HOLLYWOOD DIRT OVERFLOW (10-26-11)
Did Dina Lohan Confirm That Lindsay Posed for "Playboy"?
The website X-17 Online claims that DINA LOHAN confirmed to them that LINDSAY posed for "Playboy". And she told them, quote, "The photo shoot went well." (--The website does not have a quote from Dina specifically stating that the shoot was for "Playboy", which is why I'm not willing to say that Dina DEFINITELY told them that it was.) --Meanwhile, TILA TEQUILA says she wants to BOX Lindsay . . . quote, "It would be fun to box Lindsay Lohan. Two Hollywood bad girls . . . can't go wrong with that one!" She added, quote, "Then we can kiss and make up or make out afterwards."
Tony Romo's Wife is Pregnant:
Check this out: TONY ROMO CAN hit an intended target. His wife Candice Crawford is PREGNANT. --He announced it during an anti-drug rally at a high school near Dallas. A student asked him if he had any kids and he said, quote, "Um, no, I don't have any kids. I actually have one on the way. My wife is pregnant." --Candice is the sister of "Gossip Girl" stud CHACE CRAWFORD. Tony started dating her shortly after breaking up with JESSICA SIMPSON. Tony has also fornicated with CARRIE UNDERWOOD and SOPHIA BUSH.
Jessica Simpson's Feet Were Too Short to Reach the Floor While She Was Sitting on a Toilet . . . So She Took a Picture of It:
This is kind of funny, a little bit unsettling and oddly sexy all at the same time: JESSICA SIMPSON was at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in New York City on Monday, when the urge to void overtook her. So she hit the can. --But Jessica is only about 5-foot-3, and the toilet there was a little high . . . which left her feet dangling. And so, of course, she had to share a picture with us. Unfortunately for you bathroom fetishists, the picture only shows her legs and feet. (--Here it is. It's not clear if she took this herself in a mirror, or if someone else snapped it. Jessica was in New York with her mom and her sister Ashlee.) (Lockerz)
Jennifer Aniston Is Not Engaged or Pregnant . . . But She Did Gain Weight Because She Quit Smoking:
JENNIFER ANISTON would like you to know that she is neither engaged to boyfriend JUSTIN THEROUX nor pregnant by him. She DID put on a few pounds, but it's a FOOD BABY. She acquired it because she recently quit smoking. --Jennifer told "Hello!" magazine, quote, "Rumor number one: I am not planning to get married any time soon. I've been married once, and I don't know if I'll get married again. --"But I can tell you that as of this very moment, I have no plan to get married. Got that? --"And rumor Number two: no, we're not pregnant. It's just I quit smoking, so I've gained a couple of pounds."
Denise Richards is Talking About Her Boobs Again:
Over the summer, DENISE RICHARDS expressed regret over getting breast implants. And she's at it again. --In a blog at iVillage.com, she writes, quote, "At 19 when I first got my breasts done, I wish that I was confident enough with my body to not have had surgery. --"That is something that I really want to encourage in my daughters, to embrace their healthy body and have confidence. I actually feel more confident in my skin now than in my 20's. Being confident is one of the sexiest qualities a woman can exude." (--You can read her entire post here.)
Rihanna Spent $1,500 at a Paris Sex Shop:
RIHANNA was in Paris last week . . . and according to the not-always-reliable British tabloids, she spent $1,500 at a SEX SHOP called Lovestore. --Her purchases included sexy panties and other lingerie, toys, leather handcuffs and scented candles. --A source says, quote, "She knew exactly what she was after and didn't want any assistance picking out items. A blacked-out car parked on the pavement right outside the shop . . . There was no dithering. --"She was grinning from ear to ear and seemed to be in a hurry to get back to her hotel." (--Here's a picture of Rihanna leaving the shop with a naughty picture book called "Omahyra & Boyd", by photographer Ellen von Unwerth.)
Andy Rooney Has Been Hospitalized with "Serious Complications" from Surgery:
ANDY ROONEY . . . who just retired from "60 Minutes" this month after 33 years on the job . . . has been hospitalized with "serious complications" from a minor surgery he underwent last week. --There's no word what kind of surgery it was or what the complications were. At the request of his family, no further information has been released. Andy is 92 years old.
Jay Leno Joked that He Wanted to See an Accident at a Bike Rally He Was About to Take Part In . . . Then Two Bikers Died During the Ride:
JAY LENO'S comedy has been disastrous before . . . but never THIS disastrous: Jay was at a motorcycle rally in Glendale, California Sunday called the Love Ride. And before the event, he joked about wanting to see some accidents. --He said, quote, "Every year, [the organizer] says, 'Drive safe.' I'm gonna say, 'Don't drive safe.' I wanna see somebody go down. So it'll be fun. I want it to be in front or behind me and see a whole row of bikes go down. --"Get drunk, fall off the road. We've all become too damn polite . . . we haven't had one incident." --So guess what happened during the ride? There was an accident . . . and TWO BIKERS DIED. --It happened about an hour in, when a guy and a girl on a bike crashed into a semi on the Golden State Freeway. The rig's rear tires ran over them, and they were pronounced dead at the scene. --That wasn't even the only accident. An associate of Jay's actually got clipped from the side and crashed. He had to be rushed to the hospital, and Jay abandoned the ride to go with him. --No comment yet from Jay.
Shia LaBeouf's Dad is a Registered Sex Offender Thanks to an Attempted Rape 30 Years Ago:
We often call SHIA LABEOUF the King of the Small-Time Criminals . . . because he gets arrested for petty things like smoking on a public sidewalk where lighting up is banned and loitering drunkenly in a Walgreen's. --But it turns out Shia's dad is a BIG-TIME criminal. Jeffrey Craig LaBeouf did time from 1981 to 1983 due to ATTEMPTED RAPE. And because of that, he's a registered sex offender to this day. (--Here's his mugshot.) (Radar Online) --According to RadarOnline.com, Jeffrey faced additional legal troubles around that time. In apparently separate cases, he was charged with kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon. --But Radar says, quote, "the legal outcomes of these charges are unknown." --More recently, Jeffrey was accused of sexual harassment on the set of Shia's first major gig, the Disney Channel show "Even Stevens". He also once attacked a gay Disney exec who tried to give him a congratulatory hug. --Shia has claimed in interviews that his father was physically and verbally abusive . . . and once held a gun to his head during a Vietnam flashback.
Robert Pattinson is Reluctant to Launch a Music Career . . . Because He Knows People Hate it When Actors Do That:
You can officially mark ROBERT PATTINSON down as someone who GETS IT. --Robert loves music. He even contributed songs to the first "Twilight" movie and another flick he was in called "How to Be". But he's reluctant to launch a music career, because he knows how people feel about that. --He says, quote, "I'm always playing and recording but I don't know. People hate when actors become musicians so I've been avoiding it for the longest possible [time]. (--The funny thing is, a lot of celebrities have been practicing MULTIPLE art forms all their lives. And doing more than one comes completely natural to them.) (--Like Billy Bob Thornton . . . who HATES the fact that people won't take him seriously as a musician just because THEY knew him as an actor first . . . even though music as just as important to him.) (--But that's the problem. Actors get stuck as actors in the public's eye. And when they try to cross over, people rarely buy it.) (--It's funny, though, that it doesn't seem to work in reverse. Singers get to be actors whenever they feel like it. For example, Will Smith and Justin Timberlake were known exclusively as musicians before they started acting . . . and look at them now.)
THE TOP-EARNING DEAD CELEBRITIES
Michael Jackson is the Top-Earning Dead Celebrity . . . And Let's All Welcome Elizabeth Taylor to the List:
Forbes.com has released its annual list of the Top-Earning Dead Celebrities. MICHAEL JACKSON cleaned house, earning $170 million since last October. (--On the music landscape, Michael also out-earned most LIVING pop acts. Only U2 made more than him over the past year.) --That's a HUGE drop from the $275 million Michael made the year before, but it's still a monster haul. --ELVIS PRESLEY finished a distant second to Michael, with $55 million. And while that's more than three times LESS than Michael earned, let's not forget he's been gone for 34 years. --Elvis' estate got a boost from "Viva" . . . a Cirque du Soleil show based on his music. (--The Michael Jackson Cirque show just headed out on tour this month . . . so expect big numbers for Michael again next year.) --Making the list in her first year of eligibility is ELIZABETH TAYLOR, who passed away in March at the age of 79. She tied JOHN LENNON for fifth place with $12 million. The bulk of Liz's money still comes from her White Diamonds perfume.
#1.) Michael Jackson, $170 million
#2.) Elvis Presley, $55 million
#3.) Marilyn Monroe, $27 million
#4.) "Peanuts" creator Charles M. Schulz, $25 million
#5.) (tie) Elizabeth Taylor and John Lennon, $12 million
#7.) Albert Einstein, $10 million
#8.) Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel, $9 million
#9.) (tie) Jimi Hendrix, Steve McQueen, songwriter Richard Rodgers and author Stieg Larsson, $7 million
(--Rodgers was one-half of the legendary songwriting duo Rodgers & Hammerstein.)
(--Larsson wrote "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" and its two sequels. They've already been made into movies in his native Sweden. The first film in the American version of the trilogy comes out in December. The books weren't even published until AFTER Larsson died in 2004 . . . which kind of sucks for him.)
#13.) (tie) George Harrison, Andy Warhol and pinup model Bettie Page, $6 million
(--This year, Forbes gave us 15 dead celebs, instead of the usual, oh-so-scary 13. Check out all their coverage and see the list in annoying slideshow format here.) (--They also released a separate list of "near misses" for the dead celebrities who earned just under $6 million. That's where you'll find Kurt Cobain, Tupac Shakur, and Amy Winehouse. That slideshow is here.)
Olivia Wilde Will NOT Play Porno Star Linda Lovelace:
TRAGIC news to report this morning: OLIVIA WILDE will NOT play "Deep Throat" star LINDA LOVELACE in a movie. -She was asked about it at some event the other night and she said, quote, "I'm not doing that one, no." --Olivia had said over the summer that she was considering the film, and that it would be an HONOR to play Linda. There's no word why it's not happening. --There's talk that KATE HUDSON is in the running for the part, and JAMES FRANCO might appear in the movie as well --There are actually TWO Linda Lovelace flicks in the works right now. There's this one . . . and another one that's farther along called "Inferno".) --That's the one that LINDSAY LOHAN was supposed to star in before the producers decided not to take on the risk of hiring her. MALIN AKERMAN from "Watchmen" now has the part.) (--MATT DILLON is playing her scummy husband and manager, Chuck Traynor.)
