Plastic Surgery Trends: Knee Reconstruction

Of all things to have reconstructed, for purely cosmetic reasons, we honestly didn't think the knees would be one, make that two.

As long as they're not deformed, how bad can knees be?

Shows how much we know.

Even celebrities, scratch that, mostly celebrities, e.g. Demi Moore, are reportedly undergoing the procedure, which is easier said than done. Apparently just finding a surgeon who has perfected a technique to remove saggy skin from the notoriously hard-to-correct area is a feat.

Once a Doctor has been secured, concealing the scars is where it gets even trickier.

"If you cut away skin there is going to be scarring," Alex Karidis, plastic surgeon of Hospital St John and St Elizabeth in North London, said in an interview with the Daily Mail . "If you have a neck lift you can hide the scarring behind the ear, but the knees are one of the most exposed areas of the body.

"I would always advise my clients against having knee surgery because it is impossible to hide. And even though the scarring might not be as bad as the sagging, it will be a telltale sign that you have had surgery."

The procedure is in the ball park of $10,000.

We think if you're willing to go under the knife to aesthetically enhance your knees, you're probably a candidate for Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). And you should probably be visiting a different kind of doctor.

Plus that shit's gotta be painful!

Moore's knees before and after [pictured above].

There isn't a lot of info. about the procedure on the interweb, so it must not be a huge trend. But if you've undergone the surgery or know more about it, let us know too.

Portions of this blog courtesy of the Daily Mail.

Second Helicopter Assisted Prison Escape in Belgium

Most people would find it shocking that a Belgian prison inmate escaped for the fourth time...using a helicopter.

That's exactly what one prisoner did on Sunday at a facility in Ittre, located about 25 miles south of Brussels.

Unfortunately for said inmate, Nordin "Escape King" Ben Allal, the helicopter his accomplices hijacked, crashed in the prison yard after it was bum rushed by other inmates trying to climb on board. Ben Allal/Benallal and cohorts, reportedly, fled the scene and escaped in a car that was made to look like a police vehicle; complete with blue flashing light.

Don't get us wrong we were shocked, and rather impressed, when we learned that Ben Allal has escaped, on four separate occasions, by donning a wig and sunglasses disguise, scaling a prison wall, running away from a prison van and having his friends turn the prison yard into a helipad.

But we were even more surprised when we got to the bottom of an article on Reuters. The incident marked the second time this year that a prisoner has escaped from a Belgian jail using a helicopter. Huh!?

What kind of a system do they have going on over there? It's weird to imagine that busting your friends out of jail, via a stolen helicopter, is entirely possible, depending on where you live.

It's useful information, you know, in case something comes up.

In April, two men posing as tourists hijacked a helicopter and flew into the yard of a prison near Liege to pick up an inmate.

Ben Allal [pictured above] is still at large. According to reports, the 28-year-old escapee is a notorious car-jacker who once shot two policemen trying to arrest him after a previous jailbreak.

Portions of this blog courtesy of Reuters and Telegraph.co.uk.

Sexual Abuse Allegations at Oprah's South African School for Girls

Oprah's South African all-girls academy is steeped in a scandal involving allegations of sexual abuse.

Girls have said the "dorm parent" swore and screamed at them, assaulted them and sexually fondled at least one girl.And one pupil has said a matron grabbed her by the throat and threw her against a wall.

The alleged incidents came to light when one of the pupils ran away from the school because the reported abuse had become intolerable.

South African police and the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offenses Unit are now investigating.

Oprah canceled appointments and flew to South Africa twice in the past few weeks.
A tearful Oprah Winfrey begged for forgiveness Sunday as she met the parents of students.

"I've disappointed you. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," she said.

Oprah, who has spoken openly about being abused as a child, gave the girls her personal telephone number, her e-mail address and her postal address so that they could contact her around the clock.

In addition to the matron suspected of being involved, Oprah also placed the principal and at least one other matron on leave two weeks ago. Only the principal was on paid leave, South African media reported.

The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy opened in January to provide quality education to underprivileged girls.

