Helicopter Game: Good Old Addictive Fun

Need something to do while you're bored at work; or just bored in general?

My friend turned me on to the addictive pastime Helicopter Game last night--what can I say, I really live it up during the weekend.

The concept is simple. Navigate the helicopter while avoiding the randomly placed green rectangles.
My personal best is 2,555. Can you beat me?

You can play Helicopter Game here; or you can Google Helicopter Game and click on the first link.

Helicopter Game

Yikes!!

While I'm on the subject of fugliness and camel toes, check out this doozy worn by Alicia Keys. I'm not sure where she was when she donned this beige pantsuit, equipped with crotch area chafing, but I do know she has almost an exact replica in blue. Why on earth?
The top portion of it looks okay. But when I scrolled down and saw this little number in its entirety, I literally uttered 'ooh'--and not in a good way.

Oh yeah, and if you didn't notice, I switched over to the first person singular.

Thank you Go Fug Yourself.

This Looks Good?!

We've been reading around and people actually think Beyonce looked bangin' in the green silk dress she wore to the 'Movies Rock' event at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood last weekend.

We're incredulous.

This frock is overly snug and unflattering.

We do realize, however, that Beyonce may have been going for the whole mermaid mannequin look. If that's the case, mission accomplished! Sign her up to be in the sequel of Splash.

'Forbes' 20 Top Earning Superstars Under 25

"Forbes" 20 Under 25 list of the Top-Earning Young Superstars examined earnings from June 2006 to June 2007. It included salaries, winnings, endorsement deals and royalties. No deductions were taken for taxes or management fees.

Here's a look at who made the list:

1. LeBron James, 22, $27 million

2. Reggie Bush, 22, $24 million

3. Maria Sharapova, 20, $23 million

4. Michelle Wie, 18, $19 million

5. Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen, 21, $17 million each

6. Daniel Radcliffe, 18, $15 million

7. Hilary Duff, 20, $12 million

8. Avril Lavigne, 23, $12 million

9. Carmelo Anthony, 23, $10 million

10. Keira Knightley, 22, $9 million

11. Carrie Underwood, 24, $7 million

12. Scarlett Johansson, 23, $5 million

13. Mischa Barton, 21, $4.5 million

14. Dakota Fanning, 13, $4 million

15. Emma Watson, 17, $4 million

16. Rupert Grint, 19, $4 million

17. Miley Cyrus, 15, $3.5 million

18. Lindsay Lohan, 21, $3.5 million

19. Mandy Moore, 23, $3.5 million

20. Frankie Muniz, 22 tomorrow, $3 million

For even more details click here.

Olsen image: © Fred Prouser/Reuters/Corbis

Cartoon Characters Summoned to Court

An Italian court ordered Tweety Bird, along with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and his girlfriend Daisy, to testify in a counterfeiting case. [AP]

New French American Apparel Ads are Saucy

We thought the American Apparel ads in the U.S. were kinda racy. But we were shocked when we saw part of the new French campaign for American Apparel.

Not only is the model, pictured above, excitedly baring her boobs, she's exhibiting a none-too-comfortable looking camel toe--not that camel toes are particularly comfortable in the first place. But still.

Joe Francis is in jail, so what's up with American Apparel going all Girls Gone Wild on us?

And what exactly are they selling?!

Note: We're not saying we don't appreciate gratuitous nudity.

For the uncensored pics go here.

Rodney King Shot in Calif. Story Full of Holes

The New York Post is reporting that Rodney King was shot in the face and arm before he biked to his San Bernadino home late Wednesday.

He sustained minor injuries as a result.

According to King-- whose videotaped beating by four Los Angeles police officers and their subsequent acquittal touched off riots in 1992-- two suspects, a man and a woman, approached him and demanded his bicycle. When King rode away, he was shot.

There are some discrepancies among other articles we've read on this subject. The LA Times is reporting that King, 42, wasn't actually shot in the face, despite initial reports. The Times says King endured minor injuries after being shot in the shoulder with pellets likely fired from a shotgun.

Police, reportedly, say it appears King was shot from a long-distance--hence the reason his injuries aren't more severe.

One thing is certain. Rodney King was shot.

We want to add that the whole thing sounds like a ploy for publicity. The cryptic circumstances are just too crazy.

No suspects have been identified.

Portions of this confusing blog entry courtesy of the New York Post and LA Times.

Dig For Fire: A Tribute to Pixies

We can't articulate just how much we love the band Pixies--we like em' a la. Dig for Fire: A Tribute to Pixies is proof that we're not alone in our adoration.

Mogwai, British Sea Power and OK Go are just a few of the bands to contribute to the tribute compilation album, which includes covers of Pixies songs such as "Gouge Away," "Gigantic" and, of course, "Where is my Mind?"--we don't care if that's a run-on if you don't.

Dig for Fire: A Tribute to Pixies went on sale Monday. But you can listen to the entire album here for free.

Pretty Cool!

We haven't had time to listen to the whole CD. However we already know we don't like Fashion Victims' covers of "Hey."