CHAZ WATCH
THE DREAM IS OVER!!! CHAZ HAS BEEN ELIMINATED!!!
There will be RIOTS throughout the land. And they will be the most color-coordinated riots this country has ever seen! --That's because the LGBT community will take to the streets to protest CHAZ BONO'S elimination last night from "Dancing With the Stars". --Yes, it happened. The transgender dream is OVER. Sure, Chaz had his fans, but in the end, they weren't enough to make up for the fact that he's a TERRIBLE DANCER. --He took it in stride, though. He said, quote, "This was an amazing journey that really pushed me and showed me that I could do so much more than I ever thought I could." --He added, quote, "I came on this show because I wanted to show America a different kind of man. I dedicate everything I did to all the people out there like me, especially the kids and teens who are struggling. --"You can have a wonderful, great life and be successful and happy." --Going into last night's show, Chaz was actually getting FED UP with being compared to different animals by the judges. --On Monday's show, judge BRUNO TONIOLI compared Chaz to a PENGUIN. He vented about that immediately after it happened . . . although the video wasn't shown until LAST NIGHT. --But Chaz really went off. He said, quote, "If you're an overweight woman in this competition losing weight, they love you. If you're an overweight guy trying to do this competition and getting in shape, they penalize you for it, call you a penguin. --"Bruno [effing] makes comments about me being cute and cuddly . . . and an Ewok with the Princess Leia . . . like I'm some fat troll dancing with this beautiful woman every week and I'm sick of it." (--You can see video here. It's the second clip on the page. The first video is Maksim Chmerkovskiy apologizing for his Monday night outburst. But he did NOT apologize for talking back to judge Len Goodman.) (--What he apologized for was saying that "Dancing With the Stars" was HIS show. He said, quote, "I'm part of a very large cast and I'm very proud of being here.") --The "beautiful woman" Chaz referred to is his partner, LACEY SCHWIMMER . . . who was equally bothered. On Monday, she told "People" magazine, quote, "It's rude and unnecessary, and as his friend I'm embarrassed. --"We are both anti-bullying . . . It's rude and it's going back on everything that people are trying to fix."
President Obama Says He'll Start Paying Attention to the Republican Debates When "Everybody Is Voted Off the Island":
PRESIDENT OBAMA was on "The Tonight Show" last night. It was his fourth appearance overall . . . and his second since taking office in March of 2009. (--When he became the first sitting president ever to appear on a late night talk show.) --Here are a few semi-interesting quotes from the interview: --First off, Obama said he isn't really following the Republican debates. (--Although apparently he HAS been watching "Survivor".) --He explained, quote, "I'm going to wait until everybody is voted off the island . . . once they narrow it down to one or two, I'll start paying attention." --And in a softball portion of the interview, Obama talked about how he expected the White House to be egged this Halloween. --He said, quote, "Halloween is coming up. [Michelle has] been giving . . . for the last few years . . . the kids fruit and raisins in the bag. --"And I said, 'The White House is going to get egged if this keeps up. We need to throw some candy in there. A couple Reese's Pieces or something.'" (--You can find videos at NBC.com. Here's Jay welcoming Obama . . . here's Obama's Halloween quote . . . here's Obama on Iraq . . . here's Obama talking about Gaddafi . . . and here's Obama talking about the Republican debates.)
MTV Is Doing an "Occupy Wall Street" Episode of "True Life":
Occupy Wall Street has become a phenomenon . . . on MTV. --MTV has announced that they're doing an Occupy Wall Street episode of their documentary series "True Life". It'll air on November 5th. --According to a press release, the episode will follow "a prominent member of the movement . . . and two college students involved in the protests." (--You can find a five-minute preview at MTV.com.) --Recently, we heard that MTV was casting Occupy Wall Street protesters for an upcoming season of "The Real World". As far as we know, that's still happening . . . this is something separate.
AMC Has Renewed "The Walking Dead" for a Third Season:
AMC has announced that "The Walking Dead" has been picked up for a third season. That isn't all that surprising, since the first two episodes of the second season have attracted huge audiences. --The premiere had 7.3 million viewers . . . and 6.7 million watched this past Sunday. That makes it the top rated cable show, after football. By comparison, "Jersey Shore" pulled in about 6.5 million viewers for those two weeks. --The third season of "The Walking Dead" probably wouldn't begin until next fall at the earliest, because the second season is being split in half. The show will go on hiatus for two months after the November 27th episode . . . before returning on February 12th.
The "Two and a Half Men" Ratings Slide Is Over . . . For Now:
After the new season of "Two and a Half Men" premiered to 28.7 million viewers . . . the following four episodes lost viewers each week. The second, third, fourth and fifth episodes had 20.5 million, 17.7 million, 16.2 million and 15.1 million viewers, respectively. --But the ratings slide is OVER . . . for now. Monday's episode bounced back with 15.3 million viewers to keep "Two and a Half Men" as the highest rated sitcom on TV. It's still ahead of "The Big Bang Theory" by about 400,000 viewers. (--Again, it should be noted that "Two and a Half Men" has yet to drop to last season's average, which was 14.2 million viewers.) (--By the way, if you missed Monday's episode ASHTON KUTCHER and JON CRYER shared a MAN KISS when they realize they'd been hitting on lesbians. After the kiss, Jon's character said, quote, "We're here, we're queer, get used to it." You can find video on AOL TV, here.)
Check Out an Unaired "SNL" Skit on Steve Jobs' Death:
An unaired "Saturday Night Live" sketch on STEVE JOBS' death has surfaced online. It was supposed to air on the October 15th episode . . . but it didn't make the cut, for whatever reason. --The skit mocks companies like Facebook and Netflix . . . by having their CEOs compare how awesome Steve Jobs is, to how poorly they run their companies. Obviously, the "SNL" cast is impersonating those CEOs. (--You can find it on Hulu.) (--Meanwhile, the "L.A. Times" is reporting that "Social Network" writer AARON SORKIN may be hired to write a movie on Steve Jobs. But it's just talk for now.)
Snooki Claims "Snooki" Is Just Her "Alter Ego":
SNOOKI has a message for us: She's actually a completely mature person named NICOLE POLIZZI . . . and "Snooki" is just a character she plays. Riiiiiight. --In an interview on the "Today" show, she said, quote, "You see more of the party side of me, which I call Snooki, my alter ego . . . right now, you're talking to Nicole, the soft, calm, business-ready person." --And she claims she is well aware that Snooki is NOT safe for children. --She explained, quote, "Snooki's definitely not a role model. Snooki's just there to have fun and just live her life. Nicole, I would say, could be a role model . . . I'm very strong and independent. I'm just lovable, I guess." (--You can find video on the "Today" show's website, here.)
"Dancing with the Stars" and "X Factor" Are Fighting . . . Over the Use of Backstage Restrooms?
"Dancing with the Stars" and "The X Factor" share the same studio space . . . and apparently, they're fighting over the use of backstage restrooms. (???) --It's unclear how this got started, but "The X Factor" recently 'marked their territory' by putting an "X Factor" sign on the restroom door. --Then, someone from "Dancing with the Stars" responded by posting this note on the door: Quote, "These restrooms are for everyone. If you have a problem with that, come see me. I'm on stage 46. Just ask for Rob. I'm the 6'3" black man." --An "X Factor" spokeswoman tells the "New York Post", quote, "Please tell Rob he's welcome to use our restrooms anytime!"
Wednesday TV Reminders:
--"World Series: Game 6" . . . 8:00 to 11:00 P.M. Eastern on Fox. The St Louis Cardinals host the Texas Rangers at Busch Stadium in Saint Louis. Texas leads the series, 3-2, going into tonight's game.
--"Suburgatory" . . . 8:30 to 9:00 P.M. on ABC. Jay Mohr guest stars as Dallas' frequently traveling husband Steven Royce.
--"America's Next Top Model" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on the CW. Kathy Griffin is your guest judge.
--"Ghost Hunters" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Syfy. Meredith Vieira helps track down ghosts when the team investigates Sailors' Snug Harbor.
--"Psych" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on USA. Corey Feldman and Kristy Swanson guest star when Shawn and Gus go vampire hunting. Corey was in the vampire movie "The Lost Boys" and Kristy was the original "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".
--"True Hollywood Story: Kara DioGuardi" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on E!
--"Top Chef: Just Desserts" [2nd Season Finale] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on Bravo.
--"Nick Swardson's Pretend Time" . . . 10:30 to 11:00 P.M. on Comedy Central. Laura Silverman and Steve Agee guest star.
Steven Tyler Knocked Out Some Teeth After Slipping and Falling in the Shower:
AEROSMITH was forced to cancel a gig in Paraguay last night for a familiar reason: STEVEN TYLER suffered yet another fall. (--Two years ago, he broke his shoulder after falling off the stage during a concert in South Dakota.) --But this time, he didn't fall off the stage. Instead, Steven slipped and fell while showering at the hotel where he was staying. According to reports, he busted his face . . . and lost two of his teeth. --Steven spent four hours at a local hospital where he received stitches and had emergency dental work done. He has since been released, and Aerosmith plans to make up the show TONIGHT. --His rep says the injuries were "minor" . . . and that Steven would like to, quote, "sincerely apologize" for any inconvenience this may have caused his fans. --Now, Steven is 63 years old . . . and has a history of losing his balance . . . but supposedly there's more to it than that. --So-called "sources close to Steven" say he was dehydrated at the time of the fall, because he was suffering from FOOD POISONING. (--I have no idea what Steven ate or drank that messed him up, but here's a friendly travel advisory for you: You CANNOT drink the water in Paraguay. Oh, and just for fun, here's an old picture of Steven falling in the ocean.)
