HOLLYWOOD DIRT OVERFLOW (08-19-11)

Is Marc Anthony Harassing Jennifer Lopez?

Everyone has pretty much decided that it was JENNIFER LOPEZ who left MARC ANTHONY . . . and that he's going out of his mind trying to get her back. --And that's the gist of a story in the new "Us Weekly". A source says, quote, "He calls her nonstop, especially when he's drinking. Marc is constantly harassing her and doesn't think she'll go through with the divorce." --Beyond these "anonymous sources", we really have no info on the dynamic here. It wasn't long ago that Jennifer and Marc reunited to spend some family time with their kids. So maybe things are nowhere near as bad as the tabloids claim. --Plus, last we heard, J-Lo and Marc are still planning to work together on that Latin American singing competition show they announced back when they were still together.


Selena Gomez Implies that a Previous Boyfriend Tried to Change Her . . . Who Is She Talking About?

In an interview with "Top of the Pops" magazine, SELENA GOMEZ implies that a pre-JUSTIN BIEBER boyfriend tried to change her too much. --She says, quote, "I wasn't myself for a year. I think that was really damaging. I felt like it was me who was always trying to be perfect for him. I always dressed nice. I don't think he ever saw me in sweatpants . . . and I love sweatpants. --"I dare someone to try and change me again." --She added, quote, "I'd always be well-mannered and go to his favorite restaurants or whatever. There was a point where I lost myself completely. I didn't smile as much, I didn't laugh as much. I wasn't a goofball. I didn't get up and dance like I usually do. --"And when that one ended, I didn't know where I was. But I got it back and was really happy. My family were happy to have me back." --Selena did NOT reveal the identity of that boyfriend . . . but her most high-profile relationships before Justin were with NICK JONAS and TAYLOR LAUTNER. (--If it were a choice between the two, my vote would go JONAS. Those guys have had such a controlled image that everyone around them is probably ordered to toe the line, too, just to protect it.)


Kim Kardashian Last-Minute Wedding Randoms:

#1.) KIM KARDASHIAN reportedly had to cut 50 guests from her wedding because there wasn't enough room for them. We'd heard that 1,000 invites went out initially. Among those getting the boot were family members of BRUCE JENNER'S sister Lisa. --The wedding goes down tomorrow at the home of venture capitalist Frank Caufield. It's got a panoramic view of the Santa Ynez Mountains. Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato and Venus and Serena Williams are among the celebrities expected to be there.


#2.) Kim's "Dancing With the Stars" partner MARK BALLAS choreographed what will be the first dance between Kim and KRIS HUMPHRIES as husband and wife.


#3.) KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN is not bringing a last-minute guest to Kim's wedding. There's a rumor going around that she's pregnant . . . but it's NOT TRUE.


Is Stacy Keibler Just Dating George Clooney to Get to Brad Pitt?

Sometimes a story that's completely improbable is so entertaining, we just have to talk about it anyway. Usually when that happens, the "National Enquirer" is involved. --This one is a classic: --WWE minx STACY KEIBLER is only nailing GEORGE CLOONEY so she can get to BRAD PITT. --A "source" says, quote, "George is gorgeous, but I think Stacy thinks Brad is even better. She's even day­dreamed on Twitter, posting: 'Brad Pitt wouldn't be bad to look at every day!' --"Stacy likes George, but friends wonder if she's just hanging with him to get to meet his buddy Brad Pitt. --"She's always daydreamed about Brad and has joked to friends, 'Brad and Angelina won't last forever. One day I'll get my shot with Brad.' She's even made it known she'd like to meet him."


Betty White is the Most Popular, Trusted Celebrity . . . Paris Hilton is the Least:

In a new poll designed to gauge how effective a celebrity's endorsement can drive business for a brand, BETTY WHITE was voted the most popular and trusted celebrity. And PARIS HILTON was voted the LEAST. --Here are the 10 Most Popular . . . along with the percentage of people who gave them a favorable rating . . .

#1.) Betty White, 86%

#2.) Denzel Washington, 85%

#3.) Sandra Bullock, 84%

#4.) Clint Eastwood, 83%

#5.) Tom Hanks, 81%

#6.) Harrison Ford, 80%

#7.) (tie) Morgan Freeman and Kate Middleton, 79%

#9.) Will Smith, 77%

#10.) Johnny Depp, 76%

--Here are the 10 Least Popular . . . along with the percentage of people who gave them an UNFAVORABLE rating:

#1.) Paris Hilton, 60%

#2.) Charlie Sheen, 52%

#3.) (tie) Britney Spears and Kanye West, 45%

#5.) Arnold Schwarzenegger, 44%

#6.) Tiger Woods, 42%

#7.) Kim Kardashian, 38%

#8.) Mel Gibson, 33%

#9.) Donald Trump, 31%

#10.) LeBron James, 29%


Donald Trump Has a New 757 with Gold-Plated Fixtures . . . And He Made a Video to Show it Off:

Making as much money as you can and spending it on whatever you want is the right of every American. Making a video to brag about it? That's just a JACKWAD move. --And not surprisingly, that's exactly what DONALD TRUMP did. He bought himself his very own 757 jet and customized it to well beyond the definition of decadence. --This thing has a passenger area that seats 43 people. Each seat has its own "audio-visual system", and all the fixtures . . . right down to the seat belt buckles . . . are gold-plated. --There's a separate dining area, a main lounge, a guest area (slash) bedroom and a MASTER bedroom adorned with, quote, "yards and yards of elegant gold silk." There's also a master BATHROOM, complete with a shower. --There's a "VIP" area . . . which I guess means that Trump will sometimes fly people who are beneath him . . . and from whom he might feel the need to separate himself. (???) --There are also three totally tricked-out home theater systems. --As for the video, Trump doesn't appear in it himself. Maybe he thought that if he was absent from it, he could create the illusion that he's NOT bragging about how rich he is. Instead, it's hosted by AMANDA MILLER, his secretary on "Celebrity Apprentice". (--You can watch it here.)

NEW MOVIES THIS WEEKEND

The "Conan the Barbarian" and "Fright Night" Remakes Hit Theaters Tomorrow:


#1.) "Fright Night" (R)

This is a remake of the 1985 horror classic about a teenager who's convinced that his creepy new neighbor is a vampire. After his mom falls under the vampire's spell, the kid turns to a TV horror movie host to teach him how to kill the vampire before it kills him. (Trailer) --Colin Farrell is the vampire, and the kid is played by Anton Yelchin, who you know as Chekov in the new "Star Trek" movies. (Uncensored Redband Scene) --One of my favorite characters from the original was Roddy McDowall's "vampire expert" Peter Vincent. In this one, he's played by "Dr. Who's" David Tennant, who channels more than a little Russell Brand into his performance, at least in early scenes. (--Check that out here.)


#2.) "Conan the Barbarian" (R)

Your new Conan is Jason Momoa, who gained some serious barbarian cred by playing Khal Drogo on HBO's "Game of Thrones". Ron Perlman plays his father, and the bad guy is Stephen Lang. You might not know Lang's name, but you'll recognize his face. He was the A-hole marine colonel in "Avatar". --There were two Conan movies starring Arnold Swarzenegger . . . the 1982 original and its 1984 sequel, "Conan the Destroyer". A third movie was planned, but Arnold moved on to "Predator" and the film never got off the ground. --This remake follows the basic story of Conan . . . a warlord destroys his village, then young Conan grows to manhood and hunts that guy down for revenge. Rose McGowan is an evil witch protecting the guy Conan needs to kill . . . and Conan's love interest is played by "Criminal Minds" minx Rachel Nichols. (Trailer) (--Check out this clip from the movie, which shows young Conan competing with other boys from his village when they get ambushed by a rival tribe. Everyone else runs away, except for Conan. It's pretty bad-ass.) (When Blood Is Spilled)


#3.) "Spy Kids: All the Time in the World (In 4D AromaScope)" (PG)

The fourth "Spy Kids" movie stars Jessica Alba as a retired spy who's forced to reveal her secret to her two bratty stepkids . . . and they become the new spy kids of the franchise. The original spy kids are both grown up, but they return to help out too. --Ricky Gervais does the voice of their robot spy dog, Jeremy Piven is the villain, and no "Spy Kids" movie would be complete without Danny Trejo as Machete. (Trailer) (--It's in 3D, but the 4D gimmick means you can get scratch-and-sniff cards that let you smell the action as it's happening. Each "AromaScope" card has eight circles on it, and you simply scratch whatever number appears on the screen.)

#4.) "One Day" (PG-13)

Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess meet on the day of their college graduation and go their separate ways. Then, over the course of 20 years, we watch as their friendship evolves, with glimpses of their lives each year on the anniversary of the day they met. (Trailer) (--Anne Hathaway speaks with a British accent for this role. It's sort of interesting to listen to her talk like that . . . but not nearly as interesting as the anti-paparazzi rap song she did on "Conan" earlier this week. Relive that moment here.) (--They created an interactive timeline on the site that includes the #1 song for each day covered in the film. The day they met it was Cheap Trick's "The Flame". Can you name the #1 song from when YOU met the love of your life?)


Ridley Scott is Doing Some Kind of New "Blade Runner" Movie:

RIDLEY SCOTT is doing a new "Blade Runner" movie. But at this point, nobody knows if it's going to be a sequel, a prequel, a remake or some kind of spin-off. --Scott directed the 1982 original, which starred HARRISON FORD as Rick Deckard . . . a retired cop whose job was to track down renegade "replicants". --Replicants are bio-engineered robots that look like people, and are produced solely to provide slave labor on colonies outside of the Earth. --And when a group of them steals a ship and returns to Earth in search of their maker, Deckard has to come out of retirement and terminate them. --It co-starred "Hobo with a Shotgun" superstar Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos and Daryl Hannah . . . and it took place in the oh-so-distant future of 2019. --There's also no word if Harrison Ford or anyone else from the original will be involved.
10 Iconic '80s Movies That Are Actually Terrible:

I hate to tell you this, but a lot of the movies you remember fondly from your childhood actually SUCK. --With that in mind, a website called FlavorWire.com has put together a list of 10 Iconic '80s Movies That Are Actually Terrible. Here they are, in no particular order . . .

