashians, Cher Tweeted, quote, "Let me be clear! Am not Hate'n Kardashian Fam. Don't know them! Bridezilla's crazy [B-words]! Saw Brother on DWTS & my friend told me 'bout girls." --She also Tweeted, quote, "Fact that I was talking about Bridezillas & Not The KARDASHIAN Girls seems 2be unimportant to the [effing] "STAR" Oh! I mean Huffington Post." --It sounds like that's probably the truth, because just before Cher's Tweet about drop-kicking someone down the freeway, she had posted this . . . --"Looking at show called "Bridezilla" chick named Rae Rae! I don't know ENOUGH Swear Words 4 This OBNOXIOUS [B-WORD]! Run 4 yer Life Husband 2B." (--I think Cher is telling the truth. It sounds like the reason she invoked the Kardashians in her initial Tweet was to show how little she knew about reality TV. Of course it totally backfired on her. Which wouldn't have happened if she were capable of TWEETING IN PLAIN ENGLISH.)
Did Nancy Grace Unleash a Gaseous Emission on "Dancing With the Stars"?
NANCY GRACE has been accused of unleashing a GASEOUS EMISSION on "Dancing With the Stars" Monday night. The cheese was allegedly cut while Nancy was talking to BROOKE BURKE after she waltzed to "Moon River". (--Here's video. It happens right after Nancy says her twins are, quote, "smiling so big." It's quiet, but if you turn the volume on your speakers up REALLY HIGH, you can definitely hear it.) --Nancy is denying it, of course. She told TMZ, quote, "As an ear witness on the scene, I can absolutely exonerate [my partner] Tristan, myself and Brooke. --"However, the rest of the cast . . . seated just inches away . . . all remain under grave suspicion. The investigation continues."
A Contract Dispute Could End "The Simpsons" After This Season:
"The Simpsons" is currently in its 23rd season, which makes it the longest-running, scripted primetime series in the history of TV. But a contract dispute is threatening to end its run after this season. --The studio that produces the show, 20th Century Fox, has informed the cast that they'll be forced to cancel the show if they don't accept a MASSIVE pay cut. --TheDailyBeast.com claims the six principal actors would have to take a 45% pay cut . . . which, for you non-math majors, would reduce their salaries by almost HALF. According to various reports, they are currently making over $8 million a season. --The six main actors are: Dan Castellaneta (Homer, Grampa and Krusty), Julie Kavner (Marge), Nancy Cartwright (Bart), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), Hank Azaria (Moe, Chief Wiggum and Apu), and Harry Shearer (Mr. Burns, Principal Skinner and Ned Flanders). They each also voice an array of minor characters. --The cast IS willing to take a pay cut, but they want something in return. They've proposed a 30% pay cut . . . with a small piece of the "back-end," which means they want some of the money from the show's ancillary profits.--20th Century Fox makes BILLIONS through syndication and merchandising, like "Simpsons" DVDs, video games, theme park rides, clothing, toys and stuff like that. --However, it's way too early to freak out about a possible "Simpsons" cancellation. The show has survived contract disputes in the past . . . including a cast STRIKE in 2004 . . . and it seems like everyone IS interested in keeping it going. --20th Century Fox says, quote, "We believe this brilliant series can and should continue, but we cannot produce future seasons under its current financial model. --"We are hopeful that we can reach an agreement with the voice cast that allows [it] to go on entertaining audiences with original episodes for many years to come."
A Contract Dispute Could End "Dexter" After This Season:
The sixth season premiere of "Dexter" attracted 2.2 million viewers . . . that's the show's biggest audience for a premiere, and Showtime's highest rated premiere for an original show in at least 14 years. --But despite its success, "Dexter" could be done after this season if Showtime isn't able to sign star MICHAEL C. HALL to a new deal. --According to Deadline.com, Michael is asking for $24 million to do two more seasons . . . but Showtime is "only" willing to pay $20 million. It's unclear what his last contract was worth. --A "source" says that if they can't agree to a two-year contract, they could compromise on a deal for one more final season.
Is Kristen Wiig Leaving "Saturday Night Live"?
An entertainment website called Showbiz411.com is claiming this could be KRISTEN WIIG'S last season on "Saturday Night Live" . . . but there really isn't any new information to back that up, outside of Kristen's growing movie career. (--At some point, Kristen is going to "graduate" from "SNL" . . . and it could be after this season. But at the same time, she's managed to do DOZENS of movies since joining "SNL" back in 2005.) (--On the other hand, "Bridesmaids" was HUGE . . . and it was HER MOVIE. She wrote it AND starred in it. So that's got to have her thinking she doesn't need "SNL" anymore.)
The First Cancellation of the Fall Is: "The Playboy Club":
NBC's new drama, "The Playboy Club", is the first casualty of the new TV season. It's been canceled after just three low-rated episodes. (--The Parents Television Council is "pleased". They've been campaigning against the show since May.) --The premiere had 5 million viewers . . . and it went downhill from there, with the second episode attracting 4 million viewers, and Monday night's episode only bringing in 3.5 million viewers. There are no plans yet to air the remaining episodes.
"Suburgatory" Did the Best of Last Week's New Shows:
The networks rolled out another dozen premieres last week. "Suburgatory" was the week's highest rated new show, and "Mike & Molly" had the highest-rated season premiere for a returning series. Here's how the new shows did with their first episodes: --The series premiere of "Suburgatory" had 9.8 million viewers. Jeremy Sisto plays a single dad who moves to the suburbs with his 16-year-old daughter. -The series premiere of "Terra Nova" attracted 9.2 million viewers for Fox. That's the show about people who traveled back in time to prehistoric Earth to start over. --The series premiere of "How To Be A Gentleman" drew 8.98 million viewers for CBS. David Hornsby plays an uptight etiquette writer who befriends Kevin Dillon. --The series premiere of the CW's "Hart of Dixie" averaged 1.88 million viewers. Rachel Bilson is a New York doctor who moves to a small Alabama town. --The series premiere of Showtime's "Homeland" was watched by 1.1 million people. Claire Danes is a CIA agent tracking a rescued POW, who she thinks is now a terrorist.
And here's how your returning favorites fared . . .
--The 2nd season premiere of "Mike & Molly", CBS, 13.9 million viewers
--The 3rd season premiere of "The Middle" came back with 8.7 million viewers.
--The 5th season premiere of "Private Practice" had 7.8 million viewers.
--The 2nd season premiere of "Harry's Law" drew 7.6 million viewers.
--The 2nd season premiere of ABC's "Happy Endings" had 7.25 million viewers.
--Showtime's 6th season premiere of "Dexter" was watched by 2.2 million people.
--The 5th season premiere of "Gossip Girl" averaged 1.37 million viewers.
--The 3rd season premiere of HBO's "Hung" was seen by 1.1 million viewers.
"Two and a Half Men" Had 8 Million Fewer Viewers in Its Second Week . . . But It's Still the #1 Show in America:
ASHTON KUTCHER'S second episode of "Two and a Half Men" was watched by 20.5 million people. That's down from the 28.5 million that tuned in to the season premiere, but still enough to keep the show at the top of the weekly ratings. --It'll be interesting to see how long that lasts though, since "Two and a Half Men" only beat "NCIS" by about a million viewers.
1.) "Two and a Half Men", CBS, 20.5 million viewers
2.) "NCIS", CBS, 19.5 million viewers
3.) The "Sunday Night Football" game between the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens, NBC, 18.9 million viewers (--The Ravens won, 34 to 17.)
4.) Andy Rooney's final episode of "60 Minutes", CBS, 17.1 million viewers
5.) "NCIS: Los Angeles", CBS, 16.3 million viewers
6.) "Dancing with the Stars", ABC, 16.2 million viewers
7.) "The Big Bang Theory", CBS, 14.7 million viewers
8.) The "Dancing with the Stars" results show, ABC, 14.4 million viewers
9.) The "Sunday Night NFL Pre-Kick" pregame show, NBC, 14.1 million viewers
10.) The 2nd season premiere of "Mike & Molly", CBS, 13.9 million viewers
Simon Cowell Is Pretending That He's Cool with "The X Factor's" Disappointing Ratings:
Before "X Factor" premiered, SIMON COWELL infamously said that anything less than 20 million viewers would be a disappointment. Well, it was a disappointment . . . because it didn't get close to 20 million viewers. --The first two episodes averaged 12.5 million viewers . . . and the third and fourth episodes dipped even further last week. 11.9 million people turned in on Wednesday, and 12.2 million watched on Thursday. --Anyway, Simon is now pretending that he's cool with this. --He explains, quote, "I'm not going to lie. I wanted 20 million when we launched, but now I'm kind of back in the real world and I'm seeing this grow naturally. I'm as happy as I've ever been." (--That's just a severely bruised ego talking.)
The Coen Brothers Are Developing a Detective Show:
This could be pretty sweet. The COEN BROTHERS are developing a detective series for Fox. You know the Coen brothers from their movies: "No Country for Old Men", "Fargo", "The Big Lebowski" and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", among others. --The show will be an hour-long comedy called "Harve Karbo" . . . about an L.A. private investigator, whose cases, quote, "frequently force him to cross paths with a who's who of Hollywood." That's all we know for now.
WEDNESDAY TV REMINDERS
--"The X Factor" . . . 8:00 to 9:30 P.M. on Fox. (--The contestants come to L.A. for a boot camp where they'll be judged on their singing, dancing and performing style.)
--"Up All Night" . . . 8:00 to 8:30 P.M. on NBC. (--"Saturday Night Live's" Will Forte and Jorma Taccone guest star.)
--"H8R" . . . 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. on the CW. (--Maksim Chmerkovskiy and rassler Mike "The Miz" Mizanin try to change the opinion of their haters.)