Kevin Richardson May Rejoin the Backstreet Boys:
It's easy to consider KEVIN RICHARDSON the COOLEST member of the BACKSTREET BOYS. Why? He's no longer in the group. --It's nothing against the Backstreet Boys. It's just that he left in 2006 . . . when he was 34 years old . . . recognizing that he was too freakin' old to be scampering around onstage with a BOY BAND. --Well, unfortunately Kevin appears to be cashing in his cool chips. He's 40 now . . . and apparently he's going through a pretty rough mid-life crisis . . . because it sounds like he's close to rejoining the group. --Kevin has confirmed that he'll join the Backstreet Boys at a special concert in the Bahamas on December 3rd. The show is part of the group's second annual cruise, which runs from December 2nd through the 5th. (--For more info on the cruise, hit up BackstreetBoysCruise.com.) --And it might NOT be a one-time thing. Yesterday, Kevin told RYAN SEACREST, quote, "I would never say that [a reunion] would never happen. I would love to perform with them again on a more regular basis. --"Our chemistry when we come together just feels like old times." (--By the way, Backstreet Boy HOWIE DOROUGH is opening for BRITNEY SPEARS on the South American leg of her tour next month. He has a solo album coming out November 15th called "Back to Me".) (--Hey Howie, friendly South American travel advisory: Don't drink the water.)
The Black Keys Reveal Their Disdain for MTV and the Black Eyed Peas . . . While Discussing a Typo on Their "VMA" Trophy:
Last year, the "MTV Video Music Awards" gave the "Breakthrough Video" award to the BLACK KEYS for their "Tighten Up" video. (--It's available on YouTube.) -When the Black Keys got the trophy, it had a typo on the inscription that confused them with the BLACK EYED PEAS. --The Black Keys were discussing the incident recently, and that led to them taking some jabs at MTV, and the Black Eyed Peas. --Singer DAN AUERBACH tells "GQ", quote, "We were on tour and our manager sent us a picture of the award and the plaque read, you know, 'The Black Eyed Peas -- 'Tighten Up'. Breakthrough Video.' --"I was just like, Wow. A channel that's never respected us, or played us, to [eff] us like that? It's kind of awesome. --"We figured that we should get proper ones made with our names on it . . . because in 20 years, nobody's going to know who the Black Eyed Peas are. --"We'd have this stupid award with 'Black Eyed Peas' on it and nobody's going to get the joke. So we decided to get our own award. But they made us send [the ones with the typo] back before they would give us proper ones." (--Here's a picture of the award typo.) (Spinner)
50 Cent Wrote a Book on Bullying . . . Because He Was a Bully, and He Now Realizes That Was Wrong:
50 CENT'S anti-bullying novel "Playground: The Mostly True Story of a Former Bully" hits stores next Tuesday. --In an interview with the "Today" show, 50 said, quote, "My son is 15 years old right now, [so] it's a relevant issue for me . . . I had more experiences where I was part of the problem. --"To now have an adult's [perspective], I can [look back] and say 'that's wrong.'" (--You can find video on the "Today" show's website, here.)
WEDNESDAY'S SHOWBIZ EXTRAS
Showbiz Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:
Here's what happened yesterday in DR. CONRAD MURRAY'S manslaughter trial. (Update)
Spirit Halloween stores are selling out of their CHARLIE SHEEN costumes. (Full Story)
Remember when TARA REID allegedly got engaged and married to a guy within 24 hours in Greece? Well, she now admits that they were, quote, "never really married." (Video)
KALEY CUOCO from "The Big Bang Theory" is engaged. (Full Story)
DEMI LOVATO got her nose pierced. (Photo)
JASON ALEXANDER is in the Middle East, helping to bring Israel and the Palestinians together once and for all. (Full Story)
MICHAEL DOUGLAS guest-starred on ALEC BALDWIN'S first podcast. They talked about Michael's throat cancer and his druggie son. (Full Story)
Here's a list of 20 movies you probably didn't know are being remade. (Full Story)
If there's anyone out there desperate for a SUSAN BOYLE fix . . . man, I feel you . . . and so does TLC. They're going to air a documentary special called "Susan Boyle: An Unlikely Superstar" on Sunday, November 6th. (Full Story)
RANDOM STUFF
21% of People Would Accept an "Indecent Proposal" Offer and Sell Their Partner for a Million . . . or Less:
We see stories on a daily basis about the crazy fallout from the recession and the state of the economy. But this JUST might be THE craziest one of all. -A survey out of England asked people if they'd be willing to take a deal like in the movie "Indecent Proposal". --If you don't remember, that's the movie where Robert Redford offers Woody Harrelson $1 MILLION to sleep with his wife, Demi Moore. Spoiler alert: They take the deal, it destroys their relationship, and they reconcile in the end. --Only in the study, the switch had to be PERMANENT. And believe it or not, 21% of people . . . that's one in five . . . say they'd take the deal. Pay me one million in cash, and you can have my husband, wife, boyfriend, or girlfriend --The gender breakdown: 24% of men and 19% of women were willing to take the deal. --Since it's a British study, they made it a million POUNDS. That's $1.6 million to sell your significant other. Although I'm not sure that makes it any better. --The survey also found that some people would do it for a lot LESS than a million. 20% of men and 14% of women would sell their partner for HALF a million British pounds, which is $800,000. --And 14% of men and 9% of women would do it for a TENTH of a million British pounds. So that's $160,000 to sell your significant other . . . PERMANENTLY.
(NewsInsurances.co.uk)
63% of People Have Had Someone Cheat on Them . . . and 42% of People Have Taken a Cheater Back:
Thinking about having an affair? Good news: You have a surprisingly decent chance that your significant other will take you back once they inevitably find out. But . . . um . . . even so, you really shouldn't cheat. --According to a survey, these are the latest numbers on cheating. And they show some pretty bad trends. . . .
#1.) Tons of people are cheating. Shockingly, 47% of people . . . or almost HALF . . . admit they've cheated on a partner.
#2.) A decent amount of cheaters are getting away with it. 63% of cheaters have been caught . . . meaning you have almost a two-in-three chance of being nailed, but more than a one-in-three chance of getting away with it.
#3.) 42% of the people surveyed said they've taken back someone who cheated on them. That means you've got about a TWO-IN-FIVE CHANCE of being forgiven for an affair.
--30% of people said they would actually give their partner PERMISSION to cheat on them with a celebrity.
--Of the cheaters, 25% say DRUNKENNESS was their primary motivation . . . and 20% say they were getting REVENGE on their partner for cheating on them.
(Daily Mail)
Should We Move Halloween From October 31st to the Last Saturday of the Month?
I never knew I cared so much about Halloween until I heard THIS, and my reaction was, "We'll move the date of Halloween over my dead body." --Tim Larson is a Democrat in Connecticut's House of Representatives. And he wants his state . . . and hopefully the whole country . . . to change the date of Halloween. --Instead of October 31st, it would be the last Saturday in October. That would make it similar to Thanksgiving, which isn't celebrated on a specific date . . . it's always the fourth Thursday in November. --Larson says his proposal would just make Halloween EASIER for everyone. --Quote, "Halloween is [a] fun night for the whole family, but not so much when you have to race home from work, get the kids ready for trick-or-treating, welcome the neighborhood children, then get everyone to bed for an early morning." --As these things always go, his Republican colleagues immediately cited it as an example of the government trying to interfere in people's lives. (Hartford Courant)
No One Wants to Have a Baby on Halloween:
Here's a random finding from a study out of Yale University. Researchers there found that people don't want to have babies on Halloween. --The study found that the odds of a baby being born on Halloween versus the two weeks before and after go DOWN 11.3%. There are 16.9% fewer C-sections, 18.7% fewer induced births, and 5.3% fewer spontaneous births. --That's right . . . women SO BADLY don't want Halloween babies that they seem to be able to do a "mind over body" thing where they force their bodies NOT to go into labor on October 31st. --The study also found that the OPPOSITE happens around Valentine's Day. Births go UP 5% compared to the two weeks before and after. --The researchers think it could be because people subconsciously have a more negative association with a "darker" holiday like Halloween . . . and a positive association with a happier holiday like Valentine's Day. (LiveScience)
Here are the Six Most Germ-Covered Surfaces We Touch Every Day:
I'd go ahead and buy stock in Purell right now . . . because when you hear this you're gonna want to run out and buy a year's supply of hand sanitizer. --In a new study, researchers found the six most germ-covered surfaces we touch almost every day. And the scary part is . . . most of the time we touch them without even thinking about it, so we probably don't wash our hands afterwards.
--The researchers swabbed surfaces in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, and L.A., looking for high concentrations of bacteria, mold, and dirt . . . which could spread the flu, or worse. Here are the most germ-infested spots . . .
--71% of gas pump handles had high concentrations of germs.
--68% of public mailbox handles.
--43% of escalator rails.
--40% of parking meters and parking kiosks.
--35% of crosswalk buttons.
--And 35% of vending machine buttons.
(ABC News)
Wearing High Heels Increases Your Chances of Falling by 40%:
SHOCKING NEWS: Walking around on shoes that are the equivalent of stilts increases your chance of falling over. --According to a new study by a shoe company called MBT, people who wear high heels over three inches have a 40% higher chance of falling and being injured than people wearing shorter heels or no heels. --They also found that wearing heels puts seven times the pressure on the ball of your foot. (New York Magazine)
Burger King is Offering All-You-Can-Eat Whoppers . . . in Japan:
Hate to tease you like this. But you've got to know. You've got to know. --Burger King is about to offer ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT WHOPPERS. You pay $11, and you get to pack yourself with as many Whoppers as you can for 30 minutes. --And now, the real kick-in-the-groin . . . they're not offering it in the U.S. They're too business savvy for that. For now, they're only offering it at Burger Kings in one of the world's LEAST chubby countries . . . Japan. --They're going to test the all-you-can-eat Whoppers for two weeks in Japan. But if it goes well, maybe there's a chance it'll make its way to us. (The Consumerist)
Would You Want to Eat Caesar Salad-Flavored Cotton Candy?