--"Dirty Dancing"

--"Top Gun"

--"Flashdance"

--"The Cannonball Run"

--"Porky's"

--"Beaches"

--"Footloose"

--"Rambo: First Blood Part 2"

--"Rocky 4"

--"Fatal Attraction"

(--Check out trailers for all the movies here.)


Busy Day: Kat Von D Loses Her Reality Show . . . and Regains Her Fiancé:

KAT VON D had a pretty intense day yesterday. First, she lost her reality show . . . and then hours later, she reunited with JESSE JAMES. (--Who's quite a catch if you're into the tatted-up, unfaithful type.) --First things first: TLC has announced that they've canceled her show "L.A. Ink", which is currently in its fourth season. The series finale will air on September 15th. --The network didn't give a reason for dropping it. They just said, quote, "TLC is proud of what the series has accomplished in its four seasons, following Kat Von D's journey as an artist from Miami to Los Angeles." --But Kat says SHE was the one who pulled the plug. She told "People" magazine, quote, "In an effort to capitalize on my recent breakup, the network has decided to focus their energy on re-editing events that didn't happen while filming. --"I have no regrets and am very proud of the original footage. In my opinion, any attempt to compromise the honesty of that would be an insult to my fans and viewers." --And on Twitter, she added, "I love how me deciding to not continue doing 'L.A. Ink', turns into being 'cancelled.' Thanks TLC. Regardless of everything I remain grateful." --On Wednesday, Kat bashed the show on Twitter. After fan told her she's more "annoying now," Kat responded, quote, "Perhaps a better way to say it is 'the show is more annoying.' Trust me, [I] wish it could be about art only." --On top of that, Kat stopped promoting the current season when interviewers kept hitting her with questions about her split with Jesse. --Now, about Jesse . . . He and Kat have made up, and their engagement is back ON. Literally AS Kat was Tweeting her side of the "L.A. Ink" story, she posted this picture of her and Jesse hugging. --Meanwhile, Jesse posted a link to some pictures of Kat, with the caption, quote, "Missing." Then, he posted a picture of them kissing, with the caption, quote, "Kat Von D para siempre." That's Spanish for "forever." (--Here are the pictures.)--Later yesterday, Jesse told "People" magazine, quote, "Sometimes you are only given one chance in life. It was up to me to open my eyes and see it. That girl is my chance. I will never stop fighting and striving to hold on to her. --"Showing her how special she is, and how much I love her." (--That's compelling. I'll raise my over-under on the length of their relationship to ONE YEAR.) (--It's probably NOT a coincidence that Kat and Jesse reunited on the day "L.A. Ink" was canceled. When they called off their engagement last month, they said it was because "the distance between them was too much." Literally.) (--Jesse had moved to Austin, and Kat had to stay in L.A. to film the show.)

WEEKEND TV REMINDERS

Friday TV Reminders:

--"Pre-Season Football" . . . 8:00 to 11:00 P.M. Eastern on Fox. (--The Jacksonville Jaguars host the Atlanta Falcons at EverBank Field in Florida.)

--"Flashpoint" [4th Season Finale] . . . 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. on CBS.

--"Karaoke Battle USA" [Performance Show] . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on ABC.

Saturday TV Reminders:

--"Grand Ole Opry Live" . . . 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. on GAC. (--Jimmy Wayne, Bradley Gaskin, James Wesley and The Sleepy Man Banjo Boys perform.)

--"Women's Gymnastics Visa Championships" . . . 8:00 to 10:00 P.M. on NBC.

--"Austin City Limits" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on PBS. (--Them Crooked Vultures perform.) (REPEAT)

--"Celebrity Ghost Stories" [3rd Season Finale] . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Bio. (--Loretta Lynn shares her ghostly encounter.)

--"Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp" [2nd Season Premiere] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on VH1 Classic. (--Mark Hudson and Guns N' Roses band mates Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum mentor 15 contestants who divide into three bands.)

--"That Metal Show" [8th Season Premiere] . . . 11:00 P.M. to Midnight on VH1 Classic. (--Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi guests.)

--"Celebrity Close Calls" [1st Season Finale] . . . 11:00 P.M. to Midnight on Bio. (--Bret Michaels, Mindy McCready and Ty Murray share near death experiences.)

--"Saturday Night Live" . . . 11:30 P.M. to 1:00 A.M. on NBC. (--Anne Hathaway guest hosts and Florence and the Machine is the musical guest.) (REPEAT)

Sunday TV Reminders:

--"Pre-Season Football" . . . 8:00 to 11:00 P.M. Eastern on NBC. (--The Dallas Cowboys host the San Diego Chargers at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.)

--"So Random!" . . . 7:30 to 8:00 P.M. on Disney Channel. (--Far East Movement performs.)

--"In the Flow with Affion Crockett" . . . 9:00 to 9:30 P.M. on Fox. (--David Koechner, Michael Strahan and Hugh Moore guest star.)

--"The Glee Project" [1st Season Finale] . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Oxygen. (--The finalists do a group performance of "Raise Your Glass" before the winner's announced.)

--"Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon" . . . 10:00 to 11:30 P.M. on Showtime.

--"Behind the Music Remastered" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on VH1. (--TLC is profiled.)

--"Home Takeover with Simon & Tomas" [SERIES Premiere] . . . 11:00 P.M. to Midnight on OWN. (--British interior designer Simon Davies and his Swedish partner Tomas Cederlund offer home makeovers for the style-challenged.)


MOTHER NATURE VS. MUSIC

Mother Nature Assaults Yet Another Summer Music Festival:

Not to be insensitive, but at some point you have to wonder what Mother Nature suddenly has against outdoor summer music festivals. --For the fourth time this summer, a massive storm caused chaos at a concert event . . . knocking down stages, tents and causing serious injuries and even deaths. --This latest catastrophe happened yesterday at something called the Pukkelpop Festival in Belgium. Ironically, the festival promotes itself as "an eco-friendly event," that tries to make "the smallest environmental impact possible." --A violent storm hit the area, bringing high winds, torrential rain and hail. As of late last night, four people had died and more than 70 people were hurt, 11 seriously. --30 SECONDS TO MARS was one of the bands scheduled to perform, and singer JARED LETO warned fans to be careful on Twitter. --He said, quote, "Crazy storm . . . not sure we will be able to go on stage . . . stay tuned. Safety first." Later, he added, quote, "Four stages down . . . still raining and thunder. If you are here, please be safe . . . --"Serious injuries at the festival. More bad weather is possibly heading this way. Please take care and caution." --Not all the Tweets were that tactful. The singer of the Chicago indie band Smith Westerns Tweeted, quote, "Stage collapsed . . . [we] almost got crushed by the [uprooted] tress. I hope Pukkelpop has insurance, because all our [stuff] is broke." --He then added, quote, "Praying no one got hurt." --The three-day festival was expected to draw 60,000 people, but naturally, it's been shut down. Other scheduled performers included: Foo Fighters, Eminem, Offspring, Panic! At the Disco, Rise Against, Good Charlotte and Fleet Foxes.

(--Here are some videos: There's this one, in which the Pukkelpop Festival appears post-apocalyptic. In this video, you can see the torrential downpour. Here's another video of the wind and rain. And here's a video news report.)

(--Again, this is the fourth high profile stage collapse in the last month. Last weekend, five people were killed when a storm caused a horrific stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair just before SUGARLAND was going to play.)

(--Earlier this month, a wind and rain storm in Oklahoma knocked over a giant video screen right before the FLAMING LIPS were going to perform.)

(--And last month, at least eight people were hurt when the main stage at the Ottawa Bluesfest collapsed right before a CHEAP TRICK show.)


A Voice of Reason: Some Random Teenager Wants Us All to Respect the "Bipolar" Whims of Mother Nature:

We've discovered a video blog by a very concerned, marginally-informed teenager, who's, quote, "getting tired of all these stage collapses." And he has a message for "the people who run these festivals" . . . --This kid says, quote, "You need to realize, Mother Nature is going to screw you up. You can't beat Mother Nature . . . Mother Nature can do whatever she wants, and she doesn't have to tell anyone that she's doing it . . . --"Mother Nature is, I mean, she's BIPOLAR." -He also suggests that if there's a storm, concert organizers should make an effort to, quote, "get the people out of there . . . [and] be cautious about it. If there's a storm at the festival, get people away from the stage." (--Here's the video.)


MUSIC LIST-OMANIA

The 10 Worst Cover Songs of All Time . . . According to "Rolling Stone" Readers:

"Rolling Stone" recently polled their readers to come up with a list of the Worst Cover Songs of All Time. They released the results yesterday. Here's the list:

1.) Miley Cyrus, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" . . . by Nirvana

2.) Limp Bizkit, "Behind Blue Eyes" . . . by The Who

3.) Madonna, "American Pie" . . . by Don McLean

4.) Sheryl Crow, "Sweet Child O' Mine" . . . by Guns N' Roses

5.) Britney Spears, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" . . . by the Rolling Stones
6.) Alien Ant Farm, "Smooth Criminal" . . . by Michael Jackson

7.) Britney Spears, "I Love Rock & Roll" . . . which was made famous by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

8.) Avril Lavigne, "Imagine" . . . by John Lennon

9.) Jessica Simpson, "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" . . . by Nancy Sinatra

10.) William Shatner, "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" . . . by The Beatles

(--You can find audio and mini write-ups for each one at RollingStone.com.)


Top 10 Funniest Misheard Lyrics:


Spinner.com has compiled a list of the Top 10 Funniest Misheard Lyrics. It isn't ranked, although some of them are clearly more amusing and common than the others. Here's the Top 10, with the misheard and real lyrics.


--Elton John, "Tiny Dancer"

Misheard: "Hold me closer, Tony Danza."
Real: "Hold me closer, tiny dancer."


--Jimi Hendrix, "Purple Haze"

Misheard: "S'cuse me while I kiss this guy."
Real: "S'cuse me while I kiss the sky."


--Pearl Jam, "Glorified"

Misheard: "Horrified virgin on a pelican." (???)
Real: "Glorified version of a pellet gun."


