Tabloid Archives...
Monday, May 17, 2004
· Geena Davis Gives Birth to Twins. The star of "Thelma & Louise" and "The Accidental Tourist" gave birth to twin boys on May 6 at an undisclosed Los Angeles hospital, publicist Paul Bloch said Monday. 
· 'Troy' Slays Box Office Competition. Muscle-bound Brad Pitt fought his way through scrawnier competition to help the Greek epic "Troy" claim the top spot at the box office with $45.6 million.
· Olympic sex change rules introduced. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) have mapped out conditions for sex change athletes to compete in the Olympics, it was announced here Monday.
· Care to blow $3.95 a minute? Omarosa - the irritating black witch from The Apprentice - now has her own 900 number and can aggravate you even more by phone for the small sum of $3.95 per minute.
· Martha Stewart hopes for TV survival. Domestic style guru Martha Stewart, fighting for her business life as she waits to be sentenced next month after conviction for obstructing an investigation into her share trading, has turned to the company behind reality TV show Survivor for salvation.
Mark Burnett Productions may take over the syndication of Stewart's flagship TV programme, which has been ditched by most US television stations.
· Forensic scientists first speculate about, then work on Peterson trial. Two respected forensics experts, Henry Lee and Cyril Wecht, provided abundant television commentary when Laci Peterson's disappearance sparked international intrigue. They speculated that her body had not been recovered because her killer had sunk it with concrete blocks.
· Oil Prices Fuel Rise in Strategic Reserves. With crude oil trading above $41 a barrel and terrorism fears helping to inflate the price, the U.S. has quietly continued to fill its emergency reserves to the highest level ever -- an amount experts say could be used to bring prices down, Monday's Wall Street Journal reported.
· Exploring legal action against Google. In the late 1930s, noted mathematician and Columbia University professor Edward Kasner was asked to come up with a name for an extraordinarily large number. He did. A googol, he wrote, is 10 raised to the 100th power - or the number 1 followed by a hundred zeros. The professor died in 1955, now the family is "exploring legal action" against Google.
· NBC to Add Five Series for the Fall. After losing two of its signature comedies, NBC will add five new series in the fall, casting Heather Locklear as an airport chief and bringing a crime drama back to the 50th state.
· Man Eats $275 Worth Of Shrimp In Grocery Store. Allegedly eating in the aisles of an Albertson's grocery store has left a north Texas man facing hefty fines.
· Kerry daughter heats up Cannes red carpet. Alexandra Kerry, 30-year-old daughter of U.S. Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, walked up Cannes' celebrated red-carpet in a shocking see-through dress. Not safe for work!
· Driver still making more enemies. Tony Stewart spent his off-week racing 360 winged sprint cars in Sedalia, Mo. and Knoxville, Iowa. That was about as far he could get from the controversy that's been chasing him after getting involved in a myriad of wrecks the past few races in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series.
· $70 million Heathrow robbery foiled. London police have foiled an attempted robbery of $70 million worth of cash and precious metals at Heathrow Airport.
· Police Fingerprint Bit-Off Finger To Find Jaguar's Victim. A man has been banned from the Rio Grande Zoo in Albuquerque forever after he stuck his finger into the jaguar's cage and the big cat bit it off.
· Fast-food joints ration napkins in cost-cutting move. Fierce competition for fast-food dollars has some restaurants taking an extraordinary measure to cut the bottom line - napkin rationing.
· Caviezel Goes from Jesus to Golf Legend. Actor Jim Caviezel has gone from Son of God to golfing god. After starring in Mel Gibson's controversial box office hit "The Passion of the Christ," he then turned to playing Bobby Jones in a biopic about the golfing legend.
· Fluke fire shows cell phones, gas don't mix. The ExxonMobil Corporation and town officials are investigating a freak fire at a New Paltz gas station Thursday that is believed to have been ignited by a college student's cell phone.
· Stewart Cracks Up Students at Alma Mater. Jon Stewart, host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," told graduates at his alma mater they have a chance to become the new greatest generation by winning the war on terrorism.
· Feds vs. Gotti wife in battle over loot. The feds have a message for the spurned wife of mob boss Peter Gotti, who is trying to squeeze a few extra bucks from her jailed husband: Join the crowd.
· Cell phone block eyed. Cell-phone use could be blacked out at LAX, the Rose Bowl and Universal Studios under an anti-terrorism plan being formulated by Sheriff Lee Baca and other law enforcement authorities.
· Simple formula for staying awake. Scientists have come up with a mathematical equation to enable people to calculate when they are most awake.
· Remains Of Tyrannosaurus Rex Fetch $93,250 At Auction. A collection of fossilized Tyrannosaurus rex bones believed to be part of the first ever to be found of the animal fetched $93,250 at an auction Sunday, far less than what organizers had hoped.
· Mohr 'SNL' tales. Live from New York - Jay Mohr reveals the secrets behind the scenes of "Saturday Night Live."
· Le Grand Omelet. Culinary craziness has reached new heights in New York with the debut of the $1,000 omelet!
· Bomb kills president of Iraqi Governing Council. The current president of the Iraqi Governing Council was among several people killed Monday in a suicide car bombing near Baghdad's Green Zone, a council official said.
Word of The Day by WordThink
double-entendre [dou·ble-en·ten·dre] n. A word or phrase having a double meaning, especially when the second meaning is risqué. "The television show, Three's Company, was filled with double-entendres."
· Frozen car turns heads on city streets. But Volkswagen’s Polo Twist does. Because as part of a forthcoming advertising campaign for the special edition Twist version, which comes ‘chilled’ with free air conditioning, Volkswagen created a life-sized model of the Polo, and parked it outside the Saatchi Art Gallery in London.
· Sex sickos' wireless 'hookups.' The sleazy subculture of sex addicts has found a new way to use wireless technology to enable anonymous encounters with strangers.
· Cubs' Sosa Hurts Himself Sneezing. He sneezed twice shortly after arriving in the clubhouse before the game, which brought on back spasms and forced him to grab a chair to support himself. While his Chicago Cubs teammates were out beating the Padres 4-2 for a three-game sweep, Sosa spent the afternoon in the trainer's room receiving treatment.
· Wheelie crash injures three children. A motorcycle doing a wheelie in a parade lost control and crashed into the crowd Sunday, seriously injuring three children.
· Gambling ship catches fire near Fort Lauderdale. A fire was extinguished Sunday in the engine room of a gambling cruise ship carrying about 160 people off the coast.
Sunday, May 16, 2004
· 'Raymond' Signs Deal for Final Season. Three days before announcing its fall schedule, CBS sealed a deal Sunday to bring the Emmy-winning comedy "Everybody Loves Raymond" back for a ninth and final season.
· U.S. athletes told to cool it at Olympics. American athletes have been warned not to wave the U.S. flag during their medal celebrations at this summer's Olympic Games in Athens, for fear of provoking crowd hostility and harming the country's already-battered public image.
· Carnival ride operator arrested after 3-year-old falls. The operator of a carnival ride was drunk when a three-year-old fell off and injured himself, police said.
· Crowds Gather for Gay Weddings in Mass. Like fans anxious for concert tickets, same-sex couples waited for line for hours Sunday outside Cambridge's City Hall for an event they once thought they'd never get to experience: marriage.
· How Is Marriage Doing? More people are getting divorced, more kids are living with single parents and more grandparents are playing a mother or father role for their grandkids.
