tuberaider video

There are many psychics and soothsayers out there who try every year to give predictions of the future. But one who stands out, as perhaps the scariest, is one named Sylvia Brown, who has predicted some very dire things for America.

Brown, who is apparently very well known among psychics and their adherents, predicted a steep rise in cancer among children. And though she did not specify a year, and only said it would be between 2008 and 2020, she also predicts that a President elected somewhere in that time span will die of a heart attack, AND that the vice President that replaces him or her will then be assassinated. According to Brown's prediction, the assassination will coincide with to the new president's plans to invade North Korea.

On the plus (though equally hard to believe) side, Sylvia also says the common cold will be cured in the next year or so.

Sylvia Brown Predictions: Death , Vice President
spiritnow

I predict the President elected sometime between 2008 and 2020 will die in office from a heart attack. The Vice President who will finish their term will have an unpopular and mistaken intention to declare war on North Korea. By that time, North Korea will have weapons of mass destruction. In the middle of efforts to declare war, I predict the Vice President will be assassinated...

Sylvia Brown Predictions: Death , Vice President

The beloved boxing champ Manny Pacquiao is threatening to go to court over rumors and allegations that he has been using performance enhancing drugs. The accusations have come from the camp of Floyd Mayweather, another top boxer who was supposed to be fighting Manny soon, but the deal has not come together.

Mayweather's camp has been demanding that Manny do Olympics-style drug testing before they make a deal to fight each other, and the Pacquiao camp is saying they feel as if Mayweather's people are defaming the Filipino champ by insinuating he is a cheater.

Some are saying, or hoping, that this is all part of the pre-fight hype leading up to what would be hyped ass the battle of the century. There is usually some halfway scripted animosity between fighters, but this steroids/drugs controversy seems as if it may have crossed over into real tension, that might ruin the fight. We'll see! I hope it still happens.

Manny Pacquiao: Drugs? Lawsuit?
cnn

Manny Pacquiao is aiming to deliver a knockout blow to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the U.S. courts after filing a lawsuit against the American and his connections over claims he used performance-enhancing drugs. The lawsuit, lodged in the Las Vegas district court on Wednesday, names Mayweather, his father Floyd senior, former boxing star Oscar De La Hoya and fellow Golden Boy Promotions executive Richard Schaefer...

Manny Pacquiao: Drugs? Lawsuit?

One oft he stars of The Hangover is going from lowbrow to highbrow as he now takes to the Broadway stage, joining a new revival of the classic Lend Me A Tenor!

Justin Bartha, who plays the husband in the Hangover, around whom the whole story revolves, will have a whole new set of responsibilities in this starring role, replacing another actor T.R Knight. Ironically the character he plays is one who was an assistant in an Opera House and has to step in as a star last minute. Expect tickets to fly or this one, and you'll need to get in line or online quick to reserve your spot. And with movie tickets so pricey these days, the Broadway show ticket may not even seem so fancy anymore.

Hangover Star on Broadway
people

What do you do after a massive Hangover? Why, debut on Broadway, of course. That's what Justin Bartha, a star of this year's big comedy hit is doing, replacing T. R. Knight in the revival of Lend Me a Tenor, to open March 11 in New York City, according to Variety. Bartha, 31, will play a hapless assistant in a Cleveland opera house who has to step in as the star of a production of Otello in the 1930s...

Hangover Star on Broadway

After news of their tumultuous holiday weekend, reports are now coming in that Charlie Sheen and his wife Brooke are headed for divorce.

This comes a week after Brooke called the police to their home, accusing Charlie Sheen of threatening her with a knife, and choking and assaulting her. The 911 call has been released, revealing a terrified Brooke recounting what had just allegedly happened. Charlie Sheen has always had a checkered history in his personal life, but this is a more dramatic story than we've heard before, and disturbing if there is any truth to it. If, and again if, the reports are true, at the very least some couples counseling and individual therapy for Charlie seems needed, if they are going to try and work this out.

Charlie Sheen, Brooke: Divorce (VIDEO)
celebglitz

Charlie Sheen's wife Brooke Mueller Sheen is reportedly headed for divorce to end their less than two year marriage. As previously reported by Celebglitz, the "Two and a Half Men" actor was arrested in Aspen, CO on Christmas morning after his wife Brooke Mueller claimed he assaulted and choked her. According to reports, things have been rocky between Sheen and Mueller the past few months....

Charlie Sheen, Brooke: Divorce (VIDEO)

Denise Richards, the famous actress and ex-wife of Charlie Sheen, was seen around town with her daughters recently and some in the media accused her of deliberately seeking tabloid attention by going out with her daughters right after Charlie Sheen's controversial abuse allegations. But Denise is not having it, and says these rumors are totally false and insulting. Then she threatened to "spill her guts" about all her secrets, but kept us in suspense about what secrets she is keeping.

Richards hit back on her twitter page, with several tweets condemning the rumors, and saying it was simply an innocent walk outside with her kids, which any mother ought to be able to do without it being turned into something suspicious. Fair enough! I think this is a case of making something out of nothing. This business about spilling her guts sounds interesting though! Maybe Barbara Walters can get her to reveal a tidbit or two.

Denise Richards Spills Guts?
zap2it

Denise Richards, ex-wife of Charlie Sheen (you may have heard about him recently), took to Twitter to defend taking her daughters Sam and Lola to the park, in response to other Twitter criticism that she was doing it for a photo op. Richards tweeted the following on Tuesday, Dec. 29:

for all the negative nellies out there, I DID not have a f..ing photo op with my kids at a park when there is drama u get followed more

I genuinely love to be with my girls and don't have a nanny raising them. They are my #1 priority and always will be.

sorry had to vent s*** pisses me off sometimes..one day..I will spill my guts about EVERYTHING

Denise Richards Spills Guts?

As Mel Gibson prepares to shoot his new movie at a Mexican jail, relatives and advocates for the inmates of that prison are protesting the filming, saying it's causing unfair treatment of the prisoners.

According to the protestors, the inmates would be separated from their families due to the filming, as they are transferred to other facilities, making it impossible for familiesto keep giving them food and support. Authorities in Mexico are denying that such transfers will even take place, confirming that part of the prison will be cleared out but saying the reports of transfers are "unfounded rumors." Mel Gibson has issued no comment yet. But his friend Danny Glover was reported to say, "protestors in Mexico? I'm too old for this s**t."

Mel Gibson Mexican Jail
boston.com

About 300 relatives of inmates at a Mexican prison where Mel Gibson is reportedly scheduled to make a movie protested outside the facility Tuesday, fearing their loved ones will be moved to make way for the production. The group of protesters said it would be harder to visit inmates or bring them food if they are transferred out of the Gulf coast city of Veracruz...

Mel Gibson Mexican Jail

Of all the psychics and prognosticators of history, none has more fame or fascination than Nostradamus, and every year people look back to his prophecy to find out what may be in store for the new age. So what did Nostradamus predict for 2010?

According to his words, which are open to many interpretations, it seems one story will revolve around the death of a virgin. There will also be a nefarious leader who rises up and is elected, but goes on to do great evil, possibly leading to something called "Satan's arch of fury". And apparently there is also a prediction of many problems with trade and finance, which at this point seems like a no-brainer. Do you believe any of this Nostradamus prophecty stuff, or is it just all spiritual mystical mumbo jumbo? Guess we'll have to wait and see. Below is a link to many more predictions from the man:

Nostradamus 2010 Prophecy!
satansrapture

Nostradamus seemed to have predicted Nuclear War in this decade, sometime between 1999 AD and 2012 AD. This "window of time" fits into many predictions in The Bible Code and agrees with the base Time Frame found in MATT:24:32, The "Parable of The Fig Tree". Nostradamus predicted that The USA would go to War in Afghanistan and Iraq, in the hunt for Bin Laden, and this War will escalate into World War III...

Nostradamus 2010 Prophecy!

One of the best known prophets and predictors of the future was a woman from bulgaria named Baba Vanga. Many follow her predictions from year to year and the internet is buzzing with analysis of what she sees coming in 2010.

From the looks of things, Baba Vanga's outlook for this year was not optimistic. She seems to have predicted the beginning of World war 3, right around the end of this year. It is said to be war that will go on for 3 or 4 more years, apparently ending in nuclear conflict. Do you believe this stuff, or do you think it's a bunch of hooey? I'm going to hope people are just reading it wrong, and she was really saying that the Treacherous 3 are coming back, with a new allbum. We need less war and more old school rappers.

Baba Vanga Predictions 2010

astrologtanja

2010 - The start of WWIII. The war will begin in November of 2010 and will end in October of 2014. Will start as a normal war, then will include usage of nuclear and chemical weapons.

2011 - Due to the radioactive showers in Northern Hemisphere - no animals or plants will be left. Muslims will begin chemical war against Europeans who are still alive.

Baba Vanga Predictions 2010

A homeless man has been arrested and charged with trying to steal...an airplane! The attemptd plane robbery took place at Frederick airport, where the man tried to escape from cops by running into a nearby barn. He had gotten inside the plane and attempted to take off but was unable to get off the ground, winding up stuck in the grass by the runway.

Why exactly he wanted to steal an airplane, and what he planned to do with it, were not clear.

Frederick Airport: Stolen Plane!
thaindian

A homeless man, identified as Cavin Cox, has landed in jail after making a futile attempt to fly off with a stolen aircraft from the hangar of the Frederick airport. As per the sources, on Monday morning, the man had tried to fly away the aircraft but failed and crashed before take off itself. It has been reported that the plane had met with the accident on the runway grass and he could not fly up.

Frederick Airport: Stolen Plane!

Hangover severity can be affected by the color of your alcoholic drinks, acording to a recent study. The report said that the hangover after drinking alcoholic drinks can be controlled by choosing the right color of drinks.

The study was conducted by researchers in the Brown University Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies and the researchers in the University of Michigan Medical School.

For the test, a group of healthy young people was taken. They were given a different type of alcoholic drink every afternoon and were not allowed to smoke or take other type of drugs. The result was amazing as the researchers noticed that each color of alcoholic drink created a different hangover severity. Darker alcoholic drinks tended to create a greater hangover severity whereas lighter color ones created a lower level of hangover...

Color, Alcohol Hangover Predictor?
ecanada

According to a new study, which will soon be posted in the journal "Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research," if you are hoping to avoid a nasty hangover this holiday season, then it is best to stay away from darker liquors such as bourbon, red wine, brandy, and spiced rum

Color, Alcohol Hangover Predictor?

Last week the news was full of reports on a new study showing men are better drivers than women. But this week women get to turn the tables, with science coming out on their side with a study saying women have a better sense of touch than men.

Scientists say new research shows that smaller fingers tend to be more sensitive to touch, meaning women on average with have a stronger sense of touch in their hands. The finding was based on studies of 100 people of different hand sizes. One scientist explained: ""Our results suggest that this same relationship between finger size and receptor spacing occurs for the Merkel cells."

Women Have Better Sense of Touch
ecanada

According to a study by McMaster University, women have a much greater sense of touch than their male counterparts. The study suggests that women's smaller hands cause their 'touch receptors' to be much closer together and therefore touch sensitivity is increased. The touch receptors are located throughout the hands and are found located around pores within the skin...

Women Have Better Sense of Touch

A woman in South Dakota has the dubious honor of being the drunkest person ever found in South Dakota.

The woman was found passed out in a delivery van, that she had stolen, and though the legal limit for blood alcohol content is .08, she checked in at a whopping .708! Authorities said they believed it was the highest score on a drunk test they had ever seen. She is now facing charges, and I hope for her sake that this also leads to a record for most time in rehab, or most Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

South Dakota Blood Alcohol Record
seattlepi

South Dakota authorities say that a woman found passed out in a stolen delivery van earlier this month registered a blood alcohol content of .708 - almost nine times the legal limit and possibly record for the state. Meade County State's Attorney Jesse Sondreal said Wednesday that 45-year-old Marguerite Engle was found slumped over the van's steering wheel along a highway on Dec. 1. He says that the highest blood alcohol content state chemists he spoke with could recall was a .56. The state's legal limit is .08...

South Dakota Blood Alcohol Record

"Wanted" star James Mcavoy is reported to be signed on for playing Ian Fleming, in a new movie about the creator of the James Bond stories.

Fleming, who was the mastermind of the original James Bond books and gave birthto the films, also had quite an exciting life in his own right, living as a jetset playboy, seeing adventures in World War 2 and various hijinks in his journalism career. Mcavoy would help bring those adventures to life, in a biopic film that sounds similar to one previously rumored to be coming from Leonardo DiCaprio. They both better hurry to get their Fleming movie out first!

James Mcavoy: Fleming Movie
contactmusic

JAMES MCAVOY has been tipped to play JAMES BOND creator IAN FLEMING in a new movie. The Atonement actor has reportedly been approached to star as the writer in a biopic about his colourful life, including his role in World War II, his playboy lifestyle and his work as a journalist. Although a source has denied MCAvoy is "attached" to the movie, based on Andrew Lycett's biography of Fleming...

James Mcavoy: Fleming Movie

One lady will now be infamous in her home state of South Dakota, for having the highest blood alcohol level there ever, setting a new state record.

The woman was found passed out in a delivery van that she had stolen, and although the legal limit for blood alcohol content is .08, she checked in at a whopping .708! Authorities say they believe it is the highest score on a drunk test they had ever seen. She is now facing serious charges, as well she should. rehab or treatment for alcohol addiction should also be mandatory.

South Dakota Blood Alcohol Record
ecanada

After giving her a blood alcohol test it was determined that her blood alcohol level was nearly nine times that of the legal limit for South Dakota (which is .08) and is above the safe limit for safely consuming alcohol of .40. Perhaps the most astonishing part of the story was that she was even alive. Levels of .40 are considered lethal.

South Dakota Blood Alcohol Record

Lindsay Lohan says she will expand her 6126 leggings fashion line to over 150 items by Spring 2011. The line, ranging from handbags, jewelry, jackets, and clothing is a labor of love for the young actress, who has often been in the news for less flattering reasons.

Lindsay Lohan remarked on her Twitter page: "i need MORE followers i am so sad about this, how can i tell everyone about my 6126 full collection COMING OUT! all clothing." 100 items of clothingfrom the 6126 fashion line will be ready to go on sale by Autumn of 2010.

Lindsay Lohan: Expand Fashion Line!
fashion.ie

Lindsay Lohan's isn't letting sartorial drama at the French fashion house Ungaro slow down production of her own signature 6126 legging line. Yesterday Lindsay revealed reveal that she would be expanding the collection beyond hosiery, saying, "i need MORE followers i am so sad about this, how can i tell everyone about my 6126 full collection COMING OUT! all clothing." ...from $18 leggings to a $300 leather jacket...

Lindsay Lohan: Expand Fashion Line!

One of the most interesting new holidays people don't know about? National Sleep Awareness Week, designed to help inform Americans about sleep and how important it is to health. It is a weekklong sleep-aid event that coincides with daylight savings time.

The significance? Because of daylight savings time this March, when Americans will "spring forward," jumping clocks forward one hour, many Americans will lose an hour of sleep. The first event of 'Sleep Week' is the National Sleep Foundation Annual Awards Dinner, which announces awards to recognize scientists who made great contributions to the science of studying sleep. The week also aims to encourage other more natural cures for sleep problems, in addition to over the counter sleep aid medicines, and prescritiion sleeping pills or other herbvl and alternative medicine aids.

National Sleep Awareness Week Coincides With the Start of Daylight Savings Time
pediatrics.about.com

It happens in the middle of the night once a year, and can affect you and your children for several days. It's the return of Daylight Saving Time, which happens this year at 2:00 a.m. Sunday, April 6 for most of the nation. Daylight Saving Time also marks the end of National Sleep Awareness Week, the National Sleep Foundation's (NSF) week-long effort to waken America to the importance of sleep...The annual "spring forward" ritual can cause disruptions in normal sleep patterns for children and adults....

National Sleep Awareness Week Coincides With the Start of Daylight Savings Time

what was your favorit song of the decade? According to a poll in the UK, the favorite song of the "aughts," at least in England, was a song that might surprise you: Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars."

The finding was by music licensing firm PPL in the UK, which is similar to America's BMI and ASCAP. Americans may best know "Chasing Cars" for its appearance in the hit TV show Gray's Anatomy, but in the UK it was in even bigger pop hit ever since its release in 2006. Coming in behind the Snow Patrol smash were tracks by the Scissor Sisters and Take That's Shine, which may not have been quite as big here in America.

Most Played Song: Chasing Cars!
bbc

Snow Patrol song Chasing Cars was the most widely played song of the decade, according to music licensing body PPL. The 2006 track originally reached number six in the UK singles chart, but chalked up 94 weeks in the top 75 through download sales. Take That's Shine was as two while Scissor Sisters track I Don't Feel Like Dancin' finished at three.

Most Played Song: Chasing Cars!

A radio DJ in the UK was fired this week, after interrupting a speech by the Queen, telling listeners she was too "boring!"

The raio host, Tom BInns, interrupted Queen Elizabeth's traditional Christmas Day speech, bringing many complaints from listeners as he insulted the Queen's broadcast and replaced it with a Wham song. Binns insisted most of the feedback he got was positive, explaining the speech was being broadcast by accident, so he was right to cut it off, and was only doing his job as a comedian when he made some jokes along with the change. Many seem to feel otherwise though, still believing the royal family should be treated with more respect.

DJ: Queen? Boring!
straits times

A BRITISH radio presenter has been sacked after he pulled the plug on Queen Elizabeth II's traditional Christmas Day speech, telling listeners it was 'boring.' Tom Binns has lost his job at Birmingham radio station BRMB after a number of listeners complained over his interruption of the monarch's traditional December 25 broadcast to Britain and the Commonwealth.'Two words: Bor-ring,' he said on air as he stopped the broadcast, before quipping 'from one Queen to another...

DJ: Queen? Boring!

Jermaine Jackson is declaring verbal war on two of America's most powerful organizations: the FBI, and TMZ.

Jermaine is furious at TMZ for reporting that he is on a list of people who could file a creditor's claim against his own brother Michael's estate, which he says TMZ is not reporting accurately. TMZ stands by their report though. A creditor's claim helps you in disputes over someone's will and estate in court, when you believe you should be receciving more money than you did. For the FBI, Jermaine says they should have released all their documents about Michael Jackson before he died, since Jermaine believes they show that years of FBI investigation failed to find any evidence of wrongdoing by Michael.

Jermaine Jackson and FBI Beef!
TMZ

Despite the fact that his name is on court documents listing people who could potentially file a creditor's claim against the MJ estate, Jermaine called that story "s**t" and ripped TMZ for not knowing the "facts." but TMZ says fact is -- his name is on the list -- clear as day. As for the FBI, Jermaine shredded them for waiting so long to release the MJ files saying, "Why didn't they release these files -- showing they had nothing on Michael -- while he was alive?"

Jermaine Jackson and FBI Beef!

A new study shows that regular consumption of peanuts can significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The health study looked at over 83,000 women and compared various levels of intake: none, low levels, and higher levels. The highest showed a significant reduction in type 2 diabetes. To avoid increasing calories by excess peanut consumption, the study suggested reducing meat intake to balance it out.(peanuts are a good source of protein). Along with our efforts to improve health care, we would all benefit from simply improving our health as well! So advice like this should be great for America.

The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention says rates of type 2 diabetes have tripled within the last 30 years. They report that over 17 million people in the United States have diabetes, and 16 million more are at high risk of developing the disease.

Regular Peanut Consumption Reduces Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
peanut-institute

Harvard School of Public Health researchers report that consuming a half serving (one tablespoon) of peanut butter or a full serving of peanuts or other nuts (an ounce), five or more times a week is associated with a 21% and 27% reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, respectively. This ground-breaking study is published in the November 27, 2002, Journal of the American Medical Association...

Regular Peanut Consumption Reduces Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

A man in Israel now has the dubious distinction of brekaing the record for most divorces in his home country, after tying the knot and then untying it for the 11th time.

The man a Jerusalem native, has followed the proper court proceedings, and his proper religious customs under his Rabbis, to end all 11 of hsi marriages, and Rabbis praised him for doing things the right way despite the record-breaking number. He is also noted to have only had one kid in all of these marriages, and to not have any gray hair yet nor any trouble attracting new love interests. No word yet on how he's faring in the efforts to make marriage number 12 be the right one.

Israeli 11th Divorce, World Record
isrealitybites

A 50-year-old man from Jerusalem has been granted a divorce for the 11th time, a new Israeli record for Jews according to a Rabbinical court, the BBC reports. He told the court he usually divorced his wives every two years and looked for a new bride immediately after...His newest ex-wife said that since they married he had not worked and had lived off her income, amassing large debts...

Israeli 11th Divorce, World Record

As is there aren't already enough reasons to quit smoking, now a study at UCLA says smoking cigarettes also increases your chances of going blind in old age!

Macular degeneration, also known as AMD, is the leading cause of blindness in American senior citizens, damaging your retina over time, and it is believed now that smoking cigarettes escalates the onslaught of this debilitating condition. And even if you are already of an advanced age, you still benefit from stopping smoking, and getting help to stop if you can't do it yourself. Nicotine addiction just gets more and more evil the more you learn about it.

Smoking Causes Blindness?
suntimes

When it comes to maintaining your eyesight, it really is never too late to benefit from quitting smoking, a UCLA study has found. The University of California at Los Angeles research found that even after age 80, smoking increases your risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, or AMD -- the leading cause of blindness in Americans over 65.AMD causes progressive damage to the center of the retina that leads to darkness or blurred vision...

Smoking Causes Blindness?

If you are planning to fly to the United States soon, you may have a harder time than you used to, if you are coming from one of thr 14 countries being told to step up their airport security.

Obama's White House is puptting new measures in place for anyone flying in from 14 places including Yemen, in their efforts to step up secrutiy followwing the failed terrorist attack on flight 253. Anyone with passports from these countries will automatically face full body-patdowns, body scans and extra luggage searches: Cuba, Iran, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Yemen.. So some people who are coming to America now might have a little more trouble than Eddie Murphy did in his movie. Civll rights groups are complaining about this as an unfair form of profiling, but the government says it is a nenecessary common sense security measure.

Airport Security: 14 Countries Tightening Up
csmonitor

The Obama administration is moving to subject travelers from Yemen, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and 11 other countries to mandatory full-body pat-downs, and other extra screening methods, beginning Monday. Civil rights groups and Muslim anti-discrimination organizations have long complained about a slide towards security measures that are close to racial profiling. But US officials defended the new rules as common-sense moves that are not racial in nature...

