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|February 2005 Archives
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Monday, February 28, 2005
· Bryant, accuser might have reached settlement. Attorneys in the sexual assault lawsuit against Kobe Bryant said Monday a long-awaited deposition by the NBA star was postponed, prompting speculation a settlement is in the works.
· Martha Stewart due to leave prison Friday. She gets out of prison Friday, and to hear her coworkers and friends tell it, Martha Stewart is hungry.
· BTK Suspect Confesses. Dennis L. Rader was arrested Friday and allegedly confessed to six of the killings that day, a source close to the investigation told The Associated Press. "The guy is telling us about the murders," the source said on condition of anonymity.
» DNA role in BTK suspect's capture questioned. The suspect in the BTK serial killings is awaiting his first court appearance, and there are conflicting reports on the role his daughter's DNA played in his arrest. A source close to the investigation told CNN on Sunday that the suspect's daughter did not provide DNA to investigators and was not involved in her father's capture.
· Teen knows more about sex than Jacko. The Los Angeles boy who has accused Michael Jackson of molestation told investigators that the singer was a naif when it came to "the birds and the bees," claiming that his alleged abuser "didn't know much. I knew more than he did." The surprising appraisal from the boy, now 15, came during a January 19, 2004 interview with Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department officials.
· Psst! Wanna buy an Oscar? Industry experts speculate that 150 Oscars have been sold since the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929 -- half of which are likely gray-market sales involving post-1950 statuettes. And those 8.5-pound golden statuettes are fetching as much as $1.5 million on the open market. Prices are lower for post-1950 Oscars because they can't be sold again as easily, but a big-name Oscar rarely goes for less than $60,000.
· It's a knockout for 'Million Dollar Baby.' "The Aviator" had more Oscars, but it was "Million Dollar Baby" that scored the knockout punch at the Academy Awards Sunday night. The Clint Eastwood-directed film about a female boxer, her crusty trainer and the trainer's ex-boxer right-hand man won four Oscars: best picture, best actress (Hilary Swank), best supporting actor (Morgan Freeman) and best director.
» Tim Robbins 'gestures' at Academy host. Oscar presenter Tim Robbins makes a gesture toward host Chris Rock, after Rock's comments about his politics during the 77th Academy Awards.
» Rock Comes Out Swinging As Oscar Host. Apropos for an Oscar ceremony in which the boxing movie "Million Dollar Baby" was the big winner, host Chris Rock came out swinging Sunday night, unleashing his acerbic wit on anyone and everyone in Hollywood - including himself. Rock kept it clean compared to the profanity that fills his standup comedy routine. But he slung the mud in a way that kept the audience laughing.
· Laci's Mom Spars With Scott's Kin. Police stood watch over the home once shared by Scott and Laci Peterson after Laci Peterson's mother angrily confronted Scott Peterson's family as they hauled furniture and other belongings from the vacant house.
· Oops! Suspects cell phone rings in on missing assault rifle case. Two men insisted they had no knowledge of an AK-47 used in an October shooting. They continued to stand by their story under questioning. Then their cell phones chimed in. As Detective Kevin Doran tried to silence the rings, he noticed one had interesting wallpaper - a picture of one of the suspects holding an AK-47. "A picture truly is worth a thousand words," said Capt. Joe Fair, the vice squad's commander.
· Social Security Overhaul Proposal. One new proposal emerging from the national debate on how to overhaul Social Security could make every American a millionaire at age 65. Upon each child's birth, the government opens an investment savings account in his or her name and puts $2,000 into it. The government puts another $2,000 into the account every year until the child turns 18. The money then would be left to grow at a compounded rate until the individual reaches the retirement age of 65. Assuming a 6 percent continuously compounding rate of return over 65 years, money in the account would exceed $1 million.
· Santa Maria braces for close-up. The site of Michael Jackson's child molestation trial has had brushes with celebrity before, as a stopover for the biggest stars of Hollywood's golden age en route from Los Angeles to the Hearst Castle and other Central Coast destinations.
· Federated to buy May for $10.4 billion. Federated Department Stores Inc., operator of Macys and Bloomingdales, has reached a deal to buy rival May Department Stores Inc. for $10.4 billion, according to a published report.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Anachronism [a·nach·ro·nism] n. One that is out of its proper, chronological, or historical order, especially a person or practice that belongs to an earlier time. [the sword is an anachronism in modern warfare].
· U.S. Mint releasing redesigned nickel. The U.S. Mint is releasing the latest in its series of redesigned five-cent coins today, honoring the 200th anniversary of the Lewis & Clark expedition and its patron, President Jefferson. The new nickels look quite a bit different than current ones. The front and back of the piece both feature a new engraving.
· Toy Fair Debuts Include 'Sith' Vader, Talking 'Scarface.' While a lot of companies debuted toys for films coming out this year, many are still pumping out product from classic films - and when one of them includes a talking version of Tony Montana, you know you're in for some fun.
· Death toll soars past 100 after car bomb blast in Iraq. A suicide car bomber drove into a crowd of people south of Baghdad and detonated his explosives on Monday, killing more than 100 people and wounding 130 in one of the deadliest attacks since the fall of Saddam Hussein, police and witnesses said.
· FCC rejects complaint involving 'Angel.' A love scene from the canceled TV show "Angel" that showed a female character turning into a vampire and biting her partner's neck did not overstep federal indecency rules, the FCC ruled.
Sunday, February 27, 2005
· A&E Placing Huge Bet on 'Sopranos' Reruns. A&E is placing a $195 million bet - and perhaps its future - on Tony Soprano's broad back. The basic cable channel's recent purchase of rights to telecast edited versions of HBO's "The Sopranos" for a record-shattering $2.5 million per episode is the new year's most significant television deal. The reruns will start in fall 2006.
· Stewart prepares for house arrest. Fashion designer Ralph Lauren lives next door. Billionaire financier George Soros is down the street. And on a nearby hill stands the house that patriot John Jay retired to after serving as the first U.S. chief justice. When Martha Stewart gets out of a West Virginia prison in the next week or so, she won't be moving into a typical halfway house.
· 'Mom swiped my identity.' One year out of high school and just starting her first job, Aimie McAllister got a call from American Express out of the blue telling her she owed $2,000 on her credit card. But the 20-year-old from Harlem had never owned a credit card, or even applied for one. Facing the nightmare of bad credit, the confused social worker came to a grim conclusion a credit card in her name was being used by her own mother.
· College weighs buyout for 'Nazi' professor. University of Colorado officials are considering offering Ward Churchill an early retirement package that could end an increasingly uncomfortable standoff with the controversial professor.
· Dems Back Meathead For Calif. Governor. California voters are in favor of another actor to face actor-turned-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 2006 election, according to a new statewide poll. Actor-director Rob Reiner leads a Democratic field that also includes Attorney General Bill Lockyer, state Treasurer Phil Angelides and Controller Steve Westly, the Field Poll said Friday.
· Millionaire John Gilmore is 'grounded.' John Gilmore's splendid isolation began July 4, 2002, when, with defiance aforethought, he strolled to the Southwest Airlines counter at Oakland Airport and presented his ticket. The gate agent asked for his ID. Gilmore asked her why. It is the law, she said. Gilmore asked to see the law. Nobody could produce a copy. To date, nobody has. The regulation that mandates ID at airports is "Sensitive Security Information." The law, as it turns out, is unavailable for inspection.
· Ancient geek treasures fetch modern moolah. The next time investors tell you your business plan isn't worth the paper it's printed on, tell them this: Christie's sold one at auction Wednesday for $72,000. Sure, it was J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly's 1946 plan to start what's billed as the world's first electronic computer company.
· The boxer and the billionaire. None of these best picture nominees has topped $100 million at the box office, leading some commentators to worry about the ratings for the big show.
· Warning: This may make you laugh. You've been warned - no matter how ridiculous that warning might appear. On dog treats, toilet seats, scooters and almost every product imaginable, companies are protecting themselves from lawsuits - or just plain clueless consumers - with a never-ending supply of disclaimers. Take, for instance, the warning label tagged onto a sporty children's scooter. "This product moves when used."
· $25,000 reward for information on missing girl. The father of a missing 9-year-old Florida girl made a tearful plea for public help in locating her Saturday, as authorities announced a $25,000 reward for information about her whereabouts. Atlanta Braves pitcher Mike Hampton and his wife Kautia have offered the $25,000 reward.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Nebulous [neb·u·lous] adj. 1. Lacking definition or definite content. 2. Lacking definite form or limits; vague: nebulous assurance in the verdict.
· Charles accuses Britons of 'torturing' him over Camilla affair. Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, has complained that his future subjects have "tortured" him over his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, a newspaper reported.
· Putting finger on male aggression. Men with index fingers shorter than ring fingers are more hostile, researchers say.
· Chemical In Non-Stick Cookware Causes Concern. A chemical used in the making of non-stick cookware and many other household products could be making you sick.
· FBI to Investigate Nun's Killing. Three FBI agents arrived in northern Brazil to investigate the killing of American nun Dorothy Stang.
· Beauty pageant fights HIV stigma. A dozen HIV-positive women donned flowing evening gowns and glittering jewelry to compete in a beauty pageant aimed at fighting the stigma that still surrounds the deadly virus in this AIDS-ravaged southern African country.
Saturday, February 26, 2005
· Schwarzenegger has no regrets about steroid use. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has acknowledged using steroids during his years as a champion body builder, said he doesn't regret using the performance-enhancing drugs.
· Bill Gates calls America's high schools "obsolete." America's high schools are obsolete," the Microsoft founder said. "By obsolete, I don't just mean that they're broken, flawed or underfunded, though a case could be made for every one of those points. By obsolete, I mean our high schools _ even when they're working as designed _ cannot teach all our students what they need to know today."
· LA Times editors vote Bono in as World Bank chief. The Los Angeles Times devoted its lead editorial to the proposition that Bono, the Irish frontman of rock band U2, "should be named the next president of the World Bank." No word yet on whether they propose Whoopi Goldberg to head up NATO.
· Mystery Witness Emerges in Jackson Case. On the eve of trial, a mystery witness has emerged in the Michael Jackson case and will be deposed by both the prosecution and defense in a rare weekend session at noon Saturday in Los Angeles. The surprise witness is reportedly a paralegal who worked for the attorney representing the accuser's mother when their family sued JC Penney and won a $137,500 settlement in October 2001.
· Amnesty International founder dead. Benenson, the founder of the human rights group Amnesty International, has died, the group has announced.
· Judge Rules Against Prayer At School Board Meetings. A federal judge ruled Friday that Congress and legislative bodies can open their sessions with prayers, but school boards do not have the same option.
· City promises billboard fame to shame 'johns.' Buy sex from a hooker in Oakland, and you may lose your car and see your picture plastered on a billboard or bus shelter.
· Japan Launches Space Rocket. Fifteen months after Japan's last liftoff ended in a spectacular fireball, an orange and white H-2A rocket blasted off Saturday on a mission officials hope will revive this country's once proud space program now languishing in China's shadow.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Furtive [fur·tive] adj. 1. Marked by quiet, caution or secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed. 2. Characterized by stealth; surreptitious.
· Update: Gunman kills ex-wife, bystander in Texas shooting spree. A man angry about being sued for unpaid child support opened fire with an AK-47 assault rifle outside the Tyler, Texas courthouse, killing his ex-wife and a man trying to help the couple's adult son.
· Derek Jeter Center In Boston? The owners of the FleetCenter are auctioning off naming rights to the facility for charity. You bid on eBay and get to re-name the facility for a day. Derek Jeter, of the New York Yankees, had his lawyer bid, according to the Boston Herald. The FleetCenter could be renamed the Derek Jeter Center Tuesday, unless officials decide to refuse the bid.
· Kraft caves in; halts production of controversial roadkill-shaped candy. It's a chewy candy complete with tire tracks, and it'll never see the light at the end of the tunnel. Kraft Foods has pulled its latest product - "Trolli Road Kill Gummi Candy" - after receiving complaints from New Jersey animal rights activists.
· Plane Lands In New Mexico To Drop Off Unruly Passengers. A Southwest Airlines plane heading from Phoenix to Philadelphia made an unscheduled landing in New Mexico. The plane reportedly landed at Albuquerque International Sunport after two unruly passengers would not calm down.
· School Board Bans Photo Of Girl Wearing Tux. Kelli Davis, 18, had her senior class photo taken in a tuxedo top and bow-tie outfit provided for boys rather than the gown-like drape and pearls provided for girls. The school's principal decided it could not appear in the yearbook because she didn't follow the dress code. Kelli, a straight-A student with no discipline problems, is a self-proclaimed lesbian. She said she was uncomfortable to have her chest exposed in the photo.
Friday, February 25, 2005
· Cops make arrest in 30-year-old BTK killings. Wichita police arrested a "person of interest" in BTK serial killer case Friday evening, turning him over to the FBI for questioning. The man was arrested in suburban Park City, just north of Wichita, and his home was subsequently searched. Police made the arrest near where one of the BTK killer's recent packages was left.
· Both Sides Rest in Blake Murder Case. Both sides rested their cases in the Robert Blake murder trial Friday after the prosecution presented a tabloid writer as its last rebuttal witness. "All sides have rested and the case is now concluded," Judge Darlene Schempp told the jury.
· Gay men share women's talents for map reading. Homosexual men share the same relatively poor map reading skills as heterosexual women, according to a new study. Earlier research found men better than women at finding their way around a "virtual reality" maze, relying on geometric cues while women rely more on landmarks.
· British Airways saves $192,000 flying broken jumbo jet across Atlantic. A British Airways 747 jumbo jet carrying 351 passengers made an emergency landing after a failed attempt to reach Heathrow airport. One of the engines blew during take-off in Los Angeles, but the pilot declined all opportunities to land in the U.S. and instead continued on three engines for 5,000 miles to Britain to save £100,000 (about US $192,300) on delay and cancellation fees.
To make matters worse, the Boeing 747 was unable to climb to its cruising altitude of 36,000ft and had to cross the Atlantic at 29,000ft, where the remaining engines performed less efficiently. When the pilot realized he was running out of fuel and would never make it to Heathrow, he made an emergency landing at Manchester airport, where he was met by four fire engines and thirty firefighters on the runway.
· Dentist chair takes a bite out of male bravado, dentists say. Put a guy in a dental chair, and he turns into a wimp. In a new survey of 171 Chicago area dentists, 49 percent said males are more anxious when it comes to dental appointments, while only 15 percent thought females were the scaredy-cats.
· Frantic search for Florida girl. In a case reminiscent of the disappearance of Elizabeth Smart, a 9-year-old girl vanished from her bedroom, leaving her despondent father and grandparents on a hunt to find her. Jessica Marie Lunsford of Florida was last seen about 10 p.m. Wednesday when her grandmother put her to bed, and seemingly disappeared without a trace. Jessica is 4-feet-10 inches tall, weighing 70 pounds, with light brown shoulder-length hair and brown eyes.
· Model airplanes are the real stars of The Aviator. Hollywood's biggest names are in front of and behind the camera in Martin Scorsese's award-winning film epic "The Aviator." But what has thrilled audiences across the world and pushed the limits of cinematography are the true-to-life mechanical stars in the film, 3 of the largest and fastest radio-controlled scale model aircraft ever constructed and flown.
» Behind the scenes - The model builder. These amazing flyable models were unmanned scale versions of Howard Hughes airplanes built by Aero Telemetry of Huntington Beach, Ca.
· Court: Man Can Sue Over Surprise Pregnancy. An appeals court said a man can press a claim for emotional distress after learning a former lover had used his sperm to have a baby. But he can't claim theft, the ruling said, because the sperm were hers to keep.
· Milk can cause acne, says new research. Women who drink two or more servings of skimmed milk every day are 44 per cent more likely to have developed severe acne, the study, reported in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, said.
· Wife details family gathering with Thompson dead in chair. Hunter S. Thompson heard the ice clinking. The literary champ was sitting in his kitchen chair, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot through the mouth hours earlier. But a small circle of family and friends gathered around his dead body telling stories with, as he wished, glasses filled with his favored elixir Chivas Regal on ice.
» Widow: Thompson Shot Himself on Phone. The widow of journalist Hunter Thompson said her husband killed himself while the two were talking on the phone. "I was on the phone with him, he set the receiver down and he did it. I heard the clicking of the gun."
· Disney Sells Mighty Ducks Hockey Team. The Walt Disney Co. has sold the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to billionaire Henry Samueli and his wife Susan, the new owner announced Friday.
· Jackson Jury to Hear Evidence on Mother. Jurors in Michael Jackson's child molestation trial will be allowed to hear evidence that the accuser's mother had made allegations of improper touching against store security guards, a judge ruled Friday.
· Latest Cyber-Security Breach. In the financial world's latest cyber-identity crisis, Bank of America today is warning the holders of at least 1.2 million of its federal employee credit card accounts that a major security breach may have left their account information exposed to theft or hacking, according to a senior U.S. official and Bank spokeswoman.
· Tel Aviv Suicide Bombing Kills Several. A suicide bomber blew himself up among Israelis waiting outside a nightclub near Tel Aviv's beachfront just before midnight Friday, killing several people, wounding dozens and shattering an unofficial Mideast truce.
· New twist to watergate break-in. a former Watergate investigator says the break-in was motivated by President Nixon's paranoia that the Democrats would find out that he had taken a $50,000 bribe from Howard Hughes.
· Men who tossed ticket now seek prize. Two men who say they bought a scratch-off lottery ticket and threw it away are seeking the $100,000 prize a woman claimed after she plucked it from a cafe's trash can.
· 'Basic Instinct 2' Will Have Bisexual Love. Sharon Stone says her character will have a bisexual relationship in the upcoming film "Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction." "There is lesbian love," Stone said in a recent interview with Access Hollywood. When asked if she would mind if life ever imitated art, the 46-year-old actress said with a smile: "Why not? Middle age is an open-minded period."
· Family: Heart Attack Victim Moved for Michael Jackson. A woman who had suffered a massive heart attack died after hospital personnel moved her out of a trauma room to accommodate a flu-stricken Michael Jackson, the patient's family said.
· New vacuum cleaner makes its own service calls. The new Dyson vacuum alerts the user if it has broken down or needs a replacement part. The owner then dials the number of the Dyson call center and holds the telephone receiver to the vacuum cleaner. The machine transmits a message telling engineers whats wrong and automatically orders any new parts that are needed.
· Court backs former Gov. Janklow's convictions. The state's highest court on Thursday upheld Bill Janklow's conviction for a 2003 crash that killed a motorcyclist, rejecting the former congressman's argument that there wasn't enough evidence for a guilty verdict. Ruling unanimously, the South Dakota Supreme Court also found that Janklow had received a fair trial.
· Ouch! Representative tells off colleague. Republican and Democratic leaders alike urged members to act more civil after Rep. Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs, warned a colleague on the House floor, "If you try that again, I'll ram my fist up your ass."
· The most expensive cars of the year. Average price of top 10 rides on the list are $351,000, and Saleen's S7, this year's most expensive car, costs $120,000 more than it did last year.
· Jewelry Store Robbed By Delivery Man Impostor. A man posing as a delivery worker and at least one other man robbed a jewelry store of its high-end watches, rings and other items Thursday night, according to Orlando police.
· California Judge Refuses to Jail Sizemore. A judge refused yesterday to lock up Tom Sizemore for possessing methamphetamine and for failing drug tests seven times this month.
· Viacom Loses $18.4 Billion After Writing Down Radio Business. Viacom Inc. reported today that it lost $18.4 billion in the fourth quarter last year, mainly because it took an $18 billion writeoff to reflect the declining value of its radio station operations, along with its outdoor advertising business.
· Fox's clean sweep. According to Nielsen estimates for the first three weeks of the February sweep, Fox led in adults 18-49 with a 7.0 rating/18 share, followed by CBS (3.9/10), ABC (3.8/10) and last place NBC (3.6/9).
· Man maced after asking cops to help dying dog. A Brooklyn man was pepper-sprayed when he brought his dying dog to his local police precinct, it was revealed yesterday.
· Update: Congress to Probe ID Theft Issues. A congressional committee will hold hearings on identity theft and information brokers following the revelation that personal data on millions of people was stolen from ChoicePoint Inc.'s databanks.
· Creatures frozen for 32,000 years still alive. A new type of organism discovered in an Arctic tunnel came to life in the lab after being frozen for 32,000 years. The deep-freeze bacteria could point to new methods of cryogenics, and they are the sort of biology scientists say might exist on Mars and other planets and moons.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Innocuous [in·noc·u·ous] adj. 1. Having no adverse effect; harmless. 2. Not likely to offend or provoke to strong emotion; insipid. [the seemingly innocuous e-mail actually contained a malicious virus].
· Nazi salute lands scientist in airport prison. A British scientist who gave the Nazi salute in an argument with an airport worker in Germany yesterday was arrested and fined $334.
· Wal-Mart hit with $7.5 million jury verdict. A New York jury ordered Wal-Mart to pay $7.5 million in damages to a disabled former employee in a class-action lawsuit in which he claimed the retailer unfairly reassigned him to garbage duty even though he was hired to work in the pharmacy department.
· Another TV Gig for Tarantino: 'CSI.' Quentin Tarantino, director of the "Kill Bill" movies, has signed to direct the season finale of CBS's "CSI." Tarantino also came up with an original story for the episode, the trade paper reports, adding that he "has long been a fan" of the procedural crime drama about a forensics team led by Gil Grissom (William Petersen).
· Paris Hilton worm spreads fast. A new worm that promises explicit pictures of hotel heiress Paris Hilton is rapidly becoming more common. Sober.K is replicating itself so much that it now accounts for 10 percent of all viruses detected in the last 24 hours.
· ABC News: UFO Interest Still Intense after Fifty Years. Aliens and UFOs have been such a staple of American pop culture it's hard to believe the fascination only began about 50 years ago. It started with a spark of interest, exploded, and continues to this day in a constant burn.
· Hey, genius, 'stop' means you STOP! A dimwitted dump-truck driver unleashed a torrent of woe in the Bronx yesterday when he ignored firefighters' pleas and sunk his 14-wheel rig into a cracked and flooding intersection.
· Man celebrates end of DUI classes with drinks. On the night he earned a certificate for completing a court-ordered alcohol education class, prosecutors said, a Franklin man went drinking to celebrate. He now faces four misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence and a felony charge of operating while intoxicated with a previous drunk-driving conviction in the past five years.
· Valentines cards prove the wrong medicine. A pharmaceutical company that sent anonymous Valentine's cards in a publicity stunt has been forced to apologize. The doctors and their partners are furious with the company after it sent cards saying "Now shall we tell everyone?" The cards caused so much distress that the company sent apologetic bouquets of flowers.
· Feds wants passenger names one hour before takeoff. The Department of Homeland Security is drafting a rule that will require airlines to pass on passenger manifest information as much as an hour before the departure of international flights bound for the United States, officials confirmed yesterday.
· Adelphia dumps porn plans. Adelphia, the large cable company that began this month to offer hard-core pornographic movies on its system, has stopped the practice and backed off its plans.
· Hollywood Files New Web Lawsuits. Hollywood's major movie studios filed a new round of lawsuits across the United States on Thursday against people who trade illegally copied films and TV shows on the Internet.
· Rapper 'C-Murder' Makes Video While Jailed. Rapper C-Murder, in jail in the New Orleans, La., area awaiting a murder trial, has angered the local sheriff with his plans to release a music video and compact disc, parts of which were recorded behind bars.
· How PC Motherboards Are Made. Producing and testing a single motherboard involves a mind-boggling host of automated machines, people and processes; so here's a detailed look at how motherboards are made.
· Update: Pope Undergoes Tracheotomy After Rush Back to the Hospital. Despite the operation's apparent success, both the procedure and the underlying conditions that made it necessary seem likely to intensify questions about the pope's ability to continue to lead the church if he remains badly debilitated.
· Population to top 9 billion by 2050. If you can believe the U.N., the world's population will rise from 6.5 billion to 9.1 billion by 2050, according to a United Nations survey released Thursday.
Thursday. February 24, 2005
· Hollywood Catches Case of Oscar Blahs. In the days leading up to the movie industry's most glamorous night, the Oscars, the word heard frequently around Hollywood this year is not glitz, or hype, or excitement. It is fatigue.
· Bin Laden gets branded. Swiss authorities have ruled that a Geneva-based half-brother of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has the right to use the family name as a trademark.
· Christian Slater files to end marriage. Christian Slater has filed a petition to end his five-year marriage to television producer Ryan Haddon.
· Lufthansa May Sue Over Bush Visit. Lufthansa, Europe's No. 2 airline, may seek damages for cancellations and delays from German authorities who temporarily brought the Frankfurt area to a standstill yesterday for a visit by U.S. President George W. Bush.
· Whitney Houston gets ill on airliner, taken to Paris hospital. Grammy-winning singer Whitney Houston got ill on an airliner bound for France and was taken Thursday to a Paris hospital for treatment of apparent food poisoning, her publicist said.
· Reports: At Least Three Shot Outside Texas Courthouse. A man with a high-powered rifle opened fire in the town square Thursday and shot at least three people, including a deputy.
· Shocker: J.Lo Comes Clean: She Is Married. Jennifer Lopez has confirmed that she and Marc Anthony are, indeed, husband and wife. "Yes, we're married," Lopez tells People magazine, on newsstands Friday. "I mean, come on, everyone knows. It's not a secret."