--"Modern Family" . . . 9:00 to 9:30 P.M. on ABC. (--David Cross guest stars as a city councilman when Claire campaigns for a stop sign at a busy intersection.)
--"America's Next Top Model" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on the CW. (--"CSI" creator Anthony Zuiker judges as the models compete for a guest spot on his show.)
--"George Harrison: Living In the Material World" [Part 1 of 2] . . . 9:00 to 10:35 P.M. on HBO. (--Martin Scorsese profiles George Harrison through interviews with his son Dhani, his widow Olivia, plus Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and friend Eric Clapton.)
--"Raising Hope" . . . 9:30 to 10:00 P.M. on Fox. (--Amy Sedaris guest stars.)
--"South Park" [15th Season Premiere] . . . 10:00 to 10:30 P.M. on Comedy Central.
--"American Horror Story" [SERIES Premiere] . . . 10:00 to 11:10 P.M. on FX. (--Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton play a couple who move into a haunted L.A. mansion that's next door to a crazy neighbor played by Jessica Lange.)
--"Penn & Teller Tell A Lie" [SERIES Premiere] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on Discovery. (--In this interactive series, Penn and Teller tell seven outrageous stories and the viewer must determine which one story is fabricated.)
--"Nick Swardson's Pretend Time" [2nd Season Premiere] . . . 10:30 to 11:00 P.M. on Comedy Central.
Adele's Voice Is Messed Up Again . . . So She's Canceled Another Tour:
ADELE has been forced to cancel her U.S. tour . . . for the second time . . . because her voice is messed up. This time, she has a hemorrhage in her vocal chord. --She has posted a long apology on her site . . . saying that if she doesn't take a, quote, "extended rest period" now, she could permanently damage her voice. --She explains, quote, "If I continue to pick up everything before I have properly conquered these problems and nipped them in the bud, I will be totally and utterly [effed] . . . I have absolutely no choice but to recuperate properly and fully, or I risk damaging my voice forever. --"I have great confidence in believing you know how much this upsets me, how seriously I take it and how truly devastated and annoyed I am by this . . . I will be back and I'm gonna smash the ball out the park once I'm touring again." (--You can find her full message at Adele.tv.) --Adele's 10-city tour was supposed to kick off on October 7th in Atlantic City . . . and run through a gig in Texas on October 21st. All the shows were sold out. --She also canceled a bunch of U.S. dates back in June when she came down with laryngitis. All those shows were sold out, too. --There's no word when she might be able to return to the road.
Britney Spears Brought Her Son Onstage with Her in Budapest:
BRITNEY SPEARS brought her oldest son Sean Preston onstage with her in Budapest over the weekend. (--He just turned six years old last month.) --Sean appeared after Britney was lowered from the ceiling during her performance of "'Til the World Ends". He didn't really do much . . . but I guess it was a cool surprise for Britney's Hungarian fans. (--You can find video of this on YouTube.)
The Title and Release Date for Rihanna's Next Album:
RIHANNA has announced that her next album is called "Talk That Talk", and it'll come out on November 21st. It'll be her sixth album in seven years. Her last album "Loud" came out on November 10th of last year.
Garbage Has Announced Plans for a New Album:
Remember GARBAGE? You know, "I'm Only Happy When It Rains"! Well, they've just announced plans to release their first album since 2005. --There isn't a title or a release date yet, but the band recently posted a Facebook message saying, quote, "OK we're back in the studio today, we have 3 more weeks booked to hopefully finish everything!"
To All Diddy's "Children of God": He Wants You to Know That He's "Disappointed" That He Cursed at Someone for Not Drinking His Vodka:
DIDDY exploded into quite a childish tantrum over the weekend, when he noticed someone at a club who was drinking Grey Goose vodka . . . and not Ciroc, the brand he reps. --Diddy unleashed a profane verbal tirade that included racial and homophobic slurs. --Well, he's apologized for his behavior. He Tweeted, quote, "I'm a child God and I should be better no matter what someone says to me. I'm sorry for the ignorant way I represented myself and us. --"To all my children of God . . . I have backslid and regressed. Forgive me for my ignorance. Pray for me please. I know better and I am better. --"I have a responsibility that I promise I will live up to. And I'm more disappointed in myself than you know. I will humble myself and learn. --"Bottom line is I'm sorry to all! Please find it in your heart to accept my apology. I will do better and be greater . . . and a source of positivity! Thank y'all for listening. Thank you. Real talk. Peace." --That was a pretty over the top apology . . . even considering that it was directed at Diddy's "children of God," and not the Grey Goose drinker. --But Diddy went back to more casual conversation a few hours later, when he Tweeted, quote, "Pineapples!!! Pineapples!!! :) LOL." (--This is a man who's reportedly worth $500 million, folks. Trust me, no one feels good about it.)
WEDNESDAY'S SHOWBIZ EXTRAS
Showbiz Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:
TAYE DIGGS says his mother always knew he'd marry a white girl. (Full Story)
JENNIFER HUDSON'S marriage to WWE superstar DAVID OTUNGA is on hold because he won't sign a prenup. (--He may be a pro wrestler, but he's also a law school grad . . . so he's no dummy.) (Full Story)
Here's another reason why it sucks NOT to be JUSTIN BIEBER. He and SELENA GOMEZ took a romantic helicopter ride over Rio de Janeiro yesterday. (Photos)
The wife of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback STEVE YOUNG surprised him on his 50th birthday with a FLASH MOB. She had people dance to "Boogie Wonderland", then sing "Happy Birthday" to him. (Video)
Thanks to the success of "The Lion King", Disney is now going to re-release "Beauty and the Beast", "The Little Mermaid", "Finding Nemo" and "Monsters, Inc." into theaters in 3D. (Full Story)
The exhausting list-makers at Forbes.com have repurposed information we've already seen in one form or another this year into a list of the Highest-Earning Women in Entertainment. (Full Story)
Former "Biggest Loser" trainer JILLIAN MICHAELS is trying to adopt a child from the Democratic Republic of Congo . . . and she's surprised at how much time and money it takes. She says that if you don't have either, you should just adopt or foster a kid from the U.S. (Full Story)
"Sesame Street" has a new, pink Muppet named Lily, who will appear in a special to address, quote, "food insecurity, or the lack of a reliable access to food." It'll premiere on Friday night. (Full Story)
"Entertainment Weekly" has the first three chapters of 50 CENT'S semi-autobiographical novel "Playground", which addresses teen bullying. (Excerpt)
RANDOM STUFF
THE GOOD NEWS
Drunk Driving is Down 30% in Five Years, and at the Lowest Point Since 1993:
We've told you about all the grief, strife, horror, stupidity, and awfulness in the world. And now . . . the good news. I'm proud of you, America. --Drunk driving in this country is WAY, WAY down. And sure, it might be because everyone's too poor to go to bars or buy gas . . . but whatever. Let's say it's because we've all gotten smarter and more responsible. --According to an annual study by the CDC, drunk driving incidents are down 30% in the past five years . . . and in 2010, they hit the lowest point since they first started doing the study in 1993. --On the downside, they estimated that an average of more than 300,000 people drove drunk EVERY SINGLE DAY in 2010. And that's the LOWEST the rate has ever been. Wow. So let's not unfurl that "Mission Accomplished" banner just yet. --Totaled up, there were approximately 112 million drunk driving incidents in 2010. In 2006, which had the highest rate, there were 161 million. --In the 2010 study, about one in 50 people, or 2%, said they'd driven drunk at least once in the previous month. --The economy is connected to the drop in drunk driving. People are still getting hammered . . . that ain't changing . . . but they're saving money by drinking at HOME instead of going to bars. (Associated Press)
A Convenience Store Clerk in Georgia Accidentally Sells a Woman a Ticket to the Wrong Lottery . . . and She Wins $25 Million:
This story is a DOUBLE SHOT of "this will never happen to you." Not only will you NEVER win the lottery . . . you'll never ACCIDENTALLY win the lottery either. --Last month, 44-year-old Kathy Scruggs of Lithonia, Georgia went into a Shell gas station Food Mart in Decatur, Georgia and tried to buy a ticket to the Mega Millions lottery. --But the clerk accidentally sold her a ticket to the Powerball lottery instead.
-And you can see where this is going. Kathy's Powerball ticket . . . that she got by accident . . . hit all five numbers AND the Powerball in the September 14th drawing. And she won . . . $25 MILLION. --She decided to take the lump sum . . . you ALWAYS take the lump sum . . . and will get a little over $15 MILLION before taxes. --On Monday, she was at the Georgia Lottery headquarters in Atlanta where she claimed her prize. The odds of winning the Powerball are one in 195,249,054. They don't calculate the odds for winning it ACCIDENTALLY. --Kathy is unemployed, so clearly, getting a quick $15 mil is PROBABLY going to help things out. She says she plans to buy a car, travel, and help out her family. (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
Cleaning the Bathroom is Number One on the List of Parents' and Kids' Most-Hated Chores:
I'm not sure we needed a survey to prove this, but it's now official: No one of ANY age wants to scrub toilets and pull hair clogs out of the shower drain. --A new survey found the top five chores that parents hate the most and the top five that kids hate the most. And "cleaning the bathroom" was number one on both lists. --Parents and kids also agreed on the second-worst chore . . . "washing dishes" finished just behind "cleaning the bathroom" on both lists. Check them out . . .
Parents' Most-Hated Chores
#1.) Cleaning the bathroom.
#2.) Washing dishes.
#3.) Doing laundry.
#4.) Cleaning the kitchen.
#5.) Cleaning up the bedroom.
Kids' Most-Hated Chores
#1.) Cleaning the bathroom.