· It's payback time for Marcia Clark. Nearly a decade after the O.J. Simpson trial, the sister of Nicole Brown Simpson has broken her silence to blast former prosecutor Marcia Clark for botching the trial and then "trashing" her family.
» O.J. court drama: The players today. Nearly 10 years have passed since the infamous murders, and the unforgettable slow-motion police chase of O.J. in the white Bronco five days later. Here's a glimpse of where they are now.
· Arrest in alleged Hooters videotaping. A man who worked for the Atlanta-based Hooters restaurant chain, known for its scantily clad waitresses, is accused of secretly videotaping job candidates while they changed into uniforms.
· 'We Are the Future' Concert Benefit Held. Nearly two decades after music greats gathered to record the hit song "We are the World" to benefit Africa's hungry, a new generation of stars came together Sunday for a follow-up concert to benefit children in war zones.
· Ronald McDonald busted by police. A Greenpeace protester dressed like Ronald McDonald waves from a police car after he was removed by police after attaching himself to the gates of the distribution center of fast food giant McDonald's.
· Man Skips Sentencing To Play Poker. A man scheduled to be sentenced for masterminding an illegal million-dollar investment scheme went to Las Vegas instead to play poker.
Famed Memphis Belle Pilot Dead at 85. Col. Robert Morgan, commander of the famed Memphis Belle B-17 bomber that flew combat missions over Europe during World War II, died late Saturday of complications from a fall.
Morgan was hospitalized April 22 with a fractured neck after falling following an air show at Asheville Regional Airport, said Carole Donnelly, spokeswoman for Mission Hospitals, where Morgan was treated.
· Forgiveness not needed say Klebold's parents. In their first interview since the Columbine High School massacre, the parents of one of the killers said they feel no need be forgiven and didn’t realize their son was beyond hope until after he was dead.
· Grim Call On Fatal Wreck a Mystery. It was a telephone call that no one would want to make or receive. Yet someone called Ron Burth on Friday afternoon to tell him that his wife, Linda, had been killed minutes before in a traffic crash.
· Regis Philbin ranks as one of history's most successful talk-show hosts. After a half century in television, he is among the most successful talk-show hosts in history and ranks with - arguably surpasses - Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin and maybe even Jack Paar, whom he idolized.
· Jerry Springer Named Democratic Delegate. Ohio Democrats have chosen talk-show host Jerry Springer to be an at-large delegate for the Democratic National Convention in Boston.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Alchemy [al·che·my] n. 1. A power or process of transforming something common into something special. 2. An inexplicable or mysterious transmuting.
· Julio Iglesias Plans to Marry Girlfriend. The Spanish singer plans to marry his girlfriend of the past 14 years, Miranda Rijnsburger. The couple has four children: Miguel, 6; Rodrigo, 5; and twin 3-year-old daughters, Victoria and Cristina.
· Low-Carb Craze Not an Excuse: Shareholders Sue Krispy Kreme. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, which said last week that the low-carb diet trend has hurt sales, faces shareholder lawsuits alleging it misled investors about the direction its business was headed.
Saturday, May 15, 2004
· Preakness Stakes a party for Smarty. Smarty Jones has a thing going on - a possible date with history in three weeks when he bids for the first Triple Crown in 26 years after cruising to an effortless-looking 11 1/2-length victory in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday.
· Gwyneth Paltrow gives birth to daughter. Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow has given birth to her first child, a daughter called Apple, a spokesman said on Saturday.
· Fox therapist got Ph.D. from 'diploma mill.' The Los Angeles doctor Fox Television has tabbed to provide "psychological counseling" to contestants on "The Swan," its controversial plastic surgery makeover show, received her Ph.D. from a California correspondence school that was described this week as an unaccredited "diploma mill" by congressional investigators.
· Stallone Files Suit Over 'Rocky' Projects. Actor Sylvester Stallone has sued Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. and a production company, claiming they stymied his efforts to make a sequel and Broadway musical based on the "Rocky" film franchise.
· Parents Angry Over Beheading-Video Allegations. Local parents are outraged that students from two high schools allegedly watched or listened to the graphic beheading of an American in Iraq while in class under the supervision of teachers.
· Berg's encounter with 'terrorist' explained by father. When Nicholas Berg took an Oklahoma bus to a remote college campus a few years ago, the American recently beheaded by terrorists allowed a man with terrorist connections to use his laptop computer, according to his father.
· Sunday's Doonesbury' Has Head On Platter. The distributor of "Doonesbury" called it an "unfortunate coincidence" that a strip depicting a man's head on a platter is set to run in newspapers days after the release of a videotape showing an American's beheading by Iraqi militants.
· Media Seek End to Jackson Gag Order. In court documents filed Friday, Michael Jackson's attorneys agreed with prosecutors that people involved in the superstar's child molestation case should continue to be barred from discussing it publicly.
· Vatican Warns Catholics Against Marrying Muslims. The Vatican warned Catholic women on Friday to think hard before marrying a Muslim and urged Muslims to show more respect for human rights, gender equality and democracy.
· Bishop: Bar communion for abortion-rights voters. A Colorado Bishop, in one of strongest stands yet taken by a U.S. Roman Catholic church leader, says communion should be denied to people who vote for candidates supporting such issues as abortion rights, gay marriage, euthanasia and stem cell research.
· Arafat urges Palestinians to 'terrorize' enemy. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat urged his people Saturday to "terrorize your enemy," as he bitterly marked the 56-year anniversary of the establishment of Israel.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Voracity; Voracious [vo·ra·cious] adj. Consuming or eager to consume great amounts of food; ravenous. 2. Having or marked by an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; greedy: "A voracious reader."
· Intrigue surrounds Conan Doyle's papers. Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts got a rare glimpse into the private world of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as thousands of personal papers - from his passport to his jotted-down story ideas - went on display today. At the same time, the archive has become entwined in a mystery worthy of Doyle's celebrated fictional detective: the bizarre death of a leading Holmes scholar.
· Busty teen sent home from graduation for 'revealing' dress. "There's cleavage, but when you're as big as Dannielle, there's going to be cleavage," her mother said. "There's nothing I can do about that."
· 65 Arrests Made in Internet Child Porn Probe. A nationwide inquiry into child pornography trafficking using Internet file-sharing networks has resulted in 1,000 investigations and at least 65 arrests, federal officials announced Friday.
· Nightclub 'VIPs' Get Chips Implanted. Remember when mom said, "If your friends jumped off a cliff, would you?" Now she should ask the same thing about getting a microchip implanted in your arm just to act like a nightlife big shot.
· Osmonds Increase Security at Mother's Funeral. Rumors of a $30,000 bounty for a photograph of Olive Osmond in her coffin have prompted the Utah entertainment family to increase security at Saturday's funeral for the family matriarch.
· Dying Pa. Man Confesses to 1995 Slaying. A man dying of cancer called police to his bedside to confess that he shot a stranger to death as they argued in a parking lot nine years ago, authorities said.
· Italian police determined to catch speeders. Italian police now have a sleek, 500 horsepower, two-seater Lamborghini Gallardo, which can hit a top speed of 185 miles per hour to catch those pesky speeders.
· Woman Accused Of Stealing 135 Pairs Of Shoes. Police say she had enough shoes to wear a different pair each day for four months. The only problem was that she allegedly swiped them from a Westlake store.
Friday, May 14, 2004
· Phil Spector and chauffeur arrested after scuffle. Music producer Phil Spector, who is awaiting trial on a murder charge, and his chauffeur were both arrested for investigation of misdemeanor battery after the two scuffled Friday at Spector's mansion.
