HOLLYWOOD DIRT OVERFLOW (11-07-11)
Andy Rooney Has Died:
ANDY ROONEY didn't have time to enjoy his retirement from "60 Minutes". He died Friday of complications from minor surgery. He was 92 years old. --He underwent surgery in the third week of October. There's still no word on the procedure. Rooney is survived by four children. His wife passed away in 2004. --He filed the last of his 1,097 reports for "60 Minutes" on October 2nd, after 33 years on the job. --Rooney's career as a journalist began when he was drafted by the Army in 1941. He covered the Eighth Air Force for the "Stars and Stripes" newspaper. --CBS News Chairman Jeff Fager said, quote, "It's a sad day at '60 Minutes' and for everybody here at CBS News. --"It's hard to imagine not having Andy around. He loved his life and he lived it on his own terms. We will miss him very much." (--Everything you need to know about Andy Rooney's life and career can pretty much be found in CBS' really long obit. You can read it at CBS News.) (--The website Mashable.com has posted videos of "10 of Andy's Best Commentaries". But it might just be the 10 best ones they could scrounge up on YouTube. Whatever the case, you'll find them here.)
Boxer Joe Frazier Is in Hospice with Liver Cancer:
Legendary boxing champ JOE FRAZIER has been placed in a Philadelphia-area hospice with liver cancer. He's 67 years old. --Frazier's manager said he was diagnosed with cancer just four or five weeks ago, adding, quote, "He's a true gentleman. Along with Muhammad Ali, [he is] one of the two most recognizable athletes in the world." (--Ali and Frazier fought in the infamous "Thrilla in Manilla" back in 1975. Ali won with a 14th-round TKO.)
Chaz Bono Will Not Die in Four Years:
The "National Enquirer" says that CHAZ BONO only has FOUR YEARS TO LIVE, due to complications from his gender reassignment. Chaz does not agree. --His legal team sent a letter to the "Enquirer" demanding a retraction and apology . . . calling the story, quote, "absolutely outrageous, false, fabricated, and highly defamatory." (--Here's the letter.) (--And here's the "Enquirer" cover with the Chaz death prediction.) (Washington Post)
(NC-17) Justin Bieber Will Take a Paternity Test . . . Plus, Additional Fallout from the "Is Justin a Baby Daddy?" Scandal:
[WARNING: The following story includes references to a sexual encounter with an underage boy, Justin Bieber..]
There's some more fallout in the "Is JUSTIN BIEBER a BABY DADDY?" scandal . . . and it's looking more and more like Justin is NOT this kid's father, and that his accuser 20-year-old Mariah Yeater is CRAZY. --The most important development is this: TMZ reports that Justin will take a paternity test when he returns to the U.S. in two weeks. He's in Europe now. --Once it's determined that Justin is NOT the father . . . if that's what happens . . . Justin's people are going to sue Mariah, and they're going to go after her hard. They want to make an example out of her to keep other people from making up bogus allegations against Justin. --Obviously, the truth is still up in the air at this point. Here's a rundown of the latest developments:
#1.) Justin told the "Today" show Friday that he'd never met Mariah. --He said, quote, "I'd just like to say, basically, that none of those allegations are true. I know that I'm going to be a target, but I'm never going to be a victim. It's crazy . . . [I've] never met the woman." (--There's video on the "Today" show website.)
#2.) Mariah has claimed two OTHER men were the baby's father. --Mariah's ex-boyfriend, 19-year-old John Terranova, tells the "New York Post" that Mariah previously tried to convince him HE was the father. But he says he knew she was lying because the timing, quote, "didn't add up." --And John thinks Mariah is lying again. He says, quote, "I know it's not Justin Bieber. She just wants money. It's a scam." (--John and Mariah dated for "nearly four years" before breaking up last winter. John got a new girlfriend once he found out Mariah had cheated on him . . . and now his current girlfriend is pregnant.) --The British tabloids also say she tried to pin the pregnancy on somebody named Steve. A so-called "friend" says, quote, "Steve was her secret boyfriend for a long time. She said they made love twice. --"One of the times the condom broke, so she thought that might be when she got pregnant." (--This is sure adding up to a lot of sex for someone who claimed "there were no other possible men that I had sex with that could be the father.")
#3.) Mariah was arrested for misdemeanor battery last December. --After Mariah found out that John had a new girlfriend, she threw a brick through the new girlfriend's car window. Then she got in an argument with John, and struck him in the face three times. His family called the police and she was arrested. --Mariah will answer that charge in court on December 12th, three days before the scheduled hearing in her case against Justin.
#4.) The "New York Post" reports that Mariah is asking for, quote, "up to $260,000 in monthly child support." (!!!) That's $3.12 MILLION a year.
#5.) Some of Mariah's relatives claim Mariah was seriously thinking about giving the baby up for adoption before she gave birth. She also never talked about the father.
#6.) There were some rumors going around that SELENA GOMEZ had dumped Justin over this mess. Well, that's not true. Reps for both of them denied the rumor, and over the weekend Selena and Justin were photographed holding hands.
#7.) Justin has reportedly hired a "crisis management team" to help him take care of this situation.
(--Here's the picture of Justin and Selena holding hands, along with Mariah's mugshot from her misdemeanor battery arrest.)
Kim Kardashian Is With Kris Humphries in Minnesota . . . But That Doesn't Necessarily Mean They're Getting Back Together:
KIM KARDASHIAN took a redeye flight out of Los Angeles Saturday night to be with KRIS HUMPHRIES in Minnesota. She arrived there at about 5:30 yesterday morning. --According to TMZ, Kim does NOT want to fix the marriage. They say, quote, "Kris and Kim will be meeting with the pastor who married them to talk about the marriage, the divorce, and their feelings. --"This is not a reconciliation but we're told Kim wants to make sure she and Kris have closure and talk everything out." --E! cameras did NOT follow Kim to Minnesota . . . and a source says she has no intention of exploiting her divorce for any of the family's reality shows. (--Here are pictures of Kim at the airport, and outside Kris' home.) (Source 1, Source 2)
Check Out the "SNL" Parody Video of the Kardashian Divorce:
"Saturday Night Live" did a pretty awesome parody of the KIM KARDASHIAN divorce Saturday night. (--You can watch it here.)
Kim Kardashian Admitted to Her Family That She's "Embarrassed" About Her Marriage:
KIM KARDASHIAN reportedly sent an e-mail to her family just before announcing the split, admitting she's "embarrassed" about how her marriage turned out. --She said, quote, "I'm embarrassed that I took everyone on this journey with me and had this huge wedding," she added. "But I have to be happy so I have to let this relationship go." --She added, quote, "Kris is a great guy but we come from such different worlds and he isn't what I thought when we first met."
Does Kim Kardashian Have to Pay Kris Humphries for Her Engagement Ring?
There's been so much talk about whether or not KIM KARDASHIAN gets to keep the engagement ring KRIS HUMPHRIES gave her. According to TMZ, she DOES . . . but only if she pays for it. --Supposedly, Kris paid for the ring, and Kim loved it so much she put a clause in the prenup saying that if they split, she gets to buy it from him. That ring reportedly cost Kris around $2 million.
Kelly Rowland Revealed that Beyoncé is Having a Girl:
KELLY ROWLAND revealed the other night that BEYONCÉ'S baby is going to be a girl. Kelly was speaking to "Us Weekly" at some award show in London, when they asked her what gift she's getting for the baby shower. --And in her reply, Kelly kept referring to the baby as "she" and "her". She said, quote, "I don't know. I think her dad is gonna give her everything anyways, all I can give her is love." --Then, asked if the kid will be spoiled, Kelly said, quote, "I think she'll be very well behaved. Her parents will make sure of that." (--It's not clear if Kelly wasn't supposed to say that. We also don't know if Beyoncé is mad about it. But neither she nor JAY-Z have announced their baby's sex themselves yet.)
Is Kate Middleton Pregnant?
The not-always-reliable British tabloids are full of KATE MIDDLETON pregnancy rumors. It's all because Kate was seen, quote, "patting or holding her stomach at least a dozen times" during a two-hour royal visit in Denmark. --She also turned down peanut butter. Apparently, doctors now advise pregnant women to avoid peanuts and peanut byproducts in order to prevent their babies from developing allergies. (--Here are pics of Kate holding her stomach and watching her husband eat peanut butter.) (Daily Mail)
Did Madonna's Friends Ditch Her . . . Because She Made a Play for Chris Martin?
MADONNA doesn't really have friends anymore. And it's her own damn fault . . . because she made a play for her buddy GWYNETH PALTROW'S husband CHRIS MARTIN. That's according to the "Star" tabloid, anyway. --A source says, quote, "Madonna got a little too flirty with Chris, and the tension spilled over to her relationship with Gwyneth. When Gwyneth's relationship with Madonna soured, so did everyone else's. --"She got her friends in their circle to dump her too. And now Madonna's really lonely because of it." --Other friends who've turned their backs on Madonna because of her whorishness include Stella McCartney, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Kate Hudson, and Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas.
Brody Jenner Got Cracked in the Head with a Bottle Trying to Break Up a Fight Between Avril Lavigne and Another Girl:
Kardashian stepbrother BRODY JENNER got cracked in the head with a bottle Saturday night while trying to break up a fight between his girlfriend AVRIL LAVIGNE and another chick. --There's no word what started the CATFIGHT. It broke out at about 1:00 A.M. Sunday morning at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, and witnesses say PUNCHES WERE THROWN. --Both Avril and the other girl split before cops arrived, but Brody spoke with them. He refused medical attention at the scene and went to the hospital on his own. --Yesterday morning he Tweeted, quote, "Interesting Saturday night... Just got [out] of the hospital with a new scar on my face. Charges/chargers!!!" (--Here's a grainy photo of Brody with some blood on his forehead. There's no official word how the bottle connected with his head, or whose fault it was.) (TMZ)
Did Lindsay Lohan Crash Leonardo DiCaprio's "J. Edgar" Party?