--Manfred Mann's Earth Band, "Blinded By the Light"

Misheard: "Wrapped up like a douche."
Real: "Revved up like a deuce." (--This one is a CLASSIC.)


--Van Halen, "Panama"

Misheard: "You reach down between my legs . . . squeeze the seed bag."
Real: "You reach down between my legs . . . ease the seat back."


--Adele, "Chasing Pavements"

Misheard: "Should I just keep chasing penguins?"
Real: "Should I just keep chasing pavements?"


--Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Bad Moon Rising"

Misheard: "There's a bathroom on the right."
Real: "There's a bad moon on the rise." (--Another classic.)


--The National, "Mr. November"

Misheard: "I won't [eff] her sober."
Real: "I won't [eff] us over."


--Hall and Oates, "Every Time You Go Away"

Misheard: "Every time you go away, take a piece of meat with you."
Real: "Every time you go away, take a piece of me with you."


--Eagles, "Desperado"

Misheard: "You've been outright offensive for so long now."
Real: "You've been out riding fences for so long now."

(--You can find audio and mini write-ups for each one at Spinner.com. WARNING: Some of the clips contain PROFANITY.)


The 30 Harshest Musician-on-Musician Insults in History:

FlavorWire.com has assembled a list of The 30 Harshest Musician-on-Musician Insults in History. Here are a few highlights from the list:

--Anton Newcombe of The Brian Jonestown Massacre on Eric Clapton: Quote, "People talk about Eric Clapton. What has he ever done except throw his baby off [an effin'] ledge and write a song about it?"


--Elton John on Keith Richards: Quote, "It's like a monkey with arthritis, trying to go onstage and look young."


--Boy George on Elton John: Quote, "All that money, and he's still got hair like a [effing] dinner lady."


--Robert Smith of The Cure on Morrissey: Quote, "If Morrissey says not to eat meat, then I'll eat meat . . . that's how much I hate Morrissey."


--Noel Gallagher from Oasis on Jack White: Quote, "He looks like Zorro on doughnuts."


--Nick Cave on Red Hot Chili Peppers: Quote, "I'm forever near a stereo saying, 'What the [eff] is this garbage?' And the answer is always the Red Hot Chili Peppers."


--Kurt Cobain on Guns N' Roses: Quote, "They're really talentless people, and they write crap music, and they're the most popular rock band on the earth right now. I can't believe it."


(--Find the full Top 30, spread across six pages, at this link. Note: The site was acting up last night, so you might have to scroll down to see the insults.)
Def Leppard Doesn't Get the Respect It Deserves . . . Says Def Leppard:

Oh no! DEF LEPPARD singer JOE ELLIOTT doesn't think Def Leppard gets the respect it deserves! Well, maybe not from YOU specifically . . . unless you're the editor of a British music magazine. (--I'm not.) --Joe explains, quote, "I was having a little bit of a [B-word] to the press because . . . --"There are certain glossy magazines in England that will do nothing except put [Paul] McCartney / [John] Lennon, [Bruce] Springsteen, Michael Stipe, Bono, blah blah blah . . . on the front cover. --"They think people like us and Jon Bon Jovi and Lemmy and anybody that's not Michael Stipe or Bruce Springsteen . . . they think that we're like morons and stupid." --"We've sold more records than Morrissey and I think I'm a better singer than Morrissey and we think we write better songs than Morrissey . . . yet they'll still think that Morrissey is really cool because he was once in The Smiths. --"I've got nothing against Morrissey. I've got something against the press that think that way."


FRIDAY'S SHOWBIZ EXTRAS

Showbiz Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:


DANIEL RADCLIFFE has a new girlfriend. (Full Story)



After spending a solid week slutting it up in Barbados, RIHANNA has signed a multi-year deal to promote her home country as a tourist destination. (Full Story)



The death certificate for former Yankee pitcher HIDEKI IRABU has been filed. As expected, the cause of death was listed as, quote, "hanging . . . self-inflicted with rope." (Full Story)



LADY GAGA took surfing lessons in Mexico the other day. (Photos)



LEONARDO DICAPRIO just got his hands on a brand new, 2012 Fisker Karma. It's a $100,000 hybrid and it's pretty rare. AL GORE and COLIN POWELL are still waiting for theirs. (Full Story)



The F-word is being used more and more in PG-13 movies. (Full Story)


Check out the trailer for "Trespass" . . . a new home invasion flick starring NICOLAS CAGE and NICOLE KIDMAN. (Video)



Bravo says the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" cameras will NOT roll on RUSSELL ARMSTRONG'S funeral. They also don't know how much footage of Russell will air during the coming season. (Full Story)



DANIELLE STAUB from "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" says SHE considered suicide several times after she appeared on the show. She says, quote, "I don't have words to describe how alone you feel. And everybody's coming at you, and judging you, and they don't even know you." (Full Story)



Singer JOSH GROBAN is going to appear on the upcoming season of "The Office", as the brother of ED HELMS' character, Andy Bernard. (Full Story)



The not-always-reliable British tabloids say that KANYE WEST is recording a cover of AMY WINEHOUSE'S "Back to Black". (Full Story)


RANDOM STUFF

The Average Bad Marriage Lasts Nine Years Before a Separation, and 12 Years Before a Divorce:

Wondering how much longer you'll be stuck in your horrible marriage? Well . . . now we can tell you. -A new study out of Australia found that the average "bad" marriage lasts 8.7 years . . . or eight years, eight months, and 12 days . . . before a SEPARATION. --And it lasts 12.3 years . . . or 12 years, three months, and 18 days . . . before a DIVORCE. --Those numbers are actually significantly up from 30 years ago. --In the early 1980s, the average separation happened after 7.5 years . . . or one year, two months, 12 days EARLIER. And the average divorce happened after 10.2 years . . . or two years, one month, and six days sooner. --The number of marriages lasting at least 20 years has also increased from 20% in 1980 to 24% in 2000 to 28% in 2009. --The study found that marriages are more stable than people who live together without making things legal. Cohabitating couples are between three and five times more likely than married couples to split up. (News.com.au)


Want to See a Secret List of Who You're Stalking On Facebook? It's Easy . . . and It's Not a Scam:

Usually any link associated with Facebook and "seeing who you're stalking" is a scam to hack your profile. This one isn't. And it's VERY eye-opening. --A web developer named Jeremy Keeshin cracked the code Facebook uses to figure out whose stuff they put up on your newsfeed, and whose stuff you never see. --It has to do with how much you click on that person's links, visit their profile, and how long you've been friends. --And Jeremy created a bookmark you can put in your browser . . . so that when you visit Facebook, you can see your friends RANKED by how much you're OBSESSED with them. --I was skeptical, but I dragged the link up to my browser's bookmark bar, went to Facebook . . . and it was DEFINITELY accurate. All of the people at the top of the list are people whose posts I click on regularly. --Here's how you do it: Google "Who Does Facebook Think You Are Searching For?" It's a post on the website keesh.com. Drag the little box called 'Facebook Friends' up to the bookmark bar of your web browser. --Then log in to Facebook . . . click on the 'Facebook Friends' link in your browser bar . . . and it runs Jeremy's program to find out who you're stalking. But do it quick . . . Facebook tends to shut down stuff like this pretty fast. (--Here's the link.) (The Keesh)


Live Way Longer by Eating Right, Exercising, and Cutting Out Smoking and Drinking . . . or a Little Longer by Doing Just One of Those:

I like this report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, because it's totally geared toward us degenerate slobs. --In their new report, they've shown how much you can extend your life by quitting smoking, limiting alcohol, exercising regularly, and eating healthy. But they also know most of us ain't hitting all four of those targets. --So they've made a point to let you know that you can extend your life a little bit by just doing ONE of those. --According to the CDC, if you do all four of those, you're 63% less likely to die early versus someone who smokes, drinks hard, eats poorly, and rarely exercises. --You're 66% less likely to die early from cancer, 65% less likely to die early from heart disease, and 57% less likely to die from other causes. --They didn't release the percentages yet for how much you increase your life expectancy just by doing one of the four healthy behaviors . . . but each one will decrease your risk of dying early by at least 10%. --They did say that quitting smoking is THE single best thing you can do to live a longer life. (PR Newswire)
They're Here . . . Triple-Double Oreos are Now In Stores:

Back in May, we heard these were coming. And now . . . they're here: For everyone who's ever stared down a package of Double Stuf Oreos and thought, "Those are KINDA good, but I want more" . . . the day has finally arrived. --This week, new Triple-Double Oreos have hit the shelves. A triple-double is an Oreo cookie . . . a layer of traditional Oreo filling . . . another cookie . . . a layer of chocolate filling . . . and finally, one more cookie. Like a club sandwich. --Each one will run you a VERY high 100 calories. (PWR New Media) (--Here's what they look like.)


The Motion Picture Association Is Allowing Producers To Sneak More F-Words Into PG-13 Movies:

If you think they've been using the F-word more often in PG-13 rated movies, you're effing right. --Technically, PG-13 movies are only allowed to use the F-word once, or else they have to be rated R. And it can't be used to refer to sexual relations . . . just for emphasis or anger. --That can present problems for movie-makers, because even if they only have one F-word in their script, a lot of times the actors will improvise and add more during filming. --So the ratings people at the Motion Picture Association of America have added a loophole. --If two thirds of the members of the MPAA's ratings board decide that the extra F-words are, quote, "inconspicuous" . . . meaning they're in the background or not emphasized . . . then the movie can still get a PG-13 rating. --Recent movies that got extra effs include "The Social Network", "Iron Man 2" and "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps". The MPAA gave exceptions because the F-words come an hour and a half apart, or came really close together because a character repeats it. --And movies with loud explosions like "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" can sneak in a whole bunch of F-words by having characters mouth the word, but not actually say it. Or by having them START saying the word, but with the end drowned out or trailing off. (Huffington Post)


Important Announcement . . . There May Be a Rally of Topless Women in Town on Sunday Afternoon:

GoTopless is an organization devoted to equal rights for female toplessness. They say that if men can be shirtless in public, they should be allowed to go topless too. In other words, they're fighting the good fight. --We're bringing them up now because this Sunday is their official "GoTopless Day". They're encouraging women to go to rallies . . . TOPLESS . . . to protest the unfair double-standard on toplessness laws. --So if there's gonna be a rally here, you won't want to miss it. You can find out on their website if one is going to pop up. --It gets better, too. They're asking men to make sure to COVER UP their chests at the rallies, to switch gender roles for the day. So there will be plenty of exposed breasts . . . and your man-boobs can stay fully sheathed. --As for whether it's legal for the women to go topless . . . well, that sort of depends on how the local police choose to handle things. (GoTopless.org) (--Here's the website with the list of locations. It keeps getting updated. WARNING: BREASTS are shown on this site.)


