tuberaider video

Apparently this poster has been popping up around Los Angeles lately, and someone, either the media or those who hate Obama in some parts of America, have found it newsworthy enough to spread around as a news story.

Various websites are speculating that this Obama Joker poster is basically a ripoff of this flickr page, posted back in January. It's not really clear to me why this is news, although I guess it shows the power of the image, just like Obama's campaign did with their usage of positive images that capture the imagination. Also the professor Melissa Harris Lacewell pointed out on her twitter page yesterday that in the movie you see the Joker blowing up a hospital, which could be read metaphor for the administrations health care reform plans?

Obama Joker Poster
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"A poster showing President Barack Obama as Heath Ledger's "Joker" character from "The Dark Knight" is creating a stir on the streets of Los Angeles where the image began appearing over the weekend. The Obama-Joker poster shows President Obama with white face paint, dark eye shadow and smudged red lipstick and also has the word "socialism" printed in bold, dark letters under the image of his face..."

Obama Joker Poster

Yikes. The IRS is about to set the Ghost Rider on fire, if they have their way. Actor Nicholas Cage reportedly owes over 6 Million dollars in taxes, dating back to 2007 when he apparently did not have his finances straight.

Funny how everyone usually hates the IRS, but whenever they are going after a celebrity people seem to look down on the celebrity and take the IRS's word for everything. I think people should withhold judgement, who knows what the real story is. Then again $6.2 million dollars is a whole lot of tax trouble! Nicholas Cage should probably make an Adaptation to his team of lawyers and accountants, before he rols Snake Eyes and all of his National Treasure winds up Gone in 60 Seconds. Boom! I'll be here all week.

Nicolas Cage Tax Bill: $6.2M!
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"The Detroit News reports IRS officials filed tax lien documents against Cage in Orleans District Court on 14 July (09), alleging he failed to pay $6,257,005 to cover his income tax in 2007. It's not the actor's first run in with tax bosses - according to ABC News, he agreed to pay over $660,000-plus interest in back taxes and penalties in September 2008, following allegations of improperly deducted personal expenses..."

Nicolas Cage Tax Bill: $6.2M!

Awww! This feline adventurer has become a worldwide celebrity, after news reports told the story of his little kitty named Casper who loves to join the queue of humans waiting for the neighborhood bus, and ride around with his fellow commuters until getting off back at his home stop.

Stay safe out there on the road, little guy! I love how he seems to know exactly what stop to get off at. interestingly, this is not the first cat in England to have this habit, as seen in this story form a couple of years ago.

Cat Commutes by Bus
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"A cat named Casper has become a regular user of a bus service in Plymouth, often making round trips of up to 11 miles, according to bus company First. The black and white cat can be seen queuing with other passengers for the number three service..."

Cat Commutes by Bus

Good news for the families of these workers, although many will have mixed feelings about giving these Somali pirates their demands, and rewarding them for their crimunal activity. But it's been decided many times that this was the best available solution, and in this case the German government apparently saw the risks of military action as too high. So these Somali irates received a payment of $2.7 million dollars, and stayed true to their word by letting these hostages go.

Pirates' $2.7 Million Ransom
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"The European Union confirmed on Monday that a German ship captured by Somali pirates more than three months ago has been released after the pirates were paid a $2.7 million (1.9 million euros) ransom..."

Pirates' $2.7 Million Ransom

Did you know more of your kids are being injured at school than they used to? That's what this new study says, citing an increase of 150% in gym clalss injuries over the last ten years. The report doesn't give a definitive answer on why this is the case, but there is speculation offered about an increased focus on physical fitness combined with a decrease in school nurses and trained physical education staff in schools, where you may sometimes just have regular classroom teachers running the gym class.

The solution is clear and I think we all know where this is leading: in the gym class of the future, all physical fitness will be achieved through safe & secure usage of the Nintendo Wii.

More Kids Hurt in Gym Class, Study Says
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"Injuries to American children during physical education classes increased by 150% from 1997-2007, a new study finds, a possible drawback to a movement encouraging more vigorous exercise in schools..."

More Kids Hurt in Gym Class, Study Says

Suing your college because you couldn't find a job? This certainly sounds outlandish, but with the amount young people (and their parents) have to pay for college nowadays, it's easy to understand their frustration!

This woman went to a small local college in New York, not one of fthe elite schools, but just about every college nowadays is quite expensive. She claims they did not do enough to help her after graduation, but they point out at they did send numerous emails with recommended job openings she could apply for, as she continued seeknig employment. Shat do you think, does she have a case here?

Jobless Grad Sues College
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"Court papers showed that Miss Thompson claimed the college's career centre did not provide her with the right advice or tips on available jobs. "They have not tried hard enough to help me," she wrote about the college in her lawsuit filed at the Bronx Supreme Court..."

Jobless Grad Sues College

In the days before her 29th birthday Jessica Simpson was telling everyone far and wide about her plans to hold a Barbie themed birthday party. She spoke of her Barbie and Ken themed birthday party plan to her friend, actress Emmy Rossum in a message on her twitter page: "can't wait to see your costume on the 10th! birthday evite coming soon:) you are always the best dressed!!!"

But of course, as everyone who for some reason cares about such things is aware, this party plan was ruined when Jessica Simpson got summarily dumped by her boyfriend Tony Romo, the night before her birthday! Talk about intentional grounding by a quarterback. What a downer!

Jessica Simpson's Barbie Birthday
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"A source close to Simpson confirms they broke up the night before her 29th birthday July 10. She was supposed to celebrate with a Ken and Barbie-themed party. (On Simpson's birthday, Romo spent the night at Los Angeles hot spot My House.)..."

Jessica Simpson's Barbie Birthday

In America's continuing obsession with the personal lives of the marginally famous, rumors and speculation have abounded on why longtime couple Reggie Bush and Kim Kardashian have finally called it quits.

One story making the rounds is that NFL star Reggie Bush was cheating on Kim with a model form Miami named Carmen Ortega, apparently prodded along by Ortega herself, hoping to sell her story. But stories have always been around about Kim Kardashian being popular and social too, and after the breakup a popular story has involved Kim getting text messages from Kanye West, that were noticed by Reggie Bush and brought the house of cards tumbling down. May our noble search for the truth continue!

Reggie Bush: Infidelity With Model?
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Now that it's over between Kim Kardashian and Reggie Bush all that's left to do is sort out what went wrong. And while reps have officially said there was no cheating that led to the breakup, RadarOnline.com has learned that cheating charges are flying BOTH WAYS...

Reggie Bush: Infidelity With Model?

A fast-paced run down so you can fill in the news blanks, in between the juicy celebrity scoops and such.

The internet's most famous cat, and deservedly so, is this Scottish Fold from Japan named Maru. Here's his latest slice of life.

Note: people debate whether Maru is actually a Scottish Fold breed, because his ears aren't folded, but the owners have confirmed that he is, and others have corroborated that every cat in the breed doesn't actually have folded ears.

This season on Dexter: some people kill some people, and Dexter kills some people who killed some people. Also there's a baby.

Does anyone know how many episodes are left?

The latest roundup from Hell's Kitchen, by youtube's amateur experts.

"Challenge - The chefs are paired up. Suzanne & Tennille, Van & Andy, Robert & Jim, Ariel & Sabrina, Kevin & Dave, Tek & Lovely. Amanda sat out. The chefs have to make sausage. The first team to make 6 perfect links of 6 sausage wins. It was close but the girls pulled it out to win. As punishment the men had to clean the dorms while the ladies went to an Octoberfest at Old World Village. Robert gets pissed & behaves pretty badly - yelling & cursing with Kevin & sous chef Scott. "

This kid is DEAD SERIOUS about some Michael Jackson. Watch what happens when you try and switch to some other music! Too cute.

Not Hulk Hogan, the original hulk Lou Ferrigno! ABC's smash hit Dancing With The Stars is about to return in the fall, and the lineup still remains mysterious. But one name that's already been confirmed is Lou Ferrigno, the original Incredible Hulk from the old TV series.

Lou s obviously athletic, but weightlifting and dancing would seem to be somewhat different skill sets. One would have to assume he'll be the underdog. But maybe he'll have a chance if he switches back to being Bill Bixby whenever he needs to be quick and nimble..

Hulk to Join Dancing With the Stars!
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"Other than official confirmation from Incredible Hulk actor Lou Ferrigno, ABC has been mum about the rest of the contestants as Dancing with the Stars returns this fall. At the very least, E! Online reports that Tori Spelling's hubby Dean McDermott is currently in talks to compete on the upcoming season..."

Hulk to Join Dancing With the Stars!

A fashion world and modeling pioneer has passed away, as one of the first highly successful Black fashion models, Naomi Sims, died this week at the age of 61.

Sad to see that she passsed relatively young, but anyone could be proud of what she achieved in her 61 years. Condolences to all of her loved ones and family, and hopefully she'll be remembered and honored by the many other models for whom she helped open the door.

Naomi Sims: A Pioneer Passes
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"Naomi Sims, whose appearance as the first black model on the cover of Ladies' Home Journal in November 1968 was a consummate moment of the Black is Beautiful movement, and who went on to design successful collections of wigs and cosmetics for black women under her name, died Saturday in Newark..."

Naomi Sims: A Pioneer Passes

Terrible news for the Michael Douglas family. Apparently this is not the first time the son has had drug problems going on..hopefully lessons can be learned and he'll have a chance to get his life back together. How do people who you'd assume have everything going for them in life get caught up in situations like this? Unfortunately when it's a question of drug addiction, I suppose the question answers itself.

Michael Douglas Son Arrested
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Oscar winning actor Michael Douglas' son, Cameron Douglas, was arrested on drug charges. Douglas, 30, was arrested in New York for possession of what The New York Post reported was a "massive amount" of crystal methamphetamine with intent to distribute it. The New York City Police Department confirmed to Reuters that "the feds took him in."

Michael Douglas Son Arrested

In news that should please everyone who enjoys reality TV about things that don't seem like they shold be on TV, Jon & Kate returned to tv, along with their 8, for the first time since they announced their official split. Some highlights can be seen below, from the two new episodes that premiered last night.

I attempted to watch this show for the first time, and I have to say I don't get the appeal (other than the undeniable cuteness of the kids!). But I wish them all the best with working this out and giving those kids a healthy, happy life.

'Jon & Kate Plus 8' Returns After Split
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"For better or worse, the TLC series is as warm and fuzzy as ever, if two new episodes that aired Monday are any indication. The episodes marked the end of a hiatus that began in June, when the Gosselins revealed to a huge audience of 10.6 million viewers their decision to split..."

'Jon & Kate Plus 8' Returns After Split

There's nothing funny about Kim Jong Il's barbarous rule over North Korea...but he sure is a strange looking dude.

Today's footage of his meetings with former President Bill Clinton gave a fresh new gllimpse of Kim's fondness for bouffant hair and alarmingly high platform shoes, that look like they're about 6 inchess off the ground. Both fashion choices appear to be inspired by Kim's insecurity about looking short. Maybe if we can send over some even bigger shoes, his self esteem will improve enough to start granting people some human rights? Let's send him some 3 foot tall platforms, see if that helps.

In all seriousness, it's a blessing to see those two prisoners now released, and here's hoping this will somehow lead to improved conditions for the millions of Koreans who continue to suffer there.

Kim Jong Platform Shoes
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"North Korea's Kim Jong Il has grown in stature, thanks to a pair of platform shoes that increased the Dear Leader's height by about 12cm. "

Kim Jong Platform Shoes

The new film "Julie & Julia" is leading many people to rediscover the charm and magic of the orifinal superstar chef Julia Child, and revisit her triumphant story of a rise from humble beginnings to become one of the most influential and popular culinary stars.

Julia Child grew up in California but moved to Paris in 1949, and upon having her first first-rate french meal saw the light for the first time, and knew she must learn to master this cuisine.

She signed up for the famous cooking school Le Cordon Bleu, and this is where her cooking career was born. Her experiences overcoming the odds to be a top student at Le Cordon Bleu is the main focus of this new movie Julie & Julia, where Julia Child is portrayed wonderfully by Meryl Streep, capturing much of Child's charm and spirit. The other half of the movie with Amy Adams is not as strong, but the film is a tasty treat for Julia Child's life at Le Cordon Bleu and beyond. The owners do not allow it to be embedded but you can see a video of Julia Child speaking about her memories of Le Cordon Bleu here.

Julia Child Attended Le Cordon Bleu (VIDEO)
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"Le Cordon Bleu (French for "blue ribbon") is the world's largest hospitality education institution, with 29 schools in five continents serving 20,000 students annually. Its primary education focus is on hospitality management and the culinary arts..."

Julia Child Attended Le Cordon Bleu (VIDEO)

Many have suspected this was coming for a long time now, but the news that Paula Abdul is finally leaving American Idol was still a surprise to at least one person.