The people who created this are REALLY confused. Americans don't want our candy to taste like SALAD . . . we want our salad to taste like candy. Come on. --The staff at the Houston Marriott at Hobby in Houston, Texas have created . . . wait for it . . . CAESAR SALAD-FLAVORED COTTON CANDY. --Apparently in Houston there's a Caesar salad competition every year, where different local restaurants try to create new innovative recipes. And the Houston Marriott's was definitely innovative. --They used a heart of romaine lettuce for the stick, then swirled it with pink cotton candy floss that contained shreds of Parmesan cheese and black pepper. There wasn't any dressing involved. --It's not clear what they made the cotton candy out of . . . whether it was the usual sugary recipe or not . . . because all the judges in the competition said the creation tasted NOTHING like cotton candy and exactly like Caesar salad. --Unfortunately, the cotton candy guys didn't win. Even though it was creative, the judges found that without dressing, the whole thing was a little dry.--The winner of the competition was a much more generic take on Caesar salad . . . a crostini with lettuce, cheese dressing, and a poached egg on top. (Houston Press)
More Than 800 Different Foods Claim to be "Artisan" . . . But it Means Absolutely Nothing:
In the real world, an artisan is a skilled craftsman who makes things by hand. In the advertising world, the word "artisan" has no real meaning. --Terms like "sugar-free", "organic" and "low-fat" have strict guidelines a product needs to meet in order to use them on the label. But not "artisan". --Which is why the number of products claiming to be "artisan" has supposedly exploded in recent years. --According to the market-research company Datamonitor, more than 800 products have released artisan versions in the last five years. 200 came out last year alone. --The list of companies offering artisan products includes Domino's, who seems to define the word as square-shaped and two dollars more expensive than regular pizza. They also have the employee that made the pizza sign the box. --Tostitos Artisan Chips have sold so well that Frito Lay is planning to expand the line and offer artisan varieties of other chips. --Fannie May, which is a candy company owned by 1-800-FLOWERS, has artisan chocolates that are supposedly hand-painted. They cost $2 each. --The candy has sold so well that 1-800-FLOWERS is also planning to expand and offer an artisan variety of . . . popcorn. (USA Today)
Luxury Car Companies Are Planning New Features for Obese Drivers . . . and Calling It "Plump My Ride":
As Americans lead the way in becoming more and more deliciously candy-coated, car companies have had to make changes as customers get bigger and heavier. --The average family car is more than a foot wider than previous generations, so people fit more comfortably . . . and Honda seats have expanded by 2 inches each. But luxury car makers have an even bigger problem. --Mercedes and BMW sell themselves on a high-quality driving experience. So just giving the driver room to fit isn't good enough. --BMW has started a program to plan for heavier drivers, which they've tastefully nicknamed "Plump My Rde." Their head of ergonomics is Ralf Kaiser, who put the problem diplomatically. Quote: "In general, these are not sporty people." --Some changes have already been implemented by luxury cars. Mercedes provides stronger, sturdier door handles, so that heavy drivers won't break them by leaning on them to get in and out of the car. --BMW says that one of the reasons they introduced that monitor that helps you when you're backing up, is because obese drivers don't have the range of motion required to look over their shoulder while driving in reverse. \ --And Porsche has a special steering column that automatically rises up when the engine is turned off, giving a heavier driver more room to exit the vehicle. (Telegraph)
A Man Went House-to-House Exposing Himself . . . and Ended up at the Chief of Police's House:
On Sunday morning, a 22-year-old idiot named Brody Hall from Corry, Pennsylvania was drunk and going door-to-door . . . EXPOSING HIMSELF. --He'd ring the doorbell and when someone answered, they'd find Brody standing there, junk hanging out. --Fortunately for the people of Corry, this didn't last long. Because after going to just a few houses, he rang the doorbell of a house that happened to be the home of the CHIEF OF POLICE. --The chief is named Rich Shopene. When he answered the door, he saw Brody standing there naked. Brody told Rich to let him inside because he was going to, quote, "scare the children." --Rich told him he was under arrest. When Brody tried to push past him, Rich wrestled him to the floor. --Brody is facing charges of burglary, criminal trespass, indecent exposure, simple assault, terroristic threats, disorderly conduct, and public drunkenness . . . basically, every charge they could POSSIBLY think of. (Erie Times-News)
The U.S. is Number One . . . in Child Abuse:
Yeah, this stuff sucks. But it's stuff you should know: --According to UNICEF, the U.S. is number one . . . in child abuse. 27 children under age 15 die from abuse and neglect a week. That's about four children a day. --That's a rate of 2.4 per 100,000 children . . . compared to a rate of 1.4 for France, 1 per 100,000 for Japan, and 0.9 per 100,000 children for the UK. --According to the advocacy group Every Child Matters, it might be as high as SEVEN per day . . . or 49 per week.-Over the past decade, more than 20,000 American children are believed to have been killed in their own homes by family members. That's nearly FOUR TIMES the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. --According to the Department of Justice, of all children under the age of five who were murdered between 1976 and 2005, two-thirds were killed by their parents: 31% were killed by fathers, and 29% were killed by mothers. --In other words, it's not necessarily lack of child care, poverty, or teen pregnancy that's hurting America's children the most. It's ABUSIVE MOTHERS AND FATHERS. (Discovery)
RANDOM NEWS EXTRAS
Random News Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:
The NCAA released their graduation rates for student athletes . . . and they're at an all-time high, with 82% of athletes graduating. That's 2% HIGHER than the regular student body. (Full Story)
Prevent burglaries with 'Fake TV' . . . a device that produces a glow in your windows similar to the light of the TV, but uses less energy than leaving the set on. (Full Story)
The U.S. is going to start charging a $5.50 entry fee at the Canadian and Mexican borders. Obviously, it's to raise money to improve border security. (Full Story)
Sad Photo of the Day: One of those New York City carriage horses collapsed and died in the middle of the street on Sunday morning, on its way to Central Park to pull tourists around. (Full Story)
Women have fewer mentors at work . . . one in five women say they don't have one. (Full Story)
Not-So-Stupid News: A 23-year-old was shot to death in a gang attack in Chicago at his own surprise party, when a masked man entered and opened fire. (Full Story)
NAZZY’S VIDEOS OF THE DAY
#1.) A Guy Proposed to His Girlfriend Over the Airplane Intercom . . . on the Same Flight They Met on Two Years Ago:
A guy named Arvin Shandiz met his girlfriend Alexandra on a Delta flight between Chicago and New York two years ago. And with Delta's permission, he proposed to her over the intercom on that same route, two years later. --The video's on YouTube, and the passengers give him a round of applause when she says yes. (--Search for "Delta Airlines Engagement." She says yes at :53.) (--Maybe the passengers would have been more excited if the same thing hadn't ALREADY happened this year. Back in January, a guy proposed to his stewardess girlfriend on a flight between Lisbon and Barcelona.)
#2.) Here's Helmet Cam Footage of Firemen Putting Out a House Fire in Detroit:
If you wanted to be a firefighter as a kid and never got to, here's the next best thing: A filmmaker in Detroit made a three-minute short of a burning house using helmet cams on the firemen. --First, one of them walks onto the front porch while the whole house is on fire. Then it shows the point of view from a water cannon. And it also shows a few shots from inside. --It's from a full-length documentary called "Burn" that's set to premiere at festivals this spring. (--Search for "Burn Tom Putnam Helmet Cameras." The porch is at :45, and the water canon is at 1:18.)
#3.) A Guy Interrupted a CNN Report . . . and Dropped Two F-Bombs:
In case you missed it, a Howard Stern clown named Benjy Bronk interrupted a live CNN report about the Steve Jobs biography on Monday . . . and dropped two F-bombs while they hauled him off-camera. (--Jimmy Kimmel featured it Monday night.) --The reporter was on the street in New York, and Bronk stepped in front of the camera to tell people to vote for David Arquette, not Nancy Grace, on "Dancing with the Stars". --Then when someone pulled him out of frame, he screamed, quote, "What the [eff] are you doing, mother[effer]!" (--Search for "Dancing with the Stars Fan Forcefully Removed from CNN Broadcast." WARNING: This video include two F-bombs.)
#4.) Check Out Gary Busey in a Halloween Ad for a Kia Dealership in Houston:
For the past few months, GARY BUSEY has been doing ads for car dealerships in Pittsburgh and Houston. And they're all awesomely bad. --The newest one is a Halloween ad for a Kia dealership, where Busey makes a bad joke about witches and brooms, says the cars are "scared priceless" TWICE, then just goes nuts. (--Search for "Gary Busey Is Scared Priceless in Houston." Check out all the ads here. There are a few duplicates on the list.)
#5.) Here's a New Political Video from Herman Cain's Chief of Staff . . . with a Nice Long Shot of Him Sucking on a Cigarette:
There's a new political web video that looks like an "SNL" parody, but it's not. It's for Republican Presidential Candidate HERMAN CAIN, and it's just his Chief of Staff, Mark Block, talking about the road ahead. -Pretty simple, but it's kind of cinematic, with nice production values. But here's the part that's got everybody talking: Forty seconds in, Block stops talking, stares into the camera, and takes a nice long drag on a cigarette. Seriously. --It's great because they hold it for like, four seconds. He takes it in, then slowly blows out the smoke. And a cheesy song called "I Am America" plays in the background. Then the screen goes black, and it cuts to a corny image of Cain. --This is what the kids call an 'epic fail.' So the Cain campaign has been trying to explain WHY they released a video message with such a prominent shot of a prominent staff member smoking. --Block told Fox News, quote, "There was no subliminal message . . . I personally would encourage people not to smoke. It's just that I'm a smoker, and so a lot of the people on the staff said, 'Just let Block be Block.'" (--Search for "Now is the Time for Action".)
The Top Five Things Your I.T. Person Hasn't Told You:
If your computer guy at work treats you like a moron and never explains things, you're not alone. Here's a list from "Reader's Digest" of the top five things your I.T. person hasn't told you.
#1.) It's Easy to Cover Their Tracks When They Screw Up. For example, if they're moving all your email from one system to another and accidentally delete some of it . . . the last thing they'll do is admit they screwed up. --Instead, they'll just tell you one of the files got corrupted, because you probably won't know enough about it to argue.
#2.) If It's Something Simple, Google It. If you need help using a program you're not familiar with, Google is the best option. Just don't try to solve EVERY problem with Google. -If you're having general computer issues, ask the I.T. person to handle it so you don't screw things up more. Even if you CAN fix it yourself, they'll probably do it faster.
#3.) They Can't Make an Old Computer Fast Again. Hard drives spin 7,200 times per minute, so there's bound to be wear and tear. If your computer is four years old, they might figure out ways to make it a LITTLE faster. But not much. --When speed's an issue, the easiest fix is upgrading to a newer computer. But since that's not always in the budget, they'll try to convince you to be satisfied with whatever tiny speed boosts they can make.
#4.) They Prefer Being Emailed. For an I.T. person, it's more efficient than a phone call. Ideally, they want an email with a list of problems, so each one is documented and they can deal with them individually.