Steve-O Has Particularly Veiny Balls

When celebrity thrill-seeker Steve-O flashed his sac on the red carpet at the Gene Simmons' roast on Tuesday night, it wasn't the first time he displayed his family jewels for the photogs.

But as far as we know it was the first time he had a marijuana pipe, made from a Dr. Pepper can, in his hand when he did it. And as far as we know it was the first time the paps got such a veiny shot of the Jackass star's gonads.

Ewww!

Speaking of gross genitalia, the much publicized pics of actor Danny Bonnaduce's pecker pequeño have prompted the celebretard to pose for the March issue of Penthouse magazine.

According to TMZ, Bonnaduce was steamed about how tiny his peen photographed. He decided to do a spread for Penthouse to show people what he's really made of.

For the uncensored Steve-O pics go here.

Phew! Foxy Brown Returned to General Prison Population

Since we're so relieved that rapper Foxy Brown has been released from solitary confinement at Rikers Island, New York City's largest jail facility, we thought we'd pass the word along.

Brown, who is serving a year in jail for violating her probation after several arrests, for crimes that include assaulting a neighbor with a handheld BlackBerry device and for assaulting two nail salon employees in 2004, was returned to the general prison population this week.

We don't why she'd want to mingle with the other jailbirds. But hey, if she's happy, then we're happy for her.

Brown was originally sentenced to 76 days of "punitive segregation" for committing three violations at Rikers Island. But she was released after only 40 days of isolation for good behavior.

Portions of this blog courtesy of Billboard.com.

Will Update By Thursday

We apologize for not posting anything in a while. The holidays are hectic. And impending finals are a bitch.

We will have juicy news/gossip and/or snarky commentary posted by Thursday.

Thank you for your interest!

Man Builds $1 Million Toilet Shaped House in Korea

We weren't going to post this video about a South Korean politician, known as Mr. Toilet, who constructed a 4,700-square-foot house shaped like, you guessed it, a toilet.

But then we saw the usable toilets featured inside. They're pricey, about $4,000. But we want one.

Who wouldn't want to relieve himself in one of those?

Extra Background Info.- Mr. Toilet, aka Sim Jae-duck, focused his political career on beautifying public bathrooms. He tore down his former home to construct the $1.1 million commode-shaped crib. He hopes all of the media attention will spark a "toilet revolution" and provoke a worldwide effort toward better hygiene.

You can spend a night in this bad boy for $50,000. The proceeds will go to Mr. Toilet's cause: improving sanitary conditions across the globe.

For more info. read this AP article.

Sorry about the opening advertisement.

Interesting Facts About Guantánamo Bay

We stumbled upon this elucidating New York Times op-ed piece while surfing the interweb, so we thought we'd share some of the information imparted by the writers.

Here's a list of the facts they compiled:

Number of “high-value detainees” now at Guantánamo: 15

Approximate percentage of detainees found to have committed “hostile acts” against the United States or coalition forces before detention: 53

Approximate number of countries of which detainees are citizens: 40

Most represented countries at Guantánamo: Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Yemen

Cost of building Guantánamo high-security detention facilities: about $54 million

Estimated annual cost of operating Guantánamo: $90 million to $118 million

Cost of “expeditionary legal complex” for the military commission (under construction): $10 million to $12 million

Number of books in the Guantánamo detention library: 5,143

Number of Korans issued to detainees from January 2002 to June 2005: more than 1,600

Number of daily calories per detainee: Up to 4,200, including halal meat

Average weight gain per detainee: 20 pounds

Number of pills dispensed per day: 1,000, to 200-300 detainees

Number of apparent suicides: 4

Number of apparent suicide attempts: 41, by 25 detainees (as of May 2006)

Number of detainee assaults on guards using “bodily fluids”: more than 400

Date of first visit to Guantánamo by the International Committee of the Red Cross: Jan. 18, 2002

Approximate number of visits by lawyers to Guantánamo detainees so far this year: 1,100

Month of first habeas corpus petition filed to challenge detention at Guantánamo: January 2002

Number of habeas corpus petitions filed in federal courts on behalf of detainees: roughly 300

Number of detainees designated by the president as “eligible” for trial by military commission: 14

Number actually charged with crimes (for example, murder and material support for terrorism): 10

Number of pending cases: 3

Number of convictions: 1 (an Australian who pleaded guilty to material support of terrorism and was sentenced to nine months of confinement in his home country)

Estimated number of detainees who may be charged in the future: 80

Month of first release of a detainee: May 2002 (one detainee repatriated to Afghanistan because of an “emotional breakdown”)

Approximate number of detainees released: 445

Approximate number of current detainees found eligible for transfer or release: 70

Countries to which Guantánamo detainees have been transferred: Albania, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belgium, Britain, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uganda, Yemen

Most recent announced transfer of detainees from Guantánamo: Nov. 4 (eight to Afghanistan, three to Jordan)

Personal items provided to detainees upon departure: a Koran, a denim jacket, a white T-shirt, a pair of blue jeans, high-top sneakers, a gym bag of toiletries and a pillow and blanket for the flight home

Number of detainees said by Pentagon to have resumed hostile activities against the United States after release: at least 30