· NASA's Finances in Disarray. As NASA sets course for the moon and Mars, the space agency's finances are in disarray, with significant errors in its last financial statements and inadequate documentation for $565 billion posted to its accounts.
· The top 50 richest athletes. F. Scott Fitzgerald once said the very rich are different from you and me. It turns out that the very richest athletes are even different from each other.
· Theater boots Ticketmaster. Citing "ridiculous" service charges that can boost the price of a concert ticket by more than 35 percent, the operators of Phoenix's Celebrity Theatre have given Ticketmaster the boot.
· Sick sex romps at porny prison. Iraq's feared Abu Ghraib jail was one big sex romp - sometimes by candlelight with an audience watching, U.S. troops said yesterday.
· DNA clears Univ. of Colorado football player. DNA evidence cleared a second Univ. of Colorado football player of sexual assault allegations, while an audit of the team's expenses showed coaches routinely charged the school for beer they drank on road trips.
· DJs who laughed at beheading are fired. Portland radio station KNRK is issuing an apology to its listeners after talk show hosts Marconi, Tiny and sidekick Nickie J. laughed at and ridiculed the beheading of American Nick Berg.
· Head of college loan organization duped by 'diploma mills.' The president of an organization that helps students get college loans has degrees from two unaccredited schools that were shut down for issuing phony diplomas.
· 'Frasier' receives a fitting send-off. If you like your sitcoms jam-packed, Thursday's sweet, funny and ultimately touching "Goodnight, Seattle" finale of NBC's Frasier was the show for you. Among exploding cannons, crashing cattle cars and clashing visitors, Daphne and Niles had a baby, Martin and Ronnie got married, and Frasier and Roz found new jobs.
» 'Frasier' Finale Keeps Surprise Until End. "Frasier" said it's no sin to be picky or brainy - it's just funny - and Thursday's series finale wrapped things up in a fashion even finicky Dr. Frasier Crane couldn't have faulted.
· Book Sales Plunge. Not even Harry Potter could prevent a big drop in book sales in 2003. With a struggling economy and competition for time from other media, 23 million fewer books were sold last year than in 2002, according to a report issued Wednesday by the Book Industry Study Group, a non-for-profit research organization.
· Residents get a cool mil to get out of Ratner's way. Real estate tycoon Bruce Ratner is showing Brooklyn homeowners the money. He's turning residents of one building into instant millionaires so they'll go quietly - letting him knock down their homes to make way for his controversial $2.5 billion Nets arena and housing complex.
· Sex pics of Demi stolen. Demi Moore is devastated after discovering that X-rated snaps of her and toyboy lover Ashton Kutcher have been stolen.
· KISS player outrage on extremist Muslims. KISS bass player Gene Simmons has caused an uproar among the Muslim community by launching an attack on Islamic culture while in Melbourne, saying "This is a vile culture and if you think for a second that it's going to just live in the sands of God's armpit you've got another thing coming."
· Oil price hits $41 all-time high. Oil prices have vaulted to an all-time high on fears that disruption to Middle East oil flows may stress world fuel supplies already eroded by heady demand growth in China and the United States.
» $350M will bankroll hydrogen car studies. Automakers, oil companies, utilities and dozens of private firms and institutions received $350 million in federal funds yesterday to research and develop hydrogen vehicles and fueling stations.
· Porn films roll - without condoms. Health authorities upset the California's booming porn industry continues to film without condoms, despite a spate of HIV infections among its actors.
· Limbaugh Attacks Prosecutors in Newspaper Ads. Rush Limbaugh took out full-page ads in two Florida newspapers Thursday to attack prosecutors who are investigating whether he illegally purchased prescription painkillers.
· Police revise rules after 97-year-old woman handcuffed. Police guidelines calling for anyone wanted on a warrant to be arrested have been revamped following the public outcry over an officer's arrest of a 97-year-old woman.
· Marijuana mistaken for bomb, causes evacuation. Three bomb-sniffing dogs mistook a package of marijuana for explosives, prompting an evacuation of a New York city hall Thursday.
· Kimmel goes on with show as face swells. Late-night TV comedian Jimmy Kimmel says it was too much Advil, not pride or fame, that went to his head as his face puffed up like a balloon during the course of his show.
· Update: Group demands Rosie apologize. "Black people have so few role models," O'Donnell ranted on ABC's The View. "They said, 'You know what? I don't care. You're not taking [Simpson and Williams]," O'Donnell said in drawing comparisons to Stewart's conviction. "I'm fuming," said Asa Khalif, founding president of the Philadelphia-based organization Racial Unity USA, which promotes diversity.
· Judge Denies Bid to Stop Gay Marriages in Mass. A federal judge Thursday rejected a last-minute bid by conservative groups to block the nation's first state-sanctioned gay marriages from taking place in Massachusetts next week.
· Shopping Channel Stars Shun Stigma for Spotlight. Hawking blush, earrings and cookware on cable used to mean a celeb had hit rock bottom. But now, the famous are starring on home shopping channels without shame.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Epochal [ep·och·al] adj. 1. Highly significant or important; momentous: "Epochal decisions made by the president." 2. Without parallel: "Epochal stupidity."
· Teacher Accused of Ordering Class to Hit Student. An elementary school teacher was placed on emergency leave after allegedly ordering second-graders to line up and take turns hitting a classmate.
· Handcuffed Man Swims From Alcatraz to SF. A handcuffed fitness expert defied chilly waters and swam from Alcatraz to San Francisco in an effort to raise funds for diabetes research.
· Moscow 'has most billionaires.' The Russian capital Moscow now boasts more billionaires than any other city in the world, according to a survey by Forbes magazine. The study also estimates that a quarter of Russia's wealth is now concentrated in the hands of just 100 people.
· Private spaceship sets altitude record. Aircraft designer Burt Rutan and his firm Scaled Composites took a giant leap early Thursday toward becoming the first private company to send a person into space.
· Prostitutes forecast Olympic sex slave boom. Greece's licensed prostitutes have warned that foreign sex-slave competitors would rush to exploit the August Olympic Games because of unrealistic zoning laws restricting legal brothels.
Thursday, May 13, 2004
· Bizarre New Link In Berg Murder. U.S. officials say the FBI questioned Nicholas Berg in 2002 after a computer password Berg used in college turned up in the possession of Zaccarias Moussaoui, the al Qaeda operative arrested shortly before 9/11 for his suspicious activity at a flight school in Minnesota.
· Jobless bill fails by 1 vote. The Senate rejected by a single vote Sen. Maria Cantwell's amendment to provide extended federal unemployment benefits to more than 1 million workers nationwide. The only senator who missed the vote was Sen. John Kerry.
· Courtney Love Pleads Not Guilty in Assault Case. Rocker Courtney Love pleaded innocent on Thursday to charges of assault and reckless endangerment for allegedly hitting a fan in the head with a microphone stand in March. After the arraignment, she delivered a rambling speech in a women's bathroom about the ex-boyfriend whose Los Angeles home she was accused of breaking into last year.
· Are lottery winners really less happy? Lottery winners, trust-fund babies and others who get their money without working for it do not get as much satisfaction from their cash as those who earn it, a new study suggests.
· Greek extremist group threatens Olympic visitors. A Greek extremist group called the Revolutionary Struggle has threatened visitors to the Olympic Games, adding to security woes just three months out from the start of the event.