LINDSAY LOHAN reportedly pushed her way through security Thursday night at a party for LEONARDO DICAPRIO'S new movie "J. Edgar" . . . then made everyone there uncomfortable. --A source says Lindsay showed up fresh from her "Playboy" shoot, with her hair and makeup still done. --And she proceeded to make a scene with security at the door . . . claiming she was invited, name-checking all the big stars inside and saying, quote, "I have to go and see Leo." --The source adds, quote, "Eventually they let her in, but she made everybody uncomfortable. She was aggressive and random, storming around. She tried to get to Leo, but he was surrounded by his security and a posse of his friends. --"[Director] Clint Eastwood, Leo, and [screenwriter] Dustin Lance Black were talking, and Lindsay sent one of her aides over, demanding to get a photo with them, but security shooed them away." --But Lindsay's rep says, quote, "She did not crash, she was invited by a guest who attended the event. I am not aware of her asking for photos with Leo or Clint. She was never asked to leave." (--Lindsay has to turn herself in Wednesday to start serving her 30-day prison sentence . . . which will actually only last somewhere between a few minutes and six days.)
There's a Broadway Musical in the Works About Larry Bird and Magic Johnson:
LARRY BIRD and MAGIC JOHNSON had one of the greatest sports rivalries of all time back in the '80s. --It actually started back in 1979, when Bird's Indiana State team went up against Johnson and Michigan State for the college basketball national championship. (--Michigan State won.) --That year, Magic was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers as the first overall pick. Bird was snapped up by the Boston Celtics five picks later. Their teams played each other for the NBA title three times: In '84, '85 and '87. (--The Celtics won the first one, the Lakers took the next two.) --Overall, L.A. won five championships during Magic's tenure, and the Celtics won three with Bird. --And now, their story is coming to Broadway. Seriously. There's a musical in the works called "Magic/Bird", and it could debut as soon as March. Casting is currently underway. --Bird's character is described as, quote, "fiercely competitive and uncompromisingly honest" with a "small-town suspicion of strangers and loyalty to friends." --And Magic's character is, quote, "charismatic, energetic and the life of the party . . . fiercely competitive, outgoing, gregarious" with "unlimited ambition, ego and charm."
"Puss in Boots" Is #1 for a Second Week in a Row:
"Puss in Boots" made another $33 million this weekend to finish #1 at the box office for a second week in a row. The movie has now made $75.5 million in two weeks. --BEN STILLER and EDDIE MURPHY'S "Tower Heist" took the runner-up spot with $25.1 million . . . followed by "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas", which made $13.1 million in 3rd place.
Miley Cyrus Will Play Adam Sandler's Daughter . . . in an Animated Movie:
MILEY CYRUS will play ADAM SANDLER'S daughter in an ANIMATED movie called "Hotel Transylvania". Sandler's character is DRACULA. The movie is basically about a hotel where a bunch of monsters live. --The cast also includes Kevin James as the Frankenstein Monster and Fran Drescher as his bride . . . David Spade as the Invisible Man, Cee-Lo Green as a mummy and Steve Buscemi and Molly Shannon as werewolves. --"Saturday Night Live" star Andy Samberg will play a human character who somehow ends up at the hotel. The movie comes out next September. (--Here's a picture of Miley's character.) (Inside Movies)
Robert De Niro Will Play Bernie Madoff:
ROBERT DE NIRO will play financial scammer BERNIE MADOFF in a movie based on the book "Truth or Consequences: Life Inside the Madoff Family". --There's no word yet on a release date or any other casting.
Fox Has Admitted That the Contestants Were Lip-Synching During a Group Performance on "X Factor" . . . Does It Matter?
A "controversy" erupted after the Thursday episode of "X Factor", when viewers noticed that contestant LEROY BELL was lip-synching. --It happened at the beginning of the show . . . when all the contestants were doing a group performance of the DAVID GUETTA / USHER song "Without You". It was fairly obvious . . . the vocal track started before Leroy opened his mouth. (--You can find the video on YouTube. Leroy's mishap happens 26 seconds in.) --Fox has since ADMITTED that the contestants were lip-synching during that performance, but they insist that the contestants' individual performances ARE live. --Here's Fox's statement: Quote, "All competitive songs, including survival songs, are performed LIVE to a backing track. --"Due to the finalists' extensive preparation for their Wednesday night performances, the opening ensemble number on the results show is pre-recorded, the same way as on other shows." --Fox didn't name the "other shows," but they're probably talking about "American Idol". (--The question is: Do you care? On one hand, it's not surprising that those group performances are pre-recorded . . . especially since they often include a significant amount of choreography, unlike the individual performances.) (--And like Fox said, the contestants' focus in rehearsals is on their own performances . . . not the group stuff, which doesn't really have any bearing on whether or not they remain in the competition.) (--But maybe it should. This IS a singing competition, which is supposed to be uncovering a talent who has the so-called "X factor." The contestants should be able to sing and dance . . . and if they screw up, then America should see it.)
"American Idol's" William Hung Is Now Working for Law Enforcement:
"American Idol" superstar WILLIAM HUNG has a new gig . . . and sadly, it doesn't involve singing. He's working in law enforcement, as a "Technical Crime Analyst" for the L.A. County Sheriff's Department. --His job is similar to that guy's from "Numb3rs" . . . who did research to find trends and patterns in crimes. (--Here's a picture of William Hung at work. And revisit his brilliant performance of RICKY MARTIN'S "She Bangs", here.) (TMZ)
Monday TV Reminders: (--Check your local listings.)
--"Monday Night Football" . . . 8:30 to 11:30 P.M. Eastern on ESPN. The Philadelphia Eagles host the Chicago Bears at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
--"Dancing with the Stars" [Performance Show] . . . 8:00 to 10:00 P.M. on ABC. The final five are Nancy Grace, Ricki Lake, Olympic soccer minx Hope Solo, "All My Children" hero J.R. Martinez, and reality star Rob Kardashian.
--"The Sing-Off" . . . 8:00 to 10:00 P.M. on NBC. The six remaining groups perform classic-rock as well as some country tunes.
--"House" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Fox. Jamie Bamber, who played Apollo on Syfy's "Battlestar Galactica", guest stars as a man who mysteriously collapses.
--"Mike & Molly" . . . 9:30 to 10:00 P.M. on CBS. Holly Robinson Peete guest stars when Carl attempts to get her to agree to a date with him.
--"Ridiculousness" . . . 10:00 to 10:30 P.M. on MTV. Bull rider Judd Leffew guests.
NEW VIDEO GAMES
"Modern Warfare 3" Goes On Sale at Midnight Tonight:
--"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" (M) . . . on Xbox360, PS3, Wii, and the PC. In this one, Makarov's trying to start a global war, while Soap and Price are trying to clear their names after being labeled as terrorists at the end of the last "Modern Warfare".
Soap MacTavish is once again voiced by Kevin McKidd, who your girlfriend knows as Dr. Owen Hunt on "Grey's Anatomy". (Single Player Trailer) (Multiplayer Trailer)
Weapon Proficiency: One of the changes to multiplayer is the new weapon proficiency feature. As part of standard weapon upgrades, they've integrated perks directly into the weapon itself, meaning you can earn additional perks like reduced recoil, deeper impact and quicker melee for your favorite gun.
Strike Packages: Another change to multiplayer is the old killstreak system has been replaced by a new system called strike packages, where points you earn from capturing objectives or getting assists can also count toward earning your streak bonuses.
The Assault Package lets you to earn point-streaks with traditional kill chains, rewarding players with high kill/death ratios with additional air support, just like in previous games.
The Support Package is for team-focused players. Your point-streaks are more objective-based and your rewards are things like ballistic vests for the entire team. And their real bonus is that their point-streak isn't reset when they die.
And the Specialist Package is geared toward a lone wolf playing style, and people who use this one won't earn normal killstreaks like choppers and UAV. Instead, they are rewarded with perks. And after your 8th kill without dying you get every perk available.
New Game Modes: There's one called Kill Confirmed that doesn't count any of your kills until you go out to the body and claim the other guy's dog tag. And if the enemy gets to it first, they can DENY you the points for that kill.
Another new mode is called Team Defender. It's like Capture the Flag, except there's no stationary base. The first person that gets killed drops a flag, then you spend the rest of the game fighting to hold onto it.
This Week's Other Games Include the New "Harry Potter" Game, the Next "Elder Scrolls", and "The Black Eyed Peas Experience":
--"The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" (M) . . . on Xbox360, PS3, and PC. The fifth "Elder Scrolls" game hits stores on Friday, 11/11/11. It takes place 200 years after the previous title, and the main story revolves around you trying to take out a dragon god who's trying to destroy the world.
Instead of using a standard class system for warriors or wizards, in "Skyrim" your character only gets better in areas you practice . . . so if you only kill monsters with a sword you will have great blade skills, but your fireballs might be weak.
Another way to boost your character is with Dragon Shouts. Since your character is Dragonborn you can absorb the souls of the dragons you kill, and channel their abilities like fire breathing, a rain of meteors, or the ability to encase enemies in ice. (Trailer)
--"LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7" (E10+) . . . on Xbox360, PS3, Wii, DS, 3DS, PSP, and PC. This game hits stores on Friday, with the magical date of 11/11/11, and covers the last four "Harry Potter" films. It plays exactly like last year's "Harry Potter" game. And yes, you will still be turned into a frog if you make potions incorrectly. (Trailer)
--"Happy Feet Two: The Videogame" (E) . . . on Xbox360, PS3, Wii, DS, and 3DS. The new movie hits theaters in two weeks. This game's controller-based dance system uses the player's rhythm to enhance the dancing competitions. (Trailer)
--"Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion XL" (E10+) . . . on Xbox360, PS3, and Wii. In this fighting game you battle it out with Cartoon Network characters like Ben Ten, Captain Planet, Dexter, and the Powderpuff Girls on multi-tiered 2D stages. (Trailer)
--"The Black Eyed Peas Experience" (T) . . . on Xbox360 and Wii. You can get down to the Black Eye Peas' hits like "I Gotta Feeling" and "Rock that Body" using the Kinect or the Wii's motion controls. (Trailer)
--"Deepak Chopra's Leela" (E) . . . on Xbox360 and Wii. This game will somehow assist you with meditation. It uses the motion control capabilities of your console to help you unwind with "ancient relaxation techniques." Perhaps it helps that the game is being released on Friday, with the powerful date of 11/11/11. Or perhaps not. (Trailer)
--"Champion Jockey: G1 Jockey & Gallop Racer" (E) . . . on Xbox360, PS3, and Wii. (Trailer)
--"Raving Rabbids: Alive & Kicking" (E) . . . on Xbox360, PS3, and Wii. A party game full of mini games, which will also work on the Kinect. (Trailer)
--"Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012" (E) . . . for the Kinect on Xbox360.