Number of United States senators who voted in favor of a nonbinding resolution that Guantánamo detainees “should not be released into American society, nor should they be transferred stateside into facilities in American communities and neighborhoods”: 94

Number of bills in Congress calling for the closing of Guantánamo: 3

Number of members of the House of Representatives who signed a letter to President Bush in June 2007 urging him to close Guantánamo and move the detainees to military prisons in the United States: 145

Number of Republicans who signed the letter: 1

Democratic presidential candidates who are on record supporting closing Guantánamo: 8

Republican presidential candidates who are: 2 (John McCain and Ron Paul)

Closest American allies that have called for Guantánamo’s closing: Britain, France, Germany

Next scheduled legal test of the Guantánamo system: Boumediene v. Bush, a challenge to the denial of habeas corpus, set for argument before the Supreme Court on Dec. 5.

Give them the hits, and peep this column.

Gnarly Canadian Public Service Announcement

That Sonia Zjawinski over at the Wired blog The Underwire is on top of her shit. She has the best postings on the site.

She found the following graphic and bloody Canadian public service announcement intended to educate viewers on workplace safety.

According to Zjawinski, Ontario's Workplace Safety and Safety Board launched the campaign called Prevent-It last year.

Their motto is "There really are no accidents." And we believe them.

The video is pretty graphic peeps. Beware.


Check out the prevent-it web site and watch some other raunchy, yet effective, videos on workplace safety. Construction workers and people in the food industry we're talking to you.

Britney Spears Runs a Red Light, Fails Court Ordered Drug Test and has Pink Eye

We've done our best to stay on the sidelines during this whole Britney Spears child custody saga.

But over the past week, things have become too ridiculous and tempting for us.

First Spears was caught on tape running a red light...with her kids and court appointed parenting coach in the car.

Fine. It's to be expected.

Then on Monday it was reported that Brit-Brit failed a mandatory drug test. Leave it to Spears, she couldn't even submit a dirty urine sample like a normal person. Her handlers' first move was to label the test a "false positive," which left many wondering: what the heck does that even mean?

Before the suspense killed us, i.e. a few hours after the news broke, her lawyers revealed that the amphetamines detected in Spears' system were not from the use of illegal substances; but the result of a prescribed drug, Provigil, used to treat narcolepsy.

No one bought the excuse, but TMZ called Spears out, saying the "generic drug test" Spears failed wasn't screening for Provigil. It added that all the tests performed on Spears came back negative until last week; "she had been taking Provigil before that."

Touché.

We won't bore you with another lame excuse, but sources say Spears has one.

Now, as midweek approaches, photos have surfaced of Spears's youngest child with pink eye. Sources say the whole clan has it, including K-Fed. That's conjunctivitis!!! Utter craziness!!!

As you can see, the little one in orange [pictured below] has a wonky left eye.

Does anyone else think it's absurd that this is considered news?

Photo courtesy of Life & Style magazine.

Voluptuous Women are Smarter?

That's the word according to the New York Post. It cites a new study as evidence, saying "women with hourglass figures tend to be more intelligent and have smarter kids."

Who da' thunk?

More specifically researchers say, there is a correlation between IQ and a woman's waist-to-hip-ratio.

The study found that women who had a larger difference between their waist and hip measurements scored higher in tests than did those with "apple-shaped" bodies.

"Women with lower WHRs and their children have significantly higher cognitive test scores," their study found.

There is an online calculator available courtesy of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, which "looks at the proportion of body fat stored on your waist compared to that stored at your hips and buttocks."

It is calculated by dividing the waist circumference by the hip circumference.

Oh goody!

In case you're wondering, the lower the WHR, the better, according to the study by William Lassek of the University of Pittsburgh and Steven Gaulin of the University of California at Santa Barbara.

They say that's because the fat on a woman's hips and thighs contains omega-3 fatty acids, which help in "critical brain-building" - and the curvier the hips, the higher the level.

The fat around the waist has higher qualities of omega-6 fatty acids, less helpful to brain growth.

"Shapely hips and thighs hold essential nutrients that nurse brains and could produce smart kids, too," Gaulin told London's Telegraph.

Fret not. Just because you're "apple shaped" or fat, doesn't necessarily mean you're a dum-dum.

The researchers tested their thesis by looking at data from a study of only 16,325 women aged from birth to 90. The results will appear in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior.

Don't believe us? Read this New York Post article.

As stated by the Underwire, Dita Von Teese must be a genius!

U.S. Recalls Millions of Toy Beads Filled with "Date Rape" Drug

According to Reuters, roughly four million Chinese-made Aqua Dots toys have been recalled in the United States because they metabolize into the "Date Rape" Drug, Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate (GHB), when ingested.

The toy, which would seem inadvisable for children to play with even if didn't contain the drug-of-choice for many ravers, consists of a "smart-looking" applicator and small beads. Kids arrange the beads on a grid and spray them with water. The combination makes the beads fuse together, creating colorful shapes and patterns. For a better description go here.

The U.S. safety agency received two reports of children who swallowed Aqua Dots and became unconscious, a spokesperson said. The children have since recovered.