· Deputies Sue McDonald's After Glass Found In Burgers. Two Florida deputies are suing McDonald's, saying some shards of glass were intentionally put in their cheeseburgers.
· Cell Phone Directory Raises Concerns. The cell phone industry hopes to have a directory for wireless phone numbers by the end of this year, but privacy advocates, lawmakers and some industry officials worry that consumers could be in danger of losing the anonymity cell phones provide.
· Congress to Audit Nielsen System. A congressional audit has been ordered on a new system for measuring TV viewership in big cities, which critics contend undercounted blacks and Latinos.
· Liberal Talk Show Shuts LA, Chicago Sales Offices. Air America has shut its sales offices in Los Angeles and Chicago and is recasting its business plan, the network's president said on Wednesday as troubles beset the liberal talk show network.
· Noisy McCartney angers residents. He may be one of the world's most popular musicians, but Paul McCartney failed to impress residents in a corner of east London when he began rehearsing nearby.
· Company Against Playboy's 'Hotties Of Home Depot' Issue. Playboy is looking for some babes with all the right tools, but Home Depot isn't ready to embrace the publicity of a Playboy photo shot. Company spokesman Don Harrison said they're aware of Playboy's intentions. But Harrison added that Home Deport does not endorse it or support it.
· Company shuts down Web site showing beheading. The al-Qaeda-linked Web site that first posted a video of American civilian Nicholas Berg's beheading was shut down Thursday by thecompany that hosted it - because it was drawing too much traffic.
· Mariette Hartley Erasing The Stigma Of Suicide. Early in her TV career, actress Mariette Hartley seduced Mister Spock and married the alter-ego of "The Incredible Hulk." But these days, she's helping people battle bigger demons as an activist for folks who've lost family members to suicide.
New photos of pregnant 'leash gal' having sex with fellow soldiers. According to the New York Post, shocking shots of sexcapades involving Pfc. Lynndie England were among the hundreds of X-rated photos from the Abu Ghraib prison scandal shown to lawmakers in a top-secret Capitol conference room yesterday. "She was having sex with numerous partners. It appeared to be consensual," said a lawmaker who saw the photos.
· Scott Peterson trial start delayed; judge says more jurors needed. A day after denying a motion to move the trial to Los Angeles, Judge Alfred Delucchi said more time would be needed to find enough people eligible to serve on the case.
· Expert Says Spector Shooting Likely Not Suicide. Music producer Phil Spector was the only person in his mansion when a gunshot killed "Silk Stalkings" star Lana Clarkson. Now, rumors swirl that Lana's death is likely not a suicide and sex may have been a factor.
· Clooney turns tables on Pitt. While on a Chicago sidewalk getting surrounded by fans, George Clooney noticed Brad Pitt laughing from his safe spot under an awning... Clooney quickly raised his arm, pointed directly at Pitt, announcing, "Look everyone, it's Brad Pitt!"
· N.Y. politician suggests Martha Stewart be sentenced to help low-income women. Democratic Representative Nydia Velazquez asked the judge who presided over Stewart's trial to sentence the domestic diva to community service at a training centre for low-income women in an impoverished section of Brooklyn.
· Pam Anderson becomes an American citizen. Film and TV star Pamela Anderson, a native of Canada who broke into show business as a spokeswoman for Labatt beer, has become an American citizen during a brief ceremony in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom.
· Frasier's Farewell: The Doctor's Last Call. Kelsey Grammer wraps up a 22-year chapter in television history Thursday when "Frasier" goes off the air. The sitcom has matched the 11-season run of "Cheers," and Grammer's time spent playing the same character is up there with that spent by James Arness, who played Marshal Matt Dillon on "Gunsmoke" (1955-75).
· Rosie causes furor over 'race card.' Rosie O'Donnell mixed it up with Star Jones yesterday in an on-air shouting match over Martha Stewart and why high-profile black defendants like O.J. Simpson and Jayson Williams go free.
· 'American Idol' shocker: La Toya London out. Another diva bit the dust on "American Idol" with the shocking ejection of La Toya London on Wednesday night.
· A Failing Grade For "Friends." Though "Friends" would prove to be a lucrative ratings powerhouse, the sitcom's pilot received a failing grade and was described as "not very entertaining, clever, or original," according to an internal NBC research report.
· Maria Shriver to Sell California-Themed Jewelry. Maria Shriver California Jewelry was to be unveiled Wednesday night at the opening of her California's Remarkable Women Exhibit at the California State History Museum.
· The story of Nick Berg - a tale that haunts America. While the US authorities have vowed to find Mr Berg's killers, his friends and family are also demanding an explanation as to what happened to him in Iraq after he was detained in early March by Iraqi police in the city of Mosul, who apparently questioned the authenticity of some of the documents he was carrying.
· Boston Globe publishes bogus GI rape pictures. Boston residents got more than they bargained for this morning when their copy of the Globe came complete with graphic photographic images depicting U.S. troops gang-raping Iraqi women. Problem is the photos are fake.
· Teen Murder Suspect's Sister on Hit List. A college student named as a victim on her 14-year-old brother's hit list broke into tears as she sat down for an interview with prosecutors five weeks after he was accused of killing a classmate at school.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Indigenous [in·dig·e·nous] adj. Originating and living or occurring naturally in an area or environment. "The cactus is indigenous of Arizona."
· Wis. Alderman Fights to Keep Mannequin. An alderman in this Milwaukee suburb is going to court to defend his right to keep Madeline the handless mannequin in his City Hall office.
· Andy Dick In Pot Bust. The 38-year-old comedian was popped while attending the Coachella music festival near Palm Springs. Cops say Dick was in a VIP area near one stage when a security guard spotted him trying to fire up a joint with a Bic lighter.
· NBC Signs Tom Brokaw to New 10-Year Deal. Tom Brokaw is leaving the anchor chair but not NBC. He signed a 10-year contract Wednesday to remain at the network, largely to produce and narrate documentaries.
· Kiefer Sutherland Files for Divorce. Actor Kiefer Sutherland has filed for divorce from his wife of nearly eight years, citing irreconcilable differences.
· Lottery ticket case prompts definition change. The Western Canada Lottery Corporation is changing its definition of a winning ticket, after a woman was allowed to collect her prize with a photocopy.
· Miramax to Buy Michael Moore Documentary. Miramax Films chiefs Bob and Harvey Weinstein plan to buy back Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9-11" - which Walt Disney Co. blocked Miramax from releasing - and distribute it themselves.
· Orange peel can lower bad cholesterol levels. An oil from orange and tangerine peels lowers 'bad' cholesterol as much as many drugs do, say Canadian and American food researchers marketing an orange peel extract in the U.S.
· Sony Introduces a Razor-Thin Notebook PC. VAIO X505 is among the first notebooks ever to feature a carbon nickel casing, contributing to the computer's extra-slim form and keeping it in the featherweight class at a little under two pounds. With a 10.4-inch screen and a full-featured keyboard, the X505 squeezes the performance of a notebook twice the size into a package that is about half an inch thick.
· Rodriguez Charged With Dru Sjodin Kidnapping. A federal grand jury has charged convicted sex offender Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. with kidnapping University of North Dakota student Dru Sjodin, resulting in her death.
· U.S. moves to build top supercomputer. The United States is launching a new push to regain the lead in the competition over who has the most powerful computer.
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
· California Lawyers Say They Deserve $258 Million for Suing Microsoft. Lawyers who persuaded Microsoft Corp. to settle their class-action lawsuit accusing the company of price-fixing are asking for $258 million in legal fees, the largest amount ever in an antitrust case.