#2.) Washing dishes.
#3.) Taking out the garbage.
#4.) Cleaning up the bedroom.
#5.) Doing laundry.
(Sacramento Bee)
Two-Thirds of Moms Say They'd Rather Stay Home With the Kids . . . and Three-Quarters Value Their Kids' Manners Over Grades:
A new survey by NBC found some surprising trends about today's mothers. Stuff you REALLY wouldn't expect. Check it out . . . --66% of all mothers say they would rather be a stay-at-home mom than a working mom. Out of the working mothers, 53% say that if they didn't need the money they'd immediately quit to stay home with the kids. --77% of moms, or more than three-quarters, say they would prefer to have children with GOOD MANNERS than GOOD GRADES. Really. --60% of moms believe that within ten to 20 years there'll be as many stay-at-home dads as stay-at-home moms. --31% of mothers say they tend to take longer in the shower, running errands, or commuting than they used to . . . just to get some time alone. --And 49% say that "traditional" is the parenting style they most want to achieve. --For what it's worth, according to the Census definition of a traditional family . . . dad working, mom staying home, kids under 18 . . . only 4% of American families qualify as "traditional." (PR Newswire)
There's a Dating Site Where Your Jewish Mother Finds Matches for You . . . and Their First Couple Is About to Get Married:
Last year, Brad Weisberg of Chicago was nearly 30 and still single. So was his 25-year-old sister Danielle, which was apparently too much for their Jewish mother Barbara. --She demanded access to Brad's online dating profile and, after two hours, had found 10 suitable girls for him to contact. --That's when Brad and Danielle decided to harness the power of the Jewish mother . . . and created a dating site where members' moms fix up their kids. --They launched TheJMom.com last November, and less than a year later, they're about to have their first couple get married. --The happy couple is Anatoly, who lives in Texas, and Alina, who lives in New Jersey. (--No last names were given.) --Alina's mom signed up . . . found Anatoly's profile . . . thought he was handsome . . . checked with Alina . . . and she agreed. --Then Alina's mom wrote to Anatoly's mom and said, quote, "I think your son could be a good match for my daughter." --The moms hit it off and handed things over to their kids, who moved from email to phone calls to hometown visits. On Alina's visit to Texas, Anatoly popped the question. (PR Newswire) (--You can watch TheJMom's commercial on Vimeo here.)
Is Today the Most Common Birthday in the U.S.?
Here's a random 'fact': Today, October 5th, is THE most common birthday in the U.S. --There's no definitive reason behind it . . . it's based on a survey from 2001 asking people about their birthday. And more people named October 5th as their birthday than any other date. --But . . . today IS nine months after New Year's Eve. And a lot of people have sex on New Year's Eve, right? --Supposedly May 22nd is the least-common birthday . . . other than February 29th, which doesn't really count, since it only happens once every four years. (Yahoo)
The First "Someone Called 911 Because of a Halloween Display" Story of the Season!
Every year before Halloween, at least one person puts up a Halloween decoration so HARDCORE that people think it's REAL and call 911. And this is the first big one of 2011. --In Salisbury, North Carolina, a man named Chris Deaton set up a Halloween display in a field near his house that makes it look like someone got run over by a riding lawnmower. You can see the legs and arms sticking out, covered in blood. --A driver spotted it on Monday morning, freaked out, and called 911. The cops didn't end up answering the call . . . this is the second year that Chris has put up the display, so it was already on their radar. --Having Halloween decorations like this one ARE legal . . . and so far, there hasn't been enough outrage for Chris to take it down. (CBS 3 - Charlotte) (--Here are some photos. You can reach Chris at 704-279-2009.)
No Pumpkin? Check Out Photos of Jack-O-Lanterns Carved in Cabbage, Watermelon, Apple, and Eggplant:
Pumpkin prices are going up this year . . . some combination of the economy, Hurricane Irene, and just a general nationwide effort to screw consumers . . . so if you've got some artistic skills, here's an alternative. --We got our hands on some photos of jack-o-lanterns and skulls that a Russian artist named Dimitri Tsykalov carved out of cheaper fruits and vegetables, including cabbage, watermelon, apple, and eggplant. And they look fantastic. (Daily Mail) (--Check them out here.)
The Fall Foliage in the Northeast is Extra Colorful and Beautiful This Year . . . Thanks to Hurricane Irene:
Sure, Hurricane Irene destroyed homes, killed at least 45 people, and caused $7 BILLION in damage . . . but WOW, look at those leaves! --New England states are experiencing EXTRA COLORFUL and BEAUTIFUL fall foliage this year . . . and it's all thanks to Hurricane Irene. --The heavy rain helped keep the soil in the Northeast extra moist, which helps the leaves stay on the trees longer. There will be more leaves, brighter leaves, and a longer period with gorgeous foliage . . . and it's all thanks to Irene. --Foliage tourists . . . or "leafers" . . . are huge for the New England states. Every year, tourists who come to see the leaves on "leaf peeping" tours contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to the states' economies. (Time)
"Forbes" Names America's Most Dangerous Cities . . . and Yeah, Detroit is Number One:
"Forbes" magazine just put out a list of America's most dangerous cities, based on FBI statistics for four types of violent crimes: Murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. --And the number one city is . . . yep. The DETROIT metropolitan area was named the most dangerous in the U.S. in 2010, thanks to its really high murder rate. Here's the full top 10:
#1.) Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Michigan. 1,111 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
#2.) Memphis, Tennessee. 1,006 violent crimes per 100,000.
#3.) Springfield, Illinois. 855 violent crimes per 100,000.
#4.) Flint, Michigan. 827 violent crimes per 100,000.
#5.) Anchorage, Alaska. (???) 813 violent crimes per 100,000.
#6.) Lubbock, Texas. 808 violent crimes per 100,000.
#7.) Stockton, California. 805 violent crimes per 100,000.
#8.) Tallahassee, Florida. 775 violent crimes per 100,000.
#9.) Las Vegas, Nevada. 763 violent crimes per 100,000.
#10.) Rockford, Illinois. 760 violent crimes per 100,000.
(Forbes)
Two Out of Five People Would Rather See a Coworker Get Fired Than Take a Pay Cut Themselves:
Would you give up a few grand of your salary so that one of your coworkers could keep their job? According to a new survey, two out of five people say . . . ABSOLUTELY NOT. --The survey was conducted by a website called Officebrker.com. And 38% of people say they'd rather see a coworker get FIRED than take a pay cut themselves. --The survey also found that almost 60% of people would rather give up their company's efforts to be "green" than lose their coffee machine. --When people were asked what they'd be most willing to sacrifice if their company HAD to cut something, almost half said they'd most be willing to cut back on their lunch breaks. --Giving up some cigarette breaks came in second, at 14% . . . giving up weekends somehow came in third, at 11% . . . and giving up a company car came in fourth, at 8%. (The Telegraph)
The Higher the Price of Gas, the More People Lie About Mileage on Expense Reports:
High gas prices don't just make us poor . . . they also make us LIE. --A workforce management company called Natural Insight looked at six months' worth of expense report data, and found that employees overstate their mileage more when gas prices are higher. --Most companies reimburse travel expenses on a fixed cost per mile, and only adjust it once a year. That means that when gas prices go up, business travelers have to cover the increased cost of filling up. --One way for business travelers to make up for that is to LIE . . . and claim that they drove more miles than they actually did. And according to Natural Insight's numbers, that's exactly what they're doing. --But the thing is, business travelers ALWAYS overstate their mileage. They just do it MORE when gas prices are high. --Travelers over-reported their mileage by about 24% on average. That dropped to 18% when gas prices were at their lowest, and went up to 33% when gas hit its peak price. (Financial Post)
Apple Introduced Their New iPhone . . . Here's What You Need to Know:
Apple's gotten to the point where product announcements are international front-page news. And yesterday, they had a big one . . . Apple's new CEO, Tim Cook, announced the new iPhone. Here's what you need to know . . .
#1.) It's not the iPhone 5, it's the iPhone 4S. Back in 2009, Apple introduced the iPhone 3GS, where they took the previous year's iPhone 3G and just enhanced all the stuff on the inside . . . speed, power, camera, software. They did that again this year.
--The iPhone 4S is the same size and shape as the iPhone 4, but it's souped up in every other way: It's faster, has a much better camera, better battery life, better download speed, and a better antenna that might NOT drop all your calls. MIGHT.
#2.) The new "big thing" is a voice recognition assistant. Companies have been trying to get voice recognition right forever, but it's never been CLOSE to good enough. But if anyone's going to nail it, it's Apple. --The new iPhone has a "virtual assistant" called Siri. You talk to it like you'd talk to a human: "Get me directions to Applebee's" . . . "Do I need a jacket?" . . . "When was MILLARD FILLMORE elected?" And it responds to you.
--You can also dictate text messages and emails to it, and have it read your messages to you, which is great for the car.
#3.) It's now available on Sprint. This will be the first iPhone available on three different carriers . . . Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T.
#4.) It costs the same as before. It starts at $199 and goes up, depending on how much storage space you want. They go on sale October 14th, and all projections have them shattering every previous phone sales record. (Gizmodo)
A Woman Requests a Male Stripper for Her 100th Birthday . . . and Gets One:
Let's hear it for women who just get RANDIER and RANDIER with age. Clare Ormiston of Worcestershire, England, just turned 100, and when her family asked her what she wanted for her birthday she asked for . . . a MALE STRIPPER. --So they got her one. His name is John Green, but his stripping name is SCORPION . . . and he went to Clare's nursing home to perform for her, along with her friends and family. That's not weird at all. --Clare has three children, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Her husband only died three years ago. (Birmingham Mail) (--Check out a video of the stripping. Notice Clare's daughter is making her mom touch Scorpion.)