--"Big League Sports" (E) . . . for the Kinect on Xbox360.
--"Self-Defense" (E) . . . for the Kinect on Xbox360.
--"Winter Stars" (E) . . . for the Kinect on Xbox360.
Video Game Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:
#1.) "Battlefield 3" sold five million copies its first week. That sounds really good until you factor in that the previous "Call of Duty" game sold 5.6 million its first DAY . . . and "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" is projected to significantly beat that number.
#2.) Here's an amusing "Call of Duty" video starring Sam Worthington from "Avatar" and Jonah Hill as the Vet and the Noob. NBA stud Dwight Howard makes a brief cameo at the end. (Video)
#3.) If you're on the fence about "Call of Duty's" new ELITE social networking site. You may be interested to know that you can update your weapons loadout from your mobile device. And it includes Facebook integration for updating your gaming status. (Video)
4.) Here's the first official "Grand Theft Auto V" trailer. (Video)
NEW ON VIDEO THIS WEEK
--"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" . . . This one hits stores on Friday, or 11/11/11. The Ministry of Magic has fallen, Voldemort is about to lay siege to Hogwarts, and Harry is preparing for his final confrontation with you know who.
(--The entire 8-film collection will also be available on 11/11/11.)
Horcrux: In the "Harry Potter" books, it's an object of dark magic where someone conceals a piece of their soul. And that's how Voldemort keeps coming back to life. Voldemort split HIS soul into seven pieces. By the end of the last movie Harry had succeeded in destroying three of them, which leaves four more to find and destroy before Voldemort can be killed once and for all. (Horcruxes)
Deathly Hallows: These are three extremely powerful items that allow the bearer to conquer death. They are . . . the Resurrection Stone, Harry's Cloak of Invisibility, and the Elder Wand that Voldemort acquired at the end of the last film.
--"The Change-Up" - The body-switching comedy starring Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds. Leslie Mann plays Bateman's wife, and Olivia Wilde is his sexy co-worker. (Trailer) (Redband Trailer)
--"13" - A thriller starring Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham, and 50 Cent. Rourke is one of the players in the Russian roulette circle, who are each aiming at another guy's head. Statham is a rich guy gambling on who'll survive and 50 is one of the guards keeping the players from backing out. (Trailer)
--"Law & Order: The Complete Series" . . . a 104-disc set. It ran 20 seasons.
--"Doctor Who: Series Six, Part Two" . . . a two-disc DVD set.
NEW MUSIC OUT THIS WEEK
This Week's CD Releases:
--"Now That's What I Call Music! 40" . . . including Lady Gaga's "You and I", Demi Lovato's "Skyscraper", Kelly Clarkson's "Mr. Know It All", Rihanna's "Cheers (Drink to That)", Lady Antebellum's "Just a Kiss", Britney Spears' "I Wanna Go", and the Bad Meets Evil song "Lighters" featuring Bruno Mars.
--The "Twilight: Breaking Dawn" soundtrack . . . with music by Bruno Mars, The Joy Formidable, The Features, the Noisettes, Iron & Wine, Christina Perri and Argentinian actress Mia Maestro, who you may remember as Nadya on "Alias".
--"Til The Morning", Keith Sweat . . . T-Pain guests on the song "To the Middle", and Keith gets help from Johnny Gill and Gerald Levert on "Knew It All Along".
The Four Original Members of Black Sabbath Have Scheduled a Press Conference for This Week:
It sure looks the original BLACK SABBATH lineup is reuniting. --OZZY OSBOURNE, guitarist TONY IOMMI, bassist GEEZER BUTLER and drummer BILL WARD are holding a press conference at the Whiskey a Go-Go club in L.A. this Friday. Specifically, it's scheduled for 11/11/2011 at 11:11 A.M. --Naturally, they're expected to announce that they're reuniting, but it's unclear if that would be for a tour . . . a new album . . . or both. This lineup toured on and off from 1997 through 2005, but their last album together came out over 30 years ago. --The press release merely said, quote, "[It's a] special announcement at the same location where [Black Sabbath] made their Los Angeles debut on November 11th . . . 41 years ago." HENRY ROLLINS is "hosting" the event.
Will Van Halen Make a "Special Live Announcement" at the Grammy Nominations Concert?
Word has it that VAN HALEN will be making a "special live announcement" at the Grammy Nominations Concert, which CBS will air live from L.A. on November 30th. --There's no word what it's about yet . . . but here's what we know: --The Grammys put out a press release saying that the nominations concert will include, quote, "a special, live announcement from a truly iconic group regarding their historic band reunion set to take place on the Grammy stage on February 12th." --They didn't name Van Halen, but then there was a Tweet from the show's Twitter account saying, quote, "Who do u predict the reuniting band will be? Does this hint make u wanna 'Jump' and 'Dance the Night Away'?" --If it IS Van Halen, the announcement could be about a new album . . . and maybe they're going to debut the first single at the Grammys? (--The Grammy Nominations Concert will feature performances by Lady Gaga, Ludacris, Lupe Fiasco, Jason Aldean and Sugarland.)
Someone Bought John Lennon's Tooth for $31,200:
JOHN LENNON'S tooth was auctioned off in England over the weekend. It was expected to bring in at least $16,000 . . . and it ended up doubling that, going for about $31,200. (--Check out a picture of the tooth, here.) --A dentist from Canada says he was the winning bidder. By the way, the tooth was too fragile to be authenticated through DNA testing . . . however, it came from John's former housekeeper, so everyone is assuming it's legit.
MONDAY'S SHOWBIZ EXTRAS
Showbiz Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:
ANDREW GARFIELD may have cheated on his "Spider-Man" co-star EMMA STONE with RASHIDA JONES. (Full Story)
RUMER WILLIS suddenly has a bunch of new tattoos on her arms. Are they even real? (Photos)
KEVIN FEDERLINE is trying to run off some of that excess weight. (Photos)
JESSICA SIMPSON says that because she's pregnant, she passes gas 15 times more than the average person. (Full Story)
An old PBS interview with STEVE JOBS is being made into a movie and released in select cities next week. (Full Story)
RAY LIOTTA turned down the lead in TIM BURTON'S "Batman" because he wanted to do something more "serious". (Full Story)
The sequel to "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is moving forward, and ANDY SERKIS has signed on to once again play lead ape Caesar. (Full Story)
RANDOM STUFF
The Average American Only Has Two Close Friends . . . Down From Three 25 Years Ago:
We're living in the era of social networking, the era of collecting thousands of friends on Facebook, the era where we have a million different ways to stay in touch with people. And yet . . . when it comes to good friends, we flat-out SUCK. --According to a new study out of Cornell University in New York, the average American today only has TWO close friends they can confide in. --Twenty-five years ago, in 1986, a similar study found the average American had THREE close friends. So even though it's never been easier to stay in touch . . . we've actually LOST an average of one best friend. --In the study, 48% of people say they have just one close friend . . . 18% say they have two close friends . . . 29% say they have more than two . . . and 4% said they have NO close friends. That averaged out to 2.03 close friends per person. --Matthew Brashears is the sociologist who led the study. He says that even though we have fewer close friends, he doesn't think we're becoming TOO socially isolated. --Instead, we have much larger networks of friends . . . thanks to things like social networking, emailing, and texting. And because of that, we're being more careful about who we actually confide in. (MSNBC)
57% of People Facebook Friend Someone They're Interested in Dating:
Here's more proof that Facebook has found its way into EVERY aspect of your personal life. Some new statistics are out about Facebook and dating. And, well . . . at this point, they're so intertwined it's too late to ever go back.
--57% of people say that after they meet someone they're interested in dating, they friend request that person on Facebook.
--Only 26% of people Google the person, and only 11% follow the person on Twitter. So, Facebook is CLEARLY the main way we try to cyber-stalk someone we want to date.
--24% of people say they're MOST LIKELY to ask someone on a FIRST DATE over Facebook. That makes it the second-most popular way . . . it beat out PHONE CALLS, which got 16%, and texts, which got 11%.
--"In person" was the most popular way, at 42%.
--33% of people have been broken up with by text, email, or Facebook . . . and 40% of people say they would consider breaking up with someone over one of those three methods.
--After getting into a relationship, 38% of people IMMEDIATELY change their Facebook relationship status. 24% wait until after they tell their friends . . . 24% wait until their new boyfriend or girlfriend changes their status.
--After a breakup, 52% of people immediately change their Facebook relationship status. (Mashable)
Check Out Drawings From a Guy Who Sketched His Way Through the New York City Marathon:
This is just showing off, man. Yesterday, a columnist for the "New York Times Magazine" named Christoph Niemann ran the New York City Marathon. Running a marathon is hard enough. What he did is RIDICULOUS. --While he ran, Cristoph drew SKETCHES of what he was seeing. He live-sketched the marathon. He didn't even slow down to do it. So this guy is in better shape than you AND a better artist. What an a-hole. (Gawker) (--Check out all of his drawings at his Twitter account, @AbstractSunday. Here are a few that we liked as well.)