· Camphone used to cheat on exam. Cheating has gone high tech at Everett Alvarez, California High School, and administrators have the pictures to prove it.
· Indianapolis 500 May Not Fill 33-Car Field. There are plenty of cars at the track and several drivers looking for jobs. Still, the Indianapolis 500 might not have a full field for the first time since 1947.
· Teacher Wrote Love Letters to Student. A high school English teacher resigned after school officials found notes and a racy poem she allegedly wrote to a 17-year-old student.
· Kerry Cites McCain for Defense Chief. Democratic challenger John Kerry said on Wednesday his first choice as defense secretary would be Republican Sen. John McCain as he criticized the Bush administration for failed policies in Iraq.
· Mexican Air Force Releases Photos Of Alleged UFOs. Mexican air force pilots filmed 11 bright, rapidly moving objects in the skies that an expert said proved the existence of UFOs, but defense officials said Wednesday no conclusions had been reached about the objects' origins.
· Kutcher in unsolved murder investigation. A murdered woman's devastated parents are accusing Ashton Kutcher of hindering the investigation into the death of their 22-year-old daughter, who was Kutcher's date at the 2001 Grammy parties.
· Pamela Anderson: 'I Want to Be an American.' Anderson, who was born in British Columbia, will undergo a citizenship interview in Los Angeles today, her attorney, Barbara Federman, said, adding "If she passes, she gets sworn in."
· 19 Porn Actors Cleared For Work. Nineteen porn actors were among some 50 performers who had been put on a voluntary quarantine list after an HIV outbreak shook the multi billion-dollar industry, which is based in California's San Fernando Valley.
· NBC Closes Merger With Universal. NBC closed its deal to merge with the Universal entertainment businesses Wednesday, creating a new media conglomerate that will take its place alongside giants such as Time Warner Inc. and Viacom Inc.
· 3 Jacko pals aided scheme - indictment. Three pals of Michael Jackson, including a former gay-porn producer, are "uncharged co-conspirators" in the indictment that accused the pop star of child molestation, according to the New York Daily News.
· R&B Singer John Whitehead Killed in Philadelphia. John Whitehead, a prominent R&B artist best known for the 1979 hit song "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now," was shot dead Tuesday, police said.
· Louisiana man who lost it over being beat on EBay bid going to jail. A Louisiana man who barged into a house with a gun last year in a dispute over an Internet auction pleaded guilty Tuesday to criminal trespass and criminal possession of a weapon, both felonies and will be going to prison for the crimes.
· Premiere launches a thousand flashbulbs. He plays a brash, bold hero who battles the Trojans in his big-screen epic Troy, opening Friday. But at Monday's premiere of his event picture, Brad Pitt confessed that, unlike his character Achilles, an ambitious warrior without conscience, he has a much softer side.
· Playboy plans Home Depot calendar. While some women in the United States complain that men substitute home improvement for sex, Playboy plans to combine them. The magazine's latest calendar venture is the women of Home Depot. All employees from cashiers to executives are eligible.
· Bank-robbing granny jailed. A 58-year-old US grandmother has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison for robbing two Michigan banks while on a trip to visit her son - a police officer.
· Cape Fear Museum gets a gift like no other. A contractor working on the water front brought in a Civil War canon ball as a donation to the museum. A good gesture, but what he didn't know is that the canon ball had a round of shot with the fuse still intact.
» Show-and-Tell Item Evacuates School. About 1,000 people were evacuated from the building after school officials discovered a seventh-grader brought an artillery shell.
· Man Accused Of 'Bum Stomping' Gets Life In Prison. A 20-year-old Baltimore man, convicted for the 2001 murder of a homeless man living under a bridge, was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without parole.
· Frasier Character Could Return. Kelsey Grammer isn't shutting the door on the idea of bringing back his long-running character, Frasier Crane, on another television series.
· Pittsfield stakes its claim in baseball history. Officials and historians in this western Massachusetts city released a 215-year-old document Tuesday that they say is the earliest written reference to baseball - produced decades before Abner Doubleday is said to have written the rules for the game.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Embellish [em·bel·lish] tr.v. 1. To make beautiful, as by ornamentation; decorate. 2. To add fictitious details to exaggerate the truth: "A fanciful account that embellished the true story."
· Pollock Painting Sells for Record $11.6M. A Jackson Pollock painting sold for $11.6 million, setting a record for the artist and topping a blockbuster auction of postwar and contemporary art at Christie's.
· Dog shot at condo complex after 'threat' by sniper. Scottsdale residents were papered with fliers last week signed by someone claiming to be "the sniper" and warning them that their dogs would be killed if their waste wasn't cleaned up.
· Mom Tosses Baby To Save From Pit Bull. Police in Cocoa, Florida are crediting a woman with saving the life of her baby boy by throwing him over a fence after being attacked by a pit bull dog Tuesday.
· No charges filed in U. of Colorado sex assault probe. Colorado's attorney general decided against criminal charges Tuesday in nine alleged sexual assaults involving University of Colorado football players, blaming evidence concerns and the reluctance of women to go forward with the cases.
· Calif. wineries go outside the bottle. Following the lead of counterparts in far-flung wine-producing and wine-consuming countries such as Australia, Great Britain, Italy and New Zealand, a number of winemakers in the greater Bay Area are moving into production with wines packaged a host of new ways. On the list: aluminum cans, screwtop bottles and Tetra Pak cartons like those used for milk.
· Texas Teens Arrested In Desecration Of Byrd Grave. Police in Texas have arrested two white teenagers accused of desecrating the grave of James Byrd - the black man who was dragged to his death from the back of a pickup truck in 1998.
· Three children found dead under bed in Florida home. Three children were found dead under a bed in their home Tuesday, a day after their mother was arrested in North Carolina.
· Some sell them on eBay - others throw them in the lake. Casting his fishing line into Martha Lake, Ryan Snow was hoping to catch a trout. Instead he caught a wedding dress - and was relieved to find it was empty.
Tuesday, May 11, 2004
· Kobe Pleads Not Guilty in Rape Case. Nearly 11 months after he was accused of rape, NBA star Kobe Bryant pleaded not guilty Tuesday afternoon to a single felony assault charge that could land him in prison for life.
· Raiders Haven't Hired 'Apprentice.' As Tabloid Column reported last week, the Oakland Raiders admit that their deal to hire Trump 'Apprentice' Nick Warnock was announced 'Prematurely.'
· Spread out caffeine jolts to stay alert. A cup of coffee first thing in the morning is an essential part of the daily routine for many people. But a new study suggests that it may be better to stretch out the daily dose by drinking smaller amounts throughout the day.
· New Swatch Ad Features Rabbits In Sexual Positions. Tourists visiting New York's Times Square are blushing over a new Swatch watch billboard that features six pairs of rabbits in various sexual positions.
· Woman's Keys Deflect Bullet During Robbery. Police say a Houston-area woman probably owes her life to a set of keys. Relatives say 79-year-old Eloise Young of Pearland suffered a broken arm in yesterday's attack - but if not for the keys, she might have been shot in the chest.
· NBC, Fox duel over reality boxing shows. The gloves are coming off over those reality shows to find the next star boxer. NBC had announced its show first called "The Contender." Then, Fox announced "The Next Great Champ."
· Video shows beheading of American in Iraq. [WARNING - VERY DISTURBING STORY]. A video posted Tuesday on an al-Qaida-linked Web site showed the beheading of an American civilian in Iraq in what was said to be revenge for abuse of Iraqi prisoners.