Airport Security: 14 Countries Tightening Up

The Obama administration recently made history once again, making Amanda Simpson one of the first transgender appointees to the Federal Government.

Simpson was hired as a Senior Technical Advisor for the Commerce Department, and though representatives said they couldnot say for sure she is the very first transgender appointee, all agree that she is one of the first and it is a big step forward. Simpson herself said in a statement: "as one of the first transgender presidential appointees to the federal government, I hope that I will soon be one of hundreds, and that this appointment opens future opportunities for many others."

Amanda has a strong background in business administration, aerospace and national defense, and has been a pilot and flight instructor for many years. See below for a photo and more info on the historic appointment.

Transgender Commerce Appointee
constantcontact.com

Amanda Simpson, who has served on NCTE's Board of Directors for the past 3 years, has been appointed by the Obama Administration as a Senior Technical Advisor to the Department of Commerce. She'll be working in the Bureau of Industry and Security...For thirty years, she has worked in the aerospace and defense industry, most recently serving as Deputy Director in Advanced Technology Development at Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Arizona...

Transgender Commerce Appointee

Tyler Perry is one of the hardest working people in Hollywood, in just a few short years building his franchise of plays into a multimedia empire of movies and tv shows. But even he still took some time away from his work recently, so he could put family first and spend quality time with his mother.

Perry's mother had been ailing, and he wanted to be able to spend her last days being by her side, and decided to set aside as much time as he needed to for that, no matter how it affected his career. His mother passed away at the young age of 64, early this last December. So sad! But at least she got to see his rise to the top, and got to spend lots of time with him in her final days on this plane. I'm sure Tyler will work just as hard now to do her proud, as he gets set to re-enter the Hollywood scene and promote his new play "Madea's Big Happy Family."

Tyler Perry Time Off to Spend With Mother MSNBC

Movie producer and actor Tyler Perry says he is taking his sharp-tongued character "Madea" back on tour. Perry posted a message on his Web site Saturday that said he had taken some time off in the past few months "so I could spend my mother's final days at her side." His mother, Willie Maxine Perry, died Dec. 8 at age 64.

Tyler Perry Time Off to Spend With Mother

Kathy Griffin has brought lots of laughs in the past as host of events like CNN's New Year's Eve coverage, but now she may never be seen there again, as word is CNN is banning Kathy from the their channel after she let some bad words fly during this year's coverage.

Griffin's profanity came after the NYE ball had dropped, in response to a heckler that was bothering her during the telecast. See below for the video of the incident. Obviously be warned there is adult language!

Kathy Griffin: CNN Ban hollywood reporter

Here's an on-air pairing that will probably never happen again after CNN's New Year's Eve telecast: Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin. Griffin was co-hosting the CNN special telecast of Times Square on New Year's Eve with Cooper. The "My Life on the D-List" star got into hot water early Thursday morning with some choice words to a heckler that were captured live on the channel. It happened after the ball drop but while the telecast was still going on...

Kathy Griffin: CNN Ban

As airport security continues to tighten up after the failed terrorist attack over the holidays, one unwitting victim off the new measures was a young boy who had his Play-Doh confiscated!

Apparently airport staff were concerned the Play Doh could be some other hazardous substance. Officials clarified that the toy is not specifically forbidden from airplanes, but screeners can stop it attheir discretion, since it could be used to disguise more dangerous substances at times. The family seemed to be taking it in stride, lamenting the bad day for their kid and wishing the rules were clearer, but not making too much of an uproar about it.

TSA Play-Doh Crackdown! (VIDEO)
kfox

Airport screeners seized a boy's Christmas present -- some Play-Doh -- before his flight home after the holidays, St. Louis TV station KTVI reported. Christy Pitman said the gooey toy would have entertained her sons, Josh and Nathan, on the flight home, too. "Nathan has the empty Play-Doh packaging from the Play-Doh that was confiscated in New Orleans by the TSA last week," she said as the boy played...

TSA Play-Doh Crackdown! (VIDEO)

Some inquisitive websurfers hav dug into Twitter's code and discovered their list of 370 banned passwords!

The list of words, hard coded into their sign-up page, is a list iof commonly used passwords that are too easy to guess and hack, and raise to much of a security issues. Many websites have measures in place to discourage you from using simple and obvious passwords, but it's not often you get to see their entire list of least favorite choices. Among the passwords Twitter refuses to take: password, 123456, naked, beavis, butthead, hooters, internet and secret.

The best way to make sure you have a good password is use one that is not an actual word, and randomly has numbers and uppercase letters mixed into it. Don't let yourself get got! Internet security is a vital issue these days, with identity theft on the rise. Ffor the full banned list see below:

Banned Twitter Passwords
techcrunch

If you're on Twitter, that means you registered an account with a password that isn't terribly easy to guess. As you may know, Twitter prevents people from doing just that by indicating that certain passwords such as 'password' (cough cough) and '123456′ are too obvious to be picked. It just so happens that Twitter has hard-coded all banned passwords on the sign-up page...

Banned Twitter Passwords

It's been a while since Sharon Stone was in the spotlight, but she's set to make a return now as she guest stars in 4 new episodes of NBC's "Law & Order SVU."

Sharon Stone the sometimes controversial actress best known for her role in Basic Instinct, is playing a prosecutor who used to be a police officer herself. Sharon started her career in B-Movies like King Solomon's Mines, but later won awards for her high profile performances in Casino and The Mighty. I'm looking forward to seeing what she will bring to this small-screen feature.

Sharon Stone Law & Order
abcnews

Actress Sharon Stone is set to guest star in four episodes in NBC's popular television crime series "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit", NBC said on Tuesday. Stone, 51, best known for her roles in the movies "Basic Instinct" and "Casino", will play a former police woman turned prosecutor on the show, which follows a squad of detectives who investigate sex crimes. NBC had no air date for the episodes in which she will appear...

Sharon Stone Law & Order

For those who suffer from serious obesity issues, an increasingly sought after option is getting bariatric surgery, but it is a very serious procedure that is not for everybody, and only reserved for extreme cases when other options have been tried and failed.

The link below has the full list of criteria to know if bariatric surgery might be proper for you, and there are many things to consider before you ask your doctor about it, plus many questions and steps your doctor will take you through before the surgery can be considered. See the link below for the full explanation, and more medical and health advice for those who suffer from obesity and weight problems.

Bariatric Surgery Patients: Should Have Body Mass Index of 40 or Greater
bariatricsurgerypittsburgh

To be a candidate for bariatric surgery, patients should meet all of the criteria below, as established by the National Institutes of Health:

* Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or more (about 100 lbs or more over ideal body weight); or a BMI of 35 to 39.9 with serious medical conditions related to obesity that would improve with weight loss.

* Have attempted (and failed) previous weight loss efforts with diet, exercise, lifestyle changes, or medications.

see full list

Bariatric Surgery Patients Should Have a Body Mass Index of 40 or Greater

The "Biggest Loser" tv show keeps millions of American's glued to their screen, watching the obese competitors in a physical and emotional struggle to lose as much weight as they can. But is the show merely an inspiration for its overweight viewers, or is it also a bad influence?

Many people in the diet and health field have been critical of the show, saying it shows an unrealistic approach to weight loss that pushes people too hard and does not show how to implement a proper & healthy progressive program for weight loss with health and fitness. Generally in real life people are encouraged to lose only 1 or 2 pounds per week, but on Biggest Loser people lose far more, putting their body through extreme transformations in a very short amount of time. But the show's defenders insist it is a responsible portrayal and good insiration for its viewers who have weight to lose. For a full breakdown of the perspectives both for and against the show, see the link below.

Biggest Loser Criticism: Bad For Dieters?
thatsfit

More than one fitness pro questions the lack of physical progression and safety at the ranch. Sure, you can cut calories suddenly, but should contestants be doing explosive, full-body plyometric exercises? Where's the how-to on designing an effective workout for the masses that supports a 1- to 2-pound loss each week? Instead, clients are at risk for injury/overtraining as they're pushed to the limit to lose a dozen or more pounds weekly...

Biggest Loser Criticism: Bad For Dieters?

The new season of Celebrity Fit Club is coming to VH1, and another scandalous list of showbiz personalities is lining up to get some help shedding that gut!

Among the big names joining the weight loss and fitness reality show are the original king of R&B, Bobby Brown, known for getting into lots of trouble over the years, in between making hit records and being in and out of a tumultuous marriage with Whitney Houston. And another famous pop music husband is also joining the show, the infamous ex-husband of Britney Spears, Kevin Federline. Federline was also well known for making some widely mocked rap records, but like Brown, has put on quite a few more pounds than he used to have at the height of his fame.

The show challenges celebrities to get healthier and lose as much as they can, competing with each other in various challenges each week. Weight loss and fitness are important health issues across America, so if we're going to have these reality shows they might as well be for something positive! Let's see who loses the most.

Bobby Brown & Kevin Federline on Celebrity Fit Club! (VIDEO)
examiner

The new season of Celebrity Fit Club, airing in early 2010 will have an interesting twist this year in featuring two chubby ex-hubbies that dazzled in the spotlight on the coat tails of their famous ex-wives. No mystery here. We are talking about Kevin Federline and Bobby Brown. Ex-husbands of Britney Spears and Whitney Houston...

Bobby Brown & Kevin Federline on Celebrity Fit Club! (VIDEO)

Marie Osmond has spoken quite frankly about her struggles with weight loss, and her views on the pressure society puts on people. Her weight has gone up and down over the years, including having lost about 50 pounds recently thanks to the Nutrisystem diet.

Osmond has a new book, "Might As Well Laugh About It Now," that details her various views and struggles with weight loss and body image. Although she protests the extreme pressure and judgment put on women for their body, she says she needed to lose weight and regain her physical fitness because "I needed to do it for my kids, but mostly I needed to do it out of self-love. [I] looked at dieting as abusive and controlling but my whole attitude changed to, 'I just want to be healthy.' " See belwo for more from Marie Osmond on how she regained control of her body, on her own terms.

Marie Osmond Has Lost 50 Pounds
people

Though she shed 46 pounds in 2007, it took Marie Osmond years of struggling with a negative body image until she decided to fight back. "Our society makes women feel that they should have a body of a skinny little boy," she tells PEOPLE. "We put on five pounds, and we think we're fat ... It's stupid..."

Marie Osmond Has Lost 50 Pounds

The heiress to the Johnson & Johnson throne tragically died this week at the young age of 30. Casey Johnson's father, Woody Johnson, is also the owner of the New York Jets. She had recently been estranged from her family, and was best known for being a part of the Hollywood socialite scene. She went to school with Paris Hilton and reportedly turned down a shot at co-starring in Hilton's "Simple Life" reality show.

Spokesman Jesse Derris said Monday that the family is mourning the loss of Casey Johnson, 30. TMZ.com reported that Johnson was found dead Monday in Los Angeles. The cause of death was not given. Johnson gained further celebrity recently as the girlfriend of reality TV star Tila Tequila. Their engagement was all over their respective twitter pages, which then became the space for Tila's public mourning of her partner.

Johnson & Johnson Heiress Dies
USA today

Casey Johnson, heiress to the Johnson & Johnson fortune and daughter of the owner of the New York Jets, lived a Hollywood lifestyle. She partied with Paris Hilton and got engaged to bisexual reality TV star Tila Tequila. And like her idol Marilyn Monroe, Johnson died young...

Johnson & Johnson Heiress Dies

The heiress to the Johnson & Johnson throne tragically died this week at the young age of 30. Casey Johnson's father, Woody Johnson, is also the owner of the New York Jets. She had recently been estranged from her family, and was best known for being a part of the Hollywood socialite scene. She went to school with Paris Hilton and reportedly turned down a shot at co-starring in Hilton's "Simple Life" reality show.

Spokesman Jesse Derris said Monday that the family is mourning the loss of Casey Johnson, 30. TMZ.com reported that Johnson was found dead Monday in Los Angeles. The cause of death was not given. Johnson gained further celebrity recently as the girlfriend of reality TV star Tila Tequila. Their engagement was all over their respective twitter pages, which then became the space for Tila's public mourning of her partner.

Johnson & Johnson Heiress Dies
USA today

Casey Johnson, heiress to the Johnson & Johnson fortune and daughter of the owner of the New York Jets, lived a Hollywood lifestyle. She partied with Paris Hilton and got engaged to bisexual reality TV star Tila Tequila. And like her idol Marilyn Monroe, Johnson died young...

Johnson & Johnson Heiress Dies

It seems that the script to the next installment in the twilight series has been leaked! More than 100 pages of what appears to be the script from new movie "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" surfaced online on Tuesday.

A screenshot purporting to be of the opening page, posted on The Dish Rag blog, shows Jackson Rathbone's name emblazoned across the paper, suggesting the script once belonged to the actor, who plays vampire Jasper Hale in the teen vampire franchise.

Bosses at Summit Entertainment, the production company behind the Twilight movies, were previously embarrassed by another script leak, after a manuscript for The Twilight Saga: New Moon was discovered by a local hairdresser in St. Louis in May. The stylist won praise from Hollywood execs after she did the honest thing and handed the script in, and she was ilater nvited to the film's U.S. premiere.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is due for release in July. There is a fan-made trailer for "Eclipse" in the video below, which is not half bad!

Twilight Script Leaked (VIDEO)
daily beast

An allegedly leaked script from the third Twilight movie, Eclipse, set the Internet atwitter on Tuesday. The script appears to be an early version and is not likely the one that was shot from. It has "Jackson Rathbone"--the name of the actor who plays Jasper--emblazoned across it, but there's no word yet on exactly how the script ended up on the web.

Twilight Script Leaked (VIDEO)

A missing lottery winner with a criminal past may not have been killed because of his winnings. In 2006, Abraham Shakespeare ,won a whopping $30 million in the Florida lottery. But now it seems his good fortune may have cost him his life.

Shakespeare vanished months ago, and although his mother hopes he is somewhere in the Caribbean, lying on a beach and avoiding all the hangers on who were hounding him for money, others believe he may have met a darker fate.

"There are a lot of odd and bizarre circumstances in this case," Sheriff Grady Judd said. "We fear and are preparing for the worst. We're working this case as if it were a homicide." Shakespeare, 43, won the jackpot after buying a lottery ticket in a town called Frostproof, claiming later that he gave the last $3 in his pocket to a homeless man,just before his winning numbers were announced.

Shakespeare had a criminal record that included arrests and prison time for burglary, battery and not paying child support, and took a lump-sum payment of $16.9 million instead of annual installments. It is speculated that elements form his criminal past were pressuring him to share that lump sum of newfound wealth and it is feared this led to his demise. His whereabouts are still unknown.

Missing Lottery Winner (VIDEO)
candianpress

In 2006, Abraham Shakespeare - a truck driver's assistant who lived with his mother - won $30 million in the Florida lottery. His good fortune may have cost him his life. vShakespeare vanished months ago. His mother hopes he is somewhere in the Caribbean, lying on a beach and enjoying the good life away from all the hangers-on who were constantly hitting him up for money. The sheriff has a more ominous theory: Shakespeare was killed...

Missing Lottery Winner (VIDEO)

Casey Johnson, the socialite starlet and estranged billionaire heiress, died suddenly this week, but although there is much speculation, her autopsy is said to be inconclusive on the cause of her demise.

Casey, a childhood friend of Paris Hilton who more recently was friends with and then engaged to Tila Tequila, was known to be a socialite and partygoer, and many suspected her of having substance abuse problems even before ths tragic death. But so far there is no evidence that her death was drug related, and foul play is not indicated either.

Whatever happened, a sad story of a woman dying so young. Her father is Woody Johnson, owner of the NY Jets football team, and condolences were pouring in to him from the sports world, along wth all the other best wishes from around the world for her family and friends, in this sad time. Hopefully some insight into why she died will come later on.

Casey Johnson Autopsy: Inconclusive
foxnews

The autopsy of Johnson & Johnson heiress Casey Johnson is inconclusive and toxicology tests have been ordered. Los Angeles County coroner spokesman Craig Harvey says examiners on Tuesday deferred the cause of death for the daughter of New York Jets owner Woody Johnson. Her cause of death was under investigation, but there were no signs of foul play, police spokesman Officer Gregory Baek said. Johnson was diagnosed with diabetes as a child, but it was unclear if that may have played a role in her death..

Casey Johnson Autopsy: Inconclusive

Woody Johnson is the owner of the NY Jets NFL football team, and also a member of the billionaire Johnson & Johnson family. But he is currently in the news for a tragic reason, the all-too-early loss of one of his three daughters.

Casey Johnson, 30, was one of his three daughters who had become estranged from the family in recent years, caught up in the hollywod socialite nightlife, and reportedly having problems with drugs. The family had reportedly hoped to help her, but now Woody and his other two daughters are mourning Casey's loss, along with many other family and friends. For more see below:

Woody Johnson: Three Daughters
moneytimes

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson is devastated by the sudden death of his daughter, Casey Johnson, friends and family members told The Post on Tuesday night. Woody, whose brother Keith had died from overdose in 1975, had feared the same for Casey. "Woody is a buttoned-up guy, he maintains a tough exterior, but he's devastated by this," a family friend said...

Woody Johnson: Three Daughters

Bristol Palin, daughter of former Alaska Governor and perennial newsmaker Sarah Palin, is about to make news (and maybe politics) of her own as Bristol sets up her own public relations firm.

Bristol Palin filed articles of organization with Alaska's state Commerce Department. Bristol's new firm woll be known as BSMP LLC, based in Anchorage, Alaska, with none other than the 19-year-old Pallin daughter at the head of it.

Many are questioning Bristol Palin's credentials and knowledge base for this undertaking, but despite the obvious points that could be raised here, about other family members lacking credentials and knowledge base, I'll reserve judgment and see how she does with it. Public relations is all about hustle and image, so an ambitious young person should have a fair shot at it.

Bristol Palin PR Firm
suntimes

Bristol Palin, daughter of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, has set up her own public relations firm, according to a document filed with the state. The single-member limited liability corporation will be known as BSMP LLC and based in Anchorage. Bristol Palin, 19, signed the document as the organizer...

Bristol Palin PR Firm

Bristol Palin, daughter of former Alaska Governor and perennial newsmaker Sarah Palin, is about to make news (and maybe politics) of her own as Bristol sets up her own public relations firm.

Bristol Palin filed articles of organization with Alaska's state Commerce Department. Bristol's new firm woll be known as BSMP LLC, based in Anchorage, Alaska, with none other than the 19-year-old Pallin daughter at the head of it.

Many are questioning Bristol Palin's credentials and knowledge base for this undertaking, but despite the obvious points that could be raised here, about other family members lacking credentials and knowledge base, I'll reserve judgment and see how she does with it. Public relations is all about hustle and image, so an ambitious young person should have a fair shot at it.

Bristol Palin PR Firm
suntimes

Bristol Palin, daughter of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, has set up her own public relations firm, according to a document filed with the state. The single-member limited liability corporation will be known as BSMP LLC and based in Anchorage. Bristol Palin, 19, signed the document as the organizer...

Bristol Palin PR Firm

Kate Gosselin is starting the new decade with a brand new look, abandoning her trademark short hair as she starts on her new life without the hit TV show that made her famous, "Jon & Kate Plus 8."

Gosselin's makeover, premiered to the world on the cover of the new People magazine, was put together by top stylist Ted Gibson and gives her a longer hairdo with a whole new vibe. Needless to say, going from short hair to long involved hair extensions, and Kate Gosselin and her hairstylist Gibson reportedly spent 15 hours putting her new hair in, with a procedure called "bonding."

Gosselin says that old look represented the old Kate, and this new look will give her a fresh start at...whatever it is she does. Seriosuly though I wish her and her family the best. However you feel about Jon and Kate, you gotta root for things to work out for the kids.

Kate Gosselin New Hair
ecanadanow

With the New Year comes a new look for Kate Gosselin, thanks to hairstylist Ted Gibson. He has changed her short asymmetrical look to a long pop starter hairddo.
Kate Gosselin's face is on the cover of People magazine this week, showing off her new look and hairstyle, and talking about her new life. She stated that the old hairstyle represented the old her, so the makeover should give her a new start....

Kate Gosselin New Hair

Does Jennifer Lopez think In Vitro fertilization shouldn't be part of a traditional family? Many families over the years have used he medical procedure of in vitro fertilization to have a child, when other means were not possible for them, and been blessed with a happy family from the operation. But one celebrity apparently looks down on the In Vitro method.

Jennifer Lopez, when asked about it, vehemently denied that she would ever use In Vitro fertilization, implying that it would go against her Christian beliefs and traditional values. She said because of how she was raised, she personally wouldn't use the procedure, and prefers to simply put her faith in God.

To be fair, Lopez was only talking about her own personal choice on the matter of pregnancy and family, and didn't explicitly judge anyone else for making a different decision with their family and doctors. So she didn't say you are not a good Christian or not traditional if you get In Vitro, only that she wouldn't do it. I say we leave her alone on this and let her make whatever choice she wants.

Jennifer Lopez "In Vitro" Slam!
abcnews

Jennifer Lopez called herself "traditional" in the new February issue of Elle magazine because she said would never have in vitro. Lopez gave birth to her twins Max and Emme with her husband Marc Anthony in February 2008. "When it comes to family and relationships, I'm quite traditional. Just because of the way I was raised. And I also believe in God & I have a lot of faith in that, so I just felt like you don't mess with things like that. And I guess deep down I really felt like either this is not going to happen for me or it is..."

Jennifer Lopez "In Vitro" Slam!

Two criminals on the run in Connecticut made a bad move this week, when they pulled over to talk to police and ask them for directions to the highway!

The thieves were arrested after stealing automotive parts from car repair shops around town, specifically catalytic converters. After they asked for directions and pulled off, the cops noticed that the crooks' livense plates were covered up, so they followed the car onto the highway and pulled it over, and then found the car parts along with tools used to steal them.

Stripping cars for their parts is a common activity for thieves, and these criminals were appparently going around Branford and taking the converters to make illegal money form them, but their stupidity caught up with them. IF only evry crook was this dumb! We'd all be safer on the streets. and have safer parking places for our cars.

Crooks Ask Police for Directions!
UPI

Police in Connecticut said two thieves were arrested after stopping to ask a police officer for directions back to the highway. Branford police said Ryan Densmore, 22, of Wallingford, Conn., and Travis McKeaveney, 23, of Middletown, Conn., took eight catalytic converters from the parking lots of a number of automotive businesses...

Crooks Ask Police for Directions!