Thong Sales are Way, Way Down:

SISQO isn't going to like this at all . . . because his "Thong Song" is now just an ANTIQUE of the past. According to reports, sales of THONG underwear are way, way down. --Since their peak in 2003, thongs are down a huge 17%. They now represent less than one out of every four pairs of women's underwear that's purchased. (The Stir)


A 61-Year-Old Lifeguard in New York was Fired for Refusing to Wear a Speedo . . . and Now He's Suing:

61-year-old Roy Lester of Long Island, New York, is a bankruptcy attorney who spent the past four decades working part-time as a lifeguard. But back in 2007, he was fired from his lifeguarding gig. --Roy was supposed to take his annual swimming test and he was told he HAD to do it in a tiny SPEEDO. He wanted to do it in a pair of more modest biking shorts, because he said NO ONE his age should wear a Speedo. --Roy's in good shape but, quote, "I wore a Speedo when I was in my 20s. But come on. There should be a law prohibiting anyone over the age of 50 from wearing a Speedo." --He ended up getting FIRED over the incident. --He SUED the state of New York for AGE DISCRIMINATION. His lawsuit appeared to be dead . . . but an appeals court just reinstated it. Now it could go to trial later this year or next year. --Roy believes the Speedo thing was actually a ploy to get rid of the older lifeguards. He says that the Speedos were ridiculous: The test required swimming 100 yards in 75 seconds and, quote, "I could've passed that test in dungarees." --There's no word on how much he's suing for. (New York Daily News)

A Girl Gets Injured by an Exploding Cake on Her 13th Birthday . . . When Her Family Mistakes Fireworks for Birthday Candles:

This family's story sounds kind of sketchy, but for now, this is what we know. (--They haven't released the names of any of the people involved.) -A 13-year-old girl suffered burns to her arms and eyes on Tuesday night, when the cake exploded at her thirteenth birthday party in Finksburg, Maryland (--just northwest of Baltimore). --After investigating, the fire marshal said, quote, "There was a birthday, and there was cake, and afterward, there was a low-level explosion in the dining room." --And the reason is . . . someone in the family accidentally mixed up the birthday candles with . . . leftover FIREWORKS. --So apparently the family actually stuck fireworks in the cake, lit them, began to sing, and the fireworks went off. --In addition to the girl's burns, her father suffered burns to the face and arm, and her mother suffered burns on her arms. All three family members were treated at the hospital, and are in good condition. --The fireworks sparked a fire in the dining room, and damage was so extensive that the BOMB SQUAD was called in to investigate. -The fire department isn't sure how people could confuse fireworks for birthday candles. The fire marshal said, quote, "Right now, you're thinking this just doesn't add up, and it doesn't. We still have a lot of work to do." (Carroll County Times)


A Guy Crashes While Trying to Stop His Car With His Feet . . . Like in "The Flintstones":

You can laugh at this poor guy, but we all thought about doing this when we watched "The Flintstones". --An unnamed 24-year-old near Detroit was driving home from his roofing job on Wednesday afternoon, when the brakes on his pickup failed. --He was able to coast to a stop on the side of the road. He checked his brakes, saw they weren't working . . . and drove off anyway. -Witnesses say he was able to come to a stop a second time, and check the brakes AGAIN, before getting onto the highway during rush hour traffic. --He made it about two and a half miles, by opening his door and using his FEET as BRAKES. --Not surprisingly, police noticed him and began a pursuit . . . and he ended up crashing into four cars. --He told them he drove without brakes because he didn't want to wait for a tow truck since was tired, and needed to be at work early the next morning. --Police gave him a series of sobriety tests, but he was sober. One officer said quote, "No alcohol. No drugs. Just a serious lack of common sense." --But he WAS driving with a suspended license, and has also been charged with reckless driving. (WXYZ 7) (--The news report shows about 30 seconds of police dash cam footage of him driving, at 0:32 and 0:52, and his arrest at 1:21.)


Someone Stole a Rare Bible From Some Italian Monks . . . So They're Praying For Him to Get Diarrhea:

You do NOT want to mess with these Franciscan monks in Italy. --San Salvatore al Monte is a church built in the 15th century in Florence, Italy. Supposedly, Michelangelo used to worship there. --Obviously the monks in charge of the church have some rare church artifacts, and they put some of them on display. --But recently . . . we're not sure when . . . someone walked off with a rare and expensive bible they had out on a lectern. And when a parishioner donated another bible to replace it, that one got taken too. --That's when the monks decided they'd had enough, and began praying . . . for the bible thief to be stricken down with a case of diarrhea. --They posted a written prayer, for the congregation to see, that says, quote "We pray to God that the thief is struck by a strong bout of the . . ." well, it rhymes with 'spits.' --The monks say they hope it'll encourage the thief to turn away from his life of crime. One of the monks said, quote, "It is not exactly clean language, but we couldn't put up with it any longer. The Lord and the faithful will understand." (The Guardian)


MEATBALL CRIMINALS

Check Out This Footage of a Man Who Robbed a Gas Station in a Dress With Panties on His Head:

Turn down the lights because it's about to get weird and oddly sexy up in here. --On Tuesday, around 5:25 A.M., a man robbed the convenience store at an Exxon gas station in Dallas, Texas. And he wasn't exactly inconspicuous. According to the Dallas police . . . --Quote, "The suspect is seen entering the store wearing what appears to be a black and white flower dress with white boots. His face is also covered with what appears to be undergarments. --"He demands money . . . while holding what could possibly be a gun under the dress." (--Look, don't give me the "gun under the dress" trick. I've fallen for that too many times. I mean, a friend of mine has fallen for that . . .) --The man was described as a white male, five-foot-five, about 145 pounds. --The police are still looking for him. (Dallas Observer) (--Here's the surveillance footage of the robbery. Just TRY to make your eyes gravitate away from the panties on his head. Just try.)
A Woman Drives Her Car Into the Apartment Complex She Thought Her Husband's Mistress Lived In . . . But She Picked the Wrong Building:

I really thought this kind of thing only happened in movies. --Back in June, a 25-year-old woman from Nelson, New Zealand was driving with her husband (--their names weren't released). At some point she looked at his text messages, and found evidence that he was having an affair. --So she DEMANDED to know where his mistress lived. For some reason . . . he told her. And she decided to drive there ON THE SPOT, to confront the woman. --When they got to the area where the mistress lived, the wife decided to NOT confront her . . . and instead, drove the car straight into the building. With her husband riding shotgun. --She ended up smashing the garage . . . then backed out and collided with a parked car. --And after all that . . . it turned out she'd gone after the WRONG BUILDING. Her husband's mistress lived in a different complex. --This week, the wife was in court . . . and pleaded guilty to intentionally causing $35,115 worth of damage. --She'll be sentenced on October 3rd. (Stuff.co.nz)


RANDOM NEWS EXTRAS

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


23-year-old Justin Newberry of Tennessee shot himself in both legs on Wednesday afternoon . . . WHILE HE WAS DRIVING. It's because he hit the brakes, and his gun slid out from under the seat. When he reached down for it, he grabbed it by the trigger, and fired a round that went through his left ankle and his right thigh. Cops also found weed, drug paraphernalia, and fake IDs in Justin's car. He was airlifted to the hospital, and is in stable condition. (Full Story)


Researchers at the University of Buffalo discovered that the media's portrayal of women has become more sexualized in the last 50 years . . . by analyzing "Rolling Stone" covers. In the 1960s, 11% of men were sexualized in photos versus 44% of women. Now it's 17% of men, and 83% of women. (Full Story)


23-year-old Keyona Davis of Daytona Beach, Florida babysat for a friend Wednesday afternoon, and rode in another friend's pickup truck. She rode in the bed of the truck . . . with the eight-month-old in a stroller next to her. Other drivers saw it, called 911, and she was arrested for neglect. (Full Story)

A 23-year-old mom in Maryland got a DUI on Monday night, had someone pick her up at the police station, had them take her back to her car . . . and was busted with a SECOND DUI within three hours, this time with her four-year-old daughter in the car. (Full Story)


NAZZY’S VIDEOS OF THE DAY

#1.) Georgetown Played a Pro Basketball Team in China as Part of a "Goodwill" Tour . . . and It Ended in a Bench-Clearing Brawl:

The Georgetown basketball team has been on a "goodwill" tour of China, playing exhibition games against pro teams there. But yesterday's game against the Bayi Rockets ended in a BENCH-CLEARING BRAWL. --It happened after two players collided and went at it, then EVERYONE went at it. There's video online, but it's hard to tell who threw the first punch. --It's mostly a huge mob of jerseys, but at one point, you can see a Chinese player knock a Georgetown player to the ground. Then he starts raining punches until another Georgetown player dives on him. --Coach John Thompson pulled his team off the court as soon as possible, with the score tied at 64. (--Search YouTube for "Georgetown China Brawl." The Chinese player starts punching the Georgetown player on the ground at :24.)



#2.) A Pitcher Took a Line Drive to the Face . . . Then Tried to Convince His Coaches to Keep Him in the Game:

In yesterday's game against the Indians, White Sox pitcher PHIL HUMBER took a line drive to the FACE. It hit him directly above the right eye, and he fell straight on his back. But here's the amazing part: He's apparently FINE. --Humber got right back up . . . and even tried to talk the coaches into letting him keep pitching. Obviously, they took him out just to be safe. But a half-inning later, the team said he was alert and responsive. (--Search MLB.com for "Humber's Injury." They show it in slow motion at :38.)
#3.) A Guy in Northern California Has Taken His Dog Skydiving 64 Times:

The "Sacramento Bee" did a story this week on a former skydiving instructor in Northern California who's taken his dog Otis on 64 tandem jumps. --You could probably make the case that it's animal cruelty, but apparently the 10-year-old pug ENJOYS it. They posted a video of one of the jumps online, and he looks completely calm. He even has his own skydiving goggles. (--Search for "Skydiving Dog Makes 64th Jump." They jump at :25.)