RANDOM NEWS EXTRAS
Random News Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:
A teenage car thief was running away from a robbery when his shorts fell down . . . and was caught when a witness identified him by his red boxer shorts. (Full Story)
It's fall . . . should leaf blowers be banned? They generate more smog than 17 cars, disperse five pounds of dust and pollen into the air every hour, and produce 75 decibels of noise. (Full Story)
The Federal Trade Commission has ruled that drinking one can of Four Loko is binge drinking. One can has about five drinks' worth of alcohol, and five drinks an hour is binge drinking. (Full Story)
Scientists say they're close to finishing a vaccine that would prevent drug addiction . . . but they're actually not that close. (Full Story)
Women are supposedly more optimistic than men, possibly because they have close female friends. One in four women gave themselves a ten out of ten on optimism for the future. Only 17% of men did. Women spend about six hours a day on social relationships. (Full Story)
A Dutch study says that homeless men can improve their health . . . by playing street soccer? (Full Story)
NAZZY’S VIDEOS OF THE DAY
#1.) The Newest "Bad Lip-Reading" Video Takes on Michele Bachmann:
There's a new video from BadLipReading.com . . . which has already done videos of PRESIDENT OBAMA and RICK PERRY. --This one's supposed to be outtakes from a MICHELE BACHMANN campaign ad. But they add the voice in, so it looks like she's talking about Facebook, bigfoot, "Three's Company", methamphetamines, and "downing Bacardi." --They used a man's voice for Obama and Perry, and the weird thing is . . . they used a guy's voice for Bachmann too. (--Search for "Michele Bachman: A BLR Soundbite." WARNING: This video includes the words "meth", and "poopy".)
#2.) And Now . . . A Little Kid Sings Lady Gaga in His Kitchen and Uses a Banana as a Microphone:
Do yourself a favor and check out a video called "Me Singing and Dancing to 'You and I' by Lady Gaga". It's a hefty little kid performing in his kitchen . . . and he uses a banana as a microphone. --The thing is, he's actually GOOD. But he's gotta know that posting something like this online is like an open invitation for bullies. --He doesn't seem to care though, because he's got another video galled "Greatest Hits: The Megamix", where he does the same thing with a bunch of other Gaga songs.
#3.) The "No No No No" Cat Is the Newest Viral Video Phenomenon:
There's a video racking up views online called "NoNoNoNo Cat" . . . and this cat has the weirdest meow you've ever heard. It sounds like a person saying the word "no" over and over again in a loud, high-pitched voice. --It's already inspired a bunch of other videos too: There's an Auto-Tuned version, a hip-hop version, and a "Star Wars" version where Vader makes the "no no" sound when he saves Luke from the Emperor. --And someone even combined it with the video of the deaf girl breaking down when she hears her own voice for the first time.
#4.) A Guy Didn't Clean Up After His Dog . . . So Someone Else Did, Then Smeared It On His Shirt:
Maybe this was staged, but I sure hope not: There's a video on Break.com of some guy with a helmet cam walking through a park with rubber gloves on. --And when some guy decides not to clean up after his dog, the guy with the camera does it for him . . . then SMEARS IT ON THE GUY'S SHIRT. --The guy with the helmet cam immediately takes off and starts giggling. And the other guy . . . and his dog . . . chase after him. (--Search for "Man Takes Revenge on Dog Owner.")
The Top Five Tips for Online Job Interviews:
Since most computers come with webcams now, more companies are doing interviews over the web instead of in person. --It's faster and a lot cheaper than flying someone in from out of town, so it makes sense. But being great at face-to-face interviews doesn't necessarily mean you'll be great in an ONLINE interview. --So after you make sure your camera works, here are the five most important tips you need to know.
#1.) Use a Professional Username. If you're interviewing over Skype, and your handle is "BeerLover" or "HotChick85," create a new account just for interviews. Ideally, it should be your full name.
#2.) Dress Up. Online interviews seem more casual, which makes some people think they can DRESS casually. But odds are, the person you're talking to WILL be dressed up. So wear the same thing you'd wear to a regular interview.
#3.) Think About What's in the Background. You won't look very professional if they can see an unmade bed or sports posters all over the wall. But a white wall isn't good either, because it's too empty. --Instead, it should be something like a bookshelf, so you kind of LOOK like you're in an office. But make sure the books make you look professional too. You obviously don't want a book on the Kama Sutra in the background the whole time.
#4.) Keep Your Pets Out of the Room. It's just kind of weird if your cat jumps on your lap in the middle of the interview. --So lock your pets AND your kids out. And make sure the TV's not blaring in the next room.
#5.) Pick a Good Camera Angle. If you're at a desk, the camera might be below your face, which is the worst possible angle you can choose. --It's best if you're looking straight into it. So if you have a laptop with a built-in camera, put a few books under it until the camera's at eye level. --And also think about the lighting. If you're in front of a bright window, your face might be too dark to see. Or, if you're only using a desk lamp, it might create dark shadows. --So do a test run and check out the lighting BEFORE your interview starts. In general, the more lights you turn on, the better. (Excelle.com)
LEONARDO DICAPRIO and BLAKE LIVELY have broken up again. A source says, quote, "It's amicable. They're friends." They supposedly just got tired of doing the long distance thing. --They'd been together since May, and broke up one other time over the summer.
--Meanwhile, Blake has been spending some time with her "Green Lantern" costar RYAN REYNOLDS. --On Thursday night, they caught a RADIOHEAD concert in New York City along with Ryan's ex, SCARLETT JOHANSSON. --On Friday, Ryan and Blake took a train from New York to Boston . . . then had dinner together at a sushi restaurant.
Robert Pattinson is "Glamour" Magazine's Sexiest Man of the Year:
ROBERT PATTINSON has topped "Glamour" magazine's annual Sexiest Men readers' poll. Here's the Top 20 . . .
#1.) Robert Pattinson
#2.) Taylor Lautner
#3.) Johnny Depp
#4.) David Beckham
#5.) Zac Efron
#6.) Gerard Butler
#7.) Alexander Skarsgard (--He plays Eric Northman on "True Blood".)
#8.) Garrett Hedlund . . . You know him as Jeff Bridges' son in "Tron: Legacy", and as Gwyneth Paltrow's costar in "Country Strong".
#9.) Jared Followill . . . he plays bass for Kings of Leon.
#10.) Prince Harry
#11.) Bradley Cooper
#12.) Chace Crawford (--Nate Archibald on "Gossip Girl".)
#13.) Alex Pettyfer (--"I Am Number Four", "Beastly".)
#14.) James McAvoy (--Angelina Jolie's co-star in "Wanted".)
#15.) Henry Cavill (--"The Tudors", and also your new Superman.)
#16.) Orlando Bloom
#17.) Ryan Reynolds
#18.) Jake Gyllenhaal
#19.) Colin Farrell
#20.) Darren Criss (--Kurt's boyfriend Blaine on "Glee".)
Johnny Depp Compares Photo Shoots to Rape:
Every time someone compares something that's NOT rape TO rape, people get upset. And JOHNNY DEPP just did that. What HE compared to rape was . . . PHOTO SHOOTS. --In the new issue of "Vanity Fair", he says, quote, "Well, you just feel like you're being raped somehow. Raped . . . It feels like a kind of weird, just weird, man." --RAINN . . . the Rape And Incest National Network . . . is NOT cool with that. --A spokesperson says, quote, "While photos may feel at times intrusive, being photographed in no way compares to rape . . . a violent crime which affects another American every 2 minutes. --"RAINN welcomes the opportunity to speak with Mr. Depp and educate him about the real life experiences faced by survivors every day, and ways that he can work with RAINN to help." --Elsewhere in the interview, Johnny addresses the ridiculous amounts of money he's earned. (--About $100 million last year alone.) --He says, quote, "Basically, if they're going to pay me the stupid money right now, I'm going to take it. --"I have to. I mean, it's not for me. Do you know what I mean? At this point, it's for my kids. It's ridiculous, yeah, yeah. But ultimately is it for me? No. No. It's for the kids."
Martha Stewart is Cool With Her Daughter's Book:
MARTHA STEWART is laughing off all the pot-shots her daughter ALEXIS takes at her in her new book "Whateverland". --On her show yesterday, Martha said, quote, "I actually read the book . . . And it is hilarious and it is enlightening and it's full of funny stories." --She added, quote, "[It] touches on everything: food, fashion, cleaning, organizing and me. It's irreverent and it's lots of fun." And she encouraged people to, quote, "buy it, read and make it a bestseller." (--Here's video.)
Check Out Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Their Son Maddox Playing Paintball in Full Camouflage:
BRAD PITT, ANGELINA JOLIE and their son MADDOX hit a paintball course in London on Sunday . . . in full camouflage gear. (--Check out some pics here.) (Popsugar) --As you may have heard, Maddox is obsessed with weapons. A few years ago, Angelina said, quote, "My mom took me to buy my first daggers when I was 11 or 12. And I've already bought Maddox some." (--Maddox was about SEVEN at the time.)
