HOLLYWOOD DIRT OVERFLOW (11-09-11)
Jessica Simpson Craves Cantaloupe Covered in Salt:
What is JESSICA SIMPSON craving now that she's pregnant? She tells "People" magazine, quote, "I crave cantaloupe like a crazy person. But I put salt all over it, so I don't know if that's healthy. --"I crave anything salty and sweet. That mixture to me is so good. I can eat a whole cantaloupe in one morning." --One thing Jessica does NOT crave is pizza. She says it tastes SOUR to her since she got knocked up. (--Cantaloupe . . . not the best craving to have right now. As you've probably heard, 29 people have been KILLED and 139 sickened by cantaloupe that came from a farm in Colorado.) (--It's the deadliest food-borne illness outbreak in the U.S. since 1924. Although luckily for Jessica, none of those deaths were in California.)
Amber Rose Says Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Did Hook Up:
KANYE WEST'S ex-girlfriend AMBER ROSE hit up the "Wendy Williams Show" yesterday, and cleared up some rumors about KIM KARDASHIAN. --First of all, Amber did NOT nail REGGIE BUSH while he was with Kim. She said, quote, "I'm not a homewrecker. I broke up with Kanye and [Reggie] broke up with Kim. We met after. --"We were both going through a hard time. We were each other's rebounds basically. It was brief, it was nice, he was a great guy!" --She also apparently CONFIRMED rumors that Kim and Kanye knocked boots last year. When Wendy asked about that hookup, Amber said, quote, "I mean come on, like, you know. We'll keep it cute." (--Check out video here. Amber is currently in a serious relationship with rapper Wiz Khalifa. She also talks about Kanye's incident at the MTV Awards at the 5:00 mark. And the Kim Kardashian stuff starts at the 8:05 mark.)
Conrad Murray Is NOT On Suicide Watch:
Reports that CONRAD MURRAY . . . (--We really don't need to call him DOCTOR Conrad Murray anymore, do we?) . . . is on suicide watch are apparently FALSE. --An L.A. County Sheriff's Spokesman says Murray is being held in the medical ward of the Men's Central Jail . . . but not because they think he might kill himself, or because he suffers from any ailments. --They just put him there because there are more guards to monitor him around the clock and see that he's "protected" while he's being processed. (--It's not clear what they're protecting him from. Murray doesn't mingle with any other inmates.) --The spokesman says, quote, "He's doing fine, he's been lucid, helpful and a model inmate." --By the way . . . You may not have known this, but Conrad Murray is a pretty big dude. According to his booking sheet, he's 6-foot-5 and 211 pounds. He's 58 years old. (--You can check out his booking sheet here.)
MSNBC Will Air a Documentary On Conrad Murray Tomorrow Night:
MSNBC will air a documentary on CONRAD MURRAY tomorrow night. It's called "Michael Jackson and the Doctor: A Fatal Friendship". --It features interviews and footage of Murray from the two years since Michael's death . . . including footage of Murray at his manslaughter trial. (--Check out a clip here.) (--And here's a clip from a different documentary, which offers a look inside Michael's Neverland Ranch back in its heyday.)
Brett Ratner Has Resigned as Producer of the "Oscars" After Dropping a Gay Slur At a Movie Screening:
"Tower Heist" director BRETT RATNER has resigned as producer of the 2012 "Oscars", after he dropped a GAY SLUR during a screening of the movie the other night. --During a Q&A at the screening the moderator asked Ratner about rehearsals for the movie . . . and he replied, quote, "Rehearsal is for [rhymes with BAGS]." (--Check out video here. WARNING!!! The F-word is UNCENSORED.) --Ratner . . . who also directed the "Rush Hour" movies . . . quickly apologized on Twitter . . . and it was a LEGIT, "I-did-something-stupid" apology . . . not one of those lame "I'm-sorry-if-anyone-was-offended" apologies. --But he still felt the need to quit the Academy Awards. And in doing so, he offered another apology. He said, quote, "Having love in your heart doesn't count for much if what comes out of your mouth is ugly and bigoted. --"Being asked to help put on the Oscar show was the proudest moment of my career. --"But as painful as this may be for me, it would be worse if my association with the show were to be a distraction from the Academy and the high ideals it represents." --Ratner said he's in contact with GLAAD, and he's, quote, "determined to learn from this experience." (--You can read Ratner's full statement here.) --It was Ratner who chose EDDIE MURPHY to host the Oscars. We have no reason to believe Eddie won't still emcee the show. (--Ratner has been saying a TON of asinine things during his "Tower Heist" press tour. You'll find a collection of 10 of them here.)
Colin Quinn Admits He Was Joking When He Blasted Will Ferrell on Twitter:
We knew COLIN QUINN was joking when he said on Twitter that WILL FERRELL has a drug problem . . . and that he stole the idea for "Anchorman" from him. But some people took him seriously. --Well, Colin is setting the record straight: HE WASN'T SERIOUS. --And he thinks the media may have trumped the whole thing up on purpose . . . quote, "You know, I think the problem is that they're like, 'We gotta get something. Everyone is tweeting such boring stuff; we gotta pretend this is real just to create a thing.'" --Colin says he picked on Will because, quote, "I know him, and he's just the straightest, cleanest guy. He's the least egotistical of anybody in show business, the most normal guy. So I was trashing that."
Clint Eastwood Likes Herman Cain:
CLINT EASTWOOD seems kind of liberal. He's for gay marriage, abortion rights and the environment. But he's still a Republican and a fiscal conservative who was against the stimulus and has NEVER voted for a Democratic presidential candidate. --And that's not likely to change anytime soon. It's probably too early to say who Clint is voting for next year, but right now, he digs HERMAN CAIN. --He says, quote, "I love Cain's story. He's a guy who came from nowhere and did well, obviously against heavy odds. He's a doer and a straight-talker, which I don't see enough of from either party." --Clint isn't big on some of the other frontrunners. Asked for his opinion on MITT ROMNEY, he sarcastically said, quote, "You have to admit, he looks like a president. --"I mean, if you were casting a movie where you needed someone to play president, you'd definitely pick him." --There's only one Democrat Clint can remember voting for: GRAY DAVIS for California governor in 1998.
Mike Tyson is Happy to Be Compared to Joe Frazier:
A very sweet and heartfelt tribute to the late JOE FRAZIER was penned by . . . believe it or not . . . MIKE TYSON. Technically, it wasn't "penned". It was posted on Twitter. --Mike said, quote, "Today is a sad yet remarkable day as we mourn the death of boxing legend Joe Frazier & honor him by celebrating his amazing accomplishments. --"Frazier and [Muhammad] Ali were quintessential the apex of pedigree fighting in which each man would not give an inch until they were dead. --"Their era was competitive fighting at the highest level. As a young fighter it has always been an honor to be compared to [Frazier]." --"My family and I are sending our sincerest condolences to the Joe Frazier family." --Tyson also Tweeted a tribute to rapper HEAVY D, who died unexpectedly Monday. He said, quote, "Just thinking of good times. Heavy performed at my 23rd bday party w/ Slick Rick, Salt n Pepa, Da Boyz & Al B Sure in Ohio. We had a blast. --"I was just with Heavy D in L.A. last month @ Manny's restaurant with our old crew. We said it was a reunion but we were really saying goodbye. --"I just spoke to Heavy D's mother and gave my condolences. I'm at a loss for words. A good man. He will be missed."