#5.) Clearing Your Cookies and Web History Doesn't Do Any Good. I.T. departments usually track everyone's Internet use. And even if you delete the history on YOUR computer, they can still see it on theirs. --That's because, in order to access any external sites, you still have to go through your company's local network, Cletus. --That's also how companies universally block sites like Facebook and YouTube. And sometimes when your boss wants to fire someone, they'll go to the I.T. department to dig up dirt. (Reader's Digest)
The website X-17 Online claims that DINA LOHAN confirmed to them that LINDSAY posed for "Playboy". And she told them, quote, "The photo shoot went well." (--The website does not have a quote from Dina specifically stating that the shoot was for "Playboy", which is why I'm not willing to say that Dina DEFINITELY told them that it was.) --Meanwhile, TILA TEQUILA says she wants to BOX Lindsay . . . quote, "It would be fun to box Lindsay Lohan. Two Hollywood bad girls . . . can't go wrong with that one!" She added, quote, "Then we can kiss and make up or make out afterwards."
Tony Romo's Wife is Pregnant:
Check this out: TONY ROMO CAN hit an intended target. His wife Candice Crawford is PREGNANT. --He announced it during an anti-drug rally at a high school near Dallas. A student asked him if he had any kids and he said, quote, "Um, no, I don't have any kids. I actually have one on the way. My wife is pregnant." --Candice is the sister of "Gossip Girl" stud CHACE CRAWFORD. Tony started dating her shortly after breaking up with JESSICA SIMPSON. Tony has also fornicated with CARRIE UNDERWOOD and SOPHIA BUSH.
Jessica Simpson's Feet Were Too Short to Reach the Floor While She Was Sitting on a Toilet . . . So She Took a Picture of It:
This is kind of funny, a little bit unsettling and oddly sexy all at the same time: JESSICA SIMPSON was at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in New York City on Monday, when the urge to void overtook her. So she hit the can. --But Jessica is only about 5-foot-3, and the toilet there was a little high . . . which left her feet dangling. And so, of course, she had to share a picture with us. Unfortunately for you bathroom fetishists, the picture only shows her legs and feet. (--Here it is. It's not clear if she took this herself in a mirror, or if someone else snapped it. Jessica was in New York with her mom and her sister Ashlee.) (Lockerz)
Jennifer Aniston Is Not Engaged or Pregnant . . . But She Did Gain Weight Because She Quit Smoking:
JENNIFER ANISTON would like you to know that she is neither engaged to boyfriend JUSTIN THEROUX nor pregnant by him. She DID put on a few pounds, but it's a FOOD BABY. She acquired it because she recently quit smoking. --Jennifer told "Hello!" magazine, quote, "Rumor number one: I am not planning to get married any time soon. I've been married once, and I don't know if I'll get married again. --"But I can tell you that as of this very moment, I have no plan to get married. Got that? --"And rumor Number two: no, we're not pregnant. It's just I quit smoking, so I've gained a couple of pounds."
Denise Richards is Talking About Her Boobs Again:
Over the summer, DENISE RICHARDS expressed regret over getting breast implants. And she's at it again. --In a blog at iVillage.com, she writes, quote, "At 19 when I first got my breasts done, I wish that I was confident enough with my body to not have had surgery. --"That is something that I really want to encourage in my daughters, to embrace their healthy body and have confidence. I actually feel more confident in my skin now than in my 20's. Being confident is one of the sexiest qualities a woman can exude." (--You can read her entire post here.)
Rihanna Spent $1,500 at a Paris Sex Shop:
RIHANNA was in Paris last week . . . and according to the not-always-reliable British tabloids, she spent $1,500 at a SEX SHOP called Lovestore. --Her purchases included sexy panties and other lingerie, toys, leather handcuffs and scented candles. --A source says, quote, "She knew exactly what she was after and didn't want any assistance picking out items. A blacked-out car parked on the pavement right outside the shop . . . There was no dithering. --"She was grinning from ear to ear and seemed to be in a hurry to get back to her hotel." (--Here's a picture of Rihanna leaving the shop with a naughty picture book called "Omahyra & Boyd", by photographer Ellen von Unwerth.)
Andy Rooney Has Been Hospitalized with "Serious Complications" from Surgery:
ANDY ROONEY . . . who just retired from "60 Minutes" this month after 33 years on the job . . . has been hospitalized with "serious complications" from a minor surgery he underwent last week. --There's no word what kind of surgery it was or what the complications were. At the request of his family, no further information has been released. Andy is 92 years old.
Jay Leno Joked that He Wanted to See an Accident at a Bike Rally He Was About to Take Part In . . . Then Two Bikers Died During the Ride:
JAY LENO'S comedy has been disastrous before . . . but never THIS disastrous: Jay was at a motorcycle rally in Glendale, California Sunday called the Love Ride. And before the event, he joked about wanting to see some accidents. --He said, quote, "Every year, [the organizer] says, 'Drive safe.' I'm gonna say, 'Don't drive safe.' I wanna see somebody go down. So it'll be fun. I want it to be in front or behind me and see a whole row of bikes go down. --"Get drunk, fall off the road. We've all become too damn polite . . . we haven't had one incident." --So guess what happened during the ride? There was an accident . . . and TWO BIKERS DIED. --It happened about an hour in, when a guy and a girl on a bike crashed into a semi on the Golden State Freeway. The rig's rear tires ran over them, and they were pronounced dead at the scene. --That wasn't even the only accident. An associate of Jay's actually got clipped from the side and crashed. He had to be rushed to the hospital, and Jay abandoned the ride to go with him. --No comment yet from Jay.
Shia LaBeouf's Dad is a Registered Sex Offender Thanks to an Attempted Rape 30 Years Ago:
We often call SHIA LABEOUF the King of the Small-Time Criminals . . . because he gets arrested for petty things like smoking on a public sidewalk where lighting up is banned and loitering drunkenly in a Walgreen's. --But it turns out Shia's dad is a BIG-TIME criminal. Jeffrey Craig LaBeouf did time from 1981 to 1983 due to ATTEMPTED RAPE. And because of that, he's a registered sex offender to this day. (--Here's his mugshot.) (Radar Online) --According to RadarOnline.com, Jeffrey faced additional legal troubles around that time. In apparently separate cases, he was charged with kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon. --But Radar says, quote, "the legal outcomes of these charges are unknown." --More recently, Jeffrey was accused of sexual harassment on the set of Shia's first major gig, the Disney Channel show "Even Stevens". He also once attacked a gay Disney exec who tried to give him a congratulatory hug. --Shia has claimed in interviews that his father was physically and verbally abusive . . . and once held a gun to his head during a Vietnam flashback.
Robert Pattinson is Reluctant to Launch a Music Career . . . Because He Knows People Hate it When Actors Do That:
You can officially mark ROBERT PATTINSON down as someone who GETS IT. --Robert loves music. He even contributed songs to the first "Twilight" movie and another flick he was in called "How to Be". But he's reluctant to launch a music career, because he knows how people feel about that. --He says, quote, "I'm always playing and recording but I don't know. People hate when actors become musicians so I've been avoiding it for the longest possible [time]. (--The funny thing is, a lot of celebrities have been practicing MULTIPLE art forms all their lives. And doing more than one comes completely natural to them.) (--Like Billy Bob Thornton . . . who HATES the fact that people won't take him seriously as a musician just because THEY knew him as an actor first . . . even though music as just as important to him.) (--But that's the problem. Actors get stuck as actors in the public's eye. And when they try to cross over, people rarely buy it.) (--It's funny, though, that it doesn't seem to work in reverse. Singers get to be actors whenever they feel like it. For example, Will Smith and Justin Timberlake were known exclusively as musicians before they started acting . . . and look at them now.)
THE TOP-EARNING DEAD CELEBRITIES
Michael Jackson is the Top-Earning Dead Celebrity . . . And Let's All Welcome Elizabeth Taylor to the List:
Forbes.com has released its annual list of the Top-Earning Dead Celebrities. MICHAEL JACKSON cleaned house, earning $170 million since last October. (--On the music landscape, Michael also out-earned most LIVING pop acts. Only U2 made more than him over the past year.) --That's a HUGE drop from the $275 million Michael made the year before, but it's still a monster haul. --ELVIS PRESLEY finished a distant second to Michael, with $55 million. And while that's more than three times LESS than Michael earned, let's not forget he's been gone for 34 years. --Elvis' estate got a boost from "Viva" . . . a Cirque du Soleil show based on his music. (--The Michael Jackson Cirque show just headed out on tour this month . . . so expect big numbers for Michael again next year.) --Making the list in her first year of eligibility is ELIZABETH TAYLOR, who passed away in March at the age of 79. She tied JOHN LENNON for fifth place with $12 million. The bulk of Liz's money still comes from her White Diamonds perfume.
#1.) Michael Jackson, $170 million
#2.) Elvis Presley, $55 million
#3.) Marilyn Monroe, $27 million
#4.) "Peanuts" creator Charles M. Schulz, $25 million
#5.) (tie) Elizabeth Taylor and John Lennon, $12 million
#7.) Albert Einstein, $10 million
#8.) Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel, $9 million
#9.) (tie) Jimi Hendrix, Steve McQueen, songwriter Richard Rodgers and author Stieg Larsson, $7 million
(--Rodgers was one-half of the legendary songwriting duo Rodgers & Hammerstein.)
(--Larsson wrote "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" and its two sequels. They've already been made into movies in his native Sweden. The first film in the American version of the trilogy comes out in December. The books weren't even published until AFTER Larsson died in 2004 . . . which kind of sucks for him.)
#13.) (tie) George Harrison, Andy Warhol and pinup model Bettie Page, $6 million
(--This year, Forbes gave us 15 dead celebs, instead of the usual, oh-so-scary 13. Check out all their coverage and see the list in annoying slideshow format here.) (--They also released a separate list of "near misses" for the dead celebrities who earned just under $6 million. That's where you'll find Kurt Cobain, Tupac Shakur, and Amy Winehouse. That slideshow is here.)
Olivia Wilde Will NOT Play Porno Star Linda Lovelace:
TRAGIC news to report this morning: OLIVIA WILDE will NOT play "Deep Throat" star LINDA LOVELACE in a movie. -She was asked about it at some event the other night and she said, quote, "I'm not doing that one, no." --Olivia had said over the summer that she was considering the film, and that it would be an HONOR to play Linda. There's no word why it's not happening. --There's talk that KATE HUDSON is in the running for the part, and JAMES FRANCO might appear in the movie as well --There are actually TWO Linda Lovelace flicks in the works right now. There's this one . . . and another one that's farther along called "Inferno".) --That's the one that LINDSAY LOHAN was supposed to star in before the producers decided not to take on the risk of hiring her. MALIN AKERMAN from "Watchmen" now has the part.) (--MATT DILLON is playing her scummy husband and manager, Chuck Traynor.)