11% of People Changed Their Clocks the Wrong Direction Yesterday:
Back when we were little kids learning about Daylight Saving Time, most of us got the "spring forward, fall back" thing down pretty easily: Set the clock forward in the spring, back in the fall. --So I feel bad for these people who clearly DIDN'T learn that . . . or spaced out when it was time to use it. --According to a new survey, 11% of people changed their clocks the wrong direction yesterday. They were supposed to "fall back" and set the clock BACKWARDS an hour. Instead, they set it forward an hour. --The survey also found that 27% of people have been either early or late for an appointment at some point in their life because of the time change. (International Business Times)
A New Study Finds Earthquakes are the Deadliest Natural Disasters:
Good news: You can stop worrying about hurricanes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, asteroids crashing into Earth, tornados, fires, and alien attacks. Because they've all been declared WEAK. At least compared to EARTHQUAKES. --A new study in the medical journal "The Lancet" found that earthquakes are THE deadliest natural disasters. It didn't rank the others . . . it just found that earthquakes are the worst. --The study found that when an earthquake hits, it can cause fatal injuries to up to 8% of a city's population. That's an insanely high number. --The most common injuries caused by earthquakes are lacerations, broken bones, bruises or sprains, and BEING CRUSHED. --They're also extremely dangerous because they can take out roads and bridges, making it harder for medical assistance to get to injured people. --In the past decade, earthquakes have caused more than 780,000 deaths worldwide. --And major cities like New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Shanghai are all on earthquake fault lines. Have a great day! (USA Today)
A Cleaning Lady at a Museum Accidentally Scrubbed Away Part of a Million-Dollar Sculpture:
A cleaning woman accidentally ruined a million-dollar sculpture . . . because like most of us, she couldn't tell the difference between modern art and a mess. --The Ostwall Museum in Dortmund, Germany had a modern-art display that included a $1.1 million sculpture by German artist Martin Kippenberger. --The piece is called "When it Starts Dripping From the Ceiling", and it had a bunch of wooden slats over what appeared to be a dried puddle on the floor. --A cleaning woman saw the stain on the floor, and thought the ceiling was leaking. So she got to work and completely scrubbed away the dried puddle. --The cleaning staff had been warned to stay at least eight inches away from the artwork, so museum officials aren't sure how the misunderstanding occurred. --The obvious solution would be to have Martin fix it. Unfortunately, he can't . . . because he DIED in 1997. The sculpture was on loan from a private collector. The owner said it should remain on display while they decide whether or not to repair it. (SFGate.com)
A Restaurant That Banned Children Under Six Has Seen a Big Jump in Business:
Back in July, McDain's Restaurant and Golf Center in Monroeville, Pennsylvania got national attention when its owner, Mike Vuick, decided to BAN all children under age six from eating in the restaurant. --In an email to his customers, he wrote, quote, "We feel that McDain's is not a place for young children. Their volume can't be controlled and many, many times, they have disturbed other customers." --And yes, that's legal . . . restaurants can't ban people of different races or handicaps, because that's illegal. But the law doesn't protect children . . . so it's totally within the restaurant's right to refuse them service. --And now, four months after McDain's started the ban, the local media checked in with them to see how things were doing. --And it turns out . . . BUSINESS IS BOOMING. --Vuick says that he's seen a massive 20% increase in business ever since he banned children. --He also says he's gotten a lot of feedback on the policy . . . but it's been 20-to-one in favor of the ban. --Quote, "People came from as far away as Detroit, Columbus, D.C. . . . to congratulate me on the move." (ABC 4 - Pittsburgh)
Police in Tennessee are Cracking Down on the Black Market . . . for Chicken Pox-Infected Spit?
There's NO LINK between vaccines for children and developmental problems. But some parents are STILL paranoid. And parents in Tennessee have taken it to a new level. --Apparently some parents in Tennessee don't trust their doctors to administer the vaccine for chicken pox. So instead, they're going online to buy the saliva of sick kids, in the hopes of infecting their children. --There's actually a black market for chicken-pox-infected saliva on Facebook. Parents sell lollypops licked by their sick kids, or VIALS of the kid's saliva. The idea is that you give it to your own child, and they get chicken pox that one and only time. --Wendy Werkit of Nashville had an ad promising a, quote, "fresh batch of pox in Nashville, shipping of suckers, spit and Q-tips available tomorrow. $50 via PayPal." --Attorney Jerry Martin is based in Tennessee, and he's trying to put a stop to it. He said, quote, "Can you imagine getting a package from this complete stranger that you know from Facebook, and say here, drink this spit from some other kid?" --He's cracking down on the sales using laws passed after the anthrax scare ten years ago. They make it illegal to mail viruses and other contagions, and the sentences range anywhere from one to 20 years. --And not only is it illegal, but according to infectious disease specialists, it won't work. Dr. Isaac Thomsen at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital said the virus won't live long enough on a lollypop, and it typically needs to be inhaled. --On the other hand, hepatitis COULD survive being mailed on a lollypop, so your kid might end up getting that instead of the pox. (Associated Press)
MEATBALL CRIMINALS
A Couple in Their 50s Was Arrested for Stealing an Undercover Cop Car . . . So They Could Get-It-On Inside:
Just because you're in your 50s does NOT mean you have to stop having WILD and ADVENTUROUS sex. --But when it crosses into INCREDIBLY ILLEGAL territory . . . you're taking things too far. --59-year-old Alexander Pratt and 53-year-old Clara Pearson are both from Lake Worth, Florida. And last Thursday, they were looking for a place to GET-IT-ON. It's not clear if they're a couple . . . or if they just met. --They were walking past a gas station, saw a Honda Civic with the keys inside . . . and decided to STEAL IT so they could have sex in it. -There was only one problem. The Civic was actually an undercover COP CAR. It was owned by the sheriff's department . . . and a plainclothes officer had left it running while he ran inside the gas station to grab something. --The sheriff's department used the car's GPS to quickly track it down . . . BEFORE Alexander and Clara could even get-it-on. Both of them were arrested for grand theft auto. --During the arrest, Alexander told the cops he did NOT regret stealing their car because he really wanted to, quote, "go have intimate relations." (Palm Beach Post)
RANDOM NEWS EXTRAS
Random News Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:
Remember the awesome website 'Awkward Family Photos'? They turned it into a book, then started 'Awkward Family Pet Photos'. And now THAT is being turned into a book too. (Full Story)
An engaged pregnant couple in South Africa discovered that they're brother and sister, just days before the wedding. (Full Story)
A guy tried to rob a hotel in LA at gunpoint last Wednesday, not realizing that it was hosting guests from Oregon in town for a martial arts tournament. So a couple martial arts experts ended up subduing the thief in the lobby, and there's surveillance video. Unfortunately they didn't bust out any awesome karate moves. (Full Story)
Disturbing News: An assistant football coach at Penn State abused young boys for years . . . and was even busted with them in the locker room showers . . . and Coach Paterno and university officials knew about it. (Full story) (--Was there a deliberate cover-up? It's unclear. But we'll be on this story for you if it blows up.)
Supposedly the world's largest family belongs to a construction worker in India's who's also the leader of a Christian sect. The 181 members of his family include him, his 39 wives, 94 children, 14 daughters-in-law and 33 grandchildren. And they all live in the same 100-room house. (Full Story)
There's a bar in Canada with a drink containing a dude's mummified toe. (Full Story)
A 19-year-old in New Hampshire took a wrong turn on the way home on Friday at 1:30 A.M., was flagged down by the owners of a burning house, and ended up saving their daughter trapped inside. (Full Story)
An 84-year-old in Minnesota died on Saturday on the first day of hunting season . . . by accidentally setting himself on fire with a propane heater and falling out of his tree stand. (Full Story)
NAZZY’S VIDEOS OF THE DAY
#1.) (NC-17) A Streaker Ran on Stage at the MTV Europe Music Awards and Had a Conversation with Hayden Panettiere . . . but it Was Staged:
A streaker ran on stage at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Belfast, Ireland last night. But it was clearly staged. The guy was naked, and viewers saw EVERYTHING . . . which wouldn't fly over HERE. But apparently Europeans are fine with a guy's junk swinging around on TV. --Anyway, HAYDEN PANETTIERE was reading the nominees for Best Song. And she did a pretty good job pretending she was surprised. --But then she and the streaker had an awkward conversation about having a drink after the show. Obviously, if it was REAL, security would have been on stage in five seconds. (--Search for "Streaker at the EMA's." WARNING: This video includes full frontal nudity.)
#2.) A Surfer in California Came Close to Being Swallowed by a Whale:
On Halloween, a group of people off the coast of Santa Cruz, California came as close as you'd ever want to come to being swallowed by a whale. One person got it on video, and the footage is pretty cool, so some people say it's fake. --One kayaker is filming two other kayakers and a girl on a surf board, when two huge humpback whales surface with their mouths open . . . about 20 feet away. The woman who shot the video is named Barb Roettger, and she swore to ABC News that the footage is real. --If it is, she was probably breaking the law. A pod of whales is feeding in that exact spot. And the U.S. Coast Guard is warning people to stay at least 100 yards from them. If you don't, you face a $2,500 fine for, quote, "whale harassment."(--Search for "Surfer Almost Swallowed by Whale." It happens at :15.)
#3.) An ESPN Reporter Had a Subtle but Hilarious Reaction to Saturday's Earthquake in Oklahoma:
No one was seriously hurt in the 5.6 earthquake that hit Oklahoma on Saturday night. But it damaged at least 14 buildings, and also scared the crap out of football commentator KIRK HERBSTREIT. --He was at Oklahoma State in Stillwater, about 40 miles from the epicenter. And he was in the middle of discussing the LSU-Alabama game live on ESPN. Then his eyes suddenly got REALLY wide. --Check the video out. It's subtle, but his face goes from normal to completely freaked out, then back again. Then 30 seconds later, he says he just felt an earthquake. --It turned out to be the strongest recorded earthquake in Oklahoma state history. The previous record was a 5.5 in 1952. (--Search for "Kirk Herbstreit Oklahoma Earthquake." It happens at :05, then he talks about it at :42. He calls it an "aftershock," but it was the actual 5.6 earthquake.)
Four Things That Make You Dumber:
If you're not feeling quite as sharp today, it might be all that beer you drank watching football. Or you might have done one of these four things: Here are four common things people do that make you dumber.a
#1.) Staying In. Basically, studies show that the more social you are, the more active your mind is. And the socializing keeps you sharp, especially as you get older. --So if you didn't do anything this weekend, you weren't giving your brain the social workout you should be.
#2.) Not Eating Right. The reason you hear about omega-3s all the time is because studies show they drastically improve brain health. And omega-3 deficiencies are linked to learning disabilities and depression. --Olive oil, fish, and some fruits and vegetables like broccoli and berries have high levels of omega-3s.
#3.) Not Taking Your Prescriptions. Some medical conditions can affect your memory, including common things like high cholesterol and high blood pressure. So don't go off a prescription unless you talk to your doctor first.