NBA superstar and 7-footer Yao Ming is expecting his first child soon, and with his wife being 6'2" herself, many are already wondering jusst how big the Yao Ming baby will be!

Yao is one of the biggest players in the NBA, towering over his peers as he palys for the Houston Rockets, and his wife Ye Li was also a backetball player on China's national team. The two were married in 2007 but this would be their first child, and with such tall and athletic genes, people are already speculating about the future NBA star that might be born to them this summer!

The pregnancy was apparently revealed accidentally by a family friend from China, but whatever the reasons for the leak we wish them the best of luck! And no pressure on teaching the kid to play ball, although New York would be a nice place for a young player to be in 20 years, HINT HINT.

Yao Ming Baby Coming! ketknbc

Break out the cigars and/or Serbian professional basketball players! Rockets star Yao Ming and his wife Ye Li are expecting their first child in July, a Chinese newspaper reported Tuesday. The news was accidentally revealed by Ye's close friend Miao Lijie, who is her former teammate on China's women's basketball team, when attending a show at Shanghai World Expo on Monday...

Yao Ming Baby Coming!

According to the White House's National Security Advisor, the full report on the Christmas Day terrorist attempt is going to bring more than one shock to the public's system, when they read about the missed opportunities the system had to stop this young man from boarding the plane he later tried to bomb.

The in-depth report, specially commissioned by President Obama, is said to detail numerous was in which the system failed to see this threat coming, and prevent the young Nigerian mad from boarding the plane. One recent revelation was that authorities had flagged him while the flight was in the air, and were planning to question him when he got off the plane. This of course turned out to be too late, though, and lessons clearly must be learned from the numerous security lapses we saw here.

Christmas Bomber Report: Shock
abcnews

White House national security adviser James Jones says Americans will feel "a certain shock" when they read an account being released Thursday of the missed clues that could have prevented the alleged Christmas Day bomber from ever boarding the plane. President Obama "is legitimately and correctly alarmed that things that were available, bits of information that were available, patterns of behavior that were available, were not acted on..."

Christmas Bomber Report: Shock

In Pasadena, California, the world's oldest profession just lost a bunch of professionals, as cops have broken up a huge multi-million dollar prostitution ring.

The ring of escorts, run out of an upsacle apartment complex, had a roster of all Asian women, and advertised in various websites, not directly offering escorts but clearly implying it. 25 women were found to be working there, and while the ringleaders face very serious charges, the actual sex workers face misdemeanor charges of prostitution. Hopefully this will be a chance for them to get out of this exploitative life!

Pasadena Prostitution Ring
ocregister

A Temple City man and woman have been arrested on suspicion of overseeing a multimillion dollar prostitution ring run out of upscale apartments in Irvine and Pasadena, authorities announced today. Thanh Ly, 35, and Li Chen, 32, have been charged with felony pimping and pandering. Both have pleaded not guilty, and are being held on $2 million bond...

Pasadena Prostitution Ring

One would imagine the infamous White House party crashers Tareq and Michaele Salahi don't really have a lot of friends right now, but one party promoter in Las Vegas is hoping they can get at least a few people to come out, as they are having the Salahis host a party in Vegas, their first public appearance since the much-hated crashing of Obama's state dinner.

The rather less than likable couple will be paid a generous $5,000 for their hosting duties, at a Vegas nightclub named Pure. The promoter apparently thinks people will want to come have their picture taken with the people who got their picture taken with Obama. Personally I would only come to this party if they promised I would see the Salahi's thrown out by security, head first like Jazzy Jeff on Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

Tareq and Michaele Salahi: Vegas Party!
cbsnews

Tareq and Michaele Salahi, the White House party crashers, are trying to make the best of their rise to infamy: The Washington Post says the couple will be the official "hosts" of an evening at Pure nightclub, a "cavernous Vegas Strip hot spot," on January 16th. According to TMZ, the couple will be paidan impressive $5,000 for the appearance, plus amenities like a limousine and a free suite at Caesar's Palace, though that figure is unconfirmed.

Tareq and Michaele Salahi: Vegas Party!

Carrie Underwood is already known for her big voice and grand sense of style, but as her wedding day approaches she says she is thinking big when it comes to her head too, and plans to have big hair in full effect for her wedding day.

She says in general she has simple tastes, and doesn't need a full scale "Bridezilla" wedding, but she wants to be done up nice for a nice simple affair. As her third album rises up the charts and she prepares to start a new tour, it must be fun to have a marriage to look forward to in the near future! I'm sure whatever hairi style she goes for will look lovely. For more details and pics, see below.

Carrie Underwood Wants Big Hair?
people

She may not know who's designing her wedding dress yet - or have picked a wedding date - but Underwood has some thoughts about how she plans to look on her big day. "I'm Southern," she says. "I like big hair and eyeliner. I want my wedding day to be me, so I'll probably be rocking some big hair and some eyeliner."

Carrie Underwood Wants Big Hair?

A man in south Carolina was arrested and sentenced to a whopping 10 years in prison for shoplifting, after being caught with a bighslab of meat that he said he was "massaging."

The perpetrator, Mark Zachary, had been busted for shoplifting 8 other times, leading to the harsh sentencing. He was caught with the New York Strip Steak under his coat, and challenged to reveal what he was hiding, at which point he ran from the meat market and was thten caught by an officer. He claimed he was only massaging the meat and not stealing it. Somehow believe did not believe this explanation?

Meat Massaging
kansascity

A South Carolina man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for stealing an $80 slab of meat. The Times and Democrat of Orangeburg reported Thursday that 51-year-old Mark Zachary of Orangeburg received the maximum sentence after jurors found him guilty Wednesday of shoplifting. Prosecutors said the sentence was justified because the Aug. 26 theft from Reid's grocery store in Orangeburg was his ninth offense...

Meat Massaging

An unlucky feline in Boston has been callled ini for that taskk all humans try to avoid: Jury Duty.

Sal Esposito, the felins housemate of Guy and Anna Esposito, for the summons for jury duty after the family listed him as a pet on their last census report. They have tried to let the court know that Sal might not be able to carry out his civic responsibilities here but so far they have refused to rescind the invitation. So Anna says she may actually take the kittycat into the courthouse! I'd love to be in the jury pool on that day.

Cat Jury Duty?
14wfie

A Boston family is trying to figure out how their pet cat was summonsed for jury duty. "I said, 'Sal, what's this?' You know, I don't believe it I was shocked," said Guy Esposito, Sal's owner. Sal's owners, Guy and Anna Esposito, think they may know the source of the mix up: Sal really is a member of the family, so on the last Census form, Anna Esposito listed him under "pets...".

Cat Jury Duty?

President Obama this week announced a tax credit for clean energy that amounts to $2.3 billion, and is expected to create 17,000 new jobs for Americans who still face double digit unemployment rates as we continue to work our way back from the recession.

Obama was quoted as saying ""Building a robust clean energy sector is how we will create the jobs of the future, jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced." Companies that stand to benefit from this clean energy tax credit include Itron Inc, PPG Industries, and TPI Composites, Inc, in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Obama Tax Credit Clean Energy
reuters

U.S. President Barack Obama unveiled a $2.3 billion tax credit on Friday to boost jobs by promoting clean energy, as new data showed the country's unemployment rate remained stuck in the double digits. Obama said the credit, from funds earmarked under a $787 billion stimulus package he signed last February, would create 17,000 U.S. jobs and be matched by an additional $5 billion in private capital...

Obama Tax Credit Clean Energy

Airport security in Montreal are being criticised by Canadian citizens and press, after it was revealed that they apparently gave special treatment to Hally Berry and her husband, allowing them to skip a long line at the airport security screening area, bringing them to the front of the customs line.

Montreal police confirmed that one officer made the decision to bring them to the front with their baby, and that this was not a procedural breach but in tthe future they will make sure the rules are more clearly laid out so this won't happen again. A local blogger picked up on the story and wrote critically about it, after having been there waiting on the line and barely catching her flight. Lines were longer than usual that day because of security concerns after the failed attack on flight 253, Christmas day.

Halle Berry Security
cbc

A Montreal police officer "took the personal initiative" to move American actor Halle Berry, her Canadian partner and their daughter to the front of a lengthy U.S. customs queue at Trudeau airport earlier this week, a police spokesman said Friday...

Halle Berry Security

Top actress Laura Linney is known for her dramatic film turns, but now she's stepping into a new role in "The Big C," a small-screen drama about living with cancer,

Linney will play a wife and mother who is diagnosed with cancer, and sees her life torn apart by the treatment required to keep her alive, and the medical care that turns her world upside down. The Showtime drama will co-star Oliver Platt, another great actor in his own right though he has been more often seen in comedies recently.

Laura Linney "The Big C"
hollywoodreporter

Showtime has given a series order to three-time Emmy winner Laura Linney's project "The Big C." The premium cable network has ordered 13 episodes of the series (formerly titled "The C-Word"), in which Linney plays a suburban wife and mother whose cancer diagnosis forces her to shake up her life. "Laura Linney is the consummate actor and producer, and we're thrilled she has chosen to come to Showtime in this extraordinary series..."

Laura Linney "The Big C"

Looks like one of the "Real Housewives of Orange County" may not get to be a wife any longer!

Reports on the Orange County star Tamra Barney say that her husband is filing for divorce, ending their marriage that has been showcased for 3 years on the Real Housewives show. The divorce papers filed allege that Tamra has been verbally abusive as well as unfaithful. This could be quite a legal battle for this high profile couple.

Tamra Barney is one of the best known of the many reality TV stars on the scene right now, and is sure to have money for top legal representation as this divorce settlement is hashed out. Hopefully it can be at least somewhat amicable though, for the sake of their children.

Orange County Star Divorce
nypost

Simon Barney has filed for a divorce from his reality star wife of 11 years Tamra Barney , reports RadarOnline.com. the "Petitioner contends that Respondent has been verbally abusive and has committed acts of disloyalty and infidelity," read the papers filed by Simon. The husband and wife, who have three children together, have both starred on Bravo's hit series "The Real Housewives of Orange Country" for the last three seasons...

Orange County Star Divorce

Hollywood is not always kind to actors in their old age, but many top action stars form past decades are still trying to get their last few licks in, before the aging process knocks them out of the running for good.

Among the aging action stars still trying to0 make it happen is Sly Stallone, who is about to star in his 5th Rambo movie. His arch rival in the 80s, Arnold, is busy with government misadventures right now, but was preifly seen in the recent Terminator Salvation thanks to special effects.

Steven Seagal continues to churn out straight-to-video classics, as his counterpart Van Damme recently starred in quite a smart little film where he played himself and poked fun at his own career and has been status.

Hollywood's Aging Action Stars
buzzle

The return of successful and recognisable 80s franchises is, of course, driven by dollar signs. "It is all about digital rights management. "Now you can sell a film to so many different media. There are different layers of TV, different layers of DVD, you can sell it to games companies ... to as yet unimagined platforms."

Hollywood's Aging Action Stars

Sylvester Stallone just never lets go of a good thing. After goodness knows how many Rocky sequels, he has recently returned to his Rambo franchise, and soon after releasing his fourth installment he is not ready to drop Rambo 5, AKA "The Savage Hunt."

But this 5th Rambo will have more of a science fiction feel, according to early reports.

The Savage Hunt Is Rambo 5
slashfilm

This past week Nu Image/Millennium Films officially announced a greenlight for Rambo's fifth mission, with Sylvester Stallone signed on to return to star and also direct. Stallone had previously hinted that the character would venture into a "slightly different genre," leaving many fans to speculate sci-fi or a more comic bookish approach. But the plot synopsis released to the Hollywood trade papers was something else entirely... and apparently false.

The Savage Hunt Is Rambo 5

This week President Obama announced a tax credit for clean energy, that amounts to a whopping $2.3 billion, and is expected (according to Obama's own estimates) to create 17,000 new jobs for all the Americans who are facing double digit unemployment rates as we continue to work our way back from the recession.

Obama was quoted as saying ""Building a robust clean energy sector is how we will create the jobs of the future, jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced." Companies that stand to benefit from this clean energy tax credit include Itron Inc, PPG Industries, and TPI Composites, Inc, in Scottsdale, Arizona.

In his statement announcing the move towards green jobs and clean energy, Obama also said ""It's clear why such an effort is so important. Building a robust clean energy sector is how we will create the jobs of the future, jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced..."

Green Jobs Push
yahoo

His agenda altered by the Christmas bombing attempt, President Barack Obama pivoted back to the domestic economy on Friday, promoting new U.S. spending to create tens of thousands of clean-technology jobs. He outlined the initiative after a weak government jobs report raised new questions about the sustainability of the recovery.

Green Jobs Push

An elm tree, so old it has been around since before our country was born, will finally be chopped down soon in Maine.

The tree's caretaker has been keeping the tree healthy for over 50 years, helping it overcome numerous bouts of dutch elm disease. But now the caretaker himself, Frank Knight, is over 100 years old, and just doesn't have the stamina anymore to keep caring for the tree, especially as it just came down with a rough case of Dutch elm once again. So Knight has decided to let the tree be chopped down, on January 18th. A sad day to be sure, but both Knight and the tree should be proud of the long life they shared together. The Na'vi would be pleased.

240-Year-Old Elm, Chop!
msnbc

The massive elm tree that shaded the corner of East Main Street and Yankee Drive was sick. Like so many others in so many of America's towns in the 1950s, it was stricken with Dutch elm disease. Tree warden Frank Knight was so smitten with the tree that he couldn't bear to cut it down. After all, it had been standing sentinel in this New England village since before the American Revolution...

240-Year-Old Elm, Chop!

Just days after Dubai debuted its new world's tallest building, a veteran skydiver inaugurated it by jumping off the top for a world-record breaking basejump.

The skydiver, who is also from the United Arab Emirates himself jumped from the 160th floor! He fell well over 2,000 feet, reaching speeds of almost 140mph before finally opening his parachute. THe fall took about 90 seconds all in all, a minute and a half he is sure to remember for the rest of his life. He said he has done many base jumps before, but none was ever like this! For videos and photo of this skydive from the world's tallest building see below.

He was met down on the ground my his young children, some of whom he said are learning the family hobby themselves: "'They all want to do what I am doing and the youngest is even getting trained to jump with parachutes. I received skydiving training in Italy, Spain, France and Germany. It is an adventurous sport, but to me it is a hobby."

World's Tallest Building and Skydivers (VIDEO)
dailymail

An expert sky diver from the United Arab Emirates has set a new world record for base jumping from the top of the Burj Khalifa. Nasr Al Niyadi and his trainer Omar Al Hegelan made a perfect landing after jumping 2,205ft from the 160th floor of the world's tallest building in Dubai on Tuesday. The pair, from the Emirates Aviation Society, made the descent at speeds up to 137mph in under one and a half minutes.

World's Tallest Building and Skydivers (VIDEO)

Arnold Schwarzenegger may have been immortal as the Terminator, but his life span as the Governator is about to run out, as term limits prevent him fromm seeking reelection.

Arnold's term ends this year in 2010, so everyone is speculating both about what he will do next outside of the Governor's office, and who will replace him inside it. It's not yet known whether he will stay in politics or jump back into acting, although he will make at least one movie appearance with his cameo in Sly Stallone's "The Expendables."

One rumored contender for his post is Meg Whitman, Republican business executive who recently resigned from Ebay. perhaps to seek greener pastures in the political realm? We shall see.

Term Limits Prevent Arnold Schwarzenegger From Seeking Reelection
venturebeat

Meg Whitman, governor of California? -- That's the rumor following Whitman's resignation from the boards of eBay, Procter & Gamble and Dreamworks SKG. Current Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (yes, the Governator) will leave office in 2010, and term limits prevent him from seeking re-election. Whitman, the former chief executive of eBay, and, like Schwarzenegger, a Republican, has hinted that she may run...

Term Limits Prevent Arnold Schwarzenegger From Seeking Reelection

Can you believe Han Solo is about to turn 70? Harrison Ford, known as Han Solo, Indiana Jones and many other classic roles, as born in 1942 which means 2012 will be the year he becomes a septuagenarian!

He certainly has held up well after all these years, although he mimght not be QUITE as believable in another Indiana Jones action packed sequel. He has expressed interest in doing another Indy movie though, in fact, and certainly te part could be written to take his elder status into account. Whatever roles he takes from here on out, we hope he'll be playing the role off himself on our world's stage for many years to come.

Harrison Ford, Born 1942, Turns 70 in 2012
screenrush

Born on July 13, 1942 in Chicago, IL, Ford grew up the son of an advertising executive and homemaker in nearby Park Ridge. He was a quiet, isolated child, picked on by classmates who liked to routinely push him down a steep embankment at school. After surviving Main East High School, where he was president of the Social Science Club and a sportscaster for WMTH, Ford studied philosophy and English at Ripon College in Wisconsin...

Harrison Ford, Born 1942, Turns 70 in 2012

A cleaning crew in a Florida airport found a threatening letter on a US Airways aircraft, leading to extensive investigation at the airport.

The note was found on the plane before any passengers were on board and no signs of explosives or any other damage or vandalism were found. The note is said to have referred to damaging the plane but no further detials were given about the incident at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

The plane had just landed, and after being extensivelt checked by security staff and specially trained dogs, passengers were able to use their plane tickets and get on the next flight with no problems. Good to hear that the system worked for once,!

Cleaning Crew & Threatening Letter
miamiherald

Authorities say a cleaning crew found a threatening letter on a parked US Airways aircraft, but no explosives or other dangers were discovered. Greg Meyer, a spokesman for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, says a member of the crew came across the note early Monday morning. The plane had arrived hours earlier from Charlotte, N.C., and no passengers were aboard...

Cleaning Crew & Threatening Letter

A landmark same sex marriage trial is making its way to a high court this week, as triel gets underway on California's controversial Proposition 8, banning gay marriage.

The case, in federal court, reviews once again whether it is fair and legal to stop gay couples fro marrying, after a hard fought battle in California where church groups from outside the state made a huge effort to sway the vote. Personally I think the state should just be taken out of the marriage business, whether gay, straight or other, and the government should only oversee civil unions across the board. But if the state is going to be in charge of who is married or not, it ought to be for everybody!

Same Sex Marriage Trial
nytimes

"What does it mean," Theodore B. Olson asked his client, Kristin M. Perry, "to be a lesbian?" Mr. Olson's question came during...the first day of the trial here on the constitutionality of Proposition 8, California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage. It is a case that is expected to feature three weeks of evidence, experts and...emotionally charged testimony on everything from the nature of gay sexuality to the nature of a romantic same-sex marriage proposal...

Same Sex Marriage Trial

This headline is probably not the first time you've seen "Rod Blagojevich" and "stupid" together, but it may be the first time he was saying it about himself!

Blagojevich this week came out to apologize for his controversial comments a little earlier, comparing himself to President Obama and saying he is "Blacker than Obama" because of his working class upbringing. He said he was being stupid and speaking out of anger, and frustration at Obama's failure to help working class people and improve unemployment conditions during this recession, saying OBama has done more to help Wall Street than Main street.. What that has to do with whether Blagojevich "shined shoes" or not, was not clear. When asked whether he would apologize to Obama directly, Blago said he'd love to but he needds someone to give him the phone number.

Rod Blagojevich 'Stupid'

tuscaloosa news

Rod Blagojevich apologized Monday for saying he's "blacker than Barack Obama," but the disgraced former Illinois governor said he probably won't try to make amends directly to the president. "I'd be happy to but, you know, I don't have the phone number," he told reporters outside his Chicago home. In the February issue of Esquire magazine, the ousted governor, semi-professional Elvis impersonator and reality TV contestant refers to Obama as "this guy" who was elected based simply on hope, implying that the president isn't genuine.
Rod Blagojevich 'Stupid'

People complain about the singles scene no matter where they live, but men looking to find the right woman and get married in China may have the worst luck of all, as the country faces an epidemic bride shortage, according to new reports.

The latest news says there will be 24 million men who aren't able to find a wife. Social scientists say this could be largely because of China's controversial one-child-only policies, restricting each family to one child. This has led to families pursuing a preference for male babies, and selectively aborting pregnancies when parent found out it would be a female baby. Many other baby girls have reportedly been abandoned and wound up in orphanages or worse, thanks to this policy. And now it is coming back to haunt China in yet another way.

China's Bride Shortage
sky

China is officially suffering from a shortage of women with 24 million eligible men predicted to be without wives by 2020, state media says. One reason for the huge discrepancy between the sexes is the country's one-child policy which has led to selective abortion of female foetuses, said a study from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The gender imbalance means there will be more marriages within different generations, the study says, with more young men married to much older women...

China's Bride Shortage

Avatar has now thrilled millions of people around the world with its amazing effects and rousing story. But many people, even some who enjoyed the film, also have questions how "White Guilt" issues play out in the story, and whether the movie in some ways has a racist message.

Most of the criticism isn't really calling it "racist," but making the valid point that it continues certain patterns in Hollywood movies, in the way they show white people interacting with other cultures. Especially that when white people in a movie want to become an ally of another group, they somehow wind up becoming not just an honorary member, but they become that group's greatest member ever! Just like Tom Cruise in Last Samurai becomes their leader and best warrior, the white human star of Avatar becomes the blue people's greatest warrior ever and almost like their new king.

Which is not to say it wasn't still a great movie! But we should be able to enjoy it, and consider the messages in it at the same time. And for people who say "can't you just enjoy it for what it is?" -What it is, is a movie that has lots of messages and themes in it. They made it that way on purpose. Taking time to think about the messages they put in it is taking the movie for what it is!

Avatar & Racist Message?
io9

Whether Avatar is racist is a matter for debate. Regardless of where you come down on that question, it's undeniable that the film - like alien apartheid flick District 9, released earlier this year - is emphatically a fantasy about race. Specifically, it's a fantasy about race told from the point of view of white people. Avatar and scifi films like it give us the opportunity to answer the question: What do white people fantasize about when they fantasize about racial identity? Avatar imaginatively revisits the crime scene of white America's foundational act of genocide..

Avatar & Racist Message?

The drama continues to build in NBC's late night comedy crisis, but does even Jay Leno himself know how it will turn out?

Ever since Leno was moved to 10PM, with Conan taking over 11:35 and Jimmy Fallon afterwards, ratings have plummeted across the board, with the entire nighttime lineup being thrown into a tailspin. NBC hoped to save money with the prime time talk show but affiliates couldn't take the drop in viewers and have demanded a change. But will the hosts be moved around yet again?

When asked whether he would be moved back to his old 11:30 slot, Jay Leno told a Canadian reporter "I think so," expressing his plan to agree to the move. Fallon and O'Brien, however, are said to be lelss than pleased, an Conan may even seek to jump ship to another network.