If swallowed, children may also experience respiratory depression, and seizures, which can lead to a coma.

We're speechless.

The Aqua Dots toy, which made Wal-Mart Stores Inc's list of top 12 Christmas toys, has been sold at major U.S. retail stores since April.

"Parents should take this very seriously," said Julia Vallese, spokesperson for the Consumer Product Safety Commission." The consequences to children who ingest these beads is very serious."

Ya think?As you can see, the beads do kind of look like candy. If we were six, we'd eat them for sure.

Portions of this blog courtesy of The Underwire, Machinist and Rueters.

Holy Shit! Perez Hilton Wasn't Always Fat

Forget the Avril Lavigne vs. Perez Hilton feud. And focus on what's shocking here. There was a time when Hilton wasn't such a heifer. Gasp!

What the heck happened?!?!

This picture appears to have been taken post Lavigne's rhinoplasty, so it didn't take long for Hilton to pack on the pounds.

What did he do, have reverse gastric bypass surgery followed by a year-long-Twinkie-binge?

We like him, sorta, and his blog. But bitch blew up in more ways than one.

--Don't hate us Perez--

Wired blog The Underwire" posted this pic accompanying an entry that documents Lavigne's douchiness-- read this so you know what we mean.

Lavigne also posted the photo on her web site, perezlavigne.com, hence the4th-grade-level captions added to evoke sympathy.

Update: MTV is reporting that the Lavigne blog is fake. "A rep for the pop-punk princess says the artist isn't behind PerezLavigne.com, but she will be kicking off her Best Damn Tour in March. "

Even when her handlers refute rumors, Lavigne winds up sounding like a bitch.

"Maxim's" Top 5 Most Unsexy Women Alive

Last month Maxim magazine dubbed what it considered "The Five Most Unsexiest Women Alive." And Sarah Jessica Parker topped the list.

Maxim on why she's unsexy: "How the hell did this Barbaro-faced broad manage to be the least sexy woman in a group of very unsexy women and still star on a show with "sex" in the title? Pull your skirt down, Secretariat, we´d rather ride Chris Noth."

Wait. So why was she deemed the "unsexiest?"

Moving on. Here are her sexy impaired counterparts:

2. Amy Winehouse

Where You´ve Seen Her Unsexy: Onstage, offstage, and in the tabloids after cleaving herself and her husband
Why She´s Unsexy: When we first heard this chick boast about her reluctance to go to rehab we thought, Now there´s a girl we can party with! But upon beholding her openly hemorrhaging translucent skin, rat´s nest mane and lashes that look more like surgically attached bats, we were the ones screaming, "Nooo, nooo, nooo!"

3. Sandra Oh

Where You´ve Seen Her Unsexy: Grey´s Anatomy
Why She´s Unsexy: The only thing worse than a show about doctors is a show about sappy chick doctors we´re forced to watch or else our girlfriends won´t have sex with us. We´re holding Dr. McSkinny, with her cold bedside manner and boyish figure, personally responsible.

4. Madonna

Where You´ve Seen Her Unsexy: On tour, at the Wailing Wall, in the pharmacy´s menopause aisle
Why She´s Unsexy: After building a personal fortune on Top 40 pornography, Madonna traded pioneering sexuality for, like other old Jewish women, self-righteous bellyaching and rapid postnuptial deterioration. Combine a Paris Hilton–like pet accessorizing fetish only for dirt-poor foreign babies with a mug that looks Euro-sealed to her skull, and you´ve got Willem Dafoe with hot flashes.



5. Britney Spears

Where You´ve Seen Her Unsexy: Filling chicken-grease-stained sweatpants on the cover of every trashy tabloid and gossip blog on the Internet
Why She´s Unsexy: Less than five years ago, Britney had a python wrapped around her well-toned torso onstage at the VMAs. Since then, she´s lost the ability to perform, but gained two kids, two useless ex-husbands, and about 23 pounds of Funyun pudge.

We have to say we pretty much agree; although we do love SJP. There's no way she's more "unsexy" than Britney Spears. And she's a hell of a lot hotter than Amy Winehouse. For god's sake 24-year-old Winehouse doesn't even have all of her teeth. Trippin'.

J. Lo Finally Confirms Pregnancy Rumors

Last night, during the last show of their tour, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony Finally announced that they're expecting.

That's all we're saying since this isn't really news. Most of us have known for at least a month.

But if you're surprised and care, you can watch the announcement live.

Priest Arrested for Stalking Conan O'Brien

A priest from Boston was arrested and charged last Friday for stalking and harassing late-night TV host Conan O'Brien.

According to reports, David Ajemian, was picked up by police as he tried to attend a taping of NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien in Rockefeller Center.

Ajemian, 46, had allegedly been stalking O'Brien for 14 months, prior to his arrest. The priest reportedly sent O'Brien, 45, threatening letters on parish letterheads and he even tried to contact the host's parents.

A Feb. 20 letter said: “I’m told by some of those officious little usher people that you’re overbooked. Is this the way you treat your most dangerous fans? You owe me big-time, pal. I want a public confession before I even consider giving you absolution.”