"Harry Potter" Leads the "People's Choice" Nominees:
Nominees for the 2012 "People's Choice Awards" were announced yesterday. And "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" pretty much leads the way with NINE nominations. --They include Favorite Movie . . . as well as acting nods for Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Tom Felton. --This is the award show that covers just about every category you can think of, in Movies, Music and TV. And lately, they've even been branching out to reality TV and the Internet. --For instance, Kim Kardashian, Giuliana Rancic, Tia and Tamera Mowry, Gene Simmons and Kathy Griffin are up for Favorite TV Celebreality Star. --The show airs January 11th on CBS. --Check out the complete list of roughly 10 million categories and 90 million nominees at the following link . . .)
http://www.peopleschoice.com/pca/awards/nominees/
The PTC Called Last Night's "Glee" Episode "Reprehensible":
As expected, the Parents Television Council has spoken out against last night's "Glee", which featured two teen couples . . . one straight and one gay . . . having sex for the first time. --It hadn't even aired yet when PTC President Tom Winter issued a statement saying, quote, "The fact that 'Glee' intends to not only broadcast, but celebrate children having sex is reprehensible." (--Not that seeing the episode first would have changed their opinion.) --The PTC CLAIMED it didn't care that one of the couples was gay. Winter added, quote, "The gender of the high school characters involved is irrelevant. Teen sex is now more prevalent on TV than adult sex, and 'Glee' is only playing into that trend. --"Research proves that television is a teen sexual super peer that can, and likely will, influence a teen's decision to become sexually active. Fox knows the show inherently attracts kids . . . celebrating teen sex constitutes gross recklessness." --Meanwhile, an anti-gay group called The Culture and Media Institute did attack the show for its guy-on-guy relations. They argued that "Glee" is, quote, "stepping up its campaign of homosexual promotion [and] liberal propaganda.--Fox hasn't commented, but "Glee" creator Ryan Murphy says the network expressed "no concern" over the storyline. He also says he hopes "Glee" is showing gay youth that they, quote, "can get love and are worthy of love."
Kelly Ripa Has Signed on for Five More Years of "Live!":
REGIS PHILBIN is leaving "Live! With Regis and Kelly" next Friday, but KELLY RIPA will be around for a while. She just signed a new five-year contract. --The deal runs from next fall through 2017, which will be her 16th year on the show. -After Regis leaves, the show will be re-named "Live! With Kelly". It's unclear whether or not they'll re-name the show again once a permanent co-host is hired. --By the way, the guests for Regis' last week have been announced. --Jimmy Fallon and Don Rickles will be there Monday. Donald Trump and Tony Bennett will be on Tuesday. Wednesday's show will feature David Letterman and Bret Michaels. --Regis' former co-host Kathie Lee Gifford and singer Josh Groban will be on Thursday's show . . . and if there are any guests on Friday's show, they're being kept a secret at this point.
Wednesday TV Reminders:
--"Sesame Street" . . . 8:00 to 9:00 A.M. on PBS. Jimmy Kimmel guest stars and teaches preschoolers what a sibling is.
--"Up All Night" . . . 8:00 to 8:30 P.M. on NBC. "My Name Is Earl's" Jason Lee plays Ava's new love interest when the two meet while Ava is babysitting little Amy.
--"The 45th Annual CMA Awards" . . . 8:00 to 11:00 P.M. on ABC. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood are your hosts. Performers include Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, The Band Perry, Kenny Chesney, Sugarland, Zac Brown Band, Keith Urban, Grace Potter, Kenny Loggins doing "Footloose" with Blake Shelton. (--You'll find your full list of nominees and performers here.)
--"The X Factor" . . . 8:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Fox. The top eleven finalists perform.
--"Harry's Law" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on NBC. "Cheers'" George Wendt guest stars as the mayor of a small Ohio town when Harry's car is impounded for violating their "Buy American" law.
--"South Park" . . . 10:00 to 10:30 P.M. on Comedy Central. The kids of South Park are about to learn the truth of what really happened at the first Thanksgiving.
--"Penn & Teller Tell a Lie" [1st Season Finale] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on Discovery.
--"Psych" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on USA. Former Red Sox third baseman and Hall of Fame slugger Wade Boggs guest stars as himself when Shawn and Gus investigate the murder of a minor-league baseball hitting coach.
--"Nick Swardson's Pretend Time" . . . 10:30 to 11:00 P.M. on Comedy Central. Ron Perlman and Natasha Leggero guest star.
Is This A New Madonna Song?
Is MADONNA'S next album going to have a dance, techno vibe? Maybe. --A "demo version" of a new Madonna song called "Give Me All Your Love" has leaked online . . . and it sounds like that's the style she's going for. (--You can find this thing all over the Internet, just Google it. Here's a direct link.) --Madonna will reportedly perform "Give Me All Your Love" at the Super Bowl in February, alongside M.I.A. and NICKI MINAJ, who are also featured on the track. --None of this is official though. There's no comment from Madonna or her people.
Justin Bieber Has Released an Animated Video for His Version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town":
JUSTIN BIEBER has released a CLAYMATION video for his version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", which is on his new Christmas album "Under the Mistletoe". --It pairs Justin up with Kris Kringle and some of the animal characters from the classic Christmas special "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town". It also incorporates actual footage from the special. (--You can check it out on Justin's VEVO page.)
Watch Joseph Gordon-Levitt Perform R. Kelly's "Ignition":
If you've always dreamed of JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT serenading you with a ROCKIN' version of R. KELLY'S "Ignition" . . . you're in luck. That's exactly what we have for you today. --Joseph performed 'Ignition" during an appearance at Ohio State University. (--You can find videos on YouTube. Here's one. WARNING: He drops an F-BOMB 51 seconds in. The song begins at the 1:19 mark. It's pretty fun.) (--Here's R. Kelly's version.)
Heavy D Has Passed Away:
Rap superstar HEAVY D passed away yesterday. He was 44. It was a sudden, unexpected death. It sounds like he may have suffered a heart attack, but that hasn't been confirmed. --For what it's worth, a so-called "associate" tells TMZ that Heavy D had pneumonia, but there aren't any more details on that. --A police source says Heavy D had just returned home from a shopping trip. He walked up some stairs outside his place in Beverly Hills . . . and began having trouble breathing. --A man who was in the building found Heavy D leaning against a railing. He was conscious, and reportedly kept saying, "I can't breathe, I can't breathe." Naturally, the man called 911. --Heavy D did have a pulse when the paramedics arrived . . . but he died a short time later. --Heavy D performed at the MICHAEL JACKSON tribute in Wales last month. He performed "Jam" with LA TOYA JACKSON. (--There's video of that on TMZ. Of course, that's a 1991 Michael Jackson song, which Heavy D rapped on.) --Heavy D had some big hits in the early '90s, including "Now That We Found Love" and "Got Me Waiting". He also did the theme song for the TV shows "In Living Color", "MadTV" and "The Tracy Morgan Show". --In addition to his music career, Heavy D also acted. He had roles in the movies "Life", "The Cider House Rules", "Step Up" and the TV shows "Boston Public" and "Bones". --Most recently, he had a guest spot on "Law and Order: SVU" . . . and played a courthouse guard in the new movie "Tower Heist". --On Monday night . . . the night before his death . . . Heavy D paid tribute to boxer JOE FRAZIER. He Tweeted, quote, "SMOKIN JOE FRAZIER, R.I.P. . . . truly one of the best heavyweight champs that ever lived . . . GODS SPEED, MR FRAZIER!" --His final Tweet was posted right after that. He simply said, quote, "Be inspired!"
Heavy D, 1967 - 2011; The Tributes:
Here's a rundown of what some celebrities Tweeted after the death of HEAVY D:
--Usher: "This is too heavy, I can't believe it. Heavy D was just here. Truly gone too soon. My heart and support goes out to his family. R.I.P. HEAVY."
--Timbaland: "I'm at a loss for words R.I.P. Heavy D."
--Missy Elliott: "U will be missed Heavy D so many laughs we've shared but your Music is Timeless and will Always be Around 4ever Love u Heav."
--Ciara: "RIP HEAVY D! He was a really nice man! Sending my condolences to him and his family!"
--Ne-Yo: "Man. I was just with Heavy D recently in London. Had I known it'd be the last time I'd see him, I woulda told him he was truly great. RIP."
--Sean Kingston: "R.I.P Rap legend Heavy D One Of The Most Influential Rappers Of The '90s Era . . . Another Sad Day For Music You Will Def Be Missed Man."
--LL Cool J: "May GOD embrace the soul of Heavy D and Bless his family. I respected you Heavy and I always will."
--Game: "Rest In Paradise to a GOOD FRIEND & legendary hip hop icon Dwight Arrington 'Heavy D' Myers. Damn life sometimes!!!"
--Samuel L. Jackson: "Ahhh man! Heavy D?! Dwight wz a dear friend. Fond memories of a truly cool brutha."
--Sinbad: "It is a sad day today . . . My younger yellow brother from another mother 'Heavy D' passed away today. I loved that brother. He was a good man."
--Alyssa Milano: "Heavy D gave me advice when I was pregnant. He said, 'Cherish every single moment. It goes by way too fast.' Rest in peace, Heavy D."