"I think so," was Leno's response to a Canadian newspaper reporter Saturday
msnbc

The three hosts were taking the weekend to think about it, said Gaspin. "As much as I'd like to tell you that's a done deal, we know that's not true," he told critics. One of the players seems to have come to a decision. "I think so," was Leno's response to a Canadian newspaper reporter Saturday when asked if he was returning to 11:35. None of the three NBC hosts were at press tour this weekend...

As NBC continues making big news with its plans to shake up their nightly comedy lineup, people are wondering how the new schedule will play out. And it looks like we'll see something we've never seen before: a half-hour show at 11:35!

Jay Leno's proposed new show would be a half-hour, pushigng back Conan and Jimmy Fallon to 12 and 1 respectively. Leno has indicated he is open to this, Conan not so much. Reumors about that he may jump ship and move on to another channel such as Fox.

Proposed Leno Show Would Be Half-Hour
dailynews

NBC is expected to shake up its late-night lineup after the Olympics as a way to rebound from the failure of "The Jay Leno Show" in prime time. Leno is expected to return to the 11:35 p.m. time slot. What happens to O'Brien - now in that slot - is the issue. O'Brien may have options elsewhere. Folks at Fox - where he was a writer on "The Simpsons" - are ready to talk...

Proposed Leno Show Would Be Half-Hour

Yep it's true. After months of speculation about what NBC would do address their plunging ratings across the board on heir late night comedy lineup, they announced they will end Leno's failed prime time run, and plan to move him back to 11:35 in a half hour show that would move Conan O'Brien's Tonight Show to 12:05.

That's gotta hurt for Conan! He and JImmy Fallon are said not to be on borad yet, and negotiations continue, but Jay Leno has suggested he is ready to go along with this plan. Ratings have been so low that affiliates were threatening to take action on their own if NBC didn't fix the situation.

NBC Proposes Moving O'Brien's Tonight Show to 12:05
chicago tribune

NBC said Sunday it decided to pull the plug on the Jay Leno experiment when some affiliate stations considered dropping the nightly prime-time show, and the network is waiting to hear if Leno and "Tonight" host Conan O'Brien accept its new late-night TV plans. "The Jay Leno Show," which airs at 10 p.m. EST, will end with the Feb. 12 beginning of the Winter Olympics, said NBC Universal Television Entertainment Chairman Jeff Gaspin...

NBC Proposes Moving O'Brien's Tonight Show to 12:05

As Jay Leno becomes the center of a controversy around his prime show's failure in the ratings, leading to a possible shakeup in NBC's late-night lineup, it's easy to forget all the years of success he's had, and the deep respect he's earned in the business for his tireless work ethic as a performer.

Jay Leno put in years and years of work as a standup comic before he got to appear on TV even as a guest, then became a fill in host for Johnny Carson before taking over the Tonight Show full time. But what people may not know is he also has continued to do regular stand-up gigs throughout his tenure at the Tonight Show and during this current prime time run, keeping his chops tight as a street level comic in clubs even as he deals in more middle of the road comedy on TV. He's also known for great charity work and being a studious reader of history books and political analysis .

Jay Leno: Tireless Work Ethic Even in Tough Times
variety

A genial comedian who skewered the foibles and contradictions of everyday life in his act, Jay Leno's everyman persona and tireless work ethic - he played up to 300 shows a year - helped to earn him one of the most sacred spots in television: the replacement for Johnny Carson as host of "The Tonight Show" (NBC, 1954- ). The ascension was not without its rough patches - he found himself in the middle of a behind-the-scenes firestorm when both he and David Letterman vied for Carson's seat...

Jay Leno: Tireless Work Ethic Even in Tough Times

As NBC sets to shake up its late night schedule, Jay, Conan and Jimmy Fallon are all wonderin what happens next. But the forgotten player in the drama is Carson Daly, who's "Last Call" show may be pushed out of the schedule completely!

The network wants to move Conan and Jimmy Fallon back a half-hour, but this would leave Carson Daly out in the cold, since NBC would be unable ro relocate Daly because "The Network Did Not Control the Hour Starting at 2 a.m." Carson has handled his possible extinction with a sense of humor, appearing in a skit on competing host Jimmy Kimmel's show to pretend to be an audience member asking questions about the situation. Maybe Carson can go back to his hobby of putting out hip-hop records? He actually put out some decent singles a few years ago (running the record label, not rapping himself, just to be clear), and it might be cool to see what else he does with that.

Could Not Be Moved Back Because "The Network Did Not Control the Hour Starting at 2 a.m."
nytimes

NBC confirmed Sunday what the television world already knew -- that the network would end Jay Leno's prime-time show in one month and return him to 11:35 p.m., bumping "The Tonight Show" and its host, Conan O'Brien, to 12:05 a.m...Mr. Leno's last show at 10 p.m. will be Feb. 11, and NBC will begin showing the Winter Olympics in prime time the next day....

Could Not Be Moved Back Because "The Network Did Not Control the Hour Starting at 2 a.m."

American Idol mastermind Simon Cowell shook up the world with his announcement that he's leaving the show, and now he's making even bigger news by trying to recruit his former partner in crime Paula Abdul for his new show.

Cowell's next series X Factor is another talent show, and he has sasd he's interested in bringing Paula back around for this one because he "misses her." This would certainly by a coup for Cowell and his new show, as America would love to see them spark up that chemistry again, and see how it plays in a different setting. It's hard to imagine American Idol without either of them! But Paula Abdul has not yet made any statement about accepting the offer. We're all hoping she says yes!

Paula Abdul X-Factor Rumors
showbizspy

SIMON Cowell wants Paula Abdul to appear on The X Factor when he takes it to America, according to reports.The music mogul announced Monday he is quitting his judging position on American Idol and has sealed a $160 million deal to launch a US version of his UK TV talent contest....TMZ says Cowell has had discussions with Abdul

Paula Abdul X-Factor

People have a lot of negative sterotypes about New Yorkers, and especially New York cab drivers, but one taxi driver is showing we aren't all so bad in this town, as he voluntarily drove 50 miles to return $21,000 that was left in his cab by a passenger.

The driver found the money in his backseat over the holidays, and drove all te way out on his own time to the Long Island address he found with the money. The driver Mukul Asaduzzaman, refused to take a reward, but if you see that that is the name of your cabbie, be sure to give him an extra nice tip!

Cab Driver Returns $21,000
galesburg.com

A New York City cab driver is being praised for returning over $21,000 lost by a visitor from Italy. Felicia Lettieri, who's 72, left her purse in a Manhattan taxi on Christmas Eve. It contained traveling money for her and six relatives. Police told them not to get their hopes up about finding it. The cabbie drove about 50 miles, to a Long Island address he'd found in the purse. No one was home, so he left his phone number, and later returned with the money.

Cab Driver Returns $21,000

As NBC prepares to try and move Jay Leno to 11:35 and shift their current line up back a half hour, it is a situatio with no winners. But basides Carson Daly the biggest loser of all may be Jimmy Fallon, who could move to 1:05 AM.

This move may not happen at all, now that Conan O'Brien is saying he won't accept a move to midnight, but if it does happen Jimmy Fallon will bve stuck kat 1AM, basically competing with infomercials. Fallon has said he'll do the show even if its at 3AM, but surely he must be at least a little miffed at how this has all played out. A pretty disastrous run for NBC throughout this whole situation.

Jimmy Fallon Could Move to 1:05 a.m.
abcnews

NBC has spoken to Leno, Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Fallon about moving their shows to later start times, Gaspin said. Under the proposal, O'Brien, the man who replaced Leno as host of "The Tonight Show," would move to 12:05 a.m., and Fallon to 1:05 a.m. "My goal right now is to keep Jay, Conan and Jimmy as part of our late-night lineup," Gaspin said...

Jimmy Fallon Could Move to 1:05 a.m.

If you are a runner, you probably take it for granted that the best way to run is in running shoes. But a new study suggests that running shoes are not made or running at all, and in fact you'd be better off running barefoot or even in high heeled shoes!

THe study says the current form of running shoes put exciessive strain on your joints, and can damage your legs and knees seriously over the long term. Runnin or jogging in running shoes could increase your risk of osteoarthritis and other conditions that you don't want to get. Osteoarthritis is the breakdown of cartilage in your joints, which can lead to bone rubbing on bone. But the reports to at least indicate that new and better running shoes are being developed, so we won't all ahve to just run barefoot.

Running Shoes & High Heels: Which Are Better
yahoo

Running shoes, decked out with the latest cushioning, motion control and arch support technologies, may not be as beneficial to your feet and joints as you might think. A new study finds that running shoes, at least the kind currently on the market, may actually put more of a strain on your joints than if you were to run barefoot or even to walk in high-heeled shoes, and the increased pressure could lead to knee, hip and ankle damage...

Running Shoes & High Heels: Which Are Better

Trends come and go, but your nausea will be here to stay after you ponder the new trend among the hip kids: eyeball tattoos!

Doctors are able to to corneal tattoos in a safe way, though goodness knows why anyone would ask for it. But apparently there is a trend of people who are not doctors trying to do eyeball tattoos on their own, which is utterly unthinkable. This was actually witnessed in a recent episode of the MSNBC prison show Lockup, where real life prisoners were seen tattooing there eyes a solid color, using information they had downloaded from the internet. The prison did not look kindly on this experiment, and neither did the other inmates actually

So for anyone considering a homemade eyeball tattoo, just consider you are undertaking an experiment that turned out to be too freaky for hardcore prison inmates.And then ponder the excruciatingly painful eye surgery that one must assume will be coming a few months later

Eyeball Tattoo Trend: Yuck!
foxnews

If you think tattoos are so over, you've got another thing coming. The latest in permanent ink? Tats on your eyeball. That's right - a sharp stick in the eye. When doctors do it, it's called corneal tattooing; but when perfectly healthy folks looking for new horizons in tattooing, piercing, scarring, etc., do it, it's nuts. Last month, the online magazine BMEzine.com (short for Body Modification) started chronicling three people's efforts to turn the whites of their eyes blue.

Eyeball Tattoo Trend: Yuck!

Tiger Woods' life has been filled with strife ever since he crashed his Cadillac late last year, and now the company that gave him that Cadillac is asking for it back, along with the other cars he got for free.

Tiger had had a deal with General Motors that let him have several Cadillacs for free, and though the deal ended earlier in the year GM let him keep the new cars. Now tough, GM has changed their mind and asked for their property back, since they're not as excited about being associated with the Woodster.

The car sponsorship is one of many deals that once made Tiger the most sought-after spokesperson, raking in hundreds of millions for endorsements along with free products like these Cadillacs. Now he may have to buy a new car for himself just like everyone else. And new golf clubs, too.

Tiger and Free Cadillacs
thaindian

The disgraced ace golfer Tiger Woods lost a number of sponsorship deals since the infamous Thanksgiving accident. And now comes the ultimate disgrace, because he has to return the free Cadillacs. Tiger Woods had a deal with General Motors that the company would supply him with free Cadillacs. This deal ended way back in 2008, but the General Motors still allowed him to keep the vehicles...

Tiger and Free Cadillacs

The internet is going nuts for this ad campaign that features George Clooney's girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis, posing in sexy liingerie underwear.

The photo spread, in ads for Roberto Cavalli, are all over the web, and you can see the photos below. Cavalli is said to have chosen Canalis personally, feeling she has the perfect style and presence to promote his brand. Elisabetta is a model and TV host from Sardinia, who has been seeing Clooney since the summer. Hopefully they will stay together long enough for us to see how she looks on the red carpet, for all of theis year's awards shows! She seems sure to deliver a stylish look.

George Clooney, Elisabetta Canalis Underwear (PHOTOS)
azcentral

George Clooney's girlfriend, Elisabetta Canalis, is the star of the new Roberto Cavalli Underwear advertising campaign... Eva Cavalli, artistic director for the design house, chose the satin and black matching underwear set. Roberto Cavalli says in a release: "For my next underwear collection I was inspired by a real woman, with appeal, charisma and sensuality...

George Clooney, Elisabetta Canalis Underwear (PHOTOS)

They are hip-hop and R&B's royal family, and now they are officially the top earning couple in all of showbiz@ Jay-Z and Beyonce, that is.

Jay-Z and Beyonce each had another huge year in 2009, with hit records, tours and celebrity endorsements. Jay came back in style with his new album and smash single "Empire State of Mind." And Beyonce had yet another banner year, capped off with her Lady Gaga team-up, "Videophone." It all came together to equal combined earnings of almost $125 million! Their major endorsements with Buweiser, American Express and other major brands did not hurt either.

Jay-Z, Beyonce: Top Earning Couple?
azcentral

Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z are the top earning couple in Hollywood. The singer and her hip-hop mogul husband have topped a poll of Hollywood's highest-earning couples compiled by Forbes.com, with combined earnings of $122 million between June 2008 and June 2009. The couple amassed the massive sum through their music, movies, fragrances and endorsement deals with brands including Budweiser and American Express...

Jay-Z, Beyonce: Top Earning Couple?

Among other things, the internet has been going crazy this week over alleged photos of trees on Mars, found in recent NASA photo releases. But experts say the "trees" aren't really trees at all, not surprisingly.

To be fair to the tree true-believers, the photos in the link below really do look an awful lot like trees, form far away. But NASA has confirmed that the images are really depicting salt and sand debris that took a shape and casts shadows that makes them resemble trees when photographed from far away overhead.

NASA Photos: 'Trees' On Mars?
daily news

A NASA probe has returned photographs of what appear to be trees on the surface of Mars. The incredible images seem to show pockets of spruces springing up from dunes and hills on the rust-colored planet's surface, but unfortunately, the pix are really just an optical illusion. The "trees" are actually trails of dark basaltic sand debris and erupting dust clouds caused by landslides as dry ice.

NASA Photos: 'Trees' On Mars?

In an attempt to defend his client's blackmail of David Letterman, the lawyer of Robert Halderman claimed there is nothing wrong with trying to get money for evidence of celebrity misdeeds, as they bring a reward of "their fair market value."

Halderman attempted to force Letterman into paying him money, or else Halderman would reveal evidence he had gathered of Letterman's dalliances with staff members at his TV show. Legal experts connected with the case said this defense of the blackmail attempt was unconvincing to say the least. One said "Mr. Shargel should spend his time representing his client based solely on the facts of his case, rather than comparing it to other matters of which he has no personal knowledge.." Boom.

Halderman "Fair Market Value"
dailynews

David Letterman's accused blackmailer took a wild slice at getting his case dismissed Tuesday by invoking the Tiger Woods scandal. In court papers, Robert Halderman's lawyer argued that if it's not a crime for mistresses to seek payoffs from the golf great, his client shouldn't be punished for trying to make a deal with Letterman. Defense lawyer Gerald Shargel cited reports that women linked to Woods, including Rachel Uchitel, were paid for their silence.

Halderman "Fair Market Value"

As the David Letterman attempted blackmail case continues to play its way out in court, people are often reminded of other high profile blackmail attempts in showbiz history. One of the biggest, strangest of all was the blackmail attempt on Elvis Presley by his dermatologist!

Elvis had been seeing a South African self-proclaimed skin care expert doctor for some skin treatment to keep up his famous looks. The doctor was felt to be making untoward advances on Elvis and his staff though, and he soon got fired. But he took the firing badly and hit back with threats to release compromising tapes and photos. But Elvis did not budge and only gave $200 and plane ticket back to London. The doctor kept coming back with more threats, but eventually gave up when Elvis never gave in, and also discovered that the doctor was also lying about being a doctor! You can't get over on the King.

Elvis Presley Dermatologist Blackmail Attempt
mentalfloss

When Elvis was stationed in Germany in 1959, he hired South African doctor Laurenz Johannes Griessel-Landau to carry out a series of skin treatments on his famous face and shoulders. After a month, Elvis and his entourage allegedly grew tired of Griessel-Landau constantly making passes at them, so Elvis fired the dermatologist. This angered the doctor, who then threatened to reveal compromising photographs...

Elvis Presley Dermatologist Blackmail Attempt

Two celebrities who have been at the forefront of helping people for years are now front and center in the effort to help Haiti: Angelina Jolie and Wyclef.

Wyclef Jean, of the Fugees, has been leading the effort to help Haiti for years with his charity NGO at Yele.org. And in the immediate aftermath of this horrific earthquake, he immediately set up a system so anyone can text "yele" to 501501 on their phones, and give $5 to Haiti relief through his Yele organization, which is highly respected and well regarded for their work. And Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have also joined in, after having spent time in Haiti with Wyclef before, looking for ways to address the ongoing desperate poverty there even before this earthquake.

Wyclef said about the need for aid: ""I cannot stress enough what a human disaster this is, and idle hands will only make this tragedy worse. The over 2 million people in Port-au-Prince tonight face catastrophe alone. We must act now... President Obama has already said that the U.S. stands 'ready to assist' the Haitian people..."

Wyclef, Angelina Jolie Aid Haiti (VIDEO)
wsj

Artists from the world of film and music are responding with charity efforts and statements of support in the wake of yesterday's devastating earthquake in Haiti. Wyclef Jean, a Grammy-winning rapper and producer and founder of the charity Yéle Haiti, is in Haiti "focusing on family, Yele staff and response" according to his spokesman...

Wyclef, Angelina Jolie Aid Haiti (VIDEO)

Top U.S. bankers continue to testify in Washington this week, attempting to explain their failure to anticipate the global economic crisis they did so much to lead us into, and their explanations are leaving many people shaking their heads.

One after another, these bankers zigged and zagged and claimed they were not aware of the coming financial storm, and were not thinking about the subprime mortgage crisis until they "read about it in the papers." But with many outside of their field having seen it cominhg for some time, it was difficult to accept the idea that they, in the best position of all to know and to do something about it, had no way to see the error of their ways as they kept making huge money while driving us off the cliff.

The testimony came from the Chairman of Goldman Sachs, Lloyd Blankfein, CEO of JP Morgan Chase James Dimon, John Mack, Chairman of Morgan Stanley, and CEO of the Bank of America Brian Moynihan. Gordon Gecko was unable to attend.

U.S. Bankers Testify, Nation Cringes
thaindian

Four major Wall Street bankers have been called upon to justify their actions regarding the global economic crisis that struck sometime around mid-2008. This is the first time that the four executives, all of them from some of the top financial firms of the United States, have been called upon to state reasons of their apparent lack of foreknowledge about the recession, whereas in normal circumstances, they should have known the approximate time of the beginning of the financial meltdown...

U.S. Bankers Testify, Nation Cringes

Is Stonehenge in danger of being ruined? That is the implication of new reports that Stonehenge with be added to the "threatened list" of historic landmarks that are at risk of being lost to history.

The list is known as the "Threatened Wonders" list, and is an annual measure of 7 wonders in the world that are in disrepair or otherwise at rick kof being ruined. THe llist is put together every year by Wanderlust. The danger reported for Stonehenge is that a major road and tunnel is planned to be built right nearby the historic wonder, which would ruin its context in the landscape.

Besides Stonehenge, other "threatened list" wonders include include tourist destinations like Macchu Picchu, Timbuktu in Mali and the Bay of Fires in Tasmania.

Stonehenge: "Threatened List" Status
femalefirst

Wanderlust has just released its annual Threatened Wonders in which the iconic British monument of Stonehenge joins seven other worldwide destinations in need of some urgent TLC. The other destinations on the 2010 'critical list' are Wadi Rum in Jordan, Tulum in Mexico, Yangshuo in China, Timbuktu in Mali, Bay of Fires in Tasmania, Macchu Picchu in Peru and Jaisalmer in India.

Stonehenge: "Threatened List" Status

As world continues to watch with horror and look for ways to help Haiti in the aftermath of their catastrophic earthquake, news has come back to our country of the first American casualty offically recorded in the disaster.

Many Americans work in Haiti in various capacities, including various kinds of work to help the nation that was already wracked with poverty before this natural disaster. No furher details are yet available on the identity of the American who died, but the government reports that hundreds of Americans are in the process of being evacuated from the country now.

Condolences to the family of that American victim, and just as much to the countless Haitians who are suffering unthinkable loss as well. Please think about giving however you can, doctors without borders is a highly respected place to donate.

American Death, Haiti
foxnews

A State Department official confirms the first death of an American in quake-stunned Haiti, saying that at least 164 U.S. citizens have been evacuated since Tuesday's 7.0 magnitude temblor...He said that another 370 Americans were awaiting flights out today. There were some 45,000 Americans living in Haiti at the time of the earthquake, and officials said few had contacted American authorities...

American Death, Haiti

Terrified beach house dwellers in South Africa took to Twitter with their reaction to a horrible incident at the local beach, as they saw a huge shark attack a swimmer and "eat" them right there in the middle of the day.

The tweeter said the shark was "dinosaur huge" and attacked the swimmer at a local beach popular with tourists. The shark was said to have attacked the man in water only two meters deep. Other witnesses, including people swimming right nearby, immediately tried to help and spread the word to everyone else to get out of the water, but sadly it was too late to save the attack victim.

Shark attacks are usually quite uncommon and usually happen only by accident when the shark is confused somehow. This was the second attack in less than a month in this region. The victim was a young man from Zimbabwe, who was on vacation with his girlfriend, who is now getting trauma counseling and therapy. Deepest condolences to her and their other friends and family.

Cape Town Dinosaur? Huge Shark?
news.com

A HORRIFIED Twitter user tweeted the moment a tourist was killed in the jaws of a "gigantic shark" in a South African holiday spot. Sky News reports Gregg Coppen watched as Lloyd Skinner was savaged in Cape Town, South Africa, on Tuesday (local time) tweeting: "Holy s..t. We just saw a gigantic shark eat what looked like a person in front of our house..." He added: "That shark was huge. Like dinosaur huge."

Cape Town Dinosaur? Huge Shark?

Jessica Simpson has had several high profile love interests before, but if rumors are true her latest love interest might be the most surprising one yet: Billy Corgan!

Simpson has apparently been working hard in the studio with Billy Corgan, the former Smashing Pumpkins front man who's arty hard rock image would seem to make him an unlikely beau for the somewhat vapid pop starlet. But after a producer tweeted a twitpic photo of them together n the studio, Jessica Simpson made a couple of responses that were interpreted by E Online and others as hinting at some romance between them. Is that what a"he braids my prayers" means? I'm not entirely sure what people are going on, with this rumor, but if Billy Corgan really is the new Jessica Simpson love interest, they'd certainly be an interesting couple!