· Lawsuit Accuses Nuns Of Raping, Abusing Students. A lawsuit alleges that nuns raped and beat nine former students at a defunct school for the deaf. Attorney Mitchell Garabedian said the lawsuit names at least 14 nuns, a priest and an athletic instructor at the Boston School for the Deaf in Randolph, which was run by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston.
· Oprah's Trainer Stands by McDonald's. The fitness guru who trimmed Oprah Winfrey and is riding his bicycle across the country to promote health and wellness is sticking up for his sponsor, McDonald's.
· Judge Denies Second Move for Peterson Trial. Scott Peterson's double-murder trial won't be moving from this San Francisco suburb, a judge ruled Tuesday.
· Bananagate: Chiquita paid alleged terror groups. The U.S. government is investigating Chiquita Brands International Inc. for making "protection" payments to certain Colombian groups which the U.S. says are terrorist organizations.
· Google stock auction: IPO revolution or disaster? Google Inc.'s initial public offering has a lot of people salivating for a piece of the action - an appetite that the Internet search engine leader hopes to satisfy by inviting the masses to the bidding table.
· 'Superstar' Producers Lied to Studio Audience. Reality TV went too far at a taping for the upcoming "bad talent" series. "Superstar USA" producers lied and told audience members that the talentless contestants were actually terminally ill patients from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
· Online Church Offers Heavenly Website. The i-church, part of the Diocese of Oxford, will go fully live at the beginning of July with a congregation expected to be drawn from all over the world.
· Man sent gun in internet mix-up. A Canadian student who ordered an MP3 player over the internet from the U.S. was shocked to receive a licensed handgun instead.
· Iraqi prison photos also show sex between soldiers. A military official who has seen the photos said that one depicts soldiers sodomizing prisoners with chemical lights and another depicts sex between two U.S. soldiers.
· Judge Orders Lawyers to Find Way to Keep Grenade Attack Defendant Awake. An American Muslim Army sergeant accused in a deadly grenade attack on his fellow soldiers fell asleep twice Monday during a pretrial hearing, causing an annoyed military judge to order government attorneys to deal with the man's sleep disorder.
· Charley Pride Recovering After Surgery. Country singer Charley Pride is expected to make a full recovery following brain surgery last week, his personal manager said Monday.
· Teacher's in a web mess. A popular teacher at a Brooklyn school is in hot water after a sixth-grader stumbled onto his gay personal home page - then got punished in front of classmates.
· Nineteen Charged in Oklahoma Child Sex Ring. Pimps allegedly transported girls as young as 13 from Oklahoma — many of them runaways — to cities in Texas, Florida, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Arkansas for prostitution, said U.S. Attorney Robert McCampbell.
· Some federal workers have fake degrees. At least 28 senior-level federal employees in eight agencies have bogus college degrees, including three managers at the office that oversees nuclear weapons safety, congressional investigators have found.
· Jacko hocks Neverland. Desperate for the megabucks he needs to fund his legal defense against child molestation charges, embattled ex-King of Pop Michael Jackson has hocked Neverland Ranch, according to the National Enquirer - pocketing a whopping $18 million in a secret refinancing deal that reveals he's resigned to abandoning his fairy-tale kingdom of make-believe.
· FBI Computer Upgrades Inadequate. The FBI's nearly $600 million effort to modernize its antiquated computer systems to help prevent terrorist attacks is "not on a path to success," according to an outside review completed weeks after the bureau director gave Congress assurances about the program.
· Pets help patients recover faster. Hospital patients should be allowed "pets on prescription" to speed their recovery and promote their mental well being, nurses were told yesterday.
· Juror was drinking at WTC ghoul trial. A Manhattan juror confessed yesterday to secretly swilling vodka from a water bottle before convicting a retired city firefighter of swiping souvenirs from Ground Zero.
· Willie Nelson Cancels Concerts. Willie Nelson has canceled concerts for the next two months to have surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome, a promoter said.
· Dion Cancels 3 Shows on Doctor's Orders. Celine Dion canceled three performances of her nightly show at Caesars Palace this week after a doctor told the singer she needed to rest.
· Hooray For Hollywood? Nah. There'll be no wave of the magic Harry Potter wand for the three-year-old students of a local ballet school in southern England. Choreographer Valerie Le Serve said Monday that she was forced to change a 10-minute segment based on the exploits of the boy wizard and his friends at Hogwarts school after author J.K. Rowling's agent pointed out a contract with movie giant Warner Bros. that bans rival productions.
· Last SLA fugitive gets 6-year sentence. The last fugitive member of the Symbionese Liberation Army to be brought to justice was sentenced Monday to six years in prison for the shotgun slaying of a bank customer during a 1975 holdup.
· Wanted: Volunteers to Get Butts Kicked. An Idaho engineering firm wants volunteers to test out a butt-kicking machine.
· Bee Gees to Receive Honorary Degrees. The University of Manchester said Monday it was awarding honorary degrees to Robin and Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, as well as a posthumous honor for their brother Maurice.
· She's No Stranger To Grisly Images. A 26-year-old Army reservist charged with taking part in the abuse of Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghrain prison – and with snapping some of the notorious photographs – grew up around gruesome crime-scene pictures, her family says.
· Congress Targets Cell Phone Cameras. Some people are using cell phone cameras for nefarious purposes, such as taking pictures beneath women's skirts and posting them on the Internet. Lawmakers want to make taking such photos and other illicit uses of video technology a federal crime punishable by up to a year in jail.
· Online credit card porn fraudster jailed. A man who admitted illegally using credit card information of about 900,000 people to sign them up for pornographic Web sites was sentenced Monday to more than 11 years in prison.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Vociferous [vo·cif·er·ous] adj. Making, given to, or marked by noisy and vehement outcry.
· Detroit man named governor of Iraq province of Najaf. A man once jailed and tortured for opposing Saddam Hussein has been named governor of the Iraq province of Najaf.
· Lady Finds Mouse in Soup on Mother's Day. A woman out for an early Mother's Day lunch at the Cracker Barrel restaurant found a mouse in her vegetable soup. The woman had already eaten some of the soup on Saturday when she scooped up the mouse.
· California movie pirate sent to jail. In the first sentencing under California's new anti-camcording law, a 34-year-old Los Angeles-area man has been sent to jail for 42 days, the Motion Picture Assn. of America said.
· Florida Passenger's Behavior Causes Plane To Be Diverted. A Florida man charged in Virginia with taking a swing at a flight attendant during a flight to New York was ordered by a federal judge Monday to stay off planes and refrain from excessive drinking.
· Carb Counting Extends to Summer Eats. Everything from ice-cold cola, lemonade and beer to ice cream, pizza, burgers and chocolate has been unceremoniously stripped of at least some carbohydrates to keep up with the low-carb lunacy that’s gripped food companies, the media and the public alike.
Monday, May 10, 2004
· Actor Tom Sizemore accused of violating probation. Actor Tom Sizemore has violated the terms of probation imposed for abusing ex-girlfriend and former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss, a prosecutor said Monday.
· Glen Campbell pleads guilty to extreme DUI. Country singer Glen Campbell has pleaded guilty in his drunken driving case. Under a plea deal, Campbell gets ten days in jail for extreme driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident. He could be eligible for work furlow after 48 hours.