--And most importantly, Fred Savage: "Rest in Peace Heavy D. You provided the soundtrack to some of the best times of my teenage years. Your music will always make me smile."
WEDNESDAY'S SHOWBIZ EXTRAS
Showbiz Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:
CHAZ BONO has made this year's Out 100 . . . "Out" magazine's list of the 100 most influential members of the LGBT community. Adam Lambert, Tim Gunn and Geri Jewell . . . the comedienne with cerebral palsy who appeared on "The Facts of Life" in the '80s . . . also made the list. (List Preview)
NANCY GRACE finally got the boot from "Dancing With the Stars" last night. (Full Story)
JIM BOB and MICHELLE DUGGAR from the TLC series "19 Kids and Counting" are expecting their 20th child. (--We have all your details in Stupid News.)
Even though "The Oprah Winfrey Show" is no more, Oprah has still released her "Favorite Things" list. It's in the December issue of "O" magazine, which is on newsstands now. (Full Story)
ROSIE O'DONNELL'S 16-year-old son Parker begged her to let him join a military academy. She didn't like the idea, but eventually she gave in. (Full Story)
MARIAH CAREY appeared on ROSIE O'DONNELL'S show yesterday looking fantastic . . . and saying she's lost 70 pounds since giving birth to her twins back in April. (Full Story)
Remember when LINDSAY LOHAN filed a defamation lawsuit against PITBULL because he rapped, quote, "I got it locked up like Lindsay Lohan"? Well, now that Lindsay has been in and out of prison AGAIN, Pitbull has filed a countersuit . . . claiming that his lyric is now even more justified. (Full Story)
BILLY IDOL is recovering from a foot operation to fix an injury he suffered in a motorcycle incident last year. He had hit a tire on the road, and it caused a "hairline fracture" in his foot. (Full Story)
AC/DC singer BRIAN JOHNSON is going to have wrist surgery, so he's canceling some solo concerts he had scheduled for February. (Full Story)
THE GOOD NEWS
A Man Helps Two Women With a Flat Tire . . . and Minutes Later, They Save Him From Dying From a Heart Attack:
This is INSTANT KARMA . . . in a GOOD way. --On Saturday night, Sara Berg of Eau Claire, Wisconsin and her cousin, Lisa Meier, were driving home on a freeway in the western part of the state. They blew a tire and pulled over to the side of the road. And neither of them knew how to fix it. --61-year-old Victor Giesbrecht of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada was driving by with his wife, Ann. He saw the women on the side of the road, pulled over, and helped them change their tire. --He drove off afterward, and Sara and Lisa got back on the road a few minutes later. --But about a quarter of a mile down, they saw Victor's truck on the side of the road and his wife waving frantically. So they pulled over. --Turns out just after helping the women, Victor had a HEART ATTACK.\ --And here's where karma and fate step in. It turns out Sara's a certified nursing assistant who knows CPR. So while they waited five minutes for paramedics to come, she performed CPR and gave Victor chest compressions. --That kept his heart beating long enough for the EMTs to get there and use their portable defibrillator to get it beating properly again. Victor was rushed to the hospital where he's recovering. --Sara says, quote, "We felt kind of guilty that helping us caused his health issue. But people keep telling us that maybe it put us in the right place at the right time when he was going to need help." (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
A Man in New York Has Lost 200 Pounds This Year . . . All Thanks to a Bet With His Wife:
On January 1st, 30-year-old Jay Wornick of Fulton, New York, and his wife Angela made a bet. They would both try to lose weight, and at the end of the year, whoever had lost a lower percentage of weight would get the other's name TATTOOED. --When Jay stepped on the scale, he was shocked to find out he weighed 366 pounds. He thought he was closer to 300 . . . but it had been a long time since he'd weighed himself. --So he decided to take the bet seriously. He started eating around 1,500 to 2,000 calories a day . . . about one-quarter of what he was eating before. And he started doing cardio and lifting weights. --He lost 40 pounds in January. Then he lost another 30 in February. And he kept going. --When he weighed in a couple of days ago, he was down to 168 pounds. In ten months, he lost 198 pounds, or 54% of his body weight. --He and Angela didn't say how much weight she'd lost, but she didn't really have a chance to match that . . . so she's going to get his name tattooed on her back. (Syracuse Post-Standard) (--Here are before and after photos of Jay. He's basically unrecognizable from photo to photo . . . and all in just 10 months.)
RANDOM STUFF
A Third of People in Their Twenties Say the Internet's as Important as Air, Water, Food, and Shelter?
Every time the Internet goes down, we realize just how dependent we are on having it constantly available. But I don't know that I would DIE without it. --Cisco just released the results of a survey of people in their 20s . . . both college students and working professionals . . . and for a lot of them, yes, they rely on the Internet so much they consider it a basic building block of life.
--33% of people say that the Internet is AS IMPORTANT as air, food, water, and shelter. And another 50% say it's ALMOST as important.
--55% of college students say they couldn't live without it.
--40% of college students say the Internet is more important than dating, hanging out with friends, partying, or listening to music. And 25% say that staying updated on Facebook is more important than those things. -- Yes . . . a quarter of them said that staying updated on Facebook is more important than dating, hanging out with friends, or partying. Apparently they don't know the meaning of "irony."
--89% say they check Facebook at least once a day. (CBS News)
Here are All 50 States, Ranked from Best Drivers to Worst Drivers:
This is the most thorough attempt we've ever seen to rank the 50 states by driving ability. So let's get ready to JUDGE.
--All 50 states got ranked by fatalities per million miles driven, number of tickets, drunk driving rates, and careless driving rates. Then the ranks in those categories were averaged out.
--And the state with the WORST drivers in the country is . . . Louisiana.
--Louisiana has the second-highest fatality rate, only behind Montana . . . and the fourth worst careless driving rate. It's also in the top ten in tickets and drunk driving.
--The rest of the ten worst driving states are: Missouri, Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, Arizona, Kentucky, Alabama, Montana, and Nevada.
--On the other end, the people of Rhode Island came out as the best drivers in the country.
--The rest of the top ten driving states are: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Virginia, New Hampshire, Oregon, Maine, Illinois, Nebraska, and Ohio. (Car Insurance Comparison) (--You can see the full rankings for all 50 states here.)
Here are the 173 Most Popular College Majors Ranked by Unemployment Rates:
The "Wall Street Journal" just released a list ranking the most popular college majors by unemployment rates of recent graduates. And mama, don't let your babies grow up to be clinical psychologists. --According to the report, 19.5% of clinical psychology majors are unemployed, the worst rate of any major. And the ones who ARE employed only make a median salary of $40,000. --Fine arts majors have the second-worst rate . . . U.S. history majors are third . . . library science majors are fourth . . . and educational psychology majors are fifth. --On the other end, there are actually six majors with 0% unemployment rates. --Actuarial science . . . which is applying math and statistics to assess risk in insurance and finance . . . is the biggest gold mine. It has 0% unemployment and a median salary of $81,000. --Other majors with full employment are pharmacology . . . educational administration . . . school student counseling . . . geological engineering . . . and astronomy and astrophysics. --A few other notes: The highest median salary goes to petroleum engineering majors, at $127,000, and there's a decent 4.4% unemployment rate. --And the lowest median salary are student counselors . . . they ALL have jobs with a 0% unemployment rate, but average $20,000-a-year. (Wall Street Journal) (--Check out the entire table of jobs here.)