Jessica Simpson's past love interests included fellow bubble gium pop singer Nick Lachey and Dallas Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo. Each of those love relationships had more than their share of attention and drama. So maybe this would be a good move for Corgan if he wants to come back out wth another album.

Jessica Simpson Love Interest
accessatlanta

Does Jessica Simpson have a new beau? The singer took to her Twitter account to talk about her time in the studio with rumored boyfriend and Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan. Simpson tweeted, "I am blessed," in response to a tweet and twit pic from music producer Kerry Brown that read, "Going over a song [with] @billy and the boxer @JessicaSimpson." She responded to the twit pic again with a message that read: "He braids my prayers..."

Jessica Simpson Love Interest

A popular cruise ship event designed for the older single women known as "cougars" has now been nixed by the Carnival Cruise line.

Last month a three night vacation holiday cruise that was promoted as catering to "cougars" set sail in mexico on a Carnival Cruise ship, and it was a big hit amont tourists looking for a romantic adventure of a trip. But when the organizers tried to book follow up Cougar Cruises, the Carnival company refused their requests. Carnival Cruise reps said they had nothing against the "Cougar Cruise" necessarily, but they have decided to stop this type of theme cruise arrangement in general.

The label "cougar" has been rather controversial, since some say it unfairly belittles older women who lie younger men, while men who like younger women are just considered normal. but the term has still become popular, and many different singles events for "cougars" have popped up in dating scenes in many cities in America.

Carnival Says No Cougar Cruise
ABC News

It looks like there will be no more love on the high seas for cougars, or at least on Carnival cruises. Last month, nearly 300 "cougars" -- older women who prefer young, virile men -- and their "cubs" sailed away on a three-night Mexican cruise out of California aboard the 2,052-passenger Carnival Elation. The event was promoted as the world's first cougar cruise...

Carnival Says No Cougar Cruise

Sad news for Golden girls fans, as another one of their beloved ladies has fallen ill. This time it is Rue McClanahan who has suffered a stroke, soon after having heart bypass surgery in November.

Strokes are caused by a blood clot in the brain, and can cause terrible damage if not caught quickly, but in this case doctors were able to remove the clot, and Rue is now undergoing physical therapy and hoping to be back out of the hospital by the end of the month. Great news after quite a health scare!

The chances of getting a stroke can be reduced by controlling the najor risk factors. The biggestrisk factor for a stroke is high blood pressure, and then comes cigarette smoking and diabetes mellitus.among other causes.

Rue McClanahan Stroke
seattlepi

Golden Girls star Rue McClanahan suffered a stroke while recovering from her November heart bypass surgery, E! News reported. Doctors were able to successfully remove the blood clot from the actress' brain. The 75-year-old McClanahan's speech and movement on the right side of her body have been affected, and her recovery has been slow but steady.

Rue McClanahan Stroke

Charlie Sheen usually revels in any attention, even if it's negative, but his recent arrest and charge of threatening his wife are apparently too ugly even for him, and he is now asking the judge in his case to ban TV cameras form his case's proceedings.

His hearing will start next week, and Sheen and his lalwyers are hoping to get some measure of privacy as the matter is settled in front of the judge. Charlie Sheen shocked the world with his wife's accusation of domestic violence, dramatized with the leak of her emotional 911 call, but the couple's attorneys are claiming they both want to patch things up and try to move on together. They are asking the judge to also rescind a ruling that the two cannot be in contact with each other.

Charlie Sheen TV Hearing
independent.ie

A lawyer for Charlie Sheen has asked a US judge not to let television cameras record a court hearing next week related to allegations that he threatened his wife with a knife. The Aspen Times reported that attorney Richie Cummins wrote in a motion filed in Pitkin County District Court, Colorado, that the actor wants to preserve some privacy for his wife, Brooke, and to protect his right to a fair trial...

Charlie Sheen TV Hearing

An older woman is making news in the UK for getting surgery to make herself look like the cartoon character Jessica Rabbit.

The woman, Annette Edwards, is 5 years old and spent many thousands of dollars on her plastic surgery procedures. Other than breast implants, reports did not specify what other cosmetic surgery she got. About the results of her surgery, she says "I sometimes get stopped in the street and have had loads of nice compliments." Edwards also reports that she has been in talks with Playboy magazine. Perhaps she was inquiring about getting a subscription?

Seriously though, if she can carry it with confidence and it makes her happy, I say good for her! As long as the cosmetic surgery was safe and professionally done, who am I to judge.

Annette Edwards: Jessica Rabbit Surgery?
metro

She says she has always loved rabbits and wanted to look like her idol, Jessica Rabbit, from the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit? She said: "I got my first rabbit when I was eight and it became my best friend. I would play with it for hours, we were inseparable. "Growing up I'd always been fascinated with the cartoon character Jessica Rabbit. I thought she was stunning and for years I longed to look like my idol.

Annette Edwards: Jessica Rabbit Surgery?

As Simon Cowell, the mastermind and supervillain of American Idol, prepares to ride off into the sunset, and onto another show, producers are mulling over their various options for a Simon Idol replacement.

There are no leading candidates yet, and you certainly can't have just anyone in that job. It needs to be someone who knows music and the music industry really well, and knows how to have that sharp edge with just the right mix of smarts, meanness and honesty. I can't even think of anyone off the top of my head. Maybe Snoop Dogg?

Apparently Piers Morgan is the odds on favorite among bookmakers, but the most interesting name to me on that list is Quincy Jones. He certainly never holds his tongue, and knows pop music as well as anyone who has ever lived. Russell Simmons would be lots of fun too. In fact if they got Rusell and Rick Rubin together, it wold be golden!

Simon Idol Replacement?
nypost

Who will replace Simon Cowell on "American Idol"? Bookmaker.com, a leading online gambling site, has a line for those who want to wager. Piers Morgan is the favorite at odds of 2-1 (bet $1, win $2), followed by Sean "Diddy" Combs at 3-1, Quincy Jones at 3½-1, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds at 4-1, Simon Fuller at 6-1, Rob Stevenson at 6-1 and Russell Simmons at 6½-1. Cowell is quitting "Idol" to star in the US version of his "X Factor..."

Simon Idol Replacement?

Many people have been hoping the "cougar" craze would die a quick death, but it would appear it's still going strong. Strong enough to have its own beauty pageant, even!

A California woman was just crowned the first annual(?) Miss Cougar, beating out stiff competition from various other older women, whose claim to fame is that they prefer the company of youner men. The winner Gloria Navarro, won in front of an audience full of the young men she claims as her prey...or however this works.

The younger men, known as cubs in this alternate bizarro world, lapped up the display of these older sex symbols, and with any luck some cougar-cub romance was sparked. As far as I'm concerned, there shouldn't even be anything strange about an older woman being with a younger man, and we shouldn't need a special name for it. After all if an older man likes younger women nobody ever bats an eye. See the link below for photos of the Cougar Pageant winner.

Miss Cougar Gloria Navarro (PHOTOS)
myfoxtampabay

The winner of the first annual Miss Cougar America contest is ... California's own Gloria Navarro. Navarro, of Redwood Shores, California won the esteemed title of Miss Cougar America at the National Single Cougars Convention, this last Friday in Palo Alto, Calif. The 42-year-old, who was recently divorced, is a suburban management consultant accepted her new title before more than 200 attractive guests, most of them men in their 20s, 30s and 40s.

Miss Cougar Gloria Navarro (PHOTOS)

As America continues reassessing its security measures in all major airports, signs keep popping up that we need to fine tune our system quite a bit. The latest example is this 8-year-old boy, who is on the terror watch list and has been getting stopped and basically harassed at airports his whole life, even while actual security threats get by.

The boy, Mikey Hicks, has been on the Department of Homeland Security's watch list for years now, and gets stopped and frisked every time his family flies, at a minimum. It seems to have been his bad luck to share a name with another Mikey Hicks who is legitimately on the list, and for some reason they are unable to take note of this in the system so he'll be able to get on a plane without trouble? There's gotta be a better way for airports to do this!

8-Year-Old Boy, Terror Watch List?
cbsnews

Meet Mikey Hicks, who is public enemy number one, according to a Homeland Security Department watch list. He's also an 8-year-old cub scout who attends parochial school in Clifton, N.J., and has been receiving the third degree from airport security since he was 2-years-old. "A terrorist can blow his underwear up and they don't catch him. But my 8-year-old can't walk through security without being frisked," his mother said..

8-Year-Old Boy, Terror Watch List?

Michael Jackson was well known to have weird and eccentric tastes in many things, and the current furniture auction of many garish items from his estate shows his taste in home decorating was just as peculiar as everything else.

His furniture is full of ornate, garish designs, unusual materials and loud patterns, that look like perhaps a hotel lobby in Dubai? I'm not sure what you call this style. Anyone who saw the infamous documentary with Michael, saw the reporter tag along as he bought what seemed like dozens of random pieces of art, vases and who knows what else, just walking around and pointing at this and that. This was one of many times it seemed clear he needed people around him to provide a reality check.

Michael Jackson Furniture Auction: Weirdness!
tmz

Michael Jackson spent more than $700,000 on all sorts of flamboyantly bizarre furniture before he died -- but now, it could be yours ... if the price is right. TMZ has learned MJ ordered the incredibly unique items for a London mansion he was supposed to live in during the run of his "This Is It" tour ... but he died before the Italian furniture maker -- Colombostile -- could deliver the goods. The items include lavish sofas, a crystal-encrusted chair, a desk with a secret compartment and much more...

Michael Jackson Furniture Auction: Weirdness!

Johnny Depp is one of the perennial top sex symbols off Hollywood, and one of the most respected actors as well, so he's gotten his fair share of accolades over the years. But one thing he probably never thought he'd receive is the life-size Johnny Depp statue

Johnny Depp is in Serbia to collaborate with the acclaimed director Emir Kusturica, portraying Pancho villa. The life size Depp statue is a replication of his performance in Pirates of the Carribean. He also met with the Serbian President Boris Tadic, before boarding a special helicopter to fly to his meeting with Kusturica. If this was anyone else, I would make fun of all the indulgence, but Johnny Depp is just such a cool guy I can't argue anything he does. He's too smooth!

Johnny Depp Life-Size Statue (PHOTO LINK)
msn.com

Depp is in Drvengrad, Serbia to attend the Kustendorf International Film and Music Festival, which was launched by Serbian director Emir Kusturica, reports dailystar. 'The Pirates of the Caribbean' star's statue was unveiled by Kusturica in recognition of Depp's contribution to the movie industry. The actor is all set to play the lead role in Kusturica's new movie about the 19th century Mexican revolutionary, Pancho Villa....

Johnny Depp Life-Size Statue (PHOTO LINK)

One of the figures we here most often in the health care debate is that there are 46 million Americans who don't have health insurance. But is this number true? Where did it come from and what does it really mean?

According to Politifact, this statistic traces back to the U.S. Census Bureau, who released data each year on the number of uninsured, and who placed the latest numbers at 45.7 million American without health insurance right now. Some have criticized this health care data, saying it is not precisely measured, and includes millions of people who are not full US citizens. but even if its only 20 or 30 million, that is sstill far too many people who do not have the health coverage they need when they get sick and need to go to a doctor or hospital, or get a prescription for the medicine they need.

46 Million Americans Don't Have Health Insurance
politifact

It's a statistic often quoted by Democrats during the health care debate: 46 million people without health insurance. "Now, health insurance reform is one of those pillars that we need to build up that new foundation," said President Barack Obama at a town hall in New Hampshire. "I don't have to explain to you that nearly 46 million Americans don't have health insurance coverage today. In the wealthiest nation on Earth, 46 million of our fellow citizens have no coverage...

46 Million Americans Don't Have Health Insurance

Two pop culture icons met for the first time this week, as Lady Gaga made her debut appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show.

Gaga and Oprah discussed the Lady's many outrageous fashion statements, including her MTV Awards display that she explained was a commentary on the death of Princess Diana, and her outfit she wore alongside Kermit the Frog, which was a commentary on the use of fur in the celebrity and fashion worlds.

They also discussed Lady Gaga's live growing up in NY, in a rich family, before she was a lady or a gaga. You can see video of her younger days on youtube, that also show she's had musical talent fora long time, in her performances around New York city. For more on the Lady Gaga Oprah interview and video of it, see below:

Lady Gaga Oprah (VIDEO)
accesshollywood

Despite canceling a concert after collapsing due to dehydration the night before, Lady Gaga appeared live on Oprah Winfrey's talk show on Friday, and opened up about the symbolic meaning behind many of her most outrageous fashions. Perhaps most interesting was her description of her most outlandish performance of recent note - when she covered herself in blood and mock-hung herself during "Paparazzi" at MTV's 2009 Video Music Awards...

Lady Gaga Oprah (VIDEO)

The University of Tennessee football team officially has a new leader, as the school has named Derek Dooley as their new head coach.

Dooley comes to Tennessee from Louisiana Tech, where he oversaw a modreately successful reign, more or less. Well, he was 17-20. But he is the son of the old Georgia coach Vince Dooley, and his uncle Bill Dooley is also a successful college coach, so that evens things out maybe. Dooley replaces Lane Kiffin, who jumped ship after one year to take a job at USC.

It's a risky pick, since he has little experience, but it could pay off for the football team that hasn't had success in a while. New young college football coaches are often able to be the most innovative, and bring new life to a team.

Derek Dooley Hired
kdsk

Tennessee's frantic search to find a new coach is over, and the Volunteers are turning to Louisiana Tech's Derek Dooley. Louisiana Tech spokesman Malcolm Butler says Dooley has resigned from his positions as coach and athletic director to join the Volunteers. A statement by the university was expected later Friday....

Derek Dooley Hired

It looks like NBC will soon send Conan O'Brien packing (with a truckload of money) and putting Jay Leno back in the Tonight Show slot. So now the question is, what will NBC use as Leno replacements in that chunk of time at 10PM?

According to the latest inside dirt, NBC will be bringing in a new show named "Parenthood" on Tuesdays, and Seinfeld's new reality show "The Marriage Ref" will take Thursday, with extra Law and Orders and Datelines filling up the rest of the holes. A formula for prime time success? It doesn't exactly make the pulse race with excitement, but I guess they have to work with what they've got handy.

NBC Leno Replacements

As the standoff with Conan O'Brien continued Thursday, NBC unveiled its post-"Jay Leno Show" 10 p.m. schedule, replacing the yakker with three scripted skeins in the hour this spring. Sources close to the situation say O'Brien's camp continues to await a formal proposal in legalese from the Peacock on settling out of O'Brien's contract to host "The Tonight Show." That pact includes a mammoth penalty in the $45 million range if the Peacock were to yank O'Brien from the show...

NBC Leno Replacements

One of the most touching things about our current First Family is how loving Barack and Michelle's relationship is, and the dates they have gone on together show all of this in full display, as they lovingly hold hands and exude all the romance of a couple in love.

Sadly though some of Barack Obama's more petty political opponents seized upon their date as a weapon to use against the President, claiming it was an irresponsible diversion that used too much of the taxpayers' money on their trip to NY, even though every president travels constantly and takes lots of vacation time. Thankfully though, this attempted controversy never really took off, and the Michelle and Barack date night will be fondly remembered for their tender holding of hands, not for whatever sinister meaning some Republicans tried to attach on to it. There are plenty of substantive ways to disagree with a President, without trying to use it against him that he actually loves his wife.

Michelle and Barack Holding Hands: Date Night!
politico

President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama landed in New York Saturday afternoon, and after taking a helicopter from JFK into Manhattan, drove up the West Side Highway, where the northbound lanes were shut down by police for their visit, past Ground Zero, into Greenwich Village for dinner at the Village's Blue Hill restaurant. From there, they went north to Times Square, where they went to to see a production of "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" at the Belasco Theater on West 44 Street...

Michelle and Barack Holding Hands: Date Night!

The scandal of all scandals rocked the Obama White House this year, as vegetables from the White House garden mysteriously disappeared and were replaced by vegetable impostors, in the special White House garden episode of Iron Chef.

In the all-star Iron chef episode, Michelle Obama hosted the Iron chefs on a visit and tour of the famous White House garden, and set them up to forage for certain ingredients to be used in their big cooking challenge. But allegations arose that the vegetables used in the actual competition were not from the White House. And ultimately the producers admitted that because of the time needed to get back to NY, the White House produce could not stay fresh long enough, so that food was donated to a local pantry and replacement produce was used on the show. A very minor scandal actually, or should I say, not a scandal at all.

Iron Chef Vegetables Scandal: White House Garden Deception!
food network

For months, the Food Network ran ads about a forthcoming episode of Iron Chef America, its flagship chefs plus secret ingredient versus time competition. The show would take place at the White House garden, with Michelle Obama making a cameo and plugging her responsible-eating initiative. The network promised it would be its biggest episode ever....

Iron Chef Vegetables Scandal: White House Garden Deception!

In the latest Forbes magazine list of the most Powerful Women in America, the unthinkable happened in 2009: someone was deemed more powerful than Oprah. And that unthinkably powerful woman was Michelle Obama.

That was a defeat I'm sure Oprah was glad to take, as she is famously a loyal supporter and friend to the Obamas. And Michelle Obama has certainly more than earned her spot at the top of that list, winning everyone's respect and admiration in her first year as first lady, even as some became disappointed with her husband. Another notable entry to the list, who you might say is an extended family member, was Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Forbes publishes a list each year of the most powerful women in the world, and the top of the list is usually made of of business people and heads of state, such as Angela Merkel who was right around the top this year. But pop culture moguls like Oprah sometimes make the list too, and deservedly so in her case.

Michelle Obama, Forbes Powerful Women, Oprah Winfrey
nbcnewyork

Oprah Winfrey was officially edged out in Forbes' annual list of Most Powerful Women by a newcomer to the list, Michelle Obama. Oprah's rank fell from 36 to 41 this year, while Mrs. Obama came in at 40. While initially we were skeptical, it's true that Mrs. Obama's star has skyrocketed in the past year...

Michelle Obama, Forbes Powerful Women, Oprah Winfrey

Susan Boyle is about to have her biggest gig yet: singing for first lady Michelle Obama at her 46th Birthday! It's been reported that none other than Susan Boyle will sing her signature song, 'I Dreamed A Dream', for Michelle Obama at an upcoming White House party, this next month.

The Daily Express has reported that Boyle was approached to perform for the First Lady Michelle Obama's 46th Birthday celebration, described as a "small, intimate gathering" at the family's private quarters, coming up on 17th January 2010.

"It will actually be a double celebration because three days later, 20 January, marks the first anniversary of the president taking office," an insider claimed. "I would expect that a formal invitation will be made to Miss Boyle in the very near future. The President and First Lady absolutely love her voice and will be delighted if Susan Boyle agrees." I would tend to doubt that Susan Boyle would turn down such a big time honor and opportunity for her still young career!

Susan Boyle & Michelle Obama 46th Birthday
everythingy

Singing sensation Susan Boyle is reportedly going to sing for President Barack Obama in a gig at the White House. The 48-year-old recently celebrated her debut album I Dreamed A Dream topping the album charts around the world and it has been claimed that the US president is keen for her to perform at wife Michelle's 46th birthday. An aide said: "I would expect a formal invitation will be made in the very near future...."

Susan Boyle & Michelle Obama 46th Birthday

Two pop culture icons met for the first time this week, as Lady Gaga made her debut appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show.

Gaga and Oprah discussed the Lady's many outrageous fashion statements, including her notorious MTV Awards display that she explained was a commentary on the death of Princess Diana, and her outfit she wore alongside Kermit the Frog, which was a commentary on the use of fur in the celebrity and fashion worlds.

They also discussed Lady Gaga's live growing up in NY, in a rich family, before she was a lady or a gaga. You can see video of her younger days on youtube, that also show she's had musical talent fora long time, in her performances around New York city. For more on the Lady Gaga Oprah interview and video of it, see below:

Lady Gaga Oprah (VIDEO)
accesshollywood

Despite cancelling a concert after collapsing due to dehydration the night before, Lady Gaga appeared live on Oprah Winfrey's talk show on Friday, and opened up about the symbolic meaning behind many of her most outrageous fashions. Perhaps most interesting was her description of her most outlandish performance of recent note - when she covered herself in blood and mock-hung herself during "Paparazzi" at MTV's 2009 Video Music Awards...

Lady Gaga Oprah (VIDEO)

You've surely noticed that some kids have self-control and some kids don't, and the same for some adults, but new psychological studies say that self control may be contagious, and how much the people around you have will influence how much you have.

The study, done by the UGA department of psychology, suggests that surrounding yourself with people who have good habits will encourage you to do the same, and the opposite will have the reverse effect. Not surprising to be sure, but still interesting to get this scientific verification, as published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. And the study showed this trend carries across most any behavior, not just the obvious like drinking, smoking or healthy eating.

Self-Control Contagious?
science daily

Before patting yourself on the back for resisting that cookie or kicking yourself for giving in to temptation, look around. A new University of Georgia study has revealed that self-control -- or the lack thereof -- is contagious. In a just-published series of studies involving hundreds of volunteers, researchers have found that watching or even thinking about someone with good self-control makes others more likely exert self-control, and vice versa.

Self-Control Contagious?

As the Australian Open comes around this month, tennis fans are in for a treat as the top women's player in the world Serena Williams will face comebacks from her biggest rivals, including Maria Sharapova, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin.

The reunited posse of Russian and Belgian female players coming for Serena's throne also includes Dinara Safina, and although Serena cites her sister Venus as the biggest threat, she is sure to have a tough road to the finals with all these other excellent veteran tennis players re-entering the fray. It should without a doubt be an exciting Grand Slam event. Another Russian, Elena Dementieva, is also rising and could pose a threat. The mmost surprising comebacks of all though, are from the two Belgian tennis MVPs Clijsters and Henin. Will it be one of them who sees Serena in the final match? I can't wait to see.

Comebacks at Australian Open
espn

The return of Maria Sharapova, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin to the Australian Open has added even more spice to a women's tournament already overflowing with talent. There is always an element of mystery attached to the first grand slam of the year but the reappearance of the three former world number ones has ensured this year's tournament will be one of the most open in years. Serena Williams is the favourite and understandably so. She is the current world number one, the defending champion and one of the few players who thrive in the scorching Australian summer heat....

Comebacks at Australian Open

Having the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's birthday as a national holiday is something we take for granted now, but in the 1980s it was actually very controversial, and even the President himself, Ronald Reagan, opposed making his birthday a national holiday, saying it would be too much of a financial burden on the nation.