Ryan Seacrest, the show's longtime host, said on his top-rated radio show that he was shicked and stunned to hear Paula's twitter announcement that she will not return to American Idol in this coming season. Ryan says he was not aware of Paula's decision and has no reason to believe it is a publicity stunt. But although he believes the announcement is real, he still seems to hold out hope that Paula will change her mind and return, Brett Favre style.

You can hear Ryan Seacrest's comments below, the recording is not great quality so you maywant to turn your volume up:

Ryan Seacrest Bummed About Paula
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Ryan Seacrest is as surprised as the rest of us by the news that Paula Abdul is leaving American Idol. "The news stunned me last night," he said Wednesday on his KISS FM radio show. "I was shocked..."

Ryan Seacrest Bummed About Paula

The wives of two Goldman Sachs bosses allegedly went on a tirade in the Hamptons recently, letting the world know that they think waiting is for little people.

Goldman Sachs has been in the news recently, as their heads told employees not to be showy about their money as we all recover from this recession, and some take this Page Six story as evidence that everyone in their subculture is not taking to that lesson so easily.

The story is hardly surprising, I mean isn't rich people acting entitled what the Hamptons were invented for? But it's interesting to see how public sentiment is turning against this sort of wealthy excess, or excess of attitude at least.

Goldman Sachs Wives Refuse To Wait?
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Laura Blankfein and her friend Susan Friedman, wife of another Goldman honcho, Richard Friedman, caused a huge scene at Super Saturday in the Hamptons last weekend when they arrived at the event before the noon start time and balked at waiting in line with the other ticket-holders.

Goldman Sachs Wives Refuse To Wait

Susan Boyle became famous, in part, for being so plain (at least in the eyes of the media), but now Harper's Bazaar is helping her show off a glamorous new look. The latest issue of Harper's Bazaar shows Susan Boyle with a stylish new appearance and impeccable new wardrobe, showing she adjusts to high-fashion quite well.

I was never sure why it came as such a shock that a "plain" looking woman who isn't rich or skinny could actually sing well, but it's awesome nonetheless that Susan Boyle has been able to represent for all the "regular folks" of the world. Hopefully she keep opening doors for those who don't look like Harper's Bazaar models, and help us recognize we don't need to look like those models to have a place in this world. For photos of Susan Boyle's makeover photo shoot, check right here.

Susan Boyle Makeover in Harper's Bazaar (PHOTOS)
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Susan Boyle debuts another new look in the September issue of Harper's Bazaar (on stands Aug. 18). In glam photos, the Britain's Got Talent runner-up dons Michelle Obama's favorite designers: Michael Kors and J.Crew.

Susan Boyle Makeover in Harper's Bazaar (PHOTOS)

HBO's vampire melodrama "True Blood" has become a smash hit, mixing all the high drama of a soap opera with the sex appeal (and blood-drenched fight scenes) of a Hollywood action movie. And now the two lead actors of the show have gotten swept up in the magic, and are getting married in real life!

Anna Paquin, who's been a star from a very early age, has gotten engaged to her co-star Stpehen Moyer, who only became known to the public more recently but has sent hearts aflutter in his role as True Blood's lead vampire. No details are in yet on the wedding, but we wish them all the best. He is 39 and she is 27, but then again on the show he's about 200 years older than her and they still make it work, so no reason 23 years should cause a problem. [EDIT: I meant 12 years, obviously, that was a typo.]

Couple on "True Blood" Engaged (In Real Life)
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The couple on True Blood - engaged! Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer, who co-star on HBO's vampire series "True Blood," have announced they are engaged.

Couple on "True Blood" Engaged (In Real Life)

As Obama continues to inspire people around the world, a resident of a small village in central Russia is stepping up to break barriers as probably the first African to run for office in Russia.

Joaquim Crima, from Guinea-Bissau, has loved for some time in Russia, and says he has faced a good deal of prejudice there, but has decided to run noneltheless. Apparently he's even adopted a Russian name, Vasily Ivanovic, to prepare for his electoral run.

As the son of a Black father and Russian-American mother I am a sort o Black Russian myself, I lend my full support and endorsement to this candidacy. Even if he doesn't come out on top, hopefully he'll get to be on some talk shows, maybe take a trip to America to do some interviews, and not get harassed or troubled too much by prejudiced people in his homeland. And when the next immigrant runs for office in Russia maybe it'll be a little easier for them now that Joaquim Crima broke the ice..

Russia's Obama: African-Born Farmer Joaquim Crima
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"Human rights groups say African immigrants in Russia often face discrimination and racial prejudice. Statistics from the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy, a group dedicated to researching hate crimes in Russia, indicate at least one dozen immigrants were killed this year and hundreds more attacked because of the color of their skin..."

Russia's Obama: African-Born Farmer Joaquim Crima

As America continues to celebrate the return of the two young journalists from North Korea, new details continue to emerge, including the tidbit that their flight, which they shared with President Bill Clinton among others, was paid for by weelthy shwbiz mogul and major Democractic donor Steve Bing.

Steve Bing is one of Hollywood's richest men and is perhaps best known for his brief but drama-filled relationship with model and actress Elizabeth Hurley. There ought not be any ethical concerns or scandal tied to the revelation, which came from the owner of the company that provided the jet. Perhaps someone will try to make something out of the Democratic donor angle, but do we really want to look for negativity in this story? I'd rather just be thankful these two women made it home.

Steve Bing Paid For North Korea Flight
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"Marc Foulkrod, chairman of Avjet Corp., the company that manages the plane, said the aircraft is owned by Stephen Bing, a longtime Democratic donor and fundraiser..."

Steve Bing Paid For North Korea Flight

The brand new video from Nelly Furtado, where she shows off her Spanish language skills in Manos El Aire.

The youtube commentator known as The Jewelry Man always has the clearest insight on these celebrity gossip stories, and this time is taking on the Kanye & Kim rumors.

Two generations of electronic & hard rock genius combined on stage in London recently as Gary Numan joined up with Nine Inch Nails. They teamed up to perform a song named "Metal" originally recorded by Gary Numan back in the day, and covered by Trent Reznor more recently. Great clip!

A special musical dedication to the now official Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor! The first Hispanic or Latina to become a Supreme Court Justice, and more specifically the first from Puerto Rico. I suspect she will be a moderate Democrat who is not quite as far left as conservatives fear, or as progressives are hoping for. Here's hoping to a long and stellar career, that proves she is indeed a wise latina.

American's may not know of Ronnie Biggs, but in the UK he is infamous as the "Great Train Robber" one of a group of fifteen men who pulled off a huge and violent million dollar train robbery in the 60s. Shortly after being arrested Biggs escaped from jail and was on the run for 30 years, finally turning himself in 2001.

Now Biggs is very ill, and probably dying, so a British judge has ruled he should be released, on "compassionate" grounds. Many felt it was only fair to let him live out his last days with his family, since he could be no threat to anyone, but others believe he should not be given mercy since he never repented for his violent crimes. What do you think, is it fair for him to be granted freedom this way, or should be keep paying for his crimes since he still hasn't learned anything?

'Great Train Robber' Free on Medical Grounds
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Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs, who is seriously ill in hospital, will today be released from his prison sentence on "compassionate" grounds - but he is not expected to be able ever to go home...

'Great Train Robber' Free on Medical Grounds

This week Rush Limbaugh continue his assault on all things Obama, with his claim the logo for Obama's health care plan is "right out of Adolf Hitler's playbook."

Rush also went on to say that the Democrats are similar to Nazis because Dems and Nazis both believed in socialism, which would seem to indicate that Rush either isn't clear on what socialism is or on what the Nazi party was (the Nazis had "socialist" in their full party name, but otherwise bore no resemblance to actual socialists as they are commonly understood.).

What specific Nazi iconography Limbaugh had in mind with his logo comparison, is also not clear, but it's been suggested he was referring to the image of a bird featured here. Sorry Rush, but this looks like a bit of a stretch to me. I mean okay, they both have wings and a circle, but so does this God Bless America symbol. And this British Air Force logo.

Perhaps Rush only meant this as a light-hearted aside, but taking such trivial little things and using them to compare people with Nazis just doesn't give you a lot of credibility, in my book. If the healthcare bill is so bad, you should be able to criticize it on its merits without lapsing into semiotic conspiracy theories.

Obama Health Care Logo: EVIL!
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'"They accuse us of being Nazis, and Obama's got a health-care logo that's right out of Adolf Hitler's playbook," Limbaugh said today. Seriously, Rush? Well, doctors everywhere should be in the doghouse then, considering the logo incorporates the caduceus, a symbol of medicine dating back to ancient Greece. As conspiraces go, this one seems pretty lame...'

Obama Health Care Logo: EVIL!

screenshot of R. Don Steele video with Sodini seen sitting on the left

New details continue emerging about George Sodini, who carried the horrible murders this week in Pennsylvania. In this internet age, whenever a terrible crime happens, the criminal usually leaves behinds counltess morbid details of his life on the internet, and George Sodini has been no exception.

Today many people have been discussing Sodini's connection with R. Don Steele, one of the better known "pick-up artist" coaches. The Pick-Up Artist culture his best known for the book "The Game" by Neil Strauss, who was reportedly a student of R. Don Steele before learning new tricks from the next generations of "players" including the VH1 celebrity Mystery.

In George Sodini's Youtube video you see an R. Don Steele book on his table, and there is other evidence of them interacting, and even video of a Steele seminar with Sodini visible in the audience (apparently Steele has taken this video down from his page, we are looking for another copy). This is leading many to wonder what role the pick-up artist teachings had in Sodini's life, and its tragic end.

Many who believe in "The Game" have said that if Sodini only learned their methods and applied them properly he could have connected with women and gotten over his isolation and depression.

But others, including some top political blogs, have pointed out the hateful comments made by some supporters of the game Some commenters on pick up artist blogs seemed to actually justify Sodini's actions and portrayed women as the bad guys, basically saying they force men to become psycho killers when they refuse to date and sleep with them. Critics say this type of advice would not help Sodini at all, and might even encourage him in his insane hatred of women.

As I see it, if he wanted a real loving relationship with a woman, I don't think the pick-up artist game would really help that much, since it's mostly based on manipulating and deceiving women so you can make a short term dating connection, and that's usually not the path to a long term relationship with mutual love and respect.

But really, who knows what went on in George Sodini's mind. At the end of the day, this action was nobody's fault but his own. And he clearly had much deeper issues than anyone could fix just by going on more dates...he needed professional help, and then some. Blaming pick up artist gurus is questionable (though some of their comments about this case are horrifying), and blaming women is definitely completely ridiculously wrong.

George Sodini Dating Workshop With R. Don Steele
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"What would Sodini have learned from Steele? Basically, R. Don's message boils down to this: women hate nice guys. Be a brash, confident, son of a bitch, and target your approaches at young waitresses. Don always preferred them in the 19-21 range. That 2000 story about Steele and Jeffries is no longer on-line, so I'll post it here, for those who want a more detailed understanding of what Steele was teaching Sodini..."

George Sodini Dating Workshop With R. Don Steele

The View's Sherri Shepherd has been documenting her efforts at wieght loss and fitness for a long time now, and today on her ABC chat show she revealed her new body in spectacular fashion!

She was on a 3 month workout plan, and shhowed off the results today walking on stage in a skimpy swimsuit! Very impressive, I have to give her credit. And it's great that she set an example for doing it with a healthy diet and exercise, instead of crazy plans or supplements, or surgeries. I don't always agree with Sherri Shepherd's opinions on the show, but nothing but respect for this, great work.

Sherri Shepherd Weight Loss (VIDEO)
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"After starting a new workout regimen three months ago, "The View's" Sherri Shepherd made a splash on the daytime talk show by revealing her new bathing suit body...Along with signing up for food delivery service Fresh Diet, Shepherd met with her trainer Don Scott four times a week for hour-long workouts since May...."

Sherri Shepherd Weight Loss (VIDEO)

Cue the Billy Joel! This weekend Jenny Sanford said "if this is moving up than I'm moving out" and packed up her belongings to leave the Governor's Mansion and take her 4 sons to Charleston.

Her husband, Governor Mark Sanford, infamously announced his affair with an Argentinian woman in a recent press conference, going on to say this mistress is his "soulmate," and having other gory details revealed in a series of leaked emails. His wife Jenny Sanford has refused to play the usual "loyal wife" role and made it clear she was unhappy with her husband's antics, and I say more power to her!

I've seen many people, especially Chris Matthews on MSNBC, expressing their sympathy for Mark Sanford because he was "in love" and love makes you do crazy things, and so on.. but I'm much more inclined to have sympathy for his wife and kids, whom he brazenly disrespected, puclicly shamed and left hung out to dry (on Father's day!) in the name of "following his heart" or whatever he was doing. (I'm not sure his heart is what he was following, exactly, but we'll keep this PG rated and move on).

Jenny Sanford says they are still working on "healing" their family relationship, and even though it's hard to imagine patching things up at this point, I wish them all the best.