One in Four Women Say Their Mother-in-Law Is Their "Frenemy" . . . and One in Eight Say She's an Outright Enemy:
Someone is just looking to stir up trouble with this survey. --In preparation for family get-togethers at Thanksgiving, a website called GalTime talked to women and their mothers-in-law . . . to see what they really think of each other. --One in four women say their mother-in-law is a "frenemy" . . . the annoying, played-out word that means half-friend, half-enemy. --One in eight women say their mother-in-law is an outright enemy. --More than half of women say their mother-in-law doesn't treat them with enough respect. Nearly as many say that their mother-in-law has criticized them during mother-son time. --And seven in ten women say that their mother-in-law still treats their husband like a child. --The mothers-in-law took the high road on the survey. Nearly two in three say they think of their daughter-in-law like their own daughter, and the right woman for their son. --One in ten considers their daughter-in-law an enemy. (PR Newswire)
Travelers Want Free Wireless for Their Airport Layovers . . . and Spa Treatments for Manicures and Massages:
There's a company that provides airport shuttle service called GO Airport Express, and they surveyed travelers to see what would make their wait at the airport better. --Nearly one in three said they'd most want free wireless Internet in all airports to help them get work done during layovers. --A distant second on the airport wish-list was a place where they could get spa treatments like manicures and massages. 7% of travelers asked for that. People also mentioned places to sleep, and somewhere to plug in to play video games. --Since they don't have all of those things yet, half of all travelers say they kill time in the airport by reading. --One in three travelers say they spend their time at the airport, quote, "just waiting at the gate." --One in four people use the Internet, even without free wireless access. --One in five people spend their layovers eating and drinking, and one in seven fill the time by shopping. (--People could give more than one answer, so the percentages add up to more than 100%.) (PR Newswire)
A Journalist Won a Reporting Award for Letting a Militant Group Circumcise Him With a Bamboo Stick:
Now THIS is dedication to your craft. Remember it when you duck out of work at EXACTLY the eight-hour mark. --Simon Eroro is a reporter with the "Papua New Guinea Post-Courier". If you're not familiar, Papua New Guinea is a small country in the South Pacific, north of Australia. It's the east half of an island . . . the other half is part of Indonesia. --Simon was working on a story about a militant group called Free West Papua . . . who've been crossing into the country from the Indonesia side. --He had to cross rivers and jungles to meet up with the militant group . . . who could've very well killed him on the spot. Instead, they told him they couldn't allow him into their camps because he was UNCLEAN. --By "unclean," they meant "uncircumcised." So in order to get his story, Simon had get circumcised. And he LET THEM DO IT . . . using a BAMBOO STICK to hack off his foreskin. Seriously. --He gained their trust, wrote the story . . . and it led to a major police operation to tighten the border and step up the effort to protect Papua New Guinea from the militants. --And for his effort . . . and his foreskin . . . Simon just won his paper's highest award, the Scoop of the Year award. At the award ceremony, the paper's owner . . . RUPERT MURDOCH . . . was in attendance. (The Telegraph)
The Duggar Family in Arkansas Announced They're Having Child Number 20:
The Duggar family in Springdale, Arkansas started making news about a decade ago because of their ridiculous number of children. --And in this era where everyone even remotely interesting gets a reality show, they ended up getting one in 2008: "17 Kids and Counting" on TLC. It's had to be renamed twice, when they had child number 18 in late 2008, and number 19 in 2009 --Well . . . yesterday, Michelle Duggar and her husband Jim Bob announced that 19 kids was NOT enough. At age 45, Michelle is now pregnant with their 20th child. --Michelle's 19th pregnancy had a lot of complications. Her daughter Josie ended up being delivered three-and-a-half months early . . . but eventually pulled through. She turns two next month. --All 19 of the Duggar children have names that start with the letter J. Their first child, Joshua, was born in 1988 and is 23 years old. He's married with two kids. Both of them have names that start with M. --Since giving birth to Joshua in 1988, there have only been six out of the past 23 years where Michelle hasn't given birth. (Today) (--Which leads us to only one conclusion: Someone at the baby shower really needs to buy them a TV.)
HIV is No Longer the Deadliest STD:
Please still take HIV and AIDS seriously. Even though they've been somewhat neutralized . . . and they don't get CLOSE to the buzz they got in the '90s . . . don't take them for granted. --That being said . . . a new report from the CDC has found that we've done SUCH a good job keeping HIV from killing people that it's now only the SECOND-MOST DEADLY sexually transmitted disease. --They found that as of 2007, hepatitis C killed more people than HIV. --Between 1999 and 2007, hepatitis B deaths stayed constant, HIV deaths declined, and hepatitis C deaths increased slightly. --Almost 75% of the hepatitis C deaths were people ages 45 to 64. (PR Newswire) (--The press contact for the hepatitis-HIV study is Gregory Bologna at 703-299-9766. Yes, he's in PR, and his last name is Bologna.)
RANDOM NEWS EXTRAS
Random News Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:
Are the major record labels officially killing off the Compact Disc next year? Some insiders say it's happening. (Full Story)
Based on a new survey of travel trends for next year, 44% of people want to take a beach trip . . . 42% want to take a cultural trip involving stuff like museums . . . and 40% want to take a road trip. 79% of people plan to spend $3,000 on a vacation . . . 57% plan to spend $5,000 . . . and 21% plan to spend $10,000. (Full Story)
The most disliked player in the NFL? Yep . . . Michael Vick. Plaxico Burress came in second, and Ben Roethlisberger was third. And in a poll of fellow players, the dirtiest player is . . . Ndamukong Suh of the Lions. (--It's pronounced en-DOM-ah-ken SOO.) (Full Story) / (Full story)
34% of people plan to shop on Black Friday. (Full story)
NAZZY’S VIDEOS OF THE DAY
#1.) And Now . . . a Dog that Walks Around on Its Front Legs While It Pees:
There's a new video on YouTube of a dog named Oscar, and he has a pretty bizarre way of marking his territory: He starts peeing . . . does a HANDSTAND, and starts walking around on his front legs. (--Search for "My Very Weird Handstand Peeing Dog." He starts at :11.)
#2.) Check Out the Governor of Florida Trying to DJ on a Carnival Cruise Ship:
This shouldn't really come as a surprise, but it turns out Florida Governor RICK SCOTT is the world's WORST DJ. At least once a month, he spends a day working a random low-level job, to stay in touch with everyday people . . . and also to grab headlines. --And last Friday, he worked at the Port of Miami, helping welcome passengers onboard a Carnival Cruise ship. For a few minutes, they even let him be the honorary DJ. And here's why he sucked: --First, they gave him the nickname "DJ Govvy Gov", which didn't help. Then, he didn't know what to play, so he ASKED people. And after he finally settled on "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor, he just stood there smiling . . . and clapped his hands. (--Search for "Rick Scott as DJ Govvy Gov.")
#3.) Thirty Senior Citizens Performed Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" on TV in China:
This is pretty standard for Asian TV, but a show in China featured 30 older people singing "Bad Romance" by LADY GAGA in Chinese. (--Search for "Bizarre Chinese Old-Folks Choir Covers Bad Romance.")
Five Things You Shouldn't Buy at the Dollar Store, and Five You Should:
The holidays are coming up, and dollar stores are a good place for stocking stuffers. In fact, stocking stuffers and Christmas decorations can cost 30 to 70% less there. But there are also some dollar store deals you should SKIP.
--Here are five things you shouldn't but at the dollar store, and five things you should.
#1.) Don't Buy Toys. Since they're cheap, they'll break, and you'll just end up having to buy another toy. You also have to worry about what's in the paint. The one exception is coloring books. They're usually half as expensive as other stores.
#2.) Don't Buy Batteries. A lot of generic batteries are made with carbon zinc, not lithium. That's why they don't last as long. Plus, they're more likely to leak and damage electronics.
#3.) Don't Buy Vitamins. Consumer Reports found that multi-vitamins at dollar stores don't always have the same amount of nutrients listed on the label.
#4.) Don't Buy Aluminum Foil. At Costco, you can get three 100-foot rolls of it for $10. Dollar stores usually sell 25-foot rolls for one dollar each. --So to get 300 feet at the dollar store, you have to spend TWELVE dollars. And generic aluminum foil and plastic wraps are never as good.
#5.) Don't Buy Extension Cords or Power Strips. They're not made well, and they can damage electronics. The same thing goes for any computer wires, like USB cables.
--Now here are five things you SHOULD buy at the dollar store.
#1.) Buy Shampoo. You can save up to $2 a bottle. And according to Consumer Reports, expensive shampoos don't make your hair look better anyway. They just SMELL better.
#2.) Buy Cleaning Products. Sometimes they're diluted, and you'll need to use more. But the ingredients are basically the same. And since it's a buck, it's worth it. Sponges are usually okay too.
#3.) Buy Greeting Cards. The paper stock won't be as good, but cards cost three to five dollars at pharmacies. At the dollar store, sometimes they're two for a buck.
#4.) Buy Spices. They probably won't have a good selection. But basics like cinnamon, parsley, and pepper are a lot cheaper than they are at the grocery store. Just make sure you check the expiration dates.