It's hard to imagine now that our President would oppose such a thing, only 20 years before we elected our first black President, but even in the 1980s there was still a lot of hostility towards MLK, and reluctance to give him his due as one of the nation's greatest heroes. It was only after an overwhelming veto-proof majority of the Senate voted in favor of the bill that Ronald Reagan reluctantly signed it into law, and Martin Luther King's birthday finally got its just due.

Ronald Reagan opposed making Martin Luther King' birthday a national holiday
yahoo

President Ronald Reagan opposed the holiday, relenting only after Congress passed the King Day Bill with an overwhelming veto-proof majority (338 to 90 in the House of Representatives and 78 to 22 in the Senate)....In addition to Reagan, opposition to the bill was led by Senator Jesse Helms, who questioned whether King was important enough to receive such an honor. He was also critical of King's opposition to the Vietnam War, and accused King of having Communist connections...

Ronald Reagan opposed making Martin Luther King' birthday a national holiday

It's easy to forget now but in the eighties it was quite a controversial and divisive issue, the question of whether MLK's birthday should become a national holiday.

There was a push to make his birthday a holiday first in 1979, led by Congressman John Conyers, but it did not get enough votes in Congress to make it through. so a couple of years later, a new push as made to properly honor this civil rights titan. This time the push was made through ramping up public support, especially through a huge hit song by Stevie Wonder arguing the case. It culminated in what the Natioin magazine called "the largest petition in favor of an issue in U.S. history." And once and for all, despite opposition even from President Ronald Reagan himself, the bill passed with a veto proof majority and dwas signed into law.

MLK Holiday: The Largest Petition in Favor of Any Cause, In The Nation wikipedia

...The success of this strategy was cemented when musician Stevie Wonder released the single "Happy Birthday" to popularize the campaign in 1980 and hosted the Rally for Peace Press Conference in 1981. Six million signatures were collected for a petition to Congress to pass the law, termed by a 2006 article in The Nation as "the largest petition in favor of an issue in U.S. history."

MLK Holiday: The Largest Petition in Favor of Any Cause, In The Nation

Just one year ago, a momentous turning point in American history was witnessed, as 1.8 million people came to Washington Dc and gathered to see the Obama inauguration that ushered in the era of the first Black president.

It was not only the largest crowd in American history for a Presidential inauguration, but according to newspaper reports the single largest crowd for any event in Washington DC ever. 38 million Americans also watched it on television, more than double what Bush got in the TV ratings, but not quite as high as Ronald Reagan who got over 40 million. But it was much easier to get high ratings in those days, to be fair.

Will those crowds be gathering again 3 years from now, to see him sworn in again? Time will tell.

$1.8 Million at Obama Inauguration
boston.com

The National Park Service says it will rely on a media report that says 1.8 million people attended President Obama's inauguration. David Barna, a Park Service spokesman, said the agency did not conduct its own count. Instead, it will use a Washington Post account that said 1.8 million people gathered on the US Capitol grounds, National Mall, and parade route. "It is a record," Barna said. "We believe it is the largest event held in Washington, D.C., ever..."

$1.8 Million at Obama Inauguration

In many ways the Obama family has done a great job of making sure the First Family daughters lead a normal healthy life as close to that of a regular teen as possible. But they do get occasional special perks, and one of them came recently when none other than the Jonas Brothers surprised the girls at the White House!

The teenybopper sensations paid a surprise visit to Sasha and Malia, along with some other friends who were with them to see a couple of movies and play a scavenger hunt game. The scavenger hunt ended with them opening a door and finding Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas standing right there in the flesh! The Jonas Brothers were then immediately tackled by Secret Service and arrested for breaking into the White House. Just kidding, the visit was totally planned and they had a very nice afternoon with Sasha and Malia and their friends.

Jonas Brothers Surprise Girls at White House
abcnews

ABC News has learned that after their scavenger hunt last night, First Tweens Malia and Sasha Obama were paid a surprise White House visit by the Jonas Brothers. The visit came after Malia, Sasha, and some of their friends from their new school Sidwell Friends saw two new Disney movies -- High School Musical 3 and Bolt -- and participated in a scavenger hunt in which they ran around their new home, learning about this history of the White House...

Jonas Brothers Surprise Girls at White House

The latest data from the Census Bureau says that more moms are bringing home the bacon than ever before, as women are the providers for the families at a higher rate than has ever been recorded before.

Is it a measure of changing gender roles, increased opportunities for women, or simply the tough financial times meaning whoever finds employment in the family has to take it? Perhaps a mix of each? An analyst from the University of New Hampshire said "Women are really stepping in and helping families stay afloat. The question is whether men are stepping up and picking up the slack around home." And experts analyzing the data agreed that the recession is pushing everyone towards more egalitarian attitudes about who should be the breadwinner for the family. Hopefully these more progressive attitudes will remain with us after the economic hard times go away, and at that point moms will still be free to work but only if they prefer to, not because there's no other choice.

Census: Moms Brinigng Home the Bacon!
cbsnews

The number of working moms who are the sole breadwinners in their families rose last year to an all-time high, and the number of stay-at-home dads edged higher, in a shift of traditional gender roles caused partly by massive job losses. The number of moms who were the only working spouse rose for the third straight year, according to Census Bureau figures released Friday...

Census: Moms Brinigng Home the Bacon!

Controversy is afoot for a tv ad in New Zealand, that promotes an Airline by portraying "cougar" women who attack young men at night. The advertisement was attacked as offensive by groups that represent rape victims.

Critics said the ads attempt to basically portray sexual assault as comedic was in poor taste, and should not have been aired, and the ad campaign will be ending early now. The Airline's ad campaign was actually a competition, in which the winner got tickets to a rugby match. The term "cougar" has recently become popular as a description of older women who pursue younger men, now immortalized by the hit TV show "Cougar Town" and the recently held Miss Cougar beauty pageant.

One rape victims' advocate group said they "find it degrading and that it is encouraging potentially harmful behavior, so my question is why is our national carrier promoting sexually predatory behavior?"

Airline's Cougar Ad
msnbc

An advert for an airline competition that portrays older, single women as "cougars" who prey on young men at night is to close on Monday after incurring the wrath of both male and female rape victims in New Zealand. "Cougar" has become a popular term for sexually aggressive older women on the hunt for younger men, with actress Courteney Cox recently starring in TV comedy "Cougar Town..."

Airline's Cougar Ad

What does it say about family values when a marriage registry is passe, and the new trend is making a divorce gift registry?

A top department store in the UK, Debenham's has set up a gift registry option for husbands and wives who are about to get a divorce, as a way to let divorcees have a happier time at the end of their marriage. The store says the saw an uptick in divorce celebration parties and divorce greeting cards, and knew there was a market for this.

The store expects less fancy and luxury items than on a wedding registry, less HDTVs, less jewelry and fancy kitchenware, more basic gifts like towels and linens, toasters and more basic kitchen fare and appliances. A store rep said ""It's about focusing on what your customers need and want, and of course looking for new opportunities. Looking for niches or new demands and new services you can offer that others haven't thought of."

Divorce Gift Registry
cnn

A new service launched by a UK department store promises to make life a little easier for couples who divorce, by offering them a gift registry option in stores. Debenham's launched its divorce gift list service on the heels of an increase in popularity of divorce greetings cards and divorce celebration parties complete with cake. "If someone is getting divorce and they're moving out of their marital home they may be living on their own for the first time in their life," Debenham's PR manager Ruth Attridge told CNN...

Is there anyone left in the world who doesn't hate Richard Heene, the father of the balloon boy? Apparently there is one, a filmmaker named Steven Barber who says he still believes Heene was innocent, and is making news with his plans to release a documentary seeking to prove Heene's innocence.

Barber has known Heene for 10 years, and worked with him filming various projects Heene was working on. Barber claims he still believes in Heene's innocence, and that the dad really did think his son falcon was on the balloon, and it was not a hoax. He plans to release a documentary with lots of footge of him working on the balloon project as well as other material to show the real Richard Heene and convince the public of his innocence. Honestly, I am skeptical about whether this filmmaker even truly believes what he is saying, as opposed to just claiming he thinks Richard Heene is innocent so he can stir up the already stale controversy and milk it one more time to get attention for his own film work.

Balloon Boy Movie News?
foxnews

Once Richard Heene admitted in court that he wrongly sent authorities on a wild goose chase across Colorado to save the son he thought was aloft in a runaway balloon, friends and supporters seemed to take off just about as fast as that balloon. All except for one: Steven C. Barber, a 48-year-old filmmaker who says he still believes Heene really thought his son was in the balloon. He plans to prove it, Barber says, when he releases the documentary "Balloon Boy: Guilty Until Proven Innocent" later this year.

Balloon Boy Movie News?

Holly Branson, daughter of Richard Branson, is clearly a loyal daughter and an asset to the family business, as she recently was on a flight with her father's Virgin Airlines, and volunteered to give medical attention and actually save the life of a passenger on her dad's airline!

Holly jumped into action to save a man who was suffering from seizures, answering the flight attendant's call for a doctor. She monitored his vital signs, administered oxygen and made sure he stayed in one piece until the plane landed. Holly Branson had become a doctor just recently, and it as said afterwards that the man wouldn't have survived without her help. He was determined afterwards to have had a heart attack.

A heart attack is when blood flow to a section of heart muscle becomes blocked. If the flow of blood isn't restored quickly enough, that section of heart muscle becomes damaged from lack of oxygen and it begins to die. Heart attack is a leading killer of both men and women in the United States, but today there are good treatments for a heart attack that can save lives and prevent disabilities.

Holly Branson Saves Passenger
firstpost

Passengers aboard Virgin flights to and from Antigua are quite used to having the airline's owner, Sir Richard Branson, leaping up and down for some publicity stunt or other. But when his daughter Holly Branson left her seat on Saturday it was not a PR gimmick but a matter of life and death. About an hour into the flight from Gatwick, Paul Norbury, who was travelling with his wife and young daughter, began to have seizures...

Holly Branson Saves Passenger

As Simon Cowell gets set to leave the show he made a smash, American Idol, many people are hoping to be the one to replace him in the judge's chair. And one of the celebrities clamoring the loudest for that chance is Latoya Jackson, of all people.

Latoya Jackson, member of America's royal family of music, is better known for hosting the Psychic Friends Network and getting lots of plastic surgery than she is for her musical skills. And is not realy known for her charisma or personality either. But she still believes she is the best choice, for some reason.

I doubt there is much chance of American Idol tapping Latoya for this, and it'd be a terrible choice if they did. to replace Simon Cowell they need someone with a strong personality who knows how to be just mean enough while also being fair and giving insightful critique based on being able to really analyze music. Maybe Latoya would surprise me, but I doubt it.

La Toya Jackson American Idol?
ecanadanow

The question for many people this morning is trying to decide if La Toya & 'American Idol' could be the right combination for ratings success. It appears that Michael Jackson's sister is once more trying to snag some press by letting it be known that she is interested in being a serious contender to replace Idol judge Simon Cowell. If this were to happen the females on the judging panel would be the majority at 3:1 but La Toya should not get her hopes up just yet...

La Toya Jackson American Idol??

NBC's disastrous nighttime schedule is finally ready to change now, as the netwrk has reportedly agreed to pay Conan O-'Brien $40 million dollars to move on. The agreement will prohibit Conan from speaking badly of his former employers, but does allow him to seek out a show on another channel without a long wait in between, as some agreements due with a no-compete clause.

The network has been reeling from its decision to put Conan at 11:30 and Jay Leno at 10, with low ratings all around. So they were forced to make desperate backtracking moves, with the end result that the viewers are gone and the talent is disgruntled. Once this controversy is resolved, will any viewers come back? Another plain old Jay Leno show at 11:30 just seems weird, at this point, IMO. Like your ex-husband knocking on your door to sleep over.

Many inckluding Howard Stern say they think Conan is making out like a bandit in this deal, despite all the hype making him out to be the victim. He was doing terribly in the ratings since they moved him to 11:35, and this turn of events allows him to leave as a hero and martyr instead of as a failure which is what would have happened otherwise. And Conan should have known, when he and NBC agreed in 2004 to basically oust Jay Leno six year later, that Jay wouldn't really be readyt to retire at that time, and the transition would be messy one way or another. I love Conan and was always a fan of his show but I don't see him has the poor wronged victim here quite as much as some others. Zucker and the NBC execs are clearly the villains/losers of it all though.

Conan: $40 Million
wsj

Conan O'Brien is close to signing a nearly $40 million deal to walk away from his dream job hosting NBC's "The Tonight Show," bringing down the curtain on one of the entertainment industry's biggest debacles in years. The comedian's exit agreement, which could be completed as early as Tuesday, bars Mr. O'Brien from bad-mouthing his former NBC bosses, according to people familiar with the matter, but paves the way for him to land another television gig within a year...

Conan & $40 million

Dennis Hopper is one of the coolest, toughest actors in Hollywood, but until recently few people knew he had been in the toughest battle of his life for the last nine years: fighting cancer.

Hopper confirmed just months ago that he was being treated for prostte cancerm and that his cancer was first diagnosed in 2002. Hopper is said to be gavely ill now and sadly may be in the last stages of his brave battle wit hthe disease.

There are no warning signs or any readily identifiable symptoms of early prostate cancer. Once a malignant tumor has caused the prostate gland to start swelling significantly, or once the cancer spreads beyond your prostate, the following symptoms may be present. A frequent need to urinate, especially at night, difficulty starting or stopping the urinary stream, and others. Dennis Hopper was first known for his featured role in Apocalypse Now (1979) brought him attention. He subsequently appeared in Rumble Fish (1983) and The Osterman Weekend (1983), and received critical recognition for his work in Blue Velvet.

Dennis Hopper Fighting Cancer Nine Years
msn

Dennis Hopper was first diagnosed with cancer nine years ago, the acting icon has revealed. The Easy Rider legend's manager Sam Maydew confirmed the star had prostate cancer last month (Oct09) after Hopper had been admitted to hospital suffering from "severe flu-like symptoms". Speaking about his plight on Saturday (06Nov09), the 73 year old admitted the cancer was first diagnosed in 2002...

Dennis Hopper Fighting Cancer Nine Years

Although he reportedly hasn't spoken to one of them in years, legendary actor Dennis Hopper has three grown children Marin, Henry and Ruthanna. As the Easy Rider legend enters the last stages of his battle with cancer, hopes are that he will be able to spend time with that family as much as possible.

Dennis Hopper recently revealed he has been fighting prostate cancer for 9 years now, and it was become very advanced recently. He made news by suddenly divorcing his wife whilein the hospital, but will hopefully still ahve other family near including his children. Two of his three grown children apparently live with Hopper and his current wife in the same compound, but the other is out of touch for the most part. He also has a young child of only 6 with his wife Victoria. For a photo of one of Hopper's son's see here. Dennis Hopper's prostate cancer may be in its last stages, but fans and family alike are sure to remember him for decades to come.

Dennis Hopper Three Grown Children

Dennis Hopper Three Grown Children

You should already know that not smoking, or quitting smoking, before you get cancer reduces your risk of getting it. but now doctors are also saying that even after are already diagnosed with cancer, quitting smoking can be a crucial step towards extending your life.

Lung cancer is still a terrible disease either way, and the experts say only 7% of sufferers live more than 5 years with it. But out of those 7% this study shows that a vast majority are those who quite smoking after they were diagnosed. Interestingly, some doctors have traditionally not advised patients to quit smoking when they already have cancer and are going through cheotherapy or other treatment, saying it is a cruel burden to ask when they are already facing such a sad health situation. Personally I wouldn't want any more contact with the thing I now know was trying to kill me! But I suppose that's the nature of addiction.

This research was published in the BMJ, formerly known as British Medical Journal. The medical experts analyzed data from 10 previous studies that examined how long smokers survived, after they were diagnosed with lung cancer

Quitting Smoking: Double Cancer Survival?
msnbc

People with early lung cancer who quit smoking could double their chances of surviving, a new study says. Until now, there has been little proof that quitting smoking after developing lung cancer makes any difference to survival. Lung cancer is the top cancer worldwide, and the prognosis is usually poor. Only about 7 percent of patients make it to five years, though about 20 percent of patients are diagnosed early enough to be treated...

Quitting Smoking: Double Cancer Survival?

Sarah Palin will campaign for the Republican Senator John McCain to, as he runs for a fifth term in the upcoming election in March. Palin has confirmed she is set to help McCain on the campaign trail in Arizona.

Two years ago Sarah Palin infamously campaigned with Senator John McCain in the 2008 presidential election. It seems like a decade ago, and many who were there trying to make the team work probably wish it was longer, since Palin is widely reported to have been a pain to the McCain campaign. And Palin was said to be very mistrusting of McCain's staff, who did take every opportunity to bad-mouth her once they had lost the race. But now Palin will return to help McCain in his Arizona re-election, soit's good to see people putting party loyalty ahead of personal beef.

McCain made the announcement this week, that his old running mate would reunite with him for campaign spots.. Palin has written a bestselling book, and recently joined the Fox News channel as a commentator, as many expected would happen. McCain said that Palin still energizes the country, and is a great asset to have with such a strong connection to the conservative base.

Palin to Help McCain
usatoday

Palin to Help McCain

Fortune magazine has come out with their annual list of the 100 best companies to work for, and in these tough economic times with good jobs still hard to find, many are sure to look to this list for guidance. So who comes out on top? SAS!

According to Forbes, the many perks of working for SAS include: " high-quality child care at $410 a month, 90% coverage of the health insurance premium, unlimited sick days, a medical center staffed by four physicians and 10 nurse practitioners (at no cost to employees), a free 66,000-square-foot fitness center and natatorium, a lending library, and a summer camp for children." Quite an impressive list, and one assumes there's a ton of competition for positions there. Also on the Forbes list are Wegmans Food Markets, Google, Dreamworks and Qualcomm, all of which are also well known to be very competitive places to seek employment.

100 Best Companies, 2010 (NEWS)
fortune

There's a new No. 1 in town: tech powerhouse SAS. Yes, even in a tough job market, some employers dole out perks like on-site saunas, discounted massages and classes on Wii bowling. Meet this year's top 100; profiles include maps, contact info and more...

100 Best Companies, 2010 (NEWS)

Madonna is now well known for her charitable and humanitarian efforts around the world, and now she is getting her children into the act as well, as her daughter Lourdes a few years ago joined her for a humanitarian trip to Malawi.

Lourdes' mom said she was blown away by her daughter's commitment to helping the people of Malawi, especially the many orphan children there diagnosed with the AIDS virus. Madonna said ofher daughter's humanitarian efforts: "She so came into her own and was so responsible and stayed for eight hours every day and worked tirelessly. I thought, 'Why am I babying her so much? She's capable of so much more.' " Madonna also wound up adopting a baby boy from Malawi, David Banda, so Lourdes now also has a little brother from there. Hopefully one day they can go back together to do even more humanitarian work for Banda's people back home! Much cooler things to read about celebrity youth than the usual TMZ gossip.

Madonna Humanitarian Efforts, Malawi
contactmusic

Madonna was left stunned by her daughter LOURDES' caring and sharing efforts during the pair's first trip to Malawi, revealing the trip made her realise she was mother to an amazing human. The pop superstar took her daughter to the African nation just after launching a charity drive there - and she was amazed by the then-10-year-old's willingness to help AIDS-stricken orphans. Madonna admits the Malawi adventure gave her a new respect for children....

Madonna Humanitarian Efforts, Malawi

Pop music and Broadway show star Kristin Chenoweth debuted as one of the new guest judges on American Idol. Chenoweth served as one of the judges for Idol in Orlando Florida, and saw 40 contestants. She said the male contestants actually performed better than the females, in the competition to make it into the blockbuster talent contest, that graduates new pop music stars just about every year.

This season's American Idol will be especially important, since it is the last one with Simon Cowell in the judge's chair, and it may also be the last one that gets the high ratings he's always brought to the show. With Cowell leaving to take over his new show X-Factor, and possibly bringing even Paula Abdul with him to that new show, American Idol could lose a bit of its mojo in pop culture, though it will surely do well enough to stay on the air.

Chenoweth says she gave a lot of criticism and and feedback, and hopes that will be shown in the edits so it won't look like she's just another celebrity judge who doesn't bring anything to the table.

Kristin Chenoweth & 'Idol
usatoday

Before the new American Idol season started, the show's judges touted the strength of this year's female contestants. But for Kristin Chenoweth, the guys did better during the Orlando, Fla., auditions for which she served as guest judge. "I saw 40 people, and I thought the men were more well-represented," says Kristin, who appears in tonight's episode of Idol... /;I thought the guys were awesome?", she said...

Kristin Chenoweth & 'Idol

They say everyone gives in their own way, and as celebrities all take the time to make a statement on behalf of the suffering people of Haiti, Lindsay Lohan accompanied her Haiti charity appearance with a new fashion statement: She's going brunette!

She debutev her ver dark, almost black locks at a charity event for Haiti at on Burkle's estate in Bererly Hills, also attended by many others including Busta Rhymes, David Spade, and Jeremy Piven. Lindsay Lohan's long hair, even when it changes color is almost always soft and sexy. It is stylish whether it is casually pulled back in a barrette or dressed up and curled.This casual style that Lindsay Lohan used for long hair is always easy and quick to create. It is most attractive when your hair has a small amount of wave. There is no need to use the flat iron to straighten natural wave because body and movement in hair is very much in style. As Lindsay goes brunette, we get a chance to see her in a different shade, and looking pretty healthy lately, let's hope she keeps it up.

Lindsay Lohan Goes Brunette
eonline

Lindsay Lohan has gone back to the dark side! The actress ditched her blond locks for a new look, which she debuted Wednesday night at an Edeyo benefit event held at Ron Burkle's Beverly Hills estate. The charity bash for Haiti was hosted by Mark Wahlberg and Ben Silverman and brought out an eclectic assortment of VIP guests like Jeremy Piven, Fred Durst, Busta Rhymes and others.

Lindsay Lohan Goes Brunette

A doctor recently had an uncomfortably close run in with some space debris, as a small meteor burst through his ceiling and into his doctor's office!

THe doctor was luckily not in the room when it happened, but came back to his office to find debris strewn everywhere, a mysterious rock substance and a gaping whole in his ceiling. Accordin g to meteor experts interviewed by the Washington Post, the last time someone was actually hit by a meteor was in 1954, "when the Sylacauga Alabama meteorite struck a woman named Elaine Hodges in her hip as she was taking a nap on her own couch. There is a famous Life magazine photo of her, showing a close up of her hip injury."