· Lawmakers to examine smoking in film. Hollywood lobbyists will be busy this week as lawmakers examine smoking on film and legislation that could undo some key portions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
· Accuser Testifies at Kobe Bryant Hearing for Second Time. The 19-year-old woman accusing NBA star Kobe Bryant of rape slipped into the courthouse through a fire exit Monday to testify for the second time since the case began.
» Kobe Bryant News. Latest news coverage on the Kobe Bryant alleged sexual assault case.
· Alaskans begin burying winter's dead. As the spring thaw softens ground that has been frozen hard as granite by the long Alaska winter, cemeteries start burying people who died during the past seven months.
Man Used Slingshot To Break 'Virgin Mary' Windows. An 18-year-old man was arrested and held on $10,000 bond Monday on charges he used a slingshot to shatter office building windows some believed bore the image of the Virgin Mary.
· Many 'American Idol' Losers Winning Big. Acidic tongue-lashings from "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell could deflate anyone's musical aspirations, but many "Idol" losers are finding that second-chance success isn't a bad consolation prize.
· Man Wins Lottery Three Times in One Night. A 60-year-old man bought three tickets at three separate stores - all with the same numbers - for a Saturday night Lotto draw and was among 20 winning tickets for the top prize, lottery officials said Monday. The three tickets scooped a total of $346,028.
· Coke sneaks phones, GPS chips into cans. About 120 Coke cans are being covertly converted into a combination global positioning satellite receiver and cell phone. The lucky cola drinkers who find the high-tech cans can claim the grand prizes - but won't know when or where they'll arrive.
· Chicago Anchorman Walter Jacobson Arrested. Fox News Anchorman Seen "Staggering" Out Of Pizza Shop. Chicago television anchorman Walter Jacobson was arrested early Saturday for allegedly driving while drunk, running a stop sign and obstructing traffic in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, police said.
· Woman sentenced to 50 years for shooting husband. An Iowa woman who shot her abusive husband, then left his body in their home for more than a year, was sentenced Monday to 50 years in prison by a judge who said the mandatory sentence was unjust.
· Brad Pitt insists marriage fine after comments. Brad Pitt insists his relationship with Jennifer Aniston is fine, despite hinting recently that his marriage may not last for ever.
· CNN and Fox in union battle. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is refusing to allow CNN and Fox News Network techniciains to install the miles of electrical cables needed to broadcast the convention to millions of viewers.
· Don Johnson Accused of Not Paying Bills. An Aspen grocery store is among the creditors that have accused actor Don Johnson of leaving an unpaid bill of $5,470, according to court records.
· 'Van Helsing' Stomps Olsens, Tops Box Office. Dracula, the Wolf Man and Frankenstein stomped the Olsen twins in the first major box-office contest of the summer blockbuster season as the monster-hunting "Van Helsing" opened at No. 1 with $54.2 million.
· Amber Wins $1M, Gets Engaged on 'Survivor All Stars' Finale. Not a bad night for "Survivor" contestant Amber Brkich: an engagement ring and a $1 million prize.
· Donny and Marie Osmond's Mother Dies. Olive Osmond, the mother of Marie and Donny Osmond and other members of the performing family, died Sunday. She was 79.
· $100 bill tucked inside new roll of toilet paper. What appeared to be nothing more than another roll of toilet paper in the boys' restroom turned out to be a bankroll for fourth-grader Cody Yaeger.
· Virus Creator May Have Made New Version. An 18-year-old German who confessed to creating the "Sasser" computer worm apparently released a new version of the program shortly before he was arrested last week, investigators said Monday.
· J. Lo Wearing Anthony's Ring. Jennifer Lopez has given back the pink diamond engagement ring given to her by Ben Affleck and is now wearing a bauble from current beau Marc Anthony.
· Girl, 7, stabbed by teen at Wal-Mart. A seven-year-old girl is recovering at home today after she was stabbed in the back, allegedly by a 13-year-old, while she was in the toy department of a Wal-Mart store.
· State Senator Arrested On Drunken Driving Charge. A Central Florida state senator was arrested on a drunken-driving charge Sunday after his car was pulled over and a police officer said his breath smelled of alcohol.
· World's ugliest building developed at MIT. From the outside, it looks like an enormous jungle gym, a gigantic climbing wall. Inside, the building is a brightly colored maze of office and laboratory space among the curving staircases and well-placed skylights.
» More photos of 'Archetects Gone Wild.' If they were looking for attention, the MIT building is certain to provide it.
· Polish police kill one in bullet mix-up. Polish police said they mistakenly fired live ammunition, not rubber bullets, to quell a campus riot late on Saturday, killing one and seriously injuring several others.
· Trisha Rehn says 'no' to Hollywood. She may be a celebrity, but The Bachelorette Trista Rehn Sutter says she is giving Hollywood the cold shoulder. "I did cameos, but it wasn't my thing," Trista tells Star. "Now I'm looking for hosting jobs." "I like traveling somewhere for a day to help promote something, to get people excited about something -- and be home for the rest of the time."
· Pearl refused to be sedated before murder videotaped. Horrifying new details of how Daniel Pearl, the murdered Wall Street Journal reporter, met his death have emerged from the interrogation of new suspects by Pakistani police.
· Interest rate boost before election. The Bush administration has been alerted that Chairman Alan Greenspan will guide the Federal Reserve Board to a small interest rate boost before the presidential election, and President Bush is reported to be satisfied.
· Desi Arnaz Secretly Funded Anti-Castro Groups. Desi Arnaz of "I Love Lucy" fame and fortune helped finance the freedom of hundreds of Bay of Pigs fighters captured in 1961 by Cuban government forces, veterans say.
· Martha Stewart to argue jail may hurt jobs. Lawyers for Martha Stewart plan to say that a prison sentence for the domestic trendsetter could harm her company and lead to lay-offs of some of its 500 employees, the Wall Street Journal said on Monday.
· 'Martha Stewart' Will Keep On Living, But Omnimedia Downplays Name. Its founder may be on her way to prison, but Martha Stewart Living won't drop the name when the magazine undergoes several changes later this year.
· Jesus Chic Is Latest Fashion Trend. A slew of designers and boutiques have been jumping on the Jesus bandwagon, offering everything from T-shirts to belts paying homage to the Lord. And celebrities from Madonna to Pamela Anderson have been spotted sporting the Jesus chic wear.
· Coed says she had toes licked before alleged assualt. A Columbia University football player was charged with creeping into a sleeping coed's dorm room and sexually assaulting her.
· Donahue Ditches Nader for Kerry. Phil Donahue is not supporting Ralph Nader this time around. He's behind John Kerry, although he didn't sound too convincing. "Did you hear John Kerry say on TV that maybe there are weapons of mass destruction? Did you hear him? He might as well be helping Bush!"
· First GI Faces Court-Martial Over Abuse. The U.S. military next week will begin the first in a series of courts-martial in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse allegations, trials that could bring new revelations on whether the mistreatment of Iraqis was an aberration or stemmed from pressure from commanders.
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."
· Intel to launch Dothan; chip-naming system. The chipmaker will unveil three models of its latest Pentium M processor, a chip dubbed Dothan, at an event in San Francisco. As part of the event, Intel will also introduce a naming system that uses a system of numbers, rather than relying primarily on clock speed.
· Woman Hit by Bat In Sausage Race Retiring. Wisconsin's most famous sausage has decided to retire, but she'll always relish the memories. Mandy Block, the woman in the Italian sausage costume hit with a bat by Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Randall Simon last July, won't be in the Milwaukee Brewers' sausage races this summer.