#4.) Not Getting Enough Sleep. If you don't get at least seven hours of sleep, it affects your memory. Plus, being tired makes you more stressed out, which ALSO hurts your memory. (ThirdAge.com)
ANDY ROONEY didn't have time to enjoy his retirement from "60 Minutes". He died Friday of complications from minor surgery. He was 92 years old. --He underwent surgery in the third week of October. There's still no word on the procedure. Rooney is survived by four children. His wife passed away in 2004. --He filed the last of his 1,097 reports for "60 Minutes" on October 2nd, after 33 years on the job. --Rooney's career as a journalist began when he was drafted by the Army in 1941. He covered the Eighth Air Force for the "Stars and Stripes" newspaper. --CBS News Chairman Jeff Fager said, quote, "It's a sad day at '60 Minutes' and for everybody here at CBS News. --"It's hard to imagine not having Andy around. He loved his life and he lived it on his own terms. We will miss him very much." (--Everything you need to know about Andy Rooney's life and career can pretty much be found in CBS' really long obit. You can read it at CBS News.) (--The website Mashable.com has posted videos of "10 of Andy's Best Commentaries". But it might just be the 10 best ones they could scrounge up on YouTube. Whatever the case, you'll find them here.)
Boxer Joe Frazier Is in Hospice with Liver Cancer:
Legendary boxing champ JOE FRAZIER has been placed in a Philadelphia-area hospice with liver cancer. He's 67 years old. --Frazier's manager said he was diagnosed with cancer just four or five weeks ago, adding, quote, "He's a true gentleman. Along with Muhammad Ali, [he is] one of the two most recognizable athletes in the world." (--Ali and Frazier fought in the infamous "Thrilla in Manilla" back in 1975. Ali won with a 14th-round TKO.)
Chaz Bono Will Not Die in Four Years:
The "National Enquirer" says that CHAZ BONO only has FOUR YEARS TO LIVE, due to complications from his gender reassignment. Chaz does not agree. --His legal team sent a letter to the "Enquirer" demanding a retraction and apology . . . calling the story, quote, "absolutely outrageous, false, fabricated, and highly defamatory." (--Here's the letter.) (--And here's the "Enquirer" cover with the Chaz death prediction.) (Washington Post)
(NC-17) Justin Bieber Will Take a Paternity Test . . . Plus, Additional Fallout from the "Is Justin a Baby Daddy?" Scandal:
[WARNING: The following story includes references to a sexual encounter with an underage boy, Justin Bieber..]
There's some more fallout in the "Is JUSTIN BIEBER a BABY DADDY?" scandal . . . and it's looking more and more like Justin is NOT this kid's father, and that his accuser 20-year-old Mariah Yeater is CRAZY. --The most important development is this: TMZ reports that Justin will take a paternity test when he returns to the U.S. in two weeks. He's in Europe now. --Once it's determined that Justin is NOT the father . . . if that's what happens . . . Justin's people are going to sue Mariah, and they're going to go after her hard. They want to make an example out of her to keep other people from making up bogus allegations against Justin. --Obviously, the truth is still up in the air at this point. Here's a rundown of the latest developments:
#1.) Justin told the "Today" show Friday that he'd never met Mariah. --He said, quote, "I'd just like to say, basically, that none of those allegations are true. I know that I'm going to be a target, but I'm never going to be a victim. It's crazy . . . [I've] never met the woman." (--There's video on the "Today" show website.)
#2.) Mariah has claimed two OTHER men were the baby's father. --Mariah's ex-boyfriend, 19-year-old John Terranova, tells the "New York Post" that Mariah previously tried to convince him HE was the father. But he says he knew she was lying because the timing, quote, "didn't add up." --And John thinks Mariah is lying again. He says, quote, "I know it's not Justin Bieber. She just wants money. It's a scam." (--John and Mariah dated for "nearly four years" before breaking up last winter. John got a new girlfriend once he found out Mariah had cheated on him . . . and now his current girlfriend is pregnant.) --The British tabloids also say she tried to pin the pregnancy on somebody named Steve. A so-called "friend" says, quote, "Steve was her secret boyfriend for a long time. She said they made love twice. --"One of the times the condom broke, so she thought that might be when she got pregnant." (--This is sure adding up to a lot of sex for someone who claimed "there were no other possible men that I had sex with that could be the father.")
#3.) Mariah was arrested for misdemeanor battery last December. --After Mariah found out that John had a new girlfriend, she threw a brick through the new girlfriend's car window. Then she got in an argument with John, and struck him in the face three times. His family called the police and she was arrested. --Mariah will answer that charge in court on December 12th, three days before the scheduled hearing in her case against Justin.
#4.) The "New York Post" reports that Mariah is asking for, quote, "up to $260,000 in monthly child support." (!!!) That's $3.12 MILLION a year.
#5.) Some of Mariah's relatives claim Mariah was seriously thinking about giving the baby up for adoption before she gave birth. She also never talked about the father.
#6.) There were some rumors going around that SELENA GOMEZ had dumped Justin over this mess. Well, that's not true. Reps for both of them denied the rumor, and over the weekend Selena and Justin were photographed holding hands.
#7.) Justin has reportedly hired a "crisis management team" to help him take care of this situation.
(--Here's the picture of Justin and Selena holding hands, along with Mariah's mugshot from her misdemeanor battery arrest.)
Kim Kardashian Is With Kris Humphries in Minnesota . . . But That Doesn't Necessarily Mean They're Getting Back Together:
KIM KARDASHIAN took a redeye flight out of Los Angeles Saturday night to be with KRIS HUMPHRIES in Minnesota. She arrived there at about 5:30 yesterday morning. --According to TMZ, Kim does NOT want to fix the marriage. They say, quote, "Kris and Kim will be meeting with the pastor who married them to talk about the marriage, the divorce, and their feelings. --"This is not a reconciliation but we're told Kim wants to make sure she and Kris have closure and talk everything out." --E! cameras did NOT follow Kim to Minnesota . . . and a source says she has no intention of exploiting her divorce for any of the family's reality shows. (--Here are pictures of Kim at the airport, and outside Kris' home.) (Source 1, Source 2)
Check Out the "SNL" Parody Video of the Kardashian Divorce:
"Saturday Night Live" did a pretty awesome parody of the KIM KARDASHIAN divorce Saturday night. (--You can watch it here.)
Kim Kardashian Admitted to Her Family That She's "Embarrassed" About Her Marriage:
KIM KARDASHIAN reportedly sent an e-mail to her family just before announcing the split, admitting she's "embarrassed" about how her marriage turned out. --She said, quote, "I'm embarrassed that I took everyone on this journey with me and had this huge wedding," she added. "But I have to be happy so I have to let this relationship go." --She added, quote, "Kris is a great guy but we come from such different worlds and he isn't what I thought when we first met."
Does Kim Kardashian Have to Pay Kris Humphries for Her Engagement Ring?
There's been so much talk about whether or not KIM KARDASHIAN gets to keep the engagement ring KRIS HUMPHRIES gave her. According to TMZ, she DOES . . . but only if she pays for it. --Supposedly, Kris paid for the ring, and Kim loved it so much she put a clause in the prenup saying that if they split, she gets to buy it from him. That ring reportedly cost Kris around $2 million.
Kelly Rowland Revealed that Beyoncé is Having a Girl:
KELLY ROWLAND revealed the other night that BEYONCÉ'S baby is going to be a girl. Kelly was speaking to "Us Weekly" at some award show in London, when they asked her what gift she's getting for the baby shower. --And in her reply, Kelly kept referring to the baby as "she" and "her". She said, quote, "I don't know. I think her dad is gonna give her everything anyways, all I can give her is love." --Then, asked if the kid will be spoiled, Kelly said, quote, "I think she'll be very well behaved. Her parents will make sure of that." (--It's not clear if Kelly wasn't supposed to say that. We also don't know if Beyoncé is mad about it. But neither she nor JAY-Z have announced their baby's sex themselves yet.)
Is Kate Middleton Pregnant?
The not-always-reliable British tabloids are full of KATE MIDDLETON pregnancy rumors. It's all because Kate was seen, quote, "patting or holding her stomach at least a dozen times" during a two-hour royal visit in Denmark. --She also turned down peanut butter. Apparently, doctors now advise pregnant women to avoid peanuts and peanut byproducts in order to prevent their babies from developing allergies. (--Here are pics of Kate holding her stomach and watching her husband eat peanut butter.) (Daily Mail)
Did Madonna's Friends Ditch Her . . . Because She Made a Play for Chris Martin?
MADONNA doesn't really have friends anymore. And it's her own damn fault . . . because she made a play for her buddy GWYNETH PALTROW'S husband CHRIS MARTIN. That's according to the "Star" tabloid, anyway. --A source says, quote, "Madonna got a little too flirty with Chris, and the tension spilled over to her relationship with Gwyneth. When Gwyneth's relationship with Madonna soured, so did everyone else's. --"She got her friends in their circle to dump her too. And now Madonna's really lonely because of it." --Other friends who've turned their backs on Madonna because of her whorishness include Stella McCartney, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Kate Hudson, and Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas.
Brody Jenner Got Cracked in the Head with a Bottle Trying to Break Up a Fight Between Avril Lavigne and Another Girl:
Kardashian stepbrother BRODY JENNER got cracked in the head with a bottle Saturday night while trying to break up a fight between his girlfriend AVRIL LAVIGNE and another chick. --There's no word what started the CATFIGHT. It broke out at about 1:00 A.M. Sunday morning at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, and witnesses say PUNCHES WERE THROWN. --Both Avril and the other girl split before cops arrived, but Brody spoke with them. He refused medical attention at the scene and went to the hospital on his own. --Yesterday morning he Tweeted, quote, "Interesting Saturday night... Just got [out] of the hospital with a new scar on my face. Charges/chargers!!!" (--Here's a grainy photo of Brody with some blood on his forehead. There's no official word how the bottle connected with his head, or whose fault it was.) (TMZ)
Did Lindsay Lohan Crash Leonardo DiCaprio's "J. Edgar" Party?