CHAZ WATCH
THE DREAM IS OVER!!! CHAZ HAS BEEN ELIMINATED!!!
There will be RIOTS throughout the land. And they will be the most color-coordinated riots this country has ever seen! --That's because the LGBT community will take to the streets to protest CHAZ BONO'S elimination last night from "Dancing With the Stars". --Yes, it happened. The transgender dream is OVER. Sure, Chaz had his fans, but in the end, they weren't enough to make up for the fact that he's a TERRIBLE DANCER. --He took it in stride, though. He said, quote, "This was an amazing journey that really pushed me and showed me that I could do so much more than I ever thought I could." --He added, quote, "I came on this show because I wanted to show America a different kind of man. I dedicate everything I did to all the people out there like me, especially the kids and teens who are struggling. --"You can have a wonderful, great life and be successful and happy." --Going into last night's show, Chaz was actually getting FED UP with being compared to different animals by the judges. --On Monday's show, judge BRUNO TONIOLI compared Chaz to a PENGUIN. He vented about that immediately after it happened . . . although the video wasn't shown until LAST NIGHT. --But Chaz really went off. He said, quote, "If you're an overweight woman in this competition losing weight, they love you. If you're an overweight guy trying to do this competition and getting in shape, they penalize you for it, call you a penguin. --"Bruno [effing] makes comments about me being cute and cuddly . . . and an Ewok with the Princess Leia . . . like I'm some fat troll dancing with this beautiful woman every week and I'm sick of it." (--You can see video here. It's the second clip on the page. The first video is Maksim Chmerkovskiy apologizing for his Monday night outburst. But he did NOT apologize for talking back to judge Len Goodman.) (--What he apologized for was saying that "Dancing With the Stars" was HIS show. He said, quote, "I'm part of a very large cast and I'm very proud of being here.") --The "beautiful woman" Chaz referred to is his partner, LACEY SCHWIMMER . . . who was equally bothered. On Monday, she told "People" magazine, quote, "It's rude and unnecessary, and as his friend I'm embarrassed. --"We are both anti-bullying . . . It's rude and it's going back on everything that people are trying to fix."
President Obama Says He'll Start Paying Attention to the Republican Debates When "Everybody Is Voted Off the Island":
PRESIDENT OBAMA was on "The Tonight Show" last night. It was his fourth appearance overall . . . and his second since taking office in March of 2009. (--When he became the first sitting president ever to appear on a late night talk show.) --Here are a few semi-interesting quotes from the interview: --First off, Obama said he isn't really following the Republican debates. (--Although apparently he HAS been watching "Survivor".) --He explained, quote, "I'm going to wait until everybody is voted off the island . . . once they narrow it down to one or two, I'll start paying attention." --And in a softball portion of the interview, Obama talked about how he expected the White House to be egged this Halloween. --He said, quote, "Halloween is coming up. [Michelle has] been giving . . . for the last few years . . . the kids fruit and raisins in the bag. --"And I said, 'The White House is going to get egged if this keeps up. We need to throw some candy in there. A couple Reese's Pieces or something.'" (--You can find videos at NBC.com. Here's Jay welcoming Obama . . . here's Obama's Halloween quote . . . here's Obama on Iraq . . . here's Obama talking about Gaddafi . . . and here's Obama talking about the Republican debates.)
MTV Is Doing an "Occupy Wall Street" Episode of "True Life":
Occupy Wall Street has become a phenomenon . . . on MTV. --MTV has announced that they're doing an Occupy Wall Street episode of their documentary series "True Life". It'll air on November 5th. --According to a press release, the episode will follow "a prominent member of the movement . . . and two college students involved in the protests." (--You can find a five-minute preview at MTV.com.) --Recently, we heard that MTV was casting Occupy Wall Street protesters for an upcoming season of "The Real World". As far as we know, that's still happening . . . this is something separate.
AMC Has Renewed "The Walking Dead" for a Third Season:
AMC has announced that "The Walking Dead" has been picked up for a third season. That isn't all that surprising, since the first two episodes of the second season have attracted huge audiences. --The premiere had 7.3 million viewers . . . and 6.7 million watched this past Sunday. That makes it the top rated cable show, after football. By comparison, "Jersey Shore" pulled in about 6.5 million viewers for those two weeks. --The third season of "The Walking Dead" probably wouldn't begin until next fall at the earliest, because the second season is being split in half. The show will go on hiatus for two months after the November 27th episode . . . before returning on February 12th.
The "Two and a Half Men" Ratings Slide Is Over . . . For Now:
After the new season of "Two and a Half Men" premiered to 28.7 million viewers . . . the following four episodes lost viewers each week. The second, third, fourth and fifth episodes had 20.5 million, 17.7 million, 16.2 million and 15.1 million viewers, respectively. --But the ratings slide is OVER . . . for now. Monday's episode bounced back with 15.3 million viewers to keep "Two and a Half Men" as the highest rated sitcom on TV. It's still ahead of "The Big Bang Theory" by about 400,000 viewers. (--Again, it should be noted that "Two and a Half Men" has yet to drop to last season's average, which was 14.2 million viewers.) (--By the way, if you missed Monday's episode ASHTON KUTCHER and JON CRYER shared a MAN KISS when they realize they'd been hitting on lesbians. After the kiss, Jon's character said, quote, "We're here, we're queer, get used to it." You can find video on AOL TV, here.)
Check Out an Unaired "SNL" Skit on Steve Jobs' Death:
An unaired "Saturday Night Live" sketch on STEVE JOBS' death has surfaced online. It was supposed to air on the October 15th episode . . . but it didn't make the cut, for whatever reason. --The skit mocks companies like Facebook and Netflix . . . by having their CEOs compare how awesome Steve Jobs is, to how poorly they run their companies. Obviously, the "SNL" cast is impersonating those CEOs. (--You can find it on Hulu.) (--Meanwhile, the "L.A. Times" is reporting that "Social Network" writer AARON SORKIN may be hired to write a movie on Steve Jobs. But it's just talk for now.)
Snooki Claims "Snooki" Is Just Her "Alter Ego":
SNOOKI has a message for us: She's actually a completely mature person named NICOLE POLIZZI . . . and "Snooki" is just a character she plays. Riiiiiight. --In an interview on the "Today" show, she said, quote, "You see more of the party side of me, which I call Snooki, my alter ego . . . right now, you're talking to Nicole, the soft, calm, business-ready person." --And she claims she is well aware that Snooki is NOT safe for children. --She explained, quote, "Snooki's definitely not a role model. Snooki's just there to have fun and just live her life. Nicole, I would say, could be a role model . . . I'm very strong and independent. I'm just lovable, I guess." (--You can find video on the "Today" show's website, here.)
"Dancing with the Stars" and "X Factor" Are Fighting . . . Over the Use of Backstage Restrooms?
"Dancing with the Stars" and "The X Factor" share the same studio space . . . and apparently, they're fighting over the use of backstage restrooms. (???) --It's unclear how this got started, but "The X Factor" recently 'marked their territory' by putting an "X Factor" sign on the restroom door. --Then, someone from "Dancing with the Stars" responded by posting this note on the door: Quote, "These restrooms are for everyone. If you have a problem with that, come see me. I'm on stage 46. Just ask for Rob. I'm the 6'3" black man." --An "X Factor" spokeswoman tells the "New York Post", quote, "Please tell Rob he's welcome to use our restrooms anytime!"
Wednesday TV Reminders:
--"World Series: Game 6" . . . 8:00 to 11:00 P.M. Eastern on Fox. The St Louis Cardinals host the Texas Rangers at Busch Stadium in Saint Louis. Texas leads the series, 3-2, going into tonight's game.
--"Suburgatory" . . . 8:30 to 9:00 P.M. on ABC. Jay Mohr guest stars as Dallas' frequently traveling husband Steven Royce.
--"America's Next Top Model" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on the CW. Kathy Griffin is your guest judge.
--"Ghost Hunters" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Syfy. Meredith Vieira helps track down ghosts when the team investigates Sailors' Snug Harbor.
--"Psych" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on USA. Corey Feldman and Kristy Swanson guest star when Shawn and Gus go vampire hunting. Corey was in the vampire movie "The Lost Boys" and Kristy was the original "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".
--"True Hollywood Story: Kara DioGuardi" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on E!
--"Top Chef: Just Desserts" [2nd Season Finale] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on Bravo.
--"Nick Swardson's Pretend Time" . . . 10:30 to 11:00 P.M. on Comedy Central. Laura Silverman and Steve Agee guest star.
Steven Tyler Knocked Out Some Teeth After Slipping and Falling in the Shower:
AEROSMITH was forced to cancel a gig in Paraguay last night for a familiar reason: STEVEN TYLER suffered yet another fall. (--Two years ago, he broke his shoulder after falling off the stage during a concert in South Dakota.) --But this time, he didn't fall off the stage. Instead, Steven slipped and fell while showering at the hotel where he was staying. According to reports, he busted his face . . . and lost two of his teeth. --Steven spent four hours at a local hospital where he received stitches and had emergency dental work done. He has since been released, and Aerosmith plans to make up the show TONIGHT. --His rep says the injuries were "minor" . . . and that Steven would like to, quote, "sincerely apologize" for any inconvenience this may have caused his fans. --Now, Steven is 63 years old . . . and has a history of losing his balance . . . but supposedly there's more to it than that. --So-called "sources close to Steven" say he was dehydrated at the time of the fall, because he was suffering from FOOD POISONING. (--I have no idea what Steven ate or drank that messed him up, but here's a friendly travel advisory for you: You CANNOT drink the water in Paraguay. Oh, and just for fun, here's an old picture of Steven falling in the ocean.)
Kevin Richardson May Rejoin the Backstreet Boys:
It's easy to consider KEVIN RICHARDSON the COOLEST member of the BACKSTREET BOYS. Why? He's no longer in the group. --It's nothing against the Backstreet Boys. It's just that he left in 2006 . . . when he was 34 years old . . . recognizing that he was too freakin' old to be scampering around onstage with a BOY BAND. --Well, unfortunately Kevin appears to be cashing in his cool chips. He's 40 now . . . and apparently he's going through a pretty rough mid-life crisis . . . because it sounds like he's close to rejoining the group. --Kevin has confirmed that he'll join the Backstreet Boys at a special concert in the Bahamas on December 3rd. The show is part of the group's second annual cruise, which runs from December 2nd through the 5th. (--For more info on the cruise, hit up BackstreetBoysCruise.com.) --And it might NOT be a one-time thing. Yesterday, Kevin told RYAN SEACREST, quote, "I would never say that [a reunion] would never happen. I would love to perform with them again on a more regular basis. --"Our chemistry when we come together just feels like old times." (--By the way, Backstreet Boy HOWIE DOROUGH is opening for BRITNEY SPEARS on the South American leg of her tour next month. He has a solo album coming out November 15th called "Back to Me".) (--Hey Howie, friendly South American travel advisory: Don't drink the water.)