#5.) Buy Socks. Generic white socks are a pretty good deal. They cost at least $2.50-a-pair at regular stores. (iVillage.com)
What is JESSICA SIMPSON craving now that she's pregnant? She tells "People" magazine, quote, "I crave cantaloupe like a crazy person. But I put salt all over it, so I don't know if that's healthy. --"I crave anything salty and sweet. That mixture to me is so good. I can eat a whole cantaloupe in one morning." --One thing Jessica does NOT crave is pizza. She says it tastes SOUR to her since she got knocked up. (--Cantaloupe . . . not the best craving to have right now. As you've probably heard, 29 people have been KILLED and 139 sickened by cantaloupe that came from a farm in Colorado.) (--It's the deadliest food-borne illness outbreak in the U.S. since 1924. Although luckily for Jessica, none of those deaths were in California.)
Amber Rose Says Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Did Hook Up:
KANYE WEST'S ex-girlfriend AMBER ROSE hit up the "Wendy Williams Show" yesterday, and cleared up some rumors about KIM KARDASHIAN. --First of all, Amber did NOT nail REGGIE BUSH while he was with Kim. She said, quote, "I'm not a homewrecker. I broke up with Kanye and [Reggie] broke up with Kim. We met after. --"We were both going through a hard time. We were each other's rebounds basically. It was brief, it was nice, he was a great guy!" --She also apparently CONFIRMED rumors that Kim and Kanye knocked boots last year. When Wendy asked about that hookup, Amber said, quote, "I mean come on, like, you know. We'll keep it cute." (--Check out video here. Amber is currently in a serious relationship with rapper Wiz Khalifa. She also talks about Kanye's incident at the MTV Awards at the 5:00 mark. And the Kim Kardashian stuff starts at the 8:05 mark.)
Conrad Murray Is NOT On Suicide Watch:
Reports that CONRAD MURRAY . . . (--We really don't need to call him DOCTOR Conrad Murray anymore, do we?) . . . is on suicide watch are apparently FALSE. --An L.A. County Sheriff's Spokesman says Murray is being held in the medical ward of the Men's Central Jail . . . but not because they think he might kill himself, or because he suffers from any ailments. --They just put him there because there are more guards to monitor him around the clock and see that he's "protected" while he's being processed. (--It's not clear what they're protecting him from. Murray doesn't mingle with any other inmates.) --The spokesman says, quote, "He's doing fine, he's been lucid, helpful and a model inmate." --By the way . . . You may not have known this, but Conrad Murray is a pretty big dude. According to his booking sheet, he's 6-foot-5 and 211 pounds. He's 58 years old. (--You can check out his booking sheet here.)
MSNBC Will Air a Documentary On Conrad Murray Tomorrow Night:
MSNBC will air a documentary on CONRAD MURRAY tomorrow night. It's called "Michael Jackson and the Doctor: A Fatal Friendship". --It features interviews and footage of Murray from the two years since Michael's death . . . including footage of Murray at his manslaughter trial. (--Check out a clip here.) (--And here's a clip from a different documentary, which offers a look inside Michael's Neverland Ranch back in its heyday.)
Brett Ratner Has Resigned as Producer of the "Oscars" After Dropping a Gay Slur At a Movie Screening:
"Tower Heist" director BRETT RATNER has resigned as producer of the 2012 "Oscars", after he dropped a GAY SLUR during a screening of the movie the other night. --During a Q&A at the screening the moderator asked Ratner about rehearsals for the movie . . . and he replied, quote, "Rehearsal is for [rhymes with BAGS]." (--Check out video here. WARNING!!! The F-word is UNCENSORED.) --Ratner . . . who also directed the "Rush Hour" movies . . . quickly apologized on Twitter . . . and it was a LEGIT, "I-did-something-stupid" apology . . . not one of those lame "I'm-sorry-if-anyone-was-offended" apologies. --But he still felt the need to quit the Academy Awards. And in doing so, he offered another apology. He said, quote, "Having love in your heart doesn't count for much if what comes out of your mouth is ugly and bigoted. --"Being asked to help put on the Oscar show was the proudest moment of my career. --"But as painful as this may be for me, it would be worse if my association with the show were to be a distraction from the Academy and the high ideals it represents." --Ratner said he's in contact with GLAAD, and he's, quote, "determined to learn from this experience." (--You can read Ratner's full statement here.) --It was Ratner who chose EDDIE MURPHY to host the Oscars. We have no reason to believe Eddie won't still emcee the show. (--Ratner has been saying a TON of asinine things during his "Tower Heist" press tour. You'll find a collection of 10 of them here.)
Colin Quinn Admits He Was Joking When He Blasted Will Ferrell on Twitter:
We knew COLIN QUINN was joking when he said on Twitter that WILL FERRELL has a drug problem . . . and that he stole the idea for "Anchorman" from him. But some people took him seriously. --Well, Colin is setting the record straight: HE WASN'T SERIOUS. --And he thinks the media may have trumped the whole thing up on purpose . . . quote, "You know, I think the problem is that they're like, 'We gotta get something. Everyone is tweeting such boring stuff; we gotta pretend this is real just to create a thing.'" --Colin says he picked on Will because, quote, "I know him, and he's just the straightest, cleanest guy. He's the least egotistical of anybody in show business, the most normal guy. So I was trashing that."
Clint Eastwood Likes Herman Cain:
CLINT EASTWOOD seems kind of liberal. He's for gay marriage, abortion rights and the environment. But he's still a Republican and a fiscal conservative who was against the stimulus and has NEVER voted for a Democratic presidential candidate. --And that's not likely to change anytime soon. It's probably too early to say who Clint is voting for next year, but right now, he digs HERMAN CAIN. --He says, quote, "I love Cain's story. He's a guy who came from nowhere and did well, obviously against heavy odds. He's a doer and a straight-talker, which I don't see enough of from either party." --Clint isn't big on some of the other frontrunners. Asked for his opinion on MITT ROMNEY, he sarcastically said, quote, "You have to admit, he looks like a president. --"I mean, if you were casting a movie where you needed someone to play president, you'd definitely pick him." --There's only one Democrat Clint can remember voting for: GRAY DAVIS for California governor in 1998.
Mike Tyson is Happy to Be Compared to Joe Frazier:
A very sweet and heartfelt tribute to the late JOE FRAZIER was penned by . . . believe it or not . . . MIKE TYSON. Technically, it wasn't "penned". It was posted on Twitter. --Mike said, quote, "Today is a sad yet remarkable day as we mourn the death of boxing legend Joe Frazier & honor him by celebrating his amazing accomplishments. --"Frazier and [Muhammad] Ali were quintessential the apex of pedigree fighting in which each man would not give an inch until they were dead. --"Their era was competitive fighting at the highest level. As a young fighter it has always been an honor to be compared to [Frazier]." --"My family and I are sending our sincerest condolences to the Joe Frazier family." --Tyson also Tweeted a tribute to rapper HEAVY D, who died unexpectedly Monday. He said, quote, "Just thinking of good times. Heavy performed at my 23rd bday party w/ Slick Rick, Salt n Pepa, Da Boyz & Al B Sure in Ohio. We had a blast. --"I was just with Heavy D in L.A. last month @ Manny's restaurant with our old crew. We said it was a reunion but we were really saying goodbye. --"I just spoke to Heavy D's mother and gave my condolences. I'm at a loss for words. A good man. He will be missed."
"Harry Potter" Leads the "People's Choice" Nominees:
Nominees for the 2012 "People's Choice Awards" were announced yesterday. And "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" pretty much leads the way with NINE nominations. --They include Favorite Movie . . . as well as acting nods for Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Tom Felton. --This is the award show that covers just about every category you can think of, in Movies, Music and TV. And lately, they've even been branching out to reality TV and the Internet. --For instance, Kim Kardashian, Giuliana Rancic, Tia and Tamera Mowry, Gene Simmons and Kathy Griffin are up for Favorite TV Celebreality Star. --The show airs January 11th on CBS. --Check out the complete list of roughly 10 million categories and 90 million nominees at the following link . . .)
http://www.peopleschoice.com/pca/awards/nominees/
The PTC Called Last Night's "Glee" Episode "Reprehensible":
As expected, the Parents Television Council has spoken out against last night's "Glee", which featured two teen couples . . . one straight and one gay . . . having sex for the first time. --It hadn't even aired yet when PTC President Tom Winter issued a statement saying, quote, "The fact that 'Glee' intends to not only broadcast, but celebrate children having sex is reprehensible." (--Not that seeing the episode first would have changed their opinion.) --The PTC CLAIMED it didn't care that one of the couples was gay. Winter added, quote, "The gender of the high school characters involved is irrelevant. Teen sex is now more prevalent on TV than adult sex, and 'Glee' is only playing into that trend. --"Research proves that television is a teen sexual super peer that can, and likely will, influence a teen's decision to become sexually active. Fox knows the show inherently attracts kids . . . celebrating teen sex constitutes gross recklessness." --Meanwhile, an anti-gay group called The Culture and Media Institute did attack the show for its guy-on-guy relations. They argued that "Glee" is, quote, "stepping up its campaign of homosexual promotion [and] liberal propaganda.--Fox hasn't commented, but "Glee" creator Ryan Murphy says the network expressed "no concern" over the storyline. He also says he hopes "Glee" is showing gay youth that they, quote, "can get love and are worthy of love."