Jenny Sanford Moves Out
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"After much careful and prayerful consideration," Mrs. Sanford wrote, "I have decided to move back to our home in Charleston with our sons for the upcoming school year." Mrs. Sanford was photographed Friday removing baskets of belongings from the governor's mansion. She said she and the children would be returning to Columbia often...

Jenny Sanford Moves Out

According to various sources, Oprah Winfrey is being sued for plagiarism by a man who claims her book 'Pieces of My Soul' stole its content from a book he wrote earlier. And the amount he is seeking? $1.2 trillion dollars.

Yes. This man Damon Goffe and his lawyers somehow came to the conclusion that Oprah's book (a book of poetry which was apparently publiched only on the internet) has sold 650 million copies, which entitles them to a trillion dollars. Goodness knows where they got these figures from, but if they think that is realistic it's hard to have much faith in the substance of their plagiarism claim. Perhaps Oprah can make a deal to pay him off with fairy dust and magic beans?

Oprah Winfrey Sued for $1 Trillion
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Oprah Winfrey is being sued for a whopping $1 trillion by author Damon Lloyd Goffe for plagiarism, celebrity blogger Perez Hilton has claimed on his website. Goffe is suing Winfrey and her production company, Harpo, for allegedly stealing material from his work, 'A Tome of Poetry'..."

Oprah Winfrey Sued for $1 Trillion

Nice to see some nice uncomplicated good news in the celebrity world these days. Roger Federer, considered by many the greatest tennis player of all-time, recently showed off his newborn twins for the first time, in true 21st century fashion with a post on his Facebook page.

The picture, which his now his profile photo, show's Federer and his wife Mirka each holding one of the newborn twins, named Charlene Riva and Myla Rose. Here is the note Roger left with the photo: "As promised, here is a family picture that my dad took. He thinks he's becoming a professional photographer. It was very funny as both girls had the hiccups while we were trying to take a decent picture. The girls and mom are doing great. Thanks for all your warm wishes."

Roger Federer Twins Facebook Photos
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"Federer also announced the twins' delivery on his Facebook page the day after their birth. The 27-year-old tennis great married Mirka in April. He announced her pregnancy in March, but it was a well-kept secret that she was expecting twins..."

Roger Federer Twins Facebook Photos

The news continues to buzz with footage from Town Hall meetings about health care, where members of Congress and other government representatives are being shouted down and bullied by angry mobs shut out any real conversation about the issues. And more details continue to emerge about how these town hall disruptions are being orchestrated and scripted.

It's now been documented that many of these protests are being orchestrated by a right-wing group named Americans for Prosperity, and another one named FreedomWorks which is headed by Dick Armey. These groups have been sending out emails telling people where to go so they can disrupt meetings, and giving talking points and strategies for how to ruin the meeting, as explained here.

The health care debate is very complicated and certainly beyond our expertise to take sides on here. But these protests at the town meetings, which are clearly just about theater for the cameras and accomplish nothing but stopping information from being shared, are doing no good for anybody. You should be against these shenanigans no matter what side you're on. If you are against this health care reform and you think the facts are on your side, then you should be happy to let all the facts be shared, instead of trying to shut up discussion and shout people down.

Town Hall Disruptions, Health Care (VIDEO)
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"Conservative groups critical of Democrats' overhaul proposals have created their own plans: sending out information such as links to search engines, lists that relayed the locations of upcoming town halls, confrontational questions to ask members of Congress and chants and slogans to use in and around the venues..."

Town Hall Disruptions, Health Care (VIDEO)

Miami news anchor Charles Perez has, in his own words "committed career suicide" by filing a discrimination lawsuit against his TV channel WPLG, who has since fired him.

Perez, who is openly gay, and best known for his daytime talk show years ago (as seen in the video below) said he felt that he was being demoted and pushed to the sidelines after his orientation became well-known, and that he had to take the risk of a lawsuit because the alternative was having his career sabotaged by prejudice and discrimination.

In an essay posted on the Daily Beast, Perez wrote of a climate of fear at the channel, with management wanting to sweep his identity under the rug, and also described how fear led to other forms of self-censorship:

"The news business has become a place of fear, where principle and the news have become the casualties and ratings and dollars the prizes. A perfect example: In the runup to the war in Iraq, Mohamed El-Baradei, the top man looking for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, stood in front of a dozen microphones in Paris and announced that there weren't any. It was a front-page story in Paris, London, Moscow, and Tokyo. It was buried in The New York Times. I, however, read it.

I went to one of my bosses at Miami's Fox affiliate, WSVN, and said, "We have to run this. This is big!" He said, "Charles, that's not what our advertisers want to see." We never ran it."

We don't know all the details of this case yet, but we hope the time will come soon when being gay won't be newsworthy at all, and everyone can feel free to be themselves without fear of discrimination or prejudice. If his charges are accurate they should be dealt with decisively.

Charles Perez, Gay Anchorman Fired (VIDEO)
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Bottom line, I believe they sold me out as soon as my being gay became too widely known. It made them uncomfortable and made me, in their eyes, less advertiser-friendly. They'd demoted me two weeks earlier from main weekday anchor to weekend anchor. It was a move I quickly recognized was leading to the door, and I wasn't prepared to watch my career circle down the drain...

Charles Perez, Gay Anchorman Fired (VIDEO)

The news just finished breaking that Paula Abdul is leaving American Idol, but word is already bubbling that she might get recruited for another top show: ABC's "The View."

The Barbara Walters-led all female anel show has always been attracted to colorful personalities, and Paula Abdul seems like a perfect fit. Although we haven't seen Paula speak on politics and news events very often, so who knows how she would fare on the more serious discussions.

The official statement from The View, cited in the link below, is vague and non-commital, so maybe she will only show up in guest-hosting appearances. But Paula always brings wacky entertainment so I'd love to see what she brings to that mix. And maybe she'd be more focused and lucid at that time of day?

"The View" Interested in Paula Abdul?
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"Could newly unemployed Paula Abdul be the fifth femme to join the ladies of The View? Why not! "We love Paula," The View's rep exclusively tells us. 'She was always welcome on the program in the past and always will be in the future.'"

"The View" Interested in Paula Abdul?

The news just finished breaking that Paula Abdul is leaving American Idol, but word is already bubbling that she might get recruited for another top show: ABC's "The View."

The Barbara Walters-led all female anel show has always been attracted to colorful personalities, and Paula Abdul seems like a perfect fit. Although we haven't seen Paula speak on politics and news events very often, so who knows how she would fare on the more serious discussions.

The official statement from The View, cited in the link below, is vague and non-commital, so maybe she will only show up in guest-hosting appearances. But Paula always brings wacky entertainment so I'd love to see what she brings to that mix. And maybe she'd be more focused and lucid at that time of day?

"The View" Interested in Paula Abdul?
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"Could newly unemployed Paula Abdul be the fifth femme to join the ladies of The View? Why not! "We love Paula," The View's rep exclusively tells us. 'She was always welcome on the program in the past and always will be in the future.'"

"The View" Interested in Paula Abdul?

"New Jerseys own Born Wreckless came to Tuff City Styles and had Dwels produce a music video for them in the Yard...only one artist was perfect to paint their video backdrop."

Impressive video showing the process of making a graffiti mural, featuring a graf artist named SERVE. Amazing what these artists can create, and for all you haters: this mural was 100% legal!

The latest breakdown on Big Brother from the rality TV experts on Youtube.

"Chima is the new HOH. Chima gets a letter from her sick mom. Chima wants a woman to win BB11 - she's planning on nominating Russell this week because she says she doesn't trust him.
Jeff & Jordan watch a spider. Chima tells the house about how she was raped by a serial killer & her recovery."

Triathlons have become one of the fastest growing track and field events, capturing the imagination with the extreme challenge of a length swim, 100+ mile bike ride and then a full marathon. But many have wondered whether that much exertion can be healthy, no matter how well trained you are? Now a new study suggests those worries might be well grounded, showing that triathletes die during competition twice as often as marathon runners.

The doctors say it's still relatively low risk, but enough of an issue that it should be studied further. Apparently most of the deaths actually occur right at the beginning, when everyone starts the swimming portion. As quoted in the article below, these experts are speculating that the shock to the system off jumping into cold water during such strenuous activity is what caused cardiac arrest or similar issues.

At the end of the day, these numbers are still low and no reason to panic about triathlons yet. For now maybe athletes should just double-check with their doctor and make sure their heart can handle all the stress of this event. Also, you might want to consider buying a Wii.

EDIT: I'm kidding about the Wii! Calm down! :) Some real tips for a beginner interested in triathlons can be found here, and some advice from a fellow athlete about triathlon safety here. Also worth a look is this site.

Triathlon Participants: Twice as Likely to Die as Marathon Runners
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A study has revealed that the risk of dying in a triathlon, though low, is nearly double the risk of dying in a marathon. A study presented to the American College of Cardiology Conference showed there were 14 deaths among almost one million competitors...

Triathlon Participants: Twice as Likely to Die as Marathon Runners

Whoa! A fishing boat got an unexpected visitor yesterday when a 5 foot long bull shark kjumped onto their boat.

The shark sailed through the air over the boat, but apparently crashed into one of the crew members and then found itself stuck on the boat.. it spent a lot of time angrily thrashing around, according the boat crew, so much that they couldn't grab it to throw it back in the water. But after a while they were able to grab hold of it and return it to the sea. Nice to hear a man vs. shark story that ended in such a kind and friendly way! See the video below:

VIDEO: Shark Jumps Into Boat in Florida
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After a day of spear fishing and lobster diving, a group of boaters were shocked when a shark jumped into their boat. Michael Powers and his friends were going after lobster and other fish off the coast of Florida Saturday when the shark jumped right into their boat.

VIDEO: Shark Jumps Into Boat in Florida

Angelina and Brad stopped traffic and stopped hearts in Los Angeles yesterday, as they stopped on the red carpet to sign autographs and chat with fans, and basically just set hearts aflutter with their overall glamorousness. Check the videos below for a glimpse of the scene (and their outfits.)

Angelina Jolie was wearing a black dress that had heads turning and tongues wagging, while Brad Pitt wore a heavy goatee and all-black suit, and looked rather like he might be a security guard for the vampire nightclub on True Blood. But in a good way.

As seen in the two videos below, the superstar couple looked like they were being gracious and friendly about interacting with fans, unlike many celebs that I've seen walk right by without giving back the love. I don't keep track of all the gossip and so on, but Brad and Angelina seem like good people to me.

VIDEO: Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt, "Inglourious Basterds" Los Angeles Premiere

"Brad and Angelina sign autographs and greet fans at The Los Angeles Premiere of Inglourious Basterds "

VIDEO: Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt, "Inglourious Basterds" Los Angeles Premiere

Here is a detailed commentary from MSNBC's Keith Olbermann on the current controversy over health care town hall meetings, and the loud confrontations going on at many of them. Olbermann is not everyone's favorite, depending on how you lean politically, but if you want to know what his side of the fence thinks about it, here it is. I think he does make some good points.

Here are some video highlights from last night's Raw episode. I don't watch wrestling that much anymore but still enjoy checking in from time to time. Personally I'm still waiting for a comeback by Bob Backlund.

A tribute from the Special Olympics to their founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who has since passed away. The tribute features Nelson Mandela among others.

I think "outburst" might be too a strong word, but watch the video and judge for yourself.

As Hillary Clinton continues her historic trip to Africa that has sadly been overshadowed by other news, she had a testy confrontation during a press conference in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, when a student asked for her husband Bill Clinton's opinion on a foreign policy issue. Hillary, understandably, took offense at this question and her response and body language made it quite clear she was offended.

Interestingly, most media coverage has been asking whether Hillary is "jealous" of the attentino Bill has gotten lately, but in my opinion this is isn't about jealousy, it's about Hillary taking offense at sexism, pure and simple.

I do wish Senator Clinton had tempered her reaction and delivered it in a more diplomatic way, since she was a guest in someone else's culture, and who knows what cultural differences might be behind a misunderstanding in this situation. And more recent reports indicate there may was a mixup in the translation, and the student really meant to ask about Barack Obama's opinion, not Bill Clinton's.

But still, when she heard thgat question it's only fair for her to feel like no man would be asked that, in the same position. So even though I didn't vote for her, in this case I say: leave Hillary alone!

Hillary Clinton's Congo Outburst (VIDEO)
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Apparently the translator made a mistake and the student had wanted to know what President Obama thought of the deal. A State Department official tells ABC News the student went up to Clinton after the event and told her he was misquoted. No immediate word yet how Clinton responded...

Hillary Clinton's Congo Outburst (VIDEO)

After so much tragedy and heartbreak, thank goodness we get to see some good news for Jennifer Hudson!

There were rumors a while ago that her baby was already born, but now we know for sure that the birth really happened this week, and she has a healthy and happy baby boy! Her first son is named David Daniel Otunga Jr, and is of course named after her husband David Otunga.