Dr. Conrad Murray Was on the Phone With a Waitress When He Realized Michael Jackson Was in Trouble:
DR. CONRAD MURRAY had a lot of women in his life . . . and several of them hit the witness stand yesterday. --One of them . . . a waitress by the name of Sade Anding . . . said she was on the phone with Dr. Murray when he realized that something was wrong with MICHAEL JACKSON. --She said that in the middle of their conversation, he stopped answering her questions . . . then she started hearing muffled voices, like Dr. Murray had either put the phone down or in his pocket. --She eventually hung up and called him back twice. He didn't answer. --Then there was Nicole Alvarez, Murray's live-in girlfriend and the mother of his youngest child. She said Dr. Murray called her from the ambulance. --She said, quote, "I remember him telling me that he was on the way to the hospital in the ambulance with Mr. Jackson, and for me not to be alarmed." --Alvarez was also questioned about numerous FedEx packages for Dr. Murray that were sent to her house. She said she received them, but never opened them, so she didn't know what was inside. --Prosecutors believe it was the PROPOFOL that Dr. Murray was allegedly giving Michael. --A pharmacist named Tim Lopez testified that he was indeed supplying Dr. Murray with propofol . . . and sending it to Nicole Alvarez's address. Dr. Murray also ordered a cream from him to treat Michael's skin condition, vitiligo. --But Lopez said he did NOT know Michael was the patient. --Also on the stand yesterday was a STRIPPER named Michelle Bella . . . who said she received a text from Dr. Murray on the morning of Michael's death. --One more person who was on the witness stand was Stacey Ruggles . . . an employee of Dr. Murray's who worked at his Houston clinic since 1997. She testified that Dr. Murray called the clinic several times the day Michael died. --On cross-examination, she said the clinic was NOT profitable, because Murray was always helping the poor. --She said, quote, "Most of [his patients] were indigent, on fixed incomes, unable to afford a physician."
There's a "Mr. Ed" Movie in the Works:
Proving once again that absolutely no existing property is safe from exploitation by unimaginative Hollywood suits, there's a "Mr. Ed" movie in the works. --Some of you young sprouts probably have no idea what I'm talking about. Let me drop some classic TV knowledge on you: --"Mr. Ed" was a cheesy sitcom about a talking horse that aired from 1961 to 1966. And that's about it. Sorry if I got your hopes up. --The only thing we know about the movie is that they'll be using a REAL horse, but they'll use computer animation to make his mouth move. --In the original, Mr. Ed was played by a horse named Bamboo Harvester. And the way they made him look like he was talking was by putting a NYLON STRING in his mouth. --The horse would move his mouth and tongue around, trying to work the string out . . . and a voice actor added his dialogue. Mostly harmless, but kind of cruel when you think about it. --Ed's human co-star, ALAN YOUNG, once claimed that after the first season, Ed didn't need the string anymore, because he had learned to move his mouth whenever Young stopped talking. (--Check out the CLASSIC "Mr. Ed" theme song and opening credits here. And here's a clip from an episode in which Mr. Ed messes with CLINT EASTWOOD. He comes in at about the 4:55 mark.) --One last note on Mr. Ed: According to the VERY ACCURATE folks at Wikipedia, Bamboo Harvester was euthanized due to a variety of health problems in 1970, and buried on a farm in Oklahoma. --But Alan Young claims that he was actually killed by ACCIDENT . . . with TRANQUILIZERS. --Supposedly, Bamboo Harvester's owner (slash) trainer was out of town, and a temporary caregiver saw him in distress. So he administered tranquilizers and the horse DIED.
Chaz Bono Lives to Dance Once Again!
CHAZ BONO survived yet another elimination last night on "Dancing With the Stars"! --This is even MORE awesome than it seems on the surface, because it also means we get to see Chaz's mom CHER on "Dancing With the Stars" next week. --Monday night after Chaz and LACEY SCHWIMMER danced, Cher Tweeted, quote, "Hope Chaz hangs on till next week so I can come sit in the audience and watch!" --Chaz was at the absolute bottom of the leaderboard going into the elimination, but was among the first celebrities declared SAFE. --It's possible that Cher helped skew the vote with her Tweet. But then again, Chaz has survived elimination twice already, despite having very weak dance skills. So it seems he already had a decent support system going. --In the end, it was actually one of the BEST dancers, reality TV star KRISTIN CAVALLARI, who was sent home. --Interestingly, Kristin's ex-fiancé, Chicago Bears quarterback JAY CUTLER, was in the audience during Monday's show. And yesterday, he and Kristen were seen HOLDING HANDS. Nobody's saying they're back together . . . yet.
Did Cher Tweet that the Kardashians Should Be Drop-Kicked Down the Freeway?
A Tweet that CHER posted on Sunday has come back to haunt her . . . but it sounds like she was actually taking aim at some chicks on the show "Bridezillas" and her Tweet was misinterpreted by the media. --Here's the Tweet: "I don't watch reality! Never saw a Kardashian but these [B-words] should be drop kicked down a freeway! Not kidding!" --As you probably know, the Kardashians' little brother ROB is competing against CHAZ BONO on "Dancing With the Stars". --After some of her followers asked her why she hated the Kardashians, Cher Tweeted, quote, "Let me be clear! Am not Hate'n Kardashian Fam. Don't know them! Bridezilla's crazy [B-words]! Saw Brother on DWTS & my friend told me 'bout girls." --She also Tweeted, quote, "Fact that I was talking about Bridezillas & Not The KARDASHIAN Girls seems 2be unimportant to the [effing] "STAR" Oh! I mean Huffington Post." --It sounds like that's probably the truth, because just before Cher's Tweet about drop-kicking someone down the freeway, she had posted this . . . --"Looking at show called "Bridezilla" chick named Rae Rae! I don't know ENOUGH Swear Words 4 This OBNOXIOUS [B-WORD]! Run 4 yer Life Husband 2B." (--I think Cher is telling the truth. It sounds like the reason she invoked the Kardashians in her initial Tweet was to show how little she knew about reality TV. Of course it totally backfired on her. Which wouldn't have happened if she were capable of TWEETING IN PLAIN ENGLISH.)
Did Nancy Grace Unleash a Gaseous Emission on "Dancing With the Stars"?
NANCY GRACE has been accused of unleashing a GASEOUS EMISSION on "Dancing With the Stars" Monday night. The cheese was allegedly cut while Nancy was talking to BROOKE BURKE after she waltzed to "Moon River". (--Here's video. It happens right after Nancy says her twins are, quote, "smiling so big." It's quiet, but if you turn the volume on your speakers up REALLY HIGH, you can definitely hear it.) --Nancy is denying it, of course. She told TMZ, quote, "As an ear witness on the scene, I can absolutely exonerate [my partner] Tristan, myself and Brooke. --"However, the rest of the cast . . . seated just inches away . . . all remain under grave suspicion. The investigation continues."
A Contract Dispute Could End "The Simpsons" After This Season:
"The Simpsons" is currently in its 23rd season, which makes it the longest-running, scripted primetime series in the history of TV. But a contract dispute is threatening to end its run after this season. --The studio that produces the show, 20th Century Fox, has informed the cast that they'll be forced to cancel the show if they don't accept a MASSIVE pay cut. --TheDailyBeast.com claims the six principal actors would have to take a 45% pay cut . . . which, for you non-math majors, would reduce their salaries by almost HALF. According to various reports, they are currently making over $8 million a season. --The six main actors are: Dan Castellaneta (Homer, Grampa and Krusty), Julie Kavner (Marge), Nancy Cartwright (Bart), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), Hank Azaria (Moe, Chief Wiggum and Apu), and Harry Shearer (Mr. Burns, Principal Skinner and Ned Flanders). They each also voice an array of minor characters. --The cast IS willing to take a pay cut, but they want something in return. They've proposed a 30% pay cut . . . with a small piece of the "back-end," which means they want some of the money from the show's ancillary profits.--20th Century Fox makes BILLIONS through syndication and merchandising, like "Simpsons" DVDs, video games, theme park rides, clothing, toys and stuff like that. --However, it's way too early to freak out about a possible "Simpsons" cancellation. The show has survived contract disputes in the past . . . including a cast STRIKE in 2004 . . . and it seems like everyone IS interested in keeping it going. --20th Century Fox says, quote, "We believe this brilliant series can and should continue, but we cannot produce future seasons under its current financial model. --"We are hopeful that we can reach an agreement with the voice cast that allows [it] to go on entertaining audiences with original episodes for many years to come."
A Contract Dispute Could End "Dexter" After This Season:
The sixth season premiere of "Dexter" attracted 2.2 million viewers . . . that's the show's biggest audience for a premiere, and Showtime's highest rated premiere for an original show in at least 14 years. --But despite its success, "Dexter" could be done after this season if Showtime isn't able to sign star MICHAEL C. HALL to a new deal. --According to Deadline.com, Michael is asking for $24 million to do two more seasons . . . but Showtime is "only" willing to pay $20 million. It's unclear what his last contract was worth. --A "source" says that if they can't agree to a two-year contract, they could compromise on a deal for one more final season.
Is Kristen Wiig Leaving "Saturday Night Live"?
An entertainment website called Showbiz411.com is claiming this could be KRISTEN WIIG'S last season on "Saturday Night Live" . . . but there really isn't any new information to back that up, outside of Kristen's growing movie career. (--At some point, Kristen is going to "graduate" from "SNL" . . . and it could be after this season. But at the same time, she's managed to do DOZENS of movies since joining "SNL" back in 2005.) (--On the other hand, "Bridesmaids" was HUGE . . . and it was HER MOVIE. She wrote it AND starred in it. So that's got to have her thinking she doesn't need "SNL" anymore.)
The First Cancellation of the Fall Is: "The Playboy Club":
NBC's new drama, "The Playboy Club", is the first casualty of the new TV season. It's been canceled after just three low-rated episodes. (--The Parents Television Council is "pleased". They've been campaigning against the show since May.) --The premiere had 5 million viewers . . . and it went downhill from there, with the second episode attracting 4 million viewers, and Monday night's episode only bringing in 3.5 million viewers. There are no plans yet to air the remaining episodes.