Kelly Ripa Has Signed on for Five More Years of "Live!":
REGIS PHILBIN is leaving "Live! With Regis and Kelly" next Friday, but KELLY RIPA will be around for a while. She just signed a new five-year contract. --The deal runs from next fall through 2017, which will be her 16th year on the show. -After Regis leaves, the show will be re-named "Live! With Kelly". It's unclear whether or not they'll re-name the show again once a permanent co-host is hired. --By the way, the guests for Regis' last week have been announced. --Jimmy Fallon and Don Rickles will be there Monday. Donald Trump and Tony Bennett will be on Tuesday. Wednesday's show will feature David Letterman and Bret Michaels. --Regis' former co-host Kathie Lee Gifford and singer Josh Groban will be on Thursday's show . . . and if there are any guests on Friday's show, they're being kept a secret at this point.
Wednesday TV Reminders:
--"Sesame Street" . . . 8:00 to 9:00 A.M. on PBS. Jimmy Kimmel guest stars and teaches preschoolers what a sibling is.
--"Up All Night" . . . 8:00 to 8:30 P.M. on NBC. "My Name Is Earl's" Jason Lee plays Ava's new love interest when the two meet while Ava is babysitting little Amy.
--"The 45th Annual CMA Awards" . . . 8:00 to 11:00 P.M. on ABC. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood are your hosts. Performers include Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, The Band Perry, Kenny Chesney, Sugarland, Zac Brown Band, Keith Urban, Grace Potter, Kenny Loggins doing "Footloose" with Blake Shelton. (--You'll find your full list of nominees and performers here.)
--"The X Factor" . . . 8:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Fox. The top eleven finalists perform.
--"Harry's Law" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on NBC. "Cheers'" George Wendt guest stars as the mayor of a small Ohio town when Harry's car is impounded for violating their "Buy American" law.
--"South Park" . . . 10:00 to 10:30 P.M. on Comedy Central. The kids of South Park are about to learn the truth of what really happened at the first Thanksgiving.
--"Penn & Teller Tell a Lie" [1st Season Finale] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on Discovery.
--"Psych" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on USA. Former Red Sox third baseman and Hall of Fame slugger Wade Boggs guest stars as himself when Shawn and Gus investigate the murder of a minor-league baseball hitting coach.
--"Nick Swardson's Pretend Time" . . . 10:30 to 11:00 P.M. on Comedy Central. Ron Perlman and Natasha Leggero guest star.
Is This A New Madonna Song?
Is MADONNA'S next album going to have a dance, techno vibe? Maybe. --A "demo version" of a new Madonna song called "Give Me All Your Love" has leaked online . . . and it sounds like that's the style she's going for. (--You can find this thing all over the Internet, just Google it. Here's a direct link.) --Madonna will reportedly perform "Give Me All Your Love" at the Super Bowl in February, alongside M.I.A. and NICKI MINAJ, who are also featured on the track. --None of this is official though. There's no comment from Madonna or her people.
Justin Bieber Has Released an Animated Video for His Version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town":
JUSTIN BIEBER has released a CLAYMATION video for his version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", which is on his new Christmas album "Under the Mistletoe". --It pairs Justin up with Kris Kringle and some of the animal characters from the classic Christmas special "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town". It also incorporates actual footage from the special. (--You can check it out on Justin's VEVO page.)
Watch Joseph Gordon-Levitt Perform R. Kelly's "Ignition":
If you've always dreamed of JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT serenading you with a ROCKIN' version of R. KELLY'S "Ignition" . . . you're in luck. That's exactly what we have for you today. --Joseph performed 'Ignition" during an appearance at Ohio State University. (--You can find videos on YouTube. Here's one. WARNING: He drops an F-BOMB 51 seconds in. The song begins at the 1:19 mark. It's pretty fun.) (--Here's R. Kelly's version.)
Heavy D Has Passed Away:
Rap superstar HEAVY D passed away yesterday. He was 44. It was a sudden, unexpected death. It sounds like he may have suffered a heart attack, but that hasn't been confirmed. --For what it's worth, a so-called "associate" tells TMZ that Heavy D had pneumonia, but there aren't any more details on that. --A police source says Heavy D had just returned home from a shopping trip. He walked up some stairs outside his place in Beverly Hills . . . and began having trouble breathing. --A man who was in the building found Heavy D leaning against a railing. He was conscious, and reportedly kept saying, "I can't breathe, I can't breathe." Naturally, the man called 911. --Heavy D did have a pulse when the paramedics arrived . . . but he died a short time later. --Heavy D performed at the MICHAEL JACKSON tribute in Wales last month. He performed "Jam" with LA TOYA JACKSON. (--There's video of that on TMZ. Of course, that's a 1991 Michael Jackson song, which Heavy D rapped on.) --Heavy D had some big hits in the early '90s, including "Now That We Found Love" and "Got Me Waiting". He also did the theme song for the TV shows "In Living Color", "MadTV" and "The Tracy Morgan Show". --In addition to his music career, Heavy D also acted. He had roles in the movies "Life", "The Cider House Rules", "Step Up" and the TV shows "Boston Public" and "Bones". --Most recently, he had a guest spot on "Law and Order: SVU" . . . and played a courthouse guard in the new movie "Tower Heist". --On Monday night . . . the night before his death . . . Heavy D paid tribute to boxer JOE FRAZIER. He Tweeted, quote, "SMOKIN JOE FRAZIER, R.I.P. . . . truly one of the best heavyweight champs that ever lived . . . GODS SPEED, MR FRAZIER!" --His final Tweet was posted right after that. He simply said, quote, "Be inspired!"
Heavy D, 1967 - 2011; The Tributes:
Here's a rundown of what some celebrities Tweeted after the death of HEAVY D:
--Usher: "This is too heavy, I can't believe it. Heavy D was just here. Truly gone too soon. My heart and support goes out to his family. R.I.P. HEAVY."
--Timbaland: "I'm at a loss for words R.I.P. Heavy D."
--Missy Elliott: "U will be missed Heavy D so many laughs we've shared but your Music is Timeless and will Always be Around 4ever Love u Heav."
--Ciara: "RIP HEAVY D! He was a really nice man! Sending my condolences to him and his family!"
--Ne-Yo: "Man. I was just with Heavy D recently in London. Had I known it'd be the last time I'd see him, I woulda told him he was truly great. RIP."
--Sean Kingston: "R.I.P Rap legend Heavy D One Of The Most Influential Rappers Of The '90s Era . . . Another Sad Day For Music You Will Def Be Missed Man."
--LL Cool J: "May GOD embrace the soul of Heavy D and Bless his family. I respected you Heavy and I always will."
--Game: "Rest In Paradise to a GOOD FRIEND & legendary hip hop icon Dwight Arrington 'Heavy D' Myers. Damn life sometimes!!!"
--Samuel L. Jackson: "Ahhh man! Heavy D?! Dwight wz a dear friend. Fond memories of a truly cool brutha."
--Sinbad: "It is a sad day today . . . My younger yellow brother from another mother 'Heavy D' passed away today. I loved that brother. He was a good man."
--Alyssa Milano: "Heavy D gave me advice when I was pregnant. He said, 'Cherish every single moment. It goes by way too fast.' Rest in peace, Heavy D."
--And most importantly, Fred Savage: "Rest in Peace Heavy D. You provided the soundtrack to some of the best times of my teenage years. Your music will always make me smile."