· For sale: the Greek island retreat once owned by Aristotle Onassis. It is the latest must-have holiday accessory for the rich and famous: their very own island in the warm blue waters of the seas around Greece.
· Bin Ladins to build world's tallest building? Osama bin Laden's family business is on the short list of contractors bidding to build the world's tallest skyscraper.
· Sad end to boy/girl life. A Winnipeg man who was born a boy but raised as a girl in a famous nurture-versus-nature experiment has died at the age of 38. David Reimer, who shared his story in the pages of a book and on the TV show Oprah, took his own life.
· Man Dies in Burning Car at Ark. Cemetery. The body of a man was found in a burning car Sunday at a cemetery where he and his wife had gone to visit his mother-in-law's grave, police said.
Sunday, May 9, 2004
· Longtime Comic and Actor Alan King Dead at 76. Alan King, whose tirades against everyday life helped build a long comedy career in nightclubs and television that he later expanded to character acting on the silver screen, died Sunday in Manhattan.
· Bag contained explosive surprise. A routine safety test at Montreal's airport went monumentally wrong after an airport employee placed real explosives in a passenger's luggage, but failed to remove them before he left the airport.
· NBC Wants Smooth Transition From Brokaw. It's been more than 20 years since there's been a change among the Big Three of network news - Brokaw, Peter Jennings and Dan Rather - and NBC is leaving nothing to chance with the transfer to Brian Williams.
· Smokey Robinson Launches Food Brand. Smokey Robinson has satisfied his share of musical palates. Now he's whetting appetites of a different sort.
· Swedish company making wood computer peripherals. Swedx, a maker of computer peripherals, sells custom-designed monitors, keyboards and mice encased in timber culled from Chinese forests.
· Katherine Harris Forgets to Sign Ballot. Rep. Katherine Harris, the former Florida secretary of state who oversaw the disputed 2000 presidential election, admits she's responsible for a vote going uncounted — her own.
· Stop reveals ‘naked’ truth. Deputy John Ross and deputy Kyle Cabness, were apparently mistaken for male strippers when they pulled over a limousine containing a mobile bachelorette party.
· Former 'Bond' rescues Queen Elizabeth. It didn't require much 007 derring-do, but former James Bond actor Roger Moore came to Queen Elizabeth II's rescue Friday, helping out when technical trouble prevented the monarch from unveiling a plaque.
· Casablanca Gets A New Gin Joint. In homage to the 1942 movie "Casablanca," a former U.S. diplomat spent two years of work and a million dollars in investments to bring Rick's Cafe to Morocco's largest city.
· Kerry Wants Depp as Vice President. Presidential hopeful and Massachusetts Senator John Kerry today announced he has offered Johnny Depp first refusal of the coveted VP spot in his Democratic bid for the White House.
· Intruders Break Into Toscanini Family Tomb. Intruders broke into the family tomb of legendary conductor Arturo Toscanini, opening his daughter's coffin and damaging her tombstone, police said.
· Overnight Blast Kills Chechen President. The Kremlin-backed president of Russia's warring Chechnya region and a top Russian general were killed Sunday when an explosion tore through a stadium in the Chechen capital where they were attending World War II observances, the republic's Interior Ministry said.
· New Book - Testosterone Inc: "Tales of CEOs Gone Wild."
Testosterone Inc. goes behind the boardroom doors to show the serial affairs and marriages of these acquisitive corporate titans.
At the center of this story is Jack Welch, the biggest of America’s rock star CEOs and the former head of General Electric Co., surrounded by "mini-me" CEOs Ron Perelman of Revlon, Al Dunlap of Sunbeam, and Dennis Kozlowski of Tyco - all gone wild in public displays of consumption and predatory appetites. [Buy This Book]...
· Boxer: 'Russell Crowe is a gutless worm.' Aussie Joe Bugner, the former World Boxing Federation heavyweight champion who twice went the distance with Muhammad Ali, says he has been insulted by the actor, who he called a "gutless worm."
· Big monorail fan might backtrack. When officials from the Seattle Monorail Project pay homage to the monorail movement's grass-roots heritage, they're talking about citizens like Bobby Inshetski - Until he learned that the final plan calls for trains to pass less than 7 feet from the bay windows of his apartment.
· Mike Tyson Registers as Sex Offender in Arizona. Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who spent three years in an Indiana prison on a rape conviction, has registered as a sex offender in Arizona.
· Dick Van Dyke and Friends Revisit Classic TV. When Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Carl Reiner and Rose Marie got together for a reunion of "The Dick Van Dyke Show," it was as if 40 years hadn't passed.
Word of The Day by WordThink
Prognosticate [prog·nos·ti·cate] tr.v. To predict according to present indications or signs; foretell.
· Gay Day provoked by Tennessee county's gay ban. More than 400 people turned out for a Rhea County Gay Day celebration prompted by the county commission's vote to ban homosexuals and have them arrested for "crimes against nature."
· Meteorite for sale. For a cool $100,000 a rare piece of space real estate could be yours.
· Party Planned for Kaufman, Just in Case. Andy Kaufman died of lung cancer on May 16, 1984, but according to legend, the eccentric comedian said if he were faking, he'd resurface 20 years later to the day. So, just in case, a party is being planned by Bob Zmuda, Kaufman's best friend and partner, at the House of Blues in Los Angeles on May 16.
· 'Idol' Hopeful Returns to High School. Stevens, the red-headed crooner who was ousted from "American Idol," returned to high school Friday and said he's still hoping to get a record deal.
Saturday, May 8, 2004
· After drunken antics, Judge tells Enron exec 'the party's over.' The party's over for disgraced Enron chief executive Jeffrey Skilling. Like a parent scolding a teenager, a federal judge ordered the high-flying honcho to get a job, lay off the booze and stick to a midnight curfew before his fraud trial.
· Gotti's son alleges name discrimination. The son of late mobster John Gotti is suing the federal Bureau of Prisons, claiming the government is keeping him behind bars because of his infamous last name.
· Steve Martin to be the new Clouseau. Comic actor Steve Martin will star as a new Inspector Clouseau in a fresh “Pink Panther” movie due out next summer, the filmmakers said.
· California Bill to lower voting age to 14 passes Senate committee. Senate Bill 1606 by Sen. John Vasconcellos, D-San Jose, would lower the state's legal voting age to 14.
· Jacko's Wacko John Hancock. When Michael Jackson dumped lawyers Mark Geragos and Benjamin Brafman last month he was required to formally notify Judge Rodney Melville of his counsel switch. Here's the Jacko signature.
· Surveillance Camera Captures Cello Theft. A surveillance camera has captured the theft of a cello worth $3.5 million. Now, there is a $50,000 dollar reward for its return.
· Robber Upset He Didn't Get Life Sentence. Ruben Ramirez, 45, was disappointed when he got an 8 1/2-year sentence for bank robbery. Ramirez carried out his plan in order to be assured of a life prison term under the state's "three strikes" law.
· Actor Robert Conrad's felony DUI trial near. A talkative Robert Conrad was in Calaveras County, CA Superior Court to switch lawyers and get a new trial date set for the felony drunken driving case he's fighting.
· Man wins 2nd $1 million scratch-off game. 78-year-old Russell Tanner won his second $1 million scratch-off lottery game last week - the only known two-time winner of the game in Michigan.
· Kobe prosecutors want to bar 'O.J. expert.' In a court filing made public Fr
Corporation.