· Papers Allege Lohan's Dad's Death Threat. The father of teen movie star Lindsay Lohan threatened to kill his estranged wife and children, according to allegations in divorce papers. "O.J. Simpson has nothing on me," Michael Lohan allegedly told the family's security guard last year. "I know exactly how I'm going to kill (them). I know when I'm going to do it, and I'm going to enjoy it." [It makes a person wonder what he had planned for his 'Lohan family' reality show he was reportedly pitching to TV execs].
» Lohan's Dad Says Her Career Isn't Damaged. Lindsay Lohan's father says his headline-grabbing problems have helped - not hurt - his teenage daughter's career. "She's got more offers than ever now ... don't they say any publicity is good publicity?" Michael Lohan told ABC's "Primetime Live" in an interview to be broadcast Thursday night. "People don't want the good things, they want the dirt."
· Texas murder suspect: 'Everyone has this all wrong.' The man charged with killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend and her 7-year-old son told his wife from behind bars that "everyone has this all wrong." Stephen Barbee's wife of two months, Trish Barbee, 39, said she spoke to her husband for the first time since his arrest during a visit Wednesday at the Mansfield Jail.
· Enron's Lay, Skilling to Be Tried in Jan. 2006. The trial of former Enron Corp. Chairman Kenneth Lay and former Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Skilling for their role in the downfall of the energy giant will start on Jan. 17, 2006, a U.S. judge said.
· Hunter fined $18 million for forest fire. A lost hunter who started a forest fire in northern California while trying to keep warm was ordered to pay $18.2 million in restitution yesterday.
· Diplomat handcuffed, released in Internet child sex case. Virginia officials are waiting to see whether the federal government will revoke immunity for a foreign diplomat they say showed up expecting a tryst with a 13-year-old girl. Dr. Salem Al-Mazrooei, a diplomat from United Arab Emirates, has not been charged with any crimes, but Bedford County, VA Sheriff Mike Brown said if Al-Mazrooei's immunity is revoked, he will be charged with four felony counts of electronic solicitation of a minor.
· Peterson sentence may face 2nd delay. A judge's final word on whether Scott Peterson should be executed could be delayed again at a hearing Friday, sources said. Formal sentencing for the Modesto man, convicted of murdering his pregnant wife and their unborn child, previously was changed from Friday to March 11.
· Cereal Restaurant Pours Into New City. Chicago is getting some Snap, Crackle and Pop. The Cereality Cereal Bar and Cafe is opening a downtown cereal-only restaurant. The new outlet will be within two blocks of the Sears Tower.
· Paris Hilton: 'I want to apologize.' In an interview with Us Weekly magazine, on newsstands Friday, Hilton says: "I feel horrible that, once again, someone has invaded my privacy. I want to apologize to all my friends and family. I don't know why this stuff always happens to me, but I wish it wouldn't anymore.
· Big spender: Pervert offers $5 for sex. Police arrested an accused sexual predator, after they say he offered young girls $5 if they would perform sexual acts.
· Kobe Bryant to be questioned under oath Friday. Lawyers for the woman accusing Kobe Bryant of rape will get their first chance to question him under oath when they meet the basketball star Friday in Los Angeles.
· Was race an issue in Hitch casting? Casting Will Smiths love interest in Hitch was not a simple black or white decision. Will Smith says moviemakers were afraid to cast him in love with either an African-American or a white woman, so selected Cuban actress Eva Mendes so its worldwide audience - especially U.S. viewers - would not be offended.
· Pregnant Women Risk Murder in U.S., Report Finds. Murder is a surprisingly common cause of death among pregnant women in the United States, U.S. government researchers reported on Wednesday. "Homicide is a leading cause of pregnancy-associated injury deaths," Jeani Chang and colleagues wrote in the latest issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
· Soccer Team Ordered To Play In Empty Stadium. Paris Saint-Germain was ordered to play Saturday's French League game against Bastia in an empty stadium because of crowd trouble during a match against Metz in December.
· 'Daily News' worth a million. A New Jersey bank couldn't believe what a good son Staten Island lottery winner William Cousart was - until his 84-year-old mom produced a Daily News article that proved her $1 million check was good. Although Cousart - who went from leveraged to loaded when he won a $30 million jackpot - has been too busy to spend the loot, he found time to make his mom a millionaire. "I gave $1 million to my mom, and when she brought the check to the bank, they thought she was a fraud," Cousart, 54, said with a laugh yesterday. "She had to bring them the Daily News to prove I'd won."
· New Tech Finds the Face of Crime. Spotting suspects without ever leaving the station has become a reality for the Los Angeles Police Department.
· Pope back in hospital. Pope John Paul II has been taken back to hospital after suffering a recurrence of the flu that forced him to be hospitalized for 10 days earlier this month, the Vatican said.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Pragmatic [prag·mat·ic] adj. More concerned with practical results than with theories and principles [the CEO used a pragmatic approach to making his business a success].
· Toddler's Legs Broken Over Child's Mess. A woman in Kissimmee, Fla., has been charged with aggravated child abuse after allegedly confessing to throwing her 1-year-old to the ground and breaking his legs.
· Tiger Killed Near Reagan Library. Authorities shot and killed a tiger Wednesday that had been roaming the hills near the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The 600 pound cat was shot several hundred yards from soccer and baseball fields at the edge of a housing development.
· Cuba Makes War On Weed. Over 1,300 pounds of marijuana seized by the Cuban Border Guard went up in smoke in a steel plant furnace as some two dozen "mellow" journalists looked on.
· Chicken Feathers in PCs No Birdbrain Idea. Researchers are turning to an unlikely source to develop environmentally friendly computer components: the barnyard. Richard Wool, a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Delaware, wants to recycle discarded chicken feathers and use them to manufacture circuit boards, replacing petroleum-based components with keratin-based composites.
· 'Tibetan Healer' Arrested For Sexual Assaulting Patients. Sheriff's deputies are looking for victims of a self-proclaimed Tibetan healer. Reiki Master Ardi Galash, 50, was arrested in Poway for allegedly sexually assaulting his patients. Several people alleged that while they were being treated for assorted medical problems, Galash sexually assaulted them.
· 'Rabbit' keeps on surfing at 84. Legendary surfer Rabbit Kekai - at 84, the oldest competitor in international surfing events - has said hopes to continue boarding until he is 100. Kekai has ridden the daunting Pacific waves off the coast of Hawaii for nearly 80 years, and has long since been inducted into surfing's Hall of Fame.
· Mount St. Helens bubbling and boiling again. Mount St. Helens has shown an upswing in volcanic activity over the past two days, U.S. volcano scientists reported. Small collapses of hot rock from the south end of the lava dome - which is growing at a rate of about 15 feet per day - have sent several ash clouds upward and over the rim of the mile-wide crater
· Laci's Legacy. Salem, Oregon lawmakers are considering a new bill inspired by the case of Laci Peterson, the California woman who went missing on Christmas Eve, 2002. Laci's husband, Scott, was later convicted of killing her and their unborn son, Connor. The legislation would recognize the killing of a pregnant woman as the taking of two lives, instead of one under current state law.
· Toothpaste that fixes cavities as they appear. A toothpaste has been developed that can rapidly and seamlessly fix little cavities without need for drilling. Dental paste of synthetic tooth enamel could revolutionise treatment of tiny early lesions, says the study published today in the journal Nature by Dr Kazue Yamagishi.
· Cops say suspect offers cheesy bribe. Steven T. Denton, 32, was charged with a felony count of attempting to bribe a law officer after he allegedly offered to spring for McDonald's cheeseburgers in exchange for his release.
· Blind Man Accused Of Biting Guide Dog Charged With Animal Cruelty. A blind man who allegedly bit his guide dog has been charged with animal cruelty. David Todd is accused of sinking his teeth into the animal's head in a busy street, Scottish police said Thursday.
· Tabloids: Charles' wedding in 'shambles.' Buckingham Palace says Queen Elizabeth II won't be attending her son's wedding to keep the occasion "low key." Fat chance. "Queen's anger at wedding shambles," said London's Evening Standard newspaper yesterday, while The Sun headed its coverage "Royal bombshell."
· Police Say Dad Killed Toddler Who Refused Sandwich. A father is under arrest, charged with killing his 3-year-old daughter. The reason, police say, is that she wouldn't eat her peanut butter sandwich.
· Ring finger points police to fiance in theft. A Charlottesville man was charged with stealing wedding rings from Glassner Jewelers after his girlfriend accepted his proposal and returned to the store on Valentines Day to have the rings resized, authorities said.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
· Teacher Trifecta: Intern accused of sex with student. A 30-year-old teaching intern has been arrested in Sacramento after police found her with a 16-year-old male student in her car as the woman's toddler was strapped into a car seat in the back.
· 'Nazi' Colorado professor admits he's not an Indian. University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill finally addressed the issue of his ethnicity, admitting that he is not Native American. "Is he an Indian? Do we really care?" he said, quoting those he called his "white Republican" critics. "Let's cut to the chase; I am not," he said. Pedigree is "not important," Churchill added.
· Martha Stewart may return as CEO. Currently imprisoned on an obstruction-of-justice conviction, Stewart still faces a civil case that could prevent her from running the company she founded. However, the Securities and Exchange Commission, which has hit Stewart with civil insider-trading charges, recently told her lawyers that it would consider a settlement deal that wouldnt require her to be barred for life from running her company.
· Author Regrets Secretly Taping Bush Talks. An old friend of President Bush who secretly recorded their private conversations and released them to the media said he has regrets and is turning the tapes over to Bush.
· Bob Dylan blasts rock bands. Bob Dylan has launched a withering attack on contemporary rock bands in latest tour. "I know there are groups at the top of the charts that are hailed as the saviours of rock'n'roll and all that, but they are amateurs."
· Bank robber calls in to radio show, admits crime. The phone call to a popular Chicago talk show could go down as one of the dumbest acts by a criminal in recent times, authorities said.
· College gets money to teach bedside manners. A woman who got bad news from a rude doctor has left nearly $2 million dollars for the Medical College of Ohio to teach its students better bedside manners. School officials say her doctor called her and told her she had a terminal form of the disease, then hung up on her.
· Witness: Blake's hands too clean to have fired gun. A forensic scientist testifying at Robert Blake's murder trial said gunshot residue found on the actor's hands could have come from touching his wife's body or the car in which she was shot to death.
» Defense Rests in Robert Blake Murder Case. Robert Blake's defense rested its case Wednesday without calling him to the stand, but he was able to tell jurors his story in a videotape of a TV interview that was played in court.
· Mayors charged in corruption sting. Eleven local officials in northern New Jersey - including three small-town mayors - have been charged in a federal corruption sting. Ten of the Monmouth County officials were accused Tuesday of extorting cash bribes and free work from a contractor who was working undercover for the FBI, and the other was charged with money laundering, prosecutors said.
· Michael Jackson jury of peers chosen - no blacks. The panel includes four men and eight women, ranging in age from 20 to 79. None are African-American, despite efforts by the pop star's attorneys to secure at least one black juror on the panel.
· For money, Canseco says he will prove he told truth. Jose Canseco is so certain of what he has said in his book Juiced, that he revealed plans to stage a pay-per-view polygraph examination. Taking a lie-detector test before a paying public, he said, would be "the straw that breaks the camel's back."
· Pictures show final moments of couple killed in tsunami. The three sons of a couple from North Vancouver killed in Thailand during the tsunami disaster have received pictures of their parents' final moments, including images of the deadly waves. The camera was destroyed but its memory card was salvaged.
· Screens hide crashes from curious drivers. Massive curtains were drawn yesterday at the scene of a tractor-trailer rollover on Interstate 93 north in Somerville, where MassHighway utilized its newest weapon against traffic snarls caused by rubber-necking drivers.
· Florida prosecutor arrested after running naked into wrong car. A state prosecutor in Florida's island city of Key West is under arrest after he allegedly ran naked and drunk across a parking lot and hopped into the wrong car.
· Death wish. "Gonzo" journalist Hunter S. Thompson told his son he wanted "a great funeral I want my ashes shot out of a cannon," before he walked into his kitchen and shot himself in the head, a close friend of the legendary writer said yesterday.
» Thompson probably planned suicide. "I think he made a conscious decision that he had an incredible run of 67 years, lived the way he wanted to, and wasn't going to suffer the indignities of old age," friend Douglas Brinkley said in a telephone interview from Aspen. "He was not going to let anybody dictate how he was going to die."
· 97-Year-Old Grandmother Arrested In Drug Raid. A 97-year-old great-grandmother was arrested Tuesday after police in Portland raided a suspected drug house located across the street from an elementary school.
· How Paris Got Hacked. Like many online service providers, T-Mobile requires users to answer a "secret question" if they forget their passwords. According to the O'Reilly Network, for Hilton's account, the secret question was "What is your favorite pet's name?" By correctly providing the answer, any internet user could change Hilton's password and freely access her account.
· Chiquita to buy No. 1 salad firm. Chiquita Brands International announced this morning it has agreed to acquire the nation's No. 1 packaged salad maker, Fresh Express, for $855 million in cash.
· Didn't stop, so plainclothes cops beat me, exec sez. Just weeks after a bank manager was shot and killed by a man allegedly imitating a police officer, another Long Island businessman claimed Wednesday he was attacked by a pair of plainclothes cops driving an unmarked car after he refused to stop.
· Expert: Baby Swings May Trigger Dog Attack. Rocking your baby to sleep in a mechanical swing may trigger a deadly attack on the child by the family dog, a coroner warns.
· Ben Affleck to Play 'Superman.' Affleck has signed to play George Reeves the tragic actor who died under mysterious circumstances after portraying Superman in the eponymous 1950s TV series in a modestly budgeted indie film, "Truth, Justice and the American Way."
· Study Blames 20,000 Deaths A Year On Diesel Exhaust. Emissions from old diesel engines cause more than 20,000 Americans a year to die sooner than they would have otherwise, an environmental group estimated in an announcement yesterday.
· Nurses, teachers take on Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger made headlines in recent months by deriding political opponents as "girlie men" and ridiculing a group of nurses at a women's conference. Now, an effort to paint the state's teachers as little more than a balky special interest group has angered many critics.
· Lohan's dad proposes reality show. Lindsay Lohan's estranged father Michael, who was just arrested on DUI charges over the weekend, is keen to reconcile with his family - for a reality TV show. Although his wife Dina recently filed for divorce, Michael is hoping his family - including Freaky Friday star Lindsay - will warm to the prospect of appearing in a series on their lives.
· Andre Agassi and Roger Federer on top of the world. The duo played tennis on the roof of Dubai's Burj Al Arab hotel, where the helipad was replaced with artificial turf for a PR stunt on the world's tallest hotel.
» The 'Helipad Open' Photos. Enlarged photo gallery of this tennis paradise on a man-made island.
· New computer virus pretends to be FBI e-mail. The FBI warned Tuesday that a computer virus is being spread through unsolicited e-mails that purport to come from the FBI. The e-mails appear to come from an fbi.gov address. They tell recipients that they have accessed illegal Web sites and that their Internet use has been monitored by the FBI's "Internet Fraud Complaint Center," the FBI said.
· Update: Friends Seek Answers In Violent Deaths Of Texas Woman, Son. Lisa Underwood was devoted to her 7-year-old son and excited about soon having a baby girl. Friends said she was planning to raise her daughter without help from the baby's father. Stephen Barbee told investigators that when he went to her home Friday night, Underwood kicked him in the leg and he punched her in the face several times, causing her nose to bleed. Police records show he held her on the floor and suffocated her.
· Ore. Seniors Allowed to Play Bingo Again. The folks who play bingo at the Klamath Basin Senior Citizen Center are no longer outlaws. Five months ago, the Department of Justice contacted officials at the senior center after getting a complaint that bingo games were being played for cash. Nickels, to be exact.
· Identification of 9/11 remains comes to an end. Saying it has exhausted all DNA technology, the New York City Medical Examiner has halted the process of identifying human remains from the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center site. Family members are to be notified by telephone calls and letters saying that further positive identifications are not expected, leaving more than four out of 10 families with no recovered remains for burial.
» 1,000 Lost Souls. A heartbreaking milestone, long dreaded by the families of many World Trade Center victims, has sadly arrived more than three years after the towers collapsed. The city medical examiner's office has exhausted all of its attempts to identify the remains of those killed at Ground Zero - robbing more than 1,000 families of at least a small measure of comfort.
· Martha Stewart Living May Make a Comeback. When Martha Stewart is released from prison next week, the doyenne of domesticity will return to the multimedia company she founded which faces a much brighter outlook than when she was convicted of lying about a stock sale only a year ago.
· Mom Arrested For Smoking Around Her Kids. A Virginia woman has pleaded guilty to smoking - after being ordered by a judge not to light up around her two children.
» Update: Plea bargain lets smoking mom avoid jail. A Virginia woman has pleaded guilty to smoking after being ordered by a judge not to light up around her children but a plea agreement allowed her to avoid jail time.
· Twenty Dismissed From Jackson Jury Pool. After two weeks of delays, jury selection resumed Tuesday in the Michael Jackson case with attorneys dismissing half the number of jurors they are allowed to dismiss at will.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Diminutive [di·min·u·tive] adj. Extremely small in size; tiny. A very small person or thing [a diminutive report].
· Apple unveils more iPods. The No. 1 seller of portable digital music players introduced a six-gigabyte iPod mini and 30- and 60-gigabyte models of the iPod photo with a color screen.
· Sirius Gets NASCAR Broadcast Rights. In the latest push to ramp up its programming slate, Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. announced Tuesday that it had reached an agreement to broadcast NASCAR races and related events over a five-year period beginning in 2007 for $107.5 million, luring the broadcast rights away from rival XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.
· Supermodel Speaks About Addiction Battle. Supermodel Naomi Campbell says cocaine addiction drove her "to the bottom of the barrel," and that if she hadn't stopped, it would have led to "some self-destructive thing."
· Magid: What Paris Hilton Has Done For You. Names and numbers from Paris Hiltons cell phone have been stolen - possibly by a hacker. This may turn out to be Ms. Hiltons greatest contribution to mankind. Thanks to her, you can bet that the entire mobile device industry will focus a lot more attention on security.
· Jessica Simpson Hospitalized With Stomach Virus. Jessica Simpson was briefly hospitalized in Chicago for a stomach virus while shooting a segment for "The Oprah Winfrey Show," the singer's spokesman said Tuesday.
· Prince Receives NAACP Vanguard Award. Prince may be a man of many names, but the NAACP likes his image regardless. The "Purple Rain" singer will be honored with the 2005 NAACP Vanguard Award in a Los Angeles ceremony.
· Wrong Man Arrested At His Grandmother's Florida Funeral. A man was arrested at his grandmother's funeral because Broward County sheriff's deputies thought he was a murder suspect. But it turned out they had the wrong man.
· German town banks on lottery to help budget. The small community of Blumberg near the border with Switzerland is banking on a win on Germany's national lottery to fill a large gap in its finances.
· Boy accused of assault with rubber band. A young student in Orange County, Fla., was suspended for 10 days and could be banned from school over an alleged assault with a rubber band.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
· Crackdown targets work-at-home scams. Authorities have cracked down on scores of "scam artists" across the United States who cheated thousands of consumers out of millions of dollars with illegal business ventures, officials said Tuesday.
· Bonds blasts Canseco, calls reporters liars. Barry Bonds called reporters liars, and pointed to problems in the world he considers much more important than steroids, such as alcoholism and drug abuse. Asked directly whether hed ever used illegal substances, he said: Im not a child. You repeat those things to children and then eventually they tell you. I dont.
· Texas man says he suffocated pregnant woman, son. A man was arrested and charged Tuesday with murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend and her 7-year-old son, who disappeared from their home over the weekend. Stephen Dale Barbee, 37, admitted arguing with Underwood over leaving his wife, according to court papers. Barbee allegedly said he suffocated Underwood, then did the same to the boy after he interrupted the attack. Court papers said Barbee was the father of Underwood's fetus.
· Tom Cruise sets up Scientology tent on movie set. In the upcoming Steven Spielberg remake of War of the Worlds, there's been an invasion of another sort: Scientologists. Tom Cruise, the film's star and the religions most well-known adherent, has set up a Scientology tent with a volunteer minister. "It's a gift from Tom to the crew," says Cruises spokeswoman.
· HP sued over printer cartridge expiration. A Georgia woman has sued Hewlett-Packard claiming the ink cartridges for their printers are secretly programmed to expire on a certain date, rendering them useless before they are even installed in a printer.
· Man In Uniform Falsely Tells Army Wife Her Husband Died In Iraq. Military police are investigating a cruel hoax in which a man wearing an Army dress uniform falsely told the wife of a soldier that her husband had been killed in Iraq.
· Muslim American Charged With Plot to Assassinate Bush. Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, 23, a former high school valedictorian in Virginia was charged Tuesday with conspiring to assassinate President Bush and conspiracy to support the Al Qaeda terrorist network.
· Queen Elizabeth Won't Attend Royal Wedding. On Tuesday night in London, Buckingham Palace announced Queen Elizabeth II will not attend the civil marriage ceremony of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles.
· Accuser has history of changing his story. In March 1996, the then 7-year-old accuser became sick at school. He became upset, however, when a school official tried to call his mother, saying that she had beaten him and was afraid she would beat him again if the school notified her, according to Russell Halpern, the attorney for the accuser's father.
· Neighbor Sues Sean Connery for $30 million. A downstairs neighbor of debonaire James Bond actor Sean Connery has filed a $30 million lawsuit alleging he's a bully who's trying to force the family out of their New York townhouse.
· Pope Calls Gay Marriage Part of 'Ideology of Evil.' Homosexual marriages are part of "a new ideology of evil" that is insidiously threatening society, Pope John Paul says in a new book published Tuesday.
» Flashback: Cuban cigar chomping Kinky Friedman supports gay marriage. Author and Texas gubernatorial candidate, Kinky Friedman said "I support gay marriage. I believe they have a right to be as miserable as the rest of us."
· 'NYPD Blue' Ending After 12 Years. "NYPD Blue" - which ends its 12-year run 10 p.m. EST March 1 - had no intention of being polite. Building on creator Steven Bochco's "Hill Street Blues," it was an in-your-face saga of cops whose lives were as troubled as the streets they protected.
· Judge Assures Jurors Jackson Was Ill. Michael Jackson returned to court Tuesday after a week's delay and the judge assured prospective jurors that the singer really had been ill and there was no plot to put off his child molestation trial.
· 'Miss America' May Become Reality Show. Failing beauty pageant may relaunch itself as multi-episode reality show. The pageant, dropped by ABC last year after historically low ratings, has inked a deal with William Morris and hopes to reinvent itself as a multi-episode reality show tracking contestants in regional competitions up to the live finale, according to Television Week.
· 'Saturday Night Fever' Dance Floor To Be Auctioned Off. The club may be closed, but the colorful dance floor where John Travolta strutted his stuff in "Saturday Night Fever" is staying alive. The flashing floor, which was saved when the club shut its doors last week, is being auctioned off.
· Traffic cameras have some seeing red. Virginia state legislators debated whether their red light cameras in place for the last decade should be eliminated. Red light cameras do not increase safety, says Eric Scrum with the National Motorists Association. Quite frankly, they are not a solution in any shape or form.
· The 10 greatest rock'n'roll myths. From strange deaths to blood transfusions and dubious fish-related practices, it's time to debunk the tallest tales. (Mature Content).
· T-Mobile spokesman confirms Hilton cellphone hack. A spokesman for T-Mobile confirmed Monday that information from Hilton's T-Mobile Sidekick has been posted online. "T-Mobile's computer forensics and security team is actively investigating to determine how Ms. Hilton's information was obtained," the company said in a statement. "This includes the possibility that someone had access to one of Ms. Hilton's devices and/or knew her account password."
· Oprah Finally Gets Her Ears Pierced. Oprah Winfrey fussed like a little girl Monday as she be came the last woman in the world presumably to get her ears pierced. The piercing was done live on her show by no less than a plastic surgeon.
· Police Shoot Man Attacking Trooper With Chainsaw. Police said 40-year-old William Henkle had called 911 and said he was having a heart attack. But when police and an ambulance arrived, he was outside the house in Wilkes-Barre with a chainsaw running.
· Police admit computer mix-up in serial rape case. A DNA sample that might have identified an alleged serial rapist two months before a series of rapes in Colorado was not matched to the suspect because of a computer glitch, police said Monday. In November, under questioning by police in suburban Aurora, Brent J. Brents confessed to molesting an 8-year-old boy, police said. However, he was not arrested.
· Chris Rock Clarifies Oscars Comment. Chris Rock wants to clarify what he meant when he said straight men don't watch the Oscars. "I did not say that. I said only gay people watch the Tonys," he joked Monday during an appearance on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno." But later he stuck to his guns. "I really don't know any straight men who aren't in show business that have ever watched the Oscars," he said.
· Designer fashion for Korean homeless. Some South Korean homeless are dressing in style after the government gave away thousands of fake designer garments confiscated by customs agents. The Korea Customs Service distributed more than 3,500 fake pieces in the southern city of Pusan this month with the permission of the fashion houses whose designs had been pirated.
· Conquering Minneapolis, step by step. At her brisk 120-pace-a-minute clip, Francine Cochran is in the third year of doing something that could well be unique in Minneapolis history: She is walking every one of the 1,071 miles of the city's streets and parkways.
· Yellow Pages Help Trace Trends Of Modern Life. Disco is out. Toupees barely hang on. And Botox and body piercing are in. Those are just some of the many changes over the years to yellow pages phone directories.