Her husband David Otunga is the hunky specimen best known for his stint as "Punk" on the VH1 reality show "I Love NY" (where he famously sprayed whipped cream on his chest for New York to, err, dispose of). But despite that somewhat risque past he seems to be a straight-up, clean cut guy, and a great catch. So here's hoping this is the beginning of a happy family future for them!

Jennifer Hudson's Baby Boy!
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Oscar winner and Chicago native Jennifer Hudson gave birth late Monday afternoon to David Daniel Otunga Jr. The baby, who weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces, was named for Hudson's fiance, David Otunga...

Jennifer Hudson's Baby Boy!

America continues to be morbidly fascinated by this story of a man getting his, err, business krazy-glued to his stomach by a posse of women whom he'd each done wrong and played against each other.

As you've all probably read already, the man's wife and 3 of his alleged mistresses all accosted him in a hotel, tied him up on a bed and then did whatever it was they allegedly did that I won't type again because it's too traumatic to contemplate. In fact, I can't beat to write about this any further, so just watch the video for yourself.

Woman in Krazy Glue case on 'Today' show: Man was the predator
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"Therese Ziemann, interviewed on NBC's "Today" show, said Tuesday there was no collaboration and no ringleader among the four women accused of holding the man against his will at a motel southwest of Green Bay..."

This is just sad. These two sisters, one 83 and rthe other 87, not only fighting but actually filing lawsuits over $500,000 in powerball lottery winnings.

Apparently the siblings used to gamble and wager on varous things all the time, and had an agreement that they would always share winnings, but sometimes in the past they had fallen out of touch. So when one sister hit it big with Powerball, she didn't give her sister any thought, but the sister had other ideas and wants to enforce their old agreement.

It never ceases to amaze how money can tear apart even a family bond like this. But I'm surprised these sorts of disputes don't happen even more often when it comes to lottery money..those winnings must constantly spark strong feelings in friends and loved ones. I know if I ever win the lottery I'm just buying a house in the woods and not telling anybody! Well, except my mom.

Octogenarian Sisters' $500K Drama!
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"A passion for gambling shared by two once-inseparable octogenarian sisters has ended up dividing them, with the Connecticut Supreme Court ruling that one can sue the other for a share of a winning $500,000 lottery ticket..."

Octogenarian Sisters' $500K Drama!

The billionaire George Soros has always been controversial, with conservatives associating his name with funding many left wing causes, and wondering if he was behind more than he publicly takes credit for, with all that money he throws around.

But this time there's no need for rumor, as the all-star currency trader Soros is right up front representing this new initiative to help New York's needy families. George Soros has put up a $35 million dollar gift to help make sure all New York children can have proper school supplies. Thanks to his gift to our city, and the matching funds that will come along through the stimulus package, Every needy family in NY will have an extra $200 to put towards their kid's back-to-school needs.

Some people will probably ask whether it's a good idea to give this money out without any control over what it gets spent on, imagining that parents might just buy $200 in lottery tickets or something. But I think you gotta have a little faith that parents are are do right by their kids, instead of assuming that everyone who doesn't have money also doesn't have integrity. I think we end to assume that too often(especially when it's the people with the most money who often have the least integrity).

And whatever you think about George Soros' $35 million gift to NY, you have to admit helping kids go to school is not the work of the devil! And as partly seen in the video below, he also has to get credit for correctly predicting that today's economic problems were going to happen. I think the guy knows a thing or two about what to do with money.

George Soros: $35 Million Gift!
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On Tuesday, billionaire George Soros announced a $35 million donation to the state of New York for a "Back to School" program that -- coupled with $140 million of federal stimulus funds -- would give each child on public assistance and food stamps $200 to start to the school year...

George Soros: $35 Million Gift!

Once again Florida citizens are being warned to look out for jumping fish!

The fish known as the gulf sturgeon migrates through Florida every year, and causes trouble by jumping around people's boats and often hitting people while flying through the air. They can be pretty hefty fish, and could possibly cause injury.

Anyone who is on a boat (I'm on a boat!) in the Suwanee River has beened warned again for this season to cut down on their speed a bit, and watch out for the Florida's giant jumping fish. You can see a similar sort of jumping fish in the video below. If you are a boater or fisherman out in Florida, watch out an be safe, and if you see one of the gulf sturgeon please get them on video! We need more good footage of this stuff.

Giant Florida Jumping Fish
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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reminds boaters to slow down and be aware these fish are jumping. Three people were injured in accidental collisions with jumping sturgeon during 2008. "Just one person getting hurt is too many," said Maj. Lee Beach, regional law enforcement commander for the FWC's North Central Region, based in Lake City. "We want people to be aware the sturgeon are returning, and the risk of injury to boaters does exist..."

Giant Florida Jumping Fish

"Elimination challenge - The chefs must prepare a buffet luncheon for 200 Hollywood insiders with the help of 3 sous chefs that just happen to be former Top Chef contestants. Theyll have 30 mins to plan, 45 mins & $2,000 to shop and 3 and a half hours to prep. The twist is the venue was changed halfway through the challenge & they had to cut one of their sous chefs. Judges - Gail Simmons, James Oseland and Gael Greene."

A recap of last night's Top Chef Masters. My mom keeps telling me to wach this, still haven't caught it.

As if Bernie Madoff didn't have enough trouble, now a tell-all memoir is set to reveal his alleged affair with one of the countless people he ripped off.

Sheryl Weinstein, who worked for the Jewish organization Hadassah, has been one of many the vocal critics of Madoff's treachery. But now she is revealing this alleged affair for the first time, in her book titled ""Madoff's Other Secret: Love, Money, Bernie, and Me." This is a switch from the original title, which was "Bernie Madoff's Love Life, and Other Things Nobody Really Wants to Hear About."

There are so many questions one could ask and jokes one could make, but I will restrain myself. The actual crimes Madoff committed are certainly not funny, and no amount of humiliation is too much for him. If this earns her back some of the money he stole, more power to her!

Sheryl Weinstein & Bernie Madoff?
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Sheryl Weinstein's account, "Madoff's Other Secret: Love, Money, Bernie, and Me," will be published Aug. 25 by St. Martin's Press. Amazon.com Inc. and Barnes & Noble Inc. are accepting advance orders through Web site listings that disclose no details about the relationship and say that the author is "to be announced." The author is Weinstein, said John Murphy, a spokesman for New York-based St. Martin's....

Sheryl Weinstein & Bernie Madoff?

Yikes. A woman in North Dakota was arrested after police found her breasfeeding her 6-week old baby while drunk. Some people might not have known this was illegal, but drinking while breastfeeding is believed to pose a serious helth risk to a young baby, and thought this has never been prosecuted before in that state, the woman is now facing up to five years!

5 years is a long time, and some people say she should be given treatment and help, so she a has a chance to get it together and be there to raise her kids. But on the other hand, if she has a previous track record of mistreatment than keeping the kid in someone else's care might be the best thing.

If you watch the news report below, the woman apparently has a track record of previous issues, and even on that night there were other problems discovered besides the breast-feeding issue. Sounds like this intervention was the right move, and great care should be taken before this mother is given custody again.

Drunken Breast Feeding Mother?
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Twenty-six-year-old Stacey Anvarinia could face up to five years in prison when she's sentenced on the felony charge in August. Judge Sonja Clapp says Anvarinia will not have to register as an offender against children.

Drunken Breast Feeding Mother?

If you're looking for a weekend adventure as summer comes to a close, here is your scoop! This weekend, August 15 and 16, many of America's beautiful National Parks will waive their entry fees and let you see the splendor of nature for free.

Check here for a full list of the National Parks that will waive entry fees this weekend. A great opportunity to let the whole family remember what precious resources we have in nature. (and I don't mean precious for drilling!)

National Parks Waive Entrance Fees
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...the fee-free weekends are a good deal. They further open up spectacular properties such as California's Yosemite National Park, which ordinarily charges $20 entry per car, and sweeps aside the $15 fee for entering Virginia's Shenandoah National Park and the $15 for the Lake Powell/Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, in Utah...

National Parks Waive Entrance Fees

The internets are buzzing with talk of the latest Halle Berry footage, that many are speculating shows signs that she is once again with child.

Personally I'm not sure I even see what people are talking about here? Apparently this is all because of a barely percepitible "baby bump" visible in these photos. I supposed you can judge for yourself..I guess I see a little something there. But I'm also not sure why this is worth all the blogging and headlines?

If Halle is pregnant again, we wish her the best and hope it's all goes smoothly and healthily! You can see photos that sparked all the speculation below, both in the brief video and the link provided.

Halle Berry Pregnant Again?
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"Halle Berry looked like she was doing her best to cover her possible baby bump as she stepped out to a friend's house. The actress, who is reportedly pregnant with her second child, wore a loose-fitting t-shirt and jeans as she visited her pal in LA yesterday..."

Halle Berry Pregnant Again?

See the video of history being made as Gina Carano and Cris "Cyborg" Santos fought in the most high profile female MMA fight ever seen so far. The crowd favorite Carano put in a game effort, but as expected by many, Cyborg was just too much for her. An action packed fight though, and even if the technical skill wasn't the highest, it was an exciting event that should open doors for female MMA. After all Griffin vs. Bonnar wasn't great technically either but it's still considered the greatest fight ever!

Gina Carano vs. Cris Cyborg VIDEO
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Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos easily toppled Gina Carano via a technical knockout from strikes 4:59 into the first round to take Strikeforce's 145-pound women's title on Saturday at the HP Pavilion. "Since the beginning, I knew this fight would be hard," Santos said through a translator. "That's why I trained so hard for this fight. The key for tonight was five years of training." In the debate of technicality versus power, Carano had little answer for Santos' relentless aggression.

Gina Carano vs. Cris Cyborg VIDEO

Whoa! The Obama administration is sending out hints this weekend that they are ready to drop the public option from their health care reform plan.

Both Obama and Kathleen Sebelius said this weekend that the public option is not "not the essential element" of their plan, and sent out hints through other channels that they were ready to drop this part of the plan as a concession to Republican opposition.

Many liberals are expressing deep disappointment with Obama's apparent abandonment of the public option. But I prefer to think Obama is just trying to improve our nation's health, by fostering a healthy sense of disillusionment.

Public Option Dropped?
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Bowing to Republican pressure and an uneasy public, President Barack Obama's administration signaled Sunday it is ready to abandon the idea of giving Americans the option of government-run insurance as part of a new health care system. Facing mounting opposition to the overhaul, administration officials left open the chance for a compromise with Republicans that would include health insurance cooperatives instead of a government-run plan...

Public Option Dropped?

You're gonna be kicking yourself for missing this deal. One of the top hotels in Venice had an internet mixup this week, and offered some of their rooms for the unbeatable price of 1 cent (in euros).

Someone made a mistake in the web listings for their rooms, and even though it was only online for a short while, the Crowne Plaza got tons of hotel reservations at that insanely discounted price. To their credit, it appears the hotel will honor these bookings, unlike Best Buy who recently refused to honor sales of a TV that was posted at the wrong price. Hopefully the hotel can make up some of the losses with all this extra publicity they'll get now.

1 cent hotel stay!
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A four-star hotel near Venice mistakenly offered the ultimate low-cost vacation: a romantic weekend in the Italian lagoon city for 1 euro cent. Not surprisingly, the Crowne Plaza in Quarto D'Altino, 15.5 miles (25 kilometers) from Venice, received bookings for the equivalent of 1,400 room nights on the night the rate was posted on its Web site, the hotel chain acknowledged...

1 cent hotel stay!

The Cash for Clunkers program is clearly a runaway success if people are calling a barely-driven Maserati a clunker now!

That's exactly what one man did in Colorado this week, trading the car in for a new Subaru, of all things. As flashy as his "clunker" sounds, it will be treated like every other clunker in the program, getting crushed and disposed of next to all the crappy old trucks most people are bringing in.

Let's see how long it takes for Doc Brown to fly through and trade in his DeLorean...

Colorado Man: Maserati Clunker!
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A Colorado car dealer got a shock when a man drove in with a trade in the cash-for- clunkers program, a 1985 Maserati BiTurbo. The car is in almost pristine condition, KUSA-TV, Denver, reported. There are only 18,480 miles on the odometer...

Colorado Man: Maserati Clunker!

I can haz diploma? The answer for one kitty cat is yes! A cat in Georgia namd Oreo recently earned a high school GED diploma on the internet, as Oreo's owner investigated online diploma mills.

The owner is president of the Better Business Bureau in Georgia, and applied for the diploma in Oreo's name, filling out the tests and even sending in a personal experience essay about being a cat. And sure enough the diploma came right through!

The article below as more info on how to avoid these online degree scams, which charge quite a hefty fee for diplomas and degree that aren't worth the paper they're printed on.