"Suburgatory" Did the Best of Last Week's New Shows:
The networks rolled out another dozen premieres last week. "Suburgatory" was the week's highest rated new show, and "Mike & Molly" had the highest-rated season premiere for a returning series. Here's how the new shows did with their first episodes: --The series premiere of "Suburgatory" had 9.8 million viewers. Jeremy Sisto plays a single dad who moves to the suburbs with his 16-year-old daughter. -The series premiere of "Terra Nova" attracted 9.2 million viewers for Fox. That's the show about people who traveled back in time to prehistoric Earth to start over. --The series premiere of "How To Be A Gentleman" drew 8.98 million viewers for CBS. David Hornsby plays an uptight etiquette writer who befriends Kevin Dillon. --The series premiere of the CW's "Hart of Dixie" averaged 1.88 million viewers. Rachel Bilson is a New York doctor who moves to a small Alabama town. --The series premiere of Showtime's "Homeland" was watched by 1.1 million people. Claire Danes is a CIA agent tracking a rescued POW, who she thinks is now a terrorist.
And here's how your returning favorites fared . . .
--The 2nd season premiere of "Mike & Molly", CBS, 13.9 million viewers
--The 3rd season premiere of "The Middle" came back with 8.7 million viewers.
--The 5th season premiere of "Private Practice" had 7.8 million viewers.
--The 2nd season premiere of "Harry's Law" drew 7.6 million viewers.
--The 2nd season premiere of ABC's "Happy Endings" had 7.25 million viewers.
--Showtime's 6th season premiere of "Dexter" was watched by 2.2 million people.
--The 5th season premiere of "Gossip Girl" averaged 1.37 million viewers.
--The 3rd season premiere of HBO's "Hung" was seen by 1.1 million viewers.
"Two and a Half Men" Had 8 Million Fewer Viewers in Its Second Week . . . But It's Still the #1 Show in America:
ASHTON KUTCHER'S second episode of "Two and a Half Men" was watched by 20.5 million people. That's down from the 28.5 million that tuned in to the season premiere, but still enough to keep the show at the top of the weekly ratings. --It'll be interesting to see how long that lasts though, since "Two and a Half Men" only beat "NCIS" by about a million viewers.
1.) "Two and a Half Men", CBS, 20.5 million viewers
2.) "NCIS", CBS, 19.5 million viewers
3.) The "Sunday Night Football" game between the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens, NBC, 18.9 million viewers (--The Ravens won, 34 to 17.)
4.) Andy Rooney's final episode of "60 Minutes", CBS, 17.1 million viewers
5.) "NCIS: Los Angeles", CBS, 16.3 million viewers
6.) "Dancing with the Stars", ABC, 16.2 million viewers
7.) "The Big Bang Theory", CBS, 14.7 million viewers
8.) The "Dancing with the Stars" results show, ABC, 14.4 million viewers
9.) The "Sunday Night NFL Pre-Kick" pregame show, NBC, 14.1 million viewers
10.) The 2nd season premiere of "Mike & Molly", CBS, 13.9 million viewers
Simon Cowell Is Pretending That He's Cool with "The X Factor's" Disappointing Ratings:
Before "X Factor" premiered, SIMON COWELL infamously said that anything less than 20 million viewers would be a disappointment. Well, it was a disappointment . . . because it didn't get close to 20 million viewers. --The first two episodes averaged 12.5 million viewers . . . and the third and fourth episodes dipped even further last week. 11.9 million people turned in on Wednesday, and 12.2 million watched on Thursday. --Anyway, Simon is now pretending that he's cool with this. --He explains, quote, "I'm not going to lie. I wanted 20 million when we launched, but now I'm kind of back in the real world and I'm seeing this grow naturally. I'm as happy as I've ever been." (--That's just a severely bruised ego talking.)
The Coen Brothers Are Developing a Detective Show:
This could be pretty sweet. The COEN BROTHERS are developing a detective series for Fox. You know the Coen brothers from their movies: "No Country for Old Men", "Fargo", "The Big Lebowski" and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", among others. --The show will be an hour-long comedy called "Harve Karbo" . . . about an L.A. private investigator, whose cases, quote, "frequently force him to cross paths with a who's who of Hollywood." That's all we know for now.
WEDNESDAY TV REMINDERS
--"The X Factor" . . . 8:00 to 9:30 P.M. on Fox. (--The contestants come to L.A. for a boot camp where they'll be judged on their singing, dancing and performing style.)
--"Up All Night" . . . 8:00 to 8:30 P.M. on NBC. (--"Saturday Night Live's" Will Forte and Jorma Taccone guest star.)
--"H8R" . . . 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. on the CW. (--Maksim Chmerkovskiy and rassler Mike "The Miz" Mizanin try to change the opinion of their haters.)
--"Modern Family" . . . 9:00 to 9:30 P.M. on ABC. (--David Cross guest stars as a city councilman when Claire campaigns for a stop sign at a busy intersection.)
--"America's Next Top Model" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on the CW. (--"CSI" creator Anthony Zuiker judges as the models compete for a guest spot on his show.)
--"George Harrison: Living In the Material World" [Part 1 of 2] . . . 9:00 to 10:35 P.M. on HBO. (--Martin Scorsese profiles George Harrison through interviews with his son Dhani, his widow Olivia, plus Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and friend Eric Clapton.)
--"Raising Hope" . . . 9:30 to 10:00 P.M. on Fox. (--Amy Sedaris guest stars.)
--"South Park" [15th Season Premiere] . . . 10:00 to 10:30 P.M. on Comedy Central.
--"American Horror Story" [SERIES Premiere] . . . 10:00 to 11:10 P.M. on FX. (--Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton play a couple who move into a haunted L.A. mansion that's next door to a crazy neighbor played by Jessica Lange.)
--"Penn & Teller Tell A Lie" [SERIES Premiere] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on Discovery. (--In this interactive series, Penn and Teller tell seven outrageous stories and the viewer must determine which one story is fabricated.)
--"Nick Swardson's Pretend Time" [2nd Season Premiere] . . . 10:30 to 11:00 P.M. on Comedy Central.
Adele's Voice Is Messed Up Again . . . So She's Canceled Another Tour:
ADELE has been forced to cancel her U.S. tour . . . for the second time . . . because her voice is messed up. This time, she has a hemorrhage in her vocal chord. --She has posted a long apology on her site . . . saying that if she doesn't take a, quote, "extended rest period" now, she could permanently damage her voice. --She explains, quote, "If I continue to pick up everything before I have properly conquered these problems and nipped them in the bud, I will be totally and utterly [effed] . . . I have absolutely no choice but to recuperate properly and fully, or I risk damaging my voice forever. --"I have great confidence in believing you know how much this upsets me, how seriously I take it and how truly devastated and annoyed I am by this . . . I will be back and I'm gonna smash the ball out the park once I'm touring again." (--You can find her full message at Adele.tv.) --Adele's 10-city tour was supposed to kick off on October 7th in Atlantic City . . . and run through a gig in Texas on October 21st. All the shows were sold out. --She also canceled a bunch of U.S. dates back in June when she came down with laryngitis. All those shows were sold out, too. --There's no word when she might be able to return to the road.
Britney Spears Brought Her Son Onstage with Her in Budapest:
BRITNEY SPEARS brought her oldest son Sean Preston onstage with her in Budapest over the weekend. (--He just turned six years old last month.) --Sean appeared after Britney was lowered from the ceiling during her performance of "'Til the World Ends". He didn't really do much . . . but I guess it was a cool surprise for Britney's Hungarian fans. (--You can find video of this on YouTube.)
The Title and Release Date for Rihanna's Next Album:
RIHANNA has announced that her next album is called "Talk That Talk", and it'll come out on November 21st. It'll be her sixth album in seven years. Her last album "Loud" came out on November 10th of last year.
Garbage Has Announced Plans for a New Album:
Remember GARBAGE? You know, "I'm Only Happy When It Rains"! Well, they've just announced plans to release their first album since 2005. --There isn't a title or a release date yet, but the band recently posted a Facebook message saying, quote, "OK we're back in the studio today, we have 3 more weeks booked to hopefully finish everything!"
To All Diddy's "Children of God": He Wants You to Know That He's "Disappointed" That He Cursed at Someone for Not Drinking His Vodka:
DIDDY exploded into quite a childish tantrum over the weekend, when he noticed someone at a club who was drinking Grey Goose vodka . . . and not Ciroc, the brand he reps. --Diddy unleashed a profane verbal tirade that included racial and homophobic slurs. --Well, he's apologized for his behavior. He Tweeted, quote, "I'm a child God and I should be better no matter what someone says to me. I'm sorry for the ignorant way I represented myself and us. --"To all my children of God . . . I have backslid and regressed. Forgive me for my ignorance. Pray for me please. I know better and I am better. --"I have a responsibility that I promise I will live up to. And I'm more disappointed in myself than you know. I will humble myself and learn. --"Bottom line is I'm sorry to all! Please find it in your heart to accept my apology. I will do better and be greater . . . and a source of positivity! Thank y'all for listening. Thank you. Real talk. Peace." --That was a pretty over the top apology . . . even considering that it was directed at Diddy's "children of God," and not the Grey Goose drinker. --But Diddy went back to more casual conversation a few hours later, when he Tweeted, quote, "Pineapples!!! Pineapples!!! :) LOL." (--This is a man who's reportedly worth $500 million, folks. Trust me, no one feels good about it.)