» Latest trend? "Guys" carrying a purse. Guys are grasping the benefits of carrying, go ahead and say it, a purse. It takes a big man to carry a lady-like bag. Wallets, cell phones, keys, PDAs, laptop computers - even the deepest of pockets can't hold everything the average guy is hauling around these days.
· Land war goes before Supreme Court. A fight by homeowners to save their New London, Connecticut, neighborhood from city officials and private developers - an important property rights case with an unusual twist - will reach the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday. At issue is whether governments can forcibly seize homes and businesses, for private economic development. Under a practice known as eminent domain, a person's property may be condemned and the land converted for a greater "public use." It has traditionally been employed to eliminate slums, or to build highways, schools or other public works.
· Poll: Americans sick of the UN. The United Nations is paying a high price for such scandals as the oil-for-food mess, as 42 percent of Americans now have a negative view of the world body while just 37 percent rate it favorably, a new poll shows.
· Mexican Assassins A Growing Threat. Dallas and federal officials say eight to 10 Zetas - former members of the Mexican army who defected to Mexico's Gulf drug cartel in the late 1990s - have been operating in North Texas since 2003. At least three drug-related slayings in North Texas are being blamed on them.
· Winn-Dixie Files Bankruptcy To Reorganize. Supermarket giant Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. said Tuesday it has filed for bankruptcy reorganization, less than two weeks after reporting decreased revenues and increased losses from a year ago.
· Author: I should give tapes to Bush. The author who secretly recorded his conversations with then-Gov. George W. Bush told CNN Monday he should give the tapes to the president despite lucrative offers to sell them.
· Study finds Tennessee has lowest rate of drug abuse. A federal study doesn't indicate why, but says Tennessee had the lowest rate of alcohol and marijuana abuse among the states. The two-year study found about six percent of Tennessee residents 12 and older had abused alcohol in the past year - about seven and a half percent had abused marijuana.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Austere [aus·tere] adj. 1. Markedly simple without adornment or ornamentation. [an austere office] [an austere style of writing]. 2. Strict or stern in appearance or manner [an austere critic].
· Mobile Phone Virus Found in United States. The world's first mobile phone virus "in the wild" has spread to the United States from its birthplace in the Philippines eight months ago, a security research firm said.
· Celebrity Chatter: Awards You'll Never See. Have You Had Enough Of Awards' Shows? Remember when the Academy Awards were the only game in town? One person's account of being SAGged out, BAFTAed, and Grammied to the point of overload.
· Televangelist Gene Scott Dies at Age 75. Gene Scott, the shaggy-haired, cigar-smoking televangelist whose eccentric religious broadcasts were beamed around the world, has died, a family spokesman said.
» "You're watching Dr. Gene Scott's program." He's unpredictable, entertaining, ridiculous and brilliantly inspired. Puffing a cigar, harassing a visibly shaken staff, delivering hateful missives against the FCC. He's the Bill Hicks of adult preachers, cracking jokes with impeccable timing and delivery.
· Falwell Hospitalized With Infection. The 71-year-old Falwell was taken Sunday to Lynchburg General Hospital after falling ill at a church service. He had battled a severe cold last week and saw a doctor Friday.
· 18th-century penny sells at auction for $437,000. A copper penny minted in 1792 and kept in a tobacco tin for decades was auctioned Monday for $437,000.
Monday, February 21, 2005
· Company buys Johnny Carson's boyhood home. Johnny Carson's boyhood home has been sold to a private developer. The Georgia-based company called Historic Properties bought the five-bedroom home where Carson lived from the age of eight to 18 in Norfolk, Nebraska.
· Mexican schools provide drug songs. Mexico's school libraries are stocking a book that includes the lyrics of "narcocorridos" - folk songs that glorify drug traffickers - causing a storm of criticism in a country where the drug market and its violence have become part of life in thousands of communities.
· Bill To Bar Eating Cats, Dogs Stirs Debate. A state legislator is pushing a bill that would ban the slaughter of dogs and cats for food, drawing protests from members of some Asian ethnic groups who believe the measure is aimed at unfounded and racist stereotypes of their cultures.
· Swazi king bans pictures of his many cars. Swaziland's King Mswati has barred photographers from taking pictures of his growing fleet of royal limousines amid criticism that his most recent purchase - a new $500,000 Daimler Chrysler Maybach 62 - is an embarrassment considering Swaziland is one of Africa's poorest countries, whose residents often go without food and suffers one of the world's highest AIDS infection rates.
· Actress Jessica Alba Says She's Done Sleeping Around In Hollywood. Jessica Alba is finished with actors and sleeping around. The "Dark Angel" star adding that she went through "a wild period" when she had no problem being with a guy just for sex.
· Madame Tussaud sculptors 'break up' Pitt and Aniston. Sculptors in London's Madame Tussaud's museum were forced to break up a waxwork figure of Hollywood superstars Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston embracing following their separation.
· ID Theft Victims Seen In All 50 States. ChoicePoint Inc. admitted Monday that residents in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and three U.S. territories may have been affected by a breach of their credentialing process in which criminals gained access to their massive database of consumer information.
· Soldier stunned by kid's letters. An American soldier overseas is fuming over 21 letters he received from Brooklyn middle-school children accusing GIs of destroying mosques and killing civilians in Iraq.
· Russian Scientists Develop Tablet to Prolong Drunkeness. Russian scientists have developed a product that can keep a person drunk, Britains Daily Telegraph wrote. The tablet called RU-21 Red was developed in Spirit Sciences, a laboratory based in California but with research facilities in Russia.
· 'Paris' calls are driving celebs crazy. After Paris Hilton's cellphone was hacked over the weekend, the Internet was flooded with the private phone numbers of celebrities across the country.
"I got 100 calls in two hours," said Victoria Gotti. "I didn't want to take the phones off the hook because my oldest son was out on a date. "This went on all night," said the peeved reality TV star and writer. "Finally, at 5:30 a.m., I took them off the hook. This morning, I put them back on and they started ringing immediately. It's driving me insane."
· John Raitt, Father of Bonnie, Dies at 88. Though in his later years he joked that he had become best known as singer Bonnie Raitt's father, John Raitt was famous in his own right as the robust baritone who livened musicals such as "Carousel" and "The Pajama Game."
· Hunter S. Thompson shoots self in head. Hunter Stockton Thompson, who coined the term "gonzo journalism" to describe the unique and furiously personal approach to reportage exemplified in his 1972 book "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," died Sunday night of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his Woody Creek home. He was 67, family members said.
» Hunter Thompson's last column. Thompson's last column was a meandering story of his new brain-child: Two-player golf where one hits the ball - and the other blows it out of the air with a shotgun. Thompson calls Bill Murray at 3:30am for his expert advice.
· Smith flick still 'hitched' to top spot. Keanu Reeves went to hell and back, but he could not unhitch Will Smith from the top of the box office. Smith's romance "Hitch" remained the No. 1 weekend movie with $31.8 million, narrowly beating Reeves' demonic thriller "Constantine."
· Rooney: No Place To Hide From Ads. Vogue is a beautifully done magazine but the table of contents is on page 28. Everything before that is advertising. Then there's another 46 pages of ads before the editor's page. The first little article is on page 82.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Duplicitous [du·plic·i·tous] adj. Given to or marked by deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech.
· Cremated remains of 5,000 people found in Oregon. The cremated remains of over 5,000 patients unclaimed by their families sit on shelves in an abandoned building on the grounds of the Oregon State Hospital. They symbolize the loneliness, isolation, shame and despair too many patients of the hospital experienced.
· Update: Lohan's dad arrested after fiery crash. The father of teen movie star Lindsay Lohan was arrested Saturday following a fiery car crash and charged with driving while intoxicated, police said.
· Man kills friend he thought was carjacker. An off-duty correctional officer shot and killed a lifelong friend and co-worker Saturday whom he mistakenly believed was trying to carjack a vehicle being driven by his wife, police said.
· Poster girl is stripped. Vandals have been tearing pasted on underwear off a controversial lap dancing poster. A red bra and matching pants were added to ten city hoardings four days ago after complaints from the Advertising Standards Authority about the naked model on all fours.
· Court Won't Reconsider Anna Nicole Ruling. A federal appeals court has declined to reconsider a ruling that former Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith is not entitled to $88.5 million from the estate of her late husband.
Sunday, February 20, 2005
· Actress Sandra Dee dies at age 63. Actress Sandra Dee, the blond beauty who attracted a large teen audience in the 1960s with films such as Gidget and Tammy and the Doctor and had a headlined marriage to pop singer Bobby Darin, died Sunday.
· Shut the cell up. Unsuspecting cellphone users may find themselves saying that more often now that cellphone jammers illegal gizmos that interfere with signals and cut off reception are selling like hotcakes on the streets of New York.
· How Not to make friends in Hollywood. Oops! Paris Hilton has been hacked, and her private phone numbers to the stars are flooding the Internet. The unhappy celebs include: Eminem, Lindsay Lohan, Christina Aguilera, Andy Roddick, Ashlee Simpson, Victoria Gotti, Vin Diesel, Anna Kournikova and many more!
· Man rides avalanche feet-first. A hiker fell about 1,000 feet down a mountain side, riding an avalanche feet-first - and suffered only minor injuries. "Extremely lucky," said Juab County, Utah Sheriff Alden Orme.
· Aerosmith's Tyler Separating From Wife. Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler and his wife of 17 years, Teresa, are separating, the singer announced Sunday.
· E-mail gaffe reveals HIV, AIDS names. A highly confidential list of the names and addresses of 4,500 Palm Beach County residents with AIDS and 2,000 others who are HIV positive was e-mailed Thursday to more than 800 county health department employees. The man responsible for the screwup, called in sick Friday and could not be reached for comment.
· U.S. newspaper industry struggling in digital era. The venerable newspaper is in trouble. Under sustained assault from cable television, the Internet, all-news radio and lifestyles so cram-packed they leave little time for the daily paper, the industry is struggling to remake itself.
· Deborah Gibson Poses Nude. If you have not seen much of Deborah Gibson lately, things are about to change. Gibson talks about her revealing "Playboy" photo shoot.
· Gordon wins third Daytona 500. Jeff Gordon grabbed the lead from Dale Earnhardt Jr., then held off Kurt Busch and Earnhardt in extra laps to win his third Daytona 500 Sunday - one of the wildest finishes in the 47-year history of NASCARs biggest race.
· Stern Guest Subpoenaed in Probe of Sirius. A regular guest on Howard Stern's syndicated radio show said he will testify Wednesday in a probe of trading of Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. shares, which surged last fall when Stern announced he was moving his program to the company.
· Martha Stewart watches her fortunes soar from a jail cell. The 63-year-old homemaking queen will emerge from prison on March 6 more than $500 million richer on paper, after shares in her retail and publishing company soared on the back of a new reality television deal and higher licensing fees.
· Connery's ex-wife sparks alert. The buzzing electric toothbrush of a former wife of James Bond star Sean Connery sparked a security alert at an Australian airport on Sunday.
· Hurricanes May Have Uncovered Treasures In Fla. Waters. The hurricanes of 2004 may have uncovered sunken treasure buried for centuries off Florida's east coast.
· Johnny Carson - the Rolling Stone interview. A very candid interview of Johnny Carson from the Rolling Stone archives.
· Judge Sets Sept. 16 Trial Date for Spector. A judge on Thursday set a Sept. 16 trial date for famed rock 'n' roll producer Phil Spector, who is accused of fatally shooting a B-movie actress Lana Clarkson during a fight at his home.
· NASA Announces Launch Date For Next Space Shuttle Mission. NASA has set the date for its first shuttle launch since the Columbia disaster two years ago. NASA says it's looking to launch Discovery on May 15th.
» Elevator Man: Bradley Edwards Reaches for the Heights. Bradley C. Edwards, president and founder of Carbon Designs Inc., is the driving force behind the space elevator, a purportedly safer and cheaper form of transporting explorers and payloads into space.
· Woody still tormenting Mia Farrow. Mia Farrow has reopened the wounds of her scandalous break-up with Woody Allen in another startling public attack on the Oscar-winning filmmaker. In a heart-wrenching interview, Farrow tells of the trauma of seeing her long-time partner fall romantically for Soon-Yi Farrow Previn, her 21-year-old adopted daughter.
· Mistakenly Freed Inmate Returns to Prison. An inmate released by mistake by jail officials in Ohio arranged his own way back to the prison in Colorado where he still has two more years to serve. He even called to say he was on his way.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Altruism [al·tru·ism] n. Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness. (also 'Altruistic').
· Wallet of Alive survivor found in Andes. An American hiker in the Andes stumbled this week on the wallet of a survivor from the 1972 plane crash made famous in the movie Alive, which shocked the world with tales of eating human flesh to survive.
· Victoria Beckham Gives Birth to 3rd Son. David Beckham's wife Victoria - formerly known as "Posh Spice" - has given birth to the couple's third son, their spokesman said Sunday.
· British historian discovers couple married 81 years, a record. A British historian has discovered the tomb of a couple married for 81 years, accepted by Guinness World Records as historically unique.
Saturday, February 19, 2005
· Pervert priest scandal grows - 1,092 sex charges in 2004. Clergy sex abuse may no longer dominate the headlines, but 1,092 new allegations were made last year, with the scandal's price tag now topping $800 million, Roman Catholic officials said Friday.
· Radioactive, Chemical Sensors Part of Daytona Racing Security. Technology to detect radioactive, biological or chemical agents in the air has been acquired to help secure the Daytona International Speedway for the Daytona 500 and other races.
· Anorexia Bracelets Reveal Secret Society. They look like any bracelet you might buy at the mall. You probably wouldn't even notice if your child started wearing one, but these are not just any bracelet. They are a sign of membership in a disturbing world of underground Web sites, which connect people to a dangerous passion.
· Update: 'Contender' Suicide Leaves Questions. Plucked from a tough neighborhood in Philadelphia, Najai Turpin tried to emulate the "Rocky" story and rise from unknown boxer to inspirational star fighter. Days after police say Turpin, 23, shot himself in the head in a parked car outside the gym where he trained, those closest to him remained baffled about why he took his life.
· Is the new Dem chief a jokester - or racist? While caucusing with black Democrats, Howard Dean said "You think the Republican National Committee could get this many people of color in a single room," Mr. Dean said amid laughter. "Only if they had the hotel staff in here."
· Shock Jock Sirius Stock Probe. The Securities and Exchange Commission has launched an insider-trading probe of shock jock Howard Stern's deal to join Sirius Satellite Radio. In the two weeks running up to the blockbuster announcement last October, Sirius stock soared nearly 40 percent.
· ABC's Jackson Special Raises Questions. ABC News said it didn't pay for interviews on this week's Michael Jackson special - but some of the subjects were paid nonetheless.
· Blockbuster Sued Over Late Fees. New Jersey officials have panned the new "end of late fees" policy of Blockbuster Inc., the nation's largest movie-rental chain, charging it is misleading and incomplete. In a lawsuit filed Friday, the state charged that Blockbuster failed to disclose key terms in the policy, including that overdue game and film rentals are automatically converted to a sale on the eighth day after the due date.
· Police: Serial Rape Suspect in Custody. A man believed to be the convicted rapist who slipped through the hands of Aurora, Colorado officers in November after confessing to another assault was captured Friday after attacking a woman and stealing her car, authorities said.
· Update: Defiant fox hunters test limits of U.K. ban Hunters with gleaming horses and packs of eager hounds gathered Saturday in farmyards, country estates and muddy fields across England to test the limits of the governments ban on hunting with dogs.
· Dallas settles with 16 in fake drug frame-ups. The city of Dallas will pay about $5.7 million to settle lawsuits brought by 16 people who were jailed after paid police informants planted bogus drugs on them, two attorneys said Friday.
· Jury Finds Boston Herald Libeled Judge. The Boston Herald was ordered Friday to pay $2.1 million for libeling a Superior Court judge in articles that portrayed him as lenient toward defendants and quoted him making insensitive comments about a 14-year-old rape victim.
· 3,800 prank calls to 911 came from 1 house in Chicago. During the six-month period that ended Tuesday, 3,896 prank calls to Chicago's 911 emergency center were placed from a pair of phone numbers at a single West Side address.
· 'Mouthy' traveler gets luggage blown up. Get "snippy" with an airlines' ticket agent and you may never see your luggage again. That's the experience of Dr. Esha Khoshnu, a New Jersey psychiatrist traveling to San Diego. While changing planes in Phoenix, Khoshnu got testy at a Mesa Airlines ticket counter, reports KGTV news, saying, "If I had a bomb, you wouldn't find it."
Word of The Day by WordThink
Disingenuous [dis·in·gen·u·ous] adj. Not straightforward or candid; insincere or calculating. 'It was disingenuous of her to claim she had no financial interest in the legal case.'
· Upping The Ante In Bin Laden Hunt. U.S. officials are blanketing Pakistani television with more "Most Wanted" ads for Osama bin Laden and his terrorists. "You may get a reward of up to $25 million (and) be resettled to any new place with your family," the ads offer.
· Update: MLB pitcher's kidnapped mother rescued in raid. Venezuelan police stormed a mountain camp and rescued the mother of Detroit Tigers pitcher Ugueth Urbina from kidnappers Friday in a raid that left at least one of her abductors dead.
· Top 10 signs you're in danger of being fired. Worried that your job is not as secure as it once was? Is your employer downsizing, outsourcing, being bought out? Here are the signs to watch out for.
· Toys Getting High-Tech Bells and Whistles. Picture an Elmo or Winnie the Pooh plush doll that knows a child's name and favorite food, and tells stories and sings songs incorporating such personal details. Or a new version of Furby that recognizes voices and reacts with emotions from surprise to dismay, and responds to specific words a child says.
· Tatoo artist stakes a claim on Rasheed Wallace's arm. A Portland man who put a tattoo on the right arm of Detroit Piston Rasheed Wallace is suing to stop the forward from displaying the work in ads for Nike basketball shoes.
· Lohan's Father Arrested on DWI Charge. The father of teen movie star Lindsay Lohan was arrested Saturday following a fiery car crash and charged with driving while intoxicated, police said. A car driven by Michael Lohan, 44, left a road and struck a utility pole shortly after midnight in the Long Island town of Syosset, said Nassau County Police Sgt. Patricia Scalzo.
· New submarine can tap fiber-optic cables. The USS Jimmy Carter, set to join the nation's submarine fleet Saturday, will have some special capabilities, intelligence experts say: It will be able to tap undersea cables and eavesdrop on the communications passing through them.
Friday, February 18, 2005
· TV Weatherman Gets 5 Years For Child Sex Solicitation. A longtime South Florida TV weathercaster was sentenced Friday to five years in federal prison in an Internet child sex sting involving an undercover detective posing as a 14-year-old boy.
· Tsunami Uncovers Ancient City in India. Archaeologists have begun underwater excavations of what is believed to be an ancient city and parts of a temple uncovered by the tsunami off the coast of a centuries-old pilgrimage town.
· The Last Supper. Dennis Bagwell, 41, was the third person executed this year in Texas. For his last meal, Bagwell requested a steak with A1 sauce, six pieces of fried chicken, barbecued ribs, two hamburgers, a pound of fried bacon, a dozen scrambled eggs, french fries, onion rings, salad with ranch dressing, peach cobbler, ice tea, milk and coffee. [A coroner will determine whether it was the lethal injection - or all the food - that actually killed him].
· Smoking Gun Smokes Out Jackson Case? Has the gagged Michael Jackson molestation case been unbound? The Smoking Gun on Thursday published 805 pages of purported Jackson grand-jury testimony - and said it was busy scanning more.
» Jackson transcript. The Smoking Gun obtains 1903-page record of panel that indicted Michael Jackson on molestation and conspiracy charges.
· Update: Hollywood Vandals Brand Bush a Nazi. The pro-Bush billboards placed in Hollywood that "thanked" Hollywood for Bush's reelection was seriously vandalized Wednesday night, when a Swastika was painted on President Bush's forehead.
· Nudists dine in style. The diners arrived at a nice Manhattan restaurant on a cold February night and stripped off coats, hats and gloves, but they didn't stop there. Skirts, shirts, pants, underwear and stockings all ended up stashed in plastic bags by the bar as the patrons got naked for their "Clothing Optional Dinner."
· Vatican is offering a course on becoming exorcists. The Roman Catholic Church is facing a shortage you may not have heard about: qualified exorcists. Rather than working on the devils lurking within their own church, about 100 priests began an eight-week study of how to distinguish and fight outside 'demonic possession.'
· Sex Assaults on Military Reported Abroad. A victims support group said members of the military have reported 307 sexual assaults that took place while they were stationed in Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan or Bahrain.
· Car Keys and Gas Pump Pay Tags Carry Security Risks. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University and RSA Laboratories have uncovered a security vulnerability in the radio frequency identification chips used in some newer car keys and gasoline purchase convenience tags.
· Police find $5 million inside idling, unattended truck. State police seized more than $5 million in cash Thursday from a tractor-trailer found idling unattended for two days on the shoulder of a roadway, authorities said.
· FDA panel votes to allow painkillers on market. In a much anticipated decision, a Food and Drug Administration panel voted Friday to allow sales of the popular painkillers Vioxx, Celebrex and Bextra, despite acknowledging the risks they pose for heart problems.
· A 'little' cocaine approved for race horses. Horses should get some 'wiggle room' on tests designed to detect cocaine in their systems, Illinois racing regulators decided Thursday.
· Exxon Passes GE to Become World's Biggest Company. Exxon Mobil Corp. overtook General Electric Co. as the world's biggest company. Exxon Mobil, the largest publicly traded oil producer, was valued at $385.8 billion.
· The Top 100 Gadgets of All Time. Whether they're strapped to our belts, sitting on our desks, or jammed in an overstuffed closet, we absolutely love our gadgets.
· Man May Have Caused Train Crash for Wife. The man charged with killing 11 people on a commuter train by allegedly parking a truck in its path wasn't trying to commit suicide but wanted to create a "horrific tragedy," according to police.
· Gretzky Worries About League's Future. On the darkest day in NHL history, Wayne Gretzky painted an even bleaker picture of the sport's future with one season cancelled because of a bitter labor dispute and the next already in jeopardy.
· SWAT team called in for man making pet threat. A man held police and SWAT team members at bay on Thursday for more than four hours after he threatened to harm the family pets.
· Harvard president releases transcript of controversial remarks. Harvard President Lawrence Summers' provocative remarks on women and science at a conference last month set off a debate that has swirled in academic circles and beyond.
· Firefighter: Blake's Anguish Seemed Real. Robert Blake had his head in his hands and was moaning the night his wife was slain, a fire captain testified, saying the actor's behavior was normal for someone involved in a traumatic event.
· And the real enemy of tooth enamel is ... a surprise. What's worse for your teeth: drinking colas or citrus-flavored beverages? If you picked colas, you're wrong. But don't feel too bad. Even scientists have been surprised by their findings.
· Breast-baring G.I. thrown out of military. Deanna Allen - the military police guard who bared her breasts during a mud-wrestling escapade last year at the main U.S. prison for enemy detainees - is being "chaptered out" of the service.
· Nagging women live longer. Married women who avoid conflict with their spouses have an increased risk of dying from any cause, according to a news release from the Second International Conference on Women, Heart Disease and Stroke.
· Star Wars III to open Cannes. The Cannes Film Festival is going to the dark side. After months of negotiations between George Lucas and festival officials, Star Wars: Episode III - The Revenge Of The Sith will open the festival in the South of France in May.
· Shoe tossed at ex-Pentagon adviser during Howard Dean debate. Howard Dean, the newly minted leader of the Democratic Party, and former Pentagon adviser Richard Perle made clear their opposing views on the war in Iraq during a debate marred by a protester who tossed a shoe at Perle.
· Bugs Bunny gets an extreme makeover. The WB network will take the famed Looney Tunes characters as models for a new childrens series, Loonatics, that will air on Saturday mornings starting this fall. The characters descendants Buzz Bunny and the like will be superhero action figures for the cartoon set in the year 2772.
· Strip club artfully slips by anti-nudity law. A strip club has found an artful way to prance past a city law that prohibits full nudity. On what it calls Art Club Nights, the Erotic City strip club in Boise, Idaho charges customers $19 for a sketch pad, pencil, and a chance to see completely naked women dancers.
· Neuheisel: Thousands of dollars were 'bid' not 'bet' on NCAA tournaments. Former Washington football coach Rick Neuheisel testified Wednesday that he did not believe he violated NCAA rules by putting $6,400 on the men's college basketball tournaments of 2002 and 2003 because he did not consider it betting.
· Brits Launch Final Hunts Before Ban. The majority of hunts in England and Wales held events Thursday before the start of the ban on hunting with dogs. Scotland, with a separate legal system, had already banned hunting. "When the ban comes in, we're not going to break the law of course," said Peter Capasso, secretary of the Lunesdale Hunt.
· Final OK for class-action lawsuit changes. Congress on Thursday passed legislation that would transfer most large, multistate class action lawsuits to federal court, fulfilling one of President Bushs second-term goals.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Euphemism [eu·phe·mism] n. A mild, inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is considered harsh or offensive. "To pass away" is a euphemism for "to die."
· Plans for 300 mph 'floating' trains. A new 300 mph rail link between London and the North could use "levitating" trains under proposals to be considered by ministers.
· Army Doctor: Soldiers Need Vioxx, Similar Drugs. An Army doctor testified Thursday that the pain relievers are "essential to the global war on terror" when it comes to keeping troops on the battlefield. Dr. Christopher Grubb told a joint meeting of Food and Drug advisory committees that the drugs are better than aspirin, which could cause excessive bleeding.