Cat Earns GED Diploma on the Internet
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...Oreo C. Collins, a 2-year-old tuxedo cat from Macon, Ga., may be the very first in her family to obtain a 'high school diploma' -- online or off...Kelvin Collins, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Central Georgia and Oreo's rescuer, encouraged Oreo to seek her "education," by taking part in the BBB's ongoing investigation of online diploma mills...

(NOTE: no this is not Oreo, obviously, but I think it's a good example of a smart cat!)

Cat Earns GED Diploma on the Internet

In a ruling sure to spark debate and controversy around the world, Australian man Christian Rossiter was granted the right to end his own life, as the top court in Australia ruled his decision must be respected.

Rossiter, who is a quadriplegic, can only be fed throug a feeding tube and was seeking the right to refuse the feeding tube and end his life. The ruling to let him do so will seem to many as merciful, but others no doubt see it as wrong to let someone take their own life this way. It's a very difficult ethical question, sure to be debated and fought out for many years to come. See the article below for more details. Personally I think it certain cases you have to respect someone's right to end their own suffering.

Aussie Quadriplegic Man Granted Right to Die
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An Australian state Supreme Court ruled Friday that a nursing home in the west coast city of Perth must respect the 49-year-old patient's decision to starve to death. His case adds to international arguments among euthanasia advocates, religious groups, lawyers and ethicists about where the state's duty to preserve life ends...

Aussie Quadriplegic Man Granted Right to Die

Terrifying story. In Snowmass Canyon, Colorado, A man was instantly killed when a boulder suddenly fell through his window, as he drove his family home from an outing.

Amazingly, the mother was able to take control of the car and guide it to safety, as their kids sat in the backseat, preventing it from becoming an even worse tragedy. See the article below for the details of her heroic actions that prevented this from being an even worse tragedy.

Boulder Kills Driver
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...A rock about the size of carry-on luggage tumbled through their Chevrolet Tahoe at about 4:30 p.m. Friday, hitting driver Tom Murphy on the side of his face and killing him, said his wife, Jennifer Murphy, who was in the front passenger seat...

Boulder Kills Driver

One of the trendiest things on the web right now, especially on Twitter, is using software to "Mad Men yourself."

What does this mean? As in the past when people were able to Simpsonize themselves and make a Simpsons cartoon version of themselves, people are now making a 50's/60's style cartoon version off their own image in homage to the early 60's set TV show Mad Men.

The show portrays a world full of scheming, manipulation and prejudice, yet somehow everyone seems to romanticize and love it, and relate to its totally evil star Don Draper as a sex symbol that "every woman wants, and every man wants to be." So I guess it's only natural that people want to imagine themselves as part of the Mad Men World. See kottke's info on how to Mad Men Yourself:

What is "Mad Men Yourself"?
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Pick out a suit, light a cigarette, slick back your hair, and download the result as a Twitter icon or desktop wallpaper: Mad Men Yourself...

What is "Mad Men Yourself"?

Bow Wow, the rapper now seen more often acting, is letting the world know he's not done rapping just yet, with the announcement that he is joining Lil Wayne's Young Money crew and signing to the Cash Money Millionaire roster.

This may not actually be thrilling news to a lot of fans, since Bow Wow seemed to have mostly retired from rap to become an actor, and it's questionable how much juice he has left among music fans. But Cash Money has long been known for signing lots of random acts, as they did even with Teena Marie a few years back. We'll see how it works out! I guess Bow Wow needed something to do after Eric's sitcom deal didn't work out for him.

Bow Wow & Cash Money (VIDEO)

Bow Wow & Cash Money (VIDEO)

The UK's long-popular version of Dennis the Menace is getting a makeover for a new BBC cartoon, but some fans are not happy with how his image is being cleaned up.

Their original Dennis the Menace, as popularized in the Beano comic strip, was constantly seen scowling and carrying a variety of weapons as he abused and tormented fellow kids. But for the new tv version he is being sanitized and made into more off a proper citizen, as seen in the photo comparison below.

Some complain that this is too "PC" especially the decision to stop having him pick on a kid named "Walter the Softy" so as to avoid promotion of gaybashing. But I think this is a good thing.. sure there's allways been lots of violence and negative behavior in cartoons, just look at Bugs Bunny. But it's only right to cut back on some of the more extreme stuff, especially if it promotes prejudice or bullying. After all, even in the Bugs Bunny cartoons the bully usually wound up getting his comeuppance in the end.

Dennis the Menace Makeover! (PHOTO)
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Dennis The Menace has been banned from using his catapult, water pistol and peashooter in a new BBC series, according to reports. rather than terrorise characters including Walter The Softy, he will get into scrapes by dreaming up contraptions that cause mayhem...he has also been redrawn to look less menacing, with his usual scowl replaced with a boyish grin.

Dennis the Menace Makeover! (PHOTO)

Controversy continues over the Indian movie superstar Shah Rukh Khan being held for questioning at Newark Airport, as he entered America for work.

Most Americans might not be aware, but Shah Rukh Khan is Bollywood's top star and one of the biggest celebrities in the world. So when reports came out that he was detained by US authorities it sparked lots of outrage and protest abroad, especially in India. Oddly enough Khan (who is muslim) was in town to promote a new film that is about racial profiling in the aftermath of 9/11.

Khan has recently said the incident has been overstated, and urged fans not to protest any further. And some reports indicate he may have been pulled out because of random screening, and not specifically targeted for questioning. But tensions remain, and this is an issue that will continue to arise as we try to balance the need for security with the possibility of prejudice and discrimination.

Bollywood Star Held at Airport
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Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan said Tuesday he will cut back on visits to the United States, especially with his family, after he was held and questioned by immigration officials at a New York-area airport...

Bollywood Star Held at Airport

Well not really, only in movie form, as indymogul uses Obama Girl to demonstrate their low-budget special effects wizardry.

A new interview with the always insightful Questlove, drummer for the Roots and now co-star of Jimmy Fallon's late night show.

The experts weigh in on the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars, featuring Chuck Liddell. Tom Delay and more. Personally, Mya is the name that excites me the most, on this list.

The show premieres Monday, September 21st, 2009. Cast for Season 9 -

Aaron Carter
Michael Irvin
Melissa Joan Hart
Mark Dacascos
Macy Gray
Louis Vito
Chuck Liddell
Kelly Osbourne
Tom DeLay
Natalie Coughlin
Mya
Joanna Krupa
Kathy Ireland
Ashley Hamilton
Debi Mazur
Donny Osmond

As seen in the video below, drivers have always worried about the notorious "blind spot" in their rear and side view mirrors, and recently two studies have both shown how technology can prevent the blind spot while driving, and how very simple methods can make sure you set up your mirrors to get rid of the blind spot.

In the article below they talk about expensive radar systems you can use to fill in blind spots, but also explain how you can save your money and simply set up your car properly with its rear view and side view mirrors yourself, in the proper way to prevent blind spots. See the video below for a tutorial on how to set your car up properly and insure safe driving for you and your family, while saving the $1,500 you'd spend on one of these radar-laser contraptions or whatever it is.

Blind Spots in MIrrors: Myth?
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It is necessary to check that the mirrors are properly set, of course. Here's how that is done: Watch a vehicle approach in the rear-view mirror. It should appear in the side-view mirror before it leaves the rear-view mirror. And then it should appear in the driver's peripheral vision before it leaves the side-view mirror. When I Platzer-ized the Fusion Hybrid, I could see the nose of a vehicle appear just as the BLIS warning light illuminated...

Blind Spots in MIrrors: Myth?

EVer had the feeling that your dog can tell what you're thinking? According to experts, you might not be crazy too think so!

This report in USA Today talks about tests and studies that try to show how dogs can see through our attempts to trick them. The researchers tested out dogs by trying to deceive them aobut where to find food, and saw they quickly learned to see through the human trickery.

It doesn't seem totally clear what these studies tell us, about the dogs' thought process when they react to us.. but if they can sniff out head games this well, maybe we should send them in to help wiith the town hall meetings on health care, maybe they could help everybody sniff out the truth in there.

Study About Dogs & Human Deception
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"..."Dogs evolved with humans, and a number of studies have suggested they are particularly sensitive to human cues," says psychologist William Roberts of Canada's Dalhousie University. Sentimental pet owners might even say their dogs know what they are thinking..."

(this is not related to the article, just a really smart dog!)

Study About Dogs & Human Deception

The reality tv gurus break down last night's Hell's Kitchen action.

"Last week on Hell's Kitchen Tek was sent home. This week the challenge is for each team to come up with 3 dishes totaling 700 calories. They must be an appetizer, entree & dessert. "

In this new interview clip, Lil Wayne sets the record straight once and for all about who is carrying his baby. Or as it turns out, who is carrying his bab-IES.

Wayne appeared on Big Boy's Power 106 show in Los Angeles, and as you can hear below he confirmed to 106 DJ Fuzzy Fantabulous that Lauren London is indeed pregnant with his child, as was long rumored. And since it was already known that Wayne was expecting a child with Nivea, that means Lil Wayne will now be a dad twice in 2009!

A little unorthodox from a family values perspective, but I wish Wayne the best of luck! Hopefully this will give him further incentive to stop his unfortunate "syrup" drinking habits.

Lil Wayne Confirms He Is To Be a Dad! Twice! (VIDEO)
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Power 106 broadcaster Fuzzy told Wayne, "Lauren London, she fine (sic). She very pregnant (sic) with your baby," to which Wayne replied, "Very pregnant, yes." The DJ then offered his congratulations to the "Lollipop" hitmaker, who happily accepted, reports MTV.com...

Lil Wayne Confirms He Is To Be a Dad! Twice! (VIDEO)

As seen in the video below, scientists have always known of the existence of the flying dinosaurs known as pterosaurs, but until recently they only knew but so much about how they flew. Now, however, paleontologists are getting a chance to study actual pterosaur tracks for the first time, after the discovery of a prehistory "runway" where the creatures used to land and take off millions of years ago, in the land now known as France.

Prehistoric Runway for Pterosaurs
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Scientists uncovered the first known landing tracks of one of these extinct flying reptiles at a site dubbed "Pterosaur Beach," in the fine-grained limestone deposits of an ancient lagoon in southwestern France dating back 140 million years to the Late Jurassic...

Prehistoric Runway for Pterosaurs

American runner Shannon Rowbury was a favorite in the 1500 meter event at the latest world championships, but in her first heat she gave the world a shocker by falling down early on in the run.

Afterwards though, studying the tapes made it look like she may have been tripped by another contestant, and that the fall wasn't her fault. Now the US has filed an appeal and successfully gotten her another chance in the next heat, after showing that the fall was not her fault and she deserves a fair shot. See the video and link below for more details. Good to see justice served! Hope Shannon goes on to win the race, and add happier footage to her highlight reels.

Shannon Rowbury Appeal (VIDEO)
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The United States won an appeal to have Shannon Rowbury included in the next round of the 1,500-meter race after she was tripped and fell down in a first-round heat Tuesday at the world championships...

Shannon Rowbury Appeal (VIDEO)

We've always known there were high levels of mercury in some fish. But new studies show that in America, mercury levels are significant in all fish nowadays. What does this mean for our health?

The latest studies by the EPA showed almost all fish tested had at least trace amounts of mercury, and about 1 in 4 had more than is considered safe. This means we have to be very careful about which fish we eat, because mercury poisoning can have serious health effects. See the article below for more details. And since the cause seems to be manmade pollution, this is yet another way in which we are ruining our own planet, another wake-up call about the need to change our lifestyle and change our relationship with the planet.

Also this means maybe we should have believed Jeremy Piven after all, when he said he was in the hospital for mercury poisoning after eating sushi, and we all thought it was just for a drug problem?

Mercury in Fish: The Lowdown
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The main source of mercury to most of the streams tested, according to the researchers, is airborne emissions from coal-fired power plants. The mercury released from smokestacks here and abroad rains down into waterways, where natural processes convert it into methylmercury - a form that allows the toxin to wind its way up the food chain into fish...

above is an older report about mercury concentration in fish, from earlier this year.

Mercury in Fish: The Lowdown

Patricia Heaton having math troubles, as she tries to answer a question with Regis Philbin on "Millionaire."

Britney Spears offers herself up as competition for Sarah Palin in this David Letterman Top Ten List.

"The bikini-clad pop princess presents the "Top Ten Ways The Country Would Be Different If Britney Spears Were President."

Season six of Top Chef started out this week, with the show moving to Las Vegas for another round of high-stakes cooking.

Padma Lakshmi and the rest of the gang are back hosting, and a whole new batch of elite chefs are ready for cuisine combat. See the article below for a compelete breakdown of this year's purveyors of deliciousness.

After we met all the contestants and saw them go through the quickfire challenge and other gourmethijinks, the final showdown led to Jennifer being eliminated, thanks to some questionable seitan stuffing. Many will be sorry to see her go, since she sported a very spicy tattoo-marinated style, with huge hoop earrings stretching out her earlobes. but you gotta respect a show that makes decisions based on skills instead of entertainment value! So far it seems like we can look forward to another solid season from Top Chef.