Meteor Hits Doctor Office! (PHOTO LINK)
washington post

What are the chances of someone getting struck by a meteorite? One doctor recently found out, as he barely mised being in his office when a meteor hit it, sending his office space into disarray. "...Upon inspection, more debris lay inside the room. He saw three chunks of stone on the floor that together formed a rock about the size of a tennis ball, with a glassy-smooth surface. Then he saw a hole about the size of the rock in the tile ceiling, and a tear in the maroon carpet where the rock had landed," writes Paul Duggan of the Washington Post.

Meteor Hits Doctor Office! (PHOTO LINK)

Joe Jackson, patriarch of the Jackson family, and by far the least beloved of the clan, continues to seek an allowance from the estate of his son Michael, who passed away last year.

Michael, who was known to have strong negative feelings about his father (though he did express love for him), specifically and notably left his father Joe out as a beneficiary in his will, leaving the estate in the control of other family members instead. It was said he featured that Joe Jackson would misuse the money on lavish expenditures and wasteful spending. But Joe and his attorneys insist the elder Jackson is still entitled to a "maintenance allowance" that will let him continue to live comfortably in his old age. It has not yet been determined how much that would be, and whether his lawyers will succeed in getting it done.

Joe Jackson Wants Allowance
andpop

Yes you read that title correctly - Joe Jackson wants an allowance from Michael Jackson's estate. TMZ is reporting that Joe Jackson feels he is entitled to a "maintenance" allowance out of the estate, however Michael Jackson specifically did not include his father as a beneficiary over concerns he would waste the money on lavish expenses...

Joe Jackson Wants Allowance

In today's Dumbest Idea Ever news, a foolhardy yman in Georgia says he is trying to start a Whites-only basketball league. But he says it's not racist, he justs wants to play traditional ball. Okay buddy.

The man, who is apparently serious about this and is currently attempting to get the league established, has said he simply wants to start a new league where because "people of white, American-born citizens are in the minority now. Here's a new league for white players to play fundamental basketball, which they like...." Which just makes no type of seriously sense no matter how you look at it. Whether it would even be considered legal to start a league that defines itself as whites-only seems dubious to me, and I doubt many people would ever actually volunteer to join even if they did.

Whites-Only Basketball?
npr news

This idea offends so many people on so many levels that I can't believe it will get anywhere: A promoter says he's going to start up a whites-only professional basketball league with teams in 12 Southern cities. And Don "Moose" Lewis says there's nothing hateful about the idea. "I don't hate anyone of color," he told the Augusta Chronicle. "But people of white, American-born citizens are in the minority now. Here's a league for white players to play fundamental basketball, which they like...."

Whites-Only Basketball?

A year after the birth of her Octuplets and firestorm of media attention that followed, the "Octomom" Nadya Suleman is in Star magazine to show off her newly trimmed down bikini body.

The Octomom god a great deal of criticism and negative attention for her decision to have so many more children when she already had more than she could care for, especially when it appeared she was having the octuplets because she hoped it would make her into a reality TV celebrity.But even though she used artificial means to have the octuplets, Octomom claims she lost all of her weight the natural way, through diet and exercise. Her new photos, which you can see in the link below, don't look bad I suppose, but I'm not really very interested in seeing her either way.

Hopefully the Octomom experience, along with Balloon Boy, with be a lesson to the media that they need to go on a diet and shed some of this extra wannabe celebrity fat. Stick to the natural way of promoting people who are actually talented and good at something!

Octomom Bikini (PHOTO LINKS)
huffingtonpost

It's been almost a year since the birth of her octuplets, and now Nadya Suleman, 34, is showing off her bikini body in Star Magazine. She claims she has had no surgery and snapped back with exercise. "I would feel like I cheated," she tells Star. "I wanted to prove to myself that I can do it on my own, naturally...

Octomom Bikini (PHOTO LINKS)

A lost dog, that was missing for four years, finally made its way home this week! The Boston terrier, named Mickey, was found a thousand miles away from its Kansas City home, in Montana, and was reunited with its ecstatic owners.

The dog was equipped with a microhip to help it be located and identified, and an animal shelter in Montana was able to use it to track down Mickey's owners. They made some phone calls to be able to identify it throguh the chip, and wound up calling a veterinary clinic a thousand miles away, where a shelter staff says "I gave them the chip number, and the woman kind of started screaming. She goes, 'Oh my God, is that a Boston terrier? Oh my God, it belongs to Kari Mitchell. She used to work here."'

Quite a heartworming story, can you imagine thinking your dog was gone for 4 years and finding out it was still around! I bet the dog remembered themm like it was yesterday, too.

Lost Dog Goes Home: Mickey, Boston Terrier
msnbc

A Boston terrier named Mickey that disappeared four years ago from his suburban Kansas City backyard was found in Montana and reunited with his owners this week. Cher Jarosz and her daughter Kari Mitchell thought they had lost Mickey forever -- until they received a call from an animal shelter last week 1,100 miles away in Billings, Mont...

Lost Dog Goes Home: Mickey, Boston Terrier

A little chihuahua named Tinker Bell was lost after being blown away in a huge gust of wind in Michigan, and was thought to be lost until she was found almost a mile away!

The owners, Dorothy and Lavern Utley, say they actually used a pet psychic to relocate the animal, who was so small she got caught up in the wind gust that blew her away into a different part of town. The dog was found in a wooded area about a mile away from where the wind had blown.

History says that Chihuahuas originated in Mexico and the most common theory and most likely story of origin is that Chihuahuas descended from the Techichi, a companion dog that was favored by the Toltec civilization in Mexico long ago. Chihuahuas are naturally territorial and protective, and can be easily provoked to attack, so they are sometimes unsuitable for homes with small children. A Chihuahua who is pack leader of their humans may someetimes snap at small children. This breed is generally not recommended for children, not because they are not good with them, but because many people treat Chihuahua sdifferently than a large dog, causing them to become untrusting.

Tinker Bell the Chihuahua Blown Away, Blows

Tinker Bell has been reunited with her owners after a 70-mph gust of wind picked up the six-pound Chihuahua and tossed her out of sight. Dorothy and Lavern Utley credit a pet psychic for guiding them on Monday to a wooded area nearly a mile from where 8-month-old Tinker Bell had been last seen. The brown long-haired dog was dirty and hungry but otherwise OK. The Utleys had set up an outdoor display Saturday at a flea market in Waterford Township, northwest of Detroit...

Tinker Bell the Chihuahua Blown Away, Blows

Up until now Youtube has always been free for viewers, but now the web video giant is looking into streaming top Hollywood movies for a fee, in an online movie rental scheme similar to waht places like Netflix already offer online.

Youtube has been one of the most popular sites on the interenet for years now but has still failed to make a strong profit, as it tried to rely on an advertising model driven by fre videos. Now it will look into changing its focus a bit, ,and trying to earn money from charging for high quality material. ACcording to the Walll Street Journal, "The agreements would allow consumers to stream movies on a rental basis for a fee. However, in some cases, the movies would be available in way that they have been previously--free, with advertising."

YouTube: Online Movie Rental?
econsultancy

YouTube's quest for professionally created content is about to get interesting. The Wall Street Journal reports that the video giant is in talks with movie studios to stream movies to its users for a fee.That will bring a shift from its free video supported by advertising model, but could go a long way toward helping the site turn a profit for Google -- and possibly change the game for online film viewing...

YouTube: Online Movie Rental?

While most 13 year olds are studying the latest X-Box games, the amazingStephen Stafford is already fnishing his sophomore year at Morehouse. The child prodigy, who is barely into his teenage years, is already a top student at the historically Black college, studying pre-med, mathematics and computer science.

When asked about his ability to succeed so well outside the normal schooling for his age, Stephen says many kids his age could do far better than this system allows them to do. "I think that's a problem with a lot of kids in school. They have the same capacity for learning,but if they're not challenged, they will lose interest. Kids my age and younger, they have the most interest in school because they haven't lost their passion for it yet. Ninety-nine percent of kids start out liking school. But then when they don't get challenged enough, they will get bored."

This was definitely my school experience as well, and probably a lesson for many people in our educational system. But I also don't think young Stephen should underestimate the very special gifts he has, as an individual! He has already achieved quite a lot, and should be proud as he works to keep it going.

Stephen Stafford, Morehouse
creativeloafing

While most of his peers slog through seventh grade, Stephen Stafford, 13, earns credits toward his pre-med, computer science and mathematics degrees at Morehouse College. The wide-smiling, fast-talking, classical piano-playing Lithonia resident has been labeled a "prodigy" (a term he doesn't really like), has spoken at Ebenezer Baptist Church, and has fielded private-sector job offers - which he politely declined. CL's interview with Stafford was cut short because he had to meet with Jermaine Dupri about filming a pilot TV show...

Stephen Stafford, Morehouse

A young boy prodigy in India made big news when at the age of 7 he was called in by the town to perform surgery on a little girl whose fingers had been badly burned and fused together. The little boy successfully performed the surgery and saved the girl's hands! Ever since then India has had high hopes for this young boy, Akrit Jaswal, to do big things one day.

Akrit Jaswal is considered to be a natural medical genius, and was known as the "child surgeon" in his town. Now that he is a few years older, he is taking time away from starting puberty to work on his various ideas for new advancements and discoveries in the field of medicine, including a possible cure for cancer, which he says is coming along quite well. His father is said to have fallen into deep depression after the stress of getting his son's genius recognized, but hopefully all of that devotion to his sonwill pay off one day!

Akrit Jaswal, Surgery Genius
mymultiplesclerosis

A young girl in India badly burned as a toddler, her fingers had fused together and curled into a knotted ball. Her shepherd family could not afford surgery, but they had heard of a remarkable young boy being called the child surgeon. Akrit Jaswal was only seven years old when he operated, successfully, on the eight year old girl to release her fingers. Akrit Jaswal had a reputation, in the region, for being a medical genius. He has been shown to have an I.Q. of 146...

Akrit Jaswal, Surgery

Akrit Jaswal became a legendary figure at the young age of 7, when he was captured on video performing a surgery on his fellow child from the neighborhood, saving her fingers from being fused together due to a severe burn. Ever since then he has been known throughout his country as the "Medical Mozart", an amazing child prodigy sure to have an incredible future in the field of medicine.

Now that he is at the ripe old age of 13 and already in college, Akrit Jaswal says he has many ideas for how he can contribute to the world with new discoveries in medical science, but right now he is most focused on what he believes is a cure for cancer he has almost figured out. He says: "I've developed a concept called oral gene therapy on the basis of my research and my theories...I'm quite dedicated towards working on this mechanism."

Akrit Jaswal explains his possible cancer cure further: "I actually made my discovery when I was eight. I did it by reading books on cancer and getting information from the internet. My cure aims at the modification of malformed genes that cause cancer and their successful repair either by the activation of enzymes or direct modification of genotoxic drugs."

Akrit Jaswal Cancer Cure?
india-forums

Growing up, Akrit Jaswal says he used to see cancer patients lying on the side of the road because they couldn't afford treatment or hospitals had no space for them. Now, he says he wants to use his intellect and medical expertise to ease their suffering. "[I've been] going to hospitals since the age of 6, so I have seen firsthand people suffering from pain," he says. "I get very sad, and so that's the main motive of my passion about medicine, my passion about cancer..."

Akrit Jaswal Cancer Cure?

Adora Svitak is a famous child prodigy of the literary world, who already published her first bestselling book, "Flying Fingers" at the age of 7! Since then Adora has worked regularly, teaching other kids and adults, and giving lectures as well as continuing to write professionally and successfully. Even though she's not old enough yet to be in junior high school. Do you feel like an underachiever yet?

Adora's parents say she started reading chapter books at three-and-a-half, and when she got a her first computer, a used Dell, in 2004, she immediately discovered a passion for words and creative writing. She now reads several books a day, as well as writing herself for hours on end, and she has a home studio that she uses to give video lectures for kids and adults all around the world. She has also been hired by Microsoft at times to help them demonstrate their new programs that relate to writing. She describes her life goals pretty humbly, aiming only to win a Nobel prize for both literature and peace. Don't want to put too much pressure on! I'm sure great things will be coming to her one way or another.

Adora Svitak Appearances
telegraph

Adora Svitak is off to primary school with her mother. Today's lesson is about poetry and she's really looking forward to it. But 11-year-old Adora isn't a pupil... she's the teacher. Described as "a tiny literary giant", there is, it seems, no end to Adora's talents. She started teaching at seven and in the same year had her first book Flying Fingers (a collection of short stories which contains tips and hints for other aspiring writers) published internationally. Her second, Dancing Fingers was published last year and she's currently working on another four....

Adora Svitak Appearances

One of the most famous child geniuses of recent years was the amazing child prodigy Gregory Smith, who was such a super-genius he actually graduated from college, with a master's degree, at age 16. He was far ahead of the curve even when he was only one year old, already memorizing entire books, and he has never slowed down a bit since then.

He continues studying for four doctorates -- in math, aerospace engineering, international relations and biomedical research. He also works worldwide as an activist and advocate for peace and justice, using his fame as a child genius to try and do some good for the world, with majot organizations he has founded including the IYA. An admirable impulse, in this age when many parents would just try and parlay his gifts into a new reality show. Here's hoping Gregory Smith continues on this path to doing great things, and will one day be remembered as much more than just a former child prodigy. For more on Gregory, and a photo of the genius at work, see the link below.

Child Prodigy Gregory Smith
virginia.edu

When Gregory R. Smith of Keswick, Va., graduates at age 16, he will be the youngest person ever to receive a master's degree from the University of Virginia. A child prodigy whose IQ reportedly tests "off the bell curve," Smith was memorizing and reciting books at 14 months, adding numbers at 18 months and taking in the information presented to him by his parents and earliest teachers like a super computer. It only took him one year, for example, to advance from second to eighth grade...

Child Prodigy Gregory Smith

Gregory Smith has already made lots of news in his childhood, as a child prodigy who went to college at an extremely young age, earning his master's degree when he was only 16 years old. Gregory has also devoted much of his young life to trying to be a voice for peace, and as an international activist for peace and justice, trying to make a difference on issues he cares about. And this devotion has has to doing good works has led to the young man being nominated several times for a Nobel peace prize before he's old enough to drive!

Among other things, Gregory Smith is a co-founder of something called the World Children Awards with Muhammad Ali. The World of Children Awards recognizes people who dedicate their lives to helping children all around the world. He also started an organization called the IYA, or International Youth Advocates, another group that is devoted to protecting young people from violent situations and to helping promote good educational services and living conditions for kids. He has received lots of praise and acclaim for his work, including the nominations for a Nobel peace prize, but he is not satisfied and he still continues working tirelessly to make the most of his gifts and the attention he gets for them. So bravo to Gregory Smith! I hope that prize does come his way one day.

Gregory Smith: Nobel Peace Prize?
howstuffworks

Gregory Smith has spoken before the United Nations as a delegate for the very first children's summit. He's been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize - three times. The first nomination was in 2002, the second in 2003, and the third in 2004. Smith worked with many leaders and other political figures. Among those on the lengthy list are former U.S. President Bill Clinton, former Russian President Michel Gorbachev, 1984 Nobel Peace Prize Winner Desmond Tutu and 1976 Nobel Peace Laureate Betty Williams...

Gregory Smith: Nobel Peace Prize?

In a blistering interview this weekend with rawstory.com, liberal icon and Congressman Dennis Kucinich blasted and shredded his fellow Democrats for what he sees as a failure to follow through on the change they promised in Washington, as they took over with a super majority and control of the White House last year.

Kucinich said "the same entrenched interests that George Bush could not shake, this current White House is having great difficulty in shaking. One could suggest they might be more entrenched than ever." He described the kindness to big business in the bailouts, and the pandering to insurance companies during health care reform debate, as two examples of the liberals failing to be true liberals. Kucinich said his fellow Democrats could be in big trouble if they don't get their act together. He even predicted the Dems could wind up a minority in Congress after November. Hard to believe but no longer as outlandish as it would've been just a year earlier.

Kucinich Shreds Democrats
rawstory

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) on Wednesday said the Massachusetts election was a "wake up call" for Democrats and that his party had better change course or it could suffer devastating losses come November. "People elected Democrats in 2008 to change the country's direction," he told Raw Story in a nearly hour-long interview...

Kucinich Shreds Democrats

Johnny Depp is a perennial contender for the Sexiest Man Alive honor, but even after all these years he continues to be ambivalent about the award, saying he still doesn't believe he is the right man for that position.

Depp is one of the greatest actors of his generation and also a stylish and suave leading man. But when asked about People magazine and others saying he is the sexiest man living, he was bashful and said ""That should be someone else, that confuses me beyond recognition. I don't know how to react, I really thought it was a joke."

Depp IS about to make news as the star of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, continuing his ongoing role as Burton's muse, much as Dicaprio does for Scorsese. Which reminds, me, it would be cool to see Johnny Depp in a Scorsese film! Hollywood, if you're reading this, make that happen.

"That should be someone else, that confuses me beyond recognition. I don't know how to react," Depp said. "I really thought it was a joke."
straitstimes

Pirates of the Caribbean' star Depp could not escape having to comment on the 'The Sexiest Man Alive' title bestowed on him last year by US magazine People. 'That should be someone else, that confuses me beyond recognition. I don't know how to react,' Depp said. 'I really thought it was a joke.' Turning to politics, he is not among those who have turned against the US president. 'Obama has great intentions. He is a decent man. He is a strong man as well. I look forward to very good things.'

Usually when a celebrity is voted Sexiest Man Alive, he is bashful about it and sort of pretends to be humble, claiming he doesn't deserve it. But Hugh Jackman had no time for fallse humility, fully embracing the accolades and rolling with it unabashedly.

Hugh Jackman, 41 at the time, was asked who he wanted to see take over the title after his year was up, and he told People magazine he wanted to keep it for himself! The Australian hunk is more at home singing show tunes on Broadway, in his own time, but in America he has become best known as the tough as nails action hero Wolverine.

He did say though that he looks forward to passing on the title so that he won't have to work as hard to live up to that hype, and can start "being a slob again." I'm sure his definition of a "slob" will still be much fancier than I look on my best day. But props to Hugh Jackman for having a sense off humor about the whole thing!

Hugh Jackman "Me, I want to be the first to have it back to back."
best celebscoop

As the one-year reign of Hugh Jackman as PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive winds down, it's time to pass the crown to a new deserving hunk. So who does the Australian screen star, Oscar host and current Broadway leading man want to see take the title next? "Me! I want to be the first to have it back to back, buddy," Jackman, 41, told PEOPLE's reporter...

Hugh Jackman "Me, I want to be the first to have it back to back."

As celebrities around the world show their good side by stepping up lately to help the needy, the latest to get in on the action is football superstar and heartthrob David Beckham, who is bringing in his family to join him in designing custom t-shirts for the Sport Relief chrity project.

Sport Relief is aimed at helping the disadvantaged people of the UK, in conjunction with Comic Relief. His wife, the equally famous Victoria Beckham, is joining in the fun along with their kids. All of the money raised by Sport Relief, thanks to benefactors like David Beckham, leads to money raised by the public that is spent by Comic Relief to help transform the lives of poor and vulnerable people, both at home and across the world's poorest countries. Sport Relief has a unique history of dedicated people who do extraordinary things to make a difference in the world - from David Walliams' amazing swim across the English Channel to Eddie Izzard's surprising marathon a day around the UK.

David Beckham Family, Sport Relief
everythingy

Footballer David Beckham is geting ready to boost the charity known as Sport Relief next year, by getting his entire family to design t-shirts. The 34-year-old has roped in wife Victoria, 35, as well as sons Brooklyn, 10, Romeo, seven, and Cruz, four, to help raise money by designing limited-edition t-shirts for the appeal in March. Victoria was originally only going to be involved with a women's design of the t-shirts but she has now persuaded David to design a men's shirt - the boys' ideas will be turned into kids' clothes...

David Beckham Family, Sport Relief

Ever since Different Strokes went off the air there has seemed to be a curse on all its young cast members, and this week it struck again for Gary Coleman, as he was arrested in Utah, leading to his mugshot being linked all over the internet in what is sure to be a humiliating situation for the former child star and darling of the country.

Police came to his residence to investigate reports of a civil disturbance, and according to some newspaper reports wound up arresting Gary Coleman on "suspicion of domestic assault." Coleman, who believe it or not is 41 year old, has had a history of run-ins with the law, including an incident last year where someone accused him of trying to run somebody over with his car. There is no word yet from Coleman or his representatives on how he will plea in this allaged domestic assault charge. In fact, othe reports indicate that the newspaper was incorrect, and Coleman was actually arrested do to a previous issue not related to domestic assault at all.

Hopefully it can be worked out and he will seek help if he needs it, as domestic violence (IF this is true) is a very serious issue that should not be taken lightly, whether you are a former celebrity or not. And if the reports of that charge are only a rumor, hopefully that will be cleared up and the local paper will apologize. For now we'll wait and see what the real story is.

Gary Coleman Mugshot
cbsnews

A Utah mug shot is probably not the picture former child actor Gary Coleman will be sending his agent to get new work. Photo: Gary Coleman's Utah County mug shot. A booking photo provided by the Utah County jail shows a tired and creepy looking Coleman, after the one time "Diff'rent Strokes" star was arrested in Utah Sunday. But according to a press statement by Santaquin police, Coleman was arrested on a warrant for failing to appear in court in a previous case.

Gary Coleman Mugshot

Here it is the unnoffical theme song of the New Orleans Saints, bvideo and lyrics below:

Black and Gold, Who Dat! K Gates (VIDEO, Lyrics)

Black&Gold (WhoDat) Lyrics

K. Gates New Orleans Savior

Intro....We yellin black n gold to the Superbowl
black n gold to the Superbowl
black n gold to the Superbowl

Hook...We Yellin who dat who dat who dat who dat
Who dat say they gon beat them Saints
(twice)

Verse1...,We going to Miami already tamed the wildcat
Secondlining to 2 dasuperbowl and bring the crown back
Brownbag days ovah take dat to da bank
Ol Archie Manning tell em This ain't ya daddy saints
Tom Benson give a Benz to Drew Brees
Ray Nagin Payton need New Orleans set of keys
by air by ground we scorin touchdowns
Bush flyin to the pylon no going outta bounds
Bell a bruise ya Pierre a lose u
Meechum a leave em
Shockey sock it to ya
Marchin down wit marques
It ain't hard to find em open
6 4 off da line (Rooh) touchdown Colston

Hook We yellin Who Dat Who Dat
Who Dat who dat
Who Dat say they gon beat dem Saints
(twice)

Grant leave his wigg split
Sedrick Layin bigg hits
Jabari run the corner, sharper get that pick six
believe it undefeated walk the walk
Beat Bills jets & giants
We run new York
Panthers get crushed
Bucs get bucked
Monday night falcons gettin A town stomped
Are U Ready for some football it's goin down baby
We got sumthin fa ya Bellechick &
Brady

Bridge....We yellin Black & Gold to the superbowl (4 times)
Toudown Colston

Hook.. We yellin Who Dat Who Dat
Who dat who dat
Who dat Say dey gon beat them Saints
(twice)
Gates.....