WEDNESDAY'S SHOWBIZ EXTRAS
Showbiz Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:
CHAZ BONO has made this year's Out 100 . . . "Out" magazine's list of the 100 most influential members of the LGBT community. Adam Lambert, Tim Gunn and Geri Jewell . . . the comedienne with cerebral palsy who appeared on "The Facts of Life" in the '80s . . . also made the list. (List Preview)
NANCY GRACE finally got the boot from "Dancing With the Stars" last night. (Full Story)
JIM BOB and MICHELLE DUGGAR from the TLC series "19 Kids and Counting" are expecting their 20th child. (--We have all your details in Stupid News.)
Even though "The Oprah Winfrey Show" is no more, Oprah has still released her "Favorite Things" list. It's in the December issue of "O" magazine, which is on newsstands now. (Full Story)
ROSIE O'DONNELL'S 16-year-old son Parker begged her to let him join a military academy. She didn't like the idea, but eventually she gave in. (Full Story)
MARIAH CAREY appeared on ROSIE O'DONNELL'S show yesterday looking fantastic . . . and saying she's lost 70 pounds since giving birth to her twins back in April. (Full Story)
Remember when LINDSAY LOHAN filed a defamation lawsuit against PITBULL because he rapped, quote, "I got it locked up like Lindsay Lohan"? Well, now that Lindsay has been in and out of prison AGAIN, Pitbull has filed a countersuit . . . claiming that his lyric is now even more justified. (Full Story)
BILLY IDOL is recovering from a foot operation to fix an injury he suffered in a motorcycle incident last year. He had hit a tire on the road, and it caused a "hairline fracture" in his foot. (Full Story)
AC/DC singer BRIAN JOHNSON is going to have wrist surgery, so he's canceling some solo concerts he had scheduled for February. (Full Story)
THE GOOD NEWS
A Man Helps Two Women With a Flat Tire . . . and Minutes Later, They Save Him From Dying From a Heart Attack:
This is INSTANT KARMA . . . in a GOOD way. --On Saturday night, Sara Berg of Eau Claire, Wisconsin and her cousin, Lisa Meier, were driving home on a freeway in the western part of the state. They blew a tire and pulled over to the side of the road. And neither of them knew how to fix it. --61-year-old Victor Giesbrecht of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada was driving by with his wife, Ann. He saw the women on the side of the road, pulled over, and helped them change their tire. --He drove off afterward, and Sara and Lisa got back on the road a few minutes later. --But about a quarter of a mile down, they saw Victor's truck on the side of the road and his wife waving frantically. So they pulled over. --Turns out just after helping the women, Victor had a HEART ATTACK.\ --And here's where karma and fate step in. It turns out Sara's a certified nursing assistant who knows CPR. So while they waited five minutes for paramedics to come, she performed CPR and gave Victor chest compressions. --That kept his heart beating long enough for the EMTs to get there and use their portable defibrillator to get it beating properly again. Victor was rushed to the hospital where he's recovering. --Sara says, quote, "We felt kind of guilty that helping us caused his health issue. But people keep telling us that maybe it put us in the right place at the right time when he was going to need help." (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
A Man in New York Has Lost 200 Pounds This Year . . . All Thanks to a Bet With His Wife:
On January 1st, 30-year-old Jay Wornick of Fulton, New York, and his wife Angela made a bet. They would both try to lose weight, and at the end of the year, whoever had lost a lower percentage of weight would get the other's name TATTOOED. --When Jay stepped on the scale, he was shocked to find out he weighed 366 pounds. He thought he was closer to 300 . . . but it had been a long time since he'd weighed himself. --So he decided to take the bet seriously. He started eating around 1,500 to 2,000 calories a day . . . about one-quarter of what he was eating before. And he started doing cardio and lifting weights. --He lost 40 pounds in January. Then he lost another 30 in February. And he kept going. --When he weighed in a couple of days ago, he was down to 168 pounds. In ten months, he lost 198 pounds, or 54% of his body weight. --He and Angela didn't say how much weight she'd lost, but she didn't really have a chance to match that . . . so she's going to get his name tattooed on her back. (Syracuse Post-Standard) (--Here are before and after photos of Jay. He's basically unrecognizable from photo to photo . . . and all in just 10 months.)
RANDOM STUFF
A Third of People in Their Twenties Say the Internet's as Important as Air, Water, Food, and Shelter?
Every time the Internet goes down, we realize just how dependent we are on having it constantly available. But I don't know that I would DIE without it. --Cisco just released the results of a survey of people in their 20s . . . both college students and working professionals . . . and for a lot of them, yes, they rely on the Internet so much they consider it a basic building block of life.
--33% of people say that the Internet is AS IMPORTANT as air, food, water, and shelter. And another 50% say it's ALMOST as important.
--55% of college students say they couldn't live without it.
--40% of college students say the Internet is more important than dating, hanging out with friends, partying, or listening to music. And 25% say that staying updated on Facebook is more important than those things. -- Yes . . . a quarter of them said that staying updated on Facebook is more important than dating, hanging out with friends, or partying. Apparently they don't know the meaning of "irony."
--89% say they check Facebook at least once a day. (CBS News)
Here are All 50 States, Ranked from Best Drivers to Worst Drivers:
This is the most thorough attempt we've ever seen to rank the 50 states by driving ability. So let's get ready to JUDGE.
--All 50 states got ranked by fatalities per million miles driven, number of tickets, drunk driving rates, and careless driving rates. Then the ranks in those categories were averaged out.
--And the state with the WORST drivers in the country is . . . Louisiana.
--Louisiana has the second-highest fatality rate, only behind Montana . . . and the fourth worst careless driving rate. It's also in the top ten in tickets and drunk driving.
--The rest of the ten worst driving states are: Missouri, Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, Arizona, Kentucky, Alabama, Montana, and Nevada.
--On the other end, the people of Rhode Island came out as the best drivers in the country.
--The rest of the top ten driving states are: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Virginia, New Hampshire, Oregon, Maine, Illinois, Nebraska, and Ohio. (Car Insurance Comparison) (--You can see the full rankings for all 50 states here.)
Here are the 173 Most Popular College Majors Ranked by Unemployment Rates:
The "Wall Street Journal" just released a list ranking the most popular college majors by unemployment rates of recent graduates. And mama, don't let your babies grow up to be clinical psychologists. --According to the report, 19.5% of clinical psychology majors are unemployed, the worst rate of any major. And the ones who ARE employed only make a median salary of $40,000. --Fine arts majors have the second-worst rate . . . U.S. history majors are third . . . library science majors are fourth . . . and educational psychology majors are fifth. --On the other end, there are actually six majors with 0% unemployment rates. --Actuarial science . . . which is applying math and statistics to assess risk in insurance and finance . . . is the biggest gold mine. It has 0% unemployment and a median salary of $81,000. --Other majors with full employment are pharmacology . . . educational administration . . . school student counseling . . . geological engineering . . . and astronomy and astrophysics. --A few other notes: The highest median salary goes to petroleum engineering majors, at $127,000, and there's a decent 4.4% unemployment rate. --And the lowest median salary are student counselors . . . they ALL have jobs with a 0% unemployment rate, but average $20,000-a-year. (Wall Street Journal) (--Check out the entire table of jobs here.)