In another letter Ajemian referred to himself as “your priest stalker” and complained about not being allowed in to see an earlier taping of the O’Brien show, court papers say.

According to law enforcement officials, the letters continued even after the priest was asked to stop.

Ajemian is being held in jail for a court-ordered psychiatric examination, and is due back in court tomorrow.

He has also been placed on leave and is no longer allowed to minister publicly.

Portions of this blog courtesy of AP and The New York Times.

Nick Hogan Arrested!

Nick "Hogan" Bollea, reality star and son of wrestler Hulk Hogan, turned himself in to Clearwater, Fla., police yesterday on charges stemming from a speeding accident that critically injured his passenger, John Graziano, 22.

Police say Bollea, 17, turned himself in on a warrant related to the August 26 incident in which witnesses reported seeing two cars racing each other on wet roads before one hit a palm tree.

Based on the evidence and witness testimony, investigators have concluded that Bollea was operating his vehicle recklessly at the time of the crash.

In addition to a reckless driving charge, authorities cited Bollea for using a motor vehicle in commission of a felony, being a driver under 21 while operating a vehicle with a breath-alcohol level of .02 percent or higher and having illegal window tinting.

Graziano, who wasn't wearing a seatbelt, sustained severe injuries that include a broken skull and permanent brain damage. Doctors say he will probably spend the rest of his life on "total life support."

Bollea's father Hulk Hogan, whose real name is Terrence Bollea, said in a statement that his family is "saddened" by the criminal charges that have been filed.

And a statement issued by the Bollea family's lawyers expressed a similar sentiment.

"Because Nick is still a juvenile and has no prior criminal record, we are disappointed that he is being charged as an adult offender.

"However, we are confident that the evidence will demonstrate that this was an accident."

Bollea was released on $10,000 bail.

For more info., see our previous posting on this subject.

Portions of this blog courtesy of Fox News and Reuters.

"It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia"

I saw the FX show It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia for the first time last weekend. It's hilarious.

So, I thought I'd pass the word along. The show, which stars Danny DeVito, among others, is in its third season; airs Thursdays at 10p.m. on FX.

It's kind of difficult to describe the plot. Two of the characters get addicted to crack at one point. And DeVito's character Frank Reynolds manages to bag himself a "bang maid"-- a woman who cooks, cleans and offers up sex.

According to It's Always Sunny's Myspace page, the show is about "five people who spend all their time in a dive bar."

Works for me.

I promise it's super funny. Check it out.

Is AwfulPlasticSurgery.com Being Sued for Libel?

Read the Awful Plastic Surgery Disclaimer. This site is merely the opinion of the author.

Seems explicit enough. But it didn't stop Alyssa Milano's legal team from contacting the author of the site.

Her lawyers write,

"The article that you wrote for your home page shows a "before and after" picture allegedly demonstrating that my client had botox treatments between the time when those photographs were taken. This is, of course, false and, as you know, without any foundation. The fact that you state at the top of the home page that such articles are "only the opinion of the author" indicates that there is no factual basis at all for the libelous statement that Ms. Milano has had botox treatments, when in fact there is no information that you have that supports that proposition. Moreover, the disclaimer would have no effect on most people, who would not bother to read it anyway and who would nonetheless disregard it because most people want to believe such lies. The libelous statements are clearly meant to increase traffic to your site, for which you receive advertising income and substantial attention from those who visit your page."

The debate is over a before and after posting of Milano, dated Oct. 18, 2007. AwfulPlasticsurgery.com asks, "How can you tell someone is using botox? Their face takes on a lovely waxen sheen. Plus, there is no crinkling around their eyes or mouth when they smile."

The photo pictured above is included in the posting.

To us, this doesn't seem to warrant a claim for libel. Besides it looks as if she's had Botox, not to mention a nose job.

Check out AwfulPlasticSurgery.com to see more of what the hoopla is about.

Pakistan Leader Declares A State of Emergency

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency on Saturday, thereby suspending the country's constitution and chief justice of the Supreme Court

This is a big deal!

When a world leader assumes absolute control of his or her government, it presents the opportunity for corruption-- think Indira Gandhi. Citizens lose control of their fundamental rights and constraints are put on the press. Indeed, analysts and opposition leaders say Musharraf's emergency act was more a declaration of martial law.

Often, when leaders take such a drastic step, ulterior motives lurk beneath the problematic surface issues. In the case of General Musharraf, The New York Times contends that the move appears to be more of an effort to reassert his fading power in the face of growing opposition from the country’s Supreme Court, political parties and hard-line Islamists than, what Musharraf says is, a method to combat terrorism.

Now the U.S. administration finds itself in the bind of having to publicly castigate the man it has described as one of its closest allies in fighting terrorism.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is demanding a “quick return to constitutional law.” And in Washington, the White House spokesman, Gordon D. Johndroe, says, “This action is very disappointing."

On Monday, President Bush urged General Musharraf to hold elections and give up his army post, though he gave little indication of any real change in American policy, which has bankrolled Pakistan’s military with $10 billion in aid since 2001.

For a better understanding of this issue and all of the contributing factors that are too numerous and complicated for us to name, check out this New York Times article.