WEDNESDAY'S SHOWBIZ EXTRAS
Showbiz Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:
TAYE DIGGS says his mother always knew he'd marry a white girl. (Full Story)
JENNIFER HUDSON'S marriage to WWE superstar DAVID OTUNGA is on hold because he won't sign a prenup. (--He may be a pro wrestler, but he's also a law school grad . . . so he's no dummy.) (Full Story)
Here's another reason why it sucks NOT to be JUSTIN BIEBER. He and SELENA GOMEZ took a romantic helicopter ride over Rio de Janeiro yesterday. (Photos)
The wife of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback STEVE YOUNG surprised him on his 50th birthday with a FLASH MOB. She had people dance to "Boogie Wonderland", then sing "Happy Birthday" to him. (Video)
Thanks to the success of "The Lion King", Disney is now going to re-release "Beauty and the Beast", "The Little Mermaid", "Finding Nemo" and "Monsters, Inc." into theaters in 3D. (Full Story)
The exhausting list-makers at Forbes.com have repurposed information we've already seen in one form or another this year into a list of the Highest-Earning Women in Entertainment. (Full Story)
Former "Biggest Loser" trainer JILLIAN MICHAELS is trying to adopt a child from the Democratic Republic of Congo . . . and she's surprised at how much time and money it takes. She says that if you don't have either, you should just adopt or foster a kid from the U.S. (Full Story)
"Sesame Street" has a new, pink Muppet named Lily, who will appear in a special to address, quote, "food insecurity, or the lack of a reliable access to food." It'll premiere on Friday night. (Full Story)
"Entertainment Weekly" has the first three chapters of 50 CENT'S semi-autobiographical novel "Playground", which addresses teen bullying. (Excerpt)
RANDOM STUFF
THE GOOD NEWS
Drunk Driving is Down 30% in Five Years, and at the Lowest Point Since 1993:
We've told you about all the grief, strife, horror, stupidity, and awfulness in the world. And now . . . the good news. I'm proud of you, America. --Drunk driving in this country is WAY, WAY down. And sure, it might be because everyone's too poor to go to bars or buy gas . . . but whatever. Let's say it's because we've all gotten smarter and more responsible. --According to an annual study by the CDC, drunk driving incidents are down 30% in the past five years . . . and in 2010, they hit the lowest point since they first started doing the study in 1993. --On the downside, they estimated that an average of more than 300,000 people drove drunk EVERY SINGLE DAY in 2010. And that's the LOWEST the rate has ever been. Wow. So let's not unfurl that "Mission Accomplished" banner just yet. --Totaled up, there were approximately 112 million drunk driving incidents in 2010. In 2006, which had the highest rate, there were 161 million. --In the 2010 study, about one in 50 people, or 2%, said they'd driven drunk at least once in the previous month. --The economy is connected to the drop in drunk driving. People are still getting hammered . . . that ain't changing . . . but they're saving money by drinking at HOME instead of going to bars. (Associated Press)
A Convenience Store Clerk in Georgia Accidentally Sells a Woman a Ticket to the Wrong Lottery . . . and She Wins $25 Million:
This story is a DOUBLE SHOT of "this will never happen to you." Not only will you NEVER win the lottery . . . you'll never ACCIDENTALLY win the lottery either. --Last month, 44-year-old Kathy Scruggs of Lithonia, Georgia went into a Shell gas station Food Mart in Decatur, Georgia and tried to buy a ticket to the Mega Millions lottery. --But the clerk accidentally sold her a ticket to the Powerball lottery instead.
-And you can see where this is going. Kathy's Powerball ticket . . . that she got by accident . . . hit all five numbers AND the Powerball in the September 14th drawing. And she won . . . $25 MILLION. --She decided to take the lump sum . . . you ALWAYS take the lump sum . . . and will get a little over $15 MILLION before taxes. --On Monday, she was at the Georgia Lottery headquarters in Atlanta where she claimed her prize. The odds of winning the Powerball are one in 195,249,054. They don't calculate the odds for winning it ACCIDENTALLY. --Kathy is unemployed, so clearly, getting a quick $15 mil is PROBABLY going to help things out. She says she plans to buy a car, travel, and help out her family. (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
Cleaning the Bathroom is Number One on the List of Parents' and Kids' Most-Hated Chores:
I'm not sure we needed a survey to prove this, but it's now official: No one of ANY age wants to scrub toilets and pull hair clogs out of the shower drain. --A new survey found the top five chores that parents hate the most and the top five that kids hate the most. And "cleaning the bathroom" was number one on both lists. --Parents and kids also agreed on the second-worst chore . . . "washing dishes" finished just behind "cleaning the bathroom" on both lists. Check them out . . .
Parents' Most-Hated Chores
#1.) Cleaning the bathroom.
#2.) Washing dishes.
#3.) Doing laundry.
#4.) Cleaning the kitchen.
#5.) Cleaning up the bedroom.
Kids' Most-Hated Chores
#1.) Cleaning the bathroom.
#2.) Washing dishes.
#3.) Taking out the garbage.
#4.) Cleaning up the bedroom.
#5.) Doing laundry.
(Sacramento Bee)
Two-Thirds of Moms Say They'd Rather Stay Home With the Kids . . . and Three-Quarters Value Their Kids' Manners Over Grades:
A new survey by NBC found some surprising trends about today's mothers. Stuff you REALLY wouldn't expect. Check it out . . . --66% of all mothers say they would rather be a stay-at-home mom than a working mom. Out of the working mothers, 53% say that if they didn't need the money they'd immediately quit to stay home with the kids. --77% of moms, or more than three-quarters, say they would prefer to have children with GOOD MANNERS than GOOD GRADES. Really. --60% of moms believe that within ten to 20 years there'll be as many stay-at-home dads as stay-at-home moms. --31% of mothers say they tend to take longer in the shower, running errands, or commuting than they used to . . . just to get some time alone. --And 49% say that "traditional" is the parenting style they most want to achieve. --For what it's worth, according to the Census definition of a traditional family . . . dad working, mom staying home, kids under 18 . . . only 4% of American families qualify as "traditional." (PR Newswire)
There's a Dating Site Where Your Jewish Mother Finds Matches for You . . . and Their First Couple Is About to Get Married:
Last year, Brad Weisberg of Chicago was nearly 30 and still single. So was his 25-year-old sister Danielle, which was apparently too much for their Jewish mother Barbara. --She demanded access to Brad's online dating profile and, after two hours, had found 10 suitable girls for him to contact. --That's when Brad and Danielle decided to harness the power of the Jewish mother . . . and created a dating site where members' moms fix up their kids. --They launched TheJMom.com last November, and less than a year later, they're about to have their first couple get married. --The happy couple is Anatoly, who lives in Texas, and Alina, who lives in New Jersey. (--No last names were given.) --Alina's mom signed up . . . found Anatoly's profile . . . thought he was handsome . . . checked with Alina . . . and she agreed. --Then Alina's mom wrote to Anatoly's mom and said, quote, "I think your son could be a good match for my daughter." --The moms hit it off and handed things over to their kids, who moved from email to phone calls to hometown visits. On Alina's visit to Texas, Anatoly popped the question. (PR Newswire) (--You can watch TheJMom's commercial on Vimeo here.)
Is Today the Most Common Birthday in the U.S.?
Here's a random 'fact': Today, October 5th, is THE most common birthday in the U.S. --There's no definitive reason behind it . . . it's based on a survey from 2001 asking people about their birthday. And more people named October 5th as their birthday than any other date. --But . . . today IS nine months after New Year's Eve. And a lot of people have sex on New Year's Eve, right? --Supposedly May 22nd is the least-common birthday . . . other than February 29th, which doesn't really count, since it only happens once every four years. (Yahoo)
The First "Someone Called 911 Because of a Halloween Display" Story of the Season!
Every year before Halloween, at least one person puts up a Halloween decoration so HARDCORE that people think it's REAL and call 911. And this is the first big one of 2011. --In Salisbury, North Carolina, a man named Chris Deaton set up a Halloween display in a field near his house that makes it look like someone got run over by a riding lawnmower. You can see the legs and arms sticking out, covered in blood. --A driver spotted it on Monday morning, freaked out, and called 911. The cops didn't end up answering the call . . . this is the second year that Chris has put up the display, so it was already on their radar. --Having Halloween decorations like this one ARE legal . . . and so far, there hasn't been enough outrage for Chris to take it down. (CBS 3 - Charlotte) (--Here are some photos. You can reach Chris at 704-279-2009.)
No Pumpkin? Check Out Photos of Jack-O-Lanterns Carved in Cabbage, Watermelon, Apple, and Eggplant:
Pumpkin prices are going up this year . . . some combination of the economy, Hurricane Irene, and just a general nationwide effort to screw consumers . . . so if you've got some artistic skills, here's an alternative. --We got our hands on some photos of jack-o-lanterns and skulls that a Russian artist named Dimitri Tsykalov carved out of cheaper fruits and vegetables, including cabbage, watermelon, apple, and eggplant. And they look fantastic. (Daily Mail) (--Check them out here.)
The Fall Foliage in the Northeast is Extra Colorful and Beautiful This Year . . . Thanks to Hurricane Irene:
Sure, Hurricane Irene destroyed homes, killed at least 45 people, and caused $7 BILLION in damage . . . but WOW, look at those leaves! --New England states are experiencing EXTRA COLORFUL and BEAUTIFUL fall foliage this year . . . and it's all thanks to Hurricane Irene. --The heavy rain helped keep the soil in the Northeast extra moist, which helps the leaves stay on the trees longer. There will be more leaves, brighter leaves, and a longer period with gorgeous foliage . . . and it's all thanks to Irene. --Foliage tourists . . . or "leafers" . . . are huge for the New England states. Every year, tourists who come to see the leaves on "leaf peeping" tours contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to the states' economies. (Time)
"Forbes" Names America's Most Dangerous Cities . . . and Yeah, Detroit is Number One:
"Forbes" magazine just put out a list of America's most dangerous cities, based on FBI statistics for four types of violent crimes: Murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. --And the number one city is . . . yep. The DETROIT metropolitan area was named the most dangerous in the U.S. in 2010, thanks to its really high murder rate. Here's the full top 10:
#1.) Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Michigan. 1,111 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
#2.) Memphis, Tennessee. 1,006 violent crimes per 100,000.