Black and Gold, Who Dat! K Gates (VIDEO)

Years ago, The Simpsons made a joke out of the idea of bringing in a new character to spice things up, with the ridiculous Poochie the Dog character joining the show for one episode after focus groups decided he would make the show more "proactive and in your face." Now years later the show is actually adding a random new character, named Ricardo Bomba!

The new character was created by a Simpsons viewer, who won a contest that invited fans to create a new character that would join the cast of characters in Springfield. Apparently Ricardo Bomba will be a Latin ladies' man, who works his charms on the local women. Bomba will make his debut in an episode this week, that centers around a lottery ticket and also co-stars Chris Martin of Coldplay. Many fans feel the shoew is not on the same level of quality it used to be, but it certainly still has its moments where it shows a bit of the old genius, and maybe this new character will add a little fresh energy to the set!

Ricardo Bomba News
huff post

Ladies' man Ricardo Bomba is bringing his charms to "The Simpsons," and it's all the doing of a hospital operations manager with a vivid imagination. Peggy Black, 52, of Orange, Conn., won a contest to create a character for Fox's long-running animated series, with her entry triumphing among the more than 25,000 received, the network said Thursday...

Ricardo Bomba News

A controversial punishment is being handed out to a girl in Saudi Arabia, as a teenage girl will receive 90 lashes for allegedly assaulting a teacher at her school. The girl is 13 years old, and faces the lashing for alleged assault after she was caught by her teacher with a camera phone, which is not allowed at the school. She also faces two years in prison.

Saudi Arabia is one of a small number of countries still employing corporal punishment, which includes flogging or lashing as well as possible amputation of limbs. The country has faced harsh criticism from international human rights groups for continuing these practices, especially in ways that target women for questionable reasons.

90 Lashes for Girl
canoe.ca

A Saudi judge says a teenage female will receive 90 lashes and spend two years in prison as punishment for assaulting a teacher at her school. The teenager could be spared with a pardon from King Abdullah. The girl's name was not immediately available. Amnesty International says that the girl is 13 years old and the alleged assault happened after she was caught in school with a camera phone, which is forbidden at the school...

90 Lashes for Girl

President Obama is now proposing almost doubling the federal child care tax credit, for families that earn less than $85,000 a year. He would also increase it for families making less than $115,000. This is a move that has been pushed previously by Barbra Boxer and Kristin Gillibrand in the Senate.

The Obama administration is hoping to do everything it can to make life easier for middle class families, as it tries to shift toward making the economy its first priority after a year focused on health care, which was a vitally important issue but not perceived as having the same urgency, by the public. Along with his package of tax credits Obama is also calling for a spending freeze for various agencies starting in 2011, that he says will over ten years save hundreds of billions of dollars.

More Child Care Credit
sfgate

President Obama today called for a more generous child-care tax credit for middle class American families, giving new hope to a proposal being pushed by Sens. Barbara Boxer of California and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York. Obama today proposed nearly doubling the federal child care tax credit for families earning less than $85,000 and increasing it for families making less than $115,000.

More Child Care Credit

Mark Kerrigan, brother of Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan, has been arrested for allegedly killing their father, after a fight in which Mark Kerrigan reportedly wanted to use the phone and his father wouldn't let him.

According to the Boston Globe, "Mark Kerrigan said he wanted to use the phone and his father would not let him, according to a police report. He said that he struggled with his father and put his hands around his father neck and his father fell to the floor. He said that his father was faking it.''

Mark Kerrigan had a history of run-ins with his family, who was involved in a lawsuit against him in 2008.

Mark Kerrigan Reportedly Wanted to Use the Phone

Nancy Kerrigan's brother has been accused of assaulting their father, who later died, police in Massachusetts said this morning. The death of the skating star's 70-year-old father remains under investigation, the Boston Globe is reporting on its Web site. Kerrigan's brother, Mark Kerrigan, has not been charged with murder. Mark Kerrigan reportedly assaulted his father because he wanted to use the phone....

Mark Kerrigan Reportedly Wanted to Use the Phone

As the news breaks about the tragic death of Nancy Kerrigan's father, her mother blamed a heart attack for her husband's passing, after a fight with his son Mark.

Daniel Kerrigan, the father of Olympic skating champion Nancy Kerrigan, was the one everybody saw carrying a crying Nancy Kerrigan to get help after she was attacked in the infamous incident involving the husband of her skating rival Tonya Harding. The family, including the wife and a sister of the dad, are so far indicating that they do not blame the son for the incident, saying instead it was because of a heart attack and not the son's fault. Mark Kerrigan, does have a history of domestic violence arrests, and he was sued by his parents leading to an incarceration in 2008.

Brenda Kerrigan Blamed Her Husband's Death on a Heart Attack

Kerrigan's mother, Brenda, refuted claims that her husband's death was suspicious, telling the Boston Herald that he died of a "massive heart attack." "My God. He had a heart attack," she told the newspaper. "That's what it was." Kerrigan, who has a lengthy criminal record, faces a maximum of up to five years in prison and is being held on $10,000 cash bail.

Brenda Kerrigan Blamed Her Husband's Death on a Heart Attack

Dan Kerrigan, father of Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan, passed away this week, but before his untimely passing he was best known for a happier occasion, when he won a Scratch-off Jackpot for a million dollars!

After scratching off the scratch card at is local grocery store near his home, Kerrigan won $20 and decided to try his luck again. this time he couldn't believe his eyes, and asked the store owner to help. He says "I said to the owner, Chuck Savas, 'Come over here. Take a look at this and see if I'm senile' " And sure enough, Dan Kerrigan had become a million dollar winner!

Apparently according to friends Dan Kerrigan had been going for the scratch off jackpot all the time, as his wife said he has had an awful lot of practice at scratching tickets, I found out. After he won, people would say, 'Nobody deserves it more than him. Every time I saw him, he was scratching a ticket.' " For more info see below.

Dan Kerrigan Scratch-off Jackpot

On Aug. 16 Dan Kerrigan bought a $2 Massachusetts Lottery scratch card at a grocery store and won $20. Encouraged, he decided to try his luck again 15 minutes later. Stopping by the Central Beverage store on the way to his Stoneham home, Kerrigan, father of 1994 Olympic figure-skating silver medalist Nancy Kerrigan, bought three tickets. This time, though, he hit a $1 million jackpot, beating 3.24 million-to-1 odds.... says Kerrigan, 60, who will receive $50,000 a year for the next 20 years.

Dan Kerrigan Scratch-off Jackpot

British author Martin Amis is stirring up a lot of scandal in his home country, with his suggestion that elderly people seek out euthanasia en masse, to avoid an overpopulation of old people in his native land.

Amis points to demographic trends that indicate a huge increase in elderly people, in the near future for England. predicting this will wreak havoc for British society, Amis makes the shocking suggestion that "euthanasia booths" should be placed on streetcorners, to give a dignified and early exit to elderly citizens that helps avoid the overpopulation problem, and the untenable expense of providing proper health care and medical coverage for the many older people that would live on otherwise.

Not surprisingly many people were offended by Amis's stance, with one critic saying 'How on earth can people describe themselves as civilised when they're advocating this style of euthanasia for the elderly and disabled? It's completely repugnant.' It seems unlikely, in fact, that anyone will take this idea seriously. The question of how the UK will provide proper care for a higher number of elderly will need to be answered, but hopefully in a more humane way than Martin Amis is calling for.

Martin Amis Euthanasia
nypost

Martin Amis has raised a ruckus in his native Britain by suggesting old people should commit suicide to prevent the "silver tsunami" that is coming. Amis, in an interview with the Sunday Times of London, proposed euthanasia booths, where volunteers would be given "a martini and a medal." Otherwise, "There will be a population of demented very old people, like an invasion of terrible immigrants, stinking out restaurants and cafes and shops."

Martin Amis Euthanasia

Not long after we heard about the world's first man to get pregnant, reports are coming in from California of a second pregnant man, named Scott Moore.

Scott Moore and his male life partner are expecting a baby in February, that is being carried to term by Scott himself, according to the reports. Scott and his husband, Thomas, were both born as women and then underwent surgery to change their gender. Because Scott Moore still has his original female birth certificate the couple was able to be legally married despite being a same-sex transgender couple. Scott Moore still has female reproductive organs, and he got pregnant by using sperm donated by a friend last June.

Scott Moore and Second Pregnant Man
daily news

Two proud papas are expecting a baby boy in February, London's Daily Mail reports, in what will be the world's second known case of birth by a "pregnant man." "We know some people will criticize us, but we are blissfully happy and not ashamed," Scott Moore told the newspaper. Moore and his husband, Thomas, were both born female and have undergone surgery to change their sex. The transgender California couple is legally married, as Moore still has his female birth certificate.

Scott Moore and Second Pregnant Man

Two strong personalities clashed when saucy pop star Katy Perry matched wits with Kara Dioguardi in a battle of the pop divas on American Idol.

Dioguardi enthusiastically affirmed one contestant, and then Katy Perry immediately scoffed at Kara's enthusiasm and gave an emphatic "no" to the same contestant, leading to some tense moments in the judging for these early auditions in Los Angeles. There's been lots of wonderment about how Idol would maintain the same tension and drama with Paula Abdul gone, and Simon Cowell leaving next year, but so far, Katy Perry and Kara have done a good job of keeping things hot!

They were debating a contestant who talked aobut his hard life growing up before singing, which seemed to bring sympathy from the other judges while Katy poo-pooed the sentimentality and insisted talent is what counts. Which is interesting coming from someone who is not exactly Aretha Franklin herself, but scores a lot of extra points with her personality and charisma (although I like Katy, don't get me wrong).

Katy Perry, Kara: Idol Drama!
entertainment and showbiz

Katy Perry appeared as a guest judge on American Idol for the Los Angeles auditions and the singer gave a tough time to the show's regular judge Kara DioGuardi. When Dio Guardi was eager to send a contestant to the next round, Perry didn't agree with her she flatly said "no". But DioGuardi tried to played down their apparent differences "We used to be friends. We were, like, cool," she said during the show...

Katy Perry, Kara: Idol Drama!

General Larry Platt took America by storm with his Pants On The Ground anthem, chastising the young people for wearing their pants so low, but now another group of older men is claiming Platt ripped them off, saying their song "Back Pockets on the Floor" is the original that Platt stole.

The elder rap group Green Brothers called into a Detroit radio show this week, claiming that the original melody and theme to 'Pants on the Ground' actually belongs to them. Their song was called 'Back Pockets on the Floor'. The group posted this message a few days ago:

"This is in regards to the General Larry Platt "Pants on The Ground". His song is a take off of the Green Brothers song " Back Pockets On The Floor'. Back Pockets On The Floor was written by G. Green and was copyrighted and recorded by the Green Brothers in 1996. The General's song have the same intent, idea and in part the same message. YOU BE THE JUDGE AMERICA!! "

There are some similarities but I don't think these are really similar enough to prove that Larry Platt stole their idea, Surely many other people have commented that kids have their pants hanging down to the floor, it's an obvious thing to say, and could easily be a coincidence that Platt said "pants on the ground" after they said something similar. And besides them both rapping the two ditties are not really all that similar.

Pants On The Ground Ripoff?
clockondetroit

"American Idol" may have launched the "Pants on the Ground" craze, but it looks like the message may have been around for a while. Detroit's Green Brothers recently wrote Detroit TV station WJBK, claiming their 1996 song "Back Pockets on the Floor" has the same idea, intent and message of 62-year-old "General" Larry Platt's "Pants" song, which quickly became an Internet sensation. The group posted this message along with its video on YouTube a few days ago...

Pants On The Ground Ripoff?

Tylenol expanded a recall of its arthritis caplets this week, after more reports came in from consumers about a moldy smell in the caplet's containers, that was causing nausea and sickness.

It is a voluntary recall, that the company said was caused by trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole, that is involved in the packaging and handling of the product but accidentally caused a chemical reaction that brought the unpleasant smell.

They insist that there are no serious health risks from this issue with the arthritis medicine, and it would only cause short term discomfort if purchased. But they are still seeking to take it off the shelves with a wider recall, hoping to prevent any other arthritis patients from getting a bad dose of medicine. Fore more info on whether you may have the recalled pills, see below:

Tylenol Arthritis Caplets: Nausea and Sickness
wsj

Johnson & Johnson is expanding a voluntary recall of Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplets due to consumer reports of a moldy smell that can cause nausea and sickness. According to a statement posted to the Food and Drug Administration Web site late Monday, the New Brunswick, N.J., company is now recalling all product lots of Arthritis Pain Caplet 100-count bottles with the red, easy-open cap. Johnson & Johnson had recalled five lots of the product last month after consumers complained of a musty, mildew-like odor that triggered nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea.

Tylenol Arthritis Caplets: Nausea and Sickness

IMPORTANT RECALL NEWS: Tylenol's parent company J&J this week expanded their recall of arthritis caplets, after more reports came in from customers about a moldy smell in the caplet's packaging, causing nausea and sickness.

It is a voluntary recall, because of a problem caused by trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole, used in the packaging and handling of the product but accidentally caused a chemical reaction that brought the unpleasant smell.

Johnson & Johnson reps insist that there are no serious health risks from this issue with the arthritis medicine, and it would only cause short term discomfort if purchased. But they are still seeking to take it off the shelves with a wider recall, hoping to prevent any other arthritis patients from getting a bad dose of medicine. Fore more info on whether you may have the recalled pills, see below:

Tylenol Arthritis Caplet, Moldy Smell?
wsj

Johnson & Johnson is expanding their voluntary recall of Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplets due to consumer reports of a certain moldy smell that can cause nausea and sickness. According to a statement posted to the Food and Drug Administration Web site late this past Monday, the New Brunswick, N.J., company is recalling all product lots of Arthritis Pain Caplet 100-count bottles with the red, easy-open cap. Johnson & Johnson had already recalled five lots of the product last month after consumers complained of a peculiar musty, mildew-like odor that triggered nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea.

Tylenol Arthritis Caplet, Moldy Smell?

Scott Moore, who is making big news as the second recent case of a pregnant man, is seen by some as a great example of the healthy monogamous relationships that can come from a non "traditional family."

Scott and his partner Thomas are both transgender males, who were born as woen but felt all their lives they were meant to live as men. They met each other in a transgender support group, whether other men like them get help for dealing with all the difficulty that comes with that identity, in this society. By all indications they have built a very strong and stable relationship together, and will probably make excellent parents after all the work it took to make it this far. Some will probably see them as weirdos but I say more power to them, the more loving families we can have, the better.

Scott Moore: Transgender Support Group for Pregnant Man
telegraph

Scott Moore and his partner, Thomas, were both born as females and underwent surgery and hormone treatments to transform their sex. Scott, who is 30, is legally married to Thomas, with whom he lives in California, because he still has his female birth certificate. Scott and Thomas met in 2005 at a support group meeting for their fellow transgender men. Thomas began his transition aged 19, although he knew from the age of four that he wanted to be a man. Thomas, who used to be called be the name Laura, legally changed his name in 1998.

Scott Moore: Transgender Support Group for Pregnant Man

Scott Moore, the second pregnant man to make big news in recent times, knew all his life he was meant to be a man, even though he was born as a woman, but it wasn't until he was 16 that he was able to start making that transition.

When explaining how he became this way, Scott Moore says "I was always a tomboy but when I started to develop breasts I realised I'd been born in the wrong body. When I told my family, they thought I was crazy, but they gradually realised I was serious and allowed me to start taking male hormones when I was 16 years old." Now years later, he is able to be his true self while also still being able to have a child. Some may look down on this as weird, but I think it is a great triumph that Scott is able to live this way and make it work.

Scott and his partner Thomas are both transgender males, who met each other in a transgender support group, where other men like them get help for dealing with all the difficulty that comes with that identity. By all indications they have built a very strong and stable relationship together, and will probably make excellent parents after all the courage and togetherness it took to make it this far as a couple.

Scott Moore, Second Pregnant Man, 16 When He Became Man
telegraph

Scott Moore and his partner, Thomas, were both born as females and underwent surgery and hormone treatments to transform their sex. Scott, who is 30, is legally married to Thomas, with whom he lives in California, because he still has his female birth certificate. Scott and Thomas met in 2005 at a support group meeting for their fellow transgender men. Thomas began his transition aged 19, although he knew from the age of four that he wanted to be a man. Thomas, who used to be called be the name Laura, legally changed his name in 1998.

Scott Moore, Second Pregnant Man, 16 When He Became Man

Scott Moore, making headlines as the latest pregnant man in the news, has known for a long time he was a man that originally got trapped in a woman's body, and unlike many other transgender people who face severe judgment and rejection from their families, Scott Moore was fortunate to have very supportive parents who helped him embrace his identity from an early age.

Scott was able to start making the transition from woman to man while he was still a teenager thanks to his parents' understanding. The now pregnant dad explains: "When I told my family, they thought I was crazy, but they gradually realized I was serious and allowed me to start taking male hormones when I was 16 years old...We know some people will criticize us, but we are blissfully happy and not ashamed "

Count me among those who think they deserve to be happy, and should not be criticized at all, for wanting to have a loving family together. If only more "straight" couples were this committed to making a family work!

Scott Moore Pregnant Parents
dailynews

Congratulations, it's a boy - who will give birth next month. Two proud papas are expecting a baby boy in February, London's Daily Mail reports, in what will be the world's second known case of birth by a "pregnant man." "We know some people will criticize us, but we are blissfully happy and not ashamed," Scott Moore told the newspaper. Moore and his husband, Thomas, were both born female and have undergone surgery to change their sex...

Scott Moore Pregnant Parents

Scott Moore and his husband Thomas are the talk of the town as Scott carries their child to term as a rare case of a pregnant man. But despite all the media hoopla and lots of ridicule and negative judgment, they are taking the experience with lots of poise and humor.

Thomas already has two kids from a previous relationship, who have welcomed Scott as a new parent, and Scott says with pride that "now they call me 'dad two'" And they all look with equal pride at the prospect of welcoming this new child into the family, as Scott, who like Thomas was born a woman, brings this new child to term. Quite a unique couple, both able to live as men but also able to be legally married since one of them still has their female birth certificate. If they can make this work so well, it's hard to understand the logic behind all these laws that keep some people from sharing a loving family together.

Scott Moore, Thomas: "now they call me dad two!"
dailymail

A transgender couple have revealed they are expecting their first baby in a month's time. Scott Moore - thought to be only the second 'pregnant man' to go public - is due to give birth to a boy in February, with husband Thomas by his side. The couple were both born girls and have undergone surgery to transform their sex.

Scott Moore, Thomas: "now they call me dad two!"

Will Tiger Woods get a warm response if and when he finally returns to playing golf? At least one fellow golf pro says he will welcome tiger back with open arms, no matter what happened while he was away.

Kenny Perry says he will "give him a hug and shake his hand" as soon as Tiger Woods hits the PGA tour again. Perry was interviewed about it during the Qatar masters tournament and gave his full moral support to the suddenly troubled superstar, struggling to deal with his marital problems and currently in sex addict rehab. Perry went on to say "The game of golf will go on with Tiger or without him because there is no man bigger than the game. But I think Tiger needs to come back. I think you know we are his family, too. So if he comes back I think he will get a lot of support from the players."

Kenny Perry Woods

espn

Kenny Perry will give Tiger Woods a warm welcome when he returns from his self-imposed absence from golf. "I am going to give him a hug and shake his hand," Perry said Wednesday as he prepared for the start of the Qatar Masters, the American's first appearance in a European Tour event. Woods has been away from the game since his Nov. 27 car crash in Florida and subsequent revelations of marital infidelity. He has still not said when he will return to the PGA Tour....

Kenny Perry Woods

After all the pageant controversy last year with Perez Hilton asking difficult questions of the contestants, this year Miss America may court even more scandal, as they bring in outspoken radio host and conservative leader Rush Limbaugh to judge this year's Miss America pageant.

Rush Limbaugh has caused countless controversies over the years, and his previous attempt at stepping outside of politics ended badly when he made unfortunate racial remarks about quarterback Donovan Mcnabb, during his brief stint as an NFL commentator, So some may wonder whether a similar mishap is coming during this Miss America telecast, but the pageant's producers probably figure the more controversy the better, especially in this age when beauty pageants in general don't seem as relevant as they used to. And his talk radio ratings show Rush Lmbaugh knows how to make controversy work in your favor.

Limbaugh Miss America News?

The Miss America Organization said Rush Limbaugh will be a judge for the 2010 pageant in Las Vegas. It will be held at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on Jan. 30, broadcast live on TLC. Limbaugh will be on the panel of seven judges that will help decide who will be crowned Miss America 2010. The Miss America Organization said Friday when making the announcement that Limbaugh's radio program is in its 22nd year and is on nearly 600 radio stations with an audience of 20 million.

Limbaugh Miss America News?

Some real life consequences for a reality TV star, as the daughter of Danielle Staub of "Real Housewives of New Jersey" was found guilty of assault for an incident that apparently involved pulling hair extensions out.

The fight took place in New Jersey last year and made lots of news since it involved the cast of one of the top reality tv shows. Danielle Staub's daughter Ashley was accused of getting into a fight and pulling out another woman's hair extensions, leading to charges being pressed. The attorney for Danielle Staub and her daughter said "Ashley was found guilty of the simple assault charge and the judge dismissed the harassment charge. The judge was very sympathetic and I want to thank the prosecutor; when it came down to sentencing Ashley, Mr. Melani also expressed sympathy for Ashley and asked the judge to be extremely lenient."

Danielle Staub: Guilty (News)
northjersey.com

Ashley Holmes, the teenager accused of assaulting "Real Housewives of New Jersey" reality star Danielle Staub was found guilty in municipal court Friday and given a minimal fine. Judge Lawrence Katz said Holmes was guilty of one count of assault from the complaint by Staub. Prosecutor Tom Melani said said Holmes will have to pay a fine of $189, which includes the $33 court cost. "I was glad the cameras didn't show and the proceedings took place like any other proceedings in courts." Melani said...

Danielle Staub: Guilty (News)