Portions of the blog courtesy of The New York Times.

Writers Guild of America on Strike!

Since 12:01 a.m. (EST), all 12,000+ members of the Writers Guild of America have officially been on strike.

In the simplest terms we can muster, the strike is against TV networks and movie studios over writers wanting increased residuals from DVD and internet sales. According to the Associated Press, writers only get about 3 cents on a typical DVD retailing for $20. We're not entirely sure how much money writers are asking for, but WGA member and screenwriter Bryce Zabel said they're asking for eight cents per DVD.

We should add that the issue is more complicated than we explained. And frankly we don't understand it entirely.

But what the strike means for us is that new episodes of the shows we watch and love might not be available.

According to the Chicago Tribune, shows that are written day-to-day, such as The Daily Show, Letterman and The Tonight Show, will be the first to feel the set-back. Repeats of these shows will begin airing immediately.

Prime-time scripted series have episodes through mid-January or early February, depending on how many reruns they space out in the next few months. Unscripted shows -- such as "Survivor," "The Amazing Race," and, when it returns in January, "American Idol" -- would continue uninterrupted.

Here's a look at where many shows stand:

Late Night
"Colbert Report" and "The Daily Show"	Will go into repeats immediately.
"The Tonight Show" and "The Conan O'Brien Show"	Will go into repeats immediately.
"Jimmy Kimmel Live"	Staffed with WGA writers, so it would probably go to repeats. But Kimmel could also decide to wing it and do the show himself.
"Nightline"	Will remain live and in originals.
ABC
"Lost"	Expected to have eight out of 16 episodes ready. Midseason, none have aired yet
"Cavemen"	Expected to have 12 out of 13 episodes completed; has not received an order for a full season.
"Men in Trees"	Has five episodes left over from last season, 10 new episodes shot, four more scripts to shoot; adds up to 19 out of 27 for the season.
"Cashmere Mafia"	Will have seven episodes out of an order of 13.
"The View"	Will continue uninterrupted, according to a spokesman.
"Dirty Sexy Money"	Expected have between 11 and 13 episodes completed.
"Brothers & Sisters"	Expected to have either 11 or 12 episodes completed.
"Eli Stone"	Will have 13 of 13 ordered. Midseason premiere date is undetermined.
CBS
"Moonlight"	Expected to have 11 out of 12 episodes completed; has not received an order for a full season.
"Cane"	Expected to complete all 13 episodes; has not yet received an order for a full season.
"Jericho"	Will have seven of seven episodes.
NBC
"Friday Night Lights"	Expected to complete 15 of 22 episodes.
"Scrubs"	Expected to complete 12 of 18 episodes.
"Journeyman"	Expected to complete 13 of 13 episodes; has not yet received an order for a full season.
CW
"Everybody Hates Chris"	Expected to complete 22 of 22 episodes.
"Gossip Girl"	Expected to complete 13 of 22 episodes.
"Supernatural"	Has 10-12 episodes completed; Those shows also have roughly five scripts that are ready to shoot.
"America's Next Top Model," "Beauty and the Geek" and new shows such as "Crowned" (the mother-daughter beauty contest)	Three of a number of reality shows that have already been ordered up, meaning they are covered for the rest of the season
Fox
"24"	Will have eight or nine out of 24 episodes completed. Midseason, none have aired yet.
USA
"In Plain Sight"	New show, episodes are nearly wrapped
"Psych" and "Monk"	Enough scripts in hand to guarantee a full second half of each season
"Law and Order: Criminal Intent"	Enough for first half of the season (10); the second half (12) will be affected (meaning not enough scripts to guarantee production start as scheduled.)
"Burn Notice"	Scheduled to start production of Season 2 in January
"Starter Wife"	Scheduled to start production in March
Sci-Fi
"Stargate Atlantis"	Expected to go on as scheduled.
"Battlestar Galactica"	Has 10 hours of episodes, plus a two hour movie to air this Fall.
"Eureka"	Will be affected.
FX
"Thirty Days"	Completed, not expected to be affected.
"Nip/Tuck"	5th season, the 22 episodes were planned for two cycles: 14 to run from now to February and eight next year. All 14 in the first cycle have been written. So, only the second cycle could be affected.
"The Shield"	The final season is written, no date set for airing.
"Dirt" and "The Riches"	Production is underway, and they could be affected.
"Rescue Me"	5th season, just announced, would be affected since production is expected to start in early '08.
"Damages"	No word yet on whether it would be picked up
HBO
"Entourage" and "Big Love"	Are currently in the writing stages and were scheduled to air in the summer of 2008.
"True Blood" and "12 Miles of Bad Road"	Have begun production.
"The Wire"	Completed and will air as scheduled.
"In Treatment"	New series will air as scheduled.

This is the first industry-wide strike since writers walked out in 1988. That strike lasted five months and reportedly cost the entertainment industry $500 million.

Portions of this blog courtesy of the Chicago Tribune Web Edition.

The American Buck Stops at Gisele

Thanks to the depreciating value of the USD, Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen wants to be paid in almost any other currency.