LINDSAY LOHAN reportedly pushed her way through security Thursday night at a party for LEONARDO DICAPRIO'S new movie "J. Edgar" . . . then made everyone there uncomfortable. --A source says Lindsay showed up fresh from her "Playboy" shoot, with her hair and makeup still done. --And she proceeded to make a scene with security at the door . . . claiming she was invited, name-checking all the big stars inside and saying, quote, "I have to go and see Leo." --The source adds, quote, "Eventually they let her in, but she made everybody uncomfortable. She was aggressive and random, storming around. She tried to get to Leo, but he was surrounded by his security and a posse of his friends. --"[Director] Clint Eastwood, Leo, and [screenwriter] Dustin Lance Black were talking, and Lindsay sent one of her aides over, demanding to get a photo with them, but security shooed them away." --But Lindsay's rep says, quote, "She did not crash, she was invited by a guest who attended the event. I am not aware of her asking for photos with Leo or Clint. She was never asked to leave." (--Lindsay has to turn herself in Wednesday to start serving her 30-day prison sentence . . . which will actually only last somewhere between a few minutes and six days.)
There's a Broadway Musical in the Works About Larry Bird and Magic Johnson:
LARRY BIRD and MAGIC JOHNSON had one of the greatest sports rivalries of all time back in the '80s. --It actually started back in 1979, when Bird's Indiana State team went up against Johnson and Michigan State for the college basketball national championship. (--Michigan State won.) --That year, Magic was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers as the first overall pick. Bird was snapped up by the Boston Celtics five picks later. Their teams played each other for the NBA title three times: In '84, '85 and '87. (--The Celtics won the first one, the Lakers took the next two.) --Overall, L.A. won five championships during Magic's tenure, and the Celtics won three with Bird. --And now, their story is coming to Broadway. Seriously. There's a musical in the works called "Magic/Bird", and it could debut as soon as March. Casting is currently underway. --Bird's character is described as, quote, "fiercely competitive and uncompromisingly honest" with a "small-town suspicion of strangers and loyalty to friends." --And Magic's character is, quote, "charismatic, energetic and the life of the party . . . fiercely competitive, outgoing, gregarious" with "unlimited ambition, ego and charm."
"Puss in Boots" Is #1 for a Second Week in a Row:
"Puss in Boots" made another $33 million this weekend to finish #1 at the box office for a second week in a row. The movie has now made $75.5 million in two weeks. --BEN STILLER and EDDIE MURPHY'S "Tower Heist" took the runner-up spot with $25.1 million . . . followed by "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas", which made $13.1 million in 3rd place.
Miley Cyrus Will Play Adam Sandler's Daughter . . . in an Animated Movie:
MILEY CYRUS will play ADAM SANDLER'S daughter in an ANIMATED movie called "Hotel Transylvania". Sandler's character is DRACULA. The movie is basically about a hotel where a bunch of monsters live. --The cast also includes Kevin James as the Frankenstein Monster and Fran Drescher as his bride . . . David Spade as the Invisible Man, Cee-Lo Green as a mummy and Steve Buscemi and Molly Shannon as werewolves. --"Saturday Night Live" star Andy Samberg will play a human character who somehow ends up at the hotel. The movie comes out next September. (--Here's a picture of Miley's character.) (Inside Movies)
Robert De Niro Will Play Bernie Madoff:
ROBERT DE NIRO will play financial scammer BERNIE MADOFF in a movie based on the book "Truth or Consequences: Life Inside the Madoff Family". --There's no word yet on a release date or any other casting.
Fox Has Admitted That the Contestants Were Lip-Synching During a Group Performance on "X Factor" . . . Does It Matter?
A "controversy" erupted after the Thursday episode of "X Factor", when viewers noticed that contestant LEROY BELL was lip-synching. --It happened at the beginning of the show . . . when all the contestants were doing a group performance of the DAVID GUETTA / USHER song "Without You". It was fairly obvious . . . the vocal track started before Leroy opened his mouth. (--You can find the video on YouTube. Leroy's mishap happens 26 seconds in.) --Fox has since ADMITTED that the contestants were lip-synching during that performance, but they insist that the contestants' individual performances ARE live. --Here's Fox's statement: Quote, "All competitive songs, including survival songs, are performed LIVE to a backing track. --"Due to the finalists' extensive preparation for their Wednesday night performances, the opening ensemble number on the results show is pre-recorded, the same way as on other shows." --Fox didn't name the "other shows," but they're probably talking about "American Idol". (--The question is: Do you care? On one hand, it's not surprising that those group performances are pre-recorded . . . especially since they often include a significant amount of choreography, unlike the individual performances.) (--And like Fox said, the contestants' focus in rehearsals is on their own performances . . . not the group stuff, which doesn't really have any bearing on whether or not they remain in the competition.) (--But maybe it should. This IS a singing competition, which is supposed to be uncovering a talent who has the so-called "X factor." The contestants should be able to sing and dance . . . and if they screw up, then America should see it.)
"American Idol's" William Hung Is Now Working for Law Enforcement:
"American Idol" superstar WILLIAM HUNG has a new gig . . . and sadly, it doesn't involve singing. He's working in law enforcement, as a "Technical Crime Analyst" for the L.A. County Sheriff's Department. --His job is similar to that guy's from "Numb3rs" . . . who did research to find trends and patterns in crimes. (--Here's a picture of William Hung at work. And revisit his brilliant performance of RICKY MARTIN'S "She Bangs", here.) (TMZ)
Monday TV Reminders: (--Check your local listings.)
--"Monday Night Football" . . . 8:30 to 11:30 P.M. Eastern on ESPN. The Philadelphia Eagles host the Chicago Bears at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
--"Dancing with the Stars" [Performance Show] . . . 8:00 to 10:00 P.M. on ABC. The final five are Nancy Grace, Ricki Lake, Olympic soccer minx Hope Solo, "All My Children" hero J.R. Martinez, and reality star Rob Kardashian.
--"The Sing-Off" . . . 8:00 to 10:00 P.M. on NBC. The six remaining groups perform classic-rock as well as some country tunes.
--"House" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Fox. Jamie Bamber, who played Apollo on Syfy's "Battlestar Galactica", guest stars as a man who mysteriously collapses.
--"Mike & Molly" . . . 9:30 to 10:00 P.M. on CBS. Holly Robinson Peete guest stars when Carl attempts to get her to agree to a date with him.
--"Ridiculousness" . . . 10:00 to 10:30 P.M. on MTV. Bull rider Judd Leffew guests.
NEW VIDEO GAMES
"Modern Warfare 3" Goes On Sale at Midnight Tonight:
--"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" (M) . . . on Xbox360, PS3, Wii, and the PC. In this one, Makarov's trying to start a global war, while Soap and Price are trying to clear their names after being labeled as terrorists at the end of the last "Modern Warfare".
Soap MacTavish is once again voiced by Kevin McKidd, who your girlfriend knows as Dr. Owen Hunt on "Grey's Anatomy". (Single Player Trailer) (Multiplayer Trailer)
Weapon Proficiency: One of the changes to multiplayer is the new weapon proficiency feature. As part of standard weapon upgrades, they've integrated perks directly into the weapon itself, meaning you can earn additional perks like reduced recoil, deeper impact and quicker melee for your favorite gun.
Strike Packages: Another change to multiplayer is the old killstreak system has been replaced by a new system called strike packages, where points you earn from capturing objectives or getting assists can also count toward earning your streak bonuses.
The Assault Package lets you to earn point-streaks with traditional kill chains, rewarding players with high kill/death ratios with additional air support, just like in previous games.
The Support Package is for team-focused players. Your point-streaks are more objective-based and your rewards are things like ballistic vests for the entire team. And their real bonus is that their point-streak isn't reset when they die.
And the Specialist Package is geared toward a lone wolf playing style, and people who use this one won't earn normal killstreaks like choppers and UAV. Instead, they are rewarded with perks. And after your 8th kill without dying you get every perk available.
New Game Modes: There's one called Kill Confirmed that doesn't count any of your kills until you go out to the body and claim the other guy's dog tag. And if the enemy gets to it first, they can DENY you the points for that kill.
Another new mode is called Team Defender. It's like Capture the Flag, except there's no stationary base. The first person that gets killed drops a flag, then you spend the rest of the game fighting to hold onto it.
This Week's Other Games Include the New "Harry Potter" Game, the Next "Elder Scrolls", and "The Black Eyed Peas Experience":
--"The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" (M) . . . on Xbox360, PS3, and PC. The fifth "Elder Scrolls" game hits stores on Friday, 11/11/11. It takes place 200 years after the previous title, and the main story revolves around you trying to take out a dragon god who's trying to destroy the world.
Instead of using a standard class system for warriors or wizards, in "Skyrim" your character only gets better in areas you practice . . . so if you only kill monsters with a sword you will have great blade skills, but your fireballs might be weak.
Another way to boost your character is with Dragon Shouts. Since your character is Dragonborn you can absorb the souls of the dragons you kill, and channel their abilities like fire breathing, a rain of meteors, or the ability to encase enemies in ice. (Trailer)
--"LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7" (E10+) . . . on Xbox360, PS3, Wii, DS, 3DS, PSP, and PC. This game hits stores on Friday, with the magical date of 11/11/11, and covers the last four "Harry Potter" films. It plays exactly like last year's "Harry Potter" game. And yes, you will still be turned into a frog if you make potions incorrectly. (Trailer)
--"Happy Feet Two: The Videogame" (E) . . . on Xbox360, PS3, Wii, DS, and 3DS. The new movie hits theaters in two weeks. This game's controller-based dance system uses the player's rhythm to enhance the dancing competitions. (Trailer)
--"Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion XL" (E10+) . . . on Xbox360, PS3, and Wii. In this fighting game you battle it out with Cartoon Network characters like Ben Ten, Captain Planet, Dexter, and the Powderpuff Girls on multi-tiered 2D stages. (Trailer)
--"The Black Eyed Peas Experience" (T) . . . on Xbox360 and Wii. You can get down to the Black Eye Peas' hits like "I Gotta Feeling" and "Rock that Body" using the Kinect or the Wii's motion controls. (Trailer)
--"Deepak Chopra's Leela" (E) . . . on Xbox360 and Wii. This game will somehow assist you with meditation. It uses the motion control capabilities of your console to help you unwind with "ancient relaxation techniques." Perhaps it helps that the game is being released on Friday, with the powerful date of 11/11/11. Or perhaps not. (Trailer)
--"Champion Jockey: G1 Jockey & Gallop Racer" (E) . . . on Xbox360, PS3, and Wii. (Trailer)
--"Raving Rabbids: Alive & Kicking" (E) . . . on Xbox360, PS3, and Wii. A party game full of mini games, which will also work on the Kinect. (Trailer)
--"Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012" (E) . . . for the Kinect on Xbox360.