#4.) World Record of the Day: A Man Takes 65 Bites Out of Three Apples in 30 Seconds . . . While Juggling Them:

RecordSetter.com is kind of the official website for setting UNOFFICIAL world records. And most of them are really weird. --For example, there's a new one where a guy juggles three apples . . . while simultaneously taking as many bites out of them as he can. In just under 30 seconds, he takes 65 bites before he finally drops one. (--Search YouTube for "Most Times Biting Three Apples While Juggling Them.")


Four Extremely Useful Apps That Are Also Free:

If you're still refusing to get a smart phone because you think you don't need it, check out this list from "Reader's Digest" of four extremely useful apps that are also FREE.

#1.) Sit or Squat. It tells you where the closest public restroom is, and ranks how clean they are by telling you whether to "sit" or "squat." -It also lists features like changing tables and seat covers. And you can see photos posted by people who've been there before. --'Sit or Squat' is available for iPhone and BlackBerry users. Or you can access it on ANY cell phone by sending a text message. But the text version is pretty lame.

#2.) FastCustomer. It lets you contact customer service at 2,600 different companies without waiting on hold. You just choose a company from the list, and they automatically call when someone's available. For the iPhone, and Android users.

#3.) Find My iPhone. This one only works with Apple products, but it's great: It lets you install a program on your computer to track your iPhone using the GPS. So if you lose it . . . or someone steals it . . . there's still hope. --It also lets you remotely lock your phone, or even wipe the hard drive if you want to.

#4.) Dragon Go. It's a voice recognition program, and it's supposed to basically help you find ANYTHING. You might have seen ads for the computer version on TV. But there's a free version for iPhone users. --All you do is say something like, "Best sushi in New York" or "latest movie with Will Ferrell," and it pops up results on the most relevant app, like Yelp or Fandango. (Reader's Digest)


Five Dating Tips for Shy Guys:

If the thought of approaching women freaks you out, Match.com has five tips that should supposedly help. Listen up . . .

#1.) Be Honest. Confidence is always sexy, but if you're TRYING to come off as confident when you're actually not, it's going to come off as forced and awkward. --So just be upfront. Women appreciate honesty, even if you're admitting that you feel out of your element. In other words, making fun of yourself demonstrates confidence too.

#2.) Ask for Help. If you need a quick icebreaker, ask for a woman's opinion on something. It works better if you're with friends, and you ask her to weigh in on something funny that one of you did, or something that one of you is wearing.

#3.) Choose Your Venue Wisely. It's WAY easier for shy guys to meet women in places where there's already something to talk about. So skip the bar and club scene and hit up a place with a built-in conversation starter, like an art gallery.

#4.) Bring Your Best Wingman. When you're shy, a bad wingman might inadvertently steal the spotlight. So if you're going out with one of your buddies, bring someone who's not a threat . . . like a married friend.

#5.) Use Technology. If you're bad at starting conversations, use online dating and Facebook in the beginning. Then once you've gotten to know her, it'll be easier to talk face-to-face. (Match.com)

HOLLYWOOD DIRT OVERFLOW (08-18-11)

Kim Kardashian's $20 Million Wedding by the Numbers:

KIM KARDASHIAN and KRIS HUMPHRIES are getting married on Saturday. AOL says they're spending $20 MILLION on the wedding . . . which, incidentally, is 20 TIMES what DONALD TRUMP spent on his last wedding.

--Here are some other interesting numbers AOL dug up . . .

--$35 million: Kim's estimated net worth.

--$8 million: Kris' estimated net worth.

--$100: The cost of a bottle of Kim's new fragrance Love, which guests will receive.

--1,000: People invited to the wedding.

--4: Hours E!'s wedding special will be.

--20.5: Carats in the diamonds on Kim's engagement ring.

(--There's even more in AOL's handy infographic.)


Hollywood's Hottest Geek Guys:

Geeky guys have never been more popular than they are right now . . . at least in Hollywood. I don't know if the average geek is pulling more tail these days in real life. But as far as movies and TV are concerned, they seem to be everywhere. --The Huffington Post put together a slideshow of Hollywood's Hottest Geek Guys. It includes . . .

--Jesse Eisenberg

--Aziz Ansari

--Andrew Garfield

--John Krasinski from "The Office"

--Joseph Gordon-Levitt

--Michael Cera

--Darren Criss and Kevin McHale from "Glee"

--Ed Helms

--Andy Samberg

--Daniel Radcliffe

(--Check all of 'em out here.)


Gwyneth Paltrow Saved a Life on 9/11!

With the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks less than a month away, it's important that we recognize that day's many heroes: --Like the emergency responders, the brave passengers who gave their lives to keep Flight 93 from hitting the Pentagon . . . and of course, GWYNETH PALTROW. --Yes, Gwyneth Paltrow . . . who saved the life of one New Yorker on September 11th, 2001. --Lara Lundstrom Clarke was an account manager at Baseline Financial Services. That morning at around 9:00 A.M., she was on her way to her office on the 77th floor of the World Trade Center's South Tower. --But as she was about to jaywalk across the street to catch her train, Gwyneth's silver Mercedes screeched to a halt right in front of her. --Lara says, quote, "It developed into one of those classic who-goes-first situations. It got ridiculous. Then I made eye contact with the Mercedes driver. OMG it was Gwyneth Paltrow." --That standoff made Lara ONE SECOND late for her train. She literally got to it just as the doors slid shut. She had to catch the next train, so she didn't get to the Towers until AFTER the attack. --Lara says, quote, "If I had made that train I would have been at my desk on the 77th floor of 2 World Trade Center." She has since written Gwyneth a thank-you letter. --Reached for comment, Gwyneth's rep says, quote, "Yes, it is true and we have seen the report. She was deeply moved by Lara's story."


Jennifer Hudson is Prouder of Her Weight Loss Than She Is of Her Oscar:

JENNIFER HUDSON has lost a TON of weight since her days on "American Idol" . . . and obviously, she's proud of that. --But check this out: She tells "Self" magazine, quote, "I'm prouder of my weight loss than my Oscar." Jennifer won Best Supporting Actress for "Dreamgirls" in 2007. --Before she was famous, Jennifer was a size 16 . . . and she thought she was, quote, "the perfect size." But obviously, that changed. --She says, quote, "I didn't even know I was considered plus-sized until I came to Hollywood . . . An interviewer asked, 'How does it feel to be plus-sized in Hollywood?' --"I looked around, like, Who is she talking to? Oh, me? I'm plus-sized? In the neighborhood I'm from in Chicago, a 16 is normal. But in Hollywood, everyone looks exactly the same, so I stood out." --Jennifer decided to lose weight while she was pregnant with her son, who's 2 now. She says, quote, "I thought, hold on . . . why doesn't anybody know I'm pregnant? And I wanted to set a good example for my son."


Peyton Manning is the Highest Paid Player in the NFL:

The unstoppable list-makers at Forbes.com have put together a list of the Highest Paid Players in the NFL. Colts quarterback PEYTON MANNING tops it. He'll pocket $23 MILLION before this year is out.

--Here are the highest-paid football players, along with their expected salaries for 2011 . . .

#1.) Peyton Manning, $23 million

#2.) Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, $18.4 million

#3.) Tom Brady, $18 million

#4.) Michael Vick, $15.9 million

#5.) Raiders defensive end Richard Seymour, $15 million

#6.) Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil, $14 million

#7.) Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, $13.5 million

#8.) Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, $12.8 million

#9.) Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, $12.5 million

#10.) Dolphins defensive tackle Paul Soliai, $12.4 million

(--Check out the list in annoying slideshow format here.)
NEW MOVIES THIS WEEKEND

The "Conan the Barbarian" and "Fright Night" Remakes Hit Theaters Tomorrow:

#1.) "Fright Night" (R)

This is a remake of the 1985 horror classic about a teenager who's convinced that his creepy new neighbor is a vampire. After his mom falls under the vampire's spell, the kid turns to a TV horror movie host to teach him how to kill the vampire before it kills him. (Trailer) --Colin Farrell is the vampire, and the kid is played by Anton Yelchin, who you know as Chekov in the new "Star Trek" movies. --One of my favorite characters from the original was Roddy McDowall's "vampire expert" Peter Vincent. In this one, he's played by "Dr. Who's" David Tennant, who channels more than a little Russell Brand into his performance, at least in early scenes. (--Check that out here.)

#2.) "Conan the Barbarian" (R)

Your new Conan is Jason Momoa, who gained some serious barbarian cred by playing Khal Drogo on HBO's "Game of Thrones". Ron Perlman plays his father, and the bad guy is Stephen Lang. You might not know Lang's name, but you'll recognize his face. He was the A-hole marine colonel in "Avatar". --There were two Conan movies starring Arnold Swarzenegger . . . the 1982 original and its 1984 sequel, "Conan the Destroyer". A third movie was planned, but Arnold moved on to "Predator" and the film never got off the ground. --This remake follows the basic story of Conan . . . a warlord destroys his village, then young Conan grows to manhood and hunts that guy down for revenge. Rose McGowan is an evil witch protecting the guy Conan needs to kill . . . and Conan's love interest is played by "Criminal Minds" minx Rachel Nichols. (Trailer) (--Check out this clip from the movie, which shows young Conan competing with other boys from his village when they get ambushed by a rival tribe. Everyone else runs away, except for Conan. It's pretty bad-ass.) (When Blood Is Spilled)


#3.) "Spy Kids: All the Time in the World (In 4D AromaScope)" (PG)

The fourth "Spy Kids" movie stars Jessica Alba as a retired spy who's forced to reveal her secret to her two bratty stepkids . . . and they become the new spy kids of the franchise. The original spy kids are both grown up, but they return to help out too. --Ricky Gervais does the voice of their robot spy dog, Jeremy Piven is the villain, and no "Spy Kids" movie would be complete without Danny Trejo as Machete. (Trailer) (--It's in 3D, but the 4D gimmick means you can get scratch-and-sniff cards that let you smell the action as it's happening. Each "AromaScope" card has eight circles on it, and you simply scratch whatever number appears on the screen.)