Top Chef New Season Preview (VIDEO)
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Thank goodness for Bravo. The network has saved us from the abyss of summer TV reruns with a new season of Top Chef, which premiered its sixth installment last night. Tom, Padma, and the new crop of chefs head to Las Vegas this time around...

Top Chef New Season Preview (VIDEO)

Castor Semenya has been a top female runner for years. In fact she's so good, critics say maybe Castor is not a female runner at all.

After blowing away the competition in her latest 800 meter race, her sport's governing body the IAAF has requested that Caster Semenya be tested or examined to prove her gender, though it was not specified what this entails.

There have been whispers for years about Caster Semanya, but many wonder how much of this is based on prejudice, simply because she doesn't look as attractive as other runners, and allso partly due to her African heritage. But others point out she is simply more muscular and developed differently than her felllow runners, and there are many other Africans in the spoprt that don't face such questions.

It's hard to imagine anyone would try to get away with such a brazen scam, so I'd expect Caster Semenya will be exonerated soon enough. It's too bad she has to get humiliated this way, if she is innocent! But perhap she can take it as a compliment that she's so good people think she is cheating. In the meantime, hopefully Orly Taitz won't find a way to tie this into her other African conspiracy theories.

Caster Semenya (VIDEO)

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The verification requires a physical medical evaluation, and includes reports from a gynecologist, endocrinologist, psychologist, an internal medicine specialist and an expert on gender. "So we're talking about reports that are very long, very time consuming," Davies said. South Africa team manager Phiwe Mlangeni-Tsholetsane would not confirm or deny that Caster Semenya was having a gender test, but said "there was no cheating on our part..."

Caster Semenya (VIDEO)

Rumors have been swirling for a little while now about Bradley Cooper and Renee Zellweger dating each other, and now the latest gossip says Jennifer Aniston is none too happy about this pairing.

According to US Magazine as seen below, Jennier Aniston had gone out with Bradley Cooper earlier on, and is rather unimpressed with Bradley's decision to pursue a relationship with Renee Zellweger instead. Goodness knows who US magazine's sources are for this, or why we ever need to know such things.

Jennier Aniston is in the news (using the term loosely) so often for this kind of relationship gossip, I wonder does she seek out this sort of thing by having her people send "leaks" out, or is she just a favorite Hollywood target for some reason?

Bradley Cooper & Renee Zellweger!
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Jennifer Aniston feels rejected and upset after Bradley Cooper ditched her for Renee Zellweger, reports the new issue of Us Weekly, on stands now. "She wanted to turn her date with Cooper into something...she honestly feels screwed over," a pal tells Us of Aniston, who dined at NYC eatery Il Cantinori on June 18 with her He's Just Not That Into You costar -- a few weeks before he began dating Zellweger...

Bradley Cooper & Renee Zellweger!

Even though Edward "Ted" Kennedy has been out of the public eye for the last couple of months he still made the top of the news yesterday, as he showed his heroic commitment to the public once again by taking time even during his illness to try and make sure his Massachusetts people will be properly represented, after he's no longer able to serve them.

Kennedy sent a letter to Mass. Governor Deval Patrick asking that the state change their process for choosing a Senator's successor after he is unable to serve. Under the current setup it would take time to get a successor in place, and this would mean one less Massachusetts representative and one less Democrat in crucial votes, possibly including the big health care vote.

Edward Kennedy has of course been a key advocate on this issue for a long time, and it's a tribute to his deep commitment that he's still making moves to getting this work done, even as his battle with brain cancer, sadly, seems to be entering its final stages. Hopefully the rest of congress can learn from his persistence and courage as they work towards a solution to this issue he fought to fix for decades.

Edward Kennedy's Successor?
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The ailing liberal leader wrote this week to his home-state governor, Deval Patrick, and state legislative leaders, asking them to alter the method by which Kennedy's successor could be chosen...The health of Kennedy, 77, has been the subject of rampant speculation in Washington. He has rarely been seen this year in the Capitol, even as the Senate has taken up one of his lifelong causes, a revision of the nation's healthcare system.

Edward Kennedy's Successor?

Wing walking, standing on an airplane's wings while it is flying, seems outlandish at any age. But doing it successfully when you're only 8 years old! Simply incredible.

But it happened this month in England, when a kid named Tiger Brewer (nice tough name!) became the youngest wing walker ever, carrying on his family wing walking tradition. From what I've read, the youngest kid before him was actually the son of Nick Mason from Pink Floyd, who did it when he was 11.

As you'll see in the video, it's not just randomly walking around on the wing, there's a very professional setup in place when people do it, and it looks like safety is fully considered. At least it much as it can be while you are standing on an airplane's wings while it is flying. Goodness gracious. My kid will darn sure never be doing that if I can help it, but congratulations to the 8-year-old wing walker Tiger Brewer nonetheless!

8-Year-Old Wing Walker! (VIDEO)
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An 8-year-old London boy has become the youngest person in the world to walk on the wings of an airplane in mid-flight. Tiger Brewer broke the record set eight years ago by a then-11-year-old by wing-walking on his grandfather's biplane Thursday...

8-Year-Old Wing Walker! (VIDEO)

In a huge success that some conservatives are still trying to portray as a failure, on Monday Cash For Clunkers will be ending for the moment, after tallying almost half a million cars exchanged.

The plan for ending 'Cash for Clunkers', at least for now, was announced on the cars.gov website, and speaking to the press this week President Obama hailed it as a great success, even as some right-wingers tried to make it out as a failure, basically because it succeeded much faster than expected.

Dealers are expressing concerns about continuing delays in getting their reimbursements, but that is expected to work itself out, especially once 'Cash for Clunkers' ends, giving the bureaucracy a better chance to catch up.

People may have a sentimental attraction to those old cars, but for the most part they were gas guzzling bad boys that needed to be retired, for the sake of the planet and our wallets. No signs yet that the program will be revived later, but I'm hoping New York can still get a special deal to trade in our entire subway system.

'Cash for Clunkers' Ending
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The popular "cash-for-clunkers'' program in which the federal government has offered car-owners $3 billion to trade in older vehicles for newer, more fuel-efficient models this summer, will end on Monday evening, according to the Obama administration. As of 8 p.m. EDT on Monday, the program will be shut down, a senior administration official said today...

'Cash for Clunkers' Ending

Many people might say Soulja Boy's talent is difficult to find, but his tattoos have become impossible to miss. Even some of his fans are saying he's taken it a bit too far. His new song "Inked" has a video with his latest additions featured, so you can judge for yourself. Earplugs optional.

Michael Moore's new one, "Capitallsm, A Love Story" opens in a few month, and this new trailer just hit the net. This latest salvo is sure to inspire lots of love and lots of hate, as usual.

"It's a crime story. But it's also a war story about class warfare. And a vampire movie, with the upper 1 percent feeding off the rest of us. And, of course, it's also a love story. Only it's about an abusive relationship.

"It's not about an individual, like Roger Smith, or a corporation, or even an issue, like health care. This is the big enchilada. This is about the thing that dominates all our lives -- the economy. I made this movie as if it was going to be the last movie I was allowed to make.

"It's a comedy." -- Michael Moore

We all know feeling only hurts your heart, but a new study indicate that is even more true than we realized!

According to a new study named "Women, Loneliness, and Incident Coronary Heart Disease", in which they studied women for 19 years, women who report feeling lonely are more likely to have heart problems than others. The study said "Loneliness among women may merit clinical attention, not only due to its impact on quality of life but also its potential implications for cardiovascular health."

An interesting part of the report below, to me, is how what makes you feel lonely can vary greatly depending on how much social activity you see the people around you having, and how much you have compared to them. Which means if you moved to another town where nobody else had a social life, that might actually make you feel less lonely?

And experts seem to agree that new developments like the internet, texting and tweeting are contributing to increased loneliness. So basically you should stop reading this right now and leave the house. Go on. Get out of here.

Feeling Lonely Woman's Arteries Damager?
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The bad news doesn't just affect women. Social isolation in all adults has been linked to a raft of physical and mental ailments, including sleep disorders, high blood pressure, and an increased risk of depression and suicide. How lonely you feel today actually predicts how well you'll sleep tonight and how depressed you'll feel a year from now...

Feeling Lonely: Woman's Arteries Damager?

Nora the piano playing cat has been an internet superstar for a while now, but now she's taken it to the next level, actually playing with an orchestra!

The five year Philadelphia native Nora had a concerto written especially for her, by a composer in Lithuania, and an orchestra there performed the piece by playing live alongside a video projection of Nora's solo recital. Quite an achievement for a Philadelphia house cat!

According to Nora's owner "This is not a trick taught to Nora. She began sitting at the piano at about one-year-old. She's almost four now. She plays only when the mood strikes her, which is usually several time a times a day for short periods."

It really intriguing how Nora seems to study and imitate the human who plays alongside her. I wish I could get my cat to do the same! She loves to sit on top of the piano and attack my hands whenever i try to play.

Nora the Piano-Playing Cat (VIDEO)
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The five-year-old tabby, from Philadelphia, played the role of the soloist in a performance of Lithuanian conductor Mindaugas Piecaitis' first composition, called CATcerto, accompanied by the Klaipeda Chamber Orchestra...

Nora the Piano-Playing Cat (VIDEO)

Not sure what this says about media nowadays, but sometimes the most interesting TV stars are the ones in the commercials! And right now lots of people want to know who that funny lady is in the Progressive Auto Insurance commercials.

Well thanks to the power of the internets, we now know her name is Stephanie Courtney, and she's a stand up comic from California. I had been thinking to myself she seems like the new Lisa Kudrow, and it turns out she's from the same improv crew as Kudrow, the Groundlings.

She's also had many other parts, including playing the voice of Tina Fey in MTV's Celebrtity Death Match. Hope we get to see more of her soon.. Making TV shows out of commercials never seems to work well (did you see the Geico Caveman sitcom??), but maybe she can at least play a character similar to the the one we see below..

The Progressive Auto Insurance Woman (VIDEO)
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Stephanie Courtney (born February 8, 1970), is an American actress and comedienne. She is best known for playing the advertising character Flo for Progressive Insurance and is noted for her recurring roles on several television shows including: the voices of Renee the Receptionist and Joy Peters on the Adult Swim comedy Tom Goes to the Mayor (2004-2006); Marge on the AMC drama Mad Men (2007)...

The Progressive Auto Insurance Woman (VIDEO)

A 17 year old girl who converted to Christianity from Islam has been allowed by a judge to stay in Florida, after letting authorities know she feared being harmed by her family for the conversion.

Fathima Rifqa Bary, who lived with her family in Ohio, ran away from home to move in with the heads of a Christian church in Florida, the Global Revolution Church. Bary has claimed that her family threatened to kill her for converting to Christianity. Now Florida has ruled that the girl should stay in Florida instead of going back to Ohio.

There is lots of controversy around this case, as it plays into many Americans' strong feelings about, Islam and has become a cause celebre in the media. But it also taps into other people's fears that prejudice against Islam is out of control.

The facts of the case are still very unclear, and for everyone who believes this 17-Year-Old Convert is in real danger there are others who believes she has good parents and may have embellished the truth about why she ran away. The article below makes a case for this issue being driven by prejudice against Islam. But the possibility that she is in real danger does need to be taken seriously and investigated.

If this wasn't a Muslim family would people be so quick to believe her charges, or would she be sent back home more easily? Does she simply need to be protected from these extreme fundamentalists who would harm her, end of story? A lot of questions here, I'm not even gonna take a stance on it.

17-Year-Old Convert, Rifqa Bary
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I could go through the Old Testament and cherry-pick any number of quotes demanding death for nonbelievers, nonvirgin brides and blasphemers. No Christian I know endorses that, yet it seems every Muslim abides by the darker writings in the faith.

Imagine if Rifqa fled a Christian family and wound up in the home of an anti-Christian imam in Florida. And like Blake Lorenz, he delayed notifying authorities about her arrival. She would be on the next flight back to Ohio....

The rule of law blocked Gov. Jeb Bush from imposing his personal beliefs in the Terri Schiavo case. The rule of law sent Elián González back to his father. And ultimately, the rule of law will send Rifqa back to Ohio...

17-Year-Old Convert, Rifqa Bary

The legendary Hope Diamond is about to get a new design, and you have chance to help choose it!

50 years ago Harry Winston donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian, and they are celebrating the anniversary by letting the public vote for one of 3 new setting designs for the diamond. voting goes on until early September, and the winning design will be premiered as part of a special show in the Spring of 2010, in which we will see more of the Hope Diamond than has ever been seen before.

The diamond will only have a new setting temporarily, after which it will be returned to its historic original setting. So make sure you take this opportunity to see it in a new way, while you can. Get more info on the TV special here.