The Black Keys Reveal Their Disdain for MTV and the Black Eyed Peas . . . While Discussing a Typo on Their "VMA" Trophy:
Last year, the "MTV Video Music Awards" gave the "Breakthrough Video" award to the BLACK KEYS for their "Tighten Up" video. (--It's available on YouTube.) -When the Black Keys got the trophy, it had a typo on the inscription that confused them with the BLACK EYED PEAS. --The Black Keys were discussing the incident recently, and that led to them taking some jabs at MTV, and the Black Eyed Peas. --Singer DAN AUERBACH tells "GQ", quote, "We were on tour and our manager sent us a picture of the award and the plaque read, you know, 'The Black Eyed Peas -- 'Tighten Up'. Breakthrough Video.' --"I was just like, Wow. A channel that's never respected us, or played us, to [eff] us like that? It's kind of awesome. --"We figured that we should get proper ones made with our names on it . . . because in 20 years, nobody's going to know who the Black Eyed Peas are. --"We'd have this stupid award with 'Black Eyed Peas' on it and nobody's going to get the joke. So we decided to get our own award. But they made us send [the ones with the typo] back before they would give us proper ones." (--Here's a picture of the award typo.) (Spinner)
50 Cent Wrote a Book on Bullying . . . Because He Was a Bully, and He Now Realizes That Was Wrong:
50 CENT'S anti-bullying novel "Playground: The Mostly True Story of a Former Bully" hits stores next Tuesday. --In an interview with the "Today" show, 50 said, quote, "My son is 15 years old right now, [so] it's a relevant issue for me . . . I had more experiences where I was part of the problem. --"To now have an adult's [perspective], I can [look back] and say 'that's wrong.'" (--You can find video on the "Today" show's website, here.)
WEDNESDAY'S SHOWBIZ EXTRAS
Showbiz Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:
Here's what happened yesterday in DR. CONRAD MURRAY'S manslaughter trial. (Update)
Spirit Halloween stores are selling out of their CHARLIE SHEEN costumes. (Full Story)
Remember when TARA REID allegedly got engaged and married to a guy within 24 hours in Greece? Well, she now admits that they were, quote, "never really married." (Video)
KALEY CUOCO from "The Big Bang Theory" is engaged. (Full Story)
DEMI LOVATO got her nose pierced. (Photo)
JASON ALEXANDER is in the Middle East, helping to bring Israel and the Palestinians together once and for all. (Full Story)
MICHAEL DOUGLAS guest-starred on ALEC BALDWIN'S first podcast. They talked about Michael's throat cancer and his druggie son. (Full Story)
Here's a list of 20 movies you probably didn't know are being remade. (Full Story)
If there's anyone out there desperate for a SUSAN BOYLE fix . . . man, I feel you . . . and so does TLC. They're going to air a documentary special called "Susan Boyle: An Unlikely Superstar" on Sunday, November 6th. (Full Story)
RANDOM STUFF
21% of People Would Accept an "Indecent Proposal" Offer and Sell Their Partner for a Million . . . or Less:
We see stories on a daily basis about the crazy fallout from the recession and the state of the economy. But this JUST might be THE craziest one of all. -A survey out of England asked people if they'd be willing to take a deal like in the movie "Indecent Proposal". --If you don't remember, that's the movie where Robert Redford offers Woody Harrelson $1 MILLION to sleep with his wife, Demi Moore. Spoiler alert: They take the deal, it destroys their relationship, and they reconcile in the end. --Only in the study, the switch had to be PERMANENT. And believe it or not, 21% of people . . . that's one in five . . . say they'd take the deal. Pay me one million in cash, and you can have my husband, wife, boyfriend, or girlfriend --The gender breakdown: 24% of men and 19% of women were willing to take the deal. --Since it's a British study, they made it a million POUNDS. That's $1.6 million to sell your significant other. Although I'm not sure that makes it any better. --The survey also found that some people would do it for a lot LESS than a million. 20% of men and 14% of women would sell their partner for HALF a million British pounds, which is $800,000. --And 14% of men and 9% of women would do it for a TENTH of a million British pounds. So that's $160,000 to sell your significant other . . . PERMANENTLY.
(NewsInsurances.co.uk)
63% of People Have Had Someone Cheat on Them . . . and 42% of People Have Taken a Cheater Back:
Thinking about having an affair? Good news: You have a surprisingly decent chance that your significant other will take you back once they inevitably find out. But . . . um . . . even so, you really shouldn't cheat. --According to a survey, these are the latest numbers on cheating. And they show some pretty bad trends. . . .
#1.) Tons of people are cheating. Shockingly, 47% of people . . . or almost HALF . . . admit they've cheated on a partner.
#2.) A decent amount of cheaters are getting away with it. 63% of cheaters have been caught . . . meaning you have almost a two-in-three chance of being nailed, but more than a one-in-three chance of getting away with it.
#3.) 42% of the people surveyed said they've taken back someone who cheated on them. That means you've got about a TWO-IN-FIVE CHANCE of being forgiven for an affair.
--30% of people said they would actually give their partner PERMISSION to cheat on them with a celebrity.
--Of the cheaters, 25% say DRUNKENNESS was their primary motivation . . . and 20% say they were getting REVENGE on their partner for cheating on them.
(Daily Mail)
Should We Move Halloween From October 31st to the Last Saturday of the Month?
I never knew I cared so much about Halloween until I heard THIS, and my reaction was, "We'll move the date of Halloween over my dead body." --Tim Larson is a Democrat in Connecticut's House of Representatives. And he wants his state . . . and hopefully the whole country . . . to change the date of Halloween. --Instead of October 31st, it would be the last Saturday in October. That would make it similar to Thanksgiving, which isn't celebrated on a specific date . . . it's always the fourth Thursday in November. --Larson says his proposal would just make Halloween EASIER for everyone. --Quote, "Halloween is [a] fun night for the whole family, but not so much when you have to race home from work, get the kids ready for trick-or-treating, welcome the neighborhood children, then get everyone to bed for an early morning." --As these things always go, his Republican colleagues immediately cited it as an example of the government trying to interfere in people's lives. (Hartford Courant)
No One Wants to Have a Baby on Halloween:
Here's a random finding from a study out of Yale University. Researchers there found that people don't want to have babies on Halloween. --The study found that the odds of a baby being born on Halloween versus the two weeks before and after go DOWN 11.3%. There are 16.9% fewer C-sections, 18.7% fewer induced births, and 5.3% fewer spontaneous births. --That's right . . . women SO BADLY don't want Halloween babies that they seem to be able to do a "mind over body" thing where they force their bodies NOT to go into labor on October 31st. --The study also found that the OPPOSITE happens around Valentine's Day. Births go UP 5% compared to the two weeks before and after. --The researchers think it could be because people subconsciously have a more negative association with a "darker" holiday like Halloween . . . and a positive association with a happier holiday like Valentine's Day. (LiveScience)
Here are the Six Most Germ-Covered Surfaces We Touch Every Day:
I'd go ahead and buy stock in Purell right now . . . because when you hear this you're gonna want to run out and buy a year's supply of hand sanitizer. --In a new study, researchers found the six most germ-covered surfaces we touch almost every day. And the scary part is . . . most of the time we touch them without even thinking about it, so we probably don't wash our hands afterwards.
--The researchers swabbed surfaces in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, and L.A., looking for high concentrations of bacteria, mold, and dirt . . . which could spread the flu, or worse. Here are the most germ-infested spots . . .
--71% of gas pump handles had high concentrations of germs.
--68% of public mailbox handles.
--43% of escalator rails.
--40% of parking meters and parking kiosks.
--35% of crosswalk buttons.
--And 35% of vending machine buttons.
(ABC News)
Wearing High Heels Increases Your Chances of Falling by 40%:
SHOCKING NEWS: Walking around on shoes that are the equivalent of stilts increases your chance of falling over. --According to a new study by a shoe company called MBT, people who wear high heels over three inches have a 40% higher chance of falling and being injured than people wearing shorter heels or no heels. --They also found that wearing heels puts seven times the pressure on the ball of your foot. (New York Magazine)
Burger King is Offering All-You-Can-Eat Whoppers . . . in Japan:
Hate to tease you like this. But you've got to know. You've got to know. --Burger King is about to offer ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT WHOPPERS. You pay $11, and you get to pack yourself with as many Whoppers as you can for 30 minutes. --And now, the real kick-in-the-groin . . . they're not offering it in the U.S. They're too business savvy for that. For now, they're only offering it at Burger Kings in one of the world's LEAST chubby countries . . . Japan. --They're going to test the all-you-can-eat Whoppers for two weeks in Japan. But if it goes well, maybe there's a chance it'll make its way to us. (The Consumerist)
Would You Want to Eat Caesar Salad-Flavored Cotton Candy?