--"Big League Sports" (E) . . . for the Kinect on Xbox360.
--"Self-Defense" (E) . . . for the Kinect on Xbox360.
--"Winter Stars" (E) . . . for the Kinect on Xbox360.
Video Game Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:
#1.) "Battlefield 3" sold five million copies its first week. That sounds really good until you factor in that the previous "Call of Duty" game sold 5.6 million its first DAY . . . and "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" is projected to significantly beat that number.
#2.) Here's an amusing "Call of Duty" video starring Sam Worthington from "Avatar" and Jonah Hill as the Vet and the Noob. NBA stud Dwight Howard makes a brief cameo at the end. (Video)
#3.) If you're on the fence about "Call of Duty's" new ELITE social networking site. You may be interested to know that you can update your weapons loadout from your mobile device. And it includes Facebook integration for updating your gaming status. (Video)
4.) Here's the first official "Grand Theft Auto V" trailer. (Video)
NEW ON VIDEO THIS WEEK
--"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" . . . This one hits stores on Friday, or 11/11/11. The Ministry of Magic has fallen, Voldemort is about to lay siege to Hogwarts, and Harry is preparing for his final confrontation with you know who.
(--The entire 8-film collection will also be available on 11/11/11.)
Horcrux: In the "Harry Potter" books, it's an object of dark magic where someone conceals a piece of their soul. And that's how Voldemort keeps coming back to life. Voldemort split HIS soul into seven pieces. By the end of the last movie Harry had succeeded in destroying three of them, which leaves four more to find and destroy before Voldemort can be killed once and for all. (Horcruxes)
Deathly Hallows: These are three extremely powerful items that allow the bearer to conquer death. They are . . . the Resurrection Stone, Harry's Cloak of Invisibility, and the Elder Wand that Voldemort acquired at the end of the last film.
--"The Change-Up" - The body-switching comedy starring Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds. Leslie Mann plays Bateman's wife, and Olivia Wilde is his sexy co-worker. (Trailer) (Redband Trailer)
--"13" - A thriller starring Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham, and 50 Cent. Rourke is one of the players in the Russian roulette circle, who are each aiming at another guy's head. Statham is a rich guy gambling on who'll survive and 50 is one of the guards keeping the players from backing out. (Trailer)
--"Law & Order: The Complete Series" . . . a 104-disc set. It ran 20 seasons.
--"Doctor Who: Series Six, Part Two" . . . a two-disc DVD set.
NEW MUSIC OUT THIS WEEK
This Week's CD Releases:
--"Now That's What I Call Music! 40" . . . including Lady Gaga's "You and I", Demi Lovato's "Skyscraper", Kelly Clarkson's "Mr. Know It All", Rihanna's "Cheers (Drink to That)", Lady Antebellum's "Just a Kiss", Britney Spears' "I Wanna Go", and the Bad Meets Evil song "Lighters" featuring Bruno Mars.
--The "Twilight: Breaking Dawn" soundtrack . . . with music by Bruno Mars, The Joy Formidable, The Features, the Noisettes, Iron & Wine, Christina Perri and Argentinian actress Mia Maestro, who you may remember as Nadya on "Alias".
--"Til The Morning", Keith Sweat . . . T-Pain guests on the song "To the Middle", and Keith gets help from Johnny Gill and Gerald Levert on "Knew It All Along".
The Four Original Members of Black Sabbath Have Scheduled a Press Conference for This Week:
It sure looks the original BLACK SABBATH lineup is reuniting. --OZZY OSBOURNE, guitarist TONY IOMMI, bassist GEEZER BUTLER and drummer BILL WARD are holding a press conference at the Whiskey a Go-Go club in L.A. this Friday. Specifically, it's scheduled for 11/11/2011 at 11:11 A.M. --Naturally, they're expected to announce that they're reuniting, but it's unclear if that would be for a tour . . . a new album . . . or both. This lineup toured on and off from 1997 through 2005, but their last album together came out over 30 years ago. --The press release merely said, quote, "[It's a] special announcement at the same location where [Black Sabbath] made their Los Angeles debut on November 11th . . . 41 years ago." HENRY ROLLINS is "hosting" the event.
Will Van Halen Make a "Special Live Announcement" at the Grammy Nominations Concert?
Word has it that VAN HALEN will be making a "special live announcement" at the Grammy Nominations Concert, which CBS will air live from L.A. on November 30th. --There's no word what it's about yet . . . but here's what we know: --The Grammys put out a press release saying that the nominations concert will include, quote, "a special, live announcement from a truly iconic group regarding their historic band reunion set to take place on the Grammy stage on February 12th." --They didn't name Van Halen, but then there was a Tweet from the show's Twitter account saying, quote, "Who do u predict the reuniting band will be? Does this hint make u wanna 'Jump' and 'Dance the Night Away'?" --If it IS Van Halen, the announcement could be about a new album . . . and maybe they're going to debut the first single at the Grammys? (--The Grammy Nominations Concert will feature performances by Lady Gaga, Ludacris, Lupe Fiasco, Jason Aldean and Sugarland.)
Someone Bought John Lennon's Tooth for $31,200:
JOHN LENNON'S tooth was auctioned off in England over the weekend. It was expected to bring in at least $16,000 . . . and it ended up doubling that, going for about $31,200. (--Check out a picture of the tooth, here.) --A dentist from Canada says he was the winning bidder. By the way, the tooth was too fragile to be authenticated through DNA testing . . . however, it came from John's former housekeeper, so everyone is assuming it's legit.
MONDAY'S SHOWBIZ EXTRAS
Showbiz Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:
ANDREW GARFIELD may have cheated on his "Spider-Man" co-star EMMA STONE with RASHIDA JONES. (Full Story)
RUMER WILLIS suddenly has a bunch of new tattoos on her arms. Are they even real? (Photos)
KEVIN FEDERLINE is trying to run off some of that excess weight. (Photos)
JESSICA SIMPSON says that because she's pregnant, she passes gas 15 times more than the average person. (Full Story)
An old PBS interview with STEVE JOBS is being made into a movie and released in select cities next week. (Full Story)
RAY LIOTTA turned down the lead in TIM BURTON'S "Batman" because he wanted to do something more "serious". (Full Story)
The sequel to "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is moving forward, and ANDY SERKIS has signed on to once again play lead ape Caesar. (Full Story)
RANDOM STUFF
The Average American Only Has Two Close Friends . . . Down From Three 25 Years Ago:
We're living in the era of social networking, the era of collecting thousands of friends on Facebook, the era where we have a million different ways to stay in touch with people. And yet . . . when it comes to good friends, we flat-out SUCK. --According to a new study out of Cornell University in New York, the average American today only has TWO close friends they can confide in. --Twenty-five years ago, in 1986, a similar study found the average American had THREE close friends. So even though it's never been easier to stay in touch . . . we've actually LOST an average of one best friend. --In the study, 48% of people say they have just one close friend . . . 18% say they have two close friends . . . 29% say they have more than two . . . and 4% said they have NO close friends. That averaged out to 2.03 close friends per person. --Matthew Brashears is the sociologist who led the study. He says that even though we have fewer close friends, he doesn't think we're becoming TOO socially isolated. --Instead, we have much larger networks of friends . . . thanks to things like social networking, emailing, and texting. And because of that, we're being more careful about who we actually confide in. (MSNBC)
57% of People Facebook Friend Someone They're Interested in Dating:
Here's more proof that Facebook has found its way into EVERY aspect of your personal life. Some new statistics are out about Facebook and dating. And, well . . . at this point, they're so intertwined it's too late to ever go back.
--57% of people say that after they meet someone they're interested in dating, they friend request that person on Facebook.
--Only 26% of people Google the person, and only 11% follow the person on Twitter. So, Facebook is CLEARLY the main way we try to cyber-stalk someone we want to date.
--24% of people say they're MOST LIKELY to ask someone on a FIRST DATE over Facebook. That makes it the second-most popular way . . . it beat out PHONE CALLS, which got 16%, and texts, which got 11%.
--"In person" was the most popular way, at 42%.
--33% of people have been broken up with by text, email, or Facebook . . . and 40% of people say they would consider breaking up with someone over one of those three methods.
--After getting into a relationship, 38% of people IMMEDIATELY change their Facebook relationship status. 24% wait until after they tell their friends . . . 24% wait until their new boyfriend or girlfriend changes their status.
--After a breakup, 52% of people immediately change their Facebook relationship status. (Mashable)
Check Out Drawings From a Guy Who Sketched His Way Through the New York City Marathon:
This is just showing off, man. Yesterday, a columnist for the "New York Times Magazine" named Christoph Niemann ran the New York City Marathon. Running a marathon is hard enough. What he did is RIDICULOUS. --While he ran, Cristoph drew SKETCHES of what he was seeing. He live-sketched the marathon. He didn't even slow down to do it. So this guy is in better shape than you AND a better artist. What an a-hole. (Gawker) (--Check out all of his drawings at his Twitter account, @AbstractSunday. Here are a few that we liked as well.)