#3.) Springfield, Illinois. 855 violent crimes per 100,000.
#4.) Flint, Michigan. 827 violent crimes per 100,000.
#5.) Anchorage, Alaska. (???) 813 violent crimes per 100,000.
#6.) Lubbock, Texas. 808 violent crimes per 100,000.
#7.) Stockton, California. 805 violent crimes per 100,000.
#8.) Tallahassee, Florida. 775 violent crimes per 100,000.
#9.) Las Vegas, Nevada. 763 violent crimes per 100,000.
#10.) Rockford, Illinois. 760 violent crimes per 100,000.
(Forbes)
Two Out of Five People Would Rather See a Coworker Get Fired Than Take a Pay Cut Themselves:
Would you give up a few grand of your salary so that one of your coworkers could keep their job? According to a new survey, two out of five people say . . . ABSOLUTELY NOT. --The survey was conducted by a website called Officebrker.com. And 38% of people say they'd rather see a coworker get FIRED than take a pay cut themselves. --The survey also found that almost 60% of people would rather give up their company's efforts to be "green" than lose their coffee machine. --When people were asked what they'd be most willing to sacrifice if their company HAD to cut something, almost half said they'd most be willing to cut back on their lunch breaks. --Giving up some cigarette breaks came in second, at 14% . . . giving up weekends somehow came in third, at 11% . . . and giving up a company car came in fourth, at 8%. (The Telegraph)
The Higher the Price of Gas, the More People Lie About Mileage on Expense Reports:
High gas prices don't just make us poor . . . they also make us LIE. --A workforce management company called Natural Insight looked at six months' worth of expense report data, and found that employees overstate their mileage more when gas prices are higher. --Most companies reimburse travel expenses on a fixed cost per mile, and only adjust it once a year. That means that when gas prices go up, business travelers have to cover the increased cost of filling up. --One way for business travelers to make up for that is to LIE . . . and claim that they drove more miles than they actually did. And according to Natural Insight's numbers, that's exactly what they're doing. --But the thing is, business travelers ALWAYS overstate their mileage. They just do it MORE when gas prices are high. --Travelers over-reported their mileage by about 24% on average. That dropped to 18% when gas prices were at their lowest, and went up to 33% when gas hit its peak price. (Financial Post)
Apple Introduced Their New iPhone . . . Here's What You Need to Know:
Apple's gotten to the point where product announcements are international front-page news. And yesterday, they had a big one . . . Apple's new CEO, Tim Cook, announced the new iPhone. Here's what you need to know . . .
#1.) It's not the iPhone 5, it's the iPhone 4S. Back in 2009, Apple introduced the iPhone 3GS, where they took the previous year's iPhone 3G and just enhanced all the stuff on the inside . . . speed, power, camera, software. They did that again this year.
--The iPhone 4S is the same size and shape as the iPhone 4, but it's souped up in every other way: It's faster, has a much better camera, better battery life, better download speed, and a better antenna that might NOT drop all your calls. MIGHT.
#2.) The new "big thing" is a voice recognition assistant. Companies have been trying to get voice recognition right forever, but it's never been CLOSE to good enough. But if anyone's going to nail it, it's Apple. --The new iPhone has a "virtual assistant" called Siri. You talk to it like you'd talk to a human: "Get me directions to Applebee's" . . . "Do I need a jacket?" . . . "When was MILLARD FILLMORE elected?" And it responds to you.
--You can also dictate text messages and emails to it, and have it read your messages to you, which is great for the car.
#3.) It's now available on Sprint. This will be the first iPhone available on three different carriers . . . Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T.
#4.) It costs the same as before. It starts at $199 and goes up, depending on how much storage space you want. They go on sale October 14th, and all projections have them shattering every previous phone sales record. (Gizmodo)
A Woman Requests a Male Stripper for Her 100th Birthday . . . and Gets One:
Let's hear it for women who just get RANDIER and RANDIER with age. Clare Ormiston of Worcestershire, England, just turned 100, and when her family asked her what she wanted for her birthday she asked for . . . a MALE STRIPPER. --So they got her one. His name is John Green, but his stripping name is SCORPION . . . and he went to Clare's nursing home to perform for her, along with her friends and family. That's not weird at all. --Clare has three children, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Her husband only died three years ago. (Birmingham Mail) (--Check out a video of the stripping. Notice Clare's daughter is making her mom touch Scorpion.)
RANDOM NEWS EXTRAS
Random News Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:
A teenage car thief was running away from a robbery when his shorts fell down . . . and was caught when a witness identified him by his red boxer shorts. (Full Story)
It's fall . . . should leaf blowers be banned? They generate more smog than 17 cars, disperse five pounds of dust and pollen into the air every hour, and produce 75 decibels of noise. (Full Story)
The Federal Trade Commission has ruled that drinking one can of Four Loko is binge drinking. One can has about five drinks' worth of alcohol, and five drinks an hour is binge drinking. (Full Story)
Scientists say they're close to finishing a vaccine that would prevent drug addiction . . . but they're actually not that close. (Full Story)
Women are supposedly more optimistic than men, possibly because they have close female friends. One in four women gave themselves a ten out of ten on optimism for the future. Only 17% of men did. Women spend about six hours a day on social relationships. (Full Story)
A Dutch study says that homeless men can improve their health . . . by playing street soccer? (Full Story)
NAZZY’S VIDEOS OF THE DAY
#1.) The Newest "Bad Lip-Reading" Video Takes on Michele Bachmann:
There's a new video from BadLipReading.com . . . which has already done videos of PRESIDENT OBAMA and RICK PERRY. --This one's supposed to be outtakes from a MICHELE BACHMANN campaign ad. But they add the voice in, so it looks like she's talking about Facebook, bigfoot, "Three's Company", methamphetamines, and "downing Bacardi." --They used a man's voice for Obama and Perry, and the weird thing is . . . they used a guy's voice for Bachmann too. (--Search for "Michele Bachman: A BLR Soundbite." WARNING: This video includes the words "meth", and "poopy".)
#2.) And Now . . . A Little Kid Sings Lady Gaga in His Kitchen and Uses a Banana as a Microphone:
Do yourself a favor and check out a video called "Me Singing and Dancing to 'You and I' by Lady Gaga". It's a hefty little kid performing in his kitchen . . . and he uses a banana as a microphone. --The thing is, he's actually GOOD. But he's gotta know that posting something like this online is like an open invitation for bullies. --He doesn't seem to care though, because he's got another video galled "Greatest Hits: The Megamix", where he does the same thing with a bunch of other Gaga songs.
#3.) The "No No No No" Cat Is the Newest Viral Video Phenomenon:
There's a video racking up views online called "NoNoNoNo Cat" . . . and this cat has the weirdest meow you've ever heard. It sounds like a person saying the word "no" over and over again in a loud, high-pitched voice. --It's already inspired a bunch of other videos too: There's an Auto-Tuned version, a hip-hop version, and a "Star Wars" version where Vader makes the "no no" sound when he saves Luke from the Emperor. --And someone even combined it with the video of the deaf girl breaking down when she hears her own voice for the first time.
#4.) A Guy Didn't Clean Up After His Dog . . . So Someone Else Did, Then Smeared It On His Shirt:
Maybe this was staged, but I sure hope not: There's a video on Break.com of some guy with a helmet cam walking through a park with rubber gloves on. --And when some guy decides not to clean up after his dog, the guy with the camera does it for him . . . then SMEARS IT ON THE GUY'S SHIRT. --The guy with the helmet cam immediately takes off and starts giggling. And the other guy . . . and his dog . . . chase after him. (--Search for "Man Takes Revenge on Dog Owner.")
The Top Five Tips for Online Job Interviews:
Since most computers come with webcams now, more companies are doing interviews over the web instead of in person. --It's faster and a lot cheaper than flying someone in from out of town, so it makes sense. But being great at face-to-face interviews doesn't necessarily mean you'll be great in an ONLINE interview. --So after you make sure your camera works, here are the five most important tips you need to know.
#1.) Use a Professional Username. If you're interviewing over Skype, and your handle is "BeerLover" or "HotChick85," create a new account just for interviews. Ideally, it should be your full name.
#2.) Dress Up. Online interviews seem more casual, which makes some people think they can DRESS casually. But odds are, the person you're talking to WILL be dressed up. So wear the same thing you'd wear to a regular interview.
#3.) Think About What's in the Background. You won't look very professional if they can see an unmade bed or sports posters all over the wall. But a white wall isn't good either, because it's too empty. --Instead, it should be something like a bookshelf, so you kind of LOOK like you're in an office. But make sure the books make you look professional too. You obviously don't want a book on the Kama Sutra in the background the whole time.
#4.) Keep Your Pets Out of the Room. It's just kind of weird if your cat jumps on your lap in the middle of the interview. --So lock your pets AND your kids out. And make sure the TV's not blaring in the next room.
#5.) Pick a Good Camera Angle. If you're at a desk, the camera might be below your face, which is the worst possible angle you can choose. --It's best if you're looking straight into it. So if you have a laptop with a built-in camera, put a few books under it until the camera's at eye level. --And also think about the lighting. If you're in front of a bright window, your face might be too dark to see. Or, if you're only using a desk lamp, it might create dark shadows. --So do a test run and check out the lighting BEFORE your interview starts. In general, the more lights you turn on, the better. (Excelle.com)
posted by Nazzy @ 6:06 AM
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