#4.) "One Day" (PG-13)

Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess meet on the day of their college graduation and go their separate ways. Then, over the course of 20 years, we watch as their friendship evolves, with glimpses of their lives each year on the anniversary of the day they met. (Trailer) (--Anne Hathaway speaks with a British accent for this role. It's sort of interesting to listen to her talk like that . . . but not nearly as interesting as the anti-paparazzi rap song she did on "Conan" earlier this week. Relive that moment here.) (--They created an interactive timeline on the site that includes the #1 song for each day covered in the film. The day they met it was Cheap Trick's "The Flame". Can you name the #1 song from when YOU met the love of your life?)


In His Next Movie, Daniel Radcliffe is Playing a Part that Harry Potter's Dad Played More than 20 Years Ago:

DANIEL RADCLIFFE has a movie coming out in February called "The Woman in Black". It's a classic haunted house-type story, and it looks pretty awesome . . . like something along the lines of NICOLE KIDMAN'S "The Others". (--Check out the trailer here.) -Here's some interesting trivia about the movie: It's based on a 1983 novel of the same name by Susan Hill . . . and it was made into a TV movie in 1989. --In that version, the actor who played Daniel Radcliffe's part was ADRIAN RAWLINS. -If you're not a hardcore "Harry Potter" fan, then that name will mean nothing to you. But if you are, then you know that Rawlins also played James Potter . . . a.k.a. Harry Potter's DAD. (--Of course, James Potter was DEAD long before the events of the first movie, so he always appeared either in flashbacks or as a spirit . . . or whatever you'd call a dead person who shows up every once in a while to give you a pep talk.)
ABERCROMBIE VS. THE SITUATION

Abercrombie & Fitch is Willing to Pay The Situation *Not* to Wear Their Clothes:

Abercrombie & Fitch is offering THE SITUATION "a substantial payment" to STOP wearing their clothes on "Jersey Shore". Here's how Abercrombie worded their offer: --Quote, "We are deeply concerned that The Situation's association with our brand could cause significant damage to our image. --"We understand that 'Jersey Shore' is for entertainment purposes, but believe this association is contrary to the aspirational nature of our brand, and may be distressing to many of our fans. --"We have therefore offered a substantial payment to The Situation and the producers of the show to have the character wear an alternate brand. We have also extended this offer to other members of the cast, and are urgently awaiting a response." --Abercrombie didn't elaborate on the amount, so it's unclear what the "substantial payment" would be. That is, assuming Abercrombie is serious enough to let it get that far. --If the offer is legit, The Situation has an opportunity to DOUBLE DOWN. He could be paid not to wear Abercrombie . . . while being paid TO wear Hustler brand clothing. --Hustler's Larry Flynt released this statement: "The Sitch may not be good enough for Abercrombie & Fitch, but he's good enough for us." He says they will, quote, "pay [The Situation] to wear their clothing, so that he can stay well dressed."


Abercrombie Vs. The Situation Fallout: MTV Says It's a Publicity Stunt, and They're Probably Right:

MTV has responded to Abercrombie & Fitch's anti-Situation offer, and if you ask me, it's RIGHT ON THE MONEY. --MTV said, quote, "It's a clever PR stunt, and we'd love to work with them on other ways they can leverage 'Jersey Shore' to reach the largest youth audience on television." --The Situation hasn't directly responded to Abercrombie, but he did Tweet, quote, "Looks like Abercrombie got themself into a Situation!" He also linked to a CNN article saying that Abercrombie's stock fell 9% after they dissed "Jersey Shore" (--For what it's worth, the article says analysts don't believe this "Jersey Shore" nonsense had anything to do with the drop. It's likely just a coincidence.) --Obviously, Abercrombie & Fitch's over-the-top statement makes this seem fairly tongue-in-cheek . . . but if you're not convinced, here's more proof that it was a stunt: --A so-called "source" tells MTV that Abercrombie never attempted to make an offer PRIVATELY to The Situation or to the show . . . so it was only done in the press. --And last summer, The Situation told "New York" magazine that the store was ENJOYING his product placement. He boasted, quote, "The show went international, and I read that it's very big overseas, especially 'The Situation' . . . --"My name, or my character . . . is known worldwide now. Abercrombie & Fitch . . . their most popular shirt, they told me, is [referred to as] 'Fitchuation.' I mean, where did they get that from? Obviously from myself." --But the nail in the coffin might be this: DJ PAULY D Tweeted, quote, "Hmmm, if they don't want us to wear those clothes, why make GTL shirts? Your PR Sux." --He's right. Abercrombie does have a GTL shirt. "GTL" . . . or "Gym, Tan, Laundry" . . . is an expression that was made popular by "Jersey Shore". (--Here's a picture of an Abercrombie "GTL" shirt.) (--And honestly, if Abercrombie was actually against morons with amazing bodies being seen in their clothes . . . they wouldn't slap their name all over their clothing, and they wouldn't select the male models that they do.) (--Anyway, The Situation has TERRIBLE fashion sense, Abercrombie or not. Gawker.com put together a fun list of "The 10 Stupidest Outfits The Situation Has Ever Worn", and it comes with photographic proof. You can find it, here.)


"American Idol" Would Like Adam Levine to Know That They Don't Shy Away from Having Openly Gay Contestants:

ADAM LEVINE recently criticized "American Idol" for shying away from featuring openly gay contestants, and suggested that the show is purposely suppressing the sexuality of gay singers. --"Idol" has gone on record about this before, saying that "sexual orientation is irrelevant to the competition". But now, "Idol" executive producer Nigel Lythgoe is responding directly to Adam's comment. And he doesn't sound happy. --Nigel tells "Entertainment Weekly", quote, "I [don't] understand why we're talking about contestants being gay or not gay. I don't go into my dentist and say, 'Are you gay?' . . . What does it got to do with me? What does it got to do with anybody? --"When does privacy stop in this country? If somebody wants to say they're gay, it's up to them. You don't expect us to turn around and say, 'Are you gay?' Why would we do that? What does that have anything to do with singing talent? --"Maybe it does for Adam Levine, but not for me." (--Nigel's comments are based on the assumption that "Idol" does NOT intentionally try to keep gay contestants' sexualities hidden, which is the part Adam is questioning. I doubt Adam thinks sexuality has anything to do with talent.) (--By the way, it's official: JENNIFER LOPEZ will be back on "Idol" next year. There's no word yet on how much she's getting paid, but it's a one-year deal. So, we can all look forward to this song-and-dance again next summer.)
TV REMINDERS

Thursday TV Reminders: (--Check your local listings.)

--"Pre-Season Football" . . . 8:00 to 11:00 P.M. Eastern on Fox. (--The Pittsburgh Steelers host the Philadelphia Eagles at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.)

--"2011 Do Something Awards" . . . 9:00 to 11:00 P.M. on VH1. (--Performers include Demi Lovato, Foster the People and B.o.B. "Glee's" Jane Lynch hosts as young "world-changers" and the celebrities that inspire them are celebrated.) (--Here are this year's nominees.)

--"Big Brother 13" [Eviction Night] . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on CBS.

--"Suits" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on USA. (--"Without a Trace's" Eric Close guests as an undefeated lawyer who goes up against Harvey in a class-action lawsuit.)

--"Beyond Scared Straight" [2nd Season Premiere] . . . 10:00 to 11:30 P.M. on A&E.

--"The Green Room with Paul Provenza" . . . 11:00 to 11:30 P.M. on Showtime. (--Tommy Chong, Joe Rogan, Rick Shapiro and Eddie Ifft guest.)


The Only Artists to Have Five Songs Off One Album Go #1 Are: Michael Jackson . . . and Now, Katy Perry:

Up through last month, only ONE artist had ever managed to have FIVE #1 singles from ONE album in the 53-year history of Billboard's Hot 100: MICHAEL JACKSON. --He did it with his 1987 album "Bad". The five #1 singles were: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", and "Dirty Diana". --It also had "Smooth Criminal", but that topped out at #7. --Well, now another artist has tied that mark. And it's KATY PERRY. (???) (--Yes, this is pretty weird, but these are strange times for the music industry.) --Katy's single "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" just went #1, and it was the fifth chart-topper off her latest album, "Teenage Dream". --The other four are: "California Gurls", "Teenage Dream", "Firework" and "E.T.". --For what it's worth, Michael's five singles happened over nine months and two weeks, while Katy's run took one year, two months and a week. --Yesterday, Katy Tweeted, quote, "What a way to wake up! SO proud to announce that the little-engine-that-could of a song 'LAST FRIDAY NIGHT' is officially #1 & made HISTORY! . . . [and] u know, I couldn't have done it without ya."


25 Things You Don't Know About Stevie Nicks:

Which one of these two things is TRUE about FLEETWOOD MAC legend STEVIE NICKS? Is she A.) "A fanatic about good lighting in every room of her house" . . . or B.) "Deathly afraid of chickens"? --The answer is: A.) "A fanatic about good lighting in every room of her house." Although, she may very well be "deathly afraid of chickens." She just didn't say that. --Stevie mentioned the "good lighting" thing when filling out a 25 Things You Don't Know About Me questionnaire for "Us" magazine. As for what she considers to be "good lighting," she added, quote, "I often use rainbow light bulbs."

--Here are a few other highlights:

--"I love cashmere."

--"I never sit in the sun."

--"I enjoy watching cartoons."

--"I believe it's good to have your mattress on the floor."

--"I love being on a boat or looking out at sea."

--"One of the most thrilling days of my life was visiting the cast of 'Glee'." (???) (--Stevie might be suffering some memory loss from all that drug use in the '70s.) (--You can check out Stevie's complete list, here.)
Jay-Z and Kanye West Scored the Second-Biggest Album Debut of the Year:

As expected, JAY-Z and KANYE WEST had a big week on the "Billboard" chart. "Watch the Throne" sold 436,000 copies in its first week of release, which is the second-biggest debut this year behind LADY GAGA'S "Born This Way".