· Hockey player sues foe over sucker punch. Former Colorado Avalanche player Steve Moore has filed a lawsuit against the Vancouver Canucks player who pleaded guilty to assault after slugging Moore in the head from behind during a game last season. Moore's attorney Lee Foreman said in a statement that the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Denver District Court accuses Todd Bertuzzi of civil conspiracy, assault, battery and negligence.
· Man Tries to Toss Cigarette, SUV Ignites. A man barely escaped serious injury Thursday after a lit cigarette he tried to toss out the window while driving across the Bay Bridge blew back in and ignited the vehicle, according to the California Highway Patrol.
· NY Times agrees to buy About.com. The New York Times Co. has agreed to buy About.com from Primedia Inc. in an all-cash deal valued at about $410 million.
· Hitler's retreat to host luxury hotel. A new luxury hotel will open next month on the site of Adolf Hitler's Alpine retreat, which served as a part-time seat of government where he and other Nazi leaders often met to plan Germany's assault on Europe and the Holocaust.
· Britney Steamed Over Honeymoon Pics. Photos of Spears and her new husband, Kevin Federline, are on the cover of Us Weekly magazine under the headline: "Britney's Private Album!" Other pictures of the couple's October honeymoon in the Fiji islands are displayed on five pages inside the magazine.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
· Prosecutor: Bill Cosby Won't Face Charges. Bill Cosby will not face charges stemming from a woman's allegation he fondled her, a prosecutor said Thursday. Authorities found "insufficient credible and admissible evidence" to charge the entertainer, Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce Castor said in a statement.
· Another pervert priest found guilty of molesting boy who later shot him. A defrocked priest was found guilty Thursday of molesting a former altar boy who shot and wounded him on a city street a decade later.
· Sen. Clinton pushes voting for ex-felons. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a possible White House candidate in 2008, joined 2004 nominee John Kerry and other Democrats Thursday in pushing legislation that would allow ex-felons to vote.
· 'Suspicious Device' Turns Out To Be Beer Cans. The FBI was called out to investigate a suspicious bag in Auburn Wednesday, just one day after a pipe bomb was found near the city's Department of Motor Vehicles office. After a short investigation, the FBI said it turned out to be empty beer cans in a paper bag. But tensions are still high from the pipe bomb found.
· PBS Chief To Step Down After Furor Over Gay Cartoon. Pat Mitchell, the Public Broadcasting Service chief under fire for spending public money on a cartoon show that also featured a real-life lesbian couple, will step down when her contract expires next year.
· Cops desperate to find Dunkin' Donuts bandit. Detectives hope the public can help identify the coffee bandit they believe is responsible for at least a half-dozen Dunkin' Donuts stickups on the South Shore over the past week.
· Clooney strikes back at Crowe. Russell Crowe made headlines when he blasted Clooney and other actors such as Robert DeNiro and Harrison Ford for making commercials.
· Ex-astronaut to become NASA's acting chief. Former astronaut Fred Gregory is expected to be named NASA's acting chief, becoming the first African-American to head the U.S. space agency, a congressional spokesman said on Thursday.
· Update: Pregnant Stomach Ad On Display At Daytona 500. Racing fans at the Daytona International Speedway this weekend will likely see the pregnant woman who sold advertising space on her stomach.
· High drama down under: first film to star Kidman and Crowe is axed. A high-profile Australian movie that was supposed to boost the country's film industry has collapsed before the cameras started to roll, amid reports of a clash of egos between its two Oscar-winning leads, Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe.
· Leno Jokes About Possibly Being On Jackson Defense List. Leno joked on "The Tonight Show" Tuesday night that his relationship with Jackson was perfectly innocent. He said all they did was cuddle and "people have to make it something dirty."
· Neo-Nazi Group Plans To Recruit At Daytona Speedway. Police in Daytona Beach have been alerted that a neo-Nazi group called the National Alliance plans to promote white supremacy and recruit members at the Daytona International Speedway during race weekend. The organization reportedly said they want to hand out fliers explaining its ideology to "like minded people."
· 'Help Me Make It' singer dead. Country singer Jewel "Sammi" Smith, known for her trademark ballad, "Help Me Make It Through The Night," and a knack for sharing everyday life in her music, has died. She was 61.
· U.S. tourism may be casualty of war on terror. Some U.S. travel executives - including those who run Disneyland and Walt Disney World - think the government needs to do more to improve the country's image with foreign tourists who increasingly are choosing other places for their vacations.
· Update: Suicide TV boxer KOed by reality. The Philadelphia prizefighter who killed himself on Valentine's Day got knocked out of "The Contender," an upcoming NBC reality TV show where boxers compete for a $1 million purse, his trainer said yesterday.
· Mother of Ray Charles' son to get $3,000 a month. A judge ruled that the mother of Ray Charles' teenage son will continue to receive $3,000 a month in child support, not the $15,000 she wanted, an attorney said.
· Truant Officers Nab Parents. The headlines read like a version of "Scared Straight" for adults: "Parents arrested over truant kids." The roundups in the past six weeks - 11 arrests in Detroit, four in New Mexico, and 19 in Knox County, Tenn. - are the most eye-catching aspect of a get-tough approach to school attendance.
· Remember when 'SNL' was funny? It's impossible to think that 30 years ago, "Saturday Night Live" made its debut and changed forever the way TV was produced and watched. "SNL" - with its insane ensemble company of pot-smoking rogues, bad boys and naughty girls - brought to TV what had never been there before: true irreverence. On Sunday night, a documentary disguised as yet another annoying anniversary show, brings back the best of the first five years of "SNL." It will only serves as a horrifying reminder that we used to have John Belushi. And now we have Paris Hilton.
· Dean Seeks Media Blackout, Changes Mind. Howard Dean, the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee, requested a media blackout of a debate with top Pentagon adviser Richard Perle, then quickly changed his mind Wednesday after news agencies complained.
· Shocker: Lea Fastow wants out of jail early. Attorneys for Enron's Lea Fastow have asked that she be released from prison early because her one-year jail sentence is longer than usual and she is living in harsh conditions.
· Navy To Drop Bombs In Central Florida. Residents in Marion, Lake and Volusia counties are being warned that live bombs will be dropped in U.S. Navy training exercises in the area Thursday.
· Michael Jackson Leaves Hospital. Shortly after a hospital announcement saying he remained under observation for "persistent viral symptoms," Michael Jackson left Marian Medical Center.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Copious [co·pi·ous] adj. Large in quantity; abundant. Abounding in matter, thoughts, or words; wordy.
· City prosecutor faces drug charges. City prosecutor Kenneth Bernard, brother of an accused murderer and brother and uncle of three murder victims, is charged with three counts of possessing marijuana.
· Man shoots at late-arriving workers. A 64-year-old man got so angry at a pair of grout workers who showed up seven hours late that he got his gun and took a shot at their truck, police said.
· 77 Pounds Of Cocaine Seized. Deputies found 77 pounds of cocaine with a street value of about $10 million Wednesday in two gas oxygen cylinders in a pickup truck during a routine traffic stop.
· How closely linked are drinking and obesity? Researchers at the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism released a new study Wednesday stating that a person's body mass index, or BMI, may be related to how much and how often they drink.
· Serial burglar caught on webcam. A house burglar was caught after a webcam on the owner's computer recorded images of him carrying out the raid. Stills of serial raider Benjamin Park, 19, of Cambridge, were sent to an email address so even when he stole the computer, the images could be found.
· La Russa: Canseco bragged about having 'helper.' Jose Canseco bragged about not having to work out as hard as other players on the Oakland Athletics because he had a "helper," his former manager, Tony La Russa, said in an interview with "60 Minutes Wednesday."
· Murder trial opens with admission and apology. A former carnival worker opened his murder trial Wednesday with a surprise admission of guilt. He also told a judge before the trial started that he wants the death penalty.
· High schools turn down MTV offer to film prank. Two high schools turned down offers from MTV to film a re-creation of a class prank in which a group of students parked a car outside the door to the principal's office.
· Email to staff: 'Get to work.' More than a quarter of employees spend an hour or more a day on personal emails when they should be working, it has emerged. In a business with 100 employees, that amounts to more than 1,200 working days being lost over the course of a year. [The study also found that reading Tabloid Column at work is fine, and makes you a better employee - editor].
· The story that won't die. The 'Bartman Ball' is getting new life to end the curse. Blowing the "Bartman ball" to smithereens last year didn't help the Chicago Cubs win a World Series. Maybe eating the smithereens will.
· Omarosa: 'Apprentice' feeds stereotypes. Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth, tagged as an imperious diva on "The Apprentice," criticized the NBC reality show for stereotyping her and other black contestants.
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
· Man dies while making extreme skiing film. A lifelong skier was killed when an avalanche carried him off a mountain while he and three friends were making a film about extreme skiing.
· Orlando cops shoot disabled man with taser gun. A 45-year disabled man is considering possible legal action against Universal Studios Orlando after he was shot to the ground by an off-duty Orlando police officer patrolling the theme park.
· Woman sees her rapist working at Target. It was more than eight years ago in Indiana that Andre Johnson raped and confined a woman, the first of two sexual assaults for which he would go to prison. The victim then found herself confronted by her attacker again - this time at a Target working as a security guard.
· Kid Rock Arrested on Assault Charges. Kid Rock was arrested Wednesday by Nashville police on charges that he punched a disc jockey at an adult entertainment club.
· Drifter accused of Smart kidnapping sings in court. The drifter and self-proclaimed prophet accused of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart was removed from his competency hearing Wednesday for singing a religious song - the third time he has done that in court in recent months.
· Teacher Instructed Students On Bomb-Making. A, Orlando, Florida high school chemistry teacher was arrested after students claimed he taught his class how to make a bomb, the sheriff's office said.
· Red Sox manager wrecks car while talking to radio station on cellphone. Terry Francona was in a car accident yesterday, which you know if you happened to be listening to his appearance on WEEI. While on the radio via cellphone, the Red Sox manager was rear-ended.
· Update: First lady shakes up White House staff. In the past two months, Mrs. Bush has hired a new social secretary and chief of staff -- and fired chef Walter Scheib III, who had been at the White House for 11 years.
· High school pervert lived near a day care center. A Manhattan assistant principal accused of molesting teen boys was living in an apartment building with a day care center on its ground floor when he was nabbed in the Dominican Republic.
· Examination Diana crash site still continues. British police officers overnight inspected the site of the Paris car crash that killed Princess Diana as part of an ongoing probe into her death in 1997, a French judicial source said on Wednesday.
· It's Official: NHL Cancels Season. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on Wednesday announced the cancellation of the season after no labor agreement was reached with the player's union. The NHL is the first major professional sports league in North America to cancel an entire season because of a labor dispute.
· Mail Carrier Held Onto Mail He Couldn't Deliver. The U.S. Postal Service discovered earlier this month that a part-time mail carrier became overwhelmed by the volume of holiday mail on his two routes and hung onto over two thousand pieces of mail in December, with the intention of delivering them later.
· Foxx' shameless Oscar campaign. While the Best Actor nominee has been universally acclaimed for his performance as Ray Charles in last year's biopic "Ray," his shameless campaigning for an Oscar has become draining to watch.
· Circuit City execs killed in private jet. A small jet crashed in freezing drizzle as it approached the Pueblo airport Wednesday, killing all eight people aboard, including four employees of the Circuit City chain, authorities said.
· Shinto priest cleared of molesting; touching 'part of religious practice,' says judge. A Jananese Shinto priest was found not guilty Wednesday on charges of molesting a junior high school student as a court said his touching her body was part of a religious practice.
· Kids Find $80,000 In Cash In Duffel Bag. Two children playing in a field just east of Boulder found a duffel bag stuffed with what's believed to be $80,000 in cash, the Boulder Sheriff's Department said.
· The 10ft tiger who's still growing. He looks like something from a prehistoric age or a fantastic creation from Hollywood. But Hercules is very much living flesh and blood - as he proves every time he opens his gigantic mouth to roar. Part lion, part tiger, he is not just a big cat but a huge one, standing 10ft tall.
· FBI agent stands by charge. After a day of counterattacks from Major League Baseball, FBI Special Agent Greg Stejskal stood by his charges yesterday that he told baseball 10 years ago the game had a problem with steroids.
· Poker Dog Paintings Sell for $590,000. A pair of paintings from the famed series depicting dogs playing poker fetched nearly $600,000 at auction Tuesday.
· TV Reporter Attacked. The reporter, Eric Flack, of WAVE-TV in Louisville, was trying to question the president of a local company about his business' role in an alleged pyramid scam. But the man and two of his workers pushed the camera away. The owner started choking, punching and kicking the reporter.
· Idiot steals GPS tracking device for prisoner. A 40 year-old Wisconsin man has put in a strong bid for the dumbest criminal of the year after he allegedly stole a GPS tracking device used to monitor criminals on probation.
· Internet sale leads to West Texas land boom. A California land speculator has generated a land boom in some of the most remote areas of West Texas, thanks to the Internet. More than 400 land parcels have been sold, sight unseen, to buyers as far away as France and Hawaii. Some land is going for less than 200 dollars an acre.
· Pill didn't rise to the occasion. A New Jersey businessman who claims a penis-enlargement pill came up short is hammering the manufacturer with a false-advertising lawsuit that could run into the millions.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Ambiguous [am·big·u·ous] adj. Open to more than one interpretation: an ambiguous reply. Doubtful or uncertain.
· Woman, 79, Charged for Using Cane on Cops. Prosecutors have charged a 79-year-old woman who police say injured two officers when she struck them with a wooden cane.
· Coffee may help protect against liver cancer. That hot cup of coffee may do more than just provide a tasty energy boost. It also may help prevent the most common type of liver cancer.
· Hackers May Have Stolen Californians Data. A company that collects consumer data warned thousands of Californians that hackers penetrated the company's computer network and may have stolen credit reports, Social Security numbers and other sensitive information.
· JFK rocking chair sells for $96,000. An oak rocking chair that President John F. Kennedy used to rest his bad back sold for $96,000 to an anonymous telephone bidder Tuesday at the opening of a three-day auction of property from the Kennedy family's homes.
· Suit: Video Game Sparked Police Shootings. A lawsuit claims the video game "Grand Theft Auto" led a teenager to shoot two police officers and a dispatcher to death in 2003, mirroring violent acts depicted in the popular game.
· Navy to Commission Attack Submarine Jimmy Carter. The Navy will commission the newest nuclear-powered attack submarine Jimmy Carter on Saturday, Feb. 19.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
· 'Jeopardy!' millionaire launches trivia game. Thought you could've done a tad bit better than Ken Jennings' $2.6 million dollar winning streak on 'Jeopardy!"? Well, a new board game gives you the chance to beat Mr. Know-it-all at his own game.
· With Gun At His Head, Jeweler Shoots Would-Be Robber. Barry Fixler was back at work in his jewelry store Tuesday, a day after he managed to draw his own gun and shoot a robber who was aiming a revolver at his head.
· Muslim ex-pop star Cat Stevens wins libel damages from British papers. Pop singer turned Muslim activist Yusuf Islam, formerly Cat Stevens, said he had obtained "substantial" damages against two British newspapers which alleged he had been involved in terrorism.
· Pop Star Released From Prison to Tour. Mexican pop star Gloria Trevi, who was recently released from prison, will kick off a world tour next month. Trevi was cleared on rape and kidnapping charges in September, along with two of her backup singers, after spending five years in Brazilian and Mexican prisons.
· Travolta likes the night life. John Travolta has revealed he sleeps all day to avoid being seen by fans. The Hollywood actor gets up at 5pm and does all his work at night "because in the daytime I get recognized."
· Teen Who Blamed Zoloft Found Guilty of Murder. Christopher Pittman, the 15-year-old who said an adverse reaction to the antidepressant Zoloft led him to gun down his grandparents when he was 12, was found guilty of murder by a jury on Tuesday, and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
· Woman Drunk On Listerine Sentenced To 2 Years Probation. A Michigan woman who pleaded guilty to driving while drunk on three glasses of Listerine was sentenced Tuesday to two years of probation.
· Random House Sues Pee Diddy After Book Bust. Random House Inc. is suing Sean "Pee Diddy" Combs, alleging that the hip-hop mogul never paid back a $300,000 advance for a memoir he never completed.
· "Contender" Takes Own Life. A contestant of the boxing reality show "The Contender" scheduled to premier next month, Najai Nitro Turpin, 23, of Philadelphia, committed suicide last night, NBC Network executives said.
· Jacko in Hospital. Michael Jackson was taken to the emergency room after becoming ill on his way to his child molestation trial, the judge announced. Details soon.
· Tony Snow has cancer. FOX News political contributor Tony Snow told listeners of his daily radio show yesterday that he has been diagnosed with colon cancer. Doctors told Snow that his prognosis looks good.
· 'Miss Daisy' Writer Sued by Son-In-Law. "Driving Miss Daisy" playwright Alfred Uhry is accused in a $1.4 million lawsuit of defaming his former son-in-law, who claims he was wrongly accused of child abuse and attempted poisoning by nicotine patch.
· Woman Sued Over Pregnant Stomach Ad Space. A pregnant woman in Roswell, Ga., is being sued over advertising space on her stomach. Elisa Harp offered the ad space on her belly this month on the eBay auction Web site. However, when the auction ended, Harp refused to offer her stomach to the highest bidder.
· Wedding Proposal At Magic Game Was Hoax. A televised Valentine's Day eve proposal an Orlando Magic basketball game where a stunned woman ran off the court after her apparent boyfriend dropped to a knee to propose marriage was a hoax. It turned out to be an Orlando Magic marketing ploy to "spice up the NBA experience."
» Here's last year's NBA scam. The Washington Wizards pulled off the previous prank in February last year, having a man emerge on bended knee. With an engagement ring in hand, the man bent before his better half, while the thousands in attendance ooohed and aaahed at the romantic interlude. The not-bride-to-be ran from the court in tears, leaving her stunned beau embarrassed in front of the masses. The scoreboard flashed SHE SAID NO, and MCI Center rocked in bewilderment.
· Microsoft to Release New Internet Browser. Microsoft Corp. will release a new version of Internet Explorer, the world's most popular Internet browsing software, with new, built-in security features, Chairman Bill Gates said on Tuesday.
· Girl, 12, Accused Of Strangling 9-Year-Old Sister Over A Hamburger. A 12-year-old girl is accused of killing her 9-year-old sister in a dispute over a hamburger.
· Alan Keyes daughter calls herself 'liberal queer.' The daughter of conservative Republican Alan Keyes referred to herself Monday as a "liberal queer" and urged support for gay and lesbian young people who have been deserted by their families.
· Fingerprint May Prove Da Vinci Made Work. A fingerprint and stylistic touches uncovered during restoration of a disputed Renaissance masterpiece raises the possibility it may have been painted by Leonardo da Vinci, who sometimes left his mark on works as a kind of signature, restorers said Tuesday.
· Reba McEntire, Faith Hill Concerts Do Not Qualify As Medical Bills. Painkillers. A wheelchair. A concert by Faith Hill. Which of these is covered by Medicare? All of them, according to the people at HealthSouth. Some people say music is a tonic to them, but Medicare isn't buying HealthSouth's defense of some artist billing.
· Pervert priest sentenced. Defrocked priest Paul Shanley, a central figure in the Boston Archdiocese clergy sex abuse scandal, was sentenced Tuesday to 12 to 15 years in prison for raping a boy repeatedly in the 1980s.
· Bowling Champ Dick Weber Dies at Age 75. Dick Weber, a three-time national bowler of the year who helped transform bowling into a popular, nationally televised sport, has died.
· Former Deputies Arrested In Prostitution Scam. Two former Fort Bend County Houston deputies and a reserve deputy constable were arrested by the Texas Rangers and charged with engaging in organized criminal activity for their alleged involvement in a prostitution scam, Local 2 reported Monday.
· Nicollette Sheridan Banned for Life by the "Sushi Nazi." No, this isn't a Seinfeld spinoff in bizarro world. According to reports, Sheridan got an unexpectedly raw deal recently when she tried to send back some "too fishy" flounder at L.A.'s Sushi Nozawa. Seems the temperamental chef Nozawa, known to many as the Sushi Nazi, wouldn't allow it. All his regular customers understand there are no returns and no exchanges - ever.
· Ashley Olsen Lawsuit. Ashley Olsen is expected to sue The National Enquirer for defamation of character, seeking multi-million dollar damages. The 18-year-old is outraged over the story alleging she's caught in a drug scandal. The suit will charge that even the tabloid's cover photo is misleading making the star appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
· Ousted HP Exec walks with $45 million. Carly Fiorina, who was ousted last week as chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard Co., will have received $45 million worth in stock options and severance pay on top of her regular salary and cash bonuses after five years at the company, a spokeswoman said Monday.
· States Mull Taxing Drivers By Mile. As more and more fuel efficient hybrids hit the road, cash-strapped states are warning of rough roads ahead. Officials in car-clogged California are so worried they may be considering a replacement for the gas tax altogether, replacing it with something called "tax by the mile."
· Male and female brains different, experts say. Michael Gurian, psychologist and author of "What Could He Be Thinking?" believes there are about a hundred structural differences that have been identified between the male and female brain. "Men, because we tend to compartmentalize our communication into a smaller part of the brain, we tend to be better at getting right to the issue," he said.
· Singled out by society's stare. Many experts and singles agree it's more socially acceptable to be divorced than single and never married. A generation ago, divorce started with a scarlet D and was seen as a shameful stain on a relationship résumé.
· Sobbing Blake Rushed From Courtroom. Actor Robert Blake collapsed in sobs Monday when the prosecution closed its murder case against him by playing tapes in which he talked about his love for the daughter he had with slain wife Bonny Lee Bakley.
· Mich. mayor blacklists those who sued city. Mayor Don Williamson is taking a novel tack in fighting lawsuits - he's withholding city business from anyone who has sued Flint within the past five years.
· Prince Charles Puts Love on Back Burner. Prince Charles and his fiancee, Camilla Parker Bowles, planned to celebrate Valentine's Day in private Monday, but only after the heir to the throne spent the day at work.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Antiquated [an·ti·quat·ed] adj. Very old; aged. Too old to be fashionable, suitable, or useful; outmoded.
· Local UAW plans to resist Wal-Mart. Friday was a historic day for the UAW. "White Shirt Day" is a time union members remembering the start of the union. With that backdrop, some labor leaders may take action against the arrival of Wal-Mart being planned right next door to the UAW union hall.
· Radio Duo Suspended After Burglary Stunt. A British radio station suspended a presenter and producer Monday for staging a mock burglary of their boss's house while on air.
· Credit database giant gives access to fake firms. Their letter urges consumers to check their credit reports for suspicious activity. "We believe that several individuals, posing as legitimate business customers, recently committed fraud by claiming to have a lawful purpose for accessing information about individuals," it reads. "ChoicePoint has apologized for any inconvenience this incident may cause."
· Man Tries To Rob ATM With Backhoe. A man attempted to rob a Richmond bank today by smashing it with a backhoe, police said. Police received a call from someone at the bank who reported a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot, Johnson said.
· Airport sorry for ambulance clamp. Ireland's major airport pledged Tuesday not to clamp any more ambulances -- after one was disabled while trying to ferry a seriously injured passenger to a Dublin hospital.
· Tsunami victims to sue French hotel chain Accor, Thai govt, US authorities. A group of Austrian and German victims of the Asian tsunami disaster are to file a lawsuit demanding that Thailand, French hotel chain Accor and US forecasters prove they reacted adequately to the disaster, their lawyers said.
· Research firm urges caution before downloading Firefox. Companies should think twice before jumping on the Firefox browser bandwagon, according to research firm Gartner Inc.
· Michigan to Cut Free Coffee for Inmates. Free coffee soon will be off the menu in Michigan's prisons. In an effort to save $250,000 this year, inmates won't be able to get free coffee any more.
Monday, February 14, 2005
· Your tax dollars at work: Congress Funded $150,000 for Grammys. Congress earmarked $150,000 for the Grammy Foundation, the music appreciation wing of the Recording Academy which distributes the yearly Grammy Awards.
» Grammy Awards Get Lowest Rating Since '95. From J.Lo to James Brown, Usher to U2, the Grammys had it all this year - except a lot of interested viewers. An estimated 18.8 million people watched Ray Charles' swan song clean up with eight awards Sunday night, a startling 28 percent drop from the 2004 Grammys.
· Anti-Happy Valentine's Day Video. Short video and music from American Greetings (via GrouchyOldCripple.com).
· Magazines pull copies over child-porn URL in ad. Two publishers are taking radically different approaches to the appearance of a child-porn Web site address that accidentally turned up in a prom-dress ad that is running in both publishers newsstand prom fashion/beauty specials.
· Fans out in cold as NHL makes plans to cancel 'season.' With no miracle save in sight and a weekend deadline long gone, the NHL made plans for a news conference Tuesday to cancel what little remained of a season already decimated by a lockout.
· Foxx, Farrell to Star in 'Miami Vice' Movie. Add Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell to the roster of stars resurrecting TV shows for the big screen.
· Bankruptcy overhaul is on the way. Americans who are buried in bills would find it tougher to wipe away debt by filing for bankruptcy under legislation on the cusp of clearing the Senate.