When Bundchen, 27, signed a contract in August to represent Pantene hair products for Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble Co., she demanded payment in euros, according to Veja, Brazil's biggest weekly magazine. She'll also get euros for the deal she reached last October with Dolce & Gabbana SpA in Milan to promote the Italian designer's new fragrance, The One, Veja reported. Bundchen earned $33 million in the year through June, Forbes reported in July.

"Contracts starting now are more attractive in euros because we don't know what will happen to the dollar,'' Patricia Bundchen, the model's twin sister and manager in Brazil, said.

Like billionaire investors Warren Buffett and Bill Gross, Bunchen, who Forbes magazine says earns more than anyone in her industry, is at the top of a growing list of rich people who have concluded that the currency can only depreciate because Americans led by President George W. Bush are living beyond their means.

Even after the dollar lost 34 percent since 2001, the biggest investors and most accurate forecasters say it will weaken further as home sales fall and the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates. The dollar plummeted to its lowest ever last week against the euro, Canadian dollar, Chinese yuan and the cheapest in 26 years against the British pound.

Portions of this blog courtesy of Bloomberg.

An Excuse That Rivals the Twinkie Defense

When a 20-year-old Pennsylvania resident was asked why he beat his girlfriend's two-year-old son severely enough to cause bleeding around the toddler's brain, he responded, "I was working till midnight. I'm not a morning person."

WTF?!?

Juan Arreola, 20, pleaded guilty last month to two counts each of endangering the welfare of a child, reckless endangerment and simple assault. Prosecutors said while moving into a new apartment with his girlfriend on June 7, Arreola kicked her son out of the way, then squeezed the toddler's face.

While looking after the boy three days later, he punched the boy twice, prosecutors said. Arreola's girlfriend brought the child to a hospital later that day, where he was diagnosed with bleeding around the brain. Photos show the boy with severe bruising on his face and back.

The judge ordered Arreola to undergo psychological and psychiatric evaluations and set sentencing for Dec. 14. The maximum penalty is a state prison term of more than 20 years.

Portions of this Blog courtesy of Fox News.

This Photo Will Get you Banned From Digg

We just finished reading a blog entry about how Greg Davies, one of Digg's former top users, was banned from the social news site for submitting a photo that contained nudity.

And since we're all about balking censorship, we thought we would post the pic that got him booted. Besides it's a funny photograph.

However they hang, they're only boobs people.

"Why Getting Married on a Public Beach is a Bad Idea."


Click here for the uncensored, NSFW, pic.

We only bothered to cover up, what can only be described as udders, because we recognize that some people work.

Seinfeld Schools Larry King

Whatever you do, don't ask Jerry Seinfeld if his show was canceled...not unless you're prepared to get a history lesson.

We're pretty sure the funny comedian was joking when he lectured Larry King for asking just that. But it didn't prevent Seinfeld from looking slightly arrogant, during an interview on Larry King Live last Thursday, when he explained that he quit the show when it was at its height.

"You think I was canceled?" Seinfeld asked incredulously. "I was the number one show on television, Larry...75 million viewers the last episode."

Seinfeld might as well have said "What's your problem Larry? You got shit for brains? All sentient beings know I had the most popular show on the planet."

Aguilera Confirms Pregnancy Rumors

Finally! Christina Aguilera admits she is pregnant.

We can officially strike her name from our shit list. We wanted to focus our negative efforts on Douchey Lo-Marc anyway.

If anyone cares, the pregnant pop star divulged the the info. to Glamour when she was asked about her resolutions for 2008.

“That’ll be about the time I enter into mommyhood, so… I’m hoping to have started a beautiful family with my husband," she said.

The 26-year-old also said that she wants to be a working mother, so she can "balance" the needs of her child with her career.

"I want to get it right," she said.

She said her husband, music executive Jordan Bratman, 30, is ecstatic about the prospect of becoming a father.

"He's so supportive and amazing through everything. He came with me on the last leg of the tour and he was my support system... I gush. I'm a lucky girl."

It will be Aguilera and Bratman's first child.

Portions of this blog courtesy of BBC News.

She's Digging her own Grave!

Heather Mills needs to shut-up! We don't detest Paul McCartney's ex-wife, who has been labeled a gold digger. But we strongly urge her to stay out of the limelight--for a while at least.

The amputee has been seen recently crying on morning shows, and whining about how the British press have depicted her as a villain. She was dropped by her publicist Phil Har the next day.

He reasons, "My view is that you need good relations with the media to turn the negative into the positive and I advise always to ignore the stuff thrown at you.

"I no longer represent her [Mills]. I advised her against the interviews but she was adamant. Sometimes she can't help herself."

And now the claws are really coming out. Mills went on to attack McCartney's daughter, Stella McCartney, in an interview with Extra.

Mills said of the fashion designer, “Every single week Stella tried to break up our marriage. She was so jealous. Stella wasn’t interested in her dad’s happiness. I can’t protect her any longer… she’s done some evil, evil things… we found out she scraped my face out a photo when they were in psychiatric session together.”

Zip your lip Ms. Mills. You're not helping your cause.

Also, why the hell would you use the media to lash out at the media? Not smart.