Surrounded by high-profile guests including Nelson Mandela, Oprah described the day the $46 million school opened as "the proudest, greatest day of my life and a dream come true."

Portions of this blog courtesy of NYDailyNews.com.

Schwarzenegger Says Marijuana is Not a Drug. It's a Leaf

In an interview with GQ magazine, the Hollywood star turned governor of California insisted: "I didn't take any drugs," referring to the period of his life when he was into hardcore body building.

Arnold Schwarzenegger told the British edition of GQ magazine that he had not taken drugs, even though the former bodybuilder has acknowledged using marijuana in the 1970s and was shown smoking a joint in the 1977 documentary "Pumping Iron."

"That is not a drug. It's a leaf," Austrian-born Schwarzenegger said. "My drug was pumping iron, trust me."

We knew we liked the Governator!

Aaron McLear, Schwarzenegger's press secretary, said the governor made the comments in a lighthearted context, noting his interviewer was Piers Morgan, one of the judges on "America's Got Talent." Morgan is a former British newspaper editor.

"The governor was doing an interview with the host of 'America's Got Talent,' the newest version of the gong show," McLear said. "I think it's important to keep that quote in the context of the environment where it was said."

The interview is set to appear in the December issue of British GQ.

Portions of this blog courtesy of The Raw Story and The Independent.

Tiny Masters of Today

When we saw the band Tiny Masters of Today featured on the College Music Journal (CMJ) web site, we were intrigued.

The brother sister indie rock duo haven't reached puberty yet and they've already graced the pages of Spin and Rolling Stone. And what's even more surprising than their age, Ivan, 13, Ada, 11, is the fact that their music is not half bad. We especially like the "Hey Mr. DJ CSS Remix."

And while this group may need time to musically grow and mature, we think it's pretty cool that they're rockin' out so early in life.

Just so you Know: 13-year-old Ivan plays the guitar and bass, while 11-year-old Ada mans the keyboards. Both sing vocals. Their debut album Bang Bang Boom Cake (2007) boasts some impressive collaborations. Kimya Dawson (Moldy Peaches), Fred Schneider (B-52s), Gibby Haynes (Butthole Surfers), Karen O and Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) all lend their unique talents to the 13 track album.


Fun Fact: Parents Nancy and David keep their kids' surname private and screen their MySpace page to protect their budding punks from weirdos. They've also turned down requests to base a reality show on Tiny Masters of Today's rock'n'roll exploits.

Portions of this blog courtesy of Spin.

Possibly the Most Frightening Costume we've Seen

Actress Teri Hatcher, 42, dressed as Alice in Wonderland's Queen of Hearts at the Dream Halloween event in Santa Monica on Saturday.

The fact that the event raises close to a million dollars a year to benefit children affected by AIDS is bittersweet for us. Anything that makes Hatcher gussy herself up like that can't be all good.

The Coolest Halloween Costume we've Seen

Two guys from Tampa, Florida let the Apple iPhone serve as the inspiration for their Halloween costumes.

We've surfed around for info. on these two, but we haven't had any luck. If anyone knows anything, regarding how they constructed their costumes, or anything at all, please fill us in.

Some German Celeb. Shows Off her Vag

We don't know who Deborah Sasson is, apparently she's a German pop star. But on the red carpet, at the Radio Regenbogen Ball of the Stars Charity Gala in Mannheim, she gave photogs an intimate look at what she's all about.

Warning to Celebs: If you allow your private parts to be captured on film, we're going to increase the circulation of those pictures.

For the NSFW pics, click here.

Image courtesy of JPI Studios.

WaMu Refunds Fees to Wildfire Victims

We think WaMu gets a bad rap, which is probably due in part to its terrible commercials. But we like the thrift bank.

So when we read that Washington Mutual, was refunding overdraft fees and ATM surcharges for its customers who are victims of the southern California wildfires, we decided to share the info.

According to The Consumerist, victims can claim their refund by visiting a branch location.

AT&T could sure learn a lesson from WaMu. The telecommunications giant is making at least two victims, of the SoCal conflagrations, pay $300 to replace their satellite dish receivers. WTF? Spread the word. That ain't right!