· Sting Nabs Businessman Seeking Sex With 'Daughter.' A 58-year-old Orlando businessman was arrested this weekend in South Florida for allegedly attempting to have sex with an online chat buddy he thought was a 14-year-old girl, according to a Broward County Sheriff's Office release.
· Sex scandal threatens to engulf UN's peacekeepers. Homemade pornographic videos of young girls shot by a United Nations logistics expert in the Democratic Republic of Congo have sparked a sex scandal that threatens to become the UNs Abu Ghraib.
· Radio station offers free divorce for Valentine's Day. Cupid occasionally misses his mark, so a local radio station is running a Valentine's Day contest offering a free divorce.
· Teacher Rapist, Victim Set Wedding Date. Mary Kay Letourneau and her former sixth-grade pupil, Vili Fualaau, with whom she had two children, have set the date for their wedding, according to an online bridal registry.
» LeTourneau's wedding registry at Macy's. If you are in the gift-giving mood this Valentine's day, you can spring for the KitchenAid mixer ($249.99) or the Kate Spade drinking glasses ($20.00), or maybe you want to get the boy rapist the $12.50 Villeroy & Boch pickle dish.
» Mary Letourneau - Macy's Bridal Registry. "Bon-Macy's celebrates the wedding of Mary Letourneau and Vili Fualaau."
· Jackson Witness List Full of Celebrities. Michael Jackson's attorney told prospective jurors in Michael Jackson's child molestation case Monday that the defense witness list includes Kobe Bryant, illusionist David Blaine, TV newsman Ed Bradley, Backstreet Boy Nick Carter and his younger brother Aaron and relatives of actor Marlon Brando.
· Witness Says Blake Withdrew $126,000. Robert Blake withdrew $126,000 from two accounts in the months before his wife was killed - transactions that triggered a suspicious-activity report from his bank, a bank official testified Monday.
· Woman Runs During Wedding Proposal At Magic Game. What was supposed to be a magical moment at Sunday night's Orlando Magic basketball game instead turned into an embarrassing memory for one man, who dropped to one knee and asked the woman to marry him - and she turned and ran off the court.
· Man Sought Suicide Pacts for Years. A man who used an Internet chat room to try to set up a mass suicide on Valentine's Day had been trying to persuade women for at least five years to engage in sex acts with him and then kill themselves, a sheriff said.
· Charles and Camilla wedding 'could be illegal.' Prince Charles could be barred from marrying Camilla in a civil ceremony, legal experts have warned. On a BBC Panorama television special last night, family law experts said there were "serious doubts" over the couple's wedding plans, arguing that the 1836 Marriage Act barred the royal family from civil marriages.
· Update: Bus driver's attorney doesn't have a clue. An audition tape for the TV series "Survivor" shows high schoolers leaping over seats and hurling textbooks, snuff cans and iced tea cartons - some empty, some full - all as Maureen Monaghan drove her school bus down Route 51. Her attorney, Charles LoPresti, said "I don't understand the reckless endangerment charge," LoPresti said. "Nobody was injured. Nobody was placed in danger."
· Pregnant woman: 'Maternal instinct' helped kill attacker. A pregnant woman who killed her attacker said a maternal instinct helped her fight off the woman who investigators believe was after her unborn child.
· Chris Rock: Oscars only for 'gays.' Was the choice of comedian Chris Rock to host this year's Oscars event a mistake? That's what officials at Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are said to be asking themselves in the wake of comments implying only homosexuals watch the Oscars.
» Despite rumors, Rock Oscar gig set in stone. Sources at the Academy on Sunday dismissed rumors that the organization may nixnix Chris RockChris Rock as host of the 77th Academy Awards. The talk has centered around a series of unbuttoned interviews Rock has granted in recent weeks. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly earlier this month, Rock claimed he never used to watch the telecast. "Come on, it's a fashion show," Rock told the magazine. "No one performs; it's not like a music show. What straight black man sits there and watches the Oscars?"
· It was Ray Charles' night. The late singer and pianist's presence was everywhere at the 47th annual Grammy Awards, from performance tributes to wins in two of the biggest categories - album of the year for "Genius Loves Company" and record of the year for a duet with Norah Jones, "Here We Go Again." Other winners included John Mayer, Green Day, Kanye West, Alicia Keys and Maroon 5.
· Minn. Governor Seeks Candy Cigarette Ban. Cigarettes infused with lime, vanilla, berry and other candy flavors would be pulled off Minnesota store shelves under a proposed ban by Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who accused the tobacco industry Thursday of marketing the specialty products to teens.
· Man dies testing bulletproof vest. A man whose friends initially said he was killed by gunfire outside a Gary liquor store actually died after he donned what he thought was a bulletproof vest and asked a cohort to shoot him. A friend then shot Daniel Wright with a .20-gauge shotgun, but it turned out the vest Wright had put on Thursday was a flak jacket not designed to stop a bullet.
· Matthew Perry Home After Hospital Stay. Friends" actor Matthew Perry is back home after a brief hospital stay due to a bad reaction to prescription medicine.
· Will Smith 'Hitches' $45.3M in Debut. Will Smith has easily gone from action hero to romantic leading man, scoring yet another No. 1 debut at the box office with "Hitch." The comedy, co-starring Kevin James, took in nearly $45.5 million over this Valentine's Day weekend.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Ubiquitous [u·biq·ui·tous] adj. Being or seeming to be everywhere, or in all places, at the same time; omnipresent.
· Canseco Insists He, McGwire Used Steroids. Jose Canseco says he and fellow slugger Mark McGwire were never "buddy buddies" as teammates on the Oakland Athletics, but had at least one thing in common that they talked about regularly: using steroids.
· College to Offer Relationship Class. Some professors have moved beyond theory, making the discussion more personal to students by teaching relationship skills they can use outside the classroom.
· School guard fired for using security camera to watch cheerleaders. School officials have fired a security guard who they say used a surveillance camera to watch cheerleaders practice.
· Army recruiter shot. A gunman dressed in black opened fire in an upstate New York shopping mall yesterday, severely wounding an Army recruiter and sending hundreds of panicked shoppers running for their lives.
· Robotic ball that chases burglars. A large black ball, originally designed by Swedish scientists for use on Mars, could be the latest weapon in the war against burglars.
· Pluto discovered 75 years ago, but what is it? It's been 75 years since the discovery of Pluto, but it remains a mystery. Perhaps in another 10 years some of its secrets will be revealed when a space probe gets close enough for a good look.
· Verizon reportedly set to buy MCI. Verizon Communications Inc. has won the bidding to acquire MCI for $5.3 billion, a swift response to the buyout of rival AT&T Corp. by SBC Communications Inc. and the third big telephone industry merger in two months.
Sunday, February 13, 2005
· Liquor spending eyed. The University of Colorado spent $508,000 at liquor establishments over the past five years - two-thirds of it at a liquor store partially owned by Dick Tharp, who recently resigned as longtime athletic director.
· Teresa Heinz drops 'Kerry.' Teresa Heinz, the erstwhile Teresa Heinz Kerry, has stopped using the last name of her husband, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, last year's Democrat presidential nominee. [It is unlikely that John Kerry will stop using the last name 'Heinz' on his checkbook any time soon].
· Gold-Medal Skier Bill Johnson Arrested. Olympic ski champion Bill Johnson was charged with assaulting an officer and resisting arrest after punching a sheriff's deputy in the face during a traffic stop, police said.
· Christina Aguilera gets engaged. American pop princess Christina Aguilera has got engaged to her longtime boyfriend, Jordan Bratman, People magazine reported Saturday.
· Postmarked For Murder. In June 1946, Harold "Buddy" Vest was found hanging in his cabinet shop in the small town of Gainesville, Texas. Now, 58 years later, authorities say this case was a police cover-up, and after several twists and turns, have switched from ruling his death a suicide - to a homicide.
· Truck runs over firefighter after dispute. An off-duty firefighter was crushed to death under the wheels of a tractor-trailer near his home Friday night after he confronted the driver for parking with the engine running, police said.
· Bookies take a beating on pope's death odds again. With odds against the pope's survival set as high as 12-1, Las Vegas' biggest sports books took a massive financial hit last weekend when the ailing pontiff pulled off a huge upset against his heavily favored archrival, death.
· Three Witnesses Hold Key in Blake Case. After more than a month of testimony from 62 witnesses, the prosecution's murder case against Robert Blake has come down to the word of three characters of dubious repute who say the actor tried to cast them as real-life hit men.
· Inside her 'affair' with student, 13. The torrid "affair" between a stunning teacher and a 13-year-old student began with innocent online chats, but ended with the teen losing his virginity and the temptress obsessed with her boy toy, the teen's best friend told the New York Post.
· Cookies Said to Yield 'Horrible Experience.' The Colorado woman who sued two girls after they made an anonymous, nighttime cookie delivery said she and her family have been the target of hate mail, harassing phone calls and even death threats.
· Students may drink at meals. On some Friday nights, students at Colby College (Maine) can sit down to dinner and savor two beverages found in few college dining halls: beer and wine. It is intended to teach students to drink in moderation.
· Networks to Impose Delays on Awards Shows. CBS said it would impose a video and audio delay of between five and 10 seconds on its Grammy telecast Sunday night, while ABC plans to use a five-second video and audio delay on the Feb. 27 Oscar telecast for the second straight year.
· Bill Clinton Wins Second Grammy. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton won the second Grammy Award of his career on Sunday, when he was honored in the spoken word category for his best-selling memoir "My Life."
» Led Zeppelin finally awarded Grammy. Led Zeppelin got a whole lot of belated love from the music industry on Saturday, earning a lifetime achievement Grammy in recognition of a career that changed the face of rock n roll.
· Driver Said to Make 'Survivor' Tape on Bus. A school bus driver encouraged students to jump around, throw things and misbehave on her moving bus so she could make an audition videotape for the reality television show "Survivor," police said.
· British-Born Seymour Becomes U.S. Citizen. Actress Jane Seymour waived a small U.S. flag and cheered after she and about 9,000 other immigrants became citizens Friday morning during a naturalization ceremony.
· Matthew Perry Recovering From Drug Reaction. Matthew Perry was hospitalized in Los Angeles earlier this week because of a bad reaction to prescribed medication, his rep confirmed to People Magazine.
· They wuz robbed! When it comes to the Academy Awards, justice isn't always done. With the 2004 Oscar ceremony just two weeks away, we present a random selection of past acting nominees who should've won but didn't.
· Dying man denied wish for divorce. A judge has denied a dying man his wish to divorce the wife he says made his life a living hell. And some say the ruling is a casebook example of why New York needs a no-fault divorce law.
· Inventor sets his sights on immortality. Ray Kurzweil doesnt tailgate. A man who plans to live forever doesnt take chances with his health on the highway, or anywhere else. As part of his daily routine, Kurzweil ingests 250 supplements, eight to 10 glasses of alkaline water and 10 cups of green tea.
· 'Aviator' Flies At British Academy Awards. "The Aviator" was the big winner at Saturday's British Academy Film Awards, taking four prizes including best film.
· Teen who shunned gang shot dead. A star athlete at a Bronx high school was lured out of his house and gunned down Friday night after years of refusing to join a gang of local thugs, his heartbroken friends and cops said yesterday.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Plethora [pleth·o·ra] n. State of being overfull; excess; superabundance.
· 4 Photographers, Fan Injured At Daytona Race. Bobby Gerhart raced to his third career victory at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, winning the accident-filled ARCA event that was shortened because of numerous wrecks.
· Online dating losing steam. While Internet dating services such as Match.com and Yahoo Personals represent the largest category of paid content online, the thrill may be waning for the once-torrid market.
· 'Passion' to Be Re-Released With Less Violence. Mel Gibson will release "The Passion Recut" on March 11 in theaters a new version with about five minutes of the most violent footage trimmed from his controversial 2004 hit.
· Thousands pucker up for festival. Thousands of couples got Valentine's Day celebrations going early in the Philippines, locking lips at midnight in what organizers dubbed "Lovapalooza 2."
· Teacher gets 6 months for punching student in face. A Hickory, Virginia Middle School teacher showed poor judgment and broke the law when he punched a student in the face during a cafeteria argument, a juvenile-court judge ruled Thursday. He handed down a sentence of six months in jail and a $2,500 fine.
· 'The Gates' Colors Central Park in Saffron. The biggest art project in New York City's history debuted Saturday in Central Park with the unfurling of saffron-colored fabric banners suspended in 16-foot-high frames, providing a splash of sunrise 26 years in the making.
Saturday, February 12, 2005
· Senator: Fine players who charge for autographs. Professional athletes who try to pad their million-dollar paychecks with paid autograph signings wouldn't be welcome in Rhode Island under legislation introduced this week.
· Bail Upped for Alleged Kournikova Stalker. A judge increased the bail on a homeless man accused of stalking tennis star Anna Kournikova to $250,000 Friday, saying she was worried about his mental state.
· Canseco book keeps hits coming. Jose Canseco's stick-and-tell memoir continued to shock the baseball world yesterday with veiled accusations against one of the game's most respected pitchers - seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens.
· Orleans Schools Spend $25,000 On Movie Tickets. The Orleans Parish school system spent $25,000 on movie tickets to try to keep high school students from extending their Mardi Gras vacation through the end of the week. Students in grades nine through 12 who showed up for class Thursday and Friday received a free ticket to a movie.
· Tsunami aid? Winter jackets for tropical Sri Lanka, stiletto heels and even Viagra. At the main warehouse in Galle, mountains of cardboard boxes and suitcases ready to burst take up a quarter of the cavernous building. Some are labeled "Aid for Tsunami Victims," but their contents - winter jackets, expired cans of salmon, stiletto shoes, winter tents, thong panties and even Viagra - have left Sri Lankans scratching their heads.
· Robber picks the wrong man to rob. A young punk who tried to mug an 88-year-old picked the wrong man - his intended victim turned out to be a former boxing champion who knocked the attacker out cold.
· Woman gets off plane - walks into propeller. Witnesses said she had gotten out of the single-engine Cessna 172 and was walking around it when she accidentally walked into the propeller. Police said her father was the pilot and at least two other people were on board.
· Up to 70% interest - credit card aimed at the poor. A new credit card aimed at millions of low-income families is to charge interest at up to 70% - the highest ever charged by a credit card company.
· Push for mandatory health in California. A sweeping, bipartisan health reform plan that would require all Californians to purchase basic health insurance - or have their wages garnished - is drawing a lot of attention in Sacramento.
· 'Mr. DWI' Notches Another Arrest in S.D. Mr. DWI is in trouble again. Jerry R. Zeller, 64, who has been arrested multiple times for drunk driving, was arrested again on Tuesday. He's had so many arrests that law enforcement officials aren't sure of the total. Ron Bedard, the police officer who arrested Zeller on Tuesday, said Zeller's criminal record "seems to indicate roughly 33 prior arrests for DUI."
· Ex-Wife of Houston Astro Jeff Bagwell Sold Ad Space On Her Cleavage. Shaune Bagwell, the Houston swimsuit model and former wife of Houston Astro Jeff Bagwell, who "sold" her cleavage on eBay to Internet casino GoldenPalace.com for an unheard of $15,099.
· CNN News Exec Quits Following Controversy. Worried that CNN would be "unfairly tarnished" over remarks he made about journalists killed by the U.S. military in Iraq, one of CNN's most visible executives chose to quit.
· Hummer Water Rescue. Seven people were rescued by helicopter when their Hummer was partially submerged in two to three feet of flooded wash near Cave Creek, Arizona Friday evening.
· Bank That Bans Customers Inside Robbed. A bank that has been robbed so many times it bans customers from coming inside was held up again anyway on Friday.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Insipid [in·sip·id] adj. Lacking flavor or zest; not tasty. Lacking qualities that excite, stimulate, or interest; dull.
· McDonald's to pay $8.5 million in trans fat lawsuit. McDonald's has agreed to pay $8.5 million to settle a lawsuit over artery-clogging trans fats in its cooking oils, the company said Friday. McDonald's said it will donate $7 million to the American Heart Association and spend another $1.5 million to inform the public of its trans fat plans.
· Teen arrested for firing gun at Sparta home. A Sparta teen is accused of blasting a mobile home with a shotgun early Wednesday while going after a man who sold him marijuana that turned out to be oregano, authorities said.
· Actor Tom Sizemore Fails Drug Test with Fake Penis. Actor Tom Sizemore has been jailed for violating his probation by failing a drug test after he was caught trying to use a prosthetic penis to fake the results, a Los Angeles County prosecutor said on Friday.
· Mourners Mark Passing of Ossie Davis. Actor and civil rights activist Ossie Davis was remembered Friday as a man of strength and integrity, as mourners including Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover paid their respects at a Harlem church.
· German "gay" penguins spark protest. A plan by a German zoo to test the sexual appetites of a group of suspected homosexual penguins has sparked outrage among gay and lesbian groups, who fear zookeepers might force them to turn straight.
· Woman Starts Talking 20 Years After Accident. A woman unable to talk since she was hit by a drunken driver 20 years ago has begun to regain her memory and form words, sending her father "from despair to joy."
· Paris in a bottle. Paris Hilton plays "I Dream of Jeannie" star Barbara Eden in the March 16 episode of "American Dreams" - which is close to being canceled if its numbers don't perk up.
· Questions haunt town after 'dead' man found alive. Larry Green stepped out of the darkness so suddenly that the car that hit him didn't even leave skid marks. The impact sent his shoes, socks and the unopened beer in his hand flying. Green came to rest on U.S. 401 alongside a trash-strewn ditch, where he was examined by paramedics and declared dead.
Friday. February 11, 2005
· Story of tossed baby a hoax. Authorities said Friday afternoon that the story of a newborn boy who survived being thrown out of a moving car was made up by the baby's depressed mom.
· Son Mistakes Parents' Sex For Domestic Abuse. A 16-year-old boy was charged with shooting his father in their southwest Harris County home Friday, Local 2 reported. The shooting was originally reported as a case of domestic abuse, but deputies said the boy apparently witnessed a sexual act between his parents and thought the father was abusing the mother.
· Karl Malone to retire in Utah. The Mailman is retiring, having come up short in his quest for both during his 19-year career.
· Two Wal-Mart stores receive bomb threats. The threats came a few days after the U.S. retail giant announced plans to close a unionized Quebec store in Saguenay, where employees were trying to negotiate a first contract.
· New Teacher of the Month - Already?. Another high school teacher has been suspended after police said they found her "half naked" in a car with a 17-year-old student.
· Worker fired for drinking wrong beer. A 24-year-old from Racine, WI said he was fired Monday, the same day a picture appeared in The Journal Times showing him holding a bottle of Bud Light. Unfortunately, his boss, a distributor for Miller Brewing Co., wasn't happy with the brand he was drinking.
· oops! Graphic pictures accidentally sent to 700 townspeople. The man who organizes a private townwide e-mail list designed to discuss local government apologized yesterday for accidentally sending six graphic pictures to the 700 people on the list.
· Police Arrest Bank Robber Who Can't Spell. Police in Nassau and Suffolk counties say they were able to tie at least 13 bank robberies to the same man because of the spelling errors in his hold-up notes. Nassau County Police said Bart Thomas' hold-up notes misspelled the word "robbery" which he spelled "robri" and the word "quick" - which he spelled "kwik."
· Man held over alleged Internet suicide plot. An Oregon man is in custody on suspicion of trying to arrange a mass suicide of 32 people on Valentine's Day via an Internet chat room.
· Bundy Confession Tapes Revealed For The First Time. It's a haunting voice from beyond the grave: Serial killer Ted Bundy tells all. The FBI has been using these Bundy tapes to train criminal psychologists since they were recorded in 1989.
· Playwright Arthur Miller dead at 89. Arthur Miller, the Pulitzer prize-winning playwright whose most famous fictional creation, Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman," came to symbolize the American Dream gone awry, has died, his assistant said Friday.
· Driver's Ed Teacher Pinned Under Car. A driver's education instructor was run over by one of her students and pinned beneath the car for 15 minutes, officials said.
· Kidman's restraining order removed. An Australian court ruled on Friday that restraining orders against two photographers accused of harassing Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman should be lifted but warned them not to stake out her Sydney harborside home.
· Tom Jones' panty plea. Tom Jones has revealed that he's fed up with ladies chucking their knickers at him. The 64-year-old crooner says that having panties flying around the stage spoils the mood during his ballads.
· Yahoo Sees Small Victory in Nazi Dispute. Free speech activists and Yahoo Inc. declared a small victory Thursday in a dispute over whether the e-commerce giant can host auctions for Nazi memorabilia on its U.S. sites.
· Abuse cases face double standard. When a female teacher in Tennessee was charged this week with having sex with a 13-year-old male student, the case focused attention on a type of sexual abuse that often goes unreported.
» Teacher of the Month. The latest in a string of female teachers charged with sexual misconduct of young teen boys is Tennessee Phys-Ed teacher, Pamela Turner.
· Famous sock donated to Baseball Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame now has the ultimate red sock to commemorate Boston's first World Series title in 86 years. Curt Schilling donated the bloody sock he wore during Game 2 of the World Series to the Hall of Fame on Thursday. The sock is part of a Red Sox exhibition celebrating the team's four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals.
· Dubai's 'Mohammeds' smash record. The record for the largest gathering of people sharing the same name has been broken in the Gulf city of Dubai.
· Some Oscars to Be Presented From Audience. Some of this year's Academy Award winners will receive their prizes from a presenter stationed in the audience in an effort to make sure every nominee is seen on camera.
· Porno Apprentice ads don't connect. "I would never in a million years have expected a Republican district attorney from Tennessee to come up with a homosexual commercial," Kendra said, referring to her "Apprentice 3" teammate Bren. But that's exactly what Bren pitched: An ad that, as his Magna teammate Michael said, was basically a "vegetable porno with a gay twist."
· Nebraska town has a population of 1, but has public library. The Nebraska town of Monowi has just Elsie Eiler left. She runs everything, including the library containing 5,000 books that was her late husband's bequest.
· Police aid marriage proposal. Kristina Hauch gets nervous at the sound of police sirens. Police lights make her uneasy. When DeKalb Police Officer Fred Busby pulled her over on Friday, she was "freaking out," she said.
· Yuck: Drew joins the hairy armpit brigade. Posing hand on hip in a cutaway dress, Drew Barrymore has an announcement to make. She has joined the growing number of celebrities who have stopped shaving under their arms - and don't care who knows it.
· Sign Of The Times: Fake Autographs. Before you plunk down hundreds for a signed copy of a dusty Beatles album or a golf ball whacked by Tiger Woods, take a good look at it. Chances are, it's fake. Most celebrity autographs are incredibly difficult to authenticate, experts say, and if a deal to purchase something autographed by your favorite star seems too good to be true, it probably is.
· One in seven Jackson jurors have links to star. One in seven potential jurors in the Michael Jackson trial have links to the singer, questionnaires released by the court have shown. The results showed that almost 90 per cent were aware of the child sex abuse case, while one in seven know the star or know somebody who does.
· 3 Yrs Probation For Courtney Love. Singer Courtney Love pleaded no contest Thursday to an assault charge related to an incident at the home of an ex-boyfriend. Later in the day, she pleaded guilty to a drug count stemming from an earlier break-in at the residence.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Voluminous [vo·lu·mi·nous] adj. Having great volume, fullness, size, or number; ample or lengthy in speech or writing: voluminous paperwork.
· Educator Charged With Watching Gay Porn At School. Police are searching for a Houston-area charter school educator accused of watching gay porn in class, Local 2 reported Wednesday.
· 'Nazi' professor to speak at Wisconsin college. Ward Churchill, the University of Colorado professor who likened Sept. 11 victims to a Nazi leader, will be allowed to speak at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater next month under six stipulations laid out today by the chancellor.
· A Janet Jackson security malfunction? Nasty Girl Janet Jackson has some even nastier bodyguards, according to an ex-fan who just slapped the singer with a $120 million assault suit.
· Missing Halliburton shipment of radioactive material found in Boston. A Halliburton Co. shipment of radioactive material that landed in New York in October was lost en route to Texas, and was not found until Wednesday, when it turned up in Boston.
· Judge Orders Jail Time For 'Bumfights' Producers. Two men on probation for producing videos featuring homeless people brawling and performing dangerous stunts were sentenced to six months in jail for failing to complete community service.
· NY Man Who Fell Down a Hill Inside a Portable Toilet Wins Day in Court. A man who fell down a hill in a portable toilet may have a cause of action against the contractor that leased it, a state court has ruled.
· Sunglasses that sound as great as they look. IPods may be cool, but designed for skiing or other sports, they're not. As Oakley Sunglasses says in its marketing material: If your eyes are on your head, why should your music system hang on your waist?
Thursday, February 10, 2005
· Update: Plumber's prevail! Virginia Senate drops droopy-pants bill. Virginia lawmakers dropped their droopy-pants bill Thursday after the whole thing became just too embarrassing. The bill had passed the state House on Tuesday but was killed by a Senate committee in a unanimous vote.
· Airline Pilot Accused Of Wanting To Crash Plane Into Wall Street. A United Airlines pilot who also flew for the National Guard told a woman that he wanted to crash a plane into Wall Street because some people made "easy money" there, court documents allege.
· Polanski to Sue Via Videolink in Legal Landmark. Legal precedent will be set when film director Roman Polanski gives evidence in an English court via videolink from a Paris hotel room in order to avoid the risk of extradition to the United States for a child sex offence.
· Krispy Kreme Stocks Hit New Low on Bankruptcy Fears. Shares of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. slid 16 percent to an all-time low on Thursday as investors fretted that the once high-flying doughnut chain may be headed for bankruptcy, analysts said.