One in Four Women Say Their Mother-in-Law Is Their "Frenemy" . . . and One in Eight Say She's an Outright Enemy:
Someone is just looking to stir up trouble with this survey. --In preparation for family get-togethers at Thanksgiving, a website called GalTime talked to women and their mothers-in-law . . . to see what they really think of each other. --One in four women say their mother-in-law is a "frenemy" . . . the annoying, played-out word that means half-friend, half-enemy. --One in eight women say their mother-in-law is an outright enemy. --More than half of women say their mother-in-law doesn't treat them with enough respect. Nearly as many say that their mother-in-law has criticized them during mother-son time. --And seven in ten women say that their mother-in-law still treats their husband like a child. --The mothers-in-law took the high road on the survey. Nearly two in three say they think of their daughter-in-law like their own daughter, and the right woman for their son. --One in ten considers their daughter-in-law an enemy. (PR Newswire)
Travelers Want Free Wireless for Their Airport Layovers . . . and Spa Treatments for Manicures and Massages:
There's a company that provides airport shuttle service called GO Airport Express, and they surveyed travelers to see what would make their wait at the airport better. --Nearly one in three said they'd most want free wireless Internet in all airports to help them get work done during layovers. --A distant second on the airport wish-list was a place where they could get spa treatments like manicures and massages. 7% of travelers asked for that. People also mentioned places to sleep, and somewhere to plug in to play video games. --Since they don't have all of those things yet, half of all travelers say they kill time in the airport by reading. --One in three travelers say they spend their time at the airport, quote, "just waiting at the gate." --One in four people use the Internet, even without free wireless access. --One in five people spend their layovers eating and drinking, and one in seven fill the time by shopping. (--People could give more than one answer, so the percentages add up to more than 100%.) (PR Newswire)
A Journalist Won a Reporting Award for Letting a Militant Group Circumcise Him With a Bamboo Stick:
Now THIS is dedication to your craft. Remember it when you duck out of work at EXACTLY the eight-hour mark. --Simon Eroro is a reporter with the "Papua New Guinea Post-Courier". If you're not familiar, Papua New Guinea is a small country in the South Pacific, north of Australia. It's the east half of an island . . . the other half is part of Indonesia. --Simon was working on a story about a militant group called Free West Papua . . . who've been crossing into the country from the Indonesia side. --He had to cross rivers and jungles to meet up with the militant group . . . who could've very well killed him on the spot. Instead, they told him they couldn't allow him into their camps because he was UNCLEAN. --By "unclean," they meant "uncircumcised." So in order to get his story, Simon had get circumcised. And he LET THEM DO IT . . . using a BAMBOO STICK to hack off his foreskin. Seriously. --He gained their trust, wrote the story . . . and it led to a major police operation to tighten the border and step up the effort to protect Papua New Guinea from the militants. --And for his effort . . . and his foreskin . . . Simon just won his paper's highest award, the Scoop of the Year award. At the award ceremony, the paper's owner . . . RUPERT MURDOCH . . . was in attendance. (The Telegraph)
The Duggar Family in Arkansas Announced They're Having Child Number 20:
The Duggar family in Springdale, Arkansas started making news about a decade ago because of their ridiculous number of children. --And in this era where everyone even remotely interesting gets a reality show, they ended up getting one in 2008: "17 Kids and Counting" on TLC. It's had to be renamed twice, when they had child number 18 in late 2008, and number 19 in 2009 --Well . . . yesterday, Michelle Duggar and her husband Jim Bob announced that 19 kids was NOT enough. At age 45, Michelle is now pregnant with their 20th child. --Michelle's 19th pregnancy had a lot of complications. Her daughter Josie ended up being delivered three-and-a-half months early . . . but eventually pulled through. She turns two next month. --All 19 of the Duggar children have names that start with the letter J. Their first child, Joshua, was born in 1988 and is 23 years old. He's married with two kids. Both of them have names that start with M. --Since giving birth to Joshua in 1988, there have only been six out of the past 23 years where Michelle hasn't given birth. (Today) (--Which leads us to only one conclusion: Someone at the baby shower really needs to buy them a TV.)
HIV is No Longer the Deadliest STD:
Please still take HIV and AIDS seriously. Even though they've been somewhat neutralized . . . and they don't get CLOSE to the buzz they got in the '90s . . . don't take them for granted. --That being said . . . a new report from the CDC has found that we've done SUCH a good job keeping HIV from killing people that it's now only the SECOND-MOST DEADLY sexually transmitted disease. --They found that as of 2007, hepatitis C killed more people than HIV. --Between 1999 and 2007, hepatitis B deaths stayed constant, HIV deaths declined, and hepatitis C deaths increased slightly. --Almost 75% of the hepatitis C deaths were people ages 45 to 64. (PR Newswire) (--The press contact for the hepatitis-HIV study is Gregory Bologna at 703-299-9766. Yes, he's in PR, and his last name is Bologna.)
RANDOM NEWS EXTRAS
Random News Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:
Are the major record labels officially killing off the Compact Disc next year? Some insiders say it's happening. (Full Story)
Based on a new survey of travel trends for next year, 44% of people want to take a beach trip . . . 42% want to take a cultural trip involving stuff like museums . . . and 40% want to take a road trip. 79% of people plan to spend $3,000 on a vacation . . . 57% plan to spend $5,000 . . . and 21% plan to spend $10,000. (Full Story)
The most disliked player in the NFL? Yep . . . Michael Vick. Plaxico Burress came in second, and Ben Roethlisberger was third. And in a poll of fellow players, the dirtiest player is . . . Ndamukong Suh of the Lions. (--It's pronounced en-DOM-ah-ken SOO.) (Full Story) / (Full story)
34% of people plan to shop on Black Friday. (Full story)
NAZZY’S VIDEOS OF THE DAY
#1.) And Now . . . a Dog that Walks Around on Its Front Legs While It Pees:
There's a new video on YouTube of a dog named Oscar, and he has a pretty bizarre way of marking his territory: He starts peeing . . . does a HANDSTAND, and starts walking around on his front legs. (--Search for "My Very Weird Handstand Peeing Dog." He starts at :11.)
#2.) Check Out the Governor of Florida Trying to DJ on a Carnival Cruise Ship:
This shouldn't really come as a surprise, but it turns out Florida Governor RICK SCOTT is the world's WORST DJ. At least once a month, he spends a day working a random low-level job, to stay in touch with everyday people . . . and also to grab headlines. --And last Friday, he worked at the Port of Miami, helping welcome passengers onboard a Carnival Cruise ship. For a few minutes, they even let him be the honorary DJ. And here's why he sucked: --First, they gave him the nickname "DJ Govvy Gov", which didn't help. Then, he didn't know what to play, so he ASKED people. And after he finally settled on "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor, he just stood there smiling . . . and clapped his hands. (--Search for "Rick Scott as DJ Govvy Gov.")
#3.) Thirty Senior Citizens Performed Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" on TV in China:
This is pretty standard for Asian TV, but a show in China featured 30 older people singing "Bad Romance" by LADY GAGA in Chinese. (--Search for "Bizarre Chinese Old-Folks Choir Covers Bad Romance.")
Five Things You Shouldn't Buy at the Dollar Store, and Five You Should:
The holidays are coming up, and dollar stores are a good place for stocking stuffers. In fact, stocking stuffers and Christmas decorations can cost 30 to 70% less there. But there are also some dollar store deals you should SKIP.
--Here are five things you shouldn't but at the dollar store, and five things you should.
#1.) Don't Buy Toys. Since they're cheap, they'll break, and you'll just end up having to buy another toy. You also have to worry about what's in the paint. The one exception is coloring books. They're usually half as expensive as other stores.
#2.) Don't Buy Batteries. A lot of generic batteries are made with carbon zinc, not lithium. That's why they don't last as long. Plus, they're more likely to leak and damage electronics.
#3.) Don't Buy Vitamins. Consumer Reports found that multi-vitamins at dollar stores don't always have the same amount of nutrients listed on the label.
#4.) Don't Buy Aluminum Foil. At Costco, you can get three 100-foot rolls of it for $10. Dollar stores usually sell 25-foot rolls for one dollar each. --So to get 300 feet at the dollar store, you have to spend TWELVE dollars. And generic aluminum foil and plastic wraps are never as good.
#5.) Don't Buy Extension Cords or Power Strips. They're not made well, and they can damage electronics. The same thing goes for any computer wires, like USB cables.
--Now here are five things you SHOULD buy at the dollar store.
#1.) Buy Shampoo. You can save up to $2 a bottle. And according to Consumer Reports, expensive shampoos don't make your hair look better anyway. They just SMELL better.
#2.) Buy Cleaning Products. Sometimes they're diluted, and you'll need to use more. But the ingredients are basically the same. And since it's a buck, it's worth it. Sponges are usually okay too.
#3.) Buy Greeting Cards. The paper stock won't be as good, but cards cost three to five dollars at pharmacies. At the dollar store, sometimes they're two for a buck.
#4.) Buy Spices. They probably won't have a good selection. But basics like cinnamon, parsley, and pepper are a lot cheaper than they are at the grocery store. Just make sure you check the expiration dates.
#5.) Buy Socks. Generic white socks are a pretty good deal. They cost at least $2.50-a-pair at regular stores. (iVillage.com)
posted by Nazzy @ 5:56 AM
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