--The other two albums in the top 3 were also new: Luke Bryan's "Tailgates & Tanlines" sold 145,000 copies in 2nd place, and the latest "Now That's What I Call Music!" compilation moved 110,000 copies in 3rd.

1.) (NEW) "Watch the Throne", Jay-Z and Kanye West (436,000 copies)

2.) (NEW) "Tailgates & Tanlines", Luke Bryan (145,000 copies)

3.) (NEW) "Now That's What I Call Music! Volume 39" (110,000 copies)


Tracks from Game's New Album Have Leaked Online, But Obviously, He Wants Fans To Wait and Buy the Whole Thing:

Tracks from GAME'S new disc, "The R.E.D. Album", have leaked online . . . and while he's happy that his fans are digging the songs, he's asking them to wait until it drops and grab the whole thing. "R.E.D." comes out on Tuesday. --He Tweeted, quote, "I see tracks off 'R.E.D.' leaking . . . lotta love coming my way. Thanks, but if u see FULL album don't download! We only gotta another week." --Of course, Game is only saying this so that fans will actually purchase the album legally, and he can make a buck. I can't say I blame him for that. --By the way, Game will not face any criminal charges for that Twitter incident last Friday . . . when the L.A.P.D. accused him of tricking his Twitter followers into calling the Compton police station and tying up their emergency phone lines. --Game blamed it on a friend, and called the whole thing an "accident."

THURSDAY'S SHOWBIZ EXTRAS

Showbiz Extras . . . Random Links to Additional Stories:

28-year-old actress AMBER TAMBLYN and 47-year-old comedian DAVID CROSS are engaged. They've been dating for about two years. (Full Story)



JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT says she's NOT dating one of those "Bachelorette" rejects. She claims she did meet him, but it was a complete coincidence . . . and she's "totally single". But she didn't specifically deny making out with him. (Full Story)



ANDY DICK and HOWARD STERN are feuding . . . after Andy fired off some anti-Semitic slurs at Howard. (Full Story)



LINDSAY LOHAN was out doing some surfing on Tuesday. (Pics and Video)



TERRELL OWENS kept his cool while being berated by some jerk who was hurling the N-word at him. (Video)



JULIA STILES was at Los Angeles International Airport the other day, when she got a phone call that caused her to burst into tears. (Photos)



The Lewbowski Fest featuring all the main cast members went down Tuesday night, and it sounds like it was an AWESOME time. (Story with Video) (Another video)

Want to see JULIANA MARGULIES in a McDonalds commercial from 1991? Obviously, this was when she was just starting her career . . . well before she landed a gig on "E.R.". Juliana was about 25 when she did this commercial. (Video)



Italian actress ELISABETTA CANALIS is really only "famous" in the U.S. for dating GEORGE CLOONEY. But rumor has it she's doing the next season of "Dancing with the Stars". (Full Story) (--Remember when we heard "Dancing with the Stars" was going to get "more high profile" stars? Yeah.)



Did TAYLOR ARMSTRONG'S estranged husband commit suicide because he was going to be outed as a gay man? (Full Story)



KELLY CLARKSON'S next album is called "Stronger", and it's coming out October 25th. (Full Story)



SARAH SILVERMAN has a new TV show in the works. It'll be a sitcom "loosely based on her life." The really cool thing is that RON HOWARD is involved, much like he was behind the scenes on "Arrested Development". (Full Story)


RANDOM STUFF

A Man Saw a Kidnapping, Chased Down the Kidnapper, and Rescued the Victim:

This is some legit REAL-LIFE SUPERHERO stuff right here . . . --On Monday afternoon, a 24-year-old mechanic named Antonio Diaz Chacon of Albuquerque, New Mexico, came home early to spend time with his wife and two daughters. --As he was doing some laundry, he heard screams outside, ran out, and saw a man forcing a six-year-old girl into a van. He says, quote, "The way he grabbed her and threw her into the van, I knew it wasn't right." --Antonio didn't hesitate. He jumped into his pickup and started chasing the van. --The van swerved through neighborhoods, and headed toward the New Mexico desert. But just as it reached the edge of the desert, the van driver CRASHED into a pole. --The kidnapper turned out to be 29-year-old Phillip Garcia. He got out and started running away, but Antonio decided not to chase after him: Quote, "I was thinking, what if he has a gun". --So Antonio went to help the girl instead. She was okay after the crash, just shaken up. --The police were able to track down Garcia a few hours later. He was arrested for kidnapping and child abuse. He had tie-down straps and packing tape in his van. --A police spokeswoman says, quote, "This little girl was very lucky. We can only guess what would have happened to this child." --Naturally, Antonio has been praised as a HERO. The victim's family thanked him and told him they'd always be grateful, and the police have commended him for what he did. (Yahoo News)


Men Fall in Love Quicker, Say "I Love You" First, and Regret Breakups More Than Women:

Somehow, when we weren't paying attention, men got TOO in touch with their feelings. Because according to a new survey, when it comes to relationships, men have TAKEN OVER all the wide-eyed romantic clichés. Check it out . . . --Men are more likely than women to call someone "The One" within seconds of meeting her. --Men decide whether a potential relationship is the real thing after one date. But the majority of women take around SIX DATES to decide. --The average man falls deeply in love three times . . . the average woman only falls deeply in love once. --The majority of men have said "I love you" and fallen in love with someone who didn't love them back. --Men are more likely to say "I love you" first. --And finally, men are more likely than women to regret breaking up with someone, especially their first love. Women are more likely to be happy with the decisions they've made. (The Telegraph)
A 20-Year Study Figures Out the Four Types of Marriages:

Researchers at Ohio State University just released the results of a 20-YEAR study . . . where they monitored 1,000 married couples for two full decades. And they found there are four basic types of marriages . . .

--Validator marriages. Couples with equal decision-making input and lower levels of conflict. 54% of people are in these marriages, and most are very happy. These marriages have lower levels of divorce.

--Avoider marriages. 6% of couples follow "traditional" gender roles . . . wives do housework, husbands make money, and divorce is NOT an option. Believe it or not, they don't fight often . . . since there's no chance at divorce, it's not worth arguing.

--Volatile marriages. 20% of people are in marriages with HIGH conflict . . . but also high levels of happiness. Basically, the highs are very high, and the lows are very low. They have a decent chance of divorcing.

--Hostile marriages. 20% of people are in marriages where they fight constantly and are ALSO miserable. These couples almost always get divorced. --The study also found that the amount of fighting in a relationship rarely changes over time. So if you fight constantly in your first few years, you'll keep on fighting that much forever. If you don't, you won't. (LiveScience)


Teenagers in Romantic Relationships are Less Likely to Commit Crimes, Do Drugs, and Get in Trouble:

Remember THIS when your daughter comes home with her first boyfriend . . . and your gut instinct is to ban him from ever talking to your sweet, untouchable angel again. --According to a new study, your teenager being in a ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP is a hell of a lot better than the other option. --A psychologist named Paige Harden at the University of Texas at Austin found that teenagers who are in committed, romantic relationships are less likely to commit crimes, do drugs, get in trouble, and engage in any other delinquent behaviors. --Basically, she found that teenagers who have a boyfriend or girlfriend spend more time focused on that person and less time with their friends . . . which takes away opportunities to get in trouble. --The study found that teenagers who aren't in relationships but have sex are most likely to also get into other kinds of trouble. --Teenagers with no relationships AND no casual sex are in the middle . . . they don't get in as much trouble as the hooking up group, but get in more trouble than the relationship group. (University of Texas)


Basically, No Americans Plan to Travel Overseas for Labor Day:

Labor Day is just a couple weekends away. And it appears that Americans plan on celebrating it in the most patriotic way possible . . . by REFUSING TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY. --Priceline just released their list of the top 50 Labor Day travel destinations, based on the bookings made on their site . . . and 48 are in the U.S. The other two are in Canada. No one wants to leave this continent. --There are two theories behind this. One, we ain't got no money, and it's cheaper to travel domestically than abroad. And two, seeing things like riots in London . . . a city we all figured was safe . . . have scared people from traveling internationally. --Here are the top five travel destinations for Labor Day weekend:

#1.) New York

#2.) Chicago

#3.) Las Vegas

#4.) Charlotte, North Carolina

#5.) Seattle

(PR Newswire)

(--You can see the entire top 50 here.)
One Movie Theater Chain is Taking a Stand . . . and Will Kick People Out For Using Their Cell Phones During Movies, With No Refund:

Wehrenberg Theatres is a movie theater chain based out of St. Louis that has theaters in Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota. And they could also quickly become known as the GREATEST THEATERS in the country. --Because the owners of Wehrenberg have decided to become the first theater chain in the country to take a REAL stance against cell phone use during movies . . . not just showing a graphic before the movie asking people to turn their phones off. --Starting next month, people who are caught using their phones during movies in Wehrenberg's movie theaters will be KICKED OUT . . . with no refund. --Kelly Hoskins is the marketing director for the chain. She says that cell phone use has been THE top complaint of their customers . . . so they decided they had to start taking it more seriously. --The theater staff will watch for people violating the no cell phones policy. That includes cell phones that ring . . . people who take calls during movies . . . and even people who text, because the light from the phones can be distracting. --Hoskins says this seems like it could be aimed at teenagers . . . but older adults have their phones go off JUST as much as younger people. --And, she says, so far, people LOVE the idea of the new policy. When they flashed it on-screen before movies, quote, "A couple of times over the weekend, we got standing ovations." (Springfield News-Leader)


A College Degree Is Worth More Than $2 Million Over a Person's Life . . . and a Masters is Worth Another $400,000:

College costs a lot of money, but a new study found that a college degree is STILL worth the cost. --Georgetown University's Center for Education and Workforce released their annual report showing the expected career earnings for people at different levels of education. Here's what they found . . . --People with a high school degree earn an average of $1.3 million over their career. --People with some college will earn $1.55 million, and a Bachelor's degree will get you $2.27 million, or $970,000 more than a high school graduate. --The gap between high school and college grew slightly from last year. High school grads saw their projected earnings increase by about $100,000 since last year's report, while Bachelor's degrees increased by $170,000. --A Masters degree also jumped by $170,000 from last year. It's now worth $400,000 more than a Bachelor's at $2.67 million. --A doctorate will earn $3.4 million, up $150,000 from last year and $730,000 more than a Masters. --And . . . it still sucks to be a woman. A woman needs to earn a Ph.D to earn more money than a man with a bachelor's degree. (Yahoo)


Here are the Five Places Where You're Most Likely to Get Gouged By ATM Fees:

CreditCards.com analyzed ATM fees around the world, and they now average about $2.33 for each transaction. More importantly, they figured out which places are most likely to GOUGE YOU for even more than that. Here are the top five . . .