· Carson died in hospital, not at home. "Tonight Show" legend Johnny Carson died in a Los Angeles hospital, not at his Malibu home as media earlier reported, and his body was cremated.
· Giambi Apologizes - But Won't Say for What. Jason Giambi apologized to the New York Yankees. He apologized to his teammates. He apologized to fans. He never said why he was apologizing. And not only did he never say whether he used steroids, he never even mentioned the word.
· Steve Wynn bets casino on new chips. Casino mogul Steve Wynn has pulled out all the stops for his new $2.7 billion mega-resort in Las Vegas: an 18-hole championship golf course, a private lake and mountain, a bronze tower housing 2,700 plush guest rooms, and new chips designed to deter counterfeiting, card-counting and other bad behavior.
· Tipster on kidnapping jailed as suspect in theft. An Oakland woman who was among three Good Samaritans who caught a teenage girl suspected of kidnapping a toddler was jailed Wednesday after police learned that she was a suspect in a car theft, authorities said. The tipster's friends expressed outrage Wednesday at the turn of events, saying her arrest was one reason people were reluctant to come forward to help police.
· Calif. School 'Tracks' Kids. A rural Califronia grade school is requiring students to wear radio frequency identification badges that can track their every move. Some parents are outraged, fearing it will take away their children's privacy.
· One motivated Cub Scout sells 10 tons of popcorn. A Cub Scout has sold an eye-popping 10 tons of popcorn, a sales record. Ryan Cenk, 10, of the Pittsburgh suburb of Richland Township, sold $25,006 worth of Trail's End popcorn products, topping the old record in the Scouts' annual popcorn sale by about $5,000.
· Ashlee Simpson to do another 'hoe-down' for benefit auction. Ashlee Simpson and Teen People magazine have put together an auction to benefit UNICEF's relief and recovery efforts for the young victims of the Dec. 26 Asian earthquake and tsunami disaster.
· Student sues school over fight. St. Charles student who was beat up for wearing a pink shirt is suing the high school and his student attacker. The lawsuit filed this month asks for more than $50,000 from St. Charles East High School and District 303 for not stopping the fight and for all medical costs.
· Charles to marry lover Camilla. Britain's Prince Charles is to marry his long-term lover on April 8th, Camilla Parker Bowles, Buckingham Palace said.
· Palestinians fire on Israeli communities. Palestinian gunmen rained mortar and rocket fire into Israeli settlements in Gaza on Thursday despite new President Mahmoud Abbas's formal truce declaration at a summit that revived Middle East peace hopes.
» FLASHBACK: Mideast Leaders Announce Cease-Fire. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas have agreed to a cease-fire. Explosions, gunfire expected to commence in 3.. 2.. 1..
· Baltimore Mayor Denounces Affair Rumors. Mayor Martin O'Malley on Wednesday denounced rumors of infidelity spread on the Internet by a longtime aide to Gov. Robert Ehrlich, saying he was the target of an "orchestrated campaign," as his wife described the effect that the stories were having on their young children.
· 30-year mortgage rates at 10-month low. Interest rates on U.S. 30-year mortgages fell to their lowest levels since early April as weaker than expected U.S. jobs market data in January helped send bond yields lower, reducing the cost for consumers buying a home, mortgage finance company Freddie Mac said on Thursday.
· New Report: FAA Had 52 Warnings Before Sept. 11. Federal Aviation Administration officials received 52 warnings prior to 9/11, from their own security experts about potential al-Qaida attacks, including airline hijackings and suicide attacks.
· Erma Bombeck Newsletter: Tabloid Column is timeless!
The Erma Bombeck Humorist Writer's Newsletter states: "The 'shocking but true' Tabloid Column provides enough material for humor writers to write until the end of time."
· Simpson Denies Rumors of Split With Lachey. Jessica Simpson is denying rumors of any impending split with husband Nick Lachey - again. After tabloids ran pictures of Lachey, 31, surrounded by cheerleaders at a Super Bowl party in Jacksonville, Fla., and reports of a dinner with ex-girlfriend Jordana Jarjura, Simpson says their difficulties have been greatly exaggerated.
· Brother of 'Perfect Storm' victim rescued at sea. A fishing boat sank and the Coast Guard rescued all three men on board, including the brother of one of the fishermen lost in the 1991 sinking portrayed in the book and film "The Perfect Storm."
· Woman admits Iraq heroism story was hoax. A woman concocted a heartbreaking story of how her soldier husband died a hero in Iraq - and then admitted the story was all a hoax.
· GoDaddy.com chief: From Bible to breasts. The man behind the most talked-about Super Bowl commercial, which features a buxom young woman whose flimsy top repeatedly comes undone while testifying before "broadcast censorship hearings," founded a software company that produced one of the most popular Bible-study programs on the market.
· Will 2005 be warmest year on record? Last year was the fourth warmest since recordkeeping began in the 1880s and 2005 could go down as the warmest ever recorded, NASA scientists reported in a new analysis of temperature data.
· Too late, DA tells 2nd Cos accuser. Bill Cosby caught a break yesterday when a prosecutor suggested that one of the two women who claim the funnyman doped and groped them waited too long to tell her tawdry tale.
· Like the hotel shower? Why not take it with you? Stealing towels and even bathrobes from hotels is one thing, but a British couple have taken pilfering to new heights after liking their hotel shower so much they took it home with them.
· What Are Jets Doing To The Sky? A 1999 international report cited airliner exhaust as responsible for 3.5 percent of the climate warming shift. It also predicts that by 2050, total carbon-dioxide emissions from planes could be 10 times the 1992 levels.
· Customs Agents Find Over 6 Tons of Pot in Yams. Federal agents discovered more than 6 tons of marijuana in a shipment of yams that arrived at Port Elizabeth from Jamaica, federal authorities said Wednesday.
· His ID exposed, reporter quits. A conservative reporter who asked President Bush a loaded question at a news conference last month resigned Wednesday after liberal bloggers uncovered his real name and raised questions about his background.
· 100-year-olds reveal longevity secrets. A dozen Cuban centenarians described their daily diets and lifestyles Wednesday to health specialists exploring the secrets of longevity, including the personal physician of 78-year-old President Fidel Castro.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Chagrin [cha·grin] n. A keen feeling of mental unease, as of annoyance or embarrassment, caused by failure, disappointment, or a disconcerting event.
· Hope Diamond cut from French crown jewel. Researchers using computer analysis have traced the origin of the famed Hope Diamond, concluding that it was cut from a larger stone that was once part of the crown jewels of France.
· Lost love really can break hearts, study finds. Confirming the wisdom of the poets and philosophers, doctors say the sudden death of a loved one really can cause a broken heart. In fact, they have dubbed the condition "broken heart syndrome."
· Mom: 'Sex Abuse' Actually a Cultural Ritual. Nenita Galas Dioso, 42, was charged with 10 counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14 for allegedly kissing the boy's genitals on multiple occasions and making the boy kiss her breasts.
· N.C. College Student Dies After Overdose Of Skin Cream. An autopsy confirms what was thought all along about the death of a North Carolina State University student. Shiri Berg, 22, died Jan. 5 from an overdose of Lidocaine, a pain-killing cream used to numb the skin before laser hair removal treatments at a spa.
· Teens Mug Woman, Knock Her From Wheelchair. Hollywood police are searching for two teens who mugged a woman and knocked her out of her wheelchair. Cheryl Yaccarino was waiting for a bus at a bus stop on Pierce Street near Federal Highway when two boys on bicycles approached her and asked for cigarettes.
· Could Star Trek technology help transport troops? The Air Force paid $25,000 to a researcher at a company in Las Vegas called Warp Drive Metrics. What they got back was 78 pagesof mathematical calculations and diagrams. And after much talk of "wormholes" and "parallel universes," came a conclusion: "We are still very far away from being able to entangle and teleport human beings and bulk inanimate objects."
· Stampede at opening of London IKEA store. A man was stabbed and five other people were taken to hospital after thousands of customers caused a stampede at the midnight opening of a new IKEA furniture store in north London, British authorities said Thursday.
· N. Korea Admits to Nukes, Backs Out of Talks. North Korea on Thursday announced for the first time that it has nuclear weapons and rejected moves to restart disarmament talks any time soon, saying it needs the weapons as protection against an increasingly hostile United States.
· Naked Karaoke. A bar in Berlin, Connecticut is planning to give patrons a chance to bare more than their karaoke singing voices this weekend. The owners of the Berlin Station Cafe are offering "naked karaoke" this Saturday night. [Patrons must now endure bad singing and flabby bodies].
· Woman Ordered Sterilized After Killing 5-Week-Old Daughter. A Georgia judge ordered a mother of seven who pleaded guilty to killing her 5-week-old daughter to have a medical procedure to prevent her from having more children.
· Child star's 'sickening realization' about Jacko friendship. Former child star Corey Feldman has claimed to have had a 'sickening realization' about his relationship with Jacko.
· Police: Ariz. Girl Kept in Room, Assaulted. A man and his girlfriend were arrested for allegedly locking his 14-year-old daughter in a bedroom for more than a year, police said.
Wednesday, February 9, 2005
· Prostitution Vigilante Hooked For Pimping. An Oklahoma man who has gained national exposure for his "video vigilante" campaign to expose street prostitution in his hometown was arrested yesterday for allegedly paying hookers to ensure that they serviced customers in an area where he could easily film the illicit trysts.
· Bill Cosby Denies Claims by Second Woman. Bill Cosby, under investigation for possible sexual misconduct, denied claims by a second woman that he drugged and fondled her. The second accusation dates to 30 years ago, and a prosecutor suggested Wednesday such an old claim likely wouldn't be relevant in the current case. According to the State Bar of California, the second woman, Attorney Tamara Green, entered a program for lawyers with substance abuse or mental health problems in October. The bar had lodged disciplinary charges against her in March, alleging 12 counts of misconduct involving three clients
· Princeton professor seriously hurt in fire. A Princeton economics professor and former presidential adviser lay in critical condition after being burned while carrying a blazing Christmas tree from his home. The fire was caused by one of about 10 lit candles on the tree, which had been in the house since December, police said. David Bradford, 66, who served as a top economic adviser to former President Bush, suffered third-degree burns over half his body.
· Update: Virginia 'low riders' bill passes. Virginians who wear their pants so low their underwear shows may want to think about investing in a stronger belt. The state's House of Delegates passed a bill authorizing a $50 fine for anyone who displays his or her underpants in a "lewd or indecent manner." [The Virginia Plumber's Union is expected to boycott the bill].
· Jen gets friendly again. Life & Style Weekly has agreed to pay $15,000 for the exclusive rights to the first photos of Jennifer with another man "Swingers" star Vince Vaughn. The photos of the two hugging and kissing were the first of Aniston with another man since the bust-up of her marriage to Pitt exploded into the headlines.
· Senate bill would redefine rape law. A bill aimed at preventing sexual relationships between college students under 21 years old and instructors has been introduced in the Oklahoma state Senate.
· Display Stirs Controversy In Sacramento Neighborhood. Hanging from a house in a quiet Sacramento neighborhood, a soldier's uniform in a noose dangles from a rooftop. The words "your tax dollars at work" are scrolled across the chest.
· Wal-Mart to close store targeted by unions. Wal-Mart said Wednesday that it will close a store in Canada where workers were close to establishing the retail giant's first labor union.
· Willis Plans Fall Die Hard 4 Shoot. While doing the promo rounds for his new action thriller Hostage in London, Bruce Willis told the BBC that a fourth "Die Hard" movie is moving ahead.
· Dope And Grope II. Bill Cosby was rocked by another dope-and-grope allegation yesterday when a California lawyer claimed the funnyman put the moves on her after giving her knockout pills. Attorney Tamara Green alleges Cosby attacked her 30 years ago - and said she's speaking out now because she fears prosecutors will dismiss the recent case.
· Man Arrested for Lawyer Joke Cleared. A man arrested after telling a lawyer joke at a courthouse got the last laugh when a grand jury dismissed the disturbance charge against him. "It's still legal in America to tell jokes even about lawyers," said Harvey Kash's lawyer, Ron Kuby. [Maybe it's time to oust Nassau County DA Denis Dillon who wasted all the taxpayer's money - and a grand jury - to go after such a ridiculous case - ed].
· Ex-Stuntman: Blake Toured Restaurant Area. A retired stuntman testified Wednesday that Robert Blake took him on a tour of places where he could kill the actor's wife, including the area around the restaurant where she was eventually slain.
· Truth tricky for 'Nazi' Churchill. The deeper one digs into the Ward Churchill scandal, the more amazing the story becomes. Churchill lacks what are normally considered the minimum requirements for a tenure-track job at a research university: he never earned a doctorate, and his only degrees are a bachelor's and a master's from an obscure Illinois college. Churchill's lack of conventional academic credentials was apparently compensated for, at least in part in the eyes of those who hired him at the University of Colorado, by the "fact" that he contributed to the ethnic diversity of the school's tenure-track faculty. To the extent that Churchill was hired because he claimed to be a Native American, he would seem to be guilty of academic fraud.
· Post Office Unveils Ronald Reagan Stamp. President Reagan's famous smile and blue eyes shine from a new postage stamp issued Wednesday in ceremonies across the country. It's the latest in an already-high stack of honors bestowed on the former president since his death eight months ago.
· Sirius seeks place for satellite radio in iPods. Mel Karmazin, chief executive officer of Sirius Satellite Radio, has had discussions with Apple about incorporating satellite radio into iPods, although there is currently no interest in adding such a feature.
· 'Housewives' Star Denies Lesbian Rumors. Marcia Cross is making it clear that while she's no desperate housewife, she's not gay, either. The "Desperate Housewives" star said she wasn't a lesbian after "The View" co-host Barbara Walters questioned her Wednesday on rumors regarding her sexuality.
· NBC Drops to Fourth Among Viewers 18-49. NBC dropped to fourth place this season among viewers aged 18-to-49, the first time it has ever been so low this late in a TV season. That's the demographic NBC most cares about because it's the audience the bulk of TV advertisers pay to reach.
· Hungarian PM apologizes for Saudi joke. The prime minister of Hungary apologized Tuesday for joking that Saudi Arabia's soccer team had "very many terrorists" on its roster.
· Bugs Bunny held a secret to cancer prevention. Researchers have isolated a compound in carrots that may be largely responsible for their anticancer benefits. "We already know that carrots are good for us and can reduce the risk of cancer, but until now we have not known which element of the vegetable has these special properties," says researcher Kirsten Brandt.
· Towns offer free land to newcomers. Ellsworth Kansas' pitch is this: Agree to build a house here and pay nothing for the lot it's on. Got three kids in school? OK, that's worth $3,000 toward a down payment. Need jobs? We'll help you find them. Still not sure? Come visit, we'll show you around.
· Beer-Bottle Attack Ends Up Saving Woman. A blow to the head with a beer bottle may have saved Sally Hampton's life. While doctors were examining her after the barroom attack, they discovered a brain tumor that could have killed her.
· David Caruso's Wife Files for Divorce. "CSI: Miami" star David Caruso and his wife are splitting after eight years of marriage. Margaret Caruso filed for divorce from Caruso, 49, citing irreconcilable differences, according to a petition filed Feb. 2 in Superior Court.
· $850,000 fell into right hands. Officials in the city of Rothschild, WI are trying to think of a way to thank Jon Jazdzewski. Jazdzewski, 52, an employee of Wausau Supply was driving at about 4 a.m. on Jan. 28 and found a money bag that turned out to have $850,000 of the city's cash and checks. "We're VERY appreciative that he returned the bag," Rothschild Police Chief Bill Schremp said.
· Police Shoot, Kill 13-Year-Old Joyriding In Stolen Car. Friends and neighbors of a 13-year-old boy say they can't understand why Los Angeles police shot him to death early Sunday. Police said Devin Brown was suspected of stealing a car and led police on a 3.5-mile chase. An officer reportedly fired 10 shots into the car when Devon backed the vehicle into a patrol cruiser at the end of the brief chase. [Obviously there were no parenting skills at work with the delinquent's friends and neighbors at 3:50am when the incident occurred. -ed].
· Doobie Brothers Drummer Knudsen Dies. Keith Knudsen, the longtime Doobie Brothers drummer who was part of the band during a string of hits that included "Taking it to the Streets" and "Black Water," died of pneumonia Tuesday. He was 56.
· Nicole Richie Gets Engaged. Life is becoming less simple for Nicole Richie. The co-star of the FOX reality show, "The Simple Life," has become engaged to her boyfriend of one year, disc jockey Adam Goldstein, her publicist, Cindy Guagenti, announced.
· Indy Governor doesn't plan to live in governor's mansion. The governor's office requires $2.6 million in repairs even after a $1.2 million renovation. According to The Star, the governor won't use taxpayer money to fix the mansion.
· HP fires Carly Fiorina. Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, one of the most powerful women in America, is leaving the company effective immediately, after being forced out by its board.
· 9/11 Prof Defiant. 'I owe no one an apology,' Churchill tells cheering U. of Colorado crowd.
· Underwear Police? Virginians May Be Fined For Low-Cut Pants. A Norfolk, Va., legislator says the droopy-drawers bill may be his legacy. The Virginia House of Delegates has tentatively approved a bill to crack down on people who wear low-riding pants.
· Update: Oklahoma judge kicked off bench for masturbating in court. Jurors and others in Judge Donald Thompson's courtroom kept hearing a strange whooshing noise, like a bicycle pump or maybe a blood pressure cuff.
· Contaminated Money. Money that has been contaminated with a virus; its a whole new possible direction for bioterrorism. It is a case that the FBI terrorism unit has taken over from state police that involves several cities, including Philadelphia.
· Cops say mom drove killer's getaway car. It was all in the family for jeweler-slay suspect Christopher DiMeo - his mom drove the getaway car, cops said yesterday.
· America Airlines pulls pillows. American Airlines is pulling the pillows off most of its domestic routes other than the trans-continental flights and those to Hawaii, according to the Dallas Morning News. The paper says that the move will save the airline $375,000 a year.
· Viewers Pick Best, Worst Ads During Super Bowl. In a survey of 700 respondents, they overwhelmingly chose Anheuser Busch's "Soldiers in the Airport" as the best Super Bowl ad. The two least-liked ads, according to the survey were the Go Daddy.com committee hearings ad and McDonald's Abraham Lincoln French cry and Chicken Select spots.
· Pee Diddy to sell 'Bad Boy' to Warner. In a last minute reversal, Sean (Pee Diddy) Combs has agreed to sell half of his Bad Boy Entertainment empire to Edgar Bronfman Jr.'s Warner Music Group, for at least $30 million.
· Flight Quarantined After Mysterious Illness. Eighty passengers on a Frontier Airlines plane coming from Philadelphia were quarantined Tuesday for more than 90 minutes at Denver International Airport after a woman became ill on the flight.
· Is Britneys marriage on the rocks? Only a year after the singer wed her back-up dancer Kevin Federline, reports are circulating that the two might be out of synch. Kevin has suddenly started partying like a single guy, according to the new issue of In Touch Weekly.
· Police Search for Collection Plate Crook. Police here are looking for a collection plate crook who swiped church donations during a funeral service.
· After 22 years, Army redoes its duds. Soldiers are being issued new fatigues with Velcro openings and a redesigned camouflage pattern that can help conceal them as they move rapidly from desert to forest to city in places like Baghdad.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Myopia [my·o·pia] n. Distant objects appear blurred - Lack of discernment or long-range perspective in thinking or planning.
· Paraplegic Claims Disability Bias by 'Apprentice.' A paraplegic who wants to be on "The Apprentice" has a message for host Donald Trump - "You're biased." James Schottel, a St. Louis lawyer paralyzed from the waist down by a spinal cord injury, has sued producers of Trump's hit NBC reality show, saying they are discriminating against would-be contestants like himself and violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.
· Another Laser Beam Penetrates Cockpit. The captain of an American Airlines jet reported a laser beam penetrated the cockpit as the plane prepared to land at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
· Ark. Drug Bust Crashes Kid's Birthday. Police on a drug raid burst into a home during a toddler's birthday party, startling children who were getting ready to eat their cake when the gun-toting officers crashed the party.
· Microsoft releases 8 'critical' patches. Microsoft Corp. released eight security fixes Tuesday that carry its highest threat rating and urged computer users to install them quickly because all the vulnerabilities they address could let attackers take complete control of systems.
· With America at war, Hollywood follows. In a reflection of America's conflict in Iraq, a proliferation of TV and film projects is focusing on the U.S. military, the war or both.
· 195-Pound Man Allegedly Jumps Into Crowd, Injuring 2 Women. A man charged with injuring two women when he dived off the stage at a heavy metal concert said he never realized someone in the crowd could be hurt.
· Kelly Osbourne: Fame and fortune ruined my life. Kelly Osbourne claims fame and fortune has ruined her life. The outspoken star - who shot to fame on hit reality TV show 'The Osbournes', with parents Sharon and Ozzy and brother Jack - says her teenage years were a nightmare because she had to grow up under the gaze of the public eye.
· Veteran Newsman George Herman Dies. George Herman, a longtime political reporter for CBS News and the longest serving moderator of the network's Sunday talk show, "Face the Nation," died Tuesday. He was 85.
· Mohawk-Wearing Teen Survives Scalping. A member of a punk clique scalped another member apparently as punishment for her disrespectful behavior toward women, police said. The victim, a 16-year-old girl whose hair was cut in a mohawk, survived.
· FBI Van Burglarized; SWAT Rifles, Ammo Taken. Four sniper rifles, scopes and ammunition were stolen from an FBI SWAT van parked outside a Baymeadows Road hotel before dawn Sunday. The FBI said the guns belonged to a team from Atlanta in Jacksonville to provide extra security for the Super Bowl.
· Sarah Jessica Parker to Launch Fragrance. Sarah Jessica Parker is putting the sweet smell of her success in a bottle. Parker, who starred in HBO's hit "Sex and the City," has signed a deal with Coty Inc. to develop a line of fragrances, the company announced Tuesday.
· Dead G.I. tale may be 'fraud.' Local and military authorities have been unable to confirm the existence of a Grand Junction soldier who was said to have died in Iraq on Jan. 29.
· DJ Shot In Face In Front of Son. A nightclub disc jockey in Zellwood, Fla., was shot in the face and killed in front of his 4-year-old son minutes after calling the Orange County Sheriff's Office over a group of men in his yard.
Tuesday, February 8, 2005
· Bill Cosby's Accuser ID'd. The parents of the woman accusing "Cosby Show" star Bill Cosby of fondling her have publicly identified their daughter. They named Andrea Constand, 31, as the woman accusing the married comedian and activist of sexual misconduct.
· Secret Service agent sent home after bar incident. A Secret Service agent was sent home after getting drunk at a bar the night before President Bush appeared in Fargo, ND, police say. Authorities were called to the Holiday Inn after a gas mask was left at the bar. The agent was later suspected of setting off the hotel's fire alarms while police were there.
· Two-bit mistake. To most people, that Wisconsin quarter jingling in our pockets or purses is worth exactly 25 cents. But to coin collectors, it could be worth $500 or so if there is an extra leaf - or a flaw that looks like a leaf - on the cornstalk pictured on the tail side of the quarter.
· Update: Annie Potts' Son Found Alive. The son of "Designing Women" actress Annie Potts and a screenwriter have been found alive and safe Monday after they were reported missing on a hike the previous night.
· Kerry: Blame Osama, Not Teresa. Teresa Heinz Kerry got a bad rap during the presidential campaign, her husband said Monday. "I think that in the end, an awful lot of people were unwilling to switch commander in chief in midstream," he said, adding that his support was going up in the week before the Nov. 2 vote, but flatlined after a new tape of Osama bin Laden was released.
· FCC receives complaints over half-time show. If Janet Jackson's Super Bowl transgression was titillating the audience, then Paul McCartney's was boring the audience, according to viewers who lodged email complaints with the Federal Communications Commission in the wake of Sunday's big game.
· McNabb Sick During Crucial Part Of Super Bowl. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was so ill in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl that a teammate had to call the plays.
· Burt shows off new face. Burt Reynolds would no doubt give anything to return to the days when he was a fresh-faced sex symbol. Anything including, it seems, plastic surgery.
· Woman Sought After 'If I'm Killed' Comment. Police in Casselberry, Fla., are searching for a woman who may have been abducted after she made a strange comment to a customer at a gas station.
· Other Planets in Galaxy May Have Layer of Diamonds. Some planets in our galaxy could harbor an unexpected treasure: a thick layer of diamonds hiding under the surface, astronomers said.
· Loophole in Photography Law Vexes Prosecutors. Jeffrey Swisher was caught using a videocamera to peer up the skirts of teenagers at a mall, and law enforcement officials were eager to put him behind bars for a long time. His punishment: 10 days in jail. A loophole in Virginia law meant prosecutors were only able to convict Swisher of disorderly conduct.
· Will: Ask your wife before you cheat on her. The Men In Black star and his wife say they have agreed a pact that it is all right to sleep with someone else, as long as it isn't behind the back of the person you love.
· Blake Case Witness Backs Off Murder Claim. A key prosecution witness in the Robert Blake case backed off of a claim that the actor tried to hire him for murder and admitted he was a heavy user of cocaine who had paranoid delusions.
Marlboro Man Goes Home. Of all the images coming from iraq, few are more powerful than the photo by Los Angeles Times photographer Luis Sinco of an American Marine on patrol during the assault on Fallujah. This past weekend, the Marine in the photo came home to his native Jonancy, Kentucky.