Amy Fisher Sex Tape Trailer

We're keeping quite on this one. NSFW!!!

Officially, the Most Frightening Costume we've Seen

Man we thought Terri Hatcher dressed as the Queen of Hearts was scary. Britney showed her.

We're not really sure what Britney Spears was supposed to be as she hit up multiple night clubs last night. But our guess was crack head meets unfit mother meets Elton John meets pink panther-zebra-hybrid meets hooker.

Not much of a stretch, really.

Sources are reporting that Spears might have also agreed to let some guy snort blow off her tits last night.

She sounds fun!

Note: We're not 100% that last bit of news is true.

It's a Good Thing the Oscar Didn't Go to her Head

When asked, at the Avon Gala on Oct. 30, what she would change about herself, if she could, 26-year-old Jennifer Hudson, who took home a Golden Globe and an Oscar last year for her supporting role in Dream Girls, said “I have the height of a model, the breasts that people pay for and the lips that everybody wants, so why should I change?”

She added, “I wouldn’t change myself for anything or anybody. That will never happen.”

Never say never honey. We're glad you think modesty is a virtue too.

Hudson will reportedly star in the Sex and the City movie, which is currently being filmed in New York. According to Ok! Magazine, she has been cast as Carrie Bradshaw's assistant.

Portions of this blog courtesy of Ok! Magazine.

Nice Shout Out to The Smiths!

Chloë Sevigny, the actress from Big Love, Kids and Boys Don't Cry, showed up to the V Magazine Halloween Party as Joan of Arc last night in New York City.

The Walkman reminded us of The Smith's song "Bigmouth Strikes Again"-- one of our favorites.

You might remember the lyrics: Now I know how Joan of Arc felt/As the flames rose to her roman nose/And her Walkman started to melt.

If that's what Sevigny was going for, we think it's pretty cool.

"Quality of Life" Citations for the Homeless in SF

At the risk of sounding ignorant and stupid, I had no idea that the city of San Francisco issues "quality of life" citations to its homeless.

What this means is that someone can be ticketed for sleeping on the sidewalk and subsequently must pay a fine or eventually have a warrant issued for his arrest.

Talk about crap logic. Why would you levy a fine against someone who can't afford a place to live?

Such a practice is not only inhumane, it is economically inefficient. To put it another way, it's mean, it makes no sense and it's costing the City and tax payers lots of money.

According to BeyondChron, the City has spent $8 million enforcing such "crimes" during the four years Mayor Gavin Newsom has been in office.

That money is wasted. Gone. It didn't go toward creating any sort of solution.

In those same four years, over 56,000 citations have been issued, most of them to people who cannot pay and thus end up with warrants that can result in the denial of Social Security benefits and federally subsidized housing.

I think the District Attorney's Office is needlessly perpetuating a vicious cycle by ruthlessly prosecuting poverty stricken individuals. And it's sending a grim message: being poor is a crime.


For a better understanding of the subject at hand, as well as possible steps to take toward finding a solution, check out this BeyondChron article. It's a little liberal for my taste, but it presents a perspective most people probably haven't heard.

Brit Brit Found Time to Get her Lips Done

Amid an acrimonious child custody battle, unsuccessfully dodging the paparazzi and dropping a new album, Britney Spears also found time to have her face (specifically her lips) injected with type of filler.

I'm in awe. This woman can do it all.

On a nicer note, critics are liking Spears' new album, Blackout, which was released today.

Nekesa Mumbi Moody, of The Associated Press, is calling it "her best work ever — a triumph, with not a bad song to be found on the 12 tracks."



Photo courtesy of awfulplasticsurgery.com.

Larry Birkhead as Darth Vader

Does anyone else think it's ironic that Larry Birkhead dressed up as Darth Vader for Halloween?

Danny Bonaduce has Gross Genitalia!

The reality celebretard, Danny Bonaduce showed off his pecker at the Exotic Erotic Ball in San Francisco last weekend. And it wasn't pretty.

We thought anabolic steroids only reduced ball size. But apparently the synthetic muscle enhancers shortened Bonaduce's shaft as well. At least we hope that's what happened.

We warned you "celebrities."

It also kind of looks as if Bonaduce has congenital buried penis syndrome aka "hidden penis." That's right, we picked up that term on Dr. 90210. He might want to get that checked out.

To see the NSFW pics click here.

Amy Fisher Can Soon Add Porn Star to her Resume

Amy Fisher, the woman best known for shooting her ex-lover's wife in the face, will soon star in a sex video.

And the word is, she isn't happy about the private tape being released to the public. She says her husband Lou Bellera peddled the footage while they were separated.

She sure knows how to pick em'.

Fisher and her husband allegedly made the tape earlier this year, before they filed for divorced.

According to reports, Amy learned the tape was in the hands of Red Light District Video, aka the people who brought us 1 Night in Paris, upon reconciling with her husband.

The video of the "The Long Island Lolita" is slated to be available to the general public sometime next month.

Update: I saw this video for sale in a porn shop last weekend. It's retail price: $65. Can you believe that?

Portions of this blog courtesy of the New York Post.