Hope Diamond Smithsonian Channel Vote
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"The fabulous Hope Diamond, a stone of beauty and ill fortune, is about to pass from a New York gem merchant to the Nation," read the 1958 New York Times article. For as long as it has captured the adoration of the public, the Hope Diamond has also stoked superstition...

Hope Diamond Smithsonian Channel Vote

Lou Holtz on ESPN made a crazy prediction that his old team, Notre Dame, will make it to the top of the BCS this year.

Notre Dame, one of the most storied and most hated college football empires, has had a long run of mediocrity in recent years, with many wondering how they ever get ranked at all anymore. But where most people found there #23 ranking too high this year, their former coach Lou Holtz insisted it was too low, and that because of their soft schedule this year they have a good shot at getting 11 wins this year and making it back to the top.

What do you think of Lou Holtz's Notre Dame predction, is he crazy, or crazy like a fox? Seems like a reach to me, but I need to prepare for my NFL fantasy league draft and don't have time to think about this.

Lou Holtz Notre Dame Prediction
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The scenario Holtz depicts sounds ludicrous on it face, but I can actually see it happening. Watch them slowly climb up the rankings, until one day in December you wake up and they're No. 2 or 3 in the country. No one will believe that they deserve it and you will pull your hair out in frustrated disbelief, but it won't matter. Notre Dame gets what it wants...

Lou Holtz Notre Dame Prediction

Lou Holtz Notre Dame Prediction

A waitress who took sexy photos holding an assault rifle is getting some police officers in trouble, in MIdland County Texas.

As seen in the video below, several deputies were at a local bar and let this waitress hold one of their rifles to pose for pictures in front of their cop car, which led to bystanders calling the police to report her holding the weapon. Now one of those deputies has been fired and others suspended.

I see officers letting people pose for photos all the time, but letting the waitress actually hold your weapon? Seems pretty clear this is over the line.. who knows maybe the weapon was not loaded, but still it send the wrong message to have Police firearms treated like props.

Sheriff Fires Deputy, Waitress Photo Too Sexy
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An embarrassed Sheriff Gary Painter fired one Midland County deputy and suspended three others without pay after a scantily dressed waitress holding a rifle posed for photographs on the hood of a patrol vehicle...

Sheriff Fires Deputy, Waitress Photo Too Sexy

A small plane landed on a highway this weekend, flying down into oncoming traffic but miraculously landing without any fatalities or major injuries. The plane had problems with its fuel, and had to quickly try and land on the California highway after alerting air traffic controllers of the emergency.

It's always scary to imagine being in a plane crash, but we have seen more and more examples recently of pilots who were able to successfully land a crashing plane without it leading to the ultimate tragedy. This landing of a small plane on the highway is not on the same level as Sully Sullenberger, but still impressive, and good to know there's always a shot that you'll be okay even if worse comes to worse. Makes me want to actually pay attention when the flight attendant makes their speech next time..

Plane Lands On Highway (VIDEO)
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The Piper Comache 260 carrying a married couple landed on the southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 101 just outside Santa Barbara and a few miles from the airport, said California Highway Patrol spokesman Officer James Richards...

Plane Lands On Highway (VIDEO)

The official (by which I mean totally unofficial) director's commentary for the new Jay-Z video with Kanye West and Rihanna. "The blueprint on this Blueprint track. "

In a terrible example of bureacracy going wrong, over 1,000 Veterans this month were mistakenly sent a notice that they had the fatal illness known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. The errant notice was sent out due to a data input error or coding error of some sort, according to the statement released by government health officials.

Hopefully this didn't cause too much trauma for the veterans who got the false notice of their illness, I can imagine that must be stressful. Don't want to read too much into this, but it's not the sort of thing that gives one a lot of confidence in the government's ability to deliver state-run health care.

Veterans Told They Have Fatal Disease, Lou Gehrig's Disease
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At least 1,200 veterans across the country have been mistakenly told by the Veterans Administration that they suffer from a fatal neurological disease. One of the leaders of a Gulf War veterans group says panicked veterans from Alabama, Florida, Kansas, North Carolina, West Virginia and Wyoming have contacted the group about the error...

Veterans Told They Have Fatal Disease, Lou Gehrig's Disease

The Miami Heat's forward Michael Beasley shocked fans, friends and coworkers this week with his sudden entry into rehab, after an unexpected trip to Houston.

Judging by the statements released from his associates, the move seems to have come out of nowhere, as seen in the article below. Apparently some hints were dropped on his twitter page, where after revealing a new tattoo he posted comments about life not being worth living and similar thoughts. Soon after that he checked into a rehab facility in Houston.

Depression has been cited as one of several issues involved, but there was no mention of whether drugs were an issue. Celebrities checking into rehab usually brings on a lot of jokes, but I will simply wish him the best. So many people see getting therapy and professional help as something only other people do, only crazy people do, we need more examples of people seeking out help without being ridiculed for it.

Michael Beasley Rehab
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The Miami Heat forward checked into a Houston rehabilitation facility last week and is being treated for various issues, including depression, a person briefed on the situation told the Associated Press yesterday.

Michael Beasley Rehab

Canadian authorities are said to have identified the mystery woman who helped reality tv star-turned-murder suspect Ruan Jenkins, when he was escaping to Canada.

Jenkins, who was recently found dead in a small-town hotel near Vancouver after hanging himself, had fled to Canada after police pegged him as the killer of his girlfriend Jasmine Fiore, a model who was found in a suitcase with her teeth and fingers removed. (This attempt to stop her from being identified was foiled when she was ID-ed by the serial number of her breast implants).

In America the Royal Canadian Mounties are mostly known as the guys from the Bullwinkle cartoons, but in Canada they are serious business, and they continue doing solid work in putting together the remaining pieces in this tragic case. Noword was given on what charges the woman might face, and they did not identify her or confirm that she would be taken into custody.

A Mystery Woman in Ryan Jenkins Case?
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Police said Monday they have identified and are investigating a woman who allegedly helped a former reality television show contestant hide from authorities in his native Canada after his ex-wife was found dead in the U.S.

A Mystery Woman in Ryan Jenkins Case?

As seen in the video below, a hot topic this week is Shia LaBeouf's latest co-star Carey Mulligan, and the rumors that they are also dating now in real life.

Shia and Carey,his co-star in "Money Never Sleeps" (the sequel to Oliver Stone's Wall Street) have been seen together around town, and though Labeouf has previously admitted pining for his Transformers co-star Megan Fox, it would appear he has now moved on...

Shia Labeouf's co star Carey Mulligan is a 24 year old British actress who starred in a recent adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, and had a small role in Johnny Depp's Public Enemies, but "Money Never Sleeps" with Shia will be her biggest role to date. Best of luck to them on and off-screen!

Shia LaBeouf and Co-Star Dating?
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The action star appears to have moved from Fox and taken interest in British actress Mulligan, his co-star in upcoming Wall Street sequel Money Never Sleeps. The pair was spotted kissing and cuddling over drinks at West Village restaurant Extra Virgin on Sunday afternoon, reports the New York Daily News...

Shia LaBeouf and Co-Star Dating?

Mother in law jokes have always been a comedy staple, but now comedian Sunda Croonquiest might have made one too many, as she is now getting sued by her mother-in-law for insults in her standup act.

Sunda, who worked in prison as a parole officer before becoming a comic, surely isn't afraid of a little confrontation, but her jokes about the family were hitting a little too close to home, and the mother-in-law is not only seeking to stop the routines about her, but trying to get damages as well.

According to the article below it's causing great stress on the family, so I wish they'd been able to resolve it without resorting to litigious means. I often wonder how comedians get away with all of the jokes they make about family members, even the best ones like Chris Rock when he makes jokes about his wife..

Comedian Sunda Croonquist: Mother-in-Law Suing Him
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The mother-in-law is accusing Croonquist of spreading false, defamatory and racist lies with in-law jokes that have become a staple of her routine in nightclubs and on television channels like Comedy Central...

Comedian Sunda Croonquist: Mother-in-Law Suing Him

Dinara Safina has been ranked the #1 seed in this year's US Open, sparking some controversy in the tennis world as many believe Serena Williams should be the top seed.

Safina is currently the #1 ranked player in the WTA rankings, because of their very particular way of calculating things, but Serena Williams has been in top form recently, and it is suggested that realistically she should not be ranked behind Safina, who has never won a grand slam tournament.

Even some pro tennis players including Venus Williams have questioned Dinara Safina's #1 status. But the good thing about sports is, both Safina and her critics will have a chance to show and prove, out on the court! Hopefully Safina and Serena will meet up in the open. I'll be putting my money on Serena.

Dinara Safina: U.S. Open Seed #1
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Dinara Safina is No. 1 in the WTA rankings, which are calculated based on performances over the preceding 52 weeks. The younger sister of former men's No. 1 Marat Safin is 0-3 in Grand Slam finals, losing to Williams at the Australian Open in January....

Dinara Safina: U.S. Open Seed #1

Word has it Dakota Fanning is set to star in a new film version of the classic "Wizard of Oz."

Some sources are calling the new film a "sequel" while others call it a "remake", but either way it's said to be a much darker and more adult re-imagining of the Oz story. Apparently it will be in present day, and follow Dorothy's granddaughter as she goes through similar adventures as Dorothy but in a modern setting.

The Wizard of Oz seems like one of those movies you just shouldn't tamper with, but if they make this one different enough instead of trying to live up to the original, maybe it'll be an interesting film in its own right. Who would you want to see cast in the other roles, if they have a new tin man, cowardly lion and so on?

Dakota Fanning in 'Wizard of Oz' Remake?
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Dakota Fanning could be poised to don the ruby slippers for a sequel to The Wizard of Oz. But be warned, the studio is claiming this new version will be "darker and more action-packed" than the original 1939 musical...

Dakota Fanning in 'Wizard of Oz' Remake?

A reality TV show about the Jackson brothers, that was in the works before michael passed, is now going on with production and being expanded from its original format into a larger series.

The Jackson brothers show, which will air on A&E, features, Tito, Jackie, Marlon and Jermaine, and will be expanded to multipe episodes thought the channel has not said how many.

Entertainment Tonight aired an exclusive leak of footage of the show. This may or may not have been the most enticing show before Michaek's passing, but for better or worse that tragedy will bring a lot of extra drama to it. will you be tuning in for it?

Jackson Brothers TV Show
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The brothers of late pop star Michael Jackson are to appear in a reality TV series, US network A&E has announced. The cable show will be expanded from a documentary Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon Jackson filmed prior to their sibling's death in June...

Jackson Brothers TV Show

Is it really possible that Mark Sanford can stay in office after this much disgrace? Apparently the answer is yes, at least in his own mind.

Sanford's own Lt. Governor Andre Bauer (not to be confused with the great actor Andree Braugher) has now called how Mark Sanford to step down, and pretty much everyone on earth, regardless of their political bent sees Mark Sanford as disgraced at this point. But somehow Mark Sanford seems to believe the people are still on his side, and plans to tough it out for the last year and a half of his term.

I have to imagine this is a nightmare for his state's Republican party operatives, who are probably dying to move on and get someone in there who's not tainted by scandal. But Sanford continues to be blinded by true love, or whatever that is he's got going on, and refuses to recognize the political or moral realities of his situation. But maybe I'm wrong. If you lived in that state, would you vote for Mark Sanford agan?

Gov. Mark Sanford to stay?
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South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford rebuffed his lieutenant governor's call to resign Wednesday, two months after he admitted an affair, saying he will not be "railroaded" out of office...

Gov. Mark Sanford to stay?

With the tragic passing of Senator Ted Kennedy, many people are looking for more information on the illness that felled him, malignant glioma.

A glioma is a tyoe of tumor, that makes up the majority of malignant brain tumors.
As seen with Edward Kennedy, it tends to be a very aggressive malignant tumor that is very difficult to fight, although every glioma is not the same.

For more information on the symptons and treatment for malignant glioma, see the link below, and the video.

Malignant Glioma (VIDEO)
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Glioma is a broad category of brain and spinal cord tumors that come from glial cells, the main brain cells that can develop into cancer... These tumors tend to grow or infiltrate into the normal brain tissue, which makes surgical removal very difficult -- or sometimes impossible -- and complicates treatment.

Malignant Glioma (VIDEO)

this dapper looking gentleman named Solomon Jackson Jr is not probably the richest guy in his neighborhood, as he is set to cash in on a $260 million dollar lottery ticket! He was the winner of a Powerball jackpot that should keep him set for life.

Not a bad twist of fate for a retired state employee! Solomon is from South Carolina where he spent his life working hard to support his family in a government job. Always good to see that kind of karma rewarded. He had actually been going back to school in the free time that came with retirement, and hasn't said for sure whether he will return to school now. He did hint that he doesn't have a lot of need for this much lottery money and may be looking into charitable purposes for it. I hope he splurges at least a little bit with it, though! He deserves it.