· Multimillion-Dollar Homes Collapsing In California. A slow-moving landslide caused by recent storms is threatening some multimillion-dollar homes in the gated community of Anaheim Hills in southern California.
· Good news for fat inner-city kids. A few extra pounds may have saved James "Bubba" Taylor's life. The boy, who turns 9 on Tuesday, avoided serious injury after being struck by a .38-caliber bullet during a target-shooting accident, officials said. "He's a little chunky," his grandmother, Alice Harper, told the Northwest Florida Daily News for its Tuesday editions. "Thank God."
· Jay Leno: 'I wasn't close to Johnny.' Though he succeeded Johnny Carson as host of "The Tonight Show," Jay Leno admits he and Carson were not close.
· Twins born two months apart. A mother has made medical history by giving birth to twins two months apart, it was revealed today. Mrs Tescu, a 33-year-old botanist, was told eight years ago that she would never have any more children after a miscarriage led doctors to conclude she had been left infertile.
· Army pilot rap over pizza flight. A lieutenant has been disciplined after using an Army helicopter to deliver a pizza to his girlfriend.
· 'Murphy Brown' Star Was Murder Suspect. "Murphy Brown" star Robert Pastorelli, who died last year of a drug overdose, was a suspect in the death of his girlfriend at the time of his death, according to reports. "Inside Edition" is saying that Pastorelli, who played the eccetric housepainter on the Candice Bergen comedy, was being investigated in the shooting death of 25-year-old girlfriend Charemon Jonovich.
· Deep Throat 'ill,' ID may finally be revealed. Washington is once again abuzz with speculation over its most enduring political mystery, the identity of "Deep Throat." One of the most enduring American political mysteries may soon be solved: Deep Throat is reportedly near unmasking. Watergate figure John Dean says he still doesn't know who the high-level leaker was, but he's heard Deep Throat is ill and his obituary is written.
» 'Deep Throat' returning to theaters. "Deep Throat," the infamous 1972 adult film that led to a government crackdown on pornography, is being re-released in theaters as a new generation of lawmakers wages a renewed assault on smut.
· Ellen MacArthur sets round-the-world sailing record. British yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur has become the fastest person to sail solo around the world after completing her record-breaking voyage late on Monday.
· Pope should think of resigning, says Vatican cardinal. The absence of the Pope stunned Vatican-watchers yesterday by conceding for the first time that the visibly ailing pontiff might resign.
· 9/11 Prof Flap Just One More Crisis for U. of Colorado. Crisis after crisis has buffeted the University of Colorado over the past year, from a sex scandal in the football program to the alcohol poisoning death of a fraternity pledge at a campus trying to shed its party-school image.
· NYPD Sergeant had it maid. One of the NYPD's few Indian officers charges she was treated like a maid by her sergeant, who allegedly ordered her to wash and iron his shirts at Police Headquarters.
· Natural Substance Offers Arthritis Relief. Patricia Kail tried prescription drugs but suffered severe side effects from using them. "I had lots of problems with my stomach, some headaches," Kail said. Kail's doctor decided to try a more natural approach - Omega-3 fatty acids.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Cerebral [cer·e·bral] adj. Appealing to or requiring the use of the intellect; intellectual rather than emotional: "Her methods were cerebral, analytical, and cautious."
· Fries queen hangs 'em up. Catherine Wilson fried up almost 2 million orders of fries during her 26-year career at McDonald's but never ate a single one.
· Parents Arrested for Poor Student Attendance. Some parents on Detroits west side were hauled into court because their children weren't showing up for school. Prosecutors say that they warned the parents first, and now they are taking more extreme measures.
· Unlicensed day care provider hid 23 kids in closet during inspection. A Lake Jackson, Texas woman is accused of hiding nearly two dozen children in a closet while being investigated for running an unlicensed daycare.
· Anger Mounts After L.A. Cops Kill Teen. Angry residents and community leaders in South Los Angeles questioned why police shot a 13-year-old boy suspected of stealing a car.
· Sex Offender Uses Datebase to Look for Dates. While fearful parents were searching the Megan's Law sex-offender database for molesters, police said Glen Westberg, a registered sex offender himself, was perusing the Internet listing for a very different reason: a date.
· Prizes In Some Scratch-Off Games May Be Nonexistent. If you are playing to win the Florida Lottery, you may be playing for nothing, according to a Local 6 News investigation. Top prizes in some of the lottery's scratch off games may be nonexistent, and you may still be buying tickets with zero chances of winning the top prize.
· Revocation of medals adds insult to injuries. The story of Marine Staff Sgt. Robert Arellano's wound is not exactly heroic. He was sitting in a tent in southern Iraq when the 9mm handgun he was repairing went off, sending a bullet through his left leg. That's why his heart sank in spring 2003, when he heard that he would receive the Purple Heart as he recovered at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda.
· Dolly creator gets cloning license - for humans. The creator of Dolly the sheep has been granted a license to clone human embryos for medical research, authorities in London have announced.
· Rodman Strips for PETA Ad at Fashion Week. Often his own fashion statement on the basketball court, Dennis Rodman made one at New York Fashion Week, revealing all in an ad for PETA.
· Hurt cop sues McD's for $6 million. The NYPD cop who bit into a glass-packed Big Mac is suing McDonald's and the culprit who booby-trapped the burger for $6 million. Veteran cop John Florio swallowed at least five razor-sharp shards when he chomped into the tainted burger on Jan. 30.
Monday, February 7, 2005
· Another pervert priest convicted on sex charges. Defrocked priest Paul Shanley, the most notorious figure in the sex scandal that rocked the Boston Archdiocese, was convicted Monday of raping and fondling a boy at his church during the 1980s.
· Ad for GoDaddy too hot to handle. GoDaddy.com won few critical waves with its titillating Super Bowl ad, but it clearly emerged Monday as the games most controversial spot, especially after Fox Broadcasting acknowledged killing it in the middle of the game.
· NASA budget kills Hubble. With the moon on its horizon, NASA sees a slight increase in the budget proposed by President Bush on Monday, but it's not enough to save the Hubble Space Telescope - even though only $93 million in the space agency's $16.45 billion budget would go toward Hubble's survival.
· Son of 'Designing Women' Actress Annie Potts Missing. Two hikers, including the son of "Designing Women" actress Annie Potts, were missing after they failed to return from an outing on Mount Baldy.
· Cuba bans smoking in public. Cuba, the home of the hand-rolled cigar, has joined other nations in banning smoking in public places. Designated smoking areas will be allowed in restaurants, but cigarette machines have been ordered removed.
· Red Faces Over Fire Crew's Emergency Pizza Run. Embarrassed emergency officials are investigating reports a Sydney fire station was unable to respond to an alarm because a fireman had taken the station's only fire truck to pick up a pizza and give some friends a joyride.
· Hollywood May Ban Cosmetic Surgery for Pets. Cosmetic surgery may be all the rage in Southern California, but one Westside community is considering banning it for animals.
· So sexy at 40. George Clooney and Sandra Bullock may not be spring chickens by Hollywood standards but the sexy duo has topped a poll of the world's most attractive 40-year-olds.
· Cosby hit with tale of tapes. A Canadian woman who accused Bill Cosby of drugging and groping her reportedly taped phone calls with him after she reported the offense. Cosby initiated the calls, and they reportedly support her allegations.
· ABC Renews 'Little House on the Prairie.' ABC is bringing the famous 1970s series back in a special, short-form series that begins next month. This time, the series will be much closer to the original Laura Ingalls Wilder books, the network says.
· Boy, 4, has a bad day driving mom's car to video store. Michigan authorities don't plan to seek charges in the case of a 4-year-old boy who drove his mother's car to a video store and back. A police officer spotted him and followed the car back to his mother's apartment complex, where the boy hit two parked cars, then backed into the officer's patrol car.
· Burglar Held; Lost False Teeth at Scene. Police used dental records to identify a man who broke into a cafeteria in southern Sweden - the suspect left his false teeth with his social security number engraved in them at the scene of the crime.
· A Brit Knee Memory Problem. Oops. Britney Spears' bad memory may have cost her a cool $10 million. The "Toxic" singer sued eight insurance companies for refusing to reimburse her $9.8 million for her canceled Onyx Hotel Tour last year.
· Update: Quiznos manager gets a boost from the top. Dawna Lentz, the manager who ran a Quiznos Sub shop on a shoestring after the owners went absent, won't lose her job as she'd feared. On the contrary, Quiznos is flying the 25-year-old to its Denver headquarters to meet company President Steve Shaffer and to go through training to become a certified manager.
· How to get your money back on a bad product. A man was not happy with a piece of machinery he purchased, so when the company would not allow a return, he put it on eBay with "Junk Piece of Crap" as the headline. His intent was to expose the company and hope that they would buy it back at full price to minimize the bad publicity. He was right.
· Update: Guard Unit Member Demoted After Mud-Wrestling in Iraq. The military says a female member of a National Guard military police unit was demoted for indecent exposure after a mud-wrestling party at the Army-run Camp Bucca detention center in Iraq.
· Family Death Delays Jackson Jury Selection. Jury selection in the Michael Jackson molestation case will be delayed for a week because of a death in the family of the pop star's attorney, a judge said Monday.
· Ohio Judge to Face Drunk Driving Charge. A state Supreme Court justice pulled over for drunk driving urged a police officer not to arrest her and cited her rulings in drunken driving cases, according to police videotapes.
· McCartney Rocks Halftime In Jacksonville. The former Beatle and his band performed "Drive My Car," "Get Back" and "Live and Let Die" before ending with "Hey Jude," as the crowd waved lights and sang along.
» Sir Paul comes to the NFL's rescue. Paul McCartney kept rocking last night with ''Live and Let Die" from his post-Beatles Wings era (the tune was accompanied by fireworks going off over the stadium), then rode home with the transcendent Beatles anthem ''Hey Jude," during which he jumped up from the piano and let the crowd sing the ''na-na-na" chorus.
· Flight attendant recalls frightening moments after Teterboro jet crash. Moments after a corporate jet aborted its takeoff at Teterboro Airport, crossed a busy highway and smashed into a warehouse this week, Angelica Calad-Gomez says her training and her instincts quickly took over.
· No senator left behind? Well, one. A trip that started in President Bush's limousine ended Friday with a stranded U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson hitching a ride in a 1989 Buick with a stranger.
· Media Want Potential Jackson Juror Info. Jury selection in the Michael Jackson molestation case has been delayed, but media efforts to learn more about who might eventually sit in judgment of the entertainer are moving ahead.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Contemporaneous [con·tem·po·ra·ne·ous] adj. Originating, existing, or happening during the same period of time: "The contemporaneous court cases for the two defendants."
· Alaska attorney general steps down amid criticism. The state attorney general announced his resignation Saturday after months of battling criticism for alleged ethics breaches while shaping an international trade deal.
· 'Boogeyman' Tops Box Office; 'Date' 2nd. Movie-goers showed that they weren't afraid of the "Boogeyman," pushing the horror flick to the top of the weekend box office with a $19.5 million debut.
· IBM, Sony, Toshiba to reveal superbrain chip. Advance reports suggest the chip is significantly more powerful and versatile than the next generation of micro-processors announced by the consortium's competitors, Intel and AMD.
· 18 Found Dead in Spanish Hostel. Eighteen people gathered in a mountain hostel in eastern Spain for a birthday party died in their sleep from an apparent gas leak, reports said Sunday.
· Blake Defense Suggests Witness on Drugs. Robert Blake's lawyer began chipping away at the credibility of a prosecution witness who hasn't even taken the stand yet by making reference to the man's possible drug use.
· Cheney Won't Run for President, Not Even if Begged. Vice President Dick Cheney on Sunday categorically ruled out a run for the White House in 2008, even if asked by the Republican president who recruited him back into government.
Sunday, February 6, 2005
· University prof stands by 9/11 comments. A professor who likened World Trade Center victims to a notorious Nazi refused to apologize but said his treatise was a gut response to the terrorist attacks.
· Florida hotel identified as scene of child porn photos. A Walt Disney hotel in Florida is under investigation as the place where police believe pornographic images of a child were taken and circulated on the internet.
· University to offer e-mail spam course. The University of Calgary is about to introduce another controversial computer science course. Students will be taught how write programs that create e-mail spam as well as spy software.
· Security super tight for Super Bowl. As more than 80,000 fans pack Alltel Stadium for the Super Bowl on Sunday, dozens of state-of-the-art cameras will be focused on them -- and a team of highly trained officers will be alert for suspicious activity.
» The 10 worst Super Bowl moments. Patriots fans wouldn't think John Kasay's duck hook on the game's final kickoff last year was all that bad. So apparently ugly is also in the eye of the beholder. With that in mind, here are the 10 worst moments in Super Bowl history.
· Foxx, Swank are big winners. Jamie Foxx's uncanny re-creation of Ray Charles in "Ray" earned him the Screen Actors Guild Award for best actor, while Hilary Swank won the best-actress prize for "Million Dollar Baby," playing a spirited boxer whose life takes a tragic turn.
· James Garner Receives SAG Lifetime Award. James Garner saw his career of more than 30 years in movies and television flash before his eyes Saturday night when he received the Screen Actors Guild's lifetime achievement award.
· Female soldiers dress down & get dirty for mud romps. In front of a cheering male audience, two young women wearing only bras and panties throw themselves into a mud-filled plastic kiddie pool and roll around in a wild wrestling match. These scenes could have been snapped at an out-of-control frat party - but instead, they were American military police having a little fun in Iraq.
· Carjacked limo takes Super Bowl visitors on frantic ride. A man carjacked a limousine carrying five Super Bowl visitors and led police on a chase while the frantic passengers called authorities and attempted to jump from the car. No one was injured.
· Update: Cookie girls won't have to pay fine, Station raises money. Two teenage girls who got in trouble for surprising their neighbors with homemade cookies will not have to pay nearly $1,000 in medical bills for a woman who says she was so startled that she had to go to the hospital.
· Mother admits to starving children. The mother of three children found dead in a Huntsville apartment has confessed to starving her children, police said Saturday.
· Canseco confessions. Swollen ex-slugger Jose Canseco lays waste to the game that made him famous in a shocking new book, outing several stars as steroid abusers.
· Supremacists Split After Race Allegation. A high-profile white supremacist record company has gone out of business after one co-owner accused the other of having a Hispanic mother.
· Jackson: I Will Be Exonerated. In an interview with FOX News' Geraldo Rivera, Michael Jackson talked about his upbringing, why he created the Neverland ranch and his passion for helping children. He ended the conversation with a statement that he would be cleared of molestation charges.
» Networks Pledge Restraint in Jackson Case. There was a sinking feeling last week when CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC all trained their cameras on a California street to catch Michael Jackson returning from a lunch break during jury selection at his molestation trial. Is this what the next few months are going to be like?
Word of The Day by WordThink
Vociferous [vo·cif·er·ous] adj. Making, given to, or marked by noisy and vehement outcry.
· 'Wedding Date' Aims at 'Bridget Jones' Fans. Debra Messing is single, desperate and hoping her hired male escort will impress the family and her ex as she travels to London for her stepsister's wedding in "The Wedding Date."
· Man fined for hurling Egg McMuffin at McDonald's worker. A Zeeland man has been convicted of assault and battery for throwing a breakfast sandwich at a McDonald's restaurant manager.
· Sex Offender Killed Home Sales, Suit Alleges. A developer of a Springdale neighborhood filed suit Friday against a real estate company it claims fraudulently sold a home to a woman who is married to a Level 3 sex offender.
· British couple find winning lottery ticket crumpled in drawer. When most people rummage through their kitchen drawers, they rarely uncover anything more exciting than a mislaid knife. Joanne and David Austin, however, found a lottery ticket that made them rich.
· Two charged with forcing girl into prostitution. A Detroit-area man and his girlfriend were indicted on charges of kidnapping a 14-year-old girl in 2001 and forcing her to engage in prostitution at an Indiana truck stop.
· Family fights to free brain dead man from prison. An inmate who was left brain-dead after being shot by a prison guard nearly three weeks ago lay shackled to a hospital bed Friday, guarded around the clock at a cost of more than $1,000 a day, in a situation family members and a lawmaker called absurd.
Saturday, February 5, 2005
· Brad Pitt has five million reasons to do beer commercial. He once worried about harming his image by appearing in television advertisements but Brad Pitt appears to have swallowed his reservations with the help of a reputed $5 million sweetener by Heineken.
· White House fires chef hired by Clinton. Unlike members of the White House staff who maintain the fiction that resigning was their decision, the executive chef, Walter Scheib III, minced no words Friday in saying he had been fired. "We've been trying to find a way to satisfy the first lady's stylistic requirements," Scheib said in a telephone interview, "and it has been difficult. Basically, I was not successful in my attempt."
· RIAA sues 83-year-old dead woman. Death is no obstacle to feeling the long arm of the Recording Industry Ass. of America. Lawyers representing several record companies have filed suit against an 83 year-old woman who died in December, claiming that she made more than 700 songs available on the internet.
· Update: Police find $180,000 worth of nickels In Fla. backyard. Police have hit paydirt, recovering 3.6 million nickels that disappeared along with a trucker who was driving them on a 1,100-mile trip to the Federal Reserve Bank in New Orleans.
· Girls sued for delivering cookies. Two teenage girls who surprised their neighbors with homemade cookies late one night were ordered to pay nearly $900 in medical bills for a woman who says she was so startled that she had to go to the hospital.
· Infamous Idaho killer set for release. Idaho's most infamous outlaw, Claude Dallas, killed two state officers in a remote desert 24 years ago in a crime that brought him notoriety as both a callous criminal and a modern-day mountain man at odds with the government.
· Calling Iraqi Inked Fingers "Disgusting," Garofalo Uses Nazi Salute. "The inked fingers was disgusting," Air America radio talk show host Janeane Garofalo declared on MSNBC in denouncing Republican lawmakers who, before and after the State of the Union, showed off an inked finger meant to demonstrate solidarity with Iraqi voters who dipped a finger in ink when they voted. To mock the display, Garofalo soon held up her hand in a Nazi salute.
· 'Casino Royale' to be next James Bond flick. The name of the next James Bond film will be a familiar one to fans of the world's most famous fictional spy: Casino Royale. That's also the name of the 1953 Ian Fleming novel that introduced Agent 007 to the world.
· AOL Spammer Pleads Guilty. A 24-year-old former America Online software engineer pleaded guilty Friday to stealing 92 million e-mail addresses and selling them to spammers, setting off an avalanche of up to seven billion unsolicited e-mails.
· Greek church rocked by scandals. The Greek Orthodox Church has suspended a senior bishop over a scandal that has engulfed the clergy and the judiciary. He is one of several clergymen alleged to have tried to influence or bribe judges to fix the outcome of trials - some involving drug dealers.
· Scott Peterson's Half-Sister To Release Tell-All Book. Scott Peterson's half-sister is releasing a tell-all book. Anne Bird's book is called "Blood Brother: 33 Reasons My Brother, Scott Peterson, Is Guilty."
· Amber's ex claims shelp helped cops for revenge. The ex-boyfriend of Amber Frey, the former mistress of convicted wife murderer Scott Peterson, claims her decision to help authorities get Peterson was not the act of a hero, but that of a woman out for spite.
· 'Bennifer' Ring for Sale. A year after Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck called off their wedding, her engagement ring has been "re-acquired" by New York jeweler Harry Winston, Carol Brodie, a spokesperson for the jeweler, said Friday.
· Pregnant Woman's Belly Gets $4,000 on eBay. A woman selling advertising on her pregnant belly will receive $4,050 from the highest eBay auction bidder, Golden Palace Casino.
· Compulsive gambler sues national lottery commission. The $1.78 million case against the lottery and betting body goes to trial next week in Hedemark municipal court.
· Fla. Deputy Fatally Shoots Man Who Pointed Laser. A Pinellas County sheriff's deputy fatally shot a man early Friday after the man apparently pointed a laser at the deputy and two colleagues.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Antithesis [an·tith·e·sis] n.pl. 1. Direct contrast; opposition. 2. The direct or exact opposite: "Hope is the antithesis of despair."
· Drinking Nemo. Winters are long and cold on the Canadian prairie. Maybe that's why tropical fish are popular drinks in Calgary, Alberta.
· Couple accused of torturing kids arrested. A Florida couple accused of torturing and starving five adopted children including pulling out their toenails and subjecting them to electric shocks were captured Friday in southeastern Utah after police tracked them through their cell phones, officials said.
· Live Grenade Evacuates Salvation Army Store. Workers at a Salvation Army in Rochester Hills discovered a grenade Thursday night in a donation dropped off at the store.
· Pa. Man Sues Trooper Over 'Finger' Ticket. A man says a traffic ticket a state trooper gave him is for the birds or at least for flipping the bird. Stephen Corey, 42, filed a federal lawsuit because he says he had a First Amendment right to flip his middle finger at the trooper in July.
· Vanessa Williams Talks About New Album, Aging. Vanessa Williams is a fighter who knows how to win and lose gracefully. She made history in 1984, when she became the first woman of color to win the Miss America title. Months later, she had to relinquish the title after a magazine published nude photos of her.
· James Gandolfini, Fiancee Decide to Split. James Gandolfini and fiancee Lora Somoza have split. Gandolfini, star of HBO's "The Sopranos," had been engaged to Somoza, a writer, since January 2004. While Gandolfini lives in New York, Somoza has moved to Los Angeles.
· Court rejects $280 billion tobacco suit. In a 2-to-1 ruling, a U.S. federal appeals court panel in Washington Friday rejected the federal government's lawsuit seeking as much as $280 billion in past earnings from tobacco companies that allegedly engaged in a criminal enterprise to cover up smoking dangers.
· Clapton, Wife Have Third Child. Eric Clapton's wife has given birth to the couple's third child, a spokesman for the rock guitarist said Friday.
· Hit Factory Closing Shop in New York. Few places were more aptly named than The Hit Factory, the legendary Manhattan recording studio where scores of gold records and Grammy winners were created. And even fewer were so intricately involved in the musical history of the last 30 years.
· One Fired, One Quits on 'Apprentice.' Thursday night's "Apprentice" episode featured the show's first-ever "double-whammy" with two contestants leaving the NBC reality show.
· Wreckage of Missing Afghan Plane Is Found. A NATO helicopter searching for an Afghan jetliner that disappeared during a snowstorm with 104 people aboard found what appeared to be the wreckage of the plane Saturday in the forbidding mountains east of the Afghan capital, officials said.
Friday, February 4, 2005
· Supermarket Tabloid Apologizes for 'Ugly' Comment. A supermarket tabloid apologized and withdrew its latest issue after being criticized for publishing a "top 10 ugliest people" list that included a police officer who suffered disfiguring burns. The Phoenix officer was so badly burned in his patrol car that surgeons had to strip away his face to save his life.
· Fast-food shop owner takes off, employees take over. It was a scene right out of "Home Alone," but the locale was a Quiznos Sub shop in North Seattle, where the franchise owner was absent for weeks and the skeleton crew made due with a dwindling food supply and a lot of irate customers.
· Ohio Woman Suspended for Tax Form Humor. The city's tax superintendent has been suspended without pay for a week for trying to inject some humor in the city income tax filing instructions. The forms - with such lines as, "If we can tax it, we will," - were sent last week to all Middletown businesses and residents who pay city income tax.
· Time Warner Reports $1B-Plus Google Stake. Google Inc.'s IPO has been a boon for Time Warner. The New York media conglomerate, whose America Online unit acquired a stake in Google through a pre-IPO business partnership, sold a small chunk of that stake last year and still holds more than $1 billion worth of the Internet giant's stock.
· Where the hot jobs will be. Even as the jobs picture slowly improves the unemployment rate fell to 5.2 percent in January career seekers should still focus in on its brightest parts. Many fields are likely to grow, even if employment markets stagnate.
» Howard Dean at his best. In case anyone was on another planet during the election coverage, here's a sound byte of the next Democratic party chief. [for Windows Media Player only].
· Actor Ossie Davis Found Dead in Hotel. Ossie Davis, the imposing, unshakable actor who championed racial justice on stage, on screen and in real life, often in tandem with his wife, Ruby Dee, has died. He was 87.
· New rules possible for teen drivers. Young drivers may face even more restrictions in their first years behind the wheel as the state Legislature considers several new rules for teen drivers, including a law that would allow parents to suspend a child's driver's license for at least 90 days.
· Legal war deepens over song that uses Rosa Parks's name. When lawyer Gregory Reed filed the first lawsuit, he referred to his client as "Rosa Parks (a.k.a. Mother of Civil Rights Movement)." Targeting the hip-hop group OutKast and its backers, he asked for an injunction and upward of $5 million.
· Student died from 'water intoxication.' A California State University student died of "water intoxication" during hazing in the basement of a fraternity, authorities said Thursday.
· Ray Charles' Son Arrested on Drug Charges. A son of the late singer Ray Charles has been released on bail after being arrested in a drug investigation.
· Store Employee Opens Fire On Customer. Charges are pending against a Houston convenience store employee accused of opening fire on a customer when he refused to show his identification.
· Viking quarterback gives diamond necklaces to paralyzed high school player - then takes back. Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper presented a paralyzed high school football player with two diamond necklaces worth about $75,000 during an NFL awards ceremony, but then awkwardly asked for them back after the ceremony was finished.
» Update: Did an AP reporter blindside Culpepper? Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper received national scorn, thanks to an Associated Press reporter who apparently misinterpreted the scene and never bothered to follow up with the key players.