#1.) Entertainment venues. Places like amusement parks and casinos have the highest fees: You need cash immediately, you don't have many options to get it, and they know it. --And while the study didn't mention it, we can definitely put strip clubs in this category.

#2.) Remote places. If you're on vacation on a small island, you may end up paying more. The ATMs can charge more because you have ZERO other options for cash . . . plus, they cost more to service and refill. --But, for what it's worth, the world's MOST REMOTE ATM is a Wells Fargo at McMurdo Station in Antarctica . . . and it doesn't charge a fee.

#3.) Travel spots. Hotels, cruise ships, and airports charge higher ATM fees because a lot of people need cash and there's not much competition.

#4.) Non-banks. You already know this one: Use an ATM from another bank and you'll be charged a fee. Use an ATM from a non-bank . . . just one of those random ATMs you see in businesses or on the street . . . and the fee is even higher.

#5.) Convenience stores. They usually use those non-bank ATMs. And since they get a cut of the fee, that jacks up the non-bank ATM's fee even more. (Yahoo Finance)
There's a New Device That Automatically Mutes Your TV When Certain Celebrities are Mentioned:

In theory, this invention sounds great . . . especially in today's culture, where we seem fixated on fake celebrities with zero talent. But in practice, it's got some real flaws. --The invention is called the "Enough Already." It costs $35.--You hook it up to your TV, and program in a few celebrities you don't want to hear about anymore. Then it scans the closed captioning on programs, and when your celebrities come up, the TV is automatically muted for 30 seconds. --It's a great marketing hook . . . but unfortunately, we have to rain on the parade. --This thing isn't some kind of a plug-and-play device. To make it work you need to be comfortable editing some intimidating programming code, and transferring that code onto the device. --You also need to split the video output from your TV, so that it's running to both the TV and the device. --And finally, as funny as the 30-second mute thing sounds . . . in practice, that's going to get pretty annoying, pretty quickly. At least more annoying than hearing someone on TV say the word "Kardashian." (Make) (--If you're interested and tech-savvy enough to pull this thing off, you can get started with it here.)


A Woman Beat Assault Charges . . . By Showing a Jury the Tattoo on Her Butt:

If more cases were like this one, maybe people wouldn't hate jury duty. --21-year-old Lauren Proverbs was charged with beating up a woman in a restaurant in Borehamwood, England (--about 16 miles north of London). --We're not sure when the attack happened, but we know she beat the charges last Friday . . . by showing the jury her BUTT TATTOO. --The defendant's a lesbian, and she claims Lauren called her two gay slurs, punched her in the face, and stomped on her ribs. But Lauren says that the defendant and her girlfriend were the ones picking a fight, and she threw one punch out of self-defense. --So it was Lauren's word against the defendant's, except that Lauren had a bombshell piece of evidence . . . in her PANTS. --Lauren said that she would never attack someone for being gay, because she had a gay relationship back in 2008. And while she was with her lady friend in Spain, she got a tattoo on her right buttock showing her support for gay rights. --And she showed the jury a photo of her rainbow tattoo. --At least some of the jury was swayed by the evidence. They reported back to the judge that they couldn't come to a decision last Friday, and yesterday the judge cleared Lauren of all charges. There won't be a retrial. (Daily Mail)


MEATBALL CRIMINALS

A Couple in Florida Has Broken the U.S. Cat Hoarding Record . . . With 697 Cats in Their House:

Based on all the stories we see, it would take a hell of a lot of cats to become THE biggest cat hoarder in this country. So we're disgusted to announce that a couple in High Springs, Florida managed to hit that mark. --65-year-old Steve Lefkowitz and his wife, 59-year-old Penny Lefkowitz, were caught with 697 CATS earlier this summer. SIX HUNDRED, NINETY-SEVEN. And for some reason . . . one rooster. --They were arrested on Monday night, and charged with 47 counts of felony animal cruelty each. --The Lefkowitzes were the owners of the Haven Acres Cat Sanctuary. Prosecutors believe they opened the sanctuary with good intentions . . . to take every stray cat in the area off the streets . . . but became overwhelmed. --They didn't have the time or money to prevent it from turning into a CAT SLUM . . . which is what it became. When Alachua County Animal Services raided the place, hundreds of cats were sick and dying. More than 60 were euthanized. --The county has been treating the rest of the cats and will have a big adoption event in a few weeks. (Gainesville Sun)


RANDOM NEWS EXTRAS

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


According to an important new study . . . London has passed New York as the world's fashion capital. Paris, Milan, and LA round out the top 5. (Full Story)


The U.S. military estimates that about $360 million in tax dollars has ended up in the hands of . . . the Taliban. (Full Story)


Do you suffer from decision fatigue? Making decision after decision all day long can wear you out. Case in point: Parole boards approve parole for prisoners they see early in the day 70% of the time . . . but only 10% of the time for cases late in the day. (Full Story)


There's no audio recording yet, but supposedly a teenager in Russia called her mom and talked to her for an hour . . . while being eaten by a bear and her three cubs. (Full Story)


NAZZY’S VIDEOS OF THE DAY - 1 of 2

#1.) A Republican Politician Walks Out of a CNN Interview When Asked About Gay Marriage:

Remember CHRISTINE O'DONNELL? She's the former Tea Party candidate who lost a Senate race in Delaware, and declared she wasn't a WITCH. --Well, last night she was promoting a book called "Troublemaker" on CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight" . . . but walked out after Piers kept asking her about her opposition to gay marriage. --O'Donnell said she only wanted to talk about things from the book . . . although she admitted she DOES talk about gay marriage in the book. --She ended the interview about two minutes later because Piers wouldn't let it go. And she talked about how she'd chosen to be late for another interview so she could talk about her book, not to, quote, "endure a rude talk show host." (--Search for "Christine O'Donnell Walks Off Piers Morgan Interview." She ends the interview at 2:12.)


#2.) 48 Famous Movie Lines . . . Rhymed:

There's a new video remix on Vimeo.com called "Movie Line Rhymes", and it's just a basic beat, but the lyrics are all famous movie lines . . . and they all rhyme. --A website called ScreenWerks.tv made it using scenes from 48 different movies, including "Scarface", "Airplane", "The Karate Kid", "E.T.", and "The Empire Strikes Back".


#3.) Have You Ever Noticed How Much Tom Waits Sounds Like Cookie Monster?

Sometimes when blues singer TOM WAITS does his thing, he growls and grunts like Cookie Monster. --Well, someone picked up on the idea, and posted a video online that combines scenes from "Sesame Street" with the Tom Waits song, "God's Away on Business" . . . so it looks like Cookie Monster's singing it. (--Search for "Tom Waits/Cookie Monster Mashup." Don't miss Cookie Monster dancing during the instrumental part at 1:56. WARNING: This video includes the word "God***mit".) (--If you're not a Tom Waits fan and can't believe someone ACTUALLY sings like this, watch the real music video. By the way, Waits just announced he's releasing his first new material since 2004. Read more here.)


Five Myths About Caffeine:

If you're like us, you have caffeine every single day, in one form or another. But you probably don't know much about it. For example, you probably know that chocolate has caffeine in it, but so do over 60 different plant species. --But here are five myths about caffeine you SHOULDN'T believe.

Myth #1. Caffeine Sobers You Up. You probably already know this one too: You can't sober up a drunk friend with coffee. It makes them FEEL more alert, but they'd be just as dangerous behind the wheel. --According to Yahoo, college kids who drink alcohol AND caffeine . . . in coffee, soda, or energy drinks . . . are actually MORE likely to cause a car crash.

Myth #2. Caffeine Is Bad for Kids. According to "The Journal of Pediatrics", the average American kid between the ages of five and seven has about 52 milligrams of caffeine per day. That's like one-and-a-half cans of soda. --And kids between eight and twelve have about twice that. But according to one study, a little caffeine is fine for kids, and doesn't have any detectable effects on hyperactivity or attention span.--Higher doses CAN temporarily make them over-excited, or cause sleep problems, anxiety, and irritability. But it does that to adults too.

Myth #3. Women Who Are Trying to Get Pregnant Should Avoid Caffeine. According to at least two separate studies, moderate consumption of caffeine doesn't affect your ability to get pregnant. --But to play it safe, you should limit yourself to about 200 milligrams a day, which is roughly two cups.
Myth #4. Caffeine Increases Your Risk of Developing Osteoporosis, Heart Disease, and Cancer. For most adults, three cups of coffee a day won't cause health problems. --But some people are more sensitive, including seniors and people with high blood pressure. --There's some research that suggests caffeine slightly increases your risk of osteoporosis, but only in REALLY high amounts . . . like eight cups of coffee a day. And even that much might be fine. --Caffeine also doesn't increase your risk of heart disease, raise your cholesterol, or cause irregular heartbeats. And it doesn't cause cancer either. --According to an international review of 66 different studies, coffee has little or no effect on your risk of developing pancreatic cancer or kidney cancer. --And a study of 59,000 women in Sweden found no connection between caffeine consumption and breast cancer. Sweden drinks more coffee per capita than any other country.

Myth #5. Caffeine Has No Health Benefits. Coffee has antioxidants that can help prevent cancer. And there's also some evidence that caffeine reduces your risk of Parkinson's disease, liver disease, and type 2 diabetes. But it's still up for debate. (Yahoo)