The people who created this are REALLY confused. Americans don't want our candy to taste like SALAD . . . we want our salad to taste like candy. Come on. --The staff at the Houston Marriott at Hobby in Houston, Texas have created . . . wait for it . . . CAESAR SALAD-FLAVORED COTTON CANDY. --Apparently in Houston there's a Caesar salad competition every year, where different local restaurants try to create new innovative recipes. And the Houston Marriott's was definitely innovative. --They used a heart of romaine lettuce for the stick, then swirled it with pink cotton candy floss that contained shreds of Parmesan cheese and black pepper. There wasn't any dressing involved. --It's not clear what they made the cotton candy out of . . . whether it was the usual sugary recipe or not . . . because all the judges in the competition said the creation tasted NOTHING like cotton candy and exactly like Caesar salad. --Unfortunately, the cotton candy guys didn't win. Even though it was creative, the judges found that without dressing, the whole thing was a little dry.--The winner of the competition was a much more generic take on Caesar salad . . . a crostini with lettuce, cheese dressing, and a poached egg on top. (Houston Press)
More Than 800 Different Foods Claim to be "Artisan" . . . But it Means Absolutely Nothing:
In the real world, an artisan is a skilled craftsman who makes things by hand. In the advertising world, the word "artisan" has no real meaning. --Terms like "sugar-free", "organic" and "low-fat" have strict guidelines a product needs to meet in order to use them on the label. But not "artisan". --Which is why the number of products claiming to be "artisan" has supposedly exploded in recent years. --According to the market-research company Datamonitor, more than 800 products have released artisan versions in the last five years. 200 came out last year alone. --The list of companies offering artisan products includes Domino's, who seems to define the word as square-shaped and two dollars more expensive than regular pizza. They also have the employee that made the pizza sign the box. --Tostitos Artisan Chips have sold so well that Frito Lay is planning to expand the line and offer artisan varieties of other chips. --Fannie May, which is a candy company owned by 1-800-FLOWERS, has artisan chocolates that are supposedly hand-painted. They cost $2 each. --The candy has sold so well that 1-800-FLOWERS is also planning to expand and offer an artisan variety of . . . popcorn. (USA Today)
Luxury Car Companies Are Planning New Features for Obese Drivers . . . and Calling It "Plump My Ride":
As Americans lead the way in becoming more and more deliciously candy-coated, car companies have had to make changes as customers get bigger and heavier. --The average family car is more than a foot wider than previous generations, so people fit more comfortably . . . and Honda seats have expanded by 2 inches each. But luxury car makers have an even bigger problem. --Mercedes and BMW sell themselves on a high-quality driving experience. So just giving the driver room to fit isn't good enough. --BMW has started a program to plan for heavier drivers, which they've tastefully nicknamed "Plump My Rde." Their head of ergonomics is Ralf Kaiser, who put the problem diplomatically. Quote: "In general, these are not sporty people." --Some changes have already been implemented by luxury cars. Mercedes provides stronger, sturdier door handles, so that heavy drivers won't break them by leaning on them to get in and out of the car. --BMW says that one of the reasons they introduced that monitor that helps you when you're backing up, is because obese drivers don't have the range of motion required to look over their shoulder while driving in reverse. \ --And Porsche has a special steering column that automatically rises up when the engine is turned off, giving a heavier driver more room to exit the vehicle. (Telegraph)
A Man Went House-to-House Exposing Himself . . . and Ended up at the Chief of Police's House:
On Sunday morning, a 22-year-old idiot named Brody Hall from Corry, Pennsylvania was drunk and going door-to-door . . . EXPOSING HIMSELF. --He'd ring the doorbell and when someone answered, they'd find Brody standing there, junk hanging out. --Fortunately for the people of Corry, this didn't last long. Because after going to just a few houses, he rang the doorbell of a house that happened to be the home of the CHIEF OF POLICE. --The chief is named Rich Shopene. When he answered the door, he saw Brody standing there naked. Brody told Rich to let him inside because he was going to, quote, "scare the children." --Rich told him he was under arrest. When Brody tried to push past him, Rich wrestled him to the floor. --Brody is facing charges of burglary, criminal trespass, indecent exposure, simple assault, terroristic threats, disorderly conduct, and public drunkenness . . . basically, every charge they could POSSIBLY think of. (Erie Times-News)
The U.S. is Number One . . . in Child Abuse:
Yeah, this stuff sucks. But it's stuff you should know: --According to UNICEF, the U.S. is number one . . . in child abuse. 27 children under age 15 die from abuse and neglect a week. That's about four children a day. --That's a rate of 2.4 per 100,000 children . . . compared to a rate of 1.4 for France, 1 per 100,000 for Japan, and 0.9 per 100,000 children for the UK. --According to the advocacy group Every Child Matters, it might be as high as SEVEN per day . . . or 49 per week.-Over the past decade, more than 20,000 American children are believed to have been killed in their own homes by family members. That's nearly FOUR TIMES the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. --According to the Department of Justice, of all children under the age of five who were murdered between 1976 and 2005, two-thirds were killed by their parents: 31% were killed by fathers, and 29% were killed by mothers. --In other words, it's not necessarily lack of child care, poverty, or teen pregnancy that's hurting America's children the most. It's ABUSIVE MOTHERS AND FATHERS. (Discovery)
RANDOM NEWS EXTRAS
Random News Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:
The NCAA released their graduation rates for student athletes . . . and they're at an all-time high, with 82% of athletes graduating. That's 2% HIGHER than the regular student body. (Full Story)
Prevent burglaries with 'Fake TV' . . . a device that produces a glow in your windows similar to the light of the TV, but uses less energy than leaving the set on. (Full Story)
The U.S. is going to start charging a $5.50 entry fee at the Canadian and Mexican borders. Obviously, it's to raise money to improve border security. (Full Story)
Sad Photo of the Day: One of those New York City carriage horses collapsed and died in the middle of the street on Sunday morning, on its way to Central Park to pull tourists around. (Full Story)
Women have fewer mentors at work . . . one in five women say they don't have one. (Full Story)
Not-So-Stupid News: A 23-year-old was shot to death in a gang attack in Chicago at his own surprise party, when a masked man entered and opened fire. (Full Story)
NAZZY’S VIDEOS OF THE DAY
#1.) A Guy Proposed to His Girlfriend Over the Airplane Intercom . . . on the Same Flight They Met on Two Years Ago:
A guy named Arvin Shandiz met his girlfriend Alexandra on a Delta flight between Chicago and New York two years ago. And with Delta's permission, he proposed to her over the intercom on that same route, two years later. --The video's on YouTube, and the passengers give him a round of applause when she says yes. (--Search for "Delta Airlines Engagement." She says yes at :53.) (--Maybe the passengers would have been more excited if the same thing hadn't ALREADY happened this year. Back in January, a guy proposed to his stewardess girlfriend on a flight between Lisbon and Barcelona.)
#2.) Here's Helmet Cam Footage of Firemen Putting Out a House Fire in Detroit:
If you wanted to be a firefighter as a kid and never got to, here's the next best thing: A filmmaker in Detroit made a three-minute short of a burning house using helmet cams on the firemen. --First, one of them walks onto the front porch while the whole house is on fire. Then it shows the point of view from a water cannon. And it also shows a few shots from inside. --It's from a full-length documentary called "Burn" that's set to premiere at festivals this spring. (--Search for "Burn Tom Putnam Helmet Cameras." The porch is at :45, and the water canon is at 1:18.)
#3.) A Guy Interrupted a CNN Report . . . and Dropped Two F-Bombs:
In case you missed it, a Howard Stern clown named Benjy Bronk interrupted a live CNN report about the Steve Jobs biography on Monday . . . and dropped two F-bombs while they hauled him off-camera. (--Jimmy Kimmel featured it Monday night.) --The reporter was on the street in New York, and Bronk stepped in front of the camera to tell people to vote for David Arquette, not Nancy Grace, on "Dancing with the Stars". --Then when someone pulled him out of frame, he screamed, quote, "What the [eff] are you doing, mother[effer]!" (--Search for "Dancing with the Stars Fan Forcefully Removed from CNN Broadcast." WARNING: This video include two F-bombs.)
#4.) Check Out Gary Busey in a Halloween Ad for a Kia Dealership in Houston:
For the past few months, GARY BUSEY has been doing ads for car dealerships in Pittsburgh and Houston. And they're all awesomely bad. --The newest one is a Halloween ad for a Kia dealership, where Busey makes a bad joke about witches and brooms, says the cars are "scared priceless" TWICE, then just goes nuts. (--Search for "Gary Busey Is Scared Priceless in Houston." Check out all the ads here. There are a few duplicates on the list.)
#5.) Here's a New Political Video from Herman Cain's Chief of Staff . . . with a Nice Long Shot of Him Sucking on a Cigarette:
There's a new political web video that looks like an "SNL" parody, but it's not. It's for Republican Presidential Candidate HERMAN CAIN, and it's just his Chief of Staff, Mark Block, talking about the road ahead. -Pretty simple, but it's kind of cinematic, with nice production values. But here's the part that's got everybody talking: Forty seconds in, Block stops talking, stares into the camera, and takes a nice long drag on a cigarette. Seriously. --It's great because they hold it for like, four seconds. He takes it in, then slowly blows out the smoke. And a cheesy song called "I Am America" plays in the background. Then the screen goes black, and it cuts to a corny image of Cain. --This is what the kids call an 'epic fail.' So the Cain campaign has been trying to explain WHY they released a video message with such a prominent shot of a prominent staff member smoking. --Block told Fox News, quote, "There was no subliminal message . . . I personally would encourage people not to smoke. It's just that I'm a smoker, and so a lot of the people on the staff said, 'Just let Block be Block.'" (--Search for "Now is the Time for Action".)
The Top Five Things Your I.T. Person Hasn't Told You:
If your computer guy at work treats you like a moron and never explains things, you're not alone. Here's a list from "Reader's Digest" of the top five things your I.T. person hasn't told you.
#1.) It's Easy to Cover Their Tracks When They Screw Up. For example, if they're moving all your email from one system to another and accidentally delete some of it . . . the last thing they'll do is admit they screwed up. --Instead, they'll just tell you one of the files got corrupted, because you probably won't know enough about it to argue.
#2.) If It's Something Simple, Google It. If you need help using a program you're not familiar with, Google is the best option. Just don't try to solve EVERY problem with Google. -If you're having general computer issues, ask the I.T. person to handle it so you don't screw things up more. Even if you CAN fix it yourself, they'll probably do it faster.
#3.) They Can't Make an Old Computer Fast Again. Hard drives spin 7,200 times per minute, so there's bound to be wear and tear. If your computer is four years old, they might figure out ways to make it a LITTLE faster. But not much. --When speed's an issue, the easiest fix is upgrading to a newer computer. But since that's not always in the budget, they'll try to convince you to be satisfied with whatever tiny speed boosts they can make.
#4.) They Prefer Being Emailed. For an I.T. person, it's more efficient than a phone call. Ideally, they want an email with a list of problems, so each one is documented and they can deal with them individually.
#5.) Clearing Your Cookies and Web History Doesn't Do Any Good. I.T. departments usually track everyone's Internet use. And even if you delete the history on YOUR computer, they can still see it on theirs. --That's because, in order to access any external sites, you still have to go through your company's local network, Cletus. --That's also how companies universally block sites like Facebook and YouTube. And sometimes when your boss wants to fire someone, they'll go to the I.T. department to dig up dirt. (Reader's Digest)
posted by Nazzy @ 5:55 AM
0 Comments
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home