· NY-Bound Flights Get False Hijack Threats. Two Delta Air Lines Inc. flights were held briefly after landing in New York on Friday after authorities received false hijack threats, police said.
· Desperation starting to show on Apprentice. NBC knows its losing you. NBC knows that you care a lot less about The Apprentice still the only successful multi-episode reality show its ever launched than you did in its tremendous first season. NBC knows that The Apprentice isnt going to be the bulletproof ratings champion that Survivor has been for CBS. And NBC is getting desperate.
· Enron plotted to shut down power plant. A Washington state utility released audiotapes Thursday that it said revealed bankrupt energy trader Enron Corp. plotted to take a power plant off-line in 2001 to jack up electric prices in Western states.
· Michael Jordan lawsuit reinstated. An appellate court ruled that a woman who accused Michael Jordan of reneging on a promise to pay her $5 million to keep quiet about an affair presented sufficient facts to pursue her case in court.
· Update: Judge Puts Stay on Stripper-Permit Law. San Antonio strippers won't need any badges after all - at least, not for a while. A federal judge on Wednesday has blocked the city temporarily from enforcing a new ordinance requiring San Antonio strippers to wear permit badges at their pole positions.
· Jackson Says Celebrity Makes Him a Target. Michael Jackson said in a television interview scheduled to air Saturday that many of the news reports about him are "fiction" and that his celebrity makes him a target. [In reality, it's not his 'celebrity' that makes him a target - it's sleeping with little boys].
· Phil Spector Sued for Wrongful Death. Famed rock 'n' roll producer Phil Spector has been named in a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the mother of a B-movie actress whom Spector is accused of killing in his home. The shooting took place after Spector "grabbed, hit, fought with ... and injured" Lana Clarkson, and after he tried to prevent her from leaving his home, the lawsuit says.
· Plane with 104 aboard is missing in Afghanistan. A search and rescue operation has been launched for an Afghan passenger jet with 104 people aboard that went missing during a snow storm a day earlier, according to Afghanistan's transport minister.
· On Wall Street, alphabet is up for grabs. Big changes for three old-time firms mean their single-letter ticker symbols will soon be available. When the transactions are completed, it could leave as many as 11 of the potential 26 one-letter symbols unoccupied, if no other companies assume their places.
· Playboy Releases First Video Game. Wannabes finally have a chance to digitally mingle with celebrities and sexpots at the most infamous house in North America thanks to the release of Playboy's first video game, "Playboy: The Mansion."
· Radar Police Stumped by Parking Ticket. An over-zealous policeman slapped a parking ticket on the windshield of a fellow officer's squad car while his colleagues were setting a radar trap to catch speeding motorists in a town in eastern Germany.
· Goodwill attendant suspended because of photo in newspaper. Donald Gibson, an attendant at a Goodwill store, was excited about his picture appearing in the Jan. 20 edition of the Kernersville Journal. But he wound up shocked when he arrived at work. His managers told him that he was being suspended for five days without pay - he earns $7.78 an hour - for violating the company's media policy.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Colloquialism [col·lo·qui·al·ism] n. 1. An informal word or phrase that is more common in conversation than in formal speech or writing. Colloquialisms can include words such as "gonna" and phrases such as "ain't nothin'" and "dead as a doornail."
· Saved by his pal. A critically injured New Jersey jet crash victim was hailed as a hero yesterday for alerting his car pool buddy the plane was roaring toward their vehicle.
· Update: School May Fire Professor for 9/11 Comment. University of Colorado administrators Thursday took the first steps toward a possible dismissal of a professor who likened World Trade Center victims to a notorious Nazi.
· Hefner, Playboy Bunnies Visit Disney World. Hugh Hefner and several Playboy bunnies visited Walt Disney World and the Grand Floridian Hotel Thursday. The 78-year-old emperor of the preeminent brand name in adult entertainment said Disney and Mickey Mouse were both big influences on him when he was starting.
· Nude artist strips fans. Franko B, the Italian performance artist known for his nude shows, has decided it's time for someone else to get their clothes off. His new work, Why Are You Here?, requires an audience member to strip naked, while Franko remains fully dressed.
· Amy Fisher New Mom, Gives Birth to Girl. The woman, who as a teenager became known as the "Long Island Lolita" after shooting the wife of her lover, gave birth to a girl, Ava Rose, on Jan. 26, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.
· Auditions make Idol a joke. When comedian and actor Chris Wylde auditioned in front of the judges, "American Idol 4" officially became the joke it has been striving to become over the last three weeks.
· No takers for smuggler's tale. A Pole caught carrying 11 lbs of amphetamines at the Norwegian border failed to convince a court that he had been summoned to Norway to donate sperm.
· Woman Faces Perjury Charges After Men Jailed In Bogus Attacks. A bizarre tale of love, revenge and violence in Central Florida - and the cops who fell for a pretty face.
· Group aims to drastically up disc storage. A few hundred movies on an optical disc? That's the goal of the proposed 1 terabyte Holographic Versatile Disc (HVD) disk.
· Bill aimed to stop graffiti - and spray paint. Hoping to put a lid on graffiti vandalism, the New York City Council's public safety chairman introduced a bill yesterday to ban the sale of spray paint to almost everyone.
· Rumsfeld tried to resign during prison scandal. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld twice submitted his resignation last year during the scandal over the U.S. abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib, Iraq, but President Bush declined both times, he said in an interview airing Thursday.
Thursday, February 3, 2005
· U.S. General Says It Is 'Fun to Shoot Some People.' A senior U.S. Marine Corps general who said it was "fun to shoot some people" should have chosen his words more carefully but will not be disciplined, military officials said on Thursday.
· Animal House, Dirty Harry actor John Vernon dies. John Vernon's prolific Hollywood resumé also Dirty Harry, Alfred Hitchcock's 1969 cold war thriller Topaz and the Clint Eastwood western The Outlaw Josey Wales, as well as comedies like John Landis's Animal House, in which he played Dean Vernon Wormer. He was 72.
· For Detroit cops, it's salute or else. Instead of hitting the streets to catch bad guys, 26 aspiring Detroit police officers are spending extra time at the training academy this week as punishment. Their crime? They failed to properly greet Detroit Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings during a recent encounter, and the chief didn't like it.
· Gunman Sends Pope Get Well Wishes. The man who shot Pope John Paul II more than two decades ago is wishing the hospitalized pontiff a speedy recovery.
· Don't dial it, jiggle it. Tired of pushing all those buttons on your cell phone? Some Japanese handsets slated to hit stores next month are designed to solve that problem: They respond to shakes, tilts and jiggles.
· Ford pulls lustful clergy ad. Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday yanked a planned Super Bowl advertisement that depicts a clergyman tempted by a new pickup truck after some victims of clergy sex abuse complained it made light of their trauma.
· Cher says farewell, for real. Cher announced that after three years and 325 "farewell" shows, she'll call it a day April 30 at the Hollywood Bowl.
· Detective did not query 'customers' of Blake's wife. When Robert Blake's wife was slain, detectives searching her living quarters found foot lockers crammed with letters from "customers" of her mail-order sex scam but decided not to investigate most of them, the lead detective on the case testified.
· FBI Urged to Scrap $170M Computer Project. A $170 million computer system intended to allow the FBI to better manage criminal and terrorism cases will have to be scrapped or require a lot of additional work, the Justice Department's inspector general said Thursday.
· NY Times Pays for Spots on Web Site. Hoping to attract more online readers, The New York Times is paying to have its headlines featured in sections of Topix.net, an Internet startup that compiles news snippets from hundreds of Web sites.
· Disc Jockey Finds Out Radio Marathon Wasn't World Record. A college disc jockey who thought he set a world record for the longest continuous radio broadcast has discovered that he apparently fell 10 hours short, when it was learned that Guinness hadn't updated its database that gave the win to a 2003 participant.
· Corporate jet crash leaves big publicity challenge. The fourth crash of a Bombardier Challenger private jet in five months leaves image-handlers scrambling.
· Deleting Spam Costs Billions. Time wasted deleting junk e-mail costs American businesses nearly $22 billion a year, according to a new study from the University of Maryland. The sad news, and reason for its existence, is 4 percent of the recipients have actually purchased something from these scammers in the past year.
· Jacko Jury Prospects Quizzed on Cancer, Racial Bias and Sex Offenses. Prospective jurors in the Michael Jackson molestation case were asked in a questionnaire released Wednesday if they can fairly judge people of different races, have ever been diagnosed with cancer and have ever experienced or been accused of inappropriate sexual behavior.
· Sweetheart deal. Chelsea: 2-bedroom apartment available. High floor in luxury doorman building. Rent: $100 a year. Ten-year lease available. Act soon! That's the sweetheart deal Patricia Becker nailed in a Jan. 1, 2000, lease - now she's waging a court battle to hang on to what may be the biggest housing bargain in New York.
· After death, a fight for digital memories. For the parents of a Marine killed in Iraq, their son's e-mails were so precious that one of the first things they did was to contact the company that hosted their son's account. They wanted to know how to access the data and preserve it. But who owns the material is a source of intense debate.
· Lindsay Lohan Sued Over Car Crash. "Mean Girls" actress Lindsay Lohan was sued Wednesday by two people who claim she injured them in a traffic accident last year.
· Music may be secret to good night's sleep. Having trouble sleeping? Dont bother with a cup of cocoa or counting sheep listening to music at bedtime is the best way to get a restful night, Taiwanese researchers have found.
· Elderly Parents Abandoned at Hospitals. Some elderly Saudis are being disposed of by their families who dump them off in front of area hospitals and speed away, leaving doctors furious and flabbergasted by this bizarre, cruel behavior.
· Fla. Fifth-Grader Arrested For Bringing Toy Gun To School. A fifth-grade student was arrested and released to the custody of his mother after he allegedly brought a plastic toy gun with a red tip to school. Police say the boy was suspended from Driftwood Elementary School for ten days and charged with one misdemeanor count of disrupting school.
· No Charges Against Hilton in Video Spat. Prosecutors said Wednesday they will not file charges against Paris Hilton stemming from a scrape at a newsstand in which she allegedly pocketed a copy of her homemade sex video without paying.
· True love: teenager robbed banks for her boyfriend. An 18-year-old woman has been accused in federal court of robbing three banks in New York and Connecticut and trying to rob a fourth in less than a month last fall. She told a friend she did it for her boyfriend, according to the complaint.
· Martha loses 20 pounds on prison diet. Martha Stewart has lost 20 pounds behind bars and is in "very good spirits," says her pal Barbara Walters. Walters, who visited the domestic diva last weekend for about 41/2 hours, talked about the afternoon sit-down on yesterday's "The View."
· PBS Stations to Air Kids' Show With Lesbians. Several PBS stations will air an episode of the children's show "Postcards From Buster" despite the network's decision not to distribute it nationwide because two lesbian couples were depicted in it.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Deciduous [de·cid·u·ous] adj. Not permanent or lasting; ephemeral. "The fire created a deciduous outlook for the company."
· MSNBC Hires Tucker Carlson for New Show. MSNBC announced Wednesday it has hired the bow-tied conservative commentator Tucker Carlson to be host of his own prime-time show, starting sometime this spring.
· Saddam didn't vote - but could have. Saddam Hussein did not vote in Iraq's historic election but he could have done if he had turned up at a polling station, officials say. The former dictator was eligible to vote as an Iraqi citizen with no criminal record. Despite being accused of crimes against humanity and genocide, he has not been convicted.
· Triggerman who shot NY actress 'messed his pants.' The sniveling jailbird charged with shooting Nicole duFresne had an "accident" in his trousers when a cop pointed a gun at him during a 2001 arrest, documents reveal.
· Eiffel Tower: Repossessed. The Eiffel Tower's likeness had long since been part of the public domain, when in 2003, it was abruptly repossessed by the city of Paris. That's the year that the SNTE, the company charged with maintaining the tower, adorned it with a distinctive lighting display, copyrighted the design, and in one feel swoop, reclaimed the nighttime image and likeness of the most popular monument on earth. In short: they changed the actual likeness of the tower, and then copyrighted that.
· Study: Aspirin Helps Stroke Survivors Avoid Repeat Strokes. Stroke survivors who stopped taking their prescribed daily aspirin tripled their risk of having another stroke within the month, according to research presented Wednesday at the American Stroke Association's international stroke conference in New Orleans.
· Nude juice bar squeezes past legal challenges. Orange juice, movies, nudity, nerve help S.D. businessman prevail.
· Accused Child Molester Says He Was 'Sleepwalking.' A man charged with molesting his girlfriend's 14-year-old daughter took the stand in his own defense Tuesday, sobbing as he said he was sleepwalking and remembered nothing of the alleged attacks except waking up in the girl's bed.
· Paula Abdul looks to the future. Spending three seasons watching thousands of wannabes warble their way toward attempted singing stardom can make anyone a bit restless.
· Woman confesses to cheating on high school test - in 1957. An high school graduate has confessed to cheating on an English literature test 47 years ago. Eagle Valley High School Principal Mark Strakbein said he got a one-page, handwritten letter from a 65-year-old grandmother of five who admitted she and a friend stole the answers to a Shakespeare test in the fall of 1957.
· Bush Sells Plan to Remake Social Security. At the dawn of a second term, President Bush is campaigning again, this time for changes in Social Security that would combine reduced government benefits for younger workers with "a chance to build a nest egg" through personal accounts.
· Clueless Robber Gets No Respect. A Minneapolis man allegedly tried to rob a grocery store last month, but tripped himself up when he put his gun on the counter so he could scoop up the cash. The store clerk lost no time in grabbing the gun himself, and chased the gunman out of the store.
Wednesday, February 2, 2005
· Stewart to Star in New 'Apprentice.' Martha Stewart, you're hired. The masterminds behind "The Apprentice" - Donald Trump and Mark Burnett- and NBC announced Wednesday that Stewart will host "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart."
· Interest In Super Bowl Ads Lowest In Years. Interest in Super Bowl ads isnt as super as it once was. According to a study by Eisner Communications, only seven percent of Americans plan to watch Sundays Super Bowl just for the commercials. Thats two percent less than last year and the lowest number in years.
· Half of Bankruptcy Due to Medical Bills. Half of all U.S. bankruptcies are caused by soaring medical bills and most people sent into debt by illness are middle-class workers with health insurance, researchers said on Wednesday.
· Yogi Berra Sues TBS Over Racy Ad. New York Yankees great Yogi Berra has filed a $10 million lawsuit against TBS, claiming the cable television network sullied his name by using it in a racy advertisement for its "Sex and the City" reruns.
· Sleeping driver found with meth lab. Falling asleep at the wheel is never a good thing. And falling asleep at the wheel with a methamphetamine lab in the car is worse. So, it stands to reason, falling asleep with a meth lab in the car in front of the county jail is just about as bad as it can get.
· HP invents technology to replace transistor. Hewlett-Packard Co. said that its researchers have proven that a technology they invented could eventually replace the transistor, a fundamental building block of computers.
· Carson's 'Tonight' Guest Books lost, then found, then Auctioned. Guest books signed by Johnny Carson's famous visitors to "The Tonight Show" and rescued from the trash in the 1960s may turn into treasure for their owner.
· Punxsutawney Phil Sees His Shadow. Punxutawney Phil has "spoken," and the news isn't good.
» Animal World Divided on Winter Weather Forecast. Animal behavior is just one of the clues used by some energy traders and analysts to try and predict temperatures in the U.S. For example, "Bees have built their hives close to the ground. If it was going to snow very heavily, they would have built them higher up," said Chris Goss.
· Schieffer set to fill Rather's CBS seat. After all the hoopla and speculation, Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer is all but certain to be named interim anchor on The CBS Evening News when Dan Rather steps down next month, sources within CBS News say.
· Furby is back. Parents and kids, it's time to brush up on your "Furbish" cause that bug-eyed interactive furball toy called Furby is comin' back. The new Furby is larger than the original and will come in six different languages, including English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese and Italian.
· Corporate Jet Skids Off Runway, Slams Into Building In N.J. A corporate jet sped off the end of a runway while attempting to take off from Teterboro Airport on Wednesday, hurtling across a highway during the morning rush hour and slamming into a warehouse. At least 11 people were injured and two were missing.
· Stupid questions reporters ask during Super Bowl. One reporter asked Raiders QB Jim Plunkett, "Lemme get this straight, Jim. Is it blind mother, deaf father or the other way around?"
· Naysayers tight-lipped since success of Iraq vote. Skeptics of President Bush's attempt to bring democracy to Iraq have been largely silent since Iraqis enthusiastically turned out for Sunday's elections.
· Texas Man Refuses to Yield Mother's Pacemaker. A Texas man charged with removing a pacemaker from his mother's body with a kitchen knife refused to give authorities the device in exchange for his freedom on Tuesday, prosecutors said.
· Koppel, Stephanopoulos swap in the works? Sources say Koppel, who has fought the changes, will almost certainly leave "Nightline" before the end of the year, when his contract is up. But now, the name that has been floated as his replacement is George Stephanopoulos.
· Rabbi May Have Given Babies Herpes. New York City health officials are investigating the death of a baby boy who was one of three infants to contract herpes after a rabbi circumcised them.
· Animal Rights Activist Sells Her Skin for Charity. Looking for a unique way to support the fight against animal abuse? The British founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the world's biggest animal rights group, is auctioning off a lizard tattoo on her right arm - with proceeds going to the charity.
· Teri Hatcher says her figures no fake. Teri Hatcher may admit to having been a has-been but the star wants to set the record straight on one thing: her breasts are real. The Desperate Housewife is denying rumors that her boobs are not her own.
· 'Nazi' Professor's Future on the Line. A panel discussion at Hamilton College in New York featuring a Colorado professor was canceled after hundreds of death threats poured in because of an inflammatory essay he wrote comparing some of the Sept. 11 victims to Nazis and calling President Bush a terrorist.
· Jacko's ex-wife to reveal all in court. Michael Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe has agreed to be a star witness against the singer during his child molestation trial. Ms Rowe, 37, was married to Jackson for three years and is mother of his children. But she has now formally been added to the state's list of witnesses.
· Police officer robs bank, returns to solve case. A police officer has confessed he robbed a bank and later investigated the crime himself, telling reporters at the time police had no clues.
· An offer Brando first refused. Marlon Brando repeatedly rejected playing the role of Don Corleone in "The Godfather," telling an assistant: "It's about the Mafia. I won't glorify the Mafia," according to an article in the new issue of Vanity Fair.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Oxymoron [ox·y·mo·ron] n.pl. A phrase in which two words of contradictory meaning are used together for special effect, for example, wise fool or to make haste slowly.
· American Airlines Offers Online Price Guarantee. American Airlines' Web site is now offering a lowest-fare guarantee, similar to the promises made by major hotel chains.
· Update: Two U.S. paramedics lose credentials after wrongly declaring man dead. Paramedics who mistakenly declared an accident victim dead have had their credentials suspended after the man began breathing at the morgue.
· Suspect shocked 9 times before death. A Toledo man who died in custody Monday night had been stunned with a Taser gun nine times by prior to his death, authorities said today. Toledo police said Jeffery Turner, 41, was shocked five times by its officers during his arrest. Lucas County sheriffs department officials said today that their employees shocked Mr. Turner another four times during struggles at the Lucas County jail.
· Dean Emerging as Likely Chief for Democrats. Howard Dean emerged Tuesday as the almost assured new leader of the Democratic National Committee, as one of his main rivals quit the race and Democrats streamed to announce their support of a man whose presidential campaign collapsed one year ago.
· What to watch for between Super Bowl plays. Last years Super Bowl is best remembered for Janet Jacksons halftime wardrobe malfunction, but the singers accidental overexposure was hardly the events only breach of good taste.
· Study: MTV Delivers a Diet of 'Sleaze.' Approaching the first anniversary of Janet Jackson's famed wardrobe malfunction, a study released Tuesday criticized MTV for the "incessant sleaze" of steamy programming aimed at young people. During one week, the watchdog Parents Television Council said it counted 3,056 flashes of nudity or sexual situations and 2,881 verbal references to sex.
· Man Sees Image Of Jesus In Frying Pan. Some people will tell you that the Good Lord can show up just about anywhere, and lately there seems to be no shortage of religious images seen on commonplace items.
· Orlando Bloom, Kate Bosworth split. Hollywood couple Orlando Bloom and Kate Bosworth have split after dating for nearly three years, People magazine reported.
Tuesday, February 1, 2005
· Prosecutor Mugged After Calling Escort Service. A senior Florida assistant state attorney general was hit with pepper spray and mugged after he called an escort service to a hotel, police said. Assistant Attorney General John Rimes was beaten and robbed of about $500 on Thursday while staying at the Hilton Tampa Airport hotel after calling two hookers to his room.
· 'Captured GI' A Real Doll. A photograph posted on an Islamist Web site appears to be that of a GI Joe-style action figure and not a U.S. soldier being held hostage.
· Emergency Broadcast Test Mistakenly Calls For Evacuation. Despite what residents may have seen on television, the state of Connecticut was not ordered evacuated on Tuesday.
· Motorists Report Erratic Driver, Ohio Justice Arrested. A state Supreme Court justice was pulled over and charged with driving under the influence after several motorists called to report an erratic driver on an interstate.
· Lynn Anderson Pleads Not Guilty to Charges. Country singer Lynn Anderson has been accused of shoplifting a "Harry Potter" DVD from a Taos supermarket and punching a police officer.
· Bowl Game Goes Techno with Very Candid Cam. Some of the most interesting shots of next Sunday's big Super Bowl game could come from a small camera so tiny, they're effectively the size of an eraser on a pencil.
· New York restaurateur dishes about his celebrity clientele. Jeffrey Jah, while tending to his Lotus Restaurant, told Veja he once had to send home an intoxicated Joaquin Phoenix and a similarly inebriated Paris Hilton had to be carried out of her own party, the New York Daily News said.
· Jackson appears confident as jury selection begins. Pop star Michael Jackson appeared confident as jury selection began in his child molestation trial Monday, smiling and laughing in court while prospective jurors craned their necks to catch a glimpse of him.
· Keanu Reeves Gets Star on Hollywood Walk. Keanu Reeves, who traveled through time in "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" and took on humanity's machine conquerors in "The Matrix" flicks, has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
· Nabbed in Nicole slaying. An unrepentant teenage parolee was charged yesterday with the senseless slaying of a young actress - prompting the victim's heartbroken fiancé to dare the alleged killer to face him.
· DiCaprio, 30, Gets Lifetime Achievement Award. On the heels of an Oscar nomination, "The Aviator" star Leonardo DiCaprio wrapped a high-flying week by accepting the Platinum Award from the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
· $250,000 military death benefit proposed. President Bush will propose a dramatic increase to $250,000 in government payments to families of U.S. troops killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and in future combat zones.
· Man May Face Charges for Air Flour Drop. A man could face charges for dropping bags of flour from an airplane as he flew over a campground on the Tonto National Forest, authorities said. The man, whose identity wasn't released, flew a plane out of Deer Valley Airport and dropped sacks of white powder as a prank on friends who were playing paintball at Needle Rock recreation area.
· How to slant a story. The Washington Post's David Segal took heavy fire after hurling himself into the middle of the vicious ratings war between NBC's "Today" show and ABC's "Good Morning America." NBC types promptly began buzzing that Segal's Style section article failed to disclose his close friendship with "GMA" executive producer Ben Sherwood.
· Boy Dies After Being Struck By Ice Cream Truck. An 18-month-old boy died after being struck by an ice cream truck the boy was running for near his home.
· Update: Creators of Spoof VW Bomber Advert Come Clean. The creators of a hoax advertisement for Volkswagen AG's Polo car that has circulated on the Internet have apologized and promised not to repeat it, Europe's biggest carmaker said on Monday.
· A&E Wins Bidding War for 'Sopranos' Rights. A&E won a bidding war Monday for the rights to broadcast edited versions of "The Sopranos," with the $2.5 million per episode price tag believed to be the biggest ever for a series offered in syndication.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Vexatious [vex·a·tious] adj. 1. Full of annoyance or distress; harassed. 2. Causing or creating vexation; annoying. "Her ex-husband put her in a vexatious situation."
· Snoop Dogg faces rape claim. Rapper Snoop Dogg has been accused of raping a woman in his dressing room, it emerged today. The alleged victim claims to have been sexually assaulted by the entertainer and his friends following the recording of a show a US television network.
· Terrorist explosive blows up without flames. An explosive sometimes used by terrorists does not burn when it detonates. Instead, its molecules simply fall apart. The chemist who has discovered this is so concerned by its implications that he has decided to abandon this line of research.
· Law Barring Junk E-Mail Allows a Flood Instead. A year after a sweeping federal antispam law went into effect, there is more junk e-mail on the Internet than ever.
· Trump set to go 4th on the next 'Apprentice,' Newly married billionaire Donald Trump isn't letting the little lady get in the way of his daytime work. Indeed, Trump will be on hand Friday morning to scour through another group of "Apprentice" wanna-bes.
· Olds' concept car sold for $3.24 million. A golden 1954 Oldsmobile concept car sold at auction this weekend for $3.24 million. The Oldsmobile F-88 is similar to the Chevrolet Corvette concept car - they were termed "dream cars" at the time - that debuted a year earlier and quickly entered production. Both were two-seat roadsters with fiberglass bodies. The F-88 is powered by a 324 cubic-inch Oldsmobile Rocket V-8 engine producing a maximum 250 horsepower.