11% of People Changed Their Clocks the Wrong Direction Yesterday:
Back when we were little kids learning about Daylight Saving Time, most of us got the "spring forward, fall back" thing down pretty easily: Set the clock forward in the spring, back in the fall. --So I feel bad for these people who clearly DIDN'T learn that . . . or spaced out when it was time to use it. --According to a new survey, 11% of people changed their clocks the wrong direction yesterday. They were supposed to "fall back" and set the clock BACKWARDS an hour. Instead, they set it forward an hour. --The survey also found that 27% of people have been either early or late for an appointment at some point in their life because of the time change. (International Business Times)
A New Study Finds Earthquakes are the Deadliest Natural Disasters:
Good news: You can stop worrying about hurricanes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, asteroids crashing into Earth, tornados, fires, and alien attacks. Because they've all been declared WEAK. At least compared to EARTHQUAKES. --A new study in the medical journal "The Lancet" found that earthquakes are THE deadliest natural disasters. It didn't rank the others . . . it just found that earthquakes are the worst. --The study found that when an earthquake hits, it can cause fatal injuries to up to 8% of a city's population. That's an insanely high number. --The most common injuries caused by earthquakes are lacerations, broken bones, bruises or sprains, and BEING CRUSHED. --They're also extremely dangerous because they can take out roads and bridges, making it harder for medical assistance to get to injured people. --In the past decade, earthquakes have caused more than 780,000 deaths worldwide. --And major cities like New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Shanghai are all on earthquake fault lines. Have a great day! (USA Today)
A Cleaning Lady at a Museum Accidentally Scrubbed Away Part of a Million-Dollar Sculpture:
A cleaning woman accidentally ruined a million-dollar sculpture . . . because like most of us, she couldn't tell the difference between modern art and a mess. --The Ostwall Museum in Dortmund, Germany had a modern-art display that included a $1.1 million sculpture by German artist Martin Kippenberger. --The piece is called "When it Starts Dripping From the Ceiling", and it had a bunch of wooden slats over what appeared to be a dried puddle on the floor. --A cleaning woman saw the stain on the floor, and thought the ceiling was leaking. So she got to work and completely scrubbed away the dried puddle. --The cleaning staff had been warned to stay at least eight inches away from the artwork, so museum officials aren't sure how the misunderstanding occurred. --The obvious solution would be to have Martin fix it. Unfortunately, he can't . . . because he DIED in 1997. The sculpture was on loan from a private collector. The owner said it should remain on display while they decide whether or not to repair it. (SFGate.com)
A Restaurant That Banned Children Under Six Has Seen a Big Jump in Business:
Back in July, McDain's Restaurant and Golf Center in Monroeville, Pennsylvania got national attention when its owner, Mike Vuick, decided to BAN all children under age six from eating in the restaurant. --In an email to his customers, he wrote, quote, "We feel that McDain's is not a place for young children. Their volume can't be controlled and many, many times, they have disturbed other customers." --And yes, that's legal . . . restaurants can't ban people of different races or handicaps, because that's illegal. But the law doesn't protect children . . . so it's totally within the restaurant's right to refuse them service. --And now, four months after McDain's started the ban, the local media checked in with them to see how things were doing. --And it turns out . . . BUSINESS IS BOOMING. --Vuick says that he's seen a massive 20% increase in business ever since he banned children. --He also says he's gotten a lot of feedback on the policy . . . but it's been 20-to-one in favor of the ban. --Quote, "People came from as far away as Detroit, Columbus, D.C. . . . to congratulate me on the move." (ABC 4 - Pittsburgh)
Police in Tennessee are Cracking Down on the Black Market . . . for Chicken Pox-Infected Spit?
There's NO LINK between vaccines for children and developmental problems. But some parents are STILL paranoid. And parents in Tennessee have taken it to a new level. --Apparently some parents in Tennessee don't trust their doctors to administer the vaccine for chicken pox. So instead, they're going online to buy the saliva of sick kids, in the hopes of infecting their children. --There's actually a black market for chicken-pox-infected saliva on Facebook. Parents sell lollypops licked by their sick kids, or VIALS of the kid's saliva. The idea is that you give it to your own child, and they get chicken pox that one and only time. --Wendy Werkit of Nashville had an ad promising a, quote, "fresh batch of pox in Nashville, shipping of suckers, spit and Q-tips available tomorrow. $50 via PayPal." --Attorney Jerry Martin is based in Tennessee, and he's trying to put a stop to it. He said, quote, "Can you imagine getting a package from this complete stranger that you know from Facebook, and say here, drink this spit from some other kid?" --He's cracking down on the sales using laws passed after the anthrax scare ten years ago. They make it illegal to mail viruses and other contagions, and the sentences range anywhere from one to 20 years. --And not only is it illegal, but according to infectious disease specialists, it won't work. Dr. Isaac Thomsen at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital said the virus won't live long enough on a lollypop, and it typically needs to be inhaled. --On the other hand, hepatitis COULD survive being mailed on a lollypop, so your kid might end up getting that instead of the pox. (Associated Press)
MEATBALL CRIMINALS
A Couple in Their 50s Was Arrested for Stealing an Undercover Cop Car . . . So They Could Get-It-On Inside:
Just because you're in your 50s does NOT mean you have to stop having WILD and ADVENTUROUS sex. --But when it crosses into INCREDIBLY ILLEGAL territory . . . you're taking things too far. --59-year-old Alexander Pratt and 53-year-old Clara Pearson are both from Lake Worth, Florida. And last Thursday, they were looking for a place to GET-IT-ON. It's not clear if they're a couple . . . or if they just met. --They were walking past a gas station, saw a Honda Civic with the keys inside . . . and decided to STEAL IT so they could have sex in it. -There was only one problem. The Civic was actually an undercover COP CAR. It was owned by the sheriff's department . . . and a plainclothes officer had left it running while he ran inside the gas station to grab something. --The sheriff's department used the car's GPS to quickly track it down . . . BEFORE Alexander and Clara could even get-it-on. Both of them were arrested for grand theft auto. --During the arrest, Alexander told the cops he did NOT regret stealing their car because he really wanted to, quote, "go have intimate relations." (Palm Beach Post)
RANDOM NEWS EXTRAS
Random News Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:
Remember the awesome website 'Awkward Family Photos'? They turned it into a book, then started 'Awkward Family Pet Photos'. And now THAT is being turned into a book too. (Full Story)
An engaged pregnant couple in South Africa discovered that they're brother and sister, just days before the wedding. (Full Story)
A guy tried to rob a hotel in LA at gunpoint last Wednesday, not realizing that it was hosting guests from Oregon in town for a martial arts tournament. So a couple martial arts experts ended up subduing the thief in the lobby, and there's surveillance video. Unfortunately they didn't bust out any awesome karate moves. (Full Story)
Disturbing News: An assistant football coach at Penn State abused young boys for years . . . and was even busted with them in the locker room showers . . . and Coach Paterno and university officials knew about it. (Full story) (--Was there a deliberate cover-up? It's unclear. But we'll be on this story for you if it blows up.)
Supposedly the world's largest family belongs to a construction worker in India's who's also the leader of a Christian sect. The 181 members of his family include him, his 39 wives, 94 children, 14 daughters-in-law and 33 grandchildren. And they all live in the same 100-room house. (Full Story)
There's a bar in Canada with a drink containing a dude's mummified toe. (Full Story)
A 19-year-old in New Hampshire took a wrong turn on the way home on Friday at 1:30 A.M., was flagged down by the owners of a burning house, and ended up saving their daughter trapped inside. (Full Story)
An 84-year-old in Minnesota died on Saturday on the first day of hunting season . . . by accidentally setting himself on fire with a propane heater and falling out of his tree stand. (Full Story)
NAZZY’S VIDEOS OF THE DAY
#1.) (NC-17) A Streaker Ran on Stage at the MTV Europe Music Awards and Had a Conversation with Hayden Panettiere . . . but it Was Staged:
A streaker ran on stage at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Belfast, Ireland last night. But it was clearly staged. The guy was naked, and viewers saw EVERYTHING . . . which wouldn't fly over HERE. But apparently Europeans are fine with a guy's junk swinging around on TV. --Anyway, HAYDEN PANETTIERE was reading the nominees for Best Song. And she did a pretty good job pretending she was surprised. --But then she and the streaker had an awkward conversation about having a drink after the show. Obviously, if it was REAL, security would have been on stage in five seconds. (--Search for "Streaker at the EMA's." WARNING: This video includes full frontal nudity.)
#2.) A Surfer in California Came Close to Being Swallowed by a Whale:
On Halloween, a group of people off the coast of Santa Cruz, California came as close as you'd ever want to come to being swallowed by a whale. One person got it on video, and the footage is pretty cool, so some people say it's fake. --One kayaker is filming two other kayakers and a girl on a surf board, when two huge humpback whales surface with their mouths open . . . about 20 feet away. The woman who shot the video is named Barb Roettger, and she swore to ABC News that the footage is real. --If it is, she was probably breaking the law. A pod of whales is feeding in that exact spot. And the U.S. Coast Guard is warning people to stay at least 100 yards from them. If you don't, you face a $2,500 fine for, quote, "whale harassment."(--Search for "Surfer Almost Swallowed by Whale." It happens at :15.)
#3.) An ESPN Reporter Had a Subtle but Hilarious Reaction to Saturday's Earthquake in Oklahoma:
No one was seriously hurt in the 5.6 earthquake that hit Oklahoma on Saturday night. But it damaged at least 14 buildings, and also scared the crap out of football commentator KIRK HERBSTREIT. --He was at Oklahoma State in Stillwater, about 40 miles from the epicenter. And he was in the middle of discussing the LSU-Alabama game live on ESPN. Then his eyes suddenly got REALLY wide. --Check the video out. It's subtle, but his face goes from normal to completely freaked out, then back again. Then 30 seconds later, he says he just felt an earthquake. --It turned out to be the strongest recorded earthquake in Oklahoma state history. The previous record was a 5.5 in 1952. (--Search for "Kirk Herbstreit Oklahoma Earthquake." It happens at :05, then he talks about it at :42. He calls it an "aftershock," but it was the actual 5.6 earthquake.)
Four Things That Make You Dumber:
If you're not feeling quite as sharp today, it might be all that beer you drank watching football. Or you might have done one of these four things: Here are four common things people do that make you dumber.a
#1.) Staying In. Basically, studies show that the more social you are, the more active your mind is. And the socializing keeps you sharp, especially as you get older. --So if you didn't do anything this weekend, you weren't giving your brain the social workout you should be.
#2.) Not Eating Right. The reason you hear about omega-3s all the time is because studies show they drastically improve brain health. And omega-3 deficiencies are linked to learning disabilities and depression. --Olive oil, fish, and some fruits and vegetables like broccoli and berries have high levels of omega-3s.
#3.) Not Taking Your Prescriptions. Some medical conditions can affect your memory, including common things like high cholesterol and high blood pressure. So don't go off a prescription unless you talk to your doctor first.
#4.) Not Getting Enough Sleep. If you don't get at least seven hours of sleep, it affects your memory. Plus, being tired makes you more stressed out, which ALSO hurts your memory. (ThirdAge.com)
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