$260 Million Lottery Winner
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Jackson, who said he has played the lottery before, appeared at a claims center in Columbia on Tuesday with I.S. Leevy Johnson, an attorney whose wife taught Jackson in high school and said he has known the man for years. But Johnson said he was still somewhat taken aback when he fielded Jackson's call Monday.

$260 Million Lottery Winner

The internet's resident reality tv experts weigh in on the latest Top Chef action.

Top Chef Vegas Episode Review 8/26/09

Teams of 4 determined by selecting a chip. Robin draws the gold chip & automatically gets immunity & doesnt have to participate in the quickfire challenge. Its a mise en place relay. Shuck 15 clams, peel 30 prawns, clean 5 lobsters & butcher 2 chops from a prime rib. The blue team wins & they find out that part two could earn one of them $15,000. You have to cook a dish featuring your mise en place ingredient. Jennifer C wins with her clam ceviche...

Top Chef Vegas Episode Review 8/26/09

Some movie reviews from the awesomest kid in the history of Youtube.

This is bizarre.. a pitcher in a little league world series game, after losing his team's lead thanks to his wild pitches, actually asks his manager if it's okay for him to hit the next batter! What is this world coming to? I blame A-Rod.

Little League World Series Pitcher Wants to Hit Batter

Little League World Series Pitcher Wants to Hit Batter

So apparently Kiss held a contest to let one small town be added to their concert tour, and Oshawa, Canada was the winner. But then when the tour dates were announced, and Oshawa rock music fans were ready to buy tickets, Oshawa was nowhere to be found!

So the anger of the fans started getting media coverage, and even though Kiss was already visiting Oshawa later in a show that was left off the released schedule, they've now decided to switch up the dates and go to Oshawa right at the beginning of the tour. But the band, or Gene Simmons at least, is mad at the media and the fans for ruining their surprise visit? Am I getting this right? I'm not sure I understand what the story is here, or what Gene is mad about exactly. See if you can follow in article below:

Kiss Surprise Ruined By Media?
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Gene Simmons, the fire-breathing front man of KISS, gave a tongue-lashing to the media and to some extent the band's Oshawa fans yesterday, but fellow guitarist Paul Stanley was playing a different tune.

Kiss Surprise Ruined By Media?

After years of selling unhealthy lunch and dinner for a dollar a piece, McDonald's is now set to ruin people's health in the morning as well!

Word from McDonald's corporate is that they'll be expanding breakfast dollar menu items, with more stores adding the breakfast sandwiches and other goodies (or baddies depending ono your perspective) in selected cities.

To be fair, some of McDonald's breakfast items, like the original Egg McMuffin, are actually not so bad health-wise compared to their other food. So if you can't resist hitting Mickey D's, this breakfast menu might be the best way to go.

McDonald's Dollar Menu Breakfast
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The company this week began selling several breakfast items at the dollar price point in Chicago and other cities, a McDonald's spokeswoman said. Items selling for a buck at a downtown McDonald's on Wednesday included a sausage McMuffin, a sausage biscuit and two hotcakes...

(here's a pretty cool McDonald's breakfast commercial from Lebanon)

McDonald's Dollar Menu Breakfast

Madonna has always been known for provocative performances, but on her latest tour of Europe it's not her sex appeal but her stance against hate and prejudice that is causing controversy.

On this "Sticky and Sweet" tour she has been performing with a trio of Roma Gypsies from Russia, showing solidarity with this ethnic group that is widely discriminated against in Europe (you may remember the hateful attitude towards Gypsies by Borat, sadly this is not only a fictional phenomenon). Apparently the audience on Bucharest, Romania did sit politely for the Roma musical performance, but when Madonna gave a speech decrying the prejudice against this group, the audience started booing the erstwhile Material Girl.

I give Madonna credit for defending the gypsies, even if it was booed. Hopefully in the long run speaking out on this way can move people towards tolerance, even if the immediate reaction is from those who are not ready to change.

Madonna Gypsies Speech Booed in Romania (VIDEO)
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Thousands of people applauded the trio's performance with Madonna in Bucharest on Wednesday night during her worldwide "Sticky and Sweet" tour. But minutes later they booed and jeered the pop star when she said discrimination should end against eastern Europe's Gypsies, also known as Roma...

Madonna Gypsies Speech Booed in Bucharest (VIDEO)

Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke has become an ironically high profile victim of ID theft, after his wife's purse and wallet were stolen.

The info in his wife's stolen purse apparently let these thieves set up to use the Bernanke's bank account and start making out checks from it. One wonders whether the criminals knew whose name they were messing with, when they wrote those checks?

Ben Bernanke ID Theft: Wife's Purse Stolen
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No one is safe from identity theft, not even the chairman of the Federal Reserve. Ben Bernanke's personal checking account became entangled in an elaborate identity-theft scheme after his wife Anna's purse was stolen last August. According to a District of Columbia police report, it contained her Social Security card, checkbook, credit cards and IDs...

Ben Bernanke ID Theft: Wife's Purse Stolen

Travis and Jonathan, the official ambassadors of the Red State Nation, give their thoughts on the lasest news.:

Red State Update: Ted Kennedy & The Health Care Town Halls

Red State Update: Ted Kennedy & The Health Care Town Halls

Rumors about about Meg Ryan and Graham King dating, but other stories say Graham King's wife want the world to know she's having none of it.

Meg Ryan is longtime friends with movie producer Graham King, and rumor has it their relationship has now become romantic. But Graham's wife Valerie is said to be insisting that though she and Graham were estranged for a while, they are now back together and these rumors about Graham and Meg Ryan are scurrilous (scurrilous is a cool adjective, does it ever get used for anything other than rumors? Can I tell someone they have scurrilous breath?).

Meg Ryan, Graham King Dating?
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Valerie King ... admits that she and Graham King were separated for awhile, she is happy to report that she and her man are very much back together. Furthermore, she is emphatic that Meg Ryan and Graham King were NEVER an item...

Meg Ryan, Graham King Dating?

Yikes! As seen in the video below, Brody Jenner reportedly got into a fight with Girls Gone Wild founder and notoriously sleazy guy Joe Francis, after Francis allegedly attacked Brody's friend Jayde Nicole.

Apparently Nicole and Jenner saw Francis harrasing their friend, which led to a confrontation with Nicole throwing a drink on Francis, who allegedly grabbed her hair and hit her.. Jenner then stepped to Joe Francis outside the spot, punched him and then got tased, by persons unknown. After which Brody Jenner did what any responsible celebrity does, and tweeted about it. For more details see below:

Joe Francis, Brody Jenner Fight
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"The Hills" stars Brody Jenner and girlfriend Jayde Nicole were reportedly involved in a fight with "Girls Gone Wild" creator Joe Francis that may have ended with Jenner getting tased. According to TMZ, a fight broke out between Nicole and Francis after the reality starlet approached him after seeing him reportedly harassing his ex-girlfriend..."

Joe Francis, Brody Jenner Fight

A Malaysian woman who got arrested for drinking beer and was sentenced to caning for her crime got a last second reprieve from the government there. But unfortunately it may be only temporary.

In a decision that many say hurt's Malaysia's reputation, they arrested this woman in a raid, and charged her with breaking the law by drinking alcohol, which is against the rules for Muslims there. She was sentenced to caning but at the last minute they decided to postpone the caning for the moment.

I try to be understanding of other people's cultures, and certainly I know this is not representative of all muslims, but it is hard to understand the justice of this decision. The woman herself says she believes the decision is fair, but it has caused an uproar around the world and perhaps now Malaysia will be forced to reconsider the caning, and their enforcement of Sharia law to this extent.

Malaysia Delays Caning (For Drinking Beer)
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Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, a 32-year-old mother of two, had been en route to a women's prison for the caning when Islamic officials who took her into custody drove her back home and released her...

Malaysia Delays Caning (For Drinking Beer)

Kelly Osbourne has a new book coming out named Fierce, and in these leaked excerpts she reveals that she has dealt with a serious painkiller addiction.

Kelly talks about her addiction to Vicodin, that got so serious she had to check into the famous Promises rehab center to recover. Thankfully she seems to have overcome it, and hopefully telling her story will help one or two of her fans avoid the same fate. As show business people remember Michael Jackson on his birthday and mourn DJ AM as well, there are far too many reminders around of how dangerous drugs can be.

Kelly Osbourne Painkiller Addiction , "Fierce"
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On the pages of her new advice book Fierce, available next month, the daughter of rocker Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon reveals that she once battled with an addiction to powerful prescription drugs, which she kept methodically hidden from her family. "...I was waking up and emptying six Vicodin into my hand. Soon I was taking 50 pills a day," Kelly writes.

Kelly Osbourne Painkiller Addiction , "Fierce"

Fantasy football coaches take note: Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams is now sidelined with a shoulder injury. Roy Williams somehow hurt his shoulder in a no-contact practice, in which apparently his teammates didn't hear about the no contact part?

The Cowboys currently say Williams does not have a broken bone, but they need to wait for more x-rays and such to be sure. Hope he makes a speedy recovery, I have him on one of my teams.

Cowboys Star Roy Williams Shoulder Injury
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Toy Williams suffered a shoulder injury when hit by cornerback Orlando Scandrick near the end of a no-pads, no-contact practice session before 26,460 fans Thursday at the team's new stadium...

(I couldn't find footage of the i injury, but here is a clip of the Cowboys cheerleaders from that same day. No cheerleading injuries were reported.)

Cowboys Star Roy Williams Shoulder Injury

Muntadhar Al-Zeidi, the Iraqi man who threw his shoe at President George Bush, will be freed from prison next month after being put in jail for the show throwing.

The Iraqi journalist threw his shoe at President Bush and as an act of political protest, and from what I've read this act, or even showing someone the bottom of your shoe, has a very particular meaning over there, culturally speaking. Still the Iraqi government took a harsh stance on it and sentenced him to 3 years in jail, now being reduced for good behavior.

Clearly you have to face some kind of repercussions after doing something like that, so it's only right that he be punished to some extent. But considering that it was an act of political protest, and not really an attempt to harm the President or commit actual violence, I think it's fair for his sentence to be shortened. Especially with the reports that he had been mistreated while in jail.

Muntadhar Al-Zeidi Freed
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Al-Zaidi was initially sentenced to three years after pleading not guilty to assaulting a foreign leader, then the court reduced it to one year because the journalist had no prior criminal history. The act of the 30-year-old reporter during Bush's last visit to Iraq as president turned him into a folk hero across the Arab world amid anger over the 2003 invasion...

Muntadhar Al-Zeidi Freed

A 13-year-old girl sailing around the world by herself? I'm not sure that sounds like such a good idea, and apparently the Dutch authorities aren't so sure either.

The girl, Laura Dekker, would be sailing for two years by herself on a 26 foot yacht. Apparently Laura nad her father both think this is a good plan, but the Dutch courts decided that the state should intervene and have child care workers give a second opinion on this.

Much as I'd like to root for Laura, realistically the physical and psychological stress of an adventure like this would be so much for any adult, much less a young kid. So it seems like a good idea to at least verify that this is safe.

Dutch Delay Girl's Plans to Sail
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A 13-year-old girl's plan to sail solo around the world was called "undeniably daring and risky" by Dutch judges Friday. They refused, however, to scrap the venture in a high-profile clash between child care authorities and liberal Dutch parenting...

Dutch Delay Girl's Plans to Sail

Yuck! A sorority in Colorado has been busted for continuing old-school style hazing techniques like sleep deprivation and forcing pledges to eat cat food. The chapter of Zeta Phi Beta, a "Black greek" sorority, was busted after several complaints came in about their hazing practices.

Representatives of the sorority defended their usage of unorthodox techniques, saying the cruelty was justified it elicited vital intelligence information from the pledges that kept our nation safe. Wait, no, that was a different news story.

I've never understood why people go through all this hassle at college to join a fraternity or sorority, and this doesn't get me any closer to getting it. I'll pass on the cat g\food and just make friends on Facebook, thanks.

Pledges Eat Cat Food to Join Sorority??
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Colorado State University has withdrawn recognition of a sorority after an investigation into several alleged incidents of hazing of pledges, including being deprived of sleep and being made to eat cat food...

Pledges Eat Cat Food to Join Sorority??

Angelo Cammarata, who has been working as a bartender since 1933, is set to finally retire at the age of 95. Cammarata, known as the world's oldest bartender, is said to be getting out of the business because of another younger family member's heart problems, ironically.

Does this mean beer bring longevity? Or maybe the social interaction and lively company that comes with working in a bar for so long? Who knows, but clearly the man was doing something right! Here's to many more years of happiness for him, and many more rounds served around the house.

Bartender To Retire at 95!
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...the son of Italian immigrants has been tending bar and serving drinks. Guinness World Records dubbed him the longest-serving bartender a decade ago, and he's earned induction into Jim Beam's Bartender Hall of Fame and numerous other honors. Now 95, he's calling it quits...

Bartender To Retire at 95!